Hi guys, i'm a brazilian 17 year old guy that was happy, sympathetic and caring towards others, I am catholic and I participate in Sunday school every Saturday, but since the start of the pandemic in march 2020 onwards, i suddenly became brainwashed and paranoic with Christian conspiracy theories, mainly Qanon, and end times prophecies but in 2022 it only got worse, it all started at school when my sociology teacher who coincidentally was an evangelical pastor started talking a little about the end of times/Ragnarok and my friend said that between 2023, 2024 the apocalypse will begin, or it doesn't happen anything in these years, very probably in 2025 and 2027, and i searched on youtube and i saw various evangelical channels claiming that we are at the end of times and 2030 the world will end bc in that year Jesus will come back to only save evangelical christians and will only save those who are on the Life Book and will throw everyone who's those name wasn't on Life Book burn alive on the lake of fire of the hell alongside the antichrist, false prophet and everyone who followed him and God will destroy the universe and we will be living in the New Jerusalem, and they say repent of sins because the devil exists and they insist on saying that sin and the devil exist even though this has not even been scientifically proven, such as not wearing short clothes like shorts, jeans, not getting tattoos or piercings, not eating meat of pork, prohibiting homosexuality, free will, dating during adolescence and many others, they say that we are experiencing the greatest apostasy in history, which means that people are moving away from faith and and God and ignoring the warnings about the doomsday bc the world is becoming more ''sinful'' and the love between the people has been cooled and we are living like in the antediluvian days when Noah warned about the cataclysm but people ignored, mocked and called him demented and paranoid and instead they were eating, drinking and partying until the flood came and destroyed the world. world and killed everyone, and they keep repeating this saying that this is real even though it has been proven that it never happened and that it is impossible for a storm this strong to cover the top of Mount Everest, they think they are right and scientists are wrong, because science is an ''abominable sin'' against God, They say that God is merciful but he is also wrathful and cruel against those who do not follow his commandments. and they also talk about Jesus' appearance as if it were true at that time even though it has not yet been proven. i've watched some videos of these pastors and missionaries of my country and never got their prophecies and predictions wrong, all of things that have said become true
They say that geopolitical tensions are increasing which will cause ww3, it is no wonder that countless billionaires around the world like Mark Zuckerberg are building bunkers and selling several of their assets, i saw a letter written in 1873 that a American Freemason named Albert Pike who in his letter predicted the first two world wars, and is now supposedly ''predicted correctly'' the third world war, which would begin with a conflict between Zionist Israelis and Arabs, and also they claim that this war between Israel and Iran -Hamas is also the prophecy of Gog and Magog being fulfilled, They also say that the world will enter an unprecedented global economic crisis worse than the great depression, which would increase prices absurdly and this would culminate in the greatest famine the world has ever had, surpassing the great famine of the Middle Age,
They also say that elites such as the World Economic Forum, the UN and the Bilderberg Group will launch a gigantic EMP weapon that will shut down all energy and appliances in the world, and that they will then enact global martial law that will taking citizens off the streets and homes via buses and putting them in concentration camps and killing mainly white and conservative Christian groups and burying them in FEMA coffins which will start the famous New World Order and mass depopulation through the great reset and agenda 2030 and will put an end to all cash and create an electronic currency where payment is made with the global fingerprint, which they also say will replace passports with this global biometric password, they also say that They will do away with clothes and food and will replace them with processed foods made from insects, GMOs and laboratory-grown meats and everyone will be forced to wear the same clothes and have their names changed they also say that they will install government cameras inside the houses to know if any intruder is entering the empty houses
and all of this will begin the antichrist's rise to power, he will be a powerful leader who will unite all sovereign governments into one government and people will worship him and will implant the mark of the beast, where no one will buy and sell without it and will kill everyone who does not accept the mark, which means that everyone in the cities will die, only those who go to the fields or mountains will survive, it is no wonder that they are asking to stock up on water, non-perishable food, batteries , flashlights, medicines especially ivermectin (so much so that I've seen reports of people curing themselves of COVID using this medicine and chloroquine) and radios to survive between 2025 and 2027, because according to them, there will be a pandemic 30 times more lethal than the previous one that will kill almost 400 million people in just two years and that will be the period where seal the seven-year peace agreement between Christianity, Judaism and Islam and will sacrifice a red heifer in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, where it will be destroyed in sequence to begin the construction of the third temple where the throne of the antichrist will be during the final three and a half years
They also insists that global warming is a lie bc all of these disasters that are happening such as frequent strong earthquakes which happened in turkey, morocco, japan and taiwan recently, floods that left the southern of my country almost destroyed, tornadoes and hurricanes becoming stronger and killing more people and wildfires becoming more frequently is caused by these globalists, for example, the recent wildfires that happened in hawaii, canada and chile was caused by massive lasers coming from satellites and these floods and earthquakes caused by HAARP, and the fact-checking and social media such as reuters and afp is lying bc they are owned by rothschild and george soros for example
And i'm worried to have a cancer or a fatal heart attack when i become 20 years old that they discovered that in the last years have an increase on cases of cancer and fatal heart attack on young people, and they claim that is bc of the vaccines bc they contain aborted fetuses and microchips and graphene
And they also talk about the woke agenda, where defenders of this theory claim that globalists use films, video games and series to misrepresent characters from these entertainment industries to promote progressive agendas such as LGBT, black lives matter, abortion and feminism, for example, they made Ariel from The Little Mermaid black in live-action instead in white, as a way of indoctrinating masses and grooming children to be subjected to being perverse, it's no wonder that Disney is in one of the biggest crises in its history by excessively promoting identity issues in every film they release. And it's also no wonder that the number of abortions in the world increased over the last years
What I am most afraid of is the claim that globalists have knowledge of future events that makes the masses accept the event when a certain thing happens, this is called predictive programming, for example, in many disaster and science fiction films, there is a subliminal message in numbers called ''923'', supporters of this number mean that something very bad will happen on September 23rd, but obviously nothing happens, in White Noise for example, there was a train accident in the state of Ohio and in 2023 a train derailment with toxic products occurred in the same state as the film, Black Mirror ''predicted'' several technological innovations, The Simpsons for example predicted the September 11 attacks and Trump's victory in the elections, The Matrix also predicted predicted several technological innovations, such as the redpill movement and the production of babies in uterine machines. As for the Leave the World Behind', they say that the film predicted the accident of the ship that collided with the bridge in baltimore, Lastly, the film The Knowing is incredibly identical to the plot of the biblical apocalypse, but these claims are already debunked by fact checks
And i became scared of these prophecies that have been ''fulfilled'' such as Ezekiel which mentions that Dead Sea became filled with fishes and signs in the sky and stars disappearing
i will mention some of them:
They discovered recently that the moon have some rust pigments and the sun are frequently producing giant black spots which in apocalypse 6:12-17 means that the sun became black and the moon becoming blood
The days are passing faster, which on matthew 24:22 mentions that unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
The Euphrates River is drying up which in apocalypse mentions that the sixth angel poured his bowl over the Euphrates River and its waters dried up and released four demons who destroyed half of the population
Some Rivers and seas are becoming red, which refers to Apocalypse 16:4 that the third angel poured his bowl on rivers and seas and became red as dead blood
And I started to think that some mathematical calculations they do are simply not coincidences, they took the year the Black Death ended in 1353 with the year the WHO declared a global COVID emergency in 2019, subtracting those years would give the result in 666 (2019-1353=666 to be simpler) which alludes to the number of the beast and nd other math that they also thinks its a proof that we are at the end of times uf we use the word ''CORONA'' as a code where the alphabet is corresponding to its letter in ascending order (for example a = 1, b = 2), it would give the numbers 3, 15, 18, 15, 14, 1 will also give the number of the beast is correct if we multiply these numbers.
I'm trying to follow channels that disagree that we are in the end times and treat people with love, like the method of preterism where it states that the apocalypse happened in the year 70, but they say that this is heresy because in Matthew 24:24 it says that in the last days false prophets will emerge deceiving many people and in 2 Peter 3:3 where it says that at the end of time many will mock and disagree with the imminent Return of Jesus
i'm asked my parents and my friends to repent of your sins and believe in the Word of God, But I bothered them so much that now they don't even want to hear it,
however after all that, I started to think that these evangelical channels only preach fear in people, thinking that Jesus is going to return physically and that I have been superior all the time for no reason at all. I researched these things so much that now it appears when I search for an account on Instagram or YouTube, I would like to thank anyone who could give me some tips on how to get out of this and get rid of these pests, how i do?

Hi, did anyone’s car (drivers side front of car) get side swiped while parked at the date/time above?! If so I have info that could help! I tried leaving a note but didn’t have a pen and when I went to get one the car was gone. Thought I could help so it doesn’t ruin your day/weekend.

Thank you, who decides to take the time to read this.
I'm Marta, and I'd love to share a bit of myself with you in the hope of finding companionship, comfort and love. I am looking for a long term relationship, someone with whom I might want to settle down, perhaps you? Please just note that I’m looking for sfw at the beginning. Physical attraction isn’t part of the equation for me. It all begins with emotional connection. If I become comfortable with you, you have sense of humor, you’re an open person who is not afraid of voicing opinions and have something interesting to say you’re my type probably (if you are a firefighter consider it certain, I might have something for firefighting gear). If you’re more of a physical attraction kind of person that’s not a problem. Simply ask for photo and end one of yours.
Now something more about me.
❤️ 5ft 2in, 195lb. I am Caucasian. I have longer light brown hair, blue eyes. Working on losing off some of it. I would love it if you could help keep me motivated.
❤️ I work full-time as a account manager (still, but might change jobs soon). It’s nothing that I would like to do, but I earn enough to live more than comfortable. Some evenings and weekends I also work at my local McDonald’s. It might sound crazy, but I treat it as a hobby. I love having contact with customers and employees there and each completed and served order is like a dopamine shot.
❤️ I’ve discovered that I like watching people playing games much more than just playing them myself. I love being on calls with my friends and watching them play games while commenting everything and taking about anything in between. But if you’re someone who is looking for person that will be right beside you while playing, we can tray delving into forgotten dungeons or win a battle royale. I would love to see your face light up every time we share a game, cause every co-op game is a confession that I want to spend more time with you.
❤️ I like watching movies, series, videos etc. Especially true crime and catastrophic documentaries. I’m open for anything except for horrors about demons, possessions and devil. That stuff scares me and I would never watch it alone or without physical presence of someone I trust.
❤️ I'm a hopeless romantic so I might be looking for a partner that I can be hopelessly romantic with. You know, someone that I can do all the cutesy couple shit with like going on random date nights, or going to a park or random city and people watch, or just cuddle up and watch our favorite shows while wearing matching pajamas. I'm looking for someone that can be my cheerleader, and someone who would want me to be their loudest and biggest cheerleader. Life is hard to do alone, and we all need someone to help us through it.
❤️ I like to think that I am a very laid back, go with the flow type of person, and I would much rather have a night in, than a night out.
❤️ I am very open minded, however I don’t smoke so if you’re someone that smells of cigarettes all the time and want to smoke at home, car we won’t be a match I think.
❤️ I know politics is a pretty big thing for people, but it isn’t a big part in my life - that being said I can sum up my take on politics in one sentence: let women, gays, and people of all races dance their dances after smoking their marijuana crops or whatever, then maybe kill the rich or tax them to death.
❤️ I have this thing called hate for being wet once I’m not intending on. So rain, being splashed accidentally or purposefully etc. it’s a huge no for me. I can’t function in rain without umbrella. Take it or leave it.
I hope this snippet catches your eye, even though it’s only a small piece of me.
Who am I looking for?
💙 My only preferences are someone who is roughly 26-40 in age, a few years outside of that would be okay if we really connect.
💙 I’m ok with distance but you must consider that I want to eventually meet.
💙 Someone who is caring and have sense of humor.
💙 Someone who always tries to see things in a perspective other than their own, but holds morals highly.
💙 Someone who doesn't mind me texting them at like 3am to tell them about the action in the last episode of the show I just finished. Just basically you need to be open for reviving random thoughts, photos, out of context facts and contemplations, TikTok’s, instagram posts, memes and a lot more.
💙 Someone who lives life with passion, but once they are down they would not be hesitant to share that burden. If you're passionate about something I really want to be a part of it in some way. If it's listening to you ramble for hours about that obscure album you just found or the new succulent you just bought or this wild spice blend you've been trying out. Whatever makes you smile, cry, think, I want to understand it.
Note that I prefer discord over here and I love voice calls.
If that sound interesting, my dms are open.

This is a job ad but if not allowed, feel free to delete. Thank you!
Are you a life sciences graduate who is currently in the BPO industry with a toxic work environment?
If not, are you a fresh graduate with a degree in life science who is looking for your first job opportunity?
Or you could be a life science graduate (or even a license holder) who is looking into changing career paths.
This opportunity may be for you.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is currently hiring Medical Information Specialists to start on JULY!
Job Description Overview:

• Provides technical and medical information, and/or performs intake of adverse events/ product complaints with quality customer service.
• Analyzes and researches inquiries and documents interactions according to organizational, client and regulatory guidelines.
• The information provided will be given to a level in parallel with the individual’s expertise, experience, and training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• MUST be a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Life Science courses (Pharmacy, Nursing, Biology, Medical Technology, Psychology, and etc. – Chemistry is not considered)
  • Fresh Graduates are welcome to apply! (Trust me, we hire a lot of eligible and skillful fresh graduates.)
  • Applicants without BPO or Contact Center experience are welcome to apply! (We can train you! This is not a hard-core call center.)
• Excellent English Communications Skills – both speaking and writing.
  • Must be willing to undergo English Language Assessment (if required)
• Must be amenable to work on Night Shift (US Office hours).
• Must be amenable to work in BGC, Taguig (Main Office) 5x a week during training.
• Must be amenable to work in a Hybrid work setup (1 to 3x a week onsite after training period)
• Must be amendable to do 10 - 11 calls per shift. (I repeat, this is not a hard-core contact center!)

*Salary Package: 32k to 38k
Benefits:

• Hybrid work set-up after training! (1 to 3x a week onsite)
• HMO (Medical, Dental, Mental Health) upto 2 dependents
• Vacation Leaves
• Sick Leaves
• Insurances
• Hardware and other peripherals provided by us!
• Guaranteed 2 days off weekly!

\Salary Package - Offer MAY vary per applicant.*
PLEASE NOTE! Hiring process is tedious and may take time. Be patient and wait for the communication from our Talent Acquisition Team and Hiring Managers.

To apply, send me a DM!!!

Are you a life sciences graduate who is currently in the BPO industry with a toxic work environment?
If not, are you a fresh graduate with a degree in life science who is looking for your first job opportunity?
Or you could be a life science graduate (or even a license holder) who is looking into changing career paths.
This opportunity may be for you.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is currently hiring Medical Information Specialists to start on JULY!
Job Description Overview:

• Provides technical and medical information, and/or performs intake of adverse events/ product complaints with quality customer service.
• Analyzes and researches inquiries and documents interactions according to organizational, client and regulatory guidelines.
• The information provided will be given to a level in parallel with the individual’s expertise, experience, and training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• MUST be a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Life Science courses (Pharmacy, Nursing, Biology, Medical Technology, Psychology, and etc. – Chemistry is not considered)
  • Fresh Graduates are welcome to apply! (Trust me, we hire a lot of eligible and skillful fresh graduates.)
  • Applicants without BPO or Contact Center experience are welcome to apply! (We can train you! This is not a hard-core call center.)
• Excellent English Communications Skills – both speaking and writing.
  • Must be willing to undergo English Language Assessment (if required)
• Must be amenable to work on Night Shift (US Office hours).
• Must be amenable to work in BGC, Taguig (Main Office) 5x a week during training.
• Must be amenable to work in a Hybrid work setup (1 to 3x a week onsite after training period)
• Must be amendable to do 10 - 11 calls per shift. (I repeat, this is not a hard-core contact center!)

*Salary Package: 32k to 38k
Benefits:

• Hybrid work set-up after training! (1 to 3x a week onsite)
• HMO (Medical, Dental, Mental Health) upto 2 dependents
• Vacation Leaves
• Sick Leaves
• Insurances
• Hardware and other peripherals provided by us!
• Guaranteed 2 days off weekly!

\Salary Package - Offer MAY vary per applicant.*
PLEASE NOTE! Hiring process is tedious and may take time. Be patient and wait for the communication from our Talent Acquisition Team and Hiring Managers.

To apply, send me a DM!!!

Are you a life sciences graduate who is currently in the BPO industry with a toxic work environment?
If not, are you a fresh graduate with a degree in life science who is looking for your first job opportunity?
Or you could be a life science graduate (or even a license holder) who is looking into changing career paths.
This opportunity may be for you.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is currently hiring Medical Information Specialists to start on JULY!
Job Description Overview:

• Provides technical and medical information, and/or performs intake of adverse events/ product complaints with quality customer service.
• Analyzes and researches inquiries and documents interactions according to organizational, client and regulatory guidelines.
• The information provided will be given to a level in parallel with the individual’s expertise, experience, and training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• MUST be a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Life Science courses (Pharmacy, Nursing, Biology, Medical Technology, Psychology, and etc. – Chemistry is not considered)
  • Fresh Graduates are welcome to apply! (Trust me, we hire a lot of eligible and skillful fresh graduates.)
  • Applicants without BPO or Contact Center experience are welcome to apply! (We can train you! This is not a hard-core call center.)
• Excellent English Communications Skills – both speaking and writing.
  • Must be willing to undergo English Language Assessment (if required)
• Must be amenable to work on Night Shift (US Office hours).
• Must be amenable to work in BGC, Taguig (Main Office) 5x a week during training.
• Must be amenable to work in a Hybrid work setup (1 to 3x a week onsite after training period)
• Must be amendable to do 10 - 11 calls per shift. (I repeat, this is not a hard-core contact center!)

*Salary Package: 32k to 38k
Benefits:

• Hybrid work set-up after training! (1 to 3x a week onsite)
• HMO (Medical, Dental, Mental Health) upto 2 dependents
• Vacation Leaves
• Sick Leaves
• Insurances
• Hardware and other peripherals provided by us!
• Guaranteed 2 days off weekly!

\Salary Package - Offer MAY vary per applicant.*
PLEASE NOTE! Hiring process is tedious and may take time. Be patient and wait for the communication from our Talent Acquisition Team and Hiring Managers.

To apply, send me a DM!!!

Are you a life sciences graduate who is currently in the BPO industry with a toxic work environment?
If not, are you a fresh graduate with a degree in life science who is looking for your first job opportunity?
Or you could be a life science graduate (or even a license holder) who is looking into changing career paths.
This opportunity may be for you.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is currently hiring Medical Information Specialists to start on JULY!
Job Description Overview:

• Provides technical and medical information, and/or performs intake of adverse events/ product complaints with quality customer service.
• Analyzes and researches inquiries and documents interactions according to organizational, client and regulatory guidelines.
• The information provided will be given to a level in parallel with the individual’s expertise, experience, and training.

Minimum Qualifications:

• MUST be a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Life Science courses (Pharmacy, Nursing, Biology, Medical Technology, Psychology, and etc. – Chemistry is not considered)
  • Fresh Graduates are welcome to apply! (Trust me, we hire a lot of eligible and skillful fresh graduates.)
  • Applicants without BPO or Contact Center experience are welcome to apply! (We can train you! This is not a hard-core call center.)
• Excellent English Communications Skills – both speaking and writing.
  • Must be willing to undergo English Language Assessment (if required)
• Must be amenable to work on Night Shift (US Office hours).
• Must be amenable to work in BGC, Taguig (Main Office) 5x a week during training.
• Must be amenable to work in a Hybrid work setup (1 to 3x a week onsite after training period)
• Must be amendable to do 10 - 11 calls per shift. (I repeat, this is not a hard-core contact center!)

*Salary Package: 32k to 38k
Benefits:

• Hybrid work set-up after training! (1 to 3x a week onsite)
• HMO (Medical, Dental, Mental Health) upto 2 dependents
• Vacation Leaves
• Sick Leaves
• Insurances
• Hardware and other peripherals provided by us!
• Guaranteed 2 days off weekly!

\Salary Package - Offer MAY vary per applicant.*
PLEASE NOTE! Hiring process is tedious and may take time. Be patient and wait for the communication from our Talent Acquisition Team and Hiring Managers.

To apply, send me a DM!!!

For likely unnecessary clarity: I'm specifically talking about the out-of-app download notification/info banner you would find minimized at the bottom of the menu opened by swiping down from the top of your screen (under the buttons & larger notifications). Sorry for stating the annoyingly obvious, but my experiences in I.T. have made providing these clarifying details a consummate habit. It's not because I think y'all are dullards, promise.
DETAILS: - Perhaps... 5 to 10% of the the time, after downloading a file using the main Firefox mobile app (1 or more images, for example), when attempting to dismiss the notification banner, it will stubbornly refuse to. - It doesn't matter whether you dismiss the notification by swiping it away (in either direction) or hitting the clear button to dismiss all notifications. - It doesn't matter whether the notification banner is left minimized or expanded. - It doesn't matter whether the file(s) were downloaded successfully or not. - It doesn't matter whether there are other notifications or not. - When swiping, it reacts to your motion by moving slightly, but simply rebounds right back. - Speed of swipes are not a factor. - When utilizing the clear all notifications button, all other notifications are dismissed & the drop down menu retracts, as intended. But pulling the menu back down reveals the download notification banner remains. - Closing the Firefox app entirely has no effect. - It doesn't matter if any tabs are open or not. - Restarting or power-cycling the phone itself does solve the issue, allowing you to dismiss the notification as normal. - Yes, that does mean the download notification banner remains upon startup. Unfortunately, I am unable to recall whether the notification is always still there on startup or not, only that I have still had to clear it before... but my gut is leaning towards no? - Again, my memory leaves me uncertain, but I believe allowing enough time to pass (minimum of several hours), before attempting to dismiss the notification again will "fix" the issue, as it will dismiss as intended. - This is a consistent issue I've encountered regularly, across multiple phones of different models. - This issue has persisted to occur for years, possibly with varying regularity. - App is up-to-date. - Currently using a Note 8.
While not a critical issue by any means, it has finally grated on my nerves & OCD enough to want a damn fix badly enough to finally do something about it.
My own searches via multiple search engines & reddit specifically hasn't helped me find any answers... or even anyone discussing the same issue, which I find troubling. But perhaps it was my specific search terms (though I worded it a few different ways).
Sooooo... any ideas for me, boyos?

Looking for advice/thoughts on setting up ClickUp to manage both work projects and "life admin." I'm using the Personal Workspace Layout and have no collaborators.
I know that it's helpful to start as simply as possible and add complexity as it becomes actually needed. The thing is, I'm importing a few projects already underway (plus a lot of small tasks of varying value), and want to avoid defaulting to my familiar old systems without assessing whether they're actually working for me, or are a good fit for ClickUp.
Assess my setup and give me feedback on where to go from here! I've included a ton of detail on my current setup below. If it's TL;DR, my more general question is: Tell me how you set up ClickUp to handle both work and life admin projects. How are you using categories, status, priorities, tags, and task types? I'm having trouble figuring out how to use them, especially since there seems to be a lot of potential overlap between them. Or, what advice do you have for migrating to ClickUp with a couple complex projects already underway, plus a lot of small tasks?
For context, here's how I have ClickUp set up right now. It's pretty simple but I'm still not clear whether it's the right approach (and FYI, I'm not wedded to it at all), plus there are still lots of components that don't neatly fit anywhere in my current setup:

• I have ClickUp divided into three spaces: Active Projects (multi-step projects with clear outcomes and/or deliverables), Areas of Focus (task lists divided up by a broader work or life "area"), plus a space I'm ignoring where archived projects and messy old things live..
  • Under Active Projects, I have folders for each class I'll be teaching (and because it's summer, right now they're split into prep work for upcoming classes, and wrap-up for the couple last to-do items left over from the spring).
  • Under Areas of Focus, I tend to keep lists of professional admin and personal life admin tasks that aren't part of a larger project (like paying bills or rent.

Next, there are a few different types of things I'm trying to plan and keep track of. As mentioned, I'm not really sure how I should be thinking about them through the framework of categories, status, priorities, tags, and task types.

• Active projects with a specific, concrete outcome. Mostly these projects are longer-term things, sometimes with several potential paths they could take depending on results of earlier tasks, but other times they're just 1-2wk projects that have lots of little steps I need to keep track of. Some real-life examples on my list right now:
  1. Work: Set up a class I'll be teaching in the fall. I need to do a bunch of prep work for this, some of which is pretty clear (set up course homepage and revise syllabus to include XYZ things; revise grade breakdown using these rules, & implement breakdown in Canvas), and other of which is fairly inchoate (e.g. review these five texts and decide which to teach; find an open-source subject-specific text; refine course structure as needed based on the texts I end up using). Then, there are semi-ongoing tasks that will come into play once I'm actually teaching the class (e.g. prep/review the thing I'll be teaching next week; set up assignments due next week so they're ready to go when the start date rolls around; grade assignments X, Y, Z; a weekly review of the syllabus & update deadlines as needed). Then wrap-up tasks that happen pretty routinely at the end of the semester, and one-off "respond to X's grade query email" type tasks. (Many of these things could be part of a template, but I don't need to cross that bridge yet.) How to organize the giant project of "put together, teach, and wrap up X class"? What's the relationship between the big project full of kinda sequential steps and the small "Answer X email" tasks that I mostly put into a project manager so I don't forget about them?
  2. Work: Various small professional development projects that in the past I've thought of as a series of sequential tasks, e.g. "Apply for X grant" (in this case, small individual artist grants for $1k-$20k, not big, collaboratively-written NSF grants). Under "Apply..." is a list of five different pieces I need to put together, one or two of which will need multiple rounds of refinement, while the rest will be relatively quick and easy. This type of project usually comes together in a couple weeks or less, and typically I'll have several active at once. (I usually have a dozen others on my radar at any given moment, but only decide to apply for 1-2 at any time. I keep up with these deadlines via a Google Sheet and a sticky note on my Mac desktop, and in the past only brought them into a project manager once I'd committed to a specific deadline-driven thing, or if I needed a reminder to check on one that has a deadline that varies annually.)
  3. Personal: Research summer travel possibilities, map out a timeline that fits scheduling constraints and mode of travel (one subtask that's a small project in and of itself: research buying a fiberglass camper shell for truck, & if that makes sense to do we'll drive, otherwise we'll fly or take the train). This is still in the research stage, so there aren't many actual tasks yet, but will be in a month or so.
  4. Avocational: Facilitate a large, slow-moving bylaws revision project for an organization I'm involved with. I'm at the beginning stages of this one, but have a pretty good idea of the different stages of this project and what the path to completion will look like. It'll be a big project once it gets off the ground, but for now it's just in the "assembling ideas" stage.
• Ongoing & one-off tasks with varying priority levels (e.g. things I need to do regularly vs. things I'd like to do regularly but don't necessarily get to).
  • Necessary Tasks like paying rent and bills, which are typically pretty straightforward and non-negotiable. Also things like updating the finances spreadsheet I share with my partner, which ideally happens weekly but which realistically I don't get around to more than once a month if that.
  • One-Off Tasks that start cropping up, especially once the semester is underway (e.g. "Answer X email"). Some of these are essential, others don't need to happen (but should for a smoother semester), and plenty are totally optional but worth doing if I have the time. When I'm bogged down, I don't want to think about those totally optional tasks at all, but when I'm feeling pretty unencumbered, they're worth tending to.
• Other things I can't figure out how to classify/organize:
  • Backburner tasks & projects, both work-related and life admin. (How to label and filter backburner tasks that I need to do "soon" vs. "eventually" vs. "maybe, someday, who even knows"?)
    • Some of these are important but not yet active (e.g. applying for that aforementioned grant, for instance, which I don't need to actively think about until next spring when the deadline approaches, though I do often start drafting/refining materials in advance, so it's nice to have a clear holding place for those).
    • Others are aspirational (for instance, "Organize the garage" is a backburner task that will turn into a full project once I start working on it & actually identifying specific subtasks, e.g. put specific thing on FB Marketplace, or buy a set of storage bins). I'd like to clearly delineate between this sort of thing; I don't need to see "Organize the garage" unless I'm doing a big review of the backburner items once a month or so and moving a handful into active projects/tasks.
  • Mosquito tasks: These tasks should happen "soon" or "eventually," but they're not urgent and if they end up never being completed at all, that's usually nbd. Realistically I might do them in the next couple weeks, but probably not in the next few days. These kinds of tasks are helpful to keep in ClickUp so they stay on my radar (and one benefit of that is that for a task like "Email so-and-so to ask X question," I'll often end up drafting half an initial email in a comment, then forgetting about it for a few weeks and coming back to find that email already half-drafted). Mosquito tasks include:
    • Reminders (to check on an important or not-so-important upcoming professional deadline that hasn't been posted yet, & to keep doing this until that concrete deadline appears, at which point it turns into an actual task; upcoming birthday reminders; to get a book back from someone who'd borrowed it, etc).
    • Personal CRM, my most frequent mosquito task. I've done fieldwork around the world and consider keeping in touch with friends/colleagues/informants from faraway as part of my professional responsibilities (but not urgent whatsoever), so I like to keep these things on my radar without letting them distract me from my active, necessary tasks & projects.
    • Ideas, possibilities, and other inchoate things that ended up in ClickUp when I migrated from Todoist, some of which are basically just notes-to-self, and other of which are smaller tasks/projects that I may someday pick back up, all of which I feel sentimental about and don't want to get rid of even though I'm not going to sort through them regularly. These pretty clearly fall under "backburner" and "maybe, someday, who even knows." (Should I break the "Not Started" status into "Backburner: eventually" and "Backburner: maybe, someday, who knows" to delineate these?) Feel free to ignore this category!
  • A Morning/Evening Routine that should reset every day, regardless of whether I've checked every item off from the previous day. (This is probably the only sort of task I want to reset like this, and honestly it's pretty low-priority.)

Give me advice on how to organize all these things, please! Or just tell me about your ClickUp setup for work and life admin projects! Or give me advice for migrating to ClickUp with a bunch of tasks and a couple complex projects already underway, rather than starting from complete scratch!

Some users seems to subtly excuse or act as apologists of the toxic behaviors of individuals with BPD, which concerns me. This space is intended for survivors of abuse to share their stories and support each other, so it's unacceptable for anyone to seek sympathy for abusers here. I want to mention a specific user, who often contributes comments and posts with a lot of "positivity/big person energy". While I appreciate positivity, some of the narratives they bring might inadvertently normalize or romanticize abuse, which isn't helpful for those already grappling with the effects of manipulative BPD tactics and abuse.
I will give some examples of things they brought here:

1. "They are lost and afraid. They are broken. Nothing broken is fixed by leaving it on the ground where you found it."
2. "We got to get out of all this crap that being angry at someone for a mental illness yeah they hurt you man up if you love them stick around try helping me a better person if you don't walk away it's that simple."
3. "My son or my daughter could walk in my house shoot me in the stomach and steal my money and I would bleed out on the floor thinking about the first time I saw either one of them walk or smile. That type of Love is based in the soul."
4. "Being angry will just feed their head and they will be off to the next to start the game over. Love, true love. MAY be the push they need to want to change."

I have the sentiment that these statements don't seem constructive. It's hard to see how they could offer real support or guidance to someone navigating difficult situations with a person with BPD. In fact, they might only add to the confusion and self-blame already experienced by many in such situations.
Moreover, it's insensitive to diminish the pain of others by telling them to "man up" or act as "medics," implying they should continue to extend efforts and care for their abusers despite enduring significant abuse.
In one comment, they attempted to gather sympathy from someone who had been abused and cheated on by their partner with BPD, suggesting they should consider the abuser as the "little girl she once was," implying that the abuser is only a perpetual victim. This narrative perpetuates the fallacy that individuals with BPD are always victims, which is far from reality.
Aside from this particular user (Who I just believe to be only a codependent ex-partner of a pwBPD), I've observed some accounts in this subreddit that appear to be created by individuals with BPD who attempt to infiltrate this safe space. Their aim seems to replicate these tactics, promoting apologetic narratives and perpetuating fallacies that romanticize abusers.
I hope this serves as a reminder to stay vigilant against these dangers. Your feelings of anger and frustration are completely valid, and it's crucial not to compromise your well-being by aligning with anything that undermines you (do not make peace with anything that might anihilate you). Remain aware of abusive tactics and continue to prioritize your own safety and healing. Know that you're not alone; I'm here to support you all, holding each of your hands, and wishing you all the best.
Love you all! <3

This post is very long. This first section, before the first triple-line-break, is the summary. Details follow that.
__________________________________________
SUMMARY
__________________________________________
So, I was very much looking forward to Legendary Tales for a while now after hearing so many great things.
I bought it on sale a couple days ago and played the first hour or so, completing the tutorial and entering the main hub. Then I uninstalled and refunded it.
This is not a 'hate post' and I hope that this post will not only help people understand some of the issues of this game, and what this game is NOT, but also help people understand what this game is and why you might love it. I talked about my criticisms with others who love the game to help me approach this and hopefully deliver some useful thoughts. It's worth noting that I got lots of agreement about my criticisms from the people I talked to - who still love the game.
In short,
People love this game for the combat development in the context of a 40+ hour adventure. All the depth to the skill trees, which of course in my hour I didn't touch. The creativity of building the mechanics of a character RPG style - except you get to physically battle in VR. The reward of unlocking that cool skill you've been excited to try out, or finding a legendary that's a blast to use. Even in my short time with the game I could feel the beginnings of this with the parry system. I did have fun fighting skeletons with a simple sword and no skills, and felt the challenge as I had to aim my sword deflections well and time my counterstrikes. There is an effective mechanic preventing waggle-fest and I can begin to imagine all the room to develop your combat mechanics in a way that is, fun and rewarding, and uniquely VR.
Sounds great right? To some it truly is.
But to me, not so much. Why? Because everything else is lacking to a degree I did not expect.
I've been playing a lot of The Light Brigade lately. And although these two games are totally different, it's a useful game to bring up because The Light Brigade excels in all the ways that Legendary Tales significantly falls short.
Atmosphere - music and sound, lighting and colours, art design, character and enemy models
Interfacing - Onboarding and intuitive learning, UI design and fluidity, control mapping, options, grabbing/interacting with objects, general polish
Storytelling - Plot, lore, world building, characters, character and enemy expressiveness, writing
For many people who play games, combat is at the forefront of their interests. For me, it always takes a backseat priority - if its present at all - to the above three aspects. The combat in Bloodborne is great, but it is because it excels in those 3 aspects that it's one of my favourite games. I also love lengthy games like Pentiment, Disco Elysium, Planescape Torment, and Pathologic 2, which have minimal or no combat and lots of reading!
Legendary Tales is simply mediocre in those three bolded aspects and for me that's a hard pass. If these aspects were serviceable to me - done well enough to facilitate the combat - I might have kept going. But I don't use the world 'mediocre' lightly. This is the appropriate word to me, and because of that, I did not want to spend 40+ hours in this world.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
DETAILS
__________________________________________
For those interested, or for the developers, I will continue with a breakdown of these aspects I am criticizing, trying to go through everything I felt about them in the first hour or so of playing.
Main menu was my favourite part. I liked the scene + music together. Nice. I was looking forward to playing and this had me feeling fuzzy and ready to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
The very first issue I noticed was that the game felt washed out. Even in that main menu I liked, I was feeling like it was a bit washed out. So I tried adjusting brightness down... then the darker areas felt better, but the light areas felt off. The more I played and tried to adjust to find the right equilibrium, the more I realized the lighting and contrast is just not good and adjusting brightness can't save that.
The second issue I noticed was the menu cursor to select things. It felt like an early VR game that hadn't quite figured out VR menus yet. It's useable but not fluid and pleasing.
The third issue I noticed was the unintuitive controls. I thought that this was the kind of game, kind of like a Souls game, where you aren't taught everything but learn things as you go in an organic manner. Maybe some of that exists in this game, but mostly it's simply bad control design and a bad tutorial. It's the difference between having barriers that have purpose, purposeful friction, and feel good when discovered vs barriers that feel pointless and just build frustration without purpose. The controls feel like a mess and while it's apparent that people can get used to them as they play more, it's not in a justified sense.
Along with this are interfacing issues. For example, grabbing items feels very awkward. The motions are clunky, for example the way a weapon will slowly glide into place in your hands. There's so many interfacing issues. The interface to see weapon/item stats on weapons that are laying about is clunky, the interface to switch weapons is clunky, the magic interface is clunky, dialogue boxes feel clunky,... all of these things feel clunky both in terms of feel and also aesthetic.
A very straightforward and obvious example is dialogue. Character dialogue is presented in a large bland text on a page. To progress through the dialogue, there's no obvious place to click or button to push. In fact, you have to click a particular area of the page, which feels totally arbitrary and unintuitive. Sure, once you learn, you can do it fine, but it's just bad interface design.
To go back to The Light Brigade, think about the difference in both feel and aesthetic to opening a chest or breaking a pot. Grabbing a gun and how it arrives to your hand. The attractive dialogue boxes. Watching a reward pop out of a chest, picking a tarot card. Putting objects into your waist pouch or taking them out. These interactions are all comfortable, beautiful, fluid, and intuitive.
The next thing on my mind was sound.
As I played the tutorial, the soundscape was barren. There was a wind loop, which didn't loop correctly leaving a solid second of space between the end and beginning. Sounds didn't feel like they were placed quite right in 3D space. Point-based sounds (like the crackling of a campfire, that comes from a specific point in space) had too small of a zone (the sound should be heard from further away). In general the soundscape was very barebones. And when I encountered the first character, not only did the character look totally goofy and out of place, but they made no sounds when 'speaking', not even grunts or gibberish sound.
To skip ahead for a moment, I also felt the music did not match the environments enough. The music was quite pretty - that's not the problem. It just didn't feel like the environments were quite synergized with the music.
Again for both music and sound, think of the gun sounds, the ability sounds, the sound of the enemies as they spot you, the sound of the environment, the footsteps and dash, the grunts of characters when the speak, the music... not only does it all sound great, but it all feels like expressions of the unique world of The Light Brigade. This is excellent sound and music design, that truly bring the world to life.
Although a minor complaint, I also noticed lots of grammar and spelling errors. Although I understand the team is in South Korea, and I appreciate the challenges of translation, just like with everything else I was just expecting... more polish. I thought it would feel like a full package, at indie scale. But it feels very much like a partial package.
And that segues into the writing...
There are games with simple and/or unmemorable story, where the story is still servicing and facilitating the gameplay.
And then there is just plain bad writing.
This is very much the latter.
Maybe a bit of this goes back to translation but I am doubtful that it fares much better in original Korean in essence.
The writing is goofy, juvenile, poorly structured, and generic.
I was also seriously turned off by a couple lines in particular, that I'm sure affect me more than most but I will mention anyways. One was something like "valuable gem missing. And a hot girl". Like... There's nothing inherent about calling a woman (or a man) hot that I don't like. Yes gamers, you are allowed to find women attractive, relax. But it's the way its written,... I'm not going to turn this into an essay about male gaze but the way its written simply services a particular male audience that casually objectifies women.
Even worse was the final line I read, a quest line. Paraphrasing, but the primary descriptive words are all exact: "Go kill 10 kill peasants in a refugee camp". I don't think I need to elaborate, people who are on a similar page to me will understand why this was just an incredibly gross line.
I know the above two dialogue criticisms will not be shared by everyone and not affect everyone the same way. I am expressing them as part of what I felt, my personal criticisms and experience, just like the rest of what I'm sharing.
Again to compare to The Light Brigade... every line feels thoughtful and builds character and develops the lore. Whether its the forlorn lines of NPC members of The Light Brigade, or the scenes that appear between runs, and other bits and pieces you get. The Light Brigade develops so much world with few words, it's quite impressive and again a beacon that Urban Wolf Games can learn from.
The final issue I'll discuss was something that struck me earlier on. That is, player character model and lack of customization.
First of all - again an issue that the majority here probably won't be affected by - I could not pick my character model until after completing the tutorial. Specifically, I was forced to do calibration as a male character model, and then had to play the tutorial as this character. Minor complaint but again just another polish issue.
Both male and female models are just... boring designs, and the female model is again very juvenile, obviously serving a primarily male audience, whether intentionally or not.
But more importantly, there's no character customization. Not even the tiniest bit. Even the ability to change just skin colour and hair only would go a long way. Especially in a lengthy adventure like this, I need to be able to identify with my character. Especially with multiplayer it seems essential to me, but even if it were single player, and as someone who plays primarily in single player, character customization is hugely impactful to me.
This does not really have a contrast in The Light Brigade - there's no character customization in The Light Brigade either, although the kind of game it is, it's not as relevant. That said, I do think it would be a nice touch if there WAS some minor character customization in The Light Brigade, and especially if you could play as a woman instead of man if you so choose. Although maybe lore-wise it is intended that all members are male except for 'Mother'. This hasn't been established with any good reason though. So on this point I would lightly criticize The Light Brigade as well.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
ENDING THOUGHTS
__________________________________________
Ultimately, Legendary Tales is quite simply a very indie game that probably had a very small team and limited funds. I don't know for sure, but probably there *wasn't* a dedicated writer, a dedicated UI and interface designer, etc.
However, these things are still failings of the game and its design. The greatest indie games to me are ones that successfully recognize their scope limitations and develop something complete within that scope. Whether it's the roguelike world of The Light Brigade, or the very short and stylish Tiger Blade, or Jeff Minter's trippy games like Akka Arrh and Polybius, or the retro Silent Hill aesthetic of Organ Quarter, or the suspenseful hotel of Propagation Paradise Hotel... all these games are made by small teams but successfully navigate their limited funds to deliver a full package within an appropriately limited scope.
On the one hand, I really value and support BJ's push for indie games to be respected and for that respect to reflect in the price consumers are prepared to pay. But after being totally on board with the price of Legendary Tales based on what I read from BJ and reviewers and many regular players too, I have to disagree with this game's pricing. This game is not polished enough, and is not a full package. That the game sucked out so much funds is an error of scope.
Maybe I will be in the minority, and Legendary Tales has been a success so it seems that I am, and so good on them for knowing the value of their game to the demographic they targeted I guess. And regardless, even if the pricing and attempted scope of the game are an error on the dev's part, I'm glad for the dev to earn back as much as they can, or even turn a profit hopefully.
But to me, reflecting back to the question the devs put forward: "Do you want to see deep combat development like this in VR for a 40+ hour adventure from indie devs?" The answer is no, I don't. I do consider the scope of this game an error on the part of the developers. It sounds like they did not even turn a profit enough to allow them to expand their team (but maybe I'm misunderstanding). I hope that they do continue with VR development, but instead focus on a much smaller scope game. Deliver a polished, complete package within a smaller scope, implementing a much tighter budget that will allow for potential turning of profit with an appropriately lighter sale price (maybe targeting a $30 game?).
If that is successful, do it again, and again, until they can expand and eventually work toward their dream adventure RPG, hiring actual writers and UI designers and sound designers etc. For me personally, this is simply not the kind of game you can half-bake. It should be attempted again when, and only when, they feel they have budget to do this in a truly full and polished manner.
I had the pleasure of meeting BJ briefly at PAX East. He struck me as friendly, kind, totally genuine, and incredibly passionate as a game developer and a VR game developer in particular.
I do wish this team good luck and despite my own harsh criticism I am glad so many ARE enjoying this game, and also feel the price point is justified. I want devs to earn money, including Urban Wolf Games. And I hope that they will continue to develop and bring more VR to the world.
I hope that my criticism is constructive and useful toward these same goals.

I've posted about a year ago regarding my then 7th month old scratching his head and hurting himself in the process. You can find the old post here: https://www.reddit.com/Parenting/comments/139ip9z/baby_wont_stop_scratching_his_head_until_it_bleads/
Recently I've had 3 different parents that have found the post and were in the same situation, inboxing for an update/solution, so I decided to make an update post in case more parents are looking for answers. Sorry I took so long. I know the despair you feel. I assure you it will get better if you persevere. This is an extremely long post, so I have bolded the several topics, in case you don't want to read everything, so they are easier to find.
To update on my son's situation: He's now 1y and 7 months. He is allergic to milk and he has a combination of cradle cap and eczema. In addition to this, he was also born with Hydronephrosis (enlarged kidneys) which means he is limited in the medication that he's allowed to take (no ipobrufren, as an example)
The Cradle Cap situation has improved by itself, mainly by just carrying on with what we were doing. We use the Frida Flake Fixer treatment and a cradle cap shampoo (Dentinox). We've also been advised not to wash his head every day, leave it 1 or 2 days (one doctor even said once a week). For the cuts, the best thing was indeed a Vaseline barrier to help the raw skin heal. Even though it definitely stinks, the healing is the most important part. I would put Vaseline on his scalp the day before a bath, do the treatment with the Frida Brush and then I would rub a Baby Scalp Oil (Colief) to soften the flakes on the day after the bath; I would put Vaseline on the scalp the next day and he would take a bath the next day, rinse and repeat, until the cuts were healed, and I could ditch the Vaseline step. If the cut was deep I would sometimes apply Sudocream only at night after a bath and the Vaseline was removed and he'd fallen asleep so he wouldn't take it off. He still slept with mittens inside his cuffed babygrow, but he always managed to get one or two fingers out, I kid you not when I say, that sometimes I would sleep holding his hand to prevent him from scratching his head when the wounds here at it's worst. All of these steps have contributed to has improved the cradle cap lot and eventually disappeared in about a month's time. He's going trough a second outbreak now, a year later, but no where near as bad as it was then, he's not scratching himself to death.
The Eczema situation. Right....... this situation has improved for a few good 7-8 months with the Aveeno Baby Dermexa Emollient Cream. I would use it 3 times a day or more to fight of dry skin. The areas where the skin folded were the worst. Arm folds, neck folds, behind the knees, there the eczema would install and spread, That could only be controlled an Hydrocortisoid Cream, 1% w/w. It did eventually disappeared save for one spot -- just behind the right knee. He developed a habit of scratching it with his left foot. But, lets put the Eczema situation on hold for a moment, while we talk about:
The Milk Allergy situation.... Oh Boy..... this is about to get very long.....
In my previous post made at the beginning of May 2023, I stated that my son had been to the A&E (a week before the post) for an allergic reaction to porridge, so he would either be allergic to Milk and/or Gluten. We were told a referral was done to our GP for a visit by an allergy team who would walk us through to process of slowly introducing allergens so that my son would hopefully be able to safely be exposed to them in the future and advised to "only feed him vegetables and fruit". We were given an "prescription" for an antihistamine to continue the treatment and to use as an SOS in case of another allergic reaction in the future. No allergy tests were done for my son at all.
We were told that, it would take a couple of weeks before we were contacted by the allergy team and to contact the GP after two weeks if we hadn't heard from them. We waited a month and nothing. At the end of May, I went to our GP to ask for updates on this situation. Imagine my shock when the GP told me that they didn't even have ANY information about my son being in the A&E. They've spent 1h contacting the hospital to get the paperwork from the A&E that SHOULD have been sent to our GP. In said paperwork, it states that the hospital would like the GP to sort out the allergy appointment. So, no allergy appointment had been made for an entire month and if I hadn't enquired about this situation, the GP would have had no clue about the need to make one because they didn't have the necessary paperwork! I was given an apology and scheduled an "assessment appointment" 2 days later. I enquired about an Antihistamine prescription, since my son was gonna start nursery in a couple of weeks when my maternity leave would end and I needed to provide a bottle for them in case of an allergic reaction, because we still didn't know what my son was allergic to.... Lo and behold, when the GP staff looks at the hospital paperwork, it was stated that no more antihistaminic was necessary, against what we were advised, as we should have one antihistamine as SOS, I had to press the GP to provide us with an prescription (which the lady was very quick to do after seeing me ready to implode regarding this absolute incompetence) so the nursery could have one antihistamine with themselves as we couldn't keep juggling our bottle back and forth with them.
The assessment appointment which basically consisted in 5 mins of asking for details about the allergic reaction, all of which was written in A&E's paperwork and only then being referred to a dietitian's team. I was given no ETA, no info about where it would be, no contact that I could call to at least be put on a waiting list in case of a cancellation, nothing. I was only asked to wait and when confronted, the practitioner admitted that this appointment COULD have been made straight in the hospital's A&E, instead of this ridiculous and time wasting bureaucratic football between the Hospital and the GP.
You might think this was the end of the miscommunication and incompetence.... Oh oh But no,.. of course not!! I waited another month of silence. At the end of June I called the hospital's appointment hotline enquiring about my son's appointment, only to be told that he doesn't have one because a referral hadn't been made yet! I was fuming!! I immediately called the GP who have assured me that a referral has been sent to the hospital's Paediatric and gave me it's referral number and they would enquire....
If you are in the UK like I am and you see that your baby/child is being ignored by your GP / Hospital and not getting the appropriate care, then do as I did and contact PALS near your area. That was the best piece of advice that I have received from people at my local breastfeeding group, and if being a mother has taught me anything, is that sometimes, you will have to be a momma bear (aka Karen to the eyes of the target) and advocate for your child. I work in retail, I despise Karens and I have no wish to be one, I am usually a pushover. But I will not allow anyone to trample on my son's health. And while I do have respect for the NHS, seeing has my brother in law works there, I know damn well, by his own words, that the main problem is not the lack of funds, but the pockets where they go and the terrible disorganization.
At that point I had enough of excuses and I made a complaint to PALS about both the GP and the Hospital. My son was almost 9months and still breastfeeding but eating mostly Vegetables and Fruit as solid food as per A&E'S guidelines, delaying his weaning and feeding development and causing stress with the nursery and our family as we didn't know what he was allergic to and couldn't move on to full meals. I flat out asked them if they were intent on my son completing an entire year of life being fed only Vegetables and Fruit besides breastmilk, and called them out because an 8 month baby should not be put on the back burner over and over again due to the incredibly poor communication between these two organizations and have his health jeopardized. I demanded a resolution ASAP and forward this to the Paediatrician as I did not trust the hospital to be able clearly communicate between their departments and whom I suspected had not been told absolutely nothing regarding all this. Two days later the allergy team specialist rang me to personally and profusely apologise and take the situation under her control and give me her allergy guidelines which I should have been given since the beginning. I was still forced to wait until early July for a allergy test - Milk was found to be the culprit.
I still thank everything that I had enough perseverance to stick with breastfeeding and never, ever, though to look at formula. I tremble to think about the consequences, Even though I'm aware that dairy free formulas exist, me being a 1st time ignorant mother, chances were I could have picked a wrong one. Fortunately I produced more than enough milk and my son had a good latch. Also because my son was not making any allergic reactions to my milk, this meant there was a higher chance that he could grow out of his allergy, as he was still getting enzymes from the dairy that I consumed. From here on, food introduction was a breeze. He's a real foodie, he loves to eat and he loves to eat with us. Adapting our diet was a bit of work, as I have IBS and my husband is diabetic so there might be some foods that will be a trigger or might not be the most ideal to someone in our family, but we managed to strike a good balance. Vegan options do help and we are having fun exploring that.
The problems then came with the nursery. After letting them know that my son was allergic to milk and other things were fine, the cases of allergic reaction in the nursery stated to increase and he started getting very bad reactions. First we suspected cross contamination, then that he might be allergic to something else, but the foods they were saying he was allergic to made absolutely no sense as he was just fine having those at home. We came to the conclusion after several events in the softplay area - that involved no food at all - that the culprit might be their cleaning products and further pressed after two different members of staff said they themselves were allergic to that product - Milton. After several bickerings between us and the nursery and us visiting our origin country for Xmas where my son ate in 4 different household and 5 different restaurant with absolutely no allergy reaction (in comparing to the then daily cases of reaction on the 3 days that he stayed at nursery), we finally convinced the nursery to change their cleaning products - they are now using Sanell. In addiction to prevent cross contamination, my son was given his own high chair, that no other child uses. Happy to say the cases of allergy are nearly non-existent now. His recent blood results also came back with amazingly good improvements, so we got the thumbs up from the Allergy Team and the Paediatrician to start the milk ladder and slowly and gradually adding milk to his diet. Currently he's in stage one and having half a teaspoon of malted milk biscuit daily with no reaction. It will probably still be able two months until he can have a full biscuit, but I can't wait to see his smile when we get to this stage - he loves taking the little piece of my hand.
Because of the back and forth with the nursery and them insisting that the allergic reaction could be due to other foods, the allergy team at the hospital was more concerned with that than his Eczema situation. We had to insist about it, since we suspected the reactions might be Eczema instead, stating that I was still waiting for the promised skin specialist appointment since end of April last year. The lead Team Speciallist, again showed her amazing professionalism and chased up the situation and we finally got our appointment jointly with her and the skin specialist in January of this year. She gave us a few products to try but said that the Eczema situation was relatively controlled. The samples that she gave were:

• Dermol 500 Lotion - we still use this for his bath as a soap substitute
• Adex Gel - kind like an emollient cream, it was ok-ish
• Cetraben Cream - didn't seem to make any difference, but can also be used as a soap substitute so we'll give it a go after Dermol is finished
• Zerodearm Ointment - didn't seem to make any difference, but it has a Vaseline like quality to it, so might try again

About a week after the appointment, my Son had an mild outbreak of Eczema on his legs. We tried several combinations of above products that seemed to temporally control the situation but didn't complete solve it. In Early March of this year the Eczema appeared in his back. He has a huge red birthmark the size of my hand on his back, so that skin is very sensitive. He started to scratch and rub his back against things and it didn't took long to break the skin. It didn't bleed but it was oozing/weeping which would make the skin get stuck to his clothes and then get raw, so no treatment was going to work on that as it would slide off with the oozing/weeping. I despaired then as I had a year ago.
So I went back to the thing that worked last time - Vaseline. This time though, it was on a place that I couldn't exactly leave uncovered. My son was about to do some blood tests so hospital had given us numb cream to put on the inside of his elbows and some clear medical film. He had this done before and I remembered that the film had been resistant enough to keep the cream in and didn't hurt his skin, so I though, maybe I could apply the same theory. So I bought some clear medical film (Tegaderm Film), put a good chunk of Vaseline on the wound and sealed it with the film. I changed this twice or three times a day, depending if he was in the nursery or not. It worked like a charm and it allowed the skin to heal. For reference, the nursery manager, whose son suffers with really bad eczema has suggested me the AproDerm Ointment which also has a Vaseline consistency to it, but my son's situation cleared up before I had to use it.
The skin specialist by then had prescribed a treatment with another hydrocortisoid cream ( Daktacort 2% 1% w/w, needs to be kept refridgerated ) and an emollient cream - Epimax Oatmeal Cream. For the other patches of Eczema (that were not in wound), I would use Daktacord, once in the morning, once in the evening, and I would use Epimax to keep the skin moisturized along the day, whenever I would change a diaper. The skin specialist told us to keep using Daktacord twice a day for a week, then drop it to once a day on the following week, and then drop it to every other day on the week after. This has worked brilliantly and it solved all Eczema patches, including the stubborn one behind his right knee, We were able to drop the Daktacord and we now only use the Epimax emollient regularly about twice a day.
Thank you if you have read everything so far, I hope you have found something that could be of use to you. Happy to answer any questions that you might have, or if you're feeling desperate like I was and just need some reassurance, just drop me message!

Hey guys, I'm quite new in here and Reddit in general, but I'm looking for some help.
Soon I'm going to move to Spain with my girlfriend but even tho I'm constantly searching for information about what kind of documents to get, what to do before leaving the country and after i get there, it seems there's different answers and mostly generic.
So to the people with more knowledge and experience than I have, since it's the first time going to live by myself and in a different country, what's your recommendations? What documents should I get in Portugal so i can move to Spain? What should I do after I arrive? What's your tips and tricks to make my emigration smoother? Thanks in advance for your suggestions and opinions ♥️

This afternoon I got to witness a small portion of final tech rehearsals for the upcoming Rachel Chavkin/Florence Welch/Martyna Majok version of Gatsby with a group of other A.R.T. members here in Cambridge, MA! The visit included a Q&A session with Taylor Brennan, who is working on Gatsby as A.R.T.'s in-house associate production manager, and Lisa Field-Coleman, associate director of development with A.R.T. Here are some of the most interesting items we learned....
Several questions were asked about the "phone-free" policy for the show. Taylor confirmed that 1) the policy applies specifically to this Gatsby production and is not currently planned for any other A.R.T. productions; 2) the intention is to prevent bootlegged recordings, rather than to eliminate smartphone disruptions (although several folks expressed gladness for this added benefit); and 3) Taylor believed, as was suggested elsewhere on this sub, that the policy was requested by Florence Welch's representation, in order to safeguard her music rights.
On that note, Taylor said the music will be distinctively recognizable as the product of Florence Welch, for those familiar with her work.
Finally, because guests will NOT be able to use their phones to view a digital program, Lisa confirmed that A.R.T. will be providing full-size printed programs for this production.
(My own personal note - I think anyone coming to see this should 100 percent plan to bring physical, printed copies of your tickets if at all possible, and arrive earlier than you think you should. The magnetic phone pouches are going add extra time to the entry process, and if you forget your seat location, there's no way to view your mobile tickets from inside the seating area.)
Speaking in general terms, Taylor estimated that the show was about "75 percent" complete as of today, compared to the version that will be locked in for opening night on June 5. Book, music, choreography, and staging are all still actively being revised, and she suggested, for example, there could even be a new song written between now and the first performance, which is just 4 days away. Talyor also indicated that the May 23 invited dress rehearsal (formerly scheduled as the first preview) will potentially be the first time the complete show is run from start to finish with all elements in place (sets, costumes, lighting, sound, etc.)!
The pit orchestra will be mostly visible on-stage for this show, and is currently at about 10 pieces, including piano, strings, and horns. While the instrumentation is more jazz-era than modern rock band, Taylor indicated that because it's Florence Welch, there will still definitely be a pop-rock energy to the sound. Taylor did also mention that this production includes a lift platform under the stage, hence the need to locate the orchestra elsewhere.
On the topic of staging, Taylor believes this is the largest set ever placed on the A.R.T. stage, and once we moved into the theater to observe rehearsal, the set indeed spanned the entire width of the proscenium arch. Two massive abstract-looking metal staircases frame the space - one all sharp edges and mirrors, the other like a pile of twisted silvery automobile carcasses. It definitely seems to have Rachel Chavkin's imprint - the staircase elements look slightly reminiscent of Lempicka, while the back of the stage is a huge wall of headlights that reminded me a tiny bit of Hadestown.
Finally, we got to see choreographer Sonya Tayeh spend 30 minutes walking the principal cast (Gatsby, Daisy, Nick, Jordan, and Tom) plus ensemble, all in full costume, through final choreo adjustments, and a partial run-through with orchestra, for a song currently titled "It's Too Hot" (in the fateful scene where the group decides to take a drive to the Plaza Hotel).
I didn't hear enough of the music to form an impression of it yet, but the big surprise takeaway I can offer is this: it appears this show is going to feature modern interpretative dance in a serious, serious way - in this one song fragment, we saw ensemble dancers on the floor, on their backs, and crawling. The cast and creative teams also appear to be stacked with serious dancing resumes, and a number of recent alumni from Moulin Rouge! on Broadway, including Sonya Tayeh, who won the choreography Tony for that show. When Taylor Brennan was asked to compare this show to what she cordially referred to as "the other Gatsby," she said the current Broadway production is exactly what you would picture The Great Gatsby to look like in your head, whereas the A.R.T. production doesn't look at all like what you would imagine, which she was very excited about....

Hi there, sorry about the formatting, this is my first time posting to Reddit so please be understanding. I'm unsure where I should even post this and I'm unsure if anyone will see this. I am a 25f new mum to a beautiful baby girl but I was definitely not ready to become a parent yet as I am still working through a lot of childhood traumas, sometimes I feel like I didn't have much of a choice but I wouldn't change it for the world as she is a blessing. I was so sick during the pregnancy that by the time I found out I was pregnant I left the decision to my partner as I felt I was in no state to make any decisions, we decided together to keep the pregnancy as we have had some fertility issues in the past and did not want to risk missing an opportunity like this again. I feel so blessed and my partner had also proposed to me a week before I gave birth which really helped me persevere. My partner is always by my side but is also struggling with his own issues which is why I don't want to make him deal with my issues.
My issue is now 4 months postpartum I am struggling to cope, not with the parenting and routines but with everything that has happened to me and how it affects my decisions when it comes to my daughter. I left home when I was 16 and spent years pulling myself out of depression and suicidal thoughts as well as building some coping skills that have really helped me in the past. Lately, I feel like I have hit a brick wall and nothing I have done in the past is helping me. I am constantly being told that I should be relying on the people around me more for help but when they do help in their own way, it usually makes things harder for me as they don't actually listen to what I am asking for and honestly I struggle to trust anyone when I can't even trust myself. Sometimes I am just so overwhelmed and the only I can do to keep my daughter safe is to walk away from her, I did not have that as a child and I will be damned if I let my issues affect my child like that. I feel such self-hatred, I have been struggling with a weed addiction as well even though I have managed to give up every other drug, alcohol and vice but no matter how hard I try I cannot do what is best for my daughter and I feel like a mess.
Every decision I have made in regards to my daughter has been argued with by so many people, I always knew other people would have a different opinion to me but I did not realise how many people would be in my face and offended by my choices. For example, I wanted to wait until 6 months to start feeding solids to my daughter but so many people on both my partner's and my side of the family kept pressuring us until we gave in and started feeding her at 4 months (gastro issues run in both sides of the family and I wanted to do as recommended by WHO to try to help my daughter avoid those issues). Another issue is that I am adamant about not sending my daughter to stay at people's houses (even family) or go to daycare until she is able to speak (I have been sexually assaulted as a child on multiple occasions in different situations, ei, at daycare, by other children in Sunday school, by other children who were left to take care of me and my family just to name a few) and my MIL has taken this personally no matter how I try to explain it to her. She can be very insensitive and often says hurtful things without even realising them. I haven't even mentioned my partner's childhood traumas as I am struggling to deal with my issues.
I have been to the GP to discuss my feelings and see what type of help I can get but he has only recommended anti-depressants and some counselling I'm unsure if that is going to help me at the moment as I have always struggled to help myself, especially through the mental health programs here. I also don't like the idea of being medicated as my mother has abused prescription medication, taken multiple things that weren't meant for her and has permanently affected her to the point she now gets seizures and other behavioural issues associated with abusing particular drugs.
I also have a very rocky relationship with my parents as my father was not there very often as a child leaving me and my siblings with our mother who neglected, physically, mentally, and verbally abused us. We were never given a safe environment as children, constantly surrounded by dangerous people, in dangerous situations. We never got appropriate medical attention unless docs or some other outside influence were involved. Eventually, all of us children were taken from our mother's care, most of us ending up with my father or their other family members as some have different fathers. Like I said I left home at 16 as I was becoming increasingly violent and mentally unstable and if I am being honest, being around my siblings after everything that happened was so hard, I had failed them so much and let them down and I just could not continue to hurt them like that. After I left I was a mess and my mother had actually convinced me to move in together, if it weren't for my now partner I would have been left in a situation that I could not handle, especially when my own mother scammed me, took my money, left us in rental arrears, left us in a house we couldn't afford on our own with her debt and continued to do the same thing with my siblings once they hit the age of 16 no matter how much I try to warn them what she is like. She is very good at acting like your best friend as a kid but constantly forgets she is supposed to be our parent.
There is just so much going on in my life and I am struggling to cope and need advice on how to get past these issues and be the best parent to my daughter.

Hi everyone !
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, some information about the script :
I don't mind monetization, but I'd like to be credited.
If certain elements written in the script cause problems during recording, I'm fine with minor adjustments (rephrasing sentences, adding reactions), as long as they preserve the original meaning of the script. All actions involving sound additions (noises, music, etc.) are not obligatory, but they can contribute to immersion in the story. The important thing is that the listener understands what's going on.
Also : English is not my first language, so don't hesitate to let me know if the script contains any errors, either in the writing or in the construction of the story.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Context :
You're a witch respected throughout the kingdom. It may seem surprising, but you help the royal family with your powers and healing potions. To thank you, the king has decided to invite you to a ball. Perhaps it was more the idea of his son, the Prince, who seems interested in you. Your Familiar, on the other hand, has no intention of letting the heir to the throne get too close to you. Let's hope the party goes off without a hitch.
Additional info :

• The familiar's name is Ciaran and the prince’s name is Alaric (but you can change them if you want)
• Here's [PART 1]
• For this series, there are two versions of [PART 2] : [PART 2 MM4A Version] and this one wich is [PART 2 M4A Version]
• For this script, I'm referring to the Listener as a witch, but of course if you're using the M4A and M4M tags, you can use the terms mage (neutral) and wizard. Same for pronouns.

Estimated audio length : 1400 spoken word, 10 to 15min
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Listener and Familiar arrive at the outer gate of the castle, on their way to the ball]
Speaker : Ugh, I really hate this costume. I feel too covered up, like I'm confined.
Speaker : How do humans stand this ? I feel ridiculous.
(...)

Speaker : You find me elegant like this ?
Speaker : Well, maybe this outfit isn't so bad after all...
(…)

Speaker (embarrassed) : You, too, look really charming in that attire...
[They walk]
Speaker : Well, we'd better hurry up and get inside ; the ball will start soon.
[Palace guards approach]
Speaker : Guards... Do you think they've come to welcome us ?
[The guards look aggressive]

Speaker : Well, judging by the weapons they're carrying, it seems they're not here to chat.
Speaker : Stay behind me ; it's dangerous.
[The guards seem unwilling to let them pass, swords clashing]

Speaker : Hey, hey, let's calm down ! We have invitations.
Speaker (annoyed) : Looks like you don't know who you're dealing with. This person is the most influential witch in the kingdom. I suggest you step back if you don't want to end up as toads.
(…)

Speaker (addressing Listener again) : I told you coming here was a bad idea.
Speaker : They're not exactly eager to see us join their little party.
(…)
[The guards finally let them through]

Speaker : Well, you finally agree to let us through, it’s about time.
Speaker : Come on, we should hurry before they change their minds.

[They enter the room]
Speaker : Well. I must admit this place is splendid. All these ornaments, this decoration, it must be incredibly expensive.
Speaker (bitterly) : It looks like the royal family has a penchant for extravagance. I bet half the kingdom's taxes go into these adornments.
(…)
Speaker : Well, at least they have good food. I hope the dishes taste as good as they look.
Speaker : We should head to the buffet to find out ! Comme on, follow me !
[They head towards the buffet]

Speaker : Look at all these delicacies. There, exotic fruits ! And here, pastries !
Speaker : There are even dishes I don’t recognize... They really don’t skimp on the food.
[Speaker grabs a plate and starts eating]

Speaker (taking a bite) : Mmm, delicious ! At least they know how to treat their guests.
Speaker (chewing) : Hmm… Oh, and this cake is really good !
[Speaker turns to the Listener]

Speaker (holding out a spoon to the Listener) : Here, taste this !
Speaker : Hm ? Does it bother you if I feed you ?
(…)

Speaker : Hey, it’s nothing ! You’re the one making it weird by refusing so vehemently !
Speaker : I swear this cake is delicious. Come on, say "Ahhh."
[Speaker feeds the Listener]

Speaker : There, very good. So ? What do you think ?
(…)

Speaker (content) : Hehe, I knew you’d like it ! After all, I know your tastes very well.
Speaker : Oh, you have a bit of cake on your cheek.
Speaker (amused) : You can be quite clumsy sometimes. Here, let me help you get that off.
[Speaker moves closer to the Listener, removes the bit of cake, and eats it]
Speaker (innocently) : Why are you looking at me like that ? You know you shouldn't waste food, even if it was on your face. That's why I had to eat it.
(…)

Speaker (leaning in) : Did I make you uncomfortable by doing that ?
Speaker : Not at all ? Your expression says otherwise though... You're really blushing, you know.
[Listener pushes the Speaker, fabric rustling]

Speaker : Haha, calm down ! If you keep fidgeting like that, you'll draw even more attention to us.
Speaker : Well, even without that, we can't really say we're inconspicuous.
Speaker : I mean, I'm still quite noticeable with my horns. Perhaps I should make them disappear for now.
[He makes them disappear]

Speaker (sarcastic) : There, done. Wouldn't want to scare these ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker : Yes, yes, I know, I promised to behave myself tonight. I'll keep my word, I promise.

Speaker : Speaking of promises, didn't the prince tell you he would be here tonight to discuss funding ?
Speaker : Yet I don't see him... Has that coward backed out ?
(Listener makes a remark)

Speaker : Oh, now that you mention it, I can see him.
Speaker (mocking) : Ohh, so Mr. Prince is still under his father's thumb. What a loser.
(…)

Speaker : What... What are you doing ? Do you want to go talk to him ?
Speaker : Why ? Is he incapable of mingling with the "commoners" ? Is mister too precious to make an appearance ?
(Listener gets upset)

Speaker : Tss, whatever, do as you please. I'll stay here waiting.
Speaker : But hurry, I already don't feel very comfortable here, I'd rather not be alone for too long.
(…)

Speaker (to himself, feeling a pang of jealousy) : Who does he think he is, monopolizing their attention like that ?
Speaker : And why do they want to talk to him so much ? This man is nothing special, he's bland and arrogant.
(…)

Speaker (to himself, realizing his own feelings) : Wait. Why does this situation bother me so much ?
Speaker (trying to find an excuse) : I... I know. I must be feeling this way because the atmosphere of this place is getting to me. It's overwhelming, and I'm not used to it. That's all.
[Speaker looks around]

Speaker : Anyway, the other guests seem more at ease.
Speaker : Now that I notice it, there are quite a few couples here... They must be looking forward to the dance later.
(…)

Speaker : Maybe I should offer to dance with them tonight... I would love to be able to hold them in my arms, swaying to the music... Just the two of us.
Speaker : But th-this would be purely professional, of course. To strengthen our bonds as colleagues. Ye-yeah, I should ask them.
(…)

Speaker : Well, for that to happen, they would have to hurry back first. At the moment, the prince doesn't seem to want to let them go.
[Familiar starts getting more and more frustrated]

Speaker (frustrated) : Is this prince stupid or what ? Doesn't he see that it's because of him they don't dare to leave ? He's really unbearable, clinging to them like a parasite !
Speaker (exasperated) : With his arrogant air, he must think he's above everyone just because he wears a crown and a few jewels. It's pathetic !

Speaker (getting angrier) : And all these nobles... They're here strutting around like peacocks, without caring about anything other than themselves.
Speaker (getting more and more agitated) : Ok, I've had enough of this charade. I'm going to go myself and put an end to this little masquerade so I can bring my witch/wizard/mage back here.
(Listener returns quickly to Speaker)

Speaker (suddenly calming down) : Oh, they're finally back.
Speaker (to the Listener) : Hmm... Welcome back.
(…)

Speaker : So uh... What did you talk about ?
Speaker (not convinced) : You just discussed the money needed for your research ? Are you sure ? It seemed like you talked for a long time for it to be just that.
(…)

Speaker : Alright, if you say so.
Speaker : Well, now that you're back, we can enjoy the party a bit.
[Ballroom music playing]

Speaker (trying to open up) : I... I was wondering... Well... Uh...
Speaker : You... You don't have to say yes, but would you consider dancing with me ?
(…)
Speaker : You were going to suggest the same thing ? Great, I really wanted to-
Speaker (catching himself) : I mean... uh yeah, I'm fine with dancing with you,

Speaker (moving closer to the Listener) : So... would you grant me this dance ?
Speaker (chuckles) : Well, I'm delighted.
[They step onto the dance floor]

Speaker : Now, place your hand on my shoulder. Yes, like that.
Speaker : As for me... Hm... I'll need to hold you by the waist. I hope that's alright with you.
Speaker : Perfect. Let's begin, then.
[They start to dance]

Speaker : Hey, are you embarrassed or something ? No ? Then why are you avoiding my gaze ?
Speaker : After all, I'm your dance partner right now, you shouldn't take your eyes off me
(…)

Speaker (teasingly) : Oh ? Does the idea of dancing with me make you uncomfortable ? Being in close proximity like this ?
Speaker (contentedly) : It doesn't really bother you ? Well, then stop averting your eyes and look at me.
(…)

Speaker : Hm ? Surprised that I can dance ? Well, it's something I've grown accustomed to.
Speaker : Back where I come from, we had many festivities like this. I received training to perform various dances to entertain my admirers.
(…)

Speaker : Yes, my admirers. Allow me to remind you that I hail from a rather renowned demon lineage.

Speaker (mischievously) : I had quite a following, if you must know...
Speaker (amused) : Oh, did I imagine it, or did you just furrow your brow ?
[He moves closer]

Speaker : Could it be that you're feeling a bit envious, perhaps ?
Speaker (lightly chuckling) : Hey, no need to look like that. You know you're the only one for me. I have no interest in dancing with anyone else...
(…)

Speaker (once again jealous) : Well, unfortunately, I can't say the same about you.
Speaker : Yes, you. Do you think I didn't notice the looks you and the Prince were exchanging earlier ?
(…)

Speaker (more coldly) : Oh, am I just imagining things ? Really ? Because that's not how it seemed to me.
Speaker (now more serious) : I know what I see. Don't tell me I'm wrong.
[Speaker grips the Listener more firmly]

Speaker : You can try to deny it all you want, but I can see what's going on. You can't say that the Prince is not fascinated by you.
Speaker : And don't tell me it's just politeness or protocol. I know attraction when I see it.
(…)

Speaker (more softly) : Listen, I... I don't want to argue with you. But I can't ignore this. Even if you don't feel love for the prince, he, on the other hand, seems quite taken with you.
Speaker : Plus, I'm not blind, you know. I can see that you're troubled. Don't you have something to tell me ?
(Listener explains)

Speaker (shocked) : What ?
Speaker : The prince... He asked you to come and live at the palace ?
Speaker (speaking loudly) : That bastard ! Who does he think he is ?
(The speaker almost shouts, and the dancing and music stop)

Speaker : Oops... I think I spoke too loudly.
Speaker : Everyone's looking at us now.
(The listener grabs the familiar, the fabric wrinkles)

Speaker : Hey, what are you doing ?
Speaker : You want to come out and talk ? But I...
Speaker (resigning) : Okay... I guess I've done enough anyway.

[They step out onto a balcony, surrounded by the sounds of the night]
Speaker : Look, I already know what's on your mind...
(…)

Speaker (awkwardly) : I apologize for my outburst. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the better of me.
Speaker : But seeing him so close to you earlier, and when you said he asks you to move to the palace... It just threw me off.
[He moves closer to Listener]

Speaker : I understand it's not my place to dictate where you go, and I'll stand by you no matter what. But... I'm afraid of losing you.
Speaker : Our connection means everything to me... You're my all word, you know.
(…)
Speaker (a bit surprised) : You… you don't intend to leave ?
Speaker : Well, it seems I worked myself up for nothing yet again... I apologize.
(…)

Speaker : You know, I truly appreciate having you around. And... I don't want you to go away from me.
[Listener kisses the Familiar's cheek]

Speaker (surprised) : Uh, what's with the sudden kiss ?
Speaker : No, no, it's fine, but what prompted it all of a sudden ?
(…)

Speaker : Me too... you are so important to me. More than I can express in words.
Speaker : And despite all the chaos, dancing with you was the highlight of the evening.
(…)

Speaker : So, should we return to the ball ?
Speaker : Well, you're right. Given the commotion I caused, we can't just go back as if nothing happened.
(…)

Speaker : And you seem tired as well. Perhaps it's best we head home.
(…)

Speaker : Come on, let's go home now
(End)
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's note : This script contains elements similar to the MM4A version, but I had to adapt some parts.

I (14m) am not one of the most liked people in my grade, for being gay, eccentric, awkward and weird and all that and people tend to make fun of me for all that. A couple notable examples are these guys named will and elliott. My gf went through my my eyes only section on snapchat cuz i gave her the passcode, and you all could probably guess whats on there so im gonna leave that part out. Anyways, will came over to my gf and i’s lunch table which he does occasionally for about 5 minutes, and my gf told him about my my eyes only as a joke because she said they probably have the same, if not worse on there. Will whispered to his friend, nick, who’s not only friends with my gf but who knows what “it” looks like, and nick put both of his index fingers like a foot apart, and will and his other friend said in unison “jesus fucking christ.” Will now, of course, knows about my my eyes only, and he tried to trick me into giving my snapchat login info so he could delete the entire section because it was “disgusting” and its for my “wellbeing”, but i can probably guess what his true intention was: to send the pictures and to elliott, so they would subsequently be spread throughout the school. What are your thoughts?

It's one thing when we see villains get shot, blown up, or erased from existence. They don't suffer long, and their cause of death is so fantastical that we don't see it happening in real life. However, some debate when karma goes too far. Notable examples include Diavolo's infinite death loop in JoJo Part 5, Jason getting ripped in half by the Upside Down gate in Stranger Things, or Sally petrifying Gabe with Medusa's severed head in an implicit premediated murder in Percy Jackson. However, I think karma can be at its worst when their karma is a real life trauma. I'm not talking about getting killed in self-defense or by their own mistakes, but rather things like sexual assault or abuse.
One example of what I'm talking about is in Durarara! with the character Izumii Ran. Now, Izumii is by no means a nice guy. He's a thug who broke Masayomi's girlfriend's legs, threatened to rape Earthworm, and was an abusive older brother to Aoba because of envy for all the attention their parents give him. So, it would take a lot to make such a vile piece of work unintentionally sympathetic. Well, we get just that in his and Aoba's backstory. After one beating too many, Aoba got back at him by setting his room on fire, which made his parents think he was smoking. When Izumii claimed innocence, his father punches him square in the nose and makes it bleed. And Aoba looks at this with a smug grin on his face. So, not only was Izumii abused, rather violently, by his father, which could very well explain his violent behavior and prove his claims about his parents favoring Aoba correct, and yet we're supposed to see this as karma for bullying Aoba. It doesn't help that the light novel doesn't show us the full extent of how bad Izumii's abuse towards Aoba really was, and the anime just made it a passing mention like he slapped him for taking the last Hot Pocket, so we're just supposed to take the narrative's word for it that he made the brother from Magical Girl Site look like Yu Narukami. If we actually saw the abuse or at least got some indication that he hospitalized Aoba, I can sort of understand why. So, it really just makes Aoba look like a petty, spoiled brat.
My next example happens to Eric Cartman from South Park. Now, Cartman should have been sent to prison ten times over throughout the course of the series. Even making Scott Tenorman eat his parents is a stolen candy bar compared to what he's done since, like using Cthulu to go on a killing spree. Of course, most of the major characters have done something awful by this point. Kyle got Canada nuked, Stan killed a bunch of whalers, Kenny threw a ninja star in Butters' eye and got away with it, Randy became a hitman for the Chinese Government, Gerald trolled a woman until she killed herself, Wendy got a substitute teacher murdered out of petty jealousy, and all of the boys burned their pre-school teacher alive and framed a classmate for it. Cartman just had a higher bodycount (probably). During the Post-COVID specials, we get a glimpse into the future for what happened to the boys after they drifted apart. Kenny became a billionaire, while Stan and Kyle became depressed loners. Cartman turned his life around, converted to Judaism, and was even the only one of the boys to actually have a family. While he conspired to ruin the time travel plan to keep the boys from drifting apart, he ultimately decided to risk his happy life for a better future. So, in the better future, Stan and Kyle are now living happy lives, but Cartman has become a deranged hobo. He's so far gone mentally that he can't even form a coherent sentence for more than two words. Even for Cartman, that was a depressing image to look at.
My final example comes from Harry Potter. Now, I speak for everybody when we say Umbridge was that side villain we hated more than the actual villain, like Shou Tucker, Joffrey Baratheon, or Suguru Kamoshida. Imagine if the teacher everybody at your school hated ran Guantanamo Bay. However, in the end, she was mainly a roadblock for Harry before the climax at the Ministry Of Magic Headquarters. So, how is she dealt with? Well, Harry and Hermione take her to the Forbidden Forest, and after hurling one insult too many at the centaurs, they drag her away into the woods, and Hermione's expression shows that she knew what was going to happen to her before coming in. When we next see Umbridge, she isn't visibly injured, but what happened to her was so traumatizing that she blocked it from memory, and she would get PTSD attacks at the sound of clopping, which Hermione and many others abuse maliciously. There has been a lot of debate as to what really happened to Umbridge, especially after JK Rowling's rather controversial views came out. Now, if you know your Greek Mythology, you'd know that centaurs were notorious rapists, due to having the horniness of men but with the restraint of an animal. Combine that with Umbridge's trauma, you can see why some people think the Centaurs went to town on her, and considering JK Rowling had a degree in literature, she had to have known this. If not, then this was really poorly planned on Rowling's part. Even if Umbridge wasn't raped, it's still kind of fucked up how she gets taunted for her PTSD, even if she was a sociopath who mutilated children. That'd be like if Zuko taunted Azula during her breakdown at the end of ATLA.
In conclusion, even karma can be poorly delivered to a real piece of work of a character, especially when that karma is something that can traumatize everyday people. The punishment has to fit the crime.

I see so much information about what to pack, where to stay etc. I'd love to know what we're your outstanding moments of clarity on the Camino?
For example, on my first Camino I found myself doing a lot of self-reflection but only had my phone to take little notes. This time I'm bringing a small journal and use my spare time in the evenings to put those thoughts to paper.