can i apply to unc thru cstep & normal decision⁉️
hi !!! exactly what the title says.
im an instate student with okay stats (better ECs then kids from my HS who got into UNC, but much worse grades, a little better test scores & abt same essay writing skills).
i know abt the c step program & was wondering if i could apply thru the UNC C STEP application & the normal application? if i didn't get into UNC normally i wouldn't be opposed going thru C STEP, but if i have a chance to get in normally i'd like to apply that way as well. Thank you!!!!

I haven't used Discord since February (I deleted my account) and I have no idea what has happened that may have caused TPOT 11 to be delayed (people just keep saying "Sam got harassed by some people for the way he writes") and I want to know what do people mean by "harassed" him.

Alright, "✨forever✨ person" came off a bit more possessive than I thought but I'm rolling with it. Or rather, ✨we're✨ rolling with it since you've read this far.
 
Anywho, I've been on the dating apps for longer than I'd like to admit and have yet to find that special someone. I figure that it doesn't hurt to explore other avenues (posting on Reddit) to see who is out there and take a different approach (posting on my NSFW account and starting with kink compatibility(usually the last thing I talk about with people when I date)). Before that, I just want to note that I am looking for something in person only. Please be near the Boston, Massachusetts area if you reach out! Online dating and long distance relationships just don't work well for me, sorry!
 
Let's talk ✨kink✨! Alright, that was the last sparkle emoji, I swear. Kink is important to me but it isn't everything to me. I fall into the "mostly in the bedroom only" category and especially like to keep the D/s aspect there as well, unless it's being used playfully. Outside of kink, I view my partner as my equal and expect the same in return. I am a switch and I lean more submissive than not. So, naturally, I am looking for a switch who leans more dominant than not to complement that. Connection is far more important to me than ensuring that our laundry lists of kinks has sufficient overlap, but I'm happy to chat further about that in private if it's important to you!
 
Relationship-wise, I am ultimately looking to live the DINKWAD (Double Income No Kids With A Dog(or ten)) lifestyle. I don't want children of my own, but I plan on being the cool uncle to my friend's children. I am content/happy with my life as it is and am looking for someone who is in a similar spot. I value independence, trust, mutual respect, and, most importantly, silliness/goofiness/playfulness. I don't do well with excessive clinginess, though a small amount can be endearing.
 
Personality-wise I am not very serious at all. I am very playful and I love to laugh and make others laugh. I'm super affectionate when I get comfortable enough and I call everyone dude. Did the dude part belong in that sentence? No. Will I call you dude in weirder contexts? Yes. I'm a healthy balance between a homebody and someone who likes to do too much and regrets having no time left to be a homebody. I'm nerdy and like to describe myself as "a nerd who lifts". In levels of nerdiness, I'm a Star Wars nerd not a Star Trek nerd. Not that I like Star Wars, I think it's bad. Don't even @ me. My main hobbies are weight lifting, hiking, video games, D&D, anime/manga, travelling, road trips, day trips, cooking, baking, and spending time with my friends. I have a good career in tech and am fairly career driven at the moment (until my next promotion). Physically, I am 5'8" and weigh entirely too much right now. The diet is in progress to de-fat myself but, sadly, that takes time. I have loads of very NSFW videos on my profile if you want to see what I look like. Look at your own discretion.
 
I am not sure what else to write. If you are interested and would like to chat then I'd love to hear a bit about you! However, just to be transparent, it's unlikely that I'll send a face picture to you given what is on my profile. There are so many scammers and blackmailers out there that it's unhealthy to not have that sense of paranoia... That's not to say that I haven't sent them before, but if that is your minimum expectation then you're not going to have a good time. That being said, I don't expect a face picture from you either. I'm more than happy to go on a blind date and just have fun.

Ok so, I (14F) have known this boy (14M) who I will call “A” since I was in third grade, and we are obviously in the same middle school. We are both incredibly intelligent and good at writing, however people always put him above me. I feel like he isn’t more successful than me academically though. Infact I am more successful than him, i’m in the gifted program and in student council neither of which he is in.
Anyways, I have always resented him because he gets more praise for the same writing and work that I do. I think we’re both funny, I always make him laugh and he makes me laugh. However, I can’t help but to resent him even though I think we both have the same qualities; hes attractive and i’m very sure I am aswell, hes smart and I know I am aswell and we’re both popular and funny; adults are always saying so.
Its just like hes so perfect and I would give anything to recieve the same kind of praise he does. I mean even I adore him but like not in a romantic way, its just like hes always been someone who likes classical literature even though nobody else in our grade is intrigued by it and its just heinous knowing I probably won’t be able to speak to him in highschool because he’s one of my favorite people. I’m not really sure if how I feel about him is romantic, like sometimes I just want to hug him if that makes sense lmao. Oh I included our writing from sixth grade when we did a group project together copy pasted ↓
Mine: As soon as the recollection of the three bodies came cascading upon Bass in a choking flood of stinging details, Bass began to perspire and tremble. Something that was a recurrence in this impeccable novel is the mention of the Comanches- a belligerent indigenous group of people to America. The name was sure to bring fear to even the brawniest of men, Comanche had tolled in them like a portentous gong. There was a sinister and unlikely coincidence between the violent happening around the Native American territory that made the Comanche one of the most hideous of omens. In reality though the Comanches were a brutal community, bring treated with a biblical veneration. However I would like to take a mature and systematic evaluation of why they may do these things. For one, us Americans drove them out if the land they had lived in for centuries, brutally burning down their communities and making them walk grueling trails and rough rocks to arrive at a territory riddled with mediocrity. Overall I believed that the Comanches were a symbol or vim and freedom throughout this novel.
His: There are several prominent names that have established themselves as important threads upon the rich tapestry of Western History; Several Outlaws and desperados are recalled for the formidable forced they possessed upon their communities. Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday- all of these names have been of flourishing recognition, yet there are only mere vestiges of traces upon a true legend; a figure of immaculate morals (a trait that was a rare rose within a grotesque haven of weeds.) This very man that I speak of was born into slavery and- at the age of seventeen- relinquished the clutches of his owner prerequisite to venturing into the sibylline, crime-riddled depths of the Indian Territory where he would elude the treacherous dangers amidst his path to grow older to be a man of law; a valiant marshal in which turned a horrendous domain (the indian territory) into a place of order. This man went by the name of Bass Reeves.

I just finished a hard fight in sector eleven, boss fight. The fight before the real two stage boss fight. That fight was quite exciting and i used a pump to revive for just a couple more damage points. Then after the fight Alex comments about how intense the fight was. Eve reacts to him in a very militaristic way. Something in the line of: let’s s get going to do the rest of the mission. I don’t t like this reaction, it’s too matter of fact. Not acknowledging the players effort also. Is this a way of her being cool and show no emotion? I played Nier Automata and emotions are part of 2B’s storyline. Eve is just a little too stoic for me i guess. I like the game and enjoy Eve, but I wish she was a little more relatable in this way.

I (26F) have been struggling lately with my emotions and overthinking, and I could really use some advice.
Here's some background: When I was in high school, I met a boy online who was just a couple of years older than me. We dated for a while, broke up, and then got back together after I helped him through a rough patch. I even moved to the state he went to school in to be with him. I was young and naive at 18, and he was 20. Not long after moving, I found out he was cheating on me. Despite this, I took him back because I believed in our relationship.
We dated for two years until he decided to study abroad. I wasn't comfortable with this, especially after the cheating incident, but I didn't want to hold him back. Unfortunately, I caught him lying again, which led to a big fight where I said some hurtful things. When he came back after the semester, we had an awkward 7-hour hangout, and that was the last time we were really in contact.
Less than a year later, he was dating someone new, and I focused on my healing. I moved back to home to deal with some serious health issues and other serious personal stuff. I hoped he would want to work things out, but I never heard from him.
Years passed, and I moved on, even dated someone else briefly. Then, out of the blue, I heard from an old friend that my ex had been asking about reaching out to her randomly. I confronted him, but nothing came of it.
To add on... 2 more years later ... our mutual friend told me she reached out to him to just say hello because she really did like him and was happy to be friends with him. they bonded well so i wasnt upset that she missed having convos with him.
her feedback.... he never mentioned that hes still with the same girl, that they moved across country together.... and have been dating for (should be 4 years at that point). and from what she told me , it was almost like he was curious about me and said something similar to "if the universie thinks its meant to be , maybe we can be kosher" and "i thought about reaching out to her if im ever in town"...... theres no way he'd just randomly be "in town".
Recently, I saw a photo of him proposing to her. While I'm happy for him, it hurts deeply because I always imagined we'd be endgame. Seeing him move on so quickly after me has left me feeling inadequate and anxious.
In a perfect world, that night he came to drop my shirt off, I would have told him, "I love you, I'm sorry, and can we start over?" But because he was so unpredictable, I didn't want to look foolish and give him the satisfaction of knowing he could keep hurting me and I'd still stay.
I've built a career, handled my medical issues, and gotten into my dream grad program after graduating w/ my undergrad. Yet, I can't shake this gut-wrenching feeling. Did I not mean as much to him? Why was I so easily replaced? Maybe I'm delusional, but I always thought we'd get married and grow old together. Perhaps he never really felt the same and just felt stuck with me.
No one prepares you for the pain of watching your first love build a life without you. How do I move forward from this and stop feeling like I wasn't enough? How can I manage my emotions and overthinking in a healthy way? If anyone has advice on how to handle these emotions and stop overthinking, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for reading. This felt really good to write out and validate my own feelings...
TL;DR: Struggling with emotions and overthinking after my first love moved on and got engaged. Need advice on coping and moving forward
(ps: i saw someone post about their wife being in love with their ex..... disclaimer im not her lol and i am def not married😂😂)

Review of season 2 : So, Season 1 had a lot of issues with me like overused trope, bad acting and bad writing at some occasions. But season 1 had also it's strenght that works with me. Season 2 for me, fixed a lot of issues that I had with the show on season 1 and turn into a really good show. First of all, Allison and Scott romance was really beautiful and I like how they make them "Romeo and Juliette" of the show with the Argent family. Speaking of the Argent family, I love how they mainly focus on their story especially with the return of Allison's grandfather Gerard who was genuinely scary to me and was a good villain. The Lydia mystery was also compelling and make me care about Lydia, something.. I didn't in the first season. Jackson has finally something to do with the Kanima storyline. I love how the writers play with Allison moral compass in this season. In the first season of the show, Allison was really this nice, kind person bu when she found out about the supernatural world, you can see that she crave for power . In season 2 ep 2, I noticed how Allison just shot someone with an arrow and just smile without feel any sort of compassion like we seen in season 1. In the episode where Lydia make a party and everyone has hallucinations of their worst fear, Allison's one was to be weak and always cry for help. Allison like to be in control and like to have the power of it. When her mom died, Gerard use this as a triger who open the door to the inner dark side of Allison. This last arc with Allison being just ruthless is just brillant and contrast so well with the now gone innocence of Allison. By the end, the break up scene between Allison and Scott was so beautiful and not make in a dumb way like most teen dramas. Stiles also get to have a lot more outside of the comedy relief and I really seen depth in the character, especially with such quote like "I'm not a hero dad" ... this one hurt because for some reasons, Stiles was mostly running everywhere trying to help everyone and for what ? The hero will never be him no matter what. In the hallucination episode, Stiles has the fear that he's responsable for his mother's dead and this scene hurt too. Where in season 1, Stiles has no real character arc and is mostly here to be the sidekick of Scott and be a loser in love with the popular girl, Stiles has a real arc here and we get to see more struggles from him. The scene where he's talking to the therapist is really good and well-handled with Stiles issues and the events of the season overall. The last episode was good but... what was Gerard actual goal ? So like I said, Gerard was scary and good in the villain role but you're gonna tell me that everything Gerard make this season and I mean EVERYTHING because there were a LOT was only to get a werewolf bite... WHAT? The premise of him being here to revenge his girl (Kate) and engaging an official war between werewolf and the hunters was good, and the events of the season helps the character developpement BUT when you get to final conclusion you realize... was it all that necessary like I mean come on now think about it for second. Where season 1 wrap up the storytelling of season 1 pretty good, season 2 finale is good but doesn't make a bunch of sense as a conclusion to all the stuff that happen in this season.
Season 3 now : So I am in the 8th episode fo this season and it's great. Did I mention how brillant I found the episode "Motel California" everything from the direction of the episode, to the writing and the pacing... everything was top notch television. The Alpha pack's story is compelling alongside with the charaters arcs. I love the fact that Allison and Scott are not coming back from each others, not because I don't like them, actually I love them, but mostly because I founded their decision mature and good, so thank you to the wirters. Also did I also mention how hot Stiles become this season, like this is not normal, because he was good looking in season 2 and 1 but season 3 ? nooo this another level. I widely seen that season 3 by a lot of people is seen as not only one of the best of the show but also of television. And for now, I don't see anything that make me disagree with that statement.

As someone who plays a lot of souls-like games, this game really frustrates me in a bad way. For reference I've been doing a souls marathon so I've come off of playing Elden Ring (just a ng run), Stellar Blade just a ng run), Lies of P (NG+3 For all the endings), Bloodborne (just a ng run), and steelrising (just a ng run).
Some good things though:
Exploration is rewarding, feels a lot like the original dark souls in how everything is connected, graphics are good, combat feels good, umbral lamp is a very cool mechanic.
Things that annoy me to no end:
Unfair level design - the checkpoint system is too far apart, I've lost progress more times than I can count and if they meant for us to use the seeds, then make it a infinite consumable but only one at a time. Enemies are put in places for the sole purpose of griefing you. It's not like other souls games where you know that a monster might be around the corner so you should keep your guard up just in case, no, in this game they appear out of thin air without warning.
Bosses - I mean.. I'm not far in, but when I got to the first real one (Pieta) I had a good time parrying her and managed to win without being killed and going umbral. So I figured bosses will be fair like her and for the most part they were until hushed saint, this boss was so stupid I grinded fron lvl25 to 46 so I could equip the weapon I wanted and even then it took 5 times after that. Can't wait to see what else they got.
I know this is like a trash session on the game, I'm just frustrated and I'm going to take it to the end.
Anyone want to share words of wisdom or motivation? I'm in lower Calrath. Currently running a strad build with bloody glory.
Stats are
Str 21 Ag 8 End 17 Vit 20 Rad 32 Inf 8

I have had body issues due to trauma my whole life. I had always thought I was fat but looking back I was always very slim. People always told me k was pretty and could be a model but I never saw that in myself. Growing up in an abusive family, I was put down a lot and had my insecurities used against me. This developed a lot of self esteem issues creating an unsure image of myself. Before dating my current boyfriend, I was with my ex of 13 years who was verbally and emotionally abusive as well. He would call me fat when I wasn’t and then anorexic when I had actually lost more weight being down to 103lbs in my mid twenties. In 2019 we had broken up and even though he was no good for me and I knew that, I had a very hard time with it. I also lost my dad a few months later which I think sealed the deal for what was to come. Covid rules went in to place around this time making it impossible to go get groceries yet Uber eats and things like that were still running to an extent. I lost myself and would order out a lot. I feel like I lost such a huge part of me that I no longer cared about myself and before knowing it I had gained lots of weight.
In 2021 I tried dating again and had no problem meeting new guys. I’m sure it was my personality that attracted them to me which was great and what I wanted however nothing worked out long term. I knew I wanted to lose weight but it was very hard for me and I didn’t even know where to start. I continued dating and said if I found someone who liked me for me now, then I’d know it’s real and would cherish me when I did lose weight. In 2022 I met a guy like no other. I almost swiped left but something drew me to him. He was awesome and so sweet. He was everything I ever wanted in a man and he seemed to like me for me, all of me. Through dating my self confidence came back, if anything it rose and I would actually feel hot and beautiful, something I never thought about myself before. He never put me down, told me my body was beautiful and made me feel amazing but in the back of my mind I still knew I wanted to lose weight. He supported me but told me I didn’t need to lose weight and that I was perfect the way I was. Throughout our whole relationship he would compliment me, making me feel on top of the world. Him liking me for me was a main thing that made me fall for him. I had never felt more comfortable and safe in my whole life.
I ended up getting pregnant and since giving birth, I had lost all my pregnancy weight and I think even more weight on top of that. The other day I was looking at my id from 2021 compared to now and there was such a huge difference in my face size. As of now, I’m about 176lbs and 5”6 for context. For BMI I am 1 point in the overweight mark but I see that as just 1 point over average which I know I can easily get down to. We were having a discussion yesterday and I asked him a personal question about our future, he snapped on me but later told me he wants me to lose weight. This came as an absolute shock to me. Not because I know I need to and want to but that this was coming from the same guy who always praised my body and made me feel like I was beautiful no matter what. It crushed me hearing this though I know it was true. What really got me is he said something along the lines of throughout our relationship he would look at me and not like the way I looked but overlook it. That really hurt and made me feel like our whole relationship was a lie. If so, why did he always compliment my body? Why did he try to make me feel so good about myself? Just the night before I was in the bathtub bent over where my stomach probably looked gross and he randomly came in and whistled at me. When I brought this up to him, he said it was because he thought I looked good. Everything he told me just contradicted each other. He would say sometimes he found me attractive the way I was and sometimes he didn’t like it. I was like so what, do you just pick and choose? How am I supposed to know? He claimed he was just as confused. He also said a few other contradictory things about our relationship, complaining we don’t do anything (we have a small child and no one to babysit) and saying I’m boring however every event, trip, outing was sought out and planned by me alone. So again I was very confused. He was really mean about it all but continued to say he loves me, love our time together, never met anyone like me, sees a future with me. How am I supposed to take all that? I’m not at all making excuses for him but he has been very stressed lately in not finding a job and I can see it’s been getting to him the last few days so I’m not sure if this helped in causing him to lash out at me in any way.
With him saying he wants me to lose weight, it was also confusing to hear as I have spent the last year begging him to help me out in regards to our home life. I struggle mentally but still do everything cool, clean, take care of our baby (he does help out) but he leaves me with so much mental load that I have to think for him. He’s has a task list of things to do for the last two years that he still hasn’t done and I have to keep track of that for him as well as his appointments. Anyone who’s had a baby especially a single mother would know how hard it is to do it on your own, I feel like with him I have another child I have to take care of. The responsibilities in our life are definitely not equal. He gets up, makes himself a big breakfast, has the time to work out and do the things he likes but me, I do a full day of work and when our baby goes to sleep I am completely exhausted that I mostly crash out within an hour or 2. He leaves me no time for myself to work out even if I wanted to and along with the mental load I am just exhausted. I also want to add that I have been having some health issues since the new year and I actually made a few changes. I cold turkey stopped drinking soda and changed my eating habits. He said he was proud of me and how quickly I could do that to take care of myself. But now he’s acting like I’ve made no changes at all even though I have lost weight both since I’ve met him and since giving birth. Of course I want to lose weight but now it almost feels wrong to do so. I don’t want to do it just because he said he ants me to. I want to do it at my own pace in my own way because I want to. It’s always been a goal of mine. And now I feel if I do lose weight and he starts complimenting me, it’ll just be wrong because I will always remember that he never liked me for me. Also everything now feels like it was a lie so I don’t know how to move forward or if I even should.
I am really just so confused and don’t know where to go from here. Is this a reasonable request or should I move on? Opinions? Suggestions?

well I hope you find them!
but uhh if not, here I am! my name is Amy :D I’m just on here looking for some possibly new homies! all because making friend irl is way to stressful🫡
uhh here’s a little about ya girl
i am a certified shawty standing at a massive 5’1 (yes i know, please don’t be scared of my massive height), uhh I am half Thai and half British! But I legit look Thai but sound so posh, it’s is terrible😭
I go to the beach daily but I cannot swim 👍 the water is just so pretty 😭 uhh I have a moped that may be the coolest vehicle ever! I am also a massive car fan, if you have a cool car😭 I’m in love!

I feel okay. Almost good in a way. I'm finding ways to distract myself and take pleasure in other things rather than that. I've blocked so many pages on Instagram and Chrome. Every time something pops up that would make me indulge, I block it. Same thing with any shows or anything, in that case, I just ignore it. I'm been more consistent with my diet and training, hitting my protein goal which is my biggest concern, calories are either or but I'm more likely in a deficit with the food I've been eating. I've been training so much harder with better form and intensity. I've still been writing down daily motivational anecdotal notes for the past 4 days. Something new I just did this morning was take a cold shower. It felt really rough in the beginning but after 5 minutes, I felt fine. I actually enjoyed it. I felt proud of myself for conquering it. Embracing it. I have a question for those who've been at this for longer, what gives you that same amount of pleasure that "it" used to do when finishing? That's something I find troublesome, there are some things like working out which feel amazing but not very many. What do you all do?

I asked for advice a few times from this sub and I just wanted to come back and share how much we loved our visit!
I'm from the US (Florida) and have been wanting to go to Alton Towers since I was a kid playing Rollercoaster Tycoon. I'm also a huge B&M invert lover and horror lover, so Nemesis was my dream coaster and top of the bucket list.
I've been a traveling theme park enthusiast my whole life and I've been over to the UK a few times in my life but never made the effort to get to Alton Towers until this year - honestly so overdue.
We went mid week in late April, away from holidays. The park was generally pretty dead, as expected. We did two and a half days. I'm glad we had that much time as we got to do everything multiple times. Weather was good - cool, and only hit major one rain of the days and only for a couple hours.
Here's my thoughts on each ride (approximately in order of ranking), then I'll talk about feedback on the park overall and the hotel:
Nemesis - Amazing! Loved it, absolutely worth the trip. I adore the horror theme and the scenery is gorgeous. I wish it was a slightly longer ride (of course that's a theme with Alton Towers), so I can't quite say it is my favorite B&M invert overall - I think that title still belongs to Montu. But it is very close and I would say a top 10 coaster overall.
Smiler - Loved it! I was not sure I would as I read many things about it being rough, and I am roughness sensitive. Honestly I can say, I did not find this to be a rough coaster. For comparison, at Thorpe Park, Saw and Colossus are pretty much not rideable because of how rough/painful/headbanging they are. Smiler, no, not at all.
I wasn't expecting Smiler to become one of my all time favorite coasters but I think it did. I heard the front row is the only good row - did not find that to be the case either. The front row is best but it's not by much, I found it to be a good ride in every row. Left me slightly dizzy after each half of the ride, but not in a bad way.
Wicker Man - Loved it! I'm not a huge wooden coaster fan overall because I don't have a huge roughness tolerance, but thankfully Wicker Man is not at all rough. I love the theme and the pre-show. The ride is pure fun. We were lucky enough to get a front row ride which was my favorite.
Thirteen - I think this is overhated - I really enjoyed it! The theme is great (I do love horror themes) and I don't mind that this is more of a family coaster. The only thing I would really want to improve it would be a slightly longer drop and an animatronic instead of a static set piece in the drop room.
Galacticair - Despite never having been here before, I've always thought of this coaster by its original name. Really enjoyed it! I'm not the biggest fan of flying coasters in general, and I think I do like that this is less intense than some of the others.
Alton Towers needs to get on a retheme, scenery, and paint job for it though. It's looking a bit rough and could use some love.
Oblivion - It's a fun drop. The first time I rode it, I was like - I walked all the way through this massive queue line for that? I didn't realize it really is literally JUST the drop. Unfortunately I'm spoiled by having Sheikra at my home park. But the second time riding and knowing what to expect, I was like - yeah, this is a really good drop and the black hole theme is cool.
Spinball Whizzer - It's a spinning coaster. You like them or you don't like them. I like them alright - although Dragon's Fury at Chessington was actually amazing. Spinball Whizzer is alright.
Runaway Mine Train - This is a cute family coaster, good fun. I love the long train. Our ride op sent us around 3 times. Only rode this once which was enough to get the idea but I will definitely ride it again next time.
Rita - This is the only coaster at Alton Towers that I'm not really a fan of. Rode twice, first time back row, second time waited for front row. It's worth the wait for the front row. It's a bit rough for me otherwise. Before coming, I honestly thought - who cares if it's just the launch, I love launches! But for whatever reason this launch is kind of mediocre and then the rest of the ride is somewhere between painful and boring.
Non coasters:
Curse at Alton Manor - Loved it! I'm spoiled having been to Disney/Universal a good bit, and I know Alton Towers does not have the budget to produce the same caliber of dark ride - but Curse is really quite outstanding considering that limitation. Love the theme (as usual with the whole park) and they tell a really good story.
Nemesis Sub Terra - I don't think this deserves all the hate it gets. It's a cool experience - maybe not especially rerideable, and the "ride" portion is underwhelming, but it was a fun one time ride. I do wish cooler stuff happened with the egg. Also, the part where it whips your legs really hurt.
Gangsta Granny - Rode it once, it's very cute considering it cannot be Disney level. I do not mean to sound spoiled and hope that I don't - I just know what is theoretically possible with a dark ride, but given budgets, this a very cute family ride.
Dungeon - Did the London one a few years ago and remember liking that better, but this wasn't bad at all. It was a fun time and I'm glad I did it, especially with the Merlin pass discount. Unlikely I'd spend the time to do it again on a return visit. I know it's closing this summer, not sure if that's permanent, but honestly if it was permanent and they replace it with something else, I think that would be just fine.
Hex - Booooooo it was closed. Gives me something else to look forward to when I return, which I hope to do whenever Project Horizon is done.
Food:
Rollercoaster Restaurant: Did this both nights we stayed here. It was mostly alright, I had a burger that was pretty good. The nachos were a joke. The curry chickpea thing was decent. The gluten free menu was pretty pathetic, but at least they had some options so that my husband could eat dinner.
Middle Eastern restaurant by Wicker Man (I forget its name): This was the only place to get a meal in the park that had GF accommodation that we found. For whatever dumb reason, the chicken and chips that they CAN make gluten free is not advertised that way on the menu. But to their credit, the cook was SUPER good about making sure to cook the meal in a safe way for someone with a gluten allergy.
Ate there twice, and the food was actually pretty good.
My only complaint - both this and the one near Rita sell baked potatoes, which are one of the only things in the park we found that would be gluten free, and both days they seemed to run out of the potatoes at midday. One day, we got the literal last half a potato they had left, and the other, they were already out.
I saw that Alton Towers had a notice up about switching suppliers or something and bringing more GF options to their menus... that's needed. Hopefully next time the situation will be better.
Ice cream by the Curse: Ok, I have to say, I was obsessed with this. The black ice cream in the black cone just made me happy. And it was really delicious. Especially with the toppings even if they kept falling off. Got it two days in a row, would get it every day on a return visit.
Hotel:
Splash Landings: No real complaints here, it was what I was expecting. Certainly didn't need air conditioning for the time of year. The staff was very friendly and they were great about storing multiple bags for us both on our arrival and on our checkout day.
The breakfast was good for a buffet style breakfast. Enough GF options to eat a good sized meal.
The only actual complaint I have, and this one is weird, but true - the shower is terrible. It has a half glass door that didn't lock in place, and the sides of the tub are tall. This is a recipe for disaster as it's very tempting to hold the door to try to climb out of the tub... but it doesn't lock, so if you do that, you're likely to fall and break your head open. And if you don't hold on... well, good luck climbing out of the tall tub with nothing to grip onto. Not even a towel rail.
I genuinely don't know how they went with something this unsafe in their design process. I don't know how people aren't injuring themselves all the time.
Overall thoughts:
It's certainly spread out - I was warned. It takes some hustling to get from one area to another in a timely fashion, but I didn't find it to be too much. It sure would be though in hot weather, I'll take cold any day.
Actually my biggest "complaint" is how long the queues are in terms of - walking forever, often uphill, to get to the ride. I'm used to theme parks that are able to section off large parts of the line when not in use which doesn't seem to happen much here.
Legit, it's a workout to ride Nemesis if it's not busy and all you have to do is walk to the station.
I didn't find the park to be run down, unclean, or understaffed. All the staff was great, and operations were great. Multiple trains on everything despite it not being busy at all.
Overall we absolutely loved our time here! It lived up to my expectations for sure. Nemesis, Smiler, and Wicker Man were my favorite things, but I dug Thirteen and Curse too.
And as I mentioned, Rita is the only ride I didn't really like - from someone who has visited a ton of theme parks, only one dud with the rest of the stuff being quality is kind of rare.
It could use a good big flat ride or two - I heard it's getting a top spin, which, meh. That's great if you like that kind of ride, not my personal favorite. Still, with so many quality coasters, I didn't feel the park was lacking.
I'm so glad I finally got to visit, and I will absolutely be back. Hopefully Project Horizon actually happens and isn't later than 2026... currently that's the year I'd plan to come back.
Can't wait for my return!

Wish Them Well is the eleventh tune on the nineteenth studio album Clockwork Angels (2012). How do you rank this song? The choices range from skippable (You can almost see the circuits blowing) to amazing (The treasure of a life).
Writing credits: Music: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Lyrics: Neil Peart
Contemporaneous band member quote: "I love the lyrics and I loved the sentiment behind this song and I felt it was really important to the concept of the album. It's about how you look at people in a non-judgmental way and I thought that was important as a part of growing up and achieving adulthood. The first two versions didn't do the lyrics justice. So kept re-writing it with Al and that's the luxury of having two and a half years to work on material for a record. We got it third time lucky." -Geddy to Jerry Ewing of Prog Magazine (June 2012)
Rush Official YouTube Channel link
View Poll

I'm trying to write a character who goes through many traumatic events, showing many emotions and distress, but there's one specific event which occurs where the character stops. Instead of crying, screaming, etc, they just stare. It's a freeze-frame scene.
After that scene, I want to write that this character has completely lost their emotions and is now gone and disconnected, in such a way where it has an impact later on in the story

Im 13 and in year 8 and had the homework task of writing a paragraph about how Boxer from animal farm progresses throughout the novella and here it is! I know it’s not good so I would really appreciate feedback
Throughout the novella, Orwell depicts Boxer as a selfless and sympathetic worker while simultaneously portraying him as gullible, and exposing the manipulation he suffers due to his naïveté and lack of literacy. Napoleon, after successfully exiling Snowball, decides that the building of the windmill will in fact go ahead, requiring the animals’ input. In an attempt to inspirit the animals, Squealer is then tasked with giving motivational speeches to them, yet it was often the sight of Boxer ‘toiling up the slope inch by inch, his breath coming fast, the tips of his hoofs clawing at the ground and his great sides matted with sweat’ that filled everyone with motivation. The use of listing emphasises the substantial amount of strength and vigour exerted by Boxer while working on the farm. Concurrently, it also creates a vivid image of travail using figurative language, which causes the reader to feel sympathetic for Boxer. The verb [toil] implies prolonged and fatiguing labour, uncovering how much he sacrifices for the farm and revealing Boxer’s altruistic and heroic character. Alternatively, it also connotes exploitation, with employees being forced to work unjust, strenuous hours with little to no return, exposing how his willingness to drudge is leveraged by Napoleon. Despite enduring all these struggles, he never complains or protests and in fact regularly states ‘[he] will work harder’. Boxer’s frequent repetition of this maxim reveals how devoted he is to the animal’s cause and his unwavering dedication to Napoleon’s regime. It also demonstrates how he is a vital and key part of Animal Farm’s revolt, as he already works more than any other animal on the farm yet still endeavours to give more, shown by him reducing his sleep hours. His constant desire to ‘work harder’ is what has led to him becoming one of the most respected animals on Animal Farm, a quality Napoleon manipulates to promote his ideology towards the other animals. The first person personal pronoun ‘I’ depicts the accountability Boxer feels and through this, we are able to infer that in the face of adversity, he finds faults in himself, rather than in Napoleon and his governance, hinting at his indoctrination; he is convinced that Napoleon, as the leader of Animal Farm, can do no wrong, and any problems on the farm are a result of his own shortcomings, illustrating his naïveté. Alternately, ‘I’ could perhaps elucidate how he sacrifices himself to ameliorate the lives of the other animals on the farm, conveying his self-abnegation. This is not the only motto Boxer adopts, as after Squealer diminishes Snowball’s accomplishments in the Battle of the Cowshed, Boxer has the chance to think things over, and comes to the conclusion that ‘Napoleon is always right’. The use of the simple sentence betrays Boxer’s innocence, as well as his lack of intelligence, as he is not able to deliberate complex pieces of information. Furthermore, this quote demonstrates that he believes everything told to him by Napoleon, uncovering the degree to which Napoleon reveres and follows the Pigs, indicating how he has been indoctrinated. This is further emphasised by the use of logical fallacy; it is impossible for Napoleon to be right all of the time, implying that this statement is false. From this, we come to acknowledge that Boxer is tricked and manipulated into assuming an argument that, with logic, can be easily dismantled, uncovering how it is lack of literacy that is allowing Napoleon to abuse and terrorise him and the other animals. Boxer is an extremely strong, large horse, as well as the most powerful on the farm, meaning he could easily take down the Pigs with brute strength, but as he isn’t able to realise the corruptness of Napoleon’s regime or speak out against him, he ends up suffering. The adverb ‘always’ implies the fact that there is no room for dissent against Napoleon and emphasises how absolute his power is. It also suggests continued faith and devotion to a leader, and this devotion keeps the animals passive towards Napoleon and his abuse. Boxer, due to his lack of intelligence, is constantly at the receiving end of this abuse, contrary the fact that ‘Nothing on the farm could’ve been achieved without [him], whose strength seemed equal to that of all the other animals put together’ The use of the declarative sentence asserts Boxer’s significance on the farm, and shows that his strength was essential and critical to the farm’s development. By emphasising Boxer’s brawn through comparison, Orwell, while conveying his notably immense physical strength, prompts you to consider the fact that he is still just a subordinate worker, due to his stupidity. Additionally, the phrase might allude to how Boxer, as arguably the most influential character on Animal Farm, is used by Napoleon to control and manipulate the other animals: by indoctrinating Boxer with his corrupt ideologies, Napoleon is able to sway the others, meaning without Boxer and his influence, Napoleon would not have been able to dominate and command Animal Farm, exhibiting his role as a pawn in enabling Napoleon’s regime. The pronoun ‘nothing’ exaggerates the extent to which the farm requires Napoleon’s input, by suggesting that absolutely nothing could have been achieved without him, indicating his prominence. Contrarily, ‘nothing’ also connotes insignificance, which exposes how despite everything Boxer does for the farm, he is a mere tool utilised by Napoleon to further his agenda. Orwell has arguably presented Boxer this way to reveal how without the benefit of learning and the ability to express themselves, people are susceptible to being exploited by their ruthless leaders, despite their strength in number. Boxer serves as an allegory for the Russian proletariat, who helped to oust Tsar Nicholas II and establish the Soviet Union, but were eventually betrayed by the Communist government under Stalin. His sympathetic character alludes to how the proletariat were abused by Stalin unjustly, and is a result of Orwell’s intent to prompt pity for the Russian proletariat from the reader. By characterising Boxer as gullible and naïve despite his immense physical power, Orwell uncovers the ease Stalin had in enforcing his power over the numerous proletariat and manipulating them due to their lack of literacy and simultaneously criticises Stalin’s tyrannical rule of the people powering his nation.

Hi all,
I (26F) have been struggling lately with my emotions and overthinking, and I could really use some advice.
Here's some background: When I was in high school, I met a boy online who was just a couple of years older than me. We dated for a while, broke up, and then got back together after I helped him through a rough patch. I even moved to the state he went to school in to be with him. I was young and naive at 18, and he was 20. Not long after moving, I found out he was cheating on me. Despite this, I took him back because I believed in our relationship.
We dated for two years until he decided to study abroad. I wasn't comfortable with this, especially after the cheating incident, but I didn't want to hold him back. Unfortunately, I caught him lying again, which led to a big fight where I said some hurtful things. When he came back after the semester, we had an awkward 7-hour hangout, and that was the last time we were really in contact.
Less than a year later, he was dating someone new, and I focused on my healing. I moved back to home to deal with some serious health issues and other serious personal stuff. I hoped he would want to work things out, but I never heard from him.
Years passed, and I moved on, even dated someone else briefly. Then, out of the blue, I heard from an old friend that my ex had been asking about reaching out to her randomly. I confronted him, but nothing came of it.
To add on... 2 more years later ... our mutual friend told me she reached out to him to just say hello because she really did like him and was happy to be friends with him. they bonded well so i wasnt upset that she missed having convos with him.
her feedback.... he never mentioned that hes still with the same girl, that they moved across country together.... and have been dating for (should be 4 years at that point). and from what she told me , it was almost like he was curious about me and said something similar to "if the universie thinks its meant to be , maybe we can be kosher" and "i thought about reaching out to her if im ever in town"...... theres no way he'd just randomly be "in town".
Recently, I saw a photo of him proposing to her. While I'm happy for him, it hurts deeply because I always imagined we'd be endgame. Seeing him move on so quickly after me has left me feeling inadequate and anxious.
In a perfect world, that night he came to drop my shirt off, I would have told him, "I love you, I'm sorry, and can we start over?" But because he was so unpredictable, I didn't want to look foolish and give him the satisfaction of knowing he could keep hurting me and I'd still stay.
I've built a career, handled my medical issues, and gotten into my dream grad program after graduating w/ my undergrad. Yet, I can't shake this gut-wrenching feeling. Did I not mean as much to him? Why was I so easily replaced? Maybe I'm delusional, but I always thought we'd get married and grow old together. Perhaps he never really felt the same and just felt stuck with me.
No one prepares you for the pain of watching your first love build a life without you. How do I move forward from this and stop feeling like I wasn't enough? How can I manage my emotions and overthinking in a healthy way? If anyone has advice on how to handle these emotions and stop overthinking, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for reading. This felt really good to write out and validate my own feelings...
TL;DR: Struggling with emotions and overthinking after my first love moved on and got engaged. Need advice on coping and moving forward

It was such a strange experience in retrospect. A more established colleague sort of guilted me into doing this project with her. I didn't want to because I'd worked with her previously and had had a nightmarish experienceince, hating the way she thinks, works, and writes (which seems rushed, chaotic, unfounded, and vague to me - I don't understand how any of her work gets accepted). But since I was going to do it anyway, I figured it'd better be something that actually interests me and makes sense to me. So I wrote the proposal. We went back and forth a few times and she agreed. So, in her mind, this is all my idea, I made her do it, and I'm leading the project.
We are on a very tight timeline. In the early stages we sort of alternate taking the lead prompting each other to move forward. At some point I'm thinking it's just not possible to get it done in time for the call for papers, so I suggest we call it quits. She responds by significantly delineating and limiting the scope and prompting me to move forward with that. I do.
I start taking it very seriously, finding and analyzing lit (the study is partly documentary) We both recruit interviewees and conduct interviews together. I do the analysis and write up findings on my own (I have no idea what she would have done for this part, as she didn't even seem to understand what our data was or how to draw conclusions from it). She's supposed to be writing the intro and methods. All this time I've been thinking I'll want to be second author, since I was so ambivalent about the project and wasn't confident I'd like the end result.
We're approaching the deadline, and I send her part of the methods, the findings (which she loves), and a draft for the discussion. She's supposed to complete the intro, methods and discussion. When I get it back, her sections are so monumentally disastrous to me that I rewrite them. Also, parts of the findings are now disfigured (which she herself realized in hindsight and said I could get back to their original shape). At this point it's so close to the deadline that we're not meeting anymore - just texting and sending things back and forth. We never discussed author order (I know, I know), but her assumption matches mine, because she entered our names in a paper template and she's first author.
The last few rounds of revisions from her I actually find helpful. I finalize and submit just in time. The paper would have needed closer revisions, and I'm sure there'll be mistakes, but now I'm thinking the article is actually decent and a cool contribution. And it also occurs to me that I did most of it...

Alb Given writing up my app properly, is my profile esp ECs considered strong enough for EC-heavy AB schools I wonder ? (Plz assume OOP first and then what if IP)

• cGPA 3.90, 2&3 yr 3.95+
• MCAT : expecting 510-514, let's say CARS eligible for uofc oop
• CASPER : will take, was my op last year, but heard AB cutoff super low
• Doing MSc thesis clinical, good side projex

///////////:

TUTORING : * YMCA tutor for 3 years, great exp working w ppl w all learning styles and occasionally difficulties, diff subjects and grades - Peer mentor, course notetaker for office of students with disabilities - Paid uni Biochem tutor, 1 year - Paid tutor for a company starting fall

LEADERHSIP : * Student society's Vice prez, Univeristy senator, board member. Did projects aimed at improving student life academics equity. Voiced my fellers at committees. Network that I leveraged to make things happen. * Program's society Vice prez for 2 yrs. Additional to typical responsibilites, held or helped hold workshops, career fairs, etc. - Cancer society vice prez. Led a committee of 4, collaborated with a committee of 30. Did quite a bit, fundraised alot.

WORK (minimal): - Crew member at Timmies 1yr (learned French there basically bein oui) - Comms assistant and student guide 1 yr * Medical secretary this summer, so 4 months. Blessed to be doing incredible additional stuff that ease pt's getting appintments, also digitalizing the clinic's records, alot of impact potential that I'm enjoying. Thyey're super appreciative of me too, goes both ways.

Research : * mid-ranked author and article screener, scoping review on health services. 1.5 yrs. Did screening, extraction, brainstorming steps. helped write manuscript. - paid full time summer internship, wet lab. 2 uni conferences. -- MASTER'S THESIS AND OTHER PROJECTS OTW !

Comm service :

• Hospital cancer support volunteer 1 yr. visitsa and talks, sign up patients and families for support services, sometimes niche things like securing funding for adapted mobility. Extremely eye-opening. Crearing a respite program rn.

-- ICU reception volunteer, 2 years (effectively helped manage unit traffic, guided and comforted visitors)
-- long-term housing volunteer, 3 years (visits, outings, event facilitation, arts and movement workshops, helped residents overcome anorexia, isolation, etc etc

Awards :

• student engagement award, resssrch award fundung my summer internship, a few partial scholarships from school, made it semi-final to a huge EC-based scholarship.

Other :

*basically my family's rep in all processes involved in a Covid-striken, isolated immigration experience in early 2020. This shaped me basically. I can talk about enormous challenges I, and I mostly, overcame for hours. Lost 20kg in first months doing those, wrote hundreds of letters, called 1000s of times, even worked w lawyers once, but turned dozens of refusals and rejections into approvals. fuck it we ball.

Lecture Outline 1: Introduction and Overview of Holidays (Day 1)
Objective: Introduce students to the ten diverse holidays, emphasizing their cultural and religious significance.

1. Opening Discussion (15 minutes)
   
   • Begin with an icebreaker where students share their favorite holiday traditions.
   • Discuss the idea that holidays often carry cultural and religious significance.
2. Introduction to Holidays (20 minutes)
   
   • Briefly introduce each of the ten holidays, providing key information about their cultural and religious contexts.
   • Highlight the diversity represented and the importance of understanding different celebrations.
3. Class Discussion (15 minutes)
   
   • Engage the class in a discussion about the concept of cultural diversity and why it is essential in today's globalized world.
   • Encourage students to share their thoughts on the significance of learning about and appreciating various cultural celebrations.
4. Research Assignment (10 minutes)
   
   • Assign each student a holiday to research.
   • Provide resources and explain the focus on symbols, traditions, rituals, and historical background.
5. Closing Remarks and Homework Assignment (10 minutes)
   
   • Summarize the importance of cultural awareness and understanding.
   • Assign a reflective homework task: Write about one aspect of a holiday discussed that resonated with them.

Discussion Questions: 1. Why do you think understanding cultural diversity is important in our society? 2. How do holidays contribute to cultural identity? 3. What aspects of the holidays discussed intrigued you the most, and why?
Lecture Outline 2: Creative Expression and Writing (Day 2)
Objective: Encourage students to creatively express the cultural richness of the holidays through writing.

1. Opening Reflection (10 minutes)
   
   • Begin with a brief reflection on the previous day's introduction to holidays.
   • Discuss any insights or questions that arose from their homework reflections.
2. Creative Writing Exercise (30 minutes)
   
   • Guide students through a creative writing exercise, encouraging them to choose one holiday and write a short story or poem inspired by its traditions.
   • Emphasize the use of descriptive language to capture the cultural significance.
3. Peer Sharing and Discussion (15 minutes)
   
   • Students share their creative writing pieces with a partner or small group.
   • Encourage constructive feedback, focusing on how well the cultural aspects are conveyed.
4. Expressing Personal Culture (15 minutes)
   
   • Discuss the importance of expressing one's own cultural heritage.
   • Assign a short homework task: Write about a personal cultural tradition or celebration that is meaningful to them.

Discussion Questions: 1. How did your understanding of the holidays deepen through the creative writing exercise? 2. In what ways did you incorporate cultural elements into your writing? 3. Why is it important for individuals to express their own cultural heritage?
Lecture Outline 3: Presentations and Cultural Exchange (Day 3)
Objective: Facilitate student presentations and encourage cross-cultural discussions.

1. Opening Reflection (10 minutes)
   
   • Begin with a brief reflection on the creative writing exercise.
   • Discuss any challenges or discoveries students made while expressing cultural elements in their writing.
2. Individual Presentations (30 minutes)
   
   • Students present their personal cultural writing assignments to the class.
   • Encourage the use of visuals, artifacts, or personal stories to enhance presentations.
3. Group Activity: Cultural Exchange (20 minutes)
   
   • Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a holiday different from the one they researched.
   • Instruct them to discuss similarities, differences, and potential cross-cultural influences.

Given writing up my app properly, is my profile esp ECs considered strong enough for EC-heavy AB schools I wonder ? (Plz assume OOP first and then what if IP)

• cGPA 3.90, 2&3 yr 3.95+
• MCAT : expecting 510-514, let's say CARS eligible for uofc oop
• CASPER : will take, was my op last year, but heard AB cutoff super low
• Doing MSc thesis clinical, good side projex

///////////:

TUTORING : * YMCA tutor for 3 years, great exp working w ppl w all learning styles and occasionally difficulties, diff subjects and grades - Peer mentor, course notetaker for office of students with disabilities - Paid uni Biochem tutor, 1 year - Paid tutor for a company starting fall

LEADERHSIP : * Student society's Vice prez, Univeristy senator, board member. Did projects aimed at improving student life academics equity. Voiced my fellers at committees. Network that I leveraged to make things happen. * Program's society Vice prez for 2 yrs. Additional to typical responsibilites, held or helped hold workshops, career fairs, etc. - Cancer society vice prez. Led a committee of 4, collaborated with a committee of 30. Did quite a bit, fundraised alot.

WORK (minimal): - Crew member at Timmies 1yr (learned French there basically bein oui) - Comms assistant and student guide 1 yr * Medical secretary this summer, so 4 months. Blessed to be doing incredible additional stuff that ease pt's getting appintments, also digitalizing the clinic's records, alot of impact potential that I'm enjoying. Thyey're super appreciative of me too, goes both ways.

Research : * mid-ranked author and article screener, scoping review on health services. 1.5 yrs. Did screening, extraction, brainstorming steps. helped write manuscript. - paid full time summer internship, wet lab. 2 uni conferences. -- MASTER'S THESIS AND OTHER PROJECTS OTW !

Comm service :

• Hospital cancer support volunteer 1 yr. visitsa and talks, sign up patients and families for support services, sometimes niche things like securing funding for adapted mobility. Extremely eye-opening. Crearing a respite program rn.

-- ICU reception volunteer, 2 years (effectively helped manage unit traffic, guided and comforted visitors)
-- long-term housing volunteer, 3 years (visits, outings, event facilitation, arts and movement workshops, helped residents overcome anorexia, isolation, etc etc

Awards :

• student engagement award, resssrch award fundung my summer internship, a few partial scholarships from school, made it semi-final to a huge EC-based scholarship.

Other :

*basically my family's rep in all processes involved in a Covid-striken, isolated immigration experience in early 2020. This shaped me basically. I can talk about enormous challenges I, and I mostly, overcame for hours. Lost 20kg in first months doing those, wrote hundreds of letters, called 1000s of times, even worked w lawyers once, but turned dozens of refusals and rejections into approvals. fuck it we ball.

Introduction

Hello friends of the GoG community, hope you guys/gals are having a great weekend!
Today i have a request of a beloved franchise in the JRPG department, as you can see in the title, it is the multi faceted delight that is Persona 5 Royal. I personally can't deny that it really lives up to the name of being royal, given the games aesthetic, gameplay and overall stylish presentation. (its so darn good...)

What is persona 5?

I assume most of you are familiar with the genre, it has the classic turn based combat you generally know from, say, the pokemon or final fantasy franchise. But one of the things that makes Persona stand out from its competerors, is its social aspects between the dungeons. you hang out with friends to go further into their personal story (you can also romance) complete tasks like jobs or just explore the city of Tokyo, along other activities. There is a great cast of characters that are interesting in their own way and i would love to learn about them in depth and bond a personal connection. Just on the side, i find it funny when people talk about the "post persona depression" xD it really says a lot about the awesome experience, i think. Which sparks my interest, since i love to dive deep into fictional worlds and get lost in it for a while. (i think you guys can relate :D)
The visuals of the game are off the charts awesome, if you have seen it, you know what i'm talking about. In the game you impersonate a male high school student (and phantom thieve in the fighting segments) JokeRen. You and your group fight corrupt adults to expose their crimes by... going into the metaverse, where peoples desires and thoughts take shape. That is such a cool concept!!

Outro

The game has been on my radar for a long time and i would be more than blessed to experience this masterpiece. As to my personal reasons why i can't buy it for myself, is because i've been out of funds to contribute to my favorite hobby due to being a student, so it is hard to afford such a pricy game at the moment. Thank you for reading through my request and i hope you have a great day :)
The Game: Persona 5 Royal
My Steam: tonywithice

Hello; really loved the interaction with my first post, so thanks so much for that! I'll just reiterate: spoilers for all Star Trek, and everything is just my opinion.
900) Unnatural Selection (1989)
TNG 2x7
Writer: John Mason & Mike Gray
Director: Paul Lynch
We've seen this idea done before and better. Yeah, it's a little bit different this time: it centres around children genetically engineered to be free of disease (isn't that illegal in the Federation?). But the actual plot of the episode is little different from TOS' The Deadly Years, with Doctor Pulaski aging and trying to find a cure for the condition. An uninspired repeat of a TOS episode that wasn't even that good in the first place.
899) We'll Always Have Paris (1988)
TNG 1x23
Writer: Deborah Dean Davis & Hannah Louise Shearer
Director: Robert Becker
Bored me stiff. I'm not always a huge fan of time travel stuff in general, and this is one of the least dynamic uses of that story type I've ever seen. Picard also has some weak character development, in his reminiscence about the girlfriend he left behind to join Starfleet, after he runs into her in this episode. The resolution with Data is fine, though, and I do like that they used him, as somebody less affected by the Maddox Effect, to solve the problem. Functional, just really dull.
898) Angel One (1988)
TNG 1x13
Writer: Patrick Barry
Director: Michael Rhodes
I will say that, as a teenage boy and as a young man now, this episode did give me empathy for what women go through in real life: being dismissed as weak and soft and barred from meaningful work. Beyond that, however, this episode really says nothing. It feels like it wants to be a deep and compelling exploration of gender roles, but apart from that feeling of empathy it gave me it doesn't accomplish anything of the kind. It's just a rote story about an oppressed section of society trying to combat their oppressors, and Riker saves the dissidents from being executed with a dull speech.
897) Silicon Avatar (1991)
TNG 5x4
Writer: Jeri Taylor, story by Lawrence V Conley
Director: Cliff Bole
Oh, just what I always wanted: the return of the Crystalline Entity from Datalore! Most anticipated villain return ever! But seriously, this could have been an interesting episode exploring a decent creature, but all that ends up happening is the Enterprise chasing the Crystalline Entity while Data has conversations with the mother of one of the victims of its attack on his colony. I will say that her hatred of Data got some genuine emotion out of me, as I raise my hackles against anyone who dares attack that loveable android, and seeing her come round to him was reasonably satisfying. But I still wasn't intrigued by their conversations, or the story of her seeking revenge for her son's death. The actual murder of the Crystalline Entity was done with a decent weight, but the episode takes forever to get there, through a slog of boring conversations and virtually no emotional investment for me.
896) The Outrageous Okona (1988)
TNG 2x4
Writer: Burton Armus, story by Les Menchen, Lance Dickson & David Landsberg
Director: Robert Becker
An aimless, artless story of a rogue caught between two fathers hounding him for his misdeeds. I don't find Okona amusing or charming, so his heavy presence in the episode doesn't do anything for me, and the story surrounding him is weak too. Data's stand-up comedy stuff is quite funny; Brent Spiner plays it brilliantly. I particularly enjoy the scene where he's trying out his act on Guinan, and it's just so bad. Also love Whoopi Goldberg's delivery of 'No' after Data asks her if his act was good. But this B-plot has only a flimsy connection to the main story, and therefore its presence leaves the end product feeling messy as well as weak.
895) Bounty (2003)
ENT 2x25
Writer: Hans Tobeason, Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong, story by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
Director: Roxann Dawson
An A-plot and B-plot that are both very bad. The story of Archer getting kidnapped by a bounty hunter is rote and uninspired, and definitely feels like it was one of the last ideas the writers came up with for the season. They were just filling time with a poor sequel to the earlier episode Judgement. His interactions with the Tellarite do not interest me at all, and I do not care about the Tellarite's lost ship. The B-plot with T'Pol prematurely going through the Pon Farr sees some of the worst sexualisation of the character, plus some cringey dialogue between her and Phlox. Archer's ending escape from the Klingons, with the Tellarite's secret help, is solid, though.
894) The Omega Glory (1968)
TOS 2x23
Writer: Gene Roddenberry
Director: Vincent McEveety
Goes from mundane to insane. For much of its runtime I would give this my label of dull but functional: there's a rogue Starfleet Captain trying to discover the secret to eternal youth on a pre-warp planet, and there's a lot of fighting with some of the savage natives. It's all very boring... until the last quarter.
It gets revealed that this is (yet another) TOS Season 2 Earth parallel, with the savages representing the US and the village people the Communists. There is no explanation given for how the aliens ended up with all the exact paraphernalia of that time on Earth, from the US flag to the American Constitution; it's all just ludicrous.
The crowning weirdness of the episode is Kirk's lauding of the American Constitution as the greatest thing ever invented. Now, I don't just not like this because I'm English; I would feel the same if the British (unwritten) Constitution was being lauded like this. I consider myself a pretty patriotic person, and I believe that every country has equal reason to celebrate themselves, but I feel it is utterly inappropriate in Star Trek for any one country or group to be held up as the ultimate shining example of civilisation. This is because Trek is meant to represent a future where everybody's come together under one banner. There's a lot to praise about the American Constitution, but it's inappropriate for it to be held up as the 'One True Way', if you will. Kirk's final admiring look at the US flag is so cringeworthily saccharine. So, yeah, this episode is boring for most of its runtime, and it certainly isn't in the end... it's much worse.
893) The Muse (1996)
DS9 4x21
Writer: Rene Echevarria, story by Rene Echevarria & Majel Barrett-Roddenberry
Director: David Livingston
The DS9 Lwaxana Troi episodes are largely not a good time, and this is the absolute worst of them. The story of her pregnancy feels so hammy and forced, and the drama with her and Odo doesn't interest me at all. She also doesn't feel like she has much of a presence in the episode, which is shocking given how she came on so wonderfully strong in TNG. The other plotline with Jake is also uninteresting. It's at least not as bad as the Lwaxana storyline, but it's still so very uninspired (you see what I did there?). Annoyingly our last Lwaxana appearance; they really should have stopped her episodes after TNG's Dark Page; that was the perfect ending for her character.
892) When the Bough Breaks (1988)
TNG 1x16
Writer: Hannah Louise Shearer
Director: Kim Manners
Gene Roddenberry did like his kiddie episodes, didn't he? The idea of 'Atlantis-but-a-planet' is interesting, but the episode wastes the concept on a tiresome kidnapping story. The kids are fine I guess, but I'd also rather not be watching them. Wesley feels kinda out-of-place among them, to be honest, considering how noticeably older he is. I will say that Picard's reaction to the abduction: 'You have just committed an act of utter barbarity!' is a superb bit of acting from Stewart, but other than that there's nothing else I'll praise about this outing.
891) Pen Pals (1989)
TNG 2x15
Writer: Melinda M Snodgrass, story by Hannah Louise Shearer
Director: Winrich Kolbe
This always feels like a short to me, despite its forty-five minute length. No time is spent building up Data and the alien kid's relationship; we just see the kid's first communication, then jump into Data confessing to Picard he's been in contact with a pre-warp individual. So I have no investment in this relationship, which is a shame because Data-plus-kid had the potential to be really sweet. They just didn't put the legwork into it. The resolution is fine.
890) Unforgettable (1998)
VOY 4x22
Writer: Greg Elliot & Michael Perricone
Director: Andrew Robinson
Got to be the most ironic title in Trek history, since this episode is extremely forgettable. It's also mind-numbingly boring: Trek does not have a good track record with single-episode romances, and this has got to be one of the worst. I feel zero connection to the guest character and zero investment in her relationship with Chakotay. The idea of a species that you forget after they've been gone for a while is intriguing, but it is wasted on this insipid romance. This was one of the longest forty-five minutes I've ever sat through.
889) Transfigurations (1990)
TNG 3x25
Writer: Rene Echevarria
Director: Tom Benko
Speaking of dull one-episode romances, here's another one. The idea of a species going through a butterfly-like transformation, that is feared and suppressed by the authorities, is again intriguing. It reminds me of the Jon Pertwee Doctor Who story The Mutants, if anyone's watched that, except it's done less well. Again, the good concept is wasted on a boring romance, this time between Beverly and her patient. This is another one that feels much longer than forty-five minutes.
888) Bread and Circuses (1968)
TOS 2x25
Writer: Gene Roddenberry & Gene L Coon
Director: Ralph Senensky
At this point in TOS Season 2, I just thought: 'Really, Mr Roddenberry? Another Earth parallel? I know you like them, but this is getting ridiculous!' Not only is this a tired repeat of an already done idea, but no explanation is given for why this planet parallels the Roman Empire. In A Piece of the Action and Patterns of Force clever reasons were given, but in this it's just presented as a weird fact. That doesn't fly with me.
And even if they had come up with another clever explanation, they have done this idea, which I don't like very much anyway, way too many times this season. I did have some minor interest in the concept of a Rome that never fell, but not enough to sustain me for fifty minutes. Boring and uninspired to the highest degree. I will say there's one really great scene between Spock and Bones in a prison cell, though, when Bones confronts Spock about how he keeps all his emotions carefully concealed.
887) How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth (1974)
TAS 2x5
Writer: Russell Bates & David Wise
Director: Bill Reed
Similar to Who Mourns for Adonais?, in that it gives us an omnipotent alien, who was once worshipped as a God on Earth, and has returned to take charge of his wayward children, only to ultimately discover they don't need him anymore. This is a much weaker version of that story, however, with a less sympathetic godlike character and less runtime to flesh out the idea.
The episode also takes a weird swerve halfway through, from the setting of Kukulkan's city (a nice location, I must say) to his zoo, which I find much less appealing. This episode had an idea, but it wasn't quite sure how to tell the story. Kukulkan genuinely scared me a little, though, and I did feel sorry for him when he flew off, knowing that his former worshippers had outgrown him. But again, that was done better in TOS.
886) Resurrection (1997)
DS9 6x8
Writer: Michael Taylor
Director: LeVar Burton
Michael Taylor is a curious writer for me. He has written both some of my favourite and some of my least favourite episodes, with little middle ground. This falls hard into the latter category. It's interesting to have someone from the Mirror Universe cross into the Prime Universe, rather than the other way around as normally happens, and it's doubly interesting to have that someone be Mirror Bareil. But the episode falls flat on its face: every scene is just so interminably dull, and, unlike his Prime Universe counterpart, this Bareil has no chemistry with Kira. So boring, so pedestrian, and the absolute worst of the DS9 Mirror Universe episodes.
885) The Paradise Syndrome (1968)
TOS 3x3
Writer: Margaret Armen
Director: Jud Taylor
I think this is the epitome of functional but dull. The story makes sense, the characters' motivations make sense, but that doesn't mean the episode is interesting. I do like the idea of the Preservers, beings who transplanted members of endangered peoples, here the Native Americans, to other planets, but the episode flops. Kirk's memory loss leads to a yawnworthy stay among the Native Americans, filled with predictable tensions and conflicts, and a bland romance. The Spock and Bones B-plot is also boring. I feel a little something for Miramanee's death, but only a little something.
884) Assignment: Earth (1968)
TOS 2x26
Writer: Art Wallace, story by Gene Roddenberry & Art Wallace
Director: Marc Daniels
Star Trek without the Star Trek. Deciding not to focus on the main characters for an episode isn't a bad idea in and of itself, but the characters put in their stead hold little interest for me. The same is true of the plot they work within. This was of course a backdoor pilot for a spin-off that never manifested, and maybe if it had come about I would like this episode much more, but as it stands I find the characters unintriguing and the plot uninspired. The climax is particularly poor, with about seventy different shots of the rocket going into orbit, while the characters mill about and do very little. I want me my Kirk, Spock and Bones back.
883) The Red Angel (2019)
DSC 2x10
Writer: Chris Silvestri & Anthony Maranville
Director: Hanelle M Culpepper
Down here for the same reasons as previous DSC Season 2 episodes I've put on this list. It engages heavily in the twin foul-ups of the Spock's sister storyline and the Section 31 portrayal. I hate the base concept of Burnham being Spock's sister, for reasons I've explained in my previous post, so I despise all their scenes together, that build out this relationship that I wish had never been. And Section 31 continues to be portrayed as a public wing of the Federation, with ships and resources provided by Starfleet, which is godawful.
I will say, however, that I do kinda like the sequence where Burnham has to strap herself to a chair and bare herself to the planet's toxic atmosphere in order to summon the Red Angel. And the reveal that the Angel is not herself but in fact her mother is cool. But this is still a really bad episode.
882) The Storyteller (1993)
DS9 1x13
Writer: Kurt Michael Bensmiller & Ira Steven Behr, story by Kurt Michael Bensmiller
Director: David Livingston
A really messy, weak outing. The A- and B-plots have nothing to do with each other, which isn't automatically bad, but here it just makes the episode feel untidy. Of the two, I prefer the Jake and Nog subplot; it's funny seeing them mooning over the female teenage leader of a settlement who comes to the station. Their getting in trouble to impress her is charming. The A-plot sucks, though: the whole business of O'Brien having to become the protector of this village, from an amorphous cloud villain, is just lame, and the resolution is whatever. It is funny to see O'Brien and Julian in their first episode together, though, and witnessing how much O'Brien doesn't care for the good Doctor at this point. Oh, how times will change.
881) The Arsenal of Freedom (1988)
TNG 1x20
Writer: Richard Manning & Hans Beimler, story by Maurice Hurley & Robert Lewin
Director: Les Landau
A ramshackle adventure with a medley of different storylines, all of which are underwhelming. The best is Geordi's plotline, where he asserts himself as commander of the Enterprise over the *rsehole Chief Engineer of the week, but the other two don't really have any redeeming qualities. The Riker and co storyline is repetitive and the Picard and Beverly storyline is dull. I do like that the threat is resolved when Picard agrees to make a purchase from this dead civilisation, though.
880) Move Along Home (1993)
DS9 1x9
Writer: Frederick Rappaport, Lisa Rich & Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci, story by Michael Piller
Director: David Carson
OK, so I said this wasn't the worst of DS9, but it's still really bad. Though I have to say that, after I watched this with my siblings last year, and had such fun doing so, I've never been able to see it quite so badly. It's bad, yeah, but it's so, so much fun. The best-worst bit is of course the alien hopscotch scene, and I also really have to give credit to Alexander Siddig for playing some brilliant cringey comedy with Julian. The scene where he's trying to wake himself up from a nightmare by screaming? So funny. These (sort of) praises made, this is still a stinker of an episode, with a messy plot, too-silly events, and some serious overacting from Armin Shimerman at the end. Definitely something best watched with friends or family.
Allamaraine, count to four,
Allamaraine, then three more,
Allamaraine, if you can see,
Allamaraine, you'll come with me!
879) Justice (1987)
TNG 1x7
Writer: Worley Thorne, story by Ralph Wills & Worley Thorne
Director: James L Conway
I love the basic idea of this episode: Wesley runs afoul of a law on another planet and is sentenced to death by their draconian justice system. Then Picard has to struggle with whether to obey the Prime Directive or save his life. But the episode is dragged down by some weird costuming choices and, most of all, the addition of an omnipotent entity that watches over the planet's people. This should have just been an episode about Picard struggling between duty and conscience; the addition of a mega-powerful being steals screentime from this fine idea.
878) A Simple Investigation (1997)
DS9 5x17
Writer: Rene Echevarria
Director: John T Kretchmer
Uuuuugh; another boring single-episode romance. It's an interminable chore to sit through, from beginning to end, with tired, uninspired romantic scenes and an unexciting criminalistic plot surrounding the Orion Syndicate. I also don't like how the Changelings' linking is equated with sex in that one scene. There are a few fun scenes with O'Brien, Julian and Jadzia when they're playing the spy holosuite program (Jadzia's 'Ooh, somebody stop me!', or O'Brien's 'Hi, Odo!'), but that's about it.
877) Such Sweet Sorrow Part Two (2019)
DSC 2x14
Writer: Michelle Paradise, Junny Lumet, & Alex Kurtzman
Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi
DSC wasn't merely content to introduce a sister for Spock who weakened the story of his childhood and family life. They had to make that sister so important in his life that he'd be willing to go with her into the future and leave his life behind. I hate that Kurtzman and co made this decision, as it makes everything in TOS, SNW etc feel like Spock settling for second-best, when in reality he is fulfilling his life's purpose in those series.
I also never connected with any of the DSC original characters, except for Saru, and even with him I don't feel any emotion at their grand final 23rd Century adventure to stop Control. As I've said before, this evil sentient AI story is a tired, repeated idea, and its connection to the terrible portrayal of Section 31 makes it worse. As a result of all this don't give a single crap about any of the grand-scale action in this episode, and I feel nothing for the loss of the Discovery crew to the far future. I will say that this episode did at least propel DSC into the 32nd Century, which would end up saving the series from being irredeemably awful, and it sets up the phenomenal SNW (although we didn't strictly need all this for SNW to work).
876) Vis a Vis (1998)
VOY 4x20
Writer: Robert Doherty
Director: Jesus Salvador Trevino
A vapid story about Tom feeling dissatisfied with his life on Voyager, and getting replaced by a shape-stealing alien. The concept for the alien is solid, but the execution doesn't fly. It ends up being a limp episode that drags quite a bit, with a bland character arc for Tom at its centre. Shoutout for the appearance of Dan Butler as the alien's main form, though; he played the testosterone-fuelled Bulldog Briscoe in my favourite comedy, Frasier.
That's it for now. Thank you very much for reading, and Live Long and Prosper!