ABS Machining Market Dynamics Report

1. 6-Month Narrative Velocity vs. Exposure Friction

2. Theater of Competition Matrix (90-Day Trajectory)

Custom 3D printing is a manufacturing process used to produce objects, components, prototypes, and other physical parts according to a specific digital des

# EDIT/UPDATE: # New post and research at [https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rtd51g/update\_i\_pulled\_irs\_filings\_for\_the\_org\_that/](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rtd51g/update_i_pulled_irs_filings_for_the_org_that/) # Website: [https://tboteproject.com](https://tboteproject.com) Support Findings: [https://tboteproject.com/donate/](https://tboteproject.com/donate/) # Repository: [https://tboteproject.com/git/hekate/attestation-findings](https://tboteproject.com/git/hekate/attestation-findings) I've been pulling public records on the wave of "age verification" bills moving through US state legislatures. IRS 990 filings, Senate lobbying disclosures, state ethics databases, campaign finance records, corporate registries, WHOIS lookups, Wayback Machine archives. What started as curiosity about who was pushing these bills turned into documenting a coordinated influence operation that, from a privacy standpoint, is building surveillance infrastructure at the operating system level while the company behind it faces zero new requirements for its own platforms. I want to be clear about what this is and isn't. I am not the author of [the earlier r/linux post by aaronsb](https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1rmhxk1/i_pulled_the_actual_bill_text_from_5_state_age/) and I'm not affiliated with them. I titled this to draw attention on this subreddit because the privacy implications go well beyond Linux. Every source cited here is a public record. # What the bills actually require you to hand over Most reporting on these bills says something vague like "age checks at device setup." The statutory language is more specific and more invasive than that. California AB-1043, signed October 2025 and effective January 1, 2027, defines "Operating system provider" under Section 1798.500(g) as "a person or entity that develops, licenses, or controls the operating system software on a computer, mobile device, or any other general purpose computing device." Every OS provider must then: provide an interface at account setup collecting a birth date or age, and expose a real-time API that broadcasts the user's age bracket (under 13, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18+) to any application running on the system. Read that again. Every app on your device gets to query a system-level API that returns your age bracket in real time. This isn't age verification at the point of accessing restricted content. This is a persistent age-broadcasting service baked into the operating system itself, queryable by every installed application. Colorado SB26-051 (passed the Senate 28-7, now in the House) copies the same definitions in the same order, same penalty structure ($2,500 per child for negligent violations, $7,500 for intentional ones), same exemptions. The template is the ICMEC "Digital Age Assurance Act," and it's been introduced or is pending in Illinois (three separate bills), New York, Kansas, South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, and at the federal level. New York's S8102A goes further. It requires device manufacturers to perform "commercially reasonable and technically feasible age assurance" at device activation and explicitly bans self-reporting. The AG picks the approved methods. That means biometric age estimation or government ID verification before you can use a device you purchased. Exemptions in all of these bills cover broadband ISPs, telecom services, and physical products. None contain any exemption for open-source software, non-commercial projects, or privacy-preserving verification methods. The status right now: |State|Bill|Status| |:-|:-|:-| |CA|AB-1043|Enacted, effective Jan 1, 2027| |CO|SB26-051|Passed Senate, in House committee| |LA|HB-570|Enacted, effective July 1, 2026| |UT|SB-142|Enacted, first in nation| |TX|SB-2420|Enjoined by federal judge| |NY|S8102A|Pending| |IL|HB-3304, HB-4140, SB-2037|Pending| |Federal|KOSA, ASAA|Pending| # The privacy architecture these bills create What's concerning about these bills is they don't just verify age once. They create persistent identity layer inside the operating system that applications can query at will. The commercial age verification vendors who would provide this infrastructure (Yoti, Veriff, Jumio) charge $0.10 to $2.00 per check, require proprietary SDKs, demand API keys tied to commercial accounts, and operate cloud-only with no self-hosted option. Your age verification data goes to a third-party cloud service. Every time. Compare this to what the EU built. The EU Digital Identity Wallet under eIDAS 2.0 has a reference implementation published under Apache 2.0/EUPL and uses selective disclosure credentials. A user can prove they fall within an age bracket without handing over their date of birth. The EU's Digital Services Act puts age verification obligations on **Very Large Online Platforms** (45M+ monthly users), not on operating systems. FOSS projects that don't act as intermediary services are explicitly outside scope. Micro and small enterprises get additional exemptions. **The EU approach is not without its own problems**. The reference code is *open*, but the operational system is not self-hostable. You cannot run your own trusted identity provider. The wallet apps require Google Play Services or the iOS equivalent, which locks out users of privacy-focused Android distributions like GrapheneOS, CalyxOS, and LineageOS. Device attestation requirements effectively ban rooted or jailbroken devices. The zero-knowledge proof privacy guarantees only hold if you trust that credential issuers and verifiers are not colluding to correlate your activity. ZKP is a cryptographic mechanism, not a trust architecture, and it cannot solve the problem of collusion between parties in the chain. Even with those caveats, the architectural gap between the two approaches is wide. The EU model does not create a persistent age-broadcasting API at the OS level. It does not mandate commercial vendors. It does not force biometric data into a third-party cloud on every check. The US bills assume every operating system is built by a corporation with the infrastructure and revenue to absorb these costs. The EU started from the opposite assumption and built accordingly. |EU approach|US bills| |:-|:-| |Who's regulated|Platforms with 45M+ users| |FOSS exemption|Yes, five separate mechanisms| |Verification method|Open-source wallet, zero-knowledge proofs| |Cost to non-commercial projects|$0| |Privacy architecture|Selective disclosure, privacy by design| |Works offline|Yes| # Who wrote the legislation This is where it gets interesting. Rep. Kim Carver (R-Bossier City), the sponsor of Louisiana's HB-570, publicly confirmed that a Meta lobbyist brought the legislative language directly to her. The bill as drafted required only app stores (Apple, Google) to verify user ages. It did not require social media platforms to do anything. Meta deployed 12 lobbyists across 9 confirmed firms for this single bill, paying at least $324,992 (described as a "very conservative estimate"). The confirmed firms include Pelican State Partners (who also lobby for Roblox, letting Meta frame this as "broad industry support" rather than one company's project), Adams and Reese LLP (the #1 ranked Louisiana government affairs firm), and State Capitol Solutions. Nicole Lopez, Meta's Director of Global Litigation Strategy for Youth, testified at the House Commerce Committee in support. She also testified in South Dakota for a similar bill. She's Meta's national point person for these laws. HB-570 passed unanimously at every stage: House 99-0, Senate 39-0. So why did Meta need 12 lobbyists? Because the votes were never the concern. The lobbyists were there to control the text and block amendments. The key amendment battle came from Senator Jay Morris, who expanded the bill to include app developers alongside app stores after Google's senior director of government affairs publicly questioned why "Mark Zuckerberg is so keen on passing these bills." When Morris introduced his amendment, Meta went silent. The conference committee compromise maintained dual responsibility but kept the primary burden on app stores, which is what Meta wanted from the start. At that same Senate hearing, Morris directly questioned DCA Executive Director Casey Stefanski about who funds her organization. She reportedly deflected, said she "wasn't comfortable answering," then under continued pressure admitted tech companies provide funding but refused to name them. # The advocacy group that doesn't legally exist The Digital Childhood Alliance presents itself as a coalition of 50+ conservative child safety organizations (later inflated to 140+, though only six have ever been publicly named). It has been testifying in favor of these bills across states. Here is what public records show about its legal status: I searched all four regional extracts of the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (eo1 through eo4.csv), which cover every tax-exempt organization registered in the United States. DCA is not there. No EIN exists for this organization. I also searched for incorporation records in Colorado, DC, Delaware, and Virginia, plus OpenCorporates (200M+ companies), ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, GuideStar, and Charity Navigator. No incorporation record exists in any of them. DCA's domain was registered December 18, 2024 through GoDaddy with privacy protection and a four-year registration. The website was live and fully formed one day later: professional design, statistics, testimonials from Heritage Foundation and NCOSE staff, ASAA talking points already loaded. This is not a grassroots launch. This is a staging deployment of a pre-built site. 77 days later, Utah SB-142 became the first ASAA law signed in the country. DCA processes donations through For Good (formerly Network for Good, EIN 68-0480736), which is a Donor Advised Fund. For Good explicitly states in its documentation that it serves "501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations." DCA claims 501(c)(4) status. DCA is classified as a "Project" (ID 258136) in the For Good system, not as a standalone nonprofit. I searched all 59,736 For Good grant recipients across five years, roughly $1.73 billion in disbursements. Zero grants to DCA, DCI, NCOSE, or any related entity. The donation page appears to be cosmetic. Bloomberg reporters exposed Meta as a DCA funder in July 2025. The Deseret News detailed the arrangement in December 2025. No version of the website, across 100+ Wayback Machine snapshots, has ever disclosed funding sources. Every blog post and testimony targets Apple and Google. Meta is never mentioned or criticized. DCA's leadership traces directly to NCOSE (National Center on Sexual Exploitation): Casey Stefanski, Executive Director, spent 10 years at NCOSE as Senior Director of Global Partnerships. Unusually, she never appears on any NCOSE 990 filing as an officer, key employee, or among the five highest-compensated staff. A senior director title at a $5.4M organization for a decade with no 990 appearance suggests either below-threshold compensation, an inflated title, or something else about the arrangement. Dawn Hawkins, DCA's Chair, simultaneously serves as CEO of NCOSE. John Read, DCA's Senior Policy Advisor, spent 30 years at the DOJ Antitrust Division investigating app stores and Big Tech. NCOSE's own 501(c)(4) structure turns out to be complicated. Tracing Schedule R filings across four years reveals that NCOSE created "NCOSE Action" (EIN 86-2458921) as a c4 in 2021, reclassified it from c4 to c3 in 2022, then created an entirely new c4 called "Institute for Public Policy" (EIN 88-1180705) in 2023 with the same address and the same principal officer (Marcel van der Watt). By 2024 the original entity had disappeared from Schedule R entirely. Despite NCOSE's website describing NCOSEAction as "created by NCOSE," and Schedule R listing the Institute as a "controlled organization," all 19 transaction indicators between NCOSE and the Institute are marked "No." No grants, no shared employees, no shared facilities, no reimbursements. Zero reported transactions between a parent and its own controlled c4 while staff move freely between them. Concurrently, NCOSE's lobbying spending tripled from $78,000 to $204,000, coinciding with DCA's launch and the ASAA legislative push. $70M+ in super PACs, deliberately fragmented Meta poured over $70 million into state-level super PACs and structured every one to avoid the FEC's centralized, searchable database: |Entity|Meta's contribution|Type|Notable detail| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |ATEP|$45M|Bipartisan 527 PAC|Co-led by Hilltop Public Solutions| |META California|$20M|State PAC|Chaired by Brian Rice, Meta VP of Public Policy| |California Leads|$5M|State PAC|Union-partnered| |Forge the Future|Downstream from ATEP|State PAC (TX)|Policy priorities mirror ASAA language| |Making Our Tomorrow|Downstream from ATEP|State PAC (IL)|Also chaired by Brian Rice| By registering every PAC at the state level rather than federally, Meta scatters filings across dozens of state ethics commission databases with different formats, different disclosure timelines, and no centralized search. Each filing is technically public. Aggregating them into a coherent picture requires manually querying each state. This is structural opacity by fragmentation. Forge the Future's stated policy priorities include: "Empowering parents with oversight of children's online activities across devices and digital environments." That is functionally identical to the ASAA framing. Of 20 Meta-backed candidates across Texas and North Carolina primaries, 19 won (Washington Post, March 12, 2026). # The firm that bridges both tracks This is the finding that connects two things I'd been tracking separately. Hilltop Public Solutions, a Democratic consulting firm, shows up in three distinct contexts: 1. Co-leads ATEP, Meta's $45M bipartisan super PAC 2. Involved in DCA's messaging coordination, per investigative reporting 3. Connected to Forge the Future, the downstream Texas PAC with ASAA-aligned policy priorities This makes Hilltop the first confirmed entity bridging Meta's political spending operation and the DCA advocacy campaign. The firm helping Meta elect "tech-friendly" state legislators also coordinates messaging for the nominally independent grassroots organization pushing those legislators to pass ASAA. # The dark money network Meta's Colorado lobbying runs through Headwaters Strategies, paid $338,500 since 2019, with monthly payments jumping from roughly $5K/month to $14K-$30K/month starting July 2023 as state-level age verification bills accelerated. Headwaters co-founder Adam Eichberg simultaneously serves as a registered Meta lobbyist in Colorado, as Chair of the Board of the New Venture Fund (the flagship entity of the Arabella Advisors network, $669M revenue), and as founding board member of the Windward Fund (another Arabella entity, $311M revenue). The Arabella network operates four entities from the same building at 1828 L Street NW, Washington DC, with combined annual revenue exceeding $1.3 billion. NVF transfers $121.3M per year to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) with no donor disclosure requirements. I parsed the IRS Form 990 Schedule I filings across all five Arabella entities. That's 4,433 grants totaling approximately $2.0 billion. I searched for every child safety, age verification, and tech policy organization I could identify. Zero matches. The Schedule I grant pathway is definitively ruled out. If Meta money flows through this network, it would have to travel via fiscal sponsorship, consulting fees, or non-grant payments, which are inherently less transparent. The Eichberg connection matters not because it proves a pipeline, but because the person receiving Meta's lobbying payments chairs the governance structure of the largest anonymous-donor-funded advocacy network in US politics. That structural overlap is documented regardless of whether money moves through it. # The company that benefits Meta's own Horizon OS (powering Quest VR headsets) already has Meta Account age verification, a Get Age Category API, Family Center parental controls, Quest Store age ratings, and default minor account protections. I scored Horizon OS at 83% compliance readiness with these mandates. Meta is not opposing these bills. In Colorado, I pulled lobbying records from the Secretary of State's SODA API and found Meta's four registered lobbyists on SB26-051 listed in a "Monitoring" position. Not amending, not opposing. Watching. On every social media regulation bill in Colorado, Meta takes an "Amending" position, actively fighting changes. Across 117 lobbying records on 22 bills: * Bills regulating social media: Meta position is "Amending" (fighting) * The one bill putting the burden on OS providers: Meta position is "Monitoring" (watching) Meta fights bills that regulate Meta. Meta watches bills that regulate everyone else. In California, Meta spent over $1 million on state lobbying in the first three quarters of 2025 and publicly supported AB-1043, breaking ranks with its own trade associations (TechNet and Chamber of Progress both opposed it). Meta supported a bill that creates surveillance infrastructure at the OS level while leaving social media platforms untouched. Meta's LD-2 filings with the Senate explicitly list H.R. 3149/S. 1586, the App Store Accountability Act, as a lobbied bill. The filing narrative includes "protecting children, bullying prevention and online safety; youth safety and federal parental approval; youth restrictions on social media." In the same filing, Meta also lobbies on KOSA and COPPA 2.0, which would regulate Meta directly. Meta supports the bill that burdens its competitors and lobbies to weaken the bills that burden itself. Both positions appear in the same quarterly disclosure. # The privacy questions I've tried to present findings here, not conclusions. But from a privacy standpoint: Why does the company that profits from collecting user data draft legislation requiring every operating system to collect age data and broadcast it to every installed application via a system-level API? Why do these bills mandate commercial age verification vendors (Yoti, Veriff, Jumio) whose business model is collecting biometric data, while the EU's equivalent uses open-source zero-knowledge proofs that reveal nothing beyond "over 18"? Why is there no data minimization requirement in any of these bills for the age verification data itself? AB-1043 creates a persistent age signal API. Who governs what happens to the data flowing through it? Why does Meta fund an advocacy group with no legal existence in the IRS system to push legislation that creates new data collection infrastructure at a layer below Meta's own products, while Meta faces zero new requirements? Why does the company whose lobbyist drafted one of these bills write it to specifically exclude social media platforms from the age verification mandate? If the goal is child safety, why regulate the operating system, which has no direct contact with children, instead of the social media platforms where the documented harm occurs? # What you can do If you're in CO, IL, or NY, these bills are still in committee. Comment on the record. System76's CEO met with the Colorado bill's sponsor on March 9 and the sponsor suggested excluding open-source software. The conversation is happening now. Contact the EFF, FSF, and Software Freedom Conservancy with the specific statutory language and compliance gap numbers. They need to know these definitions cover volunteer-maintained software with no exemption. Read the actual bill text. CA AB-1043 is searchable on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. CO SB26-051 is on leg.colorado.gov. The definitions are what matter, not the news summaries. If you maintain software that could be classified as an "operating system provider" under these definitions, start thinking about your response now. CA AB-1043 takes effect January 1, 2027. Louisiana HB-570 takes effect July 1, 2026. # Sources (all public records) **Bill text:** CA AB-1043 (Chapter 675, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov), CO SB26-051 (leg.colorado.gov), LA HB-570 Act 481 of 2025 (legis.la.gov), NY S8102A (nysenate.gov), TX SB-2420, UT SB-142 (le.utah.gov) **Federal lobbying:** OpenSecrets Meta profile (opensecrets.org, client ID D000033563), Senate LDA filing UUID b73445ed-15e5-42e7-a1e8-aeb224755267 **Colorado lobbying:** CO Secretary of State SODA API (data.colorado.gov, datasets vp65-spyn, dxfk-9ifj, df5p-p6jt) **Louisiana lobbying:** LA Board of Ethics, F Minus database (fminus.org/clients/pelican-state-partners-llc/, fminus.org/clients/meta-platforms-inc/) **California lobbying:** CalAccess (cal-access.sos.ca.gov), Bloomberg Government **Super PACs:** Forge the Future (texasforgefuturepac.com), Texas Ethics Commission, Illinois State Board of Elections, Politico (Feb 2, 2026), Washington Post (Mar 12, 2026) **DCA records:** WHOIS/RDAP (rdap.org), Wayback Machine CDX API (100+ snapshots), IRS EO BMF (eo1-eo4.csv), OpenCorporates, ProPublica, GuideStar **NCOSE:** IRS Form 990 FY2020-FY2024 including Schedule R; NCOSEAction/Institute for Public Policy (EIN 88-1180705); original NCOSE Action (EIN 86-2458921) via Schedule R history **For Good/Network for Good:** [forgood.org](http://forgood.org), DCA donation page source (targetable\_type=Project, targetable\_id=258136), For Good 990s via ProPublica (EIN 68-0480736, 59,736 recipients searched) **IRS 990 filings:** ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: NVF (EIN 20-5806345), STF 2024 (sixteenthirtyfund.org), DCI (EIN 39-3684798), Windward, Hopewell, North Fund, NCOSE (EIN 13-2608326), ConnectSafely (EIN 47-3168168) **Campaign finance:** CO TRACER bulk data (tracer.sos.colorado.gov), FollowTheMoney.org, FEC API (Meta PAC C00502906) **Reporting:** Bloomberg (July 2025), Deseret News (Dec 2025), The Center Square, ACT | The App Association, Dome Politics, Pluribus News, [Nola.com](http://Nola.com), Privacy Daily **EU framework:** EUR-Lex (Digital Services Act, eIDAS 2.0 Regulation), EUDIW GitHub repository, T-Scy consortium **Technical:** freedesktop.org, GNOME/KDE documentation, Meta developer docs (developer.meta.com/horizon) # Full dataset, OSINT tasklist, and all processed findings are published with sources embedded in each file: [github.com/upper-up/meta-lobbying-and-other-findings](https://github.com/upper-up/meta-lobbying-and-other-findings) This is an ongoing investigation. Pending: Texas Ethics Commission records for Forge the Future expenditure recipients, NCOSEAction's first 990 filing, IRS Form 8872 for ATEP, and FOIA responses from Colorado and Louisiana. If you have access to lobbying data from states I haven't covered (IL, NY, UT, GA), I'd appreciate a heads up. I am not claiming Meta wrote every one of these bills. Louisiana is confirmed by the sponsor; the others use a shared ICMEC template. I am not claiming there is a direct Arabella-to-DCA funding pipeline; I checked $2 billion in grants and found no evidence. I am not claiming child safety isn't a legitimate concern. What I am documenting is: the company whose lobbyist drafted HB-570 wrote it to exclude its own platforms; the advocacy group pushing these bills nationally has no legal existence and is confirmed funded by Meta; the same consulting firm bridges Meta's super PAC and DCA's messaging; none of these bills exempt open-source or non-commercial software while the EU equivalent does; and the mandatory age-signal API creates persistent surveillance infrastructure at the OS level with no data minimization requirements. The records are above. Draw your own conclusions. This section documents what happened when this investigation was posted to Reddit, and provides context on Meta's documented history of using astroturfing, coordinated reporting, and platform manipulation to suppress unfavorable content. # What happened The original version of this investigation was posted to r/linux, where it was mass reported and pulled down pending moderator review **(150 upvotes, roughly 15k views before being pulled down some 40 minutes after being posted)** The content that was suppressed names Meta lobbying firms, traces documented payments, cites Senate LD-2 filings, and links to IRS records. It identifies Hilltop Public Solutions as the first confirmed entity bridging Meta's $45M super PAC and the DCA astroturf campaign. This is the kind of content that a well-resourced actor would have reason to suppress. I cannot prove the mass reports were coordinated rather than organic. That is the point of the tactic: Reddit's infrastructure makes it impossible to distinguish genuine community objections from manufactured ones, and it rewards the behavior either way by automatically removing the content. # Meta has done this before In March 2022, the Washington Post reported that Meta hired Targeted Victory, one of the largest Republican consulting firms in the country, to run a nationwide astroturfing campaign against TikTok. Internal emails obtained by the Post showed the campaign: * Placed op-eds and letters to the editor in regional news outlets across the country, none of which disclosed the connection to Meta or Targeted Victory * Promoted stories about dangerous TikTok "trends" that had actually originated on Facebook * Pushed local politicians and political reporters to frame TikTok as a threat to children * In an internal email, a campaign director wrote that the "dream would be to get stories with headlines like 'From dances to danger: how TikTok has become the most harmful social media space for kids'" Meta's spokesman defended the campaign by saying "all platforms should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success." Meta did not deny hiring the firm or directing the campaign. The story was confirmed by the Washington Post, Fortune, Variety, CBS News, Engadget, Tortoise Media, the Boston Globe, and Techdirt, among others. This is not speculation about what Meta might do. This is what Meta has been publicly documented doing: hiring firms to plant stories, manufacture public concern about competitors using child safety as the framing, and conceal the corporate origin of the messaging. The Targeted Victory campaign and the DCA campaign use the same playbook: fund an outside entity to push messaging that serves Meta's commercial interests while hiding Meta's involvement. # Reddit's bot and astroturfing problem is structural Research published in Nature (Scientific Reports) documented coordinated political astroturfing patterns across platforms including Reddit. A separate study found that at least 15% of content in surveyed subreddits was posted by corporate trolls or bot accounts designed to manipulate public opinion. Since June 2025, bot networks have been systematically exploiting Reddit and Meta's own moderation systems through mass reporting. Thousands of legitimate Facebook groups were deleted after coordinated bot reports triggered automated enforcement. The same mass-reporting tactic works on Reddit: a small number of accounts can file reports, trigger automated removal, and flag the poster's account for site-wide spam filtering, all without engaging with the content. Venture-backed firms like Doublespeed now offer astroturfing-as-a-service across Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram, operating physical phone farms to bypass platform detection. The infrastructure for suppressing content through coordinated inauthentic behavior is commercially available. # What this means for this investigation Meta spent $26.3 million on federal lobbying in 2025 and deployed 86+ lobbyists across 45 states. It funded a nationally active advocacy group (DCA) with no legal existence in the IRS system. It hired Hilltop Public Solutions to simultaneously run its $45M super PAC and coordinate DCA's messaging. It previously hired Targeted Victory to run a covert astroturfing campaign against TikTok using child safety as the narrative frame. This investigation documents all of that with primary sources. A post containing those findings was mass reported on Reddit within hours and suppressed site-wide by automated systems. Whether the reports were organic or coordinated, the outcome is the same: the content was removed from the platform where Meta has both the motive and the documented capability to suppress it. The research is published in a git repository with every source embedded. It does not depend on Reddit's infrastructure to survive. # Sources * Washington Post, "Facebook paid Republican strategy firm to malign TikTok" (March 30, 2022): [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/) * Fortune, "Meta paid a Republican consulting firm to turn the public against TikTok" (March 31, 2022): [https://fortune.com/2022/03/31/facebook-meta-paid-republican-consulting-firm-targeted-victory-turn-public-opinion-against-tiktok/](https://fortune.com/2022/03/31/facebook-meta-paid-republican-consulting-firm-targeted-victory-turn-public-opinion-against-tiktok/) * Variety, "Facebook Parent Company Defends Its PR Campaign to Portray TikTok as Threat to American Children" (March 31, 2022): [https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/meta-facebook-tiktok-pr-campaign-1235218866/](https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/meta-facebook-tiktok-pr-campaign-1235218866/) * Techdirt, "Facebook-Hired PR Firm Coordinated Anti-TikTok Campaign To Spread Bogus Moral Panics" (March 31, 2022): [https://www.techdirt.com/2022/03/31/facebook-hired-pr-firm-coordinated-anti-tiktok-campaign-to-spread-bogus-moral-panics/](https://www.techdirt.com/2022/03/31/facebook-hired-pr-firm-coordinated-anti-tiktok-campaign-to-spread-bogus-moral-panics/) * Tortoise Media, "Meta 'astroturfed' TikTok" (April 5, 2022): [https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2022/04/05/meta-astroturfed-tiktok](https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2022/04/05/meta-astroturfed-tiktok) * CBS News, "Report: Facebook Hired PR Firm To Smear TikTok": [https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/report-facebook-hired-pr-firm-to-smear-tiktok/](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/report-facebook-hired-pr-firm-to-smear-tiktok/) * Engadget, "Meta reportedly paid political consultants to smear TikTok": [https://www.engadget.com/meta-targeted-victory-tiktok-smear-campaign-133139892.html](https://www.engadget.com/meta-targeted-victory-tiktok-smear-campaign-133139892.html) * Boston Globe, "Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok, internal e-mails reveal" (March 30, 2022): [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/30/business/facebook-paid-gop-firm-malign-tiktok-internal-e-mails-reveal/](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/30/business/facebook-paid-gop-firm-malign-tiktok-internal-e-mails-reveal/) * Georgetown Free Speech Project, "Facebook hires GOP consulting firm to smear rival TikTok": [https://freespeechproject.georgetown.edu/tracker-entries/facebook-hires-gop-consulting-firm-in-dc-area-to-smear-rival-tiktok/](https://freespeechproject.georgetown.edu/tracker-entries/facebook-hires-gop-consulting-firm-in-dc-area-to-smear-rival-tiktok/) * Nature Scientific Reports, "Coordination patterns reveal online political astroturfing across the world" (2022): [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08404-9](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-08404-9) * Medium/HR News, "Study: At Least 15% of All Reddit Content is Corporate Trolls": [https://medium.com/@hrnews1/study-at-least-15-of-all-reddit-content-is-corporate-trolls-trying-to-manipulate-public-opinion-49cb302c26a5](https://medium.com/@hrnews1/study-at-least-15-of-all-reddit-content-is-corporate-trolls-trying-to-manipulate-public-opinion-49cb302c26a5) * TechCrunch, "Facebook Group admins complain of mass bans" (June 24, 2025): [https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/24/facebook-group-admins-complain-of-mass-bans-meta-says-its-fixing-the-problem/](https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/24/facebook-group-admins-complain-of-mass-bans-meta-says-its-fixing-the-problem/) * YNet News, "Public opinion for sale: The new startup causing a storm" (Doublespeed): [https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/hyraenbmzx](https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/hyraenbmzx) * Meta Transparency Center, "Inauthentic Behavior" policy: [https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/inauthentic-behavior/](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/community-standards/inauthentic-behavior/) * The Hacker News, "Meta Disrupts Influence Ops Targeting Romania, Azerbaijan, and Taiwan" (May 2025): [https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/meta-disrupts-influence-ops-targeting.html](https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/meta-disrupts-influence-ops-targeting.html)

Edit: I linked more general advice at the end from people with different lived experiences. First of all: alt fashion shouldn't be a costume. Yes I've bought pieces that "looked alt" before, but if you only look for that, you're not using your own brain a lot, which kind of defeats the purpose of being alt in the first place. It's about how you combine pieces and accessorize them that usually makes an outfit look good. If your top is cool but you don't put in any thought into styling because it "already looks alt", you'll just look like a poser, which honestly, at this point, you are. Make your outfits your own instead. Try new things just because you feel like it. I get the urge to buy cheap. Even my examples show some stuff I got from Amazon when I was 17. But I've found that the pieces on there are rarely unique enough to not be found elsewhere. Haven't shopped there since. Now that's out of the way, here's how I find my stuff: ***old stuff*** You never know what you find in your own or someone else's closet. Like I said, pieces that "don't look alt" can look amazing if you know what to do with them. Be creative. ***(online) thrifting*** I mostly thrift online, as you can see from all my Vinted stuff. (Disclaimer: This is not an ad. It doesn't need to be Vinted specifically, I just use it to find sellers and buy off-platform, since it is the most popular place for that where I live.) I either look for specific pieces (like a lacy black kimono or a maxi skirt) or just look at what people uploaded in my city. I set the price range to something I'm comfortable with (usually 5€ max when scrolling casually, adjusting depending on what I'm looking for). Unfortunately, thrifting has a problem with people uploading or donating their fast fashion crap everywhere, but it still beats buying that shit straight from the source yourself. ***DIY*** Here's where you can combine the previous two sources to make something cool. I stole my mom's sewing machine a few years ago, maybe you can gain access to one as well. Generally, not only in alt fashion, it's good to know a few basic hand-stitches to mend something or attach hardware (e.g. chains). It doesn't need to be perfect, just learn a few basic techniques and you're good to go. Mostly learning by doing. You will fuck up sometimes, but that's part of the process. A few affordable basics I think look good on most people: \- [DIY mesh top from cut up tights](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/QXPWp5cWBZ) (hole for your head in the crotch, cut open the toe seam and add thumb holes or whatever) \- DIY fingerless gloves from stockings or tights (I have fishnet ones) \- thrifted harnesses or belts \- [DIY studded stuff](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/MeGkC4Lz8H) I hope this can help some newbies. If this is too much effort for you and you still want to buy from brands that are terrible for the planet and our society, you're simply not alt. It's not about what you dress like, it's about how you do it. Links to comments about plus size and more general advice: - >[some really good advice from a 3XL person (also includes general advice like crafting, which I highly agree with!)](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/ublxEwNtVx) - [generally take your measurements and save them on your phone. ask sellers for measurements of garments when you can](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/DIyJ72bFM7) - [no seriously, always consider the measurements](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/rBq3E6qt9H) - [opt for men's options for different fits](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/y5N9tq1avb) - [try on stuff, even if you don't think it'll fit or if you don't think you'll like it](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/e2hTZq2KW9) - [general irl shopping and modification](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/jPfTpwLVsG) - [more online thrifting options](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/IC0wkO540B) - [learn basic sewing! especially when plus sized](https://www.reddit.com/r/altfashionadvice/s/abBrxlQEVt) (my tip: learn about "darts" in sewing to accommodate curvature)

I (22M) was at the gym today hitting shoulders when a cute girl and her friend came in and started doing lat pulldowns next to me. I’m a little socially awkward so I didn’t really say anything at first, but I’m trying to be more sociable and my air pods ran out of battery (forcing me to just observe my surroundings). So later after I finish my exercise, I went to put a piece of equipment away that was already on the ground, walked up to her (the equipment storage was also there) and complimented her and her glasses. It felt so easy.. even though my heart rate and cortisol kinda spiked. Later on, I work on abs and forearms and they started using the ab machine next to the cables. Once I finished, I smiled and peace-signed at them and said “Take care,” in a raspy and soft voice (gotta learn to say things with my chest lol). And both her and her friend smiled at me and she waved at me.. Maybe I could’ve sparked a conversation earlier, but I was kinda just feeling like giving a compliment. I’ll probably not see her again but at least I know I made her night. Though who knows? Maybe I do see her again? Breakfast for dinner: one-pan egg sandwich with bacon and provolone cheese on sourdough bread. Edit: Holy crap 2000+ upvotes! I did not realize how much this post would pop off! Thank you guys so much for the positivity. The general consensus seems to be that I did well: I kept it short, complimented her on something tangible and variable (her glasses) and walked away afterward. I still have a longer way to go to build my confidence, but this is a great starting point. I think I’ll be complimenting people, not just women, from now on! Thanks so much again for the support and tips!

Swipe to the end to see more photos of me performing in it. :) This project is the first performance costume of mine I’ve made (almost) entirely from scratch! I knew I wanted to do something hot pepper-themed, and when I saw the ugly green swimsuit pictured on slide 3 at a thrift store, I knew I could turn it into something. This entire project was no-sew and mostly assembled using hot glue and E6000. I started with the headpiece, which is made from Saran Wrap, duct and masking tape, felt, plastic bags, and stretch knit metallic fabric glued on top. I started by wrapping my head in plastic wrap and covering it with masking tape to get a shell I could build the rest of the headpiece on. I then used plastic bags and duct tape to build up the shape I wanted before ripping the Saran Wrap out from the inside to make room for a felt lining. The stem is also just a plastic bag wrapped in tape. I ended up covering the outside of the headpiece in felt to mask some of the tape/foam texture, so painting it green didn’t end up doing much of anything lol. Stretch knit will show any texture underneath so I was very careful to make sure everything was smoothed out. I then used braided gimp trim to cover up my messy edges, and covered the stem in a lighter green felt, before using E6000 to adhere a mix of large green rhinestones and tiny clear AB stones. The bodysuit was more challenging. Originally, I was going to deconstruct the swimsuit I found and use it as a base to make a pattern. However, I don’t have a sewing machine, and was under a time crunch, so I decided to try something I wasn’t sure would work - just gluing fabric on top. It worked better than I expected. I cut pieces of fabric that matched the base garment and used hot glue on the seams to adhere it, making sure to keep the fabric stretched. I tried using fabric glue at first, but it took too long to dry and I couldn’t keep the fabric stretched for long enough. The double layer of stretch fabric ended up making the garment very rigid, which is fine for now, but once I get a sewing machine I plan on re-making this garment from scratch with my leftover fabric. I used more braided gimp to cover my seams and rhinestoned the bodysuit with the same process I used for the headpiece. I plan on replacing the elastic straps at some point, because due to the bodysuit having lost its stretch, they’re now too short and dig into my skin. The moldy shawl and leg warmers were the most straightforward to construct, but also the most time-consuming. The shawl is just a giant circle I cut a neck hole into, and the back has ribbons glued to it so I can tie it on. Originally, my plan was to use snaps for a more seamless reveal, but the fluffy texture of the base fabric made it impossible to get the snaps through, so I had to improvise. I ended up liking the ribbons more as it makes for more of a teasing reveal rather than a super quick one. The leg warmers use elastic to keep them up and are hot glued together. I struggled the most with figuring out how to make the mold. At first I looked around thrift stores for fabric that was in my general color palette, including clothes and upholstery samples, but I ended up using very little of the fabric I found. I almost gave up on this project entirely because I just couldn’t figure out how to make the mold look both good and, well, moldy. The base of the mold is made using chunky blanket yarn that I glued into blobby shapes. I found a gauzy green table runner that I ripped into pieces and used for layering and color variation. The white/brown fuzzy bits are made of a knit scarf I found and cut apart, and I also found a faux floral accent made of little blue-grey foam balls that made for wonderful detailing. I made all the appliqués individually, and then glued them on, as well as using longer pieces of blanket yarn for more visual interest. My favorite detail of this entire outfit is the little heart I cut out of upholstery fabric. Overall I’m very pleased with how this outfit came together, especially the headpiece. The only uncomfortable part is the straps of the bodysuit which I plan on replacing anyways. For a hot glue hack job I’m impressed with how polished the final product looks. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments :)

I’ll preface this by saying the men in my family don’t live that long. Grandad made it to 69, my dad made it to 75. I started getting pressure in my chest at times last year and I didn’t want to just give in to it. I had surgery last summer and basically stopped working out for a couple of months due to recovery. Boom, pressure in my chest. Saw the doc. My bloodwork came back poor. I do take statins. So I started forcing myself to the gym every day. Plus long 45 min to one hour walks, daily, rain or shine or snow or sleet. I also do lots of weight training. At first it hurt, my neck especially. I had neck problems for years. So I did lesser weights and that didn’t hurt so I went to heavier and heavier. Now I can curl 40 lb dumbbells which isn’t world record breaking but for me, damn good and more importantly no more neck pain. I went and hit a bunch of golf balls which usually hurts for a couple of days in my back but now, it doesn’t as I’ve been working on strengthening my back specifically. In fact I don’t have aches and pains in general. The only thing is I get antsy if I don’t go to the gym every day, and it affects everything because I don’t want to drink much at all as it wears me down too much the next day. But even after social nights I’m at the gym the next day. The thing is my mind but wants to do less and less as I get older, stay in my comfort zone. But I force myself to go anyway. And then it doesn’t seem hard anymore because it’s like just a part of my every day routine. I won’t BS and say I feel 20 years younger but I feel probably the best a 54 year old could feel and kick myself for not thinking of this earlier. I’ve lost a few pounds but it’s more that it’s toned muscle now. I do eat healthier but could still improve. My routine is I use the cable machines/pulleys for a while, nothing too heavy, and really get a sold stretch in of my shoulders and back. A bunch of those, then triceps, biceps, lats, pushups, leg work. Then 20-30 min on an exercise bike. Then a stretch room workout with back raises, abs work, pigeon poses for the hips. I feel so much better mood wise too. Anyway thought I would share.

**I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/Bikinigirlout** **Originally posted to r/coworkerstories** **Entitled Older Coworker puts her name on everything… including the water…** **Trigger Warnings:** >!theft, deception!< ----- [Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/coworkerstories/s/XUnJuhPpDj): **March 27, 2026** We have a new coworker who just started like 3 months ago and puts her name on everything. We just realized that she put her name on the bottled cases of water that we keep FOR EVERYONE. The kicker is that she can put her name on everything, but, takes what I’m using while I’m still using it and then gets mad when I hide both items from her so I can still use them. Even my boss was like “Well she’s the only one here right now so she’s probably using both” Mind you it’s the company’s supplies. Not hers. I’m seriously thinking of putting my name on the most absurd objects just to point out her ridiculous entitlement but I’m also worried that it could be seen as a hostile work environment. And yes we’ve complained to multiple bosses about it. **Relevant Comments** **Commenter 1:** What kind of objects does she take while you are using them? If it was something quick-use like a stapler then I can understand but if it’s anything more needed then maybe you should talk to her about it? > **OOP:** It’s something I need until the end of my shift, I don’t care if people use them when I’m done, but to take it while I’m working is a whole other thing. > > It was a common courtesy to wait until we were done to take these items. And I’ve never had an issue with letting people use them IF THEY ASKED. I’ve had other coworkers need them and by the time they asked, I was done so it never bothered me to hand them off to the next person. > > Until she came along and she wouldn’t ask. She would just be like “oh I’m taking them” and never bring them back. **Commenter 2:** Have you asked your boss if they can buy more of those common items needed to work with? And I would have called her out on it, "I'm still using that." > **OOP:** I feel like ordering more just plays into her game because we never had these issues until she started working for us. > > It was just common courtesy to wait until we were done then it was first come first serve. I had no problems loaning them out if people asked. But she never asks, she just takes. It’s just a dick move. > > The first time I was just genuinely so shocked that she even took it from me while I was still using it. Then I was just pissed. > > The second time she did it, my other coworker called her out directly in front of our boss. The third time she tried, I put my foot down and said I was using them and to basically get over it. > > The thing is she can’t even use them until after a certain time and she just hides anyways so I’m not sure why she can’t wait 45 fucking minutes. > > She’s still hoarding other items too. We actually had to “tell” on her again because she took two items when she really needed 1. She’s overstocking on items for her and her only. > > She’s also spreading rumors that we’re all gonna lose our jobs so needless to say my boss isn’t happy with her right now. **Commenter 3:** INFO: Is she putting her name on whole cases or individual bottles she put in the fridge? > **OOP:** Partial whole cases, if that makes sense. Like they start out as whole cases but because everyone uses them, there’s not many left. > > We’ve had water issues in our city, so we’ve been keeping extra bottles in case we lose water again and that’s what it’s for. Not for her to hoard. **Commenter 4:** Stop playing her game. Handle it firmly and professionally. "Deborah, this water/item is for everyone. Kindly stop writing your name on it." "Deborah, I'm using this right now. I'll thank you to leave it till I'm done." "Deborah, you're welcome to label your own items. But you'll have to stop claiming shared items or we will have to escalate this. Do you understand?" Put your foot down. > **OOP:** That’s what I told her yesterday. She asked where the items were and I said “I’m using them both” > > But because she’s very stuck in her ways, I confessed to my boss that I was hiding them in case she made a huge deal about it, but my boss lowkey took my side without me even knowing it. > > And I’m gonna continue hiding these items when it’s just me. &nbsp; [Coworker is spreading rumors that we’re all going to lose our jobs.](https://www.reddit.com/r/coworkerstories/comments/1sau7zs/coworker_is_spreading_rumors_that_were_all_going/): **April 2, 2026 (six days later)** We have a new person trying to start rumors that we’re all going to be losing our jobs when we won’t know until the summer. And she’s been telling others that we’re gonna be losing our jobs so of course it’s starting to cause panic. She said she heard rumors from others who aren’t involved in the decision making process and it was a few months ago(so I’m assuming when she just started) so things could have changed in the meantime as well. I’ve heard rumors in the past but I’m not as worried as I would have been back in September, ask me in September and I would have said ab so fucking lately. However We’ve turned a lot of our problems around and have been working insanely hard to turn these problems around. I’ve been doing extra things when I have time so it actually looks like we’re doing work during the day when people can see it. Not to brag but that’s one of the things I always get compliments on that I’m always busy and that I’m always doing something for this reason. Mind you I’ve been there for 10+ years, and I still don’t know the whole truth. So how would someone who just started 3 months ago know the truth. We brought it up to our boss that she shouldn’t be spreading rumors like this considering she just started. All I said was “Me and my coworker have been here the longest and we still don’t know what’s going on so why she feels the need to spread rumors is beyond me when she JUST started. She has no right to fear monger” It’s one thing when me and my other coworker talk amongst ourselves, but I still don’t mention it to anyone else just because I don’t want to start panic. I do have safety plans, but I planned on “leaving” regardless. It’s not doing her any favors considering we’ve been having issues with her since she’s started and my boss was not happy when we told them about the issue either. &nbsp; [Coworker damages property and steals stuff from the building yet somehow still has a job.](https://www.reddit.com/r/coworkerstories/comments/1t0uzkb/coworker_damages_property_and_steals_stuff_from/): **May 1, 2026 (one month later)** It’s super frustrating that within the last week, we’ve caught this coworker stealing items and damaging property and we have evidence of her doing both on camera. Yet somehow still has a job. We’ve had issues with this coworker in the past. She’s felt entitled to other coworkers work supplies and takes them while they’re actively using them. I’ve had to hide items from her just so she won’t take them while I’m using them. She’s taking partial cases of water that are meant for everyone and hoarded them for herself. We’ve complained to our bosses about her doing so as well. Other coworkers have complained about her doing other stuff that we shouldn’t be doing. But, I’m mean one time in a chat, and I get a write up for that. Yet the two things we fire people for on the spot, aside from sexual harassment, she doesn’t get fired. **Relevant Comments** **Commenter 1:** From a middle management perspective it can take a *long* time to fire someone who needs to be let go. She might have some disabilities logged with HR which, even if these events aren’t related to the disability, can severely delay the termination process. I hear you though. It’s entirely frustrating and fucks with morale on the team. > **OOP:** It’s sort of like why bother actually bringing up issues when you have issues with someone if nothing is going to happen. > > Especially for major things like theft. It just feels like theft is selective here. **Commenter 2:** Is that coworker related to one of your bosses or such? Could you maybe complain on a higher level than your bosses? > **OOP:** This is what we can’t figure out. I don’t think she’s related to anyone because she was hired by someone else before they left, but, my coworker and I can’t figure out why she gets away with so much especially when she’s the only one causing issues. > > We have went to people higher up about her and still nothing. >> >> **Commenter 2:** Then, you and every coworker who can pitch in should document everything and report it every time. And escalate even higher. So, they get flooded with reports about this employee. >>> >>> **OOP:** The sad thing is we’ve pretty much have been doing that since she’s started. >>> >>> I feel like this could have been an easy out and fire her while she’s still new because she’s going to keep causing issues and it’s better to do it early and not 6 months from now when she causes another issue that’s harder to hide. >>> >>> Its happened before where I’ve brought up issues to my boss, my boss waves it off for whatever reason and then two weeks later the issue becomes a bigger issue and both people are shocked they get fired that day. >>> >>> It’s almost like I know what I’m talking about and have seen every scenario play out because people are stupid and do stupid things. **Commenter 3:** Send your boss an itemized by date account of how many dollars’ worth of stuff she’s stolen from the company. Bring your coworkers in on this Can you include security cam video? > > **OOP:** We have photo evidence from a “tip” someone else sent us. > > And the crazy thing is, we’ve fired people for costing the company shit loads of money for damaging property. I don’t see how this is different from that. >> >> **Commenter 3:** Can set up a sting? >> >> Something at the center of a Venn diagram of cost/would hurt company productivity/you know she’ll steal. >> >> Where you can record her good video good sound. >> >> Does she seem to be aware of security cameras? You could always set up the sting with some smart phones. >>> >>> **OOP:** I think that would be a step too far on our side and it would make us look like we’re targeting someone and not focused on our jobs. We just happened to get a tip because someone sent us a picture and was like “Who’s this jackass and why are they parked in front where they’re not supposed to be” >>> >>> She’s been parking in spots that are reserved for building people and that’s it. It’s been an ongoing problem that someone had to request her to move spots. >>> >>> But our place is absolutely covered in cameras and she’s new enough that she doesn’t have them memorized like I do(I get bored) that’s the other part I don’t get. There are cameras and she’s already bold enough to do stuff that would get her caught. **Commenter 4:** Stealing stuff from your employer is ethically defensible, but I’m anti making your coworkers life miserable, so this is a tricky one. You absolutely should work it out as coworkers and not use your boss as a weapon to hurt a fellow worker. > **OOP:** She’s also making our lives harder by taking our stuff while we’re actually working. She hides for an hour and doesn’t need what we’re using until a certain time. She can wait. She doesn’t even seem to use it either. > > She won’t let others use the item either. She makes them hunt for another item. She gets bitchy when you even ask to use it. > > I’m generally pretty flexible. I have no problem handing this item off when I’m done but that’s the key, if you want to take care of the item when I’m done using it, go ahead. Fair game. But not while I’m actively still using it cause then it throws me off. > > She doesn’t ask either. She just takes. Others at least have common courtesy to ask. > > Plus this item is reserved for first shift only. Once first is done, it gets passed to second. &nbsp; [Update](https://www.reddit.com/r/coworkerstories/s/ZQE26uZhAx): **May 8, 2026 (one week later)** **Update: Entitled Older Coworker puts her name on everything; I’m pretty sure she’s a hoarder.** I made a post a few months ago about how this coworker loves to put her name on company supplies and how she takes items from others without asking. Including my own supplies and the bottled water that’s reserved for everyone. I’m pretty sure that same coworker is a hoarder. We were talking about it yesterday where she takes supplies she doesn’t need and how messy her area is because she takes too many supplies. One of my other coworkers is an obsessive neat freak and even she was commenting on how messy their location was due to the hoarding. She also has more than 2 supplies. I understand having a backup for when you’re almost out, I used to do something similar where if I knew I was going to be out, but didn’t want to run back to the supply closet, I’d have a backup for that reason, but she’ll have 5 big jugged bottles of certain products, and she doesn’t need them and doesn’t go through them as fast. This morning, I walked in to see her name stickied notes on a product that’s only for one of our machines and that machine only. She doesn’t need this product at all so I took a picture of it and let my other coworker see it just so I had another witness and told her that it was only reserved for one machine only and she ripped the sticky note off and put it back. Besides only two of us know how to use this machine and I’m one of them. As far as I’m aware, she does not know how to use this machine and because of her age, I don’t think she’s capable. We don’t use this machine as much as others. It pretty much sits dormant until summer. There’s no need for her to have this product. Because she took this specific product, I have a small theory she might be stealing these products to bring home. She’s already been caught stealing already so I wouldn’t be surprised. **Relevant Comments** **Commenter 1:** Get her caught stealing. That'll solve the problem eventually if she keeps getting caught. > **OOP:** The sad part is we have caught her on camera stealing and she still has a job. **Commenter 2:** If they lock the supply room she'll have to sign out everything g. Tell HR your pay and the company bottom line is affected by theft Tell your boss it hurts morale when others note her stealing. Put a note on her desk to stop stealing > **OOP:** Honestly, Signing products out isn’t a bad idea, we’re going to talk to my boss about it again today and I might bring this up that she HAS to sign items out instead of whatever this is. > > Yes we have an abundance of supplies, but, it’s also not fair that she can claim items, take ours and we can’t do the same to her cause otherwise she’ll pull the old lady card. **Commenter 3:** I saw this had happened to a teacher and she ended up finding out that the person stealing was selling all the supplies online. She was able to take pics of the supplies being sold and the seller and the person got fired! Maybe this is one of those situations? > **OOP:** We’ve had similar instances like that and I’m guessing it’s something along these lines **Commenter 4:** Send a message to her and your boss. I see you put your name on product X. Can you explain why you need product X? It is only used for XZ and unless I'm mistake; you do not use XZ. Boss, has the current workflow shifted so that coworker needs to start using XZ? > > **OOP:** That’s what we’re planning to do when my boss gets here, with a similar phrasing as well. “why does she need this product when correct me if I’m wrong, we only use this product for that machine and that machine only” >> >> **Commenter 4:** How much older is this co-worker? One of the earliest signs of my mum's dementia was her labelling everything. >>> >>> **OOP:** I’m guessing around 70’s. **OOP explains more about their boss' awareness of how much of the products the coworker takes and what her write up was about** > **OOP:** Sadly, I guess my boss is aware of how much products she takes. > > My coworker and I truly can’t figure out how she manages to wiggle out of everything. > > I like my boss, but I guess they feel bad for giving her a write up for other things because she’s been mopey and isolating my boss out. > > Like I’m sorry, once you steal something, it’s a write up. Deal with it. Stealing and damaging property are like the only two things you can’t do at my company, and it seems like she somehow still has a job. That’s why we’re always frustrated. > > it seems pretty silly to me that my boss feels bad about that fact that she’s sad. > > My write up was silly texting drama that’s nothing compared to being a thief and I moved on. **OOP on the possibility of the coworker knowing someone within the department** > **OOP:** This is what we can’t figure out either. She’s new and sounds like she does know some big names, but I also know big names and have been at the company longer. I feel like my word should be much bigger than hers and some reason it’s not. > > I like my boss and the company always wants you to come to them with issues and I do however in this instance, it’s sort of like why bother. We bring up valid points and valid evidence. And nothing happens. > > I’m more scared for the summer when we’re with each other 24/7, I try hard to not cause drama and it’s easy when I see people for two seconds, but, if I see shit like stealing, racism or sexism like I did last summer, I can’t keep my mouth shut. &nbsp; **DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7** **THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP**

I was recently reflecting on another post ( <a href=https://www.reddit.com/r/indianbikes/s/TLDmSccVUT> here </a> ) on my journey with the bikes I've owned. This post is about my life spent around cars. Each car marked a phase—career changes, family milestones, shifting priorities, and evolving tastes. Here’s my car journey so far: 1. January 2004 — Used Maruti Zen (1998) This is where it all started. I learnt driving on this car, and it taught me more than just steering and clutch control. It was already 6 years old, so maintenance became part of ownership: - Changed clutch plates - Brake pads - Carburettor leaking petrol - Engine decarbonisation - Countless small fixes Despite all that, I grew attached to it. I kept it till October 2004 and sold it in better condition than I bought it in. That itself felt like a win. 2. November 2004 — New Maruti Zen VXi (Silky Silver) After using the old Zen, my heart didn't agree for any other model. My first brand-new car. That new-car smell, zero rattles, zero anxiety. What I loved: - The MPFI engine — smooth, peppy, eager - Compact, light, and fun to drive Did several joy rides to Lonavala and Pune–Mumbai–Pune work trips on the expressway. The Zen handled it effortlessly. Sold it in February 2011 with ~65,000 km on the odometer. One of the most stress-free ownership experiences ever. 3. October 2008 — Fiat Palio SDX (Diesel) My first diesel car. The good: - Tank-like build quality - Bonnet weighed a ton, doors shut with a thud - The 1.3 Multijet was a hoot once the turbo spooled The bad (and there was plenty): - Speedometer stopped working - Rear suspension broke - Hydraulic clutch failed I’m still unsure if it was just my car or a Palio thing in general. Sadly, this turned out to be the worst car I’ve owned despite having so much character. Sold it in November 2012. 4. January 2011 — Hyundai i20 Asta CRDi This car felt modern. Why it stood out: - Smooth, refined diesel - Spacious and extremely comfortable - 6 airbags, ABS+EBD, climate control — big deal back then - Probably got the best variant - all four disc brakes and a 6-speed gearbox. Hyundai later cut this down to only front disc brakes and a 5-speed gear box. This car probably did 150+ Mumbai–Pune–Mumbai runs. It racked up miles effortlessly. Sold it in August 2015 with 80,000+ km. A brilliant all-rounder. 5. September 2012 — VW Polo 1.2P (Trendline) Since the Palio was a bag of trouble, we need a new car that wouldn't keep breaking. VW was offering the Trendline variant with: - Heavy discounts - Free insurance - Audio system included I upgraded the look with custom alloys and Yokohama low-profile tyres, seen in the picture at the top. Loved: - German engineering - Solid build - No-nonsense design Hated: - Maintenance bills — ₹15,000+ for routine service in 2013 - Rising petrol costs Sold it in August 2016 with only 35,000 km. Heart wanted to keep it, wallet disagreed. 6. August 2013 — Hyundai i10 Aka “wife’s car.” Didn’t drive it much myself, but: - Very fuel-efficient - Low service costs - Hassle-free ownership We were the perfect Hyundai family — i10 and i20 parked side by side 🙂 Sold it in January 2017 when my wife upgraded. 7. September 2015 — Hyundai Verna SX Petrol My first sedan and first 100+ bhp car. What I loved: - Bluetooth handsfree felt futuristic - 6 airbags - The big car respect - Chauffeurs opening doors - Fuel attendants extra attentive And that boot! On a Mahabaleshwar trip, it swallowed: - Luggage of 4 adults - 2 kids’ bags - An entire baby stroller Sold it in August 2022 after electrical issues (rat bite) and long lockdown inactivity. 8. September 2016 — Tata Nano XTA A total wildcard. With the Polo's rising maintenance bills and its low slung height, which was causing ingress issues for elders in the family, the Nano came across a good choice: - Tall-boy design (easy ingress for elders) - Automatic gearbox - Great fuel efficiency, perfect for short city runs Reality check: - Noisy engine. Sounded like a diesel rickshaw - Zero road respect (rickshaw treatment) - Very light build and nothing in the front— the car would provide Zero protection to the occupants in a frontal crash. - Tata's after sales and service was pathetic. The less I talk about it the better. Sold it in August 2019 when a new car was coming home! 9. April 2017 — Maruti Baleno Alpha Petrol Wife’s upgrade. It was a delight to see how big hatchbacks could get! The Baleno: - almost as big as a second gen Honda City (dolphin shape) - amount of electronics Maruti managed to squeeze in to it was incredible. Suddenly, my Verna was looking lackluster. - smooth engine and incredible fuel efficiency even in petrol, the Baleno became the go-to car. - However, Maruti being Maruti, the difference in the build quality was glaring, especially when compared to the Polo. The Baleno served us till April 2023, when the wife was getting a new car. 10. September 2019 — Ford Ecosport Titanium S TDCi My first soft-roader and favorite car of all time. When someone tells you the car handles so well, they mean a VW, Skoda or a Ford. Steering feedback and precise handling take on a new meaning when you have driven a Ford. The Ecosport was on my shortlist even while buying the Verna in 2015 and it lost out only on the bootspace front. Loved: - the looks - supreme build quality - ground clearance - fuel efficiency, 1000+ km range on a full tank - Cruise control + LIM feature very helpful in following posted speed limits and avoiding fines! Took it on a 7-day family trip (4 adults, 1 child, all our bags) covering and stopping at various places on the Konkan coast and touching Goa. This car stands proud in my garage, waiting for me to start her up and munch hundreds of kilometres in a day. While the i20 was close, this is my favorite of all the cars I've owned. 11. May 2023 — Kia Sonet HTX Diesel AT Wife wanted an automatic this time. Why this variant: - Diesel + torque converter - No gimmicky connected-car features Impressions: - TC gearbox is smooth and quick - Effortless cruising at highway speeds - Drive modes genuinely affect throttle response - Steering is light (Hyundai/Kia trait), but handling can’t match the Ecosport - Fuel efficiency: Decent in city, 18+ kmpl on highways A practical, comfortable daily driver. What owning these cars has taught me: - Every car fits a phase of life, not just a budget - Reliability matters more than character after a point - Build quality and safety are non-negotiable as you grow older - Service experience can make or break ownership - Spec sheets don’t tell you how a car will make you feel The “best car” is the one that suits your needs at that moment. Above all, cars aren’t just machines—they quietly become part of your life story. Have a question about ownership of any of these cars? Thanks for reading. Cheers!

**I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/ThrowRA_835** **Originally posted to r/AmItheAsshole & r/Redditor_Updates** **AITA for telling my best friend his relationship/girlfriend is toxic, and they need to break up?** **Editor's note: changed letters to names for ease of readability** **Thanks to u/soayherder for suggesting this BoRU** **Trigger Warnings:** >!emotional abuse, verbal abuse, falsifying statements, mentions of infidelity, homophobia, misogyny / misandry!< ---- [Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/s/SnXqvLnaCu): **October 31, 2025** So for context I (28F) have known my friend (26M) (let’s call him Alex) for about a year now. We spend a lot of time together and he considers me his best friend. I did too but now I’m conflicted, and it’s mostly because of his girlfriend (25F). They have been together for a few years now and over the time I’ve known them I see more and more of their relationships’ flaws. Almost off the bat his girlfriend didn’t like me, stating that she thinks that he’s cheating on her with me. I’m happily married so no, I’m not interested in Alex. And Alex has said that he’s not interested in me but his girlfriend wouldn’t drop it. Eventually those accusations died down and things were ok for a few months. But then I noticed the way they treated each other. They fought all the time, I couldn’t be around them without them making backhanded comments to each other and talking to each other with a lot of attitude. Even full on fights where I couldn’t even tell who was right and wrong because they were so bad at communicating to each other. Every time it would just be me and Alex hanging out he would just complain about her and eventually I got tired of it. I told Alex exactly how I felt: that they are a toxic couple, that they need to communicate or else there isn’t a point to the relationship anymore. I do think he was listening to me because I could see his behavior change, but not hers. One day their fights got so bad she said she had called the cops on the both of us accusing us of doing illegal activities. We were obviously freaking out to the point that Alex started to cry, desperately trying to talk to the girlfriend. Eventually we got the girlfriend to answer to then have her admit she didn’t actually call the cops but said she did to get her boyfriend’s attention. And when being confronted on how that wasn’t ok I was called a bitch and then blocked on everything. Alex is on my side and eventually got his girlfriend to apologize. I accepted it because I didn’t want to cause more drama. Here’s where I was called an asshole: Not even a week goes by and they have another argument in front of me and I put my foot down saying that I can’t handle their behavior anymore, to not invite me to things if they were going to fight, and to fix their issues or break up because I couldn’t handle dealing with it. The girlfriend got extremely mad and basically told me to f\*ck off saying she never wanted to apologize. I know it’s not my monkeys not my circus, but if the monkeys come running to me and make me their ringmaster they can’t get upset if I run the show. Weeks go by and me and Alex had a talk where I say that I can’t be a part of their business anymore. To which he, to be honest, hasn’t really respected. I still see his girlfriend occasionally and she just pretends like nothing happened. (btw she still has me blocked). Am I really the asshole here? **Verdict: Not the Asshole** **Relevant Comments** **Commenter 1:** yta to your self! do not hang with her and keep reminding A that your time with him is girlfriend free, including talking about her. you are obviously not wrong, but people stuck in a volatile codependency can only help themselves when ready. try to get your friend into therapy so maybe he can become wise enough and strong enough to get out. > **OOP:** I have suggested therapy to him and he said he used to go but his mom convinced him he didn’t need it. And his girlfriend once told me they used to go to couples counseling and he never let her talk. So yikes **OOP responds to a long [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/1okng03/aita_for_telling_my_best_friend_his/nmc0kq9/) and clarifying on her friendship with Alex as her best friend when she's married and he's dating** > **OOP:** Ok I understand your first comment better now. Here is some more context: Alex has told me that since they’ve been together his gf has basically convinced him all his friends are toxic and he should cut them off. I overheard him basically begging her to not ask him to cut me off. Also he’s been with both men and women (so have I). And I used the term best friend because unprompted he asked me one day “you’re my best friend right?” I think he’s so desperate for any form of attention because he’s isolated himself for her. + > I used it because he used it, maybe it is a bit immature. I mean he is pretty immature; not a big deal but for example, he makes fun of me for using more articulate language instead of slang so idk. + > Oh yeah also he has cheated on her in the past &nbsp; [Update #1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Redditor_Updates/s/aOC569GrPu): **November 15, 2025 (a bit over two weeks later)** UPDATE: aita for calling my friend’s gf toxic and holy sh\*t this gets messy He ghosted me for two weeks, I kept asking to talk out what happened but he just wouldn’t respond. Then I got a message saying we should talk. I agreed and Alex decided that we would go for a drive, I had no complaints so we did. He started by saying that he’s “completely on my side” and that he doesn’t think what she did and said was ok but “she’s just like that”. I said that if we were to remain friends then I don’t want to hear about his girlfriend anymore and I don’t want to see her anymore. If she can’t be a decent human being then I don’t want to be around her. He agreed, we had some fun then I went home. Also for context they both work but only have one car so Alex drives her to and from work. When we hang out we made a rule that if we had to pick her up that he would drop me off at home first so that we didn’t have to see each other. Not even a week later we were hanging out out of town. She was getting of work soon and he said that we were going to go pick her up. I asked to take me home first and he said no. Stunned, I reiterated “take me home”. To which he again said no, that it would be out of the way and he didn’t want his girlfriend to get mad at him. Also for context: I’ve been there multiple times to pick her up before, and if he was late she would rip him a new one. But also vice versa, he would yell at her if she was late coming out of work (which she usually was by 30min to hours). I said exactly that, that she would probably be late so he could drop me off. He said no and that I was “being disrespectful to the driver” and that “the driver decides where the car goes and I shouldn’t complain”. At that point I was genuinely scared. I told him if he didn’t take me home now I won’t talk to him again. To which he said I was “overreacting” and “you’re really going to blow this friendship up because of something this stupid?”. We continued to argue until I just sat in the passenger seat silent. Then he had the audacity to run an errand before picking her up. I called him out on it saying “you have time to run an errand but don’t have time to take me home?!” And he straight up said yeah. I bite my tongue and we get to the girlfriend’s work. 20 minutes goes by and I asked again for him to take me home. He still says no. 40 minutes goes by and I said “I guess you could have taken me home” and he said “you don’t have to be petty”. An hour goes by and she finally comes out of work. I’m waiting for him to yell at her and… nothing… he’s quiet. And when he does talk he’s trying to get his girlfriend to have small talk with me!? I’m quiet the on the way home. I get out of the car and slam the door cutting him off from saying “byeee” in a sing-song friendly voice. I’m so done with him. Edit: I wanted to add some extra info: I met Alex through a mutual friend (Alex is no longer friends with them). I met my husband shortly after, we are newly weds but that doesn’t make him any less my husband. I do not have a crush on Alex, for the love of god can people stop assuming that. Alex and his girlfriend and me and my husband are in the queer community so none of us give a shit about gender in friendship. And I may be in the wrong for doing this but I changed the gender of the people in this story to be straight because I didn’t want to hear homophobic comments and just generally thought it would be safer, but people are assuming things based on that, incredible how insecure some of you are. I am a gay man married to my husband, Alex is a lesbian with a gf (been with men but cheated on gf with a woman). So for the last time: there are no feelings between me and Alex. And also for people thinking I’d randomly tell my friend and their gf off, if I see nasty behavior I’m gonna look out for myself but also Alex asked me what he should do! Specifically asked me for advice so idk what he said to his gf but I did what Alex wanted. Me and Alex would hang out at night 99% of the time because the gf worked at night. And now that I’m thinking about it I don’t think I’ve ever asked Alex to hang out, almost every other day I’d get a text from Alex asking if I was available to hang out; and we often drove out of town. Another reason I changed the gender is because I thought y’all would take the situation seriously if Alex was a girl and I was right because you’re not taking me seriously because you think I am. For those of you asking “where is your husband?” First off I don’t need to do everything with my husband and second it was night he was sleeping, he had work in the morning. Literally someone said I should spend less time with a male friend and focus more on my husband like I’m sorry, my husband has nothing to do with this story. I really only brought him up so people didn’t assume I had feelings for Alex, but apparently my word that I love my husband isn’t good enough. I’m not going to reply to any more comments. **Relevant Comments** **Commenter 1:** "I'm so done with him." I hope so. I hope you blocked him before you wrote this. There is no apology big enough to cover what he did. (Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't get out of the car and find your own way home before blocking him and moving on with your life.) So how did your spouse react? If anyone treated my dearly beloved the way Alex did you in this story, I would have a strong opinion about it. > **OOP:** It was night time when this happened so I didn’t feel safe walking home not to mention the walk would’ve been 2 hrs. And regarding my partner, I was talking with him the whole time. He wasn’t available to pick me up but he was there for me. But also we trusted him, so I don’t think we realized the situation when it was happening. **Commenter 2:** I'm sorry, but do you not have public transport or Uber/Lyft/taxis/whatever where you live? Were you that far away from home? (I'm guessing not, since not running an errand would've gotten you home and he could have picked her up.) I get that it's money and not everyone has the money to just do taxis/ride-sharing whenever. I do think that this situation would be "I'll eat rice and beans for a while" (delicious when done right, btw). I just don't get why you put yourself in this particular situation. Like, couldn't you have gotten out when he did the errand and called your husband or someone else (if the more expensive option wasn't feasible)? I'm confuzzled by this whole thing. That said, he's not your friend and you should keep him blocked. > **OOP:** We were in the next town over during the errand run, about 30 minutes by car. The girlfriend’s work is 15 minutes away from my house, but about a 2 hr walk. I was talking to my husband when it was happening and just hoping every second that the gf would get out of work. I just kept thinking she would “come out in the next 10 minutes”. My husband wasn’t available to pick me up and I didn’t want to call and wake anyone else up, it was late at night. And I’ve never used an uber nor do I trust it; a stranger driving me home in the middle of the night doesn’t sit right with me. **Commenter 3:** At this point is your own fault for still talking to him. “I’m so done with him”, let’s see how much it lasts. > **OOP:** I sent him a message saying I can’t handle this “friendship” anymore and I’m not changing my mind and then I blocked him everywhere else. I’ll update if he responds. **Commenter 4:** That's not so messy. Actually, a pretty easy out to stop all this. Just tell him you'd made it clear before that you didn't want to be with him when he picked her up and he disrespected your boundary by forcing you to go with him (though for future reference, you can tell him to stop the car and let you out at any safe point. You could have even left from wherever the errand was and gotten yourself home from there). Be done with this childish drama. These people have not yet realized maturity... Find people who are at the same level as you. > **OOP:** The errand was 30 minutes away by car, and I couldn’t call anyone to come and get me because it was the middle of the night. It was sadly safer to stay in his car. **Commenter 5:** So... you decided to hang out with a "friend" to work things out into "the middle of the night" when he suddenly had to pick up his girlfriend whom you hate and because he is such a doormat for her, he had to drive there instead of dropping you off? Oh, but then "in the middle of the night" he had to run an errand first? There are so many holes in this story that it is ridiculous. If, indeed, you are married, you ought to perhaps focus on your relationship with your husband instead of this dude's with his girlfriend. He is toxic. His girlfriend is toxic. You are toxic. YTA. > > **OOP:** His girlfriend works at night so he often asked to hang out at night, I was available so it worked. The errand didn’t require you to go into the building, it was an atm machine. And are you saying just because I’m married I can’t have friends and care about their problems? > >> **Commenter 5:** No. Not at all. Have friends. Care about their problems. I am saying that you are courting situations that are causing you drama and then whining about it. If I had a BF who was spending the late nights I worked with another woman, I would be getting a new BF. As well, if I had a husband or a wife who was hanging out with another woman or man in the middle of the night, regardless of them being "just friends" and "needing to talk," I would be questioning many things. Having boundaries is having respect for your own relationship and those of others. I have male friends. If they need to talk, I listen. However, what you describe is not that. At all. I am not old fashioned. I am simply saying that healthy relationships have boundaries. You don't have any in yours. >> >>> **OOP:** Me and my husband both trusted him, hanging out at night was a reoccurring thing even before I was even dating my husband. But regardless my husband has nothing to do with my having friendships. He doesn’t care who I’m friends with nor when I hang out with them, that is a healthy boundary to trust your partner around friends of the opposite gender. Which his gf does not have and my husband does. You wouldn’t be saying this if my friend was the same sex as me. **OOP responds regarding the timeline they met, dated and married his husband, and friendship with Alex** > **OOP** Yeah we’re freshly married doesn’t make him any less my husband, I met them both around the same time. And the girlfriend never expressed that hanging out at night/when she was at work was the problem, that sounds like your own insecurities. But even if she did then she should have communicated that to her boyfriend, why are you blaming the friend instead of the bf who doesn’t respect his gf? But regardless she just had an issue with her bf being friends with anyone female or male. Which makes sense because he has cheated on her before and he’s been with women and men so ofc she’d be anxious when he’s around any friend, but her insecurity is not my problem. **Commenter 6:** How long have you had a crush on him and have been hoping to ruin any relationship he has? Because that’s all this screams. > **OOP:** Never, I met my husband shortly after meeting my “friend”. But regardless my type isn’t insecure men. He was never even thought of that way. &nbsp; [Final Update](https://www.reddit.com/u/ThrowRA_835/s/DZnAslQ47V): **November 21, 2025 (six days later)** **Editor's note: OOP has attached screenshots of text messages** https://imgur.com/a/IyXaAvY **Transcript of the text messages** **OOP:** “I’ve been wanting to break off friendship for awhile now. I’ve been dealing with your bullshit and I can’t take it anymore. You complain about your girlfriend to me and when I give you advice you don’t take it. Your behavior is disgustingly disrespectful and I’ve had my last straw. I’ve been there for you for months and I’ve never felt like I could actually confide in you. You’ve crossed my boundaries for the last time. You’ve made fun of me, and you don’t actually care about my feelings. Or you do and you can’t be emotionally mature and show that you care. And you literally held me hostage in your car and wouldn’t take me home when I asked, that is not ok. And you were so petty that you couldn’t just take me home and made me wait an hour. Not to mention you apparently had time to go to the bank before picking them up but not take me home?! Idk what your deal is with not taking people home cuz you did the same with [Friend]. In the end you’ve pushed me away. And your girlfriend hasn’t helped much, they’ve shown exactly how they feel about me and how you’ve handled the situation makes me sick. I’ve given you both so many chances to be the bigger person and you both act like children. So I hope you’re happy with the life you’ve chosen to live. I’d hope that when you’ve grown and realized I’m right that you’ll reach out, but I doubt you will. So I hope you educate yourself. And I know [GF] is probably reading this first because you two don’t have boundaries. And I’m not gonna let you try and fix this again by ignoring my feelings and trying to bribe me or some shit. Neither of you are good people and I don’t want to surround some shit. Neither of you are good people and I don't want to surround myself with people who make me feel this bad. I know you'll miss me cuz you obviously had more fun with me than you ever did with them. So I'm gonna have fun being married [place we moved to] the love of my life while you're stuck with a girlfriend [GF's issues.]" **Alex:** "first of all thank you for fucking waking me up i actually have a job second of all i don't complain ab my gf i complain about their family which is completely different and yea goodluck w [personal info] getting married when your unemployed and could def not hold down a job bc all you ever fucking do is complain ab the stupidest shit ur just like [friend] also cry to [husband] cuz ur not going far in life (ALSO once he finally breaks up w you your legit not gonna have nobody,) which would be soon dw bc all u do is complain which is insane bc u always think your right hi [OOP] dumb bf btw cuz ur gonna be ss it and sending it him being like "ommg look what [Alex] said ab you" also what the fuck is wrong w you guys getting married rn w cheap ass rings [personal info] and you know it's not gonna last (unless he's gonna be held hostage [A's personal info] LMAOO whatever and yk im right cuz your being upset over me actually not agreeing w you for once smh" **End of the transcript** &nbsp; **DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7** **THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP**

**Before/after pictures attached. Not shirtless.** I figured I'd finally make a proper transformation post and actually explain **how I got here**, because otherwise the pictures don't really tell the full story. I started at around **83 kg, skinny-fat**, with basically no idea what I was doing. My goal wasn't to get shredded. **I wanted to get BIG.** I grew up seeing my brothers and father being bigger guys, and I wanted that for myself. So I started lifting and spent roughly **2 years gaining**, eventually reaching **107 kg**. Then came the fun part: cutting all the weight back down and finding out how much muscle I'd actually managed to build. I'm currently around **85 kg**, with a **32-inch waist** compared to the 36-inch jeans I used to wear. And yes, before anyone asks: **The belly fat is still there. 😂** Apparently my body has decided that's the last thing it's willing to give up. My end goal is visible abs, so I'm still going. # Strength progression This is probably the part I'm most proud of because I didn't just gain bodyweight—I actually got significantly stronger. When I started: **Bench:** 20 kg — literally the empty bar **Squat:** \~70–80 kg **Deadlift:** \~80 kg Now: **Bench:** 135 kg **Squat:** 180 kg × 5 with \~1 RIR **Deadlift:** 210 kg And before anyone asks, these aren't ego-lifting numbers. I care a lot about **form, technique and controlled reps**, and the 210 kg deadlift was done with good form. The squat was always one of my stronger lifts, but seeing the difference in my bench is probably the craziest one to me. Going from **benching the empty bar to 135 kg** is something I never would have imagined when I started. I also hit the **210 kg deadlift while cutting**, which was a pretty cool milestone. # What I did during my bulk Honestly? My nutrition back then was **not nearly as optimized as it is now.** I used to eat whatever was available in the mess—rice, chapati, etc.—and I tried to stay away from too much junk and oily food. But I ate **a LOT of carbs.** One of my main weapons for getting calories in was a shake containing: * Whey * Milk * Peanut butter * Oats * Banana * Biscuits Basically, if I couldn't eat enough, I drank the calories. My protein intake was probably somewhere around **80–120 g/day**. And looking back, that's probably my biggest regret. **I wish I had prioritized protein from the beginning.** I think I could have built significantly more muscle during those two years if I'd understood nutrition better. I was eating enough calories. I just wasn't using those calories as intelligently as I could have. **Current cut** I'm currently eating approximately: **1,900–2,000 kcal/day** **Protein:** 190–200+ g **Carbs:** \~160 g **Fat:** \~50–55 g I've kept my calories and protein fairly consistent throughout the cut instead of constantly changing things. **Typical day:** **Breakfast** * 70 g dry soya chunks * 50 g besan * Made into a chilla with minimal ghee **Lunch** * 200 g Milky Mist high-protein low-fat paneer * 2 slices bread * 30 g Veeba Veg Mayo Smart * 20 g ketchup Basically a paneer bruschetta. **Pre-workout** * 100 g Yoga Bar High Protein Oats — Dark Chocolate * \~70 ml milk **Post-workout** * 1 scoop Isopure whey * \~27 g protein **Dinner** * 7 boiled egg whites * 3 whole eggs **Snacks** I don't really have planned snacks. If I need something, I'll usually have vegetables or very-low-calorie drinks. **Supplements** * **6 g creatine daily** * Whey protein * Pre-workout occasionally I also drink roughly **5–7 L of water/day**. I generally avoid oily/junk food because it tends to mess with my skin and gives me breakouts. I'm not perfect with the diet either. I'll have a less-controlled meal/eat out **once or twice every couple of weeks**. **Training** Current split: # PPLRULR — 5 days/week I prioritize **progressive overload**, but I'm much more focused on getting stronger **with good technique** than just throwing more weight on the bar. I don't chase failure for the sake of saying I went to failure. My goal is basically: **Good form → more reps → more weight → repeat.** I had a period where my strength plateaued, and instead of just forcing heavier weights, I started focusing much more on **technique and execution**. That helped a lot. # Push * Smith low incline press — 3 × 6–8 * Machine incline press — 2 × 8–12 * Plate-loaded overhead press — 2 × 8–12 * Machine pec fly — 2 × 12–15 * Cable lateral raises — 2 × 8–12 * Overhead double-arm extension — 3 × 8–12 * Single-arm extension — 2 × 8–12 * DB lateral raise — 2 × 8–12 * Leg raises / cable abs # Pull * Pullover machine — 2 × 8–12 * Chest-supported T-bar row — 3 × 8–12 * Single-arm pulldown — 2 × 8–12 * Seated row * Rear delts — 3 sets * Bayesian curls — 3 × 8–12 * DB hammer curls — 3 × 8–12 # Legs * Stiff-legged deadlift — 2 × 6–9 * Leg press — 2 × 8–12 * Leg extension — 1 × 8–12 * Hamstring curl — 2 × 8–12 * Smith calf raise — 2 × 8–12 * Leg raises / cable abs # Upper * Machine lateral raise — 3 × 8–12 * Machine incline fly — 2 × 8–12 * Smith low incline press — 3 × 6–8 * Chest-supported machine row — 2 × 8–12 * Wide plate-loaded pulldown — 2 × 8–12 * Single-arm cable lat row — 2 × 8–12 * Tricep cable extension — 3 × 8–12 * Incline DB curl — 3 × 8–12 * Leg raises / cable abs # Lower * Hamstring curl — 3 × 8–12 * Adductor — 1 × 8–12 * Leg press — 2 × 8–12 * Hack squat / Smith squat — 1 × 6–9 * Leg extension — 2 × 8–12 * Hip thrust — 2 × 8–12 * Smith calf raise — 2 × 8–12 # Cardio / activity I'm currently doing around **10–12k steps/day**. For cardio I alternate: **30 min incline walking** **30 min StairMaster** I didn't really do cardio during the bulk. I introduced it during the cut. # The stubborn belly fat This has probably been the most frustrating part. I've gone from: **107 kg → 85 kg** and my jeans have gone from: **36 → 32 inches** but the belly is still hanging around. So if you're wondering why I'm not calling this "finished": **I'm not.** I want visible abs, and I'm going to keep cutting until I get there. I also learned that you can't decide where the fat comes off first. You just have to keep going and let your body do its thing. # What I'd do differently If I could restart the entire journey, I'd change two major things. # 1. More protein from day one. This is probably the biggest one. I was getting plenty of calories but not enough protein consistently. I genuinely think I'd be more muscular today if I'd understood that earlier. # 2. Make the bulk more controlled. I don't regret getting to 107 kg because I wanted to build size, but I definitely could have done it more intelligently. I was basically operating under: **"I need more calories? Fuck it, eat more."** 😂 I'd still recommend gaining if you're skinny-fat and want to build a serious physique, but I'd do it with much better nutrition. # What kept me going One of my biggest motivations was simply wanting to become the person I had pictured in my head. I also learned a huge amount from watching **Jeff Nippard**. I'd literally watch his videos while eating. The physical changes were obviously huge, but one unexpected thing I've noticed is how differently people seem to interact with me now. People just seem **friendlier**. Maybe it's the physique, maybe it's confidence, maybe it's how I carry myself now—or maybe it's all of it. Either way, I definitely noticed the difference. # What I would tell someone starting at 80–85 kg skinny-fat **Train hard.** **Eat enough protein.** **Eat mostly good-quality food.** **Stay consistent.** **Don't let the fear of gaining some fat stop you from building muscle.** You can always cut later. For me, I needed to **fill out the frame first**. Once I actually had some muscle underneath, cutting became much more worthwhile. And honestly, the hardest part is just starting. Don't sit there thinking about what other people will say. **Start. Train. Eat. Get stronger. Stay consistent.** You don't need to have everything figured out on day one. I certainly didn't. I went: **83 kg → 107 kg → 85 kg** and I'm still not finished. The abs are coming. **I just don't know when yet. 😂** But I'll get there.

# APEX LEGENDS: ESCAPE GAMEPLAY TRAILER [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-7j2ejytyI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-7j2ejytyI) &#x200B; # NEW CONTENT # NEW LEGEND: ASH A new Legend with a familiar face, Ash has overseen the Arenas from the shadows and held a tight grip on Pathfinder’s heart. A simulacrum made from the woman who once was Dr. Ashleigh Reid, Ash is determined to eliminate every trace of weakness that held her back as a human.. Detecting death wherever she goes, spearing enemies with electric snares that lock them in place, tearing through space to take more lives-- it would be easy to think that there was nothing human left within that cold steel. But a trace of the human doctor remains, and she poses a greater threat to Ash than any Legend in the ring. https://preview.redd.it/47xwqu7y28w71.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=0393b2ecb3fc30087b1fdece2e8c4f1157e830fd **Passive: Marked for Death** Ash's map shows the location of recent deathboxes. She gets a special prompt on a deathbox, use it to mark surviving attackers (once per box). **Tactical: Arc Snare** Throw a spinning snare that damages and tethers the first enemy that gets too close. **Ultimate: Phase Breach** Tear open a one-way portal to a targeted location. This portal stays open for a short time, during which anyone can use it. [See Ash’s abilities in action here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGZ9yPBXwZg&ab_channel=ApexLegends) &#x200B; https://preview.redd.it/kebi9i3238w71.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=03dea5d4833b18547e92afe30ffa221783c756f2 # NEW MAP: STORM POINT This beautiful oasis was once an energy colony for the IMC, and the ruins remain. Many have tried to make a home here: all have failed. A survey of the area revealed the remains of three unique settlements built across the centuries, but no survivors.The colony lay abandoned, only visited by the occasional pirate or castaway. Now the Mercenary Syndicate has plans of their own for Storm Point. It looks so enticing, but the pristine beaches and crystal waters are just the eye of the hurricane. All around, dangers swirl: wild prowlers, venomous spiders, and the gathering storms only add to the tension in the air. Now the Legends are here to make this place their own. So it looks like Storm Point is only going to get more dangerous. Check out our blog with all the details [here](https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/news/stormpoint-map-blog). # BATTLE ROYALE MAP ROTATION For the Escape update the map rotation will be back down to 2 maps; Storm Point and World’s Edge. With Storm Point being a whole new map, we want to make sure players have plenty of time to master the new arena. # ARENAS MAP ROTATION With the introduction of Encore, the Arenas map rotation will now include only the custom made Arenas maps. We will not be using BR locations for Arenas in the Escape update. https://preview.redd.it/gv43fj3638w71.png?width=1456&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d9679312bf52d6851e9277968a0d55a84e4a423 &#x200B; # NEW WEAPON: C.A.R. SMG When you’re in a precarious place, you need a dangerous, flexible weapon: meet the C.A.R. SMG. The Combat Advanced Round submachine gun is a fully automatic weapon that takes adaptability to the next level by accepting either Light or Heavy mags. The C.A.R. hits hard but handles light, this hybrid weapon’s the best of both words for when you’re ready to take a stand and become the most dangerous thing on the island. &#x200B; # RANKED UPDATES Hello, Legends! Let’s take a quick look at how Ranked in Emergence shaped up and review the changes coming in Escape. Ranked continues to attract a large portion of players (around 40% of all playtime!), but this doesn’t mean we can’t look to make improvements. Note: We fixed an issue where expired skydrive trails remained accessible for longer than they should have. These trails will now expire on the intended seasonal cadence, as mentioned originally in the [Ranked Series 3 post](https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/news/ranked-series-3-details) (trails from Series 1 & 2 are still grandfathered in). &#x200B; # RANKED BATTLE ROYALE - ESCAPE “Skill” in Apex can be evaluated in all sorts of ways. It’s the amalgamation of gun skill, movement, positioning, awareness, legend mastery, and prevailing over everyone else as Champion that separates the lowly Bronze from Apex Predators. With that in mind, we want to provide more flexibility and nuance to how players can express skill when RP gains are at stake. Before Escape, measurements have been simple and straightforward. We grant RP based on kill points and a placement multiplier. Now, we’re easing back on some RP restrictions to offer other routes to max out kill-related RP in a match. **TL;DR: Just give me the summary...** * Kill RP values now take differences between killer/victim Ranked tiers into account. * The kill RP cap (as we have traditionally thought about it up to this point) is effectively being raised from six to seven. However, this *kill-related* RP cap can be reached in different ways, depending on tier differences and placement. Placement is still paramount, and you still must place first to have a chance at max *total* RP. To expand on the first point, tier differences between the killer and victim will be taken into account when calculating baseline kill point value. For example, if a Plat player kills a Diamond player, that kill counts as 12 instead of 10 RP &#x200B; |Tier Difference|Kill Points| |:-|:-| |\-3|3| |\-2|5| |\-1|8| |0|10| |1|12| |2|15| |3|20| Some points of clarification; * Victims do not lose more or less points when killed (in terms of entry cost). Only the killer receives the modifier. * Apex Predator and Master are treated as the same tier. * An encounter rate with someone of a 3+ tier difference is ultra-rare (less than 0.1%). Ranked matchmaking is staying the same, so in general, you’ll come across identical tiers. In cases where you squad up with a different rank friend or merge into a different tier lobby, your KP will be adjusted appropriately. After tier differences are taken into account for kill points, a flat per kill bonus is added based on placement. &#x200B; |Final Placement|Per Kill Bonus| |:-|:-| |1|15| |2-3|10| |4-5|5| |6-10|2| |11-14+|0| The maximum kill point RP is 175. Any kill-related RP that exceeds that after placement and tier modifiers are added doesn’t affect total RP. The final step is to add a flat placement bonus. Enough with the math, let’s explain these changes with an example: *As a Platinum player, you party up with your Diamond friend and matchmake into a lobby with similarly skilled players. You snag second place, with 6 kills (and/or assists) against Diamond players, and 3 on Plat players.* *Each kill on those Diamond players is worth 12 points instead of the typical 10, because they are one rank tier higher than you. That leaves us with (12 × 6) + (10 × 3) = 102 RP.* *Now let’s take placement into account. In second, the per kill bonus is 10, so our 9 kills (including assists) × 10 = 90 RP.* https://preview.redd.it/hinur92r38w71.png?width=608&format=png&auto=webp&s=9e58b10360c73c04e4617e2857fc4c045732aabb We’re curious to see how these changes affect the ranked grind. Jump into Storm Point this first split and let us know how they feel. Stay tuned; this is only the start of what we have in store for Ranked improvements. &#x200B; # RANKED ARENAS - ESCAPE We learned a lot from the first season of Ranked arenas and are eager to bring you some improvements: * Arenas Ranked now has 2 splits, similar to Ranked Battle Royale * Along with each new season and split, there is a soft MMR reset and new placement matches. New seasons require the usual 10 placement matches while a new split only requires 5 placement matches. * Improvements have been made to matchmaking for finding similarly skilled teammates. * Reduced the AP amount gained or lost from MMR differences between teams. **DEV NOTE:***The final calculated AP amount for a match is a factor of your current AP and MMR. It’s also influenced by the MMR differences between teams. In practice, this difference was factoring in more than we wanted. I.e. Losing a match you were slightly favored to win was giving a bigger AP loss than desired.* &#x200B; # BALANCE CHANGES # WATTSON **Dev Note** *Move aside Ash, this is Wattson’s season. We’re ecstatic to finally share some long-anticipated Wattson improvements! Her win rate and encounter win rate have always been above average. This could be for a multitude of reasons; her defensive playstyle correlates to higher average placements, Wattson mains are diehard loyalists, and her hitbox has been the smallest in the game ever since Lifeline’s adjustment.* *Regardless, much of the high-level data that we’ve shared doesn’t match perception. Play a few games as Wattson and you’ll often find yourself wanting more out of her kit. The goal of these changes is to redistribute her invisible power into the parts of her kit that shape the battlefield in a unique way. We wanted to see what changes could spark more consistency and efficacy in her kit, and ideally ground some of the difficulties surrounding the way her abilities work.* *We want to enable more active gameplay from Wattson players by smoothing out the rough edges in placing fences. Responsiveness tweaks, longer range, and faster cooldowns means that Wattson can much more quickly and reliably set up a defensive position, or even use her fences and pylon in the midst of open combat in a pinch.* **General** * Improved the reliability and responsiveness of placing Wattson's Tactical and Ultimate in-world objects. * Wattson can place her Tactical and Ultimate objects on valid surfaces above Wattson's eye level (to a reasonable extent). * General hitbox size increase, to compensate for the removal of low profile in the Legacy update. https://preview.redd.it/8rpbj2vu38w71.png?width=1422&format=png&auto=webp&s=c0feaf1db1fe70a3a8c9b37a502f3d055e5bbf90 **Tactical - Perimeter Defense** * Increased damage on crossing a Fence by 33%. (15 to 20) * Increased debuff duration on crossing a Fence by 100%. (1.5 to 3 seconds) * Increased the time allowance to be hit again by a subsequent Fence effect by 100%. (0.5 to 1 second). * Decreased recharge time by 50% (30 to 15 seconds). * Increased placement range by 50%. * Decreased the delay between Fences shutting off and reactivating after an ally passes through them by 60%. (1.0 -> 0.4 seconds) * Wattson now moves at Unarmed-speed while readying/placing Fence nodes. * Fence nodes can now be placed as soon as the weapon is readied, instead of waiting for the animation to finish. **Ultimate - Interception Pylon** * The Pylon output has been significantly reworked. * Reduced the number of active Pylons Wattson can place from 3 to 1. * The Pylon now lasts forever (instead of timing out after 90 seconds). * The Pylon now has a pool of 250 Shields that can be distributed to nearby players, instead of effectively infinite Shields. * Increased the Pylon shield recharge rate by 150%, and smoothed regen rate. (2/second -> 5/second, or more accurately: 1/0.5 seconds -> 1/0.2 seconds) * When a Pylon is out of Shields, it no longer recharges players' Shields, but can still zap incoming ordnance. * Taking damage while regenerating Shields via the Pylon delays continued regeneration by 1 second. * The UI on the ground and HUD elements now displays the amount of Shields that remain in the Pylon. * Pinging a friendly Pylon will now display the percentage of Shields remaining in the Pylon. * Pylon ordnance-zapping has been moderately reworked. * Ordnance is now zapped when the Pylon detects that it would hit any surface within range and line of sight of the Pylon, instead of being zapped as soon as it comes within range. * As a part of the changes, current issues where the Pylon doesn't reliably zap ordnance (particularly concerning airstrike abilities, and ordnance that bounced off surfaces near the Pylon) should now be addressed. &#x200B; # BALANCE CHANGES: WEAPONS / GEAR ### SUPPLY DROP ROTATION * This season the Triple-Take returns to floor loot and taking its place is the G7 Scout. The Scout enters the Supply Drop with its old friend the Double-Tap Trigger equipped. ### HOP UPS * **Dual Shell** \- Each round loaded into the Mastiff or the 30-30 Repeater is doubled. ### FULLY KITTED ROTATION * Added: Mastiff 30-30 Repeater, R-301, CAR, Longbow * Removed: Peacekeeper, Rampage, RE-45, Flatline, and Charge Rifle ### EVA-8 * Fire rate reduced from 2.1 to 2.0 **Dev Note** *With the reduced bolt scaling we’ve done in previous passes the EVA-8 is still performing ahead of the shotgun pack. Hitting the base fire rate should help balance out our shotgun roster.* ### PEACEKEEPER * Slightly increased pellet size * Choke up time reduced from 1.5s to 1.25s * Choked up shots remain tight for slightly longer when exiting ADS **Dev Note** *When the PK came out of the crate we gave it a big sweep of nerfs to make sure the floor PK wasn’t the crate monster we had all grown to know. In this pass, we swung a little hard so we’re giving it a QOL and usability pass this season.* ### LONGBOW * Damage reduced from 60 to 55 **Dev Note** *We’re walking back a recent buff to the Longbow that proved unnecessary. We wanted to give it some love due to all the recent Marksman updates but it seems the Longbow was just fine.* ### L-STAR * Reduced barrel effectiveness at all rarity tiers * Significantly reduced projectile collision size * Damage reduced from 18 to 17 **Dev Note** *The L-STAR has been a force to be reckoned with this season so we’re taking a big swing and hitting its projectile size and damage in an effort to bring it down a notch.* ### G7 SCOUT * Damage increased from 34 to 36 * Double Tap added to Supply Drop G7 Scout **Dev Note** *With the G7 Scout entering the supply drop we’re giving it a bump to damage and adding back on the retired Double Tap to give it some extra spice.* ### SUPPLY DROP WEAPON RATES * Early game crate weapon rate increased from 25% to 50% * Mid game crate weapon rate increased from 50% to 75% * Late game crate weapon rate increased from 75% to 100% **Dev Note** *Pushing a supply drop in the end game and whiffing on a weapon feels pretty rough. We want to improve the reliability of getting crate weapons out of supply drops throughout all phases of the game. Don’t worry, we’re adjusting Kraber spawn rates accordingly to keep them in line.* ### HOT ZONE GOLD LOOT RATES * Increased amount of gold loot that spawns in hot zones **Dev Note** *Hot Zones can sometimes feel a bit lackluster so we’re injecting more high-tier loot into these dynamic zones to make them more enticing drop spots.* ### CRAFTING * Increased ammo from crafting * Light Ammo 20 → 60 * Heavy Ammo 20 → 60 * Energy Ammo 20 → 60 * Shotgun Ammo 8 → 24 * Arrows 16 → 48 * Sniper 12 → 36 * Crafting Ammo price increased from 5 to 10 per weapon * Evo Armor Points from crafting increased from 100 to 150 * Evo Armor Points cost increased from 45 to 50 * Replaced a sniper bundle with a shotgun bundle featuring the Dual Shell **ENEMY NPC UPDATES** * Prowler health across the game has gone up from 90 to 114 (Storm Point and World’s Edge) * Prowlers on World’s Edge and Flyers on Kings Canyon now reward EVO points (25%) ... all damage done to AI now rewards progress to your EVO armor ### ARENAS **Supply Drop** * Supply drop will now land outside the first ring, if possible, and land 10 seconds earlier. * Purple weapons now spawn more in earlier rounds * Round 1 - 3x blue -> 1x purple + 2x blue * Round 2 - 1x purple + 2x blue -> 2x purple 1x blue * Round 3 - 2x purple 1x blue -> 3x purple * Supply drop no longer spawns blue Havoc or Devotion or gold RE-45 **Weapon Price Updates** * **Moz** * Blue 125 → 150 * Purple 200 → 250 * **P2020** * Blue 75 → 50 * Purple 150 → 25 * **RE45** * Base 200 → 150 * White 150 → 100 * Blue 250 → 200 * **Prowler** * Base 500 → 400 * Blue 300 → 350 * Purple 400 → 350 * **R99** * Base 500 → 450 * Blue 250 → 300 * Purple 300 → 350 * **Hemlok** * Base 500 → 450 &#x200B; # QUALITY OF LIFE * UI - teammates will now show that they are self-reviving on their in-world game tags. * Added VO for players to communicate they are out of ammo. * Updated the Arena Map Rotation Images to show up to five maps. * Updated Social Awareness Badges to unlock as default for all accounts. &#x200B; # BUG FIXES * UI/UX / Steam Only: Fixed issue where your online friends playing Apex didn’t count towards total online friends while in matches. * Fixed bug for Placing a Caustic trap over a Seer Ultimate, that could result in the Ultimate being protected from taking damage. * Updated Volt skin's charm placement to be moved up so that charms become more visible. * Fixed bug with players losing extra Boosted Loader extra ammo if the player reloads before getting to base ammo amount. * Steam: Fixed issue where if a player has a forward slash in their name, a backslash will be added right before it automatically. * R5DEV-280424 - Legends- Retail - Hitting an enemy with Valk tactical missiles, can result in health damage even with shields equipped * Fixed issue where players do not see Legend Select when starting a game in Trios and immediately advance to drop ship phase. * Audio fix for cases where music starts playing in the middle of a BR match. * Fixed UI error that showed that the Legendary Prowler had the "Shotgun" tag in the in-game info screen. * Audio fix for cases where VO for map changes doubles up (plays both variants at the same time). * Audio fix for Rampart Town Takeover where vending machines had no soundFX. * Fixed bug where Non-Crossplay Steam friends playing Apex would show up with debug text. * Removed the random rock floating in midair in World's Edge. * Bug fix for cases where a player could stand up and jump in a knocked-down state after an enemy starts finisher and cancels it. * Fixed bug where player names would be missing from Legend select. * Reduced hitbox size for Crafting Material Canisters to better fit its shape. **Legends** * **Rampart:** * Fix for cases where Rampart's "No Mercy" finisher causes her to clip through geometry. * **Wattson:** * Fixed issue where her Ultimate doesn't always destroy frag grenades when thrown inside the Pylon radius. * **Pathfinder:** * Fixed issue with players being able to create ziplines much farther than intended. * **Fuse:** * Fixed bug with his Ultimate cooldown being the same with or without a gold helmet. * **Seer** * Removed ability for players to be able to bunny hop at full speed while using Passive. &#x200B; [Source](https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/news/escape-patch-notes)

The material properties demand ... during machining operations to achieve the desired surface finishes. ... The production of ABS grades involves different formulations that incorporate various materials to meet specific performance requirements. The main ABS plastic types include general-purpose and ...

USA top CNC Machining Services in Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, Oklahoma and all over North America - to industry leading OEM’s. ABS Machining established in 1971 has a proven track record of success delivering quality precision machined parts, ...

Here is a table of the technical specifications for ABS material: general, mechanical, and thermal properties. The main ABS grades for machining are General-purpose ABS, Medical-grade ABS, Flame-retardant ABS, High-impact ABS, and Transparent ABS.

To further save costs, engineers ... to control in thermoplastics like ABS. Here are some other general design tips we recommend on CNC machined components: Design features on the same axis planes: This will minimize the need for more costly 4- and 5-axis CNC mach...

Generally, ABS would have useful characteristics within a temperature range from −20 to 80 °C (−4 to 176 °F). As an amorphous polymer, it does not have a true melting point. The table below displays an overview of the material properties, units and values for machining ABS:

However, ABS generally generates less heat during machining compared to some other plastics. Chip Control: Proper chip control is important to prevent chip buildup and ensure a smooth machining process. Tool Path and Machining Strategy: The tool path and machining strategy should be chosen based on the geometry of the part and the desired results. Climb milling is often preferred for ...

I have machined lots of delrin, UHMW, nylon, polycarbonate, PVC, phenolic, bet never this stuff. What is it most similar to? Anything to watch out for? I'm quoting and looking for some pointers from someone with experience machining this stuff. ... ABS is great to machine.

Yes! Machined ABS parts are generally considered durable.

Despite the many benefits and excellent balance of components, there are several pitfalls related with ABS CNC machining. In this segment of the article, we discussed useful tips for the effective operation of ABS CNC machining services. ABS plastics are of various grades including the general-pu...

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is an affordable thermoplastic that has become popular for pre-injection molding prototypes. It is a versatile material known for its strength, durability, and resistance to impact and heat. ABS plastic is widely used in the automotive and consumer electronics i

Compared with ABS processing, the ... meet the general requirements, while ABS processing can achieve ±0.02mm. Create an ABS part through rapid prototyping, which is efficient and takes a short time. It is suitable for designers to design, test parts, and quickly obtain the practicability of parts. ABS machining can achieve ...

A: ABS machining refers to the process of shaping or fabricating parts from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic using various cutting, milling, ...

Machining ABS plastic is a popular choice for applications that need a strong, stable plastic that can be formed easily.

ABS is a go-to thermoplastic for machined prototypes and end-use parts due to its durability and low cost.

ABS Machining | 1,937 followers on LinkedIn. NORTH AMERICAS TRUSTED PARTNERS TO OEMs | Founded in 1971, ABS Machining offers a truly integrated CNC machining facility, a qualified and experienced staff, a certified welding facility and assembly capabilities to handle the largest and most complex ...

Diamond-coated tools can also be effective for extended tool life when machining ABS. Cutting Parameters: Optimize cutting speeds and feed rates to prevent melting and minimize tool wear. Higher cutting speeds and lower feed rates are generally preferred for ABS.

SendCutSend offers ABS plastic in 3 thicknesses: .125", .187", and .234". Available in black, CNC routed with 2-4 day lead time. USA sourced.

When you need custom tooling and precision machining, that combines unmatched quality with unparalleled service, you need ABS Precision Machining. Our

Easily machinable ABS can be used both for 3D printing and CNC milling. Read now for tips & tricks on CNC machining ABS material.

In ABS machining, Ensinger achieves the tightest tolerances and highest surface quality due to optimized parameters in the manufacturing process.

ABS Machining Company Profile, Contacts & Intelligence ABS Machining Overview Founded in 1971, ABS Machining offers a truly integrated CNC machining facility, a qualified and experienced staff, a certified welding facility and assembly capabilities to handle the largest and most complex projects. ABS currently services a wide variety of customers in the wind, steel, petroleum, locomotive, pulp and paper, energy, mining, injection molding, press, oil and gas, and power transmission industries. With leading edge technology, a commitment to quality, and a continuous improvement program, our customers are assured that all parts are produced to meet their most strict requirements. As an ISO 9001:2000 certified company, ABS prides itself on offering personalized service that is backed by a facility capable of meeting your every requirement. Headquarters Mississauga, Ontario, Ca Website absmachining.com Industry Machinery Manufacturing Founded 1971 NAICS Machinery Manufacturing, Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing Phone Number Available in AeroLeads Company Email Available in AeroLeads

Association for Computing Machinery ACM myACM

Plastic Part ABS Machining Custom Color 0.01mm Tolerance High Performance Sign In | Join Free | My xpandrally.com Categories ABS Machining Type: Milling, Other Machining Services, Rapid Prototyping Material Capabilities: engineer plastic Micro Machining or Not: Micro Machining Material: ABS tolerance: 0.01mm Service: OEM ODM Application: spare part Port: Shanghai Company Info. SuZhou BiUlU technology Co.,Ltd View Contact Details Product List ABS part plastic machining ABS is a low cost plastic material with outstanding impact resistance, machinability, and thermoforming characteristics. It is an excellent choice for machine housings, retail store fixtures, and point-of-purchase displays when impact resistance or durability is required. ABS plastic is available in general purpose, machine grade, fire-rated, UV resistant, orthotic grade, FDA compliant grade, and scratch resistant grades in a variety of textures and colors. For ABS chemical resistance view our chart.

ABS Guides Industry on the Use of Additive Manufacturing (HOUSTON) ABS has published comprehensive guidance on the application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the marine and offshore industries. The ABS Guide for Additive Manufacturing focuses on two main categories of metal AM processes: Powder Bed Fusion and Directed Energy Deposition. The Guide defines the ABS approval and certification process for AM facilities and AM parts by providing standards for AM design, feedstock material, building processes, inspection and testing. The Guide includes a strong focus on the quality of the materials and of the manufacturing process, both of which are key elements of the ABS process. “This exciting technology can shrink the supply chain and lead times for specialized and complex parts as well as introduce new efficiencies driven by design innovation, reduced manufacturing time and improvements in parts availability. It clearly has a significant role to play in the future of the marine and offshore industries, and ABS is committed to supporting its safe, efficient and sustainable adoption,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.

Sawmill Jump to navigation Jump to search

Claudia Chandra [advisor: C. V. Ramamoorthy] Micromachined Piezoelectric Microphones Robert P. Ried [advisor: Richard S. Muller] Micromechanical Signal Processors Clark T.-C. Nguyen [advisor: Roger T. Howe] Micromechanisms Using Sidewall Beams Michael W. Judy [advisor: Roger T. Howe] Motion Planning for Wheeled Nonholonomic Systems Linda G. Bushnell [advisor: S. Shankar Sastry] Non-Sequential Tool Interaction Strategies for Sea-of-Gates Layout Synthesis Glenn David Adams [advisor: Carlo H. Séquin] On the Relative Importance of Bus and Cache Consistency Protocol in the Design of High Performance Shared Memory, Single-Bus Multiprocessor Systems Michael C. Shebanow [advisor: C. V. Ramamoorthy and Yale N. Patt]

Conventional Machining

ABS Custom all kinds of mechanical parts, all kinds of materials parts machining Contact Supplier

Valid Strikes (Longsword): Valid strikes may be cuts (“hews”), slices, or thrusts. All strikes must be performed with two hands on the weapon to be considered valid, except when undertaken as part of a grappling action. Blade grabs are not considered grappling—one-handed strikes from a blade grab will be ignored. Cuts: Cuts must land with proper edge alignment and demonstrate at least a 45° arc of travel to be considered valid. Incidental contact does not a cut make! Slices: For a slice to be counted, it must a) involve a draw or push in a single direction with at least 10” of total blade-on-target contact with proper edge alignment, and b) not be performed against or over the opponent’s weapon. Incidental contact does not a slice make! Additionally, slices against the torso (under the opponent’s arms) will be ignored. Thrusts: Any touch with the point that obviously makes contact while the point is moving forward towards the target will be considered a valid thrust. Pommel Strikes: Must be to the front (mesh) or top of the mask only. Pommel strikes anywhere else may be penalized. Pommel strikes should always be thrown with a minimal amount of force for safety.

James Demmel The New BLAS Standard. The BLAS (Basic Linear Algebra Subroutines) Standards Committee has reconvened to consider adding new functions requested by different user communities, including batched BLAS (eg many small or medium sized matrix multiplications done at once), low precision BLAS, and reproducible BLAS (bitwise reproducible results, independent of number of processors, summation order, etc). Communication-Avoiding Algorithms The ASPIRE project (Algorithms and Specializers for Provably Optimal Implementations with Resilience and Efficiency) is motivated by the transition from a post-transistor-scaling world to one where whole-stack codesign is the key to improved efficiency. It follows on the ParLab (Parallel Computing Laboratory), an interdisciplinary research center motivated by the multicore revolution.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...