I (21 F) met this new friend (20 F) last year in uni because we were sharing classes. We befriended two others Alice and Gina, both names are fake (21 F and 20 F) since all four of us were sharing classes. Let's call the toxic friend Claire. So, for context, I grew up in an upper-middle-class household, went to an all girls private school, summer trips, I rarely ever look at the price tag unless its a luxury purchase, and my family (distant relatives and aunts and uncles) is considered to be somewhat part of 'high society' in where I'm from, and I am very blessed to be brought up this way and I love to give and offer people little things (like paying for lunch or coffee, giving them snacks, small little gifts if they wanted something at the store, and they couldn't afford it). And I do that to keep on my grandfather and father's legacy of generosity. I attend a public but distinguished university while most my friends from high school go to a private university. Where I'm from, university is completely free, and the give you around 266$ USD monthly for four years. So, most people prefer attending public universities for these perks. Now, you could assume that many people from different backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses attend this university since it is free and pays students.
Alice, Gina, and Claire all went to public schools, but Gina comes from an upper-middle-class family and is very similar to me when it comes to beliefs and connections. Alice's father is pretty famous, so you can assume that she's doing well for herself too, but her parents rarely pay for anything regarding her since she has many siblings. Claire on the other hand, comes from a lower-middle-class family (which none of us care about tbh), and according to her she's always 'broke'. Usually, Gina and I take care of the bill when we go out to eat or when we get coffee because we know about Claire and Alice's situation, and we don't want them to feel belittled.
Lately, Claire has been seeing me and Gina talk about similar experiences about visiting different countries, luxury items, fancy restaurants , etc.. I could feel Claire envy the friendship that was growing between me and Gina. Claire started talking about HER experience in traveling, yet, she mentioned that she has never traveled before. Another thing she kept talking about was how much she hated certain luxury brands because 'she doesn't like their leather' or 'it's too cheap'. None of us minded her new personality we just thought that she was trying to blend in; therefore, we tried avoiding these topics when we are around her.
Claire got a boyfriend (24 M) who is studying to become a pilot and lives in a small town. He boyfriend is a butthole. They have been on again off again since she was in high school (creepy dude dating a high schooler I know). He is only with her because of the sexual tension, and she is the only girl willing to do anything with him. All my social media accounts are private and I only accept people that I know. Recently, I got a DM on instagram from a fake account calling me beautiful and he would love to date me. I instantly blocked the account out of respect for my boyfriend, and I am assuming it is Claire's boyfriend because of what she told me the next day. Claire and I were walking towards our class and she said "Hey, my boyfriend thinks you look mid". The only way he would see how I look like is my instagram profile picture. I found it creepy tbh, but Claire kept telling our friend group about how her boyfriend thinks I look. I found that weird.
Personally, I have had friends who did the same things in the past, so I brushed it off. After that incident, Alice reaches out to me while we're on break and tells me that Claire is using my name on twitter spaces to meet people. Remember when I said my family is considered high society? The people Claire talked to knew who I was and my family is, yet she kept pretending to be me. She was talking about my trips during the summer, my obsession with F1, my exes, how 'sad I felt after my dad died', and many more details I haven't even mentioned to her nor are the correct (some stories about how I hooked up with girls when I was in high school, BUT IM STRAIGHT idc about anyone's sexuality, but THE LIES).
I pretended I didn't know just to see how far she would go in her little skit. I cut my hair and got layers, she did the same but she has curly hair so it always looks messy. I bought a new laptop, she wants to but couldn't afford the same one I bought, but bought a new one regardless. I bought an iPad, she did the same. I listen to certain artists, she started listening to them, I organize my schedule in un around my schedule (piano lessons, appointments, Grand Prix, and etc..) i and take classes with profs that like me and I've taken with before, but she copies my exact schedule and blames me for 'shitty classes' and 'shitty times'. I've been a F1 fan ever since I was a kid because of my father. I've been to multiple GPs with him and created amazing memories. She started watching F1 recently and only cheers for Carlos Sainz because "he's hot". I didn't mind it until she started talking about how she loved attending GPs as a kid. Gina was confused when Claire said that and asked her who her favorite driver was as a child, she answers "anyone in Ferrari", Gina asked if it was Logan Sergeant. and Claire says "yes! he's my favorite!" absolute silence after.
A few days ago, she missed the bus, and I offered to drive her back home, she refused because she lived a 40 min drive away from our uni. I kept telling her it was fine and I did not mind at all, and my aunt lives in the same area and I was planning on popping in for a visit anyway. I wasn't, but I didn't want her to feel bad for me dropping her off. She agreed. We get into my car (a Benz I've been driving ever since I was 17), and she starts complaining about how 'this is the cheapest car she has been in'. I nodded and smiled because I didn't want to comment on anything. The whole car ride was her talking about her luxurious trip during the break, which was all fake. When I dropped her off, her house was humble, and she mentioned that she still lived with her family and the house was rented. I never asked, but if you are going on extravagant and luxurious trips you could afford to own the house at least.
After that happened I went home and texted her about our group project that was due later that week she was the only one who didn't do her part. She said she'll do it later that night, I told her its okay just add it to the slides whenever she's done. At 2am, she keeps spamming the group project's group chat saying that she has stomach ache and cannot do the work (btw she's dramatic her stomach ache is caused by the food that she eats and multiple doctors told her that when I took her to the hospital). The students in the group project felt bad and told her to do her part later. She kept crying saying that she was too stressed and has more important things to take care of, but no one was getting the hint that she wanted someone to do her part. I emailed my professor telling her the whole story, and the professor replied saying that Claire will not be graded unless she does her end of the bargain. I read all Claire's texts and didn't reply because I was sick and tired of her act. Later, she tweets about how her 'friend is toxic and only cares about herself' all because I didn't text her 'Get well soon!! xx' like wtf.
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Honestly, I just what to know what to do, like, she's toxic towards me, and she's always copying me and pretending to be me. One idea I had was to call my lawyer and just sue her for pretending to be me, but I'll need some sort of proof. I just want to know what to do when it comes to her copying me, if I should drop her or not, and if I should, how do I drop her?
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(pls ignore typos and punctuation mistakes I'm tired af)

37 year old family man - height 6ft - weighing 75-80kg.
Requirements:
very comfortable family motorcycle. center set footpegs, good tractability (like driving diesel cars), Mileage above 30, reliable.
Feels like i am writing in classifieds section for matrimony.
Thats it, above is my requirement, but if you have time, read a long post on my nostalgic past with bikes, as you are the audience that i feel would understand my journey.
Since the day i remember, i loved anything on two wheels. As a kid, i learnt to ride a cycle when i was 4 (no training wheels). I would ride so fast and i still remember few falls that i had. I was that annoying kid with a cycle that neighbours would always complain about.
My father used to own a bajaj chetak 150cc 2 stroke scooter and i used to stand on the front foot panel. He would let me use the throttle and he would take care of clutch, gear and brake. after couple of years, he would let me operate the clutch, gear and throttle. Couple of years later, my feet barely touched the ground, and by class 5 i was riding my dads scooter solo.
Parallely, our neighbour uncle had Hero Honda CD 100, every sunday morning, let would let me ride his motorcycle to buy groceries and he would be my pillion. I loved how smooth the machine was when compared to our two stroke scooter. I wished our family had a motorcycle.
I was updated on every single motorcycle that was released in India during the 96- early 2000 time frame. And i was very passionate about bikes as every other kid.
I graduated high school (class 10) and my father promised to get me a motorcycle when i turned 18, only IF i get selected in a particular engineering college in our town. I always knew what i wanted - a brand new Yahama RX 135 4stroke.
2004, I got selected in above said college which was 10 Kms away from home. I was 17 and used to ride a cycle to college. It was difficult to ride cycle in peak summer months and motorcycle now became a necessity and i was waiting to get my license. I even saved money and got my helmet before we got my bike. The day i turned 18 in 2005, i went to RTO with my dad and his scooter and got my license.
Next day, we were at the Yamaha showroom to check out the RX135. I got a big blow of a news that RX135 was just discontinued. And the updated Yamaha Libero (round headlight) was the only alternative at yamaha at that point. I was super disappointed and returned home, but made up my mind to buy a libero.
In that timeframe, the 150+cc vehicles, CBZ, Tvs Fierro, Bajaj Pulsar, Karizma were enthusiast level bikes and were very expensive for us middle-class folks. We would rarely see them on roads back then. so owning one was not even in my dreams. I was happy that i was about to get a motorcycle, i was okay with anything. Also, i was very skinny guy to be riding big 150 cc bikes.
One of my father's friend recommended us to visit Bajaj showroom as they were making bikes that churned out maximum mileage. So we visited the Bajaj showroom and salesman was pushing to sell Platina or Discover 110cc. I was walking around the brand new Pulsar 150 which was recently upgraded to alloy wheels. I knew i was never getting the bike, but it looked damn sexy and i was genuinely appreciating it.
My dad asked me if i wanted the pulsar. I said NO and i was okay with Platina. And at that point, the salesman intervened and told my dad that anyways Pulsar would be too heavy for me and platina would suit my personality better. This somehow annoyed my father and he told the salesman that i have been riding vehicles for a very long time and asked the manager to book the Pulsar for me. I was confused, happy and anxious at the same time. I had never ridden a 150cc vehicle before and i presumed it would be very heavy and difficult.
A week and 56000 rupees later, I had the motorcycle beyond my dreams. I had the 1st alloy wheeled pulsar in my college that too in Black. And boy i showed off. Every dayscholar in my college knew me by my bike. It was my identity. I pampered my bike yet rode fast and hard (after breakin). I used to indulge in road rages, participate in adhoc street races with other 150cc. Looking back, it was highly irresponsible, but i was young.
For the next 10 years, i had so much fun. i never let anyone else ride my bike. We both got old together. And at this point, 150 cc was a commuter. There were many better 150cc vehicles that got released, Yamaha FZS, Unicorn, Apache etc. I loved riding all these bikes and appreciated the improvements, smoother engines with more BHP, lighter clutch and better brakes. Yet, my bike was always special. It was by my side in every high and low moments of my life. By then i got a diesel swift as well, yet i always enjoyed being on 2 wheels.
2014 i had to move abroad and i knew that it was time for my pulsar to be retired. I would never sell it, so i re-registered my bike over to my cousin and he takes care of it till now and I melt whenever i ride it.
2016, had to come back to India for my wedding and stayed here for some time. I needed a bike to commute to office, i got myself a slightly used Yamaha FZs 16. I enjoyed riding it, but i would get knee and back pain. Then switched over to my friend's Gixxer 150 for couple of months, worse, the footpegs were so behind and i my knees wouldn't tuck under the tank. I had bad ankle, knee and back ache. Maybe i was getting old. But I was riding all new vehicles around that my colleagues/Friends would buy and it was exciting.
Couple of notable bikes that i rode which i loved. Duke 390 - I had a blast with that motorcycle, but it was not practical for every day, it cannot be ridden sanely. Its like that red devil that posses you and makes you ride fast. Other bike was R15 on a race track. A group of my colleagues booked a track for couple of hours and it was an experience to remember.
2017, I had to move abroad again, and this time i stayed there for 6 years. did not have much chance to ride 2 wheeler there as getting a 2 wheeler license and associated insurance was very high. But i always missed riding bikes. I would be so excited to see other bikers on road.
Now, 2023 moved back to India for good. I ride my father's activa and its fun to ride. Yes,my father retired our Chetak and bought an activa few years ago.
Today, i am the rider who rides fast to get out of the traffic and rides slow on empty roads. Our Activa is a necessity for family to buy groceries etc. But i need a motorcycle for everyday use that i can use everyday in city and enjoy.

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Boyfriend has trapped me financially and I'm not sure what to do. I (25 F) have been dating a man (40) for six years. He owns a small business (a startup when we met) and has always thrown a lot of the work from the business onto me, while he works a full time sales job and manages his own investment properties. When we met I was living in an apartment with my young son, but my boyfriend bought that building as an investment property and moved us into his home. I also worked full time as a freight broker making a comfortable living and becoming fairly successful at it. My partner constantly nagged me about working too much, not investing in him, would pick fights when I wasn't avaliable to help him. It got to the point where I got a write up for answering his business line during work hours after he had absolutely insisted. I decided instead of risk burning bridges I'd step away, citing an inability to prioritize my customers as much as they required. Stupidly I have been working for my partner without a formal paycheck, allowing him to pay the household bills, my car payment, and working 24/7 on his projects. Answering phones, driving routes when needed, building business relationships, doing all marketing and social media, remodeling apartments, landscaping our home and his investment properties. I work constantly, but he's becoming more and more discontented. We've had some major blow up fights lately around me not providing to the household income, even though every time I've offered to go back to work he shuts it down immediately. This week we are supposed to be on a vacation we've been hyping up to my son (now 7) for months, he canceled it because he "doesn't get any help". Even though it was already paid in full just to make a point. He has started forcing his way through locked doors and refusing to allow me any privacy, and then recording me during every fight as "evidence" because he doesn't want me to be able to file any charges against him. (Not that I'm trying to, I'm not very pro cop) . Is there any way for me to salvage the years I've dumped into building a successful company? Am I entitled to any compensation for the time? I have no savings left and no idea how I'd leave and get back on my own two feet. I do not have any friends (he didn't approve of any of them) or family to fall back on.

LINK TO MESSAGE EXCHANGE https://postimg.cc/gallery/bYFHf30
Ok this is a long one. I used to work for a third party contractor once a week as a life coach/counsellor. The contractor hired me to work with vulnerable children in a school in a low socioeconomic area. I absolutely loved my job and I was very good at it. The pay was terrible though, but I genuinely wasn't doing it for the money. Last December I broke the tibia bone in my leg very badly. It was quite painful and movement obviously was very difficult. I let the contractor know straight away and I had to take one day off after the holiday break. I came back on the second week back whilst still in an excruciating amount of pain, as I didn't want to let the kids down. On my third week back I had a hospital appointment with a specialist on the one day a week that I happened to work at this school. This is when things started to go astray. The way things work here in the UK is that you have to stay with the same doctor that you first saw. This particular doctor was only open on Wednesday’s, ie the same day that I worked at this school. I tried to change my day, but there was no way to get around this. I explained this to the contractor and he accused me of lying, called me weak and said I had a “quit mentality”. Please see the attached back and forward exchange. I was completely taken aback, I don't ever expect anyone to talk to me like this and especially not someone who runs a business in an industry that safeguards children. I ended up reluctantly quitting the job via email, it was extremely bizarre that he thought he could put his foot down regarding a hospital appointment. I tried to arrange a phone call with him, but my calls and messages were ignored.
I think I was in an extremely privileged position because I wasn’t doing the job for money, it was genuinely something I did for passion. I guess that shifts the power balance. When you feel like you need a job to survive you’re willing to put up with a rude and disrespectful employer that has no regard for your health.
In addition to this, every school holiday he gets the team together for an 8 hour unpaid "catch up". Where we are expected to sit in a food court and discuss how we can be better practitioners. Like I said above I am passionate about this work, but this company in my opinion was taking advantage of it's employees' good nature. The use of emotionally manipulative language can be seen in the final exchange. I would love to hear your thoughts about our message exchange attached. I requested a call with him only to be ignored, that’s when I decided that this wasn’t a person that I wanted to work with. Thanks

I've had an app on the Google Play store for over 3 years without issue. Within weeks of each other, I received an email saying I am entitled to money from a class action lawsuit from Google. And another email saying my payments have been suspended and they need more information.
My app is a habit tracker app. All payments are made from the Android app, to Google, and they are supposed to pay us monthly.
I have submitted over five times now. Their question is:
Add details about the activity on your account. Then share your relationship with your buyers, and the business reasons for recent payments they've made to you.
Most recently I submitted this response:
This is habit tracker app, called [name].The only payments we receive are from users who want to upgrade to a premium membership, which will get them an ad free experience, and access to a premium chat group where users can talk to others who are quitting. This app has been in the app store for over 3 years without issue.
Memberships include $25 for lifetime access, or $7/month. Previous upgrades included $2/month for ad free only. Please note their country's exchange rate may vary in the exact price they pay.
And in less than an hour I receive this email:
We can't verify your payment information for the following reason(s):
•The rationale doesn’t explain the source of funds.
Please fix these issues and re-submit your information.
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Like... wtf does that mean?? Is it only a coincidence they are having to pay us for this class action lawsuit AND are now refusing to pay us money users think is going to the developers (which btw I had nothing to do with the lawsuit. I just received a random email informing me I'm entitled to money - I don't have anything to do with the actual lawsuit).
Has anyone else experienced this issue and actually resolved it? I'm so mad I'm at the point I'd rather pull the app from the Google Play store, instead of allowing Google to profit off my hard work. Google and Apple are bullies and have a clear monopoly. They give literally 0 rational or directions, force you to only use their payment processor and pay 15-30% (most processors charge 3%), and can just take your money for no reason, if they decide they want to.
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For those who don't know about the lawsuit - this is what the email explained:
In this class action lawsuit pending against Google, Plaintiffs claimed that Google monopolized (or attempted to monopolize) alleged markets related to the distribution of Android OS apps and in-app products, and engaged in unlawful tying conduct, in violation of U.S. and California law.
If you are a U.S. app developer that has earned not more than $2,000,000 per year selling apps and digital content in the Google Play store, you are entitled to an automatic payment ranging from $250 to amounts exceeding $200,000.

I have a cat, her name is Peanut and she’s my darling baby. She’ll be 3 this winter, and for the most part I adore every single she does, no matter how odd.
Except for the fact that approximately every 10 minutes she comes up to me and begins to meow and look sadly at me because she is apparently hungry. And she’s loud and persistent, so there’s no ignoring her, no matter what I’m doing. I open feed her, and I do my best to always keep her food topped up, so she should be able to just go and eat by herself. Except even when she’s sitting in front of the full plate of food, she will still stare up at me until she knows I’m watching, and then she’ll start eating. She even checks every so often that I’m still there, and will just walk away from her food if she doesn’t see me. And for a while I was like, okay, a bit annoying but she’s my darling, so I didn’t mind it too much. She didn’t do it as often when she was younger, but recently it really is every 10-15 minutes. I’ll sit down with her, she’ll eat a bit then wander away, and not long after she’ll interrupt me again to beg for me to sit with her. And it’s not a health issue, I don’t think, because if I’m not there (for example, when I’m at work) she’ll eat just fine. She just hates to eat without me. I wondered for a while if perhaps I wasn’t giving her enough attention, but she doesn’t snuggle unless it’s her idea, and even when I do snuggle with her for hours at a time, as soon as she’s done cuddling she turns around and starts the whole song and dance again. I’ve tried playing with her, but she rarely seems interested in the toys I have. Most of the time I can put up with it because I truly do love her, but sometimes I just can’t deal with it. When I’m really busy and she keeps interrupting, if I’ve already had a bad day and I’m trying to just distance myself from the world, if my patience has already been tested a lot, etc.
Anyone know why she does this? Is there anything that can be done? It’s not the end of the world if she does this for the rest of her life, but I’d definitely prefer if she doesn’t. Thanks! (I’m not on Reddit very much, so if I’ve made a mistake or something, sorry, let me know and I’ll fix it!)

Note: This is written from the point of view of being all autistic issues but I also have ADHD too. My ADHD has been properly diagnosed, but my Autism is self diagnosed. I am getting properly tested for Autism soon.
Like I may be physically 19 but I don't act like it. I still don't have a job (doesn't help that the few times I tried I never heard anything back, causing me to lose motivation), I still can't properly keep up my living space (I live in my parents basement and have a bathroom and a room, and especially the bathroom I have trouble keeping clean), even though I only have one course left to pass school I can't get myself to pass it (even though if I wanted to I more than easily could, my intelligence is more than high enough (English 12c btw)) but there is just some worry/fear of not feeling ready to graduate high school that seems to be stopping me, and I've always felt more comfortable around people that are roughly two years younger than me (been this way my whole life, but when I was little, depending on how little, the same was true for adults. Or I was just comfortable talking to adults and not other kids.) which is why most of my friends/people I hang out with are in like grade 11 still. The one friend my age I do have is really nice and I like hanging around him. But I just can't get myself to talk to him as easily and openly as my grade 11 friends to the point where I don't hang out with him as often as I should, which I feel kinda bad about. I also think I may have selective mutism so even with people I feel more comfortable around a may not end up talking that much compared to everyone else. It makes me worry that they think I'm not comfortable around them when I am I just can't get myself to talk for some reason. Though when that does happen I force myself to hang around them as long as they are comfortable with it, as an attempt to be even more comfortable around them to the point where I can speak fairly easily to them, as I am really trying to improve my social skills. Fortunately most of the people I hang out with have similar issues to me in one way or another too so there's probably a good chance that they kinda understand, at least a little, why I am acting the way I am.
I can't bring myself to tell any of this to my parents, I am just too uncomfortable with this stuff still for some reason. The only reason I could explain it so well here is because it is easier for me to explain stuff in writing, and I have been practicing my emotional processing too which is only something I can express in writing still. On top of that I know I am posting this on a form filled with people who have similar issues to me. Anyway, when this stuff does get brought up with my parents, my responses to them are very closed off and counter productive in terms of getting anywhere with my issues. I don't know what I should do. I want to lead a successful life but currently I'm still failing hard to do so. Even if I feel like I'm being successful at times, in reality I'm not as successful as I should be. I'd like to say I'm much better than I used to be and I aim to improve myself more and more every day, (obviously I'm better some days than others) but in so many ways my maturity is that of a 14-16 year old at most, maybe younger. With that logic I won't be ready to move out until I'm like 22-24 years old. My only "income" is the money my parents graciously give me weekly. While I'm grateful of course, I hate that in return I'm basically doing jack.
I don't know what I should do. Anyone else have similar issues? And what do you do to manage/improve them?

Hi reddit.
Throwaway account bc it feels like a sensitive situation.
I work in a small retail store in a fairly small town. We sell fairly expensive product, though we try our best to make everything as affordable as we can. It's a nice job, I needed it when it was offered to me, I got it against all odds, and it has to do with the field I want to make a career and life in. I started out super excited and now about six months in I literally dread going to work every day. I can't wait to get out at the end of every day, just because of this one coworker.
For context, I'm 24 and work with a handful of other people including the coworker in question, who's in his 50's. When I started he seemed really nice and wanted to take me under his wing and show me the ropes. And that quickly became me doing the majority of his job while he took the credit for it, and the rest of this mess.
I already felt weird about him because his walk didn't match his talk at work. We don't have any managers but he acts like one because he orders most of our product. But he literally barely does anything until he wants to look like he is. He sits up in his corner or his office and avoids helping with customers. Every now and then when product comes in he'll act busy and huff and puff and curse under his breath as he goes past us and customers. He's gotten in trouble before for cursing and yelling when customers are in the store. Has rage fits where he's thrown expensive product over his head to "move" it and broken things doing this. And literally every other person at our company does not like him, but they don't really fire people?? So he's still here.
I don't have a car and was walking to work every day for a few months without telling anyone, because I didn't want to make anyone go out of their way. But then I started having sleeping issues and not showing up as early as I used to and people started seeing me walk around the corner. So this coworker started offering me rides, and I took them every now and then at first because it meant I didn't have to walk every day. When more people started finding out I got more offers too, but he was always the first to text me in the mornings and it was fine at first.
Since he also freelances in the field I want to go into, he started inviting me to events he was working, having me help him with his equipment while driving to venues and watch "how the old guys do it" all the while telling me stories about other girls he'd take to do this, though always with the caveat, "Never anything below the belt." And I started to really get the skeevies, have avoided these kinds of trips since.
I've been made aware that he has used the company credit card to make personal purchases -- including sex toys for his wife?? who also works in the company btw -- and have them delivered to the store, then he just pays back the company over time. And he spends WAY too much of our bosses' money anyway buying product we don't need, or buying too much product that we physically don't have space for. Like recently a buy in for a company was around $35k at max for the products we needed and he made an order for $70k including a ton of product that is over the price range we try to keep in stock for our customer base. Like stuff we probably won't sell for years. It's just gonna sit in our back room with tons of other expensive stuff we keep there "until someone asks about it" but only get pulled out for people to see them and leave.
He leaves work early all the time, has an excuse to take off almost every weekend so the rest of us always have to work them. We've handled it well, and can handle ourselves, so that bit's just annoying. But it somehow it just feels like it gets worse every day.
Because then, on days where just he and I would be working, he started bringing up sexual topics. Now I can get close to people and talk about that stuff but I have specific childhood trauma related to older men and after they'd known me for awhile I'd opened up a bit to my immediate coworkers about it. So when it happened the first time and he started talking about porn him and his wife watched and his opinions on BDSM?? I told him politely that I didn't really like to get into these conversations because I wasn't in a good spot to talk about it. He continued, and because we had hours of work left and there's not much I can do without leaving my post, I just kinda sat through it with small additions to conversation until either the phone rang or a customer came in and I had a reason to get up/leave the conversation.
Then he started inviting me to their house saying we could cook dinner and he could show me music and stuff. I haven't accepted that. Then it got to the point where he was still inviting me to events and saying I could go with him and stay at their house and just come to work the next morning.
One time my dumbass left my phone at work and walked to my roommate's job to ask to use theirs to contact coworkers because I was scared about being home alone where we live with no way to call for help if i landed in an emergency situation. He was the only one who answered and after I used my roommate's car to get home (bc they wouldn't let me walk lol) he coordinated getting my phone with my roommate and showed up to their job to ask which apartment at our complex I lived in. My roomie was like, "Oh I can take it home to them when I get off!" To which this man responded, "No, I'd feel better if I just went and dropped it off myself." I, sitting alone at home, got a knock on the door and it was him, saying, "Special Delivery!" And smiling. Very kind, I'm very appreciative, but it feels weird with the context of everything else.
I've stopped taking rides from him so much recently and I think it's upset him. He's been a lot more pissy at work. I felt bad about still taking rides from him when I felt uncomfortable, but I really wanted to stop when he showed me a song saying, "I wanted to show it to you because I know we have similar trauma." And I don't want to play trauma olympics, but this man is referring to both of us having had left the same religion in our pasts. For context, he chose to leave because it didn't sit right with him anymore. I had sex for the first time when I was 18 and had to publicly step down from my leadership position and got put through what was basically a "redemption program" I ended up defecting from because it was so dehumanizing. It felt a lil more than mildly insulting after I'd opened up to him about some of what I'd been through.
My roommates watched me go from being excited about work to not talking about it at all, and when I finally told them what was going on they won't let me take rides from him and are driving me to and from work. My other coworkers just found out he's been inviting me to stay at their house and they're appalled and trying to get me to talk to our bosses about it.
Last week one of said other coworkers went to our boss about his rage fits and that led to a non-directed talk to all of us by our owner that was basically, "We want everyone to be happy coming to work, if you're unhappy please come talk to us." But it was worded in a way where I don't think he knew it was about him.
So now I'm getting a little pressure to take my situation to them because the doors have been opened for me to do so.
I'm just scared. Because I've been through far worse and know that I can handle it, albeit my being uncomfortable. I know how to navigate situations with creepy men, I used to work restaurants in the bar scene here. But the only people with authority in our company is our owner and co owner, and they're pretty hands off because they actively work alongside everyone else too while running everything.
If I do say something, what if they don't do anything? He's made it through so many fireable offenses without being fired, how would this be any different? Plus I feel bad thinking about the prospect of someone potentially losing their livelihood just because I, a person who has been here 6 months, is uncomfortable. If I speak up and nothing happens, what if the work environment becomes more uncomfortable and hostile?
So here's my question. Should I talk to my bosses, and if so how should I go about it? Should I just stay quiet and deal with it? Is there some kind of middle ground I'm not considering?
Thank you for reading if you got this far and thank you for any advice that may be offered in advance <3

‘Surviving The Win’.
…
Chapter 009 - A.
…
Santa Claus, had initially checked his list, and found that a Fairy Pipe had made its way into request, in the 21st Century.
The Fairy Pipe, is to be given to Andrew Thomlinson, he conceded, turning through some papers, although he couldn't make out why it said, from, “Eldritch.”
Was it more likely, Nicholas had wondered, that Eldritch was a nod to the entirety of the Elf Kingdom as the name would seem to suggest, or merely the alleged person, named Eldritch Spellbound.
Who is that, Nick? asked Mrs. Claus, coming forward with a glass of milk for her husband, and a bowl of milk for their cat.
As far as I know, he announced, Eldritch is the sort of person, who only ever existed, in the mind of, Avem Smith. However, he continued, Eldritch is also the nickname of one of our young beneficiaries in the future, by the name of Andrew. His name appears as such, as of 2004, anyhow.
…
Nick walked out of their Fairytale Cabin to the Shed Of Lost Objects, located by their Barn where the Reindeer could be found.
“Curio Adhurio,” he reacted aloud, upon locating the small Smiling Rock. It was on a Shelf, and would later find it’s way into Perry’s hands. We should let Ben out for a while, he stated. He continued to leave the Shed, carrying a bottle of Zinfandel, as well. The reason for this, not being altogether evident, yet.
Carrying both items out to the Elf’s Workshop (an enchanted, overlarge, walk-in, OMRISS Cupboard), which operated by an ancient Medean Mean (or, Magical Modality), wedding each and every promulgatory to it’s prime, and by sāwa (an Arabic word, meaning to regularize or settle), as it is related to their word imil for make or do, unless of course by istahwā/h-w-y
اِسْتَهْوَى
Meaning to fill with passion, to make desirous, to enamour, to seduce, and/or to gain.
An en-dezlegare or resolver… with a key.
…
The entrance to this Elf's Workshop, was about large enough to afford a small to regular-sized person through. He found it propped open.
The Bottle of Zinfandel, known as Zin was a “Goesting”/“Lust,” Alcohol.
…
The elves, as usual, were hard at work.
Claus rang their work Bell. In his hand, he held the Silver Key Ring. He told them all to cease, and leave for approximately 45 minutes. They would alert Mrs. Claus. He needed her outside, once they were in the Cabin.
The elves ceased their work in the shop and exited.
Pitching the Rock onto a clear spot on the Floor of the Room, he poured out an Offering of Zinfandel, before closing and locking the Giant Omriss Door.
The Clauses waited outside the Cupboard 40 minutes and then into early Dusk.
Instinctively, their cat, “Loose,” came forward to light the way for both Nick, and Ma.
…
They were feeding the Reindeer when it happened. A peculiar light shone, from out of the window of the Shed Of Lost Objects.
Nick saw this, and took it as his cue to walk back over to The Shed Of Lost Objects. The Delva La Plume Pipe had appeared. Nick went in to retrieve it.
Supposedly, it had been made of Tatter’s Old Trick, “Flower.”
Good!... he stated, portentiously satisfied.
Walking back with it, he was addressed by Mrs. Claus, who couldn’t really see why Nick hadn’t just settled for one of their Poinsettias, or crafted a pipe, himself. She returned to the Cabin.
…
15 further minutes in, and Santa had heard a Loud Thump in the Giant OMRISS. He stood back, and unlocked the door... then, opening.
Ben? Is that you in there?
Yes it’s me Mr. Claus, said the depth of a murky voice of rather picky decisiveness. He was hidden in the shadows.
Well, come forward. I have something of yours. Actually, something of importance to discuss, about it. I need your blessing. Is this your Delva La Plume Pipe?
Yes, we’ll of course, replied Ben. It’s blessed by Lasagna.
May I give it away to someone? Nick’s voice wavered a little. He was referring to, “Ben’s,” Delva La Plume Tobacco Pipe, after all. It being a very sensitive matter to open about, let alone giving it away.
Golly, Nick? what are you going to give me in return for it? This Flower Pipe is a Sacred Item of mine. It had the Blessing of a Pixiu Money Dragon’s Yen. Those pertain to Ien/Tobacco Smoke, and of course Gum, as Resin. How did you find it, by the way?
Only by how lost you were, yourself, Ben. Which is why I summoned you to confiscate it. You hold to too much, making you your own lost artefactuary. How about I give you a job, to occupy yourself with? Do you mind?
Stepping forth a, “Krampus-looking,” Ben, known as, “GAAP (for Lust),” to the Hebrews’ Demonolators, appeared as a dark fog, with two cool yellow eyes. What type of job, asked Ben. He was most perturbed by the idea of losing his tie to the Dragon. It had been near him, almost his entire life. Now, he’d been bidden back in time to see Nick.
Nick handed him a Blessed Fairy Birch Twig, stating, I would like you to watch over Andrew.
Ben, agreed. Okay, no problem! But how do you want me to be to any of the men or women on the merchant’s end of the tally involved. Those with Tobacco… or, furthermore, Andrew, himself. What about the picture?
Mainly, Nick asked? The Saint, now being shocked, and a bit sorry to hear the Demon's plaintive-sounding consideration. Mainly, I pray you’ll treat them mercifully. I bid you off of them. First, however, I have something to read to you.
What could that be? asked Ben, a little agitated.
What I have here, is the boy named Andrew's, soul legal, written out.
A legal, why would he have even needed it? Asked Ben.
He was Naughty, said Nick.
And you still want to give him my pipe? Ben was flabbergasted and shook his head in disapproval, The fog dissipating and then reaccumulated.
Yes, but if it’s any consolation, I’m having you involved on the matter of this topic, to assign you to a task. You can follow me around for gift deliveries.
Okay, he sighed, let me hear it. Away!...
An Elf of exceptional hearing, well guarded, and of swift feet, ran out to take the pipe away, and then ran back to the cabin.
After a medium-length discussion, Ben was satisfied, and entered back into the Cupboard.
Santa’s last words to Ben, were… Just, be moderate. You are, by your Goetic, “Lust Spirit,” naming, a commoderator of amounts of passion in dibs, but we need to keep that, clean. You also put the Darker Passions into what you see to. I’m going out on a limb here, but hopefully that very thing, won't impact anything, other than our N’Oel Nights, and the Pipe. You know how we aim to role our Presence, in the World.
…
The Winged-and-Horned Shade, of Ben, after clamouring back into the Cupboard, was silent.
Slowly… and MOST surely, Santa twisted the Silver, Locking Key. This, without a word of lib, and doing so, with a certain determination.
It must be noted, that a similar smaller make of this magical re-animating Cupboard, later made a popular movie.
Not without stress, Nick later wiped his brow. I hope he didn't have too hard a time with this new arrangement… Nick had been sweating for what he might end up having to go through over the Holiday visits (with Ben in tow, that is).
Pulling a delivery sack, from out of the Barn and coming back to the Cupboard again. He opened it a final time.
He found only the rock on the floor, and after sweeping away the muddy dirt, and doing a bit of cleaning, he put the rock, pipe, and bottle of goestling into the pack. He had Mrs. Claus file all of the Elves, then, into the OMRISS, bidding them, goodnight.
Upon awakening, they would be only noddy toys. Except for the good ones. Those? The immortal Hadibi’ndula.
…
Remember:

1. The OMRISS is a Real World Cupboard. While Fictional in it’s Movie-Premise, it is a had in of Nursery Rhyme in it’s very Sinching Synopsis. A bidden in of Fairy Tales, and built to the scale of a Mother-Hubbard-Sized hole in a home, it Sinter Crofts, as though enchanting Knacked Wood. While bidding, “idle-timed,” it neither ins wood living nor dead, but delivers any of it, and all of it, to take off as life anew, by how it had new life in it ever bidden. In this way, it is alike a Comardin'd Haduzen Christic.
2. The Former Word Gas, mentioned in the Chapter on Goz, Relates to Gos and Gauze, or Phantoms, as well as Petroleum. Thus, Benzine.
3. The Suffix of Which, “-Zin,” rather, as a, “Zinfandel,” Is a Goestling Alcohol, or Alcohol Spirit, and, when by the Phantom Bal/The Ghostling Ben, is the Lusty Demon, named GAAP/TOAB.

• This, in particular, is alleged, and while found in Aleister’s involvements of his acclaimed Solomonic Magic, none of his work, may be taken overly seriously, as for any good. That is, because, if the Demon Science is truly a Fatherless/Bastard science of no good method or intention to God, reading it puts your soul in jeopardy.

As it is load of diabol heresy, and when we know that Demon’s are indeed real, it surfeits your God will, to operate as his accountancy-recastecaller (in a, however bidden), and the very need of reform of a man with No God Say. He was lored as a religious Ba’aler of religion… to say that it mattered, but as caste, and with spirit possessions admitting him forward, not enough concession of (God) control, could be in it. The unholy Ceremonial Art, if made, not only by unholiness, but impious countenance being his main ten.

• If I must, I would mock my own writing for yet another true as in bidden moment, to have you read in, yet another line of beneficial advice. The Holier People, as well as other People of Age Enough to Drink, can control the Spirits as mentioned above, only as insofar AS a Zinfandel might be their only reality (or any other Alcohol), but not the Demons, themselves.

They, for Judaeo-Christians Prophets, need a proper coursing (as routed out and then sealed, as out in a sanction, and never bidden). Also, demons must occasionally be bound and cast into the pit or hellfires, though this turns a Carnic Karmal relaying, of, which they do create by their being off-put, which causes a hay, when it need be maintained as a need for reminders of moral hall-calls. That is, not fraternizing amourishly over them.
Reason as in it, being, that it enburdens followers by demon lawing, and the apostates then vie for their pry at buying out the prelacy, by fay-way none the wary, no matter where Revelations had in. We need Fellowship's Service, in gracious God support. Not con-arded rapture of hierarchical courts. Not all is bidden. Heretic in me.
Alcohol, apart from all and any demon loring, is at a shy when imbibing wisdom for Heaven, and therefore, not recommended for anyone (especially not those who are ill of conscience, judgementally off righteous God call, or leprous).
The reason why, being if the person were ill, they were already unclean and alcohol is low-kosher. This means that, if any were taken, only a little should be allowed, and only for one, as we do not want all people on it.
If a proper handle is lacking, then it is recommended left out of it.

1. For the purposes of this story, Santa only drinks milk, and no Zinfandel, is had, by either of the Clauses, nor their elves.

Aside from alcohol, people need to possess a Spiritual Sobriety. Minding what God says being of the utmost importance in how they do. This is important to maintaining God Line Vitality to the Prayer, aiding the power of Scripturally Appropriate Discernment in Usefully Testifying Matters, as well as being a Better Bid, on the off, for Righteous Judgement Calls in Heaven’s Jurisdictional Witness and Guard the Flock, and Any, helping All the Kingdom to know Him (The Christ), and Life itself.
…
Well, Ben's off to drive Andrew crazy! Pa mumbled to himself, coming back into the Cabin.
Andrew doesn’t know, but that Osé of his, is a Snow Leopard/Uncia Uncia, which exemplifies Unk/Twain/Wit, through an Ounce/One, making it’s Were-Cat/Ju-Ju transformation, by All One, as an Oni Spirit.
The Oni, will now, I hope, feel only occasionally bidden to discipline Children with the Madenning, “Fairy Birch Twig,” and only the Naughty, as a Krampus, and while around the Winter’s Holiday when I can Supervise and offer Gifts to People.
…
How did you win Ben, so fast? Ma asked.
I told him that Andrew was divining with a Dictionary, by Bibliomancy or Book-Fortune-Telling, and got landed with the names Spellbound and Eldritch before 2004, Monarch and Bishop in 2007, and then finally, in 2020, Signature. That making a minimum of 5 Nicknames.
Signature? said Mrs. Claus. How dreadful. The pipe is Andrew's then?
By all accounts I'd have to say so, but my Records mention, the Pipe is to be given, from Eldritch.
Where should we send it to? she asked.
As no Eldritch Spellbound truly exists, I suppose we should send it to all of El-Dom, until such a time as Andrew receives it.
…
I’ve got the document right here. It truly says it all.
Andrew thought that random lot drawing was only a random act. But it’s that very random act that plods (if not by plotting), a path. Some forms of lot drawing are unbidden. We leave it at, that Andrew, hadn’t known God.
Later, he figured that the white light leading him through pages of his (fortune-told), Self-Naming Ceremonies was a Holy Spirit Guide, when it was, in fact, an Evil, Insanity, Demon Spirit named Osé, making him follow a long, drawn-out, Ghost-Written, Trail, of, “Eldritch”/”Creature”/”Bucca,” “Monarch”/”King”/”Faust,” and, “Bishop”/”Pope”/”Jack Frost, naming.
He had a Signature written out on a Letter to Christ, when he divined the word Signature, though!
Oh, is Signature his name, now?! Look after all names, they said? This little man is responsible for having us look after everyone, then… She gave a faint laugh, then wincing in the snow. His Birth Name, though?
He wrote it out prior, unwittingly.
Where was it located? asked Mrs. Claus.
Well, on a Note to God saying, more-or-less, that he’s a, “Psalm 139”/”Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”-Believing, as well as an, “Isaiah 11”/”God's Animal Safety Promise”-Indebted, “Over-Kill-Joy,” Repentant Sinner who goes over the top obsessively in small circuits, but still believes in The Lord.
Do you think he’s ready for this Fairy Pipe? Asked Mrs. Claus.
It came from Tatter’s Flower, and Ben had it enchanted somehow, with a Dragon, said Nick admitted embarassed. Anyhow, Andrew aimed to confess that he’s a, “1 Corinthians 5:5 Repentant,” and will have to wait to see the Christ, without usurping the Church, by abiding good protocol in the World. In the Interim… Not really. I think he needed to feel gifted.
Nick! Ma warned. This could go horribly wrong! Well, what? Do you think he’s acquitted of it, by Secret Societies involvements over his head, ‘surping him by summonry?
If they Governed his Movements, that’s why the coincidences are down to Spirits of Wickedness in High Places being the multiple homes he's moved to. Anyhow, let’s have some Hallongrotta.
Remind me again, why The Delva La Plume is the one he needs and not a Poinsettia. Mrs. Claus asked.
He needs one that’s Christened/Named, and, Ma! Pa whined, lastly, it's not that there aren't other Fairy Pipes to be made, but I’m pretty sure they have to be prayed for, to be received properly. This is the right one for, “El's New Nativity.”
I’ve had enough Nicholas, and you even wasted our Zinfandel. I’ll see you in the morning.
…
As for, on whether, he was Signed?
I just so happen to know he's still in Osé, and not all-out Satan malurky! Nick fittered secretly to a mouse, Osé means honorific title in Japanese.
But how was it to be… In Ba’al or even exorcizable..
Andrew Thomlinson, sat in his room, browsing the Global News and Weather, on his Smart Phone's Internet. The year was 2018.
Kali? he asked. Are you sure we should do this? He put out a cigarette into his ash mug (a rather conventional ashtray?).
One more, Magic Drew Bear, his cherubim replied.
Well, you said three, but I don’t know, he said.
They were onto a third.
Then they'll know that you and I are meant to be.
A third fire, could put the world in dire peril… Andrew, hesitated. Both fell in Phantom Love over never meeting and discovering Opera.
You know, I don't really believe in this stuff, but who am I? I'm not real. Everything's realler than I am! We'll make it three fires and that way, if your theories are true, we'll be able to locate them and prove them and if they locate you, we can find a way of announcing our love before them all. I'm sure they'll manage a way of bringing us together, that way.
…
But Kali, who are you, again, asked Andrew, dearly, and half disbelieving as he picked up another cigarette. You called me a Magic Drew Bear one day, and I'm not lying, that won my heart, but I don't even own the better part of my own apartment or dollar to get us started off together, yet. How will we ever find a way to live together?
You'll come to get me from the East Coast of Canada, she said. In all regalia, and sweep me off my feet... Either that, she said, or you'll meet me at my hospital.
That story always changes.
…
Kali had met him, at first, in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, in a vision, where she had stood outside his apartment window shuffling her feet, but when Andrew had looked, she hadn't actually been there.
At least, that's how it had started.
Now it was that, the two, were playing a very dangerous game, of placing Faustian Fairytale bets, on the landscape of the, "known," world.
In, “Clement.”
On one hand, Andrew believed in girls, on the other hand he didn't know why he had to feed this one birdfood or get off his butt and find a job, before the war or, better still, he didn't know why he had to lend to starting the minor Apocalypse, which would inevitably start the war, then followed up by the real Apocalypse, afterward. Nobody ever let him in on those sorts of dire detailings.
It's an Ion.
Like a Kirby, you're saying? His friend couldn't believe him. The pink demon puffoon from the video games?
Well, the way I see it, all fires are synchronized in some way, though they never appear so. Think of two synchronized blinking lights. Now, command them ionic. Only, those two lights fly around, and sync their, "behaviours and patterns," while all over the place, or the planet. And then, take it one step further... they're never truly only even ONE pair.
Why do they fly around?
I think they fly around to examine every known or unknown thing in existence. When they're at rest, it's because they've found enough Spark, Combustible Material, and my guess is, Air. They're really all over the Universe that way, only we can't tell for their Disparity and Scale and the Fires.
So they just inhale, things combust, and then they dwell in their ember and/or maybe die down a bit to continue? Yeah... Drew, that's lame. Kirby's not a real demon.
But don't you see. I know that! They're not actually Kirby. They're one little ion commanding an existence circuit.
Then the question I'd ask is, are they (or is it), necessary to existence, or better yet, do they command it?
You know what? Since I saw the manifestation of those fires on the ninth of September, from my bet with, "Invisible," Kali, last year, I'm kinda growing more wary of flickering lights...
…

• CRACK! *

“WHAT ON EARTH WAS THAT?!!!”
…
A Lady stepped out of a Car and turned to face the two of them.
The Card: "Sparing you any details on how my ashes may have been in slight, I've commanded you into my furnace for how the furnishings were not in right."
~ Andrew writes loopy letters, said one girl, while giggling, back in his Junior High. And I couldn't tell who he was trying to impress. You... Or Jim Davis. ~ A Bat flew in and settled into the tree (it had been the Eaves Trough).
OKAY... Tags off, and Let Me Know How Everything Fits! His mom, got back into the car, waved and drove off.

v0.7.3 is here and quite quickly from the last release. v0.7.3 was originally designed to be a release where I would bring a really awesome set of features I've been dreaming about, but unfortunately, I hit challenge after challenge each step of the way. Instead of making the community wait months for me to solve all the challenges with them, I decided to release early and keep working on them slowly in the background. With that in mind, you will still see some nice additions to Kavita in this release and a heck of a lot of polish all around. Let's get into it.
Web Links This is something I am most excited about and have been really enjoying, especially for something coming in v0.7.4. Web links are external websites that have some relation to a series, like an AniList entry, a Plex entry, etc. A series can have many different weblinks and Kavita will attempt to download a favicon for the website, else fallback to Kavita's own icon (you can raise a PR and submit one yourself).
Streamlined EncodeAs Kavita has offered the ability to save covers and bookmarks in WebP or the default png for quite some versions, but in Kavita v0.7.3, we added AVIF support. What if users wanted to save their media in AVIF instead of WebP? This release, we redesigned the encoding process so you have full control over what is used. (Note: You MUST update the Save As Encoding if you were previously using WebP. This update will not carry that over for you.)
Media Errors This is one I took inspiration from Komga, but have you ever had Kavita not pickup on a file and wondered why? Did you not want to search through the logs to figure it out? Well now, you can just go to Admin -> Media and see a list of all issues present during a scan (and even when you open Epubs for reading). This is extremely helpful and should help those with massive collections find what Kavita doesn't process.
EPUB Love This release I also spent a lot of time working on the epub parser so that Kavita could support reading list and collection generation from epubs, much like we have with ComicInfo.xml. Tons of work went into table of content generation (when there isn't one in the epub file), link mapping, css support, etc. Overall the book reader should perform much better and have more true-to-the-book rendering.
Overall this release is full of quality of life enhancements and polish. Next release I have something interesting in store. Thank you to all that have helped out in this release, especially those who gathered the many favicons. I appreciate all you do.
The full release can be found here.

Added

• Added: Kavita will now report basic information to the user on when media errors occur, like invalid structural metadata (epubs) or bad archives. This can be found in Admin -> Media tab. Please provide feedback so we can tweak the experience.
• Added: Kavita can now create Collections from title-type='collection' tags and reading lists when accompanied by display-seq and a count > 0. See the wiki for updated documentation.
• Added: Epubs can now use the refines=file-as to explicitly set sort title, which will override taking from belongs-to-collection or calibre:series
• Added: Added basic ISBN search which will show the chapter
• Added: Explicitly capture more people roles from Epubs. Now, translator, artist, publisher, editor, etc can all be extracted from refines tags.
• Added: Added support for building reading lists and collections from Epubs
• Added: Paper book reader theme
• Added: Added the ability to import multiple comma separated links from the Web tag from ComicInfo.xml and view them on Chapter level details
• Added: Added the ability to add multiple links at Series level and thus the ability to click them from within Kavita
• Added: Weblinks can now fallback to Kavita hosted favicons (on our main site), thus enabling a way for the community to submit ones which Kavita cannot parse that will benefit all installs.
• Added: Added ISBN support for Chapters in Kavita. This can be parsed from epubs (isbn) or ComicInfo.xml (GTIN from 2.1 Spec). For GTIN, note that ISBN-10 are not supported. Valid ISBNs only will be saved, invalids will be rejected.
• Added: Kavita now supports AVIF (8-bit only) out of the box. 10-bit will not work.
• Added: You can now use AVIF for saving Kavita managed files (covers, bookmarks, favicons)

Changed

• Changed: Removed an additional ComicInfo read when comicinfo is null when trying to load. But we've already done it once earlier, so there really isn't any point.
• Changed: How we check if a container is docker or not has been streamlined and hopefully more reliable (This fixes saving server settings for Unraid issues)
• Changed: Expanded Table of Contents generation (aka where Kavita tries to generate a simple one with epub doesn't have one) to also check for navigation.xhtml as well as toc.xhtml.
• Changed: Updated EpubReader to v3.3.0 which adds Epub 3.3 support
• Changed: Added more page hacks when invalid keys are used in the epub when rewriting anchors
• Changed: Updated the app to Angular 16. No user facing changes.
• Changed: Strip more forms of comments (especially ones that shouldn't be in CSS files) from CSS before parsing/inlining in epub reader
• Changed: Handle if ExCSS throws an exception during inlining and attempt to fallback to scoping css instead of inlining.
• Changed: When there are duplicate files that make up a volume, show the count on series detail page, like we do with chapters
• Changed: Authentication now expires after 2 days. Refresh tokens will attempt to keep user logged in by refreshing authentication every 10 minutes.
• Changed: Removed old migrations for Kavita startup. Only migrations from v0.72 onwards are present.
• Changed: Disable login button when a login is in-progress. This can help prevent lock out.
• Changed: (API) Added NoContent responses when APIs don't find entities
• Changed: Reading list page refreshes after updating info in the modal
• Changed: Updated initial install default keys to be 256 bits for the encryption. You may be logged out and have to reauthenticate or change your token key to "super secret unguessable key" and restart (which will allow Kavita to regenerate the key for you)
• Changed: Modified the docker entrypoint script to copy in the appsettings.json config rather than manually write a new one via echo
• Changed: When rounding bytes to human readable (ie 2MB), if there is a decimal that is not .0, show it
• Changed: (BREAKING CHANGE) Save Bookmarks/Covers as WebP has been removed. There is a new setting called Encode Media As. This will allow you to select PNG, WebP, and AVIF. All Kavita managed media (bookmarks, covers, favicons) will use that globally. You cannot convert from WebP/AVIF back to PNG. For covers, you will have to regenerate them. Bookmarks and favicons cannot be changed back. (favicons can be deleted manually by admin and regenerated naturally)
• Changed: Streamlined tasks for convert to offer just a single task that does everything.
• Changed: Moved to using pre-calculated extension for sending stats rather than doing it on the fly
• Changed: When adding a rating for a series for the first time, don't prompt to write a review.
• Changed: Refresh tokens will now reauthenticate every 10 mins to ideally never let a user have to log out
• Changed: Expanded the range of time in which a version update check can occur
• Changed: Reading list page refreshes after updating info in the modal

Fixed

• Fixed: Added better fallback implementation for building table of contents based on the many different ways epubs are packed and referenced.
• Fixed: Fixed docker users unable to save settings
• Fixed: Fixed a bug in mappings (keys/files) to pages that caused some links not to map appropriately.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where continue reading was wrong in an edge case scenario
• Fixed: Fixed another edge case where continue reading opened the wrong chapter
• Fixed: Fixed an issue where jumpbar would be disabled when it shouldn't, like on bookmarks page
• Fixed: Fixed processing logic error that if StoryArcNumber is empty, then multiple StoryArc's are not processed (similar would occur if multiple StoryArcNumber's are present for a single StoryArc).
• Fixed: Fixed inclusion of spaces in multiple StoryArc's due to ', ' as a common CSV format.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where an empty space could throw an error when creating a library.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where spreads could stretch on PC
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where reading list dates couldn't be cleared out
• Fixed: Fixed an issue where create library wouldn't take into account advanced settings
• Fixed: Fixed an issue where selection of the first chapter of a series to pull series-level metadata could fail in cases where you had Volume 2 and Chapter 1, Volume 2 would be selected.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug which caused refresh token to always return invalid
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where Kavita couldn't parse Series name when there was no volume/chapter keywords and a chapter range (ie Series 001-003)
• Fixed: Encode filenames before sending them to the UI for downloading to prevent non-english characters being replaced by underscore
• Fixed: Added support to parse ComicInfo.xml when they have empty single tags
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where spreads could stretch on PC in manga reader
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where reading list dates couldn't be cleared out
• Fixed: Fixed an issue where create library wouldn't take into account advanced settings
• Fixed: Fixed an issue where selection of the first chapter of a series to pull series-level metadata could fail in cases where you had Volume 2 and Chapter 1, Volume 2 would be selected.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where scan series wouldn't trigger word count analysis nor cover generation.
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where reading list ending month wouldn't render correctly
• Fixed: Fixed a slight offset in reading list item not read badge
• Fixed: Fixed a bug where reading list month wasn't rendering correctly

Need poppers and thigh highs

I (25 F) have been dating a man (40) for six years. He owns a small business (a startup when we met) and has always thrown a lot of the work from the business onto me, while he works a full time sales job and manages his own investment properties.
When we met I was living in an apartment with my young son, but my boyfriend bought that building as an investment property and moved us into his home. I also worked full time as a freight broker making a comfortable living and becoming fairly successful at it. My partner constantly nagged me about working too much, not investing in him, would pick fights when I wasn't avaliable to help him. It got to the point where I got a write up for answering his business line during work hours after he had absolutely insisted. I decided instead of risk burning bridges I'd step away, citing an inability to prioritze my customers as much as they required.
Stupidly I have been working for my partner without a formal paycheck, allowing him to pay the household bills, my car payment, and working 24/7 on his projects. Answering phones, driving routes when needed, building business relationships, doing all marketing and social media, remodeling apartments, landscaping our home and his investmet properties. I work constantly, but he's becoming more and more discontented. We've had some major blow up fights lately around me not providing to the household income, even though every time I've offered to go back to work he shuts it down immediately. This week we are supposed to be on a vacation we've been hyping up to my son (now 7) for months, he cancelled it because he "doesn't get any help". Even though it was already paid in full just to make a point. He has started forcing his way through locked doors and refusing to allow me any privacy, and then recording me during every fight as "evidence" because he doesn't want me to be able to file any charges against him. (Not that I'm trying to, I'm not very pro cop) .
Is there any way for me to salvage the years I've dumped into building a successful company? Am I entitled to any compensation for the time? I have no savings left and no idea how I'd leave and get back on my own two feet. I do not have any friends (he didn't approve of any of them) or family to fall back on.
We are in Iowa, USA

I have professional expertise on this subject (therapist with 21+ years experience, over half of it exclusively with children/teens), so I thought I would weigh in. I actually knew a family who did just this with the ashes - and actually encouraged the child to "talk" to the ashes. And yes, I do believe it messed the kid up on some level. I gently advised the family to stop, saying it was distressing the child, and they did and things got better.
Death is a very abstract concept when you think about it. We don't know for sure what happens after we die. Western culture prizes youth and fears death and dying. Western adults tend not to deal with with grief and the thought of their own mortality, therefore kids can struggle. I argue that the length of time one spends grieving is not a reflection of how much the deceased individual was loved, and people grieve in different ways. One thing I do advise across the board is that typically it takes about 2 years for things to settle down and feel somewhat normal again after a major loss, therefore if possible it's better to hold off on any major decisions/purchases during that timeframe, as people tend to regret ones made sooner.
I had a delayed reaction to my own mother's death - at 6 months when I sold her house, and again at 2 years when I realized I was still not coping well. Things got much better once I recognized that. I scattered some of her ashes along with her beloved Labrador's at a beach we used to visit when I was a child - that was very healing. I still keep some of the ashes, because it's comforting to have them, but trust me, they are in a basement cabinet I very rarely open and I know they're there and that's enough.
Now let's look at Amanda and her kids. She is clearly still grieving. We don't make good choices when we are going through loss, whether it is death, divorce, loss of a job, etc. Kids take their cue from the adults. If the adult is coping well, they will cope better. Her taking off for three weeks to meet the guy would be a bad situation WITHOUT the cameras documenting everything.
The other problem is, kids at this age (according to theorist Piaget, who had a theory of cognitive development in children) are either preoperational or concrete operational, meaning they are very LITERAL. There's a reason the term "concrete thinking" exists. If I had to guess, they likely think dad is really and truly living inside that box. Adults have a responsibility to explain things VERY carefully to children. I can't tell you how many people will complain to me that their kids have insomnia after the death of a loved one. My first question: "Did you explain death by saying the person went to sleep and didn't wake up?" Again, kids take things literally. Also, they are naturally egocentric and will worry the same thing will happen to them.
So here's what I would recommend in a situation like this.

1. It's fine to have the ashes in a box or an urn. Lots of people do this. But leave it in one place that is a bit out of sight so it's not a constant reminder. I worked with a kid who lost dad and the family had a beautiful little pendant made with some of the ashes that the kid could wear *when he wanted to*. Adults shouldn't push these things on kids
2. Amanda obviously needs grief therapy and to get off TV, as everyone in this sub already recognizes.
3. There are many GREAT children's books about death that can alleviate the kids' concerns and prompt questions that hopefully a responsible adult can answer for them in a comforting but non-emotional way. This would go a long way to reassure them.
4. Always validate kids' concerns and put yourself in THEIR shoes. For example, my father-in-law was in an open casket and my son, 13 at the time, did not want to see his Nono like that. He was extremely anxious. But we had to go to the funeral. I explained to him that what was in the casket was just a shell, not any different that shells we found on the beach - what made Nono "Nono" was long gone. That helped a lot to get him through the experience.
5. Take things day by day, even hour by hour in the beginning.
6. If you know someone who is grieving, don't suggest they should get over it faster, suggest the person "is in a better place," or try to help in ways that don't help. It's fine to just sit with them quietly. Or ask what they need in that moment.
7. There is a great, free group called GriefShare I always recommend to people. You can go to their website and plug in your zip code and find a group. Your local hospital may have grief groups as well. They really do help.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I think we all know how Amanda's situation is going to play out, and my hope is that it fizzles on the trip to Romania so she doesn't affect the kids' lives further by getting to the K1 process. If it were just Amanda, I'd be way more invested in the storyline but of course, with the kids involved, it feels icky. It's one thing for adults to mess up their own lives - we have the right to do that - but with kids...they deserve the world and the best we can give them. <3

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Hello,
I have no idea what to do, and I am very afraid.
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I am afraid that if I come out, I will be jailed for a crime I – supposedly, under duress and under circumstances we couldn’t change at all, committed. I am afraid that because I waited so long – and still waiting – to report this, that I will be blamed for my silence, and because I am the only one able or willing to come out about it. So, I am here to vent it out, to see if anything can be done. I do not want to be barred from leaving this country over something that if I could have stopped, I would have.
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For some background, my family is an odd one. My mother, Annette, is a highly religious woman (cult-ish is better wording), who has done every kind of abuse to me under the sun, except for but toeing the line of sexual abuse. She has triangulated my family against each other, with only her being the “good one”. She made herself as close to a god as one can try to make themselves out to be. She was able to keep me away from the police, as we’ve had some bad experiences in the past (the only ones I remember were traffic issues, but they were bad enough to leave a taste in my mouth), not to mention she was paranoid to the point she thought she was being gang stalked.
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My sister, Annamarie, is similarly terrible, doing the same things Annette had, with beating me, starving me, yelling and screaming, and many other things. She neglected my disabled sister, to the point of her being emaciated.
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Our other sister, Aquamarine, is disabled heavily, as she can’t talk, has limited mobility, and – as infantilizing as this may sound, but the most compacted way I can explain it – she is like a toddler in mental age and capabilities.
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And my father, who has done every abuse too, including sexual, but our feelings about him are complicated. It’s harder to hate a dead man who was murdered by my mother, especially when she got worse once she got away with it. I’m getting ahead of myself though.
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I have audio recordings of what happened, the area it was recorded in is a one-party consent state, but it allows for some lead up and a time frame. I will have to be a little vague, as I am worried the police will track me and… well, I would rather not find out what happens if I’m to be locked up in a room with nothing to do but be afraid of intimidating police officers screaming at me for 48 hours.
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We lived in a house where there were three houses, two storage units, and whatever extra knickknacks my mom continued to buy all rolled into one house; we were basically hoarders. We had boxes everywhere with tiny trails between the six- and seven-feet walls of boxes, we had mice and rats, we had insects, and it was constantly dirty. We did not have an A/C or working evaporate cooler, which is extra bad in Arizona summers. And the worst part about this is, my father is diabetic.
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In June, my mother and I had left to go to Flagstaff in Arizona, and we had been there the entire day and for some of the night. By the time we got back, my dad was severely dehydrated, and my sister had refused to refrigerate the Gatorade we provided, so he didn’t drink it. In the end, he ended up falling into a coma.
​
After this, we loaded him into a car, everyone got into it, and we all left for Phoenix, and then later into California. For at least an entire 24 hours, we were stuck in a heavily cramped car, in a hot area, with very little water breaks, and just running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
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My mother did not go to a hospital. Between Arizona and California, my sister and my mother told me that they heard my dad “burp” while I was asleep between AZ and CA, which I suppose would be a death groan. I do not know which state his death happened in.After an entire day driving around in the hot California heat, going through hell’s half acre, we ended up in Blythe, CA, and to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A police officer harassed us for several minutes while we were attempting to sleep, before we were finally allowed to rest. Afterwards, we drove all the way to Arizona, and the abuse ramped tenfold until I finally left.
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I do not know where my disabled sister is, and I don’t doubt she might be currently being abused. I do not know where my sister and my mom went; all I know is that they stayed in Arizona. I do not know if my dad has a life insurance policy, or how to request a death certificate; all I know is that his death was ruled out as a heart failure, instead of murder via intentional medical neglect, and that my mother was very happy and “thanked god that my father is now burning in hell”. Suffice it to say, it was very much intentional.
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I have moved far away, and I do not have the time nor funds to go back, even if I wanted to – as I’ve left things I want to gain back, such as awards, childhood toys, and such. I do not think I can report it here. I do not know if I should, even at the risk of my disabled sister’s health. I have called CPS, but they have not been able to find anyone at the house. I have voice recordings, but I have yet to redact any information that might be too identifying, though if anyone is interested, I might get around to that.
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I also don’t have money to blow out the wazoo for lawyers, especially not for two in two different states. I don’t want to be locked up in a pen for the rest of my days, and I do not have any family members I can get into contact with to help, as I’ve never met any of them in any years I remember them, much less contact them.
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I may end up being a silent victim, because it is too much of a risk to myself for me to speak up. Any advice will be appreciated. I may answer questions, but I will probably stay vague for my own safety. I hope this all made sense.

I was thinking about the last few years the other night and it got me thinking that our society is tired.
Since March of 2020, the world has become a very different place. Covid came and changed everything. People I knew began dropping like flies. First, older people died from it, then it took people in their 30s and 40s. Everyone I know lost someone in their life to it. I’m still attending Covid-delayed funerals.
Things that were simple became quite hard. That 5 minute stop at the grocery store? That now takes 20 minutes since you can only go one way down the aisle and there is only one self-checkout lane open.
Shortly thereafter, the shortages came. I remember months where we could not find things like toilet paper or fresh fruit. We all had to adapt and find workarounds for life, recipes, routines.
Parents had it hardest and were struggling to keep things normal for their kids in very not normal circumstances. From zoom school to canceled proms (and other rites of passage) parents were stretched thinner than ever.
Throughout everything, the only command (at least here in the US) was do not stop working. so everyone slogged along for three years. Recently, it seems, we decided the pandemic was over. “Everyone get back to the world, for real” was the unspoken message, “it’s time to begin working harder.” I think all of us already were doing our best.
It seems like everyone needs a break. Maybe just a couple weeks just to slow down and process what happened. A moment to think about life, those we lost, how the world changed while we all marched ahead. The last three years feel like a large tragedy we never worked through collectively, much less individually.