Hey Reddit,
I'm Amit, and I’ve been working on something cool called TalkMate. It's an AI language learning app designed for anyone who understands English but feels a bit stuck when it’s time to actually talk.
The focus is on making language practice not just more frequent, but smarter and way more effective.
Core Features of TalkMate:

• Optimized Lesson Lengths: Sessions are dialed in just right—long enough to learn something new, but not so long that you'll lose interest.
• Spaced Repetition for Vocabulary: Keep forgetting words right after learning them? This feature revisits vocab at the perfect times to help make them stick for good.
• Word Recognition: The app recognizes the words you're already comfortable with, focusing your efforts on new or challenging ones.
• Real-Time Feedback with Save Option: Get instant grammar corrections and save them to brush up later, making sure those little slip-ups turn into learning moments.

A Thoughtful Approach to Learning:
TalkMate is crafted with insights from neuroscience and cognitive psychology to shape a super efficient learning experience. Understanding that everyone's brain works a bit differently, the app is designed to let you learn at your own pace.
Also, for anyone curious about other languages—heads up, they’re coming to the app real soon!
TalkMate

so I’m kind of addicted to sweets and breakfast food, and despite often feeling sick on 2.5mg (one month so far), I’ve eaten a few big, carby, sweet breakfasts. I usually get a bad but tolerable stomachache for 30 minutes afterwards that fades. but today I ate until I felt full, and then kept eating because it was so good. I knew I would suffer for it but oh my god, not this much. I got awful cramps, started feeling insanely nauseous and tasting bile coming up. in insane amounts of pain. now that I’ve relieved myself my stomach does feel somewhat better, but I feel worn out and shaky from the sheer intensity of the pain, even though it was only for like 10-15 mins. and it’s not completely gone, far from it. just the awfulness of the past 15 has made the usually bad stomachache feel so much better in comparison.
let this be a lesson to my fellow newbies, learn to stop when you feel full. amend your habits or you will face punishment!
it’s going to be a long road ahead to try and fix my relationship with food that’s over a decade in the making, especially because I have avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. I’m probably going to get an eating disorder therapist. but wow has this given me a kick in the pants (and stomach).
queasily yours, a dumbass

I'm not even sure where to start with this, I'm mostly just looking to rant and see if anyone might have some advice. Sorry if this is a long confusing mess. I've never posted on here before so if you do read this and have anything to offer, thank you.
I started my LTO in February at a secondary school in Ontario for a 2 English and 1 Drama class. In the beginning of my LTO I was working another job in the evenings because I had just started daily supplying a few months prior and wasn't getting that many calls. Working another job in the evenings, trying to plan lessons, and dealing with challenging classroom behaviour took up so much of my time, I always felt burnt out once I was home and was never able to catch up on marking and it took me forever to plan and replan lessons. In teachers college I only had 1 English placement for an inner-city school and I had a placement partner so the work was always split up; my associate also ended up leaving early on so I didn't have much feedback but overall it was a positive experience.
Going into this LTO, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The teacher I was in for gave me an idea of units to cover but my planning was all over the place and in hindsight I feel like I was always doing something but now it feels like a whole lot of nothing (but I somehow still have piles to mark). Since my LTO had been getting extended consistently I was hoping that I would be in until the rest of the year and be able to get through some units and update my gradebook. Selfishly, I was also hoping to contain my disaster and mistakes so no one would no what a mess I really was. My last period English class (4C) was my hardest and most of the students were unmotivated, didn't hand in assignments, were on their phones, or simply didn't show up. It didn't help that it was last period. So much of our class time was dealt with managing behaviours. The positive of that class was it allowed me to build a good relationship with admin, communicate with parents, and work on building relationships with students. Towards the end, things definitely got better but the work I was getting back was still minimal.
While I built excellent relationships with students, admin and other teachers in the school, and I know my students enjoyed my classes, I don't feel like I did enough. I know I didn't do enough. When the contract teacher came in to see what I had covered and where I was with the students, I could just see the disappointment on his face. I'm even more nervous because I only have 2 grades in after midterms for one of my classes (I still have about 5 assessments to mark for them) and almost nothing for my drama class in my gradebook (I have their rubrics, but I just haven't been able to keep up with inputting them). I know I should have gotten through more units, given more tests, been more organized, and just done better with planning in general but it just felt like so much on my plate everyday. My other issue was that so much of the content that the teacher wanted me to teach was also new to me and I never really knew if I was saying all the right things or how to mark things the "right" way.
On my last day, I got a wonderful sendoff from my students, there were even some tears shed and gifts were brought in, admin gave me great feedback on my classroom management, and the other teachers were also incredibly kind, but I feel like none of that will ultimately matter when the contract teacher comes back and notices what I haven't done. When he came in to speak with me he asked me to give me folders of all the work I had covered with the students but there were so many days where I was planning stuff the night before or the morning of that even the thought of going back and searching through my 1000 files seems like a nightmare. I asked admin to extend my access to our grading platform and they've given me till next week, so I have the weekend to get everything marked and sorted but I just don't even know where to start. I'm terrified I didn't do enough and that somehow this will get reported and I will be at risk of losing a job I just started. I have learned so much from this experience and in hindsight I would do everything differently but now it's too late and I just feel embarrassed and defeated. There is a part of me that almost feels like I'm not cut out of this if I can't even organize and manage all of the responsibilities and there is another part of me that is hoping that maybe it'll get easier with time and practice.

I'm new to this - appreciate any lessons learned you've had on trying to limit transaction fees. I'm looking at the option of Zelle (or for those w/o Zelle access in their bank accounts, check) only payment methods.
Background: weekly piano lessons, to be invoiced and prepaid for a month, up to ~$400 max per customer.
Thank you for your thoughts!

I've just moved to Portland for the summer and I'm eager to participate in the cycling culture here. However, I am a new cyclist; I never learned as a child and have been learning this past year. I am nowhere skilled enough or confident enough to be able to go at it by myself or in a big group of serious cyclists. Is there a group that does rides for adults who are slower and need a bit of patience/extra guidance?
I'm not necessarily looking for lessons. I can get up and go straight just fine, I just don't have the experience or comfort yet to control the bike or navigate by myself.
Thansk!

ORIGAN
In the future, it may be possible to utilize dreamscapes as a form of communication. Of course, the hurdles will be great, but the potential usage of this technology is limitless. From education to entertainment. Work to advertisements. Humans may now finally be able to begin living life 24/7. The greatest obstacle we must face is the fact that only those with a greater affinity with the Psyche can contact others with lower affinity as the communication will be a form of ‘invasion’. Additionally, for multiple people to communicate at once, only one person is allowed to have a low affinity with the Psyche, and the rest must be powerful enough to ‘invade’ a singular dreamscape. The side effects of such procedures are unknown.
What will art look like? Will this new form of dream communication become the purest form of exchange, or will it extend beyond coexistence, to emergence?

• Somniology Report 2449 by Reason Gandersson, Royal Head Guard and lead researcher of the Somniology department of the Avangardian Spells, Skills and Sciences Institution (A3S)

Color, paint.
Red, green, blue.
However, the colours mix into white.
Projections? This could be a sort of light-based illusion.
The blank air is the white canvas, and the dream is being painted with white colours.
Some changes, as if the invisible brushes are brushing the air. Wind. Something is coming.
“...Reveal yourself.”
As a proud warrior of Wundergartenn, Acata was trained in the arts of dream control. As the greatest weapon of the nation, she was not allowed to have any weaknesses, and one possible liability was the mindscape — which was especially emphasized due to the infamy of the previous demon lord, Ereman.
The first lesson was to understand the difference between when you dreamed of enemies, or when your dream was being invaded.
“...I suppose it is no use to hide myself any longer, huh…”
Entering from an invisible corner, the mysterious figure showed themself as a young girl — no older than the hero, dressed lightly in combat gear. She wore a hero’s attire, as seen by an eyepatch and various equipment — a sign of experience. However, their equipment seemed dated, even for the ancient stranger’s time. They were rusty and used, used far beyond their expiration. An aged spirit in the body of eternal youth, she was similar in appearance to Acata but slightly older.
Acata took a better look of the dream world around her. Unlike her usual dreams of real and realistic environments, this space was completely snow-white. It seemed that this dream had been completely rewritten even through her mental training.
“...Hm, so it seems that I was wrong,” said the stranger, “I thought that our kind was few, but I suppose the Goddess’s influences were far more reaching than I first expected.”
“Explain yourself,” said Acata.
“Hm… Well, it looks like you are in a lot of trouble already. Where you are, I cannot help you,” said the stranger, “I suppose all I can part you is some wisdom of mine — some small pieces of advice.”
“I don’t want any ‘wisdom’. I only desire solid information — such as your name and identity.”
The stranger moved her delicate hand under her chin, pondering the request. Her movements were graceful and calculated as if she had been trained in the art of high manners. Her actions as well as speech contrasted her appearance — an experienced adventurer acting as if it was tea time.
“...Well, I’m not even sure you’ll survive this encounter, so let’s make a deal,” said the stranger, “If you live, I’ll tell you everything there is to know — about me, and about you.”
“...How did you bypass my training? It should’ve been impossible even for court mages and talent holders…”
“You’ll learn that too when you survive. Ah, I suppose when you survive then find me,” said the girl, “for now you can call me the sand girl.”
“Sandgirl?”
“I’m not sure what it means, but someone I know gave me that nickname. Then I suppose I’ll leave you alone for now — you have a long journey ahead of you after all.”
Before Acata could ask any more questions, the sandgirl disappeared amongst the invisible blank canvases of the dreamscape. From the motions of the air, it seemed that the painting of white was finally complete. The hero wondered what the point was — to draw a blank picture and to leave it where it would surely disappear in an hour or so. Her dreams were finite, and so was the invisible painting. Why even bother?
However, as Acata finally stood up from the void of snow, she could feel a strange vibration in the air in specific areas.
Patches of red, green, and blue. All mixed, of course.
When one paints with white, it is different from not painting. The colours leave texture and slight depth, unperceptable unless touched up close.
“...What is this?”
A puzzle. Perhaps this painting would remain in her mind for a little bit longer.

Not all recruiters but dude I’m sick of the ones that resort to high pressure sales tactics
First off, there are COUNTLESS job scams out there but they’re especially common if you’re looking for remote work so my guard is ALWAYS up.
Well Im currently applying and a recruiter called me (from an unknown number obviously).
From firsthand experience, I’ve learned to be EXTRA skeptical if I get a call from a recruiter for a job I did NOT apply for. Red flag #1
And look, I don’t mean to be unkind, but English was not his first language, which is fine by me but I could not understand him and had to ask him to repeat himself multiple times. It was extremely awkward and difficult to communicate with him. And the harsh reality is that a language barrier is not great for building trust or rapport.
Then he tells me about a job opportunity but is very obviously trying to “close the deal” by getting me to apply. I’ve done sales before and he was trying to “impulse” me into wanting this job. The language barrier combined with him rushing me was red flag #2
I didn’t immediately say no because I wanted to keep my options open. I just went through with the first steps of applying so I could review the opportunity later and get off the phone.
After thinking about it, I started to seriously question whether I wanted to pursue it any further. The pay would’ve been great but the whole thing seems like a scam, no health benefits and it’s in the real estate industry, which I don’t want to work in.
In hindsight, I should’ve just emailed him “never mind please withdraw my application” but I still hadn’t fully decided.
The next day, he texts me “Hi [My name]” which I found unprofessional for a recruiter to send such an informal text like that?
And then immediately calls me to schedule an interview. I said “I thought about it and don’t want this anymore” and then he WOULDNT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.
He seemed SO UPSET and was like “you’re not going to find another job that pays this much in this market”
And I’m thinking to myself “No shit Sherlock! This job is obviously a scam. If the company is able to offer that much $$ then they should be able to offer benefits and use an experienced recruiter who doesn’t pressure people through the application”
I’m sure he’s following a sales process that the recruiting company teaches him, and his behavior is prob “normal” in the recruiting world but I don’t think this shit should be normal.
This is my career. This isn’t a phone plan or used car. Stop trying to sell me a job and push me into a decision.
And also it should NOT be normal for recruiters to text/call applicants out of the blue without sending an email first. It’s pushy because they call and then you feel pressured to give them an answer right there on the phone.
Well I learned some lessons from it. If a recruiter calls me out of the blue, I’ll just ask them to send an email so I can review on my own.

I’m a business consultant who’s helped my clients sell over $12,000,000 of their courses/coaching/membership sites/masterminds/etc ⚡
How?
These are my top 9 sales systems we use to scale to $500,000+ per year without sales calls or a huge ad budget:
But before I break down these 9 systems for you, I need to make a quick disclaimer:
The #1 issue I see with Coaches who are failing to monetize their free audience is failing to understand their audience. Too many Coaches suffer from chronic ME SYNDROME: They keep posting complicated, or even sometimes downright wacky topics over and over again - somehow never noticing that these posts make 0 sales.
So if you keep failing to connect with their needs & desires, these systems won’t work for you. That’s something you need to fix first.
But if you’re like most of my clients, you don’t have a problem CONNECTING with your audience - you have a problem MONETIZING them.
And that’s exactly what the $1M Email Marketing Engine Framework fixes!
The best part is these $1M Email Marketing Engine systems is that they’re:
🟣 ACTIONABLE SYSTEMS: You can use it to increase the conversion rate of your marketing and sales assets immediately…
🟣 FLEXIBLE FOR ANY INDUSTRY: They’re adaptable enough to use in YOUR business so you can get more sales without spending more on ads or new team ASAP...

System #1 $1M Welcome Series

What is it: Get your 1st sale from new subscribers in 1 week
A) Go BEYOND introducing Leads to your free content… Introduce them to your Lead Magnets & Offers too
B) You can dedicate (minimum) 1 interesting “edu-tainment” email to EACH of your top Lead Magnets & Offers
C) In the emails, you can take either a “direct response” approach by telling a story leading into the transition for the featured LMs/Offers OR an “educational” approach where you give a fast + interesting “pre-Lesson” to what’s covered when they click to learn more
D) How long this system is will depend on how many worthwhile Offers (free + paid) you have to put in front of new subscribers
E) These emails are for a general audience who “just subscribed” to your list, so think of this conceptually as a “Greatest Hits Album” and give them your best stuff!

System #2 $1M Main Sales Series

What is it: Sell while you sleep
A) You should create a minimum of ONE SYSTEM FOR EVERY PAID PRODUCT
B) There are 6 main email formats in this system: “Introducing”, The Lesson, The Resource, The Proof, The Objection Killer, The Triple Close™
C) “Introducing”: A hard-sell email clearly about the offer, this email should explain the offer in its entirety (setting you up to talk about different parts of the value over the next emails), and can use either a straightforward/direct style or more of a “storytelling” style
D) The Lesson: Teach something that gives Leads a “quick win” that’s relevant to what you’re asking them to buy (this can either be something from the program, or it can be related “prep work”) + soft CTA
E) The Resource: Build trust by proving that you’re credible, link out to content you’ve either A) Created B) Been featured in C) Recommend (Cialdini “Persuasion Principle” of Reciprocity by giving them the good good) + soft CTA
F) The Proof: Testimonials, can either be 1 long one or several short ones + hard CTA
G) The Objection Killer: Can be an FAQ, or any other style but directed to addressing the most common objections
H) The Triple Close™: A technique I invented while working with a household-name influence (he’s a CAA speaker), a combination of 3 AM/PM/Late Nite on the final day - AM & PM being “hard sell” closes, and Late Nite focusing on FOMO
I) START creating 1 per product, feed back your new results, and created 2ND+ Main Sales Series per product over time

System #3 Abandon Cart+ Series

What is it: Recover up to 3x+ more buyers who ditch you during checkout
A) Most abandoned cart emails 1) start too late 2) give up too early
B) Contact them MULTIPLE TIMES on Day 1 (15m after, 1hr after, 8-12hrs after)
C) Contact them FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, like 2-5+ days afterwards
D) For the later touch points, focus on A) Testimonials B) Demonstrating the value/use cases

System #4 Review Series

What is it: Leverage your buyers to get more consistent social proof
A) ⬆️ 99% of people forget this
B) Include STEP-BY-STEP directions + links for exactly how/where you want to be reviewed
C) Try a 1-5 or :D : :( rating system where GOOD responses = hyperlinked to reviews and BAD responses = hyperlinked to an INTERNAL product improvement feedback form

System #5 Educational Cross-Sell Series

What is it: Automatically turn 1st time buyers into 2nd, 3rd, 4th+ buyers
A) Make sure EVERY unique product has its own tag in your CRM
B) Trigger based on “if you DON’T have this tag”
C) Can use your Main Sales Series for the different products for this purpose OR you can create unique systems SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED to people who don’t buy the products based on the fact that they have your most common entry point (eg of the people who get your Best Seller, WHY DON’T THEY take the next step? What are their limiting beliefs?)

System #6 VIP Series

What is it: Build a tight-knit community who LOVES your brand
A) Ascend your biggest fans to your HT products
B) Evergreen your HT offers so that not only are you potentially making launches/live pushes for them during the year, but you’re ALSO automatically sending communications out to Clients who meet certain criteria
C) What % of your customers own 2 products? What % own 3? Keep going until you identify a “Top 10-ish%” - those are your VIPs (Here’s a real example from 1 of my clients: 1 Product = 63.7% 2 Products = 20.5% 3 Products = 15.2% 4 Products = .4% 5 Products = .3% ➡️ so their VIPs would be anyone who has 3+ products)

System #7 Winback Series

What is it: Reactivate lost Clients
A) Identify the timeframe for “lapsed client” that makes sense for your sales cycle
B ) Start by sending an exit survey to find out why they left
C) Offer a discount, or other special offer
D) Email them EARLY AND OFTEN (can start from 15m after the payment failure, providing a link to update their payment info)
E) Send emails that QUANTIFY YOUR VALUE, how do you save them money? How do you save them time? HOW MUCH money or time over 1 month, 3 months, or since they started? (Could do “since they started” with conditional formatting blocks to plan start date)
F) Incorporate social proof

System #8 Preventative Plan Cancellation Series

What is it: Avoid costly cancellations and reduce customer churn rate in subscription models
A) Now you know the “lapsed client” timeframe, contact them BEFORE that time period
B) Remind them of the value you provide
C) Offer a survey
D) Ask if they need to switch their plans or how your current offer is meeting their needs

System #9 Post-Optin Nurture Series

What is it: Specifically BRIDGES the Lead Magnet ➡️ to the next Offer in the Sales Process
A) Reverse engineer every Lead Magnet so that it’s directly relevant to 1 of your products
B) Create a mini-onboarding series that ties what value they got out of the Lead Magnet to selling the product the LM corresponds to
SO are you missing any of these systems? If you already have them, which can be better? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments.
If you found this helpful, make sure to add me as a friend on Reddit + join /MarketingNerd so we can keep in touch!
Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions :D

So I was inspired by the recent post of all the cleaning games out there to dig this one up and reinstall it. I had played it a couple years ago, before “Cozy Gaming” was “a thing,” and I bounced off it quickly. Maybe I should try it again now that I have more of a taste for it.
No, the game is still slow, choppy, frustrating, and not fun, at least in single player. I heard it’s better with other players but I prefer solo gaming.
The game puts you in the world of a First-Person Shooter, with levels based around research facilities, sewers, and other mainstays of the genre. But you’re there after the mayhem, with a mop and bucket to clean everything up and make it whole again.
It’s probably worth noting that VCD is almost ten years old. No doubt a lot of games have learned lessons from it and other cleaning games since then. But nonetheless, the game is riddled with decisions I don’t enjoy, and a lot of them feel deliberate. The game pokes fun at workplace safety, unions, and similar things. They make it clear your parent company hates you and doesn’t care at all about your safety and comfort. This comes across in text documents and mission briefings, but also in the gameplay.
For example, the layout of equipment. To aid in your job, you have dispensers for mop buckets, portable waste bins, lights and health kits, and each site also has a furnace for the disposal of trash and dirty mop water (I know). It would be nice if these were all in a central location, easily accessible from all the weird nooks and crannies. Or failing that, at least all bunched together so they’re close at hand.
But the sewer level I was working on had the furnace tucked away in a remote corner, and the bin dispenser across a bridge. It made trekking around a real pain, to say nothing of the bloody footprints I was leaving. And that all seems deliberate, as a joke about how faceless corporations care so little for their workers. But it’s a joke I have to live every time I fill up a bin and make the same long path. There are other ones, like how the scissor lift will occasionally catapult you or sometimes the mop bucket dispenser will instead dispense a bloody leg. Funny jokes maybe, but less so when you’re the butt of every one.
There’s a few other inconveniences. Like how you have to one-at-time every item you pick up, no matter how small. Five shotgun shells left in one location means picking one up, dropping it in the bin, then repeating four more times.
Meanwhile games have come so far since then. Hardspace Shipbreaker is my go-to for “blue collar work sim,” and while it also has a lot of “the company hates you” jokes, they’re mostly in the story and descriptions and seldom get involved in the gameplay. And it’s way more intuitive and less fiddly to play.
So I’ll leave it at that. If you are looking for a cleaning game, I’d start with some of the more recent titles that have more quality of life improvements and aren’t quite so pointedly making fun of you.

First real love, first break up
I'm in my 30s and we met in our 20s. It was a LTR, engaged, family... all the works. It's been over a year and I'm doing so much better. It's true that healing takes time, but it takes continuous effort on your part. Pain is the best motivation to become a better person. Use the pain for the best glow up of your life. I know a lot of people talk about going to the gym, traveling, hobbies, spending time with family/friends.. but don't neglect your mental health. If you don't learn from your break up, you will repeat the patterns in your next relationship. Even if your ex was toxic/abusive, you had a part in the relationship too. I have learned that not everyone learns from heartbreak or grief. Most people a have a victim mentality and that prevents them from major growth. Lean into your emotions and dig deep.
After a good year and half of heartbreak, grief, and constantly working on myself, I'm a true believer of loving yourself before you can love someone else. I loved my ex tremendously and gave her my all, but after major reflection, it wasn't the capacity I truly had within me. I gave her the emotional capacity I had at the time, and it wasn't very much. All the tears I cried this past year is the love I didn't give her, and the tears I cry today, is the imaginary relationship we could have had if I knew what I know now. With that being said, I would go through the heartbreak again if it meant becoming the person I am today. I understand now that she wasn't meant to be my forever person. Our relationship was meant to teach a lesson about ourselves and I'm so glad I took the opportunity. I needed this major growth to love myself and see my worth. I know I'll love deeper and harder in my next relationship.
I actually bumped into my ex and I realized she didn't grow. She dumped me and she moved onto someone else. She doesn't see her faults and she still has a victim mentality. I realized after bumping into her that she wasn't for me and I was so wrong about her. What I want in a relationship now is so much different than what I wanted when I was with her. I'm not going to lie though, I got jealous that she moved on while I've been in the trenches. I was devastated when I found out it was only a few months after the break up, while I was still holding onto hope. I got jealous when I found out she's moving in with her new person so suddenly and they are doing things together that I've always wanted to do with her. It hurts. But comparing yourself to your ex does no good. All that does is bring more pain. The truth is that you are on different paths and what they do is no longer your concern.
After more than a year, I'm not 100% healed, but I'm coming to terms that she will always hold a special place in my heart. The pain I carry now is more about loneliness and abandonment wounds than it does about being with her. We are just not meant to be together. What held me back the most was hoping she would return. I was so in love with her and I wanted her so badly, that I was blinded by it. Even though she ignored all my messages, never reached out, never checked my social media, or gave any hint she wanted me back.... I kept hoping. I entertained thoughts of getting back together. I assumed she was in pain just as much as I was. That hope kept me back. If I had any advice to give, I highly suggest keeping no contact and completely focus on yourself. Dive into healing yourself. Your thoughts are WRONG about them. Learn how to redirect your thoughts or challenge them through CBT.
I'm in a place now where I'm okay being single and dating scares me, but I'm putting myself out there. I've been on a few dates and even though nothing has stuck, I've met a few women who align with who I am today. One of the biggest things I want in my next relationship is emotional availability and a deep understanding of grief. I don't want to be with someone who doesn't understand the loss of a loved one or having experience major growth. I want to be with someone who can take accountability for their actions instead of victimizing themselves. My ex wasn't those things during our relationship and if she doesn't want to take the time to grow from our relationship or see my worth, that's her loss. After so much therapy, self-improvement, and diving deep into psychology and relationships... I am a needle in a haystack and whoever ends up with me will have the golden ticket.
I understand how hard it is to lose someone you love. It's so hard and some days it feels like you can't make it. I'm here to tell you that you can get through it. You can push through. Take each day at a time. Take advantage of the pain and use it to grow. Become a better version of yourself and show up for YOURSELF in ways you haven't before. Don't go back to your ex. You will find love again. You have so much worth and you are deserving of love.

Played Rust for a bit, moved on and played Hunt Showdown, then played Sons of the forest. Started seeing Dayz videos on youtube and tried playing being completely lost.
It seems like every Dayz youtube video is trying to copy Willjum from Rust (story and monologue) so a ton of newbies like me get nothing from them. Like playing solo, they skip to full kit lol.
Took the slow approach and joined official low pop / dead servers.. learned in Rust that high pop tends to favor groups/clans. Googled how to make stone knife, take hours before I even find one. Now I just spawn, check sheds and move on because a blunt weapon = kill zombies quicker = possible food.
My first chicken kill was with a crowbar, lesson learned you get less meat! Just today I spawned in with a previous survivor and heard flies.. dead guy that had okay items and an unknown can of food (guess he didnt know).
Kind of weird that the game phases you out of existence when you exit. Or having no map (I think its a design flaw when you play a game and use or need 3rd party maps/mods) So new players will join, die, be lost for their first 50 hours until they start recognizing or again, googling dayz map..

Got married at Cosmopolitan on Thursday by a friend. The county clerk office is only open for filing the certificate Monday thru Thursday from 8am to 5pm. Not open Friday, like a normal government office. The certificate has to be filed within 10 days (and filed doesn’t mean mailed or postmark date…it means the day it is processed and filed).
Went to the FedEx in our hotel, they couldn’t mail anything to a PO Box. OK, what?!
We are planning to fly out of Vegas on Sunday and clerk’s office opens Monday at 8am.
Went to Concierge desk. He was ridiculously not helpful. He recommended we go to the FedEx upstairs. We explained why that didn’t work. Did he offer us an envelope? Nope. Did he offer to find a place to find stamps? Nope. Looked at his computer and told us the post office by campus is closed.
Went to our room and called the front desk. They said we should talk to Concierge. We explained that he was absolutely no help to us. We were put on hold for a bit, then the line got disconnected.
Asked a gift shop person if she knew where we could find an envelope or stamp, she didn’t make eye contact and just said that she did not know.
Went back to room and saw housekeeping in the hallway. Asked her if she were us and needed a stamp and an envelope, what would she do. She said she really didn’t know what to suggest.
We spent over $3000 for our stay at Cosmopolitan. So at this point, we are a little frustrated and incredibly disappointed that no one was able to help. People get married here every few seconds. How is it that no one is able to be helpful with mailing the certificate? Seems there should be a drop box at every hotel…but there is not even a drop box at the actual clerk’s office because it is a PO Box.
Of everyone we talked to, the Walgreens’ employees were the most helpful. If you go to the Walgreens at Planet Hollywood, the stationary section is aisle 22 (which is hidden all the way in the back behind cosmetics). $5 for a box of envelopes. The cashier can get you a book of stamps (cannot buy just one stamp). They are locked in a safe so it takes a while for the manager to retrieve them.
So we now have an addressed envelope with a stamp, but cannot find a USPS mailbox.
Had no idea it would be this challenging. Would have brought an addressed and stamped envelope with me had I known.
Hopefully this will save someone else from the stress we had today. Cheers!

Tho I saw the link posted here because of the Aasimar reveal I thought we might discuss the two articles from game informer about "one DnD":
https://gameinformer.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=821673
tldr of the article posted by u/Juls7243 over at /onednd

TLDR (pages 11-17)
Intro:

• DnD developers are preparing a revision that is "fully compatible" with 5e.

Changing Times:

• Tumultous period - licensing issues, challenges to get enough print copies, departure of division president Cynthia William.
• These were juxtaposed against the success of Baldur's Gate 3, success of the 2023 movie release, and an evergrowing landscape of podcasts
• New books are "far more than a window dressing" and do represent the team addressing all the lessons they've learned and heard from fan's over the last 10 years

New Approaches

• First time that the lead designers of the new edition, were the lead designers of the previous one.
  • This enables the designers to flesh things out in a way that has never been done before
  • Designers know the detailed nuances of what they did/why a decade ago; they know what to preserve and what to change
• Value Proposition: Better Organized, New Content, reworks of classes/backgrounds, addition of bastions, weapon masteries, and more

A Picture's Worth

• A new intent to "help players contextualize and understand the content they're reading..."
• The PHB includes 12 pictures (1 of each class) and 48 pictures of each subclass hoping to inspire players to pick one that inspires them

For the Players

• Unlike previous edition that jumped right into character creation, the opening chapter is about playing the game and is filled with footnotes
• The new version contains a RULES GLOSSARY (YES!!)
• Bulk of book focuses on character creation
  • 75 feats (including origin creation ones)
  • 16 backgrounds (Hermit, Merchant, Noble... etc)
  • Species now replaces Race - (design team had to explain many time that race was not referring to human races, thus changed term for clarity). Aasimar, Goliath, and Orcs are present.
• Equipment now contains weapons with weapon mastieries (Vex, Nick, etc).
• Expanded tool list, and more details on crafting things like potions and scrolls
• Spell list comes from 2014 PHB AND spells from other books.
  • Tasha's Bubbling Caldron will be in the PHB
• Book is not written around the pretense of being in the Forgotten Realms, and is more realm agnostic and embraces Planescape, Spelljammer, Greyhawk etc.

Behind The Screen

• Goal for DMG - make it an "indispensable resource in and out of play". The new DMG will "show not tell"
  • Will contain half page first draft adventure design for DMs to springboard off of
• Book is a "tool box for ideas" and not only has magic items in it, but sample maps, and guidelines on encounter design
• Bastion System will be an optional set of rules in the DMG - it has the goal of "give the players something at home they care about"
• Full LORE GLOSSARY explaining key players across DnDs history
• Details the world of Greyhawk (OG gameworld by Garry Gygax) as a template world for DMs to utilize

Monstrous Option

• Biggest ever - 500 monsters - 75 brand new ones
• Every single stat block has been changed
• Monsters have the same CR as 5e - for backwards compatibility
• Monster have "expanded families" to help the building out of ecosystems
• Added a high CR vampire called "the Nightbringer" so that vampires can be used in higher level campaigns allowing for "clearer narratives"
• Addition of "epic titan level" monsters that are on-par with the tarrasque
  • New monster: "Blob of annihilation" - a gelatinous cube that can eat an entire town (SO cool)
• Large addition of NPCs of given themes - Bandits, Pirates, Mage etc that can be dropped in with no prep-work and a large spread of power levels.

The Monster Manual looks especially juicy. 500 Monsters compared to the 300 in 5th edition is amazing. The new ones look fun especially the giant Gelatinous cube. Wonder what all the 75 are going to be. I guess they will throw a lot of the monsters from previous publications in there like for example the gem dragons?
The other Article posted by Game Informer was about the Art of "One DnD"
https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/05/14/the-art-of-the-new-dungeons-dragons
Somethin thats also very exciting to me personally is again the talk about the new Monster Manual.
The 10 original Chromatic and Metallic Dragons were redesigned to better portray their biome and character. The designs for the Red and imo especially the Bronze Dragon look phenomenal in my opinion.

The art in the new core books has a chief goal of helping to further an understanding of the game. Spells are often shown being cast. Art for character backgrounds shows a possible place your hero could have come from. It even extends to the visuals of creatures in the Monster Manual. “There's a lot of mindfulness about the mixture; to pick the monster design accurately to the stat block,” says art director Emi Tanji. “If it's a creature that does slashing damage or something like you want to make sure we see claws. And you want to make sure if the art has shows something that's like a stinger, but there's nothing in the stat block – that would be weird, right?”

I wonder if that means that they made new art for all 500 monsters.
What are your thoughts. I actually think most of this stuff sounds quite exciting for a change tbh.

To be transparent, I checked with another admin to make sure this would be okay!
This summer, I am offering Cherokee language tutoring via zoom!
I am a Cherokee language teacher, working in a public education setting. I have a degree in Cherokee Education and I am a graduate of CLMAP.
Lessons can be completely tailored to your needs as a learner. You can use the time to ask for specific examples and guidance or, after consultation, we can determine coursework that suits you.
Currently I am offering a package and half hour sessions:
Package—$200 Includes: •FREE consultation prior to payment •10 one half hour sessions —sessions can be daily or weekly —study materials tailored to fit your needs —flexible scheduling •classroom-like structure payment plan options for those on fixed incomes and/or those with disabilities available
Half hour sessions—$30 Includes: •FREE consultation prior to payment •Premade materials with ability to tailor to suit you •Guidance on how to further your learning
If you don’t know how to get started, I can definitely help with that! A lot of the materials we would use are things I use in my classroom. We can outline our expectations and figure out what best suits your needs 😁
Please feel free to message me, if you are interested

The peddler of lies moves from town to town, person to person.
Does he know what he peddles? Or does he know not what he does?
Promising riches, but selling them rocks.
Preying on desires but leading down the path of destruction.
Building mansions and megacities on sand, only for the next wave to wash it all away.
I tell them... God is your rock. They ask which rock?
I tell them.... Jesus is your salvation. They say I don't believe! This staggering amount of information must be sifted through first!
But even Jesus said he spoke in parables lest they understand, turn, BELIEVE and be forgiven.
They say, the good peddler has already come here, sir. And he warned me that you are a snake!
I ask them, what kind of father would give you snakes when you ask for fish?
They say that is of no concern of mine, besides, the peddler sold me every chocolate and delicacy I desired! I hold every secret of the universe inside my hut!
I tell them even Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was pleasing to the eye, good for food, and desirable for knowledge.
But my words seem to fall on deaf ears....
The illuminati loves their code words and secret handshakes. They love their secret cliques and combinations. They nod at each other in public in silent mutual enjoyment as they feed everyone lies.
Secret cliques and combinations unlocking nothing but selfish gain and control. Money, power, and knowledge is kept within and never shared. Trade secrets but only traded with each other in secret.
I tell them God is your rock! They say, which rock?
I tell them Jesus is your salvation! They say, we have put together all knowledge and it just fits!
I tell them, is this not written?
Even if God sends a slave, you listen.
I tell them, 2000 years ago, they wanted the owner of the vineyard to come and they killed his only son.
But they have learned the lessons of the past! Now we will accept God's only begotten son!
But even if God sends a slave, you listen.
For the slave comes in the master name speaking with the authority of the master. When he speaks you take it as if the master is speaking, but the slave is given no respect and the masters words are devalued.
Beware of babylon building its tower to the sky! Beware of the great whore that refuses to close her legs!
Beware of the peddler of lies! For he doesn't even want you to know up from fucking down.
Beware of the peddler of lies! To even Jesus HIMSELF will he try to sell a bag of rocks.....

• A friend

AA played A Lesson Never Learned 8 times in 2016 with Denis, but I can’t find any footage of the entire performance on YouTube. Best thing I found was a 30 seconds video mid-performance.
Anyone out there has any full video of them performing the song with Denis?

I’ve been working on Worldstone Chronicles for the past 8 years as a solo developer, and I wanted to share a bit about my journey. It’s been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, filled with sleepless nights, moments of doubt, and incredible breakthroughs.
Creating this game has tested my limits in every way imaginable. Balancing a day job with development, learning new skills, and overcoming countless technical challenges has been tough but rewarding. Each setback taught me valuable lessons, and every victory brought me closer to bringing Worldstone Chronicles to life. You can watch years of my devlogs here if you are wanting to see more!
Worldstone Chronicles is an epic adventure set in a rich, immersive world full of mystery and discovery. The game is still in development, but I’m excited to say there’s a demo available for those interested in getting a sneak peek.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me on this journey. Your encouragement and feedback mean the world to me. Feel free to ask any questions about the game or the development process.
Happy gaming!
Wishlist the game on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/.../Worldstone_Chronicles/

I am going back to teaching after taking a year off (substituting) and applying in a completely different area than I used to teach in. I'm pretty nervous because I haven't done an interview like this in forever. I've seen several posts asking about what questions may be asked in interviews, with no responses. It's been a while since my interviews, but I remember nailing most of them (I did A LOT of interviews before I settled on my previous school). The reason I nailed them is because my classroom management teacher gave us a list of questions and let us practice answering them with a partner at the end of every class. I also wrote out the answers to every question, so I knew I had really thought them through, and I put the questions in a little cup and pulled one out every time I passed it to practice answering them.
Honestly, I think most of us will find a job even if we do not nail the interviews, but it could be the difference between getting the job you want and just taking the job you get. So, it is important IMO to practice questions a lot if you have your heart set on a specific school.
I'm not sure how much questions have changed since COVID and everything, but I thought I'd share the list I had from back then. I'd love to know any additional questions y'all may have encountered in interviews since then, so I can add them to my little cup. I'm also happy to listen if any incoming teachers want to bounce some answers off of me! Also, most of the questions on my list were never asked in my 20 or so interviews. The most common ones back then were strengths/weaknesses, what curriculum are you familiar with, and classroom management style. There were also some new questions at each interview, though I didn't add them to my list back then unfortunately. I'm interested to know if there are any specific questions y'all have gotten over and over.
So, without further ado, heres the list my teacher gave me all those years ago:
1. Why did you become a teacher?
2. Why do you want to work at this school?
3. What kind of qualities do students look for in a teacher?
4. What do you think it takes for a teacher to be successful?
5. What is your classroom management philosophy?
6. How will you plan to build positive relationships with parents?
7. How will you handle a parent who is overly involved in your classroom?
8. How well do you know and understand the Common Core State Standards?
9. What is your opinion of classroom technology and how do you plan to integrate it?
10. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
11. What is your personal philosophy of teaching?
12. How do you anticipate identifying a struggling student? What will you do to help that student?
13. Can you describe important events of the first day of school in your classroom?
14. What do you think about teachers working together to plan lessons and test? What will you be able to contribute to this collaboration?
15. What was the most difficult aspect of your student teaching experience?
16. What are the different ways you will assess students and measure their learning?
17. How will you modify your instruction to meet the needs of a gifted learner?
18. What is the most valuable lesson you learned from your student teaching experience?
19. How do you plan to continue growing as a professional?
20. How do you plan to accommodate a student with an IEP?
21. Can you tell me an example of a lesson you’ve planned and taught that models differentiated instruction?
22. How will you prepare your students for our standardized state assessments?
23. What type of communication do you plan to have with your parents?
24. How will you handle a student who continues to interrupt your instruction?
25. How will you handle a student with autism who is having a meltdown in class?
26. What grade and/or subject do you feel most comfortable teaching?
27. What subject area is your least favorite?
28. How will you handle conflict among fellow teachers?
29. What is one area where you hope to grow professionally?
30. What is your opinion of classroom observations?
31. What classroom rules and procedures do you consider important?
32. How do you plan to address bullying in your classroom?
33. Who was your most influential teacher and why?

https://www.languagealliance.com/blog/lessons-learned-from-a-date-discrepancy-in-apostilled-court-documents/

Hey all,
I purchased a TV today and the lady at Best Buy warned me I needed to stand it up.
Well I didn’t listen and brought the TV home not standing up straight. The TV is broken. I feel like an idiot because I am one at this current time haha.
My question is, should I even bother trying to return it? She did mention no refunds for improper transportation so I probably should’ve taken a hint.
Just sucks as I am out 500+ dollars. Laugh or I will cry (cries)
Ultimately it was my fault for being impatient so lesson learned. I should’ve listened
Thanks in advance