You're almost done with the semester! Take care of yourselves and don't give up yet! You've got this.
Today's De-Stress Fest:

FUNK LIBRARY SCHEDULE
All Day Interactive Whiteboard Questions Puzzles & Coloring Relaxing Animal Cams
GRAINGER ENGINEERING LIBRARY SCHEDULE
All Day (IDEA Lab) Open PC Gaming VR Stations Coloring Books, Puzzles, Origami Stars, Supplies, & Swag Board Games & Switch Gaming Trivia & Conversation Cards Snacks
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Grainger Commons 233/235) Craft: Paper Flower Bouquet
4 PM - 5 PM (Grainger Commons 233/235) Craft: Tealight Lantern
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM (Grainger Commons 233/235) Craft: Constellation Embroidery
MAIN LIBRARY SCHEDULE
All Day (Orange Room) Puppy Cam Streaming Coloring Sheets Positive Affirmations Play-Doh & Kinetic Sand Chess & Checkers
10:30 AM - 12 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Make Your Own Book Snake with Preservation Services
10:30 AM - 12 PM (Library Gallery) Heartland Mini Hoofs Therapy Horses & Pictures with the Scholarly Commons
12 PM - 1 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Tissue Paper Flowers Free Snacks
1 PM - 2 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Cheerio Bird Feeders
2 PM - 3 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Hole Punch Bookmarks Citation FAQs & Creative Brain Break with the Writers Workshop
2 PM - 3 PM (109 B) Sensory Break Room [Partner: RSO Actually Neurodivergent] Students can stop into this quiet space and decompress with fidget tools and other sensory items.
3 PM - 4 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Marble Magnets Citation FAQs & Creative Brain Break with the Writers >Workshop Free Snacks
3 PM - 4 PM (Room 346) Reading Day Relaxation with the Rare Book and Manuscript Library
3 PM - 4 PM (109 B) Sensory Break Room [Partner: RSO Actually Neurodivergent] Students can stop into this quiet space and decompress with fidget tools and other sensory items.
4 PM - 5 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Tissue Paper Flowers
4 PM - 5 PM (Room 346) Reading Day Relaxation with the Rare Book and Manuscript Library
4 PM - 5 PM (109 B) Sensory Break Room [Partner: RSO Actually Neurodivergent] Students can stop into this quiet space and decompress with fidget tools and other sensory items.
5 PM - 6 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Cheerio Bird Feeders
6 PM - 7 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Hole Punch Bookmarks Free Snacks
7 PM - 8 PM (Orange Room) Donuts!
8 PM - 9 PM (Orange Room) Craft: Marble Magnets Free Snacks

Dear (Name),
Eighteen-year-old Marland Nusk is a manifestor, one of the rare people in the world that can use magic. But having these powers is illegal. The only thing Marland’s ever wanted is to not have to hide who he really is, yet the people in his village would be terrified if they knew what he could really do.
Soon his fears come true; on the same day, his powers are accidentally revealed, and he accidentally uses them to kill someone. When his best friend is executed in his place by Eclipse Commander Cullen Starfang, Marland is given the choice to join Cullen, or surrender himself to the same fate.
Marland has always hated the Eclipse. After all, they’re the only group of manifestors authorized to use their powers freely, yet their sole purpose is to hunt other manifestors. They only hunt their own, and are praised by the public for keeping them safe. Marland could never be like them.
But in the Eclipse training program, Marland learns just how enjoyable it is to be able to cut loose with his powers. No more training in secret, he can finally be himself. But this comes at a cost when Marland realizes this feeling only comes in the heat of battle, something he’s tried to avoid his entire life.
Marland isn’t violent; he’s nothing like Commander Starfang. At least, that’s what he tells himself. Marland’s afraid he’s already slowly becoming like him, but mostly, he’s afraid of being what everyone already says he is: a monster. When Marland decides to take a chance and run away, even though he’ll die if he’s caught, nothing will stop him from living the free life he’s always dreamed of having.
Eclipse is a complete young adult fantasy novel at 97,600 words that can function as a standalone or the beginning of a series. The dark themes and humour will appeal to fans of Naomi Novik’s The Scholomance trilogy, and fans of Bethany Baptiste’s The Poisons We Drink will be drawn in by Eclipse’s rich world building and complex characters.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kind regards,
(name)
Special thanks to u/hedgehogwriting for all their help. I hope you see this!

When I (31F) first downloaded Bumble last year, I prayed I wouldn't fall into a traumatic experience. Finding love through an app would be like winning the lottery and that would be too much to ask for. A little bit about me: My last relationship was back in college, more than a decade ago. I'm very introverted. I have been working from home the past few years. I did try to put myself out there in the past by joining fun runs, travelling solo, and joining an outdoor club but I never really found anyone to date. I've always been hesitant to try dating apps until I realized that most couples around me found their SOs there. And so I thought I'd finally try it as a last resort. After a month of swiping (mostly left) and without any conversations really taking off, I turned on the snooze mode and didn't open the app again until February this year. This time, I told myself to be more vulnerable and share a little bit more about myself.
Mid-March, I matched with a guy (37M). He was an airline pilot and listed running as one of his interests. He was actually the first to message via the compliment feature, inviting me to travel together in the future. I opened the conversation saying I had the same book about running that he was reading in one of his photos. I felt that there was instant rapport and we quickly moved the conversation to Viber.
I had never met up with anyone from a dating app before but when he suggested we run together at UP one afternoon, I agreed even though it had just been a few days of chatting with each other. After all, the academic oval at UP was a familiar place and a safe space for me. I was confident enough in my physical appearance to meet up with a potential date in running clothes. Before we met, I wanted to check his Bumble profile so I could remember how he looked like. To my surprise, he had unmatched me. Still, we were communicating through Viber and he even called me the day before to confirm so I wasn't too worried. Besides, I thought that even if he didn't show up, I'd go for a walk in UP anyway.
We met each other one weekday afternoon across Palma Hall. Physically, he was quite my type. Slim, clean-cut, chinito features with moreno coloring, and a cute smile. I knew about the stereotype of pilots being cheaters but he never gave the impression of being arrogant or a playboy at all. On the contrary, he seemed calm and friendly but a little bit reserved. Just right. We talked about running, biking, travel, food, the outdoors...things I had always hoped to talk about whenever I met someone new, but also a little bit about politics and current events. We even talked about our families: parents and siblings, that is. I asked him about aviation, how the flight hours and shift schedules worked, and he answered them without hesitation. In the past, I had always worried about boring someone with my chatter (or lack thereof) but our conversation made me feel like an interesting person.
Once during our walk, he looked at his watch and said his heart rate was up. I then looked at my watch and said with surprise, "Mine's just 85." Normally, during physical activity, my HR would be a lot higher but I took this as a sign of how trustworthy this stranger was, that I could be so calm instead of being in fight or flight mode.
We walked 3 laps around the oval and talked for more than an hour. There was never a dull moment and neither of us reached for our phones, except when I took a photo of the sun setting behind the trees. He treated me to taho and after chatting a bit more, we parted ways with a cheek-to-cheek kiss. I was a little disappointed that we didn't have dinner and chat a little longer afterwards but, nevertheless, it was a good conversation and I was just happy that my first meetup wasn't a disaster. I had dinner by myself and I was in such a good mood, I even tipped the parking attendant 50 pesos (for good karma, I thought to myself). From the little things he did, like staying on the outer side of the oval to keep me safe from cars, to offering me water in case I was thirsty, I thought he was a gentleman, a good guy.
I always read that in online dating, people are less patient because they feel they have unlimited options, that the next swipe will be even better. In my experience, it's the opposite. There were only a few profiles that I considered and even less that made an effort to return the conversation no matter how much I personalized my introduction. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, so I tried to hold on to that match that seemed to have potential. I tried to be patient with the sometimes dry conversation and his busy schedule. After all, he would chat consistently and in real life, he seemed like a good guy.
We would chat regularly for a little more than a month after that. Our conversations were always SFW. We'd talk about what we had done that day and so he'd talk about where he was flying to next. We'd share about our daily jog or walk--10k in UP for him and 5k in our neighborhood for me. Mostly very mundane things, but I felt happy and warm to share a small part of someone's life. A few times, he would invite me out of town but I always flat out refused because we had only met once. Sometimes, I would think my refusal would be the end of our communication but he would still greet me "Good morning" or "Kamusta" the next day. Other times, he asked if he could visit me to hug me and say goodbye. I would refuse also because obviously, I didn't want to give my address to an almost "stranger."
He never asked me to send photos but I had sent photos of me watching a musical and me running just to add life to my stories, to which he'd reply "pretty" or "nakaka in-love." He would sometimes send photos of the food he was eating or the hotel he was staying at abroad but it was all very normal. One time, he sent a mirror selfie of himself in his pilot uniform (which he deleted today). Four stripes on the epaulet, so yes, a captain, but with the pin of a different airline on his necktie. I didn't want to confront him directly about this white lie but I did say that I kind of figured it out when a destination he mentioned flying to before wasn't served by the other airline. I tried searching for the name he gave me on Facebook, Instagram, and Google without any results but I figured some people just weren't big on social media. Maybe some people are just more concerned about their privacy, so used to their single life routine, and take a while to open up to others. After all, normally I'd be that person but for the sake of dating, I was trying to do otherwise.
He often told me how much he missed me and asked if I felt the same. In the beginning, I replied that I wanted to see him again before I could say it. After all, how can you miss someone you only met once? And I wanted to take everything he was saying with a grain of salt because he was probably chatting with multiple people anyway. But after we shared more about our daily life, I did begin to miss him. He would say he wished we could date and I replied we should meet again. Breakfast, lunch, merienda, afternoon walk, or dinner--any was good with me. We lived in the same city, how hard could it be to meet again? Last weekend, he said he had gotten his schedule for the month and that maybe this weekend we could meet up again.
This morning, we exchanged our usual "good morning" text. Just like the previous week, he was out of town for a few days. He said "May sasabihin ako:)" and I thought it would be something positive or at least a funny anecdote. But it was not. He started with how complicated he was, how he couldn't share some things with me because I probably wouldn't accept him otherwise and he didn't want what we had to end. Then he dropped the bomb: he was married and had kids. He kept saying sorry. I said I wish I knew earlier and no, I definitely didn't want to continue. And that was that.
How I wished I was ghosted instead or told that he had found someone else. Those would be a less traumatic ending to my first online dating experience. A part of me is in disbelief that this had come to an end in such a way but I also feel relieved to have dodged a bullet. Mostly though, I feel so disappointed with myself for being so naive, for having so little experience with dating that I didn't see the signs. Or was I desperate that when I finally found someone I thought I clicked with, I tolerated these white lies without confronting him about them? I always thought of myself as a good judge of character so whenever I'd have a shadow of doubt over this guy I was chatting with, I'd think about how I felt so at ease with him the one time we met. I always wanted to assume the best in people and if they had told a white lie, I'd take a mental note of it but I'd also think that they should have a good reason behind it. Nothing in his stories felt "too good to be true" so I would always take them as the truth. There were questions I had wanted to ask before but I never really thought I should ask "Are you married? Do you have kids?" I just assumed he was single and a busy guy.
Was it my good karma to have found out the truth in this early stage, before meeting him a second time and investing more of my feelings? Or will I have bad karma for being an accomplice to cheating, for almost being the kabit?
To A, I hope you can find love and happiness in your family life. Please stay off dating apps for good. No, I don't wish you ill. I always sincerely meant it all the times I texted "Ingat sa byahe!"
I couldn't work all afternoon and tried to keep my tears to myself. I thought that by writing this down, I could process my experience. I'd stop revisiting this dating experience in my head and move forward. Weeks ago, I placed my Bumble account on snooze mode yet again because I was content to chat with just one guy. Now, I think I'll keep it on snooze mode for a while until I have the courage and energy to swipe and introduce myself again. Paano ba makakahanap ng pag-ibig kung unang hakbang palang, nakaka-trauma na? I wonder, how many people on that app are truly single, not married, not in a relationship, and no kids? Finding an SO is really like winning the lottery but how difficult it is! After all, not everything that glitters is gold.

So, went to doctor yesterday he was a man ofc so he started beating around the bush advising like a coach or something that mf mansplaining me about how should women not touch the idol of lord shiva. As for it I'm Hindu I practice this religion tho I'm not fond of it very much as festivals are all about males not including few where women are worshipped as goddess. But stil there's festivals like ton of festivals where women can't even drink water or eat anything until she can't see moon for the health and longevity for her husband.
He said males' and females' energies are different so you should not touch lord shiva's idol. I told him it's myth because I already searched about it long ago but he didn't listen and started arguing saying that there's modernity and equality culture too much wokeness but he's saying that I should not touch the holy idol and he's saying what he's saying according to culture. Also, I remember once I went to temple and another man said not to touch idol of lord Hanuman.
Like wtf? So I should not touch idols of God because simply of my gender now? Is that so? Because I remember I visited a temple of a man who was kinda saint and his priest scared the shit Outta me and told me to not enter the temple simply I was just because a girl? I hate this world fr because idk why men have this much ego just because they are simply born with penis. If we're just soul then idts high ego and narcissim is something to brag about.

If anyone is looking to change energy supplier I highly recommend Octopus. They are honest and transparent, and by far the best supplier I've been with over the years, and I've been with more than my fair share. They have plenty of tariffs to chose from, so there is something for everyone.
Plus if you use our referral link we each get £50 off our energy bill! The offer is still active as of April so switch and save whilst you can.
Once you are signed up you can choose which tariff is right for you and save a bunch of money. Here's a few of their most popular tariffs:
Octopus Tracker - This is the one a lot of people are talking about and it has even made it on Money Saving Expert! This is the one we currently use and has saved us thousands since we've been on it. It tracks the wholesale price of electricity and gas and has been about 40% cheaper than the current standard variable rate for a while now. Prices on the tracker can go up as well as down but even last year the average was still lower than the government price guarantee and every standard variable rate, even through the thick of the energy crisis.
Octopus Flux Import - Power your home with 100% renewable energy on this Octopus Energy electricity tariff designed exclusively for solar and battery owners.
Agile Octopus - With Agile Octopus, you get access to half-hourly energy prices, tied to wholesale prices and updated daily. The unit rate is capped at 100p/kWh (including VAT). Recently there have been a few days when prices have been negative, so you get paid to use energy! This is a great tariff for those who's can shift their energy usage easily.
Octopus Go - The smart EV tariff with super cheap electricity between 00:30 - 04:30 every night.
Cosy Octopus - Cosy Octopus is a heat pump tariff with six hours of super cheap electricity every day to warm your home.
Octoplus - On top of everything else Octopus offer, they are also relaunching their Octopus energy saving incentive, Octoplus, where you get paid to use less energy during peak times over the winter. Whilst this is a winter incentive, you also get extras for being an Octopus member all year round, such as a free Greggs drink each week and currently free tickets to National Trust sites. Also reduced price cinema tickets.
No other energy supplier doing anywhere near as much as Octopus are for their customers. If you think one of these tariffs may be right for you and your family then click on the referral link and we can both benefit from it!
Switching is so easy these days. Just click the link, full in your details and Octopus will handle the rest.
Enjoy your day!
https://share.octopus.energy/wheat-frog-223

https://share.octopus.energy/wheat-frog-223
If anyone is looking to change energy supplier I highly recommend Octopus. They are honest and transparent, and by far the best supplier I've been with over the years, and I've been with more than my fair share. They have plenty of tariffs to chose from, so there is something for everyone.
Plus if you use our referral link we each get £50 off our energy bill! The offer is still active as of April so switch and save whilst you can.
Once you are signed up you can choose which tariff is right for you and save a bunch of money. Here's a few of their most popular tariffs:
Octopus Tracker - This is the one a lot of people are talking about and it has even made it on Money Saving Expert! This is the one we currently use and has saved us thousands since we've been on it. It tracks the wholesale price of electricity and gas and has been about 40% cheaper than the current standard variable rate for a while now. Prices on the tracker can go up as well as down but even last year the average was still lower than the government price guarantee and every standard variable rate, even through the thick of the energy crisis.
Octopus Flux Import - Power your home with 100% renewable energy on this Octopus Energy electricity tariff designed exclusively for solar and battery owners.
Agile Octopus - With Agile Octopus, you get access to half-hourly energy prices, tied to wholesale prices and updated daily. The unit rate is capped at 100p/kWh (including VAT). Recently there have been a few days when prices have been negative, so you get paid to use energy! This is a great tariff for those who's can shift their energy usage easily.
Octopus Go - The smart EV tariff with super cheap electricity between 00:30 - 04:30 every night.
Cosy Octopus - Cosy Octopus is a heat pump tariff with six hours of super cheap electricity every day to warm your home.
Octoplus - On top of everything else Octopus offer, they are also relaunching their Octopus energy saving incentive, Octoplus, where you get paid to use less energy during peak times over the winter. Whilst this is a winter incentive, you also get extras for being an Octopus member all year round, such as a free Greggs drink each week and currently free tickets to National Trust sites. Also reduced price cinema tickets.
No other energy supplier doing anywhere near as much as Octopus are for their customers. If you think one of these tariffs may be right for you and your family then click on the referral link and we can both benefit from it!
Switching is so easy these days. Just click the link, full in your details and Octopus will handle the rest.
Enjoy your day!
https://share.octopus.energy/wheat-frog-223

This is not to say that cars today aren’t colorful or lack distinctive graphics. But for some reason the cars of the prior era have this vibrancy that today’s cars lack.
Think of the Kasey Kahne #9, the Elliott Sadler #38, the Tony Stewart #20, the Sterling Marlin #40. Those reds, yellows, oranges, and silvers really seemed to pop. Cars today with the exact same colors all look a bit matted. They also don’t reflect sunlight or track lights in the same way. You can even compare the Byron throwback flame scheme to Gordon’s DuPont cars of the early 2000s, and there’s a clear difference in vibrancy of the red and blue.
Is it purely down to the fact that the cars today are wrapped? Is it the how the TV picture is produced? Or is it something else?

I recently bought a box full of mold risk monster high dolls. Alot of these dolls are on the rarer side and I am afraid to soak all the fabric in vinegar to cleanse them. Do you think that vinegar acts like bleach and removes/ruins the color of potentially dyed monster high doll clothing? I need to make sure that these dolls don't grow mold.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdr00OYtn2RxQJkWooH4MW1qYJoDqEvHu
So i found this guy on youtube that makes "eurobeat" songs with heavy help from AI. It's pretty obvious that the lyrics and cover pictures are made by AI, and they admitted that their vocal synthesizer was AI-powered too. Not 100% sure whether the instrumentals are AI made as well but i wouldnt be surprised.
Anyway what are your thoughts on their music? I think that some of the songs sound pretty good and have the high-energy electro that parallels Eurobeat, even if they really don't sound that much like eurobeat. Im indifferent to the use of AI, but it's not like he's that popular anyway.

hello! I was wondering if anyone would be able to name this tower defence style game from the late 2000s? The setting was in this mythical/enchanted forest and I think you were a magical forest guardian wearing a tribal mask and riding some kind of antelope, defending a sacred tree from monsters. I remember the overall art being pretty colorful and tribal. Like most tower defense games you could unlock better, stronger mythical creatures to fight as you cleared levels. There was a special boost feature where you could blow this ox horn once per level to summon a strong dragon like creature to help fight, I remember using it a lot because I hadn't unlocked that character yet. Anyways, I really loved it as a kid but i can't find a single piece of info on it now and im almost convinced it was a fever dream. Please tell me this game existed and I'm not crazy?

I haven't played yugioh in a long time. I used to play when i was a kid and then a few years back me and my friends bought some up to date decks to battle and we found ourselves incredibly bored with the pace of the battles.
I think what made battles exciting especially in the anime was the buildup to the climax of the fight, where each one summons his strongest monster after multiple turns of setup and back and forth and i feel like this build up of tension is just gone.
You'l see 10 diferent extra deck 3000 atk point monsters each turn and they vanish just as quickly, theres so much going on that if you dont know what the other player's card does then youre screwed since you wont ask for him to explain the effect of each of the 10 cards he just used.
Its not even so much what you do outside the field, the searching the deck, graveyard effects and all that are too much and a problem for sure. But the main issue is the field play, the field is suposed to be the visual aspect that represents the status of the duel.
You see one side has a strong monster on field while the other has weak ones and you imediately know the status of it, while still leaving room for twists and turns in the duel.
But when each turn theres 10 monsters that are cycled to summon weaker ones to then use effects from the graveyard plus some random deck monster effects and a bunch of other bullshit you lose the coerence of it, theres no possibility of storytelling in the duels which is what made them so fun in the first place.
with all that being said, what if we added a gamemode that had some sort of energy meter to it, to possibly slow down the game a bit and make it more metodical, each decision carying a greater impact in the long term of the game.
Again my idea may be completely ridiculous but hear me out.
Lets say you have a 10 spaces energy bar, you start at 5 in a duel and you gain 4/5 per turn.
Normal summoning stays the same, you can do it once per turn, no energy wasted.
Now for the actual costs, the costs would be based on where the card that was targetted/affected by the effect comes and where it goes, not based on where the card that activated the effect comes or goes.
In the case of targetting itself then the first case applies obviously.
Also i dont have a card deck to test this values right now so they would probably need to be balanced better with the costs and all that but these are just the general concept of what it could look like.
Special summoning from your hand to the field -> 1 energy
Special summoning from ExtraDeck to the field -> 1 energy
Special summoning from the deck to the field -> 2 energy
Special summoning from the graveyard to the field -> 1 energy
Adding from the deck to the hand -> 1 energy
Adding from the graveyard to the hand -> 1 energy *
Sending from the hand to the deck -> 1 energy
Sending from hand to the graveyard -> 1 energy
I dont think its necessary to tax any transaction from the field to other places, since as ive said the focus is on fthe field being the main game space where the actual duel happens and progresses, so a cost to take a card of the field seems pointless since thats what im trying to incentivise. More field play and less special summoning from outside it.
I also would find it interesting to entangle this resource to the only other resource in yugioh - your cards in hand.
I know card advantage is one of the most important things in yugioh and its the reason most of the early draw cards were so overpowered and needed to be banned, but i feel like with the addition of this extra energy resource you could play around it a bit.
So my proposal would be to a player to be able to draw an extra card on their draw phase for 2 energy (could of course be changed depending if its too low of a cost).
Another interesting mechanic to this system would be the overdrive.
Overdrive would be essentially an "all in" mechanic, where even if you dont have energy for a determined play you can still use it once that turn.
Lets say you have 1 energy and you wanna special summon a monster from the deck (2 energy), you can still do it but youl enter overdrive mode.
Now in the next turn youl receive (standart energy per turn - extra energy ( energy you consumed but didnt have) - 1 (so youre always at a loss)
*( this one would have to change since iif its the same value for summoning from the graveyard to the field as from the graveyard to the hand then there wouldnt be much of a point to use the latter)
I intend on developing this concept in my free time to just see if i can find a yugioh gamemode that i truly enjoy and that can replicate those of the old shows. I know yugioh was always this complex on the competitive side, its not like modern yugioh was the one to bring that, but nowadays its not just the competitive scene with their crazy built decks, all standart decks play the same way, and i think an energy based mechanic like this could solvethis issue, slowing down the game and making you think more carefully about your decisions, giving more weight to every card you place, which was the whole point of the game imo.

Got my first ever sore, all my fault i guess. 20 hour bender drinking vodka sodas with loads of lime and 2 packs of cigarettes. Next morning when i woke up and ate roof of my mouth got swollen and i kept pocking it with my tongue within a few hours it turned into a wound. Im convinced its the excessive acidity from all the lime and lemons in the vodka..
Tomorrow I have a work gala blacktie event with three course meal open bar, DJ….. once a year thing but I cant decide if i should even go - i cant drink i cant eat i cant smoke… i havent slept so no energy to dance and enjoy myself. I cant talk. But the fomo. Whats worse completely missing out on an event uve been waiting for for a year or being there and unable to eat drink smoke and just sit there in pain watching other people have fun….
Is it even possible to enjoy social events with this thing in ur mouth and pain..

We will be in Lisbon for four days. I have some questions about the itinerary.
This is the itinerary we came up with: Lisbon proper day: (not in order of how we will do it): Aqueduto das Águas Livres Santa Justa Lift Lisbon cathedral Time out market Carmo Convent Arco da Rua Augusta Rua Cor de Rosa *not 100% sold we need to see this GuruWalks walking tour *would be nice if we had time Belem Tower Monastery of Jerónimos LX Factory Alfma neighborhood National Tile Museum Ponto restaurant *seen it all over Instagram but is it worth it?
Concert day: tram 28 (just hop on early and see the sights that way), concert (we want to save most of our energy for the concert so we don’t have a lot planned), bairro alto post concert for food/drinks
Sintra day trip: moinho dom quixote sintra Peña palace (+gardens) Quinta da Regaleira (+park) Moorish castle *is this a must see? Palácio Nacional de Sintra Try Travesseiros de Sintra Praia da Ursa
Beach day: costa de caparica or cascais.
My questions are is this all possible or is it too much? Is there anything I’m missing or I should remove? Any restaurants you would recommend?

It doesn't matter how hard you try or how many times you repeatedly get knocked down and crawl back up onto the proverbial horse. Pulling yourself up by your boot straps and facing another day is all for nothing. There aren't any truly good people in this world. From my experience, everyone lies, cheats, steals, manipulates and strives to take advantage of others consistently. We are slaves to work. We are slaves to money. We are slaves to the never-ending task of eating. Even that has increased monetarily and countless people die of starvation, even in the USA. The vast majority eat junk food, because healthy food is too expensive. Our health is declinijg as a result. We work through our best, most productive hours each day. However, those hours are usually spent making another company succeed or fail....not us individually. The cost of living is sky rocketing and even as minimum wage is rising to $15/hr, that's woefully inadequate for even basic survival. We hide incessantly in any form of entertainment we can find. That's why musicians, actors/actresses and athletes are treated like God's. They give us an escape from hell...temporarily. We reward them with millions of dollars as a result. The suicide rate amongst these "God's of society" is staggering. Even they are secretly miserable. We can't see the cancer, because it surrounds us and we've grown accusotmed to the stage 4 illness. Our young children are in daycare and raised by other people, while we give our heart and minds to an industry that could care less about our well being and feed on their own villainous greed. Our kids suffer, society suffers and everyday seems like a total waste of time and energy. We are all slowly dying in an endless cycle of chaos. We are taught that it's normal and just go with the flow. We are taught to put our own needs aside and help others, when nobody helps us on return. Religion and spirituality are both lies of the highest order. We all live a pathetic life, that's mostly empty and void of true joy...and then we die. Everyone dies. Nothing matters. Aside from technological advances, society is declining at a rapid pace. All of our hard work is for nothing. All of our carefully chosen words and diligent actions propell society into the mud. Women are taught that they lack beauty and the cosmetic industry makes trillions of dollars from actively clawing out the self esteem of women, so they are now dependent on their product. Little girls are lied to and before they can even think for themselves, they are catapulted into a lie that this world embraces. They watch their mothers fall helplessly into the trap the world has set. They in turn mirror that dehavior. They dawn eye liner, lip stick mascara, blush, hair color and various other make up components to construct their self esteem...because society has eagerly stripped them of it voluntarily (for the vast accumulation of money). That is sickening and revolting. Young men and women are filtered through the military. They suffer mental anguish and war. They suffer from untold stories of P.T.S.D. so this country can stay corrupt and vile. The government couldn't care less about the wounded, the dead and the mental suffering...as long as they get their billion dollar defense contracts. This world has no ethics, no morals and no real sense of direction. We are all thrown into the fire from birth. So...yeah, it doesn't matter. We are all just fuel for the fire. The smoke slowly disappears and the ashes of our valiant efforts are left behind. It's all for nothing. The lie that life is worth living, might be the biggest one out there. They want you to keep living, because you're a cow in the pasture. The top 1% need the dedicated sacrifice of their "cattle" to fund their luxurious lifestyles. If you commit suicide, they lose money from all the things you're addicted to. It's one less hand stuffing their pockets. So, they need you to stay alive. Life is not worth living. Life is simply a dirty joke perpetuated on the masses. I could keep going, but hopefully you see my point....it doesn't matter anyway.

TW: Self-harm, suicide, mental illness (I wasn't sure whether or not to mark this as NSFW)
When I was a child (now 16M), my parents fought often. Physical fights, verbal fights, all of it. Like, my mother dropped a cup. It broke and they started beating each other up over that. When I was six, maybe seven (or around that. Or younger) she drank toilet cleaner to kill or hurt herself.
My father sent her to the hospital a few times. Head injuries happened too. I was beaten too (don't remember how often). My father once broke down crying while I was sleeping with him. He once yelled at me that it was all my fault. My mother thought he was cheating on her, he thought she wasn't a 'good woman' or whatever, and that was pretty much the basis of their fighting.
I tried my best to mediate the fights. Tried to get them to apologize, all that kid stuff.
I was a straight A student (no friends. Didn't want those. And socially awkward) and the fights kind of mellowed out after I turned eight. Just...fizzled out. However, there were still issues (just verbal stuff. I think. My memory's grown blurry). And after COVID came, I got bored of class and started doing stuff on my phone. One day I just found an article on Asian Parenting and some criticisms of it and that's when the first thought that what I was going through wasn't normal came up.
(This is important for later) They put me in the Cambridge Board in sixth grade.
My grades slipped during COVID by a ton (not depression or anything. Just boredom). This was seventh and eighth grade, I think. Again, memories are blurry for me these days.
I wasn't really the most sane child either. I was kind of spoiled and bratty (I pulled a knife on my mother after she interrupted a video game I was playing. Pushed her too). I think I might have a personality disorder (to those of you who want to lecture me about self-diagnosing, please, tell my parents to take me to a therapist. They'll whack you over the head and slam the door in your face. Then they'll lecture/scold me).
I got friends in eight grade though. Which was nice. Three girls, one of whom turned out to have a crush on me (that ended badly with me just trying to ignore her advances until she outright spelled it out, and then telling her I wasn't interested but wanted to stay friends. Then I accidentally offended her. She said she wanted a sibling, I told her to ask her parents -as a joke- and it turns out her mother had an operation on her fallopian tube. Awwwwwwwwkwaaaaaaard).
Come ninth and tenth, something happened. Well, first off, we shifted states. Second, my mother's father died. She went off the deep end after that. Started doing the same things she did when I was a kid. She would constantly badmouth my father and his family (she blamed him for her father's death). This led to several physical altercations. I tried to get my little brother (who I have also been horrible to. Not as in, terrible terrible. Asian parents level, I guess. I'm trying to be better) to not watch, but he insisted on trying to stop them.
He really is my brother, I suppose. As self-destructive as I am.
My two remaining friends stopped contacting me after I moved, despite them all promising to keep in touch. Well, one of them pretty much stopped contacting me months before. I'm not sure why (I might've mentioned wanting to talk to their sister again. I swear, I didn't have a crush or anything. I'd only spoken to their sister once and spent half the conversation laughing since she was funny so I just wanted to do it again. My social skills weren't great at this time. They still aren't. I also misgendered them a few times on accident, but I don't think that was the issue since I apologized and did get their gender right later on).
Yeah, so my grades were kind of weird during this time. The board wasn't easy nor was it difficult. But I could barely muster up the energy to actually study (habits from COVID. Also, maybe some fatigue from my parents). I didn't get terrible grades but they weren't picture-perfect either. But that's partially because (apparently) some of the science teachers took questions from 11th year past papers.
Ultimately, I am currently waiting for my Board results (they went fairly well if I say so myself. I'd say, at least a B for everything other than French. At least. Hopefully).
For ninth grade: I had a friend (female), but I never really talked about this stuff with her.
Physical fights at my house were common. My dad beat me up sometimes too (or at the very least, insulted me with hurtful comments. I don't think he understood how deep they really cut).
My father left the country mid-year, leaving me with my mother and brother. My mother continued her muttering, and sometimes she even broke furniture when she was having a bad day (and slapped my brother around when she was mad and he was being slightly annoying). She slammed a cabinet door so hard the glass broke. Then she broke another cabinet door.
However, during this time I think I might've suffered from some kind of disorder. Mild form of depression, maybe. I'd enter these 'episodes' (not sure how else to describe them) of constant negative and self-deprecating thinking. Suicide attempts (Usually consisted of me trying to smother myself with a pillow, strangle myself, or slit my wrists with a geometry compass) and self-harm (biting, sometimes banging my head on the wall, and stabbing myself with a pen -this wasn't hard enough to bleed).
The pain helped drown everything else out.
This was the year I discovered my bisexuality too. And tenth grade was the grade I fell in love. Hard. Like, 'Fire Meet Gasoline' by Sia (am I getting old? I feel like this is kind of reference someone from the nineties would make) kind of hard. And yes, I'm fairly certain this was love rather than a crush. So, this guy I knew from ninth grade (cold, used to joke he had this 'sociopath serial killer look', worked with him and that one friend I made in ninth for a school project) was there, and I just invited him to sit with me and my friend, and then stuff snowballed.
He was hilarious, charming (to some people, at least) and most of all: he was challenging. Not in a bad way, just very snarky and stuff.
He's aromantic and asexual. I insisted on touching him (hugs, hand-holding, sometimes even resting my head in his lap and touching his hair). He never said no to it, though I didn't think he liked it either. But personally, I think I was touch-starved and just really needed physical affection of some kind. Oh, and also, now that I think about it, he might've been the one person to hug me in years. I tutored him for math in ninth and he hugged me after getting a good grade. That friend I made before him wasn't really into physical affection much.
Alongside that, I often made comments about him. Not sexual stuff (though I did tell him he was handsome a few times. He has a habit of downgrading himself which I find both kind of weird and adorable, and I enjoy setting the record straight for him), more like 'I would set the world on fire for you' kind of simpy crap.
So, yeah. I'm pretty sure everyone knew about this in my class. I'm pretty sure half the class already might've thought we were dating (though I've heard rumors about me and that girl too, which just...no. We are friends. She is not my type). I caught some guys looking at us weirdly (not homophobic, I think. Just curious) and I think a part of me enjoyed the attention on the two of us (like "This is mine, you got that fucker? Stare all you want, but if you come an inch closer I'll rip your jaw off").
I got jealous when any guy came close to him. Even his cousin (look, Targaryens did it, why not this guy? Yes, I'm an idiot). He once jokingly asked if I was jealous of his mother too and I pondered whether or not saying the truth was worth it.
I confessed ages ago. He told me he wasn't interested in me that way. We're still best friends and I'm slowly getting over it (yes, I still want to kiss him, but it's less intense, I guess?). Oh, and he was the first person I told about my parents. Afterwards I told the girl I'm friends with as well, and I also somehow managed to make two more friends/ friendly acquaintances. So I guess that support system is nice.
The girl I'm friends with even asked her mother to bring me food since they are convinced I'm being starved. Which, honestly? They might have a point about (before this I always had hunger pangs till lunch since breakfast was usually small. And even after lunch, sometimes it wasn't enough. I just ignored it. I might've even preferred it since I was also more self-conscious about my looks and weight).
Oh, and I also fell for some other guy (this is way more schoolboy crush stuff). Some guy who I'm pretty sure has seen all of my most embarrassing moments (running away after he asked me a question, yelling 'WHERE' after the soccer team asked me to get their ball for them despite it literally being a metre or so away -I couldn't see it- and saying some pretty stupid things).
He invited me to a party (celebration for the end of 10th grade Boards) and I saw him dancing with another guy (It was a waltz. A fucking waltz. My black, hollow husk of a heart chipped off a few ashes after seeing it). And I was emotionally immature enough to slam my glass of lemonade down on the table (I don't think anyone noticed, but if he did, I want to apologize. It was his birthday and I might've ruined it).
He also politely rejected me when I suggested keeping in touch over the break (to be fair, we barely know each other and I think he might've realized I had a crush. My reasons for keeping in touch were just platonic, though I might've hoped something more would develop).
This was easier to get over than the first guy. That was also how I discovered my type was 'Hard/Impossible to get'. I've heard Scorpios like challenges, but I never really got that (wasn't interested in academic stuff, though I can be competitive in sports) until I realized that I fell for the standard 'popular boy who is super nice but also in a drastically different social circle' and the 'asexual, aromantic guy'.
Pretty much nobody knows about either of these except maybe the people involved.
Anyway, so, all of this shit happens. Break starts and my father comes back to the country. Some more fights happen, and it turns out he wants me to do freaking IIT. Now, just to explain something: I have been doing Cambridge for over four years. I am used to things being fairly easy for me because this Board came way more easily to me.
Also, I had no interest in IIT. I was willing to do Computer Science and STEM if that's what my parents wanted (though I in truth just wanted to get an economics degree), but while I did get that IIT was a great opportunity, I just didn't want to put in the extra effort when I was already doing well in my previous Board. And the effort is a lot. Like, people who study for this from sixth can't get a good ranking. I'm starting from eleventh.
IIT is based on the state board in my country and it is way harder. The foundational math they teach these students (the stuff they learn in eighth and ninth) is more difficult than any tenth grade stuff I was doing. And the teachers are absolute- ugh! They're bunny hopping from topic to topic like (hold on, let me think of a good, hilarious example)...like rabbits on steroids and caffeine!
The classes are boring as fuck. It doesn't help that I never wanted to do this either. My lack of choice (and my parents literally said I didn't have a choice when I asked, despite me laying down all the reasons this was a bad idea) was probably the main reason I'm struggling. I hate being forced into anything.
Self-study is impossible too because the books fucking suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
I've also been self-harming a lot more recently. I have scars all over the bottom of my left wrist (my parents don't particularly care. Or they just haven't noticed, which I find kind of odd seeing as I don't go about making any extra effort to cover it up. I just figured I'd tell them a cat did it or something, but they never asked. Half of the scars are from times my father was home).
The only time my Mother noticed was when they were on my neck (remember I said I was trying to be a good brother? Emphasis on trying. I'm an abusive piece of shit one day and he was screaming and I was angry and he kept hitting me and swearing at me so I just lost it. He's eight). I stormed into my room after leaving him a sobbing mess on the floor and just started hacking at my arm with a geometry compass. Remember the personality disorder thing?
I moved on to my neck, dragging three long vertical lines (the cuts were shallow, thankfully). I contemplated plunging them into my eyes (this is something I've thought about often. After all, my parents can't force me to do anything if I'm blind, right?) but decided against it. I told my mother my brother scratched me (he does this often. She cut his nails afterward, which, makes me feel even worse for hating her because I think she genuinely does care. But at the same time, she's a paranoid, mentally ill person who picks fights with people often and was partially responsible for making my childhood and even my latter teenage years miserable thanks to constant physical and verbal fights with my father).
I told my friends it was a cat. The girl seemed to believe me, but the guy (the one I had a crush on) may not have brought it as easily. I've been way more honest about my self-harming and suicidal tendencies with him (though sometimes I feel like I'm just burdening him. Which, honestly? I probably am. But it feels good to have someone validate that this situation sucks and to actually show me care. My father tries, but it feels like everything's tainted with resentment toward him. I don't want to stop hating him, partially because I don't think he deserves it and because he still hasn't stopped being a complete dick. I mean, sure, he's better than before, but that's more due to him growing old and exhausted thanks to my mother than anything else).
The guy has his own problems (he thinks he suffers from ADHD. He mentioned that he knows some relatives who have the same and has attention issues to the point where he skips important information in an actual test. Like, outright stated information that would make the answers crystal clear). He's told me that I'm not burdening him since either way he'd still be suffering the same problems (he isn't the most empathetic person in the world, but that's more due to him not really showing his empathy. He's probably been my biggest supporter through all of this. Also, I got 16 on a quiz for empathy while he got around 48, so...)
Alongside that, another thing about me: I think I might be suffering from Apathy or Anhedonia. It's hard to find genuine pleasure in some activities (it's gotten better recently. Partially due to this guy -I should give him a fake name but I'm too lazy- but it still feels like I'm just going through the motions on most days).
Back to academics?
So yeah, I wasn't really surprised when I got 30% in the final exam (I'm doing IIT Coaching over the summer break). Which was a couple of days ago. My mother pretty much dropped that out of the blue (I didn't know the results had come out) with my father on call and he just slapped his forehead and started muttering. We were having a decent conversation till then (I've been trying my best to avoid him and his calls, but the few ones we've had recently have been fine. Not affectionate, at least not on my side. But calm. Maybe cold).
So yeah. I just, I think I might've kind of just dissociated there. Cut the call, blocked his number (my mother does this often with him too. Like, just cut the call regardless of whatever he's saying. She pretty much just despises him and his family), and then just ran to my room. I've been trying my best to avoid speaking to him too.
Which brings us to today. He called me again, asked me why I was avoiding him (I hate him. Also, some of these conversations genuinely mess with my head and I'd rather not have more negative thoughts about myself than I already do), reminded me that there are people on the streets who make it to the top, asked me if I was gonna be able to do IIT or not (this was where I was an idiot. I just shouted 'I told you I wasn't going to be able to do IIT!". And I did. I made it clear plenty of times. I don't want to work hard. At least, not to the level he wants me to work hard. And I struggle with motivation most of the time too. I don't know if it's a side-effect of my own crappy mental health or just laziness.)
He asked me why I wasn't more ambitious. I'm not. I'm really not. Sure, I have delusions of grandeur and talk a big game to my friends. But they and I all know it's just talk. My dreams are largely just domestic. A husband, two kids, stuff like that (sometimes I fantasize about being pregnant). Would I like a ton of money? Sure. But ultimately, what I want is a choice which he took from me.
I wish I was more ambitious. But half the time I just feel empty and bored. I only really come alive when I'm with my friends. Or when I'm singing, or reading. Otherwise, everything just feels like going through the motions.
He told me that he was a railway conductor's son who became an engineer and I'm an engineer's son who became nothing. I'm dragging his name through the mud, all that.
So yeah. He cut the call afterwards. I broke down crying in front of my mother telling her that I wasn't ambitious and that I just wanted to study and leave (I don't think I communicated myself clearly here. What I ultimately want is to study what I want to study and leave. Preferably with my father's financial support because there's no way I can get a scholarship, but I'd be willing to do without if I really, really had to).
I don't know why I got so emotional. I feel idiotic. I really don't want to face my mother. She tried to console me, but I don't think she even understood why I was upset. Just told me that her parents used to say far worse.
So yeah. This is a full ramble on everything that's happened in my life in the last few years. Everything I wish people knew about me so instead of just seeing me as an idiot (which I am), they'd just, I don't know, acknowledge that something happened to fuck me up like this. A combination of genetics (I don't know whether or not whatever my mother has is genetic, but I think so. Personally, I tend to phrase it as 'madness runs in my blood' because it sounds cooler and I'm a diehard House Targaryen fan, but the base idea is the same, I guess) and crappy circumstance.
And before anyone says this: I'm aware that I have it better than most people here. I get away with words and insults that most people wouldn't (though in my mother's case, that's largely because she just doesn't care much). This isn't a grief pageant, as your rules so plainly put it.
Am I doing this for attention? A part of me thinks so. But I just wanted to get this out.
Sorry if it's hard to read.
​

Ugh. I don’t know how to describe it.
I recently had a medical procedure that had me home from work for 10 work days. My surgeon wanted at least 15 but I couldn’t afford it so… plus I was kinda getting cabin fever. Well my dog was. It was funny. He started spending time anywhere but with me and then I went back to work and he’s back to clingy as ever. Really sweet lol.
I’m just. So irritated. By everything. Everyone pisses me off right now. I keep crying over dumb shit. I’m tired but I don’t want to sleep. I don’t want to be at work. I don’t want to be at home. I don’t want to be anywhere really. I’m just exhausted.
The world and all its stressors feel so heavy. Not that they’re only on my shoulders but that I’m also trying to stand up straight while there’s chains shorter than I am holding the weight to the ground. It feels so impossibly heavy to exist.
I love my job. I want to quit. I want a second job. I want to be jobless and write books and paint pictures. I have no imagination. My imagination is so vivid it hurts. I don’t know who I am. I barely know where I am half the time.
I just want to go off into the woods for a few years and do my own thing. Ten days wasn’t enough. It was also too much.
I think part of it is just how unsuccessful my boss was at making sure my coverage was well supported. My job is weird and specific and I only had 6 hours granted to train. It took me a month to get the hang of it. My coverage did well. My boss and other coworkers made it very very hard for my coverage but they got it done. I’ve just gotta do some cleanup on a few things they didn’t have time or expertise for.
I am exhausted yet full of energy. Mostly rage. I want to fucking scream as loud and as long as I can and then sob until I shrivel up like a worm in the sun. But I also want to just be silent. Be held.
I don’t know who I am or what I want or what the fuck is happening. I am so so tired. I want to rest but there isn’t enough rest in all the world it feels.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to phrase this to bring what I feel across properly. I’m so empty yet I feel composed of solid rock. I don’t know. I’m just sad I guess. Nothing important.

Light plays a pivotal role in the bustling world of logistics and distribution, where efficiency is paramount and every penny counts. Warehouses, the nerve centers of supply chains, rely heavily on adequate illumination to ensure smooth operations, worker safety, and overall productivity. In this, we delve into why LED warehouse lighting has emerged as the preferred choice for businesses seeking to optimize their warehouse environments.
https://ledmyplace.ca/collections/led-warehouse-lighting

The Evolution of Illumination

Before we delve into the specifics of LED warehouse lighting, let's appreciate the journey of illumination technology. From the days of incandescent bulbs to the era of fluorescent tubes, warehouses have witnessed various lighting revolutions. However, each innovation brought challenges, including high energy consumption, frequent maintenance, and poor light quality.

Enter LED Technology

The advent of LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology marked a paradigm shift in the lighting world. LEDs offer many advantages over traditional lighting sources, making them the go-to warehouse solution worldwide. So, what makes LED warehouse lighting so compelling? Let's explore some of the key reasons:
1. Unparalleled Energy Efficiency
One of the most significant advantages of LED warehouse lighting is its exceptional energy efficiency. LEDs consume significantly less energy than traditional lighting sources, such as incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. This translates to substantial cost savings on electricity bills for warehouse operators, especially in facilities with large footprints that require extensive lighting.
2. Longevity and Durability
LED fixtures boast an impressive lifespan that surpasses traditional lighting options. With an average lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours, LED bulbs can last several times longer than incandescent or fluorescent lamps. This extended lifespan reduces the frequency of replacements and minimizes maintenance costs and downtime, allowing warehouse operations to run smoothly without interruptions.
3. Superior Light Quality
LED warehouse lighting offers superior light quality compared to conventional lighting sources. LEDs produce bright, uniform illumination that enhances visibility and reduces glare, creating a safer and more comfortable working environment for warehouse staff. Additionally, LEDs are available in various color temperatures, allowing warehouse operators to customize lighting to suit specific tasks and preferences.
4. Instantaneous On/Off Capability
Unlike traditional lighting options, which may require time to warm or cool down, LED fixtures offer instantaneous on/off capability. This means warehouse operators can quickly adjust lighting levels to respond to changing operational needs without any delays or performance degradation. The ability to control lighting with precision enhances flexibility and efficiency in warehouse operations.
5. Environmental Sustainability
In an era where sustainability is a top priority for businesses, LED warehouse lighting shines as a beacon of eco-friendliness. LEDs are free from hazardous materials such as mercury, making them safer for the environment and human health. Moreover, their energy-efficient design helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the carbon footprint of warehouse operations.
6. Enhanced Safety and Security
Proper lighting is essential for ensuring the safety and security of warehouse facilities. LED warehouse lighting provides bright, uniform illumination that improves visibility and reduces the risk of accidents and injuries. Additionally, LEDs can be equipped with advanced features such as motion sensors and dimming controls, further enhancing safety and security while optimizing energy usage.

Conclusion: A Bright Future Ahead

Adopting LED warehouse lighting represents a significant step forward for businesses looking to optimize their warehouse environments. With unparalleled energy efficiency, longevity, superior light quality, and many other benefits, LED technology offers a compelling solution for warehouses seeking to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and embrace sustainability. As technology advances, LED warehouse lighting will undoubtedly play a central role in illuminating the path toward a brighter, more efficient future for warehouse operations worldwide.

The diagnostic criteria for allism spectrum disorder (asd) includes social interaction impairments, repetive behavior patterns and sensory deficiencies. Allism (not being an autist) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests in various ways that impair many cognitive and other functions, such as having a severely limited ability to communicate directly.
Estimates on prevalence vary, but even as many as 97 out of 100 people worldwide have allism. This makes it important to raise awareness and acceptance. It is important to notice that even though a person is allistic it does not necessarily mean they are mentally impaired, even though conditions like pathological need to conform to imaginary rules or sensory dullness do show significant comorbidity with allism.
The symptoms of allism often go unrecognized by doctors, but anybody can be allistic. This questionnaire was created for easy allism self assessment. For every positive answer you might score – you know how much; just add and substract in the end like a normal person would.
A. Difficulties in social interaction
1. When having a one to one conversation, do you feel an urge to stare at the other person’s eyes?
2. Do you often communicate by inaccurate or random expressions that do not convey what you mean, for example by saying “I can’t come as I’m busy” instead of “I don’t like that place”?
3. When at a social event, do you ritually reduce conversations to trivial details like commenting the weather or listing social interactions you have had, instead of seeking deeper understanding of subjects, like the blood pressure and cardiovascular evolution of a giraffe?
4. Do you find factual accuracy irrelevant in a discussion and get easily irritated if someone corrects your obvious errors?
5. Do you often neglect the actual content of the sentences said to you and insist there is a hidden or non-verbal message, often intended to insult?
6. Do you ask questions and then get offended if you get answers to them?
7. Are you offended by directness?
B. Limitations in organized thinking and dependency on norms and stereotypes
7. Do you avoid saying what you know is right because you are afraid of the reaction of others?
8. Do you engage in tribalistic behavior such as attempts to control your social status (“reputation”) by following expectations of others?
9. Do you get upset if someone questions the validity of a rule that has no grounds?
10. Do you get offended if someone tells you they mean exactly what they said if that is different from what you think you would mean in the same situation?
C. Lack of cognitive and sensory capabilities
11. Do you have difficulties remembering tiny details, licence plates or words spoken years ago?
12. Is it difficult for you to pay full attention to minute details when concentrating on the big picture?
13. Are you bad at recognizing patterns?
14. When doing decisions, are you repeatedly distracted by expected social perception instead of concentrating on concrete objects and information?
15. Do you get bored if you are alone with your thoughts for long periods of time?
16. Do you have such a low sensory awareness so that you have to specifically stop and concentrate to notice obvious things like the sound of wind or the smell of a room?
17. Do you expect people or machines to behave in a certain way even though you haven't literally expressed what it is, or get irritated when they behave exactly like you have asked them to?
18. Do you find it difficult to optimize tasks to perfectly standardized procedures and repeat them flawlessly, and instead perform them randomly differently each time, even if it takes more time and energy?