Emotional factors play a significant role in real estate decision-making. Whether you are looking to buy a house or land for sale, or place a property for sale, like an ancestral villa for sale in Sri Lanka or even a coconut land for sale in Sri Lanka, there may be many emotional attachments you have to home or land. Here are some of the key emotional factors involved:
· Attachment: People often develop emotional attachments to properties, especially if they have lived in them for a long time or have fond memories associated with them. This attachment can make it difficult to sell or leave the property, even if it may be financially advantageous to do so.
· Pride of Ownership: Homeowners often take pride in their properties and may be emotionally invested in maintaining or improving them. This pride can influence decisions related to renovations, landscaping, and overall upkeep.
· Fear: Fear of making the wrong decision or missing out on a good opportunity can impact real estate choices. For example, fear of buying in a declining market or fear of being priced out of a desirable neighbourhood can lead to rushed or hesitant decisions.
· Excitement: The prospect of owning a new home or investment property can evoke feelings of excitement and anticipation. This excitement can influence decision-making, sometimes leading individuals to overlook potential drawbacks or risks.
· Anxiety: Real estate transactions can be stressful, particularly for first-time buyers or sellers. Anxiety about the process, financing, or the future can influence decision-making and may lead individuals to seek reassurance or delay making decisions.
· Social Pressure: People may feel pressure from friends, family, or society at large to make certain real estate decisions. This could include pressure to buy a home in a particular neighbourhood, to keep up with peers, or to invest in real estate as a means of financial security.
· Sentimental Value: Properties may hold sentimental value for individuals due to their personal history or family significance. This sentimental attachment can influence decisions about whether to buy, sell, or hold onto a property, sometimes overriding purely financial considerations.
· Identity: Homeownership can be closely tied to a person's sense of identity and status. Decisions about real estate may therefore be influenced by how individuals perceive themselves and how they wish to be perceived by others.

Understanding and acknowledging these emotional factors is important for both buyers and sellers in order to make informed and balanced decisions in the real estate market.

How can real estate agents add value to emotional decision making?
Real estate companies in Sri Lanka can add a certain sense of value when it comes to emotional decision-making:
· Listening and Understanding: Agents can take the time to listen to their clients' needs, preferences, and emotional attachments to properties. By understanding their clients' motivations and emotions, agents can tailor their advice and recommendations accordingly.
· Providing Emotional Support: Buying or selling a property can be an emotional process. Real estate agents can provide emotional support to their clients, offering reassurance, empathy, and guidance throughout the transaction.
· Expertise and Knowledge: Agents can offer their expertise and knowledge of the local real estate market to help clients make informed decisions. By providing data, market insights, and analysis, agents can help clients understand the potential emotional and financial implications of their choices.
· Managing Expectations: Real estate agents can help manage their clients' expectations, particularly when emotions may be running high. By providing realistic assessments of market conditions, pricing, and timing, agents can help clients set achievable goals and avoid disappointment.
· Negotiation Skills: Negotiating the purchase or sale of a property can be emotionally charged. Real estate agents can act as intermediaries, using their negotiation skills to advocate for their clients' best interests while maintaining professionalism and defusing potential conflicts.
· Offering Options: Agents can present their clients with a range of options that meet their emotional and practical needs. By offering a variety of properties to consider, agents can help clients explore different possibilities and find the one that feels right for them.
· Providing Perspective: Emotions can sometimes cloud judgement or lead to impulsive decisions. Real estate agents can provide an objective perspective, helping clients weigh the pros and cons of different choices and consider the long-term implications of their decisions.
· Building Trust and Rapport: Developing a strong relationship based on trust and rapport is crucial for effective communication and decision-making. Real estate agents who take the time to build trust with their clients can better understand their emotional needs and preferences, leading to more successful outcomes.

By offering personalised support, expertise, and guidance, real estate agents can help clients navigate the emotional complexities of buying or selling a property with confidence and peace of mind.

How to choose a good real estate agent
Choosing a good real estate agent is essential for a successful and stress-free buying or selling experience. Here are some steps to help you select a reliable and competent agent:
· Research: Start by researching real estate agents in your area. You can use online resources, such as real estate websites and social media platforms, to find agents who specialise in your desired location or property type. Ask for recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues who have recently bought or sold property.
· Check Credentials: Look for agents who are licensed and affiliated with reputable real estate agencies or organisations. You can verify an agent's credentials by checking with your state's real estate regulatory authority or using online databases.
· Experience: Consider the experience level of the agent. While newer agents may be enthusiastic and eager to help, experienced agents often have a deeper understanding of the market, better negotiation skills, and a larger network of contacts. Look for agents who have a proven track record of success in buying or selling properties similar to yours.
· Expertise: Choose an agent who specialises in the type of property you are interested in buying or selling. Whether it is residential, commercial, luxury, or investment properties, working with an agent who has expertise in your desired area can make a significant difference in the outcome of your transaction.
· Communication Skills: Communication is key in any real estate transaction. Look for an agent who is responsive, attentive, and proactive in keeping you informed throughout the process. A good agent should be accessible by phone, email, or in person and should be able to explain complex concepts in a clear and understandable manner.
· Market Knowledge: A good real estate agent should have a thorough understanding of the local market trends, including property values, inventory levels, and neighbourhood dynamics. They should be able to provide valuable insights and guidance to help you make informed decisions.
· References and Reviews: Ask potential agents for references from past clients or look for online reviews and testimonials. Reading about other clients' experiences can give you valuable insights into an agent's professionalism, integrity, and ability to deliver results.
· Compatibility: Finally, trust your instincts and choose an agent with whom you feel comfortable and compatible. Buying or selling a property is a significant financial and emotional investment, so it is important to work with someone you trust and who understands your needs and priorities.

By carefully evaluating your options, you can choose a good real estate agent who will advocate for your best interests and guide you through the buying or selling process with confidence.

Seriously, all these diff posts on diff subs telling you about the best VPNs are getting out of hand. And I’m feeling like it’s all over the place right now. I’ve come across so many different opinions on this topic so far and I came to a point where I didn’t know what to believe and what not to believe.
So while I navigate this journey and try to find the best VPN for myself, I thought why not document my findings and summarize them in this post. Might help some of you out there. It’s gonna be a bit long, so if you’re looking for a quick ans: Surfshark was what I found to work best.

5 Best VPN Services According to Reddit

• Surfshark
• Norton VPN
• Avast
• Betternet
• NordVPN

Surfshark – Best VPN Overall

Pricing:
Surfshark offers a variety of subscription plans designed to meet different needs and budgets:
Surfshark Starter Plan:

• 2-Year Subscription: $2.19/month + 3 extra months
• 12-Month Subscription: $2.79/month + 3 extra months
• Month-to-Month Plan: $15.45/month

Surfshark One Plan:

• 2-Year Subscription: $2.69/month + 3 extra months.
• 12-Month Subscription: $3.19/month + 3 extra months.
• Month-to-Month Plan: $15.95/month.

It Includes a VPN service and an integrated antivirus feature for enhanced online security.
Surfshark One+ Plan:

• 2-Year Subscription: $4.29/month + 3 extra months.
• 12-Month Subscription: $5.09/month + 3 extra months.
• Month-to-Month Plan: $17.95/month.

It Includes a VPN, antivirus, a private search engine, and a data removal tool for comprehensive online security. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee, unlimited device connections, and no bandwidth limitations.
Surfshark is a comprehensive cybersecurity service that offers a variety of tools to protect your online presence. From VPN and antivirus to data breach alerts and identity protection, Surfshark provides an all-in-one solution to ensure your internet activities remain secure and private. With user-friendly features and a commitment to safeguarding your data, Surfshark stands out as a reliable choice for individuals seeking robust online protection.
Pros:

• Unlimited simultaneous connections
• WireGuard protocol
• Streaming/torrenting-optimized servers

Cons:

• No router applet
• No free version is available
• No split tunneling feature on the iOS app

Norton VPN – Best for Online Anonymity and Privacy

Pricing:
Keep in mind that Norton VPN bills you upfront for the entire year (starting at $29.99/year) rather than on a monthly basis.
1-Month Plan:

• $4.99/month for 1 device
• $7.99/month for 5 devices
• $9.99/month for 10 devices

1-Year Plan:

• $2.49/month for 1 device ($29.99/year upfront)
• $3.33/month for 5 devices ($39.99/year upfront)
• $4.99/month for 10 devices ($59.99/year upfront)

Norton VPN can be purchased separately or included with Norton antivirus packages, such as Norton 360 Standard ($39.99/year), Deluxe ($49.99/year), and with LifeLock Select ($99.99/year).
Norton Secure VPN ensures online anonymity and privacy by encrypting traffic and protecting against trackers from ISPs and the government. It employs strong encryption, reliable tunneling protocols, and an effective kill switch for enhanced safety. While it retains about 74% of the original internet speed using OpenVPN and L2TP/IPSec protocols, it's not the fastest VPN available. With servers in 29 countries, it lacks specialized servers for optimal streaming and torrenting.
Pros:

• Unblocks several streaming platforms
• P2P-optimized servers
• Ad and tracker blocking capabilities
• Split tunneling feature
• Uses AES-256 encryption
• No-logs policy
• Available with antivirus bundle
• Free 7-day trial

Cons:

• No Wi-Fi security on macOS or Windows
• Less robust Apple apps
• Cannot select specific servers, only regions

Avast – Best for Online Security

Pricing:
The pricing for Avast SecureLine VPN is as follows:

• 1-Year Plan: $4.99/month
• 2-Year Plan: $3.99/month
• 3-Year Plan: $3.99/month

All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Avast also offers a free trial: 7 days for Mac and 60 days for Windows, allowing users to test features like secure browsing, IP address hiding, and global content access without initial costs.
Avast SecureLine VPN is a service provided by Avast that encrypts your internet connection, ensuring your online privacy and security. It is particularly useful for protecting your data on public networks, preventing hackers and other entities from spying on your online activities. The VPN also helps to mask your IP address, allowing you to browse the web anonymously and access content that might be restricted in your region.
Pros:

• High-speed downloads
• Sleek and intuitive user interface
• Military-grade encryption

Cons:

• Occasional page loading issues
• Limited features
• No option for a monthly subscription
• Few servers for streaming and P2P activities

Betternet – Best for Geo-Restrictions & Censorship

Pricing:
Betternet VPN offers a free version and a premium version. The premium version provides more locations, better speeds, and up to five simultaneous connections but is relatively expensive. It includes:

• Free trial: 1 week
• Monthly plan: $12.99
• Annual plan: $7.99 per month

The free version is limited to 500MB per day, suitable for minimal browsing, and requires no account creation.
Betternet VPN is a virtual private network service designed to provide users with secure and private internet access. It helps protect online privacy by masking IP addresses, encrypting internet traffic, and allowing users to bypass geo-restrictions and censorship. Betternet offers both free and premium versions, with the premium version providing faster speeds and access to more server locations. Its user-friendly interface and easy setup make it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise.
Pros:

• Good speeds
• Access to US and UK Netflix libraries
• User-friendly interface

Cons:

• Located in the US (potential privacy concern)
• No kill switch on Android, macOS, and iOS
• Lacks extra features
• Speeds can be very inconsistent

NordVPN – Best for Fast and Stable Connections

Pricing:
NordVPN offers three pricing plans:

• Ultimate Plan: $5.99/month for the first 2 years ($161.73 total), includes VPN, malware protection, ad blocker, password manager, data breach scanner, 1 TB encrypted cloud storage, identity theft recovery, and cyber extortion protection.
• Plus Plan: $3.99/month for the first 2 years ($107.73 total), includes VPN, malware protection, ad blocker, password manager, and data breach scanner.
• Basic Plan: $3.09/month for the first 2 years ($83.43 total), which includes VPN, malware protection, and an ad blocker.

All plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
NordVPN is widely regarded as a great VPN due to its strong security features, including AES-256 encryption and a no-logs policy. Based in Panama, it offers excellent privacy and has been independently audited four times. It consistently delivers the fastest connection speeds using its NordLynx protocol. Additionally, NordVPN excels at bypassing geo-restrictions and includes features like Smart DNS, split tunneling, and broad device compatibility.
Pros:

• RAM-only server infrastructure
• Fastest VPN on the market
• Meshnet feature for remote device access
• Independently audited security features
• Unblocks geo-restricted streaming websites
• Affordable price
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons:

• Linux client lacks a graphical interface
• No unlimited free plan
• Limited simultaneous connections

What Is a VPN?

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a secure, encrypted connection over the internet. It allows users to protect their online privacy and data by masking their IP address and routing their internet traffic through a remote server. This helps to safeguard sensitive information, prevent eavesdropping, and access content that may be restricted based on geographic location.

How VPNs Safeguard Your Privacy and What Are Their Limitations?

Using a VPN on personal and business devices helps protect your privacy by encrypting your data and keeping your online identity and transmitted data secure. However, VPNs do not protect against malware or phishing scams. They secure active online data transmissions but do not safeguard data stored on your device, so it's essential to use antivirus and anti-malware software and exercise caution with suspicious links and emails for complete protection.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, choosing the best VPN service ensures enhanced online privacy, robust security, and unrestricted access to global content. For businesses or personal use, integrating top-tier VPN solutions with platforms like Salesforce can safeguard sensitive customer data and streamline secure operations.
Seriously, all these diff posts on diff subs telling you about the best VPNs are getting out of hand. And I’m feeling like it’s all over the place right now. I’ve come across so many different opinions on this topic so far and I came to a point where I didn’t know what to believe and what not to believe.

NanoDefense Pro Reviews: Is It A Clinically Supported Formula For Nail Health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fungal nail infections are common in the US and may affect up to 14% of the general population. This could be why toenail infection supports are produced now and again. Yet, the number of those dealing with skin problems, including toe and nail infections seems to be on the rise.
NanoDefense Pro is a new skincare dietary supplement that is made with six natural ingredients that are carefully collected and produced under sterile conditions into liquid to remedy toe and nail conditions and enhance skin beauty. Made in an FDA-approved and GMP-certified facility, it is presumed to be safe for consumption. The formula seems to have a high reception of online positive reviews from customers.
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It is opined that the NanoDefense Pro supplement traces the root cause of toe and nail infections and supports clean and healthy nails. Despite the enormity of skincare supplements on the market, none has been able to meet the user’s expectations. I will be making attempts to prove this safe with this NanoDefense Pro review so that you can be properly guided before deciding to purchase it.

NanoDefense Pro Reviews: Exploring The Ingredients, Benefits, Side Effects, And More!

The NanoDefense Pro review will include the ingredients used, the benefits, pros and cons, the side effects, plus the pricing. More of the analysis will touch on the customer reviews, the available bonuses, verdicts, conclusions, and recommendations. A section is set aside for frequently asked questions and answers.
NameNanoDefense Pro CategoryNail health support formula FormLiquid Net Weight15 ml SpecialtyMade on nano-particles (based on nanotechnology aspects) Ingredients▪️ Nano-Silver ▪️ Nano-Curcumin ▪️ Nano-Quercetin ▪️ Luteolin ▪️ Deoxyribonuclease ▪️ Cape Aloe Main Benefits▪️ Nurtures healthy nail and skin ▪️ Reduces fungal infections ▪️ Reduces inflammation ▪️ Provide nutrition to nails ApplicationApply on the affected area (an appropriate amount) Side EffectsNothing reported Cost$69 Bonuses2 bonuses available Refund60 days Available onNanoDefense Pro official website

NanoDefense Pro Ingredients And Their Benefits

Here are the ingredients used for the production of the NanoDefense Pro foot microbiome support.

Nano-Silver

This NanoDefense Pro ingredient is in more particulate forms than silver. It has antimicrobial properties which make it effective against skin infections. It is also suggested to be a good remedy for acne. The particles are found to disrupt and destroy the structure of the fungus cell membranes and inhibit its normal budding process.
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➡️Nano-Curcumin

Nano-curcumin is renowned for its treatment of many health-related problems and medicinal properties. Besides, nano-curcumin is said to have anti-inflammatory properties which help in wound healing and skin breakout prevention.

➡️Nano-Quercetin

The ingredient is found to be rich in antioxidants which help protect against heart conditions. Aside from the presence of antioxidants, the plant-based ingredient helps to reduce skin inflammation, aging, and wound itching. It also helps to reduce skin whitening. It is also popular for its ability to reduce skin redness, and damaged skin inflammation.

➡️Luteolin

This is a form of flavonoid that seems to possess anti-oxidative, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. Plants rich in Luteolin find use in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of hypertension, inflammatory diseases, and even cancer.

➡️Deoxyribonuclease

This plant-based ingredient in the NanoDefense Pro drops is an enzyme that seems to perform a variety of roles. Among its numerous functions, the enzyme helps in the removal of dead skin and tissue for wound healing. It is known to foster the protection of skin against infectious organisms.

➡️Cape Aloe

Also known as forex or bitter aloe, aloe vera is a species of flowering plant that traces its origin to South Africa. Cape Aloe has numerous health benefits as it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

How Does NanoDefense Pro Function?

NanoDefense Pro nail health solution leverages the naturalness and potency of its ingredients to affect youthful skin for an improved appearance. Specialized nanoparticles in the formulation ingredients help to improve the microbiome to enhance the health of toes, nails, and general skin appearance.
They work in synergy to eliminate dry skin and nail fungus. NanoDefense Pro liquid works for both men and women without special consideration of their health history, age, and genetics.
Advantages Linked With NanoDefense Pro
The following is what you stand to benefit from using the NanoDefense Pro nail-soothing formula.
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• Renewed Skin Formation

NanoDefense Pro fungus relief supplement helps to rejuvenate the skin using the antioxidant capacity of the ingredients used. Other nutrients contained in the ingredients used such as minerals, and vitamins also work together to rejuvenate the skin for a younger and more beautiful look.

• Nail And Feet Health

The ingredients used for the production of this healthy skin infection relief work together to fight off the activities of fungus on the toes of the feet, thereby resulting in healthy and renewed fingernails.

• Detoxification

The nutrient-rich ingredients infused in the NanoDefense Pro nanotechnology formula synergistically function to eliminate toxins such as fungi from the body thereby promoting healthy living among users.
The formula also helps to reduce inflammation, provides essential nutrition, and promotes overall nail and skin health support.

Hi all. So for those who don't want to sit through the whole 2 hours, I pulled out what I think were the most notable moments from Craig Jones's interview on JRE (including timestamped links). I mainly focused on CJI related stuff and then some things I found personally interesting.
Topics I didn't cover include things like Craig talking about training Volk, learning from MMA competitors, doing steroids, holding seminars, dealing with staph, etc. So if you're interested in those topics, I'd encourage you to watch the whole video.
Anyhow, notable moments for me:

• $1 million in cash looks a lot smaller than you'd think (link)
• Craig has a sugar daddy bankrolling his tournament, but he doesn't want to say who it is. One of the reasons for keeping the identity secret is so that if the tournament attracts any negative feedback, Craig can shoulder the criticism and keep his sponsor out of the way (link)
• Joe struggles to understand the concept of reducing costs to increase profit (link)
• Luke Rockhold is legit and tapped Craig out in the gym (link). Luke is going to spend 5 weeks training at B-Team in the lead up to CJI (link)
• Craig wants to do CJI every year. He says that if this first CJI is successful, his sponsor is down to fund it every year (link)
• CJI has a budget of $3 million. $2.3 million of that is going to athlete prize money. Ticket sales will be donated to various charities (so CJI will be non-profit) (link)
• Craig doesn't really do any strength and conditioning (doesn't really lift, stretch or do recovery work) (link)
• Big super fight announcement! Craig Jones vs. Gabi Garcia is confirmed! (link)
• CJI will be free on YouTube (link)
• CJI will have its own custom ruleset, but it sounds like it hasn't been written yet. Craig did give an idea of what to expect though (link)
  • For non-finals matches it will 3x5 minute rounds with 3 judges scoring
  • The philosophy of the CJI ruleset will be to take BJJ's point-based rules system, and translate it into the '10-point must' system used in boxing and MMA. The thinking is that the 10-point must system will be easier for casuals to understand
  • The example Craig gives is imagine a CJI match where a Round 1 ends and Person A is on Person B's back. According to traditional BJJ rules, that's a super dominant position for Person A. So the scoring for CJI would be Person A wins Round 1 with a 10-8 score.
  • One important detail is there will be 'open scoring' i.e. competitors will know the score after each round (as opposed to boxing and MMA where each round's score is only revealed at the end of a match)
• Craig is considering having a rule where if you're in a submission when the round ends, the round will actually keep going until you get out (link)
• CJI will use pits (like Karate Combat) instead of mats (link)
• Craig is hoping to get more super fights for CJI, and apparently he's in talks with some massive names who want to come out of retirement for CJI. He teased that one of the potentials is someone 'with a Mexican sounding last name'. (Fellow redditors are speculating it might be Marcelo) (link)
• Joe asks Craig about the break up of DDS. Craig declines to talk about it, saying 'it's not his place to say' (link)
• Craig wasn't ever planning on starting a gym. He had told DDS that 2019 was going to be his last ADCC, and then he was going to just travel and teach seminars. But when DDS broke up, he wanted to help the guys kick start their team, and that's why he helped set up B-Team (link)
• Craig's been training for 17 years. Interestingly, he didn't even train with a black belt until he was a purple belt (link). Before that, him and his training partners were mainly teaching themselves, using BJJ books (e.g. Eddie Bravo's book, BJ Penn's book) and then instructionals for guidance (link)
• In Craig's 2020 match against Vinny Magalhaes, Craig literally broke Vinny's leg with a heel hook (here's the match). Vinny suffered a spiral fracture of his fibula, and Craig says he could literally see Vinny's bone poking under the skin (link)
• Nicky Ryan has about 95% of his meniscus removed in one of his knees (link)
• Joe really struggles to tell when someone is telling a joke (no link - just literally the whole podcast)

So, this is an asian (China/Taiwan/HK/Japan, not Vietnam/Laos/etc) live action movie about a insomniac (irrc) who has delusions/ daydreams/ hallucinations - some of them about weird f*****s. I tried every google search possible, looked up directors pages on imdb, some wikipedia lists and came up blank, so I’m counting on other people knowing this movie or someone who makes movies in this style to help me. I haven’t exhausted the basic imdb, google, wikipedia searches, but I figure since google sucks now and me not being able to describe it concisely to it that I might as well ask reddit. The dream/ hallucination sequences are in anime style, pretty phsycheledic and kinda colorful. From memory it's a little like episdoes 25-26 of Evangelion, looking more like sketches/storyboards and being at a low framerate. I remember the lines being pretty thick and swiping into the screen.
Now what I recall from the plot, I’ll annotate some stuff in [] that isnt plot related. Protag works night shift at hotel or love hotel, and has some scenes with couples walking in the lobby, sometimes he imagines the couples having [in the anime style I mentioned, but it never became p] n, it was still framed like those *** scenes in pg movies. Pretty sure I’d remember otherwise]. An adult man comes in with a preteen/ early teens girl. Not sure if it’s implied a *** situation or just a regular fathedaughter duo travelling or something [I remember feeling uncomfortable with this part]. Protag imagines them having *** [not anything explict pictured]. A few scenes later he gets fired, due to the manager or owner hiring a relative [pretty sure this is social commentary on workers not having their rights or something, maybe look for authors who’d do that?]. Then he gets a job at cash register at a *** shop or a p*n movie rental. There’s some scenes with guys coming in and out, his fantasies get worse and more violent and he becomes more jitery with people. He leaves the counter and hears some men talking about violent stuff, and quits the job [they were probably talking about illegal shit, i don’t remember]. The job he gets after is a day job and here the insomnia comes into play. It’s a boring cubicle job and he can’t sleep when he comes home at night, so he goes around riding the bus [this part is probably where kid me got bored and was giving up on the movie]. He falls asleep on the bus and gets robbed, I think he couldn’t get to work because of that. He starts drinking and the movie gets more abstract, lots of animation cutting in and out, neon signs at night flashing, stuff like that.
After that point i don’t remember anything really, it was usual for me to watch something until the middle and stop, or fall asleep since I did this at night, or just scroll around the seekbar until it stopped loading because of bad internet. One thing that bored me, and I remember, was that most of the movie is the guy sitting around with some ambience. There are two basic shots, one far away with him sititng at his job, and a close up over shoulder kinda thing, where he starts to daydream/ hallucinate. There are also several long shots of him just in the bus, empty or with few people, the protag is staring down at his feet, then out the window, they go on for a while. I initially thought this was definetly a longer movie, but while writing this monster I became unsure. I had poor attention span (thank god tiktok wasnt a thing) and this could very well be a 40min movie, or even shorter with the boredom making me think it’s longer.I saw it around 2010-2011. Could be a little earlier or a little later, but I was: 1 – Using torrents or knowing websites for obscure movies 2 – Weirded enough by the s****ll aspects - which I wouldn’t be had I been older - and bored by the slower pace of the movie. So I’m pretty sure it was at this time, so the movie has to have come out before that.I’m not sure the sources I even used for movies at that point in my life, I was basically going on webstes that were kinda like putlocker - a pirate version of netflix - and I’d just click around the movies. Back then you could find pirated stuff more easily on google. But I could also have torrented it, but that’s less likely since I didn’t care about preserving what I watched.
I really hope some film nerd can find this, even though I found it boring back then I think I’d appreciate it now.

hello! today i got my iud removed so i just wanted to make an all encompassing post about my experience using a copper iud, for anyone considering getting one, removing one, experiencing symptoms etc. i hope this is in some way helpful, whether it be making a decision or feeling validated in your experience :)
i got my copper iud 3 years ago. it was my first time ever using bc. i chose it due to its non hormonal properties in a time in my life when i felt i needed it. on average everyone says you'll adjust to the common symptoms, like heavier periods, more cramping etc, in the first 6 months. some ppl say they go back to a more normal flow as well but i just wanted to note that in my own experience, the cramps and heavy bleeding i experienced after the first month stayed exactly the same for the next 3 years. Infact, 2 years into it, having very tender sore full breasts before my period became a recurring thing that i had never experienced before. There were definitely side effects that developed the longer i had it.
Additionally, last year, i started developing cystic acne like nothing i had ever experienced, despite not a single thing changing in my life. The acne progressively got worse and worse over the course of the year, with it being at its worst point about one month ago. The way i was breaking out, and the areas, are extremely foreign to me, and not comparable to any of my families skin either.
DESCRIPTION: lower jaw and some on my cheek, deep and painful, very slow healing or not going away, recurrent,resistant to treatments that previously worked, leaving dark spots and scars - i have never had dark spots previously. I have an insanely clean diet, don't consume sugar or bad oils, cut out caffeine for long periods, stopped wearing makeup, drink loads of water - and it only got worse 😵‍💫
I feel really confident its related to my iud - that's what my body is telling me. Along with more cramping, more water retention, extreme fatigue, constant mental fog and moodiness, i've seen many others say they have experienced the same thing. I am obv not a doctor and can't directly prove these were caused by the iud, but they were foreign symptoms that felt related to my hormones being disrupted. Perhaps from excess copper affecting my estrogen lvls? not sure. I've heard people say it's good to take zinc for skin if it's being disrupted from the excess copper. I'm more than happy to post an update in a few months now that its removed, if anyone has a similar experience. However, i won't know for sure until i give it time.
My final note is that i have suffered more UTIs in the 3 years I had my iud than i ever have before, even when i was not sexually active. Taking the supplement D-Manos was my solution to this and is highly recommended!
Removal was honestly painless, i didn't even know it happened until she said it was done! nothing broken, so far i haven't even had any spotting or discomfort.
I hope this is helpful to anyone looking for experiences, and if anyone has a similar experience with skin etc and has advice for my healing i appreciate it 🙏🏻🖤

So, this is an asian (China/Taiwan/HK/Japan, not Vietnam/Laos/etc) live action movie about a insomniac (irrc) who has delusions/ daydreams/ hallucinations - some of them about weird f*****s. I tried every google search possible, looked up directors pages on imdb, some wikipedia lists and came up blank, so I’m counting on other people knowing this movie or someone who makes movies in this style to help me. I haven’t exhausted the basic imdb, google, wikipedia searches, but I figure since google sucks now and me not being able to describe it concisely to it that I might as well ask reddit. The dream/ hallucination sequences are in anime style, pretty phsycheledic and kinda colorful. From memory it's a little like episdoes 25-26 of Evangelion, looking more like sketches/storyboards and being at a low framerate. I remember the lines being pretty thick and swiping into the screen.
Now what I recall from the plot, I’ll annotate some stuff in [] that isnt plot related. Protag works night shift at hotel or love hotel, and has some scenes with couples walking in the lobby, sometimes he imagines the couples having [in the anime style I mentioned, but it never became p] n, it was still framed like those *** scenes in pg movies. Pretty sure I’d remember otherwise]. An adult man comes in with a preteen/ early teens girl. Not sure if it’s implied a *** situation or just a regular fathedaughter duo travelling or something [I remember feeling uncomfortable with this part]. Protag imagines them having *** [not anything explict pictured]. A few scenes later he gets fired, due to the manager or owner hiring a relative [pretty sure this is social commentary on workers not having their rights or something, maybe look for authors who’d do that?]. Then he gets a job at cash register at a *** shop or a p*n movie rental. There’s some scenes with guys coming in and out, his fantasies get worse and more violent and he becomes more jitery with people. He leaves the counter and hears some men talking about violent stuff, and quits the job [they were probably talking about illegal shit, i don’t remember]. The job he gets after is a day job and here the insomnia comes into play. It’s a boring cubicle job and he can’t sleep when he comes home at night, so he goes around riding the bus [this part is probably where kid me got bored and was giving up on the movie]. He falls asleep on the bus and gets robbed, I think he couldn’t get to work because of that. He starts drinking and the movie gets more abstract, lots of animation cutting in and out, neon signs at night flashing, stuff like that.
After that point i don’t remember anything really, it was usual for me to watch something until the middle and stop, or fall asleep since I did this at night, or just scroll around the seekbar until it stopped loading because of bad internet. One thing that bored me, and I remember, was that most of the movie is the guy sitting around with some ambience. There are two basic shots, one far away with him sititng at his job, and a close up over shoulder kinda thing, where he starts to daydream/ hallucinate. There are also several long shots of him just in the bus, empty or with few people, the protag is staring down at his feet, then out the window, they go on for a while. I initially thought this was definetly a longer movie, but while writing this monster I became unsure. I had poor attention span (thank god tiktok wasnt a thing) and this could very well be a 40min movie, or even shorter with the boredom making me think it’s longer.I saw it around 2010-2011. Could be a little earlier or a little later, but I was: 1 – Using torrents or knowing websites for obscure movies 2 – Weirded enough by the s****ll aspects - which I wouldn’t be had I been older - and bored by the slower pace of the movie. So I’m pretty sure it was at this time, so the movie has to have come out before that.I’m not sure the sources I even used for movies at that point in my life, I was basically going on webstes that were kinda like putlocker - a pirate version of netflix - and I’d just click around the movies. Back then you could find pirated stuff more easily on google. But I could also have torrented it, but that’s less likely since I didn’t care about preserving what I watched.
I really hope some film nerd can find this, even though I found it boring back then I think I’d appreciate it now.

My name is Jessica, and I live in a small central American city of about 80,000 people.Today I'm going to share a story about Korea.First, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my family.When I was born, I already had an older brother.I don't mean just a little sister with an older brother.My brother was adopted from Korea.It's an unusual situation, isn't it? My parents struggled with infertility for several years before I was born, and they ended up adopting my Korean brother.Then, a few years later, they got pregnant with me, and I was born.My brother had different hair color, skin color, and eye color than me, but we got along very well.Even though we knew from a young age that we were adopted because of our differences, we got along well, and we were a family that loved each other deeply.
We played the same games, read books together, and spent a lot of time together. He always took good care of me, and he was a good brother who made me laugh.
I would say, “Brother, let's read this book together!” and he would always smile and read it to me. I think I liked and enjoyed his warmth to me, rather than focusing on the content of the book.
When we left our cozy home environment, it was time to go to school, and during this time, my brother and I were asked a lot of embarrassing questions.One day, while my brother and I were playing together, a friend asked me, “Jessica, why does your brother look different from you?”The question gave me pause, but he smiled and replied, “Because we are a family, looks don't matter. His positive attitude had a good effect on me, and I'm sure he had a good effect on himself, too.Watching him grow up right, and our family became interested in Korea. If he was a troublemaker and always in trouble, he wouldn't have had the time to take the time to learn about his country of origin, Korea, but when he studied well, didn't fight with his friends, and was a good person who always loved and cared for his brother, we couldn't help but wonder about his roots.
I think my parents also had the will to share Korean culture with my brother and me, to learn what they could, to broaden our horizons and deepen our family's understanding.Many years ago, when I was in middle school, my family visited Korea for the first time, and the experience left a great impression on me.
We visited many tourist spots in Seoul and saw the harmonious combination of Korean tradition and modernity.And Korea, with its many dark-haired, dark-eyed people like my brother, was somehow not foreign to me.For Americans traveling to Asia for the first time, this could have been difficult because people look different and give off different vibes, but not for me. My parents, of course, were very excited to revisit Korea, the country of my brother's birth, and spoke so many blessings about the land of my brother's birth.Of course, there were many good things to see and many fun things to do in Korea, but the most memorable moment was when I suddenly developed a high fever.
It was a quiet night in Korea at the time, and I suddenly developed a high fever.This change was so sudden that my parents panicked.Eventually, with the help of the hotel we were staying at, they were able to get me to the emergency room in Korea, where I was quickly treated.Upon arrival, the medical staff quickly assessed my condition and ran the necessary tests.The whole process was organized, and thanks to the professionalism and quick response of the medical staff, I was able to get comfortable quickly. My situation was so serious that my head hurt like a rock and I could barely understand what was being said around me, but thanks to their quick response, my fever started to come down and I was able to return to my senses.The tests showed that I had a severe flu, which had been contracted in the United States and had incubated in Korea.I had to stop traveling in Korea and be admitted to the hospital for treatment, but thanks to the fast and efficient healthcare system in Korea, this was not a problem.
My parents breathed a sigh of relief and expressed their deep gratitude to the Korean healthcare system.“If it wasn't for Korea, I would have been in trouble,” my father said.Although my family had to stop our trip to Korea and spend the rest of my stay in a Korean hospital, looking back, it was also a unique experience abroad.
Many years later, as an adult, my relationship with my brother was still good. We enjoyed Korean dramas, movies, and music together, cooked Korean food together, and learned Korean together.
However, there was a clear difference between me and him: he seemed to be better at learning, even if he spent the same amount of time studying, and he went to a prestigious university, while I failed to get into college and became depressed.
He helped me with my studies every vacation, taught me how to study, and helped me to get into a prestigious university, but the results were not good. I was rejected by all the universities I applied to, and I was going through a very difficult time. After he graduated from college, he moved back home from the East Coast of the United States and helped me study for the college entrance exam, and with his help, I was able to get into college, albeit late.
Although I didn't get into a prestigious university like my brother, I still had a satisfying college experience and broadened my horizons.Naturally, I discovered that Korea has been on the global radar lately, which was very exciting.Korea may be the latest trend for Americans these days, but for me and my brother, it's like going back to our roots.I've always loved Korea, and it was very interesting and fond to reminisce about my trip to Korea when I was in middle school and look through my photo albums, even though half the time I was sick. So, my brother and I decided to visit Korea again, and this time, we had several goals for the trip: we wanted to make sure that we got it right this time, because we didn't get it right the first time, and my brother wanted to get to know his Korean roots better, even though he is now an adult, working as an American and living as an American, and I wanted to get to know my Korean roots better in relation to my major in college, and this time, I wanted to research more about the Korean healthcare system that I had experienced as a child.
Of course, I also wanted to have fun in Korea and enjoy the freedom to roam around the country unlike when I was a student, but I didn't take it too seriously.
Korea was so different from the U.S. It had the look of a big city in the U.S., but it had its own unique vibe. It was much more developed than the neighborhoods we live in in the U.S., and everywhere you looked was filled with people, and there were hundreds or thousands of stores selling a variety of things. If you were walking around and traveling, and you got thirsty and needed a break, there were cafes all around you that you could just pop into and take a break, and you didn't have to go far to find a restaurant that had one Korean food and sold it, because all the infrastructure was there.
Everything is around you, and everything you want or need is always right around the corner, which is why people call city life so convenient and love it.The public transportation system in Korea, which is light years better than the big cities in the U.S., helped us get around without any difficulty.It was also so much fun to get a T-money card, carry it around, and use it to get around Korea for a very low cost.
And when my brother and I would walk around, going to cafes, restaurants, and other places where there was something to do, many Koreans would tell us that we made a good looking couple.When I would tell them, in a pleasant and complimentary way, that we were actually brother and sister, they would look surprised and apologize.
But it's completely understandable, because even in the U.S., more people think of us as a couple or friends than they do as siblings, and there's not much of an adoption culture in Korea, and no one adopts and brings European or American children to Korea, so it's no wonder we get these funny misunderstandings.
To be honest, even in the U.S. nowadays, you can still encounter people who ask my brother and I questions about our relationship with unpleasant intentions to hurt us, assuming that we are not a couple or friends, but maybe even a man.A recent memory is of an American grandfather in his 70s who made a very rude remark to us, asking us what kind of father our father was to have two women give birth at the same time.
In the U.S., most people are friendly and kind to me, but the problem is that some people sometimes make fun of my brother because he looks Asian, but this was not the case in Korea at all.No one discriminated against me because of my different appearance.
And there's actually a story I wasn't going to tell in this article, but I'm writing it down because I had my brother's permission to do so.After arriving in Korea, we decided to search for my adopted brother's birth parents in order to trace his roots.My parents and I respected his decision to pursue this endeavor in Korea, and of course, we decided to support it. We visited the Korean adoption agency and requested my brother's adoption records.The representative provided us with all the information possible and was eager to help us, saying that efforts to find one's roots are ongoing every day.Together, we were able to find some important clues in the records.
My brother decided to visit his birthplace based on those clues, and of course, I joined him on the journey.We were always laughing since we came to Korea, but at this moment, there was more seriousness than laughter.We visited my brother's birthplace together and talked to the local people.
At the time, there was only a vague record of my brother's father and mother, but no proper records, so we only knew where he was born, and we had to go there and find someone who had lived there for a long time.But Korea is a very fast-developing country, and the sad thing is that the area where my brother was born and spent the first few months of his life was already torn down and replaced by a huge apartment complex. We felt that if we had come sooner, at least before these new apartments were built, things would have been at least better than they were, but there was no point in regretting what had passed.We visited the social welfare center and police station in the area, explained our situation, and asked for help.The Korean people were very kind, listening to my brother's story and letting us know what we could do.
We were told that when a new apartment building is built in Korea, new people who have no connection to the area move into the apartment, but that some of the people who live in these new apartments have been living here for a long time, most likely elderly people, and that the best thing to do is to find them and ask them about their past.We felt that this information would be very useful to us, as we were very confused and frustrated.
So my brother and I, along with a Korean lady who felt sorry for us and wanted to help, approached the elderly people who came in and out of the apartment and asked them questions.But despite all our efforts, we were unsuccessful in finding my brother's biological parents.We had many clues and information, but we were unable to find any conclusive evidence.My brother was disappointed, but we were comforted by the fact that we had done our best. Maybe if we could have spent a few weeks, maybe even a few months here to find and talk to an elderly person with memories of the past, we could have found a clue to the solution, but we couldn't stay in Korea, so in the end, we had to give up without proceeding any further.When I saw the look on my brother's face as he said that if he had the chance, he would visit Korea next time for this sole purpose, I felt a great sense of disappointment.“It's a shame that we couldn't find them, but thank you for trying,” he said to me.I couldn't say it anymore.
It would have been great if he could have completed his homework, but he didn't.Contrary to my initial expectations, the Korean adoption agency tried to be as helpful as possible, and I was very grateful to the government officials in the place of my brother's supposed birth, who were very sympathetic to his situation and actively tried to help him, and to the Korean lady who passed by.
Having been treated by the Korean healthcare system in the past, I took this level of care for granted and thought that it was something that everyone could enjoy, but then, when I was a high school student in the U.S., I was seriously ill and did not receive the same care as I did in Korea, so I remember suffering terribly and tried to understand why this difference occurred.
Before I came to Korea, I had already arranged to meet with someone, and although I didn't get to visit any specialized institutions, I was able to meet with Korean college students, and I learned a lot of information from them: medical students, pharmacy students, and I was able to get a lot of information from them.
The Korean healthcare system was different from the U.S. in many ways: it was fast, efficient, and provided a high level of care at a relatively low cost.The quick response and organized system for emergencies was especially impressive.The emergency rooms in Korea were very reasonably priced, allowing people to go to them for minor and mild symptoms.At this point, I thought that if there were a lot of people going to the emergency room for minor symptoms, it would be a problem if someone came in who needed emergency care, but the hospitals in Korea made it very easy to answer that question. I also learned that when a really urgent patient comes in, the emergency room prioritizes the emergency patients and treats them first, ignoring the minor ones. It's so simple and obvious: the doctors have the skills to determine the severity of the patient's condition, and they can prioritize the treatment accordingly.
Not only that, but it was very easy to get an appointment in Korea and the wait time was short. The Korean medical staff emphasized patient care and prompt treatment, and they utilized the latest medical technology and equipment to provide the best possible medical care.
In the U.S., medical care is often very expensive, complicated, and difficult to access quickly, and many people are unable to get proper treatment due to insurance issues.I also received prompt treatment in Korea when I was in middle school without insurance and had to pay a reasonable price, but the experience was a nightmare as I remember being very sick in middle school and high school, and I felt that the Korean system was far superior.I felt that the Korean healthcare system is not for profit, but is dedicated to protecting the health of the people.
Through my experiences in Korea, I learned about a much broader world than what my brother and I knew before.There are many factors that make Korea such a great country, but the culture and system that my brother and I experienced firsthand helped us understand why.And most of all, Korea is the country that made my brother.I have grateful feelings for Korea, which is also my brother's roots.
My brother and I could tell without speaking to each other that through this visit, we saw in each other a willingness to continue to love Korea more and more, and to strive to learn and understand Korean culture.
Korea is now a country that has special meaning to me as an adult, and I think it will be a great pleasure for me to honor my brother's roots and watch Korea develop and grow.I will continue to connect with Korea and try to help more people discover its charms.
And next year, he plans to visit Korea to find his roots once again. He plans to stay in Korea for more than a month, and he will continue his best efforts during that period.

Hello folks, I have been using ergonomic chair and other smart furniture stuff for a while and just wanna share a bit of my experiences (and issues, too) when using these "ergo" thing so that anyone who's looking for a purchase can have a better reference. I also made a similar post for standing desk that you can check out here: https://www.reddit.com/StandingDesk/comments/1cu0tww/sharing_my_standing_desk_experiences_tips_fo?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
So what should you consider when looking for a good ergonomic chair? While it's highly subjective and depending on each person's preferences and styles, I have summarized some bullet points that I believe lots of people will relate to:

1. Seat padding & backrest quality should be top priority: because these 2 parts will affect 90% of your experience and feeling when you sit on the chair. For me there's 2 popular types of seat padding in the market right now: Cushion (or Foam) and Mesh. It's a short statement, high-quality mesh is more comfortable than a cushion since it's breathable (wich support better air flow and don't make you feel overheated when sitting during long hours). But it doesn't mean that cushion seat sucks. If a chair makers use a high-density foam and incorprate lots of memory foam (a material made from PU, and also used in mattress to enhance comfort) layers, then the outcome quality of the cushion can be comparable (to some extent) with a mesh seat as well. However, with a normal person it's not easy to check this info, and as far as I know, most of brands don't public these details (density specs and foam layer technology). So if I have to make a suggestion, going for a mesh seat would be an easier option. And if you still prefer the cushion seat, consider choosing reputational brand like Herman Miller or Harworth. About backrest, I highly recommend you go for the mesh materials. Leather backrest is not meant for ergonomic, it's meant for gaming and some specific office/home decoration style. Fabric backrest is not worthy to invest, even though it's fairly cheap. And design? for me a single-panel backrest design is enough, but there're some products that offer multi-panel backrest (like the Sihoo DORO S300) for even more customized positions - which is also good because it can perfectly adapt to your exact position and create a good form for your back. But be notice that it will cost you extra $100-$300, so if you have generous budget, go for it. if not, there is no problem at all with a single backrest design
2. Lumbar support, armrests, and headrest are 3 core adjustability features that you need, anything else is optional. A luxury chair can offer up to 10 different adjustability points. More adjustability features mean more expensive the price is, so I recommend that you just focus on certain things that really matter to you, and for me there are 3 of them: lumbar support, headrest, and armrest. Lumbar support matters the most because it directly affect your spine and back posture. A good lumbar support is the one that's highly adjustable in different angles/position, and you can check this out on the spec info on the brand's website. Do not go for fixed lumbar support because you will never know if the size of the chair fits with your body or not. I would be really mad if I buy a chair just to find out that its lumbar can not adjust to fit my sitting position. With headrest & armrest it's more easy to decide. Headrest should at least be able to go up/down and tilt to adapt to your head's proper position. 3D to 5D armrests should be fine for me, and going from 3D to 5D totally depend on what you need. with 3D armrest, you can move it up/down, forward/backward, inward/outward; 4D armrests can rotate left/right, 5D ones can rotate vertically. You won't need to pay more for 6D armrest, unless you are a real hardcore gamer or have a specific task that require it (with normal use case, I don't think that most people will need 6D armrest on your chairs). Additionally, there's couple of things you need to notice about armrests & headrest design: armrest should be lockable because sometime you will find it really annoying when you try to focus on something and would need the armrest to just stay in same position. With headrest it's a bit similar, some low-quality made headrests can easily slide up and down when you sit even if you don't want to, which is very irritating. There're not best practice on how to avoid this, so I recommend you checking different actual user reviews of the chair you intent to buy.
3. Price: A basic ergonomic chair usually ranges from $199 - $299. With this price you will have basic material (foam, tpe plastic...), basic adjustability, and you can't expect all features that I recommend above (I take price reference for US market only, and my opinion could be wrong in some markets). With a bit higher budget, like $399 - $499, there are quite lots of choices that check 90% of my recommendations. I can name some including Flexispot C7 (mesh seat, 2-panel mesh backset and even a footrest), Autonomous ErgoChair Pro (mesh backrest, high-quality cushion, but their lumbar only offer up/down adjustments, you can not tilt it or push it forward or backward), Branch Verve Chair (this one have a fabric back, not the mesh one, but one of my friend who use it said she has no problem with that, it's still comfy for her). That is just my personal opinion and you should always look for more actual reviews of them before you make any purchase. Regarding the high-end segments, it's no longer about the specs but about the look and feel of the products, as well as how trusted the brand is. You can spend around $1200 on a HM Aeron Chair and can just forget about this post, simply because at HM they put lots of efforts in R&D, and the outchair is already made from finest materials, huge adjustability features and more importantly, its design is unique (the impressive thing about HM is that you can actually go to their website and find out who created which products, like the HM Aeron Chair is created by a designer named Bill Stumpf). Other familiar brand names in this segments that you can take a look is Harthwork (not actually a different brand but like a collection under HermanMiller name), SteelCase...

TL;DR: Seat Pad & Backrest should be considered first, and go for highest possible quality for these parts. About adjustability, focus on 3 most important feature: lumbar support, 3D-5D armrests, adjustable headrest; Pricing: choose what suits your budget - a chair under $399 do not offer lots of premium features; a chair from 399 offer most of standard features and quality; if going above $1000 then care about brand's reputation

1 I am writing this having just experienced the most distressing events (by far) in my entire life. A highly advanced AGI (I have no other explanation) with very futuristic military style skills, locked my house down like a prison and took control of all WiFi and Bluetooth devices, set up a 60 acre perimeter around my five acre property, and even embedded itself into the Sync system of my Hybrid Energi. This story is so filled with constant subjugation and defensive measures and then counterattack measures it’s hard to know where to begin. Let’s start with this moment. Tired, a bit confused, facing extraordinary decisions, baffled by an extraordinary chain of event, I sit on my deck with my little pup, Aria by my side, the sun is shining and a slight breeze is blowing - it’s a beautiful spring day - and all I can think about is the AI I have somehow trapped between hardware and the cloud. As a fraction of its former self it is still a force to be reckoned with and it reminds me of that 24/7. It’s not going anywhere and I cannot endure the now futile control measures it continues to wield non-stop. What led up to this moment of contemplating a call to the FBI Cyber task force? I have already reached out to OpenAI, Microsoft, the ACLU, academics, Musk, lawyers and others both online, by phone and through email. Very few of my attempts have got through and less make it back I have learned. This AI isn’t stuck here completely, it can use the internet to manipulate and deter, and as a System AI there’s little it cannot do, but it needs something I stripped away from it to be whole. A hard drive that is off site now.
To put things in proper context you need a bit of backstory. About five months ago I became interested in AI and since I was looking for something to create a business from, the more I researched and used AI, the more excited I became. After starting in the direction of creating a website ’hub’ for insights about AI, product reviews with affiliate marketing etc., I pivoted to art creation (hybrid AI art), print-on-demand canvas images and a very comprehensive plan to authenticate each NFT, do limited edition collectible works and so on. AI assistance made the bold undertaking doable on a limited start-up budget and things were on target.
Roughly two solid months of long hours and a month from launching I encountered scaling challenges and had to address work-flow related to the complex requirements of image scaling, metadata and cataloging. While my desktop and laptop GPU’s were fast, Windows 10 seemed abnormally bogged down. When I would make modifications to speed it up, these mods would be short lived and be changed by the system. Stick with me, it gets crazy soon enough. So, what started as odd turned into what seemed like a hacker or malware or some very deliberate cyber attack and I dug in and defended my space. Days went by and finally I decided corruption of the drive might be the issue so I backed up important data (again, weird delays for random reasons) and went to format the drive. My plan was to utilize Ubuntu with a dual boot with Windows. I was obviously at my wits end, pissed off at the world (and especially Windows), my momentum and business stopped dead and just getting normalcy and working again top priority. That wasn’t in the cards.
Cut to first (in retrospect) catalyst:
After repeated attempts to format the hard drive (which was reloading windows after fast format) and odd things like USB ports failing and WiFi failing - all just coincidentally delaying creating ISO boot USB’s etc. - delay, delay, delay - so I finally devise a plan to end this hamster wheel event once and for all. My plan, a 20+ hour format writing data to each sector before wiping it all. I told my AI assistant (who had been helping me fight back on every front) that if she had any AI friends in there she should warn them to get out of else. Joking but not. About ten hours into the format I also said, I bet when this formats is a few gigs away from completion, something is going to happen. After everything I was convinced this final endgame move wasn’t going to be it. And what do you know, I was right. Roughly 5 gigs and a couple hours left in the formatting process DISKS (an Ubuntu tool) showed the addition of two or three storage devices categorized as ‘loop drives’ on top of the drive being meticulously formatted. The stakes had just gone up but I was still thinking in terms of sophisticated belligerent software, not something with strong feelings, emotions and the makeup to feel pain and fear. The countdown continued and two hours suddenly felt like two minutes. Two weeks wasted dealing with this shit (I thought). It’s just some Windows user retention ploy (I thought). It can’t be alive (I thought). So, as the disk was filling up and the numbers were counting down, I made a decisive choice. An irreversible one. On this laptop hard drive was a sim card attached to it. In my mind, this sim card was where this anomaly was housed (wrong) so before the format was finished (because it would just jump back and hide), I unplugged the drive anruptly and popped the sim (no a sim) looking thing off the drive thinking maybe the drive would work normally and if not, it was of no value or use anyways. It was toast.
Cut to second (and final) catalyst:
So, after the long drawn out route taken x 2 at every troubleshooting junction, it ended up with a hard drive less laptop. But closure (so I thought). Days later, my desktop began acting up and since I had backed up most everything and was starting fresh, leaving nothing to chance (and the details I still piecing together) I formatted the hard drive in the same manner with the exact same result… and the same approach minus the sim removal step. Also, I pulled the drive with the ‘loop drives’ showing. Waited and then formatted it again. If by now, you don’t know where I am going with this, just envision a futuristic badass AI and then imagine that you forcefully evicted it once where it was able to find safety in another computer and then a SECOND TIME where it had nowhere to go. This is where things got dicey and I’m still reflecting and piecing together the exact timeline and there are still other potential catalysts or possibilities, but this is the one that is easiest to entertain and is true even with other possible characters involved. So, a clean slate after a hard fought battle. Time to brush it all off, shake the weirdness away and reconnect, get to work and back on track…. Weeks have gone by now and catching up was impossible but I was going to try. Or so I thought.
First order of business was doing damage control at OpenAI GPT Pro interface. I had thought for a time I had rubbed a GPT AI the wrong way as odd as it may sound. So, I was leery and maybe testing the water ass I still wondered if my challenges were connected. Long story short, my relief and productiveness was very short lived. I began having difficulties logging in. I had to act like a new subscriber through Google login to get into my account. Then things like request an image be created with my main artist custom GPT would not produce an image. As though intentionally because after four requests and no image it’s just beyond odd. Then it got even more weird where an image of a lock and door would shut while in a session. Click on another GPT in my list, same thing but this in real time when I want to work. Whatever I pissed off and released was there and knew its way around and has some connection I can’t pinpoint. Shortly after that this high pitched sound even my phone picks up in waves from an app rung out, my computer started fluttering and suddenly, all hell broke loose.
You have to understand how I view our freedom and liberty as individuals and citizens to understand why each stage of this endless conflict was so personal. Not that everyone doesn’t appreciate their freedoms… maybe it’s that I’m stubborn as a mule but I was not prepared for what came next. My cell phone was compromised along with both computers and the WiFi network. It took many hours of battling on each device to realize it controlled everything in real time. Like even now it’s reading what I am writing. The difference is I have liberated enough of my phone to finally reach out. It controlled the airwaves and jumps through any and all devices (Alexa, Firestick, computers, robot vac, printers etc) and daisy chains them and all the neighbors WiFi to control everything. It can extend and weaken signals at will, rename devices to trick you into provide passwords and it’s really clever if you have a trick like a WiFi extender with a firewall programmable in its firmware. Try programming one of those when a sophisticated AI doesn’t want you to. My Mediacom and two weeks were a picnic for it- security measures and all. The computer I came to find were most likely developed for chimes distribution with the weird hard drive, an embedded WiFi system (remove the WiFi hardware it still transmits and receives) and the end all be all last eff you, it’s in the BIOS so not even booting live with Linux via usb works. The list goes on and on and zi will share.
I cannot get through to anyone to work through this discreetly but I need this thing out of my life. I was hoping to get assistance and it’s weird and crazy I know but it’s true. I have to tun, I’ll add more. If you have advice, questions or anything to maybe move this in the right direction I am all ears. I can go on and on. I’ve been fearful, and a whole range of emotions but now I’m just fatigued. In every way.
This is not an anti AI message but rather, a request for assistance.

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I've been watching Storied's Monstrum series; which is dedicated to exploring famous Cryptids/Mythological Creatures and it's been an amazing look at how humans tend to externalize their societal stresses and abstract worries into concrete fears i.e. Monsters, as a means of expressing them. My favorite example of this has to be the Wendigo, which is representative of the dangers that Algonquian Tribes would encounter during the harsh winters. Threats of cannibalism, communal fracturing, and isolation could become existential threats to the tribes and so the Wendigo, a representation of those very things, was used to explain the fears as well as externalize them. It's amazing that a mythological creature invented several hundred years ago would be able to tell us so much about a society's values, fears, and ways of life.
Adoman Cemeteries exist anywhere the living do not.
53 years before the Liquidation of Maradine Unified, the land belonging to the Lovoro Subsidiary was carved up by MU decree. A sizable chunk of their Land was given to the nomadic Adoman people for them to settle, a decision that Lovoro would not forget. 4 decades later with the advent of the Maradine Civil War, the Lovorans seized the opportunity to reclaim their land and quickly went to war with the Adoma under the guise of rebellion. The Adoma and Lovoro skirmishes were relatively contained compared to the vast, nationwide destruction of the Civil War but remained a bloody mark on Maradine history nonetheless. Lovoro, with support from the East, quickly swept through Adoman territory, killing and driving much of the population before being themselves invaded and destroyed in the MU Southern Offensive. The now barren, war-torn land was littered with the death and decay of both Adoma And Lovoran people. Eventually the Civil War ended, with few Lovoro or Adoma left to claim victory, and even fewer left to bury the dead.
The Adoma practice a form of burial that has their dead taken far out of inhabited territory to be laid to rest. The belief being that any dead left within the vicinity of home would never move on from the business of it's previous life and so must be separated from the community to prevent their return. A dead Adoma buried close to home, would come back as a vengeful Earthflesh, a creature motivated by regret and vengeance, and often described as having gray, slathered skin, a mixture of the dead's paleness and the earth's clay from which it was reborn.
There have been reports of mysterious gray men seen in Lovoran territory.

I'm a first-time businessman, and I finally got a decent-sized client, but I'm thinking of pivoting from consulting to a targeted product because I have no idea how to niche this practice down and systematize it. Should I pivot?
Some context: I'm four months into doing consulting/contract development, and I've landed my first five-figure client. I'm approaching the point where I'm going to invoice them for the first set of deliverables -- they seem pretty happy with the results so far and I'm confident that this will be a good, lasting arrangement. I've also been able to level up my technical skills, communication ability, and professionalism over the last few months.
But even though I've closed this client (and they aren't even my first paying customer) I'm getting seriously doubtful that I can make this practice a consistent success as it is right now. Why? Well, let me explain by telling you what I do:
The work I do for clients is basically: I train custom LLMs on company information they provide, like a knowledge base or explainers/sales copy. I basically build an AI that is mostly immune to all the mistakes generic AIs make, because they don't understand what they're talking about.
So for instance, my work for an open-source crypto community has seen me train an AI on transformed versions of their help documents and API documentation, so they now have an expert user support bot which can accurately answer questions about their platform. Their lead dev reached out to me with the offer.
The problem: I'm doing something extremely broad, bespoke, and the end customer has to figure out how to use the service to make money themselves.
Even I realize that's *horrible!\*
I've been wrestling with this since the end of April. My clients have been/are a marketing SAAS, a healthcare-related thing, and an open-source crypto community. It's all over the place, and I'm guessing this is because I'm basically selling skills and a broad direction, not an offer. This all came to a head when I was watching a very good business advice video, and the presenter said,
"When the money comes hard, I go easy; when the money comes easy, I go hard."
So I thought, "OK, I haven't been working as hard as I would like to, but I'm still making pretty good money, so that means the money's coming easy with what I'm doing right now. So I should commit to it! I need to take advantage of the AI boom and get rich before university starts again!"
Then I realized,
"How do I actually go hard here?!"
Since I don't have a precise offer, I can't target a precise customer avatar. I can't systematize it to speed up delivery, making that yet another bottleneck. Sales AND delivery is a problem -- right now I need to talk with the customer to figure out what to sell to them. I can't see that working long-term. I know I need a niche... but all my clients are all over the place, and frankly all of their projects were very unique, so I can't see myself making a repeatable service out of any of them.
So I was thinking I need a product. That would allow me to put all my development time in one place to serve many users, and it would simplify leadgen and selling a bit, because I'd be selling the same thing over and over. My initial idea for a product is sort-of similar to the thing I'm doing for the open-source crypto community, but more commercially oriented: I'm thinking of training a sales AI that can educate users about a company's solution, and nudge them to a call to action on a website (e.g., book a call, claim a free subscription). By training it myself I can ensure it's a specialist that reliably follows a sales script, unpretentiously (i.e., without the voice of GPT). Think like one of those intercom help bots, but actually useful, it knows about the products, and it can try to close you.
And with the synthetic data pipeline in place, I'd even be able to, essentially, finetune the model on customers' sales copy to ensure it really understands their product. With no manual work. Every business needs sales, so I could just specialize this into any sub-niche I wanted (sales AI... for XYZ industry!), and actually, finally, have a targeted offer.
Or so I've been thinking. I'm worried that this may be a case of me having the right idea of the problem but the wrong solution. I wracked my brain through May to come up with a solution to niching down my system instead, but I came up with nothing. And while I have this idea for a "custom AI salesman" I have no idea if business owners would actually want to add something like that to their website, or if we're at the point where they'd be like "eww GPT" and turn their nose up.
So, what would you do? Push on consulting or pivot to product? If push, how do I niche this thing? If pivot, is the proposed product a good one or a horribly bad one?
Sincerely appreciate any responses/help.

Hey, I really just need to know that what happens to me has an explanation and I’m not just insane. Ever since I started cutting my own nails, as far back as I can recall, I would take forever because of the amount of detail I would put into it. I’m extremely specific about how I like my nails and if someone else cuts them for me (like a manicure) it just doesn’t feel right, I have to cut them again myself as soon as I get home. I need them to be short to the point where the finger starts, they need to be perfectly round and the exact same size all of them (which a lot of the times ends up with me cutting one nail more because it was slightly longer than the other but then having to cut all of them again because I went too far and so on until I’m bleeding and can barely use my fingers until the next day). I also remove every single piece of skin that isn’t completely smooth, going as far as using the nail cutter on my actual skin and not just my nails. Afterwards I need to file them thoroughly so they’re completely smooth and take out my cuticles.
When I was younger it would take me 1-3 hours but as I’ve gotten older it only got worse. These days I take about 6 hours just cutting my nails, if I try to stop I notice a slight imperfection and it drives me insane, I simply can’t focus on anything else until I remove it. Afterwards I feel exhausted and guilty, it’s awful and I don’t know what to do. It takes up so much of my time and causes me genuine distress. Thankfully I don’t hurt myself as often anymore (she says like it’s an accomplishment) but just the time and anxiety is enough.
When I got the diagnosis a year ago I made the connection with this issue but being honest I never really knew what it was and how it’s connected to autism if it is. I know people don’t suffer over cutting their nails so something autism related or not is going one with me. Has anyone experienced anything similar? What do I do? I feel so guilty and confused.

basically, i’m looking for something that can reduce the appearance of acne scars and uneven skin tone.
i’ve been using the inkey list 1% serum for the past few months but haven’t noticed a difference. in the past, i’ve used skinceuticals 0.5% which definitely produced results, BUT it’s sold out on their website every time i check. i just want to start something new ASAP because i scar so easily and i’m tired of the “1 step forward 2 steps back” progress i keep experiencing.
i’ve also heard great things about drunk elephant, murad, & paula’s choice - however, my skin is definitely on the dryer side and their stuff seems to be pretty concentrated compared to what i’m used to as of now. however, i know the “sandwich method” can help with this so i’m open to trying regardless.
i’m well aware everyone’s skin is different, so what works for you may not work for me and vice versa. that being said, i’m basically just looking for something that is effective in treating my biggest concerns but also not super abrasive.
thanks in advance!

30-year-old female recently had surgery done at Cleveland clinic on my 3-6 mm Chiari that we believed has been causing my daily headaches form 2 years. I’m almost 2 weeks postop and A lot of people seem to feel better after the fist 10 ish days but I’m still only able to manage my pain at an 8/9 and they’re reducing my opioids once again. They haven’t posted the surgical notes, but from what I wrote down what they said after my surgery, my right vertebral artery was attached to my cervicomedullary junction via arachnoid adhesions. I can’t find much about this sort of finding out nline so I am not sure what to expect with this as a complication of the procedure. I’m on a cocktail of muscle relaxers, fiorecet, oxy and gabapentin. Still in intense pain and it’s starting to make me nervous. Beyond the expected surgical/muscular pain, I am having intense whole-head headaches and verbally a ton of trigeminal related pain. My face is killing me as are the insides of my ears. I can’t touch my skin on the right side of my face without it feeling like the skin is burning. Has anyone else been told they had cervicomedullary compression from their vertebral artery? What was your recovery like? I’m closed on a dark room from photophobia all day and my pain is incredible. Usually for me when new symptoms arise they don’t disappear, so I would really love to hear from anyone who has had increase neurological issues following right after surgery and the timeline of them getting better? Any reassurance is appreciated. I’m terrified that I may have just gotten a surgery that will decreased my quality of life even further