I know like 4 languages (read, write, speak) Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, English and so now I am in Manipal for my bachelors I am very keen on learning Kannada though finnally trying to put it together I've started learning from YouTube been 15 days already it's coming together things I noticed - learning or getting grammer concept is the easy part but the vocabulary and pronunciations and sheer amount of data takes toll and actually putting things is practical use I am struggling saying it's difficult but not impossible I am doing it anyways and it works so how long will it take me to get grasp of language? What potential roadblocks will I be facing? What other resources I can imply on my learning? Currently 1 hour I am doing daily practice and videos and my corrections pronounciations and informal ways of talking are done with help of my friends and other people. Suggestions and changes are much appreciated.
On personal note already being a multilingual person I really get the value of knowing another language like it makes your life easier with people around you and let's them connect with you on deeper level and helps is getting rid of that outsider person identify to accepting and blending in person to their culture and heritage. And Karnataka will be giving me much more than a degree like friends... memories... career... networking... soulmate (who knows :D)... life experiences in these coming years.
I can't think of any other better way of paying my tribute to this state by learning their language and be a part of greater society. By my final year I'll learn this language and leave.
Dhanyawada :)

So we had a mutual break up with the person I spent almost 2 years with. It was a difficult 2 years but we loved each other deeply because we helped each other through some traumatic events. My life has been better since: I can't say I miss him because I feel much lighter. My nervous system is back to normal and I can focus on my next steps (being with him implied not being able to do so, because he's from another country so I literally was waiting for him to move here for 2y, as per his promise. I couldn't make any medium-long term plans for myself). After a month, he now wants me back. I'm pretty confident in my decision not to take him back because feeling so much better is a clear indication of how unwell I was with him. But I just feel super bad about having to reject him, especially because he's really trying. I know what I have to do, it just sucks; why can't people stay away when you know you're better off without them? That simply can't be love then.

As writing this, the more confident i feel about the situation and feel this might be something i shouldnt worry about, but im a person who gets really nervous thinking that i might have to deal with this incident in the days to come as i dont want to or believe i deserve to face a consequence for this incident as well as the effort it probably will take to repeal anything if something were to happen
*a brief summary: Im worried if a classmate will report me and if i will get in trouble for saying that their score (which they chose to disclose, i didnt ask or force them to show) isnt good (according to them, they thought i said that they score is terrible, probably how they viewed it) because i heard them talking about the incident after class with the teacher
So today in Spanish class, I was talking to another classmate about how they are studying for this one big test we have for a different class and how well are they preforming in the practice for the test, and after we had a conversation about it, another classmate talks about how they did poorly, like a 60% on a multiple choice section for a practice exam and I said that their score on the multiple choice isnt good, but the writing part should carry their grade. A few minutes later, the student who got a 60% on the practice was talking about how I said that "their score is terrible and sucked" (which, in fact i only said that it wasnt good, probably how i said it came off as that). So if you're asking, why do i think im going to get in trouble or why i mention this, its because as i was leaving class, i saw the student stay behind and heard them talking about it to the teacher. Im nervous if they will actually try to report me, and if i will actually get in trouble or not, or what to do? (so far my plan is to wait it out and see what happens, but im worried because its a lot easier in my school to report someone than to repeal something, and even if anything gets repealed i heard some stuff will still reamin on your record and could affect your college acceptance if they see)
CONTEXT/RANT HERE: my Spanish teacher doesnt really like me, she somewhat liked me as a student last year, but this year she is mad that i sometimes talk during class (i dont talk when shes giving instructions, i talk while i work sometimes or after i finish the work), like today i got somewhat in trouble how she said that i couldnt get a retake on the next quiz like the other students(not too bad of a punishment) because i talked in class a lot (to be fair, we were playing bingo in class, and i was talking in that period of time where the teacher waits for you to fill up board, and also, its not like i dont pay attention in class, like today for example, my teacher gives points for every time you raise your hand to answer a question she gives, and she gives a grade for how many points u get as long as u have a certain amount, and i was trying to participate to get a good grade as i was raising my hand literally for every question she asked but she like she doesnt call on me, or when im the only one raising their hand she waits like 10 seconds to call someone else.
If you read all of that, tell me how you think the situation will go (i would much apricate this as it would lower my anxiety over this issue)

So, English is not my first language even though I had studied it for years now, so, any grammatical error, please be excused. I also want to point out a few things up, this story is LONG, as it says on the title, we’ve been together for almost a decade, so there’s a lot of things to patch up, also, I’m not trying to paint him as the bad guy nor myself as the good guy, just trying to let it all out because there’s some details I cannot say to everyone I know, so it’s better for me to just talk about it with internet strangers, also, I don’t know if this place has a limit of characters, so if it has, it’s going to be some parts long.
So, to start this, I (27 F), broke things with my bf (26 M) Alan (Not his real name) after we’ve been together for little less than a decade because I was just so fed up with everything we lived together, not having the strength to even try and give this another go as he wanted us to. A year before meeting him on my last school year I was s*xually Ass*ulted by a man that I met on a park where I used to go dancing, not only that, but he made me believe that I was okay with what happened (I was sixteen and he was 21, here the age of consent is not until the 18th mark), he made me believed that I liked it, and made me believe that no one would ever believe me if I ever decided to report it, so I didn’t, but obviously it got me a pretty bad scar.
I met Alan one year later, his friend group was friends with my friend group, so in school we kinda merged together and he was a good guy, a great guy even, he always had something nice to say about me and he never blamed me for being scared of a group of people so anytime I wanted to buy something on the school market, he did it for me until he tried to make me come across my fear and was just behind me as I was approaching the big group gather on the market trying to make me feel confident enough to buy things by myself, after that we became closer and closer until one day I went with my friend group to recess with his friend group, but he wasn’t there, I asked one of his friends and he told me that he wasn’t feeling right and was still on the classroom, so off I went and looked up for him, we talked for a while and then he thank me for listening to him and not bug him with the “guys don’t cry”, that made us even more close to eachother and we started something, not a relationship, but a situationship from mid July to late November, when I graduated from school (He had one more year to go), on my celebration date, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes, I made him meet my family shortly after and I met his.
He was a part-time gamer, and the first straw was that he believed that I would made him choose between his games or me, but no, I didn’t, even so, I asked him to teach me how to play so we could play together, I was not good, at all, but I was just glad to be on his hobbies, little did I know that would be one of the reasons I broke things off. We had fights and arguments because he was a competitive type of guy on this online games and, because I was bad at them, we usually lost games because of me, it took us a lot of work to find a solution, he had to put down some bars, because it was not healthy, also the first “or else” that he made me aware of, was when I told him that I needed him to express his emotions to me, but he took it as “Show emotions or I’m leaving you” which wasn’t the case, but worked up just fine.
Some years passed and… You remember what I told you about the year before meeting Alan? Well, we couldn’t get intimate in that way and I had to sit him and explained what happened, he was supportive and we didn’t do it after our four year mark, but again, he wasn’t as supportive as I recall, he usually push over it and only stopped moments before I got a flashback of what happened. But that one time that we did it, I remember it well, I started crying out of emotion because I finally overcame my fear, but after we finished, he stood up, we cleaned ourselves and he made me get ready because he didn’t want to be late to a friend’s birthday. Speaking of intimacy, he had a really big drive and I didn’t, but every time I tried to say “no”, he got all frustrated so I started initiating moments after I saw him like that so I could brush that feeling off of him, our intimacy was like that until just months before our breakup.
Now into another thing, I have always work, even when I was still at school, I’ve always worked to get my things, I’m not good at saving money, but I work my butt off, so when he started to gain interest on a particular expensive game, we usually used his mother credit card and the one paying it was me, he said that when he worked he bought things for us, but… This is the thing about it… He only worked 5-6 months in all of our relationship, sure, he went with his father some times to do some work, but he didn’t even saw that money because it went directly to a gaming console for himself, so in years that we’ve been together, he worked 5-6 months and the rest was payed from myself and he still took his time working as a sort of argument against me.
Now, one time, when I was on the university, a random classmate just suddenly kissed me and I was in shock, so in shock that I didn’t kissed him back, nor could I stop him, but when he went for a second one, I backed out and I went to my boyfriend crying because I thought I was cheating on him because someone kissed me and I explained every detail to him, but the guy dropped off from college, so I never saw him again and then, another day, I was in the subway and encounter my ex boyfriend while he was, actually, coming back home after his own studies, I ignored him for the most part, but he actually asked politely to let him talk to me, so we went to a public park and he actually just wanted to say sorry because he cheated on me with his ex girlfriend while he was with me, we didn’t do anything besides me listening to him and giving him the closure he was searching for, we did not stay in contact, I just said to him that it was not something that I keep on mind to this day, but if it made him feel better, I would accept his apology and then we parted ways, everything I did and said I made my boyfriend aware of and he was such in a panic that one of his friends actually went to his house and they talked shit about me because I dared to let my ex ask for my forgiveness. Those are the only two time that I recall I made him feel insecure, two times and that’s it and he wasn’t letting any of those things go any time we got into an argument.
I remember one time we actually parted ways for some days and I kissed a girl, a girl that I have liked for a very long time and only then I figured that she actually liked me back, but I was stupid enough to not go for her, and wait for this guy for us to get back together and I actually told him everything, I know I shouldn’t do it, because it would only made him feel like on the edge, but by that time I felt like it was better to come clean about everything, he knew everything about me, it was only fair that I keep it like that. But then he got jealous everything I said I was talking to her in a friendly way (he never was banned from looking into my phone) and now I understand that his jealousy was not that unfounded, because I kissed this girl while we were separated.
There was numerous times when I wanted to break things with him, but he always managed to made me come back to him, one time we were walking on the sidewalk and I told him how I felt and that I was thinking about breaking up, he got on the ground, took a piece of glass and tried to h*rm himself, but I stopped him and we never talked about it again. Another time I was home, not at work because I was injured and we had a phone fight, not breaking up, but making it subtle, then a couple hours after that I received another phone call from an Unknown number, telling me that he almost threw himself on the subway and, Injured as I was, I went to get him and Uber us to his home.
I had to make two limits for him, I didn’t want him to call me before checking if it was possible for me to talk on the phone, unless it was an emergency, of course. And that I didn’t want him to go to my home unannounced, because he did it too much and he did not respect those boundaries until there was yet another conversation about breaking up and just then, he stopped doing it. He also lied to me one time when he went to the bus stop at freaking 7 am with the excuse of “I just wanted to get some air” and the proceeded to talk to me all the way about his problems and follow me to my workplace, and then he had the audacity to get mad when I told him I couldn’t stay longer because I had to get to work, just when we finally broke off he came clean that he was, obviously, trying to get a hold of me and not “Trying to get some air” as he tried to make me believe. I even started to go to my destinations by other means because I was afraid I would encounter him in every corner that I usually go to.
One of my college friends started a relationship with one of his friends and now that we broke things off, neither of them talk to me, so I am not sure what sort of fairytale he told them in which, he obviously was not in the wrong at all.
I am not asking if I was the AH here, nor asking if I should talk to him again, I am pretty confident That I shouldn’t, I just wanted to vent, thanks for anyone who would read this loooooong story. Cheers.

Hello everyone,
So I'm in my mid-twenties and I am kind of lost on what to do (what a surprise, right?). I have a bachelor's degree which I've never given much use to (and tbh I won't give it much use where I'm at, the opportunities just aren't good here) and I was in the military for a couple years, got deployed also. I eventually got out, and this is how I got here.
I have 2 plans for my future life now, and I intend on following one of them soon, but I'm very divided between them.
The first one is to study again. I already have a subject in mind, and it's something that, if I manage to complete, has a really great chance of giving me a really good life in the future. The thing is, this is going to make me dependent for 6+ years, it takes a lot of time and effort and even if I find work in the meanwhile I won't achieve an independent lifestyle until then. But, again, if I manage to do it, it will be life changing, and even if it takes 10 years to complete I will eventually probably make it up for the time I lost financially. But then again, even working during off-season, it will be very hard to leave my parents' nest before 35+, which, as much as I love my parents, my home and everything in it, just sounds like way too long. Which takes me to the second option.
I have plenty of friends abroad, and I myself have been abroad for both studies and work as I've mentioned above, and those were probably the times of my life when I felt most accomplished on a personal level. Getting rid of home confort also seems to be a booster to want more from life, and as much as I love it here, it's depressing me, because too much confort is killing me inside. I've had people (well known friends) offering to help me move abroad and find a job, and this seems like a really good option to be honest. I'd be able to save up some more money and live a more independent lifestyle, even if I end up coming back home after a year, 2 or 5 (probably will come earlier for vacations, but yeah) at least I will have saved up some money, lived in a different culture and would definitly have new stories to tell.
There are definitly other options, like trying to find a job around my home or trying to build up my own business, but none of them really interest me much. Finding a job around here could be good short term, but I feel like I would just stall career wise and would eventually get tired of remaining in my confort area. Trying to build up my own business has the same issue, it could go very well, it could go very wrong, but I don't see myself doing it and the proccess of doing so is very kafkaesque where I'm from. They're both still valid options, but I feel like they're not what I need right now. So it eventually comes down to picking between those two.
I wish I could express myself as well as I do inside my own head and expose the internal fights that happen there to try and guess which solution is best, I am exploring both solutions to try and figure out what to do, maybe I won't even get accepted into uni and my choice will be self-made, but until then I'm thinking between both.
Thanks for reading

Introduction
Hi Reddit, I (30M), find myself deeply entangled in a complex, emotionally charged relationship with this woman (28F), whose name interestingly mirrors mine and who shares my astrological sign (Aries) (Not gonna go into that, but just wanted to point it out). Our connection began unexpectedly but has grown into something intensely complex. I'm here seeking your insights and advice on how to navigate this tumultuous relationship.
1. Detailed Background
First Meeting and Instant Connection: We met at the beginning of last December. Our connection was instantaneous; we clicked right away, ending our first encounter with a kiss. This spontaneous beginning set a passionate, though complicated, tone for our relationship.
Ongoing Interactions: After our first meeting, our interactions were sporadic but charged with an undeniable tension. We would see each other occasionally at office events or casually during work-related tasks, where flirting was evident. Our connection deepened significantly by late February this year, evolving from casual flirtation to more profound emotional engagement.
Current Relationship Dynamics: She (28F) has been in a relationship with someone since before we met (2 months prior I believe) but is currently in the process of ending it. She admitted that they plan to have a decisive video conversation soon to conclude their relationship. The video conversation is because they both live in different cities. He doesn't want to come to our city and she doesn't want to go to his city.
2. Emotional and Relational Complexities
Her Long-Term Relationship and Engagement: She was previously in a nearly 13-year relationship that ended in a broken engagement, which profoundly affects her emotional responses and availability. The last few years of this relationship involved discussions about marriage and starting a family, adding layers of complexity to her emotional baggage.
Rebound and Current Dynamics: Her current relationship with her boyfriend (M25) began as a rebound after her long-term relationship ended, complicating her emotional landscape. She is currently cheating on him with me, which brings up concerns about patterns of fidelity and trust.
Coping Mechanisms: She often resorts to drinking heavily (mostly beer) and using marijuana as a way to escape her emotional pain and numb her feelings, which concerns me deeply about her ability to cope healthily with her emotions.
3. Intimacy and Connection
Profound Sexual Connection: Being intimate with her is nothing short of amazing for both of us. The level of sexual arousal and the act itself feel spectacular, raising questions about whether this intensity is due to the 'forbidden fruit' effect or simply because our physical connection is genuinely extraordinary.
4. Key Concerns
Infidelity and Trust: Her current infidelity raises serious concerns about future fidelity. Could the patterns of infidelity repeat themselves if we transition into a more committed relationship?
Emotional Availability: Her need for personal space, combined with her habit of emotional avoidance and her belief system being shattered—no longer believing in "forever," rejecting the idea of starting a family, and dismissing true love—pose significant challenges.
Personal Well-Being: While I feel a profound connection to her and a strong desire to support her, I'm aware of the emotional toll this situation is taking on me. How can I protect my emotional well-being while being a supportive partner?
5. Attachment Styles
Her Avoidant Attachment Style: She displays typical avoidant attachment behaviors, such as distancing herself when things get too intimate or emotionally complex. This style contributes significantly to the challenges in our relationship, as it complicates our ability to connect on a deeper emotional level.
My Anxious Attachment Style: Conversely, I have an anxious attachment style, which heightens my need for closeness and reassurance. This often puts me at odds with her avoidant tendencies, intensifying my fear of abandonment and desire for a deeper connection.
6. Expectations and Personal Reflections
Desire for Clarity and Commitment: Despite understanding that distancing myself might be logical to avoid pain, my emotions pull me strongly towards her. I recognize her subtle signs of care and affection, despite her often stoic façade.
Understanding vs. Emotional Sacrifice: I'm striving to be understanding and patient, recognizing her coping mechanisms as her way of managing pain. However, balancing my emotional needs with my desire to support her is increasingly challenging.
Fear of Abandonment: My anxious attachment style heightens my fear that once she possibly heals or finds stability, she may choose to move on without me, disregarding the support I've provided through her toughest times.
7. Looking for Advice
Reddit, how should I navigate this situation where my emotional investment, fear of abandonment, and a desire for a meaningful relationship collide? I’m in need of advice on how to proceed with a relationship that is as rewarding as it is challenging. Your insights, experiences, or perspectives would be greatly appreciated as I ponder our future. I have very deep feelings towards her. I know she does too, even though the current situation is far from ideal. I feel it in her, in her eyes, in her soul.
Thank you all for reading and for your advice in advance.
TL;DR - Inlove with a taken woman, who is cheating on her boyfriend to be with me, but is emotionally unstable, avoidant attachment, while I am anxious attachment. Help.

Please be nice, I am struggling and also I already know I’m a dumbass.
I’m a junior in an east coast office of a huge firm struggling with substance abuse issues. Recently (very recently) I discovered meth and it has gotten out of hand pretty quickly—if not using everyday, almost everyday. Part of the draw was that I thought it would help me focus and get my billables up, my hours are TRASH and have been for a long time, which is mostly my own fault, and I thought it would help (it really hasn’t and now I have a meth problem and low hours).
I already have taken a leave in the recent past to go to rehab and don’t know how I can possibly ask for another and I feel like I don’t even deserve to due to my hours. I’m thinking about just leaving and going to another firm and negotiating down time in between to go to treatment but even in my head it sounds crazy to plan my dire mental health needs around my work. I can tell I am really suffering but none of this even feels real and I have no idea what to do. I don’t even know if I need out of this job (that’s a real possibility) but I do need help and don’t know how to get it without getting fired.
ETA: posting from a randomly generated throwaway. The username is definitely ironic.

I've perused the sub, I understand that "factory order" isn't a thing (regardless of how it seems when you're on the site). To that end...
1) Is it possible to configure a car that doesn't actually exist? Or is it just a matter of how long I'm willing to wait for a less common configuration?
The ext/int colors I'm considering don't exist in expanded local inventory so either they are in very high demand or very low demand. If the latter, and they're producing 5 of those a month (hyperbolic I know, just to illustrate the point) will the dealer have an accurate wait time estimate or will it just keep getting pushed back? Or...is the wait list an undefined time period and you get called when you get called?
2) If I don't want to wait indefinitely, I've accepted that there will likely be a compromise, either dropping some "nice-to-have" features or paying extra for "don't care" features in order to get my "have-to-have" features.
If the "don't care" features are post-build accessories (all-weather liners, roof rack, wheel locks, etc.) can (will?) the dealer remove those (and lower the price) to get it closer to my desired build? Or is it, "This is what we have; take it or leave it."?
3a) Can local inventory change hour to hour? I swear when I checked a configuration last night there were no exact matches and then there were a couple exact matches this morning. (entirely possible I fat-fingered the config between the two sessions)
3b) Is anything short of "Sale Pending" fair game? Or can vehicles in the "Build Phase" already be matched to someone on a waiting list and be in a temporary limbo because they can't be 'sold' until they actually arrive?
Thank you, thank you, thank you for any insight you can provide! :-)

I need to vent somewhere and I can't come down to figuring out what I need to do. I hate CSF for one, like all of you! And with that I have Fibromyalgia, Neuropathy,Autoimmune in the brain, Autonomic Dysfunction issues, and Chronic pain in my spine. And still recovering from neck surgery 4 months post op. I do all I can each day to keep the house clean, laundry, walk my dogs and that's about all I can handle. And I am barely managing.
Tried over and over to explain to my husband what I am feeling and he just feels rejected. I'm 40 and he is 54. I don't want to be touched or have any type of intimacy. I pretty much force myself to have intimacy with him once a week so he doesn't give me the silent treatment.
But he wants more out of our marriage. I explained I can't give him that. I don't have the energy to do what I already do in one day and I have to try and take care of myself or I won't be able to do what I do now. He is the only one providing income as he told me to stop working 8 years ago which was about 5 years before I got sick.
I feel bad not wanting to be more involved in our relationship but I just don't have it in me. We take road trips together and run errands together, spend weekends together. But he wants more. He's tired of my emotions as well. Going on a 3 year search of what was wrong with me almost had me into a nervous breakdown. It's been a long road. I feel robbed of my life to an extent. I was so active and always on the go. I've had to learn to change my entire way of living to better my self. I'm still pushing to get better! And I'm not going to give up.
But how much more can you give? He thinks I want to be with someone else. And it's really JUST not feeling well and fighting to get through each day. This morning he told me it was over i had to leave then 2 hours later said I need counseling and try to work this out. Mind you this has been going on for 2 years now.
Do I go to counseling and include him in to try and fix it. Maybe try and make our marriage what it was at one time. Or do you just rip the band aid off an leave?
I have nothing. My dog and my belongings. I'd have to move in with my mom which is not a good idea and she financially is struggling. I don't know how I'd hold a job. I'm terrified to even think how I'd survive. But I also don't want to stay with someone just because I'm financially taken care of, I don't feel that's right.
The stress is killing me and I don't know what to do. One second he says one thing and the next it's something else. He doesn't want to loose his family but he has "needs" , he says and wants more.
Any advice or a kick in the rear would be helpful : )

I have my first laparoscopy scheduled for June 7th after months of pain and waiting for a surgery date. I was wondering if anyone could share their post-op stories and how long they took to recover?
I primarily WFH and I do have online trainings the week after from June 10-14 that I anticipate to still attend, but would that be too soon to return to work?
I also have a quick vacation planned at the very end of June and don’t know if the recovery time would be enough before leaving. Please let me know your thoughts and any suggestions to prepare before the surgery, thanks!

AITA
My wife (26F) and I (32F) are getting a divorce. We live in a one bedroom apartment and she wants to continue to live together until she can find a place to stay. Up until 6 days ago I thought our relationship was fine. And then all of a sudden she wants to end it. She wants to remain friends and occupy the same space for who knows how long. She says she still loves me but she can’t be married anymore. If we continue to live together I’m afraid that I am going to mentally spiral into doing things that will do us both harm. The divorce papers are filed and it will take approximately 30 to 90 days for them to be finalized. I told her that I am willing to live together until the judge finalizes the divorce. And once they are final I do not want to continue to live together. I think 90 days is plenty enough time to find a place to stay. Even 30 days is enough to me. I care about her too much to just kick her out with nowhere to go. I spent the last 3 years putting her first and now that I am putting myself first she is making me out to be the bad guy. There are a lot of things I now have to worry about that she apparently didn’t before she told me she no longer wanted to be married to me. I can eventually be friends with her in the future but right now I feel so betrayed. And I actually still find myself putting her feelings before my own. Am I wrong for wanting her to leave?

This is an expansion of a recent post and also incorporates some ideas from this theory (by u/ndependent-Design17). Throughout the series the reader is repeatedly reminded that "only death can pay for life" — that magic, especially powerful magic, comes at great cost.

Davos, ASOS
This phrase or variations of this phrase are repeated by Melisandre, Mirri, etc. at various points throughout the series. That which follows is a highly speculative theory on the nature of the cost of magic in the series. Specifically, that souls are central to the exercise of magic and can be used as magic currency.

1. establishing the concept of the soul

Bran, AGOT
What happens after we die? Is there some part of us that lives on or do we simply cease to exist. These are fundamental questions that are essentially unanswerable in life but not in ASOIAF. The reader is given a point-of-view account of death in the prologue of ADWD. After unsuccessfully attempting to steal the body of Thistle, a wildling spearwife, Varamyr dies and briefly becomes a disembodied consciousness:

Prologue, ADWD
Afterward his "spirit," or soul, is eventually transferred into a body of wolf and he begins his second life. This event, and the process of skin-changing more generally, appears to involve projection of a soul from one body into another. The process of transferring souls to either the animal vessels or the weirwoods is central to the magic of the Children of the Forest.

“A woman, of those who sing the song of earth,” his teacher said. “Long dead, yet a part of her remains, just as a part of you would remain in Summer if your boy’s flesh were to die upon the morrow. A shadow on the soul. She will not harm you.” “
Do all the birds have singers in them?”
“All,” Lord Brynden said.
Bran, ADWD
After death a "shadow on the soul" of the Singers remain in the crows. The soul of Orell is also described as living on in the body of his eagle after his death.
This process appears to take two forms: the soul can be temporarily projected from one body into another (e.g., as happens when Bran skin-changes into Hodor) or can be permanently transferred as is described in the separate examples above.
These transferred souls merge with their recipient, at least to some degree, and may decay over time:

Other beasts were best left alone, the hunter had declared. Cats were vain and cruel, always ready to turn on you. Elk and deer were prey; wear their skins too long, and even the bravest man became a coward. Bears, boars, badgers, weasels … Haggon did not hold with such. “Some skins you never want to wear, boy. You won’t like what you’d become.” Birds were the worst, to hear him tell it. “Men were not meant to leave the earth. Spend too much time in the clouds and you never want to come back down again.

"When the man's flesh dies, his spirit lives on inside the beast, but every day his memory fades, and the beast becomes a little less a warg, a little more a wolf, until nothing of the man is left and only the beast remains."
Prologue, ADWD
Bran is provided with similar warnings about the danger of spending too much time in Summer's skin by Jojen.
The Bran that appears to Jon-Ghost in the vision in ACOK is also likely the lingering soul of a non-contemporaneous Bran, contained in the weirwoods and communicating from the future.

Not always, came the silent shout. Not before the crow.
He sniffed at the bark, smelled wolf and tree and boy, but behind that there were other scents, the rich brown smell of warm earth and the hard grey smell of stone and something else, something terrible. Death, he knew. He was smelling death. He cringed back, his hair bristling, and bared his fangs.
"Don’t be afraid, I like it in the dark. No one can see you, but you can see them. But first you have to open your eyes. See? Like this." And the tree reached down and touched him.
There is more information about this in the Time Traveling Bran series, if interested. Briefly, the version of Bran in this vision does not appear to be contemporaneous because likes the dark, is able to open Jon's third eye, and smells of death. (This is well outside of the scope of this theory however.)

2. shadow magic requires souls

As above the reader is repeatedly reminded throughout the series that "only death can pay for life." What is specifically being sacrificed, though? Is the magic being fueled by the blood of the sacrificed or by something else?
To answer this let us examine one of the most concrete example of magic in the series, the use or exchange of Stannis Baratheon's "life-fire" in order for Melisandre to manifest the shadows used to kill Renly Baratheon and Courtney Penrose.

Davos, ASOS
According to this explanation, the cost of producing these shadow appears to have been part of his "life-fire," or soul. The shadow is also specifically described as having the shape Stannis. Whether this applies to other types of magic — specifically blood magic or fire magic — is less clear but shadow magic very much appears to require the use of souls.
The exchange of seed for soul is also directly referenced in the story of the Night's King.

Bran, ASOS
Stannis is described by Davos afterward as follows:

Davos, ASOS
Asha later describes Stannis as appearing life a "man with one foot in the grave."

Asha, ADWD
These descriptions seem appropriate for a character that has lost part of their "life-fire" or soul.
Throughout the series Stannis is forced to make a series of increasingly difficult decisions. The most significant of these decisions regards the fate of his nephew, Eric Storm. Melisandre repeatedly urges him to "give [her] the boy," presumably to be burned, but is rebuffed by Stannis.

"…what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?”
“Everything,” said Davos, softly.
Is the life of this bastard boy worth the lives of millions that would die if the Others break through the Wall? Making a deal with the devil and literally selling his soul in pursuit of some greater good seems very appropriate for his character, thematically.

3. blood and fire magic

As opposed to the creation of the shadows described above, we are also provided an example of blood magic in the leech burning ritual.

“Say the name,” Melisandre commanded.
Davos, ASOS
Following this ritual all of the mentioned individuals do die but do so as the part of separate conspiracies (e.g., Robb Stark is betrayed by the Freys and Boltons, Joffrey Baratheon by Littlefinger and the Tyrells, etc.). It is left intentionally ambiguous by the author but it does not appear that the ritual was responsible.
The creation of the shadows required part of Stannis' soul. Could it be that the leech burning ritual was unsuccessful because blood alone is not sufficient as a sacrifice?
These forms of magic are frequently described, at least in the community, separately as "shadow magic" and "blood magic." These concepts — "fire and blood" and "flame and shadow" — are highly associated with one another in the series:

Davos, ACOK
I speculate that these are different expressions of the same concept; that all of these fall under the general umbrella of fire magic and share common principles. Fire consumes.
After Alester Florent is sacrificed on Dragonstone Davos describes "the smell of burning flesh" on the wind:

Davos, ADWD
Whether these forms of magic are actually interchangeable or not — whether they each require the consumption of souls — is difficult to prove based on the text. It appears likely given the association between these concepts that sacrifice that powered this "anguished wind" was that of a soul and not a body or blood.

4. dancing shadows

Mirri Maz Duur was dancing, and not alone.
...
No, Dany wanted to say, no, not that, you mustn’t, but when she opened her mouth, a long wail of pain escaped, and the sweat broke over her skin. What was wrong with them, couldn’t they see?
Inside the tent the shapes were dancing, circling the brazier and the bloody bath, dark against the sandsilk, and some did not look human. She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames.
“The Lamb Woman knows the secrets of the birthing bed,” Irri said. “She said so, I heard her.”
“Yes,” Doreah agreed, “I heard her too.”
No, she shouted, or perhaps she only thought it, for no whisper of sound escaped her lips. She was being carried. Her eyes opened to gaze up at a flat dead sky, black and bleak and starless. Please, no. The sound of Mirri Maz Duur’s voice grew louder, until it filled the world. The shapes! She screamed. The dancers!
Ser Jorah carried her inside the tent.
Daenerys, AGOT
The introduction of shadow magic in the series is provided above with Mirri Max Duur. Following this ritual Drogo is described essentially as a lifeless husk:

Daenerys, AGOT
It has previously been speculated that Mirri "reverse skin-changed" Drogo (e.g., "strength of the mount go into the rider, strength of the beast go into the man."). The description provided is less consistent with a horse soul inhabiting a human body than it is with the complete or near-complete absence of a soul. It appears more likely in retrospect that Mirri sacrificed part of Drogo's soul to summon the shadows, likely as a means to kill Daenerys' unborn child.

Daenerys, AGOT

5. reanimation

If "only death can pay for life" and souls are used as a form of magical currency how does one explain the reanimation or resurrection process?
There is a paucity of information on the reanimation of the dead in the series. The resurrection of Beric Dondarrion, for example, appears to be different in fundamental ways from that of the wights or Cold Hands. (We are potentially given a point-of-view account of this process if you accept that Victarion died in ADWD.)

The red priest bowed his head. “It is R’hllor who brings you back, my lord. The Lord of Light. I am only his instrument.”
“How many times?” Lord Beric insisted.
“Six,” Thoros said reluctantly.
“And each time is harder. You have grown reckless, my lord. Is death so very sweet?”
Arya, ASOS
There is no immediately identifiable cost for the "kiss of life" and repeated resurrection of Beric. I speculate that Thoros is breathing part of his soul into Beric during this process ("each time is harder").
We are admittedly not given any direct textual evidence of this although Thoros is described as appearing very different after performing this ritual several times in a way that is not entirely dissimilar to the changes in Stannis’ appearance referenced above.

He pointed toward the fire, where Tom Sevenstrings stood talking to a tall thin man with oddments of old armor buckled on over his ratty pink robes. That can’t be Thoros of Myr. Arya remembered the red priest as fat, with a smooth face and a shiny bald head. This man had a droopy face and a full head of shaggy grey hair. Something

“To betoken a humble heart, but in truth my heart was vain. Besides, I lost my razor in the woods.” The priest slapped his belly. “I am less than I was, but more. A year in the wild will melt the flesh off a man. Would that I could find a tailor to take in my skin. I might look young again, and pretty maids would shower me with kisses.”

Arya, ASOS
Thoros attributes these changes to his renewed devotion to the Red God and spending "a year in the wild" although he is not exactly forthcoming with Arya about the resurrection process. It is also likely that he may not entirely understand what specifically is being exchanged here.
Thoros later describes Beric giving the "kiss of life" to the corpse of Catelyn Stark:

Brienne, AFFC
Notably, this process produces a reanimated Catelyn (a.k.a. Lady Stoneheart). The soul of Beric, or at least whatever is left of his soul at this point in the series, is consumed in order to resurrect Catelyn.

6. cold shadows (wild speculation)

The terms "white shadows," "pale shadows," and "cold shadows" are repeated used to describe the Others. The Others are also highly associated with ghosts — the spirits of souls of the dead bound to the earth. (The forrest is literally called the Haunted Forrest.)

This is again highly speculative but it seems reasonable to consider that these cold shadows are not "ice demons" but are in fact ghosts, the spirits or souls of men that are bound to the earth through magic by the Children of the Forest. (The textual evidence of the creation of the Others by the Children has been previously discussed in the community at length.) Whereas fire consumes, ice preserves.
This would explain several unusual characteristics of the Others as described by Tormund

The wildling rubbed his mouth. “Not here,” he mumbled, “not this side o’ your Wall.” The old man glanced uneasily toward the trees in their white mantles. “They’re never far, you know. They won’t come out by day, not when that old sun’s shining, but don’t think that means they went away. Shadows never go away. Might be you don’t see them, but they’re always clinging to your heels.”
...
Tormund turned back.
"You know nothing. You killed a dead man, aye, I heard. Mance killed a hundred. A man can fight the dead, but when their masters come, when the white mists rise up… how do you fight a mist, crow? Shadows with teeth … air so cold it hurts to breathe, like a knife inside your chest … you do not know, you cannot know … can your sword cut cold?"
Jon, ADWD
A reasonable interpretation of this is that the Others are present during the day, at least in some capacity, but are only able to assume corporeal form at night.
The Others are also described as "going lightly upon the snow" which is in keeping with their nature as spirits.

Samwell, ASOS

7. conclusions

This highly speculative theory that attempts to reconcile the several seemingly disparate concepts in the series related to magic, namely the actual nature of magical sacrifice ("only death can pay for life") and shadows or shadow magic. More specifically, I suggest that souls are the primary magical currency and can be consumed to summon shadows, create glamours, etc. I also speculate that similar processes took place during Mirri Maz Duur's shadow-binding ritual in AGOT and during the repeated resurrections of Berric Dondarrion in ASOS. I further suggest that the Others are ghosts, the spirits of souls of the dead bound to the earth.
EDIT: I resubmitted this theory with all references to show content removed

I've bene trying to troubleshoot BSOD errors for a friend and I've been trying to isolate the issue from the minidump files using WinDbg. The motherboard had already been replaced through warranty due to similar networking issues, however the NETIO BSOD has returned.
Previously to the new motherboard I had done numerous things including a Reset then USB reinstall of Windows.
Troubleshooting thus far post-new motherboard:
SFC /Scannow
System Restore
As indicated by Research- uninstalled AVG VPN, Auto Driver Updater
Programs in use:
AVG, Zone Alarm
As it has returned it would seem to indicate that a security program is at fault or, perhaps, there is some 'toe stepping' on memory access. Most recent research as also indicated a uninstall reinstall of NIC drivers. I don't often go Dmp diving. I hope someone with more experience in this area can assist in locating the culprit for the NETIO. I hope its something glaring that I'm just missing. If possible could the reading for the solution be explained so I have a better idea of how to procced in the future in these instances. Thank you for your time and efforts.
DMP File

************* Preparing the environment for Debugger Extensions Gallery repositories ************** ExtensionRepository : Implicit UseExperimentalFeatureForNugetShare : true AllowNugetExeUpdate : true NonInteractiveNuget : true AllowNugetMSCredentialProviderInstall : true AllowParallelInitializationOfLocalRepositories : true EnableRedirectToV8JsProvider : false -- Configuring repositories -- Repository : LocalInstalled, Enabled: true -- Repository : UserExtensions, Enabled: true >>>>>>>>>>>>> Preparing the environment for Debugger Extensions Gallery repositories completed, duration 0.000 seconds ************* Waiting for Debugger Extensions Gallery to Initialize ************** >>>>>>>>>>>>> Waiting for Debugger Extensions Gallery to Initialize completed, duration 0.063 seconds -- Repository : UserExtensions, Enabled: true, Packages count: 0 -- Repository : LocalInstalled, Enabled: true, Packages count: 41 Microsoft (R) Windows Debugger Version 10.0.27553.1004 AMD64 Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Loading Dump File [C:\Users\user\Documents\MiniDump\050624-11437-01.dmp] Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available Symbol search path is: srv* Executable search path is: Windows 10 Kernel Version 22621 MP (20 procs) Free x64 Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS Personal Kernel base = 0xfffff804`77c00000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0xfffff804`78813110 Debug session time: Mon May 6 15:04:25.709 2024 (UTC - 4:00) System Uptime: 0 days 0:08:21.315 Loading Kernel Symbols ............................................................... ................................................................ ................................................................ ................................................................ ............... Loading User Symbols Loading unloaded module list ............. For analysis of this file, run !analyze -v nt!KeBugCheckEx: fffff804`780183e0 48894c2408 mov qword ptr [rsp+8],rcx ss:0018:ffffed8c`3e102600=000000000000000a 0: kd> !analyze -v ******************************************************************************* * * * Bugcheck Analysis * * * ******************************************************************************* DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1) An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high. This is usually caused by drivers using improper addresses. If kernel debugger is available get stack backtrace. Arguments: Arg1: 0000000000000008, memory referenced Arg2: 0000000000000002, IRQL Arg3: 0000000000000000, value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation Arg4: fffff8047b3dc4e4, address which referenced memory Debugging Details: ------------------ *** WARNING: Check Image - Checksum mismatch - Dump: 0x210d9b, File: 0x210e8b - C:\ProgramData\Dbg\sym\BTHport.sys\FE108757203000\BTHport.sys KEY_VALUES_STRING: 1 Key : Analysis.CPU.mSec Value: 3702 Key : Analysis.Elapsed.mSec Value: 9123 Key : Analysis.IO.Other.Mb Value: 7 Key : Analysis.IO.Read.Mb Value: 0 Key : Analysis.IO.Write.Mb Value: 46 Key : Analysis.Init.CPU.mSec Value: 1249 Key : Analysis.Init.Elapsed.mSec Value: 27369 Key : Analysis.Memory.CommitPeak.Mb Value: 127 Key : Bugcheck.Code.LegacyAPI Value: 0xd1 Key : Bugcheck.Code.TargetModel Value: 0xd1 Key : Dump.Attributes.AsUlong Value: 1008 Key : Dump.Attributes.DiagDataWrittenToHeader Value: 1 Key : Dump.Attributes.ErrorCode Value: 0 Key : Dump.Attributes.KernelGeneratedTriageDump Value: 1 Key : Dump.Attributes.LastLine Value: Dump completed successfully. Key : Dump.Attributes.ProgressPercentage Value: 0 Key : Failure.Bucket Value: AV_NETIO!StreamInvokeCalloutAndNormalizeAction Key : Failure.Hash Value: {c2ca2d1f-cfdc-88d5-c7bc-7693b8f0de04} BUGCHECK_CODE: d1 BUGCHECK_P1: 8 BUGCHECK_P2: 2 BUGCHECK_P3: 0 BUGCHECK_P4: fffff8047b3dc4e4 FILE_IN_CAB: 050624-11437-01.dmp DUMP_FILE_ATTRIBUTES: 0x1008 Kernel Generated Triage Dump READ_ADDRESS: fffff8047891c4a8: Unable to get MiVisibleState Unable to get NonPagedPoolStart Unable to get NonPagedPoolEnd Unable to get PagedPoolStart Unable to get PagedPoolEnd unable to get nt!MmSpecialPagesInUse 0000000000000008 BLACKBOXBSD: 1 (!blackboxbsd) BLACKBOXNTFS: 1 (!blackboxntfs) BLACKBOXPNP: 1 (!blackboxpnp) BLACKBOXWINLOGON: 1 CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 1 PROCESS_NAME: System TRAP_FRAME: ffffed8c3e102740 -- (.trap 0xffffed8c3e102740) NOTE: The trap frame does not contain all registers. Some register values may be zeroed or incorrect. rax=0000000000000000 rbx=0000000000000000 rcx=ffffed8c3e102a48 rdx=ffffa48d658e3010 rsi=0000000000000000 rdi=0000000000000000 rip=fffff8047b3dc4e4 rsp=ffffed8c3e1028d0 rbp=ffffed8c3e102949 r8=ffffa48d658e3010 r9=0000000000001608 r10=ffffa48d61817c70 r11=0000000000000000 r12=0000000000000000 r13=0000000000000000 r14=0000000000000000 r15=0000000000000000 iopl=0 nv up ei pl zr na po nc NETIO!StreamInvokeCalloutAndNormalizeAction+0x5c: fffff804`7b3dc4e4 488b4808 mov rcx,qword ptr [rax+8] ds:00000000`00000008=???????????????? Resetting default scope STACK_TEXT: ffffed8c`3e1025f8 fffff804`7802e269 : 00000000`0000000a 00000000`00000008 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeBugCheckEx ffffed8c`3e102600 fffff804`78029705 : 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 fffff804`92fd6f78 fffff804`7b7f4e02 : nt!KiBugCheckDispatch+0x69 ffffed8c`3e102740 fffff804`7b3dc4e4 : ffffed8c`3e102a10 ffffa48d`658e3010 ffffed8c`3e102a10 ffffa48d`658e3010 : nt!KiPageFault+0x485 ffffed8c`3e1028d0 fffff804`7b3dbd8b : ffffa48d`658e3010 ffffa48d`658e3010 ffffa48d`61817c01 00000000`00000000 : NETIO!StreamInvokeCalloutAndNormalizeAction+0x5c ffffed8c`3e1029a0 fffff804`7b3d992b : ffffa48d`4ade0014 fffff804`92fc29e0 ffffa48d`00000001 ffffed8c`3e103338 : NETIO!StreamProcessCallout+0x2c7 ffffed8c`3e102ad0 fffff804`7b3d89dd : ffffa48d`5ddd0014 ffffed8c`3e103338 ffffed8c`3e103360 ffffed8c`3e1031e0 : NETIO!ProcessCallout+0xa4b ffffed8c`3e102c50 fffff804`7b3d76ee : 00000000`00000005 ffffed8c`3e103360 ffffa48d`4b3e4aa0 fffff804`77f2f8f4 : NETIO!ArbitrateAndEnforce+0x59d ffffed8c`3e102d80 fffff804`7b3d51d5 : 00000000`00000001 ffffed8c`3e103280 ffffa48d`5f8f9c10 ffffed8c`00000000 : NETIO!KfdClassify+0x33e ffffed8c`3e103130 fffff804`7b3d4dd8 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00003780 ffffa48d`45010000 : NETIO!StreamClassify+0x279 ffffed8c`3e1032d0 fffff804`7b3d4a47 : 00000000`00000000 fffff804`77f2e801 ffffa48d`5ad7c480 00000000`00000000 : NETIO!StreamCommonInspect+0x2ac ffffed8c`3e1036c0 fffff804`7b50bec1 : ffffa48d`60849900 ffffa48d`60849b50 ffffed8c`3e103840 ffffa48d`60849920 : NETIO!WfpStreamInspectReceive+0x157 ffffed8c`3e103740 fffff804`7b50a39e : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : tcpip!TcpTcbFastDatagram+0x1351 ffffed8c`3e103940 fffff804`7b5067c9 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : tcpip!TcpTcbReceive+0x29e ffffed8c`3e103ae0 fffff804`7b5057bf : 00000000`e0c65211 00000000`00000018 00000000`423f8f4a ffffa48d`4ca36520 : tcpip!TcpMatchReceive+0x519 ffffed8c`3e103cb0 fffff804`7b4d4066 : ffffa48d`4bbfed10 ffffb500`f007bb01 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`5c1fbdc7 : tcpip!TcpReceive+0x35f ffffed8c`3e103dc0 fffff804`7b52d206 : 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`5bbda600 ffffed8c`00000014 ffffa48d`4ca36520 : tcpip!TcpNlClientReceiveDatagrams+0x16 ffffed8c`3e103df0 fffff804`7b52cff9 : 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`00000006 ffffa48d`4ca36000 ffffed8c`3e103f40 : tcpip!IppProcessDeliverList+0xb6 ffffed8c`3e103ee0 fffff804`7b52bcc2 : fffff804`7b6d39d0 ffffa48d`4c9058a0 ffffa48d`4ca36000 ffffed8c`3e104020 : tcpip!IppReceiveHeaderBatch+0x3a9 ffffed8c`3e103fd0 fffff804`7b56b046 : ffffa48d`5b3196f0 ffffa48d`5eff94d0 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`00000000 : tcpip!IppReceivePackets+0x502 ffffed8c`3e104100 fffff804`7b4c238b : ffffa48d`5b3196f0 ffffa48d`5eff94d0 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : tcpip!IpFlcReceivePreValidatedPackets+0x11c6 ffffed8c`3e104290 fffff804`77e294da : 00000000`00000000 fffff804`7b4c2240 ffffa48d`4b3e20f4 00000000`00000002 : tcpip!FlReceiveNetBufferListChainCalloutRoutine+0x14b ffffed8c`3e1043e0 fffff804`77e2944d : fffff804`7b4c2240 ffffed8c`3e104528 ffffa48d`489fcd50 00000000`00000000 : nt!KeExpandKernelStackAndCalloutInternal+0x7a ffffed8c`3e104450 fffff804`7b4cac60 : ffffed8c`3e104590 ffffa48d`5effd440 ffffa48d`5beaa010 ffffed8c`3e1045a0 : nt!KeExpandKernelStackAndCalloutEx+0x1d ffffed8c`3e104490 fffff804`7b2426e1 : 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000015 ffffb500`f008c066 : tcpip!FlReceiveNetBufferListChain+0x530 ffffed8c`3e104770 fffff804`7b2420fa : ffffa48d`5a0c78b0 ffffa48d`00000801 ffffa48d`00000000 00000000`00000015 : ndis!ndisMIndicateNetBufferListsToOpen+0x141 ffffed8c`3e104850 fffff804`7b2665b5 : ffffa48d`50e0a1a0 ffffa48d`00000000 ffffa48d`00000000 ffffa48d`50e0a1a0 : ndis!ndisMTopReceiveNetBufferLists+0x24a ffffed8c`3e104930 fffff804`7b266023 : 00000000`00000000 ffffed8c`3e104a20 fffff804`7b241eb0 fffffff6`00000002 : ndis!ndisCallReceiveHandler+0xb9 ffffed8c`3e104980 fffff804`7b2663db : fffff804`e178a4c0 fffff804`7b26f7c2 ffffa48d`60602d00 ffffa48d`5effe0f0 : ndis!ndisCallNextDatapathHandler<2,void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,void (__cdecl*& __ptr64)(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long),void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64 & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64>+0x3f ffffed8c`3e1049d0 fffff804`7b266112 : ffffa48d`50e0a1a0 fffff804`7b241eb0 ffffa48d`50e0a1a0 ffffed8c`00000001 : ndis!ndisIterativeDPInvokeHandlerOnTracker<2,void __cdecl(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long)>+0x8b ffffed8c`3e104a40 fffff804`7b26667a : ffffa48d`5bec05a0 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`5eff94d0 : ndis!ndisInvokeIterativeDatapath<2,void __cdecl(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long)>+0xe2 ffffed8c`3e104ab0 fffff804`7b268f7b : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`5eff94d0 fffff804`7b2332ed : ndis!ndisInvokeNextReceiveHandler+0xa6 ffffed8c`3e104b10 fffff804`e1781279 : ffffa48d`00000001 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`00000000 fffff804`00000015 : ndis!NdisFIndicateReceiveNetBufferLists+0x348fb ffffed8c`3e104bc0 fffff804`7b2665b5 : 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`5bebb028 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000015 : nwifi!Pt6Receive+0x159 ffffed8c`3e104c80 fffff804`7b266023 : 00000000`00005db8 ffffed8c`3e104da0 00000000`00000000 fffff804`77e296d5 : ndis!ndisCallReceiveHandler+0xb9 ffffed8c`3e104cd0 fffff804`7b26cf4a : ffffed8c`3e104db8 00000001`3e01bb01 00000000`0000bbc7 ffffa48d`4c94699c : ndis!ndisCallNextDatapathHandler<2,void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,void (__cdecl*& __ptr64)(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long),void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64 & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64>+0x3f ffffed8c`3e104d20 fffff804`7b2666af : ffffa48d`627f1030 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000015 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisExpandDataPathStack<2,void __cdecl(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long)>+0xae ffffed8c`3e104dc0 fffff804`7b268f7b : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`627f1030 fffff804`77e27e21 : ndis!ndisInvokeNextReceiveHandler+0xdb ffffed8c`3e104e20 fffff804`95165ffb : ffffa48d`5be7e800 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 fffff804`00000015 : ndis!NdisFIndicateReceiveNetBufferLists+0x348fb ffffed8c`3e104ed0 fffff804`7b2665b5 : ffffa48d`5bec1ba0 fffff804`95165f20 ffffa48d`5bebb010 ffffed8c`3e105108 : vwififlt!FilterReceiveNetBufferLists+0xdb ffffed8c`3e104f30 fffff804`7b266023 : 00000000`00006068 ffffed8c`3e105050 00000000`00000000 fffff804`77e296d5 : ndis!ndisCallReceiveHandler+0xb9 ffffed8c`3e104f80 fffff804`7b26cf4a : ffffed8c`3e105068 00000000`00000000 ffffed8c`3e1050c0 ffffed8c`3e105110 : ndis!ndisCallNextDatapathHandler<2,void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,void (__cdecl*& __ptr64)(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long),void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64 & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64>+0x3f ffffed8c`3e104fd0 fffff804`7b2666af : ffffa48d`627f1030 fffff804`00000000 00000000`00000015 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisExpandDataPathStack<2,void __cdecl(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long)>+0xae ffffed8c`3e105070 fffff804`7b268f7b : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`627f1030 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisInvokeNextReceiveHandler+0xdb ffffed8c`3e1050d0 fffff804`7b8812dc : ffffa48d`5be85b00 ffffed8c`3e1051e1 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000015 : ndis!NdisFIndicateReceiveNetBufferLists+0x348fb ffffed8c`3e105180 fffff804`7b2665b5 : 00000000`00000015 ffffa48d`627f1030 ffffa48d`627f1030 00000000`00000001 : wfplwfs!LwfLowerRecvNetBufferLists+0x14c ffffed8c`3e105240 fffff804`7b266023 : 00000000`00006378 ffffed8c`3e105360 00000000`00000000 fffff804`77e296d5 : ndis!ndisCallReceiveHandler+0xb9 ffffed8c`3e105290 fffff804`7b26cf4a : ffffed8c`3e105378 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisCallNextDatapathHandler<2,void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,void (__cdecl*& __ptr64)(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long),void * __ptr64 & __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64 & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64,unsigned long & __ptr64>+0x3f ffffed8c`3e1052e0 fffff804`7b2666af : ffffa48d`627f1030 00000000`00000000 ffffa48d`00000015 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisExpandDataPathStack<2,void __cdecl(void * __ptr64,_NET_BUFFER_LIST * __ptr64,unsigned long,unsigned long,unsigned long)>+0xae ffffed8c`3e105380 fffff804`7b243766 : 00000000`00007d54 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : ndis!ndisInvokeNextReceiveHandler+0xdb ffffed8c`3e1053e0 fffff804`be1ac94d : 00000000`00000002 ffffa48d`53912820 ffffed8c`3e105570 00000000`00000015 : ndis!NdisMIndicateReceiveNetBufferLists+0x116 ffffed8c`3e105470 fffff804`be1abf9e : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : wdiwifi!CPort::IndicateFrames+0xad ffffed8c`3e1055b0 fffff804`be1ab417 : 0000003f`00020000 ffffed8c`3e105748 fffff804`be28f040 00000000`00000000 : wdiwifi!CRxMgr::RxProcessAndIndicateNblChain+0x41e ffffed8c`3e1056e0 fffff804`be1ab268 : ffffa48d`627f1030 00000000`00000003 00000000`00000002 fffff804`abc0bb34 : wdiwifi!CRxMgr::RxInOrderDataInd+0x127 ffffed8c`3e105790 fffff804`abc4d682 : ffffa48d`53165440 ffffa48d`53165440 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`4fe98610 : wdiwifi!AdapterRxInorderDataInd+0x88 ffffed8c`3e1057e0 ffffa48d`53165440 : ffffa48d`53165440 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`4fe98610 ffffed8c`3e105828 : Netwtw14+0x4d682 ffffed8c`3e1057e8 ffffa48d`53165440 : 00000000`00000001 ffffa48d`4fe98610 ffffed8c`3e105828 ffffed8c`3e105820 : 0xffffa48d`53165440 ffffed8c`3e1057f0 00000000`00000001 : ffffa48d`4fe98610 ffffed8c`3e105828 ffffed8c`3e105820 00000000`00000004 : 0xffffa48d`53165440 ffffed8c`3e1057f8 ffffa48d`4fe98610 : ffffed8c`3e105828 ffffed8c`3e105820 00000000`00000004 00000000`00000002 : 0x1 ffffed8c`3e105800 ffffed8c`3e105828 : ffffed8c`3e105820 00000000`00000004 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 : 0xffffa48d`4fe98610 ffffed8c`3e105808 ffffed8c`3e105820 : 00000000`00000004 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 fffffffe`ffffffff : 0xffffed8c`3e105828 ffffed8c`3e105810 00000000`00000004 : 00000000`00000002 00000000`00000000 fffffffe`ffffffff ffff0593`979f21db : 0xffffed8c`3e105820 ffffed8c`3e105818 00000000`00000002 : 00000000`00000000 fffffffe`ffffffff ffff0593`979f21db ffffa48d`4b3e2080 : 0x4 ffffed8c`3e105820 00000000`00000000 : fffffffe`ffffffff ffff0593`979f21db ffffa48d`4b3e2080 ffffa48d`4c888040 : 0x2 SYMBOL_NAME: NETIO!StreamInvokeCalloutAndNormalizeAction+5c MODULE_NAME: NETIO IMAGE_NAME: NETIO.SYS IMAGE_VERSION: 10.0.22621.3575 STACK_COMMAND: .cxr; .ecxr ; kb BUCKET_ID_FUNC_OFFSET: 5c FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: AV_NETIO!StreamInvokeCalloutAndNormalizeAction OSPLATFORM_TYPE: x64 OSNAME: Windows 10 FAILURE_ID_HASH: {c2ca2d1f-cfdc-88d5-c7bc-7693b8f0de04} Followup: MachineOwner --------- 

Hey Sportsfans — it's time for Week 7 of baseball Power Rankings: These baseball numbers have been forwarded directly from Manfred's office. They are accurate and caanot be questioned.
Every voter has their own style / system and the only voting instructions are these:

"To an extent determined individually, you must take into account how strong a team is right now and likely to be going forward. You must, to some degree, give weight to the events and games of the previous week."

TRANSPARENCY: This link will show you who voted each team where and has added neat statistics!
Please check this space shortly for a link to the Auxilliary Post for added details and stats!
If something is a little messed up, feel free to pester me let me know.
Total Votes: 30 of 30. Another Perfect Vote!.

#		Team	Δ	Comment	Record
1		Dodgers	0	The Dodgers started off a mediocre road trip by sweeping the Marlins in dominant fashion, followed by a sleepy series against the padres. My early season prediction of the Dodgers's infield defense being the biggest issue was completely wrong. Mookie looks natural at short, and Muncy has been playing pretty darn well at 3rd. We will be using our prayers this week to pray that Shohei is going to be okay	27-15
2		Phillies	+1	It's tough to end the week on a walkoff loss to the Marlins and feel good, but it's hard to complain about a 4-2 stretch. Nick Castellanos might finally not be the worst hitter in baseball after he says he started treating hitting like glorified batting practice again. Ranger Suarez has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball, pitching to a 1.5 ERA and an astounding 0.72 WHIP with team wins in each of his starts. Somehow this performance isn't even all that surprising for a guy with a 4.18 ERA last year. He was this dominant in a half season between the bullpen and rotation in 2021 and has a career 1.62 ERA in 7 postseason starts and 2 relief appearances. This week: another weird scheduling quirk as they play a 4 game set against the Mets with the first two at Citi Field and the next two in Philly before the Nats come to town for a 3 game series.	28-13
3		Orioles	-1	I was hoping the Orioles would go 5-1 this week but they went 4-2. Still nothing to be super upset about. I think the main concerns right now are Mullins is hitting under .200 and Santander still not hitting the way he can. Yesterdays game was just not great so hopefully it was just a one-off and can be flushed and they move on. Blue Jays and Mariners are in town this week so it doesn't get any easier.	26-13
4		Yankees	0	Our pitching is so good right now. Anyone in the rotation could pull a Glasnow and write their number on a ball for a cute girl, and she’d call. Doesn’t even have to have their name. She doesn’t care if its’s Nestor Cortes or Clarke Schmidt. Yankees starter? She’s calling, and she’s shaving her legs beforehand. If we signed Pete Davidson for some spot starts there'd be a second baby boom. By the way, my nickname for Clarke Schmidt used to be Farte Schidt. He has very much made me eat my aforementioned schidt this year, and officially has the second-best starter ERA behind Luis Gil, as we all predicted. In other news, Judge and Stanton both have their pop at once, Soto is doing what Soto does, and Verdugo is playing sneaky good right now. We also officially took the season series against Houston 6-1, which feels GREAT. If only they were a playoff team so we could finally bounce them this year. Oh well. A Yankees-A’s ALCS it is.	27-15
5		Braves	0	The walk off loss hurts, but can't be too upset with a 4-1 bounce back week! Big time perfromance from our SP. Giving up only 4 ERs in 23.2 IP (1.52 ERA) in these 5 games. Our bats are not what we have come to expect, but that can't last much longer. Signs of life from Acuña and Olson and continued performance by Ozuna. If by the end of May we don't see massive improvement to our offensive numbers, I will be surprised. Until then, buckle up because the offense is coming.	24-13
6		Twins	+3	Another great week, Sausage be praised! We took series from the Blue Jays and Mariners with both blowouts and well-pitched close games. I think it's safe to say that the team has found its groove, and this is how the Twins can be expected to perform moving forward. The only blip has been that the bullpen is having a slight slump, but that will even out shortly.	24-16
7		Brewers	0	Paul Who? The only starting pitcher debut I care about is BOBBY GAS who threw 6 innings of 2 hit, 0 run ball in a win against the Cardinals. He fills a much needed spot in the Brewers rotation, and likely would have been up sooner if not for an injury of his own. Rhys Hoskins also had a monster week, racking up 3 HR and 9 RBI in hist last 5 games. I had my doubts this young lineup and shaky rotation actually could be a contending ballclub over 162 games, but I'm not going to argue with the results.	24-16
8		Guardians	-2	Another bad week. The Guardians had rough series against the Tigers and the mighty World Champion favorite White Sox. This coming week, we play the reigning World Series champs and the hottest team in our division. I'm not worried. Not at all.	25-16
9		Cubs	-1	The Cubs went 3-3 this week in what felt like a complete microcosm of their season. While they did get Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki back from injury, they lost Dansby Swanson and Yency Almonte, who had been a rare reliable bullpen arm. Christopher Morel also had a scare after tweaking his knee sliding into sexond, but fortunately is alright. Otherwise, the offense remained inconsistent, the starting pitching was outstanding, and the bullpen was abysmal at worst and heart-stopping at best. While he didn't continue his usual dominance against them, Ian Happ extended his streak of 62 consecutive games reaching base vs the Pirates. This week, the Cubs travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves before hosting the Pirates for 4 games.	24-17
10		Royals	+2	The Royals have a chance to be in first place by themselves this late in the season for the first time since 2016. It feels like a lifetime ago. Yes, it is just seven weeks into the season but hopes are usually gone by this point. Maybe this year can be different.	25-17
11		Mariners	0	Apologies for any typos, doing this from mobile is miserable. Not the best week, but given the pitching hiccups I can't complain too much. Woo is back (and hopefully staying back, him getting pulled was a bit of a scare.) The next few series are another gauntlet, and if the M's can make it through playing relatively well they'll be in a good positon to take advantage of their schedule for the end of the month and early June. Up next: 3 vs. Roy L's, 3 @ Oreo L's	22-19
12		Padres	+2	The San Diego Madres beat LA on both día de las Madres (friday) as well as Mother’s Day, wherein both we got great pitching performances from King and Darvish respectively. Arraez capped off the walk-off win on friday, and it was nice to see Bogaerts get one deep on Sunday. So far in ‘24 the Padres haven’t lost a series to the Dodgers, whether in LA, San Diego, or South Korea. It’s a bit cathartic, though I do wish there was less blue in the stands this weekend though. Really interested to see how they come out against the rocks, as SD was only able to split the 4-game series earlier in the season. This one lines up between the series’s vs LA and ATL, it could be a bit of a trap, hoping the Pads continue their series winning streak (which is now at 4) and just take care of business.	22-21
13		Rangers	-3	The baseball gods are unforgiving. Sacrfices have to be made and will continue to be made to the baseball gods. Oh dear baseball gods please forgive our hubris for thinking the baseball suffering was over. It was not but also, flags fly forever.	22-20
14		Red Sox	-1	The Sox have not been having a good May. Losing Casas has been brutal, and the expected bump in performance from Vaughn Grissom at 2nd hasn't happened (well, at least not yet). As a team we have a decent looking triple slash, but situationally they've been horrible. In high leverage PAs, the Sox are hitting .195/.264/.272 in 247 PAs. We have loads of talent, but there's always some issue whether it be defense or clutch hitting that holds us back from being truly competitive.	21-19
15		Tigers	0	The City Connects... phew phew phew. Looks like we got tire tracks laid on us after a truck ran us over. No thanks. I hate it... and that's not even mentioning the dumb hat. In terms of actual baseball, though, Tarik Skubal is still Skuballing. This week: 3 vs. MIA, 3 at ARI.	20-20
16		Rays	0	It was a .500 week for the Rays, and the good news is things are looking better, but only like maybe? Randy and Yandy seem to be coming back a bit; glancing at the lineup's batting avg in the game threads isn't painful anymore. Ben Rortvedt is over .300 in the catcher position which is unheard of for this team. The bad news is pitching is only bouncing back from abysmal to below average. A week against division opponents on the road will test if that improvement is here to stay or if it was just a new uniform bounce.	20-21
17		D-Backs	+3	The Diamondbacks have been winning more games of late but are still underperforming their Pythagorean record and are 3 games below .500 despite a +17 run differential. Reinforcements should be coming back from injury soon which should help.	19-22
18		Mets	-1	I prewrote a big and extremely negative blurb about the Mets getting swept by the Braves. That did not happen, Brandon Nimmo hit a walk off homer on Sunday Night Baseball immediately as I was about to close my computer. Never been so glad to be wrong. Bring on the Phillies and Marlins.	19-20
19		Nationals	0	Two large accomplishments for the Nats in the last week - 1) For the first time since 2021, the Nats climbed over .500 with an opening win over the Orioles in a 2-game series. 2) Patrick Corbin recorded a win this week vs the Red Sox (his first since 9/11/23 vs the Pirates). The Nationals quickly slid back under .500 losing the 2nd game vs the Orioles and then 2 of 3 against the Red Sox. James Wood is hitting everything in AAA (over 1.000 OPS) so there are lots of calls for HRCHU.	19-20
20		Blue Jays	+1	Very up and down week for the Cyrulean Winged Creatures of Ontario. A 1-1 split with Philly and a 1-2 tilt vs Minnesota extended a too-long stretch of not winning series. Turns out, the combination of bad offense and a bad bullpen is bad. But there have been some glimpses of hope, at least. Alek Manoah threw a gem on Sunday, giving up 0 ER and 1 BB over 7 IP with 6 Ks. Also, Vladdy is hot as shit right now; since the last week of March, he's been hitting over .400 with a nearly 1.000 OPS. Still, the Jays in general continue to underperform and hover just below .500. Mid-May is not the time to freak out and this team is in too deep to consider a full tear-down even in a lost year, but things will be getting worrisome if they can't pull out of this middling stretch that has defined the first quarter of the season.	18-22
21		Giants	+4	Believe it or not, the Giants had a winning week. They continue their flirtation with being a decent team. However, we would like the world to know about several issues	19-23
22		Athletics	0	Happy Mother's Day, say hi or I'll drop by. Rough week, our bullpen had some awful games esp w/ Kotsay's choices. Will possibly fall below the Astros this week as we play them along with the Royals, and unlike last year I don't think we're a better team than KC. Toro and Harris have been playing well with Soderstrom getting some reps in (A+ defense from them), but Gelof will likely return and change something there.	19-23
23		Reds	-5	What is the meaning of suffering? This question has stumped philosophers throughout the ages, but nobody has come up with an answer. On the opposite side of this, we have also been in search of evidence of the divine, and we’ve searched for it in things like the miracle of our world. But again, we haven’t found anything. What if we’re looking in the wrong place? What if suffering is the greatest proof of a divine presence? Suffering is an art. Perhaps the greatest art ever devised. Devised by who or what though? Some greater power looming over us all? Some great cosmic being who looks upon us the same way as we do ants? Some primordial consciousness created trillions of years ago in the Big Bang that’s been merely existing all this time and only gets enjoyment out of the suffering of others? How do we figure this out? Who do we ask? I have a suggestion, we can ask baseball fans. We are connoisseurs of suffering. Ask an A’s fan about the meaning of suffering and you’ll get your answer just by looking into their eyes. Ask a Rockies fan, or a White Sox fan, or even a long dead Expos fan. It’s weeks like this that make me ask why do people even like baseball. Why do I even like baseball? Well, I remember my grandfather, since I live in the midwest we always called him Papaw, and he was the biggest baseball nut I know. He got me into baseball at a young age, and I remember one day asking why he loved it so much. When I say he was a baseball nut, I mean he was a season ticket holder, bought all the merchandise, had books about baseball and biographies written by baseball players, he had all of it. He could tell you everything about the sport with ease. So I asked him why did he love baseball so much because at that time I found it boring, and you know I still to this day remember his response. He told me baseball is 3 hours of nothing happening, but when something did happen, it was the most beautiful sport god ever created. I loved that man. Anyway this is all a long way to say the Reds suck ass right now.	17-23
24		Astros	0	Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially yours. I'll visit her later, don't worry. The Astros continue to take 1 step forward and 3 steps back. Kyle Tucker is the man and we should extend him immediately. Our pitching is still mostly trash and no one deserves an extension.	15-25
25		Pirates	-2	Paul Skenes made his highly-anticipated debut on Saturday, and it was one of two games the Pirates won last week. And they only won that game after first blowing a 6-1 lead thanks to 6 (SIX!) walks with the bases loaded. At one point. Kyle Nicolas threw 12 straight balls with the bases loaded. The bullpen was so depleted that Nicolas had to pitch the next day after Aroldis Chapman gave up 2 runs and 2 walks in the 10th inning, only for Nicolas to give up another run on a wild pitch. The Pirates then hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning and lost 5-4. So yeah, that's how things are going in Pittsburgh right now.	18-23
26		Cardinals	0	Bro, I'm straight up not having a good time.	16-24
27		Angels	0	Hot and then cold and then hot again, Jo Adell hit three homers this past week. With a wRC+ on the season now standing at 134 and a wOBA of .363, the next step for him is now maintaining a level of consistency. With a bottom-ranking farm system, his future may not ultimately be in Anaheim. The looming rebuild is going to be a long and slow process and at the age of 25, it is hard to see much point in keeping him if someone else starts looking his way.	15-26
28		Rockies	+2	We have the longest winning streak in baseball. We just swept the defending champs. I'm pretty sure that means Rocktober is coming. In all seriousness, the Rockies finally gelled for the first time this season. The Rangers didn't play poorly, the Rockies just played well. The concern now is what kind of "Coors Hangover" we'll see.	12-28
29		White Sox	0	The White Sox had a shockingly good week while clinching the season series against the Rays and winning 3 of 4 from the Guardians over the weekend. They have been playing objectively better baseball lately (which means that their 72 wRC+ season stat was at 84 last week, and their pitching has been middle of the league since the start of May). It's not much, but it's something. Myself, I'm excited to attend my first ball game of the year tonight. Of course, I'll be going to the Schaumburg Boomers home opener.	12-29
30		Marlins	-2	So the fish still cant produce runs but at least we got burger back. Luzardo looks much better in his return to the bigs but oof braxton garrett. Somehow miami managed to squeeze out a win this week against two top teams but well see how they do against the tigers and mets this upcoming season.	11-31

Long Preface but contextually relevant:
I've had a rocky relationship with my brother for some time. Since high school and continuing through college, he's had an entitlement issue where if he wants/needs something, he must have it. And if he didn't get it, he'd explode and get into huge arguments. He only acted this way around our parents and me. He appeared normal with everyone else and had a good friend group and relationships. This led to him having little appreciation for us. Once he graduated high school he never returned home to visit. At his college graduation, he got blackout drunk the night before, barely managed to walk through graduation, and then texted us after saying he was going to sleep and that we could leave (we drove 4 hours). At my graduation, I attempted to rekindle the relationship and invited him to my graduation and dinner afterward. At the time I assumed he had a somewhat good time even though he was apprehensive to be with us and was hard to talk to. Since then, we've on and off chatted, mainly him talking me up as if everything is fine and I'd respond.
Main Issue:
In 2021, when he was in law school (different state), he had one such outburst. His train was delayed on a test day and with no internet connection was freaking out about studying. He called our parents and began panic complaining and shouting, with my parents not able to do anything realistically. He wanted them to help him study when they were busy. After they told him to stop harass-calling them, he texted me and called to try to get them to answer. I told him squarely not to shout and talk down to me as if I were his servant and wouldn't take the harassment. When he continued, I hung up and silenced him. He later texted me that day and said the following: "Fine, block my number then, not like you hit me up or anything. You force me down to watch you walk across the stage at your graduation, least you could do is tell Mom to stop being so bitchy. Make my day, block me. you never say happy birthday to me anyways." To be fair, yes that's true about me not reaching out to him as much. That stems from how I viewed his actions in the past, how we don't have anything in common, and how he abandoned us essentially.
Since then I've done just that. I blocked his number, except my laptop was still connected to his number, was never able to block it there for some reason, but I left it be for curiosity's sake for if he'd ever attempt to talk again. And he has, reaching out on my birthday, trying to start up conversations and asking me questions, etc. All the while never acknowledging what happened. Just talking as if our old relationship was fine.
It's been 2.5 years since then, 5 years since my graduation, haven't seen him in person since then. A part of me never wants to talk again on the principal of how he acted towards me and how my attempt to bring the family together and share a moment was received as a nuisance for him. Plus the fact of how he acts towards our parents. Another side of me says life is short and that, according to my parents, he has improved since then, calling and reaching out to our parents, having conversations, and showing some appreciation. Should I give him another chance and reach out with a caveat of how I've felt and why I went silent with him? Is it worth abandoning that connection for good or would reconnecting and trying to heal be the best path forward? Thanks in advance for all the advice and help.
TL;DR: My brother snapped at me years ago and told me to block him after a spat/issue where I didn't help him to due his nasty attitude + my not engaging/reaching out to him as much. My coldness and lack of engagement stem from his entitlement and anger issues with my parents and me over the years. He's reconciled somewhat with my parents but I've remained silent. Should I try to reconnect?

Every year I’m confronted with the decision of whether to talk about the Met Gala. And it can be a tough decision if I’m being totally honest - on one hand, it’s always easy to point and laugh at rich Leftists wearing weird costumes and making fools out of themselves; on the other hand, it’s gotten way too easy to do that, and as far as celebrity freak shows go, the Met Gala is sort of like the Oscars at this point: its supposed “unpredictability” is now cliche, its zaniness is now boring. Unless mayhem breaks out—say, like an actor slaps the presenter live on-stage or something like that—then the truth is that no one really cares about any of these events anymore - in fact, I’m still not even sure what the Met Gala is. All I know is that the celebrities dress strangely and then go into I guess a big museum. What do they do inside the museum? Is there some kind of award ceremony? Is it a dance? Is it like celebrity prom or something? Do they sacrifice a live goat and drink its blood while chanting satanic curses? Is it some combination of these things? Nobody knows for sure. And most of all, nobody cares.
But fortunately, something interesting did happen at the Met Gala last week, or at least outside of it. Mobs of pro-Palestine demonstrators, apparently bored of their tent cities on college campuses, slowly marched through Manhattan towards the Met, and when they arrived, they tore down the police barricades and flooded the street.
Just for fun, here’s Lizzo dressed like something that you might find inside an unflushed toilet at Panda Express, and that’s what she wore to the Met Gala while riots raged outside in a clash of poor commies versus rich commies, as Peachy Keenan put it. These riots should also bring to mind I think some immediate logistical considerations that the Democratic Party now has to think about - for one thing, it’s safe to say that planning for the Democratic National Convention is going through some last-minute revisions right about now. Just imagine being in charge of security for the DNC; you’re gonna need bigger barricades than they had at the Met, and probably a lot more cops.
But more barricades and cops aren’t gonna fix the underlying problem that the Democratic Party has created here. There’s now a full-on uprising on the Left against the elitism that Democrats have long embraced - and the media is getting involved, too. Yahoo, for example, has already turned on the Met Gala; they just published a piece declaring, “The Met Gala’s Opulence Is Always Gross. This Year, It’s Obscene.”
Now, the whole article is a rant that hits a crescendo with this paragraph, which is probably the single-longest run-on sentence I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Here it is, this whole thing is one sentence, just so you know:

Even in an era filled with the horrors of late-stage capitalism run amok—bipartisan support for genocide; rolling back of reproductive, civil, and voting rights; a threadbare social safety net; decades of wage stagnation; tax cuts for the the rich; the crushing of unions and labor rights; expansion of the militarized police surveillance state; creeping techno-authoritarianism; untested, unregulated, and unchecked A.I.; entrenched racial inequality and injustice; right-wing and white supremacist extremist violence; and Boeing jet parts falling from the sky like so many dead whistleblowers—that kind of frivolous urgency promises that this year’s event nonetheless will stand out as a vainglorious display of self-congratulatory decadence and tone-deaf extravagance.

Now, first of all, just as a stylistic matter, if you’re going to make a sentence that long, it needs to be coherent. And “Boeing jet parts are falling from the sky like so many dead whistleblowers?” That doesn’t even make sense; the dead whistleblowers didn’t fall from the sky. I mean, they’re not being pushed out planes. One of them shot himself allegedly and the other died of an illness. Now, even if you subscribe to the theory that Boeing’s hitmen killed these whistleblowers—which, who knows, maybe they did—the fact remains that they didn’t fall from the sky. They died on the ground, so the metaphor just doesn’t work. And this is the problem you get into with 100-word sentences: eventually, you just lose track of what you’re saying.
In any event, that whole massive paragraph could be summed up as saying, “We’re living through late-stage capitalism right now.” That’s what the Left-wing media is saying. That’s the way that they are framing this, and of course, “late-stage capitalism” is one of their favorite phrases to use these days. And they used to celebrate the Met Gala, but not anymore. Now they’re saying the same thing the demonstrators are, which is that the frivolous elite are partying while Rome burns—which they are, of course—and they’re furious about it, or pretending to be.
Now, what the media and these demonstrators don’t want to admit is that the elitists at this gala—all the celebrities who are dressed like slutty Star Wars villains and so on—are on their team. The celebrities are part of the ruling class, the protesters and media critics are its products and in some cases quite literally its offspring. Now, to be sure, the celebrities and college administrators and the politicians are reluctant to acknowledge that their own Frankenstein monster is turning against them, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Remember that it was two years ago that AOC showed up to the Met Gala with a “Tax the Rich” gown. There were a bunch of sympathetic news stories highlighting her bravery at the time, and here’s how AOC justified showing up to an event that costs $300,000 per table while equipped with a custom dress, handbag, shoes and jewelry costing more than $2,000.

REPORTER: “You know this dress has a message for this Met Gala, tell me about what that is.”
AOC: “You know, I made a message, it says ’Tax the Rich’ right there, uh, it’s really about having a real conversation about fairness and equity in our system, and I think that this conversation is particularly relevant as we debate over budget and reconciliation down. What we’re talking about, providing working families with child care, healthcare, and meeting the climate crisis [unintelligible]* it deserves. … I think that ultimately, you know, we’re at a very critical point. I think there are some folks who are starting to really understand that this is a very critical conversation for us to be having right now. Other folks have invested interest in not having that conversation, but our point is to keep organizing and keep it going.”*

It’s a really important conversation, AOC says, some people aren’t ready to hear it, but we need to punish rich people, we need to make them as uncomfortable as possible, we need to take their money, and that was the message from AOC, who not incidentally, grew up in a very well-off suburb.
Her whole schtick was always hypocritical and disingenuous, of course, but it turns out that Leftist activists were listening to this rhetoric, I guess, they were taking it seriously, we’ve seen this a lot lately. When Chuck Schumer threatened Supreme Court justices, Leftists showed up at the justices’ homes; when the White House claimed that “trans kids” were being abused, a Leftist shot and killed Christians; when Democrats accused Israel of “genocide,” college students occupied university buildings; now two years after AOC attacked the Met, leftist gathered outside of the building.
This is the escalation that Democrats have primed this country for; it’s now in progress, whether Democrats intended it to happen to THEM or not—which, of course, they didn’t—but that’s not to say that ruling elites are going to roll over and let this happen. I mean, as you saw in that footage, the cops showed up in force and started making arrests the very second that protestors trespassed through the barricades in front of the Met. They were on the scene immediately.
Now, that’s kind of a noticeable contrast when compare it to other things like when these people set up encampments on college campuses, they were given in most cases a few days, maybe a week, before the cops moved in; when they looted and burned poor neighborhoods, they were given about three months to inflict carnage before anyone did anything about it; but when they showed up at the Met Gala, they were given three SECONDS before the arrests started. So it really shows you kind of how the hierarchy works.
The Democrats can’t protect the rest of the country from these mobs, nor do they intend to. So last night, in addition to creating a scene at the Met Gala, Leftists also vandalized a World War I memorial in New York and torched an American flag in front of it.
So please note, again, the contrast, the hierarchy, and the fact that this was happening at the exact same time as the Met Gala thing - REALLY shows you where the priorities are when you notice what kinds of illegal demonstrations the police will stop and which demonstrations they’ll allow to continue. The mob can deface World War I memorials all they want because in doing so, they’re communicating their hatred for this country and everything it stands for. So the Democrats who run New York aren’t going to stop them. But the mob isn’t allowed to inconvenience celebrities at the Met under any circumstances.
The point is that this is the hierarchy that Democrats clearly want to enforce. The trouble is getting the mob to RESPECT the hierarchy, and the Democrats are having trouble with that at the moment.
Yet they still seem oblivious, the Democrats are—or acting oblivious, at least—to the fact that they created this monster themselves, and that’s why inside the Met, as chaos unfolded outside, the party continued uninterrupted, and so did all of this associated weirdness, which was as off-putting as it’s ever been - take for example this decoy costume worn by someone using the name “Karol G.” Now, apparently she wanted to keep her real costume a secret, so earlier in the evening, she sported this beige umbrella-looking lampshade thing instead.
Now, imagine being a hardcore, AOC-loving Leftist who sees this - Democrats have spent the last several years telling you to despise rich people and commit crimes in the name of political activism, and then down the street from your hippy commune at the local university, some celebrity is walking around in a lampshade costume which probably costs $50,000 or something, and the entire Democratic Party establishment is pretending that it’s all normal. What do you do? How would you view the Democratic Party establishment after seeing this?
Now, as for the costume itself, of course, it’s clearly a bid for attention, and I guess it worked—I’m talking about it—but it’s not even an original idea - as a lot of people have pointed out, the outfit bears a striking resemblance to a certain shower curtain costume from the film “Karate Kid,” only with different colors, so there’s really no redeeming qualities whatsoever here, it’s a total debacle all around.
But to be fair, there was at least some originality on display last night - for example, this celebrity apparently walked through a wind tunnel full of roses somewhere before arriving at the Met, and for her trouble, Vogue named her as one of the best-dressed women of the evening.
We can assume again that this… woman?… paid many thousands of dollars for that outfit, which is just a trench coat with flower peddles and glitter glued onto it. It really looks like something a four-year-old girl might make. As everybody knows, in the mind of a four-year-old girl, anything and everything can be made prettier with copious amounts of glitter and flowers, which is a fine mentality for a small child; doesn’t translate very well in this case. And as self-congratulatory as it is, again, there’s no self-awareness whatsoever - it’s almost as if the entire purpose of the event is to celebrate the elites’ total inability to detect how preposterous, self-absorbed, and laughable they are.
An this is nothing new, it’s been the case since the Met Gala was established, it’s always been a mini-theater of the absurd. What’s changed is that the voting base of the Democratic Party isn’t laughing along with these clowns as much anymore. They turned against the universities; now they’ve turned against Hollywood. What the protesters of course don’t understand is that they have inherited their own worldview and everything they believe from these very institutions and these very people.
Hollywood and Academia don’t realize that they’re being attacked by their own Frankenstein, but the Frankenstein monster also doesn’t realize that it IS the Frankenstein monster. And if Frankenstein ever wakes up to that fact, well then the ruling class will really be in trouble.

Blindsiders or dumpers who loose feelings will sometimes find any small reason and use it against you in the break up.
My ex told me that she is breaking up with me because:
- Does not like my diet as it means we can't eat at the same place: I have OCD with some food but eat chicken, pasta, burgers, steak, fish and chips etc which is served at 80% of restaurants, but used it against me as a reason even though I was trying new food. Plus she started as a Vegetarian which made it much harder to find food she liked at certain places. Once we went round 5 restaurants which I could eat at, but she could not.
- Was upset I said something 5 months ago she never commented at the time that she did not like: The comment was pretty mild, nothing bad, but was taken the wrong way. Instead of telling me how she felt at the time and allowed me to explain, she kept it and bought it up in the breakup almost half a year later.
- I took long showers and use hand gels which annoyed her?: Against WTF does either of these have to do with breaking up with someone? Is spending 15 mins in the shower really a crime? As she used to do her makeup and I was always out in time to leave.
- Wanted to go back packing around Australia (Suddenly) : Never mentioned this once to me while dating, but used it as a reason to breakup as she said "You would never do that, would you? Which I think is really random and Petty.
The only reason she ACTUALLY gave which I think was valid was we were about to go long distance for at least a year, which I did understand, but the rest seemed so random, weird and hurtful.
Am I the only one who had weird or half basked reason why their ex wanted to break up?

I have been deaf in my left ear since age six. There's no chance of me hearing. The ear bones are essentially broken, lost part of my skull I believe to infection. Ear cavity too big to ever function properly. I know my terminology is incorrect, I was 15 when given the info.
First time in my early 20's at a night club, there was a "whoosh" and insanely loud noise exploded in my head. I covered my ears and fell to the ground. I had to leave. Had a cold the next day. Felt like I could hear (too loud) for about two weeks, even though a phone to my ear was still muffled vibrations. Then it was gone.
This came every year or two when I would get a bad cold.
Fast forward to age 51. In November my deaf ear started leaking, literally dripping. Dr said "maybe an ear infection", antibiotics. 3 months later, different doc, could be an ear infection. Antibiotics. There was a bit less fluid from time to time, but just inside of ear always wet. Coincided with a severe episode of insomnia (something that is also a life long struggle). Third doc "chronically inflamed", doesn't care, also says I don't have insomnia, just from a five minute conversation (I do though). This whole time every couple of weeks the insanely loud noise takes over my head and everybody around me has to whisper. Myself included.
Is the inflammation pressing on some nerve that's causing this explosion in my head could my insomnia be linked to it?? I know it will go away in a day or two, but I also know it will come back.

My word, there’s a lot of salt in the air. In my opinion, this subreddit is missing the appreciation of some of the really well done aspects of this game. There are issues, to be sure, but so much of the balance is working as I think Arrowhead intended, and it’s unfortunate that so many of us are missing out on the beautiful team synergy, communication and Fun that my friends and I are enjoying.
I leveled to 50 primarily fighting bugs. You can get away with four people playing relatively independently and still succeed with them. My buddies and I tried bots a handful of times and we would get absolutely overwhelmed. At the time I didn’t feel like it was cheap. I knew they required a different play style, and once I had everything unlocked in the game I set out to find the methods to destroy them competently.
Honestly, it took a good while. I can see why many players don’t get there, and want them to tune the difficulty down, but I disagree. The game has Nine difficulty settings. Nine. And I see them comparing high level players to Dark Souls snobs. Well, Dark Souls snobs relish their single punishing difficulty level and would never condone nine different settings so that you can have your power fantasy.
That said, I like where the bots are at. It’s supposed to feel overwhelming. The teams I see fail at Helldive difficulty are not communicating, they will respawn you and run away, leaving you to retrieve your gear with no fire support. A Bot Drop will scatter their ranks, sending all four players scattering, never to recover. Etc.
The balance in high level play feels right to me. It’s best on mic, but typing a little works, and you can do away with all of it if team lead pings the next location and everyone knowingly fills out their role. The biggest difference is that skilled players know how to prioritize targets, when to push and when to retreat, when and how to split off and regroup, how to choose a load out with squad synergy, when and what to save certain strategems for, how to decimate a Bot Drop preemptively or effectively cover a retreat.
It takes a long time to learn to carry all that out, and be natural at ammo/reload management for many different weapons, aware of cover opportunities, skilled at shooting on the move, taking slight cover for reloads while having the maximum amount of uptime, and how to be aware of what your mates are up to while you’re under your own pressure.
I’m currently a lv 139 10-Star General. A lot of time went into that. Surprised I haven’t gained 20 pounds. What I believe is, this game’s high difficulty levels become manageable with real, actual, utilized experience. The ability to communicate, learn, and apply new information, both acccrued and on the fly. Not just XP.
So many players are essentially saying that they want the guns themselves, and the high level unlocks to manage the difficulty for them. They may not realize it, but they are often playing as four individuals, not a trained squad. That will work alright up to about difficulty 7. After that we need to apply real time experience and skill to the battlefield. We need four people playing as one– a well oiled machine. That concept is what the devs set out to achieve, and for my friends and myself, it seems like they’ve met that goal pretty well. Honestly, if it became “Bigger Boom = Winning Time,” I’d likely have gotten bored and moved on by now.
I certainly don’t feel elitist. I’m not saying “It’s a skill issue, stop complaining.” I just think that a very skillful player, or four of them, will not succeed at high level play or have fun if they aren’t skillful at refining their team dynamic. I think that’s how the game is designed, and for my squad it’s doing its job quite well.
Yes, there are bugs. There are lackluster warbonds. There are balancing issues. No game is perfect. As a Helldivers 1 vet, I felt prepared that high level play would be inaccessible to most. The core philosophy of that game is still well intact here, but the bombastic 3rd person action dynamic attracted a lot of players who mainly want the power fantasy, and frankly, just aren’t very good at teamwork. Of course they will drop off in time. The game really wasn’t made for them. It doesn’t want PvP. It doesn’t want solo play. I’m not saying they should leave, just that for some, it was inevitable.
Helldivers, I implore you to be confident in your critiques, but not to overlook that this game may be achieving its own aims well, even if it doesn’t suit your tastes. For those Helldivers that are still having a riotous time defeating the hordes with their mates, laughing and quipping with friends while the battlefield rightfully overwhelms you, just to see you eek out a successful dive by the skin of your teeth, play on undeterred. Don’t let the squall of the Unsatisfied Gamer Community sour your victories. The Illuminate are coming, and we need reinforcement.
We dive so humanity survives.
For Democracy.

TL;DR: I cheated on my girlfriend of 4.5 years by going on a date with another woman. We didn't hook up, but I recognize that doesn't matter. I got exposed via one of those "Are We Dating the Same Guy" pages 5 months later, we broke up, and then after a few weeks decided to slowly fix things. After genuine improvements both on an individual level and relationship level, I got caught being on Hinge after making an account while on an international trip. I didn't meet with any women and used the app purely because it was a passive distraction. She has since ended the relationship once and for all and we haven't spoken in two weeks. I am trying to determine if the relationship is officially over or if I should attempt to reach out over time to demonstrate that I still care and want to fight for this as I have the last few months...
Hello all -- from the onset, let me start by acknowledging that I recognize that there is no excuse for cheating. I've taken responsibility for what I've done from the start, began therapy, and I was making active (and recognized) improvements to show that I was committed to change. So, if you intend on burning me at the stake for cheating, or rubbing my face in the consequences of my actions, please know that I've already done as much to myself and then some. For background sake, my ex and I dated for about 4.5 years.
Long story short, I was posted on one of those "Are We Dating the Same Guy" Facebook groups back in January by a girl that I went on two dates with while dating my then-girlfriend. For context, my ex and I broke up in the Summer of 2022 because of mounting fights and because I was unable to commit to a move-in date. During the breakup, I downloaded Bumble and matched with a girl that I could maintain good conversation with. We texted/phoned a few times, but we never met in person. Eventually, my ex and I got back together about roughly a month later, I ghosted the Bumble girl, and my relationship with my girlfriend moved on. Fast forward to about a year later (fall of 2023) -- I was out one night at a local bar and the Bumble girl was there on a date with another guy. She texted me later that night noting how funny it was that the first time we saw each other in-person was when she was on a date. We continued to text and I eventually made the poor decision to go out on not one, but two dates with her. We didn't sleep together and I broke things off after the second date because I realized how stupid and selfish I was being.
Fast forward to five months later (January of this year), the Bumble girl posted me on the above-mentioned Facebook group... I'm still in disbelief that she'd do so after only two dates, but word got back to my girlfriend and things went as you'd expect. Things were turbulent, she broke up with me, said that she couldn't forgive me for what I did, and that was that. However, after a couple of weeks, we began to reconnect. We began spending time together, sleeping together, and I made it a point to highlight how sorry I was and that I'd make the necessary improvements to show her that I was committed to her. As time went on, we began making genuine improvements as a couple, and things were steadily becoming good again... Until I made another poor decision.
In mid-March, I went to Japan with a couple of friends and I downloaded Hinge simply because I was curious. Despite getting matches, I didn't meet with anyone and purely downloaded it out of curiosity. Unfortunately, I never deleted the app upon returning home. Time went on and my ex and I maintained our continued progress and we were on the brink of becoming "official" again. In fact, roughly 3 weeks ago we took our first trip post-January and had a romantic getaway at a lake-front property. We had an incredible time and truly felt like ourselves again. Upon returning home, that next Monday, she told me that she was the happiest she's ever been and truly saw me as a forever partner again. Then, a few hours later, she called me asking if I was on Hinge -- one of her sister's friends saw me on the app. That, my friends, was the last straw. She was enraged, told me she was done, and that she should've never let me back in.
Let me highlight that I recognize that I shouldn't have been on Hinge, but again, I was passively swiping as a means to dissociate from the turbulent scenario I found myself in. It's a point that I'm unpacking in therapy. When I came back from Japan, she began discussing the possibility of eloping (her aunt has terminal cancer and she wanted her aunt to see her get married before she died), began discussing moving in, and was generally mounting pressure on our relationship even though we still had work to do. Again, I am not excusing my behavior, but in a sense, I was dissociating from the stress by engaging in an otherwise unhealthy distraction. I didn't maintain conversations or meet any women during this time. To my ex, though, it didn't matter. According to her, if I was truly committed to making things work, I should've never been on the app in the first place. It's tough because, as a way to demonstrate my commitment, I gave her access to my location and tried to establish that if I was seriously pursuing other women, why would I give her my location? It made no difference.
She went on to block me (which she's never done) and told me to leave her alone so that she could heal from this/move on. So, I respected her wishes and didn't contact her. I recognize I blew my shot. Then, a week later (roughly 2 weeks ago), she called me asking if I had certain kitchen items which she most assuredly knew I didn't have. She then went on to ask me how I was doing, to which, we ended up speaking for over 3 hours. She went from being angry to crying/asking how I could jeopardize our relationship after my improvements, to informing me that she's moving apartments because she's set on moving on and that there's simply too much baggage for our relationship to survive. Certain things that she said throughout this call demonstrated that she loved me immensely and that she'd miss me, but that she recognized that this couldn't continue. It was a hard phone call to stomach because, by her unblocking me and spending 3 hours on the phone with me, it instilled some form of hope (in a weird way).
It's been two weeks since we've spoken and all I can think about is her. Especially in light of the real improvements we had made before this all happened. I really was working on improving myself and considered her to be my life partner... Look, as I've noted from the onset, I'm reaping what I sowed; however, the last two and a half months before all of this were filled with genuine improvement and I truly believed that we were going to make it. She herself acknowledged this before I was discovered on Hinge. I am working through with my therapist as to why I was on Hinge post-Japan, but I just feel like this shouldn't be terminal. With that said, I've continued to respect her wishes and I haven't contacted her despite wanting to. I want to respect her healing process, even if that means losing her, but I can't help but feel like I should reach out to show that I care and that I'm willing to continue fighting. I love her immensely, consider her my partner and best friend, and despite what my actions demonstrate, am a work in progress. Am I in denial regarding this being over? Is there a chance for me here? Or do I let time take its course and move on?

It’s crow nesting and fledging season! A fledgling is a young bird that has just left the nest, and is not yet a fully grown adult.
I’ve seen several posts in this subreddit recently showing concern over a fledgling crow and wondering if it’s injured or how to help it, thinking it might be an adult crow in trouble. All very well meaning, and can’t blame anyone for wanting to help! However, fledglings are usually doing just fine and do not need human intervention, even if they look a little silly and clumsy.
Here’s how to recognize a crow fledgling (non conclusive list, and sometimes they don’t have all of these features but it’s a great place to start):

• Pink around their beaks/pinkish mouths
• Paleish blue eyes
• Fluffy feathers
• Pin feathers on the underside of their wings where their flight feathers are growing in (they look like long white tubes and can be seen sometimes if they’re flapping their wings)
• Caws/noises that are more frantic and high pitched than adult crows
• “Please feed me, mom!” behaviour, where they open their beaks, lean back, and frantically flap their wings and caw loudly

Importantly, when they are learning to fly they are sometimes on the ground, and not yet able to take flight for long distances or much at all.
The general rule of thumb is, if you see a fledgling, leave it alone. It is being cared for and watched by adults - even if you can’t see the adults yourself - and is in an important stage of its development into a full grown adult. It is not recommended to directly feed a fledgling as they’re still very young and may have different tolerances to certain food; adult crows will feed it and hydrate it appropriately.
If it is a particularly hot day, it might be nice to leave a dish of water out. (However there is no need to try and directly hydrate the fledgling, it will either drink it itself or the adults will use it to soak food to feed to it).
The caveat to putting out water is to check if bird flu is spreading in your area. If that’s the case, it may be risky to do this, and definitely follow your local guidelines (some places will recommend against birdfeeders and water dishes).
If you do put out water, you need to very frequently wash the dish with soap and change the water. (Probably a good idea to do this regardless of if bird flu is an issue, as standing water can spread disease between animals fairly easily).
When is it OK to intervene?
Occasionally, a fledgling IS in need of help.

• If it is in a particularly busy or high risk area (by the road, near where there are outdoor cats, etc), you can very gently move it to somewhere safer nearby. Do not move it very far because the parents will be looking for it.
• If it is obviously injured (bleeding, broken/twisted wing, if you saw it be attacked), keep an eye on it and call a wildlife rehabilitation centre asap. More info near the end of this post about next steps in this case.
• If it seems abandoned (if no adults return for a LONG time - many hours or a full day or night), I would also call a rehab centre first and keep an eye on it. Keep in mind that it is normal for adults to leave fledglings alone in a spot for some time during its maturation, and just because you don’t see an adult doesn’t mean it’s abandoned. Furthermore, adult birds sometimes don’t approach their fledglings if there’s a human nearby, so give it some space and observe from a good distance if necessary.

Fledgling vs nestling
A fledgling outside the nest is normal, a nestling outside is not. Nestlings look far more like what we see in our heads when we think of baby birds - they’ll look quite naked (fledglings on the other hand have full bodies of fluff/new feathers) and quite a bit smaller. If you see a nestling out of the nest, it may have fallen. If it doesn’t look visibly injured (blood/broken bones), try and find the nest nearby and put it back. The myth about birds abandoning their babies if a human touches it is false.
Occasionally, crows (and other birds) will deliberately push a nestling out of the nest. This seems cruel on the surface, but sometimes they do this if they sense the nestling is very sick or something about it might compromise the wellbeing of the rest of the babies. This is pretty rare though, so unless you see a nestling that is visibly sick or injured, definitely go the route of trying to put it back.
If you can’t seem to find the nest, a good bet (if you have the time) is to stay nearby but out of the way of the area. Adult crows will fly in and out of their nests periodically as they take turns taking care of the babies and going out to find food or to keep watch. You can probably spot the nest by keeping an eye out for an adult coming back and maybe disappearing into tree foliage.
Next steps
In the chance that you: - find a nestling that’s either injured/sick, or you absolutely cannot find the nest it fell from - find a fledgling that’s obviously injured or abandoned
Call a wildlife rehabilitation centre ASAP. Do NOT try to feed it or give it anything, nestlings in particular are very vulnerable and they can easily choke on food/water. Only adult crows and trained professionals should be feeding nestlings, and even though fledglings are older, it’s best not to do it yourself as well. It may very well do more harm.
Adult crows might get very mad and divebomb you if you approach/touch a nestling or a fledgling. It’s not personal, they’re just protective of their young and even in cases when their young need help, they have no idea that you’re trying to help it.
Try and wear a hat or hold an umbrella if they’re swooping at you. In the future, to prevent crow grudges, just offer the adults unsalted peanuts or something healthy for crows to regain their trust. (This may take a few tries, but crows do learn and adjust their opinions on people).
Keep an eye on the nestling/fledgling that needs help, and if appropriate, very gently pick it up and keep it in a quiet, dark space (like a well ventilated cardboard box). Try not to touch it or interact with it very much, because it’s very stressful for young birds to be handled by humans, even with the best intentions, and it’s easy to accidentally injure them further. Just keep it safe until a professional can care for it.
Hope this info helps people! Enjoy fledgling season and the adorable antics of young crows.
Note on all the above: I’m not an expert or professional rehabilitator, but I have been observing crows and learning about them for a long time, and have experience contacting wildlife rehabilitation centres regarding crows. All this info is collated from experience and professional websites I’ve looked up over the years. In the chance you see something that needs correcting or that I missed, please let me know!

I tested positive for ureaplasma and was prescribed 10 days of doxycycline. My partner also took the antibiotics and we did not have sex for about two weeks post treatment.
When I originally took the doxycycline for ureaplasma, I also took diflucan because my gynecologist recommended it. (Thankfully she gave me both doses because I did end up getting a yeast infection while on the antibiotics).
After having sex (protected with condom), I tested positive for yeast and BV. (Also, ureaplasma came back negative). I was prescribed diflucan and metronidazole. (I had stopped taking probiotics because I was afraid of messing with my vaginal flora too much after reading some posts on this thread and I also used a new lube that stung so that could’ve triggered the yeast and bv.)
My gynecologist said I could have sex once I was done with the metronidazole. So I waited and had unprotected sex this time. (No ejaculation inside me). I felt fine post sex. And now two days later, I have developed some white clumpy discharge again. I’m not sure if this is because I’m about to get my period or it’s a recurrent yeast infection.
I want to know if this is normal and if so, about how long will it take for my vaginal flora bacteria to recover from all these antibiotics? I’ve never had any issues with bv or yeast before the ureaplasma and am becoming slightly discouraged.