Ignition interlock device cost louisiana
intoxalock
2021.10.19 16:15 Guynarmol intoxalock
Intoxalock is an ignition interlock device designed to minimize the opportunity of a driver operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
2023.06.07 00:19 nc_throw_away Low cost device
I have been following this sub for a while, tugging manually very sporadically, but not enough to have any results beyond some loosening of my skin. I decided to get a low cost device and I wanted to share with the group as I have seen several mentions of the cost of many devices but I haven’t seen this one discussed.
I ordered this dual tension device from a seller on Etsy and have a few hours with it so far and it seems to be working well. I have a bit of loose skin but not much so I have been using a “deep grip” to get a good stretch.
From my limited perspective this seems to be a good device to start without breaking the bank so just wanted to share, hope this helps!
submitted by nc_throw_away to foreskin_restoration [link] [comments]
I ordered this dual tension device from a seller on Etsy and have a few hours with it so far and it seems to be working well. I have a bit of loose skin but not much so I have been using a “deep grip” to get a good stretch.
From my limited perspective this seems to be a good device to start without breaking the bank so just wanted to share, hope this helps!
2023.06.07 00:13 josoz [Property Manager-Switzerland] Tenant stuffs rug into washing machine and expects landlord to pay damages.
This is probably a more US centered sub, but I'd greatly appreciate the input of a seasoned landlord from anywhere. Last year I started to manage the rental properties for my grandfather. I'm pretty inexperienced but I guess it's been going alright so far. For me it's the first time dealing with a situation like this, so please tell me if you think I made some mistakes.
A tenant, let's call her tenant A, is moving out this month. On saturday tenant A tried to wash a rug (about 24×72 inches) with a hard rubber back. She stuffed it into the washing machine she shares with the other 4 tenants in the building and went up to her apartment after starting the washing cycle.
Later, another tenant, I'll call her tenant B, suddendly noticed loud banging noises. At first she assumed someone was practicing on drums, but she soon realized the noise was coming from the washroom in the cellar. She decided to check what was going on and found the washing machine banging and vibrating oddly. She immediatly cancelled the washing cycle and informed tenant A.
Unsurprisingly the device wasn't working anymore. Tenant A told tenant B she'd tell me after the weekend to fix the machine.
Monday morning I got a call from tenant A. She told me she couldn't wash her clothes because the washing machine wasn't working anymore. Of course there's no word about what had happened a few days prior. She offered me to call the service provider of the washing machine herself, but I was going to visit the property anyway this week so I told her I'd do it myself. For some reason she wasn't too happy about that, but I just assumed she wanted to have it fixed as soon as possible.
So I immediatly called a technician and made an appointment. To my surprise the technician didn't show up on time. Just as I was about to make a call, tenant B tells me that tenant A already met with a technician a few hours ago. At first I thought I mixed up the time, but after talking with tenant B some more and making a few calls I found out that tenant A rescheduled my appointment with the technician. Tenant B also told me what actually happened the day the device broke down.
The collegues of the technician at the office assumed tenant A was allowed to do this because she was authorized before to let them fix other devices in her apartment.
My grandfather wasn't really actively managing the property in the last few years and regularly let his tenants give instructions to service providers. He paid pretty much any damages without question (worst one was damage from flushed diapers). I stopped this practice as soon as I took over the property management, but I guess tenant A didn't get the message and felt entitled to draft her own narrative.
Tenant A doesn't think she did anything wrong. She insists that the device was faulty before and her rug was perfectly fitting the machine. Her description of the rug is very different from what tenant B told me, but tenant A can't show it to me anymore because she "already put it in a box and moved it to her new place".
Tenant B is absolutely sure that tenant A broke the machine and doesn't think the machine was faulty before. She told me tenant B must have violently forced the rug into the machine to make it fit. The technician didn't want to point fingers, but he told me it was unlikely that proper use could lead to damage like this.
Fixing the machine costs around 800$. The device isn't new, but only just a bit over half its expected service life. Sadly there's no warranty on it anymore. I'm also currently forced to modernize the building because we've recently gotten a lot of regulations regarding energy efficiency, so buying a more efficient machine might be a good alternative to repairs. Though in Swiss tenancy law you get much less from a tenant if you replace a broken device with newer model instead of repairing it.
TL;DR: tenant breaks washing machine, reschedules my appointment with a technician and denies any wrongdoing.
As a relatively inexperienced property manager I'm not really sure what's the optimal strategy in this situation:
Should I try to make her or her insurance pay some of the damages right now or just retain her deposit when she moves out in a few weeks? Latter is probably more risky but less work for me.
This might depend too much on local laws, but how do you guys usually try to prove malicious usage? Is it enough for me to point to the testimony of tenant A and the technician?
Should I wait with confronting a tenant in a similar situation to get a head start if it comes to legal action? Or do you try to be as open as possible to find a common solution?
Any tips on how to avoid such situations in the future?
submitted by josoz to Landlord [link] [comments]
A tenant, let's call her tenant A, is moving out this month. On saturday tenant A tried to wash a rug (about 24×72 inches) with a hard rubber back. She stuffed it into the washing machine she shares with the other 4 tenants in the building and went up to her apartment after starting the washing cycle.
Later, another tenant, I'll call her tenant B, suddendly noticed loud banging noises. At first she assumed someone was practicing on drums, but she soon realized the noise was coming from the washroom in the cellar. She decided to check what was going on and found the washing machine banging and vibrating oddly. She immediatly cancelled the washing cycle and informed tenant A.
Unsurprisingly the device wasn't working anymore. Tenant A told tenant B she'd tell me after the weekend to fix the machine.
Monday morning I got a call from tenant A. She told me she couldn't wash her clothes because the washing machine wasn't working anymore. Of course there's no word about what had happened a few days prior. She offered me to call the service provider of the washing machine herself, but I was going to visit the property anyway this week so I told her I'd do it myself. For some reason she wasn't too happy about that, but I just assumed she wanted to have it fixed as soon as possible.
So I immediatly called a technician and made an appointment. To my surprise the technician didn't show up on time. Just as I was about to make a call, tenant B tells me that tenant A already met with a technician a few hours ago. At first I thought I mixed up the time, but after talking with tenant B some more and making a few calls I found out that tenant A rescheduled my appointment with the technician. Tenant B also told me what actually happened the day the device broke down.
The collegues of the technician at the office assumed tenant A was allowed to do this because she was authorized before to let them fix other devices in her apartment.
My grandfather wasn't really actively managing the property in the last few years and regularly let his tenants give instructions to service providers. He paid pretty much any damages without question (worst one was damage from flushed diapers). I stopped this practice as soon as I took over the property management, but I guess tenant A didn't get the message and felt entitled to draft her own narrative.
Tenant A doesn't think she did anything wrong. She insists that the device was faulty before and her rug was perfectly fitting the machine. Her description of the rug is very different from what tenant B told me, but tenant A can't show it to me anymore because she "already put it in a box and moved it to her new place".
Tenant B is absolutely sure that tenant A broke the machine and doesn't think the machine was faulty before. She told me tenant B must have violently forced the rug into the machine to make it fit. The technician didn't want to point fingers, but he told me it was unlikely that proper use could lead to damage like this.
Fixing the machine costs around 800$. The device isn't new, but only just a bit over half its expected service life. Sadly there's no warranty on it anymore. I'm also currently forced to modernize the building because we've recently gotten a lot of regulations regarding energy efficiency, so buying a more efficient machine might be a good alternative to repairs. Though in Swiss tenancy law you get much less from a tenant if you replace a broken device with newer model instead of repairing it.
TL;DR: tenant breaks washing machine, reschedules my appointment with a technician and denies any wrongdoing.
As a relatively inexperienced property manager I'm not really sure what's the optimal strategy in this situation:
Should I try to make her or her insurance pay some of the damages right now or just retain her deposit when she moves out in a few weeks? Latter is probably more risky but less work for me.
This might depend too much on local laws, but how do you guys usually try to prove malicious usage? Is it enough for me to point to the testimony of tenant A and the technician?
Should I wait with confronting a tenant in a similar situation to get a head start if it comes to legal action? Or do you try to be as open as possible to find a common solution?
Any tips on how to avoid such situations in the future?
2023.06.07 00:11 foodtower How to control major electric loads to run when the sun is shining?
My utility credits us significantly less for solar exports than it charges for electricity imported from the grid. So, I'm looking for cost-effective ways to shift consumption from night to day. No EV, and not currently interested in a battery system due to high cost. This is an Enphase system.
The best ideas I have now involve heating and cooling systems: heat pump, water heater, and refrigerator. Basically, run these devices during the day so that they overheat/overcool, and leave them off at night. So, I have a few questions:
submitted by foodtower to SolarDIY [link] [comments]
The best ideas I have now involve heating and cooling systems: heat pump, water heater, and refrigerator. Basically, run these devices during the day so that they overheat/overcool, and leave them off at night. So, I have a few questions:
- Is there any kind of controller that can be made aware of electrical production and consumption and use this info to control temperature settings of these devices?
- If not, do electrical water heaters with programmable thermostats exist, so I could set the water heater to be hotter during the day than at night?
- Are there specific practical limits that would prevent this from being useful for the water heater and refrigerator (e.g., temperature cycling of X degrees being bad for food, or conducive to legionella growth in a water heater)?
- Any bright ideas for adding thermal mass to my house (making it easier to shift heating and cooling from one time to another)? My best idea so far is to insulate my crawlspace walls and not the crawlspace ceiling, so the ground's thermal mass will stabilize temperature, and to also store a big stash of emergency water jugs down there (each gallon stores 8 BTU/deg F, so a 5-degree change over 25 gallons would store or release 1000 BTU).
2023.06.07 00:03 LeagueofAbnormal Security rant on bikers!!! Literally ridiculous read an ask yourself have I done this! I hope this post at least changes one bikers mind.
I’m actually sick to death hearing about motorbikes being stolen and people saying: “I put the steering lock on” “It was kept in a garage” “I only popped in for a minute” “I didn’t hear anything”
My Nan could pop a steering lock, it’s not difficult or loud. Please buy a disc lock and a budget alarm at best. That will deter some thieves. Even the cheap alarm will have back up batteries and cause a problem. You can link them to your batter if you don’t want to spend money or a garage can wire it to the ignition. It’s hard to stop the white van pulling up and throwing your pride and joy in the van if you don’t have a chain and padlock attached to an anchor or lamp post, but it will at least stop the petty moped gangs. I have abus disc lock front that spins when you try to grind it, a cheap oxford rear disc lock, abus heavy duty padlock with 18mm thick chain with chain cover (want 22mm ideally does cost a lot more) around the rear wheel to a lamp post and another chain through the swing arm, plus a cover and cheap alarm plus Honda HISS immobiliser. If they are honestly going through that then I’m going to hear it. If you have a garage like I did and they got in for my dirt bikes I had 6 chains and padlocks which they couldn’t get through. Happened to be the one night I was drunk and left the alarm off but took them two hours to get no where caught on cctv. That’s another thing cctv just records it happening are you going to get a notification to wake you when the motion goes off on your ring camera… probably not. Alarm your sheds, garages and bikes!! Lock your shit up and don’t think out of site out of mind!!! People get followed and drummed at a later date. If it’s in site lock that shit up!!! To something that can’t be moved. 5 bikes in one week have gone in my area to stupid moped thieves. I don’t care if you have ridden for years or just started out head the word always lock your motorbikes up!!!! Doesn’t matter if you in the village, town or city same rules apply.
I do love my bikes but it’s disheartening seeing all these bikes being stolen when they shouldn’t be. Yes I would love to live in a country where I can leave my bike out side with no security, but unfortunately we don’t. If anyone even attempts to say their quaint little village has zero crime don’t bother reply you will get followed on a ride and your bike will get stolen from your garage door picked with a spam tin opener key, with your no chain anchored bike, with zero alarm.
submitted by LeagueofAbnormal to motorcycles [link] [comments]
My Nan could pop a steering lock, it’s not difficult or loud. Please buy a disc lock and a budget alarm at best. That will deter some thieves. Even the cheap alarm will have back up batteries and cause a problem. You can link them to your batter if you don’t want to spend money or a garage can wire it to the ignition. It’s hard to stop the white van pulling up and throwing your pride and joy in the van if you don’t have a chain and padlock attached to an anchor or lamp post, but it will at least stop the petty moped gangs. I have abus disc lock front that spins when you try to grind it, a cheap oxford rear disc lock, abus heavy duty padlock with 18mm thick chain with chain cover (want 22mm ideally does cost a lot more) around the rear wheel to a lamp post and another chain through the swing arm, plus a cover and cheap alarm plus Honda HISS immobiliser. If they are honestly going through that then I’m going to hear it. If you have a garage like I did and they got in for my dirt bikes I had 6 chains and padlocks which they couldn’t get through. Happened to be the one night I was drunk and left the alarm off but took them two hours to get no where caught on cctv. That’s another thing cctv just records it happening are you going to get a notification to wake you when the motion goes off on your ring camera… probably not. Alarm your sheds, garages and bikes!! Lock your shit up and don’t think out of site out of mind!!! People get followed and drummed at a later date. If it’s in site lock that shit up!!! To something that can’t be moved. 5 bikes in one week have gone in my area to stupid moped thieves. I don’t care if you have ridden for years or just started out head the word always lock your motorbikes up!!!! Doesn’t matter if you in the village, town or city same rules apply.
I do love my bikes but it’s disheartening seeing all these bikes being stolen when they shouldn’t be. Yes I would love to live in a country where I can leave my bike out side with no security, but unfortunately we don’t. If anyone even attempts to say their quaint little village has zero crime don’t bother reply you will get followed on a ride and your bike will get stolen from your garage door picked with a spam tin opener key, with your no chain anchored bike, with zero alarm.
2023.06.06 23:39 AffableAgnostic Vision Pro is in Apple’s top 3 most costly devices
 | submitted by AffableAgnostic to applesucks [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 23:38 abdarken SpotifyMate: Your Ultimate tool to Downloading Spotify to MP3
As the world of technology evolves, music has remained a consistent source of joy, comfort, and inspiration for many. Spotify, a leading music streaming platform, brings your favorite tunes to your fingertips. But have you ever wondered if there's a way to keep these melodies with you offline? Enter SpotifyMate, a highly effective Spotify downloader that's set to revolutionize your musical experience.
Offering an intuitive user interface and seamless experience, SpotifyMate ensures that you never miss a beat, even when offline. Imagine going for a run in the woods or traveling where network coverage is spotty. With SpotifyMate, you can keep your favorite tracks playing, uninterrupted.
Q: Is SpotifyMate legal? A: SpotifyMate complies with relevant laws and policies. However, it's crucial to respect copyright rules and use downloaded music for personal use only.
Q: Can I use SpotifyMate on multiple devices? A: Yes. SpotifyMate is compatible across a range of devices, including PCs, smartphones, and tablets.
In the digital age, music has become an integral part of our daily lives. SpotifyMate, the reliable Spotify MP3 downloader, ensures that we stay connected to our favorite songs, regardless of where we are or whether we have a reliable internet connection. So why wait? Dive into the ocean of offline music with SpotifyMate today!
Remember, music has the power to soothe, inspire, and ignite our imagination. Don't let network limitations disrupt your musical journey. Explore, discover, and enjoy your favorite tunes offline with SpotifyMate!
submitted by abdarken to u/abdarken [link] [comments]
Navigating the Musical Landscape with SpotifyMate
With millions of songs available on Spotify, the platform has become the go-to source for music lovers worldwide. However, the desire to access this vast library offline has led to the emergence of various tools. One such tool that stands out is SpotifyMate, a reliable and secure Spotify MP3 downloader.Offering an intuitive user interface and seamless experience, SpotifyMate ensures that you never miss a beat, even when offline. Imagine going for a run in the woods or traveling where network coverage is spotty. With SpotifyMate, you can keep your favorite tracks playing, uninterrupted.
Advantages of Using SpotifyMate: Spotify MP3 Downloader
When it comes to downloading MP3 files from Spotify, several benefits set SpotifyMate apart:- Quality: SpotifyMate maintains the high-quality audio that Spotify offers, providing an immersive listening experience.
- Ease of Use: With a user-friendly interface, SpotifyMate makes downloading Spotify MP3s as simple as a few clicks.
- Compatibility: SpotifyMate works efficiently across various devices, allowing you to enjoy your favorite tunes wherever you are.
How to Use SpotifyMate
Given its simplicity, anyone can download music from Spotify using SpotifyMate. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:- Visit the SpotifyMate website.
- Paste the URL of your chosen Spotify song or playlist into the search bar.
- Click "Download" and watch as your music files get ready for offline listening.
SpotifyMate: Taking Your Offline Listening Experience to New Heights
Music has a magical way of speaking to our hearts, and SpotifyMate is committed to ensuring this connection remains unbroken. No matter where you are, you can access your beloved music offline, thanks to this innovative Spotify MP3 downloader.Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I download Spotify playlists with SpotifyMate? A: Absolutely! SpotifyMate allows you to download entire playlists, keeping your music listening experience intact.Q: Is SpotifyMate legal? A: SpotifyMate complies with relevant laws and policies. However, it's crucial to respect copyright rules and use downloaded music for personal use only.
Q: Can I use SpotifyMate on multiple devices? A: Yes. SpotifyMate is compatible across a range of devices, including PCs, smartphones, and tablets.
In the digital age, music has become an integral part of our daily lives. SpotifyMate, the reliable Spotify MP3 downloader, ensures that we stay connected to our favorite songs, regardless of where we are or whether we have a reliable internet connection. So why wait? Dive into the ocean of offline music with SpotifyMate today!
Remember, music has the power to soothe, inspire, and ignite our imagination. Don't let network limitations disrupt your musical journey. Explore, discover, and enjoy your favorite tunes offline with SpotifyMate!
2023.06.06 23:38 SinfulAbsorption Best Portable Power Station
 | A portable power station is a compact, rechargeable battery-powered generator that can provide electricity for various electronic devices and appliances on the go. The importance of having the best portable power station cannot be overstated, especially in situations where access to traditional power sources is limited or non-existent. submitted by SinfulAbsorption to markforcart [link] [comments] List Of Best Portable Power StationWestinghouse 15000 Watt Generatorhttps://preview.redd.it/2lrzmcoers3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=d87967c667ebc61b9c99f8adbd9b95d637cd2bed Westinghouse 15000 Watt Generator is a high-end generator designed to provide reliable power to homes and businesses during power outages or other emergencies. This generator is built with quality in mind, and offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for those who need dependable backup power. Read More Below DuroMax XP13000EHhttps://preview.redd.it/u6ivwzflrs3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bbacc5f8b69cc8dea39584e36e4ce7b0045ca42 DuroMax XP13000EH is a powerful and reliable dual fuel generator that can provide up to 13,000 watts of power. With its unique ability to run on either propane or gasoline, it provides users with a flexible and cost-effective way to power their homes or businesses during power outages or emergency situations. Read More Below Honda EU2200ITAN 2200-Watthttps://preview.redd.it/juwn4r4prs3b1.png?width=499&format=png&auto=webp&s=5128154bbae86a07cac657514cc8666cd57a60cd Honda EU2200ITAN 2200-watt inverter generator is a powerful and reliable investment for anyone in need of power on-the-go. Whether you’re camping, tailgating, or simply experiencing a power outage at home, this generator will provide the power you need to keep your devices running smoothly. Read More Below Generac 76762 GP8000E 8,000-Watthttps://preview.redd.it/a8wpq37trs3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=e451810934bfdadd241636cc7f7b64d8670c2ac5 Generac is a well-known brand in the power generator market, renowned for producing high-quality and reliable generators that provide exceptional performance. The Generac 76762 GP8000E 8,000-Watt generator is no exception to this reputation. Its impressive design and build quality make it stand out from the competition, promising users a seamless and uninterrupted power supply in times of need. Read More Below Pulsar G12KBN-SGhttps://preview.redd.it/czff6qnxrs3b1.png?width=499&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bf5662a7be2acae471b107dae4c9341c5c7d90c Pulsar G12KBN-SG is a powerful and versatile generator that has been designed to provide reliable power for a variety of applications. With its 12,000 peak watts and 9,500 rated watts, this generator is capable of powering most household appliances, tools, and electronics. Read More Below |
2023.06.06 23:36 Nostrra [Question] Does Carplay work with a jailbroken device?
Hey All, I tried giving this a google beforehand but only found older articles mentioning that carplay doesn't work on jailbroken devices, Does anyone know if this is the case?
I'm looking at jailbreaking so I don't have to pay the extortionate cost of YT premium, but I use carplay that much I'd prefer to keep it
Thanks!
submitted by Nostrra to jailbreak [link] [comments]
I'm looking at jailbreaking so I don't have to pay the extortionate cost of YT premium, but I use carplay that much I'd prefer to keep it
Thanks!
2023.06.06 23:28 ahditeacha Rate My Gunrack
 | submitted by ahditeacha to starcitizen [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 23:26 True_Nefariousness_9 #spatialcomputing why #apple #visionpro is not new. You can do the same for less than 500$ #ar #vr
 | Why I think #Apple #VisionPro is not revolutionary. This is how 1 use my 2018 really AR device today to do everything Apple want to get 3500 USD for. I understand the quality is better yada yada yada but that set up cost me less than 400 USD. #apple submitted by True_Nefariousness_9 to AppleVision [link] [comments] augmentedreality #visionpro #mixedrealityvirtualreality |
2023.06.06 23:10 AcceptableAnything44 If you start as broken cyborg you can't abandon your friends by misfortune.
 | submitted by AcceptableAnything44 to cataclysmdda [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:57 Embarrassed_Race9642 My brief exposure to crypto, working in it, and how it drove me suicidal (THROWAWAY ACCOUNT)
Hi everyone! I've been a lurker here for a while, and I've been reading different stories about people who worked in crypto sharing their regrets and/or spiteful feelings here, so it encouraged me to share my own. I never really post or comment on reddit except in gaming subreddits for help, so this is a first! I hope I don't bore you to death, but I imagine it might feel a little nice venting it out.
In hindsight, I didn't realise this would be such a long, long read, so please forgive the wall of text. This is really really long, but I don't care; I just wanted to get it all out to actual people. Read it if you will.
Lemme get some key points outta the way so we don't start off on the wrong foot
· at the beginning, I was never really "pro" or "anti" crypto
· I didn't lose any money lol
· throughout the whole thing, I was crypto neutral
· I managed to stop the project before it launched
· please do not refer me to suicide hotlines, I'm already going through therapy
· I was ignorant about crypto at the beginning; but now I know, so please, no lectures!
· I haven't "made money" either; in fact, I put a stop to the thing my friends were working on.
· I don't think I'm very smart, in fact, I feel stupid and useless after this whole debacle
· This doesn't really have a happy or "bad" ending, so please don't expect a happy ending. Also, again, please, please refrain from "giving advice." Just hear this out, and that's it. Make fun of this or ridicule it or empathise with it, I don't care; just don't "give advice" or "reassure" or whatever. Have the decency to just read something like this and let it be. Thank you!!
About myself: I don't really have a background in tech, and most of this is rather confusing stuff (then and now). I'm actually never on social media or the internet too often. I'm a writer, musician, and artist (mostly writer and musician), and I've done administrative work, project management, and journalism work to get by. I'm currently studying my undergraduate degree. I'll go about this chronologically.
2021 Jan - Sep: one of my friends got into crypto. He's a programmer (and a good one at that). I observed from the sidelines, and he kept talking about how much money he's made by trading. The concept of it never made any sense to me, but I'm not a programmer and I trusted my friend, so I was like "well, good for you." I never really understood any of that trading hubbub either!
I never really paid attention to any of this stuff, I was usually out with my friends, working, making music, playing games, or just writing. I never even owned a twitter account until late 2021!
2021 Sep: My friend made a whole lot of money one day, and I was pleasantly surprised! This guy always had those chart things on his screen 24/7 (never closed) whenever we went to his house, so we were all like "what the heck, that's hard work, huh?" I was genuinely happy that he's gotten his big break, because I believed he deserved it. He's one of the most talented people I know. Turns out one of his friends ran this crypto project with all these strange buzzwords that I still couldn't quite understand and gave him some "airdrops" before the "governance" token things launched. Oh, this isn't the thing I worked for, by the way!
2021 Oct: I didn't know too much about crypto, but I got it's selling point (or, well, I was dumb enough to fall for it). At least according to them, it's internet money that you can send anywhere at any time that you "own" and no central authorities own whatsoever (now I know that this concept is just incredibly stupid, but bear with me). I mean, I wasn't really an anti-government nut (and I didn't really turn into one either), but my friend's adamant on it, so I was like "well, why not?" and put $1000 in — wired it to this exchange (hint: it's not FTX, Coinbase, or Binance). Long story short, I put some money into that "Sandbox" thing and made a good few hundred bucks when it went up. There wasn't any real reasoning other than "well, Sandbox is a game, and people must use it for things, right?"
Oh, also, sandbox did these giveaway things for some "alpha pass" where you play their game and post a screenshot on twitter and win one of these alpha pass NFTs that you can sell on the market. I lucked out, got one, immediately sold it — I made like $5000 reselling that thing at "floor price." I remember thinking "woah, these guys must really want to play this game," which was naive and stupid, I guess.
2021 Nov - 2022 March: I cashed that out (the exchange wires that money back into your bank account for you) and steered clear later, because the whole thing was too much for me, staring at those dumb charts watching lines go up and down. That was all the money I ever made from crypto. I used it to buy some much needed medical devices, a guitar, and.. well, a new mattress. I donated the remainder away. Every time I asked my programmer friends to explain something or the other, it's always handwaving to "DYOR!" Every source they pointed me to confused me even more, and now I know that's deliberate with these grifters.
2022 March - May: I was still in their group chat so I could see them talk about it every now and then. Sometimes I drop in my comments about real-world news. One day, my friends were talking about starting an actual business. This was something I had experience in, and as far as I've seen, anything tangible that anyone's ever done with crypto was usually with games. I've had this idea for a type of game that I really cherished, and one of my friends had experience as a game developer. It was a relatively simple idea.
Let me tell you though, I really loved this game subcategory. I'm even in a university society for it. It's been one of my lifelong dreams to see my idea come to life. So I pitched the idea in, cause why not? The subcategory was never done in crypto, so at least we'd have the advantage of novelty, I thought. They weren't really sure how to monetise it, so I said "why not monetise the characters?" It seemed reasonable at the time: the characters could act as access points to the game and anyone could buy new characters for like, what, 5 bucks? At least that's what I had in mind. They agreed, so I found a popular NFT project to pitch the idea for (since it made more sense to work under an organisation rather than going full indie into a space we had no reputation in yet).
At the time, my friends said making these characters NFTs would give people "real ownership" and be a way to "support digital artists by cutting out the middleman." I mean, as a writer and musician, that did appeal to me. I didn't really question much of it (and I know I should have, it should have been due diligence, that was careless on my part). I thought "maybe we could make these NFTs customisable, because that's what RPGs are about, right?" and we went ahead with that.
2022 April - June: Here's a reminder: I'm a social media hermit. I never get on it unless it's checking on someone on Facebook or Instagram (or messaging). I never had twitter until 2021! So, I've never heard of people like Molly White, Tante, David Gerard, Amy Castor, yada yada until around this time. One my friends showed me Dan Olson's "Line Goes Up." And man, what a watch that was. It confirmed my gut feelings about crypto, that this is all just... hollow, insane, crazy stuff. My heart sank after watching that video.
I remember googling "responses to Line Goes Up" because I was in denial back then, not because I "believed" in crypto but I just didn't want to admit I've wasted so much time and energy. And I remember how every single "response" was just... idiotic. At that point, I sent that video to that NFT organisation's discord and said "if we're all genuine about this, maybe we should watch this and try to improve ourselves." It was the whole sunk cost fallacy thing, I wanted to believe that I didn't waste my time being a complete dork.
But after a certain point, I just couldn't run away from it anymore. I told my friends "let's just switch to making a steam game, we haven't lost or earned any money yet." It was an idea that was doable with a steam game, like... all you had to do was just change the monetisation bit to having players spend 5 bucks buying it... on steam... lol. Ah, but my friends were like "no." They won't do it. They wanted to make NFTs, and I couldn't understand for the love of god why you would do that. It was my idea, they had never played a game like that in their lives, I was the only one with any exposure in that regard.
Also, I was the one making the art as well, like... the character sprites. I'd spent so much time drawing those character sprites, their features, etc. I spent some time making some music, and even some background lore that fit in with the other NFT project we were working under. I barely checked their stupid discord things or twitter posts since I was so busy actually drawing and writing stuff. This was a passion project for me, and I was focused on making the game. You have no idea how much I love these types of role-playing games (but I'm not going into detail as to what that is because I'm not so comfortable).
Little did my stupid ass realise that these things were a pyramid scheme, and I was right at the middle or bottom. Little did my naive ass realise that none of these people liked my idea or even cared; people like me doing actual stuff gave them legitimacy, so people like me were just... pawns, I guess. Being the idiot I was, I engaged with my real name and my real identity, because that's what honest people do when they're selling a fucking game they'd be proud of, right? What a mistake. And my friends who knew what this stuff is never stopped me from doing any of it while I naively put my name and reputation at the front. After watching line goes up and then reading more and more sources (and eventually stumbling across Buttcoin on reddit!) I reached the point of no return:
Crypto and blockchain were useless in all possible ways, they never made sense as a technology, they're filled with disgusting people with disgusting anarcho-capitalist ideals, and there will never be a point where the "blockchain" will ever find a use-case beyond grifting, speculating, gambling, and money laundering because that is inherent to this technology's design. It is irredeemable. NFTs were never about empowering artists like us and it could never even do that at all because the premise and technology are flawed to begin with!
That was my realisation over time after actually reading about this from critical sources (which, at the top of the hype, I thought wasn't even really there because I had bought into my programmer friends' narrative that this is just like the internet and "everybody is in.")
I only wish I realised it sooner.
2022 June - July: I vehemently begged my friends to stop. I didn't want to make or sell NFTs anymore after realising what it was. I didn't even want the money (and god knows I could use that money since it could pay off my father's debts, but not like this. Not by hurting other people who may just be in the same position as I am by "winning" or "doing really 'smart' stuff.")
No one listened. I was about to quit, until the NFT organisation we were working under announced a grant. I saw this as an opportunity to put a stop to my own friends making their own NFTs, and I grabbed it. I begged and pleaded them to apply for that grant, which they begrudgingly did. I applied for that grant thing and it got approved, and all my friends were really excited about it. They all agreed to not make NFTs anymore and just make a free-to-play game. We worded the grant that way too.
But it still didn't sit right with me personally. I agonised over it still. Sure, it's grant money now... but how did that bigger NFT organisation get that money? Obviously, by selling NFTs and collecting resale "royalties." I guess it didn't matter to my friends, but to me, that's blood money. None of them were writers or artists, by the way. They were just... tech people. Techbros, I guess.
Anyway, the grant thing works by having people vote for it, and you get as much money as the votes you get. Our idea was good and we actually had a skillset, so we got like a little over four digits, which is big to someone like me, at least!
But it still didn't sit right with me.
I agonised over it all the time, thinking about just how I had soiled and shat on my lifelong passion idea, and how my name was out there associated with these people.
I just couldn't stand it anymore. One day, I told my friends that I was fucking quitting (this was in the middle of the grant voting process, that thing dragged on for about a couple of weeks) if they didn't turn this into a steam game instead. They chose to just let me quit, take the project for themselves, and... uh, take the grant money.
My friends got me on voice call and kinda hounded me, saying "well we understand if you want to quit but damn that sucks, it's a lot of money, man. It's been my dream too to make a game like that ever since my childhood." That last line really struck home because it was something I could empathise with, but then I recognised it as just... them trying to justify making fat stacks lol. They never really felt that way, and I'll tell you why I think that in a bit.
Either way, I quit. I got out. I didn't even take any compensation money. I mean, why would I lie about it here under an anonymous throwaway account anyway? I have nothing to gain from it, not even "karma farming" since I'm throwing this account away lol. Just... I couldn't stand it anymore, man.
2022 July - September: I spent this time distancing from these people and this crowd. I grew depressed. I hadn't lost any money, but I wasted so much time. I was left feeling disillusioned about my friends. To them, I was overreacting, I was being a cunt, I was just being so difficult! I just was standing in their way of "making bread" and "hustling!"
I stopped going out or hanging out with my friends.
I stopped going to that uni society out of shame. They don't know about it but I just can't even see the game the same way anymore. I felt so ashamed.
I never played that game with my usual other friends who I used to play it with a long time back either. They don't know about any of this either, but I was just so ashamed and disgusted. It kind of feels traumatic.
I stopped writing and barely made any music. I picked up a new tablet and learned to draw in a new style, but eventually I stopped that too. I just didn't feel like it anymore.
I got burned out. I barely was able to hand in my assignments. I had stopped going to classes because I just couldn't bother getting out of bed and going out there into actual society again. I felt like I was a disgusting, naive piece of shit that would just stain otherwise normal people.
I spent my days agonising about the day someone found out that I made art for this dumb project, that I was out there passionately talking about this idea like a stupid nerdy dumbfuck, and that I am associated with it even though I quit. One of my other friends who quit with me said he'd provide testimony of my side of things, but that's not really comforting.
I mean, it's a fringe thing anyway, we barely made anything. My friends got the grant, and I spend every single day agonising over it. I mean, it's not direct "profits" from NFTs, but where'd that grant money come from in the first place, huh?
My worst fear was that they'd pocket it and not even make the game. And they did. I guess those other NFTbros really didn't notice it since a few thousand bucks is just spare change to these grifter overlords. Again, I never took any money from it.
I can only thank god that I stopped them from making their own NFTs though, otherwise I really couldn't live with myself.
Every single day, I keep checking my old discord account and twitter like I'm obsessed, out of fear. I honestly don't care if it's just me that gets fucked by association, but I don't want my existence to become a burden to my poor siblings and parents just by being associated with me. I don't want their reputations to go to the shitter. They're hardworking, honest people who don't waste their time on stupid things like I have. They don't deserve that, at least. It should be me that should suffer.
Everyday, I agonise over it.
I couldn't really cry or anything about it, I just felt hollow, I guess. I've lost interest in most of the things I loved. Sometimes I play games, sometimes I scribble for the fucks of it, sometimes I read, sometimes I write in my notebook, but that's it. I had stopped going out, and I hadn't seen anyone for a long while.
2022 September - 2022 November: I bought a rope and a pull-up bar. I continually kept writing in my journal to prepare a good, coherent suicide note instead of, like... writing it all incoherently at the last minute and then peacing out lol. The pull-up bar is because my dorm doesn't really have any places I could hang my rope from, so if I attach the pull-up bar to the door, I could tie the rope onto it and hang.
The other way I thought of doing it was heroin, because apparently it just quietly puts you to sleep; but I'm scared of needles and I don't want to buy anything on the dark web. I've never done hard drugs like that anyway.
I kept procrastinating it. Partly because I had grown too lazy to even learn how to tie a hangman's knot, and partly because I was still afraid. The thing is, I've already been diagnosed with a mental health issue that also causes depression for nearly a decade now. This, though, was the worst I ever felt. The part that sucks the most is that the game idea was a passion project for me. It was something I've always dreamed of doing. It was the sort of games I really, really loved. It was the sort of art I loved making and seeing too. It was the kind of music I had fun composing. The story idea was something from my own long-held ideas that I wanted to bring to life, and now that's in the shitter too.
On some days, I woke up with absolute certainty of what I was going to do: learn to tie that knot, hang it up, and be done with it. I got distracted, and eventually I'd forget and doze off again. I spend most of my time chatting online with some of my friends (via text), which was something I rarely ever did a few years ago. I was more known for rarely responding to texts because I was outside so frequently lol.
I decided to see everyone for one last time before I did it, so I waited to get back to my own home country first. I wanted to just see everyone and sort of hang out with them as an unspoken farewell thing before I did it.
2022 December: I went back home, I hung out with my friends and family, and I was my usual self. I don't think anyone really caught on. We all made plans to go places and do stuff, and we did. It was a nice little time with everyone. I even kind of felt like myself again. I went swimming, went to friends' houses, met up with old friends, etc. I even put up a local art page and dropped some of my writings, music, and art on there.
2023 January: It was almost time to go back, but I went on a vacation to this country with a friend by ourselves. We ate local food at the stalls and just backpacked on a budget. We went hiking and sightseeing. We went to night markets, canoed in a river, and went camping in the woods. I actually finished one of my assignments on a train ride to this city. We did so many things, but I don't want to go off on a tangent. That experience made me forget these feelings for a while. It meant a lot to me, but I'll keep it at that for this subreddit.
2023 Late January - Now: I went back, these feelings returned. I've spiralled back into agonising now, but I'm seeing a therapist and a university counsellor now. It hasn't gotten as bad as it was in September last year, and especially now I feel reluctant to do it because one of them told me "your death doesn't happen to you, it happens to the people around you."
I'm kind of just picking myself up from here, trying to forget this ever happened, and working in other industries I used to work in back then. But I know that as soon as anyone finds out I was associated with any of this, I will get rid of myself. At the very least, my family would be spared then, and I wouldn't be such a burden, no matter what my therapist says.
I'm more or less just empty and neutral now. I haven't really done anything other than just study, go to classes, and do my assignments. My daily activities consist of eating, shitting, pissing, sleeping, and repeat. If someone from 3 years ago saw me now, they'd think I'm an entirely different person.
One day I'll move on, make peace with myself, and forget about it. That's what I hope for, at least. I'm at least thankful that I've been able to stop my friends from actually making NFTs or a crypto coin and actually hurting people. I'm just glad. I don't know or care what they're up to now. I couldn't be arsed anymore.
I saw people share their stories, and I felt like doing that myself too. It turned out longer than I expected, but I didn't want to leave anyone hanging, lol, so I wrote about everything from start to finish. Sorry if that turned out to be way too long. Thanks for taking your time getting this far if you have.
I hope no one else has agonised or will have to agonise the way I have.
submitted by Embarrassed_Race9642 to Buttcoin [link] [comments]
In hindsight, I didn't realise this would be such a long, long read, so please forgive the wall of text. This is really really long, but I don't care; I just wanted to get it all out to actual people. Read it if you will.
Lemme get some key points outta the way so we don't start off on the wrong foot
· at the beginning, I was never really "pro" or "anti" crypto
· I didn't lose any money lol
· throughout the whole thing, I was crypto neutral
· I managed to stop the project before it launched
· please do not refer me to suicide hotlines, I'm already going through therapy
· I was ignorant about crypto at the beginning; but now I know, so please, no lectures!
· I haven't "made money" either; in fact, I put a stop to the thing my friends were working on.
· I don't think I'm very smart, in fact, I feel stupid and useless after this whole debacle
· This doesn't really have a happy or "bad" ending, so please don't expect a happy ending. Also, again, please, please refrain from "giving advice." Just hear this out, and that's it. Make fun of this or ridicule it or empathise with it, I don't care; just don't "give advice" or "reassure" or whatever. Have the decency to just read something like this and let it be. Thank you!!
About myself: I don't really have a background in tech, and most of this is rather confusing stuff (then and now). I'm actually never on social media or the internet too often. I'm a writer, musician, and artist (mostly writer and musician), and I've done administrative work, project management, and journalism work to get by. I'm currently studying my undergraduate degree. I'll go about this chronologically.
2021 Jan - Sep: one of my friends got into crypto. He's a programmer (and a good one at that). I observed from the sidelines, and he kept talking about how much money he's made by trading. The concept of it never made any sense to me, but I'm not a programmer and I trusted my friend, so I was like "well, good for you." I never really understood any of that trading hubbub either!
I never really paid attention to any of this stuff, I was usually out with my friends, working, making music, playing games, or just writing. I never even owned a twitter account until late 2021!
2021 Sep: My friend made a whole lot of money one day, and I was pleasantly surprised! This guy always had those chart things on his screen 24/7 (never closed) whenever we went to his house, so we were all like "what the heck, that's hard work, huh?" I was genuinely happy that he's gotten his big break, because I believed he deserved it. He's one of the most talented people I know. Turns out one of his friends ran this crypto project with all these strange buzzwords that I still couldn't quite understand and gave him some "airdrops" before the "governance" token things launched. Oh, this isn't the thing I worked for, by the way!
2021 Oct: I didn't know too much about crypto, but I got it's selling point (or, well, I was dumb enough to fall for it). At least according to them, it's internet money that you can send anywhere at any time that you "own" and no central authorities own whatsoever (now I know that this concept is just incredibly stupid, but bear with me). I mean, I wasn't really an anti-government nut (and I didn't really turn into one either), but my friend's adamant on it, so I was like "well, why not?" and put $1000 in — wired it to this exchange (hint: it's not FTX, Coinbase, or Binance). Long story short, I put some money into that "Sandbox" thing and made a good few hundred bucks when it went up. There wasn't any real reasoning other than "well, Sandbox is a game, and people must use it for things, right?"
Oh, also, sandbox did these giveaway things for some "alpha pass" where you play their game and post a screenshot on twitter and win one of these alpha pass NFTs that you can sell on the market. I lucked out, got one, immediately sold it — I made like $5000 reselling that thing at "floor price." I remember thinking "woah, these guys must really want to play this game," which was naive and stupid, I guess.
2021 Nov - 2022 March: I cashed that out (the exchange wires that money back into your bank account for you) and steered clear later, because the whole thing was too much for me, staring at those dumb charts watching lines go up and down. That was all the money I ever made from crypto. I used it to buy some much needed medical devices, a guitar, and.. well, a new mattress. I donated the remainder away. Every time I asked my programmer friends to explain something or the other, it's always handwaving to "DYOR!" Every source they pointed me to confused me even more, and now I know that's deliberate with these grifters.
2022 March - May: I was still in their group chat so I could see them talk about it every now and then. Sometimes I drop in my comments about real-world news. One day, my friends were talking about starting an actual business. This was something I had experience in, and as far as I've seen, anything tangible that anyone's ever done with crypto was usually with games. I've had this idea for a type of game that I really cherished, and one of my friends had experience as a game developer. It was a relatively simple idea.
Let me tell you though, I really loved this game subcategory. I'm even in a university society for it. It's been one of my lifelong dreams to see my idea come to life. So I pitched the idea in, cause why not? The subcategory was never done in crypto, so at least we'd have the advantage of novelty, I thought. They weren't really sure how to monetise it, so I said "why not monetise the characters?" It seemed reasonable at the time: the characters could act as access points to the game and anyone could buy new characters for like, what, 5 bucks? At least that's what I had in mind. They agreed, so I found a popular NFT project to pitch the idea for (since it made more sense to work under an organisation rather than going full indie into a space we had no reputation in yet).
At the time, my friends said making these characters NFTs would give people "real ownership" and be a way to "support digital artists by cutting out the middleman." I mean, as a writer and musician, that did appeal to me. I didn't really question much of it (and I know I should have, it should have been due diligence, that was careless on my part). I thought "maybe we could make these NFTs customisable, because that's what RPGs are about, right?" and we went ahead with that.
2022 April - June: Here's a reminder: I'm a social media hermit. I never get on it unless it's checking on someone on Facebook or Instagram (or messaging). I never had twitter until 2021! So, I've never heard of people like Molly White, Tante, David Gerard, Amy Castor, yada yada until around this time. One my friends showed me Dan Olson's "Line Goes Up." And man, what a watch that was. It confirmed my gut feelings about crypto, that this is all just... hollow, insane, crazy stuff. My heart sank after watching that video.
I remember googling "responses to Line Goes Up" because I was in denial back then, not because I "believed" in crypto but I just didn't want to admit I've wasted so much time and energy. And I remember how every single "response" was just... idiotic. At that point, I sent that video to that NFT organisation's discord and said "if we're all genuine about this, maybe we should watch this and try to improve ourselves." It was the whole sunk cost fallacy thing, I wanted to believe that I didn't waste my time being a complete dork.
But after a certain point, I just couldn't run away from it anymore. I told my friends "let's just switch to making a steam game, we haven't lost or earned any money yet." It was an idea that was doable with a steam game, like... all you had to do was just change the monetisation bit to having players spend 5 bucks buying it... on steam... lol. Ah, but my friends were like "no." They won't do it. They wanted to make NFTs, and I couldn't understand for the love of god why you would do that. It was my idea, they had never played a game like that in their lives, I was the only one with any exposure in that regard.
Also, I was the one making the art as well, like... the character sprites. I'd spent so much time drawing those character sprites, their features, etc. I spent some time making some music, and even some background lore that fit in with the other NFT project we were working under. I barely checked their stupid discord things or twitter posts since I was so busy actually drawing and writing stuff. This was a passion project for me, and I was focused on making the game. You have no idea how much I love these types of role-playing games (but I'm not going into detail as to what that is because I'm not so comfortable).
Little did my stupid ass realise that these things were a pyramid scheme, and I was right at the middle or bottom. Little did my naive ass realise that none of these people liked my idea or even cared; people like me doing actual stuff gave them legitimacy, so people like me were just... pawns, I guess. Being the idiot I was, I engaged with my real name and my real identity, because that's what honest people do when they're selling a fucking game they'd be proud of, right? What a mistake. And my friends who knew what this stuff is never stopped me from doing any of it while I naively put my name and reputation at the front. After watching line goes up and then reading more and more sources (and eventually stumbling across Buttcoin on reddit!) I reached the point of no return:
Crypto and blockchain were useless in all possible ways, they never made sense as a technology, they're filled with disgusting people with disgusting anarcho-capitalist ideals, and there will never be a point where the "blockchain" will ever find a use-case beyond grifting, speculating, gambling, and money laundering because that is inherent to this technology's design. It is irredeemable. NFTs were never about empowering artists like us and it could never even do that at all because the premise and technology are flawed to begin with!
That was my realisation over time after actually reading about this from critical sources (which, at the top of the hype, I thought wasn't even really there because I had bought into my programmer friends' narrative that this is just like the internet and "everybody is in.")
I only wish I realised it sooner.
2022 June - July: I vehemently begged my friends to stop. I didn't want to make or sell NFTs anymore after realising what it was. I didn't even want the money (and god knows I could use that money since it could pay off my father's debts, but not like this. Not by hurting other people who may just be in the same position as I am by "winning" or "doing really 'smart' stuff.")
No one listened. I was about to quit, until the NFT organisation we were working under announced a grant. I saw this as an opportunity to put a stop to my own friends making their own NFTs, and I grabbed it. I begged and pleaded them to apply for that grant, which they begrudgingly did. I applied for that grant thing and it got approved, and all my friends were really excited about it. They all agreed to not make NFTs anymore and just make a free-to-play game. We worded the grant that way too.
But it still didn't sit right with me personally. I agonised over it still. Sure, it's grant money now... but how did that bigger NFT organisation get that money? Obviously, by selling NFTs and collecting resale "royalties." I guess it didn't matter to my friends, but to me, that's blood money. None of them were writers or artists, by the way. They were just... tech people. Techbros, I guess.
Anyway, the grant thing works by having people vote for it, and you get as much money as the votes you get. Our idea was good and we actually had a skillset, so we got like a little over four digits, which is big to someone like me, at least!
But it still didn't sit right with me.
I agonised over it all the time, thinking about just how I had soiled and shat on my lifelong passion idea, and how my name was out there associated with these people.
I just couldn't stand it anymore. One day, I told my friends that I was fucking quitting (this was in the middle of the grant voting process, that thing dragged on for about a couple of weeks) if they didn't turn this into a steam game instead. They chose to just let me quit, take the project for themselves, and... uh, take the grant money.
My friends got me on voice call and kinda hounded me, saying "well we understand if you want to quit but damn that sucks, it's a lot of money, man. It's been my dream too to make a game like that ever since my childhood." That last line really struck home because it was something I could empathise with, but then I recognised it as just... them trying to justify making fat stacks lol. They never really felt that way, and I'll tell you why I think that in a bit.
Either way, I quit. I got out. I didn't even take any compensation money. I mean, why would I lie about it here under an anonymous throwaway account anyway? I have nothing to gain from it, not even "karma farming" since I'm throwing this account away lol. Just... I couldn't stand it anymore, man.
2022 July - September: I spent this time distancing from these people and this crowd. I grew depressed. I hadn't lost any money, but I wasted so much time. I was left feeling disillusioned about my friends. To them, I was overreacting, I was being a cunt, I was just being so difficult! I just was standing in their way of "making bread" and "hustling!"
I stopped going out or hanging out with my friends.
I stopped going to that uni society out of shame. They don't know about it but I just can't even see the game the same way anymore. I felt so ashamed.
I never played that game with my usual other friends who I used to play it with a long time back either. They don't know about any of this either, but I was just so ashamed and disgusted. It kind of feels traumatic.
I stopped writing and barely made any music. I picked up a new tablet and learned to draw in a new style, but eventually I stopped that too. I just didn't feel like it anymore.
I got burned out. I barely was able to hand in my assignments. I had stopped going to classes because I just couldn't bother getting out of bed and going out there into actual society again. I felt like I was a disgusting, naive piece of shit that would just stain otherwise normal people.
I spent my days agonising about the day someone found out that I made art for this dumb project, that I was out there passionately talking about this idea like a stupid nerdy dumbfuck, and that I am associated with it even though I quit. One of my other friends who quit with me said he'd provide testimony of my side of things, but that's not really comforting.
I mean, it's a fringe thing anyway, we barely made anything. My friends got the grant, and I spend every single day agonising over it. I mean, it's not direct "profits" from NFTs, but where'd that grant money come from in the first place, huh?
My worst fear was that they'd pocket it and not even make the game. And they did. I guess those other NFTbros really didn't notice it since a few thousand bucks is just spare change to these grifter overlords. Again, I never took any money from it.
I can only thank god that I stopped them from making their own NFTs though, otherwise I really couldn't live with myself.
Every single day, I keep checking my old discord account and twitter like I'm obsessed, out of fear. I honestly don't care if it's just me that gets fucked by association, but I don't want my existence to become a burden to my poor siblings and parents just by being associated with me. I don't want their reputations to go to the shitter. They're hardworking, honest people who don't waste their time on stupid things like I have. They don't deserve that, at least. It should be me that should suffer.
Everyday, I agonise over it.
I couldn't really cry or anything about it, I just felt hollow, I guess. I've lost interest in most of the things I loved. Sometimes I play games, sometimes I scribble for the fucks of it, sometimes I read, sometimes I write in my notebook, but that's it. I had stopped going out, and I hadn't seen anyone for a long while.
2022 September - 2022 November: I bought a rope and a pull-up bar. I continually kept writing in my journal to prepare a good, coherent suicide note instead of, like... writing it all incoherently at the last minute and then peacing out lol. The pull-up bar is because my dorm doesn't really have any places I could hang my rope from, so if I attach the pull-up bar to the door, I could tie the rope onto it and hang.
The other way I thought of doing it was heroin, because apparently it just quietly puts you to sleep; but I'm scared of needles and I don't want to buy anything on the dark web. I've never done hard drugs like that anyway.
I kept procrastinating it. Partly because I had grown too lazy to even learn how to tie a hangman's knot, and partly because I was still afraid. The thing is, I've already been diagnosed with a mental health issue that also causes depression for nearly a decade now. This, though, was the worst I ever felt. The part that sucks the most is that the game idea was a passion project for me. It was something I've always dreamed of doing. It was the sort of games I really, really loved. It was the sort of art I loved making and seeing too. It was the kind of music I had fun composing. The story idea was something from my own long-held ideas that I wanted to bring to life, and now that's in the shitter too.
On some days, I woke up with absolute certainty of what I was going to do: learn to tie that knot, hang it up, and be done with it. I got distracted, and eventually I'd forget and doze off again. I spend most of my time chatting online with some of my friends (via text), which was something I rarely ever did a few years ago. I was more known for rarely responding to texts because I was outside so frequently lol.
I decided to see everyone for one last time before I did it, so I waited to get back to my own home country first. I wanted to just see everyone and sort of hang out with them as an unspoken farewell thing before I did it.
2022 December: I went back home, I hung out with my friends and family, and I was my usual self. I don't think anyone really caught on. We all made plans to go places and do stuff, and we did. It was a nice little time with everyone. I even kind of felt like myself again. I went swimming, went to friends' houses, met up with old friends, etc. I even put up a local art page and dropped some of my writings, music, and art on there.
2023 January: It was almost time to go back, but I went on a vacation to this country with a friend by ourselves. We ate local food at the stalls and just backpacked on a budget. We went hiking and sightseeing. We went to night markets, canoed in a river, and went camping in the woods. I actually finished one of my assignments on a train ride to this city. We did so many things, but I don't want to go off on a tangent. That experience made me forget these feelings for a while. It meant a lot to me, but I'll keep it at that for this subreddit.
2023 Late January - Now: I went back, these feelings returned. I've spiralled back into agonising now, but I'm seeing a therapist and a university counsellor now. It hasn't gotten as bad as it was in September last year, and especially now I feel reluctant to do it because one of them told me "your death doesn't happen to you, it happens to the people around you."
I'm kind of just picking myself up from here, trying to forget this ever happened, and working in other industries I used to work in back then. But I know that as soon as anyone finds out I was associated with any of this, I will get rid of myself. At the very least, my family would be spared then, and I wouldn't be such a burden, no matter what my therapist says.
I'm more or less just empty and neutral now. I haven't really done anything other than just study, go to classes, and do my assignments. My daily activities consist of eating, shitting, pissing, sleeping, and repeat. If someone from 3 years ago saw me now, they'd think I'm an entirely different person.
One day I'll move on, make peace with myself, and forget about it. That's what I hope for, at least. I'm at least thankful that I've been able to stop my friends from actually making NFTs or a crypto coin and actually hurting people. I'm just glad. I don't know or care what they're up to now. I couldn't be arsed anymore.
I saw people share their stories, and I felt like doing that myself too. It turned out longer than I expected, but I didn't want to leave anyone hanging, lol, so I wrote about everything from start to finish. Sorry if that turned out to be way too long. Thanks for taking your time getting this far if you have.
I hope no one else has agonised or will have to agonise the way I have.
2023.06.06 22:50 ThrowRA6152 High school sweetheart - Help me plan my breakup - 28m and 27f
I'm seeking advice on how to effectively handle the end of an 11-year relationship. Although we're not married, I need assistance in planning this separation. We currently reside in Louisiana, while our entire family is located in Indiana. The house we live in is solely under my name, and due to my established career, I intend to remain here. Over the past seven years, she hasn't worked and has been financially dependent on me since we moved in together. As part of the separation, I plan to give her the car I purchased and provide some funds for her relocation. Given that she lacks local connections, it's highly probable she will return to Indiana and live with her parents while adjusting to single life.
She has scheduled a trip back home to visit her father for Father's Day from the 16th to the 19th, and her birthday falls on the 22nd. Although the timing isn't ideal, I'm ready to move on and no longer wish to prolong this situation. My question is whether I should inform her of the breakup before her trip, allowing her to grieve with her family and plan her return home, or should I wait until she is back and inform her a day before her birthday?
My assumption is that she will pack all her clothes and take the dog, as she doesn't have many possessions apart from sentimental items, clothes, and beauty products, which would likely fit in her SUV.
Another option I'm considering is covering the cost of an Airbnb or hotel for a month, giving her time to plan her next steps. However, I'm fairly certain she will choose to return home as soon as possible.
My primary goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible for her. Would it be better to inform her sooner, allowing her to plan more effectively? Ideally, I would like to finalize this before July 1st. Considering today is June 6th, which days would you recommend for taking these steps?
Thank you, Reddit!
submitted by ThrowRA6152 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
She has scheduled a trip back home to visit her father for Father's Day from the 16th to the 19th, and her birthday falls on the 22nd. Although the timing isn't ideal, I'm ready to move on and no longer wish to prolong this situation. My question is whether I should inform her of the breakup before her trip, allowing her to grieve with her family and plan her return home, or should I wait until she is back and inform her a day before her birthday?
My assumption is that she will pack all her clothes and take the dog, as she doesn't have many possessions apart from sentimental items, clothes, and beauty products, which would likely fit in her SUV.
Another option I'm considering is covering the cost of an Airbnb or hotel for a month, giving her time to plan her next steps. However, I'm fairly certain she will choose to return home as soon as possible.
My primary goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible for her. Would it be better to inform her sooner, allowing her to plan more effectively? Ideally, I would like to finalize this before July 1st. Considering today is June 6th, which days would you recommend for taking these steps?
Thank you, Reddit!
2023.06.06 22:41 D_Empire412 Visible Ultra concept
 | How Visible can dethrone T-Mobile as the ultimate "un-carrier" submitted by D_Empire412 to Visible [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/yv1b1d3glg4b1.jpg?width=2362&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b684c25f5da19feacfa94deb372d3e275dadd84b One more thing... Visible Ultra users would have exclusive phone support. |
2023.06.06 22:38 LukeG88 An iPad Pro for basic MS word and emails etc
So I’ve been debating on an iPad or MacBook for months now.
I’ve been wanting a new, M-chip device.
I’ve been eyeing up the MacBook Air or 12.9” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.
I’ve been using a first gen 10.5” iPad Pro as my main productivity device since I’ve owned it (also won’t get any more updates). Mainly for note taking and now using it to create lesson plans and write end of year reports.
I do have access to a computer and have use of cloud services to save work to access at work and home.
I was aiming towards the MBA, but after using the iPad a considerable amount these last couple of days, I feel I could make a 12.9” iPad Pro work as a daily driver.
I would also use it as a media device, the thought of the screen and speakers make it enticing to me.
Pricing wise, I can get the 5G iPad Pro 256gb for around £35 a month from Sky Mobile. But then would need to pick up the keyboard and pen (shame I can’t use the first gen pen).
A MacBook would cost around £40 a month, ideally looking at at least 16gb of memory. Would I get long support with a MBA?
View Poll
submitted by LukeG88 to iPadPro [link] [comments]
I’ve been wanting a new, M-chip device.
I’ve been eyeing up the MacBook Air or 12.9” iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard.
I’ve been using a first gen 10.5” iPad Pro as my main productivity device since I’ve owned it (also won’t get any more updates). Mainly for note taking and now using it to create lesson plans and write end of year reports.
I do have access to a computer and have use of cloud services to save work to access at work and home.
I was aiming towards the MBA, but after using the iPad a considerable amount these last couple of days, I feel I could make a 12.9” iPad Pro work as a daily driver.
I would also use it as a media device, the thought of the screen and speakers make it enticing to me.
Pricing wise, I can get the 5G iPad Pro 256gb for around £35 a month from Sky Mobile. But then would need to pick up the keyboard and pen (shame I can’t use the first gen pen).
A MacBook would cost around £40 a month, ideally looking at at least 16gb of memory. Would I get long support with a MBA?
View Poll
2023.06.06 22:38 SinfulAbsorption Best Portable Power Station
| | A portable power station is a compact, rechargeable battery-powered generator that can provide electricity for various electronic devices and appliances on the go. The importance of having the best portable power station cannot be overstated, especially in situations where access to traditional power sources is limited or non-existent. submitted by SinfulAbsorption to markforcart [link] [comments] List Of Best Portable Power StationWestinghouse 15000 Watt Generatorhttps://preview.redd.it/2lrzmcoers3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=d87967c667ebc61b9c99f8adbd9b95d637cd2bed Westinghouse 15000 Watt Generator is a high-end generator designed to provide reliable power to homes and businesses during power outages or other emergencies. This generator is built with quality in mind, and offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for those who need dependable backup power. Read More Below DuroMax XP13000EHhttps://preview.redd.it/u6ivwzflrs3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bbacc5f8b69cc8dea39584e36e4ce7b0045ca42 DuroMax XP13000EH is a powerful and reliable dual fuel generator that can provide up to 13,000 watts of power. With its unique ability to run on either propane or gasoline, it provides users with a flexible and cost-effective way to power their homes or businesses during power outages or emergency situations. Read More Below Honda EU2200ITAN 2200-Watthttps://preview.redd.it/juwn4r4prs3b1.png?width=499&format=png&auto=webp&s=5128154bbae86a07cac657514cc8666cd57a60cd Honda EU2200ITAN 2200-watt inverter generator is a powerful and reliable investment for anyone in need of power on-the-go. Whether you’re camping, tailgating, or simply experiencing a power outage at home, this generator will provide the power you need to keep your devices running smoothly. Read More Below Generac 76762 GP8000E 8,000-Watthttps://preview.redd.it/a8wpq37trs3b1.png?width=500&format=png&auto=webp&s=e451810934bfdadd241636cc7f7b64d8670c2ac5 Generac is a well-known brand in the power generator market, renowned for producing high-quality and reliable generators that provide exceptional performance. The Generac 76762 GP8000E 8,000-Watt generator is no exception to this reputation. Its impressive design and build quality make it stand out from the competition, promising users a seamless and uninterrupted power supply in times of need. Read More Below Pulsar G12KBN-SGhttps://preview.redd.it/czff6qnxrs3b1.png?width=499&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bf5662a7be2acae471b107dae4c9341c5c7d90c Pulsar G12KBN-SG is a powerful and versatile generator that has been designed to provide reliable power for a variety of applications. With its 12,000 peak watts and 9,500 rated watts, this generator is capable of powering most household appliances, tools, and electronics. Read More Below |
2023.06.06 22:32 TorukMaktoM Stock Market Recap for Tuesday. June 6, 2023
 | submitted by TorukMaktoM to marketpredictors [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:32 TorukMaktoM Stock Market Recap for Tuesday. June 6, 2023
 | submitted by TorukMaktoM to FluentInFinance [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:32 TorukMaktoM Stock Market Recap for Tuesday. June 6, 2023
 | submitted by TorukMaktoM to smallstreetbets [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:32 TorukMaktoM Stock Market Recap for Tuesday. June 6, 2023
 | submitted by TorukMaktoM to Daytrading [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:25 Bi0botaniker Oi mate better pay for that tv loicense or you’ll get swated
 | submitted by Bi0botaniker to loicense [link] [comments] |
2023.06.06 22:10 Asnnibbal The Collected- Part THREE
After the battle of Harlig against the Marshal, where Iyrho had fought and almost died during his contingent's route, the Arch Conglomerate knew it was thoroughly defeated. Peace delegations were sent to the enemy's capital, and they were forced to give up mining rights on some neighboring planets, their claims on all orbital and sentry stations around 100 million miles from their domains, in addition to being humiliated by a Conglomerate barely half their size. A battle that was supposed to be the Marshal's downfall, only propagated further his fame across the known Galaxy.
The war had been short and not particularly costly in terms of sentient lives, but the Arch Conglomerate began seriously distrusting the military leadership that managed to lose what was thought to be a one-sided battle; so they began searching their lower ranks for new officers and commanders.
This didn't prove too successful overall, but it was the opportunity Iyrho needed to show his skill and resourcefulness; he quickly got the title of "Tactician" after managing to reorganize his Conglomerate's military- a truly astounding feat in just a few year's time, and he was now paired to one of- if not the - most successful military men alive to lead the Great Search; needless to say he was quite proud of who he had become.
Despite this, however, his inexperience showed.
Iyrho's field of expertise was very logistic-oriented (he had done a fantastic job in preparing for takeoff the weeks prior, in fact); so one could very easily tell he hadn't had much experience in the field of battle.
Like most Larks, he had been on a ship plenty of times before, but taking part in a military mission was quite different: first of all, the food was simply terrible. The rations for the higher-ups in the ship were even supposed to be better than the one the simple soldiers ate; just thinking about it made his tongues contort in disgust. He loaded on the ship only a very limited amount of food supplies, so as not to make people suspect what they were going for was a bit more than a scouting mission, but some part of him hoped that they would run out as quickly as possible.
Then there were the uncomfortable sleeping pods, the claustrophobic halls and narrow passageways; everything he turned to made him dearly miss his feet being on solid ground.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
Every day they got closer to their destination, Iyrho felt more and more scared, a feeling made much worse by the fact that he seemed like the only one to actually recognize the monstrous threat they were going to face. If they managed to get back in one piece, the United Council was probably going to let them off with a slap on the wrist due to the great influence of the Marshal, but it was that "if" to truly terrify him.
It was the presence of the Marshal to calm him down a little, ironically.
The two had never really warmed up to each other during the journey, and it didn't look like either of them wanted to, but Iyrho found comfort in his leadership.
The Marshal always put first those who should've been below him; he ate what every other soldier ate, leaving his supposedly better-tasting rations to be divided amongst them. He often replaced some Collected on sentry duty, and went around the ship daily to make sure everything was in order, patting people on the back and giving words of encouragement in the meanwhile.
He knew both how to forgive someone making a mistake, and how to punish them when they repeated it.
Iyrho felt confused thinking about it too much, was it admiration he was feeling? —-----------------------------------------------
"The one time I wish to follow the protocol you object to, Tactician?"
Arguing with the Marshal often felt useless, but he couldn't keep quiet this time.
“I do, I understand it would make our mission more legitimate, but we do not know this species, and with their numbers overwhelming us would be effortless, even if they possess a much more primitive level of technology. We simply cannot afford to make a public first contact. Besides, if you had followed the protocol, we wouldn't be in this predicament, Marshal."
"Primitive…even if they wanted to, they most likely don't even have the means to leave the confines of their planet…so what do you suggest we do?"
Iyrho paused for a moment; coming back home empty-handed would not excuse their little escapade, and they certainly hadn't made it this far just to turn around and call it a day.
"Marshal, we have some Reel Collected aboard. Using their superior camouflage techniques they could land on the planet and gather some Collected; due to their sheer numbers they probably won't even notice. After that we could return home, let our scientists discern if their species is suitable for the Great Search or not, and the United Council will be able to make all the first contacts it desires."
The Marshal tilted his head a bit.
"Ridiculous…a soldier demoted to a lowly thief."
After mumbling to himself for a while, he was finally convinced.
"I've had many responsibilities to take upon myself regarding this mission…I suppose it is only fair you have your share."
The Tactician breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Marshal. I'll summon the Reel immediately." —----------------------------------------------
A vital criteria of a species suitable for the Great Search was that it had to be numerous.
This is because the Collected were always gathered at a very young age from their communities, and centuries of evolutionary research showed that parents of populous species felt proportionally less attached to their children the more they had, which made it possible for the Larks to gather one without any troubles. From an evolutionary standpoint, it was useless to excessively worry about your offspring if you had 10 or 20 of them.
The Larks on the other hand evolved to reproduce only once, as more than one child often led to conflicts of power between them over the Collected they were supposed to rule. As a result, Lark fathers and mothers concentrated all their efforts into their only child, and defended him constantly, often at the cost of their own lives.
Besides, the parents of Collected children had no point in worrying. They knew their child would be treated with care and respect, and that they had many more opportunities to succeed with the Larks than they had with them, as the vast majority of the species the Lark got their Collected from didn't even have a school system.
Once transported to a Lark planet, the young Collected were assigned to a family of Larks, usually ones that couldn't have children of their own, and enrolled into a school that taught each Collected their respective language, culture and traditions, both to preserve their identity, and to preserve each species' expertise that they were chosen for in the first place.
This system pleased all three parties involved: The Larks were content because they got new Collected, the parents were happy for their one child living -what in their eyes was-"the high life", and the Collected child got to have care, attention and opportunities that they otherwise would never have gotten in their home planet.
This almost symbiotic relationship evolved from a far more brutal practice their ancestors performed in their home planets, that involved killing or driving away both the parents and replacing them as the authority figure over the offspring. Despite their past, the Larks had been at peace with their interstellar neighbors ever since they made first contact, leaving them full authority over their planets, and only coming to bother every once in a while for new Collected.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the 50 landing pods that were sent to the planet had finally landed; undetected, or so the Reel inside hoped. "For a planet with 11 billion sentient beings on it, it sure looks empty." he thought as he slowly stepped out of his pod and onto the yellow-ish soil beneath him. Their planet was still completely unknown, so he knew he had to take extreme care in what he was to accomplish; in addition, he had a time limit: to make sure no one else got their hands on the pod -and, by extent, Lark technology- the engines were set to automatically reactivate exactly one hour later. After walking through some weird prickly green plants, and cautiously avoiding a stick-shaped animal, he finally reached what looked like an urban area. His objective was to gather a young Collected; "the smaller it looks, the better" were the orders. If that couldn't be achieved, then he was to take as many objects and items as he could, preferably ones that looked like they helf information, and then get them back on the ship.
At last, he finally came face to face with these creatures. They were a bit bigger than he was, as far as he could tell, but nothing too intimidating. The first ones he saw were laying on some kind of bed, with what he assumed were their eyes closed, something that amazingly enough all known species so far related to sleeping and dreams. No children though.
He moved through house after house, scouting through the windows for any smaller-version of them he could find. And finally luck was on his side.
It was about half the size of his arm, he thought that had to be enough. He quietly made his way into the house, and in front of the small creature, trying his hardest not to make a sound. They were sure these aliens weren't going to care one lick about their children, due to their mind-boggling numbers, but they were unsure of what they'd do if they were to discover other species; for all they knew their reaction could've been very dangerous, and their tiny scouting ship was in no condition for a fight, so they had to take extreme care in not being detected.
The Reel got close to the child, whispering to it almost as if he wanted it to willingly follow him, but to no avail. Assuming it couldn't understand him, he carefully scooped up the baby in his large paddle-like hands, and made his way to the nearest exit.
As he was about to leave though, his left ear picked up fast thumping sounds, freezing him in place -the Reels didn't respond well to fear.
He couldn't manage to move a muscle, and it only got worse when he heard what sounded like a voice coming from the hallway behind him.
His translation device picked something up, but being unable to translate it, it only roughly transliterated the sounds it heard:
“Eiy! Sz samuon hire?"
submitted by Asnnibbal to HFY [link] [comments]
The war had been short and not particularly costly in terms of sentient lives, but the Arch Conglomerate began seriously distrusting the military leadership that managed to lose what was thought to be a one-sided battle; so they began searching their lower ranks for new officers and commanders.
This didn't prove too successful overall, but it was the opportunity Iyrho needed to show his skill and resourcefulness; he quickly got the title of "Tactician" after managing to reorganize his Conglomerate's military- a truly astounding feat in just a few year's time, and he was now paired to one of- if not the - most successful military men alive to lead the Great Search; needless to say he was quite proud of who he had become.
Despite this, however, his inexperience showed.
Iyrho's field of expertise was very logistic-oriented (he had done a fantastic job in preparing for takeoff the weeks prior, in fact); so one could very easily tell he hadn't had much experience in the field of battle.
Like most Larks, he had been on a ship plenty of times before, but taking part in a military mission was quite different: first of all, the food was simply terrible. The rations for the higher-ups in the ship were even supposed to be better than the one the simple soldiers ate; just thinking about it made his tongues contort in disgust. He loaded on the ship only a very limited amount of food supplies, so as not to make people suspect what they were going for was a bit more than a scouting mission, but some part of him hoped that they would run out as quickly as possible.
Then there were the uncomfortable sleeping pods, the claustrophobic halls and narrow passageways; everything he turned to made him dearly miss his feet being on solid ground.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
Every day they got closer to their destination, Iyrho felt more and more scared, a feeling made much worse by the fact that he seemed like the only one to actually recognize the monstrous threat they were going to face. If they managed to get back in one piece, the United Council was probably going to let them off with a slap on the wrist due to the great influence of the Marshal, but it was that "if" to truly terrify him.
It was the presence of the Marshal to calm him down a little, ironically.
The two had never really warmed up to each other during the journey, and it didn't look like either of them wanted to, but Iyrho found comfort in his leadership.
The Marshal always put first those who should've been below him; he ate what every other soldier ate, leaving his supposedly better-tasting rations to be divided amongst them. He often replaced some Collected on sentry duty, and went around the ship daily to make sure everything was in order, patting people on the back and giving words of encouragement in the meanwhile.
He knew both how to forgive someone making a mistake, and how to punish them when they repeated it.
Iyrho felt confused thinking about it too much, was it admiration he was feeling? —-----------------------------------------------
"The one time I wish to follow the protocol you object to, Tactician?"
Arguing with the Marshal often felt useless, but he couldn't keep quiet this time.
“I do, I understand it would make our mission more legitimate, but we do not know this species, and with their numbers overwhelming us would be effortless, even if they possess a much more primitive level of technology. We simply cannot afford to make a public first contact. Besides, if you had followed the protocol, we wouldn't be in this predicament, Marshal."
"Primitive…even if they wanted to, they most likely don't even have the means to leave the confines of their planet…so what do you suggest we do?"
Iyrho paused for a moment; coming back home empty-handed would not excuse their little escapade, and they certainly hadn't made it this far just to turn around and call it a day.
"Marshal, we have some Reel Collected aboard. Using their superior camouflage techniques they could land on the planet and gather some Collected; due to their sheer numbers they probably won't even notice. After that we could return home, let our scientists discern if their species is suitable for the Great Search or not, and the United Council will be able to make all the first contacts it desires."
The Marshal tilted his head a bit.
"Ridiculous…a soldier demoted to a lowly thief."
After mumbling to himself for a while, he was finally convinced.
"I've had many responsibilities to take upon myself regarding this mission…I suppose it is only fair you have your share."
The Tactician breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Marshal. I'll summon the Reel immediately." —----------------------------------------------
A vital criteria of a species suitable for the Great Search was that it had to be numerous.
This is because the Collected were always gathered at a very young age from their communities, and centuries of evolutionary research showed that parents of populous species felt proportionally less attached to their children the more they had, which made it possible for the Larks to gather one without any troubles. From an evolutionary standpoint, it was useless to excessively worry about your offspring if you had 10 or 20 of them.
The Larks on the other hand evolved to reproduce only once, as more than one child often led to conflicts of power between them over the Collected they were supposed to rule. As a result, Lark fathers and mothers concentrated all their efforts into their only child, and defended him constantly, often at the cost of their own lives.
Besides, the parents of Collected children had no point in worrying. They knew their child would be treated with care and respect, and that they had many more opportunities to succeed with the Larks than they had with them, as the vast majority of the species the Lark got their Collected from didn't even have a school system.
Once transported to a Lark planet, the young Collected were assigned to a family of Larks, usually ones that couldn't have children of their own, and enrolled into a school that taught each Collected their respective language, culture and traditions, both to preserve their identity, and to preserve each species' expertise that they were chosen for in the first place.
This system pleased all three parties involved: The Larks were content because they got new Collected, the parents were happy for their one child living -what in their eyes was-"the high life", and the Collected child got to have care, attention and opportunities that they otherwise would never have gotten in their home planet.
This almost symbiotic relationship evolved from a far more brutal practice their ancestors performed in their home planets, that involved killing or driving away both the parents and replacing them as the authority figure over the offspring. Despite their past, the Larks had been at peace with their interstellar neighbors ever since they made first contact, leaving them full authority over their planets, and only coming to bother every once in a while for new Collected.
—----------------------------------------------------------------
One of the 50 landing pods that were sent to the planet had finally landed; undetected, or so the Reel inside hoped. "For a planet with 11 billion sentient beings on it, it sure looks empty." he thought as he slowly stepped out of his pod and onto the yellow-ish soil beneath him. Their planet was still completely unknown, so he knew he had to take extreme care in what he was to accomplish; in addition, he had a time limit: to make sure no one else got their hands on the pod -and, by extent, Lark technology- the engines were set to automatically reactivate exactly one hour later. After walking through some weird prickly green plants, and cautiously avoiding a stick-shaped animal, he finally reached what looked like an urban area. His objective was to gather a young Collected; "the smaller it looks, the better" were the orders. If that couldn't be achieved, then he was to take as many objects and items as he could, preferably ones that looked like they helf information, and then get them back on the ship.
At last, he finally came face to face with these creatures. They were a bit bigger than he was, as far as he could tell, but nothing too intimidating. The first ones he saw were laying on some kind of bed, with what he assumed were their eyes closed, something that amazingly enough all known species so far related to sleeping and dreams. No children though.
He moved through house after house, scouting through the windows for any smaller-version of them he could find. And finally luck was on his side.
It was about half the size of his arm, he thought that had to be enough. He quietly made his way into the house, and in front of the small creature, trying his hardest not to make a sound. They were sure these aliens weren't going to care one lick about their children, due to their mind-boggling numbers, but they were unsure of what they'd do if they were to discover other species; for all they knew their reaction could've been very dangerous, and their tiny scouting ship was in no condition for a fight, so they had to take extreme care in not being detected.
The Reel got close to the child, whispering to it almost as if he wanted it to willingly follow him, but to no avail. Assuming it couldn't understand him, he carefully scooped up the baby in his large paddle-like hands, and made his way to the nearest exit.
As he was about to leave though, his left ear picked up fast thumping sounds, freezing him in place -the Reels didn't respond well to fear.
He couldn't manage to move a muscle, and it only got worse when he heard what sounded like a voice coming from the hallway behind him.
His translation device picked something up, but being unable to translate it, it only roughly transliterated the sounds it heard:
“Eiy! Sz samuon hire?"