So the acupuncturist I went to used kind of thicker needles and a technique where they pumped them in and out of the area to release the muscles. I actually do notice more range of motion today however I also feel insanely sore and overly emotional.. and have had some on and off nausea
Not sure if this is normal?
I do have a severe amount of overall tightness in my back and body in general/ as well as ptsd/panic that I always kind of felt was being stored in my insanely tight muscles
But I just feel so sore and so close to crying so of course it is triggering my good old friend severe panic

TLDR; do you think there is any way to actually help her to seek out professional help?
Definitely not defending D but I am getting to a point of my own interest in what D posts on TT where I feel like I am hurting another human being by just watching this go straighttttt down. Trust me: I absolutely resent her views and I agree with literally everything that is written in this forum, I just realized that so much has changed from when she first started to post about her wicked endeavours:

1. It seems like she is way too mentally fragile for everything that comes with her growing TikTok fame, I can definitely notice a shift and decline in her mental health.
   
2. Her TT community has grown into what feels like a cult: All these ACRONYMS, code words, etc. is super common in communities built by people who want to gain control over a mass. Then add the mini dramas between creators, fake accounts and everything else going on. It’s unheatlthy.
   
3. She used to have a waaaaay less aggressive vibe in terms of how she spoke about her family members and daughter in laws but the hatred seems to have grown out of proportion. I remember a time when some of her posts were actually showing some self reflection but that is basically gone. Then it turned into passive aggression and now she comes across as aggravated at all times.
   

Do you think there is ANYTHING that could be done to help her at this point?
She would definitely need a break from social media and this universe she has created and to see a psychiatrist who also has access to her sons in order for the psychiatrist to be able to treat her knowing the full picture. Absolutely not saying she should have access to them or that she or the sons should break no contact, just that a lot of therapy is done in vain when people who lack self awareness are the ones describing their problems without external input.

I never thought much about the dark web. To me, it was just a spooky corner of the internet, filled with urban legends and exaggerated tales. But last month, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to explore.
I had always been tech-savvy, so accessing the dark web was easier than I expected. I found forums, marketplaces, and bizarre sites that looked like something straight out of a horror movie. But one night, I stumbled upon something that still haunts me: a chat room called "The Abyss."
The description was cryptic: "Talk with those who truly see." Intrigued and a bit naive, I clicked the link and entered the chat. The interface was basic, just a black screen with a list of usernames on the side and a chat window in the center.
The usernames were strange—EbonShade, SoulSeeker, _WhisperingVoid_—and they immediately started messaging me.
EbonShade: Welcome, new traveler. What do you seek?
SoulSeeker: Knowledge? Power? Or perhaps, something darker?
I hesitated before typing, "Just curious. What is this place?"
WhisperingVoid: This is a place where truths are revealed. But beware, not all truths are meant to be known.
I felt a mix of excitement and unease. Before I could respond, a new message appeared.
EbonShade: Would you like to see something truly enlightening?
My heart raced as I typed, "Yes."
A link appeared in the chat, ominously labeled "Enter the Abyss." Against my better judgment, I clicked it. My screen went black, then filled with a montage of disturbing images: old, decaying buildings, people performing strange rituals, faces twisted in terror. It was overwhelming, like a nightmare unfolding before my eyes.
When the images stopped, I found myself back in the chat room, but it was different. The usernames had changed to real names—David, Claire, Michael—and my webcam had turned on, displaying my own horrified face in the corner of the screen. Panic set in as I realized I couldn't close the window or turn off my computer.
David: Now you see. There's no turning back.
I frantically tried to unplug my computer, but the screen remained on, showing my terrified expression and the cold, emotionless faces of the others in the chat.
Claire: We know where you are.
My heart felt like it was going to explode. I grabbed my phone to call for help, but it wouldn't turn on. Suddenly, my screen flickered, and a new video feed appeared—my own apartment, seen from a perspective I didn't recognize. It was as if someone was inside, watching me.
Michael: You invited us in. Now we are everywhere.
In a frenzy, I ran to my front door and threw it open, only to be met with the empty hallway of my apartment building. No one was there. I checked every room, every closet, but I was alone.
When I returned to my computer, the chat room was gone. My screen was back to my desktop, as if nothing had happened. But I knew better. My phone buzzed, and I saw a notification for a new email from an unknown sender.
Subject: Welcome to the Abyss
Body: We are always watching.
I haven't been the same since that night. I moved to a new city, changed my name, even got a new job, but the feeling of being watched never leaves me. Sometimes, I'll catch a glimpse of a shadow in the corner of my eye, or hear a whisper when I'm alone.
One night, about a week after I moved, I woke up to the sound of my computer booting up. I had left it off, but there it was, the screen glowing in the darkness. The chat room was back, but now, the names were different: John, Emily, _Sarah_—all people I had known in my life, all who had passed away.
John: Why did you leave us?
Emily: You can never escape.
Sarah: We are part of you now.
I unplugged the computer, but the screen stayed on, showing their faces, twisted in agony and anger. I screamed and threw the computer out of my window, watching it shatter on the pavement below. The screen finally went dark, but the terror remained.
I replaced my computer, thinking it would end the nightmare. But then, the texts started. Unknown numbers, always the same message: "We are watching."
I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I see them everywhere now, in reflections, in crowds, in my dreams. If you ever find a chat room on the dark web called "The Abyss," don't enter it. Some doors, once opened, can never be closed.
One evening, as I was walking home from work, I felt someone watching me. I turned around, but no one was there. Quickening my pace, I hurried to my apartment. When I entered, my phone buzzed. Another unknown number.
Text: We are here.
The lights flickered, and the temperature dropped. My breath came out in visible puffs. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen, my hands trembling. As I backed into the living room, the shadows seemed to move, coalesce, forming shapes that were almost human.
I don't know if it was a hallucination or something worse, but I heard their voices, whispering my name, promising I would never be alone again. I dropped the knife and ran to my bedroom, locking the door behind me. The whispers grew louder, more insistent.
Desperation set in. I decided to document my experience, to warn others. I started typing out this story, but the words are running out. The whispers are too loud now. I can't think. They're here, with me, in the room.
If you ever find this post, heed my warning. Do not go looking for "The Abyss." It will find you, and once it does, there is no escape.

how does the timeline in gfn really work? (specifically season 2)
in the end of the episode “Pregnant”, Yuri’s red ribbon is seen, and the message “see you soon” was written in blood (i’m assuming that’s what it was) on a wall, hinting at the idea of a new character. that’s the first time we see anything about her
in episode “Minnie and the Four Bodies”, Yuri is seen a few times, like talking to Minnie’s dad about the photos, taunting Minnie to jump off the balcony, but specifically at the end, where she sees Nanno and says “surprise!”. it seems like they knew each other.. it also seemed like Yuri had powers
but in episode “Yuri”, the words “3 months before” are shown. and towards the end, Yuri dies i think, but she consumes Nanno’s blood, causing her to become basically what Nanno is. was she a regular human before?? it wouldn’t really make sense that she was but that’s what it seems like
i’m just super confused about the timeline here. it would make sense that the episode order would be Yuri, Pregnant, and the Minnie episode. i’m just wondering if Yuri knew Nanno beforehand? i’m not good with wording things, i can answer any questions people have, as long as you bc an answer mine too 😭

I'm wondering why this isnt a more popular method of cutting....because I can tell you first hand it
Bulk for however long, and then do a much much shorter cut, but at alot lower deficit than a few hundred calories. Essentially a fast, exept your still eating as many calories as it would take you to eat your 1-1.5 grams if protien per lb of body weight.
So for example my bulk was 4 monthes and I was at 3700 calories. My cut has only been two weeks si far but I'm literally eating only the calories I have to in order to get my 200 grams of protien in....and usually I can get 200 grams in with o ky about 1200 calories.
It's alit more extremely but for a shorter period of time and from my research, I've seen that the faster your dropping the fat, the less muscle would accidentally be burned, there are a few reasons for this that have a long explanation but basically from what I see through research as well as my own body, the longer and slower the cut, the more muscle your body will give up. After a 4 month dirty bulk I'm shredded after two weeks....striations all over...I can make my felt striations dance haha

For example boys are capable of ejaculating sometimes at the age of 10 and some girls are capable of getting pregnant at 8. Given that it's a bad idea to reproduce at that age due to many harm factors, why are our bodies capable of it?
The entire animal kingdom tends to reproduce as soon as it's able to but humans seem to be the exception.

So maybe two weeks ago I did my first ever hooch - a simple cider. I took apple juice from the store, put a packet of yeast into it, stuck a bubbler on top of it, waited about 5 days and viola! I had alcohol.
Emboldened, I quickly set out to one-up myself, this time trying to alcohol-ify a bottle of Arizona Iced Tea. I made sure that the bottle had real sugar and no preservatives and then did the same steps as above, only using a bit less yeast than a full packet. However, this time its been very different. For a full day there seemed to be no activity at all. The second day then had a good amount and things seemed to be on track. I was away for the weekend, and then when I came back it seemed to be right back to doing nothing. There have been no bubbles basically whatsoever from the bubbler since then - stopping basically only three days after I first put the yeast in.
Is it done that quick??? Or is it still going but for some reason the carbon dioxide is unable to escape through the bubbler? Here is a picture of the overall setup. There seems to be a good amount of stuff at the top that maybe is blocking carbon? Also, when I look closely I can see little tiny bubbles inside the main body of the liquid racing upwards, seen faintly here and here, you can just about make out the bubbles. If I gently squeeze the bottle a good amount of bubbles escape through the bubbler. And if it is still going, how will I know when it's done?
TL;DR: is it done after three days, or can there still be carbon escaping and yeast doing stuff even without the bubbler bubbling?

What was once the pride and beating heart of Nagorow now reduced to desolate landscape, with the ancient structure barely stands from the impact. Whatever artillery piece was that, I hope I never encounter it again, added with gov'ness telling me to get away from here as quick as possible.
Easy for her to say, when I am carrying her whole weight while she stares at the sky. My suspender was doing well in supporting the binds of her to me, the movement helps little in giving me hopes that my skill with ropes was sufficient, and though my chest began to cool, my back is sweating from the skin contact with her.
My watch barely works anymore, it ticks in place, wasting the battery inside, but the sound it made kept me company when gov'ness herself seems awfully silent from when I met her first. The silent of the woods and the encroaching night force us to rest and made fire, some more challenge.
The gov'ness brows draw her emotion well, as she sees me easily ignites a fire with nothing but Rylanor's knife, leaf, and the head of my belt.
"I apologize if there are no food to be made, gov'ness" I sat and watch the woods, making sure that I am not looking at her indecency.
"There's no need, Musa" her stammers indicate something, but I do not dare to look "you were- you were efficient, to say the least"
I must be doing a poor job up until now, it seems, no reason to argue with the higher-ups, sergeant taught me that.
"That's not to say you were insufficient, I admire how-" does commander of legions that conquered the stars rarely say gratitude? Lucius' reason for jealousy was understandable then "I admire how you took the task at hand and done appropriately, if not better"
"Gov'ness you may rest, I trust you won't wander the woods alone" idle chat with nobility that never saw their underling will grind my head, if kept going, and so I stand and enter the woods, with a torch, to forage the forest's bed
"Of course" her tone shift to something akin to a disappointed child, but I didn't look back.
When you live your entire childhood in strict community, you'd eventually improvise on the go, especially when your family is a cook, the duty in making rations for my village naturally falls into our hands. Those experience taught you what plants was edible and so are mushrooms. And those very experience brought me back to camp with a handful of fruits, as many as one arm and a pair of pockets may allow. I made sure to walk backwards when I reach nearer to the camp.
"I brought food, gov'ness" I roll a round fruit across the camp, hoping the sound of the impact was made by her "we could make a bait for hunting with this" I do not know the merit in telling her I brought mushroom.
Silence greet me, and for a moment I thought she already slept, but the quiet was almost unnatural.
"Gov'ness?" I called, and when that didn't work, I finally brave myself to look at her place. What I thought to be her resting in place, was betrayed the moment I found dragged dirt heading to the woods "Gov'ness!" Rylanor's knife was already in hand as I stand.
And yet I stopped just a foot from the fire, something is weighing me down and it wasn't bounding me physically. Rather, my own mind betrays me, by shackling my feet in place, trying to tell me something, in which I have no choice but to listen.
What's the point of this? Nagorow and the Sejm are no more, the war is no more, and gov'ness' people will eventually came here and enslave us, brought us into compliance as they sent us across the star to die by the hand of monster beyond our imagining. She indirectly killed Maria, she indirectly caused the capital to be blown by that artillery, and now she's running away even when I tried to help her.
Goodness me, I am beyond an idiot. I accept the fact that I am an idiot, my face instinctively being wrapped by my palms as I dropped the knife, instead gripping tightly at my hair, trying to blot out any of these strange feelings with pain. Was it loneliness? Grief? Confusion and rage? A breaking point in insanity? To suffer all my life and finally seeing the end of it?
And before I even noticed, I already knelt on the ground, hands still gripping my hair as I fought the needs to scream, producing pathetic squeals akin to a dying animal. I want it to end, being forced to fight in a war where I would find no benefit, threats of death but never dying. It was a miracle I even managed to refocus back at the capital, after seeing the carnage, but now it would take more than that to distract me from this.
A loud growl of a beast in the woods knock senses into me, and once again my mind betrays me as it quickly pull the knife close to my chest, even when not a moment ago it thought that being dead would finally be relieving. The roar gets higher in tone, meaning its fighting another beast of its own so deep in the night, even deeper in the woods. Moving from the spot could be beneficial if I want to avoid it, and there's nothing holding me back anymore. Not when a familiar voice of a certain commander that her companion calls mother, suddenly rang between the roar.
Not thinking any longer, I quickly grab the torch and run my way to the voice, the cold of night be damned. Does my mind betrays me once again? Not this time, now it is my conscious choice that I made, even knowing that the result would be pointless. If anything, she's the only one I got left.
When the sound of the fighting was near, I can see the gov'ness wrestling a furry beast, and losing quite the blood. The beast throws her to the nearest tree it can swing, before swiping their hands trying to get past her defensive hands. Now or never, then.
My feet ran first, lunging so high that I was able to hook my arm to the neck of the beast, intending to distract it from gov'ness. The beast retaliate, hooking their short yet powerful paws into my left shoulder, the claws piercing my skin and flesh, before throwing me to the tree. And yet I didn't give in, and with a kick, I already ran to the beast, knife in hand as I made body contact with it, plunging my knife between the thick fur and even thicker skin. I knocked some wind out from the beast when we made contact, causing it to stagger, which I used as I wildly stab across its body.
That end when with one swipe from its arm, I was thrown like a doll back to the ground, my knife finally escaped my hand. The beast didn't hesitate to use the advantage as it jump to my position, intending to flatten me out, when I barely escaped it when I pull a root of a tree and slide on the wet ground. Doing so left me with no more escape, as the beast simply stands and gaze over me, with primal hate and anger. If this is to be the end, then good riddance it finally came.
As the beast prepares to flatten me yet again, something crawls on its back, causing it to roar in pain. Strands of silver hair juts out occasionally behind the beast's back as it assuredly went for the neck of the beast. The face of gov'ness, even tattered and ridden with mud, is still as majestic when I first saw it. She finally reach the neck of the beast, efficiently slitting the throat, before another swing and the beast's head escaped its neck and went to her hands.
The beast rolled over, the final semblance of consciousness slowly slip away as it stiffen the muscle. I didn't even noticed gov'ness stumbling away from the beast, even without legs, she's able to wrestle an apex beast, naked, at night, and even killing it. No wonder she's trusted with a legion to conquer planets and stars, if she can do this unarmed, compared to me, I am a speck of harmless dust.
"Musa, you came?" she finally speaks, her hands grabbing the torch to light up the night "Musa, I- I can explain" she stammers as she watches me slowly stand and stumble across to her "truly, I have an explanation for this, and it was not base on selfish -"
I ignore everything and went to gently wrap her neck with my hands, the pain on my shoulder didn't stop me as I clung my weak and fragile form to her. My barely muscular body to her finely tuned body, hers heating over my increasingly cold body. After everything, she's the only thing I know, the only thing I respect, and its enough for me to cherish it before I could die. Fate was never kind anyway, its a good thing to finally spite it after so long.
"Let's get back to camp, gov'ness" I knew the futility in this, we could die here after wrestling a beast, or she could ran away yet again.
"But the beast! I hunted the beast so we could eat, something for the-"
"Gov'ness, please" I went to the tattered remains of my belt and makeshift rope, tying it to her so I could carry her "let's just return and rest"
"Of course, apologies" I didn't notice the way she's facing and I could care less in fixing it, her breath warming my neck along with her body with mine "I dearly apologize, Musa, truly I do" she wraps her arms to me, more heat for me as I stumble in my return to the camp, the lingering effects of adrenaline slowly depletes. I was lucky that the effects were gone once we finally made it to camp.
I collapse on the ground, tasting the wet soil as the cold night slowly consumes me, making me forgot to sat gov'ness down. I was useless and inefficient right to the very end, and I hope what I did was enough for everyone involved,

I wanted to float a concept about where alien goes after romulus (im confident romulus will be a self contained chapter in the franchise) and guess what, weyland yutani become the good guys!
What if weyland yutani (WY) found out from what happened to david and the prometheus that the engineers were going to wipe out all life on earth and start fresh - existential threat, is it not?
So, WY are actually trying to find out about the xenomorph in order to come up with a countermeasure for ‘when’ the engineers show up with the black goo!
Prometheus - engineers coming to get us using black goo
Alien covenant - random, david and shaw do the unexpected, possibly made engineers extinct ( but there are probably more out there) covenant is unlucky to find david.
Alien - a beacon, just like the prometheus signal is detected, send the sulacco, crew expendable, see what happens, android records most of it.
Aliens - for the greater good, hadleys hope is ‘sacrificed’ to find out what the xenos do when they start a hive, how do the marines cope with existing equipment and tactics?
Alien 3 - weyland yutani want the queen specimen but it slips through the fingers (notice the armour the troops have at the end, they’re ready for the xeno)
Resurrection - weyland yutani are no more? Government takes over research into the xeno, setting up future movies.
So WY are dealing with the threat of juggernauts rocking up one day, and cant rule out more of them being hidden like in prometheus, for the sake of humanity, a way to deal with xenos is imperative.
Future movie after romulus
David is found by a task force, who want him for his research on the xeno, but find the planet he is on full of crazy creations, but they are prepped and can handle it. And, the engineers that were on long term tour of duty also find david, and want to get him. So there is an interesting clash, david is needed for what he has done, but is targeted for what he has done. Engineers pretty much wiped out after this showdown.
Sequel to the above - task force extract david and call for reinforcements, which are ready to take xenomorph prime. Large fleet head there and start carpet bombing. This is where it is discovered the xenos we know are just an ant caste and the higher castes are telepathic and communicate with humans. David is jealous of this, steals a ship and heads to xeno prime to make a deal - merge his body with black goo and offer to save the tele-xenos, take them to a new world.
Complete the trilogy - david is now truly satan, and is a new lifeform evolved past human and xeno, he now will attempt to attack earth himself, but how will he get there? New players introduced? Xenos find the last engineers?

This will be a long one, as I'm going to vent a lot rage all at once and then disappear forever.
God I fucking hope Capcom has some competition in the monster hunting genre in the near future. There are so many problems in monster hunter that would be solved by another dev team holding their feet to the fire.
Let's start with hitboxes. Yes, I know, Monster Hunter has always had dogshit hitboxes. No I've never played a Monster Hunter before World. That means absolutely nothing to me. Capcom prints money with Monster Hunter, with Street Fighter, with Resident Evil. They have the money to devote to making hitboxes not fucking terrible. Leaving them dogshit is a choice. And why would they spend that money? The closest thing they've had to competition in recent memory is Wildhearts and Dauntless, and this post is probably the first time you've thought about either of those games in years. Street Fighter hitboxes aren't fucking terrible, because if they were people would go play Mortal Kombat or Tekken or Smash. They have to be good or no one would play them. Not so with Monster Hunter, so fuck making them good. Oh, we're introducing a new Pukei-Pukei variant that doesn't fight giant ass clouds out of its tail? Better not touch a single hitbox to make the new animations make any fucking sense. Oh, a Diaablos is doing anything at any point ever? Lets make its entire body an active hit zone. Oh, Namielle used her water attack and the animations have stopped? Fuck you, there's a lingering hitbox for no discernible reason. Oh, you're playing Rise and above the monster for any reason? Its hitbox goes to fucking Mars because we couldn't be fucked to make better hitboxes in a game where being in the air happens more than a first time insect glaive user.
Let's talk about punishment in Monster Hunter. I'm actually okay with stun. I slot in stun resist 3 as a religious practice, but I'm okay with it. Its the only punishment that makes you not play the game I'm okay with. Why are there so many OTHER punishments that mean you don't get to play the game? Tremors and roars and paralysis and hits that make to do an extremely long animation to get your back on the ground before you can get up. Iceblight is a punishment that's bad that AFFECTS THE WAY YOU PLAY while affected by it. So does waterblight, fireblight, poison, thunderblight, blastblight, they are all punishments that aren't good when you have them, affect the way you play, and can be played against through items or just dodge rolling. Why the fuck is Capcom unable or unwilling to give the other punishments some dynamic gameplay that both allows you to KEEP PLAYING THE FUCKING GAME but also incentivize you to not get hit by it again. Roars could mute sound cues (which would admittedly require sound cues to be useful in any way). Tremors could give you a chance to trip and get knocked down when you attack to make you choose between risky aggression or playing defensively. Paralysis could swap your inputs. Anything thats different than the usual which is, a good 60% of the time, our hitboxes suck, you don't get to play the game because you didn't instictvely know that Barioth's hipcheck behaved that way.
For a game so built on multiplayer, why are so many of the multiplayer functions terrible? Monster AI doesn't have to choose targets at random. Capcom could devote more than regional equivalent of 18 cents to server stability. Why the fuck can't I join a hunt if someone leaves it? Why the fuck do your friend need to watch a cutscene in every hunt before you're allowed to play with them? Why the fuck did someone see that concept cross their desk and greenlight it? Why the fuck are so many of the cutscenes unskippable? Who the absolute fuck keeps trying to tell stories in Monster Hunter and using that justify all these shitty cutscenes? NO ONE CARES WHY WE'RE KILLING KAIJU AND TURNING THEM INTO HATS, JUST LET ME HIT IT WITH A FUCKING STICK. Why did it take until Sunbreak to add in the Shcok Absorber jewel? Yes, sure, there is some skill expression in the party not knocking each other around. However, lets examine when people aren't. Picture this: you're fighting Alatreon, its down, you're charging up your TCS, you're about to hit that juicy horn break...and then a longsword user launches you. You don't get the horn break and the hunt ends when everyone carts to the nuke. You lost your TCS and hunt and you're furious with that longsword user. That longsword user doesn't know what happened, learned nothing, doesn't realize they launched you, and will do it again. And again. And again. That adds nothing to the game. It only subtracts from the experience of others. If the posts about other hunters launching people ever slowed, I might rethink this stance, but they don't. Because its not a fun mechanic. It shouldn't even require a single decoration slot, but at least it doesn't take mutliple 3 slots any more.
Capcom has said they want to devote more to the Monster Hunter games. I hope they do. I hope they devote resources to making the extremely shitty, grating aspects of the series better. Because I do genuinely love this game. I wouldn't have thousands of hours across two games if I didn't. I just really wish it didn't make me shout "What the fuck was that bullshit?" more than League of Legends.
Anyway, peace. I'm going to go back to waiting for the Safi siege to start again so I can kill the last three monsters in Iceborne and proceed to never touch the clutch claw again.
Fuck the clutch claw.

"Science is incapable of explaining consciousness."
This idea seems to be commonly accepted and often leads to suggest that consciousness might be separate from the body or even from the physical world altogether.
However, advancements in neuroscience have largely debunked these theories. In fact, we have a pretty good idea of where the conscious experience stems from in the brain.
This region is the DMN, the Default Mode Network, also known as the Medial Frontoparietal Network.
The DMN plays a critical role in integrating the activity of the various brain systems, like a supervisor of other cognitive functions. It provides you with all kinds of capabilities like:
Self-awareness: Memories and perceptions about oneself. Social cognition: Understanding and empathising with the emotions and thoughts of others. Moral and social reasoning: Evaluating social interactions and moral dilemmas. Memory and future planning: Recalling past experiences and imagining future scenarios. Narrative comprehension: Understanding and retaining narratives.
Without the DMN, we'd be like drones or robots.
Now, let's move this reflection to the realm of AI.
LLMs are often described as being on the path towards AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). While I recognise that LLMs are resourceful and surprising, their functions are limited to processing and generating language, much like specific brain regions involved in speech. Critically, they lack the broad capabilities that the DMN provide that would actually create a conscious experience.
Simply put, LLMs can create sentences that make sense within a given context, but they don’t “understand” or “feel” the content in the way humans do.
LLMs alone will never experience time, emotions or self-awareness.
An equivalent of the DMN would need to be integrated into AI systems to move towards AGI.
Now, do we need AGI, and do we really want to go down that road? That’s debatable.
Would we be equipped to tackle the ethical challenges that an actual AGI would pose?
Feel free to share your thoughts in comments.

In the last post we talk about how the chaquetrix would be upgrade for the future, or at least what I think we would be a good idea for it. In this post we go even father into how the upgrades to the chaquetrix and Ben effects his children and descendants and how they effect the universe. We talk the a new species made by Ben and the chaquetrix girls, the changeling species.
While Azmuth design the chaquetrix to save species by mating so he design that the first genertation made by the chaquetrix, AKA the kids of the wearer, could mate with both the wearer species and the pure species of their chaquetrix parent. This was done making it so the kids would have three forms, the wearer species form, a hybrid form, and pure chaquetrix parent form. He also design that the parents, no matter how the species normally propagate, would have litters of ten at least. However something happen he didn't plan for, something that happen with the chaquetrix 2 being upgrade into the chaquetrix 2.10. The children of the chaquetrix 2.10 and their descendants inhered omnicores as part of their biology, and inhered the some of the abilities of the the chaquetrix. So when Ben and the chaquetrix girls starting having children, and they had a lot of children, they were creating a new and powerful species, and species that comes in three phenotype. And in order to explain what makes this species so powerful we explain the abilities of the three phenotypes first.
Duotrix: The common form of the changelings, call duotrixes because they have three base forms. A human anodite hybrid form like that of Ben himself, a pure alien form which thanks to the nemetrix upgrade could come from non-sapient species, and hybrid form of the two. So they called duotrix because of they two base species forms and a third hybrid form of the two. They can stay any of these base for as long as they wish and as for they their abilities of these forms, well the alien form has powers of whatever that species but incease beyond what is normal for that species thank to the Potis Altiare upgrade the chaquetrix had. In their "human" form, which is also strengthen by the Potis Altiare upgrade, they are able to perform magic if the learn how to, which most do, in way similar to Gwen. While in hybrid form they have accuess to their alien powers and to a lesser extent their magic powers as well. This is due to the fact that thanks to the omnicore functions most changelings are unable to perform magic in full alien form unless that alien form is something like anodite.
However, this isn't all they can do and isn't all their forms, for while they can't fully transform into other species. They can still scan and store genetics of other species and use those genetics in other ways. But in keep in mind all other transformation outside their three based forms can only last a total of ten minutes. Now the first of these alter forms is their fusion forms, they can combine any of their three based for with the genetics of one other species. Now for their human form this just turns into another hybrid form for their other two forms it can have other changes as mix in this other species. Next is their Omni-Enchanced forms which are similar to their fusion forms but instead of a full fusion they only use the third species to enhanced their based forms. Giving them new features and some new abilities based on what species they used to enhanced themselves. There is also their amalgam forms, in which they take their alien form and combine it with nine other species to create a new hybrid, and "alien", that 1/10 the power of ten species combine. And finally the last way they can use the genetics they store in their omnicore is by making use of the slime-biot powers, giving to them thanks to the chaquetrix being upgrade to have them. To put simply they can morph their limbs, grow new ones, and make tools and weapons by using the genetics store in their omnicore as if they had a slime-biot of their own. They can also regenerate by using this feature as if they had a slime-biot (regrow lost body parts, fix damage ones) and in a way even more thanks to the fact that their consciousness is store in their omnicore, so they can even regrow their heads. And while this end of the transformations they get by other species genetics, it isn't the end of their transformations.
Thanks to inhering omnicores, they also inhered omni-naut and omni-kik which simply just allows them to wear either of said armor in any of their based forms. They also have an ultimate that allows their hybrid and alien form to become an ultimate form, and as for their human form. They lose the ability to do magic in this but they can use the powers of any alien species they have store in their omnicore, they don't transform however so can limit these powers in some way. They also have antitrix forms as well, in these state their human form becomes an osmosian form. Their skin turns grey or pale white, their hair becomes tentacle like, they grow four small horns, and they lose their magic but abosd matter instead. So they get Kevin powers basely, and they use these powers in hybrid mode as well. Their alien form and hybrid forms becomes a antitrix version of that form, causing them to be more aggressive. Then there evos forms which came about from the chaquetrix absorbing nanobots, their human become robotic like and they get the power to turn their limbs into kinds of machines as well grow machines from their body (so Rex's powers), their alien from becomes a more monstrous version of their based alien form and their hybrid form is a mix of the two.
Unitrix: A little less common the duotrixs, only one in every ten changelings is born unitrix, these are frankly just a stronger version of Eunice. They have her powers, but they don't have to touch others they can just scan them, they have evo human mode, and osmosian mode, as well as ultimate mode in which they get the ultimate powers of whatever species they using at the moment. They do store the genetics allowing their slime-biot powers to use them both now and latter, and yes this does mean they can use the powers latter as well. They also have omni-naut and omni-kik armor, but they don't have fusion, amalgam, hybrid, or Omni-Enchanced modes. And yes they can the Potis Altiare upgrade as well.
Omnitrix: Based on the name of these changeling, which only one in a hundred are born, it should be clear what they do. They can become any species, or take hybrid form of any species, and stay in based forms as long as they want. They also have fusion forms, ultimate forms, antitrix forms, evo forms, Omni-Enchaced forms, amalgam forms, omni-naut form, omni-kik forms, as well slime-biot powers, that they can freely use with any based alien and hybrid forms. They can also get new forms by scanning, Note, scanning powers can work on changeling in full based alien forms as well true member of the species. They carelt powerful version of the changeling species because of that.
Other Changeling Powers: Now quick list of powers all three types of changelings have that have that simply less obvious then the transformation powers, and has to do with their omnicores. First all changelings can change their at will, second all changelings do have some control over their looks. If they what they can permanently their looks in the same way you may change the looks of character in video game. For example they can give themselves curly hair or red eyes instead of green, and even make themselves a bit taller or shorter. They also all have an universal translator, the ability to surf the extranet, to record video and audio , to send messages including phone calls and video calls. They can generation and change clothes thanks their uniform feature on their omnicores. And finally and possibly more importantly they can store items, people, and themselves within their omnicores. Causing many changelings to see the inside of their omnicores as mix of their bedrooms and homes.
Changeling Reproduction: Where do new changelings come form? Simple, any offspring between a changeling and a non-changeling will be a changeling, and thanks to how powers work they can mate with just about anything. Now as what kind of changeling the kids will, well that depends, first of thanks to them storing genetics in their omnicore the kids could be duotrixs of any species they have in their, if they aren't unitrixs or omnitrixes instead. If two changelings have kids together, which that haven't done yet as they still see each other as family, the kids will also be changelings as well with a higher chance to get omnitrixes then normal.
And that is all I have on the changeling powers and abilities, and just how far have I though of ahead for the changeling species? Not that far, I only thought of to the time of Ben's great-great grandkids. In this future the changelings are mostly on Earth but there are a high number of them found on Galvan Prime and Petropia as well. Plus some living Primus as well, with that be being listed as their official home planet. Many changelings have join the plumbers thanks to family traditions, with a lot also choosing to become explorers to find new species to increase the power of the changeling species over all.
So what do you think of this idea? If you like you are free to use it

We were sitting in front of each other at school today with nobody next to us. We were both on our phones and talking about stuff when my horny ass noticed... the cleavage. My dumbass thought it was a good idea to secretly take pictures of her exposed decolleté, so I did. Luckily I didn't get caught but now I'm left with these pictures. I know it wasn't right but it felt so exciting. Just for context I'm a teenager with a bunch of hormones going through my body atm. I'm not asking for advice but I'm just venting. Forgive me.

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

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

The Types of Founders

A couple of notes before we get into specifics:

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

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

1. The Solo Founder

Traits:

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

Benefits:

• Freedom
• Complete control
• Learn a lot

Pitfalls:

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

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

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

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

2. The Visionary Founder (or Co-founders)

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

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

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

3. The Serial Disruptor

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

4. The Engineer

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

5. The Personality Founder

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

6. The Accidental Founder

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

7. The Intentional Founder

Traits:

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

Benefits:

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

Pitfalls:

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

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

Did it happen to you that as you read a book/watch a movie/a series/video game, dragons where the stars of the show, but mainly because they were surrounded not just by lesser beings, but incompetent and extremely flawed ones as well?
Did sometimes it looked like all others were brought down so dragons could shine, especially if dragons in these universe are not so... great?
I'll explain with an example, that of Wings of fire (wof)
In wof, dragons dominate their world after overthrowing the humans (called scavengers) who are now back to middle age, being nothing more but preys that hide most of the times (even if they a few have town and cities)
In this setting, the dragons are the stars of the show, but they are not really a lot better than the humans. They live under corrupts and flawed regimes like humans, do wars like humans, die almost as much as humans, behave too much like humans, and overall don't really feel like epic beings who accomplish a lot things that humans hardly could.
The only thing really notable is the Scorching, an event during which the dragons banded together and destroyed the advanced human civilisation (suddenly because they began to steal their eggs, yeah... the author is not that good at worldbuilding) and formed the tribes along with their queens, tribes that quickly hate each others.
So now that dragonkind is divided, what is there left to make them greater than anything else putting aside their more powerful body?
Yes, they are better than humans who cower from dragons, but humans are far from being at their best, so the dragons' greatness is not really put through a test, there is no worthy opposition...
If you have a different case of such a thing happening, feel free to explain it fully...

Plot: The main character (a man) was travelling around and documenting strange creatures he came across (or maybe he found bones of the extinct creatures and was trying to figure out what made them extinct?). Every so often the book would have a black and white sketch of a strange creature he came across. It would then describe the character's findings about the creature (how it lived, how it became extinct, etc.)
​
Notable Characters: The main character was a man who was an adventurer of some sort. He also had a strange dog-like creature as a pet. This dog could change colors and become stinky at will. I vaguely remember there being a lady during a later part of the book that became the main character's girlfriend? But this was not a romance book.
​
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy (but not super magical), Adventure
​
Physical Description:
The book had a long title. Somehow I remember the title being something along the lines of "Mr. _____ Journal/Diary/Adventure of Strange Creatures", but I could be remembering wrong. The cover was not particularly detailed. I think it basically just featured the title of the book in large letters on the center. Maybe a blueish or grayish background? I think it was a soft-cover book.
When/Where it was set:
I don't know what time period the book was set in. I think the main character probably travelled to some secluded island to document strange creatures so there wasn't much civilization or other human characters in the book. I also don't remember there being any special gadgets or technology, but I could be wrong.
​
Book length: The book was not a book for really really young kids because it had a lot more text than pictures. I think the book was maybe about 100-200 pages or so, so it wasn't super long or super short.
Language:
I read the book in English and I live in the USA. It was probably the original language.
When I read the book:
I read the book sometime around 2015-2018. I was in later middle-school or early high-school (I was probably between 13-16 years old). I didn't do much reading so I imagine it was probably nothing too advanced or difficult to read for that age group.
​
Book location:
I rented the book from a library in United States.
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Creatures in book:
The creatures were not the typical fantasy creatures like dragons, griffon's, etc. They were completely original. I remember 4 creatures in the book.
There was some kind of troll creature that lived near the ocean. The trolls found and collected magnetic rocks. I think the magnetic rocks would lure fish closer to them or maybe they were a status symbol of some sort? But gradually the magnets made the trolls get shorter and shorter because of their strong magnetic pull. The magnets probably made the troll creature get extinct because the trolls became too short.
There was also a really big creature with a tiny head. I think the creature was called a "Pinhead".
There was also a cute dandelion puff bunny. They were so light-weight and small that they would get carried away in the wind. I think the bones of this creature were so small and lightweight that the main character almost didn't discover them.
And finally there was a dog-like creature which became the main characters pet. This is probably the only creature that was not extinct?
Notable scene:
I remember one scene where the main character found someone he liked. But his dog-like pet was either jealous or bored, so he turned green and stinky to scare away the main character's girlfriend. I believe the main character then had to go and asked his pet something along the lines of: "Was that really necessary?" The dog could not talk.
​
Thanks for any help!
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I hate my country, I hate this place so so much there’s no words in the English dictionary to describe the amount of hate I have for this shthole. I hate this place with my entire mind body and soul. The whole world hates my country, I hate my country, all politicians hate my country, but my parents are the most patriotic humans alive for absolutely no reason. There’s 195 countries in the world, and my grandparents chose to live here. I tried everything, ever since I was 10 I’ve been begging non stop to leave the country, to anywhere really. My grandpa is French but doesn’t have a birth certificate, so I can’t try and get a citizenship. My aunt and uncle live in France but that doesn’t help me much. I can’t move once I’m 18, because I’ll get drafted before that, I tried to convince my parents to send me to international boarding schools but they’re too expensive. Now there’s a war here and they’re just even more patriotic than before! How do I convince them to leave this shthole ? Any ideas?

INTRO

• Dan John has once again released another book, and I, once again, voraciously consumed it, because Dan John could write instructions on a tube of toothpaste and I would read every single word of it. In turn, I’ll save you all the suspense of reading this full review just to say: yes, BUY Dan’s latest book, because irrespective of if you run the program(s) in it, the book itself is pure concentrated Dan John gold and absolutely worth any price tag. And, since the book JUST came out and I JUST finished reading it, I want to be clear that I am not reviewing the PROGRAM(S) in the book, but just the book itself.
  
• But I certainly see myself using what’s in the book someday.
  

WHERE AND WHAT

• To start, you can get the book here
  
• There are 3 books listed. Do yourself a favor and buy all 3, BUT, if you want the one I’m talking about, it’s the one listed “The Armor Building Formula: Bodybuilding for Real People eBook”
  
• And that, in turn, describes WHAT this book is: bodybuilding for real people. In that sense, bodybuilding does not mean “bodybuilding”: the competitive event wherein you put on posing trunks, step out on stage and get evaluated on your physique, nor is this a book to achieve the goals OF that event. This is a very classical sense of the word bodybuilding: to build one’s body, through the concentrated effort of resistance training, in order to specifically achieve an increase in the size of one’s muscles (and, ideally, muscles that are pleasing to the eyes of others). And by “Real People”, he’s referring to those of us that live in the real world and have real world obligations (work, family, school, etc) and don’t get to live the influencer lifestyle of being able to train for hours a day everyday.
  
• There’s a fair chance that YOU are a real person who is also more interested in Dan John’s bodybuilding than in “bodybuilding”, so you may find that the contents of the book appeal to you.
  

WHAT YOU GET

• Inside the book is THE Armor Building Formula, which is Dan John’s bodybuilding program that is entirely reliant on just kettlebells. Before you stop reading because you don’t have/don’t like kettlebells, there is a section with barbells too, I’ll talk about that too. But yes: you get Dan’s program in this book.
  
• “Armor Building” is here because it references an idea Dan has regarding “armor building” in the athletic sense: putting on the muscle in the right spots that allow a collision athlete to be able to handle what is thrown at them. BUT it ALSO references Dan John’s “Armor Building Complex” (ABC), which is a kettlebell complex that does a fantastic job of accomplishing this very goal of building armor. The ABC is comprised of 2 double kettlebell cleans, 1 double kettlebell press, and 3 double kettlebell front squats. It is a fantastic full body complex that hits just about everything, and can be used to absolutely blow out your lungs, finish out a kettlebell certification, get strong AND, in the case of this book, bodybuilding.
  
• The OTHER half of the Armor Building Formula is the kettlebell clean and press, with Dan providing 4 specific pressing variations to satisfy to ADHD demands of any trainee. Dan makes a compelling argument for WHY the KB Clean and Press reigns in the world of physique building, specifically referencing how a pair of big strong shoulders and well developed glutes tend to be the secret to a wonderful physique. Given my own prescription in “Chaos is the Plan”, you know I’m a fan of this philosophy.
  
• In the book, Dan details an 8 week program to follow for the Armor Building Formula. In true Dan John style, there are no prescribed weights, reps or sets: merely guidelines BUT, with an end goal in weeks 7 and 8: 30 ABCs in 30 minutes, and 100 KB clean and presses. Very similar to Mass Made Simple, you know the goal going in (squat your bodyweight for 50 reps) and you know the method: it’s on you to do the work.
  

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

• Also contained in the book is “The Barbell Armor Building Formula”: a program that can be run with just a barbell. Dan John’s Barbell ABC is premised around 2 movements: the “continuous clean and press” and the front squat. For those of you that speak strongman, the continuous clean and press is “clean each rep and press”, as opposed to “clean and press away”, wherein you clean the weight once and then do all your presses. With this, Dan gives you 3 programs to be run sequentially for a total of 11 weeks, followed by another 8 week barbell program that includes a few more movements (curl, press, row and deadlift) which, with some breaks, totals out to 20 weeks of training.
  
• On top of THIS, Dan ALSO gives you a prescription on how to perform the ABC if you only have one kettlebell, along with what to do if you only have mixed loads (no 2 KBs of the same weight).
  
• He ALSO includes methodology on including his “Easy Strength” program into these bodybuilding programs, which I personally appreciated because it meant I wasn’t absolutely off my rocker when I combined Easy Strength with Mass Made Simple.
  
• Dan ALSO includes a few other programs in the book, one simply titled “A Bonus Program”, which requires a bit more equipment (most notably, a machine row), one of Reg Park’s programs, a sample of Frank Zane’s programming (more as an example of what the book ISN’T…but hey, it’s still there), and some helpful warm up instructions too.
  

WHAT YOU ALSO GET

• Just tons and tons of nuggets of Dan John wisdom, all on the topic of bodybuilding for sure, but also very easy to expand into the realm of for real training in general, and life as well. Dan goes into topics on warming up, cooling down, the value of walking, nutrition, the science of muscular development, historical precedents, strength standards, etc. It’s 198 pages, and they’re all pretty awesome.

WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER?

• If you are the kind of guy that just wants someone to lay out a program for you: that’s not this book. It takes a LOT of reading to even get to the program in the first place, and once you get there, it’s in a narrative style, rather than a prescriptive style. I, personally, PREFER that manner of delivery, and, in turn, enjoyed the hell out of this book, but I know that some folks are going to get chapped about this.
  
• I’ve heard Dan speaking about this book a bunch on his podcast, and he actually almost quoted whole sections of it in answering some questions (which is awesome, because it’s like you have a printed copy of his podcast), but despite all the time and effort reading, reviewing and editing, there’s still a few typos and sentences that start and end the same (something like “lifting weights is one of the greatest ways to achieve physical transformation is lifting weights”). Given my blog (and most likely this very review) is full of these issues, I’m not one to judge, but those paying for a product might be put off by it.
  
• Some of the sections in the book are just blatant reprints of articles previously written by Dan. They’re still incredibly on topic and value added in the book, but if you’ve already read them before, it can feel like you got stiffed out of content. But, of course, that’s a GOOD thing as well: the fact I was upset there wasn’t even MORE content there means I enjoyed the hell out of it. I’ve read my fair share of books that I wished would just be over.
  
• The only thing keeping this from being a for real “all in one” manual is a lack of actual instruction on how to perform the movements in the program. Mass Made Simple contained that, which I felt was pretty awesome. In addition, I WISH Dan had released this book in 2020, for his sake and the sake of the world, because he would have made a killing giving people full on programs they could run with just some kettlebells or a barbell, and we all would have gotten a lot more jacked if we had this resource.
  

WHAT ABOUT MASS MADE SIMPLE?

• That’s the most immediate question: why would I read and follow THIS Dan John bodybuilding book and not his other one? This is just plain different from MMS, and that’s not a bad thing. MMS is another fantastic book also full of Dan John wisdom on the subject of building mass, but his audience there is less “real people” and more “real athletes”. To run that program, you have to be ready to really do some suffering and put in the work in the gym and at the table. * * You also have to be willing to set aside 6-7 weeks of your life to really dedicate yourself to the effort. In turn, I honestly like the idea of new trainees taking on MMS, because it’s a very solid gut check, recalibrates expectations of the self, and Dan does a great job walking the trainee through the entire program, to include instruction on the movements themselves.
  
• The Armor Building Formula seems far more sustainable than MMS. Dan recommends MMS be run, at most, 2x a year, whereas the ABF definitely has legs to go on for long stretches. ABF is more akin to a baseline 5/3/1 program, while MMS is more like Super Squats, if I were to employ analogy.
  

SHOULD YOU GET IT?

• Absolutely, 100%. No matter your goals or your equipment, you are sure to get something out of this book.