American flag motorcycle paint jobs

When I grew up, we would always eat dinner together as a family every night. It was normal for us to talk about our day, any issues, ask for help advice, discuss the news etc. I didn't think there was anything abnormal about this until I came to the USA to do my MBA.
Although it wasn't the plan, I ended up marrying an American man. Spent a year paying off his debts. Graduated, got a good job. Marriage back then was quite a lot of fun, I was happy with our relationship and 2 years later I had enough saved that if I liquidated funds from overseas it gave me enough to put down a 20% deposit on a home. The next 4 years I scrimped and saved, and with some help from my parents the house was paid off in full.
A few years later, we had a child. I was still doing 60-100 hour weeks at a high stress high paying job, plus taking on the burden of motherhood. Since my work was more "flexible" my husband thought it was easier to dump all the responsibility of school stuff on me. Every time school was out, I was expected to "work from home". If the kid got sick, I was supposed to pick them up. This became a huge issue when the kid started acting up once or twice a week, resulting in me having to pick up the child, and deal with all the fall out from the other parents, the teachers, and the principal. My husband went through life Ostrich style, sticking his head into the sand whenever everything happened.
It wasn't until 3rd grade that after a particular bad series of incidents involving the kid threw chairs at their classmates, bit a classmate hard enough to draw blood and then when the kid strangled another kid (after the kid hit them in the face with a dodgeball) that the school called us in with a professional school district counselor. I think they were trying to make the case to expel our child. After testing, the district counselor said it's clear the child has bad ODD (Oppositional defiant disorder). The teachers and I all saw the same thing (defiance, unwillingness to obey instructions, disruption, rage, hitting others), unlike my husband who sees the child as his little angel can't do any wrong.
He is not an authority figure, being called "good time daddy" because he never disciplines her for anything. Hit another kid? No, my kid couldn't have possibly done that! Hit the mom? Go ahead. It was so bad that my colleagues saw bruises and more than one asked if my husband was abusive? [I told them it was the kid, they said therapy and we've spent $26K+ so far, safe to say therapy is not working]. He's always maintained our angel will do better (next time). He makes promises like a politician lying, daily and with a straight face.
The child is now 14, and will NOT do any chores. They expect me and spouse to give them everything on demand, they are spoiled rotten. Husband and I have had many arguments about this. Tonight the kid decided to end family time early. I asked if we should start earlier since they spent 32 minutes of the 1 hour in the kitchen putzing around talking about making cookies, he said no. He wants flexibility, to spend LESS family time, but every time he asks for flexibility family time goes from 1 hour a day, down to barely 30 minutes, to 20 minutes, to nothing.
At this point he tells me to "man up" and "get over it."
I reminded him that he is not good at recognizing when people other than when his golden child are hurt. Like 15 years ago when I woke him up at night bleeding and in pain, he told me to STFU he needed his sleep. I ended up having a miscarriage after going through what was basically 8 hours of labor culminating with "giving birth" to the entire amniotic sac. The Ob-gyn said after the ultrasound that at least I wouldn't need a D&C since the entire sac containing the fetus was expelled. His answer was "good, we saved some money." Apparently I should "get over the miscarriage" too, but I feel only a sociopath who has never carried life will never understand it's never easy to get over the death of one's child.
At this point I don't know if I should even try any more? If they both don't want to spend any time together as a family why am I trying so hard to have family time when they don't care? Husband came from a broken home, his parents are on their 3rd spouses, so it's not like he's ever known what a normal happy family is? The kid just wants to be on their device all the time except when they're giving me orders to feed them or take them elsewhere. The kid won't do chores because stacking the dishwasher is "slavery," and the husband just enables them.
Feel like a shell of my former self. Once I had self confidence. I turned down 13 other proposals before marrying this man, who is no longer anything like the man I married. He's older now, says he's tired, turns down blow jobs (not good for a woman's confidence) and is rationing hugs like they're rarer than world war 2 nylon stockings. He enables the child to the point they're not only disrespectful, I feel like I'm just trapped in this horrible marriage with a horrible family and the only way out is to die since divorce is not acceptable in my culture.

I’m a new driver and have been trying my best to take care of my new car. Alas, it has come at the cost of a couple small dings to the rims and a recent small curb mount while reversing out of a driveway scraped off a bit more paint (~2x2cm square cleaned off but it looks terrible given that it’s usually a gorgeous black😢).
Could anyone please recommend any good places in Sydney for rim paint/repair? Preferably economical as I’m a full time student/part-time worker using tax return time to make this fix lol.
Also if anyone would be able to advise - is it worth me getting all the little scrapes fixed on all tires (my brother’s done a couple small numbers on this too), even though they’re not noticeable? Should I just do the big one scrape and leave the rest be?
For context, in the smaller scrapes (bc they really are tiny) I filled them in with a black acrylic pen and that does the job but needs a top up here n there. I considered buying spray paint, something to sand the scrapes so they’re a bit smoother, and doing it myself - but I didn’t at the risk of making things worse.
Thank you in advance for any advice !!

I know it might be a little late to be talking about/sharing info about the primary app, but I wanted to share the nuggets I've learned from my experience through 2 application cycles.
[Background: 27/F, ORM, biochem degree from public state school, 3.6cGPA, 518 MCAT, 5 (!) gap years in a completely different area, minor undergrad research w/o pubs, 1200+ hrs scribing, athlete background. 5 II, 2 A, 3 W -> A at dream T5 school]
On paper, I didn't really have a chance to get anywhere prestigious but I think all the other parts of my app besides my GPA and MCAT were what got the job done. DO NOT underestimate the power of good writing. It is the only way the first reviewers of your app will get to know you besides your stats before moving you to the yes or no pile. The beginning of the thread you weave for your story starts with your personal statement. Some key principles imo:
- A lot of people tend to lose sight of the fact that your statement should be a journey. Imagine your life like a kid's story ride at an amusement park. Take the reader through your growth - where you started, where you've been, and where you want to go. What has cultivated your strengths? What have you done to continue to grow? How has this prepared you for the insane path that is medicine?
- Don't explain yourself. We all have shortcomings, but don't make your entire statement/app about them - your goal is to make your growth & overall strengths outweigh what happened. Again, paint it as a journey. (Let's hope you did do better lol)
- Remember the story writing principles you learned in 9th grade English? They still apply. An intro that catches the reader (but do not go for shock value because it will read like an actual 9th grade paper), a paragraph order that makes sense, and a strong wrap up/closer that reminds the reader of the most important pieces you want them to walk away with.
- The primary reviewers are seeing literal thousands of these essays; they are going cross-eyed with "I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I looked into the patient's eyes and saw gratitude for the small amount of help I could give" and "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was 5". If you have an app that will rely on the other parts of you (i.e. not your GPA/MCAT) to stand out, this is where you can do it. Brainstorm hard on a narrative, try to avoid the stereotypical stories, and write like the wind. You will likely go through many drafts. That's okay.
​
One thing that I really leaned on was using my work & activities section as offshoots of my personal statement. Things that I couldn't get into because of the character limit or wordiness in the PS, I expounded on in the W&A. I used certain key words that were foundational to the app identity I was building throughout all of it to create a unified body of work, in a way. Of course, you don't want to err on the side of repetitive, but you do want to sound committed to the plot. I think this strategy with the W&A is very strong in, again (say it with me this time) building a strong narrative.
Which brings us to your secondaries. After writing 40 of them, I know there are general themes that most, if not all, schools will ask you about. (The classics: diversity, a Challenge, meaningful clinical experience, and the now-not-so-new COVID essay). You can get started with pre-writing for them, keeping in mind that these secondaries are, what? A continuation of your narrative. Answer the questions (dear god, make sure you answer the question being asked) clearly, but drop tie-ins with the overall principles/points/thesis statement of your primary app. If you're going for quantity in your secondaries, understand that your submission strategy will also affect the essay's quality - as in, I know for sure that my later essays were better than my earliest submissions because I had a chance to edit. Each time I looped a previous essay in, I would tinker with it a bit and it would come out a better version. Use your previous writing to feed your next secondary. No need to start fresh every time, unless the app is trying to be all ~special~ (I'm looking at you, Miami and Duke). Keep going. You'll finish eventually.
And finally, your interviews. I might write about this more later on (as my media training history has helped a lot), but simple points: All the standards of practice are standards for a reason; trust and follow them. Dress clean, look professional, simple or tasteful backgrounds (I personally don't love a blurred Zoom background, but I understand some people are limited in options), speak with a good cadence, and most importantly, know your application inside and out. Anything you write is fair game. Have the anecdotes to back anything up. Be confident. Smile. But until then, best of luck getting into those (Zoom) rooms.

Hi! I’ve been passively looking for a job and one redditor here suggested I turn to facebook to find clients. I want to work in email support/email call center jobs/non-voice chat support but I don’t really know what to look for in facebook job postings. What are obvious red flags? Do u know of any reliable facebook groups for this type of work? Thanks!

Cast of Characters:
Kevin Eggs– A bumbling wannabe Hibachi chef fresh out of culinary arts school
Mr. Kritt – Restaurant Manager and owner of Moriyuki’s Grill.
Male restaurant patron
Female restaurant patron
Nick the chef – A drunken hibachi cook who gets himself fired. He eventually carries out an armed robbery to compensate for his lost earnings.
Synopsis:
A clueless and reckless culinary arts attempts hibachi cooking at his first job without much success.
Stage setting:
A kitchen/bar island counter top is positioned at center stage. Three bar stools line the front while a stove/grill top remains partially hidden behind the counter. Above the counter is a dangling Japanese paper lantern.
(Lighting illuminates the main stage area. Male and female patrons are separately seated on their respective barstools with each one positioned opposite the other at the end of each counter corner. They are partially facing the audience with their gazes focused on the main chef behind the counter. Main chef Nick is fully facing the audience and is performing his tasks poorly under a drunken stupor. Both restaurant patrons are grimacing and recoiling nervously due to his recklessness. Kevin enters stage right with a confused expression written on his face.)
(Nick is swaying left and right on his feet while clumsily waving a meat cleaver in one hand and an empty bottle in the other)
NICK
So, you two (hiccup) wanna see me make a chicken hand sandwich? (hiccup)
MALE PATRON
(Grimacing and scared) Please, no. We just wanted a vegetable stir fry and steak. Maybe coming here was a bad idea.
(Kevin tries to grab someone’s attention, but no one listens.)
KEVIN
Um excuse me?
FEMALE PATRON
(Also grimacing) You make a chicken and ham sandwich?
(Nick is aimlessly clattering his cleaver against the grill/stove top.)
NICK
Not chicken and ham, (hiccup) chicken and hand sandwich! Now put your pretty little hand on the cutting board and I’ll show ya.
FEMALE PATRON
(Shrieking) No!
(Mr. Kritt frantically enters stage left and interrupts the chaotic scene. He is shaking his fist in outrage)
MR. KRITT
(Furiously) Nick! You’ve been drinking again! How many times have I warned you that if I catch you intimidating our customers while under the influence, I would throw your drunken ass out of my establishment!
KEVIN
Um, pardon me?
(Kevin is still ignored.)
(Nick points his meat cleaver at Mr. Kritt.)
NICK
Okay dude, you need to chill.
MR. KRITT
Don’t you point that thing at me!
(Mr. Kritt pries the cleaver out of Nick’s hand by the handle and drops it on the countertop. He then points his finger directly towards the right stage exit.)
MR. KRITT
You’re fired! Get out! You’re a menace to the patrons and the establishment.
(After a pause, Mr. Kritt steps towards Nick, seizes him by the back collar of his shirt and pants and proceeds to forcibly eject him from the building. Nick is dragged to the right exit. Kevin side-steps out of their way.)
MR. KRITT
Get the hell out of my restaurant! Out! Out! Out! Out!
(Nick is shoved out the right stage exit. He is still clutching his empty bottle. Mr. Kritt turns his focus to Kevin)
MR. KRITT
What do you want?!
(Kevin stammers through Mr. Kritt’s annoyed gaze. He produces a certification paper.)
KEVIN
I…I’m sorry. My name’s Kevin Eggs and I’m looking for a job. I’m fresh out of culinary arts school and was looking for a hibachi kitchen position…these are my credentials…
(Mr. Kritt swipes the paper out of Kevin’s hand, glances over it for a second, and hands it back to him. He is much calmer at this point, but still retains a firm tone of voice.)
MR. KRITT
Congratulations, Kevin. You’re hired. Welcome to Moriyuki’s Hibachi Bar and Grill. You can start now.
(He leads Kevin back to the Island stove countertop and hands him a togue and apron.)
KEVIN
Wait. No formal interview. No questions asked? Thank you, Mister…
(Both men firmly shake hands)
MR. KRITT
…Kritt. Jay Kritt. Restaurant owner.
(Mr. Kritt shifts his attention to the petrified patrons who are perched at the edge of their barstools.)
MR. KRITT
My sincerest apologies to the both of you for what just happened. The misconduct you just witnessed does not reflect our company policy. I assure you that this will not happen again. Perhaps if you two choose to come here again, I would be most happy to offer you both a complimentary dinner on the house? I understand if you do not wish return here.
(Both patrons relax and lighten up a little. They periodically sip from their water glasses)
MALE PATRON
No, as a matter of fact, I think we’ll stick around and give our order another shot. It is, after all, complimentary.
FEMALE PATRON
And I am curious to see how this new chef will perform.
MR. KRITT
I assure you that you will not be disappointed.
(He shoots Kevin a stern glance and addresses him in a strict tone. Mr. Kritt also points his menacing index finger towards Kevin.)
MR. KRITT
One little foul-up from you, and you’re out of here! Oh, and by the way, take your shoes off. We need to keep a ‘Japanese’ feel to the atmosphere. (Note that Mr. Kritt uses air quotes to emphasize the word ‘Japanese’ in his sentence.)
KEVIN
Oh, sorry about that, sir.
(Keven bends over behind the counter to take his shoes off while Mr. Kritt exits stage left.)
KEVIN
Sooooooo, what did you two order?
FEMALE PATRON
We already placed our orders earlier. The last chef put our orders under the counter.
(Kevin bends over to look beneath the stovetop and remains invisible until he finds two pieces of paper and emerges back into view. He holds up each piece of paper and reads them aloud.)
KEVIN
Ah! One order of soy stir fry, and another order of fried flank steak with scallops. Coming right up!
(Kevin bangs his fist on the countetable surface and shouts out a command. Both patrons appear startled and tense up every time he does this)
KEVIN
Ahem! Tomato!
(An offstage hand from behind the scenes tosses Kevin a tomato. He catches it and places it on the counter, then bangs his fist again.)
KEVIN
Cucumber!
(Offstage hand tosses Kevin a cucumber which he sets down. He bangs his fist and repeats the process)
KEVIN
Onion!
(Kevin catches an onion, places it next to the other vegetables, and bangs his fist again.)
KEVIN
Meat!
(A hand tosses him a piece of steak. Kevin catches it, but almost drops it as it constantly slips and slides in his hand.)
KEVIN
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Got it! (Chuckling) Heheh! Slippery little piece of steak, ain’t ya? Don’t worry fellow customer, I successfully grabbed your meat and now I’m going to beat it for being naughty little sucker.
MALE PATRON
(Sounding disturbed) Please do not say that ever again.
(Kevin realizes his Freudian slip)
KEVIN
Ooops. That didn’t sound right.
(After setting the fillet on the counter. He pulls two spatulas out of a cupboard beneath the stove counter top. As the patrons gradually ease up from their muscle tension, Kevin begins twirling the spatulas in each hand. As he twirls each one, he loses his coordination and drops them both on the surface.)
KEVIN
(Smiling) Sorry. First day.
(Kevin takes both spatulas and uses them like percussion instruments. He uses synchronized hand movements and coordinated arm crossing gestures to bang out a tune on the hard grill surface using the kitchen utensils. He loses his groove and momentum by accidentally flipping a spatula out of his grasp and onto the ground behind him.)
KEVIN
(Grinning) My bad. Oh well, guess I’ll have to cook with just one utensil.
(Kevin wipes off the stovetop surface with a rag.)
KEVIN
So, how long have you two known each other?
MALE AND FEMALE PATRONS
(Unison) We’re not together.
KEVIN
Oh, sorry. What’s your story, then?
(Kevin looks at the man patron as he begins chopping the onion on a cutting board)
MALE PATRON
I’ve been negotiating this multi-million-dollar contract all day with some of our biggest partners from Japan. It was a tough one alright, but once you get past the language barriers and persuade those electronic geeks to start pushing their signatures on every certified document, It’s a success story. Ironically, I thought to myself, why not celebrate this victory at a Japanese themed eatery to make things a bit more apropos? The guys at the office said -
KEVIN
(In a sing-song voice) Bo-oring! What’s your story, miss?
(Kevin shifts his eyes to the female patron. The male patron shuts up and scowls at Kevin)
FEMALE PATRON
Me? Oh, well…my boyfriend broke up with me and…I loved him so much…
(Female patron starts sniffling and crying. Kevin starts sniffling and tearing up as well due to the onion fumes)
KEVIN
Yeah?
FEMALE PATRON
He told me that he would be my soulmate, forever. And then last night, he dumped me for some French slut! So here I am, eating alone again…
(Female Patron breaks out in tears. Kevin follows suit.)
FEMALE PATRON
(Emotionally Distraught) I mean, what do French girls have to offer over us American women? Looks? Wit? Charm? Non-stop steamy jungle sex? Well fuck you, Sean! Fuck you! Oh, I’m sorry cook Kevin. Did I upset you? You seem so sensitive and empathetic to my feelings right now. That’s so sweet of you.
KEVIN
(Sobbing) (*sniff. Sniff\)* No! It’s just these stupid onions!
(Female Patron drops her head in disappointment.)
FEMALE PATRON
Oh…
KEVIN
I sound like a wuss right now. I’m a badass hibachi chef, not a wuss. I’ll prove it to you guys by karate chopping this onion with my hand!
(Kevin raises his hand in flat, vertical knife motion above his head and brings his hand down hard on the cutting board.)
KEVIN
(Yells) Hiiyah!
(Kevin’s hand chop makes contact with the remaining whole onion. Instead of slicing it in half, the onion slides off of the counter and onto the floor.)
KEVIN
Dammit.
(Kevin pauses, then recomposes himself. He slides some of the freshly chopped onions onto the stove)
KEVIN
Now where were we? Oh, yes! The grill. (Cheerfully) I have an idea! Let’s get rid of these long faces and lighten things up! Nobody here should be unhappy.
MALE PATRON
I was happy until you opened you pissed on my parade.
KEVIN
It’s not stir-fry without eggs in it. They don’t call me Kevin Eggs for nothing.
(Kevin retrieves a carton of eggs from a bottom cupboard beneath the stove)
KEVIN
Since I’m sometimes a scatter brain and mess things up, my family used to call me Kevin scrambled eggs. Get it? Scrambled eggs! Ha! Ha! Ha! (laughing)
(Kevin’s laughter quickly dies down as he notices that his joke was received with cold, dead stares. Female patron utters an annoyed, soft groan.)
KEVIN
(Upbeat chuckle) Okay. Here’s a good one. When I went to Hollywood, I bumped into actor Kevin Bacon. Well, he was nice enough to give me his autograph when I asked him for one. And when I did that, my parents called us the breakfast combo. Why? Because his name’s Kevin and so is mine. Only thing is, our last names complement each other nicely. Bacon and Eggs! Arr! Arr! Arr!
MALE PATRON
(Interrupting) Just shut up and cook the damn food already.
KEVIN
Sorry.
FEMALE PATRON
Yeah, enough. When do we get to eat?
KEVIN
(Ecstatically) Hey. Watch this!
(Kevin selects an egg out of the carton. He picks up his spatula and holds it vertically above his head as if to bring it down in a chopping motion. He underhandedly tosses the egg into mid-air in front of him while attempting to split it in the fraction of a second when it remains directly suspended before his face. He does a karate chop shout during in course of action)
KEVIN
Hiyaa!
(Kevin misses the target and swings into an empty space due to poor timing. The egg plummets to the floor and breaks.)
KEVIN
Shit!
(Kevin tosses another egg into midair and repeats the process a second time.)
KEVIN
Hiyaa!
(He swings/chops at a downward angle and misses again. The egg hits the floor. Both patrons cringe at his efforts.)
KEVIN
Shit!
(Kevin tries tossing up an egg a third time, but misses his target. The egg accidentally lands on the male patron’s head. Kevin is sincerely apologetic at first, but can’t help cracking a bad joke last minute. Female Patron covers her mouth in alarm.)
KEVIN
Whoops! I’m so sorry sir! That was an egg-cident.
MALE PATRON
(Angrily) I’ve had enough bullshit for one night! I’m outa here.
(Male Patron storms off the set: exit stage right)
FEMALE PATRON
(Disdainful tone) You really suck at entertainment, don’t you?
KEVIN
C’mon, give me a little credit for trying. It’s my first day here and-
(He breaks off into a panicked exclamation as fumes rise from the vegetables on the stove.)
Oh my God! The food is burning!
(Kevin frantically drops his spatula)
KEVIN
Oh, not again!
(Kevin hurriedly scoops the few veggies on the stove into his hands and onto a plate. After doing so, he realizes that he just burned his hands. He flails the wildly while looking around the room for relief. Unbeknownst to him, Mr. Kritt furiously enters the scene and stands directly behind Kevin with his hands on his hips.)
KEVIN
Owwwww! Ow! Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!
(Kevin submerges his hands into the female patron’s water glass and sighs with relief. She appears to be disgusted)
KEVIN
(sighing) Aaaaaaahhhh…
MR. KRITT
(Loud and agitated) Kevin! You blew it! I turn my back on you for just one second, and bang, I come back to a disaster. Unreliable. You’re fired! Out of here! Gone!
KEVIN
Mr. Kritt, it was just a little mishap. It’s still just my first day here.
MR. KRITT
Out!
(Points to exit)
(At that moment entering from stage right, Nick bursts onto the scene clad in a ski mask and carrying a handgun. Nick points the gun in the direction of Mr. Kritt, female patron, and Kevin. All three appear to be shocked and terrified.)
NICK
(Shouting angrily) Alright all of you! Hands up where I can see them! Get them the fuck up now!
(Everyone raises their hands into the air)
FEMALE PATRON
Oh my God!
MR. KRITT
(Weak and trembling tone) What the hell do you want? I have nothing special to offer.
NICK
Your money, dumbass! Front end register is empty. So I guess I’ll have to try the manager’s office instead.
MR. KRITT
(Moment of Realization) Wait a minute! You’re Nick! I recognize your voice now. I just fired your ass.
NICK
Yeah, that’s right. I’m comin’ back to get what’s mine. No paycheck, remember? So, I guess I gotta take what you owe me by force.
MR. KRITT
I don’t owe you nothin’! You’re a bum who doesn’t deserve a dime even if his life depended on it.
NICK
(More aggressively) Shut the fuck up and get me what I want before I blow your head open!
(Intimidated, Mr. Kritt takes a step back and responds in a shakier tone of voice)
MR. KRITT
Alright. Alright. If it’s money you want, then I’ll lead you back to the office. No hard feelings.
NICK
No, wait. I want something else first. Hey lady, kick your purse over here.
(Nick waves his gun at the female patron. She complies by gradually sliding her purse with her foot towards the direction of Nick)
NICK
Atta girl! Mr. Kritt? Your wallet please.
(Mr. Kritt fishes his wallet out of his pant pocket and nervously tosses it onto the floor)
NICK
(Sneering smile) Ah, last but not least, my replacement. You’re next.
(Kevin gives him a nervous smile)
KEVIN
Actually, I don’t have mine in my pocket. I put it in one of my shoes.
NICK
(Annoyed) Then get it! And no tricks! If I see a knife or a cleaver, you’re dead.
KEVIN
No worries. I won’t do anything.
(Kevin bends over to the point at which he is totally obscured by the entire counter island. Shuffling noises can be heard from behind the surface.)
NICK
What’s taking you so long?
KEVIN
Uh-just a minute! I’ve got it. Nope. That’s not it.
(A spatula is recklessly thrown over the counter top by Kevin, followed by a vegetable.)
NICK
(Uneasily agitated) Hey! Don’t do that! What are you, stupid? Quit it now!
KEVIN
I think I got! No. Not that shoe.
(One of Kevin’s shoes flies out from beneath the countertop and hits Nick in the face, knocking him unconscious. Nick’s eyes crisscross as he slumps to the ground. Mr. Kritt and the female patron exchange relieved facial expressions. Kevin then emerges into view triumphantly holding the other shoe.)
KEVIN
Here it is! Got it! Hey what happened?
MR. KRITT
(Grateful expression) You saved my business and my life. That’s what you did.
FEMALE PATRON
You sure as hell did. Now excuse me while I call the police before I throw up.
(Female Patron pulls out her phone and retrieves her purse before hastily exiting stage right.)
MR. KRITT
What did you have in those shoes?
KEVIN
(In a proud tone) They’re steel toe shoes, Mr. Kritt.
(Mr. Kritt grins while clasping Kevin over the shoulder.)
MR. KRITT
Ya know what, Kevin? Maybe you’re not so bad after all. Sure, you’re a klutz and your jokes stink, but I think I might have a good place for you here. In fact, I’ll give you another chance by training you myself. You’re rehired.
(Kevin returns the grin to his boss)
KEVIN
Really, Mr. Kritt?
MR. KRITT
Sure!
KEVIN
Mr. Kritt I’m never gonna let you down again. We’re gonna have some good times together!
(Kevin violently clasps Mr. Kritt over the shoulder causing him to grunt in pain. In spite of this Mr. Kritt manages to create a half sardonic half sincere grin on his face.)
MR. KRITT
(Grimacing) Yeahhhh...I’m sure we will.
(Lights fade out.)

“As the year 2000 approaches, it is a safe bet that we will be treated to more superstition and barbarism of the [Pat] Robertson sort, and that other unscrupulous demagogues will try to canalize the fears and doubts of those who have been let down by the education system.” [“Minority Report,” Nation, 10/04/86]
“Whether you are a creationist like Pat Robertson, or a Catholic like Pat Buchanan, or a materialist believer in ‘Natural Law’ like [Harry] Jaffa and others, you can’t avoid the salient fact that the Creator, or the Divinity, or Nature, or Evolution, has evidently mandated that there be a certain quite large number of homosexuals.” [“Bloom’s Way,” Nation, 5/15/00]
"The disappointment was, and to me remains, acute. Within hours, the “reverends” Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell had announced that the immolation of their fellow creatures was a divine judgment on a secular society that tolerated homosexuality and abortion. At the solemn memorial service for the victims, held in the beautiful National Cathedral in Washington, an address was permitted from Billy Graham, a man whose record of opportunism and anti-Semitism is in itself a minor national disgrace. His absurd sermon made the claim that all the dead were now in paradise and would not return to us even if they could. I say absurd because it is impossible even in the most lenient terms to believe that a good number of sinful citizens had not been murdered by al-Qaeda that day. And there is no reason to believe that Billy Graham knew the current whereabouts of their souls, let alone their posthumous desires. But there was also something sinister in hearing detailed claims to knowledge of paradise, of the sort that bin Laden himself was making on behalf of the assassins." - God Is Not Great
"The suspicion that a calamity might also be a punishment is further useful in that it allows an infinity of speculation. After New Orleans, which suffered from a lethal combination of being built below sea level and neglected by the Bush administration, I learned from a senior rabbi in Israel that it was revenge for the evacuation of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, and from the mayor of New Orleans (who had not performed his own job with exceptional prowess) that it was god’s verdict on the invasion of Iraq. You can nominate your own favorite sin here, as did the “reverends” Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell after the immolation of the World Trade Center. In that instance, the proximate cause was to be sought and found in America’s surrender to homosexuality and abortion. (Some ancient Egyptians believed that sodomy was the cause of earthquakes: I expect this interpretation to revive with especial force when the San Andreas Fault next gives a shudder under the Gomorrah of San Francisco.) When the debris had eventually settled on Ground Zero, it was found that two pieces of mangled girder still stood in the shape of a cross, and much wondering comment resulted. Since all architecture has always involved crossbeams, it would be surprising only if such a feature did not emerge. I admit that I would have been impressed if the wreckage had formed itself into a Star of David or a star and crescent, but there is no record of this ever having occurred anywhere, even in places where local people might be impressed by it. And remember, miracles are supposed to occur at the behest of a being who is omnipotent as well as omniscient and omnipresent. One might hope for more magnificent performances than ever seem to occur." - God Is Not Great
"The same can be said of the King epoch. The southern churches returned to their old ways after Reconstruction, and blessed the new institutions of segregation and discrimination. It was not until after the Second World War and the spread of decolonization and human rights that the cry for emancipation was raised again. In response, it was again very forcefully asserted (on American soil, in the second half of the twentieth century) that the discrepant descendants of Noah were not intended by god to be mixed. This barbaric stupidity had real-world consequences. The late Senator Eugene McCarthy told me that he had once urged Senator Pat Robertson—father of the present television prophet—to support some mild civil rights legislation. “I’d sure like to help the colored,” came the response, “but the Bible says I can’t.” The entire self-definition of “the South” was that it was white, and Christian. This is exactly what gave Dr. King his moral leverage, because he could outpreach the rednecks. But the heavy burden would never have been laid upon him if religiosity had not been so deeply entrenched to begin with. As Taylor Branch shows, many of King’s inner circle and entourage were secular Communists and socialists who had been manuring the ground for a civil rights movement for several decades and helping train brave volunteers like Mrs. Rosa Parks for a careful strategy of mass civil disobedience, and these “atheistic” associations were to be used against King all the time, especially from the pulpit. Indeed, one result of his campaign was to generate the “backlash” of white right-wing Christianity which is still such a potent force below the Mason-Dixon line." - God Is Not Great
"The Leader of the Free World was frequently photographed in the company of “end-times” Protestant fundamentalists and biblical literalists like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson: tethered gas-balloons of greed and cynicism once written up by Martin Amis as “frauds of Chaucerian proportions.” The president found time to burble with such characters about the fulfillment of ancient “prophecy” and the coming Apocalypse. He also speculated drivellingly that the jury might yet return an open verdict on the theory of evolution. He was married to a woman who employed a White House astrologer. He said that the Abraham Lincoln Battalion had fought on “the wrong side” in the civil war in Spain, which logically meant that there had been a “right” side and that it was the Francoist one. (When the last attempt at a fascist coup was made in Spain, in the early 1980s, the Reagan administration was asked for comment, again in the person of the Strangelovian freak Alexander Haig, who flabbergastingly said that the armed attack on Spain’s elected parliament was a purely internal Spanish affair.) With Haig, Reagan also gave permission to Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon to invade Lebanon in 1982, and to take their incursion as far as Beirut to do the dirty work of the Catholic Phalange. In order to gratify Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany, Reagan agreed to visit an SS cemetery in Bitburg (Ich bin ein Bitburger) and, as if that in itself was not bad enough, to declare that those interred there were not just “victims,” but victims “just as much” as the civilians they had slaughtered. He made stupid, alarming on-air jokes about pre-emptively bombing the USSR. He pardoned the convicted FBI agents Felt and Miller, who had been prosecuted and fired for illegal break-ins and wiretaps directed at the anti-war movement. In a really sweet irony, one of these men (Mark Felt), as I was to learn, had been the “Deep Throat” whose torpedoes had sent the previous elected Republican administration to the floor of the sea.*" - Hitch-22

Got an internship offer, they explained me all the benefits and said it's gonna be an unpaid internship, I thought that's how it is for every intern and agreed.
Had to pay at the school for doing internship which they said would reimburse me immediately, at that time I was half happy since they are willing to pay but was half skeptical why aren't they willing to pay me when they don't have any issues spending money, didn't think much, started the job even though everyone gave me red flags regarding unpaid internship.
Now came to know from all the other interns that I am the only unpaid worker here, everyone else negotiated and getting paid apart from me, feeling gutted and unvalued.
Thinking of approaching them but don't know how to. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you

Redecorating the living room and the electrician just finished adding new wall sockets.
Just wondering what order to do the remaining jobs and most specifically whether to leave the painting to the end?
The way I am planning to get it done:
Plastering some patches that require it
Piping for Radiators
Paint room
Flooring
Skirting boards
Fit radiators

When applying to non-acting jobs, when would it be beneficial to put acting experiences on your resume? I’m interested in applying for an event coordinator role for a film festival organization. A couple relevant qualifications listed on the job positing are ‘interest/experience working in film or contemporary arts’ and ‘confident public speaker’. I feel like acting fulfills those qualifications well, but also could it be flagged as ‘conflict of interest’ or make me seem like an uncommitted candidate for this full-time job?

I want to start this post by saying that I love my wife. I truly, truly do. The companionship that we enjoy and the way we we share our time together as friends is so rewarding. She fits me well in that capacity. In the friendship part of our relationship, we are well-paired. We have both proven that we are reliable, faithful in word and deed, and both trying in our partnership. She says the same about me.
Recently, I asked her for a hug and it felt kind of empty. I asked her if everything was okay between us and she did not reply at first. We kept talking and after a lengthy and tearful conversation we came to recognize that neither of us were currently happy in our marriage. She was telling me that she felt I was distant, not interested in her and not really putting effort into meeting the expectations that she had about little things that showed her I cared and thought about her. She is right. The conduct on my end has been changed in the past few weeks since we talked. I recognize that a few weeks of improved behavior doesn't fix a marriage but she does indicate that the changes she sees are what she wants, that she feels loved and feels the loving affection and connection she has been missing and I know that by sheer force of will, I can continue to deliver what she has been missing. But when we talked, I came to realize that my focus on my partner had faded due to a few things: our long-time flagging sex life, our lack of common interests and a few other contrasts I outline below.
Our sex life has never been a raging fire. Prior to meeting my wife, I had many partners (all female) and was dating several women off-and-on before we met. I can confidently say that I've never found my wife to be an enthusiastic lover. With a few scant exceptions, I have always initiated sex. Like, literally less than twenty times in our relationship of 17 years has she brought sex to me. For her to come to me for sex is vanishingly rare. Part of it is that I am large and so vaginal sex makes her uncomfortable. But part of it is just a general lack of interest on her part, honestly. In addition to that, if I try to kiss her anywhere that is not her neck or mouth, she shields her body from me with her hands. She places her hands between her body and myself almost reflexively, even though I have carefully expressed disappointment during less passionate moments. Having someone act like something as simple as kissing her breasts or stomach warrants treating me like an unwelcome attacker is an absolute mood killer. It seems like a trauma response but she insists that she has never been sexually assaulted and I believe her. I love to give oral sex and she does not want me doing that. I have held out hope that things would get better but we will be married 12 years this year and there has been no change. For someone who has always been vigorously sexually active prior to being with her, this is a big loss for me. I have discussed with my father what his sex drive is like at 80+ years old and he assures me that that interest has not flagged for him; my mother died in 2012 but her zest for intercourse was also apparent in her taste in jokes and a few drunken conversations over the years. So I don't anticipate that my interest in having a prolific and passionate sex life will just go away. In one episode in our sexual history, I had started a new medication that affected my ability to reach orgasm in the short term. During this session, we ended up focusing more on me than normal and I gave her suggestions for some approaches that were new for us (using toys on me, not something we had done before). I did eventually reach climax but she later informed me that the episode had been like work for her, not an episode of pleasure and rather than rising to the challenge of finding some creative approaches, she made it clear that that entire session was not something she was interested in repeating. That was discouraging, to say the least. We have tried talking about why our interest has dwindled and the last time it was specifically discussed, she told me that she had simply forgotten how to initiate the act. That pretty much just abandoned me with all responsibility for our sex life. If there is something I am doing that drives her away from our sex, she is not sharing that. I know her well and I truly believe that I'm getting all of the sexual attantion she can muster. She doesn't talk openly and well about our sex life. When I try to talk to her about things involving our sex life, the conversation is halting and stalls out. She just doesn't seem comfortable talking about the details and intimate components of our sex life so talking it out has never really been successful. She doesn't really leave the house and works from home so I don't even see how infidelity is possibly involved. I don't think that the problem is that she doesn't want sex with me so much as that she just isn't interested in sex with anyone. This realization is the most disheartening: I think she is perfectly content to not have sex in our marriage, and obviously that's not what I want. I've been holding out hope that things would improve for a long long time but they have not, and to improve things, she would have to show an interest in sex that she has heretofore never shown.
Like many people in my industry (software engineering), I love games. Tabletop games, video games, all sorts of games. I'm actually designing a modular deck builder game that is nearly completed. Gaming is my passion. It's very obviously and clearly at the top of my list of activities that give me enjoyment. My wife hates playing games. She sees it as a task to be completed, not an activity to be enjoyed. She will concede to play games with me probably like five or six times a year. And honestly, when we play, she is good at these games. One game we enjoy (Splendor). . .I can't remember that last time I won against her. And understand I would never let someone win just for some other reason. . .if someone takes the time to play a game with me, I give them a worthy opponent if I can. As for game projects I have done over the years, I would describe her as tolerant of my activities there. She will talk about these efforts with cool regard but has never truly been supportive or enthusiatic about my projects. She may have played the game I'm developing now once. In contrast, she has no real interests that I can discern. It's strange to me. . .but she has no real hobbies or interests. She listens to murdetrue crime podcasts, scrolls endlessly on her phone, shops for stuff online. . .not much else. She has a little chihuahua mix that she fawns over constantly and I participate in that as much as I can. I love the little dog and I'm actually watching that dog now while she is out of town on business. The dog is super-affectionate toward me so there is no point of contention there. Everyone loves everyone. . .but it is not really an interest, per se. She has developed a few short-term interests (acrylic painting, photography) but she has always held me away, at arm's length. Never have I been invited to participate or join her when she has done these things. I don't know if she fears scrutiny or just wants solitude for these few creative facets of her self but I am clearly not supposed to be a part of these things. There are no activities that she savors that I can enjoy with her, and I feel that absence. The activities I love are things she is aware of, but she doesn't do those things very often, and I feel that absence as well. We end up streaming shows that we can both enjoy and sitting in a cuddly fashion on the loveseat with the dog. That and going out to eat pretty much encompasses the activities we share, and its pretty bland.
Another huge gulf between us is just a contrast in our natures. I am a solid extrovert and she is a pronounced introvert. Once a month, I host a group of friends to play tabletop games, enjoy some adult beverages and such, listen to music. . .very chill. She shuts herself into the master bedroom and does not participate. I play the role of host for a gaming meetup at the local game store; she has never once come to join us. Her friends invite her to do things and she participates very sporadically. Her introverted nature has sometimes put a wet blanket on plans I might want to have. My monthly gaming sessions at one point involved a friend of many years driving from two hours away and for a while, she wouldn't let him sleep over and instead expected him to stay in an AirBnB situation. Her sensitivity to social contact is pronounced enough that recently, when she had to have brunch on Saturday morning, a graduation party on Saturday afternoon and then a family gathering with my people on Sunday afternoon, this was too much for her to cope with and she took the following Monday off. In typing this up, it occurs to me that her social aversion may have become more pronounced over the years.
Finally, there is the ways that she holds me away in some contexts. In every home we have shared, I have been encouraged to use another bathroom that is not the master, leaving the master for her exclusive use. She seems to want to have her own spaces for things. She has always had a sanctuary room that she can retreat to that I do not have any influence on, which is fine. I have also generally had a space for my computing and gaming hobbies, however those were shared spaces in the past when we couldn't afford a big enough space for everyone. There is a portion of our kitchen that she expects to be for her exclusive use. In talking to her about this part of our lives, I have recently discovered that her feeling is that in places in the house where our clutter is mixed, even if her things are there, she doesn't feel welcome there. She appears to only feel comfortable using spaces that are "safe" and exclusive for her use. We have stopped sharing a bed, which really bothers me but, to be fair, I have restless leg syndrome and a CPAP device so my nocturnal situation is not truly accomodating. However, along with the other ways she holds me away, it just adds to that feeling.
I'm going to be fifty in January. To be clear: there is no other person in the picture on my end. I really don't want to be looking for a new partner at fifty. But I also really don't want to stay in a sexless marriage with someone who holds me at arm's length and shares so little with me. Again, and I can't stress this enough, for companionship and friendship, we are 100% aces. When it is just the two of us, we communicate openly and well about almost everything (except sex, obviously). But I want someone who wants me, passionately and openly. I want someone who can share the things I truly love willingly and draw pleasure from them, as well as invite me into their own emotional and meaningful episodes that we can share. As I have said, I can keep her satsified in our marriage just by trying and I'm certain I can do it indefinitely. But there will be broad categories that I will be unsatisfied in and I find myself having to decide if I want to keep myself in a marriage that is missing so much, or make the change and find myself adrift as I approach my later years. It's a shit choice, really. I think that if she started delivering passion and enthusiasm for our sex life and shared some interests with me, I could maybe get around the rest of it.
Am I being unreasonable in thinking these things that I feel are missing are important?
Are these absences meaningful enough that I should seek a new partner at my age?
How much does it suck to date at 50?

📚✨❤️1️⃣ "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde
​
This quote reminds us of the importance of embracing our unique selves. It encourages authenticity and self-acceptance, reminding us that we don't need to conform to others' expectations or try to be someone we're not. Embracing our individuality and staying true to ourselves can lead to a fulfilling and genuine life.
​
2️⃣ "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
​
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., emphasized the significance of passion and love for one's work. This quote encourages us to pursue our passions and find fulfillment in what we do. When we are passionate about our work, it becomes easier to stay motivated, be creative, and achieve excellence.
​
3️⃣ "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela
​
Nelson Mandela, an iconic leader and advocate for equality, inspires us to persevere through challenges and setbacks. This quote highlights the value of resilience and the power of overcoming adversity. It reminds us that failure is not the end but an opportunity to learn, grow, and rise stronger than before.
​
4️⃣ "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln
​
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, offers a profound perspective on the significance of living a meaningful life. This quote reminds us to focus on the quality of our experiences and the impact we make rather than solely counting the passing years. It encourages us to embrace each day, seize opportunities, and make the most of our time.
​
5️⃣ "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
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Eleanor Roosevelt, a prominent American diplomat and activist, emphasizes the importance of belief and vision. This quote encourages us to have faith in our dreams, to dare to envision a brighter future, and to pursue those dreams with determination and passion. It reminds us that our aspirations and actions shape the path ahead.
​
📚✨❤️ Quotes have the power to uplift, inspire, and provoke thought. They encapsulate wisdom gained through experience and serve as reminders of the values and principles that guide us. Different quotes resonate with different individuals based on their own life experiences and perspectives. Exploring quotes from diverse sources can provide valuable insights and support personal growth and reflection.
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#InspirationalQuotes #WordsOfWisdom #FavoriteSayings #WisdomFromTheWise #babieblue #shaynly

After 4 years, these get deleted at Toyko John's Blacklist Site, but before they do, here is a "who's who" of Hagwons who made the list, posted in chronological order from January 1, 2016 ~ Jan 6. 2023.
See a list of blacklisted schools posted on this site here.
As a bonus, if you want to know what was posted about a hagwon, I have copied every comment from Toyko Jon into a Microsoft Word file. If you want to retrieve it from the memory hole, send me a message and I send you the complete complaint. *Some I have failed to copy before they were removed.
Memory Hole
*NOTE: Although some of these will be dated, by a couple of years in some cases, my experience is, "People rotate in and out of jobs, but cultures don't change." Koreans stay on he job for years, not rotate through like foreigners do.
Learn about toxic cultures and human behavior with animation: THE MONKEY/STEPLADDER EXPERIMENT
------------------------------------------------------------
Continued here.
RISE Mapo-gu Campus Jan 6. 2023
AHEV (Ansan Hwajeong English Village) Dec 31. 2022
PEAI Daechi/Seocho and iSpeak Dec 22. 2022
IYA Skola/ Hillside Collegiate (Wirye) Dec 12. 2022
Altiora-gangseo/SLS Dec. 7. 2022
Bucheon Rise Dec 4. 2022
Poly-Eunpyung gu Campus Nov 30. 2022
American Stem Prep Nov 29. 2022
Plum Academy/ FTK / FTK Jamwon Nov 22. 2022
Sequoia Hagwon Jeju Nov 21. 2022
Cheongshim Language Institute in Bucheon Nov 18. 2022
St Paul American Scholars, Gwangyo Branch Nov 5. 2022
Pinewood, Misa, Hanam,Gyeonggido Oct 31. 2022
YBM ECC Gimpo Oct 31. 2022
POLY, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul Oct 27. 2022
Global kids Korea haeundae Busan Oct 19. 2022
Hillside Collegiate Songdo Oct 16. 2022
Walnut Global Education, Seoul Oct 14. 2022
GBA Academy or Dream I Kindergarden, in Goyang Oct 12. 2022
TCIS (Thinking Christian International School) Sep 3. 2022
Sage's English Academy (SEA) Sep 9. 2022
Chungdahm Learning aka Creverse Sep 17. 2022
ComoBlanc/ Dreamberry Sep 22. 2022
Worwick Franklin Institute, Ok-dong, Ulsan Aug 21.2022
JM Academy in Seoul Aug 20.2022
JM Academy in Seoul Aug 15.2022
Spol English Institute Gimhae, Oxford Academy Gyerong, Eunbit Kindergarten Ansan, EiE Korea Hwaseong Aug 11.2022
Little Fox English Academy Hyeokshindoshi and Wansan in Jeonju Aug 9. 2022
FTK Songdo Branch Aug 7. 2022
ReadingStar International Aug 4.2022
FTK English East Pangyo, Bundang, Seongnam Aug 1. 2022
Lion English, Gajwa, Seoul Jul 28.2022
Milestone Institute Seocho Branch Jul 26.2022
Gwanak SLP and DYB Choi-sun Sangdo Jul 26.2022
ILS JEJU Jul 25.2022
CLS- Children's Language Academy Jul 19.2022
Welltain Christian International School (WCIS) in Cheong-na Jul 19.2022
Geniplus in Seocho Jul 16.2022
ELL Academy, Incheon Jul 15.2022
Bibakids Jul 7.2022
Infocus English Academy in Wonju, South Korea Jun 28.2022
Bay Hills International Language Institute Jun 24.2022
Altiora EDS and English Revolution Hagwon in Gwangmyeong Jul 1, 2022
DAKS Language Academy Gwangmyeong Campus Jul 1, 2022
Simson Bibakids Jun 29, 2022
Bay Hills International Language Institute Jun 28, 2022
Evening Class/Kids Class, Pyeongtaek Jun 27, 2022
Ian School, GLITT, Children's Musical Company Jun 24, 2022
YBM ECC Dongnae Jun 16, 2022
YBM ECC Dongnae, Busan Jun 16, 2022
American Stem Prep Jun 4, 2022
DOCS Language Academy in Gwangmyeong Jun 4, 2022
SLP and DYB Cheonan May 29,2022
GE English Academy in Ilsan May 22, 2022
HILLSIDE COLLEGIATE HAEUNDAE May 19, 2022
DUX Literature Academy, Daechi May 17, 2022
EASM Academy- Changwon May 17. 2022
ComoBlanc / DreamBerry - Songdo May 17, 2022
SLP Ulsan Namgu May 16, 2022
Edupro Haba in Songpa-gu May 12, 2022
Wonderland Kindergarten, Jukjeon, Daegu May 12, 2022
YBM ECC Dongnae May 11, 2022
Gimpo Sau/Janggi Chungdahm May 11, 2022
BILLION EDUCATION/BILLION KID May 11, 2022
Docs Academy in Gwangmyeong May 8, 2022
YMB ECC Dongdaemun May 6, 2022
DOCS Academy Beagot – Siheung May 4, 2022
FTK Bucheon May 3, 2022
Cheonan SLP May 2, 2022
Wizville Langauge Institut May 2, 2022
Hillside Collegiate/Iya Skola in Songdo Incheon Apr 20, 2022
Prairie English Academy in Gimpo Apr 20, 2022
DOCS Academy, Siheung Apr 15, 2022
Frage English Institute, Suseong-gu, Daegu
Jamsil C-GATE
Cheongna SLP in Seogu, Incheon
KidsWiz in Nowon
DOCS academy baegot in siheung
Jungchul language Institute Cheongju-si
DUX
EOS Wingsly School, Yeongtong, Suwon, South Korea
Maplebear Gimpo
Iya Skola Ulsan
Francis Parker Collegiate in Bundang
HABA League Academy in Anyang
JK English Academy, Jinhae
FTK GuriDasan branch
Ilsan POLY
EASM Language Institute - Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo
JM English
Welcome World English in Suwon
SPEP
American Stem Prep Aspk/aspj in Yongin
Singapore International School - Gwangju
Gangnam English Academy (GEA) in Sinsa-Dong
JM Academy
Dongah Institute/Yongin
Children's Musical Company, Ian School, GLITT
Kid's College Suseong Daegu
RISE Yeouido
Avalon English
The GENIUS Academy in DAEGU
Milestone Institute Seocho branch
Ballet Model in Gangnam
Milestone Institute in Daechi, Seoul
Dux in Daechi
Rise Bundang
Miller English School - Hwa-jeong, Goyang-si
SOT (School of Tomorrow) Gwanakgu campus
JM Academy in Seoul
SLP Ulsan Nam-gu branch
Wizville Language Institute in Yeonhui-dong Seodaemun
The Genius Academy in Daegu
EiE Yeoju
SLP Uijeoungbu
Little Fox Daechi in Gangnam, Seoul
SLP Ansan
SLP Yeongdeungpo
Avalon English, Yeongtong
DOCS School Gwangmyeong
Little America
ECC Gwangsan, Gwangju
NamDongtan ECC
Bucheon POLY
L Bridge or L khan, or U2m school located in Hwaseong or Dongtan 2
ICEV
CL Education Pyeongchon
MICA International Scholars, Yongin
Milestone Institute Seocho
Kingspledu, Jeju
WCK English Academy
IGS
Avalon English Yongsan-gu
BNK Academy Nowon-gu
RISE Pyeongchon
Sejong igarten
Ballet and Model in Gangnam
Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village (Yueungjin University)
Nooree Education, Daegu, Korea
Francis Parker Collegiate branch in Haeundae, Busan
Icare hagwon in Seogwipo
SPEP
Cheonan Buldang Altiora
Dongah Institute/ Yongin
Red Wagon English School in Bundang
MLC formerly known as Maplebear Sejong Campus
Ecole d'art Language Institute - Changwon, Gyeongsangnamdo
JB (Jeongbal) Poly
Winny Winny Wonheung, Goyany.
YBM PINE
Gangnam English Academy
PEEC pyeongtaek English Education Center
YLC (Yulgok Language Center) in Gimcheon.
Samhyook Elementary School- Wonju South Korea.
Kangnam Pride Institute in Gangdong-gu, Seoul
American Stem Prep - Formerly St. Paul Kinder
ALITORA- ILSAN (SIKSA-DONG)
YMB ECC Dongdaemun
Altiora Jeju / WeGrow Academy
DOCS in Gwangmyeong
Wizville Yeonhui-dong
POLY Gwangmyeong
Poly in Haeundae, Busan
BNK (Banana Kids) Nowon
Gangnam English Academy (GEA)
EASM academy in Changwon
Little Fox Centum in Busan
YBM ECC DAECHI
KINGSPLEDU English Kindergarten, Jeju
Cheongshim based in Bucheon
YBM C-GATE in Apgujeong
JP English School
Badasoop English Village, Sejong City
Chungdahm- Mokdong 2 Campus
BCIS Education Paju
FastONE GangnamSeoul, South Korea
Banana Kids School in Uijeongbu, South Korea
CIS (Canada International School) Uijeongbu
JM English in Songpa
Cheonan SLP
VIS English in Yeouido. AKA Little Socie in Yeouido
Poly Seodaemun campus
Rise schools, Wirye Campus
Daejeon Worwick
Bay Hills Reggio Emilia International English Academy
YBM ECC Seongbuk
HILLSIDE COLLEGIATE HAEUNDAE
YBM ECC Gimpo
Little Fox Deungchon school
Global Kids Korea, Busan
SEED International School
Badasoop English Village. Sejeong city
JLS Academy (Seosan-Si)
SLP Jeonju-si oppisite Emart
SPEP/The Princeton Review/In Times In
April/Chungdham in Suwon (jeongjadong)
Bucheon Sunny School
TKLeaders English, Busan
Seodaemun Poly
Milestone Institute (MI)
Altoria in Jamsil
Oxford Language School in Cheongju
Kids College Walker Hill Guuu
Maple Bear Pyeongchon
Fast one and Dux academy
YBM Seoul (Adult Division)
Chungdahm CDI April Ulsan Branch
YBM Adult division
TASK English in Cheonan, Chungnam
Sejong Poly
JM English Academy in Songpa
MPoly Dongnae, Busan
Hanseo University
RISE Yeouido
Iya skola, Seoul
Little River Day School
GSI Cheongna and GSI Ilsan (Global Standard English Institute)
Feinschule, Gyeyang-gu (near jakjeon), Incheon
Sahm Yook Elementary School
ILCE (I Love Clover English), Daejeon, South Korea
R&R English Academy Gwangyang Jeollanamdo
Winnie Education, Ilsan
Gyeyang Global Language Center in Incheon
ARA in Jeonju
Apgujeong GATE
Seocho SLP
Gyeongsang National University (GNU), City of Jinju
Masan Poly Korea School
Cheonggu Ehwa
POLY Cheongna Campus
Ara Academy, Jeonju, South Korea
Kids Club in Yeonje-gu Busan
Norian School in Dunggu Usan
FASTONE ENGLISH (Gwanghwamoon)
Singapore International School - Gwangju
Lighthouse International School, Ilsan
Wizville Yeonhui-dong
Big Heart Christian School
MPOLY - Seo-gu, Daejeon
Thinking Child School (TCS) in Busan
Gyeyang Global Language Center. Incheon, Gyeyanggu
Dux
Little scholar academy
Incheon English Village(ICEV)
Multicampus Education Co
Paedea Plus
GE English Academy in Ilsan
Gyeyang Global Language Center. Incheon
One By One in Apgujeong, Seoul
Suwon campus - DYB Choisun
Dux Apgujeong
MICA International School (not an accredited international school)
POLY Bucheon
Geumho Little Fox Language Center Jeonju
Avalon English Academy - Mokpo Campus
N.IVY, Daegu, in Dalseogu
GRAPE, Daegu, Suseongu
Jones International Christian Studies
Suwon Global Village
ECC Bukgu Daegu
Future Education, Seoul
ING English in Wirye/Hanam/Seongnam
English Book Ladder - Joengja Bundang v
ILS in Hanam city
Songdo International Kindergarten
Guro Wonderland Language Institute
Creative Children's Learning Center, in Seoul
Inje English Village
Avalon, Suji
Jungchul Seochang Campus
Little America Academy in Gimpo
SPEP: QUICK FACTS Speaking Proficiency Enhancement Program, Apgujeong, Seoul
CDI Gimhae Jangyu branch
Grace Academy in Migeum
CDI/ Chungdham Sangin, Daegu
CIS/NAIS/Canada International School- Uijeongbu
EIE/IBC English Town in Daegu
Gangnam English Academy in Sinsa-dong, Seoul
Korea POLY School Suwon Campus
Kids Club Willy Campus
Paedeaplus Icheon
Chungdahm Institute Yeongtong
DUKE English Literature Academy Daechi
iChristmas Korea in Seocho-gu
CDI Songdo Branch
Avalon Yongin campus
Gwangmyeong SLP
SEODAEMUN POLY
Kids College Pyeongtaek
Elan Preparatory in Mokdong
Poly Mokdong campus, Seoul
Jungchul English Academy Geoje
CDI Chungdahm Daejeon Review
Chungdahm Learning (CDI) Incheon Cheongna Branch
Gangnam English Academy (GEA), Apgujeong
LIA Seocho
Wingsturn Kindergarten/Academy near Sindang
Norian Kindergarten, Dong-gu, Ulsan
Korea Christian International School, Yeong-deung dong
Jung Chul academy
Redwagon Academy
English Book Ladder, near Jeongja
Roy's English Academy in Songjeong-dong, Gumi
Mapo Youth CenteKEST
Hwajeong POLY
TOPLY English Institute, Bucheon
Junggye POLY
Daegu Chungdahm/April
SLP Gwanak-Gu
JC English School in Jecheon
ABC LEARNING CENTER in Haendang
Pyeongtaek English Education Centre
Lighthouse English Center, Hagwi
SOT (school of tomorrow) in Seocho
Global Aviation college
English Kindergarten, just outside Migeum & Dongcheong-dong in Bundang/Suji
5 Touch Language in Giheung, Yongin
Triple A English Academy near Seohyeon Station in Bundang
Worwick Franklin Institute - Wirye (New town/ Shindoshi)
Kaylee English School in Cheonan
SPEP/One-Stop Prep, Based Out of Gangnam in Seoul
Bambini Edu in Songpa
Avalon, Tae Jon Dong, Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do
Worwik franklin institute Ulsan
Gimpo POLY, Seoul
Songdo International Language Center (SILC) in Songdo, Incheon
Nagwon Feinschule Hagwon in Bonseon-dong in Nam-gu, Gwangju
Dr.Jung E Class - Gwangjin-Gu Branch v
Gyeongsang National University
Dongtan kids College
Daegu, Sangin April/CDI
iSponge branch located in Geomdan Sageori
Jungchul Academy, Cheolsan Dong, Gwangmyeong
Banana Kids school, Uijeongbu, South Korea
SLP Jungnang
Evine (Junggye-dong branch in Nowon-gu).
Brain Talk English Academy, Mokpo/Namak
Dongrae Yonje SLP in Sajik, Busan
I-garten in Cheongdahm
Kim & Lee Language Institute in Suwon
International Language School (ILS), Bongdam-eup
Talkster Waegook Hagwon in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do
Aphabet Street School in seoho
Edu Pro in Bangi Dong
JLEE Preparatory, Bundang area
GrapeTree Academy/GrapeTree English Learning Center, Gangdong gu, Gildong, Seoul
Chungdahm Institute I-Garten (formally IDEA KIDS ASSETS) Cheongdam, Seoul
KJC21 hagwon, Jangyu, Gimhae
Bono language world- Gumi, Okgye-dong
Chungdahm Institute in Uijeongbu
International Life Long Learning Center in Yeonsu-Dong, Incheon
Prime Academy (Prime Junior) in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul
Noumena Education Initiative - Gangnam, Seoul
Cambridge Institute in Gangnam
Pagoda, Gangnam Branch
NY English Studio, Haehwa-dong, Seoul
Jin Myung Language School, inside the Jin Myung Fitness Center, Jakjeon, Incheon
BPA (Best Prep Academy) near Jeongja station in Bundang, Korea
Berkeley Language School, Haeundae, Busan
Sogang Language Program (SLP) in Songpa Gu
Pagoda Junior Hwajeong
Yeonsei language school Gumi
Genesis English Academy, Ilsan
Avalon/Langcon Academy in Pyeongtaek
Wiz Island - Janghanpyeong / Dongdaemun Branch
PalsLab Hagwon in Yeontong-gu, Suwon-si
Boramae UBestA Language School/ UBestA Language Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Youngseon Middle School in Jeollabuk-do
Maple Bear Songpa or Maple Bear Bundang
Global Tesol
SLP's Hwajeong branch
YBM ECC Suseong-gu Daegu
Miracle Academy, Suseong-gu, Daegu
KDLP Korean Dual-Language Program, Gimhae South Korea
Dongnae Yeonje Gu SLP (Seogang Language program) in Busan
ESL Academy in Yeonsu-dong, Chungju (aka FTK ESL Academy, Chungju)
BaeUm Kids English Village, Haan dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi do
Best Prep Academy (BPA) in Jeongja
JungChul English Academy, Palyong-dong, Changwon
CCLE (Canadian Cultural Language Experience)
Jeongja Worwick Franklin Institute, Jeongja
Chungdahm and CDI April Gwangmyoung, Cheolsan Station
Geumjeong Corem in Busan
Namcheon Eastern English Academy in Busan
LOTIS, Leaders of Tomorrow International School in Jamsil
UACE International Language Institute, Suji
Woosong University in Daejeon, South Korea
Kings Kids English Academy in Gangnam and Songpa
Wonderland in Hyangnam, near Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
World Prep School in Geoje
Seoil Foreign Language Institute in Yullyang-dong Sangdang-gu (Cheongju, Chungbuk)
E. Bo Young Talking Club, Chungju
Advanced Junior English in Bundang
SLP Dongnae in Busan
TLBU GLOBAL school in goyang
MLS (My Language School), in Kyungsung University area, Busan
JC English academy in jecheon South Korea

(If this post is still up, I'm still looking!)
Hey there. I really want to develop a female led/slight gentle femdom relationship with a special guy.
When a lot of men see the term "female led relationship," they think, "Oh, the woman will make all the decisions with no input on what I think/want."
Are there dynamics like that? I'm sure there is. Personally, I'm not looking to be "the boss" or "above" you in any way. I want us to be equal... but have you give up control to me in a few other ways. :)
What do I mean? Keep reading on!
● ABOUT ME ●
You can call me Dreamer for now. (I'll tell you my real name once we get to know each other) Please do NOT call me Miss, Master, Dominatrix or Ma'am.
I'm 25 years old and an INFJ-T. I live in Nashville, Tennessee, USA (AKA Music City) and I'm on Central Standard Time. I'm a Black woman and I stand 5 feet, 7 inches tall. My eyes are brown and I wear glasses. I don't have any tattoos or piercings at the moment.
One thing I want to mention is that I'm plus size, AKA a bigger girl. I'm undergoing a vertical sleeve gastrectomy in two months to lose the excess weight I have in a sustainable and permanent way. I'm ready to regain my body and be healthy and confident again. I'd love to have you by my side throughout my journey!
As far as personality goes, I'd describe myself as empathetic and sweet. I like to help others as much as I can. In person, I tend to be rather shy at first. People tend to mistake that for weakness or gullibility. I'm anything but; my strength lies in introspection and quiet observation. I notice every nuance of a person's actions, words, body language, vibe... my intuition hasn't steered me wrong yet!
● INTERESTS ●
I won't go into detail on every single interest that I have but I'll talk about my biggest ones that you'll likely hear me mention the most.
✨️Writing✨️
I've been writing since I was six years old, but I started taking it seriously around 13 years old. All in all, it's been 19 years. As of right now, I primarily write Fanfiction but in the past, I've written short stories, poetry and I even tried to learn how to write screenplays at one point.
I wrote my first full-length book in 2018/2019. I started the sequel in early 2020, but I'm still working on it. I lost a LOT of inspiration during the pandemic but I'm finally writing for it again.
If you also enjoy writing, I'd love to "talk shop" with you and maybe we can exchange some of our past works.
✨️Music✨️
Music has gotten me through a lot over the years. Yeah, yeah, I know everyone says that. But it truly has. It's shaped my life and introduced me to a lot of things and people that I probably never would've done or met otherwise.
There's no point in saying I like xyz genre because I've listened to pretty much everything. The only ones I truly hate are country and gangster rap. If you want specifics, though... I've been a HUGE twenty one pilots fan for 9 years. (I have more merch, stickers and other random shit than I care to admit to lmao) I also love other artists like Amber Run, Purity Ring, Phantogram, Daughter, Lorde, OneRepublic... plus tons more.
I've always had this dumb idea of a guy and I confessing to each other through playlists with songs that make us think fondly about each other...
God, I'm single.
✨️Photography✨️
I've been into photography for 10 years and I've had my DSLR for eight years. (It's definitely the camera version of 'Ol Reliable) I enjoy nature and portrait photography. I'd love to show you some of my work and get your thoughts on it.
✨️TV/Movies✨️
TV genres I like: Animation (like Spongebob), comedy, drama, documentaries (disaster and crime ones are my favorites), true crime (like Forensic Files), old sitcoms (like Sanford and Son) and cooking and baking competitions/reality TV (like Kitchen Nightmares US and UK, Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, The Great British Baking Show, etc)
Movie genres I like: Animation, drama, comedy, action, psychological thrillers and science fiction. I thoroughly loved The Greatest Showman so one could say I like musicals but it's the only one I've seen so not sure if that really counts. Comic book movies are pretty alright too, but I really haven't seen anything past the first Avengers movie lmaooooo.
I say this as unpretentiously as possible, but I haven't seen most popular TV shows or movies that your average person likes. I think the last "popular" thing I watched was that Jeffrey Dahmer series on Netflix. (mainly out of morbid curiosity because everyone was freaking out about it... and because I think Evan Peters is a cutie) I only saw a few episodes and then forgot to watch the rest of it, but it wasn't as horrific as everyone was saying. Maybe I've watched too much Forensic Files and I'm desensitized lmao.
✨️Video and computer games✨️
Video game genres I like: Adventure, action-adventure, RPGs & JRPGs, Strategy... basically anything that is relatively fun and not horror related.
Some of my all-time favorites: Kingdom Hearts II, Ratchet and Clank, Journey, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X.
As far as computer games, the only thing I play on a regular basis is The Sims 2 and The Sims 4. As a kid, I loved simulator and time-management games; some old favorites are the RCT series, Simcity: Rush Hour, the first four Diner Dash games, the Delicious series and Burger Shop 2 (which I still have on my computer actually lmao)
✨️Other random interests✨️
Art, traveling, people watching, researching random topics on Wikipedia and watching YouTube, especially channels with old shows and movies.
☆ CAREER ☆
My last position was working nights at a psychiatric hospital. I'm looking for something new at the moment.
☆ SCHOOLING ☆
I'm officially a college student at 25. Yay! Feel free to ask me more about it, I'd love to talk.
☆ ET CETERA ☆
I really love dogs and cats. I have three cats and they're little demons but I love them to death. I also love small animals like ferrets, bunnies and snakes!
My main love languages are words of affirmation, quality time and gift giving/receiving. To be honest, though, there's elements of each language that I enjoy or relate to in one way or another.
I don't smoke and I drink every so often. Otherwise, I'm vaccinated and DDF.
● ABOUT YOU ●
I'm looking for a guy between the ages of 23-33 years old. I might be willing to talk to someone within two years in either direction (so 21 min and 35 max) if you meet all my other preferences/wants. If you're younger than 21 or older than 35, though, please don't contact me.
Please be single and emotionally available. I won't interact with anyone already in a relationship or married (even if you're separated or in a "dead bedroom," you're STILL married) and I'm especially not interested in poly/ENM. I'm 100% monogamous.
Hair is super important to me! I prefer medium length to long hair, something I can stroke and play with a lot lmao.
I have a REALLY big soft spot for blue and/or doe eyes, but don't let that deter you. If you have kind eyes, I'll fall in love with them, no matter their color!
I tend to like softer facial features and even softer personalities. Are you super masculine in public but a total softie in private? Lovely! Are you less masculine but a little more feminine? Great! Are you androgynous or otherwise fall somewhere in between? I can dig it!
Key traits that I like in a guy include, but are not limited to: Being sweet, gentle, empathetic, considerate, an active listener, exceptional at communication and willing to go the extra mile for those that you love, be it family, friends, your partner, etc.
With that being said, it's important that you have time for me. I'm not expecting us to talk 24/7 but if you're always too busy to talk to me, this won't work. At some point, I'd like for us to also talk on the phone as our schedules permit, of course.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, please be from the USA/North America and willing to meet and get to know each other in person ASAP.
● WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR ●
It's important to me that you're an active listener; what I mean is that you'll make an effort to listen to what I have to say and respond to it accordingly. If I tell you my thoughts on a matter or ask you a question or give you a compliment etc etc, please respond to it. It makes me feel so sad and small if I feel like my thoughts or opinions are not important/relevant.
I can tell pretty quickly if someone is genuinely interested in me or not. Like I said before, I notice everything lol.
I mentioned earlier how one of my love languages is words of affirmation. One of the ways I enjoy that is through compliments. I'm not looking for you to worship the ground I walk on, but being told "You look beautiful" or "When you do xyz, that makes me really happy" makes me feel SO seen and appreciated.
It's incredibly frustrating to send a picture of myself and get a lukewarm response in return. :(
Affection is also super important to me. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, cuddling, touching... all the cute couple shit. I want you to touch me, not in a pervy way, but in an affectionate way. I want to stroke your hair while I hold you close... little things like that make me incredibly happy.
Keep in mind, everything I want from you, I'll give to you in return. I'll always listen and acknowledge you, give you compliments, shower you in affection, plus whatever else makes you feel wanted and appreciated as a person and in a relationship.
● OUR DYNAMIC ●
I always want you to have a choice and be able to voice your opinion. I will never degrade or boss you around in general, but especially when it comes to your personal choices. I'm a switch that used to be a predominant sub and believe me, I've had doms tell me before, "I make the decision on what you wear, what to eat, who you hang out with, etc etc... because I'm your dom and what I say goes."
Some people may like that. More power to them. But I'm not like that. I want you to feel free to express yourself. If you want my opinion, I'll give it to you, of course. But my job is to build you up and support your decisions, no matter how small!
Again, I'm not looking for you to kiss my ass. I'd love for you to take the lead on most decisions (with my input, of course). But I want you to also have a "service" attitude; whether that's helping out with household chores or surprising me with a massage after work or giving me flowers "just because" or helping me paint my toenails lol... just to name some examples. The sky's the limit.
That extends to "the bedroom" as well. I want my pleasure to be just as important to you as yours is to me.
In short? I just want to feel doted on and taken care of. I want to be the most important person in your life and you be the most important person in my life. I want to make you feel special and praise you and tell you how much you mean to me. And I want the same in return. 💓
● "KINKS" ●
This is inevitably gonna come up at some point. I'll say when it comes to my "kinks" (if you want to call them that) I like:
Teasing, edging, telling you when you can cum and begging me for it (I believe it's called orgasm control/denial), moaning, praise, blindfolds, eye contact, body worshiping (you and me), breast worship, oral, fingering and using toys on you.
Been a little curious about pegging someone one day. We'd have to build up to it, of course, because I don't want to hurt you. If you're not into that, though, don't worry! It's definitely not a requirement.
Things I do NOT like (or hard limits) are:
Humiliation, degradation, anything that causes you or me physical, emotional and mental harm, blood, pee, scat, vomit, diapers, CNC, ageplay, raceplay, hitting, slapping, choking or anything else illegal, unethical or otherwise unloving.
● IN CONCLUSION... ●
If you read all of this, good job! Here's a cookie, hope you like chocolate chip. 🍪
Seriously, though, I can't name every little thing I want. Despite the length of this post, I'm not trying to play Build-A-Boy. I realize you have your own caveats and that's totally fine. Let's get to know each other and see what happens. All I ask for, again, is that you want a serious, longterm relationship and not view me as just some sort of "kink dispenser."
Chats or DMs are fine. When you send me a message, please include the following...
• Name or alias • Location • Age • Height, body type, hair cololength, eye color • Your interests/hobbies • Whether you're a sub or a switch • What you're looking for out of a relationship and something (or things) you really enjoyed about my post • A clear, SFW picture of yourself • Your current favorite song (so I know you actually read through all of this) • Whatever else you want to add to catch my attention. The more you can match my "detailed energy," the better.
I won't reply to those who ignore my preferences or the message requirements above. If you send me nudes/dick pics/sexting or FWB requests/rude messages, you will be blocked and reported.
Thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you have a good night!

• Dreamer

(P.S. I don't use Snap, Kik, Telegram, WhatsApp and whatever else. I use Discord and I only give my cell number out to people that I'm comfy with.)

[LONG READ]
I recently watched a YouTube video of a guy asking an older gentleman when he knew he was gay and it got me thinking about my own life. I don't expect anyone to read this or to care. I just wanted to share my story and maybe find solice in knowing that I finally found the confidence to share my thoughts.
A little about me, I'm an Asian-American guy who lives in the Midwest, US. I'm 30 and now just coming to terms with my sexuality.
Deep down, I've always known I was gay. As young as middle school. I remember my realization pretty clearly too. I was sleeping over at my friend's place one weekend and we got into his brother's adult magazines. He was telling me to check out the girls, but my eyes went straight to the men, specifically their packages. lol I felt a surge of attraction I've never felt before. I knew then and there that I liked guys. I just didn't have a word for it.
Unfortunately, I grew up in a broken home. Single immigrant parent of 7 children. We were also really poor. It was hard but I found comfort in the church and as the years went by I got more and more involved in the church, growing my faith. I was in all the youth programs and Sunday school. By high school I became a youth leader, I was on the worship team, I eventually became the band leader. I worked at our summer camps, lead day camps, taught youth ministry classes. Although I look back at these memories fondly, it sadly was a huge reason why I surpressed my sexuality. As a teenager, I knew I had strong urges and desires for men, but I refused to accept them. How could I be gay and lead ministry? I remember praying endless nights for God to take away my "evil" desires. I felt disgusted at myself because here I am, being praised as a godly leader in church, yet I couldn't stop myself from thinking about being with a guy. At 18-19, I even felt lust for some of the male leaders.
In high school I did have strong emotional feelings for 2 girls. I'm not sure if it was just me convincing myself I liked women, but I remember I'd feel jealous whenever they had boyfriends. Or feeling the butterflies when one would hold my hand. I remember feeling like I wanted a relationship with them, but I was never sexually attracted to them. In my life, they were the only girls I've ever felt like that for. For awhile I used these emotions to convince myself that I was bisexual. I thought that if I couldn't make myself straight, I'd rather be bisexual believing it wasn't as a bad as being gay.
Fast forward to college and I'm still very much surpressing my sexuality. My faith was still strong and I ended up going to a bible college, the most well-known in my area. Although I wasn't consciously thinking I'm gay, I did start to loosen up a bit. By a bit, I mean I'm an adult now and when I'm alone I'd watch gay porn. lol I've watch porn before but they were only straight stuff since I'd steal them from my brothers. Tho I had to be very careful, at college, despite being super religious, I felt a bit more free. I still felt bad indulging in these feelings, but it didn't bother me as much anymore because this was also the time that I started to question my faith. By the end my college career, I was practically out the door.
Post college, I'm now in the working world where not everything revolved around my faith anymore. I was no longer in this Christian bubble and it felt great. I'm slowly opening up but because my entire social circle, my community, was built entirely on faith it was still very hard to accept myself.
I continue to hide this from everyone for many more years. Come age 28. COVID hits. The world is in shambles. I lose my job. What did I do? I decided that I'd move across the world to teach English because there was nothing left for me here. I took this as an opportunity to sorta become someone new. I was excited. I was moving to a country where no one knows me. I even used a new name. This felt freeing because it meant I no longer have to hide myself anymore. Except, I moved to Asia where being gay is just as difficult, if not more. lol BUT I was able to use this time to reflect on me. Internally, I finally felt a huge release of pressure. Although I still told people there I was straight, it was no longer out of fear. I did it to avoid awkward cultural situations. Unfortunately I was way too busy and antisocial to actually do anything beyond thinking about being gay, but this was a significant moment as I finally broke down my own mental barriers. After about a year I returned home to the States much more confident and assured in my sexuality.
I'm now 30 and although I've now fully accepted my sexuality and I'm still very much closeted. No one knows and I really have no connection to anyone who is openly gay. I came back thinking I was ready to finally be me but I soon realize that my social circle has dwindle down and if I'm being honest I'm scared. I'm scared because the few relationships I have left were built heavily on our shared faith. I'm afraid that if I come out, I'll lose the only friends I have left. Being Asian-American, coming out to my family is even scarier. They're not open minded at all and because I already don't have a close relationship with them if I were to come out I'm terrified that I'd really be alone.
Even tho I suppressed my sexuality, I refused to date women to prove I was straight because I knew it wasn't fair to them. They don't deserve to be lied to and be used for my selfish needs. But because of that I've never dated before and am still a virgin. Something that I'm extremely insecure about. I'm clueless when it comes to dating. My friends always ask why I never had a girlfriend and I got really good at making up excuses.
"I'm contempt on being single... I'm too fat and ugly... I need to work on me before I can focus on anyone else... I am not stable enough financially/career so I don't have the time..." And the list goes on.
I'm now at a crossroads. I've slowly left my old circle because I know it's no longer a place I fit in. But the older I get, the harder it is to make new friends. I've developed pretty bad social anxiety. I've spent the last 2-3 years pretty much alone. I've even questioned if I should go back to suppressing my sexuality because at the very least, I had friends and a community.
I've tried the online dating, but I'm honestly intimidated by it. Guys on there are models. Fit. Active. Life figured out. Involved. Sure of themselves. Then there's me: Clueless. 30 yet never dated. Out of touch with what it means to be gay. Bigger sized. And still closeted. I frankly feel unwanted because unlike the online world, I'm still figuring myself out. It honestly feels like I went from one space I didn't fit in to another.
However, I know it's all a mind game with myself. Much of this comes from my fear of rejection. My inexperience and insecurities have thwarted my growth, but I know I don't want to live in this space anymore. I'm now focused on bettering me. Being healthier. Finding a new career. Forcing myself to join community events. I'm still just beginning but I know it starts with me.
This was a long time coming. I've held these thoughts for so many years, even if not a single person reads this it feels therapeutic to finally put this out, publicity.
If you did read thru this, I'm sorry. lol but if you have any friendly advice for me on how to navigate all of this, I'd gladly welcome them.

- Recipes for Disaster: An Anarchist Cookbook
Helping Women and Society Escape Violent Relationships
Women exist in a "domesticated" combat zone. On any given day in the United States, an average of 480 women will be raped, 5,760 women will be assaulted, and 4 will be murdered by a [cis] male partner. Domestic violence [against women] is an assault on women's bodies and minds by those who claim to love them and love to claim them. The success of this violence depends on the complicity of community. If we intend to bring about true liberation, we must foster explicitly antiauthoritarian behavior in both personal and political life. No hierarchy is acceptable and no domination is justifiable—not even "behind closed doors." Because one in four women will be assaulted (likely including someone you love), we must wage war on domestic violence. We serve to empower our communities best by fighting the violence and hierarchy closest to home… or in the home.
Ingredients

• Outreach materials
• Shelter
• Childcare
• Basic safety materials—pepper spray, whistles, deadbolts, phone
• Knowledge of local resources
• A network of safe communities/spaces for women
• Personal dedication to the complete annihilation of authority
• Instructions

Stage One: Helping Her
Educate yourself. Domestic violence (DV) is rarely a single instance of battery, but instead a pattern of power and control. It may involve sexual or physical violence, or it may be a complex web of threats, property destruction, isolation, and emotional, financial, and mental abuse. Understanding this will help you recognize abuse if it comes without physical bruises.
If you are truly ready to have your mother, friend, or daughter tell you what is happening in her private life, invite her to come to you. If you are speaking against violence and rape, she will know you are ready. Wheatpaste neighborhoods with posters about domestic violence, hold street fairs against violence in residential neighborhoods, plaster infoshops and collective homes with signs that invite women into a safe space. If she, her children, or her animals are in immediate danger, however, you may need to approach her. Never approach the abuser: most abusers are paranoid and will quickly assume their victims have exposed them, and may retaliate against them.
Follow her lead. The most important thing you will do is be there for her, even if you feel useless. Trying to be a hero can only undermine her autonomy. Let her make her own decisions, even bad ones, and never tell her what to do. Give her back control: refuse to dominate her and recreate the abuse.
Give her a phone number or a way to contact you or someone in the community. Best is a cell phone that will always be on, or a collective house's number where someone is usually awake.
Let her talk. Don't wince or gasp: tales of [rape] and strangulation are not easy to listen to, but they are harder to tell. Survivors are often terrified of either tainting someone else's world with their trauma or not being believed. Tell her you believe her. You will be changed by what you hear; thank her for that. Confirm what may seem obvious.
An abuser spends a lot of time telling her she is crazy, and that no one would believe her. Tell her that you are listening, and offer eye contact and physical closeness if she is comfortable with it. Assure her that the way she feels is okay. There is no "normal" way to respond to abnormal acts of violence. Understand that the shield of invulnerability has been shattered (41% of rape victims and 89% of domestic violence victims expect to be assaulted again). She may be hyper-vigilant; the best way to help is to make her feel safe and legitimize/recognize her fears.
Focus on practical and immediate concerns. Where can one buy mace? What organizations work with DV issues? Ask her what she needs in order to leave: shelter? transportation? a job? childcare? money? Help her find these resources. Then ask what she needs to stay out of the relationship. For most women, it takes seven to fourteen attempts to leave their abusers. If she doesn't have the resources to stay gone, she may return because he can support her. Many abusers manipulate these needs. This is what makes DV such a pernicious crime: the perpetrator is the person who knows her best.
Address her immediate safety. If she is living with the abuser, make sure she has a plan to get out during a violent episode (contact your local coalition against DV for safety plans). Offer to keep personal papers and a packed suitcase for her and some extra money. Make sure she has a phone. An old cell phone without service can still dial 911 if charged. Consider establishing code words for her to use if she needs help, or other signals—a porch light off, for example, could let the neighbors know they should contact the police. If she doesn't live with her abuser, offer to find someone to stay with her or nearby. Do a safety check: make sure phone lines can't be cut, doors have deadbolts, and windows are nailed shut. If she wants to stay in hiding, help her cover her tracks by getting all mail sent to another address or post office box; offer to put your name on utilities. If she rides a bus or bike, find a car for her to borrow. Find community members who can do errands with her, pick her up from work, watch the children, etc. 90% of stalking cases are former intimate partners, not strangers.
The anti-DV movement started as an underground railroad of homes. Consider where she stays carefully. If the abuser knows where she is staying, she can feel like a sitting duck, especially if she stays with a [cis man]—an abuser's insecurity and suspicions can easily turn to rage. The majority of extreme violence and murder occur when the woman tries to leave, because the abuser feels he is losing control of her. Taking a survivor into your home is a serious commitment; unless you are prepared to internalize her constant vigilance and your home is very secure, she may be safer with someone else.
If she wants, help her use the legal system to file charges, obtain a protective order, file for custody, or get a divorce. Discuss the pros and cons of this in relation to safety, not politics. Until we develop an alternative, we cannot criticize a woman for using "the system." It is imperative, however, that she doesn't invest her safety or emotional wellbeing in the criminal justice system, as it often fails.
The community might want to deal with or "out" the abuser. Some communities have ostracized abusers, boycotted their businesses, refused to speak to them. You could make posters of his face, or spray paint his house. You can run abusers out of town, though understand this has the potential of resulting in his abusing someone somewhere else. You can threaten him with violence. No matter what is done, it must be acceptable to the survivor, because her well-being is at stake.
Stage Two: Helping Us
There are many steps we must take as communities and collectives to be welcoming and radicalizing spaces for survivors. At the same time, we must each take personal responsibility for shifting the public conscience toward abhorrence for violence. In a patriarchal state, violence toward and the rape of women prop up sexist oppression and exploitation. We cannot transform "rape culture" without committing ourselves to resisting and eradicating all patriarchy.
We must redefine sex and relationships away from terms of violence, power, domination and status. In our relationships we can try to create a new vocabulary that [prioritizes] consent and equality.
[Cis] men in particular need to organize. [Most] DV is a [cis] man's problem—women just suffer the consequences. A radical [cis] heterosexual male must give up the privileges of his gender—only then can he be approachable, only then will he be capable of offering meaningful help to a survivor. You cannot aid a survivor while allowing for other forms of sexism to prevail. [... Cis m]en can unlearn their gender construction and undermine patriarchy; imagine if every boy grew up around men who were struggling against patriarchy and violence.
Account
Taheera called the police after Mark had threatened to take their five-month-old baby, Juan. There were bruises on her neck from a previous incident, and Mark was arrested. It had been Mark's idea to move to the city when Taheera was 3 months pregnant. Taheera started to go to a low-cost clinic for prenatal care, but stopped going when Mark accused her of sleeping with the doctor. The first time Mark hit her was after she made a list of baby names. He was jealous of the attention the baby was getting.
I am a social worker, and an agency referred her to me. When we first talked, Taheera kept looking behind her. I suggested she push her chair against the wall, and promised her that I would keep checking down the hallway for Mark (even though Mark was in jail and wasn't going to be coming).
She was scared of Mark and of what he might do to her and the baby, especially now that he had been arrested. Mark's job was their only source of income, and he might be fired if he didn't get out of jail soon. She had a lot of questions about the legal system and was curious to know if I had talked to other women who felt like she did. We talked about local groups and shelters that could help, but mostly I just listened. I gave her my number and a 24-hour crisis number. Taheera chose to bail Mark out, using all their savings, but not to speak with him. The state had Mark sign a "no contact order" telling him he couldn't contact her or move back home, so he got an apartment upstairs from Taheera and made a point of bringing lots of "bitches" home so Taheera would see. Taheera didn't show up to court and the case was dropped.
Two weeks later, Taheera called and said that Mark was upstairs, Juan was asking for him, and that she was trying to resist going up to him. She missed him. I simply listened, and told her, as best I could, that her feelings were normal. She kept asking, "What's wrong with me?" I tried to refocus on Mark's problems. Taheera finally agreed to walk downtown and sign up for a support group that had childcare. But she never did, and instead went upstairs to Mark.
Eight months later, Taheera called from a payphone. Mark had held a gun to her head because he was angry that they now lived together in the upstairs apartment but he still had to pay for the downstairs apartment. He cut the phone cord so she couldn't call out. Things had been okay for a while: Mark had let her get a job and was being a "good daddy." Taheera told me that she had left several times, but each time he had found her or threatened her family Taheera felt too tired to leave, and just wanted things to "stay sane."
Taheera decided to save up money. We met for lunch one afternoon and made a list of what to do, which I kept so Mark wouldn't see it. I also gave her an old cell phone to call 911, which she hid in a cabinet. She got a separate bank account and started funneling part of her paycheck into it. She told a neighbor what was happening and gave the neighbor a packed suitcase to keep for her. I researched Section 8 housing in her hometown, and had the papers sent to my office. Taheera asked me to look up domestic violence resources in her hometown on my computer, because Mark made a point of checking out which websites she had visited when he got home from work. Mark grew suspicious, probably because Taheera seemed to be happier. Mark started calling her work and hanging up, and kept this up until she was fired. He bought her a cell phone so he could call her repeatedly any time she was out. He started not letting her leave the house with Juan, so that she would have to come back. He took her car keys. Eight months before, Taheera might have given up, because Mark seemed to be catching on.
I don't know all the details, but one night Taheera got someone from her church to park outside the apartments and start shouting. Mark, easily annoyed, went out to shut them up, and she and Juan got their suitcases from the neighbors and left through a back door, where the church friend picked them up.
I don't know if Taheera's story is a success story, but it is a real story. Since then, Mark has found out where she lives and has gained visitation rights to Juan through a court. Mark has also assaulted her twice since she left, once running her and Juan off the road. Taheera, however, has broken her connection to Mark and broken the cycle of abuse. Sometimes I think about her friend from church and the neighbor, and wonder what would have happened without them.
Recently, she read an article about my being arrested for protesting and asked what I was doing. I told her that I fight violence and hierarchy on all levels and she muttered, "Oh." But yesterday she left a message saying she was reading a lot and did I have any favorite authors? I'm thinking Emma Goldman or a little Naomi Wolfe.

Yesterday, while celebrating my birthday with my girlfriend, there was a head-on collision outside of my home involving a young man in an SUV and an older gentleman on a motorcycle. I heard a strange sound, looked out my window, and immediately bolted out the front door to try and help the older gentleman. At first I thought he was conscious, but his eyes were staring into space and he wouldn't or couldn't respond. He was laying his back, writhing in agony and wheezing. I tried to remember my first aid training, I looked him over, his legs and one arm were broken, his chest was deformed, he was trying to breathe but it sounded as though his lungs were collapsed. I froze, I literally couldn't remember what to do, if I should try compressions, others were there trying to help but they didn't know either. He stopped struggling and his wheezing became shallow, almost imperceptible. I felt useless, I couldn't do anything for him, so I moved away and looked around.
Some people were flagging traffic, there was a 20ish year old kid with his face bleeding standing to the side, I approached him and asked if he was alright. He told me he was uninjured, but he seemed out of it, which I attributed to shock. He asked if the man was going to die, I told him I wasn't sure, but that he was still breathing. He began saying he needed to call his boss, and that he was going to be late for work, I told him he wasn't going to work today, and to call his parents. He went back to his car, and a woman yelled to me to make sure he didn't run off. I stayed near him, while he said things like "Am I going to jail?" and "There goes my car". I chalked his lack of wherewithal up to shock or from hitting his head when he hit the tree, I noted that he didn't smell like alcohol.
The police arrived, and soon after EMS and firefighters did as well. They began compressions on the older man and attached an AED to his chest for a few minutes before loading him into the ambulance and speeding off. I spoke with some of the other people who were there, and a man who had seen the accident take place. He said the kid had veered suddenly into oncoming traffic, hitting the rider head on, and then smashed into a tree. He also pointed out that there wasn't a single tire mark along the path of the SUV, indicating that he hadn't even attempted to brake. throughout the entire event I was gripped with a sense of terror and powerlessness I have never felt before, this was underscored by anger and sadness when a police officer informed us that they couldn't revive the man.
For several hours afterward I felt on edge, even still I feel something I can only describe as a stress hangover. Emotionally I feel flat, with sudden bursts of sadness and anger at the situation. The news reported today that the 25 year old "kid" is being charged with Impaired driving resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. I am heartbroken for the family of the victim, I am sad for the parent's of the driver; and I am angry at the waste of life due to carelessness. The guy on the bike was riding along on a beautiful day, he did nothing wrong, and he was killed by an idiot.
I apologize for the rambling nature of this post, I'm normally more concise, but I'm trying to get this all off my chest as I feel it, which is a bit of a jumbled mess. I don't want to avoid or bottle any of it up, as I know that can lead to PTSD.

So I'm about to go into my first full time job ever. I'm fresh out of college and have done full time school before and a part time job- but the school didn't bother me because it was my special interest of art and painting. But now I'm a administrative assistant working with numbers, excel, appointments, phone calls, and accounting work in general... I've already been having the occasional meltdown at or after work with working 3 days a week. But I cannot turn down the money honestly. It's a significant increase in my pay by doing 5 days and I get health insurance again...
But I'm scared of the affect this will have on me and my melt downs. Doing full time art was breeze, the hours simply fell away as i dove into each piece. But a workplace with gray walls that i must mask at for 42 hours instead of 26. I don't want to let my workplace know I'm on the spectrum until I'm trained enough so there's not even a chance of them replacing me because I'm still disposable at the moment.
Please let me know if there's any advice or things you do to cope with full time office work. I currently take 5-7 minute bathroom breaks twice a day mainly to just decompress in a stall & I lo-key don't do much in the first 30 minutes of work except read some emails and eat breakfast.