TLDR: Want to launch a one-person band performance consulting gig, working with businesses to solve issues relating to employee performance, and am interested in some advice and hearing about personal experiences from others in this area with regards to client procurement.
I'm coming towards the end of my Master's degree and for a very long while have been 100% committed to going my own way in life, starting my own thing and being self-employed rather than securing traditional employment and working for the man.
However, what I want to do is to improve the performance of those who do work for the man (or woman, indeed!). I want to go into performance consulting (or "human" performance consulting as it's sometimes called), where basically I conduct analysis, design training interventions where they are required, monitor intervention success, and make data-informed revisions/amendments to the interventions as and if needed.
The value for my clients would be in the reduction or complete eradication of (further) unnecessary financial costs arising from issues of performance, and in the optimisation of performance by their employees and therefore of their businesses overall.
As someone who has worked for just under 20 years in distribution and retail logistics, I have extensive professional experience and first-rate understanding of performance-related metrics, KPIs, targets and meeting clearly identified business goals, and am keen to help optimise people performance at work for organisational benefit overall.
It seems the market for this isn't huge, according to my independent research over the months, but there most certainly is a market. Has anyone else here in this sub gone down this route for a career (either as an independent/self-employed contractor or working for a performance consulting firm)? I'd be keen to hear particularly from the latter, and how (initial) client procurement was for you. Are most of your projects obtained through approaching companies cold or do they approach you? Many thanks in advance and sorry for a long post.

Chapter 24: Top Dog
Boys: Shawn
Girls: Heather, Lindsay
Episode 24: Top Dog
"Last time on Total Drama Action," Chris said over a shot of the film lot. "A sweet, surprise package from the outside world left Heather bitter," Heather was shown looking at her jawbreaker with disgust, "and the cast got a taste of life in zero-gravity conditions," the four were seen floating in the space shuttle.
"But all was not well in the universe as Shawn and Courtney continued to spitefully hate each other," the two mentioned were shown making comments at each other.
"In the end, Heather won the challenge," she was shown to be covered in barf, "but lost her sweet smell. Lindsay fixed things between Courtney and Shawn" she, Shawn and Courtney were shown talking, "but lost her chance to stay in the game almost. Thanks to a tiebreaker, Courtney lost the game, but won a Lame-osine ride back to the real world?" She was seen puking into her pot and entering the limo.
"Can Lindsay breathe once more now that she barely got lucky?" The dumb princess was shown in the confessional.
"Will Shawn be able to carry on without his sole alliance?" The conspiracy nut was shown looking at his tinfoil hat.
The scene flashed to Chris in front of the cast trailers. "All this and more, on today's out-of-this world episode of, Total! Drama! Action!"
XXXXX
The episode opened on a shot of the morning sun before panning down to the cast trailers. The camera centered on the girls', then cut inside as Lindsay woke up.
"That was a nice dream I had," Lindsay talked to herself while sitting up in her bunk. "Marshmallow pillows and candy rainbow pieces have never been so tasty."
She soon looked around for a bit. "Where did Heather go? I thought she would be back from showering last night."
The door opened and Heather walked in, though she was looking groggy and tired.
"Where were you all night?" Lindsay asked her roommate. "Were you out on a secret trip thanks to your immunity? Let me guess where you went. The cheese factory, Niagara Falls, or did you go to the mall?"
"Zip it!" Heather shouted. "I spent the entire evening in the bathroom."
"Why did you sleep in there?" Lindsay asked.
"That ghost slash vampire fighting freak soaked the last of the gumbo on me!" Heather complained. "It took me hours to wash the food off and make sure I smelled exquisite."
"I don't blame Shawn for what he did," Lindsay shot a glare at the queen bee's direction. "You made him get into a fight with Courtney. Things could've gotten worse if I didn't solve their problem."
"Shut up, Lame-say," Heather insulted. "That homeschooled reject is going down, and once I deal with him and you, I'll claim the grand prize."
"I have no idea how Amy could tolerate you," Lindsay told her. "You worked with her, sure, but you decided to strategize behind her back just because she had standards."
"Amy and the other contestants mean nothing to me," Heather said. "Just watch your back!"
Confessional: Heather
"I knew I'd make it to the end. Big shocker," Heather filed her nails. "I just can't believe the zombie weirdo and brainless blondie made it. So they may as well just give me the check, I mean come on. I think we all know who's gonna win."
Confessional Ends
Heather yawned and laid down on her bunk. Just then, the trailer door burst open. Chris walked in and promptly and joyfully blew a few notes on a bugle into the room. "Wake up, sleepyheads!" he announced with glee. "Breakfast is served, along with today's movie challenge. You've got ten minutes to get your sorry butts down there!" He backed out of the room.
"I bet today's genre will be "guy in a coma" movie," Heather suggested as she lied down.
"I doubt it, but I'm just going to eat breakfast," Lindsay said before leaving.
\
The scene flashed over to the craft services tent. "Wow Chef!" Shawn said in awe as the camera cut to a close-up of his plate as Chef ladled a portion of something that was pale yellow, lumpy, and slightly hairy onto it. "These scrambled eggs actually look pretty good!"
Chef looked at the theorist, then burst out into raucous laughter. "Scrambled eggs," he repeated before resuming his laughter and even falling over.
Shawn shot his food with a worried look and put it back before walking away. "I'll just eat on the leaves I've gathered."
Confessional: Shawn
"The way Chef was laughing made me believe that the scrambled eggs were too good to be true," Shawn confessed. "Or maybe they were poisoned. Or maybe they were drugged with sleeping medicine. But worst of all-"
Confessional Ends
Shawn sat next to Heather, who stopped eating once she saw him. "I gotta say, you smell pretty good," the theorist told her teasingly.
"It's just lavender soap," Heather glared. "I used three bottles of it thanks to your stunt."
"Now you know how I felt when you messed with my mind and got Courtney eliminated," Shawn said. "Zombies may eat brains, but they don't have any control over what they're doing."
"It's always supernatural stuff with you," Heather groaned. "I'm stunned Jo even likes you, but it makes sense. You two are ugly and can't dress fashionably to save your lives."
Shawn furiously got in Heather's face. "She likes me for me, and I won't change myself for her."
Confessional: Shawn
"It's one thing to be manipulative, but to insult my feelings for Jo? That's crossing the line," Shawn ranted. "Like Jo did before, I will make sure Heather loses."
Confessional Ends
The scene cut to Lindsay approaching the serving counter, only to look confused when she didn't see Chef. The cook then lifted his arm up and dropped a ladle of fake eggs onto her tray.
"Scrambled eggs?" Lindsay wondered as she looked at her plate. "It's the second episode all over again." Chef broke out laughing again behind the counter, but he managed to sit back up and wipe a tear out of his eye.
Lindsay sat down next to Shawn. "Hey Shawn. Where's your food."
"A heads up," Shawn whispered. "The eggs aren't cooked well. They're just fake."
"They looked real," Lindsay slid her tray away.
"So anyways, me and you are up against Heather, Lindsay" Shawn told her. "I know what you're gonna say."
"Let's team up and take her down," Lindsay grinned.
"It's almost like you read my mind," Shawn said, "but without being an alien."
Confessional: Lindsay
"Shawn is really cute," Lindsay admitted. "His constant nagging about his theories do bug me and he could really use a shower every once in a while, but I can see why Jo is into him."
Confessional Ends
"What can I do about the eggs?" Lindsay asked Shawn. "Chef will totally kill me with his eyes if I throw it away."
"Leave it to me," Shawn told Lindsay.
Shawn grabbed the eggs with his two hands. He mushed them together and created a ball out of the eggs. Twirling it on his finger for a brief moment, he tossed the ball away and it landed in the pot Chef was using to cook a meal. The cook stopped whistling to see what slipped in, but went about his business without a care.
"I can't believe he didn't even care," Lindsay commented.
"I don't know what Chef uses to make his food, but it's probably leftovers," Shawn said.
"Attention, cast!" Chris said, the camera cutting to him standing on the other side of the tent with a blue-and-yellow macaw perched on his shoulder. It squawked as the three contestants walked up.
"What is that parrot doing on your shoulder?" Lindsay asked.
"That's my new BFFF!" Chris explained with a grin. "Best Flying Friend Forever. That brings us to today's movie genre: the Animal Buddy flic." The three teens gave him skeptical looks.
Confessional: Chris
"You try coming up with twenty-two movie genres," Chris accused in the confessional. "It was either animal buddy, or guy in a coma movies."
Confessional Ends
"The hallmark of any good animal buddy flick is the human-animal bonding," Chris explained as his macaw watched him. "First, the human and the animal start out as enemies. Then, through many misadventures, the animal and human grow to care about each other," the camera zoomed in on the macaw as it seemed to be touched by the host's words, "and become fast friends."
The parrot rubbed Chris' chin affectionately with its head, and the host responded by extending a finger to rub the bird. However, the macaw decided to playfully chomp on the finger and squawked laughingly as the human winced in pain.
"You guys just hang tight for a sec, 'kay?" Chris told the cast with a calm look on his face. He walked off camera, and the castmates watched in mild horror as sounds of an attack were heard. Feathers flew, squawks were heard, and the host yelled "Let go of my coif!"
He walked back into view moments later, brushing the feathers off his shoulder but ignoring the ones in his now-ruffled hair. "So...where were we...?" he asked idly before smiling in realization. "Right! The first animal buddy movie challenge will be to pick an animal and teach it to be just like you," he explained as the camera panned across the wary faces of Heather, Shawn, and Lindsay. "That shouldn't be too hard, since you're all animals." A rimshot played, but none of the cast were amused.
Chris got serious again. "The cast member whose animal most resembles them at the end, wins the challenge." The contestants were shown again, and Lindsay in particular was looking pleased.
Confessional: Lindsay
"I love animals, especially dogs," Lindsay gushed in the confessional. "I even have one of my own. One time, I told my math teacher that his new hair piece looks like my dog's butt. But he totally took it the wrong way. My dog has the cutest curly little butt!" the blonde explained. "It was a compliment!"
Confessional Ends
The footage resumed at a shot of the contestants outside. "Alright cast," Chris announced, "time to meet your future BFFFFFs!" He motioned behind him, where something large and covered in an orange tarp was stationed between him and Chef. "Best Furry, Feathered, or Finned Friends, Forever!" he explained further, earning an eyeroll from the cook as he pulled away the tarp.
The four teens gasped as the four cages were uncovered. The camera focused on each animal one-by-one. First was a brown bear that roared at the cast, then a bigger cage holding a rather agitated looking shark, then a smaller cage holding a raccoon that tried to claw at them, and finally a bird cage holding a chameleon that rolled out its tongue.
"Pick an animal," Chris told the cast, "and get training. You have three hours."
"I got the raccoon!" Heather said immediately, shoving Shawn to the ground and dashing forward towards the small cage before either of the others could react.
Confessional: Heather
"I had to pick the raccoon," Heather reasonably told the viewers. "The chameleon is gross, the bear is huge, and the shark is murderous."
Confessional Ends
The scene returned to Shawn and Lindsay standing with the other animals. "I'll take the chameleon," the blonde said. "If it can change colors, I can't pass that up."
"And I'll take the bear," Shawn announced. "It has a lesser chance of eating me alive in comparison to the shark."
Chris saw that the final three have made their decision and chosen their animals, but noticed that the shark was lonely.
"So it seems they left out the shark," Chris mused. "I paid good money to bring all four of the animals out here, and I won't let any of them go to waste." He thought to himself. "What to do, what to do."
Ezekiel suddenly ran up to Chris. "Hey Chris. I'm here to help judge the animals."
"Ezekiel! Great timing," Chris piped up. "Say, do you want to pet sit for an animal while we wait for the judging part?"
"Uh, sure," Ezekiel agreed. "Which one do I have to watch over?"
"Chef, bring the pet here!" Chris ordered, causing the cook to drag the shark over to the home schooled guy."
Ezekiel's eyes almost popped out. "I have to take care of a shark? They're dangerous looking eh!"
"That's not my problem," Chris laughed while departing. "Just make sure it doesn't try to hurt the other animals. They didn't get picked, so they're sorta jealous."
All Ezekiel could do was gulp at his predicament.
\
Heather and the raccoon were sitting on a table. "I don't know if you've been tested for rabies, but I have my eyes on you, so don't try any funny business."
The raccoon snarled at her. "Hey hey! I don't want any trouble. I just want to win this challenge."
Heather pulled out a box of doggy treats. "If you behave, I'll feed this to you." This caused the raccoon to sit up straight, and Heather gave it a treat. "Good."
After devouring the treat, the raccoon held out its paw, causing Heather to awkwardly shake it.
\
The camera went to the chameleon, who's colors changed from red to bright yellow. It was supposed to change to Lindsay's hair color, but it didn't obey.
"That's not the color," Lindsay told her animal. "It's supposed to be blonde, not bright yellow. Let's try this again." The chameleon turned dark green in response.
\
The scene flashed to Shawn and the bear inside the service tent. "I know something that we share," Shawn told the bear. "We both like food, but the only difference is that I can cook and you can't."
The bear growled at that, causing Shawn to retract. "I'm not saying this to insult you. I'm just saying that I teach you how to cook. That way, you won't have to eat out of the trash can."
The bear smiled in response.
\
Ezekiel was looking at the shark still in its tank. He touched the tank with his hand, and after the shark chomped its jaws, he recoiled back in fear.
"You know what I like to do?" Ezekiel said. "Play songs on my harmonica."
The home schooled guy took his harmonica out and played "Ocean Man" by Ween. Just as he was going to get to the third stanza, the shark howled in boredom and pretended to fall asleep by rolling over.
Ezekiel stopped playing to see what the shark just did and sighed. "I know music doesn't kill animals eh. I'm not that naive."
\
The scene flashed to Heather and her raccoon lounging about. "I've already taught you manners, but I don't have anything else to do."
The queen bee's face lit up with inspiration. "I know." She lifted up the raccoon. "Want to help me sabotage the others? I'll give you the entire box of treats if you do."
The raccoon thought about it, but complied.
Confessional: Heather
"This will almost be like sabotaging my competition in the ballet competition, only this time, it's on a reality show," Heather said.
Confessional Ends
Lindsay's chameleon was now orange-colored. "My hair looks like it's colored orange, but that's not the case," Lindsay expressed her frustration.
Behind her, Heather had hooked her raccoon to a fishing line. She swung it over Lindsay's head, allowing for the raccoon to use a can of spray paint on Lindsay's hair.
Seeing what color the hair was now, the chameleon turned white.
"That's definitely wrong," Lindsay said while the raccoon resprayed her hair brown, causing the chameleon to turn into that color. "Wrong again!" Her hair got sprayed pink. "My hair isn't even close to pink!"
Not wanting to be exposed, Heather quickly reeled her raccoon back and took off.
\
The camera flashed back to the kitchen. The bear was stirring pancake mix and flour in a big bowl as Shawn watched him.
"I work in a bakery, so making cake is my first lesson in cooking," Shawn instructed. "I need to use the bathroom. Keep stirring until I come back."
After Shawn left, the bear decided to search the cabinets for more ingredients. The raccoon, who was under the table, crept from under there and stood near the bowl.
They took out a bottle of maple syrup, and quickly squirted it all onto the bowl. As soon as the raccoon was done, they went back to hiding when the bear came back with the ingredients.
The bear added some sugar into their bowl and resumed stirring the mix, unaware of the syrup. Heather saw her pet return back and they smiled at their sabotage.
\
Meanwhile, Ezekiel was bringing a set of books with him. "Alright, shark. I think you'd like to read a story."
He took out "The History of Canada" and turned to page one. "This book is one of my favorites. It describes how Canada was made."
Seeing the book that was picked, the shark silently whined before taking out some earplugs and placing them into their ears. Afterwards, they faked a smile just to show that they're paying attention.
"I knew you'd like the story," Ezekiel looked up from his book, unaware of the fact that the shark wasn't listening.
\
A flash took the scene to a stock shot of the film lot before another cut took it to Ezekiel, Chef, and Chris sitting at a judge's table, the contestants and their animal buddies waiting around in front of it. "Alright cast," Chris announced, "time to judge the animal buddies."
"Why does the bear have frosting on their lips?" Lindsay asked Shawn after seeing the animal lick their lips.
"It's a secret," Shawn replied.
"Heather!" Chris called, earning the attention of the mean girl and her partner. "You and your raccoon are up first!"
"About that," Heather walked up. "I didn't teach my raccoon much of anything," she said, causing Chris to frown at her.
Heather soon whispered to her raccoon, and before anyone else knew it, the raccoon sprung up and snatched Ezekiel's crochet hat.
"That's my hat you're taking!" Ezekiel protested as the raccoon returned to Heather.
"But I did teach it how to snatch and grab," Heather said.
Chris and Chef looked at each other and held up two signs with numbers on it. "Ten!" Chris announced with a smile.
Ezekiel revealed his score. "I give it a six personally!"
Heather glared at the boy and hurled his hat at his face.
\
"Alright chameleon," Chris said next, "give it all you got."
The chameleon stood on Lindsay's shoulder and turned its color blonde like the girl's hair color.
The three judges clapped and gave Lindsay an eight.
\
"Shawn," Chris told the remaining contestant. "Time to see what your bear cooked up." He opened the pot and saw a chocolate cake with maple syrup surrounding it. "Why is there maple syrup?"
"I don't know," Shawn shrugged. "The bear must've put it in as a surprise." He got slapped in the head by the bear. "What? I didn't give you any syrup."
Chef took the first bite. "This is an eight. The cake is good, but it gets hard to scrape off your teeth."
Chris was next. "Nine out of ten. I'd like the dessert better if you had properly planned it out."
Ezekiel was the last one. "Maple syrup goes great with everything," he smiled. "Especially cake. This scored ten points!"
"If it makes us look good, I applaud you for your skills," Shawn complimented the bear.
"Points have been tallied," Chris announced. "And the winner of the first challenge is Shawn!"
"Yes!" Shawn cheered, but noticed Ezekiel still eating the cake. "Uh, Ezekiel, are you gonna share with us?"
Ezekiel stopped eating when he heard him. "It is your cake, so yeah."
"I do get first dibs," Chris grabbed a piece before turning to look at the camera. "Be right back," he said with a wink.
\
(Commercial break)
\
The scene faded back in to a shot of a dirt road running through some unidentified forest just as a bus pulled up. Its door opened with a hiss, and Chris stepped off. "Here we are gang! Don't you just love field trips?"
Following him off the bus were the raccoon and Heather, then Lindsay with her chameleon on her shoulder, and finally Shawn who had to pull his bear through by the paw.
"The woods? Again?" Heather asked.
"Your next challenge is to find your way back to the film lot," Chris told them as an angled shot of some trees nearby was shown. "A ten mile hike through these woods," the camera panned back to the castmates, "using only your animal buddies to guide you," the host added and the shot moved over to the raccoon, chameleon, and bear as they shrugged in ignorance.
"But be careful," Chris warned. "Several vicious and life-threatening traps have been set up along the way."
"Who would do such a thing?" Lindsay got scared.
"Hint; it's the only guy here," Heather said.
"It wasn't me, so obviously it was you," Shawn accused Chris.
"Correct!" Chris confirmed. "First one back wins invincibility. Shawn gets to shave thirty minutes off his final time for winning the first challenge. Everyone ready?"
"Wait, where's Ezekiel?" Lindsay asked. "And where's that shark?"
Chris chuckled a bit. "They're just spending time together."
\
Ezekiel was standing on a rock supervising his shark. "I only have a couple of hours left before I can go home, and it's just you and me."
He realized that his pet had brought more sharks into the stream of water. "What the heck? Chris never told me I had to watch all of you."
\
"See you all back at the film lot," Chris told them as he took a step onto the bus, "and good luck." He boarded the bus, and moments later the door slid shut and it sped off in a cloud of dust.
The three teens lingered in the area for a moment, then slowly split up. Heather and the raccoon went left, Lindsay and the chameleon went right, and Shawn and the bear stood still.
Shawn saw the girls going their own ways. "I know how to get back. I'm a bit of a navigator," he told her companion, who smiled at the knowledge.
Confessional: Shawn
"If you want to know the inside of my bunker, check it out!" Shawn said before pulling out blueprints and showing his first page. "Entrance chamber with eye-scan entry and remote lasers here, here, and here. And here and here. And here." He turned to the next page. "Master bedroom with bite-proof bedspread and weaponized pillows, and just in case…" the page turned, "this is the panic room." He flipped one last time. "And this is the panic room inside the panic room. Can't be too careful."
Confessional Ends
Heather and her raccoon were shown wandering through the woods and searching around.
"How did Jo manage to do this part of the challenge?" Heather rambled. "It was a stranded episode, but I still don't know which way she went."
The raccoon rolled their eyes, but still followed Heather.
\
The camera flashed to Lindsay walking through the woods. "No offense," she said to her companion, "but I think I should've picked the bear. Shawn must be lucky riding on their back."
Whether or not the chameleon got offended, they turned themselves invisible. "What the? Where did you go? I can't lose you!" Lindsay frantically ran about trying to locate her pet.
The camera moved to show her stepping on a string hidden behind a small shrub. It snapped, and a rock was launched out of a nearby bush by what looked like a small catapult. It hit Lindsay in the stomach, causing her to kneel over.
"Those were the traps," Lindsay wheezed out before collapsing.
Confessional: Lindsay
"One of the things I would've liked to do with my money is spend it on a lifetime supply of lip gloss, but I canceled it because there's more things to value," Lindsay confessed. "Like creating a brand new style of lip gloss."
Confessional Ends
Back with Ezekiel, he was sitting down as he watched the sharks racing each other. He pulled out some cake pieces from the one Shawn and his pet created and proceeded to eat them.
"I should've packed them in a bag if I didn't want syrup in the pockets, but I'll make do," Ezekiel shrugged before a shark swallowed all of his pieces. "Hey! If you wanted a piece, you should have just asked!" he said angrily.
This wasn't the smartest thing to say as the sharks chomped their jaws and went towards his direction.
Not wanting to potentially die, Ezekiel took out the last of his cake slices. "If you want these, go get them!" He threw them far away, causing the sharks to forget about Ezekiel and swim for the cake. "That was close."
\
The camera cut to Heather as he followed the raccoon. "Are you sure you know where we're going?" she asked. "I am not going to lose because of you leading us in circles."
The raccoon growled, but still stayed by her side.
"Of course I'll be upset," Heather replied. "I have plans for when I win the million bucks."
Confessional: Heather
"When I win, I'm thinking of my own spin-off series. The World According to Heather," Heather described it. "Luckily, I'm up against the dimwit and the nutcase. So they may as well just give me the money, I mean come on. I think we all know who's gonna win."
Confessional Ends
"Chameleon, where did you wander off to?" Lindsay yelled as she walked through the woods, "We have to be together so we can make it to the film lot."
The camera followed her to show that she was rapidly approaching a large patch of ground with a suspiciously large number of sticks and branches on it. "Could this be the way home?" As soon as Lindsay stepped onto the odd patch of ground, the branches snapped and she fell with a holler into the pit that had been hidden. "Booby traps!"
\
Shawn and his bear were strolling along. You know," he told his companion, "I can say that I trust you. If you were robotic or built by Chris and the producers, there wouldn't be any trust." The bear giggled happily.
The camera followed them as they came across a pile of leaves. As soon as they hit it, a net seemed to appear in the leaves under their feet and dragged them up in a suspended bundle.
"This isn't good. We have to get down," Shawn mentioned.
Confessional: Shawn
"I never thought I would see the day where I got captured in a booby trap," Shawn said.
Confessional Ends
"I have an idea!" Shawn said as he grabbed some nearby blueberries and gave them to the bear. "You eat as many blueberries as you can. If we're lucky, your increased weight can get us out."
Shawn took out a piece of wood bark carved into a knife. "I'll use this to cut holes into the trap just to help us."
\
The camera flashed to Heather and the raccoon outside a small cave. "I don't think there's a time for breaks," she told her companion. The raccoon snarled viciously and crawled into the cave. "As long as we're quick," she complied and followed her pet.
Inside the cave was the raccoon's surprisingly luxurious den. There was a reading corner, a kitchen, a ping-pong table, and even a big screen TV.
"You guys are civilized?" Heather said in shock upon seeing the den. "This resembles my house, but much smaller." A raccoon walked by and offered her a sandwich from a tray. "One sandwich? I'll take more than that," she said as she took three.
The raccoon, holding a paddle, chirped at her from the ping-pong table. "Ping pong? Like I would pass up on that offer," Heather said before going over.
\
The camera went to the pit Lindsay fell into. She had dirt all over her body along with leaves, her boots were gone, leaving her barefooted, and she was drifting into insanity.
"I'm so hungry," Lindsay croaked out. "What can I eat that's edible?"
She pulled out her lipstick and took the tube off before biting into it. "Tastes just like cherries."
\
Meanwhile, as Shawn was sawing through the net, the bear had its belly and mouth covered from all the berries they were currently eating on. After a few more seconds, the net finally burst and the duo fell into the ground.
"We're free!" Shawn whooped. "Time to get back to the lot."
\
The scene skipped ahead to a shot of the afternoon sun high in the sky, the camera panning down and to the right to show Chris standing alone by the cast trailers. A little ways to the left was a meager finish line flanked by tall red flags.
"Shawn and his bear!" Chris announced as he saw them coming to the lot. "Nice one!" He proceeded to high five Shawn. "You're the first team to arrive, and for being the first one back, you get a guaranteed spot in the final two."
Confessional: Shawn
"Going to the finale!" Shawn whooped with the bear next to him. "Training pets can be a hassle, but as long as they're not your enemies, you can bond well with them!"
Confessional Ends
"Where is everyone?" Shawn asked the host, both watching the woods along with the bear.
"Sure they'll be here any minute," Chris answered while looking at his watch.
"I'm back!" the voice of Ezekiel announced as he entered the scene.
"Where's the shark, Zeke?" Chris wondered.
"It met some friends in the water," Ezekiel described the situation, "or its family."
"As long as a mammal is reunited with their family, I'm cool with it," Chris shrugged.
\
\
The camera panned to the sun as it set, then the moon rose, then the moon set and the sun rose. The shot panned back to them waiting for the remaining contestants, with Chris having grown a large and bushy beard, and the bear asleep.
"Any... minute... now," Chris said weakly, still looking at his watch.
"It's been days," Shawn pointed out. "Maybe we should send out a search party."
"And here they come now!" Chris announced brightly before speeding off screen. The camera pulled back to show Victor and his raccoon and a soaking wet Heather and her fox walking up to the brickhouse.
"Are you guys ok?" DJ asked. "What took you so long?"
"I lost track of time when spending time with Lord Montague," Victor said while gesturing to the raccoon.
"And I wound up taking the wrong river," Heather explained through chattering teeth.
A familiar shout caught their attention and they turned to see Kitsune, now sporting and eye-patch and the parrot on her shoulder, swing into the film lot on a vine. "Argh!" She said in a thick pirate accent. "It be good to be back in me home port."
"Welcome back cast," said a clean shaven Chris. "Better late than never. DJ and his bear buddy easily won the challenge, which means invincibility. DJ gets a free pass into the Final Three."
"Shiver me timbers!" Kitsune cried. "Good job me boy!"
"The question is; Who will join him in the Final Three?" Chris asked. "And who will be the next one outta here? The answer will be revealed on the most exciting Gilded Chris ceremony ev-ah!"
"Now be the time to make the treacherous wench walk the plank!" Kitsune told her allies, who just gave her confused and concerned looks.
"Faith!" Heather groaned. "You're so annoying!"
"Who be Faith?" The goofball asked in genuine curiosity. "I be One-Eyed Foxy, the deadliest pirate on the Seven Seas! And this here's me faithful parrot, Eddie," she added with an affectionate rub of the parrot's head.
"She spent too long in a pit," the parrot explained. "Rawk!"
Heather walked up to the goofball, then slapped her across the face. Kitsune's pupils shrunk and she blinked a couple of times. "Thanks," she said begrudgingly. "I needed that."
XXX
"I must say," Victor said, "this has been one of the strangest few days of my life. At least I do not have to vote for DJ now. And maybe Chris will realize that a mole is no longer necessary"
XXX
[A grand theme played as the camera zoomed in on the amphitheatre. Several film strips of the host's highlights from the previous season flew past the screen, then the camera panned out from a solid gold screen to show a Guilded Chris.]
\
"This is a big one cast," Chris told the four teens from his podium. "DJ's safe from elimination which means the rest of you, are fair game. So," he mined a cat's claws scratching, "sharpen those claws and cast your votes. Someone is going home for the last time."
"Pfft," DJ scoffed. "Sorry girl, but you gotta go." He made his vote, and the screen shrunk into the top-left of the screen.
Kitsune sighed in relief as she made her vote. "Now that's satisfying." She shrank into the bottom-right.
"Like it matters at this point," Heather spat bitterly as she made her vote. She shrank into the top-right.
"There really is one choice," Victor said as he made his vote. He shrunk into the bottom-left.
A close-up of Chris grew from the center of the screen and stopped just before it overlapped with any of the castmates' faces.
"The Gilded Chris goes to..." the host announced. "DJ! And Kitsune!" The screen cut to Chris at the podium. "Heather, since you were the only one who didn't vote for you, it's time for your ride home."
"Finally!" Kitsune cheered.
"And Victor will be joining you," Chris added, causing everyone to gasp.
"But why?" DJ asked.
"Let's just say he had some special caused in his contract that he is now in breach of," the host answered.
"But DJ was immune!" Victor protested. "What would you have me do?"
"I don't know," Chris answered with a shrug. "Maybe sabotage DJ like we told you to," the other three gasped again.
"So Sugar was right?" Heather asked in disbelief.
XXX
"Confession time," Kitsune said. "I kinda knew Sugar was telling the truth. Seriously guys, Victor's a terrible liar."
XXX
Victor sighed and stood up. "I apologize for my actions and I hope that you will forgive me," he told his allies. "Please know that had I not been contractually obligated, I never would have influenced your votes like I had."
"Don't sweat it," Kitsune said with a wave of her hand. "We can't help the things this show makes us do."
"And it's not like you gave anyone an advantage in the competition," DJ added. Victor, upon hearing their words, beamed brightly.
"I'm not okay with it!" Heather shouted. "What was the point in the vote if you were gonna boot him anyway?!"
"Huh," Chris said. "I did not think about that."
"So that means that I can stay and he can go right?" Heather asked.
"Not really, all votes are final," the host explained. "And even so, technically he was disqualified after you were voted off."
"Well you'll be hearing from my lawyers!" Heather threatened.
"Considering that his being here kept you in the game for like three more episode," Chris replied, "I doubt you have a case."
The camera cut to a long distance shot of the film lot as a frustrated growl from Heather shook the screen.
\
The scene flashed ahead to Heather and Victor getting escorted to the Lame-osine by Chef. "You'll be penniless! Jobless! Your name'll be mud on every blog from here to Cape Breton!" Heather yelled back at the host. "You think you were in trouble when Alejandro sued?! I'll make you wish you never met me!"
Victor got in the limo, Heather was thrown in by Chef, and the cook slammed the door shut. It sped off in a cloud of dust, and the shot cut back to the start of the red carpet where the host stood flanked by the two finalists. "DJ! Kitsune!" he announced, putting his arms around their shoulders. The two
Victor got in the limo, Heather was thrown in by Chef, and the cook slammed the door shut. It sped off in a cloud of dust, and the shot cut back to the start of the red carpet where the host stood flanked by the two finalists. "DJ! Kitsune!" he announced, putting his arms around their shoulders. The two smiled brightly at the camera. "The Final Two! One of you will become a millionaire! And the other...will
The host rose his arms and knocked the two down in the process. "Tune in to our most controversial episode ever, of, Total! Drama!
(Roll the Crdits
​
​
(Bonus
The Gentleman and The Queen Bee both sat in the limo in an awkward silence. "So," Victor
"Don't talk to me," Heather
"Pardon me for attempting to dispel the tension," he replied
"Well I'm sorry," Heather said in frustration. "But I just lived through six weeks of torture, the guy I kinda have a crush on is head over heels with the most annoying person on the planet, and to top it all off I was just voted off. By you! So excuse me if I'm ot in the mood to talk. Especially considering if you'd done your job as a mole, I'd still be in the
Victor pursed his lips. "You do realize that even without my vote you still would have been voted off. Also, the fact that the producers had to hire someone to keep you on the show should tell you
Heather opened her mouth but Victor cut her off. "But by all means, continue your sul
16th/15
16th/15th:
13th:
13th: S
12th
11th:
10th:
9th:
8th: Mik
7th: Amney
6th:
5th:
3

Me (21, F) and my boyfriend (20, M) just moved into my moms house after living together for two years (I have lived alone for about 4 years now). As college students, inflation is through the roof and it costs way too much to live on our own right now. Also, for context I had a really bad experience recently that opened old sal ault wounds that I just finally felt I had healed from prior to the incident and my mother is aware of this. Since being here, we both have felt our privacy has been invaded with my younger sister coming into our room without knocking and there was an incident where she was looking at us through our windows at one point. I texted my mom the other day mentioning that we both felt like we needed more privacy. She instantly got defensive and angry. I definitely did not word things properly at first but no matter how I explained things or how many times I told her it was about my sister, she wouldn't listen. In response to my request for people to knock before entering and not look through our windows at us, she said multiple things that really hurt and made me feel like I didn't matter. She told me I really needed to think before I text, said what I was asking was unrealistic, called me "downright rude and ungrateful", tried to invalidate my boundaries by putting quotes around the word, and blamed her anxiety on me in a threatening way by saying, "For you to come at me like that when my anxiety is already more than I can handle was just a bad idea." She then proceeded to tell me how much she's done for me to get the room ready (she did do a lot of work prior to us moving in which I felt very grateful for and even bragged about her to all my friends). I realize this conversation should have been had in person instead, but I honestly don't think it would have gone much differently. She doesn't respond well to boundaries and never has. In the end I ended up basically taking back everything I said because even as an adult I am scared of her being angry with me. I apologized multiple times for my error in communication and anything I said that was not the best on my part (which in my opinion I kept my calm and never said anything directly attacking her or anything to do with her) but she never once said it was okay or offered an apology for the things that she said. Am I the asshole? If not, how do I handle this situation properly?

All people enjoy music. There is frequently not enough time to listen to every song on a list and buy the ones you like. Thankfully, music streaming mobile app development has revolutionized how we consume music.
The global user base for music streaming services is anticipated to reach 2.81 billion by the end of 2025. We have an easy user experience and quick access to music thanks to modern technology and app development companies. Mobile devices and blazing-fast Internet connections only reinforce this propensity.
Before, people had to purchase expensive music CDs in order to listen to tunes. To listen to just one song, one needs to purchase the entire CD. MX players were also necessary if you wished to play a CD. Also requiring adequate care were the CDs.
The advent of the internet made life for consumers incredibly simple. Even though there was no copyright violation, music companies and artists nevertheless suffered significant losses as a result of this. Through the internet, people started to freely download and distribute music among their peers.
But times have altered! Running to the tape store no longer provides the same rush. You may use a lot of free music streaming apps to make things even more accessible. Additionally, the music of your choice is available for download online.
India's top online music streaming service is JioSaavn. Saavn, or South Asian Audio and Video Network, introduced one of the best music apps to India in 2006. Back then, it sold material for business-to-business sectors.
The app's user base has grown so significantly that it is now a global digital distributor of Bollywood, English, Tamil, Telugu, and other regional Indian music. However, chose to evolve into a business-to-consumer music streaming service.

Table Of Content

• A Synopsis of the Music Streaming Industry
• Introduction Of JioSaavn
• JioSaavn's Business Model
• Key Partners of JioSaavn
• What Makes JioSaavn a Successful Music Streaming App?
• A Splendid Music Streaming Platform Like Jiosaavn's Technologies
• Cost To Build A Music App like Jiosaavn
• Key takeaways
• FAQS

A Synopsis of the Music Streaming Industry

A global market for music streaming apps has been made possible by the millennial-driven spread of high-speed internet, IoT, and cloud technology.
The market for streaming music and audio has experienced consistent growth and is anticipated to continue to do so. As a result, more and more musicians and businesses choose to have their songs and podcasts aired on music streaming services.
The last 10 years have seen an unimaginable increase in the demand for music streaming services as a result of improved technology enabling individuals to acquire goods and services quickly.
It's also the reason why the market has seen a recent influx of top app development companies like Saavn. Talk about how to create music apps like Saavn, for example. or "How do these apps generate revenue." As you keep reading, the answers will definitely become clear.
Also Read, Top 4 Live Cricket Streaming Mobile Apps In Canada

Introduction Of JioSaavn

JioSaavn is a platform with songs in 14 different languages. Saavn now has the rights to 36 million songs in nearly 15 different languages.
More than 22 million people use Saavn each month. Additionally, those who create fresh podcasts and independent music can upload them to JioSaavn. The search filter is another wonderful function given by JioSaavn app developers. One can use this to filter their search by artist, song, album, radio, and more.
There are numerous songs here that span many genres and tongues. This has been quite useful to them in developing their talent. Users can create a suitable playlist or select from the curated charts and playlists that JioSaavn creates based on their user preferences.
JioTunes is the next feature that is accessible to Jio customers. Users can very easily set caller songs using the JioSaavn app. Numerous options are available for this. If the music isn't already in the list of caller tunes, the user can ask for it to be added if it's not already there.

JioSaavn's Business Model

By 2025, the market for music streaming applications is anticipated to reach $17.50 billion.
According to Statista, 14% of people use paid music streaming services frequently. Saavn's business module is very dissimilar from Itunes'. Saavn purchases rights from record companies and makes money through subscriptions and commercials.
Additionally, it has produced a few of its original programs. For Rs. 120 per month, Saavn Pro subscribers can get uninterrupted, ad-free streaming. Reliance acquired the majority of Saavn's stock in March 2008 and merged with it. Right today, it is worth more than $1 billion.

Subscription-Based Revenue

Users have the option to subscribe and thereby enjoy music without advertisements. As The app JioSaavn is not entirely free. JioSaavn Pro is the name of this. If a user is brand-new to the application, they will receive three months of free JioSaavn Pro access before returning to the standard platform. A portion of the money from these subscription fees goes to JioSaavn.
According to the company's pricing policy, new users are entitled to free pro access for the first three months. After that, you can use the service for a low monthly and annual subscription fee of Rs 99 each. The user must pay and renew the membership if they want to continue using the pro service. Despite not being their primary source of income, this accounts for a sizable portion of it.

Advertising-Based Revenue

In addition to receiving money from subscriptions, JioSaavn also makes money by showing users-targeted adverts. JioSaavn generates income primarily through showing visual and audio advertisements on the app. This digital platform's advertisements bring in more money.
Various brands use the platform to connect with their potential customers and have an influence. On JioSaavn, numerous brands run advertisements. This is only available to customers who haven't signed up for JioSaavn Pro. The app is one of the top choices for marketers to use as an advertising platform because of its big audience and subscriber base.
Also Read, How Much Does It Cost To Create An App Like Netflix?

Key Partners of JioSaavn

To increase its revenue and reach, JioSaavn has partnered with a wide range of businesses in various industries. Here are some of JioSaavn's major collaborators.
Amazon The first music service to launch on Alexa and other voice assistants connected to Amazon was JioSaavn in India.
Android and iOS apps Prior to iOS, it was released originally on Android. JioSaavn has created apps that work on practically all platforms, including Android and iOS.It is now accessible through the Chrome Webshop as well.
Shazam As a result of this collaboration, Saavn's music collection was added to Shazam. Saavn was able to reach a bigger audience as a result.
Customer ratings improved along with the inclusion of new tools and improved experience. Customers got a better music-listening experience because of Shazam's numerous consumer interaction capabilities. They improved as a result of their partnership.
Sony Music, T-Series, Eros, Warner Music, and others are some of JioSaavn's additional partners. Nokia, Samsung, Lay's, General Motors, and other companies are also partners. Each important partner has increased JioSaavn's revenue and assisted in their expansion.

What Makes JioSaavn a Successful Music Streaming App?

Certain characteristics must be considered when creating a music app like Saavn in order for it to stand out from the competition. While some of these are simple and obvious, others elevate the user experience of the app to a whole new level.

Streaming Music from Folders

While it's common knowledge that music apps limit the music that may be played within their user interfaces (UI), they happily accept any audio file that has been saved in any folder on the phone.
The ability of such music streaming apps to play songs that have been downloaded outside is one of its most appealing features. For those who are new to streaming and want to test the waters without sacrificing their own playlist, this function is fantastic.

Music Store Station

Music stores have a huge collection of carefully chosen tunes and audio files that are always accessible. Every streaming service that offers on-demand audio has a music store where users can download songs.

Equalizer for IMusic

There are several presets like Classic, Pop, Rock, etc. accessible, but if someone wants to customize the sound in their own way, an in-app virtual multiband equalization is also available. By including a built-in equalizer, users can adjust the sound output to their preferences.

Music Composition

For a simple and user-friendly experience, every music app offers the option to make playlists, queue songs, and sort favorite tracks. A good music streaming service must offer sufficient organizational tools.

Allied Social Services

By doing so, users can communicate with friends, find out what they're listening to, exchange tunes with others, and interact with communities of like-minded people. The majority of media streamers also give users the opportunity to connect to social media sites.

User Experience

When a user browses through a streaming app, it should be simple to use and have a smooth, informative flow. The characteristics that elevate an app to the next level are by far the user interface and user experience.

Individualized Music Player

People interact with an app on a deeper level when they apply their own unique aesthetic tweaks to it, which fosters brand loyalty. A music player can be made much more user-friendly by adding changes like typeface, color, and dark and bright modes, among other things.

Push Notification

Push notifications deliver the most recent information, such as song releases, new playlists that are already built, etc., as well as social updates from followers and friends.
The user experience for customers is improved by these features, which also significantly increase engagement and scalability. A small player that latches onto the notification bar while the player is active is also provided.

A Splendid Music Streaming Platform Like Jiosaavn's Technologies

You need to grasp how an audio streaming platform that can supply rich and potent audio content is constructed in order to comprehend how to create an app like JioSaavan or a similar music app for Android or iOS.
Every successful music streaming service began by focusing on a particular market niche while using the most basic technological support systems, and it subsequently grew its user base by including alluring features that increase user engagement and scalability.
A number of factors, including data storage, testing, UI/UX design and development, proxy servers, etc., are taken into account while creating music streaming software from scratch. All of a music app's features are made possible by these technical factors.

Key Technological Components of a music streaming service

Database Preservation

You can store and encode an infinite amount of data traffic using Amazon S3's cloud storage facility in a safe and scalable manner.
You'll require an enormous quantity of storage capacity to create your database if you want to create a music app similar to JioSaavan. Your data is safeguarded from dangers and errors because of its architecture for absolute data durability, and you may access it whenever you need it from any system.

Design and development of UI/UX

Making an engaging and simple user interface that improves the user experience is the next step in creating your own music app. The best option to make it successful is to hire app developers. JioSaavn features an appealing UI and is comparatively simple to use.
When you subscribe, it supports 64kbps of audio quality, although 320kbps is supported. If you're a Pro user, you can also download music. With the use of the CEF software framework, Chromium may be integrated with other applications to provide web browsing features and give them access to HTML, Javascript, and CSS.
The UI of the program is built using CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework) in the majority of businesses. It is an open-source framework that works with various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.

Develop Web Apps

Web applications like JioSaavn are frequently developed using the open-source HTML5 stack. Its APIs are simple to incorporate into webpages on practically all hardware and operating systems, including Android and iOS.
Great-quality media may be carried relatively effectively by an HTML5-based music streaming player due to its high scalability, customization capability, and interoperability.

Model Validation

Both native mobile apps and web applications always go through a thorough testing process where various test cases are examined for perfect functionality.
By implementing a design-centric testing strategy for offline, online, and event-driven test sequences, GraphWalker significantly increases efficiency. Model-based testing patterns are provided by tools like GraphWalker, which allows you to build your tests as graphs.

Servers

Any music streaming program must include proxy servers because they are necessary to transport audio, video, or indeed any multimedia data over the internet.
High-performance open-source web servers with NGINX come with multi-layer security and end-to-end encryption. These are the prerequisites for launching a music streaming service from the beginning. These proxy servers monitor online traffic and filter out malicious and questionable content, serving as an efficient content filter.
However, there are various approaches and audio streaming programs like Vplayed, Contus Vplay, and Wowza that offer you a comprehensive package of all the aforementioned features.

Cost Of Building A Music App like JioSaavn?

A lot of different elements and variables affect how much it costs to produce a music app like JioSaavn.

• Storage
• Web Hosting
• Backend Development and Technology
• Designing

Storage

Storage costs vary depending on a number of factors, including size, transfer rates, management systems, and security procedures. The efficient operation of any service, whether online or offline, benefits from maintaining a well-equipped and structured storage facility. A larger payment will be required for more features.

Web Hosting

Web hosting service providers offer a wide range of features and compatibility options, which also contribute significantly to their price point and are a crucial component of the skeleton of the streaming app.

Backend Technology and Development

The price point of this expense aspect cannot and should not be compromised between using the most recent technology developments and hiring skilled app developers. Any web or native app's backend is extremely important and requires expert management.

Designing

The design serves as the interface between the client and the service, making it just as crucial as the underlying technology. Making the front end intuitive and user-friendly requires strong UI/UX design.
Key Takeaways
The JioSaavn business obtained the rights to more than 50 million songs in 15 different languages. It is an Indian digital distributor of Bollywood, English, Tamil, Telugu, and other regional Indian music as well as an online music streaming service. Their mission was to unite content, commerce, and culture for the benefit of the entire ecosystem of label partners, brand advertisers, and independent artists.
Since JioSaavn is a freemium service, its fundamental functionalities are provided without charge but with restrictions or adverts. Paid subscriptions are required to access extra services including higher-quality streaming and song downloads for offline listening.
And sincerely hope that using JioSaavn as an example will help you create a music streaming application.
Originally published on Hyperlink InfoSystem

So, like many...had a difficult childhood. Grew up with a single mum who I suspect had borderline personality disorder or something similar. She would swing between very maternal and then very distant, avoidant and busy with boyfriends. She very sadly took her life when I was in my 20's. It's created a myriad of issues of course, the usual anxiety and feeling responsible for other's feelings, anxious attachment in relationships though I've grown a lot in that area.
One thing which keeps coming up for me is ANGER. I'm 37 and a first time mum to an almost 2 year old with my partner who I've been with for around 8 years.
My partner who I love dearly can also drive me absolutely bananas with his forgetfulness and carelessness. It's like it all builds up and I will suddenly just lose my shit at him. It's understandable to not want to have to do all the thinking in a relationship and he has definitely stepped up over the years and tried to improve himself. But it's like my reactions can be just so over the top.
I can also just suddenly SNAP at my bub... again it's understandable when you are sleep deprived and toddlers push every last button. I do my best to follow gentle/respectful parenting so it's important to me to know myself and become better at self regulation. But it's like I just can't feel the anger in my body until my mouth has already opened and I'm yelling!
Anything you read about self regulation or gentle parenting it's about feeling the anger and finding the pause before you react.
For me I feel a sudden surge in my head, my heart will race and before I know it my outburst has happened.
But my therapist has explained that these sensations are more to do with anxiety rather than anger.
In several of our sessions she has tried to help me get in touch with how anger feels in my body and it's like I just can't get in touch with it, I feel like it's physically BLOCKED and I just feel so vague about it. She seems to think anxiety comes up to mask the anger.
I mean yes sometimes I can feel my jaw tense up in the moment of anger but that's about it. If she asks me to talk her through different moments past and present where I've had an outburst I just can't get in touch with the feeling of anger.
I wonder if because I felt responsible for my mum's happiness while growing up I somehow blocked feelings of anger? ie she didn't love herself, so if I didn't love her or if I showed anger then what would become of her?
So if I can't feel my anger how am I supposed to ride the wave of it and stop these outbursts? It's beyond frustrating.
My therapist is helping me to chip away at it but meanwhile I wanted to know if anyone can relate?

My boyfriend is 24 and hasn’t done his conscription yet in the army.
he moved over here to the United Kingdom when he was 20 to work and study,
the army are wanting him to go back and do it; is there anyway to avoid it ? If there isn’t is there anything I can do while he’s there? For example move over to be near where he’s based.
How many holidays do they get? Please share your similar experiences, ευχαριστώ

How have you all survived the final hurdle of toxic workplace before entering your new career? What are your thoughts on taking a pay cut to make a career change?
I graduated with a degree in mental health nursing aged 21, coming from a family of mental health nurses and having hopes of making a genuine impact on peoples’ lives. I obtained my first nursing post as a Community Psychiatric Nurse. Within the first day of working in the NHS I quickly sobered to the idea that mental health services are extremely underfunded, and that most of my colleagues did not have the same positive intentions when working with service users. I was lucky to be paired with a female mentor who practiced with integrity, respect and supported me through my 4 years working in the service. Most other nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and administrators were evidently burnt-out, resentful, cynical, bitter, and unwilling to acknowledge this. They refused to develop professionally or change career paths due to the security of NHS contracts, pay, pension and sick leave entitlement. Workplace bullying and micromanaging was rife, lunchbreaks were timed, consistent staff conflict and on long term sick leave. I witnessed sexual harassment from male nurses towards patients during injection clinics, cynical and judgemental attitudes towards particular trauma-based diagnoses such as personality disorders or suicide attempts. Senior charge nurses would claim “Typical PD Behaviour, let them jump, if they were serious they would have ended their life already”. Any excuse was used to speed up the discharge of chronically unwell patients, the entire field is more focussed on service statistics and litigation than providing safe, effective nursing care. I survived the experience as I was young, introverted and raised in a narcissistic abusive family so very clued up on coping with challenging personalities. I obtained a job within a college aimed at supporting students with their wellbeing during their studies. The office took the news of this very badly, comments were made indicating that I would never be welcomed back into NHS, I was not cut out for a “Specialist” position working within Education etc. I remained calm and professional, it was humorous to witness 50 year old women becoming genuinely upset and fixated on a colleague progressing. I understand that rejection from others is a projection of their own emotions, and protection from a path that is not meant for us.
I have worked in my current job for many years in a service aiming to support disabled students. Education is just as toxic as the NHS. The team has had approx more than £1million in misplaced funding and it has made little to no positive difference to the student experience. Bullying is evident on a daily basis in the office, I do not partake in office gossip of bullying and this makes me an outsider. Management are avoidant, cliquey and openly gossip. In the past months we lost multiple long term receptionists as they were crying daily due to verbal abuse from students and their own manager. They outsourced more receptionists, both were bullied and left within a number of weeks. Office gossip is rife, it seems to be the norm to disrespect and discuss colleagues openly. Staff attitude towards the aim of the service is horrendous; service users attending to voice thoughts of suicide are treated with panic despite clear processes being in place to ensure their safety, colleagues are burnt out and see no issue in statements such as “tell them to go and kill themselves then, if they were serious about it they would have done it”. Managers have been witnessed referring to disabled students as “retarded”, many people attending the service are vulnerable and present with symptoms of self-neglect, our receptionists feel it’s appropriate to gossip about this, cover their noses and spray febreeze in the waiting area. It is a dangerous, immoral, and scary place to work. Senior management are fully aware of the state of the service, do nothing and continue to hire their own friends and family members into positions in the team irrespective of their experience, qualifications, or interviewing process. Many of the service users, due to their circumstances and symptoms, often push boundaries, misunderstand the limitations of support that can be offered (we cannot refer into NHS services, no access to crisis team, bed managers or medical reviews etc). I cannot count the number of times where students with complex needs have harassed staff members, who have been left unsupported. Despite always practicing with dignity, respect, upholding professionalism, and boundaries; chronically unwell service users have threatened to kill me, stalked me, placed complaints over situations out with my control such as academic decisions. Senior management are not clinical, no awareness of the mental health field, risk assessment, the equality act, mental health act, and have no boundaries relating to this. They throw money at new positions believing that 1 staff member will change the culture of an entire Institution. Every colleague that has left due to mental health crises has recovered since leaving.
I regret training in mental health due to the lack of genuine opportunities to engage with clients in a meaningful manner. In the office staff walk around like Zombies, most days I witness a colleague upset or tearful, the others are numb and silent, counting their hours until they can clock off. This has impacted my health significantly, due to work related stress I am repeatedly physically unwell (headaches, anxiety, viruses, chest infections, sinus infections, insomnia). Most people in the office take repeated 6-12 months periods of sick leave with no issue, as absence management and return to work interviews do not take place. Managers are absent, avoidant, do not set standards, take months to reply to basic emails, there are no routine team meetings or communications. I raised all issues noted within the 1st year in post, organised a meeting with the Senior manager and formally documented my concerns. Nothing changed, I was gaslit. I learned quickly that the more competent and caring I was, the more my own team would use this against me to overwhelm me. In a team of 50+ people they would assign the most complex cases to me, no care for my current workload. I released that I have to leave the job this year as likely nothing will change and I will not allow myself to stoop to their low of treating vulnerable people with disrespect due to their unhappiness in personal life and their career choice. I have upskilled myself to obtain qualifications and experience in other fields.
My hope was that documenting this experience on Reddit would support me to evidence the malpractice, negligence, and toxicity of the field and gain advice on how best to proceed. I am introverted, the experience has lowered my self-esteem and I often worry that I am the problem. Recently morale in the office has hit an all time low, I admit that I have been slower to complete admin-based jobs and lost motivation to make a meaningful difference. My life has changed dramatically over the past years. I left the NHS, survived an abusive relationship, survived and escaped an emotionally abusive home, moved in with my new loving partner and created my own peaceful home. Change can be daunting, but I now see that staying in toxic situations of any kind is not an option and that I can and will create my own reality. My current salary is over 44k per year, most jobs I am applying for are approximately 30-35k per year, permanent contracts, better working conditions and less stress associated with the role. Family discourage me from leaving a well-paying and secure job despite the chaos and negligence, they have remained in toxic unhappy work situations which directly impacts their health, relationships, and life satisfaction as they fear the unknown. My loving partner recently left a toxic workplace and reassures me that there is more to this life than this - seeing him progress and feel valued in work inspires me.
I am applying for approximately 2 jobs per week, in the Learning Development field. Please, can anyone provide tips of how to survive in the bleak period between deciding to move and obtaining a job? I am researching good working practices, office etiquette, email etiquette and only applying to companies that I have fully researched employee reviews. Thank you for your time and any advice or guidance that may help.

I turned 20 a few months ago. I have been a very a carefree child in my childhood. I went to a great private school, got excellent grades, socialized with other children, had great summer vacations, etc. Happy childhood, basically.
When it was time for me to go to college at 18, I got a fully funded scholarship abroad and left my comfort zone for the first time. Nothing has been the same ever since. I struggled a lot, couldn’t adapt to the country, failed my classes and ended up dropping out a few days ago. I’m returning to my home country tomorrow.
I don’t know what awaits me in the future. I have been living with a low mood for the past 2-3 years, and I’m terrified about the future. I realize that I have to start learning how to get through life, but everything seems so vast and confusing.
What’s going to happen down the road? How will my 20s, 30s, etc. shape me? Will I be able to make something out of life at some point? There’s so many questions, yet so few answers, if any.
It also doesn’t help that my procrastination has been getting out of control for the past years. I’ve become so unproductive that I’ve forgotten how to start and finish tasks, which is one of the key skills if you want to survive in today’s world.
The future seems so uncertain, though not bleak, yet. I hope everything will be fine.
Cheers

Still trying to figure out the car

Hello . This will be a long and Dramatic and Very likely Poorly spelled Post So I do apologies but if any residents of New Hope can give me Advice Would be grate;
I Live in Pittsburgh PA I have all m y life my family were hear And I am a High functioning Autistic (Formerly Aspergers ) and a Trans female (But nobody would know and I do not go around bandying tht about). Being I have Aspergers finding gainful employment for most of my adult life has been hard but I did do Volunteering work at my Local Libraries and have references. Briefly worked for this Restaurant owner who was a NIGHTMAIR to work for I have allso worked as a Artist Model for CMA Collage for about a year or 2 . I have worked almost every season at a Flower shop (SOMETHING I LOVED) for every year from 2017 until covid hit . Due to my difficulties and My fears of going out into the world on my own and the Uncertainties it entails (Plus watching my mom go homeless) I stayed closer to home and at home bc my family were hear. Over the last 10 years allmost every member of my immediate family has died . I have never really cared for my home city There are good things about it for shur but for me the work is hard to obtain no matter how hard I try, public transport is a pain in the ass (Despite they get 40 million a year) and finding a decent guy is also a pain in the ass My life hear feels stagnant and I def. do not want to live the rest of my life and Die in this Dam City so There is a grate apart of me that wants to leave if I can arrange things . For the last several years I have been I guess you would say a Companion to my ageing Grandpa who has Diabetes and many other health problems. We both looked after each other and enjoyed our company. Sadly he is not a rich man He attempted to leave me his pension so i had some money when he passed but that turned out to not be a GO plan. He is dying his house the Oly asset and that does not go to me nor could I afford to maintain it anyhow now. Plus we learned the nursing home/Hospice could take the house as collateral if they wished bc. my grandpa never set things legally into place to prevent that. So ither way it seems I may have to leave the Home and place I have grown up in and felt safe in. My remaining family are not a Massive help well meaning but not a help. I do not have many friends at the moment who can help , I only started to search for new groups of friends and brave the dating scean again. Found friends but few are in a position to help and as far as finding a BF or Husband ........................ZILCH ! A Friend of mine recently suggested that Mabe I move to another town or city. New York City he said Has AMAZING Assistance to the poor he said "They just give shit away". But I am not Keen to live in NY NY I allso hear cities like Boston and the state of Road Island also have good State assistance for the Poor . Pa I have heard is REMARKABLY also said to be a good state for assistance and Gov Programs to help people like Me which i was amazed by so maybe I thought move somewhere else in the state I thought ? Mabe its just Pittsburgh is not a good place for Folks Like Me? Anyway I have been yearning for a more small town but not Hick City Like many towns in what is Called (Pennsaltucky) LOL !
I mean i know there are good Folks from there but somebody like me would not fair well. its not like I am some Cali liberal but you know what I mean. I Love old houses and history and I take a interest and Agricultural and gardening Persuits so new hope seems Grate. And I Learned of new hope from some Paranormal Documentaries from the early 2000's and thought it looks like a nice place to live or work. Now I do have the other possibility to move down to NC. I met some people on hear who know my situation and we have talked regularly for some time on hear but Never met. I hoped to get the money for the train fair to get down there to scout it out but my situation has become so dire that I do not have that luxury. Close my eyes and Jump so to speak
I know Taxes and Property rates are high in New Hope, there is a lot of noise from a Airport 9 miles away and Humidity is INSANE. But I am just considering it as a possibility and just trying to think of Plans you know . As of Right now I literally arrive in town with VERY little money No Car (Id need to take a bus or train if any re neer by) need to find somebody kind and understanding to give me work and then a decent place to rent, I would have few belongings with me being I would have to arrive with only what I could carry most of my other things id have to leave with family till i could aford to have then sent down. good people to help me build my life BC I would never have done this on my own ..................EVER. If you look in my post history Yes you will find I am a Lusty and Dirty Girl but there is WAYYYYY More to me than that Believe me. I am just a Sad poor Girl who has had bad luck in life and is looking for some place nice and safe and were i might fit in to start a new life, make friends (Find a Husband) and settle for a while. Massive American cities like NY NY Despite there many Attractions do not appeal to me . Your thoughts ? Advice?

Burner account.
I am a 20 year old Israeli, and I'm sick of just watching the news and feeling like shit about what my country does to our brothers and neighbors. I am a peace loving individual and it makes me sad to see how we treat others.
My first issue is education. For my whole life I hear only perspective of Israeli and Zionism, and i always saw many holes in the logic, but I still never really received a different perspective. Even though when i see zionist news and opinions i can logically examine them and see their flaws, i don't really have much exposure to the other side. most media outlets will not have honest coverage. So my question is how can i educate myself with proper information that isn't biased to either side.
My second question is what can i actively do. I want to do something to change the situation. i know this is a big hope, because the forces of violence like government and army are much stronger than any one individual. but there must be some organisation for jews and palestinians to work together.
please reply or message me with any information, thanks in advance

I read the full manga, but only check out anime here and there. 1 thing i notice is the kiss and make out, etc... scene is done in much longer time, with lot more spicey protrayed, more action.
Mei and Yuzu first kiss: In manga Mei just kiss her feel qutie fast, real kiss happen in only 2 panel, 5 panel include begin and end, Yuzu look like she is confuse and still not sure what just happen. while in anime, she get kiss for like whole 5 second, then she try to break out but Mei hold her, she truggle but get molested for like another 20 second XD. the whole thing going on for like a full minutes, she look like she just climaxed XD. this is pretty much same for all other scene. if you they did it like in the manga, probally make it tamer with it spicey's reputation
Anyway, my point is, why dont they just keep it short, just like the manga, and the bluray will have the bonus uncensored "extendted scene". I guarantee it will boost the sell up sky rocket. (just need to make sure Advertive it so people aware of the bluray have such bonus). I mean that is pretty much the selling point of bluray for many anime, or how some anime make a Ova bonus and thing is more horny in that ova episode.

So, I was inspired this year to pick up Mage 20th and actually try running Mage. Prior to this I had actually played in an Ascension game of some stripe, but I was the new guy at the tail end of a campaign so a lot didn't sink in. And then new lines launched, and I played some Awakening.
But I definitely didn't want *that* setting for this campaign.
But that has left me trying to figure out how Mage works based on Mage 20... (so that I can, for example, help my players understand what they can and can't do) and it's not easy.
So. Thanks to my plot (they've encountered something that falls squarely into the Extra-Dimensional Entity bucket that is supernaturally infectious/corrupting), one of my players asked me about using their Dimensional Science 3 to protect against that.
Now, logically, Dimensional Science seems like the right Sphere to provide some kind of defensive countermeasures against an EDE wearing you like a glove. (It's not even like it's Spirit, where one can argue the main point is to use spirits to do stuff; as I understand it, the Void Engineer philosophy revolves around combatting EDEs, not making friends with them)
"How Do You Do That" lays out things like Wards and Minor Wards and whatnot, but they all have pre-requisites from other Spheres (Prime, Correspondence, Life, sometimes Matter). So that's mostly a long list of mechanical effects the PC definitely cannot do. (they do have Data, but not 4/4)
(no, I'm not actually running a Technocracy Agents game, the PC in question is just a very materialistic Virtual Adept, but frankly there's been at least one NPC who was outright surprised to discover this PC wasn't actually a Void Engineer)
​
So. With Data 3 and Dimensional Science 3, what can you do about about an EDE (or, more accurately, many such EDEs) that infects, corrupts, and assimilates people?
​
Apart from shoot it. I mean "what can you do to not get infected yourself". Although if people have any ideas on gadgets/plans I could pass on, go for it. They could use the help, they're not very confident about what they can do.

HMS Celtic

• Super Heal
• Improved AP
• Radar Cruiser

USS Rochester (CA-124)

• Smoke Cruiser
• Excellent AA Suite
• Strong AP

Scope

These ships were given to me by Wargaming for review.
Welcome back. Sure, it does seem rather apt to jump into the first published review in sometime with the addition of two new Baltimores…well, one Oregon-City Cruiser, and another Baltimore. With both ships being so closely related, it seems fitting to tag them both together here. Per the norm, there will be lots of pretty charts, and a comprehensive breakdown of both ships; with the added benefit of showing exactly where these two wrap up into the bigger picture.
All stats are current to the best of my knowledge as of v5.1. Stats are subject to change in the future, and this review may not reflect those changes.
Celtic is a GREAT ship, with a MODERATE Skill Floor and a HIGH Skill Ceiling.
Rochester is an AVERAGE ship, with a LOW Skill Floor and a MODERATE Skill Ceiling.
Quite obviously, this review is going to be mostly centered on Celtic, with some Rochester slapped in there to show exactly how she stacks up to the competition. 2 for 1, or a freebie, you decide.
Nothing could honestly make me happier than to be able to bring reviews and writing to you all full-time. If this interests you and you enjoy reading my work, please support me if you can, as every little bit helps. My goal is to keep my reviews free and public for all to read; and by supporting my Patreon you can help keep me at my desk.

Matrix Rating

• [BAD, WEAK, AVERAGE, GOOD, GREAT]
• {LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, EXTREME}

History

The design was first commissioned in the late 1930's, which adapted lessons learned from the preceding Wichita-Class and the currently under construction, lighter Cleveland Class. Baltimore's design featured an orthodox A-B-X configuration of 3 triple turrets of (8") 203mm guns. Fast and well-armed for the era, the fate of the project ended by cancelling later ships construction in favor of the Cleveland Class which were both faster, lighter, and quicker to build which meant more ships out at sea protecting US Navy Carriers. Baltimore Class Cruisers were built from 1941-1945 with some serving in various sub-classes until the 1970's.
With 14 completed ships of the class, the Baltimore-Class had the most constructed heavy cruisers built of any one class from nation during the war-time period. Generally considered a success, the class was preceded by the USS Wichita, and succeeded by the Oregon-City Class. With attached sub-classes, the Boston Class featuring the world's first Guided Missile Cruiser in the early 1950's USS Boston (CAG-1) and Flagship variations. The design was most notable for incorporation of surveillance radar, gun control fire systems which allowed for calculation beyond the horizon, 5'' Anti-Air, and 8'' Main Battery. This design was focused in on the ships ability to be a Carrier Fleet Escort Ship, capable of both Anti-Air Screening, Shore Bombardment, eventually being modified to serve as the world's first guided missile cruiser.
USS Baltimore (CA-68) herself was laid down in 1941, by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was launched in 1942 and served until 1956 when she was decommissioned, and eventually scrapped in 1971. The ship served primarily in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, earning 9 battle stars.
HMS Celtic is a made-up ship that never actually existed but rests on the concept that would have been if the Baltimore Class had been sent to the Royal Navy. This was not an entirely foreign concept of the era either, with the two allied nations cooperating heavily with some ships being used by the other’s navy. It would be this cooperation that ultimately played a decisive role in every major theatre of World War 2.
USS Rochester (CA-124) was laid down in the same shipyard as her predecessor, in May 1944. She would be launched in August the following year, then commissioned into the US Navy in 1946. Succeeding the Baltimore Class, the Oregon City Class featured many similarities, with changes to her exhaust, superstructure and Anti-Air Suite. Rochester would serve throughout Korea and Vietnam, being decommissioned in the 1960s, and scrapped in the 1970s. 10 Oregon City Cruisers were planned, with only 4 completed.

Strengths: Celtic

• 9.9km Radar
• Royal Navy Super Heal
• Solid Anti-Air
• Sonar
• Improved AP Ricochet Angles

Weaknesses: Celtic

• Poor Fire Chance
• Short Duration Radar
• Lacks SHAP
• Low Base HP

Strengths: Rochester

• Smoke Generator
• Excellent AA Suite
• Improved AP Angles with SHAP

Weaknesses: Rochester

• Poor Smoke Fire Concealment
• Radar-Less
• Heal-less with Smoke Generator

The Basics

A Baltimore with a Super Heal and longer-range radar? Sign me up. Baltimore on her own is already one of the stronger ships in the game and in terms of utility, one of the stronger team players. Celtic takes an interesting concept and adds a new flair to an older line. She has her own strengths and weaknesses, all of which will be identified, some of which are likely to be seemingly splitting the finest of hairs. This ship has a bit less of a grudge against controlling caps than the traditional Baltimore but should be readily found in the same niche doing the same things, just slightly different. Radar support, anti-destroyer, area control are all tags that apply. Celtic is strong, strong enough to be thrown in with the likes of AL Baltimore, Mainz CE and Wichita CE.
Trashchester is tough. I’ll honestly do my best to not shred this ship into a bajillion pieces while pouring out the salt, but I’m only human. She was painful on release, and since she’s had work done, fitting for her review to be finally finished and published for you all to use as a dash of seasoning for dinner. On release, Rochester had a smoke fire concealment on par with her sister’s base concealment, meaning, her smoke was essentially pointless and served only to blind herself, and not her opponents. Lacking radar, Rochester presented as a clumsy self-blinding target unable to deal the things that engage her. What’s worse, Rochester trades her heal for her smoke, meaning, players are left purchasing a regular old Baltimore, with some fancy AA, or a deaf-mute without a heal. Yes. She was that painful; a concept that bumps in the worst of ways, both theoretically and in practice. While her concealment has been buffed, it’s still an awful kit as her smoke fire concealment is still too weak to present much of a force upon the caps. If we’re stuck to smoke firing spam, there are better ships than Rochester; even making good old Belfast 43 seem like a knight in shining armor.
Both of these ships do sport improved AP performance, in the shape of improved ricochet angles. We’ll tear this apart in the ballistic section, as per the norm. Baltimore’s ballistic performance has been studied quite extensively in the past, which has set up an excellent point of comparison.

Offense

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Let’s start with the prodigal child and then work towards the bought rented mule. Celtic does well here, in terms of heavy cruisers (203mm) she sits nearer the top of the lists dropping more midfield when included with the rest of the pack. Apart from some of those silly DPM small caliber ships, Celtic packs a noteworthy punch. Rochester starts more midfield and holds her placing through the pack. For a 203mm cruiser, a 2s difference in reload is often enough to bump a ship up or down a rank, entirely. This translates to roughly 20k between the two, and about a full salvo difference.

	HE Alpha	HE DPM
AL Chapayev	2850	256 500
Cleveland	2300	254 769
Weimar	1700	244 800
Suzuya	2700	243 000
AL Montpelier	2300	220 800
Bayard	2200	221 200
Belfast 43	2450	207 529
Harbin	1900	207 273
Chapayev	2300	207 000
Mainz CE	1700	204 000
Kutuzov	2200	198 000
Mainz	1600	192 000
Ochakov	2200	182 069
Charles Martel	2800	151 200
Wichita CE	2800	151 200
Celtic	2700	145 800
Albemarle	3300	142 560
Wichita	2600	140 400
AL Baltimore	2800	137 454
Mogami	3300	132 000
Baltimore	2800	126 000
Rochester	2800	126 000
Atago	3300	123 750
Pyotr Bagration	2500	122 727
Azuma	5100	114 750
Hipper	2700	112 696
Riga	3050	106 625
Amalfi	3100	104 625
Prinz Eugen	2500	92 308
Sigfried	4400	60 923
Edinburgh	-	-
Perfect 10	-	-
Plymouth	-	-

In terms of alpha punch, Celtic and Rochester are somewhat similar separated by the performance of firing different shells off different reloads from the same gunnery.

	AP Alpha	AP DPM
Weimar	3750	540 000
Mainz	3900	468 000
Mainz CE	3900	468 000
Plymouth	3100	457 846
Cleveland	3300	365 538
Perfect 10	2800	358 400
Bayard	3300	316 800
AL Montpelier	3200	307 200
Chapayev	3400	306 000
Edinburgh	3100	297 600
Kutuzov	3300	297 000
Suzuya	3300	297 000
AL Chapayev	3100	279 000
Ochakov	3300	273 103
Harbin	2500	272 727
Charles Martel	4900	264 600
Belfast 43	3100	282 570
Hipper	6000	250 435
AL Baltimore	5000	245 454
Celtic	4500	243 000
Wichita CE	4200	226 800
Baltimore	5000	225 000
Rochester	5000	225 000
Pyotr Bagration	4550	223 364
Prinz Eugen	5900	217 846
Wichita	4000	216 000
Riga	5750	200 323
Azuma	8650	194 625
Albemarle	4500	194 400
Mogami	4700	188 000
Atago	4700	176 250
Amalfi	5100	172 125
Sigfried	11 600	160 615

Celtic has among the better AP DPM values for a 203mm armed cruiser, only being outclassed by ships with meatier AP. In terms of overall, Celtic sits more midfield. Her overall AP ballistic performance allows her to unlock more of this actual number than many of her counterparts.

	Range (Km)	Reload (s)
Weimar	15.3	5.0
Harbin	14.5	5.5
Ochakov	15.5	5.8
Mainz	15.8	6.0
Mainz CE	15.8	6.0
Plymouth	15.2	6.5
Cleveland	15.3	6.5
AL Montpelier	13.9	7.5
Perfect 10	15.2	7.5
Edinburgh	15.3	7.5
Bayard	15.8	7.5
Kutuzov	16.0	8.0
AL Chapayev	16.0	8.0
Chapayev	16.0	8.0
Belfast 43	15.3	8.5
Celtic	15.5	10.0
Suzuya	15.3	10.0
Charles Martel	15.8	10.0
Wichita	15.5	10.0
Wichita CE	15.5	10.0
Pytor Bagration	16.0	11.0
AL Baltimore	15.5	11.0
Hipper	15.8	11.5
Baltimore	15.5	12.0
Rochester	15.4	12.0
Albemarle	15.5	12.5
Prinz Eugen	15.8	13.0
Mogami	15.3	15.0
Riga	16.1	15.5
Amalfi	15.4	16.0
Atago	14.7	16.0
Azuma	15.8	24.0
Sigfried	16.2	26.0

Overall, there’s not all that much to crow about here. Rochester sits a bit lower on the charts than Celtic due to reload. Both have improved ballistics to offer compensation for a lack of torpedoes. The DPM numbers are at their worst, workable, and at best, functional, neither being awful nor spectacular. Celtic takes the edge due to better numbers overall.

Ballistics

• Rochester: GREAT
• Celtic: GREAT

The tell-all ballistic chart. Royal Navy Cruisers and US Navy Cruisers sport among the best AP performance in their respective classes and tiers. Celtic has among the best HE DPM numbers of the Baltimores, but takes a hit on her fire chance percentage. Rochester SHAP hits like a truck, along with her Baltimore cousins. Things get interesting here the more you study this chart, captains. Celtic has arguably better HE, but worse AP. Rochester has SHAP and excellent AP performance, but poor shell count. AL Baltimore once again takes the cake with the best “happy medium” of the bunch, sporting a decent shell count, SHAP with excellent penetration and a lower muzzle velocity introducing slightly higher arcs yielding much more forgiving angles on the receiving end…
What I can say definitively, is Baltimore SHAP has much greater penetration than the standard AP. Wichita leans on HE at range, and she has the numbers to back it up, Baltimore hardly ever shoots HE in practice which is backed up by her AP performance and penetration values. Captains, it would not be entirely erroneous in terms of gunnery to compare Stock Baltimore to Celtic and Wichita or Elite Baltimore to Rochester and AL Baltimore.

	Ricochet (o)	Fuse Time (s)	Sigma	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile
Albemarle	45/60	0.033	2.0	814	AP
AL Baltimore	60/67.5	0.033	1.8	762	SHAP
Balti-Stock	60/67.5	0.033	1.9	853	AP
Balti-Elite	60/67.5	0.033	1.9	782	SHAP
Celtic	60/67.5	0.033	2.0	853	AP
Rochester	60/67.5	0.033	2.0	762	SHAP
Wichita	60/67.5	0.033	1.8	853	AP
Wichita CE	60/75	0.01	2.0	853	AP

The major and palpable difference in performance here is between Celtic and the native Baltimores, is that Celtic lacks SHAP. This means Celtic’s AP shells weigh less, which translates to depleting velocity and thus penetration values faster than the Baltimores heavier shells. Fortunately, Baltimore has some of the best AP penetration in her class which means that Celtic can afford to lose some raw penetration value before she begins to suffer. Rochester wins the AP argument here, while Celtic takes the HE side. It’s almost literally splitting hairs, and Baltimore Mains will feel right at home in either ship.

	Fire Chance %	HE Pen (mm)	Shell Count	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile
Albemarle	17	33	43	814	HE
AL Baltimore	14	33	49	823	HE
Baltimore	14	33	45	823	HE
Celtic	10	33	54	823	HE
Rochester	14	33	45	823	HE
Wichita	14	33	54	823	HE
Wichita CE	14	33	54	823	HE

If you’re looking to start fires, grab Albemarle. However, this is about the only such category she takes. Celtic manages better with access to a shorter reload and better overall ballistic properties. Shell by shell, edge Rochester, overall, solidly in Celtic’s favor by a full 9 shells.

Torpedoes

• Torpedo-less

Neither of these ships sport torpedoes, so this section is predicably blank.

Defense

• Celtic: GREAT
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Let’s jump into the major category of defense. Celtic arguably may be one of the best, Rochester, rather mediocre. From the top.
Celtic has among the best effective health pools, just edging out Edinburgh with a chunky 66k. It’s worth pointing out Albemarle tops both with a mighty 78k, though most Albemarle tend to be much more passive alluding to a different playstyle entirely. Baltimore is considered “tanky” at 56k, and Celtic adds in a super-heal. I wouldn’t chance to say Albemarle is particularly tanky, but she can heal quite well. A Baltimore is tanky enough to access that 66k EHP and is a scary thought. Baltimore can take a punch, where Edinburgh relies on defense by trickery, clever armor schemes and angling, Albemarle by range and angle. It’s also quite worth mentioning that Celtic rests with 36,7k base HP, meaning on par with most Cruiser Lights. Captains, you will feel getting hit in Celtic. Kit with 9.9km radar, sonar, a super heal, decent armor, excellent AA and workable concealment…captains, this is a literal no-brainer. Celtic is a slightly different twist off some of the most competitive ships in the game.
Rochester is rather tanky like most of her preceding Baltimore cousins. She has the same armor scheme essentially, and similar HP/EHP values. While this would normally be good on its own, Rochester has an Achilles’ Heel. Rochester must choose between having smoke or having a heal, and outright lacks Radar. While she has defensive AA, this is mostly a living meme rather than consistently as effective in combat as Radar. As said before, in terms of smoke cruisers there are just better options some of which don’t involve sacrificing your heal, or even radar. This relegates Rochester to just being a rather average 203mm CA, with very slightly better AA and decent enough armor.
The ranking seems a bit harsh, but that’s generally the difference between the hunter (Celtic), and the hunted (Rochester). Rochester initially will feel getting hit less, due to a larger health pool however, the table quickly swings in favor of Celtic, which gets most of it back.
​

	Health	Effective Health
Azuma	52 500	78 960
Albemarle	43 800	78 840
Sigfried	55 000	70 400
Celtic	36 700	66 020
Edinburgh	36 400	65 520
Hipper	43 800	58 517
Plymouth	41 000	58 220
Prinz Eugen	45 000	57 600
AL Baltimore	42 400	56 646
Baltimore	42 400	56 646
Mainz	44 000	56 320
Riga	42 000	56 112
Rochester	41 900	55 978
Amalfi	42 800	54 784
Mainz CE	42 500	54 400
Kutuzov	40 700	54 364
Pytor Bagration	42 000	53 760
Atago	40 100	53 574
Mogami	39 100	52 238
Perfect 10	36 500	51 788
AL Chapayev	37 000	51 504
Chapayev	37 000	51 504
Belfast 43	38 400	51 302
Suzuya	38 000	50 786
Wichita	37 900	50 634
Wichita CE	37 900	50 634
Charles Martel	38 000	48 640
AL Montpelier	36 900	47 232
Cleveland	36 900	47 232
Ochakov	34 750	46 426
Weimar	32 000	42 752
Bayard	34 700	-
Harbin	26 500	33 892

Armor

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: GOOD

This chart below sticks to the USN and RN CA/CLs for now... At some point, this chart will include overmatch and juicy other details for all the cruisers, but for now, it is simple enough to get the point across. Most Cruisers have their critical spaces directly abutting the hull, others don’t. Cruiser armor varies widely and is worth looking at because there are absolutely ships with specific advantages worth exploring and exploiting. For now, let’s keep it simple.
As summarized before, the Baltimore Class has relatively good armor, while it has its weaknesses, is generally functional enough to get by. They are neither needlessly weighed down by their armor, nor under-armored. It’s worth saying Rochester and Celtic have vaguely the same armor lay out and will handle 380mm Battleships.

	Extremity Plating (mm)	Belt Armor (mm)
Albemarle	25	152
AL Baltimore	27	152
AL Montpelier	25	127
Baltimore	27	152
Belfast 43	16	114
Celtic	27	152
Cleveland	25	127
Edinburgh	30	114
Perfect 10	16	114
Plymouth	16	114
Rochester	27	152
Wichita	27	152
Wichita CE	27	152

Anti-Air Suite

• Rochester: BEST
• Celtic: GREAT

Rochester takes the cake here, with better and larger AA guns she’s rather resistant to airborne pests. Celtic ties in with the close second, along with her sisters. The truly beautiful thing about either ship is that captains will not need to waste any energy into building this into making this sector a functional kit. Captains, you can save some defensive energy by focusing into Celtic’s Radar and by leaving Rochester in port. The magic number here is being north of that 350/s line, Azuma scrapes by with a bit of focus, where pretty much all the USN ships will laugh off aircraft. A major point of contention that is worth noting; Rochester is immune, Celtic is quite resistant to CVs, where Albemarle gets by here, and Edinburgh is rather hindered. I suspect this will be massively impactful for competitive players.

	Range (Km)	DPS
Rochester	5.0	370
AL Baltimore	5.0	365
Baltimore	5.0	365
Celtic	5.0	365
AL Montpelier	5.0	363
Cleveland	5.0	363
Mainz	5.0	357
Mainz CE	5.0	357
Sigfried	5.2	354
Azuma	5.0	342
Hipper	4.5	288
Pyotr Bagration	5.0	280
Prinz Eugen	4.5	279
Plymouth	5.0	276
Perfect 10	5.0	276
Albemarle	5.0	272
Kutuzov	5.0	264
Amalfi	4.0	225
Wichita	5.0	217
Wichita CE	5.0	217
Bayard	5.0	212
Belfast 43	5.0	207
Al Chapayev	5.0	207
Chapayev	5.0	207
Charles Martel	5.0	204
Ochakov	5.0	196
Riga	5.2	188
Weimar	4.5	181
Edinburgh	5.0	175
Harbin	5.2	170
Mogami	5.0	127
Atago	5.0	90
Suzuya	5.0	67

Rochester takes the cake here, because everyone deserves to be really good at something. However, with CVs it’s important to remember everything is relative.

Concealment

• Rochester: GOOD
• Celtic: GOOD

Technically these are the same values while stock, and their rating is the same. However, this is quite deceiving. Rochester is GOOD leaning on GREAT where Celtic is GOOD leaning on AVERAGE. The reason for this follows their available commanders, which Shelly Beapley offers a unique 4th row concealment skill unavailable to any other commander, or nation. The result of this, Rochester, like her cousins sits at a comfortable 9.3km, where Celtic sits at 9.9km. Rochester can do almost nothing with this concealment, as she lacks radar, and her smoke fire window is just a pale 1.7km below her surface concealment. However, that .6km is a palpable difference and can open huge strategic windows; particularly once south of that magic 10km line.
The obvious connotation here is that hiding a radar cruiser inside 10km is far scarier than hiding a smoke cruiser inside 9.5, provocatively when that same smoke cruiser can be spotted inside her smoke at 7.6km. Captains, this 7.6km is on par with her sisters, however, this is a very narrow margin even for a support cruiser. Smoke is infinitely easier to use than radar, however, infinitely less forgiving.

	Stock Concealment
Amalfi	11.4
Atago	11.7
Harbi	11.8
Belfast 43	11.9
Plymouth	12.0
Edinburgh	12.0
Albemarle	12.1
Mogami	12.3
Suzuya	12.3
Cleveland	12.5
AL Montpelier	12.5
Celtic	12.6
AL Baltimore	12.6
Baltimore	12.6
Rochester	12.6
Wichita	12.6
Azuma	12.7
Weimar	13.0
Sigfried	13.0
Perfect 10	13.2
Bayard	13.2
Pyotr Bagration	13.3
Charles Martel	13.4
Hipper	13.5
Prinz Eugen	13.6
Mainz	13.7
Mainz CE	13.7
Kutuzov	13.8
Ochakov	13.8
Riga	14.2
AL Chapayev	14.3
Chapayev	14.3

Maneuverability

• Celtic: GOOD
• Rochester: WEAK

Celtic sits almost smack dab of the upper midfield pack of heavy cruisers where Rochester sits more towards the end of the pack. Rochester feels clunky and handles like it, where Celtic feels more “native” to her respective class sharing the same stats. While this is rated good overall, its more average in the face of Lighter Cruisers, representing more of a bang-for-the-buck scenario.

	Rudder Shift (s)	Turn Radius (m)
Weimar	6.4	660
AL Montpelier	6.9	660
Harbin	7.2	660
Cleveland	6.0	680
Wichita	6.0	680
Wichita CE	6.0	680
Perfect 10	8.0	680
Edinburgh	8.6	680
Belfast 43	9.9	680
Plymouth	10.1	680
Amalfi	11.0	680
Charles Martel	8.9	690
Mainz	10.5	720
Mainz CE	10.5	720
Albemarle	10.7	720
AL Baltimore	7.0	730
Baltimore	7.0	730
Celtic	7.0	730
Bayard	9.3	730
Hipper	9.7	740
Suzuya	5.6	750
Mogami	6.4	750
Ochakov	7.4	750
Rochester	10.5	750
Kutuzov	6.5	760
Prinz Eugen	9.8	770
Atago	8.1	790
Sigfried	14.0	880
AL Chapayev	8.7	890
Chapayev	8.7	890
Pyotr Bagration	10.5	890
Azuma	12.3	920
Riga	11.5	920

Commanders

Celtic:
Celtic essentially has one commander that is head and shoulders ahead of the rest, while the rest kind of just work. HotRod offers the best fit here inarguably, along with Radar Edinburgh and Radar Minotaur. This sets Celtic up to be a near par build with the USN CA Queen Shelly Beapley. While her 4th row skill’s absence here is certainly felt and results in a 9.9km concealment, the build is largely similar and works well for any radar focused cruiser. While there are other builds out there, this is the gem of the lot and helps unlock that sacred mantra of utility that surrounds the Baltimore Class. Inspirations should focus on concealment, Mikawa and Swirski, to bring Celtic’s detection to pair with her Radar.
HotRod

• Cognizant: -10% Radar Cooldown Time
• Ingenious: -7% Incoming Splash Damage, +1.6o/s Gun Traverse
• Full Speed Ahead: +5% Speed, -10% Rudder Shift
• Prescience: -20% Air Detection, +10% Radar Duration
• Acoustic Chamber: -25% Sonar Cooldown, +5% Sonar Duration, +1 Sonar Charge
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

Rochester:
Nothing can be easy with Rochester, and naturally, building her was to the same effect. Essentially there are two trains of thought for this ship, build into dispersion or build into utility.
AL Montpelier seemed to mesh the best, which then turns Rochester into a little flamethrower capable of merging all her shells into a single pixel. However, this build is rather finicky to use and has a fair number of weaknesses. The build heavily relies on team spotting and is itself a second-line cruiser. Something like a 19-20% fire chance and a nasty dispersion circle. Rochester already has excellent gunnery performance as discussed; Montpelier really sharpens the sword. Pair with AL Scharnhorst and Scott to reduce dispersion and sigma, respectively, even further.
AL Montpelier

• Anti-Air Mode: +10% AA Range
• Burn it Down XXL: +2% Fire Chance
• Igniter: +3% Fire Chance
• All-Out Assault: +4% Sigma, +10% Incoming Fire Dispersion, +5% Incoming Damage
• Fixated: +5% Sigma, -5% Dispersion
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

It's a rare day when Shelly gets sat down in favor of another commander in the USN CA tree, but I kept falling into the same pitfalls using the same build for similar ships often being able to use radar. Shelly will help bring out Rochester’s utility, but she’s arguably not as well fit in on Rochester as AL Montpelier is. Pair Beapley with concealment inspirations from Mikawa and Swirski and enjoy a very beautiful 9.3km concealment. Rochester has SHAP and excellent penetration values, meaning she can readily ambush and critically strike ships quite larger than her, all without torpedoes.
Shelly Beapley

• Refractory: -8% Chance of catching fire
• Ingenious: -7% Incoming Splash Damage, +1.6o/s Gun Traverse
• Full Speed Ahead: +5% Speed, -10% Rudder Shift
• Velocious: +5% Speed
• Private Zone: -8% Detectability
• Fully Packed: -5% Consumable Reload, +1 Consumable Charge

Consumables

Ok, rather than spell out everything, everywhere, all at once; I’m going to keep it simple here.
Celtic:

1. Damage Control: Standard, unlimited uses. 60s cooldown.
2. Sonar: 3km Torp, 4.2km Ship detection. Lasts around 98s when kit with Hot Rod and reloads in 132.
3. Radar: 9.9km range and lasts about 28s when built.
4. Heal: 733/s over 20s. Yep, that’s over 14k HP. Reloads in less than a minute too.

Celtic has a near ideal consumable suite. There are some differences off the mainstream, such as slightly less sonar range or shorter radar duration. Glossing over the minor differences, the bigger picture reveals something better. Built, Celtic can regenerate a LOT of health.
Rochester:

1. Damage Control: Standard, unlimited. 60s cooldown.
2. Defensive AA: +200% average AA damage. This is memes, it's sort of like a bug zapper for planes.
3. Sonar: Standard 3.3km/4.4km detection over 96s. The average sonar found on everything.
4. Smoke/Heal: 30s duration, 104s dissipation time for the smoke. 251/s over 28s for the heal.

Rochester is rather standard in her access to her consumables, with the killer choice between smoke or a heal. I’ve gone back and forth, generally landing on the heal. Rochester is essentially a decent cruiser hampered by her rather average consumable suite.

Modifications

1. Aiming Systems Mod 1: -7% Dispersion
2. Steering Gears Mod 2: -20% Rudder Shift
3. Concealment Mod 1: -10% Detectability
4. Main Battery Mod 3: -15% Gun Reload

Ok, so the modifications section is super easy because both ships share the same builds. Aiming Systems mod 1 for the dispersion, player’s choice on slot 2 with either propulsion mod 2 or steering gears mod 2. Concealment Mod 1 for slot 3 and finishing off slot 4 by increasing DPM with main battery mod 3.

Upgrades

• Both Celtic and Rochester are premium ships without any researchable upgrades.

Research

• Neither of these ships are currently used in Research Projects. Look out though, one of those random reward or anniversary projects in the future might literally scream having one of these two tucked inside.

Summary

• Celtic: GREAT
• Rochester: AVERAGE

Celtic is a joy. Rochester is work.
I can see Celtic becoming a popular contestant in competitive play with the access to that 9.9km radar and her super heal. I rather lamented her HE performance, more due to her lower fire chance then her DPM or ballistic performance. While it would be nice to see her have ¼ pen HE, she doesn’t need it. I find her nicely balanced and well measured to take on Tier 7. She is just unique enough to warrant her own review, whilst similar enough to stay nearer the beaten path. While she may not comfortably and outright usurp Wichita CE and AL Baltimore from their spots, she’s worth mentioning with the group. That’s saying something.
Rochester, well, let’s just say that not everyone can be the best. This ship is tough but can be rewarding in a sense of overcoming the demands of a challenging ships. My issue with Rochester is 2-fold, her smoke and her heal. She ideally needs both to function in this current meta, and running the ship’s gimmick leaves her with abysmal EHP in a plummet from pretty good to 3rd worst overall, which only trumps Harbin and Bayard while being out-healed by Weimar. With a smoke-fire penalty in the mid 7’s km, smoke is hard to use effectively that is not relegated to back line, HE spam. As said before, if we’re really going to be stuck to this, there are ships which do this better. While I love the perspective of a USN CA without radar just to offer something more unique, a USN CA without Radar is like a cart without a horse. Hilariously enough, Rochester seems to avoid CV games like the actual plague, so I suppose that’s one strong point. Otherwise, and largely, captains are left with a rather average 203mm CA.

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• Inspirational Credit to LittleWhiteMouse

Written By: Capt Thatch

tl;dr: Let's get rid of all the shit buyers and sellers by implementing smart changes to Fiverr's commissions/fee structure and massively improve the platform experience for remaining users.
As some of you are probably aware, Upwork is about to make radical changes to their commission model.
This has got me thinking. Upwork clearly thinks this is going to make them more $ - the "client contract initiation fee" makes me wonder how many $5 orders were being placed on the platform - but how is Fiverr going to respond, if it does?
I reckon that Fiverr is also going to reformulate its commission structure at some point in the future, as from May, it will be the most expensive option in terms of commissions for freelancers. Fiverr has been trying to ditch its cheap and cheerful image and attract a more professional crowd, but isn't really having any success with it. So not only is it going to be the most expensive choice of freelance marketplace, it's also going the one with arguably the worst reputation (both from seller and buyer POVs).
Not a great mix. Way I see it, there's three ways this can go:

• Go fully pay-to-play. Anyone who wants to sell on the marketplace has to pay upfront monthly fees of some type. Could be free to set up an account but publishing each gig costs $X/month, or some sort of Basic/Standard/Premium/Pro plans - levels may go with that, along with promotions/demotions - and possibly all the current optional stuff like Seller Plus added into those plans depending on what people pick.
  
• Fiverr changes its fee structure to be competitive with UW; nothing else changes, or any accompanying changes are minor.
  
• Fiverr changes fee structure AND goes fully pay-to-play to be competitive with UW.
  

I think most people reading this are going to like the second option best - it could be as simple as 20% turning into 10%. That's 10% extra in your pocket, whether or not you already include the 20% in your pricing.
But if Fiverr wants to clean up its cheap and cheerful image to be a professional marketplace - and from their actions, I think they do - then I think something like the third option is best. Yes, it would price out a lot of newbies (with no money/experience) and make using Fiverr less cost-effective even with the reduced commission for those with cheap gigs/low sales with what I expect would be a massively cleaned up marketplace.
Or, to put it other words, the number of gig listings would significantly drop. Those who pay to play will enjoy higher visibility from that alone (especially if higher tiers of a membership plan offer "preferential placement"). That competition is further decimated by people leaving because they disagree with paying a fee just to use Fiverr. So after the dust settles, in theory, you're left with a marketplace that has a smaller number of sellers, but who deliver higher quality services to a pool of buyers that is roughly the same. Fiverr gets to slowly improve its image, while sellers should, in theory, get more sales.
The potential benefits don't just stop there. In theory, you could also get rid of a lot of the most problematic sellers, which in itself could also lead to changes in a lot of the more punitive/controlling aspects of the platform, many of which have been put in place to address poor seller behaviors/deal with plain bad sellers.
I can't see many, if any, changes being made on the buyer side of things, though in theory the quality of buyer would also improve. Partially because the $5 bad buyers will go elsewhere - do sellers really want to spend $ on a monthly fee just to make a $5 gig when loads of the $5 competition has gone? Also partially because remaining sellers on the marketplace likely better know how to deal with dissatisfied buyers to turn them into satisfied ones, rather than just 'bad buyering!' the situation, or simply intercepting them before they create issues through various tactics.
Either way, you want to make buyer onboard as mindless and easy as possible so they put money into a system. With Fiverr Business already in place as the semi-visible "premium" marketplace for buyers that want all that jazz, I just don't see any changes being made here.
There's always the fourth option, of course: nothing changes :) It's all going to boil down to the $ in the end. I guess we'll see. Here's hoping that something happens, and that there's a mass exodus of the platform's worst and most useless members. It theoretically leaves anyone left in a better position, after all.

Hello, everyone. It's me, Dani. :-)
I'm the 42-year-old sibling/anime nerd/writer, who's trying to care for my 57-year-old brother named Rob with a brain tumor and a badly infected leg (due to diabetes, thanks to the brain tumor). Along with my sister, Ace, who is the true rockstar and angel in all of this. And Rob's wife is a SAINT! She's put up with this madness for over a year and deserves all of the flowers possible! =p
So, it's been *checks notes* NINE days since I made my first post here, which started out with me venting about the horrible state of Rob's leg, the difficulty in changing his bandages (and peeling chunks of his skin away in the process, because the infection was THAT BAD!), about me going into a room to silent cry after those changings - before putting on a happy face again and approaching Rob with empathy and compassion again.
And just like the erosion of his leg, so is the state of our sibling relationship - as I've reached the point of screaming, cursing him out, and blocking phone calls altogether from Rob! I'll explain...
So, Ace took him to the best VA hospital in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Once the medical staff saw the state of his leg, they IMMEDIATELY admitted him and set up a whole team of specialists for him. Two wound-care specialists, a new endocrinologist, a GP (that Rob loved and kept praising a lot), a head nurse named, uh... let's call him Calvin - that took to him as a fellow ex-soldier himself, a psychologist (as he voiced that he was feeling a lot of anxiety and wanted to talk with someone), a social worker, and a group of nurses to tend to his every need and whim.
This dream-team would football huddle together and work quickly with the goal to save Rob's leg from being amputated from the knee, as that was a real possibility on the table. (Keep in mind, this isn't on his Veteran benefits - no, it's on his wife's private insurance). And the treatments were super effective, with every one of his doctors pretty much giving the green light that he'd likely be released from the hospital by Monday. Meaning the Monday that's already passed now...
By Saturday, Rob decided, "My leg is healed enough! I want to go home!" He meant that he wanted to go back to our apartment for my sister and me to resume playing nurse-maid to him. Every doctor was adamant in their professional opinion that it would be unwise for him to leave the hospital in the middle of the treatment that will save his leg! So many times, the phrases "not recommended" or "I wouldn't recommend it" was repeated by every doctor and specialist. They would tell Rob this directly and oftentimes with Ace in the room to witness it.
Somehow, Rob heard, "Something-something... you can go home now if you want to." Every. Single. Time. And when Ace went home from her visit with him, he'd get the doctor to get on his phone, to relay to Ace that he can skip out on his treatment, but the doctor would repeat over the phone, "I don't recommend that your brother signs out of treatment prematurely, in my professional opinion." Then Rob would take the phone back and shout to my sister, as if he was vindicated, "You see? Doctor says I can go home!"
Calvin tried to warn him, "If you leave this hospital, you'll lose the leg for certain!" Rob tried to argue with the head nurse that his leg wasn't that bad, so Calvin stated the truth, "Dude, I can smell the infection, as we speak." I had experienced that smell for two days before he went into the VA... it smells of rotting flesh! No lie or "no cap" as the kids say these days.
Rob got angry and decided that it was all his wife's fault that he was losing his leg. He called her up on the phone, screaming at her, and asking for a divorce, as poor Ace tried to calm him down. His wife's account was, that she gave him his antibiotics - he refused to take them and the infection got worse. And that's an observable truth, as Rob has a habit of not taking his medication when he's at home and it's left up to him to do. And, he's too prideful to let anyone else manage his medications for him.
Either that or too paranoid. I don't really know.
Before Saturday, on Friday, Rob decided that Calvin was at fault and should be fired. He blamed Calvin for "lying" to him about the risk of losing his leg, deciding that it was never that serious at all, and that Calvin was purposely trying to get him to divorce his wife. And then, more bizarre conspiracy theories against the hospital and staff occurred. (see the previous post, if you're curious.)
So, it's been days of nonstop gaslighting and emotional blackmailing from Rob! And... for some crazy reason, he believes I'm the "weakest link" (even though, Ace has openly admitted that she's the weaker of the two of us and has been leaning on me for support to not cave into his mind-games), and his presumption that he's somehow "smarter" than me and that he can easily get his way from me only pisses me off MORE so! :(
And the worse thing is - the leg thing is situated now... It's not great, but they managed to stop the infection. Rob took it upon himself to flood my phone with photos of his bloody mess of a leg, to "prove" to me that his leg is fine. Even though it looks like a shriveled and dead tree limb with huge gaping bloody wounds, that are actively staining the white linens within the photo. Yes, there is no more liquid and pus, just lots of blood flowing now, but... Seriously, any special effect artist would be PROUD to recreate the way his "leg" looks now, for any horror movie!
BUT, on Sunday, his brain tumor swelled up so much that his eye is drooping, because it is pressing on the optical nerve. Rob's vision is impaired by the tumor and the surgeon wishes to schedule him for brain surgery as soon as possible. They're trying to get a spot for him in the OR and everything set up, but... you know, COVID, so the systems are still bogged down, and the soonest they could get it was in a few days from now. He has to STAY for a few more days to get the brain surgery that he most certainly needs.
And he will... because he has no other choice. =p
In my last post, I explained that Ace and I set an ultimatum to him - if he signs out AMA, he'll have to figure out on his own how to get back to our apartment and how he's going to climb the stairs to the second floor alone. Fat chance of him being successful at either - because he's too weak to sit up on his own, let alone stand on two legs without any help, and he's not been in Minnesota long enough to learn how to travel it yet. (FYI, we're far away from the hospital, in a suburban town many miles away! And he doesn't have any money to pay for that kind of cab fare, even if he wanted to!)
Ace and I are doing a little "tough love", refusing to take him out of medical care, which would be actively helping him to die on our sofa if we did. Nope.
His wife is in FULL and EAGER agreement with this too, along with Rob's social worker as well. The social worker will speak to his new GP about getting a psych eval for him (because the doctor that he praised so much before was harassed and driven up a wall so much - he switched rotation to another floor, just so Rob could stop insisting that he speak with Ace on the phone several times a day and say that it's okay for him to leave the hospital with a huge swollen BRAIN TUMOR in his head!!!)
It's okay... I'm taking a breath. LOL.
So... in order to stop getting his gore-fest photos and his constant calls, still trying to convince me that I'm a better nurse to him than, you know, nurses who went through medical training and all. And trying to hit every pain point in me to get me to cave into what he wants, I blocked his number. Leading up to the blocking, I DID blow up at him on Monday and shouted, "No, you listen to me! Your leg is f**king falling apart! I was peeling off your skin, every time I changed the bandages! Why do you think I'd immediately go back to my room, every time? I went to my room to CRY!" Rob paused, but he didn't care at all, he continued to argue that his leg was NEVER that bad and now that the infection was gone, he should come home... ignoring the swelling BRAIN TUMOR!!!!
I had enough and erupted with, "You're not going to manipulate me, you mother****er!!!" I don't use that swear, usually, as it was my mother's favorite swear. Perhaps, I was channeling a bit of her short temper, at that moment.
Then Rob tried to argue that I can't see very well (trying to use my eye condition against me - I am visually impaired with Keratoconus, yet in my constant blurred vision, I could see his skin sloughing off his wounds anyway. And so did my sister, who isn't visually impaired... nor were his doctors who were shocked and stunned at the state of his leg too, and poor Calvin the head nurse too), that I was seeing his leg "wrong" and "imagining things"... and that's when I hung up and blocked him.
For the past two days... of blissful peace! XD
I went about my day and life as usual while checking in on my sister, from time to time, who was still taking his calls and being driven up a wall.
And the phone block on Rob should have remained...
Tonight, he used the nurse's desk phone to contact me and leave a message on my voicemail. Before he went into the hospital, I had happily presented him with a "house-warming gift". You see, I suffer from PTSD and night terrors (will not get too much into that, just mentioning it for clarity's sake), and my sister bought me a tank with osculating jellyfish in it, to help me sleep better at night. It's a lot pretty, and calming, and it does help me out a lot.
When Rob came to visit us the first time (in far better health than he is currently in and not at all the asshole that we know him to be as now - I know, I know... it's the tumor.), he saw it and thought it was the coolest thing ever. So, I asked my sister to send the link to where she bought the tank, so I that could buy one for Rob when he came back to live with us/seek medical treatment in Minnesota. (That was THE PLAN, after all, that Rob would move in with us for a while and seek medical care here in Minnesota, as he said that our state had better doctors here than in Maryland.)
So tonight, Rob decided to leave me a message, saying that he was sorry and that if he was to go back to Maryland - would it be okay if he took along the jellyfish gift with him? No matter how much of an asshole someone is to me, a gift is a gift. I don't take back gifts, NOT EVER. That's not my style at all. And so, I took him off the phone block to text him just that. Word-for-word.
He wrote back - his words jumbled and misspelled heavily, because of his vision impairments, that was along the lines of "I know that you hate me now." And I replied back, "I don't hate you. I'm just not willing to put up with emotional blackmail bullshit." So then he called me and I kind of KNEW it was a bad mistake to answer, but I did answer...
Immediately, he tried to convince me that he can come home now because there was a "scheduling error" and the doctors said that he can leave for two days and come back for the brain surgery this weekend! This began a shouting match between him and me! LOL! Ace had talked to the doctors and social worker YESTERDAY, who said no such thing. And they keep stressing, if Rob leaves now, it will take at least three whole weeks before he would be able to get in brain surgery. Because, COVID, things are stressed and short-staffed in every hospital.
He will not last that long. He will either die of starvation (as he's not eating meals - and that's not anything new. Ace and I noticed that for a while now, before he went to the hospital, and had asked his wife about it too. She confirmed that Rob wasn't eating much in Maryland either. It may be time for a feeding tube to be introduced soon), or the pressure of the tumor may cause him to have a fatal stroke or other grizzly brain horrors and he'll die on our sofa.
I said to him (and please excuse my swears), "Stop being such a bitch-baby and stay for the surgery!" And he grumbled, "Stop calling me a bitch-baby..." And I literally punched the air, because I was so pissed off, and I snarled, "Okay, I will when you STOP acting like one!!!" Then I realized that I was screaming my head off past midnight, caught myself, and said, "You know what? Ace is in the next room, trying to get some sleep, so she can work in the morning... I'm NOT doing this with you, Rob!"
Then he asked, "B-but... do you still love me, as your brother?" I answered, "Yes, I love you, Rob... even though you're f**king nuts right now!" And he sulked, "I'm not f**king nuts..." Then he said, "Okay, I'll let you and your sister rest tonight then." And... he's back on phone block. I don't think I'll unblock him until AFTER his brain surgery. =p
Fool me once...
Anyway, sorry for this crazy long post! I did try to edit it down, but... so much has happened in the last... *checks notes again* OMG! TWO DAYS, since I last posted here. Seesh! :(
I'll update - AFTER Rob has gone through surgery and is situated. I just needed to vent and blow off some steam... at, currently, 4:30 AM in the morning. I'm hoping that this long af post was at least a little entertaining and provided a few chuckles, at the very least. ;-)
Be excellent to each other. And peace out!