hello, i bought my first gaming about a month ago, been absolutely loving playing mw2/warzone on it, everything was fine up until about a week/week and a half ago when i noticed my ping slightly jumping to 100+ then back down, this has got a lot frequent now and the game is pretty much unplayable for me as its spiking every 3/4 seconds and as you can imagine its driving me mad, my pc has the Wi-Fi adapter built in, internet speeds are absolutely fine. This has all happened within the last week, ive reset my router a number of times, we have 2 sky boosters on the go as we speak, and a ethernet from the booster to my pc and it is still the same. i am not able to have a ethernet from the router to my pc as i live in a 3 storey house my router is on the bottom floor and my bedroom is on the top but as previously mentioned it was fine until a week/week and a half ago. If someone would please help me as its driving me round the bend and i have run out of ideas. Thank you :)

I was late to the initial train a month ago, but then D&D got removed (for the time being) from Steam so I decided may be I can provide some additional context on ‘why the mood between the Korean gaming community and international scene are so different.’ This controversy never lost much steam (pun intended) here, and newer shovelfuls of coal were fed into it every one or so week. I’ll explicate on that, as well as clear up some confusions on why Koreans seem to find fault in parts where American/international viewers don’t readily understand.
 
I’ll mainly be addressing the confusion found in this thread (https://www.reddit.com/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/11bne2m/why_dark_and_darker_is_a_stolen_game_additional/). While it’s not the only thread on this controversy, I’m lazy and I just thought handling the one thread with most traction would be best.
 
Before I get on with the post, I should say that I hate what Nexon is with a passion. Nexon (as well as its other “3N” brothers NC and Netmarble) are a bane to the gaming industry, the spectre which has haunted the Korean gaming scene that ruins everything it touches with its haunting grips and anti-consumer, consumer-predatory business models. It has absolutely ruined the Korean audience’s sense of what games are and what we should expect of games. Its vision is unmotivated, its creations lackluster, and its decision makers view the community not as individuals with thought and preference but as sheep to be milked for every bit of their available savings.
 
At the same time, there are reasons I’m skeptical of Ironmace, at the very least on the fence about this controversy. Below are a few points on why, formed in a way that can address some confusions.
1) Is Dark and Darker is a stolen game?
 
No. But it doesn’t end there.
 
Like many have mentioned, this sort of game formula has been tried before and it is not unique to Nexon’s P3. Even if it is similar in concept to the unreleased, never-finished P3, Ironmace’s rendition uses, according to them, mostly store-bought assets and their code. But this, at least to Nexon, was never the central point on why they’re engaged in a legal battle with one of IM’s executives.
Nexon sued IM executive “A” for violating the “Unfair Competition Prevention And Trade Secret Protection Act” (부정경쟁방지 및 영업비밀보호에 관한 법률).

• YNA(Korean version of AP/Reuters) news: https://m.yna.co.kview/AKR20230313130000017
• EN translation of Korean law: https://elaw.klri.re.kkor_service/lawView.do?hseq=60038&lang=ENG

While the the exact terms under which Nexon has sued Person A is not exactly public, Art. 2 (Definitions) No.1 (“act of unfair competition”) line K may be relevant.
 
What’s more is that earlier this month, Korean law enforcement conducted a search and seizure of Ironmace’s Seongnam office. In the Korean criminal code Art. 215, a S&S warrant is only permissible if there is reason to believe that a crime has been committed. Before some people pull out their tinfoil hats, Nexon is not strong enough to move the courts to its sole favor. Hell, it’s the court of a functional, developed democratic country.

• Search and seizure article (SBS Biz): https://biz.sbs.co.karticle/20000106836
• Korean criminal code A.215 (Korean): https://glaw.scourt.go.kwsjo/lawod/sjo192.do?lawodNm=%ED%98%95%EC%82%AC%EC%86%8C%EC%86%A1%EB%B2%95&jomunNo=215&jomunGajiNo=

So the answer to no.1 is that no, the Dark and Darker game is not stolen. But did someone in IM steal from Nexon? Maybe, with a hefty lean towards yes. The reason why the Korean community leans toward the latter conclusion, even when the legal battle is not concluded, is further handled in the next bit.
2) Nexon fired some programmers, so they took their ideas and turned it into a new studio and a fun game. What’s the matter?
 
People get fired in the US all the time. Or that’s what I’ve gathered from my small window of American society, from friends, the news, and my own research as I look for my way to the States. Quite often would people get fired and they find new jobs or begin a business. But the same cannot be said of Korea.
 
In Korea, labor laws are very strong and this pretty much blocks most forms of dismissal save from restructuring. It’s not that you can’t be dismissed, but it’s that any minute blunder made by corporate during the process will get the government to breathe down their neck. And it’s usually not in corporate’s favor. What’s more, any minute flaw in the process will have the union up in arms as well. Coincidentally, Nexon has one of the largest, strongest labor unions in all of Korean IT corporations. In this climate, it is safe to say that most dismissals are handled as recommended resignations.
 
In light of this fact, the sued IM exec was dismissed as part of a disciplinary action. In Korea, to be fired liked this is rare on its own, and to not dispute it or go to court over it is even rarer. So this is circumstantial, in turn weak, evidence that someone in IM did steal assets and code from Nexon. If Person A did not commit these actions that Nexon is claiming, why forgo a hefty severance pay?
 
More circumstantial evidence comes from the most recent rounds of corporation-union negotiation in Nexon. In Feb, Nexon agreed with its labor union to increase pay by an average of 5 million KRW (~3860 USD). This was the big headline, but some of the other publicized bits included that Nexon’s corporate wanted to get rid of working from home, and Nexon’s union agreed. It’s said that P3 code theft happened when people worked from home during COVID.

• https://mobile.newsis.com/view.html?ar_id=NISX20230223_0002203552#_PA

3) In the end, it’s still a fun game. What’s the problem of having a great game on the market?
 
Well sure, if you like splitting the proverbial golden-egg-laying-goose open.
 
This is where I think IM is playing the English-speaking community. IM went on this tirade about microtransactions and Nexon’s anti-consumer business model, which is all true and a good punch against what the company is. But there isn’t any evidence that Dark and Darker (or P3) would have followed that business model. It’s only IM’s claims here. In fact, P3 was being developed not by the conglomerate giant Nexon, but its subsidiary, named Mintrocket. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve probably played Dave the Diver.
 
This bit addresses one of the top comments of the linked thread asking somewhere along the lines of ‘how realistic is it that Nexon with 7k employees had to scrap a project because of a few programmers leaving?’
 
Well, the answer is that it’s because it’s not a company with 7k employees. That’s Nexon, this is Mintrocket, which a 2022 Nov article tells us that it has around 30 employees. That’s the total number, not the number of programmers.

• Article(Korean): http://www.gameple.co.knews/articleView.html?idxno=204151

 
Mintrocket, fyi, is a bit of a project Nexon is on to fund small studios and develop indie games. Is it still a part of Nexon? Sure. Are they the same, greedy, microtransacting pigs we’ve seen from Nexon? Not so far. So we’re left to believe IM’s word that they(Mintrocket) wanted to add extensive microtransactions on P3. Until Dave the Diver comes out of early access to a 1.0 riddled with microtransactions, I’m calling this claim one-sided at best.
4) In the end of it all, they’re the underdogs sticking it to big money in the industry. Isn’t that worth something?
 
This is another sketchy point. The YNA article I linked above actually handles IM’s connection to that big money. YNA, a very reputable source and one of the largest news source in Korea wrote an article highlighting Ironmace’s potential connection to HYBE. HYBE is an entertainment giant in Korea, whose artists include BTS, LE SSERAFIM, and New Jeans to name some of the largest of the bunch. HYBE has been trying to enter the gaming industry for some time now, even bringing on board a former Nexon exec in 2021 Jul. It’s said that HYBE’s gaming subsidiary will be called HYBE IM, which only fueled more speculation and controversy here in Korea.
 
This story is ongoing and HYBE is actively denying connections to Ironmace. So far it does appear that HYBE was part of Ironmace’s early investors, with reports claiming that HYBE IM CEO’s share in Ironmace to be 5%. But then they came up with a counter claim that they only gave ironmace 500k KRW (~386 USD) as a show of personal support to some exec on the team. I think it’s only natural that HYBE IM deny connections, as if it were proven true, it would be case of employee poaching between two giants in their respective industries. And for someone trying to make a break into the other’s industry, poaching is a surefire way of getting everyone to bunch up against you.
 
But take this part with a grain of salt as the story is ongoing.
 
Still, if this connection were to be true, Ironmace’s rhetoric of the underdog sticking it to the big ones would be worth very little.
To conclude, I’d just like to add that the success of Dark and Darker, in the end, is a double edged sword. It’s a great game, sure. But at the same time 2 points worry me.
 
First is that the indie development scene in Korea may falter right when it proved something with Dave the Diver. Korea is, at least compared to the US or Europe, not a market where a group of ambitious friends can go and make their own studio and a game fueled only with passion and a dream.
 
In large part this is due to the fact that it’s difficult to secure funding for indie games in Korea from Korean companies. But this has begun to change in the last few years or so, as these once-hated companies are beginning to invest more and more on smaller studios and smaller IPs and better games.
 
Are these companies doing it out of altruism for the Korean community? Fuck no.
 
In fact, it’s more likely that they’ve seen the limits of microtransaction as more and more people here are exposed to quality games, compared to a decade ago when the only option we had were glorified slot machines and a very limited library of localized, foreign games. But is the rise of quality indie games and visionary studios a good one? I’d say so.
 
Second is that should IM walk away scott free from this dispute, then these large companies themselves are given a precedent where they can predate on programmers and ideas of other companies and studios. It is not only a precedent in action or business practice, but also a legal precedent.
 
I hope this can shed some light on why the Korean community, the very people that live under the oppressive microtransaction regime beset by Nexon and NC and Netmarble, are on the fence or even siding with Nexon on this one. I just think that because Nexon’s a shitty company, it shouldn’t automatically make Ironamce a saint.

Hey Ladies, I have been seeing surge in the post about men marrying a woman through AM immediately after ending long-term relationships and what can be done about it. As someone, who went through same ordeal two years ago, here are my two cents:
Background: Let's call my ex "POS" ( idea stolen from a sub member) & his/our mutual friend is "Loser".
So, two years ago, my ex decided to call it off with me and get married to a girl in AM, day after our breakup. He was looking for AM the entire time and kept me blindsided. We have discussed marriage but had our disagreements regarding when to have children and MIL living situation. Once his probation period ended, he told me he wants to visit home in India (we live abroad) as he misses his family. I help him buy presents for his entire family, lend him my cabin bag and off he goes. 6 days later, he calls me at night and asks me, if I want to marry him. I tell him, i am not sure yet because we still have alot of discussions left and he says, i have to say yes or no. In a fit of rage, I say no, and he says okay, i will look for someone else then (i ignored this, as I thought we both are angry) and disconnected the call. He called me next morning and told me he is getting "engaged" day after and we are done. Few months later, he let it slip to a friend that he actually got married, not engaged, as he had to file his wife's family reunion visa and that friend told me. I have supported this man through his dad's death in covid and unemployment phase. I don't want to recollect the next six months of my life. I stopped using social media, went NC and even avoided the mutual friends who could tell me about him.
Current story: Now, I am dating my incredible bf for nearly an year and I am in a very healthy space. I got a promotion recently, my L1 visa for usa is raised and I will shift by the end of the year, if everything goes well. My side hustle is also doing extremely well, as I stumbled on some very rich clients and I got my dream car last year. My now bf also encouraged me to go to gym and hooked me up with a dietician. In short, I am thriving in my life rn.
Few weeks ago: So, i went to a grad school friends gathering few weeks ago, for the very first time in two years. On the topic of dating/relationships, i told them i am dating my current bf. I also showed them some our pics from the greece vacation we took on my bday. My current bf is a doctor ( literally in top 50 in NEET UG in first attempt), has a great body (gym enthusiast), a smokeshow and comes from generational wealth. He is also younger than me. He has basically everthing my ex is insecure about.
A week ago: Loser from that gathering went and tattled about it to POS. Now, POS is back from woodworks and he asked loser if i can talk to him. I unblock POS and he starts messaging me. After few pleasantries, he congratulates me for achieving everything, we had dreamt together (working in usa and side hustle+car). I ask him about his wife and he goes on a rant that how she has not been able to find a job yet and he will have to now invests in her masters. He lamented how I was the anchor of his life and he feels so lost now. If i could refer him to my company as his job is dicey at his company ( he was work student at my company but couldn't convert to FTE). How he was cornered by her mom and sisters into the wedding. How I have moved on from him now. I am ngl, i actually revelled in his misery. I let him speak alittle bit more. Then he asked me, if I ever missed him or thought about him? I replied with a "No, i didn't". Then he asks me, when did i become so heartless? (lol). I just tell him that thank you for ending our relationship else I would have settled for a -2 when I deserved a 10. With this, i cut the call and block him again. Now loser calls me again next day and tells me that I have been cruel to POS and punching him down in his hard time. I ask loser to STFU and block him too.
My ex made a very calculated move to get into AM. He married someone who worked in IT, as he was banking on the fact that she will get a job quickly ( In our work country, it's easier for IT) and will also subjugate to his insane fam. But his wife used to work in dotnet which is an outdated technology and with current job market, its really hard to get a job. He thought, i will be lost in life and will not get anyone because I was turning 28 soon. Now his own job is on line due to the current market and wife is also unemployed. He comes from a lower middle class background, so I know this is hurting him.
TLDMoral of the story: Best revenge is to go live your best life. The woman he married is not better than you. She is just like you, another victim. At worst, she puts up with his ridiculous misogynistic demands and patriarchal family. This is the best thing that happened to you as it saved your from years of abuse and toxicity. DON'T WASTE EVEN A SECOND MORE OF YOUR LIFE OVER THE POS. Work on yourself, go to gym, work on your career, get into therapy, keep your friends close, travel. When you are healed and have worked on yourself to observe toxic patterns, you will attract the right kind of man in your life.
My ex would show up to even my professional meetings with seniors because he was insecure. My current bf told me i can decide if I want to talk to my ex or not. He doesn't cares about it and trusts me. Trust me, you will upgrade. When you find that man, you will not even care about the mumma's boy who didn't have enough spine to fight for you.
Men like these are insecure momma's boys who will go and live in the womb again, if possible. As soon as they see the ex getting a new man and thriving, they come crawling back to try to ruin her life again. The only person i feel bad about is the poor wife. She deserves better. It's not your fault, it never was your fault. It's not her fault either, it was never her fault either. A man will always have the audacity, if nothing else.
Just wanted to share a positive story post break up because i see so many heartbroken sistas here recently. Don't forget the queen you are. You made him your world but have you heard, you can always reclaim the land💃

Paul and John sat on the couch in John's living room, surrounded by guitars and songbooks. Paul looked up from the sheet music he was studying and caught John's eye. Something had been building between them for weeks, and Paul knew he had to tell John how he felt.
He took a deep breath and said, "You know, John, I love you."
John's eyes widened in surprise, but then a smile spread across his face. He put his arm around Paul's shoulder and said, "I love you too, Paul."
Paul felt a warm rush of happiness, and he leaned in to rest his head on John's shoulder. They sat there like that for a moment, their bodies pressed close, and Paul knew that he had made the right decision.
Later that night, they were lying on John's bed, listening to music, when John turned to him and took his hand. "I don't know what it is, Paul," he said softly, "but I feel like we're meant to be together."
Paul's heart leapt in his chest. He had been feeling the same way, but he hadn't been sure if John felt the same. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed John, their lips meeting in a tender embrace.
They lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, feeling a love that they had never experienced before. It was like the whole world had fallen away, leaving only the two of them.
As they drifted off to sleep, their bodies entwined, Paul knew that he had found his soulmate in John. And he knew that nothing could ever come between them, not even the world's disapproval.
John and Paul's relationship continued to blossom after that night. They were always by each other's side, whether it was in the studio, on stage, or just relaxing at home. They found that their love for each other only made their music stronger and more meaningful.
Despite their close bond, they kept their relationship private, only letting a select few close friends in on their secret. They knew that the public might not understand, and they didn't want to risk their careers or the band's reputation.
But as time went on, they found it harder to hide their love. They were constantly drawn to each other, unable to resist the passion and desire that burned within them.
One day, they finally decided to take a chance and let the world know how they felt. They stood on stage, holding hands, as they performed their latest hit song.
As the crowd cheered and sang along, John leaned over and whispered in Paul's ear, "I love you, Paul. You're my everything."
Paul smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you too, John. Always and forever."
From that moment on, they were no longer afraid to show their love for each other. They held hands, shared kisses, and stood by each other's side through thick and thin. They were John and Paul, two souls who found each other in a world that didn't always understand, but who knew that their love was true and unbreakable.
Years went by, and John and Paul's love only grew stronger. They continued to make music together, but they also explored other interests and passions, always supporting each other along the way.
John and Paul's relationship had been going strong for years, but there was someone else who had caught Paul's eye: Ringo Starr, their bandmate and close friend.
At first, John didn't think much of it. He knew that Paul and Ringo had always been close, and he trusted them both. But as he watched them interact, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
One day, as they were rehearsing in the studio, John found himself watching as Ringo and Paul worked together on a new song. They were laughing and joking, their heads bent close together, and John felt a pang of longing.
He knew he had to talk to Paul about what he was feeling. Later that night, as they lay in bed together, John turned to Paul and took his hand.
"Paul, love," he said, "I need to talk to you about something."
Paul turned to him, concern etched on his face. "What is it, John? Is everything okay?"
John took a deep breath. "I've been feeling a little...jealous, lately," he admitted. "I see the way you and Ringo are together, and I can't help but wonder..."
Paul's eyes widened in surprise. "John, love, you know I only have eyes for you," he said, taking John's hand in his. "Ringo and I are just friends. Nothing more."
John nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease. As the days went by, he found himself watching Paul and Ringo more and more, his jealousy growing with each passing moment.
Then, one night, he found them in a compromising position. They were kissing, their hands tangled in each other's hair, and John felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.
He stormed out of the room, not wanting to see anymore. He couldn't believe that Paul would betray him like this, and with their own bandmate, no less.
But as the days went by, John began to realize that maybe he had been too quick to judge. He loved Paul more than anything, and he knew that he couldn't live without him.
One night, he found Paul sitting alone in the garden, tears streaming down his face. John sat down beside him, taking his hand.
"Paul, love," he said softly. "I'm sorry for what happened. I don't want to lose you."
Paul looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, John. I never meant to hurt you. I love you more than anything."
John took him in his arms, holding him close. "I love you too, Paul. Let's work through this together."
And they did. They talked through their feelings, their fears, and their insecurities, and they came out stronger on the other side. They knew that their love was worth fighting for, and that nothing, not even jealousy or betrayal, could tear them apart.
And as the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, they kissed, their lips meeting in a gentle embrace, knowing that their love would live on forever, in the music they created, in the memories they shared, and in the hearts of all those who had been touched by their story.
As John and Paul worked to mend their relationship, a new figure entered their lives: Yoko Ono. She was an artist and musician, with a bold and unconventional style that intrigued John from the moment he met her. Paul was wary of Yoko. He didn't understand her avant-garde art and her habit of always being by John's side. One day, as they were all sitting in the studio, trying to work on a new song, the tension finally boiled over.
"I don't understand why she has to be here all the time," Paul said, his frustration evident in his voice.
"She's a part of my life now, Paul," John replied, his tone defensive. "I want her to be a part of our music too."
"But she's not a part of the band," Paul shot back. "We have a way of doing things, and she's disrupting it."
Yoko spoke up then, her voice calm but firm. "I'm not trying to disrupt anything," she said. "I just want to contribute my own ideas and perspectives." The argument continued for hours, with no clear resolution in sight. Finally, John stood up and threw his guitar down in frustration.
"I can't do this anymore," he said, his voice shaking with emotion. "I can't keep pretending like everything's okay between us."
Paul looked up at him, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you talking about, John?"
"I'm talking about the fact that I'm in love with Yoko," John said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to be with her, and I can't keep pretending otherwise."
Paul felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He knew that John and Yoko had grown close, but he never thought that John would leave him for her.
"I can't believe you're doing this," Paul said, his voice choked with tears. "After everything we've been through, you're just going to throw it all away for her?" John didn't respond, just looked at Paul with a mix of sadness and determination. And with that, John and Yoko left the studio, leaving Paul alone with his shattered heart.

This post is inspired by a recent question (that got removed by mods lol) and the post linked below that detailed living with a solar installation for a month. So here, I would detail my own experience; Detailing the initial cost, how much money it makes a year, when I'd hit breakeven, and the potential return over it's lifetime. I'll try to be as detailed as possible, but if you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
https://www.reddit.com/phinvest/comments/r75erj/solar_panel_results_with_data/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1

WARNING : My setup is DIY but this is my field and I am well aware of every aspect of this system. If you intend to put one up, PLEASE CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL. The energies you are dealing with here are well beyond the KILL YOU and BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN territory.

I have a 5.4Kwp hybrid setup coupled with a 10Kwh lifepo4 battery. Initial CAPEX was about 262k. As stated in my warning. I designed the entire system myself and guided the laborers on how to install the entire thing. Took 4 guys a day to get the panels mounted on the roof and about 4 days working with the electrician to reroute my main panel and get everything wired up.

• Panels - 100k approx
• Hybrid Inverter - 58k
• 200AH 48V LifePo4 Battery - 72k
• Accessories (Cables, Connectors, Mounting, ATS, etc..) - 15k approx
• Labor - 12k approx
• Transpo - 5k approx

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https://imgur.com/GNOcwoM

• Based on the monitor app, my system has been up for 378 days (I wasn't living in the house the first few weeks) and produced 8.81MWH of electricity for a total value of approximately 97k. This is based on production and is inaccurate because it does not take into consideration losses and round trip efficiency. So to err on the safe side, let's assume that the value of the electricity generated is just 80k for this time period.
• So based on CAPEX(262k) and annual revenue (80k) I'd hit breakeven in 3.275years
• What's the potential return? Solar panels last for decades but degrade by about 0.5% per year. If nothing breaks over the course of 30 years, I will get a maximum return of 2.2M or 8.45x my initial CAPEX

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https://imgur.com/Sv73SuJ

• Here's what a typical day looks like. I am not able to maximize solar generation as characterized by the generation clipping before 2pm to match the load.

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https://imgur.com/4mq0g4C

• Data over the past 30 days

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https://imgur.com/xPjHHgD

• I just wanted to share that there was a power interruption in our area that lasted for 6hrs. I found it amusing that I did not notice the power go out and only noticed it now going over the data. Notice that the AC output is maintained at 230V while the grid voltage drops to 0V. This means that my system does not backfeed into the grid. This is critical as you or your installer can be held liable by Meralco for any injury caused to their linemen if you backfeed.

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https://imgur.com/CXBgGTl

• My latest bill

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https://imgur.com/hAuvoAu

• Showing off my home assistant dashboard. Lol. Designed it so that the battery card background turns red when there's a power interruption. This is supposed to go on the wall, but I still need to make the mounting system for it.

we talked for a bit and it turns out their non binary
idk what that means but they seemed chill they kept buying my drinks like shovelling them into me which i found a bit odd i think they might have been rich
anyway turns out they don't live here and are heading to the capital city of my country and they were just staying here for a few days to see all the stuff
they're 19 but they're going on their own which seems odd (am i meant to have moved out already i still live with my parents)
they had beer at their hotel so we drank some of them and talked and i passed out idk why i was super tired today (its rare i talk to people maybe its normal to feel tired when you do social stuff idk) but i felt super tried and the room started to spin i layed down and woke up the next day with a hotel employee asking me to leave
idk where the person went but i guess i slept at the hotel room
is this a normal social interaction? where do people normally leave their number?
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someone told me i might have been drugged
How do i tell if i did or not i doubt they would have drugged me since they're non binary and seemed super nice they just don't seem like the drug me kind plus i didn't eat any food they gave me i legit just drank beer (they brought for me) and rum but i don't think you can put stuff in drinks
it was super weird how i felt tried suddenly but like i can't be drugged they are too nice of a person to do that

29-year old male, if that matters. I think the pandemic and social isolation paired with ny recovery during a pandemic breakup (from an 8-year relationship) elevated my reclusive or hermit tendencies. I was already a loner before the pandemic but now that everything is back to normal, I'm finding it harder and harder to socialize and connect.
But here's the kicker, I actually enjoy solitude. Because that 1 year when I isolated myself from the world thanks to the quarantine was the most peaceful and most content phase in my life. The solitude was intoxicating for me, as insensitive as it sounds. I felt freedom for the first time in a decade.
Fast forward to today, my college friends whom I see about once every three years started inviting me again and I just couldn't stand their company anymore. Couldn't relate to them. Didn't help that they tried introducing me to their socialite and extroverted circle.
Now, I'm with my new girlfriend who proposed to me (she's my fiancee now) and at times I feel guilty because I find myself celebrating whenever I get the house to myself in the rare moments where she's out with her family or in concerts. We live together and I see myself liking it for the rest of my life, and she even likes my introversion. It's just that there are times when I think this level of isolationist tendencies is unhealthy even though I don't really feel lonely when I'm alone (I feel happier, in fact). At least I think it's unhealthy for my relationship with loved ones and relatives (in-laws to-be included), especially since they're the rowdy and social bunch and I also keep turning down their invitations because I already know how the conversations will flow.
Is there something wrong with me? I know that's a question for psychiatrists, but I live in a country with shitty mental health care so I'd rather not rely on professionals where I live.
TL; DR: I feel lonely when with company and happy when alone. So I generally avoid social obligations and gatherings. Should I change?

We have a ball python that needs to be fed a live mouse once a week or so and we get them from a pet store down the road. This question is not about the practice of live feeding or snakes at all. I was the lucky one that got to pick up the rodent. I had other things to bring in and well there is a mouse in the van now. It is my 16 yr old daughter’s van and she will freak out if it is still in there on Monday when she needs to take it to school. Ok, so everything is out of the van that I can remove. I can hear the little paid for vermin inside the roof of the van. We have cats, I tried to put them in there but I feel like that will cause other issues. We got some cat safe traps and put them in there over night. I really do not know what to do. We left the window down so the cat could come and go as she pleased because she is just as perplexed on how to get this mouse out of the roof of my van. Any ideas are welcome.

So let's say for example , I find a spacecraft, which can hold itself together a bit closer to the black hole without being disintegrated into it. So as time relativity, my time should decelerate or accelerate in earth time. They say 1 second near a black hole is 100000 years for people on earth. So say for example I somehow can live for 10000 years near the black hole,, so then is it safe to say that 1,000,000,000 years have passed on earth? Lets change the calculation accordingly, to last 100 trillion years on earth, scientists say the big freeze or the death of the universe will occur in 100 trillion years, so If I could somehow find a black hole that can decelerate my time even higher, technically, I could be there 24 hrs and the universe could end?
So then wth is time, isn't the black hole just 24 hrs younger then? While the earth is much more. How do we even define time now? It's all relative to earth time then? Just like countries have individual time, we have time for each black holes then. I guess it's just fascinating to think of it. Do give me your insights and opinions.
To think of it, could it be that some organisms perceive time much faster which can survive even on the black hole, lived for one minute and the universe ended? So we could technically find a planet with the least density to slow down time to live longer.

TLDR: amazing husband and father turns into a terrible person when around his own parents/sibling. Not sure how to help him resolve these feelings...
I'm not really sure where to post and we can't afford therapy where we live so I just thought I'd come on here for advice of what I can do in the meantime until we can save enough for therapy.
My (31f) husband (36m) and I have been together for 12 years, married for 8. Let me start by saying he is an amazing husband and father to our 20 month daughter and is the sole breadwinner right now while I'm a SAHM (currently pregnant, due to give birth next week). He makes sure we have everything we need and even contributes to household chores/caring for our daughter. He is fully supporting me changing careers which I have been working hard studying any free moment I get from our toddler since going on maternity leave 2 years ago. So I know he is really pushing extra hard right now and this might be attributing to these strong feelings he is having.
Recently I have noticed that when he is around his family (mum,dad and sister) apart from his brother who he is very close with, he is an absolutely horrible person! Personally, I am really close with my family and can't imagine treating them that way. It's always been an argument of ours how disrespectful he is and how I cannot tolerate that kind of behaviour, plus I don't want our children to be exposed to it.
Recently it has gotten worse and he is even attacking his mother when I am on the phone with her if she asks for a favour or has a question. (They have started asking for more help from me because I have some experience in what they are going through). My husband does not like it one bit and I have warned him not to get involved as they have been good to me personally and I don't want to ruin that relationship. He however sees it as them using me and he is even more annoyed that they are bothering me when I am so far into this pregnancy.
So not long ago I sat him down and told him I think he might have some unresolved issues from his childhood... And it opened a can of worms about how hard his parents were on him and how much they smothered him to the point where he was really incapable of doing anything himself until I came into the picture. This is true, when I met him he was 23 and very immature, no job, no money, very unhealthy and just lazy living at home. He was always the child that wouldn't amount to anything while his siblings were the golden children. Long story short he turned that around and is doing amazing! He makes enough money to get us by and we have made really financially healthy decisions which has allowed me to stay at home, raise our kids and push this career change which could ultimately change our lives!
But his family just makes him so terrible that sometimes I don't even recognise him. I have started to politely decline helping them and not visiting or calling as often. But they still call everyday and I don't know how to handle this. I think so many of his problems including undiagnosed social anxiety is an issue which may stem from this. He barely goes out if it's not with me, including going for example grocery shopping where he is worried he may see someone he knows. He doesn't attend any family events unless I force him to or if it's for his brother and he's just very much closed off from the world. Also he has no friends apart from me and brother and his wife who we see regularly.
I really want him to be able to resolve these feelings he has inside that makes him feel like he is not worthy. He has done so well in life and I couldn't be prouder of him. But he doesn't feel this way.
What can I do to help him? To be honest talking about his childhood experiences is only making him more terrible to the point where they have no contact and if he hears them on the phone to me he is just commenting horrible things to them from across the room.
Please help

Tumblr link (It has extra colors!~) :P
There are no amount of words that can describe how much I love/hate King Knight
Both in KoC & SoH.
Because like, I love this bastard, but I also absolutely hate him.
This is going to be a long post, so kick back, relax, and get cozy. Because I'm going to talk about King Knight a lot here.
He's a narcissistic, egotistical, egocentric, selfish, greedy, douchebag. To the point that even the people he works with also hate him. He is such a bastard that even The Order of No Quarter hates him.
Specter? Hates his guts, to the core. Plaguey? Would rather laugh at his face than ever take him seriously. Mole? Probably thinks he's a lazybones slacker. Treasure? Thinks he's an idiot for wearing his gold. Everyone else? Probably thinks he's an idiot.
But he's just... such a well-written character, at least I think so.
He's not on Specter's level of angst, no one can even come close to Specter's tragedy. But King Knight's story isn't about him having the saddest backstory ever, it's more focused on "The Downfall we all saw coming."
Because right, throughout King of Cards, we're playing as King Knight. We're seeing how much this guy is such a charismatic & charming character, his rise to making an actual empire, actual friends who care about him... right? Right?
Well.....
Pridemoor, Trouple Acolyte, and Birder with a voice, kept saying "We'll work together to take you down Enchantress!" but they... don't really help King Knight. In any way. At least during the fight against The Enchantress.
Sure Pridemoor gave him armor & Trouple King gave him Ichors, but besides that, they're just chilling back in the airship. King Knight has to do all the dirty work himself. It's... really hard to call them friends if they're more like co-workers to you.
But not impossible...
Because before the betrayal. King Knight pauses to really think about it. When everyone was begging for help, and while The Enchantress was bribing him to join her cause. King Knight hesitates and seriously thinks about it. Sure, they may seem just like co-workers, but maybe he starts to grow conscious. He starts thinking about if they're really just some "Lowly peasants who must bow down to the king" or... actual friends. I mean, without them & the heirlooms they gave him, he wouldn't make it this far right? Maybe King Knight-

"WHAT WOULD YOUR MOTHER THINK!?"

Oooohhh.... yeah....
Soooo... I don't really know what else to say besiiiides, that being kind of a low blow? Or like, not really a smart mooooove.... Like, I get that Pridemoor tried to convince King Knight to save them, and he was actually considering it... But it doesn't really feel like the right move to bring up his mom in the life or death situatiooooon....
Hearing that, from King Pridemoor of all people, must've struck a nerve in him. So he chooses to let them fall.
Maybe he would've saved them if Pridemoor kept his mouth shut. Maybe he would've let them fall regardless. The Enchantress' benefits are really appealing to King Knight. After all, all he ever wanted was a kingdom to rule, right?
Well... Yeah.
But I feel like he wants something else as well, but he just doesn't realize it.
During Shovel Knight: Showdown, a... sorta(?) canon... spin-off? (Side game?) Side game. Each of the main cast is playable, even some common enemies, and they all have their own endings.
In King K.'s ending specifically, he wakes up to find out that nobody in TOoNQ came to his banquet after inviting them over.
Now, and maybe this is just me over-analyzing this side story's content, but it makes me think that King Knight wanted some "Cooler friends" to hang out with. I mean... After all, Showdown takes place after KoC/(everything except the ending of)SOT & definitely before SoH/PoS. So by this point The Order must've assembled. Which makes me believe that King Knight was finally a part of the "Cool Kids Club."
So... King Knight betrayed his old friends and got some new "friends" big deal, what does that have to do with anything?
Wellllll.... I don't really know. This is starting to get very headcanon-based, but goddamnit I can't get this golden jerk out of my head.
He is such... a deeper character than most people think he is. He's a case of "Missed potential". Imagine if King Knight wasn't such an egotistical dumbass, listened to King Pridemoor (and everyone else), and kept all their heirlooms. Bro would've been the strongest knight in the whole gaddamn land!
...Okay maybe that's a bit of an overexaggeration, but still! You get my point.
King Knight had so much potential, but he just... threw it all away for a false title. HIS KINGLY TITLE WAS BUILT ON LIES AND BETRAYAL!
Him getting his ass kicked in Shovel of Hope (and Plague of Shadows too ig) is just karma. Though, I don't think Shovel Knight came immediately after the "The End", perhaps some time has passed since then.
In both endings of SoH & PoS, King Knight's seen scrubbing the floor. Sure, a pretty satisfying ending. Seeing this regal asshole getting what he deserves, but I think he got off on the easy end. I mean think about it for a bit.
King Knight literally betrayed King Pridemoor at the end of KoC. Shouldn't he be... y'know, banished?
Like, if some dude I was sorta friends willingly chose to let me fall to my death, and when I live & get back home I see him on my couch thinking he own the place, and I ask someone with a Shovel to kick his ass, I wouldn't want to see him near me or my family ever again. Not make him my personal maid.
But King Pridemoor's a better man than me.
Maybe he still sees some good and/or potential in King Knight. Like, even after aaaaalll that's happened in King of Cards, he still wants to "forgive" King Knight. But, y'know, forgiveness can't be given all willy-nilly. Maybe that's why Pridemoor chose to make him scrub the floor instead of banishing him to never return.
I really think King Pridemoor still sees the King Knight during the majority of KoC.
This experience better humble this dickwad. I want to see him grow as a person.
Or who knows, maybe he really is a one-dimensional greedy jackass who only fits being a villain, and the beauty of him is his simplicity as an antagonist.
Oh yeah and before any of you guys think I forgot, no I didn't forget King Knight's mom. But I feel like I've said a lot so I'll try to keep this brief.
King Knight is a mama's boy, he loves him mom more than anything. Even more than being a king or ruling a kingdom. In his Showdown win dialog he keeps mentioning his mom, asking if she's impressed that her son won a match. But alas, his mom isn't around to hear or see King Knight.
Also she doesn't call him her Pumpkin Pauldroun Prince anymore in the ending, and calls him King Knight instead. So that's depressing if you've been paying attention to the smaller details in King of Cards.
Anyways, in conclusion... Uh.... King Knight is an asshole.
So... What do you guys think of King Knight? Is he actually a deep character or was this really not that deep and this whole post was pointless?

Cats receiving a sufficient amount of calories a day will feel thirsty (in natural environments, it is customary to search for food even if you have enough calories). Therefore, feeding cats until they are full is almost always excessive unless it’s an active kitten less than eight months old.
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Naturally, cats eat several smaller meals throughout the day by hunting and eating whatever they find. The presence of a dry food bowl available provides multiple meals that provide high caloric food with little effort from the Cat’s side. This can lead to a weight increase.
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Domestic cats keep their wild Foods.
Cats fed are less calorific-hungry per day than cats who need to search for food, catch it and consume it to live. As they age, cats see a dramatic decrease in their metabolic rate and activity with no loss of appetite. This makes maintaining a healthy weight difficult with the course.
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Your Cat may have trained you to feed it.
The feeding process is a way to train the feeder and the Cat. Cats are often enthralled by the behaviour and actions that indicate when they can feed them and then try to convince the feeder to take part in these. An excellent example is feeding your Cat when you first leave bed early in the day. Cats will often try to get the person to get up in the morning to ensure they can eat earlier…
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Another instance is your Cat wandering through the kitchen when your fridge opens because they know where you can store canned food.
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A Hungry Cat Often Looks for Mischief
Another aspect to take into consideration is that a hungry cat is a cat which is busy, usually looking for food, being grumpy or stalking other cats (who they blame for eating food that isn’t in the house) and causing trouble to the other cats who live in the home or engaging in other harmful behaviour.
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Being active is beneficial because it can make the Cat more active, which aids in burning calories; however, the nature of this activity is not always loved by everyone else in the family. One of the most challenging tasks is to allow a cat to be hungry and not reward the behaviours that go with it. If a cat is fed when triggered, it is arousing for the Cat to behave this way.
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Choosing Between Dry Food or canned food, or Both
In general, it is best not to give multiple flavours or textures to your Cat. They’re adept at teaching their owners how to introduce additional ingredients to the mix when the Cat is hesitant to eat the food offered. If the Cat’s doing well, a decision to refuse to eat the food provided could be regular or even a test conducted on the animal to determine what else is coming to up. Very few cats require any incentive to take food. It is the opposite objective.
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Canned food for cats is the best Option for Healthy Cats.
Canned food can be more beneficial than dry food for various reasons. However, it’s more costly and messier to feed. Since they are fresh-kill hunters, wild cats consume most of their water and fresh prey. They do not possess a strong urge to drink in addition to eating. I believe that most dry food cats consume water which puts stress on their kidneys and excessively concentrated urine. Canned food is similar to the amount of water they drink from their prey found in the wild. This results in less dilute urine, which can less likely trigger kidney and bladder issues over time.
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Canned food is also known to be less carb-based when compared with dry food (you cannot make dry food without flour) and, consequently, more protein-rich. Some deem protein-rich, low-carb diets less likely to result in overweight in cats. However, this is not the case in feeding studies; the consumption of total calories is the most crucial. Cats require about 4 to 5 ounces of canned food daily, which is indisputable. Pate-style Canned Food is generally calorific than varieties closely resembling human food, including gravies and chunks. This is a good thing in determining the calories consumed daily.
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Dry Food: A Cost-effective But Not as Healthful
Dry food is extremely calorific dense. It is devoid of water, which is a factor in the volume of the food. Due to this, feeding only dry food is a sign that your Cat will be hungry in the event that they are getting a sufficient amount of calories from the food because of the less volume of food available. In this regard, the fact that free dry food or a version with fewer calories is not going to stop weight growth.
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How to control your Cat’s weight when on a dry Food Diet
Separating dry food into small quantities that can be controlled throughout the day is the most efficient. This way, your Cat will never be hungry and is never really starving. For most cats, eating less than 1/3-1/2 teaspoon of dried food every 24 hours will leave them hungry, even if sufficient calories are consumed. The exact amount needed by a particular cat is unique to the specific Cat and is likely to alter (decrease) with the time the pet gets older.
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Canned green beans can provide a lot of bulk to help cats feel full. It is not recommended to do this for cats with a background of crystals in the urinary tract (FLUTD), as green beans increase the pH of the urine, which can trigger crystal formation.
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Beware of Feeding Your Cat both dry and canned food.
The most efficient way to gain and keep a cat overweight is to feed it dry and canned food. Even if a cat consumes a large amount of dry food, it will be able to eat all canned food available (or the reverse). It isn’t easy to control the quantity of each kind of food, ensuring that cats receive the right amount of calories.
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Feeding Recommendations from Your Veterinarian
Canned food is my preferred option. For a cat of adult age, Start with 1/2 of a 5.5 1 oz. Bottle (Friskies/9 size can) two times a day and no other food. This is the beginning base and will likely have to be adjusted downward.
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For kittens and small cats, a portion of a 3 oz. Container (Fancy size can) twice a day could be better. The amount of food is cat-specific and usually requires adjustment up or down. Food that is canned appears to be the ideal balance of energy and feeling satisfied, and it also seems to keep the Cat going longer than a dry food dish.
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Recommendations for Owners with dry food
Dry food is a good option for feeding; however, it must be done by carefully weighing the portions, eating specific meals, and not eating snacks. Modern-day food has more nutritious ingredients, resulting in more consumed calories for each cup, which means there is less need compared to the Little Friskies of 30 years earlier.
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Dry food is served for a specific period, and any leftover food is discarded until the subsequent food distribution. Feeding multiple times a day is helpful, but it could be a source of tension because the Cat will try to get provided during the interval between meals. Food bowls that are not open must be accessible. Sometimes, picking the bowls out and removing any warning of the absence of food can help reduce the amount of beggarly behaviour.
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Make sure to measure the Food your Cat is eating to prevent them from overfeeding.
The best way to do this is to calculate the one-day’s (24 hours) food rations in the morning. Then, take food out of the container to ensure that you have enough food throughout the day. When the container is complete, no food is available until the following day. This lets multiple people take part in feeding and avoid being tricked into providing more food as the Cat believes that someone didn’t feed them and they’re close to dying of starvation.
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Using a kitchen scale to measure dry food weight is far more precise and reliable than the volume measure, which means that the measurement is more reliable between days and from person to person. The weight measurement can make it possible to adjust much fewer daily food portions that can be measured using volume measurements (a 10% change in the quarter cup is virtually impossible to measure accurately using a volume measurement). A quality food scale is available at around $50 from Target, Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
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You can weigh your Cat to ensure that your Cat has a healthy weight-loss rate.
Whatever the diet, restricting access to food is crucial. Also, a scale for precisely weighing the Cat is proper. The scales of people can be used to consider the person holding the pet. Weights for the month in the exact moment suffice.
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Weight loss is difficult for cats, and no quick solutions are available, requiring an active effort. A sudden weight loss in a cat may cause serious health problems. We’re looking for approximately a pound every month in weight loss but not more.
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As humans have a bespoke program for each Cat, coping with the behavioural effects of a hungry cat could be among the most challenging problems. One of the most difficult things for people is that a hungry cat is healthy and normal and does not need repair despite what the Cat might believe.

So I am an older female who will just be starting today. Just to make it clear I'm not asking for any trade secrets that are not voluntarily offered. I realize I will have to learn the ropes on my own. My primary concern is how to stay safe. I live about 25 miles from a major city and plan to drive down there during the day. I have pepper spray which is perfectly legal in my state whether it is concealed or not. I do not know the city very well and as such do not know where the bad neighborhoods are and have no idea where it's safe to hang out and wait for runs. Any thoughts from you more experienced drivers?

(Disclaimer: Still cutting down that word count! I've also now added the first 300 words, as someone expressed an interest in reading.)
Dear —,
I am submitting RED SKIES for your consideration, a low fantasy novel for those who enjoyed the journey of self-discovery in Adrienne Young’s FABLE and the enemies-to-allies dynamic in Margaret Rogerson’s SORCERY OF THORNS.
Nineteen-year-old Jayne Wilder has more reason than most to hate pirates.
Since losing her mother to their savagery as a child, Jayne nurtures a single ambition: complete her training in the Ministerial Air Force, become a great skyship captain like her mother before her, and find those responsible for her death.
Cale Donovan and his crew are feared by many, terrorising the skies aboard their infamous ship, the Red Lady. When Donovan is finally captured, Jayne finds herself unwittingly used to aid in his escape. Labelled as an enemy of her own Ministry and forced to coexist with her captors if she wants to survive, she is confronted with harrowing truths about her mother’s past. Long-kept secrets come to light, tentative friendships bloom, and the world of skyship piracy proves as thrilling as it is dangerous.
With the Ministry closing in on the crew, Jayne is forced to reevaluate where she truly belongs—and who she can trust. To prove her loyalty once and for all, she can give Donovan up to the Ministry. But to expose the terrible acts committed by her former allies, she can choose to fight alongside him. Even if it means becoming the very thing she once swore to destroy.
RED SKIES is complete at — words and functions as a standalone with series potential. It will appeal to upper YA readers and adults. [Agent personalisation].
As per your submission guidelines, I have included the first — pages and a detailed synopsis below.
I live in the UK with my husband, cat and mischievous cocker spaniel. By day I work in content marketing, and by night I tap away at my keyboard writing stories—if the cat isn’t already sitting on it.
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Sincerely,
[Name]
~
FIRST 300:
Cale Donovan is captured.
They were just words. Words alone should not have shifted the very ground beneath Jayne’s feet, but the whole room suddenly felt as if it had been uprooted from the earth. The world tilted out of alignment.
Stunned silence fell over the training hall. It was usually full of clamour—sounds of sparring and bellowed orders—but now it echoed like a tomb. For a breathless moment Jayne and her fellow recruits were struck dumb, like statues in pristine navy-blue and white. A heartbeat passed.
Then came the outbursts of disbelief. A growing wave of excitement rose within the hall. Recruits turned to one another in a flurry of whispers, and Captain Reid deigned to repeat herself.
“Cale Donovan is captured.” The noise settled. “As of approximately eighteen-hundred hours yesterday evening, Donovan was successfully intercepted by Ministry forces in eastern Cistal. His vessel, the skyship known as the Red Lady, was not present at the scene of capture. The ship and crew onboard are still at large, as of my most recent report.”
Above them on the stage, Reid’s blonde head shone golden beneath the frosted windows. Behind her, an entire line of high-ranking Ministerial Air Force personnel stood at attention. She was not the most senior officer present, but right then Reid could have been Saint Mercy herself. They hung on her every word.
“Donovan has been taken into MAF custody. He is currently being held under confinement by the Justice Order, and will be transferred shortly to City Gaol until the Ministerium agree upon further action.”
The crowd tittered. Jayne felt Tomas lean towards her. “D’you believe this?” he whispered excitedly in her ear. “They actually…I mean, they actually got him!”
“How?” she said, eyes fixed upon the stage. “They haven’t even said how.”
~
I had some super useful feedback on my first attempt, and I think I've tweaked things accordingly, but no doubt there is more to be done. Hopefully the PubTips community can come to my rescue once again!
Thank you. :)

Upright and Balanced - On the Trail and in Life This past summer, my daughter and I planned to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail. Although we both loved the outdoors and were frequent day hikers, neither of us had attempted an overnight backpacking experience. After watching numerous on-line videos for advice, studying trail maps, and loading our packs, we set off for adventure, compass in hand and a smile on our faces.
Seasoned backpackers will tell you that “newbies” on the trail are easily recognized by the size of their packs, carrying everything but the kitchen sink. We were no exception. Our packs were easily half our body weight and towered over our heads. After the first mile, we got the hang of balancing our loads and conquered one steep ascent after another.
All was well until I had the misfortune to misstep and “roll” on a stick. I was thrown off balance, my feet went out from under me, and I found myself looking up at the sky, my fall cushioned by my pack. My daughter ran to my aid but was quickly overcome with fits of laughter at the sight of me attempting to get back on my feet. ​ Every effort to stand up was negated by the heavy pack. No matter how I tried, I was stuck, much like an overturned turtle. After valiant efforts to right myself, I lay exhausted by the situation, needing some kind of helping hand to stand. Once I gave up fighting the pack weight, a thought came to me. If I just unclipped my pack, I would be able to stand. I did. Now free from the weight of my burden, I stood upright.
My experience on the trail holds many lessons for me when compared to Al-Anon. Many of us carried a burden from the effects of alcoholism, causing us to lose our balance and get stuck. Our best efforts were ineffective in “righting” ourselves in our relationships and lives. For me, the experience, strength, and hope provided by the program are the freeing solutions to the family disease of alcoholism. The Steps and Traditions help me unclip the burden of the effects of growing up with alcoholism, allowing me to proceed down the trail of life upright and balanced.
By Mary Jo H. May, 2016 Reprinted with permission of The Forum Al-Anon Family Groups Incorporated, Virginia Beach, VA

Hey there! I am a 20 years old guy from Romania, Europe. Lately I felt lonely and I decided to try my shot here trying to find someone truly special to share my days with. Currently I am working a full time job and I live alone in my appartment. I am looking for someone to starts things slowly, not rushing it. I would like to talk about our daily routine, work/school, share our days about what happened or how we feel or any random topic we have in our mind. I am open to a long distance relationship.
Some infos about my personality:
I am an introverted, shy and emotional. As a person I am caring, loving and protective and I give all my attention to the loved ones to make sure they feel good.
My appearance is the next:
Slim body type, 190 cm tall (6'2), 80 kg (176 lbs), blondish hair and blue eyes.
My hobbies and interests include the followings:
- Learning about new cultures and languages. Currently I speak two languages on native level which include Hungarian and Romanian and I would like to learn about other languages and cultures.
- History. My favorite topic of history would be middle age (Eastern European) and the two World Wars.
- Geography. All the mountains, seas, rivers, lakes which are surrounding us are so beautiful. Since I live in a mountain city I used to hike too on smaller mountains.
- Sports. Mostly I enjoy playing and watching football which I used to practice too before, but now only as a hobby. Other sports which I like are handball and waterpolo.
- Music. I like to listen mostly to everything related to rock music and rap music. But I am open to other music genres too and I would like to hear about your music taste too!
- Gaming. In my free time when I am off from work I play games on my PC on Steam. Maybe we could play some games too together if you are up for it!
- Movies and series. I don't watch them that much, but if it's a good movie or serie I would not turn it down. The best movie I watched is Shawnshank Redemption and serie I watched was Peaky Blinders which I still didn't finish it. I am open for any movie night if you have good suggestions.
- Youtube. I like to watch gameplays and travelling videos mostly. I like travel videos because one day I would like to travel too around the World if I have the opportunity.
If you are considering to send me a DM, make a small introduction. Mostly I used Discord to chat, if you are ok we can move there, but Reddit chat is fine too! I am open to exchange pictures too once we get to know each other better.
Have a great day or night.
Hey there! I am a 20 years old guy from Romania, Europe. Lately I felt lonely and I decided to try my shot here trying to find someone truly special to share my days with. Currently I am working a full time job and I live alone in my appartment. I am looking for someone to starts things slowly, not rushing it. I would like to talk about our daily routine, work/school, share our days about what happened or how we feel or any random topic we have in our mind. I am open to a long distance relationship.
Some infos about my personality:
I am an introverted, shy and emotional. As a person I am caring, loving and protective and I give all my attention to the loved ones to make sure they feel good.
My appearance is the next:
Slim body type, 190 cm tall (6'2), 80 kg (176 lbs), blondish hair and blue eyes.
My hobbies and interests include the followings:
- Learning about new cultures and languages. Currently I speak two languages on native level which include Hungarian and Romanian and I would like to learn about other languages and cultures.
- History. My favorite topic of history would be middle age (Eastern European) and the two World Wars.
- Geography. All the mountains, seas, rivers, lakes which are surrounding us are so beautiful. Since I live in a mountain city I used to hike too on smaller mountains.
- Sports. Mostly I enjoy playing and watching football which I used to practice too before, but now only as a hobby. Other sports which I like are handball and waterpolo.
- Music. I like to listen mostly to everything related to rock music and rap music. But I am open to other music genres too and I would like to hear about your music taste too!
- Gaming. In my free time when I am off from work I play games on my PC on Steam. Maybe we could play some games too together if you are up for it!
- Movies and series. I don't watch them that much, but if it's a good movie or serie I would not turn it down. The best movie I watched is Shawnshank Redemption and serie I watched was Peaky Blinders which I still didn't finish it. I am open for any movie night if you have good suggestions.
- Youtube. I like to watch gameplays and travelling videos mostly. I like travel videos because one day I would like to travel too around the World if I have the opportunity.
If you are considering to send me a DM, make a small introduction. Mostly I used Discord to chat, if you are ok we can move there, but Reddit chat is fine too! I am open to exchange pictures too once we get to know each other better.
Have a great day or night.

I transitioned about 4 years ago now and to be honest I don't think I'll ever feel like I fit in to cis society. I walk around looking at cis people living their lives and not having to fear that their life could be taken from them. They don't have to worry about their right to exist being stripped away or being attacked in the street while everyone watches and laughs.
They don't have to feel that anxiety every time they simply use the public bathroom or exist in any public space. I envy that, and all passing did was make that struggle for me invisible, because now I'm expected to fit it perfectly, to act like a normal functioning human when every single day I see people calling for our deaths, calling us pedos, creating laws that strip our bodily autonomy, saying that we should be put in prisons with men, while some are literally attempting to hunt us down and get us killed. The worry that even a simple hookup could get me killed and the guy could say he didn't know I was trans and get a reduced sentence.
So many cis people go out of their way to make us second class citizens, and then turn around and act like we're supposed to function like normal people.
My conservative family made me the "exception," I'm "one of the good ones." They take me to these extremely conservative areas and then wonder why I feel so anxious in public because if someone ever did happen to clock me, that could be life threatening.
I've been reading about the experiences of many biracial people during Jim crow and I can't help but feel so connected that experience. The concept of "white passing" the threat of violence if someone found out. How many describe feeling caught in-between cultures. Like I lived as guy before and even though I wasn't one, I still have experience living both as a guy and as woman.. you know. Feeling like cis women don't want to associate with people like us, and then what I'm supposed to associate with cis guys? They don't want us either. So I feel in this constant state of limbo between both camps of people even though visibly people think I'm just your average cis woman.
I don't think I'll ever feel like I fit in, I guess that's something I have to accept. I just hope one day it gets better for us as people, as a community... We deserve to live in peace.

Crazy idea I had but here goes. I thought about renting out a run down but livable mobile home through AirBnB for people who want to know what it's like to live in a trailer park. Would anyone actually be interested?

Drunk Sex and embarrassed
Okay so , I hadn’t properly had any drink since last year October. I(20F) live alone in a state ( for uni) where alcohol is banned.Originally where i am from that isn’t the case . Anyways, I had a guy who had a license which allowed him to purchase booze in this state where I am currently living in. He got some booze , tbh… it wasn’t a lot . I don’t exactly get drunk easily. Infact, I have never gotten drunk even after drinking a shit tonne . Yesterday I had white rum neat. I lost it. I was drunk af. The guy had to help me climb down the stairs , we had sex which was consensual. The plan was to sit and drink together plus just fuck. Idk man , i am so embarrassed. I was complimenting him. I also had a weird accent situation going on. I wasn’t wet but was enjoying. I was soo vulnerable. I don’t regret it but I didn’t expect to get so drunk. I am embarrassed that I got so drunk. I don’t even remember when my clothes were off. I was moaning very loudly and he kept telling me lower my volume. I was naked and kept rolling over : could not sit straight. Again, the sex was consensual so don’t come at me for that. Anyways , I am embarrassed that I got super drunk, was acting like a crazy crackhead. Idk man . I am so mad at myself for getting sooo drunk.

Good morning, I am one week into my 3rd rehab in the last year or so. I drink like I am leaving Las Vegas. Not at all trying to brag but we just watched the movie which I had not seen before because I knew it was sad and I don't like things that remind me of myself, my parents and alcoholism. It is a good movie and all but it fucked with my mind. I drink like that, definable not trying to brag at all. I hate it. The last 3 weeks before I came in I literally laid in bed drinking and sleeping until I ran out of booze, got more and went back to bed. I blew a 4.5 when I got to rehab. I need this to work this time because Elizabeth Shue is definitely not going to fall in love with me but my wife will leave me if i can't stop. Or I will leave her so I don't keep hurting her. I guess that there is no main point to this except that it helps to get this out there. Rehab can save lives and I have seen AA work so if you are considering either please reach out to someone so you don't go as far down the rabbit hole as I did. IWNDWYT.

Hello! I fucked up bad and I'm feeling pretty dumb right now, I didn't sleep all night after what I just did. To give a bit of a context, I(20 F) am studying in animation, and I've been in this really good school for 3 and half years. I had the option to keep going and apply for the Master of this same school and that's what most of my classmates are doing, but I felt the need to go somewhere else, expand my horizons, meet new people and learn new things to get a clearer idea of what I want in my life. Also, this school is super expensive, and I would have felt bad to make my parents pay for something I wasn't even motivated enough for. So I decided to take the bet to not apply and go to another school, which is a radical decision I am not used to.
I found a school that turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Small, cheap, with very strong values about art, scriptwriting and teamwork. This school is very difficult to get in, as it only welcomes 10 students max per year. But this made me even more motivated as it felt like they really value the applicants for their personality and creative vision. It seemed to me like a fantastic human experience to live for the next two years.
I applied, paid the fee of inscription and started preparing my portfolio, which was due on 26th of March, midnight. No files will be treated after midnight, as it said on the information sheet. It was tough to prepare a portfolio completely different from what I was used to do in school, especially since I didn't have much time and energy. But my father helped me with a lot of support, advice, especially for the motivation letter which was the main focus of the portfolio.
Now. Yesterday was the last day before the deadline, and I was sure I was doing good, taking the time to really polish my portfolio. Yet, at 11pm, 1h before the deadline, I started overthinking, having doubts over the quality and quantity of my work. At 11:30, I finally pushed myself to submit my portfolio, thinking it was over. The files were loading... And then fate decided to play a trick on me. My internet suddenly stopped working. I tried everything, using my phone as an internet source for my computer, but everything was down, I couldn't even send messages to my friends. In a panick, I tried to restart my phone, in hopes the problem would be gone...and thats when my phone decided it would be a good time to get an update. So picture me at 11:50, losing my mind over a small loading screen, crying my eyes out, to finally start the upload of the files at 11:56...only to find out the connexion was still super super slow. What should have been a 1-2 minutes upload turned out to last 20minutes. My files were eventually sent at 00:15 am, so 15minutes after the deadline. I spent the rest of the night crying, twisting my head over what happened with fatigue and migraine making it worse it felt like the longest night of my life.
All the work done for months for this school just flew away in the wind because of an internet problem. Actually, no, I understand I caused that problem for not uploading it earlier. All of this happened because i didnt trust myself with what I already had. But now that my hopes of even just being considered as a candidate by this school are very, very low...it's really, really hard not to hate myself. It feels like I just got stuck in an alternate time-line where I'm not supposed to be. I also feel like I've let down my parents, who supported me so much during this time, and now, it feels like I messed up everything, in a matter of minutes. I don't know how to move on from that. I would have much preferred applying and not being taken than not even being able to apply. I don't know what to say to my friends, I just feel so dumb.. :(
I know that in the great scheme of Life, this is meaningless, and the consequences are minimal compared to life and death situations. But it meant a lot to me and I feel like I've just betrayed and sabotaged myself from a part of my life, with no turning back.
TL;DR : TIFU by applying to the school of my dreams. While my files were uploading on their website , internet went down. I didn't make it to the deadline by 15 minutes.

Hey I know this is a long one (and its kinda petty) but I really need advice, I'm getting really frustrated with my situation
I live with 5 other students in a house, all of which play music through a speaker on at least a weekly basis or talk/ shout at there friends whilst playing games online.
My issue is that I can't make any amount of noise without getting a complaint from one of them, the main culprit is the one that lives below me (I suspect she has an authority complex) . Simply walking around my room or using my bathroom past 11PM or before 8AM is enough for her to complain. Additionally I can't play music out my speakers at anytime time of the day, regardless of the day of the week. I experimented with this last night (Saturday 8PM) by playing music at a perfectly reasonable level of volume and I still received a complaint. This is becoming increasingly frustrating as I've lived with several other flatmates in the past and received no complaints because I'm always respectful with the time and volume at which I play my music.
My aggravation intensified after all my housemates had a party in the room below me a couple months ago, they had loud music on until 4AM. When I asked them to turn the music down at 10PM I was told they were legally allowed to keep it on until 11PM (fair enough). I asked them again at 1AM and 3 of them decided to gang up on me in the group chat, after my efforts to make less noise for the one living below me I expected a bit more mutual respect. Out of the 5 that I live with 4 of them are friends, meaning if I complain I'll inevitably be out numbered. My tenancy agreement also states something to the effect of, residents should not cause a disturbance to other residents with noise.
I simply want to be able to enjoy my music through my speakers and headphones aren't a suitable substitute because they're not comparable to speakers. I'm also not willing to work out a compromise (e.g. make noise when they're out) with my other housemates because they can seemingly make noise and play music in there rooms whenever they like, however when I do it apparently I'm being inconsiderate.
Part of me thinks this isn't worth pursuing because I'm moving out in 3 months anyway, however the other part of me feels like I shouldn't let it slide anymore and talk too the landlord about it. Has anybody else been in a similar situation where they might be able to offer some advice? Because I'm starting to run out of patience