I (23M) am in a 4 months old relationship with my girl friend (26F). We love each other a lot. She's interested in knowing more about me, seeing each other more frequently and texts or calls me every day. She also was the one to suggest getting physical.
We enjoy the time we spend together a lot when everything is fine. However, when there's an issue, it gets hard to conduct a healthy conversation. We both are rather impatient. She's mild depression as well and get irritated quickly. Even for insignificant disagreements, we might short fuse and disconnect.
So far, she's blocked me on Instagram 3 times. However, the resentment is minimal and short-lived and she always unblocks and refollows me in a day or 2. Reaching out is easy, since we miss each other.
I'm not sure if this is due to not knowing each other enough and once the boundaries are defined, it gets fixed on its own; or it indicates underlaying issues such as immaturity, passive-aggressiveness, incompatibility and avoidance.
I was told that since the relationship is not well-established yet, it cannot be stonewalling; however, once the euphoric honeymoon phase is over, the masks slip and we might have to deal with more serious issues in future.
I have ADHD and OCD; so, a portion of the blame is definitely on me. But I'm noticing some similarities between her previous relationship and this one.
She broke up with her ex 2 years ago. The final year was rocky and in on-again off-again format. Most of the times, it was she who reached out to reconcile. But it only got worse and after the break up she was depressed for a year.
I don't think she's still carrying the emotional bag. 2 years has passed, her ex hates her and is living far from us, and they've been in NC for at least 1.5 years.
It's been a couple of years that she vapes moderately to alleviate her mood swings. I am hyperactive during the days, but smoke weed to relax at nights.
I don't want to overthink or over-react if it's normal or at least not a huge red flag. But some people have told me that this means having drama (even if temporary) which should is uncommon during the first few months of relationship and should be considered a deal breaker.
tl;dr male (23) and female (26) in a 4 month relationship. 3 times of blocking/unblocking each other on Instagram but reconciling very quickly and easily.

Keshad Johnson saw his collegiate career end in the Sweet Sixteen with the Arizona Wildcats this year after a very successful season, helping the Wildcats earn a #2 seed and win the Pac 12 regular season. Johnson was a member and starter on San Diego State's Final Four team that made the championship in 2023 and played four years for the Aztecs before transferring to Arizona for his final season.
Johnson was a role player for San Diego State, two year starter but primarily a defender and play finisher. He wanted the opportunity to expand his role and he received that this season at Arizona.
Johnson is long, powerfully built 6'7 PF. Weighed at a very chiseled 224 pounds with a 6'11 wingspan at the combine. He has impressed so far with a 42 inch vertical and strong athletic numbers as well as displaying his versatility as a player on both ends: https://twitter.com/JonChep/status/1790163683806462145 https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1790185163655356782 His stock appears to be on the rise during the draft process. He is a big time leaper in the open floor and with any time/space to load. He's fast in the open floor. He has a quick first step and is very mobile. He plays physically and isn't afraid of getting dirty. He uses his length to his advantage on both ends. Johnson's physical tools are at the heart of his intrigue as a prospect.
Johnson is a big time transition threat, lots of lobs throughout the season, a big time dunker that elevates with ease. Gets off the ground quickly and has a big time vertical. He runs the floor hard. He can even handle a bit in transition. He took it coast to coast a few times during the season.
Johnson isn't the best ballhandler overall, he doesn't have much in the way of advanced moves, he can get a bit uncoordinated at times when looking to do a little too much with his handle and he's not an isolation guy at all, but he is someone in the halfcourt and in transition that plays strong with the ball in a straight line. He's a good straight line driver off rips, he has a quick first step. His mobility aids him as a PnR roller. He makes himself presentable and available for ballhandlers in the PnR as a roller. His ability to elevate makes him a lob threat as a roller. His mobility allows him to fluidity get to the rim. He can finish with both hands. His length gives him good extension.
He's aggressive off rips on the perimeter. If he can't get past a defender off a closeout, he will use his strength to shed them and get to the rim. He's capable of hitting pull up jumpers from the midrange although he's not a great off-the-dribble shooter. He can beat switches against smalls down low in the post. His post game isn't advanced but he has good enough footwork and strength to take advantage of the mismatch.
He's a smart cutter and good at duck-ins and finding easy ways to score. He didn't get to the line a ton this season but that's in large part because he found easy ways to score down low; he had 49 dunks on the season. He's a good offensive rebounder with a nose for the ball, willing to pursue balls in the air, and able to grab balls in traffic. He tips quite a few balls out for his teammates and creates extra possessions, his length and elevation makes him a positive force as an offensive rebounder. Johnson isn't an elite finisher outside of dunks, as he doesn't have quite as much pop vertically when he can't load and he can be swallowed up at times because of size, I don't think he has elite touch, but he was a strong finisher overall. He does have a decent floater in his arsenal if not right at the rim.
Johnson shot 39% from 3 on the season and 41% in conference. He averaged 2.6 attempts per game. His form is OK but is also a bit on the square side. The mechanics are fine, and he's also a good midrange shooter. He's not an off the dribble guy and not as good when facing contests, but give him space and he will knock down the C&S 3 and 2. He even made a few 3's off screens. He shot 71% from the line and had never been a shooter before this year. People will have their questions about sustainability, I don't think he's a natural shooter, but he knocked shots down this year and he being someone who spread the floor and was a reliable C&S guy from the perimeter has really made him a far more attractive prospect.
Johnson sets good screens both on and off the ball, he's a space creator as a screen setter. His screen setting aids him as a PnR rollefinisher, as well as his ballhandlers. He's very fluid in peeling off the screen and rolling to the rim. He does ancillary things very well on the offensive end. He's also a solid passer. He averaged 1.8 assists and will make nifty passes and quick reads in a variety of ways. He finds cutters at the top of the key and FT line, he finds dump off guys and cutters when driving to the rim, he finds shooters off the roll. He will engage dribble handoffs and roll or pop and make shots or find the open teammate. He's not an advanced passer but makes good reads with good timing and good accuracy and has good vision as a passer. He's a good ball mover and functions well within the context of the team on the offensive end.
He also functions well as a team defender. He helps the helper, he's a good and sharp rotater, he deflects passes and keeps his hands up in trail positions and facing ballhandlers, he blocks quite a few shots from behind as a helper. He plays a pretty disciplined brand of defense. He's not someone who's gonna take big risks doubling down for example and straying off shooters, but he does have active hands as a defender and deflects passes with his length. He's really good at contesting shots both on the perimeter and the post. His length helps, he doesn't launch and take himself out of plays....he doesn't bite for fakes often and he can recover when he does. He's very good with verticality down low as a help defender. He's someone who's very good at remaining vertical and bothering and making it a lot more difficult for opponents to make shots around the rim.
Arizona switched a lot and though they had some miscommunications across the board, Johnson is good at executing switches quickly and he has the ability to hang on the perimeter, especially against small forwards on switches. He's a very good on ball defender against forwards overall; he doesn't give up ground, he's got excellent footwork, he's just too quick/strong/long for them to get around. He's a little less apt against guards...he doesn't have elite agility, double moves can catch him out. He's not quick enough laterally to stay with every guard/forward he sees. He has some impressive moments, and I still think he's fairly switchable because of his length if not an elite option down the lineup.
He is a good switch guy up the lineup....he plays strong in the post defensively. He won't be able to deal with every big man he comes across but he's gonna battle.
What makes him a good offensive rebounder also makes him a good defensive rebounder....his physicality, length, motor, and ability to carve out space and attack balls in the air.
Keshad Johnson had a breakout season as a 5th year senior for Arizona and displayed a versatile skill set on both ends of the floor that any team at the NBA level could use. He checks a lot of boxes. He's one of those guys who isn't the sexiest player but his motor, his intensity, his IQ, and ability to fit into a role and contribute in a variety of ways makes him someone whose stock is seemingly on the rise. What do you all think about Keshad Johnson? Thumbs Up, Down, or Across?
Note: Reposting after measurements/athletic testing numbers

Hey everyone,
I’ve been diving deep into the world of brainwallets and wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with using them. For those unfamiliar, a brainwallet is a method of storing cryptocurrency keys in your memory by generating them from a passphrase. It’s a fascinating approach with some unique benefits.
I actually developed a tool called easySeed to simplify the process of creating and managing a brainwallet. It’s an open-source project that I designed to be straightforward and easy to use.
One of the main advantages of using a brainwallet is that you no longer need to store your 12 or 24-word seed phrase in a secure location. What better place than your own mind, which is always with you?
Here are a few reasons why I believe brainwallets can be a great option:

1. Portability: Since your wallet exists in your mind, you don’t need to carry any physical devices or documents. This makes it highly portable and convenient.
2. Security: Without any physical traces, there’s less risk of theft or loss due to hardware failure. As long as you keep your passphrase secure and private, your assets remain safe.
3. Privacy: Brainwallets offer a high level of privacy, as there’s no digital footprint that can be easily tracked.

You can create a memorable passphrase based on a personal phrase that only you would know, combining it with details that are not obvious. For example:

 Take a meaningful phrase: "My dog Bruno was born in 2010" Modify it to add complexity: "MyDogBrunoBrunoBornIn2010!" You can derivate other wallets from the same passPhrase by using the same passPhrase with a suffix. For example: PassPhrase: "MyDogBrunoBrunoBornIn2010!" Wallet 1: "MyDogBrunoBrunoBornIn2010!-wallet1" Wallet 2: "MyDogBrunoBrunoBornIn2010!-wallet2" ... 

It’s also important to regularly practice recalling your passphrase to ensure you don’t forget it.
Has anyone else here experimented with brainwallets? I’d love to hear your experiences and any additional tips you might have.
Cheers!

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is the subject of heated debate. How are mast cell activation syndromes defined? Which diseases are included? What is the diagnosis and treatment of mast cell activation syndrome? Prof. Dr. Knut Brockow, Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology at the Biederstein, Technical University of Munich answers these questions in an interview with MeinAllergiePortal.
Mast cell activation syndrome: The most important facts!
-The prototype of mast cell activation syndrome is recurrent anaphylaxis
-Other forms of idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome are being sought; however, there are mainly symptom descriptions where the diagnosis cannot be made
-Clinical suspicion of MCAS is based on recurring allergy-like symptoms on the skin, nose, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and circulation
-The diagnosis of MCAS is made according to recognized international criteria based on three criteria
-MCAS is often suspected even when symptoms are inappropriate and the diagnosis is unclear; the suspicion is then not helpful for patients
-The same medications are used to treat MCAS as are used to treat allergies, in particular antihistamines and cromoglicic acid
Prof. Brockow, what kind of disease is MCAS?
Mast cell activation syndrome is not an established diagnosis, but rather a concept. Historically, this concept arose because an increasing number of patients came to the doctor's office with complaints that gave the impression of having been triggered by mast cells. These patients sometimes showed symptoms similar to those of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis or mastocytosis, but a clear diagnosis for these diseases could not be made. Nevertheless, it was suspected that there could at least be a connection with mast cell diseases. Unfortunately, the term MCAS created more uncertainty than understanding. This is because MCAS is now thrown around as a diagnosis for many patients with many symptoms and an unclear diagnosis. This is not helpful for patients and fuels short-term hope of diagnosis and cure, which cannot be fulfilled later.
Is MCAS an autoimmune disease?
No, in autoimmune diseases mast cells are not primarily involved and not as lead cells, but lymphocytes that attack the body's own structures, in some cases by forming antibodies.
Is there a connection between mast cell activation syndrome and autoimmune diseases?
No, there is no known connection between MCAS and autoimmune diseases. It has also been claimed by specific authors that other diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are related to mast cell activation syndrome. However, there are no good arguments for this. Unfortunately, such claims are easy to make and difficult to refute.
What is the cause of mast cell activation syndrome?
Mast cell activation syndrome is actually more of a symptom description than a diagnosis in its own right. Mast cell activation syndrome is fully applicable to recurrent anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions in several organ systems such as the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract and circulatory system), for example due to insect bites. All the criteria for mast cell activation syndrome are met here. Severe allergic reactions are the most common cause of MCAS. However, although the term MCAS is correct in this context, it does not provide any additional information, as patients with such events are better described as patients with a diagnosis of anaphylaxis or allergy, and the term MCAS is somewhat confusing.
Is mast cell activation syndrome genetic?
MCAS itself is not genetic, but patients with the genetic disease mastocytosis often suffer from anaphylaxis, particularly to insect venom, and therefore MCAS. In addition, it is currently being investigated whether people with genetically determined hereditary alpha-tryptasemia suffer more frequently from MCAS.
How did the term mast cell activation syndrome come about?
There were many patients without a clear diagnosis, some of whom predominantly showed the symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. Accordingly, the experts dealing with mast cell diseases saw the need to develop a concept that took into account the “undiagnosable” symptoms of the patients. In the course of this, the terms “mast cell activation” and “mast cell activation syndrome” were defined. In addition, an attempt was made to sort all mast cell diseases into a classification with regard to mast cell activation. However, the difficulty in classifying these complaints is that many of the complaints described by patients are subjective, relatively non-specific and can be both organic and psychosomatic.
How have you defined mast cell diseases and which diseases do they include?
Mast cell diseases are defined as recurring chronic symptoms that are compatible with mast cell activation.
Mast cell activation is classified on the basis of three criteria:
Recurrent typical clinical symptoms in at least two organ systems
An increase in mast cell mediators can be detected in the blood, most frequently by determining the serum tryptase level during an acute attack
Good response of symptoms to anti-mast cell mediator-directed therapy, especially H1 antihistamines
What types of mast cell disease are there?
The classification of mast cell diseases associated with mast cell activation syndromes defines three groups:
1. primary mast cell activation syndrome
Primary mast cell activation syndrome is explained by a clonal expansion of mutated overactive mast cells. It manifests as systemic or cutaneous mastocytosis. If these criteria are not completely fulfilled, but clonal mast cells have been detected, it is referred to as monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome.
2 Secondary mast cell activation syndrome
Secondary mast cell activation syndrome is present when clear triggers of mast cell activation are known. There are established terms for secondary mast cell activation syndrome that we are more familiar with, such as “anaphylaxis” to a known trigger. The classification in the second group of mast cell diseases is therefore merely a reclassification. Examples of mast cell activation are physical urticaria or cold urticaria. Allergies such as pollen allergies are also secondary mast cell activations, as hay fever also causes symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. In pollen allergies, mast cell mediators are found in the blood serum and drugs directed against mast cells have a good effect. If the symptoms recur in several organ systems, this is referred to as mast cell activation syndrome.
3. tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome
Tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome refers to mast cell diseases whose triggers are unknown. This group would include, for example, chronic spontaneous urticaria, which has additional symptoms in other organs. Here we know that mast cells are activated, but not by what. This group of idiopathic mast cell activation syndromes would also include patients with as yet undescribed clinical pictures who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of known mast cell diseases, e.g. allergy, anaphylaxis, but in whom the disease is triggered by mast cells. In these patients, however, the connection between the symptoms and the activities of the mast cells must be proven.
Does this mean that tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion?
Idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome can be described as a diagnosis of exclusion insofar as the prerequisite for the diagnosis is that there is no other disease causing the symptoms. However, the symptoms described are often very, very unspecific and could also be caused by a variety of other diseases. However, there are the three criteria for mast cell activation syndrome already mentioned. If these are not all fulfilled, this diagnosis cannot be made.
How common is mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis and severe recurrent allergies are not uncommon and represent the vast majority of appropriate cases for MCAS. In addition, mastocytosis patients often have multiple anaphylaxis and therefore also MCAS. However, our initial idea of finding a new disease, idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome, has not yet been confirmed. There are many patients with many symptoms for whom a clear organic diagnosis cannot yet be made. However, it is almost never possible to prove that a defect in the mast cells is primarily responsible for the symptoms. Many of these patients describe symptoms that could fit, and in some patients anti-allergic drugs also have a positive effect. But in only very few patients can an increase in mast cell mediators be detected during an acute attack. I now believe that somatic stress disorders could play a significant role in many of the patients examined.
Histamine intolerance is also a diagnosis of exclusion, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Histamine intolerance can cause similar symptoms, but is not a mast cell disorder and has nothing to do with MCAS. When mast cells are activated, the messenger substance histamine is released, which in turn can cause symptoms. In histamine intolerance, the mast cell is not activated - it is not involved in any way. Rather, histamine intolerance describes patients with an increased sensitivity to histamine, which is supplied, for example, via the diet. This can lead to similar symptoms, but in contrast to mast cell activation syndrome, histamine intolerance has a clear trigger, histamine. As a result, the symptoms occur after eating histamine-rich foods, but disappear again if the patient follows a low-histamine diet. A test is also available to diagnose histamine intolerance.
So there are also patients with suspected mast cell activation syndrome who cannot be assigned to a classification group, even though they have corresponding symptoms?
There are many patients in whom no mast cell activation syndrome can be detected despite suspicion. They do not fit into one of the three groups. However, this also used to include monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome. These patients showed anaphylaxis and a KIT mutation, but not the full criteria for mastocytosis. In the meantime, a separate disease diagnosis has been created for these patients. The independent accepted disease of these patients therefore lies between mastocytosis and normal findings.
We thought that there might be other forms of idiopathic MCAS with clinical pictures that have not yet been described. However, this is not supported by the findings to date. There are patients who show symptoms but do not meet the necessary criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. In these patients, the diagnosis remains unclear. In how many of these patients functional physical complaints play a role still needs to be investigated.
Are there risk factors that favor mast cell activation syndrome?
There are hardly any recognized studies on this. In a study conducted by Cem Akin in the USA, patients were examined who met the three criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. They had the right symptoms, there was an increase in mediators and their symptoms improved with treatment. It was shown that many of these patients suffered from urticaria factitia, a scratch-induced urticaria, abdominal pain and flushing.
Recently, a genetic trait was discovered, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia with elevated basal serum tryptase levels. In patients with this trait and insect venom allergy, the severity of the allergic reaction appears to be increased. It is also discussed that the frequency of mast cell activation syndrome is increased in patients with this genetic trait. However, the published studies are not yet unanimous in this respect.
What symptoms can occur with MCAS?
The following symptoms could be signs of mast cell activation syndrome:
MCAS symptoms on the skin:
Appearance of sudden intense redness (flushing)
itching
wheal formation
Deep wheal formation (angioedema or Quincke's edema)
MCAS symptoms on the nose:
Nasal congestion
Nasal itching
MCAS symptoms in the airways:
Swelling of the upper airways
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
MCAS symptoms of the digestive tract:
Vomiting
abdominal pain
diarrhea
Systemic MCAS symptoms:
Syncope - where you suddenly lose consciousness, but only for a short time
Sudden drop in blood pressure
Allergic shock
These symptoms can occur together or individually. In principle, symptoms must occur in two or more organ systems for MCAS. These symptoms, together with the typical skin changes and anaphylaxis, are also typical of mastocytosis.
Are muscle pain and hair loss also symptoms of MCAS?
No, why would anyone think that these symptoms are primarily caused by a malfunction of mast cells? Mast cells are not important cells for muscle pain and hair loss.
How is MCAS diagnosed?
MCAS is a diagnosis of exclusion, i.e. there is no mast cell activation syndrome test. However, this does not mean that all other diseases must be ruled out before a diagnosis of MCAS can be made.
When testing directly for mast cell activation syndrome, three criteria would be examined, all of which must be met, not just two:
First, there must be a matching of symptoms to see if the above symptoms are leading, recurrent and occur in at least two organ systems.
Is there a substantial or complete improvement in the clinical symptoms when taking anti-allergic medication, antihistamines or cromoglicic acid? Then this criterion would apply.
The blood levels of tryptase in the serum can now be examined at two different points in time. This would check whether there is an increase in mast cell mediators or tryptase in the blood serum in a highly symptomatic phase or during a seizure compared to a time when there are no symptoms.
What does the tryptase level in the blood mean in the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome?
If the mast cell mediator tryptase rises by 20 percent of the basal value, i.e. the initial value, + 2 ng/ml during such an episode, the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome has been made without the need to rule out other diseases beforehand. However, taking blood samples to determine the tryptase levels is very time-consuming, because a blood sample should be taken in the normal state and then another blood sample should be taken during a seizure or a highly symptomatic episode. This means that the patient must see a doctor in good time for a blood test during the acute phase. If these tests are negative, mast cell activation syndrome cannot be confirmed.
Elevated tryptase levels also play a role in anaphylaxis, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis is an extremely strong mast cell activation, the “prototype” of mast cell activation, so to speak. The tryptase level rises, so that it is considered an indicator of anaphylaxis. Here too, the basal value is measured and compared with the value during an episode. The relevant factor is the resulting increase in the tryptase value. The therapy against mast cells is effective in this case. In this respect, anaphylaxis is the classic form of mast cell activation syndrome.
The tryptase value also plays a role in the diagnosis of mastocytosis, what are the correlations here?
Mastocytosis patients also have an elevated baseline tryptase level. This is therefore an indication of mastocytosis and an indication for a final diagnosis by means of a bone marrow biopsy. However, there is also a mastocytosis-independent correlation between tryptase and anaphylaxis. People who have a higher number of mast cells often develop more severe anaphylaxis than people with fewer mast cells. The tryptase basal value is therefore considered a kind of indicator for the total mast cells in the body. For example, insect venom anaphylactic patients with elevated basal mast cell tryptase levels in the blood are at increased risk of severe anaphylaxis.
What can be done against MCAS and which medications help?
The aim of treatment for mast cell activation syndrome is to slow down the effect of the overactivated mast cells and to calm the mast cells. In particular, the avoidance of allergic triggers is available for this purpose.
Histamine receptor blockers are tried as medication to block the effects of mast cell activation by histamine. Mast cell stabilizers or blockers of mast cell release, cromoglicic acid, can also calm the mast cells. Cromoglicic acid is also used in mastocytosis patients. It is important to know that the use of cromoglicic acid is not advisable if the attack has already run its course. On the other hand, many patients achieve a significant improvement in symptoms if cromoglicic acid is taken continuously as a preventive measure and in a sufficiently high dose. This has also been shown to be the case with antihistamines.
Another option would be leukotriene receptor antagonists and corticosteroids in the short term, but never over a longer period of time.
Unfortunately, many patients with previously unexplained complaints are given a suspected diagnosis of MCAS in the hope that this knowledge will lead to better treatment or perhaps a cure. However, apart from the drugs mentioned, which can also be used on a trial basis in cases of suspected MCAS, there are no other useful drugs available. In this respect, the suspicion of MCAS unfortunately does not offer patients any additional treatment options.
Are there foods that activate or deactivate mast cells?
No such foods are known in humans. Of course, it is possible to bombard mast cells in a test tube with high concentrations of food and measure whether the natural activation of mast cells is increased or reduced. However, such tests are generally not meaningful for humans when consumed.
Can naturopathy help with mast cell activation syndrome?
I don't know how it could help. Naturopathy is the attempt to achieve a positive effect through naturally occurring active substances. Is the avoidance of allergens in our natural environment already naturopathy?
Could certain vitamins, for example vitamin C, be beneficial for MCAS?
This is claimed by a few doctors without any convincing results. Vitamin C is also said to help against seasickness. After all, vitamin C, taken in normal amounts, is not harmful and is beneficial. Sometimes the conviction that a substance is good for you also helps. That's why the experiment doesn't bother me.
Is it possible to prevent mast cell activation syndrome?
Yes, by avoiding MCAS with a known trigger. This is the case with allergies. In the case of allergies and recurrent anaphylaxis as a form of MCAS, omalizumab, an antibody against immunoglobulin E, can also be used in individual patients.
Prof. Brockow, thank you very much for this interview!
https://www.mein-allergie-portal.com/mastozytose-mastzellaktivierungssyndrom-mcas/925-idiopathisches-mastzellenaktivierungssyndrom-ein-neues-krankheitsbild.html

Possible spoilers up ahead so read with caution!! Also would love to hear others opinions in the comments!
One of the worst things about engaging in this fandom no matter the platform is people seem to really misunderstand what the show is about. It is called Ginny AND Georgia not Ginny VS Georgia after all. The show is about their relationship and how even though yes they are both flawed, and one a literal murderer, they are both sympathetic in their own ways because it's all down to what they've been through.
Like ofc Georgia who lived her whole childhood being abused in every way by her parents would not really understand why Ginny needed emotional stability too. Her best parental figure as a kid was that woman from the Blood Eyes gang who saved her through the use of violence, so it's not shock she instilled those values into her kids too (doesn't make it right like she definitely needed a lot of therapy before actually being a mother but she never got that opportunity). This is also why the season 2 scene of her going to therapy with Ginny was so important (even if it was super invasive) because it's her starting to realise that she hasn't really been a good mother and that loving Ginny wasn't enough to protect her from other types of harm. It's like the first step in her trying to be a better person and get help. This is also why she killed Tom, Cynthia had done something great for her by helping her get rid of Gil (to an extent) and seeing her so broken up about Tom gave Georgia a way to show her kindness back in the only way she knows how. She was literally crying whilst doing it, she wasn't doing it because she's a sociopath or whatever people say, it's just all she knows. It's really sad when you think about it and I hope she gets a lot of help and gets to be happy in the end.
Now as for Ginny, I get that since we've seen first hand how much Georgia struggled (the abuse, not having food, the husbands ect), it's so easy to think she's being ungrateful given what Georgia went through trying to keep her safe and she was doing her best, but unfortunately the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And part of what Georgia did is find ways to disguise all the ugly parts (the dance parties to cover up Gil at the door, the pretty face paint to cover up her bruises, creating fry-yay since she had to miss the actual holiday) which definitely saved Ginny to an extent she just didn't know she had to do more because as a kid she didn't even have physical safety nevermind emotional safety which is why she never really realised how her other behaviours hurt her so much (like moving away and not ever giving her the chance to have friends). And this explains a lot of Ginny's annoying behaviour - which luckily she is getting help for - like cheating on Hunter and just being a bad friend in general she's never had actual meaningful relationships outside of her family before so of course she's not going to be the beat at maintaining them. And obviously she won't ever think about the actual consequences of things because Georgia moved her around so much she never really had to live with them before. And as for the poem, yes it was definitely harsh to us knowing why Georgia acts the way she does, but she's a child who has been through a lot too. Neither of them really know how to express their feelings in a healthy way (just as most teenagers don't god knows how many times me and my friends argued over the stupidest stuff but now we are all older and most of us have had therapy we are so much better off), but that doesn't meant Ginny was trying to hurt her. She has had so many feelings in her for so long and she was trying to get them out and have Georgia understand but she just took it the wrong way.
It's genuinely heart breaking watching 2 people who clearly love each other so much just completely misunderstand each other to the extent they continuously hurt each other.
Now don't get me wrong I'm not trying to say you can't dislike them, I mean it's all about personal preference, but we need to stop acting like to like one you have to hate the other because they aren't enemies. Can we please stop pitting them against each other?? Lets all be team Ginny AND Georgia <3
Anyway would love to hear if anyone has any other thoughts to add to my rant!!
TL;DR Both Georgia and Ginny have had bad childhoods in different ways which cause them to act terribly sometimes. A lot of Ginny's problems were caused because Georgia was never really given the chance to learn how to be a good mom, and Ginny in trying to express this often hurts her back. However this is part of the show, it doesn't mean we have to hate one to like the other. The beauty of it is how 2 flawed people can love each other so much but if they don't know how to comnunicate well, they will always hurt each other. I'm team Ginny AND Georgia.

Please do not judge. This is not a preferred scenario. My 8 w/o baby his having a GI reaction to a vaccine he had Wednesday. He has been far outside of his normal since the start of the weekend. I will continue to follow cdc and pediatrician recommendations regarding vaccines.
Ped is saying that we just have to wait it out but can try gripe water. I really wish they had warned me about the common symptoms to this vaccine, I would have rescheduled.
When baby is awake he is either feeding, purple crying, or screaming. He literally only napped for 1.5-2 hours (5-30 minute spurts) total yesterday and slept about6 hours at night. Same for Saturday and Sunday. If I set him down for a nap in his crib or bassinet, he wakes up within 5 minutes and starts up with the purple crying again. I know he just wants comfort from his mama. He will only nap while I am holding him in my lap, arms, or upright on my chest. He’ll still wake up occasionally yelling/screaming for a second but will fall back asleep quickly.
Thing is, I just had minor surgery yesterday but haven’t really been able to sleep well from the crying. My surgeon just said to take it easy, rest the next few days, and to self restrict activities, but no formal physical restrictions.
My husband is back at work today. I had to call off my mother’s assistance because apparently baby is likely contagious and she works in the food industry. I am only taking otc ibuprofen since I am alone but was prescribed a narcotic. Pain is tolerable right now.
I’m worried I will fall asleep while holding baby and drop him. I would at least like some options to still be able to comfort baby while possibly squeezing in a nap for myself in a controlled situation.
Thankful for any advice

Hi. I just took the test this morning, and, to my surprise, it was not as easy as I expected. I do know the test is adaptive and getting many right answers will make the next ones harder, yet I was pretty shock. Since I am an international student who took a gap year and spent all my high school time on Physics Competitions (using mostly calculus), the time I need to finish the test was TREMENDOUS. So if you are somewhat similar to me, dont be so confident🥲 Btw, still able to completed it in time (in 2h55:p), I will take Physics and Chem next. Is there any thing I should know?

This complete guide on The Fool tarot card is brought to you by psychics4u.net. For more valuable information, insights and resources, visit: http://psychics4u.net/
What does the fool mean in the tarot cards? The fool is the most wild tarot card in the deck that you can ever get in a psychic reading. The meaning of the fool tarot card is all about new beginnings, a journey which is usually spiritual and fast change. It indicates that things are really going to go forward for you whether it’s love, relationship, money, work, career and health. But all of these good predictions will come true, only if you will believe in yourself and take calculated risks.
If you are interested in learning everything about the meaning of the fool’s journey tarot card, you came to the right place. Keep on reading till the end of this guide as you will find here lots of useful information regarding to:

1. The fool’s journey tarot card description and symbolism.
2. Personality traits.
3. The meaning in love, relationship, money, work, career and health.
4. Is the fool a good tarot card or is it bad?
5. Does the fool tarot card mean yes or no?
6. How to read the fool’s journey tarot card in upright and reversed position.
7. The fool tarot card meaning in past, present and future.
8. The meaning of the number 0 (zero) and 22.
9. Interpretation of astrological zodiac sign.
10. Meaning as feelings.
11. The fool tarot card art and history.

The fool tarot card meaning: Description and symbolism
When we take a first look at the art of fool’s journey tarot card, we immediately notice the bright yellow sun light, the worm rays, the orange – yellow sky and the lite brown ground. The fool has loose and comfortable clothes with flowers patterns on them, mostly yellow which also matches the shoes` shade. Yellow symbolize enlightenment, happy feelings and positive energies.
The fool is ready to take the leap of faith – start a journey to the unknown territory. He doesn’t care if he will encounter obstacles down the road or dangerous situations in the way. He is ready to go no matter what will happen. In fact the fool doesn’t even think about the meaning these problems.
The fool doesn’t care too much about the material world. He collected just the necessary items and packed all his little possessions in a small bag, holding it with his right hand. On the left hand he is holding a beautiful white rose. It means the willingness to scarify and devotion to the spiritual path of life.
Look at his face directed forward and up to the sky, they are full of inspiration, vision and confidence in the current moment. He is free of fear but also innocence because he isn’t aware of the fact that bad things might happen during the unknown journey.
He is standing on the hill, one step before the deadly abyss, caught in the moment. He trusts the universe that everything will turn on the right and positive side. The white dog is barking and jumping, trying to warn him about the chasm. The snowy white mountains and hills from behind also represent a potential slippery outcomes.
The fool is in movement, he is not just standing there, he took the first step and willing to take many more steps in order to complete the journey. In the end he is seeking meaningful spirituality, to be developed to a higher self. However, right now he doesn’t know exactly how to achieve it. There is no plan, no logical calculations, not even knowledge nor experience. Just the element of fire – the burning desire to go forward.
When we look at the fool’s face we can’t really recognize if it’s a man or a woman. That interpretation means it has both the male and female energies, working together in symbiosis.
The fool tarot card meaning as Personality (Persona)
The fool is a free spirit that has no worries, doesn’t always aware of dangerous and the consequences of his action, too impulsive, acting before thinking. This is why the fool needs help when making big decisions.
He is just like a little kid who is very curious and loves to explore everything about the world. He knows he will make mistakes and it will hurt a lot. Yet it doesn’t stop him from taking an action. He likes the experiences of life whether they are good or even bad. He can learn from each situation and grow wiser and stronger. His main goal is to go after the possibility, even if it doesn’t look very clear or doable at the current phase.
The art of celebrating the joy of life. Admiring the beautifulness of the little things, very positive, optimistic and looking at the bright side.
Flexible, can adapt to most situation. He doesn’t have a solid philosophy or principle he must apply, other than been carefree. He still doesn’t have a strong personality and foundations. He is waiting to be shaped by the future experiences.
He is new to this world; he doesn’t always play by the social norms or cultural rules. Mainly because the fool doesn’t knows the meaning of most of them yet. But after the experience is gained the personality will be shaped on the positive way.
What does the fool card mean in love and relationship reading?
The fool card in love and relationships is meaning a huge surprise. You might encounter your lover in a sequence of events that you never would predict, out of the blue. For example, a new stranger that comes into town, new neighbour or new work colleague.
It can also indicate that there is a person that is close to you, but you haven’t really thought you two are compatible in terms of romance, or can go along together because you two have different personality traits. You will suddenly realise that it can happen.
When it comes to a new relationship there is a lot of excitement in the air, meaning fresh positive energy and optimism. While it might give you good feelings and joy, you also need to be caution a bit. You don’t see the whole picture and what you can’t see might hurt you.
There will be warning signs and it is advised to take in consideration every weird signal into consideration. Your friends and family might have an opinion about your new love relationship, please note that they are not jealous or want things to go wrong for you. They just care that everything will work on the good path.
Don’t be too much swept of your feet, in the end you will have to face reality. What you think about a certain man or woman and what is going on in real life are two different things. Once you encounter the polarity between the two, you might be very disappointed.
If what you are looking for is a long term relationship like marriage, than this is not a good tarot card. The fool’s journey tarot card is indicating the beginning but not the middle and the end. Things will change or develop. If you want this to success there is still a lot of work to be done. The person you are seeing right now is not looking for a commitment. Maybe in the future it will change.
If you are a woman the fool tarot card also stand for fertility. It might predict a pregnancy – start of a new life.
The fool tarot card meaning in work, career and money
New possibilities are coming in your way. This is the time to take action and do what you always wanted. Maybe you always wanted to change your career, maybe you want to work somewhere else or maybe to have your own business.
The main interpretation or meaning is that you need to go with what you believe in, even if there will be hard times during that period. Some people will not like what you are doing, they will try to stop you and change your mind. Situations like this need to be balance. On the one hand it’s good to listen to them, because they have other point of view and might teach you new perspective. On the other way don’t let it to discourage you from achieving the goal.
Understand that making a change related to work and money has its own risks. You can find yourself unemployed for a while or even loosing money. But when we are looking at the long term of the journey, in most cases there will be a success.
The fool tarot card meaning health
Regarding health, the fool tarot card meaning is good physical conditions.
If you were sick before, the interpretation is that the illness might begin to disappear and you suppose to feel much better.
Another possible meaning and interpretation is regarding to health is physical accident. As you may very well know by now, the fool is taking risks without thinking about them too much. The fool is on the verge of the cliff and if something will go wrong he will slip down.
Is the fool a good tarot card or is it bad?
Basically the fool’s journey is a good tarot card, as the main meaning is a new beginning. Usually when we have something new in our life, it is exciting, gives us good feeling and very interesting and intriguing. At this moment we pay attention only to the good and positive aspects of the event. We normally drawn to the situation, don’t think too much about it and we don’t want to ruin it, just flow with the current.
However, nothing is perfect and you also need to be aware of dangerous situations that are a head of you. There will be warning signs of bad energies. Therefore the best practice is no keep an eye on what is going on.
Does the fool tarot card mean yes or no?
The fool’s journey tarot card is usually neutral. The card is symbolizing something fresh and new possibilities. It can turn bad or good depending or the steps you take during your journey. More often than not it is interpreted as a yes card.
The fool’s journey tarot card upright meaning
Upright keywords: new beginnings, freedom, originality, foolishness, spontaneity, travel, adventure, leap of faith, careless, innocence.
The upright meaning of the fool tarot card is about taking risks in order to improve your situation and gain more of what you really want in life. Every one of us has certain desires and personal goals that we want to pursue. So if this card show up in a psychic reading than it is a good time to start a new adventure.
You have to be brave and face your inner demons and fears. Although the card is generally positive, the road to happiness is not easy and you will encounter some problems. From that reason it is very crucial that you will have faith and believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it, even if right now it is not very clear how, you will find the solution. Even if everyone around advice or telling you that you will fail, don’t listen to them too much and go only with your inner true.
Don’t look back on past experiences. Even if you had bad moments, don’t let them hold you from changing your situation. Remember the lessons you have learned and just keep on go forward all the way.
The fool’s journey tarot card reversed meaning
Reversed keywords: lack of direction, chaos, naive, reckless, lack of direction, poor judgement
When the tarot card is being spread upside down (reversed), it means that you jumped too far without thinking about the implications of your action, this might put you in trouble. As shown graphically in the fool tarot card, he is standing right before the cliff. Every big step or reckless movement can bring him to death.
Even if the fool tarot card is showing in reversed it still means a new beginning, but something is holding you back. For example it can be fear of the unknown future, failure and inability to make decisions.
The reversed meaning in love and relationship: if you are single than you are not ready for a long term relationships, you will not find term partner. If you are already seen someone that he or she doesn’t ready to make a commitment. They just want to have fun and fool around.
With money and career, when the tarot card is reversed, beware that no one is taking an advantage or you. For example someone can offer you a bad business idea or shady investment opportunity. And in the end you will lose lots of money.
The fool tarot card meaning in past, present and future
When we relate to the past, the meaning of the fool tarot card is that you have wasted lots of time and energies on people or work or relationships that you are no longer interested in. you had enough with all of this and you are looking for something different.
The present: right now you need a change, you don’t know if it will turn out to be good or bad. You are standing on a crossroad, you need to make a choice and just go for it. Things are looking too complicated right now, this is fine and you will have to address those issues but not right now. The most important thing is that you’ll move on to the desired direction.
The future: the fool tarot card is mainly concern about the present moment. But it can give us a little projection on the future as well. In the future you will have to invent yourself, adapt and be very flexible. When you will see a new opportunity, don’t hesitate and don’t go back to your old habits, which are holding you back.
The fool tarot card number meaning
The fool tarot card is a part of the whole 22 major arcana cards. It referred to key number 0 (zero), meaning the first in the deck. But it can also be placed at the end – key number 22. Because of that fact, the fool symbolizing the beginning and the end of a life cycle. Further more, the cycle is endless so in theory it goes in never-ending loop forever and ever, repeat itself to the eternity.
During our life, we will go through the 21 keys or elements of the fool’s journey. We will meet people who will teach us lessons about life. We will change our behaviour and feelings in order to continue with the journey. So in the end we will go back to the very first place that it was all begun, but now we are different in the way that we are wiser and stronger. It is more like spiritual voyage of self discovery.
The word fool in French language means a sack that is full of air, not with material objects. This is the reason why everything is possible even if it doesn’t seem so. It is also a symbol of triumph.
The number zero in numerology represents no limitation and lots of positive options to choose from. It is nothing and yet it is also everything together. The order of the numbers doesn’t apply to zero, as it all start afterwards. So there is no past for the fool, only future.
22 innumerology is great transformation energy. It is the ability to turn dreams and wishes to come true to the world of reality.
The fool tarot card astrological zodiac sign
The fool tarot card astrological zodiac signs are Aquarius and Pisces.
Aquarius is the 11th zodiac in astrology, mainly represents the element of water. Liquid flow that travel on earth. Strong current of water that can creates its own path by shaping rivers, lakes and the bottom of the ocean. Always on the move, looking for new adventure and can get bored really quick.
Pisces is a dreamer very much like the fool’s personality from the tarot card. They want to go somewhere, but they can’t decide what the right direction for them is. They have this conflict as depict in the zodiac sign – two fish, each one of them is swimming to another side. Pisces are also very emotional and control by their feelings.
In astrology the role of Uranus planet is to be like a clock, to awake us and get us doing things. This is very similar to the fool’s situation as described in the tarot card. There is some burning flame of fire inside of him that wouldn’t let him rest until he will find his answers. It is a call to take immediate action.
The fool tarot card meaning as feelings
As feelings, the fool’s journey tarot card gives us positive feelings. In most cases the answers to you questions are yes, there are good energies and positive vibes surrounding you. Even if the tarot card show in reversed it is still have bigger aspect of positivity with a minor challenge that stands in your way. In fact, it the ancient days of psychic reading the card was actually a joker – the most powerful item in the deck.
The fool tarot card art and history
Long time ago when tarot cards were used as a game and not for psychic reading, the fool’s card was the most powerful card in the deck. He was outside of the order and if you had it, you could protect and win the game.
Few hundreds year later the art of this tarot card was described more as someone who has unwanted personality in society, and therefore he lost all his magic and power. People didn’t want to associate themselves with this image. It was considered a negative energy and bad omen from the future. It symbolized unsuccessful life, misfortune and tormeneted feelings.
Later on, the fool’s image became a man of courage. Until that very day, the fool’s is still the hero card on the tarot deck. Although he is numbered 0 (zero) which mean nothing, he denotes new journey and possibilities, which is everything we need.
In many myths, legends and folklore story through history, the fool is actually the wisest person of all. He might look a little different or simple or even out of the common norms, but he knows better. Although at the beginning he didn’t had too much wisdom, his actions and failures through life, brought him new experiences and valuable lessons to learn from. All of this could happen just because of one thing: he wasn’t afraid to take the risk.
In fact, those who are dismissing him or don’t understand him, are the real fools because they don’t know how much wisdom he has to offer to the world.
Other names for the fool tarot card: joker, jester, clown, buffoon, folie, fov, il matto, le fou, and le mat.
Feel free to write your thoughts or questions in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!

I am running a marathon on the 26th of May and did a 32km two Sundays ago. I ran it a bit harder than I should have so am afraid I won’t be recovered properly before race day.
My plan has me continuing with my tempo and interval runs this week and next… Would it be detrimental to my training if I just ran those as easy runs?
My thought is that I’m getting the miles under my belt and not causing any further reason to need to rest. Also, I’m in my taper anyway…
Please give me your thoughts bc even thought I’ve done almost all my physical training, I’m now mentally heavily doubting myself :(

I’m a 22 year old female he’s a 48 year old male. I’m a basic and he’s a paramedic. We’ve both been in the game for about 3 years. He’s a horrific driver (tried to fucking kill us), likes to diagnose patients with zero imagining, has no capacity recognize that he might be wrong, and is disrespectful as hell as to anyone and everyone.
When we met, he explained to me that he was working on being less of a perfectionist and less nitpicky to his partners. He told me that he had a lot of issues with partners at a nearby company and eventually left for whatever reason. I took into account that he is a perfectionist, but I didn’t fully grasp the extent of his “perfectionism.” I’m a super open and accepting person. I can work with just about anyone. This guy is insane. He has two DUIs, an open container charge, and a felony. He also has a legal guardian. The reason for his conservatorship isn’t pubic but I’m going to assume it has something to do with the fact that he’s fucking crazy. His ex wife has a restraining order against him.
He’s PHYSICALLY abusive. I asked him (kindly) to stop pushing the gurney into me. He kept running into me with it and it was impacting our ability to cohesively operate the gurney. I was more than willing to work on resolving the issue, but I was met with hostility and aggression. He then intentionally pushed it into me MORE and pushed me into the pole to type the code in outside of the hospital (with both of the patient’s bare feet pressed against my arms and my butt pressed against the gurney). I had already requested if we could switch sides and he states “I guess you’re not even capable of holding a gurney” in a condescending tone. He did not let me switch sides. Another time, instead of asking me to move over or saying “excuse me” while I was in his way, he threw an elbow into me. This was the point where I began to see that he was frustrated with me. The reason he was frustrated is because he asked me to put the patient on the monitor and fire told me to wait until we got her downstairs (she was on fire’s monitor at the time). I listened to fire’s direction since he had exited the room to retrieve something from the truck. I thought that he would understand. He was unable to see that I took direction from the other paramedics on scene and he viewed this as disobedience/disrespect.
His “perfectionism” seems to be rooted within the inability to recognize an alternative perspective. For example, he tells me that he places IVs into the external jugular vein “all the time.” An RN at the hospital tries to call his bluff and he DOUBLES DOWN on his claim. The RN explains how this is incredibly risky and should only be done in dire situations. He argues that it’s not risky and that people even request them. The RN explains to me that he was a paramedic for several years before becoming a nurse, and that my partner should NOT be doing EJs as often as he says he is. He continues to argue and the nurse challenges him on his IV skills. The nurse brings out an ultrasound and asks him to use it to get an IV on a tough stick. He agrees and tries to use the ultrasound machine to get an IV on a random person after we had already been status checked (when we’ve been at the hospital for 30+ minutes and dispatch wants us to go available). He was ultimately unsuccessful.
He thinks that I cannot help lift patients. We had a call where a 255lb woman fell and couldn’t get up. I got into the typical front lifting position, he got behind her, and then he told me to step aside because he’ll be the only one lifting anyway. Another time we were at the hospital doing a sheet transfer with an average weighted male. He got on one side, I got on the other, and he said “I can’t do this by myself, I’m gonna need some actual help.” He did this another time on a call when we were going to move a patient to the gurney. He asked a fireman to grab the left leg, the fireman was on the other side of the room and I was right there, so I took the initiative to grab the leg. He was really irritated about it. Nobody else was. It was an easy lift.
Horrific and dangerous driving: He opposed traffic at a high speed on a one lane airport ramp and narrowly avoided being hit. He told me to go to airport arrivals (after I objected!!). I let him know that the clearance was too low and I no longer feel comfortable navigating the situation. He proceeded to oppose traffic at 30-40mph down the worst possible path. It was a one-way ramp with a very narrow lane along a curve with zero visibility and zero space to pull over. Another vehicle began driving in reverse and the car behind that one had to swerve to avoid rear ending them. I yelled at him to turn around. He yelled back and said “there’s no room.” I told him to “make a 12 point turn if you need to.” He insisted on NOT using sirens to do this and I turned them on anyway. Not a single car on that ramp would be able to see that we were traveling head-on towards them at a high rate of speed due to the curve, but they’d be able to hear us with sirens. He complied and made a multiple-point turn (he fully backed into the curb while doing so), then drove into oversized parking. He proceeded to tell me (at the top of his lungs) to “shut the fuck up,” and yelled “I’m so done with you.” I explained to him that it was reasonable for me to be scared when he put us in a very dangerous situation. He screamed at me some more, we went into the call, got cancelled, then he called the supervisor. I went into the back of the ambulance for a minute to process what just happened, my partner was nowhere to be found, so I got in the driver’s seat and relayed cancel 851 by fire over the radio. He ripped open my door and said “get out. I’m driving.”
He told me I’m “disgusting” when I asked what I did wrong. He told me I was disgusting the day prior as well. I actually recorded the second one (I was recording because I was TERRIFIED and he was angry)
Became wildly offended when I let him know that he left a IM syringe+needle on the back of the gurney and that it fell out on the floor at the hospital. The nurse noticed it and became concerned. I didn’t say this with any sort of intention of offending him, but it did indeed offend him. Not only did he recap the used needle, he threw it on the back of the gurney and forgot about it.
He likes to sit in the EMS room and write his report while getting status checked multiple times as well. A supervisor even called him while we were in the EMS room and he lied to them by saying “we’re just now getting the patient off the gurney, we’ll go available soon.” We had unloaded the patient long before that and were completely ready to go available several minutes prior. This was the first time we worked together. On the 3rd shift we had together, I went into the EMS room and asked him if he knows that we have 30 minutes to go available (we had gotten status checked). I figured that he might just not be aware of the rule since he is still new to the company, but he took great offense to my question and stormed off. I thought that he was storming off to go available, but no, he was storming off to sit in the back of the ambulance and attempting to transmit his vitals. The service is poor at this particular, so vital transmission is slow IF it actually goes through. He somehow blames this on me, even though I’ve explained to him that they’ll transmit in an area with better reception. Obviously I still hit the ‘retry’ button several times to make him happy.
He became frustrated on our first shift when I preferred that we post within 1 mile of our post. He wanted to get food and I explained to him that we have to post within 1 mile of our assigned post. He called me a goody-two-shoes and I explained to him that I don’t want to get in trouble for posting more than a mile away.
He told me that he has been “warned” that I’ve been written up multiple times for behavioral issues as a means to justify him telling me to “shut the fuck up” about him opposing traffic in a very dangerous situation. I have never ONCE been written up for a behavioral issue. I asked if he was mistaking me for someone else or if he had received misinformation, but he continued to stonewall me. All forms of communication where he was not screaming at me, he was stonewalling me.
He never had my back. He waited in the truck while I was in a woman’s second floor apartment ama’ing her by myself. I was up there for a while because she was very talkative, and he never once came back up to check on me. On a different call, an ETOH male patient would not stop hitting on me. He saw that I was very uncomfortable and I motioned to him for help. He walked away without saying a word. This was a very unique experience, as just about every other provider that I’ve worked with had my back (male or female) when situations like this arose.
He accused me of flirting with the fire department instead of paying attention on calls. I don’t even know how to flirt. I just thought it was common courtesy to be friendly & helpful with the people you run calls with. I read the patient’s medications to fire when they asked if I had them which upset my partner as well.
Each time I tried to speak he intentionally raised his voice to talk over me and cut me off. I was not allowed to speak to patients whatsoever. I was to be seen not heard.
A fire crew complained to me about him on a call saying that he wouldn’t even let them finish the assessment they started. I do agree with them fully. Every time they tried to speak he just kept talking very loudly over the top of them.
Issues with a respiratory distress call for a 30/40 year old female: He got upset when he asked me to grab him an end tidal and I handed him a booger. Apparently he wanted the end tidal that connects to CPAP but did not verbalize this. On that same call, he asked fire to give the pt albuterol through the CPAP. The fireman asked for clarification on where the albuterol is supposed to go and he ignored it. The fireman dumped it into straight into the mask instead of the nebulizer and the patient started screaming that they swallowed all of it. He then stated that her lungs were completely full of fluid (to me, fire, and the hospital staff) and had me drive code 3 to the hospital. We got to the hospital and he starts shouting “where’s the bed, where are we taking her?!?” in a frantic tone. He does not wait for a response before we take her into a random room (that they did not agree to) and get her on the bed. Rapid imaging was done on the pt and the doctor said (in front of everyone at the nurses station) that the pt didn’t have any fluid in her lungs & it was an anxiety attack.
He accused me of playing “games” and pulling shenanigans throughout the entirety of our shift. Stonewalled me when I asked him to explain what/why/how I was pulling shenanigans because I was truly unaware of what I was doing that caused him to treat me so horribly. Communication was non-existent

I almost feel like this journey has been too easy.
For background, I started to struggle with my periods about 5/6 years ago. Pain gradually increased, bleeding got heavier, and the pain spread over more days starting with 1 day and eventually turning into minimum of 4. I'm UK based, and finally accepted things weren't right and called my GP last January to try and get some action. She mentioned it could be endo in that call, and referred me for an ultrasound and a gyno appointment, and prescribed tranexamic acid and co-codamol to help with pain. I had the ultrasound last August and they found an inflamed tube, but the gyno appointment was a much longer wait.
I had my gyno appointment on Saturday and I was so anxious. I've heard so many terrible stories here and from friends in real life, told to just get pregnant, or try certain forms of birth control before they'll investigate, pain invalidated etc. The gyno was so lovely, she got me to list all my symptoms, and then said I have all the classic symptoms of endometriosis and she can refer me for a diagnostic lap. She also did a physical exam and found a cervical polyp that might have been worsening some of my symptoms.
I will have a minimum of 1 year to wait for diagnostic surgery and maybe they won't find anything, but I'm just so relieved she believed me.

• What is smurfing?

Smurfing is intentionally deranking to rank 15 or lower to ensure that your arena battles are 1v1s instead of 2v2s. The point is that 1v1 matches end a lot faster than 2v2 matches, allowing the smurf to initiate (and win) a lot of arena battles in rapid succession.

• Why do this?

Because the clan reward system is based on the number of wins that clan members accumulate, regardless of rank. And one of the best clan rewards is tokens, Supermech's scarce premium currency. You get 10 tokens when the clan reaches 200 wins and 50 tokens when the clan reaches 1000 wins.
The average smurf is capable of racking up wins at a rate of around 1-2 times per minute, so if you have a full 24-member clan of smurfs all collecting wins in the arena at the same time, you're looking at about 1000 to 2000 wins per hour, or around 60 to 120 tokens every single hour. This estimation is very idealistic and usually not the case because not all members of any given clan contribute, and not all of them smurf efficiently. But I will show you how you can smurf efficiently and where you can find smurf clans that'll help you generate an egregious number of tokens.

• The strategy is very simple:

All you need is two mythical Frantic Brutes and a mythical Rock Recoiler. These items are all obtainable at epic rarity, so you won't have too much trouble finding them. Frantic Brute is the highest damage dealing weapon in the game that isn't a scope, which will allow you to end battles very quickly. But that's not all.

• Bypassing the game's shitty anti-smurf mechanic:

If you look at regular smurfs in the game, you'll notice that almost all of them are using common torsos and legs, and there's a very good reason for this. You see, in order to protect lower rank players who don't have items that are as good as what a more experienced player would have, the game seems to have a process by which it averages the strength of the items you have equipped, and then matches you against a player of similar average power (correct me if you know more about this than I do). For example, if you were to make a full max mythical mech and matchmake at rank 15, you would match against a player who also has a max mythical mech. Similarly, if you had a mech with mostly epic items, you'd match against a player with mostly epic items. However, if you were using 1-3 mythical items and the rest of your items were common rarity, you'd match against someone of that average power, which is usually a mech with epic/legendary items or more likely, another smurf. It is important to mention that simply stacking common items onto your mech will only increase the average strength of your mech and won't make your battles any easier. This is why the typical smurf build is so barebones.

• Some troubles you'll face:

You'll find that with a common torso and legs, your mech becomes very weak and you probably won't be winning many games if you're on a newer account. Smurfs usually balance out the strength of their mechs with the help of arena buffs (they make a huge difference if you have them all maxed out) and modules, which as far as I can tell, do not affect the game's power detection mechanic. So having strong modules won't make your battles more difficult (but having a strong drone will, it's best not to use a drone at all). So, if you do not have strong modules, and if your arena buffs are still weak, you'll have to use torsos and legs that are slightly stronger. How much stronger depends on your mech and what you have. You will need to experiment a bit in the arena to optimize the items that make your mech as strong as possible while also making your arena battles as easy as possible. You might have to use something like a legendary torso and epic legs, which is fine as long as your battles aren't too difficult. Here are some items that might make your life easier as a smurf: The Claw or any of the monkey torsos at level 1 legendary (keeping it at level 1 is important) which offer a lot of hp, iron and platinum plating offer good bonus hp, platinum fortress which offers bonus hp and a significant increase in physical resistance (very useful for fighting other smurfs), and mighty protector which is the same as platinum fortress but without the bonus hp. Defense matrix or maximum protector are also solid options if you don't have good physical resistance modules. You can refer to the following Workshop for smurf build planning, as it allows you to see all the items currently in the game:
SuperMechs Workshop (workshop-unlimited.vercel.app)
Remember that the priority is fast wins. If you match against someone you can't beat, quit and matchmake again. If your battles are taking too long, quit and adjust your mech. And if your opponent gets salty and starts delaying the fight to waste your time, remember that smurfing requires very little attention. Make a second smurf account. While they're cussing you out on one account, you'll still be collecting wins on the other. It's very easy to make another smurf account if you utilize the level 12 and level 16 glitches shown in the following videos (credit to AEROST):
[SuperMechs] 12 level Glitch 5x Chest. (youtube.com)
New Supermechs 16 Level BUG !! 5 gift XD !! (youtube.com)

• Where can I find active smurf clans?

Well honestly, they're fucking everywhere because smurfing is the most efficient way to farm tokens. But here's a few that're the most active (that I know of):
Go to the clan search bar in the game and type these "revenge." and "Lord evolution."
This'll show you several clans, some of which are run by the same group of people. You might not be able to join some of them or might be kicked after joining others because they typically prioritize players who they know are active and have a lot of weekly wins. Your best bet will be to join one of these clans and politely ask if you could stay and farm wins with them. Most smurf clans are South American, so you'll probably have to ask in Spanish or you will be ignored. If you seem like an active player who can get them a lot of wins, they might accept and one of them might share some form of contact information with you so that you can be in on their groups and not get kicked when the clan leaders don't recognize you.
There are more smurf clans which you can find by going to the arena chat, clicking on other players in rank 15, and inspecting their clans. If you're active enough, you'll find one eventually.
If you are completely unsuccessful in joining any smurf clan, you can always clan-hop by simply searching for a clan with 170-199 wins or 900-999 wins, joining that clan, getting the rest of the wins, collecting the reward, then leaving. You can repeat this until there aren't any of them anymore or until a smurf clan allows you entry.

• Is smurfing wrong?

No. Smurfing is the only efficient way to farm tokens indefinitely. It allows the smurf to buy almost every single token offer as they come if they're active every day. This is what the Supermechs developers have intended, and this is what the player base deserves.

• But what about the new players?

New players can (without much difficulty) get past the ranks that are popular among smurfs if they understand how smurfing works, which I hope this post has helped with.

• The drawback of smurfing

It's a time sink, especially if you're in a smurf clan that demands your activity. It's also a bit boring, but I suppose the average Supermechs player is used to staleness by now. But the tokens you'll make will be worth it if you want to pull a lot of premium items very quickly.

• Some final words

I mostly made this as a middle finger to all the fedora-wearing neckbeard justice pseudo-warriors on this sub who always get hissy and pissy every time someone so much as mentions smurfing, and also because there is surprising no information on this sub (or anywhere for that matter) about smurfing in SM and how it works. Supermechs is a severely flawed game in almost every way, and that is no one's fault but the developers'. And many of this sub's semi-regulars, who are top rank players, made it to the top ranks by smurfing.
And honestly you can downvote this post to hell for all I care. Just know that so long as this post is up, if anyone goes to this subreddit's search bar and types "what is smurfing" or "how to smurf" they'll find this post eventually and they'll know all they need to know. Knowledge is found by those who seek it. And if this post becomes inaccessible, I'll find a way to immortalize it elsewhere and get it to as many SM players as possible.
If you think I made a mistake in any of the information mentioned above, or if you have any inquiries about SM and smurfing, feel free to dm me and I'll reply eventually.
.
Edit: One thing I forgot to mention is that there's a glitch with the clan rewards, in that sometimes you'll be able to collect the same reward three times (i.e. your clan gets 200 wins, and the members receive 10 tokens x3). I'm not sure why this happens, but my theory is that it's because so many players are getting so many wins at the same time that three of them were able to secure a win at roughly the same time when the clan was one win away from a reward, resulting in the reward requirement being triggered three separate times.

Hi, I’ve never posted on here so let me just say sorry in advance for any mistakes lol.Also, TW for SA. I’m a 17 year old girl. When I was growing up, it was just me and my dad in apartments most of my life. When I was 9, he started sleeping in my room next to me at night. Eventually, he SA’d me. It kept going until I told my teacher my freshman year, and I then went to live with my grandparents. My aunts and family were very angry with me for a very long time because they said I should have told them and not a teacher, which I understood. I know it was my fault that he broke down and became depressed after I left.He says he’s changed, but the last time he did it was three months ago. We also went driving so I could learn and when we were switching back to our original seats, he held me and told me he “still wanted me”. He’s saying that I should forgive him for everything and that I shouldn’t live life with the anger on my shoulders. He was also physically and emotionally abusive my entire childhood,but I’ve forgiven that because I know I wasn’t an easy child and he was really struggling. Now, I know that everything was my fault and I should’ve stayed quiet. But all I’m asking is that he not stay in my life. But I understand that he’s still my dad and did a lot for me growing up. Should I forgive him?

Next week I'm closing on a new home and one of the first things on the list is replace or re-key all the locks. Which is generally recommended?
Re-key: There are 6 locks total, and the backdoor is French style with keys on both the interior and exterior, which brings the total keyholes to 8 (I think the double keyholes count for 2 each). I estimate this will end up costing around $300 or so, as it's probably beyond my ability to do on my own. The time-frame to do this will also depend on the availability of a locksmith.
Replace: This is a relatively easy DIY, and I've done it before. The main issue is finding a pack of 3 sets of locks that includes the double key locks for the backdoor (or carrying more keys than a janitor). To add to this, my wife and I have started talking about replacing one of the locks (most likely front door) with an electronic lock. If we go this route:

• What are good electronic locks (not smart - I work in cyber security and do not want my front door connected to the internet) that have a physical key back-up are recommended?
• How easy is it to have the electronic lock re-keyed so that it matches the other locks? Also, is this something that can usually be done at the point of sale (assuming Home Depot/Lowe's or similar)?

Does anyone have experience with how much effort it takes to do that?
One of the biggest benefits for me as the GM when I switched from D&D 5e to PF 2e was how easy it was to run the stuff right out of the box. So far I've GMed the Beginner Box and another smaller adventure. Both of these were available in my native language and it was so easy to run them. I just had to take 1-2 hours to read into it in advance and get to know the story. Aside from that, I could just run it off the pages, even reading the sections in quotes directly, and it was fun for everyone involved.
Now after that I've started looking through the APs as the next step and they all seem great. The problem is, the selection in my native language is quite limited. I have no problem with English for rules, the ruleboks I own are all in English, but the adventure is just a different thing at a table where we speak another language.
So now I'm debating, should I just limit my group's selection to the available APs in my language or if I could "risk" running one in English. But I just don't want to end up with double or triple the effort because I need to pre-translate all quote-texts or have the RP scenes become lame because I have to live-translate right off the page and start going "uhmmm he says uhmm".
Anyone got advice?
PS: We're playing in person btw, with the physical adventure booklets (because I just love these much more than PDFs and staring at my screen), so copy-pasting into DeepL or similar while the session is running is not really an option.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's the process of optimizing your website and its content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) organically, without paying for placement. The goal of SEO is to increase visibility and attract more organic (non-paid) traffic to your website from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
SEO involves various strategies and techniques, including:

1. Keyword Research: Identifying the words and phrases (keywords) that people are using to search for information related to your business or content.
2. On-Page Optimization: Optimizing elements on your website such as title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and content to make them more relevant to the targeted keywords.
3. Off-Page Optimization: Building backlinks from other websites to improve your site's authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.
4. Technical SEO: Improving the technical aspects of your website, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, and site architecture, to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content.
5. Content Creation: Creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that satisfies the search intent of users and provides value to your target audience.
6. User Experience Optimization: Ensuring that your website provides a seamless and positive user experience, including easy navigation, clear calls-to-action, and fast loading times.
7. Local SEO (if applicable): Optimizing your website to appear in local search results, is especially important for businesses with physical locations targeting local customers.

By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can improve your website's visibility, attract more qualified traffic, and ultimately, achieve your business goals, whether they are increased sales, leads, or brand awareness.

original setting by Michael McNeill
Myrla sat at one of the tables in the food court area of Nantrella Station. The Greylin’s crew had discovered several ships docked with family members on board and this had led to a rather impressively large impromptu family reunion with several dozen kwonese spacers gathered up in one space.
She was sitting slouched over the table, the only human in a sea of furry ratfolk, nursing her drink. It was a chocaf that one of the family from another ship had spiked with something s/he said was an intoxicant that she would enjoy. Myrla wasn’t sure if it was intoxicating, but it did add a pleasant richness to the drink and it warmed her in a way chocaf didn’t normally do.
She was reaching the end of her drink and was starting to wonder if she should try to find the kwonese who had spiked her drink to ask for a second round when she realized some of her crewmates nearby were talking about her. She hadn’t been listening, really, her mind just floating along in the comfortable feel of the “group-snuggle” as they called it, so she wasn’t sure what was going on.
After a few seconds of focusing on the conversation, she realized they were bragging about her. That was when one of them turned to her, dragging her into the conversation.
“Yah, see! This Myrla, she top stevedore, better than ya porter drone!” Nellin, one of the crew-family she had little interaction with other than when it was time to hustle cargo, had grabbed her by the sleeve and was tugging her into a small cluster of kwonese sitting around one of the tables. She only recognized one other face as being part of the Greylin crew. Nellin served as the ship’s load-master and chief stevedore, so she assumed the others in the group likely held similar positions on their own ships.
Myrla hoisted her cup in greeting, a lopsided smile on her face. Then she realized she did know another of the faces in the group – the cousin who had spiked her chocaf. Grinning, she pulled her arm free of Nellin’s grip and pointed to him then to her almost empty cup. “I’m going to need some more of that, cousin.”
This set off titters of laughter around the crew as the kwonese in question hauled out a silver flask from his vest pocket. “Powerful stuff, yah!” He made smacking sounds as he fixed her another chocaf from the table’s dispenser. “Makin’ it on the Yeongja, we do. Best you find.”
She drained her first cup and picked up the second. If it was an intoxicant, it was either incredibly weak or it was so smooth that it would hit her like a sledgehammer later. Either way, it was a delightful pairing with the bitterness of the chocaf. She took a sip of the fresh drink, smiling as the warmth seeped into her. The group shuffled around to make a spot for her to sit.
One of the others, a grizzled older kwonese, looked at her one eyebrow raised. “Nellin say you top stevedore. Say you outwork drone. Been load-master on Yeongja ten year and four more now on /San Matteo/. Not seeing that happen yet.”
She looked over Nellin and raised her cup in his direction. “[Samchun ]()[[MM1]](#_msocom_1) has never voiced displeasure with my work. If he wishes to say I work harder than a cargo drone, that is his choice.”
Her comment brought hoots of laughter from around the table. Out-bragging in a family was something of a sport with the kwonese and diplomatically saying they were boasting without calling them a liar was an integral part of the game, even better if you were doing so in support of them.
“Well-saying, [olinee]()[[MM2]](#_msocom_2) .” The grizzled cargo-chief crinkled his snout and raised his glass at her. “But now chincheog making me curious. Never seeing such a thing not being the same as impossible thing.” He paused to scratch his whiskers. “Not working much with your kind, true, so never seeing how much you can do.” Several of the group lightly slapped the tabletop and looked in her direction.
She glanced down at Nellin, seeing his whiskers twitching. His body language was just like it would be if they were playing cards and he were holding a winning hand, waiting on the pool to grow. Long seconds passed before the one she’d mentally dubbed “Mister Flask” leaned in.
“Let’s make it interesting.”
And there it was. Cred-chips started hitting the table and in moments, crew from all the ships were aware of the betting taking place. She sat, sipping her doctored chocaf, as the kwonese around her seemed to turn into a boiling pool of sleek fur and whiskers. Across the table, “Mister Flask” raised his cup to her … and winked.
She grinned back at him, returning the gesture. Now what was that all about?
One of the twins – probably Mikkeulon, from the scent – saw the exchange and leaned close to her. “Oh-ho! You catching Peulla’s eye, then! Good choice, but he wild.”
Myrla sputtered into her cup, but before she could say anything, the twin was gone. Then Nellin leaned in close. “You got this, girlee. Seen you move more easy. Just be going slow and easy and Greylin family got drinks for all station-time, ya.”
Myrla smiled to herself, shaking her head. The cargo-master may have said the Greylin’s crew would have all their drinks covered during their port-time, but given the kwonese need for these family get-togethers, “hajog-poog” they called them, every kwonese on the station would be regular visitors to the Greylin. The betting was just the method they used to pick which ship the party was held on.

It wasn’t long before the entire party had relocated to the docks where San Matteo was set to disgorge its cargo. The grizzled cargo-master, who Myrla now knew to be named Tostiklin, had one of the enormous cargo bays set up for the impromptu competition. She’d sent Orak off to the /Greylin/ to retrieve her backpack, leading to a humorous scene as the young kwonese came running into the docking area dragging the pack that was easily as large as he was. She stripped away the actual pack and her possessions that it held, leaving just the pack-frame. She tasked Orak with perching on the pack itself, to make sure it didn’t get lost in the excitement.
She walked over to the small cluster of cargo-masters and hefted her packframe. “I assume I’m allowed to use a cargo rack, since the drone has one?” She watched as several of them suppressed snickers and Tostiklin wrinkled his snout in amusement.
He waved absently. “Yahyey, of course! Wanting a fair run, we.” He motioned the cargo drone over, which stood almost twice as tall as its crewmates. The crowd settled down to a low murmur as the cargo master addressed the two. “This being the rules. Moving cargo for one minute, as much as you can, ya. No helping from others. No interfering with other stevedore. Move you stack from where it is to indicated position.” He pointed to a pair of chalked squares some thirty feet away from the initial stacks. “Is good?”
The drone’s head rotated from the kwonese to Myrla to the two stacks of cargo containers and back. “I to compete against this gentlebeing? Moving cargo like normal work?”
“Yes, Ledo.”
The drone dipped its head. “Understood but I do not understand why.”
Myrla leaned close to the drone. “They gambling on us. Who can shift more.”
The drone tipped its expressionless face first to one side then to the other while looking at her, a low whir of servos barely audible. Then it looked toward the group of kwonese for a moment. “Oh. Oh. Then … perhaps I should apologize now?”
Myrla grinned. “Apologize for what?”
“I am made to shift significant amounts of cargo. You do not appear to be. I shall apologize now for embarrassing you in front of your shipmates.”
Myrla laughed and patted the drone on its arm. “It’s all in fun, Ledo. I won’t be embarrassed.”
She could detect a faint note of smugness in the mechanical’s speech. “Very well. Then let us proceed.”
“Geebees, are clear on rules?” Myrla and Ledo both indicated their assent. “Then please stand by cargo.”
When they had taken their places, Tostiklin pulled a whistle from his pocket and blew on it. Myrla and Ledo began quickly assembling their loads. Remembering Nellin’s admonition, she carefully restricted her load, adding two containers more to hers than the drone loaded onto itself. It was enough weight to slow her down considerably, but she could still keep up with Ledo without straining.
Together, they dropped their cargo loads inside their assigned squares and Myrla fought the urge to race ahead of the drone, keeping pace with it instead. Twice more the cycle repeated itself, with Myrla carrying just enough extra to stay ahead in the count.
When the whistle blew a second time, the gathered cargo-masters counted the crates in each stack. Tostiklin’s face was a study in surprise as he counted Myrla’s stack again.
He looked at Nellin. “Your stevedore has clearly won. By a mere six crates, but she has won.” The kwonese erupted into cheers and groans, depending on the amount of credits they had won or lost. Tostiklin held up a hand and the crowd quieted down. “But you say she outwork drone. Win by six is much as keep up with drone.”
The crowd inhaled as a whole. /San Matteo/’s cargo chief was treading the fine line of being rude, almost accusing Nellin of lying. The older kwonese narrowed his eyes, looking for at Nellin, then Myrla, then at the crowd. “I like very much to be seeing her truly outwork drone. What is prize money?” One of the younger cargo-masters gave him the figure. “I say offering own creds to match that, double or nothing.”
The crowd went wild, the line of propriety saved. Myrla doubted Nellin had that sort of funds available, based on his change in body language. From behind her, she heard a female kwonese start chanting, “Match! Match!” She and Nellin turned to look, seeing Captain Wanniv shaking her fist in the air. In seconds, all the /Greylin/’s crew was chanting with her.
“Match! Match! Match!”
Nellin looked at her, his nervousness evident, even though things were going exactly like he’d told her they would. She winked at him and gave him a quick nod.
His bearing changed imperceptibly as he turned back to Tostiklin. “Yahyey, chincheog. You be seeing truth.”
Ban Baekui had sidled up beside her, patting her arm. “Time be taking off the governor, ya.”
She nodded absently, her gaze wandering around the room, watching as dozens of groupings indicated the level of betting taking place. “Got your bets made, chief?”
“Already making creds plenty. This to be sheer kwaja!”
She looked down at him, grinning. “The captain plays cards with Nellin, doesn’t she?”
Ban gave her a curious tilt of his head. “Frequently. Why you ask?”
Myrla nodded to herself, looking around again. “She backed him up at the perfect time. This gonna bring some notoriety to the Greylin. And that converts to …” She looked back at the ship’s lead mechanic, grinning broadly.
“Jobs. Bigger and better.” Ban nodded, grinning back. “Not playing cards with you, girlee. Best getting ready, then.”
Ban faded back into the crowd, leaving her with Nellin. “You good with this? Tossi want longer timeframe for this.”
Myrla dropped to one knee, making it so she had to look up slightly at the cargo master. “I need some advice, chief.” Nellin blinked in surprise at the abrupt change in the situation. When he signaled his assent, she continued. “There’s more going on than what I’m seeing. You just used a blood-kin name for him. The captain backed you up publicly under his challenge, so she’s now tied the two of you together, your win is now her win, and your loss her loss. Tostiklin almost called you a liar in front of everyone, but pulled it out by upping the bet.” She scanned the crowd, seeing several non-kwonese beginning to intermingle. “And that is interesting. More geebees are joining the party. And those aren’t spacers.” Her eyes narrowed. “Those are brokers – I recognize two of them.”
Nellin wrung his hands, a faint tang of nervousness coloring his odor. “Is … is complicated.”
“Not from my end, chief. Tostiklin wants to see how hard I can work, because he wants to learn more about my people and is willing to pay for the privilege. And he wants to see me lose to gloat…” She looked at Nellin as he started squirming again. “He doesn’t want me to lose.” She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Who is he related to by blood on the Greylin?”
“He brother to captain’s father…” Myrla’s eyes lit up in sudden understanding. “…and is brother to my mother’s mother.”
Myrla’s jaw dropped slightly as several puzzle pieces clicked into place. “He … he doesn’t want us to fail at all. He’s loaning the captain operating money as well as boosting the ship’s reputation.”
Nellin put his hands out to shush her. “Not be saying this!”
The good side of her mouth pulled up in a smile. “Don’t worry, not a word. Plus, by challenging you like this, you gain even more credibility with the family after I smoke that presumptuous cargo drone at his own game. You gain a reputation for understating how good something is.”
“See … is complicated.”
“Chief, go make your personal bets. This run is about to get interesting.”
The next ten minutes was a flurry of action as bets were made and new spectators arrived from stationside. At one point, Peulla drifted by, pressing another cup of that deliciously spiked chocaf into her hand with a wink. Soon, the cargo masters were huddled up again.
Tostiklin had found a voice amplifier somewhere, letting his voice be heard over the noises of the much-larger crowd. “We be setting round two. Nellin, loadmaster of the Greylin Bostlin, say he crewmate outwork cargo drone. We see earlier this geebee do that.” He indicated Myrla and she waved at the crowd, to delighted cheers from more than just her shipmates. “I say she barely beat cargo drone and I ask for a rematch. I offer double to see she truly outwork drone!” The crowd roared excitedly. “I ask to see geebee outwork drone and just minutes not enough. I ask for one whole hour!”
The crowd erupted into a frenzy and Myrla blinked in confusion. Nobody mentioned hauling cargo for an hour, she thought.
Captain Wanniv had slipped up beside her. “Just another day on the docks, ya?”
Turning to the captain with a smile, she said, “Using my own words against me as inspiration? I’m … well, I don’t guess I’m shocked. And yes, I’m good for it.”
“Is good. All this good.”
Myrla gave the captain a wink. “I love how they brought in some of the local cargo brokers and the Dockworker’s Guild to watch. San Matteo is a respected crew. To see them give the Greylin respect will carry weight later.”
The captain’s eyes crinkled. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Finally, the crowd calmed down again. Siezing the moment, Myrla stepped forward to address the Matteo’s cargo-master. “Samchun, it seems to me that all of our competition is being done handling cargo from the San Matteo. If we are unloading cargo, then am I working for you? And, if I am working, then as a member of the Stevedore and Dockworker’s Guild, I have to be paid or I lose my license. And I cannot bet on myself.”
The crowd fell to a dead silence as Tostiklin’s eyebrows rose slowly, first one then the other.
“FAIR!” Someone in the crowd shouted.
Tostiklin glanced in the direction of the speaker and turned back to Myrla, nodding slowly. “Wisdom speaks.” A grin slowly spread across his face. “I will pay you one hour with a bonus in proportional to how well you outwork the drone.”
Myrla nodded. “I accept these terms and your grace in offering them.” This brought a round of applause from the crowd.
“Again! This being the rules! Moving cargo for one hour, as much as you can, ya. No helping from others. No interfering with other stevedore. Move you stack from where it is to indicated platform.” He pointed to a pair of conveyor platforms some thirty feet away from the initial stacks. “Is good?”
Both workers gave their assent.
“Geebees, to your starting places!” Again, a blast from the whistle signaled the start of the competition. Both fell to their task and worked steadily, but Myrla thought it looked as though the drone knew it had already been beaten. For every stack of crates it moved, she moved twice as many. When it tried to match her volume, its speed dropped off significantly to the sound of overloaded drive motors.
They were well and thoroughly inside the cargo bay of the /San Matteo/ and the crowd was only able to keep up by watching on a series of holoscreens that had been set up for the purpose. True to Bae’s request, she “pulled the governors off,” falling into her work-trance, letting the crates guide her flow. The conveyor platforms advanced with them, never more than thirty feet away, making the job a bit less arduous. The cargo-master group was inside with them, as well, and Myrla shut them out by treating them like she did any other client who hung out to watch her work.
She was so deep into her work that the whistle caught her by surprise and Nellin had to physically intervene to get her attention.
“Is good, girlee. We done it. YOU done it.”
Myrla walked out of the cargo hold, blinking and shaking her head, trying to get refocused on where she was. Then she realized the entire hajog was chanting her name. Bae and Wanniv were waiting on her at the bay-door. Bae handed her a bottle of water and Wanniv grabbed Myrla’s free hand in both of hers. “You best lucky charm!” As the crowd caught sight of her, the chant broke into a wordless cheer that threatened to overwhelm her.
Finally, the cargo-masters made their counts and conferred together with a lot of nodding and one shaking their head incredulously. Tostiklin motioned her and the cargo drone forward to join them.
“Thinking it clear who wins.” He broke off with a grin as the crowd erupted into cheers again. He tried to continue twice before the cheering died down enough to let him be heard. “Seeing you never slowed down, girlee. Thinking maybe you having another gear or two.”
Smiling, Myrla shrugged as the crowd went wild again.
“And!” He held up a pouch for everyone to see. “And, here is your payment. One hour’s wage for a class five stevedore. And since you performed double what the drone performed, your wages are doubled.”
Again, the crowd roared and she fought to keep the surprise off her face. She was a class one stevedore and class five rates were significantly higher than she was used to getting. As she accepted the pouch from him, she leaned in to be heard above the crowd. “You are a wise and honorable gentlebeing, Samchun. May your words echo among many gajog.”
That got her an extra cheer from the cargo-chiefs and a pat on the cheek from a grinning Tostiklin. “You taking good-good care of the Greylin crew, then. So, let’s be drinking to this!”