I'm a huge fan of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon as you could probably tell. I'm seeking to do a romantic rp with all of the twists and turns we could expect from the show. I know the books and the show to a incredible level so I can pull from both.
Here are some ideas I have I'm not limited to these and would love to hear your own. I would be willing to play multiple characters not just the ones listed here.
Jon SnowxDaenerys Targaryen my favorite couple we could do so much for them and give them a far better ending then what the show gave them. I have to many ideas for the couple to list here.
Margaery TyrellxRobb Stark or Jon Snow Margaery is one of my favorite characters and could fit for a few ideas. Imagine Robb getting a strong match with her before the War of the 5 Kings begins and could change so much.
JonxMargaery is my favorite rare ship just great opposites attract set up. Perhaps Olenna managed to find out Jon's heritage and manages to bring Jon to the Reach to meet Margaery and create a 6th king for the coming conflict.
AemondxTargaryenxHelaena Targaryen this one is a set up I've thought of sense watching the show. Perhaps Aegon the second passes before he and Helaena can be married. Then Aemond has to do his duty and marry her as the new heir to the throne.
OCSxVaries I would be very interested in including some OCs with some Canon characters a Baratheon OC son of Robert and Cersei who is paired Margaery. If you would do this I would be willing to do something similar for a oc of your own with a canon of your choice or similar set up.
A trouple set up playing a malexfemalexfemale would be amazing if one I don't really expect to happen. If we do this then I would do another similar set up for you with characters of your choice. Who wouldn't want to have a set up like Aegon the Conquerer.
Aus These line up for the shows, but we could also do some Aus, like perhaps Rhaegar won the rebellion. Perhaps Valyria never fell or the kingdoms were never conquered.
The RP would take place over Discord though we would chat here.

The year is 2024, and things are not looking good for the Democrats.
Joe Biden is constantly plagued by infighting within his ranks. The Democratic Party, in addition to being hamstrung by institutions that are by nature biased towards conservatives, like the innate design of the Senate, and the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court, are constantly struggling with infighting by the purist far-left, and the impotent center. On one side, they are dealing with an increasingly irrational “far-left” that refuses to the see the bigger picture of defeating Trump, as well as dealing with a middling center that frequently resorts to “both-sideism” and shrugs their shoulders instead of calling out the clear threat of Republican rule. On top of that, the Democrats have been OBSESSED with decorum, following the rules, ALWAYS compromising, and holding their members to higher standards as Republicans refuse to do so. Do you see the Republicans compromising? Following norms? Nope. The Republican apparatus, from Mitch McConnell to the fringes of the Freedom Caucus, are constantly moving in lockstep, pushing their right-wing vision through the finish line. Some, like political scientist David Faris, argue that Democrats must realize that "It's Time to Fight Dirty", after years of pussyfooting around, finally, at long last? It's as the old saying goes, “Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line”. It’s a situation worthy of a Greek Tragedy….
….Or is it?
Because if you speak to the average Republican voter, they will absolutely not agree with what I wrote above. Rather, it is the Democrats who are enacting win after win, and getting their left-wing agenda through their finish line while the middling Republicans trip over their shoelaces. Left-wing activists, like Antonio Gramsci, have conducted a Long March Through The Institutions, like a nation proudly marching through the battlefield and conquering their enemies. The liberals control everything.The culture. The education system. The legal system. The youth. Republicans have lost the Culture War, a war that men like Chris Rufo argue that the Right barely even attempted to fight as the Radical Left had their eyes on the ball, onwards through the battlefield. Marching on. The Left has always possessed a machiavellian spirit, and an ironclad grip on every avenue that we as Americans hold dear. Men like Jon Askonas, looking at the rubble of conservatism, ponder "Why Conservatism Failed". That’s how much the Left has won! The ideology of Conservatism itself is DEAD! Meanwhile, the conservative movement, or shall I say, Conservatism Inc., is obsessed with maintaining tired platitudes about “small government” and “low taxes” as Democrats are focused on controlling every inch of the American body. Conservatives aren’t winning, they are impotently flailing. Pathetic.
Does that really make sense? Are both the political right and the political left united in lockstep, but weak and plagued with endless infighting? Can both sides be obsessed with playing the rules and compromising, but also be steadfastly seizing control of all major institutions?
A lot of the above is me rambling, but I believe this ties back to what Gallup has reported recently, as “most Americans (71%) say that, on the issues that matter to them, their side in politics has been losing more often than winning. Just a quarter say their side has been winning more often than losing.” The article also mentions that this varies based on which party is in power, and is right now "eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (83%)" as well as "six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (62%)". But this a sentiment I have noticed the past several years. Dare I say, “Both sides”, having identical complaints about their political allies.
Republican voters complain that their side is obsessed with following norms, espousing platitudes, and playing by the Democrats' rules, while the Democrats are motivated and pressing forward with their left-wing agenda.
Democratic voters complain that their side is obsessed with following norms, espousing platitudes, and playing by the Republicans’ rules, while the Republicans are motivated and pressing forward with their right-wing agenda.
Our side is obsessed with compromise. Their side never compromises.
Our side is obsessed with preserving “muh norms”. Their side couldn’t give a shit about norms.
Our side is constantly held to a higher standard. Their side is constantly treated with kid gloves.
Our side is fighting with a knife. Their side is fighting with a gun.
Our side always holds ourselves accountable. Their side never holds themselves accountable.
Now, I am someone who leans more on the political left (especially the economic left), but this is a sentiment I see expressed by a lot of Republican and Democratic voters, who both feel like they are the unfairly maligned underdog.
The staticy of our current federalist, two party, FPTP system creates a significant amount of deadlock, especially as the two parties realign on class, geographic, and educational lines. Landslide elections are becoming less and less common. Neither Republicans nor Democrats seem to have the ability to break through landslide sweeps and reshape the country with a governing mandate, instead dealing with gridlock and incrementalism that is inherent to the American experiment.
I believe this situation leads to both groups of voters turning back to a comforting narrative of how their side is effectively persecuted by various forces. How their side is always held to a higher standard compared to the opposition. How they have been plagued historically by infighting and a fetish for norms and holding your pinky up.
Now, I’m not giving my opinions on which side is correct. Democrats are at a disadvantage in the Senate (I think that is partially due to Democrats bleeding away rural votes over decades). Republicans are at a disadvantage in mainstream culture (I think that is due to an incompatibility with social conservatism and capitalism, but that’s another discussion for another day).
I am simply stating that I have observed this exact same sentiment among both Republican and Democratic voters/pundits. Whether it’s left-leaning internet forums, or conservative talk radio, I see and hear the exact same lines, but flip a few words. How our side is impotent, infighting, and constantly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, unlike our enemies. Republicans and Democrats, faced with years or decades of painful incrementalism, at best, resort back to the same narrative. Our side is weak and divided, their side is strong and united.

Texas - About 14 months ago I hired an external new associate to work on my digital-oriented marketing team at a branch office of a major global company. Almost since day one she’s been a problem. Although her resume looks impressive, including an MBA and graduate-level analytics certification, she has struggled mightily with extremely basic Excel, PowerPoint, and even Outlook functionality. I’ve had to explain literally everything to her; not just how our company works and what we need to do on our team (of course I would expect to explain these things to an external hire) but literally why it’s important to take notes during a meeting, how to build a simple project tracker, how to work with partners (tell them the problem you’re trying to solve and ask them for solutions vs demanding the only solution you can think of). On top of the extreme hand-holding, she has a terrible attitude. She always denies any wrong doing or culpability when something is incomplete or inaccurate (which is a daily occurrence) and instead insists that I wasn’t clear or that what I’m asking for is so wildly different from how she’s always done things, she just expected I’d want it differently - basically always turning things back on me, my fault. Literally has never said “Sorry! I messed that up! My bad.” Last year things got even worse when she started being rude and oddly hostile towards other team members and partners. Not in-person or physically threatening, but like demeaning and disrespectful on the phone and over email. When I bring these things to her attention and coach toward better behavior she again denies any wrongdoing “Well, you didn’t hear how they were talking to me! I’m only being firm. They’re mistaking me for someone else” and deflects responsibility back to me “thank you for telling me your preferences for how I should be handling this project NOW, though I wish I’d known this months ago.” Very passive aggressive, very gaslighty. I went in depth into the behavior and performance issues during her yearly review and she didn’t pay any attention to the feedback on her work (her extreme inability to manage or accurately execute it, that is) but went over the top on her reaction to the behavior feedback. She cried, she wailed, she said I was questioning her very character (well, yes, maybe?) and implied I was out to get her. Ultimately she kept saying she hears the feedback but doesn’t believe it and doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, she wants to move forward…ugh. I should mention, I’ve been meeting with HR about her for over a year, and the advice all along has been to document, document, document, which I’ve been trying to do, and I’ve been sending to HR, but so far it hasn’t resulted in anything and it’s extremely taxing to no only deal with this employee daily, do my own work, compensate for her lack of contribution, manage the rest of my team, AND have the energy and time to detail out everything she’s doing that’s terrible (it’s literally 1-3 things daily). HR is saying we’re on our way to a PIP but like, can’t we just fire this girl? HR is obviously super hesitant to do anything and prefers for there not to be an issue (which, same.) but I need HR’s help, I need relief. I’ve emphasized to HR numerous times, I’d rather have nobody than this body, it shouldn’t be a budget issue. I think HR is more worried about litigation if we let her go. They don’t want to transfer her to another department because they “don’t want to pass on a problem”. I agree with this perspective, but I’m the one baring this burden with no end in site. The behavior angle (the being demeaning, disrespectful) looked promising for a separation case, but her behavior toward partners has adjusted since the worst of it in response to my persistent coaching (in her mind; since YOU seem to think I have a problem with respecting people I’m only being suuuuper glossy nice to everyone now- which is true, she’s transitioned to an almost performative level of smarmy sarcastic gloss; “Thank you sooooo much! I hope you all have absolutely incredible evenings! This call has been so wonderful!”) and so now it’s looking like the only angle is a professional “not meeting work expectations” angle, which is much harder to prove. I’ve been documenting every time I provide direction and she’s just unable to handle the thing, but she always counters with “you weren’t clear in your request” or in cases where there’s no room for ambiguity, she’ll technically complete the work, but it’ll be worse than grade level quality and then she’ll claim I wasn’t clear on how deep or whatever she needed to go. Her: “I created an outline like you asked, if you don’t feel like it makes sense and is incomplete then that’s your interpretation, but I think it’s good and I don’t know why you’re always picking on me like this…” Infuriating. What should I do? It’s a true burden that’s been weighing on me for over a year and there’s no end in sight. I’ve spent hours and hours trying to coach and reason with her and she just gaslights our conversations in circles. I should mention she reported me to HR about 2 months ago and her accusations about me meant that HR had to do a full investigation into me. The claims she made ended up being found unsubstantiated, but it cost me a lot of energy and I was stressed about it for weeks. I do get frustrated with her and sometimes get snippy in my voice because I’m taxed. My manager is 100% in the same page as me, but there’s just little in our power we can do. What do I do?? My dream is for her to leave the company on her own, but since she’s still here after a year of terrible feedback, I think she’s immune to self-awareness.

Now that we're all submitted and not competing, what are your tricks to get the earliest possible spot in line? This may also help those that got poor results for next year, and show off the ridiculousness that this can create.
I submitted for two different accounts in the same household, and I ended up at #1700 and #5000.
For me:

1. Multiple devices: Desktop, work laptop
2. Wired, not wireless connections
3. Multiple ISPs: One device VPN'd to work/business network
4. Multiple browsers (Chrome and Firefox), observe which is fastest/consistent on the clock. Firefox browser was awful, ended up using Chrome only.
5. Pre-hover the submit button, hammer the mouse left-click in the last 2-3 seconds before the button lights up
6. Reboot all devices to clear recent updates, running fresh, etc.
7. Make sure your computer time clock is synced with a time service

📜 Experience the Political Machinations of a Kingdom ruled by a lich in this dark fantasy setting of Dead Gods and a Shattered Sun.
3/5 Seats are Filled and we're starting this Saturday!!!

Overview

The Arisen is a Political Intrigue campaign based around a country ruled by the Lich Queen Estelle. It is heavily inspired by gothic horror genre's, as well as taking influence from sources such as darkest dungeon, dark souls, and bloodborne. Explore a unique political landscape of a country of undead and demons, bordered by a Divine Land and in the sights of the Avexin Empire ruled by The Blood and allies of devils.

The Dead Rise

You are an adventurer of some renown is respected or feared by the select few who’s lives you have directly impacted, and you are dead.
You remember little of your death, perhaps fleeting memories, sensations, and flashing images. You might even remember the events or days leading up to your death clearly. However, the details of your untimely demise are shrouded in mystery.
As you list aimlessly in whatever afterlife you have found yourself in a voice echoes around you. A tether wraps around your neck as your spirit begins to burn. “...come forth lost souls and join me….Aslendus I call upon you...come forth and become Arisen!” Bits and pieces of a chant fill your ears as you can feel the weight of mortal flesh settle upon you once more and, finally, your eyes open once more!

Who are you?

You are five 1st-level adventurers. You met an untimely end, but now have been resurrected by the powers of Estelle Ofros, the Lich Queen. However, the power and abilities you once held seem to be weakened. You find yourself in The Lichdom of Ofros bound to the queen by the Hand of Estelle. How your body got here, the circumstances of your death, and the intricacies of your newfound life are few among the mysteries you must discover answers for.
Even with the cloud of your death filling your mind, what matters most is Estelle’s motives. War is brewing at her borders. Her people are restless, and some of her subjects plot against her. Political intrigue can be found everywhere as the Divine Land of Astrana musters forces and intel on the Lichdom, all while the Avexin Empire, land ruled by devils and The Blood, sit quietly behind the scenes plotting their machinations.
You now find yourself bound to this ancient Queen, rumored to be one of the most powerful liches, second only to The Ruler of Death himself. She who sacrificed her entire country to ascend, turning them into Undead and Demons to save them from the end of an era, from The Black Month.
How will you navigate the political landscape of this odd country ruled by the dead, for the dead? Will you seek to free yourself from the Queen, or help your newfound

Handout

House Rules

You can find more detailed info on the World Lore Here:

💥 Expectations

• Free Session 0 & first session to see how we all vibe.
• We will be starting the game once we get 3 players with the hopes of eventually having 5 players.
• 3 to 4 hour sessions.
• Session every week
• Custom Website for Setting & Campaign Lore.
• All source material is accessible in Foundry VTT.
• Constant Access to Foundry Server through Forge.com hosting.
• Fully integrated and animated Foundry VTT.
• Custom Discord Server for the campaign.
• Custom character backstories and arcs.
• Homebrew rules and custom Bloodlines System. Character creation is performed on FoundryVTT. All races and classes in dnd5e are allowed. As well as a few homebrew options including custom races or Laserllama's alternate classes.

I have multiple resources to help with character creation and I like to be involved if you want. We use Discord for voice chat. Foundry VTT handles the character sheet, items, and rolls.
Backstories are created together to immerse your character. First, you will write something original and creative then I will provide ideas and supplements until the backstory truly comes alive. each player will also write 4 rumors about their character that may be true, false, or partially true. These rumors will be distributed to the other players.
Once the seats are filled, we will run Session 0 and schedule Session 1. Session 0 is a group activity to learn Foundry VTT and to get to know each other. Session 0 is free!
🔎 Want to Join? Please message me with the following... Name or Nickname: Pronouns: Age: Discord: What interested you: How much TTRPG experience do you have: Anything I should know: Questions for me:

Hello. I 23M have had a long battle with same sex attraction (SSA) that started from when I was a pre teen and lasted basically a decade. It was one of the many battles I faced in life. It surely was also one of the most annoying ones. I spent a lot of time in my youth praying to God to please take it away and make me normal.
I started out having crushes on females. I was even pursuing relationships. Maybe some of it was genuine interest and maybe I just felt the heteronormative expectations. Anyway I started to sexualize other guys and fantasize. Lasted a while. Did many things I regretted as I got older.
But the real focus is God. None of that other stuff, that noise matters. Your past doesn't matter. God is literally God. I think a lot of us forget that sometimes. And I think the reason we do is because we can comprehend in our little human minds GOD.
Yes we can know God. We can have a relationship. But we do not know everything. And a lot of it can feel intriguing, upsetting and so mysterious. Sometimes I wonder after we die, does God reveal everything to us? Don't know.
I did not do anything to stop the same sex attraction. It just would fade a lot over the years. Now of course as an over thinker first I was finally relieved. Then in some weird way I kind of started to miss is. Probably because I spent so many years with it, I got used to the feeling. It didn't go away as fast as I thought it would so I was kind of just "I'm going to just let this be" mindset.
But it's gone. I don't want anything to do with the same sex lifestyle. I don't even want anything to do with the opposite sex. No, this isn't going to be one of those stories where I tell you I identified as gay, bi, pan-whatever and then I finally got married to a woman and had children. Haha, no thanks. Throughout my whole situation I literally never identified as anything. Because I knew how stupid and fleeting this sexuality stuff would be. A phase is a phase. Our whole lives is a phase. On average it says humans live for like 77 years or so. Sure life can feel long. I would know as someone who dealt with depression and has literally wished he never existed and wanted to die since a kid. But life isn't.
We are going to be dead way longer than we were ever even alive.
I mean if God has it in my script that I will get married or be a dad or whatever, hey he's the director of this movie, right?
I'm just fine with God either way. Celibate or not. I'm not concerned about romance. Not concerned about marriage. And not concerned about sex.
And of course being the over thinker then I create new problems in thinking, wow I went from same sex, opposite sex to NO SEX! Now I'm a weirdo in such a different way. Then I started freaking out about what if one day I want to be with a woman. I have to tell her about my same sex past and that will surely not go well.
SLOW DOWN. None of that has happened. I'm not even interested in anyone.
At first I was overthinking and insecure about celibacy. But I'm rather quite content with it. I like quiet. I like silence. And I'm more introverted. Also I don't like the clinginess and the expectations that come with relationships/marriage. I don't care for any of it.
If I were to get married, I wouldn't even want to live together haha. Definitely not sleep in the same bed. I need my space.
But that doesn't even apply to me right now. Because I am not, interested :)
I don't care for other people's opinions. I don't care that society pushes marriage and children on people so a lot of them feel like a failure if you don't achieve those things.
I care what God thinks.
Forget the world. This is temporary.
God is forever.

(Hello, long time observer, first time caller!)
The year is 2024, and things are not looking good for the Democrats.
Joe Biden is constantly plagued by infighting within his ranks. The Democratic Party, in addition to being hamstrung by institutions that are by nature biased towards conservatives, like the innate design of the Senate, and the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court, are constantly struggling with infighting by the purist far-left, and the impotent center. On one side, they are dealing with an increasingly irrational “far-left” that refuses to the see the bigger picture of defeating Trump, as well as dealing with a middling center that frequently resorts to “both-sideism” and shrugs their shoulders instead of calling out the clear threat of Republican rule. On top of that, the Democrats have been OBSESSED with decorum, following the rules, ALWAYS compromising, and holding their members to higher standards as Republicans refuse to do so. Do you see the Republicans compromising? Following norms? Nope. The Republican apparatus, from Mitch McConnell to the fringes of the Freedom Caucus, are constantly moving in lockstep, pushing their right-wing vision through the finish line. Some, like political scientist David Faris, argue that Democrats must realize that "It's Time to Fight Dirty", after years of pussyfooting around, finally, at long last? It's as the old saying goes, “Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line”. It’s a situation worthy of a Greek Tragedy….
….Or is it?
Because if you speak to the average Republican voter, they will absolutely not agree with what I wrote above. Rather, it is the Democrats who are enacting win after win, and getting their left-wing agenda through their finish line while the middling Republicans trip over their shoelaces. Left-wing activists, like Antonio Gramsci, have conducted a Long March Through The Institutions, like a nation proudly marching through the battlefield and conquering their enemies. The liberals control everything.The culture. The education system. The legal system. The youth. Republicans have lost the Culture War, a war that men like Chris Rufo argue that the Right barely even attempted to fight as the Radical Left had their eyes on the ball, onwards through the battlefield. Marching on. The Left has always possessed a machiavellian spirit, and an ironclad grip on every avenue that we as Americans hold dear. Men like Jon Askonas, looking at the rubble of conservatism, ponder "Why Conservatism Failed". That’s how much the Left has won! The ideology of Conservatism itself is DEAD! Meanwhile, the conservative movement, or shall I say, Conservatism Inc., is obsessed with maintaining tired platitudes about “small government” and “low taxes” as Democrats are focused on controlling every inch of the American body. Conservatives aren’t winning, they are impotently flailing. Pathetic.
Does that really make sense? Are both the political right and the political left united in lockstep, but weak and plagued with endless infighting? Can both sides be obsessed with playing the rules and compromising, but also be steadfastly seizing control of all major institutions?
A lot of the above is me rambling, but I believe this ties back to what Gallup has reported recently, as “most Americans (71%) say that, on the issues that matter to them, their side in politics has been losing more often than winning. Just a quarter say their side has been winning more often than losing.” The article also mentions that this varies based on which party is in power, and is right now "eight-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (83%)" as well as "six-in-ten Democrats and Democratic leaners (62%)". But this a sentiment I have noticed the past several years. Dare I say, “Both sides”, having identical complaints about their political allies.
Republican voters complain that their side is obsessed with following norms, espousing platitudes, and playing by the Democrats' rules, while the Democrats are motivated and pressing forward with their left-wing agenda.
Democratic voters complain that their side is obsessed with following norms, espousing platitudes, and playing by the Republicans’ rules, while the Republicans are motivated and pressing forward with their right-wing agenda.
Our side is obsessed with compromise. Their side never compromises.
Our side is obsessed with preserving “muh norms”. Their side couldn’t give a shit about norms.
Our side is constantly held to a higher standard. Their side is constantly treated with kid gloves.
Our side is fighting with a knife. Their side is fighting with a gun.
Our side always holds ourselves accountable. Their side never holds themselves accountable.
Now, I am someone who leans more on the political left (especially the economic left), but this is a sentiment I see expressed by a lot of Republican and Democratic voters, who both feel like they are the unfairly maligned underdog.
The staticy of our current federalist, two party, FPTP system creates a significant amount of deadlock, especially as the two parties realign on class, geographic, and educational lines. Landslide elections are becoming less and less common. Neither Republicans nor Democrats seem to have the ability to break through landslide sweeps and reshape the country with a governing mandate, instead dealing with gridlock and incrementalism that is inherent to the American experiment.
I believe this situation leads to both groups of voters turning back to a comforting narrative of how their side is effectively persecuted by various forces. How their side is always held to a higher standard compared to the opposition. How they have been plagued historically by infighting and a fetish for norms and holding your pinky up.
Now, I’m not giving my opinions on which side is correct. Democrats are at a disadvantage in the Senate (I think that is partially due to Democrats bleeding away rural votes over decades). Republicans are at a disadvantage in mainstream culture (I think that is due to an incompatibility with social conservatism and capitalism, but that’s another discussion for another day).
I am simply stating that I have observed this exact same sentiment among both Republican and Democratic voters/pundits. Whether it’s left-leaning internet forums, or conservative talk radio, I see and hear the exact same lines, but flip a few words. How our side is impotent, infighting, and constantly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, unlike our enemies. Republicans and Democrats, faced with years or decades of painful incrementalism, at best, resort back to the same narrative. Our side is weak and divided, their side is strong and united.

People keep ignoring that the best LLM's are 0.1% the size of the human brain, trained on 0.1% of the data of the human brain, largely trained on 1 modality, we have 5, and given no time to think. A house mouse brains is literally bigger(1 trillion synapses) or at least comparable than the best models.
Now GPT-4o has been released, it has more modalities, way faster and even better. When will people realize?We can add even more modalities to it like:Video(continually embedding images/pixels only which fluctuations), 3D(possibly utilizing gaussian splatting), Weather(herein: temperature ,wind ,pressure, air quality(several molecules), sea level, gravitational waves, amino acids, protein structures, .video games(each video game can kind of count as its own modality, and can help both as simulators, embodiment, but also as learning to think) and I can keep going. Some might seem crazy but they are not they all help make the models converge to a perfect world model, as well as thinking and reasoning about abstract representations.
These models can compress huge amount of data down to a much smaller size, you don't just do that magically, u need to create abstract representation(like how light shines and bounces) to utilize and chain together to create stuff like a specific image. These models learn similarities between all kinds of stuff, even stuff we might never have thought of, which is why a huge amount of data and different modalities are crucial, even if a modality might seem unconventional.
We have all the data in the world. The best models are trained on 15 trillion tokens which is 44GB tokenized, but YouTube has 1.500.000.000GB of data alone.It is all about how much is enough now, not if it is possible, but of course these systems will start gaining superhuman abilities before we reach full ASI, and many tasks don't need anything near human-level intelligence.
There are skeptics that I respect the opinion of like Yann Lecun. I don't have any problems with object driven ai, and think Jepa is both really promising for world model building as well as efficient search, but he admits it himself(in Lex Fridman podcast), the problem is really just that generative architectures is a very inefficient way, and has several problems. But still generative architectures def. have perks in how easy it is to modify, utilize, RL etc. Still there are many things being worked on that will help it, even simple ones like multi token prediction or token level search, and still these are just efficiency gain and not a bottleneck. Q* is of course one such attempt, which is why ASI might be closer than it appears :).
Also confabulation/hallucination are just discrepancies in the dataset, and models have very low certainty for predictions of names and similar, so you can indeed look at the models percentage accuracy of prediction to infer its certainty. Everything lies between certainty and uncertainty to an intelligent observer, there are no facts, as you cannot trust your brain. Like how people with dementia are certain of an occurence that has not happened before. The dataset could say that unicorns exist on the moon in the dataset, and without anything directly stating it can still say they don’t like if they have read fantasy books they won’t say necrophages exist, so in a way confabulations are what make them great.These things will improve with scale, RL, thought etc, and interpretability could give a number of the model certainty on certain stuff.
Reasoning isn’t a pretty prevalent in biological brains, generally only in mammals, and specifically really just Humans. There are so many shortcomings to develop high reasoning and cognitive capability through evolution. Human brains have so many biases and are not wired to be math experts, doctors, and computer scientist. Most importantly we have no text modality, making us remarkably inefficient at obtaining knowledge, and matching patterns in huge data sets. Remember ai doesn’t have the same constraints; it doesn’t matter if it takes several trillion dollars, tera-watts, hectares of datacenters, 10+ modalities and Exa-Bytes of data.
With the current post training paradigms I think a Mixed-Modal, Sparse-MoE utilizing XOT will get us there in under 2 years.

To cultivate a meaningful practice with Oracle Card Spreads, start by choosing a deck that resonates with you. Establish a sacred space for your readings and set clear intentions. Regularly cleanse and charge your cards. Develop a connection with each card's symbolism through meditation and reflection. Practice various spreads to enhance your interpretive skills. Trust your intuition and incorporate journaling to track your insights.
Consistency and openness are key to deepening your understanding of Oracle Cards. Oracle cards are a divination tool similar to Tarot cards, consisting of a deck with unique images and symbols. Unlike Tarot, Oracle cards don't adhere to a standardized structure, allowing for greater creativity in design. These cards are used for intuitive guidance, self-reflection, and spiritual insights. Each card carries a specific meaning or message, and users often draw cards randomly or lay out spreads to gain insights into various aspects of their lives or seek answers to specific questions.
Oracle cards are embraced by individuals seeking personal growth, inspiration, and a connection to their intuition.
Oracle cards are diverse, covering themes like angels, animals, mythology, or affirmations. Users interpret the cards based on intuition, imagery, and personal associations rather than a fixed set of meanings.
The practice involves shuffling the deck, posing a question, and drawing cards to receive guidance. Some use Oracle cards for daily inspiration, while others turn to them during pivotal life moments.
The open-ended nature of Oracle cards encourages users to explore their spirituality, fostering a unique and personal connection with the deck.
Regular use enhances one's intuitive abilities and deepens the bond with the cards.To deepen your Oracle card practice, consider exploring different spreads that cater to specific inquiries or areas of your life.
Develop a ritual around your readings, such as grounding exercises or meditation, to enhance focus and receptivity. Engage with the imagery on the cards through visualization and contemplation, allowing your subconscious to contribute to the interpretation.
Maintain a journal to record your readings, insights, and feelings, fostering a reflective process that helps track patterns and personal growth over time. Remember, the essence of Oracle cards lies in personal connection and intuition, making each reading a unique and enriching experience.
Experiment with combining Oracle card readings with other spiritual practices like meditation, crystal work, or rituals to create a holistic experience.
Join communities or online forums to share experiences and insights with fellow practitioners, gaining new perspectives on card interpretations. Periodically cleanse and recharge your cards to maintain their energy.
Embrace the evolving nature of your practice, allowing it to adapt as you grow spiritually. As you become more attuned to your intuition, you may find that Oracle cards become a powerful tool for self-discovery, guidance, and empowerment.
Consider integrating Oracle card readings into a mindful routine, incorporating them into moments of introspection, gratitude, or goal-setting. Explore different spreads or design your own to tailor readings to specific aspects of your life. Share your insights with others or use Oracle cards in group settings for collective guidance.
As you progress, don't hesitate to explore advanced techniques, such as combining multiple decks or creating your own cards to personalize the experience further. Ultimately, the key lies in cultivating a practice that resonates with you, fostering a deeper connection with the spiritual insights Oracle cards can offer.
To further enrich your Oracle card practice, delve into the symbolism and history behind the specific deck you're using. Understanding the cultural or spiritual context can deepen your appreciation and interpretation of the cards. Explore different spreads for specific purposes, such as love, career, or personal growth.
Additionally, regularly revisit and reassess your personal connection to the cards, allowing your evolving perspectives to influence the readings. Continuously expand your knowledge by exploring diverse decks and attending workshops or classes on Oracle card reading. This ongoing exploration ensures a dynamic and evolving practice tailored to your unique spiritual journey.
Grounding exercises help anchor you in the present moment and connect with the physical world. Here are a few simple grounding techniques:

1. Deep Breathing: Take slow, deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Focus on the sensation of your breath to bring your attention to the present.
   
2. Body Scan: Sit or lie down comfortably. Pay attention to each part of your body, starting from your toes and moving up. Notice any tension and consciously release it, bringing awareness to each body part.
   
3. Mindful Walking: Take a slow walk and pay attention to each step. Feel the ground beneath your feet, notice the movement of your body, and observe your surroundings. This helps shift your focus from thoughts to the physical experience.
   
4. Grounding Objects: Hold onto an object with texture or weight, like a stone or a piece of fabric. Pay attention to its features, temperature, and the way it feels in your hand, bringing your awareness to the present moment.
   
5. Visualization: Imagine roots extending from your body into the ground, like a tree. Envision these roots grounding you and providing stability. Connect with the Earth's energy as you visualize this grounding process.
   
6. Five Senses Check: Engage your senses by identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This exercise brings you into the immediate sensory experience.
   
7. Affirmations: Repeat positive affirmations or mantras to center your thoughts. Affirmations can help redirect your focus and bring a sense of calmness.
   

Experiment with these grounding exercises to find what resonates best with you, and use them whenever you need to center yourself or alleviate stress.
To incorporate crystals and rituals into your Oracle card practice, consider the following steps:

1. Crystal Selection: Choose crystals that resonate with your intentions or the specific energy you want to enhance during your Oracle card readings. For example, amethyst for intuition, rose quartz for love, or clear quartz for clarity.
   
2. Cleansing Crystals: Before each reading, cleanse your chosen crystals to remove any previous energies. You can use methods like smudging with sage, placing them in moonlight or sunlight, or using other crystal-clearing techniques.
   
3. Crystal Placement: Position your crystals around your Oracle card deck or spread. You can place them in a pattern or intuitively position them based on the energy you want to enhance. Trust your instincts and the energies of the crystals.
   
4. Setting Intentions: Before beginning your Oracle card reading, set clear intentions for the session. State your purpose and what guidance or insights you seek. This helps align the energy of the crystals and cards with your intentions.
   
5. Ritual Elements: Create a ritual around your Oracle card practice. This might include lighting candles, playing soft music, or incorporating specific colors or symbols that hold personal meaning. Consistency in your ritual can create a conducive environment for your practice.
   
6. Meditation with Crystals: Meditate with your chosen crystals before starting the Oracle card reading. This helps attune your energy to the vibrations of the crystals and enhances your intuitive connection.
   
7. Crystal Grids: Experiment with creating crystal grids around your Oracle card space. This involves arranging crystals in a specific pattern to amplify energy and intention. Grids can be simple or complex, depending on your preference.
   
8. Closing Ritual: Conclude your Oracle card session with a closing ritual. Express gratitude for the insights received, release any energy that no longer serves you, and cleanse both the cards and crystals. This helps maintain a clear and positive energy space.
   
9. Crystal Charging: Periodically recharge your crystals to maintain their energy. You can do this by placing them in the sunlight, moonlight, or on a selenite charging plate. This ensures that the crystals remain potent and ready for your Oracle card sessions.
   
10. Incorporate Elemental Energies: Align your practice with the elements. For example, use earthy crystals for grounding (e.g., hematite), airy crystals for mental clarity (e.g., clear quartz), watery crystals for emotional insight (e.g., moonstone), and fiery crystals for passion (e.g., carnelian). This adds a elemental dimension to your readings.
    
11. Create Ritual Symbols: Develop symbols or gestures that act as anchors for specific energies during your Oracle card readings. For instance, drawing a particular symbol in the air or using hand gestures can amplify your intention and focus.
    
12. Moon Phases and Oracle Readings: Leverage the energy of different moon phases for your Oracle card readings. Perform readings during the new moon for new beginnings, the full moon for clarity and manifestation, or the waning moon for releasing and letting go.
    
13. Crystal Elixirs: Create crystal elixirs by placing crystals in water under moonlight or sunlight (ensuring the crystals are safe for water). Use the elixir to anoint your cards or drink before a reading, infusing the energy of the crystals into your practice.
    
14. Dedicated Sacred Space: Designate a specific area for your Oracle card practice and crystal work. This sacred space can be adorned with meaningful items, creating an energetic container that enhances your connection with the divine and your intuitive abilities.
    
15. Intuitive Crystal Pairing: Trust your intuition when combining crystals with Oracle cards. Allow yourself to be drawn to certain crystals based on the energy you sense or the guidance you seek. Intuitive pairings can deepen the resonance of your readings.
    

Continuously explore and adapt these practices to align with your evolving spiritual journey. The synergy of crystals, rituals, and Oracle cards can create a powerful and personalized experience, enriching your connection with your inner wisdom and the energies around you.

So, here is part 2 of my entitled employee story. We left off with discovering Sally’s retaliation of giving me trash as a Christmas gift after her latest write-up.
So, the next several weeks, I am noticing more problems, but here’s some of the highlights.

1. Ever since we had issues of the office’s checks going randomly missing, Sally had apparently decided to just stop throwing any envelope away when opening the mail. She would supposedly search the envelopes/paperwork & then keep the envelopes with the paperwork. So, instead of doing her job better, she would decide to just stop doing the job at all. After all, you can’t get in trouble for screwing it up if you aren’t doing it, right? However, this resulted in items getting left with the paperwork (which sometimes wouldn’t get touched for several weeks due to being busy) that had needed to be collected or addressed right away.
   
2. Sally’s careless mistakes continued at about the same rate (average of 2 to 3 a week). She would put deposit slips/emails with the wrong office’s report, put one office’s mail in another office’s bin, put one office’s funding papers in another office’s bin, put one office’s bills in the folder for their correspondence & vice versa, put one office’s bills in the folder for another office’s bills, put the new month’s bills in the folder without taking out the old month’s bills so they would get mixed up. I could go on & on.
   
3. Sally would still ask for help on things she shouldn’t need help on anymore, ‘cause I had helped her many times on items exactly like it in the 2 years she’s worked here. I mean, the whole point of asking for help when learning new things on a job is so you can take the input you’re given & use it to get better at the job so you don’t have to ask for help anymore. I mean, what kind of office works by their employees constantly needing to be walked through everything every day? Sally would even ask for help on things no one would need to ask for help on. For example, she asked me, “An office took a deposit to the bank without showing it on their report. How do I write that up in the letter to fax to them?” Um, exactly what you just said to me. Or another time, she asks how long she should wait before calling an office back. Well, how long do you think you should give them? Just use your good judgment. You don’t need help with that! Again, you’ve been here 2 years!
   

On Jan 26, I take the Dec bills, correspondence faxes, & timesheets out of their folders to scan them into the computer. Now, one thing the bills should always have on them are the check number used to pay for this purchase & the date it was paid. The offices themselves are supposed to write this on there, but they don’t always, which is why it is our job to write it on there if it’s missing. I had noticed when I scanned Nov’s bills around Nov 30 that a lot of Sally’s offices don’t have that info written on them. So, I explained to her what needed to be written on every bill/receipt. I now flip through the Dec & Jan bills of her offices really quick to check them. There are quite a few of them with no info written down on them. There’s strike one for noncompliance.
Another task we would do several days a week (that’s Sally’s responsibility) is to check the bank accounts online. She is to look at the bank balances & report any low balances to Greg (or me if Greg isn’t there). She is then to look at the transactions in order to see if anything looks fraudulent. Since we are a loan company, check fraud is very common for us. So, we look at the checks for anything funny-looking, & we look to see if there are any auto debits (like when you use your bank account online to pay for a bill) that would tell us if someone got hold of our bank account info.
On Jan 30, at 1:15 p.m., I asked if any of the bank balances were low (Greg was out of town for a few days). Sally said she had forgotten to check the bank accounts that morning. Weird, ‘cause you had to check the Dallas office to make sure the money we sent them had shown up. How did you get the login sheet out to look in their bank account but then forget about checking all the bank accounts? This just further cemented in my mind that she was NOT checking these bank accounts the way she should. I was 100% positive that all she does when logging into these bank accounts is checking the balances to give to Greg but then never checks the transactions. I know this ‘cause, 1) I’ve observed Sally only logging in to write down the balances & then logging back out (she had some flimsy excuse ready when I asked her about it), 2) there have been auto debits that appeared in bank accounts that we didn’t find for weeks until I happened to see it for some reason & guess what? She never pointed those out to us, & 3) Sally hadn’t bothered to check the bank account balances since Greg was out of town, so clearly she only felt the need to check the balances. There’s strike two for noncompliance.
& even more bad mistakes or decisions:

1. At the end of Jan, we discovered that Sally had mailed the employees’ W2s to the managers’ home addresses instead of to the offices to distribute to their employees!
   
2. We had an office that moved locations to right across the street, so the only thing that changed in their address was their street number (12 Main Street instead of 11 Main Street). I explained this to Sally & gave her an updated list of the office’s addresses. 3 weeks later, we get a call from that office saying that mail we send to them keeps going to their landlord’s house. I check the address labels Sally had created for herself. Sure enough, it had the wrong address on them. I go to grab the lease, & at the top is where the tenant’s new address is listed. & all the way at the bottom of the page in the paragraph titled “RENT” where it lists where to send the rent is the landlord’s home address. & that’s the address Sally had chosen to be the new office’s address on her address labels.
   
3. Sally hadn’t been faxing the offices to ask for bills/receipts that never made it to us.
   
4. I used the last towel on a roll of paper towels, so I went to the cabinets to grab another. We were out. Sally is in charge of keeping track of supplies that need ordering, so I go to Sally & say we’re completely out of paper towels, we need to order some. Sally response: “No one ever tells me when they grab the last roll so I know when to order them.” Um, excuse me, since when is it our job to tell you to do your job? It’s your responsibility to keep track of supplies. You should be checking the level of paper towels, toilet paper, Kleenex, etc., to see when you need to order them.
   

So, I knew she needed a second warning write up for carelessness cause of the numerous mistakes since the first warning write up in the middle of Dec, & I would be giving Sally a first warning write up for negligence cause of her not asking the offices for missing bills & not writing the info on the bills I had told her to do at the end of Nov. However, it was only a few days from Feb, which was the time for performance reviews. So, rather than doing a write up now & then in a week or so doing a performance review that was one of the worst performance reviews I’ve ever heard of, I decided to just do it in one fell swoop. You know, just get it all out of the way with one bad conversation, one bad day, & then both of us can hopefully put it behind us & move on.
I decided to do the performance review & write ups on Feb 5 (Monday). It went much smoother ‘cause Greg was there, so Sally couldn’t really give me lip or lash out by showing attitude & anger like she had previously.
On Feb 7 (Wednesday), I log in to get the transactions for an office who is switching banks. I wanted to get an updated list of outstanding checks so they know how many checks are left before they can close the old bank account. & what do I see? Someone had used the bank account to pay $100 on their AT&T bill. I call the office & find out it was actually them, so no fraud there. But I then ask Sally if she had seen that when checking the bank accounts. She said she didn’t remember. Obviously, I have found my proof that she is either not checking them or isn’t paying attention when she does. I have a discussion with Greg about it, & we decide I need to have a sit down with her about her not doing her job. She is sick on Thursday, so I plan to talk with her the next day she comes in.
On Feb 9 (Friday), I begin the conversation about checking the bank accounts & how important it is. I am planning to say things like, we expect you to do this job, you’ve been told multiple times to do this task, if you’re not going to do the job, then you’re welcome to go find another one, etc. But she cuts me off at the beginning with an excuse of, “Well, I didn’t know what I should be looking for, now I know.” & it broke me. She does this exact thing every time I have to have a conversation with her. She has an excuse ready to go on the tip of her tongue, always spins it around so it’s not actually her fault. It’s always, “Well, I didn’t know that, but now, I do.” & I was just done. I didn’t continue the conversation, even though I needed to, ‘cause I just broke down in tears from the stress of having to discipline her & knowing that nothing will ever come of it, but having our hands legally tied to be able to fire her right now. I cried nonstop for over 4 hours.
On Feb 12 (Monday), I sat down to continue the conversation, this time with a written statement for her to sign.
Me: You respond a lot of the time that you don’t know how to do things, which is very frustrating, ‘cause you’ve been shown multiple times how to do these tasks. It’s very inefficient & wasteful that I have to constantly check all of your work & retrain you on the same thing over & over again. This needs to change. This job is about accuracy & accountability.
Sally: You’re not giving me a chance to improve. I never hear “Good job,” from you. All I ever hear is, “You’re doing a bad job, sign this paper.” I get in trouble every time I ask for help, so I guess I’ll just follow the instructions & hope I’m doing it right.
The problems with that response:

1. You’ve worked here for 2 years, Sally. You’ve had plenty of time to improve.
   
2. The reason you never hear “Good job” is ‘cause you’re not doing a good job. How am I supposed to tell you “Good job,” but also need to give you a write up for doing a bad job? If you’re getting multiple write ups for doing a bad job, don’t you think that’s a sign that something is wrong? I mean, she thinks that managers should be telling their employees good job on everything they do right. No, you’re expected to do these tasks. We’re not going to congratulate you every time you do your basic job requirements like some toddler that needs constant positive reinforcement so they know that doing something right is a good thing! You will hear “Good job” when you are doing a really good job on something, when you go above & beyond!! I mean, do you think Greg tells me “Good job” when I’m just doing my job as expected?!! NO!!! I’ve never had a manager constantly tell me “Good job” all the time!!!! (Whew. Sorry about that. Kinda went on a crazy rant there. I’m good now.)
   
3. Here’s another example of her mentality of “if I don’t do the job, I can’t get in trouble for doing it wrong.” She’s going to stop asking for help instead of using the help I’ve given her to do better. I mean, if you’re making these mistakes when you ARE asking for help, how many more are you going to make when you stop asking for help? How does this make any logical sense?!
   

Well, here’s another chance for some malicious compliance. She claimed she didn’t know how to check the bank accounts, right? Well, my job as the manager is to make sure my employees know how to do their job. So, I need to sit down with her & train her how to check the bank accounts. Again. Even though I know she already knows how to do it. So, every time you tell me that the reason why you didn’t do a job is ‘cause you didn’t know how to do it right, well, we’re going to sit down & waste both our times & annoy you having to be retrained on something you do, in fact, know how to do.
Sally continues making careless mistakes & not doing stuff she doesn’t think she should have to do. Like answering the phones. It’s her job to answer the phones; that’s something I as the manager should be delegating to her. However, she never answers the phone unless I literally can’t. So, I had asked her to start answering the phone more. She will wait until the last possible second before answering the phone. By that time, it’s already rung twice, so I have to answer it before it goes on any longer or they hang up. One time, we were both away from our desks when the phone rang. We both went to answer it, but she was closer & got to her desk before me, put her hand on the phone, & watched me until I got to my desk before she picked it up. With a comment of, “Oh, (laughs) I didn’t want to make you walk all the way to your desk.” Well, you did, anyway, you little jerk.
On Feb 27, Sally asks for help on a report. She says that my note stating the office is over-deposited $28 on report 1 but fixed on report 2 by being $28 under-deposited didn’t work out. She says that they were never over by $28 in the first place. I take the report to look it over. Her calculator tape adding up the deposits shows the bank is in balance, but I don’t see deposit slips.
Me: Where are the deposit slips?
Sally: I haven’t gotten them yet.
Me: (trying to comprehend her logic) Then how do you have the deposit amounts added on this tape?
Sally: I got the amounts from the report.
Me: You…(my brain trying not to implode at this point) you can’t add up amounts to see if the bank has too much or too little money in it without knowing what was actually taken to the bank. The amounts on the report don’t always equal what was taken to the bank.
I log into the bank account & discover just that: the report says they took $500 to the bank, but their deposit says $528. They were indeed $28 over-deposited. I then lecture her (for the second time in a few months) on the correct way to account for the deposits at the bank, that we are only to use the dollar amounts on the bank’s deposit receipt. (The first time was her getting the deposit amount from what was written on the deposit slip instead of what the bank gave us credit for on their printed receipt. The bank had shorted us $500, & we never knew until her deposits didn’t work out when reconciling the bank statement at the end of the month. We were missing $500 for 4 weeks! It’s a miracle we didn’t overdraw the account.)
Another task that we do several days a week is checking the CFPB website. This is a government website that uses federal regulations to monitor financial institutions. It’s like the Better Business Bureau, but more official. Customers can make complaints through them, prompting an investigation to make sure we’re following the federal guidelines. We have 2 weeks to respond to a complaint before it is past due.
On Feb 29, Greg just happens to be looking at an email inbox that he never checks, ‘cause after all, we’re checking the CFPB website, so he doesn’t have to look there, right? There is a complaint in 2 of the portals that have been in there since Jan 22. He immediately marches out & tells Sally about them.
Greg: Aren’t you checking the CFPB sites?
Sally: Yeah, I am.
Really? Then how come you didn’t print this complaint off to give to Greg in the last 6 weeks? She came back from lunch to a second warning write up given by me for negligence.
On Mar 5 (Tuesday), we are working on reconciling the bank statements so we can close the month of Feb. Sally brings me a Jan bank statement for an office.
Sally: This never cleared in Feb.
I look at the bank statement. It’s an electronic deposit of $254 on Jan 31. I remember this. She had asked me at the beginning of Feb why this deposit wasn’t recorded on the office’s report. I explained that since it didn’t show up in the bank account until the last day of Jan, they might not have known about it before the end of the month & so recorded it on the first of Feb. We will wait until the first report of Feb. If it’s still not recorded, then we’ll bring that to the office’s attention. & here she is, clearly telling me she hadn’t brought it to anyone’s attention all month long.
Me: (staring at the bank statement as I try to prevent my autistic brain from exploding at her while also trying to prevent a spontaneous stroke) You didn’t keep track of this all month?
Sally: Well, I didn’t know if it was treated differently ‘cause it was OTBP (One Time Bill Pay, which is the electronic deposit). (Oh, what a shocker, she once again didn’t know how to do something.)
Me: But we talked about this. If it wasn’t on the first of the month, we needed to address it.
Sally: Okay, well, now I know that we treat this the same as other deposits. (goes nonchalantly back to her desk like it was no big deal, like she hadn’t just revealed she had once again disobeyed my detailed instructions)
Me: (seeing her flagrant disregard for the seriousness of the situation & wondering just how on earth she could once again think that not doing her job would have no consequences) This is exactly what Greg talks about over & over, about how we can’t leave errors like this to sit for weeks & weeks, that these need to be dealt with as they happen.
Sally: (still as easy-going as if she had simply used the wrong color highlighter) Okay, I’ll make note of that.
Now, I am getting really pissed off. She keeps saying, “Oh, now I know that OTBP is treated the same as everything else.” That doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter that you didn’t know it’s treated the same! I specifically told you to take care of it if it didn’t appear on the first of Feb! It didn’t matter what kind of deposit it was! I said to tell me if it wasn’t on the first of Feb!
Now, this was right before she leaves at 3:30, so by the time I’m finished with my text conversation with Greg (‘cause he isn’t there that afternoon), she has already left. But I’m telling Greg that I have once again caught her being negligent, & she’s already had 2 written warnings about this, which means our next step is letting her go. Not to mention, her carelessness is still continuing. He said that he supports my decision to let her go. By the way, the final decision happened an hour after she left. If I had known before she left that we were indeed going to fire her, I would have done it before she left so she didn’t have to come all the way to work in the morning just to leave again.
So, on Mar 6 (Wednesday), I arrive early to work so I can be prepared. I am standing at my desk, watching her come in. This is unusual, so she frowns as she approaches me.
Me: Sally, we need to talk.
Sally: (still frowns at me)
Me: (handing her the typed up notice) We are going to read this together. “When reconciling the month of Jan, around Feb 5, it was brought to my attention that we had a deposit that hadn’t been reconciled. I gave you instructions to wait a report to see if it works out. If not, you would need to bring it to mine & the office’s attention for further instructions. This wasn’t done. It wasn’t until Mar 5 that you brought this to my attention again. You have been told many times the importance of reconciling the financials of the office. You have been warned several times of negligence. This is another example of negligence with respect to your job. All you had to do was follow my instructions. It is for this reason that it is now time to terminate your employment.”
Sally: When did you tell me to do this?
Me: (thinking, “Um, I kinda just told you when I told you do that, but, okay.”) When you showed me the Jan bank statement—
Sally: Yesterday?!
Me: You showed me the Jan bank statement a month ago when you were reconciling Jan. I told you to wait for the first of Feb & then—
Sally: You did no such thing!
Me: Yes, I did, Sally.
Sally: When does Greg get here?
Me: Around 9, like usual.
Sally: I’m calling him, ‘cause this is ridiculous. You’ve had it out for me from the very beginning.
Me: No, I haven’t.
Sally: Yeah, you have. Just like the other 2. (sets her bags at the front door, goes outside, & calls Greg)

1. How could I have had it out for you from the very beginning when we didn’t have problems for the first year & a half you worked here? If I’d had it out for you from the beginning, you wouldn’t have had a job the past 6 months. Need I remind you what Greg told you about the timesheet thing being something we fire someone for on the spot, but that Molly had gone to bat for you & gave you a second chance? Why would I have done that if I had wanted you gone from the start?
   
2. “Just like the other 2.” She’s talking about Irene (who had left in Feb 2023) & another employee (who we’ll call Phil). Phil had been fired (by Greg, by the way) for continuing to watch movies on his phone at his desk despite being told multiple times by Greg to not do that. & Irene? She wasn’t fired. She gave her 2 weeks’ notice. & we then discovered when going through the work she’s been doing as we started taking over her tasks that she didn’t just not do jobs. She would actually forge the work so she wouldn’t have to work. “A bank imbalance of $2.65? Well, I’ll just add it to the imbalance that’s been building up for who knows how many months & just label it as an over-deposit from the end of the month. That way, I don’t have to look into why the bank isn’t balancing.” But no, I had it out for them, apparently.
   
3. Does she really think that calling Greg was gonna reverse my firing her? Does she really think I would do something as drastic as writing her up or firing her without discussing it with my supervisor first? Did she really think I would do this behind his back?
   

Apparently, she did, ‘cause Greg confirmed that Sally tried telling him about all the stuff I’ve been doing to her as if he didn’t know. She hung up on him when he explained that he’s been told everything as it happens & he supports this decision.
Sally: (storming back into the office & towards her desk) I’m not signing anything.
Me: Ok.
Sally begins packing up her desk. I had known she kept a lot of personal items at the office, so I had gotten a big box or 2 out & placed them nearby for her to use to pack up her desk.
Me: We can give you a box if you need it.
Sally: I don’t need sh** from you guys.
Me: The only thing we’ll need is your office key.
Sally: You’ll get it when you get it. I’m packing my desk.
Me: Ok.
I go back to work, keeping an eye on her as she packs to make sure she doesn’t take anything she’s not supposed to or damage any company property. Sally at some point decides to use the boxes she didn’t want from us to pack up her many items. She takes both boxes to the front door where her bags are & sets them down to put the last of her things in. She picks up one box to take outside.
Sally: You are the worst manager ever. (goes out the door)
Me: (shrug)
Sally: (comes back in for the final box) Seriously, you’re the most evil person I’ve ever met. (leaves)
Really? I rank worse than the guy that beat you up? I’m worse than him?
I continued watching her to see if she’s going to come back to give up her office key. As she packed up her car, another employee had arrived (we’ll call him Randy). He had run into her on the way in & asks me if Sally quit. I explained, no, she was let go. I then see that Sally has gotten behind the wheel of her car without coming back to give us the office key.
Me: Well, I guess we’ll just change the locks.
Randy then takes it upon himself to go out to her car. He phrased it very gently by saying he wanted to spare her having to come back in to turn the key in.
Sally: I guess Molly didn’t have the balls to do it herself. (hands the key over)
& then…she was gone. Despite having to do the entire corporate office’s work all by myself & falling steadily behind little by little, I have never been more happy. I had forgotten how much I loved my job & how much I couldn’t wait to get to work. I haven’t been this stress-free in 6 months, & it feels fantastic! & the great part is, I’m not really falling as far behind as I expected to without her. Having to do 2 people’s jobs by myself is only affecting me a little. Really goes to show you how bad she was for the company & for my job when she disrupted everything that much. For example, me & her would get through maybe 5 to 6 offices’ reports between us in a single day when playing catch up after closing the previous month. One day? I caught up on 10 offices’ reports in a single day. By myself.
Oh, did I mention she smoked marijuana most days on her way to work or while on her lunch break? We could never actually prove it. But, come on, you don’t smell that strongly of marijuana on only select days if you aren’t smoking it recently. If it was leftover from the smell of your house or car, you would smell like that every day. But it was only some days she would come into work or back from lunch smelling like that. Obviously, smoking on the job. So very glad to be rid of her & her awful skunk smell. Although, I do wish her well on a new job search. I don’t wish ill on anyone, ever. But I am just glad she’s no longer my problem to deal with.
(Added 2 months after she was fired): By the way, I am actually gaining on my work. I’m not only not behind on my work, I’m actually getting it done soon enough to work on extra stuff. Also, out of the blue, we’ve started getting about 3 to 4 sales & scam calls every day since Sally left (for things like better Medicare benefits, better retirement benefits, & even one time recently where “Walgreens” was calling to ask if I still had diabetes). I’m convinced Sally signed us up for calls as retaliation. I hope they die down soon, especially as they are starting to get rude. (Our response to every one of these is “Sorry, this is a business.” This one guy responded to me with, “This is my job.” I said, “I understand this is your job, but this is a business. I am not allowed to take personal calls.” He said, “Why?” I said very slowly & firmly, “Because I’m working!” He started to say, “Can you explain to me why—” I hung up. Jerk.)

Oh, boy, Charlotte, do I have a doozy for you. It’s such a doozy that it comes in 2 parts. I guess it would qualify as petty revenge, since that’s the only flair that fit, but it’s more of an entitled Karen story.
For the sake of telling the story a little smoother, I'm going to explain some things up front. I (female, early 30s; let's call me Molly) am the manager in the accounting office of a very small loan company. Like, really small. We have less than 30 offices with only 2 employees at each office. For this reason, we are kind of low-tech, old-fashioned. I'm talking paper timesheets that get faxed to our office (we're also the corporate office that handles the payroll). Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a half-hour lunch. Me & my employee (who we'll call Sally) work this shift. Our boss (who we'll call Greg) is the owner & CEO. He works in the office starting at 9:00 a.m. till whenever he leaves for the day. Most of the time, that's around the time we leave, sometimes it's earlier due to errands he needs to run.
So, in Oct 2022, Sally (female, early 30s) gave us a note that her doctor wants to have daily appointments with her indefinitely. She let us know she would need to leave at 3:30 every day. Greg granted that request & even gave her the opportunity to come in early so she didn't miss any of her 8 hours each day. So, she began coming to work between 6:45 & 7:00 & would take however long of a lunch she needed to so she would have an 8-hour day.
Due to a combination of our fiscal year-end work in Oct & Nov 2022, playing catch-up from Dec 2022 to Feb 2023, & the other coworker (who we'll call Irene) leaving the company in Feb 2023 so we had to play catch-up again for several months before we got used to the bigger workload, I hadn't been able to pay too close attention to Sally's work. But in the middle of Aug 2023, I began to suspect her. I realized that the tasks Sally had in the morning would usually take me an hour & a half to do, which meant I would be relatively finished by the time I would arrive at 8:30. Sally, on the other hand, would only have stuff halfway done. Now, I knew Sally worked slower than me since I knew the job better than she did, but this still seemed very slow. I began to suspect Sally was either not arriving as early as she said she was (she was the only one in the office before 8:30) or she was arriving on time but wasn't working.
On Aug 21 (Monday), I decided to come in early to the office since I had to make up time due to a doctor appointment later in the week. So, I arrived at work at 6:40. 6:45 rolled around...no Sally. 6:50...no Sally. 7:00...same thing. Sally arrived at 7:20. Now, ok, maybe she ran into traffic. However, that's a bit of a coincidence that the one day I show up early unannounced is also the day she happens to be late. But I waited to see what time Sally would write down on the timesheet. However, she didn't write down her time until Tuesday right before she left. She had written down that she had arrived at 7:05. I asked her about it, and her response was "I must have copied it down wrong from my spreadsheet." That's strange, 'cause you hadn't arrived at 7:05 any other day that week. Just where did you copy it down from?
Now, I am curious as to what time Sally puts down when she believes no one has seen what time she arrives. So, for Sept 4-15, I would arrive in the parking lot across the street & read a book & eat breakfast while I wait to see what time Sally would arrive. Every single day, she would arrive around 7:15 or 7:20, but would write down 6:45 or 6:50, a half hour discrepancy every single day. & we have no way of knowing how long she's been stealing a half hour every day. She could have been doing this for the past year since her schedule changed.
On Sept 18, I write down Sally's actual times from these 2 weeks on a paper & tell her to correct all the times I indicated. Sally says that she will use the office clock to write down her times from now on. Wait a minute, you're saying that your phone is a half hour earlier than the rest of the world? But only when you arrive at work. When you go to lunch & leave work, it matches the rest of the clocks. & then switches during the night so your arrival time can be wrong again the next day? Wow, that's a pretty glitchy phone you got there.
On Sept 20 after Sally left, I installed a camera that connects to an app in my phone. I put the camera in a place where it wouldn't be able to see any computers/paperwork & turned off the microphone (I didn't want to risk any company info being seen/heard). I only needed to see when Sally arrived. Where I ended up placing it, I was able to see Sally where she sat at her desk.
On three of the following days, Sally would arrive 10 to 15 minutes after the time she would write down. I speak with Greg about this, & we decide to write her up. By the way, usually when an employee is caught forging the timesheet like this, it's an immediate termination. At any other office, she would have gotten fired in the beginning of Sept after I first discovered the half hour forgery. I am deciding to give her a chance to make this whole thing right.
On Sept 26 (Tuesday), I give Sally the write up when she arrives.
Sally: I'll sign it, but I don't know why. I mean, I get here at 7:00. (Ok, there's a sign right there. Who signs an official write up when their employer is lying or setting them up?)
Me: I've observed you arriving between 7:10 & 7:15.
Sally reads the write up & then keeps it at her desk for a bit after signing it. After plenty of time, I ask for it back. She grabs it, so I lean forward & hold my hand out (our desks are right next to each other), but Sally flings it at my desk. The whole thing is made better by the fact that Greg is out of town Tuesday thru Thursday. So, Sally proceeds to be angry & have an attitude all the way through Thursday. She refuses to talk or answer the phones. She does that tossing/flicking-papers-around, aggressive-typing, heavily-setting-things-down thing people do when they're frustrated or angry (which she did all...day...long). She sped out of the parking lot & down the street so fast that I could hear her engine rev & tires squeal from inside the building.
On Sept 27 (Wednesday), Sally is still doing that slamming things thing. I enjoy not responding to her whatsoever. I could see out of the corner of my eye that she would slam something down & look at me. I wouldn't give any kind of reaction, wouldn't look at her, & it would piss her off. Sally would then start slamming things around again. I admit, that was fun.
On Sept 28 (Thursday), I see on the camera that Sally arrives at 7:00, but then I watch her sit on her phone for 45 minutes! She is still having attitude issues, &—unbelievably—is still slamming things. After she leaves for the day, I then see the calendar that Sally keeps on her desk as I was passing by. On the box for Sept 26 (the day she was written up), she had written the words "F***ING JOKE!". The audacity of her to write that in plain view of everyone in the office & think she wouldn't get in trouble for it.
On Sept 29 (Friday), Sally arrives at 7:00 but sits on her phone for 30 minutes WHILE VAPING! (Not sure about other cities or states, but it's illegal to smoke or vape inside a building in the city where our office is.) But Greg is back this day, & I had been texting him what's been going on. He had texted back he wanted to do a meeting on Friday. So, the 3 of us go into the breakroom for a meeting.
Greg: So, Sally, what's been going on with this timesheet thing?
Sally: I just, I forget to write down the time when I arrive.
Greg: Ok, well, whether it's done on purpose or through negligence, we can't have wrong times on the timesheet. So, from now on, you won't be able to come to work before Molly gets here at 8:30. Now, are there any other problems you'd like to discuss with us?
Sally: (begins getting worked up) I just, I feel like I can't talk to her. She creates such a hostile work environment.
Now, I am blown away. Me? Hostile? I'm autistic, so I'm naturally shy & hate socializing, so I usually don't talk to anyone very much. Everyone I tell this story to, their eyes widen when I mention this, 'cause there's no way anyone would ever describe me as hostile.
Luckily, Greg interrupts her to defend me: This isn't a hostile work environment.
Sally: (backpedaling) Well, I mean, she gets mad at her printer & bangs on it, & that just flashes me back to stuff. I mean, I'm trying to work on myself & the anxiety, & she just sends me back.
Oh, so now, we're claiming we have PTSD & that my "violent" actions are giving her flashbacks? Um, who is it laughing right along with me every time my printer jams? (By the way, I know she's lying about the PTSD, 'cause I have a couple friends with PTSD & recognize the signs. Sally doesn't show any sign of fear or panic or shrinking away from things, nothing like that. There are no signs whatsoever of her being alarmed by anything I do.) Oh, not to mention the double standards. You're allowed to slam things around (for 3 straight days, by the way), but I'm not?
Anyway, we wrap up the meeting after Greg underlines (for Sally's benefit) that everyone in the office needs to get along.
On Oct 2 (the next Monday), I had a good drive & happened to get there at 8:20. Sally arrives at 8:25 & comes in, stopping at my desk.
Sally: (annoyed) Are you gonna be early all week?
Me: (frowning & caught off-guard) Um, I don't know. It just depends how long my drive takes.
Sally: (with a snarky attitude) 'Cause I had to keep driving around waiting for you, so if you're gonna be early, I'd like to know.
Ok, first of all, no one is forcing you to drive around. You can park your car in the parking lot. Do you really think we're gonna fire you for sitting in the parking lot while you wait for me? We only said you couldn't come in & work before I do. & second, it's none of your business when I get to work. My shift starts at 8:30, therefore, you should aim for 8:30, just like Greg told you to do. How am I supposed to predict the exact minute I get to work? & you're gonna get angry at me 'cause I didn't show up before my shift starts? Since when is it a requirement of mine to come into work before I start working?
Well, a bit of malicious compliance in this entitled story: if I can see I'm going to arrive at work more than 5 minutes early, I stop at the store just down the road & shop until 8:30. 'Cause guess what? Sally gets there who knows how early & sits in the gas station across the street, waiting for me. Fine, you wanna be that way? I can be petty, too.
By the way, Sally has a radio talk show she listens to from before I get to work until it ends at 10:00. I'm not into talk shows, but it wasn't too annoying (most of the time), so I didn't say anything about it. The reason why I started having a problem listening to it was that they would get into inappropriate things (s** toy review, for example). It made me super uncomfortable when they did segments like this. From the moment Sally was written up, she started only listening to the show on her headphones, thinking she was punishing me by me not getting to hear the show. Joke's on her. Sally did me a favor by not having to listen to that thing.
Sally was also told that she is no longer allowed to take smoke breaks on the clock. As no one else in the office takes breaks but chooses to work through them, this change would be made so all employees were equal now. But here’s the interesting thing: Sally suddenly stopped taking smoke breaks at all, but her bathroom breaks grew more numerous & longer. When she had been taking smoke breaks, the alarm on her phone would go off at specific times, such as 2:00. She would then go outside to take her smoke break. After the on-the-clock-smoke-break privilege was taken away, the same alarms would go off, such as 2:00. She would then disappear to the bathroom for 15 minutes. & I even smelled smoke in there when I went in there right after one of these long bathroom breaks.
Ever since the write up, there’s been attitude every once in a while. Most of the time, I have no idea what it is I did that could possibly have set her off that day. All I know is that Sally’s suddenly slamming things around again (hmm, PTSD cured now, is it?). & she’s still constantly making mistakes (like she’s always done).
On Nov 27, Sally is working on the Funding (loan proceeds funded onto a customer’s debit card). What we do is get the list of customers, determine how much the office funded that customer, transfer the money from the office’s bank account to the holding account, & then transfer the total from the holding account to the account that directly funds the debit cards to replenish the money. We had two customers with similar names (say, John Smith & Jack Smith). Sally hadn’t paid attention to the whole name & had applied John’s $0 funding to Jack. However, Jack had been funded $250. So, that money was missed, & I had to make a separate transfer for it.
On Dec 4, Sally is working on the Funding & writes down $0 for a customer. But the report from the office says he actually got $96.
On Dec 8 & 9, we discovered 2 checks that were supposed to be sent to our office (one from Oct, one from Sept). Neither had been cashed, & neither had ever reached us, even though we had the rest of the paperwork that would have come with those checks. Due to the dots I had connected, I had a pretty strong hunch that Sally wasn’t thoroughly checking the mail envelopes to make sure they’d been completely emptied before they got thrown away. I believed these checks were still in some envelopes that were then thrown away by Sally.
On Dec 11, on the bank reconciliation sheets we work at the end of the month (like balancing a checkbook), one of Sally’s offices was out of balance by $68, & she couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it, either. I pulled out the one done for the month before. I couldn’t find it there, either. But I did notice one thing. The checks that hadn’t cleared the bank yet didn’t add up to the total amount of outstanding checks Sally had written down. By $68. I go back to the month before that one. There were a total of $68 in old checks that never got cashed & therefore should have gotten written off on the fiscal year-end at the end of Oct. But she hadn’t transferred them to the new month’s sheet. So, now, we have to hold onto them for a whole year to write off next Oct.
The same day, I went through all the offices to double check the GL codes that we post the expense checks to (GL codes determine where an expense gets coded, e.g., post an electricity payment to the GL code for utilities). The day previously, Sally had gotten several GL codes incorrect in the Miller office. She had forgotten to change the codes from the one for the Checkbook to the ones for the expense account. She had caught those ones since it affected the balance of the Checkbook, so I had helped her fix those properly. However, there were expense checks sent to a GL code that wasn’t the right one that Sally hadn’t caught.
I talk with Greg, as I feel that every time I turn around, I am either retraining Sally on stuff I’ve trained her on multiple times, I’m correcting mistakes on stuff Sally should know how to do by now (‘cause again, I’ve trained her multiple times), or I’m disciplining Sally about stuff she’s doing wrong. Greg asks how many mistakes due to carelessness she’s made in the last 2 weeks. I check my notes & tell him 4. He says that’s too excessive for an accounting office. We need to write her up.
So, I made the write up, but I just know I’m going to be dealing with the same attitude as the last time I had to write her up. & guess what? Greg’s out of town till Thursday again. I used my phone this time to record the audio of the interaction. That way, if Sally has attitude towards me again, I’m able to play the recording to Greg so he can hear what Sally’s like when he’s not here (which is why the following conversation is pretty much word for word).
On Dec 12 (Tuesday), I sat her down first thing.
Me: So, in the past couple weeks, I’ve noticed some errors happening due to carelessness, & they’ve become a bit excessive for an accounting office. The most important thing in an accounting office is accuracy. That’s why we focus so much on thoroughness & attention to detail. So, whatever needs to happen to lessen those errors, whether it’s slowing the pace of the work itself or double & triple-checking the work before it’s finished, it needs to happen. For example, when I work the payroll, after I get the total for all the offices, I then subtract each person’s individual hours to double check my entries. That way, if there is an error, at least I know it wasn’t ‘cause I was going too fast or not paying attention or something. So, whatever you need to do to decrease the mistakes, please—
Sally: What errors are we talking about?
Me: I have a page here with the items from the last couple weeks. (hand her the write up)
Sally: (reads the pages for a minute) Ok…
Me: So, whatever you need to do to—
Sally: (talking quickly ‘cause she’s pissed now) I’m gonna need more time & focus strictly on Funding. I don’t wanna touch mail, I don’t wanna touch anything else. I wanna focus strictly on that. ‘Cause I’m getting 80 plus a day (which was a lie, we never get nearly that much), & now, I’m gonna start getting in trouble if it’s not 110%. I am human. I will make mistakes. So, if that’s not allowed, then…(shrugs) let me know, I guess. I’ll talk to Greg & I guess figure something out. I am human, & I am gonna make mistakes, A. B, I feel like crap. He (Greg) has been in here sick the last week. I caught whatever he has. I’ve been hacking. I’ve been sicker than sh** the last week. I am trying. You guys usually have until the 12th to close the month. Since I’ve worked here, I’ve closed before the 8th. Yeah, I made mistakes. I told you I made a mistake on the Miller office. I knew what happened. So, to throw it in my face again that I already made that mistake is kinda rude, but…(shrugs) I’m actually kinda shocked to see that on there.
Me: Well, you did catch the errors involving the Checkbook, but there were other mistakes on that office that you didn’t catch, & that’s the reason that was listed on there.
Sally goes back to her work, & I decide to not ask her to sign the write up I had given her right away since she was diving right into the Funding. She had expressed she wanted to focus solely on it to minimize mistakes. I wanted to use positive reinforcement to convey that this was good behavior & good thinking, so I decided to wait for her to finish before asking her to sign & return the write up.
Now, here’s the issues with her little outburst above.

1. Sally is complaining that she’s human & makes mistakes & we’re not allowing mistakes. We’re not saying that she can’t make mistakes, ‘cause she’s right. Everyone makes mistakes; I make mistakes. What we’re saying is that she’s making mistakes much too often.
   
2. Sally says the reason for these mistakes the last 2 weeks is ‘cause she’s been sick the last week or so ‘cause she caught what Greg had (do you see the timing problem there?). Also, these kinds of mistakes have been happening for months & months. I only brought these examples up ‘cause they were recent.
   
3. Sally pointed out the fact that she closes each month really quick. We don’t care how fast things get done. Our goal isn’t to get things done quickly but to get things done accurately. If we happen to get it done quickly, that’s just a bonus. We would rather things go slow than to have errors causing problems or costing us money ‘cause we didn’t take the time to make sure it was correct.
   
4. Sally states it’s rude that I’m throwing her error back in her face (you already know my reaction to that). She obviously doesn’t know how a job works. Just ‘cause we discussed this error already doesn’t mean it can’t go on the write up. This is just one of the examples that required us to do a write up. We’re not doing this ‘cause we want to write you up or that we’re looking for excuses to get you in trouble. We’re doing our job. If a situation needs correcting, we have to correct it. We can’t just ignore it. & obviously, me talking about your errors all these months hasn’t helped. You’re still making the same mistakes. So, now, we’ve had to escalate to a write up on paper.
   

Sally doesn’t say another word. She, as expected, starts doing her tossing-things-‘cause-I’m-pissed-off thing. I just go back to my work. I’ve said my piece, now we can put it behind us & move on.
Now, we have until 10:30 to make the transfers for this Funding program in order to get the money back to the account the same day. We are still missing the paperwork for 2 customers from an office. (FYI, when we’re missing paperwork, we call the office & ask them to fax it. If we still don’t get it when it gets close to the transfer deadline, we call again & just ask for the amount to get it done.) So, at 10:20, Sally turns to me.
Sally: What do I do for these 2 customers? Do I just skip them?
Me: (frowning) Do what you usually do when you don’t have the paperwork in time. Call the office—
Sally: (in a sharp tone) I did. (she’s assuming I mean call the office to tell them to fax it)
Me: (ignoring her attitude outburst) Call up the office & ask for the dollar amounts.
Sally: But I don’t want to write down the amount without seeing the actual paperwork. If I’m gonna get in trouble for errors now, I don’t want to take down what could be the wrong dollar amount over the phone. I mean, I think that’s only fair to me.
Me: In the instances that were mentioned, they weren’t cases of taking down an amount over the phone. They were instances where we had paperwork or a report to see the amount. We would never write you up if there was a possibility that the office gave you the wrong amount over the phone.
Sally stares at me for a second & turns back to her desk. I turn back to my own work as Sally then calls up the office. I had to deal with her attitude the rest of the day: throwing mail into the mailbox, throwing open the letter folding machine so it made a big bang on the table. I was trying to still be the usual friendly, professional person I am at work; I told her “See you tomorrow” & everything. Sally wouldn’t talk to me unless she had to.
This is when I discovered that Sally has a habit of lashing out at me when she gets in trouble. The first write up involved her trying to drag me under the bus by claiming I’m hostile. This time, it was more personal. See, we do a Christmas gift exchange at the office; we each buy each other a gift. I had searched over & over trying to find something Sally would like. I finally found this desk calendar with gnomes on it (she likes both of these things), so I got it & a couple small items. I open my gift from Sally, & among a few cheap little things, I found…Sally’s own nearly empty bottle of nail polish remover. Wow, this is the thanks I get for not firing you back in Sept with the whole timesheet forgery thing?
& this is where I leave you until Part 2, the conclusion.

https://preview.redd.it/yzzlege2qe1d1.png?width=1427&format=png&auto=webp&s=5dfd3ed7cb0fb4ac709de2ac692732f4b89bd97a

Enhancing Email Interactivity: Navigating Gmail's CSS Restrictions

Designing email templates that maintain their intended functionality and aesthetics across various email clients is a nuanced art, particularly with Gmail's known limitations regarding certain CSS properties. Among these, the -webkit-user-select property plays a crucial role in user experience, enabling or disabling text selection within the email. Gmail's decision to strip this property can disrupt the intended interactive experience of an email, forcing designers and developers to seek creative workarounds. This challenge underscores the importance of understanding the nuances of email client behavior to ensure that emails not only reach their audience but also deliver the intended experience.
The quest for a solution highlights the broader challenges of email marketing in the digital age, where uniformity across platforms remains elusive. Designers must navigate these limitations, employing innovative strategies to circumvent restrictions without compromising on design or functionality. This introduces an interesting dynamic to email template creation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible within the constraints of email client standards. The ability to adapt and innovate within these confines is crucial for maintaining engagement and ensuring that your message is both seen and interacted with as intended.

Command/Software	Description
CSS Inliner Tool	A tool to inline CSS styles for better email client compatibility.
HTML Conditional Comments	Conditional statements that target specific email clients for customized styling.

Crafting Resilient Email Templates Amidst Gmail Constraints

Email marketing remains a critical channel for engaging customers, with the design and functionality of email templates playing a pivotal role in the success of these campaigns. However, email designers and marketers often face challenges when their carefully crafted emails are rendered in Gmail. Gmail, being one of the most popular email clients, has its own set of rules for handling HTML and CSS, which can lead to the stripping of certain CSS properties, such as -webkit-user-select. This property is particularly useful for controlling user interaction with text content, such as disabling text selection or copy-pasting. The absence of this control can lead to unintended user experiences, potentially diminishing the effectiveness of the email content.
To navigate Gmail's limitations, it is essential for developers to understand the nuances of email client compatibility and employ creative solutions. One effective strategy is the use of inline CSS, as Gmail tends to respect styles applied directly within HTML tags over those in blocks or external stylesheets. Additionally, leveraging HTML conditional comments allows for targeting specific email clients with custom styles, offering a workaround to apply desired effects selectively. These practices, coupled with testing across various email clients, ensure that email templates remain robust and deliver the intended experience to every recipient, regardless of the email client they use. Such adaptability not only enhances the user experience but also safeguards the brand's message and design integrity in the face of diverse email client behaviors.

Embedding CSS Styles Directly for Gmail Compatibility

HTML & Inline CSS

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