the TL:DR is I've been a member of this sub now for a while and I continue to see the same questions popping up about "how do I get started" " why won't anyone hire me" "I've been applying for months with my CompTIA whatever".
( DM me to get the application form )
Here's a little about me:
I didn't know what I wanted to do growing up and I continue to find dozens of different area's interesting.
My family was of the belief that getting an apprenticeship or a trade was the best path to have secured work and be able to provide for myself, and if I even decided to have a family my family.
So I went to trade school, studied mechanical engineering, and dabbled as an auto mechanic for several months while working nights at a Kmart replenishment.
I was a lifeguard, I've done carpentry and even did a diploma in digital media.
Finally, I decided I wanted to get into IT because well many of those other industries didn't feel like the right fit, I didn't ultimately enjoy the people in them and after taking some time for self-reflection I knew in myself that I preferred solving problems and being intellectually stimulated, I was always tech savvy and enjoyed using the computer so I began down the IT path.
At this stage I was nearing 25 y/o so it was coming crunch time to start sorting out my life and also realizing that I'd be coming from a position of "feeling behind", no doubt at this stage of my life I had some catching up to do.
I did a diploma in IT, got into 23k of debt with the government, and found out I was nowhere near closer to having the skills required to gain even an entry-level job.
I spent months networking, reaching out to recruiters going to interviews, and getting into weird personality screenings but nothing stuck.
At this point, I was probably mildly depressed and not able to understand why every entry-level job felt like it came with caveats like " minimum 2-3 years of experience in X ".
My breakthrough from this place was further understanding the needs of employers, and luckily I had a good friend who was a senior-level engineer who gave me some harsh feedback when I asked him to look at my resume.
" You don't have the skills they want, I wouldn't hire you either so let's break down these job ads and look at what the common themes are"
- Active Directory
- basic networking knowledge
- Windows server
- Basic virtualization Vmware / Hyper-V etc
With this feedback, I went online, searched, and became overwhelmed with search results and kinda went into analysis paralysis.
Google is a great source of knowledge but often we become so obsessed with merely collecting data we never actually do anything about it -- this was my next challenge, sift through all the data and hopefully find the course(s) that would arm me with the skills to land my first job in IT.
to recap at this time in my life, I was working as a Dairy Manager at a local grocery just to earn an income, I was 23 - going onto 24k in debt to the gov and still not employed in the industry I wanted to start a career in.
From here I began buying courses on one function at a time listed above, and I started to create my own labs (I'm a gamer at heart so I had a pretty beefy computer at the time). I learned windows, the basics of Linux, learned Hyper-V and Vmware fundamentals.
I found guides on setting up Windows Active Directory and group policies and suddenly my "experience" on my resume was starting to fill out with the in-demand technologies & skills.
Only then did I start getting positive feedback from applications, suddenly I was being approached for entry level job offers, SUDDENLY I was in control of the process and I had OPTIONS.
I picked an entry-level role with a small MSP that was only 25 minute drive from my parent's place and got to work.
I must have been doing between 50-80 hours some weeks but I was a SPONGE, I asked so many questions and absorbed so much information, and applied that knowledge by the day-to-day ops that my knowledge and skills skyrocketed quickly.I learned so much within the first year; about the business model, and became the defacto engineer that I had now created leverage to ask for more money.
Which I did. This employer at the time denied my request and I found another company willing to offer me 55k to essentially do the same thing with them so I jumped ship and kept on learning.
Here is where being the jack of all trades has propelled my career and the foundation which enabled me to year on year ask for more money, take on more responsibility, and break out of service desk into project work and now into architecture.
There are a lot of other stories between that time and now over the last 7 years but I'm looking for new challenges and one I'd like to see if I can help others by being the mentor I wish I had getting started.
So my goal will be to test the waters of interest and see if I can personally help 20 newbies land their first jobs in IT.
Below is a link to a form id like people who are interested to fill out, its quick and easy and will give me some idea of your back story.
First 20 people who put their email in with the obvious idea that I will reach out in the next few days about next steps.
DM me to get the application link.
Anyone else is welcome to participate but I can't commit to helping more than 20 at this time.
Regards, Josh

It just dawned on me…. 🤔 she claims she’s got two podcasts coming out within the “near future.” I truly believe what is making her soooo frustrated is that she KNOWS anyone can have a podcast but in order to make money off of it and have it be succesful you need SPONSORSHIPS. She is panicking because she is thinking about how people are gonna contact ANY and EVERY sponsor (if she gets any) and continue to show them who Trisha truly is. She’s frustrated because she NEEDS sponsors but will not ever be able to get them.

hi this is an old ttar concept i made prior to it being released. i just made this for myself like a year ago or so and never showed it to anyone. just dropping it here because hell why not
​
ttar concept
melee defender
evolves at lvls 5 and 8
stats
hp:9700/atk:387/def:596/spatk:112/spdef:479/crit:0%/cdr:10%/lifesteal:0 (completely overstatted of course)
abilities
guts - when afflicted with a status condition inflicted by a pokemon on the opposing team, remove all status conditions and become immune to hindrances for 1.5s. (40s cd)
shed skin - when afflicted with a status condition inflicted by a pokemon on the opposing team, remove all status conditions and become immune to hindrances for 1.5s and be granted a shield equal to 10% max hp for 5s. (45s cd)
sand stream - whenever this pokemon hits a move or boosted attack, fills the sand stream bar. at three stacks, summons a sandstorm around this pokemon, dealing additional damage to opposing pokemon in its vicinity and increasing defenses by 50%. (stacks last 5s and decay together, but can be refreshed as long as the conditions are met.)
additionally, reduces special attack damage taken from enemy players by 30% for 5s and negate their moves secondary effects once. this part of the ability goes on cooldown when its triggered. (15s cd)
basic attack - becomes a boosted attack with every third attack, dealing increased damage by stomping forward and slowing opposing pokemon hit by 45% for 2s. (this boosted auto latches onto enemies in a small aoe like machamps boosted auto)
moves
take down - recklessly charge at the designated direction, dealing damage by pounding the ground and throwing opposing pokemon hit in a small area-of-effect(0.5s). upon successful hit, receive 5% remaining hp as damage but increase movement speed by 10% for 2.5s.
bite - user quickly bites in front of itself, dealing damage in a small area in front of it and briefly leaving opposing pokemon hit unable to act. the users next basic attack becomes boosted. (this was rock throw prior to its leak)
(rock throw - hurls three rocks in the designated direction in a cone shape, damaging and briefly leaving opposing pokemon hit unable to act. the users next basic attack becomes boosted.)
lvl 5 - crunch or stone edge (replaces bite/rock throw)
crunch - has the user quickly dash forward a small distance, dealing damage to opposing pokemon hit by viciously biting them and leaving them unable to act. afterwards, decreases their defense by 25% for 3s. the users next basic attack becomes boosted.
level 11 upgrade - additionally, opposing pokemon hit receive 40% reduced healing for 3s. (i definitely started this during absol/blissey meta last year)
stone edge - has the user stomp the ground, sending out sharp rocks travelling underground. upon travelling the set distance, makes sharp rocks burst out of the ground, damaging and throwing opposing pokemon hit in a small area-of-effect(1s). if no distance has been set, places this move on top of this pokemon, creating the area-of-effect around it instead. if this move travels a certain distance, opposing pokemon hit will be thrown towards this pokemon. the users next basic attack becomes boosted. holds a maximum of 2 charges and has a 2s cd between uses. this move can critically strike and has a 10% innate chance to do so, however, the multiplier is x1.5 instead of x2 if it critically hits. (even i came up with a better idea for stone edge than what we got, huh)
level 11 upgrade - increased area-of-effect.
lvl 8 - pursuit or thrash
pursuit - tyranitar becomes unstoppable and moves with 30% decreased movement speed, channeling energy and targeting one pokemon for a maximum of 2s. this decreases the targets movement speed by 50% for 1s. if tyranitar channels energy for 1.25s, become unstoppable during the second part of this move as well. if this move is cancelled, reduces this moves cd by 80%. upon activation, tyranitar leaps at the selected target, pounding the ground at the point of impact and throwing opposing pokemon hit in an area-of-effect(0.75s). if crunch is used within a certain timeframe before the second part of the move connects with a target, replaces the throw with a lunging bite that stuns opposing pokemon instead. this increases the damage and stun duration of crunch slightly, but decreases the area-of-effect. opposing pokemon hit are marked with an icon for 6s, increasing tyranitars movement speed towards them by 15%. if tyranitar hits a marked opponent, makes the mark disappear but decreases this moves cooldown by 1s.
level 13 upgrade - while channeling energy, grants a shield for 5s equal to 15% max HP.
thrash - tyranitar becomes unstoppable and forcefully stomps forward three times, with each stomp damaging opposing pokemon hit and shattering the ground at the points of impact, leaving behind three area-of-effects for 5s that slows opposing pokemon inside it by 35% for 1s (re-applicable). these stomps send out shockwaves to nearby opposing pokemon, slightly damaging and slowing them by 45% for 2s. each stomp will continiously throw opposing pokemon hit, increasing in throw duration with each stomp (0.25s, 0.3s, 0.65s), but leaving tyranitar unable to act after the third stomp(0.3s). tyranitar receives 30% reduced damage while using this move. (this was stomping tantrum originally, but i just renamed it into thrash and gave it a confusion mechanic because it seemed too strong without it. don't ask me why)
level 13 upgrade - further increases damage reduction effect to 40%.
lvl 9 - unite move
ravaging sandstream - tyranitar becomes unstoppable, letting out a massive roar, creating a sandstorm around it, damaging and briefly stunning opposing pokemon too close to it. afterwards, the sandstorm will travel outwards, damaging and leaving opposing pokemon hit by it unable to act and binding them in place for a short time.
if this unite move is used near a goalzone, covers the goal in sand for 8s. if the sand lands on an ally goalzone, decreases enemy goal scoring speed by 50%. if the sand lands on an enemy goalzone, decreases the effects granted by a goalzone by 50%.(100s cd) (just a neat idea i had so i tossed it in here i think)

My girlfriend, 2 of my friends, and I was staying at my grandmas till we could get a start with our lives and believe me when I say I went by the book with my grandma by getting permission from her for these people to stay and in return, pay for rent and whatever else we could give and pitch in. This started at the beginning of March and both my mom and grandma said that my friends could move in their bed and dogs and everything in the basement but then, all of sudden, my mom wants to get a wild hair up her ass a couple days ago, shit talk my friends and call us a bunch of squatters and moochers when all of us had jobs and shes the only one in the household on disability and shes a 50 year old fighting with a bunch of 20 year olds. Tried to fight my girlfriend, hit one of my pregnant friend in the head, hit me in the head with a bottle while im slitting my wrists to, "prevent me from killing myself" and then turns around to tell me to kill myseld and now my friends are in noblesvilles indiana and me and my girlfriend are at my friends somewhere in the ghetto. We cant stay here because of landlord rules and I have court dates and I either find a miracle for I'm just going to kill myself because fuck this life that my fucked up parents forced me to have. I just wanted to be a happy 21 year old and get my life together but instead im damn near homeless with no car, barely any support, and no hope. Fuck my life.

We are in Hawaii at the moment and I’ve always dreaded having an episode on holiday but here we are. We are at a cute food truck place and I ordered a ahi tuna sandwich and it turned out to be chicken (trigger) sandwich. I have been taking my medicine but it doesn’t stop all the episodes. Anyway I knew it was coming so I just walked off because I didn’t want all the patrons seeing me throwing up the food they were about to eat. Anyway my wife came to find me looking visibly pissed saying I can’t just go off I have to stay by them. She thinks I will choke on something. And when I get episodes she just blames me for not taking my medicine even when I have.
I also noticed with this episode at the beginning my throat felt like razor blades which I haven’t experienced before.

Yeah I put this off until the last minute, I’ve had enormous difficulty communicating all my life so please bear with me. I don’t think one person knows this whole story but I realize it’s time I find a way to let my voice be heard. Hopefully it’s come together well enough after a week of working on it...
I was the kid that won all the first place trophies and held all the records on track and field day in kindergarten. Always outside doing whatever adrenaline pumping activity I could get myself into. From early on my parents recognized that I needed an environment that team competitive sports provides. Justifiably so, I would never trade the life lessons earned while playing American football for those read in a class room.
I suited up for the gridiron at 7 years old. I was padded from the toes up and it felt incredible, like I was a tank! The coaches loved me, I was short and stout, quick, sharp and fearless. It didn’t take long before I was playing on both sides of the ball, as running back on offense, safety on defense and returner on kickoffs. I was on the field the whole game. The attention as a team leader was intoxicating, it hooked me for life. I suffered my first on field concussion the following year.
It was the first game of the season, the bleachers seemed packed. Near the beginning of the game, playing as free safety, I see my opportunity to not let the team down. The ball gets handed off to their running back, a smaller guy like me, bursts around the mass of blockers to the outside and lights a fire down the sideline. Nothing between him and the touchdown, I project myself into his path and charge ahead like a game of chicken. Littler dude gets even lower than me, his helmet hitting me square in the diaphragm, lifts me clean off the ground and runs through me as though I wasn’t there. I land on my back, head hits the grass. Next thing I know I’m being lifted into an ambulance after being carried off the field on a stretcher. This was my first year of full contact play after a season of flag football and I clearly had not yet grasped the differences. I was in 2nd grade.
As I was enrolled in speech and hearing therapy at school, coaches began teaching me to get over that big hit by hitting the next kid even harder. I began to yearn the brutality of the game even as I took more punishment. The cycle was vicious. Looking back it really seems as though the coaches had some other agenda or issue that fed the aggression. We were coached to lead with our heads because shoulder pads were far too small proportionately and they’d make fun of us after a game if we couldn’t count multiple paint streaks embedded into the plastic on our helmets. Those paint marks were made by helmet to helmet contact, the more impactful the hit, the greater your “trophy”. Some kids earned more trophies than I and it pissed me off so I’d hit harder. They’d line us up one-on-one and tell us to knock the other guy off his feet if we wanted to play in the next game. I couldn’t begin to count the times I was laid out left counting the birds flying over my head in practice alone. Guys would go down every night, coaches laughing, “Aww get him some gatorade, he’s fine. Sit out 10 minutes and get back in here little guy.” I went on to play another 5 years in mostly the same positions until one day, after a difficult practice and a conversation with a close teammate, we dropped our pads and never looked back. But the damage had been done, my path had already been irrevocably set.
After that first on field concussion in 2nd grade, I went on to endure countless concussions over the next 7 years, first from football, then bike riding, fighting and skateboarding. It seemed after a few days of balance issues, blurry vision or headaches, I had no lingering problems and follow-up medical care was nonexistent at the time. It would be easier to recount the couple dozen times I was knocked unconscious, including one that kept me in the hospital for a week. I was so harebrained by high school, I attempted my fourth day of ninth grade black out drunk. The next day I was allowed back on campus I got busted with a joint. At 14, I ran away from home and made it 800 miles before being picked up by cops while breaking into cars for spare change. I was headed for Colorado to build a cabin. Wtf did I know about any of that? And I nearly made it. I quit school, 8th grade was my last year of formal education. Would wonder around the city drinking or smoking anything I could get a hold of. I’d go skateboarding atop some of the tallest buildings in Atlanta or scoot around the woods on an ATV while blindly firing my buddy’s .44 into the air. I shouldn’t have lived through it all, I have dear friends that didn’t. But at 15 I had an epiphany (thanks to LSD), packed a box and moved 400 miles away from everything and everyone. I was somehow able to hit the reset button and leave that volatile part of my life behind and spend the next several years recovering from the constant brain trauma.
Fast forward a few decades and what I’m left with is an inability to manage my life beyond today, I’ve been stuck in flight or fight mode ever since and I’m exhausted with looking over my shoulder. I’m feeling the effects of early onset dementia as I type this and I’m actually scared for the first time in my life. My days have moved beyond forgetting where I put my keys to nearly burning the house down when I run to the store forgetting that I was in the middle of cooking. I haven’t driven a vehicle in years because I’m scared I’ll hurt someone in a fit of road rage or forget why I left home in the first place. The few hours of sleep I may get is the only way to escape the screaming in between my ears and it makes rolling out of bed all the more difficult. I’ve lived in 27 different homes yet never owned my own. It’s been a rarity to hold a job or relationship more than a couple of years and have no savings for retirement. I’ve all but given up friendships and not had a meaningful conversation with my kids in years and I can’t blame them at all. I think about them all day and it hurts beyond words knowing that I’m the asshole and they’re better off without me around much. Have a talk with the person sitting next to you when your only available emotion is anger and see how many more conversations they willingly have with you. Imagine that being your dad. It’s as if there’s a switch that’s never been flipped and I’m incapable of appropriately expressing emotions in the moment. I really don’t mean to be the prick, I simply can’t help it. But I’ll never let you see the side of me cowering in the bathroom bawling my eyes out once I have time to reflect.
I’m 48 years young now and launching a new mission in life, to help educate those on how it takes a community to provide a safe environment for our children. Not one person has all the right answers and alone we fail. Whether it be coaches, school administrators, parents or the medical field, the system failed me. I would never advocate to end youth football, but why does it need to be combative? Too many have tragically lost their voices without even knowing football damaged their brains. The year I fell in love with the game was the year I played low-contact flag football, it becomes something else entirely when you start hitting each other.
It’s time to ban youth tackle football. Is it radical, yes. So were seatbelts and smoking bans.
Converting youth football to a flag system is the only remaining viable solution to making football safer for our kids. CA and NY have recently submitted proposals, it’s time lawmakers in other states step forward. The NFL’s most recent Pro Bowl gave flag rules a shot, the fans and players enjoyed it so much it’s here to stay. If the NFL gets its proposal to the 2028 Olympic Games approved, it will be no-contact flag football rules as well. If future iterations of the game are evolving to keep adult players safe, when will youth sports follow? Why aren’t kids more protected and supported when less than 1% of them will go on to play in the NFL?
Stay strong and Stop Hitting Kids in the Head; https://concussionfoundation.org/stop-hitting-kids-in-the-head
FYI; I have a difficult time living in the moment so give me a few days and I’ll do my best to circle back around to this post. Know that I appreciate all of you at cte for coming along on this journey of discovery with me. I am not the best at providing emotional support either but know that I look forward to getting us to a place where we can all be there more for each other. I’m thinking of you when I post and I will continue sharing my research along the way, please share yours and know that you are safe here.
Additional links;
Age of first exposure to tackle football and years played associated with less white matter in brain; https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-age-exposure-tackle-football-years.html
Three or more concussions add up to long-term cognitive problems; https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/31/three-or-more-concussions-add-up-to-long-term-cognitive-problems-study-suggests
CTE Center Director Ann McKee says the NFL ignores the risks of repetitive blows to the head and that it’s “foolish” to think the league will police itself; https://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/bu-finds-cte-in-nearly-92-percent-of-former-nfl-players-studied/
How Psychedelic Therapy Can Help Treat Brain Injury; https://www.psychedelicpassage.com/how-psychedelic-therapy-can-help-treat-brain-injury/
Before You Let Your Kids Play Football, Read This; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/play-in-mind/202301/before-you-let-your-kids-play-football-read-this

i just wish i could find one person im near every day that even remotely feels the same way i do and can talk to me about it, i’m so tired of being a character. i hate my body and i hate how much i eat but everyone is just so perfect and doesn’t know what’s it like. i’d give anything to be like them

I used to pitch my tent wherever. If it looked interesting, I was setting up camp. I kept a tent at the ready in my trunk. There’s nothing exciting about a park; there’s no adventure in that. I didn’t camp out near someone’s house or anything like that, but I have found myself in some precarious situations. The worst yet, happened in East Tennessee.
I was traveling back to campus after spring break. There’s a spot of hills that I’ve always thought interesting. Between those hills runs a long valley. As I drive back and forth between Knoxville and Nashville, I always tell myself that I’m going to camp in that spot, but I never do it. I’m always pressed for time. I never leave in time though. Class is always the next day. Lost in music, I started ruminating on how boring my life had become. To hell with it, I was going to do it. I didn’t much care to do Calculus at eight in the morning anyway. I could afford to miss one day.
I pulled over to the side of the interstate, got my tent and backpack, and started hiking downhill to the valley. It was still early afternoon. The sun was still high enough in the sky to illuminate my way. The vegetation was thick. There was no human-made trail, no way to easily traverse the terrain. As I hiked through the briars and whipping branches, I reminded myself to buy a machete for instances such as these.
I found a perfect spot under a thicket of red cedars, with a nice flat area and no undergrowth. I pitched my tent and laid out my sleeping bag. I didn’t carry much on these excursions. I had a backpack with some crackers, a knife, lighter and a flashlight. It was usually a one-night affair and I’m gone the next morning. I spent most of the day exploring, but on this occasion, I was a little late. My main desire was to hike to the top of the largest hill to see the view and discover what was on the other side.
It took me about an hour and a half to make it up the hill. There on the other side was a wide expanse of nothing but trees. It looked like a green shag carpet rolled out across the landscape. I noticed directly at the bottom of the hill was an old wooden shed. What an odd place for a shed. The sun was farther down but I still had time to check it out.
I descended down to the other side of the hill, with a little haste. I wanted to make it back to my tent before it got too dark, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. My curiosity piqued. I was excited for some adventure. I got to the shed, opened the door and walked straight in without surveying the inside first. I felt the earth beneath my feet give way, my gut lifting up as if on a roller coaster, and then fell hard to the ground, breaking my tibia. The pain was excruciating. I rolled around in agony, feeling the dirt and rocky bottom. I looked up and realized I had fallen down into a deep hole, not so deep that I couldn’t see the shed walls. The shed was only big enough to encompass and hide the hole. The hole seemed to be about twenty feet deep, no way to climb out and escape. There was still enough light to see up top, but down in the hole it was dark.
“We’re dead. You know that don’t you?”
I was startled. Someone else was down in the hole with me. I grabbed my flashlight out of my backpack. There on the other side of the hole was a young woman. Her whole being- body, face, and clothes were filthy with dirt and grime. Her lips were dried up and cracked.
“You almost hit me. Watch where you’re falling next time,” she said with a weak chuckle.
“How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know. I’m in and out of consciousness. Sometimes I wake up and think I’m home in bed, then realize I’m in this damned hole.”
“How did you get here?”
“I was abducted… and you?”
“I was camping and found this shed.”
She laughed. “So, you saw a creepy shed in the woods and went to see what was inside. Man, you’re a dumb fuck.”
“There’s no way out of here?”
“No, I’ve tried. Nothing we can do. I know you’re hurt pretty bad. I heard your leg snap as you fell. Man, what a sound. I hate to say this, but I’m glad you’re here though. I was getting lonely. I don’t mean I want you to go through what I’ve been through. I mean, I’m just glad you’re not him. Well, might as well introduce myself since we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. My name is Mary.” She widened her eyes and tilted her head forward, trying to evoke a response.
“I’m Gary.”
My leg was bent awkwardly, but no bone was exposed. Even though there was just me and Mary in the hole there were piles of clothing, a thrift store in the middle of the woods. I grabbed some blue jeans and a tee shirt. I tied it tight around my shin. I didn’t know how to make a tourniquet or even if I should. I just wanted to stabilize my leg the best I could.
There was an uneasy silence. What do you talk about when you are trapped in a hole?
“Him… you said him. It’s just the one guy?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if I would call him a guy.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
“What do you mean? Does he come down into the hole?”
“Yes, and he takes you out of the hole and does things to you… experiments.”
“Then that’s our chance. That’s our only chance, is to knock the shit out of this fucker and get out of here. He’s not expecting me. He doesn’t know I’m down here.”
I started formulating a plan. There were enough clothes that I could hide underneath, and I had my knife.
“Mary, I want you to move forward. I’ll pack some clothes behind you. I’ll be buried underneath with my knife. You lean back on that pile… you know like you had made yourself a comfortable little bed or something. Ok?” She nodded her head. “When does he usually come?”
“I don’t know but it’s pretty regular.”
“How does he get down here?”
“He has a rope ladder.”
“Is he big? Have you ever tried to fight him… to escape?”
“No, he has some…” she hesitated, “some kind of power. It freezes me. I can’t move. I hear a ringing in my head and then I’m paralyzed. Don’t let him see you. We’ll know when he’s approaching. There’s always a humming sound and a clicking.”
I wasn’t believing anything she was saying. She had been trapped in a dark hole for who knows how long. She was losing her mind, starved of vital nutrients. Her imagination had started to create a different reality for her, one that I was unwilling to participate in.
I laid against the wall of the hole on my side. My broken leg was throbbing, as it was laying on the floor with my other leg on top. I couldn’t switch around though. I had to be facing the side the hole he would be climbing down. Mary threw a bunch of the clothing on top of me, leaving my face exposed so that I could breathe and not get too hot. I held my knife up to my chest. It was the old-fashioned survival knife, with a compass on the handle. I had long since lost the matches and string that came with the knife, tucked away in the hollow of the handle. But for my present purposes, the blade was, hopefully, all I needed. Mary leaned back against me. We waited.
After a while, I heard a humming and a clicking. The thought ran through my head that maybe Mary wasn’t crazy after all.
“He’s coming.”
“I know. Go ahead and cover my face.”
The humming subsided, but the clicking grew louder. I heard the door open, then the unrolling of the rope ladder with the wooden rungs tapping out a rhythm as it fell to the floor of the hole. Mary started to whimper in fear. I heard the man make his way down and then the thump of his feet as he jumped to the bottom. The hole lit up with a blue light. I felt Mary’s body go limp and then I felt her lifted up off of me. I slowly, quietly pushed away the shirt that was covering my face.
The man had his back towards me with Mary slumped over his shoulder. He was about to climb up out of the hole. He wasn’t that tall, but thick like a Neanderthal. He wore all black, with a long sleeve turtle-neck shirt. He was bald, but the oddest thing was where the blue light was emanating from. What skin I could see, on his head and his irregularly long hands, was glowing blue.
I was scared as hell. What was I about to tangle with? Yet, I knew now more than ever this was our only chance. I let him climb a few rungs before I sprung out and hobbled as fast as I could to the other side of the hole. He didn’t hear me. I know I had made too much noise, but he never reacted. I shoved my knife into his lower back. The clicking grew loud. I grabbed his shirt and yanked him down the ladder, pulling my knife out of his back, and thrusting it in the back of his neck. Mary fell hard to the ground.
He turned his head revealing large black eyes, devoid of pupils. He didn’t have a nose. His mouth was huge with mandibles projecting from each side. The mandibles fluttered angrily, clicking and humming, increasing in frequency. He, or it, pushed me to the ground, pulling my knife out of his neck and throwing it to the ground. It looked into my eyes, making a hypnotic contact that I could not shake. I heard a ringing in my head and my body went limp. I had no control over my limbs. I was frozen to the bottom of the hole, my plan unraveling.
Everything was a haze. I was barely cognizant of my surroundings so I don’t know when or how Mary regained consciousness, but I could see her sneaking toward the knife. My vision was blurry. I was fighting to not to pass out. I saw Mary get the knife and move quickly toward the being. She grabbed a handful of dirt and slung it at his head. He turned and she landed the knife in his face. He pivoted back toward me, and I could see she had stabbed him directly in one of his eyes. Black and crimson fluid streamed down his face. I could feel my body again, slowly able to move my limbs. I got up as fast as my recovering body would allow and started towards the ladder.
“Go Mary. Go, go, go. Get the hell out of here!”
She went up first and I followed pushing her in the rear as we went up. We were half-way when I felt him grab my broken leg. I shrieked; the pain was unbearable. I instinctively kicked with my other leg and landed a shot to his mouth, breaking off one of his mandibles. The creature fell back down into the hole. Mary and I made it out of the hole and quickly pulled up the ladder.
The creature recovered from its fall. Realizing it was trapped, it tried frantically to climb up the wall. I was relieved to see that it didn’t have any power of flight or levitation or some other weird alien power that would get him out of the hole. Mary and I watched as the blue shimmer of light banged against the walls, like a firefly stuck in a mason jar. There was nothing to do but leave it there and hope it starved to death.
It took forever, but we finally made it to my car. Mary drove me to the nearest hospital. She called the police and told them that we had escaped from an assailant with long black hair and a big bushy beard. I don’t know what else she could say. Who would believe the truth? She pushed the officials in a different direction from the shed, claiming that we had escaped from a house somewhere about ten miles from the actual location. I suspected she knew more than what she was saying, or even more than what she had told me. Maybe she knew that the creature would no longer be there, that something would have come and retrieved him. I don’t know. I do know that I never travel that way anymore and I sure as hell don’t ever go camping. Gaming is all the adventure I need.

I preordered an item in September 2021, directly from the website. The item was supposed to be shipping January 2022. Their refund policy per their website was they only refund within 7 days, so of course by the time the red flags started showing up it was long past the refund period. The have still not shipped this item and we are now in April 2023.
Shipping cost was to be added later, they estimated it $50-$75 but it has now ballooned to nearly 3x that. Their reasoning is that they can no longer pay for the import fees as they had wanted to, so they are now making us pay the import fees + shipping.
I'm not going to name the company but I assume that some will know what company I am meaning. They were on Indiegogo and kickstarter as well (but again, I preordered through their website so I think I have more recourse for getting a refund, as IGG and KS do not guarantee a product as a backer, while I was of the belief that there was a product that was nearly ready to ship at the time of my purchase).
I've been looking through the FTC website but I am a bit unclear on if/how the laws differ if the product was a preorder item and/or if the delivery rules even apply to where I would be able to get a refund when I am outside of their posted refund policy.
Please let me know if you need any further information, thank you for your time!

After confessing my feelings for my friend who said she did not like me back. We met other day together casually talking. I was completely mesmerized by her. I stared at her face then I saw her hand and had this sudden urge to see her palms. I grabbed her hand slowly and pulled near me and open her palms. I realized what I did and let go. I feel so guilty. I feel I had made her feel unsafe around me now.

Wildcard, I know you dont read this, or honestly even care cause im only $100 out of your millions, but this makes me really sad.
I have played ARK now for nearly 18,000 hours. It was a lot of fun, i can't lie. i have watched you change for the good and the worse, i have struggled through all the things i hated, and enjoy all the things i liked. but words can not express how much i dont agree with, understand, appreciate or support your choice to cash grab a UE5 remake in the looming shadow of a full release.
I suppose its not worth wasting my breath as, over the years, you've slowly stopped listening to us. All I can say is; I may now only be $100 out of your last millions, but i will assuredly not be $100 in your next millions. I'm out.

Hello All
I have an earth-shattering announcement to make - brace yourself! The 30 people I created resumes for? 23 of them are now gainfully employed! That's right, you heard it here first - nearly 80% of them landed jobs, and I couldn't be more excited.
Some of them started working in mid-March, while others are gearing up to start in April. But wait, there's more! Out of the seven remaining people, I tapped into my inner Oprah and used my influence to connect with three of them. Fingers crossed that they too will secure jobs soon.
I must say, this experience has been a total hoot, and it's all thanks to you. Who knew my resume writing skills would make such an impact? You've officially put me on the map, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this fantastic journey. Now, excuse me while I go celebrate with a tub of ice cream.
Cheers,
Friend in need .
​
Ps: I did not charge anyone during this process.

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Sorry for formatting I’m on mobile.
I have been at my current workplace for 15 months, the workplace has myself, the chef, one other employee who works 6 hours a week and the two owners of the location.
since I have started I have not received a single debit tip. I have asked my employer multiple times about tips and have always been met with some variation of “we will talk soon”, or no answer.
The new POS system we got near the end of December shows all tips earned by each individual employee, I have access and upon checking shows that I have earned over 2600 in tips since January 1st 2023.
I contacted my employer and asked for all tips starting from January 2023 in full, and I will not ask for any from 2022, which in my opinion was fair. Should I request the tips from the time I started instead?
The following day they cut me down by 16 hours a week, from 22 to 6 hours. Which i informed them multiple times I cant have less then 16 a week.
Do I have any legal claim to request I have my tips paid in full, by the end of April? Or do I have to submit a claim?
I am also wondering if taxes and other things are applied to tips earned on debit that will most likely be on pay cheque. (I could not fire a clear answer on google)
Edit- Clarity