Tldr: I went to a fancy local barbershop and a guy there shamed me for moving into the neighborhood he called a local red zone. Lost me as a customer after only one visit.
So, I moved into what I would consider to be a decent neighborhood. (Considering where I am from)
My first home. I'm proud. So there's a barbershop two blocks down and I noticed they employ a particular kind of barber. Lots of tattoos, not alot of clothes. They call it "men's salon" So I'm sitting there, eager to meet new people and when you tell people you just move in, there's lots of options for conversations.
So I'm talking to the lady and it's typical banter, glad to be here, we love the neighborhood.
So the guy notices me talking and comes near us and starts sweeping. I mentioned earlier that I lived down the street, so that maybe they would catch on I could be a good regular. (Walking distance barber? Jackpot) nearly naked ladies cutting hair... I'm in.
So, he goes "you said you bought a house down [this] road?" I'm like yea... he says " isn't that a red zone" Now mind you... I'm originally from an actual red zone. (Long story) So I kind of got confused I mean, I met all my neighbors, all retired. They all seem to own several houses on the block so it's super quiet here. Bunch of air BNB's couple kids playing basketball.
So I said.... doesn't seem too bad. I hadn't noticed anything. I'm from an area relatively famous for car jackings, shootings and gangs... All I hear is bugs and birds.
Then he says "your daughter go to school at such and such" He looks at the lady cutting my hair and goes "isn't that a uniform school?"
So at this point I'm like fuck this guy. He starts bad mouthing the whole city, saying it's basically a college town with no college.
I felt like shit. I was 3 days into this neighborhood. I really liked it.
Why did he shit on my parade?
I haven't gone back in 3 years. I walk past there all the time and I hate them. It's like 50$ for a haircut anyway. And the lady there is a freaking wizard with a scissor. I don't see his car anymore. Maybe I will stop in again.
That's no way to treat a potential long term customer.

TL;DR I (14F) don't know what to do about my friend/classmate (15M) who has love-hate (this is kind of an exaggeration) feelings for me.
We're in the same class and graduating 8th grade in less than a month and I'm asking for help because I don't want to be the villain in his life. I'm always stressed about hurting people and I only ever tried to be kind and honest, but I was stupid and I messed up this time. I don't want him to remember me as the exact thing I am not. I hate conflict and being mean. I would rather compromise than hurt somebody's feelings, but now I am just at loss.
We started talking more in October and then got pretty close in November and December. We'll call him D. We went out mid December at the mall to buy a book for school and I ended up buying Christmas presents. He helped me pick stuff for all of my friends and then we ate. It was very much a date-like hangout and we even walked arm in arm to the bus stop at the mall. He also walked me from the bus stop to my front door.
Fast forward to a day before our school's Christmas event. I told my friends that I kind of liked him and they convinced me to tell him. I told him and we texted some more at home then we agreed to talk the next day after the event. That evening I thought about it all and I realized that I wasn't ready for a relationship. I am 14 after all and I have the most important exam of my life so far at the end of the school year (this is just the schooling system in my country). The next day I avoided him and then at home I explained everything through text because I was too anxious to do it face-to-face. I was a wimp and I wish I had the guts to actually talk to him. I apologized countless times. I felt horrible and I can't even imagine how it was for him. I still kinda hate myself for it, but at the time I believed it was for the best.
I thought about the whole ordeal and it made me realize I might have attachment issues. I'm so obsessed with being loved (I grew up very lonely) that I feel a certain level of romantic attraction towards anyone who gives me a little more attention (especially men which I know is terrible). I also don't mean this as an excuse, but rather as an explanation to why I acted the way I did. I liked how D made me feel about myself, not actually him (this is horrible, I know). After I explained everything I felt he was cool about it and I actually thought that maybe things were okay. I told him i wasn't going out until after New Year's because I was very busy with family (I wasn't avoiding him purposely I was actually busy) yet for about a week straight he asked me 2 times every day where I was which was kinda weird and made me not want to go out at all even after New Year's.
Fast forward to this March when a common acquaintance of ours (not in our class) talked to D because he'd heard from a friend of his that D still liked me. D told this acquaintance that he does indeed still like me, that I look good and that he likes my big breasts (he said this in a much less respectful way). I was shocked because I couldn't fathom D still liking me after I'd been a total witch to him. We'd been ignoring each other mostly ever since December and even though we agreed to stay friends and I was very confused.
A few days later I was talking to a good friend of mine, D's deskmate, and mentioned the acquaintance who told me D still liked me. I just repeated something funny he said. I didn't say anything about D because he was right there, but D got mad (he probably found out I knew stuff) and broke a pencil. I'd seen that he had problems with anger and jealousy (he used to read my texts to my online friend on the other side of the world who is also a guy and got upset when I'd say they're personal and we weren't even together), but I didn't think it was that bad.
My friend (we'll call her R) told me she found out from another friend in our group that I was driving D crazy with telling his deskmate (a very close friend of mine) about stuff like weird fanfiction about my favourite singer (Gerard Way) and my variety of dirty jokes. From what R understood, he didn't like me speaking about sexual stuff (I haven't done anything like that, it's just an interesting topic to me) around him. I didn't understand why it would bother him, but apparently it did. Maybe jealousy? I don't know.
Nothing much happened until this Saturday when our whole class was taking album photos. The basic and typically "popular" girl in our class invited my group (the 7 emo girls basically) alongside her group (her another 3 people) to the new Japanese restaurant in town. We get along fine with them, though they kinda gossip about us sometimes, so we gladly agreed to eat with them. A girl in our group (whom D liked last year; she was much harsher in rejecting him - she blocked him on all platforms) is a tad bit closer to the popular girl, so the two of them made the reservation for 11 people at the restaurant.
During the shoot, D and another classmate that we're not very close friends with (they're chill, we just don't talk all that much) overheard our sushi plans and asked me if we were going. I said yes and tried to kindly say that we have a reservation already for 11 people and that they can tag along, but sit at another table. I felt bad because I've been excluded countless times in social situations in my life and I didn't want them to feel that. Their parents who were also there questioned me and I was too ashamed to lie, so I said that yes, we had a reservation. D and the other person didn't come in the end.
That evening I texted D apologizing and explaining that I was just invited and that I wasn't the one making the reservation. He said that it's okay and not my fault and he said that the other person was also not mad at me. He asked me why i was so obsessed with apologizing and I made a sharp remark I didn't think through about being annoyed at my friends' insensitivity about excluding them. He asked me why I was telling him all that and I told him to forget it. He encouraged me to continue and just speak my mind. I said no and told him I only had a question. I asked "do you still like me?" and I proceeded to explain why that would be impossible. He said I was changing the subject and I didn't realize that he was the one doing it in reality. He told me again to just speak and that nobody else will know whatever I tell him. I refused, but he somehow convinced me and I made a small confession about being lonely and feeling like only 3 people truly like me. It wasn't as personal as it may seem because I have much deeper feelings I have never told anyone, but I was still shocked that he somehow made me spit out things it takes a lot of hard work to get me to say as I am a very introverted and closed off person. For some context I was literally shaking and hyperventilating from anxiety throughout the whole conversation. I asked him again if he still liked me and he responded in the morning, completely ignoring the question and asking about a math test we recently took.
Yesterday evening, on Sunday, I talked to another classmate and friend (again not very close, but he's nice) whom I'll call L. L told me D had sent the group chat with the other person who I apologized to for the sushi thing, L and another classmate (I presume) screenshots of our whole conversation (even though he promised he'd keep his mouth shut). L sent me a screenshot of D saying I played him before and after I rejected him and said I manipulated him and only pretended to be interested in the things he liked just to get close to him (for the record, I'm a big listener, I love hearing my friends talk about their passions and interests). He also said he hated me. I was shocked and very upset because while telling me everything is alright and that the mess in my mind will get better, he was talking nonsense about me to others and sharing private information.
I told my friends about all of this. R said it's all my fault and that I did give him false hopes even after I rejected him and that I give him too much importance. She basically said I'm a bad person because I told D I wasn't ready to date anybody after saying I liked him. She probably believes I did it for kicks, just like D thinks, but I swear on everything I have that I'm just very dumb and I have no idea how to navigate human relations. I'm a massive people pleaser and it shows. Two friends said that it is what it is and another four said that it is totally not my fault and that I did not give him false hopes after I rejected him and that I barely even acknowledged him during that time (I also think so, but R said I kept flirting with him - I ignored him completely and he ignored me just the same so I am very confused as to what she deems "flirting"). They said I communicated clearly that it's not him, but rather a personal issue and that I am very sorry and I will respect his decision if he doesn't want us to talk or be friends at all anymore. I am in a dilemma.
I feel like a bad bad bad person for what I did and how I acted and I have no idea if R is right and that I did keep giving him false hopes or if all of my other friends are right and it's not my fault. I never thought that my behavior (existing in his perimeter) would be considered as flirting, but apparently R thinks otherwise. In R's opinion sending him two TikToks in 3 months and talking to him 3 maybe 4 times through text and another two face-to-face from December to now was too much attention.
So, am I a horrible person who deserves unhappiness or is D just overreacting and being manipulative and toxic? Please help this is really messing with my mind.

Of course I’m on mobile so sorry in advance, but I am at a loss. I moved to a new area about 3 months ago, and I am actually moving again at the end of this month. Partially due to this, as well as other reasons. Now my neighborhood is very quiet. There’s a dog park down the hill, and a school three blocks away. We have a school bus drive through every day, twice a day. Across the street is a fairly loud family. They have three kids and dogs, so of course they’ll have a lot going on. Their yard is TRASHED. As we speak they have cleaned it up a bit, and their dumpster is SURROUNDED by broken furniture, old mattresses, and hundreds of bags of trash. I believe it is because they were fined when the police were called for a different reason. Me and my husband are very quiet. We have two dogs but one is older and the other is totally crate trained. I know for a fact that even if they do bark, because we are on the second story and the only tenants in the building, you can’t hear them unless you’re in our driveway. Other than that, we really have not been bad neighbors. Maybe anti-social but that’s it. Now on to the issue at hand. The husband drives a large bed tow truck for work, and he parks it at his house. Recently he actually started parking it in his driveway, previously he was parking on the street but that has stopped. Now i understand large diesel engines work differently, so when it was snowy I didn’t really have a reason to be annoyed, but this guy starts his truck at 5 am, and idles it until 7:30/8 am when he leaves. It makes a hissing noise and wakes us up, I can hear it in every part of my apartment with the windows closed. It’s like a school bus. It makes me and my husband incredibly uncomfortable, especially since we both work nights and get home at 2-3 am. Now, due to the actions of the family (i.e. screaming, fighting, the son is always being violent, cops called often) I don’t feel safe walking over there to chat. We are a queer couple and I am transgender so I’ve always been anxious about confrontation. I did call the tow company he works for and explained the issue, and how I need to sleep, plus the city has a 8pm-7am noise ordinance. After I called my husband took the dogs out and the husband was yelling about “loud barking dogs” (every house on the street except my left side neighbor has a dog) and other things about what bs it is. The idling did not stop, so I unfortunately called the police after a week, and have called them a couple times since. Because it wasn’t stopping. Well, today he didn’t idle his truck. Instead he used his key to set off his horn 4-8 times every 20 minutes, and started his truck at 7am on the dot, since the noise ordinance is not in effect at that time. Obviously with me moving it will solve itself, but there’s an elderly couple who live to the left of me, the dog park brings all kinds of people walking the neighborhood, and the bus stop on the corner, plus the school being so close, i feel awful. As far as I have looked into it, a diesel engine doesn’t need to warm up for more than 30 minutes? Am I being too snooty??? Edited for spelling

I’m sorry if this is confusing, I’m not really sure how to word this. I just realised I misspelled the title sorry btw.
I F15 (2009) and my friend F14 (2010) have been friends for a couple months, we normally interact during school hours. We’re both in year 9 even though she’s a year younger, age is important to the story btw.
For the sake of simplicity I will call me friend Zoe, Zoe has a crush on this boy M17 let’s call him Jake. Jake and Zoe had been talking and of course the school had caught wind of it since they were walking around together during break, I personally thought it was a bit weird given there 3 year age gap. Normally 3 years isn’t bad but because of Zoe’s maturity level it made everyone agree it just wasn’t right.
Didn’t matter and they kept talking but eventually after a while u asked Zoe how things were going because she hardly talked about him. And she told me he liked her but things were complicated, I felt sorry for her and I didn’t want Jake to play with her feelings. So I went and talked to Jake who explained to me that he wasn’t comfortable with the ‘relationship’ because of the age gap and wasn’t sure how to tell her, I told him to just out right and say it. The next day he told me he did during a phone call, I was kinda relieved until a few days later he told me and my friends that she was still contacting him, he found it annoying and asked us to talk to her. I didn’t talk to her because i didn’t know how to approach the conversation, next week he complains again (she sent him a tik tok about how she liked him but couldn’t have him) and one of my friends tell him to block her on everything, since he already set his boundaries. We asked him why he hadn’t done it before and he expressed he was worried she’d kill herself (which is wild but okay).
Because of this whole thing me and Jake started talking more often and I got to know him, we text now and again when I’m not too busy. When Jake followed me on instagram he noticed my following count was 666, called me out lol. I thought it was funny and posted it on my story. Zoe has seen it and she texted me asking if I was talking to him and I explained we we’re talking about someone else (which we were) and she asked to know what exactly he was saying. I told her since it wasn’t a big deal but I still thought it was strange. I thought it was a bit odd but I just brushed it off, I did end up telling Jake to tease him. Couple weeks later Zoe messages me again asking if I would date Jake because she overheard my friend calling Jake my man (my friend was very unhinged and I was trying to tell her to shut it omg) so I obviously said no because at the time I wasn’t interested in him.
Now fast forward a couple weeks i regularly talk to Jake, I wouldn’t say I’m In love with him but idk he’s funny and today I was in class and I tried talking to her but she kinda ignored me, idk maybe I’m overreacting but I still feel weird about it.
ANYWAY I need advice and I need to know if I’m in the wrong and breaking girl code.

Dear Pilots,
Since my childhood, my aim has been to become a pilot. Unfortunately, when I completed my 10th standard, my father told me he could not support me financially and gave me career scares regarding the aviation industry. As a result, I had to make other choices. Now, at 25 years old and working in the IT industry, I feel that it's not for me and I want to chase my dreams.
For around two months, I have been rigorously researching how and where to become a pilot, whether it is better to do it in India or abroad, and other related information. However, the main issue troubling me is money. I have watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos and spoken to many flying schools, all of which said the same thing: banks offer education loans to obtain a CPL (Commercial Pilot License) either in India or abroad.
Here is the catch: the banks are asking for a working co-applicant to sign and to start paying the EMI from the first month itself. My father passed away during COVID-19, and it is only me and my mom. However, I do have collateral that can cover the course value, but the banks are saying that since it is not a degree but a vocational course, only collateral is not acceptable without a co-applicant.
Is there any bank that offers a loan that can be paid after course completion, similar to a typical education loan? Or is there any other way to pursue my dreams? I would really appreciate any tips or straight answers on whether I can become a pilot, considering my situation.
Thank you.

Dear Pilots,
Since my childhood, my aim has been to become a pilot. Unfortunately, when I completed my 10th standard, my father told me he could not support me financially and gave me career scares regarding the aviation industry. As a result, I had to make other choices. Now, at 25 years old and working in the IT industry, I feel that it's not for me and I want to chase my dreams.
For around two months, I have been rigorously researching how and where to become a pilot, whether it is better to do it in India or abroad, and other related information. However, the main issue troubling me is money. I have watched hundreds of hours of YouTube videos and spoken to many flying schools, all of which said the same thing: banks offer education loans to obtain a CPL (Commercial Pilot License) either in India or abroad.
Here is the catch: the banks are asking for a working co-applicant to sign and to start paying the EMI from the first month itself. My father passed away during COVID-19, and it is only me and my mom. However, I do have collateral that can cover the course value, but the banks are saying that since it is not a degree but a vocational course, only collateral is not acceptable without a co-applicant.
Is there any bank that offers a loan that can be paid after course completion, similar to a typical education loan? Or is there any other way to pursue my dreams? I would really appreciate any tips or straight answers on whether I can become a pilot, considering my situation.
Thank you.

I’m sorry if this is confusing, I’m not really sure how to word this. I’m reposting her because I really need help
I F15 (2009) and my friend F14 (2010) have been friends for a couple months, we normally interact during school hours. We’re both in year 9 even though she’s a year younger, age is important to the story btw.
For the sake of simplicity I will call me friend Zoe, Zoe has a crush on this boy M17 let’s call him Jake. Jake and Zoe had been talking and of course the school had caught wind of it since they were walking around together during break, I personally thought it was a bit weird given there 3 year age gap. Normally 3 years isn’t bad but because of Zoe’s maturity level it made everyone agree it just wasn’t right.
Didn’t matter and they kept talking but eventually after a while u asked Zoe how things were going because she hardly talked about him. And she told me he liked her but things were complicated, I felt sorry for her and I didn’t want Jake to play with her feelings. So I went and talked to Jake who explained to me that he wasn’t comfortable with the ‘relationship’ because of the age gap and wasn’t sure how to tell her, I told him to just out right and say it. The next day he told me he did during a phone call, I was kinda relieved until a few days later he told me and my friends that she was still contacting him, he found it annoying and asked us to talk to her. I didn’t talk to her because i didn’t know how to approach the conversation, next week he complains again (she sent him a tik tok about how she liked him but couldn’t have him) and one of my friends tell him to block her on everything, since he already set his boundaries. We asked him why he hadn’t done it before and he expressed he was worried she’d kill herself (which is wild but okay).
Because of this whole thing me and Jake started talking more often and I got to know him, we text now and again when I’m not too busy. When Jake followed me on instagram he noticed my following count was 666, called me out lol. I thought it was funny and posted it on my story. Zoe has seen it and she texted me asking if I was talking to him and I explained we we’re talking about someone else (which we were) and she asked to know what exactly he was saying. I told her since it wasn’t a big deal but I still thought it was strange. I thought it was a bit odd but I just brushed it off, I did end up telling Jake to tease him. Couple weeks later Zoe messages me again asking if I would date Jake because she overheard my friend calling Jake my man (my friend was very unhinged and I was trying to tell her to shut it omg) so I obviously said no because at the time I wasn’t interested in him.
Now fast forward a couple weeks i regularly talk to Jake, I wouldn’t say I’m In love with him but idk he’s funny and today I was in class and I tried talking to her but she kinda ignored me, idk maybe I’m overreacting but I still feel weird about it.
ANYWAY I need advice and I need to know if I’m in the wrong and breaking girl code.

I’m sorry if this is confusing, I’m not really sure how to word this.
I F15 (2009) and my friend F14 (2010) have been friends for a couple months, we normally interact during school hours. We’re both in year 9 even though she’s a year younger, age is important to the story btw.
For the sake of simplicity I will call me friend Zoe, Zoe has a crush on this boy M17 let’s call him Jake. Jake and Zoe had been talking and of course the school had caught wind of it since they were walking around together during break, I personally thought it was a bit weird given there 3 year age gap. Normally 3 years isn’t bad but because of Zoe’s maturity level it made everyone agree it just wasn’t right.
Didn’t matter and they kept talking but eventually after a while u asked Zoe how things were going because she hardly talked about him. And she told me he liked her but things were complicated, I felt sorry for her and I didn’t want Jake to play with her feelings. So I went and talked to Jake who explained to me that he wasn’t comfortable with the ‘relationship’ because of the age gap and wasn’t sure how to tell her, I told him to just out right and say it. The next day he told me he did during a phone call, I was kinda relieved until a few days later he told me and my friends that she was still contacting him, he found it annoying and asked us to talk to her. I didn’t talk to her because i didn’t know how to approach the conversation, next week he complains again (she sent him a tik tok about how she liked him but couldn’t have him) and one of my friends tell him to block her on everything, since he already set his boundaries. We asked him why he hadn’t done it before and he expressed he was worried she’d kill herself (which is wild but okay).
Because of this whole thing me and Jake started talking more often and I got to know him, we text now and again when I’m not too busy. When Jake followed me on instagram he noticed my following count was 666, called me out lol. I thought it was funny and posted it on my story. Zoe has seen it and she texted me asking if I was talking to him and I explained we we’re talking about someone else (which we were) and she asked to know what exactly he was saying. I told her since it wasn’t a big deal but I still thought it was strange. I thought it was a bit odd but I just brushed it off, I did end up telling Jake to tease him. Couple weeks later Zoe messages me again asking if I would date Jake because she overheard my friend calling Jake my man (my friend was very unhinged and I was trying to tell her to shut it omg) so I obviously said no because at the time I wasn’t interested in him.
Now fast forward a couple weeks i regularly talk to Jake, I wouldn’t say I’m In love with him but idk he’s funny and today I was in class and I tried talking to her but she kinda ignored me, idk maybe I’m overreacting but I still feel weird about it.
ANYWAY I need advice and I need to know if I’m in the wrong and breaking girl code.

Hello! 19F from Europe. Please read my entire post cuz I don't want to be repeating the stuff I wrote on here like a broken record to everyone lol.
Here's all my hobbies and interests:
I make and listen to Metal music. I play bass, drums, keys and guitar but I'm mainly a bassist. I also enjoy collecting CDs. I have a YouTube channel but it's mostly just covers on there at the moment.
I like PC gaming. Big fan of games like Persona, Fallout and Yakuza.
I've been studying Japanese for 7 years now.
I love collecting old tech, such as phones, cameras, music players and gaming consoles.
I enjoy horror and thriller films. I also like watching true crime stuff on YouTube.
I like geography and nature (although I'm literally allergic to the sun LOL)
Sometimes I journal or draw, although I'm not amazing at either.
I go to the gym regularly to lift weights.
I have autism, so I'm out of school and work ATM for disability.
I'm looking for long term friends who are 18~25. Please have a few interests in common and don't just DM me with "Hi" or "Hey". I have discord if you prefer to text there.
Sorry, but I won't give advice or teach you things immediately after meeting... I'm also not looking to VC or play games with people.

I just started medication so I’m still discovering a lot of its impacts.
Usually I have a very active and vivid imagination.
For example, I will hear a sound in the room and it will trigger an invented melody or even harmonies in my head. I hear music all day long and it also triggers images/scenarios. I have also “practiced” immersive day dreaming as far as I can remember. And I mean IMMERSIVE.
I usually picture invented situations, using characters and topics I’m very interested in, often with what I perceive as complex music. The daydreaming used to be maladaptive (I would miss school, not do my work, get late to events and not sleep/eat/rest. It involves pacing in the room, mouthing dialogues and a lot of jumping and some running.) I could daydream for 8 hours in a row, which is of course very bad. Nowadays I considered my daydreaming immersive but no maladaptive, for 1-2 hours a day for my entertainment.
I love daydreaming, it sometimes gives me sad feelings if I’m in a bad place, but 90% of the time It’s giving me very intense joy, because I daydream about things I’m so interested in. I don’t see time passing when I do it and I can struggle to get out of it and go on with my day. It feels the same as hyperfocus to me.
I also daydreaming all day long while I do other things. My mind is effectively doing two things at once. I thinks it helps me not getting bored when I’m doing it alongside something else. Still this daydreaming is immersive as well and I sometimes need to take breaks in what I’m doing when I’m getting too interested in the dream, then I go back to “multitasking”. I think it makes me less efficient in my everyday tasks, it distracts me and makes me slower even though I enjoy it. And it feels out of my control to an extent.
Since I started the medication (one week ago) it just stopped! I also feel like I struggle much more with audiation and picturing things in my mind. Don’t get me wrong , I can still get lost in my thoughts, but it’s mainly a single monologue and much less vivid pictures/sounds. Even though I miss the experience, it has helped me to function better.
I got diagnosed recently so I have some questions:

1. Is this type of daydreaming common in most people?
2. If not, can it be an adhd symptom ?
3. Has anyone stopped or greatly reduced daydreaming on medication ?
4. If I stop the medication in the future, will I be able to daydream vividly like I use to/ go back to my old self?
5. Did your perception of music change on medication ? I feel like I was able to dissect the music and follow a lot of the separate voices composing the harmony. I never had to work or train for it. But now I hear music more as a « block » if that makes sense? I truly don’t think I’m imagining this, it feels like my brain is prioritising the global sound instead of perceiving several details at once.

Throwaway because he uses Reddit.
So, I (f16) have known a guy (let's call him Sans, m15) for 4 years. This guy has always treated me like he didn't care a bit about me and has always been pretty disrespectful to me and and to my "sister-by-heart." For the first 3-and-a-half years, he always pretty much didn't seem to care about me, and we only talked when he needed to vent or had something to share. I went to middle school with him, we were in the same class, so I saw him everyday and for the first year I even had a crush on him, in fact we dated for 9 months (6 on his behalf, but it was from November to May) before he broke it off saying he wasn't ready, something completely understandable. We've been good friends ever since, and I stayed silent through all the things he did to me over the years: touching me when we went to the cinema with a couple of his other friends, and all the shit he threw at me with his problems (family, friends, love life ecc... I never had the occasion to do the same). Long story short, he's always been the class clown, and that was all his personality in and out of school. To be clear, I also own some fault in all of this because I could've talked about those things with him, it was just never an option I thought to be worth considering.
All changed when he introduced me to my now boyfriend (18m), I had the courage to talk to him about the situation and, with the help of my sister since because of some at-the-time-recent drama he blocked my number, I sent him a message that contained all the anger I kept inside and ended the friendship ultimately. It was August 2023.
After that, I continued to talk about it to both my boyfriend and his mom (basically my second mom, I'm really close with her) and what came up it that the mother of one of Sans' best friends told my bf's mother that Sans was head over heels for me. I didn't believe it at first, since two years prior he advices me to stop "flirting" with him or he'd end the relationship, but this thing is also supported by the fact that, as far as I knew, he still kept an old note I gave to him back in the first year of middle school with something sweet written on it, I don't really remember what.
Now, a couple of days ago (so May 19th) he showed up at my house at 10pm completely changed: he looked totally different, had a perm, seemed more contained, a bit better dressed and actually had the balls to apologize to me AFTER I apologized first in an Instagram story, explaining that I've changed and I'm not immature anymore, and that I was sorry to all the people that I was an ass to in the past. Fortunately my boyfriend was there that night or I don't know how I would've handled it. We shook hands and declared peace. Now, he's started to say hi on the bus again.
My question is, how do I handle him coming back out of the blue? I've got a completely different life now, new social circle he'd hate to hang out with ecc..., so I really don't know that to do. I don't even know why I accepted his apology in the first place tbh.
(P.s. sorry for any mistakes, English is my second language)

TF2 used to be my life
I originally created a steam account back in 2016 because my best friend wanted to play TF2 with me. I had barely touched FPS games, much less any PC game to begin with because I grew up a sheltered kid from a poor family. My mom subscribed to the whole "FPS causes violence" philosophy and would get mad at me for playing phatom forces on Roblox when I was 13-14 years old. Needless to say, I wasn't supposed to be able to play TF2 or much of anything violent for that matter, but nonetheless I continued.
My dad had a shitty old macbook pro that he had as a work laptop for years and years. The thing finally gave out and was decommissioned and he "disposed of it" and brought it home to use as a family computer. This thing could barely run flash games, but I downloaded tf2 anyway and struggeled through the 10 minute load times and the 20-30 fps on a good day to play. The allure of the game and the characters helped me push through the buggy laggy mess.
When I got to high school I got another shitty laptop, this time for school. This one could TF2 albiet not much better than the first and I spent hours of my life watching tf2 youtube videos and playing the game. I was so into it my sophomore year that I almost failed multiple classes in school because I engaged with the game so frequently. It was one of the few games I could play (I used to watch let's plays of games I couldn't run so I could still experience them) and I loved tf2 to death. I played sitting criss cross on the couch because I didn't own a desk, and used the cushion space next to me as a mousepad. None of my friends played it but it was my personal escape from the world.
Right as covid started I scored my very own gaming laptop. Lenovo had a discount on laptops for school, my parents were more well off than they had ever been, and I managed to sweet talk my dad into getting me something nice for my 18th birthday. The FIRST game I put on that thing was TF2 and I practically cried because after years I finally had something that could run it. By this point I was better at the FPS genre and the bump in computer specs made it even easier to excell. My mother wasn't ecstatic that I was playing FPS games but she let it slide because I was getting older. About that same time my friends got me into Apex Legends and because of years of trial and error with TF2 I was actually not too bad at the game. I even competed in some minor tournaments and won a hat from an Apex competition, proving my mom wrong and showing that what I enjoyed wasn't a complete waste of time, and I credit TF2 with both my teacher for FPS and my passion for the genre. Several years later I even saved the money from my first job to build my own PC.
I was there for Rick May's death, I was there for the begining of the botting of casual servers, and when I say it wrenched me to my core, I mean my teenage high school self cried as I deleted and redownloaded my favorite game mutliple times over several months. I never really did experience the hype of new updates as I only truely got into the game post jungle inferno. But I've been here for the slow rot and decay that has taken place over the past seven years as the game has faded from an old glory, to a rotten corpse.
The game in it's current state is barely playable, there are workarounds for it, but it's insulting to watch the thing that really started my passion for PC gaming and really gaming in genral get repeatedly kicked to the side. I realize that "Valve as a company works differently" is an excuse that gets thrown around a lot but I know I'm not alone in saying that this is not the end TF2 deserves. Its been SEVEN FUCKING YEARS since we got any kind of real attention from Valve and while it probably doesn't men shit I love this game and I don't want to watch negligence to consume the thing that has given me so much joy.
I love TF2 and I don't want to watch it die, not like this...

A company reached out to me to try and find someone suitable... So here I am.
​
​

About the company

Small business, hospitality adjacent.
​
​

About the role

You will be responsible for marketing the brand and its products online and offline for wider exposure.
You can expect to be required to travel within the UAE and GCC mostly, but there may arise a need to travel to other countries across the MENA region. Passport holders who can get visa easily will be preferred.
​
​

Expected salary

To be negotiated with the employer.
​
​

Requirements

Must already be in the UAE with valid residency visa.
Language Proficiency: English and Arabic, professional level, reading and writing as well. Fluency in a third language preferred.
Experience: Open to all levels of experience, but ideally young candidates who have the skills and need experience. Training will be given.
Driving License: Valid Dubai driving license and car preferred (fuel expenses will be covered). If not, company car may be provided.
Preferrably female.
​
​

Process

You can forward a cover letter that briefly introduces yourself or discusses your CV.
You may forward me images or imgurl link of your CV through DIRECT MESSAGE ONLY.
Make sure to remove any personally identifiable information from your CVs. Do NOT include the following:

• Face
• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Names of companies you worked with in the past
• Names of schools and/or universities you studied at

If the company is interested, I'll get back to you.
​
​
Do not send me a chat request about this topic or you will be ignored or blocked. Sorry, but I just don't like chats on Reddit and any other app. Chats overwhelm me.
All the best!

Hey Reddit,
Wanted to drop in and share my experience changing careers at 35 from an educator (high school teacher) into sales (B2B SaaS EdTech company).
I basically identified 9 reasons in myself (and in others in a similar situation) that were holding me back that I had to deal with in making the career change happen. From beginning to end it took 5 months and I have no prior sales/corporate experience.
These were the reasons I discovered:

1. You don't really understand your situation and problem.
2. Your problem isn't yet large enough to push you into action.
3. You don't believe there is a solution.
4. You haven't accepted total responsibility for your situation.
5. You haven't clearly defined what your solution is.
6. If there is a solution:
   1. you don't believe that you can achieve it.
   2. you are not willing to do what is required to achieve it.
7. You haven't begun bridging the skills/knowledge gap that exists.
8. You don't know how to position yourself properly.
9. You haven't been persistent.

Following that, I essentially worked through a process of dealing with these problems that ultimately led me to be successful in achieving the career change and finishing up in my old job as of yesterday, starting my new role next week.
I made a video discussing this in more detail, if you're interested you can view it here.
Hit me up with any questions and I'll help in any way I can.
Good luck!

I'm tired of clicking on videos that genuinely interest me and getting hit in the face by political discussion mid way. I've already given up on most video essays by unfamiliar channels, because somehow, somewhere, it will come up - but I'm at the point I've clicked on 3 crafts-related videos (knitting, woodworking, and another one that I forgot) today and they all got into politics mid video. And not an off-hand remark either - which is also annoying but I can manage - but a full on rant of several minutes.
Is there any way to block this? Either within YouTube or with an extension that can analyze the transcript or something?

So I may have two job offers coming in this week and I want to weigh the pros/cons with some fellow teachers to see what you think. For reference, I currently teach 6th grade (4th year teaching, always 6th or 7th grade), and I'm certified for 4-8 math. I also have 3 kids; 1 school age (elementary) and 2 Littles. I could stay where I'm at but I'm not happy with some of the things next year, like how we are addressing loss of funds, breaking my team up, our calendar, etc. I've also been getting up at 4:30 everyday to commute and my poor kids get up at 5:30 and we don't get home until almost 6 (I live about 45 mins from my campus and can't afford to live anywhere less than 25 mins away).
Option #1: Intermediate School Pros- 6th Grade, so familiar to me and I'm certified for it District offers low-cost daycare (I have 2 under school age) that would save me over $1200+/month School calendar includes Fall Break (rare for my area) Small classes and less overall students; teach 3 block periods per day with about 20 kids each Comparable school rating to where I currently work Same contract hours I have now Autonomy in the classroom
Cons- Would have to relocate to the area about 40 mins from our current house (lease is up in August anyway so not a major issue, but is farther from family) Would have to still drive about 25 min each way from where we could afford to move to Would move into a team of veteran teachers who have been together several years Lower salary than I currently make Lots of BTC concepts and stations in the classroom, which I'm unfamiliar with
Option #2: move up to High School Pros- I've worked at this district in the past, so I know "the game" and many people I would love to teach HS; not a state-tested subject (yay!) Comparable salary to what I currently make I've taught this group of kids several years ago when they were in JH (could also be a con, lol) Could relocate when my lease is up and be close to family and only about 10 mins from the school Lots of autonomy in the classroom and how I can grade things
Cons- Lower rating than current school No district daycare, kids would likely stay at their current facility Would have to study and get HS Math cert within the year or I won't have a job next year - very nerve wracking for me 6 classes with 25-30 kids each Earlier contract hours than I have now No Fall break
What would you do?

My girlfriend and I have been together for 1 year, from Dec 2022 to Dec 2023. During that year things didn't go very smooth, we had a lot of fights, which were mainly caused by constant miscommunication of our needs and expectations. Our big fights occured approximately every 2 months. Inbetween those events, we had plenty of very good and happy times, with travelling, holidays together etc.
Eventually, the repeating negativity and issues that couldn't be resolved through talking anymore outweighed the little positive that was left, and she broke up in December 2023. After a month of being separated, where we both had time to reflect on what led to our breakup, I contacted her and we met. A month later we got back together (February 2024). Our new relationship made a 180 degree turn and things couldn't be better right now. Our relationship is healthier than ever, we communicate well, there's no fighting at all. (In our 1st RS we barely had sex more than once every 2 weeks, now it was daily)
During our "first" relationship, we didn't post any pictures together, we never talked about moving in together or introduced each other to the family. Now in our "second" try, we met each others families, we post pictures together and we plan for long term goals. The only thing that never left my mind, was the question if she met someone else, maybe slept with someone else during our time apart. I asked her openly and she said no she didn't.
Last night, she fell asleep in my bed, I was still working on my PC. I don't know her pin code, nor did I ever try checking her phone or asked her to show me anything, I had full trust in her at any given time. She fell asleep listening a Youtube Podcast, which meant her phone stayed unlocked. I took it away from the bed to bring it to the nightstand for charging. While holding it, this sudden urge of checking her phone in order to convince myself that nothing ever happened overcame me. So I checked her whatsapp conversation with her best friend, as I knew that they exchange about everything. I scrolled up to the days where she left me in December 2023 and read til the day we got back together.
I found out that she started texting and meeting this new guy, shortly before she officially broke up. They had a few dates and slept together. After we met again and talked about our past relationship, she broke everything off with him. This reassured me, because this meant that our relationship was more important to her in the end, but it also shocked me because she lied. This made my insecurity skyreocket, so I started digging deeper and looked at other chats...
I found out that shortly after we got together and we started having issues (around march 2023) here and there, she began hooking up with different men, sexting and exchanging pictures. These hookups and texts occured frequently every month or two, from february 2023 until she broke up with me. This included a married man that secretely had an affair with her, a DJ and some other profiles that were now blocked. None of these conversations or any new ones extended beyond 2023. Since we got back together she didn't text any guy, and told her best friend how happy she was with me, now that our relationship is on the right tracks. The married man seemed to be a long time friend of hers, that she occasionally hooked up with during the last few years while being single. She talked to him about our issues, showed him screenshots of our fights and was looking for comfort. She told him multiple times how she can't continue like that but doesn't have the strenght to break up. Many of the things that she complained to him about were actually things I did and they were indeed mostly my fault.
I am totally devastated, I know I shouldn't have done it and I'm ashamed of what I've done. It completely shattered anything that I believed was true about her. I didn't tell her anything or show any anger this morning as she left for work. I don't know what to do. I love her so much and everything is finally perfect since we "redirected" our relationship onto the right path. I'm not trying to defend or justify anything that she did, but I feel like her actions were linked to the things that didn't go well during that entire year.
Either I tell her that I checked her phone, which will lead to a breakup or I figure out a way to see the "old" and the "new" relationship as two separate events, since I couldn't find anything indicating that she's still seeing other people and being dishonest. On one hand, I don't know how to pretend as if I didn't know it, on the other hand I don't want to end this for something that is linked to a past relationship. This year we are invited to several weddings together, we booked our vacations, etc.
Please help me..

My girlfriend and I have been together for 1 year, from Dec 2022 to Dec 2023. During that year things didn't go very smooth, we had a lot of fights, which were mainly caused by constant miscommunication of our needs and expectations. Our big fights occured approximately every 2 months. Inbetween those events, we had plenty of very good and happy times, with travelling, holidays together etc.
Eventually, the repeating negativity and issues that couldn't be resolved through talking anymore outweighed the little positive that was left, and she broke up in December 2023. After a month of being separated, where we both had time to reflect on what led to our breakup, I contacted her and we met. A month later we got back together (February 2024). Our new relationship made a 180 degree turn and things couldn't be better right now. Our relationship is healthier than ever, we communicate well, there's no fighting at all. (In our 1st RS we barely had sex more than once every 2 weeks, now it was daily)
During our "first" relationship, we didn't post any pictures together, we never talked about moving in together or introduced each other to the family. Now in our "second" try, we met each others families, we post pictures together and we plan for long term goals. The only thing that never left my mind, was the question if she met someone else, maybe slept with someone else during our time apart. I asked her openly and she said no she didn't.
Last night, she fell asleep in my bed, I was still working on my PC. I don't know her pin code, nor did I ever try checking her phone or asked her to show me anything, I had full trust in her at any given time. She fell asleep listening a Youtube Podcast, which meant her phone stayed unlocked. I took it away from the bed to bring it to the nightstand for charging. While holding it, this sudden urge of checking her phone in order to convince myself that nothing ever happened overcame me. So I checked her whatsapp conversation with her best friend, as I knew that they exchange about everything. I scrolled up to the days where she left me in December 2023 and read til the day we got back together.
I found out that she started texting and meeting this new guy, shortly before she officially broke up. They had a few dates and slept together. After we met again and talked about our past relationship, she broke everything off with him. This reassured me, because this meant that our relationship was more important to her in the end, but it also shocked me because she lied. This made my insecurity skyreocket, so I started digging deeper and looked at other chats...
I found out that shortly after we got together and we started having issues (around march 2023) here and there, she began hooking up with different men, sexting and exchanging pictures. These hookups and texts occured frequently every month or two, from february 2023 until she broke up with me. This included a married man that secretely had an affair with her, a DJ and some other profiles that were now blocked. None of these conversations or any new ones extended beyond 2023. Since we got back together she didn't text any guy, and told her best friend how happy she was with me, now that our relationship is on the right tracks. The married man seemed to be a long time friend of hers, that she occasionally hooked up with during the last few years while being single. She talked to him about our issues, showed him screenshots of our fights and was looking for comfort. She told him multiple times how she can't continue like that but doesn't have the strenght to break up. Many of the things that she complained to him about were actually things I did and they were indeed mostly my fault.
I am totally devastated, I know I shouldn't have done it and I'm ashamed of what I've done. It completely shattered anything that I believed was true about her. I didn't tell her anything or show any anger this morning as she left for work. I don't know what to do. I love her so much and everything is finally perfect since we "redirected" our relationship onto the right path. I'm not trying to defend or justify anything that she did, but I feel like her actions were linked to the things that didn't go well during that entire year.
Either I tell her that I checked her phone, which will lead to a breakup or I figure out a way to see the "old" and the "new" relationship as two separate events, since I couldn't find anything indicating that she's still seeing other people and being dishonest. On one hand, I don't know how to pretend as if I didn't know it, on the other hand I don't want to end this for something that is linked to a past relationship. This year we are invited to several weddings together, we booked our vacations, etc.
Please help me..

R.E Dannys' last video
I want to preface this by saying that I have been part of Greg for many, many years. I have also been an occasional lurker on this sub for a couple years too. All this to say that I cannot overstate how much that this is coming from a place of love, and a genuine desire to see change. Danny has been such a pivotal part of my life- during the pandemic I would watch him literally 24/7, to the point where I literally have most of his videos commited to memory. I've literally grown up watching Danny, Drew, and Kurtis, which feels crazy to say. The pandemic made me miss out on so many key highschool memories and though it sounds corny to say, it would have sucked so much more had I not had Greg, and the BaddieSMP, and the virtual boy collabs that just made the general dolour of that time way happier. As I've gotten older, I really have appreciated the person that Danny is. I'm sure many people can relate, but so many of my childhood youtube idols have just turned out to be horrible, and its always felt good to know that you weren't one of them. Looking back, I know its bad to put your idols on a pedestal, but when they had such a significant, fundemental part of my growing-up, its hard not to.
I think, by now, most people know what I am going to say. And before I do, I want to say that I don't think Danny is some reprehensible, unfeeling, evil-doer. I remember how he felt so genuinely, personally affected when he realised he hurt people when he said the B slur in one of his older videos. I remember how he used his platform during the Black Lives Matter movement to uplift the voices of those hurt by police brutality and societal inequity, and to remember the name and bring posthumous justice to Breonna Taylor. And its not simply the fact that he had a Starbucks cup, or showed it in a video during an international boycott; (regardless of whether or not he knew about it) it's moreso his silence, what it represents. We are in such an interesting time of social upheaval where we are blocking celebrities and influencers for not speaking out about the situations in Palestine, Sudan, and the Congo. Its not because we think "grr youre doing the wrong thing!" or "we are yelling at you because you go against MY personal agenda!" its just, how can we enjoy funny, silly, lighthearted content, when there are people starving to death? I clicked off the video when I saw the cup, because I don't want my watchtime, and the time I spend watching ads, given to someone who will spend it to support a genocide, whether they mean to or not. I know how difficult it is to stay up to date when you have a literal child who takes up so much of your energy that you want to raise right, and spend time with before they grow up. But there are children in Gaza who are being run over with tanks, and being shot at, or who don't get to spend any time with their parents ever again, because they have been matyred.
I don't agree with the sentiments that you shouldn't HAVE to speak out about societal issues. That would be true, if you weren't someone who has constantly used their platform to promote causes for social equity and change. You have cultivated an audience who clearly cares about societal inequality and hearing your general silence on the issue feels a little bit intentional, even if you don't mean it to be. From a human standpoint, we, as a society, have a responsibility to help the people of Palestine. And if you don't, you don't get to claim that you care about people or humanity, because humanity doesn't stop just because the people being oppressed are part of a different race and or religion.
As for some of my fellow Gregs, You don't get to "choose" whether or not to support Palestine based off, admittedly, the sometimes counter-intuitive demands of those pleading for change. There needs to be more understanding from both sides. Men, women, and children, are dying in the most brutal of ways. It makes sense that people are frustrated and on edge right now- people are literally watching their family die. I can also acknowledge that if one is ill-informed about the role of creators in bringing awareness to these conflicts, that they don't see why people get so pressed about "Danny having a Starbucks cup" when we should be focusing on world leaders. But I can't just go up to Netanyahu and Biden and politely tell them to stop. We, as people, need to collocate our voices- and a way we do that, is by urging creators to bring light to this situation. When we do that, we can come together to effectively bring about change through boycotts and petitions and being united against these seemingly insurmountable world powers. Not saying anything, or relying on other people to spread things, contributes heavily to a this culture of silence. Being an ally to Palestinian people is speaking up, no matter how hard and uncomfortable and sad it is. And even if you get things wrong, you can re-educate yourself. But you can't retroactively change your silence on this issue.
I speak for many when I say that we are not mad that you weren't initially educated. But I don't know Danny, making a community announcement (that laptop users likely won't see), not making a public donation, and still keeping the video up doesn't really feel like accountability. As I stated before, Danny Gonzalez has been such a pivotal, foundational part of me growing up. I don't want to distance myself from a community I have spent years in- but if thats a part of a minor responsibility I have to do to help achieve greater social equity, then so be it. I can always watch other youtube videos; I have the freedom of choice. But the people in Palestine do not.
I, in no way, shape or form, want to cancel Danny. I'm only writing this, (instead of just blocking you on every platform, like I have done with many other influencers and celebs) because I do believe you can change. I do believe that you don't want to cause harm. But most importantly Danny, I want you to know that you really can make a difference. I know, because you have done it before.
Thank you for reading <3
ALSO: starbucks relation to Israel:
Starbucks primary investor, Howard Shluz (https://boycott.thewitness.news/target/starbucks) is a very prolific Zionist (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/howard-schultz)
Also: https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/starbucks-sues-union-amid-backlash-unions-pro-palestine-tweet The "cancellation" of starbucks isn't just to do with Palestine; its also a wider societal issue. For instance- the way we are blocking celebrities and influencers for not using their platforms to speak about Palestine. The fight for freedom is always, always intersectional. People who oppose the Palestinian genocide also oppose the immorality of companies that depend on child slavery to survive: https://reporterbrasil.org.b2023/11/starbucks-slave-and-child-labour-found-at-certified-coffee-farms-in-minas-gerais/

A little rant. I am 27F. Does anyone really talk about how frustrating it is to be a jobseeker in Africa? I graduated in 2019 with an Accounting bachelor’s degree. I couldn’t find any decent-paying job, so I ended up working as a commercial property caretaker making around $260 per month. Sounds like nothing and yes it wasn’t much but I was able to find a single room and rent and also buy basic foodstuff. Buying an extra banana meant I was squeezing my budget. I tried content creation, doing online writing gigs to supplement my income and luckily, I got by.
Forward to November 2021, I moved in with my then-bf, thankfully, he has been nothing but supportive, and I didn’t have to pay rent so I could save a little bit from my earnings.
I went back to school to finish up my professional papers (CPA in my country has different exams from your accounting degree.) Supposedly, the professional papers should give you an edge but that wasn’t my case.
Fast forward to October 2022, I changed course. I had been running a WordPress site for like six years at this point, just writing random University experiences so I knew anything SEO, writing, etc.
My bf suggested I try programming and see whether it’s my thing. This was after endless months of job applications. Guys, I applied to even volunteer just to get my foot through the door in a lot of accounting firms but I got nothing.
I was beginning to fall into depression, so getting something new to give me a purpose didn’t sound like a bad idea. I went through a tonne of YouTube videos and finally started Harvard’s CS50x. I finished that in June 2023 and since then, I have built projects in Python, JS, and Django.
I created a portfolio and I have been applying to jobs all over again. I just need to mention that I have been dreading the application because I know how well it went last time. The most frustrating thing is that even remote jobs on LinkedIn require you to be in the USA, Europe, or the country that posted it. My country, where I am legally allowed to work, barely has any job postings. The ones that are there are from months ago and the applications are usually over 200.
I feel so lost and frustrated at this point. I do not even know why I am writing this, but I have seen so many people who live in the US trash the USA. I get it, you never appreciate what you have until you don’t. As a young African, I will tell you, if you even have an opportunity to apply, you are lucky whether you get the job or not. Some of us are automatically disqualified by virtue of where we were born.