All the way back in Undertale, we had a pretty good idea as to who the narrator was. Although we did know for sure that the red text narrator was Chara, the remaining white text is still a bit of a mystery to me. This leads me to my main question.
.
Who is the Deltarune Narrator?
.
I have a few ideas, but first, I want to share my opinions. Firstly, the narrator refers to Kris' soul as "You", so we know that option isn't the answer. However, the narrator does have some relationship with Kris' soul, as it is the one giving them their dialogue choices as key moments, and treats them as separate to Kris.
If I had to guess, I can offer who I think it might be: Soulless Kris. I mean, I'm not sure who else would be able to forcibly limit Soul's speech to just a few options, or who would know that Soul and Soulless Kris are two distinct minds.
However, it might be that we are getting the Undertale treatment, and our Narrator will be someone completely new, like Chara was.

Hey y’all,
Not a complaint or anything, I just can’t find a direct answer online.
My girlfriend and I just moved into a new townhome and our landlord was explaining how the previous tenant never returned the mail key. So, what they have done is asked the mailman to keep the mailbox open and inside of that, is a small little lockbox that is suppose to be open. In theory, the actual mailbox stays open, the mailman puts the mail in the lockbox and closes it, my girlfriend and I open the lockbox to retrieve the mail.
Only problem is that this was allegedly discussed with my landlord and mailman and all we had to do is put a note on our mailbox, but the mailman left us a response saying “Sorry, we have no key to your box and you need to call a locksmith!”. The only time I’ve been to run into my mailman, he also told me the same thing.
My landlord won’t call a locksmith and insists this shouldn’t be a problem, but I have no actual access to my mailbox unless I by chance run into my mailman while he’s dropping off mail to collect directly from him.
So, what should I do? Is this on my landlord due to it being negligence before me or is it my responsibility to get a locksmith? With mail being a federal thing, I’m just not sure what is appropriate.
I appreciate any help and feedback in advance!

Hello! This story is about a medical accident with wellbutrin that really affected my life and I want to share. It may contain triggering topics so please be warned. Stay safe
​
When I was 19 almost 20, I was about a year into my medication/mental health journey. I had found out I was bipolar, and had ADHD, and these were the main things I was treated for. I was taking ritalin, which for a bipolar person can be a risky choice as it causes mania, as well as lithium, to control my mania. Lithium was a little too good at its job though, and I quickly became only depressed, so, I got wellbutrin. And I liked it. It helped. I felt better. And happy. We kept trying out doses, going up slightly.
​
And then, I don't know.
​
My doctor was moving me from 150mg to 300mg, and then to 450 mg. Easy enough. But, he had given me two sets of pills to achieve this. 150s and 300s. I was supposed to use them to transition upwards. Every other day, taking 300 + 150. I don't know how, but something was lost in translation. I started taking two of the 300s, thinking that was what he told me to do. I was taking 600mg (too much) everyday, and then taking 60 (sometimes 90) mg of ritalin.
I felt crazy.
I was home for the summer, but terrified of the house. Couldnt leave my bedroom after my parents had gone to bed. I kept my toothbrush in my bedroom and locked my door each night. I would see shadow people out of the corner of my eye, walking in the dark. I saw their feet outside my door. I heard them whispering in the hall.
I would sit on the ground just take tweezers and pull out all my leg hair. I dont even know why. It became a terrible habit, and a strange way to soothe myself.
While doing this, I started to hear something. It was in my head, like I was going to sleep and thinking of random things. But the thoughts weren't mine. I wasn't thinking those words.
I could hear two men arguing, and then it was like they noticed me. They knew I was listening, and they didn't understand how.
Over the next few days of exploring this new ability I heard lots of conversations, even had them recount childhood memories to me. I would hear them scream and yell at me. I would feel them inside me trying to get my attention. I would close my eyes and see impressions of screaming faces, people trying to get me. Loud yelling. Then, it was like they would possess me, and it was like I wasn't there anymore.
I didn't understand what was happening. And it only got worse.
I went on a trip with my father and forgot my ritalin. Luckily, I had more than enough wellbutrin, which I knew treated ADHD. I started taking a little extra. I would crush it to make it work like instant ritalin. If 600mg wasn't hurting me, 1000mg certainly was.
my friends would call me to play minecraft and my fingers couldnt even operate the keys correctly. I was always shaking. The voices in my head were telling me they were worried for me, and possessed me to "help". I would walk around the beach house, terrified of any dark corner or unoccupied room. Even watching my father wash dishes made me nervous he was only pretending to come scare me (why would he do that?). I heard laughter, and whispers, and there weren't in my head. It was like a person was right on my shoulder, or like I was always in sleep paralysis. I would look in the mirror and swear my reflection was doing something I wasn't.
I went home, and told my doctors. They thought I had lost it from the ritalin and took me off it. Permanently. I was livid and so sad. It had helped me so much and now they said it was making me psychotic and they wouldnt put me on it. I told them I didnt even have any at the beach. No matter what I said, they wouldn't change their minds.
My emotions were so high. I would sob and sob and scream on the phone with them. And yet no one caught what was really happening.
I stayed with my boyfriend at the time while recovering from being cut off my meds, and I would swear he got in bed with me. I could feel the bed move. feel him breathing. and then I would hear the shower cut off- I was hallucinating him. I kept feeling someone grabbing the blankets, tugging at my feet. I would look and the shadow hallucination would hide from me as all the shadow people would. Fast. Uncatchable.
I kept hearing voices. Kept feeling like they were in my head. Kept feeling paranoid every second of the day. And kept taking those pills.
And then at some point, my doctor was confirming my medications.
"Are we at 300mg of wellbutrin? or 450, right?"
"Uh, 600 I think"
"..what?"
"I take 600 in the morning"
"...what"
"I take two of the 300s. Right?"
"how long have you been doing this?"
Turns out, 600 was not the right answer. That amount can cause siezures. And I had been taking up to 1000 everyday. Everyday for over a month.
They stopped me taking it, but never brought back the ritalin. Said my mind had become fragile from the wellbutrin. I was in a full blown psychotic episode and now lost my adhd medication along with my sanity.
Without meds, my first semester that year was hard. I was tired all the time. Fell asleep at the wheel. I struggled to be an RA at college, and struggled to talk to people. My mind just felt cloudy 24/7. And it was like I couldn't think anymore, couldn't do math, or study. I was a physics major, and it seemed like that was going to be something undoable. Everything, all my memories and skills, has been scrambled by wellbutrin. I failed my classes. Almost got kicked out of being an RA.
It was like I couldn't do anything.
I have continued therapy, but within a year they diagnosed me with OSDD, and a year later full blown D.I.D (dissociative identity disorder). Of course, wellbutrin did not cause that, but I had no idea I had multiple personalities until the OD. Wellbutrin had taken down all the walls in my mind, and I had heard the personalities talking. And once the toothpaste was out of the tube, I couldn't put it back in: no matter how long I tried to ignore the voices. I had DID. I have DID.
​
I tell you all this for two reasons. For a warning: to READ YOUR INSTRUCTIONS and to never diy your doses. Make sure you write down what you need to take. And if something it wrong, go to the doctor fast and tell them whats happening. The longer, the worse damage your mind could get.
The other reason, is what I needed to hear that semester: you can get better.
It has been 2 years next month since the incident. And I have done what I thought I would never get to do. I am back on ritalin (but extended release now) and I even am back on a lose dose of wellbutrin, which I never thought I'd say. I completed my physics degree in 3 years, which is relatively uncommon, and something I would never dreamed I could do. I am alert. I am a quick thinker again. I am myself again. And I am happier than ever.
I still have D.I.D. And its something I am working on a lot. I also still have some brain scramble, not all the memories are right. But I am aware again, and what they expected to be permanent brain damage just turned into a rough memory. Now doctors have me talk to their medical students about what happened to me, and when I tell them and they gasp I am even able to laugh about it. Its become a silly story for doctors in training to learn from.
So if you had something like this happen, its gunna be okay. you can survive this. and you can get back to living your life. The fog will clear, you just have to wait for the sun.
​
AND READ YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for reading. this is a really hard incident I usually keep a secret, but it was the hardest time in my life. Please be safe with your wellbutrin, and remember, 600 is too. much. wellbutrin.

Hello everyone. This is a personal project I decided to kick off and share in this sub. The idea is pretty simple. Each day I'll draw a card to focus on/dive into, alongside a few more regarding how to deepen the understanding of it. So let's get down to it.
[Focus Card] King of Pentacles
The King of Pentacles is always associated with power, bring a King, in the earthly plane, being of Pentacles. This card entails not only abundance of resources and structures, but also honed skills regarding how and where to use them. It's a good card for investment, for taking calculated risks regarding finances, for keeping our affairs in order. It certainly has a Saturnine vibe to it - that energy of keeping things in place, of holding a firm structure that allows for consolidation. Flow can only occur inside a firm structure. It's important, however, to steer away from rigidity - something this King struggles with from time to time, much like his kingly counterpart in the Major Arcana, the Emperor.
The apparition of the Emperor in this conceptual landscape is quite interesting too look into and link in. The Kings of the Minor Arcana can be seen as minor aspects of The Emperor. One can follow along the lessons of each King, progressively integrating them while making their way into the Emperor state of Being. Coming back to the King of Pentacles, we're confronted with the usual dynamic: a good Emperor will bring forth a prosperous Empire, a bad Emperor will culminate in an authoritarian regime, ruled by fear instead of respect.
The highly structured nature of the King of Pentacles can make him rigid at times, which will only add up to difficulty and additional struggle. Being the Suit of Earth, Pentacles is deeply related to Mother Nature, which, as we know, is an active agent of Chaos. Understanding Chaos as the catalyst for evolution is important when dealing with this frequency. Understanding Order as the foundation of consolation, be it wisdom, physical achievement or material wealth, is one of the Keys held by this card. As such, working with the King of Pentacles takes us to a position of Mediator. Kings always have a certain "limit" to their scope - being the last card, the question "what comes next?" inevitably arises. Taking in the chaotic inputs of Life and organizing them into a cohesive and integrated whole might just be the answer to that question.
[Expand the Light] Ten of Cups
Associated with Mars in Pisces, the Ten of Cups is an interesting card. It's definitely a positive card, although it advises us to not hold on to perceived feelings of well being and success. The only permanent aspect of reality is constant change, one of the characteristics embodied by Pisces, and we're bound to face that change eventually, effectively embodying Mars' aspect of evolutionary impulse. As such, expanding the Light, or positive aspects, of the King of Pentacles should be related, at least for the time being, to plunge into Life's waters head on. Mars, although somewhat violent in its expression, is a powerful Archetype. In it's highest manifestation it approximates itself to Tyr, the Norse God of (Justified) War - as opposed to Odin, which, in this aspect, is the Norse God of (Violent) War. Tyr differentiates itself from other European Gods of War, like the Greek Ares and the Roman Mars, in the sense that he's also a God of Virtue and Honesty, considered the more just of the Aesir. Bringing forth these qualities of Mars will allow us to face Life's challenges from a place of virtue and value, effectively structuring the middle pillar we can, and will have to, hold on to when the Waves come crashing down. This also takes me towards the importance of holding out frame when dealing with challenges - God knows how daunting and warlike it can be to get things done at times.
[Deepen the Shadow] Seven of Swords
Associated with Moon in Aquarius, this is probably one of the most misunderstood cards of the Tarot - much like Moon in Aquarius in the Zodiac. A deeply alchemical card, the Seven of Swords gains renewed value when seen from the light of Astrology. The Moon, the ruler of Emotions, gains a certain... intuitive rationality when in Aquarius, which is Fixed Air, the Sign of social movements and revolution. The process of understanding our Mind requires deep subconscious Work, which oftentimes isn't the most pleasant experience. Projecting this into the King of Pentacles, one could argue the message is about not only doing the hard thing, as the Ten of Cups somewhat suggested, but also take the time to understand why the hard thing is hard, so we can make future instances a little easier, at the very least. Our procrastination always stems from a place of insecurity, which is always rooted in fear. It's this fear that keeps us from taking the steps, which will be postponed until the anxiety that comes from facing failure becomes more uncomfortable than the subconscious fear that's holding us back. Engaging with this emotions head on is an important part of the process of achieving sovereignty in the Earthly Plane - the very energy described by the King of Pentacles.
[Guiding Power] Two of Cups
Associated with Venus in Cancer, this card is usually related to relationships. This is not insignificant - after all, all we're doing is looking into the relationships formed between cards to which particular contexts were attributed. One other important meaning for the Two of Cups, however, becomes clear when analyzed from a more abstract and fundamental perspective. On one hand we have Two, the Number of Duality, and on the other we have Water, emotion and unconscious currents. The message seems to revolve around keeping an eye open for any paradox or apparent polar dissonance between elements - as we've seen, there was a clear polarization between the Ten of Pentacle's practical "get it done" and the Seven of Sword's abstract "understand why you're not doing it" focus. These types of less-than-obvious polar pairs must be identified and harmonized. They're the tensions that keep us from exercising our power - needless noise that keeps our minds from coming up with a clear course of action and putting it to practice. When properly integrated, they become the knots of our internal mixing table, the same ones we must observe and tweak around each time Life's music isn't playing adequately.
[Missing Link] The World
At the bottom of the deck lied the World. The message is quite clear at this point: put yourself to practice, don't get stuck on abstraction and philosophical conundrums. Given the general focus of the reading - one of avoiding procrastination and embracing responsibilities head on - I feel it's not really needed to diver super deep in this one. It felt more like a final click than an actual message of deep significance.
To sum up this particular analysis, the King of Pentacles, the expression of sovereignty in the element of Earth, is deeply related to directed action. The course of events relies on causal chains, and causal chains need causes to produce effects. Understanding the intricacies of the action-reaction pairs that cross our path and experience is an important exercise for the practicing Magus. For the non-practicing Magus, and even for the non-Magus, observing these patterns and mechanisms can also provide meaningful insight. Understanding how the World works, what makes us tick and how our actions influence our vicinity can only add clarity.
Hope this analysis was of significance and interest. Namaste

I at the time (7 y/o f) lived in The Netherlands in a city named Ommen. It was a pretty quiet town who had not lots of deaths or murders in it, so we didn’t expect this coming. It was October 31 (Halloween) but my town didn’t do anything with Halloween so it was just a normal day for me. I always used to go to my neighbours because, the were really nice and I liked them. They were both probably in their 50 or something, oh and what I didn’t mention is that the were sisters not partners, but they just liked each other so much that they wanted to live together. But this is we’re the story really starts so I went to my neighbour as I usually go to and I knock at the door no answer so I ring the door bell still no answer “m that’s weird” I thought, they didn’t tell me or my mom or dad that the weren’t home or something and normally one would go to the grocery store and the other stayed home. My mom had the keys to their house so I thought o let’s check so we did. When you come in the house you see a little hall and on your right side were the stairs with a stairwell… so there we were in a quiet as hell house with no lights at all me checked the house and I said m maybe the are upstairs so I go upstairs, and there I see my lovely neighbour who was my favorite of the two hanged in the stairwell with a rope around her neck. I fell backwards down the stairs because I was so shocked my mom stared screaming but I was just in shock. Then her sister came and saw the whole scene she blacked out. We rushed the sisters to the hospital but I was to late… My lovey sweet kind old neighbour just died and I saw it. After all this I had to go in therapy and I still see her if I look in the house the other sister died last week of cancer it’s really sad. I’m now 14 years old and still have a trauma.

Last week, the developers at Ghost Ship Games released previews of a cosmetic DLC pack they planned on selling next month. The reaction to this cosmetic pack was mixed to say the least. People did not believe it was up to the usual quality standard of Ghost Ship Games. In light of that, this week, Ghost Ship Games released a new communications update on a central platform (Steam, with mirrored posts on Reddit and other forums).
They explained that the customers were right, and in light of that feedback, they had redone the cosmetics, with significantly improved details to make the guns stand out a lot more. They included a detailed video and image preview of the new cosmetics. And to top it all off, they promised to include both versions of the cosmetics in the upcoming content drop, with the old version of the paint job being included in the free update.
Note the steps taken in this communication.

1. Admission of the issue.
2. Detailed explanation of how the issue will be resolved, that leaves nothing to the imagination.

It is a simple formula. Only two steps. Of course, step 2 requires that a solution for the issue be in the works. Crucially, there were no announcements about the announcement. No "next week's" about how you'll hear more. No countdowns to patch notes. It is a strategy so simple, I'm only able to write this much about it. It is a good strategy. A strategy so good, that I, a very creative complainer and whiner, can't find anything to complain or whine about.
Now consider essentially 6 months of communication by Fat Shark. Let's track one issue. Crafting.

1. In the first month of release, communications largely promised that a complete crafting system was coming soon. Some week in December (2022, being implied).
   
2. What followed was a long period of chained in sequence "next week, we'll tell you more", cementing the phrase "next week" in darktide meme history.
   
3. Eventually, after Catfish assumes the duties of community manager, and to her enormous credit, we get the "open letter". This was perhaps the closest Fat Shark has had to having good communications. Unfortunately, old habits die hard. The open letter identified issues (incomplete crafting system; unsatisfying progression loop; poor performance optimization), and at least implied a solution (delaying seasonal content rollout and the xbox series xls launch, while suspending the upcoming releases of premium cosmetics; in order to have a "sole focus" on addressing feedback). Things are looking up. A new communications manager has taken over, and communications appear to be if not great, at least significantly improved.
   
4. Unfortunately, soon after this still somewhat vague letter, Fat Shark was back to its old habits. The crafting update came out, along with steady performance optimization. But open, candid communications slowly ceased. After the crafting update came out, Fat Shark has been virtually radio silent on the failure of that update to address the game's issues. If one were to go purely by communications by the company, it would be difficult to believe they even recognize those issues currently exist.
   
5. Since the crafting update, the only post by u/Fatshark_Catfish that I can identify which acknowledges crafting is an issue is this But we still have a real lack of actual communication. Outside this one post, barely any mention of any issues the game has.
   

So what can we learn about Fat Shark's communication strategy? If it doesn't involve outright lies (as it did in December 2022 when they promised a completed crafting system in December), it involves deliberate silence, and a refusal to acknowledge any issues. Apparently, if you don't admit your game has flaws, you don't have to address them.
Compare the two companies. I have a reasonable idea about what exactly GSG has been working on based on their release schedule and communications to players. I have no idea what Fat Shark has been working on. It is left to my imagination, and my imagination suspects they've just been focusing on a console port, past messaging to the contrary be damned. Even if they are working on the console port as their sole focus, them openly, honestly acknowledging this would be preferable to their attempt to string an entire community along with a drip feed of content while pretending they're doing their best.
You know what would be most preferable? If they could simply, openly, and honestly, state what the community's issues with the game are, and whether they plan to do anything about those issues. Even if the answer with respect to our example, crafting, is "no, while the community believes that is an issue, we do not", this answer would be preferable to their current strategy of "silence and let the community fester in false hope". It would be more respectful to the players that they need for this game to survive. It would treat people as actual customers, rather than products to be deceived.
To be clear, I don't think any of this is u/Fatshark_Catfish's fault. If anything, the open letter that occurred after she took over the community manager position indicates that she knows how to do her job right. And her continued silence in the face of the game's numerous issues is a policy set by management. So this is a fat shark problem, not a catfish problem. Fat Shark would do well to actually let catfish do her job, if that is correct.
Anyways, rock and stone lads.
EDIT: It occurred to me that I should do more to explain why open, direct communication is a good strategy for a company too. This is a good strategy for two reasons:

1. It fills in the gap. If a company chooses to not even address issues in their communications, they leave their customers to guess and imagine how the company will eventually attempt to address the issues later. This is bad. People are cynical. They will imagine the worst in the absence of any evidence to the contrary. People like me will imagine that the company is doing something silly, like porting a broken game to a console in the middle of a virulent community rage storm about the status of that game. Addressing issues, even if you merely address them to say that they are not issues, prevents this sort of speculation.
   
2. It builds up credit. A history of open, honest, and direct communication gives you breathing room when you can't actually engage openly or honestly for whatever reason. If a Fat Shark representative posted in this thread that all my issues will be addressed in three months, but they can't tell me how, I wouldn't believe them. If a GSG representative posted in their thread that they had to delay the patch for half a year for vague reasons they couldn't legally talk about, I would believe them. The difference is that GSG has built up a reputation for being forthright and honest with their customers, and Fat Shark has spent the last month avoiding the phrase "next week" in communication, because they've used it too often to weasel out of deadlines without getting memes made.
   

Statemeant of, Estella Freeman, regarding her experiences during an audition for a film rendition of Macbeth. Original Statement given on November 21, 2008. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.
Statement begins
I appreciate your discretion. I could tell you recognized me the moment I sat down. I'm sure you can appreciate what an actress of my caliber has to deal with whenever I interact with the public. It can be nauseating, people swooning over you asking for an autograph or a picture or what have you. I’ve been an actress for almost 30 years and I can tell you it's really refreshing whenever I can find a moment to just be with other people and not have to talk about what your next big role is going to be, or how I was able to give such a performance in Destiny Walked North.
You're no doubt acquainted with many of my films, A Passage to Burma,, In Search of Sunrise, and of course everyone's favorite, Destiny Walked North. Oh but you don't want to hear me talk about all that. Sigh,but then I suppose I do have to tell you about the little misunderstanding concerning one of my recent auditions. Look, I'm only agreeing to give this statement because my younger sister, Cathrine, insisted I talk to you and threatened to go to the tabloids if I didn't. It really is all just a bit of unpleasant nonsense I can assure you.
The audition in question was an upcoming film version of Shakespeare's Macbeth, directed by Dexter Banks. Dexter had decided he wanted to do a modern rendition of the play and had asked me to audition for the part of Lady Macbeth. Now I don't normally do Shakespeare. I find it the droll labor of lesser theater actors but Dexters a friend and I always try to help whenever I can so I agreed to the audition.
The scene in question is the well known sleepwalking scene that opens act 5 of the play. In it, Lady Macbeth is seen sleepwalking and delivers a powerful monologue wherein her guilt is laid to bare. The audition itself was done as a series of three takes which were all performed and recorded on a small set built to look like the interior of a modern day estate.
Everything started off fine. I had already delivered two flawless takes but Dexter had been unsatisfied. He said that my guilt did not appear genuine and suggested I try and find a memory to draw from for the final take. Now as I mentioned, I’ve been acting for 30 years and I dont need some director, friend or not, telling me how to get into character. Still, I didn't want to make a big deal about it and acquiesced to trying Dexter's way.
So that's what I did. It took a few moments but I suddenly remembered an incident from my childhood. I was about 10 or 11 at the time. One day while mum was out, I had taken some of her makeup to try on. You have to understand at that age I had started becoming interested in looking and dressing like a real woman and not some little girl. Anyway I knew it would make mum furious were she to catch me. I must have spent an hour meticulously applying the primer then foundation, followed by blush, eyeliner, and of course la touche finale: mums ruby red lipstick. Now at some point during all this I must have lost track of time for no sooner had I finished applying the lipstick when I heard the sound of mum’s fumbling with the front latch. I knew there would be no time to properly put back all the cosmetics and clean my face. I was certain I would be caught when I had the sudden idea. I quickly gathered up all the cosmetics and dumped them into my younger sister Cathrine’s room then locked myself in the privy just as mum entered the house.
Needless to say my little scheme had worked perfectly for it was not but a few minutes more when I could hear mum angrily shouting at Catherine. By the time I had cleaned my face and emerged I found my little sister sobbing in the corner.
Sigh, but of course I could barely go a whole day with all that guilt and I eventually confessed. Mum was…well she was pretty tough and lets just say I got what was coming to me.
And so I concentrated on that moment and when Dexter yelled action I began that final take. I put everything I had into that take. The moment when Lady Macbeth looks at her hands for fear of stained blood, I imagined the red stain of my mother's lipstick and thought about the cries my sister had made when mum had throttled her.
At the scene's culmination I made a spontaneous decision to improvise. The scene normally requires Lady Macbeth to exit the stage but I choose instead to throw myself on the floor in dramatic fashion. And so I screamed “What's done cannot be undone.--To bed, to bed, to bed!” and fell to the floor, eyes closed. I lay there for a few moments waiting for Dexter to yell cut but… there was nothing. At first I thought that perhaps my performance had just stunned him and so I waited for a few more moments but still… nothing. Then I opened my eyes to the horror of an empty room. Dexter, the entire crew, they all were…gone. I was alone. I thought at first perhaps it was a joke, that the crew had somehow snuck away in those moments where I had closed my eyes but then I realized something else: There was no equipment, no cameras, no light fixtures, no director's chair. It was an empty set. Now it's possible that maybe Dexter and the crew could have slipped away while I was preoccupied with my audition, a practical joke while I was lost in the performance as it may. But there's no way they could have just moved all that equipment in the span of a one minute scene. I began to panic, calling out for Dexter, for anyone to answer, hoping that at any moment someone would pop out and I would realize it was all imagined, a hallucination perhaps. But no one popped out. There were no responses. No surprises or jokes. Just the sound of my own voice echoing off the walls.
And then I realized something else, something that truly terrified me: I was no longer standing on a small set but in the actual room itself. What I mean is that, as I said before, the set had been constructed to look like part of a room in a modern day estate, it even had a small fireplace for Lady Macbeth to warm her hands by during the scene. The set had been no more than 8 or 9 meters long at most but this…this was an entire room, not a set at all. What I might have called panic moments before had now coalesced into utter terror. I ran to one of the doors and found it opened into a hallway, one typical of any other house of this type, and like most hallways, I could see it led to other rooms. I moved forward down the corridor carefully. A bathroom on the right, a bedroom on the left, another bedroom, and further down, the hallway led into a formal sitting room. This was a house, just like the setting of Dexter's film. I cried out again, begging for someone, anyone to answer, but still nothing.
Then I heard something: A distinct whistle coming from somewhere not far away. I rushed back down the way I came, this time turning down an adjacent hallway toward the sound and emerged into what was clearly the kitchen. And sure enough there, on the stove, sat a steaming tea kettle over the soft glow of the stove's flame. “I know you're there!”, I called out. Clearly the kettle had been set by someone and whomever they were they were nearby. I could feel it. Like someone nearby was watching. Then suddenly I heard a loud thump, back toward the sitting room I had just left. I ran back and found that a fire now burned in the fireplace: The thump I heard was the sound of a smoldering log that had crumbled.
Now I will admit I am not a brave person, and in this particular set of circumstances to say I was terrified would have been an understatement. All the same, I do not enjoy being played with. Whatever this was, whatever was happening, it was clearly someone's idea of a joke. It must have been right? Bolstered by my anger I set out frantically searching the house, flinging open closet doors, searching under beds, all the while screaming, daring my tormentor to reveal themselves. But it was always the same, I would enter rooms that had clear signs of a recent presence: A lit cigarette in an ashtray, a running faucet. I would return to rooms I had left moments before and find objects had moved. A book lay open on a night stand where it had not been 5 minutes before. I started to think I was losing my sanity.
This went on for what seemed like 30 minutes when suddenly I had an impulse. A horrible dread filled me and I rushed over to a window and drew open the curtains. I don't know exactly how to describe what I saw. It looked like the English countryside, but a countryside that had been burned and ravaged beyond comprehension. What might have once been the rolling green hills of Cornwall or Wiltshire were now blackened monoliths of ashen waste. All across were ember colored cracks scared into the earth, littering the landscape like open sores. And when I looked up into that blood red sky where the sun should have been, I saw instead, a viscous orb of the deepest jet. I stared at it, unable to remove my gaze, watching as it would occasionally writhe and pulsate ever so slightly. And when it did, just for a moment, it looked almost like an eye that had blinked, a wretched sentry keeping watch over its wretched wasteland. I screamed. I mean at that point any shred of hope I had that this might be some elaborate hoax or prank was gone. This was a nightmare. A pure terrible nightmare.
It's hard to remember everything that happened next but I recall running through the house in a panic and somehow ending up back in the original room I had found myself in when all this began, the one that matched the set of the film. And when I looked up I saw that there now stood in the center of the room a loan movie camera, mounted on a tripod. It looked just like the ones the crew had used on the set; only this one was unmanned. It was, however , pointed right at me, and I could tell from the faint hum that it was running. We stared at each other for several moments in silence. I say we because I want to make it very clear that this wasn't just a camera, it was….I dunno, the…thing that had been watching me. I was certain. I can't tell you how I knew it but I just did.
Sigh, and then I did the only thing left I could think to do. I slowly, deliberately, got down on my knees, looked right into that camera, and I begged. I begged it to spare me, to show me mercy. To please take pity and absolve my wretched soul of whatever sins I had committed. To witness all the guilt I could lay to bare. But the camera said nothing. It just sat there silently filming, silently watching. I guess I must have collapsed at that point, probably from exhaustion.
When I regained consciousness I was back on the set of the audition, surrounded by Dexter and the rest of the crew. To my surprise everyone was clapping and Dexter was beaming. I thought perhaps it all had been some strange hallucination or day dream and I vaguely remember trying to compose myself before the sudden feeling of everything slipping away.
I assume I had passed out. At least that's what the nurses told me when I woke up in St. Thomas. Something about stress induced psychosis and how I needed to take it easier from now on, and how i wasnt 25 anymore and blah blah blah. I was there for 2 days I think. It doesn't really matter. And I never did get the part. It went to some up and coming twit, you know the one in all the vampire movies. Dexter didn't even bother to call to tell me. The nerve. You know after 5 films, all I've done for him the least that bastard could do was call to tell me he had decided to give the part to some younger harlot he was probably sleeping with.
I haven't done any more auditions. Haven't really got the stomach for it lately. I mean I know I could still get the parts, it's just ...well…I don’t think I could bear to be in front of the cameras. The way they just stare at you, watching, silently taking it all in. I mean I know it was probably all some sorta of stressed induced hallucination or whatever but deep down I don't think it was. You know lately when I am out walking, I stop and look up at the sky, just to check and make sure the sun is still there where it's supposed to be. Anyway I think that's everything
Statement Ends.
Sigh. There's so many things wrong with this statement. Where do I begin? I think the key words here are hallucinations and psychosis. Neither of which forms the foundation for verifiable fact. Then there is the issue of Ms. Freeman’s reliability. A quick IMDB search indicates that Estella Freeman was indeed an actress who appeared in several films including several by renowned director Dexter Banks. However, she was not, as her statement claims, cast in a lead role in any of them. Almost all of her credits are for minor roles, certainly none that would be considered star billing. According to public records that Sasha dug up, Estella Freeman was the oldest of two children born to Robert and Sally Freeman. She did have a younger sister named Catherine but she apparently passed away in an unspecified domestic accident at the age of 7, roughly the time Estella would have been 10 years old. She is listed as having attended the Croydon School of Acting before appearing in several minor film roles over an approximately 25 year period. On October the 13th, 2008 she was admitted to St. Thomas hospital where she was diagnosed and treated for stress induced fatigue and released on her own recognizance after 48 hours. Clearly Ms. Freeman is either suffering from delusions of grandeur or is a pathological liar, but in either case I think this is another dead end. I seem to recall that Dexter Banks appeared in another statement, but given my predecessor's penchant for disorganization, it may be years before I can track down that statement. Still, I’ve asked Martin to keep an eye out for it.
There is one other additional interesting fact. Tim really came through on this one and managed to obtain a copy of Ms. Freeman’s audition tape from that day. I don't know what guy or girl he had to sleep with to get it and I wont bother to ask. I reviewed the tape and it does indeed show Ms. Freeman performing 3 takes of the scene as she described in her statement. The first 2 are uneventful. However during the 3rd take, just as Ms. Freeman goes down on the floor, the tape cuts out to static. When it continues, it appears to show her acting rather hysterically before being assisted off the set by several crew members. Now what's interesting is that the video time stamps indicate only a few seconds elapsed during the time just before and after the cut out but the static itself plays for over 90 minutes. Still, it's not definitive proof of anything “supernatural”. End Recording.
The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill, and licensed under a creative commons attribution noncommercial share alike 4.0 international license. All the characters and settings referenced are the property of Rusty Quill in their entirety.
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Everybody's high on emotions after the prelims paper. I , as an aspirant am kind of lost after the answer key. But honestly, i made a few silly and foolish mistakes that's keeping me on the edge. Although, the nature of questions , due to the kind of options and not the theme are uncertain. There have been unknown and irrelevant themes in the past but we tackled it because of the option arrangement. Considering all this and knowing that I might or might not cross the cut off and might get lot of hate for saying out this loud. 1) UPSC needs to innovate to eliminate aspirants. 2) Our distress would not change anything and people who will clear will start preparing for mains anyway and the cycle will continue as usual. 3) There was element of luck in upsc cse all along its history.
I wish you all luck and good health. Cheers!

I am specifically referring to National Bolshevism as the term was originally coined, rather than any group of people who may have labelled themselves "National Boshelviks" since. The term predates even the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922, let alone any other 20th century regime. The term was originally used by Karl Radek to describe two member he was expelling as "National Boshelviks". What these people wanted to do was align the revolutionary movement in Germany with that in Russia in mutual opposition to both the treaty of Versailles and the treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
I am specifically defending the prospect of this strategy in particular rather than specifically any person who might have been or could have been advocating for it and any ideas they might have had otherwise, not because it is national, or even bolshevik, but rather because I think it conforms with the idea in the Communist Manifesto of the role of Communists in relation to Proletarians where the Communists do not form separate political programs of their own and instead are supposed to align various proletarians movements together across nationality with respect to the current stage than any of those movements may find themselves in.

In what relation do the Communists stand to the proletarians as a whole?
The Communists do not form a separate party opposed to the other working-class parties.
They have no interests separate and apart from those of the proletariat as a whole.
They do not set up any sectarian principles of their own, by which to shape and mould the proletarian movement.
The Communists are distinguished from the other working-class parties by this only: 1. In the national struggles of the proletarians of the different countries, they point out and bring to the front the common interests of the entire proletariat, independently of all nationality. 2. In the various stages of development which the struggle of the working class against the bourgeoisie has to pass through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole.

Therefore the irony of this position I am defending is that it was the one advocated for by people labelled National, which would clearly seem to be contrary to being independent of nationality, and Bolshevik who would seem to be sectarians seeking to mold to proletarian movement. The other irony is that for it to have been possible it would have required overcoming proletarian movements in different nationalities operating independent of one another, in addition to overcoming the sectarianism emerging between all the differing "Communist" movements. In other words this is another call in an endless stream of "stop infighting!" coupled with "everyone except for me is wrong" which just contributes to the infighting by creating a new sectarian divergence but there is very little that can be done about that. Mostly this is just an excuse to discuss a particular moment I find interesting and inner contrarian in me just wants to make the seemingly most insane position seem the most reasonable as a challenge.
Lenin was not in favour of this so it was a bit of a non-starter. In "Left-Wing" Communism: An Infantile Disorder he criticizes people who refuse to recognize the treaties, but in addition to the tendencies of so-called National Bolsheviks, he also criticized the Left-Communists that Karl Radek and the other German Revolutionaries were often members. Here we can start to see a problem emerging as you clearly have two different revolutionary movements in two different countries who are having difficulty working with each other (with the problem of the treaties between these countries not even being the main issue they were squabbling over). Indeed while not around long enough to have become officially a Left-Communist herself, Luxembourg is associated with them as her writings are cited as a major influence on the tendency, and she is notable for criticizing Lenin's Bolshevism.
There was a lot of confusion in this period and numerous tendencies diverging from one another, the reason being is that in the wake of the Russian Revolution and the end of the First World War there was a period of revolutionary activity across the entire world. While Russia and Germany are often the most focused upon due to the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany being our core 20th century players and many seeing these revolutions as the origin points of these things with a compare and contrast analysis being done to understand while one failed and the other succeeded, in the light of understanding the world revolution as a wave, looking at just these two revolutions becomes parochial, as there was clearly one singular revolution going on across the world in the same way as during the Revolutions of 1848 where the Communist Manifesto was published.
Indeed Marx and Engels viewed that as a singular revolution and would have viewed the similar wave of revolutions that peaked in 1919 but spanned from 1917-1923 as a singular revolution. While differing in severity there was revolutionary activity in numerous countries ranging from the Two Red Years in Italy to the much less impressive sounding Red Week) in the Netherlands. Even as far away as Canada, Australia, and South Africa there were labour revolts in this period. The case of Canada is a bit emblematic of the obscurity of the scale of these events, as while the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 is well known, much like with only Russia and Germany beings discussed, the strike wave nature of the events in Canada just as in the world tends to fall out of discussion, as for instance this wave actually started with a general strike in Vancouver that was crushed by the military.
In the Preface to the 1882 Russian Edition of the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels even suggested in the wake of the assassination of the Tsar Liberator that the impending Russian (bourgeois) Revolution would serve as a signal for the Western proletariat to have their Revolution, and that the Russian Revolution could end up being communist alongside the West.

And now Russia! During the Revolution of 1848-9, not only the European princes, but the European bourgeois as well, found their only salvation from the proletariat just beginning to awaken in Russian intervention. The Tsar was proclaimed the chief of European reaction. Today, he is a prisoner of war of the revolution in Gatchina, and Russia forms the vanguard of revolutionary action in Europe.
The Communist Manifesto had, as its object, the proclamation of the inevitable impending dissolution of modern bourgeois property. But in Russia we find, face-to-face with the rapidly flowering capitalist swindle and bourgeois property, just beginning to develop, more than half the land owned in common by the peasants. Now the question is: can the Russian obshchina, though greatly undermined, yet a form of primeval common ownership of land, pass directly to the higher form of Communist common ownership? Or, on the contrary, must it first pass through the same process of dissolution such as constitutes the historical evolution of the West?
The only answer to that possible today is this: If the Russian Revolution becomes the signal for a proletarian revolution in the West, so that both complement each other, the present Russian common ownership of land may serve as the starting point for a communist development.

Now 1882 didn't turn into a revolution in Russia and there were several false starts like in 1905, but eventually it did finally happen. However seemingly with Lenin's New Economic Policy, both scenarios discussed ended up needing to happen. The Russian Revolution was both Communist and they felt it impossible to transition straight into Communism and thus had to allow some kind of bourgeois property relation to develop, and then later on had to eliminate this thing they created themselves in a rather unfortunate series of events. Additionally while the Russian Revolution did prove to be a signal for the Western proletariat to have their revolution, the proletariat revolution failed. In the spirit of this discussion I'm going to be argue that these were not separate incidents but rather the failure of the western proletariat's revolution is why Lenin implemented the NEP in 1922, in part because of internal rebellions calling for these things and because the international revolution seemingly failed resulting in a loss of hope that the western proletariat would in some way save them, which had to result in some kind of proletarian vanguard party lead bourgeois state emerging on the fly. Stalin would later have to undo this both these consequences in the events he is most criticized for, as in addition to reversing the NEP with collectivization, he undid the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk when as Molotov said "One kick from the German army and another from the Soviet Army put an end to this ugly product of Versailles" in regards to Poland. Polish independence being quite the unfortunate sacrifice here considering how supportive of it Engels was in the 1892 Polish Preface the the Communist Manifesto.

But the rapid development of Polish industry, outstripping that of Russia, is in its turn a new proof of the inexhaustible vitality of the Polish people and a new guarantee of its impending national restoration. And the restoration of an independent and strong Poland is a matter which concerns not only the Poles but all of us. A sincere international collaboration of the European nations is possible only if each of these nations is fully autonomous in its own house. The Revolution of 1848, which under the banner of the proletariat, after all, merely let the proletarian fighters do the work of the bourgeoisie, also secured the independence of Italy, Germany and Hungary through its testamentary executors, Louis Bonaparte and Bismarck; but Poland, which since 1792 had done more for the Revolution than all these three together, was left to its own resources when it succumbed in 1863 to a tenfold greater Russian force. The nobility could neither maintain nor regain Polish independence; today, to the bourgeoisie, this independence is, to say the last, immaterial. Nevertheless, it is a necessity for the harmonious collaboration of the European nations. It can be gained only by the young Polish proletariat, and in its hands it is secure. For the workers of all the rest of Europe need the independence of Poland just as much as the Polish workers themselves.

(The call for "full autonomy in a nations own house" is probably worth explaining. Nations that should be autonomous are nations which can be autonomous all on their own without international meddling. Engels was notoriously against all the south slavs for their pan-slavism because their independence was necessitated by interference from Imperial Russia, in part because he was still mad about the revolutions of 1848 not working out. He was even still mad at them 34 years later when he reaffirmed Polish independence alongside Irish independence as the most crucial national struggles to support. The reason being that Poland rejected pan-Slavism and was instead independently nationalist. That Poland could stand alone (and more importantly that Polish agitation threatened three reactionary imperial monarchies in Germany, Austria, and Russia at the same time. Ireland being important to screw around with the bourgeois British Empire as Marx and Engels increasingly saw the absentee revenues the British ruling class generated for themselves in Ireland as being the key to their parliamentary political dominance in England against both lower class and anti-imperialist challenges which were often the same thing) is why Polish independence was so supported. Standing alone is important because autonomous nations can switch between the rule of various classes without the risk of foreign interference on the part of imperialist reactionaries putting things back the way they were to protect their sphere of influence. The issue is that Polish independence ended up being a thorn in the side of the revolution when Polish independence was granted through Wilsonian liberal internationalism and during the Russian Civil War the Red Army tried and failed to retaliate against Poland when they joined forces with the Entente Liberal Imperialists in the Soviet-Poland War.
For NATO fans the opposition to NATO comes from this concept of being against spheres of influence, with a preference for complete independence. The Soviets or even Russia joining NATO however transform the institution from an American sphere of influence into just some vague "nobody invade anybody else okay guys thanks" treaty which is what it is sold as. So long as Russia is not included in NATO it fails to fulfill its stated purpose, and it must be opposed because it does not protect the independence of the nations within it, rather it makes them subservient to the United States, and the counter-balance of Russia inside the block is sufficient that the nations within it could seamlessly transfer between spheres of influence, or more importantly, not be in anyone's sphere of influence by successfully playing the US and Russia off each other, which puts each nation in a position to pursue development with little risk of the alliance being used to punish them. In fact if say Luxembourg decided to go rogue it could even use the NATO treaty to argue that anyone infringing upon them should be subjected to retaliation by all the other members, and now they have a socialist Luxembourg in the middle of Europe and they can't do anything about it because the treaty guarantees their independence with multiple dozen moving parts so long as Luxembourg doesn't militarily invade anybody. However if the organization is nothing more that an American political block with US bases every where, clearly the US would be able to pressure people into recognizing the socialist Luxembourg as illegitimate in some way and argue it can be invaded without requiring everyone come to its defense. So NATO good if Russia included and US bases removed, an in NATO Russia still isn't a threat to even Estonia if dozens of European countries are required to defend it, and that isn't even considering a late arrival of the US and Canada when they finally cross the Atlantic. The problem with NATO is that it is clearly an unofficial loosely held US empire, it stops being a problem when it is no longer this)
This whole confused mess could have been avoided had the world revolution not failed. This circles back to the Russian and German revolutions and how they were not united. Therefore the position of those labelled Nazbol is attractive merely for the sake that it would have united these two disparate revolutions. The success of either was reliant on the success of the other. The prior Bolshevik position of Peace Without Annexations or Indemnities would permanently lock in the Russian and German revolutions together in a mutual opposition to the bourgeois treaties, a pact of blood to oppose the pacts signed in ink.
Additionally opposition to the indemnity aspect of the treaty of Versailles would have been in fidelity to the revolutionary history of the Paris Commune which inspired the notion of the dictatorship of the proletariat in 1871, which was prompted in part by opposition to the burden of the reparation payments imposed on France by Bismark in response to Napolean III's failed invasion being placed on the people of France by the bourgeois government that signed that treaty. On a global scale while the opportunity for revolution by the proletariat refusing to enter World War One was squandered by the Social Democrats granting their permission, the proletariat could instead refuse to exit World War One by not granting their permission for acceptance of the bourgeois treaties just as the Paris Commune refused to accept Bismark's treaty.
Indeed opposition to the bourgeois Treaty of Trianon served as the basis for cooperation between the Nationalists and the Communists in Hungary, who unlike the Luxembourgists in Germany, were internationally aligned with the Boshelviks in Russia with the establishment of the Hungarian Soviet Republic. The alliance however broke down with the establishment of the Slovak Soviet Republic as the Hungarian nationalists questioned why they were participating in the Hungarian Red Army if they were just going to be liberating other countries, this ended up not even being that relevant of a dispute seeing as Slovakia was never fully captured and the Czechoslovak army ended up recapturing it in a month and so the issue only lasted from June 1919 to July 1919. However it exposed the core obvious problem with the alliance between nationalists and communists, as the full Petrograd formula was "peace without annexations or indemnities, on the basis of self-determination of the peoples" so the nationalists opposed to treaties were not going to like it when the second part got implemented later.
Lenin and Stalin ran into a similar issue when Stalin opposed Georgian self-determination in 1922 and wanted them to instead join Russia, with the comical situation of Stalin calling the Georgian Mensheviks "nationalist-socialists" and the Russian Lenin accusing the Georgian Stalin of being a Russian nationalist-socialist in response. We can clearly see that there are vastly differing views on the questions of nationality all over the place and there was no one line being taken, with Hungary and Germany taking vastly different views in regards to the treaties and cooperation with nationalists, to their own unique sets of problems later on with them.
The vastly different ways everyone was handling these issues is why I argue that the best principle would have been to have no principles at all. The only communist principle in regards to nationality is international cooperation. Indeed while you had Communist revolutions in German, Hungary, and Russia, the common thread uniting them of opposition to the bourgeois treaties would have also united them with the liberal Kemalist revolution in Turkey, thus completing the alignment of all revolutionaries in the central powers and Imperial Russia against the rest of the entente attempting to impose the bourgeois treaties, in effect adding Russia to the central powers after the imperialist war had turned into a civil war in all four imperial monarchies. That Turkey was in a vastly different stage of revolution than the other three would be irrelevant as these revolutions would still be mutually supporting of each other, and the Communists could rest assured safely knowing that while differing countries might be in different stages of revolution, they had the advantage over all others in knowing the ultimate end result of all their revolutions even if the people operating in them might not know it themselves.

The Communists, therefore, are on the one hand, practically, the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties of every country, that section which pushes forward all others; on the other hand, theoretically, they have over the great mass of the proletariat the advantage of clearly understanding the line of march, the conditions, and the ultimate general results of the proletarian movement.

As such the notion that one needs to be politically Communist to participate in the revolution is false. So long as a state of revolution remained the stages of the revolution could continue moving forward. If Turkey was not materially ready for it, that need not matter so long as the Kemalists were willing to join in an anti-imperialist block in the mean time, which they were willing to do until the Soviets later started looking at the straights with desire which eventually pushed Turkey into the arms of NATO where it remains to this day. However at the time the Soviets and Turkey were quite friendly despite their obvious ideological differences merely based on this mutual geopolitical interest in so-called anti-imperialism. This anti-imperialism was selective however, with the "Mountain Turks" and "Mountain Russians" being sacrificed for it, but the benefits of not having principles means you don't exactly have to care about that. Ataturk can make poutine out of the Kurds all he wants if he remains staunchly anti-imperialist on an international level. This gross cynical realism while obviously questionable is still consistent with Revolutionary History as all prior revolutions do not stand up to moral scrutiny when they are viewed in this way. In fact at the twilight of the 1848 revolutions Engels himself called for the Hungarians to wipeout the "counter-revolutionary" Slavs, while this is obviously not something we should want to have happened, and we definitely should not ever do this if we ever find ourselves in a position to make those decisions, it is important to understand the reasoning behind why he was saying those things, that it is the continuance of the revolution itself is both the most important thing, and something that is largely out of anyone's control in the Hegelian sense of Historicism.

The Magyar cause is not in such a bad way as mercenary black-and-yellow [colours of the Austrian flag] enthusiasm would have us believe. The Magyars are not yet defeated. But if they fall, they will fall gloriously, as the last heroes of the 1848 revolution, and only for a short time. Then for a time the Slav counter-revolution will sweep down on the Austrian monarchy with all its barbarity, and the camarilla will see what sort of allies it has. But at the first victorious uprising of the French proletariat, which Louis Napoleon is striving with all his might to conjure up, the Austrian Germans and Magyars will be set free and wreak a bloody revenge on the Slav barbarians. The general war which will then break out will smash this Slav Sonderbund and wipe out all these petty hidebound nations, down to their very names.
The next world war will result in the disappearance from the face of the earth not only of reactionary classes and dynasties, but also of entire reactionary peoples. And that, too, is a step forward.

A key fact you will observe is that they are often quite over eager in announcing the impending revolution. For instance The Magyar Struggle was published in January of 1849 in Marx's Newspaper, and Louis Napoleon was elected President of France in December of 1848. It seems as if they might have thought that this would have been more significant than it actually turned out to be. This kind of made sense though because Louis Napoleon's main opponent in the election was Louis-Eugene Cavagnac who lead the army to suppress a worker's uprising in Paris back in the "June Days" of 1848. Additionally the Hungarians did not do this, instead they adopted cultural assimilation policies called Magyarization, and late in the revolution into 1849 while the Russian and Austria Imperial armies were barring down on them they adopted minority right protections to try to win them back. However they were ultimately unsuccessful in repelling the Russian invasion regardless of any attempts at outreach.
What I find notable about this is that Engels essentially predicted the sides of the "next world war" (albeit there was a world war in between) that would wipeout entire peoples, but somehow ended up reversing the reactionary and revolutionary sides, as an Austrian German and the Hungarians did engage in a war against the Slavs, but because somehow the "poles of revolution" did somehow invert and head outwards from Russia like Engels said the Slavs supposedly wanted, that war was against the revolution instead of for it.

There is no country in Europe which does not have in some corner or other one or several ruined fragments of peoples, the remnant of a former population that was suppressed and held in bondage by the nation which later became the main vehicle of historical development. These relics of a nation mercilessly trampled under foot in the course of history, as Hegel says, these residual fragments of peoples always become fanatical standard-bearers of counter-revolution and remain so until their complete extirpation or loss of their national character, just as their whole existence in general is itself a protest against a great historical revolution.
Such, in Scotland, are the Gaels, the supporters of the Stuarts from 1640 to 1745.
Such, in France, are the Bretons, the supporters of the Bourbons from 1792 to 1800.
Such, in Spain, are the Basques, the supporters of Don Carlos.
Such, in Austria, are the pan-Slavist Southern Slavs, who are nothing but the residual fragment of peoples, resulting from an extremely confused thousand years of development. That this residual fragment, which is likewise extremely confused, sees its salvation only in a reversal of the whole European movement, which in its view ought to go not from west to east, but from east to west, and that for it the instrument of liberation and the bond of unity is the Russian knout — that is the most natural thing in the world.

However a lot can apparently change in almost 100 years. Russia was once seen as the bastion of reaction celebrated by the reactionaries everywhere for having invaded Hungary to put down the 1848-9 revolution, but then became the center of revolution, taking that spot from France which didn't really participate in the Revolutions despite the 1917 mutinies defused in June by Philip Petain by reassuring the soldiers by calling off the offensives that were intended to try to reassure the Provision Russian Government from the February Revolution to stay in the war and who launched the "Kerensky Offensive" in July which prompted the unsuccessful "July Days" Bolshevik uprising before the later successful October Revolution.
The absence of French participation beyond this is remarkable given how much they played a role in other revolutions and also remarkable how it was later Vichy leader Petain himself who basically defused the situation by giving the soldiers what they wanted and ending the suicidal offensives. The difference between Petain and Kerensky here and that the Russian revolution had not yet gone proletariat at this point while France was dealing with its own situation coming up from the soldiers and that the Russian version of this happened only a month afterwards should probably be focused on more here, in addition to how the differing approaches countries took on simultaneous and similar events from 1917-1923 should be analyzed like how I am suggesting (Comprehensive Revolutionary History of World War One when? Honestly I might write it at this point, issue is wikipedia as sources is probably not the greatest, and wikipedia article bouncing is how I'm formulating these connections as it requires an extremely shallow understanding of a lot of things that people with deep understandings of those things would all reject because I'm ignoring intricacies, despite ignoring intricacies being the entire point as intricacies are caused by random eddies and chaotic currents, and so must be ignored if you want to get a sense of the overall direction things are going, although admittedly I feel myself getting a bit schizo when I assert random concepts whole cloth that nobody has ever used by anyone besides me as you will see with the term "global political magnetic field collapse")
Since the Russian Revolution the apparent "pole of reaction" where global reactionaries collect as their refuge that Russia represented seemingly shifted to the United States for the Cold War after the pole reversal and global political magnetic field collapse manifesting in the out of place auroral borealis of the inter-war period and world war 2. It would be reasonable to assume that it would be just as possible for the United States to become a new center of revolution in the way Russia took that position from France despite Russia being the most reactionary power of anyone before that happened.

Slightly rhetorical in the sense that I would like an answer but know I’m unlikely to get one. But I guess would happy to hear peoples speculation or knowledge on whether it has been put to the government in a formal setting. I would personally like to see it being bought up more often.
Ie ‘a 35% pay rise is not extortionate, it’s in line with what was paid in 2008, and since 2008 other healthcare professionals have been employed to do the same job that pays even more than the amount we’re asking for’
I understand it’s not directly related and distinct from FPR. But has anyone challenged government from this and got an answer? Fine if they want to talk about pay ceilings, but at least it would go on record that they have previously said there would be a ceiling if things change.
It’s a key topic for rétention etc - and I’d like it if the government had a direct response

This is a 45 acre farm. I grew up on it, traveled the world, and came home again.
When both parents had passed, I bought out my sisters shares. I stopped all row crops in 2014 and began turning the place into a safe zone for nature.
It features a man made lake, spring fed and well stocked with fish. There are 22 acres of tillable land, some woods and rolling hills as well as several rock and flower gardens and roughly 6 or 7 acres of lawn.
In 2014, I began to plant trees and flowers in the fields in my attempt to give nature a safe place to be. We have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles, roughly 75 wild turkeys, about 30 head of white tail deer. We have more small animals than you could hope to count.
We currently have a mama turkey sitting on her 12 eggs on our lakeside patio.
The lake is well stocked with fish, large and small mouth bass, crappies, blue gills and sunfish as well as a decent supply of turtles. We have a raft and a paddle boat on the water for fun.
There are also two large aluminum pole barns, 60 x 40. In one, I built a large indoor grow with full temperature, light and humidity control and that was a marijuana rental grow from 2014 to this spring. It currently stands empty but I will put it to growing vegetables or mushrooms fairly soon. The other 60 x 40 is being built out as a machine shop.
I also have a holding pen and small building as a lock up for raising calves or pigs or goats if someone wanted to do that. It could also be fixed up for chickens.
I have a full range of farm equipment including a rototiller for the back of the tractor. If someone wanted to raise a garden for veggies to eat or for sale at the local farmers market. Such projects would be on your own time and any money raised, would be yours.
I will hire 9 workers for the mushroom growing business and 4 for the machine shop.
I would really love to find a yard and garden girl who enjoys age gap relationships or BDSM lifestyle relationships. You would answer directly to me, independently of the farm businesses. You would become my confidant, helper, assistant, and sexual muse. You would also help with planting trees or tree seeds in the fields.
I have been a dominant since birth. I married a submissive in 71 and we are still together. I became heavily involved in this lifestyle in 96. Now that I am living back on the farm again, I want my submissive or slave gal as my way of bringing my enjoyment of the lifestyle, to my farm. Limits become far more important in such a situation and you would find I am agreeable, reliable, and consistent. Limits set will be respected.
The work is easy enough, no punching a clock, just keep the lawns mowed and the flower gardens weeded. If you also wanted to work in one of the two businesses, that would in fact be a separate paying job you could easily do both.
Be in shape for outdoors work. Be 18 to about 40. Be open to lifestyle framed, living and working.
For this gal or gals, I will cover every living expense as well as some spending money, apartment, car, phone, lap top, utilities, and groceries.
Key words: DD/lg, age gap relationships, BDSM, Dominant/submissive, Owneslave

I am a student, and I am deeply concerned about the future of our education.
Most of us students are using AI tools like ChatGPT to a degree that appears to outstrip the understanding of many educators. We're standing at the precipice of a crisis, and this fact is becoming increasingly evident to many teachers. As more students delegate critical thinking tasks to AI to stay ahead or allocate time elsewhere, we find ourselves at a crossroads. The widespread adoption of AI is undeniable, and its potential to transform education is immense. But how should we navigate this new frontier?
Can we equip students with the essential skills to critically engage with the world while interacting with AI? Can we empower teachers to leverage AI to enrich teaching practices and deliver personalized education? How do we decide the extent to which we should rely on AI in classrooms? As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in education, how can we guarantee equal access to and education about these tools for all students?
There's a range of opinions on the way forward, from minor curriculum tweaks to radical overhauls of the entire education system. What remains constant is a sense of urgency and a desire for collaborative dialogue involving educators, AI experts, students, parents, and administrators.
To spark this conversation, I've assembled a team of volunteering students and recent alumni from the University of Illinois and Stanford University. Together, we are in the process of organizing a two-day online conference titled “AI x Education Conference: Generating the Future of Education with AI”. Our aim is to create a platform for all stakeholders to share experiences, demystify AI, explore innovative solutions, and foster collaborations. A key feature of our conference will be incorporating the student perspective – an often overlooked but essential element in understanding AI’s role in education.
But we need your help to make this a success. If you're an educator using AI such as ChatGPT in your classroom, we invite you to share your insights as a panelist. Students, we welcome you to volunteer as panel moderators, bridging the gap between students and educators in this dialogue. Parents, we encourage you to share this event with your children's teachers and to attend the conference to gain a better understanding of how AI is impacting education. School administrators, we’d appreciate your help in connecting us with more educators to promote this event. K-12 teachers, we'd love to hear about your experiences adjusting to AI in classrooms through interviews. If you have advice on engaging topics or strategies to reach a wider audience, please don't hesitate to share.
This conference is just the beginning. Our broader vision is to build a supportive, dynamic community of educators navigating the implications of AI in education. Although the questions far outnumber the answers, let's start this vital dialogue together. Together, we can guide the future of education toward a horizon that's more innovative, inclusive, and intelligently designed.
You can find out more about our conference on our website (aixeducation.com). Please leave a comment or send me a private message for further collaboration.

I am a student, and I am deeply concerned about the future of our education.
Most of us students are using AI tools like ChatGPT to a degree that appears to outstrip the understanding of many educators. We're standing at the precipice of a crisis, and this fact is becoming increasingly evident to many teachers. As more students delegate critical thinking tasks to AI to stay ahead or allocate time elsewhere, we find ourselves at a crossroads. The widespread adoption of AI is undeniable, and its potential to transform education is immense. But how should we navigate this new frontier?
Can we equip students with the essential skills to critically engage with the world while interacting with AI? Can we empower teachers to leverage AI to enrich teaching practices and deliver personalized education? How do we decide the extent to which we should rely on AI in classrooms? As AI becomes increasingly prevalent in education, how can we guarantee equal access to and education about these tools for all students?
There's a range of opinions on the way forward, from minor curriculum tweaks to radical overhauls of the entire education system. What remains constant is a sense of urgency and a desire for collaborative dialogue involving educators, AI experts, students, parents, and administrators.
To spark this conversation, I've assembled a team of volunteering students and recent alumni from the University of Illinois and Stanford University. Together, we are in the process of organizing a two-day online conference titled “AI x Education Conference: Generating the Future of Education with AI”. Our aim is to create a platform for all stakeholders to share experiences, demystify AI, explore innovative solutions, and foster collaborations. A key feature of our conference will be incorporating the student perspective – an often overlooked but essential element in understanding AI’s role in education.
But we need your help to make this a success. If you're an educator using AI such as ChatGPT in your classroom, we invite you to share your insights as a panelist. Students, we welcome you to volunteer as panel moderators, bridging the gap between students and educators in this dialogue. Parents, we encourage you to share this event with your children's teachers and to attend the conference to gain a better understanding of how AI is impacting education. School administrators, we’d appreciate your help in connecting us with more educators to promote this event. K-12 teachers, we'd love to hear about your experiences adjusting to AI in classrooms through interviews. If you have advice on engaging topics or strategies to reach a wider audience, please don't hesitate to share.
This conference is just the beginning. Our broader vision is to build a supportive, dynamic community of educators navigating the implications of AI in education. Although the questions far outnumber the answers, let's start this vital dialogue together. Together, we can guide the future of education toward a horizon that's more innovative, inclusive, and intelligently designed.
Please leave a comment or send me a private message for further collaboration.
Conference Website: aixeducation(dot)com

Leaving out some key identifying information to keep this as anonymous as possible.
I work for a consulting company that has me on a project right now where the site is located 4.5 hours away from the main office. This project requires me to drive 4.5 hours to the site Monday morning, work on site 3 days, then drive 4.5 hours back home Wednesday evening. I've been at this for nearly 10 months so far, with ~5 months left in our contract. You can see how this may wear down on me and my home-life in general.
On top of this, our company was bought out by an international conglomerate-like company and is making changes to policies and hierarchies. The leader of the division I work under has already put his 2-weeks notice in and left our 12 employee division in the dust; to get merged into a separate team headed by this new company (the one that bought us out). This division leader had built this division (sister-company) from the ground up and mostly ran the entire show of how we operated. So he was an irreplaceable cog in the machine - which is why the company is not looking to continue growing our division and has decided just to merge us somewhere else in the company. All of these factored into my decision to start looking elsewhere. I've enjoyed my time here, but things look to be changing in a bad direction.
I've been in contact with a couple of different companies already that I have scheduled interviews with and show interest in hiring me, and I am very hopeful that I'd be able to find a place to work and not skip a beat as far as dependable income. My moral dilemma comes in the specifics of the project I am working on:

• As I mentioned this project is far-isolated from the main office (4.5 hours). And there is only 1 other employee working part-time on the project (at a higher rate than mine). I don't believe my boss would be able to find someone to replace me internally, and would have to bust his ass to hire and train someone for this.
  
• My boss on this project has continually checked in on me and made sure that my time is covered under all the new company changes. Trying his best to make sure my work isn't impeded - which is a gesture I appreciate, and weighs on my conscious as I have plans to leave in the near future. In my eyes I'd be leaving him high and dry after he put in the effort to provide me with job security. And more than that he is a good person and a good boss, someone I wouldn't like to burn the bridge with.
  
• The other employee working on the project has run way over the allotted budget and will likely not have enough time left to finish out to the contract date. Leaving me as the sole employee that would be working on the project for the last 3 or so months. Leaving me to think, even if we hired someone to fill my role, how in the hell are they supposed to come and finish out this job with minimal training and no help?
  

I have gotten advice from as many people as I could and the answer is usually: "Secure a job offer and then give your boss 2 or 3 week notice - it's just business, do what's best for you." Do you guys think the same? After my boss has put his best foot forward trying to get this project to the finish line - is it normal in the business world for me to just be like "Alright I'm outta here, good luck!"? I have tried to take some comfort in the fact that my boss could sympathize with my situation, and he would have the same mindset like "it's just business". But it still doesn't sit right with me. What do you guys think?

I am about to move. I knew of an apartment down the street that I wanted to tour. My new friend just happened to live there and she offered to let me come see her unit while she was away, leaving the key under the mat. I also offered to take care of her pets while I looked, since she was away.
She is now texting me asking for me to refer her on my application if I apply. That's $500 she will get. I feel like I should ask her to split it since she did not technically refer me. She never answers my text any other time when we talk about other stuff or if I need to ask her a question about some unrelated thing.
AITA for not wanting to put her down as a referral even if she let me see her place when she was away? How should I respond to her while still remaining friends?

I am about to move. I knew of an apartment down the street that I wanted to tour. My new friend just happened to live there and she offered to let me come see her unit while she was away, leaving the key under the mat. I also offered to take care of her pets while I looked, since she was away.
She is now texting me asking for me to refer her on my application if I apply. That's $500 she will get. I feel like I should ask her to split it since she did not technically refer me. She never answers my text any other time when we talk about other stuff or if I need to ask her a question about some unrelated thing.
Am I being unreasonable for not wanting to put her down as a referral even if she let me see her place when she was away? I could ask to split it but the referral comes through as money off her rent so she could just never give me my portion. How should I respond to her which still remaining friends?

I am about to move. I knew of an apartment down the street that I wanted to tour. My new friend just happened to live there and she offered to let me come see her unit while she was away, leaving the key under the mat. I also offered to take care of her pets while I looked, since she was away.
She is now texting me asking for me to refer her on my application if I apply. That's $500 she will get. I feel like I should ask her to split it since she did not technically refer me. She never answers my text any other time when we talk about other stuff or if I need to ask her a question about some unrelated thing. AITA for not wanting to put her down as a referral even if she let me see her place when she was away? How should I respond to her which still remaining friends?

I had my Gentle Guidance with Rita yesterday, which was very eye-opening for me. Let me start by saying Rita is the nicest human being on the planet. She takes the time to listen and answer with intent. She knows her words have power so she is very deliberate with her responses, which is really impressive for a 30 minute call. If you're on the fence about getting the GG I say do it no matter the stage of your personal style journey you're in. If you are unfamiliar with the process, before the GG you fill out a form with some questions. She starts the GG by asking more questions, and then she will address any concerns you have, then tell you your key, the archetypes she thinks you'll get the most support from, and supporting keywords. I'm giving my interpretation of her advice so please feel to ask questions if something doesn't make sense.
Okay let's get into it!
We first talked about my current spiral around needing cohesion in my personal style. She was blunt with me and said that I'm a multi-dimensional person and because I use the Amethyst Key I should dress for the Raven (which is my name, hi there lol) in the moment. I should be seeking more variety and not less. I should be changing and exploring. She recommended doing a character design exercise to understand Raven as the persona and then use my personal style as a lens to be perceived. I'm currently working on that exercise and loving it! It's like creating a Dungeons and Dragons character but that character is me!
She agreed with my placement of Left Up/Amethyst. She placed me more up than I ever considered, but when we got into it I definitely saw it. I loved the way she explained the archetypes so I wanted to share. She explained them as friends that you go to for advice. You wouldn't go to your friend for career advice if they aren't in the field you want to be in, right? Same for the archetypes. They aren't who you are, but a guide to help you. They are a fictional person with the same needs, wants, desires as you. Ask them for advice, and see what germinates. She recommended I look at Enchantress, Siren, and Lady Heretic as a blend but keep them separate. She did say that having three archetypes is not common but I could use the support of each one to help with different aspects of my process and my personal style.
Enchantress - She really wants me to lean into identifying what I need to express to the world, and do it without a specific aesthetic. Cohesion is a part of the process because I define the story, but isn't the intention. The enchantress needs to be high maintenance and I should lean into the effort and know that I need the additional effort to execute my vision. I should also think creatively while staying true to my vision but not get too nitpicky. Let the randomness flow through!
Lady Heretic - She wants me to use the Lady Heretic to provide that "step on people" energy that I definitely mentioned during our session. I want to be the most stylish person in the room and feel stylistically superior, a form of social dominance (which isn't as bad as it sounds). I shouldn't be afraid that I'm the "most dressed-up" person in the room. I actually thrive off of that. I should use the Lady Heretic to assert myself more and use her to learn how to take up more space. Flex on 'em!
Siren - Very similar points to the Enchantress, but with the Siren she wants me to identify my personal red flags for nitpicking. Would I nitpick a friend's outfit to the extent I criticize my own looks? Give myself grace and space to grow with this medium. I base a lot of my "success" on receiving praise from the outside. Turns out I don't need that! I'm creating a reaction, and I don't need to make anyone but myself happy about what I'm wearing. Let's unsettle them. Let's make them uncomfortable, it's okay! I also need to shift the control from external acknowledgment to my own. Whether this is a large art piece or just a sketch, I am in control. I need to shift the energy to get more of what I need from my personal style.
She also wants me to keep exploring. I'm in the Blossom and Harvest phase and just need to allow myself to be and enjoy the fruits of my labor!
Rita then gave me the style keywords she thinks relate to me the most. The first were Sensual and Dramatic with a touch of glamour. Sensual was no big surprise. She described it in a way I really love where she sees that framing the body, hinting at the body is really where sensual hits home for me. Dramatic was a little surprise just because I haven't put too much time into exploring drama. I do love the performative nature of my style so I'm excited to get into it more. She framed sensual as soft while dramatic is hard, and that's how I should look at getting that juxtaposition across my looks. She also said that I'm naturally dramatic because of the tattoos, so sensual is the home base for me to add softness and create that contrast.
The other keywords are Gaia/Elemental and Intimidating which I'm OBSESSED with. We at first explored elemental but she really liked Gaia as my essence. She changes with the seasons and she doesn't care what anyone thinks. Others do not affect the seasons changing, they just change. I loved that. She also loved intimidating here because that is Gaia. She is power. You should be intimidated by the elements and raw energy. Expect some moodboards coming soon!
I turned to this community yesterday for ideas on what to call the combination of my 3 archetypes. I want to make the flair something others will recognize, but for myself I decided to come up with my own archetype based on the character design I created. I want to combine the whimsy and magic of the enchantress, the allure of the siren, and the rebellious nature of the lady heretic with the idea of being a stellium in astrology.
The name I came up with was "the Solstice Supreme."

"The Solstice Supreme" conveys a sense of power and authority, suggesting a figure who holds a position of utmost significance during the solstice, a time of celestial transition and cosmic energy.
"Solstice Supreme" represents a character who wields unparalleled enchanting abilities, possesses an irresistible and seductive aura like a siren, and challenges established norms and authority like a lady heretic. Solstice embodies the magic and allure of the enchantress, the captivating and seductive nature of the siren, and the rebellious and heretical tendencies of the lady heretic. This archetype suggests a character who holds celestial wisdom, harnesses the power of cosmic forces, and wields them to navigate and shape their own destiny.
The addition of "Supreme" emphasizes the character's elevated status and extraordinary capabilities within the context of the enchantress, siren, and lady heretic archetypes. It suggests a figure who is revered, feared, or respected for their powers and their ability to shape the course of events. Ultimately, "Solstice Supreme" evokes a sense of celestial grandeur, dominance, and awe-inspiring presence.

I chose "Solstice" to represent the magic of change and transformation. "Supreme" gives me that "step on me" vibe. Together I'm envisioning this alluring powerful force of nature. It just fit so well with how my mind chooses outfits and the feelings I get when I complete a look that I love.
The overall experience was so great! I will definitely work with Rita more in the future. She gave me so much in such a short amount of time and I'm excited to see where it takes me! Let me know if you have any questions around my experience.

My story is quite long. I have been with my gf for about 9 years and I support her 100% financially. She quit working as soon as we moved in together so I had to support her. She also has a 20 year old daughter that lives with us that I also support.
It started when I went to visit my parents for Christmas. She didn’t want to come so I went alone. My parents live on the east coast and I’m currently on the west coast. So she told me she’s going to go to a cabin on Boxing Day with her friends and their kids. I thought this was a little suspicious that she was leaving her daughter on the day after Christmas but I didn’t say anything. When she got the I asked her to send me photos but she was barely texting me and wouldn’t answer my phone calls unless she was outside.
How I found out she was lying was that I knew she had a guy friend that she played an online game with and I knew where he lived. We knew each other’s passwords on everything so I checked find my iPhone and she was in his town and not where she said. I called her right away and told her that I knew where she was and I want her to tell me. She kept lying saying she was at the cabin with her friends. Finally I said to her that I know you’re with him and I want you to admit it. She did admit it but said that they’re just friends. So why lie about it.
Things were horrible when we both got back home. I said if you want us to still be together then he has to go. No more gaming with him or chatting. She didn’t agree with this and kept gaming with him. So things were awful. No sex or affection at all between us at all.
Fast forward to about a month and half later. I had to go out of town for work and would be gone for a few weeks. Still at this point she had no idea how I found out where she was. The day after I left she called and told me was at her best friends house about 30 minutes from our house but I was looking at the find my iPhone app again and she was at an airport close to that guys town. I called her right away and told her we were done. She lied and lied before she finally told me she’s with him again. But she said they’re just friends. I hung up on her and she immediately called me back over and over and started texting me. So I answered the phone and said we’d talk things over when we both got back home. I had no intention of talking about anything with her. I lied this time.
When I got back home she was already there I told her that I was very upset and confused and needed sometime to think. She was trying to hug and kiss me but I wasn’t having it. I packed up all my clothes, movies, video games and computer and stayed with my brother for a couple weeks while I was looking for an apartment. As soon as I got my apartment keys. I blocked her and all her family and ghosted her. Only saw her once after that at a local grocery store where she cornered me and asked me to unblock her and that we needed to talk. She followed me around and wouldn’t leave me alone until I exploded and shouted that I can’t talk to you because you cheated on me and she looked so embarrassed and walked away from me.