Hello everyone, I'm here to share a project I've been working for the past day - a 'Dogs In Danger Daily' Twitter Bot! 🤖🐶
What it does: It scrapes data from DogsInDanger.com and posts a random dog in danger of euthanization, raising awareness and increasing the chances of adoption. It grabs the location of the adoption center and includes appropriate hashtags to give Twitter users who live in the state a higher chance to view.
It also posts every few hours a memorial tribute to a fallen dog (name and picture), who never got the chance to a better life.
DogsDangerDaily Twitter
Why I created the bot: As an animal lover, it pains me to see countless dogs in shelters with uncertain futures. Determined to help anyway I can, I channeled my passion for programming to create this twitter bot. As a junior developer, I have troubles finding valuable project ideas and figured something like this not only helps me grow my skills but can help make a difference.
My mission and seeking support: I genuinely believe that every small effort counts. If you're also passionate about animal welfare, I'd greatly appreciate your support—be it feedback, suggestions, or even spreading the word.
By joining forces, we can make a tangible impact in giving these voiceless creatures the love and care they deserve. 💙
Thank you for taking the time to read about my project
GitHub repo: https://github.com/floscar12/dogs-in-danger-twitter-bot/tree/main
A big thank you goes to DogsInDanger.com:

DogsInDanger.com is an award winning website founded by two dog lovers. The website was launched in October 2007 with the goal of: Getting as many of these dogs adopted into loving homes as possible, before their time runs out; and Raising awareness of the number of dogs being killed in shelters. The co-founders dedicated their respective skills and the shelters list the dogs. The founders have many more ideas to implement, all aimed at eradicating the needless killing of those we call our best friends.

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/KcjU67n
Picked this up maybe 6 months ago, it's in great condition and works flawlessly. I used it for hunting twice, but besides that it has sat in the case.
I will include the hard case and flip up lens caps. Just want to get most of my money back so I can finally finish my 308 build.
$650 shipped and insured.

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When I first watched Mean Girls as a child, I thought that high school wasn’t going to be like that. That everything was going to be great. Lol
In 2021, I had a friendship group of 5 people (including me) one of these people was my friend ‘E’ of almost 7 years. I knew this other person called ‘K’ of also 7 years, however I wasn’t close with them like how I was close with ‘E’. ‘K’ and their friend had fallen out, so I invited them to stay with me and my friends for the time being until everything had been resolved. In the space of 3 months, ‘K’ had already awful rumours about me to the rest of the friendship group, sending away 3 of the 4 friends. Luckily, ‘E’ stayed with me through all of it, and supported me. I believe that if they weren’t there, I would’ve ended up doing something really horrible I couldn’t take back. However, ‘E’ was supposed to moves schools at the end of the year, so I would’ve been left with no one again.
The fall of 2021 came around, ‘E’ had left, and I had no friends. I managed to talk to my old friendship group again.
The reason I stayed away from that friendship group was because they were homophobic and sexist. And being a lesbian woman, it wasn’t the best mix.
After my old friendship group, and how awful the girls turned out to be, I subconsciously turned myself away from being friends with girls as a way to defend myself. My therapist says that the events could have been traumatic to me, but I’m not sure it was that deep.
I stayed with this friendship group a lot, but there was a problem. There was a ‘pick me’ in the friendship group. She would do anything to get the attention of guys, she would say horrible things about women, about how (TW) r4p3 was legal, and to just say yes, and that women belonged in the kitchen. As someone who has had experiences like those before, I was outraged. There’s a line between being a “pick-me” and being evil. I reported what she said to someone, and I asked for them to keep my name out of it. Yet she still figured out it was me. In one night, she managed to get that entire friendship group to say that I was “weird” that I was “sensitive” and that I was a snitch. I’m rethinking whether I should’ve told someone or not, but I think I did the right thing.
She’s hanging around people that would want her d34d than alive, and she’s still trying to gain their attention.
I’ve never known why she’s had it out for me, she knows that I’m a lesbian and that I don’t want to be with anyone in that group. So, why she still does it towards me, is beyond me.
Tomorrow I am again left with nothing, no one to go to or to eat lunch with. What the girl said was awful, and I think I should’ve gone to someone about it, but others may think differently.
I already feel like my life is crumbling as I found out my girlfriend is fatally ill the other day, I want to be there for her and be with her, but I’m being so help back. My brother died in April so this hasn’t been my year. Maybe I should’ve listened to those sounds on TikTok.

I'm restoring a Gretsch Catalina Maple snare drum, and it's missing all of the tension rods for the top head. I went to order some new ones, and there are different size options, the measurements of which are defined in terms of millimeters. I don't know how or what to measure in order to determine which ones to pick. So I guess my question are, which ones are right for this particular drum; and/or how does one measure for them? What part of the drum is measured? Is it even possible to determine without a rod as an example? Thanks.

🎉Hello fellow microscopists!🎉

In this post, you will find microbe identification guides curated by your friendly neighborhood moderators. We have combed the internet for the best, most amateur-friendly resources available! Our featured guides contain high quality, color photos of thousands of different microbes to make identification easier for you!

Essentials

The Sphagnum Ponds of Simmelried in Germany: A Biodiversity Hot-Spot for Microscopic Organisms (Large PDF)

• Every microbe hunter should have this saved to their hard drive! This is the joint project of legendary ciliate biologist Dr. Wilhelm Foissner and biochemist and photographer Dr. Martin Kreutz. The majority of critters you find in fresh water will have exact or near matches among the 1082 figures in this book. Have it open while you're hunting and you'll become an ID-expert in no time!

Real Micro Life

• The website of Dr. Martin Kreutz - the principal photographer of the above book! Dr. Kreutz has created an incredible knowledge resource with stunning photos, descriptions, and anatomical annotations. His goal for the website is to continue and extend the work he and Dr. Foissner did in their aforementioned publication.

Plingfactory: Life in Water

• The work of Michael Plewka. The website can be a little difficult to navigate, but the photos and information within is excellent.

Marine Microbes

UC Santa Cruz's Phytoplankton Identification Website

• Maintained by UCSC's Kudela lab, this site has many examples of marine diatoms and flagellates, as well as some freshwater species.

Guide to the Common Inshore Marine Plankton of Southern California (PDF)

• Short PDF guide. Photos by Robert Perry, whose photography website is also worth a look.

Amoebae and Heliozoa

Penard Labs - The Fascinating World of Amoebae

• Amoeboid organisms are some of the most poorly understood microbes. They are difficult to identify thanks to their ever-shifting structures and they span a wide range of taxonomic tree. Penard Labs seeks to further our understanding of these mysterious lifeforms.

Microworld - World of Amoeboid Organisms

• Ferry Siemensma's incredible website dedicated to amoeboid organisms. Of particular note is an extensive photo catalog of amoeba tests (shells). Ferry's Youtube channel also has hundreds of video clips of amoeboid organisms

Ciliates

A User-Friendly Guide to the Ciliates(PDF)

• Foissner and Berger created this lengthy and intricate flowchart for identifying ciliates. Requires some practice to master!

Diatoms

Diatoms of North America

• This website features an extensive list of diatom taxa covering 1074 species at the time of writing. You can search by morphology, but keep in mind that diatoms can look very different depending on their orientation. It might take some time to narrow your search!

Rotifers

Plingfactory's Rotifer Identification Initiative

• Plingfactory has developed an emphasis on rotifer identification. Not only do they have numerous photos of around 550 taxa, but they have developed a great key for differentiating between features of the Bdelloid rotifers - a notoriously difficult clade to identify.

More Identification Websites

Phycokey

Josh's Microlife - Organisms by Shape

UNA Microaquarium

Protist Information Server

More Foissner Publications

Bryophyte Ecology vol. 2 - Bryophyte Fauna(large PDF)

Hey ladies! My name is Kevin, and I’m a big nerdy goofball, and by big I mean both tall and chunky as well as well, just nerdy. Any love for the dad-bod physique? I am also a huge animal lover, and I’m here looking to find a regular (Discord) chat partner. I’m open to any race/ethnicity, but would prefer someone around my age and within a few time zones of GMT-5.
I’m very left leaning, child-free and non-religious. I love board games, television and film, history, animal care and food of all kinds. I am a big proponent for being active in local community support organizations as well as being an upstanding ally. I have recently become much more active in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. Counter-protest date? I’m far from perfect, but making other people laugh or smile is what makes my day!
I do some freelance work here or there, but mostly I’m focusing on myself (physically and mentally!), my community, and more recently, fostering cats! Helping socialize semi-feral cats has become a passion of mine and something that I find incredibly rewarding. My first foster was just adopted! Yay Paddington!
I’d love to meet another animal lover, as my eventual dream would be to open up an animal sanctuary that doubles as a therapy center for humans. I have an unbreakable love for animals, and faith in their ability to help us heal. I think seeing a battered, scarred or withdrawn animal come out of their shell, seeking love, attention and comfort is one of the most rewarding things on the planet.
I’m a sucker for a cute giggle or laugh, freckles, curly hair and genuine passion about what interests you. Intelligence and emotional maturity are big things for me, but I’d also love someone to watch trashy reality TV with! Tell me about your pets, your D&D campaign, your favorite movie, or your dirty little secret! Let’s get to know each other. Please give me more than ‘hey’ or ‘how are you’ to work with!

Hey ladies! My name is Kevin, and I’m a big nerdy goofball, and by big I mean both tall and chunky as well as well, just nerdy. Any love for the dad-bod physique? I am also a huge animal lover, and I’m here looking to find a regular (Discord) chat partner. I’m open to any race/ethnicity, but would prefer someone around my age and within a few time zones of GMT-5.
I’m very left leaning, child-free and non-religious. I love board games, television and film, history, animal care and food of all kinds. I am a big proponent for being active in local community support organizations as well as being an upstanding ally. I have recently become much more active in the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights. Counter-protest date? I’m far from perfect, but making other people laugh or smile is what makes my day!
I do some freelance work here or there, but mostly I’m focusing on myself (physically and mentally!), my community, and more recently, fostering cats! Helping socialize semi-feral cats has become a passion of mine and something that I find incredibly rewarding. My first foster was just adopted! Yay Paddington!
I’d love to meet another animal lover, as my eventual dream would be to open up an animal sanctuary that doubles as a therapy center for humans. I have an unbreakable love for animals, and faith in their ability to help us heal. I think seeing a battered, scarred or withdrawn animal come out of their shell, seeking love, attention and comfort is one of the most rewarding things on the planet.
I’m a sucker for a cute giggle or laugh, freckles, curly hair and genuine passion about what interests you. Intelligence and emotional maturity are big things for me, but I’d also love someone to watch trashy reality TV with! Tell me about your pets, your D&D campaign, your favorite movie, or your dirty little secret! Let’s get to know each other. Please give me more than ‘hey’ or ‘how are you’ to work with!

Sealinies
Surrounded by Kazari, Finn, Iyexi and Archer, Maila faced her mom, the majestic Mermista. Exhaustion veiled Mermista's features. Being a mom was a hard job, especially when one of your kids was a manchild named Seahawk.
"So, like, what's up, mom?" Maila blurted, hands on her hips.
With a hand massaging her temples, Mermista began, "Okay, so, my spies tell me there's this weird cache box thingy floating around in the open sea. It's, like, radiating some strange vibes."
"So, I guess you want us to go play detective, huh?" Maila's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Mermista let out a long, tired sigh. "Maila, you're gonna be queen one day. Your dad and I thought this would be good for you. You know, learning on the job?" Mermista fetched a pair of keys and lobbed them towards Maila.
"Take the Dragon's Daughter 7. Try to forget that you’re half-Seahawk and don’t fuck this up, okay?"
Maila caught the keys mid-air, stuck her tongue out at her mom. "Well, mom, that snarkiness is why dad scores higher on my favorite parent scale!"
Mermista retaliated by launching her trident at her, missing by miles.
"Haha, missed, bitch!"
"Just scram before I break your neck!"
The Open Sea
Maila was in her element on the Dragon’s Daughter 7, feeling like she ruled the world. "Yay!" she screamed, her voice swallowed by the ocean breeze. Kazari leaned lazily against the railing, idly swirling sparks of havok magic between her fingers. “So,” she began, “has your mother been a moody bitch-canou?”
Maila chuckled lightly, “Yeah, but she’s still pretty cool. She once made sure Finn’s trauma isn’t worse than it is…” she droned.
Kazari furrowed her brow, the magicat’s head tilted slightly.
“Trauma? Maila, what the fuck are you-?”
Maila pointed to the other magicat, Finn, curled up in the fetal position, while Archer and Iyexi were doing their best to confront them. “Finn, just relax, okay?” said Archer.
“We got you, buddy!” Iyexi held Finn’s hand.
“Finn?” Kazari approached her fellow magicat. “Are you okay?” she asked, her aussie accent softened over the years.
Finn looked up at Kazari, saying, “Y-yeah, I will be once we finish this damn mission!”
"Don't sweat it, Finn! You can have a good sob with your moms once we're done!" Kazari jested, a glint of mischief in her eyes.
"Actually, I can't really be around my moms at the moment…"
"Wow, way to rain on the fun parade..." Kazari responded, her teasing tone deflating a bit.
Maila was busy fiddling with a radar when a blip appeared on the screen. "Hey, guys, I think we've got a hit!"
Everyone rose from their spots and huddled around the mermaid-pirate princess. There it was, the cache box, several feet beneath them.
"Alright, looks like this box is tucked away in a sea cave! Kazari, I could use your help hauling this thing, it seems pretty hefty. Your havoc magic should do the trick," she explained, handing out wetsuits to the team.
Kazari merely nodded, stripping down to her underwear, leaving Finn blushing like a ripe tomato. Kazari didn't miss a beat, she winked at the flustered magicat, taunting, “Guess you've hit the jackpot, tiger. Snap a picture, it'll last longer,” before wriggling into her wetsuit, and the others followed her lead.
One by one, everyone dived into the azure depths with the only expectation being Finn who said, “You guys go ahead, I’ll…stay back and watch the boat…”
Maila shot them an empathetic look as she dived in. Maila's seafoam green jacket melted around her legs, which fused into an aquamarine fish tail.
"Alright, stay close," Maila directed, speeding off into the depths with the rest of the team in her wake.
Kazari lagged slightly, swimming alongside Archer and Iyexi. She asked, "What's up with Finn? They seem off-kilter."
"Finn has a thing about water, but it's their story to share, not ours," Iyexi replied, a serious undertone in her voice. Kazari simply nodded in response, understanding the sentiment.
As they neared the cave entrance, Maila called out, "We're here. Kazari, you're up with me."
“Got it,” Kazari replied, swimming up to join Maila at the cave's entrance. The other two hung back slightly, providing cover and watching out for any surprises.
The underwater cave was darker than the surrounding sea, its entrance guarded by a mess of coral and sea plants swaying lazily in the current. Maila and Kazari had to maneuver carefully to avoid disturbing the fragile underwater life. Once past the entrance, they turned on the small lights attached to their suits, illuminating the gloomy interior.
The water inside the cave was cooler and eerily still, reflecting the beams of their lights in strange, distorted patterns on the rough cave walls. They advanced slowly, the silence broken only by the sound of their own breathing and the occasional crackle from their comms devices.
There it was, nestled among an outcropping of rocks, the cache box. Its metallic surface was half-buried in the sand and encrusted with layers of marine life, making it seem more like a part of the cave than an alien object.
Maila signaled to Kazari, pointing towards the box. With a determined nod, Kazari conjured her havoc magic. The sparks danced around her arms and core before reaching out towards the box, lifting it gently from its bed of sand and rocks.
Just when they thought everything was going smoothly, Kazari's eyes widened at a pattern she spotted. It was unmistakably similar to those cursed spiders they had encountered before.
"What the hell?" Kazari blurted out.
"Kazari, what's up?!" Archer and Iyexi's voices crackled through the comms, their concern palpable.
Maila followed Kazari's gaze just in time to see the sand beneath them begin to swirl and shift. "Guys, we need to move, now! We're not alone down here!"
Before they could react, the ocean floor erupted in a cloud of sand and debris. As the dust cleared, a massive, monstrous squid revealed itself.
"HOLY SHIT!!!" Iyexi's exclamation was barely audible over the chaos.
"We have to secure the box!" Maila commanded, doing her best to keep her cool in the face of the terrifying creature. As the squid lunged at them, they swam as fast as they could, the cache box in tow. Their hearts pounded in their chests, the adrenaline fueling their swift escape.
Through gritted teeth, Kazari shouted, "Alright, I'll keep the squid busy, you guys secure the box!"
"On it!"
Without wasting any more time, they all lunged forward, each grabbing a corner of the cache box. Maila, thanks to her mermaid physiology, found the task easier. A mermaid's strength is volumetric - directly proportional to the amount of water in contact with her body. In the vastness of the open sea, Maila was easily the strongest among them.
As they struggled with the box, Kazari swam headfirst into the fray. Her aim was to distract the gigantic squid long enough for the others to make their escape. It was a dangerous plan, but it was all they had. With a deep breath, she charged towards the monstrous creature, ready to face it head-on.
With a determined look, Kazari summoned her havok magic. Electricity crackled around her, creating an impressive, almost mesmerizing display. It felt like pins and needles pricking her scalp, but she had to ignore it. And just as she hoped, the squid turned its focus to her, tentacles lunging in her direction.
Seizing her moment, Kazari pushed off the cave wall, dodging the squirming tentacles with agile precision. She swam underneath the box and latched onto Maila’s tail, swimming swiftly to join the group.
"Archer, teleport us out of here, now!" Kazari's voice was firm, carrying the urgency of their predicament. They needed to get out, and they needed to do it fast. Archer did just that, warping the four, and the box onto the boat, in front of a perplexed Finn.
"Are you serious?!" Finn's voice echoed through the communication devices as the crew scampered back onto the Dragon's Daughter 7. Maila made a beeline for the console, revving up the ship's engines and steering them away from the underwater chaos.
Minutes later, when they were safely away from the giant squid and the adrenaline had started to wane, Finn repeated their earlier question, this time more slowly, "Can somebody please tell me what the FUCK just happened?"
Maila, steadying her breath, managed to give them a succinct answer: "Giant squid. But we did get the cache box!" She hoped that her words carried some reassurance. Despite the unexpected challenges, they'd succeeded in their mission.
“Welp, in any case, let’s crack this fucker open,” said Kazari.
Wanting to contribute, Finn popped out their claws and broke off the lock. Inside the box, were all aging weapons: an armcannon, a trident, a set of power boosting gloves, bow and arrows and a short sword and sheath.
At first, their faces reflected nothing but underwhelmed surprise. This was what they had risked their lives for? A bunch of old, worn-out weapons? But then, the realization dawned on them. These pieces were more than just weapons…
"Guys! If I'm not totally off-base here, these weapons... they look like they were crafted by the First Ones," Maila announced, her eyes wide with realization.
"The First Ones, you say?" Iyexi mused, carefully picking up the armcannon. "Well, in that case, they might actually be of use to us."
Archer nodded, his hands running over the bow and arrows. He sensed the age and craftsmanship in the simple tools. Meanwhile, Finn took hold of the gloves, inspecting them with a quiet curiosity.
As for Maila, she found herself gravitating towards the trident, a sense of familiarity washing over her. Kazari, on the other hand, chose the tanto and its sheath, a certain fondness evident in her gaze.
"Well, regardless of where they came from, they're definitely going to give us a boost for shop class," Finn commented, breaking the momentary silence. "So, at least there's that, right? Right, Kazari? Uh, Kazari?"
They all turned to look at Kazari, who seemed to be in a sort of trance. Her gaze was fixated on a rock outside the ship's window, where an unusual, smoky blob was swirling around…
Later that night…
Alone in the quiet of her dorm room, Kazari found herself captivated by the aged sword she had claimed earlier. It had an undeniable charm, a feeling of history that was too intriguing to ignore. With the sword resting in her lap, Kazari leaned back in her chair, her sketchbook splayed open on her desk.
Her pencil danced across the page, guided by her hand as she poured her thoughts into a flurry of lines and shapes. But there was one shape, one image, that kept resurfacing in her mind. The smoky blob she had seen swirling around the rock.
"What is that thing I keep seeing?" she wondered aloud, her gaze flicking back and forth between her sword and her sketchbook. "What is it trying to show me?" As the night deepened, Kazari found herself lost in her thoughts, her curiosity piqued by the mystery of the swirling smoke and the sword.
ALSO AVAILBLE ON AO3

So basically im a college student and I just met an attractive girl last week.
There's a carpool kind of system managed by students, it consists of a WhatsApp group where students offer a ride to the campus at a low cost, they pick up students on their way to college and they get paid for it.
I met this girl in one of those rides from college, ever since then, we always meet on Mondays and Wednesdays when we get out of classes as it's always the same guy who gives us rides to our destinations. One thing I forgot to mention is that there are also 2 more students who take the same car, so we're a total of 5 and we even have a chat group where the driver communicates with us.
Problem is i don't really know how to approach her in a personal way as we are never alone, everytime we talk, it's about a general topic where everyone in the car can participate, i have her phone number (i got it from the WhatsApp group) but I'm not really sure if I should message her as she hasn't really given me her number and i don't want to invade her personal space.
We never meet at college because she's from a different faculty and we're just too far away from each other for me to bump into her. I think it'd be too forward and too obvious if I went to her faculty (i don't have any reason to go there)
I think she likes me, but I could be wrong too. How could I take the next step without messing it up?

Today in school, there was two classes that went wrong. ELA and Science. In ELA, we were doing an awareness project where we had to pick something and make a bookish thing around it. We had to inform the teacher of what we planned to do. I wasn’t doing well in ELA and I think the teacher dislikes me a lot. I choose sexism and she made broad comments like “oh okay, good luck”. But after a few minutes I decided to choose another topic, mental health. My friend decided to choose sexism since I wasn’t doing it anymore. I went up to the teacher again and told her my plan, she didn’t like it and said it was too broad. Then my friend went and said she wanted to do sexism. The teacher seemed interested and started making conversations around the importance. They even started talking about the news. I felt so sad because even though I didn’t like conversations with teachers, my friend also was awkward around them and the teacher still made conversation with my friend.
I was a really sensitive person so I cried, when I came to Science class after going to the washroom, I saw my friend bringing in a desk. Our class was bigger than usual class so we sometimes needed an extra. I decided to help and when we brought it in, I realized it was broken and my friend had taken it out of the broken pile. I decided to bring it back but I guess the teacher saw because he stopped me and started lecturing if I got it from the broken pile. I wanted to say my friend brought it or I didn’t know, but there was a huge sign with the letters BROKEN on so I knew he wouldn’t believe me. I also didn’t want to say it was my friend because they didn’t mean anything bad and I didn’t want to seem like I was blaming someone else. Plus, the teacher would probably not believe it anyways. So I just nodded admitting it was my fault.
I guess the teacher didn’t like putting the desk back so when we did attendance, he called my name and I replied with ‘hi’ like I usually do. Either the teacher was mad at me or he didn’t hear but he asked me to reply with “I am present mr. …”. I know this was because he didn’t hear me properly but I just feel that he could’ve asked me to speak louder or asked the students to quiet down. So I replied with what he wanted me to but he asked to do it again. The students were quieting down and students started staring at me so I just wanted to quickly get it over with. So for the second time, I responded with what he said to reply with. I know this doesn’t prove much but another student from across the room had said he heard me talk all 3 times so obviously, the teacher, who stood close to me had heard. I feel like he could’ve need mad or disappointed in me for taking the desk but it was really not a big deal.
Now I don’t know whether I should keep replying with “i am present mr…” or continue saying “hi”. I don’t know if he meant it or not but I don’t want to take chances. Why did he have to sound so mean? Why did I have to cry? Why can’t I stop myself from being so emotional? Why? Why am I like this? Why?

I've been wondering about my Portuguese community that suddenly popped up from the latest S&P update. I've had no knowledge of any Portuguese ancestors or relatives yet 23&me assigns me to Guardia & Viseu in Portugal. I compared the 23&Me results to Ancestry DNA, Ancestry does not pick up any Portuguese dna at all- just 3% Spain, and no communities at all for either Spain or Portugal. Both of my parents have tested and neither of them have any Portuguese/Spanish communities. Is there any specific reason for this to happen? Is the genetic community on 23&Me inaccurate? This also happened to my German dna. I have Bavaria, Germany assigned yet neither of my parents have it assigned. It is a bit confusing and makes me feel like the results aren't accurate.
For reference, if necessary, my results (and my parent's results) are posted on my profile. Any help is appreciated!!

Hey all! Long time lurker, first actual post here.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that has faced this issue. There's tons of videos explaining how to grow on youtube, and with that you can feel like there's a billion things to focus on at once. But time is limited, and if you're not working on YT full time (because you have a job, or school, etc.) then you're liking also thinking (or have thought): what's the one thing I need to focus on right now?
I've heard that thumbnails and your title are the most important for marketing. I've heard to do basic SEO (use Vid IQ, look for a score over 60, use google trends, and look for trends over 50 or ones that are popping up). I've also heard the opposite (Hamza has said this - don't focus on SEO, just focus on making content that your younger self would benefit from, and that all you need for a thumbnail is a face with emotion and a good title). I believe this is important for when you're starting out - to be more focused on execution than overthinking everything and making shit "perfect". But, it's soul crushing to put out vid after vid and not obtain the results that you want.
I've also heard to niche down by picking 3-5 interests that you're interested in (3 is what is commonly recommended, you see this on people's YT banners with the 3 categories). But I've also heard (Ali Abdaal said this) that in the beginning, you shouldn't focus on your niche too much and make content you genuinely enjoy making, and to focus on improving your videos with every single one you make. This makes sense because, if you're not enjoying doing this than you will lose in the long run. He also mentions that you'll find your niche with time, but doesn't that mean that some of your videos will be wasted effort? I might not have the right mindset here, but doesn't it make more sense to figure out who your audience is first, then make content that you genuinely enjoy for those people? After all, if you have a giant list of content to make (like I do), it shouldn't be hard to find and prioritize those videos that will hit your core audience. The issue with youtube is that hard to find if you're a beginner and just starting out (because who your audience is, at best, is just a guess).
I've heard to focus on authenticity and being yourself on camera, because personality is everything (it shows you care, that you're passionate, that you bring the energy to the camera, etc.). This is essentially "be good on camera".
For me personally, I believe I have the confidence and am good on camera, but I don't know if my videos (the structure, the value provided, etc.) need improving or if it's the TYPE of videos I'm making that needs to be changed. Maybe I'm not doing a good job of my hook (first 30 seconds). Or it's some other issue.
​
So with all this in mind, for anyone that's had a reasonable level of success on Youtube (or anyone that has gone through this). What do you focus on?
TLDR: with all the things you can do to "grow a successful youtube channel" how do you figure out what to prioritize and what to focus on?

Meowdy olivertree! Sheriff Oliver Tree Cat, once again, reporting for duty!
From June 12th to June 14th, we will be temporarily closing the subreddit in protest of Reddit's recent API changes. These changes are threatening to put an end to beloved third-party apps such as Narwhal, Reddit is Fun, Apollo, and BaconReader, leaving us all feline quite upset.
Just like a cat refusing to be herded, we, as a community, want to make our voices heard. By closing the subreddit for these three days, we aim to draw attention to the cat-astrophic consequences of these API changes. We believe in a purrfect balance between convenience and customization, and it would be a cat-astrophe to lose these apps that have become an integral part of our Reddit experience.
During this temporary closure, we encourage you to join us in spreading awareness about this issue. Let's show Reddit that their changes are like kitty litter to us, and we won't stand by silently. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that the third-party apps we love continue to thrive. Stay pawsitive, and we'll be back to our regular programming on June 15th.
-Oliver Tree Cat, Sheriff of olivertree
...
Oliver Tree Cat aside, the mods here at olivertree do believe this change to be a bad one. The official Reddit app is poor in terms of accessibility. Obviously, this subreddit is full of children and 30 year olds, so this may not affect you. However, it is still good to inform yourself on why these changes are bad for Reddit as a whole.
We suggest reading the apple announcement regarding it here.

This is something I was thinking about and would love to see it implemented
Hear me out, three players per season (limit of two or three seasons per player) can be focus trained and or given a size-able attribute bonus at the end of said season.
I think with the combination of a low overall player that you draft and a super dev trait with focus training could turn a late pick into a solid player for your team.
Let me know what you guys think! Or if you think there’s any discrepancies, or things you would do differently.

Hi dingles & dongles! Our weekly threads have been cleaned up and consolidated a bit. A few updates:

• We now have three mega-threads: Off Topic Snark (goes live Saturdays), Reminds me of Bdong/Jdip (goes live Thursdays), and Welcome Wednesdays. The fostering and lawsuit threads have been stopped for now, but may be brought back depending on future fuckery.
  
• We ask that users post applicable content under those threads. This will help reduce duplicate posts and make it easier for users to see recent fuckery without getting lost in the sauce.
  
• We approved more off topic content throughout BDong’s Sabbatical Tour of Texas™ because there wasn’t much else to post. Now that BDong’s social media is picking back up, we’d appreciate if snarkers can be mindful of using the threads to prevent clutter on the sub.
  

Thank you!!!
Sincerely and allegedly,
The mod team

I went to cvs to pick up meds and grab some wipes and walked by and saw they had high rise athletic leggings. I grabbed some and the size ranges from s-m (4-10) & l-xl (12-18) and they have pockets! It's hard for me to find cheap leggings with pockets. They are so comfy and fit great!

Even though I am completely done with the college application process, I still like reading this subreddit (for whatever reason it's kind of fun lol), and I've been seeing a lot of people here stressing about being "boring" or "average" and not having an extravagant story to tell. And I completely get that, because I was in that exact same position last year. As an Asian-American from a middle class background, I was worried that my stories would be over-represented and uninteresting.
So, here's some stuff that I picked up along my essay writing process that helped me out. Also note that this is mostly anecdotal, so take it or leave it if you don't think it's helpful :)
#1: Clearly define your strengths/traits
This will not only make your essay stronger, but also more consistent with the rest of your app. I was able to get a better idea of this by asking my teachers, friends, and parents five words they would use to describe me. Once I wrote that down, I tried to find patterns/themes; that gave me a base of things to communicate in my essays. Focus less on what your topic is, and more on how that topic showcases your personality.
#2: If your topic is "overused" or "typical." work to make it uniquely yours
I decided to write my Common App essay about my experience playing a video game (s/o to any FM players out there!), a topic that's definitely not that unique. However, I think my essay worked because I emphasized how: A) Through my experience, I became more determined and creative in finding solutions beyond the game, B) My approach to the game said something about me as a person, and C) How the game enabled me to be more confident and willing to try new things.
#3: Don't over-complicate the process
Yes, this is a really important essay. Yes, you need to put a lot of time and thought into it. But don't agonize over it if you think it's negatively affecting your mental health. Don't feel like you're lesser because of your essay or your experiences, and don't overthink or spend forever writing. My essay that I submitted was written after maybe two weeks of drafting and revision. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good!
TLDR: know your strengths, make those strengths known in your essay, and don't get down on yourself for not having a perfect topic or essay.
Wishing you juniors the best of luck, you guys got this!!

I live in an apartment building, and my direct neighbor is elderly, mid to late 70s. We both, separately, live on our own. When she knocks on the door, she does NOT just knock knock knock, she will quietly tap the door - but she won't stop. A year ago, I once timed her knocking on my door, and after 45 seconds I yelled to shut up - and she stopped. Go get a timer and time how long 45 seconds actually is and think of someone knocking on your door continuously, 4-6 taps a second, for that time.
On to why I'm posting this, because an incident happened yesterday and after telling friends and family, I'm getting mixed opinions on my reaction being good or bad.
Yesterday, I got home to my apartment, and before I had my shoes off, my neighbor was knocking on my door. She was giving me a bottle of Gatorade she picked up for me - cute and nice yes, but it was shrouded in her telling me my apartment stinks like pot smoke (it 100% doesn't, I hadn't smoked that day yet, and it doesn't smell because my friends are non-smokers and confirmed). I literally thanked her for her input and shut the door, politely. I go pee, and lay down with my cat who's lying on my bed, and it's interrupted by her knocking again..
I get up to go get it, and she says she wanted to tell me about the noises outside today - I tell her I'm working and can't talk, talk to you later, and shut the door, again, politely.
I make a sandwich and pack a bowl into my bong and smoke it, it being the first one of the day, hits a bit rough, I cough about 4-6 times. Guess what...
^{knockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknock}
"Are you smoking that funny shit again? you know it's bad for you!" I asked her, more sternly this time, if she needed anything, and she said no, so I outright asked her, "Did you just knock on my door to tell me smoking is bad for me?" and she said yeah, with a smile on her face, thinking I was joking around.. but I'm not at this point.. I tell her "ok, thanks, it's legal, goodbye", and shut the door, firmly this time, and locked the door so that it made the noise, in hopes to get a point across.
By the time the 2nd song the Spotify list I played is finished, she's knocking again.. I'm not having it.. I RUDELY yell "THAT'S ENOUGH , GO AWAY". 5 seconds of silence.
^{knockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknockknock}
It's just me and my cat, and I loudly yell "OH FOR FUCK SAKES" and stomp over my door - loud enough that she would hear. Open it quickly and say "What?! What do you want this time?!" and she's holding a plate of spaghetti, asking if I want any..
I fell bad, but I'm not letting it go, I tell her I've eaten already, thanks for thinking of me, but please, can you stop knocking on my door? She says ok, looks defeated, and goes back to her place.
I shut the door and haven't heard from her since, including today.

Beginner birder here. A couple days ago I was hiking in Ecola State Park, which is on the Northern Oregon coast. Right next to the trail, which follows the cliffside above the beach, I saw a bird sitting on a low branch of a conifer tree. It just stared at me for a minute or two, then ran along the branch a little further away, but never went too far. Its behavior made me think it might be guarding a nest.
Attempting to ID it later, at first I thought it must be a female ruffed grouse because they are somewhat common in the area and the description seemed pretty close, but then I saw a picture of a female California quail and immediately went "that's the one!" I remember distinctly seeing a little black "topknot" on the head. Also, while the belly had scaled markings, the back was a softer unmarked gray, which better matches the quail.
Problem is, from what I've been able to tell no one has recorded a California quail living in the area. Both the habitat and range more closely matches the ruffed grouse, and now I'm second-guessing my ID. Sorry I don't have a picture (if I did I would probably be able to solve this myself).
So my question is, has anyone else out there ever seen California quail on the Northern Oregon coast? And on a related note, how often do y'all sight birds outside of their usual range?