First of all, I'm so grateful for each person here who has shared about their experience at Ballet 5:8. I found ex58 after a random TikTok search one night last November, on the off chance anyone on TikTok had a negative experience there like I did. I found a series of videos from one ex-dancer at 5:8 who shared her experiences and mentioned this subreddit, and I debated about making a post for a while. Part of me was terrified that J would see it and figure out who I am and hate me even more for it (which is definitely my people-pleaser tendencies + trauma coming through), but I really don't care anymore. Hi J, if you're there. 👋
I was a staff member at Ballet 5:8 for four-ish months, which is a minuscule amount of time compared to many of you. It's heartbreaking to hear what you endured. I guess my four months there demonstrate how quickly J and the culture she's created can completely shatter a person's self-worth, faith, and beyond.
I was fresh out of college and desperately looking for a job. "Desperately" because I was in the midst of a season of rough mental health and family dynamics, and I needed something to keep me occupied. Up to this point, I had done PMarketing/Advertising for a few agencies as internships and part time, but nothing full time. I stumbled across a LinkedIn job post for an open staff position at Ballet 5:8 that seemed to align with my skills perfectly. It seemed to be some sort of match made in heaven that Ballet 5:8 was also a Christian organization and I was a Christian who had danced for 10+ years. All I needed to do was move across the country to Chicago. What could possibly go wrong?
The First Red Flags

• Turnover Rate - While I was interviewing, my soon-to-be-boss (not J) mentioned that 5:8 had been looking for someone to fill this role for at least a year, but the past few people they had chosen to fill the role either left or moved on to other opportunities. Huh. Despite multiple people filling the role, there seems to be a common denominator...wonder who...
• Salary & "Benefits" - My high-school-age brother, who worked as a cashier at Panera at the time, made slightly more than what I made as a salaried employee at Ballet 5:8. Oh, and health insurance? Definitely not. It's laughable. I know you're a non-profit organization, but if you're going to try to hire someone to promote your entire brand, you might want to consider paying them more than Panera.
• Love Bombing - During my second round of interviews and as they were preparing to tell me I got the job, I remember Julianna saying something similar to, "We've been searching and praying for this role to be filled for years and we've finally found you. You're the person we've been waiting and praying for." Yeah, yeah. It was music to my people-pleaser ears at the time, but deep down I knew it was a load of crap to get me to sign on and drink the B58 kool-aid.
• Job Description - They made it sound like I'd be managing and directing a team, which is something with which I did have prior experience. However, they failed to mention that the rest of the "team" was currently a product of their imagination and they were planning to one day hire more people to support my role. This part alone led to a vast amount of stress on my part and infinite expectations on J's, because at least they had one person now, rather than none. Maybe I'll tell some of those stories here someday, which make up the bulk of the horrors. They had absolutely no idea what they needed, but they had a precise vision for the miraculous outcome that would follow each project and task I was assigned. A massive TikTok following overnight! A whole perfect Wikipedia page! Becoming bigger and "more obnoxious marketing-wise" than Shen Yun! Yes, those were a few of the goals.

I know those red flags should've been more than enough to make me run for the hills rather than accept the job. Hindsight truly is 20/20. Without my already terrible mental health clouding my judgement, or the love bombing mixed with my people-pleasing tendencies, there is no way in hell I would've ever agreed to work there.

1. BTN > College Graduation? Beyond the Nutcracker is ridiculous in my opinion, but unfortunately that's not what this is about. This is about the fact that Julianna & my (other) managedirect boss (who has since left 5:8) wouldn't let me go to my own college graduation ceremony because Ballet 5:8 was *far more important,* despite me requesting to attend my graduation 4+ months in advance and already making arrangements for a hotel, flights, and my grandparents to come. For context, I took summer classes and graduated during the summer term, so my university's next commencement was in December. Why did Julianna need me at 5:8 so desperately at that time? None other than to have me help operate the damn BTN ticket booth. I wish I could say I quit then and there when they told me I couldn't attend my graduation, but I stayed. My last day with Ballet 5:8 was working that Beyond the Nutcracker show, which otherwise would've been my graduation day.
   
2. Merry Christmas By late Novembeearly December, I was completely broken. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't focus, I couldn't even cry anymore. I could, however, feel the most overwhelming sense of anxiety at the thought of giving my two-weeks notice. I will never forget the night I pressed the send button on that email, going directly to J and my boss. If I thought J's intimidation tactics during the previous 3.5 months had been hell, I hadn't seen anything yet. Unfortunately, the morning after I submitted my two-weeks notice was a work day, so I went in early and tried to prepare myself for J's rage. It came, but through snarky comments under her breath, rushing past me on her way into her office, the silent treatment, and multiple vague and dramatic messages in the all-staff Slack. "Nothing like a good punch to the gut right before Christmas!" Oh please. You've managed to control and/or traumatize an entire organization for years. Don't let me, a barely 20-year-old at the time, intimidate you. There's a grinch or scrooge joke in here somewhere. In brief, she didn't speak a word to me for the last two weeks of my time there.
   
3. Chicago (Again) It's been a few years since Ballet 5:8. I moved back home. I'm married now. And I'm moving back to Chicago now. My husband's job is requiring us to move there for at least the next four years, and while I'm excited at the chance to redo my time in Chicago, I'm also terrified that the bad memories will be too much and I'll be living in fear the entire time. That being said, what were/are some of the things you've enjoyed in Chicago? I'm open to any recommendations. 😅
   

If you managed to make it this far, thanks for reading. I've found so much comfort by reading all of your stories and I'm grateful to have the space to share parts of mine.

Hey everyone,
I’ve been using my 2019 Mac Pro since it was first released at my office: primarily for video and content production. I use a monitor and an OLED TV connected to it, along with an audio interface for my speakers and a SanDisk 32 TB external drive that uses thunderbolt. I’m wondering if it makes sense for me to purchase a new M3 MacBook Pro Max to use instead, and that way I could have a portable working solution as well.
As far as I know, this would likely be just as powerful (if not more in several areas) apart from memory. Here are the specs for my current Mac:
3.2 GHz 16-Core Intel Xeon W
AMD Radeon Pro Vega II 32 GB
256 GB 2933 MHz DDR4
I thought of a Mac Studio as well for portability but would like the use of a portable screen and keyboard when I’m remote. Would anyone else recommend going this direction and maybe suggest some thunderbolt hubs / any other accessories for a setup like this?
Thanks!

I have a Windows Server 2022 VM Running under Alma Linux 9.3 that is crashing roughly every 7 to 8 days with the following message in the /valog/libvert/qemu/Server.log file:
failed to set up stack guard page: Cannot allocate memory 2024-05-10 21:59:33.034+0000: shutting down, reason=crashed
I think this is linked to my using "virtio" as the drive type for my drive images.
At this point, the server is in production and I can't change to virtio-scsi. I initially set up the virtio drives due to the performance gain when mounting the qcow2 images from an all NVME ZFS file system. And the system absolutely FLIES. 15,000+MBps sequential read performance under CrystalDiskMark.
I have to stop this crashing though. Here is my Server.xml file:
WARNING: THIS IS AN AUTO-GENERATED FILE. CHANGES TO IT ARE LIKELY TO BE OVERWRITTEN AND LOST. Changes to this xml configuration should be made using: virsh edit NewSoftPro or other application using the libvirt API.
REDACTED REDACTED 196608000 196608000 50 hvm /usshare/edk2/ovmf/OVMF_CODE.secboot.fd /valib/libvirt/qemu/nvram/NewSoftPro_VARS.fd destroy restart restart /uslibexec/qemu-kvm

I'm running the latest Nocturnal Phoenix build and all of my OS updates are up to date. Whenever i try loading in new assets (Forgotten Adventures, who would've guessed?) the program seizes almost instantly. It's not just the UI freezing as the resource allocation in the system monitor stops changing as well. That memory leak i keep hearing about doesn't happen as the memory usage never goes up. The advice I usually hear is to load assets 3 or 4 at a time but i can't even load one at a time. I assume this is the program having it's usual issues with thumbnail generation, and i would love to manually insert some thumbnails but i have no idea where those are stored on Linux. On the off chance it matters here's the system info:
System:
Kernel: 5.15.0-107-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 11.4.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4
tk: GTK 3.24.33 wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia
base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
Type: Laptop System: HP product: HP EliteBook 850 G6 v: N/A serial:
Chassis: type: 10 serial:
Mobo: HP model: 8549 v: KBC Version 52.5C.00 serial: UEFI: HP
v: R70 Ver. 01.04.06 date: 03/23/2020
Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 28.5 Wh (63.3%) condition: 45.0/45.0 Wh (100.0%) volts: 12.9 min: 11.6
model: Hewlett-Packard Primary type: Li-ion serial: status: Charging
CPU:
Info: quad core model: Intel Core i7-8665U bits: 64 type: MT MCP smt: enabled
arch: Comet/Whiskey Lake note: check rev: C cache: L1: 256 KiB L2: 1024 KiB L3: 8 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 1316 high: 3189 min/max: 400/4800 cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800
6: 1296 7: 3189 8: 2048 bogomips: 33599
Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915
v: kernel ports: active: eDP-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2, HDMI-A-3
bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3ea0 class-ID: 0300
Device-2: Quanta HP HD Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-9:3 chip-ID: 0408:5343
class-ID: 0e02 serial:
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2") s-diag: 582mm (22.9")
Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: AU Optronics res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 142
size: 344x194mm (13.5x7.6") diag: 395mm (15.5") modes: 1920x1080
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 620 (WHL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 23.2.1-1ubuntu3.1~22.04.2
direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Cannon Point-LP High Definition Audio vendor: Hewlett-Packard
driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:9dc8 class-ID: 0401
Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-107-generic running: yes
Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-LM vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: e1000e v: kernel port: N/A
bus-ID: 00:1f.6 chip-ID: 8086:15bd class-ID: 0200
IF: enp0s31f6 state: down mac:
Device-2: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel pcie: speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 1
bus-ID: 3a:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:2723 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlp58s0 state: up mac:
Bluetooth:
Device-1: Intel AX200 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-10:4 chip-ID: 8087:0029
class-ID: e001
Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: bt-v: 3.0 lmp-v: 5.2
sub-v: 237e hci-v: 5.2 rev: 237e
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 86.42 GiB (18.1%)
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: KIOXIA model: N/A size: 476.94 GiB speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4
type: SSD serial: rev: AGHA5101 temp: 38.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
ID-1: / size: 467.89 GiB used: 86.41 GiB (18.5%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 6.1 MiB (1.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
Swap:
ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
USB:
Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 12 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
Device-1: 1-8:2 info: Synaptics type: driver: N/A interfaces: 1 rev: 2.0
speed: 12 Mb/s power: 100mA chip-ID: 06cb:00b7 class-ID: ff00 serial:
Device-2: 1-9:3 info: Quanta HP HD Camera type: Video driver: uvcvideo interfaces: 4 rev: 2.0
speed: 480 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 0408:5343 class-ID: 0e02 serial:
Device-3: 1-10:4 info: Intel AX200 Bluetooth type: Bluetooth driver: btusb interfaces: 2
rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 100mA chip-ID: 8087:0029 class-ID: e001
Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 6 rev: 3.1 speed: 10 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
class-ID: 0900
Hub-3: 3-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 2 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
Hub-4: 4-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 2 rev: 3.1 speed: 10 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
class-ID: 0900
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0 C pch: 37.0 C mobo: 30.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
Packages: 2327 apt: 2303 flatpak: 24
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/insync.list
1: deb http: //apt.insync.io/mint virginia non-free contrib
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com virginia main upstream import backport
2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
Processes: 305 Uptime: 18m wakeups: 1 Memory: 31.15 GiB used: 4.05 GiB (13.0%) Init: systemd
v: 249 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.4.0 alt: 11/12 Client: Cinnamon v: 6.0.4 inxi: 3.3.13
I don't know if there's some obscure driver or supplement i need to grab but any help would be appreciate as I'd like to be able to avoid taking my power sucking and too hot gaming laptop with me just to make a few maps over the weekend.

I'm rebuilding my home studio after a move, and I'm wondering whether an online double-conversion UPS like an Eaton 9SX would be a better choice for audio applications than an Eaton 5P despite the significant increase in cost.
I'd be running my M2 Pro Mac mini along with a Yamaha DM3 mixing console and support equipment (monitors, synths, Juniper EX2200C switch, etc) from the UPS along with a PowerEdge R430 server (peak draw 200W on the server) for a total of around 700W.
Would the 5P be fine, or would I have fewer issues with audio noise with the 9P?
(To clarify, I'm talking about noise in the audio signal from power-related issues, not noise produced by the UPS itself.)

Hi everyone! I'm curious on some of you all's opinion on this! (I apologize for the bad english as we start since it's not my main language)
Long story short: I'm in my final year of high school and I really want to use macs for my work when I go to university. Anyways, right now I use my main desktop (Ryzen 9 7950x cpu and 4070Ti gpu, 32 Gb of ram and something like 6Tb of storage) both for work and gaming and I really really want to separate my workflows, gaming on windows, and work on macos.
I already have an "old" M1 MacBook pro 13 inch, but I would really like to either upgrade it to a better MacBook (currently debating M2 Pro vs M2 Max since 1. I've been hearing meh stuff about the M3 lineup 2. They are on sale right now), or just get a Mac Studio. I really don't know which one to go for!
What I plan to do with it: - make projects with the Microsoft Office lineup of programs like word, excel and powerpoint; - coding, I mainly use Code::Blocks (I DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE IT WAS FORCED UPPON ME, OK?) right now but I plan to switch to something else after high school; - watch media; - I also really need 2 monitors so... (I'll use the MacBook with a stand and a 2nd monitor attached if I'd have it, but I'd use 2 monitors with the Mac Studio)
My curent M1 MacBook Pro is *enough* right now I should say? But I don't know how it would hold up in the future, especially another 4 years of university. It's the 2020 base model and I have it since release afterall it's sort of showing it's age? 8gb of ram and 256gb of storage isnt really enough for me, but the battery still holds amazingly! 99% health and only 65~ ish battery cycles (can you tell I didnt rly use it much, I just couldnt get it to run Word or Powerpoint idk why and I gave up on it for a few years). But in recent times I find myself actually using it more and more and thats why I really wanted to ask the question:
Should I get the MacBook Pro with M2 Pro/Max or the M2 ultra MacStudio?

First Previous
"Heather has feathers but heath has teeth."
"Captain Hobbs!"
From above, Arran looks like a paradise, rich and green with ample water and perfect for settlement, it's only when you are on the ground that you understand why life had a hard time springing up here. Some time in the distant past, volcanic activity rose up from several specific areas of the planet and created an environment suitable for cyanobacteria which produced oxygen but can also make soils alkaline rich which happened on several distant worlds such as Earth. The volcanic activity on Arran produced great clouds, prevented an earth like environment to a certain degree but life began to rise from the planet, struggling with rocky terrain as well as acidic water, but refusing to gve up. Eventually plant life adapted to the conditions of the planets atmosphere creating a world of deep forests, fertile grasslands and bogs similar to the one Captain Hobbs had led his troops into.
Robert took his time walking through the field, letting himself calm down as the men pulled each other from the mire. He understood that it would take time and effort to adapt to this new world and had relied on the wisdom Brian McMurray had shared with him, regarding Arran, but it had already been two weeks since the furlough had ended and training had gone nowhere. Picking two plant stems, he approached The soggy Captain and his now exhausted and mud caked company.
"Let's review." Robert said tiredly, holding up the two stems.
"I don't do plants Robert." Hobbs said defiantly. "I get it and I remember it. Heather is higher than heath and heath grows on higher ground. Heather blooms in winter and heath blooms in summer, but none of that matters when the terrain is still shit."
"Heather blooms in summer..." Robert said, trying to hold back his frustration.
"Its spring asshole!" Hobbs interrupted. "The whole planet is a swamp and navigating it is going to be a pain in the ass. What isn't occupied for farming or goats is full of trees, mountains and mud."
"What would you suggest Hobbs?!" Robert shot back.
"I'd suggest you need to get laid again." Hobbs retorted.
Robert balled up a fist to strike Hobbs, but he let the anger and frustration go instead. Captain Hobbs had a point, the easiest land was occupied by agriculture and the moorland was too soft for most normal infantry tactics. A file could navigate well enough but a wedge formation would inevitably find a soft spot and both provided easy pickings for anyone paying attention. The mountains were equally difficult to navigate for their own reasons and the forests of the planet were damn near impenetrable.
"Round them up and head back Hobbs." Robert said defeated.
"What ever you sau, SIR!" Hobbs replied mockingly.
Robert dismissed the other companies in the same manner, none of them had faired well in the soupy terrain. The 449th made their way back to where their coaches had been parked, but Robert lingered a while longer, watching them load up and head back to town on the coaches. Things had changed in their short time on Arran, he felt distant from his men, like a chasm had formed between him and them, and the feeling he had let them down too many times weighed heavily on his shoulders as he starting his long walk back to Brodick.
/////
"Welcome back Colonel." Scarlet said brightly.
The local star had begun to set when Robert arrived. Clouds were painted in soft pastel colors by the falling star, further highlighting Robert's dark mood. He was thankful that the Laird had left the planet recently for a conference and wouldn't be back for a few more days, perhaps he could turn things around before the Laird returned. In his stead, he had left Scarlet and the butler who had suffered his abominable attitude. He would have to make it up to them soon.
"I take it training didn't go well today either?"
At first impression, the Butler of the MacSweeney estate always seemed to be in afoul mood, but nothing was further from the truth. His stoic disposition and rigid bearing was the result of a few years in the Terran Marines, but he preferred to be called Dean and shared his life freely over a finger or two of the local scotch when he was off duty. He hadn't been blessed with a wife or children, but made up for it by being a father figure to the staff.
"Thanks Dean," Robert replied, "it hasn't been a good day and I was wondering if I could pick your brain."
Dean's normally strait face cracked a little and he let out a small chuckle.
"Asking a butler for military advice? You must be desperate." He quipped.
"Asking a Marine what I'm doing wrong as an officer." Robert corrected. "A drink would be nice as well."
Dean led Robert into the staff dining room and produced a bottle of whiskey, pouring a glass for both of them.
"What seems to be the trouble?" Dean asked, holding out a glass for Robert.
"I don't know really." Robert confided. "I almost hit Hobbs today out of frustration and I don't feel like I'm a part of the unit as much as I used to."
Dean took a sip of the whiskey and rolled it around for a moment before swallowing. "May I ask why you almost struck a subordinate?"
"He can't figure out the difference between heather hand heath." Robert replied before knocking back his own glass.
"Couldn't stay out of the bog." Dean said. "Do you know that they are different?"
Robert looked at Dean with suspicion. "They look alike from a distance, but when you look closely they have a lot of differences."
"Heath is an Erica but heather is Calluna Vulgaris." Dean stated. "It was confusing for the early botanists on earth as well who thoughtthey were the same species for a long time." Dean said. "From a distance most people assume they're the same plant with the same needs. Heaths and Heathers native to this world require different things. If you were to clump them all into a single pot some would die."
"Why do I have the feeling this isn't about plants?" Robert asked.
"Because it isn't" Dean said before finishing his glass. "All of you have been clumped together for so long that even you think your all the same, and treating them like they are the same as you is already showing signs of trouble."
"Have any suggestions?" Robert asked as Dean emptied the bottle into the glasses.
"Two suggestions. First i would advise that you empty that glass." Dean said.
Robert did as he was advised, draining the glass in one go.
"I believe you have your men's ranks and positions in order correct?" Dean asked.
"For the most part." Robert replied.
"Would you be so kind as to retrieve them?" Dean requested.
"Sure, but.... whats the other thing?" Robert inquired.
Dean held up the empty bottle.
"It appears we are out of scotch."

Hey everyone,
I've been lurking here for a while, waiting and looking at all of the options before I pick up my first ergo board. I'm currently stuck between the Elora, Piantor Pro, and Chocofi. I'm hoping this post helps me pick one.
For context, my journey so far has been as follows:

• Was looking into getting a new mechanical keyboard to replace my current Wooting Two. I'm not fond of the acoustics and size and wanted something a bit smaller that I could make sound a bit better.
• Looked into the mechanical keyboard world; was about to buy a Neo65.
• Looked into getting a Planck or similar but then read that some people had issues with ergonomics on OLKBs, so abandoned the idea.
• Discovered the Moonlander while watching a DistroTube video, and was intrigued. Looked into it before balking at the price tag.
• Was going to pick up a Lily58 from Typeractive, but was waiting for the nice!views to come back in stock.
• After lurking and reading similar posts, people seem to prefer more aggressive column stagger than the Lily58 and Corne.
• Looked into getting an Kyria from SplitKB, but have no soldering experience or equipment. Would also have to pay shipping to US + keycaps so more expensive than I thought.
• Discovered the Elora. Out of stock (supposedly should be available at the end of the week).
• Discovered the Piantor Pro and Chocofi through Beekeeb.

Now I'm a bit stuck here, trying to pick between the three boards. I've never used a split ergo keyboard, so I have no idea what I like or what to expect.
The first decision to make is wired or wireless.
I like wired for its reliability and lower latency than wireless. I plan on using the board for gaming occasionally, so the low latency is better for that.
However, I often move between my desktop PC and MacBook, and I'd ideally like to be able to use the board on both computers. Wireless would make it a lot easier to a) carry the boards around and b) switch quickly between my PC and MacBook.
Wireless also increases cost and decreases my choices of boards, so I'm leaning more towards wired, even if I have to plug things in to use my board on my laptop when I'm out.
Assuming I go wired, the options I've been looking at are:
Elora:

• (+) Largest layout, with num row and 7 thumb keys. Easier transition from 100% board, hopefully.
• (-) Large layout means large travel footprint, and as a student commuting between home and campus, portability is important.
• (-) Does require me to source keycaps (and optionally switches).
• (+) MX switches mean largest variety of switches/keycaps available.
• (+) Seems like solid build quality and parts, and plenty of options for customization.
• (?) Extensible via Myriad, but unsure if I'd ever use it.

Piantor Pro:

• (+) On sale, so cheapest option for now.
• (+) Choc switches and a lower profile case, according to the product listing.
• (?) Fully enclosed case seems nice, but I don't know how much having exposed components would bother me.
• (-) Thumb keys look to be offset slightly from my natural thumb position based on printed layout, but I'm not sure if that will be the case when I have the board.

Chocofi:

• (+) Smallest layout of the three, so most portable.
• (-) Going from a full 100% board to 36 keys is going to be a tough transition.
• (+) From printed testing, seems to fit my hand the best.
• (?) Option to come wireless.

I'd love some insight or suggestions for choosing between wired/wireless and between the three board options (or another one, if you have one). If you need any more information, I'd be happy to provide it. Thanks!

I recently updated an old google review to reflect two negative experiences I had at a med spa. The owner (an MD) replied to my review divulging additional personal details regarding an adverse reaction I experienced from laser hair removal. In their public reply, they included my first name, their “diagnosis” and treatment for the issue.
My review: ”Had several issues with this place. I'd recommend you don't get LHR here. The team is nice and certain services are good but I stopped going after two bad experiences.”
The public reply: “Dear [first name], It's been over two years since we have seen you at [place]. You had a small amount of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) after laser hair removal. While we in the profession all hope this never happens and we take all measures to prevent it, even in the best of hands with diligent attention to detail is does occur at times and is a well known risk…
…We saw you in the office after that treatment a few years ago, gave you medical grade skin care products to treat that area, and you used them and the follow up pictures showed much improvement. We have not seen you back since then.”
I’m pretty upset they shared the specifics of my diagnosis/treatment. Is this a hipaa violation? Not sure if that even applies since it’s a med spa.
Any advice?

This is the PC.What do you think about it? My budget is btw 1400€ and i want to play some Games like Fortnite and Minecraft but also somestuff like coding ans using Office 365 for example.

This is the PC.What do you think about it? My budget is btw 1400€ and i want to play some Games like Fortnite and Minecraft but also somestuff like coding ans using Office 365 for example.

Here are all of the relevant keywords/abbreviations for the CompTIA sec+ exam.
Comment below if you have any questions, if I made a mistake, or if I missed something!
AAA: Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting ABAC: Attribute-Based Access Control ACL: Access Control List AD: Active Directory AES: Advanced Encryption Standard AES256: Advanced Encryption Standard with a key size of 256 bits AH: Authentication Header AI: Artificial Intelligence AIS: Automated Information System ALE: Annual Loss Expectancy AP: Access Point API: Application Programming Interface APT: Advanced Persistent Threat ARO: Annualized Rate of Occurrence ARP: Address Resolution Protocol ASLR: Address Space Layout Randomization ASP: Application Service Provider ATT&CK: Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge AUP: Acceptable Use Policy AV: Antivirus BASH: Bourne Again Shell BCP: Business Continuity Plan BGP: Border Gateway Protocol BIA: Business Impact Analysis BIOS: Basic Input/Output System BPA: Business Process Automation BPDU: Bridge Protocol Data Unit BSSID: Basic Service Set Identifier BYOD: Bring Your Own Device CA: Certificate Authority CAPTCHA: Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart CAR: Corrective Action Report CASB: Cloud Access Security Broker CBC: Cipher Block Chaining CBT: Computer-Based Training CCMP: Counter Mode with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code Protocol CCTV: Closed-Circuit Television CERT: Computer Emergency Response Team CFB: Cipher Feedback CHAP: Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol CIO: Chief Information Officer CIRT: Computer Incident Response Team CIS: Center for Internet Security CMS: Content Management System CN: Common Name COOP: Continuity of Operations COPE: Corporate-Owned, Personally-Enabled CP: Control Plane CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check CRL: Certificate Revocation List CSA: Cloud Security Alliance CSIRT: Computer Security Incident Response Team CSO: Chief Security Officer CSP: Cloud Service Provider CSR: Certificate Signing Request CSRF: Cross-Site Request Forgery CSU: Central Service Unit CTM: Content Threat Management CTO: Chief Technology Officer CVE: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures CVSS: Common Vulnerability Scoring System CYOD: Choose Your Own Device DAC: Discretionary Access Control DBA: Database Administrator DDoS: Distributed Denial of Service DEP: Data Execution Prevention DER: Distinguished Encoding Rules DES: Data Encryption Standard DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol DHE: Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral DKIM: DomainKeys Identified Mail DLL: Dynamic Link Library DLP: Data Loss Prevention DMARC: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance DNT: Do Not Track DNS: Domain Name System DNSSEC: Domain Name System Security Extensions DoS: Denial of Service DPO: Data Protection Officer DRP: Disaster Recovery Plan DSA: Digital Signature Algorithm DSL: Digital Subscriber Line EAP: Extensible Authentication Protocol ECB: Electronic Codebook ECC: Elliptic Curve Cryptography ECDHE: Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral ECDSA: Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm EDR: Endpoint Detection and Response EFS: Encrypting File System EIP: Enterprise Information Portal EOL: End of Life EOS: End of Support ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning ESN: Electronic Serial Number ESP: Encapsulating Security Payload ESSID: Extended Service Set Identifier FACL: File Access Control List FDE: Full Disk Encryption FIM: File Integrity Monitoring FPGA: Field-Programmable Gate Array FRR: Fast Reroute FTP: File Transfer Protocol FTPS: FTP Secure GCM: Galois/Counter Mode GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation GPG: GNU Privacy Guard GPO: Group Policy Object GPS: Global Positioning System GPU: Graphics Processing Unit GRE: Generic Routing Encapsulation HA: High Availability HDD: Hard Disk Drive HIDS: Host-based Intrusion Detection System HIPS: Host-based Intrusion Prevention System HMAC: Keyed-Hash Message Authentication Code HOTP: HMAC-based One-Time Password HSM: Hardware Security Module HSMaaS: Hardware Security Module as a Service HTML: Hypertext Markup Language HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service IAM: Identity and Access Management ICMP: Internet Control Message Protocol ICS: Industrial Control System IDEA: International Data Encryption Algorithm IDF: Intermediate Distribution Frame IdP: Identity Provider IDS: Intrusion Detection System IPS: Intrusion Prevention System IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IKE: Internet Key Exchange IM: Instant Messaging IMAP4: Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 IoC: Indicator of Compromise IoT: Internet of Things IP: Internet Protocol IPSec: Internet Protocol Security IR: Incident Response IRC: Internet Relay Chat IRP: Incident Response Plan ISA: Interconnection Security Agreement ISFW: Integrated Security and Firewalls ISO: International Organization for Standardization ISP: Internet Service Provider ISSO: Information Systems Security Officer ITCP: Information Technology Contingency Plan IV: Initialization Vector KDC: Key Distribution Center KEK: Key Encryption Key L2TP: Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol LAN: Local Area Network LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol LEAP: Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol MaaS: Monitoring as a Service MAC: Media Access Control MAM: Mobile Application Management MAN: Metropolitan Area Network MBR: Master Boot Record MD5: Message Digest Algorithm 5 MDF: Main Distribution Frame MDM: Mobile Device Management MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication MFD: Multi-Function Device MFP: Multi-Function Printer ML: Machine Learning MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service MOA: Memorandum of Agreement MOU: Memorandum of Understanding MPLS: Multiprotocol Label Switching MSA: Master Service Agreement MSP: Managed Service Provider MSSP: Managed Security Service Provider MTBF: Mean Time Between Failures MTTF: Mean Time To Failure MTTR: Mean Time To Repair MTU: Maximum Transmission Unit NAC: Network Access Control NAT: Network Address Translation NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement NFC: Near Field Communication NFV: Network Functions Virtualization NGFW: Next-Generation Firewall NG-SWG: Next-Generation Secure Web Gateway NIC: Network Interface Card NIDS: Network Intrusion Detection System NIPS: Network Intrusion Prevention System NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology NOC: Network Operations Center NTFS: New Technology File System NTLM: New Technology LAN Manager NTP: Network Time Protocol OCSP: Online Certificate Status Protocol OID: Object Identifier OS: Operating System OAI: OpenID Authentication OSINT: Open Source Intelligence OSPF: Open Shortest Path First OT: Operational Technology OTA: Over-the-Air OTG: On-The-Go OVAL: Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language OWASP: Open Web Application Security Project P12: Personal Information Exchange Format P2P: Peer-to-Peer PaaS: Platform as a Service PAC: Proxy Auto-Configuration PAM: Privileged Access Management PAP: Password Authentication Protocol PAT: Port Address Translation PBKDF2: Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2 PBX: Private Branch Exchange PCAP: Packet Capture PCI DSS: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard PDU: Protocol Data Unit PE: Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol PEAP: Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol PED: Portable Electronic Device PEM: Privacy Enhanced Mail PFS: Perfect Forward Secrecy PGP: Pretty Good Privacy PHI: Protected Health Information PII: Personally Identifiable Information PIN: Personal Identification Number PIV: Personal Identity Verification PKCS: Public Key Cryptography Standards PKI: Public Key Infrastructure PoC: Proof of Concept POP: Post Office Protocol POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol PPTP: Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol PSK: Pre-Shared Key PTZ: Pan-Tilt-Zoom PUP: Potentially Unwanted Program QA: Quality Assurance QoS: Quality of Service RA: Recovery Agent RAD: Rapid Application Development RADIUS: Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks RAM: Random Access Memory RAS: Remote Access Service RAT: Remote Access Trojan RC4: Rivest Cipher 4 RCS: Remote Control System RFC: Request for Comments RFID: Radio-Frequency Identification RIPEMD: RACE Integrity Primitives Evaluation Message Digest ROI: Return on Investment RPO: Recovery Point Objective RSA: Rivest-Shamir-Adleman RTBH: Remote Triggered Black Hole RTO: Recovery Time Objective RTOS: Real-Time Operating System RTP: Real-Time Transport Protocol S/MIME: Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions SaaS: Software as a Service SAE: Simultaneous Authentication of Equals SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language SCADA: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition SCAP: Security Content Automation Protocol SCEP: Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol SDK: Software Development Kit SDLC: Software Development Life Cycle SDLM: Software Development Lifecycle Management SDN: Software-Defined Networking SDP: Session Description Protocol SDV: Software-Defined Vehicle SED: Self-Encrypting Drive SEH: Structured Exception Handler SFTP: Secure File Transfer Protocol SHA: Secure Hash Algorithm SIEM: Security Information and Event Management SIM: Subscriber Identity Module SIP: Session Initiation Protocol SLA: Service Level Agreement SLE: Single Loss Expectancy SMB: Server Message Block SMS: Short Message Service SMTP/S: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol/Secure SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol SOAR: Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response SoC: Security Operations Center SOC: System-On-Chip SPF: Sender Policy Framework SPIM: Spam Over Instant Messaging SQL: Structured Query Language SQLi: SQL Injection SRTP: Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol SSD: Solid-State Drive SSH: Secure Shell SSID: Service Set Identifier SSL: Secure Sockets Layer SSO: Single Sign-On STIX: Structured Threat Information eXpression STP: Spanning Tree Protocol SWG: Secure Web Gateway TACACS+: Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus TGT: Ticket Granting Ticket TKIP: Temporal Key Integrity Protocol TLS: Transport Layer Security TOTP: Time-Based One-Time Password TPM: Trusted Platform Module TSIG: Transaction Signature TTP: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures UAT: User Acceptance Testing UDP: User Datagram Protocol UEBA: User and Entity Behavior Analytics UEFI: Unified Extensible Firmware Interface UEM: Unified Endpoint Management UPS: Uninterruptible Power Supply URI: Uniform Resource Identifier URL: Uniform Resource Locator USB: Universal Serial Bus USB OTG: USB On-The-Go UTM: Unified Threat Management UTP: Unshielded Twisted Pair VBA: Visual Basic for Applications VDE: Virtual Desktop Environment VDI: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure VLAN: Virtual Local Area Network VLSM: Variable Length Subnet Masking VM: Virtual Machine VoIP: Voice over Internet Protocol VPC: Virtual Private Cloud VPN: Virtual Private Network VTC: Video Teleconferencing WAF: Web Application Firewall WAP: Wireless Access Point WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy WIDS: Wireless Intrusion Detection System WIPS: Wireless Intrusion Prevention System WORM: Write Once, Read Many WPA: Wi-Fi Protected Access WPS: Wi-Fi Protected Setup XaaS: Anything as a Service XSRF: Cross-Site Request Forgery

1. Remote Customer Service Advisor

https://careers.conduent.com/us/en/job/1314/Remote-Customer-Service-Advisor
Starting Pay Rate is $17.31/Hour
Full time schedules between the hours of 7am – 12am CST.
As Customer Service Advisor, the customer service you will be providing is via phone and will help customers with a variety of questions. Some common questions that you could receive from your customers are:

• My delivery is late. Can you help?
• My delivery arrived damaged. What can I do?
• When will I see a charge for my purchase?

You will be working independently from home in your secured workspace and will be expected to collaborate with management and co-workers in a remote setting.

• Live in one of the following states AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

1. Health Information Specialist I

https://careers-datavant.icims.com/jobs/36284/health-information-specialist-i/job?mobile=false&width=2140&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-300
This is an entry level position responsible for processing all release of information (ROI), specifically medical record requests, in a timely and efficient manner ensuring accuracy and providing customers with the highest quality product and customer service.
$15.00 - $18.00
3.Associate - Claims Support
https://careers-carecentrix.icims.com/jobs/15768/job?mobile=false&width=1370&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-360&jun1offset=-300
This position receives/responds to provider inquiries on claim issues. Researches information by reviewing plan, eligibility, and authorizations to determine appropriate resolution. Works with CSC or RCM to identify areas of opportunity and recommend solutions. Completes special assignments and analyzes provider requests. Assists other departments and interacts directly with providers

• High School Diploma or the equivalent required

4.Inbound Sales Rep
https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsdefault/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=6e37dac1-ff90-406c-a8a5-4bafdb684f37&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=484202&source=IN&lang=en_US&ittk=A0V0UYFGWX
Training starts: June 6, 2024
Training Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST
Production Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST
Schedule: Based on business need between 9a-8p EST M-F
NO WEEKENDS!
Location: Work at Home in the following 20 states:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, & Wisconsin.
5.CUSTOMER SERVICE REP-PART TIME POSITION
https://wsgc.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2qgk7jaro5b
Applicants must reside from: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, or Wisconsin

• 40% Discount on most merchandise!
• Fun contests / rewards and recognition programs
• Paid Training from the comfort of your home
• Internal promotional opportunities. Based on position requirements and tenure, this can occur within the first 60 days if interested
• Pay = $15.00/hr \compensation may differ due to individual state wage requirements**

Essential Functions: The nuts and bolts

• Address customer questions and concerns regarding product and delivery information
• Provide product information, review alternative solutions if an item is out of stock and place orders for the customer.

Qualifications: What you need to apply

• High School diploma or GED
• 1 – 2 years previous customer service experience

Important Facts: MUST HAVE THESE FOR CONSIDERATION

• Ability to complete mandatory paid training for 4 weeks - 100% attendance is required
• Confirm that you have the equipment requirements listed below. This will be asked throughout the interview process and could affect employment status if not met

Technology Requirements Overview:
In order to work from home, our agents must have their own full-size or all-in-one desktop personal computer, or a traditional laptop personal computer that meets the minimum specifications listed in the sections below.

Devices not acceptable:

Tablet-based/convertible personal computers (i.e. – Microsoft Surface, Surface Book), Chromebooks, Steam Decks and mobile phones (unless needed for two-factor authentication) are not acceptable.

Operating Systems:

• Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro, or Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
• Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, or Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
• Mac IOS 12 or newer
• Important Facts: MUST HAVE THESE FOR CONSIDERATION
  
• Ability to complete mandatory paid training for 4 weeks - 100% attendance is required
  
• Confirm that you have the equipment requirements listed below. This will be asked throughout the interview process and could affect employment status if not met
  

Hi all! First off, so glad this sub reddit exists because it was a life saver when I was making decisions on my own ACLr and knowing what to expect from surgery. I'm a 2x cancer surviver, Paramedic, Rugby player, and now have been a caregiver to my partner who just celebrated 3 months from her own ACLr. I collected a bunch of advice and tips and tricks that I have used both during cancer treatment, my own experience with ACLr, and now through care taking my partner through hers. I know there have been guides before, but mine is a bit different and aimed at caregivers so I thought I'd post it here since ya'll helped me so much instead of it just circulating the rugby community every time a teammate or friend has to have ACLr or some other reconstruction. Hope it's allowed and helps!
A Cancer Patients Guide To Knee Reconstruction Recovery
A Comprehensive Guide To Surviving and Thriving In the Pre and Post-op Period Built From The Perspective of Caretaker and Patient.
Before The Date
__/__/____

Preparation

It is important to adequately prepare for surgery in the weeks and days leading up to the procedure. A significant period of immobility and reliance on support can be expected immediately post-op and will vary by procedure and personal experience. Physical modification of living space and thorough preparation allows for the immediate post-op period to be free of emergency store runs and the small inconveniences that can add up to big frustration. Not having food and drink nearby as well as other essentials may be a small deal now, but can turn into a big deal when you can no longer get those things for yourself. While physical preparation (home modifications, adaptive tools, meal prepping, etc.) are important, mental preparation is crucial to the long term success of the repair. Making small, achievable goals in the immediate post-op period and maintaining a long sighted view of recovery will make the pain and immobility that is initially experienced more bearable. Additionally, social support through a partner, family members, or friends is an essential part of recovery, as is maintaining contact with sports teams or other social groups during rehabilitation.

General PEARLs

• Pre-surgical rehab is an essential part of recovery and can improve immediate outcome so if it is a resource available to you- use it!
• Learn the basics of your procedure such as reconstruction technique, graft type, surgeons recovery timeline, where you will do your rehab, and what you should expect going into and coming out of surgery. Knowledge is power and can give a sense of control and set reasonable expectations in a situation that is otherwise out of your control.
• Seek out positive experiences and recovery stories from other people who have had your procedure and gather as much advice as possible from resources such as ACL. Know that some people will have negative experiences, everyone is an individual, and that much of your long term recovery is in your control.
• Expect and learn to advocate for yourself or the person you are taking care of. Be vocal and honest with any needs you may have and understand that issues may come up in the immediate post-operative time that you as a patient or caregiver may have to contact your surgeon to resolve. Familiarize yourself with who to call and when *before* you leave after surgery, as well as being quick to call with any questions or problems that arise. It is better to be told that what you are experiencing is normal than to sit with the anxiety of the unknown.
• Create a folder with all relevant information: Surgeons name, procedure information, follow-up appointment dates and times, phone numbers, emergency contacts, facility of choice in an emergency situation, and any other important information. Maintain this folder throughout your recovery and add paperwork as it comes.

Days Leading Up To Surgery

• Contact support people and confirm any arrangements that have been made including but not limited to: Who is taking you to/from surgery, child or pet care, transportation to first PT appointments, meals, etc.
• Recommended Items we found essential:
  • Ice Machine (Polarcube, etc) if at all possible
    • Recommend checking facebook marketplace or other second hand options, as they cost hundreds new but can be found for $40 or so used.
    • Studies have shown these do actually reduce pain and lend to earlier mobilisation and our experience has shown this to be essential not just immediately post-op but in the weeks and months afterwards so if you *can* obtain one you absolutely should.
  • Large sweatshirt and oversized shorts for surgery day, especially if you wear a bra, as putting clothes on after surgery can be a struggle and it’s easiest to just throw on a sweatshirt and shorts that fit over your post-op bandages and brace.
    • In particular, we found a blanket hoodie to be very useful both for going home and the first few days as it could stay on when moving around/when napping.
  • Neck Pillow
    • Helps with reading or other activities during long hours spent in bed or on the couch and really helped in the first two days to prevent neck strain and provide head positioning during napping.
  • Large pillows for body positioning and elevation of the leg
    • We found cheap, giant, dog beds from places like TJ Max or Marshalls to be more affordable than specialty products
    • A large, thin, dog bed (or blanket) rolled into a tube and secured with stretch bandage or tape around the surgical leg and brace helped significantly with comfort during sleep so that the leg was padded, comfortable, and the other leg didn’t get roughed up from the brace.
  • A shower chair
    • Can be found used at second hand stores like Goodwill, or cheap online
    • Easy substitute is a chair covered in a trash bag
    • Allowed showering the second day post-op which was a huge mental boost and relieved physical discomfort and achy muscles
  • Extra large leg cast cover
    • Can be found cheap online
    • Placed around outside of brace covering the entire leg initially, we then found it easier to place on the leg and place the brace outside of the cover for the remaining healing period for the incisions: We did this after the first PT appointment when it was safe to take off the brace for short periods while laying down. We acquired a second post op brace from a friend (you can find on eBay for cheap) and it was amazing to have, as we could let it dry after showering and immediately put her post op brace back on.
  • Foldable stool
    • Great for elevating the leg during transfers, while on the toilet, etc.
  • Lap Desk
    • Great for eating on the couch or in bed, but we also found it useful as a side table for holding drinks/meds/remotes/books that could be taken to whatever room they landed in at the time
    • A small table works as well, really just anything that can be used to set things on within arms reach
  • Assortment of sodas, water, seltzers, snacks, etc.
    • There is no way to know what you will want and when, but when you want it it’s nice to *have* it available
    • Appetite often decreases after surgery so make sure to have favourites on hand so that when you *are* hungry you have it immediately before your body changes its mind
  • A big bucket
    • We used a soft plastic beach type bucket from the dollar store, it was extremely useful to have to put small items in, a small towel, a spare water bottle, extra meds, baby wipes, etc.
    • Also doubled as an emergency puke bucket, as you never know when a sudden bout of nausea might hit in the first day or two after surgery
  • Extra reusable ice packs and bags of ice
    • Your home ice maker will not be able to keep up with the demands of constant icing the first week or so
    • Reusable ones are great for ‘hot spots’ and short trips where you can’t take the ice machine
  • Extra steri-strips and assortment of bandages
    • Sometimes there’s extra leakage, sometimes your steri-strips come off and you need to slap a new one on, sometimes you’re allergic to the ones they put on you at the hospital. Always consult a medical professional, but it’s handy to have these on hand just in case.
    • We also used a bulky padded bandaid to keep the brace off the healing incisions once the large post-op dressing was taken off which helped immensely.
  • Compression sleeves
    • Aside from helping with swelling these also provided a layer of protection under the post-op brace
    • We found cheap ones at Wal-Mart (copper brand) but also just bought a cheap pair of leggings a size down and cut off one of the legs to use before getting a more expensive one once swelling had fully subsided after a few weeks. Your leg will change so cheap works great at first, then you can get something a bit more substantial when you know what you’ll need long term. Now she wears high compression socks to sleep 3 months out.
  • Slide on shoes
    • Self explanatory, bending down to put on shoes becomes a chore after surgery. Avoid flip flops or other styles that can become a trip hazard.
  • Baby Wipes/Dude Wipes/etc.
    • Wiping down after you get home from surgery can help prevent that icky feeling and restore some sense of normalcy, then can be used over the next few days before you can shower more normally
  • Lotion and chapstick
    • Hospitals dry out your skin big time, and lips are often cracked post surgery from intubation/LMA placement
  • Small, easily labelled tupperware containers
    • Regular pill containers are too small to hold pain meds, OTC pain meds, anticoagulants such as aspirin, supplements, and edibles or other small things you take with your medication. We got small tupperware boxes with lids from the dollar store.
    • We found it very convenient to have six sets of meds set up and labelled with times which meant we never missed doses and could leave the next dose of meds at bedside, take them with us when going to appointments, and keep up with what had been given and when.
  • Small notebook to record med times and other important information
  • Two extra changes of clothes already setup and ready to go
  • Compression device
    • We are athletes so we already had leg compression sleeves but these days off brand versions can be bought online cheap. Studies have shown these lead to reduced pain, increased mobilisation, reduced the chance of blood clots, and there is even some evidence they help with bone healing.
    • We used it 3 days post op and beyond and her range of motion was significantly improved after the first time.
  • A yoga strap
    • Excellent for strapping to the brace and moving the surgical leg
• If possible, pick up post-op medications prior to surgery to prevent any unexpected delay in obtaining them. If this is not possible, verify that the prescription can be filled the day of the surgery by your selected pharmacy and that it has been filled prior to leaving after your surgery. Controlled substances cannot be transferred to another pharmacy without a new prescription sent directly from the provider. You do not want to be trying to get in contact with a physician in the hours after surgery, unable to manage pain, before the pharmacies close for the night.
• Do a thorough clean of your living area, it will make the time after surgery when you cannot independently do normal activities more bearable and a neat organised space is easier to function in when your body is not cooperating. Take special attention to removing tripping hazards and clearing a wide path from wherever you plan to spend your recovery and the bathroom.
• Plan to spend the first couple of days in one spot and on one floor and set up that area the day before surgery. If you have a downstairs bathroom a floor mattress or well setup couch can be your landing pad until you are more mobile and is the easiest during the immediate post-op period. That being said, if you don’t, it’s easier to get upstairs by sliding up on your bum immediately post-op when your pain is still well controlled than realise that you have no bathroom downstairs a few hours later when the pain has started to set in. Wherever you intend to land, plan on staying there at least a couple of days and bring all your supplies to that area. Plan to lay with your surgical leg on the outside of what you are laying on, this makes transferring easier.
• Have your recovery bed setup the day before surgery and prepared for when you return before you leave the day of, including blankets and your supply table setup.
• Meal prep, whether that means cooking or getting easy to make microwave meals is up to you. You won’t feel like cooking and neither will your caretaker the first few days. High protein, easy to eat meals are key! We had chicken and broccoli casserole, egg and sausage frittata, and lots of applesauce the first few days and it was a lifesaver not to have to think about meals.
• Spend some time mentally preparing for the long haul of recovery and make long term plans that fit within your timeline. For example, we planned to attend a rugby game five days after surgery *but* planned nothing else for that day and the next day. We also planned hiking trips the next fall, and other events appropriate for her timeline along the way that could be looked forward to and keep up morale. Remember that this is temporary and that it is okay to be recovering and resting, expect hard moments and days but keep things planned so you don’t get stuck in those down places.
• Eat your favourite meal and eat well the day before surgery. Your body needs fuel to recover and fasting the day of surgery sucks. As weird as it sounds, after multiple surgeries, the pre-surgery night meal of whatever I want is one shiny thing in a crappy situation to hold on to.
• Plan for what you want your first meal to be and consider making a playlist for the ride to and from surgery. Small things, again, help maintain a sense of control and comfort in a situation where you are largely out of control and these things can be done with friends or support people in the days leading up to reduce anxiety and pass time.
• Hit the gym, take a walk, do a hike, visit places or do things you enjoy but won’t be able to do in immediate recovery! We took my partners knee to one last tournament before her surgery, it helped pass time and kept spirits high.

Day Of And Immediate Post-Surgery Phase

• Maintain fasting starting at whatever hour you are told. Some people can drink clear liquids up to a certain point, others are completely nothing by mouth. Your instructions will guide you on this.
• Before leaving home double check that everything is set up how you need it and place a blanket, pillow, drink, and snack of choice in the car. You may or may not need it but if you do it is important to have. Make sure your ice packs are in the freezer ready to go!
• Bring your own post-op snack if you are picky or have food allergies, otherwise you’re stuck with whatever graham cracker and applesauce combo the facility gives you.
• Go with the flow, or as I always say “surrender”. Feel what you feel, have a cry in the car before you go in, listen to your playlist, bring your blanket or other comfort items into pre-op, tell your support person what’s going through your mind, tell your pre-op staff how you’re doing, ask all the questions, and most importantly just do what you have to do. For some people surgery can be overwhelming and the loss of control frightening, but fighting only makes it worse, so whatever you are just be it. I’m pre-op pacer myself, but some people just snuggle up under some warm blankets and wait. Either way, just let the waves take you where they go and know you’re along for the ride. Remember that future you with a healthy joint thanks you for what you’re doing today.
• Speak frankly with your anesthesiologist and utilise any pain control or anxiety control options given to you. There is no award for least meds taken or toughest patient of the day. If a nerve block is available, know that you can request sedation for its placement, and utilise that option if at all possible.
• Caregivers should bring something to keep them entertained and be prepared for a long period without update once surgery has started. Honour your feelings as well, it can be tough to watch someone you care about go through this! Consider having someone to act as a support person for you as well through text or phone, that way you can divert your own worries or struggles to them and away from the person having surgery while still making sure you are also taken care of.
• Make sure that pain is well controlled before leaving after surgery. You have more options there than you will at home and getting things under control once pain has become unbearable can be very difficult.
• Make sure you note when the next dose of medication is due, what medication they should be taking, and write it down.
• Double check contacts from your surgeons office and add any post op paperwork to your folder in case you need the information later.
• If your post-op meal requires picking up, or your prescription, try and do that immediately after leaving surgery even if you are not hungry yet. This is the most comfortable you will be for a while and your support person will be unable to leave for at least that day and night. I have been known to peruse the big gas station after surgery in search of snacks, my partner however simply waved to the nice people at the drive through and napped the rest of the way home before eating some hours later.
• Once you get home crash wherever you plan on spending the rest of the time. Don’t have friends or family over that first day. Just go ahead and sleep through the rest of the anaesthesia and get comfortable.
• Try and keep your home cool, and consider keeping the room dim for the first few hours if not days. Sleep is precious and pain meds can make you hot, and getting hot can lead to nausea. It is better to have the home cool and the person snuggled under blankets and comfortable than be trying to cool someone down who just had surgery and got too hot and is now dizzy, nauseous, and miserable. The least stimulation for the first little while the better, and naps will happen throughout the rest of the day and over the next few days. A cool, dim place lets this happen much easier than a bright, warm place where they might be overstimulated or awakened by noise or activity.
• If allowed, try and activate the quad muscle immediately after returning home and once every few hours by having them squeeze it and feeling for contraction while in the brace. Some people will be able to begin range of motion exercises immediately and if so, make sure to do them as soon as allowed even if that means just helping them by doing gentle manual range of motion movements in the brace.
• If it’s not already on, begin continuous icing as soon as you come out of surgery either by meticulously timing the replacement of ice packs or with the ice machine. Make sure to check the ice machine, replace ice as often as needed, and keep it on *continuously* for the next few days. For us this meant I checked it at every medication dose throughout the night and added ice during that time as well. We went through frozen mini water bottles and bags of ice like crazy the first week.
• Elevate the surgical leg as high as possible, placing support under the heel and calf but not directly under the knee to promote extension and prevent more headaches with gaining range of motion later on.
  • We found that icepacks directly under the knee helped tremendously with the discomfort associated with this.
• Anticipate that bathroom trips will not be fun or easy and take them extremely slow. As a caregiver allow the person to guide you on what they need and don’t need your help with and avoid grabbing or moving someone unexpectedly. Standing, acclimating to being upright, and then proceeding to the bathroom is the best way to do things and rushing will only result in frustration for both of you. A rolling chair or wheelchair can be helpful, but for some people standing up and sitting down is harder than just moving on to the bathroom. Pay attention as a caregiver and know that it is possible they may need your help getting off the toilet or back from the bathroom so be close by and available should that happen. For the first few days do not lock the bathroom door in case of an emergency.
• Place chairs or things to sit on around your path to the bathroom, kitchen, etc. And consider a small backpack or using a rolling chair to carry items around the house.
• Once you know when your next dose is, set alarms for each time your doses are due. If using the med boxes this makes doing meds and keeping track very easy, as they are each labelled with a time and all we had to do was open the box and take the meds instead of finding each bottle and dosing each med individually each time. As the days went on we were able to re-label and time the boxes as needed and remove meds as needed or adapt to what was needed when sleeping or up during the day.
  • For example day 1 would look like:
    • First post-op doses at 4pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 8pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, 10mg edible, 12.5mg diphenhydramine (itching and sleep), stool softener, and regular night time meds.
    • Midnight box: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 4AM: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, edible (if nauseas or restless).
    • 8AM box (preparing to get up): 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, aspirin, stool softener, normal morning meds.
    • 12pm: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, 800mg ibuprofen.
    • Repeated on time, reducing pain med dose as tolerable, and refilling boxes 1x a day.
• If possible do scheduled tylenol (paracetamol) and ibuprofen (or another NSAID), alternating them on the dosing schedule, and take them religiously even through the night. This also goes for additional pain medications, which you will also need to wake to take through the night if you are prescribed for at least the first night.
• Staying on schedule might mean waking up in the night, but it’s better to be awoken to take meds than to wake up in pain and spend several hours trying to get it under control. You may find you seldom need them if your nerve block is in place, or you may just not need very much at all during your recovery. It is easier to trial run this after the first day by stretching out the time between doses from 4 to 6 to 8 and then potentially off entirely, but everyone will have their preferences.
• Eat a small snack with every med dose and keep emergency meds (extra pain med doses, nausea meds, etc.) at bedside as well as the next set of meds due so they can be taken when it is time.
• We found that edibles were a great addition to pain and nausea control after surgery. There are medication options available and having at least one option for nausea is advisable for the first few days after surgery when anaesthesia and medication can really make you want to puke.
• Expect absolutely nothing in the first few days post-op. Some people will feel well enough to move around, others will not be able to do anything but get up to use the bathroom. Expecting nothing is better than expecting more and being disappointed or frustrated. I would highly suggest not making plans until your first follow up 7 or so days after surgery.
• Be obsessive about icing, meds, any PT you have been given, and keeping track of appointments. Give yourself the best start to your recovery that you can and you will thank yourself later!

Hello, here I am once again! First ever Fan-Fic.
Last week I opened a poll about the type of Fan-Fic I should write (or try to), and after a good 4 days I took a look at said poll, and the overwhelming majority went for Option 2. And so I shall try my hardest to deliver, and give you all a story about Humanity entering on the Galactic stage later and being more prepared for eventual hostile encounters, and acting as such.
Let's see what I can cook up in my tired state- Some creative liberties are to be expected.
Still thinking of a Title- but this is the one I came up with.
... Also consider this a proof of concept for now, a WIP if you will, as I'm still new to writing (and not a native English speaker either) and wanting to learn as much as possible while writing anything at all- so expect word vomit. Any and all feedback will be welcomed.
Lastly, all love to for having made such an amazing universe.
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Memory Transcription Subject: N/A, AI Communications Unit Terminal, UN-HQ.
Date [Standardized Human Time]: January 1st, 2300, 00:00
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<<00:15, Probe successfully launched. Explore protocol initiated.>>
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Log Update: 01:15
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Log Update: 10:15
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Log Update: 10:35
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Log Update: 10:50
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Memory Transcription Subject: N/A, Terminal Deactivated.
===---===
Memory Transcription Subject: Alan Voor-hein, UN Secretary-General.
Date [Standardized Human Time]: January 1st, 2300, 11:00
It has finally happened. A fellow space-faring civilization has been found, something we thought would happen one day- Never in my 40 years would I have guessed it would happen in my lifetime. But I guess that is the thought process for everyone who are now involved.
I had gotten the first message out of anyone. It was now up to me to head to the HQ and get everything ready for the Emergency meeting. We'll have to "discuss" our next course of action on this situation. And I use the term "discuss" lightly, because there is not a lot to discuss, rather there is much to think about as a potential next step. I'll be having these discussions with our diplomatic and military advisors. Civil advisors will be left out, as to not make the public aware of this discovery ...at least, not yet.
I have an hour to get everything ready... and I still need to travel 20 minutes to get there. Luckily I have my own companion who can be my chauffeur- who is always ready at a moments notice, essentially 24/7.
I was speed-walking.. or speedily descending more like it, down the stairs of my house. ...Don't ask me what I was doing upstairs. My hastiness almost caused me to trip while going down the stairs because I was in a such rush to get outside, I did not have a lot of time on my hands.
After reaching the ground-floor I sped-walked past the kitchen, and I took a second to contemplate about taking a quick bite from a snack, but I decided against it. After-all, I could eat at the HQ... not that I'd have the time too, but at least I could give it a shot if I arrive in time.
As my journey to the front door continued, I was met with a familiar face- namely Heluni. Heluni is my Android companion. Android technology has gotten far over the last few decades, and Androids have become more Human than ever before.
"Good morning Alan!" Heluni spoke up, her voice as smooth as the calmest oceans. I looked towards her, and greeted her in return.
"Morning Heluni- Sorry to be a bother, but I gotta use your driving expertise again today. Emergency UN meeting. It's at 12, but I would like to be there as quickly as possible. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course I can, sir. Right this way." She led the way, opening the front door, waiting on me to follow behind her. I took my place behind her as she led me towards our car that was parked outside. A classic unmarked "not noticeable" vehicle, one everyone knows screams "here is someone important" but no one seems to care about in their daily life.
And like always when walking outside, my mind wandered to the flowing shoulder long hair Heluni has, her hair was always a beautiful sight to behold. How she- an Android- managed to have the hair of a Goddess remains a mystery to me. But I learned to never question our technological prowess.
Before I knew it, I was standing next to the car, Heluni having already taken the drivers seat. I took my seat in the back. And before I even sat down, Heluni look back at me. "Ready sir?"
"Floor it." was the only thing I responded with.. and Heluni took off like it was the end of the world.
... And I'm suddenly reminded why I only used her driving skills in Emergencies. This type of driving is gonna make me sick- but it's to late now, I suppose. I gazed down to my watch, and it's 11:15. If Heluni keeps driving like this, we'll be there in about 10 minutes.
...
I'm just gonna try and keep myself calm, as to not make myself sick with Heluni her driving.
...
We drove through the city towards the UN Headquarters. Heluni was cutting through the traffic wherever she could- you'd think we would get pulled over. But the only reason we never were, was because the only symbol on this car (to at least mark it somewhat) was that the UN symbol was put in place of the car-manufacturer logo. Any officer knew that, if a UN car was speeding like this, there was something going on.
But since I still did not want the public to know about the discovery made earlier today, I'd have to come up with some excuse for this... I think I'll wave it off as a training exercise for my Android.
Noticing that I was rather quiet, Heluni chirped up. "Sir, is everything okay?"
"Hm? .. Oh yeah, just thinking about stuff. Don't worry about it."
"Sir, is it about the upcoming meeting? What is it about?"
"..Heluni, that's confidential information-"
"I know sir, but perhaps.. whatever it will be about, is making you nervous?"
... Am I nervous? I don't think I am- maybe subconsciously I am??
...
"Well, I can say it's something I have never planned on doing."
"Is it bad?" Heluni asked me, trying to inquire more out of me.
"Depends on future circumstances...."
"Will I be allowed to know more about this meeting?"
"One day you will, Heluni. But for now, that's gonna be a negative."
"I understand, Sir."
...
For the rest of our journey, no words were spoken. I was deep in thought again. Like.. what does this mean for my career? I will be the first leader in UN history who may lay the ground-works for an eventual "First Contact" between Humans and an Alien species.
I'm nervous thinking ahead that far, for all we know, they are those type of Alien we have seen in pop-culture. Either fun and loving, or utterly ruthless and genocidal. What would they think of us? ... What will we think of them? Is there a potential for a future war?
We have that last one covered at least. Humans being Humans and all- we already have a decent Space going fleet of roughly 8000 ships of various sizes. ... Just in case a Colony gets any funny ideas with their local security forces. But now knowing we might have to face off against Aliens as well, I think it's about time to ramp up the ship production tenfold.
More importantly, we have to spy on them. Luckily that probe we sent is close to their planet, so we'll just use that for any surveillance and intelligence..
My thoughts were shaken back into reality from plausible scenarios once we took a tight corner a little too fast- but before I could scold Heluni for it, there it was, the UN-HQ in the distance. A few more minutes, and we'll be there.
...
===---===
There we have it! I think I did well in my tired state for this first part. I'll keep looking through the text itself from time to time. So if any feedback, grammar, etc, is thrown my way. I can implement them right away.
I hope this is setting a decent stage for what's to come. Hope you had fun reading this!
For now, Imma chill with some music.

Edit: I've been told this looks too much like an ad. So I changed it.
HAVE IPHONE? DIS APP GOOD. ME LIKE.
TL;DR: I use Opal to block most things, including browsers, all day every day. My iPhone is now an expensive communication tool, navigation tool, and music/audiobook/podcast tool, and that's it. All while still being in the iOS ecosystem and having iMessage.
I've always wanted to make the switch to a dumbphone due to how much time I can lose down holes with TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit (though I find Reddit on Desktop 95% less distracting than on my phone). Uninstalling them never seemed to work for long before I installed them for some reason or another and before I knew it I'd lost a lot of time.
Despite that, there are still a lot of modern conveniences I want out of a smartphone: Spotify, Maps, Email, Actual News, medical stuff, and a myriad of other convenient apps that are not distracting. I'm also just very entrenched in the iOS world and generally want to keep it that way (I'm not anti-green bubble, I just hate MMS and it's such a pain to get people to use WhatsApp and the like in the US).
Enter: Opal. iOS notoriously was not great at blocking things. The built in screen time feature is absolute trash, and third party apps were all pretty bad. However, Opal accesses that very same screen time feature to lock it down even further.
Phase 1: When I first installed it, I blocked all social media, and set it to their "hard" mode where it's permanently locked down.
Phase 2: I found myself going to the social media websites instead, so then I added those.
Phase 3: Added more apps as my ape brain found other outlets.
Finally, Phase 4: Even browsers are locked down now. I dialed back the "difficulty", so I can unlock things throughout the day with an increasing timer if there is an emergency (there hasn't been yet, so it remains locked).
I had to be honest with myself, and the reality is 99.9% of the things I use my phone to look up are not important. They can wait for when I'm on my laptop.
Also, Opal has a Mac addon now as well. This is not an ad for Opal. They just make a great product and have a loyal lifetime customer out of me. It's worth every penny.

I installed linux mint edge a few weeks ago to replace windows and while I enjoy mint and it works quite well, a lot of apps keep crashing somehow.
Blender 4.1 crashes randomly, haven't been able to find the crash log (I tried looking in /tmp and other directories). Also tried removing the one from flatpak and installing from blender.org manually.
Visual Studio Code often crashes when I also run blender OR stable diffusion. When this happens, I often need to open terminal and force kill "node" if I was running a node js server.
It seems it might be a RAM issue. Maybe it's not able to use SWAP or something? Or memory leak?
What's going on here? It's really annoying. Should I go back to windows? :\
Thanks in advance, and also here's my system information:

System: Kernel: 6.5.0-35-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4 Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy Machine: Type: Laptop System: ASUSTeK product: ASUS TUF Gaming A17 FA707NV_FA707NV v: 1.0 serial:  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: FA707NV v: 1.0 serial:  UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: FA707NV.312 date: 08/11/2023 Battery: ID-1: BAT1 charge: 87.3 Wh (100.0%) condition: 87.3/90.2 Wh (96.8%) volts: 17.1 min: 15.9 model: ASUS A32-K55 status: Full CPU: Info: 6-core model: AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with Radeon Graphics bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Zen 3 rev: 1 cache: L1: 384 KiB L2: 3 MiB L3: 16 MiB Speed (MHz): avg: 1215 high: 3625 min/max: 400/4603 cores: 1: 400 2: 400 3: 3625 4: 1979 5: 400 6: 400 7: 2018 8: 400 9: 400 10: 2140 11: 2018 12: 400 bogomips: 79049 Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm Graphics: Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nvidia v: 535.171.04 bus-ID: 01:00.0 Device-2: AMD Rembrandt vendor: ASUSTeK driver: amdgpu v: kernel bus-ID: 35:00.0 Device-3: Sonix USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-4:2 Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: amdgpu,ati,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,nouveau,vesa gpu: amdgpu resolution: 1920x1080~144Hz OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 535.171.04 direct render: Yes Audio: Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 01:00.1 Device-2: AMD driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 35:00.1 Device-3: AMD Raven/Raven2/FireFlight/Renoir Audio Processor vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_pci_acp6x v: kernel bus-ID: 35:00.5 Device-4: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 35:00.6 Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k6.5.0-35-generic running: yes Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes Network: Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASUSTeK driver: r8169 v: kernel port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0 IF: eno1 state: down mac:  Device-2: Realtek vendor: AzureWave driver: rtw89_8852be v: kernel port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac:  Bluetooth: Device-1: IMC Networks Bluetooth Radio type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 3-3:3 Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: down bt-service: enabled,running rfk-block: hardware: no software: yes address:  RAID: Device-1: bpool type: zfs status: ONLINE level: linear raw: size: 1.88 GiB free: 1.26 GiB zfs-fs: size: 1.75 GiB free: 1.14 GiB Components: Online: N/A Device-2: rpool type: zfs status: ONLINE level: linear raw: size: 472 GiB free: 332 GiB zfs-fs: size: 457.38 GiB free: 316.97 GiB Components: Online: N/A Drives: Local Storage: total: raw: 476.94 GiB usable: 936.06 GiB used: 141.93 GiB (15.2%) ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Micron model: 2400 MTFDKBA512QFM size: 476.94 GiB temp: 34.9 C Partition: ID-1: / size: 327.14 GiB used: 10.18 GiB (3.1%) fs: zfs logical: rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_atzx0y ID-2: /boot size: 1.75 GiB used: 626.8 MiB (35.0%) fs: zfs logical: bpool/BOOT/ubuntu_atzx0y ID-3: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 14.2 MiB (2.8%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 ID-4: /valog size: 317 GiB used: 36.1 MiB (0.0%) fs: zfs logical: rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_atzx0y/valog Swap: ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 2 GiB used: 969.7 MiB (47.3%) dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 53.0 C mobo: N/A Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 2400 GPU: device: nvidia screen: :0.0 temp: 43 C device: amdgpu temp: 46.0 C Info: Processes: 552 Uptime: 11h 55m Memory: 14.86 GiB used: 12.4 GiB (83.4%) Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.4.0 Packages: 2543 Shell: Bash v: 5.1.16 inxi: 3.3.13 

My mother has over 10+ autoimmune diseases and she's always sick and in pain but she still gets through. A few months ago, she suggested that I get a summer job because there will be a car available for me at the house (I just graduated undergrad and I'm starting my master's in the fall) and so I decided to start searching for a job because I don't want to be a bum all summer like I have been my entire life. Every single summer I fall into a depressive episode, don't wake up at good times, barely eat, don't work out, never leave the house, etc. But this summer I wanted something different. So after getting the inspiration to apply for jobs, I scored 3 different ones. I decided not to do the first one because I'd be working 24/7 (literally) and it wouldn't be great for my mental health and the pay sucks. I got a second job offer where I would be out in western America for 3-4 weeks, then I'd be in my home state about two hours ish away for another 4-5 weeks. After wanting to do the second job, I told my mom about it and she suddenly said I don't need to work and that she doesn't want me to go and that it wouldn't help my career. I was so confused because getting a job in the first place was all her idea. Then I got another job offer that was significantly closer to home, would help with my career, and I could stay home for the summer and I thought it would be great because I could use the car, but then she said she's not willing to let me use the family car for a job. Then, when I started considering staying, I had a few requests, (1) that I could use the family car to go to the gym and that I would pay for the membership and gas, and (2) that I can use the kitchen appliances to make my own food (they're new and my parents don't allow me to use the stove for anything and only they're allowed to make food but they work remotely in their offices all day so I don't really have time to get either of them to make me food. I learned this from staying home for a few weeks this winter when we got the new appliances). So after requesting those two things, she said no to both and that I should cope with what we have at home. So then I decided I was going to take the job out west because I need to stay on this upwards slope I'm going with my mental, physical, and emotional health.
This weekend, it was my graduation and a week or so before my mother said she didn't want to go and that she wanted to go on a trip because her anniversary is later in the week of my graduation and that I was basically being selfish for not choosing to take a trip for my graduation. Some context, we were planning on going on a trip to Europe for years but then a year or so ago my mother said it wasn't going to happen and so when she asked if I wanted to go to my undergraduate graduation or go on a trip I chose my graduation because I never got a real high school graduation because I graduated in 2020 during the pandemic. So, this past week, she was upset with me about this and she had gotten sicker and so I told her not to come because (1) she doesn't want to come and (2) she's sick, but she decided to come anyways and I am very grateful she did. Fast forward to today, my mother texted me saying that she's not doing well and she wants me to stay home this summer and not do the jobs I have lined up so she can get a break (from worrying about me and financially, even though she said she'd not paying a dime to get me to my job or to help me with my job). She's been coughing a lot and I think it's because she has a respiratory infection from a medication she started taking that could cause a side effect of a respiratory infection but when she went to the doctors they couldn't determine what was wrong with her.
I'm trying to think of I'm leaving anything out... Well for one, I'll be home for the next 2 weeks and then I'm going out to the job out west for 3-4 weeks and then I'm coming back to our home state to work the second part of the job but I won't be living at home. Also, I can't just drop out of the job because (1) I signed a contract, and (2) the company paid for my flights out west and back and the tickets are non refundable and I may want to work with this company next summer.
All in all, I don't know what to do. I know she's not doing well but if she dies I will truly regret it, and if I don't do this job I will regret it, probably fall into a depressive episode, will lose weight (which has been an issue and I'm finally a healthy weight now), and I won't be able to go anywhere because I'm not allowed to drive the car except to run errands for my parents. Additionally, my sibling just graduated grad school and my mother is wanting them to come home too even though they're in the process of starting their life in another state as well... My sibling coming back to our home state is a whole 'nother story with countless issues that I don't want to get into.
All in all, what should I do? I don't think she's going to die, but I don't want her to get sicker worrying about me. But I need the freedom to workout, work a job to be productive, to not fall into another depressive episode, and to experience life in a state I've been wanting to go to ever since I was a kid. But I also do care about my mother and she's worked so hard to provide for me and my sibling and I don't want to be selfish. But for how long will I be stuck at home during the summer, not having any freedom, before I become a real adult and have to live my own life? I just want to experience things while I'm still young but I also don't want to lose my mother. I may be overreacting with how bad her health is but she never asks me to stay home, but I've always been home for the summer.
Any advice?

Whether you’re venturing into YouTube vlogging, sharing your creativity on TikTok, or aiming for a career in the film industry, the right video editing software is essential. For those on a budget or just starting out, plenty of free video editing options are available, offering both simplicity and professional-grade features. Here’s your guide to the best free video editing software across various platforms, ensuring you can create stunning content without breaking the bank.
The Best Free Video Editing Software:
1. DaVinci Resolve: Renowned for its powerful features, particularly in color grading, DaVinci Resolve stands out as the most robust free video editor available.
2. Adobe Premiere Pro: While traditionally a paid software, Adobe offers a free version of Premiere Pro, making it the best choice for professional-grade video editing without the cost.
3. Clipchamp: Ideal for those who prefer web-based tools, Clipchamp is the top free online video editor, accessible from any desktop browser.
4. IMovie: Exclusively for Mac users, iMovie is a simple yet effective free video editor, perfect for beginners.
5. Kdenlive: This open-source, cross-platform video editor is perfect for those seeking a comprehensive, free editing tool.
What Makes the Best Free Video Editing Software?
Editing Features:
Organizing clips into a timeline is a fundamental aspect of video editing. Some apps offer automated editing options, while others provide manual controls, enabling users to split clips, add markers, and more. Advanced features such as chroma keying, green screen, multi-camera editing, video stabilization, and special effects were also considered in our evaluations.
Limitations for Free Users:
Only a few video editors on our list are entirely free. We focused on apps that meet essential export requirements — 1080p or higher resolution, no watermarks, and no export limits. Premium-level free versions with generous feature sets were prioritized to ensure they are valuable for novice editors.
Efficiency:
Performance is crucial, so we looked for apps that handle exporting efficiently, offer smooth playback, and provide quality settings in video preview windows to accommodate less powerful hardware. Web-based editors were evaluated on their ability to mimic desktop app performance and handle the editing workflow effectively.
Learning and Support:
Comprehensive support documentation, tutorials, and active user communities can be invaluable, especially for free tools. User-friendly design and in-app tutorials were also significant factors in our assessment of easier-to-use tools.
Extras:
Some video editors come as complete suites, offering effects, audio mastering, and subtitling capabilities. Others provide integration with stock footage services and cloud storage. While not essential, such extras can enhance the editing experience and were considered in our evaluations.
Our Testing Process:
To test these editors, we shot several 4K HDR videos using an iPhone 13 Pro. We then edited these clips into a timeline, splitting them, adjusting playback speed, and adding transitions. We also explored advanced features like Chroma keying, video and audio syncing, and color correction. Finally, we verified that the exported files met our quality standards and contained no watermarks.
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05/22/2024 08:19:25 Log Level: DEBUG 05/22/2024 08:19:25 Version: 6.2.30 05/22/2024 08:19:25 File Version: 6.2.16.0 05/22/2024 08:19:25 Product Version: Jagex Launcher 0.33.0 05/22/2024 08:19:25 Company: Jagex 05/22/2024 08:19:25 Command Line: "/Applications/Jagex Launcher.app/Contents/MacOS/Jagex Launcher" --debug --debugdir="{UserAppData}Jagex Launchelogs" --perday --maxdays=10 05/22/2024 08:19:25 INFO - System: Mac OS X 14.5 64bit 05/22/2024 08:19:25 INFO - Elevated: false 05/22/2024 08:19:25 INFO - Intranet IP: 192.168.1.250 05/22/2024 08:19:25 INFO - Machine Name: *** 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Machine Id: *** 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Session Id: *** 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (127.0.0.1) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (cdn.solidstatenetworks.net) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (netstorage.solidstatenetworks.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (snxd.akamaized.net) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (snxd.auth0.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (auth.snxd.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (jagex.akamaized.net) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (jagex-akamai.aws.snxd.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (download.microsoft.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (content.runescape.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure.runescape.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure-wtqa.runescape.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure-wtrc.runescape.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure-wtqa.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (secure-wtrc.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (auth.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (auth.staging.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (auth.qa1.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (auth.runescape.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (runescape-auth.staging.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (runescape-auth.development.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (account.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (account.staging.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (account.development.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (o515861.ingest.sentry.io) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (analytics-api.development.data.aws.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (analytics-api.production.data.aws.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (api.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (api.staging.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (api.development.jxp.jagex.com) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (useOld School RuneScape/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (useRuneScape/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (useosclient/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (useOlympia/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (useSOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (machine/SOFTWARE/Jagex/JagexLauncheosclient/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (machine/SOFTWARE/Jagex/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added read write registry path to whitelist (machine/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall/) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Added host to whitelist (gaodeynyrfr4kr2ai2wzyi36wfqhg42k.skin) 05/22/2024 08:19:25 INFO - CEF 109.1.18+gf1c41e4+chromium-109.0.5414.120 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Crash reporting enabled 05/22/2024 08:19:25 DEBUG - Failed to localize (Jagex Launcher) 05/22/2024 08:19:26 DEBUG - WorkflowManager - Overall Progress - -2.00 (0) 05/22/2024 08:19:29 CONSOLE - INFO - Retrying client errors is enabled but client status cannot be retried: 403 05/22/2024 08:19:33 CONSOLE - WorkflowManager - Unload Start 05/22/2024 08:19:33 CONSOLE - WorkflowManager - Unload Complete 05/22/2024 08:19:34 INFO - Exit Code - 0 

I stared, mouth dry, heart pounding, at the message from my boss – That awful combination of words that my coworkers and I pray we never see:
“You’re in the running for Employee of the Year.”
For him to send something so callous via email – that was just rubbing salt in the wound.
My eyes glazed over the wall of text that followed. I didn’t need to read the details – I’d cleaned enough of the prior winners off the walls and ceiling of the soundproofed breakroom to know exactly what the award entailed.
After that initial, deep pang of fear faded, denial flooded in to take its place.
I wasn’t just hitting my sales quota, I was blowing it out of the damn water – selling big ticket items daily. I never forgot to place the stickers with my barcode on the products, either, so when my customers checked out and it was scanned at the register, the sales should’ve automatically been linked to my employee ID.
We don’t receive commission – there are other ‘incentives’ to keep our sales up. I hadn’t been watching the numbers because I knew I was making sales left and right – I would've never even dreamt that I was at risk.
It was just a glitch with our computer system, I decided with a nervous laugh. It had to be – something IT could probably sort out in no time.
When I finally regained control of my legs, I wobbled to my manager’s office.
There was no miscalculation, he assured me. It was my employee ID that ranked at the bottom.
“The barcodes never lie, Graham.” He didn’t even bother making eye contact.
I was circling the drain figuratively, and if I didn’t get my shit together – literally – soon enough.
I begged him to review the camera footage – I knew he'd be able to see me making all those sales. “Don’t worry,” he added, with a smile vacant of anything remotely resembling happiness, “One way or another, we all contribute to the success of our company.”
I suppose that by then, he was long desensitized to the pleas of the desperate.
As I left his office, I assured myself that this wasn’t a death sentence.
Not yet.
I had another month until they recalculated our final standings, before shit would get real. Before I’d be given a limp handshake and an empty ‘Thank you for your devotion to the company’ as I was led down the hallway. Before I’d meet what lives behind the usually padlocked door in the shadowy corner of the breakroom.
Before I’d learn what it truly meant to sacrifice myself for the good of the company.
Word spread fast around the office.
Kevin gave me his smug, shit eating grin – maybe he thought that with me out of the picture, he’d finally have a shot with Elise.
Elise… I just desperately hoped that hers wouldn’t be the name drawn afterwards – the one selected to hose what’s left of me off the breakroom floor and down the stained, rusty drain.
As required, I began parking in my new designated space at the far end of the employee lot – the faded sign indicating ‘Reserved for Employee of the Year’ nearly swallowed up by the encroaching tree line. It added an extra ten minutes to my walk to our store, and I dreaded that added time in the oppressive Texas heat. The rational part of me knew that was soon to be a moot point, though.
One way or another, in another month, I wouldn’t have that parking spot. If I were lucky, I’d live to see another summer – live to see some other poor bastard’s car parked there.
If they hadn’t already heard the news, when the rest of my coworkers saw my car in that space, they knew what it meant. Don’t get too attached.
They started avoiding me like the plague. I didn’t blame them.
We all knew what would be coming next if my sales didn’t improve – it's the same thing that happens every time:
We’d gather for the mandatory meeting on the closing night of the fiscal year, all eyes on the sorry son of a bitch that had ‘won’ – the room so quiet that you could hear their muffled sobs. They’d receive what barely constituted a handshake from my manager while he muttered – dead-eyed – his appreciation for their devotion to the company.
Next, they’d be ushered off to the breakroom to meet ‘corporate’. No one tried to run – not after what happened in '19. Instead, the winner would always turn back, shooting us a desperate, final look – eyes pleading for someone, anyone, to intervene. And, of course, no one ever did.
Once the door closed behind them and that sound-proofed room swallowed up the last of their sobbing, begging – it was over. The rest of us would be sent home and I'd try to shower away that disgusting feeling – that sick sense of relief that someone else was sent to their death, and not me.
Cal – the nicest guy I’d ever met – he was the bottom performer two years ago.
He’d fallen so ill that he’d nearly wasted away and eventually, couldn’t work anymore. He must've thought that freed him from his contract – if he left, if he never came back into work, he’d be okay.
He must not have read the fine print in our hiring paperwork.
Although, to be fair, if any of us had read it, we'd never have signed it in the first place.
Cal was a warning to the rest of us, that there is no quitting in our line of work. If they have to track you down and find you (and I promise you that they will find you) – well, wouldn’t you prefer to go with your dignity, with the company compensating your loved ones – rather than be pulled from your home, kicking and screaming into the night?
Gina was employee of the year in 2023. Gina, with the kind smile, whom Kevin had set his sights on before Elise – and, just like Elise, she wanted nothing to do with him.
I still remember that day, the day they released the final numbers. The way Gina’s mouth hung open in confusion, shock.
When she finally managed to form words again, she too insisted that there must be some mistake. We all vouched for her to management – I’d personally seen her make so many sales.
Our manager simply reminded us that the barcodes never lie.
My name was the one drawn for breakroom duty that next morning, to pick up what remained of her smile and her simple gold wedding band, to be returned to her family. In one business week, they received a box containing a check, and everything left of her that wouldn’t fit down the drain.
Once the numbers are finalized, once your employee barcode has been slapped on that innocuous looking pink slip, well, your fate is sealed.
Kevin, in all his years at the company, has never parked on the far side of the lot. He has never even come close to becoming Employee of the Year, even though he couldn’t sell a bottle of water to a man dying of dehydration. He is sleaze incarnate and doesn’t even have the charisma to mask it.
I never understood how he did so well, but I couldn’t afford to think about him.
I had myself to worry about, and the glitch in the system. Any time I found myself in the breakroom, that ancient wooden door was an unwelcome reminder of the impending one-way trip it held for me.
I took special care to keep an eye on my sales, working my ass off, pulling double shifts. I pulled up the numbers as the end of month drew near, and couldn't believe it.
I was still dead last.
Somehow, there were days where less than half of my sales had been recorded to my employee number.
I didn’t understand.
I waited for the opportunity to sneak into the manager's office, and pull the footage myself.
I’d show the boss that something had gone wrong with the calculations, that the system was broken.
I finally got my chance. At first, I triumphantly watched myself make sale after sale – far more than had been credited to my account. For the first time in a month, I felt a sense of relief. I had evidence, and that had to count for something.
I switched feeds, to the camera nearer to the registers so I could confirm that the codes were being scanned. I'd seen several scanned successfully, and reached to turn off the recording. That's when I saw it.
Saw him.
Kevin.
It was subtle. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, until I recognized the pattern. Even then, I had to rewind and watch again for it to click.
It happened for nearly half of my sales that day. I saw him Intercepting the customers before they could check out – before I could get credit for my sales. And while he chatted them up, he discretely slapped his employee barcode over my own.
I confronted him that night – I was furious. He just smiled, smugly gave me that line about how the barcodes never lie.
He didn’t give a shit that he was sentencing someone else to death.
Hell, maybe he even enjoyed it.
Kevin had stolen credit for Gina’s sales – and god knows who else's.
Fucking. Kevin.
The day our numbers were to be finalized, he had the audacity to place his barcode over mine on a huge sale I’d made – he made no attempt at hiding it – right in front of me. He flashed me a grin as he did.
I caught up with the customers before they checked out and they kindly allowed me to peel the sticker off. I stuck it in my pocket to show my manager.
I pulled the video, too, and I stormed into his office, refused to leave until he watched it. I studied him as his eyes moved across the screen and if he was upset or shocked, he certainly didn't show it.
Finally, he met my eyes, and at the sight of the pain in his – well, for the first time, I felt a sense of relief.
Until I realized why he looked so miserable. Until he whispered, “I'm sorry, Graham. Someone has to receive that award tomorrow. It's out of my hands.”
I wordlessly handed him that damn barcode sticker of Kevin’s that I’d peeled off. He studied it for a long moment before he handed it back to me with a mere, “Why don't you hold onto this.”
I told Elise what had happened over lunch, and as much as I appreciated her outrage on my behalf, I was already resigned to it. I'd mainly wanted to warn her because I had a sick feeling she'd be the one Kevin went after next.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't devastated when, that night, my boss called me into his office and informed me of the final standings. Yeah, I knew it was coming, but I guess it's just human nature to hold onto denial – hope – until the bitter end.
For what felt like an eternity, we stared at each other in silence. The presence of the pink slip of paper lying on the desk between us, said more than enough.
Finally, my eyes drifted down to the form.
He’d already signed, but the space where my barcode – the series of vertical lines spelling out my death sentence – should’ve been placed, was empty.
I never knew how this part went, since it always took place behind closed doors. No one that ever filled out that form lived to tell the rest of us about it.
“I need you to place a barcode here before I send the form to corporate.” he said, eventually.
I opened my mouth for one final, impassioned plea for my life, but he interrupted me. He spoke each word slowly, softly.
“I’m leaving the room now. I need you to place a barcode here, before I send the form to corporate.”
He stared at me for a long moment, waiting for my barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement before leaving me alone in the office.
They processed the paperwork, and announced the Employee of the Year that next day.
Yes, I did feel a pang of guilt as I watched the smug grin fade, the blood drain from Kevin’s face as he stared in shock at the outstretched hand of our manager – as he was thanked for his devotion to our company.
I felt it again as I watched him plead all the way to the breakroom, as our manager spoke to him the same mantra we’d all heard before.
The barcodes never lie.
But I thought of Gina, of the countless others, and by the time I heard the door slam behind him – the guilt was already gone. In its place, the relief of knowing the rest of us were safe.
Well, at least until next year.