Welcome to the Daily Q&A!
Are you a new Brewer? Please check out one of the following articles before posting your question:

• How do I check my gravity?
• I don't see any bubbles in the airlock OR the bubbling in the airlock has slowed. What does that mean?
• Does this look normal / is my batch infected?

Or if any of those answers don't help you please consider visiting the /Homebrewing Wiki for answers to a lot of your questions! Another option is searching the subreddit, someone may have asked the same question before!
However no question is too "noob" for this thread. No picture is too tomato to be evaluated for infection! Even though the Wiki exists, you can still post any question you want an answer to.
Also, be sure to vote on answers in this thread. Upvote a reply that you know works from experience and don't feel the need to throw out "thanks for answering!" upvotes. That will help distinguish community trusted advice from hearsay... at least somewhat!

Welcome to the romancelandia daily reader chat, where we build community, talk books, or just chat.
News: Romancelandia is implementing some changes after the recent community survey. We will most likely be looking for some more mods when those changes get off the ground. Stay tuned!
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Here's our guide on community norms and posting.
What goes in the daily reading chat, you ask? We like chatting about romance books, and we also like to build community, so the daily reading chat isn't incredibly strict about content, exactly. Don't be shy!
Where to start? Some ideas:

• Random musings about romance
• Books you're looking forward to
• What you're reading now
• Book sales and deals
• Television and movies
• Good books that aren’t romance
• Questions for the group at large
• Smashing the kyriarchy in daily life
• Encourage other commenters who have good ideas to start a new post!

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• Discussing a book? Please include content warnings or anything else you think a potential reader needs to consider before reading and don't forget to mark your spoilers.
• Not sure how to use spoiler tags? Just do this: >!spoiler text!<
• Would your fairly-in-depth book discussion comment or romance-reading observation make a good post? Probably! But in case you're not sure, check out our guide with post examples: Posting on Romancelandia: It doesn't have to be a dissertation.

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⭐⭐⭐Are you new here?? Introduce yourself! This month's prompt for newbies:
What author or book do you find to be the most inspiring, whatever that means to you?⭐⭐⭐

Welcome to the F1Manager Weekly Discussion & Questions Thread.

Whether you are a newcomer or a regular, the purpose for weekly threads is for it to be the central location for general discussion and questions for the F1 Manager game that don't need threads of their own.
If the basis of your discussion or question sounds like…

• “What team should I pick…”
• “How do I do X…”
• “Is X in the game…”
• "Should I buy the game or not..."
• or other common/repetitive topics...

…then you should probably ask that here and not create a separate post for it. Also, please use Reddit's search function to see if your topic has been posted in the past on this subreddit recently.
Please be sure to answer other people's questions too! A straightforward, friendly answer will help people out immensely.

Useful links & info in the sidebar!

Most of the links at the top of the subreddit bar have been moved to the sidebar on the right side of the display. For mobile users, all this information is seen when clicking the "About" tab.
The following information is available in the sidebar under each section:

• Rules: The rules for the subreddit are seen in this section. Remember to read them if you're new, and to all new and returning members, always remember to be nice and have fun!
• Community Resources: For community mods, lists and other resources. You can suggest resources via modmail. Currently listed:
  • Community raised list of gameplay issues.
  • Guide to modding in-game parameters/more.
  • Frequently Asked Questions.
• Links: In this section are links to the official websites of Frontier Developments, where you can submit a game issue, or contact Customer Service.
• Other Subreddits: Links to other F1 and/or motorsport game related subreddits are seen in this section.
• Social Media: Links to the official social media accounts for the F1 Manager game.
• Moderators: Please use modmail to raise any questions or concerns with the subreddit moderators.
  • If you see posts or comments that break the rules, report them! Moderators check the subreddit frequently but reporting any post or comment violations helps expedite your concerns to the moderators faster.
  • This subreddit is cared for by people not employed by Frontier. However, we're fortunate to have Frontier community managers hang around here, communicating their latest news to us and more. Their presence is much appreciated on our gaming subreddit!

Thank you for visiting F1Manager and have an awesome day.

Today I want to show you a way, how it is possible to make crypto money, just by register and collect free crypto money (for example BITCOIN!!!). I want to mention at this point, that the crypto money, you get only by farming the faucet is extremely low (but free money is still FREE MONEY). So what if i Tell you, there is also a function at the website, to gamble? Unbelievable right? Another positive aspect is, that the website also works with ad blocke.
Just click and register with the link below and start already today with collecting free crypto money:
https://trustdice.win/faucet/?ref=u_mrt
There is also a welcome bonus for new players, when you put real money/crypto currency in the game. But this is not neccecary, the crypto faucet is COMPLETLY FREE. So feel free to join our community.
Hopefully this post helps many people to build up a crypto stock completly free and without risk

If you’re new to the community, introduce yourself! I post here most of roblox thing's, If you don't know what, Roblox is an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation. It allows users to program games and play games created by other users. Created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and released in 2006, the platform hosts user-created games of multiple genres coded in the programming language Lua. For most of Roblox's history, it was relatively small, both as a platform and a company, due to both co-founder Baszucki's lack of interest in press coverage and it being "lost among the crowd" in a large number of platforms released around the same time. Roblox began to grow rapidly in the second half of the 2010s, and this growth has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8]

Welcome to /boardgames's Daily Discussion and Game Recommendations
This is a place where you can ask any and all questions relating to the board gaming world including but not limited to:

• general or specific game recommendations
• help identifying a game or game piece
• advice regarding situation limited to you (e.g, questions about a specific FLGS)
• rule clarifications
• and other quick questions that might not warrant their own post

Asking for Recommendations

You're much more likely to get good and personalized recommendations if you take the time to format a well-written ask. We highly recommend using this template as a guide. Here is a version with additional explanations in case the template isn't enough.

Bold Your Games

Help people identify your game suggestions easily by making the names bold.

Additional Resources

• See our series of Recommendation Roundups on a wide variety of topics people have already made game suggestions for.
• If you are new here, be sure to check out our Community Guidelines
• For recommendations that take accessibility concerns into account, check out MeepleLikeUs and their recommender.

Please select flair and read the Wiki before posting.

Welcome to the Weekly Discussion Thread!
These threads are \almost* anything goes*. Please understand that although the quality standards are relaxed here compared to the main page all other rules are enforced equally.
You should post here for:

• PRs
• General discussion or questions
• Community conversation
• Routine critiques
• Form checks

For more distilled kettlebell discussion, check out the Monthly Focused Improvement Threads -- where we discuss one part of kettlebell training in depth

Welcome to Nano!
This post is meant for things that are relevant but do not justify their own post. For example, debates, issues, simple questions, memes or similar.
We normally recommend using our Discord server for quicker answers but using this post is fine if you don't have/want Discord. Note that the official English Telegram channel for nano is @ nanocurrency.
It's common that users have the same questions. So please, before making a new thread, make some research and look for similar questions. You will often find a comprehensive answer to your question has already been given! Please also check the official nano forum linked below.
What is Nano?
A fee-less, instant, decentralized and eco-friendly digital currency meant for peer-to-peer payments. Also knows as the ticker XNO or Ӿ.
Please check out nanocurrencybeginners or the Introduction For Newcomers
Where can I get some and try it out?

• Nano can be purchased at various Exchanges. More info in this guide or main site
• It can also be obtained for free in faucets or other services
• Or just try real-time transactions right now for free with TryNano.io!

Where to store Nano?

• There are several wallets to choose from found in this guide or listed here
• The most simple form is the Nano seed which unlocks your accounts. Make sure to keep a safe backup of it, or you will risk losing your funds!
• Nano is supported on the hardware wallet Ledger Nano S and X. Refer to the Full Guide
• More about Nano security

Trade / Price Talk Neighbour Communities

• nanotrade

More Information

• Main Site - nano.org
• Nano Hub - Explore the Nano ecosystem
• Support & Discussion forum
• Detailed documentation and protocol guide
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More quick links at the top and sidebar (menu on the mobile app)

Rules:

• Be respectful of one another. Follow the golden rule of friendliness
• No trolling or shilling
• No begging, bragging or illegal activities

Welcome to the the Naruto x Boruto Ninja Voltage Questions/Help Thread

Got questions? Feel free to post them in this thread, and the rest of the community is here to help.
A new Thread is posted every other week.
Alternatively, check our Frequently Asked Questions, Icon Guide, Gamemodes Guide and our Terminology Page as the answers to your questions may be there for you already.
Additionally, a large abundance of resources are freely available on our Subreddit Wiki so it is definitely worth having a look
Looking for more? Drop by at our Discord: Here, where other players can guide you further.

Newboy looks sadly at his talisman. "Oh well, this doesn't help at all..."
Welcome to the latest Monday Newcomer Thread, where you the community get to ask your questions and share your knowledge. This is an opportunity for the more experienced Gwent players here to share some of your wisdom with those with less expertise. This thread will be a weekly safehaven for those "noobish" questions you may have been too scared to ask for fear of downvotes but also can be a great place for in-depth discussion if you so wish. So, don't hold back, get your game related questions ready and post away, and hopefully, someone can answer them!
What you can do to help!
This is a weekly thread, meaning it will be posted once a week. Checking back on this thread later in the week and answering any questions that have been posted would be a huge help!
If you're trying to ask a question, the more specific you are, the better it is for all of us! We can't give you any help if we don't get much to work with in the first place.
Resources from our Wiki

• Frequently Asked Questions
• New player guide and Returning player guide
• Help Picking a first faction
• Glossary
• Help to understand the reward system (Journey)

Additional Resources

• Check out the Gwent Discord channel here!
• Create your account with one of our Referral Links here to get some bonuses.
• List of recommended websites with more guides and meta reports.

If you have any suggestions for this thread, please let us know through modmail how we could improve!

/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Today: 3/27/2023

Last Thread

Current Austin Weather: 70° and Clouds

Seven Day Forecast:

3/26	3/27	3/28	3/29	3/30	3/31	4/1
83°, Clouds	79°, Rain	67°, Rain	64°, Rain	73°, Rain	83°, Rain	85°, Clouds

Your go-to place to talk about whatever you want. From the dumb shit aggies do on a near daily basis, to the latest whatever happening wherever. What ya got?

Recent Longhorn Tweets

1. @Hcard7 Did you know @PUCancerInst has +40 drugs in development? I’m excited to help them #HammerDownCancer during Wednesda… https://t.co/qMt4N1J2PU
2. @CoachSark RT @TexasFootball: Welcome back to the Forty Acres, Kyle Shanahan! 🤘 https://t.co/REJTrzVWV1
3. @TexasFootball 🤘🤘 https://t.co/mnQzccQhIg
4. @_delconte 👊🏽🤘🏽 https://t.co/c0O8eyDN0u

Trending on Reddit

/All

1. Son sewed a shirt for his Dad.
2. Anti-fascist folk singer Woodie Guthrie, writer of "This Land Is Your Land", circa 1943
3. TIL that 13 innocent men were exonerated because of lab technician Mary Jane Burton's habit, dating back to 1977, of scotch taping small samples of tested evidence to her lab records, even though doing so violated the official policy to destroy all evidence after it was tested.
4. I really hope he sees this
5. Gottfrid Svartholm, one of the co-founders of the pirate bay website, at his work station

/CFB

1. The Twelfth Annual /CollegeBasketball Bracket Challenge
2. Tom Herman, new FAU football coach, was rocking his air guitar at MSG last night during FAU's Elite Eight victory
3. Drew Lock says 'beef' with former Texas coach Tom Herman has been 'squashed'
4. What streak do you think comes to an end in 2023
5. 2024 0* LB Jake Stonebreaker commits to Kansas State
6. Why Graham Mertz ended up with the Florida Gators

/LonghornNation

1. [Post Series Thread] ⚾ Texas sweeps #14 Texas Tech, 3-0
2. [Post Game Thread] 🏀 (5) Miami defeats (2) Texas, 87-81, in the Elite Eight. Texas finishes the season 29-9.
3. Rodney Terry will be offered the head-coaching position
4. Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen named to the All-Region team
5. [GAME THREAD] 🏀 #2 Texas (29-8) vs. #5 Miami (28-7) - 4:05 pm
6. Does Rodney Terry deserve a full time position? If your answer is “no” please respond as to why you think that.
7. Does anyone know when the team returns tonight?

LonghornBot: you can get a list of commands you can give for the bot by commenting ".help". You will receive a private message with the commands.
This thread was programmatically generated and posted on 3/27/2023 12:00 AM. If you have any questions or comments, please contact brihoang or chrislabeard

❖╋ ━━━━━━━━━━━━◢◤◥◣━━━━━━━━━━━━ ╋❖- You have been invited to The Cursed Realm 18+
Do you wish to proceed? ╭━━━╮ ╭━━━╮ Yes No ╰━━━╯ ╰━━━╯ ❖╋ ━━━━━━━━━━━━◢◤◥◣━━━━━━━━━━━━ ╋❖- Welcome to medieval fantasy let your darkest desire come true, This is a plot-basedd rp server with lots of things to choose to do or your oc, ERP is also allowed but please don't try to build up a plot for your oc.
𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 • With impending doom, and suffering, you have a chance to manipulate the lore and everything else toward the winning side! Magic, spirits, and even weapons can be used to change the lore for good…. or evil. Anything is possible in this server, from underground kingdoms to the well-loved Sliver Night Tavern where you can drop by for a drink and meet a few people. Now the only question is what will you do in this cursed world?
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 • We currently have 3 different factions and hopping to add more later on in role-play, The factions we have are Rogusin-The group who plan on destroying the world and replacing it with what they want, Dead end Guild- The adventure group who battle to protect this cursed realm from darkness, and lastly, The Fleet of Fire- a pirate group who will do whatever they feel like.
𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 • We are a growing community that is pretty active, we look forward to new people joining us and meeting them in Rp, we do kick the inactive member who do not make an oc after a week in the server to raise our activity. We have multiple staff to help you and make sure you are good, and ready to go at any time as well. ──────────────── ──⋄ What We Offer ⋄─── ──────────────── ➼ Great staff ➼ Partnership opportunities ➼ Nice community ➼ Self Role ➼ Amazing kingdoms ➼ A helpful and supportive admin team who are willing to help you through any troubles within the server! ➼ Oc creations & Jobs ➼ Events ➼Hentai
Invite: ➼ https://discord.gg/Tp6WN5RQqa

Jay Mohr joins Adam in the studio and the guys recount their respective stories traveling home from Tampa this morning. The two also talk about sharing earbuds on a plane, ghost hunter TV shows, and why civilization hasn’t improved asphalt yet. Jay also shares stories about being on the same flights as Johnny Mathis and Stevie Wonder. The guys watch a video of Jay performing on SNL as Dick Vitale which leads to a discussion about reading cue cards on TV. Next, Adam begins the Irate 8 of ‘March Madness Madness’ with Jay commentating.
Chris reports the news. The guys talk about an NYC store shaming shoplifters by posting his/her picture and the crime on a ‘Wall of Shame.’ This leads to Adam complaining about a local councilwoman defending catalytic converter thefts and proposing its decriminalization because it affects a certain marginal community. Next, the guys talk about the passing of a new bill in Idaho allowing firing squad executions. Adam proposes some new ideas on how to improve firing squads. Lastly, the guys chat about Jane Fonda and her appearance on one of Norm Macdonald’s shows.
“No offense to any of the tards out there.”

Chapter 1: The Start of a New Conflict
It was midnight in Kingswood, Arrowswift, a far from welcoming neighborhood. The type where its resident’s only idea of “welcoming” would be to greet new visitors (along with their wallets and other belongings) with open arms if they so much as suspect you’re of higher class, and won’t even hesitate to teach you some “manners” if you’re not a very well-behaved guest. On this one particular night, there was an event currently taking place inside the back alley entrance of a closed-down bar.
And through this entrance, just downstairs to the dim-lit hallway, turning a corner of the basement, right passed a muscly, rugged man guarding the door, was a fight club. A considerably large crowd bordered the cage, captivated by the brawl going on inside, bets were already placed and it was the end of the 5th round as a fighter was swiftly brought to the ground, defeated.
“Wow, five straight wins people, FIVE STRAIGHT WINS!” emphasized the announcer of the cage match. “It's like you guys WANT to look bad, c’mon!”
The crowd roared as the loser was dragged out of the cage.
“Alright, final round folks,” said the announcer. “Who wants to have the last dance with this handsome stud?” He gestured to the fighter of five straight wins, Dominic Ledger. The man of the hour nonchalantly stood there with his arms crossed and eyes closed as he waited for the 6th and final participant to enter the cage.
“I’ll take 'em!”
Ding Ding!
The sound of the bell made the fighter’s lips curl into a smirk as his hazel eyes slowly rose to meet the gaze of a big, burly man who looked to be in his 40s at least. He strutted up to Dominic with a smug grin on his face, towering over the shorter man with his shadow swallowing him whole, and sneered with a low, raspy, menacing voice.
“Hope you’re quick on your feet, pretty boy.” He cracked his knuckles and got in a fighting stance. “Cuz I dance dirty!”
Mildly amused, Dominic got in his own fighting stance and beckoned him to make the first move. As his opponent charged at him, Dominic sprung into the air with perfect timing and flipped over his back, causing his bulky contender to stumble and slide to the ground. Regaining his composure, the young fighter whipped his long, wavy poliosis-colored hair out of his face and turned to his “dancing” partner.
“Hmph, your ballet could use a little more practice, don’t ya think?” Dominic taunted.
Growling with anger, the bumbling bodybuilder let out a roar while lunging forward as he tried endlessly to throw every punch and kick under the sun at his younger, yet more experienced contender, all of which were unsurprisingly countered with ease. Dominic soon gained the upper hand, successfully returning every single jab and kick onto the bigger man before throwing him up against the cage face first as the crowd went nuts. So the cocky fighter took a moment to relish in the attention.
Meanwhile, a guy in the crowd, who wasn't cheering along with everyone else just looked around stoically with his arms folded, then mumbled to himself, “Alright, time to cut this short.” before walking off. The guy made his way to the cage gate when the announcer noticed him.
“Hey hey hey! Where ya th-” He was cut off by a hard shove to the face as the man proceeded to go inside. Not noticing, the soon-to-be champion walked up to his defeated combatant.
“Hey muscle man, I thought you’d be more of a challenge,” Dominic continued taunting. “I’m disappointed.”
“Don’t be cute with me boy. I’d give your ass something to sas about if I didn’t have to put ya away first,” he replied slyly.
“Wha- GHAHHH!” The champ suddenly got tased from behind by the same man from the crowd and was brought to the ground.
“Hey, you!” shouted the announcer, confronting the intruder. “First off, no weapons allowed! Second, if you ain't a fighter, you can’t just enter the cage like that!”
The man pulled out a police badge and put it right in the announcer’s face. “APD, I can do whatever the fuck I want. Now shut up.”
The announcer was completely stunned and backed away with his hands up as the cop addressed the entire crowd. “Alright everyone, show’s over! You’re ALL under arrest!”
Meanwhile, Dominic’s "opponent" who’s also revealed to be undercover handcuffed him while he was subdued on the ground, chuckling at his expense.
“Fuck…” was all the passionate fighter could groan out as he rolled over on his back and just laid there, deflated by what just happened.
Four Months Later…
“Dominic Ledger!”
Dominic’s hazel eyes popped wide open, jumping slightly in his bed. Previously asleep in his cell, he is suddenly startled awake by the gruff voice of a correctional officer.
“You’re free to go.”
“Huh?” Dominic was a bit stunned that he was being released so soon after just four months of incarceration. As he’s being escorted out, he passes by an inmate who calls out to him, “Yo Dom, lemme know when you open up ya dojo!” to which Dominic only nodded with a smile.
He changes from his prison garments back into the black tank top, baggy purple, black, and white tribal tracksuit, and white sneakers that he wore at the fight club, and walks up to the front desk for the rest of his belongings.
“Looks like the early jailbird gets the worm, huh?” said the female jail clerk, handing him his stuff.
“I know, thought I’d be here longer,” Dominic admitted to her.
“Yeah well, that’s how it is when your uncle’s a famous boxer,” said another officer walking passed the former inmate. “By the way, thanks for teaching me that knife hand strike,” he whispers to him before walking away as Dominic gives him a wink, leaving with his things.
Outside of the Corrections Department, a red Volvo drives up to the front of the building. The driver of this expensive car is Clarence Dukes with his son Seth in the passenger seat.
“Get outta the car and get in the backseat boy.” Clarence barked at his son.
“Huh?” Seth answered confused.
“You heard me!” Clarence bellowed. “Backseat now! So your cousin can sit up front.”
“He can’t sit in the back?” Seth shot back, unbuckling his seatbelt.
“No,” he said sternly, “that boy’s had a hard life and we gotta be courteous to him. And maybe if you had the same drive and discipline your cousin does, you’d get the same privilege. Til then, earn it first!”
Seth gets out of the car and into the backseat just as Dominic exited the building. Clarence gets out to greet his approaching nephew with his arms extended wide, accompanied by a deep, raspy, “He-ey Dominic!”
“Hey, Uncle Clarence.” Dominic greeted back as they embraced with the older man’s big, beefy body practically engulfing him.
“Ahh It’s been so long, how ya feelin' boy?” Clarence asked.
“Never been better,” Dominic replied.
“Hey, Dominic.” Seth waves at his cousin unenthusiastically.
“Hey, Seth.” Dominic waved back.
“C’mon, get in.” Clarence opens up the passenger seat for his nephew. “We’ll go get the rest of your stuff back at your old place.”
On the way to Dominic’s apartment, he and his uncle continued catching up while Seth remained quiet in the backseat.
“So how was it in the clink?” Clarence asked. “Ya shoulda called and told me you got locked up, I would’ve posted bail sooner.”
“Eh, it’s not too bad in there, nothing I’m used to,” Dominic replied.
“That’s what I always admired about you, Dom; hard like iron. Ya know what that is? That’s that Dukes blood running through your veins.”
“I’ll say this,” Dominic continued, “their gym is much better than any I’ve ever been to.”
“Yeah? Well, just wait til you see mine, you’ll have a field day.” Clarence chuckled, “But I see you’ve been packing on some muscles of your own, I bet you had all those inmates at your mercy huh? Ya let em know you’re the nephew of the great Duke of Steel?”
“Actually, I’ve just had some guys ask me to teach them a few moves,” Dominic corrected him, “Some even said I should consider becoming an MMA instructor.”
“Well, maybe someday you can be,” Clarence assured him, “but ya gotta work your way up to that first. Shouldn’t take too long though cuz I’ve always said you were a rising star, I just never understood why your mom never saw that in ya.”
“Mom already had enough to deal with, but she definitely never approved of my relationship with violence,” Dominic said.
“Hey! Martial arts ain’t violence, it’s an art form,” Clarence argued, “Believe me, if your mom could see you for the champion you’ll become (thanks to me), she’d change her tune.”
“If you say so,” Dominic replied tentatively.
“You got lots of potential kid, and heart; just no direction is all. But don’t worry my nephew, cuz when I'm done with you, you’re gonna be a legend. No more going behind back alleys or small, stuffy, overcrowded bars fighting a bunch of no-names and winning chump change. Picture this instead: A big, flashy stadium, packed from every angle, with ALL eyes on you as you go neck and neck with other big-name fighters and hearing YOUR name echoed throughout the whole damn building when you rise as the victor!” Clarence chuckles, “Now that’s a dream, right?”
Dominic gives a half-hearted laugh. “Yeah, that sure is a lot to take in.”
They finally arrive at Dominic's apartment, once parked, Clarence turns to his nephew and puts a hand on his shoulder.
“Well, you’re with us now, and we’re happy to have ya. And right on time too, cuz Seth here needs ALL the push he can get. Speaking of which, Seth! Go help your cousin get his things!” Clarence ordered his son again, snapping his fingers this time. “Go! Pick up the pace! A good workout for ya.” Seth moaned, rolling his eyes but did what he was told.
After gathering the rest of Dominic’s things, Clarence drives them back to the wealthy neighborhood of Copper Lane where they eventually arrive at his mansion. Inside, Clarence’s daughter Claire was in the middle of an online kickboxing session in her father’s personal gym.
“Remember, keep it straight, don’t lean.” said her instructor over the laptop.
“How’s this?” she asked.
“Good,” he complimented, “You’re a pretty fast learner.”
“Well, you’re a pretty good teacher.” she flirted back winking at him.
“CLAIRE!!!” Claire jumps when she hears her father.
“Oh fuck, dad’s home! I gotta go!” She rushes to close her laptop and quickly hides behind the door just as her father barges in looking for her.
“Claire, I know you’re in here!” With his back turned, she tries to sneak out only to bump into her older cousin.
“Oh, Dom! You’re here!” she exclaimed nervously.
“In a rush?” he playfully asked.
“Yeah well, ya know how it is. So how was it in ja-” Her words are cut off by a sudden yank of her shoulder as her father spins her around to face him.
“Claire!” Clarence holds up a bracelet she left in his gym. “You been in my gym again?”
Avoiding his question, she responds with, “Dad, do you mind? I’m trying to catch up with my cousin.”
Clarence grabs her by the arm. “Scuse us, Dom.” He drags her to her room and shuts the door. “I told you you can’t be a fighter!”
“Dad, this isn’t the 50s, I can be a fighter if I want to,” she argued back.
“Bullshit! You’ll just get pummeled out there and make me look like a fool.”
“How would you know? You never even bothered to train me!”
“I don’t train girls! You know that, and for good reason; I mean look at you, you spend all your time whining and being a brat, I can only imagine you in the ring with another fighter.” he demeaned.
All Claire could do was just stand there and grit her teeth at her close-minded pig of a father with squinted, green eyes full of hatred. Meanwhile, the two male cousins are placing Dominic’s belongings in his new bedroom when the elder cousin broke the silence.
“So Seth, we got a long road ahead of us, hope you’re ready for a ride.”
“Yeah.” Was all the younger cousin could respond with as he places a box down.
“Yeah? You know, you haven't said very much since I got here, something bothering you?” Dominic asked.
"Uh, no. Forgive me, I’m just a bit flustered with everything going on.” Seth looked out the window facing away from his cousin.
“Hey, it’s natural for fighters to get the jitters, but you can’t let it get to you,” he advised leaning against the wall, “Uncle Clarence told me in his emails that you’re in serious need of some motivation, I suppose I could offer some expertise.”
“Thanks, but that’s not exactly what I meant.”
“What’s stressing you out then?”
Not even looking at his cousin once, Seth paused for a minute before letting out a sigh. “It’s just… dad’s so hell-bent on making me into a fighter, he even put me to work at his gym as a janitor, so when I’m not training, I’m cleaning showers. Either way, I’m bound to that gym.”
“Sheesh, and I thought I was passionate, he got me beat,” Dominic remarked.
“Sure… so into HIS passion, I barely have any time for MINE.” Seth’s tone had a bitterness to it.
“What does that mean?” Dominic asked.
“Uh… You know what? Never mind. It’s not that important.” Seth dismissed as he ran a hand through his messy, short black hair before turning back to his cousin. “Oh, by the way, dad bought you some new hand wraps and he told me to give them to you.” He motioned to his cousin to follow him. “C’mon.”
Dominic followed his cousin into his bedroom where his workout bag was, when Seth reaches into it to pull out the wraps, a drawing tablet falls out.
“Shit…” Seth cursed under his breath.
Dominic picks it up off the floor before Seth could grab it first and starts flipping through it. Seth had drawn a bunch of comic book-style illustrations of various fictional characters.
“Uhhhh, th-th-that’s not important!” Seth stuttered trying to take the pad from Dominic.
“Oh, are these the drawings Uncle C mentioned? They’re actually pretty good,” said the older man.
“Please give that back.” Seth finally takes the pad from his cousin and quickly puts it back into his bag. “Dad’s on my ass enough as it is, I’d really rather not get into this right now.”
"Yeah, cuz keeping it secret is a better solution, huh?" Dominic asked sarcastically.
"I’ll see you at dinner okay?” Seth says with a sigh as he walks out, ignoring the rhetorical question.
Dominic suddenly hears the ear-piercing shrill of “You're such a sexist dick!!!” before hearing a loud door slam. He comes out into the hall to see his uncle angrily storming off from his daughter’s bedroom, and takes a breath before stopping short of his nephew.
“Come with me Dom, I wanna show ya something really cool,” he says as he directs his nephew to his den which has a double door.
When he opens it, Dominic sees the den as a big, exaggerated trophy room. Inside, many of Clarence’s trophies are showcased in individual glass cases on one wall with the middle wall having a large fireplace holding a flat-screen TV. And all around the fireplace are framed pictures of Clarence in his youth along with other famous fighters. And right in the middle of the hard, shiny wooden floor was a 2-seater, home theater recliner facing the TV.
“Woah.” Was all Dominic had to say as he looked around.
“Impressed beyond words?” his uncle asked, “One day, you and Seth will have a place here.” He points to the opposite wall that also had glass cases on the shelves but no trophies inside of them... Yet. Dominic takes a closer look at them and notices that the plaques below the cases already have his and Seth’s names on them. He then goes to look at some of his uncle’s framed pictures as Clarence begins to narrate to him.
“Yeah your uncle was something else at your age, I had that same drive as you. I was on a roll and didn’t wanna stop. Did you know your uncle has NEVER lost a single fight? And I went up against the best of the best: Clive 'Brick Wall' Donovan, Max 'Bigfoot' Graves, Jack 'TNT' Morris. Those guys were also legends of their own, they NEVER lost a fight… Until of course, they went up against a new legend… Clarence “Duke of Steel”!”
He laughs fawning over some of his pictures and then lets out a nostalgic sigh. “Sometimes I regret how things turned out, cuz you could bet I’d still be making history right about now.” he turned to his nephew. “Like I said, with you here, Seth could really learn a thing or two about discipline. Boy’s been slacking, more focused on his silly drawings than he should be on his form.”
“Well Claire sure seems into it, can’t you train her?” Dominic asked. However, the question was only met with big, thundering laughter.
“HAHAHA! Ah, kid, women aren’t equipped to be fighters, I mean they’re equipped to be trained just not for fighting if ya know what I mean,” he scorned, elbowing his nephew. “Besides, that girl is barely college material, ya think she could get her head out her ass long enough to dodge a single punch? Good one Dom.”
“I dunno, I’ve seen quite a few female fighters and they're not exactly “trainable” when they’re flipping guys over in a spar,” Dominic said, trying to remain light-hearted but clearly rather put off by his uncle’s ignorance.
“Aw, that’s just chivalry, Dom. no self-respecting man would ever let the woman pull the strings.” Clarence scoffs and puts a hand on Dominic’s shoulder. “Now, get some rest, my nephew. Tomorrow I’ll show you the gym,” he says, walking out of the den.
Around 11:00 PM later that night, the rest of the family has long since retired to their rooms. Dominic, still feeling active, decided to visit his uncle’s den again. While looking over some of his trophies, memories started flooding his mind:
“How many times do I have to keep bailing you out of trouble boy?”
“Mom, it’s not my fault this time-”
“Well, whose fault is it? That boy you put in a coma?”
“He had it coming to em-”
“I just don’t know what to say to you, not even in college yet, and already you've seen the clink!”
“C’mon mom, college is not that big a deal, at least you'll save more money for your medication.”
“I'm not worried about me Dominic Travion Ledger, I'm worried about you. You’ve been at this since childhood, anytime I think you're in good hands, you always find a way to stir up trouble. I might as well just let your uncle raise you 'cause I’m at my wit's end here!”
“What's wrong with Uncle Clarence? He seems nice! He said he could train me to-”
“No! Over my dead body! Listen here, you think I like being so hard on you? You and I are in some rough times, but my main concern is making sure my only son has his head on straight so he won’t get locked up or even dead before I am. I’m gonna straighten you up whether you like it or not, cuz if you don’t start manning up around here, who will? Do you understand me?”
“…Yeah mom.”
Dominic walked over to the empty shelves and stuck his focus on a specific glass case that had his name on the plaque, he saw his reflection in it, though it wasn’t staring back at him very favorably. He turns to leave the den and as he’s walking out, he notices Seth quietly leaving his bedroom fully dressed. Not noticing his cousin, Seth tiptoes over to Claire’s bedroom door, quietly knocks, and sneaks in when she opens it.
Curious, Dominic walks up to the door and puts his ear up to it but hears nothing, he tries to knock quietly but gets no reply. When he peeps in, he finds the room empty with Claire’s window fairly open. Just as he looks out of it, he faintly hears Seth exclaiming in excitement, “Alright, to Hot Buns City it is!” followed by a giddy, “Yeah!” from Claire as the two of them enter Seth’s cheap, orange, and red-striped muscle car before driving off.
The siblings headed downtown to Hot Buns City; a pretty popular, 24-hour burger joint and hang out amongst other people their age. They sat outside to eat, laughing, talking, and enjoying the fairly peaceful night with each other for once.
"So Jason NEVER noticed his pants were split?" Claire laughed.
"Nope, not helping that he didn't even bother to put on underwear that day," Seth replied, chuckling.
“So Michael's looking hotter than ever, does he ask about me?” Claire asked seductively, twiddling the straw of her milkshake.
“Shouldn’t you know? He’s giving you private kickboxing lessons.” Seth pointed out, mouth full of burger.
“Well he WAS.” she corrected with annoyance in her voice, “And it’s getting harder to do that thanks to dad. I was BARELY even able to get 20 minutes of training today.”
“Yeah well, dad’s been keeping me way too busy in the ring lately. Even in my downtime, I can't so much as pick up a pencil without hearing one of his lectures, “The only form of art you should be focused on is MARTIAL arts.” he mocked his father.
“Seth, sooner or later, you have to stand up to dad,” Claire said.
He scoffs, “Like you’re any better?”
“At least I’m not the one he’s pushing super hard.” she snarked back.
Seth sighed, “I just don’t get why dad can’t drop his 1940s-era sexist attitude and just make YOU his successor.”
“Yeah… Well, the thing is… I wanna be a fighter, but I don't think I wanna be a FIGHTER fighter.” Claire said struggling a bit with her wording.
“What do you mean?”
“I feel like I could do more than just fight in cages, I wanna make a difference, like a service, you know?”
“You mean like join the army?”
“Not exactly, I’m thinking of joining the force,” she revealed.
Seth only responds with a skeptical, “Hmm, well good luck with that.”
Causing Claire to get defensive. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I'm just curious as to HOW you’ll even get that far with dad breathing down your neck.” Seth clarified.
“It's ok, I got it all planned out,” she reassured with a sly grin. “I figured once I save enough money, I’ll just tell dad I applied for college and they accepted me and just take it from there.”
“Uh-huh,” Seth said, still unconvinced. “Well meanwhile, I’m still waiting to hear from that publisher?”
“Wait, if you can’t find time to draw, how are you able to make full comics?” Claire questioned.
“During my night shifts, when I'm pretending to work,” Seth answered blandly.
“Oh.” Claire grunted, “You know what? I don’t wanna talk about dad anymore, let’s talk about something else.”
“Yeah, let’s talk about not inviting me to one of your secret outings.”
They turn to see Dominic standing over them with a playful smile.
“We thought you were asleep,” Claire gets up to sit with her brother to let their elder cousin sit opposite them.
“Nah, just been looking forward to spending quality time with my two little cousins.”
“How did you get here so fast?” Seth asked.
“I borrowed Uncle Clarence's Volvo,” Dominic replied nonchalantly.
“Are you crazy?” Claire gasps. “Dad's gonna flip! He won't let anyone touch his Volvo!”
“Hmph, look who’s talking, trainee.” This left her at a loss for words and a lot of blushing. “Relax, it'll be back in the garage before he knows it,” he assured.
“Not that he’d care,” Seth thought to himself.
Dominic continued. “But while we’re on the subject Claire, I’d like a follow-up on those training sessions of yours, picked out a style yet?”
“Style?” Claire asked.
“Fighting style.” Dominic specified.
“Oh, Kickboxing.”
“Level?”
“Four.”
“Ahh, impressive. Such a shame Uncle C won’t let you fight, I’m interested to see where this goes.”
“Tell me about it!” Claire exclaimed. “But if you think that’s impressive, just wait till I join the force. It’s always been a big dream of mine; but not to be just any regular cop, but one of those action movie hero-type cops, ya know?”
Dominic just nodded, playing along to his littlest cousin's wide-eyed naivety. Seth just rolled his eyes. “I think she might be taking this a little too seriously.”
“Say what you want Seth, at least she’s going for what she wants. Which reminds me, when are you gonna man up and tell Uncle C you don’t wanna be a fighter?” Dominic asked.
“You think I haven’t?” Dad’s not exactly a good listener.” Seth said.
“Yeah, he’s more of a yell-at-your-face-first, ask-questions never kinda psycho,” Claire added.
“Hey now, isn’t that a little harsh? “I know he can be strict, but I think you two should cut him a little bit of slack,” Dominic told them, “I mean I wouldn't be going anywhere right now if he didn't take me in.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re like the son he’s always wanted,” Seth lamented, “I’m just hoping with you here, he’ll pay less attention to me for once.”
“C’mon Seth, you know that won’t happen. As his real son, he’ll just keep putting this on you unless you finally put your foot down for once.”
Seth just looked down. “I dunno about that Dominic.”
“Just give him time, he’ll learn to respect your choices… eventually. But, you know, ya gotta admit little cous, martial arts could actually do you some good cuz confidence has never been your strong point.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Seth moaned dismissively.
“Right?” Claire teased, “Seth always was namby-pamby.”
“Am not...” Seth mumbled when suddenly-
“Heeeey babe.”
They’re interrupted by a trio of douchey-looking guys who all looked to be in their 20s walking up to their table (more specifically Claire’s side).
“Watcha doin hanging out with these homos?” The leader of the trio got in between the two siblings and shoved Seth out of his seat so he could sit next to Claire.
“You SHOULD be hanging with me in my Ferrari enjoying a good looong ride if ya know what I mean,” he said putting his arm around her. If the leud invitation didn’t spell “slimeball” written all over it, his hungry, grey eyes and sly smirk certainly did. This encouraged a round of cackling by his two equally slimy friends.
“What!? Eww!” Claire desperately tried to break free from his hold until Dominic threw a ketchup bottle at him and sat up from his seat to get in his face.
“Hey, dickhead, leave her alone!”
“What’d you say to me tranny!?” The punk tries to make his way over to the streaky-haired man until Seth gets in between them.
“Look man, we don’t want any trouble okay? Can’t you just go flirt with some other girl?” he suggested trying to keep the peace. The lead douche gave an over-the-shoulder glance at his goons.
“Am I mishearing things boys, or is this little runt giving ME orders?” Seth began to back away as the lead douche slowly approaches with his goons surrounding him like hyenas. “You talking to me, little boy?” he bullied the shorter, younger man with a hard shove.
“Hey, stop it, man. You’re not that cool…” Seth tried in vain to be stern, but non-violent.
The lead douche only responds with an even harder shove followed by a loud, venomous, “What? Speak up, little man!”
“Aww look, I think he’s bout to cry.” one of the goons instigated.
“Gonna cry little pussy?” Lead douche mocked, getting in his face this time. Dominic and Claire decide to offer Seth some encouragement.
“Hey Seth, are you really gonna take that?”
“Yeah, man up dammit!”
In the midst of all the pressure placed on him, Seth impulsively punches lead douche in the face which strikes a reaction from his goons as they gang up on the meek fighter.
“H-hey, get off me punks!”
“Put this little runt in his place boys!” lead douche orders his goons while holding his face in pain.
Dominic and Claire sprung up and rushed to his aid, but lead douche grabs Claire and proceeds to drag her away. “And you are coming with me, bitch.”
Without warning, Claire strikes him in the gut and body slams him. Meanwhile, Dominic starts fighting one of the goons as Seth fought the other; this turns their peaceful night into a full-on, bloody, intense brawl. Seth fought with the teachings forced on him by his father, though due to his lack of confidence and disdain for conflict, he was still clearly struggling as his opponent (who wasn’t even any taller than Seth was) takes control and knocks him to the ground.
The goon was about to pounce when Claire grabs him by his dreadlocks, slings him to the ground, holds him down, and spits right in his face. The largest goon of the group grabs Dominic and throws him onto his uncle’s Volvo, then their leader jumps on the hood up over him, but Dominic kicks him in the groin and throws him off.
The big goon rushes to punch him only for his fist to go through the window a split second after the seasoned fighter dodges in time. As the brawl went on, the severity of it became so big, that the people who were previously eating outside all scattered with some going inside the restaurant to watch the fight from there and others taking out their cellphones to record it.
Dominic noticed a bystander trying to call 911. “Shit… Hey, forget these guys! C’mon, let’s go!” he told his cousins.
They all stopped what they were doing and headed for the cars. As Claire got in the Volvo with Dominic, Seth got in his own car and tried to start it up, only to learn that his car battery died…Again. And to top it all off, lead douche shatters the driver's side window trying to pull Seth out with him. “Oh, you ain’t leaving so soon, little girl!”
Dominic sees this, gets out of the damaged Volvo, grabs him, and bashes his face into the backseat window of Seth’s Muscle car rendering him unconscious.
“C’mon, the Volvo still works!” he says as he helps Seth out of his car.
They all got in the Volvo and drove off before the cops could even arrive, but back at home, things weren't any easier. After learning that the fight was uploaded and now trending on mainstreams.com, it was even any wonder if their hearing was still intact from all the yelling Clarence was doing.
“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU KIDS THINKING!?”
“DAD WE’RE NOT KIDS! WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN TO US FOR ONCE!?” Claire tried to out-scream her father.
“This boy just got outta jail and you almost got 'em put back in! And not only that, got my precious Volvo damaged in the process, all because you two don’t wanna follow orders!”
“Dad, did you not hear what we said!?” Seth intervenes. “Three guys picked a fight with us and one of them almost kidnapped Claire!”
“Yeah!” Claire chimed in. “And FYI, he would have if I didn’t know how to fight back. Still don’t think girls can be fighters, dad?”
“ENOUGH OF THAT!” Clarence roared, “Now none of this would’ve happened at all if you didn’t sneak out, especially you boy!” He pointed to his son, “You got training AND work, what are you thinkin goin to a burger joint?”
“C’mon, dad! I just wanted ONE night to be normal. You almost never let me go anywhere or eat what I want.”
“You’re a fighter! You’re supposed to be staying focused and watching your calories-”
“But I don’t wanna be a fighter! That’s what YOU want! I…I keep trying to tell you that.” Seth interrupted, his voice cracking at the end.
Clearance stared down at his son in disapproval before saying, “Well then, what the fuck else are you gonna do, Huh? You barely act like a man." He crosses his arms, "So maybe I should just let you make your coloring books all day, is that what ya wanna do, huh?”
"They're not coloring books! Look, comics may not be very manly to you, but it’s what I really like doing okay? I even…” When hesitation sets in, he glances at his sister and cousin with the latter motioning to him to continue. Seth turned back to his father. “I even contacted this publisher.”
“And?” His father pressed him.
“And… Well, I haven’t really heard back from them yet, but… In the meantime, I’ve even thought of applying at this comic book store-”
“No, no… Stop.” Clarence puts a hand up. "Now you listen to me boy, you are a Dukes and you have a responsibility to represent that name. And the fact that you’d much rather make childish drawings all day tells me that I'm just busting my ass trying to toughen you up for nothing. Ya know how bad that makes me look? You don’t have a clue what I go through trying to turn you into a man. You know what? I’m not even gonna get into this in front of your cousin, cuz I don’t wanna hear another word about comic books or fighting from you two entitled brats ever again.”
“But dad-”
“I MEAN IT! And while you’re at it, both of you will pay for every damage done to my Volvo. So Seth, get used to working overtime, Claire, I don’t care how the fuck you do it-”
“Actually, Uncle Clarence,” Dominic spoke up, walking over to him. “Claire and Seth had nothing to do with the Volvo, it’s my fault.”
“What?”
“I know, I know, I shouldn’t have taken it without asking and I'll pay for the damages, I promise.”
“Dominic, don’t. You ain't gotta take the fall for your cousins’ reckless actions.”
“But they really didn’t-”
“Don’t worry about them, just focus on yourself and your training and go get some rest…” Clarence reassured his nephew and turned back to his son. “And I’ll see YOU at the gym tomorrow, bright and early,” he warned while walking out of the living room.
Dom walks over to his sulking cousins. “Look, guys, I’m sorry I got you into trouble. And you don’t have to pay for the Volvo, I’ll take care of that myself.”
“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about, not that it makes it better.” Seth sighed, heading to his room. “See you tomorrow Dom.”
“Good night Dom.” Claire gets up too and hugs her big cousin before heading off to bed herself.
Dominic goes into his own room and lies on his bed contemplating what to do. Finding a job was already out of the question, It’d be difficult to land one even if it’s part-time. Not just because of his felony record, but on such short notice like this, it would also interfere with his uncle’s plans already put in place for him. After all, if he’s this strict on his own son, then Dominic could only anticipate the vigorous training he’ll endure too.
All he knew was that he needed to make some easy money fast so that his two cousins wouldn’t have to catch hell from their father over HIS actions. And after spending a little over an hour failing to find other ways around it, he reluctantly comes to the conclusion that the only way to get quick, easy money he doesn't have is by doing the only thing he knows how to do.
To Be Continued…

I used to love coming here for the shared laughs of DBL memes, thoughtful discussions on the game’s meta, and honestly just for the community at large. I’ve been lurking for a hot minute and I’ve noticed that the sub itself has been sinking down into the pit of its own salt. Beginner questions are unregulated instead of in a mega-thread of some kind, half the posts are callout/circlejerk posts of “look at this stupid whale I got matched with. This is so unfair” with a picture of some dude’s team he put all his resources in to be good. I really wish this sub could revitalize into something great, and hell, it’d certainly draw new players in to keep the game alive. Let’s have an art contest and get some of the artists we loved active again, let’s start newer discussion threads, ban the whale vs f2p circlejerk callout/post war, organize some of the beginner questions, let’s organize a community tournament. IDK, I really want this sub to be better. It feels like a graveyard currently. Rant over

Last night I was attacked by a neighbors dog. I've never had this happen to me and I've always trusted dogs. Unfortuantly this incident left a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm a 30yr old male. The attacker was a Belgian Shepperd
I live in a gated condo community where the front doors are on the outside of the perimiter and the garage is on the inside. I had gotten dropped off outside so I walked in the complex and towards my garage. While passing all the other garages I noticed one was half way open. I kept walking as I always do and as I walked in front I heard a dog barking at me. Keep in mind it's very dark outside so vision is limited. Next thing I hear are sound of nails on concrete sprinting at me. I slowed down to try and be friendly to the dog but it was running full speed and lunged at me. It took a nice bite out of my right butt cheek and sweater. I manged to jump over a hedge and then on top of a car to escape further injuries. I saw the dog run back in to the garage so I sprinted over to mine and got away. From the moment I heard the nails on concreate to myself getting bit was maybe 1-2 seconds. It all happend so fast.
I was worried about the safety for others so I went back into my garage to see if their garage was still open. It was and as I was standing there I saw the dog do the same exact thing to either someone else or possibly another animal. Wasn't quite sure because there was cars blocking my view. The dog went to return to it's garage but instead started pacing in front of it. The dog spotted me leaning out of my garage and sprinted towards me I'm assuming to attack again. I went back into my house to avoid another injury.
I had enough and went out the front door to the homeowners front door. I knocked on the door rang the doorbells and no one answered. I called the police to come take care of the situation because my complex was not safe with this dog running around. After the call with the police I went back and knocked on the doorr some more. Finally someone answered and it was a 14 year old boy. I told him what had happened and expressed how I felt. He was sorry and went into the grage to close the door. He came back and explained to me that everything is okay and the door is closed. I told him I need to speak to an adult because this is not okay. He told me his father was not able to come downstairs so he called him ( which I thought was weird .) The father was not speaking english so it was a dead end at that point. I went back to my house and waited for the police. When they arrived they went to the house and they would not answer the door. They called the individual and they hung up on the police as well.
In the end I spoke with the police about the situation because they were already there. Since a bite happend during the attack the humane society was called and they took over from there. I have to send photos of the bit to them and a few other things.
I've never been one to reach for a lawsuite but as I mentioned earlier this incident left a bad taste in my mouth. I am actually scared to walk around outside now because I fear another dog is going to blindside me. It sickens me that that dog is still in the community and this can happen to anyone else. I have video footage with audio of the incident as well that I obtained from another neighbor. If I go forward with this do I contact a dog bite lawyer or personal injury lawyer?
Any help on how to approach this would be helpful since this is my first time being in this situation.
​
Also would like to add the family has came over to my house with gifts and excuses for the situation. Claiming someone must've opened their garage and what not. I din't talk much I just let them talk

TLDR: I am running for POTUS in 2024 by launching an app as both my campaign platform and my solution to winning an election outside the two parties system. And I mean entirely. I would like your help coordinating the massive social media initiative my plan is going to require, and in return I will let your team turn the entire process into creative content. My App is a massive social relief initiative completely funded by the revenue generated from building community solar field projects. Essentially a savings account in the American people's name funded primarily through green energy revenue. Kickstarter campaign goes live 27-MAR-2023.
Greetings Mr. Donaldson,
I'll begin by stating that everything I am about to reveal here is very real. I am a tradesman not a politician so please try to keep that in mind.
Let me tell you a bit about myself for context.
My name is Benjamin J. Lee. I am a retired Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. OIF/OEF Veteran. I am a carpenter and recently began training as an Electrician's Apprentice. I had the time to view you and Lex Fridman's conversation and I must say. I do not understand how people get you so wrong. Normal people see a cash pinata, but I see your genius for what it is. You are just doing what you love and trying to do your part to save the world at the same time. That's exactly why I believe you and I should work together. You inspired me to do the same thing after your podcast appearance. I sat down and I figured out a 10 year plan on how to put America back on the right track. And after hearing what I am trying to do, I do believe that it will peak your team's interest enough to at least see if I am full of shit or not.
And the best part of my campaign initiatives are, I can prove they work. And I can do it long before I ever step foot into office.
The first integral piece to my software is called the Social Media Safety Net. This is essentially a trust I am setting up into the American people's name that will be funded by a few of the following initiatives.
First the "Solar Safety Net". I am going to be coordinating the creation of new tradesman cooperatives in local communities to build commercial scale solar fields. This will achieve the following things.
-It will provide my social programs with guaranteed, scalable, and renewable green revenue.
-Give communities access to publicly owned land so they can build and negotiate energy contracts with the advantage of commercial scale building costs. (Typically Residential solar is over $4 per watt to build an array. Commercial on the other hand is around .89 cents.)
-That means I can also bring the commercial advantages of solar to the residential market, and do it almost essentially free to the citizens. And they won't have to damage their homes with rooftop solar.
-Investing into small businesses that are established to maintain these fields, and then negotiate contracts to maintain other solar arrays as well. They will also help the communities negotiate their energy agreements with local power distributors. This will vary state to state depending on their green energy packages.
(I can give a better breakdown of the numbers later, however it is a solid investment strategy.)
Another example of one of my fundraising initiative's is called "Merch to Miracles." I am going to conduct nationwide merch campaigns partnered with as many current streamers and content creators that I can get on board. I will coordinate everything on the Merch creation side and partnered creators will just create their own sub campaigns. The partners retain 50% of the revenue generated, and then 50% rolls back into the app.
Now how does this app give back to the American people?
Actually in so many ways it's almost hard to explain but I will attempt to do so in a single letter.
The first part of the app is the virtual oval office. The software is going to have video and stream hosting integration because I believe it's bullshit that the President feels so disconnected from our society when he could literally be on a stream every week interacting with his constituents. But then again I am 35 and our current president is like 300 something so who knows if I am wrong about that. It's going to use a new form of voting prototype that will allow me to hold and advertise votes between myself and my voter base. They will get to weigh in on the spending of project funds, current events, and community activities that I will be planning. And everything will be completely free for the end user. If they are registered as an Undecided voter on the app I will also be able to see their demographics and a little about them.
How am I supposed to properly represent my constituents if I never take the time to get to know them?
There will be a Rate my Representative function and profiles for every seat of our government. I am coining it my "Digital Checks and Balance System".
But the greatest parts of the entire project are my social relief packages. User's App profiles will have links and integration with many current social media platforms. But they also will contain the ability to rack up Hero Points. These Hero points can be earned through a wide array of activities.
-Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Hero missions that focus on getting people involved in their communities, creating art, hosting parties ect. (User's will have profile unique QR codes that are used to reward points in person through event coordinators.)
-Contest submissions for Long form writing, poetry, art, and inventions coordinated on dedicated Reddit and Discord communities and threads. (Upvote system is already perfect for my eventual vision here)
-Participating in and finishing education
-Community service
-Civil Service
-And much much more to be announced
There will then be functionality for users to mark a particular hardship on their profile and then use their earned hero points to roll on social relief crates. These crates will come in various sizes and for various hardships but here are just a few examples.
-UbeLift Vouchers for people needing to attend work or school
-Student Loan Forgiveness
-My Career Retraining Support Initiative
-Funds to host community events
-Scholarships and more
And the best part is that because solar revenue is stable, the funding for supported programs will be too. The points never go bad and are tradeable so communities can pool their points for projects, much like I am trying to pool everyone's voices into one powerful roar to wake our politicians up.
I am going to get this mission accomplished with or without your assistance. I do believe however it would be much more effective and much more enjoyable for myself if you did me the honor of helping me save our country, and then maybe, the world.
If you'd like to learn a little more about me, or see the Kickstarter promo videos visit www.ThePresidentialApprentice.com, or have one of your team members contact me here.
Also I apologize if any of my media content looks like a 5th grader produced it. I am doing this entire thing by myself and I was in trade school until about 3 weeks ago, so I had to take the crash course on video production, political campaigning, solar technology, economics, marketing, streaming, app development, and a bunch of other shit.
I am so excited about the things you and I are going to do together in the next few years.
Hope to hear from you soon Jim.
*Edit* Sorry, could you also ask Lex if he'd be able to give me his input on creating a learning AI that I could use with Youtube and its search algorithms to assist our job placement strategy. We need to start harvesting passion as a resource. People are simply more productive pursuing a passion instead of a paycheck. That's unrelated but thank you anyways.
V/R
Lee, Benjamin J (SSgt Retired)
Explosive Ordnance Disposal
"Initial Success, or Total Failure"
Sexual Tyrannosaurus

FTM (31 years old) and currently 37+4 weeks. I have not seen much talk on this subreddit about what everyone is doing to adjust their pets to a newborn. I am curious what others are doing or maybe I am the only one making adjustments for my dogs?
My husband and I have three bigs dogs that are fantastic and well trained. Yesterday we did buy a baby gate to transition them out of our bedroom at night. They sleep on dogs beds or on the floor every night, but I am worried about stepping over all of them 3-5 times a night with the baby. We are planning to start moving them into the spare room and hallway, so they are near, but I don't have to walk over them.
We also plan to introduce them to our baby the day we come home and want to make the baby a positive experience for them. My fear is that if they are always in "trouble" for sniffing or licking the baby, they will associate him as a negative experience. I am trying to tell myself now that it is ok if they occasionally lick the baby and want to smell him a lot in the beginning...a baby is new to them too!
How are other's planning to introduce their dogs to a newborn? What have you done before that was helpful? We are open to advice!