Puppy biting is easily a top issue people ask about - especially on this sub. So I want to share what I have learned when asked: "How do I stop puppy biting?"
Here's the thing: you don't want to stop puppy biting. People misunderstand what it's all about and come at the problem all wrong.

Why do puppies bite?

Play biting and fighting is absolutely one of the most important developmental pieces for young dogs. In fact, the only thing puppies do more than bite is poop, pee and sleep. That tells us that it's important.
There is a reason why Mother Nature has programmed them to do it so much: Puppies play bite because they must receive feedback for their bite pressure so they can acquire the skill of monitoring and adjusting the force of their jaws.
That process is what develops "acquired bite inhibition" or ABI. And, good ABI is what makes a safe dog in adulthood. It can only be done in the early stages before it’s locked in forever. There are no methods to alter this after adolescence.
So, play biting is not only natural, it’s necessary. An adult dog that has never developed ABI will not know how to monitor and adjust the force of their jaws when they have big adult teeth and big adult jaw muscles.’
Consider a dog sleeping in your family room and a family member accidentally steps on the dog. A dog with good ABI won’t even make contact. A dog with poor ABI might bite that person, perhaps badly.
So, bottom line - you don’t want to stop puppy biting, because then the training stops too. Okay, so how to train?

How to properly train for ABI

First, we focus on intensity before frequency.
In the correct progression you will see a reduction in the intensity before you see a reduction in frequency. Biting will get softer and softer before actual incidents of biting diminish. And it’s critical that Force be trained before Frequency because they are separately processed in doggie brains.
Second, provide meaningful feedback. You MUST socialize your dog. Other dogs train this naturally in one another, so get them to off-leash puppy classes or playgroups after their second round of shots (I’m not a vet, consult with a vet).
Third, your puppy has to believe that humans are super sensitive. Every time they bite you, you cry out. Act like it hurts (which it probably does). Loudly say, "Ouch! That hurt!"
Here's the secret to making that work. The internet tells you to cry out but never fills in the rest of the strategy. First, do not jerk your hand (or whatever body part) away. Quick movement is stimulating and that triggers chase drive. They'll just go harder for it. Instead, leave it there.
Your puppy needs to be the one to back off.
Second if you say "Ouch" loud enough and sharp enough, your puppy should buck their head back. Immediately start praising and allow them to re-engage. If they're softer tell them "good puppy." If not keep up the feedback. Ramp it up a little with tone and volume without making it scary.
This feedback has to be binary: Right and Wrong. It also has to be constant. One of two times isn’t going to do it. This is a progression. And remember: At this stage you aren’t trying to stop biting, you want to see it getting softer and softer, and then frequency will diminish too.
Also, make sure to cry out even if the puppy bites your clothing or hair. The puppy doesn’t know what the differences are and should be gentle with both.

Be ready to briefly leave

If during a session your puppy is too jazzed up and is not responding to the work then leave, simple as that.
You probably have a puppy playpen area, so don’t move the puppy (presuming you’re playing in the playpen) - it isn’t instructive and fast enough. YOU have to get up and leave. This is exactly how dogs do it - a painful bite causes a yelp and play stops momentarily.
Well, no one wants that, so they learn to monitor and adjust. If you - the playmate of the moment - get up and leave for say 30-60 seconds, the puppy will begin to make that association.
This is why we don’t give puppies free reign of the house at the start and use playpens. They exist in gated off rooms or areas for a while and earn more space over time. In the meantime you have to be able to get away when the puppy is too intense.

Play Biting isn't 'bad behavior'

You also can't keep labeling play biting as bad behavior—it's not. It's inconvenient for us humans, but we don't call it bad behavior when a baby poops its pants or cries at night. You know this is part of what you signed up for, inconvenient as it is.

After intensity dies down

The play biting will eventually just be soft mouthing. At this point it is appropriate to start addressing the frequency of incidents.
We can begin addressing the number of incidents because we've cultivated a dog that thinks differently about the way they use their mouth.
You should ideally have been integrating obedience training into your puppy work all along the way anyways, so it's a simple manner to use incompatible behaviors to stop the mouthing.
By now the mouthing behavior is more about controlling their environment than it is trying to elicit feedback, so now you can focus on polite behaviors, redirecting, building impulse control, engaging them in interactive and instructive play, and simply continuing to give good representative feedback on their behavior.

What not to do:

Tap them on the nose—this is great if you want to teach your dog that you're a bully. Also great for creating a head shy dog. However it does nothing for bite inhibition. Actually you'll probably get some relief from the biting though because the puppy will just stop interacting with you altogether.
Using a squirt bottle—do we squirt babies in the face when they're doing something that annoys us?
Using a muzzle— this prevents all mouth interaction and pretty much guarantees a hard biter as an adult. Also it means no eating, drinking, playing with toys, or anything else related to just being a puppy. It's lazy and irresponsible.
Redirecting to a chew toy—Seems weird, but hear me out. Puppies aren't trying to relieve teething pains when they play bite. As you've learned they bite to learn ABI. You might get a temporary respite but it'll be short-lived and you missed a teachable moment. Chew toys are awesome but they're for chewing during quiet times. Chewing is relaxing and it does relieve teething discomfort but play biting serves a whole other purpose. Don't waste the opportunity.

TL;DR and Conclusions

• Puppies need to learn about their bite pressure which is why they play bite
• Puppies need you to train them on Acquired Bite Inhibition (ABI)
  • Intensity of bites should be the first thing to train ("ouch! that hurt")
  • Frequency of bites should be trained next
• Don't be a bully to your dog. These behaviors are totally natural and we don't bully babies for pooping their pants. Learn the behaviors and how to control them, and why they exist

Wishing you all well in your puppy journey!
Note: Much of this information has been sourced from the puppy101 subreddit. Go there and read all their awesome content.

I hear how love is hard work and relationships take dedication. Then I look at my family and have a hard time understanding. I honestly don't know if we're toxic, abusive or normal.
There are definitely abusive traits present. But healthy families fight right? I have posted some of our fights and the language gets pretty heated. Death threats are always on the table. And it's only abuse if you're being beaten. Which I wasn't. Toxic generational trauma or abuse?
I'm neurodivergent; I've had a mistrust for my entire family for as long as I can remember. I remember staying up all night sometimes in tears out of fear. But nobody was beating me. I was told I was "too sensitive" and to "kys".
I struggled for years. Then my mother went after my pet bird and I snapped. I stopped trusting everyone and isolated myself. I hate them. I started lashing out verbally to keep everyone away from me. I don't trust them.
I have to patch things up. Life happens; I can't afford to move out. I know I have to be civil but how do I get past my anger and fear. I know they're not going to hurt me. But the petty passive aggressive backstabbing is exhausting.
Are all families like this?

(repost from Minecraft)
I have owned minecraft for years, which i can prove via whatever means people find suitable- namemc, just... playing the game, years of screenshots and what have you. However, I had found out recently after attempting to change my skin that the minecraft.net website does not recognize that I own the game, and thus I can no longer play it (for some odd reason, it works every-so-often through my curseforge launcher).
Here are things I have tried, that have not worked:

• used a different browser (safari)
• logged in to the microsoft store first with the same account
• restarted my laptop
• Logged out of the launcher (it sort of worked? As in it allowed me to login. However, I have an error reading "We were unable to verify what products you own. Please check your internet connection." keep in mind, I am posting this from the very internet connection the launcher seems to think I do not have. Also- it does not recognize I own an account, and is asking me to provide a username and information so as to suggest I am making a new profile)

I do not know what else to try. I can't redownload the game, obviously, as I don't want to purchase the game another time. Is anyone else having this issue, and does anyone know how to fix it? It would be a huge help ;-;
(small edit: I have made a ticket with the MC support link but god knows how long that will take)
(another edit: I am on MacOS)

Einstein: leaning in, a mischievous twinkle in his eye Newton, I must confess, every time I see an apple now, I can't help but think of you and that fateful moment.
Newton: grinning Ah, Albert, you flatter me! But I must admit, it wasn't the apple that captured my attention—it was the gravity of your intellect.
Einstein: blushing Oh, Newton, you always knew how to charm a physicist. But tell me, did you ever gaze at the stars and wonder if they held secrets as deep as the ones in your equations?
Newton: smiling Oh, Albert, you make me feel like I'm falling into an infinite abyss of admiration. But yes, the heavens have always intrigued me. Much like you, they are full of wonder and mystery.
Einstein: taking Newton's hand Speaking of mysteries, there's one I've been longing to solve.
Newton: leaning closer And what might that be, my dear Albert?
Einstein: gently brushing a lock of hair from Newton's forehead The mystery of how your heart beats in time with mine.
Newton: blushing Oh, Albert, you have a way with words that rivals even the beauty of the cosmos.
Waiter: clearing his throat Uh, excuse me, gentlemen, here are your menus. Can I get you started with some drinks?
Einstein: smirking Ah, yes, we'll need something to cool the flames of our passion. I'll have a glass of your finest wine.
Newton: giggling And I'll have a cup of tea, please. It seems I need something to steady my nerves after that revelation.
Waiter: grinning Coming right up, gentlemen. And may I say, you make quite the pair.
Einstein: gazing into Newton's eyes Indeed we do, my love. For together, we are like two celestial bodies, destined to orbit each other for eternity.

(23F) I get my curls from my mother and before she passed, we frequently used to tell each other, “Well, I’ve decided I’m finally going to shave my head!” We’d laugh, but it was such a genuine feeling I’m sure most curlies have had. Since my mother’s passing a year ago, I’ve been in a deep rut of depression. I don’t even want to get out of bed or leave the house. I’ve always been insecure about my hair, lots of trauma, everyone says my curls are unattractive, blah blah blah etc. After getting my first curly cut 6 months ago, I developed a new routine that makes my hair look better than it has in the past… but it takes 3+ hours. It’s literally exhausting and I’m a perfectionist who has always really cared about my appearance. This makes it so that I can’t handle “half-assing” my routine. Honestly, the depression has made it harder and harder to keep up with my hair and I’ll go over a week without washing it simply because it’s so exhausting. I really don’t want to chemically straighten my hair, because of the formaldehyde… and I worry about damaging my already very fine hair by straightening it once/twice a week. But I just want something EASY. I need something easy. I’m thinking of buying clip in ponytails or hair pieces and just doing a ponytail or something most days? Then it wouldn’t require much styling on my end except for slicking back my hair. Even my boyfriend has almost straight (very very slightly wavy) hair and all he does is shampoo and shake it out like a dog. He has long, shoulder-length hair and everywhere we go people tell him he looks like a movie star with his hair. Meanwhile, I spend upwards of 3 hours, tons of $, and effort on my hair… I’ve never gotten any compliments on it though! If anything it’s, “I have a friend that looks like you” (the friend looks nothing like me, only has curly hair) or “Your hair is SO curly!” (Gee! Thanks! I didn’t know until you told me just now!). TLDR; I fear hair damage and straightening methods, but I can’t handle the exhaustion and psychological damage my curls are causing me anymore. Any advice would be super helpful, especially since my mother, the one person I knew who understood me on this front, is no longer with me.

When you click on it, it says 1 - get rewarded for every survey you take, 2 - Get SB for every survey you complete. You may complete this unlimited times. You will receive your SB within 60 minutes.
But many know after the fifth survey you get the error message on a white background how they can't process that request, so the limit is always 5 (at least for me for as long as I can remember) Why does it say you can complete it unlimited times, when it's not unlimited?

Hi am taking Paroxetine for about 2 months almost (15mg) for my panic attacks, obsessive,racing,intrusive thoughts, anxiety, disregulated mood and concentration (I can’t do almost nothing). It works great for panic attacks and anxiety but for the other symptoms however when I was taking Citalopram 3-4 years prior(no panic attacks yet) it was great: no obsessive,racing thoughts,no anxiety and no mood swings no problems to focus ect. My Psychiatrist told that they are almost the same and that paroxetine should worked even better and that maybe at the time I was taking Citalopram is was just the right period of time because I might be bipolar 2 he prescribed me with Lamictal and Citalopram now that I have to start tomorrow. But I wanted a different opinion on this if just that Citalopram has some missing difference to paroxetine thanks?

Y'all i was thinking about something but since the perfect match reality tv show with the come back of Zara that already did reality tv before it would've been niceee for us to have the option to bring back our past mc's to new shows i was thinking about an option where you can choose between making a come back with your past mc or create a new one and when you make a come back they actually take on consideration that you already did a show before let me know what y'all think about that!!!

Hello fellow tutor aspirees, side hustlers, academic extraordinaires. I’m here to give you the scoop on the various tutoring platforms, how their services work, tutoring requirements, the types of students on each platform, and of course - how much you get paid for your time.
A little about me. I’ve tutored for a few months now on the following platforms: Varsity Tutors, Wyzant, and SuperProf. I’ve had a number of students on each platform, and it’s safe to say I’ve definitely realized the pros and cons of each one.
Wyzant
Money Info: You set your hourly rate. Wyzant takes 25% of it. If you set your rate to $20/hr you get paid $15/hr.
The Requirements: Each subject you tutor you have to take a 10–20 question multiple choice test on it. The test will be beginner to intermediate questions on the subject you’ve chosen. You only have one chance to pass the test.
The Pros:

• You set your own rate
• Tutors and students can freely schedule meetings on their own, rather than have someone assign you
• The user interface is better(mobile app, messaging system, teaching platform, etc)
• Students can largely vary(this can be a con too). You will get a wider range of students, who can be adults with various full time jobs.

The Cons:

• You are charged 25% of your hourly rate
• It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
• There are scammers(be cautious of people asking you to communicate off the platform)

Final Verdict
Wyzant is an easy to use platform that takes a while to build a student base. You’ll have to apply and reach out to students a lot at first before you start getting more consistent jobs. This can take a few months, so consider this before you start. The 25% fee is high, but certainly not unreasonable compared to other platforms.
Varsity Tutors
Money Info: Unless you’re tutoring GRE or LSATs, the flat rate is $15/hr, regardless of the subject. GRE and LSAT tutors make $28/hr. Varsity Tutors charges their students $50 - $75/hr.
Requirements: Most subjects do not require a test, however you do need to send in a video interview of yourself, mostly to confirm that you can speak eloquently.
The Pros:

• You are assigned students after declaring interest, so you can get started tutoring within a few days.
• Students are screened so you’ll mostly get students more prepared for lessons.

The Cons:

• A large amount of tutors will only make $15/hr, whereas they charge $50 - $75/hr per student. This can be a huge cut, and limit on pay, especially if you’re teaching harder subjects like programming, sciences, higher level math.
• The user interface is not as great. Basic functionality is there, but the overall platform is not aesthetic.
• You are legally not allowed to take students off the platform.

Final Verdict
Varsity Tutors definitely has the lowest pay amongst all the platforms. $15/hr to teach is what you can make at some retail jobs in the US. The platform can be better if you need to start making money immediately, or if you live in a country where the cost of living is lower. The amount you are paid is better for people who are teaching subjects that aren’t too difficult.
SuperProf
Money Info: You set your own rate, SuperProf takes 10%. The caveat, SuperProf charges students $39 a month to use the platform.
Pros:

• For tutors, SuperProf takes the least amount from your pay compared to other platforms.
• Students are generally more prepared because they are paying $39 a month to use the platform.
• The user interface is also pretty good.
• You can set your own cancellation policies

Cons:

• There are less students because of the monthly subscription fee.
• It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
• You have to teach your first two lessons free.

Final Verdict
SuperProf is very similar to Wyzant in that students and tutors can openly communicate and set up time with each other. The 10% fee is lower than the other platforms. But because it’s already hard to get started as a new tutor, and there are less students on the platform, it’s one of the harder platforms to build a student base.
Additional Notes
While all these platforms have their pros and cons. You can always consider tutoring independently. You do not need any licenses or business registration for tutoring in most places. Once you get a student base through Wyzant or SuperProf, you can take them off-platform and teach independently. The best part? You keep the money you work hard for.
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Hello,
Incoming student here in CC. I am getting pretty nervous about starting at Columbia. I;ve heard so many things about the over-competitiveness and how rigorous pre-med is, so I want to try to be as prepared as possible. For anyone who can answer my questions, I’d greatly appreciate anything at all that you could tell me. Thanks in advance!

1. I’m thinking of majoring in bio, neuroscience, or biochem. For pre-med, which is relatively easier than the other. I need a good gpa for med school.
2. Does CC offer online courses, aside from in-person ones? I know many colleges offer both.
3. How often do we need textbooks, or are they found online? And if not, can they be found in the library or we need to buy them from the bookstore?
4. How easy is getting research/shadowing opportunities? Is it all through cold emailing profs, or does Columbia have like a website with all the opportunities, or do students need to find their own opportunities? Are profs usually interested in taking students in? And do your recommend I get an opportunity as a freshman or too early?
5. What classes should I take first semester? Any examples of your schedule would be greatly appreciated! And as a pre-med, if I got a 4 on AP Chem, could I place into track 3 and start with organic chem? Would that be okay, or do I need to take gen chem to satisfy pre-med requirements?
6. Any profs whatsoever that you recommend, don’t recommend, PLEASEE let me know specific names! I greatly appreciate it. For both STEM classes and non-bio ones, like for the CORE classes too.
7. Anything i should be doing over the summer to prepare for Columbia, like reading specific books? Doing anything academic/non-academic?
8. when does registration for freshman open up? And should i research the profs and classes I want to take prior to registration opening up?
9. Things freshman are usually not aware of? Benefits of being a CC student? Free perks?
10. NSOP things? Is it required? Is it fun? Whole day sort of thing?
11. When do advisors reach out to us to discuss our plans? And are advisors for pre-med good? I’ve heard bad things about Columbia’s advisors, like the fact that they don’t necessarily give the best advice for students to graduate on time because they benefit from the money we pay for extra tuition if we graduate later?
12. Any regrets? Things you would do differently? Goal is a 4.0 GPA, so any tips would be great!
13. what computer do you recommend? I like to have a lot of tabs open (bad, i know :) ), and what backpack (one that is durable, but stylish too, im a girl)?

Thank you SOOO much. I’m very scared about Columbia.

Suddenly, Johnathan saw a picture of his father training him and Kane. ‘I wonder where he is’ was what he thought. His presence disappeared the same day Carl’s got fierce. He thought the legendary marine might be dead, but ruled it out due to it seemingly being impossible. However, after seeing his father’s sword with its god in front of him today, this scenario became much more likely. But simply stealing the power of a god would be impossible. After all, if a host died, their god would leave the Earth. This must’ve meant his father was alive for the time being.
After this, he remembered what Shin said about Carl. He realized it was too early to die, but could do nothing about it. His spirit was drawing close to its end by the moment. When he noticed how little life was left in him, his heart stopped, and he began his took his final breath. What stopped him from going over to the other side was a female voice behind him.

• Are you done? – it was woman, with pure white skin and clothes
  
• I am not, but there is nothing left in me – he answered – I am very sorry for wasting your power, Luna.
  
• Don’t be sorry, after all, this is our final time seeing each other, – she sounded resigning
  
• So, you don’t have anything left for me? Like some crazy power up, that could restart my body? – he was asking doubtfully, but with still some hope
  
• There is a way for you to return back to life. But that means our parting as well. If you trade your powers with me, I can save you, but that would mean you have to find a way to defeat a goddess all alone.
  
• If that is what must be done, it must be done. How can we do this trade?
  
• You have nothing else to do, but to wish for what your heart wants most at the moment and nothing more. If that happens, I can complete our exchange.
  
• Is there a way for me to make a contract with you after I’ve lost your powers? – he wanted to ask whether there was any chance of them meeting up again
  
• You may prove your worth once more, but even then, a contract broken might be never prepared again.
  

Johnathan didn’t say anything more and closed his eyes. The only thing on his mind was him standing in front of Themis once more. There was nothing he wanted more. Not his own ambitions, but only revenge for what she has done. When this thought took over his mind, he found himself as a spirit above his body. He knew if he wanted to win, he had to re-enter his body. He saw that the flame was gone and his bones were repaired, but the Moonlight Eclipse wasn’t there either, only a plain sword. He saw these as a parting gift from Luna. He also saw, that the other two were hardly living. If he wanted to finish it, he had to do it fast.
When he opened his eyes and grabbed the new sword, Themis’ laughter stopped. She watched in disbelief, as a man, who once died woke up again. She also noticed that his goddess disappeared, making his presence much weaker, but somehow still stronger the other two with their peak strength. She realized, he must’ve made an exchange, saving his life, but losing his deity. She was a little happy, that she got to toy with him a little more.

• It’s good to see that you can still stand up – she was smiling – but what can you without her?
  
• I will prove that us humans don’t need gods. Not against a pitiful creature like you. You are the goddess of nothing. A powerless creature. Why can’t I create my own justice, and see which prevails.
  
• Insolent human! – her joy switched to anger. It was the first time a mortal has ever made fun of her – you shall pay for your foul mouth as well!
  

Themis swung her sword at Johnathan, who stopped it with his bare hand. Themis jumped backwards while she grabbed her opponent and slammed him to the ground. She tried using fire again, but it was as ineffective, as the sword. However, her punches still managed to inflict heavy injuries. With just a few, she already broke six ribs.
With his body bleeding from the inside, Johnathan knew, he didn’t stand any chance, but still pushed forward, shouting things like ‘unjust’ and ‘false justice shall be prover guilty’. With each of his shout, it seemed like Themis’ sword was becoming smaller, like it knew the human was right. When the sword disappeared, Themis let out a fiendish screech, making Johnathan’s ears ring.
Using this distraction, she broke free of the crushing words and went to Carl’s dying body. She stepped on his head, laughing like she already won.

• Make another move, and I will crush his head. Although, if you stay there, you will die of internal bleeding. What is worse? To be responsible for you ally’s death, or to watch, while you diem knowing you might have stood a chance – her laugh became like a maniac’s.
  
• You see, this is what I was talking about.
  
• What? I’ve never heard you admitting your defeat – she shoved her feet even deeper into Carl’s face
  
• You know, if you kill that man, you will die as well, so I have nothing to lose.
  
• Is it that other being inside of him? Don’t worry, if it didn’t come out yet, it will remain lying dormant forever – she didn’t seem fazed by the threat
  
• And I wasn’t talking about admitting defeat. It was you, abusing your power, betraying it – he walked closer
  
• What are you doing? Don’t move! – She tried to crush Carl’s skull but didn’t have the strength for it
  
• And how would you stop me – He saw an opening
  
• Stop right there! You can’t do this! I am a goddess! No mortal shall attempt to harm me! – her voice was filled with fear
  
• Then you shouldn’t consider me a mere human – this time, it was him, who was smiling
  

Naturally, gods don’t fear death. None of them has died for millennias. Most of them weren’t even alive then, including Themis. They grew up, being taught that they must only enter the world of the humans if one of them is their host and tries to use the powers of Death against the rest. The ones who knew, that the humans were ruthless creatures tried to avoid forming pacts with them, but some of them especially liked to. Luna of the Moon and Themis of Justice were the perfect examples of the latter, while gods like Mars of War was counterpart to his Greek brother, Ares, never talking to humans. He never wanted to get involved with Death, because he knew that some special humans might be the end of him.
This is what Themis was experiencing. She felt the metal pass through her heart, while it started taking on a different shape. Johnathan tore her blindfold off, to see the eyes filled with the fear of death and despair. Her poison and mutilation became reverted on the two lying on the ground. She could see the one holding it regain the silver eyes and armor. She felt the blade taking on a shape, that it might’ve had had before. With her dying breath, she uttered her final words:

• Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

She fell onto the ground, leaving the corpse of a once glorious goddess behind. With this, Johnathan Teach became the first human in history to ever bring a divine to its knees and end their life.
Check out the full story: https://www.wattpad.com/story/365789475-seas-of-change

Inspired by a post by u/SkyD_02. They made me want to share my own theory of clones.
I realized that I wasn’t the only person who questioned whether or not they were a clone, so hopefully this can help others.
(Disclaimer: I have not shifted, but this is a topic that I have dedicated way to much thought to. I also am not a physicist! I just thought there seemed some overlap here. Take this with a grain of salt.)

So, You think you might be a clone.
The mere fact that you are questioning if you are a clone may suggest you aren’t, right? A clone isn’t supposed to question itself. It is supposed to live reality as you normally would. But as a shifter in this CR, this question clearly IS a part of your reality. So, who’s to say clones do not question whether or not they are clones? So you ask yourself once more, can I be a clone?
And the cycle continues…
Let’s talk about Descartes. He was a philosopher who doubted everything. That was his…thing, tearing apart the pre-established views of reality. His one objective truth was the famous “I think, therefore I am.” This refers to the fact that one could not establish whether anything truly exists. It’s the idea that everything we experience could just be one really lucid dream. (This strangely coincides very well with the the idea that our reality is not set and we can therefore “shift,” “manifest,” and experience other such events) The only thing that CAN be established is that we, the one thinking and questioning, exist. You may not know for certain what you are or where you come from, but you do exist. The actively thinking, conscious YOU. In real time. The you that is reading this.
Ok, so we have that. Now lets go with the idea that both you AND your clone have doubts about whether or not you are a clone. (This is where shit gets weird.) That would suggest that both of you think. So, following Descartes’ objective truth, you BOTH exist. But if YOU’re you… and your clone is also YOU…
Then you are your clone! It’s simple Hypothetical Syllogism!
Well… yes and no.
From what I have seen, most shifters who talk about cloning seem to end the reasoning here. This is why so many shifters say that your clone is literally just you!
But this doesn’t seem to be enough explanation for some people (It certainly wasn’t for me.) So lets dive deeper. Shall we?
We have now established that you are both yourself and your clone. But how can this be if you are only one consciousness? Well, I can’t think of a solid piece of science that explains everything. The only explanations I could give are from scientific theories relating to quantum physics. I think the easiest is Schroedinger and the Many Worlds theory.
You know Schroedinger’s Cat? Suppose there is a cat locked in a box with poison (this is a very basic version of it). You don’t know whether the cat is dead or alive until you open the box. It is only until the box is opened and the cat is observed that one of two states becomes the single reality. Now expand this though experiment to the state of quantum particles. A single particle can have infinitely possible states until it is observed, shrinking(collapsing) all possibilities into the one being witnessed by the viewer. But what happened to the rest of the possibilities? Are they just…deleted?
Many Worlds theory says they still exist, but in a separate reality where the particle collapsed on that possibility instead.
So lets apply this to everyday experiences. Say you are about to order food at a restaurant. Schroedinger says that until you have actually ordered something, you have ordered everything, nothing at all, and every possibility in between. Many worlds theory states that once you ordered a burger and fries, the universe fractured. You are currently living the reality where you ordered the burger and fries, but there exists a myriad of realities where you chose differently. Sounding familiar yet?
SO BACK TO SHIFTING!
Suppose you decided you want to shift right now in this very moment, and you did. The universe branches/fractures/splits once more into a reality where you shifted and left your clone behind, a reality where you didn’t shift at all, and every possibility in between. The conscious YOU shifted to another reality, and your clone continues to read this. Alternatively, however, there is a reality where you DIDN’T shift and continue to read this.
But isn’t that one and the same? If your clone continues exactly where you shifted, isn’t your “clone’s” reality and the nonshift version of reality exactly the same?
This is MY proposal of what the “clone” is.
You ARE the clone. Are are also NOT the clone. Using the word “clone” to describe the “other version” of you is really horrible word choice imo. It creates the idea that you’re leaving behind some copy that isn’t actually you, but it IS you. It’s just an alternate version that didn’t shift in that moment. When you shift, you leave behind the reality in which you didn’t shift. The universe splits. There is now the shifted YOU and the nonshifted YOU. Shifted you is now in your DR.
The nonshifted you is what people call their “clone.” When you “shift back” you’re just rejoining your shifted consciousness back with your (no longer) nonshifted self. I have a lot of theories as to what happens when you “shift back” and how shifting could just be the consciousness learning to jump around the infinite “Many Worlds,” but this post is long enough.
To wrap things up, this is just my belief of what the “clone” truly is. I hope you can understand it, and I hope it can ease any worries on the topic. I am in no way an expert on physics, just a bit of a nerd. So if I sorely misunderstood a theory then…. Whoops. Feel free to reply, correct me, and disassemble my world view. This stuff fascinates me.

Hello! Once again, I am trying my luck at making true longstanding friendships here, every past attempted I had here in the past either led to people ghosting me after a while, having conversation that simply went nowhere from the start or even times where people turned out to be a creep.
So anyway, I currently live in the UK and I am looking for platonic friends where we can chat or text regularly about different stuff such as films, music or even our personal life (Although that may take a while before we get comfortable lol)! I am also interested in other topics like history, philosophy and psychology. If you like video games, that would be great, perhaps we can enjoy some together! Currently I am mainly playing MultiVersus and FNV on PC but I am open to try any other if that's interesting!
I don't really mind your gender, ethnicity, sexuality or any other nuance as the only thing that matters are that you are kind and friendly and not a creep, although please be at least 20 years old as I prefer to talk to people that are more mature.
So, if you are interested in making friends, please send me a text or leave a comment, thx!

We have what feels like clearly an anxious/avoidant attachment duo Sometimes I feel like my bf does not treat me the nicest and we continuously get into the same arguments and I cant tell if I’m the problem and being too much.
When he is tired it feels like he takes things out on me. He’ll be in a bad mood when he’s tired and then he’ll lay in my bed ignoring me playing chess and like tell me flat out that I’m annoying him if I try to engage. 10 minutes later when he’s ready to engage he’ll do exactly what I tried to do and then like 30 minutes later decide he doesn’t wish to talk again and call me annoying when I don’t miraculously get the hint to leave him alone.
He says we spend too much time together constantly and he needs alone time and I agree to give him space only for him to turn around and continue to ask to come over and hangout and then when he randomly decides he doesnt want to anymore and I get upset because of the mixed signals, I’m suddenly asking too much of him. It feels like we can only hangout on his terms at this point otherwise I feel like a nuissance.
He tells me im too emotional and am always getting upset at stupid things that aren’t deep but I feel like I’m just upset because he keeps repeating same behaviors however now I’m starting to wonder if I just really am the problem. Yesterday I got upset because he called me annoying on and off all night and then said he needed to sleep at home because he wanted to sleep alone because he couldnt sleep after 1. We hadnt even tried to sleep yet and 2. He told me just a few days ago when we had our “we spend too much time together” talk that we would limit weekday hangouts but he’d still sleepover on weekends so I was upset he literally went back on what he said after I didnt give him a hard time all week about not staying over my place.
When we argue he’ll yell and curse at me. He does have a potty mouth ag baseline but this Includes saying like “shut the fck up”/“fck off”and sometimes if I’m crying upset about something he’ll just laugh at me or even just storm out. There has been a handful of times when we’ve argued he’ll say he doesnt want to talk to me for days and the longest its been is two days because he usually just tries to start texting me again without discussing what happened. It feels like everytime we argue he gets tremendously heated and he needs a long period of cool down time which makes him feel better and makes me feel worse
I do have tons of anxiety and require tons of reassurance and I recognize that is on me to fix but I feel like maybe he isn’t always as understanding but also I could be asking for too much. I feel like I’m always the problem and never him.
He has some committment issues and has always been a few steps behind me in our relationship but its been 2 years of us dating and I feel like at this point I am trying to progress our relationship. I understand wanting time alone but to what degree is it a red flag if it feels like he is constantly saying we spend too much time together. Wouldn’t you want to spend time with your partner?
Also, once he like emotionally cheated on me like 5 months into our relationship by pointing out a girls boobs and then sent like a waist down pic but it never went further than that but i forgve him
TLDR: Am I in a toxic/emotionally abuse relationship or am I just too emotional?

Hi am taking Paroxetine for about 2 months almost (15mg) for my panic attacks, obsessive,racing,intrusive thoughts, anxiety, disregulated mood and concentration (I can’t do almost nothing). It works great for panic attacks and anxiety but for the other symptoms however when I was taking Citalopram 3-4 years prior(no panic attacks yet) it was great: no obsessive,racing thoughts,no anxiety and no mood swings no problems to focus ect. My Psychiatrist told that they are almost the same and that paroxetine should worked even better and that maybe at the time I was taking Citalopram is was just the right period of time because I might be bipolar 2 he prescribed me with Lamictal and Citalopram now that I have to start tomorrow. But I wanted a different opinion on this if just that Citalopram has some missing difference to paroxetine thanks?

Cody Rhodes & Mustafa Ali vs DIY
Results: DIY clearly showing they have been a team longer as they work together well, unfortunately though it is not enough as Cody uses a thumb to the eye to turn the tide, then hitting Cross Rhodes, tagging in Ali who hits a 450 for the win
Winners: Cody & Ali
__________
Ricochet walks towards his waiting vehicle.. head down, mentally bemoaning a string of bad losses… ‘Not that long ago I was a Prince… I was at the top of Underground…’
A blindside attack sees a former rival suddenly appear, why is Killshot here? A few wicked shots leave Ricochet reeling ..
As he tries to figure out what the hell's going on, another unexpected blast from the past saves him!! Fenix is here?? Why is Fenix here?
Fenix brawls with Killshot until Killshot decides to break off the attack and head towards a waiting limo. The plates on the limousine are briefly seen as the car speeds away. The word ‘Mundo’ is clearly seen as it leaves the parking lot.
__________
Chad Gable vs Wes Lee
Results: Wes using his speed, moving all over the ring and really catching Gable off guard. Eventually Gable gains control and slows things down, Gable controlling the match with a mix of submissions and grabbling leading to an ankle lock and the tapout win
__________
Karrion Kross and Scarlett are shown backstage
Kross: Tonight, Trick Williams steps inside that ring and he is going to learn a very valuable lesson, because I am stepping in that ring tonight with one goal, and that is to put everybody on notice that I am on my path to winning the Battleground tournament, and claiming the Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank, it does not matter who my partner is OR who I step in the ring against!
__________
Karrion Kross vs Trick Williams
Results: Kross wastes no time, coming out as soon as the bell rings going right at Trick, eventually Trick turns the tide getting some time in control but in the end it is a Kross Jacket submission that leads to the win
Winner: Karrion Kross
__________
Guerrilas of Destiny are shown backstage
Tama: Seth, Dean, tonight you two are in for a shock, when you go face to face with me and Tonga in that ring... you will realize just what you signed up for when you came back here, and you will realize Roman has lead you down a path of pain you have never felt before
Tonga: Tonight, you realize there is no going back, your fate is sealed and you two will never be the same!
__________
Ricky Starks is in the ring with a microphone before his match with Jey Uso
Ricky Starks: Let’s face it, Jey. You’re good, but you’re not Ricky Starks good. You can superkick and dive all you want, but when you’re standing across from me, you’re in a whole different league. You’re stepping into the Absolute Era, and let me tell you, it’s a place where second-best doesn’t cut it.
Ricky Starks: You’ve been a tag team specialist, Jey. And that’s cute. Really, it is. But this isn’t a tag match, this isn’t family therapy. This is where boys get separated from men, where second-best gets left in the dust. So, bring your best, Jey. Bring that fire, that intensity. Because when it’s all said and done, the world will know that Ricky Starks is not just absolute... he’s undeniable.
__________
Ricky Starks vs Jey Uso
Results: A fairly even contest, both men seem to have something to prove tonight, as it looks like Starks may be closing in on a win, Jey pulls a turnbuckle pad off, as the referee is distracted trying to fix it, Jey hits a low blow on Ricky, leading to a superkick, then Jey climbs up top and hits a splash for the win
Winner: Jey Uso
__________
Backstage we see Seth & Dean preparing for their tag team match later, when Roman Reigns walks into the room
Roman: I made the call... he is in
Both Dean & Seth turn and look at Roman, neither saying anything in response at first before finally Seth speaks up
Seth: We gotta get ready for our match
Seth & Dean walk out of the room leaving Roman looking a bit unsure of things
__________
Carmelo Hayes vs Jay White
Results: These two trade control of the match back and forth, neither man able to really hold control very long, after they trade for abit, In the end Carmelo hits Nothing but Net to pick up the win
Winner Carmelo Hayes
After the match Jay looks frustrated and disappointed as he walks to the back
__________
We then get a video of a ring in what looks like an old gym barely lit with a few old hanging lights, in the ring we see Chad Gable, Timothy Thatcher and Daniel Bryan all training, doing various holds, grapples, and cardio, this goes awhile until we cut to all 3 men on their knees clearly exhausted, and we see what you could describe as a peaceful smile appear on Daniel Bryans face, as the video is fading to black the camera pans up the wall of the gym to show the words "Ground Game"
__________
Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs Guerrillas of Destiny
Results: GoD are clearly not interested in putting on a classic as they come out aggressive, and take any cheap shots they can, eventually the match breaks down, all 4 men fighting, in the ring Ambrose is down and Loa is crawling around stalking him waiting for Dean to get up when out of nowhere Seth hits a curbstomp on Loa and picks up the win
Winners: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

I have a Shiba Inu who's 2x the normal size and a small kitty that is 9mo old.
A bit embarrassing of a story,
My ex, whom babysits my dog from time to time, came over to my apartment to get Maru (the Shiba) and take him for a few weeks. When he arrived I gathered up all his things for Maru and he commented on how his bed looked "nasty". I explained that it had just been washed the week before, but maybe because I've reduced Maru's washing to bi-weekly (due to skin issues) and he is coming up on his second week that it could have smelled badly. He is also shedding like mad right now.
My ex left, and shortly after texted me saying " Please work on keeping your place cleaner for yours and the cats and Maru's sake. The bed reeks and so does his collar". It threw me through a bit of a loop because two days before he arrived I had cleaned the entire house and mopped, and I often keep the windows open to help with ventilation since it is a small apartment. It seemed he jumped to the conclusion that because my place had a "stale pet odor" that I was not cleaning or keeping the environment healthy for my pets. I do have an open-faced cat litter box as well.
So, aside from weekly cleaning and keeping the windows open, what can someone do about pet odor in a small apartment? I care very much about smell and don't want people to get the wrong idea. What worked for you guys that have both a dog and a cat to help your small place smell nice :3

I am only just investigating what medication I should try despite being born with hypothyroidism. Currently, I'm taking 200mcg generic levo.
I'm not asking for official medical advice, to be clear, but what are your personal experiences with generic levo. (not sure what brand it is by memory), Synthroid (which I used to be on but don't remember how I felt during my childhood), Tirosint (whatever that is), and Armour (whatever THAT is).
What inconsistencies besides fillers can one expect in generic levothyroxine brands?
What's the main difference between generic levo. and between all the brand-names? I gather it's largely between the presence of the other T hormones and just T4 in the generic. Is that accurate?
Edit: added uncertainty regarding current brand of generic levo.

We have what feels like clearly an anxious/avoidant attachment duo Sometimes I feel like my bf does not treat me the nicest and we continuously get into the same arguments and I cant tell if I’m the problem and being too much.
When he is tired it feels like he takes things out on me. He’ll be in a bad mood when he’s tired and then he’ll lay in my bed ignoring me playing chess and like tell me flat out that I’m annoying him if I try to engage. 10 minutes later when he’s ready to engage he’ll do exactly what I tried to do and then like 30 minutes later decide he doesn’t wish to talk again and call me annoying when I don’t miraculously get the hint to leave him alone.
He says we spend too much time together constantly and he needs alone time and I agree to give him space only for him to turn around and continue to ask to come over and hangout and then when he randomly decides he doesnt want to anymore and I get upset because of the mixed signals, I’m suddenly asking too much of him. It feels like we can only hangout on his terms at this point otherwise I feel like a nuissance.
He tells me im too emotional and am always getting upset at stupid things that aren’t deep but I feel like I’m just upset because he keeps repeating same behaviors however now I’m starting to wonder if I just really am the problem. Yesterday I got upset because he called me annoying on and off all night and then said he needed to sleep at home because he wanted to sleep alone because he couldnt sleep after 1. We hadnt even tried to sleep yet and 2. He told me just a few days ago when we had our “we spend too much time together” talk that we would limit weekday hangouts but he’d still sleepover on weekends so I was upset he literally went back on what he said after I didnt give him a hard time all week about not staying over my place.
When we argue he’ll yell and curse at me. He does have a potty mouth ag baseline but this Includes saying like “shut the fck up”/“fck off”and sometimes if I’m crying upset about something he’ll just laugh at me or even just storm out. There has been a handful of times when we’ve argued he’ll say he doesnt want to talk to me for days and the longest its been is two days because he usually just tries to start texting me again without discussing what happened. It feels like everytime we argue he gets tremendously heated and he needs a long period of cool down time which makes him feel better and makes me feel worse
I do have tons of anxiety and require tons of reassurance and I recognize that is on me to fix but I feel like maybe he isn’t always as understanding but also I could be asking for too much. I feel like I’m always the problem and never him.
He has some committment issues and has always been a few steps behind me in our relationship but its been 2 years of us dating and I feel like at this point I am trying to progress our relationship. I understand wanting time alone but to what degree is it a red flag if it feels like he is constantly saying we spend too much time together. Wouldn’t you want to spend time with your partner?
Also, once he like emotionally cheated on me like 5 months into our relationship by pointing out a girls boobs and then sent like a waist down pic but it never went further than that but i forgve him
TLDR: Am I in a toxic/emotionally abuse relationship or am I just too emotional?

Long Story Long: But I’d seriously appreciate some insight!
My husband (38M) and I (38F) are high school sweethearts and have been together over 20 years, married for 17. We don’t fight, nor argue really. I would call disagreements intense discussions. He’s the ying to my yang, we just fit and have developed pretty good communication over the years - but we’ve also put in the work for it.
He became close friends with 2 guys in our neighborhood and since we are moving out of state, the previous weekend has been a blowout. These 2 have joked for over a year about doing mushrooms with him. My husband and I always laughed it off because the man hasn’t ever done anything that wasn’t prescribed to him by a doctor. I have said to the 3 stooges whenever they brought that topic up that I don’t care (because he’s a grown man) but I do think there should be someone sober just in case, especially because my husband is a novice when it comes to that recreation.
Friday was apparently the night - he didn’t come home until 4 am and slept on the couch. I was with everyone until about 8, and went home to clean up and do some chores before the party the next day. Being out later isn’t uncommon, these guys play darts or ride around on the golf car listening to music and drinking a bit. (It’s not often, but there have been some late nights when I can be found right along with them). Saturday evening we had people over for a BBQ and friend #1, James, was recounting some tales to me, his wife and another friend. They were funny, but out of character for my husband when he’s drunk. James’ wife asked, so … what else was involved? James smiled and whispered ‘shrooms’. I didn’t skip a beat and continued on with our conversation.
Fast forward - he’s sawing logs by the time I get in bed. I lay there but can’t fall asleep, my heart is racing and I need to get it off my chest (something we’ve learned together, if its on your mind say it, don’t let it fester and grow).
+I ask why he didn’t tell me about the mushrooms.
+“James said you knew”.
+Um, no, I knew it was talked about previously, but I had no idea there was a plan. Okay, benefit of the doubt, it was a “surprise buddy! Let’s do these!” after I went home for the night. Why could I have not received any communication about it then, nor a mention of it the next day? If James hadn’t said anything would you have even talked to me about it? You know .. how it went, what it felt like .. etc?
+“I didn’t talk to you much today” and again, “James said you knew about it, I didn’t think it was a big deal”
+Well, it hurts that you wouldn’t divulge any of it to me, especially since you want me to pour out my soul to you any time something seems off. It’s kind of hypocritical because we both know you would have lost your mind if you found out from someone else that I had been out until 4am doing shrooms with my 2 friends, riding around and drinking. *I would like to note that I do get animated when I talk, and I was a Disney illustration at this point.*
I think the role reversal scenario is what did it because he leapt out of bed and turned the light on, slamming the door open and YELLING at me (why he opened the door I don’t know, nor do I really remember what was being said in the moment due to my shock). I instinctually jumped up and when I heard the door hit the stopper I started to bend down to grab a pillow; serious childhood trauma kicked in and it was full fight or flight mode, I felt like I needed to get out of there as a panic attack was imminent. When he saw the pillow in my hand he yelled “What the hell are you doing?!!” as he slammed the door closed staying in front of it.
I instantly started to shake and sob uncontrollably at the same time and mumbled “You are scaring the shit out of me”. I was frozen because on the inside I was a small kid again. This man has NEVER raised his voice, let alone his tone to me. He immediately changed his entire demeanor and walked over to hold me, saying how sorry he was. I can’t remember if I hugged back to be completely honest. I did say that “you made me flash back to my father .. you’ve never yelled at me before .. I don’t understand.”
After calming down he held me in bed while I cried and told him how sorry I am, that it’s my fault, I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, I should have waited until the morning .. over and over again. I don’t know why .. it was instinctual I guess. He finally sighed heavily and said “No, not at all. If I had just told you about it to begin with none of this would have happened”. The remorse was real, but I still cried myself to sleep, waking up with swollen eyelids from all of it.
We talked it over Sunday after some reflection; I get it - he probably just wanted to live it up with his pals without a “handler”. But reasonable me would have liked to have known, God forbid anything happened, or I could have at least checked on them every now and then. I don’t hover and can read a room pretty well, so it just hurt my heart that I wasn’t included in the knowledge of the events whatsoever .. especially because he didn’t tell me himself. I didn’t care about the shrooms, I just wanted to know they were being done, does that make sense?
Our talked concluded - nothing bad happened that night, I said my peace, let’s move on from it. I did reiterate how much I was bothered by the argument, his response and my fear. I could see the sorrow and regret in his face, so we decided to put that away too.
My problem is that I have realized that I am not really over that part as much as I want to be. I have replayed it a few times this past week while alone, resulting in the same feelings surfacing again with some tears. I can’t help it. When I say I have no one to talk to … I have no one. My husband is probably the most amazing man you could meet. I couldn’t imaging divulging this to anyone and having their view of him a-skewed; I know he’d be mortified. And I don’t want to bring it back up, having him relive probably the worse night he can remember, like I am rubbing salt into the wound - even more so because I said let’s move on from it. I don’t want him beating himself up again and again (Though that may very well be the case, I would hate to make it worse).
I am pretty sure his lack of reaction (which pushed my frustration) followed by overreaction was due to guilt, knowing he hurt me, and that what I said was probably true - he just handled it poorly after a couple of days with little to no sleep; not to mention the additional stressors in our lives right now with the move. I could have done things differently as well; he rarely hurts my feelings, so I don’t handle it as well as I would if it was coming from someone else. He’s my kryptonite.
I know this was a one off, however I do have to admit that I am subconsciously anxious whenever he’s gotten irritated with normal everyday annoyances (just life, packing .. logistics .. etc) this past week. Almost like I am gun-shy that he’ll pop off again (even though my rational mind knows he won’t). I just can’t shake the feeling of not recognizing the man that was in front of me, nor the fear I had caused by the one person who has always been my ‘safe space’ and protector.
I feel like I am being ridiculous and irrational. Any advice, or do I just let time take care of it?