Two years ago, I took a part-time job that still haunts me to this day. I decided to finally write about my experience, hoping it might help me process everything. I was a college student, and like a lot of you, I needed a part-time job to help cover tuition and other expenses. After a long search, I found what seemed like the perfect job. It was a caregiver position, working from 5 PM to 9 PM, taking care of elderly people. The job was pretty straightforward, make sure they took their meds, had their meals, and just hang out with them for a few hours.
I got assigned to take care of this 85-year-old lady. Let's call her Mrs. Eleanor to keep things anonymous. She lived alone in this quaint little house on the edge of town. The place was old but well-kept, with a charming, slightly overgrown garden that probably hadn't seen a gardener in a few years. She had a small poodle named Max who was always by her side, following her around everywhere she went.
From the start, the house felt... off. There were no family pictures anywhere. I mean, you'd think at her age, she'd have photos of kids, grandkids, maybe an old lover or something. But no, nothing. It was weird. The walls were bare except for a few generic paintings. I asked her about it once, just casually during a conversation, but she brushed it off and changed the subject real quick. She had this look in her eyes, a mix of sadness and something I couldn’t quite place. I didn't push it because I didn't want to lose the job, but it definitely made me curious.
My daily routine was simple enough. I'd get there around 5 PM, cook dinner, make sure she took her meds, and just keep her company for a few hours. Max, the poodle, was a friendly little guy, always happy to see me, wagging his tail and jumping around despite his age. Mrs. Eleanor, though, was polite but pretty reserved. She didn’t talk much about her past or family, which just added to the mystery. Our conversations were always pretty basic, like talking about the weather or what was on the news.
Every evening, as I cleaned up after dinner, I'd hear Mrs. Eleanor singing a lullaby. It was the same soft, melodic tune every night, echoing through the quiet house. While the song was gentle, it really creeped me out. It felt so out of place in the otherwise silent house. She sang it every night, like clockwork, and it always made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Sometimes, I would find myself pausing my cleaning just to listen. The whole situation was unsettling. The house, the lack of family photos, the nightly lullaby, it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that didn't quite fit together. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a deeper, darker story behind those melodies. It was like the house held secrets that it wasn’t ready to share, and I was just an outsider peeking in.
As the weeks went by, my curiosity grew stronger. Why was she singing this lullaby every night? Who was it for? The routine stayed the same, but the sense of unease kept building. I had been given strict instructions by my employer not to go into Mrs. Eleanor's room. It was one of the non-negotiable rules of the job, probably to respect her privacy and maintain professional boundaries. One evening, while I was cleaning the dishes, I noticed that the door to Mrs. Eleanor's small office was slightly opened. She had always kept it closed and had told me it was just a mess she didn't want me to fuss around with. But that evening, the door was invitingly open. Hearing her close the bathroom door upstairs, I decided to take the chance and peek inside the office.
The room looked straight out of the 1960s. Blue walls, a small single bed, and a wooden desk cluttered with old papers. There was a small closet to the left that caught my eye. The whole setup struck me as odd. This room, which looked like it belonged to a young boy, was in the home of an elderly woman living alone. There were no pictures, no personal belongings, nothing to explain why this room was here. I couldn't explore more because I heard footsteps right above me, making my heart race. Panicking, I quickly closed the door and hurried back to the kitchen. The rest of the evening went by uneventfully. I gave her the necessary pills, made sure she was comfortable, and left for the night. But I couldn’t stop thinking about that room. Why would she have a boy's room in her house if she had no children? The thought gnawed at me, creating a whirlwind of questions.
The next day, my curiosity got the better of me. I decided to do some research on Mrs. Eleanor. I spent hours online, searching for any information about her. But nothing came up. No social media profiles, no news articles, nothing. Not a single piece of information about her life.
It was baffling and left me with more questions than answers. I returned to work after the weekend, determined to find out more. That evening, as usual, I prepared dinner and ensured Mrs. Eleanor took her medication. Then I waited for her to go to the bathroom. The moment I heard the bathroom door close, I quickly made my way to the office. The room was just as I had left it, with that same lingering, musty smell hanging in the air. This time, I opened the closet. Inside, I found small boxes, stacked neatly but covered in a thin layer of dust. My heart pounded as I opened one to find baby clothes, tiny socks, pants, and sweaters, all meant for a baby boy. They were neatly folded and seemed well-preserved, despite their apparent age. But why would Mrs. Eleanor have these?
The discovery left me with more questions than answers. I went back to making dinner, trying to process what I had found. My mind was racing with possibilities, but none of them made any sense. Was it possible she had a child once? If so, where was he now? That night, as usual, Mrs. Eleanor began singing her lullaby. Normally, this song would send shivers down my spine, creeping me out every time. But this night was different. Instead of fear, I felt a surge of curiosity that I couldn’t ignore. I went upstairs quietly and with each step up, the lullaby grew louder. The door to her bedroom was almost closed but had a small gap, just enough for me to peek through. She always left a gap, saying it was to let Max come and go as he pleased. I peered through the gap and was shocked by what I saw.
There, Mrs. Eleanor was sitting in a rocking chair, gently swaying back and forth. She was holding Max in her arms, cradling him like a baby, and singing softly to him. Next to her was a small wooden cradle, old and worn, as if it hadn't been used in years. She continued her lullaby, her voice soft and melodic, but now it felt more sad than creepy. Her gentle rocking, the way she cradled Max, and the soft melody of the lullaby created an image that was hard to shake. I slowly backed away from the door, not wanting to intrude any further. I went back downstairs, my mind spinning from what I had just seen.
This made me think and start connecting all the dots. Was she pretending her dog was a baby? A baby she never had? I could be wrong, but that would make sense, right? The boy’s room, the baby clothes, no pictures, no husband, no children, just her and her dog, whom she pretended was her own son.
There are many possibilities. Maybe she lost her child during a miscarriage, or the son died somehow. It’s heartbreaking to think about, but I had no way of knowing for sure since there was nothing about her online. I even asked my boss about Mrs. Eleanor, trying to get some information about her past. My boss didn’t know much either, just that Mrs. Eleanor had always been a bit reserved and private. She mentioned that Mrs. Eleanor had experienced some tragic losses and that she was now quite lonely, with some health issues typical for her age, but nothing specific.
I worked out the rest of the week, but everything felt so creepy and intense. The quiet dinners together, the silence in the house, the haunting lullaby, it all felt like I was living in some kind of ghost story. Each night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen. The pieces seemed to fit together, but they painted a picture that was too tragic and eerie for me to handle. Even during the day, I found myself distracted, replaying conversations with Mrs. Eleanor in my mind, looking for clues I might have missed. I thought about asking her directly but quickly dismissed the idea. It felt too intrusive, and honestly, I was scared of what I might uncover. There was a part of me that didn't want to know the full story because the fragments I had were already too much.
I noticed more details that added to the unsettling atmosphere. The way Mrs. Eleanor would sometimes pause mid-sentence as if lost in a distant memory, or how she would stroke Max's fur with a faraway look in her eyes. The house itself seemed to hold its breath.
I made my decision, I sent a text message to my boss saying I couldn’t continue with the job and that I was quitting immediately. I didn’t even say goodbye to Mrs. Eleanor. It felt wrong and I knew it was rude, but I just couldn’t bring myself to face her again. The thought of another day in that house, surrounded by haunting memories and unanswered questions, was too much for me to handle.
I felt a mix of guilt and relief. Guilt for leaving without a proper goodbye, for abandoning Mrs. Eleanor when she clearly needed someone. But also relief, knowing that I wouldn’t have to endure another evening of lullabies and unsettling silences. I knew I was being cowardly, but I just couldn’t do it. The experience had taken a toll on me, and I needed to get out. The whole experience was something I couldn’t shake off easily. It made me think a lot about the hidden struggles people face and the ways they cope with their pain. Mrs. Eleanor's story, whatever the full truth was, taught me that sometimes, the past can cast a long shadow over the present.
So, that's my story. It was a job I thought would be simple, but it ended up being one of the most emotionally intense experiences of my life.

Dear members,
I've been facing an ongoing issue with making music for a while now. To introduce myself, I am Martin Parks, and I have two releases on Spotify. It takes me nearly a year to complete each track, which, as you can see, isn't sustainable. I’ve been making music for 1 to 2 years, singing myself while my best friend, a very talented producer with some gold records to his name, produces the tracks. So, that part is well covered, and I have plenty of inspiration.
However, the process of making music isn't going smoothly. Sometimes, he sends beats, I work on them in Logic, and then the track never gets finished, or it feels very forced when we try to complete it. Once a track is done, I often release it immediately because I want to put something out there, but this leaves me in a "pressure phase" since I have nothing in reserve. This cycle continues, and honestly, it's not very enjoyable this way.
Do you have any tips on breaking out of this cycle? How can I finish music properly and maybe even work towards an album? I would love to hear your advice, thanks!
Best regards, Martin Parks

Just for clarification, I am a man with ADHD, and my fiancée is autistic.
Because of my ADHD, I can be very unpredictable and impulsive during the day, and I also deal with a lot of mental fatigue from hyperactivity. I know structure and routine are incredibly important for her, so I want to ensure she feels comfortable and cherished by catering to her needs and preferences as much as my own.
Last week, she told me that she was upset because she often feels like she has to constantly adapt her behavior to accommodate me. Given that we are both neurodivergent, these constant adjustments can be challenging and exhausting for her. We can be quite different in how we handle plans. For example, last Friday, she wanted to go out for drinks. I was excited to spend time together, but I was also a bit tired later when we were there, and she got upset, thinking I didn't enjoy doing the things she likes.
I understand that she often prefers me to decide our plans because decision-making can be overwhelming for her. However, I really want her to feel comfortable expressing her wishes and enjoying the activities she loves. Her happiness is very important to me.
Since we face different challenges in our neurodivergences, I wanted to ask the opinion of other autistic people on how to find a good balance for us. I just love her so much and want our lifestyles to be as well suited for her as they are for me.
Sorry if this post is out of place. I can submit it somewhere else if that’s the case.

Hello hello! Hope everyone is doing well! I am back here today on my search for a like minded partner, someone who's easy going, laid back and friendly. I want to create a beautiful and long term roleplay with you!
A little about me. I am a detailed and experienced roleplayer (8 years), meaning I can be crafty and descriptive. I also love to make new friends so let's talk OOC too (actually this is a requirement, please be friendly and conversable). Building a healthy chatty relationship will make it easier and nice for us to roleplay. We could get to know each other better, discuss roleplay more and drive it to our likings and more. Lastly, I like to play on Discord sooo.... Have it I guess?
I like to craft plots with my potential partner, including both of our interests to make it juicy! It also helps us to get to know how much compatible we are, our likes and interests, etc. I also like to send refrence pics for the character and outfits, it just brings more life to the roleplay!
Now, I am going to leave some tropes that interest me and you can message me from any you like!
Married Couples, Arranged Marriage, Childhood Friends, Enemies To Lovers, Friends to lovers, Co-workers, Roommates, Classmates, Love Triangle.
I am probably forgetting some, but feel free to hit me up with your choice!
My ideal slice of life roleplay would be to include nice, warm, wholesome and lovey - dovey moments into the play. I really want something pure in it, I want to be smiling while roleplaying about this. The idea of two characters being so into each other, looking out for each other in their tough times, that magical touch of love into the play (if you know what I mean). Like the perfect romance, the "these two are meant for each other. These two are goals!" factor is what I am looking for. Along with that some drama, angst, twists and turns to just make it into a Netflix worthy (is that too dramatic? If so, pardon me!)
That's all!
While messaging me -

• Please don't be 1-2 liner, like "Hi I am interested, Hi are you still looking". Ik you are interested and that's why you texted. Secondly, I am looking for partners as long as my post it up. I normally delete the post once I've found a partner.
  
• Stay away if you ghost literally without a cause. Seriously, it's really immature and cheap. I don't even want to get started about this. I get reached with really nice responses and then end up getting ghosted, I simply don't get why put such efforts discussing and typing such nice responses, if the true purpose is to ghost? So if there are any problems, let's talk it out like adults, I don't bite.
  
• I will literally ignore and block one liner commenters who ask me to dm them.
  
• I only rp with people around my age (18-25), so please be around that age. Don't be under 18 (and please don't lie about your age, I've faced such people).
  
• Won't respond to new accs either, too shady.
  

Lastly, bring a prompt if you have one! I'd love to hear out :). I promise if I like it, I'll contribute my bits and pieces, or as I mentioned, the story creation is on the table!
So then! Message me with more than a "Hi I am interested, are you still looking" and let's proceed further!

I don't know if it's me, F20, but I didn't feel genuinely happy when I received my first bouquet of flowers from my boyfriend of 3 & a half years. I remember making parinig about flowers and everything for about 3 years (take note: never niya pa ako nabigyan even on valentines day, my birthday, on our anniversaries, we even had a little fights about the flowers thingy) and now that he did, I just don't feel anything. Maybe it's all about his way of giving it to me. We were just walking around the city streets on mother's day(recently) and told me na bibilhan niya si mama niya ng flowers. He asked me what do I think is nice and I picked out the sunflower one with pink wrapper and little flowers around it. He even made "tawad" from 250 pesos to 200. When the tindera gave it to him, inabot niya lang sakin na parang samalamig lang yung inabot niya. At first I really thought it was for his mom, then suddenly he told me "sa'yo yan". Nothing romantic, he wasn't even smiling. I was confused, I don't know how to feel. It took me a few seconds to get myself together and said "weh? thankyouuu" I smiled and pretended to be "happy" (I doubt he noticed that). After that, we went back home. I was staring at the flowers and thought to myself, "it wasn't supposed to feel this empty and unromantic". I don't know why all of my excitements were gone about receiving my first bouquet (he's my first boyfriend). I remembered my 13 yr old self dreaming about getting a bouquet from my first bf so don't come at me saying it wasn't a big deal. So what do you guys think? Am I too ungrateful for feeling that way?

“Will you look at that,” Captain Yontan marveled from the observation deck. They had arrived in the Solar System at long last, the old bastion of knowledge mankind had abandoned many millennia ago.
“Such a basic tech, yet so beautiful, so… poetic,” Lezlybe uttered, gazing at the constant flux of Sunfire Conduit pulled from the sun to one, two, three relays, and finally to the surface of Pluto, where its energy was being harnessed inside a crater. “And you’re certain that’s where the Ultimate Knowledge is stored?”
“Yes,” Yontan nodded. “Every clue leads to Pluto. Can you imagine? The Ultimate Knowledge, lost for millennia, on this planet out of all places.”
“Ready to descend at your command, captain,” announced Ghenna.
Yontan turned to his crew and smiled. It was the first time they had seen him do that in months. “Hover around the south-south-eastern quadrant of the crater. That’s where the entrance is supposed to be.”
“Yes, Sir!”
Lezlybe’s turned to face the captain, her long black hair swirling around with her.
“Wouldn’t that energy burn us on approach?”
“It might be basic tech, but not that basic, Lez,” said Yontan. “It’s safe up to a distance of 100 meters. Don’t underestimate the intelligence of our ancestors because they built this thing in the distant past. They were as smart as us. Smarter even, in certain aspects, I’m sure.”
“Found the entrance, captain,” said Ghenna. It was a pale peach colored door built on the craterside.
“Land near it, wherever it’s stable.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The ship touched down next to the Hollis Crater. Yontan and four others suited up and left the craft. Before heading for the door, the team stopped to gaze at the Sunfire Conduit from their position. It went up, up, up as far as the eye could see.
Jmerr was awestruck.
“I can’t believe we’re able to look at it with basic sun visors. Do you think our ancestors purposefully designed it like that?”
“Of course,” said Yontan, mesmerized by the spiraling blaze swooshing down the crater. “Aesthetics have always been important, especially since it used to be connected to three planets, two dwarf planets, and eight moons. Many renown painters have depicted the Conduits in their art. Although no physical portraits survived, their works have been well documented over hundreds of books.”
Lezlybe approached Jmerr and put her hand over his shoulder.
“I kind of wish we could hear its thunderous sound. I imagine it’d be a satisfying swoosh, kind of like a blowtorch.”
“You’d be deaf before you’d hear a thing,” laughed Yontan. “We’re speaking of extremely powerful jets coming from a star, after all. I can’t wait to see why they’re pulling so much energy on such a small planet. It’s totally excessive in my view.”
“Maybe it’s not,” said Lezlybe. “Especially if the Ultimate Knowledge is behind this door.”
The team approached the door, a small black panel to its side. Yontan placed a round device on top and, seconds later, it retracted into the ground.
“A Grampus?” frowned Jmerr, even though no one could see his face behind the visor. “Why do you use this old AI?”
“Because I don’t know the code,” explained Yontan as they stepped inside a long hall. “So I brought this device with me to crack the password. Don’t forget that this here is also old tech. Newer devices could break something.” He glanced over his shoulder at the wide-open entryway with the ship not too far behind. “But it looks like the Grampus broke it anyway since it doesn’t slide shut.”
At the end of the wide turquoise hall, another door was easily popped open with Yontan’s device. This time, however, the heavy door closed shut when the last person stepped in.
“I hope we’re not trapped in this small room,” gulped Lezlybe.
“Don’t worry, we can ask someone on board to cut it open if needed,” said Yontan. “After all we –”
PSHHHHHHHH
A burst of gas sprayed them from all sides, followed by a shower of heavy liquid. A few moments after it stopped, the door in front of them opened, and a gentle male voice greeted them.
“Welcome to U.K. ONE. The current air pressure is at 101.3 kilopascals, with a temperature of 22.4 degrees Celsius and a humidity level set at 60% RH.”
The voice then proceeded to inform them about the room’s condition among other sets of data.
“I see. We were inside a basic decompression chamber,” muttered Jmerr.
The tallest crewmate, Lessandre, popped his helmet off and took a deep breath.
“Ah, historical fresh air,” he boomed, looking around the oval room. “It brings a tear to my eye.”
“What are you doing?” Yontan shouted. “We don’t know what particles or microorganisms could linger in here.”
“Relax, captain. Tyche analyzed the air and told me it’s fine. Why don’t you all retract your visors and experience this multimillennial-old air? You’ll never have the chance to do that again, you know.”
Yontan checked with his own version of his AI, Tyche, and everything seemed to be fine, so he retracted the visor of his helmet as well, just in time to scratch an itch on his beard. The rest of the crew followed, except for Jmerr.
“Come on, Jmerr. It’s a unique experience, my friend,” beamed Lessandre, tapping on his shoulder.
Jmerr scowled at Lessandre. “I refuse to take unnecessary risks.”
“As you wish,” Lessandre grinned, loudly sniffing the air. “Ahhh. The air in here is exceptionally… how to describe it?”
“Dusty?” Lezlybe chimed in. “I think the auto-clean on the filter stopped working long ago.”
Yontan was ignoring his crew, inspecting the walls of this oval room for clues. But the room was pretty much empty, outside of the air conditioning holes and lights flickering on the ceiling.
“I know there’s another door on the other side of the crater, but that one’s the entrance to the accumulator and workspaces,” he muttered to himself, caressing the wall in the hopes of finding a button or a gap of sorts.
“Is that place also turquoise?” asked Lessandre. “I really hate this color. Reminds me too much of my ex.”
Lezlybe rolled her eyes.
“Then why don’t we go there?” asked Ghenna, who had closed her visor since she didn’t like the smell.
“Because,” began Yontan absent-mindedly while brushing his hands over the wall, “every document points to this place. We’ll check the other site if we don’t find anything here. Now if only I – aha! A button. This might be it.”
Yontan pushed it with his finger. Instead of clicking, like any other button would, his index finger sank completely in. He immediately withdrew it, fearing something might cut his finger off. But the button came back, except it was now white and protruded out of the wall. Yontan hesitantly pressed it.
An oval pedestal emerged from the middle of the floor, gradually rising until it reached chest height. The left side slid open with melodious clicks, and out came a small table with a round black object on it with a sky-blue center. Before they had the time to guess what it was, a hologram rose from it, displaying the head of an old balding man with a lazy eye.
“Greetings, future humans,” said the feeble voice. “And welcome to K.U. ONE. What is your purpose here?”
Yontan glanced at his crew, who gave him a nod and shrugs. He cleared his throat and spoke clearly, “We’ve come here to gain access to the Ultimate Knowledge, which is said to contain the answers to our purpose within the universe.”
“I see. And you are one, two, five. Oh! That is good news, good news indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Well, not me per se, since I’m long dead, I suppose,” the hologram laughed, “but my digital image. And five? Oh, proof that nothing happens at random.”
Yontan was slightly taken aback.
“Wait. You’re not a simple recording?”
“No, no. I’m enhanced with artificial intelligence. It speaks as I would speak, saying what I asked it to say – with a bit of panache. Now, move to the other side of the pedestal. It will pop open and contain a box.”
The other side popped open, displaying a silver box embossed with gold on the edges. It was beautiful. Lessandre grabbed it and tried to pry it open.
“Tut-tut! You need the key to open the box. I’ll hand it over only of you accept to eat its contents.”
“Eat it?” Yontan uttered in excitement. “Will it alter our brains? Give us the knowledge we yearn for?”
“Not quite. But it is a necessary step.”
“I won’t touch it,” Jmerr stated firmly. “I don’t trust this man. Whatever’s inside, it’s been in there for thousands of years. There’s no way it’s still edible.”
“Oh but it is,” grinned the man. “What do you think the Sunfire Conduit is used for?”
“What?” uttered Lezlybe. “The power of the sun used for… food?”
“Of course, there’s more to it. But a lot of energy is necessary to cool it down to near zero kelvin and keep it that way until it’s very slowly reheated to the ideal temperature for you to savor.
“Now, will you eat its contents or not?”
“Why don’t we bring it back to the ship and study it?” suggested Jmerr.
“The moment you leave the room with the box, its contents will be destroyed, and so will the key to Ultimate Knowledge.”
Yontan exchanged a glance with his crew. Lessandre gave him thumbs up, Ghenna nodded and Lezlybe shrugged. Jmerr was the only one to firmly shake his head.
“Fine, we’ll eat its contents,” said Yontan, upon which Jmerr put his hands up in the air in frustration.
A key appeared from the front of the pedestal. Yonan used it to open the box Lessandre was holding. Five dark-brown spherical objects were neatly placed within fitting molds, resembling the five dots on a die.
“Behold the Five Orbs of Knowledge,” the hologram said solemnly. “I recommend one for each of you.”
Jmerr crossed his arms. “There’s no way I’m touching this.”
“What if someone eats two?” asked Yontan, eyeing Jmerr.
“It would sadden me, even though it might be beneficial to grasp the Ultimate Knowledge.”
Without hesitation, Lessandre popped the middle one in his mouth. Every other crewmate was staring at him. A few bites in, he suddenly froze, eyes wide open. His gaze slowly shifted from Yontan, to Lezlybe, to Ghenna – whose visor was now lowered – and finally stopped on Jmerr.
“Awl eash ‘em bofh,” he rapidly chewed, popping a second one in. “Awl eash ‘em owl ihf you guysh downt.”
Yontan’s hand was shaking as he picked his Orb. Lezlybe and Ghenna also chose one.
“On the count of three,” gulped Yontan, as he noticed the horrified look on Jmerr. “One… two… three!”
The shell of the Orb had a slight crunch, with a rather soft, creamy inner core, gently melting on their tongue. Sweet with a zest of bitterness. Each bite, each movement of their tongue was another moment they savored, dreading the end of this unique flavor. It was an explosion of exoticism, a sensory overload inside their mouth; the richness of the Orb filled their taste buds and souls alike with pure bliss.
Then there was the aroma, dissolving the dusty odor of the room with its arboraceous perfume. It reminded them of Terrestrial woods, now planted across various planets in the Milky Way. Comforting, ancient, nostalgic, and so raw at heart.
Fortunately, this jolly adventure didn’t end after they swallowed it, no, each residue, sticking to the various corners of their mouths, lingered like a fleeting memory soon to disappear forever. Yet it was still there, to grasp with the palm of their hands. But when they tried to, it became vapor, dwindling, yet etched in their brains with such strength it would be impossible to ever forget this moment. Ever.
Their minds were still floating on a cloud of ecstasy when Yontan stared at Lessandre.
“You ate two,” he breathed. “And you,” he turned to Jmerr, “you have no idea what you’ve just missed. It’s… indescribably delectable.” Yontan faced the hologram. “Please, give us one more, for Jmerr. He has to try this… Orb.”
The hologram grinned widely, creasing the old man’s entire face.
“These were the last five. There are no more.”
“WHAT?” everyone shouted at once.
“Th– that’s it? No more?” Yontan’s shoulder slumped. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier? We could’ve taken it back to the ship and try to recreate it.”
“It’s impossible without the recipe.”
“A recipe? Give it to us, I don’t care about Ultimate Knowledge anymore,” Lessandre laughed.
“But you had two,” Lezlybe scowled.
“And I want more,” he chuckled. “I’ve never felt better in my life. Even two were far too few!”
“Yes, hand us the recipe so we can share it with the rest of the crew,” pleaded Yontan.
The hologram seemed more and more pleased with itself.
“Even if I gave you the recipe you couldn’t make it when the main ingredient’s missing.”
“What’s the main ingredient?” Ghenna asked.
“Cacao. And these were chocolate truffles, which I made myself utilizing the very last cacao beans to ever exist. I’m sorry. You’ll never eat chocolate ever again.”
Jmerr seemed disappointed upon hearing it, especially after seeing how everyone reacted to it.
“B – but… why?” Yontan asked. “Why offer us a delicious treat only to punch us in the gut right after?”
The hologram smiled. “Think. What is your purpose here?”
“To acquire Ultimate Knowledge… But I fail to understand…”
“If my clock is correct, 3622 years have passed since the last human – which is myself – set wheels in this room. 3622 years of technological advancement, of accumulated mastery of various sciences and understanding of the universe. Yet you believe Ultimate Knowledge is to be found in the past?”
The crewmembers looked at each other, dumbfounded.
“So… it doesn’t exist?” suggested Lezlybe. “We’ve come this far for nothing…”
“Haven’t you just experienced the ultimate delicacy of humankind? Therein lies everything you need to know.”
“It’s not about the knowledge,” began Yontan, “but about the experience we savor?”
“Exactly!” Clapping hands appeared in front of the hologram’s face. “Instead of looking for something that may not be, learn to cherish the transient nature of existence through every experience you encounter. Who knows what happens once you’re dead? Constant hesitation leads to a life of lost opportunities. One of you has learned this lesson the hard way, I’m afraid. However, the tall man over there has greatly benefited from this lesson. Balance in all things!”
“No data is ever lost,” snorted Jmerr scornfully. “Death is simply the temporary loss of information until it’s retrieved.”
“The no-hiding theorem,” smiled the hologram. “Of course. But you wouldn’t be here if you could completely determine the state of the entire universe. Thus, my rhetoric stays valid. For as long as this is beyond our grasp – likely until humanity’s extinction – you ought to cherish every experience and lose your fear of consequences within reason.”
The room went silent, the subtle taste of chocolate still lingering in their mouths like the fading words of an old love letter.
“What do we do now, captain?” Ghenna asked shyly.
“Take your new-found knowledge and share it with others,” the hologram said before Yontan could open his mouth.
“So… there really is nothing else here?”
“Nothing at all.”
The hologram fluttered for a moment.
“Were these really the last pieces of chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you eat them yourself?”
“Because sharing is the quintessential attribute of humanity. And I’m glad to have contributed my part, even though it took several millennia.”
“So why use all that energy from the sun?” asked Lezlybe.
“It’s twofold,” said the hologram. “Partially to keep this chocolate in pristine state, as I said before. You’ll understand the second reason soon enough. Let’s say it’s a parting gift, for that man who hasn’t eaten his Orb.”
“I don’t understand.” Yontan was running his fingers through his hair. “You speak of sharing, yet we won’t be able to share this exquisite experience. There’s no chocolate left.”
“Share the wisdom you’ve acquired. Or perhaps you shall find something unique to share with others as I did. Even the stories of your adv–”
The man disappeared for a few seconds.
“–entures – Ah? We’ve been cut. Soon I shall be free, just like your minds. Swiftly return to your ships, and sail t–”
It flickered again and stopped for nearly ten seconds.
“–he vast empty space to… wherever your heart leads you. Farewell. Fare well indeed.”
The hologram zoomed out to show an old man sitting on a wheelchair, waving both hands. It flickered one last time before completely fading out with a hum.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from everyone’s earpiece.
“Captain, is everything all right?” asked one of the crew left on the ship in a panic.
“Why? Did the entrance crumble down?”
“No, Sir. It’s the Conduit. You need to see this for yourself.”
The crew put on their visors and hurried out of the room, through the hallway, out on the freezing surface of Pluto. They gasped upon staring up.
“The Conduit!” Ghenna uttered.
It was oscillating, slowly shrinking until the last flames swooshed back and forth from the relay to the crater, and then, it retracted entirely.
“It’s… it’s gone…” sighed Yontan.
“The parting gift,” Jmerr sobbed. “He knew. He knew someone might not try out the chocolate truffle, and he purposefully shut down the entire system.”
Lessandre turned to Jmerr. “Consider this your incredible experience. We must be the only humans to ever see this happen in real time.”
“But we can reconnect it, unlike the chocolate, can’t we?” said Lizlybe.
Yontan shook his head. “Do you know of the ancient pyramids in the northern African continent?”
“Yeah…” she hesitated. “Vaguely.”
“Do you know why they’ve never been rebuilt?”
Lezlybe shrugged.
“Because there’s nothing to gain in doing so.” He pointed his finger at the vast expanse above him. “We’ve never rebuilt the ancient pyramids – not due to complexity, but due to loss of time and resources involved without any actual benefit. I’m afraid this is the last time anyone has admired this old tech at work.”
Upon their return on the ship, they told the rest of the crew what inside the U.K. ONE.
“So the Ultimate Knowledge doesn’t exist?” one of the crewmember asked.
Yontan took one last glance at the crater as the ship took off.
“I believe it does,” he beamed, looking at the bemused faces of his crew. “Not here.” He gently tapped his temple. “But here.” His hand rested on his chest. “And there.” His arms were wide open, as if trying to embrace his whole crew at once. “Acquired wisdom is the Ultimate Knowledge. And the ability to share experiences with others is our greatest gift.”

How can we stop going around in circles with these corrupted nihilists? (basically an extreme religious-nut but in reverse; no meaning, no value, no good/bad, nothing matters) I've compiled some of my thoughts/comments.

But first If you are not caught up yet:
1 Re: Vegan Gains ...The Militant Vegan Raffaela Interview - (May 12, 2024)
2 Vegan Gains is a sub-Jerkivest [5/11/24]
3 Moral Realism Debate w/ Inmendham - (May 16, 2024)
4 WTF #899: The vegan gains debate ... Value realism - (May 19, 2024)
5 Vegan Gains ...Denialism is the only nihilism [5/19/24]
also saw this Controversial Topics with Vegan Gains (Horse Riding, Bivalves, Depression, and much more!) - (May 11, 2024) ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ (he thinks in terms of some dogmatic religious brain-rot morality source of right/wrong, but a kind of reversed/opposite conclusion of it's absence, nihilism)
the very reason religion was invented in the first place was because humans by nature had a value-engine driving them & NEED for meaning, that's the irony. value gave rise to religion, religion never needed to grant value. The fact people can't grasp this. 🤦 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Now onto the various arguments, sorry how long and out of order it is But the idea is to provoke you coming up with better ideas/arguments, and if you can critic and strenghen my and ultimately inmendham's arguments. The GOAL should be to Create a formal argument AKA a syllogism, modus ponens. Something clear and concise that can't be taken out of context or misinterpreted, as happened with the debate...

On the subject of Efilism, tread lightly, the philosophy and argument extends beyond merely focusing on suffering; it also includes the critical issue of consent violation. Its proponent and creator, Inmendham, argues for value realism, which contrasts starkly with the notion of subjective morality which I find illogical. While objective morality is full of baggage... often linked to outdated religious doctrine so on face value it's not fun or easy subject to broach... many contemporary non-religious ethicists ground it in realism. Personally me, inmendham and others see no use for the term "morality" as it's tainted. value-realism is the subject. Is it a value-laden universe or not?
it is not necessary to call TRUE/REAL right or wrong Objective, because if objective is defined as mind-independent than without minds there's nothing right/wrong to happen to, therefore THE discussion should be just regarding what is TRUE or NOT, subjective doesn't necessarily mean mere contrived opinion or preference but can be logical conclusion, e.g. you can conclude 2 + 2 = 4 as we understand these concepts of numbers to model reality but can you call it objective or mind-independent 2 + 2 = 4, or that math exists? Not really. As you require a modeler to model reality, an observer to make the observation, a mind to come to such accurate conclusions. To me, claiming there is no real right or wrong is akin to asserting that moral standards and ultimately the subject of Ethics is as fictitious as religion or Santa Claus, you just believe it cause you want to or have preference to. Why maintain this pretense if it's all a mere fabrication / contrivance?
Regarding subjective judgments such as determining "What's the tastiest potato chip or the most beautiful painting?", these are not factual assessments about the things themselves, The question itself is misleading, because the thing itself has none of those qualities objectively, Instead, such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by the interaction of our bodies and minds with these INPUT items, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences. You might get off more on certain female body part than another, it doesn't matter, the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant... not what specific fun or hobby gets you or them off or pushes their buttons.
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to that personal individual, or gross to another, and we can talk about intersubjective truths with averages overall. But one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually, as you are likely not even sharing the same exact experiences to judge differently. And one's very perception or framing of the experience changes the experience itself, no way around this truth. Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
It's important to recognize that differing opinions of personal taste do not inherently conflict in the way ethical contradictions do. With ethical matters, asserting that two diametrically opposed views are equally valid is problematic, either one is right and the other wrong, or both might be based on flawed reasoning. Pretending 2 opposing ethical views can be both equally right/true/correct is utter contradictory mush, either one of them must be right / wrong, or both are contrived meaningless nothing opinions, just made up. you wouldn't say whether one believes in god or not IS mere personal opinion/preference and such 2 opposing views can be equally right at same time, that's utter contradictory nonsense, by saying 2 opinions that gRAPE is both good & bad at same time are equally right opinons, right loses all meaning and you might as well say neither is right and both are wrong, they each have their own contrived fairytale delusion.
Now with Ethics of right / wrong, it does not depend on one single individual's preference or opinion, but taken as the whole, if you violate one without consent you still have to account for that since you are seemingly putting the weight on the preference otherwise preferences are utterly meaningless and irrelevant.
ALSO, Do you call whatever you prefer what's right, or do you prefer to try to do what is right?
Do you prefer to seek out what is the right most accurate conclusion given all the facts of reality, or contrive right to be what's in your preference/interest or personal gain?
I don't think VG or most these talking heads understand value-realism (problematic events within subjectivity/a non-physical but REAL reality of the mind). Obviously there's no objective divine or otherwise prime-directive moral-rules we must follow. Unfortunately Religion has poisened the conversation so much with archaic ideas and mushy terms like 'Morality'. Understand there is no 'moral truth', let alone an objective one, ofc if you pigeon-hole me or all realists into defending such nonsense it's easy to refute them. What I'm interested in is subject of Ethics, and to start whether or not value/problematic events exist or do not exist.
Here's a silly question by nihilists: "why is suffering bad?"
Response: How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
Or this: "prove suffering bad, objectively"
Also question-begging, obviously it is subjective. If such badness cannot exist mind-independently by definition.
"Prove suffering is bad, objectively"
is begging the question, because...
It strawmans / assumes the badness must be bad mind-independently, it isn't therefore, it isn't bad.
Answer this, evolutionarily do animals PERCEIVE being tortured skinned alive nail in the eye as BAD, or does it impose torture which we RECOGNIZE and define as Bad by definition?
If true PAIN/torture isn't bad then why does it exist evolutionarily? Answer: (problem -> solution) mechanism which functions as ability to learn & improved survival, this mechanism was reinforced over time as it worked.
inmendham & realists like myself argue: it is the case Descriptively, Objectively evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-value-judgements onto animals which function as a learning/problem solving mechanism. Fact is, the invention of 'PROBLEM' is something I/we/animals had nothing to do with... (no-free-will-choice) but are simply byproduct in observation of this fact.
If real PROBLEM(s) didn't truly exist then Arguably the word and conceptual understanding it points 👉 to wouldn't exist either. As if beings could be truly blind never seeing colors/vision yet pulling the idea out of thin air and conceiving of such a thing, how preposterous, that'd be giving human creativity/imagination way too much credit. The only nihilist argument then is that by evolution we & all feeling organisms are somehow ultimately deluded or have illusion of problem where there is none, which I find deeply implausible. Run the torture study/experiment a million times putting people's arm in the fire "yep still bad". Filtering out people who lack ability to feel pain of course.
As evolutionary biologists even states pain is a message to the animal "don't do that again". Can't get descriptively prescriptive more than that.
Are You Getting It?
The Ought is literally baked in as an IS. The is-ought gap to be bridged is a complete Red-Herring, yes you can't derive an Ought from an IS, because if you oughtn't do something, then it can never be BAD... problematic/BAD/torture can't mean anything if it doesn't scream OUGHT-not.
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
This is Checkmate. These are irrefutable Facts & Logical deductions.
So much for it all being false-perception, the very fact placebo patients perceive an otherwise harmless laser as BAD/painful makes it so. It's the TRUE reality in their mind and you can't deny that fact. It's also a fact believing a pain isn't really all that bad can make it so, but this doesn't make these value-laden experiences NOT real/true.
As per evolution, your body/brain's mechanisms must generate & impose a prescriptive-value-judgement / problematic event within your mind,
It's nagging, complaining, telling you keeping your hand on the hot stove is a mistake/problematic/bad. (not in itself but as a consequence)
I believe this brain making me write all this... is making an accurate assessment when it observe certain events to be problematic/bad where it's happening which is within subjectivity, where's your evidence my perceptions are fooling me or I'm somehow deluded? I witnessed the crime take place and you were nowhere near the crime scene yet you have the authority to claim otherwise as fact? (You are not simply agnostic to my problem suffering but a De-nihilist)
Once one accepts this evolutionary fact we can move on to more complicated questions regarding ethics, like how do weigh the good & the bad, conflicting preferences, etc. Otherwise, it's all pointless & futile, like arguing bivalves or wild-suffering with a non-vegan. They're just not on that level yet and it's a waste of time.
revised version of my other comment: I believe that many discussions around morality miss a crucial point about value-realism, which acknowledges problematic events within subjectivity, a non-physical but real reality of the mind. It is evident that there are no objective, divine, or prime-directive moral rules we must follow. Unfortunately, religion has muddied the conversation with archaic ideas and terms like 'morality'.
There is no 'moral truth,' especially not an objective one. If critics pigeonhole realists into defending such notions, it becomes easy to refute them. My interest lies in ethics and whether value/problematic events exist.
Consider this question by nihilists: "Why is suffering bad?"
Response: Suffering is identified because it feels bad, subjectively. Just as we subjectively understand 2+2=4, we can recognize suffering through its unpleasant experience.
When asked to "prove suffering is bad, objectively," this is question-begging, as the question assumes that the badness must exist independently of minds, which it does not by definition. This question straw-mans the issue by requiring mind-independent badness, ignoring the subjective nature of suffering. As if the quality of it being BAD must be granted by something outside the experience itself.
Evolutionary Perspective: Animals perceive and react to torture (e.g., being skinned alive) as bad because evolution has imposed mechanisms that signal harm. Pain serves as a problem-solving mechanism, reinforcing behaviors that enhance survival. If pain and suffering weren't inherently problematic, they wouldn’t exist in the form they do.
Realists like myself argue that evolution has objectively imposed prescriptive-value judgments on animals. The concept of 'problem' or 'bad' arises from these evolutionary mechanisms, not from free will. The existence of these concepts indicates the reality of these problematic experiences.
If real problems didn’t exist, neither would the concepts describing them. This is akin to how beings blind from birth wouldn’t conceive of color. Suggesting that evolutionary processes have universally deluded all feeling organisms into perceiving problems where there are none is implausible.
As evolutionary biologists state, pain signals to the animal, "don't do that again," which is descriptively prescriptive. The 'ought' is embedded within the 'is.' Thus, the is-ought gap is a red herring because prescriptive judgments are evolutionarily ingrained.
Again, How do you identify suffering? Based on the fact that it feels bad. (Yes subjectively) Just as we can subjectively understand 2+2 = 4
All you have to agree to is due to evolution it created torture which is decidedly negative/ inherently BAD, by definition. Otherwise it wouldn't feel bad or be torturous at all... THEN ask yourself, how can something be BAD yet it's not BAD to create that BAD?
Conclusion: By acknowledging that evolution created inherently negative experiences like torture, we accept that these experiences are bad by definition. Denying the badness of creating bad experiences is contradictory. Therefore, once recognizing the true reality of subjective experiences, only then we can move on to complex ethical questions about weighing good and bad and addressing conflicting preferences.
playing devil's advocate let's try Steelman their position and then arrive at the logical conclusions of it and then perhaps refute it. If they say: "veganism = right" realize there is no contradiction IF by 'right' they just mean it's literally nothing but their preference...
There's no goal to prefer to know/do what's right, RATHER what's right is whatever matches our personal preferences, so unlike flat earther vs round earth beliefs/CLAIMs which can contradict/conflict with each other since either 1 is right or both are wrong. Individual tastes don't.
Whereas if VG says 9 people gRAPE the 1 kid for fun is WRONG because he's a threshold-deontologist but Also RIGHT to a hedonistic utilitarian, Those views only contradict/conflict if they are making VALUE-claims or recognizing a problematic event take place. However, with VG apparently he would have to say he's not claiming or labelling anything as TRULY problematic at all but merely describing his preferences like flavor of ice cream...
Now, of course, as the realist, I find such a view more deplorable/worse than if they were merely agnostic on right/wrong. Cause it's one thing to say there's a right answer to questions of Ethics but we have no objective scientific basis to determine it yet or lack knowledge VS saying they have knowledge there is absolutely no right or wrong.
Under Anti-realism nihilism, what they mean by wrong/right, is just their preference, if I understand correctly (which I'm quite sure) Anti-realism nihilism reduces the Subject of Ethics down to nothing but you or someone else pontificating/opining (i.e "me no like torture") . It defends some sort of expressivism, emotivism, normative, prescriptive reduction of Ethics. Which I find lubricious and has to be a mistake,
I don't see anyone playing any different game even the nihilists invest their money and plan ahead for self-interest, no one truly signs up for torture for fun like it's no problem, and runs away from pleasure happiness as bad. Further, it stands to reason... since we can recognize objectively evolution created a punishment mechanism to enforce learning and survival, BAD/PROBLEM as a concept is something I/WE/Animals had nothing to do with. We didn't invent it, we recognize it and respond accordingly. Even evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins stated that pain is a message to the organism 'don't do that again!'
We must address further the flawed logic of VG and other nihilists reducing Ethics down to mere arbitrary preferences like potato chip flavor, or how much salt you prefer in the soup. As it is completely disanalogous & dishonest upon reflection. QUOTE: "There's no arguing against Efilism, it's just personal opinion. Like arguing what tastes better... ice-cream or potato chips?"
Say if you believe that the mona-lisa is beautiful, and I personally find it ugly, this conflicts/contradicts nothing because it claims nothing in terms about that object or reality outside of our own minds.
such qualities are OUTPUTs generated by body/mind from these INPUTs, the input is quite arbitrary/irrelevant, unlike the highly meaningful & distinct output generated of positive or negative experiences.
it doesn't matter what specific fun or hobby gets them off or pushes their buttons in order for it MATTER, those differences don't make it any less real OR all mere subjective opinion. the output positives & negatives is more or less same among individuals and that's what's relevant...
It can be TRUE that a certain food item is the tastiest to some personal individual, or gross to another, one's experience of what is tastiest for them doesn't contradict another's, they can both be true for them individually because it is the reality in their mind, Some people find bricks tasty or edible, just how their brain is wired.
while one person may find a certain food delicious, another may find it repulsive, without invalidating each other's experiences because they are true for them individually. both experiences are valid/correct.
However, actions that disregard another's negative experience invalidate their reality. if you find being boiled alive problematic and I do it anyway believing it's ok, I am invalidating your experience as either not real, relevant, doesn't matter, or my preferences are more important (carry more weight) than yours. Or simply believe it's ALL equal or arbitrary and I just prefer to exploit you so I do that.
Positive or negative experiences are largely consistent among people, making them relevant, regardless of the specific stimuli. Individual truths about taste or preference coexist without contradiction, reflecting each person's value-generated reality.
This cannot honestly be applied to one's mere opinion it's fine to boil kids alive, as you are invalidating the fact that it matters to those victims. You saying it doesn't matter or your gain of pleasure outweighs their loss of pain, is a claim about the reality of events going on in their mind, so there is room for conflict/contradiction. They can't both be right/wrong at the exact same time.
A strong non-intuition argument/claim & facts presented render value-nihilism implausible:
It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Therefore, BAD/PROBLEM isn't mere subjective opinion but something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are mere by-product reacting to an observation.
This is pretty much the only base-axiom needed to ground my own torture as mattering as the original actual value-currency at stake. That paired with the fact I sampled consciousness and know it matters to me whether or not I am tortured, the fact that I personally observe it as problematic makes it the true reality for my own mind...
...AND it's not mere opinion/proclamation / or idea humans creatively invented out of thin air... as if like everyone could be truly blind yet conceptualizing colovision, makes no sense. plus that's giving humanity way too much credit of imagination.
Can't really have thoughts about information that you don't have. The concept of bad/problem arguably wouldn't even exist if it never was so.
Yes, I agree very semantics. I am attempting to shed clarity on this topic. Looking at the word "BAD" purely in a descriptive sense (e.g., that which can be categorically applied to extreme suffering) it loses all meaning if it's not truly consequential (i.e., it matters whether one experiences bad or not). If it doesn't actually matter ("no problemo") then it can't be bad, only an illusion/delusion of it, yet it's an effective one evolution imposed on organisms as a learning/problem-solving mechanism. The value-realists like myself have every reason to believe evolution created the real thing, not some contrived pseudo-problem organisms feel compelled/obligated to solve.
One only requires the axiom of a Descriptive Bad to ground Ethics. Why? Because it can be argued that a descriptive statement of BAD/problem is prescriptive by it's very nature in the meaning the of word/language.(otherwise its psuedo-bad/fake langauge, redefines bad as aversion/mere preference against) Otherwise, it can't mean anything to be bad, torturously obnoxious, unwanted experiential events couldn't mean anything. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins even state pain is a punishment signal/message to the animal: "Don't do that again!" If those aren't prescriptions imposed, then I don't know what is. The animal doesn't simply decide/prefer to avoid the event and finds it bad, it's told/finds it bad and so prefers to avoid the event/problem. If god or there were some logically or physically possible way it were to be invented how else would it exist?, or what you think evolution's reward & punishment mechanism accomplished? If it didn't synthesize problematic sensations to force organisms to solve?
Evolution prescribes Needs/wants, at the same time imposes a PAIN/PROBLEM of starvation/hunger which by it's very nature is a prescription for solution (i.e. sustenance/relief/comfort.)
By the very nature of "PROBLEM" it prescribes -> "SOLUTION" not merely a contrived or trivial-like on paper math problem, but the origin of why the word even exists: the problem of pain, a true whip/punishment mechanism, real currency to play with, real loss. Idk how you can describe something categorically as a PROBLEM in the true sense of the word if it doesn't come with it a necessary prescription for its solution. Because if there is no NEED for a solution, then it turns into no longer a problem again...
I don't see how it could be any other way because if there's no real game to be playing with value baked into it, then money would be worthless/not even exist, animals wouldn't bother evade standing in the fire, etc.
Saying It is Descriptively the case, that Evolution IMPOSED Prescriptive-ought statements... of 'PROBLEMATIC sensation/event' on organisms which functioned as a learning mechanism and improved survival.
Is the same as saying Evolution IMPOSED torture/BAD, as that's what torture/bad is... a prescribed need for solution to a problem which is some form of relief/comfort.
The prescription arises as a result of accepting step 1. (which nihilists reject/deny) problem solution. The latter does not follow/exist without the former. basic 2+2 = 4 logic. There's no point figuring out the answer to the math equation, if we don't agree first and foremost a problem exists. Nor how to solve a disease, if we don't first and foremost recognize a disease exists. And so, Any debate with nihilists on step 2: of determining what is the most likely solution / right answer becomes irrelevent and a waste of time. Arguing about whether x or y IS the right answer to fixing/preventing diabetes is pointless when they don't even agree the really disease exists. They don't believe an actual real BAD / Problem exists.
VG reduces it down to mere preferences, his reasonings that even if universally sentience prefers not suffebe tortured... Well, just because it is the case descriptively we prefer to avoid suffering doesn't mean we ought/should prevent suffering. He hasn't bridged the IS-OUGHT gap. But he got it backwards,
the claim/argument... ISN'T that because descriptively, sentience universally has a preference to avoid suffering, it is therefore bad,
the claim/argument... IS that it's descriptively bad/problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it,
Again you can't classify/label something as a problem if it's inconsequential whether it is solved or not. The word loses all meaning. If something NEEDs solving/fixing it means there's a problem, if there's a problem it means there's something NEED solving/fixing. Evolution manufactures these needy problems in organisms to manipulate and control them.
Merely what our preferences are IS NOT relevant, preference "frustration" arguably IS. (if preferences couldn't be frustrated "i.e., no value" than it wouldn't matter which way things turned out)
You can have a preference for some art style over another, if we were just programmed non-feeling robots that preferred to avoid standing in the fire, but there was no real kernel of value/bad, then it wouldn't matter.
Let's imagine something was Objectively PROBLEMATIC, an IS statement. What would a real problem look like? something in NEED of a solution. Again, why? because If it doesn't matter whether or not it exists or is Solved or not, it could never be a problem in the first place. So either this problem exists or it doesn't. (NOTE: it doesn't need to be an objective problem to be REAL, "i.e mind-independent")
Next, if ASI or sentient beings were to sample this "problem", would it not be the case they would logically deduce it's in need of a solution? And assign their preferences accordingly to solving it? Cause again otherwise then you just see it as "no-problemo" again.
"If Inmendham's argument is that sentient beings create value, and that the universe has no value without the presence of a sentient being generating it, would it not follow that the ought is inherently built into sensation?" yes but the way VG unfairly reframes it is that we subjectively place value on it, THAT it's entirely subjective, like you prefer salty or sweet, or certain ice cream flavor. emphasizing that it's entirely subjective opinion. Take a look at his unfair silly example: "we can't say pineapple on pizza is objectively tasty or not..." this shows a complete ineptitude in grasping the subject and misrepresenting the argument like crazy, no one is arguing whether Mona Lisa is objectively beautiful or some such thing.
What is being argued: the positive or negative mind-dependent event produced in response to the sensual or perceptual stimuli, the input (object) is irrelevant, only the output (experience) matters and what the value-engine (BRAIN) produced. What pushes your buttons so to speak, blue jelly beans or green jelly beans, could differ between 2 individuals but the shared experience is the same more or less. Whether you wired to find pineapple on pizza tasty or gross is irrelevant, some people find bricks edible.
Main issue is they talking past each other: what inmendham is arguing for was either not expressed as best it could be, and/or VG does not quite comprehend what is being argued... inmendham claims/argues evolution created the real bad/PROBLEM and we respond in recognition of this fact/truth with preferences that follow accordingly, Logic cannot be escaped, once you know 2+2 = 4, you can't will or believe it to be 79. If you know the right answer "torture be Bad M'kay?" obviously you won't act or behave otherwise and say you love it. What could it mean to have a preference against experiencing torture... does such a statement even make any sense? All that is required is a real BAD to exist... and then the preference to avoid it logically follows, an inescapable truth. Unless he thinks I also choose or prefer to believe 2+2 = 4 ?
Essentially VG keeps counter-arguing that: "yes we want to avoid torture, but that's just your preference... just cause universally sentience has a preference against torture (a Descriptive / IS statement) doesn't logically follow some Normative/Prescriptive claim/statement. That just because something IS the case it doesn't follow that we OUGHT / should do X, like help others, prevent suffering, etc. That's a non-sequitur he says. Ultimately it's just a preference." sure but...
His argument only applies/counters a strawman position in his head: Because of this I and other realists can account for / side-step it completely, we aren't attempting to derive an OUGHT from an IS. e.g strawman: "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore it's BAD." Or "we ALL have preference against torture, Therefore we OUGHT prevent it"
The actual argument is that it's Truly Bad/Problematic by the very nature of the word, Therefore first-hand observation follows universally a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around.
"If the only thing that can have meaning in the universe is the experience of a sentient being, ought we not maximize its value just by nature of its experience being the only thing that can matter?" yes the ought is a further logical extension of recognizing it to be a problem, which denotes/demands a solution, otherwise if it doesn't matter to solve it or not then you've turned it into a non-problem again. So it can only be categorically one or the other.
Issue of semantics, different terminology and definitions: as long as VG defines objective as "mind-independent" and sets the goal-post to the realist to find a mind-independent "wrong/bad" as if somehow we need some divine-command or absolute rule in the universe that declares it so... then there is no fruit to the discussion. suffering/bad takes place in the mind/experience, so of course it's unfair to ask one to present a mind-independent suffering/bad in the universe, it is begging the question. To be fair inmendham uses the term objective and could have done better job with defining/pushing his terms "e.g. objective as truth/real/fact" and not let VG impose in his own. However, I don't ascribe a requirement to demonstrate an Objective BAD to ground a BAD as real, valid, and true; it can be entirely based on Subjectivist grounds/axiomatic foundations.
Just because the BAD takes place within subjectivity doesn't make it any less real (non-physical/immaterial sure... but not unreal). VG and nihilists can't understand this. 2+2 = 4 is subjective as is all science ultimately as a root axiomatic-fact... as an observation requires an observer. This doesn't mean realism can't be proven/grounded, it can just like we can know 2+2=4 and the moon exists. If anti-realism is gonna deny subjective truths because it's subjective, then one can't know much of anything and reduces to solipsism. I am more certain I exist and the reality of "perceived" BAD I experience is actually a real BAD... THAN that the moon even exists or any other scientific empirical claim.
PROBLEM is something I/we/animals had Nothing to do with, we didn't invent it.
If Anti-realism nihilism was True and Real "PROBLEMS" didn't exist the word wouldn't exist. It is like being born never knowing or seeing or experiencing vision & color, it's impossible to contrive or imagine it. Some knowledge & information is only accessible through experience.
Even Richard Dawkins stated, "pain is a message to the animal Don't do that again!"
If the ought exists within subjectivity, as preferences, why would them being Subjective vs Objective determine whether or not their violation matters? If one experiences disgust looking at something AND another finds beauty... both are true realities for them, they don't conflict or contradict like empirical or fact claims, but instead both are correct and relevant, not one or the other, BECAUSE when someone says the mona Lisa is beautiful they are just saying it arises in them a sense of beauty, the thing/input is irrelevant whereas the output in mind is what is relevant and true for their reality.
Subjective =/= not true, I don't understand the dichotomy between objective vs subjective ethics, as if there isn't facts to glean about subjectivity.
There's also definition or semantic problems:
objective (mind-independent) vs subjective (mind-dependent)
Under such definition does it make sense to say Objectively evolution created feeling experiencing organisms having sense of taste, smell, sound, hunger, pain, to survive. So can we apply word objective to mind-dependent experiences or not?
And of course under such definition there is no objective mind-independent ethics as without minds there is no feeling subject of concern to even talk about in first place. So how silly...
Yet they take objective to mean True & Subjective made up or mere contrived opinion.
For me these are semantic word games that distract, I just care about what's fact/true. What many don't get is Even science, math is subjective invention, byproduct of subjective tool of language, doesn't mean we can't create an accurate model and picture of reality.
I believe the Is-Ought gap is a red-herring, sure it's true you can't contrive an Ought from just what IS, but with evolution the OUGHT statement is built-in, it's descriptively a prescriptive value statement imposed on me, I/we/animals literally have nothing to do with it, I'm just by-product an observer. This is key understanding.
There exists no objective or divine commandment "you OUGHT do X" written into the fabric of reality, and therefore if you don't that's Bad, No. That's nonsense/impossible logically.
Rather an Descriptive IS statement of X is a real bad/PROBLEM, denotes/demands a solution by it's very nature of the word, otherwise if it doesn't need solving then it becomes into a non-problem again, so either x categorically IS a PROBLEM or it's not.
The claim/argument... Is that it's Descriptively BAD/Problematic, therefore universally there's a deductively logically assigned preference to avoid it. Not the other way around. Our personal preference against torture forever doesn't make it therefore bad. The prescription is built in, forced onto us.
It's like "STOP!" & "GO" What do you say to a dog? "BAD dog!" This is saying it should or shouldn't do something. basically = "No!" "Stop!" That's a prescriptive statement/signal/conveyed message.
Or simply, alls required is Descriptively diagnose Torture as Problematic. Which implies Problem Solution Without necessity of solution there is no problem at all, likewise without problem solution means nothing.
​So you essentially boiled my position down to: "Evolution programmed preference to avoid torture." or "we evolved preference to avoid torture" Does that sound incoherent or what... as if I would make such a silly claim. Keep straw-manning.
Do you think animals have PREFERENCE by default to avoid being tortured burned alive and have sex, or logically preferences are born out of observing problematic negative / positive assigned accordingly through punishment & reward mechanisms aka prescriptions, think long and hard about this one...
This is why value or ethical nihilism is incoherent to me. IF torture be bad, how can it be NOT-bad/neutral to create BAD?
It either is truly BAD or it isn't. It's either real or it's an illusion/delusion and false perception.
Their position must reduce to there is no MEANINGFUL difference between Torture & Bliss. And evolution didn't create any problematic sensation or true punishment whatsoever. Instead, were somehow deluded to view being boiling alive as problematic sensation/BAD, and relief as good, we can't tell the difference or label which is which...
Vegan Gains or any anti-realist needs to substantiate these anti-realist nihilist claims & concede if he agrees with the statements below:
"The value-laden problematic BAD experience of being tortured boiled alive in a vat of acid indefinitely... isn't really bad, evolution didn't successfully impose a real negative punishment mechanism on animals, torture isn't something I/we/animals had nothing to do with and are just byproduct observing the imposition, NO! Instead our opinion has everything to do with it... what's problematic torture, one is merely subjectively interpreting/inventing/proclaiming it to be so! Evolution failed!"
"Animals run from fire cause they irrationally unreasonably subjectively interpret it to be bad/problematic sensation or experience, not cause DNA molecule made it so objectively for evolutionary reasons"
"It is all subjective preference like flavor of potato chips, problematic torturous experience isn't bad you just think it's bad or have preference against it."
"You don't logically recognize intrinsic problematic torturous experience then logically assign solution to problem which is preference to avoid that experience, No, you merely have subjective delusional preference against a nail in your eye and there is no logic to it"
"Good is Bad, and Bad is Good depending on opinion, no right or wrong, all subjective tho"
value anti-realism nihilism. INSANE! WORSE than a flat-earth theory!

Note - There's actually no graphic content in this post, at least as far as I understand. But I am not sure why I couldn't post it under advice flair.
So, okay. I can't believe I'm stuck here, but I am, and I have no idea how to get out of this.
A few months back, I started this fanfic. I have the outline of the overall story, and I know most of the events, but the problem is whenever I sit down to write, I feel like I don't have a plan.
So far, I've only been able to write around 15k words, and I still haven't introduced all my ships (there are three in total; I've introduced only two). I've written long stories with multiple ships (three max, actually) and have never faced this problem before, but I don't know where it went wrong with this one.
Whatever I write feels dramatic and slow, but it also feels rushed. It’s almost like it’s clumpy? I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it feels like I’ve got the whole thing messed up. I've got around six drafts for this chapter already, and I’m still not satisfied. Atp, I feel I am just shooting arrows in the void.
So, how do you guys plan your long stories? I really need some writer advice on this. I have such amazing plans for this fic, and not being able to write it is so disheartening.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,
I thought I'd share my experiences with anxiety and some methods that have helped me manage it better. I hope these tips can be useful to others facing the same challenge.

1. 𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮

The first step for me was to accept that I have anxiety. It’s not easy to admit, but it’s crucial. Anxiety doesn’t define who I am; it’s just a part of me that I need to manage.

1. 𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

I found that breathing techniques and meditation significantly help in calming my mind. I started using apps like Headspace and Calm, which provide step-by-step guides. Just 10 minutes a day can make a big difference.

1. 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙋𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮

Exercise has a positive impact on my mood. Whether it’s a walk in the park, running, or yoga, physical activity helps me release built-up tension.

1. 𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡

Writing in a journal helps me clarify my thoughts and express my emotions safely. It’s interesting to go back and read what I wrote because I can see my progress over time.

1. 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚

Whether it’s a trusted friend, a family member, or a therapist, talking about how I feel can be incredibly freeing. We’re not alone in this, and it’s good to remember that support is available.

1. 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

I’ve tried to identify what triggers my anxiety and find ways to avoid or manage these factors. It could be work stress, certain social situations, or other elements.

1. 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

It’s important to be kind to ourselves. Anxiety can be tough, but every small step towards managing it is a victory. It’s okay to not be perfect and to have difficult days.
I hope these tips are helpful, and I’m curious to hear what other methods you’ve found effective. Let’s support each other and share the resources that have helped us!
Thanks for reading and take care!

Hi everyone,
This is my first ever post on Reddit so I’m a novice when it comes to what information to include and structuring so please bear with me. I included a TL;DR at the bottom for those who may want a quick summary.
I want to first apologize for my lack of knowledge on what to do in my circumstances. I also want to apologize for making it seem like my situation is the end of the world because I know there are people who are so much more hardworking and in even harder situations. However, I would appreciate any recommendations from those who end up reading my post.
The main reason I’m making this post is because I’m struggling to sleep and study for my MCAT since I worry that I’m wasting my time.
I’m about to enter my 4th year of undergrad doing health science at UWO and have a cGPA of 3.94 (although I took mostly 2nd-year courses in 3rd year to meet the prereqs for my degree). I only recently realized how much I've been half-assing my pursuit of medicine because it is an arduous journey and an opportunity that people dream about. Due to some personal events that occurred in my life, I wanted to work harder towards this path but I feel like I have no ECs that can reflect that. I am an exec in 2 clubs (nothing "pre-med" or "impactful" on others but clubs that I am passionate about and enjoy) and joined my school’s paddling and orientation team this year. I have 0 research or volunteering (besides in high school) hours under me. The only real "work" experience I have is that I've helped out my relatives with their businesses for the last 2 summers (one in Canada and one in the US). I have read a lot of people say “It’s how you frame your ABS and essays” but I feel like I have nothing to talk about. This situation is 100% my fault and I feel so stupid and remorseful for wasting 3 years of undergrad because I was so ingenuous and lost sight of my goals in life.
I’ve been talking with other premed/med friends who have suggested that I use 4th year to continue my current ECs and to start on both research (only continue if I like it) and volunteering then take a gap year to improve in both these sections. I understand that I should only do something if I enjoy it and not actively “check off” a box but I feel like no matter what I do now, I am filling out a checklist. I apologize if it seems like I don't care about medicine or the hardships that doctors face because of my lack of experience and my naive thinking up until this point.
My biggest issue is that throughout the last 2 weeks, I’ve read about so many amazing people on this subreddit as well as my friends get rejected that my self-confidence has diminished. I had to tell my parents about my situation and that I stood no chance of getting in next year which was heartbreaking. Everyone around me seems to have done so much more and I feel so fraudulent saying "I want to pursue medicine". I feel so lost right now but I’m so grateful and appreciative for my friends who are helping me through my quarter-life crisis and constantly offering me advice but I think I need an objective point of view (and also because I feel like I’m annoying them).
Here are a few questions that I would like some opinions on:

1. Do you think I should even attempt to apply to med anymore? (I understand people trying to remain optimistic but I also want to be realistic)
2. How feasible is it to improve my situation (I’m struggling to remain motivated for my MCAT and I'm the oldest child in my family so I don't want to keep them waiting forever)
3. If it is possible, should I take a gap year (has anyone ever recovered from this situation) or try and do research during my last year and see if I like it enough to do a master’s?

Once again, I'm sorry if I come across as self-centered and I don't expect any sympathy from anyone. I'm just looking to get unbiased-ish guidance from people more experienced than me. Thank you for reading this incoherent post and for bearing with me until the end.
TL;DR I feel like I stand no chance because I didn't volunteer or do research for 3 years of undergrad and want advice on what I can do.

Ayt, i'm bored out of my mind, i'm suffering from ADHD so I just had to make a post.
TLTR: Gordon has no helmet canonically... maybe, potentially, figuratively even... we don't know.
So some people STILL believe this myth, and this should be extremely easy to demystify since there are people like Chuck Jones telling us otherwise. BUT, even in the face of evidence sceptics still think that Gordon has some kind of retractable helmet or that he's detaching it manually for variety of reasons. Some even say that the HUD is hypothetical for the sake of gameplay... but i'm getting ahead of myself...
Since there aren't any verified official or unofficial hints as to why the heads-up display appears at all even though the in-game model doesn't seem to be wearing the helmet, or how in basically every single splash art or box art starting from the OG vanilla version of HL till Episode 2 practically, Gordon's hazard suit is exposed up there. I mean hell, in EP2 you can see both Gordon & Alyx getting away from a pissed off hunter in the background. Let's explore the things we're already familiar with:
a): Headcrabs CAN'T successfully latch onto the player. Helmet seems to be the only barrier deflecting headcrabs and keeping your body safe from ballistics, if you're submerged in toxic or otherwise radioactive waste found in BWPP, it keeps you high ^{(with morphine}) and dry ^{(with operational vent systems}). This is the reason why Gordon isn't getting 5th degree burns from swimming in glowing acid or withstanding a nade shrapnel to the face...
b) The PS2 port, Half-Life: Decay is dragging us down with it's incoherency. At the very start of the co-op segment you can clearly see either Colette or Gina (depending on which one you play as) with absolutely no head protection whatsoever even though their body is covered neck-to-toe in HEVS. This AGAIN prompts me to believe that either Valve doesn't care about it and let's the decision "be" for the sake of style or some weird thematic direction but... making the same mistake twice? You're telling me... Chuck just decided "fuck it" and let Pitchford take control of the license? This wouldn't be so strange if the same situation could be said for Shepard BUT the guy is wearing a chargeable P.C.V. he isn't feeling anything up there. Fully equipped vest with ammo count and vital sign tab functioning like in the case of hazard suit, not to mention his face is completely covered on the big box release that's soaked in so much green I got a permanent silhouette imprint on ma' optic nerve.
c) Gordon's markIV suit doesn't have a visible helmet to begin with... You get out of the tram, meet your first barney, enter anomalous materials chapter, follow wall guidelines, fuck up Arne's lunch with a button press and then finally arrive to the dorm just to see the suit incased inside a glass cylinder. You come closer to observe it intentionally ignoring the console on your second playthrough AAANNNDDD ... yup no helmet. Plain and simple. Even the holographic assistant from Sector A who's teaching you about security and the long jumping module had no helmet. Nada. (i know she's suppose to be Gina Cross but i just can't...)
d) G-man is suppose to be a human correct? i mean we know he has super powers and can teleport but i'm pretty sure that if he is just a human organism with supernatural powers, won't he suffocate in Xen? Or emplode? Or maybe both? In HL:A & HL1 we can clearly see him talking to Gordon and/or Alyx respectively for long period of time completely unbothered by the cosmos, inflating his little lungs with dark matter like it was nothing. Again, canonical we don't even know if Xen has breathable surroundings or not, it's a wild guess just like the fact that you see dead scientists complete with their helmets both in hl1 and blueshift.
There are lots of other minor not so interesting arguments, but these are the key once... wdyt?

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1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”
Good morning. Today is a very special day. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24) Each day is a rich and precious gift from God, with new grace and opportunities. How will you make the best use of this day that the Lord has given us?
Paul suggests, in the passage above, that we plant seeds and water them. The seeds he is referring to are the truths of the gospel lived out in our lives. Share your life’s journey and how God has blessed you. Share the love of God that lives in your heart. When you do that, you are both planting seeds and watering them.
You may be sharing with someone who has never heard the message before. As you share you are planting the seed. They may not seem to grasp what you shared. That’s ok. Just share. Trust God that someone else will come along and share also. That’s watering. It may take a few people watering and nurturing the planted seeds before people respond. And of course, remember that they have their agency and not everyone will accept Jesus as their Savior.
Remember also that you and I have not been called to convince anyone of anything. We are only called to share our story; to plant and water seeds. Trust that God can make it grow.
Sid, my husband, was near death in the ICU. The doctors had done all they could do and he just wasn’t responding. They shook their heads. I was told I could take him home if I wanted so he could die at home. However, God had other plans and during the night, he turned around and began showing progress.
The cardiologist came in early in the morning. I walked into the room, knowing that Sid was improving as I had spent the night there. I can still see the smile on that doctor’s face. I said, “He surprised you, didn’t he?” The doctor responded, “He sure did. Thank God.” I told him I did thank God and I thanked him and the others for all they did. He humbly told me not to thank him. He said he knew the treatments and medicine to give but he couldn’t make it work. Only God could do that.
That’s what this verse is talking about. We use our resources, our gifts and talents, sharing our experiences, all to serve God. We do our best to share his love and hope with others. We do so praying, not that they listen to us, but that they see and hear God in the midst of it. Our actions and words must point to the only one who can make it work. Their response should be to him, not us.
Let God use you to be a master gardener planting and watering seeds for him. Be blessed to be a blessing.
🙏Father, thank you for loving me and placing people in my life who loved you enough to plant and water seeds in me. Bless me to always place you as number one as I plant seeds for you. Help me to keep trusting you and to keep gardening in your name. Amen 🙏

So, you’ve got an event at the Tivoli Royal Court in Okhla, and you’re scratching your head, wondering how to get there without having to sell a kidney for cab fare. Fear not, fellow traveler! The Delhi Metro is here to save the day (and your wallet). In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about reaching the Tivoli Royal Court using the nearest metro station. We’ll throw in some laughs, some lists, and even a table or two for good measure. Let’s dive in!

Getting to Know the Tivoli Royal Court

First things first, let’s get acquainted with the place. The Tivoli Royal Court is a swanky venue located in Okhla, South Delhi. Known for its elegant decor and top-notch facilities, it’s a popular choice for weddings, corporate events, and other grand celebrations. If you’re headed there, you’re likely in for a treat – and probably a lot of delicious food.

Why Choose the Metro?

Now, you might be thinking, “Why not just take a cab?” Well, here are a few reasons the Delhi Metro might be your best bet:

1. Cost-effective: Save your money for the event – those samosas aren’t going to pay for themselves.
2. Time-efficient: Delhi traffic can be a nightmare. The metro zips past the snarls and jams.
3. Eco-friendly: Reduce your carbon footprint. Mother Earth will thank you.

Nearest Metro Station to Tivoli Royal Court

The Contenders

The nearest metro station to the Tivoli Royal Court is Govind Puri Metro Station on the Violet Line. But let’s not jump the gun – here’s a list of other nearby stations, just in case you have a change of heart (or route):

1. Govind Puri (Violet Line)
2. Okhla NSIC (Magenta Line)
3. Nehru Place (Violet Line)
4. Kalkaji Mandir (Violet Line & Magenta Line)

Govind Puri Metro Station: The Winner

Without a doubt, Govind Puri is your best bet. It’s the closest station to Tivoli Royal Court and offers a straightforward route.

How to Get There from Govind Puri

• Exit the Station: Take the exit towards Okhla Phase III.
• Catch an Auto-rickshaw: You can easily find autos outside the station. It’s a short ride to the Tivoli Royal Court, and autos are usually more than willing to take you there.
• Enjoy the Ride: Sit back, relax, and maybe enjoy a little breeze (if it’s not too hot).

Other Options: If You’re Feeling Adventurous

If you’re up for a bit of exploration or need an alternative route, here are some other stations and how to get from them to the Tivoli Royal Court:

Okhla NSIC (Magenta Line)

• Exit the Station: Head towards the exit for Okhla Phase I.
• Hop in an Auto: Much like at Govind Puri, autos are your friends here.
• Short Ride: It’s a slightly longer ride than from Govind Puri, but still pretty quick.

Nehru Place (Violet Line)

• Exit the Station: Follow signs for Nehru Place market exit.
• Take an Auto or Bus: Autos are available, or you could take a bus if you’re feeling particularly adventurous (and thrifty).

Kalkaji Mandir (Violet & Magenta Lines)

• Exit the Station: Choose the exit based on the line you’re coming from.
• Auto or E-rickshaw: Both are readily available, and the ride is not too long.

A Step-by-Step Guide: Reaching Tivoli Royal Court

1. Planning Your Route

Let’s break it down into bite-sized steps. Think of it as a recipe for travel success:

• Check the Metro Map: Identify your starting station and plot a course to Govind Puri.
• Purchase Your Token/Card: Grab a token for a single journey or use your metro card for convenience.
• Hop on the Metro: Board the metro towards Govind Puri. Enjoy the ride and maybe catch up on some reading or people-watching.

2. Navigating the Metro

• Stay Alert: Keep an eye on the stations. Govind Puri is on the Violet Line, so make sure you’re on the right train.
• Station Announcements: Listen to the announcements. They’re there to help, even if they sometimes sound like they’re underwater.
• Get Off at Govind Puri: Exit the train and head towards the station exit for Okhla Phase III.

3. The Final Stretch

• Find an Auto: Walk out and flag down an auto-rickshaw. Tell the driver you’re headed to Tivoli Royal Court. They’ll know where it is – it’s a popular destination.
• Enjoy the Ride: It’s a short trip, so sit back and maybe enjoy a bit of local scenery.

Table: Quick Reference for Metro to Tivoli Royal Court

Metro Station	Line	Exit Direction	Transport Option	Approx. Travel Time
Govind Puri	Violet Line	Okhla Phase III	Auto-rickshaw	10-15 minutes
Okhla NSIC	Magenta Line	Okhla Phase I	Auto-rickshaw	15-20 minutes
Nehru Place	Violet Line	Nehru Place market exit	Auto-rickshaw / Bus	20-25 minutes
Kalkaji Mandir	Violet & Magenta Lines	Depending on Line	Auto-rickshaw / E-rickshaw	20-25 minutes

Tips for a Smooth Journey

• Travel Light: The less you carry, the easier your journey. Plus, you’ll have more room for all the goodies at the event.
• Be Early: Delhi Metro is usually punctual, but it’s always good to give yourself a buffer.
• Stay Safe: Keep an eye on your belongings and be aware of your surroundings.

Wrapping It Up with Some Humor

Navigating Delhi can sometimes feel like participating in a reality show. You’ve got the drama of rush hour, the comedy of trying to communicate with auto drivers, and the suspense of wondering if you’ll get a seat on the metro. But with this guide, you’re well-equipped to make it to the Tivoli Royal Court with ease (and maybe even a smile).
So, next time someone asks you how to get to the Tivoli Royal Court in Okhla, you can confidently say, “Oh, that’s easy! Just take the metro to Govind Puri and grab an auto from there.” You might even add, “And don’t forget to invite me to the event – I love a good party!”
And there you have it – a simple, humorous, and hopefully helpful guide to navigating your way to the Tivoli Royal Court via the nearest metro station. Safe travels, and enjoy the event

TW ⚠️ (paranormal) please stop reading now if you are easily upset or afraid of these things.
I’m going to be going over a lot of stuff so I do hope you stick around till the end…
World War III is happening however, It’s mostly taking place in the psychic/spiritual realm.
In Eckhart Tolles book, “The Power of Now” and “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrnes, they essentially state that our thoughts aren’t our own. My intention for this post is to tell you and warn you about the ways in which the mind can be tampered with and manipulated. If I asked you to calm your thoughts for a second and predict what thought you would have next….most if not all of us will not be able to come up with anything. Our minds can easily be manipulated especially now more than ever because of the instability that is occurring in the world. You might not think that it is impacting you or that nothing like that could happen to you but it will…trust. Whatever happens in one area will spread to another area kinda like COVID except what I’m talking about here in particular are spirits. Metaphorically, Pandora’s box has been opened and there’s no way around it except to face what will be happening next. My mom keeps asking me why I’m so concerned with the state of the world that I should just focus on myself and focus on what I want but my mind is NOT wired that way. I am not trying to fear monger but there is a great spiritual war that is about to play out on the world wide stage. The Vatican is announcing on the 17th the ways in which we can deal with these possible spiritual encounters but I’ve been dealing with these types of things for years now so I picked up a few things on how to thwart away some of their negative influences. Which I will be getting into later. As I mentioned before there’s four dimensions to my “gifts”.
1.channeled thoughts 2.Feelings/sensations 3.Dreams 4.visions
I didn’t have access to all four until recently I’d say probably somewhere around 10-11 months ago. I only had access to 2 & 3. However when your mind & body is put through a lot of stress certain “junk” DNA gets unlocked. What I’m talking about right now is epigenetics. We all have generational curses but we also have generational gifts. These gifts can be unlocked when we are put in situations that push us past our mental and emotional boundaries. Nevertheless, close friends and family around me know that not only have I been receiving certain messages (aka downloads as many spiritual people call it) regarding myself, the people in my life but also the world. Some of the downloads that come in can be very dark in nature but they aren’t necessarily my own. For example, I am not a suicidal person but I kept getting these visions of getting shot in the head and It didn’t show me who it was. There are many instances that I’ve had odd visions like that. Sometimes I would see sexual visions about people I’m not even sexually attracted to so these things would confuse the fuck out of me. And made me feel like damn I didn’t know my mind is so dirty but the truth is I don’t have a dirty mind but these visions would still come to me in that way as if trying to tell me something about those certain hypocrites oopse I mean people. Mainstream doctors have no answers for me. They love to slap a diagnosis on me and fill me up with drugs and “medication” that treat the symptom of the problem but not the problem itself. I shouldn’t have to say this but yes I take my meds every time I am given them. However, these medications fundamentally are ineffective FOR ME. Because I am not sick and I have been trying to deal with my abilities and “powers”. no one around me really has them (they do actually just not as developed as mine are unfortunately). My friends and family are doing everything in the power to understand me and what Im going through and be there for me but unfortunately they cannot even though they think they do/can. I wish I could place each and every one of you into my mind and memories so that you can see exactly what I’m experiencing.
I must seek out the help of a spiritual mentor kinda like the bald lady from Dr. Strange but that would probably require me to travel to some sort of Asian country to get the real deal…unless anyone can tell me someone in the USA I could talk to???
According the the Vatican these sort of visions might start to happen to people who have never had visions like these before. The vibration of the planet is rising and unfortunately this means that we’re going to start becoming sensitive to the spiritual realms. and if it does start happening to you or someone you know please follow the directions below.
Keep in mind that there’s a VERY thin line between spiritual awakening and psychosis. It’s like walking a tight rope. It’s not good to veer too far to one side or the other (tangible vs. Intangible worlds)
You’ll need sage or palo santo, epsome salt and this last part is optional but you can buy one or two crystal bracelets with properties that resonate with you. Which arm you wear them on is important aswell. Left arm is masculine energy and right is feminine. Wearing the bracelet on one arm or the other makes a difference. I’d be here typing forever if I explained everything but a quick google search should do.
Directions for cleansing & protecting your home:
First make sure all the windows are closed and light the palo Santo or sage and walk all through out your home until the smoke saturates the area afterwards I’d say wait like 10 mins then open all the windows of your house. This will cause any negative energies or spirits to leave your home.
Second cleanse all protection talismans in the house with sage, evil eye beads, crystal bracelets, hamsa hand decorations, etc.
Third prayer is so powerful & underrated please make sure you recite a prayer from whatever religion you believe in, you can even airplay the prayer onto the TV of your home for the same effect. For those of you that aren’t religious I would recommend playing some solfeggio frequencies.
Directions for cleansing & protecting yourself and loved ones:
First use sage or palo santo to trace the shape of your body, put your arms and hands underneath the smoke and in your minds eye imagine that the smoke is penetrating the darkness deep within you (darkness exists within us all no matter how religious or pure you claim yourself to be).
Two take a pure Epsom salt bath, submerge yourself completely and wait like 15-20 mins while rubbing the salt into your skin till it dissolves.
Three drink water with intentions in it such as holy water or zam zam water. It also helps to carry a paper or a book with you with prayers and religious texts on it.
Four Wear a veil or bandana over your head to cover the crown chakra, a simple hoodie also works
Five Walk around in a grassy area barefoot for about 15-20 minutes so that your body absorbs negative ions. Or alternatively visit the beach and walk around there.
Please feel free to add your own suggestions or ask me any questions or not

Hello everyone, I have been a beginner DM for DnD for almost a year now and I recently encountered a problem I had never faced before.
To summarize the situation for you, my players were accidentally teleported to the Feywild. In order to escape, they all decided to seek out an archfey who might be willing to help them. So far, no problem. They eventually managed to secure an audience with one of them. Before meeting the archfey in question, one of her sprite servants explained to the players that they must choose their words carefully and be respectful towards her because she is very sensitive. The idea I had was that depending on what the PCs said and how they addressed her, the archfey would be more or less compliant (as with most NPCs, you might say, but for her they really needed to choose their words VERY carefully to persuade her).
This is where my problem starts. One of my players plays a human rogue who has a particularly irritating behavior, both towards NPCs and even PCs (incidentally, the other characters this player has played also behave similarly, but that's another issue). He steals from, attacks, torments, and insults everyone he encounters, even the kindest NPCs, and with the villains, it's even worse. Many PCs are provocative towards their enemies, but he continues to be very disrespectful even when it could mean life or death (which is not particularly realistic, but until now, I have always let it slide because, in the end, he plays his character as he sees fit).
Of course, when it was this player's turn to address the archfey, he began to mock her and insult her gratuitously (to the horrified and disapproving looks of the rest of the table). I then asked him if he was sure he wanted to say that, making it clear that this time there would be very, very serious consequences for his character given what was about to happen. He smiled and said that she couldn't do anything to him and that he would get out of it as he always had. Except this time, it wasn't just simple bandits he had insulted; it was an archfey!
What had to happen, happened: the archfey disintegrated him, turning him into confetti, killing him instantly. The player immediately reacted by saying it was unfair and that I had a player-versus-DM mentality and that I had no right to kill his character instantly like that. I then explained that I had warned him a few moments earlier that if he did that, there would be extremely serious consequences for his character, but he decided to proceed anyway.
The other players are on my side; they think it was the most logical response to the situation and that the behavior of this player's character had to catch up with him sooner or later. However, I wonder if I did the right thing. Does an instant death like this seem too arbitrary to you? Should I allow his character to come back in some way? Or was it the right thing to do?

TW ⚠️ (paranormal) please stop reading now if you are easily upset or afraid of these things.
I’m going to be going over a lot of stuff so I do hope you stick around till the end…
World War III is happening however, It’s mostly taking place in the psychic/spiritual realm.
In Eckhart Tolles book, “The Power of Now” and “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrnes, they essentially state that our thoughts aren’t our own. My intention for this post is to tell you and warn you about the ways in which the mind can be tampered with and manipulated. If I asked you to calm your thoughts for a second and predict what thought you would have next….most if not all of us will not be able to come up with anything. Our minds can easily be manipulated especially now more than ever because of the instability that is occurring in the world. You might not think that it is impacting you or that nothing like that could happen to you but it will…trust. Whatever happens in one area will spread to another area kinda like COVID except what I’m talking about here in particular are spirits. Metaphorically, Pandora’s box has been opened and there’s no way around it except to face what will be happening next. My mom keeps asking me why I’m so concerned with the state of the world that I should just focus on myself and focus on what I want but my mind is NOT wired that way. I am not trying to fear monger but there is a great spiritual war that is about to play out on the world wide stage. The Vatican is announcing on the 17th the ways in which we can deal with these possible spiritual encounters but I’ve been dealing with these types of things for years now so I picked up a few things on how to thwart away some of their negative influences. Which I will be getting into later. As I mentioned before there’s four dimensions to my “gifts”.
1.channeled thoughts 2.Feelings/sensations 3.Dreams 4.visions
I didn’t have access to all four until recently I’d say probably somewhere around 10-11 months ago. I only had access to 2 & 3. However when your mind & body is put through a lot of stress certain “junk” DNA gets unlocked. What I’m talking about right now is epigenetics. We all have generational curses but we also have generational gifts. These gifts can be unlocked when we are put in situations that push us past our mental and emotional boundaries. Nevertheless, close friends and family around me know that not only have I been receiving certain messages (aka downloads as many spiritual people call it) regarding myself, the people in my life but also the world. Some of the downloads that come in can be very dark in nature but they aren’t necessarily my own. For example, I am not a suicidal person but I kept getting these visions of getting shot in the head and It didn’t show me who it was. There are many instances that I’ve had odd visions like that. Sometimes I would see sexual visions about people I’m not even sexually attracted to so these things would confuse the fuck out of me. And made me feel like damn I didn’t know my mind is so dirty but the truth is I don’t have a dirty mind but these visions would still come to me in that way as if trying to tell me something about those certain hypocrites oopse I mean people. Mainstream doctors have no answers for me. They love to slap a diagnosis on me and fill me up with drugs and “medication” that treat the symptom of the problem but not the problem itself. I shouldn’t have to say this but yes I take my meds every time I am given them. However, these medications fundamentally are ineffective FOR ME. Because I am not sick and I have been trying to deal with my abilities and “powers”. no one around me really has them (they do actually just not as developed as mine are unfortunately). My friends and family are doing everything in the power to understand me and what Im going through and be there for me but unfortunately they cannot even though they think they do/can. I wish I could place each and every one of you into my mind and memories so that you can see exactly what I’m experiencing.
I must seek out the help of a spiritual mentor kinda like the bald lady from Dr. Strange but that would probably require me to travel to some sort of Asian country to get the real deal…unless anyone can tell me someone in the USA I could talk to???
According the the Vatican these sort of visions might start to happen to people who have never had visions like these before. The vibration of the planet is rising and unfortunately this means that we’re going to start becoming sensitive to the spiritual realms. and if it does start happening to you or someone you know please follow the directions below.
Keep in mind that there’s a VERY thin line between spiritual awakening and psychosis. It’s like walking a tight rope. It’s not good to veer too far to one side or the other (tangible vs. Intangible worlds)
You’ll need sage or palo santo, epsome salt and this last part is optional but you can buy one or two crystal bracelets with properties that resonate with you. Which arm you wear them on is important aswell. Left arm is masculine energy and right is feminine. Wearing the bracelet on one arm or the other makes a difference. I’d be here typing forever if I explained everything but a quick google search should do.
Directions for cleansing & protecting your home:
First make sure all the windows are closed and light the palo Santo or sage and walk all through out your home until the smoke saturates the area afterwards I’d say wait like 10 mins then open all the windows of your house. This will cause any negative energies or spirits to leave your home.
Second cleanse all protection talismans in the house with sage, evil eye beads, crystal bracelets, hamsa hand decorations, etc.
Third prayer is so powerful & underrated please make sure you recite a prayer from whatever religion you believe in, you can even airplay the prayer onto the TV of your home for the same effect. For those of you that aren’t religious I would recommend playing some solfeggio frequencies.
Directions for cleansing & protecting yourself and loved ones:
First use sage or palo santo to trace the shape of your body, put your arms and hands underneath the smoke and in your minds eye imagine that the smoke is penetrating the darkness deep within you (darkness exists within us all no matter how religious or pure you claim yourself to be).
Two take a pure Epsom salt bath, submerge yourself completely and wait like 15-20 mins while rubbing the salt into your skin till it dissolves.
Three drink water with intentions in it such as holy water or zam zam water. It also helps to carry a paper or a book with you with prayers and religious texts on it.
Four Wear a veil or bandana over your head to cover the crown chakra, a simple hoodie also works
Five Walk around in a grassy area barefoot for about 15-20 minutes so that your body absorbs negative ions. Or alternatively visit the beach and walk around there.
Please feel free to add your own suggestions or ask me any questions or not

So, okay. I can't believe I'm stuck here, but I am, and I have no idea how to get out of this.
A few months back, I started this fanfic. I have the outline of the overall story, and I know most of the events, but the problem is whenever I sit down to write, I feel like I don't have a plan.
So far, I've only been able to write around 15k words, and I still haven't introduced all my ships (there are three in total; I've introduced only two). I've written long stories with multiple ships (three max, actually) and have never faced this problem before, but I don't know where it went wrong with this one.
Whatever I write feels dramatic and slow, but it also feels rushed. It’s almost like it’s clumpy? I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it feels like I’ve got the whole thing messed up. I've got around six drafts for this chapter already, and I’m still not satisfied. Atp, I feel I am just shooting arrows in the void.
So, how do you guys plan your long stories? I really need some writer advice on this. I have such amazing plans for this fic, and not being able to write it is so disheartening.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! I'm a closeted SEAsian baby butch lesbian who only came to realization after a year ago. I had always dress masculine/queer since I was a child. But I was forced to be more feminine, wear dresses, make up by my mom.
Looking back, I looked really good with the feminine looks but it felt like ... It wasn't me, I was trying to appeal to society.. The feminine appearance doesn't match my personalities at all.
After identifying as a butch lesbian, I finally started to dress MORE masculine, comfortable fits that I actually like. I started to get a short haircut and just kept going until i got a pretty cool short mullet like a guy! Yay! (BUT i still looked feminine because... eh)
However, my mom doesn't like it at all and she constantly tells me how much she wants me to grow my hair to hide my square jaw . Even though this haircut has made me learn how to love my jaw so much, it is genuinely empowering to me.
I felt like she's projecting her insecurity to me because she said she wanted to hide her jaw ( We don't even have the same face shape) But maybe because I had my dad's feature, who she deeply hates.
Honestly? I think it's lowkey homophobic too. She had no problem with my sister having short hair.. But now I dress masculine, look like a boy with this haircut, is happy with myself, stops doing feminine make up looks, she's using the excuse of wanting me to grow longer hair to force me to be feminine again.
Tldr: closeted baby butch living with insecure mom.