Pinching in left side of abdomen pregnancy

Frozen Dinners - Marketing vs Actual

2018.08.06 03:05 mossengine Frozen Dinners - Marketing vs Actual

Frozen Dinner comparisons Buy the meal, Follow the instructions, Post the photographic results and comment with others! A community who enjoys Frozen Dinner comparison pictures and find value in seeing the actual results of the cooked product rather than just relying on the packaging pictures.

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2019.05.15 15:44 GhostOfSomeRobot DankLeft

This is a subreddit for Marxists, Anarchists, and DemSocs, with only the most dank and most left memes. Proletarians of all nations, unite! Seize the memes of production! You have nothing to lose but your frown!

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2015.10.11 00:10 ConspirOC In Real Life Easter Eggs

Remember the thrill of stumbling upon hidden gems in games or movies? Now, imagine that wonder translated into real life. Welcome to IRLEasterEggs, a community where we celebrate the art of uncovering peculiar, unnoticed secrets that creators left for the observant few. From a forgotten sculpture in a secluded forest to a captivating mural tucked away in a city's nook, here's where you can share the enchanting treasures you find in the world around us.

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2024.05.16 21:22 jeeps93 Advice!

I'm seeking some advice.
In 2018, I was involved in a fender bender with a 26-year-old woman. Our Canadian insurance company, ICBC, determined that she was 100% at fault. Now, out of the blue, she's trying to sue me, claiming she wasn’t at fault.
The accident happened during 5 o'clock rush hour. We were moving at 15 km/h in stop-and-go traffic. I was in the left-hand lane when she crossed over from the middle lane and hit the front right side of my car.
It was pouring rain, and no one else stopped. I took photos, which were submitted to ICBC six years ago.
The woman was very emotional and frantic at the scene. She didn’t claim to be hurt. I was fine, and my car wasn’t even dented.
She mentioned that she already had another active claim at the time of the accident. After the accident, she was visibly upset and told me she had another ICBC claim filed and was injured from that previous accident. I took photos, got her information, and contacted ICBC.
There was no police report, only the ICBC report. My car had no damage, so I didn't have any repair bills. In early 2019, ICBC informed me that she was 100% at fault. I had no injuries, but the stress of the court proceedings and depositions has caused me anxiety and sleep deprivation.
I'm unsure why she’s trying to sue since she never had to pay for any damages. It was only myself and her in both vehicles.
There have been no legal or settlement offers, as the claim was deemed her fault.
ICBC has assigned me a lawyer, but I've never dealt with anything like this before, and it's causing me a lot of anxiety and trouble sleeping.
I have my deposition and court case next week, and I'm very nervous and unsure what to expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

submitted by jeeps93 to Insurance [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:21 NizzlesMC Worried.

Hi all
I’ve been having ear pain for around a couple of years id say. I was a frequent smoker these past years but went sober last august. I’ve noticed my left side of the neck is completely hard and painful, and swollen lymphs behind my ear. I’ve also got a white spot on my tonsil that’s quite big, baring in mind I had a papilloma wart removed and sent of for a biopsy previously which was declared benign.
Any thoughts or things you could relate to? Just need a few words of advice. I’m only 21 so pretty scary.
Thanks. 🙏

submitted by NizzlesMC to HeadandNeckCancer [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:20 jeeps93 Legal advice/ car accident

I'm seeking some legal advice.
In 2018, I was involved in a fender bender with a 26-year-old woman. Our Canadian insurance company, ICBC, determined that she was 100% at fault. Now, out of the blue, she's trying to sue me, claiming she wasn’t at fault.
The accident happened during 5 o'clock rush hour. We were moving at 15 km/h in stop-and-go traffic. I was in the left-hand lane when she crossed over from the middle lane and hit the front right side of my car.
It was pouring rain, and no one else stopped. I took photos, which were submitted to ICBC six years ago.
The woman was very emotional and frantic at the scene. She didn’t claim to be hurt. I was fine, and my car wasn’t even dented.
She mentioned that she already had another active claim at the time of the accident. After the accident, she was visibly upset and told me she had another ICBC claim filed and was injured from that previous accident. I took photos, got her information, and contacted ICBC.
There was no police report, only the ICBC report. My car had no damage, so I didn't have any repair bills. In early 2019, ICBC informed me that she was 100% at fault. I had no injuries, but the stress of the court proceedings and depositions has caused me anxiety and sleep deprivation.
I'm unsure why she’s trying to sue since she never had to pay for any damages. It was only myself and her in both vehicles.
There have been no legal or settlement offers, as the claim was deemed her fault.
ICBC has assigned me a lawyer, but I've never dealt with anything like this before, and it's causing me a lot of anxiety and trouble sleeping.
I have my deposition and court case next week, and I'm very nervous and unsure what to expect. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

submitted by jeeps93 to legaladvicecanada [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:20 flawless-writer Breast lump like corn

Hi
23(F) no family history of breast cancer.
Back in October i had breast pain and felt a pressure on my chest right before periods. After periods the pain and Press went aways except for one point.
So i decided to feel for lumps and i found a soft moveable flat long corn like mass in my left breast. The mass is long oval in shape starting from the outline of breast and stretching till the outer boundary of areola. It gets tender to touch right before periods and painful too. But after periods it shrinks in size alot for just 1 week.
I have seen my GP many times for this issue but he's not concerned.
Now i feel like the mass is creating a weird pressure and Tightness on left side of neck and also i feel a dull pain on the same side while deep breathing too.
I am hella worried. Please lemme know if you're also having the same situation and what was the diagnosis. i am freaking out at the moment .

submitted by flawless-writer to doihavebreastcancer [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:19 CjbCipher JVC KD-D10 Cassette deck won't record left side audio

I recently bought the cassette deck instead of above and got it all setup to record cassettes but it won't record left side audio. It has two gauages that move with the audio and while recording the left side stays completely still while the right will move in tune with the sound. It's not completely broken because when playing stereo tapes in the machine with the left and right gauge will move. I opened it up and there's no visible signs of damage like burnt or swollen capacitors. I have a 3.5mm to rca cable and I've tried different devices to see if maybe it was my other hardwares problem. Anyone know of any repair ideas or places in Central Florida where they repair cassette decks? Thank you in advance for any help! I tried to upload a second video where it was playing a tape to show both move but it'll only let me post one video.

submitted by CjbCipher to cassette [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:19 chikunjim Oishi × Twice Fanmeet (PH)

Snacktacular fanmeet ticket holders, do you know what is this part (event raffle stub) for? It is found at the lower left side of the ticket. I don't remember reading about an in-event raffle written in the mechanics. Thanks!

submitted by chikunjim to twice [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:19 Dependent_0NE_7146 Stopping Prednisone 60MG after 3 days?

37 Male 5'7
150 pounds. No existing medical conditions. No current medications. Don't drink smoke or use any drugs.
I have tinnitus in my left ear for 2 weeks and my ENT wrote a script for prednisone. He will do an MRI if it does not help
60 MG for 3 days
40 MG for 3 days
20 MG for 3 days
I have never had this drug before and I am worried about the side effects I am reading. I am also going to be on vacation when I start it so that sucks. I wanted to wait a week and he doesn't recommend it
If I took it for 3 days and it was terrible, can I just stop at that point, or am I still on the ease off period of the drug? Just curious if 3 days is enough to mess up your body and make it dangerous to just stop it. This is all very stressful
I will of course call him if any issue, but I am very worried. You read horror stories online.
Thank you very much

submitted by Dependent_0NE_7146 to AskDocs [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:18 Eversunsets That’s new (for me)

History: 31F, not a heavy drinker (maybe 5 heavg binge nights over the course of the last 8 years, otherwise just the occasional drink like a modelo with dinner once a month). Not the best diet-could be better and could be worse. Triglycerides were getting kind of to the high side for my age/BMI at my last bloodwork a year ago.
One biological brother (out of 6) brother did start having severe gallbladder attacks as young as 6 and we have IBS in the family.
I’m pregnant (8 weeks) so symptoms are overlapping but 2 weeks ago I had a weird pain I could only describe as diaphragm pain (it was like a giant rubber band under my breasts and wrapping around in a band all the way to my back). Very localized, uncomfortable more than painful, but went away after about an hour. Kind of ignored it as a symptom of pregnancy. But even before the pregnancy was bloating a lot easier than I used to-which I just attributed to hitting 30 and a slower metabolism (I’ve always been super skinny-not by choice-, finally broke 100lbs since this pregnancy).
Today I got a pain under my left breast and going through to my back-not around but straight through. Like someone is shoving their knuckles under my breast and into my back. I’m also nauseous but I always am because of the pregnancy, but definitely lost my apetite more when the pain kicked in. Definitely worse if I pressed on my torso on the left side. Laying/standing didn’t change severity.
I had only had coffee and cereal this morning about 4 hrs ago.
Its not super severe and I plan to get with a GP when I get home (we’re out of town on a trip) but did any of y’alls pancreas issues start out this way?

submitted by Eversunsets to pancreatitis [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:17 allv3s Does Anyone Has Tension or Feel pain in Temple after PPI?

Hi,
I had been using PPIs for a long time, but recently, I started experiencing pain and tension in my left temple. After I stopped taking the PPIs, the pain disappeared. I didn’t realize the symptoms were related to the PPIs until I took an omeprazole pill because of GERD. A few hours later, the tension and pain in my left temple returned. Has anyone else experienced similar side effects?

submitted by allv3s to GERD [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:16 Individual_Strain_94 Is it bad If I out with my straight guy friend while being in a situationship

I really need advice. I have a guy friend (26M) whom I met 1 year ago and we always hang out together going for drinks and eating dinner if our schedule allows. However, recently got into a situationship who I really like the guy (28M), but the problem is we don't define the relationship yet cause he wants to take things slow. We didn't really define yet if we were exclusive and I'm still not really sure if he really was into me in the same level as I am cause he goes on and off. Recently, he goes off the radar and ghosted me. I learned that he left me cause I always go out with my guy friend and got really jealous when he learned we went on a day trip to a city (just a spontaneous drunk trip). He never opened it up to me and the trip happened when we were still in early stage of talking (probably a month or less). Now, everyone was blaming me cause it was my fault and I shouldn't have went on a trip with my friend.
P.S. I just wanna know your opinions regarding this and to learn as well. Hopefully, if I went back to dating and put in this kind of situation again I'll know what to do and not be ignorant anymore. Also the guy (28M) ghosted me completely and ignored me even if I tried to share my side. (I honestly really likes him and a really really nice person)
Honestly I really thought everything is okay kasi he knows the guy din naman and mutual namin kaya akala ko they were both cool to each other. Also, I know sa sarili ko na I know my boundaries and genuine feelings ko sa situationship ko. However, lahat kasi ng tao sa paligid ko tingin na I did something bad and considered as cheating daw yun. I really like him and tried to talk to him for months but he completely blocked me na.
Thank you!

submitted by Individual_Strain_94 to adviceph [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:15 NovelRace8314 Why "trad-wife" content triggers me, and why I'm glad it does

I'm sure many of you have come across "trad-wife" content at some point or another online. I've been fed this content more and more lately, which had me thinking about what this "trend" means for mothers and families, and what impact it has overall for the mothers who are still "in the trenches" today. Whether it's a trend you participate in, or one you roll your eyes at, I think for the most part, it garners an emotional response from women, especially mothers, in either a positive or negative light. I also want to make it clear that "trad-wives" and SAHM are NOT the same thing at all, and should not ever be used interchangeably. These are two completely different things. A SAHM is still a working independent woman whos job inside of the home to be viewed equally as important as any work outside of the home.
I fall under the category of someone who is triggered by "trad-wife" content and generally have a pretty negative, critical response every time I run into it. But today, as I came across a video of yet another "trad-wife" influencer, who was defending her lifestyle, and call to "traditional" ways, I decided to stop and actually take a minute and be honest with what emotion I was really feeling when I come across this content. It isn't actually rage, disappointment or fear, like I tell myself it is. It's jealousy.
The truth is, my first reaction is jealousy and a sense of inadequacy that feeds off of my deepest insecurities as a mother. Jealousy for the mothers that can stay at home all day with their children, who can clean, bake, garden and cook with their little ones at their side. And as someone who is a working mum, but not by choice, I feel jealous of the extra time these women can spend with their children during these short pre-school years. I feel inadequate because I secretly fear I am failing as a mother by choosing a double income, over the financial insecurity of a one-income household. Inadequate because my house is a mess and I'm burned out from work from a job I hate by the time I get home, that I worry my children aren't getting the best version of me.
After the initial emotional response of jealousy, my logical brain kicks in and reminds myself that this lifestyle they are showcasing isn't reality. Most SAHM's aren't baking sourdough on homesteads all day. They aren't showing the 3AM wakeups or the teething drama. This isn't an accurate representation of motherhood for 95% of us. This leads me to my next emotional response, which is to then to substitute jealousy for criticism. I begin to list all the ways their lifestyle is flawed, naive and unsustainable to give myself some false sense of superiority to these women who are essentially just cosplaying.
I'm sure this reaction isn't uncommon. I feel it's a natural response for people to substitute the emotion of jealousy with criticism to justify their own lifestyles and choices that feel attacked. You could argue that the "trad-wife" movement is just that--a way for some SAHM's who may feel the need to justify their lifestyle and choices of not be in the work force, when surrounded by a world that places outside work in higher esteem than domestic work.
However, I would like to clarify that just because I feel jealous when watching this content, doesn't mean I wish I was a "trad-wife". I find the entire concept to be just as toxic as the "hustle"/"girl boss" culture they are fighting against. Not to mention, a completely misinformed and myopic view of what a "traditional" wife or family looked/looks like throughout the world. The "traditional" wife they are cosplaying as is just ONE example of a historic "traditional" family and a woman/mothers role within one. Yes, women have always been charged with domestic duties and childrearing. The home has always been where women have traditionally been taught to focus on, however, women have also ALWAYS worked outside of the home too—either on farms, factories or kitchens (etc). And women have ALWAYS outsourced childrearing to either a nanny or governess (if wealthy) or they had their eldest kids stay home and look after the younger ones. Working mothers, and hired childcare are not new concepts to the female history.
But, I do see how this trend came about. It’s an allergic reaction to the extreme push for women to get out of the homes and into the workforce. To climb the corporate ladder while breastfeeding. To pity the girl with the college degree and spit up stains on her shirt at home with unused potential. To take “equal rights” so literally we act like a man’s life or parental journey is identical to our own. Ignoring our monthly hormonal fluctuations and pretend we're fine to sit through that 2 hour meeting while popping Midol. That we add more value to society as another cog in a machine sitting in a cubicle, then managing your home and family, because that's just "sitting at home" all day, right? And maternity leave is really such an inconvenience…
Looking at both extremes, I found it funny how both sides share the same core issues/beliefs which do nothing but hold mothers, and families on both ends of the spectrum back. This is what I found were the major issues in the perception of motherhood at both extremes, when I took a step back and away from my own biases as a working mother.

We need to recognise that both lifestyles come with the enormous privilege many women don't have-- The ability to live off of one income is a privilege just like having enough money for childcare or family support is a privilege. For many, our family set up wasn’t a choice, it’s a necessity. The reasons to be or not to be a SAHM are not always a choice or preference. A lot of times these are hard decisions that include major sacrifices. Before you judge either lifestyle, acknowledge the privilege you might have in the CHOICE to follow either life path. A woman who HAS to work to keep her family fed, even if all she could afford were Poptarts for breakfast, is just as good of a mum as the one who made fresh sourdough that morning. The mum who has to go back to school shopping at the second hand store, and mend hand me downs to dress her kids on one income is just as good of a mum as the corporate baddie who bought her kids the trendy shoes their kid asked for. Both kids are fed, both kids are dressed, both kids are loved.
No matter what they say, we all love our kids, and how they turnout does NOT come down to your choice to work in or outside the home -- At the end of the day, I don’t think kids of working mums turn out much differently than kids of SAHM. I think we all know personal examples of rotten kids or adults with both types of mothers. Neither dictates your relationship with your child. As kids get older, they naturally drift away from us. The truth is we may mess up in ways we didn’t even consider. Our kids may always blame us for being overbearing by not having a life outside of the home. Or resent us for never being around because of work. Bad/toxic mothers can be found both in the home or the work force. Just think back to how the adults in our lives talk about their mothers--sometimes it was "mum had 6 kids at home, but she somehow managed to keep us all fed and cared for", or "mum had to work a full day cleaning houses, but she'd always make sure we read a book together after work". All mothers make sacrifices, no matter what type of sacrifice it is. Our kids aren't going to love or resent us for our choices to work or stay at home, but how we show up for them. Don't underestimate our children's ability to recognise our sacrifices on either end.
Full time domestic work and homemaking is a real full time job that hold just as much value as working outside of the home and should be treated and respected as such.-- Childcare is a full time job. Full time nanny's and daycares prove that. Homemaking is a full time job. We hire cleaners, interior designers and household staffs that prove it. Cooking, is a full time job. We hire chefs and nutritionists that prove it. So, when a woman is a SAHM does one (or more likely) all of the above jobs for her family, it’s given lesser value or consideration than someone who works outside the home? You hear “I like to get dinner ready and the house clean for my husband who worked all day he deserves to relax when he gets home”, as if you sat around watching tv all day? Just because you enjoy it, or it’s for your own benefit doesn’t make it any less of a real fulltime job. You deserve sick days and breaks throughout the day like any corporate job would...except you never actually get them. The person bringing in a paycheck doesn’t contribute a greater value to your family than you. And same goes for working mums—you already have one full time job, don’t discredit the work left at home as just “chores” that you additionally take on as “lesser value” expected tasks. If two people work outside of the home then two people need to be responsible for domestic work. These are full time jobs. Spouses cutting the grass and taking out the trash is not equivalent to cooking, childcare and cleaning. We need to stop ignoring the home in the overall picture of a healthy family life. We all need a safe place to live that is clean, we all need to eat nutritious food, and our children NEED someone to look after them. These things have a real invaluable place in society. As a working mum, I'm finding more and more how hard it is to bridge that gap, to manage two workplaces essentially, the home AND the outside work. All attention and focus goes to work outside of the home, but the home life doesn't just sustain itself. We are neglecting the importance of our domestic life in favour of the outside working life. This goes for both working mums and SAHM's. We need to stop ignoring that piece of the puzzle if we want to create the complete picture. As it stands now, most working mums cannot afford help in the home which is effecting our mental and physical health--SAHM's don't get any sort of financial nest eggs or assistance at basically working for free, which makes them more vulnerable to abuse.
Men need to be included in the domestic work in a way that sets them up for success. You are doing your family or spouse more harm than good by taking it all on yourself. -- By not giving dads a real opportunity to be involved in domestic duties you are depriving them and the children the full depth of a parent child bond and perpetuating that domestic life isn’t as valuable as outside work, or that domestic work is strictly a "woman's" domain. If you are a SAHM, and your job is to care for the house and kids, you just worked a full 8 hour day, just like your spouse. Because you stayed at home all day, most likely the basic chores have been done (though, kids are wild and even things like unloading a dishwasher can't be tackled), and maybe dinner is cooking. That alone is taking so much off of your spouses plate. Every family situation is different, every work situation is different, however, both you and your spouse are entitled to decompress a little after a full day. Dads need to be incorporated into the childcare aspect at the very least when they come home. Maybe since you spent all day with the kids, your husband gives them a bath and puts them to bed. Or, if you are a dual income house, maybe you split the bedtime duties, giving you the chance to spend SOME time with your children, after being gone all day--and just "play time" alone isn't enough or fair. I think a big way we fall down in including men into the domestic responsibilities, is for the same reason working mothers are struggling. The workforce was never set up with women or mothers in mind, and homemaking was never set up with men in mind. Now, some people will use this as an excuse to perpetuate that it shows that "a woman's place is at home", but studies have shown that over and over again, that fathers who are more involved at home make happier, more successful children. Children gain an enormous value from having fathers be just as involved in their upbringing as the mothers. And, I argue that men also gain just as much value from this. My husband is an equal partner in childrearing, and I'm in awe to see how much he has completely flourished and grown in this role. The truth is, most of us don't find fulfillment in our jobs. It's a paycheck. But a lot of us do find fulfillment in parenting. But to my point, we aren't setting men up to be successful in these roles, because men don't always think or approach things the same way as women. How many times have we had arguments with our partners because they ignored a mess, or didn't clean/do something properly, or we had to "nag" them to follow up on a chore...I know I have. But then I decided to take a step back and change my perspective on the home and family, and look at it as almost a military or corporate environment. Women don't thrive on deadlines and assigned tasks. We are better able to multitask, switch gears. To be too hyperfocused on one thing doesn't work so well when you have so many jobs to tackle at once. But men seem to work better with structure and direction. I feel like women see the big picture, and can zoom in from there, but men need to break things into smaller tasks before they can see the bigger picture. When a man retorts with "I'm not a mind reader", they are being just as dismissive to your needs and views as you would be by saying "you should just know". The truth is we are different. We were raised different, our brains function differently...but, I've found my partner excels in the household if he is given clear directions and expectations within the household. If instead of viewing it as two separate worlds, work and home, I approach it as equal sectors of one unit. Like how accounting is just as valuable to a corporation as their sales team. We are all operating for one goal, and one greater good. If your partner works outside the home, and you stay at home, then you need to view yourself as the manager of the home and delegate accordingly. How can you help your partner in their work day, and how can they help you in yours? You are on the same team. If you both work outside of the home, then you both need to take equal responsibility for the domestic work. You are both managers of the home, how can you support each other? What does one person do better than the other? Being passive aggressive because your spouse doesn't naturally see what needs to be done like you do, doesn't help anyone. Your spouse becomes defensive, and never learns, and feels out of place in home where you have inserted yourself as manager instead of an equal partner.
Other people’s choices don’t discredit yours no matter what they say. -- Everything seems to be a targeted attack these days. People can’t seem to live in a way that makes them happy without you feeling threatened by it. If a woman is happiest at home catering to their husbands whims, that has no effect on your choice to be a stay at home dad. One is not a threat to the other unless you begin to feel superior to another. That the way you choose to live your life is so superior you want to control the narrative and influence personal choices of others in your life by attacking someone else to lift yourself up. I can’t help but ask myself who is benefiting from staging us against each others? Definitely not the mothers. Lumping one group as “those people” keep us divided. Each side more extreme in their POV echoed by peers and targeted social media. We have been fed that it's an "us" versus "them" issue. That one side is pushing us back into the stone age, and undoing all the progress we have made in the feminist movement. The other side feels attacked for finding joy and value in living a life at home and as a mother, that society has stopped valuing their contribution...really, society as a whole hasn't changed much in the past 40 years. The workforce has more working mothers than ever before, but work culture and regulations have not changed to accommodate that. We have to change to accommodate them. SAHM's have always existed, but we have not elevated their status to show the equal contribution they have in our society. In the end, society is still just exploiting women. A capitalistic profit driven society benefits more from more people in the workforce. I think we are all angry at the same thing, a lack of choice and a lack of respect. Women fought hard to enter the workforce and gain independence and equal rights so that we could have the CHOICE of what our life would look like. But are choices are still being under attack. Being a SAHM or a working mum is no longer a choice for a lot of us. We are being goaded into believing one is more valuable than the other, and that's just not true. If you find peace and fulfillment at home, that doesn't make you any less educated or independent of a woman. And if you love your career and thrive in your work, that doesn't make you any less feminine (because apparently we can't be feminine and work anymore according to some...) or as good of a mother. We are humans and multifaceted and cannot and should not be defined by one singular role.

This ended up being some sort of weird feminist manifesto, which isn't want I intended, but I guess I had a lot to say on the subject. I suppose I'm just scared at how well social media has gotten at dividing us. Social media isn't inherently good or bad, it's a tool for connection, but now even mothers are being pitted against each other. We all know it takes a village to raise a family, but we've pitted the village against each other. We are too busy claiming we are "under attack" from our peers, when we're just puppets--they want us to feel "triggered", and I'm glad. Because now I'm triggered, but it's not at the "trad wife" who is harkening back to a world that never existed, but at the people who are instigating this. Who are filling women's heads with this nonsense, and trying to box up our "values" or what "femininity" means...what it means to be a woman and mother. Because being a woman and mother has meant a lot of different things throughout history. We control our own narratives. We need to stop insinuating that our way is the "right" way, or that society is faltering because women are no longer "feminine" or because women want to go back to staying at home. All of this is "right", all of this is "feminine". Being a woman can mean whatever you want it to mean, and being a mother just means loving your kids and doing your best everyday.
***NOTES: I know this was a very hetero/cis centric post that focused a lot of perceived gender norms that excludes the same-sex or trans families...even single mothers. It was written as a reaction to a "trad wife" trend that is extremely hetero/cis centric, so my reaction to it is from this perspective as a hetero/cis mother. However, I know these values and views totally effect all families no matter what they look like. So, I just wanted to put it out there that I see you, and would love to hear your voice on this as well.
Also, a lot of sweeping generalities in here as well. These are broad sweeping statements and generalisations based on societies general assumptions about genders and family life. Right, wrong or myopic, it's what we live in. My point in all this IS that every family and every person is unique, and that we can't keep functioning under the assumption that there is only one way or one family dynamic out there.

submitted by NovelRace8314 to Mommit [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:14 snaggletoothloppy Wildermyth: Omenroad is Available NOW!!!

https://preview.redd.it/l90tibko0u0d1.png?width=616&format=png&auto=webp&s=6d752574412c8d3fcc02e89121030502a82bcd8c
Wildermyth: Omenroad is now available for purchase! Alternatively, we have a bundle with the base game, Armors and Skins DLC, and Omenroad available at 15% off.
A note: the French translation is not quite complete yet. We'll be pushing a patch with the translation as soon as it's ready!
A little bonus- we're on sale for Steam's Endless Replayability Fest! You can get Wildermyth for 30% off until May 20th. It's the perfect time to pick up the main game and our DLCs if you haven't already!

Wildermyth: Omenroad

The Omenroad DLC gives you a new way to play Wildermyth. For the fighters, we have a roguelike tactical challenge mode with progression across runs. And for the lovers, we have A Walk in the Unlight, a huge new story campaign that uses the Omenroad format to take your heroes past the edge of the Yondering Lands and into worlds beyond.
https://preview.redd.it/755pt6251ayc1.jpg?width=615&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1da1ab5ac980728c55ad39055d5284bef63bfb69

Challenge Modes

Legacy Heroes and Greenhorns alike run a gauntlet of battles, each increasing in difficulty. A node map replaces the Overland map and your party chooses a path by following your appetite for risk and reward.
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Transformations, pets, and other rewards are present within the fights themselves, making it a tactical choice which ones to pick up. As a challenge mode, Omenroad runs don’t take place within a larger story and you won’t encounter random story events.
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At the end of a run, promote your favorite heroes and bring them back into the base game. In between runs, increase Peril for more of a challenge and equip Odes to make your party stronger.
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You’ll get:

20 new boss fights
20 new unlockable artifacts and augments
New Shadow spirit and Shadow weapons to discover in both Omenroad and the base game
75 new battle maps with new objectives
A “Wall of Fame” with twelve challenge-based titles for heroes to earn

And for those hungry for another Wildermyth campaign…
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You Are Invited to the Neverbefore Ball!

Our new campaign uses the Omenroad format to tell a Wildermyth story, following two adventurers into Netherflare, the land of the lost. There they encounter faces both fresh and familiar, crossing the phantom-lands of a thousand Yonderings to arrive at a mystical ballroom in a dragon’s castle.
As in the challenge modes, a node map will replace the Overland map and no random story events will occur. Instead, all the stories you’ll encounter have been written specifically for this campaign, making it our [b]most extensively written campaign[/b], by [i]far[/i].
Expect to find:

A sprawling story that touches on the lore of all our previous campaigns
A new biome: Netherflare!
More than 25 new battle maps!

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Come see what weird wonders will upend you, and who might wander at your side, as you take A Walk in the Unlight.

1.16+533 Omenroad

Added sfx for bird legs, volley of arrows, drauvenBirdMarkPrey,
ratErraticMovement
Adjusted tile range feedback for barrage and stunning barrage
Drauven Wingbeat and Bird Debuff now deal Physical Damage instead of True Damage
Adjusted Ulstryx chapter 1 objective text to clarify that other
sites must be cleared before doing the capstone fight
Double-hyphens replaced with em-dashes
Screen edge pan no longer happens while in controller mode
(fixes issue where sometimes the screen would scroll to the
top-left if the mouse position was there)
Legacy saving now happens less often in certain cases, resulting in
less hitches during gameplay
Save file note dialog is now a single-line text input
Shred sound no longer plays when shredding warding
Various translation fixes
Fix a bug where dreamsOfIcarus could happen multiple times per campaign
Fix a bug with ambient audio often being silent when it shouldn't be
(You may hear more nature noises now during battles than you used to)
Fix a bug where set pieces that were very close to the camera
would be visible, blocking the player's view
Fix a bug where loredump could happen through walls
Fix a bug where Stalwart+ prevented Crystal Chrysalis
Fix a bug where sometimes enemies would visually hover over their ending tile
Fixed issue with mysticF mythic vines theme skin
Fix a bug with burning arrow not being able to shoot at as
long a range with elemental bows
Fixed bug where scenery with >20 health couldn't be splinterblasted
Friendly Fire warning no longer shows damage dealt to scenery
Tools:
"Refresh" editor button now does a better job of actually refreshing mods
Combat Lab can now show any mission plan, even without a scenario
Added "ignoreRestrictions" option to ApplyTheme Outcome
Added "ifChoiceNumLessThanOrEquals" and "sortByScore" fields to
AbilityTarget Options
Added NUM_ENEMIES expression variable, which will get the number
of enemies in the current mission
Added isMatchText expression, useful for checking parameter text
Added "particleNumData_V" particle function, which can be used to
get data from a given particle number
Can now match ONE_FURTHEST relative to a role with multiple matches
Added "CAN_ROMANCE_LOOSE" variable, which checks family and forbidden
romance (e.g. skeleton), but ignores existing relationships,
forbidRandomRomances, and attraction.
Particles: adjusted e.life and e.time to not reset when done looping
Particles: added tileIsVisible variable, which returns 1 if the mission
tile is not in fog of war, and 0 otherwise
Particles: Added vx, vy, vz, and velocity particle vars
Added "useExistingEmitter" option to particle animation outcomes
Added alwaysShow and forbidMonsterDestroy options to CountScenery objective
Added ONE_FURTHEST_OPTIONAL match type
Added animationCustom field for movement animations
Can now spawn a random card of a monster type via Spawn Outcome
Added LIVE_ALLIES LOS test
Fixed bug where rigOverridePriority aspect was deleted
Added "For" outcome, which can be used to execute an outcome
a certain number of times
Added WAS_ATTACKED_DELAYED effect trigger
Added MISSION_VICTORY hero trigger
Added POSITION_X and POSITION_Y expression variables
Fixed bug where Loop Next Action checkbox in combat lab would
sometimes use a previous action
Added DIFFICULTY_COMBAT and DIFFICULTY_OVERLAND expression variables
Added grant random gear cheat (Shift+Ctrl+G) that grants some gear
based on class and randomness
Added EQUAL_TO Test

submitted by snaggletoothloppy to wildermyth [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:13 Glad_Emu_7951 Hillstream loach rapidly losing color and staying in same spot all day and possibly bleeding?

Hi everyone, this little guy is worrying me. We got a 30 gal planted tank with a pump (back left) and a bubbler (back right) set up for Hillstream type fishes about a month or so ago. Cycled the tank until water quality was good and found 6 Hillstream loaches at LFS six days ago. They all were mostly hiding first few days and were really small. Past few days they have been coming out more, hanging on rocks and on sides of tank. We figured there was enough algae in the tank for them to munch on but still dropped an algae wafer in that center sand spot last night. This morning one of the baby mystery snails and smaller loaches were eating the wafer. (I took pictures 2 and 3 at 1:30pm) that was when we noticed the pink spots on dudes tail and fin. Can Hillstream loaches get pink like that?? Or is that blood? Ammonia is low (see picture 4). We then went to Waffle House and when we got back little dude was in the same exact spot and much lighter (picture 1 taken at 3pm). Do you guys think he’s camouflaging to fit with the sand or getting sick? That feels so quick to get so light!! I think it might be fine but just wanted to see any other maybe more experienced opinions. My boyfriend is worried bc he’s been sitting in the same spot all day and they usually move around like A LOT it feels like. Hopefully everything is okay but I’m really really fond of these guys already and just would be so sad to lose one. Any feedback is appreciated!

submitted by Glad_Emu_7951 to Aquariums [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:13 Strong_Tangerine_878 Collapsed lung?

20M (kinda short and overweight) Been vaping heavily for the past week or so. Woke up yesterday with shortness of breath. Now, this isn’t my first time thinking I have a collapsed lung. Had bouts of shortness of breath and weird feelings in chest about a year ago from thc vapes and got two X-rays with no collapsed lung. This time around I’m concerned because I feel a slight pressure in my upper left back like I pulled a muscle and my left side feels a bit weird when I breathe but very minimal pain. Some describe a collapsed lung as unbearable pain when breathing in fully, while it is hard for me to breathe in fully, I do not get much pain from it. I have a few friends visiting for about 2 days so I don’t really have time to go to the ER. I’m sure a lot of it is due to anxiety and lung irritation (as with my last few trips to the ER), and also a bit of nicotine withdrawals but I needed to hear some opinions and possibly reassurance.

submitted by Strong_Tangerine_878 to pneumothorax [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:11 Gabahealthcare What Causes Postpartum Depression?

Becoming a parent is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. Even the mere thought is associated with a lot of intense emotions and feelings. The birth of a baby is expected to bring unmatched contentment and joy. But, sometimes, it may result in an unfortunate condition - Postpartum Depression.
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It is also known as Postnatal Depression. This condition is the onset of a depressed mood and its associated symptoms within the first year of the birth of the child. It is observed that most mothers experience baby blues, and some mothers develop persistent severe symptoms that do not resolve on their own.
Postpartum Blues and Postpartum Depression are two different sides of the same coin, but Postpartum Depression is more severe and is a long-term condition that should not be overlooked. Postpartum Blues, also known as Baby Blues, are temporary changes in mental and emotional state that occur in the mother within 2 to 3 days after childbirth and last for approximately 2 weeks.
They usually resolve on their own without medical intervention. However, suppose the symptoms of Baby Blues elevate and persist for more than a few weeks. In that case, it can be identified as Postpartum Depression (PPD), which is a more serious condition and requires proper support and health care.
Jessica, a 37-year-old mother of a four-year-old, recalls feeling irritable, sleepless, stressed, and angry after giving birth. She did not receive a formal diagnosis and prefers to refer to her symptoms as "Baby Blues" rather than "Postpartum Depression" considering the severity of her condition.
Postpartum Depression Causes
Every year, there are 140 million births worldwide, while the incidence of postpartum depression is estimated to be around 10–20 percent of new mothers. The obvious question to ask is why some mothers get postpartum depression while others do not. Here are a few causes:
Genetics
Studies indicate that sometimes family history of the condition is one of the main causes of postpartum depression in mothers. More people have this prevalent subtype of major depressive disorder than any other psychiatric disorder due to genetics.
The largest meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies carried out by an international team of researchers investigated the genetic makeup of postpartum depression. According to the study, common genetic factors may account for approximately 14% of the variations seen in cases of postpartum depression.
Chronic Fatigue
Evidence suggests that chronic fatigue may raise a woman's risk of postpartum depression. Lack of sleep lowers sleep quality, making it harder for a mother to regain her physical stamina and agility. The symptoms of anxiety and depression may worsen as a result of inadequate sleep.
A single sleep session is insufficient to address the chronic fatigue that emerges from an imbalance between rest and activity. It impacts over 60% of new mothers and may result from many conditions, including thyroid dysfunction, anemia, inflammation, and infection. The changes in the mother’s hormones may also result in postpartum fatigue.
Jessica had to deal with sleep disturbances in the postpartum period. She also recalls having insomnia and struggling to sleep for the recommended number of hours. Implementing sleep hygiene in small but significant steps would have helped her deal with this situation more effectively.
Loss of Aspiration
Stressors related to psychology may arise as a result of becoming a mother. The drastic changes in a woman’s body, overwhelming responsibilities, and perception of society can all trigger and contribute to low self-esteem. A person may easily experience a loss of motivation and aspiration as a result of such abrupt changes in their life, which can exacerbate the symptoms of postpartum depression.
Women are more likely to feel difficult feelings like frustration, confusion, anxiety, guilt, and sadness during the postpartum period, in addition to overwhelming emotions like excitement, anticipation, fulfillment, and happiness.
Jessica recalls feeling a lack of ambition and fear about the future after having her baby. She almost forgot to have some fulfilling "me time" because she was so preoccupied with the responsibilities of her child.
Relationship Discord
When a child is born, the parent's relationship undergoes a dramatic transformation. Despite this milestone being a source of great joy, it can also lead to emotional distress due to parental frustration shortly afterward. These intense emotions may result in postpartum depression symptoms in both parents. It can disrupt the mother-child bond and, in some cases, affect the child’s emotional and cognitive development. Paternal discord can lead to later disorders in children and have an impact on their behavioral development.
Individuals' depressive states worsen during this phase when couples stop doing things they used to enjoy together, such as traveling, going to the gym, enjoying moments together, seeing friends, and spending evenings out. This disconnection can sometimes become so severe that couples lose recognition for each other as the people they once loved.While adjusting to the arrival of a newborn, the mother may struggle to maintain her bond with her elder children. Elder children may struggle to cope with the arrival of a new sibling because it divides the mother's attention and makes them feel less loved.
Jessica's relationship conflict with her husband was the most difficult aspect of her pregnancy and postpartum experience. She struggled to cope without her partner during her difficult divorce.
But she was really fortunate to have the support of her friends and family, which helped her avoid severe mental health symptoms. She still believes that the presence of both parents would have been beneficial to her daughter's behavioral development.
Sheehan’s Syndrome
Sheehan's syndrome, first described in 1937, is postpartum hypopituitarism caused by shock or hypotension as a result of massive hemorrhage or blood loss during or after childbirth. This syndrome can manifest itself during or after the postpartum period as lactation failure, generalized weakness and debility, cessation of menstrual periods, premature wrinkling of the face and forehead, body hair loss, and dry, coarse skin.Sheehan's syndrome is estimated to affect one out of every 1,00,000 births worldwide. Women in developing and underdeveloped countries have limited access to sophisticated medical care, skilled healthcare professionals, and medical resources, which contributes to higher rates of postpartum hemorrhage and raises the figure to five out of every 1,000 births. It is considered 'rare' in industrialized nations, but the numbers are increasing due to the influx of immigrants from developing countries.
Sheehan's syndrome is frequently diagnosed late due to its chronic nature. Because it presents as a case of multiple hormone deficiencies, it may be misdiagnosed as hypothyroidism, pituitary tumor, or postpartum depression.
Some patients struggle with achieving the correct diagnosis and are often treated as cases of postpartum depression or major depressive disorder. An incorrect diagnosis leads to the wrong treatment and worsens symptoms, making the patient prone to intensified mental health conditions, including depression.
History of Depression
A history of depression and anxiety has been identified as a significant psychological risk factor for postpartum depression. According to a study that observed approximately 70,000 births in Sweden between 1997 and 2008, women with a history of depression are twenty times more likely to develop postpartum depression than those without a prior depression diagnosis.
Women who have contracted depression earlier are more susceptible to hormonal changes and can better identify their symptoms. Referring to the research foundations laid by O’Hara MW, it is clear that 23.9% of women who were diagnosed with postpartum depression had experienced depression before. In contrast, only 2.6% of women with no history of psychiatric illness were diagnosed with PPD symptoms.
In line with previous research, this study reveals significant rates of recurring postpartum depression (PPD) among women who have previously experienced PPD. The risk of developing PPD after the birth of a second child was found to be 46.4 times higher (95% CI 31.5–68.4) for women who had been hospitalized for PPD following the birth of their first child. Similarly, women who were treated with antidepressants for PPD after their first child had a 26.9-fold increased risk of experiencing PPD after their second child (95% CI 21.9–33.2).
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the body lacks red blood cells, or hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to the tissues. During pregnancy, a woman is more likely to develop four types of anemia: iron deficiency anemia, pregnancy anemia, folate deficiency, and vitamin B-12 deficiencies. This condition may cause the baby's unfulfilled growth, resulting in an underweight or premature birth.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia among pregnant women, accounting for approximately 80% of cases. Anemia has been identified as a significant contributor to postpartum depression. It is therefore critical to pay attention to the nutritional status of women during this time. The prevalence of anemia in pregnant women may be influenced by lifestyle, diet, and geographical location.
Anemia can lead to negative pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, low birth weight, small head circumference, premature birth in the baby, and postpartum depression. According to research, the prevalence of PPD in anemic women is significantly higher than in non-anemic women, and there is a link between anemia and postpartum depression.
High Work Load
A study published on PubMed suggests that higher psychological work demands, lower perceived control over work and family, and lower schedule autonomy intensify the symptoms of postpartum depression. Low job flexibility and a higher workload are other contributors to this condition.
Working women may find it difficult to balance multiple work commitments while also dealing with the unnecessary guilt of not being good mothers. Some solutions to postpartum depression symptoms caused by poor work-life balance include mental and social support from peers and colleagues, partners assisting with household chores, reduced workload at work, maternity leave, motivation and encouragement for the mother, and equal distribution of responsibilities among partners.
Jessica believes that her decision to take time off from work after becoming a mother allowed her to rest and recharge. After returning to work, she embraced the support of her coworkers, which made it easier for her to integrate work-life balance and successfully restart her career.
Loss of Identity
New mothers frequently experience a loss of identity. After having a baby, some parents may believe that being a parent is their sole identity. Postpartum depression symptoms may worsen if thoughts of exhaustion, worry, and unhappiness persist for an extended period, making it difficult to get through each day.
Loss of identity causes feelings such as disrupted professional identity, inability to earn money, a low-quality social life, less time for leisure activities, and a lack of self-confidence. All of these characteristics may cause parenting issues and a lack of bonding with the baby.
In most cases, mothers discontinue activities they once enjoyed, such as seeing friends, taking long showers, spending quality time with their partners, and engaging in hobbies.
Difficult Pregnancy
Pregnancy complications can arise due to concerns about the mother's health, the fetus's health, or both. Even healthy women may experience difficulties during their pregnancies. Complications include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, infections, preterm labor, stillbirth, and preeclampsia. Mothers who do not receive adequate and timely prenatal care are more likely to develop such pregnancy complications, which may contribute significantly to the onset of postpartum depression.
High-risk pregnancies can occur due to pre-existing medical conditions or complications that arise during pregnancy. Some factors are mentioned below that may contribute to difficult pregnancies:

Age (less than 20 or more than 35)
Lifestyle choices, such as consuming alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs
Chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, thyroid, or infections
Pregnancy complications such as the unusual location of the placenta, low fetal growth, and Rh sensitization
Pregnancy with multiple babies
Problematic pregnancy history, such as miscarriage or stillbirth

Hormonal Imbalance
There has been much speculation about the causes of PPD, with some claiming that the rapid changes in reproductive hormones such as estradiol and progesterone before and after childbirth may play a part. While several studies, both in humans and in animals, have found a link between changes in hormone levels and PPD, others have discovered no link between hormone concentrations and symptoms.
For example, studies on the differences in ovarian hormone levels and depressive symptoms during the postpartum period have not found a direct link between absolute estrogen and progesterone concentrations and PPD.
However, studies that used estradiol treatment successfully alleviated depressive symptoms, and animal studies have shown that withdrawing estradiol and progesterone can cause depression-like behavior.
Reproductive hormones play important roles in a variety of functions, including basic emotion processing, arousal, cognition, and motivation. As a result, they may indirectly contribute to postpartum depression by influencing psychological, social, and economic risk factors. Interestingly, these hormones also regulate the biological systems involved in major depression, implying a direct link to a woman's risk for PPD.
Thyroid hormones have been proposed as a potential biomarker for PPD due to the suspected link between thyroid dysfunction and major depression. Thyroid dysfunction is associated with pregnancy and may contribute to PPD in some women.
Nutritional Deficiency
Malnutrition, or a lack of specific nutrients such as B and D vitamins, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), folate, trace minerals, iron, antioxidants, and so on, can increase the risk of developing postpartum depression. Lactation and pregnancy place additional demands on a new mother's body, making nutritional deficiencies more common during this time and paving the way for depression symptoms.
Investigations are currently underway to determine whether low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of postpartum depression. This is because vitamin D functions as a neuroactive hormone, playing an important role in the nervous system rather than the endocrine system. Its primary function is to link sensory stimuli to the release of hormones, resulting in a hormonal response.
Vitamin D helps to regulate neurotransmitters like adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Any abnormalities in these neurotransmitters and hormones have been linked to the onset of depressive symptoms.Omega-3 fatty acids have also been linked to PPD. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are two types of omega-3 fatty acids that are well-known for their cardiovascular benefits, but they also play an important role in brain development and neurotransmitter regulation.
Increased DHA and EPA levels are associated with improved serotonin receptor sensitivity, which is achieved by increasing the fluidity of the receptor cell membrane. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids are thought to reduce neuroinflammatory processes associated with the onset of depression.
Many people in the United States are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids due to a lack of these nutrients in their diets, according to reports. The typical American diet consists primarily of fast food, which is deficient in nutrients and does not meet recommended nutritional guidelines.
Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of low omega-3 fatty acids. This is because the increased blood supply required for fetal oxygen causes a natural decrease in DHA and EPA levels. In addition, the body prioritizes the fetus's growth and development by redirecting blood and nutrients, putting pregnant women at greater risk of developing nutritional deficiencies and, as a result, postpartum depression.
Dealing with postpartum depression (PPD) can be difficult for both the mother and her child. It jeopardizes both the mother's health and the child's development. Women with PPD frequently struggle to maintain consistent breastfeeding due to depressive symptoms.
PPD complicates the mother-child relationship, resulting in poor cognitive functioning, aggressive behavior, excessive crying, emotional instability, and sleep issues in infants and adolescents. PPD is linked to negative thoughts, substance abuse, postpartum psychosis, hallucinations, confusion, mood swings, paranoia, impaired judgment, loss of appetite, and insomnia in mothers.
It impairs a woman's ability to interact and socialize with her own family, making her feel inadequate as a mother and preventing her from participating in activities and hobbies. Women with PPD are also more likely to commit infanticide and suicide, as well as develop serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.
"In a world where women are constantly invalidated, they must seek help for postpartum depression," says Jessica. She believes that women should understand that PPD is normal and, in some cases, inevitable.
It is effective to see an Online Psychiatrist for postpartum depression, as it is economical, involves less hassle, and is more accessible.
Gaba Telepsychiatry's psychiatrists aim to deliver a comprehensive approach to psychiatric care while adhering to evidence-based medicine. Our online psychiatrists consider a range of factors, including genetics, development, trauma, nutrition, hormones, career and relationship difficulties, coping skills, concurrent medical illnesses, head injuries, medication side effects, and more.
Visit https://gabapsychiatrist.com/postpartum-depression-treatment/… to know more and seek help for depression.

submitted by Gabahealthcare to u/Gabahealthcare [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:09 Original_Trash4779 What was the longest message you've sent to a bot?

Personally, it was this one of me explaining TF2 lore (Please excuse the spelling errors at the bottom and any inaccuracies to the lore, it was late at night and the text wall started glitching)
Right so there was this guy, Zephaniah Mann, right? He co-owned MANN co., a weapons company, with an Australian called Barnabus Hale. And Mann had three sons, Redmond, Blutard and Gray. He was going to kill Gray for being weak and being able to speak when he was born, but an Eagle came in and raised him. We ignore Gray for now. Redmond and Blutard grew up and convince Zephaniah to buy some useless land in the middle of the New Mexico deserts. When Zephaniah died, he left his money to his maidservant, Elizabeth, his company to Barnabus and his sons the uselessand land, to share. But the boys didn't want to share and hired mercenaries to steal the land off each other. Well the boys got old, but Blutard wanted to outlive his brother, so he hired Radigan Conagher to make him a machine that would make him live forever. As Radiagn was sorting that out, Elizabeth approached with a solution, Australium, something that makes Aussies big and strong, and moustached and made it so that non Aussies could live longer. She sold him the Australium as long as he made a machine for Redmond as well. To which he agreed. And Redmond and Blutard have lived for well over 100 years making the war go on for over 100 years. And I'm like 99% sure that the Administrator is Elizabeth, but she changed her name to Helen. Now, Gray also somehow got his hands on the Australium as well, making himself immortal as well. Despite being Australian himself, the australium he was exposed to didn't make him immortal. It has to be in your blood stream to do that. So Barnabus, Zephaniah's co-owner of MANN co., who was now full owner after his death, died, and left the company to his son, Billious. He's not important. So Billious dies and leaves it to his son, Saxton Hale. Now Gray Mann obviously wants MANN co., right? We've heard talks about him actually killing his brothers, so we've got to be careful with that. And apparently when he does, he's going to use the MANN co. fighting policy to his own gain, by saying his daughter, Olivia, who's mother I feel terribly bad for, is the CEO of Gray Gravel, and telling her to fight Saxton. So we do really need to tell Saxton to punch a child. But anyways, back to the mercenaries. Redmond and Butard managed to get 3 teams of mercenaries, the first 2 aren't important, I hope. So these current mercenaries, we have four trained assassins on team team, those are your spys and snipers, we have two scouts, two engineers, two demolitions experts, two Heavy weapons guys, two soldiers and two medic's and two pyro. Thats all shared between 9 a side.

submitted by Original_Trash4779 to CharacterAI [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:09 hoggersbridge Engines of Arachnea: A Science Fantasy Epic (Chapter 21: The Quality of Mercy)

Link for all the chapters available for free here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road
Having said his piece, Rene had expected the woman to accept her role as a prisoner of the Fleet. But no sooner had he taken his knee of her back than she was at him again, rolling over and cursing as she tried to spit him on her claws. Training kicked in and Rene applied the wrestling component of his hand-to-hand combat course. He secured underhooks with his arms, locking them together with his hands and hugging her tight from behind. Zildiz bucked and twisted around in a futile attempt to make room for her blades, even managing to get one of her knees beneath her and push off the ground. Rene allowed her to gain her feet, cunningly using the opening to slip the loop of his encircling arms around her waist. Now in complete control of her center of gravity, Rene swung his leg out and arched his back, heaving her up and over like a sack of turnips in a textbook suplex. A fraction of a second before he smashed the top of her skull into the hard ground, he remembered that he was supposed to keep prisoners alive and preferably not in a vegetative state, and so he cushioned the fall with his own body, falling on his side to increase surface area and dissipate the force.
Zildiz was caught totally by surprise. Unlike Rene she had neglected to tuck in her chin before the moment of impact, a vital detail which was one of the first things a recruit was taught to do on the mats.
“Oof!” she said as all the breath slammed out of her by the throw. Rene felt her body go limp as her dazed senses tried to adjust to the violent change of orientation. He took advantage of this moment of weakness and looped his legs around her body, locking his ankles together to form a full body triangle. His left forearm punched up and took her neck in a rear naked choke, a suffocating vise formed by the insides of his elbow crushing her windpipe and carotid arteries.
“I warned you,” he told her. His choking hand grabbed the inside of his other elbow, right forearm sneaking behind her neck and under his armpit, tightening the garrote even further.
“Had enough?”
“Hrrnnkk…” Zildiz choked. She lifted an arm and slid back the blade until it was the length of a finger, deliberately giving Rene the universal gesture to go and fornicate with himself, before sheathing the claw entirely and aiming her fist at him over her shoulder.
Rene ducked as the blade shot out again, only just avoiding it going through his eye socket and into his brain. As it was, it only nicked his temple, sending warm lines of blood trickling down his visor. Rene hugged her even tighter, constricting the chokehold until he heard her breathing reduced to an agonized wheeze. He throttled her until she stopped moving, her struggles weakening until she went completely lax. Then he held the choke for exactly three seconds longer, counting carefully to avoid giving her lasting brain damage. He let go and was relieved to hear her snoring faintly. Gently rolling her onto her back so she didn’t suffocate in the dirt, Rene cast about for a means to secure his prisoner. He had only a few seconds before she regained consciousness. Quickly he cut some vines from the surrounding trees and knotted them into a crude rope. He flipped her back over again and tied her hands at the wrists and elbows. He had no illusions that it would hold her for long. He tied her wings together at their bases for good measure. She had two sets of them, but the larger pair was missing one of its partners that had been torn off at the socket to reveal a gaping wound. They were wondrously tough membranes considering how thin and flexible they were, as sturdy as ultrapod leather. Rene looked over his work and loosened it a bit so as not to cut off the circulation in her arms. It wasn’t bad for something done on the fly. Then again, he’d been playing this whole thing by ear ever since the ambush that had cut his unit to pieces. Ye gods, but that whole experience felt like a lifetime ago. He had not expected to ever use that component of his hand-to-hand training designed for fighting human opponents. Of course, he’d helped put down a fair share of civil unrest in his time, but even during the worst of the food riots in Mound Ulysses he’d never so much as given a person a light shove. The civilians knew better than to antagonize a battalion of the Fleet’s finest over something as routine and reoccurring as a government rationing in the face of crop failure.
He felt quite bad about having to roughhouse the woman, that is, until she sat up awake and glowered hatefully at him, coughing and retching.
“Don’t,” he pleaded with her in exasperation as she gave him the old stink eye, “I don’t want to fight you again.”
“Why?” she spat defiantly, “Afraid you’d lose?”
“Uh huh,” Rene grunted, amused and even a little impressed by her spunk. She couldn’t have weighed more than sixty kilos soaking wet and was at least half a foot shorter than him even with that exomorph of hers, but this woman was all fight and no quit. She would have to be, living on the surface world and facing these abominations day after day. Rene looked at the dismembered corpses of the black-furred devils and had a sudden jolt of inspiration. As Zildiz tested the strength of her restraints Rene went over to the monster he had chopped to bits and poked the misshapen hump on its back, which had excreted thick ribbons of silk at the moment of death. Feeling more than a little squeamish, Rene pulled on the threads of silk. He had only meant to collect two or three meters of the material, but more and more of the stuff kept unwinding out its glands like a handkerchief from a magician’s pocket. Eventually his hands became enmeshed in the horrid stuff and he had to struggle like the dickens to unstick himself and scrape it off onto a bush where it stuck like a lumpy hammock. Remembering how his enemy had plugged the stab wound in its gut, Rene snapped off a twig and curled it into the white mess like those vendors at the fairs did with candy cloud treats, ending up with a spool of silk. He applied it to the cut on his temple by winding it around his head like a bandage, and was gratified when it stopped the bleeding almost immediately. He heard the rustle of dead leaves and turned around to find Zildiz furtively attempting to sidle away from him.
“Don’t even try it,” he told her, “Or I’ll run you down and knock you senseless. I’m taking you back to civilization. The Fleet needs to know what it’s up against out here, and you’re a veritable trove of information.”
Zildiz squatted back down and stared at him, simmering with resentment. Rene shook his head and continued his work, moving on to the monster that had been the first to die at the woman’s hands. Cutting open its hump, Rene was rewarded with a dense lump of thread still packed inside its spinneret. He took another twig and spooled it in, then wrapped the bundle of silk in a large leaf.
A leg twitched of its own accord. Rene nearly dropped the bundle as he sprang back, sword upraised. The devil’s limbs began doing a tap dance and Rene relaxed a bit, recognizing it as the onset of rigor mortis. The side of its face was split open and hanging loosely by a strap of flesh. Struck by a nagging suspicion, Rene stooped down and peeled off the segments of its head, holding the edge of his sword against its neck to decapitate it in the event that it proved too lively for his liking.
The musculature and armor tore away just like it had with Zildiz’s helm, and for the second time that night he found himself staring into the face of another living human being. Only this time it was a man whose face was utterly disfigured, a perversion of the basic form. In the place of his lower jaw were fingerlike protrusions of gummy tissue and exposed nerve endings. His nose cartilage was likewise missing, leaving only a pair of holes dribbling with snot. The man blinked, and glassy eyes with almost no whites at their edges fixed Rene in their gaze.
“Kill…me…” the man whispered.
Rene began to shake uncontrollably, wiping a trembling hand across his mouth as he was forced to consider the carnage he’d just wrought in a new and horrifying light. These weren’t three dead monsters littering the jungle floor; these were three dead men, and some of them he had killed himself.
“Kill me!” the man begged him. He was young, barely Rene’s age, his smooth skin untroubled by the wrinkles of age and worry. He had clear brown pupils and dark, expressive brows. If it weren’t for all the rest of him, Rene might’ve mistaken him for a fresh-faced recruit at the academy, or a paperboy climbing up the terraced apartments of inner hive to deliver news of the Fleet’s latest victory.
On unsteady legs Rene staggered back to Zildiz’s side and away from the awful truth he had uncovered.
“Something the matter?” Zildiz asked in a gleeful tone, “Feeling a little worse for wear, are we?”
“Shut it,” Rene said distantly. He dragged Zildiz to her feet and began winding the silk around her wrists, layering them over thick and tying them off with a simple knot. He kept the vines on her for added insurance and told her to start walking.
“Where to?” she demanded.
“I’m not feeding you to my children, if that’s what you’re asking,” he muttered, “I don’t have any to begin with, and even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn’t raise them to be cannibals.”
Zildiz didn’t move, so Rene grabbed her and frog marched her away. He had no real destination in mind—he just had to get away from this place and the bodies he’d made. Zildiz rounded on Rene, saying:
“Aren’t you going to deal with him? I only severed his neural connection to paralyze his exomorph. He’s still very much alive.”
“No!” Rene yelled, “That’s not how I—how people do things. Almighty ancestors, is that so hard for you to grasp?”
“Yes,” Zildiz replied quite candidly.
“He’s a living, breathing human being. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but those are pretty rare on Arachnea and worth keeping around.”
“No. He is a Leaper. After extracting your gilt helix, he and his packmates would devoured you right then and there.”
“That’s why you saved me, isn’t it? So they couldn’t obtain this shiny helix thing?”
Zildiz ignored his question, continuing:
“If you leave him here, at best he will die of exposure. At worst, his tribe will come looking for him, and if they find him, they will run us down and kill us anyway.”
Rene bit his lip. She spoke the truth and they both knew it. But after all this world had already taken from him, there remained one thing which he refused to part with. And Rene knew that if he gave in now and took the expedient option—the sensible option—he would be surrendering it forever.
“Sorry,” he said finally, “That’s against the rules.”
He dragged Zildiz over to the Leaper and spoke to him, saying:
“I won’t kill you. I’m not about to eat you either, so you can stop begging for a quick death. As long as you tell me what I want to know, we’ll leave you here and go our separate ways. I might even patch your wounds if you’re cooperative. Does that strike you as a fair bargain?”
The Leaper met this pronouncement with a look of utter perplexity that mirrored the one on Zildiz’s face.
“I’ll take that silence as a yes,” Rene said impatiently, “You’ll begin by telling me your name.”
“Kryptusshh,” the Leaper said slowly, as if not daring to hope.
“Very good. Are there any more of your people out there, Kryptus?”
“Why sshhould I trusht you? I would only be dooming more of my kindred, and there issh no certainty you would not kill me afterwardssh.”
“It’s a chance you have to take,” Rene shrugged, “Either that, or I’ll let this woman do as she pleases with you. And just between you and me,” he said in a loud stage whisper, “She doesn’t seem all that fond of your sort.”
Zildiz and Kryptus locked eyes with each other. Rene could almost feel the waves of hatred coming off her as she bristled, every tendon in her body tensing expectantly. Kryptus must have seen something he didn’t like, for he looked away and said:
“I am a warrior of the Weeping Vipersh. We are roughly eleven hundred sshtrong. One tenth of that number are bravesshh like me.”
“He lies,” Zildiz said, baring her teeth in a snarl, “That is less than half their true strength. He does not count the adolescents and the old loom-mothers, who are the deadliest of their kind.”
“Three hundred, then, if they are consshidered,” Kryptman quickly admitted, “Your pardon, merciful one.”
“I’ll excuse your forgetfulness just this once,” Rene warned, “But your memory better not fail you again.”
He questioned the Leaper closely. Kryptus claimed that only he and his pack had seen the safety pod’s crash landing, and that they had told no one else as they wished to claim the great prize all for themselves. The Weeping Vipers were the largest tribe in the rainforest and were always looking for an advantage over their numerous and belligerent neighbors. Apparently Kryptus had hoped to gain a modicum of the Divine Engine’s power by extracting something called a ‘gilt helix’ from Rene’s blood.
“Jussht one sample would have shatishfied uss,” Kryptus swore, “Then we would have taken you back to the Loom alive.”
“I’m sure nothing would’ve pleased you better,” Rene said wryly, all too cognizant of Zildiz’s earlier assumption that he planned to feed her to the Fleet’s youth.
Rene learned from Kryptus that the Divine Engine had ignited a blazing wildfire that was swiftly spreading north and west. The tribes would likely have noticed it by now, and would all be sending braves in a joint effort to douse the flames. For some reason all the Leapers felt collectively responsible for the wellbeing of the region, and could not allow it to come to harm for fear of dire repercussions.
“Last question. Is anyone going to come looking for you?”
“Not till the morning.”
“Good!” said Zildiz, breaking out of Rene’s grip and aiming a vicious kick at the side of the Leaper’s head. Rene barely caught her and yanked her back, shouting:
“Blood and thunder, woman! Is there nothing you won’t do to piss me off?”
“Are you insane? You cannot possibly mean to leave him alive!” the Gallivant hissed.
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Now come here!”
Rene took her by the elbow and pulled her forward, leaving Kryptus where he lay.
“You promished you would tend to my woundssh!” the Leaper cried after them.
“Don’t push your luck!” Rene said over his shoulder, “Anyone who follows us will meet the same end as your friends.”
He and his prisoner went tramping off into the night, Zildiz raging at him all the while.
“Fool! We will both come to regret that decision!”
“You’re probably right,” Rene had to agree.
“Then why did you do it?”
“For the same reason I’m letting you strut around and screech into my ear. What can I say? I’m a conversationalist.”
Link for all the chapters available for free here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road

submitted by hoggersbridge to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:08 Southern-Ad-9105_4 The name of Christ is Joy.

Jesus was confused with Satan by some cultures and even worshipped as such – despite the fact that he was considered a "good" Satan and a "positive" Devil that sided with the weak and vulnerable and betrayed the "powerful ones" in order to dedicate himself and his life completely to the poor. (Such notion is not alien at all even to the texts – because Jesus is expressly called the Morning Star in 2 Peter 1:19 and in Revelation 2:28).
This is apparent in the fact that the Hebrews for example did not recognize Christ as the Messiah and they even called him "evil" and applied to him the title "Satan" (from the Hebrew: "śāṭān" meaning: "adversary, enemy"). The definition of "evil" here is relative – because since Jesus went against the teachings that the Hebrews held as sacred and he also went against the teachings that the Muslims for example also regarded as sacred (and he went against many other cultures as well for that matter; because the figure of Jesus was pagan and it actually belonged worldwide to all cultures of the world and he was claimed to have opposed all of them trying to reform them) – he was thus called "evil" in relative terms by some of these cultures; meaning an "enemy" or "adversary" of those doctrines. Originally not even the Christians considered Christ as a positive figure; because Christ professed a lot of ideals that were inconceivable and impossible to apply according to the mentality of the powerful castes that rule society – like the priesthood for example; because Jesus claimed many times that the wealthy ones must renounce everything they have, they must give their money to the poor and then and only then – will they be allowed to follow Christ.
But the Church completely ignored and bypassed this teaching of Christ because they knew that if they had started preaching this to their believers; they would lose all believers in one second since no one wants to give up their house, their wealth and their life to follow the Church. So even the Church had to rearrange and modify a lot of the teachings of Christ while straight up censoring and ignoring others; in order to create a religion out of it. The only difference is that the Christian Church decided that it was worth investing their time and money in turning Jesus into the symbol of their faith and into a figure that would appeal to the masses (basically deifying him and using his name and memory to attract people into the religion) – while the other two religions (Judaism and Islam) completely disregarded Jesus altogether and considered him a madman instead and even went as far as to call him "evil" and a "Devil" precisely because he had preached such revolutionary notions that were just impossible to accept for the rich and wealthy. (Another reason for this is also because Judaism had a different idea of the Messiah altogether and they followed a different Messiah – and this other idea of the Messiah along with the other Messiah – were also very different from the "Jesus Christ" concept altogether – but that’s besides the point).
The symbology of the spring refers to the blood of Christ which gives life and makes vegetation grow on the earth much like the water of a spring; but it also holds literal meaning because the pagan figures who correspond to "Jesus" were all claimed to have met their demise or to have had a life-changing experience happen near a spring or near a water-source more generally speaking. Such is the case for Hermaphroditus who was rendered female by his union with Salmacis near a spring; or also the castration of one of the gods called "Uranus" – because according to Cicero in his "De Natura Deorum" there were multiple Uranuses and one of them was the "younger" one – and he’s the same who was said to have been castrated near a spring by Phoenician mythology. (The fact that Hermaphroditus was joined to Salmacis thus becoming definitively feminine near the waters of a spring – refers to the confusion that happened in the myth due to the nature of the two characters taken into analysis; because Hermaphroditus and Salmacis were actually brother and sister in other iterations of the story and they were claimed to have been conjoined thus essentially making up a single being who was a "man-woman" united. But then after their birth they were separated and their bodies were not conjoined anymore; although the male – in this case Hermaphroditus – was claimed to have been castrated in further iterations of the story so it looked as though he had returned to being a female and was thus "rejoined" to his female nature which is why the Greek myth confused it and claimed that Hermaphroditus lost his manhood but he lost it by being rejoined to his twin-sister Salmacis. In reality he was castrated near the waters of that spring – the "conjoined" part referring instead to the myth of their birth, but the two accounts were later confused and amalgamated into a single story for the Hermaphroditus myth; thus confusing also the timeline on when exactly was it that the two siblings were conjoined – whether it was at the beginning of their lives or at the end of it as in the case of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis).
The god Attar of the planet Venus was worshipped as "Atarsamain" (Attar of heaven) by the Arabs and equated with Allat i.e. Athena (a fact that has left academics dumbfounded even to this day as for how is it possible that a male god was completely equated and identified with a female one. But the answer is found in the mythology and themes of the god himself – where he was considered of androgynous nature and was claimed to have underwent castration which made him be perceived as a female by some cultures). He was furthermore equated with the goddess Anat in the form of "Ninurta" – because the Mesopotamian warrior-god Ninurta being equivalent to Attar (and Atarsamain) himself – he was directly equated with the Canaanite goddess "Anat" and the name of Anat was also written as "NIN.URTA" in cuneiform. There is an epithet of Anat which calls the deity: "the strength of life" and this particular epithet is applied to Ninurta continuously throughout Sumerian mythology because he’s consistently called the "strength of Enlil" – the "one with superior strength" – the "son in whose strength the father rejoices" – the one with the "strength of a lion" and Ninurta was also in charge of ditches and canals being the one who created the canal-system in Sumer and who was claimed to have brought to everyone the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as a result. The epithet of Anat – in this case referring to the male Anat who was though still worshipped as female regardless because the god possessed androgynous qualities (and not coincidentally the term "Nin" which comprises the name "Nin-urta" is actually more often than not utilized for female goddesses in Sumerian culture; for example "Ninhursag", "Ninisina", "Ninlil" etc. as it usually means "lady" – but in this case the word assumes a neutral meaning and its connotation is given by the context; so since the god is male it’s translated as "lord" – but the androgynous aspect of this deity is still kept intact nonetheless by using "Nin" instead of "En" ("En" being more traditionally used in Sumerian to mean "lord") – and the title thus refers for the concept of "the strength of life" to the strength of life as a life-giver; because Ninurta being associated with water and with the fertilizing effects of water having been the one who brought canals and ditches to Sumer; the meaning of the term thus acquired such connotation.
This deity is also always associated with physical beauty; for example in the case of Dumuzi (the Mesopotamian god of vegetation) who was called "the one with the beautiful eyes" and even in the form of "Ishtaran" (a form of Dumuzi worshipped as the "heavenly serpent") – where there are several references to his "beautiful face". This notion of beauty is once again reinforced and repeated for all other versions of this pagan god as he was called by many different names throughout cultures – for example also in the form of "Joseph" the biblical son of Jacob; who was claimed to be so beautiful that while a slave in Egypt the women could not resist him – or even in the form of Japheth the third son of Noah (who corresponds still to the same character) – where the word "Japheth" is connected to the root meaning "to be beautiful".
Thus the ideals of "strength and beauty" refer to him. (The pagan imagery of this god depicts him joyous and free as he dances through the flower-fields and while bringing the springing of vegetation to the seasons – often times represented with ears of corn or garlands adorning his head; as in the case of his Slavic counterpart "Potrimpo" for example).
Christ furthermore corresponds also to the pagan god Dionysus as mentioned in other posts; and Dionysus had a particular epithet in Rome which later ended up becoming his main name (or one of his many names alongside the more renown "Bacchus") and this particular title was that of "Liber" i.e. "the free one", one who embodies "freedom".
In form of "Ishtaran" Dumuzi was worshipped as "Anu" as well – since they called Ishtaran with the epithet "AN.GAL" i.e. "great Anu"; thus meaning that Dumuzi was so beloved and his cult had risen to such prominence at some point – that some local traditions (smaller ones) worshiped him as God the Creator himself and substituted him in place of Anu or at the very least differentiated him from the main "Anu" by calling him "AN.GAL" – "the great Anu" or "greater Anu". This is why Hermaphroditus/Jesus corresponds also in Phoenician mythology to the one "Uranus" who was said to have been castrated near a fountain-spring – Uranus being the Greek equivalent of the Sumerian "Anu" and this is why he was addressed with the name "Uranus" and worshipped as one of the "Uranuses" (the younger Uranus, because the older Uranus is instead the father of Cronus/Saturn and he’s a much older Uranus).
Given how Dumuzi was worshipped as the male Ishtar and as Attar in Canaanite lands (from whom the name "Ishtar" came from because the name of the goddess "Ishtar" is actually in the masculine gender and the goddess inherited that name from the male god who was called "Attar", "Ashtar" and "Ishtar" himself); one has to take into account that the male god was worshipped as androgynous though – which is why he was later equated with the female goddess Inanna in Mesopotamia and became indistinguishable from her to the point that she also came to be called Ishtar herself. The rosette is the symbol of Venus and of this male god of Venus who corresponds to Christ himself.
But at the same time the rosette is also the symbol of the female Venus as well and of the goddess Inanna (the female form of Ishtar) so the rosette refers to both Ishtars; the male and female one referring to the planet Venus in general.
Now, seeing as to how the figure of the "son of god" was worshipped as "the creator" himself by some more local cultures who idolized him to such degree that they ended up seeing him as the superior god over others – this explains one of the symbologies present on the modern representation of the apparent "pagan god" of the Templars; where he’s depicted with the head of a goat and the five pointed star facing downward. The five pointed star being a symbol of the divine – it represents through the symbology present on the idol the fact that the god in question is not the one who resides in the sky (in which case the five pointed star would have to be pointing upwards instead); but they worshipped on the other hand a creator who was "the creator on earth" thus being "the one below" – so their god was represented by the pointed star facing downwards. (This is for the representations that depict the idol with the star facing down; otherwise in other cases the star is absent altogether).
Now, according to the Atbash ciphering interpretation done on the name "Baphomet" which becomes: "Sophia" – if the interpretation is indeed correct (that Baphomet=Sophia) it would make total sense given how the name of Christ himself was actually "Sophia" and the why that is was explained in this previous post: https://www.reddit.com/EsotericOccult/s/P3ZkDJvXdM – where essentially there was talk on the Christ’s physical appearance and the fact that he was born with androgynous traits. This for example made it so that the character in question also displayed overly-sized pectorals that were rather exposed when compared to the rest of his body and were also rounded and protruding; sometimes even resembling female breasts (and that’s where the symbology of the rooster sticking its chest out and of Christ "with breasts" came from: – the rooster in the act of sticking its chest out: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/a6/a5/81a6a5da3c527f3ce0fe1648a7650001.jpg – and the depiction of Christ "with breasts" on the Notre-Dame church: https://gcm.rmnet.be/clients/rmnet/content/medias/christus_750.jpg). This (physical) androgynous nature of the "son of god" was then explained through metaphors and in spiritual terms by Christianity and Gnosticism with the fact that when Sophia incarnated she incarnated as "Jesus Christ".
But – there was also a female-incarnated Sophia; which incarnated as a woman and the figure in question is sometimes identified with the "Thetokos" i.e. "mother of god" Mary – or alternatively substituted by Mary Magdalene the consort of Jesus (being called the "Bride of Christ"). The fact that the Templars were claimed to have worshipped the prophetic head of a female refers to the cult of the pagan goddess who corresponded to the Magdalene – where; she was claimed in pagan mythology to have been decapitated or to have been "half-decapitated" (her throat cut significantly to the point of almost detaching her head from her neck) and the goddess in question possessed oracular as well as prophetic gifts. The notion of Magdalene who corresponds to this pagan goddess was addressed in this previous post: https://www.reddit.com/EsotericOccult/s/iHlaRrZnzL.
So essentially the Templars were worshipping both Christ and Magdalene through pagan imagery (Christ being "Sophia" himself and Magdalene being the "female Sophia" who’s the counterpart of the Messiah); something which was not acceptable to the Church – and also because they were worshipping Christ in his real nature as opposed to the heavily filtered and altered version that Christianity gave of him – thus opposing the "official" canon established by the Church altogether.

submitted by Southern-Ad-9105_4 to EsotericOccult [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:06 Aphelion246 How are they so 'clueless'

Well, hey again. Things haven't been going well at all around here. I found out that my partner has been cheating on me not only with porn still, but also with his ex. This hurts so much considering I'm just only 2 months postpartum. He was doing this the entire pregnancy and afterwards and I just didn't know. I only caught him using porn once, and I don't want to imagine what he was doing behind my back. Whatever is left of my innocence is destroyed. The way I see my body is forever through a warped, disgusting lense. My self worth is shattered. I'm so tired of the constant abuse of my trust, using his "addiction" as an excuse to consciously hurt me again and again. Every day I think I'm closer to only being in this for our newborn daughter. But the idea of her dating a man like him makes me feel ill. My patience and understanding is running out and I don't have any more chances to give. And being called a "MILF" on top of it all doesn't fuckin help.

submitted by Aphelion246 to loveafterporn [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:02 GreeneyedWolfess Somehow this makes sense

So talking with my mother and asked for stories about my father's side of the family. (Died in 86') apparently his grandfather lived next door to my mom and in 81' my mom got home from work to find a whole lot of EMS at the old man's house.
His smoke alarm had been going off for hours until the neighbor on the otherside called it in. No smoke or flames visible though they did have to break down the door.
Looked in the kitchen, nothing Bedroom, nothing, living room, nothing.
Bathroom. BINGO cooked pork and melted plastic WTF?
My great-grandfather (what was left) was on the toilet, unlit cigarette in one hand (oddly unmarked) mom didn't describe the rest but apparently local EMS told stories for years about responding to a case of spontaneous human combustion.
Given the weirdness that my family is known for, I am in not way surprised to learn of this. The creepiest part. The not so bright brother who likes to play with matches, was named after this man.

submitted by GreeneyedWolfess to FuckeryUniveristy [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:01 cusman78 Dead Hook on PSVR2 - First Impressions

I have uploaded gameplay from my fresh experience with the game here if you want to see how it looks / plays. My first impressions are shared below:
Based on my limited time with it, I recommend playing Dead Hook on PSVR2, but you should read further to decide if this will be right for you.
It is a roguelite FPS that has the feel of a game like Doom Eternal or Unreal Tournament, and for VR comfort concerns, you should know it is at its best when you are making use of the main gameplay mechanic of the grapple hooks to fling you around the battle arena rooms that have high verticality.
The game has much better story / exposition than typical roguelite where you play as Adam Stone that has some kind of personal relationship with disembodied Grace who wants to return to being corporeal again and is generally suggestive (3:20) & affectionate (21:04) towards Adam referencing their past relationship. Your (Adam's) character got damaged (including vocal-cords, so not voiced) due to malfunction while traveling through space to planet Resaract on the quest to get Mythical Stone of Immortality that will help Grace become corporeal (0:57), so there is a third voiced character in game named Raven who is an AI companion that represents the ship and provides guidance / training and part of the overall storytelling along with Grace.
The gameplay mechanics covered in tutorial (3:20) involve dual wielding variety of possible shooting weapons, EXO suit powers like Flames, Freeze and Gust that can be shot from arms (think Iron Man), use of the Dead Hook to fling yourself around with either hand (think Batman grapple more than Spider-Man web swing), melee combat using fists or even grabbing and tearing weakened enemies apart, special power of dual swords that can do massive damage, and ability to extend chainsaw blade (Ripper) that can be used to rip enemies apart (think Doom Eternal). You kickstart the chainsaw by putting string in your right-hand from your other hand to rev the motor. The game also lets you run rapidly in whatever direction you are moving with Left Control stick by moving your hands physically in running motion. You are also able to grab onto surfaces to vault yourself up and over.
As a roguelite, between runs, you can spend time on the ship check out target practice using available weapons (Earth & Ancient) or buffs (22:09), available bounties to complete on runs that will give you extra rewards (22:53), applying permanent upgrades to your EXO suit at the crafting station (23:07) and bestiary database (24:46) that lets you learn more or select opponents for target practice.
During each run (25:55), you move from procedurally generated arena rooms to next room always moving forward. Between each such room, you often have a choice of which door to choose next with some information given about what to expect in next room. Whenever you clear a room you will get weapon or buff options before proceeding to next room. You can also reach safe rooms (36:08) that won't have any enemies and instead allow you to bank / use money before proceeding. The goal is to keep proceeding as far as you can and the exposition through Grace / Raven will continue both during gameplay and after you complete / start new runs (including failures).
The game is made on Unity Engine but before Gaze Foveated Rendering became available option for developers for PSVR2. That said, the graphics of this game are generally crisp and clear except for text displays that can be blurry until you get closer. Interesting the gameplay capture recording shows all HUD elements in stable positions and relatively clear while in-headset these elements move around and not as clear (too small / far). The performance of the game is rock solid, possibly 90-120 fps. While I recognize that Gaze Foveated Rendering could possibly make the game sharper and ensure no text is blurry even at distance, I really don't have any significant critique for how the game looks because of how fast moving and good it looks in motion while not inducing any VR discomfort for me despite the wild movement.
The sound in the game has strange moments where the volume either increases (1:44 & 13:30) or decreases when the settings for that haven't been modified, but fortunately the game provides settings for Audio that helps you adjust it more to your liking. I don't know if the increases are from creative choices or technical glitches, but once I adjusted them to levels that suit me more, it became more stable.
The game is making use of resistive triggers and controller haptic feedback is also being used in variety of scenarios but perhaps not 100% of the use-cases where I think it should (or maybe the strength of the haptics in some scenarios aren't prominent enough). It is not using headset haptics when you are taking damage which I think is the biggest area of possible improvement as the red-light visual indicator that displays on left / right side of your display isn't a strong indicator of taking damage as I think headset haptics could provide.
The game does not provide many options for VR comfort, but defaults to Snap Turns which can be changed to Smooth Turns with 4 different turn speed options. It does not provide any option for teleport or vignette / tunneling / blinders.
The game features Platinum and any trophies that expect count of x have progression. Good emphasis on skill / challenge trophies where many will unlock through natural play and nothing that looks like would be frustrating / luck based.
This game is fun, but if you can't handle the VR speed / verticality or presence of some blurry text that isn't essential to read, it might not be for you.

submitted by cusman78 to PSVR [link] [comments]

2024.05.16 21:01 F89M My EVO ICL Experience

Hello community,
Today I would like to share with you my experiences with my EVO ICL surgery. I spent a long time reading up on the various networks about the procedure and would like to give something back to the world today.
First of all, a little information about myself: I am 35 years old and very short-sighted. I have worn glasses since I was a child. The values have stabilized at around 9 diopters and a astigmatism of around 0.5 RE and 1.5 LE. These values have been very stable over the last 7-10 years. I also have a very thick cornea. This is around 630 micrometers thick in some places. Despite all this, various doctors advised me against Lasik, as the spherical equivalent is higher than 10 diopters and I would therefore have to reckon with severe night vision problems during a laser procedure. I therefore opted for the Evo ICLs. I visited various clinics for informational interviews. I quickly realized that the 5-star centers often provided less good and patient-specific advice than expected. In the end, I had the best feeling with CareVision. This is a group in Europe with around 60 treatment centers. The advantage here is clearly a high volume of operations and a lot of experience, although a certain turnover-driven nature was to be expected. The treating doctor in Nuremberg made a very good impression on me. In the end, it was a decision in favor of the surgeon rather than the provider.
After a very detailed preliminary examination, I booked another one in a different center, this time in Munich in one of the most renowned centers in Germany. The results were generally similar, including the recommendation for Linse. Unfortunately, however, the personal feeling was very negative. So I stayed with my doctor in Nuremberg. I don't want to mention any names here, but he is Colombian and is very empathetic and patient-oriented, which will become clear as time goes on.
The operation took place on two consecutive days at the end of April. Beforehand there was a short preliminary examination, after which we were carefully prepared for the operation. Everything was done very conscientiously. For safety reasons, an anesthesiologist was present to place an access as a precaution, but the surgery only took place under local anesthesia. I was therefore awake and witnessed everything. The surgeon explained every single step and all in all the operation was as easy as a walk in the park. A visit to the dentist is worse.
I had very dilated pupils after the operation on both days and was therefore very blinded. This improved over the course of the day and in the evening it was usually almost back to normal. The second operation is much more noticeable as you now know what is happening. As I had a toric lens in my second eye, the procedure took a little longer.
Day 1 after the surgery:
The first eye is operated on and is examined immediately. There were no negative abnormalities such as inflammation, incorrect lens size etc., so the second eye was operated on immediately afterwards.
Day 2 after the surgery: Both eyes are operated on. Follow-up checks are carried out on both eyes. The eye pressure is measured and a few other examinations are carried out. A first vision test is also carried out. No negative abnormalities on the second day either. My visual acuity was already back to around 20/25 and I was allowed to drive again.
1 week after the surgery: Now it was time for my weekly check-up. A lot more tests were carried out and the results were also very positive this time. My visual performance has continued to improve. The lenses fit well and there is no reason to suspect an infection. On recommendation, I was able to stop taking all the drops just one week after the surgery.
Week 2: Minor complications In the second week after the operation, it was clear why the decision to go to the clinic in Nuremberg was a good one. I had developed an inflammation of a meibomian gland in my eye and asked for advice at the clinic. Although this had nothing to do with the operation, it was treated without discussion or additional costs. After a brief discussion, the doctor insisted on looking at it and treated the gland immediately. In addition, a complete aftercare program was carried out, as I was there anyway. That made a positive impression on me.
Day vision: It is impressive. Everything looks very sharp and very rich in contrast. I think I can see better than with glasses. What was very clear at the beginning was the ring caused by the aquaport. This is very sharply defined and clearly visible in bright light sources. However, it is in the peripheral field of vision. So it is not disturbing for me. You also get the feeling that you get used to it quite quickly and notice it less and less.
Night vision: Night vision is better than with glasses. However, there are still minor problems with slight halos and glare. This only occurs in my left eye and is directly compensated for to a very large extent by the right eye. I think this will improve over time. I feel the process already started. It also depends a little on the form of the day. I feel that dry eyes promote these phenomena. All in all I am very happy with the result currently. But I hope that the EVO Ring will disapear even more and the brain will adapt to halo and glare on my left eye. Saying that the EVO lenses do not cause any side effect is not the truth. Be aware if your pupil is too big at low light. I am sure the halos are even worse. My pupils are only 7mm in the darf and I got the latest EVO PLUS version. I
All in All: Day Vision: 9.5/10 Night Vision: 7.5 / 10
... will keep you updated.

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