How can i meet justin bieber

I thought the day would never come that I’d finally get over the loss of my best friend. We were friends from 8 years old until 27. My marriage fell into shambles and my husband pushed us into non monogamous relationships. It was hell but my best friend comforted me through it. She even was encouraging as I connected with a man I never should have but when he and I were to meet at a hotel and spend a week together her religious conviction took precedence. She told me how she felt and I listened but obviously felt that since I was an adult it was my right to choose my own path but she however decided to go behind me and tell her mother so she would then tell my mother and blow my world apart. My mother didn’t speak to me for a month afterwards and we lived next door.
It took a lot to forgive her for shoving me out of a closet she knew I didn’t even want to be a part of and permanently damaging my relationship with my family but I did forgive her and I tried desperately to connect with her. I ended that romantic relationship and eventually my marriage and had a new life with a new man just the two of us and was picking up the pieces of my life.
But all she did was leave me on read. Never answered. I was there for her grandfathers funeral still but finally I needed an answer. It had been two years since she decided for religious reasons to implode my life and outside of her grandfathers death she’d ignored me.
So I reached out and this was her reply:
JAN 27, 2021 AT 4:12 AM Me: Hey can I ask you something JAN 27, 2021 AT 8:09 PM Me: That answers my question then JAN 29, 2021 AT 2:06 AM Me: Do you still think of us as friends? JAN 29, 2021 AT 9:07 AM Me: If you don't I understand, I just want to know where I stand and I think any person deserves to hear that directly rather than just thru loss of connection. I did some things I'm not proud of and regret but you've never even given me the chance to tell you that. Every time l've tried to see you you've dodged the question entirely. I ended that ridiculous relationship a long time ago and straightened out my life. I wished I could have sat and talk to you face to face about all that but you've made it clear you didn't want to see me. So l just want a chance to tell you finally that the things I did that were wrong were almost immediately ended. I also want to know where I stand with you for real. If you don't want to be my friend anymore then l'll go but I deserve to hear that from you rather than assume it. JAN 29, 2021 AT 11:47 AM Me: I can see you're just going to leave me on read then. I will accept that as your answer and I'm sorry to see the 19 years we've had is over and even more so without an answer from you as to exactly why
15 days later FEB 12, 2021 AT 9:58 PM Her: My NAME, I'm sorry that l've only just been able to get back to you. I was very emotionally spent when you texted me because Sugar (her dog) has been in and out of the vet and ER for weeks for her health and I am very stressed with that. She is not doing well. I do believe that we are on very different life paths now. There is nothing wrong with life bringing change and I am very glad we had so many fun adventures together growing up, but, unfortunately, I don't recognize my childhood friend in the person I see you as now. I feel like it is best to move on and grow on our own separate paths. I wish only happiness and health for you and your family. I would like to apologize for not being more present during the times when you needed a good friend close by. I don't consider this a failed friendship. I wish you nothing but good for your future and I am sad to see it end in this way.
I didn’t have the words to reply to that message. She chalked up 19 years to “fun adventures”, we went to college together, she was my maid of honor, I was at the airport when she left the country for a year, she went with me and my family every summer to my grandmothers lake cabin. I tried many times after to contact her and was left on read until her father died then she needed me and I was there but after that I was back to being left on read and then after Sept 18 2021 she didn’t even read them anymore
On Dec 22nd 2022 I sent my final message which I then unsent and never tried again. I had been and would continue to regularly dream about her. Dreams of reconnecting finally but usually just about seeing her but she would not speak to or look at me. Those dreams haunted me and I just wanted them to stop.
I got married two months ago, I have my own place, I have custody of my son, I have a beautiful life that I fought through hell to get and I saw a post shared in another group this morning from someone completely left out of a girls trip and how broken hearted they felt. That was the first I’d even thought of my ex best friend since idk when. I realized then that I don’t think about her anymore.
So to my ex best friend I’d like to say, I don’t miss you anymore, outside of rare random updates from my mother who’s still kept at an arms length friendship with your mother I don’t even think about you anymore. I don’t wonder anymore if your husband got his visa or if you’ve decided to have a family. I don’t wonder if you got your own home or if your business ever took off. I don’t miss our yearly trips to my grandmothers lake cabin. I don’t wonder anymore why I was not even a part of your wedding when we were 26 when you’d been my maid of honor 4 years prior. You were the first person I called when I started contracting in labor with my son but he’s 8 now and doesn’t even know your name because I don’t speak about you anymore. I don’t care about you anymore and it doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m glad you’re not my friend any longer because you never truly were the friend to me I was to you. Yes there were many times you were not a “good friend” but I didn’t need a “good friend close by”. I needed my best friend and you were not there, not for much of the good or the bad unless I made the effort first. I look back now and can see how little there was to even really miss and I can thank you now for leaving my life. I’m glad you’re gone.
I have healed from you.

Me & my friend had a trip planned to do EDC- both of our first EDC- my first rave ever. Day 2 of EDC i ended up losing my group and having to find them up at ID check, when I make my way towards her & her boyfriend (who she has been with the whole trip) they don’t say a word not a glad we found you , not a we should stick together better tomorrow, just silence so i let it be. Next morning I go over to her room & she tells me that she’s fucking pissed at me for “leaving” i proceeded to tell her that in an event of an expecting 500,000+ people it’s kinda easy to get lost. I also remind her that her being with her man 25/8 was something i was worried about because she was the only person i knew on the trip, she reassured me months in advance that it wouldn’t go exactly how it went . So as we argue in the hotel hallway(bc her mans inside her room) I tell her all I want is to ride w you & i can go & do my own thing for the last day of EDC just tell me when we’re meeting up to leave. We take time to cool down & she says her mans friends will be taking us, i tell her im ready , give her a call , nothing wait it out until about 10 and i realize she left me at the hotel for DAY3 of EDC - the next morning i wake up to no text no call nothing so i decide to find a ride back home . She left me yesterday who’s to say she wouldn’t leave me in Vegas ? Anywho, i left about 9am she didn’t even realize i was gone until 6pm . Am i the asshole for finding my own way home after being left at the hotel on a trip we planned as a “girls trip”?

Three year career nanny here. I started for my most recent family in April and I’ve been here a little over a month. I’ve encountered a new problem that isn’t something I typically deal with, that being NK and I are inside all day. When I say all day, I mean the full 8 hours I am there. I am perfectly fine to meet parents where they’re at and my job is to collaborate with them so everyone gets what they need. They don’t want me to transport him to any activities out of the house and as far as I know he doesn’t have any scheduled activities on a regular basis. Both MB and DB work from home. Typically, outside time is one of the staple activities I use, parks, splash pads, just walking in the neighborhood. I pride myself on being creative with what we have and we absolutely don’t need to drive anywhere to have fun. This is where it gets tricky. NK is turning two in June. He’s developmentally ready to do a lot. He’s tall for his age and very active, which leads to a lot of frustration when we are inside because I am constantly redirecting him. We have two “yes” zones but those are limited to his room (with minimal toys, mostly books) and the upstairs loft with most of the bigger toys and activities. When I started, the family’s current nanny was bringing her own daughter and it was a little chaotic to say the least. Everyone was under the assumption two kids under 2, with one nanny, and outings was a lot. Now that the dynamic has changed, I was hoping we would get to do more. At first the reason was they wanted to “get the backyard ready” and give him time to transition caregivers. Very understandable. When I suggested walks, MB said she wouldn’t want us to go alone until one of them had the chance to go with us a few times, also reasonable. However, that just never seems to materialize because they both need to be on work calls at 9. I know they typically take a short walk around the block as a family in the evening. Now that’s it’s getting hotter, the only reasonable time anyone wants to be outside is the morning, so I think they’ve been skipping evening walks. It can be over 100 when I leave at 5. We have gone outside in the back yard a few times within the last week, but there is no swing, nothing to play on or climb, not even a water hose. We have some chalk and bubble but those typically last about 5 minutes before he’s ready to move on. Even then, he wants to play with the grill and again I have to tell him no. We usually only last about 20 minutes because there’s just nothing that engages him.
I clarified with MB what temperature she thinks is too hot to be outside, I follow ISD rules which say 90+ degrees is usually the cut off. MB said nothing lower than 50 and nothing higher than 80. We are in Texas, summers here are brutal, and I always take necessity precautions when we do go outside, but there will seldom be a day where it’s under 95 realistically. We rinse and repeat the same thing everyday with little variation other than what is in my scope of control, like toy rotation and creating activities. And even then I have to ask and double check and ask because MB wants to source materials herself. We have weekly check-ins to see how everyone is doing. I’ve already brought up that outside time is a great way to add variation to routine, and how he might be acting out of frustration/boredom. Hell, I’m starting to get zoochosis myself. With a lot of my other kids my watch counts 10-12k steps a day, when I leave at 5 sometimes I’ll have less than 5k.
Is it really that unreasonable to want to bring him to a park within walking distance?

Young Luke Is Sitting In The Car With His Mom They're Singing A Song Together
L: So Mom When Exactly Are We Going To Paris
M: In About 2 Weeks
L: Man I'm Sooo Excited I Always Wanted To Go There
M: Yeah I Am Too It's Said To Be The Romanti....
The Car Crashes And Luke Hits His Head And Is Knocked Out
He Wakes Up His Vision Is Really Blurry But He Sees A Truck Pulling Off
L: Wha... What The....Mom Mom Where Are You Mom!!!!
Luke Is Sitting At Home While The Police Is Talking To His Dad
A Day Later He Comes Down Stairs And Sees His Dad Crying
He Walks To His Room With His Friends
O: Hey You Ok
L: No I...I Wanna Find Out Who Did That To My Mom I Saw A Truck Leaving When That Happened
O: So What Do Think It Was
L: I Don't Know Might Have Been A Hit And Run Or Maybe It Was Planned I Don't Know But I'm Gonna Catch Whoever That Was
3 Years Later
L: Ok Bye Dad Love Ya
D: Bye Luk...
Luke Slames The Door
D:...Bye
Luke Runs Too School
Jack Gets Up And Walks Down Stairs And Sees His Mom Cooking And His Dad With A Beer In His Hand Sleep He Walks Outside And Walks To School
Owen Jumps Up And Runs Outside
M: Owe....
Owen Slams The Door And Runs To School
They All Meet Up
L: Yooo Owen What's Up Man
O: Hey Luke What's Up
J: Hey Guys
L: Hey Jack How You Been
J: I've Been Good
L: Hey You Haven't Been In School For 3 Days What Happened
J: Ooo Nothing Just Some Family Stuff
L: Oh Ok.....So My Uncle Said That The Base Is Gonna Be Finished Today So We Can Become Heroes Man
J: Seriously Ok I'm Ready
O: Yeah I'm Gonna Beat Up So Many Villains
They All Walk Into The School
Intro Start's
M: Ok I Know You Guys Must Be Confused Basically Nine Months Ago I Found A Metal Bat In My School And Thought WOW I Could Use This To Fight Crime Like I Always Wanted Too So I Asked My Uncle To Put Some Tech Into This Bat But Then He Offered To Builf Me A Base To Be In He's Rich And So I Asked My Best Friends If They Want In And They Jumped At The Opportunity And Well That's About It
Schools Done
Owen Is In His Boxing Club
Luke Is In The Tech Club
And Jack Goes Home
Later That Day
Luke Comes Home
L: Hey Dad Sorry For Earlier I Was In A Rush
D: That Ok So How Was School
L: Nice I Guess I Was Waiting On Something So I Didn't Really Do Anything In School
D: What Are You Excited For
L: Nothing Really Just Something Small
D: Oh Ok Then
Luke Runs Upstairs
Owen Runs In The Basement
And Jack Goes In His Room
Luke Goes In His Closet And Goes To The Base
They All Come Down At The Same Time
L: Wowww!!!!!
Luke Runs Over To The Suit
L: Woah All This Tech And Is This A Nano Tech Sword
Luke Hugs His Uncle
L: Thanks So Much
U: Your Welcome
U: Hey Owen You Still Practicing That Move I Told You About
O: Of Course
U: Jack You Still Using The Computer I Got You
J: Yep And Thanks For That It's Really Helped Me With My Detective Research
U: And Jack You've Mastered The Art Of.....The Bat
L: Ha Yeah As Much As I Can
U: Alright Then This Is The Official Base For QuantumStrike
They All Smile
U: And I've Got One More Surprise For You Guy's
L: What
U: Look
They Look And See A Truck
LOJ: WOW
They All Go To The Truck
L: Wow This Is Awesome
U: Go Inside
L: Um Ok
The Truck Door Opens
They All Look Shocked
They Walk Inside The At See A Base
L: What The How Is Thi Possible
U: It's A Mix Of Nano Tech Shape Morphing Technology Holographic Projection And Adaptive Exterior Panels
L: I Can't Believe This Is Real!
U: Alright Now Come Out
They All Come Out
U: Ok So It Can Also Be A House Inside For Just Chilling Or Anything Like That
L: What Man Your The Best Uncle Ever Thanks
U: No Problem Now I Gotta Go But Enjoy Guys
He Leaves
They Look At The The Armor's
L: So I Already Mine Is Gonna Be The One With The Bat So What Are You Guys Picking
O: Well I Like Hand To Hand Fighting More So I'ma Go With The That One
J: Already Well That Leaves Me The One With The Sword Which I Like Anyway
L: Ok Then Well We Picked I Wonder If We Will Meet Any Superheroes Out There
J: Hopefully
L: Ok Soo We're Gonna Go And Rest And After School We're Gonna Come Back
J: Alright Then See You Guys Tomorrow
L: Alright Then Bye Guys
O: See You Later
They All Leave
Owen Lays Down
Luke Goes Down Stairs
And Jack Goes To Bed
His Mom Comes In The Room
M: Hey Jack
J: Hey Mom
M: Dinners Ready
J: Ok I'ma Be Done In One Second
M: Ok
The Door Is About To Close
M: And Hey
J: Yeah
M: I Love You
J: I Love You Too
Owen Goes Down Stairs
D: Hey Owen
O: Hey
D: So What Do You Want For Dinner
O: Anything I Guess Doesn't Matter
D: Well..Ok Then Burgers It Is
O: K
His Dad Pauses And Turn's Around
D: Look Owen I Know This Divorce Has Been Hard On You But Please Work With Me A Little
O: Mabye YOU Should Have Worked On Your Relationship
D: HEY LOOK THAT IS NOT FAIR
O: WHAT'S NOT FAIR IS THIS MESS OF A LIFE A IM IN RIGHT NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IM NOT HUNGRY
Owen Get's Up And Storms Out
Jack Goes To The Kitchen And Sees His Dad
J: Hey Dad How Was Work
D: What Do You Think Terrible As Hell
M: Jake He Was Just Trying To Talk To.....
D: Did I Ask You What He Wanted
J: Sorry For Asking Dad
They Sit Down
She Gives Them Their Food
D: What The Hell Is This
M: A Burger Jake
D: I Wanted Steak
M: Well You Never Told Me That Jake
D: I've Been Telling You That For A Week I Work Everyday And I Can't Get Some Damn Steak
M: Jack Go Up Stairs
J: O..Ok
They Start Arguing
He Covers His Ears
J: Damnit!!!
He Goes In His Closet And Goes To The Base
J: Well Guess I'm Here Alone
He Looks At The Car
And Remembers The Inside Could Be A House
He Presses The Button The Inside Starts Transforming
He's About To Go In
U: Hey Jake Is That You
J: Y.. Yeah Sir Sorry I Just Needed Somewhere To Go
U: Oh You Ok
J: Yeah I'm Fine I'm Just Bored
U: You Wanna Train A Bit
J: Um Ok
They Start Training With His Sword
U: Ok Now Do This
He Swings The Sword
U: Now When You Swing A Sword Mostly Use Your Lower Back Torso And Shoulders
J: Ok Then
He Swings The Sword Better This Time
U: Ok Ok Good
J: Ok Thanks Sir
U: Wait One More Thing
J: What
U: Wanna See The Powers It Has
J: Yes!!
Luke Sits Down At The Dinner Table
L: Hey Dad
D: Hey Luke Soo I Made Burgers
L: Oh Thanks Dad
His Dad Sits Down And Gives Luke The Food
They Eat The Food
L: Ok Thanks Dad I'ma Go To Sleep
D: Luke Wait
He Turn's Around
L: Yeah Dad
D: Im Gonna Go See Your Mother Tomorrow And I Would Like It If You Would Finally Come With Me
L: No I'm Ok Dad
D: JAKE
HE Stands There
D: You Have To Go See Her Eventually
L: No I Don't
D: But Why
L: I JUST
He Stands There
L: Bye
He Walks Away
His Dad Looks Down
He Goes Up Stairs
And Cry's
The Next Day
They All Come To School
L: Hey Guys
O: Hey
J: Yeah Hey
They Go Into School
L: Hey Guys What's Up
E: Hey Luke
S: Hey Luke Can You Help
L: Yeah Oh Our Robot What's Wrong
S: He's Glitching When We Try To Make Him Walk
L: Oh That's A Easy Fix
He Fix's The Robot
S: Thanks Luke
L: No Problem
Owen Enters The Ring
O: Alright Who Am Training With
M: Me
O: Oh Mark Hey
T: Ok So Owen What's Your Strategy
O: Swing Fast
T: Ok Owen Swinging Fast Can't Be Your Only Sta..
Owen Swings And Misses
He Gets Punched And Falls
O: Damn
He Punches The Guy Twice And Knocks Him Down
The Guy Gets Up And He Tries To Hit Him Again But Gets Knocked Out The Ring
T: Oh
M: Oh Man I'm Sorry You Ok
O: Yeah Yeah I'm Fine Good Job Man
Jack Is Walking Through The School With His Earphones In And A Guy Pushes Him
He Looks Back
B: Oh Sorry
He Laughs And Walks Away
He Looks Down And Walks Into Class
They Leave School
L: Alright Team Let's Go
J: Hey Luke Can I Go To Your House Instead
L: Um....Ok
J: Thanks
They Go To Luke's House And Goes Upstairs
J: Where's Your Dad
L: Um He Went To See...My Mom
J: Why Didn't You Go
L: No Reason Jack Um You Ready
J: Um.. Yeah
L: Ok
Luke Goes Into The Closet Then Jack Goes
They Enter The Base
L: Hey Owen Where My Uncle
O: I Don't Know
L: Hmm Ok Well Let's Train A Bit
O: Alright
They Get There Weapons
U: Hey Everyone
L: Hey Unk
U: So You Guys Training
L: Yeah
U: Yeah You Guys Seen The News
L: Um No
Owen Turns On The TV
NR: Amazing Lightning Strike Has Defeated Another Dangerous Criminal
They Show Footage Of Him Defeating The Criminal
L: Wow Amazing
J: I Hope I Can Meet Them
O: Me Too
U: Speaking Of Lightning Luke
L: Yeah
U: You Wanna See What That Bat Can Do
L: Yeah Definitely
The Alarm Goes Off
They All Look
L: Well Guy's Looks Like Our First Mission Is Here Let's Go
They Suit Up And Walk To The Truck
L: Alright Let's G....
Luke Falls In The Car
L: Owww What The Who Turned The Inside Into House
J: Who Huh That's My Bad Sorry
L: Oh Why Were...Let's Go
The Truck Drives Into The City
They Get Out The Car And There's People Running
L: I Wonder Who We're Fighting
O: Luke Watch
Luke Get's Punched Into A Wall
L: Owww
Owen Tries To Punch The Villain But He Grabs Owen And Throws Him Into A Wall G my Jack Is The Only Person There
J: Gravity Grip
It Doesn't Work And He Gets Punched Into A Car
Him And Luke Tries To Hit Him Again But They Get Grabbed
They Try To Get Away But He's Not Letting Go
Owen Punches Him In The Stomach With A Giant Hand And He Hits Into The Bank
L: Nice Job
O: Thanks
J: So He Definitely Has Super Strength
L: Yeah.... Alright I'ma Take The Lead
He Walks Up To Him
The Villain Get's Up And They Both Stand There hu

 THE END 

Hi everyone! I'm Bryant, and I'm excited to be part of this fantastic community of hair salons and stylists. A team of us from UVU are working on developing a new software called Aspire, designed specifically to help automate the tedious tasks many salons face, such as bookings, marketing, and tracking product purchases. To ensure Aspire truly meets the needs of salons and stylists, I would love to hear from you! We need your valuable insights and experiences, and we have a few ways you can help:

1. Interviews: I’m looking to conduct brief interviews with salon owners and stylists to understand your daily challenges and what features you’d love to see in salon management software.
2. Surveys: We’ve created a quick survey to gather your thoughts and experiences. It will only take a few minutes of your time, and your feedback will be immensely helpful.
3. Job Shadowing: If you’re open to it, I’d love to visit your salon and observe how you currently use software in your daily operations. This will help us understand the real-world application and identify areas for improvement.

Interested in participating? Here’s how you can get involved:

• Click here to take our survey: https://forms.gle/cmy6Mwy9PR8LyJy99
• Survey also has fields for interview if interested
• Message me if you’re open to having us come by your salon for job shadowing your software automation processes

Your input will be invaluable in helping us create a tool that truly makes your work easier and more efficient. As a thank you, participants will get early access to Aspire and exclusive discounts on our services.Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you!

I tutored back in college and I think I’m going to start tutoring again. I genuinely do enjoy teaching others and I tutored in two subjects back in college and one of the subjects I struggled with at first and I learned funny enough by teaching it.
I want to start tutoring again in basic college statistics and just want to get an understanding on the best sites to get clients, if I should create a site where I keep notes and resources clients can access with a password, how are you guys all getting clients (I’m not a big social media person so no FB account - just an Instagram account so I can’t go into FB groups), how are you filing taxes for this or how should we be filing taxes, and how are we taking payments if we get prospects without using third party sites.
It’s a lot, I am still looking into it. Back when I tutored back in college it was through my university/under the table. I want to start again because I do enjoy helping others and to be completely honest I could use the extra money right now too.
Edit: I use to meet students in person at the library, study lounges, or college building. Are we offering remote sessions and if not what are the best places to hold these sessions?

I have been long aware that bombarding my brain with unrealistic beauty standards through social media is a straightforward path to developing anxieties surrounding my appearance, and I conciously chose to limit such exposure, but I did not realize just how much such perfected images had seeped into my mind when it comes to… boobs. In our culture, big natural boobs are the beauty standard… as long as they look like fake boobs - round, impossibly perky, always standing up and saying „hello!”. I had unconsiously internalized this image, and as a result, felt very insecure about the way my boobs looked naturally, without any support. Logically, I knew they looked perfectly normal for their size and some hang was to be expected; but at a much more visceral, unconscious level my image of what big boobs „should” look like was more of a „two round implants bolted onto my chest at a 90 degree angle”. So when I looked into the mirror, and my actual boobs did not meet my unconscious expectations, I felt like there was something aesthetically wrong with my body. And I felt ashamed.
This feeling was only excarbeted by never getting to see boobs my size without support in real life. I’d compare my 30J chest sans bra to chests of my friends rocking much smaller sizes, and beat myself up because while their breasts did not seem to be affected by gravity, mine definitely were. Due to the lack of real life representation, I’d turn to social media, and see red carpet pictures of Christina Hendricks or Sydney Sweeney. And, again, even though I was logically aware that their gravity-defying bosoms were probably a result of many feats of modern engineering tucked away under their beautiful red carpet dresses, the reptile part of my brain would somehow go „see - this is what they look braless - this is what you should look like braless. Why don’t you look like this braless? What is wrong with you?”.
It got to the point where I felt like I had to wear a bra all the time to not demoralize people with my horrible tits. Sleeping over at a friend’s? Will wear a bra to bed so she’s not shocked by my tits. Going to my dorm’s kitchen at 2 am to make a late night stack? Will put on a bra to not offend anyone with my gravity compliant boobs. It was like I was hiding some sort of deformity.
That is, until I randomly watched „Immaculate” last night and saw Sydney Sweeney running around braless in an old fashioned nightgown and, to my shock, her boobs looked just like mine, with a natural hang and all. And my reptile brain finally went „wait… so if a movie star’s boobs look like this, maybe you are not deformed and just… normal?”. And it felt like a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders.
What I truly want to emphasize here is the difference between what your logical mind knows and what your unconscious, reptile brain believes / internalizes. Logically, I knew my boobs were perfectly normal and images I was being spoon-fed were curated and fake. That did not stop me from unconsciously internalizing those images as a standard I’d compare myself to. Despite all my awareness, my reptile brain would take over. It can be probably likened to how one can be fully aware of how the cycle of trauma works and still repeat it over and over again, or how knowledge that one’s OCD is senseless does not stop the individual from feeling the need to fulfill their compulsions.
For anyone out there struggling with their body image, what I can recommend is bombarding your mind with images of what real boobs look like, to reverse the social media induced damage. The Normal Breasts Gallery (or Sweeney in „Immaculate”) may be good places to start.

South Africa is a mess. Literally and figuratively. People are suffering and languishing in poverty while we are a country with massive amounts of natural resources and we collect large sums of money in tax. In terms of developing countries this should be easy mode, but it's not. Like every developing country there are problems. Corruption and incompetence are the biggest of these. By eliminating only these two problems South Africa can do exceptionally well.
Corruption is the biggest problem. The DA has shown that they don't tolerate corruption in their ranks. As an example, when the former mayor of Tswhane, Randall Williams was suspected of malfeasance, he resigned. He wasn't redeployed, he didn't step aside. None of that. Similarly when Patricia De Lille was suspected of malfeasance she was removed, quite abruptly too. In both of these cases it could be that legal processes could have eventually exonerated them, but it's common in developed nations for politicians who are suspected of malfeasance to be rapidly removed or for them to resign. Why? It's because it doesn't matter whether someone accused of robbing your house is innocent or not, you still need to take away the keys. Even more so when the house is not yours. Public property belongs to the public. The debate in South Africa about whether people with pending corruption charges on the NPA desks should be kept in their positions is one that is frightening. In many countries politicians resign because of sex scandals. Imagine that. We had a president that was accused of rape, but remained our president. Imagine how other heads of state viewed him when he was meeting with them. Surely that is a reflection on us as a society. The zero tolerance approach is very harsh, maybe even unfair, but it keeps the public safe.
Incompetence is the second issue, and this one is a big one. Incompetent people often end up being corrupt as well. If you sit in an office and don't know what to do, then idle hands are the devil's plaything. Here you are sitting with the infinite money glitch that is tax being thrown at you, but you have to read a report on sewerage maintenance which you don't understand. How are you supposed to protect people from corruption if you are incompetent? Nobody knows. There has been a lot of bluster around qualifications, but being in a technical industry I can tell you that qualifications and competence are not mutually guaranteed. The best way to evaluate competence is by seeing results. I will use one example to illustrate. Flooding and fires are a common occurence in the Western Cape, and the disaster response teams demonstrate competence and ability from the top to the bottom. Emergencies don't become catastrophes insofar as ability allows. Everyone knows when and where to do what. That illustrates an understanding of purpose which comes from strong leadership all the way down to adequately trained and drilled people on the ground. The most heartening thing about competence is seeing how proud people are of the good work they do, especially the people at the coalface. Pride in a public service job. Imagine that. The competence spans widely, from managing healthcare facilities and schools to pipes, substations and roads. Competence allows progress even under difficult situations. It's not excuses, but reasons and plans. It's not pie in the sky, but a direction toward a horizon, even if there is no map or endpoint.
Does that mean the Western Cape is all unicorns and rainbows (we do have those festivals)? Absolutely not. South Africa has difficult problems to solve, and unfortunately mistakes are bound to happen. Hard problems mean more mistakes. If you are interested in whether someone is competent or not, look at how effective they are at adapting and solving problems, not at every mistake they make. Once again being in a technical field, I can promise that experts make more mistakes than you will ever be aware of. The reason you don't notice all that much is because of all the retrospection, introspection, adjustment and mitigation that takes place behind the scenes. The sad thing about technical expertise is that when you get things right, everyone just expects that, and if you make a mistake you never hear the end of it. But the joy in expertise is watching your machine work, while everyone is none the wiser of its intracies.
In both cases above it is not impossible for other parties to achieve this or even do better, but without some evidence to look at, it's all just words. As much as I would like to see other parties flourish, I simply can't see the state that we are in giving us a chance to gamble with untested leadership.

Hi all!!! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
I've been gender confused for a while now and for the last maybe 2 months my head has been really frazzled. I didnt cross dress in college, and just as it ended I realised I needed to ASAP. So now im stucking waiting four months for the summer to pass, so I can get back to Uni, make some Trans friends and start cross dressing (I live with my parents during the summer so I cant cross dress down here).
Work is monotonous so I decided to run a little experiment today. Every time I had any thought related to my gender, I would write it down in my notes app. I journal anyways, but I thought this might be fun, and it might show me just how much I think about in any given day.
Here are the results!!! Idk, Im posting them here just because I have no where else to put em. Maybe someone finds them interesting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Any input is very much welcome, but tbh I think im just panicing cause I can't cross dress and im relying so much on that as a litmus test to see what I want to identify as.
Enjoy!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
9:12 I'm not trans. I wasn't a trans kid, I don't get dysphoria unless I'm actively looking for it. I'm okay with being seen as a man by my parents and family, I socialise as a man. I still don't feel comfortable counting myself as a girl around cis women. I think I just want to be Trans because it makes me special. And I get sad when I loose it because, what else do I have.
9:24 But like I do want to be a woman, even if just on a surface level. I want to be in girl spaces, I want to wear cute dresses and learn makeup, I want to like my reflection, I want to be cute and little and not have that be wierd, I want to not be obnoxious and manly. Aswell, I don't know if I could hold down a straight relationship. Idk I don't feel comfortable being the "man" in the relationship, as much or as little a role as that might play.
10:14 Regardless, if I'm so uncomfortable referring to myself as trans then I can just, get this, not. I don't have to identify as Trans yet. I don't know why I so desperately NEED to know if I'm 100% TRANS. like in a perfect world, let's say I get a screening and its proven scientifically, that yes I'm a transgender. What does that change??? Why do I need it so bad??
10:30 I think part of it is I STILL don't feel trans enough. I feel like I'm putting it on or faking it. More specifically, I feel bad for inserting myself into trans spaces. I feel like I'm invading, and I feel terrible. Like I said I don't meet the BASIC entry markers and even then, I don't relate to trans people about as often as I do.
11:21 I'm not cis tho, I mean, most cis people don't get a little giddy when their fit is slightly girly. And then strike a little pose to themselves cause they're alone and it feels good.... Yeah that's not normal I'd say.
12:19 These pants are dangerous (Context, I bought new work pants last weekend and they kinda look like this). They give me crazy dysphoria. As in, I'll catch a glance of my leg outstretched or something and it looks girly. And I go "😇" like damn this feels nice, ooo girly yippe. And then I'm like oh god but remember my face, oh god I'm such a man, oh Christ. And remember your sister and mom, imagine if they heard this, so embarrassing!!!
13:33 God the yearning is crazy. Saw a few girls in summer dresses and stuff in the petrol station and Jesus, the longing I felt. Now obviously some of that is probably just raw attraction, but so much feels like longing. Like wishing I could be that. Sadly Idk if I ever will. I'll never be born cis. Brain worms!!! Sorry, but still this is what I'm feeling rn. The other side of that coin tho is that I can't imagine doing alot of girl stuff and taking myself seriously. Like it feels performative. Another reason I don't feel legitimately trans, is that I'm not a woman inside I don't think. I just WANT to be one, and that's a big difference.
15:20 One good interaction, made co-worker laugh. I'm not trans. I'm a dude, I can make this work. I'm using transness as escapism. It's a dream but I'm not gonna act on it.
14:12 WHY DO I CARE SO KUCH. I can be Trans and dress like a girl, I can be cis and dress like a girl WHO CARES. why do I need to know so badly??? Why do I want a trans person to validate me??? I haven't even cross dressed yet!!! I mightn't even like it!!!
15:56 I should text [distant Trans friend I haven't spoke to in years]. He'll know what to do. I need advice.
16:30 I'm a fragile little flower. I just wanna be a little princess, and I want someone to take care of me. Forget the complicated trans stuff, I just wanna cross dress and be cute and precious. That's all I need. I should text [distant Trans friend I haven't spoke to in years], but like what am I looking for??? Validation? I won't know how trans I am until I can cross dress, and no amount of texting around is gonna fix that.
16:36 Would things be easier if there was a right way? Honey there is no right way. He was so real for that
17:45 Ahhhh god!!! Trans girls on my tl are so gorgeous!!! Fuck me!!!! I wanna be one so baaaad. But is that it? Like is that the only reason I want this? Maybe it is just surface level. Being trans is so scary I could never do it. It's SO much work and change when it's not even bringing me closer to the true me. Atleast I don't think, sometimes I feel fine being a guy, no trans person should feel that way right? When I see my reflection, I more often see her now before I see [my name]. But [my name] is me, I think. But so is she. AHHHHH
18:03 Dude I'd make a great girl. And I want to. I don't wanna be my sister cause she's the worst, but I wanna be a girl yeah. I think

This will be wordy and complicated so you may only wish to read it if you’ve found yourself as inexplicably captivated by this entire mess as I am. This is my current working theory, and I don’t claim that it’s entirely accurate or factual It’s just my theory and I am open to corrections, additions, or counter arguments. (No, I am not overly proud of how I know some of these things. I reactivated Instagram and rejoined Reddit after years of abstaining from social media just to further this little investigation/obsession. Hyperfixation is a real bitch sometimes.)
Taylor’s team would’ve been aware of her impending breakup with Joe and relationship with Matty Healy long before those things were public knowledge. With the Eras tour set to start up in March of 2023, her team would’ve been actively, aggressively plotting to address any potential negativity or fallout from the situation, especially with so much riding on this tour. Preemptive damage control would’ve been in absolute overdrive because of the timing of it all. Speaking of timing, the early months of 2023 were a big moment for Travis Kelce. The Kelce brothers were about to face off in the Super Bowl and the media was saturated with them. All the Kelces have mentioned the attention and opportunities they were receiving during that time, including Donna. Scott Swift is a huge football fan, especially of the Eagles, and he was already at least acquainted with or had a casual friendship with Andy Reid. It's very likely that Taylor "dating" Travis Kelce was Scott Swift’s idea. During my “research” on this entire situation, I’ve come across multiple remarks about Taylor’s team traveling to/having meetings in KC in March of 2023. I am guessing that Taylor was so in love with Matty that she put her foot down with her team (including Scott) and wouldn’t participate in their plans regarding Travis at that time. Instead, she likely insisted on the April 8^th announcement of the breakup with Joe and doubled down on her relationship with Matty, mouthing loving messages to him and making her speech on stage about how happy she was and how her life finally made sense, being seen with him repeatedly and allowing him to be seen carrying bags into her apartment, etc.
I don’t know if Taylor or her team anticipated exactly how bad the publicity surrounding Matty would be or how intensely negative the response would be from a very vocal portion of her fanbase. I feel like most of us know about the narratives that ramped up against Matty, the SpeakUpNow letter, Swifties threatening to sell their concert tickets, Matty and his people receiving death threats, just all the BAD MESS, so I won’t make this even longer by going too deep into it. I have no doubt Taylor and Matty were experiencing a ton of pressure and emotional whiplash during all of that, which ultimately led to a painful and traumatic breakup for them. And that brings us right back to the suspended Travis Kelce plan. Taylor had shows in KC on July 7^th and 8^th of 2023. A couple weeks after that we get the cute little story from Travis on his podcast about trying to give Taylor a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her show (I have never and will never believe that bs for a single moment, no matter what). According to them, they start hanging out shortly after that, which is likely true. Ryan Reynolds apparently started following Travis on Instagram in early August so that timing checks out. (I could go off into a whole thing about Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes joining Ryan in the F1 Alpine deal, but this is already just SO MUCH). Next thing you know, we get Taylor appearing at a Chiefs game on September 24^th and it’s on from there. According to some Chiefs players, Taylor had already attended a game or two unnoticed and unmentioned (supposedly in the owners’ suite) prior to that September 24^th game. That’s interesting to note because of all it implies, such as how much the Chiefs/Hunts may have had to do with this whole deal between Taylor and Travis or just how it was clearly a choice with big motivations behind it for her to be seen at that 9/24 game.
Everything then goes AS PLANNED AND ORCHESTRATED for a few months. The public is captivated by the Taylor and Travis showmance and not even thinking much about Joe Alwyn or Matty Healy or any of the negative publicity surrounding Taylor anymore, the Chiefs and the entire NFL are profiting enormously, the popularity of the New Heights podcast is skyrocketing and catching the attention of major networks, every member of the Kelce family and Travis’ inner circle sees their public profile rising and more and more opportunities coming their way, the Eras tour is a history making success and so is the movie, the Chiefs pull off another Super Bowl win…it’s just a glorious, fantastic time when the whole plan is coming together and everyone remotely involved or connected to Taylor and Travis is benefiting and profiting beyond their wildest dreams. During all of this, Taylor is obviously working on TTPD, and everything connected to it, but I guess no one on Taylor’s team is too concerned about that because it keeps her motivated and pacified and it’s only going to make them all even more money so everything is just great, great, great. BUT THEN Taylor shows up at the Grammys drunk, making an ass of herself and announces the release. Now everyone is maybe back to thinking and talking about Taylor and Joe a bit, but it’s still ok because at least they aren’t talking about Matty and the Taylor and Travis show is still getting tons of attention, Travis is getting acting opportunities, all the Kelces are still benefiting in various ways; it’s all still good.
Then TTPD is released, and everything starts to take a turn. People are still talking, but now it’s mostly about Taylor and Matty or about Taylor and Travis, but only about what a great boyfriend Travis is to Taylor and what a perfect couple they are and their hypothetical impending nuptials and future potential offspring, etc. It probably doesn’t help that it’s off-season and there are no Chiefs games where Travis can shine with his football skills to try to bring some of the spotlight back to anything other than him maybe being the future Mr. Taylor Swift. Despite what many Swifties theorize about Travis, I do not for one moment think that’s his aim in life. This man wants FAME. His own mother repeatedly states how much he loves being the center of attention. And sure, he gets a lot of attention right now, but I have a feeling this is not panning out to be what he was hoping for when he signed up for all of this. His podcast is doing great, but its enormous surge in popularity is largely due to Swifties tuning in, hoping to hear a mention of Taylor (yes, I know it was already a very popular podcast – we wouldn’t be here if Travis Kelce had been an unsuccessful nobody, obviously). Everywhere he goes, everything he does, it’s all about Taylor now. Even at KELCE Jam, he was inundated with questions about Taylor. That might not be an issue except this is a man who already had a very big ego and desire to be hyper famous before Taylor Swift entered the picture. It may have seemed like a golden opportunity initially, but I think reality may be setting in for Travis and Co. and this may not have been the best deal for them in the long run. But the Chiefs and the NFL are deep into it now as well and l bet Travis has pressures on him that I would not even want to imagine coming from that side.
Meanwhile we have Taylor out here messing up the plans again, sending secret messages and singing surprise songs to Matty Healy during her sold-out concert tour where she’s added an entire set to imitate Matty and heighten the speculation and discussion surrounding their big “cosmic, tortured romance.” I feel sure she’s still in love with Matty and is absolutely in contact with him. Logically, their friendships and professional circles are far too intertwined for me to believe they would not be in any form of contact throughout all of this. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were already back together. I think it’s highly possible they’ve even been back together since shortly after their breakup last summer and that likely helped fuel the big push to launch the “relationship” between her and Travis the world. That’s another post for another time though and I still haven’t fully drawn my conclusions about that. Very long story short, I think they are all in a great big mess right now and things are taking a toll, and cracks are showing. I think this may all come crashing down around a lot of people very soon, but I’m betting Taylor Swift comes out on top no matter what somehow. Some people are just lucky like that.

My (25) girlfriend (22) is a college student finishing up at her university. She has this ex who was among her 3 other roommates, and they’ve known each other for 4 years. They dated for one year, and then after breaking up continued their friendship. We have been talking for 7 months and officially dating for 2. I came into the relationship knowing she was friends with her ex, but realized it was not something i can be comfortable with. Since they live together, they hung out almost every day, they go to coffee shops together, they go out to eat, they go on walks, long drives, and used to lay in bed together smoking and watching movies until I brought up how that’s not okay and it hasn’t happened again. There’s been multiple occasions where I would be talking to her about something between us and she just turned around and brings it up to him for his input. It genuinely hurts me and every time I bring it up to her she brushes it off and says she gets it. Almost every single time her and I are together they are texting, and she has even asked me not to bring stuff up and his stuff around him because she doesn’t want him to be upset. I have brought him up countless times to her and told her how much it bothers me, and she only gives me reassurance that she’s not into him anymore and claims that he’s not into her because “he said so”. Mind you, he gets bothered when he hears about her and I being intimate and gets upset when she’s with me and doesn’t answer him. He was moving out soon, so I told myself I can suck it up until he leaves and it’ll bring me relief. He moves 4h away, and still every time we’re together they’re still texting. Two weeks ago he moved out, and now he’s back in town for the week and the morning of the first day possible they’re hanging out and “running errands” after she brings him food. I brought up something about it making me uncomfortable, and she snaps at me telling me that it’s starting to piss her off how often I bring him up. All of my friends are telling me I need to respect myself and set a boundary that she shouldn’t still have that emotional connection with him and are saying that it sounds like an emotional affair. I brought it up to her and told her that she needs to either cut him off and move on, or break up with me. She tells me that I’m being toxic, I’m not seeing it from her perspective, I’m inconsiderate, I’m being unfair to her and him, and her family is saying that I’m manipulative and will only be more toxic in the future, and that I’m not meeting her halfway. She goes on to bring up how my ex’s have cheated on me, were on tinder, would ghost me for weeks, and that she’s been nothing but kind. She says she removed him everywhere, and continues to bring up how hurt he is and how I’m in the wrong, and how I’m all the above. We haven’t really had any other issues except for her ex. With my history of emotional trauma I told her that I absolutely cannot be in a relationship where my s/o is still connected with their ex. And even though she no longer talks to him, things have still been very tense between us and she has not stopped bringing me into how I’m being unfair and toxic. What do I do? Was I in the wrong? My friends are telling me that if it’s not something she’s willing to do that I shouldn’t settle for that. I don’t want to lose her, but if I just sit by and let things be the way they are it’s only going to fester and continue eating away at me more and more.
TLDR: I asked my gf to cut off her emotional support ex, her family says I’m being toxic and manipulative.

The TLDConclusions

• If you need a small passive bookshelf for under $300 and/or can't run a sub, I still think the RB42s are very hard to beat. They are certainly not perfect but nothing in this price range and size is. They are beautifully made and have a very versatile sound that can be improved even further with some minor EQ.
• If you're really low on space, the MB42X G2s have a smaller footprint than the RB42, with a very similar, but not as refined sound.
• If you have the space and the extra $70, the Kanto YU5.25 are absolutely worth it over the RB42. Their balanced frequency response and low distortion make them great for both nearfield and small/medium room listening across all music genres. My only advice is to pair them with a sub.

About my setup
The way my desk is positioned I can't have my speakers on stands next to it or mounted on the wall. They have to be on the desk, and I only have space for maximum 8" deep cabinets, so that rules out other popular options, such as the KEF Q150. All speakers were positioned about 42" center to center, toed in at 45deg and angled on 15deg Monoprice wedges. Distance from my ears was roughly 30" and from the wall - about 12". They did not resonate with my desk but did with the wall behind them so after stuffing the ports with socks didn't work, I had to resort to applying a -8dB @ Q=10 EQ at 135Hz to eliminate it. Also, probably due to their interaction with the environment, all of them showed a slight broad dip around 90-100Hz, which probably caused me to miss the resonances in this area that ASR measured on some of these models. All speakers were driven by a Loxjie A30 connected via toslink to my PC, and for music were paired with an SVS SB-1000 sub with its volume and crossover matched to each speaker pair.
About the tests
As I mostly use these for nearfield (I aimed for 60dB at my ears, measured with my phone), the Loxjie rarely went beyond 1/3 of what it was capable of, and the speakers weren't pushed even close to their limits. I typically run multiple slow sine sweeps to figure out where the peaks, valleys, and any other weirdness are. As for the more subjective part, I went through various music genres including EDM, hiphop, classical, jazz, reggae, various heavy metal subgenres, rock, as well as some audiophile albums.
About me
I'm by no means a hardcore audiophile and I'm usually a value shopper - meaning I like to pay for quality but right up to the point where diminishing returns really kick in. I do believe in a lot of the objective features high-end audio offers, but I also think there is a lot of snake oil selling involved, and very often you're paying for quality you can't actually hear. I don't do anything professionally-related to audio but am a geek when it comes to specs and objective measurements.
I'm in my late 30s and I'd like to think my hearing is still pretty good - typically what my ears hear matches measurement graphs to a large extent, but I can't hear anything beyond ~15kHz for example. My preference for frequency response is somewhere between studio flat and the Harman curve, but that depends also on the music genre. Probably goes without saying, but don't take anything I claim here for gospel - listening experience is highly subjective.
THE MINI REVIEWS
Polk ES10 (black, $249 new)
I'll admit these were my first choice to try since they were hands down my favorite visually with the contrasting gold cone and tweeter. They looked good even with the grills on, but of course I opted to leave them off. They would've won best fit and finish too if it weren't for a tiny dab of glue visible on one of the woofers. They were the second smallest of the bunch, with their design contributing to making them look even smaller.
Alas, with regards to sound, I'll place these last out of the four even if they were to cost the same as the Miccas. Overall, they sounded somewhat boring and dry, particularly with female vocals. Noticeable bass rolloff happens all the way up to 100Hz, so you definitely need to pair them with a sub. I set my sub's crossover to 120Hz to blend them in well. I noticed only one resonance at 3kHz but multiple dips - at 280Hz, 1.4, 3.3, 6.6, and 8.3kHz, the latter 3 probably contributing to the boring-sounding female vocals and sparkleless highs. Speaking of the highs, they did extend quite well, and were not fatiguing or laid back. Male vocals also sounded great.
Micca RB42 (very dark brown, $149 new)
Love them or hate them, you can't deny these have a lot going for them. Visually, what struck me was how deep they were - as deep as some medium-sized speakers, like the Kanto YU5.25. On the other hand they are very narrow, so the overall impression is of a much smaller speaker. I love how they look, and they are the only ones that I like better with the grill on - it's a very light mesh, so everything behind it is still clearly visible. Fit and finish was good but not great on mine - everything was well assembled but there were some imperfections on the edges where the front veneer meets the sides. They also come with some foam isolator wedges, so the budget conscious can save some money on buying those separately.
Sound-wise I'd give these runner up out of the four and gold in the 4" category. Like most reviewers, the first time you hear them, they have a wow factor, particularly because of their low-end frequency response - I could hear a decent thump all the way down to 50Hz. If you don't listen to a lot of EDM or hiphop, they are the only ones out of the 4 you can run without a sub. In contrast to ASR's measurements, I didn't catch the midbass overemphasis (see my setup notes), and, actually, I only noticed one resonance at 3.4Hz and one dip at 1160Hz. Out of the 4-inchers the RB42s had the smoothest treble - smooth all the way to the limits of my hearing, with a slight overemphasis around 9.5kHz. The highs, however, were a tad too fatiguing - I had to resort to lowering the volume or adding -1 or -2dB on the Loxjie's treble EQ when listening to heavy metal because my ears would start ringning after an hour of listening.
Still, as a total package, I wasn't able to find anything that can touch these at $150 - they are gorgeous and have a very versatile sound that can make any genre (except maybe heavy metal without EQ) sound great.
Micca MB42X G2 (black, $99 new)
I'll admit I bought these after I already had the RB42 and after watching Zeos' review that claimed they did some things better than the RB42.
Visually, they don't have much going for them besides their small size. I dare say, with the wide front and small cone, they look a bit ugly, especially sitting next to the RB42s. Putting the grills on didn't make things much better or worse. But you can't expect much for $99, can you?
Sound-wise, my hearing disagrees with Mr. Zeos'. I would place their sound somewhere between the ES10 and the RB42. Yes, their bass extension is almost as good as the RB42s, and yes, you could run them without a sub depending on the genres you prefer. They also had a similar resonance around 2.9kHz. However, I did notice some weird inconsistencies in the 3.2-4kHz range - depending on slight variations of the position of my head, I'd hear parts of that range suddenly dip. After that the highs sounded very similar to the RB42's - maybe slightly more uneven, but still as fatiguing.
So my verdict on these is they are fantastic for the money, but I'd skip another Doordash meal and save another $50 to get the RB42s, even if it's just for the looks.
Kanto YU5.25 (black, $229 new)
Yeah yeah, I know these are not the YU4s, which would be a fairer comparison. There are three reasons for this - 1) after looking at ASR's measurements I decided the YU4 wouldn't be good enough to dethrone the RB42; 2) I randomly found these used less than a month for $190 so I couldn't pass them up. And boy am I glad I didn't; 3) They are only 8" deep so they still fit on my small desk.
Visually, the simple minimalist aesthetic works very well. I didn't expect to like them as much as I do. What contributes to this visual impact to a large extent is the great fit and finish - every edge and seam is flawless all the way to the felt-lined port. They certainly lack the cheap feel that the MB42X have.
Sound is where they really shine. It's not a coincidence ASR recommended their powered version. However what I hear slightly differs from their measurements. In the low end, they do roll off fairly early - I can hear noticeable rolloff under 100Hz. You could run them without a sub, but the low end won't be as good as with the RB42s. I did hear the slight midbass dip ASR measured but for me it's only between 200 and 300Hz, not all the way to 900kHz. I also didn't experience the 900Hz resonance they did. Moving up in the frequency range, I did notice the minor resonance at 2.6kHz ASR did but it wasn't bothersome enough to EQ out. After that it's all smooth sailing - the highs are smooth and extend into the limits of my hearing. They have the detail and sparkle of the RB42 but without the fatigue. As a result I can (and do) listen to the Kantos all day long (don't worry I take breaks :) without getting exhausted. I thoroughly enjoy them with every music genre I've tried.

Its understood that we have skills. Those features reflect an individual who has lived and likely been in the workforce for awhile.
I'm not your typical GenX. I have current skills that are transferable.
I don't fit the recent college grad, company work cultures that don't embrace multiple generations. I looked at the reviews, photos, and that tells me how the company brands its image.
What companies hire for multi-industry experience, in insurance, banking and would that transfer to paralegal work for plaintiff side lawyers?
The main issue is pay and benefits.
If I were to work in insurance (not life sales) what companies hire someone with experience? Despite my 8 years in that field, Progressive wanted me to take silly games and match the shapes tests, even though I trained employees how to pass insurance licensing exams and worked in the industry.
Those are the silly tricks companies have to create barriers to employment and a youth based workforce.
Juvenile, puzzles and shape matching tests. I'm surprised they don't give out coloring books to see if you can color within the lines.
My competitive advantage in HR is that I've worked in all areas and also have outside industry experience which makes me well-rounded.
I'm lacking the photo on my desk with Magic Kingdom, Mackey and Minnie and spouse and children. That's what most companies which are conservative cultures want.
I dress conservatively, I have bipartisan views that I keep to myself so, outwardly, you wouldn't know where I stand.
Temp agencies don't have anything because they hire sales people to support their client employers who avoid PTO, health benefits and want an unemployment buffer.
I need income now. I used call centers for stopgap work, and even when I meet the strict and narrow performance metrics, and pee break schedule adherence, it doesn't get me promoted.
What places will hire people like us?
Thank you and I hope your day is going well.
EDIT to add, I don't think companies that hire people right out of college, feel comfortable hiring middle aged people who suffered from economic and health losses during and after Covid when everything was shut down and many people lost their incomes. Those whose jobs weren't impacted at that time, don't have a clue about those who lost their health, savings and livelihood. Rebuilding is stressful and I think certain companies want that recent college grad vibrancy versus a middle aged person's dedication, while suffering in silence with stress due to piled up debt and delayed health treatment issues. We might not exude conviviality, innocence and the same motivations when underpaid as opposed to someone who feels that they are paid adequately or more.
So many jobs that are posted for FT would require me to have a 2nd job in addition to that which could compromise my energies in the first job.
If you are paid more than your age, then you are doing well. Many of these jobs aren't paying me at or above my age.

Its understood that we have skills. Those features reflect an individual who has lived and likely been in the workforce for awhile.
I'm not your typical GenX. I have current skills that are transferable.
I don't fit the recent college grad, company work cultures that don't embrace multiple generations. I looked at the reviews, photos, and that tells me how the company brands its image.
What companies hire for multi-industry experience, in insurance, banking and would that transfer to paralegal work for plaintiff side lawyers?
The main issue is pay and benefits.
If I were to work in insurance (not life sales) what companies hire someone with experience? Despite my 8 years in that field, Progressive wanted me to take silly games and match the shapes tests, even though I trained employees how to pass insurance licensing exams and worked in the industry.
Those are the silly tricks companies have to create barriers to employment and a youth based workforce.
Juvenile, puzzles and shape matching tests. I'm surprised they don't give out coloring books to see if you can color within the lines.
My competitive advantage in HR is that I've worked in all areas and also have outside industry experience which makes me well-rounded.
I'm lacking the photo on my desk with Magic Kingdom, Mackey and Minnie and spouse and children. That's what most companies which are conservative cultures want.
I dress conservatively, I have bipartisan views that I keep to myself so, outwardly, you wouldn't know where I stand.
Temp agencies don't have anything because they hire sales people to support their client employers who avoid PTO, health benefits and want an unemployment buffer.
I need income now. I used call centers for stopgap work, and even when I meet the strict and narrow performance metrics, and pee break schedule adherence, it doesn't get me promoted.
What places will hire people like us?
Thank you and I hope your day is going well.
EDIT to add, I don't think companies that hire people right out of college, feel comfortable hiring middle aged people who suffered from economic and health losses during and after Covid when everything was shut down and many people lost their incomes. Those whose jobs weren't impacted at that time, don't have a clue about those who lost their health, savings and livelihood. Rebuilding is stressful and I think certain companies want that recent college grad vibrancy versus a middle aged person's dedication, while suffering in silence with stress due to piled up debt and delayed health treatment issues. We might not exude conviviality, innocence and the same motivations when underpaid as opposed to someone who feels that they are paid adequately or more.
So many jobs that are posted for FT would require me to have a 2nd job in addition to that which could compromise my energies in the first job.
If you are paid more than your age, then you are doing well. Many of these jobs aren't paying me at or above my age.

Hey everyone,
I wanted to dive into a topic that's gaining a lot of traction in the fashion industry: the circular fashion movement and how recycled leather is playing a pivotal role in this transformation. As we strive towards more sustainable and ethical practices, the use of recycled leather is not only minimizing environmental impact but also promoting a circular economy. Let’s explore how recycled leather is making waves in the fashion world and its potential to drive significant change.
1. Reducing Waste

• The fashion industry is notorious for generating a massive amount of waste, with leather being one of the major contributors. By recycling leather, we can significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Brands that incorporate recycled leather into their collections are giving a second life to materials that would otherwise be discarded, helping to close the loop in the fashion cycle.

2. Conserving Resources

• Leather production is resource-intensive, requiring vast amounts of water, energy, and chemicals. Recycling leather reduces the need for these resources, as it repurposes existing materials rather than relying on new ones. This conservation of resources is crucial in minimizing the environmental footprint of the fashion industry.

3. Ethical Production Practices

• The circular fashion movement emphasizes ethical production practices, and recycled leather aligns perfectly with this ethos. By sourcing and using recycled materials, brands can ensure more transparent and responsible supply chains. This approach also promotes fair labor practices and reduces the exploitation associated with traditional leather production.

4. Innovation in Design

• Recycled leather is driving innovation in design. Designers are finding creative ways to repurpose leather scraps and off-cuts into unique, high-quality products. This innovation not only leads to distinctive and fashionable items but also showcases the potential of sustainable materials in high-end fashion.

5. Consumer Awareness and Demand

• As consumers become more aware of the environmental and ethical issues in fashion, there is a growing demand for sustainable products. Brands that use recycled leather are meeting this demand and setting a new standard for sustainability in the industry. This shift in consumer behavior is encouraging more brands to adopt circular practices.

I see so many women posting videos lamenting that they can't find a good man. Yet about 1/2 my matches do mildly disrespectful things that always make me walk because it shows they place no value on men with self respect and standards for how people treat them. These traits are part of what makes a good man.
Example: Having a good chat on an app for a couple days, begin discussing meeting, she asks on saturday if Monday after work would work. I say yes, suggest a place and time. This is also on Saturday. Crickets thru Monday. On Tuesday I ask if her lack of response was to send me a message that she wasn't interested. She quickly replies no, she's still interested, just "been busy" But seemingly no sense of how her non-response comes off as rude and mildly disrespectful. Or that nobody is so busy they can't fire off a quick reply, even if it's just to decline.
Here's the thing. I'm looking for someone i can build a relationship with. So I'm looking for someone who is honest and shows me respect from the start. Her actions just threw up red flags on both accounts. So I'm out.
She just filtered me out despite saying she didn't want to.
So who are the guys who are ok with women treating them like that?
Hit it and quit it guy is good with that. His goal is to get laid so he doesn't really care. He'll say and do and put up with whatever is required to get the sex, at which point he won.
No self-respect guy will also be ok with it. He's just desperate for any relationship and is ok with being treated poorly in one.
So she just filtered against the type of man women say they can't find and FOR the type of men they say they don't want.
This happens with about 1/3 of the women i match with. 100% of the time when i ask if the behavior was intended to show a lack of interest, the answer is no. It's likely at least in part due to them having so many options and me being only a somewhat interesting one. And all those options are part of the problem. I dont think these women understand or value good men, even while professing to wanting one. They're literally pushing us away right off the bat. It seems unconscious.
Disclaimers: No I'm not saying all women do this.
Yes I know I'm assuming I'm a good man and that's a subjective judgement. Surely many will disagree.
No, I'm not blaming women for this. It's a dynamic set up by both women and men and online dating. Why would a woman place any value on any one particular man when she's got hundreds throwing themselves at her and happily putting up with however she treats them? This is just as much mens fault.
Yes I own some of it because I can't figure how to work around it other than walking away quickly. But I actually tried pursuing one of these relationships and found once women lose their sense of value in a man, it's pretty sticky. It was only one proof point, but enough to make me want to avoid them in the future.

This is my 1st time posting to Reddit so please be kind!
I (25F) from the UK, am looking to pursue new friendships after coming out of 5 year relationship with someone I thought I spend my life with 7 and that relationship did some damage but I digress.
I'm really socially awkward so actually meeting people face to face sounds like a nightmare to me so I thought I'd give Reddit a try after being a long time lurker.
Likes & Interests: (Though I like learning about new things as well) ● Singing (and Music in general) ●Baking ●Doctor Who (I will talk your ear off if you let me) ●Animation (Movies & TV) ●Cats ● I love DnD but I don't know how to talk about to people, unless it's Critical Role lol
That's all I can think of at the moment so those are the main things that comprise my personality. So please drop me a message if you want to connect! 😊

My fiancé and I have been engaged since 2020. Although it has been 4 years, I still feel like I don't really know him. I don't know much about him at all. There have been times when I asked him about himself and he answers but doesn't ask me the same question back, so I don't ask another question because it starts feeling like an interview since it is just one-sided questions.
Recently, for a month, we started getting along well and would send each other a few texts a day, which I really enjoyed. I would be happy to receive texts from him. I honestly started feeling like I am really beginning to love him and started seeing how our future could be together. However, it started falling off again. He began texting me less, leaving me on delivered for over 24 hours, and reading my texts, which weren't questions, without saying something back. I tried comforting myself, saying it is not like I sent him a question; it is fine he didn’t write a response.
Our last interaction broke me though. He sent me a hello text, and I replied, Hi with a heart. I was on delivered for over 24 hours, and when he did read it, he didn’t respond. I felt really broken from that and almost cried while I was at Target. Like why couldn't he bother writing a "how are you" text. I felt like he doesn't care about me.
Little back story, While I was walking to Target, I saw a guy in a car; his car was parked a few spots down from mine. He stared at me, and I stared back at him. After being in Target for almost 2 hours, I came out, and that car had now moved and was parked in front of my car. I was creeped out and surprised at the same time to see that a stranger had waited 2 hours for me. As I approached my car, he didn't get out of his car or try to approach me; however, I saw that he had put his phone number on his windshield for me to see. At that time, I was very upset and angry with my fiancé, and I wrote down his phone number because I was curious about what made him wait 2 hours for me to come out while my fiancé couldn't bother to write a text.
From the beginning, I was not planning on starting any sort of relationship with the guy from the car, and when I texted him, I made it clear to him that we don't work out. But since then, we have been texting every day as friends, and I enjoy talking with him. We spend hours texting about things and playing games like 20 questions.
Even if I wasn't engaged, I still would not go into a relationship with this guy because of religion and culture. However, having someone like this in my life though, someone that I connected with, had made me realize what I have been missing on with my fiance. My fiance never sends me good morning/good night texts, doesn’t ask about my day, and has not shown any interest in getting to know me. While this stranger is very understanding that I can't ever be with him, yet, he still texts me throughout the day and made it clear that our friendship is very important to him and he doesn’t want to lose me. He has asked me many questions about myself to get to know me, at this point, he knows all my likes/dislikes, hobbies, personality, view on things, etc. My fiance doesn't even know 10% of that info. (It has only been a week since I met that guy).
This guy really likes me and has expressed that he is starting to feel love for me, but he knows that we will never be together. I've made it clear to him that we will just remain friends and it would never go beyond texting. I don't ever plan on meeting him. His company, though, has made me realize that I need someone like him in my life—someone who will value me, wants to know me, and wants to keep talking to me.
Sometimes I feel like what I'm doing by texting this guy is wrong and get sick to my stomach, but while I text him, I feel like I get to connect with someone. I like having someone to discuss things with, to talk about my day, and I like having another human to talk to. I've told him many times that it would not go beyond friendship and texting, and he understands. We both know we will never meet again. Is what I am doing wrong/sin, though? I just like having someone who hears me and cares about me. Our texts never get sexual or flirtatious.
My fiancé has texted me a couple of times, and I have not responded. By now, he knows I am ignoring him. I've thought of telling him everything that I am feeling and maybe giving us another chance to get to know each other. However, I feel if I did that, he would just be doing it because he does not want to lose me. When I tell him something, he always does it. I want him to do things, though, because he wants to. I would like for him, on his own, to want to know me better and ask me questions—not just his usual sweet words texts, flirtatious, and love texts. I want more than just love/sweet words. I think that he thinks that not texting me for a couple of days then sending me a text saying he loves me is enough. However, it is not. I don't just want words.
I've been feeling really lost and not sure what to do. Our engagement was arranged by our parents, so our families are connected. I am not sure of what will happen if I break off the engagement. I don't like hurting anyone. Even though I said yes and agreed to get engaged to him, I feel like a part of me was in denial when it happened. Like, for a while, I couldn't look at my engagement pictures. I don't know why. When I would receive his messages, it would take me a day to reply. I thought maybe it was because I am not used to having a guy in my life. However, I am not sure what to think/feel about anything anymore. I feel very lost, and not knowing what to do is hurting me. I'm usually a quick decision maker and don’t spend days deciding on something. I am feeling pretty lost and sad by all this.
My friendship with that guy I met is what makes me smile these days, but the guilt from the possibility that I'm sinning by texting him makes me feel sick. In my life, I've never talked/texted any other guys besides my fiance.
I would appreciate any thoughts on my situation and what should I do.
Note: My fiancé is from back home, Yemen, and I have not seen him in person since we got engaged (I live in the USA). We are supposed to get married in October.
Note: Getting this out of my chest has been me feel better, and I honesty can just go through with marrying my fiance in order not to disturb things.

I live in the Puget Sound and got laid off last March. I have over 22 years of experience in the IT Industry so I get contacted by a lot of temp agencies that I like to call headhunters. Often I am over qualified for the job they are trying to recruited me for. I will reply to their email with an attachment of my Resume the following(removed personal data or values for my privacy and trolls):
Thank you for reaching out and considering me for the position you just shared with me. I am honored by your interest and appreciate the opportunity to potentially contribute.
Before proceeding further, I would like to clarify my current career objectives and requirements for new opportunities:

Compensation: My minimum salary requirement is $##,### per year or an equivalent hourly rate of $##. This expectation is based on my 20+ years of experience in the IT Industry, along with my extensive skill set and the contributions I can offer to your team. For roles that are not remote and require commuting, I may be willing to negotiate on the base rate if additional benefits, such as a fully paid Orca transit card with ferry pass, are provided during my employment.

Benefits for Contract Roles: For temporary or contract positions, in addition to the base compensation and any applicable transit benefits for on-site roles, I require:
1. At least 10 days of paid sick leave per year.
2. All company-observed holidays to be paid.
3. No less than 7 days of paid vacation per year.
4. Role Suitability: With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, including roles at prestigious organizations such as AT&T, Washington Mutual, and Premera Blue Cross, I am focused on positions that fully utilize my skills and experience. While I am open to new challenges and opportunities for growth, it is crucial that the roles I consider align with my professional expertise and career trajectory.

I am passionate about delivering exceptional results and am eager to find a role where my background can make a significant impact. If you believe there is a match that meets these criteria, I would be delighted to learn more and discuss how I can contribute to the success of your company or the company you represent.

Thank you again for reaching out. I look forward to the possibility of working together and appreciate your understanding of my career goals and requirements.
This usually shuts them up. they often respond where they do not offer sick leave or paid time off and my response then I do not want you to represent me as I require a safe and healthy work environment.

I am 26 and I work in a airport coffee shop. I started sleeping with a guy who is an airline pilot. He is 32. I also found the job so cool since I was a kid. He is good looking too, so many reasons to give it a try, although I am not into hook up culture. We did it once, then it happened again after like 3 weeks later. At that point he asked me for my number, so we could be in touch. I was happy. It's been already 4 months that we see each other when he can. Usually when he is off it is for a few days.
I am sure I am not a side chick, because last time we met, he also put a photo of us on social media.
I was not sure I want a stable relationship, so I was fine with the fact we see each other very rare. I recently broke up and I enjoy not being with someone in a serious way. He made me feel good. He is funny and intelligent too. Lately though he has been very different. At first he made me feel bad for working in an airport coffee shop, like it's a not a good enough job. Then, he also raised his voice at me for waking him up by accident. I went to bathroom and the door woke him up.
And 2 days ago he slapped me. Very bad. I fell to the floor. We had a fight about the way he treats me and how he looks down on me for not having a better job, not being ambitious enough. I am not the kind of person to tolerate such things and I called him an arrogant a$$hole. He hit me, walked out of my apartment and after 3 hours he texted me to apologise. He said he was tired, he had a very long flight, stressed. I told him I cannot forgive him and I will stop seeing him. He said fine, that he understands this but he wants to talk to me tomorrow, after I am done with my shift. I agreed and I'm not sure I should have, but told him we will talk in a public place, where people are around.
He acted offended and tried to talk me out of it, that he wants to be alone with me, but in the end he agreed. Tomorrow we will meet. I am confused and not happy with myself that I agreed, but there are things I want to tell him too, about his behaviour, about how I like my job and that my ambition has nothing to do with it. I am at college, but we never got to talk about this. Overall I want to tell him he was a jerk. Is it a mistake I could regret? I don't want to go with him anywhere to be alone.

Hey guys. I thought somebody else may have done this before, and you could give me recommendations on how to improve the experience.
So basically, I had frankincense in my diffuser, and huffed it for a long time because the smell was amazing, and i started to feel kind of light headed and glowy. I also have myrrh, and out of sheer boredom chewed one piece of resin. It was a beautiful spring day, and I felt that everything was just a little honey toned and glowing outside. Everything was vivid, I spent ages looking around town, fascinated by trinkets and people and leaves, fully at peace, but my head was fully on my shoulders, even though I was laid back and 'glowing'.
There was also an occasion where a girl asked me to meet up and cancelled whilst I was on the way, so I stopped at a random town in between and met a man at the bus stop, who told me about a tea of frankincense, myrrh and mugwort. His name was Geoff, he was quite old, from a belgian british family, we drank for a while.
For me, frankincense has the best smell, and myrrh has the strongest effects. Not too much, or you'll get a headache, but myrrh is amazing. I haven't done it in about a year, but I was wondering if anyone else here likes to consume myrrh, and how you can improve the experience?

I've(23F bi) been in a relationship with my boyfriend(28M cis) for over 5 years, and we have been living together for 3 years. I recently finished university and I'm unemployed, been doing the house chores since we moved together based on mutual agreement (it's our first time out of our parents house). He works for the both of us and pays for everything. (I've had jobs but not full time so I spent the money on hobbies so I didn't have to rely on him so much).
I'm a cosplayer, and I keep a separate IG account for posting and interacting. My bf has always been supportive and keeps me company at conventions because I don't have many friends and have bad social anxiety.
A while ago he too wanted to cosplay, I helped him with everything and he created a cosplay account, I started to feel insecure when he would follow cosplayers that were doing +18 content, I explained to him how this made me feel and he would brush it off saying that I too made that kind of content (I had an OF, that he encouraged me to create, and never really announced it in my socials, so I always had very few people subscribed). He unfollowed specific girls that I would tell him, but never addressed the whole issue so he kept following this type of accounts.
Eventually I grew tired and stopped nagging him with the issue, but it never left my brain, I used to compare myself to these girls and would regularly check his following to see if he followed someone new, it was consuming a large portion of my sanity. What really broke me was finding out that he was messaging (we had access to our phones) some girls and complimenting them in a sexual way, so I confronted him about it and he told me it was not a big deal, that at the end of the day the one he loves its me, and doing that was just a way of getting out of boredom.
I already had infidelity issues because earlier (2 year mark) I found out he was messaging his ex, telling her that we were in bad terms and we opened up the relationship (not true), I confronted him about this as well and now he keeps her blocked, but it left a big scar and I used to check this girl profile and stories everyday multiple times a day, I would have nightmares about him messaging her again and meeting with her for a whole 3 years.
There has been 2 main break points in our relationship, once when I found out about his ex, he told me that he was bored of our relationship (we already lived together, and had quarantine restrictions because of COVID, he worked remotely so it was us 24/7 in the same apartment) and that the was looking for excitement, then I found out that the had a secret Tinder account asking for casual sex, I never got to see the messages.
We broke up and I returned to my parents house, where he blasted my phone with messages telling me how regretful he felt, and that if I gave him another chance he would be better. I forgave him but on the condition that we shared phone's passcodes.
The second break point was when he proposed that in order for our relationship to endure this hardship we had to include a third girl (i believe they're called unicorns) because in his eyes, i asked for too much (regarding affection) and because he wasn't very affectionate a new girl could give me that. And obviously he would get to fuck us both. I rejected this strongly because I'm monogamous, and we settled that a threesome could work out, we installed dating apps to look for a girl, and to this day we haven't found anyone. Along the days of the search I started to become numb, irritated at the minimum, cried every week and started to document every little detail/behavior that was making me fall out of love. Then one day I decided that this was going nowhere, and I told him that I didn't want to do the threesome, and because it was the only thing that would fulfill him it was better that we parted ways. So we did, and I went to my parents house for the weekend to think things through. He messaged me saying that why didn't I come up with a solution for us to be together because I said nothing. I talked to my mom and she told me that relationships this long shouldn't end without exhausting every little option. She made me come back and I did.
When I came back we talked, we agreed on things. I needed to quit snapping so easily and being irritated all the time, I needed to get a job, so I began studying again so I could get back on track. I asked him to be honest and loving, that we could try the threesome but under my terms (I would manage the account). And he said that I needed to delete my OF, so I did. He overstepped multiple times before doing things that I told him not to (like creating dating profiles for the threesome, when I specifically told him that I wanted to manage that) He also confessed to subscribing to other girls +18 content and I cried in front of him like never before.
I became even more hyper vigilant, and he once again was anonymously asking inappropriate questions to cosplayers. I decided to tell him and he became defensive, telling me how TF did I found out, that I was being dramatic and it was just a playful question, and if I keep looking for things it's obvious that I'm gonna find something. I went non verbal (I have asd) and I tried to shut me in my room, he didn't allow me and asked to discuss but I had a meltdown and I told him that if he didn't want me to get into his phone we should change our phones passcodes, and he would have to delete his cosplay account, so we did.
I've been paranoid again and I started to have nightmares of him messaging other girls again, he told me he deleted all dating apps, he assured me he did. But I know it's not true and he lied to me because days ago I saw he paid a subscription to a dating app we haven't used before. I don't have the energy to talk about that anymore. I don't know why am I still here, have I lost my identity? He says he wants to travel to the office (that's on the capital city) for work because he usually meets with his colleagues, and he can't bring me because tickets are expensive. I can't help but overthink that he will cheat on me, but at the same time I try to keep a mentality that if he wants to cheat, he will, and there's nothing I could do to stop him.
I don't want you to think of me as an angel either, I have ASD and I don't take meds for my anxiety, I'm needy and sensitive, don't have many friends, I just leave the house to go shopping and occasionally meet up with girl friends so Im very boring, i dont have a lot to talk about. Recently he posted on reddit about us opening up our relationship and I think he resents me financially because of the way he talks about me. I try to give him everything I can, I serve him breakfast, lunch and dinner, sometimes I bake pastries, I try to keep the house clean (we have cats so it's hard) I wash the dishes, do the laundry, manage the pantry stock, stay in shape, I consider myself attractive and been told so, we have sex almost everyday.
It's like I'm not enough for him, but he just wants me to himself (the polyamory/threesome can only be with a girl, I have proposed that we try with a man and he says he'd feel emasculated)
I don't really know what I am searching for writing this here, give me your thoughts, am i dumb?
And I think I'm traumatized.
I've been masturbating to threesome porn videos, sometimes I imagine the cosplay girls he used to send messages to while we have sex and I get more turned on.. orz