(I made this a while ago on a old account and just remembered about it so I decided to post it here hopefully y'all enjoy)
I don't have long. I go on walks in the woods before bed nothing too creepy happens. Well one time I head a wolf so I had to run didn't go back in the woods for a few week. But then I started my nightly walks it was the middle of winter and unlike most stories there was no snow. So I was walking around just exploring I had a bottle of water and a pack of peanuts and some chips. I usually walk for a hour or two so I was at the 45 minute mark of my walk when I heard what sounded like a stick being stepped on.
I stopped form a moment and waited to see if I head any thing else sounded like somebody walking. Not here's something u should know I don't ever see anybody else out here unless if it somebody who needs me and came looking for me. So hearing this was creepy I started walking a little faster but trying to stay quiet so who or what ever was out there didn't find me. I wouldn't go back cus it sounded to my right and a little behind me I turned around and kept looking over my shoulder but I didn't see anything.
It did stop for a bit and after 15 minutes I thought I would head back plus it was starting to get dark so I kept a kinda fast pace just in case. It took about 25 minutes before I head it again but this time it sounded close and was back the way I came and now to what's now my right what what would of been my left earlier. So I when into a speed of someone skipping and after about what felt like 3 minutes I head a small quiet moan. It sounded like a old man that had fallen and was in pain. I stopped hoping no body was hurt I listened and head it again it's wasn't louder or quieter it sound the same direction away.
The voice called and said simiss who ever there please help me I fell and I thing I twisted my ankle. It took me a moment to think and called out. Are you ok do u need me to get help I don't have my phone but I'll run and get help it mite take me a moment.
It took the man a moment before I head.
No please don't leave me out here I don't want to be eaten by a bear or wolf's please I was out looking for my dog I haven't seen her in a few days and I came looking I head u and I was trying to ask if you seen her.
I was about to answer him but then I remembered something a few nights ago I was out for my usual walks a butt earlier in the day than usual. I was bored that day and had nothing to do anyway I was walking around when I smelled something It Small like death I thought a wolf or bear had killed something so I went towards the smell carefully not to be head by any animals just In case one was eating. What I saw scared me it was a dog it was black with white areas on it not sopts but just ares of white. What I say made me pulk the fruit snacks I was eating while walking don't worry I was putting the trash in my pocket.
Anyway what u saw was the dogs guts and all our own the ground blood everywhere and bugs on and Inside the thing it was disgusting I was starting to tear up I didn't know what to do but the thing that scared me was that it looked like it was ripped open and bite marks was on its neck and on its back it was missing it left front leg and back right leg.
I took a picture of it before leaving that was 5 days ago now back to the old man. I asked him what color his dog was and he said.
It was black and patches of white fur.
And before I said anything else I realized something was worng about his story he said his dog went missing 3 days ago but the corpse of the dog I found was 5 days ago. Meaning eather there was two different dogs that where black and white or this guy was lying. Eather way I had my guard up just in case. I know I didn't mention this before but I always bring a pocket knife with me just in case. I asked the man if he was alone he said.
Yes but my wife will be worried if I'm not back soon.
It was almost completely night if I didn't figure this out soon then it would be harder to get help with it being dark and the animals that will come out. I ask the guy if he lived hear by and if I could get his wife and this is what he said.
NO! i-i-i m-mean I live a bit away about 37 minutes u mite not "come back in time". And I don't want to "be" by my self for to long do please ( now crying ) PLEASE COME HERE.
I started to become scared he sounded louder and a bit closer and mader. And before I respond some caught me off guard his voice when he said.
Come back in time. And be.
His voice sounded lowers and not of a old man. I took 2 steps back and yelled to him. ILL BE Bring HELP IF I RUN IT SHOULDN'T TAKE ME LONG. ... ... ... I didn't go hear anything for a what felt like 27 seconds I heard a loud deep scream. It only took my a second before I booked it I hard running behind me I only looked back once and that all I need to run faster. What u saw was a haft rotten corpse of a old man running after me his limbs was moving at odd angle as the Thing ran it looked like it was losing ski. It had a missing eye and a few teeth missing. I ran and ran I heard it getting closer and closer. After what felt like forever of running I remember I had a knife
I took the knife in my hand I didn't have good ame so if I wanted to slow it down I had to get close. ... Way to close. So after a little bit more of running I turned around with my knife in hand and blade open. When I turned around I saw nothing I knew I heard it running but I had ran for a good bit so it mite of stopped with out me knowing. But I didn't stick around cus I thought I heard leafs breaking so I started running again after a bit I got back to my house and took no time unlocking the door and going inside and locking the door but I still didn't feel safe so I went around my small home and looked I. All the rooms after that I made sure all the doors were locked and locked all the windows and closed the blinds and certains.
I heated me up some left over pizza I had and went to my room and watched some YouTube. I didn't sleep that night the for the next few safe to say the I haven't went out at the for the next few days after a week I started to be able to sleep I work form home so I didn't leave unless I had to which wasn't often just to get food/drink's/mail now for the main reason I'm telling this story I watch the news form time to time and on this night I was watching it while scroll through TikTok when I heard on the new they found a missing guy dead on the road.
Now I turned up the volume just u don't hear this alot atlest I don't want scared me the most that it was the guy that was chasing me when I say the my jaw dropped then I found out it was the road about 5 miles away from my house. Let's just say that I got me some food and water my knife block full of all of it's knives and locked me in my bedroom and the other door leading to my baft room the thing that terrified me the most is the big window in my bedroom room this is not a tiw storie house so if anything could happen.
Now the reason I'm waiting all this I heard tapping on my window and knocking on my front door ik it's that thing and I now know what it is I saw it's shadow on my window certain it had a human like body with what looked like a deer skull I'm being hunted by a wendigo and ik I will died if this is my last time hear I just want y'all to know if u ever hear walking in the woods RUN cus I don't have long to live.

I have posted it multiple times, and the post got deleted as the admins considered it a medical advice.
This is not a medical advice, I am just sharing my experience. Please DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (WWE).
I faced low energy, weak memory, low focus, gut issues, and many other symptoms for more than 2 years.
few days after trying carnivore diet, I can ensure you that my symptoms have faded. I will not say I am cured as the last time I said it, admins deleted my post. I will just say I have no sympstions.
My energy is more than doubled, I used to sleep 13 hours while feeling sleepy all the day. Now I sleep 4 hours and being awake fresh and with much energy.
I used to have low focus, and mental power, and now I feel no brain fog, so focused, and much smarter. This is what I feel and my experience. Please, if you want to try it, ask your doctor.
I do no say this is a cure, nor it is a medical advice, go ask your doctor, and search yourself.
Please admins, do not delete it I am tired of re writing.
I have seen many posts, for people who got improvements form carnivore diet.

Carnivore diet fixed it for me

https://www.reddit.com/covidlonghaulers/comments/pdwe1a/carnivore_diet_fixed_it_for_me/

Carnivore seems to prevent my brain fog for occuring

https://www.reddit.com/covidlonghaulers/comments/ybgsvl/carnivore_seems_to_prevent_my_brain_fog_fo

I’ve (27F) been on carnivore diet for almost two weeks now & holy hell I feel incredible. I feel like a new person. I feel like I was on autopilot before and now I’m finally in control of my own head & my body can keep up.

https://www.reddit.com/keto/comments/1630g1z/ive_27f_been_on_carnivore_diet_for_almost_two/

More Then A Full Recovery!

https://www.reddit.com/covidlonghaulers/comments/oparpp/more_then_a_full_recovery/

Update-Brain fog gone

https://www.reddit.com/LongHaulersRecovery/comments/18jok27/updatebrain_fog_gone/
Again this is not a medical advice, I work in Mcdonalds and not a doctor. GO ASK A DOCTOR.
This is my experience, I have 100% improvement, but I cant say it is a cure.
I am not trying to sell you anything, my only benefit is to give to long covid people, as I feel your pain, I was in a bad situation that I felt I am not me, I am now back me, I want everyone to come back to the version of them that was gone due to long covid and they missed.
This my third time to write about this, twice was deleted as it was considered a medical advice, now this is just sharing my experience and I don't say this is a cure, as they delete any post that say they are cured.
Upvote so my voice reach anyone that need help.

I remember being 12 and looking up unclaimed bodies around my area because I called my dad for 2 years straight and he never picked up.
My mother used to tell me that I’m worthless anytime I did something that she didn’t agree with. It could be over the stupidest things too. She was always deliberately cruel.
Like when my job promoted me to another store, and I was bragging to her about my accomplishments, she said “they’re just doing that to get rid of you. Nobody likes you”.
I’m turning 24 soon and it just sort of hit me that I could never be like either of them. It’s hard to be a good parent, but it’s not that hard to just be an ok one.
I want to reconnect with them so bad, because what am I doing that’s so bad that I don’t deserve parents?? I never argued with them as a kid/teenager. I never drank/smoke/ snuck out or talked back to them. I got excellent grades in school. But it’s like I got dealt a shitty hand.
I got a job at 16 and i was apparently deemed good enough to parent myself. My mom stopped grocery shopping so I had to spend my paycheck to buy groceries/food and then when I got home she would yell at me for hours because I didn’t “get the right food” and I must hate her because I didn’t buy the organic stuff she wanted. But I was only working part-time at a restaurant for $9 an hour and couldn’t afford it. She also gave me $600 a month bill that was also my responsibility with the rest of my paycheck.
Or when I graduated high school and needed to go college, she wouldn’t fill my Fafsa out (she did the same thing to my brother and he had to drop out and go to community college) and kept pushing it back. I had to get a 2nd job to pay my tuition, so I was going to school full-time, and then had a full-time and part-time job.
She figured out the days I got paid, and would drive me to a check cashing place and take most of my money. I couldn’t keep that life up of working 12+ hour days every day and flunked out of my college. I reenrolled in my local community college, but I was just so lost that I ended up quitting.
She brought a new house when I was in college that had a run-down in law suite. She told me if I fixed it I could live in there and pay rent and have some more privacy. I worked extra hours and got a 3rd job, found a plumber and electrician, and would spend hours every week to fix the place, and wouldn’t you know it as soon as I was done she sold the property and took all the profit. She did the same thing to a broken down car that she had, I paid $4k to take it to a mechanic and when we got it back, she “never said that” and still drives that car to this day.
When we were moving (again) i decided to just get an apartment with my boyfriend because I was getting sick and tired of being used. She found out and hid the leasing information that I got from a complex, and guilt tripped me by saying she wouldn’t be able to afford things on just her paycheck and would starve. So I quit looking, just for her to scream at me a week later that I was a useless burden and that I was the one financially abusing her.
So I packed my bags, slept on the dirty floor of my boyfriend’s parents trailer for 2 weeks, got a round of the stimulus checks, and moved out to our own apartment. When I went back to her place to pack the last of my stuff she was snatching things out of my hand, threw my boyfriend’s laptop and tried to choke him/throw him out.I pushed her away from him and she told the family that we both were hitting her, so they don’t talk to me anymore. She was also insulting him for his family bring poor, and making fun of his dead grandmother.
And as I’m getting older and my prefrontal cortex is developing I just don’t understand them. I can understand hurtful things being said in the moment, but to continually be like that means you are making a conscious effort to be a terrible person.
But I miss them so much. I want a mom to talk to about my day and complain about my co-workers with. I want to watch movies at her place again and eat junk food. But she doesn’t deserve it, and I feel like I do. I don’t know what to do. There’s plenty of more terrible and down right weird things that she does. Like she used to beat me and my brothers with electric wires as a kid. Or recently, she was renting out one of our old homes and my partner and I moved in and we were paying MORE THAN market rent. And she forced us to move out after only 6 weeks because I said no to helping her on a side project because I was busy. But I “owed her” because she could’ve “charged me more”.
Which I should’ve known it would end this way honestly.
My parents are divorced and my father lives in a different city. He only calls me when he needs something and honestly I have stopped answering.
I’m not sure what to do. Advice?

hi so i have offers for both birmingham and bristol and im so stuck on which to pick so i would be very grateful if anyone could help me or if any medical students from either of these could give their opinion.
so bristol was always my first choice because its the closest to me (i live in wales) but i didn’t think i would get an offer because i felt my interview went quite badly so i started looking more at birmingham my second choice. i visited an offer holder day for birmingham and had a look at accommodation and i really liked it all. then bristol gave me an offer the day before their last offer holder day so i wasnt able to attend and i emailed them asking if i could visit another time and they pretty much said no but you can come to the next open day which wasn’t very helpful as i went to the open day last year.
the main thing that is putting me off bristol is the accommodation-i read about how to fulfill their accommodation guarantee some students had to live in newport! which is crazy. but also in general i have read that accommodation in bristol is limited and expensive so people have to have their accommodation sorted very early in the year to have a good chance which i feel puts a lot of stress on finding a good group of friends early on which is not guaranteed to happen.
the main issue with birmingham is that it is further away (not by too much but in terms of train prices and journey times when there’s lots of traffic on a friday night for example there is quite a difference i think) i am in a long term relationship with my boyfriend and i would really like to continue with it in university which i know a lot of people would probably say it’s not possible but we both really want to try. so if i went to birmingham we would still try to make it work but it would put more of a strain on our relationship than if i went to bristol.
if anyone could help me it would be much appreciated because i need to make this decision soon otherwise i risk missing deadlines

From this interview here (at 14:37).
So I've been reading some Jung trying to get a handle my place in Christianity and the idea of faith. I came across this chapter in one of Jung's Works "Collected Works - 18 The Symbolic Life" in the section "XII Psychology and Religion: Why Am I Not A Catholic."
Jung writes:

Firstly: Because I am a practical Christian to whom love and justice to his brother mean more than dogmatic speculations about whose ultimate truth or untruth no human being can ever have certain knowledge. The relation to my brother and the unity of the true “catholic” Christendom is to me infinitely more important than “justification by fide sola.” As a Christian I have to share the burden of my brother’s wrongness, and that is most heavy when I do not know whether in the end he is not more right than I. I hold it to be immoral, in any case entirely unchristian, to put my brother in the wrong (i.e., to call him fool, ass, spiteful, obdurate, etc.) simply because I suppose myself to be in possession of the absolute truth. Every totalitarian claim gradually isolates itself because it excludes so many people as “defectors, lost, fallen, apostate, heretic,” and so forth. The totalitarian maneuvers himself into a corner, no matter how large his original following. I hold all confessionalism to be completely unchristian.
Secondly: Because I am a doctor. If I possessed the absolute truth I could do nothing further than to press into my patient’s hand a book of devotion or confessional guidance, just what is no longer of any help to him. When, on the other hand, I discover in his untruth a truth, in his confusion an order, in his lostness something that has been found, then I have helped him. This requires an incomparably greater self-abnegation and self-surrender for my brother’s sake than if I assessed, correctly from the standpoint of one confession, the motivations of another.
You underestimate the immense number of those of goodwill, but to whom confessionalism blocks the doors. A Christian has to concern himself, especially if he is a physician of souls, with the spirituality of the reputedly unspiritual (spirit = confessionalism!) and he can do this only if he speaks their language and certainly not if, in the deterrent way of confessionalism, he sounds the kerygmatic trumpet, hoarse with age. Whoever talks in today’s world of an absolute and single truth is speaking in an obsolete dialect and not in any way in the language of mankind. Christianity possesses a , good tidings from God, but no textbook of a dogma with claim to totality. Therefore it is hard to understand why God should never have sent more than one message. Christian modesty in any case strictly forbids assuming that God did not send in other languages, not just in Greek, to other nations. If we think otherwise our thinking is in the deepest sense unchristian. The Christian—my idea of Christian—knows no curse formulas; indeed he does not even sanction the curse put on the innocent fig-tree by the rabbi Jesus, nor does he lend his ear to the missionary Paul of Tarsus when he forbids cursing to the Christian and then he himself curses the next moment.
Thirdly: Because I am a man of science. The Catholic doctrine, as you present it to me so splendidly, is familiar to me to that extent. I am convinced of its “truth” in so far as it formulates determinable psychological facts, and thus far I accept this truth without further ado. But where I lack such empirical psychological foundations it does not help me in the least to believe in anything beyond them, for that would not compensate for my missing knowledge; nor could I ever surrender to the self-delusion of knowing something where I merely believe. I am now nearly seventy years old, but the charisma of belief has never arisen in me. Perhaps I am too overweening, too conceited; perhaps you are right in thinking that the cosmos circles around the God Jung. But in any case I have never succeeded in thinking that what I believe, feel, think, and understand is the only and final truth and that I enjoy the unspeakable privilege of God-likeness by being the possessor of the sole truth. You see that, although I can estimate the charisma of faith and its blessedness, the acceptance of “faith” is impossible for me because it says nothing to me.
You will naturally remonstrate that, after all, I talk about “God.” I do this with the same right as humanity has from the beginning equated the numinous effects of certain psychological facts with an unknown primal cause called God. This cause is beyond my understanding, and therefore I can say nothing further about it except that I am convinced of the existence of such a cause, and indeed with the same logic by which one may conclude from the disturbance of a planet’s course the existence of a yet unknown heavenly body. To be sure, I do not believe in the absolute validity of the law of causality, which is why I guard against “positing” God as cause, for by this I would have given him a precise definition. Such restraint is surely an offense to confessors of the Faith. But according to the fundamental Christian commandment I must not only bear with and understand my schismatic Protestant brother, but also my brothers in Arabia and India. They, too, have received strange but no less notable tidings which it is my obligation to understand. As a European, I am burdened most heavily by my unexpectedly dark brother, who confronts me with his antichristian Neo-Paganism. This extends far beyond the borders of Germany as the most pernicious schism that has ever beset Christianity. And though I deny it a thousand times, it is also in me. One cannot come to terms with this conflict by imputing wrong to someone else and the undoubted right to onself. This conflict I can solve first of all only within myself and not in another.

i don't want to get into why i think more ftms detransition than mtfs, because it would be baseless and opinionated more than anything else, but i really encourage every one on here, especially mtfs to go on detrans just to look around, it's a deeply infuriating experience so i wouldn't do it if you're having a shitty day but it gives you a lot of perspective for how dangerous these people are to us directly because of how their experiences are weaponized. i don't think de-transitioning is inherently bad, just want to clarify that, what is inherently bad is using your anecdotal experiences as a cudgel against trans people and projecting onto them. what sickens is me is this aggressive, pointed language, this implication that we will ALL inevitably desist, is just insane. i would only desist if i was literally forced to (which a lot of these women advocate for, of course). there's very few mtf detransitioners on there, i actually challenge you to find them, you can count them on one crippled hand. it's not just the reddit either, these are literally the statistics. nearly twice as many trans men desist compared to trans women. i'm not saying ftms are invalid, but i think we need to stop being empathetic towards these sorts of people (not detransitioners who are genuinely trying to move forward in life and make the right choice for themselves, people who congregate on reddits like detrans and shit up this subreddit). they are just stupid, frankly. unless you are a literal child who was actually groomed into transitioning, you have no excuse. my autonomy shouldn't be taken from me because you have the decision making skills of a literal toddler... i just feel like that's illogical. i can join the military and die at 18, but should be 25 to take hrt because you lopped your tits off without a second thought? what the fuck? i wish other trans people would take the fucking kid gloves off with these people because they're genuinely so cruel, they would rather make people's quality of life worse than take accountability. i would have zero issue with them if it didn't become this blame game that puts my life in jeopardy. i will literally die without hrt, it's that simple. but a lot of these women don't care because they're on a delulu crusade. mtf detransitioners are equally bad but there's just so much fewer of them, but the few that are around are awful (ray alex williams is a great example). literal AGP men larping as trans women (and not AGP in the funny 4chan way, genuinely AGP) and trying to take away our right to exist because they can't stop cooming. it's so maddening, i feel like we get it from every fucking angle. from society at large and from ourselves, and the overall LGBT community (the whole "drop the t" movement is a good example of how a lot of other letters tend to see us, especially gay men). we've literally been erased from our own movements as well, just look at stonewall. the trans women and men who were there might as well have not even existed to these people. we're literally just tools to be used in every sense. kills me.

Need support or listening ear
So my d date was 7th of april. Our son was 11 months at the the time. I am 34 year old female and he is a 34 year old male. Weve been together since we were 17. My partner had a traumatic childhood but never went to therapy for it. The last 4 years he has been up and down moodwise, almost depressed at times but also had very happy times. We decided for a child in our happy time. Bear with me, english is not my native language.
The year our son was born was a hard year. Felt like he didn't really stood by me. A real difference from the pregnancy. Our son was sick alot in the winter with virus after virus. I breastfeed. Alot of the care especially at night came down to me. I feel like i may have had a mild post partem depression due to alot of stuff and not alot of support from his side. Our intimicy was low, the pregnancy was hard, recovery after the birth, and sex was kind of painful afterwards. I also was very tired and over stimulated by being touched all the time by our son. He wanted more intimicy but never really had a serious talk, just cynical jokes. Ofcourse i kind of neglected my partner but not intentional.
The night of the 4th/5th of april our son had to be hospitalized because of respitory issues due to rs virus. I stayed the night in the hospital with our son. We got released the next day, medication helped and he no longer had saturation dips. He told me a few days before he planned to go see friends on the 6th but told me the morning of the 6th he would be staying over. He never gave me a reason not to trust him but I told him i found it weird, he never slept at a friends house in 17 years and i felt like he should have discussed it with me, not just tell me since our son was sick. He said he needed a night to relax with his friends but would think about coming home. (Prior to this he asked me to buy pineapple, i did t buy it) he also asked me to make him a lunch before he went which i did. He texted me during the day and i asked him in the evening if he would come home. I felt lonely. He said no, give me a night for myself. I told him he was being shady. He said if you think I am thats your problem.
The next day he came home and when I was trying to pay for our daycare (i had acces to his email account because the invoice comes in his email) i see a digital trainticket to a different city his friends live. He gaslights me when I confront him. When I showed him more evidence and said his sweater smelled like womens perfume he still didnt cave. I was crazy. Once i made him swear on our son he said yeah i met a girl but it is friendship, slept on the sofa, i just stayed overnight because its a long trip. Nothing happened. Gave me her contact info. She is christian and swore on god nothing happened. I tell him we need therapy cause its not normal to hide a harmless friendship and i am not comfortable with this friendship. If he shared it with me she would have been welcome at our home. He agreed. Said he would cut off contact.
Fast forward a few days later he is being sneaky with his phone. So i confront him about the contact. After another round of gaslighting he admits there are feelings, the met up twice and had been physical also several times. He took a day off work to meet her. At the time he was drunk. Things got heated i told him he has to stop it now and he says no i am allowed to talk to whomever i want. I packed my bag took or son the next morning and told him i needed time away and he should think about what he is doing.
I stay at family who supported me. He keeps on texting me he missed me and wanted another shot but wanted to end it with her on his terms because he promised her he would give her an answer in a few days (keeps protecting her but not me, atleast thats how it felt like). I said it either ends now or i wont come home and we end. He ends it with her but while I am back home he is acting like a real a hole. Mad at me, keeps going back and forth on staying together. I am toxic, i made him do it. It was bad between us for years (it really wasnt!) I buy books about surviving infidelity but have a hard time letting the conversation go with him. Felt like he still wasnt truthful.
But we did end up having intimicy 3 times in a few days. Which was suprisingly good (why???) And made me feel wanted and like we were working on things. The end of april I had to work. I work in a residential setting for people who are suffering from mental health and are mentally disabled. I buy sexy lingerie (online) while working and get off early because some of the residents are at their parents house.
When I come back home he acts all weird. Why are you home early (not like happy to see me). I find this behaviour weird so the next morning when he goes to work i log into his computer and find disgusting messages and confirmation she had been at our house the day before and with my child while i had been working. We had missed each other by five minutes.
I go crazy, called him called her. She is ten years younger then me. She just laughed at me, was real evil acted like he was the love of her life.
He came home (i got a bit physical when he came through the door, not saying it was the right thing to do but i was so angry for him putting our child in that position, never been physical before nor do I intend to). The one thing that i have to protect. He knew I didnt want her near our child and he promised me she never was and she was also never at our house. (I doubt this now) but he knew how big of a thing that was for me.
He sees me getting a break down (also good to know his family already knew about some of the stuff and were angry with him for gambling with his family) and then says he cant go anywhere and calls the ap. I tell him if you go there dont come back tomorrow. You can go anywhere but not to her house. She picks him up. My mom and sister in law had to come because I was a wreck. When he is there he keeps om texting do you want me to go to a hotel, but if I go to a hotel i want to come back tomorrow. I say you have to do what you have to do for yourself, i am not making your decisions. He stays there for a week. Keeps on texting me he dreams about me.
We have our own house so after a week he comes back Cant deny him acces, its both our house.
He says he is suicidal, wants a chance. Please you are the love of my life etc. I say i cant give him garantees there is alot of stuff happening but ofcourse 17 years of being best friends, there are alot of feelings.
After a few days home he goes back to her for a few days. Tells me he wants to break it off but takes 4 days!! They did break it off but he is still in contact because she is doing bad mentally because of his decision and he feels responsible. He says to me I want you to commit at this point or else I wont cut off contact even though theyve broken up. I say i cant commit at this point because this all just happened and we need counseling and i cant garantee him if he and I are gonna work out.
Yesterday i caved, and we were intimite again. Why am i this stupid?? Maybe it was the love bombing, the way he was looking at me. But to me it felt like ok, maybe there still is enough love to work this out. Then his ap send a card here which said that he was her man etc. He didnt tell me about the card but did throw it out. I found it. He is still in contact with her and still says he will only cut her off completely when I say we are going for it a 100%. Which to me is crazy, how can I say that at this point?
We got into a fight again about the card about him still being in contact despite being broken off. About him being more protective of her needs than mine (she is hurt, she is not doing well, if I break off conract now she might do something)
And i am over here thinking, what is wrong with me. Why do I fall for his bs, and also what is keeping me here. Why do I still have a hard time letting go when he doesnt want to fully commit unless he has certainty.
I swear we had a great relationship before our kid. Sure we had our issues every now and again but we always had fun and i always felt like I was his home and he was mine. I am so sad my best friend is like a different person. Who recognizes these feelings???

I may have missed some more recent (late 2023-24) declarations, so let me know if I should add anything I've missed.
Stugotz personal record book. Sorry if the links are expired on some things. They're old.
[Time Stamps] Started to use them in late 2019. They may not be exact based on what podcast app or service you use. But they'll be close.
I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS:

FOOTBALL

(1) UCF is the 2017-2018 national champion.
(2) If Kirk Cousins goes to the Jaguars and not the Jets, no championship he wins will count in the personal record book.
Note (2)(a): Still pending sort of since Kirk is with the Vikings now – possible in future he could go to Jags.
(3) Eli manning has 1 ring. He doesnt get one for throwing a ball into David Tyree's face / Tyree getting a football stuck in his helmet.
(4) Carson Wentz has a Super Bowl 52 ring.
Note (4)(a): Foles does not have a Super Bowl 52 ring.
(5) The Raiders defeated the Patriots in their divisional playoff matchup in 2002 (Tuck Rule game), and then would defeat the Rams in Super Bowl 36.
Note (5)(a): In this scenario also, Bill Belichick was also "fired and looking for a job" after the Tuck Rule game and has 0 rings.
(6) If the 2017 Patriots won Super Bowl 52, James Harrison would not have a ring (Patriots lost to Eagles).
(7) Peyton Manning has one ring (Broncos ring does not count).
(8) Peyton Manning must give such ring he lost (above) to Von Miller, who thus has 2 rings.
(9) Aaron Rodgers can have all the rings he wants for keeping all of central Wisconsin employed.
(10) Brian Billick has 0 rings (2000 Ravens Super Bowl) because that defense carried him.
(11) Tony Boselli is a Hall of Famer.
(12) Tarik Cohen is an honorary Jew.
(13) JuJu Smith-Schuster is also an honorary Jew. L'Chaim.
(14) Drew brees has three rings for winning the super bowl for the city of New Orleans.
Note (14)(a): There was discussion on this where the number started at three, went up to five, came down to two, but it ended up at three.
(15) Mike McCarthy has no Super Bowl rings.
Note(15)(a): Dan also has this in his record book, and it is the first entry into the Le Batard Personal Record Book.
Note 15(b): In fact, McCarthy has -3 (Negative three) rings.
(16) Any Super Bowl rings Antonio Brown gets with the Patriots will not count in the Stugotz personal record book (9/9 Weekend Observations National Hour 2).
(17) Ohio State's 76 to 5 victory over Miami (Ohio) on 9/21/19 does not count.
(18) Due to Bill Belichick's 219 wins with Tom Brady, Bill's week 7 2023 victory over the Bills was actually his 81st victory and not his 300th victory.
(19) The 2002-03 Miami Hurricanes actually won the Fiesta Bowl/BCS National Championship game against Ohio State.
(20) If JJ Watt joins the Texans for the 2024 season or later on, none of the Super Bowl rings will count in Stugotz's personal record book

BASKETBALL

Kevin Durant
(1) If Westbrook wins a championship and beats Kevin Durant along the way in the playoffs, Westbrook will have won 2 championship rings.
(2) "STRAP IT ON BOYS, GONNA TAKE YA FOR A RIDE:"
Kevin Durant has 0 rings (Zero rings)
Kevin Durant has -1 rings (Negative 1 rings).
Kevin Durant has -4 rings (Negative 4) (As of 4/11/18)
Note (2)(a): This number is subject to change based on Stugotz altering rings to the "-4" current total. Specifically as seen recently when Stugotz adjusted the number from (i) 0 rings to (ii) -1 rings to (iii) -4 rings.
Note (2)(b): Here is a tweet transcript of the conversation where this was discovered.
Archive link
(3) If Kevin Durant wins an NBA title for the NY Knicks, he will gain 11 rings.
Note (3)(a): As seen above in "(2)," Kevin Durant has -4 rings.
Note (3)(b): [Math] If Durant were to remain at -4 rings, and subsequently win an NBA title for the Knicks, he will have 7 rings total. This was specifically stated (-4 + 11 = 7), and a question about a non-specifically stated Personal Record Book entry is posed below in "Note (3)(c)(i)."
Note (3)(c): If the Golden State Warriors had won a championship playing 3 on 5 with Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant would have 1 ring.
Note (3)(c)(i): [Confusion] I am unsure if "Note(3)(c)" means he would gain +1 ring, and therefore be "up" to -3 rings total. Possibly, Stugotz means if the Golden State Warriors had won a championship 3 on 5 with Durant, Kevin Durant would be at +1 rings total (Positive 1 rings).
(4) Kevin Durant's dagger in Game 3 did not count, because according to Stugotz, none of Durant's stats count. KD's official statline last night was 0/0/0 and the Cavs blew the Warriors out by 40.
(5) Anything Kevin Durant has done with the Warriors so far is not in Stugotz' personal record scroll.
Note (5)(a): Stugotz did not take his feathered pen and write anything in his scroll (King Roy approves).
(6) Westbrook has ALL of KD's rings.
(7) For every time KD says he doesn't give a BLEEP, Stugotz adds 2 "I do give a BLEEPS" in the personal record book.
(8) Per Dan, speaking on Stugotz' behalf, Kevin Durant has no Olympic Gold Medals (9/18/19 National Hour 1 @ 00:07:50).
Michael Jordan
(1) Jordan has 9 rings because:
(a) The Rockets have to give their 2 rings from 1994 and 1995 to Jordan (+2); and
(b) The Bulls would have won the 1999 Finals over the Spurs if Jordan didn't retire (+1; 9 total).
Note (1)(a-b)(i): Put LeBron's rings in a box and put Jordan's rings in a box. Jordan is +6 by the way over LeBron box-minus, despite box-minus sounding like a dumb stat.
(2) Michael Jordan was suspended for 2 years for gambling (Said 4/25/18 Hour 2, 14:30 in podcast).
Note 2(a): HOWEVER, MJ still has 9 rings as see above in (1)(a) and (1)(b).
(3) Any game Michael Jordan played wearing the uniform #45 does not count.
LeBron James
(1) If LeBron James goes to the Golden State Warriors, every Championship he wins will result in a deduction of 2 previously won championships.
(2) The Miami Heat LeBron teams were the GREATEST teams in the history of sports (5/7/18 Local Hour).
(3) The Miami Heat LeBron teams were also the MOST INTERESTING teams in the history of sports.
(4) If, after the 2018 NBA Playoffs:
(a) LeBron does not make it to the finals and the Celtics do; and
(b) The Houston Rockets do not make it to the finals and the Warriors do; and
(c) LeBron goes to the Houston Rockets for the next season, THEN
LeBron is allowed to win rings that count in Stu's personal record book.
Note (4)(a-c)(i): HOWEVER, Harden & Chris Paul - if they remain on the Rockets with LeBron on the team - are not allowed to have any of the rings won with LeBron count in Stu's personal record book.
Note 4(a-c)(ii): To quote the big man Stu (with Dan agreeing of course), "Do it on your own” (Dan agrees here).
(5) If LeBron wins an NBA Championship with the 2018 Lakers roster (as of 7/23/18), then that wins counts for 6 rings.
Note (5)(a): Thus LeBron would have 9 rings.
Kyrie Irving
(1) Kyrie Irving hit one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals History, but was only in that position because of LeBron James. Kyrie Irving, did hit one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history that won everyone on that team a Ring, except for you (Kyrie). (3/9/20 Hour #3; Google Podcast @ 07:00).
Note (1)(a): Stugotz: "A little revision to the uhhh Stugotz Personal Record Book that I'll come around to writing...or Mike will." I'M WRITING IT YOU IDIOT MORON JACKAL
Misc. Basketball
(1) The Houston Rockets have 0 (Zero) NBA Championship victories.
Note (1)(a): See "Michael Jordan (1)(a)" for reasoning.
Note (1)(a)(i): [Restated Reasoning] Michael Jordan is actually in possession of those 1994 and 1995 Rockets rings because Michael Jordan would have won those championships if he stayed in Chicago.
Note(1)(b): [CONFLICTING HOT TAKE] Stugotz has also said Jordan didn't get the Rockets' rings because he was actually suspended for gambling.
Note (1)(b)(i) NEEDS CLARIFICATION PLEASE. Stugotz keeps going back and forth. In "Michael Jordan Note 1(a)," the opposite of "Miscellaneous Basketball Note (1)(b) is stated because he has gone back and forth on this issue.
(2) Steve Kerr has no rings as a coach. In fact, he has never even coached a game.
(3) Mychal Thompson (Klay's dad) has no rings. (Said on Zach Harper podcast).
(4) Clyde Drexler no rings (Said on Zach Harper podcast).
(5) Giannis Antetekoumpo is pronounced Yani Adababoombo.
(6) As long as James Harden has his beard, he cannot win any championships.
Note (6)(a): If the Rockets win a ring, then the ring goes to the beard.
(7) Lamarcus Aldridge cost the Spurs game 2 of the 2017 Western Conference Semifinals, even though they won.
(8) If the Sixers happen to win a championship, Sam Hinkie gets a ring.
(9) Chris Paul has NOT made a Western Conference Final since he had to join the Rockets to do so.
(10) Michael Jordan winning the NBA Finals in 1999 also means that Tim Duncan only has 4 rings instead of 5 rings.
(11) The Warriors only have 1 ring
Note (11)(a): Durant still has -4.
(12) Boogie Cousins cannot win a NBA Championship and have it count if he does so with the Warriors.
(13) Billy Donovan was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2017 (12/13/17 @ 28:10 Hour 1).
Note (13)(a): The Thunder blowing the 3-1 lead to the Warriors that year had nothing to do with Donovan. It was Durant's fault.
(14) The OKC Thunder actually did win the WCF against the Warriors in 2017 when up 3-1.
Note (14)(a): This does not apply to Durant though.
Note (14)(b): The Thunder also beat whoever they would have played in the Finals. Durant still no ring.
(15) Embiid has his 2023 MVP taken away and given to Jimmy Butler.
(16) Caitlin Clark's NCAA all-time scoring record still belongs to Pistol Pete because unlike Pistol Pete, Caitlin didn't do it in 3 years and she did it with a 3 point line.

BASEBALL

Babe Ruth
(1) Babe Ruth is black.
(2) Babe Ruth never hit a baseball. Not once.
(3) Babe Ruth is the number two black baseball player of all time behind Barry Larkin.
(4) Babe Ruth is NOT a top 20 Baseball player of all time. He's a pitcher.
Note (4)(a): However This is somewhat confusing/interesting because:
(i) Stugotz has said "Babe Ruth is the number two black baseball player of all time behind Barry Larkin; and"
(ii) This MUST mean Stugotz can only have 1 black player in his top 20 Baseball players of all time Barry Larkin; because
(iii) The only way this can work logically is if in the list of greatest players #1 through #20, only Barry Larkin is on the latter top #1 through #20 list. I would like some clarification on if he wishes to change this take/record.
(5) Babe Ruth is also not a top 20 pitcher of all time.
Misc. Baseball
(1) Stugotz has declared that in his personal record book, Baseball no longer allows pitchers to hit (Stated on 05/03/2018 @ 12:38:52 P.M).
Note (1)(a): Excludes Bartolo Colon, and Shohei Ohtani.
Note (1)(b): You are either a pitcher or a hitter. Not both.
(2) If the Dodgers won the 2017 World Series Clayton Kershaw would not have had a ring.
(3) Wade Boggs DOES have a ring because he rode around on a horse with a beer afterward.
(4) Clayton Kershaw did not win an MVP award because the award for pitchers was already given, the CY Young award.
(5) Miami beat LSU in the 1996 College Baseball World Series.
(6) The 1986 NY Mets did not win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Note (6)(a): This "pains" Stugotz.
(7) The Red Sox retroactively winning the 1986 World Series may result in taking a ring away from the Mets.
Note (7)(a): Stugotz has to think about it though, he's not sure yet.
(8) Bryce Harper did not win the 2018 home run derby because he cheated.
(9) Kershaw's Earned Ring Average (ERA) is 0.00.
(10) Mike Minor (Rangers Pitcher) does not have 200 strikeouts in 2019. He's at 199 (National Hour 2, 10 mins 40 seconds in).
Note (10)(a): Chris agrees too. And who really cares (15% on poll do care).
(11) The 2020-2021 Mets, during the Coronavirus outbreak, are 0-3 and Jacob deGrom is somehow 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA and 1 complete game. The deGrominator. (Google Podcast 3/30 Hour #3 @ 19:20)

HOCKEY

(1) Ray Bourque doesn't have a ring.
(2) Alex Ovechkin may or may not have won the Stanley Cup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Note (2)(a): "I mean he beat an expansion team . . . bunch of players nobody wanted" (We get the sense that Dan agrees).

TENNIS

(1) If anyone wins a major in Female Tennis without Serena Williams playing, it does not count and they have 0 rings.
(2) If Maria Sharapova wins a grand slam in which Serena isnt competing it doesnt count.

GOLF

(1) If Jason Day wins the 2018 Masters, it counts as an American winning (as far as bets are concerned).
(2) Vijay Singh did not play in the 2018 Masters.
(3) Steph Curry did not win the 2023 American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament . Mardy Fish was the real winner.

SOCCER

(1) Lionel Messi is stripped of all his achievements for using HGH. He never played soccer. He is still 5'1". "Fraud."
(2) Soccer is dead.

NCAA DIVISION 1 WOMEN'S LACROSSE

(1) Rachel has more rings than Kevin Durant

MISCELLANEOUS

(1) Aqua?
(2) Rings plus-minus is the only way to measure greatness.
(3) The HBO Andre the Giant film was good, not great, and Stugotz didn’t learn anything.
(4) Benoit Lecomte (guy they interviewed) can not and will not swim from San Francisco to Tokyo in the personal record book because he is most likely taking a dip for a few minutes then coming back on the boat and enjoying some filet mignon by the pool.
Note (4)(a): "Do it without a yacht. And how about ya do it without the little magnetic field around you that keeps sharks away. How bout that. Allows dolphins through though? Anyway.."
(5) Justify (the Horse) only has a double crown.
Note (5)(a): This is the first ever double crown.
(6) Tango and Cash is in the action movie Hall of Fame. and Cliffhanger has the greatest 5 minute intro of any movie of all time.
(7) Maximum Security (a Horse) won the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
(8) Fruit Stripes Gum is NOT a 1st Ballot Hall of Famer in Stu's "Gum Hall of Fame." (08/12/2019 Hour 2 @ 15:25).
Note (8)(a): "It loses it's flavor so quickly"
Note (8)(b): Also, "[...] Bazooka...1st Ballot Hall of Famer." Also, "Big League Chew..1st Ballot."
(9) Chris Cote owns all intellectual property rights to the "Friends" (TV Show) Movie with a misleading preview that eventually has a climax leading to an intense murder mystery. (10/29/19 Hour #2 @ 03:15).
Note (9)(a): "If they make this without crediting Cote, they're stealing it."
(10) That guy killed the pigeon (12/10 Hour 3 @ 08:20).
(11) Billy owns the record for world's longest Plank (2/25, Hour #3; Google Podcast @ 30:55).
Note (11)(a): Possibly in just the Non-Marine edition.
(12) Zach Buchanan won a Pulitzer Prize for his story on the Madison Bumgarner / Mason Saunders rodeo fiasco (2/28/20 Hour #2; Google Podcasts @ 21:35).
(13) Findlay the Golden retriever holds the Stu Gotz Personal Record Book record for most tennis balls held in a mouth at one time by a dog at 6 (2/11/2020)
(14) Ace Davis (The kid who "proved" Tom Brady was cheating with science) and his fathefamily are heroes (4/1 Hour #3; Google Podcast @ 18:50).
(15) Dan did NOT do more push-ups than Domonique Foxworth (Dan did push-ups on a non-linear platform) (4/28/2020 Hour # 1).

SPORTS MEDIA DREAM TEAM™

Sourced from Google Podcast; 05/06/2020, Hour 2 @ 09:00
(Head Coach) Ernie Johnson - "When you look over to the bench, what you need is someone to stand tall, someone who is confident, someone who is competent, someone who has all the credibility -soaked in credibility - when you have the Head Coach of the Sports Media Dream Team."
(1; Point Guard) Mike Greenberg - "Doesn't really want to answer the big questions, but has no problem distributing those questions to other people who are happy to answer them."
(2; Shooting Guard) Stephen A. Smith - "Never met a topic he doesn't like. Short memory, doesn't care, Greeny could throw him anything and Stephen A. is gonna run with it even if he knows nothing about the topic. That is how it works. Stephen A. is the greatest of all time."
(3; Small Forward) Chris Fowler - "A do it all guy. Studio show? Great. Play by Play? Even better. Can do everything."
(4; Small Forward Replacement) Maria Taylor) - "Need Play by Play, need Sideline, need Studio Host - she can do it all"
(5; Power Forward) Dianna Russini - "You need some crazy, some don't mess with us, someone to tear someone's head off in the event that they come after one of us."
(6; Power Forward Replacement) PFT Commenter - "He just comes in and acts crazy, throws his arms and hair around, and give ya 5 to 10 really crazy minutes."
(7; In honor of the Chicago Bulls, Stugotz needed a Wennington, a Purdue) Scott Van Pelt - Dan debated whether or not SVP should be on the Sports Media Dream Team™. That's what he's doing.
(8; Bench Player w/ No Position Specified) Doris Burke
(9) Teased...

An excerpt from the upcoming thesis on the counter theory to the rise of MAGA.
The Radicalization Of Evangelicalism
With Evangelicals intense support and influence over the MAGA movement and far right, my friend put together some research to ask one simple question.
"What if the Evangelicals weren't always like this? What if someone made them loose their way? What if they even once supported things like abortion?"

• Evangelicals were not always on the far right, their people, pastors and community even previously recommended abortion bills. “Financial capability” was even an approved reason, by Gods will, to engage with abortion. Yet one man, Jerry Falwell, a segregationist, would push for modernization and mobilization of the evangelical far right movement. Apparently, he knew better than every pastor in the history of that religion.

Politico Abortion History Right White Evangelical
ASA3 Article by the Christian Medical Society of historical Abortion Stances

• Near 1980 he launched his “Moral majority” group and “I Love America” rallies. He said he felt he saw a serious lacking in general morality in the country and was trying to save it. The Moral Majority was promoted as being pro-life, pro-traditional family, pro-moral, and pro-American. Which are all hallmarks of the Republican party and MAGA today.

Wiki Moral Majority

• Fallwell pushed for conservative politics so much that it led Billy Graham, a widely respected and well-known evangelical preacher, to criticize him for “sermonizing” about political issues that lacked a moral element.

Centerforpolitics On Farwell Sr History “Poisonous” To Republican GOP

• Graham, unlike Falwell, insisted on racial integration and even invited Martin Luther King to preach with him at a revival in New York City.
• However, Fallwell, a televangelist Christian, would make the odd alliance with Weyrich, a Roman Catholic, to help get “religion back into politics” to fight the imaginary enemy of “secular humanism.” Even though Falwell’s father was an atheist and from a line of criminals and drunks.

Cnn Opinion Weyrich Catholics Protestants

• Beyond intense homophobic, racist and misogynistic comments, Falwell preached, “The idea religion and politics don’t mix was invented by the Devil to prevent Christians from running their own country.” For your review, I’ve attached some “Devil Worshipers.”

Vanityfair Inside Jerry Falwell Jr Unlikely Rise And Precipitous Fall
Standford LawSchool Founding Fathers Separation Of Church And State

• In the 1990s that imaginary attack on religion of “separation of church and state” was called “political correctness.” With Bill O’Reilly even claiming that Christmas was ‘under siege’ in 2004 by “secular progressives.”
• h. In the mid-1990s Falwell also promoted the Clinton Chronicles, a right wing propaganda video that accused the Clinton’s of excessive crimes all the way up to murder.
• The ‘Falwells’ founded Liberty University and became puritan punishers and fined and ruined peoples academic lives for failing to live up to their “elite moral standards.” Few people understand how much harm academic death can cause someone and how likely suicide can become. Some of these sins included merely being in the same room as the opposite sex or drinking. Contrasted by the Falwell’s criminal family history and Jr’s claim his father had consistently openly drank and partied with friends before marriage. His father even apparently broke up a marriage to later claim his wife, Macel. His main tactic was incepting love letters, which was a federal crime for each instance.
• Jerry Jr would also reveal, “He became a different person to build a church and a school.”
• In 1988 the Falwells nearly lost everything due to Sr’s financial mismanagement to the tune of millions of dollars. While it’s claimed that his son helped reorganize things, restructure debts and find new funding sources, there doesn’t appear to be any articles on where those funding sources came from.

Vanityfair Inside Jerry Falwell Jr Unlikely Rise And Precipitous Fall

• On 9/11 Fallwell Sr even said, “"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'
• While other evangelicals said it was impossible to know which punishments god gave for which sins. Fallwell would later claim those words were taken “out of context.” That’s funny when it seemed like he was specifically talking to them in that moment.

Huffpost Jerry Falwell 911 Remarks
TheGuardian On Farwells 9/11 Claim

• It would be ironic that his son, after years of advocating for purity and monogamy, would himself engage in a messy seven-year affair that shocked the evangelical community. This scandal, along with other minor scandals and financial misconduct involving tax-free financial benefits to friends from the university, starkly contrasted with the values he publicly demanded. Although the affair appeared to be consensual among the involved parties, it was overshadowed by other, less publicized but more concerning alleged crimes. Additionally, despite his minimal evangelical conviction, he was thrust into an intense spotlight that would ultimately contribute to his downfall.

NPR An Affair That Felled Evangelist Jerry Falwell Jr S Career
Politico Jerry Falwell Liberty University Loans

• It's ironic that Jerry Jr., who initially had no prior relationship with Donald Trump, would become the first evangelical leader to endorse him in 2016. This endorsement came just two months after the death of his evangelical brother, raising some suspicion to his sudden ‘change of heart.’ Reports suggest that the endorsement was part of a quid pro quo with Michael Cohen to conceal an affair casting an additional shadow over evangelicals.
• However, there was a silver lining when 2,000 members of Liberty University, where Jerry Jr. was a leading figure, signed a petition for his removal, showing a commitment to integrity within the university community.
• Add to all that, concerning comments like tweeting he would only wear a mask that had “Governor Blackface” on it, in the wake of George Floyd. Although this was arguably during his “self-destruct” phase.

Politico Jerry Falwell Trump Liberty University

• Then, upon reflection, he insisted his fall was due to endorsing Donald Trump, and not his own sins.

People How Jerry Falwell Jr Is Connected To Donald Trump
In Summary:
Jerry Falwell Sr.'s commitment to a strict evangelical approach was deeply influenced by his desire to reshape the moral landscape and possibly counteract the less savory aspects of his family's history. His vision radicalized evangelicalism, aligning it closely with far-right politics, a transformation that had lasting impacts on American political and religious culture.
Jerry Falwell Jr., however, doesn't appear to have had any widely recognized issues with racism or segregation prior to 2020, which marks a stark contrast with the controversies that exploded around him later. His leadership at Liberty University seemed to embody the ultra-conservative values his father espoused, but his personal scandals, particularly the affair with the pool boy, starkly contradicted the public persona he projected. This scandal was particularly poignant given his father's harsh stance against similar moral failings in others, highlighting a deep hypocrisy that often went unremarked in less prominent families.
The ominous saga of the Falwell’s underscores the complex dynamics within evangelical circles, where there has been a tension between public morality and private behavior. It suggests a need for a reevaluation of how evangelical leaders engage with politics and society, advocating for a return to core values that emphasize personal integrity and humility over public condemnation of others' imperfections.
This also raises broader questions about the path forward for evangelical communities. There might be merit in considering a separation of church and state interests as it’s founders supported. Such changes could potentially help the evangelical movement find a more sustainable and less divisive role in modern society, avoiding the pitfalls that ensnared the Falwells.
As a refresher, here’s some Jesus:

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

And for those who follow the path of the fallen after learning of this, you’re not following the path of God, you’re following the path of the fallen angel.

u/neodestiny

I naturally fell into babysitting around the age of 14. Through friends and family, I got leads for babysitting to score some cash, which definitely beat having to work at a restaurant. The job had its ups and downs, but overall it wasn’t a bad gig at all.
Yet, as many good experiences as I had, they were all eclipsed by one night.
A new family in town talked to my dad at work and it turned out that they needed a babysitter. I happily took the job and found myself watching their 10-year old boy a couple of weeks later. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the family themselves. They were the model citizens of suburban America, complete with the white picket fence and blue shutters. Nothing about their house was strange or even unique. Their son Avery was very mild-mannered and polite. Even their car was basic. Not that these were bad things, but I expected it to be a very boring night.
What I did not expect was the uncomfortable, inexplicable feeling that I got when I set foot in the house. A chill ran through me, but there was no draft. I rubbed my arms as I gazed at their staircase as we passed. They gave me a brief tour of the house before they left a note of instructions and all the usual information I expected from a job.
While trying to figure out what was making me so uneasy about the place, I noticed something about their basement door when I passed it. A padlock was placed on the door, along with a deadbolt in place.
"Any questions?” The father asked as my mind was pulled out of my curiosity.
"No, sir. Everything looks great!”
So they left and Avery and I played some games before I made dinner. A couple of times, I thought I heard Avery call me into the den. Both times, I found him sitting on the couch in what most recognize as the TV-zombie state. He denied having called me, and I went back to making dinner. After the third time, I told Avery it wasn’t funny and that he should stop.
“I’m not doing anything, I’m just watching TV!”
His voice went to that higher tone of pleading, sounding desperate for me to believe him.
“Avery, I know it’s my first time and sometimes you wanna test things out, but I’m trying to get dinner ready so if you call me again, I’m not checking on you, okay?”
“I didn't say anything.”
The child glared at the TV with a pouting face, and I began to feel bad. As many times as I’ve heard lies, I was starting to sense that he was telling the truth. So what was I hearing?
“Hey, it’s fine. I’m not mad. Promise.”
Avery turned his head back towards me, seeming to test if I was the one fibbing now.
“How about I let you stay up a little later if we forget about it?”
“Do you really promise?”
“Pinky promise.”
With our contractual pinkies interlocked, spirits were raised again and I was able to finish dinner. Although I didn’t finish without hearing Avery’s voice calling me once more. I ignored it, and when Avery didn’t mention it at dinner I figured it was him fooling around again. The whole time we chatted as we ate, I couldn’t help but feel that something was not right about this house.
As hard as I tried to not look, my eyes kept diverting to the heavy padlock and chain on the basement door. Curiosity got the best of me and as we were cleaning up, I couldn’t help but ask.
“So Avery, what’s the deal with the basement door?”
“What do you mean?”
His words did not match his demeanor. It was obvious he didn’t make eye contact as he forced his sentence out.
“C’mon, you know what I mean. The padlock, chain, and deadbolt. Y’all have dangerous chemicals down there?”
Avery’s face grew paler and he stared at the wall for a moment.
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I didn’t mean to…”
“Dad said no one can talk about it anymore.”
This really threw me off, and I couldn’t possibly finish my sentence now. A thick veil of tension materialized between us.
“So you…you guys aren’t allowed to talk about it?”
Avery shook his head.
“Ah, okay. That’s cool. No big deal.”
It was nothing but a big deal.
Was their dad doing something illegal down there? Or was it something strange that no one could do anything about it? Maybe their dad was in denial about something going on. There were waaaaaay too many questions going through my head now.
“Hey, how about we put on a movie?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“What am I saying? Everyone likes movies, right?!”
Now excited, we decided on a fun movie that quickly pulled our minds away from the mysterious basement door. Well, that’s not entirely true. Maybe Avery was distracted, but it was killing me. As we ate popcorn, I couldn’t help but watch Avery, wondering what was going on in that little head of his.
Was there something awful going on in the house and there was nothing I could do to stop it? Or maybe the dad was just…
“Stop,” I told myself inwardly.
Mulling over it all endlessly was not doing myself any favors.
So the movie ended, and I ushered the drifting child to his bed. Now, the house was all to myself until twelve, so I had a good three and a half hours to myself. Immediately, I began texting my friend to tell her all about the weird experience I was having that night. She dismissed it, saying that I was getting spooked by a new place. This annoyed me to no end. I’d been at bigger, way creepier-looking houses but never got weird vibes like this.
Then…I heard it.
“Stephanie…..”
I went instantly still and listened intently.
“You didn’t hear that, Steph. Just keep texting your friend and…”
“Stephanieeeee…”
There was no mistaking it this time. It was definitely coming from the basement.
The acoustics couldn’t have been from Avery upstairs. The voice sounded like a little girl’s. In fact, I’m not even sure he could make his voice like that, anyway.
Slowly, I stood up from the couch and approached the door. Maybe like earlier, I was just hearing things. Maybe being creeped out by the house was starting to mess with my head. That made sense…right?
“Stephanie?”
I jumped back from the door, almost wetting myself in the process. There was no way I could dismiss it as anything else now. There was a little girl’s voice coming from the basement.
“H-hello?” I responded.
I couldn’t keep my voice from shaking.
“Is this Stephanie?”
“Y-yes, it’s Stephanie.”
“Can you help me?”
“Who are you? Why are you locked in the basement?”
“My name is Meredith Rosenberg. They’re kept me locked up for a long time now. The police were almost on to them and that’s why they moved. Can you get me out?”
A cold shock washed over me and made it hard to respond. Was I actually babysitting for a family that kept a little girl prisoner?
“Oh my God…um….how long have you been locked up with them?”
“Ever since I can remember.”
I felt somehow hot and cold at the same time, and wanted to throw up. This all made sense now with what Avery had told me. Of course his father didn’t want him talking about the door…
“I just need to find the keys and I can…”
“They’re hidden in the garage underneath the metal shelf. It’s inside a magnetic key holder.”
“Okay, just hold tight.”
In a panic to free the poor girl, I darted into the garage and began feeling the space underneath the bottom shelf and sure enough, there was a magnetic key holder there. Running back, I popped the key holder open and began to insert the key into the padlock.
“Did you find it?”
“Yes, sweetie. I’m almost there!”
“Oh, please hurry! Sometimes they come home early!”
This sent me into even more of a rush, and I barely managed to fumble the key into the padlock. I finally heard the successful click of the padlock, pulled the chain off, and slid the deadbolt to the right.
“I’m coming, Meredith. Hold on!”
I turned the doorknob and threw open the door, only to be met with darkness. Now full of adrenaline, my hands felt around for the light switch. Finally finding my purchase, I flicked the light on which lit up most of the stairs.
“Meredith?” I called out.
Unless I was remembering it wrong, it sounded like her voice was just on the other side of the door a minute ago. In fact, it was quite strange that she wasn’t waiting for me at the top of the stairs. Wouldn’t you immediately run out of a basement that you were locked in for God knows how long?
“I’m down here!” The little girl’s voice called out.
Judging from the distance, it sounded like she was calling from somewhere at the bottom of the stairs. My brain suddenly began piecing all the details of this interaction together and the idea of going down into the basement became absolutely terrifying.
“Meredith, you can come up now! The door’s open!”
I couldn’t hide the tremor in my voice. Why I was scared of a little girl was beyond me, but much like the house itself, something felt very wrong here.
“I hurt my leg, owww! When you said you were getting the key, I went back down to get some of my things and got hurt. Ahhh….”
Her sounds of pain filled me with sorrow, but an invisible force was holding me back from taking another step into that basement.
“Can you move? Maybe pull yourself up on the railing?”
“I can’t! It hurts too bad!”
“Okay, sweetie umm…”
“What’s wrong? Won’t you help me?”
“I-I it’s just…really dark down there and…and I don’t want to get hurt too. Is there any way you can get to the stairs? Any way at all?”
“I tried to sit up, but my shoulder hurts too much.”
“I thought you said your leg got hurt?”
The words hung in the air like a noose. It was only after I said it that I realized there was several things seriously wrong about all of this. A question popped into my head I didn’t even have time to think about until now.
How did she know where the padlock key was?
A deathly silence took up the space between me and wherever this girl was. It was a standoff, and I couldn’t think of anything else to say. There were questions I could ask her to figure out what was happening, but I felt that her answers weren’t going to be honest. Perhaps at this point, the truth was too frightful to know.
"Meredith? Are you still there?"
It was a stupid question, but it was the only thing my mind could conjure. The additional silence only unnerved me, so I decided to try and get a better look. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I clicked on the flashlight. It didn’t do me any good because of the awful range, so I did the one thing I’d already told myself not to do…
I took a step forward...
Maybe it was the angle of the stairs or the lighting, but that one step gave me more information than I ever wanted to know. I caught a better view of the bottom step, which was essentially a ledge into a black abyss. Something looked different on this step, but it took a second to register what it was.
The step was wet, a pool of some unknown liquid overflowing into the darkness of the basement. I knew for sure that the father hadn’t mentioned any flooding so it would be way too random for that. So I stood there, watching in frozen curiosity as the puddle then suddenly rippled…and I realized the abominable truth.
It wasn’t water.
It was a puddle of saliva…and something was drooling into it from the dark.
A wretched chuckle emanated from the horrid void beyond the step, and it cemented me even further into place. It was a wet chortle, and positively evil.
“How did you like my voices?” The thing said from the dark. “I’ve been practicing."
The epiphany creeped down my spine…it was now talking in Avery’s voice. Everything in my body screamed at me to run. I heard the screams but I couldn’t respond no matter how hard I tried.
"A pity though…almost got you."
At this, the most gruesome face peeled back the shadows and revealed itself, along with its unearthly mandibles and small fountain of saliva. My faculties finally came to and I threw myself into the house and kicked the door closed. In mere seconds, I had the door bolted and chained. Leaning against the door, my chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath.
Just as I felt I was safe, the door shuddered as a terrible blow rocked it. I screamed and ran upstairs to grab Avery.
I practically dragged the poor kid out the door and called the police. It wasn’t until the operator came on that I realized I was about to report a monster in the house. Thinking quickly, I told them that I heard a burglar in the home.
It wasn’t long before the police and Avery’s parents came home. Nothing was found, even in the basement, but I didn’t even care at that point. I just wanted the hell out of that house and away from whatever that….thing was. Avery’s parents kept glancing at me funny the whole time, probably because they knew I had their basement key. I shoved it into their hands before I hugged Avery and got into my car to drive home. That poor kid has to live in that house with that thing, but there was nothing I could do about it.
As long as I am alive, I will never….ever set foot in that house again.
And as for basements go, I can't go into them anymore. I just simply can't...

I’m finally putting the pump away after 3 (almost 4) of the most mentally draining months of my life. I have learned and realized so much, and I want to share my story to hopefully help someone else who is currently in the position I was in.
Before I had my baby, I planned to BF as long as I possibly could. When I felt like a failure because BF didn’t work for us, I became obsessed with the idea of exclusively pumping. And Lord, I had absolutely no idea what I was signing myself up for. EP is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Harder than birth. Harder than losing a family member. Harder than my previous battles with mental health. I was drowning in the sea of stress with having low supply, on top of pumping every 2 hours, on top of having a newborn, on top of cleaning the pump, on top of cleaning the bottles, on top of being alone with my baby for 12-13 hours a day while my boyfriend was at work.
I completely lost myself. I had never been so full of anger and hate. I fully blame the stress of feeling like I had no choice but to BF or EP for my extreme postpartum rage. I broke things. I screamed. I said things I will never be able to take back. Thankfully I was blessed with such an amazing partner and father to my child. But even with him being the most understanding and patient, I almost lost him, too. Our fights were so terrible. I felt like no matter what he did, the labor of raising our daughter was never equal, and I started to hate him. It had gotten to the point where we barely even spoke to each other because so much had been done and said.
Still, I was convinced, she HAD to have breastmilk. And being on that pump was literally sucking the life out of me.
My daughter and I left and had fully planned to start living with my mom. During our stay at her house, she noticed I was slipping. She told me she didn’t recognize me. She suggested that I drop down to 2 pumps a day and supplement with formula for the rest of the feedings. I hated her for even making the suggestion, but out of pure exhaustion and desperation, I caved. And thank god I did. I had been pushed over the edge so long before that I couldn’t even see it anymore. After just 8 days of staying with my mom and supplementing formula, I felt the fog clear. I felt the wave of guilt crashing over me when I realized I was responsible for hurting the two things I love most in this world- my daughter and her father. I robbed my baby of the smiling, joyful mother she deserves, and I robbed my partner of the bond we had spent 2 years creating.
I became so obsessed with the benefits of breastmilk for my baby that I caused more harm than good. Moral of the story is, fed truly is best. And when you’re in the trenches, sometimes you’re too far gone to see that as the truth. But it is the only truth. I realized that breastmilk isn’t essential to my baby’s development- but a stable and happy mother is. I called my boyfriend. I came home. I washed my pump one last time, and put it in my bottom dresser drawer. And instead of mourning my “giving up”, We opened a bottle of alcohol and celebrated my success. And the strength it required to realize it was time to walk away. My baby gained 4.5 pounds because of my boobies, lol. She had breastmilk for 107 days. She is healthy. She is happy. And I finally have my life back. No more stressing if i’m eating enough- I can just stop when I’m full. No more feeling tethered to the house. No more living my life on a timer. And most importantly, no more missing out on beautiful moments with my baby because I am miserable.
To all of the amazing mothers who continue to make this sacrifice for their babies everyday, I want to say I am so so proud of you. And I hope you never forget what an amazing thing you’ve done to give your baby any breastmilk at all- even when it felt damn near impossible. And thanks for reading my lil life lesson as a first time mom. ❤️

help. I have been with my boyfriend '33m' for over six years. We also live together with my teenage son. About six months ago my boyfriend and I went to a party and one of my girlfriends '28F' was overly flirtatious with my him. My GF who is married but her husband is always away on business trips. He didn't seem flirtatious back, but she was laughing overly hard at all his joke and seemed to be interested in chatting with just him the entire time and giving him a lot of compliments. So much so my son and other friends made comments to me in private after the party about how they thought she seemed very interested in him. I brushed that off and let it go because at the time I trusted him and wasn't really too bothered by it. I did start seeing her (noticing) she started driving by our townhouse quite often afterwards too. That started to annoy me, but I felt I shouldn't be mad because we do live in the same town and felt I couldn't really make assumptions.
Until he started coming home telling me he was running in to her...a little too often. He works as a delivery driver in another town about 30000 people an hour away. He happened to deliver a package by someone's house she was supposedly visiting. He recognized her vehicle so to be funny he left some trash under her windshield wipers. He told me about it when he got home. I still didn't think anything until we started running in to her everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Towns 30 and 45 mins away quite often. I started feeling like it was so often he had to have been telling her our plans because it was just a little too coincidental. She also started becoming pretty distant with me the last few months.
So I asked my boyfriend if I could go with him on my day off. The drivers are allowed to have friends and family go with if they'd like. His work friends take other friends and their kids. I thought my boyfriend would be thrilled because it was a way we could spend more time together. He got angry. Explosively angry. Said I was being ridiculous and knew it was because I knew he had seen her. We faught about it for days, but he eventually said ok and I started going w him on my days off. He certainly didn't seem to ever run in to her any time I was with him and we did get more time together. He eventually told me he was really happy I decided to start going with him when I could.
Fast forward to last week. After work I had to go grab something out of his car so I told him I would just meet him because he was close to being off. When I almost got to his headquarters low and behold who do I see? She seemed to be driving out of town as I was driving in to it and she was right by his work and had absolutely no reason to be. That worried me.
I confronted my BF and asked if he was having an affair w her. Asked if she was meeting him and if that was the reason he didn't want me to go at first. He got explosively angry again. Screaming at me. I expected him to tell me I was crazy and that he loved me and would never do that, but instead was explosively angry. Telling me he was done with my shit and couldn't believe I didn't trust him.
Eventually he did calm down about a day later to speak to me calmly and told me I was the only one for him. Something in my gut though still just didn't feel right so I decided to confront my supposed friend.
I called her on the phone. I didn't ask if she had been sleeping with him. I told her that I knew and wasn't stupid and started yelling at her. I told her that if she didn't tell her husband then I would. She went completely silent on me. No response. I told her at least I knew I wasn't a home wrecker and could live with the things I had done. I eventually hung up on her because she wasn't saying anything.
But that's my concern...why would she not say anything? Nothing to even defend herself or tell me that I'm crazy? Or that I was wrong and yell back at me? Just complete radio silence. We have not spoken since and I do not want to speak to her because he means far more to my life than she ever did. Having no response though doesn't sit right w me. I have never in my life had that happen. If she wasn't guilty why not just say that? I know if that was someone confronting me I'd speak up immediately and defend myself. Or was her silence telling me I was right? One of my friends thought it was because she wants him and possibly wants me to think that so I would leave and she could have him and another girlfriend is telling me she does think something must have went on. My boyfriend swears up and down he has never cheated and never would, but her silence is what scares me. What do you think?? Are they guilty or do I need to stop being crazy and trust my man?

Don't get me wrong. Pay is great, work is steady depending on where you work in the facilities, breaks are nice (again depending where you work, i hear horror stories from the cashiers), and generally? not a terrible vibe on third shift which is a god-send from the normal rabble.
What makes the job awful, much like any location, is the management. We've got several managers, much like any store, and of course they have their "favorites" who get away with everything barring murder. Some that walk around doing nothing all day, some that just sit in the wrong departments chatting, leaving the customers without help, some that ignore the customers asking for assistance as a whole, even a few that due the famous "U-turn" where they go back and forth from the bathroom and breakroom all night before clocking out. Everything we say about these individuals; in one ear, out the other. whether it's to HR, CXM, mod, directly to the individual in question or the boss of the store. Due to the crazy loops and mountain of paper-trailing required, the damage is already heavily implemented before anything can be freaking done about them, making the job twenty times harder than it needs to be.
Then you got the workers who bust their butt to make ends meet getting treated worse than the dirt you stand on because of these headaches. This goes on for every shift, but i need to focus on my own experiences through the third shift stress and tension as it has been getting extremely volatile. Between the problems above and a hard-headed manager interested in rushing to complete tasks over the safety of the worker, and the lack of stable workers since only 3 of us are full time + 2 part timers who do, essentially, full time hours, the strain on the night crew is insane. What sent me over the edge though wasn't the work.. oh no. I can handle the work load because whatever we don't get done is still there the next night. It's not hard to pick up where we left off and by the end of the week 99% of the time everything is done.
Below in the spoiler will be a pretty hefty rant of my experience involving what finally made me register my hard work means nothing. That we're simply replaceable fodder, and that our safety, no matter how much they plaster it as their priority, means nothing.

Back in January the area i live in experienced a pretty big storm. Didn't think much of it at the time, i've ridden my E-bike (my only source of transport) in storms before, even in the snow! But, unlike usual this storm had caused flash flooding. I had reached a particular point in the ride where I couldn't progress. The roads that legally allowed my bike to travel out of where I live had become flooded by nearly 6 inches of high speed water, with spots going as deep as a foot and more due to road conditions. Roads surrounding my route were also being slowly closed off as the storm continued and ubers were cancelling in the area (or outright rejecting rides due to the dangerous conditions.), making it progressively harder to get around. It was 10 minutes til work, and i still had 20 minutes to ride, and a 15 minute ride back home if something went wrong.
I pulled over at this intersection that was flooded and checked the news for the area. Local news networks labeled it a "local emergency", so i called it in, told my boss at night i wouldn't be able to make it due to the unsafe driving conditions and progressively worsening weather closing down major roads. He 'understood', told me it would not effect my points as it was a weather situation, and that several others were calling for similar problems. I returned home now soaked and the bike had to be carefully serviced to avoid any lasting damage from the heavy storm. Not a huge issue but annoying none the less.
Fast forward two weeks and i get brought into the office where the CXM and my boss are... and asked the famous line. "Do you know why you're back here?"
I truly had no idea, so i joked it off, I had won a recent raffle for 3 board-games, so I made the comment it was because I hadn't brought those home yet.
The CXM smiled, then said it was because i had received my 4th point for calling out without sick time. Now, mind you, I have no idea what's going on at this point. I knew i had missed 3 days (once in September, 2 times in october from bike issues leaving me on the road without a way in due to the battery dying.). So i asked where this 4th point was coming from. He mentions the day of the flood, my boss, who is keeping his mouth shut, looks away from me when he says this. At this point I sit down, rather miffed at this point because i was assured that it was okay due to it being a safety concern, and that others were calling out with similar issues without a problem.
I'm stunned at this point. Taking a seat at the wall, the night assistant manager closes the door behind me and the cxm begins to lay into me the normal spiel, about how they expect all workers to be punctual and that this was a writeup, and how i "needed to understand what was being said". The whole time he's smiling, I wasn't. I told him what I was told on the phone, that I was cleared due to the weather conditions and that a point wasn't on my record the last time i checked (which i was checking regularly the first week because i truly expected something like this to happen, and stopped checking 4 days prior to the meeting. This happened 2 weeks later on a Wednesday.) -The cxm says it doesn't matter what i'm told on the phone. And that I should have called an uber. -I told him that ubers were cancelling rides due to the roads closing. -He tells me to order a taxi instead then. Now. I'm getting riled up at this point. My leg it tapping, i'm clearly not happy, and the way the cxm is talking to me is actively pushing for a response like this as he continues to smile and REPEATS "do you understand why you're getting this write-up" over, and over, and over again. -The night shift boss is still not making eye contact with me. -So, I stare straight at the cxm and respond to his question. "I understand that I have 3 points, but the 4th point I do not agree with. I was told that I was okay, and that the local news had declared it an emergency. I do not agree with that fourth point." -They both look at me, and I continue to look directly at the cxm. I'm still pretty relaxed at this point even if i'm agitated mentally and tapping my foot. I just want to get back to work at this point because I know the cxm is on a power-trip based on his body language and how much he's smiling. However, it really shown when that smile went away at me saying that comment. The cxm folded his hands, his smile gone and said "look, you want me to be blunt? I don't care what you agree with, you just need to understand you're being written up for 4 points of missed work. I can't let you leave until you agree."
THAT shifted my whole mood. I went from calm, to alert. My foot stopped tapping, I sat back in the chair and I was glaring at the cxm at this point. I was LIVID. The night manager STILL wouldn't look at me, instead he was watching the cxm. So i stayed focused on him as well. I folded my arms, and gave my full attention to him.
He repeated "Do you understand why you're being given this formal write-up?" again, and I, again, said I didn't agree with it. He AGAIN said he didn't care what I agreed or thought was right. and he just needed me to agree with it. So. I said what he wanted me to say. "I understand i'm being written up for a point I don't agree with"
As if MOCKING me, he again repeats "do you understand you can't keep missing days like this?"
I stayed DEAD SILENT at this point, and he leaned forward and looked at me with a big ol' smile. and told me to "stop staring at me with that death-glare, it's not working on me, buddy"
I was fuming. I was NOT going to be treated like a tool like that for taking my own safety into consideration during a local emergency for the job to tell me I was still in the wrong TWO WEEKS AFTER the event happened.
I was forced to agree, because I was sick and tired of staring at him and getting nowhere. So i repeated the comment like a good little drone and left. God i wish i knew i could have commented in that signing page that i signed under protest, course I was so pissed off i doubt i'd have even realized where to write it if i had known. I signed the "admission of guilt" crap, and immediately went to speak to the main boss of the store. Took two more weeks to get ahold of him, and he agreed it sounded very unusual. Main boss went to HR with clarification on how to handle it because even he wasn't too sure on it.
Two weeks after that, i touched base with the main boss. AND HE AGREED THAT I HAD NOT DESERVED THAT POINT OR THE WRITEUP. HR had come back to him about it coming down to the manager who handles the call-out (in my case the night shift boss), and a second manager who confirms the callout. My only assumption is that my boss agreed and acknowledged it as a weather related incident, and the second manager, the cxm in this case, decided to over-rule that decision.
Every other manager I spoke to thought that point was bogus. THE MAIN BOSS said it was bogus, and HR agreed that it was a case-to-case issue due to their system not having anything concrete for localized weather emergencies (they only have it for snow/ice, and state emergencies.) but even our HR contact agreed that safety takes priority! So here I am, 3 months into this crap I didn't even deserve, all because this dude decided to swing his big-boy stick. Taking the proper channels to have it addressed, complaint sent in about the manager in question, and trying to do things by the book did nothing but hit me with a "well you didn't act fast enough so we can't fix it" response, because it took over a month to get it processed. On the plus side, since I explained the entire incident to the main boss of the store (including the response from the manager who was handling the write-up), He gave me his direct line and told me that if i EVER got caught in a major storm like that to let him know, and he'd be sure to clear the incident himself. So while it happened, the store boss pulled through and assured me it won't happen again since it was a situational decision based on whoever got the call-out to handle. The problem is that the one who made this a problem in the first place is still in a position to do said problem. And that, unfortunately, I am unable to address directly like this. It was untouched for almost 2 weeks, sent in as a point right at the end of the 2 week "edit" period, and then I'm written up a week after that, ensuring I had no way to fight it. This was, in all purposes, an abuse of power. But, i'm a drone. I'm only as strong as the voice of the rest of this cacophony, and that's why they keep everyone at eachothers' throats.

Like I said. It's a rant, so only pop it open if you want to see what triggered this message to begin with. It's the biggest frustration I've had in the many years working here that firmly got under my skin due to the way it was handled and how long it took to get properly addressed, for no other reason than to tell me it was too late to do anything about it. We're just numbers in this machine, readily replaceable and easily used to kick around in the name of "fun" for those in a position of power. Where the rules and regulations are waived so long as you're buddies with the other management, and those working hard and keeping to themselves are an easy source to dump the blame and pressure or exercise someone's "authority".

I am conflicted about posting this but the people I’ve told are split between my actions being justified or not. I am friends with this person again after a while of both of us processing and I just am not sure how we are supposed to rebuild our friendship when I still kind of feel like I didn’t get the apology I deserve. I get you can’t apologize for shit you don’t remember and I probably just need to let it go, but some opinions would be nice.
My friend Erin (20sF) and I (20sf) have been friends for a decade now, so since we were kids. In high school she got into drugs and alcohol and although I did too she got pretty carried away and was regularly super fucked up and I was often the one looking out for hemaking sure she didn’t embarrass herself (more) etc. we were kids I don’t have any resentment towards her and can honestly say after a big internal transformation I don’t have any judgments about her relationship with alcohol or drugs either.
So she would get carried away and due to personal history I would go NC with her until she got sober, this happened several times, like 5 or 6 now. We’d go one year off, run into each other somewhere, reconnect for a year or so and then shit would happen and so forth. You get it. The times that we are close are so much fun, but not just like party fun we just understand each other like nobody else and are completely comfortable and yeah. She’s like my sister more than my friend.
This is already getting long but basically my partner and I were invited to have a booth at a festival and my partner hired her to help me run it for 3 hours while he was at another job. An important part of this story is that I was pregnant at the time, early in my second trimester.
Long story short she got super fucked up. She knows I generally prefer that she doesn’t drink with me but she asked me if she could try some of the booze my husband made and I said go for it because I didn’t want to be a buzzkill and also like I don’t really give a shit if people drink it’s just lame behavior that follows. I didn’t know this was going to mean she’d be refilling her glass until she was hammered. There were also psychedelics involved and later without my knowledge powered substances.
So we are working and trying to make sales and I shit you not she’s scaring people away! Talking about how fucked up she was to people when this was not that kind of event at all. Festival isn’t exactly the right world. I was annoyed but hanging in there and enjoying other company and the music.
At some point she starts doing the weird drunk girl thing talking about how much she loves me, I’m her best friend, meanwhile she’s touching me like groping my boobs saying they look so good (bigger because I’m pregnant ) and pinching my thighs which was super pissing me off and hurt. I tried to be nice and tell her I love her too but to keep her hands to herself. Then she’s going on about how she loves me and because she’s my friend she thinks it’s important to tell me I’m pretty rough around the edges and hard to get along with. Saying I’m just not very fun and oh what a bummer I couldn’t take any drugs or drink with her because I’m pregnant. Literally saying “oh yeah it’s great and all that you’re pregnant but I just wish you could get on my level and have some fun because you just seem really…” and then making this grimace at me. Apologizing that I had to be sober even though I kept telling her I was enjoying myself and the only reason I seem like I’m not is because she’s bothering me and I’m super happy to be pregnant and don’t feel like I’m missing out at all.
This went on for about two hours before my partner arrived and I was able to tell her to please go elsewhere and check out the venue. She insisted she wanted to stay with me and I said ok cool then stop picking on me and touching me. A couple of her friends arrived and offered to walk around with her so I could have a break. They came back a couple hours later and said I’m so sorry I didn’t know she was gonna get this fucked yo I can’t watch her anymore and dropped her back off with us. It was humiliating especially because this was one of the first gigs my husband got for our business.
After our friends spend the rest of the night taking turns watching her and essentially babysitting her, (taking turns because she was trauma dumping on them about some really heavy and triggering shit) I decide to head to the tent to get some rest.
Erin and I set I up a one person tent together anticipating that I would probably be the only one sleeping and she was gonna stay up but sleep as needed. We brought two blankets, one to lay one and one to cover us. Her and I don’t mind cuddling as we have before hence the one person tent.
Right as I was falling asleep, here Erin comes stumbling out of the darkness covered in mud and soaking wet. I was super pissed off but grateful she as coming to call it a night and hopefully fuckin chill lol.
So I hand her one of the two blankets and her pajamas and tell her to change into dry clothes before she comes in. At first she says okay but then she starts insisting that she can’t change there and she needs to come in the tent. It’s a small tent. Just tall enough to sit up in and probably about the width of a twin mattress. It’s cold as shit, she’s literally wet and muddy, and we now have one clean dry blanket. I said no change outside and then come in. She argued and argued still super drunk be I felt myself becoming really angry.
Also, her arguing was her saying things like “no fuck you shut the fuck up I’m coming in the tent you’re being a fucking bitch” etc.
She said she was coming in, I said for probably like the tenth time just change your fucking clothes and then come in, she started to unzip the tent and I said
“Erin if you come in this tent right now I’m going to punch you in the face.”
She said, “do it I know you’ve always wanted to”
And starts crawling in. The tent was so small I didn’t have to do anything but swing my arm and I punched her around the nose.
It’s important for me to say at this point, I’d felt violated and disrespected by her ALL night (and a lot of times prior in our friendship but she’d never been so physical with me.) She was not honoring my emotional or more importantly my physical boundaries, and I straight up felt abused. She disrespected my partner by being not only entirely unhelpful but also driving people away with her belligerence, and now in top of all that she had woken me up and threatened to come into the tent and therefore get me wet and cold and in my mind it felt like by threatening my physical well being and triggering so much cortisol she was harming my unborn baby.
So although I feel bad for punching her, I truly felt after MANY attempts to get her to respect my pregnant body and sensitive emotional state, very threatened and like I had no other choice to keep myself safe.
We have since reconciled and she remembers it differently than I do (I was sober she was not)
But I just need to know so I can move on, was I wrong for physically standing up fodefending myself?
(Also I was asking for help from people all night to keep her away from me and was told to just take it easy and she was just drunk and it was no big deal. I’ve talked to my partner about him needing to support me more at that time and he understands he should’ve taken me more seriously because I was in real distress and not just annoyed like he thought, even though I said I needed help.)

Husband and I are 29 years old. Together for 15 years married for 4.
We have 3 kids, 8, 5, and 1.This is mostly regarding our oldest, who is 8.
So he’s not the best with teachers and likes to belittle them I think. Like our son brought his iPod to school (my old iPhone without service) and the teacher took it and had us pick it up and he told the teacher “dont take his phone, it’s not yours to take. Ask him to put it away and if it’s really an issue you can call me or his mother and we’ll deal with it but don’t take my things from my son” and then they argued a bit and finally she agreed if it happened again she’ll call his parents.
Then recently he got in trouble in class for disrupting the class (he threw a paper ball at another kid and then got a detention) and we weren’t informed. So when my husband and I went to pick him up the teacher said we had to wait 20 minutes because he’s in detention and he said “uh, yeah no I’m just gonna pick him up now” and she said “you’re more than welcome to after his detention” and he said “who do you think you are telling me when and were I pick up my son?” And i apologized on his behalf and told him to knock it off and he said “no, do I tell you what to teach? No. So how about you be the teacher and I’ll be the parent. You can teach him math and English and I’ll discipline him.” And she said it’s school policy and he was in there with another kid so husband just walked into the classroom and said “hey buddy, let’s go” and son said “I can’t” and he said “you’re going to serve your detention at home” and we left and the teacher just smiled and was clearly pissed.
To be completely fair, he was in trouble at home. Husband told him he needs to show his teacher respect and we took away his iPod and Xbox for the evening, and then we had him apologize to her the next morning.
On top of that, he doesn’t set a great example. He acts like a kid. I thought it was cute and funny when we were like 15 but now it’s worrisome because our kids are watching.
We were back to school shopping at the Nike store and there was a football and he looked at our son and said “hey buddy watch this” and threw it at a manican and the store worker said he had to go and he said “haha…yeah no I’m gonna stay” and I was so angry and embarrassed I just left and apologized to the worker.
Another time we were at lunch and there was a guy across the restaurant wearing a rather interesting outfit and he looked at our son and pointed to the guy and said “look at that dumbass over there. I bet he ordered a blt or some gay ass shit like that” annd they both laughed and I said “seriously??” And he shrugged and said “he probably did” and when we got home I told him how completely inappropriate that was.
And then on Saturday morning our son was playing madden on his Xbox with someone online (a random match) and he was losing so husband took over and started winning and the guy threw an interception so husband said on the mic “nice throw, f_ggot” and then won the game and called the guy a loser.
Normally I wouldn’t care, because that’s kinda what you need to expect when playing a game online, but saying those things in front of our son really upset me and I told him again in private I’m NOT ok with that.
I’m glad our son looks up to dad that much, and aside from being a little immature he’s an amazing dad and husband, but this kind of stuff really upsets me.

Heartbroken
Is there any way to stop the hurt?
So.. I don’t even know how to start this.. but I guess I’ll start with me I 24f made friends with a guy 21m two years ago. I’ll admit we’re only online friends (we were) who games together almost daily.. he had grown to be one of my best friends. I cared about him a lot and in the beginning he cared about me.
But in the past 3 months he’s changed a lot, we were constantly getting into arguments, about a month ago we got into a major fight, it was start cause he said he would 1v1 my little brother on fort but I told him he didn’t have to but he still agreed, and then decided to play ow (overwatch) till my brother couldn’t stay up longer. That was the start of the fight which escalated to me bringing up my feelings on how I felt ignore and under appreciated and how I just wanted to feel like he cared about me again, and how 1 sided the friendship felt. Anyways we made up but it was a big fight that brought changes to our friendship which I didn’t like. Like how he would only play games with me 2 days in a week, and I wasn’t allowed to talk about my relationship or my life in general.
Anyways he and I got into a fight 4 days ago, and I didn’t mean to argue with him but I had just woken up and he snapped at me first, so I told him I was tired of walking on eggshells and arguing with him.. so he decided to end the friendship.. then he messaged me the next day saying we should talk.
So we got into a discord call and talked for about 35 minutes and in the beginning it was like he wanted to continue our friendship and saying things like if we do continue we gotta stop arguing and getting into fights, which I agreed to and then right before we ended the call he said I know this is probably going to hurt you more than me, but I think we should just end it here even tho the entire time we were talking he made it out that we were going to continue our friendship and then he goes and messes with my head and ended it.
Then my fiancée talked to him, asking about what happened cause I called him crying about it, my ex friend explained what happened from his POV and then said maybe in the future we can talk again but right now it’s over.
My heart is broken, I really really enjoyed our friendship I haven’t stopped crying for 4 days since then. I truly don’t know what to do and even talking to my fiancée he said let it be for now and maybe in the future you guys will be friends again.
I just want the hurt to go away.. my heart hurts so much.
I really miss him..

I am very new to reddit so I have no idea how posting this will work, but I’m gonna try my best and hopefully not violate any rules.
So there’s this girl in my year who i’ve been friends with for about 2 years now, and despite me not necessarily getting to involved with friendships all that often (it seems that I tend to break them rather than make them) I really want to know more about her in a friendship way.
I think starting off I should start to explain my type and then me and my friend’s dynamics and then i’ll mention some things i’ve noticed about her throughout the two years. I’ve typed myself as an enneagram 5w4 and my instinctual variant as sx/sp so hopefully that gives more insight in our dynamic and the opinions i’ll state. This girl we’ll call her M.
Initially when I first met M, it was in iMedia where we were sat next to each other, and previously to this I had found out we were of the same minority which I found interesting as there’s not many people of my ethnicity in England. The first impression I gathered from M was that she was knowledgable and really grounded, she was the type of person you could easily rely on whenever you’re in trouble, as she can direct you to an unbiased and sensible path. However, she did mumble a lot to herself almost as if she was trying to speak to me, but it was moreso just speaking to herself more than anything. I found that strange because I wasn’t sure if she was initially trying to strike up a conversation, but she was much better with conversational speaking than me, which was something I was sure of. I wasn’t very conversational at the time and very much only spoke to her when we had to do some partner activities etc.
About a year later we ended up in the same circle of friends, and I noticed how “distant” she was. It’s not like she really distanced herself from this group, it was more just her not necessarily always bringing a similar energy. The way she acted around this group felt almost performative. Nothing that came from her really felt all that natural but it was more like she was learning and mimicking ways to act for her to be able to maintain the friendship she had in this group. This made me really interested in who she was like, what her personal desires and interests were, and additionally we did get closer due to our ethnic backgrounds being somewhat more relatable compared to the others in the group.
Me and M’s dynamic was very unlike the other friendships i’ve had. She was the reason of voice, the one who normally would try to talk sense into you, but she was also the type to try and match my energy, maybe because she felt the need to do so?? I’m not really sure. One thing i’ve noticed is that me and her are both extremely indecisive, so when asking each-other what kind of snacks we wanted to share we’d both end up being like “ i don’t know.. what do you want because i really don’t mind!” Another thing i’ve noticed with her is that whenever i’d tell her something unserious and almost joke-like, she’d be the type to correct me in a light hearted manner. An example would be “Hey M, this kitkat wrapper says its 100% recycled plastic, we’re basically just eating plastic.” (pathetic excuse of a joke i’m aware) “Nooo it says that because the wrapper is plastic!!” She would either respond in that kind of way or she will hold on to the joke and repeat every now and again when the conversation doesn’t really relate to it, and on top of that, she would follow the callback with an almost fake laugh?? It made me assume that it’s not like she really found the joke funny, but rather she’s referencing it for the sake of social clarity, which made me very confused.
For the majority of the time we talk together, I feel like she hides something for the sake of social interaction. She’s the type to sing something out loud when she’s around our group of friends, even when no one is noticing it, but be radio silent and non interested when she’s alone. It’s almost like she’s trying to be too relatable around groups, but my opinions could be biased, i’m not sure. I just want to know if others can help me understand her more and maybe give me some insight on what to do so that we can improve our friendship? I’ve just wanted to try to be closer to her and every opportunity i’ve tried it seems she becomes even faker? If anyone in this sub can help me then I’ll really appreciate it. If this is too vague then please tell me and i’ll try to answer any questions below.

Alright straight to the point, I'm 18m, she's 18F (not her real name but ill call her Kat), basically about 5 months ago I got a job at this small salad place as it just opened meeting this girl Kat in the process. Kat is a sweet (as well as a fun mean side to her) little person that over the past few months of me working there, I've slowly developed feelings for. It's gotten to the point where every time our schedule comes out, I take note of all our shifts we have together and find myself constantly looking forward to them unlike any of my others! And during those shifts (our store is not that busy so we get a lot of downtime) I always find myself hanging out with her for most of it just doing simple things like talking about our pets, school, feeding the birds out the drive through window, showing each other funny videos, casually roasting each other, ect. This girl has honestly been unlike any other crush I've had in my life. Usually how it goes for me is I meet a girl say, In one of my classes, we talk a bit from time to time, I develop some small feelings for them, I then start becoming a nervous wreck around them, eventually stop talking to them at all cause I have no idea how to act around them. But with Kat it's been different, I'm not a nervous wreck around them and I don't have to worry about changing my personality when around them, it's oddly sorta freeing tbh. That said, there is one big hiccup in this whole thing in that Kat has/had, a bf. This of course complicates things for me in how to approach her in terms of a relationship.
From what I could tell, they (at least kat was) were pretty close but recently broke up almost a month ago. A quick rundown on what I know about this breakup is that her Bf initiated it, and that there was probably cheating on his end about it, and that Kat is really beat up about the whole thing. They've apparently been dating for a year and a half and was Kats first and only relationship so far. Basically what I'm saying is, she's going through a rough time right now, she's been getting better especially compared to when shit really hit the fan, but still not in the best state right now. So I'm just here to ask, what should I do? I don't want to jump in and make things even more complicated for her, and at the same time, I don't know when would be a good time to make a move. On one hand I don't want to be like one of those guys that takes advantage of someone in an emotionally vulnerable state, but at the same time with her job, which is the only place I can see her (we go to different schools) she's been having talks of quitting so I don't wanna wait too long and miss an opportunity to see and possibly ask her out before she does that. Sorry this post is long, tbh I mostly wrote this to just clear my thoughts and lay it out in writing to think through it, but if you do have any advice please let me hear it as I'm stumped and any fresh thoughts would be more than welcome.

My fellow gamers, for too long has our community suffered the indignation of an intolerable culture that has denigrated, besmirched, exploited, and has outright demonized our culture of unique individuals with a genuine love of a hobby that they see as profitable and progressive. They have taken beloved IP’s (Intellectual Properties) and twisted them into their own personal ideological crusade of undermining and humiliating the core aspects of characters they deemed as “Toxic” or “White Supremacy”. Through the guise and protection of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity) & ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) they have used our influence in the entertainment industry to push their narratives and agendas that have stigmatized our culture with numerous anti-consumer practices that they call “being progressive”. But the truth of the matter is they were never really looking to be a part of our community, they simply wanted to use our community as a tool of activism and propaganda in the entertainment industry as it was extremely profitable, and they wanted inclusion in that division. Ever since GamerGate & Female Frequency, we have had to endure the incursion of forced ideologies, xenophobic behaviors and inferior overpriced products that have never been in our best interest and have been flat out disgraceful towards foreign media.
Before Gaming had become a major source of entertainment, we were often categorized as anti-social or societies rejects where because we found more enjoyment in playing fictional characters and not spending as much time out and about, we never fully assimilated in society (which is a good thing if you ask me). From 1998 to 2007, at the height of innovation, creativity and production, Gaming had reached a golden age in which it had revolutionized society. Hollywood Execs who had ruined the movie industry turned their attention to video games as a source of income since video games had outperformed movies in terms of profit. No one was concerned about gaming, much less diversity or inclusivity until it became profitable. This makes people like SBI look extremely disingenuous as they were not interested in gamers as a community with its own culture. They simply wanted to use it as another weapon in identity politics.
Microtransactions; the hidden enemy to gamer progress and inducer to mental laziness of our community. Microtransactions have been around for a long time; however, it has never been more potent and apparent than in recent years. It has aided in the dismantling and segregation of players on the ideology of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and has created another sub-culture of gamers who have no real drive to be better outside of how much money they put into the game. This has degraded our culture as well as we have become “fat” off transactional gaming but at the same time we have been “starved” of purposeful gaming where our achievements were our sustenance. I am not saying that microtransactions are bad, but when they are exploitative and predatorial like they have been and don’t give gamers room to grow, we become lethargic and unwilling to improve ourselves as gamers. Oversaturated microtransactional games are one of the many reasons why we have become complacent and unwilling to fight against the exploitative tactics used by big brand game companies such EA, Ubisoft, ActivisionBlizzard, NaughtyDog and so many other western business model companies. Western style games were not like this in the past, they had much more depth and actual effort put into them with the gamer in mind. This has not been the case for over a decade and our connection to western developers has been whittled down to just being transactional. That is one of the reasons why you see so many remasters and remakes in today’s gamer community. They have lost their willingness to improve as developers of games and simply accept corporate/share holder rules.
Game journalists also do not have any real integrity or purpose outside of being funded for their involvement in promoting IPG (Identity Political Games) in a positive light to the public whether it’s positively received or not. They are not interested in what we have to say, they all support the same agenda and that is why they are a dying breed. Within the next couple of years, they will be out of the job and more than likely they will not be able to stay in the industry giving how they have responded to past articles that have clearly been scripted on the premise of diversity and racism. Not only that, but most of them are also extremely hostile to the community as they stereotype and defame the individuals that are a part of the community they are supposed to serve. We have been mentally liberated from their lies and coercive tactics as we tend to laugh at their obvious attempt at virtue signaling while hiding their misdoings so that they can play the victim.
My gamer brothers & sisters, I would not suggest the following action that we must take now without good cause. I have weighed our options and the best option for us now is this…...CULTURAL SECESSION. Naturally this is a form of segregation where they would more than likely claim they are being segregated by the dominant culture of the gaming community but that is incorrect. For years now we have been the ones who are often marginalized and ostracized for the smaller portion of our community. And when we aren’t, we’re exploited for more funds so that these companies can stay in business only to subject us to low quality products that coincide with the “WOKE Agenda” that are often huge expenses to these big brands i.e. AAA/AAAA games that will eventually flop for its obvious forced diversity and bug infested product which will undoubtedly piss off the consumer to the point of wanting a refund. Losing copious amounts of capital and stock in the process, not to mention their reputation is permanently marred.
We must separate on every cultural level in terms of entertainment and ideology. We must reject everything from the west that promotes toxic western beliefs, practices, and exclusion from other cultures (i.e. Southeastern Countries such as Japan and Korea). Japan & Korea have been the targets of unjust discrimination from Western Developers, Western Journalists, Western Localizers (The Wokelizers) and Western Society Prejudice regarding their sense of aesthetics as Westerners hate the aesthetic sense of these countries. The reason why they resort to such base tactics isn’t just because it weaponizes the ideal female form but it’s also because they have deep-seated insecurities about their own looks so when they see attractive female characters, they use terms such as “unrealistic” or “hypersexualized” to establish the moral high ground. But the truth is, they want to feel superior to that which is ideal, so they insult and dehumanize this figure that portrays natural female beauty because they see it as an insult to their own social superiority in what they believe is a hierarchy of them being at the top of all other women. Because of this and so many contributing factors, their movies flop harder than the Fat Chocobo landing on a group of enemies and their games seismically fail just as much if not more. We must sever our connection to Western Developers, Publishers, and ALL Western-Centric Entertainment for they seek to mentally enslave us to their Xenophobic ideology.
Let’s define Western Culture and its traits. Western Culture/Society is composed of more than several different ideologies that work in unison with one another to facilitate dominance over multiple aspects of society. Business, Social, Political, Technological, and sometimes even Global Affairs are affected by these ideologies that portray a specific mindset of Western beliefs. What are those ideologies you ask?

• Perpetual Victimhood: By weaponizing the fact that they are marginalized and of a small portion of western society, they can push their agenda to absurd standards that ultimately ostracize the main demographic. And when companies don’t capitulate, they are labeled as anti-progressive/misogynist’s or cohorts of White Supremacy. They use this to cancel their targets and silence them through societal defamation to keep the public on their side. They also use this mindset to justify their own lack of self-agency as they tend to throw companies who do adhere to their demands but miserably fail to turn a profit under the bus so that they can maintain face in front of the public while denying their actual involvement. They will never accept “Sense of Agency” when it’s negative but will gladly accept it when a positive outcome shines on them as if they are entitled to it.

Official Wiki GamerGate Page)
​

• Societal Terrorism: This is another form of ideology weaponization that they use in order to make companies “toe-the-line” with their agenda. By weaponizing cancel culture, they exert dominance over these companies but in exchange they also reimburse those companies with DEI & ESG funds that raise their credit score as well as having social status with the marginalized demographic. However; cancel culture has not succeeded in years and developers and publishers probably only want the money and the DEI ESG rating. But they have to maintain the image of having social economic power so that they can continue to strong-arm other developers into compliance and promoting financial benefits of DEI & ESG. In other words, if you are not for sale, they discredit and stigmatize you in the industry.

Asmongold Clips.
https://youtu.be/Iq86DnmX2xY
​

• “Its not us, its you who’s wrong” Mentality: This mentality is especially annoying as they tend to use it to hide their incompetence. They often look down upon gamers who are not in the industry to hide their obvious lack of knowledge on game development thinking that their job title grants them special status that they believe gives them the right to be condescending. But the truth they never wanted revealed has already strangled their careers of all credibility. They were never GAMERS, they were INVADERS. Community Colonists that seek to indoctrinate next generational gamers into their hive-mind and brand previous generations of gamers as villains.

@GeeksandGamers
https://youtu.be/1HbrTkqQFuM
​

• Double-standard Enforcement: By labeling something as “unrealistic” or “hypersexualized”, they can claim this is morally wrong if it promotes traditional dynamics between men and women. Heterosexual relationships are condemned while at the same time Same-sex relationships are praised. Additionally, heterosexual relationships with main white male characters turn antagonistic and spotlight stealing. This is deliberate as to promote the “Girl Boss” ideology to indoctrinate women into the Feminazi state of mind. While at the same time, should a male character also adopt the “I don’t need male/female” ideology its seen as Toxic Masculinity which isn’t even a real thing. The idea of a strong male character is taboo while enforcing strong female characters is the ideal.

@MugenLord
https://youtu.be/to5Uciy_yeg
@EndymionTv
https://youtu.be/7TPTR8-qmbk
​

• Dehumanization/Demonization: This is something that most military branches use in order to remove conscious inhibitions such as mass slaughter is wrong or categorization. By enforcing ideologies to denounce humanity in certain targets, it deactivates your conscience by saying this is not human therefore its ethically okay to treat this target without compassion and deny the fact it has sentience. We gamers fall under this category for journalists, developers, companies and society at large. This is a tactic we are familiar with to an extent as it implies that we are not normal when we do not do what everybody else is doing. “Geeks are the worse” or “Nerds need to fall into a pit of lava” are verbal dehumanization forms that most people in society say and we as Gamers tend to be relegated to those categories. This is their way of imposing the social hierarchy on us by establishing superiority. We know this as Gamers as we see it very often in the games that we play and some times experience it in real life.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gamergate#The_end_of_their_relevance
​

• Deflection/Projection: This is basic psychology 101. By redirecting the conversation away from their mistakes and back on to the opposing view to avert blame and justify their innocence they can avoid criticism. However; deflection is a CONSCIOUS decision, meaning they have no real argument to justify their incompetence. If you can consciously process the situation, you have self-agency which means you don’t have a legitimate excuse. Projection is something else entirely. Most times, Projection doesn’t work on conscious decisions rather it is automatically deployed when feeling threatened, anxious or both. Instead of accepting accountability for feelings or actions that are deemed socially unacceptable they accuse others of committing that unacceptable behavior thereby exonerating themselves and proving that those feelings and/or actions are not their own.

@TheTrentReport
https://youtu.be/bPIPSKruYRo
These traits are so nefarious and unconscionable that I have a hard time believing that anyone could harbor them. However, given the social, political, and economic climate that we are in, those in power who use their influence on controlling society most definitely possess these insidious traits. Everything that they do is all about control and since video games are the biggest market in the world, they want control over it and the communities built around it to accrue more wealth and to use that wealth to subjugate other cultures. Mainstream media is a tool as well as mainstream organizations and sites to help accomplish this goal.
The government recently announced its intentions towards what they believe is “GamerGate 2.0” and now even the ADL has made an official appearance, referring to gamers as “extremist’s”. We know EXACTLY what they are doing, and they aren’t even trying to hide it anymore because they don’t think we are aware of their motives. This is just a pretext for them to exert even more control and we know why, it’s because they want the influence we as a community have to must serve them. So here is what we do my fellow gamers-
“In light of recent events and years of mainstream stigma, we the members of the Global Gaming Community [GGC] must officially renounce ALL TIES to the corporate western video game market. We have been financially exploited through predatorial monetization schemes, pelted with numerous articles of disdain and intentional misrepresentation from game journalists, news outlets regarding us as dangerous individuals and, even subjected to inferior products not only riddled with bugs but also products meant to push political agendas. For the preservation of our community and its unique culture, apart from a few select game development studios we officially sever all connections to western owned video game companies & their mainstream affiliates. From this point onward, we will no longer support western corporate developers, journalists and publishers that do not coincide with the goals of our community.”
Naturally this is completely optional. If you are okay with the state of the gaming community as it is, feel free to ignore this. But if you wish for real change and a break away from oversaturated monetization in the games you play and the push for radical ideological reform, then you are in the right place. Lets sever these rotted miasmic ties once and for all so that our community can be preserved and made better for future gamers. If you agree with this, share it with whoever you think might be interested. The more gamers who get involved, the easier it will be for us to finally break free from mainstream game companies and their associates.

I blocked all of them a few days after this post was made lol. I just decided enough is enough and it’s not unreasonable to want my privacy on social media, his family is his. Especially all his first and second aunties, grandmas, cousins etc. it was a lot of them to be honest. SUCH A BIG WEIGHT off my shoulders. I also don’t post too much about my baby anymore either. When we go out as a family I asked my fiance to no longer tag me or post to his stories what we are doing or where we’re going. Too many people get fomo for some odd reason.
Well anyway I think they all noticed because not a single one of them liked my fiancé’s Mother’s Day post about me (I checked through his account and yes he lets me)
I don’t really care, I hope this means they just leave me alone. If they ever confronted me I would just tell them I needed my privacy. Also my anxiety has been getting better. Baby and I have been going out alone a couple times a week, and I feel more confident in telling people NO whether it be strangers or family!
If you missed it here’s the original post:
Today I decided to go up against my ppa that usually prevents me from leaving the house with my 8 month old to do simple errands. I took a picture of him in the cart because I was so proud of myself for going out alone and setting it up not knowing how and then going in to get our stuff with baby in the cart. That little picture was a .05 second of my happy baby with me doing funny faces behind the camera. He actually started screaming bloody murder in the clothing isle but despite my anxiety I stayed in the store and checked out. I say this because my fiance has a very large family and they ALL want to see the baby and it is just simply too hard. My son is not an easy baby. Our family visits always get cut short because he starts screaming. I can barely go to the store with him. My IG pictures don’t mean my life is easy peasy and I can just take him anywhere and let anyone do whatever with him like a toy.
I posted that picture to IG of my baby in the cart. Then someone who’s a very extended in law of mine responds “hi little guy hopefully I get to meet you one day just saying” and let me tell you why my blood is boiling if you’re still reading.
4 months ago I took my baby to go meet all the extended in laws at a park in one swift gathering. The same in law who just messaged me on IG is the same person who walked up to my car window when I was trying to breast feed my baby, I felt extremely violated and I left right after. I didn’t even get out to say bye. They had all fought over taking turns holding the baby and freaked him out beyond soothing and then the one in law follows to get a peek through the tinted window when my fiance was asking her to walk away and she wouldn’t. So yeah I haven’t spoken to her or really any of them RIGHTFULLY so.
So what gives her the audacity??? If she wants to meet the baby then maybe apologize for over stepping? And stop trying to contact me or wait for me to invite you over or out. TALK TO MY FIANCE. THATS YOUR FAMILY. I keep telling him I’m taking a step back from his dad’s side of the family, he’s in charge of making the visits happen not me. I don’t even plan to tell him she messaged me, I want a completely hands off approach and to be left alone honestly. I think I might take all of my in laws off Instagram, I miss my privacy and being able to post what I want.

I know it was your first relationship. At 28, you had already been through so much, having been on your own for 13 years. You were forced to grow up too fast, and had to prioritize yourself, building a life from nothing. I get it. It was your fierce independence that made me fall for you in the first place.
I always knew that trying to build a life with you was going to be a struggle. I thought it would be worth it, for both of us. You deserve to have someone in your corner, that always has your back. You shouldn’t have to be alone. I don’t know if you believed the same.
I think I gave up too much of myself for you. Was that my mistake or yours? Did you really ask for too much, or did I give too freely without expectation for anything in return? Maybe both. Probably more on me. I’m not perfect by a long shot.
Compromise. It really does all come down to that. I tried to show you its importance, but in the process I ended up being the only one willing to do it. Me getting to pick what movie we watched or getting to plan a date became something I only got to do on special occasions. You said you felt like you didn’t know me, but so many times in so many ways I offered up little pieces of me to you. I share myself by sharing the things I love with the people I love. But more and more towards the end, all you’d say was “no”. Ignoring any context. Ignoring those pieces of me.
I know you don’t like movies about kids. I know asking to watch Home Alone during Christmas was a big ask. But it was a tradition that I shared with my dad, who I lost just over a year before. I know you think that traditions are pointless, but it was important to me. My earliest memories are of that. I needed to continue on, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it alone. I needed you there, your support. It was such a small gesture I was asking of you, but all I got was “no”. Instead we watched a movie you picked: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A movie made by the exact same people that made Home Alone, and with even more kids.
We wanted to go to Ireland. Personally I’ve been wanting to go for years, but couldn’t because of my dad’s illness along with everything else going on. You knew that in the last 3 years I lost all of my grandparents, two uncles, my dad. I couldn’t risk going so far away for so long while everyone was sick. My mom saw me giving up the latter half of my 20s for my family, when she was hoping I would be enjoying life and seeing the world. That’s why she was happy to give us the money to have the trip of our dreams. I explained all of this to you while you were struggling to find a way to save for the trip. All my mom wanted in return was a single nice photo of us. That wasn’t even a requirement for the money. She just wanted to see me with the person that I love making our dreams come true. I know you hate having your picture taken. The only attention your dad ever gave you was when he wanted to test a new camera. It’s a trauma trigger. But I was only asking for one picture. You’d compromise for your friends, you’d compromise for your sister. You’d take pictures with them. Why wouldn’t you compromise for your partner, and the other most important person in your partners life? After a year, we have 3 pictures together, none of which are very good. I know that I was asking for a lot, but I felt so less important than everyone else in your life. Maybe you felt that as your partner, I was to be held to a higher standard? I honestly don’t know. All you said was “no”.
You admitted yourself I was so supportive. I always prioritized you. From always making your tea before mine, to giving you the better looking plate at dinner, to planting all of your favorite flowers in my garden. I always complemented you, how smart you are, how beautiful you are, how driven and independent you are. Your friend needed a ride to a 5k and someone to cheer them on? I was there. You needed someone to drive you around while your car was in the shop for 2 months? No problem. Accidentally overdrew your account again, and you couldn’t afford the late fees? Here’s $50. Need to move on short notice? I’m the guy tearing apart and moving your furniture. You have a migraine so bad you can’t eat? I’m bringing you pedialyte and sleeping on your couch, even though I didn’t actually get any sleep. I learned all your rituals so not to trigger your OCD. There are countless other examples. I never said no. I never complained. You rarely said so much as “thank you”.
The big one. The thing that ended us. You’re right, we did sit down like adults time and time again and talked things out. You said you needed me to anticipate your needs. You’d get overwhelmed, and couldn’t articulate what you needed from me. You couldn’t stand being asked what you needed. You just needed me to start helping. “Mental loads” and all that. I took that to heart. But I’m not perfect. Sometimes I’d miss the mark. Tried to support you, but in the wrong way. Even in my failures I showed effort, but you never seemed to see that. You only focused on how I failed.
We recognized that this was a problem caused by both of us. The communication wasn’t getting through. But I had already adapted to your communication style as much as I could. My exited, rambling, almost impulsive way of generating ideas became slow, methodical, thoughtful. I put intention behind everything so not to overwhelm you. I learned not to jump at the obvious solution.
Yes, we sat down like adults and talked things over time and time again. You told me what you needed from me, but I also told you what I needed from you. If I was missing the mark, please just guide me to what you needed. I’m not a mind reader. I did it for you all the time. You were honestly awful at anticipating my needs too. If I was venting, had a bad day, all you’d say was “I’m sorry”, and pat me on the back like a puppy. No effort to dig deeper. No words of support or encouragement. So I had to show you how I needed support. I just needed you to do the same for me. “No”. Again.
One final time, I sent you words of support when you were having a bad day. It wasn’t enough, you wanted more. A phone call? For me to come over so you could vent in person? Did you actually want me to directly help for once? I don’t know. You never told me. Instead of guiding me to what you needed, you immediately shut down. Full silent treatment. I’ve been in abusive relationships where the silent treatment was welded as a weapon. I know you didn’t mean it in an abusive way, you were just overwhelmed again. But I never expected it from you. I didn’t see it for what it was. I only ever asked one thing from you to save us. I put in the work, got us 80% of the way there. I knew I couldn’t bridge the gap on my own. I wasn’t even asking you to put in effort on my behalf, it was for your benefit. I begged you time and time again for help. To communicate. Not to put it all on me, because I couldn’t do it on my own. But instead, you did the opposite.
You said that you felt like you were putting more effort into the relationship than I was. I’m sorry, but I can’t see that effort. I’m trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t. Maybe you mean you put effort into forgiving me every time I messed up? Maybe you mean that you were always planning dates, always picking what we watched, where we went, what we ate, what we drank? Again, mental loads and such. But I had things that I wanted to do and share with you that you always turned down. You only had to plan everything after my plans were rejected. It would have been more efficient for you to show love, patience, and compromise. Maybe we would have worked out then.
But you left instead.

Hello everyone Context: I play duo with a friend in diamond3-2 elo(we've both been GM at some point). At the moment I can say we are hardstuck because we go on a 5 win streak and after that we get nice teams meaning 5 lose streak. You might say that it's a skill issue but I usually deal with my premade most of the damage in team(on average I'd say more than 50%). We tried searching for a full premade team but every time we get a master-GM and we think that botlane will finally not go 0-10 disaster strikes. As for champ he is otp Lillia and I main Vlad/kat I feel like we are missing something so I thought I'd ask you guys for an opinion. Tipps and Tricks for getting out of Diamond needed:) Thank you in advance