On Sunday I got back from my first AP experience. I posted on here about it prior to leaving the country but thought I’d do recap on the whole experience.
I applied for employment reasons. My company is based in London UK, and I work out of a small NYC satellite office. The application was submitted in early January and approved in early April. I was gone from April 28 to May 12th.
I prepared my application myself and asked my work for supporting materials and to pay the fee which they agreed to. The supporting documents I used was a letter from my manager with the company letterhead explaining the purposes of the trip, email correspondences between him and our department head requesting the trip and having it approved, and an outline of the trip’s mission that he had to submit to finance to get it approved internally.
I asked for two weeks even though the trip would only be one work week so that I could do sight seeing and I also included France in the list of countries so I could go to Paris.
I talk about this in my original post, but as the trip was approaching and I hadn’t heard back my company was getting worried. I reached out to my senators and congresswoman for help. One of my senators got back to me and her office helped a lot. They basically got it approved within two weeks of me reaching out.
The letter gave me over a month of travel time, but I decided to stick to the two weeks I had planned. If I had known way in advance they’d give me more time I prob would have stayed an extra week.
Entering the UK was really easy I got asked if I was a permanent resident in the US, and said no not yet but I have a work permit, and that was about it. Lasted two minutes. After my work week I took the EuroStar to Paris and had no issues with customs. I decided to go back to London after a few days and fly out from there, thinking it would be safer since that was the main country in my AP application but probably would not have made a difference. Leaving Paris was weird, I had to go through two customs, one for leaving France/EU and one for entering the UK. Again no issues with the UK one, but the EU Customs person was very suspect of me. Demanded to see my work permit, and called out the fact that it said not valid for re-entry. I explained I had AP and that it was in my luggage. He made me take my baseball cap off to verify I was the person in the photo, and I after he stamped my passport he just stared at it for 20 seconds before giving it back. Really weird considering I was LEAVING not entering the EU.
I was really nervous coming back to the US. I kept thinking I was gonna get in trouble for going to Paris even though I listed France in the countries section of my application. I got to the airport three plus hours before boarding to check in. The check in was a little long because they rarely deal with AP but everyone at the airline was super nice and I didn’t get push back, just a lot of people double checking with their superiors that the document was legit. When I landed at JFK the process was super smooth. I waited in the non us passport line and when it was my turn I gave the customs person my passport, AP letter, and EAD, she did some things on her end and after a few minutes said I had to go to the back room for someone to processes it. Luckily the room was empty, so it took the guy there like less than five minutes. Neither of them asked me any questions. They seemed to just know what to do.
Overall, I’m so shocked and grateful by how smoothly everything went. I can’t believe I got to go to two foreign countries. Like little old me, just a humble DACA kid, saw Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Mona Lisa and the Eiffel Tower. Feels surreal. If anyone needs any assistance with AP, feel encouraged to reach out. This subreddit helped me so much and alleviated so much of my stress and anxiety, and I want to contribute to that and help others if I can.
Biggest feedback I can give: You do not need a lawyer, use your congresspeople as a resource if you need to, and most importantly, enjoy your trip! You deserve it!

So I recently bought this case for a build but there’s a problem, I’m planning on buying a card like the rx 6800 or a 6750XT, the problem is max gpu length support apparently is “345mm” but it’s approximately “300mm” people say, so then what are good gpus for future upgrade that will actually fit inside the case?
I play games like:
• Call of duty • Fortnite • Forza 5 •RDR 2
And other AAA titles, eventually I plan to play at 1440p resolution in the future.
Here’s the build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qzVxMV

Hello! Im not expecting or anything, but I like to keep my list on hand for the future.
To make a long story short, I really love the idea of the name ‘Maria’ for my daughter’s first name The only problem is name my married name is Letourneau. If you don’t know. There was a huge case in the 90s about a teacher named Mary Kay Letourneau sleeping with and having children with her very underage student in Canada. (as a disclaimer my husband and I are by no means related to her whatsoever)
I absolutely love the name Maria, but I’m worried if I name my daughter Maria Letourneau people will instantly think of Mary Kay Letourneau. So I’m going online to hopefully get an unbiased opinion on what the general public would think.
I’ve also considered my options/alternatives to Maria ie; Margaret, Marian, Charlotte, Isabella
I also have decided that I want her middle name to be Veronica after my grandmother
So if it were deemed appropriate and not associated with the 90s criminal case her name would be ‘Maria Veronica Letourneau’
Please tell me your options and what you think! Is Maria far enough away from the name Mary? Or should I just go to one of my options.

Greetings Adventurers!

If you haven't seen yet, we've just reworked our Rules and Guidelines to be more consolidated and concise, see here for the list. We've also elaborated on our current Post Flairs to clear up any confusion surrounding them.
Going forward, we've implemented a new option for your Question posts - if someone answers your question to a degree your are satisfied with, you can type "!solved" anywhere in the post, preferably under the answer that solved your question, and the Post Flair will update from "Question" to "Resolved"
This is not mandatory under threat of post removal or disciplinary action, but it will be greatly appreciated and help players seeking answers regarding the same (or similar) questions know that a solution has been presented.
Please keep in mind that account-specific questions and advice should be limited exclusively to our Pinned Weekly Questions/Advice Megathread.

• Questions that are account-specific, and do not help anyone other than yourself, will be removed.
• We are always happy to provide insight and advice to players looking for it, this measure is simply in place to prevent an overflow of Post clutter.

Thank you, have a great rest of your day, and be good people!

As with most things, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. Consider this as just one data point, and not as a guide to your career.
I've been working in the Data/AI space for 5 years now and I've seen hundreds of starry eyed people wanting to work in A.I. because they want to work with the latest and coolest cutting edge technology. But I want to share with you a few reasons why A.I. is not a good career choice.

1. A.I. positions could end up like the "data scientist" position. Looking at the history of the data scientist position, in 2010-2020, the hype around data science made it so that millions of people flocked to that position. Companies eventually realized that most them actually didn't need data science, and the impact of the position didn't always help them profit. The demand of the job has plummeted in recent years, leaving millions of aspiring data scientists unemployed or needing to pursue a different career.
2. A.I. positions will be less than .0001% of tech engineering jobs. In the next few decades, the demand for software and data engineering roles will be much more needed at most companies that A.I. roles. Only a small group companies will a be pursuing A.I. initiatives, while the majority of companies will still need software and data engineers. But because 90% of tech news is A.I. related, there will be a massive influx of people trying to enter the space.
3. The barriers to entry are huge. To pursue a career in A.I. and machine learning. A person's understanding of statistics and software engineering need to be extremely high. To get to that level of knowledge requires much more dedication and studying than most people imagine. Becoming a decent software engineer or data professional is already difficult for the average person.

Before you decide to pursue this as a career, it's important to consider some of the cons listed below. Perhaps consider taking a smaller step first and trying to land a job as a software engineer or data analyst. If you're already in a technical field, consider not putting all your eggs into one basket, and making sure you know enough skills to stay gainfully employed in the job market.
​
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Date: 05/16/2024

Reading time: 14 minutes, 2817 words

🪖 Military

Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg unanimously adopts motion expressing support for Armenia

The Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg unanimously adopted a motion expressing support for Armenia. The motion condemns the forced exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's military operation. It calls for the immediate release of Armenian PoWs by Azerbaijan.

Armenpress, Luxembourg lawmakers urge government to act for implementation of ICJ orders by Azerbaijan

Russia expels U.K. defense attache in tit-for-tat move

Russia has expelled Britain’s defense attache in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of one of its own diplomats from London last week. A. T. Coghill must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week.

Armenpress

Ruben Vardanyan's detention period was extended for another 5 months

Vardanyan was arrested on September 27, 2023, at the Azerbaijani checkpoint of Hakari Bridge. He was charged with three counts: financing terrorism, creating and participating in armed units and/or groups. Azerbaijan confirms presence of about 23 Armenian prisoners.

CivilNet, Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months

Training sessions will be held from June 11 to August 30

From June 11 to August 30, training camps of reservists will be held in Armenia. Up to 5,151 citizens will be involved in the training sessions, of which 4,647 are rank-and-file and junior non-commissioned officers. It is planned to provide 45 units of road construction equipment.

CivilNet

🏛️ Politics & Government

An opposition figure was killed in Azerbaijan

Natig Mehdi, a member of the opposition Musavat party of Azerbaijan, was killed in Baku. Mehdi's disappearance was reported by his nephew on May 9, and his death was announced on May 14. His colleague Elsevar Islamov is accused of the murder. Islamov worked as a security guard at a Baku school, and Islamov was the school's deputy financial director.

CivilNet

Zelenskiy visits Kharkiv describing the situation there as “extremely difficult”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy travelled to the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Thursday. He described the battlefield situation in the region as "extremely difficult" but under control. Zelenkiy postponed all his foreign trips on Wednesday as the situation deteriorated. Russia says it has taken control of 12 villages since it launched its attack.

Armenpress

Red Cross visits Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives visited Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan. Among those detainees are representatives of the former military and political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku officially confirms capture of 23 Armenians, 17 of whom ended up in Baku after Azerbaijan's military aggression last September.

Armenpress

France accuses Azerbaijan of interference in New Caledonia riots

France accuses Azerbaijan of ‘interference’ in politics of its Pacific territory of New Caledonia, which has seen deadly riots in recent days. Azerbaijan swiftly denies the charge, adding to a growing number of tensions between France and the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian Sea state. The riots were sparked by moves to agree a new voting law that supporters of independence say discriminates against the indigenous Kanak population.

ArmRadio

No new Armenia-Azerbaijan border created, the border existing at time of USSR collapse being reproduced – PM’s Office

No new border is being created between Armenia and Azerbaijan; rather, the existing de jure border at the time of the USSR’s dissolution is being reproduced. The border description is exactly as presented on the 1976 map.

ArmRadio

Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation

Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

PanArmenian

Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan receives EU Delegation

Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan received the delegation led by Adrien Kirali, Director of Neighbourhood East and Institution Building of the European Commission. Interlocutors highly appreciated the Joint EU-US-Armenia high-level meeting held on April 5, 2024 in Brussels.

Armenpress, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with EU Trade Commissioner

Armenian, Jordanian Foreign Ministers express concerns over tense situation in the Armenian quarter of Jerusalem

Political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan were held in Yerevan. The parties commended the current high level of political dialogue between Armenia and Jordan. The interlocutors exchanged views on the prospects of developing cooperation between the two countries.

Armenpress

Armenian Foreign Minister, PACE President exchange ideas on regional issues

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with the President of the PACE Theodoros Rousopoulos in Strasbourg on May 16. The interlocutors exchanged views on the issues related to Armenia’s engagement in the Council of Europe.

Armenpress, Armenia involved in efforts to reopen regional communications: Mirzoyan

Prime Minister Pashinyan meets with World Bank and International Finance Corporation leadership

Nikol Pashinyan received the World Bank's Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Vice President Alfonso Garcia Mora. The progress of joint projects, as well as the potential for diversifying Armenia's economy, were discussed.

Armenpress

Speakers of the Parliaments of Armenia, Azerbaijan have brief conversation

Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova had a short conversation in Geneva. The main meeting of the speakers of the parliaments of the two countries is expected to take place in the evening.

Armenpress

Armenian Foreign Minister signs Oviedo Convention in Strasbourg

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan signed Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine (Oviedo Convention) Armenia is the 37th country to join the Convention.

Armenpress, Armenia signs Council of Europe’s Bioethics Convention

Government approves housing provision program for Nagorno-Karabakh displaced people

The government approved the housing provision program for forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno Karabakh. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan presented the relevant project.

Armenpress, The housing problem of Artsakh residents will be solved in 3 stages, 2-5 million drams will be given. the government accepted the plan, Armenian government approves program to support refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia to establish Embassy in Cyprus

Armenia will establish an embassy in the Republic of Cyprus, the residence in Nicosia. The project was included in the package of non-reportable issues at the May 16 session of the government. The justification for the project states that the two countries accept each other as traditionally friendly countries.

Armenpress, Armenia will have an embassy in Cyprus, Armenia to open embassy in Cyprus, Armenia will open an embassy in Cyprus, Armenia to open Embassy in Cyprus

Legal basis for border delimitation with Azerbaijan relies on the last maps of the USSR- Pashinyan

Pashinyan: It was fundamental for Armenia not to create new borders, but to reproduce the borders previously confirmed by the Alma-Ata Declaration. The last maps of the Soviet Union, de jure having legal significance, he said.

Armenpress, In the issue of border demarcation, Armenia has adopted the principle of "the border passes where it passes". Pashinyan, The border demarcation commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a protocol, Pashinyan on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation agreement: ‘I think it’s major success’, Pashinyan commented on the agreement reached with Azerbaijan on the issue of border demarcation in Tavush

Armen Grigoryan and Bogdan Klich discussed regional and extra-regional developments

Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia Armen Grigoryan received the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate of Poland Bogdan Klich. The parties discussed the Armenia-Poland bilateral agenda. Ideas were exchanged on the possibilities of expanding cooperation in various fields, particularly focusing on promoting trade and economic relations.

Armenpress

World leaders should steer clear of Baku climate conference unless political prisoners are released

Hrair Balian: World leaders who stand for a rules-based international order must decline participation in the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku unless 23 Armenian political prisoners jailed illegally in Azerbaijan are released. Balian says Azerbaijan is one of the most corrupt despotisms on the planet. Azerbaijan wants to turn the COP29 into a “Cop of peace”, urging countries participating in the summit to observe a ‘Cop truce”

CivilNet

State revenue committee chairman meets with WBcolleagues

Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan met with his colleagues from the World Bank. The meeting discussed the progress of programs implemented with the assistance of the Bank. An agreement was reached on possible areas for further cooperation.

Armenpress

Slovakia's prime minister not in life-threatening condition – deputy PM

Slovak PM Robert Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being shot several times, deputy prime minister says. Fico's surgery had gone "well" and he was "not in a [life-threatening situation] at this moment", deputy PM Tomas Taraba says. Earlier the defence minister said the prime minister was "fighting for his life" after being gravely injured in an attack.

Armenpress, Slovakia PM Robert Fico no longer in life-threatening condition – deputy PM

Healthcare Ministry to receive additional 3 billion AMD to cover government-paid services

The Armenian government has decided to provide the country’s Healthcare Ministry with an additional amount of 3 billion drams to cover government-paid medical services for citizens. Half of this money will be spent on aid to low-income families, 400 million on emergency aid, 500 million on hemodialysis, 300 million on cancer treatment, 200 million on transplantation, and 100 million on treating infectious diseases.

ArkaAm

Yerevan Mayor visits Missak Manouchian’s tomb at French Pantheon

The official delegation led by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan visited the French Pantheon, where the remains of French national hero Misak Manouchian and his wife Meline are buried. The ceremony took place on February 21, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the execution of the executed soldiers.

ArmRadio

💵 Economy

EEU membership is beneficial for Armenia- Pankin

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexander Pankin said participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is beneficial for Armenia. He said the growth of the Armenian economy and its involvement in the flows of commodity production cooperation is statistically confirmed by various indicators.

Armenpress

Granting market status to Armenia's economy discussed in USA

Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan met with U.S. officials in Washington. Focus was on Armenia-US bilateral trade and granting Armenia the status of a market economy. In January-March 2024, the Armenian-American trade turnover amounted to more than $108.9 million (37.4% decrease compared to the first quarter of last year)

ArkaAm

''Learn & Work: YSU Expo- 2024'' launched at Yerevan State University

"Learn & Work: YSU Expo- 2024" has gathered applicants, students, graduates, university divisions, and employers under one roof. The Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC has joined the Expo with great pleasure. The mining industry is one of the most important branches of Armenia's economy.

Armenpress

Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients

Yerevan State University students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. The Bank and the university have a history of successful collaboration. 10 YSU students were granted nominal scholarships of AMD 1 million each, while five others received tuition reimbursement.

ArkaAm, Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients

EBRD and EU boost funding for Armenian firms via Inecobank

The EBRD is providing a US$ 7 million loan to Inecobank for on-lending to Armenian firms. The EU is complementing this support with grant incentives of up to 15 per cent and free local and international consultancy services. At least 70 per cent of loans provided to Ineco Bank will be allocated towards funding investments in green technologies.

ArkaAm, EBRDis providingUS$ 10 million financial package to ArmSwissBank for on-lending to Armenian MSMEs, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million euros in Armenia in 2024

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso re-elected for a second term during annual meeting in Yerevan

Odile Renaud-Basso re-elected for a second term as the bank's president. The EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Armenia. The bank has invested more than €2.1 billion in 211 projects in the country’s financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors.

ArkaAm, EBRD Governors re-elect President Odile Renaud-Basso for a second term

Ardshinbank hostspanel discussion on economic and trade sanctions as part of 33rd EBRD Business Forum

Ardshinbank organized a panel discussion on economic and trade sanctions. The main objective of the discussion was to exchange views and assist participants in the practical implementation of sanctions compliance. The meeting also discussed the role of financial institutions in ensuring sanctions compliance, mechanisms for collaboration between the public and private sectors in combating sanctions evasion, and the importance of information transparency.

ArkaAm, Ardshinbank held a panel discussion on economic and trade sanctions within the framework of the 33rd EBRD conference (PHOTO)

Armenian customs find amphetamine in package from US, suspect detained

90 pills of amphetamine found in package sent from U.S. to Yerevan Zvartnots Airport. The package was sent via Globbing Shipping forwarder company. The drug, fully banned in Armenia, was found inside the package alongside edibles and personal items.

ArkaAm, SRC found 90 amphetamine tablets in a shipment sent from the USA to Yerevan (VIDEO)

Donations to Armenia:

Himnadram
ServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund

Hi! I launched my first Kickstarter ever for my app SearchGWP.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/searchgwp/searchgwp-is-the-companion-app-your-go-wild-pass-needs/description
I had 30 followers, an email list of 750, and a very niche audience with 4 FB groups totaling about 6,000 people I could instantly market to. I launched yesterday at 9am MT an by 10:28am MT I hit my $2k goal of funding. Most people (20/24 backers) wanted my "lifetime membership" reward. Since then, I haven't had anyone else purchase. People seem to not want the 1 year membership reward or to back in any other way.
Any thoughts on what to do next to spur additional action over the next 28 days of the campaign?

Hi I went through sextortion 6 days ago and wanted to shear some thoughts and advices about it (not native in English so sorry if there are any vocabulary mistakes)

1. BLOCK, RIPORT, DONT PAY OR UNSWER - i literally cant be more clear - it works and it works good 95-99 precent of time and it worked for me (at least for now…) - do it ASAP when or if it happens there is no better solution!
2. Sextortion is a sexual harassment! - you are a victim and victims can blame themselves first what happened- DO NOT do that! You are not giltay of trusting people and having a sexuality in the 21th century!! The scumers are guilty though !!!
3. Talk to a friend before making a decision- it will calm you and help you make the best decision you can!
4. SPRED INFO! Explain ti younge less experienced friends or family how to avoid and how to act in they situations! If they got to you at list make sure they dont get your 13 y.o cousin

this Community makes this hard lesson easier, thank you all fr and death to the scummers

List of things related to gold and silver that the chairman of the Federal Reserve wouldn't like people to talk about:

1. Price Manipulation:
   
   • Speculation about price manipulation of gold and silver by large banks and financial institutions.
2. Safety of Precious Metals Investments:
   
   • The belief that gold and silver are safer investments during economic crises compared to traditional securities.
3. Above-Ground Supply Disparity:
   
   • The disparity between the amount of gold and silver above ground, indicating potential shortages of silver.
4. Inflation and Precious Metals Prices:
   
   • The relationship between inflation and the prices of gold and silver, and their role as a hedge against currency devaluation.
5. Supply Deficits:
   
   • Potential future supply deficits of silver due to its natural depletion.
6. Monetary Policy Criticism:
   
   • Criticism of Federal Reserve monetary policies and their impact on the devaluation of the U.S. dollar, leading to increased values of gold and silver.
7. Rising Debt:
   
   • The growing U.S. government debt and its potential impact on the value of the dollar, driving investors toward gold and silver.
8. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs):
   
   • Discussions about the potential risks and limitations of introducing CBDCs compared to physical precious metals.
9. Global Role of the Dollar:
   
   • The decline in trust in the dollar as the global reserve currency and the increasing interest in gold and silver as alternatives.
10. History of the Gold Standard:
    
    • Reminiscences of times when the monetary system was based on the gold standard and arguments for its reinstatement.
11. Banking System Stability:
    
    • Concerns about the stability of the banking system and the role of gold and silver as the "ultimate form of money" in the event of bank failures.
12. Alternative Financial Systems:
    
    • The rise of alternative financial systems based on gold and silver, bypassing traditional financial institutions.

Discussions on these topics could undermine confidence in traditional financial systems and the policies implemented by the Federal Reserve, which may be undesirable for the chairman.

I always misunderstand everything, even here, or I respond off-topic, in fact I often did that on my papers at school. I quickly got kicked out of the French ASPERANSA forum for autistic people. (I'm French) because I respected no one or the rules, in the end I get along with no one. should I enjoy being hated?
my life is not more glorious and I am a bad friend to this woman of mine

Greetings Adventurers!

We've just restructured and consolidated our previous Rules page to be more straightforward and cohesive. Due to the character limit in a rule's description, this post will go more in-depth regarding what these rules mean, provide examples of what is and isn't acceptable under these rules, and aims to clear any confusion or misconception regarding our rules.
By participating in our Subreddit, you are committing to honor and abide by our rules.

1) Be respectful and civil

As straightforward as it gets, the number one rule for a reason. Be kind to others, be good people.

• Even if you disagree with someone, think they're incorrect about a statement they make, or otherwise, there are still ways to have a positive and productive discussion without being harmful to others. Uphold basic discussion etiquette and refrain from insulting or harassing others while stating your own opinion.
• Our community strives to be a safe space for all players. Before you hit send on a negative message, comment, etc., remember - there is another human on the other side of the screen with their own personal life.

Please don't hesitate to contact Modmail if you are feeling unsafe for any reason.

2) No targeted harassment or personal attacks

In tandem with Rule 1, this rule more specifically refers to direct attacks on individuals. Under no circumstances should any individual feel like they are being unjustly targeted, attacked, or under the threats of malicious intent by any other individual(s).
Do not make anyone feel unsafe or unwelcome. We do not take these situations lightly.

3) Submissions must be relevant to AFK

Keep posts relevant to AFK Arena or AFK Journey in some nature. Any discussion of clones will be removed. There must be a direct link to AFK in some form to constitute relevance.

• For example, posts primarily concerning Overlord or ReZero are permitted since Ainz/Albedo and Rem/Emilia are in AFK Arena.
• Posts not directly related to AFK in some way will be removed.

4) External links and self-promotion must be approved

Any form of self-promotion, such as links to YouTube or other social media platforms, must be approved via Modmail.
Posts regarding submissions to official AFK Arena contests, such as artwork contests, do not need approval.

5) No Misleading Information

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to express their (unharmful) opinions, but the outright spread of misinformation, especially when presented as factual information, can be very misleading and harmful to the community.
If you are UNSURE if the information you are presenting is a fact, preface it with something to the effect of, "I think" to prevent misconception.

• For example, "Build Awakened Talene next, she's better than Awakened Athalia because she literally never dies"
  • will be removed for misinformation, not simply because it is wrong, but because it is presented as fact.
• Meanwhile, "I think you should Build Awakened Baden next, because I see him used in every round of Cursed Realm, meanwhile I only see Awakened Lyca in like two rounds. But I'm not confident, so maybe wait for someone else's comment for a second opinion"
  • will not be removed, because while the sentiment of "ABaden > ALyca" is objectively incorrect, the use of "I think" and encouragement to wait for someone else's opinion shares the user's acknowledgement of their potential misunderstandings.
• Discussion is always encouraged, and this rule is not made to censor or prohibit open discussion. It simply exists to ensure users are being reasonable and transparent with their statements, understanding the difference between fact and opinion, and not supplying users or the community with false information.

6) Use our designated Megathreads

To reduce clutter, our Subreddit implements the use of Megathreads to keep things organized.

• If you're having trouble finding our list of Megathreads, please view our menu bar, or see our Welcome Post for all ongoing Megathreads.
• The topics our Megathreads cover, such as the RNG/Pull Showcases or account-specific advice, are very much encouraged in our community, but entire posts dedicated to such topics will quickly overrun the Subreddit. These Megathreads provide a home for such topics to be acknowledged and fair for everyone.
• Account-specific advice belongs in our weekly questions/advice Megathread
  • Acceptable posts - Posts that benefit and apply to many users, such as "How much investment does Trishea need to work in Nightmare Corridor?"
  • Removable posts - Posts that only benefit the poster, such as "Which e60 should I do next?" - this type of question must be posted in our questions/advice Megathread, not as an individual post.

7) Check for recurrent/duplicate topics before creating a new post

• As mentioned in Rule 6, always check if your post belongs in a Megathread instead of as an individual post.
• Sort the Subreddit by "New" to check if your question/topic has been posted recently.
• Use the "Search" feature on our Subreddit.
  • For example, we'll often see users making posts such as "Where can I find teams for Treasure Scramble???"
    • If you just type "Treasure Scramble" into the search bar, you'll see the most recent Treasure Scramble guides. This is less effort than writing and publishing a post asking for Treasure Scramble guides.

8) Submissions that involve explicit NSFW content are prohibited

Another simple and straightforward rule - posts or comments of explicit NSFW nature are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Sexual activities
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I'm replying to an account I follow and they're talking about 10 albums they think are perfect in that you can listen and not skip a song. The replies are full of people listing 10 albums. Within 5 seconds mine was removed as spam. I have never had a FB account and I never will, and now I will be deleting my IG account because this happens all the time. There's no way to dispute it, there's no way to appeal it, they're just the absolute worst company. You're better off having Exxon Mobil spill oil into your local waterway than having any account with Meta. My reply (copied and pasted here in it's entirety):
Hysteria - Def Leppard Jar of flies - Alice in Chains Operation: Mindcrime - Queensryche Vs. - Pearl Jam Third Eye Blind - same Flying in a Blue Dream - Joe Satriani Pornograffitti - Extreme Singles - Soundtrack Infinity on High - Fall Out Boy Master of Puppets - Metallica

Hey everyone,
I joined this subreddit because I haven't been successful finding many resources online that could help me. A little background on me:
I'm 34, turning 35 very soon, and I was diagnosed with ADHD this year. I've been on medication for nearly 2 months which has improved a lot of my symptoms, especially at work. I only was assessed for ADHD because I didn't bring up that I also suspect comorbid Autism. I am still unsure because many of the "common" symptoms are very mild with me. I thought posting here could help me figure out if other diagnosed people have experienced it, or if it has no relation to autism at all. But it's been on my mind for months, there's just a lot that I can't explain with ADHD. I need to mention that I was diagnosed with BPD in the past due to extremely poor emotional regulation, but always felt like it was a misdiagnosis (even my therapist at the time said I barely scored over the required points).
Here's the things I have experienced my whole life (I know some of them are related to ADHD, but this is where the symptoms overlap):
Stimming: I've done it since I can think. As a kid I constantly ran my hands against certain textures I found interesting. I still do it, like when I work on my PC I have to run my fingers across the keys, especially where the keys have bumps, or scroll the wheel on my mouse or run my fingers across the plastic. I also pick the skin of my heel all the time, the rough bits, and sometimes so much that it hurts to walk on it. When I'm out I always have to touch rough surfaces. There's more I'm embarrassed to talk about, but in the past it caused my classmates to make fun out of me because I didn't notice it was out of the norm to do.
Eye contact: Talking to someone and looking them in the eye makes me incredibly uncomfortable and I really have to force myself to do it. When I'm in conversation I usually never directly look at someone's face, it makes me so anxious to do.
Special interests: I had these since I was extremely young and while I know this can also be attributed by ADHD, it is both a hyperfocus for me as well as an extreme hyperfixation. When I'm interested in something it completely absorbs me. I can't stop thinking about it, I have to learn everything I can about it (usually that's where my ADHD kicks in tho, because I get bored very fast and then I move onto the next interest) and, especially in the past, it used to be all I talk about, even to people who are not in the matter. For me it's gone from Disney movies as a child (Disney's Hercules especially, I was nonstop about it), to books, to video games, to anime, you name it. When I'm into it, I am so fixated that everything else is uninteresting. That has gotten better as I got older - I guess I learned to hide it better, or maybe it helps that my partner shares my interests so I don't have to hold back. But also because I have become so non stop exhausted that talking in general is hard these days lol
Things that make me uncomfortable: when I was in my teens, I hated being touched by people and it made me angry when my friends tried to hug me. This has been remarked upon by my friends at the time, after which I tried to mask it better. I am still uncomfortable with hugs at times. I love cuddling my partner and I give my friends or family brief hugs if I know them very very well. If I don't, I still fucking hate hugs. I am, for some reason, especially awkward around my mother. Showing any affection with her is so hard for me and makes me feel extremely bad. I suppose it is because we did have a very difficult past and I had lost trust in her for a long time, so somehow I still cannot associate her as a safe space. But it's so damn hard. Also other people being upset makes me super uncomfortable. I used to not really know how to react, I've taught myself to be better about in the last years, but it is still a very awkward position for me to be in. That said, I definitely feel empathy and sympathy to an extreme degree sometimes. I know when people are mad or upset, sometimes long before they say anything. But that, in my opinion, is a survival mechanism. I had to teach myself to be vigilant to people's emotions due to past trauma.
I also really hate certain textures. Cream or anything oily makes me feel really uncomfortable and I used to not be able to moisturize myself during my younger years because I hated the feeling sooo much. It's better now but I still have to wash my hands immediately if I touch something oily lol
Food wise I'm okay. Textures don't bother me and I can eat almost everything (apart from peppers and spicy food). But I did cause some big scenes in the past when my mum and brother tried to get me to eat something spicy lol
Speaking of outbursts, here we come to why I was diagnosed with BPD before.
It is a LOT better now (unless something really triggers me) but I had the worst emotional regulation for the longest time. Stuff that threw me off was often:
Being made to do something I didn't want to do. Having a plan in my head that I wanted to do and then being told no or something getting in the way/plans falling apart, even if the plan was only in my head. Being slighted. People acting different towards me than they did before. Injustice, personal or at work. Drastic changes with my work routine and not being told early enough. Very loud noises or music. Rejection
I had an incredibly difficult relationship with my mother for the longest time due to my outbursts. My impulsivity definitely has played a major factor here, but also it always was so hard to feel understood. I was told all my life to act and behave a certain way, if I didn't I was in trouble. I was always the odd one out, especially at school, but also within my family, which is why I cut off contact with everyone but my mum and my brother.
It is hard to make friendships because masking is hard and I usually spend so much energy doing it at work that my social life is barely existent. My boyfriend always jokes about me taking things very literally because I can't figure out he's being sarcastic and this has become an inside joke between us.
But there are things that I do that argue against autism. Here is where I'd like some insight from others. I can be pretty spontaneous - however, if I think about it, even my "spontaneous" trips have at least a little mental preparation behind it. I don't have difficulties figuring out how a person feels by their body language, tone or expression. I am quite quick to spot how a person is feeling. I can do small talk (although it literally has no meaning to me, I just do it to have some social contact from time to time). I like routine but due to ADHD I am used to not having one. But I like to do things a certain way I guess and I have a hard, hard time breaking out of that way, or thinking out of the box. I just am unsure if that ticks the list or not because I don't get too upset if I have to do something differently.
Sorry, this got longer than expected. But any insight or your personal stories are extremely appreciated!

Hello folks! I have seen a lot of recent post asking about budget/ getting into Cedh. I’m nobody special so if you skip past this that’s fine. The best budget for Cedh is proxy! I know sounds crazy, but the majority of the format is very very proxy friendly! I just print out paper proxies for me and my friends so that we can try different decks to see how we feel about it. If we don’t like it oh well we didn’t spend any money and we move on to the next. There are people who are going to tell you that Cedh is not budget friendly, but proxies are the best budget. Now as far as getting into Cedh. I recommend going to the edhtop16 website and looking at deck list and see which deck fits you and your play style. There are a ton of people who do these events and the data gathered is going to help you see why that person chose that deck. Most of the decks have primers so you can see the lines and wincons that are in each deck. Now go out there proxy some list and have fun!

First off, congrats to everyone for the past application cycle! No matter what your outcome was, it's a big accomplishment to have gone through the whole process. I'm a non-trad who was accepted to Queen's this year, on my 2nd application cycle. I will be 27 when I start this Fall. It feels surreal and I always told myself I'd write a post about my journey if this day ever came - and here we are.
I didn't decide to apply to med school until after I finished undergrad, and while doing my research, I always wished I could read/hear perspectives from others with my background. Even though everybody's path will be different, I hope that my story can provide some insight (or even hope) for other non-trad applicants out there.
Before we start, here are my stats because that's important:

• cGPA, OMSAS: 3.53
• wGPA, UBC: ~85%
• MCAT: 515 (127/129/130/129)
• Casper: 4th
• IP: BC and ON

I'll go in chronological order, briefly describing some of the major events that led me to today, starting from high school. Please ask me any questions in the comments - (almost) nothing is off limits :)
TLDR: I was a software engineer who quit after a year to go to grad school and pursue medicine. It took me 4 years from when I decided to pursue this to getting accepted at a Canadian school. I did a Masters in stats and applied 2 times. My biggest takeaway is to do a lot of what you are passionate about, do it well, and take it far (for me, that was teaching and research).
Some demographics:

• My parents and I immigrated to Canada from Asia when I was 3
• I grew up in the GTA and did undergrad in Ontario
• I'm the first person in my family to pursue med school. My immediate family and I are the only people in our whole family who live outside of Asia, and nobody in my parents' network of family friends is in healthcare either.

High school, 2011-2015: I was always interested in medicine as a kid, but math was always my favourite subject. I applied to several science and math programs, and was choosing between Western Med Sci and Waterloo Math. I did not apply to Mac Health Sci and looking back, I'm not sure why (perhaps a sign that I didn't believe in myself). I ended up choosing Waterloo Math and giving up on the medical school route in grade 12, for a few reasons: the math program had 6 co-op terms, meaning I'd graduate with 2 full-time years of job experience, and I wasn't particularly good at biology and didn't have strong reasons for pursuing medicine back then. Med school also seemed like an impossible goal, especially since I didn't have any mentors in the field.
Undergrad, 2015-2020: This was honestly a fun time for me. I double-majored in stats and CS and I did 6 co-ops, 5 of which were in software engineering roles. I had originally planned to do actuarial science, but quickly saw the earning potential in the tech industry and made it my goal to get a job at a big tech company. A lot of personal stuff happened during this time as well that affirmed my decision pursue a software engineering career. One part of it was that I didn't want my parents to worry about me, and being able to show them that I was able to do well for myself in tech felt really good.
Halfway through my co-ops, I realized that I wasn't feeling the most fulfilled in software roles, but management roles also didn't appeal to me. I didn't really take the time to fully explore this feeling, and it was easy to put it away in light of the high income and getting to live in big cities for internships. Still, I did well in my co-ops and built up my software skills. After realizing that "grades don't matter for getting tech jobs", I let my grades slip. It wasn't until 4th year that I decided I wanted to keep the door open for grad school, and starting taking classes I liked and getting better grades. I graduated with an 82% average, with my grades all over the place (which I'd later learn was bad for calculating my OMSAS gpa lol).
Throughout undergrad, I still wanted to be involved in clubs and stuff, so here's a list of all my undergrad ECs. All these were only 4-8 months long.

• 1st year: I was a member and president of my first year residence council
• 2nd year: I was in a leadership position at the statistics club
• 3rd year: I was an event coordinator for co-op students in a city away from home
• also 3rd year: I was part of a club that builds software for non-profits

Another activity from undergrad that made it onto my application was a research project I did at one of my co-ops. It was in NLP and I worked on it even after finishing that coop term. It ended up taking 4 years to get published.
Full-time software engineering, 2020-2021: I signed a return offer from one of my co-ops, and had planned to move to Seattle in the summer after graduating to start working. But Covid changed all that. I moved back home with my parents in the GTA and worked at my software job remotely for the full year.
It was during this year that I was really feeling unfulfilled in my job, and did a lot of thinking about how I wanted my career to look. I started to remember that med school was something that I once wanted to do, and I also started reading/watching a lot of content from people in medicine with non-traditional backgrounds. My partner, who is also from Ontario, was accepted to an international med school, and many of our friends were also getting into schools in Canada around the same time, so this reaffirmed to me that it was actually possible. While working for the year, I made a plan to apply to grad school (academia would be my back-up) and take the MCAT. Here's what my 2020-2021 looked like:

• July: started full-time work
• December-January: wrote personal statements and applied to 5 Masters programs in biostatistics
• February-April: acceptances to Masters programs came in, and I was studying for the MCAT
• June: took the MCAT, scored 508, and told my manager that I'd be leaving by August to start grad school

During this year, I also wrote out a 3-year plan that included my masters and 2 application cycles. I wrote out what courses I would take to fulfill prereqs, which schools I would apply to each year, and what my back-up plan would be. I think this was important to do rigorously since it gave me a clear idea of which schools I was eligible for, and how much work it would take me to become eligible for the rest of them.
I will also add that this is a rather objective recount of my process that year. In reality, I completely recognized how insane it was to quit my job to go to grad school, and I'm super lucky that I was able to.
Grad school, 2021-2023: I moved to BC to start my Masters in statistics in August. This choice was partly to gain IP status in BC, but mostly, this was really the best program for me out of the schools I applied to. Even looking back now, I would have chosen this program even without the IP consideration.
Here's a breakdown of everything I did during the first year of my Masters:

• Started a new volunteering role (tutoring) right away. Still doing this today, almost 3 years later.
• Took a first year English class to fulfill the UBC requirement. Side note: it felt very odd being a 25-year-old in a class of 18-year-olds, but I did well in both classes probably because of being older. At first, I dreaded taking these classes since English was never my strong suit. But being older meant that I allowed myself to be truly curious about the topics being taught, and I treated it more as an experience to learn more about the world than to just check off some boxes.
• Took the MCAT again, at the end of my first year of MSc. I had already confirmed a supervisor by then, and thankfully she is/was incredibly supportive of my goals. I took it in June 2022 and got 515.
• TA'd stats courses throughout the year
• Started working on my thesis research with my supervisor

First application, 2022: I applied only to UBC for my first application cycle. In retrospect, I should have just applied broadly right away, but I didn't feel like I had enough references built up by then. And UBC doesn't require references unless you get an interview. I honestly had very high hopes of getting an interview this year, and was crushed to receive a rejection in December with an NAQ of 50-75. I thought that my application was unique, but upon reflection, I realized that the lack of volunteering and community service was a big gap in my application.
So here's a breakdown of everything I did in my second year of my Masters and beyond:

• TA'd stats courses throughout the year, and was the head TA for one of them (I think this showed leadership and commitment to teaching)
• Started another volunteering role at the food bank
• Took another first-year English course
• Continued my research with my supervisor
• Got offered (and started) a lecturer role for an undergrad course at the university, which was such an amazing opportunity. My supervisor helped me a lot with getting this position, since I TA'd for her one semester and she recommended me to the department. This was a class of 150, and I was also in charge of a few TAs. I ended up teaching this class 2 more times after this!
• Finished my Masters in August 2023
• Started working full-time as a biostatistician in September 2023
• A first-author paper I started working on during undergrad was accepted in Fall 2023. I had been working on this on-and-off for the past 4 years so it was incredible for the work to finally pay off!

Second application, 2023: This time, I applied to UBC and every school in Ontario that I was eligible for: Queen's and Mac. I was rejected by UBC pre-interview again. Same NAQ, and my total score didn't change. I was totally crushed and thought it was over for this year. I was very honest with myself about the Ontario applications - Mac was a total throwaway application and Queen's felt like a complete gamble. I was rejected from Mac pre-interview but one fateful day in January, I received an email from Queen's. It had a very generic "Application Status" subject line and I opened it fully expecting a rejection. I was totally shocked when it said I was invited for the MMI! And a few months later, I was also invited to the Panel.
Some of my thoughts and preparation for the interviews:
MMI - Aside from the usual resources that are posted here, I also took advantage of the following:

• Support system: I had a lot of support from my partner, who had gone through MMIs from non-Canadian schools, and many of my friends who were already in med school.
• Resources: I paid for a prep session on AcceptedTogether and had a positive experience there. I also used the BrightStudent question bank and although the questions were good, the explanations and overall experience were mid. But their YouTube video was extremely useful.
• Mindset: Throughout my whole MMI prep, I was honestly very interested in exploring each prompt, and I think this mindset was extremely beneficial for making my answers both unique and genuine. During my Masters, I also took a class that covered topics in social determinants of health, and I semi-regularly enjoy reading about current events in this area, so both of those pieces of background were super helpful for me.

Panel - I was so happy to receive a panel interview, and knew that I could not mess this up. I prepped with a few different friends of mine who were in med school, and another friend who was going through Ontario interviews too. Going in, I felt very prepared, and in the days leading up to it, I even felt like my answers were on autopilot and a bit over-prepared. So I really tried to relax and "be myself"/answer genuinely during the panel. The real panel felt quite cold - I didn't get any feedback from my interviewers, and was a bit thrown off by some of the questions. I was also cut off by the Kira Talent timer at the end, and didn't get to say goodbye or thank you. For the rest of the day, I ruminated on all my answers. The content of my answers felt somewhere between "why would I say that" and "just fine" and "great", but I was definitely feeling a bit bad about the whole experience.
Decision Week, 2024: That brings us to this week! In the week leading up to the decision, I flip flopped between "My panel hated me, there's no way I passed the vibe check" and "My answers were good, my MMI felt good, why wouldn't they accept me". I opened the email at 6am (Pacific time) with zero expectations - I truly had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side. The first word was "Congratulations!" and I didn't read much farther than that before I started celebrating :)
So that's it. I told a lot of people I work with, my Masters supervisor, my parents, and my friends, and it felt amazing to deliver this good news. My closing thoughts about my whole journey are that even though I do think my application was great, I still got incredibly lucky. At any point in the process, I could have gotten an undesirable outcome, and there was nothing I could do to control that (other than my efforts prior). I also relied a lot on my support system, and was so lucky to have had + made friends who are in med school or were practising already.
I just feel so grateful to be starting this Fall, and I'm happy to say that my high school self would be in absolute disbelief if she could see where I am today. That statement is a sign to me that I'm on the right path, and I'm just so excited to be starting this long, hard career that is medicine.
If you've made it to the end, thank you for reading!! If you can relate to any part of my journey and have questions, please send me a comment or DM - my inbox is always open.

I know I'm a nice person and that people think I'm cool, but I can't help but feel off for a few unusual things about me.
I'm 22 now. I was homeschooled K-12 and never saw anyone outside of my nuclear family apart from Sunday school, which we wouldn't even go to all the time. I learned all my social skills from the Internet, and it surprisingly didn't do that bad of a job. But damn did I completely miss out on many experiences people go through at school. Bullying, friendships, puppy love, all that shit I completely missed. I actually don't feel bad about it anymore, I've accepted it and it isn't a problem for me. My worry is how other people, acquaintances and newer friends, might see me if they found out. Would they treat me differently? Would I be an "other" to them?
Similar thing with romantic experience, I've never had sex or a relationship, but it doesn't bother me that much. I'm waiting until I'm in the right place in my life for a relationship to have one. I'm a guy, and have had women make advances towards me that I didn't follow-up with because I wasn't interested in having a partner. But it's also another significant thing people could judge me for if they knew.
And lastly, I'm interested in some morbid subjects people wouldn't expect me to be into and might be freaked out by. I watch a lot of true crime, know a lot about serial killers, and even sometimes see violent videos of stuff in real life. It doesn't make me violent, angry or anything like that. I like to watch that stuff because it keeps me honest as to how the real world is, not out of some sadistic satisfaction. This side of me actually comes out more often than the others, when my coworkers have discussions about serial killers and I have something to add that indicates I'm knowledgeable about the subject. But again, other people wouldn't know that, and they might get bad feelings about a homeschooled guy who's supposed to be sheltered and innocent having a couple morbid interests.
But hey, maybe I'm just projecting and there are a lot of people who would like me for who I am. No one besides my family and therapist knows all of the things I've listed above about me, and I worry sometimes about what people would think if they did know. I guess have a genuine case of imposter syndrome. Does anyone else feel this way?

Spiritual Growth

1. Daily Prayer: Commit to daily prayer sessions asking for strength and guidance.
2. Scripture Reading: Read and meditate on scriptures that focus on strength and recovery.
3. Worship: Participate in regular worship services to reinforce your spiritual foundation.
4. Faith Affirmations: Use Bible verses as affirmations; repeat them during cravings.
5. Confession: Regularly confess struggles to a trusted spiritual leader or trusted friend.
6. Fasting: Occasionally fast to seek clarity and reinforce spiritual discipline.
7. Spiritual Retreats: Attend retreats for focused spiritual renewal.
8. Christian Meditation: Practice Christian meditation (pondering scripture, etc.) to calm the mind and spirit.
9. Listening to Gospel Music: Use uplifting music to enhance spiritual connection.
10. Prayer Journaling: Keep a journal of prayers and God’s responses.

Community Engagement

1. Church Support Groups: Join groups for individuals struggling with addiction.
2. Accountability Partner: Partner with a fellow believer who can provide support and accountability.
3. Volunteering: Engage in church-related volunteer work to stay busy and inspired.
4. Christian Counseling: Seek professional counseling from a Christian perspective.
5. Family Involvement: Involve your family in your journey through church events.
6. Youth Mentorship: Mentor youth, sharing your experiences and learning from service.
7. Online Christian Communities: Participate in online forums or groups for spiritual support.
8. Testimony Sharing: Share your journey at church gatherings to inspire and receive support.
9. Bible Study Groups: Regularly attend Bible study to deepen faith and community ties.
10. Church Activities: Be an active participant in church events and functions.

Personal Development

1. Routine Exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity to reduce stress.
2. Healthy Diet: Maintain a nutritious diet to improve overall well-being.
3. Reading Christian Literature: Read books that encourage spiritual growth and recovery.
4. Creative Arts: Use arts like painting or writing to express feelings and reflect.
5. Time Management: Structure your day to minimize idle time that could lead to cravings.
6. Goal Setting: Set short and long-term goals that align with your spiritual values.
7. Learning New Skills: Take up hobbies or classes that keep you engaged and learning.
8. Rest and Sleep: Ensure sufficient rest to maintain physical and mental health.
9. Nature Walks: Spend time in nature to find peace and perspective.
10. Avoiding Triggers: Identify and avoid situations or people that trigger cravings.

Coping Techniques

1. Deep Breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises during moments of craving.
2. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness to stay present and reduce anxiety.
3. Assertiveness Training: Learn to assertively say no to temptations.
4. Stress Management: Develop strategies to handle stress without resorting to substances.
5. Emotional Journaling: Use journaling to process emotions healthily.
6. Self-Reflection: Regularly reflect on personal progress and setbacks.
7. Positive Visualization: Use visualization techniques to imagine a sober life.
8. Gratitude Lists: Regularly list things you are grateful for.
9. Reward System: Set up a reward system for reaching sobriety milestones.
10. Relaxation Techniques: Learn and apply relaxation techniques.

Support Systems

1. Peer Support: Regularly meet with a peer group for encouragement and advice.
2. Spiritual Guidance: Seek regular guidance from a pastor or spiritual mentor.
3. Therapeutic Relationships: Maintain therapeutic relationships that reinforce recovery.
4. Family Counseling: Engage in family counseling to repair relationships affected by addiction.
5. Professional Help: Don’t hesitate to seek help from addiction specialists.
6. Educational Workshops: Attend workshops that teach coping skills for addiction.
7. Supportive Friends: Cultivate friendships with those who support your recovery journey.
8. Avoiding Negative Influences: Steer clear of environments and individuals that undermine recovery.
9. Church Elders: Reach out to church elders for wisdom and support.
10. Sponsorship: Consider a 12-step program with a sponsor who shares your faith.

Renewal and Reflection

1. Anniversary Reflections: Reflect on the progress made over each year of recovery.
2. Spiritual Renewal Days: Designate days for intensified prayer and meditation.
3. Baptism or Re-baptism: Consider this as a symbolic fresh start.
4. Witnessing to Others: Use your story to help others in their battles with addiction.
5. Spiritual Literature: Delve deeper into spiritual texts for insights and inspiration.
6. Pastoral Visits: Invite pastoral visits for home blessing and personal encouragement.
7. Renewing Vows: Renew personal vows of sobriety in a ceremonial way.
8. Pilgrimage: Undertake a spiritual pilgrimage as a form of personal and spiritual exploration.
9. Reflection Retreats: Engage in retreats specifically focused on overcoming past habits.
10. Memorializing Milestones: Create physical or digital memorials of your recovery milestones.

Emotional Resilience

1. Emotional Awareness: Develop awareness of emotions and triggers that lead to cravings.
2. Seek Forgiveness: Embrace forgiveness, both from others and for yourself.
3. Offer Forgiveness: Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you, releasing bitterness.
4. Spiritual Songs: Sing or listen to spiritual songs that uplift and comfort.
5. Hope Messages: Write down messages of hope and revisit them during tough times.
6. Encouragement Letters: Write letters of encouragement to yourself for future moments of weakness.
7. Daily Devotionals: Follow a daily devotional plan that addresses addiction recovery.
8. Prayer Chains: Initiate or join prayer chains for continuous spiritual support.
9. Healing Services: Attend healing services focused on emotional and spiritual restoration.
10. Scriptural Promises: Memorize promises from the Bible that assure support and deliverance.

Social Connectivity

1. Social Activities: Organize or participate in sober social gatherings with fellow church members.
2. Church Family Outreach: Engage in church family outreach programs to build a supportive community.
3. Mentoring Others: Become a mentor to others struggling with addiction, sharing lessons and faith.
4. Recovery Testimonials: Regularly give testimonials at recovery meetings to inspire and affirm.
5. Family Devotions: Hold regular devotions with family to strengthen bonds and mutual support.
6. Prayer Groups: Form or join small prayer groups focused on overcoming addiction.
7. Christian Conferences: Attend Christian conferences on recovery and personal growth.
8. Community Service Projects: Lead or participate in community service projects to foster a sense of purpose.
9. Recovery Celebrations: Celebrate recovery milestones with your church community.
10. Faith-Based Podcasts: Listen to and discuss faith-based podcasts on overcoming challenges.

Mindset and Lifestyle

1. Optimism: Cultivate an optimistic outlook based on faith and hope in God’s plan.
2. Daily Affirmations: Start the day with Christian affirmations about strength and recovery.
3. Mindfulness of God’s Presence: Continuously remind yourself of God’s presence in your life.
4. Avoiding Idleness: Keep yourself busy with meaningful activities that align with Christian values.
5. Spiritual Biographies: Read biographies of Christians who overcame significant struggles.
6. Health Check-Ups: Regularly attend health check-ups to monitor physical health during recovery.
7. Sabbath Rest: Observe Sabbath rest as a time to rejuvenate spiritually and physically.
8. Christian Movies: Watch movies with Christian themes that reinforce your resolve and values.
9. Spiritual Accountability: Regularly review your spiritual and recovery progress with a mentor.
10. Prayer Walks: Incorporate prayer walks as a way to combine physical activity and spiritual meditation.

Continued Learning and Growth

1. Biblical Courses: Take courses on biblical studies that relate to healing and redemption.
2. Spiritual Workshops: Attend workshops that focus on spiritual growth and overcoming addictions.
3. Faith-Based Counseling Techniques: Learn counseling techniques that are based on Christian principles.
4. Scripture Memorization: Engage in scripture memorization to strengthen spiritual warfare against cravings.
5. Pastoral Workshops: Participate in workshops offered by pastors that focus on living a sober life.
6. Faith and Science: Explore the intersection of faith and science in understanding addiction.
7. Christian Leadership Courses: Take courses in Christian leadership to empower your role in the community.
8. Retelling Your Story: Learn to retell your story in ways that highlight God’s grace and your growth.
9. Spiritual Discernment: Enhance spiritual discernment to recognize paths and choices that support sobriety.
10. Continuous Prayer: Maintain an attitude of continuous prayer, acknowledging dependence on God for daily victory over addiction.

Hi all, pickleball newbie here. I come from a background in tennis. I'm interested in picking up pickleball with an interest in joining tournaments in the future, and when I was shopping around for paddles, I learned that some paddles are "approved" paddles. Apparently, you need to have an approved paddle in order to play in tournaments, and they'll even inspect it to be sure. I also saw a recent post on here about a paddle being revoked from the approved list. This adds an extra layer of complexity to searching for a paddle that tennis doesn't have, imo. I've even heard of players in tournaments complaining about other players' paddles.
Coming from tennis, this is all very foreign to me. Ultimately, my question is: why? Why do paddles need to be approved and inspected? Why are people so particular about them? In tennis, we can purchase literally any tennis racquet from a major brand, and we already know it will be tournament legal. No special approval required. Nobody will ever request to inspect your racquet, and there isn't a list of tournament-legal racquets, they're just all assumed to be legal. Anyone who complains about an opponent's racquet or who requests to inspect an opponent's racquet will get extremely weird looks.
So why is pickleball so particular about the paddles? What's the physics behind it? Greatly appreciate it if you can explain it in a way that a tennis player could understand. I don't mean to offend anyone, I'm genuinely curious since the two sports are otherwise so similar.
Thanks!

Wanted to give those that have OCD and other mental health disorders another viewpoint on taking this med. I’ve seen lots of positive feedback from people with depression saying it helped them. My experience was not so.
I’m diagnosed OCD and have always had intrusive thoughts, usually nothing major but still there. The day after my second dose I had horrible suicidal intrusive thoughts. They only lasted for a day so I thought maybe something triggered it to happen. After my third dose the day after and the following day I again had those horrible intrusive thoughts. My intrusive thoughts have never been of the suicidal type so I immediately started looking into it. Tirzepatide does not have suicidal thoughts/ideation listed as a side effect, but other GLP-1 meds do. Today I’m writing this the day after my 4th shot and the intrusive thoughts are louder than they have ever been in my life. I called my doctor to let them know what’s going on and they agree to stop the meds. It does suck cause the meds were working. I lost 18lbs in 3 weeks, but nothing is worth your mental health.
I just wanted this info out there so if anyone else starts to struggle with it they won’t feel so alone when all I really see are positives posted here. Stay safe and healthy out there.

TL;DR (18m) I was planning on going to college for game development but I don't think I want a career in that. I just want to do my own thing and hopefully get big. Biology seems cool.
I want to be an independent game developer. I have my own game idea and I'm really passionate about it. I’d make it even if I couldn’t make money off of it. It has a bunch of creatures based on real life biology, it's called speculative evolution. Kinda like Subnautica or James Cameron’s Avatar. Like alien animals and aren’t just monsters. I animate all the characters and creatures and want the game to have a hand drawn style like Hollow Knight.
Due to my interest in video games and digital arts / animation, I applied to an art school with a game design major, within walking distance from my high school. I visited it during my art classes and found the environment inviting. There were nice studio spaces and the students there looked really fun to be around. The Game Design professor was really nice to listen to during the Open House. All these together, alongside transportation issues led me to tunnel vision into this school. When I got the financial aid package, I started rethinking the idea of going. I assumed it would cover most of the cost since my family is low income and I have a lot of siblings. The school seems really nice but I don’t want to have 100K in student loans.
I didn’t apply anywhere else until recently. This year's FAFSA was delayed by a lot which made applying to other schools a bit tricky. I got accepted into a state school which offers more stuff too.
All the game developer layoffs and crunch time stuff, I don’t really think I want to do that. I of course want to make my own game. Like alone, in an apartment or my own little studio space or something. Being able to be a concept artist would be awesome, but it’s like super competitive and there’s also AI image generation. (eww I hate that) It’s scary good now, imagine how good it’ll be in 4 years when I graduate. Working on other people’s games would be cool, I guess. That’s not why I want to learn this stuff. I just want to do my own thing
Also looking at the art college’s class lineup, they don’t have anything not related to art. I like biology, paleontology and other earth sciences because I do lots of worldbuilding. I don’t get bored in stem classes like I imagine a lot of art school students do.
I’ve been thinking about a lot of other careers.
Dental Hygienists seem to make a lot of dollars without flexible hours, but I’ve also heard they have wrist pain which would make it really hard to draw.
Software Engineering is alright. Like I can tolerate it, but without the lens of video games, I don’t really care for it. The coding part of video games is not my spark, it’s more the artistic creative side. Also I hear that’s like the most overcrowded major everywhere. I know people who love coding like how I love paleontology, just researching it for fun.
Being a TV show animator seems really similar to being in a game developer studio. I also think I’d have to move to California or something. I don’t really want to move that far away.
Architecture seems kinda cool. I just heard you have to love it because you work overtime a lot and would get paid more for your effort in other fields.
Having some sort of biology job would be really cool. I’m not sure exactly what they do though. Again I saw you have to love it because it’s hard to find a job without a masters degree.
My art teacher is really proud of my work so far and it makes me happy. I will say though, considering something else as a career has made thinking about it so much less stressful. It can just be something cool I do and if it gets big, I don’t have to work anymore. Yahoo. I could also put hobbyist instead of professional in my bio, which looks cooler to me.
Extra:
Working a trade sounds sucky because I’ve helped my friend at his family business at a warehouse once. It was okay but I don’t want to do that for a living. Lifting heavy stuff and getting kinda hurt. No thanks.
Also I’m aware I simplify a bit when talking about competition and stuff. The idea is that entry level jobs would be hard to get and those don’t really pay that well and I don’t want to feel like I wasted a college degree. I could be being dumb about AI image generation but any professional art people can let me know.
You can read about my student loan worries here here
And I can link to my itch.io for my 1 minute game prototypes if anyone is interested. My 2D Platformers with Krita Animations
Anyway what I’m asking for is your thoughts because I’m not knowledgeable here. Anyone with a biology degree, experience in the jobs I listed or whatever else (I don’t know, it’s why I am asking)

For anyone who has a Prime Chase Visa CC for the 5% cashback on Amazon orders, you probably have noticed by now that recently Amazon made a teeny tiny change where your cashback rewards points aren't automatically applied to orders like they used to be. You have to manually check a box on the checkout page to use them.
This has gotten me too many times now and it's really leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I'm sure I'm not alone. I know this may seem like an "individual-oriented" complaint, but it's an obvious anti-consumer tactic that affects at least 21 million people according to Forbes in 2017.
This especially messes up "buy now" orders because it easily goes unnoticed. You used to be able to hit buy now and your points would be automatically used - easy and convenient as it should be. But now you have to tap the payment method link, wait for that to load (because it takes a couple seconds for some reason...), then an extra tiny little speed bump if you're on mobile because they conveniently make the slide-up dialog just one line too short to hide only the "more payment options" link even though the box takes up no more than half of any phone screen so you have to scroll or you might not even realize it's there, and then clicking that has to redirect you to a separate checkout page where you can check a box or flip a switch to apply your points, completely defeating the purpose of the buy now button being a one-tap convenience. One-tap turns into six taps over three pages with a lot of slow loading times between each step.
Can anyone give me one reason why anyone would not want to use their "free" cashback points instead of actual cash? You could make the argument that a company didn't think to make it the default when launching the system, but it was already the default, so this is obviously a change intended to make people spend money instead of points.
And yes, you can just cancel your order and redo it and apply the points, but that is a frustrating thing to have to do when this used to just automatically work the way any customer would want it to.
It's also tricky and uncertain with some orders like the one I just placed for an Amazon Warehouse Deal, where there's only one in stock. Forgot about this BS and my mind went on autopilot through the checkout and only realized my points were available and unapplied right as I hit the place order button. Now I'm not gonna go through the hassle or risk it because in the past I've canceled orders for used listings or warehouse deals and seen the specific one not return to being available/in stock after or at least not immediately.
Without a doubt, Amazon knows all of these little things add up to more money being sent to their pockets. Many people surely will just concede, "I'll use the points lateeventually because I buy so much stuff on Amazon anyway".... and I'm sure I don't need to further explain why this benefits Amazon and not the customers.
How can Amazon be called out to change this back? They really ought to.

Who we are!

Task Force Sentinel(TFS) is a unit born from a group of people with a similar mindset. We are here to play Arma and have fun first and foremost with an emphasis on teamwork and semi-realism. Everything we have setup is for that purpose. We don’t add fluff just to add fluff. From our certification system to our Discord layout it's all meant to serve the community first and foremost.

What makes us different?

As a Semi-Realism unit, we are looking for active and mature members who are looking for a more serious approach to Arma, but is not wanting to get into the extreme side of milsim.:

• No Set Faction: We don’t have a set faction which means one day you might play as the US Marines and the next as rebels fighting for Tanoan Independence.
  
• Certification system: While not all roles require certifications we do require basic training that all must go through so everybody is on the same page. Along with that roles like Leadership, Armor, Air, and others that impact a missions success heavily require certifications so one person can’t ruin everyone's experience.
  
• In-Game Rank System: All ranks are kept in-game and do not leave with you into the discord/community.
  
• Semi-Realism: We expect all our players to be mature and teamwork oriented to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone. We focus heavily on the US Military Platoon Structure with supporting assets depending on the operation. During operations, we expect all players to take it with a more serious tone, but we do not expect you to know Military dialect to play with us. As long as you are communicating and giving the operation your best, that is all we care about.
  
• No Attendance Requirement: We understand that real life happens and you won't always be able to attend ops every week, so we do not have a set limit of ops you have to attend.
  
• Operation Times: We tend to run operations at 1500EDT/EST on weekends and 2000EDT/EST on weekdays. However, it can depend on when the mission makers decide to host missions.
  

What We Expect From You

Even though we have an application and training process, we still observe the conduct of our day to day members. There are many traits we like to focus on that really help our group shine above others. Some of these traits include but are not limited to: Works well in a team environment Is respectful and mature Takes accountability for their actions Dedicated to making the community and unit the best it can possibly be Friendly and has a sense of humor We do not expect all of our applicants to be Arma veterans. In fact, we even encourage new Arma players to join us if they are looking for the type of environment we are giving! Skills and Experience come with time and we have many great trainers on standby by to assist you, but a personality is something we cannot help you with.
Not just an Arma unit!
While the community is Arma first and foremost we can’t play it 24/7. We also have a dedicated games category for those who want to play with other TFS members outside of operations. Even if it’s not listed below we have a role called looking for games that anyone can ping to play with friends. This is more than an Arma unit, it's a community!

• 4X Games category
• Warthunder
• And any others as the community finds new games to get into!

Interested in joining us? Join the Discord and submit an application!