Violence is on the rise in Chicago, and lawmakers are looking for ways to drive those numbers back down. One stat that has drawn attention in recent weeks is the city's number of carjackings. According to Chicago police, carjacking surged by 134 percent for 2020, bringing the total to 1,415. Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. (D), whose district covers Chicago's South Side, wants a sales ban to minors on violent video games like Grand Theft Auto. Evans is proposing an amendment to an existing 2012 law that prevents the sale of violent video games to minors. Illinois House Bill 3531 (HB3531) has been updated to add the following language:
Modifies the definition of "violent video game" to mean a video game that allows a user or player to control a character within the video game that is encouraged to perpetuate human-on-human violence in which the player kills or otherwise causes serious physical or psychological harm to another human or an animal...
Modifies the definition of "serious physical harm" to include psychological harm and child abuse, sexual abuse, animal abuse, domestic violence, violence against women, or motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present inside the vehicle when the theft begins.
The above-bolded text is pertinent to Grand Theft Auto, a widely popular game franchise that allows you to perform carjackings (among other violent and heinous acts). However, what's interesting is that games like Grand Theft Auto and its ilk have been around for decades; this is nothing new. A game like Grand Theft Auto alone couldn't possibly be responsible for the rise in the city's carjackings. Still, lawmakers and city officials are seemingly trying to tie the young ages of some of the carjacking suspects with the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic means that many children are at home, spending more time playing video games.
grand theft auto carjacking The youngest [recent] carjacking suspect was just 12 years old, and a 14-year-old was arrested in January for "taking part in multiple carjackings," according to Fox News.
"I feel like this game has become a huge issue in this spectrum," said Walker in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times. "When you compare the two, you see harsh similarities as it relates to these carjackings."
As a counterpoint to the rumblings in Chicago, a decade-long study concluded that this is no credible link between kids playing violent video games and, in-turn exhibiting violent behavior.

Sorry for this being long and a little rambly. TL;DR at the end, of course.
Hoping he never sees this because I blocked him everywhere, but last time I thought a post was safe (not on here) one of his acquaintances just happened to find it and happened to realize it was about him, so I guess I just haven't learned my lesson about the internet. Anyways.
Mid-20s F, on-off for 6ish years with late-20s M (started when I was 18 and he was 22). We loved each other very, very much. Our honeymoon phase was STRONG. Talking about marriage after 2 months strong (no, we did not get married). I adored him, I admired him, and I wanted him to be happy. He felt the same way about me.
We could never be happy with each other.
It's nothing all that complicated, though sometimes it feels that way. After spending so long going through this cycle of breaking up with him and then asking to have him back, I figured if I was gonna be sure about him, I would have been by now. No decision is still a decision, etc. He deserved someone that loved him completely and without question, and who did not fear the day that some other hypothetical person showed up. I, on the other hand, deserved freedom to find my own happiness, whatever that looked like.
(Relevant side note: a big part of the issue is simply that I'm about 90% sure I'm polyamorous which has been nothing but my own personal hell, and he is firmly not. Basic incompatibility, relationship dealbreaker, no question. Absolutely. If I say it enough, I'll be convinced. Right?)
He told me he couldn't keep hurting me. I felt the same way about him.
It's been 3ish months since the night we stopped talking. I sent him back his dog nail clippers. He sent me a package of very confusing items, including a letter, which, in a moment of anger and desperation to let him go, I burned without reading (and boy, have I regretted it every goddamn day since). That's it. I don't see hide nor hair of him anywhere anymore, and God willing, I never will (we live near each other, so it's risky to go anywhere at all, really, but all I can do is cross my fingers).
So I guess my question is...how do I move on? How do I accept the idea of him with someone else? How do I accept the idea of me with someone else? Because, while I understand 6 years is a long fucking time for someone my age, and I also understand that grief is complicated, and I also have been going on with my own life like usual and just working on myself as best I can (because what else can you do)...I don't think the right thing is supposed to hurt worse and feel more like a massive fuckup with every passing day.
I had a man that loved me. I had a man that took care of himself, and of me. I had a man that would have given me the world if it meant digging up each individual clump of dirt with broken fingers and handing it over. I had a man with so much passion and so many interests that wanted nothing more than to share them with someone special. I had someone smart, capable, put-together. I had someone unafraid of intimacy, of emotion, of being soft and "weak". On a more superficial level, I had a man that worked hard to maintain stable income, that was getting in shape, that owned the most precious fucking dog, that was saving up for a house.
It doesn't help that, despite it being the worst idea ever, I still wanted to be friends. I desperately wanted him in my life, just not romantically. It would have been so much easier if I truly felt nothing.
I used to question if something was wrong with me, for not loving him the way he loved me. I used to wonder if I was broken. I used to wonder how I could have the perfect man dropped into my lap and just...not want him. Or, hell, want him, but just...not enough???
Did I fuck up? Did I give up something I'll never see again? Am I just the biggest asshole alive?
I can't find peace. I need help. Please.
TL;DR Had a relatively peaceful but nevertheless devastating breakup and I'm drowning in self-loathing and lost as to how to move on.

Hi all, I would like to get the community opinion on this. So, I am in my mid 30s and am, in general, in excellent, pretty unremarkable health. I have ADHD and I have taken adderall and guanfacine for it for almost 15 years. It really helps just chill me out and keep me doing what I need to be doing. I also workout religiously, and take pride in my physical body and it's health. So with all of that said, I have found that a cup or two of coffee in the morning dramatically improves my energy, mood, alertness, and overall day. There's simply no denying it. I have tried quitting it, and I have quit it, but after a few weeks, I am still just sort of 'meh', even with 40mg of Adderall (amphetamines). Caffeine just works.
Here's the problem: if I go beyond that 2 cups thing, a lot of issues begin creeping in. The physical stuff is the worst, and you all know it...the anxiety, jitters, sweating, shaking, feeling like you're jumping out of your skin. Not fun! Yet, in lower doses of a cup here and there, caffeine (much like the adderall) seems to dramatically decrease my anxiety. It's a dopamine/norepinephrine thing, I believe. My blood pressure actually lowers. It's really a thing.
All this is to say, I don't dislike caffeine, and I don't plan on quitting it, but I do respect and acknowledge the 'bell curve' of any drug. It seems that if I keep the dosing in check, and don't have any after maybe 9-10am, I am fine. Yet, there have been times where, even knowing this, it's hard to limit the coffee. It's like this 'less is more' mentality, which to be fair is very reminiscent of a lot of ADHD, but it's also just how I am.
I feel that it's almost taboo in this community to mention that, I think coffee/caffeine is awesome, but I think it's simply very easy to overdo it. Are there any particular stories/strategies/words of advice for people like me, who aren't so willing to quit it, yet want to stay in that sweet spot?
​
Thanks!

Edit: We are in England
Myself and my two friends have been looking to rent a house/flat to share together. We have been having some difficulty because in the city we all work in any property that is let to three or more tenants who form two or more households and who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet is classed as an HMO (Household with Multiple Occupancy) and requires a special license to rent which not all landlords hold.
Last week we viewed a three bedroom property that we all liked and agreed we wanted to go for. We had informed the letting agent previously that we would be a household of three adults from separate families and thus would be an HMO and she assured us that this was not an issue. The day after the viewing we informed her we would like to proceed with renting the property and double-checked that there were no issues with renting to three people, she assured us there weren't and asked us to pay a holding deposit so they could take the house off the market which we did.
However, towards the end of the day on Friday we received this email: " Good afternoon all, Hope you’re well? Unfortunately, after closer inspection of the legislation, we cannot let to more than 2 households within the property, as this would make it a HMO (Household with Multiple Occupancy). Regrettably, this means we will need to stop your application, put the property back on the market and refund your holding deposit. Please can you provide your details, so we may action this. "
At this early stage we hadn't even signed anything. We responded with the bank details for the account we wanted the deposit refunded to but then got no response. It is now Wednesday and I have sent follow-up emails on both Monday and Tuesday, both with no response. Tuesday afternoon I tried calling the letting agency but my call went straight to the automated voicemail saying that all agents were busy right now, so I left a message. This morning I called again and now I'm not even getting the answering machine I was before, it just keeps ringing until I hang up.
I am really starting to worry now. The date we need to move by is getting closer but we can't put a deposit on a new property until we get our first one back. If the agency continues to ignore any attempt at communication, is there anything I can do?

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Dab strains:
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If you are running a business website, choosing the right web hosting is critical. One option that you should consider is dedicated Windows hosting. In this article, we will explain what dedicated Windows hosting is and why it is the best choice for your business. We will also introduce Raksmart, a reliable and affordable web hosting provider that offers top-notch dedicated Windows hosting services.
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Sexual Response Cycle

The sexual response cycle is one model of physical and emotional changes that happens after you square measure collaborating in sexual intercourse. There square measure four phases during this cycle. coming is that the shortest section.What is the sexual response cycle?
The sexual response cycle refers to the sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as someone becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, as well as intercourse and onanism.
​
Sexual Response Cycle
Knowing however your body responds throughout every section of the cycle will enhance your relationship and assist you pinpoint the reason for sexual disfunction. There square measure many totally different planned models of a sexual response cycle. The one that's reviewed here is one in all the a lot of ordinarily quoted.
What square measure the phases of the sexual response cycle?
The sexual response cycle has been represented as having four phases:1.Desire (libido).2.Arousal (excitement).3.Orgasm.4.Resolution.Both men and girls will expertise these phases, though the temporal order could also be totally different. for instance, it's extremely unlikely that each partners can reach coming at identical time. additionally, the intensity of the response and therefore the time spent in every section varies from person to person. many ladies will not undergo the sexual phases during this order.
Need for intimacy
A need for intimacy could also be a motivation for sexual intercourse in some people. Understanding these variations could facilitate partners higher perceive one another’s bodies and responses, and enhance the sexual expertise.
Several physiological changes could occur throughout totally different stages of sexual intercourse. people could expertise some, all or none of those changes.

Phase 1: Need

General characteristics of this section, which might last from a couple of minutes to many hours, and should embody any of the following:
• Muscle tension will increase.
• Heart rate quickens and respiration gets quicker.

Hi all, was wondering if I could get some advice for how to best approach this last 2.5 weeks of studying. I took FL1 3 weeks out and am planning to take at least 2 of FLs 2,3,4 before my test date on 3/14. Other than reviewing my exams thoroughly and continuing with Anki, what are some good study tips to increase score in these last few weeks?
I have been studying since mid January, but studying hard (25 hours a week or so) since late February as a full time student and employed part time. I finished UWorld and am nearly done with the Pankow P/S deck and Milesdown for Bio, Biochem, Physics, O Chem, G chem etc.

Hey y’all I am very curious as to if anyone else has experienced this. The last LO I had is the one I’m still moving on from. It’s mostly just wondering what they’re up to and why I wasn’t enough, but slowly, I’m letting go of him. I had just realized upon looking at a photo of him and the girl that traumatized me as a child, they look the same. Literally he is a boy version of her. Same face and hair, same zodiac sign, both Tauruses (I don’t think Tauruses are bad or anything I’m just pointing out a similarity they have in common). Similar personalities. Both selfish and rude to me. The girl who traumatized me as a child, was my childhood best friend, who turned out to be very verbally, abusive, as well as emotionally, and occasionally physically. She really messed me up and I cut her off when I was 10. but definitely left me with scars that affects the way I see myself to this day. I think the reason I liked him, the real reason, is because he reminded me of her. Just in the way, they both look and how similar they seem. I think I wanted a do over where he would be like my best friend (the best friend she never was) only I would also be dating him and he would make up for the pain that I suffered as a child from the girl that looks just like him. Literally they look like they could be twins or at the very least siblings. I’m wondering did any of you choose a LO who looks like the person who traumatized you or reminds you of them? Genuinely curious. Also did you ever stop finding your LO attractive and realized their average or ugly at best? I feel like it’s been happening to me as I let this go.

Most things in life honestly feel like a chore. I had a minor accident earlier and snapped into a fit of rage over it. Feels like I live in a world where no one understands me. Can't connect to other people and the small things that do bring me joy barely even do anything for me. I'm not talented or special in anyway.
Been to a doctor several times. Gave me an antidepressant to take. Probably should've tapered a bit more when getting off of it and now I think I might have permanent or long-term side effects from it. Anxiety has severely increased to the point where I've been to the ER several times over panic attacks and struggle just getting through work everyday because of it. Seems like there might be something wrong with my health but don't know what. Pushed doc and endocrinologist to get me thoroughly tested and everything seems fine so who knows what's wrong, but they just want to put me in therapy for anything else health related.
Only thing I really wish I got to experience up to this point was love, but I don't see that ever happening. Can't and probably won't ever find a girlfriend. Maybe it's because I'm too ugly, awkward, or something else. Maybe my circumstances just won't allow it. Even if I did, the idea of someone genuinely connecting and understanding me like that feels unreal.

Chapter 5 Know Your Foe
Section 3 Eldar
(i) Aspect warriors are the elite ( if such a word can be used for these pitiful aliens ) fighting force of the eldar army. Each type will have specially adapted weaponry and armor to best aid him is their particular field of combat. Striking Scorpions are the close combat specialists, Howling Banshees are shock troops and Fire Dragons are tasked with hunting out tanks.
Do not let the emotive names these troop types carry intimidate you. These warriors have developed their techniques to allow them to excel at one specific battlefield role. This means that they have a doze other weakness for you to exploit! Unlike the divine adaptability of a man, these creatures are boxed into one function, ripe to be taken apart.
For example, Striking Scorpions can be cut down with sustained volley fire, long before they reach our lines, and the lightly armoured Banshees can be rent asunder with a few well placed frag grenades.

(ii) Eldar Defenders are those eldar rounded up to fight. They are not natural warriors and are often mystified by the roar and confusion of battle. Treat them like errant children, for such they are.

Hi, I switched from a Samsung C9 Pro to a Samsung A53 and have a different keyboard layout for the alternate characters (q to p on the A53 is + × ÷ = / _ < > [ ] while the C9 Pro was ? ! / ... @ : ; & ^ ~) Any way to restore the old keyboard? Or manually change the alternate characters? The normal keys (numbers, letters, Enter etc.) are all fine, it's just the special characters.
Thank you for any help!

It's been... way too many years to be hung up on an ex. It's been embarrassing how long I've been unable to let go of our breakup. It should be over and done with, but a part of me continues to suffer.
Our love was spiritual, and it is something I've been unable to experience with another man. I only know my own life, but I feel this was the kind of love and passion that most don't get to experience to such depths. Although, maybe that is what made it all unhealthy and risky. When he left (we had too many conflicting life changes going on), he took a piece of my soul with him and left me basically with PTSD since I did not handle this breakup well. I thought we would be forever. I waited for him for a long time in limbo with the thought he had to come back around. At times, he would send me small messages, and I kept hoping, praying, and dreaming that he would come back around, that he would open up his damn eyes and see that this was a love worth fighting for, but he didn't. Despite my strong feelings and my obsession that only got worse, I never crossed any lines. I respected all boundaries. I waited... I waited... I waited... I begged the universe for him to open up his eyes and see that this love was truly special. I was unheard.
​

• I think about him every day constantly. He is an impulsive thought.
• Whenever I feel oddly sad and reflect inward, I see him and the pain.
• When I feel lonely, he is the first one on my mind.
• When I try to get close to another man, there is only so much I can give, since it is not him.
• I write letters of all the things I wish I could say to him, but can't/wouldn't. Rage, desperation, to love. No amount of writing brings me relief.
• When terrible things popped up in my life or important tasks need my full attention, he still is in my mind as a high-priority thought/issue even when logically he isn't. It is very hindering.
• I'm forced to keep this from everyone since I KNOW it is crazy when generally, I'm a pretty normal woman.
• When I fall asleep at night, I try hard not to, but I think of myself standing face to face and basically giving him emotional vomit.
• I refuse to accept he is completely over me. I still think there is a thin string that connects us, but there probably isn't. Honestly, he probably rarely thinks about me, although a part of me doesn't want to accept that.

It's been years of this hell. He won't stop haunting me.
Would you believe it? There was a short period of time that I had a chance to sway him to my side. He reflected on our past, and instead of elation, I felt horror. It completely caught me off guard... this is what I've been dreaming of, right?! I realized then...
...after sitting with this pain for years, even if I could have him, I couldn't ever TRUST him again.
I was hurt too badly. I went through hell waiting and wishing for him only to find out that I couldn't even stomach the chance he gave me. My own suffering of missing him made me unable to have him. It is the most backward f'ed up outcome. I thought maybe this realization would help me with closure. While it provided me with more insight, it did not.
One day, I realized I started to feel it weigh less on me, but then he came back around bc of some old mutual friends, and he came back with a pretty girl. I felt like I was ready to vomit out my heart. It added fuel to the flames of my pain. I don't blame him at all for finding another, and I don't know if saying I'm jealous is the right word since I know I couldn't even stomach being with him again... but I can't help but want him to suffer with me some. If I can't find that deep surreal love again, why should he? I don't want to be that bitter, but I am. Now my thoughts and wonders are intense again regarding this new girl.
​

• Does he feel as strongly for her as he did for me?
• Is he able to tap into the same amount of surreal passion as he did for me?
• Will he stay with her forever? Is she "the one" for him?
• Does he talk about me and what we had?
• Is their connection even stronger than his and mine was?
• Does he think about me when he holds her?
• Does he struggle too since he is haunted by the past?
• Is he happier with her than he was with me?

​
As much as I want to, I can't be happy for him. I find myself spiteful enough to hope that she casually breaks his heart. At the same time, I stop myself, I don't actually want to spread pain. I think I just don't find it fair that I've suffered so deeply alone when he might have, but more than likely moved on and didn't get to this bat-shit level about it. I know this kind of inability to move on is unhealthy, so I doubt he feels the same... If he did, he would have come back around before it hit the point of no return.
I want to bash my head into the wall to stop thinking about him and the lost love/passion. I'm better than this. I'm not some immature girl, I'm a grown woman with plenty to offer, but I'm caught in this damn loop. I feel like a deep part of me keeps crying out for him, but in reality, it is crying out for a past that is long gone. Seeing him with another girl means he could be giving her what I do desperately crave; that depth. I'm guessing this is kinda what a drug addict might feel even after they quit; they remember that peak high that they can't get anywhere else and is no longer an option.
Sometimes, I just want to send him a stupidly long message. Like, I might feel better if he actually knew how much I suffered, BUT I won't do that. That is actually crazy, and nothing good will come out of it. I do feel the need to express... but how many times do I have to vent online to strangers?! Write letters I can never send?! Meditate on it?! It is never enough. I don't know how to cleanse myself from this pain.
I have been diagnosed with OCD in the past, and I'm sure that is a HUGE part of this, and I need to go back to therapy. I need to figure out some things with my insurance before that, but I doubt they will help. No, I'm not a professional, but I've done an incredible amount of research and deep diving into myself to try to heal from this. Nothing ever works.
Currently, I'm talking to the sweetest guy. He is a gentleman and has a heart of gold, and yet... it isn't that surreal passion like I had with my ex. I try so hard to not compare, but it is hard for me not to. My end isn't dizzy just from him walking by. I also have a hard time now in any relationship; if such a deep love left me, the rest probably will. I can't go through this again. It is easy to say I just need to find the "right one" but again, I think what my ex and I had was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It feels like I lost my soulmate even though I don't believe in such things. I don't know how else to word it though.
I don't want this to haunt me until the end of time. I'm tired of a heartbreak/painful emptiness being such an everyday part of my life. It's always... wake up/think about him/get dressed/think about him/eat/work&think about him.... and so on. It makes me cringe. It has even driven me to the point I thought I was better off not alive just so I can escape the cycle of thinking about him. It is absolutely ridiculous, and I hate myself for letting it have so much control over my life. I wish I could just rip it out of my head, heart, soul... I wish I never met him. I am traumatized.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Again, I've expressed myself, but I feel no better. I wish I wasn't so pathetic.

sorry ang haba, pero i really need to get if off my chest nga and know other people’s opinion.
i’ve been together with my friends for almost 9 years, give or take. granted i’m only in my 20s, and so are my friends, pero matagal na rin kami magkasama in our young life. dahil sakanila, i slowly learned how to become a better version of myself. i owe a lot of my growth to their love and patience. of course, hindi rin sila perfect, but we stuck together through thick and thin.
ldr kaming magkakaibigan. they live near each other pero they still need to schedule their meetings sa super busy ng acads and hectic ng city. meanwhile, i live in another island. i need to ride a plane to cover our distance. they get to meet each other from time to time and i haven’t met two of them in almost 5-7 years. we knew each other irl bago kami nag ldr, pero we spent most of our friendship online. hindi ako nagseselos or nagagalit na they get to meet at hindi nila kaya pumunta sa city ko (i’ve been to their city once just to specifically meet them, pero di parin kami nakapagkita, even when i told them i’m coming over at least 2 months before my flight. again, i wasn’t angry, just a bit disappointed but i don’t hold it against them). it’s just safe to say at this point na online friends nalang kami sa tagal namin di nagkikita.
the thing is, i’m emotionally detached (thanks to how my parents raised me rin) and struggle with maintaining relationships, kahit platonic. it took me 2 years being with them so i can open up. not to sound emo or edgy, pero i just struggle in having meaningful connections with other people. my friends are the only ones i’m putting an effort for. i always have to consciously choose them again and again, to remind myself na i do care and love them, na it’s just my depression telling me to self-isolate. so yes, sila lang talaga ang friends ko na i hold dearly.
one of my bestfriend’s boyfriend is, like, shit tbh. he’s depressed (there’s nothing wrong with that) pero he uses that as like a shield or an excuse for his behavior. like, he told my best friend he thinks na she’s asking a bit too much (she’s not!! very low maintenance and understanding friend ko) pero he’s doing barely the bare minimum. for example, he thinks na she can ride a grab on her own at 11pm-12am and he doesn’t think na parang need naman na iwalk out sya. literally, he only has to wait with her outside his condo. he says it’s his first relationship (first rin ng friend ko) and he didn’t grow up with a dad (my dad isn’t dead pero with how he emotionally neglected me since childhood, it’s almost i don’t have a dad rin, kaso you don’t see me using that as an excuse to be shitty). before all that pa, i just knew i didn’t like him kasi he’s too clingy and love bombing kahit friends pa sila. i didn’t like him as her friend, and lalo na as her boyfriend, pero i wasn’t against their relationship. i didn’t tell her to break up. i just said na i don’t like him pero as long as she’s happy and she’s treated right (this was before the example i gave), then ok na sakin.
my other friend has her own problems. she’s insecure and unconsciously craves validation and wants romance. i, for one, know na she’s not ready for it talaga, pero she really wants to have a relationship that she sometimes cries and all we can do is comfort her. aware rin sya na hindi to healthy, pero she can’t herself. this has been happening for years throughout our friendship. she was talking to someone and we knew about it, and i more or less support her. idk much about the guy, kasi i’m not always active in our gc, pero ik enough to know who he is, just not enough to have an opinion about him.
what made us argue is that i, apparently, criticize their men too much. aaminin ko na sometimes i can’t control it, like a slip of the tongue, pero i stop myself and apologize if i do. i don’t participate in gc convos about their men kasi ik wala akong magandang masasabi, and i don’t wanna ruin that for them. they had a double date and nagsend sila ng pics sa gc. nagasaran kami, along with my other friend, with how their boyfriends posed.
i want to point out na my best friend’s boyfriend is ugly. he knows, she knows, everyone knows. i usually don’t hold a person’s physical appearance against them, pero if he has a shitty personality and ang panget nya pa?? pick a struggle. when they sent pics, inasar namin sila na parang funny sila mag pose. not their looks or clothes, pero posing lang. apparently, that was shitty of us and nahurt sila. i was surprised kasi nagaasaran naman kami sa isa’t isa, very mild lang sya in my opinion, but they didn’t like it.
i guess nahurt ako kasi i was acting the same, how i would usually act to them, pero if they think na it was a bitch of me to do, does this mean the whole time tinotolerate nila ako? i was an angry person before, i haven’t come to terms to my relationship with my parents, kaya i hated everyone and myself. thanks to them, i’ve become a bit happier and softer, resigned. i try to be extra soft to one of them kasi she’s sensitive (again, nothing wrong) pero i also don’t want to be a completely different person to make them comfortable. sometimes iniisip ko why i’m still friends with her when i always have to change for her, but she rarely does for me. i guess i do love them kahit ganun.
ever since they had a boyfriend/fling, i felt like i was walking on eggshells around them. i can’t ignore the fact na may relationships sila kasi it’s part of their life, so i try to be part of it rin, pero we keep arguing about it. they sort of, not directly, implied na maybe di ko maintindihan cause i was single.
obviously, i apologized na inasar ko boyfriends nila pero i pointed out ang hypocrite nila before ghosting them. it’s normal for me to ghost them, they know na sometimes i really do self-isolate myself and i need time, and i’m thankful na they will always wait for me. they messaged me na they’re sorry and they miss me, and that i can take my time again. pero they don’t know na i’m thinking of ending our friendship.
the moment i felt like i need to change because of these new men in their life, i knew na di ko matitiis. of course they’re still maturing when it comes to romantic relationships, pero i refuse to be disrespected during their growth phase. i’ve been on their side the same they’ve always been mine, but i’m not gonna stay and argue with them because of other people.
so am i overreacting? my sibling thinks na my emotions are justified, but we have the same parents who emotionally neglected us so maybe that fucked up our perception of relationships. i confided with another friend and she told me na valid actions ko. is it?
tl;dr: i got hurt and ghosted my friends when we argued over their boyfriends/flings and i’m planning to end our friendship.

Hi! This is the first post in what I hope to be (about) a 7 part series following the adventures of a human destroyer with a crew who was not trained for diplomacy becoming the last chance for peace between two alien species who aren’t very happy that their first contact with humanity is a purpose-built warship blundering into their space. Kida sorta. This is my first time writing anything like this, or really anything at all for public viewership, so feedback is welcome!
This is the prologue, the framing sequence is kinda vague here, this is mostly just to set up the main cast of this show and the titular gunboat, the UNS Crazy Train, so apologies if it drags a bit in a couple places, but I figured it’d be best to exposit now and focus on a more character driven story later (unless y'all really like exposition). Future chapters will probably use the memory transcription framing sequence, the next one will for sure, but I'm not great at writing in first person, so it depends after that. I’m aiming for one post a week, but IRL may have other plans for me.
Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for his original series, The Nature of Predators, It is very good! Read it if you haven’t because, 1:why are you on the NoP subreddit without reading NoP? Silly. And 2:None of this will probably make sense unless you already know a good chunk of NoP’s plot.
I started working on this before part 98 came out, but this story is not set in the primary canon, so effectively that's about where it diverges from the normal timeline. I'll do my best to avoid contradicting lore from before 99 wherever possible!
That's enough introduction, on with the prologue!

Historical Record: July 12th, 2137
“Captain Krenshaw?”
The captain didn’t look up from his datapad, beckoning the visitor into his office. Probably just another new batch of paperwork for me to sign. While he was enthusiastic about captaining the UNS Crazy Train, the first in the UN’s new class of siege-breaker destroyers, he hadn’t anticipated the amount of documents he would have to sign and submit before. Liability waivers for every new piece of equipment on board, confirmations of deliveries of a dozen different ammo types, and signing the admittance documents for every one of the six hundred and thirty souls on board. Maybe the engineers have a new type of wrench they need approval to distribute to the workstations, he thought with a rueful smile.
The ship had been scheduled to launch five days prior, but the fueling shuttle had somehow brought fuel rods half again too long to fit in the reactor, and so the geniuses in engineering had figured out a way to cut them down to size. It was faster than waiting for replacements, but by no means a fast process, and some logistician had decided to take advantage of the ship sitting in dry dock above Mars and managed to add thirty tons of cargo to the manifest.
“The last of the ammunition has been loaded, we have one last matter to attend to before we are cleared for cast off.” The visitor said while handing him a clipboard.
The captain stood, recognizing the voice of Commander Wilson, his second in command and long time friend. If the commander was hand-delivering a hard copy, this must be an important piece of cargo. A cursory reading of the document proved him right, much to his consternation.
“We’re transporting war criminals now, Hanah? I thought four hundred incendiary bombs for the Fissan’s new “terraforming” project was a bit much, Lieutenant Kiref was already complaining about how he wouldn’t get any time to train with his marines with all this guard duty, and now he’s going to have to have to incorporate at least ten people into prisoner watch.”
Wilson shrugged. “I tried to argue with them, but apparently these criminals need to be delivered to the Venlil High Courts pronto. UN command wants any Arxur sympathetic to our cause to know that we don’t use exterminator tactics on defectors.”
Krenshaw sighed, “Great, just what I need to be worried about, racist pyromaniacs on a ship packed to the brim with napalm charges. I suppose I should go and talk to them before we set off, acceptable conduct and all that.” He rolled his eyes. “We’re ready to go other than that?”
Wilson nodded, and Krenshaw followed her out of his office, leaving her in the battle bridge to make final preparations, while the captain got in a lift down to the dock connecting them to the Martian Shipyards.
As he passed the levels, he again marveled at the warship he was now in command of. The Crazy Train was not a particularly large ship, coming in at just under half a klick long and a quarter of that in width and an eighth in height, but the armor made her literally second to none. While the lower half of her twin hulls were armored comparably to any other human warship, the top halves were covered and connected by a series of armor plates collectively thicker than the wingspan of Earth’s largest fighter, not even including spacing. In order to account for her massive weight, the four primary propulsion thrusters (one at the front and rear of each hull) could rotate to face straight down for atmospheric flight.
Her design had been the result of information gleaned during the UN Shadow Fleet’s marauding attack through Chief Hunter Shaza’s sector, notably the complete lack of any anti-capital ship weapons on the surface of any of the Arxur cattle worlds. A conversation with some of the Arxur sympathetic to humanity, and interrogation of one of the cattle farm overseers revealed the reason: apparently, about sixty years ago a cattle world had been drained of guards for another all-out attack, leaving just under one hundred Arxur in charge of roughly three thousand Mazics. One stampede later, and the Arxur had lost control of the farm and all of its anti-starship heavy plasma railguns. The facility was removed with antimatter bombs, but over a hundred bombers were lost in an operation that, had the guns not been operational, could have been handled by three or four. Rather than rework their entire military strategy to rely on smaller, more flexible forces that didn’t require reducing entire galactic sectors to skeleton crews, the Arxur just moved all the heavy guns to orbital installations.
As a result, the UN commissioned three new classes of warship under “Project Rustler,” with the objective of creating purpose-built warships for eliminating orbital defense platforms and liberating cattle farms. The designers of the Crazy Train had come up with the quintessentially human tactic of building a ship so heavily armored and with such powerful engines that she could hard burn past the platforms, dumping dozens of boarding torpedoes and enough countermeasures to cloak a small fleet in her wake, hover above the farm, drop the onboard detachment of marines to the surface, rescue as many cattle as possible, and escape virtually unharmed due to the upper armor plate being thick enough to take dozens of shots that would split a larger ship in two in stride.
Captain Krenshaw’s musings were interrupted by the bell indicating someone else was getting on the lift. The doors slid open, and the massive form of an Arxur blocked the doorway before quickly ducking inside the elevator.
“Mornin’ Captain” growled Lieutenant Kiref, crouching slightly to avoid whacking his head on the seven foot tall ceiling. “I’m heading down to the docks to take delivery of that batch of prisoners. Where are you headed?”
“Same place actually, I figured you might need some help.”
The Lieutenant waved his tail to indicate his skepticism. “Captain, I am more than capable of taking delivery of three Venlil, who are already cuffed. If they are that heavy, I can requisition some marines to help drag their bodies to their cells after they faint. Why are we hauling prisoners anyway? The version of the orders I got were blocked out.”
“Kiref, these are war criminals, exterminators deployed with the UN army on an Arxur scientific research base.”
Kiref cut in, “Well at least they should be accustomed to seeing sentient predator species then, shouldn’t that make them easier to handle?”---”Sir?” quickly correcting his mistake. Captain Krenshaw is tolerant of a lack of decorum, but I really need to get the hang of these human honorifics for the next time I have to justify my service to some admiral Kiref internally chastised himself.
“They were found by their commanding officer after having burned several defectors to death, so I think fainting is nowhere near the worst situation we could have.” Kiref’s yellow slitted eyes went wide, then narrowed with anger. “What’s more, there was another defector who was still on fire, and survived, so this will definitely go public. The UN wanted to try the exterminators at the Hague, make sure everybody else knows that’s not how humanity treats defectors and POWs, but Tarva insisted that they be tried on Venlil Prime. The UN wants to announce the trial before the story breaks, so the prisoners are taking the next ship to Venlil Prime, which is us.”
“Thanks for the heads up, and glad to know the ship’s leaving soon.” The captain nodded in agreement to the last sentiment, as the doors to the lift opened, revealing the ready deck, which was supposed to be kept clear for troops and equipment for planetary landings, but which was currently packed to the brim with shipping containers full of napalm and canned fruit. The pair made their way through the labyrinth to the airlock connecting the Crazy Train to the dock, Kiref taking note of the lack of any dropships within the hangar.
“Captain, has there been any word on when we will be taking on any landing vessels, and of what type they may be? I was hoping to run disembarkation drills with the landing party.”
“Some new Nevok design they don’t want to be sending the schematics over long range broadcast, probably a good idea given how poor the cybersecurity on those old Fed transmitters is.” The captain replied, with a chuckle at the last part. “You should have at least some time to train on the way to the rest of the fleet. I understand you had planned on using the ready deck to train for surface combat, but since that isn’t an option, I’ll set aside the living quarters and sickbay for the freed prisoners as a simulation for boarding actions.”
Kiref swung his tail in a gesture of appreciation. “I thank you for your consideration sir. I will make sure my men will be capable of securing any ship in the Dominion or Federation within less than a half an hour after boarding.”
Stepping through the airlock, the pair walked onto the dock, which was as large as a highway, and populated sparsely by crewmen loading the last few containers and a squad of marines who snapped to attention as the two officers walked passed. Sticking out like a sore thumb among all the sailors were three of the baldest looking Venlil either man had ever seen seated in benches a little way down the dock, flanked by four uncomfortable looking guards in UNMP uniforms. Upon seeing the alien’s strange haircuts, Kiref glanced quizzically at his commanding officer, who just muttered “exterminators” in response, causing Kiref to roll his eyes. The exterminators were wearing hand (or paw) cuffs clearly designed for someone much larger than them, and The lead exterminator, judging by the insignia pinned to his fire-resistant uniform, glared at Kiref with a look that betrayed not so much fear as anger and disgust.
As Captain Krenshaw began signing over custody of the prisoners, the lead exterminator let out a yell. “Hey human! You know you got a monster in your crew?” The captain put down his pen and turned to face the Venlil, a terrifying look in his eye that made the other two Venlil back down. The leader carried on, oblivious “We could take care of it for you! That thing’s a danger to anybody on board, at least get your chief of security to confine it to a cell!”
Lieutenant Kiref snapped his eyes over to the Venlil, and unsheathed his claws, causing the exterminator to take an involuntary step back. “I’m sorry prisoner,” said the Arxur, his every syllable dripping with venom “I didn’t quite hear you, would you care to repeat that?”
The captain jumped between the two aliens. “THAT’S ENOUGH!”
“Look, human, that thing-”
“I SAID ENOUGH. For future reference, his name is Lieutenant Kiref, not ‘it,’ mine is Captain Krenshaw, not ‘human,’ and as commander of my ship’s marine detachment, he is the security chief. You are under his charge for the duration of our voyage, so I suggest you treat him with the respect he is due.” The captain turned to the Lieutenant. “Take these war criminals to the brig. You know the handbook on prisoner transport inside and out, I trust you will have no problem keeping them confined?”
“None whatsoever” said Kiref, grinning at the now cowering Venlil. He motioned for two marines who were coming back from the interior of the shipyard, and the three of them escorted the cuffed Venlil into the bowels of the ship.
The captain sighed and turned back to the four military police officers, and finished filling out the clipboard before handing it back to the officer who had given it to him.
“Safe travels, captain, and good luck” The man said.
“Thanks, we’ll definitely need it.” Captain Krenshaw turned and began calling over his radio to the crew, “Alright, seal all airlocks, disconnect all umbilicals and prepare to release docking clamps, we will be underway within the hour.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ship wasn’t under way for very long.
The UNS Crazy Train exited hyperdrive about four lightyears from the edge of the Sol system, just over a day and a half after departure in a patch of seemingly uninteresting space. Captain Krenshaw ran onto the bridge, disheveled but attempting to put on a professional face, buttoning the last button on his jacket. “What’s the status?” This was a charted area of space, if there had been an asteroid or large space rock,it should have been marked on the map, and the only other plausible option was an enemy fleet, which seemed absent.
Commander Wilson turned at his entrance, vacating the command chair “We’re not sure what it is, the automated navigator detected an absurdly large object in our path, but only picked it up at the last second, and was able to break us out of FTL within just forty klicks of the object. Scanner Officer Casey is investigating now, but we haven’t seen anything since going sunlight.”
The captain took a seat and looked over at the sensor station. “Any ideas yet Caysey?” Officer Casey was by far both the youngest and least experienced member of the Crazy Train’s bridge crew, but Krenshaw was somewhat concerned with the Dossur’s ability to perform his duties under stress. He had been diagnosed with “predator disease” which manifested as an extreme lack of fear response, which meant that he was capable of exchanging small talk over lunch with Kiref for three whole minutes before fainting. Krenshaw had been assured multiple times that the diminutive officer would be just fine in performing his duties as long as the enemies stayed on the other side of a screen, and the Dossur’s natural extremely fast reflexes proved Caysey was adept at identifying and distinguishing targets, so the captain was hopeful, if a bit cautious.
Caysey looked up from his screen, his field of view severely limited by his blinders. “Captain, the only thing that could have blipped into and immediately out of sensor range that fast was another ship passing dangerously close without announcing it’s heading, headed inbound for Earth.”
“An invasion fleet perhaps? Should we turn around?”
“I don’t think so, It would have skipped in front of us for a fraction of a second. The object was detected for over a second, at the speeds we’re talking about, in order to do that the ship would have to be literally light-seconds long, and wide too given the distance this thing seems to stretch on to the sides” The scanner officer looked back to his panel and took several deep breaths before continuing. “I think sensor error is the more likely option. Possibly also some sort of energy field orbiting a local sun at superluminal speeds, but that’s not supported by any scientific theories I know of,” Caysey hastily added.
“I think we’ll avoid examination of theoretical physics for now, drop a beacon and we’ll see if anyone wants to send out a science ship later, helm, continue at sunlight speeds until we clear this field.” The captain said, relaxing a bit. We were needed at the front weeks ago, every day we aren’t there, more people die in Arxur farms.
The ship slowly trundled forwards at sunlight speeds for a few minutes, all eyes were looking at their instruments. The bow punched into the zone, the bridge crew collectively taking deep breaths.
“We should be clear in twenty seconds” Wilson called out.
The whole ship was in the space where the disturbance had been now.
“Fifteen seconds…”
No objects on scanners within the collision warning perimeter
“Ten seconds…”
The bow had reached the far side.
“Five…”
With one and a half seconds to go, Caysey yelled out “WAIT-” but it was too late. Within half a second the entirety of the UNS Crazy Train was engulfed in a bizarre energy field. The standard lighting on the bridge cut out and the emergency bulbs burst from the power surge, plunging the ship into total darkness. The ship rocked violently as the engines gimbaled in random directions. Faster than even the Dossur could react, every electrical system on the ship was flooded with power levels dozens of times higher than what they had been designed to handle. The helmsman screamed as his hands were electrified by the absurd amperage traveling through the ship’s wheel. The ship's reactors tripped, dropping the control rods within another half second, triggering warnings on every panel on the engineering decks.
Within another second the energy had passed, leaving the Crazy Train drifting lifeless in deep space. The turbines slowly winding down triggered the emergency batteries to connect to the ships power, keeping the remaining systems functional, for now. The backup computer activated, rerouting power through backup conduits wherever possible, and developing a list of what needed to be replaced.
Captain Krenshaw was the first to get to his feet. “Is anyone injured?”
“Helmsman Jones' hands are burned pretty badly, should I escort him to sickbay?” said Commander Wilson, helping the injured man to his feet.
“Please do, then help Dr. Mulvan get a triage going.” The captain replied. “Is there anything on scanners, Caysey?
“No s-sir” panted Caysey slowly getting to his fleet. “I should be able to check the beacon we dropped just before we entered the field.” The Dossur was quiet for several seconds. “Sir our comms and scanners may be more damaged than the computer says, I can’t even establish that the beacon is there. Should I launch another?”
“If we have that functionality, then do so. It seems your superluminal energy field hypothesis may have some merit after all” replied the captain, still a bit shaken.
Caysey punched a few buttons before frowning. “The next beacon is launched, and it’s meeting all expected readings. It’s like the other probe just disappeared.”
Krenshaw didn’t give it much thought, contacting engineering to see when the situation on damage control was. The damage turned out to have been mostly superficial or to redundant components, mainly to lighting systems and some CIWS targeting systems. All things that could be replaced in-flight or swapped out quickly at the next port. The only crucial component the ship was missing was the long range communications array, leading to the captain's decision to continue on towards Venlil Prime. At least they have an approach vector lined up for us, we would be cruising into extremely heavy traffic with no comms and dodgy sensors if we head back to Earth. So much for a peaceful maiden voyage, although at least it’s not the worst thing that could have happened...

Thanks for reading, it means a lot! Again, thanks to SpacePaladin15 as well! Hope to see y'all next time on Gunboat Diplomacy!
(also did anybody else know disembarkation was the proper word? I just kinda assumed it was disembarkment until google and spellcheck corrected me)

Once upon a time, it was commonplace for online games to have subscription fees. The earliest popular graphical online games, including Ultima Online and EverQuest, all had recurring service fees, as did many games that came after, such as Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft.
That model has largely given way to the "freemium" model where the publishers give the game itself away for free, but much of the game's content is locked behind the choice of either extended play times "grinding" for materials, or the option of skipping that grind with a real-money payment.
However, some games have both, and that usually includes the longest-lived and most-successful ones. Sega's ten-year-on Phantasy Star Online 2 is free-to-play, but has extensive cash purchases and also has a "premium" subscription available. In Final Fantasy XIV and the venerable World of Warcraft, the subscription fee is still required despite the presence of a cash shop.
carmeet
Grand Theft Auto Online has a lot of similarities to what we usually think of as qualities of "MMO" games. While it isn't "massively multiplayer" on a local scale—sessions normally include a maximum of 32 players—there are tens of thousands of players online at any given moment. It has named player characters with persistent progress and all of the other things we think of from MMO games: equipment, appearance customization, player housing, difficult multiplayer "raid" events, and so on.
With that context in mind, it probably shouldn't be a surprise that Rockstar is launching a subscription service for GTA Online. It's called GTA+, and it costs $6 a month. Ponying up for the premium subscription earns you a cool $500,000 in the in-game GTA$ currency every month and extra GTA$ on "Shark Cards," as well as exclusive benefits. Here's the list of benefits for the first month: The Principe Deveste Eight — along with a complimentary Hao’s Special Works upgrade for it before it is made available to purchase by the general public — plus the HSW Orange Trip and HSW CMYK Glitch Liveries. The Auto Shop located in La Mesa, introduces an assortment of gameplay updates from Los Santos Tuners. Current Auto Shop owners can relocate to La Mesa at no additional cost. Waived LS Car Meet Membership fees. Current LS Car Meet members with GTA+ will be reimbursed GTA$50,000 during this event period. Yacht owners can upgrade to the Aquarius Super Yacht at no additional cost. The Gussét Frog Tee and Broker Prolaps Basketball Top and Shorts automatically added to your wardrobe. The Conveyor Livery for the Mammoth Avenger, HVY APC, and TM-02 Khanjali. A selection of free paints and emblems for the Auto Shop. 3X GTA$ and RP on Hao’s Special Works Race Series. 2X Car Meet Rep on the Street Race Series. It would be easy to criticize Rockstar for this move because the company has already taken $60 of your money for the game. That's to say nothing of the grind-heavy nature of GTA Online that practically forces players to purchase Shark Cards for in-game currency if they want to make progress at any kind of reasonable rate. There's also the fact that the company is charging money for what is honestly an extremely minor update on the current-generation consoles.
In the interest of fairness, though, we'll note that many players who bought GTA V (including GTA Online) purchased it nearly a decade ago. Just like other major online games, GTA Online has seen years of additional content and improvements through continual updates, and that stuff does cost money to create.
deveste eight The Principe Deveste Eight, one of the rewards for subscribing this month.
If you own GTA V, you don't actually have to pay Rockstar anything to play it for the rest of eternity, so giving players an option to spend a little every month to support continued development is fair. However, the list of benefits, at least for the first month, is pretty weak.
There's another caveat, too: this program is only available to players on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. We've asked Rockstar if GTA+ will be coming to the PC version, and will update this post if we get a response.

The time has came, and I'm finally getting a brand new BMW. I've already decided that it will be either 540i xDrive or 545e - it might be a last chance to get 6 pot engine in sensible money. Bad part of this is that it limits my budget for options a lot and I will probably pass on at least some.
There are a few options I'm wondering, whether they are good or not and I would be happy to hear from current owners. There are few things I'm 100% taking, as heated seats, comfort seats, heated wheel, backing camera, whole Business Paket, and I have a little more budget for some extra things.
I would be happy, if any of you guys and gals who have options below could help a new guy! I have test driven many of those options and have some opinion, but at least a few were not available in test rides here in Silesia.

• Harmann-Kardon Hi-Fi - I will certainly specc into Hi-Fi, but Harmann-Kardon is double the price. Is it also double the quality? I'm not much of a loud music guy, but I hate distortions in sound, which sometimes happened in my current Jaguar XF.
• Active cruise control with stop&go - it seems on paper as great thing, but testing comparable 2022 Jaguar XF was irritating - it was leaving huge gaps, was slow to change pace and so on, but in Volvo V90 it was great. How it is in BMW? I found a test drive for tomorrow, but I'd be happy if you chimed in.
• Nappa vs Dakota - I'm certainly speccing into comfort seats, but I'm not sure if Nappa leather is better, or just prettier. It certainly looks great as Nappa Mokka, but I could spend money on some other options. Merino is probably out, as it is only specced in Poland in full leather package and would increase price of a whole car by 10%. Sensatec is out, no questions here.
• Ventilated seats - as previously, depending on car, it was either great or useless. I tested it and seems nice but weak, and it's currently -2*C in Poland so I'm not sure if it will do when it's 35 in summer.
• Laser lights - I'm certainly taking adaptive leds, but lasers seem to make difference if you have 650 meters of straight road with nothing going in front of you - and I'd be hard pressed to find such roads in southern Poland.
• 360 cameras with parking assistant - seems cool, but how is quality of that? I tested exactly one car, where I was happy with how fast it was parking, and it was BMW i7. On C-klasse it was awfully slow, as it was on V90. Okayish in XF. Also, probably something I would use extremely rarely.
• Sport brakes - this option is cheap, but does it actually change anything except for colour? It does not say clearly on BMW site. Two different salesman answered it in two very different ways...
• Galvanized/crystal additions inside - this option is cheap, but what does it actually change? Are radio buttons actually metal/glass with this options, or is it still plastic? Original plastic is a bit cheap feeling, so I'm leaning into that.
• Gesture operating - it was fun thing to play with, but 5 series have physical buttons, so I'm not sure if I would use it anyway.
• Rear steering axle - is it worth it for this car? In my current Jaguar XF I never felt I had any problems with fitting into parking slots, and salesman also said it is not worth it - on the other way, in test i7 it was magical feeling, and you can never be too agile!
• Driver assist package professional - it contains Active Cruise Control, lane assist and a few safety assistants. As before, in different cars it behaved vastly different. In V90 it was almost autonomic, in XF it was severely lacking, in C-Klasse it was... okayish?

​
You may ask why asking and not taking for test drive - I certainly will, except here test drive cars tend to not have many of those options. I've spent a lot of time trying to find a dealership where I could find both Nappa and Dakota in 5 series in the same place, and there are issues with test drives longer than 20-30 minutes.

In 2,5 weeks the Rotterdam marathon will be held. And off course I will be at the expo for picking up my BIB. Do you think there will be some specials “Marathon discounts”? special looking for an 265 or 965.

Demographics: Male, Caucasian(Middle Eastern), Michigan, Public Magnet High School, Suburban, Low Middle Class (Low income for some colleges)
Intended Major(s): Computer Science or Applied Mathematics (depends on which major I would most likely get in with because computer science is very competitive)
ACT/SAT/SAT II: Don't have one yet but have been doing practice tests with 1530+, so rn assume Test-Optional please (worst case scenario)
UW/W GPA and Rank: UW: 4.0/4.0, W: 4.87/5.0, Class Rank: 1/330
Coursework: 17 AP Classes (Took all offered at school), 4 Dual Enrollment Courses
9th: AP USH (3), AP HUG(4), Algebra 2, Health/Wellness, Biology, Spanish 3, English 10
Summer: Pre-Calculus @ local community college
10th: AP CALC AB (5), AP STATS (4), AP ES (4), AP WH(4), AP LANG(3), Honors Chemistry
11th: Dual Enrollment courses - CIS-100 and Elementary Spanish I, AP CALC BC, AP CHEM, AP GOV, AP CAPSTONE SEMINAR, AP ECON (MACRO/MICRO)
Summer: Calculus 3 @ local community college ~~~if not accepted into summer program
12th: AP BIO, AP PHYSICS 1, AP LITERATURE, AP CAPSTONE RESEARCH, AP PSYCHOLOGY, Dual Enrollment courses - Calculus 3 (if not summer) and Linear Algebra [if i do take calculus 3 in the summer then linear algebra and differential equations]
Awards:

1. 2022 Congressional App Challenge: Programmed an app about the future of AI/ML and was invited to U.S. Congress to present app
2. FIRST Robotics: District 2021 Impact Award, District 2023 Impact Award, District 2022 Engineering Inspiration Award, State 2022 Engineering Inspiration Award, First-Time World Championship Qualifier
3. 2x GLOBE IVSS Symposium 4-Stars, Top 1% of Research Papers submitted (international)
4. AP Scholar with Distinction
5. Tennis: 4x District Gold Medal, Rookie All Star, Coach's Award, 4x All-Conference Award
6. idk lol im lacking

Extracurriculars: Include leadership & summer activities

1. GLOBE Research: 2x published research; Added Atmospheric Arduino Sensors (particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ultraviolet light, and sound) onto NASA-sponsored; 2 year long project with 2 research papers.
2. FIRST Robotics: Lead Programmer; Programmed the drive and autonomous period; First-Time World Qualifier
3. Class President: 4 years; organized city-wide parades, homecoming, snow-coming, and senior prom; raised over $15,000 through fundraising
4. National Honor Society: Parliamentarian (11) -> managed school courtyards and organized school-wide pink out and blue out raising a combined total of $14,000; Vice President (12) will be organizing community-wide blood drives and awards for 100+ members
5. Key Club: Co-Founder; Media Director (10) -> created club website through HTML/CSS/JAVASCRIPT; Secretary (11) -> handled all members attendance and hours; Vice President (12) -> organized district-wide events with multiple service projects
6. Science Club: President (12) -> created 5 student-led research groups; organized science equipment; helped groups on scientific procedures; raised funding for 10+ symposiums
7. Varsity Tennis: Team Captain (11-12) -> 4-year varsity; lead team practices and drills; 1 Singles
8. Independent Research Project: Emotion Detection through Euclidean distances on facial features; published; through summer program of Inspirit AI
9. Community Religious Organization: Organized city-wide events with 50,000+ participants; (i don't wanna say the stuff bc i don't wanna dox)
10. Independent Research Project: ChatGPT accuracy on different levels of difficulty of 5th grade subjects; published
11. (for uc applications) Watershed Committee; Organized community-wide events to rehabilitate rain gardens

Essays/LORs/Other:
Personal Statement: don't know because I didn't write it yet but aiming for 10/10 :)))
Assuming from past applicants
APES TeacheResearch Advisor : 10/10. She is the best person in the world. She is the only reason why I am on this Earth, truthfully. Our relationship is amazing. She is known for amazing letter of recs in the past.
AP CHEM/Honors Chem: 7/10. Had for 2 years. Have a good student-teacher relationship. She allows use to basically 'write' our own but she changes it drastically because of FERPA
Counselor: 7/10. She uses the same format of letter of rec for every other student she has so there really isn't that much diversity. But, I am talking to her more to make sure my story really comes across.
AP Calculus AB/BC: 6/10. Had for 2 years. Was a sophomore taking ab and junior taking bc so I tried to engage myself in the classroom more with him. We have a good student-teacher relationship. Although he writes his letters of rec in under 2 hours (...LMAO) ik this from past students.
Schools: List of colleges, ED/EA/RD, etc
REA/EA:
University of Michigan -Ann Arbor (in-state)
Georgia Tech
Michigan State University
...more local/state universities
Harvard University
RD:
MIT
All ivies
Stanford
All UCs
Carnegie Mellon University
USC
​
I am only a junior so I have a long way to go. Genuinely, please chance me. I know people with better stats than me and get rejected hardcore. My AP scores are lacking big time so I am studying hard to hopefully get all 5s. Similarly for my Awards, does anybody have any advice to receive awards that are computer science base? Because all of them that I find are coding competitions and unfortunately i suck at those (trauma from 9th grade USACO training). Also, ik the SAT is weighted much more from the past years as TO applicants rise so having a good score makes your stand out more, that is my goal.
I will be deleting this post later today. Thank you.

Chapter 2 Book 1 Chapter 2—
Chris:
I watched the angel walk away.
Did she feel that too? Is that why we couldn't look away from one another?
I, Chris Wayne, for once was totally flabbergasted.
"Chris are you on your way?"
My father's voice rang through my head.
"Yes father" I mind linked back.
A perk of being a werewolf.
If you didn't count also being extremely attractive.
I shook my head to clear the image of the dark haired angel from my head.
I had bigger problems.
A rogue had entered our property today.
I jumped in my Bentley then made my way to the pack house that was located in the middle of Moonlight Woods.
It was the place the Alpha, my father, Dwayne and my mother, the Luna Nicki lived and the Beta and his family lived.
It was a very peaceful place most of the time...unless a rogue trespassed on our territory.
Then it was game on!
Wolves were known to be very territorial, and with the weight of being the next Alpha in the next few months I was all the more protective of his pack.
My father had mind linked me during class and I had been distracted when I had ran into...I frowned as I tried to remember if the angel had said her name.
No she hadn't, I realized. And she didn't look familiar, was she new?
She was beautiful though, with strange golden silvery eyes and long curly black hair. She was tan and had thick beautiful lips meant to be kissed.
My Mate.
My beautiful Mate.
I had felt the instant connection once our fingers touched.
It was how you found your Mate.
Skin to skin contact, along with electricity coursing through your body.
I'm sure that the electrical current had been felt by all of my pack, which happened when the Beta or Alpha found their Mate. Of course no one would ask unless I personally told them.
I swerved as I almost crashed into a blue sedan, due to my wandering thoughts.
I cursed as I shook my head to clear it.
The pack house came into view and so did the large group of men in front.
I jumped out and stalked to my father's side.
My father was angry, and I understood him.
A rogue was nothing to play with, who knows why he had left his previous pack.
The rouge before them was actually not a full grown man.
He looked around my age actually. He wore a black shirt, dirty jeans and tattered black boots. His blonde hair was sticking out in all places and he had bright green eyes.
Maybe in college then?
The rest of him didnt look better. He had long scratches down his face, chest and legs that had dried up blood.
Guess the pack got to him first. My father gave me a look before turning to the young rogue.
"You do know you tresspassed on my territory and I could have you killed, dont you pup?" Dwayne said in his alpha voice.
The pup stood his ground, seemingly unaffected by my father's alpha voice.
My eyes flickered to my father in surprise. Was he...?
The rouge nodded at my unanswered question.
"My name is Tyler Bay, future Alpha of the Midnight Pack a few miles away from here. My pack was attacked unexpectantly late last night.... I managed to escape..but my entire pack was annihilated...."
*********
Plans
Chris :
We entered my father's study to come up with a strategic plan.
With the help of myself, my future Beta Don and his father the current Beta Mike McMathew, my father finally decided on a solution.
Tyler sat in a seat, listening to us.
I would give him weary glances once in a while, thinking that no one should be going through this.
"We'll send Sean Paul and Frankie Hoss, our best trackers to go to your property to check things out. " My Dad said to Tyler.
He nodded his eyes dull and lifeless.
It was silent for a few minutes.
"We were totally caught off gaurd " He finally said.
We looked at him, waiting patiently .
"We were celebrating my younger brother, Matt's marriage to his Mate Kelley . Every one was happy, dancing and all of a sudden we're surrounded by these rogues...."
He swallowed convulsively before continuing.
"Clothes shred as my men shifted, protecting their Mates and siblings and pack. But not me, my gaurds forced me out the pack house. All I could do was mind link my father. He told me to leave, that he would take care of everyone . Above all he's my Alpha, and I had to listen. A few miles away, I told my gaurds to return . They should've been here by now..."
Tyler's eyes had become glassy and he kept clenching and unclenching his jaw.
"Son show Tyler to a bedroom, and with a change of clothes please. "
"Yes father" I bowed my head " Beta, Don I'll see you tomorrow. "
I led Tyler to a room, then went in search for clothes. When I drop them off I close my eyes in agony, he was sobbing in the shower.
I vowed these assholes would pay, no one should go through this!
I exited just as my father linked me to run a few rounds.
I ran till 11, not physically exhausted but mentally.
"Go on to bed Chris, you have school tomorrow " My father mind linked " We'll keep a look out for the gaurds, but either they're gone or captured."
"I agree father, good night" I climbed up the stairs and into bed.
I dreamt of my Mate, and I vowed I would find her tomorrow.
———————————————Sam————————————————
I cursed as I pulled up to my house.
His Charger was parked out front.
I checked my ipod, 6:34.
He got off of work at 6 .
I opened my door as silently as possible and closed it, silently praying that maybe he had stayed later than usual.
I had taken a few steps before a large figure loomed out of the living room.
"Where the fuck have you been?" He screamed.
Veins were bulging from his neck and forehead.
By instinct I took a step back.
"I....ummm.... I.." I stuttered over my words, fear immobilizing me.
"Don't try lying bitch! My food wasn't made and you know I hate that!" He screamed storming up to me.
joynovel

Hi there, I posted about eloping in New Orleans a couple of months ago. I have booked my ceremony at the French Quarter Chapel in early September (2024).
I am still trying to find a very nice hotel with spacious rooms, a good view, nice courtyard or rooftop bar like Hotel Monteleone, Hotel Mazarin. Omni Royal Orleans looks nice, but I feel it might have bad juju given the history I know about it. I wouldn't be opposed to staying in a locally owned guest house/ bed and breakfast like Melrose Mansion Suites, Inn on St Ann, Lanaux Mansion.
I am still trying to decide on which restaurant to have my wedding dinner at (for just my husband and I). The places I have thought of are Tableau, Compere Lapin, Galatoire's, Arnaud's, Silvain. Then any suggestions for after dinner drinking and dancing with good music (blues, jazz, rock, Zydeco even if that is more Lafayette).
I am Australian, not at all native to NOLA and wondered if anyone could recommend lovely native flowers/ florists? I am not having a goth wedding but I am planning it to be darker over traditional.
Also looking for a hair and makeup artist who can help beautify me on my special day.
Thanks in advance!