I'm in my 30s in a social work masters program with a cohort of others who are in their mid-20s. We're studying to be social workers so I thought it'd be people who would be empathetic and understanding toward each other. Man, they are mean.
There's one girl they seem to not like for some reason, and the rest of them talk mad shit about her behind her back. She left the room during break and they started mocking the presentation she just gave. But they were so nice to her face when she gave the presentation. She invited them to her house for her birthday, and behind her back they were talking about ways to get out of it. Just don't go if you don't want to go? It's not an obligation to attend. What's with the need to tear her down? They say the meanest things about her when she's not there, then I see them send really nice texts to her and be really friendly to her face. It's so two-faced and confusing. They say really mean things about our faculty and other people, like harsh judgments based one phrase someone used, or a tone someone used, or something someone said they disagreed with. Can't people just have a bad day sometimes and not make it mean the entire person is racist or sexist and terrible? Jeez. They say terribly judgmental things about their clients, one called a client trash. :( Felt really bad for that client for opening up to someone who's just gonna shame them behind their back.
It makes me really uncomfortable and wonder if they're doing the same thing to me. I wish I knew what I was doing that was turning them off, or if it's just the fact that I'm older, or if it's just them being insecure and young and not being able to handle someone different from them, but it's excruciatingly uncomfortable to be around. The feeling of you walk into a room and they stop talking and give you the side eye. I get this uneasy feeling they don't want to be around me and disapprove of me for some ridiculous reason I have no idea about, because I've seen them do that to other people. Seriously. I'm in my 30s but it feels like I'm back in high school. What do you think is going on with these girls? I could use any advice that would make not feel so shit while doing this masters program.

Just finished my (M19) first year at college and I had a pretty gross roommate. Aside from being disgustingly messy, he was deaf and very horny. Basically every day, while I was in the room, he would jerk off in his bed, and it would be loud. I guess he didn’t know it made sound. I can only describe the sound as sticking your fist in and out of a large tub of mac and cheese repeatedly. And every time, he would go into a birth giving position and I would even be able to see his hand going up and down, so there’s no way this sound could be anything else. He even kept is moisturizer right on his bed for everyone to see.
The worst part of it was that he would cum in his sheets and leave it, so it would sometimes stink up the room BAD. There were visible stains on his sheets and idk if he ever washed them. Me and my friends held a black light up to his area once and it was disturbing. By the end of the year he wasn’t even laying on a fitted sheet, he was just raw dogging his mattress.
The first time it happened, I walked into the room and heard the Mac and cheese, so I instantly left and waited in the lounge. That happened a bunch of times and then at a certain point he would start doing it while I was already in the room. At that point I was like fuck it, if it’s like that then ima just stay in here and pop my AirPods in.
I was like grossed out but I also thought it was kind of funny and a fun story to tell people. One day I had the door and windows open to air out the room cause it stunk, and he started jerking off, not even caring that people could prolly see him from the door. I decided to take a video of him cause I thought it was funny. I showed my parents it over winter break and they made me delete it tho smh.
On the first day of the second semester, I came back to my room and didn’t notice that he was there too cause he sometimes blends into his bed, and so I was unpacking. Then I heard the Mac and cheese sound and instinctually looked over to the sound. My roommate and I locked eyes. I was like, fuck. But it turned out to be a great thing because after that, he stopped jerking off while I was in the room. I guess it was at that moment that he realized jerking off isn’t silent.
He didn’t stop doing it all together tho, sometimes I’d wake up in the middle of the night and hear it and be like god damn it and I’d have to put my air pods in. I also would walk in on him doing it pretty often but at least he’d stop once he saw me walk in. He never even locked the door tho so it’s like bruh.
When my parents came up to move me out, I left the room for 5 minutes to let my them in the building and when we came back, he had already started jerking off, and my dad didn’t know and like waved to him, and my roommate took his hand out and like awkwardly waved back.
So yeah that was my first college dorming experience. Honestly it wasn’t the worst cause we were in a triple, so my bed wasn’t directly next to his bed so I felt like I at least had my own little area, which I kept VERY neat. Lmk if you guys have any questions cause there’s def stuff I left out.

Went on a Hinge date last month that went really well, she was adorable and we had good vibes and similar interests. Leading up to it, she wasn't the most consistent texter, sometimes taking till the next day or so to respond, but she always seemed enthusiastic.
I hit her up again the next week saying what a good time I had, and she agreed, and we scheduled a second official date. Then we chatted a bit one day, I told her I was out furniture shopping, and she suggested an impromptu IKEA trip the next morning! So now, we had two dates in a row, and she had been the one to excitedly schedule one of them, even saying she could pick me up in the car she had rented for the week. I was on top of the world.
Then, disaster struck. That same day, weirdly, we both had to cancel due to sudden family emergencies that took us out of town. Obviously, texting slowed way down at this point, with two or even three days between messages. But understandable, strenuous circumstances and all that.
She ends up getting back in town quicker than me, by about two weeks. Sadly, a member of my family ended up passing away during this time, and I was honest and told her as much while trying not to trauma dump/freak her out. She offered an ear to talk to, but texts were still a couple days apart. But still, I was hopeful, as the last thing she sent me was expressing a desire to see each other again when I got back. I texted back asking when she was free.
This was a week ago now, with seven days having gone by without me hearing from her. I'm not proud to admit I double texted her the day after I got back in town, offering a specific time and place.
Still nothing, radio silence.
It's just so incredibly frustrating. How did she go from impromptu last-second date scheduling the next day to ghosting me? What the hell happened within that time that made her decide I suddenly wasn't worth the effort? I've been ghosted plenty of times before, but this one in particular really hurts and is so frustrating because before shit hit the fan, she seemed so excited to see me again.
It's honestly taking everything in me not to spam her until I get a response, and at least figure out why she suddenly lost interest despite her last message literally saying we should hang out.
How do I keep trying if this is what's going to happen? Circumstances beyond my control dashing my chances even when I seemingly have a sure thing? I wish I could just turn off my need for romantic affection, just be happy single, but I just want it more and more. Even though we only went on one date, it's been hard to get this girl out of my head.

I'll try and keep this brief but basically I received a frantic phone call from my best friend in the middle of the night. I knew something was wrong so I got up and answered immediately.
A long text message had been sent which was both vicious and abhorrent. It said that they had been waiting and watching my friend foe over a year and collecting a dossier on her and had decided now was the time to act. They basically stated that they had got photos of her doing recreational drugs, and videos of it, from her past, and told her all about her finances, how she was in debt with her car, how she was just clinging onto paying her mortgage payments so they knew there was equity in her house and also said terrible things about her that were not true.
They also knew she has a Rolex hidden away that she had been gifted from long service to her work and that they didn't believe a @"@& like that had it but they hoped she had as now she was going to have to start consolidate everything to pay them off.
They said that they had created 4 folders of identical information which they would send to her workplace to get her fired, to her dying mother, to 2 other significant family members and 1 "to keep just for fun to torment her with.
. They also said they would call social services and laugh at her, and her street with photos of her in compromising situations.
To cut a long story short she was absolutely petrified. Someone for the prior 6 months to the text arriving had been cloning her card and trying to buy items and had gone so far as to order a 2k laptop to her house which had been left in the porch as she works full time. It didn't take us long to work out that they were going to porch pirate it but it just so happens that day my friends mother was there and intercepted the parcel and my friend sent it back.
So we worked out who it was but kept it to ourselves. She didn't respond to the deadline and nothing happened. The person is a male "friend" of hers who fancied her but got rebuffed (he is living with someone and hasn't declared it). He doesn't know she knows it's him as she has literally kept a wide berth since despite his ongoing efforts to "see" her in the community or kept calling her to"see how she is"
My friend is a single parent and struggling and he knew that. We can't think of anything that doesn't grossly break the law but to instead get her own back. We have thought of many things along the spectrum and keep coming up blank.
Any ideas anyone ? Tiya

I was brought up in a church. It was always boring and strange and I never really felt welcome, despite everyone's persistent attempts to tell me how happy they were to see me every week. Nevertheless, the stories I was taught there were all I had. And even if I didn’t fully understand them, to me, there was a god and good and evil, and I was just a mortal caught in the middle of it all.
I was around 12 or 13 years old at the time. I remember it being spring time outside, beautiful but tainted by a plague of allergies that had come over me. I was stuck in a habit back then of reading books late into the night. My mom was mostly supportive of it though and bought me a book light to use in the dark, with the caveat that I put the book down by 10PM at the latest.
On the first night that it happened, I remember being very sucked into the story I was reading. I had started a new book and I distinctly remember thinking that the story wasn’t for someone my age, and if my mother found out what I was reading, she might not let me keep it. The feeling that I was doing something wrong had me on edge in a sort of fun and exciting way, and my heart was beginning to beat somewhat quickly as I continued.
And then I heard it. A rustling sound like something had slid off of a hanger in my closet. I jumped in place, dropping my book down on the blanket, the clip-on book light casting a long and imposing shadow across the room. What I saw next was difficult to make out and is even harder to picture in my mind all these years later. I remember my clothes hung up in the closet, swaying in place, almost shivering or jittering from the movement coming from behind them. The book light was cut off along one edge of the closet opening, only showing the bottom of my hanging clothes and part way down onto the floor where some old shoeboxes and retired sports equipment was stored. But there was something odd and quite noticeable partially in view within the small glow of light that existed there. At the time it was puzzling to interpret as I had been expecting my angry mother to have somehow divined that I was reading something she didn’t approve of. But with time and reflection it became clear that the dark shape I saw amongst my belongings was an abnormally long and trembling leg.
“P-please!! P-put that down!”
It spoke with a frantic whisper, as if I was inadvertently pointing a loaded gun at it. I froze for a moment, staring at the indiscernible shape, watching my jacket and button down shirts shivering on their hangers when it suddenly occurred to me. I frantically grabbed the book light and pulled it to my chest. I could have quickly turned and shown it directly into the closet, but for some reason, I didn’t.
The nights that followed were difficult. I kept looking over my shoulder, staring in the direction of my closet, wondering if something would happen instead of falling asleep or reading. My mother even took notice of the sudden change, asking me, “Is something wrong, sweetie?” before tucking me in one night.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I’m just bored with my book,” I lied.
“You can’t give up on it now, dear! Even if it’s not for you, at least try and finish it so you know for sure.”
That night I pulled the book out again and continued from where I left off. I felt bad, as if I was taking advantage of my mom’s ignorance as she advocated for me to read a book that she must not have known the full story behind. But still, I wasn’t really bored of it. In fact, once I had the book out and in my hands again, I felt that same itch I had before. An excitement to see what came next. To know what else lies between the pages of the coming chapters. And as I read further, my heart began to race again. I felt a tingle going up my spine now, and for some reason, I began to sweat.
“Can you hear us?”
The voice was closer this time, somewhere off to my side now, away from the closet and more toward the center of my room. I remained still, careful not to bounce the book light around in fear that I would drive the being away.
“Yes.” I told it. The moment after I spoke back to it for the first time, the strangeness of the situation became somewhat mildly apparent to me, although it still did not deter me or drive me toward fear.
“Good.”
I had church that next morning. What I didn’t realize that day, as we piled into the car at the crack of dawn, was that it would be the last time I would ever go to church for the rest of my life. I remember this day very well, as you’ll soon be able to tell.
“Did you sleep okay?” Mother asked me, peering into the backseat through the rear view mirror.
“Okay, yea.”
“How about your book? Did you read any?”
“Yeah.”
“Good! I’m glad.” She said, smiling with her eyes as they returned to the road ahead.
We pulled up to the church and parked in the small parking lot out front. It was altogether a poorly cared for area with faded yellow lines on the ground separating the parking spaces, and chunks of concrete broken apart as if the urban environment had somehow fallen victim to a recent bombing. Our church service was held in an office park of all places, down a flight of stairs and through a long hallway that always smelt like damp carpet. The church pastor had acquired the space for a good deal, and always talked about the location as if it were merely the humble beginning compared to where they would someday be.
We took our seats in the cramped room as usual and an eerie silence was broken by the sound of an old, muffled electronic organ that tried and failed to lift the energy of the room before our pastor walked out center stage.
“Welcome and good morning to everyone on this fine, somewhat humid day. I hope you all are doing well and the drive in wasn’t too problematic, what with all the traffic cones blooming for the summer.” He gave a sort of wincing smile as a few members of the crowd let out a light chuckle. “I’m sure we’re all eager to get on with service today as this is the day we’ve all been waiting for for almost 18 years now - wow! But I just wanted to take a brief moment before we begin to acknowledge the significant achievement of everyone here, and the endless effort you all have gone through in order to make sure that today happened at all.” The room filled with gentle clapping, everyone turning toward one another as they nodded in approval.
“Very good. Now, without any further delay. Let us begin.”
Several quick yet world changing events occurred in the minutes after his speech. Minutes that have dominated my life and memory ever since they happened. My mother stood up and took me by the hand, looking down at me with a large smile across her face.
“Come on! It’s time!”
“What for?” I hesitated, only slowly scooching off of my seat.
“It’s ok, you’re just going to read something out loud for everyone. Think of it like a speech in class, except everyone here is excited just to hear you speak. You won’t do anything wrong, I promise.” I nodded nervously and followed her up to the front of the congregation where she positioned me in front of a mic stand, adjusted down to my height, before leaving to stand next to the pastor. And then I saw her do something quite strange. She took the pastor's hand in her own and kissed him on the lips. The room was deadly silent as the lights overhead were shut off, suddenly leaving us all in a thick darkness. I squinted my eyes as I tried to look back towards my mother, hoping to god I could catch even the slightest hint of her familiar face.
The shadows were pierced by something on the far side of the room. A glow of red light parting the darkness like a curtain, illuminating the pages of an old looking but familiar book that was slowly making its way down the aisle and toward me. Somebody placed the book in my hands and opened it to the first page.
And then a familiar voice spoke.
“Read.”
“But… I’ve already read the beginning before.” I replied quietly.
“But they haven’t.” The voice explained with a seductive hiss. I held the book closer and looked it over. It was my book. It was my light.
As I began reading the words from the pages, I could hear people in the crowd whispering. Some of them were praying, some were crying, one woman in particular I could hear whispering excitedly to her partner: “He can read it! Can you believe that?”
And there were other noises as well. Chanting. Whaling. A sound that I can only explain as a guttural choking noise. I tried to stay focused. To read loudly and not stutter. But as I read further, another noise began to distract me. A drumming or clanging of metal, followed by a rhythmic grinding, over and over and over. Eventually the noise was so loud it was hard to hear my own voice, but I could tell that the audience was loving it. In fact, they were beginning to yell out their approval: “Amazing,” “We’ve finally found him,” “Praise be!”
The tingling had returned up my spine again and my skin felt electric, like I was being filled with some sort of strange energy. It was as if I was moving with momentum as the words of the book were flowing from my mouth like I had somehow memorized every page - even the parts I hadn’t read before. It was so easy I didn’t even need to look at the pages at a certain point, but by that time, something had started to come over me. A hesitance or doubt. I felt wrong and I desperately wanted to leave.
I looked at my book light, examining the streaks of red marker across the glowing plastic, and without a second thought, I scratched it off with my thumb nail. The rhythmic sounds of metal ceased and a blood curdling scream sounded off across the room, followed by several animal-like growls from the now seething congregation. I had stopped reading now and dropped the book to the ground, clutching the light firmly in my trembling hands as the light showed all around me.
“Mom?” I called out with no reply. There wasn’t a sound in the room now apart from the heavy breathing of the congregation, as if they had all just finished running in a triathlon. I started inching my way forward, stepping down the aisle way between all the seats, swinging my head over each shoulder as the sound of bare footsteps sounded off the linoleum floor, mere inches around my glowing circle of protection. I had considered aiming my light around the room, but couldn’t stomach to see what I might reveal. “Mom?” I called again. A sea of hisses erupted from everyone in the room, and without any further investigation, I ran. I pushed open the office door, turned down the long hallway and made short work of the stairs leading up and out of the building. The light outside was blinding, and everything after that was a blur.
The people who found me, wandering alone around a park, brought me to the police who quickly started a search for missing children. Shortly after that, an investigator was brought in who had already been tipped off that I may not have been the child of the woman who raised me.
Years later, I have now learned who my true biological parents are. The woman who I had once called mother had kidnapped me from the hospital on the day I was born, and several lengthy trials later, she has been placed in prison.
I don’t know what the book really was, and for some reason I have no recollection of its contents either. While these events do haunt my memory, it also helps me to share the bizarre and horrifying tale with others. As time has gone on the days have gotten easier to get through, while the nights are still haunted by the feeling of something lingering in the shadows, watching me with anger but unable to act as I always keep my book-light nearby and ready.

I left my ex 4 years ago bc of his addiction and infidelity. Ive been trying to heal since but in all honesty it’s been challenging. We never spoke after the breakup. Late last year, he messaged me to say he needs to make amends and that he is sober now. He included a lot of apologies but also tried to insist he wasnt unfaithful, which he absolutely had been (with or without alcohol). I took months to reply. I talked to my friends and therapist about what to do. I knew I wanted to say something. I felt Id never had the chance to stand up for myself and call him out on his BS in our previous relationship, so I took the chance to text him back basically calling his sobriety a lie and biting his head off about the women he hid from me. I then blocked his number so he couldnt reply. I felt pretty good about it and found it cathartic. It was reactive but I felt justified. But the healing still felt incomplete. Flash forward to a couple weeks ago when a mutual friend tells me they ran into him and he does seem to be making sincere efforts to make amends with others. Mutual friend (who had seen his addiction at its peak) was inclined to believe he is making real changes. Im more ready to believe this friend than i was him. Now i want to reach out again and see if i can still receive amends. To be honest, Ive always felt an honest conversation would be helpful. I still think theres things i cant forgive but I still cant help wanting to talk. Avoiding him and yelling at him havent helped. Has anyone been in a similar position?

It was an early morning in the Border Collie Household. The sun was just beginning to peek through the curtains, casting a warm glow into the living room where Mackenzie, Minnie, and Little Mack were sitting, looking rather bored.
Mackenzie, the eldest of the three siblings, let out a sigh as he tossed his stuffed Bilby, Billy, up in the air and caught it repeatedly. "I'm so bored," he grumbled, glancing over at his younger siblings.
Minnie, her bright eyes filled with mischief, grinned mischievously. "I know! Let's go bug Mom and Dad until they play with us!"
Little Mack's face lit up at the suggestion. "Yeah! That sounds like fun!"
“Alright, alright. Let's go see what they're up to." Mackenzie said as he placed Billy next to Bandido and lead his siblings out of his room and to the kitchen.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Hunter and Queen were in the kitchen, having just finished the coffee they made a couple of minutes before.
“Honey?” Queen called.
“Yeah babe?” Hunter asked.
“What’s your stopwatch say?” Queen asked. Hunter looked at the stopwatch on the table next to them.
“12:22.” Hunter said. The two of them looked at each other for five seconds and then smirked.
“Three...two...one.” They both counted down. As they reached "one," Mackenzie, Minnie, and Little Mack burst into the kitchen, their faces filled with excitement.
"We're bored!" Minnie declared dramatically, throwing herself onto one of the kitchen chairs. “Can you play with us?”
“I don’t see why not.” Hunter answered as he turned to face the three. “What game do you wanna play?”
That was the thing. They didn’t exactly know what they wanted to play. Queen glanced at Hunter with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"I have an idea," she said, her lips curling into a playful grin. "How about we play... Smoochy Tag?"
“Smoochy Tag? Now THAT is a game I haven’t played in a long time.” Hunter said with a laugh.
“What’s smoochy tag?” Little Mack asked.
“It’s like normal tag, but you have to smooch someone to tag them. When you tag them, they help you tag the others. It’s really fun!” Mackenzie said as his tail wagged a bit.
“I’ll be it first. Mackenzie, can you pick a number between one and ten?” Queen asked. Mackenzie paused for a moment.
“Seven!” Mackenzie said happily.
“Seven.” Queen repeated, then she smirked. “Six…Five…Four-”
Realizing she was counting down, Hunter and the kids took off running. Hunter opened the front door and ran out of the house with the laughing children. Queen reached one and then grabbed her coffee mug.
“I’ll just finish this first.” She stated while also putting Hunter’s mug in the sink.
After a couple of seconds of running, the four of them stopped for a moment and looked around.
“We need to hide.” Hunter said as he looked around.
“But where?” Mackenzie asked. That’s when they heard a door open, they all turned to see Bandit standing at the opening.
“Oh, morning Border Collies!” Bandit said with a wave.
“Morning Bluey’s Dad, can we hide in your house?” Mackenzie asked. Bandit raised an eyebrow almost immediately, leaving Hunter to clarify.
“We’re playing a game and Queen is it.” Hunter told him.
“Say no more, c’mon in.” Bandit said almost immediately, opening the door a little bit more for them. The four Border Collies ran inside and Bandit closed the door, looking through the peephole.
“Sorry to involve you in our game Bandit.” Hunter told him. Bandit turned to him and waved it away.
“No worries, we do that to our neighbor Pat all the time. Looks like karma finally caught up.” Bandit said, he then walked away from the door. “What game are you playing?”
“We call it smoochy tag.” Hunter said, that’s when the doorbell rang. Bandit walked over to open it and saw that no one was there.
“Huh, no one. Weird.” Bandit said before closing the door and walking back to Hunter. “What’s Smoochy tag?”
“Basically a cross between tag and playing zombies, but a kiss is how you tag the others.” Hunter answered. The doorbell rang again. Bandit opened the door and looked around this time, again, seeing no one.
“Kids playing ding dong ditch?” Hunter asked. Bandit closed the door and walked back over.
“Probably.” Bandit said as Chilli walked into the room.
“Who’s dinging the doorbell?” Chilli asked.
“Probably the kids.” Bandit said. That was before he saw Bluey and Bingo hiding Mackenzie and Little Mack somewhere in the living room, and then hearing the doorbell again. “Okay, definitely not the kids.”This time, Hunter walked over to the door to open it, and when he did, Queen grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.
“Gotcha! C’mere you!” Queen smirked as she attempted to pull him into a kiss. However, Bandit and Chilli grabbed Hunter to pull him into the house, joining the game.
“Not so fast!” Bandit said as he pulled Hunter into the house. Chilli also pulled, whilst chuckling.
“It’s not gonna be that easy.” Chilli told her. Queen continued trying to kiss Hunter, but Hunter was pulled away and Chilli got a cushion to poke Queen back out of the house. “Out, out with ya.”
With Queen back out of the house, Chilli closed the door. Chilli wiped her brow with a ‘phew’ and looked at Bandit.
“What was that all about?” Chilli asked.
“It’s a game called Smoochy Tag.” Bandit told her.
“Sounds fun, I’ll ask the kids if they wanna play.” Chilli said as she walked to the living room. Bandit looked at Hunter with wide eyes.
“Run upstairs, quick.” Bandit told him. Hunter nodded and ran upstairs with Bandit. Chilli walked to the living room where she saw Bingo hiding Little Mack behind the plant.
"Hey, Bingo," Chilli said with a warm smile. "Are you and your new friend playing Smoochy Tag too?"
Bingo looked up from her hiding spot with a wide grin. "Yeah, Mum! We're helping hide Little Mack from his mum."
“Well guess what, your dad and I are playing too. But I need to know the rules first.” Chilli said as he kneeled down to Little Mack’s height. “Can you tell me the rules?”
Little Mack got out from under the table and began to explain the rules of the game.
“It’s like normal tag, but you have to smooch someone to tag them. When you tag them, they help you tag the others. Mackenzie says it’s really fun.” Little Mack answers. Chilli tapped her chin.
“Smooch someone, like this?” Chilli asked, placing a kiss on Little Mack’s forehead. Little Mack giggled.
“Yes, exactly like that.” Little Mack said.
“Good. Looks like we’re helping your mom now.” Chilli said, revealing she made herself it when she played the game. Which also meant she that Little Mack was also it. Much to the four year old’s playful disappointment.
“Aw bugger.” Little Mack said. Then both of them turned to Bingo. She quickly turned around to run.
“Quick, let’s get her!” Chilli exclaimed as she and Little Mack ran after her. The moment they were out of the living room, Bluey and Mackenzie ran out from behind the couch and ran to the backyard where they got cut off by Queen.
“Going somewhere?” She teased before running after them. Bluey and Mackenzie playfully screamed before running back inside. Queen ran after them and was gaining on them pretty quickly. She would’ve caught up if it wasn’t for Minnie running in front of her, running away from Bingo who was also running away from Chilli and Little Mack. Switching targets, Queen grabbed Minnie and kissed her forehead.“No!” Minnie exclaimed while laughing. Bingo was gonna run past, but Queen grabbed her too and kissed her on the forehead as well. Now the only ones left were Mackenzie, Bluey, Hunter and Bandit. Bluey and Mackenzie were seen running up stairs. Upstairs, the hallway presented several doors, providing ample hiding spots. Bluey gestured excitedly to the linen closet. "Quick, hide in here!" she whispered urgently to Mackenzie.
Mackenzie nodded, running into the closet with Bluey. Bluey closed the door, while Hunter and Bandit veered into the Heeler bedroom just as they heard footsteps approaching. Inside the linen closet, Bluey and Mackenzie huddled together, barely able to contain their giggles. Bluey put a finger to her lips, motioning for Mackenzie to stay quiet as they listened to the footsteps draw closer. They held their breath as the footsteps walked towards them, stopped, and then walked away from them. Allowing them to let out a sigh of relief.
In the bedroom, Hunter and Bandit were both were under the bed, and practically arguing with each other silently.
“Find your own hiding spot!” Bandit whisper yelled to him.
“I don’t know this house! This is the best I can do!” Hunter replied. The two of them where still arguing when Queen and Chilli walked into the room, and from the footsteps abruptly stopping, they more than likely got found out.
“You think they heard us?” Bandit asked. Suddenly, Hunter’s ankles were grabbed and he was yanked out from under the bed. Bandit’s wrists were grabbed and he was pulled out as well. When they were out, they realized that the other’s wife had pulled them out. Bandit was pulled out by Queen and Hunter was pulled out by Chilli. The two ladies looked at each other, smirked, nodded and switched locations, kissing their husbands to tag them.
“And then there were two.” Hunter said as he stood up looking out in the hall.
“I heard whispering in the closet before walking in here.” Chilli said as she pointed to the linen closet. Queen and Hunter started to walk towards that door and counted backwards from three before opening the door and seeing….nothing.
“Huh?” Queen questioned. Inside Bluey’s room, Mackenzie and Bluey were sneaking back down the stairs and was making their way to the playroom. On the way there, Mackenzie accidentally bumped into one of the dressers and knocked over the lamp. Mackenzie was fast enough to catch the lamp before it could hit the ground.
“That was close.” Mackenzie said in relief.
“He’s downstairs!” Little Mack exclaimed, having heard him. Mackenzie put the lamp back and he and Bluey ran out to the backyard. Little Mack was the first to go outside to try and catch at least one of them. Minnie ran outside too and both were going straight for Mackenzie, who was not too keen with getting caught so he kept dodging and juking them like he was playing a game of rugby. Bluey on the other hand was running from Bingo and ran right into Bandit who picked her up and kissed her on the nose.
“Gotcha Bluey!” Bandit told her. He then looked at Mackenzie who juked Little Mack and made him run into Minnie. Mackenzie was gonna run back inside, but Hunter was guarding the door. “Let’s get em Bluey.”
Mackenzie turned around and Queen was blocking his path back.
“Where’re you gonna go now mate?” Hunter asked him. Mackenzie looked right and saw Bandit and Bluey walking towards him.
“Going left!” Mackenzie said as he ran left. He was gonna run down the left side of the house to go to the front yard, but the moment he ran around the corner, Chilli was right there. Mackenzie turned around to run again, but he was grabbed by Hunter, who jumped over the railing the moment he went around the corner. Mackenzie laughed as he was caught, squirming playfully in Hunter's grasp.
"Nice try, buddy." Hunter chuckled before planting a kiss on his son’s forehead, ending the game. “Man, you’re getting faster kid.”
"You're not too bad yourself, Dad." Mackenzie replied, his tail wagging happily. "That was so much fun!"
"You did great, champ," Hunter said, ruffling Mackenzie's hair. "But all that running around has made me hungry, lets go get brunch.”
Mackenzie's stomach growled in agreement, and he nodded eagerly. "Yeah, brunch sounds awesome!"
Chilli and Bandit looked at each other and then nodded before turning back over to the Border Collies.
“Would you like to stay for Brunch?” Chilli asked them.
"That sounds lovely," Queen replied with a smile, glancing at Hunter for confirmation.
Hunter nodded, returning the smile. "Yeah, we'd love to stay. Thanks for the invitation."
Chilli beamed. "Great! Let's head to the kitchen then. I'll whip up something delicious for all of us."
“Allow me to help.” Queen said as she and Chilli walked upstairs to the kitchen. Hunter and Bandit played with the kids to keep them occupied. s they all made their way to the kitchen, the Border Collies chatted happily, their laughter filling the air. Hunter and Bandit found themselves engaged in a playful game of catch with Mackenzie, Bluey, Minnie, and Little Mack, while Queen and Chilli worked together to prepare brunch.
In the kitchen, Queen and Chilli shared stories and laughter as they cooked, enjoying each other's company. Queen expertly cracked eggs into a bowl while Chilli chopped vegetables for an omelet. The aroma of sizzling bacon filled the air, making everyone's stomachs growl in anticipation.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Hunter and Bandit continued their game with the kids, tossing a ball back and forth and dodging around the furniture. Mackenzie's tail wagged furiously as he chased after the ball, his laughter echoing through the house.
As brunch neared completion, Queen and Chilli set the table with plates, utensils, and glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice. The tantalizing smell of food wafted through the house, drawing everyone to the kitchen.
With everything ready, they all gathered around the table, exchanging smiles and stories as they enjoyed the delicious brunch together. Plates were filled with fluffy omelets, crispy bacon, and buttery toast, and the conversation flowed effortlessly as they savored the meal.
Later on, Queen and Chilli were playing with the kids as Hunter and Bandit were on the balcony watching them as they played, drinking some soda as they watched.
“Made quite the first impression you know.” Bandit said to Hunter, who chuckled.
“Sweet as, Bandit. You know I was a bit skeptical about the move but now...” Hunter responded, watching as Bluey playfully managed to tackle Mackenzie to the ground. “..I think I made the right choice.”
“While I don’t doubt that mate, I’m sure we’ll see.” Bandit told him.
“Yeah…we’ll see.” Hunter replied. Soon, it was time for the Border Collies to head home and the Heelers waved goodbye to them as they walked off.
“You know, I think I like our new neighbors.” Chilli said to her family.
“Will they be back to play again?” Bingo asked her dad. Bandit smiled and watched the Border Collies walk off.
“We’ll see.”

My 1992 60hp Evinrude suddenly fails to start. When I turn the key the 'siren' sound before the starter engages sounds all well. But when I continue to turn the key instead of the starter engaging all that can be heard is 1 or 2 electrical crackling sounds.
For extra information it suddenly stopped working today without the motor ever having electrical issues before. It was somewhat gradual. On my first turn the starter went but extremely slow about a tenth or so of its usual speed. Thinking the battery was dying I replaced it with a battery with full charge. On my second attempt it barely attempted to start, the starter popped up and very slowly turned 2 or 3 teeth before I shut it off.
Not knowing much about electrical failures what are the first failure points / places I should look at? The outboard has been driven in freshwater all its life but different contact points of wires look like they have some calcium build up, if it helps in any way.

My theroy for the sopranos is that during the ending, Tony does not die, but rather it is a important message about how the economy effects small businesses and their ability to pay the bills, and so the power goes out during operating hours distriping business. The screen turns to black because the power goes out, and if u wonder why it doesn't tuen back on or why you dont hear anything is because the writers wanted it to make it seem like your power also went out to troll your dumb bitch ass and make you look like a fucking idiot when u turn the tv off and back on. What yall think

All Names used are Fake!
Context: In 2022, I (14FtM, haven't transioned bc parents don't support) changed class periods in my old school, I met him (15M, let's call him Jake) on my new class bc the seating chart put me infront of him. We got along really fast since we were both part of the community and didn't have accepting parents, he told me he was Pansexual and the only reason that they woudn't curse at him was that they believed it was a phase and he would go back to his senses. We became best friends and spent the entire year hanging out and having fun, he would go to my house to do school projects so my parents knew him, i only met his parents months later because his mom invited me to a sleepover. Jake also told me that the reason his parents liked me was because they saw me as a 'well behaved girl' and that i was a good influence on Jake. On january 2023, my parent decided to move, so we packed our bags, said goodbye to family members and friends and went to live in a different city 3 hours away.
All of the main people mentioned in this post know eachother from the same class in 2022.
Story : In 2023, a week after our friendship bithday, his mom invites me to go on a trip with them to an amusement park (she said she would pay for me), I ended up going and we had a really good day. At the end of day when we were leaving the park, Jake stops me and gives me a silver ring with his name engraved into it and shows me his hand with a matching ring (we had matching jewelry already, matching bracelets and those bff necklaces, so i didn't think much of it and just brushed it of as another gift). After the trip I went back to my city and we didn't see each other until 3 months later (we would travel every few weeks to visit family, but my parent had been really busy). When I came back to visit, we got together to throw a secret birthday party to a friend of ours the day of the party comes, our friend was super happy because she thought she was going to be spending her birthday alone, it wasn't a big party either, just our 5 friends in Jake's parent's house, a few presents and a pretty cake but we were all having fun. Less than an hour after the party started, his godmother, who was in the house with us to make sure we didn't do any stupid teenager thing, calls for me and Jake and says that she wanted to take a picture of the rings to send it to they're family groupchat, I was confused but let her take the picture anyway, then she asked me when could they meet my family so that we could be an official couple. That's when it dawned on me that I was dating my best friend for almost 4 months and didn't know. I spent the next 3 months lying to him and saying that my parents were to busy with work and that we wouldn't be visiting for a while, when in reality we were actually there already, many anxious nights asking a few trusted friends on what I should do, because while I didn't have any romantic feelings for him and didn't want to be in a relationship, he was still my best friend and I knew that it wouldn't be the same after it (also the fact that my parents didn't know about this and were already upset with me because my grades weren't the best). After all this time ignoring him I ended up losing the ring and couldn't bring myself to ever look him in the eyes again so I deleted his number and just never messaged him again.
Now this year, he made a few moves to try and get in contact with me after i moved again (still 3 hours away, just moved to a nicer house) so i went ahead and changed numbers, i've heard from the 2 friends i kept contact and still hang out with that he sometimes questions about me, but as per my request, they just give vague answers. (Important to mention that these friends are also Jake's acquaintances, and it doesn't bother me that they talk, even if it did that would be my personal issue)
I hadn't heard from Jake since march, until last weekend. We went to visit family again and i had planned to hangout with my friend (16M) on saturday, we just walked around the city, got ice cream and talked for the few hours we were together and it was really fun, we also posted a few things on social media. And it was from these pictures that a girl from our class in 2022 (Anne) that still followed me on Instagram, messaged me and asked if i was dating this friend, to which i responded with no, and then just a few hours later my friend told me that Jake had messaged him and talked about Anne, saying she had been exposing my texts with her from 2023 ever since jake announed that i had broken up with him. Turns out she was telling him all about texts from when i was looking for advice on how to break up with Jake up to pictures on my socials of other male friends from my new school, she would always ask me on every single photo i had with a boy if i was dating them and always be really pushy about getting a 'Yes' for an answer, which she never did.
After my friend told me about this i blocked her on all acounts (she had 3 and followed me on all of them) I also deleted every text i had with her. I hope i never have to see her again.

My 1992 60hp Evinrude suddenly fails to start. When I turn the key the 'siren' sound before the starter engages sounds all well. But when I continue to turn the key instead of the starter engaging all that can be heard is 1 or 2 electrical crackling sounds.
For extra information it suddenly stopped working today without the motor ever having electrical issues before. It was somewhat gradual. On my first turn the starter went but extremely slow about a tenth or so of its usual speed. Thinking the battery was dying I replaced it with a battery with full charge. On my second attempt it barely attempted to start, the starter popped up and very slowly turned 2 or 3 teeth before I shut it off.
Not knowing much about electrical failures what are the first failure points / places I should look at? The outboard has been driven in freshwater all its life but different contact points of wires look like they have some calcium build up, if it helps in any way.

My 1992 60hp Evinrude suddenly fails to start. When I turn the key the 'siren' sound before the starter engages sounds all well. But when I continue to turn the key instead of the starter engaging all that can be heard is 1 or 2 electrical crackling sounds.
For extra information it suddenly stopped working today without the motor ever having electrical issues before. It was somewhat gradual. On my first turn the starter went but extremely slow about a tenth or so of its usual speed. Thinking the battery was dying I replaced it with a battery with full charge. On my second attempt it barely attempted to start, the starter popped up and very slowly turned 2 or 3 teeth before I shut it off.
Not knowing much about electrical failures what are the first failure points / places I should look at? The outboard has been driven in freshwater all its life but different contact points of wires look like they have some calcium build up, if it helps in any way.

I just got my x100vi and was trying it for the first time. During the first day of use, I encountered two instances of "autofocus error" message on the screen and the camera became unusable until I turned it off and on again.
I did some digging online and the only instances I saw this happening was because people had filters and adapter rings on. However, in my case I didn't have any accessories on it at all, nor was I touching the lens or focusing on anything complicated (I was just taking pictures in my house).
I'm new to Fuji cameras and would love any insight that can help me understand if this means my copy is defective in some way or this is normal?

I (28f) am seeing a longtime friend (28m) of an ex (27m). I'm unsure if we're doing anything wrong or if it's all just too complicated.
I (28f) started talking to an old mutual friend (28m), let's call him Scott, of an ex (27m), let's call him Logan, from high school/early undergraduate. I broke up with Logan after about 2 and a half years of dating. The breakup was not mutual and he had asked me to marry him a few weeks prior. I ended up calling things off because he was becoming physically abusive and controlling and we were moving too fast for our ages. The relationship was toxic and I know I didn't help to alleviate any issues we had. We would get into spats often and I had horrible anger management back then. He isolated me from my friend groups and even his own at a point. His parents bought us a house in a larger city. I say "us" but it was always meant for him. It was one of those "we were already looking for a house for him but since you're dating, you can both live there and start a family," type of things. Long story short, it was a lot of developing and conflicting things happening in the span of our relationship. This was about 9 years ago. I started dating someone else about a year later but that didn't last for similar reasons, and he was a lot older. Logan had found out about that and harassed me for the entirety of that relationship, not knowing it was just as bad as my relationship with him. Cops wouldn't listen when I wanted to file a report and didn't even want to look at the evidence I had, text, phone record and emails. It was just all around bad.
Now, I'm finishing up my post baccalaureate and I started chatting and going on dates with Scott for about a month. Scott was friends with another guy I dated for an incredibly short time in high school before Logan and was part of Logan's friend circle. Scott and Logan have been passive friends for years and are still in some amount of contact. Scott had no idea about Logan's treatment of me as he went to college in another city before coming back to town and nobody told him. I doubt many of his friend group were even aware, which I don't blame them. So, its just that extra layer of removal from the situation. We talked about their closeness on our first date and he assured me that they were never that close. He even informed me of him hearing about something similar happening with someone Logan dated recently. So, he wasn't all that surprised, but he doesn't know the full extent either, just bits.
Where I'm concerned if there's a line being crossed is that Scott is pretty close to Logan's best friend (m28), let's call him Bobby. Bobby and Scott still talk and even hangout when they can, but Bobby is still very close to Logan and always had been, even when Logan is in a totally different city. Scott and I have been taking things slow, but we are both realizing this may end up as a long-term relationship but we're still feeling things out. Scott knows he's going to have to sit Bobby and other friends, from the old group that he still talks to, down and tell them that we're dating, when things become official. It's still too soon to do that, but we felt it best to discuss the possibility of him having to do that. I've told Scott that I don't want to come between him and his friends. He's made it clear that he doesn't care but I don't want him to be isolated from his friends like I had been.
I really like Scott. He seems to really like me too. Things are still new and fresh so they could sour but we both hope that doesn't happen. We are doing our best to communicate with each other and share our needs. We plan on continuing to see each other and even more during the summer, we're both educators, and know if that goes well, then the talk will have to happen. But, are we crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed?
I didn't get many answers when i posted on rrelationshipadvice. However, Scott is starting to have doubts about the relationship. We've been spending more time together and even started little traditions. Nothing big but just starting series together and trying new restaurants together. He told me that during the quiet and slow times when he can start acknowledging or seeing us as a couple that he can't help but think about his relationships with Bobby and his other friends. He mentioned that he has gone on vacations and trips with Bobby and Bobby's friends and often those vacations include Logan because they're so close. They're planning to take a trip next month and Logan will more than likely be joining them. I told him that I wouldn't go with him because of Logan and I wouldn't stop him from going. I also told him that he can't unknow what he's knows about Logan. He agreed that he doesn't know how he'll feel when he sees Logan again but he knows if Logan finds out that we're dating he will cut off all ties with him and Bobby will follow him, Logan. He said it may cause a kind of divide between the friend group over his relationship with me. I reiterated that I don't want to come between him and his friends. He asked if I would be hurt if he ended up ending our relationship and I was honest with him. I told him that I would be hurt but that shouldn't make him want to stay with me. He needs to decide that for himself. I told him he needs to think it over and really decide for himself where he wants to take this. It's only been 2 months so it wouldn't be a huge deal, in a time sense. I just really like him but now I'm starting to have doubts with how much of his life is reliant on these guys. It could just be because it's me but I don't know that for sure.
We met up this past week and had a talk. He was ready to end things but he seemed to not want to say it. When I asked why, he said it was indeed because of his relationship with Logan. He made it seem like it wasn't a super close relationship at first but now it's sounding like it was close enough for him to feel some amount of guilt. I told him I was more hurt that he was choosing to continue a friendship with someone who actively hurts women, as I'm not the only one Logan has hurt, but the other woman didn't seem as hurt, if that makes sense. I also told him I didn't blame him because they were friends longer than we were seeing each other and that I know everything is complicated. We kept talking and he started voicing more that he wants me in the picture and hopes I can win his friends over. He asked if I could ever make amends with Logan and I said "no." I explained why, which was a lot of what the reasons why we broke up in the first place, but I wasn't explicit with what exactly happened. I didn't want to share because a part of me felt like it was still not the place to do so. He asked me if I could wait until he gets back from his trip and sees if 1) Logan shows any remorse, 2) See Logan period, and 3) See if Bobby would be adult enough to see why he wants to date me. He wants me to be his girlfriend but has said he needs a break until he can do all of those things.
Any advice?

Oh boy. Where do I even begin. I'm a head cashier at a retail store. Kind of like a supervisor, but not as much authority, more just an on-site team lead. I got a couple of new people in recently and I connected with a girl, going to call her A, (19F) who's close to my age (21F). Two weeks ago she was helping close down registers as I needed someone to walk me with the cash to the cash office. I don't remember how the conversation started, but we started talking about our sexual trauma. You know, girl talk~. I expressed to her that a pedophile who had seduced me online when I was 17 just got sentenced to 10 years in jail, and that I'm just generally depressed because I like to pretend he never existed. A expresses to me that her uncle drugged her and her friends at a sleepover to take explicit pictures of them when she was little. We talked a little bit about how our individual experiences led us to having hyper-sexual phases. She mentions that, since she just broke up with her boyfriend, that she's thinking about making an only fans. Especially since her mom (her mom has worked at the same store for longer than me) told her that an ex-coworker of ours has an only fans and IS making a lot of money off of it. I asked her if she really wanted to talk about this, since this conversation isn't work appropriate, y'know, "you're not going to report me over this conversation, right?" and A said she "wouldn't even know how to anyways." I offer to help her if she really delves into it, I mean, my hypersexual phase was sending nudes to strangers for attention, lol. A says we should totally start a business together selling nudes on OF. We laugh about it and move on.
Immediately after this, we're still walking towards the cash office with the money, she drops on me that another head cashier, B, (50 something? F) told A that I MUST be having sex with my boyfriend if I'm taking birth control. I mean, I am lol, but it's no ones business that I am at work. I tell her that I'm probably going to report that woman for harassment because that's an inappropriate way to talk about me. She asks me not to, since she'll know she told me. I tell her I'll think about it. Then she tells me that a curbside associate, C, (18F) is making advances on her even though she's expressed she's not into her, and cornered her in the LADIES RESTROOM to apologize. I advised her to talk to management about it because that is serious. She didn't want to. After I relieved her from guarding me with the cash, I immediately went my assistant store manager about both situations. I was very emotionally distraught that someone would talk about me in that fashion... even though B is known to be quite the gossip. ASM advised that I should probably be more private and not tell people about the medications I'm on, but the conversation that happened between A and B was not and he'd investigate it. He even asked me what action he should take since he didn't want to put more attention on that subject if I didn't want it. I told him I'd think about it, then I had been called to help someone somewhere.
C, who wasn't working that night, later comes in with her girlfriend. Not a huge deal at this point in time but it comes up later. I say hi but continue working, keeping my distance because I'd just heard that she was harassing A.
For the next two weeks I kept my distance from B, even though she somehow found out that I knew about her and A's conversation and kept trying to say that A was a liar. She would say that she even had a recording of her saying that she never talked about me like that. I assume that B manipulated A into saying that, because I think B would definitely lie and manipulate to cover her own ass. I've also been keeping A and C apart as much as possible. I personally was harassed by someone who worked curbside and my then supervisor laughed at me about it because "he was nice to her". I really felt like I was making the difference that my supervisor couldn't be bothered to.
This Friday I tell B that I've been keeping A and C apart, since I was going to lengths to make it happen that day and it impacted both of our shifts. She reminded me that A is a liar, like how she lied about that conversation they had, and that I should be handling the situation with skepticism. She said that she posted on her facebook years ago that story about her uncle abusing her and her friends. She moved on to tell me that A had told her a bunch of peoples secrets, specifically how I offered to help her if she actually planned to make an OF.... Honestly? I was shook. There was no point in lying so I told her yes, that happened, but A had said she was fine with the conversation and even brought up the topic herself... She also told me that A said that I was crying that night two weeks ago because C brought in her girlfriend and that I was in love with C...
After calming down a little bit, but not enough honestly, I texted A and told her that I'd be blocking her phone number and on Facebook for discussing my private information with B and that my private life isn't todays gossip. Without letting her reply, I blocked her, y'know. A little later I run into C and I clarify with her that the rumor about me being in love with her is false and that B said A made it up. C says that she hadn't heard that rumor, but she doesn't talk to A anyways, since multiple people have told her that A is "messy". I bring up that A reported C for harassment. Naturally C is pissed, she doesn't do anything to A that I know of. Just ignores her.
A texts me on the work phone and calls me childish for not talking to her about the situation and is mad at me for telling C about the case and that "they almost had it worked out". I've had two sexual harassment cases, or, three now I guess, and I've never been told the status of my cases or how they were handled. I tell her that I'm not putting up with her manipulation, and she needs to apologize to me for telling B about me offering to help her start an OF. She does apologize to me. I tell her that I can't apologize to her, because the situation triggered my trauma and I wasn't in the mindset to apologize. Now I'm just mad that she made me empathize with her and turned my empathy into a weapon to use against me.
I know I'm in the wrong professionally and that I'm totally getting punished for this but, AITAH?

Memory transcription subject: Captain Sovlin, Federation Fleet Command
Date: [REDACTED]
The force assembled at the outskirts of the Skaven home system was larger than any I had ever seen. It was a rainbow of ships, each decorated with different colors and symbols communicating their allegiances. I kept one eye on the Glorious display of interspecies cooperation as I looked to my first officer.
“Wow Recel.” I said with mirth. “Just… Wow! I know I asked you to bring reinforcements, but did you really have to drag along half the federation?”
Recel didn’t respond right away. He looked past me, out into the infinite void and scratched his head, seemingly deep in thought. But then, he snapped out of it and turned his gaze to me with a proud expression. “It just seemed like the right thing to do sir.”
I couldn’t help but agree. This battle would surely go down in history as one of the federation’s greatest victories, accomplished through the cooperation of the herd. “Indeed.” I simply replied before transmitting to the Fleet. “All hands, Full speed ahead!”
Thrusters lit up across the formation as we advanced, the Skaven homeworld coming into view. The bridge crew was tense, but I didn’t share their worry. As far as I was concerned the battle was already won, superweapon or otherwise.
A beep from the sensor station notified us that the Skaven ships had come within range of our scanners. As images of the predator vessels were distributed across the fleet, there was a collective sigh of relief. They were much fewer in number this time, only a handful of freighters and a few dozen fighters. The Flagship was at the head of the formation, but crucially, the bell on top was still broken. Clearly, Kalsim’s sacrifice had not been in vain.
With this new information in mind, I addressed the fleet once more. “Looks like this will be easier than we thought. Maintain dispersed formation, I don’t want any surprises.”
“Captain!” The crewmate Manning the sensor station spoke up. “We’ve got more detailed scans of the Predator fleet. The flagship… it’s absolutely packed with life-forms! Same goes for the freighters.”
An evacuation effort? Then why were they headed right for us? They couldn’t possibly get past this many guns. “Ready weapons, I want them shot down as soon as they’re in range. Don’t let them get away.”
However, just before we reached effective weapons range, an alarm rang out. Recel checked his pad and read out a report. “Predator sighting in the Engineering deck! We’re under attack!”
“What?!!” I exclaimed. The Fleet’s communication channels became flooded with chatter, similar reports coming in from across the formation. A hunch began forming in my mind. “Sensors! Give me an update on those lifesigns!”
The crewmate squinted at his screen. “They’re… gone! The ships are empty!”
“Teleportation.” I deduced. “So that’s their gambit.” I drew my pistol from its holster, prompting the rest of the bridge crew to do the same. “All hands! Prepare to repel boarders!”
Superior Skryre Thought-Memory transcription subject: Oivit, Gojid Exterminator
Time-Date: The Grand-Great Deception
My squad took cover at the edges of the hallway, and we raised our rifles and flamethrowers at the Bulkhead in front of us. The poor engineers on the other side had managed to seal them just before being overwhelmed by the predators, giving us time to set up a defense at the natural choke point. This in turn would allow the command crew to fortify the bridge even further, but I naturally hoped that we would be able to repel them here.
Not long after we had taken positions, a green jet of energy appeared in the bulkhead’s side, beginning to cut a rectangular opening through the thick metal. We aimed at the center of the nearly completed portal, but suddenly the cutting stopped just short of completion. What were they-
BWOOSH
A fiery explosion tore open the bulkhead, destroying the neatly carved lines and causing the edges of the barrier to bend out, like a metallic flower. Despite the protection our cover and fireproof suits afforded us, the explosion rattled us, and we simply cowered behind our defenses for several seconds.
I was the first to cautiously peek out at the smoking remains of the boundary. A predator in red armor staggered through the opening, seemingly as shell-shocked as we were. I remembered my training and brought my rifle to bear. With plenty of time to aim, I fired a burst of plasma through the damned thing’s head, killing it instantly.
This galvanized the other predators, and a barrage of thin streaks of lightning rushed out at us from beyond the Bulkhead. We returned fire, but with the dense smoke we couldn’t tell whether we were inflicting casualties. As the blind firefight continued with no casualties on our side, I thought we’d be capable of holding them here until reinforcements arrived. But it wasn’t long before something besides energy blasts began to rush through the opening.
A wave of gangly predators rushed through the breach. Their scurrying quadrupedal run kept them mostly below the continued fusillade, but some were inevitably scorched dead when the shot reached too low, or a predator head too high. Our flamethrowers were ready for them however, and quickly spat a torrent of fire in their path. The front rank of creatures tried to stop at the last second, but the momentum of those behind them was too great, and they were either trampled underfoot or pushed directly into the inferno.
The charge was fully incinerated, yet a few of the burning predators continued their charge by sheer momentum alone, crossing the short distance between themselves and the flamethrower team, and plowing into them in their frenzied death throes.
More elite predators moved up in the wake of the devastated assault, brutes in red armor firing their lightning guns at us. The firefight quickly grew much more intense, both exterminators and Skaven killing each other at a rapid pace.
A group of creatures in black rags rushed out from behind their armored fellows, tossing primitive throwing weapons at us as they went. One of them struck me in the arm, piercing through my suit and leaving a small cut. Unbothered by the glancing hit, I raised my rifle to return fire, but suddenly found that I couldn’t feel my limb, nor pull the trigger.
As the strange numbness spread, I lost my balance, falling to the floor in a limp heap. I watched helplessly as my comrades lost ground, and the rearmost part of our formation turned and ran. The savage beasts hollered with bloodlust, giving chase.
As they disappeared around a corner, a new group of predators emerged from the broken bulkhead. One of their ‘Grey Seers’, accompanied by a multitude of servants. They looked more like cargo wagons than living beings, each hunchbacked from the weight of the numerous packs and crates they carried.
Their leader looked around at the walls before pointing one out, and another predator carrying a multitude of tools went up to it and unscrewed one of the panels covering it. Discarding the panel, it pulled up a strange green drill, and began digging through the thick layers of armor, quickly carving out a cavity in the side of the hull.
As it climbed in and continued drilling, the other predators followed suit. To my horror, I and several of my dead squadmates were picked up and brought along, dragged into the newly created space. Still paralyzed, I could only despair as they picked up the metal panel, sealing the tunnel behind us.
( - - - - - - - - - - )
The Extermination fleet breathed a sigh of relief as their ships managed to repel their boarders one by one. With the assault repelled, they moved into orbit of their target and unleashed their countless weapons upon the planet, bringing the End Times to the Old World.
After the annihilation was confirmed, the vessels of the fleet separated, each charting a course back to their native systems. They returned as heroes, massive celebrations held on every planet in the federations to glorify the monumental victory. And while the people celebrated in the streets, the Shadow Caste began work on their latest propaganda campaign, intending to convince future generations that the ‘Skaven’ had never existed.
As the military vessels were abandoned by their reveling crews, hunchbacked shapes emerged not long thereafter. Creeping out of cargo bays and maintenance hatches, they would briefly sniff the air to ensure the coast was clear, before scurrying off into the wilderness. There they dug holes, at first only cautiously. But it wasn’t long before they began to expand, tunneling beneath the very cities they had avoided.
They did not stop there. Camouflaged rafts were constructed, populating the abandoned oceans with dozens of ramshackle, barely floating warrens. Some snuck aboard Arxur raiding vessels when they arrived, in order to settle the planets said vessels returned to. The particularly bold began to kidnap small numbers of surface dwellers, using them as slaves, food, or the test subjects for grotesque experiments.
When they finally amassed the resources, massive antennae were erected, laced with green crystal and hidden underground, powerful enough to penetrate the crust of their respective planets. With these, encoded signals could be sent between the infested planets. Some messages were declarations of cunning, might, or other forms of superiority. Some were threats, wishing death and destruction upon rivals several lightyears away. But most were devoted to coordinating various plots, with one plot in particular standing far above the rest.
The Galactic Vermintide, to gnaw at the entire galaxy until it belonged only to the Skaven.
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DAY: May 18 2024

• 5-18-2024 HAVE SMARTPHONES KILLED THE ART OF CONVERSATION? Once upon a time, human relationships unfolded without smartphones. The reality may be hard to recall, so profoundly have these devices transformed the way we relate to the world and others in fifteen years or so. As an anthropologist interested in modernity, I am particularly preoccupied by the impact of these devices on our conversations. In my book, “The End of the Conversation? Words in a Spectral Society” (French original: “La fin de la conversation? La parole dans une société spectrale”), I investigate the pernicious effects of this technology
• 5-18-2024 HOW TO REWARD EMPLOYEES FAIRLY AND IMPROVE TEAM DYNAMICS A recent study has shed light on how to reward employees more fairly and improve team dynamics. The study found that when less skilled employees report their performance voluntarily, they often exaggerate their achievements and ask for higher bonuses. These employees also tend to put in less effort and are less concerned about fairness when sharing their contributions voluntarily. Interestingly, the researchers discovered that requiring employees to explain their contributions leads to fairer decisions about bonus allocation and improves
• 5-19-2024 BILLIONS ARE SPENT ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, BUT WE DON’T KNOW IF IT WORKS During the COVID lockdowns, schools and universities worldwide relied on education technology—edtech—to keep students learning. They used online platforms to give lessons, mark work and send feedback, used apps to teach and introduced students to programs that let them work together on projects. In the aftermath of school closures, the market for edtech has kept on growing. The value of the sector is projected to rise to US$132.4 billion globally by 2032. The problem is that we don’t know very much about how effective many edtech apps or programs
• 5-19-2024 STUDY FINDS CONSUMERS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR NATURALLY COLORED COTTON CLOTHING Research has looked at consumer attitudes toward naturally colored cotton clothing. The study found that amid increasing concerns over the environmental impact of conventional cotton processing, consumers are willing to pay more for a greener T-shirt.
• 5-18-2024 HOW AI IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SALES STRATEGIES In the fast-evolving business landscape, artificial intelligence, or AI, is taking center stage in transforming sales processes, making them more efficient and responsive to the dynamic market demands. A new University of Alabama at Birmingham study titled “AI in Sales: Laying the Foundations for Future Research” highlights the pivotal role AI is playing in reshaping the sales sector.
• 5-18-2024 WHEN CONSUMERS WOULD PREFER A CHATBOT OVER A PERSON Actually, sometimes consumers don’t want to talk to a real person when they’re shopping online, a new study suggests. In fact, what they really want is a chatbot that makes it clear that it is not human at all. In a new study, researchers found that people preferred interacting with chatbots when they felt embarrassed about what they were buying online—items like antidiarrheal medicine or, for some people, skin care products. “In general, research shows people would rather interact with a human customer service agent
• 5-18-2024 NEW STUDY REVEALS THE POTENTIAL OF COACHING EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE NEW STRATEGIC IDEAS In the landscape of modern business, inclusion isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic imperative. Companies like IBM, Volkswagen and Starbucks are moving to more participative strategy development approaches that reflect a growing understanding of the importance of diversity in fostering innovative and creative strategic ideas. Yet the outcomes of inclusive strategy processes often fall short of expectations. A new study in the Strategic Management Journal sheds light on why that may be. In their study of an inclusive strategy process in a large insurance company, Violetta Splitter, along with co-authors
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS SHOW WAYS TO PROPEL PRODUCT SUCCESS New research explores the key strategies that firms should adopt when launching a new product. The researchers say that these strategies depend on the current market view of the product and the firm. Employing the correct one, which might sometimes be collaborating with overtly demanding reviewers or instituting rather challenging pilot tests, ensures that the product launch will go as successfully as possible.
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS DEVELOP ALGORITHMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW HUMANS FORM BODY PART VOCABULARIES An example of the study’s language sample and the words for arm/hand and leg/foot in English and Wolof. Human bodies have similar designs. However, languages differ in the way they divide the body into parts and name them. For example, English speakers have two words for foot and leg, whereas other languages express the concepts foot and leg in one word.
• 5-18-2024 STUDY FINDS AVOIDING SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE AN ELECTION HAS LITTLE TO NO EFFECT ON PEOPLE’S POLITICAL VIEWS In the weeks before and after the 2020 presidential election, researchers ran a number of tests to try to understand how much Facebook and its corporate cousin, Instagram, may be contributing to the nation’s political divide. One of those experiments—led by Matthew Gentzkow and Hunt Allcott, economics professors at Stanford University—centered on more than 35,000 Facebook and Instagram users who were paid to stay off the platforms in the run-up to Election Day. There’s a lot that researchers could glean from the social media hiatus, including whether people’s political attitudes
• 5-18-2024 USING COMPUTER MODELS TO UNDERSTAND THE DEBATE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE Different types of noise and how they act inside or outside the social interaction process. Cognitive biases are among the most important factors that prevent people from changing their minds. Climate change deniers and climate activists often tend to accept only information that confirms their respective opinions on the matter. However, opinion dynamics are also influenced by a factor that the researchers call “ambiguity noise.” Unlike biases, ambiguity noise is variable, depends on many random factors, and leads to inconsistent judgment.
• 5-18-2024 FOR SOME INDIGENOUS SOUTHERN PLAINS TRIBES, AN ORIGINAL FLUTE SONG IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD MARRIAGE “Warrior with flute” by Timothy Tate Nevaquaya. Used with permission. Credit: Timothy Tate Nevaquaya Every love story is unique, and in traditional Indigenous Southern Plains culture, it begins with an original ballad performed on the flute. In order to win a lover’s affection, and respect among the tribe, each pursuer must compose one good flute serenade. Paula Conlon, a former music professor at the University of Oklahoma, has researched the history and cultural significance of the Indigenous flute since the 1980s. Conlon presents her work Tuesday, May 14, at 9:45
• 5-18-2024 WANT TO BE AN INFLUENCER? OUR RESEARCH SHOWS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FIRST You’re hard at work, lying in a hammock, composing the perfect selfie on the beach. The turquoise sea sets off the idyllic sunset, and just visible though the fronds of a palm tree is the logo of the hotel which is paying you to promote it to your millions of followers on Instagram. Click. The perfect shot. And another typically perfect day in the life of an influencer. Or is it? Certainly a career as an influencer can seem appealing. The work generally involves promoting products or services through sponsored
• 5-18-2024 WHY STUDENTS CHEAT IN ONLINE EXAMS Media psychologists at the University of Cologne have studied how students’ individual needs, conceptions and reasons relate to cheating behavior in online exams. Online exams have become a more common type of exam at universities, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. They are advantageous because they save time and offer flexibility. However, cheating attempts present a big challenge for lecturers. This is why universities have been working on ways to thwart cheating in online exams by putting organizational and technical measures into place.
• 5-18-2024 WHY STUDENTS CHEAT IN ONLINE EXAMS Trust and distrust in social media coexisted in the study participants. Credit: Emmaline Nelsen Are anti-misinformation interventions on social media working as intended? It depends, according to a new study surveyed over 1,700 participants in the United States, revealing that anti-misinformation features increased users’ awareness of misinformation in social media; but did not make them more likely to share information on social media
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Seventy-eight percent of people in England and Wales think that crime has gone up in the last few years, according to the latest survey. But the data on actual crime shows the exact opposite. As of 2024, violence, burglary and car crime have been declining for 30 years and by close to 90%, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)—our best indicator of true crime levels. Unlike police data, the CSEW is not subject to variations in reporting and recording. The drop in violence includes domestic violence
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Can we truly assess whether someone finds us attractive? Cognitive psychologist Iliana Samara discovered that men, in particular, tend to overestimate the interest of their date. She explains why this may be. “Imagine you walk into a packed bar, looking for a date. Your eyes are naturally drawn to attractive faces. If you’re a man and find someone attractive, you’re more likely to assume they’re also interested in you. “Then, when you approach them, whether you’re a man or woman
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Having more education has long been linked to better individual health. But those benefits are also contagious, say the co-authors of a new working paper. “It’s not just that the individuals who have more years of education are in better health,” said David M. Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics. “It’s that even people with fewer years of education—for example, people with just a high school degree—are in better health when they live around
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? Our research on children in early primary years, show they are better are writing with a pen or pencil than a keyboard. Children today are growing up surrounded by technology. So it’s easy to assume they will be able to write effectively using a keyboard. But our research suggests this is not necessarily true. We need to actively teach students to be able to type as well as write using paper and pen or pencil. Our research Our research team has published two recent
• 5-18-2024 MOST CRIME HAS FALLEN BY 90% IN 30 YEARS—SO WHY DOES THE PUBLIC THINK IT’S INCREASED? The provision of therapies for children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can be an affectively challenging, sometimes procedurally complex, process for the various stakeholders involved. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of this process, are crucial to various outcomes, in particular
• 5-18-2024 HOW DO MINDFULNESS, COMPASSION AND NEED FULFILLMENT AFFECT SATISFACTION IN MIDLIFE MARRIED COUPLES? Many people practice mindfulness or self-compassion techniques in their everyday life as part of their normal self-care routine. Although many studies support the individual benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion, few have focused on romantic relationship outcomes. A new study published in Personal Relationships has examined how mindfulness, self- and other-compassion, and need fulfillment relate to relationship and sexual satisfaction in midlife married couples. The study involved survey results from 640 adults aged 40–59 years who were residing in Canada and were married. Mindfulness is the nonjudgmental attention and awareness to
• 5-18-2024 HOW ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS ARE ADAPTING TO GENERATION ALPHA Growing up, did you play with hyper-sexualized Barbie dolls, boys-only Thomas the Tank Engine trains, or slim, white Disney princesses? If so, you’re not alone, but this is no longer the case for Generation Alpha. Brands like Mattel, once criticized for promoting unrealistic body standards and gender stereotypes, now portray themselves as feminist and progressive. The recent Barbie movie serves as a prime example of this shift. Millennial parents are actively seeking out toys, books and movies to educate their children about life and teach them values that align
• 5-18-2024 STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA FACE CHALLENGES TRANSITIONING TO THE WORKPLACE, BUT WITH SUPPORT THEY CAN THRIVE Transitioning from university to the workplace is a critical period in anyone’s life, but it can be especially challenging for students with dyslexia. While academic settings often offer accommodations for people with dyslexia, professional environments often fall short on such support systems. Fortunately, there are strategic interventions that can be established in workplaces to help individuals with dyslexia not only adapt, but excel in their careers. It is estimated that up to 20% of the population has dyslexia and 80% of people with a learning disability have dyslexia
• 5-18-2024 BUSINESSES UNINTENTIONALLY DISCOURAGE DIVERSE IDEAS, FINDS STUDY Businesses influence the ideas they receive from external contributors by unintentionally signaling which ideas they like, a research analyzed 1.44 million ideas to understand how organizations unknowingly shape the ideas they receive. Data came from organizations that asked visitors how they could improve their websites before choosing which ideas to use. Chosen ideas were communicated for all to see.
• 5-18-2024 WHAT’S IN A NAME? A LINGUISTICS EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY SOME BABY NAMES DOMINATE THE CHARTS YEAR AFTER YEAR What do names like Noah, James, Mateo, Mia, Evelyn and Luna all have in common? They’re not only some of the top baby names in the United States, but they also seem to flow off the tongue. And that’s exactly why parents love them. On May 10, the Social Security Administration released a list of the top baby names in the United States in 2023. Liam and Olivia maintained the number one spot in their respective categories for the fifth consecutive year while Noah and Emma also retained second place.
• 5-18-2024 ACCESS TO GARDENS AND CITIZEN SCIENCE HELPS ENCOURAGE CONSERVATION AMONG CHILDREN, STUDY SHOWS Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behavior among pupils, a new study shows. Offering children the chance to take part in authentic scientific ecological work and gardening encourages an interest in plants. This can change behavior—to spend more time gardening or to pursue a botanical career—and fuels a positive attitude towards safeguarding the environment, experts found
• 5-18-2024 WHAT PROFESSIONALS EXPECT FROM FUTURE EMPLOYERS Employers who want to attract new talent should recognize diversity and enable inclusion. This is confirmed by a representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), which surveyed more than 1,200 trainees and students across Germany. The results clearly show that 75.1% of prospective employees consider it very or somewhat important that companies implement measures to promote diversity and inclusion. This suggests that companies that communicate these measures openly and transparently
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCH LINKS VOTER BEHAVIOR IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO HOUSING MARKET PERFORMANCE If the 21st century has proven anything to the United States electorate, it is that presidential elections are notoriously unpredictable affairs. The seeming randomness by which the country’s electorate chooses its next president has only emboldened polling outlets, talking heads, and amateur psephologists to scrutinize every conceivable variable to give their respective electoral forecasting models a much-needed edge. However, Sherwood Clements, collegiate assistant professor of real estate in the Pamplin College of Business, had an electoral theory that, to the best of his knowledge, had never been explored with regards
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCH LINKS VOTER BEHAVIOR IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO HOUSING MARKET PERFORMANCE If the 21st century has proven anything to the United States electorate, it is that presidential elections are notoriously unpredictable affairs. The seeming randomness by which the country’s electorate chooses its next president has only emboldened polling outlets, talking heads, and amateur psephologists to scrutinize every conceivable variable to give their respective electoral forecasting models a much-needed edge. However, Sherwood Clements, collegiate assistant professor of real estate in the Pamplin College of Business, had an electoral theory that, to the best of his knowledge, had never been explored with regards
• 5-18-2024 MECHANISTIC MODEL SHOWS HOW MUCH GOSSIP IS NEEDED TO FOSTER SOCIAL COOPERATION Gossip often has a negative connotation, but imagine you are part of a group deciding on a job candidate to hire or a local political candidate to back. Candidates who get a good reputation by helping others may be more likely to receive help in the form of a job offer or endorsement, a feedback loop known as indirect reciprocity. Gossip can facilitate cooperation. Previous research has shown that people tend to cooperate more when they think their peers are gossiping about their behavior, gossip
• 5-18-2024 SINGING RESEARCHERS FIND CROSS-CULTURAL PATTERNS IN MUSIC AND LANGUAGE Are acoustic features of music and spoken language shared across cultures? Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen have contributed to a global study of music and speech, published in Science Advances. An international team of researchers recorded themselves performing traditional music and speaking in their native language. In all 50+ languages
• 5-18-2024 NEW RESEARCH REVEALS JUST HOW FEW LGBTQI+ PEOPLE PLAY SPORTS The topic of homophobia in sport has recently made headlines in Australia, with a series of homophobic incidents involving men’s AFL players. These homophobic incidents are usually well-reported in news media, but research has rarely explored the impact on participation for LGBTQI+ people. Fresh research into the problem Our new research is one of the first pieces of academic research in Australia to document how many LGBTQI+ people play and engage with sport. We also explored current levels of discrimination across sport in Australia, and the barriers and enablers
• 5-18-2024 SWIPE RIGHT OR LEFT? HOW DATING APPS ARE IMPACTING MODERN MASCULINITY What it means to be a man is changing. Critical men or masculinity studies is an emerging robust research field that explores how men and masculinity are being transformed by shifting socio-economic, sexual and political conditions in our post-industrial world. Fascinating new male-identifying sub-cultures and communities have emerged, like mushroomcore and dandies. Yet heteronormative masculinity is typically framed as threatening, toxic or maladaptive, as in the case of fragile masculinity. In my years of swiping on dating apps, I encountered different kinds of masculinities, as well as some very offensive
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS SAY AUTOMATED NEWS VIDEO PRODUCTION IS BETTER WITH A HUMAN TOUCH AI-generated videos for short messages are only as well received as manually created ones if they are edited by humans. News organizations—including Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Economist—have been using AI powered video services to meet growing audience demand for audio-visual material. A study recently published in the journal Journalism now shows that the automated production of news videos is better with human supervision. Technology providers like Wochit and Moovly are allowing publishers to mass produce videos at scale. But what do audiences think of the results? Researchers led by LMU
• 5-18-2024 HOW ‘ETHICAL INFLUENCERS’ ENGAGE THEIR AUDIENCES ABOUT SAVING THE PLANET Have a quick think back to the last time you scrolled through social media. Maybe it was this morning, last night or a few minutes ago. What do you recall? One thing you’re bound to remember is the continuous stream of influencers showing off their latest content. These could be videos of influencers discussing the latest skin-care products, the trendiest places to eat, their latest shopping haul or the PR packages they received from various brands. Much of social media influencing is about getting consumers to buy more products.
• 5-18-2024 ALLYSHIP IS ESSENTIAL TO NEW MOTHERS RETURNING TO WORK, SAYS STUDY Returning to work after parental leave can be one of the most challenging experiences for any parents, especially mothers, to navigate. Fortunately, there are simple, kind and thoughtful ways in which organizational members—regardless of formal status, parental identity or gender identity—can help mothers feel supported as they return to work, which can also benefit job satisfaction and maternal well-being.
• 5-18-2024 STUDY FINDS SAYING ‘PLEASE’ MAY NOT BE SO POLITE IN EVERYDAY REQUESTS By kindergarten age, most children have been taught that “please” is a magic word. “Please” is an expression of politeness that shows courtesy and respect, turning a potential demand into a request that will—poof!—magically be granted. But a new study on the ways people make requests of one another suggests that “please” might not be an all-purpose marker of politeness, but rather a more focused, strategic tool to manage frictions or obstacles among family members, friends and even coworkers.
• 5-18-2024 MILITARY RANK AFFECTS MEDICAL CARE, OFFERING SOCIETAL INSIGHTS: STUDY Stock project from Pexels Human relationships are inherently shaped by power dynamics, yet quantifying their impact has remained a scientific challenge. Now, a large new study published Thursday in the journal Science reveals that military doctors give more attention to higher-ranked patients, providing concrete evidence about the privileges that come with elevated status, frequently at the expense of the less powerful. “One of the things we are trying to show is that this is not a military-specific analysis,”
• 5-18-2024 RESEARCHERS DISCUSS CURRENT STATE OF HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA AND BIPHOBIA Gender-neutral bathrooms, conversion therapy and Quebec’s advisory committee on gender identity have been in the news lately. These are polarizing, hot-button issues. While there have been legislative and social advances for LGBTQ+ rights, ignorance and discrimination persist and continue to negatively affect the lives of many. On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, UdeMNouvelles asked two Université de Montréal professors and researchers who are experts in the field to share their views.
• 5-18-2024 PICKLEBALL COURTS IN A LEGAL PICKLE OVER THE ASSOCIATED NOISE Experts recommend HOAs and communities consider the “popping” noise associated with pickleball when deciding to build courts near homes. Credit: AIP Pickleball Legal Consultant is a job title that likely did not exist a decade ago, but as pickleball courts infiltrate neighborhoods to satiate an appetite for a sport whose namesake is a snack, communities take issue with the resulting influx of noise. Now homeowners’ associations and city councils face litigation by those whose lives are disrupted by pickleball’s din. Charles Leahy, an attorney, retired mechanical engineer, and former HOA
• 5-18-2024 TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING HOW COMPANIES DO BUSINESS In the fast-paced world of modern business, technology plays a crucial role in shaping how companies operate. One area where this impact is particularly significant is in the organization of production chains—specifically the way goods are made and distributed. A new study from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business advances understanding of the U.S. production chain evolution amidst technological progress in information technology (IT), shedding light on the complex connections between business IT investments and organizational design. Advances in IT have sparked significant changes in how companies design
• 5-18-2024 HOW DOES THE US KNOW THAT FORCED LABOR IS HAPPENING IN CHINA? A SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERT WEIGHS IN The Biden administration has added 26 more companies to the list of Chinese textile traders and manufacturers whose goods are blocked from entering the United States because of their alleged ties to forced labor. The banned imports, known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, names businesses that are said to be involved in exploiting

I am going to get SOOOO much shit for this, but I can not help myself. This was a reply on someone else's post that I wrote spontaneously and I think the rest of you need to check out the way I think the Nerf Hammer team functions lol:
I'm sorry, you must Miss understand the way that Arrowhead Helldivers 2 balance teams brain works, let me clarify.
First of all, we are trying to create as "realistic" experience while still being scifi as possible.
Now that we got that total bs out the way...
Does it make sense for an enemy to take so much damage and get staggered so hard in the current form of a weapon? If the answer is yes then the weapon is too powerful and needs to be nerfed. If people insist on having fun after the first nerf then the weapon. Obviously needs to be nerfed further. Keep nerfing the weapon. Once it is no longer usable and/or does more harm to players then enemies then it is finally balanced. Preferably both, unusable and self harming.
Now is an enemy heavy and heavily armoured? If the answer is yes then it makes sense for him to not stagger easily or at all.
Now, is the helldiver heavy and heavily armoured? If the answer is yes then who cares, it's the player, in order for them to have the challenge Arrowhead intends, they can have no advantage of any kind and every disadvantage intentional or otherwise should not only be praised but also kept and if possible multiplied.
Now, when designing cosmetic side of things.....if an armour and a helmet match and make a character look cool that means someone made a mistake. Change colors and proportions until the Helldiver is hard to look at. If players like the way theyr character looks then they might start having fun and therefore play the game wrong.
Keep going in that order until the characters look like naked ghouls from Fallout fighting with cloth hangers and rubber band slingshots. And even that might be too much power for them. The preferred state of character is to be fist fighting AtAt walkers with NOT FISTS but nubs at the end of arms with the hands cut off at the wrist. If Helldiver's have hands then they could accidently inflict a fraction of a point of damage on a marauder.
You have to understand we want our game to be challenging and.balanced. And if we have to make the screen go black and the sound go off at the begining of the mission for.every helldiver so be it.
The ultimate goal is to have Helldiver's land and a message to pop up 4 seconds later that just says "you failed miserably and you let Super Earth, your family and your reproductive system down. Go feel bad about it somewhere else". If they can not figure out a way to win while blind and deaf within those 4 seconds....well how is that our fault? They obviously are not trying hard enough because in that state the game might finally be fairly balanced.
Lol I am ofcourse under-exadurating. The balance team is nowhere near as generous and what they actually want is about 200% worse. This is no hyperbowl, if you want proof simply check out Breaker before and after. Railgun before.and after. Eruptor before and after. Patrol spawns rates before and after. Etc etc. etc. 🤔😞❤️ the game anyway and will totally fight the bots swinging an orbital smoke rocket with my bare hands bonking bots on the head if I have to.
Have faith and hope HellDivers! We have nowhere to look but down from here! What I describe is the peak of enjoyment! The goal is to bring that enjoyment down to a managed level. :)

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“Now that we can talk, I think proper introductions are now in order,” Thallion formally states, as if he were a dignitary. “ am Thallion Emberwind, teacher of knowledge and keeper of info for the village of Caelora, in which you find yourself at this moment.”
“You have already met my sister-”
“Enough of that!” Lena interjects. “Hello again, I’m Lena.”
“And I am Silvra, it is good to finally speak to you clearly, hopefully intent is properly being passed now.”
“And I am Ethan Mitchell, I was an engineer in training, before I fell on a bucket and ended up here crossing who knows how many dimensions. I probably am also the one to have accidentally broke the tower, survived running through the blizzard, nearly knocked out Kidman, and… probably killed a guard.” I say, recapping how busy the last few days have been. As I speak, my pace slows and I can feel the beginning of a panic attack rising again.
The room falls silent, the gravity of my unintended confessions settling like a heavy cloak around us. I can feel a tightness building in my chest, the cold of the room seeping into my bones as the faces around me blurred.
“I… I killed someone, no thoughts, no hesitation, just…pow, wrist… in… torso.”
My eyes lose focus, my breathing increases in pace, and the weight of everything finally comes over me. Here I am, on a completely different planet, caught sometime between 1000 and 1600 equivalent, probably the smartest person here, but with the people skills of a gnat, and the thing I know the most is not even going to be invented for at least 200 years. I’ll most likely never see my family, or my friends, even though there are only a few. Hopefully my cat is ok. I also have only managed to cross the language barrier just recently, but was doing charades before that. I am useless in combat, never taking anything martial. I did swim, but not for a long time, and I was a soccer referee before that. Not only that, but I show up as dead to these elves. My phone shows more life than me!
Retreating further into my head, the idea that my summoning was a complete mistake builds up, and something inside me snaps. I do something I have not done in years.
I cry. And I don’t mean a single tear of mourning, whilst looking at a sunset. I bawl. Here I am, knowing no one, probably hunted, and easy to be considered dead. Here on the whim of an accident that took way too much power, but not the first time they tried it, according to the holding area I ran through. I am worthless, the summoning probably targeted my phone more than it targeted me!
Curling up on the floor, I let the emotions overtake me, I feel the eyes of the others upon me but I don’t care. Here I am, and there is no going back. Even if I was to return and “turn myself in” they would probably just take the phone and dump me or off me. Maybe I should just-
Suddenly, I am held, not angrily, or by the shoulders, but in a full wraparound hug. My thoughts immediately fly to when I was younger and being held by my mom, which only makes me feel worse.
“Shhh. Shhh. It’s ok.” Lena whispers in my ear, “You’ve been through a lot. A kid like you being pulled from your world, and thrust into this position, it is too much. I don’t know much about how summoning works, but why choose a kid, I don’t know. Just, hold me.
I don’t move, but slowly my breathing calms, and I stop sweating as profusely.
“Now, tell me, how old are you?”
“Twenty five”
“Twenty five?!” All shout in shock and surprise.
“Y-y-yes…”
Lena loosens her grip on me, and starts to get up. I stand up too, but am still shaking, the hug not lasting long enough.
“How long do your people live?” She asks, slightly perturbed.
“About eighty or so, longest is about one hundred”
“That, that is about our length! You are no kid! You…you are an adult! But short! What…how… who are you?!”
“I am Ethan, a human from Earth. I have no clue where that is from here. I am lost. My skills are not useful for this setting, and the main thing I know is not going to be invented for another few centuries at the minimum. I was summoned and ended up in the janitor closet, and all I can think of is that this is nothing but a bad nightmare and hope I wake up with a concussion from falling on a sidewalk!”
“As for my height, yes I am short. I am also very heavy for my size, making everything around me feel as if it were made out of foam, I find wood soft and spongy, and meat some of the most tender I have ever had. I work out every morning I have woken up here just to try and maintain my muscle mass, and have had to adapt to a weird walk skip hop method of moving because even the gravity is too light!”
“Gravity?” Thallion perks up. “That word did not translate, something about general pull?”
“Not the time for that, Thallion,” Silvra interjects.
“So yes, I am a little stressed, a little high strung, and a lot suffering from anxiety, worse than what I was having before I ended up here, and I cannot even get meds for it!” I complain, dejectedly, collapsing into the stuffed chair beside the door to the schoolroom.
“It’s not like I felt like I belonged much there, but I at least knew what to expect. It may have been seen as boring, but it was mine. I went to school for it for eighteen years. Here, here everything is new, and overwhelming. I am trying to make things make sense, but history was never my strong point, and again, what I know is next to worthless!”
They all stare at me, finally, Silvra steps forth and offers a shoulder pat, and a light hug. Lena follows suit, and tries to crush me in what could only be described as an attempt of a bear hug.
We stay like that for some time, Thallion looking awkwardly on the scene of the two tall women hugging a literal manchild.
“So aye managed ta comple’te round bi’ bu’te olerances are a’ me skill- oh. Sorry ta interrup’ I’ll leave ‘his here, annnd”
“Come back in Eldrin, Just in time for some formal introductions,” I say, trying to sound professional, while dealing with a throat full of snot and trying not to break down again.
“Oi? Tha voice? Ethan! Ye can’alk now?!”
“Kind of, I fixed the translator, it now works with sound.”
“Sound, eh, Well, le’ me si’ down here and you can ‘alk ta me all bout it.”
“I don’t know. It is pretty complicated, and involves quite a bit of various fields, some quite literally, but not the grain ones,” I state, half joking, enjoying the distraction from what just happened.
“Sounds allo like me prof before I became a smith.”
My eyes bug out, prof? he went to school?
“Aye, me prof in theory phys said stuff abou’ ac’ion a’ a dis’ance and tha’ our en’ire unders’anding of th’world is cons’rained by ‘ime. Also somethin abou’ sys’em hardening and ‘igh frequency swi’ing.
Those concepts sound more like quantum mechanics crossed with a preliminary understanding of magnetism to me, what an odd combination!
“Tell me, what else do you know about magnetism?”
“Magne’wha’ism”
Right, that’s it, definition time. I sit up, choking back emotions, and begin to explain some basics of electricity. At least I can bury my emotions in that for a while.
Lena looks at me with a side eye.
Maybe not that long.
Patreon Because someone asked https://www.patreon.com/CollinBarker

So I am not what one would call "good" at Lethal Company. My highest quota is in the 600s, I've never killed a monster above a Thumper with a shovel, I die to spiders and hoarding bugs often, and I've never played with mods.
HOWEVER, there is one niche that I personally think I do really well in: Protection. If I join a lobby, and they have a shotgun, I'm picking that up and blasting any threats in the facility. I'll often enter the room with my go-to loadout of a shotgun, a flashlight, stun grenade, and either a zap gun, another shell, a shovel, or another stun grenade. I don't pick things up, but I do transport already found items and make sure everyone else is alive.
With that short intro out of the way, it's time to explain what happened. So, I joined a lobby with two girls and one guy. I quickly got to know them, and I don't remember all the names, but the lobby host and the most important person in this tale was named TessTickles, or Tess for short.
The quota for this run was upwards of two and a half thousand. They already had a pretty good stockpile when I joined on Day 3, and I quickly told them what my "niche" was. They seemed pretty happy about this, and agreed to let me act as an enforcer of sorts. We were orbiting Artifice, and the plan was simple: We'd collect scrap, drop it outside the main entrance, and one or more people with jetpacks would fly the stuff back to the ship. If we all died, Tess would disconnect and restart the day before the flag for "new save" could be tripped. Basically, if things didn't go according to plan, we'd just save-scum.
So, day three. After two attempts, we landed a pretty good haul. If we kept this pace up, we'd easily make quota. I killed a Bracken, a nutcracker, and a Thumper with my shotgun and shovel, and managed to stun a Jester and allow my teammate to escape. Pretty good gaming on my part, at least by my standards.
Day two started with me asking if I could have one of the jetpacks, purely to try it out. I had never used a jetpack in this game before, and they understandably refused to let me have one. So, I entered Artifice on foot.
The first part of the day went well, as I stood at the main entrance and funneled scrap from upstairs to the outside while fending off anything that got close. My first near miss occurred when I walked into a kitchen to get some scrap, then heard footsteps. I waited, shotgun out, and then saw my teammate walk into the room.
Me: Hey, man.
Teammate: *says nothing and instead draws a shovel and sprints at me*
M: Wait waIT WAIT NONONO-*frantically spamming the trigger of my shotgun, forgetting about the safety*
My teammate was not, in fact, consumed by bloodlust. Instead, he sprinted right past me and whacked the mimic that had been sneaking up on me to death. I took a moment to collect myself, thanking my teammate, before picking up the scrap and taking it back to main.
Remember the safety, though.
Near the end of the day, we all gathered at main. We had a huge haul, and it would take a while to funnel back to the ship. But before that, Tess had something to do.
Tess: Hang on, guys, I gotta go feed my cat.
Me: Alright, we'll protect you.
About a minute later, we got our first monster attack.
Teammate 1: Snare flea.
T2: Alright, I got it.
Me, seeing a mimic slowly walking down the central staircase: Mimic, mimic!
T2: Keep it away from Tess!
T1: I got this. *runs at the mimic with his shovel*
Me: Aight.
*T2 kills the flea*
*Seconds later, T1 gets grabbed by the mimic after a few good whacks*
T1: Hit it! HIT IT, SOMEONE!
*I try and fail to fire my shotgun, then frantically try and get the safety off*
*General pandemonium*
T2 proceeded to get up close and personal with her own shotgun, preparing to blast the mimic. Unfortunately, it was at that exact moment that two things happened at the same time.

1. T1 got converted into a mimic.
   
2. I finally got the safety off my own shotgun and fired a shell.
   

The buckshot flew right toward the three, killing them all.
It was now just me and Tess.
And Tess was still AFK.
Me: Oh god, guys, I'm so sorry...
I assessed my situation. The items I had available were three shotguns with four ammo between them, two pro flashlights, two shovels, two jetpacks, a flashbang, a stop sign, and about eight hundred credits worth of scrap.
Oh, and a body.
Thankfully, the only threat present seemed to be a slime, which was meandering its way down the stairs. So, I considered my options. I could kite the slime until Tess got back, try and funnel the scrap back to the ship on foot...
Wait, actually, let me check outside, see how bad it is...
I left the facility and was greeted with the sight of:
1 Giant to my left, rapidly approaching.
1 Dog, also to my left, not seeing me yet.
1 Mech, off in the distance.
I quickly turned around and went back into the facility. So, that option was going to be tough. I could maybe try and get to the fire exit, which we knew the location of, but I would only be able to take one load of scrap, it would be dangerous both in and outdoors, and there was no guarantee I'd make it, I could, again, try and kite the slime and wait for Tess to come back, I could-
ticticticticticticticticPLONGGGGGG.
Well, that certainly complicates things.
That's right, a coilhead had chosen to rear its ugly head at the worst possible time. It now sat at the top of the stairs, which the slime had already descended and was creeping toward me steadily.
I now had another decision to make. If I stood still and tried to keep the coilhead from doing anything, I would risk death to the slime. If I waited for Tess, I'd have to kite both a coil and a slime, and I was not confident in my ability to do that. Besides, what was to say the slime/coil wouldn't just execute her, and then turn on me? On top of that, it was 10:30, and I had no way of knowing when Tess would be back. But I couldn't get through the facility fast enough to reach the fire exit, especially with the coil on me, and there was no way I'd survive outside...
My terrified eyes fell upon the discarded jetpack of my teammate. Picking it up revealed it had three-quarters of a tank left of fuel. With all this knowledge, I made my choice.
As the slime slowly approached, I picked up the three most valuable pieces of scrap I could find, being a gold bar, a perfume bottle, and a laser pointer. Then I equipped the jetpack, steeled myself, and spoke.
Me: Tess, I'm leaving you now. Guys, wish me luck.
With that, I went through the main entrance and out to face the night.
Two things had happened while I was gone. The mech had killed the giant, and the dog was nowhere to be seen. I didn't notice this at first, though, and fired up the jetpack.
While I had never used the jetpack before, I knew how it worked, and thought I had a pretty good idea of how to control it. I knew that it exploded if used for too long, or if you hit a wall, and I had watched Smii7y's Lethal Company videos, so I had a vague idea of what to do. I thought you simply looked in the direction you wanted to go, or something like that.
No.
That is not how the bloody jetpack works.
Instead, it behaves more like it would in real life, having no thrust direction but straight down, and you control your direction by tilting yourself with the movement keys.
I found this out literally on the fly, as I boosted straight up and then tilted forward, landing face-first back on the ground. However, I survived, and now I knew a little more. I boosted back up into the air, fiddled around a bit, and then started to get the hang of it. I drunkenly wobbled through the sky like a mosquito after consuming alchohol, but slowly flew toward the ship. I could see the lights, and the two other dogs nearby. I got closer and closer. My fuel dropped lower and lower. Despite this, I estimated I'd have EXACTLY enough to make it to the ship.
Before I explain what happened next, there's something you should know. I do not play on a traditional monitor setup, oh no. My father thought it would be a good idea to hook my PC up to a TV, which means I have a comically large monitor. However, this is... flawed. The TV doesn't have high enough resolution to show minute details, and the distance I am from the screen means I can't see those fine details either. Additionally, the screen tearing is... rather horrendous, and so Vsync is almost a requirement in every game I play. And then there's the issue of my keyboard and mouse being rather old models, and sometimes having difficulty connecting to the reciever in my PC, resulting in either seconds of input lag or no input at all.
That is exactly what happened here. I was within speaking distance of the ship, less than a second's walk away, when my keyboard inexplicably decided that enough was enough and disconnected for a second. I did not realize this until a second later, when the input finally went through after a second of me holding the S key to start hovering, flipping me COMPLETELY upside down and causing me to faceplant again, right between two dogs.
I frantically tried to take off again, but the extra time spent in the air had expended nearly every last drop of fuel in the pack. Attempting to take off used up the last few drops, which made a sound.
A very loud sound.
Me: Guys... I'm so, so sorry. I tried... I'm sorry...
And then the dogs got to me.
The instant I got back into the group voice chat, I could hear them screaming for Tess. But she wasn't back yet. I watched in sorrow as the ship doors closed, all of us dead, the ship returning to orbit, erasing all the progress we'd made.
Tess didn't return until two minutes later, and the other guy on the team explained that, in the span of two minutes, everything that could have possibly gone wrong, did go wrong. Tess, whoever you are, I'm so sorry.

So just this past week I find out he was talking to one of his girl co workers outside of the job. They texted on snap here and there and he was liking her pictures on instagram. She followed him but he never followed her. Probably because he was hoping I wouldn't figure it out.
But I seen her liking his post on Facebook and that's how l put all the pieces together. I asked him to hang out and I took his phone and looked thru it just to find them messaging on snap about "I wish you were here and send food" and he replied with same or something like that. And that confirmed it for me so I went off and started crying and saying how could you do this and he kept saying she was just a co worker nothing more and I told him to just take me home and he not once seemed to care.
So I broke up with him and removed him off everything. then he went and told his family that we broke up and he told then what happened (his family is toxic and judgmental) and they didn't seem to care much. He tried calling me and texting me but I never answered and then he sent a text explaining everything and finally giving me the closure I needed. And we had a deep conversation regarding everything and he went into detail about her and him. and I guess she worked in the department his aunt worked at which he also works too but different department so that's how he knew of her and said it was only just casual but he soon realized how he would feel if I did that and he came to terms we were going thru a rough patch and he regretted it so much and would do anything to get me back . But here's the problem.
when we were talking about working things out he said I'm just afraid my family will make this a huge issue. I told them we broke up and explained what happened and why it ended but if I tell them we got back together they will just talk shit and won't want you around. I then tell him, your family won't want me around but you're the one who cheated on me?
And he's like yeah they're just like that they will make this a big deal and talk shit. That caught me off guard because I know his family is super negative and judgmental bu* can't come to terms of why they wouldn't be mad at ,
instead. He said his family also reacted poorly when his mother and father divorced and they didn't want the father around anymore. I'm so confused dude I just need some input on this because what