Never thought I would be making a post on here, but I only get 3 free therapist visits a year so here I am.
TLDR : My parents have fully replaced me with some guy (M28) they met at work/ church. I'm slightly hurt but ultimately it's their life and they can do what the please. I am more bewildered, and concerned about my parents being taken advantage of.
First some relevant background info:
My parents are VERY religious boomers. by this I mean more religious than you would believe until you actually spoke to them. growing up this created a lot of friction between us. As I reached my teens I became disillusioned with organized Christianity mostly due to the fact that a lot of modern day interpretations miss the point of what is written in the Bible. the hypocrisy I witnessed was rampant among church members including my parents. I strongly disliked their thinly veiled revulsion for any people who they considered "sinners", a title which was doled out on a whim. even while I was in the church it would be weaponized against other church goers and even myself once. a pastor from another church told a girl I was hanging out with that I would lead her to hell, despite the fact that I also went to church. she promptly cut off all contact despite admitting that she didn't want to, but was being threatened with being kicked out of her church groups of she did not.
back to my parents: we were at odds throughout my teen years as I began to avoid church and anything about it. I did not stop believing but I did not want to be associated with their type of toxic Christianity. this was not something they could understand. when I say they are fully indoctrinated it means they are irredeemable in many of their views. they were willing to ignore any and all boundaries I set about religion even to this day. despite me telling them that what they were doing would tear our family apart. in the end they chose religion over their children. my sister is essentially no contact with them.
as a very young child, our family moved around a lot. I was a continual outsider. I had no friends, at all. my parents would say it was no big deal cause I was just a kid and kids don't care about that stuff really, kids don't know the difference, etc. but I knew the difference and I desperately wanted friendship and community. the only constants were 2 hyper controlling parents who wanted a quiet and obedient follower.
eventually we moved to a place where I was able to form solid friendships for the first time in my life. it was , to this day, the happiest time period of my life. this lasted until my final year of high school when my parents decided to move. despite me having many friends whose parents offered me a place to stay for the final year, my parents forced me to move. this caused me to spiral into a deep depression for around 3 years. I developed enduring social anxiety which I deal with to this day. I have made peace with the fact that I will never have a lot of friends, but thinking about what I missed out on is painful. years later I found out they forced me to move because they prayed and God told them it would be better for all of us if I moved with them. we needed to stay together as a family. then 2 years later they moved back to the place they took me from. all I can do is laugh at this because it is so dark and obviously bullshit. when it was my life getting fucked up "God" said ok we needed to stay together as a family. when I needed support he said naw just ditch him and move away.
my life was destroyed by religion. I have since learned that of course, we are ultimately in charge of our own happiness, but at the time I had no knowledge of trauma or therapy. simply 2 parents who reduced every concern I ever had in my life to "just pray about it". in fact throughout my entire life they diminished all of my concerns, big and small. in addition, they would often judge me for everything I did, even if they were innocent to a non religious person. so I would only tell them about things when I absolutely had no other choice. and they would treat them as wholly unimportant. they also believed that men should not be upset or emotional and should figure things out for themselves. so they would help my sister out whenever she needed it, including buying her a new car, while I was riding my bike an hour each way to go to engineering school. there were many points in my life where I was at rock bottom, and despite them having more than enough means to help me, they did not.
compounding this is the fact that all the while they diminished my own concerns, they would bend over backwards to help people not in our family. they always wanted to appear nice and helpful, but this never extended to me. in fact they would often do things to inconvenience me in order to help some random person they just met.
All of these circumstances created a very weird relationship dynamic between us all. I became avoidant, negative and pessimistic for years before I discovered therapy and began to work through my mental health issues. I struggled in many relationships I had, and always felt like I was a lesser person than everyone else. this persisted until around 3 years ago when I began to correct the errors in my thinking patterns. despite therapy, I still struggle to have a relationship with my parents. all they talk about is religion. I have given up trying to enforce the boundary there. there is no point. they don't know anything else. they cannot be different and have no desire to change, in fact they see no error in their actions throughout the years. despite me obviously having issues. they essentially chalk it up to me just being a bad egg. I have since been able to forgive them, but the trauma I experienced throughout my life has left me with tendencies they hate. I withdraw when I am depressed, I am prone to anxiety from time to time, I have ADHD, I distance myself from them because all they do is cross my boundaries to preach at me, etc etc.
Back to the present:
Before my dad retired he hired this guy, let's call him Raj, at his work. just a basic bank employee. he is a nice enough guy I think. a little awkward but nice enough. I believe he has an engineering degree from another country but it got rejected by our country, so he had to just take whatever job he could get. he is new to the country and a bit of a fish out of water, this is the reason I think most people looked past his non ordinary behavior.... I literally cannot imagine myself ever hanging out or going on vacations with my boss, who is 20+ years older than me.
he struggled to understand the job and my dad had to spend a lot of time with him to get him up to speed. he began to go to my dad for life advice beyond work, as he struggled with making friends or getting a girlfriend. I think eventually my parents invited him to church and he went, despite being originally Hindu. eventually he went with them regularly and integrated himself with them to a wild extent that I did not realize until this past weekend when they came to "visit". they brought this motherfucker with them without saying shit beforehand. paid for his hotel and all his food. bought him clothes and took him on errands. all while saying they didn't really have time to assist me; I cannot drive anymore as I began having seizures 3 years ago.
when we did finally hang out, my own parents mistakenly called me his name many times. they acted like a family and treated me like I was just some dude lol.
we went out to dinner with some friends of theirs who were also in town. during dinner they called Raj my parents adopted son. needless to say I was very weirded out. but did not say anything. if I did they would just say I was being negative and I look like the asshole.
I know Raj does not make a lot of money but somehow he was able to buy a small house a year after starting work. I have not seen proof personally but my sister has said she is sure that my pprovided the down payment. this is where I began to be concerned they are being taken advantage of. this is very out of character for my parents.
I have considered also the weirdest possiblity, that they may have some kind of weird ass sugar baby relationship but I simply cannot see that being the case. they are hypocrites about some aspects of Christianity, such as not judging people, but they are 1000% devout when it comes to what they would deem as sin.
I get the impression that they have empty nest syndrome and compounded with their propensity to bend over backwards for non family members, they have essentially adopted this guy. he is at their house several times a week. as far as I know my mom prepares most of his meals.
it appears to me that they found a replacement for me with none of the mental health issues and resentment ( that they caused) and who was willing to play the part of a church goer. I fear now, based on watching them shop together that he is taking advantage of them. If they are just choosing to help him out money wise that is MASSIVELY out of character for them to do so to this extent. this is the main reason I think they are being taken advantage of. they are doing things for this guy they would NEVER do for anyone.
I am not sure how to approach this situation or what to even think about it. I lack the bandwidth to really mull it over or be upset about it. one thing I am certain of is that me saying anything about this will do nothing except make them mad and bring them closer together .they think I am simply a negative person and don't really listen to my thoughts on things, whether I am right or not.they have always treated me like I'm a moron
Is this as weird to you as it is to me? What would you do in this scenario?

I was working a remote job at a prestigious company that I loved. I was making 66K which isn’t great with a masters degree but the job had other perks like lots of time off and a flexible schedule that balanced out the shitty salary.
Unfortunately I was laid off in February and had to take the first thing I could get (I live in a HCOL). I accepted a role with a global non-profit as their marketing and special events manager. The problem is it’s fully in office from 8:30 to 4:30 and is completely outdated. It also only pays 55k so I had to take an 11K pay cut. Plus, the way these folks work is 20 years behind and I am not used to sitting in front of my computer anymore for hours on end, even when I have nothing to do.
To make matters worse, my supervisor is a micro-manager and literally does nothing except check on the status of my assignments all day long. I’m a 34 year old woman and expect trust when it comes to completing my projects. I don’t need anyone riding my ass.
I’m waiting on a potential offer and an additional interview for hybrid roles. Hopefully I score one of those jobs and if I do I’m going to resign, effective immediately.
It’s a huge drag to get out of bed to come to this place everyday and each day I find myself sinking further and further into depression. I can’t do this anymore but I’m trying to hold on as long as possible because I need the money.
I also find that the job market has been terrible. I’ve had countless interviews but no other offers. It has never taken me this long in the past to land a gig.
Anyone else in a similar situation? How are you handling it???

So I've got 2 years and a few months, including a gap year until I go to university. So basically Ive got a lot of time to increase my skills. However I can't quite work out the highest ROI skill, to bace a part time-run business off in university. Which I really only want to make a bit over, the income I would make if I got a part time job. And more be more interesting.
Currently I have a hobby doing art, and did do a online corse in html and CSS a few months ago. Which I could go back to codeing if profitable enough.
I really enjoy the idea of running a business, which I for a while kept coming up with ideas, until I realised I was just too unskilled and would make more money just getting a part time job.
Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

Hello car people, can I ask for some advice? Took my car in after noticing some resistance from the breaks, a bad smell, white smoke coming from my front white tire wheel, noticing a leak from the front right and my car's right front hubcap melting off. According to the mechanic, the brake calipers froze up which put immense heat in the system, damaging the brake pad and rotor, the hubcap to melt off and the lines to leak, as well as damage to the front axle shaft. During inspection they also noticed some issues with my alignment and my steering ties coming loose. Repairs coming out to like 2.5k USD, bill image in comments.
I'm just mentally weighing my options here between paying the repairs and junking it. Focuses are pretty stable cars and I feel its unlikely that I'll get another car for 3k w that mileage and condition (this is a 2008 Focus w only like 83k mi on it) in this market, but this car is only a year old and I'm worried that this is just gonna be kicking the can down the road.

Cross-posted from Arborists because it went fully ignored.
Hi all, new here. I've been in the plant world since about 2011. Started getting into trees in 2019. I've got about 24 or so, now. The only trees giving me problems are my pear trees.
https://preview.redd.it/8uxdev2pqv0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94e02aad7726784bc7b133d25a29edfbd140dd9d
https://preview.redd.it/gzsf9v2pqv0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ab7bc47138894d10d77d1bd7e6575ff12ec46f8
Here are the detail photos of my 2 pears. The one in the ground, you can see a dark line. The nursery had pure mulch allllll the way up to that line. We're having lots of wind, today, so my shade structure got blown to pieces.
https://preview.redd.it/m811q33pqv0d1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=140c5a3c30c1703a4094cc427cec7c1702bf42e4
https://preview.redd.it/sx8vt9i36v0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60cf9e1e6c48309d27d30d1f9fa0b7daf3e05b38
https://preview.redd.it/uor6szh36v0d1.jpg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f29a3bd79f6da5d5ce175c81575a4837fff2edc
I bought a 5-way European graft, last year, that has yet to leaf out. I took it out of the ground, to replace it with the next tree, and noticed much of the root mass is gone (slugs, probably). It's now in a planter, with rooting hormone. Scratch tested and nothing is dead yet. It's in a planter of PNW Best container soil, earthshine biochar, some extra perlite (because rainy months), and topped with a bit of dried moss to protect the soil.
I also just bought a 4-way Asian pear graft, a week ago. Both were bare root, when buying. The Asian pear is now wilting (in ground). I've done all I can for it - shade cloth, light mulch, daily watering, light rooting hormone. The tree is receiving 30 minutes of an alternating sprayer watering, every two days (the summers here are cloudless and dry) and a 5 minute direct watering on the day between those. When planting the asian pear, I saw the thicker roots had been cut by the nursery and the fine roots were extremely short. I should note that the nursery gave it to me in a pot with soil but told me it was bare root and just transplanted in December. It's sitting in a mix of soil that came from the nursery, my native shitty sand (so it can get used to the surroundings), earthshine biochar mix, fox farms garden soil and compost. My root flare is visible, above the mulch (it has an interesting inverted U shape). He's the tallest tree, in the middle. Photo taken before wilting. New photos when I get home.
I've never had trouble with other bare root trees - I've bare rooted columnar apples and maples but, from what I've read, pears are finnicky. What can I do to rescue them?
I'm located in Kitsap County, WA. My trees are in full sun all day (which is why I've built a shade cloth around the asian pear).
I have a non-grafted pear, on the east side of my house, that's doing perfectly fine. He wasn't a bare root baby, though.
The pictured planting space is new, so it's not competing for nutrients yet, despite the tight proximity. The planting bed was put together a bit over a month ago - all of the pictured columnar apple trees were in planters from 2019 until then.
https://preview.redd.it/rzhsyv2pqv0d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=27e99a4b96e733ab92ed5a1799ba385afa7f8d94
These two images of of my still-dormant european grafted pear.

I need a flexing swivel or something that can hold up to a pressure washer 36-3800psi, I'm mostly trying to rule out if these fittings even exist before I have to think up a different solution. Any ideas other than that would be appreciated too
Essentially I have a cheapo sewer jetter kit that plugs in in place of the fan tip on a pressure washer I bought for something else, and now I need to try and use it for actual drain cleaning. The floor drains are 2-3 feet down with 90 degree fittings to the line in concrete, 2 inch pipe in public restrooms with lots of unattended kids. The jetter won't quite make the corner, plungers and snakes aren't working well either because of air paths to other drains and the sheered amount of dirt, rust, and wipes stuffed down there. I figured if I can get a little bit of flex in the 3-4 inches of solid metal between the tip and the crimp I might be able to make the corner and finish this out without having to do big repairs or constantly dumping draino and helping like they have been doing for 30 years. The jetter did work on the other half of the building, just have a couple of them fighting me that I need this for
Thank you for any help or ideas, it doesn't need to be pretty if it works

The Truth is an anthology of nearly 200 episodes spanning a wide variety of genres. It billed itself as movies for the ears, and it certainly lived up to that description. Now, it is true that quite a few audio dramas fit that description, but you have to consider the context that The Truth occurred in. The first episode of The Truth premiered way back in 2011. The indie audio drama community was still very much in its infancy. Fiction podcasts tended to be short story readings like StarShipSofa or Lightspeed Magazine. If you were lucky, you might get something like The Drabblecast, with music and sound-effects added to the mix. The Truth was a full-cast show, performed rather than read, and with immersive sound-effects and music.
The Truth was an anthology in the purest sense of the word. Each episode was a new present to unwrap. It spanned multiple genres and styles. The early years did tend to be a bit more experimental in terms of material. I had the opportunity to chat with series creator Jonathan Mitchell. Jonathan described these early episodes as scenes rather than stories. True, they are certainly shorter than later episodes, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Each of them was like a snapshot into a different life, and they were certainly memorable snapshots. I’m not the only one who is of this opinion. Many episodes from this era of The Truth were featured on various programs such as All Things Considered, Weekend America, Planet Money, This American Life, and Studio 360. Eventually, the need to pay the bills came knocking. So, the episodes began to favor longer stories in order to provide more space for ad breaks. Now, some people say this was the era when The Truth went into decline. Personally, I strongly disagree. There were still many quality episodes being produced.
The real decline, ironically, was around the time The Truth celebrated its tenth anniversary. Well, maybe not entirely ironically. I have noticed that many anthology podcasts tend to start going stale around the ten year mark. It was at this point the misses started to outnumber the hit. Now, to be fair, there were still a few diamonds in the rough. That being said, it was clear that the writers’ well of inspiration was starting to run dry. The episodes also increasingly had the same feel to them. The decline of The Truth didn’t come with a bang, but with a whimper.
It is certainly sad that the curtain has finally fallen on The Truth. No show can last forever. Eventually, if you smolder well past your time, you will see a steady decline in quality. In the immortal words of Harvey Dent, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I certainly hope that The Truth is always remember for what it was, rather than the decline it saw during its final season.
And that, my friends, is what this review is all about. We are going to celebrate The Truth in all its myriad ways. From those early “snapshots of a life” episodes, to the more full-length episodes. We will also look at a few less than stellar episodes. They can make for a good teaching moment about what not to do.
This is merely part one. I’ll be making a part two, so be on the lookout for that in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s part three eventually.
But I wanted to start off with a good solid foundation. To that end, I reviewed the episodes “Moon Graffiti”, “Eat Cake”, “That’s Democracy”, “Do You Have a Minute for Equality”, “Brain Chemistry”, “Fish Girl”, and “Mall Santa.”
Like I said, this just the start. More to come in the future.
Have you listened to The Truth? If so, what did you think?
Link to the full review is over here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-audio-file-truth-part-1.html?m=0

Hey everyone,
I'm currently someone (30M) who has always had folks by my side all my life as part of "my team," as my parents call it. A major reason for this outside support network is because I'm autistic, have ADHD-I, dysgraphia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, PTSD (more on that later), and processing speed in the 3rd percentile. I did not learn I was autistic until I was 14 and always took medication for it and my ADHD-I. I also did not know I had ADHD-I until I was 24-25 because I was on my own for submitting the records of my disabilities to the graduate schools I've attended up until this point. As for my processing speed, I did not learn it was that low until this past August when I sought a DSM-V re-evaluation with my own money.
My mental health symptoms were so severe that, despite doing well academically in a suburban school district that was well funded through property taxes (I'm in the US so the education system here is messed up), I transitioned to a tiny high school that specifically accommodated disabled students. This school had no AP, honors courses, or foreign language courses offered at all. I enrolled in a rural undergraduate school because they gave me the best scholarship offer and my parents insisted on getting as many scholarships as I could (more on this towards the end of the post). Despite my university's reputation as the "stoner college" of northern Ohio, I got my butt handed to me academically and had a 3.1 GPA from that undergraduate and a 3.26 from all of my courses overall. Part of the reason was because I went for a BS, rather than a BA, in Psychology and didn't do well in the math courses with the exception of when I retook Calculus 2.
After my first year, I wanted to take a break from college, but I was forced to stay at the behest of my parents. They even hired a life coach who worked with me from a distance for all four years. As grateful as I am for that support, I realize it was the beginning of issues with becoming totally independent. Fast forward to graduation and I have one summer's worth of lab experience and a 3.5 PSY GPA to my name. I'm forced to take a gap year because I applied only to Ph.D programs (big mistake) and had low GRE scores.
So, how did I get into graduate school with my awful credentials? My parents hired a different coach who specialized in job applications and had a lot of connections. I was able to sell what little I had and get offers to 6/8 Master's programs I applied to in Experimental Psychology and had solid references that explicitly address that they thought I could do well despite my shortcomings. This coach taught me how to contact potential advisors and professors ahead of time and taught me the ins and outs of selling myself to get in.
My final Master's record upon graduation was a 3.48 GPA and I graduated a semester later. My final year of the Master's program, I reconsulted my old coach who helped me write my personal statement and get in contact with potential advisors again. I got two interviews and had one offer of admission to the current Ph.D program I'm in right now. This was despite my lackluster GPA (both undergrad and Master's) and not taking another 10 hours for an assistantship during my Master's program (no additional TAship or RAship in other words, even though everyone else in my program did something extra by their second year).
After I matriculated into the program, I got my Master's in December 2020 due to COVID delays and defending later than I had hoped in my case. I eventually had an ugly falling out with my first advisor due to a misunderstanding (I'll leave it at that since this background detail is already long), but thankfully passed my qualifier project still. I think the world of my current advisor, especially since he was the only one who took me when no one else would at all. I developed PTSD from the experience with my first advisor based on a neuropsychological evaluation I got back in August 2023. When I spoke to the original evaluator for my autism, she said that it was only likely that way because my stress management is characteristically poor and I have extremely low stress tolerance.
Fast forward to now and I recently turned 30 earlier this month. I am back with the old coach who helped me with my Master's and Ph.D applications once again and they're even helping me with "life stuff," getting through all of it and were immensely crucial for helping me get through the situation with my first Ph.D advisor.
I am thankful for the help I've received, but as the top of comment of a previous post alluded to in this instance, I have not learned to walk on my own.
In case this information is relevant, I have $53k in student loan debt principal. The undergraduate loans are eligible under Biden's SAVE plan and have their interest waived when payments are due since they're $0 at the moment. I have about $26k saved right now that I'm not going to put back toward my $24k of graduate loans until I know if I have income after this August.
I have student loan debt even though my father makes over $200k a year ever since I was around 10 years old and my mother makes anywhere between $60k-$80k a year. My parents do not have student loans since neither went to college. I also just learned that the coach billed my parents for around $680 each month over past two (highest ever). Even though its $100 per one hour session (thus leading me to think it was $200 a month since we meet twice a month). Turns out they charged for email and text communications with me even though those were encouraged. Should I feel guilty for not keeping track of the spending despite the agreement with my parents to help me on that? Given everything else mentioned earlier, should I feel guilty for "blowing through" these support systems? Folks love to tell me that someone who had half the resources I did taking my spot in graduate school instead could've gone further.
There is also something else I've been wondering ever since I learned their income levels. Other than the spending on me and my brothers, why would they be that insistent on me and my brothers taking out student loans? They said that they, my grandparents, and me would all pay for "a third" and part of that third on me and my brother's end was taking out student loans. I should also note that I went to a private high school for those with disabilities tuition free despite my parent's income as well because I got an autism scholarship from the state of Ohio that waived tuition.
Only other things I know that are finance related are the $350k in loans (not sure if this was principal or principal + interest) my father took out for his small business, which I know were paid off around my junior year of undergrad. Other than that, I don't know the mortgage of the house or anything else related to its value. I do know there's a mortgage in general though because one of my brothers asked if he paid for the house upfront and he said he did not at all and took out a loan. What else could be underlying their spending? I'm open to hearing others speculate.
Also, thank you for reading this super long post.

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hi I am currently a junior in college and Ive been thinking about this for awhile but I want to change my degree to construction management because of how much more secure getting a job is. I was a psychology major and criminal justice major through the first 2 years but I realized id probably have to go to school for an extra couple of years and the job market isn't that big and id be competing against a lot of other people to get a job. with construction it interests me because I get to manage construction and to be honest that's all I know about it. but construction has always kind of interested me in a way and I like how secure getting a job is. for my School it requires me to take a lot of Buisness classes and a lot of construction management course clearly. I would not graduate on time which is fine with me. what all do you do when your a construction manager and what jobs could I get with a degree in that field? what all do I learn? and was it worth for you guys to get the degree?

https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/cg1p8marcoxnt93s_igs_rep_page/
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Devil Daggers
Devil's Hunt
Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition
DIG - Deep In Galaxies
Dimension Drifter
Dirt Rally 2.0 - Only for good offers
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dirt 5 - Only for good offers
Distrust
Divide By Sheep
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Doodle Derby
DOOM (1993)
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DOOM 64
Dorke and Ymp
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Double
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Draw Slasher
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Driftland: The Magic Revival
Drink More Glurp
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Duke Nukem Forever
Dungeons 3
Dust to the End
DV: Rings of Saturn
Eagle Island
Elderand
Elven Legacy Collection
Endless Fables 3: Dark Moor
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Escape Dead Island
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Escape from Naraka
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Etherlords I & II
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Farabel
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Farm Frenzy: Refreshed
Figment
Final Doom
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Filthy Animals Heist Simulator
Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China - Deluxe Edition
Fractured Minds
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Freaking Meatbags
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The Truth is an anthology of nearly 200 episodes spanning a wide variety of genres. It billed itself as movies for the ears, and it certainly lived up to that description. Now, it is true that quite a few audio dramas fit that description, but you have to consider the context that The Truth occurred in. The first episode of The Truth premiered way back in 2011. The indie audio drama community was still very much in its infancy. Fiction podcasts tended to be short story readings like StarShipSofa or Lightspeed Magazine. If you were lucky, you might get something like The Drabblecast, with music and sound-effects added to the mix. The Truth was a full-cast show, performed rather than read, and with immersive sound-effects and music.
The Truth was an anthology in the purest sense of the word. Each episode was a new present to unwrap. It spanned multiple genres and styles. The early years did tend to be a bit more experimental in terms of material. I had the opportunity to chat with series creator Jonathan Mitchell. Jonathan described these early episodes as scenes rather than stories. True, they are certainly shorter than later episodes, but that’s hardly a bad thing. Each of them was like a snapshot into a different life, and they were certainly memorable snapshots. I’m not the only one who is of this opinion. Many episodes from this era of The Truth were featured on various programs such as All Things Considered, Weekend America, Planet Money, This American Life, and Studio 360. Eventually, the need to pay the bills came knocking. So, the episodes began to favor longer stories in order to provide more space for ad breaks. Now, some people say this was the era when The Truth went into decline. Personally, I strongly disagree. There were still many quality episodes being produced.
The real decline, ironically, was around the time The Truth celebrated its tenth anniversary. Well, maybe not entirely ironically. I have noticed that many anthology podcasts tend to start going stale around the ten year mark. It was at this point the misses started to outnumber the hit. Now, to be fair, there were still a few diamonds in the rough. That being said, it was clear that the writers’ well of inspiration was starting to run dry. The episodes also increasingly had the same feel to them. The decline of The Truth didn’t come with a bang, but with a whimper.
It is certainly sad that the curtain has finally fallen on The Truth. No show can last forever. Eventually, if you smolder well past your time, you will see a steady decline in quality. In the immortal words of Harvey Dent, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I certainly hope that The Truth is always remember for what it was, rather than the decline it saw during its final season.
And that, my friends, is what this review is all about. We are going to celebrate The Truth in all its myriad ways. From those early “snapshots of a life” episodes, to the more full-length episodes. We will also look at a few less than stellar episodes. They can make for a good teaching moment about what not to do.
This is merely part one. I’ll be making a part two, so be on the lookout for that in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s part three eventually.
But I wanted to start off with a good solid foundation. To that end, I reviewed the episodes “Moon Graffiti”, “Eat Cake”, “That’s Democracy”, “Do You Have a Minute for Equality”, “Brain Chemistry”, “Fish Girl”, and “Mall Santa.”
Like I said, this just the start. More to come in the future.
Have you listened to The Truth? If so, what did you think?
Link to the full review is over here: http://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-audio-file-truth-part-1.html?m=0

7 Wonders: Magical Mystery Tour
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9 Years of Shadows
12 is Better Than 6
911 Operator
A Blind Legend
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Afterimage
Agatha Christie - The ABC Murders
Agent in Depth
age of wonders 3
Agents of Mayhem
Alien Spidy
AI War 2
A Juggler's Tale
Alchemist's Castle
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Almost There: The Platformer
ALLTYNEX Second"
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Akka Arrh
American Fugitive
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Ancestors Legacy
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An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire
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Aragami 2
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Arena Renovation
Armada 2526 Gold Edition
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Ary and the Secret of Seasons
Ascension to the Throne
Ashina: The Red Witch
Astronarch
Atari Vault
Attack of the Earthlings
Attractio
Automachef
Axiom Verge
Backbone
Back 4 Blood - Only for good offers
Band of Defenders"
Banners of Ruin
Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition
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Battle Academy 2: Eastern Front
Battle vs Chess
BEAUTIFUL DESOLATION
Belladonna
Beyond the Long Night
Bionic Commando: Rearmed
BioShock Infinite
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BLACKHOLE: Complete Edition
BLADE ASSAULT
Blacksad: Under the Skin
Blitzkrieg Anthology
Blood Bowl 2
Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced
Borderlands handsome collection
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Bots Are Stupid
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Breakout: Recharged
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Children of Morta
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Chaos on Deponia
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dirt 5 - Only for good offers
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Dorke and Ymp
Doorways: Holy Mountains of Flesh
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DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms
Driftland: The Magic Revival
Drink More Glurp
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Duke Nukem Forever
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Dust to the End
DV: Rings of Saturn
Eagle Island
Elderand
Elven Legacy Collection
Endless Fables 3: Dark Moor
Epistory - Typing Chronicles
Escape Dead Island
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Everhood
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f1 2019 Anniversary - ONLY FOR VERY GOOD OFFERS
Family Mysteries 3: Criminal Mindset
Family Mysteries: Poisonous Promises
Fantasy Blacksmith
Farabel
Farming World
Farm Frenzy: Refreshed
Figment
Final Doom
Fire
Firegirl
FIRST CLASS TROUBLE
Flashing Lights Police Fire EMS
Filthy Animals Heist Simulator
Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China - Deluxe Edition
Fractured Minds
FRAMED COLLECTION
Freaking Meatbags
Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard
FRONTIERS
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For the People
Formula Carr Racing
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Fury Unleashed
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Garbage
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Generation Zero
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon
Ghost Files: The Face of Guilt
Ghost Files 2: Memory of a Crime
Ghost Files: The Face of Guilt
Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart
Gigapocalypse
GOAT OF DUTY
God’s Trigger
Goetia
Go Home Dinosaurs
Godstrike
Going Under
Golden Light
Golfie
Golf Gang
Goodbye Deponia
Grand Mountain Adventure: Wonderlands
Grey Goo Definitive Edition
Grotto
Grid Ultimate Edition
Grim Legends 2: Song of the Dark Swan
Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride
GRIP: Combat Racing
GRIP: Combat Racing - Cygon Garage Kit
GRIP: Combat Racing - Nyvoss Garage Kit
GRIP: Combat Racing - Terra Garage Kit
GRIP: Combat Racing - Vintek Garage Kit
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son
GTA VICE CITY - only for very good offers
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Gunscape
Guns & Fishes
Guns of Icarus Alliance
Hacknet
Hack 'n' Slash
Haegemonia: The Solon Heritage
Hauma - A Detective Noir Story
Headsnatchers
Hero of the Kingdom
Hero of the Kingdom III
Hero of the Kingdom: The Lost Tales 1
Hero of the Kingdom: The Lost Tales 2
Heroes of the Monkey Tavern
Heroes of Hellas 3: Athens
Heroes of Hellas Origins: Part One
HEAVEN'S VAULT
Hexologic
Hidden Memory - Neko's Life
Hidden Object 6in1 bundle
Hidden Object Bundle 5 in 1
Hidden Shapes - Trick or Cats
HIVESWAP: Act 1
Hiveswap Friendsim
Hitman Absolution
Holiday Bonus GOLD
Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?!
Homebrew - Patent Unknown
Homefront
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home EP2
Horizon Shift
Hospital Tycoon
How 2 Escape
Hyperdrive Massacre
Hyperspace Invaders II: Pixel Edition
I am not a Monster: First Contact
ICBM
Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
Impulsion
In Between
Innerspace
Inside My Radio
Internet Cafe Simulator
Interrogation: You will be deceived
Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition
Into the Pit
Insurgency
In Other Waters
Iratus
Ironcast
Iron Commando - Koutetsu no Senshi
Iron Danger
Iron Lung
Iron Marines
Island Tribe
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
Jalopy
Jane Angel: Templar Mystery
Jewel Match Atlantis Solitaire - Collector's Edition
Jewel Match Solitaire 2 Collector's Edition
Jewel Match Solitaire L'Amour
Jewel Match Solitaire Winterscapes
Joggernauts
Just Cause 3
Just Die Already
Just Ignore Them
Kaichu - The Kaiju Dating Sim
Kao the Kangaroo (2000 re-release)
KarmaZoo
Kerbal Space Program
Killing Floor 2
Killer is Dead - Nightmare Edition
Kitaria Fables
Kingdom Rush
King Oddball
Knight's Retreat
Knightin'+
Koala Kids
Konung 2
Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure
Landlord's Super
Lamentum
Laser Disco Defenders
Last Oasis
Last Word
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West
Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager
Lego Marvel 2 Deluxe
LEVELHEAD
Lila’s Sky Ark
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What’s the #1 thing every founder needs to know?

I’ll give you a few minutes to make a list — top of mind might include sales, marketing, technology, product management (especially product-market fit), technical skills, fundraising, team building, leadership, management, finance, and planning/executing strategic growth and scaling.
Sure… but, sorry, none of that is the correct answer. Because, of course, you know that founders typically are expected to be jacks of all trades. So yes, to all of the above, but that’s not the secret sauce.
The #1 thing every founder needs to know is… themself.
Here’s the truth: founders start companies, and entrepreneurs build them. While not every entrepreneur is a founder (think franchise owners), every founder is an entrepreneur (at least initially).
If you’re like me, you are a forward-obsessed founder. That means where you are now is always building toward where you want to go. That person is always an entrepreneur. Once the company is started, you’ll do what it takes — including relinquishing control — to keep it growing.
Does that sting? We founders think of our companies as our babies, but statistics say we’re likely to be the ones kicked out of the nest. Also, research shows that in the US, only 14 out of the top selling 500 companies still have the original founder running the company. And the Harvard Business Review reports that most founders relinquish control long before their companies go public — and that four out of five are forced to step down as CEO.
It doesn’t have to be that way if you have one critical attribute: self-awareness. That way, you can decide as your company grows how you want to evolve your role in the overall day-to-day running of the company (i.e., learn, delegate, hire, move on). And ultimately, you can make better choices at critical growth junctures in your business progression.
So, to help you become more self-aware, it’s helpful to understand the different types of founders. Let’s dive in.

The Types of Founders

A couple of notes before we get into specifics:

Much like any other classification, there are gray areas, so you (and many of the examples I share in this article) may fit into more than one category.
Some traits are common to all founders, such as being open to innovation, passionate about their project, risk-takers, etc. But some founders excel or even over-index in certain attributes, so that’s what you’ll see in the different types.

The bottom line: knowing your strongest/weakest points is a critical piece of the self-awareness pie. That way, you can conduct your business in what I call the Green Zone — aka the Genius Zone, where you have both high passion and high competence — and make the best choices for you and your company.

1. The Solo Founder

Traits:

Fiercely independent
Self-assured
Strong belief in their vision/idea
Business strongly tied to skill set and experience
Resilient (i.e., can withstand feelings of loneliness)

Benefits:

Freedom
Complete control
Learn a lot

Pitfalls:

Solo-founded companies statistically have a higher failure rate
Harder to raise money/VCs are more reticent
Health impacts: burnout, loneliness, etc.
Attention is divided because you wear all the hats (marketing, sales, building your product, finances, fundraising, prospecting for new customers, etc.)
Complete responsibility for all aspects of the business

Example: Sara Blakely, Spanx Founder
Ten years ago, in 2012, when she was just 38, Sara Blakely became the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. Her business, built on a significant industry gap (the lack of comfortable, effective shapewear) and her incredible sales hustle, also benefited greatly from Blakely’s abundant self-awareness. Here’s her advice to solo founders at a 2020 business conference:

“I tell people as soon as you can afford to hire your weaknesses, do it… As soon as I could afford to hire someone to do more of the operations side of the business, I did. As an entrepreneur, one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is to stay in your lane.”

In other words, know what your Green Zone is and play there.
If you’re like Blakely, it’s usually big ideas and sales ability (she could easily qualify as a Visionary Founder, too) or operations and execution (what Blakely realized she needed help with).
Pro tip: If you’re a solo founder, you’ll likely want to lean into an entrepreneurial framework like the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to help you define and settle into which side you skew toward.

2. The Visionary Founder (or Co-founders)

Traits:

Driven by a big idea
Disruptive — recognizes opportunities to upend traditional norms
Focused and clear
Persistent
Natural salesperson
Can see the big picture
Collaborative (esp. In co-founder scenario)
Motivated by the impact they have — more than $$ alone

Benefits:

Passionate about their work
Aren’t easily derailed — failures are expected, and mistakes are not made twice
Inspired leadership

Pitfalls:

So focused on the big picture that they may miss important details
A visionary idea doesn’t automatically = visionary leadership
Disconnected from reality at times
Easily bored when the mundane takes priority
May not plan succession well
Unrealistic expectations
Poor communication

Example: Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak
Considering that Steve Jobs’ name is pretty much synonymous with “visionary,” I don’t think I need to list more than the products and industries Jobs’ revolutionized at Apple and beyond — Apple Computers, iPod (iTunes), iPad, iPhone, Pixar, iCloud — with many products and points in between. George Lucas, from whom Jobs bought the Graphics Group at Lucasfilm and renamed it “Pixar,” perfectly summarizes his superpower:

“The magic of Steve was that while others simply accepted the status quo, he saw the true potential in everything he touched and never compromised on that vision.”

Steve Wozniak was the technological yin to Jobs’ sales and marketing yang, bringing the vision of a computer with a graphic interface to life. From the visionary files, “Woz” also invented the first programmable universal remote and was an early innovator of wireless GPS (thanks to his clever dogs who routinely evaded electronic fences).

3. The Serial Disruptor

Traits:

Varied interests & capabilities
Easily bored — desires variety and change
Optimistic
Extremely innovative
High threshold for pain
Accepting of failure
Self-reliant
Diverse capabilities
Bold vision
Motivated by the impact they have — more than $$ alone

Benefits:

Variety of experiences
Flexibility and freedom
Diversification
Tons of opportunities for creative expression
Greater earning opportunities
Disrupts industries
Attracts high-quality talent

Pitfalls:

High risk
Difficulties finding trustworthy partners/can get stuck helming something when you want to move on
Multitudes of people reliant on you
Divided focus
Ego-driven pursuits

Example: Elon Musk
Like him or loathe him, Elon Musk is perhaps the most prolific (and successful) serial founder of all time with startups including Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, among others. His drive to design opportunities to evolve humanity has redefined both hustle culture and the art of serial entrepreneurship.
For serial founders, having a set of principles is key to their success. In Musk’s case, his use of “first principles” — reducing a process to its essential parts — has served him well, from helping him figure out how to make rockets cheaper and reusable (SpaceX) to shifting the narrative of electric vehicles (Tesla).

4. The Engineer

Traits:

Engineer by experience and nature
Technically savvy
Able to problem-solve technology-driven issues (not just with the product but also operations-wise)
Strong desire to not just innovate but also to accelerate progress
Expansive vision of how technology can solve common problems
Level-headed
Agile, fast learners
Focused on execution

Benefits:

Pragmatic approach
Own technology
Problems are solved quickly
Able to employ technology to reduce time to market
Solutions for products can become new products in their own right

Pitfalls:

Not well versed in other crucial areas (i.e., sales, marketing)
Over-index on having lower Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Because they can learn quickly, so may get stuck playing outside of the green zone

Example: Mark Zuckerberg
Much like the other examples I’m sharing, Mark Zuckerberg’s story has been widely told, so you probably know about his development of Facebook. But at his core, Zuckerberg is an engineering prodigy and geek. At just 13 in 1997, he built “ZuckNet,” which enabled the family’s home computers to communicate via Ping (a precursor of AOL’s Instant Messenger) with his father’s dental office computers. He was using AI in his senior year in high school, so the roots of his Meta(verse) focus today are apparent.
A common weakness for engineers is they tend to have a lower EQ, which has been well-researched. As a former engineer, I understand how logic and technology come easier than understanding human behavior. This is why tech founders should seek out mentors early and bring in competent leaders with high EQ and leadership skills — for example, Zuckerberg credits his former COO of 14 years, Sheryl Sandberg, for turning the company into a multi-billion dollar company.

5. The Personality Founder

Traits:

Charismatic and gregarious
Attracts a vast audience
Influential
Ambitious
Forward-thinking
Inwardly motivated (responds to a “calling”)
Excellent storytellers
Authentic and honest (ideally 😉)

Benefits:

Has a built-in audience and established social platforms
Likely has pre-existing wealth (can help fund the business/mitigate startup money woes)
Can use their power for good; disruptive in a positive way

Pitfalls:

Needs to find the right people to trust
Can’t just be the “face” of the business; needs to accrue real business chops
Celebrity and influence status don’t equal quality products
Difficult or impossible for the founder to leave

Example: Oprah
I’m using Oprah as an example, as her products are an outgrowth of her — her eponymous talk show, which ran for 25 years, the OWN network, O Magazine, her book club, and a variety of charitable endeavors comprise her vast empire. But of course, we know plenty of other personality brands that have racked up billions in sales and even transformed, from the Kardashians/Jenners, to Bethany Frankel and Ryan Reynolds (just watch Deadpool 3 to see his brands — coming in 2023).
In today’s age of influence, we’ve seen a surge of personality brands and founders who leverage built-in audiences and communities to scale quickly. All these names are business mavericks in their own right, but many didn’t start out this way — they deftly utilize their charisma and ability to entertain to shape their brands and pave the way to success.

6. The Accidental Founder

Traits:

Independent
Resourceful
Necessity-driven
Follow their desire/passion
Creative
Willing to take risks

Benefits:

A deep belief in what they’re doing
Solves real-world problems based on personal experience
Discover they’re much happier running their own show
Turns skills, vocation, or avocation into a profitable business

Pitfalls:

May not have the business chops
Reluctant business person — may not actually want to run their own business
Needs to find the right people to trust
Overwhelm

Example: Yvon Chouinard
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard has been in the news lately for giving away his company to fight climate change. He’s an OG accidental entrepreneur whose passion for rock climbing led him to develop reusable pitons (rock climbing spikes) and, later, heavy-duty shirts. Famously Chouinard called himself a “dirtbag climber” and didn’t want to become a business mogul. Sixty-five years later, this accidental founder’s company is valued at $3 billion, and his latest innovation is a way of giving away the profits of a company to continue his contribution to society — protecting and preserving the natural world.
As I always say, there are riches in the niches, and accidental entrepreneurs are the leading type of founders to discover a marketplace with little or no competition.

7. The Intentional Founder

Traits:

Purpose-driven
Strong ideals and values
Passionate about the bigger picture impacts
Socially conscious
Clear and focused on the brand mission

Benefits:

An empathetic approach to the product/the company
Can educate, empower, and motivate others (i.e., team, customers)
Employees are statistically more satisfied and likely to stay
Commitment to a higher ideal engenders more loyalty and trust with the general public (customers)

Pitfalls:

Moving from individual ideals to a group effort is tricky
Difficult to find employees with perfectly aligned values
Might not have the business experience to set the organization up for long-term success
Purpose-driven (belief) isn’t the same as purpose-enabled (capability)
Might be challenging for the company to survive the loss of the founder

Example: Jessica Alba
While Jessica Alba does have some touches of a Personality Founder (she is an actor) and an Accidental Founder (an allergic reaction to detergent made her worry about her new baby’s sensitive skin), she is an excellent example of an intentional founder. Back in 2008, when Alba had that allergic reaction, influencer marketing wasn’t what it is today — plus, she had some success but was by no means a household name. Ditto for eco-conscious consumer packaged goods — a plus, sure, but didn’t have the same urgency and importance it does today. Alba then spent years researching ingredients in everyday products and even went to DC to lobby for updates to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Convinced that consumers need safe, affordable, environmentally friendly products for kids and home, Alba launched The Honest Company in 2011.
Now, she did have seasoned co-founders, her own wealth to use out the gates, and VC support shortly after that, but it has always been Alba’s commitment to and alignment with the brand’s core principles that have kept the brand growing and thriving — today, as a publicly traded company with a 2021 $412.8 IPO.
What type of founder are you? Definitely feel free to share in the comments.

Hi all, I'm gonna start with some background info.
Im 18, and I was a dropout. My mother died, I had severe depression, my dad had heart surgery ect, blah blah you get the picture.
I recently completed my GED here in Ontario, and have been giving a lot of thought to my career, and what I wanted to do in life. I settled on the idea of being a teacher, despite how I hated school, because I like working with children, and have good patience, but above all else, I can't really picture myself doing anything else. I also have a girlfriend of two years who lives in Michigan. I spend holidays/summers there, and it's the only time I feel truly happy, but it creates an issue of me being unsure of what to do with my life, since we're still young, (18 and 17) and making it harder to commit to a job, since I'm constantly leaving the country.
I feel lost on where to start, and who to talk to for a better idea of what other requirements apart from a GED I'll need to get into a college. I don't have a guidance counselor since I'm not enrolled at a school, and I didn't find any resources online where I could talk to one for broad advice. I've decided to do school here, in Ontario, because it's way cheaper and less stressful.
So, my questions. 1. What other requirements are there to enter into a college program apart from my GED, and what steps should I take to procure them? 2. If I were to move to the states at some point down the line, would I need to re-do some education, since my degree is from Ontario, or is it normal for the degrees to hold the same weight in either country?
Thank you for reading, even if you cannot give a complete answer, any insight into next steps would be appreciated greatly, I want to take the next step into getting my life on track. :)

My youngest son had his Bar Mitzvah this past Saturday. I am so proud of him and all his hard work. Studying for his Bar Mitzvah he has become more religious. I am very proud of him, and want to encourage his Jewish journey. He asked me why I didn’t get him Tefilin for his Bar Mitzvah. I was completely honest and told him there was no way we could afford it. We live in a Rural community, I don’t know any other Jews around us. We drove over an hour for 2 years for twice a week so he could prepare for his Bar Mitzvah. Tefilin is so expensive. Either he gets Tefilin or we get to eat for two weeks. My boy handled it well. What I need to know is if there is anywhere I won’t be paying more than $400 for used Tefilin? There is no way I can afford new. We had a family friend from Chicago who recently passed away, and I made contact with his next of Kin. I told them to please not sell his Jewish ritual objects, and talk to me and the Chabad he went to first. I would have loveed to pass on his Tefilin to my son since he had no close family. They ended up listing everything on EBay and donating all the money to the Mormon church. Our friend’s only living cousin converted to Mormonism. They claim they found no will even though this man was a lawyer who only did real estate and wills. If anyone here has any kind of information where I can get Tefilin for a reasonable price, I would appreciate it.

Ever-shifting Short Seller Claims

The short sellers attacking RILY in 2023-2024 have been relentless, with an ever-shifting list of wild accusations.
It's sickening to watch them compile a never-ending list of baseless wild theories and claims to support their short positions, which are demonstrably false. But as each is proved false, they pivot to new claims, and/or change the goalposts.
The sheer volume of shifting claims makes it hard to track how despotic they are with their "platform," and how many falsehoods they've spun. Even for someone who watched it in real-time, for almost a year

Compiled & Debunked

Sunlight kills vampires. To that end, I've compiled a list of (i) claimants (ii) claims (iii) reality (iv) definitive source proving reality.

Why Did They Target RILY?

One of the most vocal short sellers, Nate Koppikar (who also introduced Marc Cohodes to the "opportunity") has a fund Orso Partners. Based on their SEC registration document, this is their investment thesis:
"The Account’s investment objectives are to achieve capital appreciation primarily by identifying and selling short marketable equity securities of underfollowed and complex companies with misleading or corrective disclosures through a research-intensive process. The Account employs a short-biased investment strategy with an emphasis on primarily small to mid-cap companies that are underfollowed and complex (i.e., companies with market capitalizations of less than $5 billion which the market does not yet have a wellformed bull and/or bear perspective)."
RILY fits their description. The icing on the cake was the relatively large market cap, and the relatively small float. Given extremely high insider ownership (32.9% of shares per the proxy), and limitations on when and how insiders can trade, the "free float" of the stock (i.e., the shares that regularly trade) is very small for the size of the company. Moreover, the setup would only get better - given insiders have consistently used their free cash to buy additional shares hand-over-fist (further reducing the float).
That meant, with relatively small amounts of capital, the short sellers could shove around the stock price. That ability to move price opens another profit avenue - taking large derivative positions (buying puts, and selling calls), and shoving the price (or allowing it to drift up) to profit all along the way. It looked so good, the stock has been the highest-shorted on the US indices for several months. Even after the release of the 10-K, shares remain "hard to borrow" with elevated borrow fees.

Debunked Claims

The claims made by vocal short sellers could fill a book. Most were outrageous and fanciful when they were proposed. Virtually all have objectively debunked. This isn't a comprehensive list, as their claims are too numerous and varied. But it paints an illuminating picture.
With a track record this poor, one would expect the short sellers to exit - rather than continuing to spin new narratives. Perhaps the continued attacks are their exit strategy to avoid bankruptcy... Well, #Bullish.
With the highest short interest of all US stocks (albeit likely decreased from the highs of ~76% of the float), I think this is more than ripe for a return to fair value - or well above, if a short squeeze occurs.
Note that the list below deliberately excludes three types of posts/claims from the short sellers:
A) Juvenile personal attacks and attempts to character assassinate and dox a long list of people (RILY CEO, RILY new hires, RILY clients, Marcum the auditor, Marcum's lead audit professional, any firm or individual publicly posting a bull thesis on RILY, etc.).
B) Those that make no objective claims, but simply exist as a product of malicious degeneracy (like pictures of roasted pigs in ovens labeled Bryant Riley the CEO, photoshopped pictures of the CEO in prison chains next to convicted felons, video of an obese woman barely able to walk being gored by a bull labeled Mrs. Riley the CEO's wife, etc.).
C) Those that are impossible for short sellers to know, and impossible to objectively verify (e.g., Marc Cohodes claiming a single RILY trader front runs the CEOs personal short trades in front of clients taking following the firm's bullish advice on those stocks, to guarantee profits).

Claimant	Claim	Reality
1) Wolfpack	Wolfpack “RILY will record investment losses of up to ~$700 million in 2023” FALSE 10-K	FALSE
2) Wolfpack	“new loan to CORZQ will work out just as badly as the last and end in default (again) before June 2023”	FALSE Repaid in full, early, on 1/6/2024.
3) Wolfpack	“The coupon rate on RILY’s seven issues of baby bonds ranges from 5% to 6.75%, which we believe to be far too low to compensate investors for the existential risk that accompanies these securities.”	FALSE Full redemption of May 2024 came early. Far more than sufficient cash to cover debt payments.
4) Wolfpack	“According to our analysis, 4 of RILY’s largest 7 corporate borrowers with outstanding loan balances of $295.3 million are at a high risk of default, or in the case of CORZQ, is already in default.”	FALSE a. Core Scientific Inc. repaid early and in full ($111MM of the “risk”) b. Exela Technologies repaid term loan in full ($55.8MM of the “risk”) c. Arena Group Holdings debt retired in full ($99MM of the “risk”). Publicly disclosed in the most recent 10-K for each company (search for "Riley" in the filing)
5) Wolfpack	“RILY’s NAV is Far Below the $1.1 Billion Minimum NAV Requirement That Is Required for the Nomura Credit Agreement Putting RILY at Risk of Collapse in 2023”	FALSE RILY is in full compliance with the Nomura credit agreement. Moreover, reflecting the strength of the relationship, Nomura even granted a no-fee extension when the 10-K filing was delayed. Also see 10-K for current status.
6) Wolfpack	“Over $200 Million of the Goodwill and Intangible Assets on RILY’s Balance Sheet is Attributable to its Telecom Rollup, which is Centered on Dial-up and DSL Internet:” - criticizing them as dying businesses with no value	FALSE Segment is extremely valuable. From just 2020 to 2023, the communications segment has returned over $212.2MM in adjusted EBITDA.
7) Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various	RILY committed fraud with loans and closing the FRG acquisition. "The fact $RILY closed the FRG deal while hiding the Kahn loan - an all PIK defaulted loan backed by $FRG shares - is a Hall of Fame worthy act of fraud. I thought after Enron/Sarbox we couldn't have something like this happen in US markets."	FALSE A law firm led an internal investigation, and an independent external investigation both found “The review confirmed what the Company previously disclosed: that the Company and its executives, including Bryant Riley, had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Prophecy.” “The results of the independent investigation confirmed that the Company and its executives had no involvement with, or knowledge of, any of the alleged misconduct concerning Mr. Kahn or any of his affiliates. This independent investigation was conducted subsequent to the Company's February 22, 2024 disclosure of the internal review performed with the assistance of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as outside counsel.” Also see 10-K
8) Marc Cohodes (AlderlaneEggs), ParrotCapital, Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Various	The 10-K will never be filed. They can't produce audited financials.	FALSE Audited 10-K was filed. Delay was due to Audit committee fulfilling its responsibilities and proactively conducting investigations (internal and external).
9) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs) + Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear) + Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate) + ParrotCapital	Sullivan and Cromwell knew about Massive Fraud, and did a "sham investigation"	FALSE Sullivan and Cromwell is one of the most respected law firms, in the US and worldwide. "Sullivan & Cromwell continues to lead all law firm advisers in announced and completed global deals in 2023, according to Bloomberg and LSEG. The Firm advised on global announced deals totaling more than $345 billion, representing a 12.1 percent market share, per Bloomberg, and on completed global deals totaling more than $431 billion, representing a 16.9 percent market share, per LSEG." They're not compromising themselves for a relatively small client.
10) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Nate Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear), Bill Abbate Jr. (JrAbbate), Parrot Capital	Marcum is enabling Massive Fraud	FALSE Marcum is a respected audit firm, and 13th largest by revenue. "Marcum LLP advanced into the Top 15 in the 2023 Vault Accounting list of top-ranked accounting firms. Marcum climbed six levels to the No. 13 ranking overall and earned a ranking of 14 in prestige. The Firm also won Top 20 rankings across all Practice Area, Quality of Life, and Diversity categories, including several new classifications added this year."
11) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs)	Nomura is enabling Massive Fraud	FALSE Nomura is a global financial services company, and the oldest brokerage firm in Japan. They operate in a highly regulated industry. They're not putting themselves on the line for a relatively small client.
12) Parrot Capital	"The list of $RILY enablers is massive: Marcum LLP, Sullivan and Cromwell, Seeking Alpha, Holbrook Holdings, $AX Axos Bank, Many, many more."	FALSE There's no global conspiracy whereby these companies - all respected law firms, auditors, banks, and media outlets - are collectively colluding to enable RILY to commit fraud. Requires only two brain cells and one functioning synapse to know there's no grand collusion cabal between these disparate companies.
13) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs), Jonathan Weil at WSJ	Franchise Group shares used to secure Kahn loan: "It is unclear whether Kahn pledged the same shares twice—to both Prophecy and B. Riley."	FALSE As stated by the company, Simple UCC search disproves this. UCC # 202302295747
14) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs)	“Bryant Riley is on the Road, telling people the ‘audit partner at Marcum left’ and that ‘I have made mistakes’ “	FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit.
15) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs)	"So it turns out James La Rocca was Fired by MarcumLLP If nothing was wrong with prior $RILY Audits, why is he gone? This will be great in discovery of what exactly went on.	FALSE Marcum audit partner was working on the audit the whole time; the original audit partner had hit the 5yr SEC rule, so he was never working on this year’s audit.
16) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear)	“So Bryant Riley did disseminate MNPI back in March” in response to Cohodes claim that he told people the Marcum partner left	FALSE Cohodes claimed Bryant Riley was telling people the Marcum auditor left. Koppikar called that disseminating MNPI. Cohodes statement was false (and thus Koppikar's derivate claim is also false). A different auditor worked on RILY, as Marcum follows the SEC rules; the lead auditor can only serve the client for 5 consecutive years. As such, Koppikar’s derivative claim of disseminating MNPI is false.
17) Koppikar (TheFriendlyBear)	“He appears to still not be familiar with the voting interest model of consolidation… why is a life science and tech partner signing an extremely complex investment company / broker dealer audit ???” i.e., auditor is unqualified	FALSE The auditor is fully qualified. Marcum is a highly respected auditor; they don't hire unqualified people, or assign them to clients they're unqualified to audit. RILY is continuing to use Marcum as the 2024 auditor.
18) Marc Cohodes (AlderLaneEggs)	"Now that the $RILY dividend is going away, this omission is serious stuff"	FALSE The dividend did not go away. It was reduced from $1.00/share to $0.50/share, to allow them to opportunistically allocate capital. 23Q4 and 24Q1

Hi all I thought I'd share this account of my battle with an unknown infection which I've had since March.
I hooked up with a girl on the 18th of March this year. I had used a condom but when I pulled out I realised it had slipped off. Prior to this I hadn't been with anyone else in over 5 months
Fast forward a week and I noticed miniscule scabbing on the end of my penis. At first I thought this may just be fabric from my underwear stuck to some dried semen. Anyway I started noticing discoloration at the head of my penis opening. It looks sore but it's not painful and has been tingly on occasions. I got tested around a week and a half later for the usual (gonorhea, chlamydia, syphilis etc) they tested my urine and blood both which both came back clear. The clinician also said that they couldn't see anything to be concerned about.
I couldn't get it out of my mind so I asked the girl to get tested too, she said her tests came back clear. I went back to clinic as I wasn't convinced and a second clinician examined me and again said they couldn't see anything I need to be concerned about and that they didn't think it's was anything.
I still couldn't shake my concerns so ended up paying over the odds for a private blood test done via finger prick for herpes which came back as negative. I again bought a private test this one was for the complete 14 std which again came back negative. I thought I would try once more at the clinic. One urethral swab later and the nurse detected what she described as NGU which contained 'pus cells'. She's sent a further swab away for further checks and I've been prescribed a 7-day course of Doxycycline. I felt as though the Doxy was working and things were improving. When the course finished though I felt like the infection was still there. Most recently I arranged an appointment with my doctor and he's not been overly helpful imho. He has prescribed me a 7-day Hydrocortisone to try 'fix' the red shiny skin around my meatus. He won't refer me to dermatology or urology until I've finished this course.
Some symptoms I have: An increase in dry skin on penis Increase in small dark blood spots on my sack Red/shiny skin on one side of meatus Shiny discoloured skin on shaft of penis A noticeable red area within my urethera opening Weaker urine stream
Symptoms I had but no longer have at this time: increased frequency of peeing Increased urge to poop (unsure if this was just due to anxiety of the whole issue) Some mild pain when peeing Tingling of the glans Mild discomfort from chafing glans against underwear Cloudy urine Persistent cough / pain under jowel when coughing
I haven't noticed any discharge
Timeline of symptoms and treatments: Hookup: 18th March First started noticing symptoms: 23rd March Visit to clinic (examined and samples): 3rd April - Neg 2nd visit to clinic (examined): 10th April - Neg 3rd visit to clinic (examined): 17th April - Neg HSV 1 & HSV 2 Finger prick blood tests: 23rd April - Neg Full 14-STD test: 8th May - Neg (https://randoxhealth.com/en-GB/in-clinic/complete-sti) 4th visit to clinic (examined and swabbed): 10th May - Pus cells detected. 7-day Doxycycline prescribed. Results returned Neg. Symptoms still persisted Visit to GP: Hydrocortosone prescribed for discoloration around meatus - 20th May
Some pictures: https://ibb.co/RBBqfR6
https://ibb.co/ZcrHFyd
https://ibb.co/DrnXz37
https://ibb.co/MZ21Q4c
https://ibb.co/bFzH0bc

Highest paying 2 year degrees 2011

Personal Finance For The Financially Challenged

What’s the #1 thing every founder needs to know?

The Types of Founders

1. The Solo Founder

2. The Visionary Founder (or Co-founders)

3. The Serial Disruptor

4. The Engineer

5. The Personality Founder

6. The Accidental Founder

7. The Intentional Founder

Ever-shifting Short Seller Claims

Compiled & Debunked

Why Did They Target RILY?

Debunked Claims