Let me start off by saying that my husband (25m) struggles with saying the right thing and confrontation (25f). He didn’t grow up in an emotional household (toxic masculinity to the max) BUT he wasn’t like this at all when we were dating. He was wonderful in college but ever since we’ve gotten married, it’s been really bad. No hugs when I’m having a bad day and when I cry, he ignores it.
As a result of this, our relationship has been stretched thin/teetering the line of divorce for a long time now and I’ve been mentally struggling. I’m currently on psychiatric medication but I’m at the point where it’s not working anymore.
Tonight, I shared with my husband how I was feeling. I explained that I haven’t felt like myself these days and haven’t for a long time. Even went on to express how death seems peaceful compared to the mental hell I endure.
All he could muster up was, “Yeah.”
I sat in silence because of the shock of it. I expected him to say more and maybe comfort me or even hug me but he changed the topic to ask what plans we have tomorrow.
I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so tired. I try my best to make him happy and loved and I receive little to nothing back. Is this even repairable?

I can't stop dwelling on this. I feel like things could have been different if I hadn't done any of this and it's making me have a hard time to move on. Things seemed to be going great with him. After getting food/drinks on our 3rd date and finally having our first kiss with each other, I (25F) invited him (28M) up to my place (I wanted to make out and have a little fun. I was also drunk, I had to go home and throw up in my bathroom but I was coherent). Once we got to my place, I had to stop him in the middle of us doing stuff to tell him I don't have sex until I'm in a relationship and that I'd also need him to get an STD test for oral/blowjobs (and for sex eventually if it gets there).
I don't remember some parts well so I'm going to do my best. He said it didn't make sense to do other things but not sex BUT he was respectful and didn't push for more. We talked about past relationships/exes but there were a couple comments he made in between doing stuff that rubbed me the wrong way. Comments like "You don't think condoms are protective enough? I haven't had sex in a year and a half" (Yeah but you could still have std's..). And then something else along the lines of "what do you think is going to happen after? I'm going to get blue balls but that's okay, right?". He had said earlier that this wasn't casual for him but I didn't like the blue balls comment. Awhile later, I said "you say you don't do casual but you're willing to go all the way with me and you don't even know me yet".
He said we've been chatting 3 weeks (it had only been a week since we were meeting up though) and I was like "What's my favorite food?" (to prove my point) and he responded that he didn't see me casually and hasn't been talking to others, but he was "feeling me". Things felt super awkward and I wanted to explain myself for projecting, so a little bit later, I stopped him from leaving to talk. He was like "What do you need from me? I didn't do anything with you." After he finally sat down, I tried explaining to him that I haven't had the best dating experiences in the past (I didn't want to go in any more detail). He said this wasn't a productive convo and left after.
I reached out the next day to try and clear the air with a lighthearted text and he ended things with me right after. I wonder if things would have gone differently if I just hadn't been drunk and didn't invite him up. I also regret not telling him my boundaries beforehand. I can't let this go and I want to stop dwelling on it

Like 'I'm seeking someone to help me perceive things that both actually exist and are also consensus–real to neurotypicals, and who also emits motivating and supportive odors and sounds.' I really thought that captured it.

hi, hope this is the right flair, if not i can change it!
lately i noticed that i have a bad habit of feeling embarrassed about everything i do. i do also suffer from depression, ocd, anxiety, etc. so not sure if it could be stemming from one of these. but i noticed i find everything i do or say cringe or embarrassing. i.e i leave a discord server for mental health reasons then get added back, i find my dating profile embarrassing, i think my story writing is cringe, etc. i know these are small examples but i look inward on myself too much and realize anything i did or said made me cringe. like i feel humiliated.
idk if this is just my insecurity or if this is an autistic thing? does anyone else deal with this or is it a much deeper routed issue i need to address? again so sorry if this is the wrong flair, just wasn't sure.

GameStop (GME) Deep Dive (DD)

Hey Apes! 🦍🚀
Let's dive into a comprehensive analysis of GameStop (GME), covering key factors that could influence the stock price, technical analysis, potential catalysts, market sentiment, and important dates. This DD aims to provide a well-rounded understanding of what might impact GME in the near future.

Key Factors Influencing GME's Stock Price

1. Fundamental Analysis
   
   • Earnings Reports: GME's quarterly earnings can significantly impact the stock price. The next earnings report on June 5, 2024, is crucial. Strong financial performance or strategic announcements can boost investor confidence.
   • Revenue and Profitability: GME has reported $5.27 billion in revenue over the past 12 months with a net income of $6.70 million. Monitoring these indicators is essential for long-term valuation.
   • Debt Levels: GME has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, indicating moderate leverage. Lower debt levels can enhance investor confidence.
2. Technical Analysis
   
   • Support and Resistance Levels: Key support levels are around $20, while resistance levels are between $50 and $60. Breaking through these levels can indicate potential price movements.
   • Volume: High trading volumes can signal strong investor interest. Monitor volume spikes for potential price actions.
   • Patterns: Watch for technical patterns like the descending triangle, which is typically bearish. However, a breakout above resistance could indicate a bullish reversal.

Adjusted Float and Short Interest

Outstanding Shares: 306.19 million Minus DRS: 75.5 million Minus Institutional Holdings: Approximately 87.17 million Minus Insider Holdings: Approximately 61.46 million + Ryan Cohen's Holdings (36.847 million)
Adjusted Float Calculation: 306.19 million (Outstanding Shares) - 75.5 million (DRS) - 87.17 million (Institutional Holdings) - (61.46 million + 36.847 million) (Insider Holdings including Cohen's) = 45.213 million
Short Interest Percentage: (64.37 million / 45.213 million) * 100 ≈ 142.3%

Potential Use of Warrants and Preferred Stock

Issuing Warrants: - Concept: GameStop could issue warrants to shareholders as a dividend, e.g., 1 warrant per 7 shares owned. - Benefit: This incentivizes shareholders and provides potential to buy shares at a favorable price, creating scarcity in common stock.
Preferred Shares: - Concept: Issuing preferred shares can offer fixed dividends and have priority over common shares in liquidation. - Impact: Preferred shares require board approval and SEC filings, potentially affecting the market and short sellers by reducing the float of common shares.

Impact of 45 Million New Shares

GameStop recently authorized the issuance of up to 45 million new shares. Here's the potential impact on the stock and short interest:

1. Dilution Effect:
   
   • Outstanding Shares Increase: The total outstanding shares would increase from 306.19 million to 351.19 million if all 45 million shares are issued.
   • Adjusted Float Calculation: ``` 351.19 million (New Outstanding Shares)
     • 75.5 million (DRS)
     • 87.17 million (Institutional Holdings)
     • (61.46 million + 36.847 million) (Insider Holdings including Cohen's) = 90.213 million ```
2. Revised Short Interest Percentage: (64.37 million / 90.213 million) * 100 ≈ 71.37%
   

Upcoming Key Dates

• May 24, 2024: FINRA CAT Reporting - Ensuring all material inconsistencies are resolved. (https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/key-topics/consolidated-audit-trail)
• May 31, 2024: FINRA CAT Full CAIS Compliance Go-Live - Enhancing market transparency. (https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/key-topics/consolidated-audit-trail)
• June 5, 2024: GME Q1 2024 Earnings Report - Potential for strategic announcements.
• June 21, 2024: LEAPS expiration date - Options with significant open interest can create volatility as market makers hedge their positions.
• September 5, 2024: GME Q2 2024 Earnings Report.
• December 5, 2024: GME Q3 2024 Earnings Report.
• January 2, 2025: SEC Rule Implementation - Increased transparency in short selling. (https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2023-221)

Recent Technical Analysis Insights

Support and Resistance Levels: - Support: Key support levels for GME appear around $20. These levels provide a base where the stock has historically found buying interest. - Resistance: Significant resistance levels are around $50-$60. Breaking through these levels could indicate further upward momentum.
Volume Trends: - High trading volumes during the January 2021 short squeeze indicate strong market interest. Monitoring volume can help gauge the strength of price movements.
Technical Patterns: - Descending Triangle: The recent chart shows a descending triangle pattern, which is typically bearish. However, a breakout above the resistance line could signal a reversal and potential price increase.

Projected Movements

Short Squeeze Potential: - High Short Interest: With 64.37 million shares shorted, any significant buying pressure could trigger a short squeeze, driving the price up dramatically. (https://fintel.io/ss/us/gme)
Upcoming Catalysts: - Earnings Report on June 5, 2024: Positive earnings or strategic announcements could boost investor confidence and drive the stock price higher. - Regulatory Deadlines on May 24 and May 31, 2024: Increased transparency and regulatory compliance could impact market dynamics.

LEAPS and Other MOASS Theories

LEAPS (Long-Term Equity Anticipation Securities): - Concept: LEAPS are options with expiration dates longer than one year. They can be used by investors to gain leveraged exposure to GME's price movements over a longer period. - Impact: If retail investors continue to buy LEAPS, it can create significant upward pressure on the stock price as market makers hedge their positions by buying the underlying stock.
Preferred Shares and Warrants: - Issuance of Preferred Shares or Warrants: GME could issue preferred shares or warrants to shareholders, creating additional buying pressure as these instruments are exercised.
Naked Short Selling and Regulatory Compliance: - May 24, 2024: Deadline for resolving all outstanding material inconsistencies for FINRA CAT reporting, increasing market transparency and potentially impacting short selling practices. - January 2, 2025: Implementation of new SEC rules, which could further enhance market transparency and impact short interest reporting.

New Data: Ryan Cohen's Insider Transactions

Insider Transactions: - Ryan Cohen: Recent Form 4 filing shows Cohen acquired 253,204 shares at $22.2485 and 190,638 shares at $22.9075. Total shares beneficially owned after transactions are 36,657,204 and 36,847,842 respectively.

Conclusion

While predicting GME's exact price movements is challenging, several factors suggest potential for upward movement: - High Short Interest: Potential for a short squeeze. - Technical Indicators: Key support levels and potential breakout patterns. - Market Sentiment: Positive retail investor activity and upcoming catalysts. - LEAPS and Other MOASS Theories: Additional strategies like LEAPS and preferred shares could contribute to upward pressure.

Verified Sources

• Fintel
• MarketBeat
• Stock Analysis
• FINRA
• SEC

Stay strong, apes! TO THE MOON! 🚀🦍💎🙌

Yo everyone what’s up, my name is Saints. Wanted to have a brief talk about the current dealings of the sub plus some goals we have.
To start off, I’ve been here modding for about 7 months, in that time I’ve tried my best to tighten things up, some of you may not think so but trust me if you could see the mod logs an how much stuff gets removed after posting/denied posting by the auto mod you would agree. Moving forward we’ve tightened up the auto mod even more so we should be seeing even less “wHaT sHoUlD I BuY” type posts.
With the help of another mod we’ve also created a wiki page that has a some cool stuff on it like a FAQ, a glossary, a work in progress in avoiding being scammed and a rundown of a few of the most common problems and solutions people need when they have a broken figure. The auto mod will also direct them to that when they properly flair their posts with the “figure maintenance flair”
Moving forward here are some of my goals.
1) Continue to grow this sub with quality members who enjoy sharing pictures and talking about the figures of the line an just all around being positive an helpful.
2)Continue the mod work needed to help cultivate a quality sub, that includes being active in the day to day to keep the bad apples out, providing helpful information in regards to the figures, and continual work on the wiki so it’s all up to date information.
With all that said, I am in the market to add a few people who would be willing to help mod around here. A few months ago another mod made a similar post looking for mod applications but he is no longer here an nothing really came of that post, so I’m here hoping for a big turnout. Feel free to message the mods if you want to apply for that role. Start off with why you’d like to do it, and any ideas you might have that could better the server, if you don’t particularly have any ideas that’s ok too, just as long as you are ready to help maintain an active mod presence here that’s the biggest thing, we can talk an go from there.
Again thank you guys a lot for reading an I hope we can continue to make this a great sub. Also feel free to drop any ideas you might have in the comments also or dm directly. That is all, Saints out.

Already posted on Somali relationships but posting on here so I can get more traction and answers from people who’ve used the app and what their experience has been like
————————————————————————-
I’ve only been on the apps casually for a very short amount of time. At first I was coming across some questionable people, but I adopted this strategy and alhamdullilah I stopped coming across anymore crazies.
I usually swipe left in any of these occasions. If there’s no bio. They can’t be bothered to put in any effort and they’re there for the fun of it. If they either have long hai braids/ huge Afro, or wear chains, or their pic looks like a mugshot. If they have social media linked in their bio. If under employment, it says any of the variation of “artist” or “ entrepreneur” just unserious all around . If they start the convo with a pick up line. If they are rude in their bio. All of these give me ciyaal suuq or criminal vibes
Also, you have to be very quick with the block button as soon as you see anything questionable. If they ask if you’ve ever been in a relationship within the first few convo’s, straight block. Or they ask if you’re “ affectionate” block block.
Idk how to link on here but there was a post in the Muslim marriage thread on how to use online apps and it really helped me with filtering people.
How are you filtering through the profiles and have you had any success on there?

Reds @ Dodgers - Sat, May 18

Game Status: Final - Score: 4-0 Dodgers

Links & Info

• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	Reds Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Benson - CF	4	0	1	0	0	2	1	.193	.284	.393
2	De La Cruz, E - SS	4	0	0	0	0	2	1	.264	.362	.491
3	Ford, M - DH	4	0	0	0	0	2	1	.175	.195	.300
4	Steer - 1B	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.224	.333	.373
5	Stephenson, T - C	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.266	.341	.468
6	Fraley - RF	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.286	.343	.378
7	Candelario - 3B	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.226	.288	.397
8	India - 2B	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.224	.329	.301
9	Hurtubise - LF	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	.143	.250	.143
	Totals	30	0	3	0	0	11	5

Reds
BATTING: 3B: Fraley (1, Buehler). TB: Benson; Fraley 3; Hurtubise. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: India. Team RISP: 0-for-2. Team LOB: 3.

	Dodgers Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Ohtani - DH	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	.350	.418	.661
2	Freeman, F - 1B	3	2	2	1	1	0	0	.295	.410	.451
3	Smith, W.D. - C	4	0	0	0	0	2	3	.307	.375	.464
4	Hernández, T - RF	3	1	1	1	1	1	0	.245	.305	.473
5	Pages - CF	4	0	1	1	0	1	1	.266	.303	.431
6	Lux - 2B	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.200	.256	.267
7	Hernández, K - 3B	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	.220	.287	.297
8	Vargas, M - LF	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000	.000	.000
	Taylor, Ch - LF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.083	.211	.083
9	Rojas, M - SS	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	.258	.319	.439
	Totals	30	4	6	4	3	8	12

Dodgers
BATTING: 2B: Rojas, M (6, Ashcraft); Freeman, F (13, Spiers). TB: Freeman, F 3; Hernández, T; Lux; Pages; Rojas, M 2. RBI: Freeman, F (25); Hernández, T (37); Lux (12); Pages (14). 2-out RBI: Freeman, F. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hernández, K; Ohtani. Team RISP: 3-for-10. Team LOB: 5.

Reds Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Ashcraft (L, 3-3)	5.0	3	3	3	3	5	0	106-63	4.25
Spiers	3.0	3	1	1	0	3	0	34-26	5.14
Totals	8.0	6	4	4	3	8	0

Dodgers Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Buehler (W, 1-1)	6.0	3	0	0	0	7	0	78-55	4.05
Grove (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	11-9	5.18
Hudson, Dan (H, 8)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	15-12	2.84
Feyereisen	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	13-7	6.00
Totals	9.0	3	0	0	0	11	0

Game Info
WP: Ashcraft 2.
Pitches-strikes: Ashcraft 106-63; Spiers 34-26; Buehler 78-55; Grove 11-9; Hudson, Dan 15-12; Feyereisen 13-7.
Groundouts-flyouts: Ashcraft 5-2; Spiers 3-2; Buehler 7-0; Grove 0-1; Hudson, Dan 0-1; Feyereisen 1-0.
Batters faced: Ashcraft 21; Spiers 12; Buehler 21; Grove 3; Hudson, Dan 3; Feyereisen 3.
Umpires: HP: Doug Eddings. 1B: Chad Whitson. 2B: Bill Miller. 3B: Malachi Moore.
Weather: 67 degrees, Clear.
Wind: 6 mph, L To R.
First pitch: 6:10 PM.
T: 2:07.
Att: 49,239.
Venue: Dodger Stadium.
May 18, 2024

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Bottom 4	Andy Pages singles on a ground ball to center fielder Will Benson. Freddie Freeman scores. Teoscar Hernández to 3rd. Andy Pages to 2nd.	1-0 LAD
Bottom 4	Gavin Lux grounds out softly, pitcher Graham Ashcraft to first baseman Spencer Steer. Teoscar Hernández scores. Andy Pages to 3rd.	2-0 LAD
Bottom 5	Freddie Freeman singles on a line drive to center fielder Will Benson. Miguel Rojas scores.	3-0 LAD
Bottom 8	Teoscar Hernández singles on a line drive to right fielder Jake Fraley. Freddie Freeman scores.	4-0 LAD

Team	Highlight
CIN	Jacob Hurtubise's first MLB hit (00:00:23)
LAD	Andy Pages' RBI single (00:00:20)
LAD	Freddie Freeman's RBI single (00:00:15)
CIN	Graham Ashcraft strikes out five (00:00:33)
LAD	Walker Buehler's seven-K performance (00:01:01)
CIN	Carson Spiers' lunging catch in foul territory (00:00:22)
LAD	Teoscar Hernández's RBI single (00:00:16)
CIN	Graham Ashcraft's glove flip for an out (00:00:12)
LAD	Miguel Rojas seals the win (00:00:18)
LAD	Gavin Lux makes the backhanded play (00:00:24)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	3	0	3
Dodgers	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	1			4	6	0	5

Decisions

• Winner: Walker Buehler (1-1, 4.05)
• Loser: Graham Ashcraft (3-3, 4.25)

Division Scoreboard

PIT 0 @ CHC 1 - Final
MIL 4 @ HOU 2 - Final
BOS 2 @ STL 7 - Final
Next Reds Game: Sun, May 19, 04:10 PM EDT @ Dodgers
^{Last Updated: 05/18/2024 11:37:48 PM EDT}

My grandma recently died from dementia. Next to my grandpa, I was her only caretaker. Her kids from her first marriage (not my parents) were never around to help. Oftentimes, I was the only calm adult, when she and my grandpa were screaming at one another.
Because of this, I have PTSD and deal with suicidal ideation. In the midst of my guy friend and I having a thing, I told him this. I never said I didn’t want to date him. I made it very clear however that I have mental health challenges. And he responded with wanting to just stay friends.
Here’s the problem: he kept coming back with requests that would cross the line into more than friends territory. He was going back and forth on wanting to date and wanting to stay friends.
I’m worried that what I said would make him think I’m rejecting him, which would’ve ultimately led to our falling out
TL;DR guy friend feeling possibly rejected by me

I know a lot of producers have talked about unsolicited feedback in the past but this post isn't about that. It's about feedback for various projects and feedback that gets requested and given. This also applies equally to original production in many cases.
A good number of mashup producers do not tend to master or don't apply limiters on tracks, or just make them softer compared to commercial levels. When albums get mastered, loudness will usually be adjusted through various plugins (EQ, multiband compressors, limiters, clippers, etc.) to shape masters so that one track is not significantly louder or softer than another especially back-to-back and groups of tracks follow a certain sound.
What this means is that once your softer mashup of -14 or -15 LUFS or softer is amplified to commercial levels in the -7 to -11 LUFS range or more depending on genre and how the overall track should sound given peaks and valleys with softer and louder parts (LUFS stands for loudness units full scale, look that up), small issues may stand out like thorns when amplified. Bottom line: Don't take the small or big issues personally; we're all human, we all miss things, and we can all improve. You may learn something new!
Think of it like how you ask to proofread writing to check for spelling or grammar and have it work for the audience.
All this to say, feedback I give or others give based on small details may come across as nit-picks at first. Don't completely discount them. You never know who will want to play your tracks, and this could range from personal playlists all the way up to DJ gigs and big festival stages.
In the case of a club DJ or performances on festival stages, volumes will be significantly louder than what you may have worked with when you created the track. I've given the restaurant food analogy before but I'll give it again: If something clearly doesn't taste good, people won't usually know why. But an experienced chef who knows how the ingredients interact sure will.
Just something to think about as you improve on mashup production and production in general.
Here are some issues below that experienced mashup producers could point out. Note that a lot of the "don't do this" stuff is really code for "don't do this unless you really know you're doing and it sounds good":

Big issues

• Out of key (OOK): This refers to wrong key signature (e.g. mixing A Minor with B Minor), not blue notes from modes or short moments of modulation. Key rule of thumb: If you're going to use key databases, verify by ear. Tunebat is the least accurate. If you must do so, use a reliable key database like the ones in this post. DJ software can work, but some automatic key detection performs better than others and are far from perfect. Above all, databases are not perfect and some will be far from it, so ears will be the final judge of whether a pairing sounds good.
• Out of tempo/time (OOT): this usually refers to wrong tempo (e.g. mixing a 116 BPM track with a 118 BPM track) or not constant tempo and going out of time. Key rule of thumb: Sync your tracks and if you need to use any form of warping (see Ableton), be prepared to do so.
• Incorrect/bad beat alignment: This is more for when a vocal or element is offbeat enough that it really sticks out as a trainwreck when mixed together
• Wrong beat/out of structure/off structure: This is when a vocal or other element is placed on a beat that doesn't make sense for what it's combined with (e.g. placing the first word of a vocal over an instrumental on beat 2 when it was meant for beat 1). Mileage will vary, sometimes the vocal beat placement only makes sense for the original song and makes less sense on others.
• Distortion from going in the red: This is when the overall mix or elements sound distorted because the volume of each track channel is too loud and either alone or combined goes well above 0 dBFS (a.k.a. into the red). Key rule of thumb: Start your track volumes at -6 dB (not 0 dB) and then adjust to taste. Don't go into the red unless you absolutely know what you're doing.
• Elements way too soft or loud: This is more along the lines of not being able to hear the added vocals or elements at all or they're too loud that you can't hear the other elements in the mix.
• Big mood mismatch: This tends to be less egregious, but if sources don't cooperate at all to a point of completely ruining the vibe, the mashup could stick out like a sore thumb from the start. Mileage will vary, and sometimes your audience would appreciate this especially with genre clashes even to the point of creating memes. But it depends on what you're going for, and sometimes you want consistency for certain albums and groups of tracks.

Smaller issues

• Fifth traps/not picking the right keys to use: This is a specific version of another problem I'll touch on, but this happens when you mix keys fifths or fourths away (e.g. F Major and C Major) and the chord progressions don't cooperate. What makes this a trap is that the pairing might appear to sound good at first glance, but when you look back at what you made, you probably could have made a better sounding pairing if you had just picked sources in key, relative key (e.g. A Minor and C Major), or parallel to the mode type (i.e. A Minor with A Dorian since Dorian is a minor mode). This Berklee Online article is a really good starting point to modes. With modes, mileage will vary.
• Out of progression/blue notes: This can happen when there are short moments where the element clashes on top of other elements (e.g. modes or short moments of different modulation). Sometimes the tracks may not be compatible, but other times it's just a part with notes outside the scale. This can be fixed by doing small note changes, but be careful not to make it too obvious, otherwise it might sound like you're forcing the pairing to work. It may also follow the same theme as fifth traps, where you could have made a better sounding pairing if you had just picked sources in key, relative key (e.g. A Minor and C Major), or parallel to the mode type (i.e. A Minor with A Dorian since Dorian is a minor mode). This Berklee Online article is a really good starting point to modes. With modes, mileage will vary.
• Low quality sources: This happens with YouTube or other rips where the elements are lower quality due to a lower frequency cutoff (YouTube is usually 15.5 kHz for AAC, other platforms may be 15-16 kHz for 128 kbps MP3, etc.). Bottom line: Get the highest quality sources you can, and use Spek or another spectrum analysis software to check rips or record pool sources. Your ears and processing algorithms will thank you. Again, you never know who will listen to or play out your track, could even be a big sound system.
• Stem separation artifacts: This can take several different forms, but can happen when either the invert or stem separation algorithm being used adds noise or other unwanted high end artifacts like high hats that once amplified, will absolutely stand out in a mix. This also includes artifacts from stem separation algorithms like Utagoe which make vocals sound like they're underwater at default settings. Key rule of thumb: Remember that the instrumental and original could be mixed and mastered differently depending on the production environment and how masters spread. If an invert makes a vocal stand out more but just needs extra cleaning, don't be afraid to combine the invert technique (original + instrumental) with stem separation. When using multiple stem separation techniques or using different sources (like remix + remix instrumental), think about how they sound on parts of the instrumental and consider picking the best extraction for a given part; remember that this includes using the original song (this is called comping in the production world). If there are parts of vocals intended to be silent and there are artifacts, don't be afraid to replace the reverb + delay with your own. Keep up to date with stem separation algorithms by keeping up with developments on the Audio Separation Discord server: https://discord.gg/wY3AAaTvHT
• Weird time-stretch and pitch-shift artifacts: This can happen when using a lower quality time-stretch or a time-stretch that can destroy transients/drum hits (Audacity or Elastique Efficient on vocals, older Elastique Pro on full instrumentals) or pitching too much and/or with too much/little formant preserve. The best way to reduce these effects on instrumental is to think about combining stem separation with ways to improve quality (pitch everything BUT the drums unless tonal, experiment with different time stretch methods on different elements, etc.). For too much pitch or formant preserve, either pick sources that are closer in key (+/- 2 semitones is a good rule of thumb) and try to control the amount of formant preservation and/or envelope (in Ableton) to make the vocals sound more natural. Formant preserve is usually a good idea for pitched vocals, but can sound bad for pitched instrumentals especially drums depending on the track.
• Pops or clicks while editing: This tends to happen when elements like vocals are cut off when not at zero volume. Key rule of thumb: Edit to zero crossing and/or use fades to cut off regions or when combining different regions together.
• Flanging, phasing, or flamming while editing: Sometimes these effects are on purpose, but oftentimes when crossfading between different parts of an instrumental, both parts of the edit don't align on beat. Flanging and phasing applies for sample level edits (ms or more), flamming for tenths or hundredths of seconds (e.g. 0.05 sec or 0.1 sec). Flamming is a drumming term for when the same part of the drum kit (usually the snare drum) is hit twice with different sticks at close to but not exactly the same time.
• Vocals or other elements end too suddenly in an edit: You may want to get different vocals to interact with each other or edit out of artifacts from vocal stem separation, but the other vocal (or elements) sound like they were cut off. Key rule of thumb: Have a reverb effect handy, and if you're working in a DAW, take advantage of wet/dry automation and combine the reverb with delay afterwards in the effect chain for vocals and other elements so when you crank up the wet the decay helps fade out the element gracefully.
• Vocals or other elements start too suddenly or out of place when connecting them or transitioning: This also considers getting different vocals or other elements to work together or going to a new part, but refers to a new part using vocals or other elements sounding out of place at the beginning of a region in a transition. Key rule of thumb: Watch your crossfades and when you're in a pinch and want to start the next part gracefully, don't be afraid to use reverse reverb or other effect like a riser to introduce a completely new element or different part in a pinch. Reverse reverb is exactly what it sounds: Adding reverb to a short snippet of an element like a cymbal, vocal note, or pad, and then applying reverse on it. Often this is done by choosing a tonal center to transition into, choosing a small snippet to add reverb to, choosing reverb with a long decay time and big space (usually I do a Cathedral reverb), reversing it, and then carefully aligning the reverse reverb so the end of it hits the beginning of the next region. Whew that was a lot! Tutorials will do this much more justice but this is the general idea.
• Vocals too dry or too wet for the instrumental: Usually this depends on the instrumental's genre. For genres like pop or EDM, vocals tend to have some reverb applied to make them shine. For others like alternative and some classic hip-hop, the reverb might be less or no wet or a completely different type. This issue usually refers to too little reverb (too dry) or too much reverb (too wet). Key rule of thumb: Don't forget to have reverb handy. You might need it. Keep your wet low in the middle of a vocal depending on what you're trying to do (think 3-5% wet or - on the low side
• Vocals or other elements slightly too loud or soft: Self-explanatory, this is usually an issue where elements should be the right volume for elements to work well together.
• Vocals or other elements drowned out/don't gel due to hypercompression: This usually happens when using a vocal not from an EDM, hyperpop, hard rock, or other genre where there is hypercompression but no matter how much volume amount you try elements like vocals don't gel and compete for space in the mid range. Two common techniques take the form of adding more compression to a vocal to stand up to an hypercompressed instrumental and/or reducing mid band EQ of the other source (which could come from sidechaining). For the added compression, it tends to be done with either multiple compressors in series (e.g. two compressors using low threshold + high ratio and high threshold + low ratio) or through various guitar distortion plugins on settings meant for vocals (e.g. Camelcrusher with British Clean or certain presets of OTT). Don't be afraid to experiment.
• Master too loud or soft for the genre: This usually takes the form of using limiters and other effects to make certain tracks too loud for the genre intended, or not using anything at all and the track is too soft for the genre/commercial sound. This can come down to taste, but how a track was produced can affect how loud you master. Mileage will vary; listen to how loud tracks are made and emulate your favorites assuming nothing too egregious.
• Stereo issues: This can happen if there are elements out of phase when trying to combine mono and stereo or applying other effects. It's a bit more difficult to diagnose, but one rule of thumb is to test your overall track on different playback systems (from headphones to big speakers and even your phone or small bluetooth speaker which will effectively test mono depending on the device).

Wow that was a lot and I know it's very overwhelming who don't produce a ton. There might be more issues I didn't mention here, so let me know if there's anything else that could be useful.

Tigers @ D-backs - Sat, May 18

Game Status: Final - Score: 8-3 Tigers

Links & Info

• MLB Gameday
• Game Graphs
• Savant Gamefeed

	Tigers Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Greene, R - LF	6	1	2	0	0	1	6	.248	.356	.473
2	Canha - DH	4	1	1	0	1	1	1	.247	.368	.425
3	Pérez, W - RF	4	1	2	4	0	0	1	.300	.373	.533
4	Carpenter, K - RF	3	0	0	0	0	2	1	.270	.321	.508
	a-Vierling - CF	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	.262	.287	.408
5	Urshela - 3B	5	1	3	1	0	0	0	.290	.300	.348
6	Keith, C - 2B	4	0	0	0	1	2	4	.190	.254	.214
7	Torkelson - 1B	5	1	1	0	0	3	3	.226	.292	.345
8	Báez, J - SS	5	2	4	1	0	1	1	.207	.236	.289
9	Kelly, C - C	4	1	2	2	0	1	1	.232	.329	.304
	Totals	41	8	15	8	3	11	20

Tigers
a-Walked for Carpenter, K in the 7th.
BATTING: 2B: Urshela 2 (4, Gallen, Gallen); Báez, J 2 (8, Gallen, Gallen); Greene, R (8, Mantiply); Kelly, C (2, Ginkel). 3B: Pérez, W 2 (4, Gallen, Mantiply). TB: Báez, J 6; Canha; Greene, R 3; Kelly, C 3; Pérez, W 6; Torkelson; Urshela 5. RBI: Báez, J (19); Kelly, C 2 (9); Pérez, W 4 (13); Urshela (7). 2-out RBI: Pérez, W 3; Kelly, C; Urshela; Báez, J. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Carpenter, K; Greene, R 3; Vierling; Keith, C; Báez, J. SF: Pérez, W. Team RISP: 6-for-18. Team LOB: 11.
FIELDING: PB: Kelly, C (1). DP: 2 (Báez, J; Keith, C-Báez, J-Torkelson).

	D-backs Batters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	LOB	AVG	OBP	SLG
1	Carroll - CF	4	1	1	0	0	0	3	.189	.277	.260
2	Marte, K - 2B	4	1	1	1	0	2	1	.287	.333	.525
3	Pederson - DH	3	0	1	1	0	1	1	.297	.407	.535
	a-Grichuk - DH	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	.288	.319	.424
4	Walker, C - 1B	3	0	0	0	1	2	2	.255	.364	.430
5	Smith, P - RF	3	0	1	0	0	1	2	.257	.289	.429
	b-Gurriel Jr. - LF	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	.230	.280	.368
6	Suárez, E - 3B	4	0	0	0	0	2	4	.211	.280	.319
7	Moreno - C	3	0	1	0	1	2	0	.239	.346	.339
8	McCarthy - RF	3	0	0	0	1	0	2	.274	.352	.379
9	Newman - SS	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.253	.284	.418
	Totals	33	3	8	3	3	11	17

D-backs
a-Singled for Pederson in the 8th. b-Singled for Smith, P in the 8th.
BATTING: 3B: Carroll (1, Flaherty); Marte, K (2, Flaherty). TB: Carroll 3; Grichuk; Gurriel Jr.; Marte, K 3; Moreno; Newman; Pederson; Smith, P. RBI: Gurriel Jr. (26); Marte, K (25); Pederson (10). 2-out RBI: Gurriel Jr. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Walker, C; Suárez, E. GIDP: Carroll. Team RISP: 2-for-11. Team LOB: 6.

Tigers Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Flaherty (W, 1-3)	6.0	5	2	2	2	9	0	98-61	3.79
Lange	1.0	1	0	0	1	0	0	15-5	2.70
Chafin	0.2	2	1	0	0	1	0	11-7	3.68
Brieske	1.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	17-10	0.00
Totals	9.0	8	3	2	3	11	0

D-backs Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	P-S	ERA
Gallen (L, 5-3)	6.2	7	3	3	0	10	0	98-68	3.02
Mantiply	0.0	2	3	3	1	0	0	5-4	4.67
Martinez, Ju	0.1	1	0	0	1	0	0	16-9	0.69
Ginkel	1.0	4	2	2	0	0	0	26-18	4.91
Jarvis	1.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	25-16	4.56
Totals	9.0	15	8	8	3	11	0

Game Info
IBB: Canha (by Mantiply).
HBP: Kelly, C (by Jarvis).
Pitches-strikes: Flaherty 98-61; Lange 15-5; Chafin 11-7; Brieske 17-10; Gallen 98-68; Mantiply 5-4; Martinez, Ju 16-9; Ginkel 26-18; Jarvis 25-16.
Groundouts-flyouts: Flaherty 6-0; Lange 1-0; Chafin 1-0; Brieske 0-2; Gallen 3-5; Mantiply 0-0; Martinez, Ju 1-0; Ginkel 1-1; Jarvis 1-1.
Batters faced: Flaherty 24; Lange 4; Chafin 4; Brieske 4; Gallen 27; Mantiply 3; Martinez, Ju 3; Ginkel 7; Jarvis 6.
Inherited runners-scored: Brieske 1-0; Mantiply 1-1; Martinez, Ju 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Nate Tomlinson. 1B: Chris Segal. 2B: Larry Vanover. 3B: David Rackley.
Weather: 78 degrees, Roof Closed.
Wind: 0 mph, None.
First pitch: 5:12 PM.
T: 2:51.
Att: 35,826.
Venue: Chase Field.
May 18, 2024

Inning	Scoring Play	Score
Bottom 6	Ketel Marte triples (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Riley Greene. Corbin Carroll scores.	1-0 AZ
Bottom 6	Joc Pederson singles on a ground ball to center fielder Wenceel Pérez. Ketel Marte scores.	2-0 AZ
Top 7	Javier Báez doubles (8) on a sharp line drive to left fielder Jake McCarthy. Gio Urshela scores.	2-1 AZ
Top 7	Carson Kelly singles on a ground ball to right fielder Pavin Smith. Javier Báez scores.	2-2
Top 7	Wenceel Pérez triples (4) on a fly ball to left fielder Jake McCarthy. Carson Kelly scores. Riley Greene scores. Mark Canha scores.	5-2 DET
Top 7	Gio Urshela singles on a ground ball to shortstop Kevin Newman. Wenceel Pérez scores. Matt Vierling to 2nd.	6-2 DET
Top 8	Carson Kelly doubles (2) on a ground ball to left fielder Jake McCarthy. Spencer Torkelson scores. Javier Báez to 3rd.	7-2 DET
Top 8	Wenceel Pérez out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Jake McCarthy. Javier Báez scores. Carson Kelly to 3rd.	8-2 DET
Bottom 8	Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singles on a ground ball to right fielder Wenceel Pérez. Randal Grichuk scores.	8-3 DET

Team	Highlight
DET	Javier Báez's RBI double (00:00:25)
DET	Carson Kelly's game-tying single (00:00:29)
DET	Wenceel Pérez's go-ahead triple (00:00:29)
DET	Carson Kelly's RBI double (00:00:15)
DET	Wenceel Pérez's sac fly (00:00:21)
AZ	Zac Gallen strikes out 10 across 6 2/3 innings (00:01:52)
AZ	Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s RBI single (00:00:15)
DET	Beau Brieske secures the Tigers' win (00:00:21)
DET	Jack Flaherty strikes out nine across six innings (00:01:19)
DET	Javier Báez's four-hit game (00:01:21)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	LOB
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2	0		8	15	0	11
D-backs	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0		3	8	0	6

Decisions

• Winner: Jack Flaherty (1-3, 3.79)
• Loser: Zac Gallen (5-3, 3.02)

Division Scoreboard

CWS 1 @ NYY 6 - Final
MIN 4 @ CLE 11 - Final
OAK 3 @ KC 5 - Final
Next Tigers Game: Sun, May 19, 04:10 PM EDT @ D-backs
^{Last Updated: 05/18/2024 11:45:27 PM EDT}

TL:DR: My fiance is messaging another woman, and i am devastated. And very pregnant. How do i navigate this?
Background: We've been together for 5 years, engaged for 2.5. We have an 18-month old together and I am currently 32 weeks pregnant. I also have a 9 yo from a previous marriage. We bought a house together 2 years ago. I lost my job in March and he has his own business.
Full disclosure: I've been in some rocky relationships. I've been cheated on, I've been the cheater. But I have never loved anyone like this, and I've never even considered cheating on my fiance. In fact, I outgrew my "wild" phase when we started getting serious, and I have never been more happy, loved, satisfied, and wanted.
Until recently. 2 weeks ago, he had to go out of town for work. He asked me to go, but we had nobody to take care of our dogs, so I stayed home with my 18-month old (my 9 yo was with other parent). We had been in a weird funk for a couple of weeks before this, and I really didn't know why. I thought the distance would maybe help, and it did. We flirted, talked dirty, said how much we missed each other, & we were both super lovey. I couldn't wait for him to get home.
However, one odd thing happened. He told me he'd like to watch me with another woman. This immediately sent up red flags, because he knows that I HAVE done that before but he's never said he wanted that to happen. All kinds of thoughts went through my head.. "Is he wanting to see someone else? Am I not good enough anymore? am I not satisfying him sexually?" But, I told him I would do that since it was his fantasy. I asked him who he had in mind, because I KNEW he had to be thinking of someone. He said he didn't know, but suggested the person I did it with before, which happens to be my best friend. We were young and experimenting, we've grown past it, and I'm not interested in that with her at this point. So, i told him as much. He said okay, then we can go on a dating app or something together, and reassured me that he would NOT go on any without me or look for anyone without me.
Nothing much more has been said about it.. he worked at home for a week, then last week our son and I joined him out of town. I thought we were good.
Last night, I was in the bathroom getting ready for a surprise congratulatory dinner I threw for him for obtaining a new license for his business, and he left his phone in the bathroom with me. His Snapchat went off, it didn't phase me, but he hurried into the bathroom and snatched his phone up. It ended up being his brother and he announced that to me like.. I care? So it was weird. Later, he ran into the store and left his phone in the car and I snooped.
There was a message thread from a lady that I don't know. His last message to her was along the lines of, "I hope I didn't freak you out last night by asking you to fool around." She hadn't yet responded. I almost threw up. I didn't dare scroll up to see the rest of the conversation because I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it. I closed Snapchat and set his phone down, and drove home like nothing happened. I got my kids to bed, then sat in my bed and cried for 3 hours. He was in the basement watching TV.
I vented to my aforementioned best friend, who confessed to me that after we had talked about his fantasy, he messaged her to ask if she would be interested.. after I told him I didn't want that. Why didn't she tell me when it happened? Because she's an awful friend and always has been, but I can tell her anything. Now, though, I don't even want to talk to her.
I had no idea what to do. I'm broken. I text him to say that I wanted to get my tubes tied after this baby (we'd been debating on having another) because if something happened to us, we'd have 4 kids with split parents. Idk why, it was the only thing I could think of that would alert him to the fact that something was wrong, without having the full-on conversation. He asked why I was thinking like that, said that he would never leave me, blah blah blah, a bunch of total horse shit in my opinion. I eventually went to "sleep" (if you can even call it that), and he came to bed and snuggled up to me. I pretended to be snoozing.
We had a big fun day planned today, so I didn't want to ruin it for my kids. Which is why I chose to not confront him last night. I held it together pretty well, except in the shower and now. But he can tell something is wrong. He asked me about 100x what's wrong, if he did something wrong, etc. He also had a very bad upset stomach today. Maybe nerves?
Anyway, I'm now getting my kids to bed and then I'm going to sit down with him. I really don't know what to expect. I don't think there is anything he could say that will make me ever feel secure again. I truly thought this was my forever, my happy ending. I could go on and live this life, where I'm constantly second guessing myself and being suspicious any time he kisses me, but I don't want that. I'm in the most vulnerable position I've ever been in, and it is fucking terrifying. I have no one. I have no job, soon to be 3 kids, and hell, maybe homeless.
Please send me good vibes, prayers, whatever you believe. And if you have a similar story and you were able to move past it and be happy again, please tell me how.

So, I decided to do something I've only done once before. Long story short, asked a coworker out to drinks. Texting has been sorta choppy since I got the number a couple days ago (busy schedules, etc). We have been getting to know each other with surface level stuff, but really nothing pertaining to, lets say, "dating", "getting to know someone I might wanna date", type questions.
My hangup with this, before we even have the drinks, is that I'm wondering if she knows I'm interested in a "dating" sense, and not just a, "being friendly", sense. I feel like her personality is outgoing and this is very veryyy early in the "getting to know you phase", but I'm wondering if its common for women to interpret "just grabbing drinks" after work as something more platonic then something of a "romantic pursuit". Where's the line between being "social and friendly", and, "I'd like to date you"? (obviously with the exception of just coming straight out with it...I could do that, but that just seems a bit blunt, no?)
Probably a dumb question but, curious.

Hello, GoG
I'm back for a fourth attempt, hoping that persistence will finally pay off. This time, I won't just tell you about the game or my love for the tower defense genre. Instead, let me share a whimsical tale that captures the essence of Bloons TD 6—a story of a monkey named Gerald and his epic battle against balloons. The expanded version
Once upon a time, in a jungle far, far away, there lived a shy monkey named Gerald. Gerald was known among his peers for his extreme introversion. He often hid away in the school bathrooms to avoid group projects, preferring solitude over social interactions.
On Gerald's ninth birthday, which coincided with Valentine's Day, his parents devised an unusual plan to help him break out of his shell. They set him up on three blind dates. The mere thought of sitting across the table from another monkey sent Gerald into a panic. On his first date, Gerald fainted from stress. On the second date, he ended up in the emergency room with a racing heart. His parents, realizing traditional dates were too much for him, decided to try something different for the third date.
This time, they set Gerald up with a balloon. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Gerald found himself drawn to the balloon, which he named Stacy. Stacy wasn't just any balloon; she had a face drawn on her and a personality that captivated Gerald. They did everything together—picnics, walks, dancing, and more. Gerald didn't care about the strange looks they received; he was happy.
However, Stacy had a darker side. She was unfaithful, often flirting with and following attractive men. On their anniversary, Gerald caught Stacy in the act of cheating. Heartbroken and furious, Gerald vowed to rid the world of all balloons. He formed a task force called "Bloons Tower Defense" (or Bloons TD) to execute his plan. Over time, the task force evolved, with the latest iteration being "Bloons TD 6."
Determined to exact his revenge, Gerald overcame his introversion to lead his team against the balloons. His mission became my mission, and now, I want to join Gerald in his quest.
So, dear GoG team, I ask for your kindness and support. Let me assist Gerald in his battle against Stacy and her cadre of balloons. Your generosity would mean the world to me.
Thank you for considering my request. I hope this story brought a smile to your face, and I wish you all a fantastic week.
Thank You So Much
P.S. Who wouldn't love monkeys popping balloons? It's pure fun!
Bloons TD 6
SteamID