I think a lot of Severance is really explained by how episode 2 opens. I've noticed this before, but kept forgetting to dive into it. But last night I put on episode 2 to fall asleep to, heard it again, and decided to look into it today.
So iMark shows up for work at the beginning of Ep 2 on his first full day as MDR supervisor. He's looking at the list of his new duties, he's doing all the office prep stuff, and the whole time they're playing "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" as the music.
I truly believe there are no mistakes in this show. Everything has a reason.
So as I'm falling asleep last night, all I'm hearing is the music, I'm singing along in my head and thinking about being in second grade and performing this song with my class for one of the pagents, and then thinking, once again, "why this song?"
Some background: the Battle of Jericho itself, is where they marched around the city once a day for six days, blowing their ram horns (goat reference), and on the 7th day they marched around seven times, blowing their horns until the walls crumbled and they took the city. All fine and well. But... then I started thinking, "ok, but of all the songs they could use as Mark is setting up the office, WHY that song?"
More background: Joshua was the right hand/second behind Moses. He was with Moses when God gave Moses the commandments, but not when Moses wrote them down. Then Joshua was one of the 12 spies Moses sent into Canaan to see if they could settle there, and they were all asked to keep a good tone to the reports. The job of the spies was to map the land, see what the other settlements were doing, figure out if they could be taken over, and report back on the general state of what they had (agriculture, forestry, other resources, etc). When the spies returned, 10 gave mixed or negative reports, with only Joshua and Caleb giving glowing one. Because of this, only Joshua and Caleb were promised spots in the Promised Land. After Moses died, God appointed Joshua as his successor. Joshua then started leading them into Canaan to find places to settle, and the first battle that happened was the Battle of Jericho.
So... what if Petey is our Moses, and Mark is our Joshua? And Because Mark would have been with Petey as they wandered around, they learned what the floor was like, but then Petey wrote and left the "commandments" (aka the Map) when Mark wasn't there.
So now Mark is in charge. And though Petey/Moses is alive on the outside, and giving oMark some direction before he dies (about spying!), iMark is now his full successor inside. He was appointed by the Board/Cobel (the "god" in Severance, who, by the way, iMark never heard the voice of). At this point in time, for the innies, Petey is as good as dead. And, as an aside, there ARE 12 spies, because once they decide to join with O&D, there are 12 of them! (4 in MDR + 8 total in O&D) I double checked in the scene and have a picture.
So, the questions...

1. What is the battle of Jericho?
   
2. The next is the first battle of Ai, which they lose. What is it?
   
3. The first battle of Ai is lost because one of them looted JerJericho for their own personal gain, which they weren't supposed to do, and beyraybetrayed the group. So who is the betrayer here? Who gets "paid off" by the company?
   
4. What will be the successful battle for Ai? (Season 2 or 3?)
   

I just think with all the religious stuff with Kier, Cobel, etc., and the song, "mapping the land" and the innies trying to figure out what's going on and them spying... it's too similar.
To answer some of the questions:

1. I believe the Battle of Jericho is the innies breaching the MDR locked wall that gets installed. By the time it's installed, Petey is truly dead, so both oMark and iMark are his successor in the Moses/Joshua parallel. It's only at this point the battle could happen.

The MDE takes place, and Helly picks defiant jazz. That can symbolize the horns being played around the city walls. IIRC, the way iMark is dancing is even like a little marching step move. After Milchick leaves, the innie gang leaves MDR with Graner's keycard. The walls of Jericho have, indeed, come tumbling down! They then go and make a tentative deal to join forces with O&D, creating the full 12 spies.

1. The battle at Ai, that they lose the first time, could be them waking up in the final episode and it being thwarted. It's not clear (yet) what/how much they accomplished. TBD
   
2. The reason the first battle at Ai is unsuccessful is because someone betrayed the group at Jericho by looting. So, if this analogy holds, did someone decide to take a payoff of some sort after the first overtime contingency test in episode 9? Maybe to stay out of the breakroom? I'm not pointing fingers, but Milchick was offering a lot of new incentives to Dylan, so I guess we'll have to see?
   
3. If the 1st battle of Ai was the OTC in ep 9, then the second would have to be some sort of repeat. But in Joshua's story, the second time he goes with a small contingency and confronts the leaders, I believe (who think it'll be easy to take them down). Meanwhile, the city is lost and 12,000 perish. So... are they going to wake again but have a much better plan this time???
   

Some additional thoughts:
• I can see iIrv, when he puts the egg in the Kier book, being one of the spies being fed up with "the word of God" and broken promises.
• When iMark takes Helly on her "mental health walk" she eventually agrees to help clean up the map. And when they're with the big O&D group, they talk about trying to find out what else is going on down there, exploring, and mapping. This was the job of the 12 spies that Moses sent into Canaan.
• Even if you think about Petey, he looks old. Like older than he should, given what we could guess his age is. And he's wandering alone, lost in his own desert (the greenhouses) for awhile.
Also, he loves the robe. After Mark takes him in, we basically only see Petey in that robe from that point forward. It just reminds me of how many different biblical stories we re-enacted in various school plays, and the boys were always in their dads' bathrobes when they played any biblical characters.
We don't know a lot about Petey's real backstory, but when he leaves Mark's house after Cobel breaks in, he goes into one of his fugue states where he can't tell the difference between reality and being on the severed floor. He's holding the map he drew, and thinks he's following that as he walks across the bridge and into town. As though he is wandering, again, in his own mind desert. And Moses wandered, alone, then died on a mountain while looking over the Promised Land. Petey, after wandering alone, walks out of the convenience store, sees Mark in the distance, and collapses. So does Mark represent, in some way, the idea of the promised land (uncovering what Lumen is really up to on the severed floor) to Petey?
(My whole point there is that Petey really does fit the idea of being the Moses in this dissection of the story, lol)
TL;DR: could Petey be Moses, Mark be Joshua, and the whole show ultimately be about trying to lead the innies and their outies to their promised land (aka the truth of what's really happening on the severed floor)?
Anyway... it seems to fit. And I can't think of another reason to choose that song, out of any song they could have picked, to play during that scene. It was the real transfer of power, when iMark truly became the new leader, taking over even the mundane tasks of leadership in this culture that signaled, to them, that iPetey was gone.
Sure, it could be a stretch. But I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts, especially anyone who might be able to dissect the biblical stories better! 😊

Species: Cat Age: just turned 12 Sex: neutered male Weight: around 20 lbs Breed: DSH tabby
My cat seems to be more thirsty as of late and urinating larger volumes more frequently than normal. He has also had a few incidents of urinating outside the box over the years (however, it's unclear if this is due to angeterritory marking or a health issue).
His urine seems like it might be sticking to his paws a little bit? When he pees in the box and he steps in it, it seems more likely to be tracked outside of the box now?
Also, he has had a little bit of constipation/harder stools/making flatulence noises when he tries to pass a stool and meowing while straining off and on over the last few years. I emphasize that this symptom seems intermittent.
Also, his coat isn't "bad" but it's not as good as it used to be.
My main concerns are kidney disease and feline diabetes at this point. He is still basically his usual self, still grooming himself multiple times a day, still interested in food, still affectionate, head-butting me, purring, etc. I even see him acting very playful at night.
My main question is: between now and Jun 26 when his appointment is, what can I do to keep him from getting worse? Should I put him on renal food? Diabetic food? Both?! Should I install a water fountain for him to improve his hydration levels?
Is there a renal food that can be obtained without a prescription? I am happy to cook him food at home but what do I make him??
Thank you so much in advance!

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136
“Koalas!”
Bernard’s energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! I’ll never get tired of this, it’s all so cool!
As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
I’d be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if I’ll get any right this paw?
Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, I’d started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far I’d only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, I’d not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um… what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. It’s fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it I’m rambling!
I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas.
Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koala’s prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm… ok. I already know to discount the idea that they’re predators just from eye position, so let’s get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I can’t just guess that for the sake of guessing, that’s the same problem! Hrm, it’s tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.
Nevermind, I’ll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think they’re arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they-
Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, “As ever I’m delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. I’m looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?”
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, “Excellent! Then let’s get started.”
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
“Ah, there we are,” Bernard’s baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, “He looks so comfortable doesn’t he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!”
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, “A full paw? Hwuuu… jealous.”
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, “Late evening Rova?”
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rova’s direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadn’t been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool that’d flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, “Uh- I um… achem, a little bit yes, um- …sorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.”
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, “Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. That’ll be the list time I- …Ahaaaa…”
Lokki’s theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokki’s would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we weren’t too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which.
His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, “Ok, ok, let’s get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.”
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, “So, the Koala. Let’s start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.”
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh… I never want to see him angry again. So chilling.
I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koala’s physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
“Koala’s are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.”
It didn’t slip past my notice that Bernard didn’t bother to point out that the Koala’s eyes were forward facing. I didn’t think he’d simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasn’t necessary given that he’d already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
“Now this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koala’s are largely sedentary and it’s rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.”
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasn’t only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, “This is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.”
700!? Stars…
Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
“The leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koala’s low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.”
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didn’t take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
“Excuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?” Vlek’s grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailo’s recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, “You heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to them.”
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but they’ll have evolved to deal with that. Stars… I’m so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didn’t even consider the simplest solution.
“I see, thank you Doctor,” Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, “I assume they’ve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?”
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, “They have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koala’s liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.”
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, “This is mostly for adult Koala’s, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they don’t just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. It’s nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.”
Bernard’s assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way he’s acting it probably isn’t something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm…
“So,” Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, “Young Koala’s, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.”
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought it’d go. What’s different?
The unexpected normalcy of the Koala’s birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, “Now to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.”
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I don’t see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine.
I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one it’d just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They-
“They eat their own poop!?”
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an ‘Ugh’ over here and a ‘Blegh’ over there, Bernard’s own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
“Ha! Everytime! Each and every time. Clearly it doesn’t matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koala’s dietary development the reaction is the same!”
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, I’d never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species. Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww… Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. They’re serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it.
With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, “Ok then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why don’t we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koala’s live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.”
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. He’d alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the ‘predators’ we’d all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I would’ve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didn’t take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
“From habitats we move onto behaviours, so let’s start with territories. Koala’s are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering they’re only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.”
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
“As you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koala’s territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koala’s stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koala’s who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koala’s range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koala’s communicate?”
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koala’s body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
That’s how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs.
I clearly wasn’t the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, “I think they’ve got me beat on who’s got the deeper voice!”
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, “Oh you’re too kind. I’ll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As you’ve just heard, Koala’s are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from ‘Hello I’m over here’ to ‘This is my turf, stay away’. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if they’re acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.”
Really? They do something we do?
Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koala’s features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They don’t have tails so it’s obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then.
To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, “As well as their vocalisations, Koala’s are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koala’s utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.”
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right!
“Now then, we are getting close to lunchtime so I’ll finish this segment off with something I think you’ll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.”
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koala’s, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm...
I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans aren’t like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list.
Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koala’s in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what?
Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers.
Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I don’t need that in my head.
As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what I’d seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didn’t already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
“Koala diplomacy,” Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, “My favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koala’s and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koala’s to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koala’s are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.”
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
“Squee! That’d be so cool! I’d love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird! Ah! I’ve only heard their song on video. It’d be a treat to hear it in person!”
Ooo! I’ve read about them! I’d love to get up close to one.
“Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded? Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans don’t want to acknowledge for what it is.”
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option.
However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didn’t change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, “Yes Rysel? What’s on your mind?”
Sorry Bernard. I hope this one’s not too awkward for you to answer.
Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, “Thank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals for… particular reasons, and we know why. From how you’ve spoken about Koala’s I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?”
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like I’d imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that it’d been me who’d ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions?
Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh.
“A very good point Rysel, certainly one that’s worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.” Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, “We won’t be needing that. I’ve nothing prepared that I can show you and we’re heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, that’s plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.”
A bit? What does he mean just a bit?
Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasn’t going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
“So, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and I’d quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.”
While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernard’s assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didn’t believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. He’d pretty much confirmed we wouldn’t be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have.
The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
“Well I can see everyone’s excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,” chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, “Enjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and I’ll see you all back here at the usual time.”
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, “Hey Bernard, I uh… sorry if that last question was unexpected.”
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign I’d come to understand meant ‘not a problem’.
“No need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.”
Heh, called it.
I sighed, allowing tension I didn’t realise I’d been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, “Phew, that’s a relief. I’m glad. I’m curious to hear what this new lesson is you’ve got in store for us by the way.”
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, “Oh are you now? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to remain curious for the time being. It’s going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. But…”
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now!
Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I’m working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip that’s not a trip as it were. And when it happens, I’m going to need a few of the more accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. I’m hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?”
A trip that’s not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernard’s relying on me to help out!
Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, “Of course! Anything you need I’ll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!”
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, “Thank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times you’ve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think you’d appreciate the most.”
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
“Wait… WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?”
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, “Call it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise even for you!”
“Oh you ass!” Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernard’s leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.

My dad (63, M) has worked for this company for 25+ years. We live in Texas. About 2 weeks ago, my dad had an altercation with a coworker (20s, F). We'll call her Jane. For context, my dad was the assistant store manager, and Jane was one of his subordinates.
The altercation started when my dad and Jane were meant to be unloading and putting away freight from a truck. A bit more context, my dad had back and neck surgery a couple years before, and is not supposed to be lifting anything over 50+ lbs, but he does it anyway because he's a stubborn man who has always put his job before his health. Anyway, Jane, instead of helping my dad, was sitting in the back, where the truck was, messing around on her phone. Jane had been written up numerous times before for being on her phone, and was warned by my dad and their store manager, Pete, to stop that behavior in the past. When my dad saw Jane on her phone instead of helping, he told her to put her phone away. Jane proceeded to get up and walk out of the backroom and towards the front of the store.
My dad kept to his work with the truck for about 15 min when he noticed Jane hadn't come back yet, and so he went to go look for her. He was passing by Pete's office when he saw her sitting down inside, still on her phone, with Pete on a call at his desk. My dad asked why she was in there and still on her phone, and she responded that she needed to get something done. My dad reminded her that she should not be on her phone, and that she had already been warned to put it away. Jane started to raise her voice at my dad saying he needed to "get tf out of my face, or else!" Keep in mind, my dad was standing at the doorway of the office, probably about 10ft away from her. He was not in her face. My dad, raising his voice back at her, replied "or what?" He did not step towards her at all, but he was admittedly getting frustrated with her.
Before he could react, Jane got up, closed the distance between them, and punched my dad in the face, busting his lip and causing him to bleed. At this point, Pete hurriedly hung up the phone and placed himself in between my dad and Jane, asking my dad to walk away, which he did. To cut an already long story short, my dad was sent home for the day. And Jane was placed on paid suspension pending an HR investigation, while my dad continued working his normal hours. Today, nearly 2 weeks later, my dad was called into a meeting with HR and was terminated. We don't know if Jane was terminated, no do we have a reason as to why my dad was terminated.
Can anyone please give advice? I know Texas is an "at will" state, but this feels discriminatory considering my dad's age and how close he was to retirement. He had openly disclosed he was wanting to retire next year (2025). This all just seems so unfair to him. It doesn't feel like he did anything wrong.
Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I've totally lost interest in YouTube, TV, podcasts, books, research, and videogames. (I don't entirely understand why either. I'm already on antidepressants and Adderall). I spend a lot of time face down on the floor feeling absolutely terrible and unable to do anything that would involve being in another position. This is despite all the medications and physical therapy. I'm still waiting on my first excision, which I doubt will actually fix anything.
All I ever seem to want these days is food (which I can't even get up to retrieve for myself), sleep, and cuddles from my boyfriend. Since things have gotten so bad with my health, I've really been taking up like all of my boyfriend's time outside of his job and I've been pretty demanding about having his company. He never complains and is super loving and sweet about it, but still. 💀
I like to write but I have a lot of trouble with it cause I've got lots of brain fog. I'm like 23 chapters into a book I was working on. I like to draw but I can't do it lying down. I want to be asleep but sleeping pills don't work on me. I'm kinda screwed lol any ideas? Was thinking crochet or something? Idk it's hard to be motivated to care about anything when my organs are all glued together and angry pulling at each other. All I want is to get out of this state and feel alive again. I'm being held hostage by my own body. It feels endless.
I have my own houseplant shop where I go to work by myself 6 days per week, but I've started needing to close early every day so I can just lie down and be dead and hungry. That's where I'm at right now. RIP to me, what should I do?

I think it’s so funny. The whole comment section of crusty TikTok is saying she’s glowing and that she’s matured and then there’s always that one person that is so funny and has to bring out what she’s doing wrong and then that whole comment section under that one comment says” can nobody give her a compliment without your miserable attitude”, but I think it’s funny because that same person is in Rachel‘s comments tearing her down, and is tearing down everybody else in that comment section that doesn’t agree with what crusty does and all the people that give Rachel a compliment they tear them down, anybody else noticed that crispies and big back no ass fans are just so toxic and so hypocritical And crispy if you’re listening or reading this get a life and stop hurting your unborn baby because some people would gladly take that baby out of your care. If you don’t want it and for big back no ass your music nobody wants to hear it It literally sounds like a Disney Channel movie gone wrong also, Jacob put a pin in your girlfriend‘s ass because she’s starting to look obsessed with Rachel. We all know she loves kissing girls so maybe she’s in love with Rachel but let’s be real It’s getting weird also get a damn job and support your kids for once pay something for G health insurance or when he goes to school pay for that it’s not that hard to pay for something that you created and for the new baby Well clearly you didn’t even want him so my advice for that would be put a condom on it Let’s not have the next baby mama for another year Give it a break and break up with crispy panties because we all know it’s coming and settle down find a cool job and start paying for your babies and not relying on girls to pay your way. And for Tyler man the hell up and break up with her man she’s cheating on you like grow up and leave Find someone that actually wants you because she doesn’t and everybody sees it except your blind ass self and if Rachel reading this get G before crispy panties and Jacob have that new baby because clearly crispy can’t respect your boundaries as a mother and constantly tearing you down and also sending her friends and minions after you, you have enough proof to get G out of a toxic and homophobic, racist crappy household also can we just mention that there is literally nothing healthy in crispies house for your household Ellie has fruit and vegetables and then balancing off with a couple treats here and there crispies is just junk food.

groceriesassistant.com is a web app that can scan shopping receipts, save the scanned data, and provide features such as price comparison between different stores, health analysis, remind you of the food you've purchased but forgotten to eat, and predicting items needed for the next shopping trip.
To ensure the accuracy of the scanning results, I have written different scanning recognition logic for different grocery stores. I am currently in the Dallas area, and the supported stores include ALDI, HEB, Kroger, and COSTCO. If you are not in the Dallas area but have receipts from the four mentioned stores and want to try the scanning feature, you can randomly select an address in the address field. I will gradually add other popular grocery stores in the future.
It's currently in a very early stage. If this web app can help you but you encounter many small bugs, please leave a message and I will work with ChatGPT to resolve them as soon as possible. Let's see how far a non-professional developer can go with the help of ChatGPT.
I am a Math major, and the reason I created this web app is that I've been applying for jobs since January but haven't received any offers. So, I decided to work on a personal project to enhance my resume. If you have any job-hunting advice, please feel free to share it in the comments.
In the future, I plan to continue job hunting while improving the features of this web app (if it can help some people). I even hope to develop it into a mobile app with the help of ChatGPT (if it can help many people). Your usage and feedback are my motivation to keep going.

Hi there, does anyone know or have any automatic feeders that dispense smaller portions of food? Our current ones dispenses what seems like quite a bit and sometimes our one cat eats both cats foods… we also need to feed them a little bit less but they seem to be hungry every 4-6 hours, and they will scratch stuff if they do not eat, but we can’t give them 4 portions/day anymore due to their health. Any feeder recommendations is appreciated!

Hello,
I just wanted to write this post as a way to vent, and as a way to generate some solidarity among those of us who have faced similar abuse.
My mom, I will say, is a pretty okay person at times. She has a great deal of knowledge about the world, and I'd like to learn that from her before she dies, as it is unique and relevant to this time and my life. That, coupled with the fact that she can't take care of herself fully (physical tasks including cleaning) has me helping her out.
All that being said, as the tea steeps, I wanted to outline a specific pattern of abuse that my mom exhibits, and I guess it could be called a covert pattern. I'll say in advance that information dieting is the key to avoiding this sort of abuse, I think, and I have been practicing that as a part of my SC strategy.
Okay, so I have a bum tooth. It's a wisdom tooth, and it's been sort of rotting for awhile. I know how to fix it, and I have worked on it off and on to prevent myself from, you know, dying, but there have also been other priorities to keep me from, you know, dying. My work is complicated.
Anyway, I know how to heal it. It's a certain set of vitamins, a clean, alkaline mouth, plenty of leafy greens and other stuff that doesn't stick *to* the teeth. Stuff like gluten, various acids, whatever, you gotta avoid those. That's how you fix teeth, that and oil pulling, brushing, flossing, picking, they do regenerate with proper diet and effort, even the outer white parts, and yes, sometimes that can structurally be enamel.
So, my mom knows much of this, and it being good info, I've shared it to help with her tooth woes and the dogs's (she continued with neither after a short round of treatment). She knows I'm specifically working on my back left tooth, and she knows a lot about it. So, she started to control food more; she doesn't like my cooking since it's mostly vegetarian. At first, she was getting a lot of leafy greens with our mutual budget, a backbone to a tooth healing diet. But then, once I told her some things that I *can't* have, she did a bait and switch and got a bunch of those foods (beans, soda, cookies, leavened breads, etc.).
It's mostly just a lot of stuff like that, and it has hurt my tooth health. I'm having to constantly dodge stuff she brings in just the right way (with no car, the convenience of her going far outweighs much else); fortunately, I'm getting the hang of it, and I'm learning just what I can and can't have.
I'm happy to have found this community; thanks y'all.

during covid, i went from normal weight to overweight thanks to eating out of boredom, which quickly turned into binging. no one fucking cared. everyone was just telling me to simply stop eating. hell, my father even kept telling me to diet which just triggered another binging. i wanted to be skinny so fucking bad, and i realized that the only way to truly become skinny is to not eat anything at all—to completely separate myself from food, to realize that food is something that does not belong to me. that i dont need food. and with this mindset, i finally stopped binging. any food meant slowing down the process of losing the weight. food meant potentional trigger to binging. food meant so much guilt. and no food meant feeling hungry and apathic, which felt so fucking good. i quickly went from overweight back to the healthy bmi range and i was fucking dying inside and my body was giving up. but instead of anyone maybe wondering why i lost like fifteen fucking kilos in like two months, everyone was just congratulating me on my amazing weight loss. even now, looking at photos from that time, i looked pale as hell and my hair were slowly falling out. i looked like a living dead. like, seriously, how did no one see it? i was literally dying, i could have died if i didnt decide to get better and no one would even know why. it would be a sudden death. no health problems, it just happens right? it can happen to anyone. no one would even think of me having an eating disorder, not even doctors (the irony haha), because the last time when i was at hospital at yearly weight in, they weighted me and i had a healthy weight, so they didnt care. i was healthy, they said. in fact, this was the only time i could see my weight since i didnt even have a chance to step on a scale at home because we didn't have one, so this whole time i thought i was was still at healthy range. surprise, i was extremely underweight. so as i said, then later, it truly could not go on anymore without eating since it just led to more binging and more hair falling out, so i started eating and i gained some weight. and now i regret that so much bro. because i gained this weight and was partly recovered for some time, my parents now dont believe me when i tell them how bad i was suffering even before i got this official diagnosis about anorexia nervosa only like two months ago. my father now keeps showing me pictures of my emaciated self and asking me if i think i look fat here, considering he thinks i began starving myself even when i ‘was so skinny’, so he tries to convince me that i was skinny even before i ‘started’ starving myself. hes fucking trying to help me, i know, but it still makes me wanna kill myself. like, yes, obviously i now could see that i was skinny here because i was dying. now show me my overweight body—thats when i was fat. my father basically thinks i was not sick enough back then and, well, its really fucking triggering. no one took me seriously until i was severely underweight. i could have died at any fucking moment. i was literally screaming for help but no one fucking listened. they just told me how great i looked. only now when i was severely underweight did they finally start caring. but if someone listened back then, it could have then never had to go to this point. its killing me so much, im so scared of becoming fully weight restored because my mindset is still the same, and once again, once ill gain more weight, no one will again take me seriously. because healthy body=recovered mentally right? im gonna cry bro.
I was going through it fr fr (nothing changed but shhh)

Went to the dentist for the first time in two years today, I moved states a while ago, so I finally found time to make sure my oral health is okay. During my visit, a doctor came in and noticed that some of my teeth may be suffering from enamel erosion, as they were a bit translucent in the tips. I found a few pics of translucent teeth on this site in different communities that look very similar to mine, that some people pointed out they look normal and there’s not really anything to worry about. If anyone’s willing, could I send them a pic of my teeth so someone can look at it and give me a second opinion?
But in the event that what I fear is true, what are the best ways for me to make sure the enamel doesn’t worsen and try to remineralize my teeth? It is very possible that I have acid reflux and that if I indeed have enamel erosion, that could be why. My diet probably could be better if I’m being honest, but I don’t think I drink a lot of acidic beverages or eat lots of acidic foods, but I could be wrong. More foods are more acidic than you think. If I do have enamel erosion, please tell me what I can do to try and not make my teeth erode away too soon. I’m only 26, I would hate to lose my teeth at such a young age.

I think I have figured out a way to trigger start/stop.
This is how I understand the behaviour of the loggeapp (iPhone)
The logger data are stored in the probe until it is cleared by placing it in the charging base. When you remove it from the charging base it will start recording new data
The logger data from the probe are ALSO stored in the app until the app memory is cleared by a restart of the app.
So, if you reset the probe but not the app, the app will continue displaying old data (cleared from the probe but not from the app) plus new data coming from the probe if you remove it from the charging base. You can see a time gap in the graph between the old (app) data and the new (probe) data.
Summary: - a START will be triggered when a probe is removed from the charging base. If you want a fresh recording only with new data, restart the app before removing the probe from its base - a STOP will be triggered by removing the probe from the food and inserting it in the charging base. Save the csv data from the app before restarting it (to clear data from app). I also take a screen dump to save the graph.

Tldr; Been struggling lately because it feels like no matter where I go. I'm stuck in an environment that's hostile one way or another. And I'm stuck having to be around immature grown ass adults. And I'm very tired of it. It's tanked the hell outta my morale. To the point where I'm considering on enlisting because I don't feel like I can fit anywhere else in regular society. I'd appreciate any insights if you want to share.
I honestly feel like 2020 was the start of my downward sprial. I had always been depressed. But I feel like the Pandemic really made it worse. As ridiculous as it may sound. I was upset that my prom and senior trip was canceled. As I was looking forwards to it. Because I saw it as a day I could truly feel pretty. And the last time I could spend with friends before adulthood sucked the little life left in us. Didn't help me to see the next classes get to have their prom and trip either. But it's in the past, and I'm glad they had the privilege to have theirs. But a huge issue, back then. Was I didn't know what the hell I wanted to do with myself after Highschool.
My guidance counselor was more excited for my senior year than I was. And my dad didn't help with all the pressure he put on me. We got into more arguments when I was eighteen. As mentioned before, I was clueless on what I wanted in life. And had told my dad I was taking a gap year. Gap year turned into two years. Due to me having fallen into a deep depression due to the quarantine. Which didn't help things between my parents and I. They told me I had to get a job. Fine, started working part-time at dollar tree. And over time that wasn't enough. I started getting badgered about school again.
I have no issue with further education. Be it college or a trade. But the world is far more expensive than it was in the 80s - 90s. And it felt like my parents didn't grasp that. Everytime I brought it up I was treated like I was making excuses. I also didn't want go to school because I didn't want to be stuck with courses to something I fucking hated. I was the one that would have to pay for it in the end. I wanted it to be something I could at least tolerate until I found something better. Ended up doing it anyway to shut them up. And I started working another job to save money. Though I wasn't doing much of that.
Because I'd spend money to get a shred of serotonin. Mostly fast food. Not proud of it, but that was my reality. Eventually, I couldn't put up with the classes and two jobs. And attitude I was getting from my parents. And became very apathetic about life. This was maybe around 2021 - 2022. I truly felt alone at this point. And because I grew isolated from family aside my maternal grandma. I felt I had nobody to really open up to. Couldn't talk to my older brother because he's awful at communicating back with me. As he's always busy with work. And he has a son so. I have friends. But they have their own lives and seem to be doing well. I didn't want to risk being an emotional burden. So I didn't vent to them.
Didn't even have much energy to Journal anymore either. And I stopped therapy when I was nineteen I think. Because my father essentially said I was wasting my therapists time. Since I had been seeing her since I was fifteen and still had the same mentality. My care for my well being and self preservation went out the window for the most part at this time. Think I was twenty at the time. Because that's when I met my ex. Let's call him Gio. Gio is five years older than me (I'm 22F now). I didn't expect us to end up dating. As I wanted to just be friends. But I don't regret it. He's a pain in my ass sometimes. But a great guy.
I think in 2022, April 14th me and my dad got into an awful arguement. Gio had a habit of calling me after he dropped me off home. And we'd talk while he walked to his since he lived a town next to mine. So he had heard everything. At some point I stormed out of the apartment. And my dad had stormed out and tried grabbing me to drag me back in. And that's when Gio pushed us apart. I want to make it a point. That Gio didn't come to the apartment to fight my dad. He came to console me, and since my dad was being agressive, he got protective. They ended up getting into a little scuffle and someone called the police.
After a little more arguing I packed some of my shit and stayed with Gio the next two weeks. Two weeks where I dealt with passive aggressive texts from my dad. The next few months were hot and cold with them. I'd move in and then get kicked out due to my dad and I bumping heads. Around December that year Gio's brother. Let's call him Antonio, invited us to live with him in Massachusetts. Since my dad presses charges on Gio. And due to court stuff, his boss didn't want to give him hours. So we were struggling with money. And Antonio wanted to help us. It was a hard move for me. Since I'm from New Jersey and haven't lived anywhere else.
But I figured a fresh start outta state would get me to take initiative and get my shit together. But before that could even happen there was a misunderstanding between me and Antonio's wife. It was quite small, and I was willing to apologize for it. But she blew it out of proportion and called her daughter. And I assume said I gave her attitude. Little bitch actually came to the house in attempt to fight me over it. Luckily Antonio was able to hold her back. I ended up getting sent back to Jersey. Which leads to my whole point here. It seems like no matter what. Something gets in the way of me going somewhere in life.
Im always surrounded by at least one or two immature grown ass adults. And im tired of it. My dad hasnt changed much either. And ive been unemployed for three months. Theres no peace at my parents house because of my dad. And there isn't any at my exes house. Which I currently have to reside since my parents moved into a one bedroom two months ago. I have no issue with the majority of the house aside from Gios aunt. Who is an old bitch I hate. And I don't use that word lightly. I understand she deals with stress and chronic pain. But that doesn't excuse her attitude. I know my place in this apartment and generally keep out of the way. And respect everyone. But she has a very nasty spirit, lacks accountability and self awareness, is entitled, and rude as hell.
And being told by not only my ex but her DAUGHTER to just ignore her. Is tiring. I understand it though, because that's just how it is with some people. But like... that's been my WHOLE childhood. Being mindful and expected to have sympathy, understanding, patience, and respect for others. Yet never or barely receiving any myself. All because what? I don't pay rent? I don't work 40+hrs a week? I'm so tired of this shit. I know I'm pathetic. I can be immature. And emotional. But I'm TRYING and it's like it's never enough. And when I'm at a point where I'm hopeless. It's as if I never tried in the first place.
I'm supposes to appreciate and validate others and what they've contributed for or something that benefitted me. Yet I can't get the simplest acknowledgment that hey, you've been struggling. But you managed to do X today. And that's great, I'm proud of you. But perhaps that's too childish of me. I'm a grown woman. Not a toddler. You don't get stickers for doing what you're supposed to. Because nobody gives a fuck. Hell, when you're a child it's probably worse. To quote my father, why should or would I get praise for something I was SUPPOSED to do.

Have been playing since the start of the league and have witnessed many of the bugs, unintended interactions, and simply bad choices made with mechanics. Scarab changes are another story and I'll leave them out of this bit one for thing, involving the future of the league mechanic.
The idea behind the graveyard and corpses I think was solid, but caters way to much to such a small percent of players at the later stages. I personally don't like any mechanics that require 3rd party applications just to function, and that was the heart of this mechanic. Needing to use resources like Craft of Exile and whatever Graveyard layout we were able to find. I have no suggestions on how to fix this ingame other than adding a "random outcome" option where we can see maybe 5 potentials results before committing to sacrificing all the coffins.
Second, is storage and variety. Remove the creature types. No more beast, construct, ect, and let us stack coffins of the same type. They don't need names or anything, no ones really looking at that anyway. Are they? This would also help trade so much, as people maybe willing to store even a stack of 5.
Graveyard UI. Give us a top down view where we drag and drop into the spot we want. No more running around. This top down UI should also save a few custom layouts. No more spreadsheets.
Allflames are another interesting idea, and I think should they be added to the base game, will be the only way to get corpses. Allflame drop locations are from areas / mechanics associated with them. Breach only drops from breach, legion from legion, ect. Bosses drop their own. You can use ONE a map, and it always additional packs of that type. Could replace the scarab, could be used on the map itself like a deli orb, or a new slot. Rare one like Meatsack can only drop in maps that have an allflame used on it.
The lantern was kinda fun, but I think I'm apart of the minority who got the Divine drops from it. 3 actually, making over 200 divines total. Apart from the convert to x currency or chance to drop x I wasn't much of a fan, and it felt mandatory to grab things on the atlas no matter what I was doing. I'm indifferent if this stays, but for the health of the game and accessibility to new players I think it should be removed, OR turned into a special Allflame that allows us to add the modifiers.
Lastly, scarab interactions with league mechanic. Necropolis set of scarab! One monster in the map will drop a random allflame. Allflames gave a chance to duplicate. increase chance of coffin droprate. increased chance of of a higher tier coffin. Chance for all monsters to be converted to type of Allflame.
My ideas arnt perfect, but I wouldn't prefer to see the mechanic stay rather than never be seen again. Inventory management was by far the worst part. From holding corpses to burying them.

Hi everyone,
I 27(F) have come back to live with my mother after a year abroad and it's been a year now. Now, I have the option to leave again but the guilt I feel about leaving her seems insurmountable. Plus, I get no emotional support at all from my family (mother and brother) on this life decision that they see as erratic. I would be leaving to look for a job over there so I can totally understand that my plan lack a bit of structure and can look worrying to her. However, this is the best option for me since there is career option for my field of studies in my home country and I'm just so intensely miserable here!
My mother and I have had a very complicated relationship basically my whole life. As a child, she and my brother used to sort of put me apart and they have always been very close. My brother tells her everything about him while I barely share anything because she always ends up judging me and not being supportive. Plus I'm queer which she doesn't accept and expects me to erase my identity and it's quite hard being openly gay im my country. If there are queer people in a movie she will make sure to show her disgust which is plain hurtful.
I've suffered from depression at least since I was 13 and never got any support from anyone at home. Since I'm a child, if I cry, they both take it personally and get angry at me. I was only diagnosed at around 19 and it has been a tough road to take without their support. I felt almost instantly better when I left to go abroad and coming back has been a soul-crushing experience.
My mother has also supported me financially, took us on holidays and even payed for an expensive university for me (which my brother, who is 4 years older than me, resents me for). Even since I'm back she doesn't ask money from me for the house. If I pay for groceries most of time she will send the money back to me which I honestly hate. Cause I feel this then gives her a reason to say that she does all those things for me and I am just an ungrateful and mean person. I know she recently told my brother that I sort of make ger life miserable cause I'm always in a bad mood.
This is where my guilt stems from but also from the fact that I'm so moody when around her. She gets on my nerves and my body is always tensed when I'm here. I just get so so sad seeing how she'll give a free pass to my brother but she always gets angry at me. I quit a job last year to be able to do an (online) internship at an international organisation, which is super hard to get and will be great for my CV since my field is so competitive. After I told her about my decision, she silent treated me for three weeks which is a tactic she has used on me since I was a child and it works! I was so excited about this internship but with how she reacted I've just beed demotivated and depressed and ofc if she sees me crying she gets angry. Which is why I'm moody honestly cause I can't never communicate my feelings and expect support or understanding so I just shut down. And it's extra hard since on the other hand she expects me to support her emotionally. When she is sick, she takes this little voice and just expects me to clean, cook and everything. But I can't do all of this. I already clean most of the house on my own while she barely does anything to be honest. And I cook for myself. I cooked for her when she was sick and she kept complaining the food made her feel bad so I mostly let her cook for herself now, plus with my internship and being depressed I just don't have the energy to do all of this. However depressed I am, she will never take care of me. If I get a fever she gets upset at me and thinks I'm pretending.
I'm so exhausted. My Saturdays consists just of that: cleaning. If I go out with friends she will often get upset cause she is staying home. When I ask her is she wants to go to an event or the cinema she says she doesn't want to or she will see then never gets back to me. I can't keep pushing. Even when we go out, we barely have anything to say to each other. I try to make conversation by asking about her work and colleagues and what not but she never asks me anything at all. If I talk about something nice that I did when I was abroad or tell about something sweet a friend did for me or said to me, she doesn't reply just like my brother. So I just shut up most of the time cause it's painful. Sometimes I feel like I might have a mood disorder seeing how my mood is all over the place here. But then I remember my time abroad or time spent with friends and remember I'm actually so calm and stable in these instances.
Now I said clearly this is my plan to leave. They asked a few questions but I feel they are both acting as if it will never happen anyway. And my mother has told me many times to stay here, get a job here, etc. But even if I moved out of her place I feel I would still be miserable in my home country. Firstly, I'll never get the chance to acquire experience in my field plus even if I'm not living with her she will expect me to like come see her, probably clean for her (which I wouldn't mind at all if on the other hand she was not going behind my back talking about how mean I am). And secondly I want to be free to live my life as a queer person. All I really want is to have peace within me. I don't care abiut having big houses and cars and buying new clothes like they do (they both work in finance - we are not rich but middle class and we live well).
When I think of my plan, I just get so overwhelmed just because my family gives no emotional support at all, no advice. Of course, this plan might fail but that's okay, and I would need them to tell me that. I need them to say they understand that leaving is the best option for me and hey it's good to give it a try and if it doesn't work out, well life will. I so badly need them to support me. But all I get is guilt tripping about her health and the fact she has no friends and will be alone. It's so overwhelming that I'm so depressed and come to think that the only solution for me right now would be to be dead honestly. Then I won't have to deal with any sadness or guilt and maybe I'm not meant to do something meaningful of my life anyway. I just need some advice to see if I'm beinh mean or if I deserve to have my life as I want it to be.

i don't know if im just sensitive but I get quite triggered by most things my dad says. He encourages and wants and me to gain weight but also "warns me" to not get to my pre-ed weight (i was very overweight) and he comments on how big I used to be. This scares me cause Ik that to fully recover I most likely will get to that weight again... he is also into healthy eating, like, a lot. He calls anything from a store "poison processed crap" and believes anything social media says about foods that are unhealthy (funnily enough he eats all of those foods). So yeah I eat way more thanks to him now but I feel so judged when I eat something that I genuinely crave :( and I get so nervous when I go grocery shopping with him. Oh and he says that I should start moving or else all the weight im gaining will turn into fat and not muscles (mind you I restored 2 kgs. TWO KILOS.) He is so supportive but he is also... not.

Literally every day almost I crave some kind of takeout or cooked food from the grocery store I work at, no matter what I do or say, whether it’s talking to my therapist about it or venting to my family. I take antipsychotics which make it worse too. Just looking to vent here I really don’t know what to do shit sucks. I have absolutely no impulse control. If anyone here has a similar problem please say hi. ADHD + antipsychotics = obsession with food.