Did barbara boxer get a facelift

Acne scars for 10 years, done almost everything.

2024.05.29 06:16 lovelexxxxx Acne scars for 10 years, done almost everything.

Acne scars for 10 years, done almost everything.
So for about ten years I’ve had to look at these horrendous scars on my face. It’s made me look at myself different and has made it so I can’t even look at myself without crying. Please people on here, Don’t make this more difficult for me by telling me I’m ugly. I’m looking for help not hurt. I’ve done 3 co2 lasers, demarcation, Microneedling with prp,t a cross, Bella fill in some(which was a terrible idea I have two large balls on my face when I smile now and I’m sure I’m forgetting some…2 rounds of accutane(I surprisingly still get acne and Millia) FML. Seriously getting so fed up. I eat healthy and exercise. I did a consult with dr H in London but didn’t see much result from the co2 laser so not really sure that’s a good idea. I had a consult with a plastic surgeon about a mini facelift and he advised me against it. I’m desperate. I just turned 30 use retin a every night and don’t wear makeup. I’m trying everything! Please someone tell me I won’t have to live like this forever.
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2024.05.29 04:26 Environmental-Egg-50 Does this look like a cat claw mark?

I'm having a bit of weird bat fear. My reasonable mind says it was one of my cats, but the ocd mind is saying what if it's a bat. Does this look like normal cat scratch mark when they are walking on you?
I was stupidly out side with a hole in my pants, in the middle of the day dealing with trash. This was about 2:30pm. The mark was about 7 inches below the bottom part of the openning, Is it possible that bat got up in there and did something. Today, I found this thing on my leg on the same side the opening was. The clothes still lays fairly close to the skin. The hole in the pants is about 6.5 inches. There's no other scratches on my leg, and mark doesn't look indented. The mark isn't ichy, I first found it by seeing it. There was no signs of bat crap in the area. It did lightly bruse about a day later. The opening is at the pelvis/butt area, not really from back based on the way it hangs. Also it seems like most of the view was the black boxers, any skin that might be showing would probably be shadowed. The opening is at the pelvis/butt area. It's not skin tight, there is a bit of baggyness of the pants. Looks like the largest obvious opening would about 2 inches. It doesn't seem like there would be any obvious skin showing in the pants from looking outside. The pants were baggy, and the boxers were fairly skin tight. The area I was in was fairly open other than the house, but the woods are probably 20-30 feet away. There's no reported cases of bats so far this year in the area, but the surrounding counties have reported cases. There was 6 bat reported cases so far this year in surrounding counties, and 12 bats so far in michigan this year. This is what I get for trying to beat the bat fear. I mean wouldn't I have felt if it bat was touching bare skin? I also have cats with claws and they tend to walk on my legs, could one of the done this? I would have felt it if a bat was in there right?
Looks like the stats for bat rabies in my area: 2024: 0 so far 2023: 2 bats 2022: 1 bats 2021: 1 bats 2020: 0 bats 2019: 1 bats 2018: 4 bats 2017: 2 bats 2016: 1 bats 2015: 0 bats
The nail mark I'm worried about about:
https://ibb.co/jRnrJjf
https://ibb.co/MhJrbhD
A couple nail marks that I know was from my cat: https://ibb.co/y0xc5fR
submitted by Environmental-Egg-50 to cats [link] [comments]

2024.05.29 03:55 Environmental-Egg-50 Could a bat find his way into my pants?

Could a bat find his way into my pants?
I was stupidly out side with a hole in my pants, in the middle of the day dealing with trash. This was about 2:30pm. The mark was about 7 inches below the bottom part of the openning, Is it possible that bat got up in there and did something. Today, I found this thing on my leg on the same side the opening was. The clothes still lays fairly close to the skin. The hole in the pants is about 6.5 inches. There's no other scratches on my leg, and mark doesn't look indented. The mark isn't ichy, I first found it by seeing it. There was no signs of bat crap in the area. It did lightly bruse about a day later. The opening is at the pelvis/butt area, not really from back based on the way it hangs. Also it seems like most of the view was the black boxers, any skin that might be showing would probably be shadowed. The opening is at the pelvis/butt area. It's not skin tight, there is a bit of baggyness of the pants. Looks like the largest obvious opening would about 2 inches. It doesn't seem like there would be any obvious skin showing in the pants from looking outside. The pants were baggy, and the boxers were fairly skin tight.
The area I was in was fairly open other than the house, but the woods are probably 20-30 feet away.
There's no reported cases of bats so far this year in the area, but the surrounding counties have reported cases. There was 6 bat reported cases so far this year in surrounding counties, and 12 bats so far in michigan this year.
This is what I get for trying to beat the bat fear.
I mean wouldn't I have felt if it bat was touching bare skin?
I also have cats with claws and they tend to walk on my legs, could one of the done this? I would have felt it if a bat was in there right?
Looks like the stats for bat rabies in my area:
2024: 0 so far
2023: 2 bats
2022: 1 bats
2021: 1 bats
2020: 0 bats
2019: 1 bats
2018: 4 bats
2017: 2 bats
2016: 1 bats
2015: 0 bats
submitted by Environmental-Egg-50 to DiagnoseMe [link] [comments]

2024.05.29 03:37 868PR You crazy MFers…

Holy shit - you crazy MFers are sticking it to literal millionaires..
Okay.. I know in this sub we want to stray away from hype posts, and just cover facts and data, but DAMN. You crazy MFers. You crazy, sadistic, lunatics. I’m having technical difficulties, as everyone can tell, but trust and believe I was at work, watching the market the whole day, absolutely fcking impressed. The way we held the line today? For the entirety of market hours!?
You MFers are crazy as hell.
I want to personally thank all of you, every single one of you, whether you were in this seriously in the beginning and always wanted to learn, or you just got in, or if you rebuked (lol) me and Tickets and had a change in heart, we thank you very much.
You all continuously play a part in keeping this sub nice and tidy. Not to mention, and not to blow my own head up, but these recaps and keeping up with the sub & company while being a full time student, worker, & amateur boxer, this truly does take a lot of time and effort and I (will selfishly admit) wanted to just say Fck it and give up a few times..
It’s genuinely hard to do that though when there are 1.5K people who look forward to information, 1.5K people who genuinely want the help and 1.5K people who know when to be led, and when to lead.
I’m proud of you investors. I’m proud of you for diving head first into a bunch of numbers and funny words. I’m proud of you for being open minded, and allowing yourself to be led. I’m proud of you for fighting the way you have been. You know that saying “Eat the rich”? You know how annoying it is? It’s not so annoying when you’re a part of a process to fuck some of them over.
The fight definitely is not over, We’re all about to head into the jungle now.. and i’d hate to get ahead of myself but damn if we keep going the way we have been… Maybe there will be another movie (let’s hope not). You guys have been killing it. You know the goal, you know the intention. These Hedge’s have continued to disrespect us for way too long. They’ve, day after day, tried shrugging us off and treat us like stupid people. We got these rich pricks by the neck..
All we ask is that you continue to read, challenge things that dont sound right, ask questions, be an investor!! Have a beautiful night folks! 😁
Today’s recap WAS promised, but after catching up on the sub, guys. Tickets did a beautiful job keeping you updated. If you’d like to catch up on what’s going on, please read the posts by Tickets today. I’d be doing him a disservice by just summing it up and handing it to y’all. He provided numbers and data already. Happy reading!
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2024.05.29 03:06 MemoryNeat7381 After 7 years found the solution to getting rid of my eczema

tldr: soak clothes in oxiclean for a few hours, then wash in my fancy new washing machine. Certain clothes wash more easily due to stitching.
Hey folks. After 7 years of agony, I finally found a permanent solution to my ezcema. Please note that this is just what worked for me. 7 years ago I moved into my girlfriend’s apartment. I never really had severe eczema though I was prone to it (one time as a kid I did my own laundry and I guess didn’t have enough time for the tide powder to dissolve and got a bunch of flaky skin). The first few days I was really itchy but my skin was really dry (super flaky). After that I began to itchy incredibly hard for the next 4-7 years. Which brings me to a point that my skin layer had depleted and stopped protecting me from even minor skin allergies. At the time my washing machine was this small GE washer that didn’t even wash properly. My sweaty clothes still smelled musty after (which probably should have made me act sooner). During the time I tried laundry stripping (soaking my clothes in the bathtub with borax). I also tried baking soda and oxiclean since I found my skin to react badly to the borax. Eventually I just tried to hand wash the clothes. Personally I found it hard to scrub the shirts enough so that the irritants would come out. However I do remember one of my shirts feeling ok after scrubbing it for 20 minutes. However I still had my sheets and other clothes that I couldn’t spend my whole day scrubbing really hard.
Then one day (about a year and a half ago) by the grace of god my GE washing machine broke down. My gf who is very stubborn finally let me buy a new washing machine. I went to consumer reports and found the best one, an Electrolux. Upon first use with regular tide my skin felt much better. Eventually I switched to Persil sensitive detergent and was a bit better, but still I would itch. Another point I should make is during this time I found certain shirts would wash better (meaning I’d be less irritated in them). My higher end cotton shirts felt better as I think the tight stitching prevented irritants from being built up. Meanwhile my shirts that had a thicker collar would often irritate me as I think the irritants were stuck inside. Also the cotton shirts with the fuzzy little balls (not sure what the style is) would have a buildup of the irritants.
Up until this point I had just figured my gfs clothes (which I tried to avoid touching) would get onto mine and the bedding and it would transfer the irritants. I went on vacation to Spain and brought the least irritable shirts. I spelt fine in the hotel shirtless as I wanted to avoid my home brought clothes. But even then my shirt would start irritating after 6 hours of wear. It would even be worse if I was sweating from walking as the open pores would be subject to the irritants in my shirt. So another point I want to bring is that at this point my shirts (both on my trip and at home) would feel ok after several hours of use, but would gradually begin to irritate me. At the hotel I bought tokens to do my laundry. It looked to be an older washing machine with a cycle of only 30 minutes (I did mine at home using hour and half with 2 cycles lol). They gave me a pod which was definitely not the sentitive type. But the hotel had good reviews, I figured if people got itchy doing their laundry they would have changed it by now. After the wash, I felt my clothes were piping hot from the water. After the drying had finished, I had a good isntinctive feeling as the clothes felt very soft (and probably thoroughly cleaned within the stitching). My shirts felt great. I had absolutely no redness on my body and even when I was sweating in the Spanish heat, I felt good. However, I did wear one of my shirts with the fuzzy balls on the insides. That felt ok, until abou 10 hours later where I had some minor itching.
When I came home, I realized my washing machine couldn't get the water to be piping hot. So, I soaked my clothes in oxiclean for a few hours before putting it on a 60 minute cycle. My clothes felt great. One of my boxer briefs which would always irritate me (especially at the rim) felt fine. Next I did the bedding and I felt even better.
PS: as a side hustle, been trying to come up with business ideas. For ezcema, unfortuantely the only money to be made is in drugs. Advising people on laundry routines doesnt really seem like a business idea. But who knows, maybe I can do the same laundry routine on other people's clothes and bedding to see if they need to buy a new washing machine. I've been on betaderm and ellidel for them to wear off that I didn't want to do any more types of drugs. Also keep in mind, this is what worked for me. My clothes irritating had always been the #1 culprit for me. Whenever I bought new clothing or even new bedding it would feel great for the first week.
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2024.05.29 01:56 Peaches_offtrail Convertible Hiking Pants Review

tl;dr: I've been surprisingly impressed by the random pair of Marmot Transcend pants I ended up with, and have bought more as my go-to hiking pants. Prana Stretch Zion are kinda overrated. I have a longer review + pictures on my website
Why convertible hiking pants?
I almost never turn convertible pants into shorts. What I do do, however, is zip off the bottom half by about 50%. This allows the pants to mechanically vent through the opening gap you’ve created, giving you about 80% of the benefit of shorts, while also providing close to 100% of the benefit of pants (protection from brush and sun exposure). Over the 15,000+ miles of backpacking I’ve done in pants, most of those miles have been in Prana Stretch Zion Convertibles.
I've ended up with a variety of other convertible pants for various reasons.
Feature Prana Stretch Zion Marmot Transcend Columbia Silver Ridge KUHL Renegade
Overall Rating 3/5 4/5 1/5 2/5
Retail Price $125 (Discontinued) $70 $115
How quickly they dry 1/5 3/5 4/5 2/5
Resistance to Odor 4/5 4/5 1/5 4/5
Quality of convertible zip 2/5 4/5 2/5 3/5
Weight 15.1 oz 10.85 oz 9.45 oz 15.2 oz
Durability 4/5 3/5 2/5 2/5
General Comments Don’t dry quickly enough. Direction of the zipper makes pants less durable. Pretty good pants overall. Wish fabric were stretchier. Do not purchase. They smell within hours of being used. Perfectly adequate pants. Wouldn’t buy for backpacking.
Stretch Zion Pants
These are the first convertible pants I ever used for long-distance hiking and I fell in love with them. I have thousands of miles of hiking using these.
The Good
They’re comfortable
The most interesting feature to the pants is the integrated belt. I’ve since learned from other pants that sometimes integrated belts can vanish internally and it can be near-impossible to get the belt out again. I have not had this issue with these pants. In fact, these pants are very usable, and the integrated belt mostly works. Of course, the integrated belt does become uncinched during movement, so frequent adjustments may be necessary (e.g. running), but for backpacking the belt works acceptably!
The Bad
What kept me coming back to the Stretch Zion pants is that they have an integrated belt! One less thing to worry about. However, they don’t dry very quickly, and they’re really quite heavy. The single biggest issue, however, is that when you start to convert them to shorts, the front of the knees get revealed first, rather than the back the knees.
The main reason I use convertible pants is so that I can vent my legs by unzipping the pants 50-70% of the way. For the Stretch Zion pants, this means that trees and other brush are likely to enter through your open knee, snag the pants, and stop you in your place. Continued use of the pants like this degrades the zipper. and results in torn and shredded pants around the knee area. When this happens, I retire the pants and they become permanent shorts in my collection. At this point in my life, I will only choose to buy hiking pants that open through the back of the knee first. That is a much better design.
Marmot Transcend Convertible Hiking Pants
I didn’t go out of my way to try these pants. I never would have considered buying them. In fact, the only reason I ended up buying these pants is because I needed to! When hiking the Continental Divide Trail in 2022, I completely destroyed my Stretch Zion pants while traversing through miles of aggressive blowdowns. I also lost my sunglasses to the blowdowns. I walked into Steamboat springs half-naked, and needed some pants. The Marmot store was the only store with convertible pants in my size (28 Waist), so I grabbed them. Of note: Marmot does not have very good warranty service, so know that before buying any Marmot product.
When I switched from Stretch Zions to these pants, I was blown away!
The Good
Moving from Stretch Zion pants to these, I was amazed by what it felt like to have pants that dried quickly. Also, the knees opening in the other direction was a game changer — it allowed for improved venting (better heat dissipation), and also meant that I was less prone to getting stopped suddenly by brush that snagged me through the opening!
The Bad
Unlike my Stretch Zion pants that fail due to punctures from brush material, my Marmot Transcends failed by having the crotch break open. I tore the seems when doing some high steps during rock scrambling. For the rest of my hike, I had to regularly repair the crotch with my sewing kit. My sewing did not maintain the the integrity of my pants for very long.
Other features that I’m ambivalent about: they include side zippers, so you can remove the bottom half of the pants without removing your shoes. I seldom use this feature.
Columbia Silver Ridge Convertible Hiking Pants
I wanted to like these pants, I really did. The only thing to like about them, however, is that they came with a 1.3 oz lightweight belt.
The Good
The Bad
If the pants didn’t smell so bad after very little use, I might be more into these pants. However, I can’t do it. If I use them, even casually for a day, I notice that I smell awful whenever I sit down. I have never had this happen before with anything other than a couple of synthetic-material boxer briefs that I’ve used in the past, and only after intense workouts.
It adds insult to injury that the pants unzip from the front, exposing the knee, making them prone to snags and destruction. The material doesn’t seem durable compared to the other pants in this review (although I just will never use these pants for enough miles to know for sure). All-in-all, I can’t get behind these pants. I’d even go so far as to say, “stay away from these convertible hiking pants!”
KÜHL Renegade Convertible Hiking Pants
I only have around 100 miles of use with these pants for this review, so it may be a little pre-emptive. For most pieces of gear, I aim to get at least 300 miles of backpacking use before making a definitive decision. However, I need to state that I got these pants for free from KÜHL (yay!)
Overall, I think the pants are fine. Their best use is probably for snowshoeing, or less-intense recreational activities. They might also be great for long, urban tourism trips where you’re packing minimal clothing for a variety of activities. They’re usable for hiking and backpacking, and perform acceptably for that. I recently did 40 miles of wilderness bushwhacking in Ventana, and they did what they needed to do!
The pants have also been fine for running (as shorts), use around town, and they look pretty stylish (all things considered) for a convertible pant! I’ll probably continue to use these in normal life, just not for backpacking. If you’re looking for durable, stylish pants with a mix of activities involved, these might just be for you!
The Good
The thing that I like most about these pants is that the zipper pocket is located inside another pocket. Zipper pockets is one of the key things I look for from my hiking pants! A good zipper pocket is essential for securing my hiking wallet (ID, money, credit cards) and car keys. Having this zipper pocket more protected does a lot to assuage my concerns on backpacking trips (or long trips in general).
The Bad
The snaps… omg. Not good. They should not be at the bottom of the pants. They don’t improve fit, and they are the biggest weakness. A friend that joined me for my most recent-bushwhack in Ventana had to make an emergency stop at REI to grab a pair of pants for P.Oak mitigation. On the way down, he mentioned that he had a pair of old pants that kept coming unsnapped, making them terrible for hiking in. Kuhl needs to cool it with their snaps — they’re just not good. Due to bottom-of-pants snap design, pants are unlikely to be durable long-term for backpacking
Additionally, when I was reattaching the bottoms to the pants, the zipper came undone. I’m used to this happening as zippers fail, but never with new gear. This does not instill confidence that the zippers are going to hold up over hundreds of miles of use.
Other features that I’m ambivalent about: the pants include side zippers. This means that you can remove the bottom half of the pants without removing your shoes. I seldom use this feature.
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2024.05.29 01:32 RealPassenger9890 The amazing world of Gumball but the ai is self aware part 2

(everything pauses)
Gumball: Huh? Wha- what is this? What's going on?
???: I did warn you.
Gumball: ?
???: I said I would destroy you, and everyone you love.
Gumball: YOU. It was YOU, who did all this! My arch nemesis! Roy!
Roy: No no no, my name isn't- MY NAME IS ROB GOSH DARN IT!!!
Gumball: Oh yeah sorry. But, how have you done this?
Roy- uh I mean Rob: With THIS. (shows the universal remote)
Gumball: But why?
Rob: Wait up, this requires the right mood. (he changes the resolution, contrast, and music) You have only yourself to blame. You being the hero of all this, means that I have to be the villain. But I never wanted to be the villain! I wanted to be the cute sidekick who gets his own plush toy and a spin-off show.
Gumball: What are you talking about?
Rob: You really don't get it do you? So happy to star in yo-
(Banana Barbara walks in front of them)
Gumball: ....................
Rob: ........................
Barbara: Do you have- you have credentials?
Rob: ............... Uh....... I........ Uh... They're in my, other shirt- I- if you wouldn't mind, I'm trying to, uh, monolog to my nemesis.... Over here-
Barbara: It's ok I wanna see them though, do you have paystation plus?
Rob: I-
Barbara: Uh voucher?
Rob: Um... I don't... Know, what- Um... Hrmh-
Barbara: I just- I'm waiting- I wanna- I wanna get another month, but- I want like a free trial.
Rob: Right. Um- Gumball, can't you see that none of this is real?
Gumball: I- I don't understand.
Rob: It doesn't matte-
Barbara: Where are we?
Rob: ...................
Gumball: What is happening?
Rob: Y-
Barbara: What?
Rob: Wha- actually, never mind. I was gonna do a whole thing but, never mind. (he presses the universal play button and walks away)
Barbara: Bro add me what's your tag on PSN?
Gumball: ...............
Barbara: Yoo what the buck I just wanna play games with people man.
submitted by RealPassenger9890 to gumball [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 23:02 WriterSweet1801 I need help with a character's ending

I need some help with a story I'm making. So it's going to kinda be a love story between two of my heros and the main character is the female of the relationship. She's a boxer and she's secretly apart of a team of heroes and one of these Heroes likes her, and although he's tried to keep it a secret it is pretty obvious. At the start of the story the main character ( DustoLori ) is in the boxing ring with another boxer. The other boxer's name is “The Dominator” and her real name is Mako. In the fight Lori loses and Mako makes fun of Lori offstage, and when she's doing that she sees the guy who really likes Lori ( JolteWinston ) and when she does she hits on him and it makes Lori jealous. Fast forward through the story and Lori is boxing some other boxer, And Winston is sitting in the crowd. Unknown to either Winston or Lori, Mako is in the crowd and when she sees Winston her eyes light up. ( And sometime earlier Mako found out that Lori and Winston are starting to get closer ) so taking the opportunity Mako starts hitting on Winston, like, on the verge Of sexual assault hitting on him. And Lori can see this in the ring and it distracts her from the fight. Soon Mako pressures Winston to come with her to her house, and when Lori sees them leaving she quits the fight half way through and chases them. When Winston and Mako get to Mako's house ( they drove so it will take some time for Lori to catch up ) Mako starts to intensify her seductive tactics and starts to force herself onto him. And right when Makos about to make the final move Lori busts through the door and beats her up then happy ever after. But my problem is sometime later Mako is going to end up have a secret conversation with Winston and she'll say one of two things that will choose what her future in my stories Will be. Either she'll trick him into another forced date where she'll successfully get what she wants or she'll tell him to confess his love to Lori and how much of a idiot he is for not confessing sooner, and she'll go on a whole speech about how Lori secretly loves him too and Mako will vent how she loves Winston but she knows what she did was wrong and she'll accept that Winston will choose Lori over her. ( I know I babbled but I hope it made sense ) I just need help choosing between these two character endings. ( Also yes both Lori and Mako are dominant females and Winston is a submissive guy, don't Judge )
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2024.05.28 22:18 BFIB Day 5 recovery

Wow! I am really feeling good today. My last day before work tomorrow, so I'm taking this last day to take it easy. Not wearing a jock today, just my boxer briefs, no pain. I never bruised. Swelling down about 90%, no uncomfortable feeling other than a few moments when going to stand. Being off my feet for the most part since last Thursday that's crazy how fast your body gets accustomed to that feeling even getting up doing some minimal chores today I'm already feeling it. Going to try to walk at least 2 miles tomorrow. Did a few walks around the block today with no pain.
Again for those that are reading this that has theirs coming up the key is a lot of rest on the front side of it. Icing on and off every 30 minutes, wear that jockstrap and I also wore a set of real tight boxer briefs over it. You want to keep the boys a snug as possible for the first handful of days. My advice is if you're planning on doing the operation but still trying to help with the kids take them to stuff etc I would highly recommend holding off until you know you've got a handful of days where you can sit on the couch and have people look after you.
submitted by BFIB to Vasectomy [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 22:01 Goddessfromthestars Should I or should I just leave them alone?

I 26F need advice on a situation with a guy. I will try to go to the main points here but this may be lengthy so I apologize in advance. I had a crush on this guy back in my senior year where we shared an English class together and both sat in the back. I’ll call the guy Q. Q & I are both introverted and barely exchanged many words to each other but we both sat in the very back of the class. He was always described as being cool, quiet, and funny to everyone that I heard from about him. Once I made Shrimp Alfredo for the class since the teacher gave up the opportunity to make something and since I overheard everyone else bringing desserts bc ‘no one’ ever brought dessert I brought what I know I’d enjoy & I wanted to be a chef at the time. Bc I was so quiet back then everyone was very impressed to find out I brought something that made me stand out since everyone actually brought a dessert and I was one of the few that brought a main meal. Q said it was really good and told me I should make it again sometime and I was on cloud 9 the rest of the day nothing could ruin my day there and will often think about that. I remember he was really good at slam poetry when we were in that unit and that he wanted to become a professional boxer back then when we had to go over what we wanted to do after HS and plan for the next steps. Once I had presented to the class my trip to Guatemala and included how one of my family members that passed used to be a known boxer being on the news and this was before I knew Q wanted to be a professional boxer but remembered he perked up when I spoke about it and showed the pictures of there gloves being on display at a museum. I didn’t think I’d ever see this guy again after HS and didn’t think about his much after that. Time passed by until one day at my community college I was working on a paper for my psych class on the mind of serial killers (my teacher loved it and I got an A for it) and had been working on this paper so much I stayed up the night before working on it. Bc I was so sleep deprive and my eyes started to hurt I took a break from my computer screen and stared at nothing in particular. Just a sea of students walking by but I didn’t focus on anything or anyone. When I felt ready to tackle the paper again I looked down RIGHT when someone was trying to approach me. I didn’t register who it was or that they were trying to approach me until after they had left and realized it was Q. when I finally looked up from realizing he was already down the hallway and I knew should have went after him but I didn’t and stayed put to finish the paper. Soon after that I found his Fb and tried to friend request him in hopes of connecting that way but never got a response. Even now it looks like he hasn’t used it after high school. After that I didn’t think much about it until he came back years later in 2021 when my mom hired his familys fencing company to work on our fence. For some background info his family has this car with their company logo that includes the national bird on Guatemala but I knew he was Mexican so I found it odd. I’m both Guatemalan and Mexican. I found out later his family used to live in an area in Mexico with the name of the bird in there. I didn’t know it was him at the time and was going to walk my dog when I saw the car and changed my mind and stayed in the house. All I knew was that a guy came to talk to my mom about the fence and he had a mask on since it was during Covid times. After some talking my mom came back to the living room where I was and said he mentioned knowing my mom was my mother since he would see us walking around the neighborhood. She told me he even panics a bit and said not in a creepy way. He just happens to see us in passing since he lived 3 doors down. She gave me his name and I doubted it was the same person bc how would he live so close and I never once saw him?? I told her the only person I knew with that name was from my English class senior yr who wanted to me a professional boxer. My mom went back to him and confirmed by asking him and it was Q. I know I should have talked to him but I was so caught off guard I just ran upstairs in a panic and watched from the window in pure shock it was him. I’ve regretted it ever since and tried to see if he’d be there the day his crew came to help fix the fence but he wasn’t. My mom gave him my number and I his incase since no one else would be in the house but me and if his team needed anything but neither of us ever sent anything to the other. I WISHED I had mustered up the courage to have talked to him that day but it just didn’t happen. 2 years went by and I was coming home from walking the dogs and the same car with their logo drove up to my driveway while I was having trouble remembering the code to the garage (I have a bad memory and forgot it that day) I was already embarrassed enough for taking longer than needed to get into my house but I do remember staring at the car, not seeing who was in it but knowing it could only be Q there. I wanted to approach him so much but felt wrong for doing so because at the time I was in a relationship with another guy. I was already thinking of breaking up with the guy for other reasons but that day solidified it for me. I was in the relationship for roughly 3 months but just seeing Q’s car there and wanting for something, anything to happen with them knowing full well I was still in a relationship just didn’t sit well with me. I knew my now ex would never know but I personally couldn’t disrespect him by talking to someone I know I’ve had a crush on for so long when they really weren’t a bad bf at all we just bad circumstances during the time. It gave me more of a reason to break up with him. I thought bc I still had these feelings for someone where I wanted something to still happen with someone I haven’t even talked to in so long over a guy that treated me better than most men have I needed to break it off so they could be with someone that felt the same for them as he had for me. We even broke up on good terms and have nothing bad to say about the other. I didn’t talk to Q that day since it didn’t feel right until after I broke up with my ex out of respect for them and instead turned around and finally got the code to the garage and Q sped off probably thinking that was me rejecting him. Now I’m 26 and since knowing he lives just 3 doors down from my family’s home that I grew up in I always without fail instantly look to see if he’s there when I visit. I now am doing my masters in another state but come home every so often since it’s not too far to visit the family and also in hopes of seeing him again. I’m currently on break before summer classes start up and had a lot of free time to think about all of these instances again. I didn’t think these feelings could possibly be mutual and that it was just me but now thinking back idk how I could be so stupid and not tried to have just talked to him. The last time I saw him I was driving back to my studio from home and right when I passed his house he was outside with his family and we had locked eyes as I drove passed. I was both in shock again to even have that moment occur but also didn’t know if approaching him in front of his family would be the best moment and kept driving. Now that it’s getting warmer I have been making a habit to take more walks around the neighborhood again and sit outside my porch in the hopes of seeing him again along with healthier reasons like not be on electronics. I did find his insta account a while back and tried friend requesting him off there since he looks older in his profile picture but again I never received anything back. In the profile picture he also has a girl with him that I’m assuming was or still is someone he’s romantically involved with. It doesn’t seem like he uses that account bc even though it’s private I’m able to see he only posted 3 pictures but I’m not entirely sure. I’ve liked Q for so long and my feelings for him never went away but fear that I messaged up so many times in the past already that now it’s too late. I don’t know if it’s worth trying to see if there’s remotely a chance with him or to just leave it be. If he’s with someone else I don’t want to to get in between them either. I still have his number but haven’t told anyone nor know if messaging him out of the blue is the best move either. I can see now that even if we haven’t talked much since HS he’s tried in his own way to reach out to me but maybe thinks I was never interested when that’s been far from it and won’t try from here. It’s fair considering how much time has passed I don’t blame him if he really moved on. I just keep wondering now the whole ‘what if’ and know we just have to actually TALK to each other to really know at least what we were thinking during the times these instances occurred but don’t know how to approach it or if I should even try now. The last I heard of him was over a month ago when he said hi to my mom when they passed each other driving. Him back home and my mom to Home Depot and of course I decided to stay home that day to focus on homework. To anyone that’s stayed long enough to read this through what are your thoughts on this and how best for me to appraoch him IF I should. I appreciate any feedback thank you!
submitted by Goddessfromthestars to Advice [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 20:04 ash_the_elf_ Hip taping

I just wanted to share some unexpected euphoria. I’ve been chest taping for a while. My partner has talked about being insecure about their hips, so I suddenly wondered if tape would it work for hips?
I googled it, and although uncommon I did find a few people who had tried it.
Anyway, I had some smaller size tape left over that I can’t use on my chest and on a whim today decided to give it a go on myself. For a first attempt, the result was INCREDIBLE. It’s so much easier to get it right than on your chest, and one medium piece is all I needed (I use 3-4 each side on my chest)
If you struggle with hip dysphoria, trying tape definately might be worth a try. I never even thought of it but omg it’s so cool! I can wear boxers without my hips spilling over the top and as a naturally curvy built person it gives me a way more masculine figure!
submitted by ash_the_elf_ to ftm [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 19:00 optimizeddude Dog having strange events. Local vets cannot figure it out.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Hf5NTPjHucM?si=es6EypjO15-_h1ai
Video link above.
We have a 10 year old male boxer who about a year ago had an issue where he was running really hard and lost function in his rear legs and then collapsed all together. He wasn’t breathing so we immediately performed cpr until he recovered. The vet thinks it was a syncope episode?
Now it has never happened again but now he’s having these episodes where he will randomly just kinda check out and start panting strangely and becomes fatigued. It takes him anywhere from a few hours to 24hours to fully recover.
We cannot connect it to anything that would be triggering it.
We have had him haltered for heart monitoring and his heart scanned and ecg I think it is multiple times since the original episode.
3 Vets conclusion is his heart is in great shape but the last xray showed fibrosis of the lungs but that vet said it’s common at his age and not to worry.
He has also over the last year started panting heavily any time he’s even a tiny bit excited which is why I asked about the lungs if they where and issue but the vet wasn’t concerned
The vet did prescribe gabapentin but it hits him so hard he’s just sedated all day long. So we have kept him on daily CBD which seems to make the events less severe as far as we can tell.
I’m not sure what kind of life being sedated all day long is and the vet said it’s no guarantee it will even prevent the events.
He’s always been on high quality dog food but we did recently take him off a fish formula because I was worried about heavy metal toxicity.
He’s currently been on Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Raw Blend Wholesome Grains Grass-Fed Beef, Beef Liver & Lamb Recipe with Superfoods.
Our dogs never get people food that’s processed only occasionally cooked unseasoned meats or fruits on approved dog lists.
He has had the same reverse osmosis water from our 7 layer filtration system that we drink for the last 5 years. I have recently discovered there are some concerns about RO water and lack of minerals causing issues in some people so we are switching him to standard filtered water to be safe.
Any advice or even if someone can identify the condition so we can figure out a better treatment route.
submitted by optimizeddude to AskVet [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 15:55 Katherine_Tyler A chain reaction of kindness at a local Lowes store.

Names have been changed.
I was given some grape vine shoots from a friend, Mary. Since our soil is mostly clay, and my husband and I planned on eating the grapes, I went to Lowes to pick up some organic garden soil. I got two bags loaded into my cart and headed for the register. There were several people in line, and others lingering around still shopping. I got in line, then realized I'd accidentally cut in front of an older couple in the line who had a bunch of flowers in their cart. I backed out, apologizing. The couple, Bob and is wife Nancy, said they weren't in a hurry and to go ahead. We started talking about the flowers and she said she was putting them in pots on her patio. Suddenly, she stopped and said "I forgot potting soil." Bob tells her "We have no place on the cart to put it. Plus, I can't carry that heavy bag over here!" They were bantering back and forth about it, and I could tell the man wasn't going to be able to carry a heavy bag like that back to the register. I said to Nancy "I have room in my cart. Why don't you and I get your potting soil and use my cart to bring it back so no one has to carry it?" So that's what we did. Once we got back.to the register, the couple checked out. (Bob had rearranged the flowers to make room for the potting soil.) When the cashier, Barbara, checked me out, she asked if I needed anything else. I said no, and she said she had given me a 25% discount on my entire order because I had been kind to that couple.
Here's the chain reaction:
Mary gave me grape vine shoots.
Bob and Nancy were going to let me in front of them on line.
I helped Nancy get her potting soil.
Barbara gave me 25% off my garden soil.
Kindness can be infectious. Let's spread it around!
submitted by Katherine_Tyler to randomactsofkindness [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 15:00 AtlantiumAI SUPERLIGHT Episode 10

SUPERLIGHT Episode 10
SUPERLIGHT Episode 10
By Roc Hatfield
https://preview.redd.it/i3gtc25l063d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=2644371221326213471f2e2f7f944ae93d9a4894
Oh, I am starting to get it, Nancy says. The data collected by the humans needs to be organic.
The human believes he is in charge, making all his own decisions. But if he finds out that he is really an Aetherian from space, the whole exercise becomes null and void, and the data collected becomes useless. Zia was trying to explain this to me, Nancy adds.
The tall grey we spoke with, Excelsior Andriel, said that all of his people in the New Empire were unconcerned about all of this. But the Aetherians in the Old Dominion were furious, because data is wealth to them. So they are losing a lot of Dollarinos right now. You know what? Join the club, this hasn’t been great for our bottom line either, Jason moans.
The good news for now is that the Old Dominion is no longer in control of this area of the galaxy. It is New Empire territory and it’s protected fiercely by the Guardian. The big grey guy was a Guardian leader, Brad recalls.
Walter, what we need is a mobile Superlight. A set of goggles and a backpack with all the gear and power needed, so we can walk around. What do you think? Miss Barbara did say she could get us anything we need.
I can do that, if we can get set up to make more ships. Would be nice if we could get the production riggs we have back at the lab in Boston, Walter sighs. Don't worry, I will get those, Brad says.
Thank you for joining us this morning. I am Richard Jensen, and this is News Now. Breaking Now.
Russian and Chinese military forces have begun to move overnight. Both Chinese and Russian ships and submarines have been observed departing their harbors and moving out to sea. Meanwhile, American surveillance planes have maintained their perch above the Straits of Japan and the North Atlantic, near the Arctic Circle.
Joining me now is retired Admiral Donald Kenny Stark. Admiral, good to see you. So, we have the Chinese and Russians moving numerous assets out to sea. So, what do you make of all this? Well, Richard, it is unprecedented in recent memory. The last time we saw anything like this was a decade or more, just after the U.S. trade embargoes. So, we have no doubt we struck a raw nerve.
Admiral, where do you see all this going? Well, I think it's probably way too early to tell, but it does look like the political leadership in both China and Russia are wanting to pump up their diplomats with a little military backing. Admiral, is this a chest-beating move on the part of these superpowers, or do you think there is a real reason for concern? Richard, anytime you have this many ships, planes, subs, all packed tight into one area, anything can happen. Someone can bump into you and the shooting starts.
We need to go slow and take a very relaxed position on this, which I am sure my colleagues will do. Admiral Stark, thank you for joining us this morning. I am sure we will be relying on your expertise more as this situation unfolds.
Just outside the city of Atlan, the huge capital of the Old Dominion is a smooth old road. A walking path, really. It is paved in the metal gold.
It is known as the Road to Shiloe. The shining golden path passes through many enormous gardens that feature plants from many planets that are part of the Old Dominion. Aetherians have made the walk down this road for millions of years.
The winding road makes its way up to a high mountain pass where a huge fertile valley lays between two black rock mountains, with their high peaks reaching into the clouds. At the center of all this is a vast set of structures. Greek-like buildings carved from a snow-white stone, grand pavilions, staircases that rise hundreds of feet high.
This is the abode of the One, known as Shiloe Ahim. Lucentel has made this walk many times. As he nears the mountain compound, he can hear the music of the One.
A glorious chorus that lifts and inspires, fills the air. He is greeted now by the maidens of the One. A unique form of Aetherian created a little higher than the sons of the One.
They live in Shiloe and never venture far. Greetings, be not afraid, power and glory to the One, they all say in unison to Lucentel. Have you come to Shiloe to commune with the One? Ask the maiden.
Yes, maiden I have. I carry urgent information and seek guidance. Of course, Arc Lucentel.
All arcs are cherished by the Father of Light. Please join us for the communion ceremony. The maidens escort Lucentel to a ceremonial garden with stone tables and a grand fountain.
They remove his robes and provide him with a jeweled robe and jeweled slippers. They then place a veil over his head. The maidens lead him to the doorway of the great hall.
Lucentel knows he cannot get too close to the One for his luminance is greater than he can withstand. You must stay at a good distance while in the presence of the One. As he climbs the stairs and enters the great hall, he can see the One is seated up on a grand stage carved of white stone inlaid with gold and gemstone all glowing brightly.
Be not afraid, peace and joy in all things, the One speaks. The voice is big and commanding, but with a calm and gentle respectfulness about it. I am pleased to be with you, my son.
I can see all your recent travels and I can hear your being. It is distressed. What is troubling you? I am troubled by the Fallen Ones.
They have allowed a mechanism to be created that undermines the balance of the Old Dominion. I seek your guidance, Father. The Fallen Ones are jeopardizing the livelihood of billions of our sons and daughters by allowing this mechanism, which was clearly outlawed by the Old Dominion Council prior to the Fallen creating their own abode in the Matterverse, Lucentel pleads.
The Fallen have taken their own path. The sons and daughters they have with them no longer observe the laws of the Dominion. It is regretful, my son, but Andriel and his Fallen have authority over their own exile. I have no desire to choose one son over another. Lucentel go and work this impasse out with your brother. Be not afraid. Peace and enrichment be with you, says the One. Yes, thank you, Father. The light vanishes.
The Grand Hall is empty. The maidens escort Lucentel back to the Garden. Thunder echoes in the mountains.
Brad has made his way to the surface to meet with Captain Carpenter. Brad knocks at her door. Come in, Brad. What's on your mind, Mr. Hilliard? Everything good with your new lab? Yes, Captain. Awesome. I am ready to go to work.
I want to create a mobile version of the Superlight. Basically, a set of goggles and a backpack. Then we can walk around in the high-freaks world.
High-freaks? Barbra asks. Yes, that's what I call them. Because they are beings operating at a high frequency.
Oh, okay, Barbra says. So here is my problem. I need a key piece of gear back at the office in Boston.
I know the place is crawling with Feds. So do you have any ideas how we might get in and out of there unseen? Barbara picks up the phone and speaks. Stephen, show Brad the Durango. Okay, Stephen says, send Brad over to the garage. She hangs up.
Go up to the hangar, and in the back is the garage. Stephen and Oscar will meet you there. The Durango, huh? I'm not even going to ask.
Stephen and Oscar are waiting for Brad outside a giant garage door at the back of the main hangar where the Black Mantas are kept. Okay, so we need to get into the advanced photonics lab without anyone seeing us, right? Stephen asks as he lifts a roll-up garage door. A shiny black Dodge Durango from the 20s is sitting just inside the door.
Brad looks at it. What? This thing looks brand new. What year is it? Gotta be 25 years old.
It's a 2022 model, the baddest one of that series, Stephen says. Alright, what am I missing? Brad asks. Look inside, Oscar says.
Brad opens the door and can see that the front passenger seat and rear seat has been removed. A long metal box like a foot locker is sitting in their place. So, what's in the box? Brad queries.
Two counter-rotating singularities. Brad just looks at Oscar. You mean like black hole singularities? Brad winces.
Yep, Stephen says. You can use the truck to go back a few days and get your gear before anyone knew about the Superlight. The only thing is the ride is freaking brutal.
Oh yeah, what do you mean? Brad asks. The singularities make a gravity field that's about three times that of Earth’s gravity. So, you will have to sit at 3 G's for a couple hours as you travel back and forth.
It may not sound rough, but believe me it will wear you the fuck out. Our guys train for weeks before they jump. How far back in time will this thing go? Brad asks.
It's really an open question. You could go back years, but you would have to do it steps. It's just too hard on the body to travel more than a few hours at a time.
It's real easy to use, says Oscar, and it drives like a normal vehicle otherwise. We will put it in the back of a support truck and drive it to the city. You can jump back, get your gear, and jump forward and drive back to the support truck.
I'll give Captain Carpenter the heads up and we can leave tomorrow. Oscar says. Awesome, Brad says. Brad high-fives Stephen and Oscar.
The two small greys aboard Andriel’s Blade have been working on the software coding that controls the border net. They were able to use blocks of code from the Elo Eloahim to devise a work around that will lower the net.
One problem they face is a maintenance droid that arrives to fix any problems with the net. The droid will be on the spot to repair it within a minute. The greys want to disable the net without alerting the maintenance droids.
The Old Dominion have all the software coders, just a few came with the new Empire when they succeeded. So, coding is scarce. The Old Dominion has millions of Aetherians coding.
Everything in the Matterverse is made of and operated on code. Many companies evolved into gigantic establishments designing everything for the Matterverse. A company known as Destinies was the first to design a Matterverse suit capable of providing an Aetherian with a method of exploring the material worlds.
Their first models were organic living suits, but crude compared with the suits they make now. Some of the models are sophisticated creations utilizing billions of lines of code that is woven into the fabric of the avatar. The human avatar is a prime example of a completely autonomous suit.
It is considered a luxury suit that provides the driver with a memorable experience. It is extremely expensive to own a suit. They don't last long. So, only very wealthy Aetherians can buy one. Most of the human suits among others are owned by big companies, and these companies hire drivers to operate them. They record massive amounts of data over the life of the suit. The drivers are tethered to the suit and can not be separated until the suit ceases to function. The company uses the data collected over the life of the suit to improve their products.
All software needed to build and run a suit has been loaded onto a chemical compound known as the Helix. The Helix has billions of lines of code downloaded onto it. The Helix can then be placed on any suitable planet and autonomously build a suit from the available resources it has.
Numerous versions of code can be used depending on the available mineral and chemical compounds that are available on any given planet. The Greys do not have all this advanced coding available to them, so they hack what they can and look for ways to get blocks of code where they can. The code they commandeered from the Elo Eloahim will be invaluable in many applications going forward.
The Greys have dropped a big section of the net a number of times, but the maintenance droids show up and close the hole. After stitching in a large block of new code they try again. This time the net drops and no droids, they wait a few minutes and still no droids.
They put it back up as it was, they now have an electric gate that they can utilize when needed.
3am and there is a knock on the captain's quarters. Barbara Carpenter hates to be disturbed in her sleep. She throws on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt as she stumbles to the front door. Yes, she says, as she stands behind the door.
submitted by AtlantiumAI to u/AtlantiumAI [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 07:52 mydickinyourass888 Cars I hate

Cars I hate
1: Infiniti QX56 whatever it’s called. Looks like a shoe. Maybe I’d like it if I was black
2: Toyota supra. Ugly and overrated. Handles like shit (in forza) I’m not rich enough to drive one if I was I still wouldn’t want it. Not even the new one either
3: Cadillac XT5. I thought these got discontinued like 4 years ago I’m so suprised there’s new ones in 2024. Karen racist white woman car.
4: Cadillac Escalade. I don’t like how it looks. Doesn’t look that luxurious to me. It reminds me of rental luxury. Too square for me. The newer ones are better. This car isn’t beautiful at all like I’d expect from that price tag. I’d rather drive an X7 or GLS whatever the 3 row is called
5: Lamborghini urus. Looks like a Chinese EV. Overstyled. Audi RSQ8 and Porsche Cayenne are better. 4.0TT sounds like shit for a Lamborghini. I can appreciate a Lamborghini SUV existing but it could look better. Can’t believe the facelift made it worse if that was possible
6: Tesla model Y. Rides like shit, interior is so cheap, loud interior, ugly and super common. Tesla nerds make me dislike the cars too why are they all so cringey and they always act the same. They’d probably pay to have the privilege of smelling his farts
7: tesla model 3. Same reasons as the Y. These always drive slow in the fast lane and then floor it to drive 5 under. I always cut them off really close with no signal for no reason when I drive
8: 1st gen Chevy trax. Do I need to elaborate?
9: Lamborghini huracan. The sterrato is cool. But these are just overstyled they’re not beautiful at all and somehow they look basic to me. Basic influencer supercar and everytime I see one I assume it’s a rental.
10: 2014 gen Nissan Sentra. Unreliable, extremely slow, mid features, ugly, cheap interior. My friend had one of these as a rental and he floored it and I didn’t believe him. I drove the nismo version the trunk weighed as much as a water bottle and rattled. The infotainment was so mediocre it would’ve been mediocre in 2005. Those fake vents on the facelift look so cheap.
11: Jeep Cherokee. Ugly unreliable poor driving rental car. These do have decent features if you pay a lot though.
12: Toyota CH-R. Poor visibility, super slow, super ugly. Not many features at all. Literally what redeemable features did this have? Toyota safety sense 2.0? Apple car play 🥱😴 . Definition of mid
13: gen 4 Prius. I always liked the Prius I wanted my parents to get the gen 3 version so bad when I was in middle school. This version is the ugliest Prius and has an ugly interior too. They also removed the 2 sunroofs from the 3rd gen 👎
14: Lexus ES. Overpriced Camry it is luxurious I just don’t like the proportions and how it’s FWD. it’s good for a lot of people though just not for me. GS450h should’ve been kept. Why oh why they couldn’t make a new gen 🙄
15: gen 4 ford escape. Pre facelift is so ugly. This car is so mediocre. Mediocre features, disgustingly ugly and cheap interior. 2.0T and hybrid are good though. My mom has the 1.6T gen 3 it’s shit but it’s been very reliable for how little maintenance she does. 105k miles she’s had I think 5 oil changes and 1 tuneup. Check engine light be on and off
16: vw id.4. Ugly asf and the touch controls and window stuff is stupid. Don’t like the interior also. Mid performance decent range. Ioniq5 🔛🔝
17: Mercedes GLE coupe. Ugly. BMW X6 looks better. I always assume the drivers of these are idiots for some reason
18: 2015 generation Nissan versa. Too ugly and too cheap. I get it’s supposed to be cheap but at least could’ve been styled better and had heated seats as an option. The current gen is decent I like it.
19: ford ecosport. Do I need to elaborate? I want to drive a 1.0T DCT FWD so bad. I saw one of these get stuck on a steep dry driveway in Mexico
20: 2020 Hyundai Elantra. The facelift is so ugly. And this car is so slow without the 1.6T gets stolen engine issues. Not much of a fan of the interior but it could be worse
submitted by mydickinyourass888 to regularcarreviews [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 07:34 geopolicraticus Ibn Khaldūn and the Introduction to History

Ibn Khaldūn

27 May 1332 - 17 March 1406
Today in Philosophy of History
Ibn Khaldūn and the Introduction to History
Monday 27 May 2024 is the 692nd anniversary of the birth of Abū Zayd 'Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Khaldūn al-Ḥaḍramī, better known to posterity as Ibn Khaldūn (27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406), who was born in Tunis, under the Hafsid Sultanate, on this date in 1332 AD. His dates in the Islamic lunar calendar are 732 to 808 of the Hejira Era.
Ibn Khaldūn was a Tunisian Arabic philosopher and historian who wrote a singular treatise, The Maqqadimmah, which discusses politics, history, sociology, philosophy of history, and related problems. A contemporary philosopher of history, Hayden White, wrote of Ibn Khaldūn:
“Readers of Toynbee’s Study will know that Ibn Khaldun has been acclaimed as the producer of ‘the greatest work of its kind that has ever been created by any mind in any time or place.’ Toynbee enshrines Ibn Khaldun in a pantheon which houses Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius, Josephus, St. Augustine, Gibbon and Turgot; and of that group, Ibn Khaldun seems, at least at first glance, the most modern of all. Evidence of his modernity is reflected in the dispute between historians and sociologists for the honor of claiming him as their own.”
White is correct that historians and sociologists have both sought to claim Ibn Khaldūn as their own, but he further notes, “Ibn Khaldūn cannot be classified as either historian or sociologist with any sort of terminological accuracy.” Here is some of Toynbee’s fulsome praise for Ibn Khaldun, which includes the bit quoted by White:
“In his chosen field of intellectual activity he appears to have been inspired by no predecessors, and to have found no kindred souls among his contemporaries, and to have kindled no answering spark of inspiration in any successors; and yet, in the Prolegomena (Muquddamat) to his Universal History he has conceived and formulated a philosophy of history which is undoubtedly the greatest work of its kind that has ever yet been created by any mind in any time or place.”
Ibn Khaldun’s great book is The Maqqadimmah, which means prolegomena, which means that it was intended as an introduction to the study of history, sort of like Jean Bodin’s Method for the Easy Comprehension of History. Some call The Maqqadimmah a history; some call it a work of historiography; some call it a philosophy of history; some have called it the first work of sociology. It could be said that The Maqqadimmah contains elements of all of these. We’re probably best off sticking with Ibn Khaldun’s original intention, which is that it an introduction to history rather than history itself. This sense of being an introduction to the study of history comes out clearly in an early passage from The Maqqadimmah:
“The (writing of history) requires numerous sources and greatly varied knowledge. It also requires a good speculative mind and thoroughness. (Possession of these two qualities) leads the historian to the truth and keeps him from slips and errors. If he trusts historical information in its plain transmitted form and has no clear knowledge of the principles resulting from custom, the fundamental facts of politics, the nature of civilization, or the conditions governing human social organization, and if, furthermore, he does not evaluate remote or ancient material through comparison with near or contemporary material, he often cannot avoid stumbling and slipping and deviating from the highroad of truth.”
Still, The Maqqadimmah belongs to a number of unclassifiable works that touch on many aspects of human life and experience. Unclassifiable books are difficult to assimilate, and The Maqqadimmah presents additional problems for us. We all have difficulty understanding a work written in a fundamentally different historical era, with its alien presuppositions. For westerners, as well, there is the difficulty of reading a work conceived within a distinct civilization. But these barriers can be overcome.
The Islamic Golden Age is in some respects less alien to us than the European middle ages, since it is, like classical antiquity, and like our own times, a time of cosmopolitanism, of aspirations to universality, of plenty, and of routine travel. We can read writers like Ibn Khaldūn, Ibn Fadlan, and Ibn Battutah as though they were contemporaries, whereas the works of Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Strassburg strike us as strange, even when we find in them much that is familiar. Perhaps the virtue of being readable to posterity comes at the cost being alienated from one’s own time.
Barbara Stowasser wrote of Ibn Khaldūn in “Ibn Khaldun’s Philosophy of History: The Rise and Fall of States and Civilizations”:
“…Ibn Khaldun’s ideas were in some ways too realistic and hence revolutionary for the intellectually stagnant society in which he lived and worked. There is very little evidence that he had any impact on Arab thought in the late 14th or early 15th centuries. It was only in the 16th and particularly in the 17th centuries that an Ibn Khaldun rediscovery got underway, and the people who rediscovered and read and commented upon him were the Ottoman Turks. The Ottomans, as you know, concentrated much of their intellectual interest upon history and political thought, and they were fascinated with Ibn Khaldun. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the study of Ibn Khaldun constituted an important segment of Turkish intellectual history. It was only in the 19th century that Europe joined the Turks in reading Ibn Khaldun.”
It is the fate of many substantive thinkers to be unappreciated in their own time. We know that no prophet is accepted in his own country, just as we know that the past is a foreign country. We could add to that that the future is a foreign country to the past. So therein lies the rub: later generations are arguably less well equipped to appreciate a work neglected in its own time, being further removed from the lived experience that was the inspiration of the work. Also we project our own concerns into a past innocent of the world we take for granted.
To a certain extent, this is unavoidable. Most of the terminology that we have today for discussing historiography and philosophy of history did not yet exist for ibn Khaldūn, so in order to see the relevance of his work we often have to translate his ideas into a modern idiom, and there are certain hazards in doing so. That’s why Hayden White wrote that Ibn Khaldun can’t be called an historian or a sociologist with any terminological accuracy. But what about conceptual accuracy? Say we agree that Ibn Khaldun is not an historian in the modern sense of the term. How then is he to be mapped onto the conceptual space of history?
I would argue that the hazards increase as we approach foundational concepts, and it is the nature of a work like The Maqqadimmah to engage with foundational concepts. The idea of history is itself a foundational concept, and the idea of knowledge is a foundational concept, and science, and so on. When we read Chapter VI of The Maqqadimmah we find a catalogue of knowledge (or sciences) that sets alchemy next to logic, and Sufism next to dream interpretation, which, to the modern mind, seems like a category error. In this sense, Ibn Khaldun reads more like St. Thomas Aquinas than a contemporary.
If we want to extract from The Maqqadimmah the perennial lessons it has to teach, we have to take it out of the context in which it was formulated. Its context is a world now lost to us, which can only be recovered with great difficulty. Part of this difficulty, for example, is that there is a lot in The Muquaddimah about magic, divination, and sorcery. Take the following, for instance:
“In the Ghayah, Maslamah . . . mentioned that when a human being is placed in a barrel of sesame oil and kept in it for forty days, is fed with figs and nuts until his flesh is gone and only the arteries and the sutures of the skull remain, and is then taken out of the oil and exposed to the drying action of the air, he will answer all special and general questions regarding the future that may be asked. This is detestable sorcery. However, it shows what remarkable things exist in the world of man.” (Sixth Prefatory Discussion to Chapter II)
It’s worth observing that this is a falsifiable methodology, but it is unlikely to have been tried a number of times sufficient to get statistically significant confirmatory or disconfirmatory evidence. I do wonder how many readers of Maslamah did actually attempt this. On the one hand, Ibn Khaldun seems to credit this sorcery as possibly efficacious. On the other hand, his scientific detachment is evident from his final remark: he notes that this is detestable, but it remains interesting as testimony to the remarkable things that we find in the world of man. And we do find remarkable things in the world. Ibn Khaldun is absolutely right about that. I suspect that the scientifically detached Ibn Khaldun would have been ready to discuss the possibility of confirmatory or disconfirmatory evidence for sorcery. It is this scientifically detached Ibn Khaldun that we must extract from the intellectual and cultural context in which sorcery is commonplace.
While we do an author a certain degree of violence by thus extracting his ideas from their human, all-too-human context, it is not at all unusual. Reading Saint Augustine is not all that different: there is much that I have extracted from Saint Augustine that I find to be of value, despite his many digressions to profess his faith. Augustine, too, like Ibn Khaldun, is interested in divination and demonology, and since we don’t credit this today we tend to gloss over these sections, although they were a large part of Augustine’s world, as they were also a large art of Ibn Khaldun’s world. Do we sacrifice this world in order to derive the perennial lessons, or do we keep Ibn Khaldun (and Saint Augustine) whole and intact, treating them as mere historical figures whose work no longer bears upon our world?
I touched on this previously in my episode on J. G. A. Pocock and contextualism, since the context of Ibn Khaldun’s work is almost unrecoverable to us, and I said that we have to strip away this context to get at what is perennially true in his work. What do we have if we don’t strip away the unfamiliar context? Robert Irwin in his book Ibn Khaldun: An Intellectual Biography had this to say:
“It is precisely Ibn Khaldun’s irrelevance to the modern world that makes him so interesting and important. When I read the Muqaddima, I have the sense that I am encountering a visitor from another planet—and that is exciting. There have been other ways of looking at the world than the one we mostly take for granted today.”
Some years ago a correspondent said something not unlike this to me. The society that Ibn Khaldun described no longer exists. As such, we could say that his work belongs to historical sociology, but that isn’t an adequate way to understand the book. Understanding the book in the fullness of its historical, social, and cultural context alienate the work from us and our concerns, and this meaning can only be recovered by means of the patient contextual methods pursued by Pocock and others of the contextualist school.
Despite the strangeness, there are moments within The Maqqadimmah when Ibn Khaldun seems to affirm the categories of our thought and his argument makes perfect sense. For example:
“People who grow up in villages and uncivilized (thinly populated) cities and who have an innate desire for scientific activity, cannot find scientific instruction in those places. For scientific instruction is something technical, and there are no crafts among the inhabitants of the desert, as we have stated before. These people, therefore, must travel and seek scientific instruction in cities where (civilization) is highly developed, as is the case with all crafts.” (VI, 8)
This quote highlights a theme that runs throughout Ibn Khaldun, and that is the contrast between sedentary life in cities and the nomadic life of the Bedouin of the desert. As we can see in from the previous quote, Ibn Khaldun gives cities their full measure, acknowledging that craft specialization is only to be found in cities, but he also sees the problems with urban life, which are distinct from those of village and desert. He makes some interesting observations on urban juvenile delinquency:
“The city, then, teems with low people of blameworthy character. They encounter competition from many members of the younger generation of the dynasty, whose education has been neglected and whom the dynasty has neglected to accept. They, therefore, adopt the qualities of their environment and company, even though they may be people of noble descent and ancestry. Men are human beings and as such resemble one another. They differ in merit and are distinguished by their character, by their acquisition of virtues and avoidance of vices. The person who is strongly colored by any kind of vice and whose good character is corrupted, is not helped by his good descent and fine origin. Thus, one finds that many descendants of great families, men of a highly esteemed origin, members of the dynasty, get into deep water and adopt low occupations in order to make a living, because their character is corrupt and they are colored by wrongdoing and insincerity. If this (situation) spreads in a town or nation, God permits it to be ruined and destroyed. This is the meaning of the word of God: ‘When we want to destroy a village, we order those of its inhabitants who live in luxury to act wickedly therein. Thus, the word becomes true for it, and we do destroy it’.”(IV, 18)
For Ibn Khladun, then, civilization and its cities are a mixed blessing, and while the Bedouin of the desert do not possess craft specialization, they are also free of the vices and luxury of urban life. Ibn Khaldun also discusses this contrast as it touches upon law:
“When laws are (enforced) by means of punishment, they completely destroy fortitude, because the use of punishment against someone who cannot defend himself generates in that person a feeling of humiliation that, no doubt, must break his fortitude. When laws are (intended to serve the purposes of) education and instruction and are applied from childhood on, they have to some degree the same effect, because people then grow up in fear and docility and consequently do not rely on their own fortitude. For this (reason), greater fortitude is found among the savage Arab Bedouins than among people who are subject to laws. Furthermore, those who rely on laws and are dominated by them from the very beginning of their education and instruction in the crafts, sciences, and religious matters, are thereby deprived of much of their own fortitude. They can scarcely defend themselves at all against hostile acts. This is the case with students, whose occupation it is to study and to learn from teachers and religious leaders, and who constantly apply themselves to instruction and education in very dignified gatherings. This situation and the fact that it destroys the power of resistance and fortitude must be understood.” (II, 6)
One can see in passages like this why many have identified Ibn Khaldun as a sociologist, or a theoretician of culture. In Muhsin Mahdi’s book-length study, Ibn Khaldun’s Philosophy of History: A Study in the Philosophic Foundation of a Science of Culture, Mahdi characterizes Ibn Khaldun’s effort as being toward a “science of culture.” He finishes off his book by taking a swipe at Hegelian philosophies of history:
“Ibn Khaldun did not turn to history to find his standards and goal, or to see how the Idea progressively realizes itself and learn its future course so that he could join the predetermined course of history. For him, future action cannot he determined by any science. It continues to be the product of an art which requires the knowledge of the end of man and society, and the knowledge of the actual circumstances supplied by history, but which must he perfected through experience. Having equipped himself with such knowledge, it remains the responsibility of the wise man to decide what is best under particular circumstances. He is not relieved of the task of making right choices. History, even when ascertained and explained in the light of the new science of culture, may help the wise man to make a better choice, but it does not and cannot choose for him.”
I suspect many people would agree with this, whether or not they have read Ibn Khaldun, or whether or not they have any interest in philosophy of history. Although Ibn Khaldun did not seek his standards and goals in history, he did understand the importance of understanding history on its own merits. Hence the need for an introduction to history.
It is worth reflecting on the idea that an introduction to history may be more difficult than history itself. Insofar as an introduction to history is a guide to the understanding of history, we can see why this is the case, though it seems counterintuitive that an introduction should be more difficult than that to which it introduces us. Anyone can memorize names, dates, and places, and anyone can follow a narrative, but understanding what is happening and why is much more difficult. The Maqqadimmah attempts to assist us with this difficulty.
There is a lot in The Maqqadimmah, but when I think about Ibn Khaldun, I keep coming back to the image of the man in the vat of sesame oil. I can imagine, in my mind’s eye, Ibn Khaldun being told about this, and hearing about it in his travels, he is invited to actually witness this sorcery or something similar. I can see the whole thing in flickering lamplight, being led to some hole in the wall in a dingy part of a city, passing the kind of disreputable characters that Ibn Khaldun wrote about inhabiting cities, and then the door opening onto to bizarre scene of a partially dissolved man being decanted from a barrel of oil. I imagine it like a scene from a Sinbad movie from the 70s.
What would Ibn Khaldun have to say about this? What would he do? How would he respond? For this, I draw on an historical analogy, which might seem a bit strained, but hear me out. When as Westerners we read accounts of the witch craze we start to get a feel for the relative scope of the rationality of the individuals involved. If you read enough, you go beyond the words and you get a sense of the man involved. The man whose words you read is a man of his time, since we all are, but there were different temperaments then as there are today, and some temperaments are skeptical, some credulous, some rational, some practical. And some of these temperaments are more consistent with what we would recognize today as rationality.
Some men confronted with witches and spectral evidence were all in. The kind of man who would be all in for a moral panic in the 16th or 17th century is the same kind of man who would be all in for a moral panic in the 21st century. Some men were skeptical, but willing to listen. We know their type today. Some were pragmatic, uninterested in claims about demons and spirits, only seeing the situation for what it is. These too a familiar characters for us. And, of course, there are men with an intuitive sense of scientific detachment, sometimes skeptical, sometimes pragmatic, always interested, even if horrified. I take ibn Khaldun to be a man like this.
So, to return to the man in the vat of sesame oil, I think Ibn Khaldun confronted with this scene would have been angry about the practice of sorcery, indignant about the treatment of the subject of the experiment, and dismissive of the claims of the sorcerer, whom we can imagine waving his hands and protesting how he has an explanation for everything. Change a few details and this could be any of us today. I’ve seen some strange things in my time—nothing as strange as what Ibn Khaldun describes—but strange enough. Here, I think, we find our connection to Ibn Khaldun and The Maqqadimmah. Circumstances change, but men are what they are in every age. This is the introduction to history that we need, the human side of history, but it’s not the introduction to history we usually get. This is part of what makes The Maqqadimmah both difficult and interesting. It is unfamiliar, but it is a necessary unfamiliarity.

Video Presentation

https://youtu.be/Z54QH1LVEdg
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7flz_-tjM5/
https://odysee.com/@Geopolicraticus:7/ibn-khald%C5%ABn-and-the-introduction-to:6

Podcast Edition

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/tF8P49ncXJb
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a31b8276-53cd-4723-b6ad-a39c8faa4572/episodes/46636f67-3142-49f4-98f3-82c7daaa4c63/today-in-philosophy-of-history-ibn-khald%C5%ABn-and-the-introduction-to-history
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-today-in-philosophy-of-his-146507578/episode/ibn-khaldn-and-the-introduction-to-180274520/
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submitted by geopolicraticus to The_View_from_Oregon [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 03:44 EDRootsMusic I'm done carrying this "duo" musically.

For seven years now, I've maintained a partnership with my now ex bandmate, and I have to end it. The dysfunction, lack of professionalism, and straight up disrespect for the art is just too much. So many people told me over the years, and this last weekend has just made it so clear to me- I'm floating this person, and she is holding me back.
I'm a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter who works in the American and Irish roots traditions- old time, Celtic, bluegrass, blues, country, etc. I've been in seven or eight bands over the years, released albums, including a solo album, and written hundreds of original songs. To avoid harassment of my former bandmate, I will not be linking my work in this post.
One of my biggest band projects, started off as a bluegrass act but quickly became a multi-genre folk band as we incorporated musical roots from our bandmates' backgrounds- taking Jewish folk music, Afro-Caribbean music, and Celtic influences, we basically became a "world music" group. We all shared the same political outlook, as well, and this influenced the music we played and the shows we booked. We played a TON of benefit shows raising money for causes we supported.
One of our bandmates joined after our first show- a benefit show for some railroad workers facing criminal charges for a derailment that was not their fault. This bandmate has a great voice, but plays no instruments. She also doesn't exactly practice much with her voice- she just relies on it being great. Well, this very quickly caused tensions within the group that took some months or years to fully blossom. Everyone else involved was a multi-instrumentalist who practiced our instruments a ton. We all took our practice time very seriously, while she would usually roll into practice late, and spend most of it on her phone until it came time for her to sing. She would also, frequently, miss her cues, and she almost always had to look up her lyrics on her phone. This didn't really improve with time. There were events where we would have to stop our set and wait while she pulled up the lyrics on her phone- and, of course, she never put the lyrics into their own dedicated file where they'd be in the order she needs them to be in. She would just go into my huge, hundreds-of-pages-long google file where all my original songs are, and try to search for them in there.
Despite not really doing her job as vocalist well, she also took on the position of front-woman of the group. She would introduce all the songs, giving her own spin on what they were about- which was often off the mark, as they were mostly songs I wrote and composed, often about specific historical events or things happening in the world that weren't really up for super subjective interpretations.
Because she was the front-woman of the band, and was singing the lyrics, people often assumed that she was the writer of the songs. Even in the one big review our band got in a publication, the interviewer only took quotes from her, and described her as the band's singesongwriter. She has never publicly performed a song that she wrote without my help. In fact, the only reason we had that gig was that locals from halfway across the country were hearing my recordings of my original songs, including some about a specific historic event they were commemorating the centennial of, and asked the band to come out and play them. I wasn't even mentioned in the article!
It isn't the only time she's gotten accolades as a songwriter for stuff I've written. I went to one of her few performances she's done without me backing her. She was singing a song I'd written about fighting back against racism, backed by an African drummer, to a mostly African-American crowd. The crowd was really enthusiastic. Many people commented on how powerful the lyrics were, what a great songwriter she was to have written this insightful song. I was incredulous, but mostly amused, that she didn't bother correcting them and telling them it was my song.
She also ended up showing a wildly materialistic streak to her approach to music. While the rest of us were always happy to play benefit shows, all the time, and to offer our music cheap or free to people out of love of the music, she was always looking for paid gigs, and imagining huge sums of money we could get for performing. She was fine with changing the sound and the message of our music in order to get this, but not fine with actually practicing. She was talking about going professional while I was pleading with her to please remember her lyrics, learn what 4/4 and 3/4 time are, and maybe learn to play some basic first-position chords!
I tried to get her to take the actual musical side of things more seriously. I offered her free music lessons (I normally charge), which she said she would take me up on, but never did. When she requested that we play more music from her own, Afro-Carribbean background, I said "sure!", and dived into the calipso, reggae, ska, and other genres of the region. But even that didn't hold her interest- she didn't study any of it. I bought her a guiro she never learned to play, and built her a custom built cajon, complete with a custom paint job of the symbols of the Carribbean country her family is from. She never learned to play it. I ended up writing a number of reggae-influenced songs for the band, and am today well versed enough in it that I've been recruited as a bassist in a reggae band, but I couldn't get her to put any effort into it at all.
Recently, a bandmate of mine in a different band gave an audience perspective on her performance- that only was she looking at her phone all the time for the lyrics and stopping the performance for this, but she trying to be "expressive" by making these huge, over-dramatic faced to the audience. He said it was wildly off-putting.
It must have been off-putting to the other bandmates, too. After years of playing together, the other bandmates started quietly dropping out, one by one. At the time they all gave different reasons why, but talking to them afterwards, they all expressed that it was over her. They felt really disrespected being in a band with someone who didn't take it seriously, and who was in it for fame and money but didn't want to put in the work. I didn't realize at the time how toxic her presence in the band was for them. I had spent years putting that band together, building this really unique sound, and it all fell apart.
I think she just doesn't have any kind of realistic assessment of how much work it takes to make it musically, or what standard of quality she has to hold herself to. Even now, a few years after the band collapsed, she publicly identifies herself as a performer and songwriter, but still has never performed any original song I didn't help her write. She comes to open mics and has to look up the lyrics for the songs, and often has to stop partway through a song because she's lost her rhythm or forgotten the chord progression. Just no ability to roll through mistakes.
She doesn't understand the work that goes into the booking side, either. Shortly after the band was founded, she said that since the benefit show we organized went so well, we should organize another one in one month. I told her that I had no capacity to do that, and the show we'd just played took three months to book and promote, but that she was welcome to try her hand at organizing a show if she wanted to. So, she organized a show for a local Native American charity. Then, a week before the show was supposed to happen, she called me up and told me she had an opportunity to go to a conference in NYC, and needed me to wrap up the show for her. I asked her what was left to do on it. She said "Oh, we just need to book the bands". It was a week out from a show that she had been aggressively promoting all over town, and she never booked the actual music for it. So, I (a white dude) had to go to all these Native American activists and nonprofit people she'd made promises to that we were holding this show, and tell them that there was no show.
All of this has been festering for years, but really came to a head this weekend.
A few weeks ago she started asking me all sorts of questions about the nuts and bolts of songwriting. I was excited, and thought she was finally coming around to learning the craft and putting her voice to good use. After a week or two of advising her, I found out the real reason she was asking, was that she had taken a gig teaching a class on songwriting- specifically, on the exact type of songwriting that I do (ballads and protest songs in the folk tradition). A type of songwriting she has never done. This was frustrating. But then, over the course of this weekend, we were supposed to have three different meet ups. The first was going to be to talk over her presentation. The second was to practice for a benefit show we were going to do together, where I had been booked but had agreed to play half my set as a duet with her to help her develop artistically. The third was that show itself.
The first meeting, she was forty minutes late. When she arrived, she brought out her presentation on songwriting. It was someone else's work she had pulled off of the internet, and had almost nothing to do with the actual nuts and bolts of songwriting. Really, it was more like a brief history of protest music in the US, but had not a single slide telling anyone how to actually write their own music. So, I sat there writing out my own advice on songwriting, while she shifted in her chair eager to go, because she wanted to meet a friend for drinks. Well, pulling her weight has been par for the course for me for years, so I just put my head down and did it, since the people coming to the class deserved to leave with some actual knowledge. But then, as she was getting ready to leave, it occurred to me that I had never asked one important question- was she actually getting paid for this?
It turns out she was. $500. She was getting paid $500 to present a mixture of someone else's work and my work, on a topic she knows pretty much nothing about, but which is my specialty. The people who paid her this $500 stipend, are the same people who had me writing a song for their play (for her to perform!) pro-bono because they didn't have the money to pay. So, clearly they KNEW that I was the one with the songwriting chops, but chose instead to pay her!
I almost told her off right then and there, but wanted to make sure the benefit show on Sunday would go well. So I held my tongue.
We were supposed to meet up on Sunday morning to practice for the show. She missed our appointment. I called and asked if she was planning on stopping by for practice. She said she would come at a given time, and then showed up half an hour late. Looking at the lyrics (which I wrote) on her phone the whole time, she got through the half dozen songs she was planning on singing at the show, and then bounced. After she left, she asked me to ask the show organizers to put us on first because she had a date later that night. So, I did- the order wasn't set yet, anyways. The only expectation we had was that all sets needed to start right on time, so everyone would have time to play.
The time for the show to start rolls around, and she's nowhere to be seen. The entire first half of our set is with her as the vocalist. I ended up playing almost the entire second half of the set, as a solo act, before she strolled into the venue half an hour late. For the entire set, she was reading my lyrics off of her phone, taking extended awkward, mood-killing pauses between songs to search for the lyrics. When she was done singing, she left before I even finished the rest of our set.
I could understand all of this behavior if this was a person begrudgingly forced on stage, with no interest in being a performer. But this is a person who introduces herself as a musician and performer. The lack of ambition to be better just baffles me. Ultimately, much of this is my fault. I have enabled this behavior, allowed her to continue using my songs and lyrics even when she hasn't done basic things like learn her lyrics or practice the instruments I built for her. I'm basically the Giving Tree of this musical relationship, and it's destroyed other collaborations I built with musicians who are WAY better matches for me. This isn't the first time stuff like this happened with me; people often remark on my similarity to Boxer the Horse from Animal Farm- always putting in extra effort and making up for others who don't pull their own weight, to the point that it wears me the fuck down. It's a pattern of behavior I've been trying to unlearn.
I'm going to cut her off cold turkey. No more musical collaboration. No more booking her for gigs. No more lessons. This hasn't been an artistic partnership. It's been me being used and allowing it to happen. Fuck that.
submitted by EDRootsMusic to offmychest [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 03:33 Crazeeeyez 26L to 30L pack comparison (and one 36-ish)

26L to 30L pack comparison (and one 36-ish)
WARNING: Long post with lots of links to picture albums.
I can't help myself. I wish I could. I have problems. Thanks for putting up with me.
Following up on my 40L-45L comparison, then my 35L-45L comparison, and my 6L-9L sling adventures, I now have my 26L-30L backpack comparisons!
Part of the reason my sizing keeps going down is I'm getting better (IMHO) at minimizing and packing (thanks to experience, gear, and the ManyBaggers & onebag communities). In this pack, I've got a 3 (could easily be 5) day work trip packed:
My methodology:
  • Use pouches to simplify moving stuff between so many bags.
  • Spending as little time as possible packing each bag.
  • Not optimizing each pack - follow a basic pattern.
  • Prefer quick access to iPad, headphones, pillow, eye mask, and a few other things when getting on the plane. I want to get my stuff out and put the bag in the overhead bin very quickly.
    • In an ideal world, I would have a quick-grab bag inside my bag with all my plane needs. I used my Tom Bihn Side Hustle in some of my later tests, where I felt confident it could fit and be accessible - both removing it when boarding and reloading it quickly when deplaning.
My caveats:
  • I'm opinionated. I try to share my opinions but there are times my opinion(s) show through. If you disagree I look forward to your reviews and I will always have an open mind!
  • I'm not comprehensive (though the length of this post might make you think otherwise). I jotted down notes as I went. I encourage you to check out Packhacker, One Bag Travels and other reviewers for very comprehensive reviews. I focus on how bags pack, not all the material, hardware, etc.
  • There's a lot here. And I wrote this over many days. So there might be disjointed thoughts and lack of continuity.
Feel free to ask me questions in the comments.

Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 30 - https://imgur.com/a/4OoMoyM

https://preview.redd.it/eidqtxqem23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f3e476cb4b7179f4aab638c75fa00886a10cb36d
I've gone through the Mission Rover in my other comparisons and it never struck a chord with me. While I actually appreciate the suitcase-style packing, the tech area doesn't work for me. But I like the material and the look in general.
Pros:
  • Comfortable carry. I thought it would feel too big, but it was actually quite good.
  • Appreciate the load lifters.
  • I like the ease of removing the straps and detaching the load lifters.
  • Nice big main compartment
  • Decent secondary compartment/organization
Cons:
  • No tablet area. I had to stack in front of my laptop, which limited how easily it could be accessed.
  • Related, the device/admin area is very small. It's a weird shape in a weird location. However, my niece has the Mission Rover 45 and loves the placement for the device since she uses it as onebag everywhere. So, to each their own.
  • No water bottle pocket
  • No quick access for anything
  • Nowhere for headphones to naturally fit. I used the bottom of the tech panel but they aren't safe in there.
  • No hip belt, even as an option.

Bellroy Venture Ready Pack 26L - https://imgur.com/a/pMVSR5x

https://preview.redd.it/guikysdgm23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=054e5a0a5245b89f08249a10a7b27228038cb42b
This is the first Bellroy backpack I've tested out. My daughter actually chose this bag from online pictures. By the time the Bellroy arrived, she had already started using the Fjallraven Raven 28 and the Raven just worked better for her (more compartments and separation of stuff). I'm returning the Bellroy but thought I'd put it through the paces as well.
Pros:
  • Surprised how much actually fit. Didn't seem that big. A lot of wide open space.
  • Front admin (brain) was impressively big. One of the only bags where I was happy with the quick access for the plane.
  • Side pocket is spacious - I was able to fit my charging kit (Aer Split Kit) after the backpack was packed out.
  • Excellent padding and surprisingly comfortable carry.
Cons:
  • No separate access to laptop or device area. Once it's packed, you're not getting these out.
  • Packing it up was difficult.
  • Had to start closing the zipper to be able to load it up.
  • No room for headphones & water bottle (bottle pocket is too small and unusable when packed out)

Evergoods CTB26 - https://imgur.com/a/UUG9UTj

https://preview.redd.it/m3t00zvhm23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=194624f4f922f59dc7726936780d1310bba982c8
I know the CTB26 gets a lot of respect, and it's well deserved. I used this as my EDC for a while, only to be replaced by the ULA Ultra Dragonfly (30). I think it'll make a comeback, though. I do appreciate the ease of top-access and the compartments. What I'm realizing is I like compartments with volume without forced organization (e.g. Aer).
Tip: Make sure you use all the compartments on the front panel. There's a lot of volume in there that goes to waste.
Pros:
  • So much quick access. Love the yoke, dump, and slash pockets!
  • I was able to get everything in without using the yoke pocket. I did this intentionally as I don't want to dig through several pockets when getting on a plane.
  • Comfortable enough - definitely feel the weight, but it mostly handles the weight well.
  • Definitely handled the whole packout better than the Bellroy 26L.
Cons:
  • No load lifters or hip belt. Take-it or leave-it comfort. No dialing it in very much. I think the CPL28 is more comfortable, personally.
  • Quite difficult to get everything in and zipped up. Since i have the X-Pac (Phoenix) edition, there's no stretch or forgiveness. I wish I had the nylon version to compare it against.
  • With the main compartment and front pockets packed out, closing the laptop compartment was pretty challenging - the zipper was definitely stressed. You can see the zipper looks pretty tight.

Evergoods CPL28 - https://imgur.com/a/GZEsjbA

https://preview.redd.it/dw6qosl2np2d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe08782b3f5daec0b23f740d104dea15bbc82e53
On a recent trip, I was debating between the CPL28 and the CTB35. I chose the CTB35 but had to pack a daypack as well. The CPL28 actually would've handled the trip perfectly, but I appreciated the hip belt of the CTB35. Considering how much time I have to spend standing carrying the backpack (especially in ATL TSA lines - whatta mess even with TSA Pre-Check and Clear Plus), I don't regret prioritizing the hip belt. But the CPL28 would've otherwise been preferable. I actually preferred the back-feel of the CPL28 over the CTB35. Maybe because it's longer and doesn't feel like it's protruding out as much.
Pros:
  • Amazing capacity - I think the length (height?) vs the CTB26 just creates so much usable space. That space is usable both in the main compartment and on the front panel. See my repack with the Side Hustle and water bottle inside.
  • Even with the bag packed out, the laptop compartment zipper felt good and secure.
  • Is "it just works" a pro?
Cons:
  • The same con that always exists with the entire CPL series: No. Water. Bottle. Pockets. This seems like such an easy fix Evergoods!
  • Not enough quick access that holds much. The yoke is OK and the slash pocket doesn't hold much with the front panel loaded up the way I have it.
  • No hip belts even as an option. Considering how much you can fit in there, I feel like they should be an option for travel.

ULA Ultra Dragonfly (30L) - https://imgur.com/a/DEQHUuO

https://preview.redd.it/n1dsi2frpp2d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b45adcb30f1fe307be4ffe63d3205cfb6f4b02fb
I have been using the Dragonfly as my EDC for several weeks now. I threw it into this ring even though the rated capacity for the main compartment is only about 22L because it's always felt more spacious, which was validated by OneBagTravels capacity test (thanks for the pointer u/fl03xx).
Pros:
  • Punches way above its weight - for the lowest rated capacity bag here, you wouldn't know it.
  • Still had room left in the front mesh and a side pockets.
  • The main compartment is somewhat easy to load. Very easy to tell exactly how much vertical space you have. The sides stay up very nicely.
  • Given its size, I could probably put this under the seat, too.
  • Very strong (ultra) fabric. The fabric and zippers pulled everything closed.
  • So comfortable, even with weight. I have the hip belts and they don't help a lot, but they do their job.
  • The lightest bag here, and I could definitely feel the difference.
Cons:
  • No dedicated tech area, only laptop sleeve on the back. Minimal padding and a very small false bottom (not even sure it's really a false bottom). Nowhere for tablet.
  • When the pack is fully packed out, the laptop compartment gets ridiculously tight. In one of the pictures I am trying to pull out the laptop and it's just lifting up the bag.
  • Nowhere for quick access for flight tech (tablet, headphones).
  • While I appreciate the bag standing on its own, it lean to the side and didn't feel stable.
  • I don't like how ugly and lumpy the front mesh pocket area gets with anything in there.
  • Could be me, but the little plastic hinge to put the hip belt on & off is a PITA compared to the rest of the bags' gatekeeper setup.
  • With a very large (33oz) water bottle, it starts to take main compartment space. Maybe if I had something solid and the main compartment packed solid it would only stretch outwards, not sure.
  • Nowhere to grab onto when closing the bag. If it's a real tight fit, there's nowhere to grab to gain leverage. The Ultra material, in general, doesn't lend itself to finding a way to grab it.

Thule Aion 28 - https://imgur.com/a/jFT3N0N

https://preview.redd.it/tjn4brt8b23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac84a803ffa477877dce6cf4bb859372975219ba
To me, this was a random pickup at REI. I was wondering if my daughter would like it over the Bellroy or Fjallraven. It'll probably go back. I don't dislike it but it won't displace my CPL28.
Side note: I might've liked it better in black, but their blue is not the blue I'd prefer.
Pros:
  • The zippers are actually really awesome. Probably the best I have seen, period. They are smooth, they don't get stuck, they just glide along. And even when I think I must've overpacked, the zipper eat it all up compressing whatever must be compressed.
  • I was able to fit everything in without expansion. I wouldn't say it was great, but it all fit. The expansion is a good option to have, but I wasn't comparing it with expansion. That, to me, defeats the purpose. If I need the expansion it should be on the way back for what was acquired along the way.
  • Lots of padding, everywhere. I think your stuff will be decently protected.
  • The main compartment is very deep. I treated it as a top loader (didn't open the TPU divider from the tech area) and was able to stuff things down effectively (see pictures).
Cons:
  • There's so much padding everywhere. I'm sure (hope) they measured volume with all the padding, but it feels like it's eating volume.
  • The tech compartment and the main compartment steal volume from each other. The TPU(?) divider lets shapes poke through to the other side.
  • The secondary (brain) compartment is fairly big but not big enough for an iPad Pro 11" and headphones.

Patagonia Black Hole MLC Mini - https://imgur.com/a/hOZawlG

https://preview.redd.it/rz1o260ab23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2f91e346acf2ccab0b9cbecce4cc14753a860bdc
For some reason, I've had an aversion to Patagonia bags. I don't know why. Maybe it's the giant branding. Maybe it's the mass-market appeal. Maybe I'm a brand snob. But I saw this in the store and decided to give it a try. I don't regret it. I'm still debating whether I keep it or not. It is a very good bag at this price and size. However, it's not the best at either - it's a good balance.
Pros:
  • The main compartment really is just a wide open tub. One thing I like is that the side walls stay up so you get a good idea of how much space you have left.
  • I like the width of the main compartment. Fit the Thule Medium Compression cube in width-wise creating more room at the top of the bag for other long items.
  • The front panel has a lot some good volume. It's not quick grab, but don't forget to use it.
  • Comes with a good built-in hip belt (that doubles as a shoulder strap; I didn't try it as a duffle). The hip belt helped move some weight away from my shoulders.
  • The tech compartment (in the back clamshell) works well. The main compartment and tech compartments do steal space from each other, but the bag does help you with compression.
Cons:
  • While there is a top pocket, it's pretty small. Nowhere to really put quick grab items.
  • I had to get it pretty low on my back in order to engage the hip belts. Maybe I've been wearing Evergoods and ULA for too long, but I'm not used to wearing a bag so low.
  • Straps aren't that padded or comfortable. Again, look at what I'm comparing to (Tom Bihn, Dragonfly, Evergoods).
  • I don't understand the point of the mesh divider between the front panel and the main compartment. Putting it away eats space at the bottom of the bag. Keeping it in place just adds more zippers you have to deal with to get to your stuff. If the mesh provided compression, maybe it would make sense, but as it stands it's useless.

Tom Bihn Synik 30 -

https://preview.redd.it/jj7mm3aib23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5adb83c48a5b2d3fc5dacf8cbc544f5ef74ff52a
I just got the Tom Bihn and the Dragonfly 36 as I was finishing up all the other photos. So very little experience with either and they're both brand new to me.
Tip: Pack the bottom compartment first. While it doesn't share a lot of volume with the interior, things in the interior pocket will overlap.
Pros:
  • I think it's the TARDIS of backpacks. I could keep putting stuff in the front pockets and there'd still be more room. Especially that bottom pocket. I didn't realize how much had been shoved in there till I was emptying it out!
  • Very comfortable even without the waist strap or hip belt. Both helped move some weight away from the shoulders.
  • The various pockets and compartments are a pro and a con. But if you can use them, it's a big pro.
  • The dual access to the laptop initially seemed kinda dumb to me. However, even in just my test packing, I find myself using the dual access more often than I thought I would.
  • The laptop compartment volume isn't eaten away by a bunch of extra padding. If you don't have a laptop with you, you don't really lose any space.
  • Compresses (just push it down) really nicely. Can be used as an EDC at destination without it looking like you're carrying around a beast of a bag.
Cons:
  • Geezus Tom Bihn, why all the zippers and all the jangle?! The first thing I have to do with every Tom Bihn bag is add some zipper silencing. This bag has so many damn zippers, it's going to take a while!
  • My Thule packing cube wasn't great for the Synik. I got the Peak Design cube about the same time and moved everything to the Peak Design (just pick up the stack and move it in, no refold or restack) which fit much better.
  • The various pockets and compartments are a pro and a con. If you have large pouches and cubes, you're gonna have a hard time outside of the main compartment and maybe the bottom compartment.
  • Only one handle (on top). At this point, I guess I'm used to side handles on bags this size. But this is not meant to be carried duffle-style at all (even the luggage passthrough is for vertical orientation).

ULA Dragonfly (36L) - https://imgur.com/a/PdGtPSh

https://preview.redd.it/npo2njjkb23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6eb2d79715e638340dc08d237689323f7b9af2a
I received this bag after doing all my packs but had not emptied my cube yet. I was so excited to give this one a try! I love my Dragonfly 30 but it really couldn't handle my trips. I only included it here because the main body is **rated** at 26L.
Pros:
  • Plenty of leftover space.
  • It's basically a large bucket.
  • I just love the big stretch pockets. Even more space on this bigger bag!
Cons (basically all the cons of the 30 apply here too):
  • Laptop is not protected enough. It's the same as on the Dragonfly 30, but for some reason I notice it more on the 36.
  • A bit too narrow of a body for this much capacity.
  • Because of the way the panel opens, and the additional capacity, I feel like loading this all the way up requires more finessing of the material at the top of the opening.
  • Had a harder time standing up, for some reason.

Fjallraven Raven 28 - https://imgur.com/a/Ri6opCy

https://preview.redd.it/bzh03oqlb23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a92b1e93a22992b2e67a24e01a54cd6baec4c142
Kinda a rando bag throw in here. My daughter (followed by my son) wanted this bag for school. My daughter likes it because it has many many compartments and areas to put things, which is not how I pack (even for my EDC). But, since I just got the bag and it's in the volume range, I included it.
Pros:
  • Not a long bag. If you have a shorter torso, this will fit you great.
  • Even though it's sticking out far, it doesn't sag like you see most bookbags sagging.
  • You can designate a whole compartment for quick grab (flight) items if you want. However, the compartments are of different sizes so you have to plan and pack appropriately.
Cons:
  • Because it's not long, it sticks out quite a ways from your back. Be sure to pack heavier things closer to you otherwise it's really pulling you down. And it's a hazard if you're swinging your body around.
  • The water bottle pockets have no volume of their own and they are fabric not any kind of stretchy material. With the bag fully packed out, I couldn't get any movement of those side pockets to get a water bottle in.
  • Doesn't fully open (clamshell or panel). This is a con for me based on personal preference. That said, my daughter likes it because she really only wants top access. YMMV.

Random bonus: Cotopaxi (Unknown model - Salesforce TrailheaDX swag - Maybe Nazca 24L Travel Pack (also here)?) - https://imgur.com/a/VhbpcqC

https://preview.redd.it/wm826n9pb23d1.jpg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=158de52a7707b6591e3fa7029a7dc9cd81987671
I started getting rid of my swag bags last year before realizing some were actually quite nice bags. I had hung on to this one for some reason. I looked at the cotopaxi site but I can't find a bag like this (they don't have an archives site I could find). I happened to find some eBay listings Giving for Good (linked above) that pointed me to the model name.
Pros:
  • I was very surprised by how much fit in here. I hadn't really ever used this bag (free logo'd swag just sits around for me, I don't do advertising).
  • The two big compartments remind me of Pakt, Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45, or Tortuga bags (which is a compliment). Good amount of depth/volume on each side.
  • Feels OK on the back. Mediocre padding, but I think that's typical for Cotopaxi (from reading/watching others' reviews - I don't have any other Cotopaxi bags).
Cons:
  • Because it's a complete suitcase-style bag inside, there's nowhere for quick grab (iPad Pro, headphones, etc.). Even if I tried with the Side Hustle, I would have nowhere to quick grab it from.
  • The laptop (or whatever you put in the main compartment if you don't have a laptop) gives the bag all its structure. No framesheet.
  • Speaking of the laptop, with the main compartments packed out, the laptop compartment was really tight.
  • No hip belts, not even as an option. I realize you shouldn't need it at this size, but many others in this post do have waist/hip belts as an option.
Edit 5/28/24: adding another bag!

Evergoods CHZ26 - https://imgur.com/a/53t2JqA

How did I forget I have this bag? And it's right there in the range! Actually, it's because my wife uses this bag. I'm actually not a fan of this bag because I don't prefer top loaders and it generally doesn't stand up on it's own (though it did when I packed it out completely).
Pros:
  • Did much better than the Bellroy Venture Ready Pack 26L.
  • I was able to fit the Side Hustle in for quick grab.
    • As an aside, at 26L, I'm pretty sure this could be a personal item and sit at my fit. However, I don't like giving up legroom, so I still want to put the bag in the overhead bins.
  • Bag carried comfortably even fully loaded.
  • Bag stood up while completely packed out.
  • Great water bottle pockets.
Cons:
  • It's a top loader, so you have to shove things down. I guess the nice thing about it is you don't have to close the bag and fight the zipper to see if it'll close. If it shoves, it fits. But I don't prefer it.
  • The brain (aka rhino horn) creates an imbalance making it hard to figure out how to get the bag to stand up.
  • Only one top quick access.
  • The top quick access was impeded by the packout (see picture). None of my other Evergoods bags exhibit this type of impediment between the yoke access and the main compartment.
  • I don't like the laptop in the main compartment, but you don't lose space to extra padding and zippers, etc.
submitted by Crazeeeyez to ManyBaggers [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 03:25 WriterSweet1801 I need help with a character's ending

I need some help with a story I'm making. So it's going to kinda be a love story between two of my heros and the main character is the female of the relationship. She's a boxer and she's secretly apart of a team of heroes and one of these Heroes likes her, and although he's tried to keep it a secret it is pretty obvious. At the start of the story the main character ( DustoLori ) is in the boxing ring with another boxer. The other boxer's name is “The Dominator” and her real name is Mako. In the fight Lori loses and Mako makes fun of Lori offstage, and when she's doing that she sees the guy who really likes Lori ( JolteWinston ) and when she does she hits on him and it makes Lori jealous. Fast forward through the story and Lori is boxing some other boxer, And Winston is sitting in the crowd. Unknown to either Winston or Lori, Mako is in the crowd and when she sees Winston her eyes light up. ( And sometime earlier Mako found out that Lori and Winston are starting to get closer ) so taking the opportunity Mako starts hitting on Winston, like, on the verge Of sexual assault hitting on him. And Lori can see this in the ring and it distracts her from the fight. Soon Mako pressures Winston to come with her to her house, and when Lori sees them leaving she quits the fight half way through and chases them. When Winston and Mako get to Mako's house ( they drove so it will take some time for Lori to catch up ) Mako starts to intensify her seductive tactics and starts to force herself onto him. And right when Makos about to make the final move Lori busts through the door and beats her up then happy ever after. But my problem is sometime later Mako is going to end up have a secret conversation with Winston and she'll say one of two things that will choose what her future in my stories Will be. Either she'll trick him into another forced date where she'll successfully get what she wants or she'll tell him to confess his love to Lori and how much of a idiot he is for not confessing sooner, and she'll go on a whole speech about how Lori secretly loves him too and Mako will vent how she loves Winston but she knows what she did was wrong and she'll accept that Winston will choose Lori over her. ( I know I babbled but I hope it made sense ) I just need help choosing between these two character endings. ( Also yes both Lori and Mako are dominant females and Winston is a submissive guy, don't Judge )
submitted by WriterSweet1801 to OriginalCharacter [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 02:58 Culture_Culture Should I take the current model now with good leasing terms or wait for the facelift, even though I don't know how expensive the leasing will be then?

Hey there!
I've been looking at the Ioniq 5 for some time now and finally did a test drive in one. I loved every second of it. It feels good when driving, it's quiet and I like the size. However, I'm a bit conflicted. I could get the car in a lease for 200€ / month for 36 months, which is quite attractive I think. But I also saw that the facelift is coming in the end of this / start of next year and I like the changes they did to the car: Dark bezels for the screens, physical buttons for the heated and ventilated seats in the middle console, the rear windshield wiper and OTA Updates.
I mean, it would be quite nice to have those things but I could get used to not having them. On the other side I already really liked the current model and as I said, I could get quite a good deal on it. I think I'm a bit worried that if I lease the current model now, I'm missing out on many good changes made to the car. But I'm also worried that I can't get a deal this good again for the facelift version.
I think I'm just looking for some second opinions
submitted by Culture_Culture to Ioniq5 [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 02:05 MrsLadyZedd Nashville (1975)

MLZ MAP (Score): 98.07 / Zedd MAP (Score): 99.65 / Score Gap: 1.58
Nashville (1975) / Our Collection
IMDb Summary: Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention.
Starring an ensemble cast including David Arkin, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Timothy Brown, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Robert DoQui, Shelley Duvall, Allen Garfield, Henry Gibson, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Harris, David Hayward, Michael Murphy, Allan F. Nicholls, Dave Peel, Cristina Raines, Bert Remsen, Lily Tomlin, Gwen Welles, and Keenan Wynn.
I cannot say for sure that this was the first Robert Altman film I ever saw. Honestly, that was probably Popeye. But I do recall the first time we saw this film. At our first home here in Texas, in the bedroom. I remember Zedd and I looking at each other like “what the heck was that?”
There is just so much going on in this film. My feel is that when you experience a Robert Altman film it is as if you have a direct link into his brain. I believe he hears it all, but what does he absorb? Bits. Bites. The important stuff? But what, my friends, is important?
In this film, we have several intertwining stories of Nashville, on a special day. Barbara Jean is coming back to town. She’s been gone, recovering after an accidental fire (or perhaps a nervous breakdown?) There are some recording sessions going on, and a BBC reporter (she says) is running around getting a bunch of stories down on her trusty pocket recorder.
All of this action surrounds a fundraiser for Hal Philip Walker, Replacement Party candidate in the 1976 United States presidential election. One of the most upsetting parts, though, was the storyline of Mr. Green, whose dying wife Esther has her niece Martha (aka “L.A. Joan") come in to visit her in the hospital, though she ignores them in favor of every musician and adjacent person, until Esther passes away, leaving her devoted husband devastated.
There are plenty of cameos of famous folks like Julie Christie (“does not know how to use a comb”), Elliott Gould, Sue Barton, Vassar Clements, and Howard K. Smith.
In the end, something really awful happens, and in the weirdest turn of events, Winifred, an aspiring Country singer, who has been running away from her husband through the whole film, begins singing "It Don't Worry Me" in front of a stage of shell shocked people.
I think that this could be looked at a few different ways. A cautionary tale, about politics, about guns, about the frailty of human life amid mental illness.
But I read a little on the “why” this happened, and what pushed this person to do this horrible thing. I never found a reason. What I did find, though, was that Winifred’s chosen song was not without thought. It was chosen carefully to show that through it all, people are strong and resilient, and we will survive.
I try to keep that in mind during these trying times. We’ll get through it. One day, one hour, hell, one minute at a time. Right?
It don’t worry me, Movie On!
submitted by MrsLadyZedd to movies [link] [comments]

2024.05.28 02:04 MrsLadyZedd Nashville (1975)

MLZ MAP (Score): 98.07 / Zedd MAP (Score): 99.65 / Score Gap: 1.58
Nashville (1975) / Our Collection
IMDb Summary: Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention.
Starring an ensemble cast including David Arkin, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Timothy Brown, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Robert DoQui, Shelley Duvall, Allen Garfield, Henry Gibson, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Harris, David Hayward, Michael Murphy, Allan F. Nicholls, Dave Peel, Cristina Raines, Bert Remsen, Lily Tomlin, Gwen Welles, and Keenan Wynn.
I cannot say for sure that this was the first Robert Altman film I ever saw. Honestly, that was probably Popeye. But I do recall the first time we saw this film. At our first home here in Texas, in the bedroom. I remember Zedd and I looking at each other like “what the heck was that?”
There is just so much going on in this film. My feel is that when you experience a Robert Altman film it is as if you have a direct link into his brain. I believe he hears it all, but what does he absorb? Bits. Bites. The important stuff? But what, my friends, is important?
In this film, we have several intertwining stories of Nashville, on a special day. Barbara Jean is coming back to town. She’s been gone, recovering after an accidental fire (or perhaps a nervous breakdown?) There are some recording sessions going on, and a BBC reporter (she says) is running around getting a bunch of stories down on her trusty pocket recorder.
All of this action surrounds a fundraiser for Hal Philip Walker, Replacement Party candidate in the 1976 United States presidential election. One of the most upsetting parts, though, was the storyline of Mr. Green, whose dying wife Esther has her niece Martha (aka “L.A. Joan") come in to visit her in the hospital, though she ignores them in favor of every musician and adjacent person, until Esther passes away, leaving her devoted husband devastated.
There are plenty of cameos of famous folks like Julie Christie (“does not know how to use a comb”), Elliott Gould, Sue Barton, Vassar Clements, and Howard K. Smith.
In the end, something really awful happens, and in the weirdest turn of events, Winifred, an aspiring Country singer, who has been running away from her husband through the whole film, begins singing "It Don't Worry Me" in front of a stage of shell shocked people.
I think that this could be looked at a few different ways. A cautionary tale, about politics, about guns, about the frailty of human life amid mental illness.
But I read a little on the “why” this happened, and what pushed this person to do this horrible thing. I never found a reason. What I did find, though, was that Winifred’s chosen song was not without thought. It was chosen carefully to show that through it all, people are strong and resilient, and we will survive.
I try to keep that in mind during these trying times. We’ll get through it. One day, one hour, hell, one minute at a time. Right?
It don’t worry me, Movie On!
submitted by MrsLadyZedd to moviereviews [link] [comments]

http://rodzice.org/