Background: 29F, SG, Chinese. Partner is originally South Asian descent but is now a citizen. We have known each other for almost three years.
LONG POST WARNING. STRAP IN AND WITNESS THE DRAMA. BUCKLE IN FOR A RANT/VENT
My mother is quite the character - she nitpicks and is fixated on her 'cantonese heritage' despite my father being hokkien. When my fiance first visited wearing a red t shirt for Chinese New Year, she focussed on the informal nature of the clothes; when he brought a pricey bottle of wine to the gathering as a gift and drank it together with my family over the meal, she noted this as 'alcoholism'. The cherry on the cake was when my fiance gave my family a Christmas gift set of treats, she nattered about the absence of a handwritten card attached to the gift box.
I got engaged one year ago, and in that moment, the saddest thing that struck me was that I was more worried about him getting approval from my parents first than fully enjoying the moment.
Since then, at my request, he did host a dinner at his apartment with my parents and younger sister in tow, to 'ask for my hand'. My parents agreed, with my father asking him to co-buy another property in my name, and my mother wanting the usual 10 tables for the chinese banquet, tea ceremony etc. Unfortunately, in that moment, she said, "I always thought my daughter would marry an ang moh (Singlish for caucasian man)". To alleviate the tension, my fiance laughed it off by making fun of his own skin colour, but that statement weighed on him and he wanted an apology. My mother not only refused to apologise, she and my father sought to gaslight ("No, I'm not racist, I simply meant because you're so westernised, I thought you will marry a white man!", "If he had a problem with it, it's his problem for focussing on his skin colour... if others call me yellow, so what?".
Because of this, wedding planning was deferred. There was a second confrontation last year in June, where my parents and fiance met up separately to discuss the comment. Needless to say, things did not go well. My dad apologised on behalf of my mother, but my mother was still unhappy : NMom: "In all my life I have never apologised, just ask your father!", "He is so rude to tell me that my comment is inappropriate!", "No, I'm not racist, in fact I welcomed him during Chinese New Year although it is inauspicious to have a black face around!"(Note that 'black face', when literally translated from mandarin, means having a disgruntled expression.).
Since then, fiance and I fought multiple times over my parents, with him threatening to leave if I continue to try and nudge my parents around. He has Ultimately, this year, during the first day of Chinese New Year, my parents initially didn't want to have him over but ultimately added one dish to the menu. My fiance also came to take the bull by the horns, coming by appropriately dressed, and even apologised to my mother twice for being "rude" for telling her she was being rude. While the storm appeared to pass, she still uses this episode of my fiance telling her off as a reason for why she doesn't like him.
Fast forward to today, where ultimately I decided to get started on wedding planning and set a date. My fiance and I have always wanted a small wedding involving close family and friends, and as foodies, we wanted to pick a nice, Michelin-starred restaurant instead of the usual hotel ballroom banquet that is the norm in Singapore. To be fair to his family, we wanted to opt for 'western' cuisine. Since then, additional requirements were thrown in that were not discussed before: involving a geomancer to pick an auspicious date, adding in a guo da li ceremony with 10 baskets of wedding cookies to be given, and even mandating an all-Chinese banquet 'to cater to seniors', with at least 100 guests coming from them. Note that (i) 70% of the folks on my mum's invite list comprises of the 'seniors' especially her mother's side of the family, (ii)I have never spoken or interacted with at least 80 of these people, and (iii) in addition to our new house, my fiance and I will be fully footing 100% of the wedding bills and planning for it, with no help coming from my parents. Reasons she has given include: If you invite one, you need to invite all, I'm not giving away my daughter in a low key ceremony, this is about family and you need to invite the seniors as well. Finally, for (iv) the tea ceremony, my mother proudly told me to engage a 'mistress of ceremony' and that she would not be helping with the prepping of the tea, moving of props, etc.
We ultimately booked a venue of our choice, but my fiance gave in and paid the deposit for 12 tables of 10 people, with chinese food, and add on live stations. I informed my mother about the venue, and asked her to just prepare the guest list. As I had not involved my mother at all due to recent history, she never stopped haranguing me about the date, menu, and even how the sit down affair would work, citing reasons like 'As this is a family milestone, it would set us at ease to know how it works'. She even did an excel sheet detailing at least 5 different options for the hotel banquet.
Prior to going for my holiday, I attempted to set boundaries, explaining that we had outstanding financial commitments for the house and we had paid deposit for the venue, and it would be excessive to have two receptions. This culminated in a confrontation via WhatsApp while I was on holiday. Frustrated, I told her that "It is Chinese food, sit down, and you get your chinese banquet of your dreams. This means NO TWO WEDDINGS, ONE AND DONE. I'm giving up what I want, a destination wedding with elevated food just so you have your moment in the sun. I hope you're happy now."
Apparently, she was so butthurt, she immediately withdrew her guestlist of over 80 people and told me to go for the small wedding I liked, leaving my fiance and I with a venue that can accomodate 120, with just our guests of approximately 30+ people. Good outcome? Nope. She nitpicked the venue, stating that it is "cheap", and she didn't want our relatives to criticise or say that she married her daughter out being stingy. For non-Singaporeans, it is not that the venue was inappropriate, in fact, the cost of the venue we picked would be on par with the median hotel ballroom banquet price. Not only did she refuse to hear me on the budget I've set for the wedding, she (i) stood firm on wanting the separate chinese dinner, with her paying and hosting this dinner, and refused to go for the venue we booked, (ii) asked for a pin jin (bride dowry) cash equivalent of the chinese banquet dinner for ten tables, or 100 people, (iii) still asked for the si dian jin (bridal jewelry), plus the guo da li items, (iv) when I tried to establish boundaries by stating the budget limits and how we have tried to cater to her wants, and that costs will escalate with gown rentals and the exertion of energy and time in planning for an additional event, she asked that my fiance "send an elder to speak" to her.
The only concession I could extract was explaining my budget, and with our venue taking more than half of the budget, this would mean we would seriously need to compromise on other things like the gowns, photography, decoration etc just to have two events. I even told her: "Do you really want me to walk in to the venue in a H&M white dress?" She offered to pay for the Chinese dinner, and all we needed to do was show up, but got extremely unhappy when I told her that if she was planning it, we would not be helping in any way, shape or form, and we would not be giving her money equivalent to a second venue. Her rebuttal? "Don't tell me your fiance doesn't want memories of that day", "the groom should pay for the wedding anyway, it's tradition", "Fine, I still want the equivalent of the 10 tables in your pin jin, besides you were going to spend the same amount anyway for your wedding", "If he gives $8, this just shows how much he values you", "a wedding is not just about the both of you... you don't want to regret getting married without blessings. It is a family event, and I want to take this opportunity to get everyone together. Isn't it sad that the only excuse for catching up and meeting up is at funerals?"
I'm really angry and frustrated. I did feel guilty as I still do want to get wed in peace and with immediate family present, and wanted to cancel my existing venue for the smaller venue I preferred while letting my mother have control of her little pet project (the chinese dinner), thus ensuring non-interference in my actual small wedding. Both my fiance and my counsellor told me that this was naive of me as my mother's antics was an exercise in pushing boundaries, and with the escalating demands and shifting goalposts, this behaviour is likely to endure even in her pet project.
What made me really sad was I actually googled to see if I was being a terrible person, and it took reading forums that I am 'normal' in wanting a wedding day for MYSELF, and I deserve to host MY wedding the way I want to feel that my emotions are valid.
Redditors, especially Singaporeans, what do you think?

I’m in a relationship for about 4y. We’re living together for 2y and everything goes well, he’s my best friend and I think we can really share our lives with each other. My boyfriend has always been there when I’m not doing so well - which is rather recurrent, I must admit.
The thing is, there’s some things in our relationship that are left unexplained and I just can’t get them out of my head - and every time we have an argument this comes up.
1 - we’ve know each other since middle school but lost touch until we met at a party during our college years. We reconnected and started texting on and off, flirting etc - he would never asked me out and eventually would stop responding to my messages. A couple of months would go by and then he would start to talk to me again out of the blue. This lasted for 2 years. The time that it really stuck was one month before he moved to another country, he texted me to say that he was going to move and asked me if I wanted to go on a date. I said yes and we kept the relationship going until today (he moved back home 4 months after being away, and he says that I’m part of the reason for him to come back). Every time I ask why he would stop replying while we were texting he just says that he couldn’t believe I was interested because “I was too good for him” so he would stop. I asked repeatedly, “did you have someone else at that time? It’s okay that you did, what matters it’s that we’re together now, but please just tell me the truth because I’m always wondering”. He doesn’t say anything else, just says that he couldn’t believe that I was into him, but I never acted otherwise. Seems that he doesn’t want me to know the real reason - maybe he was talking to other girls, maybe he thought that it wasn’t worth the trouble (I was studying in another city at that time)… All of this would be okay, what bothers me is this facade.
2 - this other issue has been a problem since the very beginning as well. When we started dating, the first weekend alone together we were doing it like rabbits. But after that, everytime I made a move to do something other than kiss, we would push my shoulders gently and say “not now because…” and made an excuse. This went on for a time until I confronted him about this, asked openly if it was anything wrong with the way we did stuff, if was anything that he wanted changed… But ended up with another excuse (“I don’t want to bother you when you’re studying”, “I just ate” etc etc). It got to the point that I was really frustated with this, and said that I would never ever take the initiative to start something if I kept being refused. Last year, and particularly the last 6 months were the worst so far. I’m currently on meds that decrease the sexual drive and I think maybe we had sex 2 times in the last 6 months. I don’t really know why, I asked him again and again, he says something different every time. To make matters worse, while using his computer with his permission, I found dick picks of him, just on the downloads foulder - he says that he just took them to see if he was able to feel sexy. I asked some guy friends and both came to the conclusion that maybe he masturbates too much (since he works from home he has plenty of opportunity) and doesn’t want to have sex afterwards. He doesn’t admit it. I don’t know what else I can do, I tried to talk to him but nothing changes.
I’m sorry for the long post but this is really wearing me down.

There is a certain aura, a cultural meme, regarding the United Nations Armed Forces. A very particular version of events that is peddled across the galaxy, generally the result of an interstellar game of telephone. This aura is that of an unflinching, uncaring war machine. One that starts with the goal of total destruction of its opponents, and works towards that by any means necessary.
It is easy to see how this came about. Even putting aside the pre Contact War conflicts, there is plenty of brutality to be found. The exploits of Spearhead Platoon during the Second Hekatian War, fighting it's way from the Susquehanna to the palace of the Hekatian Emperor, has particularly dominated the popular consciousness for many, and it is difficult to argue they did not experience some of the worst the war had to offer. A still frame of Corporal Heppell, gas mask concealing all but his eyes, half a second away from plunging his plasma-enhanced bayonet into a Hekatian platoon commander, has become one of the most reproduced images of the whole Battle of New York.
While plasma bayonets were only issued to a small portion of British units during the Second Hekatian War, melee fighting still occupied a disturbingly high proportion of the wars with the Hekatians a modern war. The Battle of London (both 2021 and 2025) saw civilians armed with little more than axes and clubs achieving at least some success against mechanised Hekatian forces in the tight urban confines of the city, with their contributions in the Second Hekatian War forming a part of the critical force that halted the Hekatian offensive. Less well commemorated, but by no means less brave, was the near-complete annihilation of the 8th Battalion Rajputana Rifles in the opening phases of the Battle of New Delhi. Caught out-of-position by the surprise landing of Hekatian forces, the soldiers rushed into battle against a far-superior Hekatian force. By the day's end, only 3 soldiers survived from the entire ordeal, but their counterattacks, waged with everything from rifles to chunks of rubble used as clubs, successfully held up the better part of a division for some critical hours. Doubtless similar stories exist across every front of the war.
Infantry fought with all manner of weapons, with KPA forces famously utilising shovels and large quantities of grenades while fighting from trench to trench on the slopes of Mt. Paektu. During the later stages of the Battle of New York, Gurkha units roamed the irradiated rubble of the city, wielding plasma-enhanced kukris: this was so extraordinarily effective that Hekatian units in the Brooklyn area had a bounty set on the weapons, on the basis that each collected meant another of the feared soldiers had been eliminated, and that soldiers would be more watchful in hopes of collecting said bounty. The actual effect was that the number of losses credited to Gurkha units went up, as their soldiers (now aware of just how effective they were) delved deeper and deeper into psychological warfare. Meanwhile, Hekatian soldiers became so jumpy that they often exposed themselves to Human forces by firing away at nonexistent targets, and were so nervous as to lose all composure when engaged. When the United Nations counterattack successfully trapped a large quantity of supply-starved Hekatians in the radioactive ruins of New York, an intimidation campaign of such ferocity was launched that even a century later headless Hekatians are occasionally located within the New York area.

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So during my last game session the thief in the party asked "Does the effect of Goldenroot diminish over time".
The text says:

The target treats the next creature they see as a trusted ally, until proved otherwise.

I was however inclined to say that the effect would last X time, but I decided to think about it first.
Then I heard it was used in an episode of Spout Lore, which you guys suggested for me (Thanks a LOT!). In Spout Lore the GM rules, that the effect would stop after a nights sleep, which was along my own initial thought.
However I now believe that Goldenroot is actually a secret gift to a GM, that solves a problem I believe is fairly common in RPGs: It is hard to get the players to find allies, where they are truly invested in the alliance.
Goldenroot solves this by allowing the party to select who they want to be their allies, and the "until proved otherwise" part of the rule, makes it an interesting alliance, that the players have to care about.
So my conclusion is, if the thief wants to poison every interesting person he meets in order to establish a grand network of allies, then it would be a cool idea that I wholeheartedly endorse. In this case I am taking note, that the rules doesn't say anything about the victim of the poison forgets anything, when the effect wears off and that the victim doesn't have to make it apparent that he is of the effect straight away. So I will be watching closely for situations where the thief doesn't act like a trusted ally.
What do you guys think about this approach/interpretation of the rules?

For context; I played Sorc (~lv22, initially easy mode then upgraded up one difficulty when it was too easy) and Rogue (~lv9) on a 3000 series Ryzen 7 and a 3060 gpu with Windows 11 x64.

Starting off with the great

• Art direction is fantastic
• Spells and skills feel great
• Combat still feels slick
• Cinematics team is still one of the best
• I appreciate that its got an M17+ rating
• Mark as junk is a welcome improvement for inventory management. I kinda wish there was more marking types (mark as junk, mark for scrapping, etc)
• Storytelling has definitely stepped up from the Saturday Disney villains of Diablo 3
• Never had a crash!
• I like the revised potion system

I'll start with what could potentially be fixed by launch

• Rubber-banding issues when walking between areas. I kept running into invisible walls and then bounced back to a previous spot when walking between two areas. Most notably the Kyovashad and Eastern Gatehouse/Cathedral of Light.
• An annoying delay after talking to an NPC while the camera pans, preventing you from choosing the next dialog options. I'm a bit of a lore junkie and playing it for the plot.
• Can't always skip dialogue with characters? Couldn't seem to find a pattern with it.
• Subtitles on movies are buggy. Doesn't go away after words are spoken or de-sync within a minute.
• The (dungeons?) felt too too big, overstaying their welcome. I had moments that I was so bored while backtracking that I actually dozed off at the computer.
• Big bosses seem to be mainly damage sponges. The one at the end of Act1 took forever with 2p, despite the pattern not deviating much other than attacks speeding up a bit.
• If I'm playing solo, please for the love of Akarat pause the damn game when I press ESC. Coming back to a dead character after having to run off and do something on a moments notice isn't fun.
• I can see textures loading in as cutscenes play.
• Why can't I right-click and teleport to someone in my party? The friend I was playing with was genuinely angry about it
• It's too easy to miss waypoints. Could we automatically activate them once we step foot into a town?
• Camera zoom levels of the gameplay area (this has been discussed thoroughly by others already)
• Comparing off-hand damage tooltips seems buggy (off-hand skull showing me +1 damage, swapped off-hand showing me +13 damage). How could they both be better than the other?
• Every cellar I went into was the same hallway/room. Did I just have awful RNG?
• My basic lightning arc attack was one-shotting mobs. Chain lightning destroyed everything it touched. The iconic frozen orb spell? Merely tickled the enemies...
• Exit dungeon button is useless whenever I reach for it. Dungeon map doesn't always have "leave dungeon" or leave area. I don't always want to TP back to town.
• I keep pressing "E" by accident during a battle and it is always followed by panic as chunks of my HP are taken out. Remapped it to backspace
• Performance is steady for the most part, but randomly stutters for a few moments.
• Consider unlocking the skill slots for the earlier levels as we gain more skills. What's the point of letting us unlock multiple skills if we didn't have the ability to use them in slots?
• Sometimes pinned locations on the map will show you a red line path that isn't valid

Post-launch improvements?

• Character designer has so little options compared to Lost Ark. The interface to create your character felt really clunky too (eg. left/right buttons instead of a gallery)
• If I was somewhat bored with the "increased drop rates" during beta then I'm not really looking forward to the launch drop rates
• Only realising it now after the beta had finished, I never noticed the music in the game. Is there even any music?
• For a game that was touted as Diablo+MMO I found very little reason to interact with strangers, and even if I wanted I found it very difficult to figure out how.

Things that stop me from buying but unlikely to be fixed, ever

• No offline mode for console. I am not paying a monthly subscription fee to PSN/Xbox to play Diablo solo.
  
• The story-telling mechanisms used are cheap. D4 is too much "telling", not showing
  

-- Over-use of holograms to re-tell events
-- Neyrelle's mum is having the time of her life following Lilith around. Why on earth does she spend so much time leaving diary entries on stone tablets?

• The plot/dialogue is an insult to the intelligence of the M17+ audience. I found Dead Cells had a more intriguing way of telling a story than Diablo 4.

-- After gruesome scene where priest is killed in church, Lilith speaks to guy in hoodie, "Now our true work begins" - that last line cheapened the whole scene. Would have maintained a more menacing tone by ending with "Go to the Dry Steppes and proceed with preparations".
-- Our character is drugged and abducted after their first meal, escape and hours later happily agrees to enjoy a meal with another total stranger (Lorath)
-- A grave danger has been unleashed upon this world, we need to hurry! But first, carry this token around in the snow to a few altars. Then seek blessing from our living Angel. Oh he didn't approve? That's ok, I'll bless you anyways lulz
-- Nobody in town seems surprised by my discoveries about the big baddie. They all seem to be ahead of any developments, why cant they just save the world themselves?

• The world feels TOO big? I felt fatigue looking at the map and thinking about how much walking is required before a mount is unlocked. Parts of the game felt like a walking simulator (could just be a me-problem)
• Sorc skill-tree seems too linear, felt more like a skill-stick.
• Missing the feeling of building a character the way we want and having items supplement that build, rather than the other way around. Most notable after playing D2R prior to D4 beta.
  
• Why no local co-op for PC?
  
• I feel nothing towards the MMO aspects of the game.
  
• I feel next to nothing towards the story of the game.
  
• I thought my friend was lying about how much the game costs (too damn much)
  

Thanks Blizzard for the D4 open beta, but I have now confirmed that the franchise is no longer what I crave for in an ARPG.
This is really sad for me as I always saw Diablo 1 as the genre defining game and Diablo 2/LoD/D2R as the gold standard that every game aspired to be. Hundreds of hours sunk into D1/D2LoD, not even including the time on creating fan apps (mobile app for Runewords) and D2 mods. D3 was ok, RoS fixed it up but the ARPG genre now has alternatives.
Diablo 4 is a decent game. I want it to succeed and I'm sure many will enjoy it thoroughly, but it's not for me.

I am done with this, have ruined everything. So I am from India, we have an exam here called NEET to get into a government medical college. The private ones are so expensive and only a handful of Indians can afford completed my class 12th (schooling) and moved to a different city for coaching for the exam. But I didn't study anything and a big thanks for this goes to porn and hentai. I am addicted from past 2 yrs, flapped everyday, multiple times a day. Last night I cried a lot, dunno what to do. Have to tell parents that I didn't study anything for the exam.
I'm gonna take a year drop and will clear the exam next year. The very first thing I need to do is to stop fapping for life has gone downhill ever since I started this.
Wish me luck and give advice if any. Will keep posting my progress.

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**Email: silverlakestore//@//yandex.com (remove the brackets).

So, I've been thinking; and I need to post my thoughts about this and possibly get a third party perspective.
I feel like I will never date or get married to someone because there is a lot of roadblocks preventing me.
First: I really only want to date to see if it's for me or not. I like to try something out before I really say it's for me like with video games. If there is hype around a game my interest might be peaked, but I have to try it to see if I like it. However doing that with a person just feels immorally wrong, like I'm using the person. Because what happens when I am dating someone and decide dating isn't for me? Then I'd have to break up with them all because I used them. It seems very wrong and I can't under good conscience do that to someone just to find out. At least with a video game I can just never play it again and no one gets hurt.
Second: statistically if I started dating it's almost guaranteed to fail. Not only do most first roughly 19% of first time relationships actually end in marriage, but roughly 73% of autistic people have HAD a relationship, and only 9% of them reported feeling dissatisfied. Those stack on top of each other is it's safe to say if I ever have a first relationship then why would I go into it knowing it's going to fail?
Thirdly: Ignoring everything above, I wouldn't know anything about it. There is a talking stage, how do you know you are in one? Is it discussed? How long does it last? What exactly do you talk about? After the talking stage, what then? How do I know when too much information about me is overwhelming or too soon? How do I know if I am keeping too many secrets from my partner? There's so much about relationships that I don't know where to start. Also apparently you have to "put yourself out there" how do I do that? How do I know if someone else is "out there" it's not like an RPG where the person will have a "?" Over their head.
Social interaction is challenging enough as it is for me, but apparently dating has a lot of non-verbal communication which is non existent for me. It's kinda been stressing me out because even though I'm young now, what happens if I spend too much time stressing about it that I miss my opportunity? Then I will never know...
(Also, if my stats are wrong I really just did a quick Google search to find them, they may or may not be right however I don't believe they are that far off. It's still a low chance of a first relationship succeeding and even lower if you have autism)

​

They Will Be Happy

Part 1:

I woke up this morning feeling well-rested and refreshed, but also slightly disoriented. As I opened my eyes, I remembered where I was; in my sleeper pod, a device that has become as commonplace as a backpack, or a binder for students. It's hard to imagine a time when people didn't use them, when we didn't understand the impact that our actions had on the environment. Everything is pure white, with a few gray accents here and there. There are no buttons, no screens, no flashy decorations. Just a smooth, curved surface that feels cool and soft to the touch. The only thing that breaks the monotony is a small green light, indicating that the pod is ready for use. It's hard to believe that something so modern-looking can be produced so cheaply and efficiently, but that's the power of mass production. When we first started using them, there was some resistance. People thought it was too impersonal, too “clinical.” As the benefits became clear, and the process became more refined, the objections faded away.
The farming and cultivation of meat is almost non-existent now, given the exorbitant carbon costs associated with it. On the bright side, the preparation and cultivation of insects has advanced to such a degree that most people can barely tell the difference. I used to be hesitant about the idea, but now I enjoy my cricket granola bars and mealworm tacos just as much as I used to enjoy traditional meat-based dishes. It's a responsibility we take seriously, and one that we're taught from a young age. It's frustrating to think that some of our parents don't understand the urgency of the situation. They seem content to live in the past, ignorant of the harm that's been done, but I won't let their complacency deter me from doing what's right. I'll continue to do my part, to use my voice and my actions to make a positive impact. And perhaps, with time and education, they'll come to see that this isn't just a passing trend; it's a necessity for survival.
I make my way to The Girls Dormitory, and I can’t help but appreciate how clean and modern everything looks. It’s a testament to the fact that even small changes in our habits can make a massive difference. We share community spaces to cut back on carbon, and everyone commits to using as few cosmetics as possible once again as a way to save the planet, but also to go light on our individual carbon credit allotments. It's the little things that add up, and I'm proud to be a part of a community that takes these issues seriously. Inside the dormitory, I was greeted by my fellow residents, all of whom were equally committed to the cause. We chatted and caught up on our day, I couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie. It's not just about saving the planet; it's about coming together to create a better future for everyone.
After a long day of classes, I find myself eagerly anticipating the protest I'm attending after school. It's a rally to promote positive vibes within the trans community, and as an “ally,” it's my responsibility to show up and show lend support. It's not always easy to make time for activism, especially when there are so many other demands on my time, but I know that it's important to prioritize this cause. I make my way to the protest reflecting on how far we've come as a society. The world outside my sleeper pod is not perfect, but it's a far cry from the world my parents grew up in. There is greater awareness and acceptance of marginalized communities, and more and more people are willing to stand up and fight for what's right.
Still, there is much work to be done, and it's up to all of us to fight for their rights and dignity. I'm proud to be a part of this movement, to use my privilege and voice to amplify their message. I'm struck by the energy and passion of the crowd. People from all walks of life have come together to stand in solidarity, and there's a sense of hope and determination in the air; a belief that we can make a difference, and that we can create a better world for all.
I remember the day when the President's daughter came out as transgender. It was all over the news, and there was so much talk about it in my school. As someone who considers themselves an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, I was so happy to see someone in such a powerful position be open and honest about who they are. It gave me hope that one day, people won't have to hide who they are and can live their lives authentically. I admire her because she knew that by coming out, she would be under a lot of scrutiny, but she did it anyway because it was the right thing to do. I think that's what makes her a hero in my eyes.
There has been a slow but noticeable rise in “Phoenix Pods” popping up around the city. These pods offer a painless and dignified way for people with chronic illnesses to end their suffering, and at the same time, they provide a sustainable solution to the issue of burial space. The idea of being planted back into the earth and becoming part of the planet itself is actually quite beautiful, if you think about it. I know some people are uncomfortable with the idea of assisted suicide, but I see it as a brave and selfless act. These individuals are taking on the responsibility of reducing their carbon footprint and easing the strain on our already overburdened planet. It's a sacrifice that shouldn't be taken lightly, but I can't help but admire the courage and conviction of those who choose this path. A person who decides to use the pod also has the option to give their remaining carbon credits to friends and family allowing them to escape climate debt and live more meaningful lives.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as I watched The President’s daughter use one of these pods on a livestream. It was a somber moment, to be sure, but it was also a powerful statement of commitment to Mother Earth. I feel a sense of pride in the way that my generation has embraced this new technology as a solution to the population crisis. These devices have become the symbol of hope and sacrifice, a way for people to take responsibility for their impact on the planet and to leave behind a legacy of stewardship. Her passing was a call to action, a reminder that we all have a role to play; and in the aftermath of her death, there was a renewed sense of urgency and commitment to the cause. The moment was bittersweet, but I can’t help but feel hopeful for the future. Her sacrifice has become a powerful tool for change, and she has shown the world that sometimes the greatest act of courage is to let go.
My family is in debt because they don’t understand the way we do things now. They can't properly recycle, and they use far too much energy. I have tried to talk to them about it, but bad habits are difficult for people to change. I love my life, my friends, and my family but if I was to enter one of The Phoenix Pods, it could make a difference. It could help my family become carbon neutral again. I could be reborn as part of the earth again, and my body can nourish the plants and animals in my local community. It’s a beautiful cycle.
The process itself is clean and efficient. Every part of the body is used to create sustainable resources that can help the rest of humanity thrive. Your body is turned into energy and fertilizer, and anything that can’t be used will be broken down over time. Finally, there is a message board online for only those who decide to use The Phoenix Pods, and you get to make one final statement. Something to leave behind for those who wish to remember your noble sacrifice, or a fond farewell to loved ones.
One would think that thoughts of suicide would have me emotionally distraught, but I feel a sense of peace. I have found a way to take responsibility for my actions, and to make a positive impact on the world around me. I know that not everyone will understand, but I do. Am I willing to do what was necessary to save The Earth? To set my family free? To give back some of what I have already taken?
As I read blogs and message boards, I realize that I'm not alone. There are others like me, who see the value in taking responsibility for our actions, and who want to make a positive impact. Together, maybe we could create change, and perhaps even inspire others to do the same. I know that my decision will not be easy, and that there will be those who will judge and condemn me for it. I also know that I am doing what is right, not just for myself, but for those who will come after me.
I researched the different types of pods available and came across some that are designed for multiple people. The idea of leaving this world with my friends by my side gives me a sense of comfort. We could support each other through the process and leave this world as a community. Are my friends having similar thoughts? Perhaps, we could make the decision together, and in doing so, create a ripple effect that would inspire others to take action in this wonderful act of bravery and love. Love for the planet, and love for those around me who would be impacted by my choices, and love for those who have yet to understand what we are fighting for.

I can’t help overthinking (help me)
Hello everybody. I decided to come on here to share something I am struggling heavily with right now. So I’m going to begin with a backstory. Around a year and a half ago I feel for a girl who was older than me (senior in hs, I was a junior) after seeing her at a couple of parties. We saw each other like 3-4 times at parties and would always kiss and stuff like that. We would text constantly, and i wanted to go on a date with her, but she was reluctant. Eventually I convinced her and the date went great. But after that her text started getting colder, and on her last day of school (seniors end early) there was this party to celebrate, and I went, she was there. We talked for a bit like a nice couple and it was great. But then she left for the bathroom for long, and when I went to the bathroom (I, myself had to pee). I saw her there, and we basically ended up fighting heavily, but it kind of resolved the next day. Then at the graduation party we fought for some reason and I don’t remember probably because of alcohol. All I remember is seeing her making out with another guy. The next day I left some flowers and a note at her house. But that was the end of that relationship. I felt HORRIBLE for almost a month and a half after that (most of that period was so bad that I don’t remember anything). I couldn’t understand how it hurt so much if I only saw her a couple of times, and it felt like I was breaking up with a fiancé or something. I think this points at obsession, I might well be an obsessive person.
Anyways for the next year and a half to two years I never really felt anything for other people. I made out with a couple girls and even had a one night stand once. But never had feelings. It’s like I was completely closed off.
Fast forward to now, I study in the States but live abroad, and I came home for spring break. On Friday I went to a party with a group of friends and then we went to a night club. I started vibing with this girl who is currently a senior (she was my friend prior to this), and eventually after dancing and talking for a long while we kissed. Here is where I don’t remember much because I was so drunk. But I know I spent the rest of the time with her, because her driver brought me and a friend back to my friends house. I just remember her telling me that I should text her because I kept saying I wanted to see her again. And I texted her on Monday that which she said she was available tomorrow. Side note, we snapped the entire time up to today. And I texted her last night about what time I should pick her up, no response (still snapping tho). And some hours ago she opened my last snap and left me on opened.
This is where I am now, for the past couple hours I’ve been stressed about her not snapping me back (at first I thought nothing of it but now her snap score keeps rising). I don’t know what to do, should I text her about the date? Should I not worry and just try to confirm tomorrow? Wait it out?
It’s just I haven’t felt for anyone like his in r really long time. I know it kind of sounds obsessive but I guess it’s just who I am. I feel horrible and all I can think about is her.
Please help. Thank you

I recently broke up with my girlfriend .Long story short at first we were just a sneaky link til things got serious and became really toxic. I (M23) recently broke up with her (W35). At first everything was great til I started noticing red flags. She started to be “controlling” after a couple months being together. I let her know that I don’t like that “controlling shit” and her excuse was “ I just want the best for you .” Another big red flag was she was “too friendly” or too “flirty.” She would easily get along with everybody especially guys which I didn’t like .She would do it sometimes when she was with me and would say “ you really great with people “ but who knows how she gets when shes not with me especially when she with her single friends/by herself. Also a red flag to me was her past . She a older women I expect her to have experience , but it seems like she really been around the block and been passed around . She was them “party” girls in her 20s , now tryna find her soulmate in her 30s with 3 kids and 2 different baby daddies . She would play victim and said they cheated on hedid her dirty but never mentioned what caused those actions or what she do ?There has to be a reason to get cheated on so many times ?Still got anger towards her and towards myself for falling for this girl but am I wrong for breaking up with her ? Was I just being too insecure or my instincts were right ?Anyways we would fight a lot ,break up , fight even more , etc . It got really toxic.

I grew up in a family where birthdays are seen as shirk/Haram and therefore not celebrated. Most we would do is my mom would let me choose what restaurant I could eat at for the night and the common "may God continue to bless you and guide you. May you always grow in your deen" from my grandparents or dad. I never got a "happy birthday" because that was shirk and we were like kuffar if we said it.
I don't really care for parties or cake or anything like that. But for the first time, I got a present from my loving partner. He's snoring right next to me as I'm writing this, and even though I wish he could get some goddamn nose strips, I've never been happier in my life. I hope that's not selfish to say.
He got me a promise ring, a blanket with the moon phases on them, a pokemon game (pokemon was considered a shaytan game so my dad never let me play it) and a little plague doctor plush with a pentagram. I've never received gifts on my birthday, and I almost cried. We had dinner at my place too. Nothing fancy, I picked up some fast food on my way back from work. He's given me the best birthday I've ever had, and I just needed a place to say all this. Last year on my birthday, I remember being happy because I could finally legally leave my family and escape from that hellhole. Now, I'm in my own apartment, sleeping next to my partner, with my cat, celebrating my birthday.
For once in my life, I'm genuinely happy, and I want to live.

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