Christopher Alvarez:

Going to do a quick live. If you haven't already, go to my stories and read the article I just dropped about the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef.
It's been a wild ride, a wild weekend, and today is Monday. Like we say in Spanish: [I don't speak Spanish.]
Today has been a day where I have been forced to reflect on many of the things that happened to what started on social media and it wasn't a very exciting weekend for my family because they were concerned for my mental health and well-being.
The article that dropped kind of explains that Drake and Kendrick and all of the other celebrities that I have had the courage to connect with, they are great moments that I've lived in my life and that was a time when we were -- I was a kid, you know, just being a fan, living life, meeting my idols.
But nothing happened that night. All these accusations that Drake raped me, that Drake paid off some big money to make me stay quiet or like the Post article. Like, on that I have nothing to hide. I'm an open book. That's what I've told everybody my whole life.
I kind of write down the struggle of being a disabled person and I would never put anyone in harm's way. I understand that these comments on social media have hurt a lot of people because they have messaged me and I'm sorry to them.
I'm sorry to the Mark Hotel for the bad publicity that they have, that they've obtained.
I'm sorry to the security guard at the Mark Hotel for getting fired.
None of this is fabricated. I don't have any intention go bash anyone. It's unfortunate that this is the reason that I have to go live, this is the reason that I have to connect with my fans because I have to apologize for something that I have no idea how I got involved in.
So, I wish everybody could just put this aside. Look forward. Because that's what life is about, you know? Life throws you a lot of curveballs but it's how you get around it and it's how you make the best of every situation and I hope this predicament is an example of how obstacles are never too big for me to overcome and this is just one of them.
Thank to anybody who's texted me kind words. Thank you to the Brooklyn Eagle for giving me the space, the opportunity, to share my side of the story. If you haven't already, go and read it. And I'm gonna go answer Some questions in a little bit so go ahead and type whatever you want to know.
Okay, so, no, I was not on drugs. I'm not --
3 AM, yes, 3 AM. So what? It's New York City, baby. We party. It's the city that never sleeps.
No, Drake did not pay me. I'm okay. Nothing happened between Drake and I, nothing bad happened. We were just hitting it off, like a fan, as someone who likes music, and he’s got some great, great music coming out so stay tuned.
What else?
I guess that's pretty much it but I wanna say I know there have been some news outlets clearly like [???] who have tried to turn this debacle into something that it’s not. I don't think that's the right way to go about it. We should all reach out to the source before posting something. That's what I learned at Columbia journalism school. [Study to be right, to be best?]
What else do you want me to say?
It's been real. It's been real, guys. Thank you for the support. Thank you for everything. Keep reading. I'm gonna keep posting stuff as a journalist because that's what I do. I make people pay for doing bad things. So, those who are private entities or public officials, I make them pay. I make them own their word.
What other articles? I'm working on an article about [Miami pools?] shutting down so I think that’s my next article. I should have something coming out Friday night so stay tuned to that page, as well. If you don't follow me: journalvarez, that’s my professional page. Just like my Twitter handle which I think you guys, most of you guys, have figured out and started following so whether it's for the good reasons, or the right reasons, stay tuned.
I don't really keep up with what's being dropped by those Twitter users. I don't really know what else has been leaked so I can't comment on the audio of the puppy or the dog, whatever people are texting about.This is something that was brought to my attention by a friend. I don't follow beef. I don't really care about the beef from anyone because I live life happy, every day. Life is too short to hate. [So, gotta do that justice?]
I wish Kendrick and Drake all the best going forward. Hopefully they can hash things out. And keep reading the article. Thank you for this [?], I'm out.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[Moonshine?]

Woman:

Do you want to answer questions, or no?

Chris:

I’m out. [??] Everything goes so fast.

Woman:

I know. They're asking if you got paid. They're asking who came in the room, I don't know what that - I don't know where they got a room from. “Did you see the altercation with the security?” What puppy? That’s our dog. Okay.

Chris:

That's my dog.

Woman:

Let’s see… “Don't lie,” okay. “Was Drake kind to you?”

Chris:

Drake is always kind to me. He’s [??] guy and I can't say anything wrong about him or any other celebrities that I’ve come in contact with.

Woman:

“Did he slap you?” Answer’s no. “Were you paid?” No.

Chris:

I was not paid. I was not slapped. I was not abused. Nothing happened that night except just two guys enjoying some music.

Woman:

They want to know why you said to the person to DM you

Chris:

Yes. I will address that. That person said that there was a New York officer who paid Ebony Prince to make all this nonsense up. I just wanted to talk to her about what else she knew but apparently something is going on with her page so I never DMed her cause the page, the DMs weren't showing up

Woman:

Okay. “Why were you with him at 3 AM?”

Chris:

3 AM, I mean… it’s the morning. I know it's late, but New York is the city that never sleeps and people party hearty here in New York

Woman:

“Is Drake innocent of these accusations?”

Chris:

Drake is innocent and should not be slandered.

Woman:

“Why were you liking comments earlier?” Do you want me to answer that? You got it?

Chris:

I like… Everything I do on social media has a second intention and I like comments to create suspense, whether it's pertaining to, who knows what the comment is talking about.

Woman:

Yeah, they're asking about the comments. Okay. “The fact that the nurse answers those two means she's lying.” I don't know what nurse you're talking about. Okay. “Hospital after that date, everything okay?” Did you go to the hospital?

Chris:

I don't think so.

Woman:

I have no idea.

Chris:

I went to the [?] hotel in Brooklyn the night after.

Woman:

Yeah, okay.

Chris:

I like the ice. I like the cold.

Woman:

“He got a little girl as a present from…” I have no idea what that means.

Chris:

Wait, what?

Woman:

They said that you got a little girl as a present, which is fucking weird

Chris:

Stop, stop doing that.

Woman:

Stop what? Cursing?

Chris:

Don't curse.

Woman:

Okay, no cursing.

Chris:

I'm a [?] guy, I don't curse.

Woman:

He said “What's the benefit to answering crazy allegations like this?”

Chris:

There's no benefit, you know. I'm not a guy who likes to feed people what they like to hear but this was a specific scenario where my family and my friends would be harmed and I needed to come out.

Woman:

Okay, wait…

Chris:

What else, what else?

Woman:

“Someone talking in Spanish to him in the background…”

Chris:

I'm Spanish. I'm from Colombia. Colombia [???]

Woman:

Okay. Sorry. I think that's it.

Chris:

Wait, go back, go back.

Woman:

Oh, go back?

Chris:

To “the article do--”

Woman:

Oh, “the article doesn't seem consistent,” I guess

Chris:

What part of the article is not consistent? Let me know. Type your thoughts.

Woman:

Yeah, be more specific about this so-called inconsistency. “What's on the lobby video?”

Chris:

I have not seen the video. I have seen a screenshot of my face that's clearly me at 3:19 AM leaving the hotel after Drake and I had a good time listening to beats.

Woman:

“Chris, did you ever see Drake around any minors that night?”

Chris:

That night, I never saw him with any minors.

[Video freezes]

you let me know, okay? Because we’re [??] to tell them to get away from me because I like to be independent.

Woman:

Okay, good.

Chris:

What else?

Woman:

“What is she reading?” I'm reading the questions, guys.

Chris:

That’s my assistant. She'll be reading questions because y’all type too fast.

Woman:

Yeah.

[Video freezes]
Woman:

Okay.

[Video freezes]
Woman:

These are just comments.

Chris:

I don't know about the second guard. I know about one guard. [??]

[Video freezes]

I usually [?????]

Woman:

It says “You said it was just you two but we see multiple people in the picture?” Or in the video, I guess.

Chris:

I have only seen one picture and it’s me and this [blurred out?] guy in a red hoodie and I have no idea who that is.

Woman:

Okay. It’s too many questions. “Do you know who this Ebony person is?”

Chris:

I would like to find out who he is and trust me that the journalism guy in me will get to the bottom of it.

Woman:

Okay, they keep asking why the guard was fired.

Chris:

The guard was fired for letting me into the hotel. I had gotten to the hotel an hour before Drake arrived.

Woman:

They're also asking if you had to sign an NDA.

Chris:

I don't sign NDAs. Nobody controls me. I am my own man and I know when I have to speak up.

Woman:

Someone said “Where can I read the article?”

Chris:

Go to brooklyneagle.com. Go ahead, I'm on the front page.
“You’re making up your own questions to check.”

Woman:

I saw that, but I'm not. “Did you meet Drake’s dogs?”

Chris:

No. I did not meet Drake’s dog. I don't like dogs. I have a dog because it’s my sister’s but I don't mess with dogs.
[J???] get out of here.

Woman:

Oh, [J???]’s here.

Chris:

[J???], get out. You don't want to be here.

Woman:

Yeah, they're saying your ventilator sounds just like the beginning of 6:16. I will say I listened to that and it sounds nothing like the ventilator. I don't know where people are getting that from.

Chris:

The ventilator is the reason why I can't hear. It’a too loud.

Woman:

[J??] says “Hola.” Hi, [J??]
“Why were there police there?”

Chris:

Police are always there to protect the celebrity.

Woman:

“Why were you following underage kids,” you already answered that.

Chris:

Okay. I guess we’re done, guys. Thank you for keeping up. Thank you for following. Thank you for supporting, those of you who have [?]. Keep reading the article. Brooklyn Eagle, if you haven't already. I will be on my social media more, obviously, because you guys are commenting. So, I will be on the lookout for anything in the comments that needs to be answered. Thank you. Have a good night. I’m out.

First of all, many things are good in virtue ethics. In Stoic ethics, virtue is the only good.
In Stoicism, virtue is an cause, only corporeals are causes, which makes virtue a corporeal.

“Virtue is an unshakable and consistent disposition to assent only to kataleptic impulsive impressions.” (Brennan, The Stoic Life)

By making virtue corporeal and the only good, Stoic ethics has separated itself from virtue ethics.
Here is my take on Stoic ethics vs virtue ethics (as presented by Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) —

“A virtue is an excellent trait of character.”

In Stoicism, virtue is corporeal, traits are incorporeal, so virtue is not a trait.

“To possess a virtue is to be a certain sort of person with a certain complex mindset. A significant aspect of this mindset is the wholehearted acceptance of a distinctive range of considerations as reasons for action.”

Considerations are incorporeal. For the Stoic, consistently proper assent to impressions is caused by corporeal virtue, not by incorporeal considerations.

“An honest person cannot be identified simply as one who, for example, practices honest dealing and does not cheat. If such actions are done merely because the agent thinks that honesty is the best policy, or because they fear being caught out, rather than through recognising “To do otherwise would be dishonest” as the relevant reason, they are not the actions of an honest person.”

For a Stoic, the adjectives honest/dishonest are irrelevant. The Stoic aims to act from the corporeal virtue, not from incorporeal statements like “I will be honest because otherwise I would be dishonest.”

“An honest person cannot be identified simply as one who, for example, tells the truth because it is the truth, for one can have the virtue of honesty without being tactless or indiscreet.”

For a Stoic, honesty is a lekton/incorporeal, not “a virtue.” Virtue is a corporeal disposition/structure of the mind.

“The honest person recognises “That would be a lie” as a strong (though perhaps not overriding) reason for not making certain statements in certain circumstances, and gives due, but not overriding, weight to “That would be the truth” as a reason for making them.”

A Stoic only considers whether the impulsive impression is kataleptic or not. “Reasons” are incorporeal, they can’t be causes for actions.

“An honest person’s reasons and choices with respect to honest and dishonest actions reflect her views about honesty, truth, and deception—but of course such views manifest themselves with respect to other actions, and to emotional reactions as well.”

A Stoic doesn’t need to apply the adjectives honest/dishonest to actions. Also, the Stoic doesn’t react emotionally to external actions.

“Valuing honesty as she does, she chooses, where possible to work with honest people, to have honest friends, to bring up her children to be honest.”

A Stoic only values the corporeal virtue, not incorporeals like honesty.

“She disapproves of, dislikes, deplores dishonesty, is not amused by certain tales of chicanery, despises or pities those who succeed through deception rather than thinking they have been clever, is unsurprised, or pleased (as appropriate) when honesty triumphs, is shocked or distressed when those near and dear to her do what is dishonest and so on.”

All those are emotional reactions to externals. Again, the Stoic doesn’t react emotionally to externals.

“Possessing a virtue is a matter of degree.”

The Stoic virtue doesn’t allow degrees.

“Further, it is not easy to get one’s emotions in harmony with one’s rational recognition of certain reasons for action.”

For a Stoic, emotions (pathe) are false opinions and disturbances of reason — disharmonious, they can’t harmonize with anything.

“I may be honest enough to recognise that I must own up to a mistake because it would be dishonest not to do so without my acceptance being so wholehearted that I can own up easily, with no inner conflict.”

For a Stoic, the only mistake would be to mistake a non-kataleptic impulsive impression for a kataleptic one.

“The fully virtuous do what they should without a struggle against contrary desires; the continent have to control a desire or temptation to do otherwise.”

The virtuous Stoic is no “continent,” he/she doesn’t try to control desires, he/she simply doesn’t assent to the non-kataleptic impressions that would create desires.

“Describing the continent as “falling short” of perfect virtue appears to go against the intuition that there is something particularly admirable about people who manage to act well when it is especially hard for them to do so, but the plausibility of this depends on exactly what “makes it hard.”

A Stoic would find the adjectives hard/easy irrelevant and wouldn’t use them.

“If it is the circumstances in which the agent acts—say that she is very poor when she sees someone drop a full purse or that she is in deep grief when someone visits seeking help—then indeed it is particularly admirable of her to restore the purse or give the help when it is hard for her to do so.”

A Stoic would restore the purse and give help while disregarding adjectives like hard, easy, admirable, etc.
And so on. The differences between a virtue ethicist and a Stoic are pretty clear throughout the whole article. And that’s because Stoic ethics is not virtue ethics.
(link to the article in the comments)

I have devised this thread as some guidance for those people who have visited this forum and are concerned about specific symptoms that are effecting them and, in particular, those who are worried that these symptoms are an indication of neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) & Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The first thing that must be realised is that NOBODY on an internet forum can ever diagnose you or truly give you any reassurance that you do not have these conditions. Should anybody experience any signs or symptoms that are new to them they should ALWAYS approach their doctor in the first instance in order for these to be examined. In the vast majority of cases a GP will be able to advise you that these symptoms are benign but some doctors will often refer you to a neurologist for their opinion, if this should happen it is not value laden as regarding a possible diagnosis but rather would be the standard format for how you present to the doctor.
This thread is good news, it is good news because it has had to be written, it is good news because hundreds, maybe thousands of people have logged onto this board and countless other anxiety forums totally convinced that they are suffering from a neurological condition despite being told by health care profesionals that this is not the case. All these people ask the same questions and all these people have the exact same worries as you are having now. If this is you, if you have been to the doctor, maybe even a neuro, maybe even two neuro’s, maybe even had an MRI, maybe even two MRI’s, well, you get the picture, if you have been told by your health care profesional that you are healthy but you are struggling to believe this you may find some help from this thread.
So, you have come to an anxiety board. I guess that is because your doctor has told you that you are suffering from anxiety. Actually, my guess would be that your doctor has told you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxiety and, if you are lucky, you may have been given some leaflets, you may have had some books recommended and you may even have been given some medication.
So, what took you to the doctor? Was it the tingling? The pins & needles? That damned annoying twitching eyelid that just won’t let up? Was it that weird thing when you keep seeing the flashing in your periphiral vision? The strange sensation in your throat where you just can’t swallow? The constant muscle aches and cramps? The constant small joint aches and cramps? Do you have that weird internal vibrating feeling? Was it the percieved weakness in all your major limbs? What about the foot drop you have been noticing, the clumsiness, finding the car keys in the fridge? Was it the chronic constant fatigue, that feeling when you wake in the morning like you haven’t actually gone to bed? What about the myclonic jerking, that bizarre moment when your whole body jerks like you have had an electric shock? Was it that constant twitching in your calf muscles that looks like you have a bag of worms under your skin? It could have been the parathesia, the feeling on your skin where one moment it feels sunburnt and the next minute it feels soaking wet? Maybe it was the atrophy, you know, the muscle loss in your bicep, your thigh that is so obvious to you but what frustratingly nobody else can see? What about………are you bored? I’m bored!
So, you have had some of those right? Maybe like me you are unlucky enough to have had every one of them…not much fun is it! When you first started getting these weird and wonderful symptoms cropping up I bet one of the first things you did was run off to the all powerful internet and consult that all knowing oracle, the good lord GOOGLE. If you did this, if you searched for your symptoms on a search engine on the internet, congratualtions, you have taken the first step on developing this weird and wonderful anxiety disorder known as Health Anxiety. The reason we Google is because of a basic human need at a time of stress, we are scared and we want reassurance, the problem is nothing you ever read on the internet will give you the reassurance you need, you will unwittingly discard the plethora of evidence that tells you that you do not have a neurological illness and instead will latch onto and inflate those things which seem ambigous, why would you do this? I suggest that at this point it may be adavantagous for you to look in the Genaralized Anxiety Disorder folder on this forum and see the negative thought processes and over generalization and catastrophising that defines GAD, it just may ring some bells for you.
So, by the time you have gone to the doctor you are pretty much resigned to the fact that it is MS or if you are really unlucky ALS. You picture yourself in a wheelchair, the kids looking at you with pity as you can’t play sports in the park with them anymore, you picture your partner standing by you and caring for you but all the while you feel the resentment, they never signed up for this, you picture the scene in four years time, confined to a hospital bed with your family and friends round you with the fruit and flowers…..BUT WAIT!
Oh joyous news, the doctor has said you don’t have MS, you don’t have ALS, what you have is anxiety, well, just anxiety….oh believe me there is a BIG difference. You have got out of jail free! The doctor has examind you thoroughly, he has taken your history, he knows the patterns, he has seen people with MS and ALS and you are not one of those. With a skip and a step you are on your way, same time next year doctor, yep, no worries…so with a happy heart and an increased vigour you are off out of the surgery door to continue with your life that had been on hold up to then. MS, ALS how could you be so silly eh?
…and then it begins! Right, the doctor said this is anxiety, I’m not anxious though, why do I still have these symptoms if I’m not anxious….something just isn’t right here. The more you think about it the more it seems obvious, hold on, I saw the doctor on Friday afternoon, I bet he was just thinking about the weekend and wanted to get rid of me. I’m sure that the doctor should have done more tests than he did you know, crikey, I’m sure when I told him the numbness was down just the one side he didn’t listen to that, that bit is crucial and he never heard it. Hold on, this freakin eye twitch is getting even worse and I’m not even anxious, where is the telephone? What is that doctors number?……welcome to the loop!
If any of the above seems familier to you, believe me, you are not alone…as strange as it may seem the fixation on being convinced you have a neurological condition after being told that you are in actual fact suffering from anxiety in very common.
Firstly, you need to realise that both MS and ALS are rare disease’s. Not only are they both rare disease’s but they also tend to effect spefic groups based on ethnicity, age and sex so we are talking about rare disease with partial excluding factors. In contrast, anxiety is an incredibly common and debilitating condtion that effects people both physically and mentally.
Anxiety is generally percieved to be a mental condition, when we are anxious we are anxious in our head and this can kick in the flight or fight syndrome which in turn causes the physical reactions. These reactions are generally thought to be a racing heart and palpitations, sweating, increased adrenaline etc etc. Now, this is all well and good but how does this fit in with those symptoms that mirror MS etc so effectivly.
I personally believe that the reason most people fail to be believe that their symptoms are being genrated by anxiety is because the concept of anxiety is never actually expalined sufficently. A large number of doctors will often expalin to you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxety and this usage of the term ‘just’ is supposed to make us somehow feel reassured. The problem is that this has the opposite effect, how can a ‘just’ something cause all these real physical symptoms. If anxiety is effecting me mentally how can it make me twitch, buzz and go numb?
For some people anxiety will surface in the tradional panic attack, much seems to be written on this side of anxiety and this is not what we are concerned with here. For a sizable group of people when anxiety starts to manifest itself physically it is through physical sesnations that effect various aspects of our nervous system. This is why the sensations of this physical anxiety so closely mirror the symptoms of a condition such as MS, they actually effect the same part of the body, now, here is the crucial and all important difference, the symptoms of MS are caused by an organic condition which whilst treatable is irreversable and the physical sensations of anxiety are caused by the mind and are of course reversable. In short, you have to understand and accept that the mind can actually generate these physical sensations.
Whilst for many people physical anxiety can strike out of the blue, I am of the opinion that for the vast majority of people anxiety starts to become physical after whay could be many years of bad stress and anxiety management. You may not have even noticed this. We all have an anxiety threshold and the majority of people will probably never approach the blow off point, yes, a sudden and severe stressor could take someone right over the point from the baseline (think Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Conversion Disorder etc) but most of us operate at an anxiety level that our bodies can handle. The problem is that if we stress ourselves constantly over a period of time, we do not allow our thermostat to reset and one sunny day something will happen, some stressor which can be a bad or even a good event and which we may not even realise the significance of will push us over the limit and it is at this point that our anxiety will effect us physically and more often than not impact on our nervous system.
This also happens to bring us to another crucial factor and what for many is the paradox that holds us back form accepting the anxiety diagniosis, how the hell can this be anxiety when I am not anxious? It makes no sense to me! What we need to realise is that once we have crossed the anxiety threshold no matter what we do we have to surrender ourselves to our mind and body and accept that we are now operating to a timescale that WE CANNOT CONTROL! We can think we are being as cool as Fonzie but we need to accept that the damage whilst reversible has been done and it is just a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Our body is now in control of us and the physical sensations will only stop when our body and mind are sufficently recovered.
It is at this point where we commit the ultimate folly, do we do as the experts suggest and sit back and realx and float through this stage? Of course not, we do the total opposite, we monitor our body for every twitch and interpret this as a sign of a misdiagnosis, we become hypervigilant, paranoid, self absorbed…this behaviour just creates more and more anxiety and we do not allow our body and mind the time necessary to recover….we are, in effect, pouring gasoline on the fire and expecting it to go out.
If you read this forum you will find a variety of posts that will offer you suggestions as to why you are suffering from the physical sensations of anxiety. Some people will advocate medication, some Cognitive Behaviour Therapy etc etc but what you will realise is that there is no one right way. I am truly of the belief that recovery is all about acceptance and learning to respond to fear correctly but how we do this is very much an indvidual thing. It could well be that you have issues with GAD and you can see how patterns realting to that disorder resonate with how you currently feel about your health, for example, note how both MS and ALS are diseases with which we lose control of our bodies. It could also be that you have issues with OCD, traits such as reassurance seeking and body and symptom monitoring could suggest this. There may well be suggestions that you could be sufferring from elements of depression, there is as school of thought that believes that the mind will somatise physical sensations when there are aspects of your life that your unconcious is unhappy with etc.
I hope this has helped if you have just visited here convinced you have MS etc and you are feeling scared and confused. You may have noticed I have not mentioned anything specific about MS or ALS and that is because there is no reason to...you do not have those. Your doctor has told you you are suffering from anxiety and therefore you are in the right place. Refrain from researching about diseases you do not have and instead concentrate on dealing with what you have today. Of course, what you have today doesn’t guarantee you won’t have MS or ALS tomorrow and if that thought fills you with fear use your time here wisely and believe me, it becomes a lot more bearable.

A little over 2 years ago I met an amazing young woman who I eventually fell in love with. She had anxiety and I have adhd so neither of us were perfect but we both understood and supported our overlaps. In fact, I'd say she understood me more than my immediate family.
A great example is my chronic pain. When I have a pain flare up my adhd also feeds an emotional snowball effect and she was absolutely amazing at helping me. She always said she didn't know what to do but that was the magic of it. Being kind and caring just came naturally to her. But... That chronic pain, in my eyes, is the reason why me and my depression let everything go wrong.
I had a pain flare up and couldn't stand up until it had calmed down. In that moment she was perfect in that she offered to help me with anything I needed whether it be eating, drinking, asking if I could take painkillers... or even offering to help me use the damn bathroom. Instead of feeling thankful, those horrible depression thoughts in the back of my head surfaced and told me she would be signing her life away to being my carer if we were together forever. I'd have my tiny income of benefits and she would have a life of working and caring... Forever. I thought that she deserved better than me.
Long story short, she confessed feelings to me and I turned her down. An incredibly kind, patient, caring and ridiculously beautiful woman and I turned her down. What a complete moron I am.
I miss you, F

Just saw someone in namenerds say they’ve always loved the name “Havila” after they saw the cute redhead daughter in Fiddler on the Roof with that name (Chava for short). Kind of adorable example of how things get lost in translation!

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800 u/BakeGullible9975 u/Didnotseemecomein and u/medium_jock
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
Awwwww! So cute!
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
She got up in the dark, with only the dim ambience of soft blue lighting to accompany her. She stretched all four arms, her two legs, and rolled her neck. It struck her as mildly interesting in that moment, how something so small could connect them to humans, The thought was fleeting as she took another step forward to kneel down on the floor. There, in a little alcove in the wall, she had set a volcanic rock from Anin, dried moss, and other paraphernalia from her home world. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath resting her hands together.
Praise and respect to the spirits of Anin. Praise the fathers and mothers of war gone to their rest below the moss and the earth. Praise their spirits that watch from the sky and peer through the ether down upon us.
She continued the slow mantra in the style of Prayer learned from Naktan and pulled her concentration to her core, ignoring anything and everything around her. A deep state of meditation overtook her. She would never have done this if she thought there were any chance that she was in danger, but below she knew Earth glowed like a sphere before their orbiting ship. There was no worry of invasion.
She thought she heard something at one point, but chose to ignore it as she continued her mantra.
Eventually, and after an unknown amount of minutes, she stood and turned slowly to find-
She stopped, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What are you doing?”
Adam burrowed his way further down into her blankets, nuzzling his head up against her pillow,
"So warm, and comfy!"
She tried not to smile,
"You dumbass."
He pulled the blankets tighter around himself,
"You know, I did come here to talk to you, but now I actually am really comfortable, so come back in two hours."
"I- This is MY home!"
He closed his eyes and pretended to snore loudly.
She rolled her eyes as she watched him theatrically pretend to sleep. She looked around mildly for a moment, before picking up another pillow and glancing at the door. She casually walked over, dropped the pillow on his head and then held it down as if she intended to smother him.
”Die human scum!”
That got him up and moving.
Before long the two of them were grappling for the upper hand, him trying to put her in a choke hold, and her using her lower arms to pinch him.
He yelped,
"Ouch! Pinching is illegal!”
"Sissy."
He clamped his legs around her lower arms, pinning them in place.
She struggled for a minute and then went limp.
She could feel his smug smile,
"I win, I beat the saint of Anin. Everyone bow at my feet."
"You say that, but if this were a real fight, since you’re a human male, you're the one with a self-destruct button."
"Self-destruct button...?"
"Meaning if this were a real fight, I would have punched you in the balls."
"Yaoooutch… Oh god… Please don't."
Finally, he let her go, leaving the two of them to lay on her bed, sheets scattered on the floor around them, and her pillows in disarray. Adam put his hands behind his head and sighed.
She glanced over at him,
"I don't suppose you came to just hang out. Here on Admiral-ly business?"
He groaned, pulling one of her pillows over his face,
"Please smother me for real this time."
She leaned up on one of her elbows,
"Why?"
"I don't wanna be an adult anymore!"
She tilted her head to the side, watching in amusement as he attempted to throw a childlike tantrum, but only really had the energy to kick his feet once,
"It's boring and lame and they won’t let me wear heelies to important meetings... also children don't have to pay taxes."
She laughed, pulling the pillow from his face,
"Adam you are many things, but 'adult' is not one of them."
He grinned slightly,
"True enough."
He sighed again and rested his head back against the pillows,
"I just want to get back to what we are supposed to be doing, exploring the universe and making cool alien friends."
He threw up his hands in frustration,
"But suddenly I find myself embroiled in stupid annoying politics that I don't understand, being used by people who are, let’s face it, WAY smarter than me, constantly finding myself getting manipulated."
She huffed,
"They aren't smarter than you Adam, they're just manipulative, and you aren't."
He sighed,
"Fair enough."
Then he looked at her, bright green eyes reflecting the soft ambient blue light,
"I just, I miss this, I miss us, I miss hanging out and doing stupid shit, and all of the things I could do when I wasn't so important and this operation was smaller."
She smiled rather sadly reaching one hand over for his, lacing the four of her fingers through the five of his,
"Well someone has to do the hard things, who better than you?”
He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow,
"Or you, miss saint?”
She rolled her eyes again,
"Can't seem to get you off of that. I'm still the same person I used to be."
"But with power."
She elbowed him gently and he grinned,
"But really, I am proud and impressed and... Let's be honest super super smug that 'I' know you personally."
"I know, I am pretty terrific."
The two of them laughed for a minute before settling down again. He glanced over to her little shrine on the wall,
"What were you doing just then?"
She looked up at the ceiling, following the lines of metal and rivets with her eyes,
"Praying to the spirits of Anin."
Embarrassed, he shifted,
"I didn't know you were... Well I didn't think you were all that religious?"
She shrugged,
"Don't feel bad, it's sort of a new thing. Back before all this, it was sort of just stories to me. Like I believed it because that was what everyone believed, but I didn't really accept it, or feel it the way I do now. After everything with my mother, it was hard to feel connected to something I felt I wasn't a part of... But then after visiting my mother, after becoming a saint for a religion I never really followed... Well, it started to make more sense. It feels real now in a way that it never did."
She turned to look at him, finding him watching her, the UV blue stripes in his skin glowing blue.
"I believe in the spirits of Anin more than I ever have."
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand,
"I'm glad to hear it."
They lapsed into silence for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling before, inevitably he broke it,
"So this makes you like, space Moses right?”
She frowned and turned to look at him,
"What is a “Moses”?"
He grinned,
"A guy from one of the Earth Religions. You know, guy follows god's directions to lead his people away from slavery, climbs a mountain, receives the word of god, comes down to give it to the people, that sort of thing."
Sunny tilted her head slightly to the side,
"Are you religious?"
He paused, frowning,
"I... well I... don't really know. My family has been some flavor of Christian for a long time."
"Christian?"
"Uh yeah, the general idea is that there is one all-powerful deity who created everything. He has rules and laws that you are supposed to follow, the general tenants of this specific religion mostly boil down to: love everyone and don't be a dick, which humans are notoriously bad at. You sin you go to hell, a very bad place after you die, and if you are a good person you go to heaven. Problem is everyone is a sinner and breaks the rules, so really no one was going to get into heaven."
"That sounds bleak..."
"Well, that's where the other stuff comes in. Basically, this all-powerful deity sent down his son in human form to live a perfect life, so when he was martyred he took on the sins of all of humanity and paid for them in the greatest act of mercy to open the gate for the rest of us into heaven."
Sunny shifted as he tilted to the side to lay in the crook of her arms,
"Of course that is just one religion among tons on earth, we aren't really as cohesive in our beliefs as Drev are... As for me... I'm not really sure."
She tilted her head to the side, cheek resting against his hair,
"After seeing space, I become more and more convinced of some... Thing that created everything, but beyond that it's sort of a tossup."
She ran one hand through his hair, coarse but still soft somehow.
"You know my name comes from that religion?”
She turned her head to look at him,
"Oh, really?”
"Adam was the first man."
"What do you mean!?”
Adam shrugged,
"He was supposedly the first man that god created, from the dust of the earth... I think?"
She gave him a sidelong glance,
"Look, and you get to be the first idiot in space."
He snorted and poked her in the ribs.
"There were PLENTY of idiots in space before me, believe you me."
"Mmm I don't know, you are pretty dumb."
He laughed, grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. She rolled over so she was lying on top of him and then went limp.
He struggled,
"Get your big ass off me."
"Oh no, I have been attacked by a sudden acute case of the “my spine doesn't work anymore”-disease."
"If you don't move, you'll suddenly find yourself with a case of “fist in your face”-disease."
She laughed and rolled off him, making sure the hard parts of her carapace were sticking down for maximum discomfort.
He grunted.
They returned to lying down next to each other in the half darkness. Sunny reached over and turned on some quiet music in the background as the two of them sat and talked, and laughed.
"I can't wait to get back to deep space."
He closed his eyes and hummed softly at the thought,
"Just the crew and the darkness and nothing ahead of us but an endless frontier."
Surprisingly, she found the thought to be more than a little comforting, and closed her eyes thinking about the vast reaches of blackness and the endless spinning galaxies.
"And while we are out, we can drop Conn into a pulsar."
He snorted,
“Why? Well first of for scientific reasons! If a marshmallow causes a nuclear blast, I wonder what dropping Conn would do… but at least he’d be dead.”
"That billowy bastard would survive and you know it."
She huffed,
"Still though, if I have to hear one more smug lecture how he has a child with you, I'm gonna wring his scrawny neck."
He grinned teeth flashing blue in the light,
"Is someone... Jealous?"
Sunny laughed, almost tipping him off the bed and onto the floor with her mirth,
"Yes Adam, I am totally jealous, really I am, ‘kay?. I mean who wouldn't want to have a child with YOU, big dumb, dork. Really the perfect place to put my superior genes."
"Superior genes, says someone who can't reach the top shelf."
She kicked him, foot clanging off his prosthetic,
"I am a foot taller than you."
He placed his hand next to his ear,
"What was that, I can't hear you over how short you are."
Sunny shook her head,
"At least I have binocular vision and both my knees."
"So we are gonna ignore that that binocular vision is due to a prosthetic now after the whole “your mom” incident? And also, veeery important: weird neck nostrils, don't forget about those!"
"Oh yes, so I can’t house them on my face like you and your bigass nose."
"Low blow, low blow."
"There are... Lower things... I could make fun of."
He snorted,
"Can't make fun of it if you've never seen it. You on the other hand, walking around in the nude..."
"You're welcome. Who wouldn't love…"
She gestured to herself,
"This."
"Mmm yeah... chitin, very sexy."
"I am a gift to the universe, and should be appreciated by everyone."
He brushed a hand through his hair,
"Well I find that real gifts are gift wrapped, so jot that down."
"Oh yeah, like a prank gift when you put something lame in a box for something cool."
He frowned at her,
"You wound me. My feelings are so very very hurt. I might even cry."
"I drink human tears."
"That… that's really gross.'
She laughed and then they lapsed into silence. She could hear him breathing quietly next to her in the darkness, his chest rising and falling under the ambient blue light. She looked across the room to where her saint armor was hanging in its climate-controlled case illuminated to a pearly sheen.
"Adam?"
"Yeah?”
"You know I'm just kidding about calling you dumb right?"
"Yeah I know."
"I'm proud of what you've been doing."
Adam turned to look at her rather incredulous,
"Me, of what? I haven't been doing shit."
"So, we are just going to ignore you overthrowing a maniacal politician while simultaneously piloting a 2,000 year old spacecraft?"
"That was more Conn and Eris than it was me."
"It was your idea."
"Let’s not forget Admiral Kelly."
Sunny pulled him closer,
"I am sorry, I will not be accepting anything other than you acknowledging that you did a good job."
"Screw you!”
"You'd like that wouldn't you?”
He sighed,
"You've been talking to Ramirez WAY too much."
She was only slightly smug as she rested her head back against the pillow,
"I really should get up and train..."
"We should yeah..."
Neither of them moved.
"Alternatively, we could just... Lay here... All day and do... nothing."
She looked up at the ceiling for a long moment and pretended to be in deep contemplation before…
"Well it's official, you have convinced me. You and your silver tongue."
"I am a master negotiator."
He shifted position putting one arm behind his head,
"Think about it, by this time tomorrow we will be back to space exploring and doing what we should have been doing all along. I can't wait."
"That makes two of us."
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

For the past couple years, I've lived with two friends (siblings of each other), and one of them (38 trans) is becoming particularly obnoxious.
So, I'm a non confrontational introvert. I avoid any and all conflict when ever possible, and while this has made me seem like a push over to many people; I'm not one to easily roll over and let folks just walk over me. Dave (not real name) however, is another story. So Dave has, over the past eight or nine months, started to get particularly annoying toward me. They're well aware of my introvertive nature, and yet they behave as though they simply don't care.
I mean seriously, don't care.
For example, a common problem centers around my bedroom door. Without going into a great bit of detail, I have this obsession with privacy. I like to keep my bedroom door closed at all times. Regardless of if I'm in the room or not, my door is closed. Furthermore, I prefer people to knock prior to entering. I've had issues with privacy in the past that prompted this, but basically I feel 'safe' when the door is closed.
Dave however, doesn't seem to agree with this. They will routinely just shove my door open, pushing it hard enough to make it swing fully open, then they'll walk in and regardless of what I may be doing, whether watching a show, working on something, reading, or just trying to decompress with a good rain sound video, plant their ass in one of my chairs and start playing around on their phone. They don't directly interact with me, just shove open my door (no knocking), and sit down.
Dave also has this tendency to take any and all conversations, whether they be with my family members, my own friends (not part of Dave and their sibling's friend group), or even total strangers, and attempt to steer that conversation in such a way that Dave becomes the center of attention. For example, a conversation with a friend of mine regarding college football and coaching choices, caused Dave to seem to decide that this was a perfect time to start on some long winded rant about religion, politics, and their struggles. This kind of thing happens on such a regular basis, that my own friends go out of their way to avoid any interaction with Dave; while my significant other has simply stopped spending time over at my place.
I really don't know how to handle this. I mean they're a close friend, but their behavior is starting to anger or alienate a large number of people, and I'm at a loss as how to handle things without it turning into yet another bout of Dave screaming at the top of their lungs about how I'm wrong for... well whatever. I've even been screamed at for things that weren't even within my purview to control, like when Dave's phone got cut off because they forgot to pay their bill. Even though I had nothing to do with that, it was automatically my fault.
Yeah, I'm reasonably certain Dave is abusive, I don't need to figure that out. My question is, what is your advice for dealing with this relationship, short of packing everything I own and running for the hills?

We're excited to announce a significant shift in our documentation approach: we're retiring traditional Linux man pages and replacing them with Markdown, which will be rendered directly from the command line. Additionally, we will convert all the man pages for the software included in the next generation of our Linux distributions.

Why Markdown Man Pages?

Pros of Markdown Man Pages:

1. Readability and Formatting:
   
   • Markdown is inherently more readable and easier to write than the traditional roff format used in man pages.
   • It supports modern text formatting features like headers, lists, tables, links, and code blocks.
2. Consistency and Portability:
   
   • Markdown is a widely-adopted standard used across various platforms and documentation systems, ensuring consistency.
   • Markdown files can be easily converted to other formats (HTML, PDF, etc.) using tools like Pandoc.
3. Ease of Maintenance:
   
   • Markdown's simplicity reduces the learning curve for contributors, making it easier to maintain and update documentation.
   • Version control systems like Git work seamlessly with Markdown, facilitating collaborative editing and change tracking.
4. Enhanced Viewing Options:
   
   • With a command-line renderer, users can view Markdown man pages in various styles and formats, enhancing the overall user experience.
   • Renderers can provide additional features such as syntax highlighting, clickable links, and even embedded media.

Cons of Traditional Man Pages:

1. Complex Syntax:
   
   • The roff format used for traditional man pages is complex and unintuitive, making it harder for new contributors to write and edit documentation.
   • Formatting issues are common and can make man pages difficult to read and maintain.
2. Limited Features:
   
   • Traditional man pages are limited in their formatting capabilities, lacking support for modern documentation features.
   • They do not support interactive elements or rich media, which can enhance the usability of documentation.
3. Inconsistent Formatting:
   
   • The look and feel of man pages can vary significantly across different systems and viewers, leading to inconsistent user experiences.

Example

Here's a short example of a man page converted to Markdown:
Traditional Man Page:
roff .TH LS 1 "March 2024" "GNU Coreutils 8.32" "User Commands" .SH NAME ls \- list directory contents .SH SYNOPSIS .B ls [\fIOPTION\fR]... [\fIFILE\fR]... .SH DESCRIPTION .B ls list information about the FILEs (the current directory by default).
Markdown Man Page:
```markdown

ls - list directory contents

Synopsis

ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Description

ls lists information about the FILEs (the current directory by default).

Options

• -a : Do not ignore entries starting with .
• -l : Use a long listing format
• -h : With -l, print sizes in human-readable format (e.g., 1K, 234M, 2G)

For more information, see the GNU Coreutils documentation. ```

Conclusion

We believe that transitioning to Markdown man pages will significantly enhance the quality and accessibility of our documentation. By embracing a modern, user-friendly format, we aim to provide a better experience for both contributors and end-users.
We'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this change! How do you feel about moving away from traditional man pages to Markdown?
Join the discussion below!

Does anyone know of a UK based (or low shipping costs) company that sells cute socks for large feet? I have Mary Jane shoes and want ankle or short socks that go nicely with the shoes. Like for example ones with ruffles. Any time I find any like that they're smaller than even the standard size.

Selling Things Overseas (EXPORT) or Bringing Them In (IMPORT) can be a fantastic business! But imagine getting WAY MORE CUSTOMERS without all the extra work. That's the magic of ONLINE MARKETING!
This guide gives you EASY IDEAS to GROW your business online, like turning website VISITORS into HAPPY CUSTOMERS. We're talking HUGE growth - up to a WHOPPING 434% MORE!

Ready to turn CLICKS into SHIPPED CONTAINERS???? Let's dive in!

IDEAS to ROCK your IMPORT/EXPORT business online!

1. Virtual Reality Product Tours: Take inspiration from companies like IKEA Place. Imagine potential customers using VR headsets to EXPLORE a virtual warehouse filled with your products. This can be particularly effective for BULKY or COMPLEX items like machinery or furniture.
   
2. Interactive 360° Product Views: Not everyone has access to VR, but high-quality 360° product views on your website can be a great alternative. Allow users to ZOOM IN on details and virtually WALK AROUND the product for a more immersive experience. Wayfair excels at this, showcasing furniture in various settings.
   
3. Partner with Local Influencers: Identify social media influencers in your target market (e.g., interior designers for homeware imports). Partner with them to create product reviews, tutorials, or even behind-the-scenes glimpses of the import/export process. Look at how Dollar Shave Club partnered with YouTube personalities to gain massive brand recognition.
   
4. Live Q&A Sessions with Industry Experts: Host live webinars or social media Q&A sessions featuring import/export specialists or industry leaders. This establishes you as a THOUGHT LEADER and builds trust with potential clients. For example, freight forwarding companies could feature customs compliance experts.
   
5. Gamified Learning Content: Turn dry import/export regulations or product information into interactive quizzes or games. This can be a fun and engaging way to EDUCATE potential customers, especially for complex products. Think of Duolingo's approach to language learning.
   
6. AR "Try Before You Buy" Experiences: For certain products (e.g., clothing, jewelry), utilize Augmented Reality (AR) technology to allow customers to virtually "try on" the product before purchasing. This can be especially useful for targeting INTERNATIONAL customers who might hesitate to buy online without seeing the product first.
   
7. Shoppable Livestreams: Host interactive livestream shopping events showcasing your products. Offer exclusive discounts or promotions during the livestream to incentivize purchases. Taobao, a major Chinese online retailer, has mastered the art of livestream shopping.
   
8. Customer Story Reels: Feature short video testimonials from satisfied customers on social media. These real-life stories can build trust and SOCIAL PROOF, encouraging others to purchase from your company.
   
9. Data-Driven Content Marketing: Analyze your website traffic data and social media insights to identify trending topics and customer pain points. Create targeted blog posts, infographics, or videos that address these topics and showcase your expertise.
   
10. Partner with International Trade Organizations: Collaborate with relevant trade organizations to reach a WIDER AUDIENCE. Offer educational webinars or participate in industry events to connect with potential clients.
    

Conclusion

The global marketplace is at your fingertips. By leveraging the power of online marketing, you can connect with potential customers worldwide, streamline your import/export operations, and propel your business to new heights. Remember, this is an ongoing process. Continuously adapt your strategy based on data and market trends to stay ahead of the curve.

Hiya! I (15M) would like to share with you a situation and what im doing about it. In my all male school there are many idiots that make me more than a little worried for the future of humanity (just think of a male sleepover and general stupidity and multiply it by an entire highschools worth) but when the worst happens is in english class, the teacher of whitch we will call Mr R.
Sooo, Mr R is very strict and REQURES to be on time, no eating or drinking in class and of cource, no talking. SO HOW THE FUCK ARE THESE IDIOTS ARE FAILING ALL OF THEM?? They straigt up dont listen at all. So you know what Mr R does? Well he gives out punishments. Sounds fine right?? Well my sweet summer child THE ENTIRE CLASS GETS PUNISHED!!! So I, a student that is consistently near the top of the class ( i follow his rules, its a low bar i know) has to stay behind DURING LUNCH BREAKS AND THEN EAT LATER (we bring our own food to school so im not activley starving but ITS STILL 20 MORE MINUTES OF LEARNING WHERE I DID NOTHING WRONG) and even worse, Mr R contradicts himself!
THE COCONUT INCIDENT
to make this short: we are learning lord of the flies. Mr R brings a coconut for us to taste. Idiot 1 is eating in class after Mr R warned him not to, gets his cornflakes taken away and is sent out with Idiot 2 who just never shuts up. The remaining students including me gets to taste the coconut milk and im thinking "wow this is a cool way to connect with the story and im having fun!" BUT! Idiots 1 and 2 begin a protest outside, shouting and screaming so they can GET THEIR FUCKING CORNFLAKES BACK. WHAT??? WHAT THE FUCK??? WHY??? YOU ARE JUST RUINING IT FOR EVERYONE!! Mr R brings them back in and makes us sit in silence for the remaining 30 minuites and says we wont get to taste the coconut flesh. BUT HERES THE THING BATMAN! AT THE END HE LETS US TRY IT ANYWAY! THE PEOPLE WHO BEHAVED BADLY HAVE NO CONSEQUENCES AND OTHER PEOPLE GO " huh guess i can do any thing i want"
WE NOW RETURN TO YOUR SCEDULED RANT
so now we are way behind and with about 2 and a half weeks of school left i have to 1: finish reading lord of the flies with the entire class. 2. work with my partner (who relies on me a lot more than id like) to write a log on EVERY CHAPTER about our subject. 3. eventually watch the movie and 4. do a final test.
The thing is i cant do 1 and 2 unless im in english class and progress is slow af, 3 and 4 cant be done untill everyone of these dumbasses finishes 1 and 2. AND NOW MR R GETS ANGRY AT HOW SLOW WE ARE AND IS TALKING ABOUT STAYING AFTER SCHOOL!!! I FUCKING CANT WITH THESE IDIOTS!
what im doing about it
1.moving schools. yeah. next school year im going somewhere else. me, my parents, and the school agree that they dont have the resources to help me (i have autism and ADHD but they are both pretty mild compared to others) at this school and we want to move. still gotta drag myself through exam season tho.

1. work on myself. for the past two years (AKA when i started going to Mr R's class) ive been talking more to my supportive family and even got my introverted ass some freinds outside of school. and i found that vaporwave helps me calm down a lot so I listen to that and i feel a lot better.
   
2. just, y'know, talk about it. like right now.
   

CONCLUSION
im sorry for my messy writing style but thanks for reading! it really means a lot to me and you, yes you, are a awesome person. i dont know who you are (yet) but i know that whatever you are doing is someway making someone feel better (example: reading this) and every minuite you are living is great! Look at you! bad things happen to you and me but look at us! we are still here along with every other person on this planet and despite everything you and i are alive! we are strong together! (i got a litte carried away here i know but this thought makes me happy, and i hope it does the same for you)
alright, i think im done. stay safe and keep thriving!

I'm not familiar with Australian law at all so any help would be appreciated.
I have rented a Granny flat in a house on 29 February directly from the owner. The agreement format is the formal "Residential Rental Agreement" made by "Consumer Affairs Victoria" and is in 10 pages. In the second page, between the two choices of "fixed" and "periodic", it is indicated that it's a "periodic agreement (monthly)". Also at page 10, in the "additional terms" section, the owner has written this: (with a little bad grammar)
"Any behavioral issues will be this contract will be terminated without notice of termination."
Also the bond is 0 and it's written in the contract that cash is a better payment (probably because the owner is not reporting to ATO).
Now, back to the story, I always worked as a remote software developer and that's what I told them when I moved in. So I'm basically in my unit all the time. I have a contact with a company that indicated so, too, that I'm working with them.
During the last month, due to small amount of work that I received from my company (long story), I started doing Uber delivery with a bike. From that day, strange behaviors from my house owner, who are a couple in their mid 50s, appeared. First of all, they both start asking me that if I were honest about being a software developer, why am I doing Uber deliver? (Which I answered nicely and said that I'm getting interviews). After several days, I received a text message from them indicating that I let someone stay overnight in my flat and this is a beach of contract and I have to pay them half of my fortnightly rent which I said I didn't had anyone over (I didn't have anyone over and this is not in our rental agreement as I see. Also, they have cameras all over the house and also through the entrance and they could easily check this). Then the wife constantly teases me about how she thought I'm in IT and I'm an Uber delivery person. Also she teases me about not getting out of the house that much and also being late at one night (I was Ubering and got home at 2am after a 9 hour shift, I didn't disturb anyone but their dog that is kept in the yard kept barking when I entered. Maybe this woke them up or they simply checked the cameras).
I'm getting the vibe that they are looking for an excuse to have me evacuated. They don't seem very reasonable. For example, they have a neglected dog in our common 15m² yard that they never take for a walk, treat, get close to or anything, just the automatic feeder is set and the dog shits and pisses all over the yard! (Maybe it's there to scare the two tenants I don't know).
My question is, if they decide to have me vacated and make an excuse to show as a beach of contract and it is debatable, what would be the notice period and my options? I can do one month but two weeks for notice period is very short for me.

I have been reading a lot about leveraged ETFs in the last few months. However it is a complex topic and I wanted to see what thoughts were about it on this sub.
LETFs use various financial instruments to magnify changes in the underlying ETF. They have significant disadvantages including volatility decay, higher fees and overall much greater volatility and with the potential for some eye watering drawdowns. However, they also have the potential to greatly increase your returns. If this is the first time you have come across them then this post is probably not for you. Rather than trying to explain them I will post a few links that may be helpful for those that have not come across them before:
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leveraged-etf.asp
https://www.afrugaldoctor.com/home/leveraged-etfs-and-volatility-decay-part-2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzjApwk6VjY
https://www.reddit.com/FinancialAnalysis/comments/196rmda/what_is_the_optimal_amount_of_leverage/
https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=272007
There is a lot of analysis online that discusses the optimum amount of leverage for a portfolio. You can use this calculator for example which currently suggests a leverage of about 1.5. I have checked on some of the ISA platforms and you can indeed purchase LETFs on them.
Let's say somebody has the following investment goals:
1) A >10 year investment horizon
2) A high risk tolerance
3) The ability to invest more than the ISA limit a year
My proposed investment strategy would be:
1) Invest 20% of your ISA into SPXL or similar (SPXL is SPY with 3x leverage)
2) De-risk yourself by investing in bonds in your general investment account (eg VGLS60A)
3) Aim for leverage of around 1.3 (more conservative than the "optimal" amount of leverage
This would have the advantage of focusing most of your gains into the tax free account and limiting your tax bill in the general investment account which seems like a big benefit to this strategy in the UK. The expected return would theoretically be more than 30% higher than an a leverage of 1.0 although I don't quite have the maths to figure this out.
In addition to the usual risks of investing in say the FTSE global all cap there are some additional risks with this strategy:
1) Increasing interest rates and borrowing costs although hopefully these are coming down in the short term
2) LETFs being banned from ISAs in the future
3) Being invested in a less diversified fund. As far as I know there is no FTSE global all cap LETF. To get more diversified one could hold LETFs for multiple different ETFs (eg SPXL, TQQQ, 3UKL, FNGU). However this would require periodic re-balancing.
4) Being able to stay committed to your investing strategy despite massive drawdowns (eg an 80% decrease in the LETF).
5) The higher fees (~1%)
6) Most of these LETFs are held in the US and I am unclear if there are any currency issues with this strategy
I am very cautious about this given to an extent it seems "too good to be true". I thought I would post this so that somebody more knowledgeable than me can point out what I have missed.

My first best friend, who I'll call Melissa, and I met in kindergarten and were both 5 at the time. We both looked and smiled at each other. That was the day we became friends and it was the most happiest day of my childhood. I sat next to her and we were hanging out with each other every day.
We would do so many things at school with each other. We would sit on the carpet to play with the items the teacher put out for the class each morning. We would always do fun activities in the gym. We would sit at lunch, laugh about funny things we told each other, and hang out at recess every day. My favorite moment was when we were on the swings to see who would go the highest and just look at each other and smile. We did go to other parts of the playground but the swings was our favorite.
When we weren't in a classroom together with our teachers due to them having a different assigned classroom, we would still hang out in lunch and in recess because they released everyone at a certain time by grade level. For example, if we were in 1st grade and students were in a different classroom, the 1st graders would all be released at the same time while the other students in different grades remained in the same classroom. So even if Melissa and I were in different classrooms, we would always meet up and have a great time.
In 3rd grade, I found this girl who I'll call Leah. Leah and I would do pretty fun things together since we were in the same classroom and were hanging out with each other, but I'd still go and hang out with Melissa sometimes. I introduced Melissa to Leah and we basically became a friend group, or at least I thought it was a friend group.
During this time I was constantly having to pick sides with some of our things we were making up as kids. First, it was who I was to sit with at lunch. (Sometimes I wasn't lucky enough to sit with either of them because of a rule where we had to sit in a boy-girl pattern to apparently make everyone quieter during lunch time.) Then it was with some group or clan we made up during recess, Melissa was in "unicorn squad" and Leah was in "girl squad" (I made up the name of girl squad.) I would try to bring them both together but Melissa's friends and Leah's friends didn't get along too well. I had no other best friends besides the both of them and it kinda broke my heart to see them not get along as well as I was with them. Then on a very traumatic day in fourth grade that I still regret for the rest of my life, Melissa and Leah both came up to me and said "You have to pick one best friend." I said I wanted them both to be my best friends but Leah kept pushing that I only pick one. Then we made up a stupid contest to see who would win (my idea) and I was a little tired of it and made Leah win. I have never seen such a sad look on Melissa's face when we were about to leave for home. I ran after her and apologized, I tried to comfort her and I think it worked since we stopped the argument.
Later on in the year of 4th grade, Melissa and Leah had some new friends they were hanging out with. I was fine with it at first, but seeing as their friends were experiencing many joyful moments with my best friends without me, I grew hatred towards their friends. I became jealous of what they were doing. I tried everything as a 9 year old girl could possibly do to keep the relationship going between me and my best friends. I still sat with both of them at lunch and joined them in recess. When they were busy hanging out with their friends, I was left alone, wandering around the playground, doing the things my best friends and I used to do but alone this time. It became depressing just thinking about memories of me and my friends playing together in the past and having fun. Now I had to have fun but alone as I watch my best friends have fun with theirs instead of me. I became even more depressed and angry seeing other random friendships because they were having fun and not me. I felt so alone, hurt, betrayed, so much emotion. This grew into more extreme hate towards the friends of my best friends.
In 5th grade, I did everything I could to have fun with them, but for some reason, something felt off. We hung out less. We didn't sit at lunch every day. Then I found out something shocking. Leah was hanging out with other girls who would give her lunch money, (I gave her lunch money for quite a long time now so we would get snacks with my money I gave her) and was making videos with these girls. I then hated the girls because apparently in my mind, they were controlling and possessing my friend. They stole her away from me. Leah and I still hung out and I considered her my friend because I didn't understand the concept of being used for money. Leah would always invite me to make videos but I wasn't comfortable. I realized how much of a fake friend she was but I still gave her a chance to change but never happened. I went to hang out with Melissa more after this but this felt a bit off too. She was hanging out with this one girl a lot. She seems pretty happy to be with her instead of me more. Melissa was into anime and I wasn't, so that drifted us apart but I didn't see it. I wasn't really into any of my best friend's interests because I was still depressed and full of rage against these girls. I grew to hate everyone and everything and I only wanted to be with Melissa.
It was near the end of the year when I went to go with Melissa in the playground where we always used to go, the swings. She constantly kept moving away, switching swings of just walking away from me. This hurt a lot coming from a close friend like her. I went to hang out with Leah because I still had no friends besides the two of them. Leah as well, left me behind and I was there alone again. All this just fueled my anger against everything. I hated other people, I hated activities, I hated everything, including myself. I thought this was weird since I didn't express my hate that badly towards these other girls, although I did want them to through horrible and horrendous things because in my mind, they were stealing my friends. They took away the people who made me happy. I was getting worse from my mental health because I wanted nothing but my happiness and my best friends back. I had a few thoughts of kidnapping my best friends so they could be with me forever. I would be happy and experience all the happy moments we would share together again. It was pointless anyway because I was just a 10 year old and couldn't do anything.
During these final months before everyone was all homeschooled for a year, I noticed whenever I tried to be with Melissa, she moved away from me again. I tried many times to catch up with her but she continued moving away. I thought absolutely nothing of it because of a funny joke by the teachers saying we hung out too much and we should be separated. I found it funny because at the time, our friendship was strong and I thought nothing would ever separate us from having fun. So I just thought about it as if she was playing around with that joke. I gave up catching up after Melissa because I was tired and I thought she was playing the joke on me. It turns out, I overheard something she said and she said I was too clingy. I didn't know what it meant and I thought she said a funny word and thought nothing of it. Later on she asked me for a break. I said that it was fine and I thought she meant a break for one day (I thought breaks were meant to be short at the time) and we left each other alone.
It came a few days later where she said she didn't want to be my friend anymore. I then went to hang out with Leah, who I didn't hang out with for a long while, said she also didn't want to be friends with me anymore. I was broken by their words but I just thought it was all a joke to me, because I thought it was dumb to unfriend someone for hanging out with them every day.
Fast forward to 6th grade where we were homeschooled for a year, I was full of hope that I was going to be friends with Melissa again after a long time. Then came 7th grade where I was 12 and I continued to sit with her at lunch again, but this time I felt nothing. There were no fun conversations like we usually had back in elementary. I just felt like I wasn't meant to be there. I still felt the same loneliness, rage, and sadness back like I was in 5th grade. That's when I finally realized I was no longer her friend, and I had so much hate in myself for taking a year to realize I had been blind to all of this. I never felt so much sadness like that in my life. The two friends I had left me, I was really depressed by this reason, and now I constantly question myself wondering what I did wrong. I still grovel over them both. It's been a few years now. Did I do something wrong?

People ruminate on the past, who’s wronged them, and the things that are absent from their lives. People imagine past events as though they are still happening now. They use who they were in the past to define their future.
The issue with defining oneself in the present from your past is that it keeps you bound to the past. This self-imposed limitation asserts that everything about your past determines how you will behave in the future. Your future hasn't been written yet. The decisions you make will continue to shape who you can be.
When you are a child of an alcoholic, you learn from a very young age the signs to look for so you aren’t in the line of fire when the next violent episode occurs. And the feared incident always happens. Consequently, you become conditioned to react to these indications.
As an adult, you see evidence that because bad things have happened in the past doesn’t mean more bad things will happen. Not every slurred speech or stumbling from another person will cause harm. Therefore, you can determine that the past doesn’t have to repeat itself.
Although this may take time to realize, it doesn’t have to. You’re shaped by your past. The good news is, you aren’t bound to it. You can move beyond the difficulties of the past and into something far better. The main reason you don’t have to repeat the past is because you can learn from it.

While we cannot predict the future, we will most surely live it. Every action and decision we take - or don't - ripples into the future. ~ Jacque Fresco

Your Mindset Determines Your Future

You often have feelings and attachments to the past. The past can be hard to let go of, and it affects you emotionally. Yet you have a choice to make, an option to choose a different outlook, a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.
The fixed mindset is the idea that you believe your attributes and abilities are inherently fixed and can’t be changed. For example, you may think that you’re as smart as you’ll ever be and therefore, that thought process causes you not to even try to learn new things. Since you don’t believe your intelligence can grow with time and experience, then you can’t change, and your future will be the same.
A growth mindset is the exact opposite. This mindset is founded on the conviction that your basic abilities can be cultivated and are malleable. This allows one to grow with enthusiasm, time, and a commitment to improving, learning, and becoming greater than before. With a growth mindset, failures are short-term setbacks, and the process is usually more important than the outcome. So, with a growth mindset, your future is never predetermined. It’s boundless.
The fixed mindset is the most common mindset and the most harmful. So, you need to know which mindset you favor so you can learn from the past and then choose a different future. You can change your mindset just by thinking it through.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power. ~ Mary Pickford

Reframing Your Past To Better Serve You

Your world is the one you make through your decisions. So is the one you remember from your past. Change the significance of the experiences if what you remember is difficult or negative. Examine the experiences that are preventing you from moving forward and try to see them from a more positive perspective. Reframe your rejection, to believe it was a sign from the Universe directing you to a better place. If you have ever failed at something, consider it a lesson in building resilience for a better future.

Accepting your history serves as a springboard and a means of getting ready for the future once you can no longer imagine a better ending for it. The way you identify who you have been and how you envision who you will be next, combine to form who you are today. Take care of the narratives you accept and write about yourself. Take deliberate steps to embrace the lessons learned from the past and the opportunities that lie ahead. 

These are the components of who you are right now. The gifts that make up your current existence have been your experiences. A clear vision for your life is essential, as you attract what you focus on. Your destiny is entirely within your control. Even if you can't control everything in life, you can still do great things if you accept responsibility, grow from your mistakes, and have a clear vision.

There are times in our lives when we have to realize our past is precisely what it is, and we cannot change it. But we can change the story we tell ourselves about it, and by doing that, we can change the future. ~ Eleanor Brown

Everybody Changes; So The Future Will Differ From The Past

As an adult, you have experienced enough of life to see that one constant is change. You grow, circumstances transform, people develop. All of this is observable. Therefore, if everybody changes, then the past can’t indicate the future.
Even those around you that don’t seem to have the desire to grow still change. They are based on the circumstances that occur in their life and by the choices they make. Not making a choice is still choosing, which impacts one’s life that doesn’t allow things to stay the same. Thus, despite a lack of growth, the future will differ from the past.
As you develop, how you perceive the past is altered and reframed. You learn from the past and determine ways to prevent unwanted situations. You make informed decisions and take responsibility for your choices, so that you can move forward toward the goals and dreams. Thus, validating that you are creating a better future than your past.
My aha moment came when I realized my past was holding me back because I allowed it to. I embraced both the idea that I had total autonomy to decide in the present and the reality that I couldn’t change the past, only reframe it. Then I choose to forgive anyone who had wronged me, as well as myself for my previous missteps. And you can make the same choice.

People underestimate their capacity for change. There is never a right time to do a difficult thing. ~John Porter

Making Your Future Better than Your Past

As you have seen, in order to improve your future than your past, believe that it’s possible. This may take a bit of courage to overcome your fears and move towards a growth mindset. Here are some ways to help you with this process.

1. Find Your Tribe To Create The Future You Desire

You may have to cut ties with those people in your life that keep you fixated on negativity. The girlfriend who’s always teasing you about the mistake you made years ago has no bearing on the present, except that it keeps your ego in a place of embarrassment every time she mentions it. The people who remind you of your failings or missteps are focusing on the negativity of the past. You may need to spend less time with these people.
Instead, focus on those people who are encouraging, the ones who are excited for you to try new ventures or take a class. This is your tribe, the ones who look at your best attributes and speak positively to you. They remind you of the successes you’ve had, to inspire you to keep moving forward. Make new friends in the areas that you are growing. It's helpful to have someone learning with you to discuss and problem solve together.
Releasing those people from your life that have a negative influence on you is an important step to safeguarding that your future doesn’t resemble your past. By ensuring that you have people who are positive and encouraging around, you help yourself enlarge the possibilities of a better and boundless future.

When we think we have been hurt by someone in the past, we build up defenses to protect ourselves from being hurt in the future. So the fearful past causes a fearful future and the past and future become one. ~ Gerald G. Jampolsky

2. Let Go Of The Past And Its Attachments

Fear of loss is a common concern, like the anxiety of losing your job and the grief of losing a friend. The harsh reality is that you will lose things and loved ones. It’s the natural course of life. Nonetheless, being anxious about the future or worried about the past does nothing but keep you from being fully present and working towards your goals.
The fear of loss can cause many to stay in a mode of indecision and procrastination throughout the course of their lives. People grow attached to the stuff in their lives. Things like their profession, their prominence, their income, their lifestyle, etc. To pursue a change would mean relinquishing some or these things that are now associated as part of your life. Because of this aversion to loss, many people choose to put their dreams on hold — continuously.
By becoming less attached to the things in your life, you overcome the fear of loss. This enables you to move forward towards your goals and build a better future for yourself.

Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose. ~ Yoda

3. Accepting What Is Stops The Struggling

By learning to be thankful for your current situation, one changes the focus from lack to having enough. This is important from a universal perspective. Acceptance for what is allows peace to enter your life instead of feeling you are fighting just to get by.
Part of acceptance is gratitude for everything you have, which includes any hardships, as they’re there for you to learn something. The fastest way through adversity is to ask the Universe what lesson are you to glean from the experience. Then, you have to get quiet and discern how this situation can teach you something about yourself or how you relate to the world around you.
One of the best ways to help you see all the good in your life is a gratitude journal. It’s easy to write a few items each evening that happened during your day, which you are grateful for. They can be things like the beautiful sunrise you witnessed while driving into work or your child passed their math test even though he struggled with the homework. You have things in your life to appreciate, and this is where you need to focus your attention in order to shape the vision you have for your future.

Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it. ~ Michael J. Fox

4. Small Steps Towards A Better Future

Growth and development don’t happen overnight. It takes time. And you want things to happen quickly as you are impatient with yourself. But you need to be kind, give a little self-care and self-love. Pay attention to the incremental steps you take as you grow.
It took me over two years before I could meditate daily. I wanted to, but I had to overcome obstacles within myself in order to accomplish this goal. First, I set the intention to meditate daily, but I had focus issues. So, I had to work on being able to quiet my mind so that I could focus. Once I accomplished that step, I added meditation to my calendar, because if it’s on my calendar, I do it. This entire process could be frustrating, but I focused on each incremental step, not the end result. Now, I wouldn’t begin my day without first meditating.
So, whatever you are trying to accomplish, set up steps along the path so you can have minor victories along the way. This ensures you will continue to move forward even if you run into a time of struggle. Being able to see that you overcame previous difficulties encourages you to continue until you accomplish the goal.

You need to be content with small steps. That's all life is. Small steps that you take every day, so when you look back down the road, it all adds up and you know you covered some distance. ~ Katie Kacvinsky

Remember, You Are Wiser Now

It’s unnecessary for you to continue suffering just because you were taken advantage of or mistreated by others, often by those closest to you. You have the power to decide to quit mentally reliving the past. Actually, more anguish is frequently caused by your mind continuously playing back an awful experience from the past than by the actual incident.
You are no longer required to assume the victim's role. You're a survivor. And you can determine how you interpret negative experiences from your past. It’s the key to your freedom.
Unlike what some people think, you can be remorseful without always punishing yourself for past transgressions. Make the adjustments and move on. I can attest to the liberating nature of forgiveness, having extended forgiveness to my abusive mother. You don't choose to be forgiving of others in order to excuse or justify their actions. You choose to be free through forgiveness.
It's also important for you to accept responsibility for your own missteps. Since nobody is perfect. You don't have to serve a life sentence that you put on yourself in order to make up for the wrongs you did or the poor decisions you made. Treat yourself with self-compassion.
You can choose to see your past as quicksand or a launching pad. It’s up to you to make use of your experiences as a tool or allow them to be used against you.

Close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, but don't dwell on them. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space. ~ Johnny Cash

Moving Forward Believing In A Better Future

You have the freedom to decide how much control you wish to have over your present life, regardless of what has happened in the past. Although it’s impossible to undo the past, you can reframe it and decide how to respond to it.
Belief is paramount to being able to do anything. Confidence in your abilities, conviction in your resolve to constantly move forward, and faith that all your work will make your dreams a reality. Maintaining this belief is important, which is why you need to take pride in the victories along the way.
Every disappointment that you overcame, each circumstance you seized, and the individuals that arrived along the way that you recognized were there to help you. All the success along the way helps you maintain the belief that the future is going to be better than your past, because you are creating it every day.
No matter how awful it was, your past does not indicate your future. The decisions and deeds you commit to today will ultimately shape who you become in the future. Decide to take what you've learned from the past and use it in the present to live the life that was meant for you.

Change your life today. Don’t gamble on the future, act now, without delay. ~ Simone de Beauvoir

Here are some important concerns for customized furniture in Dallas:

Schedule a Consultancy Session

When you have a proper consultancy session, you ensure that your contractor is well informed about all crucial decisions regarding furniture design and build.
Prepare for the session before hand by listing out all the questions you have about customized furniture Dallas including safety of all age groups, Energy efficiency, local laws etc.

Review Practical Limitations of Your Design

From shuttered windows and roof gardens to a ceramic bath and custom sliding door Dallas, every design choice is certain to affect your home and lifestyle in a number of ways.
Some other practical limitations of custom furniture design include higher cost, longer production time and challenges in achieving replication.

Prioritize Comfort and Efficiency

To prioritize comfort and efficiency in custom furniture, we must lay focus on ergonomic designs, efficient space utilization and easy movement.
Further, such choices must go hand and hand with safety concerns. For example, if you love open spaces, a sliding door Dallas that opens into your backyard will greatly improve your day to day standard of living. However, if you have a very young child, you might want to go for a collapsible gate instead!

Shortlist Raw Materials

In order to achieve an experimental design, it is a must that we get hold of high quality materials. Such materials which are usually used for customized furniture Dallas are very difficult to find!
One way in which you can solve this issue to a great extent is to short list alternatives for each material your contractor is going to use. You can present this list to them in the very beginning and make it clear that you are not open for low quality swaps!

Create a Budget Buffer

Imagine creating custom bedroom furniture Dallas. Every step is bound to produce new challenges and a shower of new ideas! Because of this, custom furniture always Cost A little more than what we anticipate. Unlike readymade items, we can't set a single budget for them.
Creating a budget buffer involves setting aside additional funds beyond the estimated project cost. Usually, for residential projects it is good to allocate around 10-20% of the total budget for future changes.

Understand Your Residential Space

To measure residential space accurately we can take the following steps. Alternatively we can also get a professional furniture design company to help us out!

• Use a tape measure to record room dimensions, including length, width, and height.
• Note the positions of doors, windows, and other architectural features.
• Consider clearances for furniture placement and movement.
• Leave out regions that we will be adorning with home decor
• Create a scale drawing or use digital tools to plan an overall layout with space measurements in the sketch.
• Schedule a Consultancy Session