Sat for union county college

This is a ThrowAway account because I have friends on Reddit and prefer to keep this private.
I (40M) have a son (18M) who had just been accepted to college. When he told me he had been accepted, I was extremely happy because I didn't have that opportunity in my life. I was born into a family of 8 siblings and we never had many luxuries growing up, so I dropped out of school to work and help at home. Today, I work in the same place where I started my first job, but in a managerial position that pays me very well for someone who doesn't have a diploma.
Back to the title: when my son was accepted to college, I asked him to read the notice and gather all the necessary documents for his college registration. I don't understand much about technology, so I asked one of my employees, who knows how to use a computer better than I do, to help me with my son's registration. During the week, I kept asking him for the documents and he always made up an excuse not to deliver them. In an attempt to help him, I had already gathered all the documents of his that I had printed, but according to him, some documents could only be obtained online and that might take some time.
When the last day for registration arrived, he gave me the missing documents and without wasting time, I went to work to use my computer with a friend to do his registration. However, the website of the college he said he had been accepted to was not accepting the login credentials. I called him many times asking if the credentials were correct because to enter the new student's page, information from the document and the registration number were needed, but he didn't answer my calls. That day, I got home as quickly as I could to find him and try to resolve this as soon as possible.
When I got home, he was on the couch and from his expression, I noticed something wasn't right, and I was right. As soon as I entered the room, he asked me to sit down because he wanted to have a "serious conversation". In this conversation, he revealed that he had not actually been accepted to college but had lied to me out of fear of my reaction if he didn't get in. At that moment, my world fell apart. I had never felt so disappointed as I did at that moment. I had told everyone how smart my son was and that he had been accepted to a good school, was working from Monday to Sunday doing overtime to surprise him with a car that I was going to buy for him as a gift, only to find out he had lied to me.
In the same conversation, I couldn't hold back. I argued with him about how he could lie to me about this, I talked about how much I had worked to provide him with a good education and that he had nothing to do but his chores and study. I got so upset that I ended up crying and saying he was a disappointment, something I regret, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn't control myself. I sent him to his room and sat on the couch not knowing what to think. I spent two hours staring at the walls thinking about where I had failed him. I was never absent, never hit him, and was always understanding, even about him going to college or not, because I hadn't even finished elementary school, so I would understand if he didn't want to go to college. He had no reason to lie to me, but even so, I tried to be understanding and let time pass to apologize when I was calmer.
The next day when I got home from work, I looked for him but he wasn't home. I wanted to have a conversation with him to apologize and talk about other future possibilities for him, but he was out with his friends. Because of this, I decided to use the computer we share to check my email, but when I went to use it, it was already on. What I saw on that screen was something that made me take back everything. My son and his friends were talking badly about me in an extensive conversation that seemed to have been going on for months, where I was called various names, and his friends said they were his "real family". Reading that was torture. It was obvious he had left the computer on for me to see because he never left it on or any of his accounts logged in.
When he got home, I lost it, I yelled at him again, this time worse than the last, and said he had until the end of the year to get a job and move out because I wasn't going to support a lying adult who didn't appreciate anything I do. He started crying and saying I was overreacting, but I didn't care. I stood firm in what I said, and he knows that. Now, his grandparents are calling me trying to get me to change my mind, but I don't think I'm wrong in making the decision I made. I've always tried to be the best father for him, but if all this was for nothing, then I give up, I won't put up with this anymore.
So, am I the asshole?

Amahahn was seated at an oval table, a velvety dark green cape with golden hems and patterns draped over his shoulders. Three bowls of Shamal stew were placed on the table, vegetables and fine cut pieces of meat floating in the simmering Kahnjari milk.
“Three bowls. Are we expecting company besides our own, Amahahn?” Emma raised a brow as she plucked the visor cap off her head. Amahahn’s response was a chuckle, low and dry.
“Oh, you must be terribly informed. I’m married to a daughter of one of the noble houses on Kouvajilo”
Emma clenched her jaw and fists, slipping into one of the chairs. She placed her cap on the table, glancing over her shoulder as a door opened.
A young woman with olive skin in a white dress stood in the door, hands clutched at her front. A golden belt sat tight around her slender waist, her sleeves large and loose on her arms.
“Laudjehne, love. Come dine with me and our guest” The Prince Regent motioned to the empty seat at his side.
The girl dipped her head, the white dress floating behind her as she moved. She glided to Amahahn's side, fingers tracing his shoulder as she seated herself.
"It's an honor for me to share the same table as you, Empress. I've read your grandfather's books quite actively"
Emma blinked at the sleek face talking to her.
"Oh, yes. My grandfather's books..." Emma mumbled, picking up the wooden paddle-shaped spoon. She lifted her eyes to met Laudjehne's gaze.
"I've just read 'On the Building of the State' and 'The Laws of Steel and Soil' Laudjehne said, stirring her Shamal. Amahahn scoffed with the ghost of a smirk spread across his lips. Laudjehne's rich blue eyes fell upon her husband, her thin throat bobbing.
Amahahn drew a finger along one of his pale cheeks, his vicious smile persisting. The Prince Regent cast his dark eyes on a steward concealed in the shadows of a corner, the man striding forwards with a clay bottle of sweet wine.
Emma nodded her thanks to the steward, plucking her cup from the table and stirred the orange liquid.
"There's something too that interests me about your grandfather, Your Majesty" Laudjehne said, swallowing a spoonful of the beige stew.
Emma hummed her approval of the inquiry as she drank, the sweet finish of the wine dancing over the taste buds on her tunge.
"It puzzles me greatly how your grandfather persistently denies Goudanja and Kouvajilo's request to be annexed into Simonistan. Why would an empire ever turn another state's request for be anexed into it?"
Emma lowered her spoon, swallowing down her rambling thoughts as well as a spoonful Shamal.
"The Constitution of Simonistan does not permit acts of imperialism. Even if the other party willing approves of annexation into Simonistan, we cannot legally carry out such a request within the boundaries of our legal code"
At that, the Prince Regent chuckled. Emma felt heat flare across her cheek, yet she jutted out her chin to disapprovve of Amahahn's taunt. Already, she knew what was to come.
But Amahahn never dared bring up the topic.
"Oh...that's lofty principles to stand by" Laudjehn murmured, batting her blue eyes. Emma sensed her confusion but chose not to clarify. After all, she could not not clarify her grandfather's mindset.
Perhaps, if only she hadn’t taken so much after him; safe for his openly revolutionary rethoric and lingering autocratic aura, she would have annexed the union of Goudanja and Kouvajilo in a heartbeat.
That very popular man who it pained Emma to know, still considered himself an unrighteous dictator, yet cheered her on as empress.
Her grandfatheer the abdicated emperor, who she honored by making him Speaker of Parliament just so he might keep an eye on and help her during Parliament sessions.
“You wish for your home world to be annexed by Simonistan, Laudjehne?” Emma asked, swallowing down a spoonful Shamal

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/ThrowRA_wafflehouse
My (29F) Boyfriend (29M) keeps getting into fights with a cook at Waffle House
Originally posted to relationship_advice
Original Post May 11, 2020
I know this sounds really weird, but here it is:
My BF and I have been together for three years. We met and started dating when we were both in graduate school, but I dropped out to go back to college to pursue a different career. We are both finished now, and live together making a fairly nice combined income.
Our income is relevant because we could afford to eat somewhere nice when we're out and about, but he always wants breakfast food. When he was a child his dad couldn't stand eating breakfast-type food in the afternoon or evenings, so his mom would make him waffles/pancakes, eggs, and bacon in the evening whenever his dad was busy or out of town. It's a wonderful and safe memory for him, and when he goes to his "happy place," he says that's where he always goes.
My BF is an incredibly nice and caring person. He's emotionally tuned in to everyone and recognizes arising issues a long time before they occur. He loves animals, and is kind and gentle with every bug, bird, and pet that he comes across. He's almost always willing to turn the other cheek in social situations where somebody tries to insult him or get aggressive towards him, and usually winds up defusing the situation and having a productive discussion about whatever the issue was. Except at Waffle House.
Anytime we're out he wants to go to the same goddamn Waffle House and get breakfast food. I'm not a big eater, so I used to not really care. I would just drink coffee and read my book while he enjoyed his food. But that became impossible once he and this one cook started chirping at each other every time we went there. BF complained about his eggs one time, because he likes them a little runny and they were served hard. The cook responded by giving him scrambled eggs. When he brought it up again the cook served him two hardboiled eggs. I think it was just part of the cook's schtick, and it was kind of funny tbh, but my BF wasn't able to laugh it off. When we left he was in kind of a bad mood, but we didn't really talk about it.
The next week we were out getting some shopping done, and he wanted to go to Waffle House again. I suggested that we try out a different place, or at least a different Waffle House location, but he only wanted the same Waffle House. We went in and sat down, and once again the same cook served his eggs wrong. My BF sort of snapped at him that he wasn't interested in messing around, and just wanted the correct eggs. The cook then served him a piece of toast with a hole cut out in the middle with a fried egg in it. My BF got really mad and threw the egg toast at the cook, which made the cook come around from behind the bar and throw it back at him. They ended up sort of wrestling/fighting until my BF was like "this is bullshit" and walked out. Nobody got hurt, but the few other people in there were watching and laughing a bit.
This is the crazy part: my BF keeps going back and ordering eggs and getting into fistfights with the same cook. It's almost a ritual at this point. My BF orders runny eggs, the cook serves him some other version of eggs, and then they beat the shit out of each other. I quit going with him after the second fight, but he kept going by himself. They're like Peter and the giant chicken from Family Guy, it's the weirdest thing. They've physically fought like 6 or 7 times over this.
I've tried to talk to him about it a few times, but he keeps saying it's a matter of principle. I've told him to talk to the manager or something like that, but he just waves me off. Apparently that cook hasn't yet made him the correct runny eggs, but it's like he spends the week learning new ways of preparing eggs to piss my boyfriend off.
The thing is, we're getting married this summer. He's accepted a job in a new city and it'll be easy for me to find work after the wedding, so we'll be moving away from his sworn enemy waffle house guy. He hasn't really been out since quarantine started, but it wouldn't surprise me if that's the first place he goes when restaurants open back up for sitting customers. But my main worry is this strange vindictive side of him I've never seen before that leads him to fight the same guy every week. The violence itself is an issue for me, but the obsession over it almost bothers me more.
Should I be worried that this side of him will come up later in our marriage? How do I get him to open up about this? Is this type of obsession a choice, or is it indicative of something deeper?
THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP. DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP OR COMMENT ON THE ORIGINAL POST

TLDR: Nannying is a very hard job. There would probably be a lot more nannies who work as hard as one needs to do this job well if the pay matched the value and difficulty of the work.
I’ve been pretty active in this sub lately because I’ve been feeling unhappy at my job and it helps to have a community. I wrote this a while ago and have been nervous to post it but I think it’s important. I saw a post in nannyemployers asking where all of the “good” nannies have gone and this was the response I was writing until I realised the replies were to be from NP only.. I would post in the nanny employers sub if I weren’t terrified of the response. I know I’m singing to the choir here and I know saying it out loud doesn’t change much. But I am so, so angry, so imma just send it.
As a nanny who has two college degrees, practices Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and RIE, and as someone who has always loved and wanted to work with kids, there simply is not enough money in this career path to stick to it. I personally simply cannot rationalise doing the amount of physical and emotional work that is required for me to do this job as well as I want to for the typical pay, even though I absolutely love it.
For my background, experience, and approach, I am in a severely underpaid position (even when disregarding my qualifications it would still be severely underpaid.) Because of my personal and financial situation at the time of my job search, I did not have the luxury to wait for a unicorn family to offer me the salary I was looking for. I found a family that was a good fit and accepted the position even though I felt it was very much underpaid. I am now in a position where I am continuously battling wanting to work as hard as I can for these kids and this family, and realising I can’t break my back for them while being this underpaid (I mean I literally threw my back out during this job). I’m not someone who breaks a commitment easily but I guess I could move from family to family, waiting to find one who is able to financially respect the value of this work, or I could stick it out and get $2/hr raises every year, but I can’t wait 10 years to finally get close to being paid what I know a proper nanny is worth. Yes there certainly are some nanny employers who properly respect this work and are able to financially meet it’s value, but in my experience they are few and far between. I have found that the overwhelming majority of nannies are severely underpaid and overworked.
Nannies are asked to have flexible schedules, work long hours, take on a laundry list of responsibilities, develop personal emotional relationships with children that aren’t theirs while keeping a professional distance, pay for and organise their own continued training, be emotionally and socially engaged with children all day long, and more. But above all, the most important aspect of nannying is managing our stress is such a way that allows us to stay in an executive state of functioning all day every single day. People deeply underestimate and undervalue the amount of hard and constant work it takes to keep oneself in an executive state of functioning day in and day out, especially in a high stress position where you are helping other people regulate their bodies all day on top of yours, AND are constantly sick and tired and being pushed and tested. I think that this ability is what makes the difference in a “good” nanny and is often the most overlooked, misunderstood, and undervalued aspect of the job responsibilities.
I want to be a good nanny, it’s my dream job to be the best nanny there is, and I used to think that I could accept being in an undervalued role because “it takes a village” and I wanted to do my part and this was my passion. But it doesn’t feel good to be undervalued financially and socially, in fact it feels really really bad, and this is why I will no longer be pursuing a career as a nanny. Even if I found my unicorn position, it wouldn’t change the fact that the overwhelming majority of my nanny peers are still underpaid and undervalued, and that doesn’t feel good. It makes me want to leave, and I think all of the other underpaid nannies should leave too. (We need a union or something, is this a thing?)
The market is oversaturated and undervalued. Not everyone needs a nanny now that quarantine is over (a full-time nanny, not babysitter or after school care). I have both worked at a preschool and as a nanny and I have found that a setting with multiple children of similar age is far better developmentally for a child than spending most of their time with a single adult and a sibling or two, even for young babies. I think a healthy mix of a daycare setting and family time at home is probably best but can be the most difficult to achieve with the current work culture. This is no one’s fault, the overworking culture is a burden of late stage capitalism that we all face. However, it is the burden of the parents to solve their work/life balance. This is a very big part of what one signs up for when becoming a parent. It is not the burden of the nanny to work more for less or the children to miss being with their parents (I’d say two doctor NP are pretty much the only ones who’d get a pass here).
It’s no one person’s fault that nannies are financially undervalued, the value of personal childcare and domestic work has a long saturated history fraught with misogyny and racism. Have you compared the average wage of a plumber (male dominated domestic work) to that of a nanny (female dominated domestic work)? And don’t tell me plumbing requires more training or is harder than nannying, I assure you they are of comparable difficulty especially considering there’s no step by step instructions on YouTube for nannying. (And if you do consider plumbing to be that much hard than nannying, what do you think gives you that perception? I mean as a parent, one should know that nannying absolutely is not just playing with kids all day, even if that’s all you ask your nanny to do. What subconscious bias could be giving you the perception that bringing up children is less difficult and of less value than screwing pipes together? Have you taken a race or gender studies class? Have you seen The Help? Don’t answer, just think.)
Plumbers make average $28/hr in the states, mechanics $26, for nannies it’s $20 (and that’s being generous). That’s a ¢70 on the dollar comparison. It is time we all realise that nannying is an underpaid and undervalued role and work to change that. If the wage being offered across the board better matched the value of the work, I think one would find a lot more serious nannies and a lot more current nannies taking the job more seriously.
I didn’t get it at first, why so many nannies at the park seemed so burnt out and disinterested in the kids. Oh boy do I get it now. I want nothing more than to do my best in this role, but in the past few months after nearly being stiffed by NP, not receiving a bonus from them when I really thought I would, and overall realising I am being taken advantage of and am a human mine to them, I have realised that I can no longer put my all into this job for my own health and sanity. Being properly compensated is the primary motivating aspect of all work especially in the society we are a part of. After loosing my sense of respect from NP, I’ve lost most of the non-financial motivation I started out with and am left with what little motivation my petite pay check gives me, and the kids can tell.
Since my fallout with NP, I have pulled back emotionally from the kids. I’m not mean and I am still doing every responsibility in my contract to the letter (and then some still), but I am no longer as emotionally available to them as I was. I am shorter and more curt with them, I don’t take as much time with them to sit and talk about every feeling they have, and I’m not working as hard to help them break the bad habits NP give them that NP specifically ask me to break (one example - NP want NK to walk everywhere with me but then always use the stroller with NP and every time we go out it’s a fight to use the stroller or not. Guess who’s been using the stroller far more often lately). Anyway, the past week my NK 3f has been quietly crying before her nap and I’m sure it’s because she’s felt me pull away from her. It’s breaking my heart and I’ve been trying to give her extra cuddles, but I have to protect myself first now. This is a job and these aren’t my kids and I can no longer rationalise putting them first emotionally especially considering I am burnt TF out, torn down, and left feeling used up and tossed aside without any recognition or proper thanks from NP.
I don’t know what the perfect number is, the number I would say many NP would probably think is too high, and maybe they’re not looking for a nanny who works as hard as I and others do. But I can tell you that $17/hr before taxes in a VHCOL area does not even come close to close. I think we can all easily recognise that the financial value of this job needs to better match the value of the work, in general and across the board. We’re talking about the people caring for and raising the future generations here, I mean how is this not the most coveted role in our society?
This is my Roman Empire and I will die on this hill every. single. time.

Indian Applicant for Biomedical Engineering (Need-Based Aid) Overall GPA- 3.6ish-3.8 idk I've checked online as much as I can and this is the value I'm finding via Bard and Chatgpt. High School (Small - 300-450 Students)

• 9th Grade: 89% (Vice Head Boy, Rotary Interact Club - community service projects- made jute bags with collaboration with rotary interact members at school and donated to a nearby shelter + creating environmental awareness)
• 10th Grade: 91.2% (Head Boy, Student Council President, Anti-bullying initiative at school, Student body reported a feeling of being confident and peaceful mentally due to the awareness of bullying and how to deal with it. Planned Assembly presentations for each Grade so that all the students get a chance to portray their interests on stage + combat fear and stage fright and eventually over come it, Wrote a Drama and acted in it which was staged on the School's Annual Day in front of about 600 attendees/parents based on Dowry which plagues the society and portrayed the ill effects it has on the bride's side, highlighting social issues and sensitizing the subject, Mentored peers during the Board Examinations period who were having academic setbacks in Social Science and Science)

Senior Secondary School (Large - 2400-2800 Students)

• 11th Grade: 93% (2nd Highest in Science Stream, Highest in English, Physics, Maths)
• Cultural Prefect: Organized school events that have been conducted throughout the year (Diwali, Teachers Day etc, Felicitations, Award Ceremonies etc.)
• Science Tutor: Helped classmates in Physics and Chemistry
• CSIR-CCMB Volunteer: Explained Biology concepts at a science exhibition that was held at school for a day as a mobile expo of genetic diseases and solutions. Explained the concept of Vivo Gene Therapy, how it works, the technicalities and talked about practical feasibility.
• MIT EdX Online Course: Cell Biology (no certification due to cost)
• CSIR-CCMB Shadow A Scientist Program: Spent a day in a Stem Cell Technology lab, learnt about Cryoscopy and how it actually works. And how inducing of cancer cells takes place via the help of a lab mice. And how studying if the solution is done to know about the life of cell.
• Uri-Bed Project: Designed a smart bed prototype for incontinence management (won awards at innovation fests). I'll drop the abstract if u guys want but it's lengthy.
• Wipro Earthian Project: Reduced environmental impact of waste disposal at school via the project, brought awareness to the school management that the waste is burnt in open and helped in establishing tin sheds and coverings in the area where burning used to take place z ensuring the continuous carbon emissions doesn't harm students during their returning time and also for school cattle who are opened to roam around and have their enclosure in close proximity to burning area
• Swami Vivekananda Youth Leadership Award: Won leadership competition (500 participants in the state and only 1 person gets the award after 5-6 months of rigorous of interviews, speeches, discussions and introspection) For context it's this one https://rkmath.org/ys/

Future Plans (12th Grade)

• Applying for Head Boy
• Starting a "Young Leaders Club" with various sub-clubs (mental health, environment, youth advocacy and bookers club .)
• Preparing for SAT (financial constraints)

Intended Major: Biomedical Engineering
Financial Aid: Extremely important (need-blind preferred)
College list as of now Boston University, Upenn, Yale, DePaul, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, LMU , Purdue, Suny buffalo, Stony brook, Albany , Stanford, Tufts, Tulane, and USC(my heart is set on this one, they kinda love intl students n give aid + silicon valley + can also pursue my acting passion) Let me know if I'm being delusional as such, critique, review and also lemme know is USC a possibility.
Other:

• Single mother, father abandoned family
• Mother's health issues impacted 9th grade performance
• Working part-time to manage finances
• Preparing for JEE (engineering entrance exam) as a backup

**Questions

• How do my chances look for US universities (need-based aid)?
• Any suggestions for improvement?

Notes:

• Removed GPA conversion as unclear for US applications. (If you do know what my GPA will come out to be, do let me know)

The City University of New York's faculty union rejected a resolution calling for an Israel boycott. The decision may relate more to salary negotiations than to views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Three years after voting to “consider” boycotting Israel, and weeks after defending a pro-Palestinian student encampment, the faculty union of the City University of New York overwhelmingly rejected a resolution calling for an Israel boycott.
The union’s president actively opposed the resolution, saying that it inappropriately singled out Israel. But insiders say the Professional Staff Congress’ rejection may have had more to do with the union’s salary negotiations than any principled view about the Israel-Hamas war, which has roiled the CUNY system.
The resolution called for the university system to carry out a number of steps that anti-Israel protesters have called for at CUNY and dozens of other colleges and universities across the country this spring.
“Ban all academic trips to the Zionist state, encompassing birthright, Fulbright, and perspectives trips,” the proposal said. “Cancel all forms of cooperation with Israeli academic institutions, including events, activities, agreements, and research collaborations.”
The measure, called Resolution in Support of CUNY Gaza Solidarity Encampment, also demanded that CUNY divest from all “companies complicit in the imperialist-zionist genocide” as well as for full transparency regarding CUNY’s investments.
The resolution also called for the NYPD, which arrested dozens of people when dismantling City College’s encampment weeks ago, to be banned from campus. It called on CUNY to reinstate professors fired for anti-Israel activism — though it did not specify who it was referring to.
The resolution endorsed a Palestinian right of return to Israel, which many Israelis view as tantamount to the end of Jewish sovereignty in Israel. And it called for a “fully-funded, free CUNY that is not beholden to zionist and imperialist private donors.”
The union’s 300-member delegate assembly, its central policy-making body, rejected the resolution by a vote of 117 to 40, according to a spokesperson.
Manfred Philipp, a former member of the delegate assembly who has maintained ties to the union, said he believes the resolution was voted down because it would have been detrimental to the PSC’s interests, not because of union members’ views on the conflict. The union has an obligation to negotiate salary contracts for its members, and the anti-Israel resolution could have hurt the union’s chances of securing a salary increase from city and state lawmakers who are sympathetic to Israel, Philipp said.
“The basis of the opposition to the resolution has nothing to do with the situation in the Middle East. It has everything to do with the interests of the union and the university,” said Philipp, who taught at CUNY’s Lehman College for decades before retiring around a decade ago.
“The union’s self-interest says they should not take a position on this at all,” he said, adding that he supported the result of the vote.
The PSC says it represents 30,000 faculty and staff across CUNY’s 25 colleges. Its delegate assembly includes representatives from each college’s chapter and the 27 general officers in the union’s executive council.
Ahead of the vote, union president James Davis sent an email to the delegate assembly opposing the resolution, saying the measure had been rushed through without proper input from union members, and that it only targeted Israeli universities, not “universities in countries engaged in serial human rights abuses or committing genocide, a singularity that many of our colleagues would find objectionable.”
Earlier this month, the union condemned a pro-Palestinian strike by its own members. But previously, it has taken pro-Palestinian positions and has drawn accusations of discrimination from Jewish faculty. In recent weeks, the PSC demanded charges be dropped against protesters at the pro-Palestinian encampment, condemned police action against protesters and backed protesters at Columbia University.
A group of Jewish professors sued the PSC in 2022 after the union adopted a resolution criticizing Israel the previous year, calling it discriminatory. A judge dismissed the case. Dozens of Jewish professors resigned from the union due to the resolution.
That 2021 resolution also called to consider union support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel.
A 2016 state executive order bars state agencies from anti-Israel boycotts, meaning that a boycott could come with financial consequences for the CUNY system. But the faculty union does not set policy for the system.
CUNY has long faced allegations of antisemitism on its campuses. The university system, the nation’s largest urban college network with more than 225,000 students, has come under fire in recent years from city and state lawmakers for reported discrimination against Jewish students.
Last year, weeks after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered a third-party investigation into antisemitism at CUNY.
The system has been a hotspot for anti-Israel protests since then. In March, Hunter College opened an investigation after protesters chanted that Jews at the school needed to “pick a side.” Earlier this month, two CUNY campuses nixed Jewish events due to protests.
CUNY has taken steps to address antisemitism on its campuses, including by setting up an advisory council on Jewish life and partnering with Manhattan’s Museum of Jewish Heritage to educate students about the Holocaust.
CUNY union rejects Israel boycott amid salary talks - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)

The profusion of identical green tents at this spring’s anti-Israel protests struck many as odd. “Why is everybody’s tent the same?,” asked New York mayor Eric Adams. Like others, the mayor suspected “a well-concerted organizing effort” driving the protests. More recent reporting shows a concerted push behind the Gaza protest movement. But it is not as simple as a single organization secretly rallying protesters or buying tents. Instead, the movement’s most determined activists represent a network of loosely linked far-left groups. Some are openly affiliated with well-known progressive nonprofits; others work in the shadows.
The movement also draws on diverse but generous sources of financial backing. Those funding streams may soon be augmented by the federal government. As I chronicled last year in a Manhattan Institute report, “The Big Squeeze: How Biden’s Environmental Justice Agenda Hurts the Economy and the Environment,” the administration’s massive program of environmental justice grants seems designed to prioritize the funding of highly ideological local groups. The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, earmarks $3 billion for “environmental and climate justice block grants” intended for local nonprofits. Today, hundreds of far-left political groups include language about environmental issues and “climate justice” in their mission statements. If just a fraction of planned grants flows to such groups, the effect will be a gusher of new funding for radical causes.
As the Gaza protests spread across U.S. college campuses, many observers noted an eerie uniformity among them. From one campus to the next, protesters operated in disciplined cadres, keeping their faces covered and using identical rote phrases as they refused to talk with reporters. The Atlantic noted the strangeness of seeing elite college students “chanting like automatons.” Students held up keffiyeh scarves or umbrellas to block the view of prying cameras and linked arms to halt the movements of outsiders. At Columbia University and elsewhere, protesters formed “liberated zones,” from which “Zionists” were excluded. Around the edges of the encampments, the more militaristic activists donned helmets and goggles and carried crude weapons, apparently eager to mix it up with police or counter-protesters. We’ve seen these tactics before—notably during the “mostly peaceful” Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, when full-time agitators helped ignite riots, set up a police-free (and violence-plagued) zone in Seattle, and laid nightly siege to Portland, Oregon’s federal courthouse.
In a remarkable work of reporting, Park MacDougald recently traced the tangled roots of organizations backing pro-jihad protests, both on and off campuses. These include Antifa and other networks of anonymous anarchists, along with “various communist and Marxist-Leninist groups, including the Maoist Revolutionary Communist Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the International ANSWER coalition,” MacDougald writes. Higher up the food chain, we find groups openly supported by America’s growing class of super-rich tech execs or the anti-capitalist heirs of great fortunes. For example, retired tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, who is married to Code Pink founder Jodie Evans, funds The People’s Forum, a lavish Manhattan resource center for far-left groups. As the Columbia protests intensified, the center urged members to head uptown to “support our students.” Following the money trail of other protest groups, MacDougald finds connections to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Ford Foundation, and—surprising no one—the George Soros-backed Tides Foundation.
Of course, the current wave of anti-Israel protests also involves alliances with pro-Hamas organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine. Last November, Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies testified to the House Ways and Means Committee that SJP and similar groups have deep ties to global terrorist organizations, including Hamas.
For many keffiyeh-wearing protestors, however, a recently professed concern for Palestinians is just the latest in a long list of causes they believe justify taking over streets and college quads. In Unherd, Mary Harrington dubs this medley of political beliefs the “omnicause,” writing that “all contemporary radical causes seem somehow to have been absorbed into one.” Today’s leftist activists share an interlocking worldview that sees racism, income inequality, trans intolerance, climate change, alleged police violence, and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts all as products of capitalism and “colonialism.” Therefore, the stated rationale for any individual protest is a stand-in for the real battle: attacking Western society and its institutions.
In the U.S., this type of general-purpose uprising goes back at least to the riots at the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization in Seattle. In those protests, mainstream liberal factions—including labor unions and environmentalists—were joined by “black bloc” anarchists and other radicals eager to engage in “direct action” against police. That pattern—relatively moderate demonstrators providing a friendly envelope for hard-core disruptors—formed the template for many later protests: the Occupy Wall Street encampments in 2011, demonstrations following the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, 2016’s Standing Rock anti-pipeline movement, and of course, the calamitous summer of 2020.
These uprisings were not entirely spontaneous. In some cases, activists spend months planning mass actions—for example, against economic summits or political conventions—and can recruit street fighters from across the country. In others, an event, such as George Floyd’s death, sparks popular protests involving neophyte demonstrators. Those attract far-left activists, who swoop in to organize and expand the struggle, often tilting it toward more radical action.
That has certainly been the case at the college Gaza-paloozas. At Columbia, the New York Times spotted a woman old enough to be a student’s grandmother in the thick of the action as protesters barricaded that school’s Hamilton Hall. The woman was 63-year-old Lisa Fithian, a lifetime activist, who Portland’s alternative weekly Street Roots approvingly calls “a trainer of mass rebellion.” A counter-protester trying to block the pro-Hamas demonstrators told NBC News, “She was right in the middle of it, instructing them how to better set up the barriers.” Fithian told the Times she’d been invited to train students in protest safety and “general logistics.” She claims to have taken part in almost every major U.S. protest movement going back to the 1999 “Battle in Seattle.”
America’s radical network has plenty of Lisa Fithians, with the time and resources to travel the country educating newcomers about the “logistics” of disruptive protests. And these activists appear to have played key roles in the college occupations. The New York City Police Department says nearly half the demonstrators arrested on the Columbia and City University of New York (CUNY) campuses on April 30 were not affiliated with the schools. One hooded Hamilton Hall occupier—photographed scuffling with a Columbia custodian before getting arrested—turned out to be 40-year-old James Carlson, heir to a large advertising fortune. According to the New York Post, Carlson lives in a $2.3 million Park Slope townhouse and has a long rap sheet. For example, in 2005, he was arrested in San Francisco during the violent “West Coast Anti-Capitalist Mobilization and March Against the G8.” (Those charges were dropped.)
For a quarter-century now, Antifa and other anarchist networks have worked to refine tactics and share lessons following each major action. At Columbia, UCLA, and other schools, authorities found printouts of a “Do-It Yourself Occupation Guide” and similar documents. The young campus radicals are eager to learn from their more experienced elders. And, like the high-achieving students they are, they follow directions carefully. MacDougald asked Kyle Shideler, the director for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, about the mystery of the identical tents. There was no need for a central group to distribute hundreds of tents, Shideler said. Instead, “the organizers told [students] to buy a tent, and sent around a Google Doc with a link to that specific tent on Amazon. So they all went out and bought the same tent.”
In other words, America’s radical class has gotten very skilled at recruiting and instructing new activists—even from among the ranks of elite college students with a good deal to lose. How much more could this movement accomplish with hundreds of millions in federal dollars flooding activist groups around the country?
From its first week in office, the Biden administration has trumpeted its goal to funnel more environmental spending toward “disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized,” partly by issuing grants to grassroots organizations. Previous environmental justice (EJ) grant programs were small in scope. But, with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August 2022, a huge pool of grant money became available. EPA administrator Michael Regan told reporters, “We’re going from tens of thousands of dollars to developing and designing a program that will distribute billions.”
More than a year and a half later, it remains hard to nail down just where the Biden administration’s billions in EJ grants will wind up. Money is being distributed through a confusing variety of programs, and the process of identifying recipients is ongoing. To help outsource the job of sifting through proposals, the EPA last year designated 11 institutions as “Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmakers.” These groups are empowered to make subgrants directly to community organizations, under streamlined EPA oversight. In all, the Biden administration has entrusted these outfits with distributing a staggering $600 million in funding. The money is expected to start flowing this summer.
The EPA’s grantmakers include a number of educational institutions and left-leaning nonprofits. For example, the EPA chose Fordham University as its lead grantmaker in the New York region. Fordham, in turn, lists as partners two nonprofits that oppose immigration enforcement. (One, the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, states on its website: “NJAIJ believes in the human right to migrate, regardless of citizenship or political status.”) Neither group claims expertise in environmental issues. Given that the IRA’s eligibility requirements for EJ grants are extremely vague, however, perhaps that’s not a problem. Almost any activity that could help “spur economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities” (in the words of Biden’s EJ executive order) might qualify.
Perhaps the most prominent—and problematic—EPA grantmaker is the Berkeley, California-based Climate Justice Alliance. The CJA is a consortium of mostly far-left activist groups. It describes its mission as working for “regenerative economic solutions and ecological justice—under a framework that challenges capitalism and both white supremacy and hetero-patriarchy.” The group is a vigorous proponent of the omnicause, embracing almost every left-wing concern as a manifestation of climate change. For example, the CJA website proclaims: “The path to climate justice travels through a free Palestine.” MacDougald notes that the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, one of CJA’s affiliated groups, “organized an illegal anti-Israel protest in the Capitol Rotunda in December at which more than 50 activists were arrested.”
The CJA website also includes a section dedicated to the cause known as Stop Cop City. It refers to an effort to halt the construction of an 85-acre police and firefighter training center outside Atlanta. Rag-tag activists from around the country have gathered around the facility since 2021. They have repeatedly battled with police—sometimes with fireworks and Molotov cocktails—and used bolt cutters to enter the site and torch construction equipment. (CJA’s Stop Cop City page features a cartoon illustration of three childlike activists; one brandishes bolt cutters.) The group also backs a legal defense fund for activists arrested in attacks on the training center or in other protests. For those looking for more inspiration, CJA links to an interview with former Black Panther and self-described revolutionary Angela Davis.
The Alliance is not an ideological outlier in Biden’s EJ coalition. On the contrary, when the White House assembled its White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC), a panel of outside experts meant to provide “horizon-expanding EJ advice and recommendations,” it chose CJA co-chair Elizabeth Yeampierre to help lead the committee. Like other members of the panel, she sees environmental issues through an ideological, not a scientific, lens. “Climate change is the result of a legacy of extraction, of colonialism, of slavery,” Yeampierre told Yale Environment 360. As a group, radical EJ activists tend not to focus on pragmatic ways to reduce pollution and carbon emissions; for them, the real goal is overturning what they see as an exploitative economic and political system. Since these are the voices the White House chose to help shape its EJ policies, we can assume this worldview will dominate grantmaking decisions.
In February 2023, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, along with fellow committee member Pat Fallon, wrote to EPA administrator Regan asking for more information on the EPA’s grant programs. They noted that the EPA’s own studies of EJ grants issued in previous years showed sloppy supervision. According to an EPA report, an earlier version of the program funded projects that did “not logically lead to the desired environmental and/or public health [result].” Without better oversight and more clearly defined goals, the congressmen wrote, the EPA’s EJ grant machine risks becoming simply a “slush fund for far-left organizations.”
Since then, the administration has done little to reassure skeptics. To the contrary, the EPA has put at least one far-left organization—CJA—in charge of distributing $50 million in grant money. No doubt, many of the EPA grants will go to worthwhile projects. But money is fungible. A group that gets a large grant to, say, clean up dirty parks or teach children about recycling will also be able to hire more staff and divert more resources to political action.
With graduation behind them, most of the anti-Israel college protesters have stowed away their keffiyehs and moved on to summer vacations or internships. But the peripatetic activists who helped guide and intensify those uprisings are doubtless already planning their next actions. After all, two political conventions are looming. This fall, the college protests will likely flare up again, though by then perhaps focused on a different facet of the omnicause. And, with hundreds of millions in fresh funding flowing through the activist ecosystem, the groups that quietly nurture extremists—like those who firebombed “Cop City,” or who chant “Intifada Revolution!,” or who block bridges in the name of “climate”—will be more emboldened than ever.
A Slush Fund for Radical Protesters? City Journal (city-journal.org)
​

I've seen a lot of discussions and reactions expressing uncertainty caused by the "abstain" votes last night. First, I want to say that your concerns are valid. It's completely understandable to feel anxious about the lack of representation, especially when important campaigns and projects are left in limbo. The fear of losing the momentum and support that the previous USC built is very real. However, what I want to highlight in this post is the fact that the abstentions are a form of protest—and a necessary one at that. It's a message from the electorate that they won't settle for less and tolerate incompetence in key positions within the university. Above all, it's our (student body, political parties, administration) chance to initiate long overdue reforms.
So, I've researched similar situations in the past to see what's in store for us after this event. I found two cases: University College Dublin (UCD) and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in Ireland. Obviously, since the context of the two Irish universities is different, we can't expect the exact same outcomes. But regardless, they are still good references, especially since the winning of "abstain" (or "RON/Re-Open Nominations" in their cases) in their communities resulted in positive change.
Case 1

• In 2022, University College Dublin (UCD) faced a significant wave of abstentions in their student union elections.
• All vacant positions were ultimately filled through a by-election where re-running candidates won.
• By October 2022, UCDSU reported a significant increase in student political engagement following the RON debacle.

Case 2

• The sole candidate for the editor position in TCD's "The University Times" was defeated by an organized RON campaign.
• Despite the defeat, previous sole candidate decided to run again in the by-elections. A less experienced opposition with new ideas entered the race and won.
• The inclusion of a candidate with a fresh perspective indicates a broadening of the candidate pool, and the willingness of the students' to embrace new ideas.

The consequences of the 'abstain' votes, whether positive or negative, remain to be seen. But it's clear that UCD and TCD did not arrive at their positive outcomes without necessary reforms and initiatives. The re-running candidates in UCD needed to convince the student body again, and the TCD electorate opted for a new face instead of settling with someone known but wasn't delivering.
Lastly, there is a growing crowd of people who are questioning where the better representatives are or if they even exist. Instead of asking these, we should focus on the right questions that address the root of the issue. Why are the better leaders not running? What situations within the university are making it hard for them to enter the race? How can the administration and political parties make it easier for them?
It's not wrong to focus on the immediate concerns the university is facing right now, but we should also not let our urgency be the reason why we overlook larger and more systemic issues that have been growing the more we ignore them.
TLDR: Abstain votes are a protest, seen in similar cases in other universities, which led to positive changes. Focus on why good leaders aren't running and how to support them.

In Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, Queens-bound R runs via the Q from DeKalb Av to Canal St from Jun 1 - 2, Sat and Sun, 5:45 AM to 11:45 PM
In Brooklyn, use nearby Borough Hall (2, 4) for Jay St-MetroTech and Court St.
In Manhattan, use nearby 4 or J stations for Whitehall St-South Ferry, Rector St, Cortlandt St and City Hall.

• Transfer between R and 2, 4 trains at Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr or 14 St-Union Sq.
  
• Transfer between R and J trains at Canal St.
  

Travel tip:

• For service from Court St and Jay St-MetroTech, take a Bay Ridge-bound R to DeKalb Av and transfer to a Manhattan-bound R.

Note: At Canal St, uptown ‌R trains stop at the Q platform during this time.
What's happening?
Structural maintenance

DUBAI
Preview: Start Watching the Premiere of The Real Housewives of Dubai Season 2! (Bravo)
Where Did The Real Housewives of Dubai Cast Go to College? (Bravo)
How 'The Real Housewives of Dubai's Chanel Ayan Channeled Britney Spears and Ariana Madix in Season 2 (ET)
Sadly, Nina Ali Isn't Returning For 'The Real Housewives of Dubai' Season 2 (Collider)
BEVERLY HILLS
Kyle Richards slams Lisa Vanderpump’s ‘really mean’ comments about Mauricio Umansky split (Page Six)
Take a Look Back at Yolanda Hadid's Massive Engagement Ring from David Foster (PICS) (Bravo)
NEW JERSEY
Teresa Giudice's daughter Milania, 18, looks just like the Real Housewives of New Jersey matriarch after major makeover for school prom (Daily Mail)
ORANGE COUNTY
Heather Dubrow Shares a "Throwback For The Ages": "Do We Look Alike?" (PHOTOS) (Bravo)
ATLANTA
Kim Zolciak Calls Cops on Kroy Biermann; Accuses Him of Stealing Her Phone (All About TRH)
BRAVO
Column: The very L.A. lessons at the heart of reality TV smash ‘Vanderpump Rules’ (LA Times)
How Vanderpump Rules Can Move Past Season 11’s Divisive Reunion (Bustle)
PUMP THE BRAKES Vanderpump Rules fans praise Jersey Shore for ‘setting boundaries’ with exes after Bravo ‘trapped’ Ariana with Sandoval (US Sun)
Why Andy Cohen "Sees Both Sides" of Lala Kent and Ariana Madix's Feud (Bravo)
Scheana Reveals Unseen Vanderpump Rules Reunion Moment with Ariana: "More Layers" (Bravo)
Scheana Shay Addresses ‘VPR’ Backlash, Claims She Heard Show Would Be Canceled Due to Lack of Drama (Us)
Scheana Shay Shares a Look Inside Her Stunning Kitchen — with Some Very Special Visitors (Bravo)
How Ann Maddox Felt Seeing Former Boss Tom Sandoval at VPR Reunion (Reality Tea)
Vanderpump Rules Producer Says Cast Unlikely to Join The Valley, Addresses If Show is Over, Ariana Madix’s Future & Pause, Plus Teases “Bananas” RHOBH Season 14 (Reality Blurb)
Pump Rules Alum Faith Stowers Accuses Lala Kent of Cultural Appropriation (Reality Tea)

Amahahn was seated at an oval table, a velvety dark green cape with golden hems and patterns draped over his shoulders. Three bowls of Shamal stew were placed on the table, vegetables and fine cut pieces of meat floating in the simmering Kahnjari milk.
“Three bowls. Are we expecting company besides our own, Amahahn?” Emma raised a brow as she plucked the visor cap off her head. Amahahn’s response was a chuckle, low and dry.
“Oh, you must be terribly informed. I’m married to a daughter of one of the noble houses on Kouvajilo”
Emma clenched her jaw and fists, slipping into one of the chairs. She placed her cap on the table, glancing over her shoulder as a door opened.
A young woman with olive skin in a white dress stood in the door, hands clutched at her front. A golden belt sat tight around her slender waist, her sleeves large and loose on her arms.
“Laudjehne, love. Come dine with me and our guest” The Prince Regent motioned to the empty seat at his side.
The girl dipped her head, the white dress floating behind her as she moved. She glided to Amahahn's side, fingers tracing his shoulder as she seated herself.
"It's an honor for me to share the same table as you, Empress. I've read your grandfather's books quite actively"
Emma blinked at the sleek face talking to her.
"Oh, yes. My grandfather's books..." Emma mumbled, picking up the wooden paddle-shaped spoon. She lifted her eyes to met Laudjehne's gaze.
"I've just read 'On the Building of the State' and 'The Laws of Steel and Soil' Laudjehne said, stirring her Shamal. Amahahn scoffed with the ghost of a smirk spread across his lips. Laudjehne's rich blue eyes fell upon her husband, her thin throat bobbing.
Amahahn drew a finger along one of his pale cheeks, his vicious smile persisting. The Prince Regent cast his dark eyes on a steward concealed in the shadows of a corner, the man striding forwards with a clay bottle of sweet wine.
Emma nodded her thanks to the steward, plucking her cup from the table and stirred the orange liquid.
"There's something too that interests me about your grandfather, Your Majesty" Laudjehne said, swallowing a spoonful of the beige stew.
Emma hummed her approval of the inquiry as she drank, the sweet finish of the wine dancing over the taste buds on her tunge.
"It puzzles me greatly how your grandfather persistently denies Goudanja and Kouvajilo's request to be annexed into Simonistan. Why would an empire ever turn another state's request for be anexed into it?"
Emma lowered her spoon, swallowing down her rambling thoughts as well as a spoonful Shamal.
"The Constitution of Simonistan does not permit acts of imperialism. Even if the other party willing approves of annexation into Simonistan, we cannot legally carry out such a request within the boundaries of our legal code"
At that, the Prince Regent chuckled. Emma felt heat flare across her cheek, yet she jutted out her chin to disapprovve of Amahahn's taunt. Already, she knew what was to come.
But Amahahn never dared bring up the topic.
"Oh...that's lofty principles to stand by" Laudjehn murmured, batting her blue eyes. Emma sensed her confusion but chose not to clarify. After all, she could not not clarify her grandfather's mindset.
Perhaps, if only she hadn’t taken so much after him; safe for his openly revolutionary rethoric and lingering autocratic aura, she would have annexed the union of Goudanja and Kouvajilo in a heartbeat.
That very popular man who it pained Emma to know, still considered himself an unrighteous dictator, yet cheered her on as empress.
Her grandfatheer the abdicated emperor, who she honored by making him Speaker of Parliament just so he might keep an eye on and help her during Parliament sessions.
“You wish for your home world to be annexed by Simonistan, Laudjehne?” Emma asked, swallowing down a spoonful Shamal

hi! so i would really like to know if i have a shot at the unis im planning to apply to in the fall!
stats:
GPA: 3.96 UW/ 4.34 W
SAT: 1390 (1420 superscored) (planning to retake)
course rigor: will have 9 APs and 6 honors classes by end of snr yr
extracurriculars: - founder of club that sends cards to local communities

• 4 year DECA member (advanced to state 1x)
  
• club and school tennis player (captain next yr and mvp, club tennis for 10+ yrs)
  
• 2 year key club member
  
• mentor for program serving children with disabilities
  
• ski instructor (also expert level skier)
  
• self-run tennis coaching business in the summer
  
• link crew (mentor to incoming freshman at my school)
  
• 200+ volunteer hrs
  

background: - upper middle class - mutliracial
colleges:
targets: - occidental college - syracuse university - lehigh university - connecticut college - u of washington
reaches: - bowdoin college - northeastern uni - ucla - wake forest

27M
It's currently 3am, and I'm up because I am in a tough life situation and I don't know what to do. Turning to Reddit for answers.
I recently moved into my brother's from my mom's house back in February. I'm 27 and he's 33. We live in a shitty factory-turned-apartment building that is all concrete with only one window that is in the living room (my brother took it upon himself to move his room to there so I barely go out there because I feel like I am intruding on his space now, even though it's the LIVING ROOM). Anyways.... I am enrolled in classes at a local community college, and am working a part time job at a chain restaurant that I hate. I can't afford my bills this month. My mom said she will gladly take me back at her house, but I am afraid of screwing over my brother in terms of bills. He has a union job, though, and just completed his apprenticeship, so I am sure he would be able to make all the bills, but I would still feel bad. I'm just not sure what to do. I want to stay and help my brother since he asked me to move in with him in the first place, but I am miserable.
What's my best course of action? I can't seem to make the decision, even though I know what's best for me.

I (mid 20s) have been working at my company since graduating college, starting under a manager (huge micromanager, took credit for a lot of my work, didn’t allow me to attend meetings and consistently re-assigned my projects to herself) who was quite incompetent and immature. I took on a lot of responsibility and frequently had to cover for my manager and mentor junior teammates, despite not having a management role myself. My duties drastically changed every few months.
A more senior manager reached out unexpectedly and offered to move me to a different team in our department, which I was thrilled about. However, the transition process became very drawn out and political. My old manager seemed to resent my departure and made the offboarding process difficult. The ENTIRE department was restructured during/for my transition, which took months. While I waited, my old boss refused to offboard me in any real way and just iced me out of the day to day so I sat around doing nothing for 3 weeks. I felt caught in the middle of conflicts between management.
I feel very uncomfortable now in my role because every manager in my department had a hand in transitioning my role and evaluating my performance, and they were meeting multiple times a week discussing everything. I just don’t think it’s totally fair that managers I wouldn’t report to got to evaluate my career trajectory in any real way. None of my other coworkers have ever been “board reviewed” like this (and with no HR!)
I feel like I’m being experimented on with all our “new processes” and I’m drowning.
Throughout this process, I’ve gotten conflicting messages and just feel like my personality (and not work) has been put under a microscope. Before I transferred, my old manager told teammates not to speak to me anymore and said it would have been easier if I just left the company. Both things I was later told “was a joke.”
I didn’t ask to be moved, I appreciated the offer but I never asked for any of this. My new manager and my bosses boss who started this whole thing have been so distant, have barely checked in and it makes me wonder why we even did this in the first place? Im getting work THROWN at me, it’s never ending and I didn’t even get a chance to adjust to my new role and haven’t felt supported after a LONG, MESSY transition. Things have been so heavy and weird and chaotic in my department now. I’ve always been pretty well liked I think and now I feel like I’m being avoided.
It makes me so anxious, disappointed and I can’t stop overthinking everything. I want to put my best foot forward in this role but now I’m just scared that I’m going to screw it up after SO much effort was put into it. We work remote so relationships already feel so isolated and I feel so alone and like I don’t belong now.
I’ve mentioned to my new boss a couple times that I’m trying to get my confidence back (I’m not missing any work but I’m not my usual self!) but it’s just been so surface level in response. I really care about my work and I’m super passionate about my field, but I feel like that’s not well received anymore and it would be better if I just shrunk to the smallest size possible and stay out of everyone’s way.
Is this type of messy transition normal in the corporate world? How can I move forward positively in my new role? I would appreciate any advice or outside perspectives!

I have a list of reaches and targets already but I am having trouble finding safety schools I want to apply to. I'm interested in mechanical engineering. Not %100 sure about mechanical, but sure about engineering. My list of criteria is pretty small: not in the middle of nowhere, decently large, and good academics. I'll need to visit them to get a real vibe of the college, but i don't know which ones to even check out. I live in Colorado so I am already applying to DU, CU Boulder and Colorado school of mines on the day that I can apply for free. My stats: 3.67 U/W (I had two semesters that are 3.1 gpa in freshman and sophomore year, but every semester after that has been 3.8+) 1540 SAT
If you have any ideas of schools I should check out, please lmk! Thx

I'll be leaving uni for home in a few days time, but I just got off the phone after talking with my parents and siblings and had felt triggered about the past 2 years and how I almost commited suicide because of all the stress and pressure of putting up with what had transpired. For context, I'm 24 (F) in my last year of uni, and I have two brothers 30(M) and (5M) who live with my parents (Both in their late 50's), who live in the country side. I had been diagnosed with heart disease when I was in highschool and since then things have been tough for me, with losing all my weight and having to go through three different schools just to complete high school because of my health, but since then I have got the hang of taking care of myself and my symptoms, I have gained weight, made it to uni (which was a suprise not only to myself but my teachers as well) and am almost done with uni, and I could not be prouder. However, this past week has been a roller coaster, with thoughts of committing suicide lurking in every corner, I didn't know why at first but after talking to my parents on the phone bits of memories came flooding back to me about how I thought I reached my point of living and that my heart was gonna give out any moment or that it would be better if I'd just off myself with that sharp knife in the corner by slitting my wrists open. You see, my mum had this really bad lung infection the Christmas of 2022 while I was home for the holidays, and I took on most of the responsibility of taking care of her from 5am in the morning to the next morning where I'd sleep at 3am after ensuring she was okay, then wake up to do it all again. Don't get me wrong, I loved taking care of my mum, it made me happy that I could be there when she was at her weakest to lend her the strength and care she deserved after taking care of me all these years. It all happened one afternoon when my brother has come home afted being gone all day and did not even receive an earful from my parents (or mainly my dad) like I did for being out for just 2 hours to unwind from taking care of my mum and nursing her back to health all while not having any contact with friends or the outside world then our yard for almost 2 months, I was called selfish by my dad and told that my actions were stupid that if my mum would die I'd look stupid crying for her just like my mum's sister who chose to go out and meet friends the day her father died, that I was supposed to be at home with mum taking care of her. My dad is a stay at home dad, my older brother dropped out of college and my mum is the sole bread winner of the family. While my mum was sick, my dad would get groceries, attend to church meetings, ensure the yard was kept clean lend a hand when it was needed with caring for mum while my brother ate, slept on time, had time to meet friends, throw his plates in the sink without washing them and not lending a hand with helping mum. Meanwhile I spent my days bathing her, dressing her, feeding her, massaging her body, changing her hot water in her mugs to ensure she stayed hydrated because that's all she could drink without coughing , cleaning her sleeping area and sanitizing it everytime she had to go to bed after a warm bath as well as watching over her as she slept to ensure her pillows were placed in a way that didn't obstruct her airflow all while also ensuring that everyone's laundry was done and put away, food was cooked and served, plates were washed and put away, my little brother was cared for also while doing part of my dad's work around the house to ensure he got enoughg sleep at night, since we lived by the country side there were a lot of chores to do around the house as most of the things were done manually or by hand. I did this until she got back on her feet and was able to do little things around the house without my help. After a week or two when my mum had improved told my parents that I'll be gone the next day after lunch to see my friend and that normally before mum got sick Friday was a free day for me that I get an off day of doing house work. So the day came, I dressed up (I felt pretty after not being able to do that in a whole) and left after ensuring that my big brother was home to assist mum whenever she needed and also checked on my mum to see if she was okay and that she didn't need my help before I stepped out of the house at 2pm. The walk to my friend's house felt like heaven, with sun in my face, the breeze on my face and the skip in my step. I spent the afternoon talking, laughing and having a good time with my friend before going home at 5pm, happy and satisfied that the day had brought me so much joy and relieved my stress. I got and came in with a big Hello, to everyone in the house, my dad didn't say anything, he just sat there looking so mad. And that's when he proceeded to call me selfish and compare me to my mother's sister all while my mother and brother sat there saying nothing, I atleast thought they would've spoken up to say that I needed the break, but they didn't. I cried as ai stood there listening to my dad utter out harsh words until I couldn't listen to him anymore. I proceeded muster up a less shaky voice and said the following "I apologies for going out to see my friend and I apologies mum and dad it won't happen again, but the thing is I needed this, after taking care of mum and the house I just needed a break. My brother gets to go out, meet friend and talk to them and even stay out till late but he never gets scolded but when I do it's different. I do everything in this house, I take care of mum, wash all of your clothes, cook the food, feed you all and even wash up after everything and you big brother can't even wash your own plate or lend a hand. Oh and dad I spend the time I get after mum finally rests during the day to do some of your chores to cut down the amount of time you spend doing them in order for you to get a good night's rest and I go to sleep early in the morning just to wake up after 2 hours and do it all again. So I'm sorry that I had to go out, but I really needed it." After saying all that, I went up to my room and cried the whole night. The next morning I came downstairs at 10am to find my dad washing up and my mum on her phone, it was a quiet day, I thought my brother was in his room, then the we got heard that he had actually left in the morning to go visit my aunt who is a 30 minute drive from our house, where he spent the day hanging out with friends and cousins before coming back home at 6pm with my grandma who came to spend a week with us. My dad upon hearing the news that my brother was had left in the morning just shook his head and said that my brother should have stayed and lend a hand around the house, but after my brother got back I was hoping he'd get the same scolding my dad gave me, well that never happened. I went to my mum and asked her why wasn't daddy scolding my big brother and she did not say anything so I spoke up and said aloud, "wow, so I get a scolding for staying out for just 3 hours but he gets to stay out for an entire day without helping out around here and he gets welcomed home?" I then went to my room because I didn't want them to see the tears that started to fall, then it hit me when I was in my room crying, everything that happened over the years on how differently I was treated, my accomplishments my birthday's and even my sickness. It hit me how differently I was treated, my brother had big graduation foods prepared and his graduations were celebrated from primary all the way to high school and little courses while I just had a well done from my parents even after taking in prices since I was in elementary, thought they'd take me out to eat a celebratory lunch after my high school graduation because it was the hardest part of my life to pass but all I got was a disgusted look and a 'thats what your wearing?' after at my graduation after I took my gown off to take pictures. I can't remember the time I blew out candles for my birthday or when a party was thrown for me, but my brother somehow has a cake for most of his birthdays and he had a really big party once with four big cakes, a whole roasted pig, lots of food and even had all his friends invited. When i reaches the age of 14, the same age he was when my parents threw him a party, I thought I'd have the same too, but I didn't, and still had not one party until I turned 24. The day I turned 23, was a month after my mum got better, I spent the whole day cooking for everyone, was wished happy birthday after realising it was my birthday, I then told them I'd come down to eat later after I take a nap and that they should serve the food and leave mine on the dining table. I came down to find they ate most of the food, and I was only placed only a bit of food in my plate. I got mad and hit my plate on the table with just a little food spilling over, my dad saw this and screamed at me and told me that my future husband would beat me up and that my life will be miserable and bad because of what I did. Well you guessed it, I went back to my room crying, and that blade in my bag looked so tempting against my wrists. I also remember when my brother dropped out of college that I was blamed by my parents, with my dad telling me on my way back from the grocery store that I'm the reason my brother ended up like how he is because they show me too much favour growing up. And when my big brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after dropping out of college after misuse of alcohol and drugs my mum religiously took to the internet to search for diets, information and everything to do with it until he became better and she continued doing so for every little sickness like flu, meanwhile my heart disease was never on her search list. She even signed up for YouTube videos and lessons on everything to do with my brother health, and mind you my heart disease was diagnosed 6 years before he got bipolar. I left for school after the holidays, still exhausted and stressed from the entire experience. My body had reached its lowest point, I could feel my heart was tired, I was ready to die in my bed in my dorm, I had made peace that if my heart passed out before while rest I'd be okay with it. That's third year of uni was hell for me, my body never really recovered, I kept getting sick, had malaria countless times as well as typhoid three times in a row the same year. The stress combined with with the state of my immunity caused me to be sent to various medical officers and clinics to get my blood samples and x-rays to find what was wrong with me, why after being treated and cured my body felt sick. They thought I had tuberculosis, others thought I had STI's but all tests came back negative, and mind you all these tests cost money and my parents weren't happy with what they were spending for me to get this tests. It came to a point when I called my mum to tell her that I feel really sick and I'm stressed with my assignments, only for her to say "you're always sick, everytime we call you're sick. Don't you know we're tired of this, stop trying to get sick!". I'm tired of getting sick too mum, I thought to myself as I got off the call and stared at the pile of medicine Infront of me prescribed by the doctor as well as my heart meds, and they were too much, my mum's words over the phone kept playing in my head I I got my the blade on my study table and pressed it into my left wrist lightly drew it over to cut the skin, the pain felt soothinf, calming even, then I wondered how it would feel if I placed the knife on my study table and fell on it to pierce my heart, would the pain feel good? Would the thoughts stop? Would mum stop complaining? Would they mis me? What would happen to my body? Then I thought better of it and wrote in my dairy ro stop myself from doing ealxactly that then I was distracted by my medicine Infront of me with thoughts of "they would never know if you take all these and overdose, it'll be a painless death." The remainder of third year continued like these, with sickness and suicide thoughts until I went for job internship at a company I've always wanted to work in and life was good because i didnt for home for the holidays and I spent the holidays at school in my little dorm room with friends who looked out for me. Then 2024 rolled around and I'm properly rested, no stress and I'm happy. That's is until a month ago when my parents bought me my ticket to go back home to see them for the holidays that I spiralled, I had completely locked those memories away, but after every phone call this past month I'm left a crying mess with flashes of words said and feelings felt during that time and I go back to thinking of suicide. I nearly commited suicide on the 16th of may, i was truly gonna go throught with it, I wanted to so bad if only I did not see the bible verses in front of me amd if my roommates hadn't come back early. But I know, if I do go home now, I might actually commit suicide, if something like what happened in the past happens again, or if they say another harsh word, I wouldn't think twice of dying, because I'm done, I truly am.

Demographics: South Asian male junior from California, not first gen, middle class, decently competitive public school with ~2000 students Intended Majors: Economics or Political Science SAT: 1590 GPA: 3.9 UW, 4.7 W (Bs and Cs in math classes only) no class rank Coursework: 3 AP classes and 5 exams (self studied but passed all), intending 2 AP classes senior year, 9 DE classes, intending 2 fall of senior year, intending stack of 5 science courses senior year Awards: None Extracurriculars:

1. Started own dragon boat team that recruited over 100 members and went on to race competitively at local, state, and international level--team captain.
2. Student body president, organized massive cleanups and anti-littering campaign at school, fundraised thousands of dollars, hosted usual events and started student news program at school that sought amplify student voices and opinions about state of the school.
3. Editor in chief of school newspaper for two years, wrote mix of dozens of news and opinion stories. Did online NYU journalism program.
4. Represented school on city-wide youth commission and served as secretary on school budgeting committee helping manage ~700 million dollars for education.
5. Kaiser Permanente Launch Internship for 1 summer as a data analyst, applying probability and statistics to practical insurance problems, such as calculating the cost of premiums and policy values, preparing statistical studies, and forecasting financial results.
6. Clinical research internship at neuroscience startup ran by UC Berkeley students, created a comprehensive research study effective ways to treat Parkinson's disease.
7. Build Internship working as a data analyst
8. 200 volunteering hours at local Vietnamese school helping teach young children how to read, write, and speak the language as well as immersing them into Vietnamese culture.
9. Traveled to the South during a college class on civil rights to meet with surviving activists and their descendants to learn about the history of cities like Birmingham, Little Rock, and Memphis, as well as non-violence protest tactics.
   
10. Brawl Stars club (self explanatory)
    

*most ECs done during junior year.
Essays: Estimating them to be very strong as I'm considered one of the best writers at school, most likely detailing how my grandmother's diagnosis with dementia led me to develop an interest in studying healthcare and data science in hopes of bettering illness prevention methods, with another talking about the lessons learned from my leadership roles declaring my intention to continue pursuing student gov, journalism, sports to contribute to the college I attend, and the last one describing my passion for politics sparked by aforementioned trip and how since then, I've fought for causes that I've believed in through protesting/campaigning on social issues.
LORs: 10/10 from an English teacher I had in 10th grade that I've maintained a close relationship with throughout high school, 9/10 from dragon boat coach, 8/10 from US history teacher.
Schools:

1. Yale
2. Stanford
3. Columbia
4. Duke
5. Boston University
6. USC
7. Pomona
8. Georgetown
9. Notre Dame
10. UC Berkeley
11. West Point
12. USNA

​

Today I was thinking about what I would do as president and this is what I come up with. Would you guys vote for me?
"Progress for All: Health, Home, and Happiness"

Key Campaign Promises:

Affordable Health Care:

1. Universal Health Coverage: Implement a single-payer system ensuring that every American has access to quality health care without financial hardship.
2. Affordable Prescription Drugs: Negotiate drug prices to reduce costs and make essential medications affordable for all.

Affordable Housing & Rent Control:

1. Rent Control Legislation: Enforce rent control policies to prevent skyrocketing rents and ensure affordable housing for everyone.
2. Affordable Housing Development: Increase funding for the construction of affordable housing units and provide incentives for developers to build low-income housing.

Education:

1. Tuition-Free Public Colleges and Universities: Make public higher education tuition-free to ensure every student has access to quality education without the burden of debt.
2. Student Loan Forgiveness: Implement a comprehensive student loan forgiveness program to relieve existing debt for millions of Americans.
3. Teacher Compensation: Elevate the status of teachers by making them federal employees with a starting wage of $80,000 a year, recognizing their vital role in shaping our future.

Paid Family Leave:

1. Six Months of Paid Parental Leave: Ensure all parents receive six months of paid leave to care for their newborns or newly adopted children.

Healthy Food Campaign:

1. Junk Food Tax: Impose higher taxes on junk food companies to discourage unhealthy eating habits and fund health initiatives.
2. Subsidies for Healthy Foods: Provide subsidies for fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food options to make them more affordable and accessible.

Mental Health Care:

1. Comprehensive Mental Health Coverage: Expand mental health care services under the universal health care plan to include therapy, counseling, and psychiatric services.
2. Increased Funding for Mental Health Programs: Invest in mental health research, awareness programs, and community-based mental health services.

Gun Safety:

1. Better Background Checks: Implement comprehensive background checks for all gun purchases to ensure firearms do not fall into the wrong hands.
2. Mandatory Gun Licensing: Require all gun buyers to obtain a license by completing a 12-hour class on gun laws and rights to promote responsible gun ownership.

Additional Progressive Initiatives:

1. Green New Deal: Implement policies to combat climate change, create green jobs, and transition to renewable energy sources.
2. Criminal Justice Reform: End mass incarceration, reform the prison system, and implement restorative justice practices.
3. Workers' Rights: Raise the minimum wage to a living wage, ensure workplace safety, and support labor unions.
4. Gender Equality: Enforce equal pay for equal work, protect reproductive rights, and combat gender-based violence.

Campaign Vision:

Our campaign is dedicated to building a society where every individual has access to basic human rights: affordable health care, housing, education, and a healthy lifestyle. We believe in a future where families are supported, mental health is prioritized, and every citizen has the opportunity to thrive. By ensuring comprehensive background checks and mandatory licensing for gun owners, we aim to create a safer environment for all. Elevating the status and compensation of teachers as federal employees will ensure a brighter future for our children. Together, we can create a nation that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. Join us in our mission for progress for all!

we have been slowly working our way to becoming closer. tonight we were texting and she decides to call me to explain a curious situation to me.
via sms: on monday she plans on meeting one of her "baby father's" ex's. i asked why in the world would you want to do that and boom the phone rings and she starts talking about all these dumb ass bs reasons, she wants her kid to meet the other kids etc etc.
her drunken blabbing went on for a while and i started drifting into thinking:
how in the fuck? she seems to be friends with her ex boy friend's exs' and they are all kinda like this weird harem of women. they seem to act like friends but hate each other and want to keep tabs on each other. they all also seem to use their kids as some sort of tool to stay in this harem. i was very very disappointed in this behavior. i totally lost a lot of respect of her for this, but i sat and listened anyways. i felt like i was observing what it must have been like to be a women in a tribe in africa, all competing for the males attention, it was the strangest thing, or even a male dog and a pack of female dogs or something.
while on the phone she kept mentioning she was drunk as fuck and then of course she thought it was wise of her to bring up politics, which is where i should have drawn the line. we have never talked politics btw. i am going to try to be vague here so she/i wont get attacked for our beliefs.
anyways i try say a few vague political things that she couldnt attack and she says ok, change of subject then mentions how i should look into this football players speech and how he said women should be at home in the kitchen raising kids and how this pisses her off to no end.
i said, i have no idea what you are talking about, i dont follow sports or college kid speeches, she then went on to say i better not agree with that idiot or we are done and we will never speak again and rattled on about womens rights etc etc for a few minutes about how bad men are to women and we need to respect them more etc etc and this went on for a while.
i sat on the phone quietly and thought: you are picking a fight with me because i am a man, and i dont even know what you are talking about, i felt like she was starting to disrespect me and wasting my time to be honest but i just listened to her ramblings, i also thought, hey you are a stay at home mom, who pays your bills? you are also part of a group of women who all had kids with one dude. he is a looser, he is in and out of jail constantly and you are attacking me? but i said nothing.
over the past 1.5 years or so she has said many times i am the closest thing to a normal adult man she has had the chance to interact with and this is what she does with her time with me?
how in the world can her and four other women all take turns sharing time and space with one looser dude and then she preach to me about men trying to keep women down???? and then on top of it tell me if i disagree with her, then we are done. wtf? this one hit hard. this was the moment that i decided we are done, but i wanted to quietly exit the building without her noticing.
if this is what is considered ghetto life no wonder its a retarded mess. i suspect this is one of those times that if i was ghetto like she apparently is, i would slap her across the face and force her to have another child with me, but instead i am done talking to her and she may not even wonder why a man who woudlnt abuse her wont stick around.
i have been dealing with some health issues but do not try to bring her into it, but i am on a journey of recovery and getting out and enjoying life again, and thought i might bring her along with all my walks and bike riding adventures etc etc.
i knew she was in a bad place mentally but thought i could be a source of good energy for her and i always let her control the pace of our social engagement and activities and here all she needed was a felon to abuse and mistreat her i guess, while she complains about womens rights to me as if i am the problem.
then she abruptly gets off the phone due to her 10 year old kid who walks all over her, was up at 2am and she needed to get him a snack.
i already know. she is a clown, and i am a clown for even wasting my time and typing this out. she is low class, apparently low iq and full of drama and its time i move on. i feel like i lost some class even interacting with her this long. this wound is fresh, its late and i cant talk to my friends and i am a little embarrassed of the whole thing and needed to vent and will likely say meh to it all tomorrow.

Me and my sm have always gotten along and I’ve always looked at her like she was my mom. Her and my father have been together for the past 9 years so I grew up with her. She has 2 of her own kids who we are going to call Haley and Diane. Haley was adopted by my sm. Diane is her birth kid. I don’t see Haley a lot but Diane I’ve known her since she was 3 so she is my sister and I love her so much but she irritates me from the way I get treated because of her around. You see I live with my grandmother due to the simple fact my mom was lousy and my dad wanted nothing to do with me because of my mom. My dad’s side of the family judges me all the time because of my mom. Now don’t get me wrong I love my mom but she’s not a good mom or frankly a good person. That’s why I think of my sm as a mom! However recently me and sm had a falling out for a while. Around 6 years ago I asked to move in with them since Diane lived there I figured it would also be nice for me to be apart of the family. My dad said no we can’t handle 2 kids. Jumping back to today my grandma sold our house and is moving in with her bf so instead of asking my dad again I asked my bf and his mom instead. The falling out happened with my sm because of my bfs mom. My mom, dad, and my bfs mom, who we will call Amelia, ran into each other at a festival. You see Amelia and my dad went to school together and were in the same friend group but never saw each other after. Amelia and others from the class had a nickname for my dad. So Amelia saw my dad and called out his nickname. My dad had laughed and they had a good trip down memory lane. My sm however was very jealous on the high horse she’s been riding since her “promotion” (she had literally just got promoted to county detective, who cares) wasn’t happy about their interactions at all. She screamed at Amelia and threw a temper tantrum like a 3 year old. (This is true because I’ve seen her do this countless amount of times). Flash forward to December my sm told my aunt that Amelia is trashy! And so forth. Like get over her that was like 2 months ago and she’s doing so much for me. Simply she just can’t be happy. So when I found this out I didn’t talk to her or my dad for he is letting her act like this to me and my bf. The situation is a lot worse then how it sounds and there’s a lot more to it but that’s not for todays story. Don’t worry that’s all relevant to the current problem. 3 weeks ago Haley graduated college and me Diane and my sm were walking toward Haley her husband and daughter. I had asked my sm if I should get her tickets to my graduation. She goes oh… so about that me and Diane can’t make it. I stopped!! For the past year we have been arguing about my graduation because there best friends are getting married and my dad and sm are the only ones in the party. They almost didn’t come. And there wedding is in a different state 8 hours away. I looked at my sm and said “Wait are you serious!?” She goes unfortunately yes. Diane has 6th grade move up day the same day and time. WHAT LIKE 6TH GRADE NOT SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL OR ANYTHING, NOT A BIG DEAL!!! She also continued to say Your dad and I can’t be in both places at once so your dad’s going to your graduation, and I’m going to Diane’s move up day. So now not only is the person I looked at like a mom not coming to my graduation but neither is my little sister. I have tears writing this. Mind you she also sprung this on me at my sisters graduation so I couldn’t have a reaction until I got home later to where I cried to my bf. So now this is where I decided to give her a week or two to think about how stupid that sounds. I had checked in 3 days ago asking if she is still not coming. She had said No I cant remember Diane’s move up day. Your dad still is. This is where I start to get pissed. So now it’s revenge. I emailed my school and got 4 extra tickets. On top of the original 6 your get. I am bringing the person she hates the most. Amelia. Not just her but my bfs aunt and little cousin who I have become really close with. Just so I can piss her off and make her jealous that they went and she didn’t especially because my dad will be there! So am I the asshole for having my bfs family come see me graduate out of spite of my stepmom?