Last year I cycled EuroVelo 15 from Amsterdam in Netherlands to Andermatt in Switzerland. I LOVED IT! It was an amazing holiday that I will remember forever. This summer I'll do it all again, but this time I'll cycle EuroVelo 6. Due to expensive flights, I'll start in Paris and end in Budapest.
One thing I found out last summer was that I was afraid of theft whenever I went into shops to buy supplies or had to run into a restaurant to use the toilet. I worry about everything packed on the bike and the bike itself. If the bike gets stolen my entire holiday will be ruined.
So, have anyone of you experienced theft on your trips, or are my fears irrational? I do cycle on my own, so I don't have people that can pay attention to the bike while I'm away from it. I do have a good lock for it.

I'm planning on replacing my Galaxy Buds. After using it for four and half years, the right earbud and the case are having battery draining issues.
Do you guys think the FE is an upgrade over the original galaxy buds in terms of the following aspects: - Sound Quality - Battery Performance - Build Quality - and maybe other functions
Thank you in advance...

My solo indie game just reached the 10000 wishlists last week (10484 to be exact). I never thought I could reach that number on my own without a proper marketing team, budget or big following.
I'd like to share with you what worked and didn't in the hopes it can be helpful to you too.
Disclaimer: I did sign with a publisher two months ago, and while they are already working on marketing stuff, nothing has been published yet. Those numbers are 100% from my own "marketing" efforts. There are people way better at this than me! I'm just sharing my experience here and I'll let you judge if it's helpful. Some things that did not work with me might work with others (and vice versa)!
Let's sort what worked out the best for me. Steam Events > Influencers > Reddit > Twitter > Devlogs (I can't put image on this subreddit, but you can take a look at my wishlist graph with key notes on my original free patreon post)
It might sound obvious, but take the time to check your wishlists regularly, especially whenever you're trying to give visibility to the game with a post/video/announcement/mail. It will allow you to know what works and doesn't. I usually check out youtube and twitch for gameplay videos or press articles whenever there's a bump while I'm not in an event or did not post anything.
Keep posting stuff on social networks. I know it takes time for a small reward, but it's good to have those regular wishlists. It also shows development is alive and you never know when it will reach an influencer or press. When I stopped sharing my stuff for a while, wishlists completely dropped, I was even loosing some everyday! Reddit is harsh, but very rewarding.
I publish devlogs on my youtube channel. I got ~200 wishlist from more than 100k views that took me weeks of work. I don't think publishing devlogs is an efficient way to promote your game, UNLESS you go viral or that your videos also target players by being more accessible without too much technical stuff (mine are definitely targeting game devs for now). I'm only speculating here, but I think game developers are mostly interested in learning from your journey than actually wishlisting/playing your game compared to players which results in less wishlists. So do it only if it makes you happy and you want to share your journey (and be careful not to overwork while doing it)!
Influencers are great for 3 reasons:

1. They give your game visibility.
   
2. They give you feedback to make your game better.
   
3. They are usually keen to do it for free to help small indie devs.
   

Build yourself a press list: a list of press and influencer that might be interested in playing your game. Find their mails online, on their website, channel page or social networks. When you have something very interesting to show them (a new demo, event or announce) send them all a mail (but don´t spam them)!
Here are two accounts you should follow to get tips about how to properly reach to influencers (and other game marketing in general): Clemmy and Wanderbot (subscribe to their newsletters!)
Events are huge for wishlists. It's easy and it does not take time to submit and they are usually free. But there are two big issues with events:

1. You have to find them.

The best free place to find most events is on the HTMAG discord created by Chris (@AdventureMtn). There's also this amazing calendar with all the events (thanks to u/mreliptik for sharing this with me)!

1. You have to be accepted.

You need a demo, quality marketing assets to share and a good steam page. Again, Chris has some awesome tutorials (free and paid) to get a great steam page up. Consider supporting him if his tutorials helped you!
WARNING Do not submit your game to the steam next fest too soon like I did. You want to submit as late as possible, ideally just before your release. Each game gets one shot at the steam next fest, and the more wishlists you have going in, the more wishlists you'll get. I made that mistake because I thought I would release the game 2 months later (lol).
On a side note, you will have tons of wishlist deletions. Don't worry about it, that's perfectly normal (I won't lie, the first 1000 deletions still hit me hard though).
I think the best time to create your steam page is as soon you have a small trailer, screenshots and interesting description that do not look like a prototype full of placeholders. The sooner you have it, the sooner you start collecting wishlists! With the steam page also comes the whole steam community package, which is a plus to keep in touch with people who like your game. I don't really see any disadvantage in having a steam page early, but you might want to plan the communication around the page release to maximize visibility right away. Do not release it without telling anyone! When you demo is out, you can update your page and announce it everywhere too (try to give the exclusivity to a big showcase if you can!).
Things that did not work for me: devlogs, replying to influencers asking for games on twitter, using those spammy hashtags to promote your game (#wishlistwednesday etc...), posting uninteresting stuff about the game developement EVERY day, reposting the same content, posting on the popular subreddits, sharing my game on those "share your work" channel on discord servers, paid ads and plenty of other little things I wasted my time on because I was desperate to get more wishlists.
I hope this was was a nice read! Just to make this clear, this is my experience and it might work very differently for different type of games and game developers. If you'd like to try the game for yourself, you can play the demo on steam. And if you'd like to keep following my journey, you'll find all my links/socials/newslettepatreon stuff here.
Don't hesitate if you have questions, I'll do my best to find time and reply!

Hi there,
I was hoping someone could advise me. I'm planning on buying a keyboard and my two options are the following:
Axus D55 vs Yamaha NP35
The axus seems like an excellent budget option, but i've heard of the Yamaha brand. Also its 88 keys vs 76 keys, the Axus comes with a sustain pedal, but the Yamaha is mroe expensive. I can play somewhat but haven't in years and the specs mean very little to me, i'm not eeducated enoguh in it.
Any advice would be helpful, and if anyone has the time to explain the stuff it would be incredibly appreciated. Right now i am practicing on a Casio CTK 1500 so an upgrade to more keys which are weighted would be fantastic. I plan to use the keyboard more for recording than playing live if that influences anything.
Thanks in advance!

It is a winter night in 2002, Seth Berkowitz's found himself craving something sweet and comforting amid the late-night video game sessions and pizza deliveries. As the snow fell outside, an idea took root – a business that could deliver warm cookies until the late hours of the morning.
So he starts with $150 worth of baking supplies, and spent his summer perfecting classic cookie recipes, enlisting feedback from friends and his wife, who coined the catchy name "Insomnia Cookies."
By junior year, he was ready to bake and deliver from his college house. Adorning dorm halls with flyers and offering flavor samples like Classic Chunk, Mint Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, and M&M cookies.
Though initial orders trickled in, a front-page article in the school newspaper sparked a surge, propelling Insomnia Cookies from a mere three orders a night to a staggering 80.
Seth, the sole baker and delivery person, found himself overwhelmed yet exhilarated by the unexpected success, netting $10,000 by the end of the semester.
Therefore he continued refining his operations, establishing a website for orders and eventually relocating production to a commissary kitchen off-campus. Joined by co-founder Jared Barnett, Insomnia Cookies expanded its delivery zones, reaching campuses beyond UPenn's borders.
A proven business model, Seth thought about expanding Insomnia Cookies by strategically opening storefronts outside of Philadelphia near college towns.
With a $10,000 profit from his first semester and funds from angel investors, Seth opens up Insomnia's inaugural storefront in Syracuse, New York, just a week before his college graduation.
From there, more strategic expansion followed, with new locations planted near college campuses.
However, the road to success was paved with challenges. The financial crisis of 2008 nearly derailed Insomnia's trajectory, forcing Seth to downsize and take on multiple roles himself.
Until the advent of the iPhone and the growing appetite for late-night convenience proved to be another strategic cause for Insomnia's meteoric rise. As delivery apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub started to take place in the market.
From 2012 to 2018, the company experienced its fastest growth, opening 125 new stores and establishing a robust corporate team.
In 2018, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts acquired a majority stake in Insomnia for $140 million, a testament to the brand's growing success. Insomnia continued to flourish, raising an additional $4.5 million to fuel its expansion.
From humble beginnings in a college dorm kitchen, Insomnia Cookies now generates over $200 million a year with over 260 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
All from a crave of a late night cookie.
Full article here or case studies

I'm an Australian who is often accused of being British, and has a chequered history with languages.
During primary school, I was taught Japanese as the eccentric principal felt that we would be invaded by Japan in the near future due to a Japanese couple moving in next door to her.
I've forgotten most of it, and have dabbled in a number of languages since, with German, Mandarin and French being those that I spent the most time on. I wasn't any good at them though. I found all of them difficult.
I tried a few others, and found Russian to be the easiest for me, followed by Swedish and Spanish. I would like to learn Italian so that I can watch the Siere A in the local language.
My focus is on Russian as I am a Russian history addict, and Swedish as I am also an Opeth addict and would love to enioy In Cauda Venenum (yes, I know that it is a Latin title) in both Swedish and English as I have the double album.
I would so love to visit Spain and Italy for footballing reasons.
I'm planning on a trip around Europe late next year, and would really like to have a conversational level in a few languages prior.
My Russian is of the standard that I can listen, think and understand, and I have most of the Cyrillic alphabet down and transliterated, but I do struggle when it is colloquial. I can understand TV shows.
My Swedish is Babel easy level, and my Italian and Spanish are TV level.
I have had dreams in Russian but not in other languages that aren't my native tongue.

hi all, my boyfriend of two years cheated on me and is also a professional manipulator and an amazing liar, unfortunately though my intuition and past trauma were no match and his actions were messy to say the least, to make a long story short he went out to a bar and met a girl and I’m unsure of what happened (because we’re LDR) but it was enough for him to get her instagram and proceed to lie to me about it. This is cheating enough for me, but here’s where I need help. He has gaslit me and manipulated me into believe my boundaries were solely based out of my insecurities after I made the mistake of telling him about past traumas, and when I confront him about these said actions I know he will spin this on me and either a.) say that I’m crazy for not trusting him and seeing that he followed her..I found her through a friends story who is in their group of friends. or b.) say that my insecurities caused him to get to that point. me being who I am, I will take it as truth and the guilt will eat me alive. How do I play his game back to him and win? Or am I actually crazy and this was deserved?

Hello, I try to explain my problem as detailed as possible.
My problem is as follows:
I have a gaming pc since 2020 and for nearly 2 years now I have some problems with the keyboard.
The keyboard is the ASUS CERBERUS keyboard, which I am using since I got the pc.
The keyboard functions normal and I have no problems in word, excel, google etc. So I can use it as normal as it is and it´s working fine. The only problem I have is when I start a game.
First time I witnessed the problem was when I played "Valorant". My movement was kinda strange, like the keys I was pressing didn´t do what I wanted. When I was moving with WASD it was like for example I press A I buttons to run to the left and when I stopped pressing the key, I was still moving for 1-2 sek to the left. When I open the chat and I write something into it, you can see that when I press one key after another it works totally fine. But when I press more than two or three keys "Shift + F" for caps it takes long to write the sentence. When I am in the game and I press A-D-A-D-A-D fast and then sometimes Space for a jump, you can clearly see that the character doesn't move left-right-left-etc. Its moving left-right-left then long to the right. And when I keep my hands from the keyboard he still moves left right etc. At the end he jumps somewhere but not where he should jump in the first place.
I solved this problem a year ago by resetting my computer and reinstalled every Game/App etc. But I can´t reset my computer every 2 months.
So for the last 1.5 year I didn´t play at all. The only time I can play is when I play "MSFS", because I don´t need the keyboard.
I tried playimg games unsing the keyboard, but after 5 mins I couldn't play the game anymore.
Games I also tested with this issue: Apex Legends, Fall Guys, AltF4, Cities Skylines 1+2, Hogwarts Legacy, Airport Sim, DBD, Phasmophobia, Supermarket Simulator and so on...

things I tryed

I tryed another keyboard on my computer. Sadly, it was the same issue. My keyboard on another computer didn´t have any issues and you can play for hours or days without any problems. That´s why I think that the problem has nothing to do with the keyboard itself. Maybe it´s a Windows problem?
The next thing I tried was plugging the keyboard in another USB-Port. Yesterday I deleted the keyboard and the mouse in the "device-manager" and restarted the pc. Sadly it didn´t worked and the problem is still as before.

Hi all My 6 year old is in the process of being screened for adhd. The psych has already stated she thinks he most definitely has it, and that the next steps following a paediatrician is a discussion around medication (or no medication).
It’s all new and scary for me so I’m just looking for some experiences with very young children and medication?
Some background:
He is 6 years old, in kindergarten He is also highly gifted (diagnosed) Struggles to not fidget/sit still/focus at times
Any experiences (anecdotal) are appreciated

[INDEX]
I banked the fire and stared into the golden eyes of Beatale before I crept into my makeshift tent.
I still had my auric vision running and couldn’t help but notice the thin silver cord that ran from me to Horse. Firming up my aura, I reached out with my hand and grabbed it. I could feel the nearly imperceptible vibration between my fingers as I used my mind to probe at the thread. I could feel a bright spark of intellect, a light at the end of a tunnel. Pushing with my mind, I slid down the thread until the spark grew larger and eventually filled my inner vision with a hazy white light. Horsey thoughts nudged at me curiously.
I slid into the haze and immediately lost all sense of direction. If it wasn’t for the silver thread, I’d have no idea how to exit this shifting white fog. Horsey thoughts got stronger as I followed the thread while the haze thinned and cleared to reveal an endless prairie of green grass. I found myself standing before a naked man wearing a horse mask and I stared in shock. It was obviously me wearing a cheap costume horse mask — there was no mistaking my tattoos.
“What did you expect?” Horse neighed at me. “I am you and you are me and we are all together. Goo goo ga joob.”
Horse made a shooing motion with his hands and I accelerated backwards through the white haze and slammed into my own body with a gasp. I stared at the tarp overhead for a long minute, processing this new revelation. Horse was a part of me, a piece of my spirit. Whatever psychic stuff I did with that silver cord lead me into a house of mirrors where I got to look at myself pretending to be a horse. I can’t even deal with that right now.
Rolling into my blankets, I dropped off to sleep.
*Ding*
-=- - Welcome to the Dreamworld - Included in the Psychic Skills pack, the Inner Sanctum is your psychic domain. It is the mental fortress that you must secure and maintain to defend against psychic and spiritual assaults. All of your neurosis and fears are symbolised in this realm and must be defeated or subjugated before you can become master of the domain. Good luck. -=-
I banished the pop-up and looked around. I knew I was asleep, but everything was just as real as when I was awake. I was breathing, I could feel the floor under my feet, and if it weren’t for the pop-up, I would have sworn I had been teleported. The room I was in resembled an oversized luxury prison cell, maybe a thirty foot cube. No windows. Rough stone walls with thick mortar. Large brass wall sconces were set directly into the stone and suffused the room with a warm, golden light provided by glowing rocks. The stone floor had colourful Persian rugs tastefully placed. A high plaster ceiling was painted with a rendition of Michelangelo’s ‘Creation of Adam’, depicting me as both Adam and God.
There was a comfy sofa in front of a large screen television that hung from one wall and an ornate grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner. It was currently 10:08 PM. Another wall was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, stuffed with books of varying sizes. The third wall was covered with pictures and I could see at a glance that they were images from my life. The fourth wall had a thick riveted steel door on the right side, a full sized mirror on the left, and a computer workstation in the middle.
The picture wall was my first target. A few were quite large, nearly life sized, while others were tiny prints no larger than the palm of my hand. Scenes of my life were displayed in each one. The largest was me riding Horse with a shit-scared expression, shooting at a pack of wolves. Others were smaller, each with different frames. Some ornate gold or silver, others plain wood, a few wrapped in briars or barbed wire. Nanny Ramsey holding me as a young child. My dog Jean with a red ball in his mouth. My parents, screaming at me. I turned my attention to the books. Books are safe. Books don’t judge you.
The sweet, musty scent of a used book store filled my nostrils as I drew close to the honey coloured shelves. Hundreds of volumes filled the wall from floor to ceiling, with a ladder that could be rolled along a rail to access the top. I smiled at the sight. I had always wanted a library like this. I pulled a book at random and read the title, “Confused Fantasies about Joseph Harris, part XXIV of the Middle School Years”.
I slid the book back onto the shelf. Let’s see what’s on TV.
The remote was a slim, futuristic looking affair with a minimum of buttons. I pointed it at the television and moments later the huge screen came to life and presented me with a simple menu for movies, divided into six categories: Happy, Surprised, Afraid, Disgusted, Angry, and Sad. I scrolled through the offerings for a minute, reading the titles and reviews about the movies of my life. It really bothered me that there were so few selections in the Happy section.
The number of Sad movies increased by one.
I walked over to the mirror and noticed there was a small sticky note pasted to it. “Astral Realm. Experienced users only.” I shoved the note in my pocket and stared at my image. Sturdy black boots, black denim jeans and shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, deep brown gun belt slung at my hip, red bandanna and black felt hat. All I needed was a pencil moustache and I would look like the stereotypical villain in any spaghetti western. At that very moment I decided to grow out a goatee. I’d rather be mistaken for a bad guy than a victim.
So how does this astral realm thing work?
The mirror appeared to be nothing more than a mirror. It was cold, smooth glass surrounded by a wrought iron frame, and reflected my image. I didn’t necessarily want to go walking into danger, but I wanted to know how it worked. I pushed and prodded the glass in frustration until I noticed my image grinning at me. I jumped back in surprise and it doubled over in silent laughter.
“Hilarious, dude. You got me,” I huffed. “So how do I get in?”
My mirror-self tipped his hat and stepped to side.
I reached up to the mirror again and my hand passed through, vanishing as if cut off. Okay, just a quick peek and we’ll explore the rest of the room. I stepped through and the world shifted around me. I was standing back at the campsite. My body was insubstantial as a ghost and the tarp was a wisp of substance running straight through me. Non living things don’t seem to have much presence in this realm. Glancing down, I saw my sleeping body rolled up in the blankets, a thin silver thread running from it to me, and another thread running to Horse.
Looking around, I surveyed the campsite. My astral vision seemed to be on and had an unlimited range. I could see the life all around me, the distant forest was a sea of greenish-gold, grasses and brush nearby glowed with spectral light. Tiny ghost insects scurried while ghost mice nibbled at whatever ghost mice nibble on. Ghost seeds and ghost insects, I suppose. I turned my attention overhead and gaped at the sight of a monstrous serpentine spirit flying through the inky void. I dropped back through the tent and rolled inside my body. That was plenty enough for now.
I rolled through the mirror and landed flat on my back, staring at the fresco on the ceiling. Vinnie-God winked at me and Vinnie-Adam grinned. Climbing to my knees, I brushed non-existent dust from my trousers and watched mirror-me doubled over in soundless laughter.
“Hey, laughing-boy!” I yelled at him. “You’re like the guardian or something, right? You got it covered?”
Mirror-me stood and saluted with a smile, then gave me two thumbs up. A moment later, his face took on a serious expression and he wriggled his right hand in the ‘maybe’ motion. Then he pointed at me, tapped his wrist, and then a finger to his head.
It all depends on how fast I learn stuff, I guess.
Two thumbs up and a winning smile reflected back to me.
A large cork board was mounted to the wall over the computer and a small note was pinned to it. “Note to self: Don’t fuck with the Elvish womens.”
The computer screen featured a screensaver of me as Vitruvian Man doing callisthenics over the words ‘HumanOS’. I tapped the spacebar and was rewarded with the sound of powerful fans kicking to life as the computer emerged from sleep mode and prompted me for a password. Should I assume it’s the same as the password on the computer I pawned in my previous life?
Password: *******esi
I was rewarded with a sweet R&M desktop and a couple of icons. System, NeuralNet, My-Tunes, My-Movies, My-Office.
System was just what I expected, lots of .dna files and other confusing scariness that allowed me to tweak my physical body and mental state. My-Tunes was a collection of every song I’d ever heard and My-Movies was a collection of every movie I’d ever seen. Not that I’m complaining, but it would have been nice to have “My-Games” so I could play RDR. My-Office was a clone of the popular software by a similar name. I have no idea what I’ll ever need a spreadsheet for in this world.
NuralNet opened up a search engine called Me-Seeks, featuring a familiar blue guy.
I typed in “beer” and several thousand results were displayed, anything I’d ever read, heard, or watched about beer, including how to make it. This right here made the price of admission totally worth it, access to an exact copy of everything I’d ever read, and I was a voracious reader. Sadly, most of the stuff I read was futurology — solar panels, electronics, biotech advancements, quantum computing. The material for steam engines, blacksmithing, farming and the like, were slim pickings. That’s okay though, I could still reproduce the Gutenberg press, the cotton gin, simple internal combustion engines, and basic batteries along with some sketchy knowledge of metal alloys, acids, bases, and other things I had read over the years. All that wasted time watching “How Things Work” was finally going to pay off. I copied a few likely money makers to My-Office, saved the file, and exported to my Notes, just in case they didn’t exist on Aerth.
A popup covered the screen.
📱 [New Upgrade Available!] 📱
🎉 Enhance Your Experience with the Latest HumanOS Features! 🎉
🌟 Features Include:

• 🧠 Memory Booster: Increase your Memory for smoother multitasking and improved performance.
• 🔋 Energy Optimizer: Extend your battery life with advanced power-saving techniques.
• 🛠️ Utility Upgrades: Access new apps and utilities to enhance your daily life and adventures.
• 🗺️ Advanced Mapping: Never get lost again with enhanced GPS and location tracking.

🔥 Special Offer: Only 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0! 🔥
[Upgrade Now ✅] [Remind Me Later ❌]
Apparently I could upgrade myself, which reduced the cost of using my Utilities while providing other minor benefits. My Utilities would level up as I used them, which would increase their battery cost, so if I didn’t keep pace with an update to the OS they could become prohibitively expensive to operate.
Stupid pay-to-win world.
So, do I pay 2000 credits for version 2.0 or 5000 credits for version 3.0?
I selected version 3.0 and klicked [Install]. After watching it download the update, it popped up another screen that asked if I wanted to update now, or wait until Midnight for the mandatory update.
I selected [No] just as the grandfather clock chimed 10:30 PM. I wondered if time ran slower in here, because it seemed like I had spent a lot more time on the computer than 15 minutes. Walking over to the imposing steel door, I noticed a bronze key with a thin chain in the lock. There was another sticky note on the door. “Subconscious. Please keep the key with you at all times.”
That’s not scary at all, is it?
I unlocked the door with a loud clunk and pulled it open to reveal a bedroom straight out of some royal castle. I could tell immediately that it had seen better days. The tapestries on the wall were frayed and fading. The canopy over the bed had a few holes in it. A thin layer of dust covered the mantle of a small fireplace set into the wall. There was a window letting in bright sunlight and I moved over to look outside.
I was on the third floor of a keep surrounded by the walls and turrets of a modest castle. A castle that had fallen into serious disrepair. Did this represent the state of my inner mind? One tower was shattered and the curtain wall under it damaged. The lower bailey was full of litter. I could see a few soldiers walking around the allure, keeping watch.
I have people in my subconscious?
Someone behind me cleared their throat.
Whirling, I discovered a familiar old man standing in the door of the bedroom. What was left of his hair formed a white halo around his head, his face was unshaven and covered with several days of growth. He was dressed like a poor and tattered manservant, but carried himself with a dignified air.
“Woodhouse?”
“It’s nice to see the master at home,” He said with a proper English accent. “There are many matters that require the master’s attention.”
“Uh, sure,” I said, hanging the key around my neck and tucking it in my shirt. “And who are you again?”
“Your personal manservant, of course” he said with a slight bow. Walking over to the steel door, he pulled it closed and it locked with a solid thunk. “Master should always keep his inner sanctum closed. One never knows if something nasty will creep in.”
“Thank you, uh, Woodhouse. I’ll remember that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “So what needs tending and how do things work around here?”
He smiled and beckoned me with a white gloved hand. “If master would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll introduce him to the staff and explain the duties and obligations of his domain.”
I’m 99.9% certain that everyone here is just me wearing a mask, so I shrugged and followed Woodhouse out of the bedroom and into the rest of my subconscious.
Five minutes later I was on the ground floor and seated on a shabby throne with the cast of a popular —and probably very copyright protected— animation in front of me. Woodhouse was the head butler and my personal manservant. Pam was the cook and demanded that I start importing sugar and alcohol before she was shushed by Woodhouse. Carol was a maid. Krieger was chancellor and Cyril was the steward. Archer and Lana were in charge of security. Ray was the marshal in charge of everything from the stables to the blacksmith.
I stared in disbelief at the motley crew kneeling in front of me. No wonder my inner mind was in such shambles. I was overcome with an irrational sense of anger at myself.
“Arright, listen up,” I barked, my voice echoing around the room. “I swear to God that I will fire every single one of you and hire circus clowns to replace you if you keep fucking things up. No joke. Circus clowns, got it?”
I ran a hand over my face as Ray pissed himself. “The only reason I’m not putting a boot in your asses right now is because I realise that you’re aspects of me, and the people you represent are pretty damn good at their jobs when they give enough of a shit to actually do them. As a team, you’re dysfunctionally fantastic and always seem to come out ahead no matter the odds.”
Heaving a sigh, I continued. “Things have changed and I need to get my shit together. I’m going to need every one of you to pull your weight and help me help you. Get back to your duties, I’ll meet you one on one later.”
My subconscious caretakers scurried out of the room.
“I’ll have one of the maids tend to the piss,” Woodhouse assured me.
“Never mind that,” I snapped. “I honestly had no idea my mind was such a shit show. I’m very disappointed in myself.” I pictured the Angry, Sad, and Disgusted counters on my personal movies clicking up. “Show me what needs to be done and let’s get started.”
During Woodhouse’s walking tour, everything clicked into place. This was some altered version of Bodiam castle, a location that was on my bucket list of places to visit. The royal council room, located behind the throne room, contained a “living” tapestry on the wall that showed the castle and surrounding land in real time. The castle was located in the middle of a small lake, and a single wood bridge led to the mainland. A small town surrounded the lake and a wall encircled the town. Outside the wall, the land was an irregular patchwork of forest and field, with a stinking swamp to the south. The entire “kingdom” was maybe ten miles across, surrounded by impassable mountains with innumerable creeks that fed the lake which drained into the southern swamp.
“Zombies are the problem, sir.” Woodhouse said, as I surveyed the living tapestry of my mental domain.
“Zombies?” I prompted.
“Yes sir, Zombies” Woodhouse continued. “Nasty bitey things that come in from the mountains and harass the peasants. They’ve gotten especially worse over the last few months. The soldiers do what they can, but they seem to have lost all motivation. Probably because they haven’t been paid.”
“And who pays them?”
“Typically chancellor Krieger is in charge of financial matters, although Steward Figgis has taken over the duty, sir.”
“Then let’s make Figgis our first stop.”
“Very good, sir.”
The office of the steward was run by Cyril Figgis, who managed the kingdom in my absence. It was overflowing with paperwork and charts, books and scrolls piled high on every flat surface. Cyril was desperately attempting to tidy things when Woodhouse and I walked in.
“Yo..you..your majesty,” Cyril stuttered, bowing low. Scrolls fell from his overloaded arms, spilling across the floor. He dropped to his knees and scrambled to gather them up. “I didn’t expect you to visit so soon. Please forgive the mess, housekeeping has been slacking…”
This was the guy who ran things while I was conscious.
“Shut up, Cyril” I said. “You’re responsible for everything in this office. That includes keeping it organised and tidy.”
“Y..yes milord.”
“It’s my understanding that you’re in charge of making sure everyone gets paid. So why aren’t we paying people?” I asked.
“We’re nearly out of Fuks, your majesty. I’ve been saving them for emergencies.”
“Fucks?”
“Fuks,” Cyril explained, pushing a pile of books off a large chest and opening it. Reaching inside he pulled out two small bags and emptied them on top of his cluttered desk. “Gold and Silver Fuks, the currency of the kingdom. I can’t maintain the kingdom when I have no Fuks to give.”
Behold the subconscious kingdom of Vincent J. Carter, it runs on Fuks.
“So how do I get more fuks?” I asked, examining one of the coins. It had an image of me on one side and symbol on the other that could be interpreted as “peace among worlds”.
“You kill the zombies, your majesty.”
Of course I do.
Woodhouse and I left Cyril’s office and headed towards the office of the chancellor where Krieger worked. It seemed that Cyril took over financial matters when Krieger became erratic and proposed luring all the zombies into the city and setting it on fire. Not sure how that corresponds to my own self-destructive behaviour, but I’ve had some dark thoughts over the last couple of months and I’m sure they’re reflected here.
Krieger’s office was much neater in comparison to Cyril’s, but it wasn’t by much. Shelves lined the walls and were filled with an array of questionable items, including a still snapping zombie head in a jar. While the office of the chancellor was supposed to be in charge of financial matters, it looked more like a dodgy rummage sale.
Krieger was launching sword blades at a pig carcass when we walked in.
“What exactly are you doing?” I asked, standing in the doorway.
“Hm? Oh, your majesty!” he said, turning around and bowing deeply. “I’m testing a new invention. It’s a spring loaded hilt that shoots sword blades. Very useful for our soldiers.”
“Stupidest idea ever,” I snapped. “I hate everything about it.”
“Okay,” Krieger said, tossing the hilt into a nearby pile of junk. “But don’t blame me when you need to shoot a sword at a zombie and don’t have one.”
“So why aren’t you managing the financial affairs? Collecting taxes, paying people, stuff like that?”
“Because the population has declined so much none of that matters?”
“What do you mean?”
“Wellll, the population represents things you care about,” Krieger said, going into lecture mode. “And the zombies and other monsters are real or imagined problems in your way. Since you don’t care about too many things the population has shrunk to just what’s needed to keep everything running on the bare minimum of fuks. And since you don’t seem to have any long or short term goals, there’s no need to kill off the zombies and get more fuks. Everything is fine just the way it is.”
“No, it’s not Krieger” I said, grinding my teeth. “My mind is in a shambles. It’s a joke. I want it fixed. No, I want it better than fixed. I want it improved.”
“Oh! I’ve got just the thing for that!” He said, digging around in his pockets, “It’s a spring-loaded hilt that shoots swords!”
Pam and Cheryl were hanging out a gallery window jeering at Archer and Lana sparring in the inner courtyard.
“What the hell are you doing!” I snapped
They whirled in surprise and then dropped into deep curtseys.
“Your majesty!”
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my centre. “Get to work cleaning this place up. Find a room, clean it, and move on to the next. Start with my bedroom, then the throne room and the council chamber, then everything else.”
Cheryl spoke up. “Can’t do it. We got no fuks to clean with.”
“You need fuks to clean?”
“Gotta buy stuff,” Pam said. “Cleaning supplies, food. You wanna eat, you’re gonna have to spend some fuks.”
“Talk to Cyril,” I ordered. “Tell him I said to get you supplied.”
They ran off in the direction of the stewards office.
I watched Archer and Lana bashing each other enthusiastically through the window.
Several minutes later the sparring couple stopped and bowed when Woodhouse and I stepped into the inner courtyard.
“Your majesty”
“My liege”
“Enough,” I said. “If you have enough energy to smash each other, you have enough energy to smash zombies. Tell me what I need to know so I can start gathering fuks.”
Archer shrugged and spoke first. “You just kill the zombies and other monsters. They drop fuks.”
“Anything special about the zombies?” I asked. “Are they fast? Do people get turned into zombies when bitten?”
“Nope,” Lana said, resting her wooden sword on her shoulder. “Most of them are slow shamblers and just need a good wack to the head to kill them.”
“Some are special,” Archer interjected. “Occasionally you’ll have some fast ones, or those that need holy water to kill. They’re just bad memories, figments of your personality that need to be eliminated. Some are worse than others.”
“The zombies are bad memories?” I asked, imagining all the bad memories that I had.
“Memories, thoughts, insecurities, metaphysical mumbo-jumbo,” Woodhouse supplied. “They are endless, but constant vigilance can keep them under control.”
“So let’s get started,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Lana and Archer lead me up to the parapet over the front gate where I looked over at the dozens of zombies milling about aimlessly in front of the entrance to my mind. Pulling out my gun, I began to pick them off, easy as shooting fish in a barrel. The crack of my spell pistol attracted more zombies and I dispatched them with ease until no more were left around the gate. As I fired each shot I could feel some sort of existential energy flowing from me, draining some hidden reserve.
“Gather up the Fuks,” I commanded. “And Lana?”
“Mi’lord?”
“There’s no excuse for this. From now on, I expect the walls to be clear of all zombies.”
“Yes mi’lord,” she said, giving me a small bow.
Turning to Archer, I shook my head. “You’re obviously my personal narcissism, so just try to stay out of Lana’s way, or better yet - try to kill more zombies than her. If you think you can.”
Archer scoffed. “No contest. I took top marks in sharpshooting.”
“That means I should expect to see results by tomorrow. I look forward to it.”
Archer looked panicked for a moment then smiled. “Sure, I can give you results.”
Turning back to Woodhouse I said “Show me what else need attending.”
Woodhouse led me through the town that represented my mind, pointing out each business that had fallen into disrepair, suggested others that needed improvements, and additions that would benefit me. In the distance, I could hear Lana and Archer shooting at the crowd of zombies and with each echoing shot I felt a tiny bit better about everything.
[INDEX]

I used to have a very steady 60 fps* on my laptop but I haven't played for a few days and now after updating Valorant and drivers, my fps keeps fluctuating from like 10 to 60, during gameplay it doesn't really go above 40. It keeps changing constantly.
I already have the lowest in-game graphics settings and I have tried the following:

• Reinstalling drivers
• Going back to the old drivers
• Reinstalling Valorant
• I changed the settings in Nvidia control panel > 3D configuration. I did that for global settings and for Valorant.

Do other people have this issue too or is it just me?
Any advice will be helpful but please use simple words 😅
*Yes, I know it sounds crazy to most people but it's what I can get and had for like a year and that's all I want tbh, heck 50 fps will do the job too, the problem is that it keeps going up and down by such huge numbers and that it started out of nowhere.

Posting here because I want to remain as anonymous as possible. For the past few years every time my husband and I are intimate I end up hurting my back. We’ve tried all the recommended positions and changes and I see a physical therapist, so I’m not necessarily looking for advice on that. The cycle is usually we plan to be intimate the day before I go to physical therapy. I usually hurt my back to varying degrees and then my PT will fix it back up the following day. Usually she realigns my back and hips, does dry needling, massage and electrical stimulation. It’s hard because I love being intimate with my husband, but every night after sex I am in a lot of pain getting up most the night to massage it, ice it and use lidocaine patches.
I probably will talk to a priest about this, but being a woman talking about it is really uncomfortable for me. Basically I just wish we could still have the connection of intimacy without all the pain. I know mutual masterbation is forbidden and it frustrates me sometimes. I feel like sometimes if we were protestants we could have the intimacy without me suffering so much. Like I understand the churches teachings and don’t need them explained. I don’t know what I am looking for here really. Maybe just prayer. Maybe encouragement. Thanks for reading.

I've earned some money I was not expecting to, so I want to treat myself. I've been listening for ~2 years to vinyl, concerts, bluetooth on the Edifier s3000 Pro, and I've quite liked them. But as I said, I'm interesting in what investing ~2k could get me. I've been reading threads and the KEF R3 and Wharfedale Linton seem to be some of the favorites. Yamaha A-S701 as an amp seems to also be the favorite amp for this category of speakers.
I live in Germany. I can get a pair of Wharfedale Linton 85 for 929 euros. I think I'll need to add ~350 euros to that for stands as the stands of my Edifier I don't think would work. For the KEF R3, I can get a pair that was exhibited for 1100 euros. I've never bought something on exhibition so it would give me some anxiey, but it does seem like a good deal. And I think I can use the stands of the Edifier S3000Pro for them too. As for the amp, I can get the Yamaha A-S701 for ~600 euros.
Am I on the right right track with these choices? Am I right in assuming they'll get me a massive upgrade over my current set up ? My music taste is pretty broad. Jazz, classic rock, indie rock, electronic music, shoegaze, psychedelic rock, etc.

Spoiler warning: The following contains spoilers for Baldurs Gate 3 Act 3.
Once every year, I host a special D&D day for my players. We play D&D for a very long while and also always include a special event. Last time for example, we did a very fun PvP session (disconnected from what's actually going on in the campagin).
My players enjoyed a lot of Baldurs Gate 3 recently and especially the Iron Throne stuck with them. They were amazed by the idea and therefore requested something like that as our special event play. In general, I do like the idea.
Of course I will not make it exactly the same, but from what I have got, they would like to have it somewhat of a jailbreak with a limited turn timer before the whole thing collapses. They would have the opportunity to free a handful of different prisoners including one VIP. However, I see a problem with the concept. Compared to BG3, I think the turn timer concept could get relatively boring in D&D. I already thought of some surprises and dynamic changes (maybe hide a traitor among the prisoners or include a mechanic which buys the whole group three more turns if they find it), but I'd be glad about some smart input from you guys!

I was just wondering, do you guys think it will ever go to 0,001 or 0,005 in like 1 or 2 years? Or will it crash down next year when the 'hype' is over? When i look at myself, i have now ca 11,3 million. Yeah i am small player, but like i said before i just try to figure crypto out haha. But i have invested now like 166 euro's for 11,3 million, this by 0,005 it will bring me on a amount of ca 56.500 euro(!?) but it looks like a mission impossible, what do you guys think?

Hiya!
I wanted to come in and write a post about my MA experience 2 weeks post pills.
I took my first dose at 5 weeks and 6 days with fear of the pain and sickness I read so many experience. When I placed the next dose of pills vaginally, I was so nervous as I experience some terrible period cramps on a norm and didn’t want this to be like that.
What I can say is, wow is it easier than expected. My best advice is to eat plain food the day before and the day during. No artificial sugars, no greasy food, just plain easy to digest food. I do this on a regular month before I get my period and I feel like it tremendously helps with my period cramps so doing this for my MA felt smart.
It took about 2.5 hours before any bleeding started. Actually - I felt like it was late and was about to seek help before something came out. From here it was like a full river escaped me (the gush is real). I typically have light periods so this was shocking! At the worst of the cramps I would give the pain a 6/10 and I mean this was the WORST. Nothing ibuprofen and paracetamol didn’t help, I took about 800mg of ibuprofen and 500mg of paracetamol about an hour before I started anything.
Heating pad is a MUST. I don’t think I could have done this without. I unfortunately didn’t have my partner with me during this so I was worried about being alone but I had my friend on speed dial in case of emergency, to be honest it was kind of nice to just be dwelling in my own misery.
Cramps ended about after day 2, after what I feel was the passing of the pregnancy, the cramps started to fade with sometimes popping back up and then going. The bleeding began to stop after day 4.
Here I am 2 weeks after and from time to time I will bleed brown and pass a clot but with no pain. It’s like not often enough to continuously wear a pad but enough to be weary. I have one week to go until I can take my pregnancy test again but honestly when they say “symptoms going down like the feeling of feeling pregnant” it’s true. I didn’t have many symptoms to begin with part from sore breasts and slight cramping (and being very very emotional) but I can’t believe how much BETTER I feel! I feel very confident this worked and that everything went smoother than expected.
I write this for anyone else going through this for their first time! I honestly didn’t think I could become pregnant and after years of BC I stopped it and followed the flo app for my ovulation days. TIP - don’t do this 😂. I’m now back on the pill and feel much better to just have this out of the way.
The whole process was legit easier than a monthly period.
Good luck to those having to go through this! You can do it!

ok so, for as much as i love them, i have a pretty bad history with piercings. i have 3 in each lobe (had 4, but the first pair closed) that never really healed after several years, a double nostril that needed to get repierced, snake bites that were so poorly done i had to remove them, and a crooked bridge. now, i really don't like my plain face, and i would like to get more piercings, but it looks like no matter how reputable my piercer is (my last one is even insta verified) and how flawless their portfolio may be, i have the misfortune of always ending up being the one with crooked piercings. i do address them after getting them done, but they always say it's swelling and then it's not. i have yet to decide whether or not to get my snake bites repierced because i have to ponder if my anatomy allows me to have them in a way that doesn't cause me discomfort, but i am still unsure about this bridge of mine. the thing is, upon the terrible luck with piercing execution, i as well have pretty problematic healing processes. i get extremely swollen and sore, much more than the average, and it takes me so many months to ALMOST heal. i have had my bridge since last december, and despite it not being swollen anymore, it's clearly still crooked and irritated (i do take care of it), and i really don't know what to do. i just want to take it out, but the scarring would annoy me and idk if i could get it repierced better. i am a strict perfectionist unluckily and wrong visual imput (especially on my own body) causes me physical discomfort, reason why i struggle so much with crooked piercings. i don't wanna give up body mods, i really love how they look on me and they help me significantly with self esteem, but it's so stressful and complicated to get them right. i try getting fake piercings where i can, but not everything can be "faked" and i am honestly at a dead end with motivation. i have considered going back to the piercer to ask him if he could fix it somehow, but my social anxiety tells me there's no use and it will just be awkward because i am in fact unhappy with his job. i had already told him i had bad experience with every single piercing i had gotten and i hoped he could do a good gob, he was understanding, he spent an hour taking the precise measurements (that looked perfect) only to evidently miss the exit spot by a good 2 millimeters and also go too deep. i don't wanna pay another 80 euros to spend another 6 months with a sore bridge while being unsure of how it will turn out, but i don't want an empty face filled with scars, i am just really done with all this.