Hey TikTok creators! If you’re looking to get free samples and make some extra cash, you’re in the right place. Today, we're diving into how you can score those freebies through the TikTok Affiliate Program. Plus, we’ll touch on a great community resource: the TikTokFreeSample subreddit.

What’s the TikTok Affiliate Program?

The TikTok Affiliate Program is a fantastic way for influencers to earn commissions by promoting products. When your followers buy products through your affiliate links, you get paid. It’s a win-win – you get free samples to try out and review, and you earn money on top of that.

Getting Started with Free Samples

1. Build Your TikTok Profile: First things first, make sure your TikTok profile is looking sharp. Focus on your niche, whether it’s beauty, tech, fitness, or something else. Brands love working with influencers who have a clear focus and engaged audience.
2. Join the TikTok Affiliate Program: Good news! You only need 1,000 followers to join the TikTok Affiliate Program. Here’s how to sign up:Remember, this program is currently available for users in the United States.
   • Open TikTok and go to your profile.
   • Tap the three dots in the top right corner to open settings.
   • Select "Creator tools" and look for the "TikTok Affiliate Program" option.
   • Follow the steps to sign up.
3. Check Out the TikTokFreeSample Subreddit: If you haven’t already, join the TikTokFreeSample subreddit. It’s a goldmine for finding brands that offer free samples. People share tips, offers, and their experiences with different brands. It’s a great place to connect with other influencers and discover new opportunities.
4. Reach Out to Brands: Brands are often looking for influencers to showcase their products. Start by finding brands that match your niche. Reach out to them via TikTok DMs or through their websites. Don’t forget to mention your follower count, engagement rates, and why you’d be a great fit for their products.
5. Create Awesome Content: Once you’ve got your hands on some free samples, it’s time to create! Make sure your videos are fun, engaging, and high-quality. Use popular music, cool effects, and trending hashtags to get more views. The more engaging your content, the more likely brands will want to work with you again.
6. Use Your Affiliate Links: In your videos, include your affiliate links in the description or comments. Encourage your followers to buy the products using your links. Highlight any special discounts or perks they’ll get by using your link.
7. Track Your Performance: Use TikTok’s analytics to see how your videos are doing. Keep an eye on views, likes, comments, and shares to see what your audience loves. Share these insights with brands to show them the impact of your promotions.
8. Build Long-Term Partnerships: Aim to create lasting relationships with brands. If they see you consistently producing great content and driving sales, they’ll keep sending you samples and even offer better deals. Show genuine interest in their products and provide feedback to build trust.

Tips for Success

• Be Authentic: Always be honest in your reviews. Your followers trust you, and authenticity is key to maintaining that trust.
• Engage with Your Followers: Reply to comments and messages. Building a strong community will make you more attractive to brands.
• Stay Up-to-Date: TikTok trends change fast. Keep your content fresh by staying on top of the latest trends.

By joining the TikTok Affiliate Program and using resources in TikTokFreeSample subreddit, you can easily get free samples and make money while doing what you love. Focus on creating high-quality, authentic content, and building strong relationships with brands. Happy creating, everyone!

SimplyCodes Referral: https://simplycodes.com/invite/coder340252507
SimplyCodes is a popular platform that offers a wide range of coupon codes, discounts, and deals for various online stores and services. It's a one-stop-shop for savvy shoppers who want to save money on their purchases.
If you use the SimplyCodes referral link, you can get a $5 bonus and $1 for every Amazon order you make through the platform. This is a great opportunity to save even more money on your purchases. The SimplyCodes referral program is easy to use and can help you maximize your savings.
By using the SimplyCodes referral link, you'll be able to access exclusive deals and discounts that may not be available to the general public. The platform's user-friendly interface makes it easy to find the best deals and apply them to your purchases. Additionally, the $1 bonus for every Amazon order you make through SimplyCodes can add up quickly, allowing you to save even more on your online shopping.
Overall, the SimplyCodes referral program is a fantastic way to save money on your online purchases. Whether you're shopping for everyday essentials or treating yourself to something special, the platform's wide range of deals and discounts can help you stretch your budget further.

Hey everyone!
So I've finally pulled the trigger—handed in my notice and I'm prepping to dive full-time into my own enterprise. It’s been a long time coming, I probably should've made the move a couple of years ago, but better late than never, right?
I’m shifting gears and taking charge of my professional life. As a web designer, I've always been more of a behind-the-scenes guy. Now, I aim to change that by stepping out and making meaningful connections.
My game plan? To create 25 high-quality websites over the upcoming quarter. I'm banking on this not only to establish myself but also to expand my network.
Let's be real, it's a big endeavor but anything's better than spending another few decades in my old job. So I'm casting a wide net here. While I'd love to collaborate with other entrepreneurs, I'm open to anyone needing web help.
If you’re in the market for a new website, a revamp, or anything in between, let’s connect and see how I can add value to your project. What do you say?
Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!
So I've finally pulled the trigger—handed in my notice and I'm prepping to dive full-time into my own enterprise. It’s been a long time coming, I probably should've made the move a couple of years ago, but better late than never, right?
I’m shifting gears and taking charge of my professional life. As a web designer, I've always been more of a behind-the-scenes guy. Now, I aim to change that by stepping out and making meaningful connections.
My game plan? To create 25 high-quality websites over the upcoming quarter. I'm banking on this not only to establish myself but also to expand my network.
Let's be real, it's a big endeavor but anything's better than spending another few decades in my old job. So I'm casting a wide net here. While I'd love to collaborate with other entrepreneurs, I'm open to anyone needing web help.
If you’re in the market for a new website, a revamp, or anything in between, let’s connect and see how I can add value to your project. What do you say?
Thanks in advance!

Hey all!
I've put in my two weeks and am just about ready to hit the ground running with my business. I figured it was about 2 years overdue on starting my own venture, likely was just being too comfortable but I'm over that now. Finally getting up and being more proactive with my career and whatnot.
That said, being a web designer I developed some pretty introverted habits, so I figure this should kickstart me leaving my shell.
I'm looking to build 25 websites over this/next quarter. I figure that becoming the resident website guy for that many people should be enough to both network and get my flow started.
It'll be hard, but no harder than 35 more years in my current role.
That said, I'm primarily looking to connect with fellow business owners, but def not a hard requirement.
Whether you're looking for a refresh, complete build, or something in-between, let's have a chat and discuss how I can help! Anyone interested? Thank you in advance!

Hey all!
I've put in my two weeks and am just about ready to hit the ground running with my business. I figured it was about 2 years overdue on starting my own venture, likely was just being too comfortable but I'm over that now. Finally getting up and being more proactive with my career and whatnot.
That said, being a web designer I developed some pretty introverted habits, so I figure this should kickstart me leaving my shell.
I'm looking to build 25 websites over this/next quarter. I figure that becoming the resident website guy for that many people should be enough to both network and get my flow started.
It'll be hard, but no harder than 35 more years in my current role.
That said, I'm primarily looking to connect with fellow business owners, but def not a hard requirement.
Whether you're looking for a refresh, complete build, or something in-between, let's have a chat and discuss how I can help! Anyone interested? Thank you in advance!

Hi, so I also posted a version of this on brokeryestafa because this is a spanish website and the target audience is latinos, but there is not a lot of information out there and I’m desperate for some piece of mind. So my dad paid to do investment lessons on this website. When i looked this place up all of my scam senses were tingling, but my dad is convinced that he knows better than me and that this is legit. Here are a list of reasons i think this is a scam and reasons he thinks its not a scam.
Reasons it could be a scam:

• Yoel Sardinas, the teacher, says he is a millionaire but how is it a millionare cant pay someone to make a good website. Lots of the links on the site dont work like the instagram, linkedin, facebook, and x (twitter) buttons
  
• The yellow contact us button takes you to resources. The only contact us button that works is on the top menu & it takes you to a screen to send a message, but there is no phone or email information.
  
• My dad showed me one of the videos he paid for & on the page theres a section where the instructor would have their name, photo & bio, but they forgot about that part & left the generic template. It says John Doe w no photo & the generic lorem ipsum filler text for bio
  
• The policies are in english (when everything else is in spanish) which makes it difficult for their target audience (spanish speakers) to read the policies. It’s also unfinished as some sentences are just cut off. And some information is missing in certain parts like they forgot about it.
  
• in the privacy policy they sometimes refer to the learning to invest seminar instead of invest step.
  
• They asked for ssn when enrolling in classes. Why do they need the ssn?
  
• When you select the shop button it says shop not found
  
• I can’t find information on the parent company SAAI COM LLC which is what the company is according to the privacy policy
  

Reasons why it could be real:
-So far all the information they have given my dad is a real guide to use stocks (although he couldve gotten all this info free online but whatever)

• i cant find any bad reviews or comments about this guy or his program

I am going to keep investigating & i will update this post as i find more information but please let me know your thoughts and opinions. My dad trusts his judgment more than mine so i wont be able to convince him to stop giving these people money unless i have definite proof of scam behavior

Hey all!
I've put in my two weeks and am just about ready to hit the ground running with my business. I figured it was about 2 years overdue on starting my own venture, likely was just being too comfortable but I'm over that now. Finally getting up and being more proactive with my career and whatnot.
That said, being a web designer I developed some pretty introverted habits, so I figure this should kickstart me leaving my shell.
I'm looking to build 25 websites over this/next quarter. I figure that becoming the resident website guy for that many people should be enough to both network and get my flow started.
It'll be hard, but no harder than 35 more years in my current role.
That said, I'm primarily looking to connect with fellow business owners, but def not a hard requirement.
Whether you're looking for a refresh, complete build, or something in-between, let's have a chat and discuss how I can help! Anyone interested? Thank you in advance!

The clips of the Starcruiser app in Jenny's recent star wars hotel video actually reminded me of an "immersive" app from a 2022 Batman experience from Spyscape (they randomly asked people to free trial it, so I brought some friends to try it with me). I'm noticing that a lot of recent immersive experiences have been moving away from the KP World showcase model of giving you something that you return and instead rely on you to use an app on your actual personal phone. So many of them theoretically send out real-time messages from "characters" or rely on you to scan/go to a location/whatever other fancy thing their mobile app devs can get via an API. Because of that, they can usually never actually interact with any practical effects or live actors. And there's always a sacrificial lamb player because app networking is finnicky. I love to stare at the cavernous gap between potential and actual functionality. My impression is that doing it this way makes development easier (can be remote!) and cheaper.
Disney might've made the Starcruiser app internally, but it's so similar to the Batman one and other ones I've seen that I'm wondering if anyone knows if there's some third party company that gets hired to make all these? Or, if not the specific ones, does anyone know a small company/service that does specialize in conceptualizing things like these with story/narrative leads? Or is there some template/common API service that is used between a lot of those in the know in the space?
(For context, yes, I am working a small immersive experience service project. I want to know, from both a dev perspective to iron out bugs and from a business perspective of how deals/contracts like these are ironed out. I also want to know about these trends as a person because I think it is funny and interesting.)

New player? Returning veteran? HAVEN'T QUIT SINCE DAY ONE BUT WANT MORE FRIENDS?!
Congrats! You’ve found the last community you’ll ever need. No more #puglife. Stop playing alone and make a friend today.
The Gamer Haven Discord

PvX yada yada - I'm not here to say what you've seen in /map chat a thousand times...
In the vast universe of Guild Wars 2, our community emerged not by fate, but through a serendipitous convergence of adventurers. We’re a collective of digital nomads, each a unique thread woven into the vibrant tapestry of this Massively Multiplayer masterpiece. Join us and find your place among kindred spirits who’ve chosen to journey together. We’re here to exchange tales of our exploits and celebrate the camaraderie that only a game like this can foster. Not to mention training upon request for all Fractals, Strikes, and Raids! Entry level to challenge mode, there is room for all!
Expect laughter, shared moments, and genuine connections. We’re live, cameras rolling, screens shared - think of your favorite Twitch streamer, but with the warmth of a fireside gathering among friends. No para-social pretense, just pure, unadulterated fellowship.
Weekly giveaways for members of the discord, including but not limited to Legendary Weapons and other misc high value items!
We are mostly NA, with a growing number of EU gamers! All are welcome!
Preview the experience through our network of streamers, myself included, or even read about us HERE.

If you only join a new community once a blue moon, next time - think of us.
~ Sab.6409

Mods, if this goes against some guideline or rule, then I apologize, but I struggled with this problem for months and tried everything, until I finally found a fix, and I wanted to share for those also dealing with the same issue.
I've been stuck on Canary build 26040 for months, and every time I would attempt to update, I would reboot only to get stuck on a frozen circle.
I tried all sorts of different solutions on reddit, including using different builds etc, and nothing worked, until I came across this post: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/fix-stuck-on-26040-and-cannot-install-26058-or-higher.24141/
Credit to 'Foyzul' for posting this, as I am now able to update to the latest build 26217.5000
Step 01: 1. Grab the ISO of 26058 *You can use UUP dump 2. Extract the ISO to someplace like c:\Win11 -to modify it later 3. Download an ISO of the current release canary channel insider preview build (as of writing this is 26080) 4. Replace the boot.wim and install.wim files in directory of the extracted ISO (c:\win11\sources\...wim) from build 26080. *l utilized a program named Any Burn for this task, but feel free to choose any ISO editor that you prefer.
Step 02: To perform a Windows command-line update with the specified parameters, follow these steps: 1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as per your case (as administrator). 2. Navigate to the directory where the Windows 11 setup executable is located (e.g., type command prompt cd c:\Win11). 3. Run the following command:
```
.\setup.exe /auto upgrade /dynamicupdate disable /migratedrivers none
```
Explanation of parameters:

• `/auto`: Automatically upgrades the existing Windows installation.
  
• `/dynamicupdate`: Disables dynamic updates during the upgrade process.
  
• `/migratedrivers`: Does not migrate drivers during the upgrade.
  

Make sure to run this command with administrative privileges and follow any prompts that appear during the upgrade process.

Welcome! We're glad you found us. We hope you find this sub helpful in your recovery.
This thread is meant to be a casual place to...
⚙️ Introduce yourself to the community: say hi, tell us a little about where you are on your DBT path (just graduated from group, DIY'ing using a book/internet, just starting working with a therapist, hanging out here to keep your skills fresh, etc.)
⚙️ Share a photo: of a DBT project you have created (eg: an arts and crafts item that reminds you to be mindful like a bracelet, your decorated comfort box,) or another meaningful photo, like your collection of diaries/journals. Please no facial photos, or pics with personal info in them.
⚙️ Offer some words of advice or comfort that you want to share with everyone: Send some kind words into the world if you are able to do so! Alternately you can respond to someone's story/comment with those supportive, validating words (like a lil virtual hug!)
⚙️ Tell us a positive story/experience that you had where you used DBT: Maybe you used it to get through a really tough time in your life, maybe you used some interpersonal effectiveness skills and you got the outcome you were looking for, or
⚙️ Offer some wisdom from using DBT skills that you have come to know after living it/understanding it: Share your wisdom with the community and share what you have learned and how it's shaped your life.
We would like the focus to be on achievements as a form of encouragement to others who may be struggling with the program. We ask that you please keep it positive, please no venting. Overly negative comments will be removed.
Please familiarize yourself with our subreddit Rules and our FAQs to find answers to commonly asked questions about DBT, as well as media and resources (book lists, apps, podcasts, etc.)
This post is reoccurring every Monday at 12:01AM EST (GMT -5:00)

I am NOT OOP. OOP is u/Kitchen_Earth7954
Originally posted to AmItheAsshole + their own page
Previous BoRU originally posted by u/KittenDealinMama
NEW UPDATE MARKED WITH ----
[New Update]: AITA for telling my wife that I’m tired of raising a kid that is not mine + 1 year UPDATE
Trigger Warnings: possible domestic violence, possible financial abuse, possible divorce
RECAP
Original Post - May 19, 2023
I (31m) am married to my wife Amber (30f) we have a daughter Emma(7f) the problem is my wife’s best friend Jennifer (30f) has a daughter as well Harper (7f) well Harpers dad is a lazy sack of crap and refuses to do anything with his daughter. He is the type of guy that brags about how he never changed a diaper.
Jennifer and Harper are usually at Amber and my house on the weekends because Harper’s dad is drinking and watching sports all weekend. On Saturdays I normally sped all day with my daughter because I don’t see her as much as i want to during the week. However with Harper being there every Saturday anything I do with Emma I have to do with Harper. Take Emma to the zoo it’s Emma, Harper and I. Taught them both how to ride bikes, takes them both to dance class, take them both to the kids salon, and so on.
Mother’s Day was the last draw, I took them both to dance class Saturday morning ( Amber and I also pay for both dance classes because dead beet won’t) on the way home Emma asked if we could stop to get something for mom for Mother’s Day, I said sure but then it ended up I had to buy something for Harper to her her mom as well. On the way home I just kept thinking why am I buying someone else’s wife a Mother’s Day gift, that’s his job.
A few days later (because I did not want to ruin Mother’s Day) I told my wife that I am tired of raising Harper, her real father needs to step up. I tired of it taking away time I get to spend with Emma. She said that Jennifer is her best friend and we need to be there for Harper.
Now she is not speaking to me and sleeping in the guest bedroom. So AITA?
Just wanted to add some updates to questions I see.
Emma and Harper are best friends.
It was my idea to spend Saturday with Emma, I work more during the week so I wanted to spend Saturday with Emma and to give my wife a bit of a break.
We pay for things be Jennifer’s husband thinks it’s a waste on money to pay for dance class and Jennifer can’t afford to pay by herself.
Jennifer and Harper do things with Amber and Emma 1 or 2 times a week together during the weeknights.
VERDICT: NOT THE ASSHOLE
Comments

where’s Harper’s mom in all this?

OOP: Just hanging out at our place, Harper started to come along because I thought it would be mean to take her friend and not her. At the start it was not all the time like it is now

So your wife probably enjoys hanging out childfree with her friend every weekend. If your wife doesn’t agree to friend free days maybe the moms should start needing to attend the outings too? I don’t understand why Harpers mom isn’t at least driving kids to dance since you pay it etc?

OOP: Our house is on the way to Dance, so she comes here first. I also like going to Dance, it’s kind of fun being the only dad there, and after class we have our routine of going to the local bakery and getting a croissant and smoothie for breakfast.

are the gift and things you spend on her getting paid back to you?

OOP: The short answer is no, the longer version is Amber and I make a decent amount more money than Jennifer and her husband and her husband dose not like to waste his money on the kid. Jennifer can not afford to pay us back, So any money I spend on her kid I know we are not getting back.

7 years in, you've set the expectation and Harper is NOT going to understand your withdrawing. So hmm.... for taking 7 years to decide this was an issue.

OOP: I see what your saying, but it’s gradually gotten to this point over 7 years. Part of it is she is here more now than when she was younger, part of it is as Emma has gotten older we do more involved things, when they were three we just went to the playground down the street now it’s trips to the science center.

you should definitely have a talk with this sorry excuse of a father, if anything just to tell him what you think of him

OOP: I would but he is not the civil discourse type of guy, but more of the Alpha male beat you up type of person

Why do you pay for her dance classes? Why can’t either of Harper’s parents do it?

OOP: I pay for the classes because Emma wanted Harper in class with her. Harpers father is they type of who is my money is my money and Jennifer’s money is their money and he does not want to waste money on classes.
 
Update #1 - June 2, 2023 (2 weeks later)
So quite a few people has asked for an update on this situation, sorry it’s taken so long but it’s been a hectic few weeks.
As for the updates the Amber and I are fine. Her reaction was based on poor word choices by me, poor communication by both of us, and some things I was unaware of at the time.
The short version is:
Things at home were much worse than I was aware of for Jennifer, and my wife had only recently found out how bad things were.
Mother’s Day was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Jennifer as well, she was raised in a you must stay together for the kids family, when Harper came to me for a gift she realized that her daughter did not see her sperm donor as a father so it was time to get out.
Jennifer came to my wife to ask for help leaving because she had no family in the area and Jennifer does not have the financial resources to leave on her own.
So the night my wife was going to ask me if we could help her is when I told her I was tired of raising someone else’s kid. That’s what caused her reaction.
The Saturday after out initial argument Jennifer did not come over and Emma went to her grandparents, so the wife and I had a long discussion about what was going on, that’s when I found out all the stuff going on with Jennifer.
The wife and I decided the Jennifer and Harper can stay with us for the time being. My problem was never with those 2 it was that I had to take over for the deadbeat ( or dead beet if you prefer).
When we told Emma about this she was super happy her friend was staying with her. We had a conversation with her that if she wants to have time with either parent with out Harper just let us know, and we do not want her to feel left out of anything.
Last weekend with the help of a Uhaul and some friends of mine we got all of Jennifer’s and Harper’s stuff and moved it into our house. The good thing is we have a 4 bedroom house so everyone gets a bedroom, the bad news is my wife’s office got moved to the basement.
Wish me luck we shall see how this goes.
 

----NEW UPDATE----

Update #2: 1 year later - May 12, 2024 (11 months later)
So it’s been almost a year since my last update but with Mother’s Day upon us I thought I would post an update and try to answer the questions I’ve gotten.
Jenn and Harper are still living with us. As I mentioned before Jenn did not make that much money, she worked as a phlebotomist for our local health network. The good news is with the current nursing shortage they have a program where they will pay for employees to go to nursing school. She was able to start that in the end of August. The bad news is it’s an 18 month program and they only let you work 20hrs a week while you are in the program. So the arrangement is one she graduates she will move out then. That should be next May.
The Divorce with Dead Beet is still ongoing. Once he found out he was going to have to pay child support he tried every dirty nasty trick he could think of. No idea when that will be finished.
My wife is doing good, she happy she is helping her best friend, but 5 people in a house is a lot more work than 3. Since she works from home the pre and post school work falls on her.
Emma and Harper are still best friends. Shockingly Harper is doing much better in this environment than before. They don’t do everything together anymore. Harper quit dance class, but she started with soccer. I think knowing that she will get fatherly attention no matter what she is doing has given her some freedom to pursue other interest. Harper has turned into my Lego buddy. Emma never had any interest but Harper and I have done some nice sets together.
Emma and I still have our daddy daughter dates on the weekend, I still take her to dance class, and she started to take fencing classes. I don’t know if I should be proud or scared that she could defeat me in a sword fight.
I think I am doing better a year later. That there is a plan with a timetable for Jenn and Harper has relived a lot of stress from my life. That I also don’t have to see Dead Beet has also been a relief. I also try to take a few hours a month for me time and to do my hobbies. The bad part is I had thought that I was done with the portion of my life where I had roommates. It will also be nice when Jenn either gets her nursing job and/or gets child support so that Amber and I can stop footing the bill for so much.
For all the people that said Jenn was going to become our sister wife, or that I was going cheat of my wife with her, or that she was going to ruin my marriage out of spite, or any of the weird sexual fantasies some of you people had absolutely nothing has happened.
 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

Search Before Posting: Many of your questions are probably already answered. While this sub is a helpful community, it is NOT maintained by ANG Recruiting and we are not Recruiters.
The ANG website has pretty much everything you need to know about joining or finding a Recruiter START YOUR RESEARCH HERE or on the AIR FORCE RECRUITS SUBREDDIT
Job Descriptions and tech school length: Air Force Careers Page or Reddit AF Jobs Wiki
BMT FAQs: AFBMT or the Reddit BMT Wiki
Medical Questions:

• Medical standards to join the military are the same for every service. You can look up any conditions you have HERE

We cannot provide answers to specific medical questions or if you qualify for a waiver. Everyone's medical situation is unique. Consult a Recruiter who knows the rules instead of relying on anecdotal advice from strangers online.
Job Availability:

• We do not have real-time information on job availability, your chances of getting a specific job, or timelines for basic training or OTS. You need to contact a Recruiter for that information.

Tuition Assistance varies by state

• Use a search engine to find this information, since it can change often or contact a Recruiter.

Recruiters:

• If you're experiencing issues with a recruiter not calling you back, keep following up or use other social media platforms to reach out. There are very few ANG recruiters who monitor this Reddit Sub. Confirmed recruiters here will have a circular symbol next to their username.

More of them engage on the AIR FORCE RECRUITS SUBREDDIT
Joining as an Officer:

• Most ANG units do not take individuals with no military experience as officers, unless it's a specialty career field. Contact a Recruiter in the unit you want to join for any opportunities.

Becoming a Pilot:

• Becoming a pilot is highly competitive and not easier in the ANG vs Active Duty. Fighter units see 125+ applicants per advertisement. Use BogieDope to find information on what units are hiring Rated or Non-Rated positions and for application advice or talk with other pilots on the BaseOps ANG Forum

Palace Chase or Palace Front:

• Palace Chase and Palace Front are active duty programs with their own DAFI 36-3211 MILITARY SEPARATIONS.

You MUST Work with an in-service recruiter if you are Air Force Active Duty already and want to transition to the ANG. Do not contact ANG recruiters directly without going through an in-service recruiter first. Use AD resources to find the one for your region. The ANG has no influence on your eligibility or AD outprocessing.
Drug Usage:

• Marijuana use is not disqualifying. Be honest about any usage. All other questions about "hard" drug use needs to be discussed with a Recruiter since it is disqualifying for certain jobs.

Employment Protection Rights: ESGR_USERRA_Answers Subreddit
Please remember to search for existing answers before posting new questions

Welcome to the Weekly Power Zone Discussion!
Due to demand and community feedback we are trialing a Power Zone Weekly Welcome Discussion - a space to chat about anything related to power zone training. Think of it like the "Daily Discussion" thread, where anything goes...big or small. Here, we've carved out a special place for people wanting to discuss ideas and topics related specifically to PZ training - how to program PZ classes, talk about PZ classes or PZ programs, chat about PZ instructors, advice for FTP testing, etc.
People are not limited to using this thread to discuss PZ but are highly encouraged to use this weekly discussion. You can still post in the daily, training thread, or create a new post. Think of it as another place to chat about PZ stuff without getting lost in the daily. Or a place you can check into weekly if you're a casual redditor looking for some other PZ folks without wading through the daily.
The Power Zone Weekly will be posted on Monday moving forward.
Note: The mods will check back in with the community to see how this idea is working, if there is a better day it should be posted on, etc. If it isn't working we can always scrap the idea or change it up a bit. Thanks for giving it a chance!

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/Decent_Lecture_1514
I run a DnD group with kids aged 7-11 at my local YMCA, and some parents are trying to get the game outright banned. I have to have a meeting with both parents and HR Department and effectively present my case. Please help!
Originally posted to DnD
Thanks to u/PitaEnigma for suggesting this BoRU
EDITORS NOTE: because it's mentioned and some may not remember or been born when it happened, a quick synopsis of the satanic panic
The Satanic panic is a moral panic consisting of over 12,000 unsubstantiated cases of Satanic ritual abuse (SRA, sometimes known as ritual abuse, ritualistic abuse, organized abuse, or sadistic ritual abuse) starting in the United States in the 1980s, spreading throughout many parts of the world by the late 1990s, and persisting today.
Original Post May 9, 2024
Sorry if this is a longer post, but important context below ⬇️
So yeah I'm a program coordinator at our local YMCA and I run an after-school program (effectively am a glorified babysitter hahaha). This past school year I passively mentioned that I play a lot of DnD when one of the kids asked me if I had any plans that weekend, and it totally piqued their interest when I explained to them what the game was like/about. Naturally they asked if they could try and play and I figured sure why not, I'll write a fun and fam friendly one-shot for them.
They all absolutely loved it. It's turned into a proper campaign with about 7 of the 24 kids me and my coworkers look after consistently playing. I've had to limit the sessions to just 1-2 days of the 5 day school week, because I have other kids too that aren't interested in it, and I obviously still need to give them attention and interaction as well (and as you know DnD can be a very engaged and attention demanding). I thought this was a fair compromise. Days that it's nice outside we are always out running around, being active, playing sports -- but if it's a rainy day, or on our weekly Friday Movie Day, we generally play. It's been such a blast sharing something I love so deeply with kids who I care about so much.
So here comes the issue:
Almost every parent of the core group that plays loves that we are doing this (one even plays weekly and we bonded over it haha), but there is one child whose parents certainly do not; they want their kid just constantly active and engaged and playing sports, not playing "silly make believe", which I guess I get to a degree because this is kinda the MO of the YMCA traditionally; healthy active living.
​
I've explained that most days of the week we do just that, and that this is something we only do on Fridays or rain days when we are stuck inside, but they aren't budging. I think they have a misguided idea of the game and what it is, or maybe they are just fundamentally against it, I'm not sure. I don't think it's to the level of like the era of thought where media and the masses thought DnD was some kind of satanic game, but I feel like there could certainly be a bit of that.
​
Anyway they want it to stop immediately. I've told them I'm not forcing anyone to play, and that if they really feel that way they are within their rights to tell their child they don't want him playing, but they are trying to take it a step farther and get it banned. ALSO I would feel horrible if this child were forbade from playing while all his friends have a blast doing so. Just doesn't seem right.
I understand that it's a game that can involve more mature themes and gameplay, and probably isn't reeeeeeeeally for super young folk, but I feel the way I'm running it mitigates this for the most part: there's no PVP (so no bullying can happen), I'm dealing with waaaaaay less serious themes and stakes, and I don't even include any circumstances where they fight any other humanoids -- strictly just heroes fighting big bad monsters and saving towns. You know the drill.
So yeah long story short(ish) the parents of the one child have called a meeting with HR to discuss the playing of this game at the YMCA. I have it on Sunday. I'm confident I'm gonna have to effectively state my case and explain why I think this is not only an okay thing to be doing, but actually in fact a good thing. I don't know if I'll be able to fully sway them if their mind is already made up, all I can do is just speak my truth haha.
I do whole-heartedly think this game can be super beneficial for young folk. I'll spare you my long form thoughts, but between the teamwork and communication required and rewarded, the problem solving (both ethically and logically and mathematically), AND the improvisation emphasized, I think it stimulates a young mind very well. Lets them escape their own world for a bit and take agency and feel they have control, something young people so desperately desire.
So in conclusion, I'm kinda just writing this to get it off of my chest and vent, BUT I guess my questions would be:
​

• do you have any advice on how to properly communicate my points on why this game can be beneficial for young minds?

​

• Do you know of any other benefits I'm missing?

​

• have you ever had experiences similar to this?

Or maybe you disagree with me and think I'm out of line here, which is totally fair too. Just looking to start some dialogue.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
Thackebr

I know it is a hassle, but if you get to keep Dnd, you might want to start requiring permission slips. That way, you could avoid this in the future.

The_Law_Of_Pizza

This will make it less likely for the OP to get a surprise angry parent, but I don't like the precedent of demanding permission slips for a mundane board game.
It sets up an expectation that D&D is different in some way, and gives ammunition to these weirdos who are still trapped in the Satanic Panic - it lets them point to the permission slips and say, "Look, even your own policies admit that this is something to be hidden behind barriers and parental approval."
At a certain point we have to stand up to these people in society and tell them that they're being ridiculous and that we won't concede to their demands under any circumstances. That takes a great deal of backbone by the YMCA administration, though.

~
probloodmagic

Geez. Really putting the "C" in YMCA. I imagine looking into how people fought back during the "Satanic Panic" might provide some good advice for this.

u/efrique had a great comment about handling a new round of the satanic panic
Here
Many offered sites that share good info about why DnD is helpful and beneficial to kids
thatdanglion

You can point the leadership and parents to the numerous studies showing the many ways playing D&D is beneficial for kids, too. One, for example.

g3rmb0y

I just looked through this thread, there's a ton of great stuff here.
Some additional good orgs that talk about the therapy side are: https://gametogrow.org/ https://geektherapeutics.com/ https://rollforkindness.com/ (That's me) https://www.thebodhanagroup.org/

dgendbreau

D&D has also been shown to be useful in teaching kids about social skills, creative writing, theory of mind, mental math, team work, problem solving etc.
https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/educators

Update May 13, 2024
Made a post a few days ago about how I run a DnD campaign for some kids in an after-school program I run for the YMCA, and subsequently how the parents of one of the kids was trying to get the game banned and whole operation shut down. I wasn't sure the best way to make an update, but I linked the whole original post above so you can have a read if you'd like ^
So firstly genuine genuine genuine big thanks to everyone who took the time to read and respond with input and suggestions. It means a ton and really helped a lot. So I'm just gonna jump right in with what happened.
Firstly, I took the advice about getting testimonies from parents who were super happy that I was playing this game with their kids -- we weren't allowed to have outside visitors involved in the actual meeting with HR, but I got emails and messages from mostly every parent (besides the one complaining about it lmao) to voice their support and why they think this is not a harmful thing, and in fact actually a good thing. I really think this helped a lot and was a big factor, so thanks everyone who suggested. It's not something I would've thought to do on my own ahahah.
I didn't want to come in toooooo heavy with the articles and very clear scientific proof about the benefits of developing minds playing TTRPGs', because (as it turned out) this was actually more just conversational and "pleasant" than I thought it was gonna be, at least from HRs side. I did mention to them the multiple studies done on this exact scenario, but it turned out I didn't even really need them. There were definitely moments of tension, but this was a more civil conversation than I anticipated from all parties involved. I'm not sure if it was the fact that the parents who complained had to talk to me in person WITH my bosses and HR reps present and it calmed them down a bit? But yeah anyway.
I wish it was a more dramatic story, but basically I just levelled with them person to person.
People who said they were betting on it being a Christian, satanic-panic angle: you were right, mostly anyway. As in, that was definitely a main part of their argument. They are in fact Christian and were concerned, but it was really coming from a place of ignorance about what this game is about, and they specifically didn't understand the fact that the DM (me) can entirely control what the contents of it is. I'm assuming they just googled DnD and probably saw some things they didn't agree with, but once I explained that the way we were playing it included no demon spawn or worshipping, or any killing of other humans, or allowing of murder-hobo activity, they softened up a bit. I told them it's a strictly G/PG rated experience that I'm curating for them. And of course I explained the social and academic benefits of DnD, and how much of a bonding activity this is for the group, and how much their son in particular loves it. This helped big time.
Ironically, it was their other argument about wanting active engagement for their child (ie; sports lol) that was a little harder to combat. From their and HRs perspective, this whole program and the YMCAs MO IS in fact healthy active engagement. I explained that most days of the week we are doing just that. I'm a tennis instructor as well and have played sports all my life (and they know this), so I tried to assure them that I get their child a SOLID amount of engagement (plus free tennis lessons effectively haha). I'll save you the whole back and forth, but this was a majority of our 45 minute meeting.
Im trying to wrap this up with a bow but not sure exactly how, so I'll just finish with the bullet points from the end of the discussion:
• The game is not banned! HOORAY HOORAY!
• I am now only allowed to play it with them once a week (on Friday), but all things considered I'll take this as a win!
• and best of all, the complained parents are letting their kid continue to play!!!! I'm sending them a detailed summary of the contents of my game so they can look it over, but they said with it now "officially" only being once a week, and with a better understanding of what it actually is, they will let him to continue to play. I'm so unbelievably happy.
So boom. Happy ending. Again big thanks to everyone for giving their advice and linking resources; it helped so much and meant a lot. This is a big win for "the community" I feel, at the risk of sounding too corny. You are all the best. I love this game so much 🥹
RELEVANT COMMENTS
OOP explains how they made DnD G/PG rated

So the method I've taken is that this is mainly an explorative and mystery solving campaign. There is combat occasionally, but it's heeeeeavy on the RP aspect of these aforementioned things (aka 7 kids screaming over each other lmao)
I briefly mentioned in the previous post that when I do involve combat I don't include any that js player versus any humanoids -- so no "killing" of bandits or raiders or pirates or anything resembling, it's strictly taking out big bad monsters, or a big spidebats/owlbear or whatever when it does happen. This takes a big amount of the potential nastiness out: Timmy cant go home saying "Mom I killed 4 dudes today!", regardless if he understands the deeply political and socio-economic rooted reasons why it may be justified he did that 🙄 hahahah.
So yeah eliminated that entirely, strayed away from words like "kill" or "dead" or certainly "murdered", and have a very very "heroes save the town from mishaps" type adventure. For a quick example our last plot hook/beat (which ended up taking up like 3 Fridays because of how long it can take with young kids hahaha) involved them stumbling into a town and discovering that it holds the map to an ancient treasure that is rumoured to be buried in a magical woods nearby. Maaaaaany puzzles and skill checks later they found it deep in the woods by a magic tree and had to answer (very basic) riddles from the speaking and living tree in order to get access to it. They succeeded and absolutely loved it and there was no combat at all.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

Welcome to the Weekly Employment Question Thread!
This thread is where you can ask questions about joining, training to become, testing, disqualifications/qualifications, and other questions that would be removed as individual posts per Rule 1.
The answer to almost every question you can ask will be "It depends on the department". Your first step is to look up the requirements for your department, state/province, and country.
As always, please attempt to resource information on your own first, before asking questions. We see many repeat questions on this sub that have been answered multiple times.
Frequently Asked Questions:

• I want to be a Firefighter, where do I start: Every Country/State/Province/County/City/Department has different requirements. Some require you only to put in an application. Others require certifications prior to being hired. A good place to start is researching the department(s) you want to join. Visit their website, check their requirements, and/or stop into one of their fire stations to ask some questions.
• Am I too old: Many departments, typically career municipal ones, have an age limit. Volunteer departments usually don't. Check each department's requirements.
• I'm in high school, What can I do: Does your local department have an explorer's program or post? If so, join up. Otherwise, focus on your grades, get in shape and stay in shape, and most importantly: stay out of trouble.
• I got in trouble for [insert infraction here], what are my chances: Obviously, worse than someone with a clean record, which will be the vast majority of your competition. Tickets and nonviolent misdemeanors may not be a factor, but a major crime (felonies), may take you out of the running. You might be a nice person, but some departments don't make exceptions, especially if there's a long line of applicants with clean records. See this post... PSA: Stop asking “what are my chances?”
• I have [insert medical/mental health condition here], will it disqualify me: As a general rule, if you are struggling with mental illness, adding the stress of a fire career is not a good idea. As for medical conditions, you can look up NFPA1582 for disqualifying conditions, but in general, this is not something Reddit can answer for you. Many conditions require the input of a medical professional to determine if they are disqualifying. See this post... PSA: Don't disqualify yourself, make THEM tell you "no".
• What will increase my chances of getting hired: If there's a civil service exam, study for it! There are many guides online that will help you go over all those things you forgot such as basic math and reading. Some cities even give you a study guide. If it's a firefighter exam, study for it! For the CPAT (Physical Fitness Test), cardio is arguably the most important factor. If you're going to the gym for the first time during the hiring process, you're fighting an uphill battle. Get in shape and stay in shape. Most cities offer preference points to military veterans.
• How do I prepare for an interview: Interviews can be one-on-one, or in front of a board/panel. Many generic guides exist to help one prepare for an interview, however here are a few good tips:

1. Dress appropriately. Business casual at a minimum (Button down, tucked in long sleeve shirt with slacks and a belt, and dress shoes). Get a decent haircut and shave.
2. Practice interview questions with a friend. You can't accurately predict the off-the-wall questions they will ask, but you can practice the ones you know they probably will, like why do you want to be a Firefighter, or why should we hire you?
3. Scrub your social media. Gone are the days when people in charge weren't tech-savvy. Don't have a perfect interview only for your chances of being hired gone to zero because your Facebook or Instagram has pictures of you getting blitzed. Set that stuff to private and leave it that way.

Please upvote this post if you have a question. Upvoting this post will ensure it sticks around for a bit after it is removed as a Sticky, and will allow for greater visibility of your question.
And lastly, If you're not 100% sure of what you're talking about, leave it for someone who does

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/AcceptableWar5433
Originally posted to AITAH
I think this woman is using me for free-childcare
Trigger Warnings: entitlement
Original Post: April 21, 2024
I 24M teach boxing in my spare time, and one day a week, I teach it to kids.
There's a mom who i'm starting to feel like is taking advantage of these classes.
She's increasingly late with picking up her kid after the session.
To give some context, this is a rich woman. It's not that she's out working a job. She is a stay at home parent. No other kids. She told me all this because another thing she loves to do is have really long conversations with me on top of already being late.
She's been late most of March (3 classes). I talked to her about it at the end of the month and she apologized and said it won't happen again. It did. x2 now. So I started timing her.
The second week of April (no class the first week), she arrived 45 minutes late. Then spent maybe 20 minutes talking to me. The other day, I timed her again. She got there around the 1 hour mark. I made a point to show her my timer and I gave her a warning that I will remove her kid from my class. She tried to derail the conversation so I raised the timer and turned it on again. She said I was being 'unjustifiably rude' (exact words).
I explained (politely) that I have other obligations and her consistent lateness throws my schedule off.
She didn't want to have this conversation, stomped to the driver's side of her car. Her kid lowered his window to say thank you and 'bye' to me. I told him bye and added 'tell your mom to stop being late'.
She reported our conversation to my boss but twisted it. She said that I threatened her kid with getting kicked out of the program. I didn't say it like that. And I didn't say it to her kid. There are other instructors, I was just implying (to her) that I won't have him in my group. My boss still gave me a lecture about how I don't have that power and can't make the statements I did. He went over professionalism and how i'm being too hard on this mom who could have other circumstances going on.
But i'm not getting paid for the hour after this class that I spend hanging out with her kid.
The kid's great.. but I have things to do.
For people who work with kids, what's the etiquette here? do I give parents grace?
I told my boss i'm going to start adding up all the hours and one of them is going to have to pay me.
AITAH?
AITAH has no consensus bot, OOP was NTA
Relevant Comments
OOP on wanting to set in the boundaries and fine system for late pickups and to have the boss set the firm approach for it.

OOP: See. That's how it should be. Unfortunately, I don't think my boss has any policy around it judging from the way our conversation went. If this continues to be an issue, I'm going to push for compensation since his approach currently has me taking responsibility for it. I'll send an email to him about clarifying so I have some kind of a written response.

OOP on the policy and the front desk staff to deal with the phone calls to parents for pickups

OOP: There is no front desk. I didn't want to immediately escalate to CPS and cops before making some attempts with the mom. The (lack of?) policy is definitely an issue.. that I am now going to push to address/seek further info about.

OOP on getting paid for his time of the hours he did outside his duties

OOP: I added them up, sent it to him and everything— he told me he will only pay me moving forward. I should let it go, and then made a point to remind me that I volunteered for this job knowing it was new and there would be hiccups.

 
Update: May 1, 2024
Previous post.
I appreciate the advice I got on the post I made. I learned a lot from you.
Here's the update:
I took various notes from the people who gave me tips here. I wrote a detailed email to my boss and cc'd other people who run this program, including co-instructors. I did this for transparency, accountability, and to put pressure on my boss to provide a policy around the issue instead of him dealing with us all individually / case by case.
My boss didn't respond to the email, instead he called me in to see him. I kind of had a feeling he’d do that.
He asked me why I sent the email cc'ing everyone and was clearly not happy about my approach. He kept trying to minimize the situation, and make me feel that I am in the wrong. He told me that I'm being greedy. That my attitude about one parent being late is exaggerated and I'm looking for problems. I should essentially just wait around after-hours if I need to sometimes (unpaid) because it's a program for kids. I should do this with some heart and "Do it for the kids". I had to turn my face to hide the fact that I wanted to laugh in that moment. But mostly I was frustrated.
Having proper policies in place not only protects the staff, it protects the kids, not to mention his fucking business. After I made my perspective clear (in a mostly professional manner).. he came around a little.
Unfortunately, he flat out told me he will not back-pay me for the time that I've logged waiting for this mom, but he will implement a late policy moving forward. He's followed through on that. He tried to throw in other useless incentives for me. I didn't accept them.
That mom wasn't late this week. She did try to catch my eye when she picked her son up and I ignored her. She ended up getting out of her car and asked me if I saw her waving. I kept ignoring her. She wore me down because she kept following me around while I locked up. I informed her why she's getting the silent treatment. She apologized and also tried to write me a check on the spot. I didn't take the money. I told her... honestly, I might quit instead. I am sharing this because the woman clearly lives in her own world. Here, just take my money and stop being mad at me. I was so furious. It took everything in me to keep the words that I said to her to a minimum.
I am on the fence about just letting this go. Maybe the program will get smoother with time. It's not a lot of money worth fighting over... I am so disappointed in my boss. I’ve known him for a long time as a mentofriend. Being his employee has been something else. The program itself is very new and disorganized. Due to differences of opinion about how its run, I doubt I will stay with it.
This is my first time working a job that involves kids. My actual profession is unrelated to boxing. This was mostly something I picked up spontaneously, because I saw the merit in it and I wanted to do my part to help. I admit I could use the extra money too. I don’t mean to be greedy or stingy, but I live in an insanely expensive city and I take care of someone with expensive medical bills.
I haven't proof-read this, but it looks longer than I wanted it to be. I’m sorry. I’m tired.
Relevant Comments
OOP on being frustrated with his boss and the situation

OOP: I wouldn’t say I’m angry about the situation.. I think I am mostly frustrated with my boss’s approach in dealing with issues. It’s hard to convey all of it in writing but he’s extremely stubborn and hard headed. He takes unnecessary offence to constructive feedback and then holds grudges. Getting him to do anything is always more difficult than it needs to be. He will try to bulldoze you, there’s always friction no matter what you suggest. It shouldn’t have to be like that.
I think I’m coming to terms with the realization that he’s a great friend and mentor but a terrible person to collaborate or do business with. I wish he would have taken what I said more seriously instead of focusing so much on this being an isolated issue when it could easily happen again with another parent. Even though he’s implemented the new policies, he’s acting as if he did me a favor.
The person I was angry at, is the mom.. because of the way she talked to me and threw money at me. There was no understanding.
She was so quick to report me to my boss and twist my words last week, and this week shes at pickup trying to flag me to chat like it never happened. The entitlement of this woman. She can’t stand being ignored. And when I reminded her what she did she acted as if it was just a money problem. Who cares about the appointments I got late for and the trouble she caused me— she can write me a check right now and order me to stop being mad at her. It definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
I absolutely hear you though. Thank you.

WaitUntilIDie: You'd make the right call to cut your loses, see this as a learning opportunity for what is not only intolerable but most likely illegal. I can't think of any state where you can be expected to continue working without pay. Id go as far as to suggest reporting the hours you were unpaid to the labor board in your state if you are from the states.
You are being taken advantage of here, but you know that. Do what's best for you. I'm not only suggesting making the report so you get paid, but also to put this business on notice because you probably aren't the only person they will try to exploit this way especially after you've left and having that record is important to show a pattern of behavior on the business owners part.
ERVetSurgeon: Report him to the Dept of Labor at the federal level. You cannot force someone to stay on the job "off the clock." If they did that, you will get back pay.
Hellokitty55: I'm so sorry this is happening to you. You're NTA. You tried to level with your boss and get him to understand. I'm guessing he doesn't want any backlash bc of business. I wish there weren't people out there that takes advantage of kindness.
 
Last Update: May 13, 2024
Previous post: https://www.reddit.com/AITAH/s/7naOmsQ5tU
I got other instructors to get on my boss’s case with me. I also informed him I have to quit the kids class and I will quit the training I do with adults too / leave the gym and our friendship if he doesn’t hear me out respectfully.
The reason I wanted to avoid reporting my boss is because I have a relationship with him and nearly everyone at this gym going back almost 10 years. I didn’t want to resort to making a report without exploring every other option first.
My boss caved. I’ll get paid for the extra hours I logged on the next paycheck.
Moving forward, I will no longer teach the kids, because although we have a policy and late pickup fee in place, as it stands right now, instructors are still responsible to stay back until the last kid leaves and my boss doesn’t want to negotiate on that. I can’t stay behind after classes. I have other obligations the same day as the class I teach. It’s unfortunate because this one parent is the only one currently abusing the system because she can afford to.
That kid’s mom was late this week again by 30 minutes. Showed her my timer. I also told her I’ve quit. She asked me if the late warnings “reset” when a new instructor takes over (they don’t). She then tried to hire me out from under my boss as her kid’s private instructor. I said no, but I might reconsider if she ever wants lessons. I would love to give that woman hell.
Alright, that’s the end of that. I feel bad I couldn’t stick it out with this kids program but it’s too disorganized for me right now.
Relevant Comment
RaptorOO7: Sounds like she has zero respect for anyone else’s time, sure who doesn’t love money, but my time is money and I value my time a lot more than her money.
Good call not working for her who knows what kind of hell she would put you through.
People with money know that money talks and most will take it. When you don’t out of principle they just can’t understand it.

OOP: People like her ruin it for other parents and my boss refuses to implement a condition like .. X amount of lates will result in your kid being dropped from the class.

 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

I did the thing today, and it was awesome! 😎
This is something I had been asking for since first starting PPL. The mom + pop school I started at probably would have done them with me eventually, but then I joined a cadet program. The big schools won’t do spins until they have to, just prior to CFI.
Through PPL I had several power-on stalls that scared the s**t out of me. I always hung onto what my first instructor taught me: stomp on the high wing. This has saved my butt many times, especially in the clapped out Cessna’s where the slip/skid doesn’t actually represent coordinated flight. Case in point: my last flight prior to today, I demonstrated a full-power, wings level stall to a full break with my “student”. The ball was so far off that the heading was starting to run away just before the right wing dropped. Stomped the left rudder as I pulled power and all ended well.
Fast-forward to today, when I finally get the chance to see my mistakes through, uncorrected. The plane was a 172N with a STOL kit. It was tough to get past the incipient phase going to the left. For giggles I tried getting it to go right, but it ended with more spiral characteristics than a spin. We got a few good ones to the left though. The instructor asked if there was anything I wanted to try. Of course, I had to. Full-power stall to full break while adding too much right rudder and using aileron to hold my heading? Yep.
Remember when I said the attempted spins to the right ended with more spiral characteristics than spin? Not this time. As soon as my instructor started to say “I don’t think it’s…,” the right wing dropped so fast and had us inverted and into the entry that I didn’t know what happened. Spin, fully developed, and we let it go for 3-4 rotations before we stopped it. Easily the best spin we got all afternoon, and loved every second of it!
A few takeaways that I took from today:

1. Spins happen fast. Our VSI passed -2,000fpm on most of them before recovery.
   
2. Full-power stalls are no joke. Now I understand why many instructors and DPE’s want nothing more than 2,000rpm on the trainers.
   
3. More people need to experience this training, especially with the cross-controlled stalls. They sneak up on you, and will ruin your day when you least expect it. I wish I would have been more persistent in asking for them prior to joining the cadet program, or even while in the program.
   
4. There is no such thing as recovering from a spin at low altitudes. That base-to-final turn can become a quick killer.
   
5. Today just ignited a fire inside for aerobatics. This will definitely be something I pursue in the future.
   

This is SO long and rambly, I'm reading it over and I already dislike it, I think I'm very superficial in this. But if you want to, I'd luv if you'd skim it or read the end questions to see if you have any answers.
He's just a friend. We met online when I was 17 and he was 16 and we were just friends for the next four years but then all of a sudden last year I got a crush on him out of nowhere and it just progressed into this Thing, this devotion. I used to care a normal amount and we would have meaningful conversations and it just worked. And then when he became my favorite person, it turned into torture. When he talked to me it was euphoria, but when he didn't respond I would sob and cut myself. He's the only thing I think about, every day I have conversations with him in my head just to feel comforted. He's a good friend and he has said he cares about me in the past but I feel him gradually getting farther and farther away because his band is taking off and he's getting more friends and confidence and awareness and wisdom and I'm not growing at all. I can't. He sees that. He's repulsed by my depression, even though when I met him he was severely depressed, and he seems to dislike me and the worst part is that I told him I liked him last summer and he asked me to send him pictures of myself naked. And I did it and I felt so happy and I kept doing it over and over again whenever he asked, even though I knew he didn't care about me. He even said so. I asked how he felt about me liking him and he said he didn't feel anything at all and he didn't care either way. And then last month, we hooked up, and I was so nervous and excited, I felt like I was on coke, and it was good and I felt happy. But he has other options and opportunities, and things that make him happy, and my main thing is him. I need to pull myself out of the mud and let him go, because he's onto better things. And I need to fill my life with projects and things that I'm passionate about, and I know that, but all I want is him. It stings that he has so many friends, because I get jealous of people that have friends. I used to have a whole network of friends that I loved very very much, and then I went through psychosis and became the crazy girl and everyone disowned me. And I noticed that some of his new friends are in the same group as the people who disowned me. All I can think about is him befriending them and leaving me behind. The ones who think I'm a total freak loser. And the thing is those people label themselves as freaks, they're alt and different and outcasts and I don't even fit in with them, I'm stiff and depressed and awkward now and nothing like how I was and I don't know if I can ever be that person again. I feel like a total loser, I feel like I'm totally broken and I don't have a chance of ever talking to him again. And I know he's said he gets worried about me, which might mean he cares, he said that right before we hooked up last month, but it just seems like he's on his way out and I have to be strong and say goodbye and all I want to do is text him but I don't know what I would say or if it would bother him, and I'm trying to figure out with online tarot cards how he sees me and they all show me images of people that look repulsive. And I don't know if it's all in my head or if I'm picking up on something real, I feel a burning sensation every time I see his success because that means that he'll just see me as more and more lame and worthless. And I don't even know if he's the type of person that thinks of people that way, but I'm afraid he is. It''s likely he is. I long to talk to him and I don't even know why him exactly, it's just this feeling and it's all consuming, it feels so empty thinking about not talking to him and I think it will feel better once I just rip the bandaid off and start doing things for myself but I don't know if I'm strong enough. I will keep telling myself that I am strong. But so many times I said I'm done with him and I'm focusing on my self worth, and then it's like a total riptide back to him. I'm so sad and I wish i could cry more about it but I just feel a burning sensation in my solar plexus like always now. I think that's where I store my sadness, but I don't know. What do I do when I don't even know reality, I don't even know what he thinks of me, or if he's done with me, or if he doesn't even have an opinion of me that much. It seems like it would be so easy for him to lose contact with me and not care, he has so many opportunities and options, he's like a kid in a candy shop and I'm like a kid who's starving and just found a lollipop. I'm gonna cling onto that lollipop for as long as possible and I'm not gonna let it go, and I'm trying to eat the stick to get the same feeling I got when I first started it. The world feels empty without him, and he doesn't feel the same way. It's like a dagger in my gut. I don't know what reality is, I don't know if we're fine or if he's put off by me, and I only get to surface from this dark pond once in a while and see that it doesn't matter, before I get pulled back in.
TL;DR What do I do so I don't go crazy being inexplicably tethered to someone who I think feels nothing for me if not repulsion? Should I just text him, because nothing concrete has happened at all between us, other than him leaving me on read a couple times? How do you guys deal with saying goodbye to your FP and what do you do to cope with it? I'm going back and forth between he's fine with me and he's repulsed by me, do you have any coping skills for this? Or coping skills for anything else I mentioned? I feel very vulnerable right now, I have total tunnel vision emotionally right now, and I'm aware I sound superficial but I'm pretty damn scattered rn, anyway I would absolutely love some other bpd ppl to share. Thank u <3