I bought a few shoes on the drop, and they are all currently on “In progress” on the tracker but I obviously received the order confirmation email for each, but I have noticed today all of the payments are gone now from my account, no record can be seen of them now and the balance reflects this? No change in my app or emails or on the tracking, should I be worried about this or not?

Basically my taste in music i guess isn't the best at least according to some people or online things. For example at work someone wanted me to play some music, so I put on some of the music I listen to and a Scalxrd song came on. One of my work friends made a comment that that type of music isn't art and that its basically just screaming. So I was like "can you do that and make it sound good?". Like its okay to not like a genre but to basically say a whole genre of music isn't art felt odd. Also I've recently found the bad Sleep Token. And I have enjoyed their stuff. I saw some reviews online and peoppes comments and a lot of them are saying its good but then a lot just say its terrible. Also the band Bad Omens I've also recently found and like
I know music is subjective and people will like and dislike different things, but it just seems like I get the bad music taste? Idk I've never been too big a fan of older hiphop, but I like some newer stuff. I'm not a huge fan of older rock but like 2000's 2010's and newer rock. Today at work someone was playing music and they had a punk playlist and it seemed like everyone enjoyed it, but it doesn't seem that way when I play music. Although the one person was defending my music taste for how my work friend said it wasn't art

Good morning.
I'm your classic run of the mill 32 year old British guy. Average and normal in almost everyway really, you can probably guess my hobbies (live music, cooking, football, reading etc etc etc.). That doesn't mean to say I'm not easy to talk to and pretty fun to be around, or at least I like to think so.
I'm looking for someone new to chat with, hopefully find a spark with and enjoy each other's company online. I've met some really cool people in the past on here so I'm trying again today to see if my luck is in. So if you too are looking for someone who you can find a spark with, to get excited about and get lost from your own thoughts while talking to them, then give me a try and let's see how it goes.

He got up in the morning to make coffee, but the kettle was haunted.
He tried to make a sandwich, but the bread was haunted. The butter was haunted.
He put on his haunted hat and his haunted coat and went down to the bar under his haunted apartment.
"I can't offer you anything today," shrugged the bartender, "all the drinks are haunted."
An Englishman walked into the bar. A Scotsman walked into the bar. An Irishman walked into the bar.
The Englishman was haunted. The Scotsman was haunted. The Irishman was extremely haunted.
Suddenly, the man stormed off towards the restrooms - before the bartender could warn him about the haunted dog that circles the haunted toilet - but just as quickly stormed back in the opposite direction.
"I can't stay in a place like this," he complained, "the fire escape isn't haunted!"

Hello y'all, ya boi is back with another fun drama.
Last time I presented y'all some juicy drama about my favourite hobby: martial arts and fighting (and the lack of knowledge about that the brings so much funny drama).
Today instead I present you some rather interesting and absurd drama coming straight up from a place that would taste the faith in humanity and God of even even the firmest saint and anchorite: Christianity.
So let's start with a lil' introduction then we'll go to have fun with the drama!
So, we all know that religions and art have always had a bivalent relationship of love and hate: religion can be a great source of inspiration and a terrible detroyer of art, many masterpieces were created thanks to various religions and as many were destroyed by the same. We have the Sistine Chapel thanks to a pope that commissioned it while another pope had all the dicks cut off the statues in the Vatican and this is just one of the many ambivalent examples.
I could go on for hours with examples about all of this but that's not the point.
I said all of this as an introduction to present you the latest round of this strange relationship brought to us in form of glorious drama by our beloved subject that got presented here again and again: Christianity.
Let's star then!
Here is the whole post that became the fuse of the drama:
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
It's a simple question about "The Resurrection" of Pericle Fazzini, wich as you can see it's a rather particular representation of Jesus resurrected from a nuclear crater.
Onto the comments then:
Straight off the bat drama starts in the first thread where OOP recives a normal answer but from there things get out of hand with a question that I never thought I'd say in my life: is that Jesus or a damn dragon? A loooooooooong discussion ensue about this.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxjy0r?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
As a bonus I'll also add another fun answer to this thread:
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmyls4h?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Another person answers again but they add that this is "rotten art" that should be "melted down" though.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxunis?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Right after it's again the turn of the confused-dragon-guy that decided he didn't had enough drama for today. To fix that they made their own thread to have plenty of people to argue with.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxja4t?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Another person starts their own thread about how they interpretate the statue: what if instead of Jesus resurrecting after a nuclear explosion the real meaning is about Satan killing Jesus and dragging Him to Hell? Fortunately or unfortunately this won't be the last Satanist conspiracy thread here.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxnfyx?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
In fact here we go with the second Satanist conspiracy thread, honestly it's just so much that I dunno how ro describe this, just read it yourselves and try to make sense from it if you manage 'cause I didn't.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmybppq?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Now for the next thread: this time the creator hates both the Church and any art representation of God and they are ready to die on that hill against all of that.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxnu9k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Were you hoping that the Satanic conspiracy threads were done? Or did you want more? Anyway, we close in style this post with the third one and honestly after reading it my reaction was the same of that only other user that answered that thread.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxnu9k?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Here are some bonuses before finishing:
Now, what does this statue makes you wonder? Maybe we'll never know.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxm5jd?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Was the sculpute high on acid the whole time while they made this?
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmy7fy0?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
As a last random bonus: a whole thread removed and deleted, we can just speculate about wich sacred mysteries the discussed before being taken out by some Church sniper.
https://www.reddit.com/Christianity/comments/140whn8/what_kind_of_statue_is_this/jmxj4j6?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Hey Everyone!
Let’s go….
Newly Covered Today:

1. Atomic wallet got hacked. https://twitter.com/zachxbt/status/1665080799253733377
2. No surprise: general interest in crypto & Cardano is still pretty low according to google trends. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=cardano&hl=en
3. Here’s the Weekly Development Update from June 2. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1665394985934499840
4. The Chairs of the House Committee on Financial Services (McHenry) and the House Committee on Agriculture (Thompson) are co-sponsoring a new pro-crypto Digital Asset Market Structure Bill. Currently just a discussion draft. Here’s the summary. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD002.pdf
5. Here’s the actual discussion draft. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD003.pdf
6. Here’s a section-by-section with exhibits. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AG/AG00/20230606/116051/HHRG-118-AG00-20230606-SD001.pdf
7. Cornucopias has released more game footage. https://twitter.com/RobGreig3/status/1665310543589040130

Previously covered, but still interesting:

1. Cardano Native Assets are vastly superior to BRC20 and ERC20 tokens. https://twitter.com/TheOCcryptobro/status/1655673557710692352
2. Rumor: SEC is going to make a move against Binance. Will the DOJ also? https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1655546961968103425
3. At the end of Q3 of last year, 722 banks reported unrealized losses greater than 50% of capital. https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/files/board-briefing-on-impact-of-rising-interest-rates-and-supervisory-approach-20230214.pdf
4. Wyoming is inching closer to a state stablecoin. IOG’s significant presence there may turn out to be a huge advantage. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/05/09/wyoming-stable-token-a-multibillion-dollar-opportunity-as-officials-wrestle-with-how-to-make-it-happen/
5. Paypal disclosed almost $1 billion in customer crypto in its latest 10-Q. https://blockworks.co/news/paypal-discloses-1b-crypto
6. MiCA is shifting the balance of crypto investment to Europe. https://twitter.com/paddi_hansen/status/1655883224726241281
7. Today (May 10) will be a joint hearing of the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees on Crypto. The CLO of Kraken will testify. https://financialservices.house.gov/
8. This is a legit point about centralized L2s: the best ones are called Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance. https://twitter.com/el33th4xostatus/1655845787593502720
9. There’s already a new version of Lace Wallet out. https://twitter.com/lace_io/status/1656347737355608066
10. A nice thread on the many strengths of Cardano. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1656388178369212416
11. Remember, lobster traps are a thing. https://twitter.com/TheCardanoTimes/status/1656064744225120257
12. Today (May 11 at 1pm EST) there will be a Messari Cardano Analyst call with Charles & Frederik. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1656272372452954112
13. I think we all love it when they start making our case for us. https://twitter.com/WatcherGuru/status/1656379837823561730
14. Ethereum is lamenting many of its poor design choices that Cardano already fixed. https://twitter.com/moo9000/status/1656215016016683008
15. Drunkenmiller says this is the broadest asset bubble he’s ever even studied let alone seen firsthand and we’ve only had a few soft landings since 1950. https://twitter.com/Stephen_Geigestatus/1656416819312222219
16. Live footage of meme coin investors accepting their ROI. https://twitter.com/KaylerSmithTV/status/1656130092966264834
17. Here’s the Messari call from today with both Fred & Chaz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouUhWwF74MM
18. People really seem to be enjoying the CF’s Blockchain Education Alpha Program. https://twitter.com/andreassosilo/status/1644263843743293451
19. The US Chamber of Commerce brief in the Coinbase case is calling out the SEC for acting “unlawfully”. https://twitter.com/MetaLawMan/status/1656737447756038177
20. About that whole self-custody thing we’ve discussed… https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1656706653801136132
21. The SPO poll on K and minFee starts today (May 15)! You should redelegate if your stake pool doesn’t vote the way you would vote! https://cardanofoundation.org/en/news/entering-voltaire-poll-experiment-live-on-mainnet/
22. There are also a series of forum topics for discussion of the various options in the Cardano.org forums. https://twitter.com/Lovecoach_nic/status/1657700010148896770
23. Coinbase spotlights Empowa! May be the first time they’ve ever given such a spotlight to a Cardano project. Tides are turning. https://twitter.com/coinbase/status/1657081243518005254
24. Wow. Leaked “Key Messages” document for the joint committee meeting in the US House last week. Best part: they basically complain about separation of powers in point three. https://twitter.com/EleanorTerrett/status/1656362002577772544
25. Dr. Vanishree Rao on ZK-Rollups. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1657778843854274560
26. Here’s a new Decentralized Identity article from IOG. https://iohk.io/en/blog/posts/2023/05/11/atala-prism-pioneering-digital-identity-with-decentralized-solutions/
27. There are reasons we’re in a hard capped cryptocurrency like Cardano. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/business/argentina-interest-rates-inflation/index.html
28. What is a dRep? This video is for you. There will be additional categories of default dReps that vote abstain or no confidence on every vote. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1658034085401337857
29. The US Dept. of Justice is officially saying they are targeting exchanges. Great. Great. https://www.ft.com/content/5aac457e-cc80-44ae-ac40-9b51d9b601a3
30. Wow! Ledger just made what is possibly the greatest PR blunder in the history of crypto. Trezor will be poppin’ bottles tonight. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658458714771169282
31. People are claiming that the hysteria is a misunderstanding of cryptography. But, that’s not what’s going on here if Ledger plus one of the other two shard custodians can reconstruct your private key without having to use your private key. https://twitter.com/nimuepool/status/1658517533836574720
32. The Ledger Recover FAQ seems to support this understanding as it suggests you use a brand new device for recovery. https://support.ledger.com/hc/en-us/articles/9579368109597
33. Wow. Unfortunate timing for this. https://twitter.com/Ledgestatus/1658095051375800321
34. Ken Kodama will be doing a Japanese language interview on CardanoSpot on May 18. https://twitter.com/Emurgo_Ken/status/1658838077136162828
35. The stake pool operator poll on network parameters of K and minPoolCost is live. See the results here. The re-delegation phase will begin on May 25th. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
36. Cornucopias dropped some new in-game footage. As expected, Solace is beautiful. https://youtu.be/j5iwNsQVMDQ?t=1846
37. Wow….the Ledger shards are encrypted with “a master key that is contained in all devices”. Wut? https://twitter.com/P3b7_/status/1658809445965606913
38. Sadly, the Ledger CEO seemed to be denying exactly the above just a day ago. https://twitter.com/_pgauthiestatus/1658508082941403144
39. Here’s why 340 ADA minPoolCost promotes multi-pools. https://twitter.com/ArmySpies/status/1659387255537176581
40. Numbers are emerging on the benefits of K=1000 over K=500. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1659398551917727744
41. Here’s the latest on the Stake Pool Operator poll. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
42. Rep. Tom Emmer is trying to help crypto by cutting crypto assets out of the definition of a “security”. He creates a new non-security asset category called “investment contract asset”. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1659291641281146886
43. Prof. Wadler (co-inventor of Cardano’s Plutus) has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society joining the likes of Einstein, Darwin, Hawking, and Isaac Newton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLOm-dWje-M
44. Huge amount of voting for economic self-interest by multi-poolers in the SPO poll. Earlier today (May 21), 84.73% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 340 ₳ was multi-poolers. Only 15.6% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was multi-poolers. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
45. Large pools also voted heavily for economic self-interest with the K parameter. 70.02% by stake of the vote for K=500, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools with delegation over 35 million. Only 30.57% of the vote for K=1000, Min Cost 170 ₳ was pools over 35 million. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
46. Apparently Cardano has its own wiki now! Probably better given our previous treatment by the big wiki group. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660383700243329024
47. Rep. Tom Emmer is getting some reactions on the bill he sponsored with Rep. Soto. https://twitter.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/1660329932495486977
48. You’re really gonna hold up a debt ceiling deal because you hate crypto so bad? https://twitter.com/gaborgurbacs/status/1660248530135515138
49. Looks like a few big multi-poolers have voted in the poll since yesterday. Pretty easy to predict what they didn’t vote for. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
50. Reports coming in that DCG has defaulted on the payment owed to Genesis. https://twitter.com/AP_Abacus/status/1660671386388504577
51. Ledger Recover would allow governments to confiscate crypto assets by subpoena? Called “not a real concern in the end.” Really? https://twitter.com/TheBTCTherapist/status/1660677064700178436
52. Frederik Gregaard on DeFi and regulation. https://twitter.com/F_Gregaard/status/1660655806709211137
53. Don’t Forget, the May Cardano 360 will be on May 25th. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660621805017608194
54. Here’s the daily check-in on the status of the SPO Poll. We have surpassed 590 pools voting (as of May 23). https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
55. The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong has decided to get our hopes up with a proposed regulatory framework for crypto exchanges that could mean more trading for coins like Cardano. https://apps.sfc.hk/edistributionWeb/gateway/EN/news-and-announcements/news/doc?refNo=23PR53
56. Here’s an IOG thread on the latest out of Atala Prism and Self-Sovereign Identity. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660904360925188097
57. Here’s an IOG article on Cardano native tokens. https://twitter.com/InputOutputHK/status/1660975383997448193
58. The difference in decentralization between Cardano and Bitcoin is still…laughable. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1660979639907500033
59. Ledger is finally caving (a little) to the backlash. It’s reported that they will focus on open sourcing parts of their code and only release the “Recover” firmware after that open sourcing is finished. https://twitter.com/NFTherdestatus/1661026174779420672
60. Looks like the Hong Kong announcement yesterday might have been a hint of what’s coming. https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1661391542504902664
61. The Cardano Layerverse is coming to life. https://twitter.com/TobiasIlskov/status/1660697833115385856
62. Wow! Incredible! Thank you for voting in favor of decentralization, 1PCT! https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1661460222203002880
63. Federal Reserve report debunks claim that crypto is not useful to people in the US. https://twitter.com/SebVentures/status/1661063483369177108
64. The SPO phase of the poll is over. Nearly 800 pools voted. Now it’s your turn to see how your pool voted and re-delegate if you think they voted against decentralization and for their own pocketbook. https://adastat.net/polls/96861fe7da8d45ba5db95071ed3889ed1412929f33610636c072a4b5ab550211
65. The May Cardano 360 is out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_bCa_xCoxA
66. Charles dropped an update today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfL2U2hAGWw
67. Sen. Cynthia Lummis declares her opposition to the 30% tax on bitcoin mining. https://twitter.com/SenLummis/status/1661803569341759495
68. Lots of volume being transacted on Cardano recently! https://twitter.com/cwpaulm/status/1662929296329981952
69. Recent subpoenas to the Python Package Index don’t bode well for those hoping to store seed phrases with third-party custodians. https://twitter.com/_jonasschnelli_/status/1662531840606093312
70. Transaction volume is looking very interesting right now. https://messari.io/charts/cardano/txn-vol
71. JPG Store has now launched Android and IOS apps. https://twitter.com/jpgstoreNFT/status/1663281982262919170
72. It’s true. Cardano is straight killing it on the security leg of the trilemma.https://twitter.com/cardano_whale/status/1662987243655684096
73. Just checked. Yep. The centralization in ETH is still staggering. https://twitter.com/StakeWithPride/status/1663222056870350848
74. There’s a documentary about a 2022 Plutus hackathon in Argentina. https://twitter.com/LarsBrunjes/status/1663111319732535297
75. Pavia is testing NFT gating. This could get very interesting. https://twitter.com/Pavia_io/status/1663153213988823040
76. Marlowe is on mainnet! You can now code Cardano smart contracts in javascript or blockly via Marlowe! This is an amazing leap forward. https://twitter.com/marlowe_io/status/1663480828016435200
77. Don’t forget! We are still in the re-delegation phase of the CF Poll. See how your stake pool voted! If they were voting for their pocketbook instead of decentralization, you should re-delegate! https://twitter.com/Cardano_CF/status/1663564854572244994
78. Wow! Cardano projects are doing big things these days! https://twitter.com/CardanoCrocClub/status/1663468916843114498
79. The CCP has dropped a white paper on how it will develop Web 3 including NFTs and the metaverse. https://twitter.com/milestones_nft/status/1663458500922712064
80. Lace is now open source! https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1663953642045714433
81. Binance is back and apparently they don’t care if someone had that ticker first. https://twitter.com/pool_pm/status/1663809731603906560
82. Summon is now allowing for multichain swaps of ADA & ERG. https://twitter.com/N8iveToEarth/status/1664038846563225600
83. Charles did a Twitter Space with World Mobile. https://twitter.com/IOHK_Charles/status/1663984094252810283
84. Here’s an easy infographic on CIP-1694 Voltaire governance from IOG. https://twitter.com/Hornan7/status/1664007623799185409
85. Apparently, Cardano sushi is a thing! https://twitter.com/Allison_Fromm/status/1663841386074976257
86. This kind of sums up the problems with central bank behavior over the last 20 years. https://twitter.com/JeffWenigestatus/1664012650781585409
87. Interesting news about the currency in one of Cardano’s biggest metaverse projects. https://twitter.com/Pavia_io/status/1664240389610704896
88. Messari has released an article on operational decentralization in proof-of-stake crypto. https://messari.io/report/evaluating-validator-decentralization-geographic-and-infrastructure-distribution-in-proof-of-stake-networks
89. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has MASSIVELY revised their figures on Q4 of 2022. No surprise, the numbers were much worse than they told us. https://twitter.com/FrogNews/status/1664253845399130113
90. Looks like DAOs are getting a little hesitant about fee switches due to possible legal/tax implications. https://twitter.com/FrogNews/status/1664253845399130113
91. We even have Arctic block production. https://twitter.com/Laponia_pool/status/1664226409466740737
92. Questions are being raised regarding the blockspace consumption of dApps still on Plutus v1. https://twitter.com/matiwinnetou/status/1664385383122051073

~Army of Spies

Ive stayed in a hotel all weekend and its been absolutly awful. There was blood all over the bed when we first got in, the pool was filled with hair (like a shitload of hair), the fridge, and air conditioner didnt work, and the service has been awful to top it all off. But on our last day today, when i used the toilet, the seat cracked under me and while i am a heavy dude, i wasnt jumping up and down or anything. Firstly how bad is it gonna be when it comes to paying for it and if i do have to pay for it, can i not complain about the awful experience? Also how should i bring it up to the hotel? My brother is still asleep so im kinda nervous. Hes been fed up with it too and i dont know how to tell him how i fucked up. So any help would be great. Please.

Im running on version ⁨2.1.40 for for the past 2 years and I feel like Anki has probbaly moved so much ahead. I do use a bunch of addons and I wouldnt want an update to hault that, unless, somehow I check that the addons are compatible with the update.
So is there a way to update anki with all the decks and addons I have now, but if the update is in any way or shape or form defective, I would want to come back to exactly the current version and setup of anki.
Side note: im a medstudent, feel free to mention any addons that you think are very underrated and useful. Here are some addons that I have, some are disabled, probably forgot why.
​
https://preview.redd.it/8zd8yja9664b1.png?width=884&format=png&auto=webp&s=e8e4c2e75039c93a15b65291768737020f62f71e

Here are what I learned from a book called "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" by Shawn Achor.
- When we are positive, we make a success like doing well on an exam.
- Shawn’s to-do list for us
- Meditate: “Neuroscientists have found that monks who spend years meditating actually grow their left prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain most responsible for feeling happy.”
- Find Something to Look Forward To: “One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent.”
- Commit Conscious Acts of Kindness: A long line of empirical research, including one study of over 2,000 people, has shown that acts of altruism—giving to friends and strangers alike—decrease stress and strongly contribute to enhanced mental health.
- Making time to go outside on a nice day: “One study found that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood but broadened thinking and improved working memory.”
- Try watching less TV: “Studies have shown that the less negative TV we watch, specifically violent media, the happier we are.”
- For those who worry about not knowing life’s risks: “Psychologists have found that people who watch less TV are actually more accurate judges of life’s risks and rewards than those who subject themselves to the tales of crime, tragedy, and death that appear night after night on the ten o’clock news.”
- Move: “Three groups of depressed patients were assigned to different coping strategies—one group took antidepressant medication, one group exercised for 45 minutes three times a week, and one group did a combination of both.33 After four months, all three groups experienced similar improvements in happiness. The very fact that exercise proved just as helpful as anti-depressants is remarkable, but the story doesn’t end here. The groups were then tested six months later to assess their relapse rate. Of those who had taken the medication alone, 38 percent had slipped back into depression. Those in the combination group were doing only slightly better, with a 31 percent relapse rate. The biggest shock, though, came from the exercise group: Their relapse rate was only 9 percent! In short, physical activity is not just an incredibly powerful mood lifter, but a long-lasting one. Walk, bike, run, play, stretch, jump rope, pogo stick—it doesn’t matter as long as you get moving.”
- Spend Money (but Not on Stuff): “Spending money on other people, called “prosocial spending,” also boosts happiness.”
- Use a Signature Strength: “When 577 volunteers were encouraged to pick one of their signature strengths and use it in a new way each day for a week, they became significantly happier and less depressed than control groups.”
- Where to find the Signature Strength: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/
- Align our tasks with our personal vision to see work as a calling.
- What is the purpose of this task?
- What will it accomplish?
- What does this result lead to?
- Believe in others’ potential: the Pygmalion Effect: when our belief in another person’s potential brings that potential to life.
- Be optimistic: “Studies have shown that optimists set more goals (and more difficult goals) than pessimists, and put more effort into attaining those goals, stay more engaged in the face of difficulty, and rise above obstacles more easily.12 Optimists also cope better in high-stress situations and are better able to maintain high levels of well-being during times of hardship.”
- Believe that you are a lucky person: “A researcher asked volunteers to read through a newspaper and count how many photos were in it. The people who claimed to be lucky took mere seconds to accomplish this task, while the unlucky ones took an average of two minutes.”
- Write down three good things each day: “One study found that participants who wrote down three good things each day for a week were happier and less depressed at the one-month, three-month, and six-month follow-ups.”
- Make mistakes to grow more!: “The earlier we face difficulties and drawbacks, the better prepared we are to deal with the inevitable obstacles along our path”
- Explain your past events positively: “People with an optimistic explanatory style interpret adversity as being local and temporary (i.e., “It’s not that bad, and it will get better.”). They automatically imagine alternative scenarios that make them feel fortunate, interpret setbacks as short-lived and small in scope, and see inherent opportunity where others only see foreboding while those with a pessimistic explanatory style see these events as more global and permanent (i.e., “It’s really bad, and it’s never going to change.”) In the world of sports, studies of athletes ranging from collegiate swimmers to professional baseball players show that explanatory style predicts athletic performance.”
- Set reasonable expectations for yourself and make small success:
- Harvard Business School professor Peter Bregman “Don’t write a book, write a page.… Don’t expect to be a great manager in your first six months, just try to set expectations well.”
- “Small successes can add up to major achievements.”
- Make good habits: “Habits are like financial capital—forming one today is an investment that will automatically give out returns for years to come.”
- Passive leisure, like watching TV and trolling around on Facebook, might be easier and more convenient but doesn’t provide the same rewards as Active leisure like hobbies, games, and sports. Studies have found that American teenagers are two and half times more likely to experience elevated enjoyment when engaged in a hobby than when watching TV, and three times more likely when playing a sport.
- 20-Second Rule: Preparation for a good habit should be 20 seconds to lower resistance.
- Form good relationships: “Researchers have found that social support has as much effect on life expectancy as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and regular physical activity.” “Studies have found that people with strong relationships are less likely to perceive situations as stressful in the first place.”
- Our external circumstances predict only about a percent of our total happiness. It means whatever your job is, you can be happy.
- Belief shapes our perception: “One study found that two people can look at the same picture of a friend and see two completely different expressions on that friend’s face.”
- Don’t worry!: “After an initial adjustment and period of hardship, most victims of paralysis bounce back to just about the same level of happiness they experienced before.”
- “Online advertisers now conduct market research with sophisticated eye-tracking machines, determined to develop the perfect place for a banner ad on a website.”
Let's discuss it!

I work for a company that also has a physical premise and social media presence-like most companies. Don’t want to give out too much info. My role is basically an information Center with the exception of doing other admin duties. The most frustrating thing is when I’m giving info to a customer and information online is saying something different but in most cases, I know I’m right or I’m not a 100% sure. Or when the customer claims that the staff on the company premise let them do so and so-and they are probably not lying but I can’t predict that the staff today will allow them to do the same thing. It is so frustrating and at some point I don’t even bother arguing with them, and ask them if they need anything else. It’s important because the customer could be charged if they’ve done something incorrectly. I just wish this company was more organised, it makes me look like a fool lol.

Buddie thread on AO3. It’s set during 5b while Eddies at dispatch. He’s a dispatcher though.
All I can remember is that Bucks flirting with him over the radio and Hen says something along the lines of ‘I dunno cap. Dispatch is sounding particularly dreamy today.’ When they get told to knock it off.
Nothing under the ‘dispatcher Diaz’ tag is ringing any bells, or anything by my go-to authors.

I hate having my picture taken. It make me very comfortable so I tend to avoid cameras. I believe I'm beautiful but pictures just don't come out right for me. I don't feel like I should have to justify it to anyone, if I say please don't take a picture of me - I feel like that should be respected. Sadly we live in a world where everyone wants to take pictures of everyone and everything they come across.
Over the last 15 years I've asked friends and family not to take pictures of me. I ask nicely, I've tried to explain. Sometimes I cover my face or look in a different direction. I've walked out of the room sometimes when people get to insistent. It's gotten to the point where I cover my face whenever a phone is pointed at my direction because people like to sneak candid shots since I won't pose for them. Honestly I think it's become a game to my family. Oh lets force a situation where she can't make a scene so we can get a pictures of her.
Yesterday I hosted a party and everyone wanted to take pictures. Everyone at this party knew I don't like pictures but still the phones come out and my protests are ignored. It just pisses me off so for the first time in 15 years I start yelling about the issue. Today I confronted my Dad and asked why are you taking pictures of me you know I hate them. I demanded he delete those pictures. He proceeds to ignore me telling me he was checking his email while I was talking to him. This is what started the yelling. Here I am for years being ignored about something that makes me highly uncomfortable and when I confront them I'm ignored like my feelings don't matter. I start screaming trying to get anyone to listen and they keep on telling me that I'm overreacting and we have plans for the day let's discuss it later. We were going shopping and my parents wanted me to chauffeur them and I'm like why should I do that for you when you can't even be bothered to respect me. After several minutes of being called immature I gave in because obviously no one was listening. Even my spouse was saying I was acting immature.
I understand that having an emotional outburst wasn't the best way to resolve the situation be I have been ignored and disrespected by my family about this for so long that it just burst out. I was half in tears while everyone around me was telling me to get over it. I honestly think I've been very mature asking people not to take pictures of me without getting into an argument for years. Infact I take alot of pictures even though I don't want to. I have graduation pictures because I know people want keepsakes, I personally did not take any nor do I have any copies. I had wedding pictures done since my wedding wasn't all about me and of course my family and spouse would like to have them. I've taken a picture with the bride and groom because that was their day and I'm not going to argue with them at their wedding. IDs and CCTV I don't care about since I can't do anything about that. I even send a picture of me on major holidays so that the people I didn't get to meet up with have something so they feel close to me. Every time I've given in, it's for others benefit and it's not like people don't have pictures of me that are less than 6 months old.
I intend to once again sit my father down tomorrow and calmly explain that having pictures taken of me makes me uncomfortable and if he could please delete what he has. Thank you for thinking I looked beautiful at my party but that is not an excuse to ignore my feelings and shove your camera in my face. Maybe he will listen but I doubt it since this will not be the first time I've had this conversation with various people.
Overall I need a solution. Since no one is listening to my words I think I need to take action before I snatch a phone and throw it at a wall like I wanted to do at the party. I don't want be become violent or scream just to get my point across.
I have two options that I can think of but am open to more suggestions.
First I can just cover my face. Like those face coverings that Muslim women wear. This is impractical but it's gotten to the point that I'm honestly considering it. Wear it all the time even at home so even my spouse can't sneak a candid picture. I'm sure that the next argument will be that they haven't seen my face in so long in which I would reply that they have driven me to this point. Would definitely cause problems for my marriage. Again don't want to do this but will if I have to.
The second option is the one I'm leaning towards. Whenever someone wants to take a picture don't hide or avoid, take a picture but make a silly face. If I can't get them to stop why should I smile on demand? I'll sabotage any picture taken of me. I'll hook my thumbs in my mouth and give a big joker smile. Cross my eyes. Pick my nose. Pretend to sneeze. I have no shame and I would follow through. I've been looking up silly faces. It's immature and petty just like they are accusing me of being so maybe I should just lean into it. I think I would find great pleasure on ruining something they really want when I've expressed repeatedly I don't want. The problem is people may take it as a challenge to sneak a nice picture or force me into a situation where I can't act immature. I'm 30 years old, I don't want to play these games.
Does anyone have any ideas because I don't want to implement either of these?

Watch Live here - Royal Family Channel (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzwi9Klcwk
GB News Feed (Youtube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWNMLJNmsyQ
Independent (website) https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/royal-family/prince-harry-court-appearance-mirror-b2351421.html
BBC Live feed - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-65767191
Harry will arrive at The Rolls Building at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on the 5th of June. Today, his barrister is expected to read out his opening statement. I dont know if Harry will be give evidence today (it is likely). Tomorrow (June 6th 2023) will be him taking the stand for cross examination.
​
Thanks to Quiet-Vanilla-7117 for bringing attention to this

Hi all Apologies as I realise this is a bit of a specific question but I’m hoping that someone may be able to relate. I went on a wellness retreat over the weekend and participated in sound healing, holotropic breathwork and an hour long zenthai shiatsu massage. Today, I’ve started spotting what appears to be old blood (pale brown, sparse). I’m only on day 13 of my menstrual cycle. Which leads me to ask… has anybody experienced a reproductive response to massage therapy!? I don’t want to stress myself by seeking medical advice if it’s perhaps a natural bodily response to the zenthai shiatsu.

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Hello,
I'm fairly new to WOW and was trying to configurate my layout with bartender today. Now i'm facing the following problems:

1. My action bar 1 is disappearing when I mount up a dragonriding mount. I compared all settings with the other action bars and they are the same so I have no clue how to avoide this.
2. I made a new action bar 5 with the same skills on it as action bar 1, this one is staying when I mount a dragonriding mount, so I thought good I'll just use this one. But here I can't get the icons of the hotkeys activated. Skills does work when I press the button but I would like to have them "written down" on each skill. Even after deactivating action bar 1 they still don't pop up... Action bar 1 does have all the hotkeys on it though ....

​
Thanks in advance

Anonymous profile for obvious reasons.
I got into an accident 2 months ago (I was in the right). Garage estimated the costs to 2.5k, including a new exhaust pipe because the car hit me and it's dented and scratched. I decided not to get a new exhaust pipe, but found a heat-resistant marker and you basically don't see any marks on it.
Yesterday I got back from a 7500km roadtrip through Norway. I dropped my bike a few times there. Nothing too bad, but blinker was broken as well as the front brake lever broke off. After these 7500km I arrive back in Belgium, and guess what: a car hits me at the end of my street. I'm in the right, and guy was a total dick because his front bumper of his new BMW M3 looks done for. Police was driving by and I stopped them to intervene, because I really thought the guy was gonna get aggressive.
Just got an estimate from the garage. They added the damage I've caused by dropping the bike (fix blinker and new front brake lever), as well as the existing exhaust pipe damage, saying I need a new one. I don't know if they still remember the exhaust pipe damage from the last accident.
Do I keep quiet or should I be honest?

Bought the game on Friday and already have 25 hours in it. I made a collection point for the traps and put a trap to the left to it with the intention of playing with it later on. To my surprise I noticed that when an animal walks into is it gets send of without putting the trap in the collection point. I send of numerous animals throughout my playthrough without even being near the traps. I could be playing at the edge of the map and get a pop up that a animal was send of.
That was until today. Now it just traps the animal but does not automatically send it of. I was wondering if it is suppose to do that or did I encounter a bug that made me some handy money?

As I’m doing my schoolwork for finals, I notice I’m getting asked by a friend(1) why they got kicked out of a groupchat for me and my friends from school
I promptly went and checked out the situation and apparently that friend(1) had been making the other friends uncomfortable with his humor and how he acted during school.
I promptly defended my friend as all of my other friends besides one who didn’t give much input were going against him, and one of my friends (let’s say they’re friend 2) decided to bring up the struggles friend have doing work for the play we were working on in theatre class (the friend(1) has ADHD and have a rough home situation)
I explained friend 1’s situation to friend 2 and they promptly told me, and I quote, “Harle shut the fuck up okay? Youre not going to win this argument so just give it up” which I promptly asked what their deal was as I was not being uncivilized throughout the debate
At this point friend 2 used the excuse of being in a “really pissy mood today” which I then explained that their mood shouldn’t decide how they’re going to treat people, at which point they left the group chat and made me the owner. Am I the asshole in this situation?