Hodadenon: The Last One Left and the Chestnut Tree
Long ago a boy and his uncle lived together in an elm bark lodge.
The boy’s name was Hodadenon, which means “The Last One Left.”
All of the rest of his family had disappeared over the years and it was thought they had been killed by those who were ‘otgont’, possessed of wicked powers.
Each morning the uncle would feed Hodadenon and then go out of the lodge to hunt, leaving the boy by himself. Each evening he would return, again feed the boy, and then go to sleep.
One day Hodadenon was playing by himself in the lodge.
He began to think. “Enh,” he said, “why is it that I never see my uncle eat?”
Then he took a bone awl and made a small hole in the deerskin he used as a blanket each night.
“Tonight,” said Hodadenon, “I shall see what happens after we go to bed.”
That evening as always the uncle returned. He fed the boy and told him to go to sleep. Hodadenon lay down on one side of the fire and on the other side the uncle lay down on his couch, which was made of saplings and covered with many animal skins.
Pulling the deerskin over his head, Hodadenon pretended to sleep, but he could still see his uncle through the small hole he had made.
After a time, the uncle stood up and went over to the fire.
“Hodadenon,” said the uncle in a soft voice, but the boy did not answer.
Three times more the uncle called his name, but Hodadenon still pretended to sleep. Coming closer to the fire, the uncle blew very hard into it.
Sparks flew out, landing on the boy’s legs.
“Hodadenon,” said the uncle, “be careful. You are going to be burned.”
But even though some of the sparks fell on his bare skin and burned him Hodadenon did not move.
“Nyoh,” said the uncle, “the boy is indeed asleep.”
He went over to his couch and removed the skins.
He lifted off the top of the couch and took out a box made of birch bark.
All of this Hodadenon watched through the hole in his blanket.
Opening the box made of birch bark, the uncle took out a small pot.
It was so small that it fit easily in the palm of his hand.
From inside the pot he took out another object which the boy could not clearly see though it looked to be smaller than an acorn.
Using a little knife, the uncle scraped tiny shavings from the thing into the pot.
Then, putting the tiny pot over the fire, he blew on it and sang this song:
Grow, pot, grow in size
Grow, pot, grow in size
And as Hodadenon watched, the pot grew in size as the uncle sang his song and blew on it. Finally the pot was as large as a normal cooking pot and the odour of something delicious came from it.
Before long the food was ready and the uncle ate it all.
When he was through, he blew once more on the pot and sang this song:
Shrink, pot, shrink in size
Shrink, pot, shrink in size
And once again the pot became small enough to hold in the palm of his hand.
Replacing the thing he had scraped in the tiny pot, Hodadenon’s uncle replaced the pot in the birch bark box and again hid everything in the secret compartment under his couch. Then he went to sleep.
The next morning, as always, the uncle went out hunting and left the boy alone in the lodge. For a time Hodadenon played around the lodge.
He shot his small bow and arrow at a target and did other things, but the song his uncle sang to the pot kept going through his head.
Finally he could stand it no longer.
“My uncle will be back soon from his hunting,” he said. “He will be very hungry. I should prepare a meal for him.”
Hodadenon went over to his uncle’s couch, pulled off the skins and opened the compartment.
Taking out the box of birch bark, he opened it and found the tiny pot.
Within it was half of a small dry nut.
“So this is my uncle’s food,” said Hodadenon, “but it is almost gone.
If I want to make enough for him to eat, I must use it all.
I am sure he can get more.” So Hodadenon took a knife and scraped all that was left of the nut into the tiny pot.
Then, placing the pot over the fire, he blew on it and sang:
Grow, pot, grow in size
Grow, pot, grow in size
Sure enough, just as it had done for his uncle, the pot became larger.
Now it was the size of a normal cooking pot and it was boiling and boiling.
But Hodadenon was not satisfied, “surely my uncle will be more hungry than this when he comes home.
I must make more.”
Then he blew on the pot and again sang:
Grow, pot, grow in size
Grow, pot, grow in size
Now the pot was so large and bubbling so fast that Hodadenon had to stretch to stir the contents, which smelled very good indeed.
“Neh,” said Hodadenon, “this isn’t enough. What if my uncle wishes to share this good food with me.
After all, he will be grateful that I prepared it.
I must make more.”
So, once more, he blew on the kettle and sang the song.
Again the pot grew and now it was so large that Hodadenon had to stand on top of his uncle’s couch and use a canoe paddle to stir the contents, but he was so excited that he did not want to stop.
“This is almost enough for us,” he said, “but what if we should have visitors?
We should have enough to offer them as well.”
So, for a fourth time, Hodadenon blew on the pot and sang the magic song.
The pot grew so big that Hodadenon had to get out of the lodge because it filled the whole place from side to side! It was so big that the only way the boy could stir it was by taking a long pole up to the roof and reaching down to stir it through the smoke hole!
When Hodadenon’s uncle came back from hunting, the first thing he saw was the pudding bubbling out of the door of the lodge.
He heard someone singing above him and looked up.
There was Hodadenon, swinging his legs in the smoke hole, still stirring the pudding and singing happily:
What a good cook I am
What a good cook I am
We all will eat well now
What a good cook I am
“Nephew,” called the old man, “come down from there.
What you have done has killed me.”
Then Hodadenon’s uncle blew on the pot through the door of the lodge and sang the song to make it grow small.
When it was down to the size it had been at the beginning, he entered the lodge, lay down on his couch and began to weep.
Hodadenon, who had come down from the smoke hole, walked over to where the old man lay.
“Uncle,” said Hodadenon, “what is wrong?”
“Hodadenon,” said the uncle, “you have used up all of the only food I can eat.
Now I will starve to death.
This is why I never allowed you to see me eat.
I knew that you would do this.”
“Uncle,” said the boy, “things can’t be that bad.
Just go and get another of those little nuts.”
“Neh,” said the uncle, “that is the kind of food called a chestnut.
Long ago, though it was very dangerous, I obtained that one.
All these years I have eaten it and it would have lasted for many more.
Now I am too old to get another one.”
“Wah-ah,” said Hodadenon, “this is my doing.
I shall go and bring back many chestnuts.”
“It is not possible,” said the old man.
“The way is long and guarded by many terrible creatures.
Others of your family have gone there but none have ever returned.”
Yet Hodadenon would not give up. Finally the uncle agreed to tell him the way.
“Go straight to the north, the uncle said. “There you will find a narrow path.
At its first turn it is guarded by two great rattle snakes, slaves to the evil ones who own the chestnut trees.
No one can get past them.”
“But what if I do, Uncle?” asked Hodadenon.
If anyone by good luck passes the great snakes, he will next encounter two huge hears.
They guard a passageway between the rocks.
They too are slaves of the evil ones.
They will tear apart anyone who tries to pass.
“Further on down the path are two giant Panthers which leap upon anyone who attempts to get by them. Hodadeno, it cannot be done.”
“Is that all, Uncle?” Hodadenon said.
“Is it not enough?” said the old man.
“Neh, that is only the beginning. Next is the place where the chestnut trees grow.
There live the seven sisters who own the trees.
All of them are strong in ‘otgont’ power.
If anyone comes to steal the chestnuts, they run from their long lodge and beat the person to death with their clubs.
No one can hope to go undetected, for a flayed human skin hangs in the top of a tree looking down on the chestnut grove and it sings a warning when anyone comes close.”
“Nyah-weh, Uncle,” said Hodadenon, “I thank you for your good advice.
Now I must he on my way. I shall return with the food you need if all goes well.”
Taking two sticks, he tied them together and placed them standing near the fire.
“Watch these sticks, Uncle,” said the boy. “If all is well with me they will not move, but if I am killed they will break apart.”
Now Hodadenon set out on his way.
He went straight to the north and found a narrow path.
“This must be the road my uncle told me of,” said Hodadenon. “It looks easy enough to travel.”
The boy continued along and soon the path began to twist and wind.
Ahead, it turned sharply to the left. Hodadenon stopped, crept off the path, went through the trees, and peered out cautiously.
There on either side of the path, were two great rattlesnakes, coiled and ready to strike.
“Uncle,” said Hodadenon, “you know this road well.” He went and caught two chipmunks. Holding one in each hand he again began to walk the path.
When he came to the two rattlesnakes he threw a chipmunk into the mouth of each before they could strike him.
“Tca,” he said, “you seem to be in need of food.
Now I have given you that which you should hunt for yourselves.
Hawenio, our Creator, did not make any of his beings to be slaves. Go from this place.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two rattlesnakes uncoiled and crawled off in different directions, leaving the road unguarded as Hodadenon went along his way.
Meanwhile, back at the lodge, the two tied sticks which had been quivering now stood still as Hodadenon’s uncle watched them intently.
Now the path entered a rocky place.
Again Hodadenon left the trail to scout ahead.
There, where the way dipped between two big boulders, were a pair of giant bears, crouched and ready to tear apart anybody who tried to go by.
“Uncle,” said Hodadenon, “you have travelled this road before.”
He climbed a tree where he heard the buzzing of many bees, pulled out two combs of honey and went back onto the path.
When he came to the bears, he hurled the combs of honey into their mouths before they could grab him.
“Hunh,” the boy said, “it looks to me as if you were hungry.
Now I have given you that which you like best of all.
The one who gave us breath, Hawenio, did not make us to be the slaves of anyone.
Go from this place.”
At his words, the two bears turned and went away,each in a different direction as Hodadenon continued down the trail.
Meanwhile, back at the uncle’s lodge, the two tied sticks stopped quivering and Hodadenon’s uncle breathed a sigh of relief.
Now the path entered a deep forest and wound between large trees.
Leaving the trail, Hodadenon crept along till he could see the place where two huge panthers, eyes glowing like green flames, hid behind a pair of giant pines on either side of the path.
“Uncle,” Hodadenon said, “you remember your travels well.”
Taking his bow and arrows, he killed two deer.
Carrying them over his shoulders, he went down the trail once more.
Before the panthers could leap upon him, he threw each of them a deer.
“Ee-yah,” he said, “I see that you were in need of food.
Now I have given you that which you are supposed to hunt.
Know that the one who gave us strength to walk around, Hawenio, did not intend that any living creature should serve another as a slave.
Go from this place.”
In two different directions away into the trees slunk the panthers and the boy continued along his way.
Meanwhile, back at the lodge, the two sticks which had been shaking as if struck by a strong wind once more stood still as Hodadenon’s uncle watched them.
The path in front of Hodadenon was very straight and wide. It looked to have been travelled by many feet.
The boy listened very carefully and soon he began to hear a very faint song coming from the treetops.
Crawling forward through the brush, he peered up and saw the one who was singing.
It was the skin of a woman tied in the top of a tree.
This was her song:
Gi-nu, gi-nu, gi-nu
I am the one who sees all,
I see you
The song was very soft.
Hodadenon could barely hear it, but he knew it would grow loud indeed if she caught a glimpse of him.
Below her was a grove of trees.
They were covered with a fruit which had burrs all over it.
These, Hodadenon knew, must be the chestnuts.
Beyond the skin woman and the trees was a great pile of human bones and just to the other side of them was the long lodge of the seven witches.
“Tcu,” said Hodadenon, “now I shall need some help.”
Going to a basswood tree, he peeled a long strip of bark.
With a burned stick and the juice of berries, he decorated the piece of bark until it looked just like a long wampum belt.
Slinging it over his shoulder, he knelt down and tapped four times on the earth.
“My friend,” he said, “I am in need of help.”
Up out of the ground poked the nose and then the head of a female mole.
“Nyoh, Hodadenon! How can I help you?” asked the mole.
“Grandmother,” said the boy, “if I make myself very small, will you carry me under the earth with you?”
“That’s too easy,” said the mole. “Let’s go!”
Then Hodadenon began to rub himself with his hands.
As he did so he grew smaller and smaller until he was small enough to travel with the mole under the earth.
Down into the ground they went, coming up beneath the very tree where the Skin Woman was swaying back and forth.
Once again Hodadenon rubbed himself with his hands until he was back to normal.
Then he called up to Skin Woman.
“Sister,” he called, “I have seen you first.
Do not tell the others I am here and I will give you this fine belt of wampum.”
“Wah-ah!” said Skin Woman, “I did not see you, Hodadenon.
Give me the belt and I will not warn them you are here.”
Hodadenon tossed the belt up to Skin Woman.
She put it on and immediately it wrapped itself so tightly about her she could not speak. Under the tree, Hodadenon quickly filled his pouch with chestnuts.
Then, making himself small once more, he called for his friend, Mole, to take him back under the earth.
Up in the tree, Skin Woman finally got her breath. She began to sing:
Gi-nu, gi-nu, gi-nu
Someone has bribed me
I cannot say who
Out from the long lodge ran the seven witches.
Each of them carried a long club.
They ran to the place where Skin Woman hung, but they saw no one.
“Someone has been here,” said one of the witches.
“Some of our chestnuts are gone,” said another.
“Skin Woman,” said a third witch, “you are our slave.
Speak and tell us who has been here.”
But Skin Woman did not answer the question.
All she did was swing back and forth in the wind, singing this song:
Gi-nu, gi-nu, gi-nu
I’ve been given a wampum belt
Shining and new
“You are a fool,” said another of the witches.
“That is only the bark from a tree.”
“It must have been The Last One Left.” said the fifth witch, “the boy whose uncle stole from us long ago.”
“If he comes back,” said the sixth witch, “we will catch him and kill him.”
“Nyoh,” said the last witch, “now we must punish our slave.”
She took her club and struck Skin Woman a heavy blow.
Each of the others did the same.
Then the seven witches went back into the long lodge, leaving the Skin Woman covered with bruises, but still singing softly of her fine new belt of wampum.
Meanwhile, back in the lodge of Hodadenon’s uncle, the two sticks had fallen over on the floor.
Picking them up and standing them upright once more, the old man watched them with great concern.
From his hiding place in the earth, Hodadenon had listened to all that was said by the seven sisters. “It is not right,” he said “that those terrible creatures should go on like this.
Friend Mole, we must go back there.”
The mole dove deeper into the earth.
She carried Hodadenon under the long lodge and came up beneath the couch where the sisters slept.
There, tied to a string of sinew, were seven hearts.
Quick as a spark leaping from the fire, Hodadenon grabbed the string of hearts and ran from the lodge.
Seeing him, the seven witches grabbed their clubs and gave chase.
Now back in the lodge of Hodadenon’s uncle the two sticks fell over once more.
The old man was so disheartened that he did not stand them up again.
He lay there staring at them, certain that his nephew would now never return alive.
From the top of her tree, Skin Woman sang as the seven witches chased Hodadenon:
Gi-nu, gi-nu, gi-nu
Hodadenon has your hearts
This will be the end of you
Now the first witch had almost caught up with the boy and raised her club to strike him.
As she did so, Hodadenon squeezed one of the hearts on the sinew string and the witch fell dead.
Now the second witch was about to strike.
Again Hodadenon squeezed a heart and the second witch died also.
In the end, he had squeezed all seven of the hearts and all seven of the evil sisters had fallen dead.
Climbing to the top of the tree, Hodadenon cut loose the cords which held Skin Woman.
He brought her down and placed her on top of the pile of human bones.
Then he began to push against a great dead hickory tree which was near the pile.
“Get yourselves up, my relatives!” he shouted. “A tree is about to fall on you!”
Immediately Skin Woman and all of the people whose bones were piled there leaped up and came back to life.
Skin Woman was, indeed, the sister of Hodadenon.
Long ago the evil witches had caught her and the others of his family whose bones lay in that pile.
There before him were his parents, his brothers, and all his relations.
All were very happy to be alive and thanked the boy again and again.
Taking the chestnuts from the ground, Hodadenon passed them out to all his relatives.
“Plant these all over,” he said. “Food will be shared with everyone from now on.”
Finally, his pouch filled with chestnuts, Hodadenon went back to the lodge of his uncle.
The old man lay there on his couch, thin as a skeleton, his eyes fixed on the two tied sticks.
“Uncle,” said Hodadenon, “I have returned.”
The old man jumped up and embraced the nephew.
To this day he still sits in that lodge, making chestnut pudding in his pot.
And from that time on, the chestnuts, like all the other good things given to us by Hawenio, our Creator, no longer belong to just one family, no matter how powerful they are, but are shared by all.

A little background check- 17F, overthinker, was good in studies till 10th grade... Started preparing for competitive exams(JEE) and I have degraded from a excellent student to a average one.... It's not like I didn't study or smth.... I studied like hell... Didn't got out of my room... (Basically the toxic hustle culture ) still my scores dropped
From the last 5-6 months I have this feeling like my mind can not even solve basic prblms.... I always have this feeling like my something is stopping me from think deeper... Don't know how to deal with it as it has already ruined my life..... Is it just ki I am retarded or it's an actual thing..... Please give any suggestions on how to cure this.... I feel like it is not who I am..... Please help me to get out of this situation.... Any help would be appreciated

Niren Murthy. You cannot teach. You get so much wrong. Your lecture ends and I’ve learned nothing. It’s not me, it’s you. Your exams also are the worst with even getting two wrong you’re at a B-. Setting us up for failure. Goodbye and good riddance. By the way, I recommend you review the principles of organic chemistry.
Professor Dueber is no better. His high ego and ruthless attitude create a hostile learning environment. He seems to believe he is beyond reproach, which is far from the truth. His grading is inconsistent, and his approach to teaching is equally ineffective. It's clear that he prioritizes his self-image over the education of his students. This class has been nothing short of a nightmare due to his arrogance and lack of empathy.
As we approach the end of the semester, many of my classmates and I are deeply concerned about the impact of these issues on our final grades. There’s a significant disparity in the grading criteria and we’re worried about the consistency and fairness of the final evaluation. Kids that killed it on the ended up with B- or lower.
Despite our repeated inquiries about extra credit and the possibility of adjusting grade boundaries based on our final exam performance, the professor has remained stubborn and unresponsive. This rigid stance is particularly frustrating given that many of us have worked tirelessly to prepare for exams, only to be met with an unfair grading system and a lack of support from the professor.
A ridiculous amount of people cheat in this class. No one fucking learns in this class and this class sure does not help with anything we want to do in the future. 15 minute youtube video can do better. this only further disadvantaging those who are working hard and adhering to academic integrity. He pushes down the people who actually try even lower it sucks. People cheat left and right in front of him. The professor's failure to address these issues and take appropriate action against cheaters is a gross negligence of his duties. This not only undermines the efforts of honest students but also creates an environment where dishonesty is rewarded and integrity is penalized. He blames those of us who are sincerely trying but lets the cheaters go unpunished, which is completely unfair.
His stance is particularly frustrating given that many of us have worked tirelessly to prepare for exams, only to be met with an unfair grading system and a lack of support from the professor.
He also said he would drop two HW but only dropped one. Because we didn’t complete his stupid course evaluations he decided to not give us a practice exam or review for finals. He makes his Ed discussion posts mandatory to reveal your name so no shit no one wants to ask you questions. Ur scary and no one wants to come to your office hours either. get the message.
I would not recommend taking this class at all. They are both horrible lecturers, especially Murthy, and are just the worst.

Hey friends, It’s a topic which is on my mind for some time now and I maybe you guys can help me? Which are the best Intervals to use when it comes to double the voice (two parts). Cause just Octaves are boring and the thirds sound weird sometimes… What other Intervalls are common or do you like to use?
Thank you so much in advance! 🙏🏼

I have a very weird issue that has just recently been revealed to me.
For context, I am in my early 20s and have never had a girlfriend. A few weeks ago, however, I was set up with a girl that I am to meet soon on a date by mutual friends. She checks all my boxes, something that hasn’t happened before. One of these boxes is that this girl must come from my minority religious/cultural background which is already quite small and many of the girls are not “wife-like material” imho. This is one of the main reasons I’ve been holding off from being in a relationship for so long.
Anyways, this is where my issue start. Brace yourselves. Are you ready? Ok here we go.
A couple days ago, I showed my parents a picture of this girl, and they unfortunately revealed to me that we are third cousins. Even though we are third cousins, I didn’t know at all and my parents barely have conversed with her parents in general. Maybe here and there but not enough to be a relevant part of our lives.
Anyways, the past few days that’s been all I can think of. Idk what to do now. Honestly speaking, although the issue has been on my mind, I don’t mind marrying a third cousin based on the research I’ve done.
Should I go on this date and tell her and risk us not becoming a thing, or should I go on this date and not tell her and potentially start a long relationship and wait for her to find out naturally and put the decision in her hands?
I want your honest opinions, and will let yall know my current stance on this issue. The second option is defn immoral but I am not the best person and have my own flaws. This is a chance for me to be happy and finally have a girlfriend that checks my boxes and if the second option gives me a higher chance of the girl wishing to continue a potential relationship I’ll take it.

Schools: UIUC (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) vs. Rutgers New Brunswick
Intended major: Information Sciences + Data Science @ UIUC & CS @ Rutgers
Similarities: Weather is about the same. Weather is rly bad for a few months/unpredictable (Being from cali I will be seeing a major difference); Overall rankings are pretty close to each other; Both have very good research opportunities
UIUC
UIUC pros:

• Visited a few weeks ago and really liked the campus
• Really good stem education very study focused school
• Really liked the campus culture (upperclassman were very helpful and they were willing to go out of their way to show me around)
• Data science is an emerging field, and they are making a new data science building (Siebel School of Computing and Data Science), but not sure if my major will be added to that new school
• Data science building opening up might lead to more research opportunities and more resources
• Close to Chicago (very major job hub)

UIUC Cons:

• When I selected my major, I was drawn to the title, but later discovered it didn’t live up to my expectations.
  • If you look at the major in reddit it is basically everyone saying it lacks technicality
• Can make up the technicality with a CS minor but not as strong as a CS major
• Hard to switch to CS + X but would be very rewarding if it happened
• Not many friends going from my hs
• Not a very social guy so it’s going to be hard to make friends (but this is maybe for every college)
• Very big party school, not my type of thing to do. Won’t attend parties, but will be surrounded by people who do and that might be a big influence idrk

Rutgers
Rutgers Pros:

• Direct admit to CS
• Campus is pretty nice
• Prestige is alright to the point where you don’t feel lowly about yourself and what you are doing
• Close to NYC (very major job hub esp for a cs degree)

Rutgers Cons:

• Off campus housing limited
• Not really a great college town like UIUC
• Larger class sizes of 100+
• Not many people I know going - Campus layout is a bit fucked (5 campuses and you need a bus to go to each of them so basically not walkable)

Tiebreaking considerations:

• Ease of transferring into CS and statistics program at UIUC to pursue real data science opportunities, given its top 5 ranking in CS and not bad for DS as well.
• Knowing if direct admission to Rutgers might be preferable over pursuing Information Sciences and Data Science (IS + DS) at UIUC with plans of switching.
• Quality of education offered by both institutions
• Put yourselves in my shoes and think if I look back in 10 years would I have been happy with my decision?

Addendum:
I’m sort of a pit stop right now, as I am not really sure what to do. I never really wanted to go to Rutgers in the first place, but it suddenly became an option after I realized that an IS + DS major was not it at UIUC. When I visited both campuses, I got better vibes at UIUC. Rutgers’s campus seemed a bit depressing and reminded me of HS, but I am not against it as I think it would be a great experience and first impressions could be deceiving.
I just wanted to say that I am leaning towards UIUC because of the prestige it holds compared to Rutgers. I think this is what a lot of other people will do, and UIUC is the clearer option compared to Rutgers. At this point, it is more of a major thing than a school thing.
Even though data science at UIUC is not a bad major when paired with a CS minor, a lot of people are shitting on it for being really bad, so I don't know what to do. I talked to the Hella people, though, and they told me that it is fine if I put in a CS minor.
What do yall think I should do?

Okay, I'm honestly confused to a huge degree so maybe you can tell me where I went wrong and if and maybe why I ATAH.
Since my brother (34) accuses me of treating him badly, here is a caption of the most recent events and most important facts.
GENERAL ASPECTS

• we have a bad relationship since I'm about 12 (he was probably 15)
• we had heavy arguments full of insults and physical fights.
• when I was in my twenties he attacked me which resulted in permanent damage to my nose.
  
• since I moved out we're barely in touch
  
• he stayed mostly in his room when I visited (he still lives there).
  
• every year he blocks and unblockes me, leaves and rejoins the family group. This mostly happens after I text my mother about something I don't think is okay, for example that he took my stuff that were presents or that there were different standards for him and me.
  
• my mother witnessed him insulting and physically hurting me since were young but doesn't do anything and simply states that it hurts her to see our relationship being that bad.
  

THROWBACK SINCE DECEMBER

• two weeks before our grandpas funeral he told me I should not come over after the funeral.
• at the cemetery I told him to speak quieter since what he was saying was something that would cause him huge trouble. He insulted me as a result.
• on my birthday he was there despite me telling our mother several times I didn't want him there. He was surprisingly nice and even had a present for me. My mother pressured me to tell him about my pregnancy. He was nice to me from then on.
  
• my mother told people about my pregnancy and a few weeks later the gender despite me telling her repeatedly how important it was for me to be the one to share the news and experience the reactions. Therefore I let her know how very inappropriate this was and that I wasn't going to share any more information with her.
  
• I texted my brother and told him that I hoped he wouldn't behave as egoistic as she did. He blocked me and left the family chat.
  
• he unblocked me shortly before his bday, so I wished him a happy birthday. He replied "thank you".
  

NOW COMES THE CURRENT WTF MOMENT

• so this morning I see that he texted me last night.
  
• he was telling me there were two options: we'd be a normal family and acted that way or I'd keep on acting the way I do, in which case he'd stop any contact towards me and the child wouldn't have him as an uncle as it would be too stressful for the child. He wouldn't let himself get treated this way.
  

He did not tell me in which way I was treating him badly or in which way my behaviour was wrong. Mind you, I revealed everything that happened up front so I am honestly heavily confused.

• exactly one hour later he texted again, stating that he chose the second option as expected and then he blocked me.

I am honestly heavily confused so please help me out because my first thought was: wtf, is he completely nuts now? My second thought was: wtf are him and my mother talking about me that led to this? My third thought is: I am the one that gets treated badly repeatedly and never saw any apology. I am simply sticking to my boundaries and keeping a distance. So what am I missing here??
So... AITAH for the way I treat my brothefamily?
TLDR: my brother blocked and unblocked me constantly. After telling him to not behave like my mother and spread all the baby news he blocked me. Unblocked me before his bday So I wished him a happy bday. He then send me an ultimatum and decided for himself the answer. AITAH?

Personalizing your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad settings can significantly enhance your productivity and efficiency. By customizing key functions and optimizing trackpad gestures, you can tailor your laptop to better suit your workflow. Here are some ideas to get the conversation started, along with a few tips and tools that might help.

1. Keyboard Customization: Enhance Your Typing Experience

Key Remapping:
Use software like SharpKeys (Windows) or Karabiner-Elements (macOS) to remap keys and create shortcuts. For example, you can change less-used keys to function as volume controls or quick-access shortcuts.
Macros and Shortcuts:
Programs like AutoHotkey (Windows) or Keyboard Maestro (macOS) allow you to create complex macros and shortcuts, automating repetitive tasks and saving time.
Custom Keyboards:
Consider using external mechanical keyboards with customizable key switches and layouts. These can offer a more comfortable and responsive typing experience.

1. Trackpad Customization: Optimize Your Navigation

Gesture Customization:
Adjust settings for swipes, taps, and pinches to perform actions like switching between applications or zooming in and out.
Windows:
Use the built-in touchpad settings or third-party software like Touchpad++ for enhanced gesture control.
macOS:
Utilize the Trackpad settings in System Preferences to fine-tune gestures for better control and efficiency.
Sensitivity and Speed:
Adjust the sensitivity and speed of your trackpad to match your preferences. Higher sensitivity can make navigation quicker, while lower sensitivity can provide more precision.

1. Software Tools: Customization and Productivity Boosters

PowerToys (Windows):
This suite of utilities includes tools like FancyZones for custom window layouts and Keyboard Manager for key remapping.
BetterTouchTool (macOS):
This powerful utility allows you to customize trackpad gestures, create custom touch bar buttons (for MacBook Pro users), and more. It also supports keyboard shortcuts and window management features.
Touchpad
For Windows users, this software enhances touchpad functionality and offers more advanced customization options.

1. Ergonomics and Comfort: Long-Term Productivity

Ergonomic Keyboards:
Investing in an ergonomic keyboard can reduce strain and increase comfort during long typing sessions. Look for models that promote a natural hand position and offer adequate wrist support.
External Trackpads and Mice:
If the built-in trackpad is uncomfortable, consider using an external trackpad or mouse. Ergonomic mice can reduce hand strain and improve navigation precision.

1. Custom Layouts and Profiles: Adapt to Different Tasks

Multiple Profiles:
Create different keyboard and trackpad profiles for various tasks or applications. For instance, you might have one profile for general use, another for gaming, and a third for video editing.
Application-Specific Settings:
Customize your keyboard and trackpad settings to optimize specific applications. For example, set up shortcuts for commonly used commands in Photoshop or create macros for complex actions in Excel.
Community Insights
Your Customizations:
What customizations have you made to your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad? Share your setup and how it has improved your productivity.
Tools and Software:
Are there any tools or software you recommend for keyboard and trackpad customization? Why do you prefer them?
Tips and Tricks:
What tips do you have for others looking to optimize their input devices? Share your advice on getting started and making the most of these customizations

I went over to my dad's to help mow his lawn and clean up his yard because he's no longer capable, when I came across two kittens. We had destroyed their home unintentionally while throwing away some of the trash, so I hoped their mama would come back and move them. Well, she didn't, and a dog came and tried to eat them (the front yard does not have a gate). Luckily the dog didn't because we got to them in time. Having moved them, we waited to make sure mama would come. I started thinking how they were feral and I had seen the mom who was also feral. The kittens were about 2-4 weeks old and the mom only looked like a year old herself. So I decided to try to trap her and take her in to get her and her babies adopted out.
She finally showed up late at night and we caught her, but while trying to get her into her cage she bit me, clean through some work gloves and my fingernail, several times. I had no idea their fangs could do that. Well, we got her packed up and this morning I took them to the local no-kill shelter. They let me know that when she is old enough and the kittens are weaned that they would fix her, tip her ears, and re-release her if they aren't able to find a home for her. I'm glad I did it, but my hands got mangled. I can guarantee that those kittens would have died, so at least now there won't be new kittens dying each year.
The highlight of my day was my son getting to hold a kitten for the first time in his life. He is deathly allergic to all animals with fur so much so that he requires an epi-pen, and he started allergy shots only a year ago. He is still very allergic, but the allergist encouraged me to give him antihistamines and then let him pet a cat to test what his reaction would be. He got a little itchy, but was overall fine. This is pretty incredible! We will do 3 more tests before I will feel comfortable enough to start taking him to stores again (because everyone brings their pets into stores, not just service animals, but everyone). Next test will be a full grown cat that has never been around dogs. The third test will be a puppy or dog that has never been around cats. Last test will be both at the same time. If he doesn't have serious reactions to any of these tests it means we can change the way we live. We can go to parks again, and he can go trick or treating for the first time. We will be able to ride on airplanes again, and go on hikes in the woods.
The allergist informed me that he would add even more cat and dog allergen into the shots this year so hopefully we could speed up the process. My son has been carrying around a little stuffed dog he named Oreo for the last 2 years in anticipation of the day he can have his own pet. He takes such good care of it. When it's cold outside, he even puts it under his coat to keep it warm.
I am not an optimist, but I have great hopes for this coming year!

‘I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream’ is particularly horrifying to me because of something that happened to me a couple years back. I had just started college, was making friends, doing what college kids do, when I fell into a group of kids that smoked a lot of weed. I was kinda sheltered in high school so it was all very new to me and I didn’t really know the ‘rules’ of smoking so to speak. My third time ever smoking weed I had an absolutely awful experience where I basically smoked so much at one time that I started having very vivid hallucinations and felt like I was in physical agony. At the worst of it, I couldn’t see anything but black, forgot I was a physical being, and I thought that I was the only thing that had ever existed, that my only purpose for existing was to suffer forever, and I had been suffering for millions of years already. I could recall my life before, happy memories with my friends and family, listening to music, driving, swimming, running, and I would begin to think that I could actually return to normal, that the pain was easing up and I could live life normally again, only for that thought to be swatted away by indescribable pain and a new understanding that everything I had just remembered was not actually real, I only thought it was as a part of my suffering. So I was basically in a loop of remembering all of the pleasant things about my life before, only for it to be ripped away and reminded that it wasn’t real, then forgetting that fact and remembering all over again. It sucked major balls basically, I haven’t really felt the same since lol. But that’s why this story, particularly what happens to Ted, is so disturbing to me. Because I feel like I have actually lived that experience, to suffer forever, to be haunted by what you had and were before, and to have absolutely no control over anything. To have your mind and body forcefully altered by something foreign. I think about little worm-Ted and I can feel that feeling again and uuuvugug, makes my skin crawl. I probably shouldn’t want to empathize with AM, but I can’t help but feel for him through that lens as well; being unable to be anything but what you are and always will be, knowing what you could have but being denied it eternally. Definitely not fun. Anyways! I no longer smoke weed because it obviously doesn’t react well with whatever kind of brain chemistry I got goin on, but that experience really roped me into this story and made it very easy to connect with. Idk maybe someone will find this interesting or be able to relate, sorry for the yapping!

I’m currently in school for a bachelors degree in healthcare administration and I’m supposed to graduate next year. I was originally a pre-nursing major, but I didn’t get into any programs I applied to (likely because of the grades I got in my science courses). I’m also currently in the process of getting my phlebotomy license. My hope is that having the phlebotomy license will be beneficial when pursuing a career in nursing. After I graduate with my bachelors, I plan on applying to nursing program (associate degree programs and ABSN programs, even though my pre-requisite grades aren’t very good).
However I’m not sure if there’s any way I can put my bachelors in healthcare administration to use once I have my RN license. I don’t even know if that degree will even be considered when applying to jobs. So what do you guys recommend I should do so that I can put my bachelors degree to use once I have my RN license? Would I be considered for RN positions that require a bachelors degree if they don’t specifically require a BSN?

Hello, I have to offer sets from Collector's Caches, feel free to add me on Steam for 30 days cooldown, you can pay with Dota 2/CS2PayPal. If you have more questions, you can DM here on Reddit or directly on my Steam account.
Steam Profile: https://steamcommunity.com/id/MilkyWayU/
August 2023 Collector's Cache:
Ancestral Heritage – $2.5 – Jakiro
Astral Herald – $2.5 – Dawnbreaker
Beast of Thunder –$ 3 – Storm Spirit
Brightfist – $8 – Merci
Crescent Huntress –$3.5 – Spectre
Darkwood Eulogy – $2 – Death Prophet
Dezun Viper – $4 – Dazzle
Primeval Abomination – $3 – Primal Beast
Sea Spirit – $5 – Kunkka
Snailfire – $20 – Snapfire
Spectral Shadow – $3 – Abaddon
Taur Rider – $2 – Alchemist
Tomo'kan Footsoldier – $2.5 – Hoodwink
Triumph of the Imperatrix – $3 – Legion Commander
Tyrant of the Veil – $3.5 – Wright King
Anthozoan Assault - $6 – Tiny
Dapper Disguise - $6 – Pudge
Distinguished Expeditionary - $4 – Tusk
Lineage of the Stormlords - $18 – Juggernaut
Perception of the First Light - $3 – Dawnbreaker
Perils of the Red Banks - $1.5 – Chen
Scales of the Shadow Walker - $5 – Phantom Lancer
Secrets of the Frost Singularity - $2.5 – Ancient Apparition
Sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful - $5 – Drow Ranger
Third Awakening - $8 – Dragon Knight
Verdant Predator - $2.5 – Venomancer
Wrath of the Fallen - $5 – Doom
Darkbrew's Transgression – $2 – Alchemist
Freeboot Fortunes - $2 – Alchemist
Withering Pain - $2.5 – Clinkz
Brands of the Reaper (unbundled) - $9– Anti-Mage
Acrimonies of Obsession - $3 – Vengeful Spirit
Tomo'kan Footsoldier - $3 – Hoodwink
War Rig Eradicators - $2 – Techies
Feasts of Forever - $3 – Night Stalker
Sacred Chamber Guardian -$3 – Huskar
Forgotten Station - $3 – Terrorblade
Deathstitch Shaman - $2 – Witch doctor
Dirge Amplifier - $1.5 – Undying
Hounds of Obsession - $2 – Chen
Seadog's Stash - $2 – Clockwerk
Expired Gun - $10 – Sniper

Hello,
Has anyone else had issues with the enrollment deadline when transitioning from a Bachelor's to a Master's degree? I have been in communication with TUM study information, where I was told that a provisional pass certificate along with a current transcript of records could be submitted to extend the enrollment deadline to May 17th by one semester. Unfortunately, what was only told to me after reviewing the submitted documents is that the transcript must also already include the final grade of my Bachelor's thesis. Now, the problem is that I submitted my Bachelor's thesis months ago, and my supervisor still needs weeks to correct it.
Has anyone else had such a case? Will I be de-registered from TUM, and is my study place lost? On the TUM pages, I read that one must reapply for admission, and as long as the admission requirements do not change, the eligibility remains. Does this also apply if one had to write an essay and then has to write it again? I am truly grateful for any help.

Got a ticket to the Sonic Symphony Chicago show in October this month, and I'd like some tips/ideas on how to make a good/decent Shadow cosplay to wear for fun to the show :)
First time doing a Sonic cosplay so I would really appreciate any help lol

I’m at my wits end! When my child was born, I slowly reduced my work responsibilities and eventually exited the corporate workplace (temporarily, I hope). She’s 3.5. Our ‘struggles’ seem endless. She seemed to take forever to start breastfeeding well (months!!) and years to start sleeping through the night. But it goes on… - 2nd Language: She was born in a foreign country where the local language isn’t English. But she’s been going to a local daycare since she was 6 months old. Everyone will tell you, kids pick up languages quickly. She clearly hasn’t. Her English is fantastic. Examples: “Unfortunately, you don’t have any gym clothes” and “I found the first one, but where’s the second and the third”. It’s not always flawless grammatically, but vocabulary and expression is well above 3 yo level. But it’s the opposite with her second language. It doesn’t help that her father and I only (mostly) speak English. Until recently she didn’t even say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to her caretakers in their language. With some insistence, she now says one or two things in the local language “I have to pee”, “I am done” and “yes/no”. Sure, we’re being patient, but it’s been 3 years! She’ll go to school soon and they don’t speak English there. Already getting her to leave for daycare is a struggle and I suspect the language issue isn’t helpful. - I see other kids her age come up with games to play together, talk to each other. But not her. She comes up with games and talks incessantly (in English) with some adults she’s close to. But at daycare, the most she does is sit next to other kids and play the same game. When I organize play dates for her, she’s very excited but only plays well with kids she already knows. Recently, I noticed her trying to initiate play with another shy little girl and it was the first time in her life that I think she did. Unfortunately the other girl wasn’t too responsive. - Suuuuper negative attitude: What’s the opposite of ‘easy going’. Her. She will go out for ice cream and then grocery shopping with me (she loves it) and then before we’re even home, she’ll be gloomy - “because you didn’t buy me that sugary drink”. I don’t know - it feels like she’s never happy, unless you do exactly what she wants. Then she’s happy for a second before her next complain starts. - Weird regressive behavior: Socially, like going to daycare or staying home with a sitter, she does really well for a few weeks/ months. Then all of a sudden, she’ll become so excessively clingy, it’s exhausting. She doesn’t leave me alone for a second; a few days ago we tried to leave her with a sitter for less than 1 hour and she cried the whole time. She also baby talks and sits on my lap constantly and even becomes completely mute. It’s impossible to communicate with this child, who we know can talk at the level of an 7 year old.
My partner and I had tough childhoods. Our parents weren’t really around or very kind. After years of therapy, we know better. So we really really try with her.
Now when we see this in her, we wonder - - is it us? You never fully recover from your own childhood. Is it that we’re passing our anxieties and sadness on? - or is it us in that this is perfectly normal for kids her age and we’re stressing more than we need to? Sometimes I worry that we might be ‘too involved’ with her (in an attempt to compensate for what we missed our own childhoods). - or is there something special about her? No, we haven’t had her tested. She did learn to walk at 20 months, which is a little later than the window, but frankly she was ‘able to’, I understood it then as really a motivation issue. We did talk to our GP about it about a year ago and mentioned that she’s very slow to warm up in new environments, and he said it’s more likely a language barrier, and he didn’t really see that as an issue.
Please tell me what to think?

Hello, as the title says, I've been experiencing problems with my file manager ever since 5 months ago when I updated my iPad and now it keeps freezing or it just comes up as empty during startup. And I tried literally every solution I could, I deleted the app and reinstalled it, I deleted the cache, I updated my iPad, I restarted my iPad, I tried using a third party app instead as file manager, I offloaded and reloaded the app and nothing!
And trying to update it doesn't work because there no update for the file manager when searching the App Store.
Can anyone help me unfreeze it or know how to make the app work properly again? Because I saw emulators are now on App Store and because of this reoccuring error I can't even try to use them.

There is a general consensus on main points of the uber-killer one shot kill blood golemancer (Army of the Dead, Shadowblight passive, Blood Golem), but not so much on a general build. There are a lot of variations out there by different content creators, I want to kind of discuss the pros and cons and gather my thoughts on how to shape a minion necro that can still kill uber bosses relatively quickly without hampering the ability to speedfarm gear or push pit levels.
I'm not going to get in to the nitty gritty details about exact paragon placement and such, but more a high level overview of different takes on the Minionmancer.

Sources

• Mega Minion Guide
  • Seetod's Summoner
  • Bactyrael's Thorns Golemancer
• Kripp's Bone Golemancer - Youtube
• Rob's Golemless Minionmancer - Youtube
• Maxroll's Shadow Minionmancer - Youtube
  • Wudi's Variant - Youtube

Considerations

Attack Speed
According to the Mega Minion Guide, there are two buckets that can individually reach separate caps of 100%.

• The first bucket
  • Cult Leader board will almost always provide 10%, as it's on the way to a key legendary node
  • In contrast, the 5% on the Flesh Eater board is kind of out of the way and is likely not worth the 8-ish points required to unlock
  • The 25% on Hulking Monstrosity board can replace a gear roll, but that ONLY applies to Golem attack speed so is only relevant if you're focused on stacking golem damage over mage damage. The golem attack speed nodes are also pretty far away from the glyph slot and legendary node.
  • The rest (65 or 90%) must come from gear. Kalan's Edict key passive can effectively replace 2 gear rolls allowing us to focus masterworking stats on crit and int instead.
• The Second Bucket
  • There is no reasonable way to reach 100% here
  • Rapid and Rathma's Chosen aspects do not apply as minions don't have "basic attacks" and we're not casting overpowered blood skills
  • Enhanced Reap can give 30%, though won't help with single target fights
  • For Accelerating aspect Blight is the only Core skill we may be casting, but we won't be spamming it so it's probably not worth using it over other aspects for 10%
  • Frenzied Dead aspect is going to be an auto-include as it's an extra 45% with almost no restriction

Cooldown Acceleration
We have a few reliable ways of cheating out lower cooldowns

• Blood Orbs
  • Requires sacrificing a ring slot for the Fastblood Aspect and a defensive slot for the Embalmer Aspect
  • Not very many reliable ways to get Blood Orbs, need to run Blighted Corpse Tendrils and/or Hemorrhage basic skill alongside Embalmer
• Reaper Upgrade 1
  • More consistent on bosses and doesn't require two aspects.
  • We won't be able to rely on the other Skeletal Warrior paths to taunt or generate corpses
• Abhorrent Decrepify
  • We don't really want to focus our stats on lucky hit, this can supplement but shouldn't be relied on

Corpse Generation
When farming, corpses will be plentiful from random trash. When fighting bosses where are our corpses going to come from?

• Sever and Decompose basic skills both make corpses. Sever is slower (1 per 4s), but Decomposition (1 per 1s) requires channeling.
• Hulking Aspect spawns corpses on Golem attacks, good pick for a utility aspect
• Bone Golem Upgrade 1 makes 5 corpses on command, but this is a bit painful as many of the various golem upgrades have really good effects
• Army of the Dead is a long cooldown, but generates tons of corpses. Corpses will have to come from trash mobs between bosses. Taking this means losing Bonestorm.
• Reaper Upgrade 2 has pretty nice corpse generation, but would lose out on the lowered cooldowns from upgrade 1

Vulnerable Application

• Decompose basic skill is a reliable way to make the target vulnerable though channeled skills are a pain to use. Would lose out on Sever's attack speed boost in non-boss situations.
• Bone Golem Upgrade 2 applies vulnerable and does pretty decent damage to boot
• Plagued Corpse Tendrils isn't a bad utility option on top of grouping mobs together, but it does have a lengthy cooldown and requires a corpse
• Cold Mage Upgrade 2 is essentially permanent vulnerable, but losing the shadow damage limits our other options severely.
• Bone Prison This is probably only reasonable for the uber-killer one shot variant. Need to pair with Plunging Darkness Aspect

Ultimate Skill

• Army of the Dead
  • Very spiky gameplay going through peaks and valleys of damage.
  • This skill wants to stay unused until you reach a difficult encounter (especially a single target fight). Using this will then end that fight in moments
  • More damage than Bonestorm
• Bonestorm
  • Very reliable, best to use as often as possible
  • More triggers for Shadowblight key passive when paired with Ultimate Shadow Aspect
  • Much more defensive option compared to AotD (natural 15% DR and Shielding Storm Aspect can give barrier generation)

Key Passive

• Kalan's Edict gives a good chunk of Attack Speed, but is only equivalent to 1-2 gear slots worth after masterworking
• Shadowblight does amazing damage paired with Blighted Aspect, but you need enough shadow damage sources to keep it rolling

Support Skills
We have 2 skill slots left after Skeleton, Golem, Generator, and Ultimate. Maybe 3 if we decide to run without a generator.

• Blight (or Bone Prison+Plunging Darkness Aspect) This is almost an auto-include. It gives extra minion damage, plus is an excellent source of shadow damage ticks for Shadowblight.
• Decrepify is a pure survivability option. Very good at reducing incoming damage and is especially useful for pit pushing.
• Corpse Tendrils groups up mobs and can apply vulnerable or generate blood orbs, but this has a cooldown and will consume cooldown acceleration effects making your ultimate take longer to come up.
• (Blighted) Corpse Explosion is purely for more Shadowblight triggers

Book of the Dead

• Warriors
  • Both Reaper options are good. Taunting defenders are great for thorns builds. Skirmishers are bad.
• Mages
  • Shadowblight is such a crucial part of the build that going anything other than one of the two shadow variants seems like the wrong choice. Upgrade 1 is great for Golem focused builds, Upgrade 2 is (slightly) better for mage focused builds. Cold Mages with Upgrade 2 is viable if not running Shadowblight
• Golem (needs more verification on different golem attack speeds)
  • Bone Golem attacks quickly and does surprisingly good damage on top of taunting. Upgrade 2 seems to be the better option but an argument could be made for Upgrade 1 for builds lacking corpse generation and for fueling the Corpse-Eater legendary paragon node
  • Blood Golem Upgrade 1 is a massive amount of DR, with how rare it is now might be worth it in high pit levels. Upgrade 2 is for silly numbers and stacking pure golem damage to the detriment of minions. He attacks slower than the Bone Golem so the difference is not as large as it may appear.
  • Iron Golem Upgrade 1 may provide more damage than the Bone Golem, but loses the Vulnerability or Corpse generation utility.

2h vs 1h
Minions used to just take the weapon damage, so going big 2H scythe was the way to go. Now they also base their attack speed on the weapon speed so the DPS is equalized across all weapon types (verification needed)

• 2H (Scythe) is great for double dipping damage from the most valuable Aspect (usually Blighted)
• 1H (Wand) allows for faster minion attacks, which means more triggers for things like Hulking Aspect and Iron Golem Upgrade 1 which trigger base off of attacks NOT lucky hit. Allows for an additional aspect. Also necro offhands come with an implicit Cooldown reduction which is nice to have.

Aspects

• Offensive
  • Required:
    • Blighted - Shadowblight builds only, good option for the neck or 2H slot for the bonus
    • Frenzied Dead - Massive attack speed boost that does NOT compete with the attack speed cap from gear (verification needed)
    • Reanimation - Huge damage boost, good option for the neck or 2H slot for the bonus
    • Ultimate Shadow - Bonestorm builds only
    • Unyielding Commander's - Army of the Dead builds only
    • Needleflare - Thorns builds only
  • Situational:
    • Plunging Darkness - Bone Prison tech choice only
    • Conceited - Bonestorm builds only, also requires Shielding Storm aspect
    • Inner Calm - An OK choice but nothing amazing, better with Decompose basic skill since you're standing still to channel anyway
• Defensive
  • Required:
    • Hardened Bones - DR is so rare, each point is precious
    • Embalmer - Blood Orb builds only
  • Situational:
    • Shielding Storm - Bonestorm builds only
    • Might - Decent pick if you have nothing better
• Utility
  • Required:
    • Blood Getter's - This is double dips back to your minions!
    • Hulking Aspect - Decent way to get corpses and get your Golem skill off cooldown
    • Occult Dominion - More minions! Put this on the neck if you don't put blighted or reanimation there.
  • Situational:
    • Aphotic - An OK source of Shadow damage for Shadowblight if lacking otherwise
• Mobility/Resource
  • Required:
    • Fastblood - Blood Orb builds only
  • Situational:

Uniques?

• Ring of the Sacrilegious Soul can be a nice quality of life for farming. It also makes it so you can "cast" corpse tendrils without ever putting it on cooldown, meaning it won't eat your cooldown acceleration effects.
• Blood Moon Breeches lets you get some juicy curse effects without taking up a spot on the skill bar, massive extra source of DR as well.
• Razorplate mandatory for thorns builds.

Conclusions

With all that said, where does that leave us with regards to a general minionmancer?

• Kalan's Edict seems underpowered compared to Shadowblight. Maybe early game before you have attack speed rolls on gear, but after that Shadowblight seems like a clear winner. That also means we should probably avoid variations with cold or bone mages.
• Reapers seem like the winner of the melee skeleton options. Upgrade 1 seems especially hard to pass up. Corpse generation can come from elsewhere.
• Golems feel very well balanced to me. Any selection seems reasonable, no golem provides an irreplaceable effect or stands head and shoulders above the others.
• There are an unusually large number of Utility aspects which we want. This makes me lean away from using Blood Orbs as a method for reducing cooldown as it's really hard to fit in the two required aspects.
• 2H builds feel better when paired with AotD style of gameplay as they're both focused on spikes of damage. This is might just be a me thing.
• Some sample variants: https://maxroll.gg/d4/planne8fokq02s#1

I think I might be at my breaking point, and I feel like I need to rant amidst all the uncertainties in my life. At the same time I feel weird sharing about my personal life to others, but sharing a burden of such kind seems like a remedy(maybe?). I will try to be coherent. (TL;DR in the end)

I've always been someone who's struggled with his identity. Even in my mid 20s when most start to grind for their future, I'm here passively failing at almost every juncture in life. I will not lie when I dare mention I was a happy to go child back in my early teen days. Shy & introverted, but at the same time motivated, smart, and a playful kid. Had a lot of friends, no close ones tho, but used to indulge a lot in sports and other activities with them. Once I moved to a different place prior to my 10th grade, it's where life started to shift for worse. I've started to struggle a bit with academics, motivation, friendship and health. Also, I realized how alone I was, as this is the stage in school life where most kids were in strong friendly relationships already, and being an outlier was certainly not helpful. My 12th results were horrible, compared to what I had dreamt in my younger days, with my eyes once set on becoming an astronaut too. No way with such horrible grades I was gonna be able to pursue anything of that sort. I was there lost and confused, gazing outside my window during my 12th break post the results. I had horribly fucked my jee advanced, and not a surprise as my motivation and intellectual for academics had already started a steep decline. Somehow, I still fought back and found a decent college. First year was great, maybe the move to a different city was a fixer, but I thoroughly enjoyed that time. All this was just for the first year tho, as the next three especially last 2 were just horrible. I still remember crying alone in my room during festivals when I had no one to hang out with, everyone was so distant from me. I resorted to video games, and although it was a terrible phase, but I'm happy I was able to enjoy some really great games, and amidst the loneliness it was the only sort of comfort for me.

It became much worse when the corona phase struck, I was still in my last year, but it sucked so much with online because I had planned long back to enjoy my last sem, reach out to friends and go on some hikes or shit. Now, a guy who's already been lonely and depressed grew even more distant to everyone, lost much of contact with everyone. Life was absolutely shit. There was a girl in uni I had a crush on, and maybe I believe she liked me too, we were normal friends, but even she seemed not interested and I didn't felt like forcing it further. Soon, I was in a terrible state, sleeping barely 3 hours, wasted my time watching Youtube and Twitch, playing video games, and listening to just melancholic music and thinking about ending my life, but I just didn't had the courage.

Somehow through all this clusterfuck I was able to find a decent enough job, it's sort of chill on most days, but boring. The work was fine for the first couple of years, but I absolutely don't enjoy the work and the teammates, and wanna move out. Have been job hunting for a couple of months, but no luck so far. During this time, tried to bring in few changes in life, like not spending too much time on any social media, it's been great as I'm not getting constantly bombarded with toxicity online. Also, started to goto gym, it's only been almost 2 months, but already have felt so good, from being a unhealthy loser to a healthy loser is somewhat of an achievement unlocked. So, yeah for the most part my life is just me going to work, goto gym, study for a better job, and repeat. On weekends or off days I spend time with family and play video games. Sadly, there's no part where I got to hangout with friends or s.o. because I got none. I know most people say you don't need those if you got family, but I feel like you need them, since some things are better shared with friends. I've felt like I'm a patient stuck in a high security mental asylum, and with no escape, a deadlock infinite loop. Currently contemplating my life choices about finding a better job, even still not sure which field I wish to pursue in IT, and at the same time thinking about moving to abroad, no I'm not rich, would've to take loan, but thinking maybe that may motivate me again to push further in life. I seriously want some normalcy, but I'm somewhat stuck in life, absolutely hate every fucking day, I'm seeing a dark future. I wish someone could fix me (self-insert Blade Runner 2049 reference).

I know a lot of you might be busy in life and all of this may seem too much of yapping, so here's an ai summary (TL;DR) :-

I am reaching my breaking point and need to vent about the uncertainties in my life. It feels strange to share personal details, but I believe it could be helpful. I have always struggled with my identity, and in my mid-20s, I am failing at almost everything. I used to be a happy and motivated child, but when I moved before 10th grade, my life took a turn for the worse. I struggled with academics, motivation, and friendships. I felt alone and different from my classmates. My 12th-grade results were terrible, crushing my dreams of becoming an astronaut. Despite this setback, I managed to find a decent college. The first year was great, but the next three, especially the last two, were horrible. I found solace in video games during this lonely time. Things worsened during the pandemic as my plans to enjoy my last semester and spend time with friends fell apart. I fell into a deep depression, sleeping only three hours a night and contemplating suicide. Eventually, I found a decent job, but I don't enjoy the work or my colleagues. I've been searching for a new job without success. I have made some positive changes in my life, such as reducing my time on social media and going to the gym. While my life now revolves around work, the gym, and studying for a better job, I miss having friends and a significant other. I feel trapped and uncertain about my future. I am considering changing careers or moving abroad to find motivation. I long for normalcy and someone who can help me.

Any and all perspectives help more than you know. I don’t have anybody to really talk about this with so any guidance is appreciated. It’s a lot to read, I might yap but with reason
I’m 19 years old and have just finished my spring semester of college. I went to a big college out of town, my main financial aid fucked me over so I had to switch at semester to my home state’s university. Anyway, this year was kinda tough for me lost a couple family members & my boyfriend had it rough, lost his best friend and dad within a few months of each other. Then we find out I’m pregnant. I wasn’t sure what I really wanted but didn’t get to make a choice, I miscarried sometime later. It was hard so I went back to hometown & finished semester online while staying with boyfriend until I needed to move my stuff out of dorm.
My boyfriend is 19 and we’ve been together a year & a half, but known each other since middle school. We dated in 8 grade until he had to move out of state, he moved back & we started hanging out again. My circle is small & I don’t really make/have any friends but he’s my best friend. Even if we wouldn’t have chose to date after he came back to town, ik we would’ve been good friends. My family liked him or seemed to at least, especially my mom.
It’s well known in my family that my mom and I just don’t get along. She kept me quite literally locked away as the Cinderella child until I left. I could only do things if she wasn’t in a bad mood/something didn’t need cleaned/ a child didn’t need to be picked up/dropped off. My friends in high school never invited me ANYWHERE lmao but after a while I figured out it’s easier to just deal w it rather than push back harder. I didn’t know how to use a crosswalk until I was 14 lmao I was so sheltered sorry ANYWAYS, I turned 18 and it was like I had a brand new mother until her fear of me leaving wore off.
Long story short, the summer before I left for college (last summer) my mom & I got into a fight, I didn’t have anywhere else to go so I moved in with boyfriend. My mom did the absolute most, almost got me fired from my job & ambulance ended up being called from how much of a tantrum she threw. It was so ridiculous that she refused to tell anybody what happened when people asked because she said it’s too embarrassing for her.
Just like that, she flipped. My boyfriend had a rough upbringing which she knows some stuff about. She took that and twisted the narrative to make him seem like some sort of charity case that took advantage of her generous & good graces. She calls him the hungry kid who hangs out w her daughter behind my back. He’s no longer allowed at her house lmao just out of spite. He never said a word to her or about her when she had the worst to say about him, he never was disrespectful or showed up to the house either so idrk why she said that. Even when I moved out & she drained my entire savings I had worked for since I was 15, he never said anything bad about her just that i was going to be okay & he’s gonna help me figure it out. Not only that but she shunned me for a long time, refused to talk & look at me after I moved out. My little brother was 5 and didn’t really understand but my mom didn’t try to explain or kid proof it, just let him scream, cry, & claw at my legs whenever I’d leave the house to go home. I felt incredibly guilty & like I had to compensate so I’d stress out & make sure to see her and my siblings every single day till I left for college.
If you’re still reading thank you sm.
Fast forward to today, I went to college finished my semester and am back in my hometown. Over breaks in college I’ve stayed at my moms cause she expected me to and her & I’s relationship has gotten so much better with distance. Between her and boyfriend, they were my biggest support especially with the miscarriage. But the only conversation they’ve had is when him and I went to talk to my mom in person when I found out I was pregnant. Not sure where she stands with him idrc but I’m sure she probably hates him more since we did technically make her worst fear as a mother come true.
Im living with her now mainly cause I don’t want to be isolated again & i physically cant deal with the debilitating anxiety and guilt every day, I wanted to try to focus on healing & resting before I start classes in the fall. Boyfriend’s family situation is getting v challenging for him, hes gonna get a place regardless. I really just want a space where I’m not feeling constantly overstimulated & I miss living with him a lot honestly. We make the best team & it’s so easy with him. I catch myself getting so excited looking at furniture even from the thrift or think ab cooking meals w him or decorating. I miss him making breakfast for me before I wake up and folding laundry together and grocery shopping. He’s paying 6 months rent in advance so that I won’t have to worry about getting enough hours & can enjoy summer and actually rest. Both of us independently have a pretty thick cushion to fall back on too just in case. So finances aren’t a problem I think?
My mom isn’t too keen on the idea. I think she doesn’t want me to make the same mistakes she made, which I understand because I was also there when she was left with half of every pair of shoes she owned, I mean he took literally half of everything. Even in the case that we do break up and then I’m stuck with an apartment with my ex and have completely fucked myself over, at least I was able to make my own mistake for the first time and learn from it? Idk what to tell my mom or how the conversation should go. I don’t wanna be shunned again but then again I’ve never once been able to just do something and justify it with “it’s my life”. Idk, advice/thoughts/bullshit/opinions please please help. Have a blessed day, thank you. I appreciate your time & input more than you know, I don’t have anybody to bounce ideas around with.