Let's just get to the gist to it. There's this boy, who we're going to call glasses. We both have fourth period math together with each other and sit right beside each other. We sit in groups of four in the class, and our table is centered towards the back of the room. Every day I had to help him with his work because he has trouble with understanding the lesson we're in. It's not like I'm a super smart student, but at least I understood the material. It wasn't a big deal for me. His grades overall for math and science are terrible. It's not a secret, the teacher has even made jokes before in the class about his grade. Everyone else at our table was pretty much the same way, so I felt bad that he had to sit with all of us.
I'm not sure how we got on the topic, but at one point, I was basically doing his work for him because he said he didn't understand anything, and in all honesty, I don't think he even was trying to do it. He had to have had some knowledge about what he was doing though, because when he finally did his own work, he would get every answer wrong. That didn't stop him from making dumbass remarks, using his phone to look up the answers to the questions, and watching tiktoks on his phone. The only reason I would have been helping him out, is because it makes the class more enjoyable. If you're just sitting there by yourself, the class can be really boring. He has this habit where he would just say the most randomness statements. For example, once we were in the middle of doing an assigned online lesson, he just randomly turns to me, and tells me I'm gay. He has no filter on his mouth. I don't pay him any attention, as I have never felt attraction to a guy.
Not saying he's ugly or anything, he's pretty average looking. I've seen worse looking people. He's got this nice taper haircut, and looks good when he keeps it freshly trimmed, he wears those clear glasses, and has a pretty nice big nose. Not in a bad way, but a good size, and shape. I don't think I've ever seen him without a black or grey hoodie. I'm pretty sure he has an addiction. He has a pretty average body too, a little skinny, but it suits him. It's not like it's bad or anything. I don't judge anyone on their looks. We're both about the same height, with him being about an inch taller, maybe? His personality is probably his most unique..? Interesting? attribute. He's not one to hold back from sharing his thoughts. Sometimes I have to put up with him making fun of me and my personality. Sometimes in a playful way, but I have a few traits that can be picked on. One thing that is probably his biggest flaw is his over confidence, and the fact that he thinks he's the best at everything.
He's constantly bragging about things. He's the kind of person that makes you want to punch him. Not the worst thing in the world, but not the best. When we first started having conversations, it was pretty casual and chill, but then it escalated into him getting to the point of being aggravating. He would say the stupidest stuff. He would make fun of the way I looked, my clothes, how tall I am, and just the way I spoke. I'm not a super social person, so it's not that hard to make me uncomfortable. But still, when he wasn't annoying me to the point of begging the teacher to move my seat, I could have some decent conversations with him. He wasn't all that bad. He just didn't have the filter between his brain and his mouth. That's something I respect about him. It's a good trait to have. He's the type of person that will always be honest, and won't sugar coat his words. Even if it might be considered offensive. We'd have a lot of occurrences when he would say something funny. I can't even count how many times he made me smile, and even laugh. I was never embarrassed or ashamed about laughing. Not once.
I can tell he likes the way I laugh. Whenever he gets me to laugh, he'll be staring at me with this big grin on his face. He doesn't hide the fact that he wants to stare at me. When he says something funny, and he gets my attention, he'll give me a smile. It's not a forced one, it's natural, and I can tell that he genuinely means it. Sometimes I'd feel him looking at me and I'd catch him staring. It was usually a quick glance, and he'd turn his head away. But I could see him looking. At first I was confused, but I eventually got used to it. I'm not going to lie, it does make me nervous. I don't like being stared at. It makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable. But I never told him that. He was probably just trying to get my attention.
He's got a very strong sense of humor, and a lot of the things he would say, even the most serious and inappropriate things, are actually really funny. The way he speaks, and how he carries himself, I can tell he has a lot of self confidence, and a big ego. He's not afraid to show it either. It's almost like a form of self expression. It's hard to explain. The way he expresses his personality, it's something you have to see. The funny thing is, he's not even a good student. I have no idea why he was placed in a class that was obviously above his grade level. The only reason he's probably passing is because the teacher lets him goof off. The way he talks and acts, I'm pretty sure the teacher knows that he's a big distraction to the class, and doesn't want to have to deal with him. So she gives him the benefit of the doubt. I have no idea why he even cares so much about his grades. He always talks about how he doesn't care, and that his grades don't matter. The thing is, his behavior shows the opposite. Every day he'll come into class, and sit there waiting for the teacher to finish instruction, and when we began to work, he asks me if I can help him. Sometimes he'll just copy my answers. I've never said no, and have always helped him out. I've tried giving him hints and suggestions about the material, but he just doesn't listen.
It's not like it matters to me anyway. If I'm not helping him, he'll ask another student. He's a real pain in the ass, but I don't blame him. If I were in his situation, I'd be the same way. He's not the best student, and probably one of the dumbest kids in the school. The funny thing is, is that he acts like he's so much smarter than me. Like he's better than everyone else. But he's not. He's just a stupid, annoying kid who's not very smart. But he tries. And that's what's important. So once again, we're sitting at our table, doing an assigned lesson, and everyone else is talking to the table mates or doing their own thing. I'm pretty sure the teacher was helping out other students who was stuck on a question. We were sitting right next to each other. I was doing my work, while he was on his phone and had barely even began the assignment. That's when I felt a hand rubbing up and down my thigh. I was wearing some heavy baggy jeans, and could feel his hand moving up and down. I looked and stared at him while removing his hand. He looked at me with this knowing grin, and turned his attention back to his phone. I couldn't even concentrate at that exact moment. He was just acting like nothing had happened. I could feel my heart beating fast and my face was hot. I don't know why, but it was.
A few more minutes went by and the hand returned to my thigh. I tried shaking it off, but he wasn't having it. He wasn't letting go. So I gave up and left his hand there. I couldn't even finish the problem I was on, I just sat there letting his hand rub up and down my thigh. I looked over at him, and he was just staring at me with a grin on his face. His hand was just gently rubbing, up and down, up and down. Then he stopped, and he slowly removed his hand. He turned back to his phone. I don't know what I was thinking, but I reached my hand over to his thigh. I didn't look at him, and just placed my hand on his thigh. It was a pretty firm squeeze, and he flinched slightly. It was almost as if his entire body stiffened. I practically froze up since I forgot to do the whole rubbing motion. It was probably the most awkward moment of my life. It wasn't the way I wanted to react, but my body did what it had to do. I started slowly, but firmly massaging his thigh, and could feel him starting to relax. His eyes were glued to his phone, and he wasn't paying attention to the hand that was rubbing up and down.
Eventually, I removed my hand as the end of class was nearing. He and a few other students started standing up and gathering their things. I remained in my seat, as I felt a slight stiffness in my pants. My heart was racing, and I could feel my hands starting to get sweaty. I wasn't expecting anything like this to happen. It was awkward, but I had this.. lustful feeling in my stomach. As I sat there, he went on the other side of me and slyly pressed his crotch up against my shoulder. I could feel heat radiating from his body. It was obvious why it was so warm, and I knew what was happening. It was a weird sensation. It's hard to describe. I could feel the heat from his pants on my shoulder. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to get me really flustered. I was starting to feel a little anxious. After that, the bell rang and everyone quickly gathered their belongings and left the room.
It was a weird feeling, and I couldn't even focus in class. I could barely think straight. I couldn't even finish the lesson we were assigned. I didn't know what to do. I was just caressing another guys leg. What was even worse was that the guy I was caressing, was the same guy who was always making fun of me. I was starting to panic. Was it wrong to have done that? Am I going to get in trouble? What if he tells someone? The only reason why I did it was because I was curious. What if someone saw us.
I'm really confused and I don't what to do. We've only have a week left of school, and then we'd have summer break. I want to ask him for his number. And I don't know why I want it. To talk? Hang out? Something else? What do people usually do to have fun with people like him? Should I ask him for his numbers?

“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Bio
Name: Taylor Bennett Armstrong	Date of Birth: 04/03/2024
Age: 15 years old	Gender: Demiboy
Sexual Orientation:	Nationality: Canadian
Ethnicity: Irish-Jewish	Languages: English, French, Japanese
Hometown: Toronto, Canada	Demigod Conundrums: ADHD

Family:

Name Relation Age Occupation Relationship ------------
Benjamin Armstrong Father 42 years old Artist Taylor shares a special bond with his father, Benjamin Armstrong. Despite being a single parent for much of Taylor's life, Benjamin always made sure to provide a loving and nurturing environment for his son. He recognized Taylor's unique talents from a young age and encouraged him to explore his creativity without limitations. Benjamin's own passion for art and innovation served as an inspiration for Taylor, shaping his worldview and igniting his love for invention. Benjamin supports Taylor's dreams and ambitions wholeheartedly, even if he doesn't always understand the mechanics behind his son's creations.
Eliza Armstrong Stepmother 43 years old Graphic Designer She brings a different perspective to Taylor's life. As a graphic designer, she values precision and order, which sometimes clashes with Taylor's more spontaneous and chaotic approach to creativity. However, despite their differences, Eliza cares deeply for Taylor and wants what's best for him. She worries about Taylor's safety and well-being, especially when his inventions go awry and cause unintended chaos. She often finds herself playing the role of the voice of reason, urging Taylor to think things through more carefully before diving headfirst into his next project. Despite their occasional disagreements, Eliza recognizes Taylor's potential and admires his boundless imagination and ingenuity.
Rachel Armstrong Half-sister 10 years old Student Rachel Armstrong, Taylor's half-sister, adores her older brother and looks up to him with wide-eyed admiration. From a young age, she was fascinated by Taylor's inventions and artistic talents, often trailing after him like a curious puppy, eager to learn and explore alongside him. Taylor sees Rachel as the most precious angel in the world and is very protective of her. He takes great joy in teaching her how to sketch, build, and code, fostering her own love for art and invention. Rachel, in turn, idolizes her big brother and cherishes their time together.

Appearance

Faceclaim: this Picrew Voiceclaim Walter from Spies in Disguise

Features	Description
Height	5’8 feet
Weight	157 lbs
Hair	Ginger
Eyes	Blue
Skin	Tan
Build	Lean, slim
Scent	Ink, paint, oil
Attire	Gamer Aesthetic

Overview: Ginger Hair: One of Taylor's most noticeable features is his vibrant ginger hair, which seems to have a life of its own. His locks cascade in untamed waves around his head, framing his face in a fiery halo. Despite occasional attempts to tame it, Taylor's hair always manages to retain its wild, rebellious spirit, reflecting his own untamed nature. Taylor's eyes are a mesmerizing shade of blue. They sparkle with curiosity and intelligence, constantly darting from one point of interest to the next. Across Taylor's nose and cheeks are scattered a constellation of freckles, like tiny stars dotting the canvas of his face. Despite his intelligence beyond his years, Taylor's face retains a youthful charm and innocence. His features are soft and rounded, with a hint of boyish mischief lurking behind his bright smile. There is a sense of wonder and curiosity in his expression, as if he is forever on the brink of discovering something new and exciting. Taylor's fashion sense is a reflection of his personality, blending comfort with a hint of geeky flair. He favors graphic t-shirts adorned with characters from his favorite video games, showcasing his love for gaming and pop culture. His hoodies are oversized and well-worn, providing both warmth and a sense of familiarity. Taylor's cargo pants are practical and utilitarian, offering plenty of pockets to store his tools and gadgets for tinkering. His sneakers are his constant companions, scuffed and worn from countless adventures and late-night gaming marathons.

Personality

“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” Dorothy Parker
Quality Traits Positive Optimistic, Creative, Kind-hearted, Spontaneous, Resilient Neutral Naive, Chaotic, Impulsive, Eccentric, Idealistic Negative Gullible, Overbearing, Impatient, Inattentive, Stubborn
Overview: Taylor radiates an infectious positivity that lights up any room he enters. He greets each day with boundless enthusiasm, seeing every challenge as an opportunity for adventure and growth. His optimism is unwavering, even in the face of adversity, and he has a knack for finding the silver lining in the darkest of situations. Taylor's sunny disposition makes him a joy to be around, and his genuine smile can brighten even the gloomiest of days. Taylor marches to the beat of his own drum, embracing his individuality with gusto. He has never been one to conform to societal norms or expectations, preferring to chart his own course through life. Taylor's free-spirited nature is reflected in everything he does, from his spontaneous inventions to his unconventional approach to problem-solving. He thrives on the freedom to express himself creatively, unbound by rules or conventions. Taylor's energy is boundless, and he approaches everything he does with an infectious sense of excitement and wonder. He is easily captivated by new ideas and experiences, often bouncing from one project to the next with the fervor of a child in a candy store. Taylor's excitable nature fuels his insatiable curiosity, driving him to constantly seek out new challenges and adventures. Despite his youthful exuberance, Taylor possesses a keen intellect far beyond his years. He is a natural problem-solver, able to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to even the most daunting of challenges. Taylor's mind is a whirlwind of ideas and possibilities, constantly buzzing with new inventions and artistic endeavors. His creativity knows no bounds, and he revels in the thrill of bringing his imagination to life. Taylor's intelligence and creativity have instilled in him a healthy dose of confidence, bordering on cockiness at times. He knows his worth and isn't afraid to show it, often speaking his mind with a brashness that can catch others off guard. However, Taylor's confidence is tempered by his humility and genuine humility. He is quick to acknowledge his mistakes and learn from them, never allowing his ego to overshadow his humanity. At the core of Taylor's personality is a deep well of kindness and empathy for others. He genuinely cares about the people around him and goes out of his way to help those in need. Taylor's compassion knows no bounds, and he often puts the needs of others before his own. He is quick to offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, and his unwavering support has endeared him to many. Beneath Taylor's cheerful exterior lies a vulnerability that he often tries to conceal. He is sensitive to the opinions of others and fears being rejected or misunderstood. Taylor's insecurities stem from a desire to be accepted and valued for who he truly is, flaws and all. Despite his outward confidence, he struggles with feelings of loneliness and self-doubt, yearning for genuine connections and validation. Taylor's drive for excellence can sometimes border on perfectionism, leading him to be overly critical of himself and his work. He sets high standards for himself and is often disappointed when he falls short of his own expectations. However, Taylor's perfectionism is tempered by his resilience and determination to persevere in the face of failure. He sees each setback as an opportunity to learn and grow, refusing to let obstacles dampen his spirit. Taylor has a gift for communication, able to express his thoughts and feelings with clarity and sincerity. He is a natural storyteller, captivating audiences with his animated anecdotes and infectious enthusiasm. Taylor's ability to connect with others on a deep emotional level makes him a trusted confidant and valued friend. He listens intently to others, offering words of encouragement and wisdom when needed. Taylor approaches life with a sense of adventure, always eager to explore new horizons and push the boundaries of what is possible. He thrives on the thrill of discovery, relishing in the excitement of unknown possibilities. Taylor's insatiable curiosity drives him to seek out new experiences and embrace the unknown with open arms. Whether embarking on a daring quest or simply trying out a new recipe, he approaches each adventure with the same sense of wonder and excitement. Taylor has a playful sense of humor that often borders on mischievousness. He loves to joke and laugh, finding joy in the absurdities of life. Taylor's playful nature brings levity to even the most serious of situations, helping to ease tension and lift spirits. He delights in pulling harmless pranks and sharing witty banter with friends, always with a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face. Taylor is incredibly adaptable, able to thrive in any environment or situation. He approaches change with a sense of curiosity and excitement, eager to embrace new challenges and opportunities. Taylor's ability to adapt to different circumstances has served him well throughout his life, allowing him to navigate the complexities of both the mortal world and the realm of the gods with ease.
Preferences
Favourite... Item Food Macaroni and cheese, mango milkshake Colour Electric Blue Season Summer Weather Sunny, warm, clear skies Music Pop, rock, orchestral, jazz, celtic Animals Bunnies and Cats Book/Movie Genre Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance, Slice-of-life, Adventure, Action Media Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda, Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact 3rd, Honkai: Star Rail, Pokémon, a scary amount of anime, etc…
Hobbies:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Crafting
• Sewing
• Video Games
• Cosplay

Demigod Info

Powers

Name	Type	Description
Psychometry	Domain	The ability to glean information from a particular object relevant to the parent's domain, especially its material make-up and method of creation. (Crafts, Mechanics and Art)
Enhanced Skill Proficiency	Domain	A trait where one is naturally adept in the skills lorded over by their parent. (Crafts, Mechanics and Art)
Summon Tool	Domain	The ability to summon any small tool. (Once every 5 minutes or per turn.) (Duct Tape or Superglue)
Machine Communication	Minor	A trait where one is able to understand and communicate with automatons and machinery (includes code).
Electrical Resistance	Minor	A trait where one is able to resist electricity to a such degree that they are able to withstand badly interacting with small appliances.
Machine Manipulation (Technokinesis)	Minor	The ability to directly control mechanisms, machines and automatons.
Basic Enchantment	Major	The ability to imbue weapons, crafts, machinery and automatons with magical properties (modmail for specific enchantments). Options: Weapon Transformation—into a mundane item; Monster Hunting Proficiency for a) Fleshy Monsters—Sharpness, b) Armored Monsters—Bludgeoning, c) Ghosty Monsters—Absorption

Weapon of Choice: Bastard Sword
Fatal Flaw: Naivety Taylor's fatal flaw lies in his inherent naivety, stemming from his trusting and optimistic nature. Despite his intelligence and creativity, Taylor often lacks the worldly wisdom and discernment needed to navigate the complexities of the world around him. His naivety makes him vulnerable to manipulation and deception, as he struggles to see the darker intentions lurking behind the smiles of others.

Items and Equipment

Name	Age	Description
Sketchbook	7 years old	Taylor always carries a sketchbook with him, filled with doodles, sketches, and designs inspired by his vivid imagination.
Art Supplies	3 years old	As someone who enjoys art, Taylor keeps a collection of art supplies like pencils, markers, and colored pencils, allowing him to bring his creative visions to life wherever he goes.
Tool Kit	5 years old	As a budding inventor and tinkerer, Taylor carries a compact tool kit with him at all times. It contains essential tools like screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and a mini soldering iron, allowing him to repair gadgets, fix mechanical issues, and work on DIY projects on the fly.
Nintendo Switch	2 years old	Taylor never leaves home without Nintendo Switch. He keeps a selection of his favorite games in his backpack, ready to play whenever he has a spare moment to indulge in his love of gaming.
Music Player	3 years old	Music is a constant source of inspiration and motivation for Taylor, so he always carries a portable music player loaded with his favorite tunes.
Cat Headphones	1 year old	High-quality headphones that allow him to escape into his own world of music whenever he needs a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They are cat-themed for no reason other than Taylor felt like it.

Trivia

• Zodiac Sign: Pisces
• MBTI: ESTP-T (The Entrepreneur)
• Enneagram: Type 7 (The Enthusiast)
• Love Languages: Words of Affirmation (receive); Acts of service (give)
• Quirk: Doodling on almost every surface he sees when bored.
• Fears: Hurting People, Big Animals

Backstory

“There is no innovation and creativity without failure.” ***Brené Brown*
Taylor Bennett Armstrong was born into a creatively vibrant family. His father, Benjamin Armstrong, was a dedicated artist who often spent hours in his studio, painting and sculpting. Benjamin's work was deeply inspired by classical art, and his studio was filled with references to mythological themes and ancient techniques. This environment planted the seeds of creativity in Taylor from a very young age.
Taylor’s biological mother was Techne, the goddess of art, craft, and invention, but he had no knowledge of her divine heritage. His mother left shortly after his birth, leaving Benjamin to raise Taylor on his own. Despite the absence of his mother, Taylor's early childhood was filled with love and encouragement from his father.
When Taylor was five, Benjamin met Eliza, a talented graphic designer, at an art exhibit. They quickly bonded over their shared love for art and soon married. Eliza embraced Taylor as her own, though she struggled to understand his unique, often chaotic way of thinking and creating.
Even as a young child, Taylor showed remarkable intelligence and creativity. By the age of six, he was building simple machines and drawing intricate designs. His father was both amazed and slightly concerned when Taylor began to take apart household appliances to understand how they worked. While Benjamin encouraged his son's curiosity, Eliza worried about the constant mess and occasional accidents that resulted from Taylor's experiments.
Taylor’s half-sister, Rachel, was born when he was five. She looked up to her big brother with admiration, often following him around and watching as he created his various inventions. Despite the occasional mishap, Taylor and Rachel shared a close bond, with Taylor frequently making small toys and gadgets to entertain her.
School was both a blessing and a curse for Taylor. His intelligence allowed him to excel academically, but his unique way of thinking and his constant tinkering often got him into trouble. Teachers labeled him a "problem child" due to his inability to sit still and follow conventional methods. Taylor's inventions occasionally caused disruptions, further cementing his reputation.
Socially, Taylor found it hard to connect with his peers. His enthusiasm and intelligence often intimidated other children, and he was frequently taken advantage of by classmates who used him to boost their own grades. These experiences left Taylor feeling lonely and self-conscious about his naivety, although he never let it dampen his cheerful spirit.
Taylor's life took a dramatic turn when he was 15 years old. One day, while working on a particularly ambitious project in his makeshift workshop, he was visited by Oleander, a satyr sent by Camp Half-Blood. Oleander had been observing Taylor for some time, noting his extraordinary abilities and his connection to the divine.
Oleander revealed to Taylor the truth about his mother, Techne, and his demigod heritage. At first, Taylor was skeptical, thinking it was some sort of elaborate joke or fantasy. However, Oleander's ability to demonstrate his satyr powers and his deep knowledge of Taylor's unexplained talents eventually convinced him.
Explaining the situation to his family was a challenge. Benjamin, who had always suspected that there was something special about Taylor, took the news in stride. Eliza, though worried and confused, ultimately supported the decision, understanding that Camp Half-Blood could provide Taylor with the guidance he needed. Rachel was both excited and scared for her brother, worried about the dangers he might face and she would miss him.
Thankfully, despite the huge distance he and Oleander had to travel from Toronto to Long Island went calmly, for the most part, with not many delays or monsters attacking them.
Well, at least until they reached New York. After that, the whole “calm journey” was out the window. It almost seemed like all the monsters decided to wait until they were close to their destination to suddenly appear one after the other. First they had to somehow avoid a cyclops. Then they were attacked by dracanaea. And finally, they were chased by harpies until they crossed the border of Camp Half-Blood.
By some miracle, they were still alive.
What a way to be introduced to demigod life.

Present Day

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun” Mary Lou Cook
Taylor's arrival at Campbell Half-Blood was… something, alright.
You know, being chased by monsters from New York to Long Island, passing out in between attacks and then waking up in the Medic Cabin feeling like you've been hit by a truck and maimed by a cat at the same time was, in short, not fun. It also didn't help the fact that he had to stay in bed to get treated for what, hours. Which, for someone like Taylor, was absolute torture. Good for him then that demigods, apparently, had magic healing and he didn't have to stay for days instead. At least Oleander was around to explain every detail about the world he's been thrust into now that he was out of danger. And as a plus, he was also claimed, so yay! He had no clue who Techne was, but he was sure he would learn soon enough.
So, what does Taylor do after getting patched up? Does he wait and rest for a bit just to make sure everything is okay with him? Does he stop for a moment to process everything that has happened to him in the last 24 hours?
No! Of course not! This is Taylor, after all. Him staying put for more than 10 minutes would be a miracle already.
Instead, he just went off on his own to see what this Camp Half-Blood was all about. He just had to get to his cabin first, which would be relatively easy with Oleander's instructions, and then he could explore this place to his heart's content!
Hopefully, Camp Half-Blood would be ready for the chaotic force Taylor would prove to be.
[OOC: Hello, everyone! Say hello to my new character, Taylor! Feel free to interact with him literally anywhere at Camp, he's probably going to be there at some point anyway lmao. Thanks for reading;)]

This is a bit of a longer post so stay with me here. This is really only a chunk of my overarching belief on how pretty much all things metaphysical work, including reincarnation, gods/angels/ghosts/all spirits, manifestation, witchcraft, and so on. But I'm sharing the part of the theory that specifically relates to Astral Projection for this sub. I have been sitting on this for a couple of years now without telling anyone, but I started writing it for my Book of Shadows (I am a witch), and I wanted to hear your guys' thoughts. I'm not claiming to have come up with these theories AT ALL but I think it's an interesting topic.
Regardless of religious beliefs, or whether God has what we would call “sentience”, there is no undeniability that God must be math itself. Now, I am not referring to deities (which many witches including myself work with, and I will delve into what these deities are and where they come from a different time), but GOD. We constantly refer to God as “omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.” That’s what math is! Math dictates the laws of the universe; it exists in every atom and is the precursor to knowledge itself. Astrophysics is ultimately math– it is truly the LAWS of the Universe (and likely beyond). 1+1 will always equal 2, a complicated calculus equation will always have the same answer. No matter how a species were to write or perceive math, the math itself will always stay the same. Consider the famous Golden Record, aboard Voyager 1 and 2, a disk plated in gold that is traveling through space as I write this, and as you read this. Along with other information about humans and Earth, it contains a translation guide of our numerical system which can then be interpreted by any intelligent life who comes across the disk. By understanding our numerical system, they can then read the information in the disk, including coordinates to planet Earth. Math is the only language that all sentient beings can understand. And yet, Math will never be truly understandable to any being, at least in this plane of existence. What else could we call such a thing but God? A math equation could hypothetically be written for all conceivable and non-conceivable things, from the curve of your eyelashes to a wormhole. Math is perfect, always chaotic but never without structure. Now, I don’t want to offend any religious people; in theory, your God could still be real, but the physical manifestation of any all-powerful God that COULD exist is Math. Again, I’m not referring to deities that are not believed to be all-powerful (for example, the Greek pantheon: Greek gods are NOT all-powerful, all-knowing, or always good), I believe these deities are something different entirely which I will explain another time.
Let's tie this notion to the idea of the fourth dimension (and higher dimensions). The easiest way I can explain this theory is by comparing our relationship with time to the relationship between a 2-dimensional being and the 3rd dimension. So, we are 3-dimensional beings. We have height, width, and depth, as do all things in this plane of existence. But we can only exist at one point in time. This “point” is only hypothetical, though– we measure time through manmade inventions such as clocks or calendars. But time does not physically exist, even though it dictates all things in our lives. Time causes the birth and eventual death of all life. It moves along a linear line, meaning to us, all things happen in chronological order. The Big Bang happened first, then the creation of planets, solar systems, water, life, and so on. The birth of your grandmother happened before yours. Now think of how a 2-dimensional being would perceive the 3rd dimension, and it will be quite similar. A 2-dimensional being only has height and width, but not depth. It is probably aware of depth, but can never see depth, or feel depth. It, and everything else in that dimension, can only exist at one point of depth, which would move forward in a linear fashion, and no being in that dimension could ever go back to a previous depth, or see the “future depth”. But of course, to us, this is inconceivable to understand, because we live in a dimension where an infinite amount of depths coexist all at once. You may see where this is going. Perhaps someone would like to ask a fourth-dimensional being, “What is it like being a time-traveler? Can you change the past/future?” But how would you respond if someone asked you: “What is it like being a depth-traveler? Can you change previous depths/future depths?” This question doesn’t really make sense because not only do we move depth-wise (on the Z-plane if we are thinking in terms of a x-y graph) when we walk, drive, even breathe, but all of our organs and cells and atoms have a depth, which change without us thinking about it. This is probably very similar to how a fourth-dimensional being would view time. The Big Bang did not happen first, nor last. It is always happening, as are the births of all who came before you, as are the deaths of all who come after you. Just because we view time linearly doesn’t mean it IS linear. Our brains were not built to wrap our heads around this, but all things that could ever possibly have happened, or could ever possibly happen in the future, are currently happening. This ties to a philosophy that has existed for thousands of years and shows up in witchcraft often: the idea of Oneness. That one is all, all is one, that all things are connected, As above, so below… The microcosm is the macrocosm, the macrocosm is the microcosm. This completely throws the conversation of free will, and the butterfly effect, out the window. “Do we truly get to choose our actions, or is everything predetermined, due to God or timelessness, or whatever we want to call it?” We wonder, “if I had chosen XYZ differently… if I had chosen to buy a different drink on February 18th, 2016, would my life be completely different now?” But all these questions have no real weight when time is NOT chronological. You can’t choose or NOT choose anything, because all things, all results, all causes, simultaneously exist. I like to believe that all things exist as one big jumbled math equation. This equation is constantly changing due to every individual and even non-sentient object in the universe. All things affect this equation, and yet it is always dictated by the same mathematical principles. Again, I do not think the human brain can truly comprehend this, but this means “free will” and “predestination” co-exist, if we MUST think in those terms (but I have already said I think those terms are 3-dimensional bologney). You can already guess that this, of course, means the multiverse exists.
Your soul is essentially a concentration of this mathematical life force that exists in all atoms and therefore all things– this is not unique to my theory. You have probably already heard the phrase “You are a small piece of the universe experiencing itself.” Again, this is how you are connected to all things, and how you exist aside from your physical body. This aligns with the commonly accepted concept that when you astral project, you are shifting your consciousness to a different plane of existence. But what if we bring this idea of timelessness and the multiverse theory into the conversation? If all I have said is true, there is an infinite amount of alternate universes. Let's say you had an OBE where you went to Mars. But there’s an alternate universe where you really did go to Mars in the future, and if all possible futures are simultaneously happening, and you are connected to all of these events due to this “big jumbled math equation”... that is how you can experience going to Mars, or going in the past to see your mother as a child, or to see a concert from 5 years ago. You have your “home” universe, and your “home” body, and your “home” time, but our souls are 4-dimensional beings that transcend the 3rd dimension and can become one with God. This would also make sense with the idea of “raising/lowering your vibrations”, since vibrations are waves which are just mathematical equations (think y=sinx or y=cosx). You are mathematically aligning yourself with the part of the “universal math equation” that is also on that vibration, resulting in common experiences such as AP, manifestation, encounters with good and bad spirits, chakra balances/imbalances, and so on, because as with the laws of physics, math demands balance/symmetry (like when you probably heard in algebra: “what you do on one side of the equal sign, you must do on the other side).
Hopefully this is digestible enough. And if anyone is curious, I have never done drugs before lol

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Everyone says don’t join something that you see online especially on Reddit or Facebook but i guess it depends on where you look I’m 100% with all this
Background story. (You can skip this) I am from Arizona I have been here 17 years and my famliy always went places but we always came back I’m 19 turning 20 now I have a good understanding of a lot because I was never around phones or fake shit I dropped out 8th grade and it was because of the agenda they pushed in my middle school let’s put this in terms that everyone should be able to catch on to
6th grade History,English,Math was taught by a short foreign Teacher that could barley speak English or know anything about America history he was good at math tho I will give the man that
(Side note) This is where it got me the most for the last 2 classes which were the longest I had a female foreign teacher that was putting on the news about the elections and the riots and the killings and everything that was going on then made us write what we thought and stand up and read it and for half a year I watch people turn on each other and form little groups that was left or right This is in middle school remind you I would go home day after day and watch political arguments and debates and old school debates and I educated myself so much for the people I was around from the school and from this country this happened all middle school until I said fuck it and didn’t go back they also tried to vaccinate me and that’s why I didn’t go back But from 14 to 19 turning 20 which is now I have learned so much about the bullshit and the realness of everything that’s why I ask you to join me and make AMERICA great AGAIN without politics or politicians (End)
In the old days 20 year olds did so much they were men and now if your like that no one your age will talk to you because you don’t play video games or do drugs Well they loss
A year now I had a voice in my head (in a good way) tell me AMERICA IS EVIL THEY ARE ALL EVIL DONT LISTEN TO THEM THEY ARE BRAINWASHING PEOPLE and I knew it was the truth and I put down my cup of alcohol and for the rest of the time from now I been seeing exactly what they have been doing to people like I said from 14 to 19 i educated myself on it all but that’s what THEY WANT you to do is be caught up in something so they can do what it is they do
I want to start something in the United state of America where you have a community of people who are broken free of the brainwashing and protects its people and land just like the people back in the day and I feel like if I have at least 25 to 40 people no matter what age but 18 and older to stand with and make this country great again it will make movement and we can reach the people
If you comment under this or dm me I will reach out to you with details and information and links

What bsmd can I get into with my stats
Ik there’s no way to know for sure but what could I likely get into?
Profile: first generation biracial daughter from a low income household. Go to a private Islamic school with ~60 or so kids in my grade. From nj born and raised
Stats: - all honor classes - all A’s throughout all of high school - Gpa: 3.9 uw, weighted is 4.27 - 1420 sat (700 English, 720 math) - 3 AP classes so far: AP bio, AP physics1, apush (all that my school offers). Scored a 3 on AP bio. Other two scores won’t get until July. - senior year classes: anatomy, AP calc bc, AP chem, maybe AP stats, AP lit, Arabic honors, Quran honors, Islamic class, gym
Ecs: - worked as an intern at an obgyn clinic for two months. ested Pap smears, worked in the lab with lab tech, worked directly with MAs, completed charts for patients - shadowed an orthopedic surgeon for two months - wrote and published a poetry book available on Amazon and at Barnes and nobles (no relation to medicine I just rlly like poetry lol) - president of my schools first ever stem club (2 years) - vice president of my schools calligraphy club - conducted research on autoimmune disorders (assessing the link between tibial torsion and rheumatoid arthritis) and published in a non prestigious medical journal. Plan to submit this paper to regeneron this summer. - secretary of my schools key club - teacher at a weekend school for children with special needs (paid job, worked directly with speech therapists, medical students, etc) - academic director of a non profit global organization that offers virtual shadowing opportunities for high school students (hosted some of these shadowing events, 2 years) - volunteered at my local masjid ~100 hours - science Olympiad regional winner: bridges (10th grade) towers (11th grade) - writing club -book club -future health care professionals club -cpr club
This summer I will do some sort of research and shadow an internal medicine doctor as well as a psychiatrist. CHANCE MEEEE

What bsmd can I get into with my stats
Ik there’s no way to know for sure but what could I likely get into?
Profile: first generation biracial daughter from a low income household. Go to a private Islamic school with ~60 or so kids in my grade. From nj born and raised
Stats: - all honor classes - all A’s throughout all of high school - Gpa: 3.9 uw, weighted is 4.27 - 1420 sat (700 English, 720 math) - 3 AP classes so far: AP bio, AP physics1, apush (all that my school offers). Scored a 3 on AP bio. Other two scores won’t get until July. - senior year classes: anatomy, AP calc bc, AP chem, maybe AP stats, AP lit, Arabic honors, Quran honors, Islamic class, gym
Ecs: - worked as an intern at an obgyn clinic for two months. ested Pap smears, worked in the lab with lab tech, worked directly with MAs, completed charts for patients - shadowed an orthopedic surgeon for two months - wrote and published a poetry book available on Amazon and at Barnes and nobles (no relation to medicine I just rlly like poetry lol) - president of my schools first ever stem club (2 years) - vice president of my schools calligraphy club - conducted research on autoimmune disorders (assessing the link between tibial torsion and rheumatoid arthritis) and published in a non prestigious medical journal. Plan to submit this paper to regeneron this summer. - secretary of my schools key club - teacher at a weekend school for children with special needs (paid job, worked directly with speech therapists, medical students, etc) - academic director of a non profit global organization that offers virtual shadowing opportunities for high school students (hosted some of these shadowing events, 2 years) - volunteered at my local masjid ~100 hours - science Olympiad regional winner: bridges (10th grade) towers (11th grade) - writing club -book club -future health care professionals club -cpr club
This summer I will do some sort of research and shadow an internal medicine doctor as well as a psychiatrist. CHANCE MEEEE

Hi all! I am currently a junior in high school and I attend a public school in Michigan ranked about 30th-ish in high school rankings in Michigan. This fall, I begin my college application process and I am so eager and excited, yet worried and stressed that I wont get in and my life will be over.
I wanted to share my high school stats and extra curriculars etc. with you all with the hopes that you guys could tell me what you think my chances of getting into the colleges that I am looking at are and to just lay out my current status.
(DISCLAIMER) My stats/description may come off as cocky or ignorant at some points, please don't take it the wrong way.
Background:
-White Male
-Low-Mid Middle Class Family
-Dad attended Michigan State University - he is a high school teacher
-Mom did not go to college -she works as basically a college counselor
-I will need financial aid for college, parents are not contributing
My highest ambitions in life/out of college:

• I hope to one day have a job in a high finance position in New York City or Chicago (Investment Banking, PE, Consulting, Quants etc) - therefore I am applying to top prestigious target schools for recruitment, internships, and networking opportunities
• I hope to one day be one of the greatest musicians of all time

Stats:
Grades, EC's, Leadership, Sports, Work, Businesses, Volunteer, Music, etc.

1. 4.0 GPA
2. 1390 SAT Score-the one thing that will hold me back? 😭 - I am going to take in probably 6 times. 1390 was my first try, 690 Reading and Writing, 700 Math
3. AP Classes: (I wish I would've done more)

Sophomore Year: AP US History (4)
Junior Year: AP World History, Most likely will get a 5; AP Precalculus, Most likely will get a 5 too.
Senior Year: AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics

1. Musical Prodigy - Piano at least

Instruments: Piano, Guitar, Drums
Piano:

• 12 Years
• Completely Self Taught
• Rock n Roll, Boogie Woogie, Blues, Jazz, Country Western, and Gospel Pianist (not your average 17 year old piano player lol)
• Play By Ear (Play me a song on the radio, I'll play it back for you)

Guitar (Electric):

• 7 Years
• Completely Self Taught
• Same Music Styles as above
• Play By Ear
• My Room's walls are filled with guitar diagrams and sheets, it looks like I am going crazy lol-may use this in my college essays, idk haha.

Drums:

• 1 Year
• Completely Self Taught
• Same Music Styles as above
• Play by Ear

Five: Sports
Tennis:
-Freshman, Sophomore, Junior year Varsity Team
-2023 (Fall) Division 3 MHSAA #1 Doubles Individual State Champion
-#1 Ranked Doubles Player in the State of Michigan
-2023 First Team All State
-Never Lost a Conference Match/3-Time Team and Individual Back to Back to Back Conference Individual and Team Titles (2021, 2022, 2023)
-2 Time Individual Regional Champion, 2 Time Individual Regional Team Champions (2021, 2022)
-Apart of the 2021, 2022, 2023 all academic teams
-Finished 6th Place as a team in 2022, Finished 5th Place as a team in 2023
-I will play my senior year
Golf:
-Freshman, Sophomore: JV Golf Team
-Junior: Varsity Golf Team, Ranked 4th as a team in the state
-I will play my senior year (on the varsity team)
-Most Likely will win the Conference Championship and Regional Championship in the next two weeks 😬
Basketball:
-Freshman Year: Freshman Team
-Sophomore Year: JV Team
-Did not play junior year, and will not play senior year
Pickleball Club Member at my Highschool

1. Work/Businesses:

-Created a Piano Teaching Business the summer of 7th grade, have done that since. (Self Employed)
-Joined a friend on the summer before junior year to co-own a car detailing company (may rejoin, not sure) (Self Employed)
-Worked as an Usher at a movie theater, winter of junior year (Hourly Pay) - will return for winter of my senior year
-Will work as a tennis camp/lesson instructor with my tennis coach at a training facility this summer (Hourly Pay)

1. Volunteering

-A member of the National Honor Society
-Volunteered at Kids Food Basket, local libraries, tennis camp volunteering, and various school sponsored events

1. Leadership (Lacking-ish?)

-Business Owner with piano teaching in that I personally teach kids piano
-Varsity Tennis Captain
-Tennis Lesson Teaching this summer

1. Demonstrated Interest, to an extent lol

-Job Shadowing a CFO this summer at a company
-Visiting each college this summer as well
-Currently learning how to trade financial markets (Duration=1 year)
-Spend hours each day learning music and finance/math stuff
-Performed Piano (boogie woogie/rock n roll improvisations at high school talents shows, played piano in a wedding when I was 11, played piano at churches for graduation baccalaureates.

1. Essay Topics:

Few things I am considering including or basing my college essays off of:
-My determination and dedication to math, finance, music, and life in general
-Metaphorical topics about navigating the struggles of the social and academic aspects of high school
-My obsession with music from the 50s-90s
-My obsessions with gaining knowledge and learning as much as possible and why or how things happen or work.
-My obsessions with improving each day and getting stuff done
-How I am a winner in life and that I excel in the things I pursue and that I do everything I can to improve and win
*I am in the way early stage of brainstorming btw*

1. Letters of Recommendation:

-My Precalculus teacher: He told me he is going to write my letter of rec and I hadn't even asked him yet lol so I assume it's going to be a good one
-My AP World History teacher: Another teacher that loves me just as my math teacher does
-My High School Counselor: Also loves me and has connections to my family, so we are closer than other highschool students are with her.

1. COLLEGES I AM APPLYING TO:

*Main majointerest is Finance; want to do music as well so that it can stay apart of my life
*Want to do a double major: Finance, and Music (Maybe Minor or Triple Major with mathematics)
*Schools that don't offer a undergraduate business school I will most likely do some sort of combination of economics, mathematics, and music
Schools 😬:
Safety: Michigan State University (Broad School of Business) (Honors)
Reaches (All IB target schools are reaches 😭, except maybe Indiana):
-University of Michigan (Ross)
-Pennsylvania University (Wharton)
-New York University (Stern)
-Indiana University (Kelley)
-Columbia University - no undergraduate business school
-Northwestern University - no undergraduate business school
-Duke University - no undergraduate business school
-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)
-Vanderbilt University - no undergraduate business school
-University of Tennessee (Haslem)
-Penn State University (Smeal)
-Cornell University (SC Johnson)
Schools I might just apply to at the last minute for the heck of it:
-Princeton
-Miami (Florida)
-Illinois University
-Virginia University
THIS POST IS LONG AND I AM SORRY.
Please give me feedback on whether I'd have a strong chance or not of getting into these top schools. It would mean the world to me as I don't know where else I can go to get someone to help rate my stats and tell me if I am out of my mind or not about applying to these schools, or my goals in life in general.
Thank you for letting me rant, and please be honest

 So me and this friend (we will call them storm) became friends during Spanish class my sophomore year of high school and have been friends for about two years now. I became friends with them because we both shared a mutual friend and that mutual friend soon had a big falling out with storm and so I invited them to basically join my own friend group. During our Spanish class they would often mumble phrases in what sounded like a different language and when I asked them they said that they were mumbling Japanese because they are Japanese, they just don’t look like it. Their words exactly. I believed them thinking that no sane person would lie about being Japanese and storm seemed pretty normal to me at first. I asked more about their background and they told me that their mom was a white Christian southern woman and their dad was the Japanese one. However, their dad also doesn’t look Japanese because he hates being Japanese and so he got plastic surgery. Yes, fucking plastic surgery. I didn’t want to be rude so I once again believed them. Their dad was also directly from Japan since their grandparents still live in Japan but their dad somehow knew no Japanese whatsoever. They also told me that when they were born their parents sent them to live with their grandparents over in Japan from ages 0-8 and then they moved back to the U.S. (where we live). When I asked them what part of Japan they were from they told me that they lived in Kyoto. They would later go on to tell me that it was Osaka and then Hokkaido. Three completely different places. Storm and I were joking around one day in Spanish and they mumbled something in what I assumed was Japanese again and I asked them to say I’m a terrible person in Japanese as a joke and because I wanted to hear more of the language. They said a phrase and that was that. I asked them the very same thing the next day because I wanted to know the phrase for myself and they said something completely different. Not even remotely close to what they had said yesterday. I didn’t think much of it and just figured they used different wording or something. Storm tends to do this thing where they are very obviously lying about something that me and my friends are talking about just to join in on the conversation and have their own part. I usually have no problem with this since I think everyone lies a little to get to be better friends with people and to be included in conversations. However, I have been friends with them for 2 years now and the lying has just gotten worse. An example would be that just a few days ago me and my friends were talking about summer trips and how a few of us are going to Europe. Storm jumps into the conversation and says that they are going to Japan this summer. Mind you, they said this exact same thing last year and never went. They’ve also told me that they don’t have their passport and that their parents are awful and never let them go anywhere and are super strict. Why on earth would they suddenly let you go to Japan? It just never adds up but me and my friends never make a fuss about it. In March I was talking with a friend who also used to be friends with storm and they told me that they didn’t like them because they lied about being poor just to join in on the conversation. Storm tells people all the time how their dad gives them around 1k a week to spend and how they have a Camaro and they always offer to buy everything for their friends. I’ve been to their house and they have 5 cars on the driveway, including the Camaro. I know cars and 1k a week don’t exactly equal not being poor but it was kinda inconsiderate to say that they were since they are constantly bragging about how much money they have. It just doesn’t add up. I could see why my friend didn’t like them and I started to realize that a lot of what storm tells us doesn’t completely make sense. Now moving back to storms childhood. This is where everything really makes no sense at all. I myself am mixed (half Hispanic, half white) and one day I was talking about a horrible elementary school experience where I got bullied because of my unibrow and how I have darker hairs on my body than the other kids. Storm decided to join the conversation and says that they were bullied too for not knowing any English in elementary school. I was talking about the book Dune one day and Storm tells me that they have read Dune but they read it when they were really young to learn English. Fucking Dune. That book is hard for me to even read now how the fuck were you learning English from that at 8 years old. It could make sense if Storm was just really smart but they take all standard classes right now and get bad grades. I started to ask more people when Storm had told them the age that they had come over to the U.S. They all had different answers. I got 2,4,6,8, and the 6th grade. The person that said 8 was the mutual friend that me and storm shared before they had a falling out. I asked that friend more about what Storm had told them and they said that when they lived in Japan, their grandparents sent them away to this Buddhist camp for 6 months when they were 6 years old where they shaved their head. This threw me off completely and I started to experiment. I share art class with storm this year and I decided to ask them about their last name. I won’t disclose it here but it is a very white last name. I brought it up to them and they told me that they have their moms last name and not their dads Japanese one. When I asked what the Japanese last name was and they told me (I literally had them spell it out) and I looked it up on google. It wasn’t even a real fucking word . They told me it was Takamishido. They were silent and so I asked them more about their moms last name and they said that it was Russian and so they were part Russian because their moms parents are Russian. I looked up their last name and the only origins are Americanized Dutch. Nothing to do with being Russian at all. They were silent about that too . I asked them more about their childhood in Japan and they told me that they were homeschooled and don’t remember any Japanese or really anything from living in Japan from ages 0-8 because of a trauma response that made them forget everything. This all already made me mad since nothing was adding up but what really did it for me was when I got in trouble because during school there was a drug search in the parking lot and the cops dogs smelled weed on my car. The only friend I have that I knew for a fact smoked weed is storm and I know this because they have showed up to come hang out with me and my friends multiple times and been extremely high and smelled so strongly of weed. I had driven them to prom that last weekend and I guess they stunk up my car because they were high again. Stuff like this doesn’t usually happen to me so I was crying all day during school because I was confused and embarrassed. While my other friends comforted me, Storm ignored me all day and then at lunchtime proceeded to tell me to just fuck the cops. They know damn well they were the reason I got in trouble and said fucking nothing about it. They have also spoken multiple times about how they think people who do drugs are awful and affect others so bad yet they themselves do the exact thing. There are multiple other little horrible things they have done but these are just the main things. I’m writing this because I wanna know if I’m over exaggerating everything and they aren’t lying and I just can’t see it somehow. I feel like I am going crazy. Please help me. 

Didn't know whether to tag this as a table dispute or a DMing issue because it's sort of 50/50.
New to DMing, only about 2 months and half the handbook into figuring stuff out and learning as I go along, players are very okay with this because they also know basically nothing as this is all their first campaign outside of a maybe 1 or 2 having played a one-shots before.
I have 7 PCs (I host in a school and had to turn away so many people) but thought I could deal with 7 as the campaign seemed pretty short and basic. Honestly despite the large number of people I still believe I could host it if the entire party was actually cooperative.
5 of the 7 are probably the best players I could hope for, being super open to suggestions, interacting with all my NPCs, causing just the right amount of chaos to have fun but not derail my campaign completely, they just generally seem to be having so much fun working with the material I'm giving them which is such a relief as a new DM, because I was super afraid of boring them or doing something wrong having known none of them prior to hosting.
The main issue I'm having is with the other 2 PCs, one of them specifically being much worse than the other but they kinda come as pair having joined together as friends.
A little context before explaining the next part I'm 17F and these two players are 34M (who I'm gonna call B) & 31M (who I'm gonna call C). I have no problem with being the youngest of the group of 7, there's a range of ages of people closer in age to me as well as some in there early and late 20s, all a mix of men and women, but B & C do happen to be the oldest two.
B has been getting on my nerves since the first session we had, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, chalking any interruptions or over eager attention grabbing as a first time player just trying to suss things out. When I got everyone to introduce their characters and explain any backstory, race features, personality all that fun stuff he seemed genuinely interested in playing so I was super hyped about having him as a player, he wanted to play a dwarven cleric, which I was interested in seeing, having a healer with a high AC is really helpful!
Campaign starts and I introduce the first encounter, giving an option for the party to run as they were only 2nd level with only their starting weapons and spells. B immediately attacks, no consulting the party, which is fine I guess, he's excited for combat and I'm pumped to run my first encounter. Party finishes first encounter, runs into the first NPC, a very important one that literally runs everything in the island their on, a little old woman sitting writing in the library.
I go to describe said little old lady and start to get into character, B immediately interrupts before I can finish my second word asks to behead her and rolls to attack. I'm running a pre bought campaign, not a clue how to to do a majority of things story progressing wise and this NPC is a very important pivot for plot. The other PCs are also appalled, wanting to enjoy their first ever NPC encounter, having many questions already about the place they're in and the encounter they've already had.
It becomes very apparent in the next few sessions that B is nothing but a murderhobo, supported by C who also thinks this is very entertaining, while the rest of the party have to spend every minute of their time watching the PCs and making sure they don't try to kill the plot and destroy everything in their sight in the process. My players have gone from having fun and being filled with excitement to having to watch B as a chore to ensure they can continue to play, going as far as to grapple and restrain him for half a session just to be able to investigate the area I had prepared without B killing the NPCs.
On top of this, in actual combat B is very impatient, constantly interrupting me on other players turns to ask if it's his turn yet. There's this unspoken rule that everyone very graciously follows, no phones at the table unless you need it for your character sheet, to check spells or something along those lines. B also constantly betrays that rule despite being asked not to, watching tiktok when I'm not directly addressing him, even answering phone calls in the middle of combat when it's not his turn and instead of leaving the room just talks over the table, again, despite being asked to leave the room if needing to answer phone calls or anything else that would cause disruption.
B's also been making me super uncomfortable, every week I come in he brags about his salary to me, even going as far as to pull up his pay slips in the middle of encounters (when it's not his turn) and interrupt another PCs turn to show me. I don't even give it the time of day anymore, it's rude to both me and the PCs and C is just as bad for supporting his actions.
It's annoyed me so much I brought it to the rest of the group and they all agree they're not the right fit for the party, they're both obviously looking for a combat heavy adventure which is not at all what I'm running. They bring very weird vibes to the table, C even messaging outside of the group chat we have (taking my number without my permission) and trying to start conversation. I ran into him after our session last week outside of the club with a friend as we coincidentally were in the same movie screening, and got a message afterwards asking if I would see a movie with him and his friends.
I don't know these people longer than maybe 6 weeks, only seeing them for 2 hours once a week. It's possible I'm reading into it and being overly cautious because of the sort of rep men have towards women in the gaming community, especially younger women, despite it being way better than previous decades past. The rest of the group do think it's weird though so I'm not alone in picking up the odd vibes two are bringing to the table.
TLDR: At the end of the day kicking them from the party is completely my decision as the DM and a smaller, well rounded, cooperative party is a lot easier to run with than murderhobos. I suppose my only fear is the backlash it might cause as I am running it in a school, funded by student services (the room we use, the dice, notebooks, handbooks, etc.) and kicking the two from the campaign may cause them to complain out of spite and get the whole club shut down, as they are both members of the student board.

(Lol smosh if u end up seeing this plz put this on a reddit stories episode i would love to hear what you guys think)
(I’ve never posted here before sorry if I brake any rules, and let me know if theirs any other places I can post this)
Ive thought about this for a really long time and i want to confront her but i don’t know how or if i should. Every since I’ve known her she tells everyone shes Japanese and i think that she may be lying.
When we first started hanging around a lot i got curious and asked “what is your race“ she told me she was full Japanese. also she told me she was born in japan and moved to America when she was 5. I said “ohhh i thought you were hispanic.” I also thought “oh maybe she is hispanic but is Asian passing ??” Then later she tells me something different and said she was just born in Chicago. She also says she has a Japanese name “Aiko Takahashi“
in school we always called her by her Japanese name, but when they would call her name through the school intercoms, they called her by “Camila García” (fake name but it’s pretty close to her real name) one day she actually skipped picture day so she wouldn’t have her real name in the year book. One day yearsss later she told me that she is Half Filipino, which if thats true that could explain her real name.
i also asked her once “why do you have two different names?” She said “my stepmom didn’t like my Japanese name and forced me to change it legally because she couldn’t pronounce my real name”
Every since I’ve known her she has aways dated Asain guys, and always had Japanese cars (specifically mitsubishis) She would also lie about her car when i could literally see it. she would say “i have a 2020 Mitsubishi” when you could clearly look at it and it would be a 2010. She also introduced me to Kpop, we both use to love it together, but now i feel like the purposely mispronounces / misspells group names for some reason, maybe to make it seem like she knows nothing about it? Idkk. she also use to drink alot and had a huge obsession with being skinny. She was probably 90 pound’s soaking wet.
Ive known my her since middle school and Ive never met her family or anything. I didn’t even know she had siblings until her ex told me about them he also sent me video proof of her with her father and siblings at the mall. We have both seen her ID and it also has the same name of Camila Garcia. He even told me thats he’s met her family that they all looked Hispanic and that they all spoke Spanish. But i have never met her family so i would never know.
We are all in our 20s now and we live in different states but she would always travel just to hangout and see me. and for a little bit i disappeared on her (only for about a month) because i was kinda hurt knowing that she could be lying and not being truthful, because if we are really best friends she wouldn’t hide anything from me. We literally talk to each other about everything. and I’ve always wanted that best friend relationship where we met each others family’s and we could all be close.
She wants to move to my state and to roommate with me, I really want confront her but, i don’t want to confront her and hurt her. Im wondering if this coping thing. What if i ask her and it brings back some trauma and she disappears?
if your confused on anything or have any questions plz let me know in the comments so i can clear it up for you

My LIfe Is Worth More Than 36 Apples I was am a sole from this point on. The moths of darkness just began a fetus in the woumb. Both mother and father have litle knolige of my existance my begening is heare hethy with nknone emosion untill I was sliced from my mother. My parents fell in love with me from the begening little did they know that tere was somthing wrong. It was not there falt I think that I loved them at that point to. I was dieing. My heart broken by imprefection that only flesh offers to the potentialy imortal relm of God placed soil named Earth. Spoler alert I servive otherwise you would not be reading this. One day out of my life I fely horible sick beyond what the doctors had already fixed I was dieing still alive but dieing why they “forgot” ( neglected) to tell my parents that I have a paralised vocla chord is beond even my ant’s comprehencion and she is a sergical nerce. What made them fear my parents? What made them fear so much that they could not tell my perents what hppened? I ask these questions so often that I wonder why I servived. That is when one day out of my life I felt amasing like God was truly there to witness me changing to somthing worth more than any dimond in the world. My parents kept me alive by questining the doctors did so little. My grandmother prayed so much I wonder how I survived. One day of my life I felt horible Thank the lord that I was not dieing my great gradfather was putt to sleap in his grave I now have a feading tube one year old no birthday cake for me. I gess that there is where my life chages yet again. I wonder how I survived. One day out of my life I felt Exuberant I am two years old ,Birthday cake ;-) Yay, my first ever the tube is gone. My parrents still wotty but they realy don’t have to any more until laiter. Gram is there. So is most of my family. I love my gram so much at this point I would taher be at her houce than at home there is so much I still have to live for. One day out of my life I feal loved I am at home having fun with my gram telling her stories that I make up as I go along. She loves me I know it in my heart. There are not enugh words, colors, and sounds to describe what I felt in this world at that moment for my little mind to wrap its gentle fingers around I am less than five years old so the only resion that I remember is a home movie. It is a wonder that I survived. One day out of my life it is near cristmass I could be five but I am not certan I thaught tis memory a dream until my mother told me the story. I was sick enugh that my parents thaught that I was dieing. I had an ear infection, pnumonya, and somthing elce my mother can not remenber. I wonder why I survived. One day out of my life I am still five and going to kindergaden I love to run around and hide out undeneath the slides if only I knew what the world was than I probabley whould not have kissed a boy on the lips so soon. I shold have knone that such an act as this was for the day of prom or highscool. I was definatly not ready for being in love, nor was I ready to kiss boys impishly under the that particular Emitsberg Elimentery slide. The boy’s confusion was so great that I belive he ither liked me or he did not know who I was to tell the teacher what had happened. Ither way I grew up way to quikly and at the same time to slowly for my mothers liking. I would barly clean my room thak the lord for her patince at this poit in my life, other wise I woder how I did survive. One day out of my life I was in first grade imaging what life would be like on the moon. I was listening to the teacher but I could not for the life of me was i being sent to lern how to read and wright when I already knew how to do both of those things. What where they thinking I neaded more help with math than with reading and spelling I could study those wordes and sentance structures. Why did they chose to give me exta practice in my faverite subject the only problem I had was telling lowecace B’s from lowercace D’s until a nice teacher taught me a trick invalving the word bed. Putt your fingers on your left hand so that it resembles a lowecace B than have your fongers on your right hand resemble a lowercace D place coth hannds together and make a bed B.E.D. that was somthing that realy helped it was so ingraind in my nogin that after just that one clarifacaition I had the difrence betwean D and D down pat. I read Juny B. Jones boks up the wasoo after that and most of my class was reading picture books that where to easy so I stoped reading them. I didn’t check out books from the scool library because I had books at home to read if I remember corectly. My parents sau that it was the comprehensin part I gess that I understood the book’s meaning but not the questin of “ How did the caractar change throughout the story?” silly me I putt ( this is acording to my mother) “The carictar did nit change throuout the story. There is no mension of her getting dresset,” I wonder how I survived. One day out of my life i am repeating first grade. I thaught that there where only two years of school I thaught that if i passed this year that i would not have to go to school any more nobosy told me otherwise because i kept the thaught to myself because i was so sure that I was corect that I did not tell a sole nor, angel, not even God, but I gess he knew that anyway even without me telling him. I gess that if God dose laph that he might have been lafing at me and I would laph with him once I came to realise my childish ignerance at the age of seven and a half. I realy do not know why I relised that particalar fanticy was falce but I gess that visiters from the fith grade shook that idea right past my young lips and took me from that faticy I was somhow living in at the time. As I wright this I am sitiosly remided of that anoying yet cachy toon of the Caillou theme song whn it said “ Growing up is not so tuff…” I would like to add to that paticular snippit by saying that being or fealing grown up is the hard part. Thank the lord I was still just growing up at this point otherwise I have no clue of how i would have survived. One day out of my life I learn that Gram is moving to West Bend I was so confused because I remember saying to her that “ we will live togther forever.” than she aked me with such a look upon her face that surly I had no anser to this “what if I move?” my anser to this of corce was “we will move to” I loved my grandmother so much at that point that I thaught that my parents not looking for a new houce was a betrayel of what was going on until... One day out of my life I find out that we are moving at first I thaught that this would remidy the we will live togerhher forever situaiton, but it just only remidied the if you move we move situaiton. This was just after I found out that we where moving from Airshire to Ankeny instad of to West Bend this is in ither late may or early june we are looking for a place to live we looked at some two story houces but we came upon this nice single story ranch it is a nice place to be but I wish that I did not tell the reliter that I “ felt at home here” honestly there where less pressing matters of where we would be going to school and how long it would take to move all of our stuff to the new place that I would have to call home but I never realy did in my heart Gram’s houce was my true home from that point on. It is a wonder that we suvived. One day out of my life it is june 16th my birthday I have just terned egiht years old and this is just the begening of when I have started to really pray and recognise what prayer is to me I don’t realy expect God to answer me at this point in my life becase I reay did not know that God could truly anser quite directly or even ask of you things. I just thaught that God knows everything so he realy should no have to ask but I gess that even God has set rules for himself in promisess and fofilment of priofficy. The idea is that we have free will and he wants to ask and not tell us to be with him in spirit and in mannor. Our actions not telling us yes or no but how we feal about those actins threw God tells us these things. Concince and temptaition those little caton figures angel and demon with that tridant ( not the chewing gum brand) and tail. Oh how I have survived. One day out of my life the start of second grade a new school and a new life I wish that there where more interesting things to take apart than a phone with an already broken circut bord smashed by a bou in my class if not for the surcut bord I probubly would have figured out how to putt it back together. How I wondered every day when I would get to take somthing apart and putt it back together, but everthing was altready taken apart and I neaded a more than a philups haid screwdriver to fix that phone what I neaded was somthing I had no ideah existed littlelone the fact that I was way to youn to even use a sodering iorn. The teachers still thaught that I was still to young to hold a pair of sisors even though I started using them in preschool. It is a wonder I survived. One day out of my life I am exited I get to learn how to use chopstickes in class wile eating popcorn we where not aloud to use our fingers. We where at the end of our china unit coloring the great wall with lopsided bricks that where supost to be a little lopsided. I was exalent at using the two sticks to pick up the popcorn the only problem was that I was holding them wrong but at least i did not nead a rubberband atached to the se sticklike utencels. Using my middle finger as a fulcrum and my pionter and ring to manipulate the top stick even until I saw the diagram and did so the proper way. How did I survive? One day out of my life it is nearing first comumyon this is my fist time tasting the wine so that Iwont makew a face if I did not like the way it tates. I thaught that it tasted horible even though I took a small sip as instructed. I did not make a face. How did I survive? Oneday out of my life it is first comunyon I take both the host and the wine this time I like it so much I take a big gulp and make a face. When my mother asked me why I took such a big gulp I told my mother that the whine “ tates better with Jesus in it.” my mother laphed so quietly only her ears and a few others herd her. I wonder how we survived. One day of my life I am now about 9 or 10 years old Great grandma took me fishing and taught me how to imbroider that night i could not sleap for some reason or another so I got out the cloth that I was working on and started stichin gI was so quiet that I thaught that I would sutly not wake her than again the light in the livingroom of her apartment could have given me away. She found me awake and unable to sleap soundly I was not homsich and usualy did not complain but the couch was a tad to cushey so I slept on the floor instad she thaught that I was crazy for sleaping on the floor instad of on the couch. It is a wonder that I survived. One summer out of my life I felt human I can not remember what summer this was but I taught my sister how to swim she wanted to jump into the pool and each time that se jumped I would take just a single step back evedently she lernd to jump quite far also because when she went to her first formal swimming lesson she kept taking off the floaty until she threw it so that the instructher could no longer reach it than when it was her turn to jum into the water she abot flatenes the instructer ling sory short she skiped a few levils. I wonder how the poor swim instructor is doing. It is a wonder that he survived my syster. One day of my life I rode my first rolercoster I was so exited that I could barly wate in line when we finaly got to the front of the lighn the rolercoster took us up and down I could barily understand why all the other peaple on bord where screaming eve mu unkle. When the ride was over I aslked him so tentitivly why where the other peaple skreaming? Than he told me “Because they where having fun” I still had no ideah

I went from a jobless art school dropout to banking $9.8 million (profit) in just four years.
Recently, I sat back to reflect on what advice I'd give myself if I could go back in time to chat with 21 year old me, when I was starting my first company.
Disclaimer: yes, the points below are high level. This isn't meant to be a recipe book where I say, I did exactly X, to produce Y. The reason for this is the specifics are different for every business, and my goal with this exercise is to give my younger self directional guidance, not a recipe book to recreate the exact same businesses.
I'm happy to unpack any of these in more detail, feel free to ask.
Lastly, the trolls usually come out when I mention profit numbers openly because they've been burnt too many times by fake "gurus" or ppl trying to sell them courses with bogus numbers. I've got nothing to sell anyone (my agencies sell to VC backed tech companies who don't hang out on here), so really just sharing this for the reasons I mentioned above (lessons for my younger self) since I know there are a ton of first time entrepreneurs on here who could benefit.
Alright, enough with the disclaimers, let's do this:

1. Time Commit Goals: First up, decide how many hours you're ready to grind each week. I capped mine at 25 hours to avoid burnout. It's amazing how much you can get done if you proactively block your calendar.
   
2. Financial Goals: Define how much you want to earn. My initial target was $40k/month within the first year (ended up blowing past that target).
   
3. Timeline: Set a clear timeline for your financial goals. As mentioned above, I aimed to hit $40k/month within the first year.
   
4. Role Definition: Decide early if you’re going to be hands-on or oversee the big picture. It makes a huge difference. There's a great book called Traction that talks about the difference between a Visionary and an Implementer. I found it necessary to be both in the early days, but have since transitioned out of "Implementer" mode.
   
5. Brand Legitimacy: Build the most legit brand you can — within a week. Overthinking it is your enemy. Too many people wax poetic about their brand, website, etc. Yes, it's super important an it can make you look more legit than you actually are in the early days, HOWEVER - many people spend too much time on this step, months even, and then never launch, or when they do, they have a false expectation that simply by launching their biz will do well. This couldn't be further from the truth. Building your brand and site is the fun part. Once you launch the real work starts ;)
   
6. Start Selling Immediately: Hit up your network, face regular rejections, and learn from each "no."
   
7. Your First Customers: These folks will help shape your business more than anyone else. Listen closely and adapt. The product idea you launch with - most likely is not the product that's right for the market. But you won't know what needs to change until you launch and start landing early customers.
   
8. Price Sensitivity Testing: Start low, then increase as demand builds. I go into a ton of detail about exactly how I do price sensitivity testing in this video.
   
9. Scaling Decisions: I used to think scaling was the only option. Go big or go home. If you're not growing like crazy you're a loser. But I was wrong. And dumb. That's a silly idea. There are many paths to success. Some want to go big, fast. Others want to go smoothly, slowly. Scaling isn't mandatory. I've done both and prefer somewhere in the middle of fast and slow.
   
10. Master Hiring: Good hiring isn't luck; it’s a skill and crucial for growth. My companies are both services businesses (a marketing agency and a design agency) and so the quality of our hires is the quality of our product offering. This also means getting good at firing. It's just part of the job.
    
11. Setting the Pace: Lead by example (duh). I’m all in when I work, ensuring I’m focused and driving progress. The team will draft off your pace, and the folks who can't keep up will make it clear they're not a good fit.
    
12. Team Management: I use the EOS (entrepreneur operating system) methodology to manage my teams—it’s a game-changer for accountability and clarity. It's free to learn, and easy to implement.
    
13. Proactive Marketing: Share every win. If you don’t champion your successes, no one else will.
    
14. Empower Customers: Turn clients into advocates. Strong relationships lead to referrals, which are (literal) gold.
    
15. Streamline Offerings: Keep your services tight and focused. Simplicity scales.
    

.... ok this post is getting too long. I was going to share 20 but this is turning into a novel. I shared all 20, along with a bunch of specific details in this video, feel free to check it out if the first 15 resonated with you. https://youtu.be/Gwqjljmr_pU
Curious - for those who have done a few startups before, do these resonate with you?
And for those who haven't yet - did you already have all of these on your radar? Anything you're interested in trying yourself?

(Lol smosh if u end up seeing this plz put this on a reddit stories episode i would love to hear what you guys think)
(I’ve never posted here before sorry if I brake any rules, and let me know if theirs any other places I can post this)
Ive thought about this for a really long time and i want to confront her but i don’t know how or if i should. Every since I’ve known her she tells everyone shes Japanese and i think that she may be lying.
When we first started hanging around a lot i got curious and asked “what is your race“ she told me she was full Japanese. also she told me she was born in japan and moved to America when she was 5. I said “ohhh i thought you were hispanic.” I also thought “oh maybe she is hispanic but is Asian passing ??” Then later she tells me something different and said she was just born in Chicago. She also says she has a Japanese name “Aiko Takahashi“
in school we always called her by her Japanese name, but when they would call her name through the school intercoms, they called her by “Camila García” (fake name but it’s pretty close to her real name) one day she actually skipped picture day so she wouldn’t have her real name in the year book. One day yearsss later she told me that she is Half Filipino, which if thats true that could explain her real name.
i also asked her once “why do you have two different names?” She said “my stepmom didn’t like my Japanese name and forced me to change it legally because she couldn’t pronounce my real name”
Every since I’ve known her she has aways dated Asain guys, and always had Japanese cars (specifically mitsubishis) She would also lie about her car when i could literally see it. she would say “i have a 2020 Mitsubishi” when you could clearly look at it and it would be a 2010. She also introduced me to Kpop, we both use to love it together, but now i feel like the purposely mispronounces / misspells group names for some reason, maybe to make it seem like she knows nothing about it? Idkk. she also use to drink alot and had a huge obsession with being skinny. She was probably 90 pound’s soaking wet.
Ive known my her since middle school and Ive never met her family or anything. I didn’t even know she had siblings until her ex told me about them he also sent me video proof of her with her father and siblings at the mall. We have both seen her ID and it also has the same name of Camila Garcia. He even told me thats he’s met her family that they all looked Hispanic and that they all spoke Spanish. But i have never met her family so i would never know.
We are all in our 20s now and we live in different states but she would always travel just to hangout and see me. and for a little bit i disappeared on her (only for about a month) because i was kinda hurt knowing that she could be lying and not being truthful, because if we are really best friends she wouldn’t hide anything from me. We literally talk to each other about everything. and I’ve always wanted that best friend relationship where we met each others family’s and we could all be close.
She wants to move to my state and to roommate with me, I really want confront her but, i don’t want to confront her and hurt her. Im wondering if this coping thing. What if i ask her and it brings back some trauma and she disappears?
if your confused on anything or have any questions plz let me know in the comments so i can clear it up for you

I was born in a large city. My parents 21f and 24m were both university students when I was conceived, my mother was in 3rd year. I'm not sure what year my dad was in. I always get vague answers when I ask. My parents originally planned to become teachers after completing teachers college.
Instead they married largely due to family pressure early in the pregnancy. Immediately after that they backpacked around southern Europe and Morroco. They drank considerably and smoked Marijuana as often as they could. Their original intention was to teach English in Spain, but apparently changed their mind because of the hospital, cost seemed to be the main factor. They returned to our city with my father going back to school and eventually getting his teaching degree and his first teaching job when I was 3 or 4.
My mother seemed to resent having to care for an infant. During my childhood she would complain about the awful diapers and mixing formula, etc.
When I was approximately 2 -3 years-old I was diagnosed with cerebal palsy. Immediately after I was diagnosed my parents started trying to conceive another child. By the time my sister was 1 year old, my parents decided she wasn't as perfect as they thought she should be so they conceived my youngest sister.
My kindergarten teacher wanted me to repeat kindergarten because of my very poor motor skills mostly cutting and pasting but also my printing was very messy, which was mostly due to the tremors. I was intellectually able to do all of the work and I could already read. If had gone to senior kindergarten I would have been able to enter French immersion, which started the year after I entered school. Also I was the youngest child in my class because I was born late in the year. The French immersion schools were much better funded and had much better teachers and resources. I stayed in the original school which was one of the 2 worst schools in our region. My first grade teacher made me stand in front of the class to evaluate my reading, I was very shy and soft spoken, so I stammered slightly. From this alone she put me in the bottom reading group even though repeatedly showed her that I could read any book in the room. Standardized testing in 2nd grade showed that my reading and math skills were at 6th grade level. I know this because the guidance teacher showed my scores and explained what they meant when I was frustrated with the pace of the classroom and lack of mentally challenging work. My teachers would make me write things over and over because of the 'messiness'. This never worked and my printing would get worse because of fatigue and pain. I was bullied by most of the kids in my class because I was small, clumsy, physically weak, and somewhat odd looking, the fact that I was very smart also didn't help. My teacher wouldn't allow me to use the washroom when I needed it, since I had a bladder disorder related to my cerebal palsy, that meant I would sometimes wet myself. This only happened when I wasn't allowed to use the washroom when I needed to. This led to the other kids calling me diaper queen. Eventually I was exempted from most of my in class subjects and allowed to work independently in the library on whatever I desired. When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade my arm was badly sprained by a bully and I was prescribed a tensor bandage to support my hand and wrist. I noticed that my printing was better with it and I tried to keep using it. My mother found out and angrily took it away from even though I explained that it helped me. She would not listen and there was no explanation at all. She would send me to school no matter how sick I was, and would only let be at home when the school said I was too sick to be there. Our house never had a thermometer or bandaids or any other health related items, not even a hot water bottle or heating pad. When I was in 5th grade I developed a ganglion on the inside of my middle finger, it was very painful and made it even more difficult and painful to write. I saw a hand surgeon who said he could remove it easily and quickly. My parents, mostly my mother refused to allow me to have this surgery even though it would be completely paid for through our canadian health program.
Every few months we would visit family friends in the city each time before we went home my dad would go to a bank machine, except we always parked at the far edge of the parking lot and my dad would walk away and then be gone for 30 to 40 minutes. I realized later that he was buying amounts of Marijuana about a pound or two each. He and my mother would smoke it regularly, they I wasn't aware but I especially the air currents would waft the smell to my window.
Even though I asked repeatedly to be moved to a different school my parents made no efforts to do so. I could have been moved based on my disability and also my intellectual giftedness. I was not taken to a dentist until I was 8 years old. By this time I already decay in several of my teeth, partly because our water wasn't fluoridated. My dad could have added flouride to our well water for a very low cost, but was too cheap to do so. Another factor was I did not have a child size toothbrush so it made much more difficult to clean my teeth effectively.
My parents were home most of the time but spent very little time with their children. There was very little affection shown. I had very few clothes, with one or two items bought for back to school. And sometimes none since I was failure to thrive and grew very slowly. At Christmas my mother would buy the same toys for all 3 of us even though I was 4 1/2 and 7 older than my sisters. One year she bought all of us cabbage patch dolls, this was even though I had never had any interest in dolls or girly stuff. She did this again when the cabbage patch dolls came out.
My grandfather died when I was 9 years old, my grandmother remarried suddenly when I was 13. She lived with him in England for several months but then they moved back to town close to us. There were frequent family gatherings that included him. From almost the beginning he would find ways to trap me and sexually assault me by pushing me against a wall or into a corner he would then force his tongue into my mouth and rub his penis against me. He would also shove his hands into my pants... During my adolescence I was misdiagnosed with depression, when I actually post traumatic stress reaction because of the many things I'd dealt already, I was sent to a psychiatrist who didn't listen to me and wasn't competent, she kept prescribing different drugs when I didn't respond to them the way I 'should ' have. She put on lithium with no sign of bipolar disorder. I very developed severe lithium toxicity. She took me off it eventually. At some point she decided that since antidepressants weren't working it must because I was psychotic. She put on antipsychotics even though I repeatedly told I was not psychotic and I never was. She wound up convincing my parents to send to this inpatient program for adolescents with psychosis. I talked to the psychiatrist there once and he knew I had never been psychotic, he stopped my medication immediately and I was the only one there not on any medications and was not mentally ill at all. But I wound up spending 8 months there.
There were other things that went on with my family but this about as much as I can write right now. Am I wrong to distance myself from my family ? I feel little connection to them and they usually want to draw me into some drama that I don't want to deal with. tl;dr; childhood experiences, neglect

Hi everyone! Hoping you all can help me find a book I read in middle school (2007). It was an older book (I am thinking from the 90s) and all I can remember was that the main character was a younger teenage boy (like 13 or 14) and there was a girl character who was an older teenager (like 17 or 18) with black hair, red lipstick, and a gold sweater. I think there was a phone on the cover of the book and the phone was used by a killer. It could have been YA horror. My teacher had books ranging from the 70s to the early 2000s so I’m not totally sure when it was published.

I'm currently a sophomore in High School and an upcoming Junior in NYC. To put it bluntly, I'm not the best student. My freshman year, I was mainly a B and C student, with the occasional D in things like Math and such. My Sophomore year though, began amazingly. A's and B's across the board, only one D and C in two classes in the first marking period (in nyc semesters are split in two marking periods, each school year containing 4 marking periods, 2 for each semester. Not sure if thats the same everywhere else though). After that first marking period though, it sorta went downhill. The second marking period I ended up flunking some classes which didn't change very much in the third marking period. I'm currently in the final marking period of the school year and its not looking hot either, although I'm working to change it before June. Since I did so poorly, it isn't confirmed, but I'm 99% sure I'll be needing summer school to make up some classes/credits. I am aware that my Junior year will be pretty much the deciding factor on whether or not I get into a good college or not because of it being the year colleges care most about, so I am determined to do everything I can to be an amazing student next year, but what are some things that I can do in order to maximize my chances in getting into a good college?
For starters, right now I think I have something like a 2.5-3.0 GPA (am not sure how to check), and recognizer the importance of extracurricular activities, so I am part of the school soccer team (was the manager before becoming a player on the team), plays the Euphonium in the school concert band, part of the school Aviation Club, frequent the Weight Room, and am part of the Dungeons & Dragons Club. Along with this, I am currently an Intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lent my voice in a College Film Project (Voice-Over Work), and worked last summer. I feel as if my resume is already pretty stacked but would like to further it with things like volunteer work and more work experience (I plan to work again this summer if summer school doesn't interfere with it), so advice on finding opportunities like volunteer work and internships would be much appreciated.
In terms of academics, I'm pretty sure the reason why I am doing badly is because of laziness. I'll admit, that first stretch earlier on in the year was cool because I had post-summer academic motivation, so it was admittedly easy to keep up work. Once work began to get more challenging as the year progressed though and I began to get invested in other things, things like homework and school work got put on the back burner. I know I could be an amazing academic student if I really tried, its just hard to find the motivation sometimes, although I plan to get better.
So thats pretty much the rundown of the kind of student I am. Advice on how to become better would be appreciated, along with advice on how to secure volunteer work and more internship/work opportunities. Another thing I'd like are my chances on getting into a good school with how I am now (I.E., how likely am I to get into a top school with my current academic resume including things like extracurriculars and work experience).

In it I feel alive
So many subconscious moons I thrived
Even flew
So many times I grew
Faced challenges and did my best
Was even honest when I would get depressed
Apologized to people who i wronged in reality
Had special moments with deceased family
Traveled through beautiful landscapes
Even taught some projections how to fly, antisocial in real life but I had to ingratiate
We was a unit
Even when thinking of it right now I can sense it
Especially with my best friend Charles so many times we was kicking it
College friend we was laughing so hard it was epic
While sleep so closed to my family
Seeing them on a daily
Icing on the cake if I can one day see Hailey
Plus hold close the great Brittany
Big goals in the dream world
Truth be told I feel home when I'm in that world
Flew next to heaven on time
Saved the whole world that one time
Assembled the avengers I'll never forget that
When I saved my middle school crush I'll always cherish that
The ancient dreams seeing turtles the same size of a football field I was so excited
Running through the tunnel with the four I felt enlightened
Driving many cars without turning the key
Being a witness towards great cities
Seen dinosaurs, dogs from the 2004 hulk movie
Nightmares would sometimes visit me
But the fear was so special
Remember when Kane was terrorizing us we had to call the Navy, it was monumental
Did the rko, stone cold stunner, plus the pedigree
Seen the undertaker but had to book it
That one ghost that would torment me I had the courage to face it
Scared him away and never came back
My love my life my everything passed in life and in dreams she came back
Sometimes dreams even helped me get through life
Many times I would face strife
But more times than not I would be granted the light
Unconditionally
Didn't deserve those great loving dreams but still you came for me
To the many women who loved me , kissed me, thanks for visiting this heart
Married to dreams till death do us a part

Hi everyone, current 2T7 ECE here. I thought I would make a quick post on a guide to first year engineering, listing out all the stuff I wish I knew before coming to university. The first semester portion is applicable to all engineering disciplines, the second semester portion would be more useful to ECEs, T1, Indie and Mechs.
First Semester Courses:
MAT186: This was by far the hardest course for me and the entire cohort (C average). Even though I knew all the concepts of the course beforehand (through AP Calc BC and A-levels) this was my worst course. The reason for this was because the course focuses on testing theory (your understanding of the nitty gritty) rather than on computation. My advice for this course would be to make sure you work on written hw with friends (impossible to do alone), and do every single tutorial worksheet (exam questions are exactly like tutorial worksheets). Sean Upall was the course coordinator, and even thought I didnt like his lectures, I think it prepares you the most for the final exam.
MAT188: This was my favourite course even though it probably took up most of my time. This course was completely new to me, which is why I took a lot more time understanding the Pre class essentials. There is a lot of "theory" in this course, which will take a while to learn, so spend a good amount of time understanding and learning the PCEs. One reccomendation to make this process of learning faster is to watch 3blue1browns essence of linear algebra series. Watch the video corresponding to the upcoming weeks concepts before reading the PCEs. Written HW was hard (not as hard as calculus) so do it with friends, the gateway exams are a bit of a joke since you can retake them, and if you practice them enough you realize theres a pattern in the answers. Midterms and Final exams actually test at an appropriate level, so as long you have a strong grasp of the concepts you will be fine. If professor Cameillia is teaching the course go for her lectures, she is by far the best (she is also the course coordinator).
CIV100: This was a very interesting course, it needs a lot of practice of past papers. Literally you'll need to grill through past papers in order to succeed in this course. The final exam is such that there are 5 questions and you have 30 mins per question. Each quesition is quite hard which makes the exam very time pressured, so again PRACTICE. The quizzes in this course are dependant on your lecturer, some profs give easy quizzes whilst others give hard ones, this is out of your control. In my opinion the best lecturer was Professor Merjan, she was probably the best lecturer I've had in my time here at UOFT. The only problem is that she teaches the course in a different timeline than other profs, so you probably cant change lecturers cuz quiz material is different between different profs.
APS110: As an ECE I still dont know why I had to take this course. Overall, it was taught quite well. Scott Ramsay is the best lecturer for this course, although basically everything he says is already in the textbook (which is why I did not attend lectures). The Textbook is more than enough for this course. The Final exam for our batch was quite difficult compared to past year exams, but I think I did well because I practiced quite a few past papers.
APS111: Contraty to public opinion, I thought this was one of the most fun and useful courses in first semester. I had quite a sh*t team, but managed. Make sure you look at the rubrics for each assignment before you start writing. Also the way this course works is that you have to submit individual and group assignments which are essentially these long documents. Because they are doucments, they are marked in a qualitative way as there is no right answer per se. Make sure you bombard the person who is correcting the assignment with questions so that you nail exactly what they are looking for.
Second semester courses
MAT187: This is calculus two and it was much better than Calc one. Professor Camelia was the course coordinator, so just like MAT188 the exams were all at an appropriate level. Written HWs again requires help from friends. I mainly studies for this course using the PCEs, and practiced the tutorial worksheets. Some of my friends used the textbook, but I dont think its really required. The best prof for this course is any lecture seciton containing Camelia.
MIE100: For some reason, our year was probably the first year in a long time where the exams for this course were not insanely difficult. They were all at an appropriate level, apparently because they wanted to increase the number of people going into mech eng 💀💀. I found professor Sinclair to be quite good, a lot of people liked Howard Ho as well (trust in Howard Ho). The Wiley plus questions are useful to do to keep up with concepts, but the difficulty of the questions in wiley was way harder than the exam questions, so I wouldnt say its a must to do them ethically.
APS105: Great course. If you have a background in coding, this course will be a breeze at least up until reading week, you'll have to spend more time on it after that. The course is such that 30% of your grade is from labs, so make sure you do them well. the other 70 percent is from exams, which are at an appropriate level once again. Just make sure that you do a lot of past papers as practice. Professor Emara is by far the best, and is amazing if you are new to programming. If you have experience, reading the textbook (Snefru) is more than enough to understand the content.
ECE110: In our batch, while I didnt find the exams difficult, the batch's average after the second midterm was about 51%. After the final exam, they curved the course up quite a bit, I think the average is now a B, also an easy final exam helped out. The first half of this course is more theoretical (electrostatics and electromagnetism) and the second half is circuit analysis. Make sure you do all the Wiley Plus questions for this course, as sometimes they ask the same questions in exams. All the lecturers for this course are pretty bad, but Professor Mojahedis notes are legendary (in my opinion), other people didnt like them because it explained the concepts using proofs. Other profs notes would just state the formula.
APS112: Continuation of APS111. My team was much better this time. Same advice for this course, as APS111. Also make sure you're on top of things because it goes by much quicker in this course as there are way more assignments. Nothing really much to say to be honest, the midterm was a bit screwed up because there are multiple right answers and you have to choose the best one.
Overall for grades, dont worry too much. As long as you get around an 80 for exams and get all the free marks for assignments you'll be on track for at least an 80+ in the course. Remember that university isnt just about studies though, try and indulge into extracurriculars and be social.
Extracurriculars:
Design teams: UOFT has a plehora of design teams for you to choose from. Some design teams are better than others, but the only way that you will actually get deep into the design teams is if you put in the work. Beg leads for tasks, and do them to demonstrate interest. You can also demonstrate interest by doing really menial tasks as well. The point is you need to make sure the leads know you are willing to do tasks, and have showcased that you are worth giving the tasks to. Overtime, depending on the design team you may have to make a choice between grades and the team, thats up to you. Grades dont matter much unless you want to do a masters degree.
Clubs: For these try getting a lead position, a lot of them offer positions in the summer so make sure you follow them on instagram (e.g. engineers without borders, IEEE, etc). Again, you get what you put in to the club.
Intramurals: I loved playing intramurals at UOFT. However, the team that you play for depends on the people you know. For e.g. the SKULE team isnt great for soccer, and if you want to join a better team then you need to know someone on that team. So try networking lol.
Social life:
This was something that I personally struggled with at least initially at UOFT. I gave way too much time to studies, which really isnt worth it. UOFT is way easier than people make it out to be (I'm not being arrogant, and I'm not someone who's gifted in intellegence). As long as you manage your time, you will be fine. Anyway in first year most people would go to frats, and I would reccomend trying it out at least once. Go in the first weeks of school as thats the easiest time, and will also allow you to make new friends. Make sure to know a lot of people, at least at the surface level at the start, as that will make things easier for you in the long run and will also help you find the people you like to hang out with.
Summer after first year:
In my opinion do research if you want work experience, then step up to an internship next summer. If you want to relax thats a good option as well, just try doing some courses and build up some skills for sure.

Forgive me if this question should be asked elsewhere but I could really use some advice.
I’ve been a journalist full time at the same company in Huntsville, Alabama for the last 3 years. I started out at my university newspaper in 2013 before graduating and moving to New Orleans where I wasn’t able to book work consistently enough to truly say, “I’ve been a journalist for the past decade.” There was a 1-2 year period where I thought I didn’t have what it took.
My current situation has been very satisfying from the beginning. My boss owns a magazine and a business journal focused on Huntsville and the surrounding area. Most of the assignments have been limited in the amount of exposure you could ever expect as with most other community based journalism but Huntsville is also home to NASA and Redstone Arsenal. It requires more effort a long with putting yourself out there much more consistently, but any determined journalist can find stories locally that will generate readers far beyond the city and state lines.
In August of 2023, I had an instance where my luck and determination peaked at the same time when I was able to track down the son of a former Chinese immigrant turned Huntsville scientist, Dr. Ning Li. She wasn’t famous, not even among most Huntsville residents, but in the early 2000’s she had a run of published papers that made her extremely well known in the science community and even resulted in publications like Wired running multi page spreads about her work on anti gravity technology. I’m going to be REALLY short here but she seemingly disappeared after leaving UAH to start her own company for her research in 2002. Records show initial funding from DoD but the paper trail ends there and she never had a public appearance again.
Eventually this “disappearance” was noticed and some reporters were asking about her publicly at the time, but no sure fire answers ever came. This, along with some public rumors of her defecting back to China with US secrets, eventually resulted in a large community of people who were still asking for answers 20 years later in the form of YouTube videos (Barely Sociable had a big one with 2+ million views) or various science / conspiracy based websites. It only grew as more people started making claims that a lot of the UAP reports being publicized described technology that seemed to resemble her initial theory that gained promise.
I was able to track down her adult son’s phone number. After a series of phone calls over the next month, I gained his trust and was invited to his home where he was able to give me all of the answers except ones about the success of her research on her top secret work funded by the DoD. He didn’t know if she was ever proven right or wrong because she worked at the Arsenal every day until the day she was struck by a car driven by a student on UAH campus. She suffered a TBI that immediately rendered her as if she had late stage Alzheimer’s. Never spoke again and he cared for her around the clock until she died 6 years later.
He was unable to learn anything further about her work, but he gave me a lot of information that wasn’t known at the time and I was able to fully disprove any rumor of her turning traitor to the US for a return to China.
I published the story and it did really well in mid-late 2023 amongst the crowd who already knew of her obviously and the regular Huntsville readers of ours found her life story very interesting. It was immediately the most successful story of my career as other reporters were making stories about the fact that I was able to solve her mystery. It died down like I figured until 4-6 weeks ago.
The UAP disclosure hype has resulted in more people talking about her than ever before. I’m hearing my name and seeing my picture on videos with over 1 million views for the first time ever.
I was very happy but didn’t think it changed much for me because it’s not like it could grow more realistically. Until Joe fucking Rogan reads pretty much the whole story and talks about it for 5-10 minutes on the podcast with largest following in the world.
My excitement turned to disbelief that day and it’s still crazy to think about sometimes. I never realistically thought I would write something that would generate traffic numbers around 5-6 million readers on a single story. That number is over course of 8 months which is very far removed getting those same numbers in the span of a week but the increase in exposure has been noticeable in my inbox ever since the Rogan podcast.
Noticeable enough that it feels like I’m very possibly having a moment before it’s just a moment before THE moment if that makes sense.
I haven’t had any career advancing job offers but there’s been some who have reached out in support to suggest various story topics that run parallel to that story as follow up ideas. Maybe I’m overestimating here but I feel like if I capitalize on my recent success correctly, I could see my career advance a step farther than I thought was possible for the year of 2024 when it started.
But…. I’m not at all sure how of the specific road map that could achieve such a thing. Yeah, I proved I can put together a story that results in traffic from both readers and “cultural trendsetters” but only once.
If anyone has ever been in a similar position, I would love some advice on the best way to turn this exposure into interest from publishers 1 step up the totem pole from where I am now. That also applies to people who haven’t been in this position, the more feedback I can get, the more prepared I feel I can be.
Sorry this post has been so long, it’s just been heavy on my mind for the last 1-2 weeks and I needed to hear from people who are both A: familiar with the industry and B: Not my boss.

Ik there’s no way to know for sure but what could I likely get into?
Profile: first generation biracial daughter from a low income household. Go to a private Islamic school with ~60 or so kids in my grade. From nj born and raised
Stats: - all honor classes - all A’s throughout all of high school - Gpa: 3.9 uw, weighted is 4.27 - 1420 sat (700 English, 720 math) - 3 AP classes so far: AP bio, AP physics1, apush (all that my school offers). Scored a 3 on AP bio. Other two scores won’t get until July. - senior year classes: anatomy, AP calc bc, AP chem, maybe AP stats, AP lit, Arabic honors, Quran honors, Islamic class, gym
Ecs: - worked as an intern at an obgyn clinic for two months. ested Pap smears, worked in the lab with lab tech, worked directly with MAs, completed charts for patients - shadowed an orthopedic surgeon for two months - wrote and published a poetry book available on Amazon and at Barnes and nobles (no relation to medicine I just rlly like poetry lol) - president of my schools first ever stem club (2 years) - vice president of my schools calligraphy club - conducted research on autoimmune disorder and published in a non prestigious medical journal - secretary of my schools key club - teacher at a weekend school for children with special needs (paid job, worked directly with speech therapists, medical students, etc) - academic director of a non profit global organization that offers virtual shadowing opportunities for high school students (hosted some of these shadowing events, 2 years) - volunteered at my local masjid ~100 hours - science Olympiad regional winner: bridges (10th grade) towers (11th grade) - writing club -book club -future health care professionals club -cpr club

I'm currently a sophomore in High School and an upcoming Junior in NYC. To put it bluntly, I'm not the best student. My freshman year, I was mainly a B and C student, with the occasional D in things like Math and such. My Sophomore year though, began amazingly. A's and B's across the board, only one D and C in two classes in the first marking period (in nyc semesters are split in two marking periods, each school year containing 4 marking periods, 2 for each semester. Not sure if thats the same everywhere else though). After that first marking period though, it sorta went downhill. The second marking period I ended up flunking some classes which didn't change very much in the third marking period. I'm currently in the final marking period of the school year and its not looking hot either, although I'm working to change it before June. Since I did so poorly, it isn't confirmed, but I'm 99% sure I'll be needing summer school to make up some classes/credits. I am aware that my Junior year will be pretty much the deciding factor on whether or not I get into a good college or not because of it being the year colleges care most about, so I am determined to do everything I can to be an amazing student next year, but what are some things that I can do in order to maximize my chances in getting into a good college?
For starters, right now I think I have something like a 2.5-3.0 GPA (am not sure how to check), and recognizer the importance of extracurricular activities, so I am part of the school soccer team (was the manager before becoming a player on the team), plays the Euphonium in the school concert band, part of the school Aviation Club, frequent the Weight Room, and am part of the Dungeons & Dragons Club. Along with this, I am currently an Intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lent my voice in a College Film Project (Voice-Over Work), and worked last summer. I feel as if my resume is already pretty stacked but would like to further it with things like volunteer work and more work experience (I plan to work again this summer if summer school doesn't interfere with it), so advice on finding opportunities like volunteer work and internships would be much appreciated.
In terms of academics, I'm pretty sure the reason why I am doing badly is because of laziness. I'll admit, that first stretch earlier on in the year was cool because I had post-summer academic motivation, so it was admittedly easy to keep up work. Once work began to get more challenging as the year progressed though and I began to get invested in other things, things like homework and school work got put on the back burner. I know I could be an amazing academic student if I really tried, its just hard to find the motivation sometimes, although I plan to get better.
So thats pretty much the rundown of the kind of student I am. Advice on how to become better would be appreciated, along with advice on how to secure volunteer work and more internship/work opportunities. Another thing I'd like are my chances on getting into a good school with how I am now (I.E., how likely am I to get into a top school with my current academic resume including things like extracurriculars and work experience).