Teaching summary paragraph reading

Since RoB24, I’ve been following the cybersecurity market more closely, and there’s a clear shift in vendors' strategies to highlight the importance of SecOps. This was more evident at RSAC24, and you can read more in my RSAC24 Summary. I don’t know how it will impact the cybersecurity landscape on the MSP side other than what I already posted in my Right of Boom 2024 Summary.
Nevertheless, Palo Alto Networks made a bold move last week by announcing they will buy IBM QRadar. Similarly, LogRhythm and Exabeam (two SIEM powerhouses) announced they would merge. This further validates that something significant is happening in the security operations space of enterprises, while SIEM offerings are relatively new to MSPs. My gut feeling tells me to:

1. Avoid getting into 3-year deals with these tools because the market will change a lot.
2. Start researching what tool will replace/enhance the SIEM for SecOps on enterprises that will eventually enter the MSP market.

Any additional recommendations or insights?

The mystery of Elden Root has baffled Potentate scholarship. The city was burned down by the Thalmor during the Second Great War in failed efforts to contain rebellion. Today, however, it has regrown to its previous size in but a fraction of the time that its progenitor did. The native explanation, as we will describe below, is not taken very seriously by academics but remains a fixture of Bloodtoil spirituality, a “founding myth” if you will.
It is said that the Thalmor sought to sever the Bosmer’s connection to the Green once and for all by destroying the great tree cities: Elden Root, Brakenleaf, Falinesti, and most crucially Silvenar. While they failed with Falinesti, the other settlements left ashen scars across the sacred forests. But worse was the spiritual scar left by the death of the Silvenar, voice of the Bosmer people. The Green Lady, enraged, called out to the Green-that-is-Z’en, Spirit of Repayment in Kind. She became monstrous and feral, and so did her Bosmer followers. A Wild Hunt like the world had never seen ravaged the Thalmor governorships, literally devouring them, before the Lady herself disappeared into her home of Deepwoods. When a new Silvenar manifested, he was ungrateful for the sacrifices the Green Lady and her faithful had made, instead leading a group of Bosmer north to the city of Kvatch.
Meanwhile, a High Prophet of the Green began to speak on the Lady’s behalf, teaching that it was the corruption and decadence of modern civilization which had weakened the Bosmer and the other peoples of Valenwood. In this doctrine, only the Green Pact could ensure the security of the tribes and restore the lost glories of the ancients. And the Prophet was, allegedly, proven right: using the seeds of the old Elden Grove they were able to create a new one. They fertilized the land with the blood of the faithful, who sacrificed themselves to become one with the Green much in the same way Y’ffre and the other Earth Bones had supposedly done in the Dawn Age.
The veracity of such claims is almost impossible to determine. The Green Lady has been missing for a very long time, and scholars are kept from examining the new trees in fear they will somehow “taint” the “marrow” of the Green. The leading theory proposed by Aphia Megulus of the University of Bravil holds that the legend hints to the truth that the modern tree-cities are kept strong and healthy by some barbaric blood magic rituals.
The difficulty in studying such myths lies in the decentralized nature of the Green Prophecy. The religion was founded by a figure known only as the Precursor, a wandering Bosmer prophet who attracted a large following in the late Third Era and early Fourth Era by claiming Y’ffre would soon return to offer great gifts to the tribes of Valenwood. When the Aldmeris Dominion outlawed this movement it only grew in popularity. The High Prophet in the time of the Bloodtoil Uprising, an Imga called the Successor, began teaching that the Green had many faces: Y’ffre to the Bosmer, Mauloch and Z’en to the Orcs, Ius and Muluk to the Gobllins, Khenarthi to the Khajiit, and on and on it goes. This new pan-racial version of the faith allowed a true coalition of tribes to establish dominance over the region, but it also demanded variation. Thus, almost anyone can call themselves a Green Prophet, and the religion has no fixed doctrines (as words can never truly describe the Spirit of the Now). To be respected as a Prophet, however, usually involves years of preaching, teaching, and meditation. The High Prophet is always elected by the oldest and most respected Green Prophets in the Pack. Their religion is thus self-contradictory and prone to sectarianism; many Prophets even seem to delight in confusing outsiders with bizarre truisms and exotic displays of mysticism that involve self-cutting or consuming large amounts of moon sugar to contact “the Now.”
Elden Root remains a popular spot for pilgrims from across Tamriel, despite the dangers of Bloodtoil "society." Spriggans watch with fixed gazes as Potentate Bosmer come to pray at the Elden Tree, and sympathetic natives do their best to rush the foreigners along before they inevitably do something to offend the Prophets.
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I normally don't go in for all that mysticism, but I was curious so I went ahead and asked a Green Prophet in Haven for a summary about their religion. The answer was enough to make me wonder if the Geographical Society is being honest for once:
“Some think we are stardust trapped in flesh and bone. Some think we are the children of a Fox or a Dragon, though they cannot decide which. Some think we live in a Gray Maybe. They are wrong. We live in the Green. We live in the Spirit of the Now.”
“Sometimes the Green is the trees of the grove, the flowers in the field, the dirt under our toes. We name this Y’ffre. But the Green is the Spirit of the Now.”
“Sometimes the Green is the wind and the air, the biting blizzard and the flash of lightning. We name this Khenarthi. But the Green is the Spirit of the Now.”
“Sometimes the Green is toil in the field, the bloodlust of vengeance, the reaping and sowing. We name this Z’en. But the Green is the Spirit of the Now.”
“Sometimes She comes to us as a Lady. Sometimes They come to us as the Silvenar. Sometimes He is Ius, Father of Animals. But the Green is the Spirit of the Now.”
“Sometimes the Green is you and me. Because we are the Spirit of the Now."

TL;DR: Luigi and Saiko have the potential to be a pairing with fun contrasting personalities and character growth potential while working with what's there in canon already without much if any change.
Time for something a bit... different for this sub, at least from what I can tell. I only just joined yesterday thanks to Medi's recent video.
Before we begin, I want to start off by saying that this is in no way a "my ship is better than yours" post. You are all free to like what you want, all I'm doing is trying to spread love for a pairing I hold so dear, and why I wish more people knew what's special about it. In other words, don't take this the wrong way. With that out of the way...
Saiko Bichitaru is my favorite SMG4 character. It took a bit for me to appreciate her, but as a fan of the show since 2013, as her debut year of 2018 went by and she continued to develop into a core cast member, I thought that for a show like this it was a very well-executed character arc, with a pretty heartwarming conclusion to boot. In the years since, besides perhaps 2019 which I thought was pretty good for her character, she took a step back in favor of other characters getting the spotlight, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but part of me does wish they got to utilize certain dynamics with her more. Tari and Kaizo are obvious ones, but another obvious one that I think is largely unnoticed these days is her dynamic with Luigi.
Luigi is my other favorite character, for generally being likable while still being entertaining, but there are other, niche-er reasons too I will get into later. For now I will say that he has has a sort of "magic" about him, in that despite his cowardly exterior (occasionally gigachad moments aside, which are mainly done for comedy's sake) he has a big heart and tries to see the best in people. In SMG4, him becoming Saiko's friend during her darkest hour (heh) is one of the biggest examples of this. It started an unlikely friendship between a timid but kindly plumber and a tough and passionate rockstar, something that remains to this day, but mainly in background cameos. Despite this, I've noticed that the larger fanbase doesn't really acknowledge this much, likely to due A. the lack of major usage since 2020 and B. some fans weren't around when those videos were new. But that's why I'm here today: I am here to talk about what makes this dynamic work so well, but also that I legitimately think that while considering that, Luigi x Saiko is a pairing that can work extremely well given what's already there without much interference. Again, I'm not saying that it's "better" than other pairings involving one of these two, only that it's one of the more "realistic" pairings as a whole in my opinion. To start with, let's go over Saiko's character arc again.
PART 1: SAIKO
I don't want to turn this into a recap, so we'll go over her story briefly before getting into the parts involving the green Italian man. A fictional rockstar in a dating game from the band KS-2 brought in by Boopkins due to his loneliness, Saiko started off as an extremely clingy yandere, violently demanding attention from others if even a second was put away from her being the center of attention. After about six months of her being a villain, eventually she realized that she has a problem and became depressed over it, only fro a certain someone to come in and kickstart her redemption, slowly but surely becoming nicer and becoming friends with the SMG4 gang, notably Tari and Meggy.
I personally feel like a lot of Saiko's POV is understood if you saw certain videos happen as they aired, but it all started with Luigi's Lesson, where the usually cowardly Luigi learns about Saiko's problems and tries to help her become nicer. As you may know, he succeeded for the most part, with her doing a good deed by the end (saving Mario from choking on hot dogs), and she slowly became nicer over time. The thing is that Luigi was Saiko's first true friend, someone who saw her potential for being a good person before anyone else. In this case, I don't really count Boopkins since while he did care for her, after her debut he tried to stay away as much as he could and didn't really attempt to help her until after Luigi kickstarted that whole thing. Beyond that though, there were still moments throughout 2018 that showed Luigi being the one to help Saiko improve herself, the main one being a small moment in The Mario Cafe, but even Mario and the Diss Track had Luigi be the one to tell Saiko the truth about Bob in that arc.
All things considered, my personal interpretation is that Luigi saved Saiko's life. Without him being there for her, Saiko would've continued scared off people with her violent tendencies, and she never would've found the "attention" she desired so much via the SMG4 gang. And it all started because some easily-scared plumber saw something more in someone even he was previously scared of. Speaking of which, let's talk about him.
PART 2: LUIGI
To start with, I wanted to mention that Luigi is bisexual, not homosexual. "Gay" can be used as an umbrella term for anyone in the LGBT+ community, and Luigi has shown attraction for both men and women throughout the series, with a lean towards men mainly for comedy purposes. The 2015 episode Love for Luigi is a very notable example of this, where Luigi falls in love with Daisy and tries to win over her heart, and he succeeds by the end... but did he really? Much like several other aspects of the series, this is something only really brought up when it's convenient (like the 2016 episode Boo Busters) but otherwise Luigi is portrayed as single. Since we live in an era where they care about canon a little more, I think the only plausible explanation for this is that they broke up.
While I imagine that Luigi is fine with this these days, to get into headcanon territory a little, perhaps Luigi still feels lonely to this day. I mean, he still shows attraction to people, even showing interest in romance (such as this one clip from a Mario Does Things video from a couple of years back called "luigi tries to get with the ladies" on the Shorts channel), so there probably has to be some level of desire for it internally. Maybe he feels lonely, which is why he could relate to Saiko's struggles at first. But that's enough about headcanons for now.
Another thing about Saiko is that she just fits Luigi's taste in general. Luigi is with Daisy in Nintendo canon, and she's a strong gal with a lotta passion for what she cares about. While Luigi is plenty capable himself, in SMG4 he still shows signs of timidness and cowardice every once in a while, and of course he tends to be the butt of many jokes that he can't do anything about. From a comedy perspective that's fine, but from Luigi's POV, considering the several other responsibilities he has, the dude is tired. Someone strong and passionate like Saiko has the potential to teach him about confidence and standing up for himself in return for him teaching her about kindness and being rewarded for it. Long story short, being with Saiko not only fits Luigi's own tastes in partners, but Saiko in particular could do something that helps him better himself. In turn...
PART 3: LUIGI & SAIKO
Everything discussed leads to a relationship between two contrasting personalities with their own problems, and getting together leads to both of them becoming happier in the process. And hey, who doesn't like a ship with contrasting personalities? The thing about LxS though is that the seeds were already planted in the show itself to build off from, with the setup given in Luigi's Lesson potentially giving us just that. As for their dynamic, the times they do show up together, as I said before, consistently have them friendly without any real holes or inconsistencies. A large part of that is due to their underusage together, but even in recent episodes, we have moments such as the 2022 Christmas episode where they were cooking dinner together, or a more recent episode that shows them together at SMG3's coffee shop.
One final major point though is that I think Luigi and Saiko being a couple could bring things full circle. Saiko, a woman looking for love and improves herself thanks to a certain person starting it all.... only for said person to fall for the woman that Saiko became, and in turn Saiko falls for Luigi for being the one who started her new life and for being a kindhearted person who understands her the most, next to Tari mainly shown in the KS-2 mini-arc from 2022. In other words, the person Saiko was really looking for was the person in-front of her the whole time. If you ask me, that's a pretty fitting note to "conclusively" end Saiko's original character arc, even if it already ended around 2019.
As a side note, Luigi and Saiko have potential to be really good parents, but with the "gender roles" switched, which is always fun. Luigi is timid, caring, and tidy, while Saiko is also caring, but also passionate, tough, and cares for her friend's well-beings, both like a mom and a dad respectively. It also has a lot of comedy potential as you have the two of them learning the ropes of parenthood, and it could lead to more interactions with other characters, mainly Karen (in which Luigi already gave advice to on parenting one time, showing that he already has the ropes to a degree).
CONCLUSION
Overall, Luigi and Saiko have a lot of potential for not only their dynamic, but also the idea of them becoming a couple. I wish more people knew about this since I feel that LxS is largely seen as "MxM's Player 2" given how you only really see MxM fans mention the pairing. That isn't a bad thing at all, I myself like that pairing, but I do wish that the pairing had a little more of a fanbase of its own. But hey, that's part of why I'm talking about this now. The good news though is that there has been something of a small resurgence of the pairing already despite the fact of content, mainly through the existence of RockRage8962's fankid characters Angelo and Rin, who were made into Gmod characters by Duz/Glithware and AnEyeArtist.
Despite this, I do wish that more people understood why this pairing is special, and I hope with this essay, more people can do so. You can still like whatever pairings you like, but whether this convinces you on the ship's idea or not, I hope you at least gain a little more respect towards it. If anyone has any questions or want me to elaborate on something, let me know and I'll likely respond, but if you made it this far, thanks for reading!
BONUS: A playlist of videos containing at least one Luigi and Saiko moment, from 2018 to 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDYLLnT8V-AT9AUb28cpE87_-a4CMbEed

The beginning of my daughters 6th grade year (2021), a new girl moved to town. We will call her Ruth. Her parents had recently divorced and she moved here with her mother. My daughter quickly became friends with her and I noticed my daughter coming out of her shell more. Being less shy, more outgoing. I was happy for her to have made a new friend that she was close so quickly with. The friendship quickly turned into best friends. The girl began coming over to our house for sleepovers on the weekends as kids do. They would hang out at the park together in town. She eventually asked to go over to her house to hang out and I said yes. She knew it would just be hanging out during the day as I really didn't know her mother well. My daughter got in the car and told me how much she liked hanging out over there and then proceeded to tell me there roaches crawling on the floor in the girls bedroom, THEN asked if she could stay the night sometime. I told her no and explained to her why and said that her friend is always welcome to come stay at our home. BFF's continue. No harm, no foul.
Fast forward to 7th grade year. Still BFF's. This is great. Especially since girls are so awful to each other ALL THE TIME IN JUNIOR HIGH. Her mom has a work trip and has to travel out of state for a few days during the school week. She asked if her daughter could stay with us. My husband and I agreed that it would be fine and she stayed with us for a few days while her mom was out of state. Still BFF's.
Now it's the middle of 7th grade year, around January (2023). Her mom (46 y/o)started dating a new guy(50 y/o). This guys fiancé had recently left him for another guy. We will call him John. I live in a dominantly republican area if this gives you any idea of the people I'm dealing with/talking about. Anyways, they fall in love and she moves in with John within 6 months of dating each other. (Approx May 2023). Her son decides to move back with his dad. Her other daughter moved in with a boyfriend (she is over 18). So, just the mom and daughter move in with him and his son(irrelevant).
Summer 2023 it is suddenly unfair that Ruth is always coming over to our house, but my daughter never goes over there. My husband(37 y/o) and I(35 y/p) agree that it is ok for her to go over there. John had just recently putting up an above ground pool. We don't have a pool. It's summer. I get it. She goes over there plenty of times, I let her stay late as we just live about a mile or two down the road. John starts building a "cabin" as a "great outlook over the pool". This is basically a cabin/pool house thing up 12 feet above the pool, but kind of to the side. My husband and I think its super weird...but whatever, they continue hanging out back and forth at one another's houses. Ruth continues to stay over a lot. In the midst of all of this and my daughter meeting John she informs me that....John thinks my daughter is a liar. Of course I asked why. John thinks that because my daughter will not look him in the eye when she speaks to him. My daughter is shy and has a lot of anxiety. I told her that she is not required to look him in the eye if she doesn't want to her. Its HER choice. John now has a say in what Ruth wears. He is not allowing her to wear short shorts anymore because it will give off the wrong impression to men dressing that way. Same with tops as far as her chest and stomach. I don't mean extreme stuff either. I mean if she has a shirt that touches her pants, but when she lifts up her arms it shows her stomach it is not allowed. I also really don't care how people choose to allow/not allow their children to dress, it is just that she was previously allowed to wear these things. She is also no longer allowed to hang out in her room alone, she has to hang out with her family in the living room.
Fast forward to a couple of months ago. Still BFF's. My daughter asked for Ruth to stay over. Of course, its fine with my husband and I. However, Ruth cannot stay over because it is now unfair that Ruth always stays at our house and my daughter never stays there. My daughter asked me if she could spend the night over there. She informed me that if she was not able to spend the night over there, then they wouldn't be able to hang out anymore. I figured it was just two teenagers making stuff up to be able to stay somewhere. I always used to do it when I was a kid...all kids do it. I asked my daughter if she wanted to stay there. She was upset, and said yes because if she doesn't then they won't be able to be friends. She said so if she has to do it to be friends with Ruth, then she will. My daughter does not even use public restrooms/school restrooms. The only place she will go to the restroom is at home. My husband and I talked it over and did not allow her to stay because of how he openly talks shit about our daughter, and if you've read above...its giving narcissist. We explained all of this to our daughter.
Later that night there is a knock on our door. Its Ruth mom and John. They asked if they could talk to us. John asked if we called him a pedophile. We didn't. We explain this. Convo continues. Not a heated convo just a normal convo. They continue to talk to let us know that they don't drink or anything but they are facing misdemeanor charges for fighting ANOTHER GIRLS PARENTS in the 8th grade class at a Poker Run for a fundraiser a few months ago but it wasn't their fault. Then John asks if I bought Ruth a tanktop recently. It was a spaghetti strap. John tells my husband and I "Ruth isn't allowed to wear those because soon they will be freshman in highschool and ALL of the seniors have a bet to see how many freshman they can fuck and the ones dressed like that will be the easiest targets" Blood boils . I informed John politely but sternly that girls should not have to worry about how they are dressed, parents should be teaching the BOYS how to behave properly and obtain consent. John also defended a sex offender that was charged for molesting a girlfriends daughter who is disabled and cannot speak or talk for herself. John defended him and said technically she WASNT a minor and he is a good guy. Idc about sex offenders and I do believe in rehabilitation but a crime is a crime. Long convo. Basically chit chatting about our kids. It ended with them telling us that our daughter is always welcome to stay and we said thanks and they left.
Now, Ruth is no longer allowed to hang out with my daughter. Ruth has to ride the bus and cannot get rides home with us because its US. They are not allowed at the park together. She's not allowed here. This is per John and Ruth's mom. They had graduation and Ruth had to make sure John didn't catch her talking to me.
I obviously want my daughter to be happy. She has not given me an attitude about any of this. She has gotten upset and cried and just told me that she would do it if she had to because she doesn't want to lose her friend. She wants to have a good summer but John gives me the CREEPS and narcissist vibes. I also feel like its a control thing for him?
Plz be nice. I'll cry if I'm TA. lol

As the title says, I 20M made many decisions that I believe messed up my youth experience and will probably have consequences in my future. If you don’t want to read all of this just read the last question paragraphs.
So basically, I lost a year in High School due to bad grades at 17, as I had to work another 2 jobs to help my family, which went trough an extremely hard financial situation. I lost almost all my friends that year and became extremely depressed, and bitter. I gained lot of weight and my hygiene was on all time low.
At 18 I became extremely antisocial and literally only went to like 3 parties, where I didn’t do anything. I became over stressed over my future, my career, and started thinking that I’m a failure. I legit couldn’t even focus on girls, or anything like that because of how much I was thinking to try to figure my life out. Even though I started going in the gym, and put (physically) my shit together, I was still mentally depressed and even though girls and people were approaching me, I still acted like an autistic person, and messed up my last year at high school. I only focused on getting my grades up.
By 19, where I had to pick a college to go on, again, I messed up real bad in the access exams due to working the last months. My grades were so bad I had to go to a famous online school in my country, which is known for being the “failure students” uni. I spent 2 years studying hard to get a good grade and pick a good college, and still failed tremendously, meanwhile other people who didn’t focus and just partied and lived their lives, went to the one I wanted to.
So, I decided to start my degree online, and miss the first year college experience. This killed me inside but well, life goes on. Basically I spent that year working on multiple places, training, and being miserable. Meanwhile my classmates were enjoying the shit out of their lives, I was working in some low class jobs (I saved a lot of money but it doesn’t compensate), studying at the worst uni possible, and being stressed 24/7.
As if this wasn’t enough, this year I missed the matriculation of the access exam. I was misinformed via phone call and now it’s too late for me to do the access exam. I spent a whole year studying for nothing. I genuinely feel like my life is over, like 100%. Never, ever, in my life I had this sense of extreme emptiness and overwhelmed. I can not longer train properly, sleep, work, study, do self improvement habits without the thought that I completely f up my youth, even though I was working hard and doing my best, It’s absolutely incredible how hopeless I am now. It really is over. All my plans are terminated, all the work and endless hours that I’ve gone through just working were useless.
So basically my main concern is that I’d have to wait till I’m 21 to actually be on a decent college (3rd year), till then I have to study online and ruin completely my college experience. I genuinely don’t want to work as garbage man/toilet cleanesecurity/airport auxilia… kind of jobs that I went through, but I’m forced. Everybody knows I worked as these and make fun of me. I don’t have anything going on in life. I do feel like my social circle is also a big contributing factor, as almost all my close friends are in the same position as me. I do not want to end up like my family, working all their lives in low class jobs, but I am really going that path if I keep being this way. The career path that I chose (Computer Science) is really making me rethink whether this is for me or not. I am not enjoying coding, or at least the way they teach it. I only enjoy it when I code my own things, but working 8 hours a day in front of a screen…
I would like to ask some questions to people who may think can contribute something:
-Do you think I am missing a lot of the college experience? Like meeting a lot of new friends, girls, parties and all that stuff? I don’t know what is it like. I’m concerned if I’m just over stressing. I want to get to know people, girls, but I’m just not able to.
-Is it weird to be in college at 21 without knowing anybody there? What if I start a new degree? Will I be the uncle of the class?
-Will I do right if I get rid of my friends? They’re all very low level people, with black future, but they’re the only reason I have minimum social skills.
-Am I doing right focusing way too hard on self improvement? I’ve been watching hundreds and hundreds of hours of podcasts to gain knowledge and proper mentality, but I’m scared I will learn the same things if I just lived properly and do what everybody my age does. Maybe maturity can’t be learned.
-How do I not waste the year? I’ll have a lot of free time in some months, I genuinely don’t know what to do. All I have in my sad life is a 100k youtube channel that grew a lot in the last months that really doesn’t compensate all my lost experiences in life. My family isn’t being harsh at me due to “losing” the year, but I always had high expectations over myself and now I’m in the literally worst position possible.
-Am I doing wrong thinking I will make money on my own? Am I just being the classic 20yo kid who thinks he will become a millionaire?
Just FYI, I’m 6’6” and fairly attractive, so you don’t think I’m a random incel. Just a normal dude with really bad luck in life.

I genuinely had no idea the depth this season would have. I just finished my second rewatch, watching edits, and reading people's analyses and metas. Nic was right when she said this season was romance because, wow, I’m speechless at just how much there is to their story. It keeps you going back, thinking, and pondering. To the point that I'm not as mad as I was about them splitting up the season. We're really able to take in these four episodes, unpack each scene, each character, and each expression because everything has been so purposeful.
On my second rewatch, it struck me that it wasn't the kiss that awakened Colin's feelings. I wouldn't have thought so until someone mentioned on twitter it wasn't the kiss Colin has a flashback of before he goes to the ball. it was the scene Pen wraps his hand with a cloth. I rewatched the show after that to pay closer attention and wow did so many things stand out to me the second time around. Maybe it was the candle that sparked that memory, but even then, was her wrapping his wound so significant to him that it prompted him to go to the ball, interrupt her dance, cause a scandal, and then chase her carriage?
Colin's behavior towards her has been odd the entire season. First, Penelope not responding to his letters messed him up. It made him realize that although he's always cherished her as a friend, she had a much more profound impact on him, and he didn’t notice until she was no longer there. He tries to talk to her, but she walks away, giving him the cold shoulder. He is left shook.
He sees her at the ball in her stunning dress. He keeps staring at her, so aware of her, constantly tracking her. Then she leaves, running up the stairs and passing him. He leaves his friends behind to go after her, despite their advice not to concern himself with her. They have that moment where he tells her he misses her, but in a much different way than he would have spoken to her last season or the season before that. "If you're going to make it, say it. I miss you." Not "I missed you," but "I miss you."
This distinction is crucial. "I missed you" implies a past tense, a temporary void that has now been filled. "I miss you," however, conveys a present, ongoing longing. It shows that his feelings are current and that her absence affects him deeply and continuously. This moment is pivotal because it reveals a more vulnerable and sincere side of Colin, one that he hasn't shown to others this season.
Colin is showing a different side of himself to everyone this season, including his own family. He's trying to present a more composed and assertive version of himself to the world. Yet, Penelope is the only one with whom he truly feels comfortable enough to be his genuine self. She makes him feel safe, allowing him to drop the mask he wears for others. With her, he can be kind, sensitive, and unguarded.
This sense of security that Penelope provides is significant. It’s clear that Colin values her presence not just as a friend, but as someone who understands him on a deeper level. She brings out the best in him, the parts he might be afraid to show others for fear of appearing weak or overly sentimental. In Penelope’s presence, Colin feels seen and accepted, which is why his declaration of "I miss you" carries such weight. It’s not just that he misses her company; he misses the person he is when he’s with her.
Then he seeks her out and comes to her house, gives her the big speech, and tells her he wants to get into her good graces. They go out, and he tells her to practice on those gentlemen. When she stumbles over her words, he just smiles so fondly at her. At this point, I don’t think he’s aware of his feelings, but I do believe he's starting to realize just how much he likes her. He really, really likes her. And he missed her so much, and being around her again is literally lifting his spirits.
One of my favorite moments is when they are at the market. Colin brings up the story of when they first met, leaning in and saying, "teasing me. Mercilessly, in fact." When he follows with, "I think I know why," it stands out to me because you can just see how different he is when he's with her compared to anyone else this season. Even with his family, his light is dim, and there is a cloud hanging over him. But with Penelope, especially in this scene, it's like a man who finally saw the sun after being stuck in endless rain. At this moment, I don't think he knows he likes her romantically, but he likes her even more than he did before. He notices how she makes him feel. He loves their banter and how clever and witty she is.
Penelope freaks out when he says this because she thinks she knows, and she keeps on walking. They are momentarily covered from each other by the rugs, and then Colin pops out and continues his sentence. Everything about it is so playful and flirtatious, even if unconsciously at this point. He’s just having so much fun, and it’s very different from how he used to interact with her before. That moment when Penelope says, "I should get back," leaning in and adding, "before we are noticed," is significant.
Then we have the moment when Colin says, "I've been eagerly awaiting your visit." By this point, he’s addicted to her. The interactions they had at the market, especially at the end, left a lasting impression on him. I see this as Colin testing his feelings, wondering, "Let me see if that was a fluke or if I actually like her." This moment is crucial because it reveals Colin's internal struggle and growing realization of his deeper feelings for Penelope. He’s no longer simply enjoying her company as a friend; he’s beginning to seek out her presence because it brings him genuine happiness and comfort.
This shift is evident in his behavior. Colin’s eagerness to see Penelope isn’t driven by a sense of duty or friendship; it’s a personal desire. His anticipation of her visit shows that her company has become something he craves. This is no longer about teaching her anything; he just wants to spend time with her, and you cannot convince me otherwise. Colin knows that teaching Penelope how to attract a husband doesn’t look right, as he mentions to Eloise. He is aware that his actions could be misinterpreted, and yet he persists. This indicates a level of emotional investment that goes beyond mere friendship or mentorship.
When Colin invites Penelope to the Bridgerton house and places a hand on her back, it’s a bold move that borders on scandalous. In the societal context of their time, such an action is highly intimate and could easily lead to gossip and speculation. Colin is well aware of this, which is why his decision to proceed regardless is significant. It shows that he’s starting to prioritize his personal feelings and desires over societal expectations and norms.
In Season 2, when he grabbed her hand and took her into a secluded room, he genuinely saw her as just a friend and didn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing. But this scene is different. Colin is aware that his feelings towards her are changing, and he doesn’t care about the impropriety. He just wants to be alone with Penelope. This awareness marks a turning point in Colin’s emotional journey. He’s beginning to accept that his feelings for Penelope are evolving into something deeper and more romantic.
His actions, such as eagerly awaiting her visit and ensuring they have private moments together, reflect a subconscious desire to explore these feelings further. He wants to understand the depth of his emotions without the interference of others. This need for privacy and his willingness to bend societal rules for her indicate just how significant Penelope has become to him. He values their time together, not just as friends, but as potential romantic partners. Colin’s behavior suggests that he’s on the verge of a profound realization about his true feelings for Penelope, setting the stage for further developments in their relationship.
Then we get to the moment that solidifies for me that he knows to some degree what he feels about her. When Penelope tells him his eyes are beautiful, he is visibly aghast, speechless. Jungshook. The compliment is so unexpected and disarming that he doesn’t know how to respond. Instead, he picks up his lemonade and chugs it down like a man who hasn’t had a drink in days. This reaction is significant because it shows how much Penelope’s words affect him on a deeper level. It’s not just flattery; it’s a moment of genuine vulnerability for Colin, revealing that her opinion of him matters more than he realized.
Now, let’s delve into the moment where I believe he realizes he likes her. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it and rewatched their moments with a different perspective if it weren’t for the flashback. The moment she wraps his hand is so intimate and romantic. She wraps his hand slowly, and he watches her intently as she does. There’s a tenderness in her actions that goes beyond mere care; it’s an unspoken connection. She continues holding his hand and slowly folds it, kind of caressing his fingers. This gesture is filled with unspoken emotions, and Colin feels it deeply.
She looks at him intensely, and he meets her gaze but looks down immediately, starting to fiddle with the end of the cloth like he’s nervous. This moment of eye contact is loaded with significance. Colin’s nervousness is a telltale sign that he’s starting to realize his feelings for her. He doesn’t pull away until she mentions his writing, and he gets overwhelmed. Despite all that, and even though he’s upset she read his journal, he asks, "Will I see you tonight?" This question is crucial. It shows that, despite feeling vulnerable and exposed, he craves her company. He just wants to spend time with her.
Even when he’s upset that she read his journal, his first thought is to secure more time with her. "Will I see you tonight?" is not just a casual question; it’s a plea for connection. Colin’s desire to spend more time with Penelope, even when he’s feeling vulnerable, underscores the depth of his feelings. He’s starting to recognize that his attachment to her is not just about friendship or companionship; it’s something much more profound. This realization sets the stage for the unfolding of his realizations and the emotional journey Colin is about to navigate.
Then the ball happens. Colin looks around the room for her and gives her a sexy smirk when he sees her. This smirk is significant because Colin typically reserves it for women he's flirting with, albeit usually in a fake and uncomfortable manner. However, this is the only time the smirk feels genuine and actually comes off as sexy instead of forced. The flirtatious "Good evening" from Penelope is everything, honestly. When she asks how his hand is, he replies, "All good, thanks to you." Sir, all she did was wrap it with a cloth; please be normal. At this point, he's fully aware he has a crush on her. He no longer views her as he did before. His entire demeanor is so much more different compared to their other lessons. There is an intensity to him when he's talking to her that wasn’t there before.
When Penelope talks with Lord Remington, it’s interesting that "Jealous" by Nick Jonas starts to play now and not after the kiss, when she converses with Lord Debling on many occasions where we know he's jealous. When Pen tells him she enjoyed her time with Lord Remington, he responds, "I'm certain he did as well," and he gets a bit awkward. Someone on Twitter mentioned that when Penelope was flirting and trying to engage with others, Colin wasn't jealous, but the moment she is herself and comfortable, his jealousy kicks in, as we saw in this scene. Someone said he's trying to gatekeep her lmao. He sees her smiling and enjoying herself—a part of herself she only shows him—and he can't handle it. Hence, why I believe they chose to play that song at this moment.
This moment is crucial because it highlights the shift in Colin’s feelings. His smirk, which is usually a façade, becomes real and filled with genuine affection when directed at Penelope. His awkwardness and jealousy when she talks to another man further emphasize that his feelings for her have deepened. Colin is no longer just a friend offering guidance; he’s a man who realizes he has a crush on her and is struggling to navigate these new emotions. The music choice underscores this emotional turmoil, perfectly capturing the internal conflict and realization he is experiencing.
And then everything else proceeds that leads to the kiss. I, like so many others, believed this is where he realizes his feelings for Pen. Someone on Twitter mentioned how his eyebrows furrowed and his lips quivered. When I first saw it, I wondered why this kiss would warrant such a strong reaction from Colin. At this point, it was just a kiss that Pen asked for in a moment where she thinks she is ruined and will never find a prospect. But upon rewatching, Colin's visceral reaction to the kiss, as evidenced by his furrowed eyebrows and quivering lips, suggests a deeper emotional resonance than he initially realizes.
Penelope tells him it would not have to mean anything, but for him but it did. He knows his feelings towards her have changed. If it had been just a kiss because she asked for it, it would have stopped after the first time. Just a fleeting moment of physical contact between friends. But they kiss a second time and it's from his pov this time. It's slow sweet and oh so romantic. It's a catalyst that triggers a flood of suppressed emotions and desires within him. In that brief instant, the walls he's constructed around his heart start to crumble, allowing his true feelings for Penelope to surface. it wasn’t a kiss that awakened his feelings; it was a kiss that confirmed it. And not just confirmed it, it made him realize it wasn't just a crush he developed this season but it brought all his dormant feelings to the surface from the past as well.
TLDR: I think he was aware that he liked her when she wrapped his hand specifically and the kiss made him realize that it wasn't just a crush—his feelings run much, much deeper than that.

I am 30f and live alone, never had a real relationship, addicted to masturbation and fantasy, obese, mentally and chronically ill, and autistic. I struggle making ends meet and have a dead-end job in customer service. I want to better myself but because of my chronic autoimmune issues I never feel well enough to balance both work and school because working full time takes so much out of me. I sleep in until it is time to roll out of bed and get read for work. I have no energy or drive to do anything for myself. All I do is jerk off and think about sex and wish I was married.
My family is mad at me. Men are repulsed by me. I can't make friends or keep them. Yes, I am in counselling and have a long way to go before I can be a person who people want to get to know. But right now I feel like the most worthless piece of excrement. I go on Facebook and see all my old friends and acquittances sharing pregnancy announcements, engagement pictures, wedding photos, baby bump photos, sonogram pictures and feel the most painful jealousy knowing that will never be me because I am not likeable.
There is something about me that turns people off, both men and women. I can sit in a group full of people talking and no one ever engages me or looks at me. When I try to speak up or throw something in the conversation people ignore me or act like they didn't hear me. I feel invisible among people and it is the most painful feeling. I don't know what it is about me but people just don't respond well to me. I think it is my anti-social personality, but what they don't know is I am anti-social for a reason because I have been hurt by people very much in the past and don't want to be hurt again.
I was sexually harassed by a professional last year and threatened to take my review down of the BBB or else they would take me to court and sue me for libel. They did not believe my story and I never felt so invalidated and violated in my life. Men are attracted to me at first and want "me", but that is about it. No one wants to love me or know me. I could go to any bar in town and find someone to sleep with tonight--but that is where it ends. I feel empty and like a husk people just use or want to play with to suit their needs. It makes me feel absolutely worthless.
I am obese and use food to escape from loneliness. It is the only comfort I have.
I can't afford the things I need. I can't drive and never got my driver's license due to illness in the family after I get my permit and never had anyone who had time to teach me. I can't afford to see the endocrinologist which I have been needing to for a long time for my pituitary tumor that I was diagnosed with in 2015. I have not been on medication for it in years and it's probably grown and my periods are extremely heavy and I am growing facial hair now (which makes me feel disgusting and unfeminine). I haven't been to the dentist in years and went this year after I got my tax refund and found out I need over $10,000 in dental work my workplace insurance can't cover. So I have teeth rotting out of my head and a tumor in my head that is wrecking havoc on my hormones.
I feel like a waste of space and life. There are children dying of cancer who deserve the air I am breathing more. There are mothers who have children who deserve the air I am breathing more. There are people who have purpose and lives to lead who deserve the air I am breathing more. I ask myself, why did God create someone like me if He knew this is all I would ever amount to be? I am sure even He is repulsed by me as well.
I feel dirty, cast out, unwanted, disgusting, un-likeable and useless. I feel like at this point I am just waiting to die. The only thing that is keeping me wanting to stay is my cat who depends on me.

Hi all, I’m a second year teacher. However, the class I student taught (10th grade in an alternative high school) keeps inviting me back for various things. Most recently, it was for their presentations. They give major presentations at the end of each semester where they can invite family and friends. These are usually a big deal for the kids, because they put so much effort into them. Out of the 16 students in that class, 9 have invited me so far. The same thing happened last year and I did attend the ones I was invited to (12 in total last year.)
This year my mentor reached out and told me I didn’t have to go to the presentations if I didn’t want to. Because it was over text it’s hard for me to read the intention behind it. Do you think she’s annoyed that I keep showing up? Does she think it’s a burden on me? It is about a 2 hour drive between my student teaching school and my current school, but as most of these take place after school, I’ve only taken a single half day off to attend. It’s not a major issue for me (or my current principal/colleagues). Should I still go? The students are now seniors and watching them improve and get more confident has been wonderful.

WARNING! VERY LONG POST
i'm excpecting a lot of downvoyes, because i'm about to heavily critizized KH3 RE:Mind's story instead of praising it tio high heaven, and also critizise MoM's ending... but here goes...
as much as i enjoyed Re:mind and MoM my biggest gripe with re:mind's ending and the end of MoM is that they make the entire "sora is missing we gotta find him!" act completly meaningless, because everyone's efforts amount to absolutly nothing and the fairy godmother and ansem the wise just poof in as a deus-ex machina to tell the gaurdians exactly where Sora is, and even drop riku off right at the portal to quadratumn, I hate this, because not only is it a total cop-out and makes RE:mind's limit cut completly pointless, It throws out the year without Sora that could of been used to flesh everyone else out and reflect on the Xehanort saga so the gaurdians of light could learn and grow as Keyblade weilders, but no, Seems they can;t stell a story without Sora, despite the fans wantng to see more of the other characters...
so, after doing a bit of brainstorming,l I came up with a concept for a hypothetical KH game ((that won;t happen because MoM and re:mind are already done, and the story is moving on)) taht could of allowed Everyone the chance to be relevant in the search for Sora opposed to a deus Ex machina happening, and develop the characters we know and love,
Kingdom hearts 3 X 3 ((the search for Sora))
a hypothetical fan concept for a game that better adresses the time Sora wwas gone and makes sora being gone actually a hurdle instead of something just brushed aside, giving most other characters a time to shine
i'm going to break this into structure, Gameplay and then break down what happens in each individual trio in a general sence, i am not going to wirte full cutscenes or flesh out entre wolds in this summary, but i will give an idea of what the cutscen3es would be like for the trios
Structure opening:
KH 3X3's opening cutscene would start immedietly after the data battlesd in RE:mind, inseated of Cid's PC crashing immedietky and giving out nothing of use, Cid would recover 3 files.... and then the PC would crash and reboot, Within these files, we see 3 things:
1: files on the organization members, both in KH2 and the real org in KH3. allowing the gaurdians of light to actually reasearch and understand the organization for more infomation and start bringing the past of members like marluxia into the main series organically, instead of marlucia, larxine and Ventus being union X to brute force a connection. Could also tie into dark road an introduce Xehanort's past and the foretellers.
2; A dark city, Quadratumn, but the gaurdians don't know that yet,
3: a picture of some fragments, Riku sort of regonizwes them, but isn;t 100% sure,
these are pased onto Ienzo, evan and ansem the wise for investigation, and the trios set off to where they planned to look for Sora, Micky, donald and goofy, ((MDG)) Terra, Aqua, Ventus ((TVA)) and Roxas, Axel Xion ((RAX))
STRUCTURE: GAMPLAY
for the sake of ease of creation, KH 3X3 would be comparable to a fragmentary passage in terms of overall legnh, and each party's section would be about the lengh of one 'world' in Fragmentary passage,
most combat aspects from KH3 and RE:mind would carry over, with each of the 9 characters having a simplified moveset, with only one formchange and a shotlock, and fixed combos and magic avalible, like they are in RE:mind, there are no attractions, links or flowmotion
like BBS, you'd be able to choose which trio you'd like to start as, but like DDD, yopu will be playing as each trio all on one save file, you can play the three trios in any order you like,
a big new feature in this game would be Character switching, with a press of the d-pad, you can immeditly switch character, like you would keyblades in KH3, you can do this at any time, so you can play as Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Micky, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Axel and Xion, unfortunatly, Kairi is already asleep, so she won;t be playable and i can't think of anythig for Namine ((feel free to share ideas though!)) Riku is also not playable because he is with the FF team investigating what was found on Cid's computer.
Disney trio: MDG
in the disney trio's story, you'd play through the surface of Olympus ((sorry, this is to tie it into the KH4 trailer, I was originally going to have a diffrent world here)) looking for clues to Sora's wearabouts, during the story, MDG would potentally struggle without sora, much like how Micky did in the keyblade war, this prompts the trio to realize trhat maybe all this time, the severly underestimated Sora, after all, he did carry everyone for most of the keyblade war, and saved the worlds twice before and in donald and goofy's cases, they realze how much they doubted themselves and decide to step up their game and venture intyo the underwold alone to comfront hades, meanwhile, Micky would return to Yen-sid to stand up for Sora and make it clear how Sora is, to hopefully get Yen-sid to re-evaluate his stance on Sora's self taught skills ((micky could even be bold enough to point out how they almost lost Sora because Yen-sid put him though the Mark of mastery wiithout Sora's self taught skills))
Wayfinder trio: TVA
in the wayfinder trio's story, the trio would head into the realm of darkness as planned, where their bonds of friendship would be put to the test while they search for Sora, being stalked by the vanitas Reanment, during cutscenes, TVA would reflect on their journey and how their lack of faith and trust lead to them being seperated for so long and almost allowed Master Xehanort to forge the Xbalde, as well as kill Master eraqus, because rather than Fight together like the friends they claim they are, they constantly scolded and scorned each other, Aqua and Terra would have a heart to heart about their idividual struggles with darkness and Aqua would apologize to Terra for not beleaving in him just because of bkindly following her master's philosophies, bith Aqua and Terra would also consol Ven and apologize for not helping him realize his potental, and the trio Vow to stick together and have more faith in each other and with their newfound bonds, they easily overpower and defeat the vanitas Reanimant, almost as easily as Roxas beat SIax in KH3 with a trinity finisher to boot, after this, Ventus would begin to recall some of his past ((more subtly bringing in KHUX lore instead of shoehorning it in)) and Aqua and Terra would vow to help Ventus recover his memories... after they find Sora
DAYS TRIO: RAX
in the days trio story, RAX would be searching in both twilight town and maybe the renimants of the world that never was for clues to Sora, durning the cutscenes, Axel would open up to Roxas and Xion about Isa and his long standing friendhip with him in more detail, as well as organically introduce subject X, opposed to her just being shoehorned in for the sake of a mystrery, reflecting on the good times he, Isa and X spent together and maybe giving some more clues as to who she is, Roxas and Xion;s relationship would of course, be explored more, with Axel also helping to Guide Xion and Roxas now they are no longer nobodies, but normal people, and help them to discover and explore their own indentities, not just their connection to Sora
CONCLUSION:
after all 3 trios scenarios are played though there is a final cutscene with Yen sid where everyone ((except donald, Goofy, Kairi and Namine)) is together to discuss their findings, it doesn't mater which trio finds what, but 3 items are recovered, ione by each trio, they are the following
1: A wooden Sword
2: a Crystal religa, like the one we get after defeating Youzora
3: some fragments of... something
there would be a long discussion,with the characters initally reflecting on the Xahanort arc as a whole and what they've learned from it about themselves and how to be better keyblade weilders, as well as discussing the organization's past, Subject X, and Ven's lost memories before Kairi finally wakes up and joins the discussion, with everyone here, the group carfully studies the 3 objects and pictures Cid has, and begin to make connections, Riku remembers playing with the wooden sword with Sora andc realizes his bond with Sora is a key to finding Sora, Kairi also regonizes the fragments, and so does Riku, it's the charm that Kairi gave to Sora back in KH1! so they realize that Kairi is also a key to finsing Sora, finally, the religa and the dark city, there is a long discussion about weather it vcould be the end of the world, or the world that never was, but boith those theories shut down quick, it's only after a genuine effort to solve this themselves, would the rtrio ask Ansem the wise and fairy godmother for help, it is then that they l;earn that Sora is in unrealitry, With micky, TVA and RAX opting to stay behinf just in case the foretellers or Xehanort comes back, Riku and Kairi head for Quadratumn, with Kairi backing out in the last moment, like she already does, joining Aqua for actually meaninful traning, not just sitting around talking,
whew! and that is my idea for KH 3X3, a breather game focused on giving growth to almost all the characters who arn;t named Sora, I hope you like it and thank you if you read this far, feedback and critisisem is appreciated so long as you are constructive about it,

On this sub and the DryEyes sub one often reads someone posting they have been told by an eye doctor that they have mild, medium or severe MGD. The whole business of having a stage system or grading scale for MGD is very complex. It can be subjective, objective or a combination of both. It also can include the judgment of a Meibography tool. Indeed Meibography images can be read like an X-ray or MRI so we will have artificial intelligence reading them as they do now for X-rays or MRI.
Just give a look at the images on these studies to get a sense of the complexity:
Grading and baseline characteristics of Meibomian glands in Meibography images and their clinical associations in the Dry Eye Assessment and Management (DREAM) study
One of the images in this study above has the following descriptors for glands: Distorted, Tortuous, Hooked, Drop Out, Shortened, Thickened, Thinned, Overlapping, Ghost, Tadpolling, Abnormal Gap, Fluffy Areas and No Extension to Lid Margin.
The following study is interesting since it involves the same terms as the one above but it is studying the glands of normal individuals and what that means in terms of determining if some formations of glands are actually pathological or not…see here: Morphologic variants of Meibomian glands: age-wise distribution and differences between upper and lower eyelids
To be sure there are multiple systems for classifying Meibomian gland dysfunction. Here is one that is more subjective as follows:
A commonly grading system is by the International Workshop on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction. It divides MGD into four stages:
Stage 1 (Subclinical):
Symptoms: None or mild.
Clinical Signs: Early changes in gland secretion, such as turbid or mildly altered secretions.
Gland Imaging: Minimal or no gland dropout.

Stage 2 (Mild):
Symptoms: Mild to moderate discomfort, itching, or mild redness.
Clinical Signs: Increased viscosity of secretions, mild plugging of gland orifices.
Gland Imaging: Mild gland dropout, early structural changes.

Stage 3 (Moderate):
Symptoms: Moderate discomfort, more frequent symptoms, possible impact on vision.
Clinical Signs: Significant plugging, reduced gland secretion, increased viscosity.
Gland Imaging: Moderate gland dropout and structural damage.

Stage 4 (Severe):
Symptoms: Severe and chronic discomfort, significant impact on daily activities.
Clinical Signs: Severe plugging, little to no gland secretion, inflammation.
Gland Imaging: Extensive gland dropout and atrophy.

Another method relies on the percentage of glandular loss, usually as seen in a meibography that quantifies the damage as follows:
Stage 0: No loss of Meibomian glands.
Stage 1: Up to 25% loss of glandular tissue.
Stage 2: Between 26% and 50% loss of glandular tissue.
Stage 3: Between 51% and 75% loss of glandular tissue.
Stage 4: More than 75% loss of glandular tissue.
There is another grading or stage based approach that uses thirds as follows:
Mild MGD: Typically characterized by less than one-third of the total gland area showing loss or atrophy. Patients might experience mild symptoms, and management may be conservative.
Moderate MGD: Defined by gland loss ranging from one-third to two-thirds of the total gland area. Symptoms are more noticeable, and intervention might require more aggressive treatment strategies, such as prescription medications or advanced therapies like the device oriented therapies.
Severe MGD: In cases where more than two-thirds of the gland area is lost or shows atrophy. These patients often present with significant symptoms and may suffer from severe dry eye complications. Treatment for severe MGD may include even more intensive therapies and interventions.
Meibography is a process of taking images of the Meibomian glands. Various meibography tools, such as LipiScan, deliver detailed reports from the images they take, but they do not automatically assign a stage to the image. Instead, these tools provide crucial information that helps ophthalmologists in their clinical assessment and decision-making process.
While meibography tools provide detailed images and data, the interpretation and staging of MGD are done by the ophthalmologist based on a combination of:
Clinical Examination: Including slit-lamp examination, tear break-up time (TBUT), and ocular surface staining.
Patient Symptoms: Collected through standardized questionnaires (e.g., OSDI, DEQ).
Imaging Data: From meibography tools, showing gland structure and function.
Clinical Judgment: The ophthalmologist integrates the information from meibography reports with clinical findings and patient-reported symptoms to assign a stage to the MGD. This holistic approach ensures that the staging is accurate and tailored to the individual patient's condition, thus hopefully leading to an appropriate treatment plan.
In summary, meibography tools like LipiScan provide essential imaging and quantitative data, but the final staging of MGD is determined by the ophthalmologist, who considers all available clinical information. I also think if I was seeing a doctor without a Meibography system in place that would be a major indicator to me that this doctor probably did not have a deep commitment to understanding and treating DED/MGD patients so I probably would be looking for an eye doctor who did have that tool.

Hello,
Before I start I would like to clarify that I really didn't want to write this. I have thought a long time about this, but I just don't get why my dating life is so bad.
I am a (ambivert) 19Y/O male who has a pretty busy life. I am pursuing a bachelor's degree in software engineering and have a friendgroup which of two I am close with. For a bit of money I work around 15 hours per week at a side job. I don't really like sitting still, so pretty active guy. Also handy with fixing mechenical stuff and have been playing piano/synthesizers for 10 years now. I have been called a friendly, handsome and smart person outside of my family multiple times. Not that I like bragging about myself, because I really don't. But I like the compliments because it gives some self esteem.
I am not looking for a girl/gf because people in my social circle have these things, but I also don't like the fact that I never got to expierence this. What I am missing is a person who I can fully trust. Friends I will never fully trust. I don't want to spend time with a girl to ..., I am just truly a bit lonely though I am around people a lot. I would do everything for a girl I really like. I am dreaming of roadtripping, doing activites etc. etc. I am no douchebag who f*cks and dumps her or any of those things as a friend of mine does every weekend it almost seems.
The problem is I never meet any girls (Where I am interested in). I have talked to one girl seriously in the last few years but that is it. If I am on the train station I see that some girls are looking and I also make eye contact and maybe a smile but that is it. At the software engeering department on my school it is only boys so no chance there. At work there are occasionally pretty girls as customers but it is just inappropriate I think? So I don't even think about asking for a number. It also doesn't help I am really not shy, but for approaching a girl, my brain just errors, probably because I am scared to look like an idiot. Altough when I get to know someone a little better it is never a problem, so I think it also won't be with a girl. In fact girls I am not interessted in the fear is gone. Just talk.
I don't like those standard "I am competing to my friends" or "I like a lot of alcohol and kissing and f** on saturday night and then forgetting everything the next day" type of girls. I don't know how to explain it but I have a feeling this generation there are a lot of these girls. Not that I don't like going out and drink a bit of alcohol, but with moderation. And I am also lying if I would say I don't like a pretty girl, because I have a standard for a girl, but everyone has right? That standard is not fat ass blah blah blah like some 18-23Y/O talk about when trying to be cool. I am just looking for a pretty, smart girl, that wants to live life to the fullest. To have fun, don't worry too much about the future. Of course life has it's ups and downs, I hope you understand what I mean.
One of the two close friends, let's call him Oscar, He is a handsome guy, same age, good clothing style, has humor and is smart. He also follows a course on a different school with no women. We are pretty much alike in thinking about life, people and generally things that stand out when we are togheter. He works at the same place as me. I have asked him how he does it (not like that he is switching around every month, more like a year single before the next girl comes in his life), but I get a bit of a vague answer because he is very private in that, and I get/respect that.
Summary
Soooo I have no single idea on how to do this in life. Since I turned 19, it is really started to tickle. No one learned me anything & I never learned anything myself. The only one benefit I have is a good ability to communicate in general, but I still don't know how girls really think because their mind is all over the place I learned in life. I am really struggeling with this, because since Covid I have really worked on myself; eat healthier to look a bit better, more original clothing style, saved some money for later and learned some hard life lessons. I am kinda ready for a sort of relationship but not looking for it because it cannot be forced I believe, but I think I can expand my chances.
Am I just too old school with dating? Like 80s type of hang out/talk to a girl. Or is it in my mind? I hate dating apps. I don't use them, is that the problem? Is my vibe not ok? Could you give me some advice?
Thank you for reading.

Hello dear friends, I hope you are all well. I want to know your opinion in general about this chart, but above all I am interested in knowing about the future in love in terms of a life partner (gay). I understand that Venus is in detriment, but, it is in mutual reception with Mars, so I guess the issue is not as bad as it looks at first glance. Saturn close to Venus causes me some doubt in this regard. Jupiter is in its house and is aspecting the Moon, so it helps the chart overall.
Lately I got a job as a teacher in a school and I am earning money. In general in life we were poor with my family and now we are moving up more and more monetarily. Soon I plan to start an esoteric business (when Mercury enters Gemini) and a website, as well as writing books.
Another question I have is whether moving would increase my chances of meeting that "ideal" life partner. I have the opportunity to travel from Chile to Portland, to live with my uncle and I would only stay there if I knew I could complete my love life. I don't know if it is because I have Venus in my ascendant, but, although I feel happy and complete in life, I always prioritize love.
I will leave particular data as a curiosity and reading exercise:

• My aunt, who was born on the same day as me (she was like my sister), died murdered.
  
• My grandfather and maternal aunt (my mother's older sister) died of cancer.
  
• I had obsessive compulsive thinking problems in the past.
  
• I have been heavily involved in spiritual development (meditation and worship), including splitting experiences, premonitory dreams, among others.
  
• I am involved in teaching as a visual arts teacher, I am very good with artistic skills, but I am not very interested.
  
• I graduated from one of the best schools in my country, as well as from the best university here and I have two careers.
  

As soon as I manage to save the money I will probably invest in a full reading with a professional, but for now I could use your help. Thanks in advance and best regards.
https://preview.redd.it/havftet5ig1d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=016a9bf2d8f23d9e9db51881a83faa71cb79182f

To start, I’m looking for criticism and hole poking. So downvote if you must, but at least explain why so I can help my own understanding. Thank you!
This is from a comment I made yesterday. I’m working through my own understanding of this and an interested in feedback and criticism. But part of my view is a critique of the moral/civil/ceremonial division of the law. I understand that a division of the law is seen by both Sts Augustine and Thomas Aquinas (though a bit differently). I’m not debating the patristic tradition, but rather the underlying logic those saints used.
I also recognize there is another tradition which states most of the laws given at Sinai were given because of the golden calf incident and thus were abolished by Christ (this is found in the apocryphal apostolic constitutions If I remember correctly). But again, I question the logic.
The reason I question this logic is this: why would Matthew include the “fulfill not abolish” language in his Gospel if this statement ceased to be of importance after the ascension (when the book was written, assuming the tripartite division, in effect, abolishes 2/3 of the law for the Christian). I also question the natural law methodology for determining what is moral law. I understand a “moral” act as an act that God says is good. Since all goodness is of God, then anything commanded by God would be considered moral to obey. Thus, even minor “ceremonial” laws would be considered moral to obey and immoral to violate. This would effectively render every law of the Torah a “moral law”.
Anyway, on to my proposition. I don’t claim to have patristic evidence for this framework. But this framework does arrive at a very similar effect for the average Christian as the tripartite division does, but it gets there in a very different way, one that makes WAY more sense in my brain. So if y’all can poke holes, please do. If yall can show I’m wildly misunderstanding the tripartite division or natural law or morality, please do.
This particular area I’ve been doing A LOT (last 6-9 months) of soul searching/prayer and study on because I don’t like the “moral/ceremonial/civil” distinction. I don’t think the Torah makes any such distinction and that the distinction only works when read back onto the Torah in light of church teaching. Which is FINE and good for arriving at an answer as a Catholic. But I don’t think it’s the logic the 1st and 2nd generation church would’ve used.
We keep the whole law of the Old Testament; Christ came to fulfill, not abolish. The difference is that it doesn’t quite look the same because

1. ⁠We assume the ancient Israelites enforced the Torah EXACTLY the way it’s read. Break a law? Straight to stoning. But this isn’t how it worked. There were courts and burdens of proof. AND there was a chance for repentance. King David, a man after God’s own heart commits murder AND adultery (and tacitly admits to it when confronted) and yet he repents! By some modern folks reading he should’ve been executed according to the Torah.
   
2. ⁠Christ has come. The thing that the entire OT was building up to happened. So our understanding of things changed. The covenant with Noah didn’t negate the covenant with Abraham, but things certainly look different after Noah. Same with Noah to Abrahamic covenant. Same when the covenant is given through Moses as Mt Sinai. The old is not abrogated, but it is built upon and things after look very different.
   

So, where are all the cleanliness laws, sacrificial laws, feasts, ritual washings etc etc? Well, it’s baked into the new covenant and by extension the church. Some examples:

1. ⁠Sacrificial law: Christ IS most of those sacrifices. He is a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Eucharist literally means thanksgiving), a sacrifice for sin (by his stripes we are healed), a Passover sacrifice (through which we are spared death and brought to life), the day of atonement sacrifice (he is both goats, the goat that takes away the sin and the goat who’s blood purifies the whole camp, now understood to be the whole earth). We still have morning and evening sacrifices (Lauds and Vespers, sacrifices of praise, in the Latin tradition). We still do incense offerings even at Mass and more traditional lauds and vespers celebrations.
   
2. ⁠Cleanliness: this one is entirely wrapped up in the day of atonement. If his blood cleanses the whole world, how can something be called intrinsically unclean? This means that nothing (including food, clothing, or people) are intrinsically unclean. Rather we (and objects) are defiled by what we do (or how it is used). Thus we are still not to have anything to do with unclean things, but what exactly is unclean has changed. You can see this in the fact we purify/cleanse altars that have been desecrated.
   
3. ⁠Ritual washings: baptism, holy water before entering the church, sprinkling over people at high feasts, foot washing
   
4. ⁠Feasts: Pentecost was an Israelite holiday that we still celebrate, Passover is Easter, feast of booths is transfiguration, etc. we just have them renamed for they BECAME to us through the establishment of the new covenant
   
5. ⁠Tabernacle/temple construction: traditional church architecture still abides by the general layout. Holy of Holies: tabernacle and sanctuary. Holy place: knave. Inner court: vestibule. Outer court: the world. Through Christs redemption everyone has moved a step closer to God. Those of relegated to never being in the temple are always in the outer court. But we can all enter the inner court (vestibule). The holy place is not relegated to just priests, but the priesthood of all believers (Catholics in the knave). The priests can all now go into the holy of holies (sanctuary/tabernacle). And instead of one priest once a year going in to God, God comes out to us in the Eucharist.
   
6. ⁠As for the remaining punitive laws, most people only have issue with the penalties assigned. But we’ve already talked about under what circumstances those penalties would be enforced. Basically you had to be unrepentant. So in the Christian understanding, what is consequence of sin? Death. What is death? Well there’s physical death (separation of soul from body) and there’s spiritual death (separation of soul from God). A person who lives in sin without repentance is dying or dead (venial vs mortal sin). And when recognized by the church in a lot of cases an excommunication would be pronounced. This separation from the church, separation of a branch from the true vine. A branch separated is dead. So we don’t execute people as the church, but the church long recognized the civil government’s authority to do so. And even without that, sin is death, and excommunication is death. But it’s important to note that in NO way was the average Israelite running around pronouncing death penalties on people. They had courts and priests that did this. Same as we have tribunals and priests and bishops who do this.
   
7. ⁠Circumcision: this is fulfilled with baptism. It’s the outward sign of entrance into the people of God. Circumcision to become a part of the OT people of God and baptism for the New covenant people of God.
   
8. ⁠A lot of the specifics are alterable with time and circumstance (Jesus gives the apostles this authority with the ability to “bind and loose”). Even in the OT this happened between exodus law in the wilderness vs changes that happen with Leviticus and Deuteronomy since they’re readying to enter the promised land and not be a nomadic people in the wilderness. And even by extra biblical accounts, the specifics had changed a bit in the rituals by the time of the second temple era. Yet Jesus still tells the people to submit to the valid authority of the religious leadership of the day; he notably doesn’t tell them to interpret the Torah for themselves and correct the instructions of priests and rabbis.
   

So practically speaking, yes the triple category can still be laid out. Our ceremonial law is more governed by our liturgical books than Leviticus on a literal front, and our civil law is found in Canon law now, and moral laws (as we have defined the moral life) is still found in the OT among many other places. But all of it is still rooted in what the people of God have been practicing since Mt Sinai though.
Again, my issue with the logic used by fathers in making their determination. I have issue with the practical effect of what they are teaching, and I strongly revere their perspectives. But given there is difference in understanding in tradition, I thought it worth diving in on as something that’s always confused me.

Welcome book lovers.
This is our marginalia post for The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua.
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See you next Sunday the 26th and enjoy the reading!!!

Hi! So this will be my first time creating a 'serious' fanfic. As in, a fanfic that I really care about. I've made fanfics before when I was younger but they were always a bit silly and I just did them for fun. I've already begun my fanfic on a google doc and I really care about it, however I've tried to write down the summary of it multiple times and just can't seem to figure it out. If you have any tips on how to write a good summary, please let me know. Or even what summaries make you want to read a fanfic and which ones make you not want to. Anything would help.
Thank you!

Hello everybody. For those that don't know I have a Twitch channel that as of recently I've been working on rebranding. I haven't streamed since October, but I have a return stream planned for Tuesday, May 28th! I was hesitant to get into Twitch, but it was quite a pleasant surprise to start meeting some very kind and supportive people throughout this journey. I've been able to step out of my comfort zone and do something I never felt capable of doing; entertaining people live through video gameplay, teaching about cooking, as well as getting caught up in nerdy banter with like minded individuals. My current goal is to reach 500 followers which we're getting pretty close to achieving. If you've read this far I greatly appreciate it and would be extremely grateful if you could take the time to check out the channel! The link is https://www.twitch.tv/rpg_zpin and my socials linked to my channel can be found there for future updates on current as well as upcoming projects. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope to see you there when we go live again! Take care. 🫡

So basically, after this summer I (18f) enter the university to start a graphic designer degree. It is something I wanted since I was in middle school. My artistic skills were always good and I never questioned the fact that my job will be related to art. Now, the thing is... Yesterday YouTube recommended me a video of a guy from UK that worked as a graphic designer in one company for six years, but recently was fired due to AI. And the craziest part is that the AI his company obtained was trained on this guy's projects that he created for the company over the years of working. After watching the video I can't stop my anxiety about my life.
Right now I think I'm lost and most importantly, afraid. The degree that I want to start will also teach me the basics of animation, illustration and more stuff, but now I don't know if all of that will provide me any economic stability in the future. I do have a "plan B". This year I finished professional music school so now I can play in orchestras while being paid for it, but it's not something I imagined for myself... And it's not my passion, I like playing, but not as much as I love creating art.
Please, if you work in a similar field, tell me about your current situation. Or if you know someone who does. I really don't know if I should actually rethink everything and search for another option as fast as I can. Thank you for reading this.