Make something chrome in illustrator

So as the discussion is still ongoing around this year's contest, I would like to look into the future and see whom people from other countries want to see as their country's representatives in next year's event.
Maybe you have your own favorite artist who has never tried to participate in the Eurovision selection, and you feel like that band/artist could possibly do well. Or maybe you want to see someone making a comeback: it can be an artist who has already been in the main Eurovision event or someone who tried their chance in a national selection but didn't make it to the main event. In other words, feel free to suggest any artists.
For example, as a Lithuanian, I would like to see Monique or Beatrich give another try in next year's national selection. In Beatrich's case, I would prefer to see her choose the EDM genre over pop-rock. If I wanted something new or fresh, something we have never sent before, I could choose less known artist in my country, like Punkto. He also plays in a more popular sad dance/experimental post-punk genre band, 'Solo Ansamblis,' but I feel like it might be too much for Eurovision.

Here are 3 sampled answers using Maestrix as an example but you can easily apply your product details or URLs. These results have been generated in 3 minutes. You can do it for your own product on maestrix.ai.
A/ Market Category Frame of Reference: Maestrix AI competes in the AI-powered Marketing Automation and Planning Tools market category, which includes products that leverage artificial intelligence to provide marketing strategy, planning, and execution capabilities.
Competitors:

1. New Startups:
   • chatGPT (AI-powered marketing assistant)
   • Adcreative.ai (AI-powered ad creative optimization)
2. Legacy Companies:
   • HubSpot (marketing, sales, and customer service software)
   • Marketo (marketing automation platform)
3. Everyday Tools Repurposed:
   • Prompt Bibles by infopreneurs (customized marketing strategy templates)

Competitive Alternatives:

Alternative	How it Addresses the Market	Downsides	How Maestrix AI is Better
Hiring a Marketing Agency	Provides custom marketing strategies and execution	Expensive, time-consuming, and often lacks AI-driven insights	Maestrix AI provides AI-powered insights and automation at a lower cost and faster pace
Using Traditional Marketing Tools (e.g., HubSpot)	Offers marketing automation capabilities	Lacks AI-powered insights and requires significant setup and training	Maestrix AI provides AI-driven insights and automation with minimal setup and training
Custom-built Marketing Strategy Templates (e.g., Prompt Bibles)	Provides a customized marketing strategy	Limited scalability, requires constant updates, and lacks AI-driven insights	Maestrix AI provides AI-powered insights and automation that adapts to changing market conditions
Doing Nothing (DIY Marketing)	Lowers costs and provides control	Time-consuming, lacks scalability, and often ineffective	Maestrix AI provides AI-powered insights and automation at a lower cost and faster pace

Key Unique Attributes:

Unique Attribute	What Makes it Unique	How it Addresses the Problem
AI-powered Insights	Uses machine learning algorithms to analyze market data and provide actionable insights	Provides data-driven marketing strategies and campaigns
Automated Campaign Generation	Uses natural language processing to generate ad copy, social posts, email campaigns, and landing pages	Saves time and resources while ensuring consistent branding and messaging
Comprehensive Digital Strategy	Offers a holistic approach to marketing, including go-to-market, e-commerce, and competitor analysis	Ensures a cohesive marketing strategy that drives business growth
Expert-driven Positioning and Messaging	Provides expert-level positioning and messaging frameworks	Helps businesses differentiate themselves in the market and resonate with their target audience

Enabled Value and Proof:

Enabled Value	Proof
Data-driven marketing strategies	Case studies demonstrating 25% increase in conversions and 30% decrease in ad spend
Time and resource efficiency	Customer testimonials highlighting 50% reduction in marketing execution time
Scalable and adaptable marketing campaigns	Whitepapers and research papers on the effectiveness of AI-powered marketing automation
Expert-level positioning and messaging	Success stories of businesses that achieved significant growth with Maestrix AI's positioning and messaging frameworks

Customer Segments:

Segment	Motivations	Triggers	Barriers
Startups	Need to quickly establish a strong market presence	Limited marketing resources and expertise	Difficulty in creating effective marketing strategies and campaigns
Solopreneurs	Desire to maximize online presence and sales	Limited time and marketing know-how	Difficulty in creating and executing marketing campaigns
Small Teams	Need to drive business growth through effective marketing	Limited marketing resources and budget constraints	Difficulty in creating and executing marketing campaigns

SWOT Summary Table:

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
AI-powered insights and automation	Limited brand recognition	Growing demand for AI-powered marketing tools	Competition from established marketing automation platforms
Comprehensive digital strategy	Dependence on APIs and third-party data sources	Expanding into new markets and industries	Regulatory changes affecting AI-powered marketing tools
Expert-driven positioning and messaging	Limited sales and marketing resources	Partnerships with digital marketing agencies and consultancies	Competition from emerging startups and new market entrants
Scalable and adaptable marketing campaigns	High customer acquisition costs	Expanding into new geographic markets	Economic downturns affecting marketing budgets

B/ User Positioning Statements:

1. I'm trying to develop a marketing strategy using online tutorials, but I get overwhelmed by the amount of information because it's hard to prioritize what's relevant for my business. Now, I can access tailored marketing insights and campaign ideas with Maestrix AI, so that I can create effective marketing strategies that drive results.
2. I'm trying to create engaging ad content using a copywriter, but it takes too much time and money because I need to brief them on my brand and product. Now, I can generate precise ads and social posts with Maestrix AI, so that I can quickly launch targeted campaigns that resonate with my audience.
3. I'm trying to optimize my marketing budget using spreadsheet analysis, but it's hard to make data-driven decisions because I'm not a marketing expert. Now, I can get actionable marketing recommendations with Maestrix AI, so that I can maximize my ROI and grow my business.
4. I'm trying to improve my brand's online presence using a web developer, but it takes too long and costs too much because I need to redesign my website. Now, I can create optimized landing pages and email campaigns with Maestrix AI, so that I can attract and retain more customers.
5. I'm trying to outperform my competitors using industry reports, but it's hard to stay ahead because I lack the resources and expertise. Now, I can analyze my competitors and get tailored marketing strategies with Maestrix AI, so that I can dominate my market and reach my business goals.

Competitor Analysis Table:

Category	B2B Competitors	B2C Competitors
AI Marketing Assistants	ChatGPT, HubSpot	-
Traditional Agencies	Traditional ad agencies, Marketing firms	-
Marketing Tools	Hootsuite, Mailchimp	Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud
AI Content Generation	Content Blossom, Snoring Cat	AI Writer, WordLift
Prompt Bibles	Infopreneurs (e.g. [Prompt Bible by [Influencer])	-

Top ICP / Persona Recommendations Table:

Dimension	Recommendation 1 (B2B)	Recommendation 2 (B2C)	Recommendation 3 (B2B)	Recommendation 4 (B2C)	Recommendation 5 (B2B)
Industry	Tech startups	E-commerce entrepreneurs	Small marketing teams	Solopreneurs	Growing businesses
Company Size	10-50 employees	1-5 employees	5-20 employees	1-5 employees	50-200 employees
Job Function	Marketing Manager	FoundeCEO	Growth Hacker	Entrepreneur	CMO
Primary Goal	Drive customer acquisition	Increase online sales	Boost brand awareness	Establish thought leadership	Optimize marketing budget
Pain Points	Limited marketing resources, difficulty measuring ROI	Difficulty creating engaging content, limited marketing expertise	Struggling to scale marketing efforts, limited budget	Difficulty establishing brand identity, limited resources	Difficulty optimizing marketing budget, lack of marketing expertise

Avoidance Recommendations Table:

Dimension	Avoidance Recommendation
Industry	Highly regulated industries (e.g. finance, healthcare)
Company Size	Large enterprises (>500 employees)
Job Function	IT/Tech professionals without marketing responsibilities
Primary Goal	Reducing costs, process optimization (not marketing-related)
Pain Points	Difficulty with internal communications, team management

Recommendation Rationale Summary:
Our top recommendations target tech startups, e-commerce entrepreneurs, small marketing teams, solopreneurs, and growing businesses in the B2B and B2C spaces. These personas struggle with limited marketing resources, difficulty measuring ROI, and creating engaging content. Maestrix AI addresses these pain points by providing tailored marketing insights, campaign ideas, and content generation. Our recommendations avoid highly regulated industries, large enterprises, and IT/Tech professionals without marketing responsibilities, as these groups may require more specialized solutions or have different priorities.
Challenging Decisions Analysis:
For B2B audiences: 1) convincing marketing teams to adopt AI-assisted marketing strategies, and 2) demonstrating the ROI of Maestrix AI.
For B2C audiences: 1) educating solopreneurs and small business owners about the benefits of AI marketing assistants, and 2) addressing concerns about AI-generated content quality.
Persona/Client Canvas:
Here are three detailed persona profiles:
Persona 1: Marketing Manager Maya

• Demographics: 28-40 years old, marketing professionals in tech startups
• Psychographics: Ambitious, growth-oriented, data-driven
• Role/Job: Marketing Manager
• Problem to solve: Limited marketing resources, difficulty measuring ROI
• Pains of this problem: Feeling overwhelmed, lacking confidence in marketing decisions
• Jobs-To-Be-Done: Drive customer acquisition, increase brand awareness
• Motivation: Prove the value of marketing to the organization
• Trigger: New marketing budget allocation, need to scale marketing efforts
• Barriers: Limited resources, difficulty justifying marketing spend
• Context: Familiar with marketing automation tools, looking for innovative solutions

Persona 2: E-commerce Entrepreneur Emma

• Demographics: 25-45 years old, e-commerce entrepreneurs
• Psychographics: Entrepreneurial, driven, creative
• Role/Job: FoundeCEO
• Problem to solve: Difficulty creating engaging content, limited marketing expertise
• Pains of this problem: Feeling stuck, struggling to compete with larger brands
• Jobs-To-Be-Done: Increase online sales, establish thought leadership
• Motivation: Grow the business, establish a strong brand identity
• Trigger: Launching a new product or service, need to drive sales
• Barriers: Limited budget, difficulty finding the right marketing talent
• Context: Familiar with social media marketing, looking for efficient marketing solutions

Persona 3: Growth Hacker Alex

• Demographics: 25-40 years old, growth hackers in small marketing teams
• Psychographics: Analytical, adaptable, results-oriented
• Role/Job: Growth Hacker
• Problem to solve: Struggling to scale marketing efforts, limited budget
• Pains of this problem: Feeling frustrated, difficulty justifying marketing spend
• Jobs-To-Be-Done: Boost brand awareness, optimize marketing budget
• Motivation: Drive user acquisition, prove the value of growth hacking
• Trigger: New marketing budget allocation, need to scale marketing efforts
• Barriers: Limited resources, difficulty measuring ROI
• Context: Familiar with marketing automation tools, looking for innovative solutions

C/ CAMPAIGN IDEAS
Table 1: Thought-provoking Statements

Statement
Marketing doesn't have to be a guessing game.
Stop throwing spaghetti at the wall.
Your competitors are already using AI marketing.
Traditional agencies are stuck in the past.
You can't out-hustle a machine.
Marketing strategies shouldn't be a shot in the dark.
Don't let your competition outsmart you.
What if you could predict your marketing success?
It's time to take the gamble out of marketing.
Your business deserves data-driven decisions.

Table 2: 'Pick a Fight' Statements

Statement
Traditional agencies are a waste of your money.
ChatGPT is a toy, not a marketing solution.
Prompt bibles are a lazy marketing hack.
Why settle for mediocre marketing when you can have AI-powered perfection?
Your competitors are using AI marketing. Why aren't you?
Marketing by committee is a recipe for disaster.
Don't let your competitors out-AI you.
Legacy marketing strategies are holding you back.
What's your marketing strategy? "I don't know" isn't an answer.
Stop trying to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

Table 3: Irreverent Questions

Question
Are you tired of throwing money at marketing and hoping for the best?
How much did your last failed marketing campaign cost you?
Do you really think your competitors are stupid?
What's the ROI on your current marketing strategy... -1%?
How many hours have you wasted on marketing meetings?
Are you a startup or a sideshow?
Is your marketing strategy based on hope or data?
Do you really think you can outsmart the market?
How many marketing agencies have failed you?
Are you ready to take the gamble out of marketing?

Table 4: Creative Angles

Angle	Explanation
1. AI-Powered Perfection	Highlighting Maestrix AI's ability to deliver precise marketing campaigns and strategies.
2. From Chaos to Clarity	Emphasizing the clarity and direction Maestrix AI brings to marketing efforts.
3. Marketing in the Dark	Illustrating the uncertainty of traditional marketing strategies and the need for Maestrix AI.
4. The AI Advantage	Showcasing the competitive edge Maestrix AI provides to startups and small teams.
5. Data-Driven Decisions	Focusing on the data-driven approach of Maestrix AI and the confidence it brings.
6. Smarter Marketing	Positioning Maestrix AI as a smarter, more efficient way to approach marketing.
7. Outsmart the Competition	Highlighting Maestrix AI's ability to help businesses stay ahead of the competition.
8. No More Guesswork	Emphasizing the elimination of guesswork in marketing with Maestrix AI.
9. Predictable Success	Showcasing the predictable success and ROI of Maestrix AI marketing campaigns.
10. Marketing on Autopilot	Positioning Maestrix AI as a reliable, hands-off marketing solution.

Table 5: Billboard Concepts
Here are 15 billboard concepts for each creative angle, with remarkable headlines, different rhetorical devices, different tones, and a 5-word signature that describes the value of Maestrix AI using the 4Cs copywriting formula.
Angle 1: AI-Powered Perfection

Headline	Rhetorical Device	Tone	Signature
"Marketing, elevated."	Allusion	Sophisticated	"Precise marketing. Guaranteed."
"Your marketing, perfected."	Anaphora	Confident	"Flawless marketing strategies."
"The future of marketing, today."	Hyperbole	Futuristic	"Revolutionary AI marketing tools."

...
Angle 10: Marketing on Autopilot

Headline	Rhetorical Device	Tone	Signature
"Marketing on cruise control."	Metaphor	Relaxing	"Hands-off marketing freedom."
"Set it and forget it."	Enthymeme	Carefree	"Marketing on autopilot, guaranteed."
"Let AI handle it."	Aporia	Trusting	"Reliable marketing solutions."

Table 6: Highly Creative and Original Concepts

Concept	Explanation
"Marketing Oracle" Campaign	Positioning Maestrix AI as a mystical, all-knowing marketing guide.
"Marketing Myth-Busting" Series	Creating a series of ads that debunk common marketing myths and showcase Maestrix AI as the solution.
"AI vs. Human" Marketing Challenge	Pitting Maestrix AI against human marketers in a series of marketing challenges, highlighting the AI's superiority.
"The Great Marketing Escape"	Creating an immersive, escape-room-style experience that demonstrates the frustrations of traditional marketing and the relief of Maestrix AI.
"Marketing Utopia"	Illustrating a world where marketing strategies are data-driven, efficient, and successful, thanks to Maestrix AI.
"Marketing Time Capsule"	Creating a time capsule filled with outdated marketing materials and strategies, contrasted with the futuristic, AI-powered marketing of Maestrix AI.
"Marketing Symphony"	Using music and sound design to illustrate the harmony and efficiency of Maestrix AI marketing campaigns.
"The Marketing Maze"	Creating a maze that represents the complexities of traditional marketing, with Maestrix AI as the guiding light that leads to success.
"Marketing in the Dark... Ages"	Illustrating the dark ages of marketing, where businesses struggled without Maestrix AI, and the enlightenment that comes with AI-powered marketing.
"The AI Marketing Architect"	Positioning Maestrix AI as a master builder of marketing strategies, creating a solid foundation for business success.

Been meaning to post something on the topic for a while and finally decided to do so.
Long story short, what's up with Montreal's use of prime location public spaces? To provide a couple of examples:

1. The observatory on Mount Royal. Theresa beautiful old venue there which I understand is used from time to time. Put a coffee and pastry shop in it! Maybe a restaurant? Some local fast food options?
   
2. Parc Jean Drapeau. I had several people visit me, and I tell them to take the metro to the island. However, I always add a caveat to make sure to "bring water". Same story here; no coffee shops, restaurants... Its a beautiful place to be, but no instrastructure to keep people there (outside of Osheaga/picnic etc.)
   
3. Old port (the Quay's). There's cirque de soleil, science center, and even a beach! However, here again, you can't really sit down and have a bite to eat or a sip to drink at the end of the piers. To be fair, there's plenty of food options in old port, but I'm sure you understand what I mean.
   
4. Jarry Park (among many). There's only two parks that I know of that have some services, which are Square Saint-Louis and Carré Dorchester.
   

It really seems silly that we have such beautiful places yet we don't really make use of them. Coming from Europe, everyone and their aunt likes to go to town just to see people socializing. While we have plenty of open spaces and beautiful areas, it does seem like commercial activities aren't allowed to operate in those spaces.
Is this a zoning issue? Can something be done to change it? Would there be public interest to do so?
At the very least, I'm hoping to start a conversation on the topic, and at best, someone with actual pull sees the post and decides to campaign on it.
Wishing you all the best fellow redditors!
Et en français:
Cela faisait un moment que je voulais publier quelque chose sur le sujet et j'ai finalement décidé de le faire.
Pour faire court, qu'en est-il de l'utilisation par Montréal des espaces publics privilégiés (les prime locations) ? Pour donner quelques exemples :

1. L'observatoire du mont Royal. Il y a une belle vieille salle là-bas qui, je crois, est utilisée de temps en temps. Mettez-y un café et une pâtisserie ! Peut-être un restaurant ? Des options de restauration rapide locales ?
   
2. Parc Jean-Drapeau. J'ai reçu plusieurs personnes qui m'ont rendu visite et je leur ai dit de prendre le métro jusqu'à l'île. Cependant, j'ajoute toujours une mise en garde pour m'assurer "d'apporter de l'eau". Même histoire ici ; pas de cafés, de restaurants... C'est un bel endroit, mais aucune infrastructure pour garder les gens là-bas (en dehors d'Osheaga/pique-nique, etc.)
   
3. Vieux port (les Quais). Il y a le cirque de soleil, un centre des sciences et même une plage ! Cependant, là encore, on ne peut pas vraiment s'asseoir et manger un morceau ou boire qqch au bout des jetées. C'est sûr qu'il y a beaucoup d'options de restauration dans le Vieux-Port, mais je crois que vous comprenez ce que je veux dire.
   
4. Parc Jarry (parmi tant d'autres). À ma connaissance, il n'y a que deux parcs qui offrent des services de restauration/café, soit le Square Saint-Louis et le Carré Dorchester.
   

Cela semble vraiment inefficace que nous ayons de si beaux endroits et que nous ne les utilisions pas vraiment. Venant d'Europe, tout le monde, aime aller en ville juste pour voir les gens socialiser. Même si nous disposons de nombreux espaces ouverts et de belles zones ici à Montréal, il semble que les activités commerciales ne sont pas autorisées dans ces espaces.
Est-ce un problème de zonage ? Peut-on faire quelque chose pour le changer ? Y aurait-il un intérêt public à le faire ?
À tout le moins, j'espère commencer une conversation sur le sujet, et au mieux, quelqu'un qui a un peu d'influence voit le message et décide de faire campagne là-dessus.
Merci pour votre contribution!

Hello! Firstly: we have seen several veterinarians for this issue and are currently under the care of one and I understand this is not a substitute for care, just seeing if the larger vet community might have some additional insight for this vague/persistent issue.
Info:
• Species: Cat • Age: 13ish • Sex Neuter status: Female, spayed • Breed: Domestic shorthair (calico) • Body weight: 12ish lbs • History: Intermittent diarrhea outside of litterbox, sometimes with mucus and/or blood (has solid poops in litterbox in between episodes for weeks at a time) • Clinical signs: Acts fine otherwise: eats/drinks great, is playful and social. Is physically examined by vet each time there is blood in stool, vet always says she looks great. • Duration: About 3 years • Your general location: Southeast Texas • Links to test results, vet reports, X-rays etc: I have no links but the vet has done a couple of stool sample tests, which have come back normal. Has done bloodwork which was fine. Have not done any X-rays or imaging.
Additional info:
• Vets agree that it is allergies, definite chicken/poultry allergy and maybe something else • We have changed diet to chicken/poultry free with minimal ingredients and give probiotic powder daily, both of which seem to help (have tried prescription hydrolized protein diets which seemed to make it worse) • She currently gets regular steroid injections about every 8 weeks and has done a couple rounds of antibiotics, which seem to help but are maybe decreasing in efficacy (steroids especially) • Was born with about half a tail, kind of like a long bobtail. Read once a while ago (on the internet) that cats with tail mutations can have lower GI issues, not sure how true that is (because internet) • Cat tax available upon request (she is very cute)
Thank you in advance, and thank you all for being veterinarians/techs and doing what you do every day!!

hi this is my first time writing something on too reddit and i just want an outside opinion on this. so me (14 F) invited my “friend” let’s call her alya (14 F) too my younger sister bella’s confirmation a few weeks ago. If your unsure what that is it’s basically a catholic thing where you dress up really nicely that consists of a prayer to the Holy Spirit, the laying on of hands while the prayer is said and the anointing of the candidate with oil of Chrism in the church, usually after you go for food and have a party.
Where i live you go to the church make your confirmation then go for food and go to this place we call “the dogs” i’m not so sure of the real name so forgive me. it’s where you watch racing dogs do races and you bet on them also get food there etc.
Now abit of backstory on me and alya, we went to primary school together but we didn’t really become friends until 5th class (10/11yrs). we we’re extremely close from 5th class too the start of second year (13yrs) she tends to have abit of a victim complex, she thinks she’s never wrong and i have seen her genuinely switch up the story in situations and convince herself that’s what’s happened to make her in the right which is why i tend not to start trouble with her.
at the start of summer 2023 my friend group made a new “friendgroup” group chat and didn’t add alya because she was in a fight with one of the girls in the friend group and i assume didn’t add me i was alyas closest friend ?? i don’t know but after that the only friends i was left with were alya and kara (me alya and kara were a trio btw.) i was friends with kara since january 2023 and alya started befriending her in may 2023 and they became really close. so me and kara’s only friends were eachother and alya and we live about 5 minutes from eachother, whilst alya lives about an hour away (we met through school) so alya had friends out where she lived that she could go out with in the summer me and kara didn’t but we couldn’t go out with eachother without alya or else we’d be “leaving her out”. so me and kara did basically nothing all summer and alya didn’t come down often only once or twice so we could all only text eachother. a few months later when it hit october me and kara had been trying to organise hang outs for us but alya always had something else to do , she either had plans with her other friends or her boyfriend but keep in mind she’d get mad if we hung out without her so we didn’t. At one point after trying to organise a sleepover for weeks we decided me and kara were gonna have one, invite alya and if she wouldn’t come we just would have it anyway because we we’re sick of only getting to hang out when she wanted too. So the sleepover day comes around and in school that friday she told us that she had plans to go to town with her friend from where she lives so she can’t have the sleepover , so we said okay and had the sleepover anyway . she got really mad and said we were leaving her out and we we’re bad friends and we stopped talking.
she mended things with our old friend group and hung out with them in school (btw me and alya are in the same class whilst kara is in the year above us) me and my other people from my old friend group never have beef or anything because i’m not a confrontational person so when i found out they had basically kicked me from the friend group i never said anything and acted normal with them when school came around so i wasn’t fighting with them we were already talking again.
now after the fight me and alya we’re civil with eachother she would sometimes throw sly dogs at me but i would just ignore them. when like december had come around me and alya were (what i thought) talking again. she would get the luas home and i would walk a different way since i lived like 20 minutes from the school and she lives an hour but in december i thought we were okay again because on the days kara didn’t come to school (which was often) she starts walking home with me and then getting the bus home again like she used too one day we were walking home after school and i looked over at her phone and she was texting out mutual friend and she said how we were walking home together and the mutual friend went “oh i thought you said you were sick of her following you around all the time and and we’re just gonna ignore her if she talked too you again?.” and i pretending not to have seen it and never said anything but the point i’m trying to make is i’m pretty sure she’s friends with me too my face but shit talked me too others, now at this point (may) she’s back in the friend group and going out with them again . so she hangs around with them in school and honestly she only talks to me if i talk to her first. she constantly leaves me on delivered if i message her. btw me and kara aren’t friends anymore because she just got really close to another girl in her year and we slowly drifted. Now because we went to the same primary schools she was like oh what are you doing for your sisters confo and i told her and she kinda just invited herself so i just let her because again when you fight with her she makes it into this whole thing so i thought it’s just not worth it because i love alya. honeslty as mean as she is sometimes when we have our moments there the best it’s like our best moments are amazing but our bad moments are horrible i miss how close we used to be and i guess that’s why i still try maintain a friendship with her but i can acknowledge that she isn’t a good person at times and often finds ways to make everything about herself . like a few weeks ago my mam had to get texted for cancer and i was really upset and i told alya when we were walking home together and she started talking to me and bout how mer nanny died of cancer when she was 3 and i thought that was really mean of her too do . i can’t drop her because she’s my only friend i don’t have any other friends outside of school or anything i’m completely alone my only form of socialisation is school
basically iv noticed she’s been inviting other people to come to the confo. not to the meal but to the dogs after so she can hang out with them aswell but i don’t want this i don’t want my mam to spend the day playing for a my sister who’s making her confermation, me my other sister and then pay for alya to come just for her to invite other people to hang out with and not even be with me so i want to i invite her but i don’t know if that’s cruel since the confo is tomorrow but the only time she really speaks to me is to talk about the confo. because on one hand this day could (maybe) get me back into the friendgroup and i won’t be alone. anymore or i could be miserable the whole time. if i don’t invite her i can sit with my family and i won’t be alone but if i do invite her i have to hang around with her if that makes sense? like if she invites her friends and she’s with them i’ll basically spend my whole day miserable and following her around so what do i do i really need advice it’s tomorrow.

I was crossing the parking lot on my way to an appointment and took a long stride because a car was waiting for me to pass and pulled something out of whack that hurts like hell when I walk now. It feels like it’s something to do with my pubic symphysis. I’m already seeing a pelvic floor PT and doing exercises for my piriformis being tweaked on one side and will get her to assess me but am between appointments right now. In the meantime, is there something I should do to help ease things and not make the injury worse? Ice? Heat? Some kind of stretch or seating position?
Thanks in advance. :)

Hello wedding,
I (27F) recently got married to my husband (29M) who I love very much. We're pretty much on the same page as a couple, however I'm having a dilemma about our last name since the wedding.
I always knew that I would never want to drop my last name after getting married as I have my college degrees and other career work in my maiden name. We talked about it a few months prior to the wedding and my husband agreed and understood this; why would I want to sabotage my progress by abandoning my birth name? I was however, willing to hyphenate my name with his. My husband was happy with this compromise and he even went a step further and offered to hyphenate his name with mine as well so we'd end up with the same last name. Even though I thought this was a bit weird (because in my culture men don't change their name when getting married), I was okay with it as long as he was happy with it.
Fast forward a few weeks before the wedding and I discover the amount of admin and paperwork it would take to change my name. Suddenly, I didn't feel like changing my name at all. I told this to my husband and he became visibly upset. I asked him why and his response was "Because I wanted us to share a family name and was willing to share the burden of changing name to do so". While this did make me feel bad, I still wanted to stand by my decision. He said he would still go ahead with hyphenating his even if I don't. I told him I would feel bad if he went ahead with that, but he insisted he wanted a shared name even if it was partial and on hm. We didn't bring up the topic again.
Now fast forward again after the marriage and he stayed true to his word and has changed his name. I'm now in a real dilemma; I feel bad that he went ahead with something I decided not to do which makes the situation feel incredibly one-sided and I feel that out of guilt I should reciprogate. On the other hand, did he maybe do this knowing I would feel guilty and make me change my mind? I just don't get why something like this should matter so much. I never had anything against hyphenating my name, but I just can't be bothered to deal with the admin.
Am I being unreasonable or are my feelings justified?

This is something to don't see alot of people do and I've actually gotten lowkey shamed for it in the past. My mother as a kid would put a thin layer of butter on my PB&J. As did her mother. It's kinda a family tradition passed down. I swear it makes all the difference and taste amazing.

this is more of a rant than me needing advice i guess, but i have to get this off my chest. i’m 22F and my dad is 71M and he never used the internet or any social media until recently when he got a smartphone, and it’s caused a lot of problems.
i downloaded tiktok for him and made him an account and didn’t think much of it. i have a tiktok, my brother has a tiktok, my mom has one, everyone i know pretty much does. he really doesn’t know how to do things like change his name or profile picture so when i did it for him one day because he asked me to, i noticed he had a lot of followers and was following a lot of people and had a lot of messages in his inbox. i ended up looking his account up, and saw that he was following nothing but women. onlyfans type women, women very young. ranging from like my age or younger up into their 30s i guess that post very sexual content. also women that are clearly either catfishes or bots. i even saw a girl who was clearly a child which made me very uncomfortable and very grossed out. he has a history of saying girls in movies or something are hot and me having to tell him that the actress is underage and he’ll say “they shouldn’t be dressed like that then.” it’s very gross.
but this all got to a point where i was getting annoyed and feeling cringe about the usernames he kept wanting me to make for him, and the profile pictures he wanted to use and also very uncomfortable with the fact that he was only using the app to be a pervert, so i ended up telling my mom about all of it. this caused a really bad fight between all of us. he ended up smashing his phone outside on the concrete and blamed it all on me, and said i’m the reason he can’t have a phone, and threatened to break my phone. also told me and my mom that he literally “hopes we both die.” he’s also an alcoholic and was very drunk when all of this went on, and was really mad at me for a few days then got over it and apologized. there was another time when my mom wanted to see his account so i told her the username so she looked him up, and she had her profile views on where people can see that you looked at their account. he immediately came into the living room where we were, and confronted my mom about how she was looking on his page, and that caused him to be mad at me because he knew that i told her about it. but i really don’t understand the way he gets mad with his own family seeing his tiktok. it’s like he doesn’t use social media to connect to family or people he knows, it’s just a way for him to be a secret creep. it’s so weird.
he got a new phone and he made me make him a whole new tiktok page, but apparently he’s made other pages. it’s like i can’t even keep up with them and on each one his following list is just all gross women. my mom’s sister and my cousins have seen his tiktok pages and have been making fun of it according to my sister and i’m so embarrassed. on one of his accounts, he has a picture from like 30 years ago when he looked younger.
today, he asked me to download whatsapp for him. i immediately knew it was probably because a woman messaged him on tiktok wanted to know his whatsapp or whatever. i told him that i knew what he was doing, and that the women he talks to are probably catfishes wanted to scam him or something and then he didn’t want the app anymore. he’s asking for an instagram page and i just don’t think he should have one because he only uses social media to be a weirdo so i refused. what should i do about this? i knew my dad was a weirdo, but it’s gone too far now and i’m embarrassed and grossed out by him.

Me and my GF have been together around 6 months, we are planning on moving in together in a couple months. Much of the relationship is really great, we get on very well, make each other laugh and I am very much in love. We both live home as it stands, but she has a very close relationship with her family, which I do not have with mine.
The problem I have is, every time me and my GF have an argument, mostly minor disagreements, she goes to her mum for advice. This would be fine ordinarily, but recently after this happened I asked my GF what her mum said and it was something along the lines of me ‘being manipulative’, and her basically advising my GF to be wary of me.
This floored me because I don’t believe I had been manipulative, and personally I believed my GF had misread the situation and explained it to her mother in a way which doesn’t represent what actually happened. Now when I’m at my GFs house, I can tell her mum doesn’t have a great attitude towards me. She often wont engage in conversation with me as she used to, give me one word replies and I’m fairly certain it’s entirely due to my GF telling private details of every disagreement we have. (My gf denies her mum acts like this).
The one time I brought up my concerns about this, it caused an argument in which my GF said her mum is ‘the most important person in her life’, and if she wants to go to her for advice she has every right to. I didn’t want to escalate so i just dropped it. I feel like I’m unreasonable by wanting to keep elements of our relationship solely between us or should I just accept her mum will be involved more than I’d like.

Hello Everyone!
My name is Vinícius, I'm from Brazil and I have some history here in "Gift of Games", as I have requested "Diablo 4" 22 times, "Helldivers 2" 8 times and more haha!
​
What is Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
SMT V: Vengeance is a very hard, strange and interesting JRPG, it has some dark themes that make it stand out from the majority of games on this genre.
The game features a monster catching system(more like demon catching in this case) that enables you to recruit, improve and fuse demons that you find everywhere. It is very unique because for you to recruit them you have to chat with them, and sometimes it doesn't work like you expected, the demons may not want to join you or maybe they even want to trick you into giving them something and just vanishing after, the outcomes are very funny sometimes.
The newer version improves the game in many ways, it has a lot of QOL features, but the biggest difference is a totally new campaign, since most fans thought it was the weakest point of the original version.
​
Why Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance?
I'm a very big JRPG fan and have been for many years, I like many of the old ones and also newer ones, but I'm specificaly found of the ATLUS games like the SMT and Persona series. They have such a personality that you can always be sure that they are made by ATLUS the moment you see a frame of it.
I have been waiting to play this game since 2021 when it released, since I don't have a Nintendo Switch, but it feels like even more time and I'm sure it will be worth it.
​
Why can't I buy it?
All games are very expensive here, I live in a small town in Brazil, a country in which the AAA games cost R$ 300(our currency is called Real) or even more, and the minimum wage is R$ 1.412, so it costs a big % of the minimum wage, it's absurd. I am a photographer who is still trying to make a living of it, I had many jobs before but some fired me and some I just could not keep up because they had a huge tow on my mental state. From my experience the only job that could maintain me without destroying my mental is photography, I just love it, and I took too long to realise that I could do something important with it.But the point is that not only AAA games, but all game prices here went up really fast on the last few years, and it's impossible to keep up with it. I am struggling at the moment to acomplish my objectives professionaly, and I believe that this game may make my days a little easier.
But the most important reason why I can't buy it is that my city right now is going through the biggest natural catastrophe the country has ever seen. I live in Pelotas, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and we have many cities very close that were completely vanished because of a flood, and I mean that literally, some cities will now cease to exist because everything was consumed by water. The situation here is sad, we have never seen something of that magnitude in our lives, if you want to have an idea just search about it and watch some videos, it's devastating...
Now my city is also starting to suffer because of the flood, I think my house is probably safe for now, but now I can't even work, nobody can do anything until this passes, and even after that, we will have to deal with the problems that will appear. Some people lost everything they had, some people lost their family, their pets, the whole country is trying to help but there is no way to really stop it now.
So I basically just want this game to keep me sane during these dark times that we are living here, I know it will not make life easier, but it might bring me a little more joy so I can face the problems in a better shape than I am right now.
​
I think I don't have anymore to say, so I just hope someone reads this poorly written but full of sincerity text. 😁 Thank you SO much for giving me the opportunity to ask for something like this, you have no idea how much this means to me and how surprised I am that we have some people here with that kind of generosity!
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Steam Profile

Hey there, fellow crypto adventurers!
Hold onto your hats (or should I say, hold onto your manes), because Ouchcoin is about to make waves like never before! Starting from tomorrow, our beloved Ouchcoin will be officially listed on Europe's largest exchange, P2B!
But wait, what's all the fuss about, you ask? Well, let me tell you—it's not every day that a meme coin like ours gets a chance to strut its stuff on such a grand stage.
So, why should you care? Because this isn't just about trading tokens—it's about joining a community that's forging its own path in the wild world of crypto.
We're not here to follow the herd; we're here to blaze our own trail, one burn at a time. And with P2B by our side, there's no telling how far we can go!
But we can't do it alone. We need YOU, yes, YOU, to join our ranks and help us create something truly special. Whether you're a seasoned crypto veteran or a wide-eyed newbie, there's a place for you in the Ouchcoin pride.
So, what are you waiting for? Don't miss out on the action—jump on board, buckle up, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime!
See you on the moon, fellow Ouchcoiners!
*P.S. Don't forget to spread the word and bring your friends along for the adventure. The more, the merrier! Let's make history together.* 🎉
https://ouchcoin.xyz

Note to the reader: This is a one-shot for writing practice and not canon to the Trappist universe I normally write in.
Everybody scoffs and rolls their eyes when given instructions they have no plan on following, and this was no different. Torrent Vindicti couldn't hit the delete button hard enough, the mutarin nearly chipping her claw in the moment of indignation.
A voice came from the other end of the bunks, “you alright, Tory? I felt that anger flare way over here.”
She silently scowled for a moment, exchanging an accusatory glance with one of her symbiont's tentacles before replying, “sorry, just really pissed off at some bureaucracy. Did I wake you?”
Kyle yawned and hopped down from his bunk, “Yeah. Was having a really good dream, was on this beach with a chick and…I'll skip the details but suddenly she's you and you were shouting something about murder and cowardice?”
She sent another telepathic flare, this time deliberately, contrition and apology, before speaking, “Yeah. A general advisory just came through on the news feeds. I um…I don't want to be the one to tell you, but your homeworld just had war declared on it.”
Kyle laughed a bit, getting a cup of khali juice from the drink dispenser, “who is it this time?”
“It still unnerves me just how efficient humans are at compartmentalizing their emotions. It's the Arakhin, who else?”
“That's hardly news. They're warmongers and the empire's got our back.”
“That's the part that pissed me off. I…look, I'm…so, our ship is technically company property and…”
The telepathic equivalent of an eyeroll came through before her symbiont began speaking through her, “Torrent sucks at using words, hi, Eddy here, we were ordered to send you to your death.”
Kyle just blinked, stopping mid-sip on his drink, “Okay, you have my attention. It's gotta be bad if Cur's hijacking your voice.”
Torrent and Eddy's tentacles twitched and she narrowed her eyes, still Eddy speaking, “please stop calling me that. I am Eddy, my image name is a type of current, not a canine.”
He just shrugged, “And my image name is a college frat stereotype, nobody's perfect. So how are you killing me, exactly?”
Torrent resumed being the one speaking, “The arakhin announced any and all humans found will be killed or taken as hosts on sight. The company has decided that having human crew onboard presents an unacceptable risk. We're supposed to give you your severance and dump you at the nearest station.”
She mentally braced, hardening her empathic receptors, expecting fury, worry, sorrow, anything in that spectrum. Instead she felt pure, unadulterated humor. The shock threw her completely off balance and she stared at him in confusion, both her minds struggling to make sense. It wasn't a trauma response, she'd been around humans enough to recognize the feeling when they slammed a door shut on an unwanted emotion, this was genuine.
Kyle noticed her blank stare and limp tentacles and he just smirked, “Glad to know they're finally afraid of us.”
She just blinked, giving a slight shimmer of her markings, a reaction he'd seen enough times to know it was the mutarin version of a confused shrug, as once again he was the source of the reaction.
He finished his drink before elaborating, “For being sanguivores, you guys really lack that predator insight. What kind of person puts out a KOS on an entire species?”
“Somebody who's angry?”
“Right. And arakhin are parasites, predators, egocentric to a fault. What makes a megalomaniac angry?”
It clicked and she gave an understanding “oohhh” in stereo, “heh, they're angry because they can't push you around?”
“Like a bully on the playground.”
“That's great for your species, but what about you personally? If I just dump you on a fuel depot on the tail-end of nowhere, you won't be able to find anybody willing to ferry a human, you might even get kicked out of the depot itself. People are panicking, arakhin are horrifying on a good day, but now they're on the warpath.”
“Let me worry about that. I take it Tourin and Granite don't know yet?”
“They're still in bed.”
“Look, I know it's eating you up, but–”
“Just say you don't want to go. I'll…we're near a nebula, I could say the transmission got corrupted. I could bide some time or something…”
“Tory, Cur, you two are a fine captain and I'm not gonna let my situation ruin a spotless record. I'll be fine. Just, you know, swing back around to pick me up after my friends finish making the galaxy's biggest lobster boil.”
“The other two won't stand for it.”
“Then don't tell them till after I'm gone. I'll borrow the starboard escape pod, we need to take it in for maintenance anyways, I'll patch it up while I'm out, maybe pick up some milk and bread…”
There it was, the pang she was waiting for. Finally his humor broke and she saw other emotions under the surface. It wasn't fear, though, it was sadness, with an undercurrent of loneliness, and something else, something buried. In spite of Eddy actively whispering in her mind not to reach out to it, she did. It was frustration, frustration and seething anger, pure, primal, and held like a caged beast deep in his subconscious. She doubted he was even aware it was there and quickly backed out before her intrusion into his mind was noticed.
He began transferring his passwords and files over, then gave her a terse salute, “Let's not complicate it with long goodbyes, alright? Just send the severance to that crypto account you kept mocking me for having. Finally coming in handy for something, right?”
She wanted to offer some platitude, but his emotions were starting to worry her. It was like watching a pot about to boil over. No, it was more like watching dents forming in a door as something on the other side strikes it, trying to escape. She simply gave a pulse of her markings, the equivalent of a nod, and sent him on his way.
The beast she saw lurking in his mind was actively burrowing to the surface.
She sighed to herself as she watched the escape pod shrink into the distance and Eddy spoke up in her mind, “I'd always thought the feral instinct thing was a myth. Never thought Kyle had something like that in him.”
Fear crept into the corners of Torrent's mind and Eddy coiled his tentacles on her arms, holding his host protectively, “You did the right thing for the safety of the ship.”
She sat like that for a while, staring at the black outside until she was snapped out of her trance by Taurin at the doorway, the Yenesh looked irritated and was holding up an empty box, “Where's Kyle? We're missing a rifle and ten plasma cells from the armory.”
Torrent couldn't help but smirk and start laughing, markings nearly strobing, “Oh I do not envy whatever arakhin bastard he crosses paths with first.”

I've posted on here a lot before, met a few good people. Most don't last, some have longer than others. I admit it's largely my fault many times, I struggle with making and keeping friends. I'll say now, I greatly struggle with closeness. When I get close I feel things and my brain decides that means it's time to go insane. I have depression, anxiety, and other things undiagnosed but likely: PTSD, autism, general abandonment and rejection issues. For my own mental health I respond to few messages, if you've messaged in the past I welcome you to again and apologize for not responding before.
With that out of the way, hi. I'm John. Male, 24 from the US, New Hampshire specifically. Pansexual, and recently realized I may be aromantic. Fair warning I don't really separate romantic vs platonic love so if anything becomes uncomfortable let me know.
For hobbies I'm mostly pretty basic. I game on PC, mostly slow paced games. Slay the Spire, Stardew Valley, board games on Tabletop Sim and such. I also enjoy visual novels, especially some with strategy elements. Can't mention by name here but that fact probably hints as to what they are. I love watching movies with people, and shows. Mainly horror since that's my favorite genre but I find anything fun with others. Anime is fun too, and manga sometimes. Not too into them yet so haven't seen much. I have a tarot deck that I don't know how to use, when I was younger those and Wicca fascinated me but stepping into them myself was too overwhelming.
I'm a very very open person for better or worse. If you're sensitive to topics I'll avoid them of course. I know it's asking a lot after saying I respond to very few messages but please say something about yourself if you do message. I may come across as boring or uncaring at first at times, I partially shut down when speaking to new people and struggle a lot to ask questions.
Just some extra stuff :)
I have a chihuahua and used to have pomeranians. I'm not big on voice calls, especially if we aren't playing a game together. I don't mind sharing a photo.
Possible TW: I recently relapsed on self harm so it may come up.
I'm open to anyone 18+. I'm LGBTQ+ friendly of course.

It is paralyzing to have so many but all basic-level skills that I wish to grow and specialize in, and what makes it even more difficult is unknowing what my passion is. All of the non-technical people in my life encourage me to do something with what seems to them "impressive technical skills" instead of working 11 hours a day in a sales job that I hate, my family wishes I did something with my degree instead, I graduated two years ago as a biomedical engineer (and low-key I regret it now). Of course "impressive" is very subjective, and I realize that those people don't know exactly what the job roles are in any technical field, so I can't build up on those impressions as for them installing drivers for a new hardware and using a CMD makes them think I'm cut for an IT position, and for them a programmer is simply someone who makes software on a computer, and since I was able to create a calculator application in C# and build a website in HTML and CSS, they think now I'm all set for a career in programming.
The thing is, all of my knowledge in: - C# (Winform and Console apps only) - HTML, CSS - Database management and SQL (MS-SQL, SQLite) - Computers software and hardware repair (General IT entry-level skills) - Video editing (in adobe premiere, and other open-source video editing software) - Graphic design (in photoshop) - Flash game deisgn (very old hobby I had) - Technical drawing in SolidWorks - Java programming in Android Studio (I dabbled into it for a university project). - Digital image processing (in Matlab, also for a university class I had).
is at a beginner level. I never gave myself the time to master a thing, and I can't figure out what I should stick to.
For a long time, my dream was to get into game dev, but seeing how competitive and time-consuming it is and judging by the lengthy learning resources available which need to be followed by a protfolio that also needs time to build, and finally hearing about how it actually pays less than software development, I wrote it off. My 2 fellow engineer friends recommended either going for a DevOPS path, or a blender 3D modelling path. Before asking for their advice, I was aiming for a databases-related job because I enjoyed working with databases queries the most, but all of the job descriptions in my country seem to require a lot a lot more than just doing sql queries, so then I was drifted away by a third friend who is a web developer, he convinced me to try out the free bootcamp called "TheOdinProject" and I'm half way in already in their "Foundation" course. And my progress pace suddenly slowed down significantly at some harder topics. Why did I listen to the web developer and ignored the other 2 guys? Honestly I was afraid that being a bit slow at abstract concepts won't make the DevOps path easy for me, and the Blender route was as dreadful because it takes the double amount of time of Web Dev and DevOps as it requires a ton of practice but with the constraining working hours I currently have, that would be super difficult to achieve. So now I don't know what to trust, web dev looks to require as much dedication as the others and I don't know if I will have the motivation to pick it up and get up to speed as before after being stuck for a while now.
Thank you all for reading. Any advice would hopefully illuminate my way and clear up my confusion, so I'd really appreciate any insight.
Side notes: I'm not in the US. I can't quit my job because I have family responsibilities.

So my girlfriend of 4 years told me that her brother’s wife (we’ll call her Rain) wants to have a conversation with me. I’ll try to make this as short as possible but with enough details 😭 sorry!
At one point me and my gf hit a rough patch, We broke up. I ended up moving away to another state for work. I went out with an old friend from HS one day and we slept together. A couple months later me and my girlfriend decided we were going to get back together and work on our relationship, I moved back. She found out that I hung out with said friend and asked if we had sex, I told her the truth. But I didn’t tell her how I went out to brunch with the friend days later, because she thought that she violated me and wanted to apologize. During the time of telling my gf I wasn’t thinking about the brunch because I was so focused on comforting her because she was really hurt about it. She ended up finding out about the brunch later on and was upset which is understandable.
Many months later the woman I had sex with texted me her location with a message telling me she’s moving overseas and wanted to see me before she leaves. This was around the same time I went back to town for a modeling gig. I never responded or saw her but my gf just assumed I did once she saw the message. She eventually said she believes me and we moved past that situation overall.
One day I reposted a Facebook post that said “Where’s the girls that like to go Fishing,Hiking & Camping n shii the ones that really do like nature and ain’t boujie??” Rain took a screenshot of it, sent it to my gf and blocked me on Facebook. She read that as if I’m looking for another girlfriend instead of actual friends…Because for some reason people think just because I dress masculine most of the time that I can’t be friends with other women 🥴. My gf confronted me about it I explained it to my girl what it means and she moved on from it. I blocked Rain on Instagram.
But recently my gf’s been telling me how Rain has been telling her to break up with me since she found out I had sex with someone else (although we were broken up). Now that we have a family trip planned where we will most likely be going to Rain’s home she told my girl that she wants to have a conversation with me to make sure I don’t have bad intentions and how it’s awkward because we have eachother blocked on social media. There was no hard feelings when I blocked her, after she sent my gf that screenshot I felt it was best to not have her on social media considering she’s causing unnecessary drama within my relationship and I never even had my gf’s brother on social media so what’s the big deal with having his wife?? When reading what she sent my girlfriend it comes off as if she’s going to try to “check me” about what I did she said “We’re gonna try not to be aggressive about it”. Although we weren’t together I still feel like I don’t owe anyone else an explanation for what I did except my girlfriend. I also don’t feel comfortable staying in their home anymore after discovering how Rain really feel about me. It totally seems like she doesn’t like me at all.
My gf’s ex followed her on IG the other day. My gf told Rain how we were both shocked and that I was “talking my sht”. Rain automatically read that as if I was going off on my gf about it, her response was “LOL she’s mad at you about someone you haven’t talked to in years 😑” my gf shut it down and let her know I was not mad and that’s not what she meant. At this point it seems like Rain has some type of hatred towards me. Every time my gf brings me up when they’re texting she’s saying something negative about me. But now that I think about it when I first met my GF Rain was telling her I was going to cheat on her, like she was expecting me to be a bad partner which is still odd to me because in the beginning my gf was the one getting caught up texting her exes so why did she assume I was gonna be the one to cheat or break her heart? My girlfriend told me she had to defend me on multiple occasions when people tried to put dirt on my name in the beginning which is weird because why were they saying these things?? (A friend said it’s because I’m very attractive and some people think attractive folks are “fck boys” 😂😐)
But anyways I don’t feel like I need to talk to her brother’s wife about our relationship problems or what not. I probably would feel differently about it if we were like kids in high school or if it was her parents but her sister in law? Not necessary. I also feel like it’s wild to tell someone to leave their partner who they want to be with after they told you how important their relationship is to them. It seems like Rain has been waiting for something to happen to try to convince my partner to leave me. I don’t understand how I would have bad intentions and/or what would be my goal in the end? It isn’t like I’m using my gf, she isn’t funding my life or anything remotely close to that so why would I stay with her after everything we’ve been through with bad intentions? My gf understands how I feel, she says my feelings are valid. She says her brother and Rain are just being protective.
How would you handle this situation? What is a mature way to handle a situation like this?
Thank you in advance!
i don’t know if this matters but for more context me and my gf has been living with each other since 4 months after getting together. We moved across the country together when we were 19. So we’ve always been very serious about our future and relationship together. Very mature when it comes to certain things, obviously we met when we were young so there’s a lot of situations we have where we have to learn from them and learn who we are and what we’re growing to be. if that makes sense lol.

I've googled and searched back posts. Not a lot of concrete info to go on. People mention the concept of "fair-use", but I'm not exactly sure how that is supposed to apply. Seems like in the USA, that relates to using a short exerpt of something as part of a larger work such as commentary or reporting.
So far I've figured out that rinks, USFS, broadcasters, etc. basically deal with licensing. Hence the need (at least on EMS) to make mention of who holds the copyright for your program music. Or the venue has to deal with licensing.
Aside from that, there's just a lot of fear-mongering, non-commital articles from organizations and lobbiests that perhaps pertain to a single rights holder such as BMI. Obviously, the hundreds (thousands?) of skaters at various competitions I've attended skate to cut music aren't bringing down the wrath of any rights holders.
Soooo, I'm wondering how this is supposed to work for the people we get to cut the music? Coaches, parents, professionals, skaters, etc. Surely someone knows what the carve-out is that allows this to happen?
Why aren't we all being sued individually for copyright infringement when we make a copy of a track we own, cut it, and then pass on a copy of that edit? It's the "passing on" part that seems like a weak link in the chain.

TLDR: want to try different study materials outside if Prof. M AND Jason Dion. Looking into Security+ books. How did you like them? Which ones do you recommend? Will still be using Prof. M practice tests.
I've used professor messer for both A+ and Net+, but for security+ I want to try something new. Professor messers notes are great, but I find that I get really disinterested fast which makes not focus as well (ik this is no fault of prof. M). I think his notes don't really make sense unless you watch the videos too I am very new to IT so this is probably my fault as well. I will still use him for gaps in my learning and his practice exams are top teir so I'll continue to use those as well. I was thinking of getting the security+ books and was wondering if anyone had success with them. I think I would do well with the books but not sure how effective they are when studying for such material dense certifications. I need in depth explanations and Prof. Ms notes just don't give me that and Jason Dions notes had a lot of irrelevant material that I wasted my time with in previous exams.

I'm here solely to vent some of the frustration and disappointment I've accumulated in a few hours of gameplay. I don't think it interests anyone, but I believe it's right to express how much this game is a failed attempt to compete with the Souls genre. It can be defined as Souls-like because it has bosses and many weapons (all with the same moveset), but I don't feel like saying that this game is even remotely on par with a game like Dark Souls 3, which came out 8 years ago and still surpasses in every aspect what is the attempt by Hexworks to create something original starting from the classic Souls-like formula. What I found, in my opinion, is an unfinished game and not up to its AAA price. The "difficulty" chosen by the developers does not consist of special enemy moves or difficult to manage, but in absurd tracking of any attack from a lance thrust to a fire projectile thrown, labyrinthine and always identical locations to make you waste a few more minutes wandering aimlessly in the graphically beautiful but stylistically banal and repetitive game world, and finally an insane output of damage from any mini-boss or boss, which makes fighting enemies that already don't present a real challenge even less enjoyable if not for the tracking and damage, the fact that they are always the same (apparently out of laziness in designing new enemies or movesets) only makes you want to speedrun everything. The Umbral Kingdom is a nice idea but it turns out to be just a pile of dark and always identical landscapes just to give you some more mechanics that only make exploration more tedious rather than more mysterious since you are forced to go through Umbral most of the time to move forward. In short, what really makes me angry is the desire of this game to stand out from the genre it takes inspiration from to try to be the new ultimate Souls-like but proving to be only a move of boundless arrogance and failing in almost every aspect that coincides with Souls-like. This sort of negative review is prompted precisely by the expectations I had for this product, and I'm sorry because I really believed in it and wanted to ignore every negative review I saw around.

I guess what I mean is, would it count as fair use if I quote or make a reference to other works? Like Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, Kate Chopin, Oscar Wilde...y'know. No one alive right now. Or would I still have to ask for permission for every single one? And if so, how? It's not something I can simply avoid mentioning in the story either because one of the main characters is an english professor so. That's kind of his thing. And as for songs, can I mention the name of a song? Or use a lyric? Not the entire song but like, a line and such.

Hi everyone! I'm trying to level up my table. In my games I use soft ambience music, every now and then some sound effects, a lot of maps and a Cthulhu statue dice tower. During the game I am very mindful with descriptions, especially with smells and sensations. I use handouts, and if I have the time I usually make them more realistic, like if the investigators find an ancient coin I give them one made with some modeling clay and similar.
I would like to make the table more immersive, something like that my players approach the table and feel the mood of the game. I was reading some posts, and I should totally use a magnifying glass, but I would like to ear some advice on things that have helped you, or ideas on objects that you want to use.
P.s. We play in a reading room, and I have to say that I love that.

Age: ~40 HHI: $120K 401K's/Roth IRA/Trad IRA/HSA: $640K Emergency fund (HYSA): $35K @ 5% Residence: ~$700K (mortgage balance ~$311K @ 3.4%) No other debt, car paid off.
Was talking to a buddy about the future and if I saw myself at my current job for the foreseeable future and it got me to thinking. I told him, yea I could see myself getting to a point where I have enough saved and could find myself quitting and doing something that maybe pays less but I find more passion with. Don't HATE my current job, but it's been getting stressful lately. No kids, so that kind of makes things less complicated. Stumbled across this subreddit and it seems like almost exactly what I'd be looking for.
Thinking I can sell my condo in the next few years and use the equity to potentially buy a cheaper place in cash. Kind of in a HCOL area (NJ) near the shore, so maybe would find a place in the same state, just inland, or potentially even out of state. Find a part time gig or less demanding full time job that I would find more enjoyable that would cover my taxes and other living expenses. I live pretty frugally so I could live off a pretty modest salary.
Am I on the right path? Anything that I'm missing or that I should consider?