This might be a bit of a weird offer, but I really want to do this. I've been thinking of starting a youtube channel for tech. I do have all the skills, such as professionally using Premier Pro, SEO, funnelling, and knowledge related to hardware and tech. basically imagine MKBHD stuff.
The only issue is that I don't have the time right now to do that. I have to manage my own data engineering company, my physics research project, and my career as a writer all together.
And that's why I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in working together. If anyone is interested and has a similar mindset, then we can pair up and I can handle the SEO and Writing Scripts part along with pitches of what content plan we should follow based on our resources, budget etc.
The reason this is a bit different than a normal scrip writing hire me post is because it will require not a freelance work but a contract based commitment. Therefore, I'm willing to give 3-4 hours of my day daily for this for the next 3 years at least.
I will charge $0.07 per word if the channel is new.
If it has already grown to around 100k subscribers, I will charge $0.08 per word, and if it has crossed a million subscribers, then I will charge $0.12 per word.
The reason to charge differently is because with a newer channel, the content plan and writing are much easier since you can pretty much just create your own brand voice.
However, as the channel grows, you have to adhere to a standard brand voice (which would have been already set before I even will join) and usually, with a higher subscriber base, we need to have a much higher quality, time and research to compete almost against the big whales like LinusTechTips, MKBHD, MrWhosetheboss, etc.
Competing with them would also mean that I'd have to spend around 2 hours per day alone on keyword research, trends, creating a killer content plan (which would be real time based and not something written 4 months ago) in order to grab a higher audience percentage from youtube and competitors.
Let me know if anyone at all is interested.
you can dm me. I usually respond within 4 hours regardless of the timezone.
I usually stay anonymous, so I won't share an official portfolio or my linkedin here, but if you dm me with an offer, I'll be more than happy to show you.
Meanwhile, here's a link to my drive folder. Im just putting it here to pass the algorthim so I can make this post, but it should work. It also has some samples in scriptwriting.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bM9d0WAP5b_vnV926QlmJ2uCVvOhEb-y

My child recently tested positive for lead. This was concerning but not extremely surprising as our house is very old. We have plans to remodel most of the house, we'rejust goingat our own pace (and its hard remodelingwith a 1yo).
Our doctor mentioned the possibility of sending someone from the health department to talk to us about the lead and that has my partner very panicked. From what I understand they should just talk to us about the paint, maybe take a water sample or something similar but my partner is convinced they will want to search every room of the house and garage and is in a panicked cleaning state and wants to try and rush the remodeling to right now.
If someone would like to share some insights on what actually happens when a health inspector checks for lead that would be really appreciated.

We normally have the kids M-W. I have started to mostly nacho due to burn out between stepkids and in-law obligations. I try my best to limit my responsibilities for the kids to cooking two dinners per week (with husbands help) and doing some very minor clean up after the kids. Other than social interaction, occasionally volunteering to make them lunch/breakfast/driving them somewhere, or monitoring habits like staying on top of their few chores and notifying my husband to handle it, I really don't do too much else and this has been working well for us.
With summer approaching, BM and kids want to do the 2 weeks on/2 weeks off schedule. My husband is going to work a second job to make ends meet and get us out of debt. He doesn't really pay for any of my expenses, so it is more about getting his own finances in order and being in a better place to provide for his family.
I really want to keep our schedule consistent so that we don't have the kids for more than 3 days at a time and so that if my husband needs more help with the kids because he is working more hours, it won't be unbearable for me to take on the extra childcare responsibilities. Also, I desperately need routine for my sleep issues and mental health, and switching it up and adjusting yet again to another change will be really hard on me. It's been so hard to find something that works for us, and this works enough.
As a step parent, how much of a say can I have in their informal custody schedule? It feels like BM calls most of the shots because of her schedule and chaotic life. If it was my choice, we would have the kids just on weekends, so our weekly routine wouldn't be so disjointed and husband would be obligated to do all parenting, since he hasn't been working those days. Plus 2 days is much more manageable than 3 lol.
The main challenge is BM moved an hour away from the kids' school, so she doesn't want to drive back and forth. But that is a choice she made, and i dont think I should suffer the consequences of that.
Husband is willing to accommodate my requests surrounding scheduling, so it is just a matter of coordinating with BM. BM is used to husband being single and always swooping in to help her, take kids extra days, or just accommodate her preferences. Any thoughts or ideas for how to transition to a co-parenting dynamic that is more inclusive of my comforts and makes it less about what is easiest for BM? I was thinking what would be fair is if one of us chooses the school year schedule and the other, the summer schedule, but I think because she lives far from the school she just assumes we have to work around the logistics of that.
I get that what the kids want matters too, but I think the kids will benefit way more from me being functional than stressed out, resentful, and retreating constantly. If I have to plan their meals, do grocery shopping, cook the food and entertain them at times, then I think my preference supersedes theirs.

This is a brief introduction to a setting I've just started working on. Your feedback is much appreciated!
The year is 1921. Seismographs around the world detect a mysterious yet massive seismic event deep in the Tibetan plateau. Rival teams from America, Russia, Britain, and Germany are dispatched to determine the cause of this enigmatic phenomenon. After overcoming numerous obstacles, it is the Germans who succeed in penetrating the plateau, although they are unable to account for the tremendous temblor earlier in the year; one theory holds that it may have been the result of an enormous explosion deep underground, but this is only a theory. What the Germans do discover at the site of the seismic event is an extensive network of caves, and growing in those caves an as-yet-unidentified fungus.
The year is 1939. Hitler unleashes his war machine on Europe, smashing through Poland and then France in a blitzkrieg of epic proportions. His tanks and airplanes baffle the Allied powers with their extraordinary range, their firepower, and their seeming invulnerability to the necessities of refueling. The British Expeditionary Force is cornered and destroyed; Scandinavia is crushed; Nazi tanks roll into the Balkans and Anatolia. The Nazis seem unstoppable; their astonishingly advanced Wunderwaffen carry all before them. Hope, it seems, is fading fast. A lone German scientist, a Jew who has escaped detection, flees the Third Reich and perilously makes his way to Britain, carrying in his possession a single sample of a peculiar fungus whose origins are shrouded in secrecy.
The year is 1952. Man has landed on the moon—in 1947. The Nazi regime has been shattered into a thousand pieces by the combined forces of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The world is now locked in a titanic struggle, not fought with weapons of war, but with brains. Most of Europe now lies under the Red boot, while America struggles to rally the remaining free nations. In secret labs hidden in remote parts of the country, experiments continue on a strange fungus, a fungus which proved so consequential in defeating the Nazis and may hold the key to defeating the Soviets.
The year is 2024. A three-way Cold War persists, between the capitalist Oceanic Treaty Organization, the communist Saarbrucken Pact, and the fragmented but still potent Fifth Reich. Guiding these three superpowers are shadowy cabals of Savants, minds of incredible brilliance who devise the many wondrous technologies that have radically transformed the twentieth century. From genetically engineered battlehounds to hypernukes capable of splitting a continent in half, from thinking machines to orbital death rays, it is thanks to the Savants that humanity has achieved such a high level of technology and it is thanks to their consensus of “mutually assured destruction” that peace has (mostly) prevailed since the end of World War II in 1949. The public believes these Savants to be a natural phenomenon, the result of better education and better identification of those especially gifted by heredity. Only in the most secret corridors is the truth whispered with dread: how the Savants are the result of radical human experimentation, how they have been exposed to the spores of an eldritch and possibly unnatural fungus, spores which opened their minds and boosted their brains, spores which made them more intelligent than any humans who had ever lived and which made them so detached from reality that it has been through sheer blind luck that mankind has survived. Even worse are the whispers of other experiments, using modified versions of the fungus, which has produced grotesque and deeply alien abominations, monsters dredged from the mind and from the soul and, worst of all, from the body. While the public worships their “science-heroes”, thrilling to the adventures of government-sponsored do-gooders like the All-American or Red Star, in bunkers and on space stations, secret plans are laid for the day when the insane Savants ruling humanity from the shadows finally lose their balance and tip humanity into a war more destructive, more annihilating than any previously known...

If you are Worried about your college Exam & coursework, get paid help from Online Helpers at Hiraedu!
Contact Details for Hiraedu Helper:
WhatsApp: +1 (213) 594-5657
Call: +1 727 456 9641
Website: hiraedu. com
Email: info@hiraedu. com
Here are some general tips for college exam help:

1. Start studying early: Don't wait until the last minute to study for your exam. Break up your studying into smaller chunks over several days or weeks.
2. Understand the material: Make sure you understand the concepts and material covered on the exam. Review your notes and textbook, and ask your professor or teaching assistant if you have questions.
3. Make a study plan: Create a study plan that outlines what you need to study, how much time you need to spend on each topic, and when you need to study.
4. Use active learning techniques: Instead of just re-reading your notes, try active learning techniques like summarizing key points in your own words, making concept maps or flashcards, or creating practice quizzes for yourself.
5. Practice with sample questions: Look for sample questions online or in study guides that are similar to what you'll see on the actual exam. This can help you get a sense of the types of questions you'll be expected to answer and how to approach them.
6. Get enough sleep: Make sure you get plenty of rest before the exam. Lack of sleep can impair your ability to focus and think clearly.
7. Stay organized: Keep all your study materials, including notes, practice exams, and any other resources, organized and easily accessible.
8. Seek help when needed: Don't hesitate to ask for help if you're struggling with a particular concept or subject. You can ask your professor, teaching assistant, or a tutor for support.
9. Stay calm and focused: Take deep breaths and try to relax during the exam. Read each question carefully and take your time to answer.
10. Review and adjust: After the exam, review what you did well and what you need to work on. Adjust your study plan for future exams based on what you learned.

Additionally, here are some specific resources that may be helpful:

• Online tutoring platforms like Chegg, TutorMe, or Varsity Tutors
• Study guides and practice exams from textbook publishers or online resources like Quizlet or Khan Academy
• Campus resources like academic support centers, counseling services, or study skills workshops

Remember, everyone learns differently, so it's important to experiment with different study techniques and resources to find what works best for you. Good luck on your exams!

I listened to the Q&A of season 3 is always good to get somethings close to right. It is also nice to learn about things I didn’t notice on my first round. Glad I am not the only one obsessed with Elias voice 😂

• Season 4 Trailer

How am I in season 4 already? Also that trailer my sweet Martin. I am glad despite all he is still sweet.
I don’t know how many days/weeks have been since the mission. Have any of them tried reading statements aloud to him to make him better? Interesting that the non neutral record turned on.

• MAG 121: Far Away

OMG the dream guy! The one that predicted Gertrude’s death. And at the end of that episode John said that he hoped he would be warned beforehand. Also that sentient tape recorder.
He is fucking death? OMG 😱 JOHN NEEDS TO CHOOSE? 😭😭😭😭 but what will he become if he chooses to not give in to the end. Like what does it mean to give in fully to the eye?
Oh no spiders 😭😭😭 is this the season of the web isn’t it? 😭😭😭😭 but also why can the spider request something of someone related to the end?
How does this show just keep getting better and better

• MAG 122: Zombie

I love how much Georgie cares about John without it being implied she still has feelings for him. Just pure friendship, you only get angry at people you really care about
So we know Georgie has seen death. But maybe she is touched somehow. And that is why she can identify the avatar?
SIX MONTHS!!!???
Ohhhhh… is this about the lonely?
“Dusty old white men thinking about existence” 😂☠️ best definition of philosophy
Love how sutil it is how John changes as reading the statement is curing him almost.
“WHAT DID HE DO TO MARTIN?” The tone change in John!!!! I am sure many people in the fandom squealed at that

• MAG 123: Web Development

Yeah this is not just an emotional breakdown… there has to be something more going on
When Gerry talked about the Lucase’s he mentioned something about the lonely. If the other entities have taken notice of the beholding… and are attacking why would Elias appoint someone related to another entity? Now that I think about it on season 1 they mentioned they were patrons… why would they support the institute?
He said “THE ARCHIVIST” not “head archivist” subtle but probably important change
“Spindly” and website… spiders isn’t?
“Welcome to tory Britain” I love how they make obvious their social justice beliefs but in very subtle ways.

• MAG 124: Left Hanging

Omg that interaction with Martin was heartbreaking 😭

• MAG 125: Civilian Casualties

Leg surgery in the institute to save Melanie of a potential slaughter infected bullet was not on my bingo card

• MAG 126: Sculptor's Tool

Martin talking to the tape recorders like they are pets 😭
LMAO the shade towards the archive having archivists with no knowledge how to archive. Though it is by now clear Gertrude disorganized on purpose.
Whatever Lukas told Martin must have been heavy to convince him isolating himself would be for the best
Also of course Elias wanted a ritual and the lonely said something about “FIRST” Lukas doesn’t seem to be referring to the Lonely ritual but more like winning against someone on this race. And I don’t know does it mean because Lukas thinks Elias was wrong he then is trying to make the lonely one happen quickly to beat someone else?
This thing about Lukas not being good with technology will be important later I think

• MAG 127: Remains to be Seen

WHAT IS HAPPENING
Lol the recorder did just appear put of nowhere 😂
They never found Daisy’s body… is that perchance the way Elias thinks he can help defend the institute?

• MAG 128: Heavy Goods

“statement extracted from subject” ☠️
Is very interesting how this statement went through hundreds of years. And of course it did the had much detail because it most feel like that to someone who has lived that long.

• MAG 129: Submerged

Remember when in episode 1 John said he couldn’t stand Martin and he should be fired 😭 and now he is like “I miss you”
The thing about anchors is they seem to be tied to something sentimental. That italy episode the girl thought of her mother. The knife belonging to the grandfather. I am not saying it needs to be a romantic thing just saying it needs to matter. So what is John going to use?
The thing about the buried ritual sounds like the episode with the pit… is that the same?
John entering his pining emo era

• MAG 130: Meat

I keep wondering how far had Gertrude gone into not being “human” or letting the beholding in… or was Gertrude like Bezira, someone that was able to stop all this because she was very resourceful and cold? Like this woman has stopped what…. 4 apocalypses? The buried, the spiral, flesh, also desolation???
Has John not noticed every time he tries to go at it alone it doesn’t go well? But this does show how different he is from Gertrude. Gertrude even sacrificed his own assistants. I am not sure John likes Daisy that much and he here he goes on his way of doing something incredibly stupid
Also don’t trust the web

• MAG 131: Flesh

The sound effects are so disturbing. Which I know is the point.
“the only way was to betray my trust and destroy any other sense of safety” ☠️
It was so hard to understand this episode because I am an ESL
Is all weird how now they are not friends with the spiral but less antagonistic? Lol 😂 apparently allies?
There was this mention that both Melanie and Martin fled. Melanie came back with the knife. Is this where Martin made the deal with the devil?

• MAG 132: Entombed

The static noise increased… and then John said “no need for that I am willing”
OBVIOUSLY SHE IS NOT OK JOHN FOR FUCKS SAKE
“Is this like all your other plans” ☠️☠️☠️☠️
Is very sort of precious when John asks for consent to use his powers
Another thing that will need some explaining is… once they started at the archives they couldn’t be fired or like leave for extended periods of time. But Melanie was being claimed by the slaughter and Daisy by the hunt. But they are connected to the beholding. So how does having connections with more than one work?
Specially both were claimed before getting to the institute but Martin started his connection to the lonely after
I need the archivist team to start bonding on therapy sessions not under traumatic circumstances 😂
But maybe John doing this will win some trust back from Bazira and Melanie
The tape recorders seem to have helped bring John back. Maybe the rib was not necessary 😂 at this stage the recorders are more meaningful to him than a rib so it makes sense

• MAG 133: Dead Horse

“police brutality lawsuit?” The way I laughed 🤣☠️ as someone who lives in the US I lived for that comment. John should be allowed to be funny more often
It is low key hilarious that the hunt loves the chase so much it won’t let it’s own ritual end
I love when John brings real history into the episodes
I will give Bazira a point. John was not there when they were attacked by the flesh. And now she is in charge of protecting everyone from another possible siege

• MAG 134: Time of Revelation

“The future without us” new fear has entered the chat. I find this interesting because “the end” is almost like God like ending. Like God will end our world. And this is described as someone else will come to replace us. Less godlike I guess. Interesting critique of the hubris of humanity actually.
I said on my notes earlier that was not sure what people meant when they said John was a better archivist. Gertrude did have powers like this stament says but unclear then why John is allegedly better. Specially given Adelar just said she was gifted at the dream thing.
I love how Lukas has this static surrounding everytime he speaks. Is that because Martin is not fully allowing him in? Because the static happens with John when he resists his powers
GERTRUDE ALSO FREAKING STOPPED THE LONELY LOL That woman kept herself busy.
Also I WAS RIGHT MARTIN SOLD HIS SOUL FOR HELP
This is not a contradiction more like different information between two people
Basira said that she thought the Beholding was the only one that had not attempted the ritual and that is why the are being attacked.
Lukas said the web and then end, but didn’t mention the beholding
My guess is the discrepancy will become important later.
If the web doesn’t care about her ritual maybe that is why she wanted to help John wake up. But I don’t trust spiders
“Bullheaded archivist hell bent on self destruction” ☠️☠️☠️☠️
“Thankfully I did not agree to protect your friends from their own idiocy” ☠️☠️☠️☠️
OMG LUKAS HAS ME CACKLING “grubby jesus” “pet murderer” “this little soap opera you call an archive” ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
OMG MARTIN IS THE ONE WHO PILED THE TAPE RECORDERS I AM GOING TO CRY

• MAG 135: Dark Matter

FINALLY MANUELA’S SIDE OF THE WHOLE DAEDALUS
Reyna and Elias were FRIENDS WTF
This is a delightful way of merging the fear of dark with the way dark matter works scientifically. Like it did create a super philosophically interesting episode
Like again why should we trust Lucas when he was helping the dark before? So financed the darks attempts, finance the institute. A lot of cooperation from the lonely
I mean yes John was not great during the unknowing. Still why does the archivist have to do this and not Elias. Why didn’t Elias become the archivist then if he is so good at the beholding thing
Also why does Elias insists on Basira being a detective? Nothing Elias does seems to be random. Also I know he is so evil but still find his voice so sexy 😂

• MAG 136: The Puppeteer

OMG the layers on this episode. Trying to put my thoughts in order.
Ohhh Anabelle Caine I had to go through my notes but she is the girl from the crazy psych experiment. Shivers spiders
Are John and Daisy becoming friends? 🥹
Looool calling him out and telling him to get over himself.
He really needed that though. Someone to show him some friendship. He used to he so insufferable at the beginning of the series and I have such a soft spot for him now
OMG Melanie she is so traumatized but the exchange with the therapist was funny.
“So tell me Melanie, what brings this irrational fear or recorders”

• MAG 137: Nemesis

Something I just noticed… Gertrude never calla herself the archivist or head archivist. WHYYYY and yes took me too long to realize this. This woman puzzles me so much.
The 13 entities fighting each other to fonosh the ritual and destroying each other’s chances like petty siblings. Though the eye has stopped at least 4-5 of them. So is the eye just better at stopping them because it “can see”
The only other mention of someone else stopping one is the slaughter stopping the stranger.
Let’s go through the list and who has attempted a ritual based on what WE HAVE HEARD AS RECORD ON THE ARCHIVES

1. The Beholding ❌
2. The Desolation ✅ (Gertrude stopped)
3. The Lonely ✅ (Gertrude stopped, also is the lonely ritual the one in the spaceship?)
4. The Dark ✅ (or at least so far keeps trying)
5. The Buried ✅ (Gertrude stopped)
6. The Stranger ✅ (Team Archives stopped)
7. The hunt ✅
8. The end ❌
9. The web❌
10. The vast (I don’t remember this ritual mentioned yet) ❌
11. The flesh ✅ (Gertrude stopped)
12. The spiral ✅ (Gertrude stopped)
13. The corruption (still unclear to me if what happened at the institute in S1 was the attempt at a ritual or we just know it has been attempted per Lucas’ comment)
14. Extinction ⁉️

This bit of info about Gerry’s father is weird. I may have missed some info but ok so connection to the eye… maybe worked for the institute? How did he ended up partnering with with crazy Mary. Mary did say her mother worked for the institute though

• MAG 138: The Architecture of Fear

This interaction was so interesting for many reasons.

1. Elias is such a punchable asshole
2. Elias speaking of the apocalypse like if it were an ex
3. Seems like there is some sort of consent? That is expected when joining an entity. He said he cannot play mind games just hope Martin makes the right decision
4. That also tells me that even though he says Lukas is saying the truth he doesn’t agree with how he wants to stop it
5. Interesting that someone like the beholding took so long to accept extinction exists as their currency is knowledge
6. Martin is trying to protect John and is being such an idiot about it but omg my queer heart
7. Elias did give Lukas control of the institute, seems like they sort of respect each other. They certainly have an interesting dynamic and for sure there has to be more history behind them

Reyna has been alive for a long time… no reason why Magnus wouldn’t be right?
The institute built over the prison in an attempt to control the powers? Maybe that is what Lukas wants to do
There is a fanfic here about John listening to tapes made by Martin pouring his heart out to him

• MAG 139: Chosen

Sure let’s just DIY a prophet… like lmao
OK the hilltop road story now makes more sense. Seems partly Gertrude is to blame for binding Agnes to the tree if I understood correctly.
Their description of the hell that is raising a child is so accurate 😂
But also this side of the story is missing the tree being torn and how that affected all. But also what did Gertrude do besides the tree.
Also some mention about Gertrude having some protection?
You cannot convince me the answer is something about the feelings outside of fear. More than once empathy, or love or love coded anchors have saved the day.
“Every other avatar gets their feelings burned out of them but I need to sit in mine” talking about Martin AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 😍😍😍

• MAG 140: The Movement of the Heavens

I loooooove when they include the history bits. This episode leaves me with more questions than answers though
Also the shade towards Newton ☠️

• MAG 141: Doomed Voyage

I really love John’s character development. In many ways he is a softer better person. But I love they are not shying away about how these powers corrupt or hurt others

• MAG 142: Scrutiny

Must be so frustrating to Martin that he sacrificed so much for John to make stupid decisions he cannot protect him from 😂

• MAG 143: Heart of Darkness

Something still missing here because, when they tried the ritual it was not the right eclipse according to Basira. In a past recording Gertrude said something about being more proactive. Did that meant maybe giving them bad intel about the eclipse and do something that triggered even if she was death? But I mean they had a literal astrophysicist in their team it doesn’t make sense they got the date wrong.
So the way John sees Helen has been interesting to me for sometime. He didn’t know her, it was just a woman that came to give a statement.
But I think in some way John took it personally that Michael took her from the Institute. Like an affront. Because he was always so angry when Michal said anything about her or after she became the spiral.
I also love how the spiral is chaotic af and was like maybe Michael was TOO CHAOTIC 😂 so now Helen is like a coworker? I mean I guess if the spiral cannot retry their ritual in many hundreds of years, it is in their best interest to stop the other entities from winning?

• MAG 144: Decrypted

“leave me alone for good” the lonely is getting to him 😭😭😭 Martin
But Martin is choosing the lonely to protect others out of love because he has the biggest heart
BUT I DON’T WANT THE LONELY TO TAKE MARTIN. MARTIN ❤️ JOHN FOREVER

• MAG 145: Infectious Doubts

Gertrude is such a terrible person lol I am starting to feel Elias was justified
I know on the end of season 3 they were saying John was disappointing and Elias said so to. But John has been at this for barely 3 years I mean Gertrude must have been also maybe a little bit (not as much) of a mess at the beginning?
This is how you can tell I write and pause and write again 😂 Gertrude is 100% jaded
There is no way you can convince me to stop thinking that the web is like the most villanous of all

• MAG 146: Threshold

If does seems that John has only fed like that at his weakest.
Going to hilltop road is an incredibly stupid idea. I should go to sleep. Ir I end up doing one more I will keep continuing lol and I have to teach tomorrow

• MAG 147: Weaver

SHE SAID TO KEEP THINGS “ON TRACK” THE WEB HAS A MASTER PLAN THAT HAS NOT BEEN REVEALED. If they are trying to stop extinction this season does this make the web the big villain of the series?
Also Anabelle was a sociopath way before the web got to her. the worst villians are the parents that hate their children
“I don’t want to stop” did that she say addiction is one of the strongest forms of control?

• MAG 148: Extended Surveillance

Bazira kicking and punching Elias was so satisfying 😂
Daisy is still human though
“Talk to him” I am 100% sure wanted to cry because that felt like a knife to the heart
I feel a little called out 😂 I was like yeah yeah spooky statement BUT WHAT ABOUT METAPLOT AND THE NEXT EPISODE

• MAG 149: Concrete Jungle

Wait wait… are the medical students from season one related to the extinction?
John talked a lot about Martin to Melanie 🥹

• MAG 150: Cul-De-Sac

If you know it is a risk everyone can have WHY DONT YOU GO AND KISS MARTIN YOU IDIOT
Something my brain just realized… some episodes ago Elias said Gertrude was very good at obfuscating things (or was it Lukas) not the spiral is confusion but without rhyme or reason. Obfuscation is purposeful, she even bought different types of labeling systems to make the archives disorganized. Leitner said that Elias killed her because she wanted to destroy the archives. But Arthur talked about her as if she really was super into the beholding. WHAT IF SHE CHANGED SIDES TO THE WEB AND THAT IS WHY ELIAS KILLED HER. That is why she was making a mess of things etc
Also I feel everyone is being so unfair to John (how I have come around)

• MAG 151: Big Picture

Simon Fairchild! The awful dude of the vast
“I lost a bet” 😂☠️
I really like this guys voice and how he is characterizing Fairchild.
“Apocalyptic midwifery” 😂☠️
Ngl Fairchild makes some solid points
LMAO 🤣 Martin being like ARE YOU TELLING NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING 😂 “grand cosmic joke” indeed
“John found the tapes you made for him” 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 and he is just waiting for Martin to come to him! 😭😭😭😭😭

• MAG 152: A Gravedigger's Envy

The entities feed on fear but also interesting how their servants/cultists are not afraid of that fear. They even sound loving of the harm they cause
Ok John just said exactly what I wrote above lol
John still sounds rational and like himself-ish. But one can say the same about Lukas, Fairchild or Elias. even Helen feels humanish (though less each time)
This convo with Helen got so philosophical lol

• MAG 153: Love Bombing

So before this podcast i never saw myself as a horror girly. I think is because I had just been exposed only to jump scare horror. But I have always been fascinated by cults. So I love how this is intersecting here
Yep I mean we all knew Julia and crazy vampire hunter would comeback eventually. If only the eye had warned John a little sooner
Daisy 😭😭 I don’t want to lose Daisy to the hunt.
John has become so caring to everyone his little monster heart has grown so much
I love the critique of the police and how they protect the bad ones

• MAG 154: Bloody Mary

Ohhhh such an interesting twist. The eye trying hard to keep John away from some tapes. And John having strength to defy that
Now that I think about it what did John study at university?
We know the taperecorders are not neutral. Like if the archives really didn’t want this knowledge to be known eventually then why they didn’t stop recording? Because the eye couldn’t help itself on having such a good meal?
“Fuck” is the only way to react to the information about blinding yourself.
A way for “us to leave” “you and me… escape” 😭😭😭 this is the closest thing to confession of his love to Martin on tape.
I AM NOT OK! I AM NOT OK AFTER THIS EPISODE
If this is the rest of the season I won’t be able to take meaningful notes

• MAG 155: Cost of Living

Very hypocritical of Bazira to let Daisy hunt to keep her alive but being super angry at John for feeding
I knew where this was going but hope it wasn’t. As a mom this episode will haunt me
Good for you Melanie! I am guessing Georgie will take care of her

• MAG 156: Reflection

“I think I still care that he hears my voice” 😭😭 why is that breaking me
Has Martin really gone on the deep end or he is playing Lukas
I AM NOT DOING OK I am glad my teaching duties are over for the semester to have the time to binge finish this

• MAG 157: Rotten Core

A fucking pandemic? I just looked at the release date “October 10, 2019” ☠️☠️☠️☠️ no comments
“And no eyes may see you slumber”
I cannot believe I am saying this but he needs to go find Elias

• MAG 158: Panopticon

How is Lukas saying stuff like “very good” to Martin sound so web like
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
“Watching over my institute” HOLY SHIT ELIAS IS MAGNUS
Gertrude chose to stay human that explains a lot actually
OMG OMG He cannot let John die Martin wont
Daisy 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Bazira and Daisy love each other so much
“John came back so suddenly I had a reason” 🥹🥹🥹🥹
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS HAPPENING
John opening himself to follow the lonely is playing directly into what Elias wants
This cliffhanger should be illegal

• MAG 159: The Last

“Tell me your story Peter Lukas” OH MY FUCKING GOD
A FUCKING BET A MOTHERFUCKING BET
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH 🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

• MAG 160: The Eye Opens

OMG The banter between Martin and John ❤️❤️❤️
He sounds so fucking healthy and happy when starting to read the statement. With a smile on his face
I AM NOT OK! I AM NOT OK!

My daughter will be starting UF in the Fall, living on campus. She hopes to live with a roommate in Beaty or Hume dorms. She's younger than most, turning 17 in July, a month before classes begin. She will not be working her freshman year.
I expect her to drive home one weekend a month and family plans to visit her for the day on one weekend a month also.
She currently spends almost all of her limited spending money on fast food or Publix subs, and rarely, if ever cooks herself.
Can any current students at UF with similar experiences share input on recommendations for us? Thanks so much!

Here's how to farm Super Credits in Helldivers 2:
Mission Selection:

• Difficulty: Pick the easiest difficulty (Trivial). This lets you focus on exploration without getting bogged down in combat.
• Mission Type: Short missions like Eradicate or Blitz are ideal. You can prioritize speed over completion.

Farming Strategy:

• Gear Up for Speed: Use Scout armor for maximum movement speed. Consider a Stamina Enhancement perk for extra sprints.
• Prioritize Points of Interest (POIs): These are marked with question marks (?) on your compass. Each level 1 mission has around 10 POIs. Explore the entire map and loot every one.
• Double-dip with Medals: Look for secondary objectives like activating the radar. Completing these awards Medals which are another valuable resource.
• Mission Reset: If you find a mission with good POI placement, you can exploit a loophole (might get patched later). Just complete the mission, close the game entirely, and relaunch. You'll be back in the same mission ready to farm again.

Additional Tips:

• Supply Drops: Bring a Supply Pack to ensure you have enough ammo and grenades for exploration.
• U4GM offers a 6% off coupon code "z123" for Helldivers 2 Items, Super Credits, Medals, Requisition Slips, Samples.
• Fast Travel: If playing with a team, consider using Strategic Drop Beacons to quickly reach far-flung POIs.
• High Ground: Landing on a high point initially can give you a good overview of the map to plan your exploration route.

it's long, and lots of military jargon, apologies.
reading another story (https://www.reddit.com/MaliciousCompliance/comments/1ci9zw4/rewrite\_your\_prices\_to\_gouge\_money\_from\_students/) made me think of this from years gone by.
was in the marines in 1987 , stationed at mcas kaneohe on oahu. beautiful place to live , horribly expensive to do much of anything off base due to prices. we lived in a squad bay LITERALLY across the street from the base burger king. always been a fan of their product, what can i say.
our battalion's chow hall was a 10 minute walk from the barracks i stayed in. the closest barracks to the chow hall was 7-8 minute walk. the chow hall was named anderson hall ( named for a navy cross recipient if memory serves)and it was a shithole, even by 1980's marine infantry standards. think biloxi blues chowhall scene style. all the tables and chairs were broken/lopsided, no condiments, bland, oveundercooked, you get whatever they have screw you deal with it, you're in the infantry. or don't eat.
some of you know this feeling.
if you don't know, if you are in the us military service, chow is part of the compensation you get. they don't say what, how much or how often, but it's part of the deal.
if you were not in your area at chowtime and , say, ended up at the airwing chow hall, you ( with your chow hall card) could eat there instead. they won't turn you down because you are at the wrong chow hall , but they definitely keep track of that
since the long walk ( compared to burger king) in the hot humid hawaiian sun to the aforementioned shithole on my time was not appealing to me i would go to the bk lounge a couple lunches a week. along with lots of other lcpl's from my unit ( as well as others that "ate" at anderson hall) . the bk got busy but they would do their thing and life was as ok as it gets for a lcpl in the marine infantry not out in the field. the airwing chow hall got a lot of repeat business as well.
apparently the battalion commander through the mess hall officer got wind of this, probably due to the large # of "meals" being "prepared" and not "eaten" on a daily basis. also the other chow halls probably were bitching about all the extra meals they had to prepare for irritated marines who "don't belong" in their decent, well maintained chow hall where there are options and politeness and 2nd's and edible food. i can say this with confidence, because orders got issued and everyone who had a chow hall card ( and could "eat" for free) was to line up at their respective barracks 3x a day, have a headcount to make sure that nobody was missing, and then marched to the anderson hall for their "meal".
being the good marines that we were, we submitted to this latest assault on common decency with all the grace you would expect from pissed off infantry grunts.
there are several types of unit movements in the marines, route step being one. route step is a very casual unit march where you can be casual about the movement, talking is permitted, etc. day 1 we went to the chow hall route step
bitch, bitch, bitch all the way there until we were dismissed from formation to go "eat" .
once dismissed, fully 2/3 of us walked away without setting a foot in the chow hall. repeat several times a day for several days.
the poor nco who would be forced to route step us down there got so tired of the bitching about bad chow ( and life in the infantry in general) we ended up marching to the chow hall ( imagine movie/parade unit movement everyone in step, facing forward, looking good and most definitely no bitching) to make his life just a little less worse for having drawn the short straw and assigned this task.
initially, if we were "off" on the weekend , we wouldn't have to march to the chow hall. this lasted 1 weekend. 2nd weekend, if you were found in the barracks at chow time, in formation and off to chow you went. most marines were never slow on the uptake and were scarce if in the area on the weekend during certain times
finally, the lightbulb turned on and someone came up with the idea of asking why we didn't want to eat at the chow hall. what a day, given permission to bitch about your shitty conditions, with theoretically no repercussions.
at first it was the platoon sergeant, with an informal bitch session. bitching completed, he took his results to the platoon commander, who apparently didn't believe the 15 year veteran infantryman, so then a platoon meeting was called with the platoon commander (1st Lt) in charge. the tone and language definitely changed, but the bitching came fast, furious, and amazingly politely to the LT.
he reports this to the Captain, who holds a company meeting , rinse and repeat.
still not good enough, major buffnuts from battalion has to come down and hear the exact same thing ( although much more politely) he has been told 3 times already.
after our little chat with major buffnuts, the force marching to the chow hall stopped, and all was quiet over the weekend.
come monday morning, the chow hall officer and the senior enlisted "chef" were mysteriously reassigned, replaced by the next punching bags assigned to lovely anderson hall.
we were also told that airwing chow halls were off limits to the unwashed grunts.
it got a lot "better" but never good. i would like to think that major buffnuts or the colonel went to anderson hall and sampled the wares, but that would be asking too much. things were definitely edible after the culling, but never airwing good. someone fucked up on several occasions and i ended up on the pearl harbor navy base and ate like a king comparatively
i think that this is the only time in my military career that bitching about something bad and needing a change actually had a positive impact.

This got rather long. I just wanted to write this down somewhere.
My (37M) sister (41(F) were never too close. She honestly wasn't a great sister growing up, would take any opportunity to embarass me in public while I was an invested little brother that saved her ass multiple times. I think part of her behaviour was fueled by resentment over of some perceived and some real preferential treatment from my mom.
Our relationship got better after she moved out. She quickly got pregnant to twin girls who are my whole world. I've always suffered from mental health issues (Bipolar disorder with long depressive episodes and recently diagnosed ADHD) and felt like I had a purpose with them, whaterever that meant.
So years go by, I move out, sister moves to a different city, gets divorced and in a ton of debt (not the fault of ex husband, who is a good dad, pays alimony and more), mom moves in with sister and takes loans to pays her debts, after a while sister twists the narrative to say that mom is stealing from her by expecting her to pay the loans, refuses to drive mom around (she doesn't know the city) and actively mistreats her, so mom moves back to my city with nothing, takes a low paying job where she also sleeps so she can pay her (my sister's) debts, while on her days off she crashed at my apartment which I shared with roommates. Mom and sister make up and mom moves city to be with her and kids again, but now I can take a bit of charge so I'm sending money to mom every month so that she doesn't get taken hostage again and to suplement my sister's salary which I know isn't much. If mom needs to go somewhere, she lets me know and I'll call an uber for her.
So sister gets on a relationship with this abusive guy ("POS"), classic type who alternates mistreatment with lovebombing. They break up, get back together, POS smashes her windshield, he smashes her front door, he fights in front of the girls. By this time I'm talking to her less and less because I don't know if it's her or POS talking to me. He reads my messages badmouthing him and sends me loads of threats. He tells me accurately where I work and actually called my work, only sister can have given him this information, I file a police report, and tell sister that I won't visit her anymore if he's there (I usually visited every 2-3 weeks). POS threatens me more that I'm middling in his relationship and he will kill me, obviously she told him that too. I arrange with them to visit again without meeting him, sister traps me to meet him to patch things "for her sake". I don't, I tell POS everything I think of him, he gets furious and I can see his vein popping while he holds himself from attacking me, probably "for her sake". I see that as an absolute win, but, now the girls's birthday was ruined and mom won't let me visit anymore because she's afraid for me. Situation continues to escalate.
It's now 2019, mom calls me every now and then when something POS does something new and/or she's scared, but she won't let me do anything or go there, She also doesn't go out or come visit me anymore because she doesn't want to leave the girls alone with my sister and POS. By this point I'm gathering evidence, talking to the girls's dad and a lawyer to file for custody, so I can at least save the kids from growing up lile that and also free mom. As we're getting things ready, the situation gets out of hand (I never find out what specifically happened), and my mom and kids come to my shared apartment while sister stays back with the plan to get away herself as soon she can. The kids chose, with the dad's agreement, to live with me and my mom. We shared a single bedroom in an small apartment with 2 other guys for a couple months while I worked my ass off and looked for a house and school.
I raised these kids the best I could. I quit therapy to save money, I worked my butt off and got 4 promotions in 2 years to provide better for them. Sister never sent a penny, but she would wire me the alimony from their dad, who also paid for half the school fees. Now I'm also paying mom's debts, from all the loans she took to bail sister out. Sister moved cities, we traveled to help her with the new house and to bring her dog and she would the girls visit once a month. In the mean time, POS calls me to demand money back that he spent on my sister's car (from fixing the damage he caused by smashing it), and later I found out that no only she got back with POS, and that he travels with her to my city when she comes to visit the kids and waits nearby, so now he knows where I live. I move houses again (and girls change schools) and sister doesn't visit for a while, until she appears in my new place with her bags, having left POS. I have a panic attack, thinking it's a matter of time until she sets him after me and the girls again (and I feel terrible for this, because I should be happy for her, but my concern was bigger).
This is mid-pandemic. She finds a job as a cashier, so I tell her to wear a mask when she's inside and give her a separate room outside. I don't ask for anything from her, I'm taking care of 5 people now. With time, I get more relieved that POS seems to be definitely out of her life, but my trust in sister is absolutely shattered at this point. I know that she (or POS) stole my mom's heirlooms when they lived together, plus the loan situation so I always keep my distance. Once I found a bank statement opened outside, she said that it was wet (true), so she opened it to dry for me but forgot to let me know. I say thank you, but next time just let me know, don't open my stuff. She gets offended. Sister also resents that I didn't happily welcome her with open arms in her lowest moment, and that I'm "making up rules to humiliate her because she's at a low point" by asking only her to wear a mask (I WFH, and the girls had rigit protocols too). I was firm. At this point, mom have advanced chronic disease and can barely climb 3 steps of stairs without losing her breath, so yeah, mask up. I'm not killing grandma. We're cordial but distant, basically acquaintances who happen to share the girls in a weird way. One of the kids is particularly happy to have her mom back and won't stop antagonising me. I'm not surprised, but I make the mistake of engaging, and I don't like lying so I would answer honestly why I didn't trust her mother. This would bite me in the ass later.
After a few months, sister moves out to a small apartment down the street, then moves cities again. She barely comes to visit, the kids don't miss her, but that bratty attitude stayed. Come 2022, the girls are 14, and mom passes from her illness. I arrange to have sister come so i can tell her in person, as I really didn't want her to learn about it alone and then have to take the road. I pick her up from the bus and tell her, we cry together then brace to pick the girls at school and tell them. She froze so I told them, but I'm glad that she was there. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Our dad makes a rare appearance. So they stay with the girls while I go after hospital, documents, funeral homes, to arrange the cremation for the next day (These things are fast in my country, it's hot and we do not embalm so need to bury/cremate quickly, and only have 2 days of bereavement leave so we all would had to get back to work on the third day.)
Now, it's been years of stress and all has been taking a huge toll on my mental health and I've honestly done pretty well. Anxiety over my mom's, sister's and nieces' safety, working like a madman to earn enough to provide for 4 people + debts, fear of getting jumped at any moment if POS decides to stalk me, the dog that they got without telling me, one of the girls making everything harder than it needs to be, taking care of my sick mother (with time she stopped being able to walk unassisted, to cook, to help with the house and the girls), then the grief that I couldn't properly deal with because I was on charge of everything else. I had random 10 minutes intervals to cry when I was alone going between places, and work was becoming too much, I had a great boss, but he resigned and I learned that it wasn't the company/job that were great, it was him filtering a lot of shit from getting to me.
So I start asking for help. Girls are not doing chores and that's impacting me, it's too much for me, I explain and ask them, nothing changes. I've had no social or dating life since the pandemic started to protect my mom. I ask the girls to let me know in advance when they are going to their dad so I can live too, they don't, they change plans, they sabotage my attempts to gather some friends at home. It's not their fault, they are 15, of course they are selfish, they always lived in a tiny house sharing a room with mom and grandma, and now they want to enjoy living with the (perceived) "rich uncle", and I've been changing meds with my doctor for 2 years and holding on until I can't. Nothing helps with my mental health, I quit my meds and stop going to the doctor. I get fired from my job, I see the accumulated piles of dishes that they refuse to do and I can't bring myself to cook. I'm barely getting out of my room at this point. They always had food, help with school and social life, but I'm not a good caretaker to them anymore at this point, However I know that they don't want to live with their mom and whoever she's dating in a small town or with their dad, step mom and stepsiblings, so I just exist and burn througn my savings prolonging the situation as much as I can.
Money start to run out, the kids realise it's not a good long term situation for them either, we talk and they decide to move back with their mom, I completed my mission, I saved the kids from a terrible situation and I'm letting my money keep them comfortable as it runs out. They move out and I stay while I can still afford to pay rent. Niece lets me know that sister has has an empty apartment in another city that I can move into. I ask sister, she agrees, I move. I didn' have a plan at this point. Maybe I'd go back to work on the same area, maybe I'd go after something new, maybe I'd just end everything, but I had the dog with me and she would be here alone. I need to get someone to take care of her, but maybe I'll get better as I live to wait for it. So meanwhile I'm just (barely) existing. Barely a month later, sister breaks up and asks me to move in. Obviously I agree immediately, it's her apartment. So she moves in with 1 kid (the other had a fight and went to live with their dad) We make plans to start working. She gets a job quickly, my savings run out and I still can barely shower or eat a meal a day (I lost like 20 kg in 6 months), so now she's actively providing for me. I try to cook, do the dishes and keep the house clean as much as I have the energy to (which is not up to her standards, as she made clear).
3 months go by. She asked me about the job, I reply honestly that it's been very difficult to exist, that this is the most depressed I've ever been. I do my best to help her kind of forget that I'm here. I stay in my room on her days off, try not to leave a mess, clean after the dog. She tells me I need to move on anyway. In the end, she's not wrong. So last Sunday, she texts me asking to move out. She doesn't want to talk, but having me around is damaging her mental health, we're too different, and she will move to a new place with her kid and wants me out so she can ready the apartment to rent to someone else.
I don't have any more savings. I worked my butt off for years and had a high-paying job, but it all went to provide for her daughters, to repay the debt my mom took on her behalf, our mom's funeral wasn't cheap either and I also paid for it by myself (she offered help, but I know that she always earned much less than I do and her contribution honestly wouldn't have made a difference). I don't know anyone in this city, My health is fucked from barely moving or eating in months. I can get a random job but it will still be weeks until I get paid and then have enough to afford a rent + deposit. I can't just go puff, and I would love to.
This is very framed around my sister because a lot of my life was spent dealing with the consequences of her actions and she's the one kicking me out, so even if we're not close and technically she has no obligation towards me, I would hope her not to be this quick to disregard everything I have done,. but I realise my own role getting me in this situation. I mean, at least if I discount that I was doing the best my mental illness allowed me to. I could have stopped it at multiple points, by having the girls move out after my mom passed, could have refused to pay my mom's debt too, could (and definitely should) have lived more more frugally. For their 15th birthday, I flew the girls for a vacation where we saw their favourite artist in concert, I don't regret it but they acted very entitled and I didn't have a good time, in fact I came back feeling terribly sad and unappreciated, so I could not have spend any money on that and let their spend those 2 weeks of vacation with one of their parents instead. Hell, I could not have taken them in in the first place. I'd be well set if I only had myself to provide for with my latest salary. I was also not bad looking without these dark circles from depression and was great company while in good spirits, who knows if in another universe I have a nice husband.
Now everybody moves on and I stay fucked and alone. And prAobably on the streets with a dog I didn't want (but that I would give my life for. No doggie slander on this thread).

Just recently got back after a 3-week stay in Tokyo
1. QR CODE at the airport - if you want to have a smooth/quicker immigration process, it helps A LOT if you fill up the immigration questions on “Visit Japan Web” in advance (I did mine at home before flying). It will give you a QR code at the end which you need to save on your phone (as screenshot) so you can use it later at the airport, either a staff will ask for it or you tap it on a machine there, or both.
2. SUICA - there is a shortage but yes you can still get this in some places. A lot of people here have reported that they were able to get it from the airports. When I arrived in Haneda, the first kiosk I saw was Pasmo so I instead got this. However it was only valid for 30 days so the last 85 yen was forfeited as I didn’t get the chance to spend it anymore. I also was able to get a physical Suica card at Tokyo Station. I went to travel office/tourism office of some sort and showed my passport.
Another option is, If you are an iPhone user (newer models), you should be able to add Suica as your travel card on your apple wallet. It’s already pre-installed and you just need to add it/choose it as your travel card, then you can top it up via Apple Pay using your debit or credit card that is also in your apple wallet.
Once you have digital Suica, you don’t really need anything anymore as a form of payment. Travel cards such as Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA etc. can be used as a form of payment virtually everywhere. You can pretty much pay contactless anywhere except in very very few places like temples, games like grab machines, capsule toys etc, coin-operated laundry, otherwise you don’t need cash. I withdrew about 10k yen for this purpose and I just made sure to spend every bit of it so I don’t have to carry it back home. But you will still survive without cash at all. It’s mostly contactless now. 15 years ago on my firs trip to Japan, it was still cash-based! Now, not anymore.
3. CASH - If you still prefer cash, then 7/11 is your bet. I withdrew from 7/11 atm machine next to my hotel. It has the best rate and did not charge me any international fee. In some train station, you will also see 7/11 atm machines.
4. E-SIM - this is an easy problem to solve, at least for me. Based on my readings here, I found that either Airalo or Ubigi is the best to go. I downloaded both apps on my iPhone and only Airalo was easier to use because the Ubigi app just didn’t work, it just didn’t let me press some buttons so I eventually gave up and went for Airalo which was absolutely easier to use. I bought a 20GB that’s valid for 30 days. Reason being it’s just a few dollars additional to double from 10GB to 20GB. But it ended up UNUSED cos for 3 weeks I was only able to use 8GB and that is with HEAVY use for the entire 3 weeks, lots of social media browsing and I even uploaded photos and videos. So, unless you’re a heavy user, 10GB or lesser should be fine.
Feel free to use my code "RO8362"to get a $3 dollar off.
5. LANGUAGE - there was absolutely no moment where I froze or hesitant or scared because I didn’t speak Japanese. I only know a few words (Konnichiwa, Arigato gozaimasu, sumimasen, oyaho..) and to be honest I only used two words most of the time. To open a conversation I’d say Konnichiwa then proceed in English, then of course I thanked them with Arigato, and a bit of a bow. That’s it.
6. RESERVATIONS - as long as you don’t go to establishments that Social media are hyping, you don’t need to be scared of not getting in. I’ve never once had to reserve for a seat. I just walked in all the restaurants I went to. There are tons and tons of good, if not better restaurants out there that are waiting for your business. You don’t need to rely on social media for a good restaurant experience. Chances are, you’ll have a better experience at restaurants that are not endorsed by social media!
7. SHOES - I only brought one pair. They are hiking shoes, very very light and waterproof. It’s been broken in for at least a year so it was really comfortable and perfect for a Japan trip. Because my trip was not rigid and planned, I didn’t really stress out with walking. Most of the time, I go out without even a plan. I was staying in Shinjuku so I would just go to Shinjuku station, look on my google map and decide right there and then where I want to spend my day. I take the Metro all the time so it helps a lot in walking less. I never once felt I was tired from walking. Maybe because I walked with ease and I wasn’t chasing this and that, I was taking my time. I had plenty.
8. SHINKANSEN - I did travel very short distance - coming back to Tokyo from my Yokohama excursion. It’s my first time to ever ride a Shinkansen and buy a ticket. It was a breeze. There’s an English option and you just follow the instructions. It will spit out both the ticket and the receipt. Make sure you keep them both. When I arrived in Tokyo Station, I first did some food shopping before I proceeded in finding my next train to Shinjuku. After arriving in Shinjuku and exiting, the machine gave me an error reading and won’t let me exit. I tried several times and eventually gave up so I asked for help from the station staff in a window and explained to him what’s happening. All I had to do was to show my Shinkansen receipt, it’s a proof that I indeed pay my Yokohama-tokyo trip before ending in Shinjuku so he just charged my Tokyo-Shinjuku trip. If I threw away the Shinkansen receipt, he would have charged me from Yokohama - Shinjuku.
9. LUGGAGE - if you can help it, travel very very light. The hotel I stayed in wouldn’t let me deposit my luggage before and after check in and they were apologetic about it. Of course some hotels have space so find out in advance. I arrived 5 hours early so I had to kill time first. Because, the hotel had no space for luggage, I went to Shinjuku station and lounge about there. There were so many coin-operated lockers but I’d rather just sit and wait for a few hours. Also, if you travel light, you can use the extra space in your luggage for your purchases later such as souvenirs!!!
10. WHERE to stay? - this really depends on you but if your main consideration is safety, anywhere is safe. If your concern is getting to your hotel early, then choose a place next to a metro station. If your main concern is shopping options, then stay near Ginza. In my case, I wanted to stay near the area where there’s non-stop entertainment so I chose Shinjuku, a city that never sleeps they say lol. 15 years ago on my first trip, I stayed in Akasaka and it was absolutely gorgeous there as well. So anywhere is fine really, depends on your priority.
11. HOW TO BEHAVE - there are only three things I am very very familiar with and I follow ALL THE TIME: (1) NOT TALKING on public transport (2) NOT EATING while walking (3) making sure you take your trash/rubbish with you. You should be fine if you follow these three at least. Generally, just don’t be a dick and you will not get in trouble lol.
12. TAX-FREE SHOPPING - I don’t even bother queuing for tax-free shopping. It’s not worth it. It’s about 10% so if I spent a total of $1000 dollars on shopping spree, I’ll be happy to give that $100 dollars to JAPAN cos I know they will spend it wisely. All consumables don’t qualify for tax exemption anyway, so why bother. If you’re still inclined to save a few penny, then by all means. But be prepared to queue and show your passport at the counter.
13. TEAMLAB PLANET vs BORDERLESS - if you can only afford one, choose either, they're both unique on their own. Planet has route you have to follow so once you're done you can't reenter anymore. Borderless has no route so you go from one installation to another in random, you might miss some or not, and you decide when to quit and find the exit door.
14. TOKYO SKY TREE - the only important tip I have here is book the combo package that includes the higher observation deck (i think its called Tembo?). The higher observation deck has better layout cos the sun can give a natural lighting effect in your photos while the lower observation deck doesnt have that effect.
15. NAVIGATION - yes it's true. Google maps really works well with planning your trip in Japan. I didn't know google maps can be this helpful until I used it during this trip.
16. PRICES - If you want to quickly translate the price in yen to the price in your own currency, just remember how much is 1 dollar (for example) in yen. I'm from UK and at the time 1£ was roughly 192 yen. So I can quickly translate how much is my meal in £££. If I see a ¥1000 yen ramen bowl, I know it should be roughly £5 (1000/192 = 5.20). If I buy a ¥650 key chain, i know it's around £3 something, etc.
Happy travels!!!🎌

This weekly “quick questions” travel discussion and meet up mega thread has been set up by the moderators of koreatravel.
This is a reminder that any standalone posts must be related to travel IN South Korea. Any posts related to entry/exit requirements, visas or passport questions will be removed and should be posted as comments in this thread.
Any “quick” questions relating to travel within Korea can be posted here. For example: “Where can I buy a travel adaptor?” or “Where can I buy souvenirs in Seoul?”. Many questions are frequently asked, so it's always a good idea to search the sub for past discussions before asking simple questions.
As always, please read the sub rules before posting or commenting. Cheers and happy travels!

South Korea Entry Requirements

These entry requirements are for visitors/tourists and NOT for long term residents with an ARC (Alien Registration Card). If you have questions about student or work visas, please visit the following subreddits instead: living_in_korea, teachinginkorea

• K-ETA for visa free entry: http://www.k-eta.go.kr Follow the directions exactly – bureaucracy loves rules. Do as they say and don’t take any shortcuts with pictures, etc. UPDATE: There is a temporary K-ETA exemption until December 2024 for those with passports from 22 countries: https://overseas.mofa.go.ksg-en/brd/m_2435/view.do?seq=761438
• Q-QODE is not required for entry
• If you have a passport from a country that is NOT listed under the K-ETA or eligible for visa free entry: you must apply for a tourist visa prior to departure. More info here: https://overseas.mofa.go.ksg-en/brd/m_2444/view.do?seq=761433&page=1

South Korea Tourism and Travel/Covid-19 Updates

• There are currently no quarantine, testing or vaccine requirements to enter South Korea
• Mask usage is left up to personal choice, except in medical facilities where they are required

Weekly Meetup: Travel Together!

If you want to meet up with fellow travelers when you’re in Korea, please post a comment here. Any standalone meet-up posts will be removed.
Always be aware of potential risks of meeting strangers online. Be careful and be safe.
To better match yourselves up, you may want to (but not required for now) fill out the following questionnaire:

1. Age, gender, party, group, Nationality
   
2. Purpose of meet up
   
3. Length of meet up
   
4. Date/potential dates
   

Example:

1. M, 33, solo traveler, USA
   
2. Looking for food buddies to try Korean meals that require 2+ people
   
3. Just for dinner, I have plans after
   
4. Anytime this week, even today is possible
   

Have any of you had any experience with offering a meal plan service to your gym members? As either as just a template, or working with a company to deliver meals to members? If you did implement this service, did you find it worthwhile the investment to offer meal plans or would you skip it?

So, I've been wanting to do an extended fast (20+ days, perhaps considerably longer) for some time now. I have 80 pounds of fat to lose total (Male, 22, 6'1, 277 pounds), and would love to make a true dent into that number with a long fast. The longest I've ever gone was 8 days, and that was 2 or 3 years ago.
Recently, I have set out to do longer fasts. My first goal has always been to get to 7 days and then reassess and set a second goal, but my ultimate goal was to go 20 or 30 days. I never even got close to a week. The furthest along I've managed to get this last year has been to day 4. In my recent attempts, I fail because food just starts to seem like the only thing on the planet that matters. The thought of it becomes almost literally irresistible, and I end up caving on day 2, 3, or 4. It truly is all mental. Back in 2021 I was able to do 5, 6, and 7 day fasts with very little mental stress. I'm really not sure what's different now. Perhaps you think the answer is "just use more willpower", but I promise you, I have been using all that I have just to get to day 4. To go much longer (particularly as long as I really WANT to go) just feels more and more out of reach for me each time I try and fail. It used to be the case that just applying a little mental effort was sufficient to get me to a week, and now everything I have barely gets me halfway there. Something else is different, and it's not simply a matter of me being weak-willed.
My dad just finished a 21 day fast. He lost 30 pounds (200 to 170). He exercised hard the entire time. Watching him do it was absolutely amazing. He had been eating like total crap for the last few months. And he simply said one day "I'm gonna do a 3 week fast". Started it the next day. And did the entire thing flawlessly and with no complaints. It's what I've been trying and failing to do for so long now. His success has reminded me how powerful extended fasting can be and has motivated me to try again. But I need a different approach. I can't just keep banging my head against the wall and hoping this next time somehow goes differently.
So here's what I was thinking. I'm going to do a 3-week build up before starting my extended fast. The first week, I'll do one meal a day (23:1), as I know this is well within my capabilities. I still occasionally eat this way anyway just on accident, and it does not feel like a strain. After that, I want to do two 48 hour fasts, breaking each with one meal and then immediately starting the next one again, then after that jumping straight into a 72 hour fast. Finally, a 120 hour (5 day) fast. Then, after breaking that, I set out for at least a 20 day fast, actually feeling prepared to succeed.
The purpose of the build up period is NOT to lose weight. I won't even weigh myself during it, because I don't care. I obviously will lose some weight doing all that fasting, particularly the second and third weeks of build up, but it's besides the point. The true goal is to get practice with not eating for increasingly extended periods of time.
Have any of you found that "preparing" for extended fasts in ways like this to be really beneficial? Any advice or ideas for improvement on my current plan? I would start it tomorrow, which would put me at starting the real extended fast on May 22nd. What do you all think? Does this have a shot at working where my previous attempts (which were based on the mantra of "just don't cave this time bro") failed? All comments welcome!

i swear, i have my planned meals, but nothing will stop me from grabbing (multiple!!!) handfuls of green grapes or blueberries or brocolli throughout the day. they may not be suuuper high in calories, but come on!!!!!! i fucking hate it!!!!! i’ll just mindlessly eat them multiple times a day PLUS my meals. it’s like i can’t stop!

I want to do it for my meal prep tomorrow but I don’t want to waste calories and I WILL eat it even if it’s bad. It seems fun!
My plan was to blend 20g of oats, mixed with a thing of Greek yogurt, an egg, sf cheese cake mix and some blueberries baked at 350.
Thoughts 🎤

So with there being 10 weeks in a quarter, it provides 90 meals at $1381 with $200 Aggie Cash. So it's $1181 for 90 meals with the $200 aggie cash.
Individual meal swipes cost $11.50. $11.50 x 90 = $1035.
Unless I am overlooking something, the 9 meal/week plan costs more.

Hi im Henning
Brace yourself, this is long, but I hope that it is worth your read and time. Because I want to try and offer something Unique, and a service for people worldwide to have a retreat and possibility of healing and someone with similar experiences.
Hope you spend your time reading, i want to make an argument/suggestion
I have a Schizoaffective/SchitzoTypal diagnosis, from Norwegian Psychiatrists/Doctors, and an independent Brilliant British Doctor, we spent many hundreds if not thousands of hours together as friends, we still have contact, despite being in different countries now, she made her own assessment over all this time, and said that my diagnosis is Schizoaffectiv/Schitzotypal. So im aware that i have a distortet view of myself. And its confirmed by different Doctors. Im also what they call 'a male survivor', sexual assault from a unknown man when I was 13. First Suicide attempt at 14 years old.
I am fairly intelligent, on Mensas Test i got a 128IQ Score. Thats 2 points below their requirement to get into Mensa. But an Airline Pilot friend of mine, said i was way above a 130, his own score was 148, and has been a 'public' figure.
But in western Countries it averages at around a 100. I also got language tests, and im 2 deviants up from normal in Vocabulary. And im more fluent in English, and I understand the much larger specter of Words in the English Language, in addition to the meaning of the root words. How it has different nuances.
I come from a line of Freemasons, on my mothers side, but I refuse to take an oath. The offers have been there.
Further nevrological tests, prove that my responstime in pressing a computer mouse on changing pictures on a screen is also a strong deviance(my responstime is way faster), from the general population. Its why I was a natural talent in games, and genetically have an advantage. When I quit in mid of 2010, i had to prove afterwards, from critics, to show that I was not banned by VAC and Valve. Give me a week to train the tounge again, british accent, from all over Britain, and apparantly from my time running a 160.000 strong internet community, i was a leading manager of a total of 5 Executives. I wrote the rules, regulation, standardised appeal processeses on Bans/Complaints. And training and Approval/Interview of new Admin Cadets/Admin/Senior Admins, and testing the recruits and admins, strict dicipline and requirements of good behaviour. Had maybe a few hundred variety of Admins under my command, to make sure we had mostly coveret servers around the clock. And repeated admin Requests made in one Game, sent the message out across gametypes to see if somone was available there. We had 700 gaming slots on our servers, and it was one of the most popular serverparks in the Global Scale of mainly Valve Games, CS 1.6, Counter-Strike:Souce, Day of Defeat, Team Fortreas 2. I was one of the Internett's best Cheat detectors globally Online in these games. Was offered a Contract to play for sallary in 2008
NOW TO THE POINT I am on lifelong Disability. So I have a lot of time. And im a guy that likes to be active. I do Chores and 3-5 hour trips in the Woods and Mountain. Or spend 10 hours of washing.
Part of self medication, then over to my wish and plan and what i can offer, if it is something that would be in demand?
But because of self medicating with hash, i get less of the voices. Most of the bad ones go away. But I still feel like a burden, i want to contribute to peoples overall health, and I wish to make myself employed so I can pay taxes and contribute to a system, that is way from perfect, but I have faith, that we will turn things around. For the betterment of all mankind.
WHAT CAN I OFFER!
4 Bedroom(all double beds with wardrobe)(aproximately 30m2 each) 2 bathroom with toilets and showers, 1 with just a toilet, good beds, clean rooms retreat from September and out April every year. Sauna. Big kitchen, Livingroom, Dining area, and a view of the ocean and the nature all around. Possibility to Fish. And some wonderfull areas to take a walk/hike. If you want a Outdoor experience we have place for tent, and good tents to put up. And possibility to retreat into the bedroom for rest as needed.
I am in the position, where i can make a small hotel/treatment/dialogue and activity retreat. I will run a no Wi-Fi option, with limited screen time, each day, instead we do activities, talk and do things together. Play different games, do puzzles, draw, use your brain. Maybe a TV series if we can agree 🤣 I also start every morning with jumping into the sea, breathe with my whole body, get rid off the panic inside.
I can provide all meals spread out of 3meals a day. Or if a visitor, or all want to help, then they can do so. But cleanliness and gloves is a must. I make very healthy food, some Meat and lots of Vegetables. We share on chores, and a deposit must be made in advance in case the room needs cleaning, And 'Cancellation' or something breaks on purpose. And pay up front, so I dont risk someone booking and not showing up.
I am not a trained Psychiatrist, Doctor or Nurse. But I have lots of personal experience in regards to this schizo field, mood, and spending time in the system of Psychiatry. I talk with and visit people all the time. Last 5 years iv been a voulenteer in woodworking and Kitchen Service
The Visitors must stay at minimum 4 days. There will be daily trips, there is no bad weather, only poor clothing.
I have sold 150 of my drawings at 20$ a pice, they are in Europe and North-America, i can teach away artistry and Drawing and teqniques to free your mind, to create a fresh canvas. And more dialogue expression of the mind.
In the winter it is a bit cold, inside, but we are working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, people will need to dress warmly. Wool is your perfect friend, but you will need 2 sets if you are to follow me. If you guys/galskap respond positive to this suggesstion and have any ideas,
Then I will try to make this happen.
Kind Regards Norway Europe

I offered to cook us a special meal, a dinner we don’t frequently have because I was craving it, and I thought it would be nice to switch up from the mediocre food we eat day-to-day to stay healthy. When I finished cooking the meal, I let my boyfriend know it was finished and we could sit down to eat. Before he even sat down, he asked me how much I made and if it would even be enough for the two of us. He mentioned that it didn’t look like enough food. I agreed that it may not have been enough and my judgment could have been off. So, I offered to make more pasta that went with our dish. He refused. So, all night he would make little comments about how he was still hungry and how he couldn’t believe I didn’t make enough food. Then he went on to tell me that I ate for two people and was happy that at least I was fed! I am not overweight by any means, and I am not a glutton when it comes to portion size. He went on for hours about how it wasn’t enough food and I needed to learn how to cook the right amount. At this point, I’m getting really pissed off because I put myself out trying to make us a nice meal, and at the time, it seemed like it would be enough. I offered to cook him something else, but he refused. The evening passed, and I’m a little pissed off and I have a headache, so I go lay down in the bedroom to relax. He came slamming into the room asking me why I wasn’t saying goodnight. I just reassured him I was only trying to rest my head. I ended up falling asleep, then waking up suddenly to his car leaving in the middle of the night. I assume he’s going for food, and I do genuinely feel bad. I call him. He says he’s getting food, then hangs up the phone on me. At this point, my blood is boiling. I just felt like he was being a brat about this whole situation. He knew the garage door would wake me up in the middle of the night, and he normally has delivery service then drives out. So, I had a feeling he did it to spite me. When he came back, I ripped into him. Everything that I had been bottling up for the past few weeks, I just laid it out on him. I feel like a child throwing a tantrum, and I am quite embarrassed by it now. But to top it all off, I then storm back to the bedroom and slam the door as hard as I can. I knew it was a bad thing as soon as I did it. It’s like the whole world went still just for a few seconds, and those seconds felt like a lifetime. I hear him storming through the house towards the bedroom, and I’m shaking. This isn’t the first time he’s hit me, so I know what’s coming. He ripped through the door. "Who are you yelling at? Who the fuck do you think you are, huh? Tell me, tough guy, who the fuck do you think you are?" He grabs me by the hair, throws me around, grabs me by the face, and squeezes. He throws me. I start begging him to stop. I was scared out of my mind. He goes over to the door and inspects it. He sees the frame is popped out. I thought he would have an aneurysm. I screamed bloody murder as he lunged at me. He grabs me by my neck and squeezes me. He let go and started whacking me with a pillow. I get up to leave, and he’s chasing me around the room. He went to the window and shut the window so the neighbors wouldn’t hear. He jumped on the bed where I was and started wailing at me with the pillow. He grabbed me by the face, and I thought he would pop my eye out because his finger was digging in right below. He screamed, "Get out of my house." I slowly got up, and he spat on me.
I eventually went out to my car. I just lay in my back seat, wondering where to go. My house is quite a distance away, and I’m afraid to drive my car because it’s not in the best shape, and he knows this. He calls me, and we argue on the phone for 30 minutes. He never once apologizes. He made me apologize for not cooking enough food and told me I had to replace the door. I don’t think he feels bad about abusing me. I think he feels like it’s his right, and that’s what scares me. I had a scratch going down my cheek. It goes right over my pretty dimple too. I told everyone at work I was scratched doing yard work. No one knows, and I'm protecting him because I won’t ever tell anyone. Why do I stay when I know how bad this could be? We were planning on me moving in, and we always say how we should get married and have children, but I don’t ever see him loving me or manning up to that commitment

It’s super hard as even as children, everything revolved around mom. Her addictions, mental illnesses, her view on everything which honestly we to this day can’t say if it’s all trauma and mental illness or if she simply wasn’t a good person. When she met her husband we were all teens and she needed him to see her as mother Teresa so she painted a picture of unruly children and left out of her addictions and mental health issues. Over and over she chose a man over her children. We went through hell and back over and over. I’ll spare details but we all ended up needing therapy for life.
Now she lives with me, arguably one of two children she did the most harm to. Turned everyone against me to protect lies she told (not opinion it’s fact she claimed she didn’t like confrontation so we were scapegoats) kidnapped my kid while manic, the list is endless yet I’ve always known she struggled and felt I could never fault her for that. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t let her live with me despite her husband accusing me of keeping her here under my rule (it’s honestly so much harder with her here but she doesn’t like or love him and won’t go back) despite the fact that nothing I do can keep her happy. The wear and tear it’s put on my relationship, my kid, it’s rough. Ironic that it’s me doing this…
The last few days my symptoms have been flaring. All my doctors agree I need surgery, whether hernia or adhesions or something like that it’s no disputed something is seriously fucked up and I need exploratory but first they need more imaging, imaging I can’t freaking afford. So I’ve been living in this hellish nightmare. I. Do. Not. Feel. Good. Something. Is. Horribly. Wrong. The only way to lessen symptoms is not eating, I’ve been to the er 15 times CTs show nothing so I need specific tests they won’t do from the er. Right now it’s hard to catch a deep breath, the pain in my stomach is gnawing awful pain, I can feel food and stool moving through my GI system and I don’t think you’re supposed to feel it. Stomach is distended, tingling in my legs, I feel like shit. It’s also scary not knowing wtf exactly it is. If I move wrong I feel like my ribs are pinching something and I scream until I can fix it. It’s awful.
Talking to my sister about possibly going to the ER, again, and mom walks in upset. I ask what’s wrong and she is pissed off because she is hungry. She asked me to make dinner three minutes prior which I planned just a bit later. But she was angry, mom won’t eat leftovers, or any food twice in a row. It’s HARD, coming up with 3 different meals daily for her when no one else will eat what she wants. It’s hard when she can’t even think of 7 breakfasts she would eat. I have been sick lately and not on top of things like I want but fuck, her doctors and nurses come here. Her labs get drawn here. Imaging? They do what they can here. We drive an hour one way to her specialist. She is waited on hand and foot, I haven’t seen my doctor in months. She is for the most part healthy for her age too.
I’m jealous. It hit me making tacos and crying about my stomach pain, she didn’t take care of us then and even now it’s like I can’t take care of me because so much goes into her. So much. It all revolves around mom if not her physical it’s her mental health which honestly is harder to manage than diabetes and congestive heart failure. If she isn’t happy no one is. She. Is. Never. Happy. I don’t blame her for this but man it sucks. It sucks so bad. I keep telling my partner I’m in pain and this flare is worse, I’m an adult and know how to take care of myself but when all you do is take care of others shouldn’t you have one damn person who looks after you? Anyone reading this who can relate, I want you to know I would look after you. You’re loved, you’re important. And it’s okay to be really pissed off sometimes that you have to deal with this it’s okay to feel sorry for yourself. Especially if no one else does.