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I'm thinking of ending a friendship.
I don't have a lot of friends, and most of them are now my partner's friend's girlfriends. She is one of them. My boyfriend is also the godfather of their child.
Before this trip, there were a few thing I was not okay with. They were always late to everything, The way they treat their dog, their relationship, and their pregnancy.. but it wasn't affecting me so I let it go.
This last weekend we went on a canoe portage trip. It was a first for me, we didn't have a canoe, but we had planned to rent one out. The friend, we'll call him Kyle, had agreed to come with my BF get the canoe and it had to be done before 1pm. Kyle didn't wake up until 1:30pm and laughed it off, saying he would bring his row boat instead. I was already so mad, because for the entire week prior I had been reminding Kyle and BF that it had to be done before 1PM. On the last day before leaving, Kyle's GF, Jenny decided she was also coming. it took me months to find a reasonable sitter for my dog, who is very calm and well trained. She was not going to find one in less than 24h, so she decided they were bringing it. The morning of, they were supposed to pick us up at 9am, they didn't show up until 9:40 because they misplaced the pin for their boat trailer. The dog didn't have his lead, he just had paracord that was extremely short and hard to grab. They told me the lead was at the bottom of their backpack. We get there, unload all the boats, and they decide without talking to anyone that they will take their canoe, and that my BF and I, with another guy, will take the row boat and the dog. They didn't take the lead out of their bag and the paracord was too short to tie to the boat.
It took 3x as long to row the boat to where we were going. The dog decided to leap in the water and took down an expensive fishing rod. On land he was running around, while we were trying to haul the kits and the boat through portage points.
I'm NGL I complained the entire day. I should have made the best of a shitty situation but I was so mad. I just complained and bitched the whole time. Once we had settled at the campground, she told me I had to stop being a bitch about the situation, because they were kind enough to drive us up and lend us their boat. That the dog is a package deal, so if I wanted her to come, the dog came too. I told her the problem was that Kyle was the one who didn't wake up to go get the canoe, that they made the decision for BF and I to take the boat without asking us first, and didn't take care of their dog that they decided to bring. She said they were leaving the next morning with the boat and their canoe and told us good luck getting back. Well there was no way for them to do it, it took at least 4 to lift the boat, but still I didn't want the whole trip to be ruined on the first day, so I apologized for being a bitch (which in fairness made it even worse and I'm glad she called me out for that), and asked her to stay.
Throughout the weekend, they left the dog tied to a tree and went about their business. They never came to check on it, so we refilled it's water.
On the way back, we once again had to take the row boat, but with my positive attitude and practice on our side, it went much smoother, the dog was tired and slept the whole way. They made it back much faster than we did. All the other canoews were already loaded, but theirs was still on the water with all their kit inside. BF and I unloaded our boat and their boat, loaded up their car and then helped load their canoe and the boat. Throughout the whole weekend, they never thanked us for sucking it up with the boat, or carrying their stuff, or taking care of their dog. They just expected it. It pissed me off so much. I didn't thank them when they dropped us home, I just went straight in. After some time, I talked to my BF and cried. It was still fun but it was nothing close to what I was expecting.
Now my question.
Is this worth ending a friendship over and how should I approach this? What would you do?

What’s the best way to farm nuclear keycards? The only nuclear key cards I’ve gotta were on player vendors. Trying to launch some nukes but don’t have any. No matter how hard I scavenge i can’t find any. Either it be from a player vendor or just finding them. For some reason I can’t find anyone who sells them when the first week I played I ran into a lot of players selling now it seems the supply has dwindled a bit

I am going through a recent breakup and am gaining new insights every day. This sub has been helpful and I am gaining new language to describe things. I didn’t realize we were in a codependent relationship until it ended but it was guided with healthy pillars and we did resolve conflict in healthy ways and were willing to change and grow and improve over time. We filled a lot of needs for each other and I think it just felt at least for me that I felt alive for the first time in years and butterflies which I’m now realizing is a fight or flight response. I think we both had savior complexes and some narcissistic tendencies and we both had similar childhood traumas which manifested in her avoidant tendencies and my anxious tendencies which were the main sources of tension in the relationship. She had a freeze trauma response and mine was fawn. Even these labels don’t necessarily fully match us and our situation but they have been very helpful in at least connecting how childhood trauma manifests in some of these behaviors and patterns. I think it’s confusing because we did care about each other and maybe loved each other in our own ways even if we weren’t necessarily in love with each other and were willing to try and make it work. I do think we were respectful of each other’s boundaries overall and integrity is important to both of us. We also didn’t have the best communication and ironically only got on the same page and things felt aligned right before the end of the relationship. We also have done a lot of work on our own in therapy before this understanding ourselves and having some tools to navigate all this. So needless to say there was some toxic and codependent elements and there also was some healthy elements. For me it’s at least important to recognize there’s nuance and not try to label something 100% of one thing.
I also viewed her trauma as a lot more severe than my own and it is in some respects and didn’t fully appreciate all the work she has done and the tools she’s developed to manage it. It’s actually been helpful incorporating some of those ways of thinking say for processing my emotions and “honoring my feelings” which I didn’t do before and learned from her. Or viewing relationships and life as ebbs and flows and better accepting that. I also underestimated my own trauma and how it has shaped me and manifests in relationships and even in the end I was trying to help and “fix” her when she didn’t want that and didn’t ask for it and I didn’t have the self-awareness that I also need to do a lot of things I encouraged her to do like therapy or having more tools to manage baseline stress and anxiety or that our actions don’t just hurt ourselves but those around us. I did things with good intentions but it wasn’t always appropriate. I also think we both were too hard on ourselves.
It’s difficult to process because I recognize we are just imperfect people who both brought good and bad things to the relationship and the relationship resulted in both good and bad things. Even some of the growth and healing came from unhealthy and unsustainable places. I’m just thinking out loud and hope it’s helpful for someone out there and also welcome any thoughts. I think the things I’m wrestling with lately are that not everything is so black and white and can be multiple things at once and the end of the relationship wasn’t handled as well as it could so we’ll never be able to reconnect. At least I wasn’t ghosted and had some sense of closure though. I hope we both heal and gain our own understanding of what happened and move forward better people who have a better understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like. I appreciate the time we spent together even if it was toxic and unhealthy because it’s helped me understand my needs and boundaries better and how to better articulate them and it did heal me in some deep ways for wounds I didn’t even know I had. It’s also providing me an opportunity to grow more and exposed things I didn’t know were problems.

She got up in the dark, with only the dim ambience of soft blue lighting to accompany her. She stretched all four arms, her two legs, and rolled her neck. It struck her as mildly interesting in that moment, how something so small could connect them to humans, The thought was fleeting as she took another step forward to kneel down on the floor. There, in a little alcove in the wall, she had set a volcanic rock from Anin, dried moss, and other paraphernalia from her home world. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath resting her hands together.
Praise and respect to the spirits of Anin. Praise the fathers and mothers of war gone to their rest below the moss and the earth. Praise their spirits that watch from the sky and peer through the ether down upon us.
She continued the slow mantra in the style of Prayer learned from Naktan and pulled her concentration to her core, ignoring anything and everything around her. A deep state of meditation overtook her. She would never have done this if she thought there were any chance that she was in danger, but below she knew Earth glowed like a sphere before their orbiting ship. There was no worry of invasion.
She thought she heard something at one point, but chose to ignore it as she continued her mantra.
Eventually, and after an unknown amount of minutes, she stood and turned slowly to find-
She stopped, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What are you doing?”
Adam burrowed his way further down into her blankets, nuzzling his head up against her pillow,
"So warm, and comfy!"
She tried not to smile,
"You dumbass."
He pulled the blankets tighter around himself,
"You know, I did come here to talk to you, but now I actually am really comfortable, so come back in two hours."
"I- This is MY home!"
He closed his eyes and pretended to snore loudly.
She rolled her eyes as she watched him theatrically pretend to sleep. She looked around mildly for a moment, before picking up another pillow and glancing at the door. She casually walked over, dropped the pillow on his head and then held it down as if she intended to smother him.
”Die human scum!”
That got him up and moving.
Before long the two of them were grappling for the upper hand, him trying to put her in a choke hold, and her using her lower arms to pinch him.
He yelped,
"Ouch! Pinching is illegal!”
"Sissy."
He clamped his legs around her lower arms, pinning them in place.
She struggled for a minute and then went limp.
She could feel his smug smile,
"I win, I beat the saint of Anin. Everyone bow at my feet."
"You say that, but if this were a real fight, since you’re a human male, you're the one with a self-destruct button."
"Self-destruct button...?"
"Meaning if this were a real fight, I would have punched you in the balls."
"Yaoooutch… Oh god… Please don't."
Finally, he let her go, leaving the two of them to lay on her bed, sheets scattered on the floor around them, and her pillows in disarray. Adam put his hands behind his head and sighed.
She glanced over at him,
"I don't suppose you came to just hang out. Here on Admiral-ly business?"
He groaned, pulling one of her pillows over his face,
"Please smother me for real this time."
She leaned up on one of her elbows,
"Why?"
"I don't wanna be an adult anymore!"
She tilted her head to the side, watching in amusement as he attempted to throw a childlike tantrum, but only really had the energy to kick his feet once,
"It's boring and lame and they won’t let me wear heelies to important meetings... also children don't have to pay taxes."
She laughed, pulling the pillow from his face,
"Adam you are many things, but 'adult' is not one of them."
He grinned slightly,
"True enough."
He sighed again and rested his head back against the pillows,
"I just want to get back to what we are supposed to be doing, exploring the universe and making cool alien friends."
He threw up his hands in frustration,
"But suddenly I find myself embroiled in stupid annoying politics that I don't understand, being used by people who are, let’s face it, WAY smarter than me, constantly finding myself getting manipulated."
She huffed,
"They aren't smarter than you Adam, they're just manipulative, and you aren't."
He sighed,
"Fair enough."
Then he looked at her, bright green eyes reflecting the soft ambient blue light,
"I just, I miss this, I miss us, I miss hanging out and doing stupid shit, and all of the things I could do when I wasn't so important and this operation was smaller."
She smiled rather sadly reaching one hand over for his, lacing the four of her fingers through the five of his,
"Well someone has to do the hard things, who better than you?”
He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow,
"Or you, miss saint?”
She rolled her eyes again,
"Can't seem to get you off of that. I'm still the same person I used to be."
"But with power."
She elbowed him gently and he grinned,
"But really, I am proud and impressed and... Let's be honest super super smug that 'I' know you personally."
"I know, I am pretty terrific."
The two of them laughed for a minute before settling down again. He glanced over to her little shrine on the wall,
"What were you doing just then?"
She looked up at the ceiling, following the lines of metal and rivets with her eyes,
"Praying to the spirits of Anin."
Embarrassed, he shifted,
"I didn't know you were... Well I didn't think you were all that religious?"
She shrugged,
"Don't feel bad, it's sort of a new thing. Back before all this, it was sort of just stories to me. Like I believed it because that was what everyone believed, but I didn't really accept it, or feel it the way I do now. After everything with my mother, it was hard to feel connected to something I felt I wasn't a part of... But then after visiting my mother, after becoming a saint for a religion I never really followed... Well, it started to make more sense. It feels real now in a way that it never did."
She turned to look at him, finding him watching her, the UV blue stripes in his skin glowing blue.
"I believe in the spirits of Anin more than I ever have."
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand,
"I'm glad to hear it."
They lapsed into silence for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling before, inevitably he broke it,
"So this makes you like, space Moses right?”
She frowned and turned to look at him,
"What is a “Moses”?"
He grinned,
"A guy from one of the Earth Religions. You know, guy follows god's directions to lead his people away from slavery, climbs a mountain, receives the word of god, comes down to give it to the people, that sort of thing."
Sunny tilted her head slightly to the side,
"Are you religious?"
He paused, frowning,
"I... well I... don't really know. My family has been some flavor of Christian for a long time."
"Christian?"
"Uh yeah, the general idea is that there is one all-powerful deity who created everything. He has rules and laws that you are supposed to follow, the general tenants of this specific religion mostly boil down to: love everyone and don't be a dick, which humans are notoriously bad at. You sin you go to hell, a very bad place after you die, and if you are a good person you go to heaven. Problem is everyone is a sinner and breaks the rules, so really no one was going to get into heaven."
"That sounds bleak..."
"Well, that's where the other stuff comes in. Basically, this all-powerful deity sent down his son in human form to live a perfect life, so when he was martyred he took on the sins of all of humanity and paid for them in the greatest act of mercy to open the gate for the rest of us into heaven."
Sunny shifted as he tilted to the side to lay in the crook of her arms,
"Of course that is just one religion among tons on earth, we aren't really as cohesive in our beliefs as Drev are... As for me... I'm not really sure."
She tilted her head to the side, cheek resting against his hair,
"After seeing space, I become more and more convinced of some... Thing that created everything, but beyond that it's sort of a tossup."
She ran one hand through his hair, coarse but still soft somehow.
"You know my name comes from that religion?”
She turned her head to look at him,
"Oh, really?”
"Adam was the first man."
"What do you mean!?”
Adam shrugged,
"He was supposedly the first man that god created, from the dust of the earth... I think?"
She gave him a sidelong glance,
"Look, and you get to be the first idiot in space."
He snorted and poked her in the ribs.
"There were PLENTY of idiots in space before me, believe you me."
"Mmm I don't know, you are pretty dumb."
He laughed, grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. She rolled over so she was lying on top of him and then went limp.
He struggled,
"Get your big ass off me."
"Oh no, I have been attacked by a sudden acute case of the “my spine doesn't work anymore”-disease."
"If you don't move, you'll suddenly find yourself with a case of “fist in your face”-disease."
She laughed and rolled off him, making sure the hard parts of her carapace were sticking down for maximum discomfort.
He grunted.
They returned to lying down next to each other in the half darkness. Sunny reached over and turned on some quiet music in the background as the two of them sat and talked, and laughed.
"I can't wait to get back to deep space."
He closed his eyes and hummed softly at the thought,
"Just the crew and the darkness and nothing ahead of us but an endless frontier."
Surprisingly, she found the thought to be more than a little comforting, and closed her eyes thinking about the vast reaches of blackness and the endless spinning galaxies.
"And while we are out, we can drop Conn into a pulsar."
He snorted,
“Why? Well first of for scientific reasons! If a marshmallow causes a nuclear blast, I wonder what dropping Conn would do… but at least he’d be dead.”
"That billowy bastard would survive and you know it."
She huffed,
"Still though, if I have to hear one more smug lecture how he has a child with you, I'm gonna wring his scrawny neck."
He grinned teeth flashing blue in the light,
"Is someone... Jealous?"
Sunny laughed, almost tipping him off the bed and onto the floor with her mirth,
"Yes Adam, I am totally jealous, really I am, ‘kay?. I mean who wouldn't want to have a child with YOU, big dumb, dork. Really the perfect place to put my superior genes."
"Superior genes, says someone who can't reach the top shelf."
She kicked him, foot clanging off his prosthetic,
"I am a foot taller than you."
He placed his hand next to his ear,
"What was that, I can't hear you over how short you are."
Sunny shook her head,
"At least I have binocular vision and both my knees."
"So we are gonna ignore that that binocular vision is due to a prosthetic now after the whole “your mom” incident? And also, veeery important: weird neck nostrils, don't forget about those!"
"Oh yes, so I can’t house them on my face like you and your bigass nose."
"Low blow, low blow."
"There are... Lower things... I could make fun of."
He snorted,
"Can't make fun of it if you've never seen it. You on the other hand, walking around in the nude..."
"You're welcome. Who wouldn't love…"
She gestured to herself,
"This."
"Mmm yeah... chitin, very sexy."
"I am a gift to the universe, and should be appreciated by everyone."
He brushed a hand through his hair,
"Well I find that real gifts are gift wrapped, so jot that down."
"Oh yeah, like a prank gift when you put something lame in a box for something cool."
He frowned at her,
"You wound me. My feelings are so very very hurt. I might even cry."
"I drink human tears."
"That… that's really gross.'
She laughed and then they lapsed into silence. She could hear him breathing quietly next to her in the darkness, his chest rising and falling under the ambient blue light. She looked across the room to where her saint armor was hanging in its climate-controlled case illuminated to a pearly sheen.
"Adam?"
"Yeah?”
"You know I'm just kidding about calling you dumb right?"
"Yeah I know."
"I'm proud of what you've been doing."
Adam turned to look at her rather incredulous,
"Me, of what? I haven't been doing shit."
"So, we are just going to ignore you overthrowing a maniacal politician while simultaneously piloting a 2,000 year old spacecraft?"
"That was more Conn and Eris than it was me."
"It was your idea."
"Let’s not forget Admiral Kelly."
Sunny pulled him closer,
"I am sorry, I will not be accepting anything other than you acknowledging that you did a good job."
"Screw you!”
"You'd like that wouldn't you?”
He sighed,
"You've been talking to Ramirez WAY too much."
She was only slightly smug as she rested her head back against the pillow,
"I really should get up and train..."
"We should yeah..."
Neither of them moved.
"Alternatively, we could just... Lay here... All day and do... nothing."
She looked up at the ceiling for a long moment and pretended to be in deep contemplation before…
"Well it's official, you have convinced me. You and your silver tongue."
"I am a master negotiator."
He shifted position putting one arm behind his head,
"Think about it, by this time tomorrow we will be back to space exploring and doing what we should have been doing all along. I can't wait."
"That makes two of us."
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Hey everyone,
I'm in charge of a Hyper-V cluster that has about 10 to 15 virtual machines. I want to update the Intel drivers because of some security issues https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-centedefault.html
I want to do this update the best way possible, making sure it's efficient and works well. Does anyone know how to update drivers on a Hyper-V cluster? Any tips or best practices would be super helpful.

Im looking for some help understanding how to set up an AGM StingIR as a clip on mounted in front of a LVPO. Couple of questions: Does the image/thermal have to be “zeroed” to my day scope? The ADM flip mount I am using & my scope are aligned in height. (1.54” scope mount) If so what’s the best way to go about this? Does one turn on the retical & move it until lines up with the day optic? If this is the method, will it retain zero after being turned on & off, removed etc ? Or am I over thinking this? Trying to avoid shooting it the first time & missing in a bad way……

Hey WebDevMauritius community,
I want to spark a discussion on a topic that often comes up among web developers and designers: WordPress vs. Webflow. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one can significantly impact the success of your project. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each to help you decide which might be the better fit for your next website.

WordPress

Pros:

1. Flexibility and Customization: WordPress is incredibly versatile. With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can customize your site to fit almost any need, from blogs and portfolios to e-commerce stores and membership sites.
2. Large Community and Support: Being one of the most popular CMS platforms, WordPress has a vast community. This means plenty of tutorials, forums, and third-party support to help you solve any issues you might encounter.
3. SEO-Friendly: WordPress is built with SEO in mind. Plugins like Yoast SEO make it easy to optimize your content and improve your site’s search engine rankings.
4. Cost-Effective: WordPress itself is free, and many themes and plugins are available at no cost. Even with premium options, it’s generally more affordable than many other platforms.

Cons:

1. Learning Curve: While powerful, WordPress can be daunting for beginners. Understanding how to effectively use themes, plugins, and manage updates requires some learning.
2. Maintenance: Regular updates and maintenance are essential to keep your site secure and running smoothly. This can be time-consuming, especially if you’re managing multiple sites.
3. Performance: Depending on your theme and plugins, WordPress sites can sometimes suffer from performance issues. Optimizing for speed and performance often requires additional effort.

Webflow

Pros:

1. Design Freedom: Webflow offers a visual, drag-and-drop interface that allows for precise control over the design. It’s great for designers who want to create visually stunning websites without writing code.
2. Built-In Hosting: Webflow includes fast and secure hosting as part of its service. This eliminates the need to find and manage a separate hosting provider.
3. No Plugins Required: Many features that require plugins in WordPress are built directly into Webflow. This can simplify the development process and reduce potential security vulnerabilities.
4. CMS Capabilities: Webflow’s CMS is user-friendly and flexible, allowing you to create custom content structures that can be easily managed by clients.

Cons:

1. Cost: Webflow’s pricing can be higher compared to WordPress, especially for larger projects or e-commerce sites. While it offers a lot of value, the cost might be a consideration for budget-conscious projects.
2. Learning Curve: While Webflow’s interface is intuitive for designers, it still has a learning curve, particularly for those not familiar with web design principles.
3. Limited Community: While growing, Webflow’s community and support resources are not as extensive as WordPress's. Finding specific solutions or custom integrations might be more challenging.

Conclusion

Choosing between WordPress and Webflow largely depends on your specific project needs and your personal or team’s skill set. If you need a highly customizable, scalable platform with a vast array of plugins, WordPress might be the way to go. If you’re a designer looking for maximum control over your site’s design without diving deep into code, Webflow could be the better choice.
Have you used WordPress, Webflow, or both? What has your experience been like? Let’s discuss the pros and cons, share tips, and help each other make the best choice for our projects!
Looking forward to your insights!

I (30F) met a woman (also 30F) who only recently figured out that she was bi. I should mention that we are in Western Europe so that makes me raise an eyebrow, but I guess everything is possible. She has never been with a woman and is quite eager to try it out, even if she is nervous.
Personally, I understand my assignment here and have very little expectations (if any). I don't want a relationship and she is quite pretty so I'm willing to take a risk. My main concerns are: (I) that she is not into it at all, as she obviously prefers men, and it ends up deeply awkward for both; (II) that I make things worse than they need to be for her.
She has said that I'm very cute and have a great body, so I don't think that looks will be a problem. Of course, I am aware that she is experimenting and that there are no miracles, so the best I can hope for is that I have a pleasant time with a cute woman. With this said, are there any tips that you can give me to give this the best possible chance to be enjoyable?

It's probably a long shot, but has anyone here ever gotten a new plat recording of their property? If so, do you have an attorney you can recommend?
We are trying to add on a garage, but due to the shape of our property, the only way to do this is to cross a deed-restricted setback. The city told me the best thing to do was to get a new plat recording. I have a surveyor working on the map piece, but I am striking out finding an attorney to help out with the paperwork and necessary sign-offs.

Ok so ... People compain about gold issues and low number of temperings they can do
SO MY TAKE ON THE GAME SO FAR: For leveling do Helltides, After that do Nightmare dungeons to level glyphs and to finish leveling to a 100 As you progressand change gear always put the aspects you need for your build, dont wait for perfect items, also do tempering to improve your build (you have 7 chances tbh , 2 for choosing the stats and the. 5 rerolls) if you hit 1/2 temperings it its good enough for a startup , after that enchant the item if it even has 1/3 stats you need , its perfect if it has 2/3 since the lacking stat you can reroll... LACK OF GOLD: Do the Tree of Whispers ez Gold And finally: The Pit for Masterworking
(Also a small tip or a thing i do when i am strong enough to run the pit, i gather enough mats to upgrade items i own that have perfect stats at least once, in both tempering and basic stats, so that when looking through the items i get after i dknt bother looking at those types of gear and focus on what i m lacking, unless it has a Star or greater affix)
The game so far is set up in such a way that depending on what you are lacking, you have a way to get it, and people want it to be even easier
Min/maxing issues: I understand people saying i have a perfect items but tempering gave me the lowest % omg no more rerolls, if that is a problem , blizzard could do it similar yo gambling and enchanting for example: Damage to close enemies effect 38%-55% is the range and you hit 38%, then at an Npc maybe spend gold to try and score the max roll of 55% (But make it a must do thing before masterworking the stats for example,similar how you cant masterwork without tempering first) or close to it, like we do with enchanting and with gold spent increase or even a fixed price would be better..
It was a long writing but i am interested in your take on the season so far and the things i mentioned?

Many people face hair loss. If you are also suffering from loss, you may have tried different hair care products. Some people also try medications. But nothing seems to work. However, there can be one effective solution to this - a hair transplantation treatment.
Hair transplantation is a surgical process. It involves moving hair from one part of your scalp to another. Generally, hair grows in patches on your head. The back of your scalp generally has hair that keeps growing. This is called the donor area.
In this process, the surgeon takes hair grafts from the donor area. These grafts can have one to four hairs. The surgeon then makes small holes in the bald or thinning area, called the recipient area. They place the grafts in these holes. And eventually hair grows in this area.
If you are looking for the best hair transplant in Kolkata, consult an expert today.

Is Hair Transplant Effective?

Hair transplant provides effective results. The new hair looks natural. It grows at the same rate as your existing hair. However, a hair transplant's outcome depends on a lot of factors. They work best for people with stable hair loss. Here are some things to consider before opting for hair transplantation in Kolkata:

• Type of hair loss: Hair transplants work best for male pattern baldness. This is the most common type of hair loss and it affects both men and women.
• Amount of hair loss: If you have a lot of hair loss, you may need multiple hair transplant sessions.
• Quality of donor hair: The more donor hair you have, the better the results will be.

What to Expect During Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair transplant surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure. This means you won't have to stay overnight in the hospital. Here is what to expect from a hair transplant procedure:

• The surgery can take several hours, depending on the number of grafts being transplanted.
• Local anesthesia is used to numb the area. You may also be given medication to help you relax.
• The surgeon uses a thin needle or blade to make tiny holes in the recipient area.
• They place the hair grafts in these holes.
• After the surgery, they bandage your scalp for a day or two.

Recovery After Hair Transplant Surgery

You may experience some swelling and discomfort after hair transplant surgery. This can be managed with pain medication. You may also see some scabbing around the transplanted hair. This is normal and will go away on its own within a few days.
Here are some tips for recovering from hair transplant surgery:

• Keep your scalp clean and dry.
• Avoid strenuous activity for a week or two.
• Don't wear hats or other headgear that could irritate your scalp.
• Be gentle when washing your hair.

Benefits of Hair Transplants

Hair transplants offer several benefits:

• Natural-looking hair: Transplanted hair grows and looks just like your natural hair.
• Permanent solution: Once the hair grows back, it should last a lifetime.
• Boosts confidence: Hair transplants can help you feel more confident about your appearance.

What are the Risks of Hair Transplant?

There are some risks associated with hair transplant, just like any other surgery. These include:

• Infection: This is a rare complication, but it's important to follow your doctor's instructions carefully to minimize the risk.
• Scarring: There is a small risk of scarring at the donor and recipient sites. However, these scars are usually very small and can be easily hidden by your hair.
• Bleeding: There may be some bleeding after surgery, but this is usually minimal.

Considering Hair Transplantation in Kolkata?

If you are considering hair transplantation in Kolkata, it's important to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon. Look for a surgeon who is certified by a reputable organization and has a proven track record of success.
Dr. Paul’s Advanced Hair & Skin Solutions is a leading hair transplant clinic in Kolkata. We offer hair transplantation treatment using the latest technique. We have a team of experienced surgeons who can help you achieve natural-looking and permanent results.

Conclusion

Hair transplantation can be a very effective way to restore hair loss. If you are considering this procedure, be sure to talk to a qualified surgeon. Discuss your options and determine if it's right for you. Dr. Paul’s Advanced Hair & Skin Solutions can help you achieve the thick, healthy hair you desire. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about our services in hair transplantation in Kolkata.
Many people face hair loss. If you are also suffering from loss, you may have tried different hair care products. Some people also try medications. But nothing seems to work. However, there can be one effective solution to this - a hair transplantation treatment.
Hair transplantation is a surgical process. It involves moving hair from one part of your scalp to another. Generally, hair grows in patches on your head. The back of your scalp generally has hair that keeps growing. This is called the donor area.
In this process, the surgeon takes hair grafts from the donor area. These grafts can have one to four hairs. The surgeon then makes small holes in the bald or thinning area, called the recipient area. They place the grafts in these holes. And eventually hair grows in this area.
If you are looking for the best hair transplant in Kolkata, consult an expert today.

Is Hair Transplant Effective?

Hair transplant provides effective results. The new hair looks natural. It grows at the same rate as your existing hair. However, a hair transplant's outcome depends on a lot of factors. They work best for people with stable hair loss. Here are some things to consider before opting for hair transplantation in Kolkata:

• Type of hair loss: Hair transplants work best for male pattern baldness. This is the most common type of hair loss and it affects both men and women.
• Amount of hair loss: If you have a lot of hair loss, you may need multiple hair transplant sessions.
• Quality of donor hair: The more donor hair you have, the better the results will be.

What to Expect During Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair transplant surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure. This means you won't have to stay overnight in the hospital. Here is what to expect from a hair transplant procedure:

• The surgery can take several hours, depending on the number of grafts being transplanted.
• Local anesthesia is used to numb the area. You may also be given medication to help you relax.
• The surgeon uses a thin needle or blade to make tiny holes in the recipient area.
• They place the hair grafts in these holes.
• After the surgery, they bandage your scalp for a day or two.

Recovery After Hair Transplant Surgery

You may experience some swelling and discomfort after hair transplant surgery. This can be managed with pain medication. You may also see some scabbing around the transplanted hair. This is normal and will go away on its own within a few days.
Here are some tips for recovering from hair transplant surgery:

• Keep your scalp clean and dry.
• Avoid strenuous activity for a week or two.
• Don't wear hats or other headgear that could irritate your scalp.
• Be gentle when washing your hair.

Benefits of Hair Transplants

Hair transplants offer several benefits:

• Natural-looking hair: Transplanted hair grows and looks just like your natural hair.
• Permanent solution: Once the hair grows back, it should last a lifetime.
• Boosts confidence: Hair transplants can help you feel more confident about your appearance.

What are the Risks of Hair Transplant?

There are some risks associated with hair transplant, just like any other surgery. These include:

• Infection: This is a rare complication, but it's important to follow your doctor's instructions carefully to minimize the risk.
• Scarring: There is a small risk of scarring at the donor and recipient sites. However, these scars are usually very small and can be easily hidden by your hair.
• Bleeding: There may be some bleeding after surgery, but this is usually minimal.

Considering Hair Transplantation in Kolkata?

If you are considering hair transplantation in Kolkata, it's important to choose a qualified and experienced surgeon. Look for a surgeon who is certified by a reputable organization and has a proven track record of success.
Dr. Paul’s Advanced Hair & Skin Solutions is a leading hair transplant clinic in Kolkata. We offer hair transplantation treatment using the latest technique. We have a team of experienced surgeons who can help you achieve natural-looking and permanent results.

Conclusion

Hair transplantation can be a very effective way to restore hair loss. If you are considering this procedure, be sure to talk to a qualified surgeon. Discuss your options and determine if it's right for you. Dr. Paul’s Advanced Hair & Skin Solutions can help you achieve the thick, healthy hair you desire. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about our services in hair transplantation in Kolkata.

FYI, this is a story COLLECTION. Lots of standalones technically. So, you can basically start to read at any chapter, no pre-read of the other chapters needed technically (other than maybe getting better descriptions of characters than: Adam Vir=human, Krill=antlike alien, Sunny=tall alien, Conn=telepathic alien). The numbers are (mostly) only for organization of posts and continuity.
OC Written by Charlie Stastarrfallknightrise,
Typed up and then posted here by me.
Proofreading and language check for some chapters by u/Finbar9800 u/BakeGullible9975 u/Didnotseemecomein and u/medium_jock
Future Lore and fact check done by me.
Awwwww! So cute!
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
She got up in the dark, with only the dim ambience of soft blue lighting to accompany her. She stretched all four arms, her two legs, and rolled her neck. It struck her as mildly interesting in that moment, how something so small could connect them to humans, The thought was fleeting as she took another step forward to kneel down on the floor. There, in a little alcove in the wall, she had set a volcanic rock from Anin, dried moss, and other paraphernalia from her home world. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath resting her hands together.
Praise and respect to the spirits of Anin. Praise the fathers and mothers of war gone to their rest below the moss and the earth. Praise their spirits that watch from the sky and peer through the ether down upon us.
She continued the slow mantra in the style of Prayer learned from Naktan and pulled her concentration to her core, ignoring anything and everything around her. A deep state of meditation overtook her. She would never have done this if she thought there were any chance that she was in danger, but below she knew Earth glowed like a sphere before their orbiting ship. There was no worry of invasion.
She thought she heard something at one point, but chose to ignore it as she continued her mantra.
Eventually, and after an unknown amount of minutes, she stood and turned slowly to find-
She stopped, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What are you doing?”
Adam burrowed his way further down into her blankets, nuzzling his head up against her pillow,
"So warm, and comfy!"
She tried not to smile,
"You dumbass."
He pulled the blankets tighter around himself,
"You know, I did come here to talk to you, but now I actually am really comfortable, so come back in two hours."
"I- This is MY home!"
He closed his eyes and pretended to snore loudly.
She rolled her eyes as she watched him theatrically pretend to sleep. She looked around mildly for a moment, before picking up another pillow and glancing at the door. She casually walked over, dropped the pillow on his head and then held it down as if she intended to smother him.
”Die human scum!”
That got him up and moving.
Before long the two of them were grappling for the upper hand, him trying to put her in a choke hold, and her using her lower arms to pinch him.
He yelped,
"Ouch! Pinching is illegal!”
"Sissy."
He clamped his legs around her lower arms, pinning them in place.
She struggled for a minute and then went limp.
She could feel his smug smile,
"I win, I beat the saint of Anin. Everyone bow at my feet."
"You say that, but if this were a real fight, since you’re a human male, you're the one with a self-destruct button."
"Self-destruct button...?"
"Meaning if this were a real fight, I would have punched you in the balls."
"Yaoooutch… Oh god… Please don't."
Finally, he let her go, leaving the two of them to lay on her bed, sheets scattered on the floor around them, and her pillows in disarray. Adam put his hands behind his head and sighed.
She glanced over at him,
"I don't suppose you came to just hang out. Here on Admiral-ly business?"
He groaned, pulling one of her pillows over his face,
"Please smother me for real this time."
She leaned up on one of her elbows,
"Why?"
"I don't wanna be an adult anymore!"
She tilted her head to the side, watching in amusement as he attempted to throw a childlike tantrum, but only really had the energy to kick his feet once,
"It's boring and lame and they won’t let me wear heelies to important meetings... also children don't have to pay taxes."
She laughed, pulling the pillow from his face,
"Adam you are many things, but 'adult' is not one of them."
He grinned slightly,
"True enough."
He sighed again and rested his head back against the pillows,
"I just want to get back to what we are supposed to be doing, exploring the universe and making cool alien friends."
He threw up his hands in frustration,
"But suddenly I find myself embroiled in stupid annoying politics that I don't understand, being used by people who are, let’s face it, WAY smarter than me, constantly finding myself getting manipulated."
She huffed,
"They aren't smarter than you Adam, they're just manipulative, and you aren't."
He sighed,
"Fair enough."
Then he looked at her, bright green eyes reflecting the soft ambient blue light,
"I just, I miss this, I miss us, I miss hanging out and doing stupid shit, and all of the things I could do when I wasn't so important and this operation was smaller."
She smiled rather sadly reaching one hand over for his, lacing the four of her fingers through the five of his,
"Well someone has to do the hard things, who better than you?”
He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow,
"Or you, miss saint?”
She rolled her eyes again,
"Can't seem to get you off of that. I'm still the same person I used to be."
"But with power."
She elbowed him gently and he grinned,
"But really, I am proud and impressed and... Let's be honest super super smug that 'I' know you personally."
"I know, I am pretty terrific."
The two of them laughed for a minute before settling down again. He glanced over to her little shrine on the wall,
"What were you doing just then?"
She looked up at the ceiling, following the lines of metal and rivets with her eyes,
"Praying to the spirits of Anin."
Embarrassed, he shifted,
"I didn't know you were... Well I didn't think you were all that religious?"
She shrugged,
"Don't feel bad, it's sort of a new thing. Back before all this, it was sort of just stories to me. Like I believed it because that was what everyone believed, but I didn't really accept it, or feel it the way I do now. After everything with my mother, it was hard to feel connected to something I felt I wasn't a part of... But then after visiting my mother, after becoming a saint for a religion I never really followed... Well, it started to make more sense. It feels real now in a way that it never did."
She turned to look at him, finding him watching her, the UV blue stripes in his skin glowing blue.
"I believe in the spirits of Anin more than I ever have."
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand,
"I'm glad to hear it."
They lapsed into silence for a long moment, staring up at the ceiling before, inevitably he broke it,
"So this makes you like, space Moses right?”
She frowned and turned to look at him,
"What is a “Moses”?"
He grinned,
"A guy from one of the Earth Religions. You know, guy follows god's directions to lead his people away from slavery, climbs a mountain, receives the word of god, comes down to give it to the people, that sort of thing."
Sunny tilted her head slightly to the side,
"Are you religious?"
He paused, frowning,
"I... well I... don't really know. My family has been some flavor of Christian for a long time."
"Christian?"
"Uh yeah, the general idea is that there is one all-powerful deity who created everything. He has rules and laws that you are supposed to follow, the general tenants of this specific religion mostly boil down to: love everyone and don't be a dick, which humans are notoriously bad at. You sin you go to hell, a very bad place after you die, and if you are a good person you go to heaven. Problem is everyone is a sinner and breaks the rules, so really no one was going to get into heaven."
"That sounds bleak..."
"Well, that's where the other stuff comes in. Basically, this all-powerful deity sent down his son in human form to live a perfect life, so when he was martyred he took on the sins of all of humanity and paid for them in the greatest act of mercy to open the gate for the rest of us into heaven."
Sunny shifted as he tilted to the side to lay in the crook of her arms,
"Of course that is just one religion among tons on earth, we aren't really as cohesive in our beliefs as Drev are... As for me... I'm not really sure."
She tilted her head to the side, cheek resting against his hair,
"After seeing space, I become more and more convinced of some... Thing that created everything, but beyond that it's sort of a tossup."
She ran one hand through his hair, coarse but still soft somehow.
"You know my name comes from that religion?”
She turned her head to look at him,
"Oh, really?”
"Adam was the first man."
"What do you mean!?”
Adam shrugged,
"He was supposedly the first man that god created, from the dust of the earth... I think?"
She gave him a sidelong glance,
"Look, and you get to be the first idiot in space."
He snorted and poked her in the ribs.
"There were PLENTY of idiots in space before me, believe you me."
"Mmm I don't know, you are pretty dumb."
He laughed, grabbing a pillow and hitting her with it. She rolled over so she was lying on top of him and then went limp.
He struggled,
"Get your big ass off me."
"Oh no, I have been attacked by a sudden acute case of the “my spine doesn't work anymore”-disease."
"If you don't move, you'll suddenly find yourself with a case of “fist in your face”-disease."
She laughed and rolled off him, making sure the hard parts of her carapace were sticking down for maximum discomfort.
He grunted.
They returned to lying down next to each other in the half darkness. Sunny reached over and turned on some quiet music in the background as the two of them sat and talked, and laughed.
"I can't wait to get back to deep space."
He closed his eyes and hummed softly at the thought,
"Just the crew and the darkness and nothing ahead of us but an endless frontier."
Surprisingly, she found the thought to be more than a little comforting, and closed her eyes thinking about the vast reaches of blackness and the endless spinning galaxies.
"And while we are out, we can drop Conn into a pulsar."
He snorted,
“Why? Well first of for scientific reasons! If a marshmallow causes a nuclear blast, I wonder what dropping Conn would do… but at least he’d be dead.”
"That billowy bastard would survive and you know it."
She huffed,
"Still though, if I have to hear one more smug lecture how he has a child with you, I'm gonna wring his scrawny neck."
He grinned teeth flashing blue in the light,
"Is someone... Jealous?"
Sunny laughed, almost tipping him off the bed and onto the floor with her mirth,
"Yes Adam, I am totally jealous, really I am, ‘kay?. I mean who wouldn't want to have a child with YOU, big dumb, dork. Really the perfect place to put my superior genes."
"Superior genes, says someone who can't reach the top shelf."
She kicked him, foot clanging off his prosthetic,
"I am a foot taller than you."
He placed his hand next to his ear,
"What was that, I can't hear you over how short you are."
Sunny shook her head,
"At least I have binocular vision and both my knees."
"So we are gonna ignore that that binocular vision is due to a prosthetic now after the whole “your mom” incident? And also, veeery important: weird neck nostrils, don't forget about those!"
"Oh yes, so I can’t house them on my face like you and your bigass nose."
"Low blow, low blow."
"There are... Lower things... I could make fun of."
He snorted,
"Can't make fun of it if you've never seen it. You on the other hand, walking around in the nude..."
"You're welcome. Who wouldn't love…"
She gestured to herself,
"This."
"Mmm yeah... chitin, very sexy."
"I am a gift to the universe, and should be appreciated by everyone."
He brushed a hand through his hair,
"Well I find that real gifts are gift wrapped, so jot that down."
"Oh yeah, like a prank gift when you put something lame in a box for something cool."
He frowned at her,
"You wound me. My feelings are so very very hurt. I might even cry."
"I drink human tears."
"That… that's really gross.'
She laughed and then they lapsed into silence. She could hear him breathing quietly next to her in the darkness, his chest rising and falling under the ambient blue light. She looked across the room to where her saint armor was hanging in its climate-controlled case illuminated to a pearly sheen.
"Adam?"
"Yeah?”
"You know I'm just kidding about calling you dumb right?"
"Yeah I know."
"I'm proud of what you've been doing."
Adam turned to look at her rather incredulous,
"Me, of what? I haven't been doing shit."
"So, we are just going to ignore you overthrowing a maniacal politician while simultaneously piloting a 2,000 year old spacecraft?"
"That was more Conn and Eris than it was me."
"It was your idea."
"Let’s not forget Admiral Kelly."
Sunny pulled him closer,
"I am sorry, I will not be accepting anything other than you acknowledging that you did a good job."
"Screw you!”
"You'd like that wouldn't you?”
He sighed,
"You've been talking to Ramirez WAY too much."
She was only slightly smug as she rested her head back against the pillow,
"I really should get up and train..."
"We should yeah..."
Neither of them moved.
"Alternatively, we could just... Lay here... All day and do... nothing."
She looked up at the ceiling for a long moment and pretended to be in deep contemplation before…
"Well it's official, you have convinced me. You and your silver tongue."
"I am a master negotiator."
He shifted position putting one arm behind his head,
"Think about it, by this time tomorrow we will be back to space exploring and doing what we should have been doing all along. I can't wait."
"That makes two of us."
Previous First [Next](link)
Want to find a specific one, see the whole list or check fanart?
Here is the link to the master-post.
Intro post by me
OC-whole collection
Patreon of the author
Thanks for reading! As you saw in the title, this is a cross posted story written by starrfallknightrise and I'll just upload some of it here for you guys, if you are interested and want to read ahead, the original story-collection can be found on tumblr or wattpad to read for free. (link above this text under "OC:..." ) It is the Empyrean Iris story collection by starfallknightrise. Also, if you want to know more about the story collection i made an intro post about it, so feel free to check that out to see what other great characters to look forward to! (Link also above this text). I have no affiliations to the author; just thought I’d share some of the great stories you might enjoy a lot!
Obviously, I have Charlie’s permission to post this and for the people already knowing the stories, or starting to read them: If you follow the link and check out the story you will see some differences. I made some small (non-artistic) changes, mainly correcting writing mistakes, pronoun correction and some small additional info here and there of things which were not thought of/forgotten or even were added/changed in later stories (like the “USS->UNSC” prefix of Stabby, Chalar=/->Sunny etc). As well as some "biggemajor" changes in descriptions and info’s for the same stringency/continuity reason. That can be explained by the story collection being, well a story collection at the start with many standalone-stories just starring the same people, but later on it gets more to a stringent storyline with backstories and throwbacks. (For example Adam Vir has some HEAVY scars over his body, following his bones, which were not really talked about up till half the collection, where it says it covers his whole body and you find out via backflash that he had them the whole time and how he got them, they just weren't mentioned before. However, I would think a doctor would at least see these scars before that, especially since he gets analyzed, treated and goes shirtless/in T-shirts in some stories). So TLDR: Writing and some descriptions are slightly changed, with full OK from the author, since he himself did not bother to correct these things before.

Hey everyone, I'm [M27] and honestly, I just need to vent a bit about modern day dating. Like, what happened? Why did it become so complicated? I've been single for a while now and every time I try to get back out there, it's just a mess.
First off, dating apps. Sure, they’re convenient, but they also feel like a full-time job. Swipe left, swipe right, message first, wait for a reply, ghosting, and then repeat. It's exhausting and half the time it feels like people are just looking for attention rather than a genuine connection. And don't get me started on the endless small talk that goes nowhere.
Then there’s the whole social media aspect. Everything is curated, filtered, and staged. People only show their highlights, and it's hard to tell what's real. You meet someone and think they’re amazing, but then you find out their online persona is way different from who they really are. It’s like trying to date a character from a movie.
And what’s with all the games people play? The whole "wait three days to text back" or "don't appear too interested" thing is just childish. Why can’t we just be honest and straightforward? If you like someone, tell them. If you don't, let them know. It shouldn’t be this hard.
I also feel like everyone has such high expectations now. Thanks to influencers and celebrities, there’s this unrealistic standard of what a relationship should look like. Not every date needs to be an extravagant event, sometimes just hanging out and getting to know each other is enough. But nope, it’s all about impressing each other with grand gestures.
And the ghosting. Oh man, the ghosting. It's like common courtesy doesn’t exist anymore. If you're not interested, just say so. It’s better than leaving someone hanging, wondering what they did wrong.
Anyway, that's my rant. Am I the only one who feels this way? How are you guys dealing with the complexities of modern dating? Any tips on navigating this mess would be greatly appreciated.

Messages between A and B

Context: A reaches out to B after B stopped talking to A for 2 years over a disagreement. A now wants to reconnect with B again. When discussing each other's plans, A mentions that they have been sober for 7 months and that they plan to drink again in the summer. A begins to notice a shift in B's energy towards them in text messages, and perceives this as B misinterpreting A's intentions for reaching out again. A pinpoints B's behaviour to the meme, subliminal messaging, and intentional misspelling of words.
B- Sends Meme which says “Me 5 mins into Alcoholics Anonymous trying to convince everyone to come to the pub”
A- “Listen man I’ve been getting the vibe that you may think me reaching out to you again wasn’t coming from a genuine place. My therapist has been telling me I need to communicate more, so I’m gonna try be as transparent as possible here. I thought there was no point in tryna reach out to you again as you wouldn’t respond, but then you liked my post back on New Year’s Eve, so I was happy and thought maybe there’s a chance we could still reconnect again, but I still wasn’t sure if you were gonna respond so I kept putting it off until I finally messaged you at the end of March. During my meetings we constantly discuss seeking healthy friendships as a pose to my old ones and I knew it just made sense to message you again, you’ve always been the realist out of all our old friendship group, so why not do it now I’m sober…
When I told you I’d been sober since the end of September, and that I will drink in the summer again I said that not because I was looking for drinking mates but because I wanted to be honest with you and myself about my sobriety, I mention it all the time at weekly group meetings. Right now I’m at a space where I don’t really wanna drink and I’m not really as keen as I was before on drinking in the summer like I said to you but the point is, I say I will drink again, because if I do end up drinking in the summer or whenever, I won’t feel as guilty about it, as a pose to me saying I’m staying sober…. If that makes sense? Also I know I wasn’t exactly the best mate to have when drinking so I just wanted to make it clear with where I may be headed, rather than surprise you down the line. If you don’t really like the sound of that, that’s fine I get it, maybe reconnecting again isn’t the best idea. But I just wanted to be as honest and direct as possible, man. I hope you can understand.”
B- “Honestly mate I haven’t given you messaging me again too much thought other than you tryna reconnect.
When we last spoke properly I was just annoyed as I felt like you handle things in a kinda selfish way and I’m ngl I did a thing I’m good at and just ignored you other than talk to you about it. But yeah even though ignored you I haven’t said a bad thing about you to anyone cause I honestly had no bad blood for ya at all.
I can’t promise I’m gonna be available to hang out all the time or anything as I’m working a lot atm plus having the mrs it does limit my time but I was honest when I said I am definitely up for us hanging out again at some point”
A- “I’ll hold myself accountable and admit I was acting selfishly, so I understand why you reacted they way you did looking back. Yh when I spoke to **** about it I got that same impression off him, and it was likewise for me, I spoke good of you and said it was a shame how things turned out.
That’s completely understandable you being busy with work and the Mrs, I never doubted that, and I don’t wanna come across as pushy. My messages earlier came from a place of wanting to address any misunderstandings that you may have had, as I know it can lead to unnecessary resentment or conflict. But from what you’re saying I can now see it’s not the case, so I’m just glad we communicated and are on the same page man ”
B- “Yeah man we’re cool if you’re free next week at some point lmk and we can hang out”
A- “Yh I’ll be real I still get the feeling you think I’m not being genuine. What you gotta understand is me reaching out comes from a place of wanting to find connection again- healthy connection anyways, the going out drinking and all that is only a by-product of it all, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss going out club or pub with you, but it’s bigger than that.
Idk if ***** maybe tried to tell you a different narrative (I’ll dis-prove anything if he has), but I cut off everyone at the end of September, I reached my lowest point. Since then I’ve been working on myself I don’t meet anyone I don’t have any social interactions other than when I’m at therapy/group meetings, or talking to people in the gym, and that way I’m able to stay focused and keep my peace. I only do streaks with **** on snap, and when he asked me to meet before I told him no I can’t at the moment, as i’m focused on myself. I don’t want sympathy btw, I’m letting you know how it is, so there isn’t any confusion. When I reached out, this was me coming out of hibernation, more healthy, taking the first step towards interacting with people again- the right people anyways.
I’m happy to meet next week but I have one condition. I’ve been played with enough times to know about that game where they pretend everything’s fine then they strike when you’re least expecting it, and I’m not saying you’re gonna do that but I have trust issues and I’m drained mentally, and I won’t be a part of any unnecessary conflict. So if we’re gonna meet I’m gonna need your word before please, that you’re not gonna try to be passive agressive with me in any shape or form? If you feel a type of way about me, you still don’t believe I’m genuine, I’m more than happy to have an open respectful discussion face to face about it.”
B- “Look mate I’m happy to see you again, it’s been a while but like I said I am really busy, try not to read too much into my replies. I mean what I’m saying”
A- “Apologies for not responding sooner. I’ve been reflecting on the whole situation, trying to be as honest as I can with myself about my intentions. I stand with most of what I said before. I swear I wasn’t lying when I saw you liking my picture in January I wanted to reach out, and I genuinely did keep putting off messaging you until March in fear you wouldn’t respond. When it reached the end of March I told myself I just had to do it as I said. But looking back now, I think I wasn’t being as honest as I thought with myself in regards to my intentions towards messaging you. I definitely wanted to reconnect but I also badly wanted to have a social life and meet people again, (NOT specifically drinking, but understandably the drinking would naturally become a part of it, that’s just how things go).
I feel this other reason became more pressing for me as I became ready to go back to normal life again. But obviously I shouldn’t have had the idea of desperately wanting a social life in mind when messaging you, and actually just messaging you specifically for the sake of reconnecting, to keep the intentions fully genuine. So for that I am sorry. Now I don’t want you to mistake this as me only messaging you again for that sole purpose of having a social life because it was not just that at all, and it genuinely made a big difference not having you as a mate in my life, like I said you were the most real mate I had out of all my mates, and I knew I messed that up, so seeing there was a chance we could be mates again made me real happy.
Obviously in regards to how you perceived my intentions I’ve gathered you are pretty annoyed with me, I can’t change your opinion but I can tell you my truth which I have just said. Unfortunately reconnecting hasn’t worked out so well which I guess I am to blame for with my approach. I think this is God’s sign that it’s not meant to be. I’m sorry I haven’t been as genuine as I thought I was being. I also respect how you never spoke bad of me before even when we weren’t on the best of terms, that demonstrates how real of a mate you were. I don’t have any ill feelings towards you, even if you might do now. I honestly wish you the best on your journey and I’ll always have ratings for you B ”
B- “You what mate good luck yo ya”

i (25 f) have been dating my gf (22 f) for almost a year now. we live together and things have been great.
she has a very close knit family. she’s extremely close to her twin and her parents. because of that, we have a lot of family time. i have a good time most of the time, but specifically her mom rubs me the wrong way sometimes. it’s become hard to attend family gatherings as they are almost every weekend and i feel like i don’t have time to recharge after being around her.
for example, we went to a dinner last weekend. they are hispanic and i am not, so i only know a bit of spanish. she made a whole scene pointing out how i don’t know the language and laughed about me to the waitress, right in front of me. i understood enough to know she was being mean. she then tried to not tip the waitress and told me to just pay the whole bill when i offered some cash to tip. she ended up paying it but she wasn’t happy that i immediately agreed and offered to pay.
the weekend before, she took her daughters to get their nails done and offered to bring me. i thanked her and said i already got mine done with my mom for a mother’s day gift. she cut me off and said “you’re white you have money.” i mean…i’m a teacher so i can pay my bills but i genuinely had to budget for these nails.
she’s constantly commenting on what i wear, expecting me to wear far more revealing things than i’m comfortable with. she made me change for a party once and i was crying in the bathroom. constantly threatening to take my gf away if we don’t include her “other baby.” (they’re 22). constantly twisting the truth to make her a victim (pretending like we didn’t ask her if she wanted food at a restaurant we stopped at for example).
my gf knows i feel this way and will stand up for me in the moment but nothing changes. we have to see her mom again this weekend and she says i don’t need to come with, but it’s celebrating her dads birthday and i want to be present.
if you don’t like your in laws, how do you balance being present for your partner and protecting your mental health?

Hey WebDevMauritius community,
Hope you’re all doing well! Today, I want to dive into an exciting topic: using ChatGPT to enhance web development, specifically for WordPress projects. As an experienced web developer, I've found that integrating AI tools like ChatGPT can significantly streamline workflows and add unique functionality to websites.

How ChatGPT Can Help

1. Content Creation: Generating engaging and relevant content can be time-consuming. ChatGPT can assist by creating blog posts, product descriptions, FAQs, and more. This can help keep your site fresh and informative without spending hours writing.
2. Customer Support: Implementing a ChatGPT-powered chatbot on your WordPress site can provide 24/7 customer support. It can handle common queries, provide information, and even guide users through processes, improving user experience and reducing the workload on human support staff.
3. Code Assistance: Stuck on a piece of code or looking for the best way to implement a feature? ChatGPT can offer coding advice, snippets, and troubleshooting tips. It’s like having a coding buddy available at all times.
4. SEO Optimization: ChatGPT can help generate SEO-friendly content, suggest keywords, and even rewrite existing content to improve its SEO value. This can boost your site’s visibility and attract more visitors.

Implementing ChatGPT in WordPress

1. Using Plugins: There are several plugins available that integrate ChatGPT with WordPress. Plugins like “AI Engine” or “WP-Chatbot” make it easy to add AI capabilities to your site without extensive coding knowledge.
2. Custom API Integrations: For those comfortable with a bit of coding, you can integrate ChatGPT directly using OpenAI’s API. This allows for more customized and powerful implementations tailored to your specific needs.
3. Interactive Elements: Incorporate ChatGPT into interactive elements like comment sections, forums, or customer feedback forms. This can help keep conversations lively and engaging, providing immediate responses and insights.

Benefits

• Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more complex aspects of development.
• User Engagement: Enhance user interaction with dynamic and responsive AI-driven features.
• Scalability: Easily scale your support and content creation efforts without needing a large team.

Conclusion

Leveraging ChatGPT in WordPress development opens up a world of possibilities. From improving content creation to providing instant customer support, the integration of AI can take your projects to the next level. If you haven’t explored this yet, now is a great time to start experimenting with how ChatGPT can fit into your workflow.
Have any of you tried integrating ChatGPT into your WordPress sites? What has your experience been like? Let’s discuss tips, tricks, and potential pitfalls!
Looking forward to your thoughts!

I know people are going to stone me for this but there is this nice verse in the bible, and it more or less goes as follows " Cut the branches that bears no fruit and prune the branches that does bear fruit as it will yield more fruit. " I know it's the bible but just bear with me. It's a book and all books can hold wisdom.
What it means more or less is that you have work on the things that you are good at and not spend energy on the things that you aren't good at. Makes sense because certain things are unchangeable. This is where I tie back into my title. Guys\Gals should stop complaining about being ugly. I am not sure what purpose is serves other than to get people to feel sorry for you but is that going to help you? Is this magically going to get you a partner because they feel sorry for you? Has this ever worked for you, most likely not.
There are things in this world that we will never be able to change. Our looks for the most part being one of them. I for one wished I was smart, and I would have loved to go into the science field, but I realized quickly that I was way too stupid, and it made me angry and sad at the same time. I realized quickly that I can't help that I was born stupid. I just had to make the best of it. It doesn't mean that I have to give up but rather that I had to shift my priorities.
My greatest wish for you guys is that you would stop harping on this and try to focus on things that are in your control. If you are good at making jokes, then get better at it. If you good at talking, then do that and so forth. Take whatever good quality you have and min\max it.
I know we live in a superficial world and the fact of the matter is that a lot of people focus on vanity but not all people and also people do change with time as well. I am sure if you are 40 and you had a conversation with your 20-year-old self you wouldn't recognize yourself. The fact of the matter is that good looking people will go for other good-looking people especially when they are young. It's just biology mate. I wished the rules where different, but it is what it is. You can complain about the game, but the rules will remain the same. So instead of crying about it try to do something about it. Focus on the qualities that you excel in or at least better at. I am not saying that you will definitely find a partner but give yourself the best odds and let the chips fall where they may. If you think that being ugly is an unattractive quality then you have not met its cousin, self-pity. Its far, far worse.
Not everyone will succeed but there is pride in knowing that you gave it your all.