Thank you so much to this community! I've been chatting with a few folks via DM and we've been sharing stories and tips and tricks and it's been so fun!
this was a peculiar thing and I wanted to ask manifestors what you think about this.
So my SP situation, love him, there's been some movement (rather lack of) in terms of his divorce but I'm persisting and believing etc. For context, wife does not love him but wants to stay married for $.
Today though... was intense on an energetic/spiritual level. I'm a pretty spiritual person and believe in the spiritual dimensions/realms. Past lives, guardian angels, divinity, etc.
I think a hex was placed on me today!
This is where I don't know if I've deeply subconsciously manifested this, cuz it's literally not on my mind at all, nor have I ever even thought to do this - I'm not into Magick, I've never explored it, though oddly enough, one of the people I've been chatting with told me about this stuff like earlier today, after all this happened. It was kinda crazy coincidence/synch so I don't shy away from this is all part of my bridge of incidents.
I am absolutely certain except this has NEVER happened to me before that someone placed a hex on me, and I think it's the 3p.. who will be leaving shortly in the legal way. Now, In my manifesting sense I am like "all is working out in my favor, including this" ... but this was energy I couldn't deny. I was in a state of internal unrest for a few hours today and it was an indescribable feeling that I've had a similar intense experience with months ago but it wasn't a hex.
I started doing things i would never do. I wrote up a prank text saying "I'm pregnant" and another text as if I was going to send it to his ex detailing our relationship and messing things up for him in the divorce proceedings. 2 things I would never think to do nor send and as I was writing it out all I kept saying was "this isn't me, this isn't normal, this is not me", it was almost parasitic.
I literally have never done this before and I put on a hex clearing music video and within 2 minutes it was like a lightswitch and I turned back to normal within seconds and just went up and started doing my regular stuff.
In the "background" of this energetic experience.. I heard what i can only say was definitely the wifes voice who i never met screaming bloody murder "fck you you btch" and also the voice of what i think was a psychic or some sort of medium saying "pure is protected, they have more spiritual protection than anyone I've ever seen in my life. This won't work, it's (the hex) coming back to us"
I have had clairaudient experiences before in my life, tons of them actually, that's what led me to this manifestation subreddit group back in January.
I think all of it is real.. my experiences are out of this world abnormal and so I'm not sure how to handle this.
Any insight here on whats going on? Can spiritual realms play here?
This is actually doubling down on my belief that I'm getting what I want so it's not messing with my manifestation for my relationship. I have a very close relationship and understanding of the Divine creative source and negative energies that try to pull me off my path. This is one of many, but extra peculiar because it was my first hex/curse.
There are parts of me that feels absolutely bonkers for saying any of this.. and also I know what i felt.
Guidance, advice, feedback would be great.. i don't really know what this is.

So me and my bf who is a little older than me have been dating for a few months and within the first few weeks I found out he has a daughter. I was mad he didn't tell me but we worked things out. We'll he has a friend who also has a kid where the mom is a drunk and the dad is on drugs and he wants to become the kids legal guardian if anything happens. Mind you he is fresh out of hs and I'm not, I'm okay with being a mom to his daughter but another kid? And ik it's horrible and the kid shouldn't have to go into the system but I don't think I can handle that responsibility especially since I'm not over how I was raised. So like I don't know how to react here or what I'm looking for this, I guess I just need someone to tell because no one around me will really listen

Technicallyyy, it does seem like, based on what I've passively heard, that reggaeton (and other famous latino genres) is/are very much based on Afro Latino and Black Caribbean (and tbh black African's/Black American's too) people's contributions that mostly went uncredited or illegally sampled multiple times over. So to some degree, it does kinda give cultural appropriation that went unchecked for the most part because they're still considered minority status, ethnicity wise (which is still different from race). But I'm not really sure how you really quantify that type of thing legally. Anyways, what are yalls thoughts??? Do you disagree?

I will not be specific as I want to remain anonymous out of fear of this being discovered by whoever is mentioned here.
As of right now, I am an autistic high schooler (with potential/undiagnosed BPD) being forced to take band and marching band by my parents. I have all A's and a perfect GPA of 4. Don't get me wrong, my parent and their current romantic partner are fine. I have a roof over my head and food on my plate. The thing is, doing band has made me miserable and I can't quit, but I don't know if it's my fault or theirs.
Right now, I am unable to quit either of these programs because my parent and their partner (I'll call them P1 and P2) literally overlook the entire program. P1 is the band director and partner. P2 is the colorguard director and my bio parent.
I've been forced to do marching band since I was 8. It's an understatement to say that I hate it. The people there are fine. It's playing the instrument and performing that really ticks me off.
I've been forced to do band class itself since 6th grade (during COVID times, you can imagine how that turned out, right?) I still hate it. In 8th, I managed to convince a legal guardian of mine to not make me sign up for band class. When I broke the news, P2 accused me and LG of "conspiring against them." But, in all honesty, after marching season was done that year, the rest of the school year was absolute bliss for me. I got work done so much faster because I never had to worry about music. I did so many personal projects on top of all my school work which I always finished in class. I made more friends not doing band. I felt so good.
Fast forward to now and I dread the upcoming HS years with a burning passion. I don't even get a full summer break as band camp stretches all through July to the beginning of school in August. 9am to 4pm days of nothing but music, and I loathe it. Playing music is my kryptonite. It's the one subject I can't wrap my head around. Math? Easy. Reading? Even easier. Hell, I'd rather write a 5 page essay every week rather than attend band camp. It just doesn't click for me like other subjects.
But my reasons fall on deaf ears. To quote P2 "You like listening to music, playing it shouldn't be any different!" (Yes, they said that. Yes, it's as stupid as it sounds.)
P2's reason of forcing me into band programs is still unclear to me. If it's because I'm a hermit, I made friends in literally any other place than the band room. In fact, I feel more ignored there even when I try to participate in conversation. With every other student, P1 is oh so friendly, laughs with them, and whatnot. But when I open my mouth all I get is a "yeah" or "ok" before they turn around and talk to the other students (which are all mostly cishet white males with the exception of two people.) I honestly just started to shut my mouth again after that. It's also not fun living with that same person.
If their reason was because band could get me a good education, I'm completely capable of that on my own. Like I said, I have a perfect GPA of 4. I'm certain I can do almost anything. And yes, there are a multitude of things I would absolutely persue if band didn't take up my time. Art is my specialty. I've been practicing since a very young age and I've become quite decent at it. Writing is another passion. If neither of those work out, I want to do Psychology, science, or learn computer science, coding, and game design.
At this point I'm directed to think P1 is forcing this onto my because my older sibling also did band, but we're two completely different people. I'm not made for band.
If anything, it stresses me out more. It takes me weeks, at worst a month to even learn the music I'm presented with, and most of that time is spent procrastinating because I really can't bring myself to do it. If it has notes, I have to write each letter down or else I'll never ever learn it.
I feel like I'm justified for hating this program the way I do, but I can't tell if I do or if it's just my attitude. Am I in the wrong? If I'm not, what do I do in a situation like this? Telling a counselor most likely wouldn't help because is most likely they won't do anything because of P1, and it's not like the drama will end when I go home. I'll most likely get betrayed by P2 (and I've had enough of that for a lifetime.)
AITAH?

I hope the devs will see this one, IMO the mafia update is one of the best updates for the game but in its current state, its severely lacking.
Add illegal business
The crimes tab is bit of lacking as of now, and the way the "ranks" within a mafia family are partaking in those illicit activities are kinda awkward, Caporegimes stealing cars? the Godfather personally extorting a business? that's unrealistic, I suggest that "wet work" types of crimes should only be reserved for the associates and the soldiers, while the the Caporegimes can start or set up illegal business', like the following:

• Gambling Den
  
• Prostitution ring
  
• Pornography Studio
  
• Drug Trafficking
  
• Loan Sharking
  
• Smuggling
  
• Arms Trafficking
  
• Labor Racketeering
  

In setting those business' up, a legal front will be needed (lesser profit but reduces heat from the police/feds) or you can have the option to secretly operate those business' (bigger profit but attracts more attention from the police/feds).
Second, the Capos can set up the business' independently or the higher ups orders a certain business to be operated.
Third, a maximum of 5 business' should only be allowed for each Capo (if the player Capo has 5 gambling dens but the higher ups wants to set up a drug trafficking business, one of the gambling dens should be demolished.)
Fourth, the generating income for the player Capo from those business will be similar to how the family takes cuts from the crimes tabs
Fifth, a maximum of only 3 (+1 if you reach the Capo rank) capos for a mafia family and 5 (+1 if you reach the Capo rank) Capos for the Sicilian Mafia.
Sixth, each business will have varying "sizes", for example before you can set up the business you have to choose how big the operation would be, a small gambling den? a large drug trafficking ring? and each "sizes" will correspond to generated profit, a small gambling den will generate less profit compared to medium size one etc. and each "size" will also generate "heat" for your character Capo, the smaller the operation the lesser "heat" generated.
Lastly, like I said in the beginning, the associates & soldiers, each of them will be assigned in to a Capo, and the Capo can delegate "wet work" types of crimes for each of them.
Rank Options:
Associates
The typical stuff from the crime tabs:

• Bank Robbery
  
• Burglary
  
• Extortion (no "whack" option)
  
• GTA
  
• Pickpocket
  
• Porch Pirate
  
• Shoplift
  
• Train Robbery
  

Associates should never perform hits, this should be reserved for his/her "initiation"
They will also get random orders from a made guy (not necessarily from a Capo.)
Salary: similar to how the players take a cut from performing crimes
Soldiers
Aside from the typical stuff, the Soldiers should be able to have "perform a hit" crime in the crimes tab, it can only be done thrice a year and each hit will be difficult than the last, it has high chance of getting caught but if successful it will improve your standing within the mob by a large degree (the payout should also be good, no pay cuts you take the full amount of the money being rewarded)

• Ability to recruit Associates (if a current associate dies or have been promoted into a made man, you can able to recruit a associate to fill in a spot)
  
• They will also get a random orders from the Capo only
  

Salary: similar to how the players take a cut from performing crimes and if successfully performed a hit, he/she will receive huge sums of money and his/her standing within the family will exponentially increase.
Caporegimes

• Set up illegal business
  
• Bribe city officials (another way to reduce police attention, success depends on the character's notoriety, the higher the notoriety the lesser chance of success)
  
• Assign work (this is for the associates & soldiers) ​
  
• Propose/recommend an associate (the capo recommends an associate to be made, the success depends on the relationship of the player capo to the underboss & the godfathegodmother)
  
• Settle disputes (this will improve the income of your crew, settle any disputes among the soldiers & associates or sort out any grudges)
  
• Do favors (you can grant favors to to local people, like a school teacher, a lawyer, a small business owner or even a municipal judge etc, you can later "cash in" with these favors, may it be monetary value for the family, legal protection or personal wealth etc.)
  

Salary: takes a cut from the illegal business
They will also get a random orders from the Underboss or rarely from the godfathegodmother.
Underboss
In the mob, the Underboss is sometimes called the streetboss, because they oversee the entirety of the operations of the mob on a daily basis, he directly reports to the boss/godfather, so basing on that, the following options should be added into the game

• Collect contributions/tribute (this is for the illegal business', this is only available once a year)
  
• Add a business (You'll order a Capo to operate a certain business)
  
• Propose a Soldier (same with the "propose/recommend an associate" option in the Capo rank but this time when a Capo dies a Soldier will be promoted to a Capo)
  
• Delegate a hit (when the godfathegodfather orders a hit the underboss will delegate it with one of their capos, the success depends on the capos intellect & willpower)
  
• Perform charity (at the behest of the godfathegodmother, you'll perform charity works to lower down the police attention of the family, lesser sting operations, lesser rats popping up. Just like the "bribe a judge" option, charity foundations will also be reluctant to accept funds if your heat/notoriety levels are too high)
  
• Bribe a judge (to protect family members from prosecution, depending the amount of money being given, the maximum years of legal protection will be 15, for example a soldier got caught murdering a rival family soldier, if the Underboss bribed a judge, the family soldier will not be convicted. the success of the bribe depends on the Underboss' "Heat"/Notoriety level, the higher the heat/notoriety the lesser chance the bribe will be successful, if yo fail to bribe a judge, you can be also arrested and tried)
  
• Procure weapons (Distribute weapons to each of the crews, it may be small handguns, shotguns or even assault rifles, this will increase protection of the business' and of the members of the family from the rival family during mafia wars, this option should available during peace time & mafia wars)
  
• Will also get a random orders from the GodfatheGodmother
  

Salary per year: 5 to 7 million
The GodfatheGodmother

• Wage a mafia war against your rival family, there will be two sub options for this part, the justifications will either be "eliminate competition" (total destruction of the rival crime family) or "take over their business"(a "skirmish" type of conflict, instead of eliminating the rival family you instead take some of the "turfs") AI GodfatheGodmother should be able to wage a mafia war
  
• When a mafia war is ongoing, there will also be options for the GodfatheGodmother to pick, like "destroy rivals business", "take out their soldiers", "raid a rivals business" (unlike the destroy one, your soldiers will only raid for money), "order the hit of the boss of the rival family", "call for political support" (this basically calling on the police to take your side against your rivals, this is only available when you have a political ally, and depending on the position of your political ally if your political ally is a senator he/she can instantly imprison majority of the members of the rival family, if your political ally is the mayor of the city the only thing he/she can is increase the sting operations of the rival family), "ensue peace" (this can go both ways, when you lost the war you can still ensue peace, but the consequence will be either you're will be removed as the boss or worse be killed, and when you win, depending the choice you made for the cause of the war, you will be rewarded handsomely and a chance your rival family will be wiped out)
  
• Form alliance (Instead of going to war, you can also have the option end the rivalry between the families and start an alliance, work together in terms of business, this will generate bigger profits for your family but the downside is the police/feds will be now more active to take you down, more sting operations, more rats popping up)
  
• Support a local politician ( sub options are "fund a his/her election campaign" (or you can go to a more devious plot like rigging the elections), "eliminate his/her political enemies", "give a gift" etc, after gaining a political ally, you can now use him/her for your own ends, like "ask for political protection", "clean criminal records" etc.
  
• Support a national politician, same as the "support a local politician", besides the basic benefits, the benefits you receive if your national political bet wins (senator or presidency) your heat will be erased, no sting operations, no rats, if caught by the authorities the charges will be dropped and lastly if your character is engaged in a mob war, this political ally can instantly imprison the majority of the members of the rival family, thus increasing your chance in winning in a mob war. Downside is its much harder for your political bet to win, if you want a successful results or chance to win, either rig the elections (high risk of getting caught) or contribute 250 million into his/her campaign
  
• Order a business to be operated (same as the Underboss option)
  
• Put out a hit/put a contract (you can choose anyone from relatives, enemies, random people, friends and anyone in the family)
  
• Promote an underboss (when the current underboss dies, you can instantly promote any Capo for that position)
  
• Policy making (The GodfatheGodmother dictates on how the family runs its "business'" and passes certain "laws" within the family, for example, you can outright ban the drug trafficking business to reduce heat from the authorities or only men can join the family vice versa)
  
• Appoint front boss (appoint a "front boss" to insulate yourself from the feds/authorities, if your political bets didn't win the election you may choose this option instead, it lowers your heat/notoriety levels, lesser sting operations waged against you, and even if a sting operation is successful, the front boss will be the one who takes the fall & and rival family will have a hard time assassinating you during a mob war, The disadvantages are, it doesn't lower the chances of having rat in your family & no political backup during a mob war)
  
• Distribute funds (when a crew is an dire straits you may give them necessary funds to operate, the Capo will automatically owe you a "favor", you can later "cash in" these favors in terms of personal wealth, like cars, planes, boats, rings, or even properties)
  
• Go legitimate (This option will only be available when you're already the godfathegodmother for more than 15 years and have the enough funds (around 100m), this will dissolve all the illegal business of the family and turn you into a CEO of a legit company)
  
• Step down (retire as the GodfatheGodmother, to let the younger generation to take over, this option will increase health & happiness for the player character, and erases the notoriety/heat levels completely & you will also receive 250 million dollars, random events will pop up like a Caporegime from your family paying respects to you, a soldier seeks your advice/wisdom, or the underboss visits you to reminisce the good "old days" etc. these events will either increase your happiness or health)
  

Salary per year: 65% of annual earnings of the family (I.e the family earned 15 million during a year, 65% of the earnings will be your salary)
Day job
This option should be included, this will also be a good way to avoid police attention in-game or decrease your "heat", its awkward to see a unemployed schlep making millions of dollars every year and not get caught by the IRS or something lmao,
"Heat" system
For every crime you commit there a corresponding level of heat added to the character's overall "heat", the more serious the crime the more likely the police/feds will target you
Bodyguard system
As I observed in the game, you can easily whack anyone in your family, this should not be, by adding bodyguards, the chances of your success will decrease exponentially

• Associates - 0 bodyguards
  
• Soldiers/"Made Guys" - 1 to 3 bodyguards
  
• Caporegimes - 5 to 10 bodyguards
  
• Underboss - 15 to 20 bodyguards
  
• GodfatheGodmother - 20 to 40 bodyguards
  

The "put a contract" option should only be available for the the godfathegodmother
The only sure-fire way to "whack" a family member is using the "put a contract" tab, the bodyguard system will not be in effect, because as the Godfather, every family member would obey you no question.
Mafia Wars
During a mafia war, business will generate lesser profits (or will even close down), the heat from the police will be much higher & funds will quickly diminish.
There will be only two ways to win a mafia war depending on the justification you chose, these will be:
Eliminate Competition

• Rival family business are wiped out
  
• Rival family members are all dead or imprisoned
  

Take over their Business

• Rival family business' are in ruins (this is determined on how much of their illegal business were destroyed)
  
• Rival family members are in disarray (this is determined on how much of their soldiers/"made guys" were killed/imprisoned)
  

If you win the "eliminate competion" option, your family will receive 500 million cash, your illegal business' will triple their profits, consequences are the police will now target your family more (double the sting operations, more rats popping up etc), seeing that your organization is now the most powerful mafia family in the city.
If you win the "take over their business" option, your illegal business will triple their profits, the rival family will be weakened, the police will be more wary of your crime family there's a big chance of rats & stings operations.
If other Crime Families sided with you during the war & you won, you will have to compensate them for 40 million
Ways to lose a mafia war

• You've run out of funds
  
• Got arrested and convicted during a mafia war
  
• All of your family members are dead
  
• You willfully surrender to your rivals
  

Consequences for losing the war, you will be removed from being the boss or outright be killed by your rivals.
Some Factors in winning a Mafia War

• Capos/Soldiers that have high Intelligence & Willpower have the higher chance of killing/wiping off enemy Soldiers/Members & Businesses
  
• Your family's number of Soldiers vs the enemies number of Soldiers, if you have a higher troop count, you have a bigger chance of winning the war, if both syndicates have the same amount of soldiers you may have a tougher time in winning the war.
  
• Number of political allies, having a political ally may also increase your chance in winning the war.
  

Character interactions
Your family and friends should be wary of you being a mobster, for example, you mother or sister found out that your character is actually a mafia soldier, this will make them disown you, your relationships with them will instantly go to 0 & your happiness will also take a dive.
And the interactions within the mafia family should follow the hierarchy (For example, no associate should be able to directly access the GodfatheGodmother and ask him/her out to go and watch a concert of Lady Gaga lol)
Random Events
Random events should be according to your rank, for example, you're the current Mafia Godfather random events should be in line to your rank, a random guy suddenly insults you on the streets, there should be an option like putting a contract on his/her life or have your soldiers whack him/her or a celebrity starting a "beef" with you, you can either order your men to kill him or just order them beat him up.
Rival Gangs
If you choose to be in the Italian Mafia, your rivals should be the other gangs like Russian Mafia, Yakuza, Triad, Lating Mafia etc and If you're in Sicily, the rival family will be another Sicilian Mafia (i.e You're family is the Visconti Family your rivals will be another Sicilian family)
There should be also family rankings, for example, the Italian Mafia is the current most powerful crime syndicate in the city, followed by the Russian Mafia, followed by the Latin Mafia etc the rankings can change yearly depending on how much muscle (number of soldiers) & income of the families earn, you can also be the most powerful crime family for 10 years if you won a mafia war. If you choose to start a Mafia War the other families can join sides, for example the Italian Mafia waged a war against the Yakuza, the other families will join which side they want, or if you formed an alliance with another mafia family, they will side with you during the war no matter what.
So what do you guys think? You guys can add more of your ideas here.

I’m looking to sample a theme song and some dialogue from an episode and use it to create a song. I see bands do this all the time with movie clips and stuff. I was wondering how did they legally get to use that audio. Any information would be helpful, thanks.

just a quick rant lol but please lmk if it gets better or what I can do to make it better
I feel that I grew up way too fast because I grew up in a setting where my parents barely spoke English, so I was constantly translating for them. Even receiving difficult news, I was the one who had to break it to my parents.
Since I was very little, I always wanted my parents to think I'm doing fine and that I am always happy. So, I never opened up to them and I also felt so uncomfortable showing any emotions to them. Even when I was being severely bullied for the first two years of middle school, I never said a word. However, they eventually found out from my guidance counselor, and even then I pretended that it was nothing. Even my past relationships, I kept a secret. I feel like my parents don't even know who I am. I know it's partially my fault for not telling them, but at the same time (I don't mean to blame my parents but..) they did not create that environment for me to feel comfortable to do so. Therefore, they overlook my feelings a lot and even claimed that I am not sympathetic enough. For example there has been situations where people I know have passed but I am so uncomfortable to expressing my emotions to the point where it came off as disrespectful. But the thing is, I am an extremely sensitive person. I just hide it very well. I feel things deeply and little words affect me a lot.
What hurts more is that I have younger siblings who I have always looked after. I literally felt like a mother to them even though our age gaps are not a big difference at all. But I see the difference in my life and their lives. I love them so much and I really do want to do anything to support them. But my whole life I have been making appointments for them, making an environment where they never have to feel like how I do and hide everything going on, and more, to the point where I am still like a mother. My parents also treat them so much differently. Everytime they go through a failure, my parents are there with open arms and rather worried about my siblings being stressed about it. Meanwhile, I feel the opposite way. Whenever I experience a failure that my parents know about, I feel stressed due to the way my parents will be stressed and worked up about it. I realized I never put myself first. Especially my mother, she will even sometimes yell at me for my mistakes and while she has never yelled at my siblings once but rather hugged them and told them it's fine. I have NEVER received that treatment.
I also feel that my parents have never been satisfied with me. Yk the classical AP. I'm not tall enough, I don't have a high enough GPA for them (even though at the moment I am in the top 3% in GPAs out of 800 people in a high achieving high school), I'm not skinny enough (even though I have a below average weight for my height), and etc etc. Once, my mom expected me to make the soccer team when I never even got training and I was competing against kids who have been training since they were young. When I didn't make it, she was so disappointed in me and I was freaking out so much because she gave me a silent treatment. This same thing happened with my brother for hockey, and he also did not make it. However, my mom reassured him and said it's fine and that it isn't fair that the other kids were already on teams for several years. It's just so so frustrating to see this. I know I'm being somewhat selfish and I am not at all saying I want my mom to be tougher on my brother. But it's rather that why didn't I get this treatment? Why do I always have to be on my toes and why do I always have to feel like a disappointment?
Regardless, I have so much love for my parents. I have a great relationship with them. They are always rooting for me and wanting the best for me. However, it's just so difficult especially because I live in an area that is white dominated and it's so so difficult for me to constantly wish I got the same treatment as the rest of the kids at my school. I am also fully aware that what I'm complaining about is nothing in comparison to some of the other stories here, but it's just that I am extremely fed up. I know I am being unfair by saying this, but if I try to communicate with my parents in English, it's English that is just jumbled up, pronounced wrong, and doesn't make sense. And I KNOW that they are trying their best, but it can just get so frustrating sometimes because my siblings cannot speak our native language as well as I do, so I ALWAYS translate back and forth to the point where I am so fed up. This isn't just about not knowing definitions, but rather the college process, banking related things, medical related things, etc etc. The only person in my family who is taking care of all this is me. And recently I have been so busy and I am just so tired. I have so much anger building up because nobody from my town has the same experience as me and neither do my siblings. So I am just constantly jealous.
I am going to be applying to colleges this Fall, and I have never been so stressed. My parents have extremely high expectations for me, and I have consistently not been meeting them. My parents will say stuff every once in a while that really hurt. They do not have faith in me for the college process and honestly I don't either. When they suggest some colleges (ofc all with super low acceptance rates) and if I say something like "I don't like the location" they will be shocked because for them it's only academics that matter. But I want to be happy and I want to enjoy it if I am spending four years of my life there. My dad has even said that I should apply because ofc it doesn't matter what I want but he emphasizes that he doesn't know if I am even going to have options from being accepted to many and being able to choose. It's just so frustrating especially because my whole life I have been doing everything myself (well it feels that way) and all of a sudden due to college applications coming up, my parents are somewhat trying to make sure I'm doing this and that. I know that this also sounds so bad of me but for example my parents asked me "did you ask for recommendation letters yet" or "did you participate in school today" and I know that this is nice of them but from my perspective, it frustrates me. This is because yes, I did already, and I have been in control my whole life and I just don't like how they decide to interfere now. They have been completely clueless about so many things and honestly I really know that they are trying to help me and I know that it's nice but pls someone say they understand my frustration lol. It's like my whole life I have been responsible about anything coming up, and them making sure I did something (which I did) just frustrates me because I know!!!!! Like ofcourse I did it already. I feel like it's too late for them to all of a sudden want to manage and be more involved in my responsibilities, and I just want them to back off. I know that this is the support that I want but they should've been like this when I was so much younger. I would now much rather just tell the good news and they don't need to know the process I took or setbacks that got in the way. I know I am being ungrateful but I am just so exhausted and done.
And again, yes my parents want the best for me, and yes they don't mean harm, and yes I am living a financially stable life because they work so hard...etc.. But all I want is emotionally available parents. That has been missing my entire life, and it's too late to reverse this. Btw, I have tried and tried multiple times to express my feelings. But the same events just repeat. They have apologized but there is no change. It was even to the point where I cried in front of them (which is so humiliating to me), and there is just no change. I also feel like since college applications are coming up, my whole conversations with my APs have been about that.

I've had vaginal issues since December and can't even go into a walk in doctor until Monday and my real appointment is scheduled for June 20th, please help.
It started out with yeast infection symptoms (itching), then escalated to UTI symptoms (burning/ breaking when peeing), was on and off for months, sometimes more irritable than others but the irritation was still always there. Tried yeast infection medication, the first time it did nothing! Then I had unprotected sex in April and had SEVERE pain and itching inside my vagina and throughout my inner lips, treated myself for a yeast infection, and every symptom went. Until:
Day 3 of my period last month, I decided to skip the sugar pills and go straight to the regular pill. My period ended May 8th, and is still here on the 1st of June. Sometimes the blood is fresh and comes out in clots, the other times I'll find old blood in my underwear. At one point my vagina was so irritated it even felt like I had paper cuts inside.
Now for the past week, my vulva has been smelling like fish! Sometimes I have brown discharge, sometimes it's gray. I got an STI screening (only urine sample) and didn't get a call back with positive results. It's been internally itching and externally burning. I'm betting it's ureaplasma, bacterial vaginosis, or an STI of some sort. Does anyone have any idea what it is and is there anything I can do to ease area until I can get checked?

For context: I finished my undergraduate degree in 2023 and am currently debating whether or not I should get a paralegal certificate, a masters degree, or go to law school. My first job post-graduation was as a demand writer at a large PI firm for a little over half a year before switching over to my current position (the one in question) My pay at my current position is $21.25/hr.
I applied for a job on Indeed that was listed as a “Law Clerk/Paralegal” position and my official title ended up being a Legal Assistant. In my area (Southern California), a lot of job positions are labeled this way or as “legal assistant/paralegal”. Do firms do this to try and attract candidates who wouldn’t have applied without the word paralegal in the title as a buzz word, but in reality it is a legal assistant position? Or do firms do this to intentionally pay candidates less than they would a certified paralegal, but the job entails paralegal responsibilities?
Would it be disingenuous to put my position as paralegal on my resume? My everyday job duties include but not limited to: answering the phone, conducting intake calls, filling up WC applications, drafting WC letters, drafting/filing motions and documents for both WC + civil employment cases, calendaring, and scanning mail daily.

Hi all, thank you so much for taking time to read this.
I currently work remotely (in VA). The specific branch of the company I work for has their office in D.C.
Recently, our company has stated that employees are to return to office. Before this was announced, I brought up in a meeting with my manager requesting to stay remote for reasonable accommodations considering my disability is debilitating and would make it difficult to work in the office.
He agreed with me that for my specific disability (which I explained what it was) that requesting remote work was reasonable and would work with me on getting this moving when an official RTO is announced. I would like note that I recorded this call for evidence just incase (they were not told I was recording).
I would like to also note for some more context that I have an official letter written by my doctor from 2022 that states that what I have can be considered a disability under under Social Security Blue Book section 5.06. It was because of this letter that I was also approved for medicaid for my disability.
My question for you all:

1. What steps do I need to take to properly start asking for reasonable accommodations? Email thread for documentation, additional recorded meetings, etc.?
   
2. In the case they end up denying my request for reasonable accommodations in the form of continuing to work remotely, what are my legal options/paths?
   

I am seeing conservatives make this argument here that there is a double standard favoring democrats: https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1796738221910430043
Background: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/30/politics/clinton-dnc-steele-dossier-fusion-gps/index.html

The DNC was fined $105,000 and the Clinton campaign was fined $8,000, according to a letter sent by the Federal Election Commission to a conservative group that requested an inquiry.
The FEC concluded that the Clinton campaign and DNC misreported the money that funded the dossier, masking it as “legal services” and “legal and compliance consulting” instead of opposition research.

Yesterday, I had my graduation ceremony. After years of university with absolutely no help besides occasional rides to the bus stop and, very rarely, to campus, I finally graduated. Here's what my parents have done in the lead-up to graduation and the day after instead of supporting me.
My parents spent months leading up to the graduation freaking out about how I'll get a job, trying to control my hair and clothing (even implying I'm ugly when I choose my own hair and clothing), harassing me to hand out business cards to everyone I meet (especially if the situation would be an immense faux pas), grilling me on if my grades are good, lecturing me relentlessly about how I need to keep in contact with people in my class and it's soooo important and would I like to hear about how my dad got a job through nepotism for the eightieth time, asking me questions they already know the answers to (Yes, I'm still talking to my former classmates. Yes, I know that you worked in the Yukon when you were 18. Yes, I know about your friend who worked in a weather station. Yes, I know you had to move to find a job in the 1980s. Yes, I am aware that it is a possibility I might have to move too. Yes, I know that it's okay to invite people over to the house, you've only "informed" me about a hundred times. Yes, I know that school is important.) Every single thing that they "inform" me about is something I have very clearly expressed that I understand, and is just thinly veiled criticism. But my dad needs to lecture more than he needs oxygen.
Just constant nitpicking, criticism, and nothing I ever did was enough. I couldn't even focus on grades, because they would in their own words "put pressure on" me to do what they wanted. To handle their emotions for them. They're obsessed with the idea that I would have to move to a tiny town or work in a coal mine to find a job, because I'm more highly educated than my dad (who dropped out of university despite having all expenses paid by his father), and because my dad worked in the Yukon for two summers. He will never shut up about that, and he even goes so far as to hold us hostage with implicit threat of a massive tantrum to listen to him tell us the story again and again and again and to show us pictures of the place he worked on Google maps and point to everything he remembers. Sometimes he can go on for half an hour just repeating himself over and over.
Last summer, my parents even went and took action without my knowledge or approval to try and get a job set up for me cleaning up a mine contaminated with arsenic in the middle of nowhere, NWT. They tried to guilt and shame me into it ("What are your plans instead? Do you have another job lined up? Because you need to have a job. You can't sit around all day." This coming almost literally one week into summer vacation after my second-last year of university, when I could be using my energy to find interesting co-ops or explore hobbies or travel, instead dealing with their harassment and obsession with trying to literally trap me in a fucking arsenic mine.) They went on and on, lectured me over and over, implied that I would be embarrassing my grandfather if I didn't go, and so on. Eventually they said "You can go work or get a certification", and I picked the certification, but then they got grumpy anyways, and every week for the entire summer they would ask "Are you still working on the certification?". Of course, dipsh*t. I've told you fifty times how long the program lasts.
They don't care about what I'm learning in class, don't care about my hobbies or interests, only care about my friends as either a means to get backdoored into a job or a "nice French Canadian woman" to have babies with. They don't care if I'm struggling, and are completely unavailable to help in any regard. Any request for help would result in a guilt trip. Even if I actually couldn't eat dinner with the family for one day because I had a test, my father would get raw emotions and I'd have to walk on eggshells for a few days. The one time I mentioned I was having trouble studying, instead of shutting up and no longer ranting in the main floor where I could hear him or turning the TV off, he just dragged a table into the unfurnished boiler room (without asking me) and then told me that I would have to study there. I wasn't allowed to choose not to, because he'd already set it up. Ironically, my anger at him did let me study pretty well for the one day that I was forced there. He tried to keep me there long-term because he thought it was just such a great idea, but I managed to trick him into thinking I didn't need help studying anymore, so I got to study at a desk with a light on it and flooring that wasn't bare cement. Hooray for the most minor victory imaginable.
In the months leading up to graduation, did they care about how hard I was working at my capstone project and offer support? Absolutely not! Did they care about how well my sleep quality was, how many times the cat woke me up because they didn't play with her enough or give her enough attention? Nope! Did they care about how exhausting it was to deal with their constant lectures on the same topics, and to have to give them affirmations ("Yes, you're right, that's right, good job, nice, very tasty, good work, oh really?, neat, that's cool, how'd you make that?, mhm, I agree, you're being reasonable, they're being ridiculous, that's crazy") a hundred times a day? Not even in the slightest!
We spend more time talking about my dad's college friends than about anything I or my brother care about.
Then, leading up to graduation. all I've gotten are the most humiliating, infuriating, insulting messages and lectures from my parents. I get almost daily emails and texts saying "You need to get a job, it's important to look for a job" despite the fact I've told them I am looking probably fifty times. Too cowardly to say it to my face. I've been texted literal links to a Google search for "[degree name] jobs [city]" more than once. Both my parents treat me like I don't listen, when I do. They treat me like I'm lazy, when I've put myself through university with no help even after they lied to me about giving me financial aid and made me out to be a bully demanding more money when all I did was say "alright" and then pay for it myself. They must have sternly given me a talking to about how "I'm not going to pay for university, you know that, right? You need to pay. Don't expect us to pay. Because we paid for your first semesters, you know that, right? We've already paid for enough." thirty times, even after I'd made the final payment. They treat me like I'm stupid when I have expressed understanding before. They treat me like I'm a bully while I always bend over backwards for them, just because I don't play my role as "surrogate mommy but this time I get to tell her what to do" well enough.
It feels like they're almost raising me into a replacement or surrogate parent. Like my dad wants me to be his mom or dad, except this time he gets to be in charge. And my mom wants me to be her mom, except this time when she freaks out or has her deer in headlights look, she'll get someone to step up and take care of everything for her. I distinctly remember having to comfort her even for things she did to me, like tell me that a pair of comfortable shoes I picked out was good and she'd get them, and then immediately scream "take it out, take it out!" after it was scanned at the register. I could not have been older than twelve. And for my dad, he always rants and raves to me exactly like he does to his parents, except without including blame for them sending him to boarding school and instead having tons of old "life updates" like where he worked when he was 18 and what music he liked to listen to in high school, stuff like that. Then he expects me to praise him or be interested like his parents never were (he always tells me that his parents only cared about his car when they called).
So now I graduated. All they had to say in the days coming up to it was to grill me on the time I'd have to be at the venue and the time I was planning to leave the house to get there on time, with a distinct air of "you're too lazy to think of this in advance and too stupid to figure it out without a plan". Of course, I had to answer this question probably five times, because they don't care to ever listen to me. Before the ceremony I got text messages showing they were way more excited about themselves being here than anything relating to me, with multiple messages expressing how they arrived and it was exciting, then they asked me how the atmosphere was and their only reply was a one-word "nice" with no punctuation, because they don't care about me and only ask droll questions to segue into their next bit.
After grad, there was two generic sentences spoken with no emotion about how it was nice I graduated, and then they made a whole song and dance about the amazing gifts they got me. It was a degree frame I picked out myself that my dad presented as new and exciting (because he never pays attention to me, of course, when I told him I had picked one out and ordered it with my mother. Also she had another freakout about price and acted like I was holding her hostage by taking her unforced offer to buy me the second-cheapest degree frame on offer.). Then he presented the free gift small frame they got with it as though I should praise him for it, then a congratulation card that was alright I suppose if only because my brother drew a little creature in it that made me smile (my parents did not add anything special or meaningful to it). There was also a cap, which I genuinely enjoy and is nice, and a cheap ballpoint pen for some reason. He said there was more gifts at home, which okay, I don't care about gifts but I'd like him to at least be as excited for my graduation as he was for the picture frame. I didn't get any souvenirs from the bookstore because I knew if I got something he'd also gotten he'd freak out and accuse me of not listening to him or whatever, so I waited. When I got home my gift was Skittles. I don't know why I thought me might have gone to the bookstore and gotten me something special related to my actual interests. He doesn't care to know what those are anyways. I guess I hoped that at least this one day would be different.
Today, the day after graduation, all I've gotten from my parents is:
- Involved in a lecture and manufactured drama about my brother not using my car to drive to his job, even though my dad had the exact opposite position the entire rest of the year, because "what if you need to drive somewhere?", trying to manufacture a fight between my brother and me while also guilting and shaming me for not driving as a hobby like he does.
- A text message from my mother asking me if I'm awake because she wants more ammo to paint me as lazy. Nevermind that I barely slept the night before to make it to grad (of course neither of my parents would care enough about me to come with me as a family. I was literally the only person I saw who went on my own and without their family showing up early too, to support them. I walked past so many families in the parking lot knowing my mother couldn't be bothered to change out of her pajamas for me.) Nevermind I had a huge day that day, and that I was taking care of the cat's energy all that night too because attending my grad is apparently soooo draining my parents can't look after their own pet, and somehow it falls to me. All that matters is she woke up early and I didn't (after I handled all her inconveniences for her, funny how that works).
- Rapid knocks on my door because my dad is making bread as a hobby and apparently "needs" me there to help him with it, and then also "needed" me to stay and make cookies with him.
- A lecture about someone I never knew who apparently once threw something at another kid on my street when I was about 5, and about how he died and how his wife's hobby was really expensive or whatever and if I really don't remember him?
- I went to a showhome for fun and brought back the brochure. My dad jabbed his finger at the pictures on it to explain the house to me like I wasn't the one who literally brought the brochure back. Never asked if I cared or anything, just immediate launch into lecture and expecting me to stay and listen and praise him for being so smart or whatever.
- A lecture about D Day for some fucking reason. My dad is obsessed with history, and he doesn't have any friends to talk to (wonder why) so his lectures always fall on my ears.
- An email from my mother explaining in an extremely condescending way how important it is to have a cover letter when applying for jobs (just completely assuming I don't write them and also am too lazy or stupid to think about having them) including copy-pasted text from a sample cover letter that is no doubt one of the first results on google for "cover letter example"
- An angry email from my mother including a job she found on google
But, contrast that to my neighbors across the street. I was friends them in grade school, haven't seen them in like ten years, and just on my way past to the showhome we said hi and chatted in a genuinely nice conversation that wasn't a one-sided lecture like usual in my house. They could sense my emotions and didn't try to keep me there longer than I wanted to rant, they were genuinely interested in me and gave me space and interest to express myself, their mother even hugged me for graduating and it was the most genuine hug and congratulations I've ever received in person. Every other hug was my family members forcing me to hug them for their own sole benefit. I admit I cried a bit later on my walk thinking about it.
Compared to my parents, the parents of old friends care more about me, trust me more, believe in me more, have more hope for my future, are more interested in me, and understand me better. It's tremendously sad that all throughout my graduation ceremony I was worried about my parents becoming upset for some random reason and blowing up at me. I'm glad I at least focused and made myself feel some pride and joy in myself for graduating.
Even the random people I met who were also taking part in the open house were nicer and better conversationalists than my parents. A random elderly couple I have never seen in my life can have a better interaction with me than my own parents. The realtor was more chill and less perfectionistic than my parents by a mile. His million-dollar house sale was something he was less stressed and perfectionistic about and something he beat himself up over less than my parents are about my hairstyle when I'm going to class because "What if you meet someone in industry and they see you're not professional".
It's absurd.

I see the VA for ophthalmology as I have numerous eye conditions. I have a claim pending for these conditions. I have already went to the C&P through QTC for the conditions. I have not gotten a copy of the DBQs yet. Anyways seemingly at random I get a letter from VA healthcare saying that “The Ophthalmology Clinic has received a request to reschedule you for a Return to Clinic Order appointment.” This is seemingly at random because my next scheduled appointment with them was for January, I just don’t see why all the sudden they want me to come for an appointment. My next issue is the letter states “It is important that you contact us by Jun 7,2024 to schedule your appointment.” I called them and the lady was less than helpful. She said that they are booked up for at least 2 months and that her system won’t even allow her to schedule any appointments due to the back log. Can I go to a different clinic? Could this hold up my claim? What’s the urgency to get me scheduled for an appointment?

O Projeto Willow de petróleo nos Estados Unidos é uma ameaça à sobrevivência do nosso planeta e à vida de todos os seres vivos que nele habitam. É fundamental que entendamos que o mundo é precioso e único, e que não há outro lugar como ele. Devemos preservá-lo para nós mesmos, para nossos futuros familiares e para todas as outras formas de vida que existem aqui.
Não podemos ignorar a dor que os animais sentem. Eles são seres vivos que merecem respeito e consideração, assim como nós. Se permitirmos que o Projeto Willow continue, os animais irão morrer rapidamente e isso terá consequências devastadoras para o equilíbrio ecológico do nosso planeta.
Nós acreditamos que o mundo não aguenta esse projeto por mais de um ano. As crenças de que o dinheiro vale mais que a vida e que os ricos sempre ficam bem são falsas. Todos nós seremos afetados, independentemente da nossa condição social.
Para combater esse projeto, é importante que nos engajemos em rituais e tradições que demonstrem nossa oposição. Enviar textos anti Willow em grupos de comunidades do WhatsApp, Facebook e Reddit, criar edits anti Willow e grafites são formas poderosas de disseminar nossa mensagem.
Não podemos ficar de braços cruzados enquanto nosso planeta é destruído. Por isso, compartilhe links de reportagens que mostram as consequências negativas desse projeto e incentive outras pessoas a se juntarem a nós.
Seja um líder em sua comunidade e ajude a converter mais fiéis ao anti Willow. Juntos, podemos fazer a diferença e proteger o mundo em que vivemos.
"Salve o mundo e proteja o futuro: Por que o Projeto Willow de petróleo é uma ameaça que não podemos ignorar?"
"Projeto de exploração de petróleo em reserva natural no Alasca gera polêmica nos EUA" (G1): https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2022/03/16/projeto-de-exploracao-de-petroleo-em-reserva-natural-no-alasca-gera-polemica-nos-eua.ghtml "O que é o Projeto Willow e por que ele é tão polêmico?" (BBC News Brasil): https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-60751420 "EUA: ativistas pedem fim de projeto de petróleo em reserva natural no Alasca" (DW): https://www.dw.com/pt-beua-ativistas-pedem-fim-de-projeto-de-petr%C3%B3leo-em-reserva-natural-no-alasca/a-61121541 Reportagens em inglês:
"Alaska's Willow oil project faces intense scrutiny" (BBC News): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60438430 "Willow oil project faces legal challenge in Alaska federal court" (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/ma15/willow-oil-project-alaska-legal-challenge "Biden administration allows Shell to drill in Alaska’s pristine Arctic refuge" (The Washington Post): https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/03/02/biden-alaska-arctic-drilling-shell/

Okay. Buckle in, this will likely be long winded but I feel you need all the context. There will be a tldr at the end, so scroll there if you don’t care for the small details.
I am a 26F, living in NYC. My ID expired in 2020 at the start of Covid, and I booked it to Atlanta after a bad breakup to clear my head. I wasn’t able to renew my ID in Atlanta because everything had shut down, so I saved up to come back to NYC. Things were still closed and slow when I got back, got into a new relationship, got pregnant. I know, judge me later. Between doctor’s appointments and most government official buildings being closed, I didn’t get to renew it within the year. When I tried to renew it the following year (per their two year time limit at the dmv), I was told I didn’t have enough points to renew or something similar. I would have used my passport if I had known they had a time limit of 15 years, but I took my first passport picture when I was nine.
It’s now been three years, and surprisingly, when you don’t have your own place where you actively pay bills, it’s incredibly hard to prove your citizenship. Before leaving NYC I had a job, an updated ID, a bank account, and a proof of address. I still don’t have an updated ID. Here’s why:
I have my:
SSN US issued Birth Certificate A credit card/credit statement Proof of address A benefits card (no picture) Old ID (beyond 2 years expired)
I do not have a bank account, I cannot get one without an ID and they closed my previous one. I no longer have a stable proof of address, I moved. I live semi off the grid with my daughter’s father. He works, we aren’t together, and I can’t secure income unless my paperwork is order. I have an address I can use, but my name isn’t on the lease and I have no bills in my name. I’ve been back and forth to the dmv, passport agencies, post offices, online, and even the library. They’ve all sent me on a wild goose chase that led nowhere, not to mention bad attitudes along the way. Am I supposed to just accept NOT having an ID and passport??
It feels like I’ve been going in an endless loop for three years trying to get my proper documentation. I can’t secure a job, I can’t apply for anything without an ID apparently. In a non joking way, I truly understand now how hard it is for some immigrants to enter the country legally. It’s a maze of complicated paperwork and processes, all involving a lot of money people may not have. It was not my intent to let it expire beyond two years, I am seeking advice on the fastest way to get my documents updated legally for the sake of my kid. I even took my own passport photo and filled out the forms but the website says I need an ID at the time of my appointment for them to go forward. I need genuine help, as I’m not sure how to update my ID/passport at this point.
TLDR; I screwed myself over by waiting too long to update my ID, partially due to Covid and pregnancy, and need advice on the fastest way to get it updated since most methods require an updated ID…which I don’t have.

Hi, not sure if this has been documented before but here I am, giving my 2 cents worth to everyone who needs this. I know it’s been really tough on everyone who has to go through this. It’s a really long post, so if you are short on time, just go straight to the heading in bold to find out what you’re looking for.
I don't know where everyone is from, but I am from Singapore and apparently, I can’t find any related posts by Singaporeans in any subreddits. If any fellow countryman needs this, there you go. For fellow netizens with Hip Dysplasia, there might be differences in the processes, but I suppose the recovery process is just about the same. Hope this helps, nonetheless!
Pre-diagnosis I have been a leisure runner in my late teens, and pretty much run about 5 to 10km regularly til mid-20s. It started with knee pain in a particular race, and the pain continued for a couple of years more. I had wanted to train for a half marathon, but I also wanted to ensure that I started my training right and pain-free. So I went to straight to a Sports Specialist Doctor in a Public Hospital and she diagnosed me with a Runner’s Knee (or formally known as Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, PFPS) after looking through my x-ray, and my description of pain. She referred me to the Podiatrist and the Physiotherapist for gait correction and muscle strengthening. It was going on fine for a while, but I still couldn’t run pain-free. Then Covid came, and the appointments have to be suspended. But I was still doing my physio exercises and running about 2.5 to 5km when we were allowed to.
Diagnosis As more restrictions eased, I began training for speed, and that was when the pain started coming from the hip, and walking became strangely painful with a pinching sensation at the hip/groin area at this point. I sought help from a private physiotherapist to find out what happened. After a few sessions, he realized something was not right and suggested me to get a hip x-ray done. And so I did, at a Polyclinic, and the x-ray showed shallow acetabulum and I got referred (again) to a Sports Specialist to get a MRI done. And LHP with a labrum tear was the diagnosis. And to no surprise… I got referred to another Specialist again, who was affirmative that I need a LPAO and at the same time broke it to me that I have a RHP which will need a PAO too. If you need to know the timeline - I had the x-ray done at the end of 2022, MRI done on mid-2023, LPAO done at the start of 2024.
Pre-surgery Preparation (Work) Check with your doctor on the estimated rest period (mine’s 3months) and inform your boss about it. The surgery will most likely be about 5 hours max, hospital stay 5 days, and you will be on 2 crutches for 6-8 weeks, and another 1-2 weeks on 1 crutch to stabilize your walking. You might be able to resume work obligations if it’s a sedentary job or another 6 more weeks of home rest if your work requires much walking or manual labour. So it’s really important to work out with your boss and colleagues for a proper handover so that you can concentrate solely on recovery.
Pre-surgery Preparation (Hospital) There will be a blood test / some swab done 3 – 4 weeks prior to the surgery; the nurse will let you know. You will be under General Anesthesia (GA) during the surgery, so fasting is required a day before is required.
Do pack light for your hospital stay. Use a backpack for convenience. Clothes to wear after discharge + source of entertainment and communication is enough. You wouldn’t want to carry a lot of things home after discharge when you’re on 2 crutches.
Pre-surgery Preparation (Insurance + Hospital Wards) Do inform your Insurance Agent / Company about it so that they are aware. It may or may not be covered, so please get in touch with them as soon as you have the details.
[Singapore’s context] There will be a pre-admission appointment with the hospital staff about 3 weeks before the scheduled surgery, which the staff with share with you the cost of the different class wards. Basically, Class C (8-bedded) and Class B2 (6-bedded) wards are fully subsidized by the government. I can’t remember how much a Class B1 (4-bedded) ward costs, but probably about 10-15K SGD. Class A (1-bedded) is about 21-23K SGD. The staff with help you out with the Letter of Guarantee (LOG) from your Insurance Company and will let you know in about 2 weeks if the application for LOG is successful, if not you would have to prepare for the bills depending on your chosen ward (either Class A or Class B1). There is no need for LOG for Class C and Class B2 wards, since it’s fully government-subsidized. Medisave and MediShield/IPs will be used for all Class Wards (Note: IPs is only applicable to 30 years old and above). My insurance allows me to be in the Class A ward and the application for LOG was also successful, thankfully.
Pre-surgery Preparation (Personal) Since you will be on crutches, do arrange your house to accommodate that. A folding bedside table, a caddy trolley, a long-arm grabber, pillows are items that you can prepare beforehand. Do also ensure that your toilet is slip-free as well or restructure it in a way that is beneficial for you. I had to bathe sitting on the toilet bowl for the 1^st week as it is difficult to make it slip-free. It got better 2^nd week onwards when I was allowed a 30% weight-bearing on my operated side, so I could be in the showering area. You will be at home and ‘confine’ to the bed/chair most of the time, so it’d be good to have some form of entertainment at home. Nanoblocks, Colouring books, Wordsearch, Sudoku, Crosswords, Netflix, Disney+, Hbo, Reading, Crocheting, Journalling, Zoom with friends are some of the things that you can do / prepare before surgery. You may or may not have energy for them, but that’s ok, the main idea is to focus on resting and having a sound mind so that you won’t be discouraged / feel bored / unmotivated. For meal wise, it’d be good if your family can cook / buy food, if not do ensure that your budget allows you to get food delivery for 6-8 weeks. I got my meals from Grabfood. Do ensure that you have a good chair – not those that put your knees above your hips.
Day of surgery If you can, do arrive 5-10mins earlier to settle in after registration.
[Singapore’s context] Do note that the staff who registers you in will ask you for the person to contact after the surgery. It’d be a text message to inform the person on the end of your surgery and which ward you will be in. You will need to sign the LOG letter (if any) and proceed to take your height and weight at the self-administered machine. Wait and follow any instructions by the nurse. You will be asked to change into the hospital gown and the nurses will ask you more questions, just answer them accordingly. They will also help to keep your belongings in their storage and will deliver to your ward at their timeslot after your surgery.
Process of surgery The Anesthesiology team will introduce themselves to you and go through the pain management methods. They asked what method (they mentioned 3, but I only remembered what I had) I preferred, and I told them to go ahead with what they think was good for me. Epidural, it was. And so, I got pricked with needles and whatnots and they finally brought me into the operating room. I didn’t realize the room was so big and cold and there were many doctors and nurses around. They did their thing, and I was just trying not to feel awkward with so many people looking at my bareback and being in a very vulnerable state. It’s a little pricky and painful at some point. Do let them know if you’re too cold, they have this hot air thing that can warm you up. They will also insert a urine catheter for you to help with the bladder movements. I was quickly under General Anesthesia (GA) with a breathing mouthpiece (the Anesthesiologists will direct you on what to do). I woke up after the surgery with a very dry throat and asked if I could have some water. They gave me a tiny vial of water, just about enough to soothe my throat. I guess it was also caused I was under GA and couldn’t be given much for my stomach too. I was quite aware of what was going on though I was still a little sleepy. I had to be brought to the High Dependency Ward (HDW) due to low blood pressure.
After surgery (in HDW) I kept wanting to drink water but that also caused me to vomit out water and had no appetite for dinner. Nausea and vomiting are just some side effects of GA. (I remembered being disappointed that I couldn’t have the watermelon, I had wanted to eat that, but I knew I couldn’t stomach it) And little did I realize that was the last time I saw a watermelon during meal times (damn the side effects). I was also quite weak on my operated left side, I was not in that much of a pain, just some discomfort. I was given a self-administered morphine device too, there is this button that I can press to administer morphine into my system at regular interval, the device has some safety feature which helps to stop people from abusing it) Used it once after I had to be flipped over to be wiped clean by the nurse (at this time, I had given up on trying to maintain my dignity, though the nurses were quite humane about it, if you know what I mean) But I was also trying not to use the morphine at all cos it gave me more side effects like drowsiness and an even lower blood pressure). Thankfully I had a good Pain Team (that’s what they call themselves), which helped to lower the dosage after they realized I was not using it that much and I was still very drowsy (I fell asleep halfway unknowingly after talking to people), and eventually I was off it. I was taken for an x-ray after the nurse ascertained that my blood pressure was normal (since I had the catheter, I just sipped water without a care in the world, to help raise my blood pressure). And I administered the morphine once after they flipped me over for the x-ray (it was bloody hell painful and it took a lot of strength). Probably in a day or 2, the doctors decided to remove my epidural needle and I was finally free of it. The next thing to get rid of was the catheter. I had a love-hate relationship with it. I need to be able to pass motion to get rid of it, which I did after an arduous process. Constipation is a side effect of not moving around. Your stool will most definitely be a Type 1 under the Bristol Stool Chart but it will be back to normal in a few days or so. I did a little cheer when I finally pooped.
My physiotherapist came and pushed me to move around. The first step coming down from the bed was the hardest due to gravitational pull. My muscles needed to be woken up after lying down for 48 hours or more. I got transferred to General Ward (GW) soon after.
After surgery (GW) I had some bed exercises to help to wake up the muscles and I was using the walker to move around. It was tough doing the bed exercises, but they have to be done. I was also able to bath independently by sitting down on the bathing chair in the bathing area of the toilet. I still needed assistance to wear my pyjamas pants. So unfortunately, the nurse still had to be around when I bathed for safety purposes since I was a fall-risk patient.
At this time, I was trying to get out of bed and be in the chair and also use the walker more to help with moving around and getting the muscles up and running. I had 2 more physio sessions with the crutches. Using the walker frequently helped with the use of crutches. (You will know what I meant when you have tried both out. You can push yourself but please do not force it if you are not strong enough yet.) My doctors have cleared me for discharge, I just need my physiotherapist to clear me too (they have to be sure that I can use the crutches properly and safely and also complete simple daily adaptive skills). Finally, I got cleared for discharge. I got the medication, and it was a cashless and fuss-free stay/process for me. I stayed in the hospital for 7 days (3.5 days in HDW, 3.5 days in GW). Remember to get your crutches before leaving the hospital.
Home rest 1st Week I must say, it’s really liberating to be at home, though it’s really a chore to move around. I did my physio exercises about 3x a day and just be a sloth. I was still very tired, but it was difficult to sleep. I’m usually a side sleeper, but I had to sleep on my back for 6 weeks, at least. My doctors said that I could sleep on my unoperated side, but it can be achy.
Home rest 2nd Week Things are looking up a little more since I could place a 30% weight on my left. I could enter the showering area now, just be careful not to overload the operated side. 2 crutches are still a must to prevent any overloading of weight to help with the recovery. Protein and calcium-rich food are your best friend. Again, do your physio exercises regularly. I still do mine 3x a day.
Home rest 7th Week Finally, I got to put full weight on my operated side. Happily, I tried to ditch BOTH my crutches, please do not be like me! Ease into walking slowly. Use 1 crutch to help you with the gravity pull as you put 100% weight on both legs. It is also possible to ditch the crutch and try walking on very short distances, do take care of your walking form. If you limp badly, please use 1 crutch and practice walking. I did try stairs and use the railings if necessary. I managed to ditch the crutches by Week 8. Physio continues, if you have access to the gym, please go ahead, slowly. I am sleeping both on my back and on my unoperated side now.
Home rest 13th Week Not sure if things are still looking good, but my knees kinda hurt, and that’d be another story for another day. I am cleared to resume work, though I still got to be careful with the walking and all.
Week 14 – Week 18 (current) I think since I am walking a lot more, I am limping a little, but not enough for a need to bring back the crutch. It got more achy when I’m sleeping on my unoperated side and still a little discomfort if I try to sleep on my operated side. My operated side is still weak and achy when I walk or sit or lie down. I am still doing my physio, though not 3x a day now.
I am not too sure how I will progress but that’s my journey thus far. Happy to share here and to answer any questions you may have.
Edit: Formatting

My tenant smoked cigarettes and damaged the interior of my property. Tenant is claiming its wear and tear which it's not, it's negligence. I had my Realtor visit the house and she completely agrees with me. Tenant is threatening to sue. Does anyone have a sample letter the Realtor could use?

DAY: MAY 31 2024
5-31-2024

RESEARCH SUGGESTS LEADERS’ SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ARE TAKEN JUST AS SERIOUSLY AS FORMAL STATEMENTS

Over 180 world leaders maintain social media accounts, and some of them issue policy warnings to rivals and the public on these platforms rather than relying on traditional government statements. How seriously do people take such social media postings? A new study suggests the general public and policymakers alike take leaders’ social media posts just as seriously as they take formal government statements. The research, by MIT political scientists, deploys novel surveys of both the public and experienced foreign policy specialists. “What we find, which is really surprising, across both
5-31-2024

SCALE OF ONLINE HARM TO CHILDREN REVEALED IN GLOBAL STUDY

More than 300 million children a year are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse, research indicates. Pupils in every classroom, in every school, in every country are victims of this hidden pandemic, according to researchers who have conducted the first global estimate of the scale of the crisis. The statistics, from the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh, amount to a clear and present danger to the world’s children, according to the crime agency Interpol. Online risks One in eight of the world’s children, about
5-31-2024

PRONATALISM IS THE LATEST SILICON VALLEY TREND. WHAT IS IT—AND WHY IS IT DISTURBING?

For Malcolm and Simone Collins, declining birth rates across many developed countries are an existential threat. The solution is to have “tons of kids,” and to use a hyperrational, data-driven approach to guide everything from genetic selection to baby names and day-to-day parenting. They don’t heat their Pennsylvania home in winter, because heating is a “pointless indulgence.” Their children wear iPads around their necks. And a Guardian journalist witnessed Malcolm strike their two-year-old across the face for misbehavior, a parenting style they apparently developed based on watching “tigers
5-31-2024

HOW SCIENCE, MATH, AND TECH CAN PROPEL SWIMMERS TO NEW HEIGHTS

One hundred years ago, in the 1924 Paris Olympics, American Johnny Weissmuller won the men’s 100m freestyle with a time of 59 seconds. Nearly 100 years later, in the most recent Olympics, the delayed 2020 Games in Tokyo, Caeleb Dressel took home the same event with a time that was 12 seconds faster than Weissmuller’s. Swimming times across the board have become much faster over the past century, a result of several factors, including innovations
5-31-2024

BANNING SEX CRIME OFFENDERS FROM CHANGING THEIR NAMES DOESN’T MAKE US SAFER

The government of British Columbia recently introduced a bill to ban people convicted of serious offenses from legally changing their name. The proposed amendment to the province’s Name Act would also prohibit those found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder from changing their name. The government announced the move after media reports that Allan Schoenborn legally changed his name to Ken Johnson. Schoenborn was found not criminally responsible for the deaths of his children in 2010 because of a delusional disorder, and was placed at a psychiatric hospital.
5-31-2024

SILICON VALLEY ISN’T THE START-UP UTOPIA WE THOUGHT, RESEARCH FINDS

Silicon Valley—considered the world’s hub of technology and innovation—can breed inequality and sameness among budding entrepreneurs, according to new research. Behind the multi-million-dollar deals and tales of start-up utopia, Silicon Valley’s “uneven” investment landscape is in fact a barrier to many budding businesses, says the study from the University of Stirling and Georg-August-University Göttingen. But the researchers suggest other countries could still learn from the more discerning entrepreneurial ecosystem that bred giants such as Apple and Google, to be more selective in backing start-ups. While it is not uncommon for
5-31-2024

I WANT TO KEEP MY CHILD SAFE FROM ABUSE—BUT RESEARCH TELLS ME I’M DOING IT WRONG

Child sexual abuse is uncomfortable to think about, much less talk about. The idea of an adult engaging in sexual behaviors with a child feels sickening. It’s easiest to believe that it rarely happens, and when it does, that it’s only to children whose parents aren’t protecting them. This belief stayed with me during my early days as a parent. I kept an eye out for creepy men at the playground and was skeptical of men who worked with young children, such as teachers and coaches. When my kids were
5-31-2024

OVER 300 MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED ONLINE SEXUAL ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, FINDS METASTUDY

It takes a lot to shock Kelvin Lay. My friend and colleague was responsible for setting up Africa’s first dedicated child exploitation and human trafficking units, and for many years he was a senior investigating officer for the Child Exploitation Online Protection Center at the UK’s National Crime Agency, specializing in extra territorial prosecutions on child exploitation across the globe. But what happened when he recently volunteered for a demonstration of cutting-edge identification software left him speechless. Within seconds of being fed with an image
5-31-2024

CYBERFLASHING IS A FORM OF GENDERED SEXUAL VIOLENCE THAT MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

Sexting—sending sexually suggestive or explicit messages and images—is now a widespread practice, and can be a healthy way to express and explore sexuality. However, there is a need to distinguish between consensual sexting and forms of sexual harassment like cyberflashing. Cyberflashing refers to the act of non-consensually sending sexual imagery (like nudes or “dick pics”) to another person. It is facilitated through communications technologies including text, AirDrop and social media applications like Snapchat and Tinder. Similar to flashing—when a person unexpectedly and deliberately “flashes” their genitals to others—that occurs in
5-31-2024

VIRTUAL TRAINING MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE, COST-EFFICIENT OPTION FOR CHILD EDUCATORS

Teachers and other child educators can benefit from regular professional development, but in-person training can be expensive. New research found that virtual training can be a budget-friendly alternative—and especially effective for certain groups of educators. The study—a collaboration between researchers at Penn State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and published in the International Journal of Professional Development, Learners and Learning—found that educators who took a virtual training reported feeling more confident in their abilities to implement practices shown to support positive youth development. In particular, after-school providers who did not
5-31-2024

HUMBLE LEADERS BOOST EMPLOYEES’ WORKPLACE STATUS AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL, FINDS STUDY

There are many different types of workplace leaders, from those who prioritize the needs of team members and the organization above their own, to authentic leaders who foster openness, trust and transparency. A recent study by the University of South Australia published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior has highlighted the significant benefits of humble leadership in the workplace. According to the study by UniSA’s Dr. Xiao Lin, humble leadership can effectively elevate the workplace status of employees by boosting their sense of respect and prominence. It also leads to
5-31-2024

WHY ARE GROCERY BILLS SO HIGH? A NEW STUDY LOOKS AT THE SCIENCE BEHIND FOOD PRICE REPORTING

Rising food costs are squeezing Canadians around the country. Nearly everyone is feeling the pinch, and it’s not just an inconvenience—high food prices are a major threat to food security for many Canadians. Understanding why food prices are so high and why they are changing is critical to the well-being of our society. Unfortunately, consensus on why food price are so high is in short supply. Explanations given in reports like Canada’s Food Price Report and the news media range widely, from the war in Ukraine to supply chain issues
5-31-2024

WILL GENERATIVE AI CHANGE THE WAY UNIVERSITIES COMMUNICATE?

Is artificial intelligence an unprecedented opportunity, or will it rob everyone of jobs and creativity? As we debate on social media (and perhaps use ChatGPT almost daily), generative AIs have also entered the arena of university communication. These tools—based on large language models that were optimized for interactive communication—can indeed support, expand, and innovate university communication offerings. Justus Henke has analyzed the situation of German realities about six months after the launch of ChatGPT 3. “The research was conducted about a year ago when enthusiasm was high, but it was
5-31-2024

STUDY SHOWS RELATIVELY LOW NUMBER OF SUPERSPREADERS RESPONSIBLE FOR LARGE PORTION OF MISINFORMATION ON TWITTER

Classification of superspreader accounts. A large portion (55.1%) of accounts are no longer active. For each class annotated with political affiliations, colors indicate the ideological split. The last group aggregates all accounts with political affiliations. Credit: PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302201 A small team of social media analysts at Indiana University has found that a major portion of tweets spreading disinformation are sent by a surprisingly small percentage of a given userbase. In their study, published in PLOS ONE, the group conducted a review of 2,397,388 tweets posted on Twitter
5-31-2024

HOW LIFE’S BIG MOMENTS CAN CHALLENGE STARTUPS

Life-changing events like the birth of a child, the purchase of a new home, or a lottery win could threaten the survival of a new business venture, the positive family events had a comparatively greater influence, albeit negatively, on the survival of a new venture, compared with
5-31-2024

RUDE AT WORK? FEELING GUILTY CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER, KINDER WORKER

We’ve all done it. A bad night’s sleep or a tough commute made us cranky, and we lashed out at a coworker who did nothing wrong. What can we do to make up for it? According to a new study published in the Journal of Business Ethics, embracing our guilty feelings can help us make up for our bad behavior by encouraging us to act more politely and work harder the next day. “We found that anyone can be rude at work, because anyone can
5-31-2024

RESEARCHERS INTRODUCE A PLANETARY INCLUSION SCALE TO FOSTER BROADER ETHICAL THINKING

Social inclusion and having a sense of belonging with other people are key elements of a good life. However, the fate of humanity is a challenge that extends beyond our social reality. Experiences of belonging and inclusion, understood in a broader sense than before, may be crucial for a sustainable future. In an article published in the International Journal of Social Pedagogy, a team of researchers propose a new planetary inclusion scale that structures our planetary relationship three-dimensionally based on temporal, spatial and ethical orientation. The temporal element relates to
5-31-2024

‘LEAN IN’ MESSAGES CAN LOWER WOMEN’S MOTIVATION TO PROTEST GENDER INEQUALITY

Women in leadership are often told to “Lean In,” designed to be motivational messaging demonstrating that they are more confident, strategic and resilient to setback. However, new research indicates that such “lean in” messaging can hinder women’s motivation to protest gender equality. Popularized in a book by American technology executive Sherly Sandberg, the “Lean In” solution to gender inequality advises women that demonstrating personal resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks is key to career advancement. Now, a new study led by the University of Exeter, Bath Spa University
5-31-2024

ALGORITHMS COULD HELP IMPROVE JUDICIAL DECISIONS

A new paper in the Quarterly Journal of Economics finds that replacing certain judicial decision-making functions with algorithms could improve outcomes for defendants by eliminating some of the systemic biases of judges. Decision makers make consequential choices based on predictions of unknown outcomes. Judges, in particular, make decisions about whether to grant bail to defendants or how to sentence those convicted. Companies now use machine learning based models increasingly in high-stakes decisions. There are various assumptions about human behavior underlying the deployment of such learning models that play out in
5-31-2024

DIGITAL CAMPAIGNING IS A HUGE PART OF ELECTIONS NOW—BUT GOING VIRAL ISN’T EVERYTHING

The election has commenced and the race is on—to amass as many likes, shares and comments as possible. Digital campaigning, particularly through social media, is now a key part of political candidates’ communication toolkit. In fact, every general election campaign since 1997 has at some point been lauded as the first to make effective use of digital campaigning. But it was in 2015 that David Cameron’s campaign first made strategic use of social media to drive an election victory. As political reporter Tim Ross outlines in his excellent book, Why
5-31-2024

WHY ARE ORGANIZATIONAL COVER-UPS SO COMMON?

The TV dramatization of the UK Horizon Post Office scandal evoked outrage and disbelief. However, as another example of dysfunctional organizational behavior, it was expected rather than exceptional. The Post Office saga joins a long list of cover-ups or scandals that includes Hillsborough, Enron, Grenfell, the infected blood scandal, the Tuam babies scandal in the Republic of Ireland, Boeing 737 Max and Nasa (Columbia space shuttle). They represent what happens when there is a move within organizations and institutions to cover up the causes of
5-31-2024

AMONG GEN Z AUSTRALIANS, 38% IDENTIFY AS SPIRITUAL AND HALF BELIEVE IN KARMA. WHY IS SPIRITUALITY SO POPULAR?

Spirituality is increasingly popular with young Australians: recent research shows 38% of Gen Z Australians identify as spiritual. It also reports 50% of them believe in karma, 29% in reincarnation and 20% in astrology. When it comes to activities equated with spirituality, 28% of Gen Z Australians practice meditation and 22% practice yoga. In Australia, spirituality is strongly, enduringly central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and culturally and religiously diverse communities. Yet until recently, spirituality has received far less attention than religion. Spirituality may be
5-31-2024

COMPANIES CAN IMPROVE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS IN THE EARLIEST PRODUCT-DESIGN STAGES

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Lithuanian and Italian universities propose a tool that allows companies to assess the circularity of their future products. The self-assessment tool emphasizes the co-creation of circular design in the early (creative) stages of product development, encouraging entrepreneurs and designers to think more systematically and collaborate better by integrating related stakeholders into the product development process. The study is published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. “The majority of existing practical tools (systems of indicators) are aimed at measuring the environmental impact of products already
5-31-2024

RESEARCH EXAMINES HOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AFFECTS A STATE’S COLLEGE ENROLLMENT

New research has revealed up to a 9% increase in college first-year enrollments in US states that have legalized recreational marijuana compared with states without such legalization. The study, which is published in Economic Inquiry, found that the increase was from out-of-state enrollments, with early adopter states and public non-research institutions experiencing the most pronounced increases. Recreational marijuana legalization did not negatively impact degree completion or graduation rate, and it did not affect college prices, quality, or in?state enrollment. The findings suggest that some students perceive recreational marijuana legalization as
5-31-2024

RESEARCH EXAMINES HOW RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION AFFECTS A STATE’S COLLEGE ENROLLMENT

New research has revealed up to a 9% increase in college first-year enrollments in US states that have legalized recreational marijuana compared with states without such legalization. The study, which is published in Economic Inquiry, found that the increase was from out-of-state enrollments, with early adopter states and public non-research institutions experiencing the most pronounced increases. Recreational marijuana legalization did not negatively impact degree completion or graduation rate, and it did not affect college prices, quality, or in?state enrollment. The findings suggest that some students perceive recreational marijuana legalization as
5-31-2024

HOW THE ‘MODEL MINORITY’ MYTH HARMS ASIAN AMERICANS

May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, a time when Americans celebrate the profound contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders—a group that is commonly abbreviated as AAPI—to U.S. society. It’s also a time to acknowledge the complexity of AAPI experience. And as a professor who studies equity and inclusion in business, I think the focus on AAPI communities this month provides an excellent occasion to push back against a stereotype that has long misrepresented and marginalized a diverse range of people: the myth of the “model minority.” The
5-31-2024

WONDERING HOW TO TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT CONSENT? HERE’S AN AGE-BASED GUIDE TO GET YOU STARTED

The Australian government’s new campaign Consent Can’t Wait challenges us all to improve our understanding of consent. It asks a series of questions to illustrate this issue is more complex than simplistic “no means no” messaging. The campaign invites viewers to consider the nuances of consent, so we can raise these important issues with children and young people in our lives. But what is a good age to start talking about consent? How do parents tackle such conversations when this information probably wasn’t readily discussed in our own upbringing? How
5-31-2024

A PRODUCT OF NATURE OR NURTURE?

The concept of cultural entrepreneurship has many facets. It encompasses both the cultural and social impact of entrepreneurial training, and the environmental factors that influence its development. Some societies, such as the U.S., have a strong entrepreneurial culture. This means that certain characteristics are celebrated and encouraged, such as the ability of individuals to assume risks, patience when confronting challenges, and innovative problem solving, especially in uncertain situations. However, not all countries have such an entrepreneurial culture. Entrepreneurship struggles to take off in Europe In general, entrepreneurship can drive economic
5-31-2024

STUDY BRIDGES ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESEARCH AND COMPUTER CODING TO ENGAGE CHILDREN IN STEM

A graphic depicting a student coding. Credit: Carnegie Mellon University Teachers today face a bit of a conundrum, according to a new study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Their goal is to prepare young students to enter a rapidly changing world. Even basic jobs require technical proficiency, which requires computational and analytical skills. To address this need, many educators are pushing to fold these important STEM skills into elementary curriculum. Here’s the problem. Young students can lose interest and even develop an aversion
5-31-2024

STUDY SHOWS VR CAN HELP TEACHERS BETTER DISTRIBUTE THEIR GAZE

On the left, a bird’s-eye view of the virtual classroom; on the right, screenshots of each of the four gaze-visualization conditions. Teachers need to know their material, but they must also keep their students engaged and interested. Part of that involves making eye contact with their students—all of them. A multidisciplinary team of researchers tested several methods of data visualization in an immersive virtual reality (VR) classroom, to give teachers a way to gauge
5-31-2024

MARKETERS CAN MANAGE ‘FEATURE CREEP’ SO CONSUMERS FEEL LESS INTIMIDATED BY TOO MANY FEATURES IN A PRODUCT

Wifi-enabled washing machines. Voice-controlled microwaves. App-enabled TVs, vacuum cleaners, and even window blinds you can control from the comfort of your couch. Many of the technological features now included in everyday products are useful and accessible. But research has shown that having too many can overwhelm potential buyers, making them less likely to make a purchase. In recent research, Wayne Hoyer, marketing professor and James L. Bayless/William S. Farrish Fund Chair for Free Enterprise at Texas McCombs, digs into the phenomenon of “feature creep” and its impact on consumer sentiment.
5-31-2024

RESEARCHERS EXPLAIN SOCIAL MEDIA’S ROLE IN RAPIDLY SHIFTING SOCIAL NORMS ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY

A new paper summarizing decades of research demonstrates how social media has supported an explosion of diversity in gender and sexuality in America during the 21st century, and also how these technologies have equally enabled a cultural backlash. The paper’s authors, UC Santa Cruz Psychology Department faculty members Phil Hammack and Adriana Manago, identified five main narratives about gender and sexuality that they believe emerged through social media as people have strived to be “authentic” on these platforms. The findings, along with resulting recommendations for psychology researchers and practitioners, were
5-31-2024

KEY FACTORS IN TRAINING ASSESSORS FOR ENHANCED PERFORMANCE RATINGS

New research is examining how organizations can improve their training programs by customizing frame-of-reference training to emphasize identifying negative behaviors critical to their goals. While assessors naturally identify positive behaviors, C. Allen Gorman, Ph.D., associate professor in UAB’s Department of Management, Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, says targeted training helps them recognize harmful actions that can hinder organizational objectives. Involving assessors in defining important performance dimensions and examples of behaviors, both good and
5-31-2024

STUDIES CHALLENGE WIDELY HELD BELIEFS ON APPLICANT DIVERSITY AND WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

Justin Frake is interested in cause-and-effect relationships in real-world data and the hidden dynamics that shape workplace behavior and equality—or inequality, as the case might be. His curiosity has led to research that challenges some popular beliefs as well as published studies related to women in the workforce. One study shows that firms promoting flatter hierarchies inadvertently discourage female applicants and another study counters several recent studies that claim women CEOs negatively impact career outcomes of other women. Both are published in the Strategic Management Journal. The assistant professor of
5-31-2024

CHALLENGING LEWIN’S MOTIVATIONAL CONFLICTS THEORY

A recent series of experiments challenges the longstanding theory of motivational conflict resolution introduced by Kurt Lewin. According to Lewin, conflicts between two undesirable outcomes (avoidance–avoidance conflicts) are typically harder to resolve than those between two desirable ones (approach–approach conflicts). Lewin posited that avoidance–avoidance conflicts, where individuals must choose between two undesirable outcomes, are typically more challenging to resolve compared to approach–approach conflicts, which involve choosing between two desirable options.
5-31-2024

MEN WITH ‘TOXIC MASCULINITY’ ARE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE SEXUAL ADVANCES WITHOUT CONSENT, STUDY FINDS

No means no when it comes to sex. But what happens when a woman makes a more passive response to a sexual advance? According to new research from Binghamton University, men differ in how they interpret these types of responses, and men who display hostile masculinity, known commonly as “toxic masculinity,” tend to act on them regardless of whether or not they think it’s consensual. A team of researchers, including Binghamton psychology professor Richard Mattson and graduate student Michael Shaw asked men between the ages of 18–25 to respond to
5-31-2024

WHY WE DEHUMANIZE OUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS

Some of human history’s greatest atrocities—genocide, slavery, ethnic cleanings—are rooted in our ability to dehumanize people from other social, political, or cultural groups. Whereas prior research has traced dehumanization to the belief that others think or feel less than we do, new research co-authored by Haas professor Sameer Srivastava shows that our tendency to dehumanize can also be influenced by how we think others view important facets of the world. The greater the difference between our perceptions of an outgroup’s worldview
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Repost due to this missing context My ex husbands gf overstepping
Me 30 (female) Him 30 (male) Gf 28 (female) Kiddo 6 (female)
So backstory, Separated two yrs ago. Yr and a half divorced. On and off weeks with our kiddo.
He ended a relationship end December. A new person over every day and lives with him now she's been there a few months and we just now hit June. She has a child of young age. I'd say toddler
She is also now pregnant with my ex. So our shared child will have a sibling. I'm over here minding my business and trying to be supportive. But when I put my boundaries in play. It's blown out of proportion.
Giving my number out without my permission to the gf. Which okay she should have it in case of emergency if she's now going to watch my child.
(Which I need to check in on that for our custody agreement.)
I've never actually met her in person.
She needed a ride to the e.r. and he took her and I watched our shared child and she said hi to me and I said hi back or your welcome because I believe she actually said thank you. Either way it was a small interaction.
Next day, "hey it's..... I'm .... Gf. And we thought we should have eachothers number."
Okay hi. I was nice about it.
But texted ex kindly that we should have had a conversation about it. Due to his.... Things I won't say. He got made and said there'd be zero conversation and deleted.
Well I wasn't anyway.
Our shared child (age 6)
Decided that this gf is her step mom and she can call her mom. Trying to explain they aren't married yet. Once they are she will be your step mom. Trying to advert the connection for now since that relationship in my opinion is fast.
Okay I confronted the GF about the concerns my ex told me about when I on the phone kindly talking about my opinions.
Obviously she came back at me consider it done, and that her kid won't be called a sibling either (not the one in the bell)
Okay.
She feels like they are a chess piece in a game and I know that was directed at me.
And that's never been the case.
My only reservations are it's a fast relationship and I want protect my daughters feelings. Because attachment to the word mom and calling her that just seemed fast. And the phone thing. As far as I'm concerned that's it.
Well now, she texts me that if I can't get kiddo to this bday party on my weekend to have her that they would plan adjust their schedule so they can take her.
They have zero right to her the week I have my daughter unless I need a babysitter. Which is the only time I ask. But until they are married she doesn't have any right to act like her legal guardian in any way. I feel this conversation should have been with my child's father and not the ex gf and definitely in a different context.
How to kindly to tell her she is overstepping into my time with child?
Or am I crazy for thinking this?

I got a letter today that my MRI is being deemed "medically unnecessary" by my insurance, and I'm freaking out a bit. My appointment is Wednesday, meaning I have the weekend to freak out because I can't call anyone, and then just two days to actually figure this out. Without insurance the MRI would be $5k, which I can pay, but yikes that's a lot of money. I'm planning to call my doctor to see if the test actually IS unnecessary, but somehow I doubt it. Plus I genuinely want the test because I still don't know what stage my cancer is, I literally have no idea how far it has spread throughout my body (I think I caught it pretty late, so I'm fearing the worst).
Do any of you have any experience with this kind of thing? I'm generally pretty bad at advocating for myself, I'm too much of a people-pleaser.
If it helps, I've had a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy so far. IDC, 5 cm tumor in my right breast, nothing visible in my left, grade 2, estrogen/progesterone+ HER2-. Genetic test was negative for BRCA genes so I'm hoping to keep my healthy breast but I was also hoping for the MRI to confirm that the cancer hasn't spread there.

Three individuals involved:

• The debtor
• The creditor (now deceased); my father
• Yours truly; the sole heir

Three checks involved:

• Two issued on father's name/ creditor
• One issued on my name (credito father asked debtor upon the making of checks to name for my behalf, debtor agreed and performed)

Turn of events:

• Credito Father died of lung CA
• Yours truly find all monetary assets as part of estate (no probate of checks under estate law done, only thru flow of logic)
• Debtor closed account
• Only a single check in technicality dishonored against closed acct; the remaining two checks named to credito father was not presented since father was tagged by bank as deceased, in effect halted his bank acct.
• But thru flow of logic, the two worthless checks should've been dishonored too since debtor's bank acct was closed prior to the issued date of the two checks.
• Stipulated on demand letter was the single check issued on my name
• Other, two was not drafted with a demand letter

Plan of action:

• Single check for my name is to be filed with BP22
• Two checks for small claims court under MTCC

Noted on the small claims form under oath #4: "The filing of this case is not in violation of the rule against splitting as single cause of action or multiplicity of suits."
The issue: Under plan of action, I cannot present to any court for BP22, prosecutor or small claims, without involving the three checks for narrative to cover the whole amount damaged, since legal advice I could only choose one - BP22 or small claims. I am trying to reduce bureaucracy such as filing for transfer of check under estate law since it is a very long process. The thought is simple with the case, the judge must've understood right away that the checks belong to me now, only not technically dishonored. Debtor has been willfully evading his debt.
What am I missing?
UPDATE:
GPT said, "pursue the BP 22 case for the dishonored check issued in your name and file a small claims case for the other two checks using an affidavit of inheritance. This dual approach allows you to address both criminal liability under BP 22 and civil recovery through small claims, without violating rules against splitting causes of action."
I responded, "But I cannot narrate the history of the two checks without speaking of the single dishonored check."
GPT replied, "By filing a single civil case for the total debt, you can present the full narrative of all three checks without violating the rule against splitting a single cause of action. This approach simplifies the legal process, avoids bureaucratic hurdles, and ensures all aspects of the debt are addressed in one proceeding."