Great 50th birthday speeches
Golden Age Comics
2014.01.19 00:59 piperson Golden Age Comics
The sub-Reddit for all things Golden age Comics from Action Comics #1 To EC Comics of the 50's.
2012.07.22 10:07 OkraWimprey Random Acts of Polish is our name, and granting polish wishes is our game.
**Feel like becoming a Fingernail Fairy Godmother (or Godfather) and surprising a fellow polish addict with a fantastic free polish, but don't know where to start?** **Well, here we are! Random Acts of Polish is our name, and granting polish wishes is our game.**
2024.05.19 01:19 Maleficent_Ad_3958 The Pl movement favor seeing women prioritizing service of the ZEF over herself as they are already in favor of seeing women serving men
Lets take Harold Butker, a PLer, who was happy talking about how his wife's life really began when she became a wife and homemaker for HIM. The weird thing is that his mom is a career physicist who works in radiation oncology which is treating cancer, something I think most people would think has great worth. The mindset I saw in his speech was being cheery that his wife shaped her life in service of him. And she can choose that but it's not something every single women should be forced into or pushed severely to choose. He also spoke against abortion and IVF.
And he got a lot of applause at the venue he was speaking at though one of the audience members, a woman, later talked about being disgusted that her and her fellow women's accomplishments were being crapped on.She talked about how it's mostly her, her roommate and some women were booing at this but the rest were cheering.
My point is that the men in the audience ate up what he said. Conservatives figures cheered on the guy. They are totally on board with a woman molding herself to the guy being pushed as an ideal and crapping on women doing something other than that. So it's not a surprise that many of them want the same deference shown to the product of their jizz aka basically planting a flag inside her uterus that claims it as HIS.
https://youtu.be/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=GF7qwvnOKAQP818X is his speech.
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-harrison-butkers-mom-is-a-physicist/ talks about his mother's career
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-rushes-to-embrace-harrison-butkers-quite-tender-speech Fox News is already cheering this guy on in direct contrast to how they treated Colin Kapernick
submitted by Maleficent_Ad_3958 to Abortiondebate [link] [comments]
And he got a lot of applause at the venue he was speaking at though one of the audience members, a woman, later talked about being disgusted that her and her fellow women's accomplishments were being crapped on.She talked about how it's mostly her, her roommate and some women were booing at this but the rest were cheering.
My point is that the men in the audience ate up what he said. Conservatives figures cheered on the guy. They are totally on board with a woman molding herself to the guy being pushed as an ideal and crapping on women doing something other than that. So it's not a surprise that many of them want the same deference shown to the product of their jizz aka basically planting a flag inside her uterus that claims it as HIS.
https://youtu.be/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=GF7qwvnOKAQP818X is his speech.
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/kansas-city-chiefs-kicker-harrison-butkers-mom-is-a-physicist/ talks about his mother's career
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-rushes-to-embrace-harrison-butkers-quite-tender-speech Fox News is already cheering this guy on in direct contrast to how they treated Colin Kapernick
2024.05.19 01:19 Icy_Floor_6318 2 years ago I never had picked up a guitar. Today, I’m in a successful rock band. AMA
Hey everyone,
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
submitted by Icy_Floor_6318 to electricguitar [link] [comments]
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
2024.05.19 01:18 RichardVonSharpeEsq A whole year on from this post… and where do we think we are now?
https://www.reddit.com/policeuk/s/fTqdbzBkzn
I posted this a year ago. Since then, I’ve moved to another force and blow me sideways if it wasn’t the best move I’ve made. Even so, there are still plenty of issues here, difficulties in Policing and stress, anxiety and pressures on all the staff.
I don’t know how I feel about policing anymore. Whilst it’s only been a couple of months, and I feel happier than I have in a long time, learning a bunch of new skills and procedures as I approach my 40th birthday still fills me with apprehension and worry.
Unfortunately a number of things in the media and online push me further from wanting to do this job. XN121, the officer found guilty of assault for arresting a person believed to have committed a crime, officers being sentenced to prison for WhatsApp messages, even people on my team being suspended and thrown under the bus for using reasonable levels of force which have then been scrutinised by the IOPC who seem intent to stick on every single cop they can.
I’m all for getting rid of the bad ones. But it seems that people are going out of their way to do away with the police. We won’t see another decent pay rise for years, not after the ‘generous’ 7% they gave us, leaving just 19% behind the gap. Forces decimated, people leaving in droves, and all the police meme pages nailing it on the head with revised Code G, saying you can’t lock up without all the evidence and you can’t put handcuffs on somebody, or another one depicting the Met’s HR department as a box factory drowning in resignation ‘packages’.
I really love this job sometimes. I honestly want to make a difference. But at the same time I am absolutely sick of it all. Sick of the lambasting, the negativity, the red tape and procedure, the action plans and political bile, the violence and the trauma, the stabbings, RTCs, dead children and families torn apart, endless paperwork for no real gain, low pay, piss poor morale, and departments who’s sole job is to remove any shred of coping mechanism in the form of dark humour and banter by leaving us to have settings to purge phone message apps and offices full of posters to ‘dob in’ somebody who might even think of making a joke, an inefficient ‘independent’ office to look at officers, and a criminal justice system on its knees, whilst they let out violent and dangerous prisoners early or hold them in custody areas due to no space in prisons.
The jobs always been ‘fucked’, ever since my great great grandad pounded a beat in Birmingham, with a wooden truncheon and a whistle, but I wonder if there’s any hope left for the rest of us trying to stay above water, with failing technology, decrepit buildings, worn out cars and equipment, and destroyed marriages, relationships with partners and children, trying ever so hard to not fall to pieces ourselves.
Stay safe out there.
submitted by RichardVonSharpeEsq to policeuk [link] [comments]
I posted this a year ago. Since then, I’ve moved to another force and blow me sideways if it wasn’t the best move I’ve made. Even so, there are still plenty of issues here, difficulties in Policing and stress, anxiety and pressures on all the staff.
I don’t know how I feel about policing anymore. Whilst it’s only been a couple of months, and I feel happier than I have in a long time, learning a bunch of new skills and procedures as I approach my 40th birthday still fills me with apprehension and worry.
Unfortunately a number of things in the media and online push me further from wanting to do this job. XN121, the officer found guilty of assault for arresting a person believed to have committed a crime, officers being sentenced to prison for WhatsApp messages, even people on my team being suspended and thrown under the bus for using reasonable levels of force which have then been scrutinised by the IOPC who seem intent to stick on every single cop they can.
I’m all for getting rid of the bad ones. But it seems that people are going out of their way to do away with the police. We won’t see another decent pay rise for years, not after the ‘generous’ 7% they gave us, leaving just 19% behind the gap. Forces decimated, people leaving in droves, and all the police meme pages nailing it on the head with revised Code G, saying you can’t lock up without all the evidence and you can’t put handcuffs on somebody, or another one depicting the Met’s HR department as a box factory drowning in resignation ‘packages’.
I really love this job sometimes. I honestly want to make a difference. But at the same time I am absolutely sick of it all. Sick of the lambasting, the negativity, the red tape and procedure, the action plans and political bile, the violence and the trauma, the stabbings, RTCs, dead children and families torn apart, endless paperwork for no real gain, low pay, piss poor morale, and departments who’s sole job is to remove any shred of coping mechanism in the form of dark humour and banter by leaving us to have settings to purge phone message apps and offices full of posters to ‘dob in’ somebody who might even think of making a joke, an inefficient ‘independent’ office to look at officers, and a criminal justice system on its knees, whilst they let out violent and dangerous prisoners early or hold them in custody areas due to no space in prisons.
The jobs always been ‘fucked’, ever since my great great grandad pounded a beat in Birmingham, with a wooden truncheon and a whistle, but I wonder if there’s any hope left for the rest of us trying to stay above water, with failing technology, decrepit buildings, worn out cars and equipment, and destroyed marriages, relationships with partners and children, trying ever so hard to not fall to pieces ourselves.
Stay safe out there.
2024.05.19 01:13 QuickRelation1231 Struggling with being poor-ish
I apologize to all of those that are truly living in poverty- that is how I was raised and I know that I am now at a relatively secure place in my life, which I am very grateful for.
I live in a high cost of living area but barely survive as a single mom with two kids. I was blessed to be able to scrimp and save enough to buy a home. But it is a simple place, relatively small (1200 sq ft) and a townhome. We are surrounded by million dollar homes in a great school district.
Sounds wonderful, right?
Yet everytime we go to another families home for birthdays or other events, I am floored by how fancy their homes are. I feel like a kid again in the sense that I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. No matter my salary, I could never afford one of these homes. Everything I have goes into providing for my kids as I drive around in a 10 yo car and wear clothes from when I was pregnant 8 years ago.
I don't want my kids to feel like I did when I was young. I always felt "inferior" but I constantly have to tell them we can't afford this or that. Is there a better way to deal with being the poorer family in a ridiculously rich area? I don't know how to do this.
submitted by QuickRelation1231 to Parenting [link] [comments]
I live in a high cost of living area but barely survive as a single mom with two kids. I was blessed to be able to scrimp and save enough to buy a home. But it is a simple place, relatively small (1200 sq ft) and a townhome. We are surrounded by million dollar homes in a great school district.
Sounds wonderful, right?
Yet everytime we go to another families home for birthdays or other events, I am floored by how fancy their homes are. I feel like a kid again in the sense that I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. No matter my salary, I could never afford one of these homes. Everything I have goes into providing for my kids as I drive around in a 10 yo car and wear clothes from when I was pregnant 8 years ago.
I don't want my kids to feel like I did when I was young. I always felt "inferior" but I constantly have to tell them we can't afford this or that. Is there a better way to deal with being the poorer family in a ridiculously rich area? I don't know how to do this.
2024.05.19 01:12 Icy_Floor_6318 2 years ago I never had picked up a guitar. Today, I’m in a successful rock band. AMA
Hey everyone,
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
submitted by Icy_Floor_6318 to AcousticGuitar [link] [comments]
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
2024.05.19 01:12 Tha_Rocket Looking for advice, buckle up it's long ride...
I'm a 42 year old male, I met my wife when I was 18, she was 23 and we began 'dating' when I was 21, working a job I hated in the same place she worked (casino workers, if you know, you know). We hooked up at a Xmas party and started a very awkward relationship. I say awkward because we had some weird trouble having sex for the first like 6 months... it's odd when I think back on it, should have been a huge red flag but she was draped in reg flags the entire time and it didn't seem matter to me. Aside from that, when we finally did have sex she got pregnant... she was not at all ready, neither was I really, but are you ever? At any rate, I didn't have too much of say in it, she decided on an abortion and I supported her. We stayed together after that horribly shitty experience, our relationship was never really all that good, lots of petty fighting/arguing and really the only reason it continued was because we worked opposite shifts and barely saw each other which made it easier to sorta get along.
Fast forward a couple years, we decide to buy a house because financially it made sense (this is almost 20 years ago so it was still affordable at that time), she made quite a bit of money, mostly in tips (so not on paper), but she probably made 2-3 times as much as I did so she never really struggled financially (in her life I don't think) while I came out of poverty and lived paycheck to paycheck up until a few years ago (the pandemic was surprisingly good for my career). This was never really an issue for me, I've lived in debt my whole life and I've always had the optimism that I would eventually work my way out of it, it's really the only bit of confidence I have in myself, my ability to learn and become relatively good at almost anything. This was always a point of contention, my wife hated that I had debt so when we bought the house together we were asked if we wanted a joint bank account as most couples combine their finances with cohabitation, my wife scoffed and adamantly told the banker there was no way she's mixing her finances with mine, it was relatively embarrassing at the time but I was also just 25 (she was 30) so I went along with whatever, it was going to be slightly cheaper for me to pay a mortgage than rent at the time so I was in and she'd cover bills. Things were never that great when living together, things must have been good enough for me to stay but I only look back with anger now so it's hard to see anything good but I'm sure there must have been some.
Fast forward another couple years and I feel extremely pressured (by her and her family mostly, they're old fashioned country type folks) to ask her to marry me... so I do. We stay engaged for another few years, I have no desire to waste a bunch on money on a wedding but she's the one with money so we have the big wedding she wanted. I'll admit it was a pretty great party, I don't remember anything good involving her on our wedding day but I have lots of good memories with family and friends. Afterwards we went on a 'romantic' honeymoon at an all-inclusive tropical resort and this is where I'll get into a bit of what I've dealt with for years... our resort was gorgeous, room was nice, just a room but nice... first thing my wife did was complain, about everything, the bed, the fridge, the lights, the balcony... nothing was good enough for her, this would become a common theme for the next decade plus. We also did not have sex on our honeymoon, she was far too busy complaining and being angry for us to ever get in the 'mood', this would be more foreshadowing of what's to come.
Now, this might seem like I'm building up to her becoming really bad after getting married but that's not really the case... she was just as bad before, it didn't really get worse, it just became more noticeable... or maybe I just tolerated things more in the beginning. The truth is when I look back, there were so many signs, she casually put me down and basically treated me like a child from day one, something I just accepted because looking back, I was a fucking child when we got together... she was not really, five years my senior, and she very much took advantage of that dynamic. Over the years she slowly went about convincing me that the things I wanted were silly/ridiculous and that I should want what she wanted (the nice lawn, the house, kids, etc., etc.) because everyone should. I never wanted these things.
I won't get into details here because I could write a novel on the insane shit I've dealt with over the last 20 years that could prove this, but I did do a lot of research in the last few years and have come to the conclusion that she could have BPD with narcissistic traits... I'm obviously not a doctor so it's definitely not a diagnosis or anything but she ticks almost every box from the many many things I've read on the subject, so if you have a moment and you don't know what BPD is I suggest googling it. It's pretty terrible but it might give you a better idea of my life.
At any rate, I dug myself deeper and deeper, thinking that every next move would finally make her happy and bring me some kind of peace, so we had a child about a year after we were married. This is where it gets really tricky... I sincerely regret having a child with this woman, especially because she is not at all "cut out to be a mother" (her words, not mine) but her mother had been sick on and off with cancer for a few years and her older sister couldn't have children so she felt obligated to give her mom a grandchild, bad reasons all around to have a child. That being said, I love my son more than anything in the world. As much as I wish we did not bring him into this horrible world, he's still the very best thing to happen to me and I will take care of him and love him for the rest of my life no matter what.
I should mention, since I've eluded to it, I've always had self-esteem issues, goes all the way back to having acne problems in high school but my wife has methodically picked away at my confidence and self-esteem over the years, cutting me down to this very day... to the point that I feel very much worthless. I know that I'm not, I know I deserve better but another fun thing about my wife is her desperate need for sympathy... So, not only does she make me feel horrible about myself, she also manages to make me feel horrible FOR her... she's overweight, and I'm sure has low self-esteem herself but she has decided to take it out on others rather than internalize and try to make things better for herself. She would rather blame others for any of her short comings, I guess it's easier to convince yourself you can't do anything about it when it's someone else fault.
I apologize, because I feel like I'm a bit all over the place but I guess I'm just trying to set the scene for where I'm at now and give just a small glimpse of the hell I've been living in and how I got here...
The first few years of my sons life were pretty great (comparatively at least), honestly it was probably the best we've ever gotten along, probably because most of my focus (and hers) was on our son. Unfortunately, her mother passed away just after my son's first birthday, this was obviously devastating for her, not unexpected but still devastating. We're lucky in Canada because she had a full year maternity leave and was able to spend time with her mom. She took it very hard, and decided to stay off work for an additional 4-6 months (can't remember exactly). This was all fine and understandable, I supported her through all of it, financially and emotionally. Once she went back to work, this is when things took a real nose dive... she has always been a very entitled person but upon going back to work (part time I should mention) she decided everything was horrible for her so she was going to make it horrible for everyone around her. This went on for around 4-5 years (again, the time frames get fuzzy because it's been so long), it was hell. I really just plowed through for our son, I made him my main focus and I took care of everything. Without going into it too much, I sort of shifted gears with my job and focused on finding something that worked better for raising a kid, I got onto a full time day shift (unheard in the casino world) and we worked opposite shifts. It was pretty good for child care (that we couldn't afford) as one of us was always home. This made her more contentious... again, going back to the entitled thing, she felt it wasn't 'fair' for me to work a good shift, she should be the one doing that. I eventually worked my way out of casinos and into a work from home job (before COVID) and it was great, she could work whatever shift she had to and I would always be around for our son.
Fast forward again, my son's in school, she's still super angry at life and making things hellish but I do my best to make it good for our son. It's difficult to keep a smile on with him while putting up with temper tantrums and fits from my wife... yes, we had a toddler and she was the one who threw fits. For an example, I can recall one specific Xmas where my son and I were playing video games which is his biggest interest, something she absolutely hates, and she made a few comments about how we should be doing family things together for Xmas (it was Xmas eve), so my son and I got off the computer and played a board game in the living room... nice and wholesome fun I thought. My wife throws a fit, full on screaming and slamming things around, I don't even remember what for exactly, it happens so often I can't keep track anymore. Her temper tantrum ends with her storming off and slamming the door to her room. I'll never forget looking at my son right after, him tearing up a bit and asking me "what is wrong mom?" and I just said "I'm really sorry buddy, I don't know" and we hugged... I cried a lot about that that night, one of many times I would have to apologize for her and the way she acts around him. This is just one small example and a terrible Xmas memory that I'll always have, hopefully my son won't. I think the worst part of these 'tantrums' is that she can almost always justify them, only to herself really but usually by blaming me or my son for "making her so upset" or worse, blaming some inanimate object for "not working how it should".
Fast forward to now(ish)... I've basically lived in my basement for the last 5 years, my office and bedroom are there, I stay down there to avoid my wife as much as possible but it feels like a prison cell now. I've retreated from life in general over the years too, I've always been a pretty anti-social introvert, I prefer quiet one on one conversations rather than group settings. Most of my 'friends' over the last 10-15 years revolved around my job (casinos take over your life people, for real) and my wife, I slowly lost any friends that had no connection to her. This was partially due to me retreating and the fact that my wife would insert herself into any friendship that was just mine to the point that I sort shut those people out to avoid them having to deal with her. Sadly, I don't have friends anymore (didn't have many to begin with but still), my son is essentially my only friend and because I work from home by myself I rarely talk to any other adults. My wife and I talk only when necessary... I cannot make eye contact with her anymore. This is probably needless to say but we haven't had sex in over 6 and a half years and I don't cheat, I don't have the confidence, so I've just accepted that I'm celibate now.
One other area of contention that I feel I should explain since I've mentioned it already, through the pandemic there was a serious power shift, financially speaking. She essentially lost her job and is now in a lower paying part time job (more realistic pay compared to her previous job), whereas I made a couple job changes that bumped me up well ahead of her. For comparison, the salaries essentially flipped, almost exactly... to where I make 2-3 times what she makes. This has become an area of contention because this was something she was able to lord over me for the majority of our relationship, she spent money freely while I paid the mortgage and barely ate for the first 5 years we lived in the house but now, for the first time in her life she has to pay attention to her finances and watch her spending... she does not like this so it's just another thing to constantly complain about and make passive aggressive comments about the things that 'dad' can afford to do/buy but doesn't (mainly because I'm paying the mortgage and all the bills now while finally paying down some debt).
Oh, I should probably also mention that it's a regular thing for her to insult me and put me down in front of our son and on flip side of that she also uses him to garner sympathy from me ("shouldn't daddy feel bad mommy has to go to work?") it's very frustrating because I just want to protect my kid but I guess she knows that.
Again, I'll apologize for how disjointed this all is... the more I type, the more I think about shit to type... like I mentioned, I could write a novel on this, mostly because I have no real outlet, just sit in my basement talking to myself about it all... or I guess stewing in it.
So, I guess I should try to finish off with what exactly the advice is that I'm seeking... I essentially hate my wife, the word I use often is 'despise' and over the years we've had brief conversations where I've told her that "I'm done and I'm just here for the kid" and unfortunately she took this as push to work on our marriage harder and 'fix' things, far too little, too late. She makes me feel like the worse person in the world and yet I just can't bring myself to say to her face that I want a divorce... I feel sorry for her, fuck so much so that I bought a house with her, married her, and had a fucking kid with her... I'm sure that's not the case, I must have loved her at one point but I just can't see it anymore. I don't know why I can't say it to her, why I can't just end this... I'm so worried about how she'll react, what she'll do to me, to my kid... how she'll try and turn him against me. I'm just paralyzed with the fear of what could/will happen if I tell her we're getting a divorce.
I've made plans over the last few years to move out, rent an apartment for me and my kid and just continue to pay her bills until we can sell the house and split the profit. I can't afford to do this, it would cause me to go back into debt but I do not care, it would be worth it to get away from her. I have set deadline after deadline... "I'll do it after Xmas" or "after her birthday" or "before my birthday" and these days come and go and I just can't do it... I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, it's like I just don't want to hurt her, even though I'm hurting her by not ending things and she definitely doesn't give a shit about hurting me... I just don't want to face her and deal with it and how she will make the aftermath hell.. and I worry so much about my son, it would have been so much better for him if I would have divorced her years ago, he's fucking 10 now... another fear is having to explain it to him but we're setting a horrible example. One of my wife's favourite ways to use our son against me, is planting it in his head that "family is all that matters", focusing specifically on our little family, and how we have to "stick together no matter what, that's what family does". It's such an underhanded way to prep him for hating me because I'm "breaking up our family".
I would appreciate any advice on how the hell I can get over my paralyzing fear and just end this marriage or maybe you wanna come over and end it for me? I'm at a point where I'd take that... as I mentioned I've not shared most of this with anyone... so feedback would be a really new thing for me.
Oh, and please feel free to call me chicken shit, and tell me I just need to grow a pair and get this done... it's the same thing I've been saying to myself for years, not helpful but I understand the sentiment.
Shit... I'm sorry, this turned into a novel. Thank you.
submitted by Tha_Rocket to Divorce [link] [comments]
Fast forward a couple years, we decide to buy a house because financially it made sense (this is almost 20 years ago so it was still affordable at that time), she made quite a bit of money, mostly in tips (so not on paper), but she probably made 2-3 times as much as I did so she never really struggled financially (in her life I don't think) while I came out of poverty and lived paycheck to paycheck up until a few years ago (the pandemic was surprisingly good for my career). This was never really an issue for me, I've lived in debt my whole life and I've always had the optimism that I would eventually work my way out of it, it's really the only bit of confidence I have in myself, my ability to learn and become relatively good at almost anything. This was always a point of contention, my wife hated that I had debt so when we bought the house together we were asked if we wanted a joint bank account as most couples combine their finances with cohabitation, my wife scoffed and adamantly told the banker there was no way she's mixing her finances with mine, it was relatively embarrassing at the time but I was also just 25 (she was 30) so I went along with whatever, it was going to be slightly cheaper for me to pay a mortgage than rent at the time so I was in and she'd cover bills. Things were never that great when living together, things must have been good enough for me to stay but I only look back with anger now so it's hard to see anything good but I'm sure there must have been some.
Fast forward another couple years and I feel extremely pressured (by her and her family mostly, they're old fashioned country type folks) to ask her to marry me... so I do. We stay engaged for another few years, I have no desire to waste a bunch on money on a wedding but she's the one with money so we have the big wedding she wanted. I'll admit it was a pretty great party, I don't remember anything good involving her on our wedding day but I have lots of good memories with family and friends. Afterwards we went on a 'romantic' honeymoon at an all-inclusive tropical resort and this is where I'll get into a bit of what I've dealt with for years... our resort was gorgeous, room was nice, just a room but nice... first thing my wife did was complain, about everything, the bed, the fridge, the lights, the balcony... nothing was good enough for her, this would become a common theme for the next decade plus. We also did not have sex on our honeymoon, she was far too busy complaining and being angry for us to ever get in the 'mood', this would be more foreshadowing of what's to come.
Now, this might seem like I'm building up to her becoming really bad after getting married but that's not really the case... she was just as bad before, it didn't really get worse, it just became more noticeable... or maybe I just tolerated things more in the beginning. The truth is when I look back, there were so many signs, she casually put me down and basically treated me like a child from day one, something I just accepted because looking back, I was a fucking child when we got together... she was not really, five years my senior, and she very much took advantage of that dynamic. Over the years she slowly went about convincing me that the things I wanted were silly/ridiculous and that I should want what she wanted (the nice lawn, the house, kids, etc., etc.) because everyone should. I never wanted these things.
I won't get into details here because I could write a novel on the insane shit I've dealt with over the last 20 years that could prove this, but I did do a lot of research in the last few years and have come to the conclusion that she could have BPD with narcissistic traits... I'm obviously not a doctor so it's definitely not a diagnosis or anything but she ticks almost every box from the many many things I've read on the subject, so if you have a moment and you don't know what BPD is I suggest googling it. It's pretty terrible but it might give you a better idea of my life.
At any rate, I dug myself deeper and deeper, thinking that every next move would finally make her happy and bring me some kind of peace, so we had a child about a year after we were married. This is where it gets really tricky... I sincerely regret having a child with this woman, especially because she is not at all "cut out to be a mother" (her words, not mine) but her mother had been sick on and off with cancer for a few years and her older sister couldn't have children so she felt obligated to give her mom a grandchild, bad reasons all around to have a child. That being said, I love my son more than anything in the world. As much as I wish we did not bring him into this horrible world, he's still the very best thing to happen to me and I will take care of him and love him for the rest of my life no matter what.
I should mention, since I've eluded to it, I've always had self-esteem issues, goes all the way back to having acne problems in high school but my wife has methodically picked away at my confidence and self-esteem over the years, cutting me down to this very day... to the point that I feel very much worthless. I know that I'm not, I know I deserve better but another fun thing about my wife is her desperate need for sympathy... So, not only does she make me feel horrible about myself, she also manages to make me feel horrible FOR her... she's overweight, and I'm sure has low self-esteem herself but she has decided to take it out on others rather than internalize and try to make things better for herself. She would rather blame others for any of her short comings, I guess it's easier to convince yourself you can't do anything about it when it's someone else fault.
I apologize, because I feel like I'm a bit all over the place but I guess I'm just trying to set the scene for where I'm at now and give just a small glimpse of the hell I've been living in and how I got here...
The first few years of my sons life were pretty great (comparatively at least), honestly it was probably the best we've ever gotten along, probably because most of my focus (and hers) was on our son. Unfortunately, her mother passed away just after my son's first birthday, this was obviously devastating for her, not unexpected but still devastating. We're lucky in Canada because she had a full year maternity leave and was able to spend time with her mom. She took it very hard, and decided to stay off work for an additional 4-6 months (can't remember exactly). This was all fine and understandable, I supported her through all of it, financially and emotionally. Once she went back to work, this is when things took a real nose dive... she has always been a very entitled person but upon going back to work (part time I should mention) she decided everything was horrible for her so she was going to make it horrible for everyone around her. This went on for around 4-5 years (again, the time frames get fuzzy because it's been so long), it was hell. I really just plowed through for our son, I made him my main focus and I took care of everything. Without going into it too much, I sort of shifted gears with my job and focused on finding something that worked better for raising a kid, I got onto a full time day shift (unheard in the casino world) and we worked opposite shifts. It was pretty good for child care (that we couldn't afford) as one of us was always home. This made her more contentious... again, going back to the entitled thing, she felt it wasn't 'fair' for me to work a good shift, she should be the one doing that. I eventually worked my way out of casinos and into a work from home job (before COVID) and it was great, she could work whatever shift she had to and I would always be around for our son.
Fast forward again, my son's in school, she's still super angry at life and making things hellish but I do my best to make it good for our son. It's difficult to keep a smile on with him while putting up with temper tantrums and fits from my wife... yes, we had a toddler and she was the one who threw fits. For an example, I can recall one specific Xmas where my son and I were playing video games which is his biggest interest, something she absolutely hates, and she made a few comments about how we should be doing family things together for Xmas (it was Xmas eve), so my son and I got off the computer and played a board game in the living room... nice and wholesome fun I thought. My wife throws a fit, full on screaming and slamming things around, I don't even remember what for exactly, it happens so often I can't keep track anymore. Her temper tantrum ends with her storming off and slamming the door to her room. I'll never forget looking at my son right after, him tearing up a bit and asking me "what is wrong mom?" and I just said "I'm really sorry buddy, I don't know" and we hugged... I cried a lot about that that night, one of many times I would have to apologize for her and the way she acts around him. This is just one small example and a terrible Xmas memory that I'll always have, hopefully my son won't. I think the worst part of these 'tantrums' is that she can almost always justify them, only to herself really but usually by blaming me or my son for "making her so upset" or worse, blaming some inanimate object for "not working how it should".
Fast forward to now(ish)... I've basically lived in my basement for the last 5 years, my office and bedroom are there, I stay down there to avoid my wife as much as possible but it feels like a prison cell now. I've retreated from life in general over the years too, I've always been a pretty anti-social introvert, I prefer quiet one on one conversations rather than group settings. Most of my 'friends' over the last 10-15 years revolved around my job (casinos take over your life people, for real) and my wife, I slowly lost any friends that had no connection to her. This was partially due to me retreating and the fact that my wife would insert herself into any friendship that was just mine to the point that I sort shut those people out to avoid them having to deal with her. Sadly, I don't have friends anymore (didn't have many to begin with but still), my son is essentially my only friend and because I work from home by myself I rarely talk to any other adults. My wife and I talk only when necessary... I cannot make eye contact with her anymore. This is probably needless to say but we haven't had sex in over 6 and a half years and I don't cheat, I don't have the confidence, so I've just accepted that I'm celibate now.
One other area of contention that I feel I should explain since I've mentioned it already, through the pandemic there was a serious power shift, financially speaking. She essentially lost her job and is now in a lower paying part time job (more realistic pay compared to her previous job), whereas I made a couple job changes that bumped me up well ahead of her. For comparison, the salaries essentially flipped, almost exactly... to where I make 2-3 times what she makes. This has become an area of contention because this was something she was able to lord over me for the majority of our relationship, she spent money freely while I paid the mortgage and barely ate for the first 5 years we lived in the house but now, for the first time in her life she has to pay attention to her finances and watch her spending... she does not like this so it's just another thing to constantly complain about and make passive aggressive comments about the things that 'dad' can afford to do/buy but doesn't (mainly because I'm paying the mortgage and all the bills now while finally paying down some debt).
Oh, I should probably also mention that it's a regular thing for her to insult me and put me down in front of our son and on flip side of that she also uses him to garner sympathy from me ("shouldn't daddy feel bad mommy has to go to work?") it's very frustrating because I just want to protect my kid but I guess she knows that.
Again, I'll apologize for how disjointed this all is... the more I type, the more I think about shit to type... like I mentioned, I could write a novel on this, mostly because I have no real outlet, just sit in my basement talking to myself about it all... or I guess stewing in it.
So, I guess I should try to finish off with what exactly the advice is that I'm seeking... I essentially hate my wife, the word I use often is 'despise' and over the years we've had brief conversations where I've told her that "I'm done and I'm just here for the kid" and unfortunately she took this as push to work on our marriage harder and 'fix' things, far too little, too late. She makes me feel like the worse person in the world and yet I just can't bring myself to say to her face that I want a divorce... I feel sorry for her, fuck so much so that I bought a house with her, married her, and had a fucking kid with her... I'm sure that's not the case, I must have loved her at one point but I just can't see it anymore. I don't know why I can't say it to her, why I can't just end this... I'm so worried about how she'll react, what she'll do to me, to my kid... how she'll try and turn him against me. I'm just paralyzed with the fear of what could/will happen if I tell her we're getting a divorce.
I've made plans over the last few years to move out, rent an apartment for me and my kid and just continue to pay her bills until we can sell the house and split the profit. I can't afford to do this, it would cause me to go back into debt but I do not care, it would be worth it to get away from her. I have set deadline after deadline... "I'll do it after Xmas" or "after her birthday" or "before my birthday" and these days come and go and I just can't do it... I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, it's like I just don't want to hurt her, even though I'm hurting her by not ending things and she definitely doesn't give a shit about hurting me... I just don't want to face her and deal with it and how she will make the aftermath hell.. and I worry so much about my son, it would have been so much better for him if I would have divorced her years ago, he's fucking 10 now... another fear is having to explain it to him but we're setting a horrible example. One of my wife's favourite ways to use our son against me, is planting it in his head that "family is all that matters", focusing specifically on our little family, and how we have to "stick together no matter what, that's what family does". It's such an underhanded way to prep him for hating me because I'm "breaking up our family".
I would appreciate any advice on how the hell I can get over my paralyzing fear and just end this marriage or maybe you wanna come over and end it for me? I'm at a point where I'd take that... as I mentioned I've not shared most of this with anyone... so feedback would be a really new thing for me.
Oh, and please feel free to call me chicken shit, and tell me I just need to grow a pair and get this done... it's the same thing I've been saying to myself for years, not helpful but I understand the sentiment.
Shit... I'm sorry, this turned into a novel. Thank you.
2024.05.19 01:12 Icy_Floor_6318 2 years ago I never had picked up a guitar. Today, I’m in a successful rock band. AMA
Hey everyone,
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
submitted by Icy_Floor_6318 to grunge [link] [comments]
Wanted to share this story to hopefully inspire some of you on this forum to pursue your passion musically.
I’m 36 years old and grew up glued to VH1 and MTV. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were staying up late on New Years Eve watching the top 100 songs of the year countdown.
After discovering The Beatles through my parents vinyl collection, I asked for their CD’s for my 8th birthday. For my 9th birthday, I asked for an electric guitar. I only had that guitar for a couple weeks before my sisters complained and I had to trade it in for an acoustic. It was way too big and after unsuccessfully trying to play it I put it back in its case where it remained for a decade.
About every 5 years I would take it out and attempt to learn. When I got into my Alice In Chains phase senior year of high school I went for lessons but nothing stuck. When Chris Cornell died in 2017 I ordered a new guitar that night. Again, I gave up when I couldn’t form the chords.
In 2021 I started running with a man named Robert “Raven” Kraft in my hometown, Miami Beach. Ravens story requires more than a few paragraphs, but to some it up, this man has run 8 miles on the beach every single day since January 1st 1975. The run started out of heartbreak after he found out a hit song he had written was stolen from him.
Ravens dream is to have a hit. Him and I would discuss music every run (to date I have run with him over 220 times). We would fantasize about me learning guitar and him providing lyrics, starting a real rock and roll band.
In the winter of 2021 my job was on strike so I had a lot of extra downtime. I decided once again to pick up the guitar. This time, inspired my Ravens dedication, I decided I would play 1 hour a day, everyday, for the entire year of 2022.
By June, I was comfortable playing in front of my girlfriend. By October, my best friend was coming over once a week and we started forming songs. By November, we felt the music was good enough and all we were missing was lyrics.
We invited Raven over, who penned his 1701st song in about 10 minutes, our first single, Digging Her Grave.
Another runner joined us from Haiti and plays bass, another runner from Serbia came over and introduced his native Tambura to the band. Finally, a man named Bryan we found on Facebook came over and decided he wanted to produce the album.
In 2023 we became Raven and the Dark Shadows. Our first live performance was a disaster, but we regrouped and practiced more. We found a studio and recorded 10 tracks. Through my connections and Raven’s fame we convinced Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Ian Grushka (New Found Glory), Keli Gunnarson (Agent Fresco) and Dave Pastorious (tech 9) to guest on several tracks.
We released our album, An Unkindness, in November of 2023. To celebrate, we had a show at the Wolfsonian with over 150 people attending.
Jack White’s Third Man Pressing is currently producing Blue and Yellow vinyl editions of An Unkindness that should be ready by the summer.
Our song Dracula just reached 30,000 streams. In addition to our music, I produced 4 music videos for our band. A fifth animated one will be out next week. Total views on YouTube are north of 20,000.
At a recent Florida Panthers hockey game, our song, Dead End Road, was played after the Panthers scored a goal. It’s also been used at various Spring Training stadiums around Florida this spring. The Miami Marlins have it on their batting practice playlist. Our upcoming song “Feel Like a Fugitive” is on the Grand Theft Auto 6 soundtrack, and last year we played Stephen King’s 75th birthday bash.
We are currently preparing our second album. All the songs have demos, we just have to find the time to enter the studio and begin the process. We hope to have our second album released by October of 2024.
On January 1, 2025, Raven celebrates his 50th year of the streak. We are hoping for more exposure for the band when this happens.
I hope this inspires you all. In my mid 30s I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen, but if you really commit to something, dreams can come true.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the project and the sound. I’d also love to get recommendations on what we can do better, as we prepare for album number 2. Check us out on all the streaming platforms
Raven and the Dark Shadows
2024.05.19 00:56 Acrobatic-Power-6391 my life is a mess
i’m 17, and i feel like im struggling. i’m a quiet person who doesn’t really fit in with everyone, but i manage to have real friends. im really not smart and have been gripping on to tough subjects that i think aren’t my level of intel. i haven’t gotten my first kiss yet or ever met any of my girlfriends so my social experience is quiet bad. With my current girlfriend im planning to meet her but ive never done this before, i even fear video calls. i’m also dealing with a matter of confidence, firstly my speech isn’t great which also decreases my rizz capabilities. i really fight off peer pressure well but the urge of fitting in gets to me and destroys me. that hunger to fit in hurts me because currently i am nothing, just a kid. To make it worse i stay in a boarding school. Another issue i have is that i struggle with sexual urges, they seem to always overcome me since the day i started which wasn’t long ago. Having no control over this leads me to thinking my story is over, that i’m just a basic loser. That’s how i feel sometimes. But i trust that God will make a way. am i cooked?
submitted by Acrobatic-Power-6391 to depression [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 00:51 MechanicEqual6392 I should have left earlier
One of my relatives celebrated her 50th birthday today and invited 130 guests. I don't like big events and parties but it's nice to see family every once in a while.
Anyways, it's now 1am, we planned to leave at 11pm but since my uncle is extremely drunk we didn't want to leave him alone with the host. And now it's raining and thundering, no one brought jackets and the car is parked quite a bit away.
We should have just left at 11 lol because now we're stuck here (in one of those party tents) with a very drunk uncle) until it stops. Google says it'll stop at 4 so let's see
submitted by MechanicEqual6392 to PointlessStories [link] [comments]
Anyways, it's now 1am, we planned to leave at 11pm but since my uncle is extremely drunk we didn't want to leave him alone with the host. And now it's raining and thundering, no one brought jackets and the car is parked quite a bit away.
We should have just left at 11 lol because now we're stuck here (in one of those party tents) with a very drunk uncle) until it stops. Google says it'll stop at 4 so let's see
2024.05.19 00:45 Fantastic_Vast_5078 Advice on talking like a ‘normal’ person?
Long story short I can’t talk normally to save my life (the joys of being on the spectrum). My natural speech is very quiet and extremely fast. People often have to lean in to hear me which makes me panic and start to mumble even faster.
Add to that I have a problem where my standard speech is very formal and people find it off putting. When I try and make it more informal it doesn’t quite work as it just sounds like I’ve added random slang words into a convo where they don’t belong and it sounds unnatural. It gets more severe the more emotional I get (I’ve been told that I sound like I’m writing an essay when I’m angry lol) which again is quite off-putting. Does anyone have any advice on how to make my natural speech sound more … well natural and less like a friendly AI? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
submitted by Fantastic_Vast_5078 to socialskills [link] [comments]
Add to that I have a problem where my standard speech is very formal and people find it off putting. When I try and make it more informal it doesn’t quite work as it just sounds like I’ve added random slang words into a convo where they don’t belong and it sounds unnatural. It gets more severe the more emotional I get (I’ve been told that I sound like I’m writing an essay when I’m angry lol) which again is quite off-putting. Does anyone have any advice on how to make my natural speech sound more … well natural and less like a friendly AI? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
2024.05.19 00:45 KayakRifleman Talking with Predators part 4 (NoP Fanfic)
All right here it is finally, thank you all for your patience and let's hope chapter 5 is a little more expedient. As usual I hope you enjoy and would love to get everyone's thoughts.
First Previous
4: Memory transcription subject: Zeak, Harchen orphan, citizen of the Venlil Republic. Date: standardized human time July 13th 2136.
The sky was a roaring mass of fire and pungent black smoke that choked out the light of the sun. As I ran down the street, green blood flowed like a broad shallow river. It splashed up with every step I took, sticking to my scales, the smell of it made me feel sick. As the piercing wail of the emergency sirens seemed to grow louder and louder with every step I took making my ears ring and filling my head with a thunderous pain. My heart pounded, my lungs were on fire, and my legs felt like they were made of lead.
A herd of towering blurry figures appeared out of nowhere and ran past me, some almost knocking me down. In their panic they began to look more like crazed wild animals than people. I cried for help but they couldn't hear me. I waved my paws then grabbed one of them a male Venlil, tightening my grip with all the strength I had hoping this would get his attention. He threw me off like I was trash, less than trash. I turned around and continued pleading for anyone to help me, reaching out for others. But their frantic idiot eyes looked only straight ahead and not down, never down, as the herd passed me.
I turned back around and continued to run, blood splashing up soaking me all the way to my knees. I stumbled, my legs were so tired I could barely stand, and I fell down catching myself, plunging my paws into blood as deep as my wrists. I felt myself scream but I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears. A scrap of paper gently floated past me, a single word written on it that echoed in my mind “Weakling.” It passed and four more took its place, “Coward”, “Liar”, “Oath breaker”, “Murderer.” I screamed in rage and slapped the pieces of paper aside, blood splashing onto my snout, but the meanings of those words remained. Getting back up I stumbled forward, and fell down again. Then with an effort born out of sheer desperation I managed to stand again lurching forward. My legs were too tired to run but I had to keep going, I had to save them. Or at least her, please Protector if you're listening please let me save at least her.
It felt like I was searching for an endless time. Lurching forward, stumbling, falling down, getting back up, lurching forward once more. Eventually I saw it and my heart fell into the pit of my stomach. My family's car was turned over on its roof, the driver's side had been caved in. It was engulfed in fire and thick black smoke that rose up into the sky. I struggled forward and when I reached it I collapsed, my knees hitting the hot pavement. The smell of burning metal and something else I didn't know assaulted my senses making my stomach turn. Every muscle in my body begged me to run away. Calling out their names l looked inside, and a wave of nausea and horror flooded through me.
I turned away and vomited, then reached up with my blood soaked paws and covered my eyes. Those words thundered in my head making me think it was going to burst open, as hot tears welled up. “WEAKLING! COWARD! LIAR! OATH BREAKER! MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER! “I'm sorry I'm sorry, I should have stayed, I should have helped. Why did I run?” I wailed, still unable to hear myself. Someone rested a delicate paw on my shoulder, and the world went quiet. As the pain in my head melted away.
My eyes snapped open and I was greeted by the gentle ringing of my alarm. In a rush of adrenaline I leaped out of bed not even bothering to wipe the sleep out of my eyes. Running out of my bedroom and down the narrow hallway towards the living room. Convincing myself It had all just been a horrible, horrible nightmare and everything was alright. Mom and Dad would be fixing breakfast, Dad softly singing a Harchen folk song while making something savory and delicious as mom sang along in harmony, preparing something special for my baby sister Naila. Oh yes and Naila, she would probably be sitting on a cushion in the sunny part of the living room. Holding her crooked tail, a birth defect which my parents said could be fixed when she was older. And making excited chirping noises at my arrival, while sunlight shone against her emerald scales. I loved my baby sister, I knew other kids resented having a younger sibling. Dismissing their responsibilities and spending less time with their family and more with their friends. I never once felt that way, the moment Naila hatched I devoted every spare minute I had to her. Finding music that would help her fall asleep, watching over her when my mom needed a break. Excitedly telling her about the day's events and what I learned at school, especially what I learned in computer science which was my favorite class.
“Mom! Dad!” I yelled bursting into the living room. “I just had the worst…” My voice trailed off as I was greeted with nothing “dream.” My heart tightened painfully in my chest, as I frantically ran through the house throwing open every door, knowing that they had to be here somewhere. They were just playing a game on me that was all, a game I would tell them I didn't appreciate. After the final door had been opened and no one was there to yell “Surprise!” My body slumped and I felt heavy as reality set back in, and the memories of what happened hit me like a hammer. I made my way back down the hall to my room, tail dragging behind me as I crawled back into bed. Wrapping myself tightly in a blanket, trying to find some comfort.
It must have been hours I lay there feeling numb all over, wishing I could get up the energy to just cry. I think I might have fallen asleep at one point. If I did it was a dreamless sleep, thank the stars for that. Eventually I did get up, sitting cross-legged on my bed, resting my chin in my paws, staring holes into the wall. I took a deep breath and side numbly looked out the window, searching for anything to distract myself with.
It was overcast, and eerily quiet. The emergency sirens had stopped blaring yesterday mere hours after everyone had gotten to the bunkers. The bodies of the dead had already been collected and their blood cleaned from the pavement. So as to not attract any predators into the neighborhood. I saw my neighbor A'shul was home, his white vehicle was sporting some new dents. I wondered, when he got into his vehicle yesterday morning and drove to the nearest bunker; did he try to help anyone? Or was he thinking only of himself? I suppose it didn't matter really. Nothing mattered.
I turned my head away and looked around my small room taking in everything, every trinket, misplaced item, my old second-hand desk, a big green crackle finished monster. Better suited for a Venlil than a young Harchen, heck I needed a stool just to use it. I had gotten it for basically nothing about a year ago, when the local extermination office was getting rid of their old furniture. All it took was a small bribe and they put it in my bedroom when no one was home. My parents, but especially my mom we're not happy when they saw it the next day. They would tell me at least once a week that It was too big for me and they were going to get rid of that eyesore. “Wouldn't you like something a little more modern dear?” My mom would ask, practically pleading for me to say yes. I used to pray that my parents would just shut up and stop bugging me about that stupid desk. I thought it was great, it made me think of private detective Bal from the exterminators show. Bal was a no nonsense Harchen who was so often pivotal in tracking down the predator or predator diseased person. My desk was very similar to his and that's why I wanted it. But at that moment, I would have given anything to hear those words again.
On the desk there was an ornate wooden box, with a fruit tree in full bloom delicately carved into its lid. There were also scuff marks where it had been dropped, and a deep crack running down the center. It was known as a blessing box, Naila's blessing box to be specific. When she hatched nearly ten months ago the whole neighborhood had been invited to come and write a blessing on a scrap of paper and put it in the box. I had written one too, not a blessing but a promise, a promise I couldn't keep. The belief was that if kept near the infant, the combined power of all those blessings would keep the hatchling safe until their first birthday. Where on that day the box would be set on fire and burned to ash. Releasing those blessings back into the world so they may protect someone else. It was an old tradition and not commonly practiced anymore, but as my dad always said “It is important to keep the old traditions alive my son. Both in song and action.” I remember asking him why? And he looked at me like he had been waiting for that question for a long time. “Because” He said, his tail moving with authority. “Someday when you lose your way, and you don't know where to turn to. You will always have something to guide you back to your center.”
Looking away from the box not wanting to look or think about the damn thing, I shifted my gaze down to my bedside table. There was a little holographic projector showing pictures of me, Mom, Dad and Naila on holiday back on Fahl, the Harchen home world to see family. I was born and raised on Venlil prime, so I didn't really know any of my extended family. There was a picture of my mom and Naila sleeping at the beach. Naila’s crooked tail coiled around mom’s arm, their scales a deep emerald in the light of the sun. The picture changed to me and Dad putting the finishing touches on a sand skyscraper taller than him. I had to sit on his shoulders to place the last bucket full of sand on top. Both of our scales were as blue as the ocean. My tail flicked sadly thinking of that day. I reached over and turned the holo protector off.
My holopad lay next to me flashing, alerting me to an urgent message. I hadn't really looked at my holopad since yesterday morning. Picking it up I tapped the flashing icon. It was an official government statement signed by Governor Tarva herself, saying that the humans Noah and Sarah were peaceful explorers, and that they only wished to be our friends. ‘No, that's impossible, they’re predators. Predators don't want peace, they want to conquer, kill and eat us,’ stunned and confused I kept reading. The rest of the message stated that the two human scientists were completely unaware there was intelligent life of any kind on Venlil prime. ‘No! Lies! Predator lies!’ I yelled inside my head. Something hot began to form in my chest as I read the last bit. Governor Tarver had shown the two predators footage of the Arxur torturing Venlil pups. It said that the humans were capable of empathy and felt deeply saddened and angered by what they saw. They vowed to do everything in their power to get their united nations into the war against the Arxur.
I scrolled all the way down and what I saw stopped me cold. Standing in her office being flanked by General Kam, stood Governor Tarva. Beside them looming over the two Venlil one bigger than the other, both of them covered in some sort of protective suit. Their faces were obscured by dark visored helmets. It said that the larger of the two Noah was male, and the smaller one was Sarah female. Sarah had her hands clasped in front of her, while Noah kept his to his side. Neither were acting threatening, and neither Tarva or Kam looked to be harmed in any way.
Something in me snapped, that hot thing inside my chest erupted and I could feel my scales turn black. I very carefully set my holopad down beside me, then I uncrossed my legs and got out of bed. I stood there in the center of my room shaking slightly, feeling terribly calm as white hot rage flooded my body, spreading to my paws and all the way out to the tip of my long tail. It never had to happen, the panic, the stampede, the death, we could have stayed home and avoided those people. ‘No… no not people,’ a bitter thought came over me. ‘They're not people at all, people stop and help, like that Venlil girl Kayleik, she was a person maybe the only one. But the rest of them were just wild animals, masquerading as sentient beings. ‘Do you really think you're any better, coward?’ Some internal voice said.
A sudden impulse took control of me and I grabbed my desks stool and hurled it against the wall. It dented the wall and bounced off still in one piece. Enraged, I leaped forward grabbing it by the legs, then turned around and slammed it into my desk. The sheet metal dented and the green crackle finish paint flew off, but the stool made of good dense wood from the string fruit tree stayed whole. “DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM!” I screamed, slamming the stool down again and again, my tail whipping wildly, striking the bed and the floor. The tip of my tail began to hurt, which only fueled my anger. Finally I heard cracking and wood began to splinter off. They didn't have to die, we could have stayed home. The muscles in my shoulders burned and my heart pounded as hot tears began to well up. I brought it down one final time narrowly avoiding the blessing box, and the stool broke in two. I hurled the pieces away from me, one slamming into the corner the other crashing through the window.
I leaned against the desk catching my breath as tears flowed freely. ‘Well that definitely showed them didn't it. Hey I got a great idea! Let's go break some more stuff, that will definitely make you feel better. Idiot!’ That internal voice said all coldness and bitterness. As I cried, the burning in my chest cooled, and I was filled with the same numbness as before. After a while my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since yesterday. I moved sluggishly out of my bedroom and went straight to the kitchen, quickly grabbed some fruit and left to go and watch the view screen or something. The moment I entered the living room, memories came flooding back. Mom and Dad laughing, Naila sleeping peacefully, the lingering aroma of breakfast, and the warmth of our home. But now it was all gone and I was alone. For the first time in my life, I had no one to go to.
It was right then I realized I couldn't stay here anymore. This place felt like a tomb, all cold and filled with the memories of the dead. Besides, if I stayed here someone would eventually send the authorities to come and get me. Ship me off to an orphanage, foster care or maybe to my extended family back on Fahl. I balked at the idea of being forced to live with people I didn't know or trust. Memories of yesterday's stampede invaded my mind and I shuddered. I couldn't trust any of them not anymore. No, there was one person I could think of that maybe I could trust. Turning around I went back to my room, found my backpack and grabbed my holopad, the blessing box, the holo projector and my blanket stuffing it into my pack. Then I went to the kitchen and filled my pack up the rest of the way with dried fruit and vegetable snacks. With my backpack looking like it was going to burst I shouldered it and made my way to the front door. When I rested my scaly paw on the door handle I stopped and looked back at the place that was once my home. “Goodbye” I said in a shaky voice, knowing this would be the last time I would never set foot in this house. With my head low I opened the door and stepped out, into the dim light of a new unfamiliar world.
submitted by KayakRifleman to NatureofPredators [link] [comments]
First Previous
4: Memory transcription subject: Zeak, Harchen orphan, citizen of the Venlil Republic. Date: standardized human time July 13th 2136.
The sky was a roaring mass of fire and pungent black smoke that choked out the light of the sun. As I ran down the street, green blood flowed like a broad shallow river. It splashed up with every step I took, sticking to my scales, the smell of it made me feel sick. As the piercing wail of the emergency sirens seemed to grow louder and louder with every step I took making my ears ring and filling my head with a thunderous pain. My heart pounded, my lungs were on fire, and my legs felt like they were made of lead.
A herd of towering blurry figures appeared out of nowhere and ran past me, some almost knocking me down. In their panic they began to look more like crazed wild animals than people. I cried for help but they couldn't hear me. I waved my paws then grabbed one of them a male Venlil, tightening my grip with all the strength I had hoping this would get his attention. He threw me off like I was trash, less than trash. I turned around and continued pleading for anyone to help me, reaching out for others. But their frantic idiot eyes looked only straight ahead and not down, never down, as the herd passed me.
I turned back around and continued to run, blood splashing up soaking me all the way to my knees. I stumbled, my legs were so tired I could barely stand, and I fell down catching myself, plunging my paws into blood as deep as my wrists. I felt myself scream but I couldn't hear it over the ringing in my ears. A scrap of paper gently floated past me, a single word written on it that echoed in my mind “Weakling.” It passed and four more took its place, “Coward”, “Liar”, “Oath breaker”, “Murderer.” I screamed in rage and slapped the pieces of paper aside, blood splashing onto my snout, but the meanings of those words remained. Getting back up I stumbled forward, and fell down again. Then with an effort born out of sheer desperation I managed to stand again lurching forward. My legs were too tired to run but I had to keep going, I had to save them. Or at least her, please Protector if you're listening please let me save at least her.
It felt like I was searching for an endless time. Lurching forward, stumbling, falling down, getting back up, lurching forward once more. Eventually I saw it and my heart fell into the pit of my stomach. My family's car was turned over on its roof, the driver's side had been caved in. It was engulfed in fire and thick black smoke that rose up into the sky. I struggled forward and when I reached it I collapsed, my knees hitting the hot pavement. The smell of burning metal and something else I didn't know assaulted my senses making my stomach turn. Every muscle in my body begged me to run away. Calling out their names l looked inside, and a wave of nausea and horror flooded through me.
I turned away and vomited, then reached up with my blood soaked paws and covered my eyes. Those words thundered in my head making me think it was going to burst open, as hot tears welled up. “WEAKLING! COWARD! LIAR! OATH BREAKER! MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER! MURDERER! “I'm sorry I'm sorry, I should have stayed, I should have helped. Why did I run?” I wailed, still unable to hear myself. Someone rested a delicate paw on my shoulder, and the world went quiet. As the pain in my head melted away.
My eyes snapped open and I was greeted by the gentle ringing of my alarm. In a rush of adrenaline I leaped out of bed not even bothering to wipe the sleep out of my eyes. Running out of my bedroom and down the narrow hallway towards the living room. Convincing myself It had all just been a horrible, horrible nightmare and everything was alright. Mom and Dad would be fixing breakfast, Dad softly singing a Harchen folk song while making something savory and delicious as mom sang along in harmony, preparing something special for my baby sister Naila. Oh yes and Naila, she would probably be sitting on a cushion in the sunny part of the living room. Holding her crooked tail, a birth defect which my parents said could be fixed when she was older. And making excited chirping noises at my arrival, while sunlight shone against her emerald scales. I loved my baby sister, I knew other kids resented having a younger sibling. Dismissing their responsibilities and spending less time with their family and more with their friends. I never once felt that way, the moment Naila hatched I devoted every spare minute I had to her. Finding music that would help her fall asleep, watching over her when my mom needed a break. Excitedly telling her about the day's events and what I learned at school, especially what I learned in computer science which was my favorite class.
“Mom! Dad!” I yelled bursting into the living room. “I just had the worst…” My voice trailed off as I was greeted with nothing “dream.” My heart tightened painfully in my chest, as I frantically ran through the house throwing open every door, knowing that they had to be here somewhere. They were just playing a game on me that was all, a game I would tell them I didn't appreciate. After the final door had been opened and no one was there to yell “Surprise!” My body slumped and I felt heavy as reality set back in, and the memories of what happened hit me like a hammer. I made my way back down the hall to my room, tail dragging behind me as I crawled back into bed. Wrapping myself tightly in a blanket, trying to find some comfort.
It must have been hours I lay there feeling numb all over, wishing I could get up the energy to just cry. I think I might have fallen asleep at one point. If I did it was a dreamless sleep, thank the stars for that. Eventually I did get up, sitting cross-legged on my bed, resting my chin in my paws, staring holes into the wall. I took a deep breath and side numbly looked out the window, searching for anything to distract myself with.
It was overcast, and eerily quiet. The emergency sirens had stopped blaring yesterday mere hours after everyone had gotten to the bunkers. The bodies of the dead had already been collected and their blood cleaned from the pavement. So as to not attract any predators into the neighborhood. I saw my neighbor A'shul was home, his white vehicle was sporting some new dents. I wondered, when he got into his vehicle yesterday morning and drove to the nearest bunker; did he try to help anyone? Or was he thinking only of himself? I suppose it didn't matter really. Nothing mattered.
I turned my head away and looked around my small room taking in everything, every trinket, misplaced item, my old second-hand desk, a big green crackle finished monster. Better suited for a Venlil than a young Harchen, heck I needed a stool just to use it. I had gotten it for basically nothing about a year ago, when the local extermination office was getting rid of their old furniture. All it took was a small bribe and they put it in my bedroom when no one was home. My parents, but especially my mom we're not happy when they saw it the next day. They would tell me at least once a week that It was too big for me and they were going to get rid of that eyesore. “Wouldn't you like something a little more modern dear?” My mom would ask, practically pleading for me to say yes. I used to pray that my parents would just shut up and stop bugging me about that stupid desk. I thought it was great, it made me think of private detective Bal from the exterminators show. Bal was a no nonsense Harchen who was so often pivotal in tracking down the predator or predator diseased person. My desk was very similar to his and that's why I wanted it. But at that moment, I would have given anything to hear those words again.
On the desk there was an ornate wooden box, with a fruit tree in full bloom delicately carved into its lid. There were also scuff marks where it had been dropped, and a deep crack running down the center. It was known as a blessing box, Naila's blessing box to be specific. When she hatched nearly ten months ago the whole neighborhood had been invited to come and write a blessing on a scrap of paper and put it in the box. I had written one too, not a blessing but a promise, a promise I couldn't keep. The belief was that if kept near the infant, the combined power of all those blessings would keep the hatchling safe until their first birthday. Where on that day the box would be set on fire and burned to ash. Releasing those blessings back into the world so they may protect someone else. It was an old tradition and not commonly practiced anymore, but as my dad always said “It is important to keep the old traditions alive my son. Both in song and action.” I remember asking him why? And he looked at me like he had been waiting for that question for a long time. “Because” He said, his tail moving with authority. “Someday when you lose your way, and you don't know where to turn to. You will always have something to guide you back to your center.”
Looking away from the box not wanting to look or think about the damn thing, I shifted my gaze down to my bedside table. There was a little holographic projector showing pictures of me, Mom, Dad and Naila on holiday back on Fahl, the Harchen home world to see family. I was born and raised on Venlil prime, so I didn't really know any of my extended family. There was a picture of my mom and Naila sleeping at the beach. Naila’s crooked tail coiled around mom’s arm, their scales a deep emerald in the light of the sun. The picture changed to me and Dad putting the finishing touches on a sand skyscraper taller than him. I had to sit on his shoulders to place the last bucket full of sand on top. Both of our scales were as blue as the ocean. My tail flicked sadly thinking of that day. I reached over and turned the holo protector off.
My holopad lay next to me flashing, alerting me to an urgent message. I hadn't really looked at my holopad since yesterday morning. Picking it up I tapped the flashing icon. It was an official government statement signed by Governor Tarva herself, saying that the humans Noah and Sarah were peaceful explorers, and that they only wished to be our friends. ‘No, that's impossible, they’re predators. Predators don't want peace, they want to conquer, kill and eat us,’ stunned and confused I kept reading. The rest of the message stated that the two human scientists were completely unaware there was intelligent life of any kind on Venlil prime. ‘No! Lies! Predator lies!’ I yelled inside my head. Something hot began to form in my chest as I read the last bit. Governor Tarver had shown the two predators footage of the Arxur torturing Venlil pups. It said that the humans were capable of empathy and felt deeply saddened and angered by what they saw. They vowed to do everything in their power to get their united nations into the war against the Arxur.
I scrolled all the way down and what I saw stopped me cold. Standing in her office being flanked by General Kam, stood Governor Tarva. Beside them looming over the two Venlil one bigger than the other, both of them covered in some sort of protective suit. Their faces were obscured by dark visored helmets. It said that the larger of the two Noah was male, and the smaller one was Sarah female. Sarah had her hands clasped in front of her, while Noah kept his to his side. Neither were acting threatening, and neither Tarva or Kam looked to be harmed in any way.
Something in me snapped, that hot thing inside my chest erupted and I could feel my scales turn black. I very carefully set my holopad down beside me, then I uncrossed my legs and got out of bed. I stood there in the center of my room shaking slightly, feeling terribly calm as white hot rage flooded my body, spreading to my paws and all the way out to the tip of my long tail. It never had to happen, the panic, the stampede, the death, we could have stayed home and avoided those people. ‘No… no not people,’ a bitter thought came over me. ‘They're not people at all, people stop and help, like that Venlil girl Kayleik, she was a person maybe the only one. But the rest of them were just wild animals, masquerading as sentient beings. ‘Do you really think you're any better, coward?’ Some internal voice said.
A sudden impulse took control of me and I grabbed my desks stool and hurled it against the wall. It dented the wall and bounced off still in one piece. Enraged, I leaped forward grabbing it by the legs, then turned around and slammed it into my desk. The sheet metal dented and the green crackle finish paint flew off, but the stool made of good dense wood from the string fruit tree stayed whole. “DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM!” I screamed, slamming the stool down again and again, my tail whipping wildly, striking the bed and the floor. The tip of my tail began to hurt, which only fueled my anger. Finally I heard cracking and wood began to splinter off. They didn't have to die, we could have stayed home. The muscles in my shoulders burned and my heart pounded as hot tears began to well up. I brought it down one final time narrowly avoiding the blessing box, and the stool broke in two. I hurled the pieces away from me, one slamming into the corner the other crashing through the window.
I leaned against the desk catching my breath as tears flowed freely. ‘Well that definitely showed them didn't it. Hey I got a great idea! Let's go break some more stuff, that will definitely make you feel better. Idiot!’ That internal voice said all coldness and bitterness. As I cried, the burning in my chest cooled, and I was filled with the same numbness as before. After a while my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since yesterday. I moved sluggishly out of my bedroom and went straight to the kitchen, quickly grabbed some fruit and left to go and watch the view screen or something. The moment I entered the living room, memories came flooding back. Mom and Dad laughing, Naila sleeping peacefully, the lingering aroma of breakfast, and the warmth of our home. But now it was all gone and I was alone. For the first time in my life, I had no one to go to.
It was right then I realized I couldn't stay here anymore. This place felt like a tomb, all cold and filled with the memories of the dead. Besides, if I stayed here someone would eventually send the authorities to come and get me. Ship me off to an orphanage, foster care or maybe to my extended family back on Fahl. I balked at the idea of being forced to live with people I didn't know or trust. Memories of yesterday's stampede invaded my mind and I shuddered. I couldn't trust any of them not anymore. No, there was one person I could think of that maybe I could trust. Turning around I went back to my room, found my backpack and grabbed my holopad, the blessing box, the holo projector and my blanket stuffing it into my pack. Then I went to the kitchen and filled my pack up the rest of the way with dried fruit and vegetable snacks. With my backpack looking like it was going to burst I shouldered it and made my way to the front door. When I rested my scaly paw on the door handle I stopped and looked back at the place that was once my home. “Goodbye” I said in a shaky voice, knowing this would be the last time I would never set foot in this house. With my head low I opened the door and stepped out, into the dim light of a new unfamiliar world.
2024.05.19 00:36 TheatreAficionado9 Remind me…Merrily stage door?
I’m in my seat and so excited! 50th birthday gift to myself. I met Eva and Jeremy and the whole wonderful Gatsby cast earlier today, and I’m hopeful to meet Harry Potter, Kristof, and Elphaba for my little girl (who didn’t accompany me this trip) tonight. Where exactly is the Merrily stage door? TIA!
submitted by TheatreAficionado9 to Broadway [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 00:35 drrayeye Sugimoto sf-4030 Chinese Cleaver: take a good thing make it better?
 | I received my birthday present early. I've already been admiring it for a week. The carbon version of the "little" Sugimoto for home use is not so well known--it's really a slightly smaller version of the #6 that is so commonly used and loved. submitted by drrayeye to TrueChefKnives [link] [comments] Here's a write-up to help me understand my "birthday" Sugimoto sv 4030: feel free to comment. I believe that "make it better" is what Sugimoto has tried to do with their Chinese cleaver family of knives--and it shows. They've built all of their cleavers with a practical mind set--like in China--but in a Japanese way. The starting point for designers is the meat cleaver intended for the butcher world--and Sugimoto has one--it's a point of departure. Another point of departure is the Sugimoto full line of forged mostly carbon steel Japanese knives with traditional profiles--both Western and wa handles. It is this second point of departure--Japanese knife traditions--that may lead Sugimoto to rethink the Chinese rectangle as more knife--and less cleaver. Given the adoption of the cleaver concept has already made it to millions of Chinese homes and restaurants, the basic elements of blade design transformation had already matured in China--thinner and lighter--within a 100mm X 200 rectangle. As long as bone splitting is not a requirement, cleavers can benefit greatly from a thin profile, while preserving sufficient weight to maintain the "cleaver effect": substituting cleaver weight for muscle effort. Shibazi f/208-2 The Shibazi f/208-2 represents a current version of the Chinese home cook cleaver: thin, but not delicate; light enough, but within a "sweet spot" of 300-400 gm. This Shibazi profile only has a hint of distal tapering and a similar hint of curvature near the tip. There is regular thinning from spine to bevel, with an edge angle intended to be between 20 and 25 degrees on each side. This design lends itself to mass production and low costs. The Shibazi f/208-2 has refinements in it's blade that are unusual for Chinese vegetable cleavers: a sandwiching of a harder steel core between softer surrounding strips, a nonstick coating, and a roughened edge near the heel to tolerate denser materials. This is all intended to make the f/208-2 sufficiently versatile to become an "all in one" solution to food preparation in the kitchen. Less advanced Chinese cleavers-even made by Shibazi--are mono-steel in construction without a roughened area near the heel. Shibazi has a slightly longer f/208-1 version for chefs. Sugimoto SF 4030 The Sugimoto "make things better" alternative handle to the Shibazi f/208-2 has already gone through 2 versions--a round solid wooden handle without any gripping ridges replaced to a rectangular handle with rounded contours and two gripping ridges at the front, connected to the blade through a broader bolster, with a metal insert protruding and folded over at the end of the handle--a little bit more comfortable, a little bit more sturdy. Even though the profile of the Sugimoto and Shibazi seem very close, the core metal itself and the entire forging and hand finishing process that "makes things better." The Sugimoto core metal is mysteriously described as "native ore" compared to white steel #2, surrounded by soft iron: Carbon steel that is hard and highly reactive to moisture. The profile is shorter by 5 mm, and wider by about the same overall--with a bit of a belly sticking out in the center. The profile has a substantial distal taper along the spine, and a vertical taper that leads to a very thin bevel with a convex grind. Such a grind requires extensive shaping by hand. The Sugimoto has harder steel with an edge somewhat protected with a convex grind. Is the Sugimoto SF 4030 better? Here's how I'll compare. I will first sharpen both to twenty degree angles. Then I will use them interchangeably on a range of home cooking tasks. I've already tried them on some fruit and done the usual paper cutting tests. I already know that my Shibazi performs all these tasks well, so performance alone will not be enough to answer the question. By using them comparatively, I can "learn" what the Sugimoto does especially well, and see if or when I develop a preference. I already know the hard way how sharp the Sugimoto is: I cut myself three times! I'm still wearing a band aid on one of my fingers. Maybe "better" is the wrong word. Sugimoto sv-40320 + Shibazi f/208-2 What I expect to find is that I will soon be using them with different techniques. With the Sugimoto, I will be less of a chopper and have more control. |
2024.05.19 00:31 Lucky-Annual-8222 Help me plan a Philly Food Tour for my birthday!
Hey everyone,
I have a birthday coming up and I think I want to do a mini Philly food tour throughout the day for it. Basically a different awesome meal for breakfast lunch and dinner, and then a dessert at the end of the day. Here’s some things to keep in mind:
submitted by Lucky-Annual-8222 to PhiladelphiaEats [link] [comments]
I have a birthday coming up and I think I want to do a mini Philly food tour throughout the day for it. Basically a different awesome meal for breakfast lunch and dinner, and then a dessert at the end of the day. Here’s some things to keep in mind:
- I don’t eat red meat. Seafood and poultry are great though.
- I live in Queen Village so more local is better, but willing to travel for something special!
- I wanna make sure it’s balanced throughout the day - don’t want to stuff myself early on and feel terrible throughout the evening!
- My birthday is on a Sunday.
2024.05.19 00:24 ME_IN_NYC2311 Booking dinner at the Centurion in NYC
I would very much like to book dinner for my wife and I for her birthday in late August. It says they only accept reservation requests 30 days in advance, however the site seems to have the calendar open 60 days in advance. I've yet to find a day that has any reservations left at all so I assume they go very quickly. Does anyone know when the next day becomes available? Is it right at midnight? It's a Monday night so i'm hoping dinner reservations won't go instantly when the day does become available but if anyone has any advice or tips I'd greatly appreciate it.
submitted by ME_IN_NYC2311 to amex [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 00:21 Accomplished-Knee972 A birthday gift to myself, I didn’t get to cop at release eBay has been great lately with the deals!!!
 | submitted by Accomplished-Knee972 to Sneakers [link] [comments] |
2024.05.19 00:20 Popular-Ideal-3730 AITAH (25M) for telling my Girlfriend (18F) she’s not a REAL victim of SA
So I (25M) broke up with my girlfriend (18F) because I had found out that she had been lying to me for our 6 month relationship about her being a victim of SA. We initially met at college, she’s a sophomore (graduated HS very early), and I’m a sophomore (former veteran). The relationship was great, we had great chemistry and she was very mature for her age. When I first saw her I thought she was older than me lol but I still decided to pursue her since she was mature, and 18. When we first started dating she had told me that she was a victim of SA, and she wasn’t comfortable with having intercourse. I was a bit bummed out at first, but I still felt extremely bad and decided to wait until she was ready. I know how tragic and traumatizing SA is, so I didn’t want to push her. I never actually asked her any details about the SA because I didn’t want to trigger her, so I left it alone. However last week she finally opened up about it and she told me about how a dude at her highschool had slapped her butt, and that’s what her “SA” experience was. I was super confused and asked if he did anything else, but she told me no that was it. I then got super furious and yelled at her, telling her that she was not a victim of SA, and she had been lying to me for the past 6 months. When I went to highschool, the girls would slap my butt aswell as other dudes at the school all the time WITHOUT consent, so if that really counts as SA, there’s would be MANY MORE male victims, and a lot more female victims. To me, SA is actual r*pe, not slapping someone’s butt. I told her that while the dudes actions were 100% wrong, and he deserved harsh punishment, it’s not SA, and if it were, many men would be victims. She completely gaslighted me and told me that it’s different for men, and men “like being touched so it’s okay for women to do it”. I then threw all of her stuff out of my apartment, and told her to get out. The next day I was getting death threats from her brothers, and my entire friend group is telling me that I’m a bad person and a gaslighter. Her birthday was actually in 3 weeks and I had an entire getaway trip planned and I had to cancel all of it. Am I the AH? I feel I was 100% in the right.
submitted by Popular-Ideal-3730 to AITAH [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 00:19 lizzzgrrr My first Princess cruise = 😃
I’ve sailed on Celebrity (Alaska) and Royal Caribbean (2 Caribbean cruises) and am on the tail end of my first Princess cruise on Majestic (RT from Seattle to Alaska)
submitted by lizzzgrrr to PrincessCruises [link] [comments]
based on Reddit recommendations stayed at the Mediterranean Inn. Well located, well priced, super comfortable with a helpful staff and an option to catch a shuttle to the pierI would be delighted to sail this ship my next Alaskan cruise! I’m actually considering a back to back for a milestone birthday in a couple of years
got to the pier at 11a for a 3p departure. Process was smooth and took under 30 minutes even though I was Blue lane (had to pick up my medallion). Highly recommend getting there early to avoid long lines.
keep your swimsuit in your carryon. Seattle was a great day for the pool but our luggage took just long enough to arrive to keep us from enjoying the pool(s)
the staff is fantastic - if they are forced to smile and greet you, you can’t tell - they seem genuinely happy
there are so many activities throughout each and every day it’s impossible to get bored
manage your expectations about the Hollywood Conservatory- I don’t know how early people were waking to claim a cabana but pretty much once someone was in one they stayed there all day. This won’t be as big an issue with sailings later in the season when it’s warm enough to enjoy the outdoor decks/your balcony if you have one
food is good - some meals were amazing, some were blecch, most were good
if you don’t have reservations at Concerto you will be told to come back later. Allegro was always accommodating
the $10 sale had zero clothing items - I was expecting T shirts but it was beach totes, ball caps, costume jewelry, sunglasses and neckties
this was a well-oiled machine: everything was planned out and ran super smoothly
2024.05.19 00:12 Bulky_Spell4495 AITJ for blocking every single friend of my brother on Fortnite for using our V-Bucks behind my other brother and I's backs?
My brothers and I have been loving Fornite since Chapter 5 Season 2. We had been playing for fun, then something random happened. On my brother's account, we saw that he had the Billie Eillish skin and his Festival pass was upgraded. He was shocked and I was too. He checked his V-Bucks, and it said that he had used a lot of it. He tried to return it, but there was nothing saying that he had the Billie Eillish skin. We thought it was a weird glitch, and moved on. But our youngest brother looked awfully suspicious.
A few weeks later, (yesterday) I was minding my own business on my laptop. My youngest brother had been dying for me to play with him, but I told him I was studying. (I was not.) He grabbed me, punched and even pinched me until I pushed him away. Then I went back to chatting with my friends and I noticed that my youngest brother (let's call him Bob) was using my console behind the couch. I didn't really care.
That night, my mum and other brother, (let's call him John) were going to the musical 'Wicked' as a birthday gift for all of us. Bob on the other hand, stayed home with my dad. The musical was great, and after the musical I was think about the next season of Fornite and how I was going to get the next Battle Pass.
Next morning, (today) I decided to play some Fortnite with John. I was shocked. My whole character and lobby was changed, even the weapon wraps. My brother decided to check his own Switch. He was shocked yet again for the fact that he was missing V-Bucks. I was shocked and got worried that my Switch had the same fate, and yes. I was the exact problem. We decided to see what Bob had done on his Switch.
Our emotions went from shock, to anger, to what I would call, "evil". I was so angry, as the next season is less that a week away, John and I couldn't get the Battle Pass soon enough. I told all of my friends on the chat, which they haven't responded yet as it's 7 in the morning of a Sunday. My brother and I found skins that were not there before, and I remembered that when Bob was behind the couch with MY Switch, he was secretly gifting to himself.
John, confused, wondered that when we were at the musical, he was gifting to himself on John's Switch. He had probably changed the setup while we we gone as well. We were in an 'evil' mood that hour, so we got revenge by reporting him on both of our Switches and blocking every single friend of his account except his school buddy. We also changed his setup as well, archived most of his skins so he couldn't use them, and finally, thought of a trillion excuses to Bob that he definitely did it. I also told my dad, and he barely understood and told us to put passwords on our Switches. He said he may suspend Bob's account for a week as well. I was excited and 'evil' at the same time. So, I am the jerk for blocking every single friend on his account?
submitted by Bulky_Spell4495 to AmITheJerk [link] [comments]
A few weeks later, (yesterday) I was minding my own business on my laptop. My youngest brother had been dying for me to play with him, but I told him I was studying. (I was not.) He grabbed me, punched and even pinched me until I pushed him away. Then I went back to chatting with my friends and I noticed that my youngest brother (let's call him Bob) was using my console behind the couch. I didn't really care.
That night, my mum and other brother, (let's call him John) were going to the musical 'Wicked' as a birthday gift for all of us. Bob on the other hand, stayed home with my dad. The musical was great, and after the musical I was think about the next season of Fornite and how I was going to get the next Battle Pass.
Next morning, (today) I decided to play some Fortnite with John. I was shocked. My whole character and lobby was changed, even the weapon wraps. My brother decided to check his own Switch. He was shocked yet again for the fact that he was missing V-Bucks. I was shocked and got worried that my Switch had the same fate, and yes. I was the exact problem. We decided to see what Bob had done on his Switch.
Our emotions went from shock, to anger, to what I would call, "evil". I was so angry, as the next season is less that a week away, John and I couldn't get the Battle Pass soon enough. I told all of my friends on the chat, which they haven't responded yet as it's 7 in the morning of a Sunday. My brother and I found skins that were not there before, and I remembered that when Bob was behind the couch with MY Switch, he was secretly gifting to himself.
John, confused, wondered that when we were at the musical, he was gifting to himself on John's Switch. He had probably changed the setup while we we gone as well. We were in an 'evil' mood that hour, so we got revenge by reporting him on both of our Switches and blocking every single friend of his account except his school buddy. We also changed his setup as well, archived most of his skins so he couldn't use them, and finally, thought of a trillion excuses to Bob that he definitely did it. I also told my dad, and he barely understood and told us to put passwords on our Switches. He said he may suspend Bob's account for a week as well. I was excited and 'evil' at the same time. So, I am the jerk for blocking every single friend on his account?
2024.05.19 00:11 Dear-Cockroach-6979 Wouldn’t mind some advice…
(Sorry, it’s kinda long)
Hey everyone,
A bit about me: I grew up in a toxic household with an alcoholic abusive single mother. She had anywhere from 15-20 stray cats in our home that she spoiled and loved more than me. She sure made that clear! My father left me and my mother when I was two years old and he never came back. I was put into the California foster care system at age 13 due to my mother being reported multiple times by my junior high school counselor. From there I went to several mental hospitals, lockdown facilities and group homes up to my 18th birthday. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder back in my adolescent years. I haven’t been evaluated as an adult but I’m sure I would be diagnosed with MDD if I were.
I have spent almost my entire adult life doing nothing with myself. I spent a lot of time early on sleeping in my car and showering at my friends houses. My grandma in Arizona helped me out a great deal and let me stay with her and find work, and I was proud of myself although I was working a menial janitorial job at a casino. I’m pretty tech savvy and skilled with automotive repair but I never pursued further education. When my grandma passed away in 2007 I got severely depressed but I managed to get a place to live with roommates and held down a full time job, again at a casino doing janitorial work. Developed a gambling addiction and an alcohol addiction. Got a DUI in 2008 and that started my legal troubles. Lost my place and lost my job.
I slept in my car and worked at casinos doing menial work again. Met a woman at one of the jobs and got married April 2010. She had a few kids with a bunch of baby daddy drama, and I couldn’t deal with it so I just walked away and the divorce was finalized by the end of the year. I stopped drinking after that. From there I kept working until 2011, when I decided to quit my job, take my old Subaru XT and hit the road. Went all over the southwest US sleeping in the car and exploring, got a few tickets for no insurance, got my license suspended for said tickets and also for not paying my payments on the DUI. I got to Albuquerque NM and my car finally croaked on me. Transmission failure. Slept in it for a week or so in a mini-mall parking lot until the cops were called on me and unsurprisingly took my car. I was officially a street person at age 26.
I spent several years hitchhiking, panhandling, dumpster diving, hopping freight trains and finding spots to sleep or camp wherever I could. I was so depressed that I didn’t take very good care of myself and had no desire whatsoever to try to better myself and dig out of the hole I got myself into. I used to call myself an urban survivalist. I remained in this state of mind until late 2022 when dental problems nearly killed me. I finally found a place to stay in Nevada with a lady I called a foster mother but I had a very hard time getting used to being housed. I got all my teeth yanked and a set of dentures thanks to Nevada Medicaid. I got a job at a car wash for six months but gave up the job due to stress at home and workplace nepotism. I even got a few credit cards and got my score up to 719! Anyhow, foster mother was an alcoholic, she started to remind me of my biological mother and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had a few thousand dollars saved up and moved back to Arizona a couple of months ago.
I am currently at a weekly motel and have been attempting to find any work I can. Managed to get interviews for dishwasher jobs, housekeeping jobs, janitorial jobs and night crew at a grocery store. Haven’t heard back from any of them though. I have half of my savings left and it seems inevitable that I’ll run out of money pretty soon.
I have a good feeling that the ridiculously long gap of employment looks terrible on my resume and that may be a reason I’m not getting anything. I mean, what do I tell the interviewer, that I was a damn bum?
I like to think I’m pretty smart. I was disassembling and reassembling IBM PC’s before I hit puberty. I was the computer technician for my high school back in the Windows XP era. Once I started driving I began teaching myself automotive repair with Chilton and Haynes manuals along with plenty of trial and error. It blew people’s minds when I, a dirty bum, helped get their car back on the road if I noticed they needed assistance. I helped a man I met at a park and did an engine swap on his Nissan Xterra over a couple weekends in exchange for new camping gear.
I can’t get work as a mechanic or do any driving related jobs unless I get my license back and it would take a LOT of money to get it back. On top of that I have to have an ignition interlock in any vehicle I drive. I wouldn’t mind getting into computer repair but I don’t have the certification to do so, and I’ve been out of the loop for a long time. I have a MacBook Air M1 and wish I could learn a way to make money with it like some sort of remote job but that seems impossible to me at this point.
For the record, I still don’t drink and I’ve never done a hard drug in my life. I haven’t smoked weed in months so I am able to pass a drug test if I were hired somewhere. Also, I have no felonies whatsoever on my record. Some people like to be stereotypical so I figured I’d throw that out there.
I guess what I’m asking is what should I do at this point? What path would you take if you were in my shoes? I won’t lie, suicide has been on my mind a lot lately. I don’t have many friends and I don’t have any family to talk to. I don’t like being a burden on anyone. Should I just accept that I’m gonna probably be homeless again, possibly for the rest of my life? Is there anywhere in the US that I could possibly get back on my feet with some sort of labor work and a place to sleep? I’d move anywhere if I knew I had a shot. Am I a lost cause at age 38? I’d love to hear some ideas!
submitted by Dear-Cockroach-6979 to depression [link] [comments]
Hey everyone,
A bit about me: I grew up in a toxic household with an alcoholic abusive single mother. She had anywhere from 15-20 stray cats in our home that she spoiled and loved more than me. She sure made that clear! My father left me and my mother when I was two years old and he never came back. I was put into the California foster care system at age 13 due to my mother being reported multiple times by my junior high school counselor. From there I went to several mental hospitals, lockdown facilities and group homes up to my 18th birthday. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder back in my adolescent years. I haven’t been evaluated as an adult but I’m sure I would be diagnosed with MDD if I were.
I have spent almost my entire adult life doing nothing with myself. I spent a lot of time early on sleeping in my car and showering at my friends houses. My grandma in Arizona helped me out a great deal and let me stay with her and find work, and I was proud of myself although I was working a menial janitorial job at a casino. I’m pretty tech savvy and skilled with automotive repair but I never pursued further education. When my grandma passed away in 2007 I got severely depressed but I managed to get a place to live with roommates and held down a full time job, again at a casino doing janitorial work. Developed a gambling addiction and an alcohol addiction. Got a DUI in 2008 and that started my legal troubles. Lost my place and lost my job.
I slept in my car and worked at casinos doing menial work again. Met a woman at one of the jobs and got married April 2010. She had a few kids with a bunch of baby daddy drama, and I couldn’t deal with it so I just walked away and the divorce was finalized by the end of the year. I stopped drinking after that. From there I kept working until 2011, when I decided to quit my job, take my old Subaru XT and hit the road. Went all over the southwest US sleeping in the car and exploring, got a few tickets for no insurance, got my license suspended for said tickets and also for not paying my payments on the DUI. I got to Albuquerque NM and my car finally croaked on me. Transmission failure. Slept in it for a week or so in a mini-mall parking lot until the cops were called on me and unsurprisingly took my car. I was officially a street person at age 26.
I spent several years hitchhiking, panhandling, dumpster diving, hopping freight trains and finding spots to sleep or camp wherever I could. I was so depressed that I didn’t take very good care of myself and had no desire whatsoever to try to better myself and dig out of the hole I got myself into. I used to call myself an urban survivalist. I remained in this state of mind until late 2022 when dental problems nearly killed me. I finally found a place to stay in Nevada with a lady I called a foster mother but I had a very hard time getting used to being housed. I got all my teeth yanked and a set of dentures thanks to Nevada Medicaid. I got a job at a car wash for six months but gave up the job due to stress at home and workplace nepotism. I even got a few credit cards and got my score up to 719! Anyhow, foster mother was an alcoholic, she started to remind me of my biological mother and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had a few thousand dollars saved up and moved back to Arizona a couple of months ago.
I am currently at a weekly motel and have been attempting to find any work I can. Managed to get interviews for dishwasher jobs, housekeeping jobs, janitorial jobs and night crew at a grocery store. Haven’t heard back from any of them though. I have half of my savings left and it seems inevitable that I’ll run out of money pretty soon.
I have a good feeling that the ridiculously long gap of employment looks terrible on my resume and that may be a reason I’m not getting anything. I mean, what do I tell the interviewer, that I was a damn bum?
I like to think I’m pretty smart. I was disassembling and reassembling IBM PC’s before I hit puberty. I was the computer technician for my high school back in the Windows XP era. Once I started driving I began teaching myself automotive repair with Chilton and Haynes manuals along with plenty of trial and error. It blew people’s minds when I, a dirty bum, helped get their car back on the road if I noticed they needed assistance. I helped a man I met at a park and did an engine swap on his Nissan Xterra over a couple weekends in exchange for new camping gear.
I can’t get work as a mechanic or do any driving related jobs unless I get my license back and it would take a LOT of money to get it back. On top of that I have to have an ignition interlock in any vehicle I drive. I wouldn’t mind getting into computer repair but I don’t have the certification to do so, and I’ve been out of the loop for a long time. I have a MacBook Air M1 and wish I could learn a way to make money with it like some sort of remote job but that seems impossible to me at this point.
For the record, I still don’t drink and I’ve never done a hard drug in my life. I haven’t smoked weed in months so I am able to pass a drug test if I were hired somewhere. Also, I have no felonies whatsoever on my record. Some people like to be stereotypical so I figured I’d throw that out there.
I guess what I’m asking is what should I do at this point? What path would you take if you were in my shoes? I won’t lie, suicide has been on my mind a lot lately. I don’t have many friends and I don’t have any family to talk to. I don’t like being a burden on anyone. Should I just accept that I’m gonna probably be homeless again, possibly for the rest of my life? Is there anywhere in the US that I could possibly get back on my feet with some sort of labor work and a place to sleep? I’d move anywhere if I knew I had a shot. Am I a lost cause at age 38? I’d love to hear some ideas!
2024.05.19 00:11 Master-Quantity-1490 Cusco Traditional Markets, History, Location and Tips
 | A notable aspect of Peruvian culture lies in its vibrant markets, and Cusco is no exception. If you haven’t experienced any of Cusco’s markets (or any across South America), you’re in for a sensory overload. submitted by Master-Quantity-1490 to amazonperutrips [link] [comments] Take, for instance, the renowned San Pedro market in Cusco. Here, you’ll encounter endless rows of stalls and quaint shops brimming with a plethora of goods, ranging from fresh produce to traditional remedies. Amidst the bustling chaos of sights and scents, vendors eagerly vie for your attention, touting their wares. Additionally, many markets spill over into expansive outdoor areas where you can indulge in a meal, snag souvenirs, or simply soak in the lively atmosphere. These markets serve as the backbone of everyday life for locals, offering affordable provisions and a prime spot for souvenir hunting in Cusco. Cusco’s markets are a must-see for visitors to Peru, offering a glimpse into daily life that’s truly unique. Even if you’re not in the market for anything specific, they provide unparalleled opportunities for people-watching, Peru Amazon Trips will show you how to reach all of the Traditional markets that are located in Cusco’s vicinity taking the Main square as a reference for your starting point.San Pedro Market This sprawling market has become a tourist hotspot (mostly because of local agencies recommendations), renowned for its wide array of alpaca clothing and souvenirs alongside stalls selling fruits, vegetables, juices, cheese, and meat. Make sure to explore the rear section of this expansive hall, where you’ll find some of the most affordable lunch options in the city. However, a crucial tip is to opt for the busiest kitchen to minimize the risk of foodborne illness. Location of the San Pedro market: situated near Plaza San Francisco, accessible by passing through the arch adjacent to Iglesia Santa Clara. https://preview.redd.it/vbo3dq9od91d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=913415629ce5354ed7400c50481c2f7229c6da09 Wanchaq marketThe Wanchaq market, familiar to locals in Cusco, is another noteworthy option.Similar to other larger markets in the city, it offers a wide selection of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and meat, as well as clothing, kitchenware, and likely any other essentials you might require. Location of the Wanchaq market: situated near Avenida Tullumayo (Parallel Street to Avenida del Sol). Artisan’s marketFor distinctive keepsakes, visit the Artisan’s Market in Cusco, where you’ll find a variety of items including alpaca sweaters, jewelry, pottery, and other crafts.Experience the thrill of bargaining with fewer crowds of tourists. Location of the Artisan’s market: Avenida El Sol, in front of the fountain known as the “Paccha” (which is actually the translation of fountain in Quechua) San Blas MarketThis is a much smaller market situated in San Blas’s pretty neighbourhood, northeast of the Plaza de Armas. It’s a far less touristy location and only sells staples such as fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat. However, it still makes for an interesting introduction to Cusco’s markets if you’re in the area.The San Blas square around the corner also hosts an artisan’s market at weekends with great Peruvian souvenirs to check out. Location of San Blas Market: San Blas Market is located in the San Blas neighborhood of Cusco, Peru. At the end of Lucrepata’s main street. Vinocanchón’s MarketSituated at the southern edge of the city, just before reaching the city limits, this market stands as one of the largest and most comprehensive in town. Serving as a vital resource for individual households, restaurants, and small businesses in this part of Cusco, it offers a diverse range of products beyond fresh produce.It’s a traditional market where encountering another foreign visitor is unlikely. Location of Vinocanchón’s Market: This market is located almost at the end of the city, you can reach it by going to the disctrict’s stadium in San Jerónimo’s neighbourhood. Tips before you head to any of these markets on your own#1 Refrain from making immediate purchases.Cusco’s markets overwhelm with choices. Often, identical items line neighboring stalls. Whether it’s alpaca sweaters or cooking utensils, explore the entirety of the market before committing. Expect initial high prices; bargaining is customary. Indicate disinterest, then negotiate for the best deal. #2: Be vigilant with your belongings Always look after your own goods, specially at crowded spots like San Pedro market, prone to pickpocketing due to tourism. Stay cautious amid distractions while safeguarding valuables like cameras and phones. Consider wearing them on the front and utilizing internal pockets for money. Keep a copy of your passport; store the original securely https://preview.redd.it/hfmdws2sd91d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f1effa53b4172bf891e9a64e31937dadd512fe3 .#3: Dedicate some time to exploring the local markets in Cusco to uncover a wide array of goods. You’ll find that these markets offer a diverse selection of items, with San Pedro market standing out as the largest and most central, boasting a variety of clothing, souvenirs, kitchen supplies, and groceries. Meanwhile, San Blas market, though smaller, exudes charm and provides a range of fruits, vegetables, and other grocery items. Wanchaq, while similar to San Pedro in terms of offerings, provides a less touristy atmosphere, making it ideal for mingling with locals. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the discoveries you’ll make in and around these markets. Whether you’re in search of shoelaces, USB drives, birthday candles, Tupperware, or nail polish, you’ll likely find it here. #4: Consider hygiene when buying in the market Keep in mind that the market is where locals typically shop for groceries. For many travelers, exploring local markets can be an eye-opening experience, as they offer a variety of goods, including raw meat. Unlike supermarkets where meat is often neatly packaged, in Cusco’s markets, it’s common to find meat being sold freshly cut. While this method may not be the most hygienic, it’s practical. While seeing raw meat may be off-putting, exercise caution when purchasing or consuming it. This caution extends to eating at the markets, where hygiene standards aren’t always guaranteed. Seek advice from your accommodation or tour guide on which stalls to trust, or opt for busy food stands with high turnover to ensure freshness and minimize the risk of foodborne illness. #5: Bring a bag with you. It’s a common practice for locals to carry their own (reused) plastic bags. When you make purchases in Peru, you’ll likely receive a bag to start with (although it’s advisable to travel with a compact bag regardless). By bringing your own bag to the market, you can reduce the amount of plastic you use during your time in Peru. 6: Understanding Baby Alpaca WoolMany tourists visiting Peru are eager to purchase soft alpaca sweaters featuring charming Andean designs. However, when a vendor mentions “baby alpaca” wool, it’s important to clarify the term. Contrary to what some may imagine, it doesn’t refer to wool taken from recently sheared baby alpacas shivering in the Andean cold.https://preview.redd.it/g1vffk9zd91d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6c793f19656696998ff019927c0ca8a9caddfb18 |
2024.05.19 00:05 incyweb Ten tips from futurist Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly is a forward thinker, speaker and author. He founded Wired magazine and writes with great insight. Six years ago he turned 68. For each year of his life, he gifted a piece of advice to his children; things he wished he had known at their age. Each year since, on his birthday, he has added to that initial list. Below are ten pieces of advice from Kevin’s 74th birthday update, relating to happiness, habits and progress.
How 3 Books Rewired my Brain post by Phil Martin
I agree with Kevin Kelly when he suggests, Your behaviour, not your opinions, will change the world.
Have fun.
Phil…
submitted by incyweb to Entrepreneurs [link] [comments]
Happiness
1.Where you live (what city, what country) has more impact on your well-being than any other factor. Where you live is one of the few things in your life you can choose and change. In my biased option, Bath is a beautiful city. It’s been my home for the last 30 years and brings me great joy.- The highest form of wealth is deciding you have enough. My instinct is to believe that if I had more money, I’d be happier. However, those richer and wiser than me have persuaded me otherwise.
- You’ll never meet a very successful pessimistic person. If you want to be remarkable, get better at being optimistic. I can choose how I interpret the world. I chose to be optimistic with a dose of realism.
- Asking “what-if?” about your past is a waste of time; asking “what-if?” about your future is tremendously productive. I can’t change the past, but I can influence the future.
Habits
- What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important. To get the important stuff done, avoid the demands of the urgent. I try to ensure that activities with longer term benefits are addressed.
- If you are out of ideas, go for a walk. A good walk empties the mind and then refills it with new stuff. My daily walk gives me space to think and reflect. A life changer for me.
- You have 5 minutes to act on a new idea before it disappears from your mind. If I have an idea, I note it down in my mobile notes app.
Progress
- The best way to criticise something is to make something better. I love building things and seeing others use them.
- The more persistent you are, the more chances you get to be lucky. I find the concept of increasing one’s luck surface area to be an empowering idea. I try to position myself to take advantage of lucky breaks.
- Decisions like to present themselves as irreversible, like a one-way door. But most deciding points are two-way. Don’t get bogged down by decisions. You can usually back up if needed. Few things in life are permanent. While hard to comprehend, this reality is liberating.
Other resources
Kevin Kelly Advice for Geeks (and others) post by Phil MartinHow 3 Books Rewired my Brain post by Phil Martin
I agree with Kevin Kelly when he suggests, Your behaviour, not your opinions, will change the world.
Have fun.
Phil…