MCU (I'm combining these with the original three X-Men movies): Bolivar Trask was one of the worlds leading engineers in the field of robotics and this showed in what type of items that his company sold because Trask industries was one of the few companies that was actually able to compete and beat stark industries in the field of weapons sells but for all the success his company had trask was unable to succeed at his own personal projects which was to build a machine that could protect humanity from super powered freaks and guide the species into the future but while they were successful in creating the prototype body they were unable to create an AI powerful enough to bring the machine to life that was until the death of Tony Stark and when his company then started to go under and was forced to sell the rights to their tech to other companies to stay in business Trask was soon to swoop in and buy the rights to Stark's AI technology and Trask would repurpose it to bring and would rename it Nimrod but due to a programming glitch Nimrod would rampage escaping from the lab into the world one with limitless possibilities for such an adaptive machine
DC animated universe:Many thought that Lex Luther was an arrogant man that could never see his own downfall coming but while they would be right on the first part they would be dead wrong on the second and this showed in one of Luther's many backup that he had come up with soon after taking over the legion of doom plans in case of his Death called operation rebirth which was a plan to take a copy of Lex's mind and download it into a top of the line robot body but the world could not have two lex Luthers so the original would create a network connecting the robot and it's AI to a limited amount of the Internet all so that it could wait for the day that it was reported that the original died which would then cause the activation protocol to take place awakening the robot and so it would slumber in the hidden laboratory for years to come until one day it would be reported that Lex Luther had died sacrificing himself to defeat the new god Darkseid but what was not planned for was that the robot's AI would be corrupted due to the fact that sleeping within the furthest parts of Lex's mind were fragmented pieces of Brainiac's programming and conscious was lodged in his mind an once the robot was activated both of the personalities would fight each other for control which would end up with both of them merging together to create something new and now this new entity would be free to travel the world that was full of opportunities
Invincible:The mauler twins were geniuses and that could not be denied and they were also quite the physical specimens with super human durability and strength but even with such impressive power they still consistently lost to the guardians of the globe due to the fact that they had such a power houses like war woman,the immortal and of course Omni man and while planning their attack on the white house the maulers would realize that even though they might not be able to match their enemies physically they could make a something that could because while Gene manipulation and cloning was their bread and butter they were still skilled engineers so they would craft a adaptive robot that could stand a chance against the Earth's strongest heroes the only thing that was left to do was to bring it to life using a advanced learning AI but what the mauler twins weren't expecting was for their creation to rebel against them due to a glitch in it's programming and it would escape the lab into a super powered world full of opportunities

Hello there,
Before we dive in, let's talk dealbreakers. These are non-negotiables for me, so if any apply to you, it's best to skip my post. (Please respect my preferences, and refrain from dismissing them as delusional.)
Dealbreakers: - You're not open to relocating in the future. (I've got roots - a home, farm, and a non-remote job. I cannot leave that.) - Hygiene isn't a priority for you. - You're not into anything 'esoteric/occult.' or you think this is bullshit - You're deeply devoted to Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. (I'm Pagan; our paths won't align.) - You thrive in big cities and can't imagine village life. - Exotic travels are your thing. - You're just here for casual dating, not something serious. - You deny the reality of mental illnesses. (I'm on my way to becoming a therapist.) - You're not a fan of girls with piercings and tattoos. - Basic live skills like cooking or cleaning aren't your forte. - You're without a job or driving license. - Future children aren't in your plans. - Monogamy isn't your style.
If you don't check any of those boxes, let's continue:
Bonus Points if: - You're into Slavic/Nordic folklore. - You reside in Europe. - You're curious and love to learn. - You're open to a Female-Led-Relationship (FLR). - Phone calls about your day, thoughts, and dreams are your jam. - Fantasy, games, and all things nerdy excite you.
About me:
I stand at 150cm, currently 75kg (and dropping), a curvy brunette. Though my background is in IT engineering, I've veered off that path. However, if you're in the field, I can still keep up with the tech talk! Glasses, piercings, tattoos - they're all part of me. I believe that love transcends appearances; I'm more interested in brains and skills than looks. In your first message Tell me something about yourself. What is your favourite flower? Feel free to slide into my DMs (untill i will find my Prince Charming)
I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

Author’s note : Everything’s free to use and monetize or paywall as you wish, just remember to credit me please. As I’m not a native English speaker, you can feel free to make slight changes to make it better, as long as it doesn’t change the whole story of course.
Summary, listener’s perspective : Now it’s time to put the plan to execution. Your brother and mother are already gone and it’s your turn to go with your captain. You have no choice but to trust her and hope that everything will be fine. You just need a little luck.
[ ] = stage directions
** = sound effects
Alright. Your brother and mother are gone. Let’s hope everything goes well for them…
Yes. I’m nervous. And scared. I’m not used to caring about my prisoners.
Well… They’re… Your family, so I care. Because I care about you. A lot. You know that now… don’t play dumb with me. I know you’re not. You know exactly what you’re doing.
No, I don’t mean I don’t trust you. You know what you want and you get it. And I admire people like that.
Yeah, I do the same.
Are you ready? We have to go at some point…
Good, stay close to me until we get to the brothel, then you’ll follow Aly. You’re both going to go directly to my office, I gave her the key to it.
[They’re going out the cabin, walking on the deck and boarding the boat]
*door’s opening/closing\*
*chatting sounds\*
*footsteps on wood\*
*waves sounds\*
Some of us are staying on the ship, always. We’re pirates after all. We can’t really trust our “colleagues”… But don’t worry, we’re taking turns guarding the ship until we go to sea again.
Aly, when we get to the brothel, find Miss Eve and take her with you to the office.
She’ll protect you if I can’t stay with you.
Ohhh She’s really feisty! She can handle most of the men herself. I couldn’t leave a place like that to a softy. She’s strong, you’ll be safe with her until I get there.
Because I’m pretty sure I’m going to be stopped by someone. And most likely Mister Rolland after what happened at sea. I’ll try to avoid him, but it’s usually really hard to do.
[They arrived at shore and speaker is helping listener get off the boat]
Here, take my hand. Be careful.
Alright.
*Deep breath\*
Let’s do this.
*louder\* Boys! Let’s have some fun! As always, first round is on me!
Ready, princess?
Just keep walking next to me. My men will stay all around and make some noise. As per usual…
They love the sea, but they’re always happy to go back to town from time to time.
Are you nervous?
That’s really sweet of you, but if I have to fight Rolland myself I don’t think I’ll win, especially with my injury.
Oh your family?
Don’t worry, I’ll have some of my men report back to me as soon as they’re safe. They went way before us. They might already be at my place. We’ll know soon enough.
Yeah… It’s not really a nice town like the ones you can find back in your country… But we built it ourselves. It might not be much or fancy… But everyone here is proud of it. We all contributed to it. And maybe one day, it might be an important place for everyone and not just pirates.
Maybe not a dream, but a hope yes. I mean… My first goal, dream, is something else. But once I’m done with it. Yeah, making this place thrive might be my second goal, if I lived through the first goal…
Honestly… I don’t expect to outlive it…
We’ll see… Let’s focus on the moment for now. We’re here.
So Stay close and follow Aly if I ever get stuck with someone.
*Door’s opening\*
*Loud chatting/laughing…\*
[Staff is greeting the speaker]
Hi.
Hey how are you?
Good. Is everything ok here?
Great, where’s Miss Eve?
[Staff saying they’ll get Miss Eve]
Thank you.
Let’s get moving.
…
*sigh\* Mister Rolland.
Yeah. Nice to meet you too.
Of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?
It was nothing. Your concern is touching. Are you getting soft?
Oh well, I guess I’m better than you at finding those bastards.
Don’t worry, I’ll always think of you if I ever find another one. I know how blood thirsty you can be.
[Miss Eve is coming]
Ah Miss Eve, let’s do our usual report. Good evening Mister Rolland.
What do you want to talk about?
I see… Well, I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow…
*sigh\* Alright, Miss Eve, please wait for me at my office, I’ll be here in a moment. Aly go with her, I’ll be quick.
Yes Mister. I still have this kid. She’s very useful and never complains.
I know what you think of it. I don’t need your opinion about how I handle my crew.
Who?
What new girl?
Oh her? We got her on a ship we raided. She seemed eager to live, so I brought her to see if she’ll work for me here.
Yeah. Sure. Maybe you’ll get her next time.
If you don’t, you know how my next interview went. So now, if you will excuse me. I have a lot of things to do.
I’m a business women Rolland. Of course I have a lot to supervise when I get back here. And I don’t want to spend days here, I’ll expect to finish the brothel report tonight so I can do my estate report tomorrow. So I’ll keep going if you’re done.
What now?
She’s not on the menu yet.
I said no. Come back tomorrow to see if she’s available.
I know you’re not used to people telling you no, but I promise you, you don’t want to mess with me here.
Great. So now, enjoy your evening. I’ll have Misty take care of you as a gift later.
Mmh.
[Speaker going up to her office]
*foosteps\*
*door’s opening/closing\*
Alright. It’s done.
How are you all?
Good good. Thank you Miss Eve. Did Aly explain to you what’s happening?
Great, we’ll take care of our business quickly so you can go back there. I’ll promise Rolland some time with Misty for the evening if you please.
I know… But I need him relaxed… I might have made him a little on edge…
I’ll cover the expense. Don’t worry about that.
What news? What did he say?
Great, so your mother and brother are safe at my place. You’ll get reunited with them most likely tomorrow.
You can get comfortable now Princess, we’ll stay here for a few hours. I’ll send someone to tell your family you’re safe too.
Yeah Miss Eve… Kind of… As long as Rolland is here, a risk is always present…
Have Misty tell us when he’s leaving.
Thank you Miss Eve.
Aly, get us some food and drinks. We still have a lot of stuff to work on…

Welcome to the Torrent Network!

IP: torrentsmp.com
Discord: https://dsc.gg/torrentsmp
Versions: Java & Bedrock 1.17-Latest
Join us, in an epic adventure, on the legendary Torrent Network. Experience unique and immersive storylines including quests, events, and in-game lore on our epic servers. We currently have a fully developed survival and creative server, with the most unique Lifesteal SMP you've ever seen launching **June 1st, 2024**.

Features:

<--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survival:

• The integrity and challenge of a real survival experience, no TP commands! You can use our fully unique portal network and make your own teleportation portals!
  
• Movecraft (moving vehicles) with custom classes
  
• Quests with custom storylines and lore
  
• Fully integrated economy system
  
• Welcoming community
  
• Custom armor and tools
  
• Anti-grief
  

Creative:

• Plot system
  
• Ability to upgrade to bigger and bigger plots
  
• A community to collaborate with on builds
  
• Movecraft (you can plan your vehicles and test them)
  
• Limited world edit access
  

Lifesteal: Launches June 1st, 2024

• More quests with an expansion of the storyline
  
• Epic PvP
  
• Custom modeled/textured legendary armor and tools
  
• Crates
  
• Movecraft
  
• King of the Hill
  
• Multiple currencies and sources of income with an integrated economy system
  
• Ranks, both free and paid
  
• Custom world generation with epic biomes and structures
  
• Griefing and stealing allowed!
  

Intro:
I just saw a post here every day about a lonely guy and his struggles in dating.
When I read it, the frustration, sadness, and despair are palpable. But since 63% of young men are single, and half of male university students are virgins, I can understand why these posters aren’t happy.
The majority of men are lonely.
While I cannot solve this very real societal phenomenon, I will try to put things into perspective.
After all, trite as it may sound, life is truly about much more than dating. We’ll talk about this later on.
Before we begin, I would like to sincerely dedicate this post to all of those people who carry a void in their hearts every day.
I truly hope that reading the following will bring you at least a little peace of mind.
This is something that you need to tell yourself every single day. Life coaches and toxic PUAs like Andrew Tate are telling you to run game on 5 women every day, but I'm telling you to tell yourself this 5 times a day:
It's not your fault.
This should be said and emphasized a lot more. I want you guys to completely digest this idea. It is important to keep reminding yourself of this truth. Once you truly understand this, you will have a much more peaceful mindset.
The situation you are in was forced upon you.
Genetic determinism is anathema to most people. You will always see the fortunate, the lucky people try to take credit for their living situations, but they won't acknowledge the opportunities they were given.
I want you to understand something: when people tell you "you can do it, you can do anything," they are not saying it for your benefit. They are saying it to gaslight you and feel better about themselves. It implies that if you fail, it was because of something you did wrong.
"You could've done it, but you didn't, so it's your fault."
Don't let people gaslight you.
You look at a guy like Jeremy Meeks, scum of the earth. This guy is the personification of luck. The guy made the wrong choices and decisions at every step of the way, and he still made it as a multimillionaire top model, all because of his looks.
He comes from a broken family, he's a criminal, robber, gangster, beat an underage kid to near death, drug dealer, weapons charges, you fucking name it. Yet, women are worshiping him, literally worshiping him.
I ask you this: how many mistakes is too many? 10? 20? 50?
When you are good-looking, no amount is too many. Anything is forgivable.
​
"Anything is possible. Never give up. God's got a plan for you." - Jeremy Meeks
​
Well, when you look like him, yeah, of course anything is gonna be possible.
​
You look at a guy like Hunter Biden, drug addict and porn actor. Still, he's a board member of a nine-figure international investment firm. All because of his dad. All because he was lucky enough to be born into the Biden family.
You look at Elon Musk, richest guy on earth. He in turn comes from a dirty rich family that makes bank with him off of the backs of literal child slaves. His 80-year-old father made a child with his 30-year-old stepdaughter. Think about it, this guy was fucking 50 years old when he adopted that child.
These are morally bankrupt people, and yet you see the lives they are living.
You look at a guy like Bill Gates, whose classmates' parents literally bought a computer room for his high school during a time when even top U.S. universities didn't have computer rooms. Bill got to spend unlimited time with the latest and greatest computers as a child in the 1960s.
I am not saying Bill is dumb. Of course, you also need brains, but even intelligence is luck.
It's brutal how lucky you have to be in life. Not only do you need the smarts, but you need to be born in the right time and location into the right family. You think a smart kid who was born in a war-torn third-world country stands any chance?
Never.
Fucking never.
You gotta be lucky in this life. The most important factor governing success in life is luck. Looks will directly influence how you are treated by others from the day you were born, before you could even remember. Your neurotypicality, face, race, and height are paramount when it comes to how society will treat you (I have mountains of data at the above link, read it to see just how important these genetic factors are). This in turn shapes your personality.
Your intelligence, the opportunities you were born into, your gender; they are all important.
Even in the job market, just your gender influences your chances majorly.
Everything in life comes down to luck.
"Anything is possible, you can do anything."
No, you cannot do anything you want to in life, and it's not your fault. Genetic determinism and luck rule every aspect of your life.
You did nothing wrong.
So don't let anybody gaslight you.
Instead, don't be a free agent in life. Let the blackpill guide you.

Arcanum Technomagica: An Academy of Magical Innovation

Founding Vision

Arcanum Technomagica was founded by Archmage Seraphina Luminar, a visionary mage who believed that the fusion of magic and technology could create a utopian world. Her vision was to harness the boundless potential of magic to inspire technological advancements that protect and nurture the Earth.

Academy Overview

Location: Nestled in the heart of an ancient forest, hidden from non-magical eyes by powerful enchantments, yet powered by the latest green technologies. Motto: "Innovate to Illuminate, Harmonize to Thrive."

Houses of Arcanum Technomagica

Each house is dedicated to a specific aspect of magical technology and has unique admission rituals inspired by their focus areas.

1. House Lumina

• Founder: Archmage Aurelia Lightbringer, known for her pioneering work in light-based technologies.
• Admission Ritual: Candidates must solve a complex puzzle using beams of light and mirrors. Those who create the most efficient and illuminating solution are welcomed into House Lumina.
• Motto: "Illuminate the Future."
• Stand For: House Lumina specializes in renewable energy and illumination technologies, using magic to harness and enhance light for sustainable living.

2. House Verdantis

• Founder: High Druid Elowen Greenleaf, revered for her integration of nature and magic.
• Admission Ritual: Prospective members plant enchanted seeds that grow rapidly into vibrant plants. Those whose plants display unique magical properties are invited to join.
• Motto: "Grow with Nature."
• Stand For: House Verdantis focuses on bio-arcane technologies, developing sustainable agricultural methods and ecological innovations that harmonize with the environment.

3. House Aeris

• Founder: Sky Mage Zephyra Windwalker, famous for her control over wind and weather.
• Admission Ritual: Aspirants must demonstrate their ability to manipulate air currents to create intricate designs using colored smoke. The most creative and stable designs earn a place in House Aeris.
• Motto: "Soar Above, Touch the Sky."
• Stand For: House Aeris excels in atmospheric technologies, weather control, and climate stabilization, aiming to mitigate the effects of climate change.

4. House Ignis

• Founder: Pyromancer Ignatius Flameheart, known for his work with elemental fire.
• Admission Ritual: Candidates forge a small object in a magical forge, infusing it with a piece of their essence. Those whose objects withstand the forge’s heat and display unique properties are accepted.
• Motto: "Forge the Future."
• Stand For: House Ignis specializes in energy and material sciences, developing sustainable energy solutions and advanced materials for various technological applications.

5. House Aquarion

• Founder: Hydromancer Marina Tidecaller, a pioneer in water magic.
• Admission Ritual: Prospective members shape and manipulate water to create intricate sculptures. Those who display exceptional control and creativity are invited to join.
• Motto: "Flow with Wisdom."
• Stand For: House Aquarion focuses on water management technologies, purification systems, and harnessing aquatic resources to provide clean water solutions.

6. House Terraforge

• Founder: Geomancer Magnus Earthshaper, a master of earth and stone.
• Admission Ritual: Candidates sculpt a miniature landscape using enchanted clay. Those whose landscapes best reflect a harmonious vision for the Earth are welcomed.
• Motto: "Shape the World."
• Stand For: House Terraforge is dedicated to sustainable architecture and infrastructure, creating disaster-resilient structures and integrating magical elements into urban planning.

7. House Etheria

• Founder: Astromancer Celestia Starweaver, known for her exploration of the cosmos.
• Admission Ritual: Aspirants must demonstrate their ability to manipulate etheric energy by creating a stable portal or summoning an astral projection. The most impressive demonstrations earn admission.
• Motto: "Connect the Cosmos."
• Stand For: House Etheria delves into astromancy and teleportation technologies, exploring the fabric of reality and the potentials of interdimensional travel.

Curriculum and Specializations

Core Subjects: - Magical Theory and Application - Elemental Manipulation - Technomancy: The Fusion of Magic and Technology - Sustainable Practices and Ecological Magic - Advanced Spellcasting and Enchantment
Special Programs: - Renewable Energy Solutions - Climate Control and Weather Modification - Biomimicry and Bioengineering - Advanced Materials and Energy Storage - Interdimensional Research and Travel

Facilities and Resources

Library of Arcane Knowledge: A vast collection of magical tomes, technological blueprints, and enchanted manuscripts. Elemental Labs: Specialized labs for each elemental focus, equipped with the latest magical and technological tools. The Harmonium: A central hub where students from all houses collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. The Aetherium: A state-of-the-art observatory and research center for astromancy and etheric studies. The Verdant Sanctuary: A greenhouse and botanical garden for research and experimentation with bio-arcane technologies.

Community and Extracurricular Activities

Magical Innovation Fair: An annual event where students showcase their projects and inventions. Eco-Warriors Club: A group dedicated to environmental conservation and magical sustainability projects. Flight and Levitation Club: For those interested in aerial magic and transportation technologies. Water Guardians: Focused on water conservation and aquatic ecosystem protection. Elemental Sports: Competitive games and challenges that test students' control and mastery over the elements.
By integrating the marvels of magic with the advancements of technology, Arcanum Technomagica stands as a beacon of innovation, inspiring the next generation to create a harmonious and sustainable future for the planet Earth.

I'm in South Florida and I have the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and my inner screen is cracked (due to the screen peeling up and opening the inner screen caused it to crack?) I want to upgrade to the Galaxy S24+ but i want to save as much money as possible. Memorial day is also coming up, so hoping there will be an even better deal on the phone.
Only the inner screen is damaged and the outer screen is perfectly fine nor is there damage to any other part of the phone.
I have the phone via ATT but I am switching to T-Mobile due to their switch plan for $800 rebate (which im using to pay for unlocking the phone early)
T Mobile says they will cover up to $800-$1000 for an eligible trade in for the fold 4 (but obviously mine is broken) but it only mentions that the front screen has to work (i assume for normal phones) so I wonder if i can trade in mine for the full value?
I read from this post that it worked? https://www.reddit.com/GalaxyFold/comments/18pum92/attempting_to_trade_in_damaged_fold_4_with_bad/
I dont think I have warrenty any more as its been over a year nor do I have any protection plan (I never bought one as I've never broken the screen of my previous non folding phones.
Samsung told me the repair would be $444 to $560 but I'd rather not pay that much if I can get it repaired for free or for cheap elsewhere, I read other people had gotten cheap repairs for under $50
I am also curious if I could add the ATT device care or whatever plan for $17/mo, have the phone fixed via Asurion and then cancel the plan so I dont have to pay for any additional months especially since im trading in the phone/leaving ATT
If anyone has any advice or information/has been though a similar situation and can help me with this predicament, I'd greatly appreciate it!
I will update the post with photos of the damage and any other info in a few hours when I have another device to take a photo of this one.

I used to be a confident driver, at least in my hometown. I would get told that I was a good driver, always at the speed limit, and obeying all signs.
Now note that I am a car enthusiast, attending car meets and shows, but never ever sideshows. My hometown meets never resulted in sideshows, always usually in front of a fast food place where people could chill and eat.
My current car is a red sports car, with a really pathetic engine for a sports car, but I still bought it for its size and style rather than power. It’s silly to say, but I see it more as a companion and friend than rather than just a car.
When I moved away to college, I began to attend the meets there, but as time passed, these meets would turn into sideshows, causing the cops to come and shut it down. I would leave right as the burnouts started, trying to get out as fast as possible, but still terrified that some cop would catch me in the crossfire. The last time I attended one, a cop was right behind me but turned towards the sideshow rather than me, but I’m still terrified that they caught my license number and tagged me as a troublemaker.
From then on, I stopped attending meets, and every cop, every helicopter, I feel like is out to get me. Every time I think I ran a red light or missed a stop sign, I’m paranoid that my license plate was captured and I’ll receive a mountain of tickets in the mail. If I think I made a mistake, I would immediately start creating a plan and even started an emergency fund in case I got a ticket. I’m terrified of getting points on my license. At this point I’m so paranoid that I’ve considered selling my beautiful car that I love so much. I’ve considered staying home all day and avoid everything (which is unrealistic considering I have school to attend) and it is slowly ruining me and eating away at me. I want to be able to drive normally and anxiety free again. I have no more intentions to attend car meets or shows out of fear that trouble will arise again.
Any advice on how to stop overthinking and go back to normal?

I decided to make a short post about how music IS haram, as someone who’s believed it’s halal my entire life until recently.
The Hadith
The main Hadith used to source that music is haram is the following;
“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhari ta’liqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsul by al-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah by al-Albani, 91)
How come now in today’s world there *are* people who permit musical instruments nowadays? Just like what prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said? Indeed there are no coincidences in the Quran. One argument against this Hadith is that the prophet (peace be upon him) is referring to musical instruments accompanied by zina, silk, oand alcohol, but that’s just not true because that’s not what he said. Another argument is that it’s okay to listen to musical instruments but not playing them cause of how for example you can’t drink alcohol but you can watch someone else drink alcohol. While this argument does have merit, this next Hadith kind of disproves it:
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music) to mislead (men) from the path of Allah…” [Luqman 31:6]
It disproves the argument because it says purchasing music, not playing musical instruments.
—
Therefore, music is haram.
Now, how to quit music? Here’s a guide I wrote on another site.
ᯓ★ (step 1 - acceptance) ᯓᡣ? ! ༘⋆
first of all, you’ll need to accept that it’s haram. for so long I would specifically search for sources that say it’s halal instead of accepting the facts I naturally found. the hadiths clearly state it is and yes there is a chance it’s not, but it most likely is. you as a Muslim should take what it most likely is as your belief. this life is temporary but the afterlife will be permanent, do your best to go to jannah. take this: how come the hadith which says it’s haram was saying that there will be people who will consider musical instruments as permissible and there will be punishment for them, and musical instruments is what some people now consider as permissible? Indeed there are no coincidences in the Quran.
———————
ᯓ★ (step 2 - stopping) ᯓᡣ? ! ༘⋆
well, yeah, step 2 is where it begins. just.. stopping. at the beginning, just.. stop. don’t listen to music. you’ll find it easy at the beginning but then the silence might start to break you because you’re so used to having music in the background 24/7. when you’re at that point, don’t give in. just don’t. try listening to some nasheeds, nasheeds work great as a substitute atleast for me, and they are a great way I’m getting through this stage of quitting. and no, you don’t have to leave your favorite music artists, you can search for acapella versions of their songs and your likely to find some. while you won’t find every song, you can possibly upload some yourself using AI tools to extract vocals and uploading as podcasts however you may wanna look into copyright issues with that !!. acapella songs will inevitably not feel the same. you might find yourself craving the normal versions of those very songs but remember: all of this is for a reason, Allah knows best and you’re doing this for jannah. the songs that you’ll avoid in this world are the ones you can listen to in the next. though, here’s a tip, nasheeds fill in the gap of music better then acapella cause of the way vocals are placed in the background, so try to listen to them more -`♡´-
———————
ᯓ★ (step 2-2 - stopping for musicians) ᯓᡣ? ! ༘⋆
you can skip this part if you aren’t a music producer or musician or someone who wanted to learn instruments.
I recommend that you watch other videos and stuff for help on this as I’m really not the best person to give advice on how to quit music for musicians, but I’m putting this here anyways. this might be incredibly painful for you and I assume you tried to convince yourself it’s halal more then anyone else. if you’ve been learning instruments for years it might be really difficult to accept this but just put the instruments away and think. try to remember that this world is just a test. you’ll be able to play these instruments in the next world, and it may feel like all this effort in learning has been wasted but it’s not, you can use that effort in jannah inshallah. I personally have a guitar that I planned on learning but it has sat in my closet for a while, and now I know it’s gone to waste hurts me alot I won’t lie, I cried last night because of it. but I came to terms when I remembered what this is for, what IM for. life is a test and never forget that. it may be incredibly painful to quit, leave, and forget music especially for you as a music producer or musician, but it’s all worth it I promise you.
———————
ᯓ★ (step 3 - removing music from your ugc) ᯓᡣ? ! ༘⋆
ugc stands for user generated content. now you’ll need to remove the music from the content you have posted on sites such as youtube, etc. for youtube, look for tutorials on how to replace audios from already posted youtube videos, I can’t explain it in text lol. it’s really easy to remove audios from yt videos luckily. some other sites come to mind but I don’t have time to mention all of them, so just look for tutorials and stuff. the reason you need to remove the music from all ur ugc is because correct me if I’m wrong, the bad deeds of those who listen to the music from ur ugc will be on you.
———————
ᯓ★ (step 4 - avoiding music) ᯓᡣ? ! ༘⋆
now for avoiding music. music is EVERYWHERE and it’s incredibly difficult to avoid it. try to not go to restaurants and places that play music but if you can’t then just cover your ears, if you can’t do that then try to ignore it, and if you can’t do that then just try to not care about it and pretend it doesn’t exist even if it’s hard to ignore. when watching stuff like YouTube shorts, mute ur audio, check the video/sound if you’re pretty sure it doesn’t have music, unmute, then repeat.
———————
So uh yeah that’s it bye! Also feel free to argue against my points or correct any mistake I made. This is just my observation of music and Islam as someone who has had an obsession with music and as someone has believed it’s halal for a long portion of my life.

Hello everyone!! I’ve been non stop reading threads about online Masters Degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs and I’ve created a spreadsheet of accredited schools that offer online programs. Most (but not all) of the threads I’ve found are about a year old or older. I know- there’s a lot of disagreement on whether online is a decent option, but I work full time and homeschool my kiddo so there’s only the evenings and weekends. So it is what it is. I’m also not trying to spend over $50k if I can help it, but quality of education and reputation are important to me.
My only hang up in my research so far is- how do I find out/ figure out if research & studies in psychedelics is something they offer or are open to? I’d really love to earn my masters from a school that sees this as a positive (if that is something that exists). I have personally dug into research about psychedelics quite a bit and plan on being a facilitator in my state if/when it’s legal because I truly see this as the future of therapy. For reference- I’m in Melbourne Beach, Florida, so if there’s schools near here with excellent online programs that won’t bankrupt me, I’m all ears! Or- if you just know of a great online program please feel free to drop that here too! Thank you all so much! 💕

Description: Your girlfriend loves you more than anything and she's in a mushy mood right now, so get ready for her to tell you all about it.
[START]
Girlfriend: "Hey darling."
Girlfriend: "You know what?"
Girlfriend: "I love you."
Sound of her kissing the listener a couple of times.
Girlfriend: "Well I'm feeling pretty mushy right now, so I hope you're prepared."
Girlfriend: "Get your lap ready."
Sound of her cuddling up on the listener's lap.
Girlfriend: "The best seat in the house."
Sound of her kissing the listener again.
Girlfriend: "I'm fortunate to have you in my life."
Girlfriend: "And even though I say it to you daily, I still feel like it'll never be enough."
Girlfriend: "But I'll never grow tired of saying it, so no complaints here."
Girlfriend: "You're amazing~"
Girlfriend: "Urgh, no, you are amazing."
Girlfriend: "That's the one part of you that I'm not in agreement with, saying you aren't literally the best thing ever? that's absolutely bullshit and you know it!"
Girlfriend: "You're art, inside and out."
Girlfriend: "But unlike art, I don't have to look at it and imagine what it would be like to have a life with you."
Girlfriend: "Instead I get to cuddle, squeeze, kiss, hold, and carry the shit out of you."
Girlfriend: "One of these days you'll see it the way I do and say out loud how perfect and hot you are."
Girlfriend: "But for now, I'll just say it for you instead."
Sound of her tracing her fingers along the listener's ears.
Girlfriend: "What? you know I can't keep my fingers from you."
Girlfriend: "And I know you like it~"
Girlfriend: "Mhm, this was all part of my plan, now you're trapped in the mush zone forever."
Girlfriend: "I love you too dear~"
Sound of her kissing the listener again.
Girlfriend: "I never thought my life would go this way, but damm am I glad it it."
Girlfriend: "Being able to spend every day with you, having people throwing me jealous looks when we go out, what's not to love?"
Girlfriend: "Oh trust me dear, you get a lot of not-so-sneaky glances when we're out and about."
Girlfriend: "But since you're such a precious bean you don't notice."
Girlfriend: "I get it though, you're hot, I mean dayum." Giggles.
Girlfriend: "Excuse me, I'm not a horndog, I'm your horndog, get it right."
Girlfriend: "No better way to get good dreams than to fall asleep to the sigh of this pretty face every night~"
Girlfriend: "And don't get me started on our showers every morning, oh my~"
Girlfriend: Laughs. "Alright, alright."
Girlfriend: "Getting back to the mushy stuff."
Girlfriend: "I don't just love the bigger, more obvious things about you."
Girlfriend: "I also love all your small quirks, the things that take a while to notice."
Girlfriend: "Like that cute thoughtful look you have when you're cooking."
Girlfriend: "Or how about the way you kiss my shoulder in your sleep whenever you're the little spoon."
Girlfriend: "It's why I prefer to be the big spoon."
Girlfriend: "Oh I have a bunch more I could list."
Girlfriend: "Sometimes you talk in your sleep."
Girlfriend: "You drink cherry soda only on Thursday."
Girlfriend: "And you're a lightning-fast reader."
Girlfriend: "The list goes on..."
Girlfriend: "No need to get shy."
Girlfriend: "Like I said, I love all of your quirks."
Girlfriend: "They're an important part of the perfect art piece you are."
She stops playing with the listener's ears.
Girlfriend: "No need to pout dear, I'll get to your ears in a moment."
Girlfriend: "But first I want a nice big squeeze."
Sound of her wrapping the listener in a tight hug.
Girlfriend: "Yeah, yeah."
Girlfriend: "You'll get your ear scratchies."
She resumes playing with the listener's ears.
Girlfriend: "So needy~"
Girlfriend: "I'm just teasing."
Girlfriend: "I'm glad you love this kind of thing, gives me an excuse to have my hands all over you~"
Girlfriend: "Nope, no plans."
Girlfriend: "Just me and you, cuddling, enjoying each other's presence."
Girlfriend: "Unless of course, you wanna cuddle in the bed instead."
Girlfriend: "Dips on being the big spoon."
Girlfriend: "Sorry, maybe next time."
Girlfriend: "You know that pout isn't very effective when you're melting into my arms."
Girlfriend: "Come on, give me a smile."
Girlfriend: "Please?"
Girlfriend: "Just one smile for little ole' me?"
Girlfriend: Giggles. "There it is."
Sound of her kissing the listener.
Girlfriend: "How was kiss 7467?"
Girlfriend: "Good answer."
Girlfriend: "Seriously though, every kiss gets better and better~"
Girlfriend: "You know what's gonna be the best kiss though?"
Girlfriend: "The one after I say I do."
Girlfriend: "And to tell you the truth?"
Girlfriend: "I think that kiss might be very soon~"
Audio slowly fades out as she talks.
Girlfriend: "Darling?"
Girlfriend: "Hello?"
Girlfriend: "Oh no, I think I broke you..."
Girlfriend: "Guess I'll have to get another one..."
Girlfriend: Laughs. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"
Girlfriend: "You're the only one for me."
[END]
Constructive Criticism is welcome, I would love to know your thoughts.
If someone wants to record this and release it on any platform, they can do so if credit and/or a link to this post are provided.
Monetization is okay with all of my scripts, no matter the platform. (This includes platforms like Patreon as well, though if I could, I'd like to listen to the recording at least once.)
If you want to make any changes to the script, please ask me first, unless I have already given you specific permission for either this or all of my scripts.
List of all of my scripts:
Part 1 - https://www.reddit.com/ASMRScriptHaven/comments/s24un1/master_list_of_my_scripts_f4a_all_are_free_to_use/
Part 2 - https://www.reddit.com/ASMRScriptHaven/comments/1777754/master_list_of_my_scripts_part_2_f4a_all_a_free/

Let me start out by saying this: I pay for Dropout and have absolutely no intention of changing that anytime soon. Or anytime later to be fair.
Hi. I'm a pirate. I've pirated so much content in the last 30+ years it's mind-boggling. I had cable back in the day, and I was on board with Tivo from jumpstreet: I owned the very first box they made and upgraded all along the way. I've given networks and cable companies and streaming companies literally tens of thousands of dollars. I'll never do the math but it would not surprise me if my total expenditure on media in all forms is 6 figures. I pirate fucking everything these days. Hell I pirate from streaming services I still pay for because my Plex server is curated to me, and I like a one-stop-shop. I'm pirating eleventy-three quadrillion terabytes from Netflix as I type these words. And fuck all your ads, streaming services. Just fuck off.
But man, Dropout though. I actually did pirate some shows when we discovered it. Then I found out they had an app for Firetv. Then I saw the subscription fee, plus all the back catalog and was like "My time is worth way more than they want to charge. The service is worth more than they want to charge!" And I subbed. Every month I look at the streaming fees for Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Max, etc. increasing and every month I make plans to free myself from what has become cable tv-level pricing if you want everything. You know what's never on the chopping block? Like, never? Dropout.
The value is incredible. In these trying times (to paraphrase Demi on Smartypants, whenever you're reading this, I mean now), Dropout makes me laugh. I forget about the fucking horror-show the world is becoming for a little while. There's a rich back catalog. There's a show for most every niche you might like. And that low, low price for all the value you get...the price is right, bitch! Dropout TV is high quality content at a price that makes it affordable for most anyone. If I ever get the feeling that like "Well I watched it all, may as well unsub for awhile" Along comes VIP. Or Smartypants. Or another Dimension 20. Or a new season of Game Changer. Um, Actually exists to tickle that nerd bone. And soon Make Some Noise is back and the lineup looks incredible.
Sam...you have my sub. And my sword. I know. Coming from a self-described pirate that may not mean much to a content creator. But Dropout is exactly the kind of service that stops pirates. It's high quality and easy on the wallet.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk or whatever 🤣

i know that the stereotype of art school students is that they’re rich and privileged, but neither of my parents went to college and did not have an understanding about what i was getting myself into. i worked all through school and paid all of my bills myself, barely made any art for myself and only focused on assignments and just trying to survive. i made the decision to go to art school when I was 17, because I felt like art was the only thing i could do. but now all my love for it has been sucked out of me and I realized I hate doing art for other people. i hate that I was encouraged to turn a life long hobby into a career. over half of my tuition was covered by scholarships and grants, but I still owe a little less than $60k for a subpar education and spending over half of class time working silently because the professors didn’t put in effort outside of giving us projects they’ve reused for decades. i just wish I could go back and tell myself to not do it. on top of this, my mom royally screwed me over by putting $30k of private loans on a 5 YEAR PAYMENT PLAN without telling me until I graduated. yes i have since then refinanced. she also just tells me to get over it when I rant about how this all makes me feel and that I should be happy with the job I have. (non art related) this has all made me realize i put all my faith in someone to help steer me down the right path who never really cared in the first place. i just feel so lost and without direction in life, and so so different from any of my peers. most of them didn’t even have a job in school, and all of my free time went towards working. I just wish i could find someone that understands because ive never felt more alone.

My close friend Abby (30F) and I (33F) have almost 10 years of friendship and a great history of helping one another during trying financial times. We started out at the same crappy low paying entry level job, and it was common for us to borrow anything from $20-$150 from each other here and there if we were a bit short on rent or needing gas or groceries to get to payday. When we moved on from that employer, small things would still occasionally come up, and I could always depend on her to spot me. She has a chronic health issue that requires an expensive medication that isn’t covered by her insurance, and I’ve even helped her out with that when money has been tight. No matter what, I’ve always gotten paid back like clock work according to whatever payment plan we’ve discussed.
A little over a month ago while visiting a friend, she got into a car accident that caused damage to her windshield and her side mirrors, and I thought nothing of it when she asked for a short term loan to fix the repairs. We agreed on small weekly payments based on her direct deposit, and I even mentioned some non-monetary favors she could do for me to reduce the total amount.
When time came for her to pay me something, she avoided me that day. However, I thought nothing of it because she had been working a lot and I guessed she was just tired so I decided to wait another week until her next payday. The next week came and she mentioned that she didn’t forget about me but that it might have to be another week before she could pay me, and the amount would likely be smaller than we initially discussed. I appreciated her honesty and told her to just keep me updated.
Within a few days of this conversation, she called to tell me that she adopted a cat and sent me a haul on Snapchat of all of the supplies she bought for it. Now she didn’t just get your run-of-the-mill litter box and food bowls—everything was TOP OF THE LINE. A fancy self-cleaning box, multiple collars, leashes and harnesses for walking, a stroller, a large variety of toys and scratching devices, and several bags of high cost food and treats. While this shopping spree easily hit the $1,000 mark, I didn’t criticize her spending and assumed that maybe she’d gotten a bonus or something that improved her financial state, and that we would be back on schedule with her payments.
The next week, a few days before a payment “due date”, we planned an outing to a local festival. There was a small entry fee that we had previously discussed her covering for me to count toward her balance but when we got to the venue, she only produced enough cash for her ticket and said she’d forgotten. I was a little annoyed but not necessarily suspicious until we were walking through the festival browsing various vendor booths and she miraculously “found” a wad of cash in her purse. She proceeded to spend at least $200 on drinks, food, and several handmade pieces of jewelry and pottery, and I was DUMBFOUNDED.
Again, I foolishly waited to see if she would give me at least something on our next payment date but I didn’t receive a dime, and she’s still hitting me with that “I got you next week.” At this point, we’re 2 weeks out from when she agreed to have the loan paid back! While it wouldn’t put me in any financial distress to take the loss, it’s the principle of my friend spending at least 2.5x the amount I loaned her on such frivolous things while putting me off.
Any advice on how I should approach this, as our friendship has been conflict free until this point?

Stan Pranin mentions some important information about both the pre-war students and the post-war students.

I think it is due primarily to the fact that very few of O-Sensei's students trained under him for any protracted length of time. With the exception of Yoichiro (Hoken) Inoue, a nephew of Ueshiba, Gozo Shioda, the founder of Yoshinkan Aikido, and Tsutomu Yukawa, O-Sensei's prewar uchideshi studied a maximum of perhaps five to six years. (1)

and

The same can be said of the postwar period. The initiates of that period include such well-known figures as Sadateru Arikawa, Hiroshi Tada, Seigo Yamaguchi, Shoji Nishio, Nobuyoshi Tamura, Yasuo Kobayashi, and later Yoshimitsu Yamada, Mitsunari Kanai, Kazuo Chiba, Seiichi Sugano, Mitsugi Saotome and various others. Shigenobu Okumura, Koichi Tohei, and Kisaburo Osawa form a somewhat unique group in that they practiced only briefly before the war, but achieved master status after World War II. None of these teachers spent any lengthy period studying directly under O- Sensei. (1)

Finding out that many of Morihei Ueshiba's students didn't spend any lengthy time with him is a fairly critical piece of information. The pre-war students of Ueshiba came the closest to replicating his abilities. Those students were studying Daito ryu aiki. Their training was different.

Training of the pre-war era. From multiple interviews, there were official training times at the Kobukan dojo for 4 or 5 times a day. There were two morning classes, one which ran from six to seven A.M. while the other ran somewhere between nine and eleven. In the afternoon, there were either two or three classes, but at least one was from two to four and another from seven to eight P.M.(2) (3) Training times lasted one to one and a half hours.(4) According to Shirata, the amount of time spent per week in training was about seven to eight hours. (5) Of course, the students were free to train with each other. (2) We also know that brand new students spent months either watching or doing other chores before being allowed to train. (6) (7) (8) This gives us some indication of the training times per week.

But what were the total years some of the pre-war students spent training?

Gozo Shioda
1932 Began training under Morihei Ueshiba.
1941 Was posted to China, Taiwan and Borneo.

Kenji Tomiki
1926-1927 Began training under Morihei Ueshiba. Mostly either summer months or vacation time spent training. (9)
1934 Moved to Tokyo. Full time training. (9)
1936 Moved to Manchuria. (10)

Rinjiro Shirata
1931 Began training under Morihei Ueshiba.
1937 Mobilized into the Army.

Shigemi Yonekawa
1932 Began training under Morihei Ueshiba.
1936 Moved to Manchuria.

Minoru Mochizuki
1930 Began training under Morihei Ueshiba.
Late 1930s Moved to Manchuria. (11)

With most students being mobilized for the war, by 1942 when Kanshu Sunadomari began training under Morihei Ueshiba, there were very few students. Training in those days was done only for a little while in the mornings and evenings. Also, Ueshiba was spending time traveling to Iwama. (12) As you can see, the actual number of years that the pre-war students spent training was really not that long, either in duration or per day. Another important thing to realize is that Ueshiba was not at the Kobukan dojo all the time during this period.

From 1926 until the outbreak of World War II, O-Sensei maintained a heavy teaching schedule centering his activities in Tokyo. His students were primarily military officers and person of high social standing and his teaching services were in constant demand. He was obliged to travel extensively around the country and made almost yearly visits to Manchuria, then under Japanese political control. (13)

There was actually only a small amount of training in those years for the prewar students and only a few actually trained more than five years. Adding to that, Ueshiba had a very busy traveling schedule as he went to various places to train people. Morihiro Saito even mentions how busy Ueshiba was traveling before the war. (14) In fact, after Mochizuki opened his dojo around 1931 (15), he stated that when Ueshiba would travel each month to Kyoto to teach Omoto kyo followers, that Ueshiba would stop at Mochizuki's dojo to teach there for two to three days. (16) Between the actual travel times and the teaching times, Ueshiba was not at the Kobukan dojo regularly. None of this even touches upon Ueshiba's teaching style and how chaotic or confusing it had been. The actual teaching style and method used by Morihei Ueshiba will be dealt with in another chapter.

Then there is the post-war period. Some of the post-war students are listed below.

Akira Tohei (1929-1999) 1946-1956 Studied under Koichi Tohei. 1956-1963 Studied under Morihei Ueshiba. 1963-64 Toured U.S. and taught in Hawaii. 1964-1972 Taught at various places in Japan. 1972 Dispatched to America.

Fumio Toyoda (1947-2001)
1957 (age 10) Studied under Koichi Tohei
1964 Shodan by Saito (Tohei was in Hawaii).
1965 Ichikukai dojo as resident for 3 years. After completing this harsh training, he continued to attend Hombu classes for 3 hours each day.
1969-ish – Uchideshi under Kisshomaru Ueshiba (Morihei had died) (sandan).
1971 Yondan.
1974 Dispatched to America (godan).

Mitsunari Kanai (1939-2004) 1959-1966 Uchideshi at Hombu. 1966 Dispatched to America (yondan).
Seiichi Sugano (1939-2010) 1957 Started training at Hombu. 1958-59 Studied under Morihei Ueshiba. 1965 Dispatched to Australia.
Yoshimitsu Yamada (1938-) 1955-56 Uchideshi at Hombu. 1964 Dispatched to NY Aikikai.
Kazuo Chiba (1940-) 1958- Uchideshi at Hombu. 1960 – Sandan. Assigned to Nagoya. 1962 Yondan and teaching at Hombu. 1966 Dispatched to England.
Mitsugi Saotome (1937-) 1955 Started Aikido. 1958 Uchideshi at Hombu. 1960 Teaching at Hombu. 1975 Departed to America.
Shizuo Imaizumi (1938-) 1959 Started Aikido. 1965 Apprentice Instructor at Hombu (sandan). Frequently trained under Koichi Tohei, 1975 Moved to America.
During the post-war period, the students of Morihei Ueshiba actually had more total years training than the pre-war students. A closer look at how much time was spent training directly with Morihei Ueshiba shows that the actual time is significantly less than what it appears. There is relatively little difference between pre-war and post-war in the actual amount of hands-on time with Ueshiba.

Ueshiba moved to Iwama for about ten years from around 1942 to 1952. (17) During this time in Iwama, his actual training schedule with students appeared to be limited to twice a day.

Morihei's daily schedule in Iwama in those years:
7:00-9:00 A.M.: Aikido training followed by a simple breakfast.
4:00P.M.-6:00P.M. Aikido training.(18)

For those ten years in Iwama, the students did not train extensively. It would appear that, at most, there was 4 hours of training each day. While four hours a day is not something to easily dismiss, it is nowhere near an extensive training schedule. We also have to take into consideration whether the students in Iwama trained every day. Even at that, Ueshiba's teaching style was still confusing and at times, chaotic. Saito did mention that the training was severe. (19)
Ueshiba split his time between the Tokyo hombu dojo and Iwama for a short period. Stan Pranin notes that Ueshiba actually lived in Iwama for 15 years after the war ended. (20) Kanai responds that after he started at hombu around 1958, Ueshiba split his time between Iwama and Tokyo. (21)
Until 1955, hombu dojo was not very active. Between 1955 and 1959, more students started coming to the dojo to train, including foreign students. Even then, Ueshiba was not a regular teacher there. He would show up whenever he wanted. (22)
Nishio remarks that when he started, around 1951, it was six months before he saw Ueshiba. (23) In fact, Nishio goes on to note that there weren't many students and that Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Koichi Tohei were the teachers. (24)
Robert Frager remarks that he only saw Ueshiba occasionally during his first year, which would be sometime in the mid 1960s. (25) Walther Krenner also notes that Ueshiba wasn't teaching regularly around 1967. (26)
Kisshomaru Ueshiba states that his father was "besieged by visitors starting from early in the morning and he spent large amounts of time in receiving them". Kisshomaru also notes that his father traveled often. (27)
Taking a closer look when Ueshiba was at the Tokyo hombu dojo, what time, or times, did he teach?

The uchideshi's day begins around 6 a.m., when he cleans the dojo and the grounds outside. The first class of the day starts at 6:30. This class is usually taught by Uyeshiba himself, the Osensei, which means the old teacher. The young uchideshi sit on their knees during this hour, which can be an uncomfortable and tiring experience.
The first class is usually taken up mostly with discussions about God and nature - Uyeshiba doing the talking and the uchideshi listening. It is in this hour that the young uchideshi is exposed to Zen philosophy and the deeper meanings of aikido - its nonviolent and defensive perfection and understanding.
If this all sounds rather remote and difficult to grasp for a Western reader, he may be interested to know that the young Japanese uchideshi often feels the same way. The 83-year-old Uyeshiba many times speaks about highly abstract topics, lapsing usually into ancient Japanese phraseology, so that his listeners often find it difficult to follow him.
When this long hour is over, the young uchideshi exuberantly spill out onto the dojo floor for a half-hour exercise break. All the restless energy pent up within seems to come out and they throw themselves into the practice of their techniques with each other.
At 8 a.m. begins the real study of aikido techniques. This class is taught by a different instructor every day, and is attended by a large number of persons from outside the dojo. Sometimes this hour is taught by Uyeshiba's son, or Waka sensei as he is called. Sometimes Tohei sensei, the greatest of Uyeshiba's followers, instructs the class. (28)

When Ueshiba did teach, he often spent a large amount of time talking and the students just wanted to practice techniques. (28) (29) Ueshiba traveled often. He also entertained visitors. He only taught the morning class at hombu dojo when he was there. From the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s, he was rarely in Tokyo. From the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s, he split his time between Iwama and Tokyo and still traveled occasionally to various other places. In the late 1960s, Ueshiba's health was declining and he rarely taught. Not even getting into the subject of just how confusing Ueshiba's teaching style was, the students of Ueshiba never had extensive training time with him, either pre-war or post-war. What time there was, the post-war students focused on techniques and throwing each other around. The exceptions here would be Kisshomaru and Saito. Both seem to have had more access to Ueshiba than most other students.
With everything mentioned, it is very plausible that many of the people training in Tokyo were actually students of Kisshomaru and Tohei. When Ueshiba retreated to Iwama, he left hombu dojo in the care of Kisshomaru. It also explains why Saito was able to develop the curriculum that he did since he had more time with Ueshiba.
This isn't to say that all the students of aikido never trained with Morihei Ueshiba or that they did not learn from him. This is only to show that the actual hands-on training time with Ueshiba was not extensive. Ueshiba was not really focused on teaching so that whatever the students could glimpse was done so by a very dedicated effort on their part. Ueshiba must have, in some manner, given out certain aspects for training aiki in the pre-war period. Those students stood out.
After 20 years in aikido why aren't you at least close to the pre-war students?
There is an interview with Henry Kono in an Aikido Today magazine that sheds light on the answer.
ATM: When you had conversations like these with O'sensei, what would you talk about?
HK: Well, I would usually ask him why the rest of us couldn't do what he could. There were many other teachers, all doing aikido. But he was doing it differently - doing something differently. His movement was so clean!

ATM: How would O'sensei answer your questions about what he was doing?
HK: He would say that I didn't understand yin and yang [in and yo]. So, now I've made it my life work to study yin and yang. That's what O'sensei told me to do.
The answer is Aiki. Daito ryu aiki. Specific training (not techniques) for aiki. Heaven-Earth-Man. Yin/Yang. Have you found what those training methodologies were?

1. Aikido Journal Issue 109
   
2. Aiki News 047
   
3. Aiki News Issue 035
   
4. Aiki News Issue 062
   
5. Aiki News Issue 062
   
6. Aiki News Issue 062
   
7. Aiki News Issue 035
   
8. Aiki News Issue 035
   
9. http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=70
   

10 Aiki News Issue 128

1. http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=505
   
2. Aiki News Issue 064
   
3. Aiki News Issue 027
   
4. Aiki News Issue 013
   
5. http://www.yoseikanbudo.com/eng/minorumochizuki.shtml
   
6. Aiki News Issue 054
   
7. Aiki News Issue 031
   
8. The Shambhala Guide to Aikido by John Stevens
   
9. Aiki News Issue 027
   
10. Aiki News Issue 038
    
11. Aiki News Issue 038
    
12. Aiki News Issue 070
    
13. Aiki News Issue 060
    
14. Aiki News Issue 060
    
15. Yoga Journal March 1982
    
16. Training with the Master by John Stevens
    
17. Aiki News Issue 031
    
18. Black Belt 1966 Vol 4 No 5
    
19. Yoga Journal March 1982
    

For quite some time, I've been dealing with a set of issues which I would describe as "depression". Inability to focus, fatigue, and more, wrecked havoc in everything I do, and did: be that academic successes, communication, or gaining any useful skills.
Those issues have no obvious reason to exist: my body's physical health is fine as far as I know, lifestyle is good, and, unfortunately, I have nothing to say about mental health.
But past few months, I've entertained the possibility of me being some variety of MtF. I've educated myself on various resources on this, like this, or this, this subreddit, and more.
One of the things I've found while searching for information is the so called "biochemical dysphoria", and it's description, with "dissociation" and "derealization" can explain some of the issues I am dealing with as of now.
Possibility that estrogen HRT can help with those issues made me more interested in it.
Physical effects of HRT are irrelevant to me. But only they are certain, while effects of HRT on brain and mind are hard for me to predict making decision making process harder.
Due to me living in Central Asia, "Planned parenthood" clinics, therapists, or any other competent mental healthcare services are unavailable for me. And that means that only DIY HRT is possible. Financial difficulties also make HRT a rather expensive venture for me.
Below I present what I thought of as possible scenarios for me:
Assuming I seek to procure HRT, I:

• Will expend untold amounts of time and a lot of money on it.
• Will have to deal with feminisation of body, and issues stemming from possibility of others to take note of this.
• Likely will have to deal with mental issues stemming from estrogen affecting my brain.
• Unlikely, I can change my goals, thus changing what I want from HRT.
• Unlikely, I will find that some physical effect of estrogen on body is not satisfactory.

All for the:

• "Issues" described before will become easier to deal with due to cessation of biochemical dysphoria.
• Unknown positive mental changes.

I am unable to give more definition to either of those two goals. I'm unable to answer when would I even consider those two goals achieved. And there is always something unaccounted for, ready to make all plans go awry.
Assuming I do not seek to procure HRT, I:

• Will not have to deal with negatives from being on HRT.
• Will keep living a disappointing, but tolerable life I do now.
• Will not know if HRT has positive effects for me.

Things in my life are fine after all. And issues I've mentioned are more easily explained by me being a badly spoiled, undisciplined drooling idiot.
But an idea that HRT can help to resolve so many issues can make all the "self-improvement" harder just by existing, and clogging brain bandwidth. So I should decide whatever HRT is a good option, or not, as soon as possible.
Conclusion for this decision making process depends on whatever I'm ready to put money and time on unknown possibility that HRT will be of any use to me.
It seems too good of a deal, judging by what I've read on the internet. Possibility that no, there are no worms eating my brain away; that I can just take some chemicals and everything will become so much easier; that there is so much less work ahead, seems like a beginning for some scam.
And yet, there is an unknown possibility that it is that good of a deal; that I should get HRT as soon as possible.
I should know better than considering going for something so nebulous. But I don't know better yet, and will ask:

Considering everything written above, would you recommend HRT as a solution to my mental issues? 

And, of course, feel free to add anything else.
On this, I end this post. I apologize for it being possibly hard to understand, and it being too chaotic; let me know if that's a case.
I acknowledge that I'm asking for advice on topic from people who are likely quite biased. Nonetheless, I'm interested in any answers.
Cheers!

In the past year, my grandfather passed away and left my Dad and his sister with his remaining money. Details aside, my parents are willing to fund my wife and I up to $600K to build a home for my family (warm hand versus cold hand conversations have occurred numerous times).
Currently, my wife and I (Both 32) have 4 kids and currently live in a 2200 sq ft home (3 BR, 2.5 BA) built in 2007 in Florida on 5 acres. My wife stays home with our kids (eldest is 8) and homeschools, while I have about a 25-minute commute to work and about 25-30 minutes from any grocery store or major shopping or town. The area we live in is quiet, which is nice, but have a couple neighbors around that are a somewhat unsettling to live near (former addicts, domestic issues, etc). If/when we sell our current house, we can expect to net around ~$200,000 based on market value and our realtor’s recommendations.
In moving towards our new home, we purchased 6 acres of land earlier this year as the first step towards building a new home, which will be closer to town (5-10 minutes) and closer to my job as well (~15-20 minutes). We have been working with a builder and have decided on a ~2550 square foot plan that will be on about 6 acres of land. All in, this build is projected to cost around $700k including the land cost, which we would pay the difference using the proceeds from the sale of our current home. My parents are willing to cover costs over $600K, but we will need to pay back the overage after the sale of our home.
My wife and I are extremely appreciative of the effort my parents are making to allow us to hopefully build our forever home for our children while they are young enough to not feel super attached to the home we are currently living in. Additionally, we will be living a slightly higher taxed area, but will be able to essentially live debt free and closer to everything, which my wife and I both value.

All this detail above was basically given to ask the following question:
Why do my wife and I feel so unsure or uneasy about what seems like an obvious choice for the betterment of our family? Are we missing something here?
We moved away from family about 3 years ago, so we aren't sure if our lack of clarity here is because we feel more isolated than we have before, but looking for some reassurance or insight on this situation because it seems so unique.