I recently received a "Notice of Judgement" in the mail for a judgement that was filed against me for not appearing in court on the date of the hearing. Before today, I had no idea that there was even a lawsuit against me. I used the case number on top of the notice to look up the case online and I found out that Discover Bank had sued me almost 2 years ago! It appears that they originally were trying to serve me papers at my old address. They were unsuccessful (because I no longer lived there) so the hearing was postponed. Between the time of the postponed hearing, and the date of the new hearing, it looks like there was certified mail sent to me which contained the court summons for the new date. The issue is that not only did the signature on the certified mail document look nothing like my name, I was not even in the state at the time that the mail was signed for. My fiance and I live in a house by ourselves, and we were together in Florida on the date that is printed on the receipt from the certified mail. After some research, it is my understanding that I can file a "Petition to Reopen" form to the court which will allow me to defend myself on a new date. The issue I am having is how exactly to fill out the form. I'm not sure who's information goes where in the top boxes and what to label the parties involved (Plaintiff/Defendant or Petitioner or something else). Also, is the "#" above the boxes for the original case number? And is there anything else I should know before filling this out and filing it. Thank you so much in advance for the help. I have attached a link to a blank copy of the document for reference. I am in Philadelphia, PA. Thanks again!!!
Petition to Reopen Default Judgement Form

Omnia Protocol is a decentralized infrastructure protocol for securely accessing the blockchain, so that no single point of failure will ever disrupt blockchain applications or wallets integrating with it. At the same time, it allows anyone to earn rewards by hosting and maintaining a node on a specific blockchain.
Omnia has a strong focus on privacy which gives you untraceable access to the blockchain.
How is Omnia better?
Mixnets are not a novel approach when it comes to building an anonymous overlay network. For example, Tor is leveraging a low-latency mix network to provide a 3-hop circuit that is designed to better protect privacy than a single-node VPN solution. However, this approach has one major fallback - does not obfuscate traffic patterns, which eventually leads to revealing the user's identity as relevant academic research activity has already proved (XZ21, LGMG17, MS17, CMMV17, RNZL17, BZN08, SZ12).
One of our technical objectives at Omnia is to leverage all our academic and security research knowledge to augment mixnets with state of the art methods for timing obfuscation and decoy traffic injection to guarantee the utmost privacy.
Another technical objective is to enhance the existing centralized directory authority used for routing in mixnets to a consensus based approach in order to mitigate the single point of failure in case of directory corruption.
By carefully designing the integration between blockchain nodes and privacy relayers with customer-centricity in mind, Omnia provides competitive incentives that have compounding effects to the entire ecosystem.
Omnia's competitive advantage consists in our ability to identify, extract and integrate value from state of the art research results, thus being able to drive the marginal costs close to zero when it comes to accessing the blockchain.
We are confident that in a not so distant future, Omnia will be the natural choice for accessing any blockchain in a trustworthy and failproof manner, regardless of the network.
We want to be an inspiration to the blockchain ecosystem, by pushing the envelope beyond its existing limitations so that others can innovate beside us.
Security
Privacy is key, but not sufficient. That's why it's important to also ensure that nodes deliver the performance they signed-up for and don't act malicious.
A node verification protocol will assure that node owners do not act maliciously or against the user's interest. By staking an amount of OMNIA tokens, proportional with the blockchain requests that is actively serving, a node provider risks its stake being slashed in case of misbehavior. Therefore, by causing higher self-damage than the potential gain, any attack is economically unfeasible.
Official website: https://omniatech.io/

Viewing/upvote counter May 21st at 12:54= 4k views and 2 upvotes
The Silence and Bias of Reddit Moderators is Hurting Stock Prices like gme and others
Post:
I've been closely following the actions of some Reddit moderators across various subreddits, especially those centered around stock discussions and trading. It's becoming increasingly evident that these moderators wield a significant amount of unchecked power, often making their own rules and silencing voices that don't align with their personal or collective agendas. This behavior is not only frustrating for users but also has broader implications, including negatively affecting stock prices.

Lack of Transparency

One of the most significant issues is the complete lack of transparency in the decision-making processes of moderators. Rarely do they discuss their actions with the community, leaving users in the dark about why certain posts are removed or why some users are banned. This lack of dialogue not only stifles the free exchange of ideas but also erodes trust within the community.

Arbitrary Rules

Moderators seem to apply rules arbitrarily. What is acceptable one day can be deemed inappropriate the next, without any clear reasoning. This inconsistency creates a chilling effect where users are afraid to post anything that might get them banned or their posts removed. According to research, communities with inconsistent moderation practices often see a decline in user engagement and trust.

Silencing Dissent

Another concerning trend is the silencing of dissenting opinions. If a user posts a viewpoint that doesn't align with the moderators' perspectives or challenges the status quo, they risk being muted or banned. This creates an echo chamber where only certain viewpoints are allowed, significantly skewing the discourse. Studies have shown that echo chambers can distort information flow and lead to poorly informed decision-making.

Impact on Stock Prices

The most troubling aspect is how these actions can negatively affect stock prices. When moderators silence critical or alternative perspectives, they are effectively manipulating the narrative. This can mislead investors, both retail and institutional, leading to misinformed trading decisions. The lack of balanced discussion can create artificial hype or unwarranted panic, both of which can significantly distort a stock's true value. A report by the SEC emphasizes the importance of transparent and balanced information flow for fair market practices.

Call for Change

It's time for Reddit to address these issues and hold moderators accountable. We need: - Transparency: Clear and consistent rules that are discussed with the community. - Accountability: Mechanisms to ensure moderators cannot abuse their power. - Balanced Discussion: A platform where all viewpoints can be shared and debated without fear of retribution.
The integrity of stock discussions and the broader Reddit community depends on these changes. Let's push for a more transparent and fair platform for everyone.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced similar issues with moderators? Share your stories below!
References:

1. SEC Report on Market Transparency
2. Study on Echo Chambers and Information Flow
3. Research on Community Trust and Moderation Practices

I read a lot about that everyone thinks that Sweden has such low salaries. But I don’t agree, I don’t think Sweden has low salaries when talking about the median NET pay. I don’t compare to countries outside of Europe. Not everyone is an engineer, programmer or working in finance. I’m talking about the average person on the street. I am not saying Sweden has the one of the best salaries but definitely not the worst. Different countries have different tax and insurance systems and we need to compare net pay here. The money in your hand after tax and insurance to use for consumption.
Let’s take me for example. I work as a project manager and planning architect in the local government in Stockholm and I have 40k gross and 32k NET. All taxes and insurances are already paid when I get my 32k SEK. The payroll tax is paid by my employer and that includes insurances and other stuffs. I’m 31 years old and have 4 years of experience. So with 32k SEK I can do whatever I want with it. This salary has allowed me to afford to buy a newly constructed studio in Täby park which is considered one of the better areas to live in the Stockholm area. I travel every month and I wear a 5000 SEK suit. I often have fika 2-3 times a week and maybe have a dinner somewhere once a week. I don’t drink alcohol. I spend around 310 SEK for great sushi for two. That’s 26,7€. My life is comfortable and I have Friday as a weekend. I don’t feel poor when I travel and I’ve been to NYC, LA, and Switzerland recent year. So I don’t think that my salary is that low in an international context. Converted to euro it’s around 2726€ net, and with that money I pay my mortgage and living costs. My mortgage and housing costs including utilities are around 7500 SEK which isn’t expensive I think, that’s like 647€. My gym is around 1499 SEK a year after the friskvårdsbidrag. After traveling to over 100 countries I don’t find Sweden more expensive than other western European countries. I am not including alcohol here. The housing is definitely cheaper than other Western European countries. Buying an apartment seems to be very difficult in other Western European countries.
From my research only Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, and Switzerland have significantly higher salaries than Sweden. London is also a bit higher but that’s a special case. The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Ireland, UK, Belgium, Finland are give and take similar levels as Sweden depending on the job. I am talking about NET pay now. After all deductions, taxes, and insurances are paid. Some jobs better some worse. Sweden does good on average jobs and worse in the top level ones. But I do find Sweden competitive still. Yes engineers make more money in Germany. But how about cashier workers?
Nominal gross national income per capita in $ of some countries:
Norway 95,510 Luxembourg 91,200 Switzerland 89,145 USA 76,370 Denmark 73,200
Sweden 62,990 Netherlands 57,430 Austria 56,140 Finland 54,360 Germany 53,390 UK 48,890 Belgium 48,700 France 45,860
Source: World Bank
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GNI_(nominal)_per_capita?wprov=sfti1#Methodology
As you can see Sweden is doing okay. So please don’t call Sweden poor. I don’t compare to countries outside of Europe as they have a different environment all together. USA shouldn’t be mentioned in an European context. So my conclusion is that Sweden isn’t bad when it comes to money compared to European countries, rather decent. Yes it’s not the top 5. Yes it’s not great compared to USA.
TL;DR: People say that salaries are so low in Sweden but I actually think they are okay. Yes Sweden isn’t one of the best but it’s not worst either. I’m talking about median NET pay for normal average jobs. Not talking about engineering and IT. Sweden isn’t that bad what everyone claims it to be. I’m not comparing to USA. For 2726€ NET you will afford a decent life in Stockholm as I do.

Hello!! I've been talking to my therapist about the possibility of having BPD and today was diagnosed with HPD.
While HPD does explain alot of things about myself (even things I wasn't aware of until I started researching HPD) it doesn't explain other symptoms that I believed was specifically related to BPD, specifically:
-the way I will swing back and forth between idealization and then demonization of someone. My opinion on myself also changes like this.
-Intense unstable & inappropriate mood shifts. Inappropriate anger to the point of self-harm or breaking things around me. I've been told I have outbursts of rage that are so intense nobody knows what to even do other than leave.
-Paranoia about my friends hating me or leaving. I've burned bridges because of convincing myself they secretly hated me, when in reality they most likely didn't until I gave them reason to.
-Derealization & dissociation. I have moments where I'm so overwhelmed by my emotions intensity that its like my brain completely clocks out. Suddenly life feels like a 1:1 with a lucid dream. I've needed verification that im actually awake many times.
-Self harm, this is a big one but I was told that due to me not being "destructive enough" it rules out BPD entirely.
She told me that if I do my own research and gather evidence from myself & friends that she may re consider BPD as a possibility? She ruled it out because despite the symptoms I show im not destructive enough with self-harm and I dont have homicidal thoughts. All of my self-sabatoge and self-destruction tends to be monetarily or socially rather than physically.
Im thinking of having my close friends give me examples of times I've exhibited symptoms of BPD and compiling it together to go through it with her. Would it be worth trying to ask her to reconsider? Or is BPD genuinley not a possibility? I really do want to figure out what is wrong with me, I want to become a better person but I need to know what traits to recognize in myself and look put for to even start. And being told its getting ruled out completely because I'm not outwardly physically destructive enough to be taken seriously just makes me feel really lost and confused on where to go next?

hello!
i'm new to the indie community—i'm neurospicy (though i have two diff diagnoses across two diff countries) and have had a fixation on fragrances for a while; thousands of dollars spent on niche perfumes that triggered cascades of dopamine ejaculation from my neurons (sorry for the word choice, i wanted to be as vivid with my imagery as possible), i've decided to branch into indies after getting a bit bored with niche offerings :)
i'm also very picky choosy and almost never blind-buy when i buy niche, but obviously for indies, i don't have the luxury of being able to sniff and test out frags on my skin before pulling the trigger—and this applies for samples as well! indie or niche, i always did research into notes and compared reviews on fragrantica and even the fragrance/perfume subreddits before pulling the trigger. fragrantica isn't really an option for indies, unfortunately, so i turned to IMAM and read as many reviews on fragrances from different houses that caught my interest!
a few full sizes and sample orders later (i learned the hard way why it's important to sample before FSing...🫠) i've now grown my indie collection to at least 2 dozen? off the top of my head? and would love to contribute back to the community! there are some perfumes that i pulled the trigger on knowing they were gambles because i couldn't find as much information on them as i wanted, and i know how frustrating or lost-feeling it's like to need information and not be able to get it :( so i'd like to contribute to the review pool!
i've left reviews as comments before, but through my own searching journeys on the subreddit, i realized that it's easier to find posts with reviews rather than searching through terms in the comments in the subreddit and having to comb through buy/sell comments or whatnot... so i wanted to start writing review posts..! i'm just a bit lost on how to start, as i know indie perfumes especially smell different in different forms (oil/edp), different people's skins, even aging..! etc. so i was curious to how the seasoned indie perfumes consumers (and artists!) did their review process. i'm especially new to oil perfumes—was originally an oil hater, but now i'm discovering more and more of their advantages/benefits (i'm looking for the english equivalent of the korean word 장점)—so i'd really appreciate some feedback on how i should be testing these!
for example, one tip that i got after stalking one of the houses that i tried and fell in love with at first sight (sniff? first order?) was to not just to a sniff sniff whiff whiff, but also smell retronasally—it's really opened up how i smell ALL of my perfumes, and i've gone back to every scent in my collection just to smell retronasally. i got this tip off osmofolia's sab! it was on their tiktok—i consider it a personal flex that i am not a regular tiktok user, but sab had me opening the tiktok app three days in a row... and osmofolia is my heart eyes, heart-goes-LUB-DUB-really-fast, dopamine cascade house right now.
if you've read this far, thank you for reading my long word vomit ramble! i'd really appreciate some tips and tricks from the community so i can give back (intellectually? experience-wise?) as much information and knowledge as i have received (and hopefully help out future indie beginners like me)!

Coding a killer program is one thing, but crafting an A-worthy IT assignment? That's a whole different quest. Here's the student scoop on acing those IT papers:
Problem-Solving Prose: Professors love clear explanations. Break down complex concepts into bite-sized chunks for readers. Use diagrams, flowcharts, or screenshots to visually represent your technical points.
Code Cred: Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk (or write the code!). Include relevant code snippets, but remember proper formatting and clear annotations. Explain how the code functions within your argument.
Cite Your Sources: Plagiarism is a major bug in any IT paper. Cite research papers, online resources, and even code snippets from reputable sources. Use a consistent citation style (APA, MLA, etc.) to avoid errors.
Bonus Level: Think outside the text box! Consider creating a short demo video showcasing your program or concept in action. This can add a unique touch to your assignment and impress your professor.

I notice there is a lot of talk about cross international dating (ex: passport bros) on this subreddit and the manosphere at large. I thought it would be interesting to share this study by a Swedish researcher named, Annika Elwert, who has studied gendered differences in foreign mate preferences between men and women in western countries.
The three countries she’s mainly studied are her home country Sweden, Spain and the USA by analyzing data on natives with foreign spouses. This what she found in Sweden for example regarding changes in patterns in cross national marriages:

Until the turn of the millennium, Swedish men who married across national borders usually chose women from Norway and Finland. In the early 2000s, a change in men's marriage patterns crystallised. Partly because of increased international travel, Thai women became the most common group of foreign women to marry Swedish men. However, Swedish women are rarely in relationships with Thai men.

In 2023 Elwert published a study focusing on Spain and USA to see if these patterns hold. She found some interesting differences and similarities between men and women when it came to choosing a foreign spouse that I thought were worth sharing.
Just a heads up, before I delve deeper into the study, I should note the researchers for this study only looked at marriages between natives in the USA who were of non-Hispanic European heritage and those with two parents born in Spain, to foreigners. So large swaths of the population are being left out of this study as it only examines foreign spouse preferences for certain members of the native population not the entire. Just keep that in mind:

We restrict the native population to the non-Hispanic of European descent born in the United States. Similarly for Spain, we restrict the native population to people born in Spain whose parents are also born in Spain. These restrictions are intended to minimize the impact that cross-national couples between international migrants and descendants of migrants of the same origins might have in our analyses (ex. Mexicans in the United States or Moroccans in Spain).

Regardless, I thought the results would interesting to discuss, here is a summary of the most important findings:

Sociologist Annika Elwert has previously studied marriage patterns in Sweden and, in a recent article, examined statistical databases of Spanish and American men and women who have a foreign partner. Their marriage patterns are similar to those of Swedes.
In the US, it is common to have a partner from neighbouring countries or Europe, but many American men also have a partner or wife from the Philippines. However, American women rarely marry Filipino men, preferring Germans and Mexicans. Among Spaniards, marriages with people from France, Germany and Argentina are common. Spanish women also choose partners from Senegal and Morocco, which is rare among Spanish men. Statistically, they prefer women from Romania and Colombia.
Although there are many commonalities in the marriage patterns of men and women, differences remain. Men more often marry much younger women from countries with lower education and living standards. The general trend is that the greater the difference in development between countries, the greater the age difference between the native man and the foreign woman. If the women come from countries with a similar level of development, the age difference is comparatively small.
“It is difficult to say why this is the case. One possible explanation is that when men have a preference for much younger women, it can be challenging to realise this preference in the domestic marriage market. It may be easier if she comes from a less developed country, where, for example, the marital age gap is usually larger," says Annika Elwert.
The same phenomenon is visible when considering countries' gender equality. Men from Spain or the US are more likely to marry partners from countries with low gender equality. In contrast, Spanish and American women rarely marry men from countries with low gender equality. An exception is American women. They are often in relationships with Mexican men.

So native men are more likely to marry foreign spouse from a less developed countries in places like SEA, Latin America, Eastern Europe, while native women are more likely to marry someone from developed countries and Western Europe. However, this trend changes depending on the region, with native women in Europe being more likely to marry someone from Africa and the Middle East compared to their male counterparts for example.
Native men are also more likely to be in relationships with a larger age gap compared to native women, although there has been slight increase in the latter:

When women from the US or Spain marry foreign men, the age difference is generally small. However, Annika Elwert's research shows that it has become more common for Swedish and Spanish women to have younger partners from less developed countries. This is not the case among American women.

Here is the full summary of the study: https://www.soc.lu.se/en/article/women-and-men-show-more-similarities-when-choosing-foreign-partner
Here is the full study which has more details and graphs: Read the article published in Population and Development Review
My basic summary of the studies is:
European men (Spain and Sweden), tend to marry partners from Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, with notable gender disparities seen in marriages with Russian/Latin American women in Spain and largest age gaps in marriages with African women. European women from these countries are more likely to marry partners from neighboring regions, Western Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with significant gender disparities observed in marriages with men from Africa. While European women are much less likely to marry younger partners from developing countries, there's a slight uptick in such unions, (particularly with Eastern European men interestingly enough), although this trend isn't mirrored in the US despite US women being more likely to marry men from developing countries then their European counterparts.
In the US, similarities exist between native men and European men in terms of marrying partners from Asia and Eastern Europe, with pronounced gender disparities seen in marriages with partners from Asia and age gaps being the largest with SEA Asian women and Certain Eastern European countries (Russia/Ukraine). US women are more likely to marry partners from Lebanon, Turkey, and India. Interestingly, there's less of a gender gap in marrying partners from Latin America in the US, although preferences vary by individual countries within Latin America. Native US men are more likely to marry someone from Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, El Salvador and Peru while native US women are more likely to marry someone from Mexico, The Caribbean, Jamaica, Cuba, Guatemala, Panama and Argentina.
Regarding, developed countries, US women are slightly more likely to marry partners from Western Europe and Canada, while US men are more likely marry partners from East Asia.
Anyways, are there any surprises by the study's results? Or did it confirm something’s you already suspected?

I have to complete a two-month project for my MSc. It would be helpful if anyone could guide me to research papers or ideas that I could look into to reduce the sonic boom through geometric modification of aircraft.

Hi all, I am an undergrad theology student doing some admittedly very surface level research on typology
Obviously Christ is the premier example of an anti-type given by everybody as He has so many types, but I also can't seem to find any extensive index of other types and anti-types. I know there are some (Goliath/Satan?) but many seem to be either inanimate, metaphorical or intangible in some way (i.e. the Sabbath), or groups (i.e. the people of Israel, Christians, etc.)
does anyone know if Christ as an anti-type is unique in this sense, or have I just not come across a good enough source?
Thanks :-)

To the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Instructors at the Global Center for Religious Research:
When I first came across an advertisement for the Global Center for Religious Research’s courses, I got excited, especially because the instructors weren’t all old white guys like me. I wanted to get a broad range of experiences. I intended not only to sign up for the courses, but to see whether or not I might be able to offer courses through GCRR in the future. I pictured a future in which I would have a whole new set of colleagues who, like me, treat clients who have experienced religious trauma.
Before buying anything, I decided to join the “Religious Trauma Studies” Facebook group that GCRR is running. It took me less than an hour to become very concerned about the behavior of GCRR and its leader, Darren Slade.
While GCRR’s advertisements give the impression of professionalism and research, Slade himself is traumatizing and even harassing his/your own customers. Do you not see it? Best case scenario: he’ll keep embarrassing you. Worst case scenario: someone (especially if you ever have employees) is going to sue you. If he publicly treats his customers with this much contempt, how will he treat his employees, if he ever gets this business off the ground?
To illustrate, I am attaching several documents printed (customer names redacted) from the GCRR’s “Religious Trauma Studies” Facebook group. It’s messy, but you can go look up the Facebook group and find the originals.

• In his comments, Darren Slade keeps referring to “We”, as in “here’s how we do things around here”. He has a lot of people listed on his website as his “International Advisory Board” and as instructors of his courses. Did you all get together and advise him to be this condescending and hostile to your own customers? Do you want him to talk to women with this much contempt?
• He expresses pride several times about the fact that this group is “not a safe space”. IN A GROUP ABOUT TRAUMA??!
• Maybe you think this is fine, because everyone is offensive on the Internet? But if "the boss" at any company in America tacked any one of these memes or notes to an office bulletin board, each one would be an instant, valid complaint to the Human Resources department. And Darren Slade’s replies to the complaints would warrant another complaint. When his/your customers complain on Facebook, he rolls his eyes and tells them that he’s not responsible for their “triggers”. If he talks to his customers this way, how will he talk to his subordinates in the future? Especially young women subordinates? Do you see him expressing any respect here, for anyone, especially if they don’t agree with him?
• He refers to himself and the entire GCRR repeatedly as “inappropriate”, “unprofessional” “offensive”, and even “creepy”, and he says "we" like it that way. Do you like being represented that way? Are you part of this, or is this guy a runaway ego train?
• Some of you are trained as therapists. I'm a retired psychologist. You know that the following behaviors are cause for concern in anyone who is promoting himself as the leader of any kind of group. You'll find several examples of each of these circled in the attached document:
  • Slade sees himself as both the hero and the victim in every story he tells. He talks a lot about the death threats he has supposedly receives.
  • Regularly expresses condescension, contempt, and hostility toward his own customers, especially women. If a woman points out that he's being sexist, he claims that she is being sexist against him.
  • Constantly talks about his Ph.D. Most of my colleagues put “PhD” after their names and leave it at that… but this guy? This guy needs to mention his PhD at least a couple times a week.
  • Makes sexually demeaning/harassing comments to women if they disagree with him (see the “Google Complaint” document), tries to get the whole community to join him in this, and then gets even more condescending and contemptuous if a woman customer complains. He sees accusations of sexism against him as being unfair accusations leveled at him “because he identifies as ‘male’”
  • When people try to help him not be a jackass, he just turns up the hostility and tells them to leave if they don't like it.
  • Repeatedly fails to show empathy, especially with anyone who disagrees with him.
  • Presents a professional face to the world (GCRR ads), but behind closed doors is abusive and inflammatory.

If you’re a therapist, do you not see how much credibility you lose by associating yourself with an organization that mocks your own therapy clients for being triggered and having feelings? And Slade's approach isn't just annoying or unprofessional, it’s aggressive. Surely you can see what I’m talking about? Why are you supporting this guy?
At one point in the attached document (while accusing a woman of being sexist against him for saying he's being sexist), Slade even claims that men are constantly discriminated against just for speaking, and that "oppression and marginalization cut both ways". (About 1/3 of the way down page 3). You are all experts in religious trauma, and I first became interested in GCRR's courses because I saw some women and people of color among the instructors and advisors. Do you, as a group, actually believe that "oppression and marginalization cuts both ways"? Do you believe that racism, sexism, and homophobia oppress and marginalize straight white men just as much as people of color, women, and LGBT people? If so, I'll be warning people away from your whole organization.
Our job is to help people put an end to this kind of abuse, not to perpetuate it. Our job is to help people to recover from their traumas, not inflict more trauma, and certainly not to belittle them for speaking up.
If I had gotten involved without checking out how Slade treats his customers, I'd be embarrassed now, so I'm taking the time to give you the professional heads-up that I would want were I in your shoes.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/128aqrYsIlbCBLcWfAiYu6JdaDeZ_1Ouo/view?usp=sharing

Hi all! After a crazy, but incredibly fun and rewarding year earning my pilot certs, I wanted to make a write-up of my experience in hopes that it’ll be helpful for any other aspiring or current pilots. To summarize, I went from zero aviation experience to CFII in 13 months, Part 61, paying as I go and on the pretty cheap side. I do want to emphasize that I was ~incredibly~ lucky and had some very generous people who helped me out, and I could not have done this as efficiently and cheaply if it weren’t for them. I’m going to list all my takeaways below, but I think my biggest piece of advice is to network as much as you can because there are some amazing, generous people in this community that want to see us all succeed.
Background:
For context, I’m in my mid to late twenties and have been in the workforce for about 5 years. Through a combination of factors I decided to make a career switch to professional pilot but was hesitant because I did not want to take on debt. I have a family member who is an airline pilot who helped me devise a plan. I moved home and kept working my job remotely so I was able to put all my paychecks towards flying.
Private Pilot – 3 months, 75 hours TT, $12k
I did my private in a Piper Archer owned by my local FBO. The owner allowed my family member to be my instructor and gave me a small discount for pre-paying hours. We flew almost daily. I also took ground school at another local FBO in-person, and that was much more helpful than having to learn everything on my own because I was brand new to aviation. I took the private written exam as soon as my ground school concluded which was also the week of my checkride (bad idea in hindsight, but it worked out).
I solo’d around 25 hours and took my checkride with about 60 hours in the Archer (15 additional hours were in a friend’s airplane). The checkride was challenging, but straightforward and I was well prepared. The DPE said good things about me afterward and I was officially a private pilot! I’d be happy to answer questions or do a writeup in a separate post on any of my checkrides but for the sake of brevity I’ll skip that for now.
~Key takeaways from private:~
Fly as often as possible and make sure your instructor is aligned with that. Also stay on top of ground school. Also, don’t rush to take the checkride before you’re ready, it’s okay to have a lot of practice first. Lastly, I know DPE availability is a big issue in lots of areas and can cause people to have to wait on a checkride even though they’ve been ready for months. In my experience, if you try hard enough and call around, you will find someone. However, it might mean you have to travel a little bit which I know is not possible for everyone.
Instrument – 2 months, 150 hours TT, $14k
I was feeling a little fatigued after private so I was slow to start studying for instrument. I started by doing a lot of flying for fun, mainly flying in the Archer by myself on little cross countries to check off some of the requirements (in hindsight I should have found someone to split time with).
I did my instrument at a flight school in one of the adjacent states. This particular school specializes in accelerated programs, but they do not have a formalized instrument course. I went in-person and spoke with the director of flight operations to discuss my options. Since I had to take PTO to do this, the goal was to finish my instrument in one week with the checkride at the end. I paid a flat rate for the airplane and instructor time. I also stayed over there during that week so I had to pay for housing as well.
Before I went over there, I did some prep in the Archer that I did my private in and took the written exam (Sheppard air). I also purchased Sporty’s Instrument course and used that to prep and for the endorsement needed to take the written. The week I spent at the flight school was honestly a blast, and I was able to take my checkride on day 7 with 20 hours in the plane and about 4 hours of sim time. Again, happy to discuss the checkride in the comments or another post.
~Key takeaways from instrument:~
TAKE THE IRA, FII, AND IGI EXAMS AT THE SAME TIME. You only have to purchase the IRA Sheppard course and can take all 3 exams back to back. Also, again stay on top of ground school because instrument flying requires a lot of technical knowledge. But it honestly is really fun!
Commercial – 3 months, 263 hours TT, $8k
The biggest challenge for commercial was time building, of course. This is where networking saved me. I made friends with another instructor who frequented my local FBO who also owns a plane. He needed the time as well so we flew together a lot and I paid for the fuel. I also had another friend at the airport who owns a plane that he doesn’t fly often and offered to let me time build in that (again, I’ve been so lucky to come across some very generous people).
I did my checkride in the Archer that I learned in with my family member signing me off, and with the same DPE who did my private. Commercial was probably the easiest one I had done so far, but it still was no joke! I will say I was amazed with how much easier things came to me by this point versus when I first started, which was a great feeling.
~Key takeaways from commercial:~
Network, network, network. Spend as much time as you can at your local FBO or flight school and make friends with everyone. Like I’ve said, there are some very generous people out there who love to help out new pilots, and I could not have made it this far without them.
Also, in retrospect, it would have been a really good idea to have done commercial from the right seat. I’ve heard of a lot of people doing that and if I had, I would have been able to knock out CFI a lot sooner and cheaper.
Multi-engine add-on – 1 week, 298 hours TT, $4.3k
Shortly after getting my CPL, I had a week of PTO and decided to knock out my multi add-on. I found a flight school with a Seminole and got ahold of their MEI, and we figured we could knock it out during that week. I contacted the DPE who did my private and commercial and we scheduled my checkride for the end of the week. This flight school was about 2 hours driving from home, and I was able to stay with friends while I was there.
This one was a little challenging because this was in January in the midwest and we were seeing a lot of low IFR days. We ended up getting weathered out the first half of the week, but luckily the Seminole was an easy transition for me and we got me trained up in 3 days, 8 hours of flying. I took the checkride as scheduled and passed (I will say I have had extremely good luck with weather for all of my checkride days so far).
Sidenote: Prior to this checkride, I also took the AGI and IGI exams and asked the DPE who did my multi checkride to sign off on the ground instructor certificate at the same time. I did this because I’ve heard it helps when applying to CFI jobs (shows a little extra effort) and it was easier to do it this way versus having a FSDO issue the cert. Cost me $50 to the DPE.
~Key takeaways from multi:~
Do your research to find an airplane at a good rate. I paid $395 per hour which included the instructor, but I’ve seen some schools charging a lot more. Also, I looked into schools with accelerated courses that you pay as a package, and based on my experience I would not recommend because I was able to do it much cheaper my way.
My instructor did a good job of making sure I knew all the aircraft systems well enough to teach them in case I go for my MEI (which I would like to do soon). Since the MEL is light on material, I highly recommend this. Also, when I was doing research I was told to look for a Seminole or DA-42 because they’re easy trainers, which I would agree with based on my limited experience.
CFI – 1 month (on top of all my experience thus far), 316 hours TT, $5k
This was the scariest one for me. I had heard all along that CFI is the hardest and longest checkride and for the most part I would agree. I originally was planning on going to a school with an accelerated program for this, but after asking around I decided to do it on my own (with my family member signing me off).
This one was heavy on ground school. I got some lesson plans from various people as I heard that’s what everyone has prepared for the checkride, but I hardly ended up using them. I also had a friend send me PowerPoints he made for the technical subject areas. I edited them/made them my own and these are what I ended up using for the checkride along with a couple props.
As far as studying goes, the thing I found most helpful was watching random YouTube videos before bed every night. Although it was all review, I picked up a lot of tidbits that weren’t quite drilled into my brain as I still feel new to aviation overall. As the DPE described it, to be a good CFI you basically need to be a nerd about everything aviation and that’s what I tried to do. I would guess that I studied a few hours a day for a month and a half or so. As for the flying part, I had a little bit of right seat experience prior to buckling down for CFI (probably under 5 hours), so I’d guess it took me about 5 more hours to feel comfortable in the right seat. I took the checkride with the same DPE who did my private, commercial, and multi and passed! The checkride was 8 hours total so definitely a long day. As we were debriefing, I went ahead and scheduled CFII with him as well.
~Key takeaways from CFI:~
Start nerding out now (if you aren’t already). Keep a running collection of links and videos that explain concepts well or teach you something interesting, they will be useful for the checkride. Also, don’t buy lesson plans. As my DPE put it, there are really only like 5 lesson plans for any given topic and we all steal them from each other, so no need to reinvent the wheel or pay for them if someone else can give them to you. I’d also recommend really getting to know the PTS, because it lays out very clearly what you are required to do on the checkride (for example you know you’re going to need to teach runway incursions so it’s a good opportunity to be really prepared). I’m sure my last point is most applicable to those doing CFI on their own since you won’t have a school telling you exactly what to expect.
CFII – 1 month, 368 hours TT, $1.3k
CFII was possibly the easiest checkride to prepare for. I did this one in a friend’s airplane – a Mooney with a G750 and GFC 500 autopilot. It probably took about 10 hours of flying (I already have lots of time in this plane) to be ready. For studying, I reviewed Pilot Cafe, YouTube videos, and obtained some lesson plans from a friend. I did not use PowerPoints or anything for this one. I also had already completed the written exam back when I did my instrument rating. I’m not sure what else to say about this one, but I did it with the same DPE again and passed. It feels amazing to be done with checkrides for a while!
~Key takeaways from CFII:~
Select an airplane with a good autopilot. This made the flying portion of the checkride super easy. For the oral, I highly recommend working with instructors who send students for a lot of instrument checkrides. I feel like there are so many very specific questions that DPEs like to ask on instrument/CFII checkrides, so it helps if you have someone who knows what those questions are going to be. Also, FlightInsight on YouTube and Boldmethod were my favorite resources for this one. Lastly, make sure you know your avionics and autopilot really well, including reading and being able to teach all of the limitations that are in the user manuals.
Notes regarding cost:
I did a decent job of tracking all my expenses throughout this process. I noted in the title that the total cost to me was about $50k, which consists of the ~$45k that I discussed above plus some additional expenses. I also did my commercial ASES rating at Jack Brown’s seaplane base which cost me about $2.5K total (of course this was just for fun). The remaining amount consists of things like buying a headset, books, random accessories, and even some things I called “unnecessary expenses”. I temporarily paid for a membership at a flight school that I barely ended up using, so I put that in that category. While I did everything pretty cheap, I was definitely not perfect!
Here is a further breakdown of my expenses:
Airplane rentals/fuel - $36.9k
Instructor fees - $2.5k (bear in mind I got a lot of free instruction from friends & family)
Ground school - $1.3k (includes actual ground school and books)
Flight accessories - $1.2k
Written exam fees - $1.2k (8 exams total)
DPE fees - $5.8k (7 checkrides; this includes seaplane)
Medical fees - $290
Housing - $900
Misc/unnecessary expenses - $1.2k
Total: $51.7k
Overall Takeaways:
- For those doing Part 61/pay as you go, I highly recommend finding an independent instructor with a flexible schedule. This was key for me because I had a work schedule to work around.
- NETWORKING/MAKING FRIENDS. Go to every fly-in you can, always stop into the FBO to say hi to people, etc. etc. Having friends in aviation was monumentally helpful for me and saved me SO much money. Cannot stress this enough!
- If you are on a timeline, make sure you set specific milestones and when you are going to hit them. Make sure your instructor is on board too.
- Do your research! Reddit has been a fantastic resource for me throughout this process. Talk to people who have achieved the things you want to achieve. I really cannot thank you all enough for all your help and insights on your experiences!
Again, I am more than happy to answer any and all questions. I also apologize if anything is jumbled or confusing; this took a long time to write and I’m sure I missed things. I will also disclaim that while I did a good job of tracking all my expenses, I was not perfect and YMMV for sure. I just hope this gave a somewhat helpful picture for those hoping to do something similar to what I did.
As for next steps, I am aiming for the airlines one of these days! I have a couple interviews at flight schools coming up so I am planning to quit my job and finally start flying full-time soon. I want to do my MEI sometime soon as well but I haven’t figured out how I’m going to pay for the PIC time yet.
I also want to say that I absolutely love general aviation and hope to always be involved in it. I have made so many friends, had some incredible experiences, and learned way more than I could have ever imagined in the past year. For anyone thinking about flying, hopefully this is your sign to just do it! Feel free to comment with questions!

So I was thinking of doing another campaign, but using OP builds is boring so I did some research. Basically, this strategy utilizes party members to buff a main character and max out Stealth.
Even tho we're maxing stealth, i think the damage output of this build is still strong ( in normal battle )
You can do this multiple ways, and here's some choices I came up with. All of this info I got from bg3.wiki and my memory from build tutorials I read/watched before, so special thanks to all of them.
TLDKeypoint:
Lightfoot Halfling character with 24 Dex + Greater Invisibility (from someone) + Expertise Stealth + Advantage in stealth check + ton bonus stealth check via gear, guidance and pass without a trace + Lucky from Halfling
Not enough? go for 11 rogue to get reliable talent
**Character Creation**:
* Race Selection : any or Lightfoot Halfling for an advantage and a reroll on a 1 on stealth checks
* Background (if Tav): any or Urchin / Criminal for Stealth Proficiency
* Class: Explained on later section ( Multiple ways to do this ), but you could choose Rogue/FighteRanger for now
* Main Ability: Go for 17 dex, the rest, up to you, personally I then max Constitution, and then Charisma (if Party Face) or Wisdom and dump the rest
* Skill Proficiency: Maxing Stealth for proficiency and expertise, rest up to you
**Class Selection**
Overview:
Your character should have access to:

• Maximum dexterity of 24
• Stealth skill - Expertise level
• Pass without a Trace spell ( For easier setup, else someone else cast it )
• Disguise Self (if you are not a gnome and no other party member able to cast seeming)

* How to get 24 Dexterity:
17 initial dex + 1 Hag HaiAthlete Feat + 2 ASI + 2 Mirror of Loss + 2 Nimblefinger Gloves
* The build:
If you use hag hair
Go for classic 5 Gloomstalker (disguise self + pass without a trace) / 4 Champion / 3 Assassin / 2 of your feat being +2 ASI DEX and Sharpshooter and picking stealth expertise.
Fighting style: Archery and Defense
If not:
Go for 8 Champion Fighter (Athlete/ASI, ASI, Sharpshooter) / 1 rogue (Stealth Proficiency & Expertise) / 3 trickery cleric (disguise self+pass without a trace)
Fighting style: Archery
The order of taking level is up to you, but if you want to stealthing as soon as possible, prioritize getting pass without a trace and upgrading your dex/stealth skill, once a party member has access to greater invisibility, go nuts!
—-------------------------
**Stealth Gear Choices**
This list of gear will give stealth check bonus, if you think you have enough stealth bonus, feel free to change it, my goal is to make the enemy can’t see me,

• Glove: Nimblefinger Glove (+2 Dex as gnome, work if disguised as gnome)
• Shield: Gloomstrand Shield (+2 AC, Guarantee +1 Stealth)
• Armor: Leather Armour +2 (13 AC, Guarantee +1 Stealth) or Penumbral Armour (+3 stealth while obscured [i hate this, cause obscured is so situational, but if u want go for it]) or The Graceful Cloth (advantage in dexterity check, if you are not lightfoot halfling, or no one able to cast Enhance Ability / Blessing of the Trickster on you )
• Main Hand (optional in case you somehow still don't have advantage on stealth check): Assassin's Shortsword.

With your 24 dex, shield, and armor alone, you are able to get up to 13+7+2=22 AC, If you want more you could do via gear or spell, but I don’t think you need high AC cause you will be attacking while invisible, do a high AC never hurt :D.

• Ring 1: Shapeshifter ring ( +1d4 to all skill check while disguised, synergized with nimblefinger )
• Ring 2: Smuggler ring (Guarantee +2 stealth)

*Rest of the slot: up to you, none of it can improve stealth so this is what i like/generally good item

• Head: Saverok Helmet for guarantee -1 Critical threshold or Soul Perception (+2 to atk roll, init, perception)
• Cloak: Cloak of Protection (+1 AC) or Cloak of Displacement
• Boot: Evasive Shoes (+1 AC) or Disintegrating Night Walkers (misty step) or Boots of Persistence (longstrider + freedom of movement)
• Amulet: Amulet of Greater Health (23 Con) or Amulet of Bhaal (bleeding) or Amulet of Misty Step
• MainHand: Knife of undermountain king or club of hill giant strength ( if titanstringBow and no str elixir ), there is
• Ranged Weapon: Deadshot or Titanstring bow
• Elixir: STR elixir (if titanstring bow) or collosal elixir (extra 1d4 damage ) or bloodlust (nerfed in honour mode)

—----------------------
So with all of that setup, your character on level 12 in Act 3 with the best condition should have:

• Advantage on Stealth Check, reroll if got a 1
• Flat bonus +7 (24 dex) + 4(prof)+ 4 (expert) + 10 (pass) + 1 (shield) + 1 (armor) + 2(smuggler)= 29
• dice bonus: 1d4 ( guidance ) + 1d4 (shapeshifter ) + 1d6 (rupture)
• Greater Invisibility ( double the duration with sorcerer, so 20 turn :D)

You are gone, the enemy can’t see you, you will only fail if you roll at least 4 nat 1 in a row ( if my understanding of advantage + lucky is correct ), 0.000625% chance of failing.

• Your roll should be at minimum 2 (dice) + 1 + 1 + 1 ( dice bonuses) + 29 = 34 and maximum of 19+4+4+6+29 = 62, Holy hell.

It may not be the strongest build, but I feel like it will be super fun just being invisible for 20 turns and having the enemy search for you.
—---------------------------
Thank you for reading until here :D. (Haven’t yet tried this but on paper looks fun hahaha) if someone already created a similar type of build before, or i’m just repeating what already known, so sorry, just wanted to share this with you guys.
—----------------------

I started my MSc at this lab in March, with a research question I am interested in. I was assigned to a postdoc, and we were meant to work on a project that is literally at its early stages. We are trying to treat cells with a drug concentration to induce cellular stress that can be sustained over several days but not toxic that it induces cell death. In terms of the project, wet lab wise I’ve pretty much picked up the necessary skills required. But working with this postdoc, man it’s so frustrating.
So far, none of my experiments are working. For example, when I did the stainings, the background is so high or sometimes the antibody just does not work. Every single experiment we do is literally a different thing, and I cannot use any of the results at all for my dissertation (whole dissertation due in Aug btw). I’ve been suggesting new ideas and I keep telling my postdoc as well that I am on a tight timeline, especially with the data I have is basically worthless. She tells me I can use these data but I can’t even do the quantification on these failed stainings because some coverslips only had single cells whilst some had colonies. Then she tells me your ideas are great but let’s just stick to this project. Fine. I literally told her, that if we want to pivot to other model systems or other designs, this is the time or else it’s too late to pivot. Then weeks later, just before meeting my PI, suddenly she’s suggesting we change model systems and to bring up the idea to my PI. Which is like, wtf?
Furthermore in terms of lab conduct, she doesn’t even plan anything. For example, when we want to set up experiments then all of a sudden she realises she doesn’t have enough reagents or antibody.
In general, she’s just so unfocused and can’t stick to one thing at all. I literally don’t know what to do, when she’s saying one thing and always flipping the narrative. I don’t even want significant results from this, I just want some reliable data and a direction in this project.

Hi,
I'm going to enter my final year of University and I have decided to take on a research project. However, given how broad Economics is and my interests I'd like to ask for any ideas that you may have for me to write my research paper about. I'm open for you to suggest anything, as this may inspire me to think of some other topics.
But as a bit of context, my interests are primarily in Macroeconomics, monetary policy, politics etc. I have been suggested to write about the topic of inflation targeting policy, which I think is interesting as it brings together many of my interests but I'd be interested in finding out about any other areas related to Economics that may be interesting to explore (could be traditional or something upcoming such as AI)
Thank you!

I need some guidance as I approach graduation from pharmacy school with a BPharm degree. I'm considering further studies and seeking advice on which diploma to pursue.
Initially, I aimed to specialize in clinical pharmacy, as I have consistently excelled in pharmacotherapy and found it intriguing. However, my interest shifted after taking courses in biotechnology and clinical microbiology. I discovered a passion for microbiology and biotechnology, finding them fascinating and enjoyable. I even started reading research papers in my free time due to my curiosity about how microorganisms affect our lives and the workings of biotechnology.
Despite this newfound interest, I'm concerned that I might only be scratching the surface of microbiology. I worry that further studies in this field could be more challenging than I anticipated, despite having a professor who made the course engaging.
Additionally, I found pharmacoeconomics to be quite interesting, so I'm considering this option as well.
Given these interests, should I continue with my initial plan to specialize in clinical pharmacy, and persue a pharmD certificate or should I shift my focus to biotechnology? Any advice on this important decision would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much.

Hi,
I’m an aspiring actress and I’ve been researching smaller agencies on IMDb Pro, both in the UK and the US.
I already have a reel and resume prepared. However, I’m unsure about what qualifies as ‘small enough,’ as I know I won’t have a chance with the larger agencies at this stage.
Could you provide some examples of smaller agencies? Also, with which agency did you start?

Hello, I am new to Excel and what I'm trying to do is create a table with Research and Technology Areas (RTA), subdivided in Domains, and those Domains are subdivided in Subdomains.
https://preview.redd.it/r8yp9e1yzt1d1.png?width=1721&format=png&auto=webp&s=75df57308933afea90c1d38b58a185a3514e2cad
Now, I want to be able to search for a Domain and see which RTA it belongs to. For that, I'm using the INDEX and MATCH functions, but I noticed it only works for the very first Domain in each RTA. The cells in RTA are merged, so what I'm assuming is that only the first one is holding the name of the category while the other ones are completely blank.
For example: searching "Computational Fluid Dynamics" correctly returns "Flight Physics FLP", while searching "Unsteady Aerodynamics" gives me nothing, while it should also return "Flight Physics FLP".
How can I make this work?

Hello everyone. If you are looking for a distinction, then you are in the right place. I'm Crystal, a professional tutor and a superb academic writer with years of experience in English literature, Sociology, Business, Psychology, Nursing, Law and Social Sciences.
For assistance, please send detailed instructions to
Email: [writersbrave@gmail.com](mailto:writersbrave@gmail.com)
Discord: Highgradewriter#7788
What's app: +15203464074
My rate is from as low as $15 per page of quality work (Harvard / APA / MLA / OSCOLA, CHICAGO).
I graduated from Western Governors University with a bachelor's degree . I have gained progressive experience over the years in all types of Essays including admission Essays, Research Papers, Online Tests and Quizzes, Dissertations, Thesis Writing, Editing Services and Presentations. To ensure quality services, I review and check tasks at hand through Turnitin, Plag Scan and Grammarly elucidating authentic and unprecedented work.
To guarantee quality work, make payment only when satisfied with job order and have ensured all instructions are followed.
Please refer to my profile for sample work and a copy of my curriculum vitae(CV)
Long-Term partnership and reliability is guaranteed.
Thank you for your time.
Stay safe!

Hello everyone. If you are looking for a distinction, then you are in the right place. I'm Crystal, a professional tutor and a superb academic writer with years of experience in English literature, Sociology, Business, Psychology, Nursing, Law and Social Sciences.
For assistance, please send detailed instructions to
Email: [writersbrave@gmail.com](mailto:writersbrave@gmail.com)
Discord: Highgradewriter#7788
What's app: +15203464074
My rate is from as low as $15 per page of quality work (Harvard / APA / MLA / OSCOLA, CHICAGO).
I graduated from Western Governors University with a bachelor's degree . I have gained progressive experience over the years in all types of Essays including admission Essays, Research Papers, Online Tests and Quizzes, Dissertations, Thesis Writing, Editing Services and Presentations. To ensure quality services, I review and check tasks at hand through Turnitin, Plag Scan and Grammarly elucidating authentic and unprecedented work.
To guarantee quality work, make payment only when satisfied with job order and have ensured all instructions are followed.
Please refer to my profile for sample work and a copy of my curriculum vitae(CV)
Long-Term partnership and reliability is guaranteed.
Thank you for your time.
Stay safe!

Hi
Does anyone know how are salaries in pharmacology / pharmaceutical chemistry?
The average pharmacologist salary in Switzerland is CHF 160'808
The average pharmacologist salary in Zürich, Switzerland is CHF 170'154
A person working as Pharmacist in Switzerland typically earns around 160,000 CHF
This is what Glassdoor / other sites say, I do not know however how true it is.
Secondly, is it a menial 100% labrat job? From what I've heard from acquainted biotech friends, the job is prestigious and fascinating on paper (wow, finding a cancer cure, amazing), while bread and butter is conducting experiments all day every day in a lab, they never work out (only 1% of research ends with effect) and you go home.
​
I'm aware that you need a PhD, however is it mostly a M.D. + PhD or chem/biochem/chemE/biotech + PhD?
​
I am a ChemE who considers this route btw.