Introduction
The shahada "La ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah" contains in it many aspects that are either partly or wholly abandoned by the masses of people who attribute themselves to Islam today. Many people who say this word are silenced by those who don't rule by the sharia of Allah. So then why do we trust the ilm of the scholars who are the mouthpieces of the leaders who disregard Allah's law?
Those who are silenced speak about one common aspect of Islam, without which there is no Islam. Kufr bit taghut. Disbelief in the taghut. So what is it about kufr bit taghut that causes so many scholars to be thrown in prisons by the rulers who we all admit are corrupt?

What is taghut?

Taghut is any false god who calls to the worship of other than Allah. A soothsayer, a fortune teller, and what concerns the modern day people the most; taghut is anyone who rules by other than what Allah has revealed and/or calls for people to obey other laws instead of the laws of Allah. One cannot be Muslim without making takfir of the taghut and distancing oneself from it.

How does one reject the taghut?

1. Make takfir of the tawagheet (any ruler who doesn't rule by the sharia), their police, their soldiers and not join their ranks. Make takfir of anyone who considers them Muslim despite knowing that they don't rule by the sharia.
2. Not vote in democratic elections, make takfir of anyone who votes in democratic elections and anyone who calls people to vote, considers voting halal, or says it's not shirk.
3. Not apply to the courts of the taghut where disputes are settled according to man-made law, make takfir of anyone who applies to such courts without ikrah and make takfir of those who say this is not major shirk.
4. One must not become their imams.
5. One must dislike them.

In our modern day the one who has firm tawheed must believe in in the following:
(Scholarly articles will be added as a hyperlink in the following days insha'Allah)

• Must believe that anyone who rules by laws other than the laws of Allah are kuffar, whether they consider it haram or not. These include so-called Islamic parties who join the parliament. These people are claiming an attribute of Allah (legislating), it doesn't matter if they believe Allah's laws are better after having committed this shirk of ruling by their own laws.
• Voting in democratic elections is major shirk and whoever does this is a mushrik with no regard to their intentions. (Exceptions: ikrah, or if they were unaware of the fact that they were voting in a democratic election....for some reason). All Muslims must make takfir of the one who votes in democratic elections. Voting for the lesser of the two evils is an invalid reason because the act of giving the right to make laws to other than Allah is shirk. The concept of lesser of the two evils does not apply when both options are shirk. Source 1: Is there a difference of opinion in voting in democratic elections? Source 2: Voting in democratic elections is major shirk
• Applying to non-sharia courts to solve disputes is shirk. Whoever does this without ikrah is a mushrik. All Muslims must make takfir of such a person. Source 1: Applying to the courts of man-made law is major shirk
• Becoming police officers or joining the military of a country that doesn't rule by the sharia of Allah is kufr. All Muslims must make takfir of such a person. Muslims cannot support or fight for the cause of the taghut. We are commanded to disbelieve in the taghut.
• Not making takfir of the taghut after knowing that they don't rule by what Allah has revealed. One can believe the rulers (who wholly or partly abandon the sharia) are corrupt, but as long as they don't make takfir of them and make bara' from them they can't be Muslim. In Islam, making laws is an attribute of Allah (SWT) and the one who doesn't make takfir of anyone who legislates their own laws from their whims and desires has not made takfir of the mushrikeen nor fulfilled kufr bit taghut. Without takfir of the taghut there is no imaan.
• Takfir is from the asl of the religion. Without making takfir of the mushrikeen (ones with clear shirk in which there is no difference of opinion) one cannot be Muslim. Those who say takfir is a shari'i hukm, if they believe that those who don't make takfir of the taghut or the mushrikeen can still be Muslim then this is a kufri belief. May Allah (SWT) protect us.
• The one who excuses major shirk with ignorance is a kafir. They are referred to as the aathir. What more can Allah (SWT) say to make it clear that Allah does not forgive shirk? Subhanallah there are some people who even say those who pray to other than Allah are still Muslim because they said the shahada! Since when does shahada protect one from shirk, especially when the one who says it utterly contradicts it by praying to other than Allah! How can one be Muslim if they never even knew the meaning of La ilaha illallah? Excusing major shirk with ignorance is the biggest manifestation of irjaa today. Insha'Allah I will be adding links and evidences from scholarly sources in the following days. Source 1: Excusing major shirk with ignorance is kufr

I don't intend to hurt the feelings of anyone

By Allah, I am not writing this to hurt anyone, insult anyone or get angry at anyone. I used to believe I was a Muslim when in fact I was committing one of the nullifiers above. I wish to spread the knowledge in Ramadan, a time when people's hearts are more inclined to the truth. Often we hear about scholars getting arrested in Saudi Arabia. The predominant reason for this is because they call people to kufr bit taghut, which the current corrupt rulers of the ummah and their pawns don't want you to know.
As mentioned, sources and links will be added to this post in the following days insha'Allah.

tl;dr is it inappropriate to touch my wife intimately while she sleeps if I’ve been given prior consent?
So some private info, bedroom activities have been very few and far between. We’ve been married for 9 years and have 3 kids together since being married. As far as I know we are both still very in love but as far as laying as husband and wife this is very rare (I can count on one hand how many times in the last 2 years). I will take some blame here as she has said to me “you never initiate” which is mostly true, but I also feel whenever I do I’m met with “don’t touch me right now”. She is on medication that can have a side effect of decreasing libido and does get overwhelmed by tactile sensations at times, both things I completely respect and understand. She has said to me before and multiple times recently “You can always wake me up with X, Y and Z” this is relevant as she regularly goes to bed before me as one of our children has trouble falling asleep. As a result she is usually asleep when I come bed as she takes sleeping tablets to help her sleep through the night (prescribed and recommended by a medical professional).
Given this information and knowledge of prior consent if I was to intimately touch her in certain places while she is asleep would this be okay?
I wouldn’t go ‘all the way’ with her, but more rubbing here, stroking there, kissing this and that sort of thing and seeing where that leads. If at any point she said “stop” or “no” I would of course comply. But given the sleeping pills I’m not sure if this is inappropriate.
Advice here from a female POV would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi all, just wanted to check if something is “Shiba behaviour” or needs correction. My 4yo girl tends to be very intense and domineering to other dogs. When she locks on her “target”, she’ll just lay down, eyes focused, ears up, tail up, waiting for the other dog to approach.
When not held back or introduced slowly she’ll just pounce when the other dog is within like 3 meters, with attempted nipping and sound. Tail still up, no signs of “aggressive intent” when held back or introduced slowly.
Was wondering how “Shiba” this is, or if this is just her thing to manage. Cheers!

“The woman who is to be married is of three types. She can either be under the age of puberty and a virgin, or above the age of puberty and a virgin, or she may not be a virgin. For each woman, there is a separate ruling:

1. As for the virgin under the age of puberty, there is no disagreement between the scholars that her father can marry her to someone without her consent - as consent in her case is not conceivable. This is because Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, may Allaah be pleased with him gave his daughter ‘A’isha, may Allaah be pleased with her in marriage when she was six years old, and the marriage was consummated when she was nine years old. Agreed upon. Imaam Shawkaani stated in Nayl al-Awtaar [6/128-129]

This hadeeth is a proof that it is permissible for the father to marry his daughter to somebody before puberty.
He also stated: In this there is a proof that it is allowable for a girl under the age of puberty to marry an adult. Imaam Bukhaari devoted a chapter to this and mentioned the hadeeth of ‘Aisha, and stated in al-Fath the consensus of the scholars on this point. In al-Mughni [6/487]
Ibn al-Mundhir says, There is a consensus among the People of Knowledge from whom knowledge is taken, that it is permissible for the father to marry his daughter who has not attained the age of puberty to someone who is suitable.
I say: In the marriage of A’isha by Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with both of them when she was six years old to the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him is the strongest rebuttal to those who condemn the marriage of a young, pre-pubescent girl to an adult man and revile it, and consider it an evil. This is due entirely to their ignorance or because they intend to cause mischief.

1. As for the virgin who is above the age of puberty, she should not be married off except with her consent - and her consent is her silence, in accordance with the statement of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him: ‘The virgin should not be married off until her permission is sought.’ They said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, how is her permission sought?’ He replied, ‘If she remains silent.’ Agreed upon. So it is necessary to seek her consent, even if her father is arranging her marriage, according to the most correct conclusion of the two opinions of the scholars. Ibn al- Qayyim stated in al-Hadi [5/96]

This is the position of the majority o f the Salaf and the Madhhab of Abu Haneefah and Ahmad in one of his narrations, and this is the conclusion by which we worship Allaah and do not believe in any other. This position is in accordance with the ruling of the Messenger, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, his orders, and his prohibitions.

1. As for the deflowered woman, she should not be married off unless her consent is sought. Her consent, unlike that of a virgin, must be verbal. In al-Mughni [6/493]

As for the deflowered woman, we are unaware of any disagreement among the scholars that her consent is verbal. This is proven by narrated accounts, and by the fact that the tongue is the instrument by which what is in the heart is expressed, and it is the thing that is regarded in any situation where approval is stipulated. Ibn Taymiyyah stated in Majmu' al-Fataawa [32/39- 40]
It is not acceptable for anybody to marry off a woman without her consent, as ordered by the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him. If she is forced to marry, she is not obligated to marry unless she is a virgin under the age of puberty, as her father can marry her off and there is no consent for her. As for the adult woman who is not a virgin, it is not permissible for her to be married off without her consent, neither by her father nor anybody else, according to the consensus of the Muslims (the Scholars). In the same way, it is not permitted to give an adult virgin in marriage by other than her father and her grandfather, without her consent by the consensus of the Muslims. As for her father or her grandfather, it is appropriate that they seek her consent. The scholars have differed regarding whether their seeking of her consent is obligatory or mustahabb (preferred) for them; and the correct position is that it is obligatory. It is obligatory upon the guardian of a woman to fear Allaah when he chooses whom to give her in marriage, and he should check the (prospective) husband to ascertain whether he is suitable or not for the girl, as he is conducting the marriage for her benefit and not for his own benefit.
The condition of a Wali (Gaurdian) in the Woman’s Marriage
Giving the woman the right to choose a husband who is suitable does not mean she has complete freedom to marry whomever she wants, even if this was to cause harm for her family and relations. Instead, she is bound by her Wali (Gaurdian) who supervises her decision, advises her, and undertakes the contract of the marriage. She does not conduct the marriage herself. If she does execute the marriage contract herself, the contract is void. This is proven by the hadeeth in As-Sunan of ‘A’isha, may Allaah be pleased with her: ‘Any woman who marries herself off without the permission of her guardian, then her marriage is void, her marriage is void, her marriage is void...’ Tirmidhee said this hadeeth is hasan (authentic enough to be accepted). In the four Sunans, ‘There is no marriage except by a Wali.’ These two hadeeths, and others with the same meaning, prove that marriage is not valid without a Wali, because a negating statement negates the validity of that action. Tirmidhee stated (see al-Mughni [6/449])

Stand musical Reference: “Mio Mao La La La La La” by Francesco Mosseri & Piero Barbetti(it has no meaning literally at all.)
Stand Typing: Bound, uh… you’ll just need to read it for yourself.
User Name: Johannes Swan
User References: Johannes for the creator of the Printing Press and Swan from Joseph Swan, who was involved in the creation of the electric lightbulb.
Stats
Power: N/A
Speed: N/A
Range: ? (Hard to tell.)
Durability: D
Potential:A
Stand Ability:『Mio Mao』is unique in that it began powerless, and it even currently has no entirely battle centered abilities, but it makes up for such by having a very large plethora of possible abilities, currently depending mostly on passerby and other civilians to fight. The abilities will be split into “Mio” and “Mao”, as I use their meanings to create the abilities. Let’s start with Mao. The Mao section of abilities is called “The Coarse”. The Coarse has the abilities of “quality stealing”, manipulation of people without strong minds(passerby’s for standoffs sake), to revert a “finished” object back to an unfinished state, increased impact of the users words on people under the age of 19, and creation of monoamine oxidase. The Mio section of abilities is called “The Treasury” . The Treasury the abilities of “declaring ownership” of something, to “deposit” or “withdraw” one million, instantaneous Cherry Blossum Growth(only one every 15 minutes by default), and,when the user found out about Mio(the water-enhancer company) gave the user a power within the company equal to a Co-owner.
Mao further explanations: The “quality stealing” ability is only usable non-living man-made objects. Objects with their quality stolen will become less well constructed, such as a house having a worse foundation or a plane having a faulty landing mechanism, or a bridge being more likely to collapse. The manipulation of weak minded individuals is limited to either quickly rallying a mob or calming a mod down, and the opponent will never be included in any fighting scenarios. The reverting of finished things to an unfinished form can also only be done to non living man-made things, and things it can do include but are not limited to: removing a houses wall paint, removing one of the pillars of a building, and removing the concrete of a road. Due to the extra impact of the words of Johannes on younger people, he can influence them into helping him in fights or schemes quite easily. And finally, monoamine oxidase is, by definition, an enzyme that deaminates monoamines: it destroys excessive amounts of many biologically active monoamines, as serotonin, epinephrine, or histamine. Or condensed, it causes depression. Johannes can manifest this within a person’s brain through physical contact, but it’s not as if it would do much other than lowering the opponents moral.
Mio further explanations: Declaring ownership of something is more or less to make it so that any 5 by 5 feet square of land that Johannes is standing on, when somebody other than him stands or otherwise on it, can trigger the police to arrive, as it’s “Private Property” owned by Johannes. I the time the police arrive are dependent on the arrival times of the police in the specified area. “Withdrawing” or “depositing” one million works as it allows for Johannes to “deposit” a million yen into allowing him to use his instant Cherry Blossom growth skill, which he will get by “withdrawing” one million yen(which comes from money and coins lost in peoples couches or like 2-3 dollars from rich people from all over the world, instantly Converting to yen. His instant Cherry Blossom growth allows him to, you guessed it, instantly grow a 40-50 feet tall Cherry Blossum tree from anywhere within 10 meters of him, letting him climb to roofs or lift the opponent or other shenanigans. Finally, the Mio water-enhancer company is basically a mini-speedwagon foundation for Johannes; but only the money or specific requested items part.
『Mio Mao』has an “A” in potential as Johannes can expand his abilities even further by discovering new meanings of “Mio” or “Mao”. This includes slang and possibly false, even if it was created as a joke, all that matters is if the user believes it to be a real application. Let me explain where each ability came from: in Chinese, Mao man’s a lot of things. It means: hair, feather, down, wool, mildew, mold, coarse or semi finished, young, raw, careless, unthinking, nervous, scared, (of currency) to devalue or depreciate. I’m sure you can find find where each power comes from. Secondly, MAO also stands for Monoamine Oxidase, which is one of the depression chemicals. Mio means “Mine” or “My Own” in both Spanish and old Italian. Mio is also used as an abbreviation of of “Million” sometimes as well. Somehow, Mio is also from words regarding Cherry Blossoms. Finally, Mio is also a water-enhancer company.
Appearance:『Mio Mao』is a stand composed of two objects, one representing The Treasury and the other The Coarse. The Coarse is a small white marble with a small section of it being an orange color, that feels surprisingly fluffy, like a feather. The Treasury is a small unpure brass ring, with the words “Live, Love, and” with the third word being unreadable, created as part of the ring. Johannes has to be wearing The Treasury on one of his fingers to use it’s abilities, and he must have The Course on his person somewhere to use it.
User lore: Johannes is currently 23, and has had a rather complicated upbringing. He’s born in the slums of Chicago, having an Indian-Mexican Heritage. He gets abandoned, as you do, and lives simply by getting lucky. Whenever he passes out from wounds or hunger or thirst, he wakes up having been saved by a person who puts him back on the street as soon as possible. He’s been in a rather brutal gang before, leaving after a few months, setting the base on fire before he runs away. He went on the move at age 15 for better places, and hasn’t stopped yet, though he had finally summoned his stand when he got caught in a rather unfortunate 5-on-one fight he definitely couldn’t win. Suddenly a ring appeared on his finger and a bead in his clenched fist. He had heard the word “Mio” used as an acronym for one million, being the cost for them to let him go. He used the ring, and withdrew that sweet sweet 1 million yen, before hightailing it out of there. He has just been doing research on the words “Mio” and “Mao” as well as money-making schemes to get by since. Along with that he, of course, took online language classes and expanded his vocabulary. He is fluent in Italian, Spanish, French, and Arabic. He’s haunted for sure, but you won’t see him not cracking a joke at every opportunity. He doesn’t really have a fighting style, as he would be improvising, but using the passerby or police through bribing or his heightened manipulation is what he relies on.
User Appearance: Johannes clocks out at the height of 5’4 with a pretty ok build, nothing special. He usually wears clothes that make it easier for him to hide in crowds, such as a blue shirt without printing and khakis in slums, but it can vary depending on where he currently is. What doesn’t change is that he wears three additional rings, one on the hand with The Treasury, and the other two on the other hand. His shoes also don’t change, wearing brown bowler shoes, with a small skull at the back of the heels.

I am a musician from South Africa, and pretty teach full-time. I have my own small business teaching music. I teach guitar, and basic piano, and I teach one-on-one lessons and group classes.
I'm curious. Where are you from, and how much do you charge for lessons if you are a teacher, or how much would you say is the going rate for private lessons?
Here in South Africa, depending on the teacher, private tution is anywhere from R150 - R400 per 1 hour lesson, that is anywhere between $8 - $22 (U.S.) per lesson. R400 ($22) per lesson is what I would say is the premium rate charged to upper income households. I don't believe there are many musicians that are able to charge more than that here.

so like I tried this tutorial but nothing happened
i tried it with this theme btw
it just stays the way it is (and yes I restarted qBittorrent after applying the theme)
i'm using qBittorrent v4.3.9
os: Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS

Everyone looking for clever ways to save her is making the same mistake Troi did when taking her command exam during "Thine Own Self.") She didn't want to accept that the correct answer was to order someone to their death, even though it was necessary to save the crew.
Ro Laren made a choice: to sacrifice herself in order to buy more time for Picard & co to escape. Her entire speech with Picard earlier was about how she was willing to sacrifice her own well-being for what she felt was right. She didn't know how long the bomb had before it would went off, trying to save herself could have meant losing the opportunity to cripple Intrepid. She did what was necessary to accomplish that goal, without regard for her own safety.
This was a crisis situation, and Ro made the choice that had the best chance of saving many, many other lives.

So, a bit of back story -
I recently turned 30(m), and haven't really dated for 6 years due to a particularly messy break-up where I found out I was cheated on. Was a fairly long-term thing (c. 5yrs) and it hurt, so took some time out to focus on myself, my health (issues) and my career. This and I can sometimes be quite anxious about meeting new people, and don't really live a 'normal' social life so find it hard to meet new people away from my usual crowd.
Towards the back end of 2022, I decided it was time to put myself back out there again and started using Tinder and Bumble... (to absolutely no joy) until recently where I rejigged my profile and took a less "show off" approach to things and tried to be a bit more genuine.
Move to the present day - matched with a girl on Bumble and waited for her to message,within 10minutes she'd found me on Instagram and we'd started chatting.
Now we got off to a good start as we're both into the car scene, alternative music, bit of banter back and forwards and things seemed to be heading in the right direction. This went on for a couple of days - the odd compliment back and forward, and just generally a good vibe!
That was until about 3x days later - she went quiet, thought nothing of it and then saw on her story that it was her birthday, so jumped to the messages and wished her a huge happy birthday and hope she has an amazing evening celebrating to which she replied.
Queue the next day - simple question "are you doing anything this afternoon/evening, would be great to take you for a drink to celebrate?"
No response, left it a few days - followed up with a "you must have been busy, it's okay. How are you?"
Nil - again, allowed it as I can be the same sometimes.
Quick follow up after about a week and a half of no talking - "Hey! Was good getting to know you, things must be hectic. Would be good to speak again soon!"
Nothing - we're now 3x weeks since the last active exchange between us.
Now, the bit that's getting to me is that none of these messages have been read at all. It's almost as if I've been purely ghosted but out of nowhere. As you can imagine - it's hitting me pretty hard, as it's the first real connection I've had with anyone for a while and genuinely thought something good may come of it.
Have I done something wrong? OR, am I completely overthinking things?

Im going nuts waiting for my miscarriage. I’ve been emailing my doctor and nurses for a week with concerns and everyone keeps telling me to contact someone else. After a FET my HCG was low but doubling for a week (high was 325 at 5weeks) but mid 5th week it dropped and kept dropping (it’s been 6 days since it started dropping). Basically I’m waiting to bleed and wondering how long i will have to wait?
It’s so early I know, but I’m just super exhausted after stressing about the low betas for a week and a half and now watching my HCG drop. I don’t know why the doctors/nurses haven’t gotten back to me. This is my first pregnancy and I just feel terrible.

Words in my head, to tell myself, that I wouldn’t say to anyone I know incl him
Dear MM, I love you like I have never loved before. I miss you the moment I’m not with you like I have never missed before. You are my first, my one and my only. My first impression of you wasn’t much, as we met under circumstances that I wasn’t happy about. Fast forward to 1.5 years after we first met , to January last year. I heard of you liking me ~ boys my age have crushes on me all the time and every older man I’ve encountered thought I was beautiful but I never bat an eye at them because I’m used to it. Somehow, with you, my heart fluttered and after months of pursuit, I said yes to an invitation to a party. The rest is history.
You taught me what it feels like to love and be loved. I never believed in love before I met you. I never felt love until I met you. You showed me what it feels like to be looked after and cared about and protected. When I’m with you, I am not afraid of anything else. I am not afraid of speaking my mind, I can let my guard down and be myself because I know you have my back. You are the sweetest person I have ever met. When I am upset, you are the first person to make me happy. You always know exactly what to say. When I am in the wrong, you know exactly how to teach me a lesson in a positive way, telling me stories of other experiences and sharing knowledge with me.
You are a verbal, smiley man with a sense of humour that I love. You treat me with utmost respect. To me, you are a man who I trust, feel protected by, can rely on, but also like a puppy who I share the purest form of affection with. It seems your acts of love is service, gift, touch, words of affirmation AND quality time. I have experienced all 5 from you to the maximum.
With you not by my side now, I miss you everyday and I can’t wait to visit you more and more. When I see other guys with their girlfriends, it reminds me of how much of a great guy you are, to me. You never scold me, never made me feel bad, are just the right amount of outgoing to balance out my coldness and shyness to the public.
~ love from ~ xoxo
MM moved overseas (without family). I am meeting him soon on 2 trips where he planned his trips according to mine. I will fly to see him often after that. We message for over an hour everyday since he left. He told a mutual friend he thought we were like true love and I felt like his first love (he is mine). It has been 1 year and we are still in the sweet honeymoon phase that I wish to never end. When I see how other men speak to their girls, I appreciate MM even more. I’m not “waiting around”~ both of us are in the career grinding phase so I have no time to date others anyway until I figure my path out. A tough turning point. I do trust everything he has told me and I believe I am not in an affair fog. By the end of the year when my career is more settled and his new business starts taking off, we will know our story more. // he started to throw around divorce for the last 3 months and I understand why it’s not happening now from his perspective —- I also do not want him to now because I do not have my career sorted yet and it’s not realistic to live with him when both of us r busy getting our independent financial side stable.
I didn’t wish him to divorce in the beginning. But now, I hope his business takes off, he chooses to divorce (he can only, if business is good so he can make it without marital assets in case wife wins the case- several legit issues as to how she can). By then, I hope I have settled into a well paying career field and move to his country. I currently earn $4-5k a week in my business in my country but it’s not sustainable forever plus I can not take it with me overseas, so I needed to make the move and him moving overseas has encouraged me to make a transition. In the perfect fairytale ending: his business is success, I have my backup job in software or other, as well as a successful business, and we are together. If he does not divorce, at least his move has pushed me to work towards a sustainable future in a country with greater opportunities. In a country where my childhood dreams lie, so I am not wasting my life away for him either if I can achieve the next career step.
Ps: I really hate my home country - lacks opportunities/lack of quality people/high living cost/ridiculously low pay/far away from everywhere/every wealthy student left, every top student at uni left, while just 3.5 hours away in another country, pay is 50-75% higher for many skilled jobs with lower living cost and greater business opportunities and more elite people/people whom I can learn from. Im only here becuse of my business earning me a comfortable lifestyle and because he was here but now he’s gone, it’s a good push for me to work towards my goal of leaving this country and for greater opportunities too. Im afraid as hell though to not make it overseas and struggle with lower income

It truly pains me to see how much Marina Genes is being dragged through the mud, when all she is trying to do is improve the TMSU after years of corruption.
Of all the student leaders I’ve met on campus, she genuinely seems to be one of the kindest and most passionate about making a difference. She was dealt an awful deck of cards, being elected as an independent after years of corruption with an exec team that has ties to previous administrations, but she has worked so tirelessly to give students a union that they can count and depend on. All of the Reddit posts, social media comments, etc. are all hidden behind nameless accounts, yet none of them showed up to the SAGM (except to pull the fire alarm). Once again, the first President in years to actually host an general meeting that met quorum- why? Because she actually wanted students to come out, learn about the TMSU and vote to progress forward. She even launched an investigation into the past financial mismanagement- something that the other Presidents swept under the rug. In my opinion, if any of these accusations or allegations were true, WHY were they only brought up during election time?? Why weren’t they handled before?? It’s because they’re trying to destroy this poor persons reputation.
There are so many great students that the TMSU could benefit having on the team, but no wonder they’re afraid to run when they know what the outcome will be- their names and reputations dragged through the mud for just trying to help make their university a better place. Heck, I’m writing from a burner as well because I’m involved in other student clubs on campus and I don’t want to be thrown into a toxic mix.
Enduring all this truly takes a special person, and I really hope that Marina is getting the support she needs. I’ve only met her a handful of times at TMSU events, but I can only imagine how scared she must be, how upsetting this must be for her family. I hope she knows that a majority of students support her and support her mission. I’m voting for Marina in this election, because we need to continue having a TMSU that serves it’s students.

I graduated from the IB a couple years ago with a 44. While the means of obtaining your desired grade will certainly change from person to person, there are a few basic tips I'd suggest to anyone hoping to feel as prepared as possible for their exams!
There are three basic skills you're hoping to master to make sure you do well in your exams: Comprehension, Synthesis, and Test-taking. Let me explain.
Comprehension: First things first, you need to make sure you understand, to your best ability, each topic that you will be tested on. It's up to you how to do this: perhaps for Econ, you go through the textbook and take notes. For Maths, you might read through your textbook's examples, and try the most challenging few problems from each chapter. For Physics, you might do both, but then also watch a Chris Doner video (highly recommend if you don't know who he is). Basically, make sure you're clear topic by topic before trying to combine anything. At this point, you should highlight any topics that you found particularly challenging. I'd recommend doing past paper questions filtering out for this topic specifically until you feel more comfortable with it (ExamMate is a good tool for this, but there are others too).
Synthesis: After you've completed thorough topical review, try doing random exam questions—not in a timed situation. At this stage, you're not really training your understanding of each subtopic—you're training your ability to synthesise this understanding effectively.
Test-taking: Finally, once you've spent some time focusing only on comprehension and synthesis, move to actually completing past papers. Too many people rush ahead to this stage and then feel shocked as to why they don't do well or just keep doing past paper after past paper and wonder why their marks won't improve. Honestly, this stage is the least important, as all you're doing is training your ability to take tests—while this is an important skill, it has nothing to do with how well you understand the subject. It's about time and pressure management, and doing any past paper for any subject will also be practice for all of your other subjects. Don't rush ahead or spend too long on this stage. When you're here, you should also highlight your weakpoints and return to stage 1 before retrying.
I'd spend the most time on Comprehension, spend a short amount of time on Synthesis, then spend only the week or two leading up to your exam on Test-taking, unless your Test-taking abilities are severely lacking and need brushing up. And please, please, don't sacrifice any sleep, especially not the day before the exam! You're doing more harm than good, as your studying will be very suboptimal and you'll very quickly lose the time you supposedly gained staying up—and if you're taking an exam, you don't want to be doing so at 60% cognitive capacity.
Let me know if you have any questions!

After the success of last week's first giveaway (Ted Baker Men's Suit), we are doing our second Giveaway. All you need to do is subscribe for a chance to win.
I'm not sure if this is the correct subreddit but let me explain...
I have created a site on Substack called "Good Giveaways". The intention is to select a winner every week for a particular clothing item:
https://goodgiveaways.substack.com/
The second giveaway is a Women's Linen crop top:
https://goodgiveaways.substack.com/p/giveaway-02-womens-linen-crop-top
Why are Good Giveaways giving products away for free?
We believe that the fashion industry is broken. Clothing companies extort workers and the environment in pursuit of profit. At the same time, clothing is unaffordable for many people. Good Giveaways is an experiment to improve access to clothing and change the narrative around fast fashion.
How do Good Giveaways make money?
Right now, we do not make any money. We are testing this concept for a few weeks and if it proves popular we may take it forward and build a bespoke Giveaway website and platform that Brands will have to pay to showcase their products.
I'm not sure if this qualifies as "free" since participants have to sign up with their email address. However, without the email address I have no way to select a winner and contact them to arrange delivery of the items.
Winners will be announced and contacted on Sunday March 27th 2023.

The Galaxy is legendary for its speed, power, cavernous internal volume, and massive size. Designed to be a no-expense-spared, long-duration explorer, the class served not only in the role of flagship but also as the core of the Dominion War fleets.
The class proved itself worthy of both roles many times over. The flagship, Enterprise-D, pushed the boundaries of propulsion and warp field theory, heated the cores of dying planets, and sealed rifts in spacetime itself, not to mention saved the Federation on multiple occasions. As the backbone of fleets during the Dominion War, Galaxy’s were outfitted as assault carriers; with squadrons of smaller starships launched from her cavernous hull tactically supported by the firepower of the Galaxy herself.
The high losses during the Dominion War pushed shipyards to get as many starships to the frontlines as fast as possible. With the repurposing of the explorer to an assault carrier and the push on production, shipyards began specializing equipment aboard Galaxy-class vessels.
This led to a brief ‘Golden Age’ of the Galaxy-class; with specializations from all branches for all purposes. These specializations were so prolific and successful that they served as a testbed for an entirely new class that was built around them, the Ross-class.
Here is what I imagine some of those Galaxy-class specializations to be. They all come with tradeoffs, Pros and Cons. I have chosen not to list the Cons for the sake of brevity.
What specialization is your favorite? How would you outfit and customize a Galaxy-Class?
Specialization: Science
Primary Mission: Mapping Uncharted Regions
Secondary Mission: Relay Long Range Starfleet Comms
Primary Hull:
- 15 Stellar Cartography Suites
- Expanded Cetacean Ops to Include 20% of Internal Volume
- 2 Medical Holosuites with Non-Medical Secondary Use
- Long Range Lateral Sensor Grid
Secondary Hull:
- Expanded Cetacean Ops to Access Deflector Control (<5% Total Volume)
- Combined Shuttle Bay
- Aft Long Range Sensor Array
- 1 Full-Time Medical Holosuite
Specialization: Diplomatic
Primary Mission: Enforce Federation Law
Secondary Mission: Further the Cooperation of Federation Members
Primary Hull:
- All Quarters Outfitted as Diplomatic Suites
- 4 Full-Sized Holodecks and 24 Holosuites
- Central Arboretum featuring a Live Sequoia
- Deluxe Galley Seats and Serves 5000+
Secondary Hull:
- Conference Rooms and Gathering Space for 1500
- 3 Computer Cores
- 6 Holosuites
- Additional Main Bridge in Place of Battle Bridge
Specialization: Operations
Primary Mission: Advance Limits of Galaxy-class Frame
Secondary Mission: Explore Redundancy for Galaxy-class Systems
Primary Hull:
- Secondary Warp Reactor
- 3 Computer Cores
- Warp Nacelles Replace Warp Sustainers
- Additional Fusion Reactors, Capacitors, and Deuterium Storage
Secondary Hull:
- 3 Nacelles
- 3 Computer Cores
- Increased Deuterium Storage
- Enhanced Deflector
Specialization: Colonization
Primary Mission: Establish New Colonies per Federation Standards
Secondary Mission: Support and Maintain Existing Colonial Infrastructure
Primary Hull:
- Added Cargo Capacity for Colony Equipment
- Standard Quarters Upgraded to Family Suites
- All Ages Civilian School
- Terraforming and Habitability Research Labs
Secondary Hull:
- Long- Range Planetary Sensor Suite
- Combined Shuttle Bay
- Increased Fuel Stores
- Power Efficiency Upgrade for Longer Duration Missions
Specialization: Medical
Primary Mission: Provide Medical Services to Federation Members
Secondary Mission: Triage in Natural Disaster and Conflict Scenarios
Primary Hull:
- Fully Functional Hospital with 1500 Biobeds
- 6 Medical Holosuites
- Genetics and Bio-Research Labs
- Triage Capacity of 1000+
Secondary Hull:
- Enhanced Shielding, Transporters and Tractor Beams
- Secondary Sickbay with an Additional 150 Biobeds
- Large Stores of Bio-mimetic Gel
- Neutrality Transponder (To ID Ship as Non-Combatant)
Specialization: Tactical
Primary Mission: Enforce Federation Law
Secondary Mission: Respond to Hostile Threat Forces
- Sub-specialization: Phasers
Primary Hull:
o Ventral Phaser Cannon
o Additional Fusion Reactors
o Added Capacitors
- Sub-specialization: Torpedoes
Primary Hull:
o 4 Torpedo Turrets (2 Dorsal, 2 Ventral)
o Increased Torpedo Magazines
o Point-Defense Torpedo System
- Sub-specialization: Troop Carrier
Primary Hull:
o Quarters and Facilities for 10000+ Troops
o Enhanced Transporters for Rapid Deployment
o Extra Shuttlecraft for Planetary Landings

This is a PSA/rant on learning about your mental health issues and getting a proper diagnosis.
I, like many of you, have suffered silently for many years before seeking out professional help and being diagnosed. In my case, it has taken just over a decade and for many others, undoubtedly much longer than that. For me, the reason was a mix of all or at least the overwhelming majority of my family and friends (whom I, eventually, after many years opened up to or seek help from) not accepting or believing my problems and/or not knowing how to help me. Not to say there haven't been people who have helped me immensely, but hear me out...
This lack of help, knowledge and skills, lead me to do my research on mental health issues and eventually come to find specific issues which I felt were very close to what I have been dealing with day-to-day. It is my understanding that mental health issues often lead to developing other mental health issues, and that there is usually a large overlap of symptoms between a lot of these issues.
In my search, I often came across the advice to not self-diagnose, and while I think it is wise to be doubtful of my judgement knowing that I am not a trained professional, I also disagree with what I felt was usually implied by the above advice, which is to assume that you are probably wrong until you are properly diagnosed by a professional.
I know that for some, it can become a problem. It's easy to look up the symptoms of the probably thousands of known mental health illnesses and with how many symptoms overlap, it is no doubt easy to mistakenly diagnose issues incorrectly and to go down that rabbit hole.
But I also know that it has been quite helpful for me to learn about different mental health issues and to come across issues that I was later diagnosed with.
I think knowing what my issues were (in my opinion) most likely to be helped me in a lot of different ways.
For one, mental health struggles can make you feel extremely lonely and alone and knowing what I might suffer from helped me feel a little more accepted and less like I was the only one and like I was making it all up, something that's been a huge doubt for me ever since I came to learn that I had mental health issues years ago.
Secondly, I was able to learn from the many great online resources that are available and to find out about things that have helped others in a similar situation to me and how to better deal with my problems.
Something else that doing my research helped me with later on was accepting that I had lots of mental issues and that they are quite severe. I know that if my research hadn't prepared me for that, I would have had a much harder time accepting that.
In conclusion, I think that while you obviously should not take your guesses as a professional diagnosis, it's perfectly ok to do your research and to bring yourself some comfort and a sense of acceptance by learning more about the issues that you suspect you may have.
I'm not sure if I was quite able to put my thoughts into words here, but I had some advice that I wish I could've given my younger self and that is not to be scared to learn about what you think your problems could be if you find that helpful and I thought that maybe someone out there will be able to take my advice and benefit from it.
If you read through my rant, I hope it was of some help, and I wish you health and happiness.

My parents send me quotes like this all the time. Tell me your thoughts in a private message.
“In Islam it is Fard (obligatory) upon the man to financially provide for his wife, not the other way around. Knowing this then the vast majority of jobs and careers should only be reserved for men.
Women should keep clear of education because her place is within the household, under the direction of her father or husband. Any education she wishes to engage with beyond the elementary level should be requested by her from her husband if he has the time to spare. Otherwise, housework and childcare should be the only things on a Muslim woman’s mind while her husband or father is away.
Considering that a financially well-off man will marry a jobless woman, even up to four of them. But a financially well-off woman would rarely even be willing to marry a man at her level, let alone a jobless man due to her hypergamous nature, and she rightfully shouldn't, even from an Islamic perspective since the man is obligated to provide for her.
Then these are all the more reasons why we should prioritize male education & career advancement over that of women. A workplace, especially that which consists of both genders, is no place for Muslim women. It is inappropriate for a Muslim woman to even travel without Mahram (male companion), so how can it be permissible for her to spend many hours every day in a mixed environment with no Mahram supervision?”

EDC Las Vegas 2023

Official EDC Las Vegas 2023 Trailers:

• There are none, yet
• Previous EDC Trailers playlist

Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway 7000 N Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89115
Dates & Times:
May 19, 20, 21, 2023

• Opening Ceremony 5:00pm–7:00pm, full grounds open 7:00pm–5:30am
• Parking lots open 2 hours prior to the opening ceremony or gate opening.

Box Office:
Expo at World Market Center 435 S Grand Central Pkwy Las Vegas, NV 89106
Box Office Hours:
Wednesday, May 17: 2PM – 12AM Thursday, May 18: 11AM – 12AM Friday, May 19: 11AM – 3AM Saturday, May 20: 2PM – 2AM Sunday, May 21: 2PM – 2AM
Camp EDC Hours
Thursday, May 18th, 9am – Monday, May 22nd, 5pm. All campers must be fully packed and vacating the campground by 5pm on Monday, May 22nd.
Camp EDC Check-In

• Thursday, May 18: 8am–2am
• Friday, May 19: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer
• Saturday, May 20: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer
• Sunday, May 21: 8am–2pm - please note festival traffic begins arriving at 2pm so wait times could be longer

Other informative other posts --

NO BUILD LEAKS!

electricdaisycarnival Discord chat

[electricdaisycarnival 2023 Reddit meetup info](COMING SOON!)

Roommate Megathread

CampEDC/tent-mates Megathread

Rideshare Megathread

[EDC Las Vegas 2022 Playlists by Stage Lineup](COMING SOON!)

Useful Quick Links:

Purchase festival passes -- LIMITED GA+ & VIP PASSES REMAINING (GA SOLD OUT)!

Purchase shuttle passes -- LIMITED STOPS REMAIN!

Purchase Moon Glow camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase Desert Rose camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase RV camping -- SOLD OUT!

Purchase Premier Parking -- SOLD OUT!

Hotel EDC

Purchase Locker Rental

[Lineup Flyer](COMING SOON!)

[Lineups by Stage](COMING SOON!)

[Lineups by Art Car](COMING SOON!)

[CampEDC Activities Schedule](COMING SOON!)

CampEDC Party Schedule:

• [CampEDC Pre-Party](COMING SOON!)
• [CampEDC Pool Parties](COMING SOON!)
• [CampEDC After Parties](COMING SOON!)

[CampEDC Map](COMING SOON!)

[CampEDC The Mesa Map](COMING SOON!)

[Opening Ceremony Lineup](COMING SOON!)

[Parking Map](COMING SOON!)

[Festival Map](COMING SOON!)

Shuttle Map

Shuttle Schedule --

• Departure Times: Shuttles will operate continuously from 7:00pm–11:30pm from all Standard Shuttle stops
• Return Times: Return shuttles will begin at 3:00am and conclude 60 minutes after the music ends at kineticFIELD PLEASE NOTE: Shuttles will not run between 11:30pm and 3:00am.

EDC Wedding Info

Table & Bottle Service info

Helicopter Booking

Lost & Found Information

Basic Festival & Ticketing information

When can I check in to the campgrounds?
Insomniac put together a handy entry guide for camping that is available here
What are the guidelines for camping? I have more questions related to camping!
Insomniac put together their camping guidelines and camping FAQ pages related to camping and they are very informative. I'm not going to re-type all this information here, so use the links provided.
My wristband/parking pass/shuttle pass hasn't come yet!
Be patient, they will be shipping out over 100k+ packages when they go out. You can also call Front Gate Tickets to see where your shipment is and/or set up will call pickup @ 888.512.7469. Also here's the Front Gate Tickets Support Site.
If you are coming from outside of the USA, you have no choice but to go to will call for your tickets. Please see the above event information for the box office location and hours.
I have tickets/shuttle passes/parking passes to sell!
Check out EDCTickets! Remember, even though our community is friendly, caring, and kind, there are ticket scammers out there that are willing to take advantage. Be vigilant, if something seems to good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instincts.
Where can I register my Wristband? Do I have to register my wristband?
You can register it here. The only way to recover your wristband if it is lost or stolen is to have it registered. Additionally, there is emergency contact information stored in your wristband as part of the registration process, if anything should happen to you. There is a $40 fee for a replacement wristband.
Well this is embarassing, I didn't listen to everyone and put my wristband on early/on the wrong hand, how can I get it off? I sold my wristband after I attended one of the nights, how can I get it off without damaging it?
Here's a short how-to video to remove the wristband without damaging anything. DON'T PUT YOUR WRISTBAND ON UNTIL FRIDAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOTEL! It goes on your right wrist, and should be able to fit a finger underneath for breathing room.
I'm going solo to the fest, how can I make friends, I need a place to stay, etc.
There are several ways of doing this. You can use the search function on the subreddit. There's also some Facebook groups dedicated to solo journeys to EDC. Once again, trust your instincts here and only stay with people that you can properly personally have vetted ahead of time.
Also, check the useful links above for ride shares, hotel shares, and tent shares!
Live sets just aren't doing it for me, I need a feel for what this place is like before I attend!
Check out Electric Daisy Carnival 2000, Under the Electric Sky, or The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience trailer from when the festival was still in L.A. If you can find The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience online for free somewhere or even for a couple bucks to stream it, I think it's a much better movie than the Under the Electric Sky movie.

FAQ

When do the set times drop? When does the app update? I can't find the app on the app store, what gives?!
Set times and app updates usually happen the week of the festival. The Insomniac app will update the week of the festival, so go ahead and install it now if you want to.
What about pool parties or other EDC Week events?
Official site here for a list of events and tickets. There's also going to be parties and pools at the campground.
What time should I leave the strip? How long does it take to get to/from to the speedway? What time should I leave the event to beat traffic?
EDC is not like a local DJ show and Las Vegas traffic SUCKS. Parking lots open at 2PM, so I would strive to leave the strip right around that time. Without traffic it will take you anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The longer into the night you wait to leave the worse off traffic will be and the longer it will take to get to the show. I have heard nightmare scenarios of 2 or 3 hour shuttle rides, so don't let it happen to you!
Typically, you can leave before the sunrise sets or about halfway through it and not have too bad of a wait in traffic back to the strip in the morning! At the end of night 3, keep in mind normal people are also heading to work since it will technically be Monday morning. That's just going to add to the clusterfuck of traffic on I-15 and Las Vegas Blvd. Plan accordingly! If you are driving have a cooler in the trunk with water bottles!
Are we doing the Reddit meetup again this year?
We sure are. Check out the links up top regarding information on where and when we are meeting up. We are going to have two simultaneous meetups, one for campers and one for people on the Strip. All information is contained in the post linked at the very top!
What can I bring into the festival? What can't I bring into the festival? What are the searches like?
The searches could be TSA style, or you could barely get touched at all. It's pretty random. Consider stash boxers or compression underwear to get your favors inside or items that are disallowed like LED gloves, etc.
If you take your time to observe the security, you can usually get a feel of who is being a hard-ass for a dime raise for busting someone and who is just doing their job quickly and efficiently.
As for allowed and disallowed items, here's a link to those lists as well as totem guidelines.
Bring a gallon zip lock bag and put all of your belongings that you want to bring into the festival in it while you are waiting in line. All three days last year security complimented me on being organized and how easy I made their jobs because they could just scan the items in the bag, check my camelbak, give me the pat down and I was on my way.
Seriously, if you make security's lives easier in this way, they will not hassle you at all as long as you aren't trying to bring in stuff that isn't allowed. I didn't even get pat down on Night 2 because I was so up-front about all my belongings.
Any further questions, feel free to comment below, or visit the EDC Las Vegas Guide page!

Tips and Tricks!

• Put an Emergency Contact Information (ICE) on your phone's lock screen. Android or Apple. This serves as two things.. One, if you lose your phone, someone can try to get it back to you. TWO, if you get hurt or fall out, the medics on site can get in contact with someone you know.
• Call your bank/credit card companies and let them know you will be traveling to Vegas to avoid holds on your account.
• Be vigilant on the Strip. Everyone is trying to hustle. Street performers will expect tips if you take pictures!
• Hit up a Vegas buffet at least one day.
• Stretch beforehand in your hotel room. Your muscles will thank you in the morning!
• Wear comfy shoes and/or get insoles to replace the "stock" insoles that come with your shoes. Also, consider moleskin if your feet are prone to blistering from rubbing against your socks. Your feet will thank you!
• Get to the festival early. Stop by the merchandise tent first thing. Items sell out fast. Consider a mobile charging locker to store your merchandise in! Additionally, if you bring all of your sealed items in on the first day (wipes, chapstick, cigarettes, gum, tampons, etc), you can keep them all in your locker overnight and not have to worry about getting 3 of each sealed item to bring in every single day. REMEMBER! Hide your lock combo from people that may peer over your shoulder or look at your combination wristband and try to get into your locker. Remain vigilant inside the festival!
• After you get your merch and put it in your locker, you next stop should be one of the free water stands to fill up your hydration pack or water bottle. It's very important to remain hydrated, especially while the sun is still out and bearing down on you! If you tip some of the vendors, they will give you ice if the warm water turns you off.
• If you need to eat something, consider the food trucks instead of the concession stand food. The food trucks have their company name out there and on the line when compared to the generic concession stand stuff, the quality of the food is unparalleled. Don't make the same mistake as I did a few years ago and get a raw onion sandwich masked as a "cheese steak".
• Bring earplugs! Tinnitus sucks!
• Wear sunscreen! Remember, if you are staying all night the sun is up at like 5AM and starts beaming down on you almost immediately.
• If you want to ride the rides, get there early or risk missing sets while standing in line! Some rides you will be waiting for an hour or more at peak times.
• Time-stamp your texts! There will be cell service congestion. Stamping your texts will help your friends know whenever you truly sent a message!
• Bring an external battery pack in with you to charge your phone if you are someone who likes to take a lot of photo and video!
• Bring cash. Credit and debit cards could possibly be hit or miss if the speedway's internet network would happen to shit the bed! Don't be stuck without a way to pay for something you need!
• Remember to take it easy night 1! EDC is a marathon not a sprint!
• Emergen-C packets are a lifesaver. Take one before the festival every night in order to help you recover from the night before and prepare for the festival ahead!
• Take some time to look up and enjoy the fireworks!
• Don't forget about the EDC parade down Rainbow Road every night! You should at least try to check it out one time out of the three nights you are there! Check the app for times, but it should be around midnight every night!
• Follow your favorite artists' social media so that you know if they may show up unannounced, or if they are doing any surprise sets on one of the art cars, etc.
• Send a post card to back home at the EDC Town Post Office. Mine took until October in 2017 to land, but it was a nice surprise when it finally did! Check out EDC Town in general. It's pretty sweet.
• If you are feeling at all dehydrated or anything else medical related, visit one of the medical tents. Staff is super friendly and you WILL NOT get in trouble for seeking medical treatment, no matter your condition. If you can't make it to the medical tent, look for a Ground Control staff member to assist you or any of your friends! Look out for your fellow ravers. If you see something, say something! This will keep everyone safe and having a good time.
• If you are going to do drugs, and especially MDMA, I suggest only doing it 1 out of the 3 nights and finding something else for the other two days. Just to let you know as an example of responsible use, in 2017 we did edibles and shatter the first night, rolled night 2, and just chilled with some shatter night 3. Everyone is different, but be safe, and TEST YOUR SHIT. Do not buy drugs at the festival. Not only do you risk getting bunk shit, but undercover cops are everywhere!
• If you are going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation and stay hydrated! For every alcoholic drink you have, you should drink 8-16oz of water!
• If you are a lady, bring wipes! Usually the porta-potties run out of toilet paper. It's just a fact of the festival and usually they don't get resupplied until the following day. You will thank me if you get caught in this situation.
• Bring a hand fan for the water lines! They can get pretty hot and people will love you!
• Try to catch at least one sunrise set one of the nights. I recommend night 2, since everyone and their mothers will be staying on night 3. Plus, Monday morning rush hour traffic on night 3 is no bueno.
• If you have a large crew and need to split up to see different sets, plan a meeting spot! Try to pick something that is stationary, like the locker area, the cooling area, one of the buildings in EDC Town, etc.
• Buy a smoothie or a lemonade. They are a nice change of pace from warm hydrant water.
• Get a bandana and tie it around your neck for each night you are out there. Put it over your mouth and nose when the dust gets to be too much. Your lungs will thank you, plus you get to look like a bandit. Win/win.
• Trains of people going in and out of the crowd are going to happen, so use them to your advantage. Become the caboose to go into or out of the crowds and use your manners! Excuse me, thank you, etc go a long way when navigating the crowd!
• Bring good vibes, leave the judgement at the gates, and most of all, enjoy yourself and smile! EDC is a glorious wonderland of fun. Extrude the vibes you wish to receive back to you and you will have a great time, I promise!

Alligators in the Pond By Mateo Montero de Madrid In honor of the SCAllion and Lifeguards everywhere.
Once upon a time there was pond at Pennsic war So populous and fine a place there never was before Frolic dance and lounge they did as in the days of yore And because we’re all for safety they put lifeguards on the shore
Then one summer Pennsic day a duke came out to swim Slung across his delts a sack of gators close as kin He dumped them in the water near some children and their mom And when the lifeguard saw't she blew her whistle hard and long
Are ye daft, milord the Duke you can’t have lizards in the pond Especially those gators with their teeth and tail so long So take your scaly bastards and shove them back in your sack Be gone the writhing lot of you and never again come back
Well, the Duke he stomped his booted feet and gnashed his pearly whites He shouted out his status as a duke and highborn knight The lifeguard stood their ground and showed the duke the posted law Ye cannot have yer gators on the site or in the pond.
But technically he said, complaining to his friend Who headed up the lifeguard guild and lived just ‘round the bend Technically, sweet technically that’s never been the rule. So can’t you make it legal for my pets to use the pool?
"Yeah sure, bro."
The duke returned triumphant with his gators to the pond. The lifeguard saw him coming, blew her whistle hard and long She told him not to dare to dump his gators, what the heck?! But the lifeguard guild commander yanked the whistle off her neck.
The gators ate the children, the gators ate the mom. The duke and guard commander marched the lifeguard cross the lawn. The people watched in outrage as they locked her up in jail. But there was nothing they could do about the gators, teeth to tail.
The populace appealed their case up to the B O D These gators are against the rules we looked it up you see. The BoD met with the lifeguard chief for at least an hour or two, And then came to the populace to tell them what they’d do.
Gators in the pond, they said, are wholesome as can be. The duke had done not one thing wrong, per the B O D And if some children and their mom wound up as gator bait Well, the lot of them signed a waiver when they paid their fee at gate.
The lifeguard on the other hand, that villain, oh that scamp How dare they tell a duke to take his gators back to camp? Discourteous and brazen was the lifeguard in their view. They gave a lengthy sentence; made apology to the duke
The moral of this story, if one can be unearthed Justice in the SCA seems based on royal worth. And if that truth offends you, if you think that’s just not right, Then I charge you take up pen, not sword, And prove that right makes might.
Sometimes all there is to do is make up funny prose To remind the ones in power they do not want to make us foes The bards and clever wordsmiths, artists, writers and the press We will absolutely rake them o’er the coals to seek redress
With love for what we know is right I charge you take up pen and write.

I think there is something we miss when considering red flags. Hear me out on this.
We do not approach matters of the heart like we do logical problem solving. It is like the opposite of the scientific method - we START with belief, not end with it after some sort of analysis. We want to believe. Think about it; how many times have we said phrases like 'well, the red flags were there' and 'I should've known I was being lied to'? That isn't because we, as individuals, are surrounded by master liars and manipulators. It isn't because we are just really seem to 'attract' bad people. It is because we're human and that carries assumptions that the person we are dealing with should be given the benefit of the doubt. It is considered polite in society. Religion. Did your parents ever tell you to not judge and give someone a chance? Of course.
I'd propose the answer is not with the other person having/not having red flags. That's the wrong question to ask, the right one (in my opinion) is how many red flags does it take to persuade YOU to change your perspective on the person you are connecting with from belief into rejection? Other factors come into play as well, like is he/she rich? Handsome? Everything you think you wanted (except for these smaller red flags you held dear before)?
Don't project your red flags onto others and assume; each person and connection have their own unique qualities and not being aware of this can cause you to be someone you didn't intend to be. Hurt others. Give you misplaced ego. Becoming what you were trying to avoid in the first place.
Think about this when you meet someone new and you discover 'red flags'! How many tips the balance of your default perception of belief? That's what we should focus on in my opinion as we grow as human beings through experience (and therapy).
Simple example: I have a "red flag" of not dating someone who has is rude/entitled to wait staff at a restaurant. Somehow, I wind up at a nice steak place with Alexandra Daddario (or Pedro Pascal for some of you on that team) and she berates the waiter because the steak is too well done. She then tells me she will pick up the bill and we need to go back to her place. That red flag ain't going to be all that big, you know? Am I a hypocrite if I judge the connection by adherence to a "red flag"? Oh yeah. Would I still go? Probably, I'm shameless when it comes to those eyes. When she becomes my next ex wife.. You see where this goes.
Make sense? Stop beating yourself up by fictitious litmus tests, or saying things like 'you saw the red flags' to others. It doesn't actually work that way.