Powder burn rates

To start, I’m a staff 2 at a Big4 firm in FDD. I did two 3 month rotations in audit and the remaining 18 months in FDD.
I have audit and FDD experience and am performing at a very high level. I was up for early promotion last year to senior after 1 year at the firm. But it fell through due to the market conditions. This year, I’ve received the highest ratings you can receive across the board and will be promoted to senior. It’s also been verbally communicated that I am on track to ‘manager’ after 1.5-2 years as a senior.
All great things except - this work is just killing me. Not the work itself but the variability. I’ve been staffed on so many shit shows that I truly feel burned out and am considering leaving for better WL balance and pay.

1. Am I an idiot for potentially wasting the good standing I’m in for a new firm/jov? Are these people just blowing smoke to my ass? It seems legit but idk, almost too good to be true and I want to be paid my market rate.
   
2. Where should I go? I love the work in FDD and M&A but I just don’t think I’ll find any sort of W/L balance in this field. I’ve read about corp dev being better but am interested in other avenues as well.
   

Hey everyone,
I recently wrote an in-depth article about the effects of cocaine on weight loss, which you can read here. This topic is important because while cocaine can cause weight loss, the risks are severe and often overlooked.
How Does Cocaine Cause Weight Loss?
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that significantly increases metabolism and suppresses appetite. When you take cocaine, it floods your brain with dopamine, which not only makes you feel euphoric but also reduces hunger. People using cocaine might not feel like eating for extended periods, leading to rapid weight loss.
Increased Metabolism
The drug boosts your heart rate and blood pressure, causing your body to burn more calories than usual. This increased metabolic rate is one of the primary reasons for the weight loss seen in cocaine users. However, this isn't a healthy or sustainable way to lose weight.
Appetite Suppression
Cocaine’s ability to suppress appetite is well-documented. Users often go for long periods without feeling the need to eat, which can lead to significant calorie deficits and, consequently, weight loss. But this also leads to malnutrition and other health issues.
Health Risks
While weight loss might seem like a desirable effect to some, the health risks far outweigh any perceived benefits. Cocaine use can lead to severe malnutrition, heart problems, and even sudden death. The drug’s impact on mental health is equally concerning, leading to addiction, anxiety, and paranoia.
Conclusion
Using cocaine for weight loss is extremely dangerous and can lead to severe health problems. For a more detailed exploration of how cocaine affects weight, check out the full article on Boxofin here. Remember, there are much safer and healthier ways to manage weight.
Stay safe and informed!

I just had a surgical abortion done 2 days ago, and wanted to document my experience in great detail for anyone who may be anticipating their own and looking for a thorough firsthand account. I was extremely nervous to get my abortion and was scouring the internet reading people’s experiences in order to calm my nerves and have some idea of what to expect, so hopefully this is helpful for someone else. My procedure took place at a Kaiser in the SF Bay Area of California.
I had originally wanted to go the medical abortion route but went in for an ultrasound and found out I was already past 10 weeks, and so was told I could only do the in clinic procedure, which they scheduled me for 3 days later. I asked if I could be asleep for the procedure and they said that no, I would be awake but given pain relief to make me more comfortable, and would need to have someone drive me home. I asked what kind of pain management I would be getting, and they said I would be given some pills and an injection before the procedure, injections to numb my cervix during the actual procedure, and likely some prescription pain meds to take home with me.
I went to the medical office at 2pm with my boyfriend. The nurse asked him to stay in the waiting room at first and brought me back alone. Asked me the usual questions, including if I felt safe at home, and then brought me my stuff for pain. I expressed that I was really anxious about the pain during the procedure because I have a high tolerance for pain medicine, and I was worried it wouldn’t be enough to make me comfortable. She said that I could express my concern to the doctor once I went into the procedure room and she could potentially give me more. She gave me 2 Norco pills (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) and 4 antiobiotic pills to prevent infection. Then she gave me a Toradol shot (basically like extra strength Tylenol) in my left butt cheek, which actually burned quite a bit. The nurse gave me a cold pack to put on my butt afterwards haha.
The nurse told me there’d be a bit of a waiting period while those pain meds kicked in, and that my boyfriend could come back and wait with me, which he did. Then at 3pm they took me to the procedure room and told my boyfriend to go back into the waiting room.
Once I got in the procedure room i undressed from the waist down (I kept my socks on) and sat on the chair with a paper sheet to cover my lap. The doctor came in and asked how the medicine was kicking in. I told her how anxious I was about the pain and that it didn’t feel like enough medicine, and she basically said she understood how I felt but that they don’t like to overmedicate as there are increased risks involved. She said she would put in a prescription for extra strength ibuprofen and a small amount of Norco to take home with me. She said the cervix injections would help numb things and that what I would mostly feel was bad cramping, and that the best thing I could do was focus on my breathing. I laid back in the chair and put my feet in the stirrups, and the nurse gave me a hot pack to hold on my lower belly.
The doctor inserted the speculum into my vagina and then gave me 3 injections into my cervix to numb it. I felt a slight pinch on the first one and flinched a bit, but did not feel the next 2. After a minute I started to feel numbness in my lips and asked if that was normal, and she said yes that was a good sign that the medicine was moving well through my body. Then she started to dilate my cervix in order to make it large enough to fit the suction tube through. This involved inserting increasingly larger rods to slowly stretch open my cervix. This step is when the cramping started. I kept my eyes closed and just focused on slow deep breathing, in through nose, out through mouth. This part of the procedure took about 5 minutes, and the cramping was about a 5/10
Once my cervix was dilated enough she inserted the suction tube and turned on the vacuum, and began suctioning the tissue out of my uterus. The cramping immediately intensified and got up to about an 8/10. Again, I just focused on my breathing and held the heat pack firmly to my belly. I could feel her moving the tube around the walls of my uterus and lots of pressure, and I did get some tears in my eyes at this point from the pain. The doctor just kept telling me I was doing a great job with my breathing, and that it wouldn’t be much longer. She had to stop for about a minute to adjust the speculum, which gave me a little bit of a break. Then she went back in to finish the suctioning. This part took about 5 minutes total and felt the most intense. I found it helpful to just keep reminding myself that it would be over very very soon.
As soon as she finished with the vacuum she inserted an ultrasound wand to make sure there was no tissue left behind. She let me know my uterus looked “nice and empty” and that it was all over. Then she removed the wand and speculum. The abortion procedure itself took about 12-15 minutes from start to finish.
I felt very lightheaded once the procedure was over, and the doctor told me I looked very pale and to just keep breathing nice and slow. I stayed laying back in the chair with my feet elevated. I kept the hot pack on my belly as I was still feeling cramps (about a 4/10), and the nurse gave me one cold pack to hold on my chest to calm my heart rate, and placed another cold pack on my forehead, which made me feel a lot more comfortable. Another nurse gave me a box of orange juice to sip on. The doctor stood next to me for a couple minutes comforting me and letting me know I had done a great job. I cried a little bit and thanked her for being so encouraging. She said that I was already getting my color back after just a couple minutes. She reminded me that if I got a fever or was bleeding so heavily I was having to change my pad every 1 or 2 hours that I needed to come in to the ER, and told me to just take it easy the next couple of days and get lots of rest. Then she left and it was just me and one nurse in the room. I stayed laying down for another 5 minutes or so.
The nurse asked me how I was feeling and if I wanted help getting dressed. I told her I was ready to stand up and that I felt I could dress myself. She gave me some moist towelettes to wipe myself and a maxi pad to put in my underwear. I was bleeding similar to a heavy period, but my cramps were almost gone. The nurse walked me back out to the waiting room once I was ready. Physically I felt a little shaky and weak but was able to walk fine on my own.
We stopped at the pharmacy on site and picked up my prescriptions, and then stopped at Walgreens on the way home for maxi pads and snacks (gushers and pringles ftw).
I had gotten to the hospital at 2pm and was home by 4pm. I spent the rest of the day resting in bed in my pajamas and watching movies. Around 8pm I started to feel crampy, so I used my heating pad and took 2 Norco pills and was able to sleep pretty well.
Since my procedure I’ve only had mild cramping, and have been bleeding like a regular period. Recovery has been less intense than I anticipated, which I am grateful for. I definitely bought way too many pads haha. Ibuprofen has been enough to manage the cramps. Emotionally I mostly just feel relief that the experience is over, and proud of myself for getting through it. I’ve had moments where I get teary eyed remembering how vulnerable and intense the procedure was, but those moments pass relatively quickly. Of course, everyone’s experience will be different, and it’s totally normal to feel a range of emotions or even not feel emotional at all.
Overall, it was more intense and painful than I expected. I thought I would be more heavily sedated for the procedure and not as aware of everything that was going on. But ultimately I’m sort of glad that the surgical abortion ended up being my only option. After reading a lot of negative MA experiences, I’m grateful I was able to have my abortion dealt with quickly and handled completely by professionals. 2 days later I am feeling almost completely back to normal.
To anyone needing an abortion who is dreading the experience, just know that you can do it. Your body can handle whatever pain may come, and you are strong enough to get through it. Soon enough it will just be a memory. Be gentle with yourself, and allow yourself to feel whatever you need to feel through this experience. You will be okay.
Feel free to comment or DM me with any questions you may have, and I will do my best to answer them thoroughly. 💜💜

Java Burn Reviews: Can You Lose Weight with This Coffee Supplement?
~Java Burn is designed with convenience and simplicity in mind.~ Imagine starting your day with your usual cup of coffee, but on this occasion it helps you lose weight. Java Burn delivers on this promise.
This supplement promises to speed up your metabolism, give you more energy, and improve the way your body burns fat.
The best part is that it doesn't change the flavor of your coffee, making it easy to use.
What is Java Burn Coffee?
~Java Burn is a natural weight loss supplement made from professionally sourced and tested ingredients.~ The formula targets the underlying causes of weight gain and a slow and non-habit-forming metabolism.
Objective third-party laboratories test powder to ensure it is free of impurities, including artificial colors, additives, preservatives, gluten and GMOs. Java Burn ensures overall health although weight loss is considered the main benefit.
It improves your energy and mental clarity, while keeping your blood pressure, diabetes, and digestion at healthy levels.
The manufacturer of the dietary supplement states that it is manufactured in an FDA registered facility in the United States under strict, hygienic, GMP certified procedures.
Java Burn is a coffee supplement that comes in a bottle containing 60 easy-to-swallow capsules, enough for a month's supply.

TLDR: loving the Botox right now. 40ish year old female.
*****
I got Botox in my armpits about 2 weeks ago for hyperhidrosis. First time treatment. So far, this is my experience. I'll break it down by my treatment experience first. Then I'll break it down on how the outcomes affect my life.
Treatment Experience

• I have never had the worst hyperhidrosis, but enough that it affected my life (more on that later). It only really affects me in my armpits.
• I have visited GPs (GP = general practitioner) about this many times in the past, and they just prescribe me medical strength aluminum that I have to put on once a week. I have tried this a number of times during my life, and it was never effective. When I was 19 years old and tried this, I actually got red burns in my armpits that made me cry they were so painful. Reflecting back, I was probably putting it on too frequently.
• I am originally from the US, and have lived in 5 other countries. I moved to Italy about 1.5 years ago. I visited my GP and asked for a Botox prescription and he happily gave it to me after I described my experience. Though I have access to the public health care system in Italy, the wait times are very long. Like most people, I carry private health insurance as a result. I wanted my treatment before summer started, otherwise I would have had to wait until November for an appointment in the public system.
• My appointment was with a neurologist in Milan. The procedure took about 15 minutes. There were around 20 pokes in each armpit. I have a high pain tolerance. I would rate this a 2 or 3 out of 10. Very pokey. I just took some very measured breathing to calm myself through it.
• The cost was €340 without insurance. My insurance covers the procedure. I have Googled other procedures in other cities and at cosmetic clinics I can see it ranging from 700 to 1,000 for a treatment.
• My neurologist told me that I would feel the effects within 4 to 10 days, and that they should last anywhere between 4 to 9 months. Some people report the effects are gone by 2 months, but he cannot treat me again before 3 months otherwise I can develop antibodies to the procedure.
• I already felt the effects on days 2 and 3, and everything was definitely in full swing by day 4. More on the effects/outcomes next.
• My neurologist did tell me that hands are more painful but all of his patients come back for their repeat treatments because the outcomes are worth the pain. He also offered that if I get underboob sweat that he can treat me there too (I declined this first time).

Outcome Experience First take:

• I would say that my sweating has dropped by 90-95%.
• If I do sweat, it just has a more "normal" acceptable odor to it rather than being gagging rancid.
• I am still wearing deoderant for the 5-10% but I only need to apply once a day. And some days I forget to apply.
• Even if my insurance didn't cover this treatment, I would pay for it out of pocket. I would not visit a cosmetic clinic though because their prices are higher, I would simply visit a neurologist and pay out of pocket for the treatment there (which is what I do anyway, run the credit card and get reimbursed by my insurance company).
• I have not noticed any increased sweating anywhere else on my body, however summer really only just started so will be monitoring/journaling that one closely.

It is almost hard to have known how badly my sweating affected me until after the procedure. Some of my own reflections:

• Ghost Sweat/Smell and Anxiety/Panic: It's going to take me a long time to lose the sweating/smelling panic and anxiety. I have this almost phantom sweating now. I go about my day, I think I feel that I'm starting to sweat, then I panic about "oh gosh, now I'm out in public and I'm going to smell bad and my shirt will be ruined and I will have to change before I go to dinner later and darnit I should have brought my deoderant with me and yuck I hope no one can smell me right now and I'll just keep my arms squished down to tightly pack the smell in there until I get home". And then I do a sweat and smell check - and there is nothing. No wet stains. I smell absolutely fine.
• Wardrobe Options Unlocked: Pre-Botox I would say that I was very limited in wardrobe options. I bought/wore maybe 10% of the possible outfits that I would actually like to wear. Shopping freaking sucked. I would not buy any clothing tops or dresses that touched my armpits. Period. So all of my clothes were either tank tops with a kimono or other cover top I could easily swap out when it got too sweaty/stinky, or very loose t-shirts. Nothing form fitting, ever (except swimsuits and tank tops). Even tank tops I was very particular that the lower portion needed to dip as low as possible, I could not wear any tank tops where the arm pit was tight/touching. It's crazy to think of the wardrobe styles and colors that have been unlocked now.
  • One story I tell my friends was a few years ago I was speaking at a conference of around 100-150 attendees. This is a normal part of my job, I love public speaking and thrive on it. Even so, I will of course get a bit anxious in the 1 hour before I go on. For this specific conference, I had worked with my executive coach to buy a new top that had a pop of color - something memorable - in bright blue silk. Luckily I was staying at an Airbnb about a 10 minute walk away from the facility. After arriving in the morning, within 30 minutes I looked down and I was soaking wet through this bright blue silk blouse, with wide water marks. I was horrified at my rookie mistake. I immediately ran back to my Airbnb, changed into my dull frumpy black top and black sweater, and then ran back to do my speech/panel.
• Travel Packing: Holy heck now I realize how people can travel so light with just a backpack. They can re-wear most of their clothing. I have always needed to bring a lot of change of clothes. Not necessarily bottoms, but tops yes. Because even though I might have the ability to at least hand wash, it may take too long for them to dry before I need to wear them again. So I just pack a little bit more clothes to be safe. Just this last week I never had to do laundry and I was on a 10 day trip, and I re-wore every top I put on at least 2-3 times. Some clothes I never even wore because I didn't need to. I have unlocked so much more possibility for traveling light.
• Cute Airport Looks: I am a person that believes you should look nice when you travel, and since you never know who you are going to meet then you should look your best to be ready for such random encounters. But, I never got to be that person because of my sweating. "Travel Day" (arrival and departure) was always just planned around the outfit that would make me sweat/smell the least. I wouldn't even bother putting on makeup because I felt gross and wet and stinky anyway so why bother? Usually by the time I got to the airport, I was already wet and smelly from going up and down stairs and taking public transportation, just trying to hide it for my flight until I could change and reapply deoderant. But now? I can look cute when I travel. Today I hauled my suitcase to the airport, flew home to Italy from the Netherlands, with no sweat and no smell. I'm really looking forward to finally being able to "dress cute" at the airport and feel confident in myself.
• Intimacy: Pre-Botox I would make my outfit and dating choices around my sweating. I would have to really analyze the situation, the weather, whether we would be sitting outdoors or indoors or in air conditioning or not, if he had air conditioning at his home or not, all to determine whether or not I would go home with him. All of that anxiety about sweating/smelling meant that intimacy was never spontaneous, always planned, which I hate. Additionally, if the stars did align for something spontaneous (perfect outfit choices for the setting) then if I got to his home and realized I didn't have any deoderant with me I would check his bathroom cabinet for spray deoderant. If I found spray deoderant that I could use to top up before getting sexy and to top up again in the morning, then I would stay over. If not, I would leave and go home. Another example of one my crutches: I would always stink in the morning so I would try my best to wake up before him, run to the bathroom and apply deoderant, and then come back to bed before any morning intimacy began.

Overall, 10 out of 10 will get the procedure done again when the effects have worn off.

Synopsis: Markus is summoned from Earth by evil beings looking for a 'weak and primitive' creature to use as sacrificial entertainment. What they got instead was a human. Immediately after arriving, Markus awakens to an ability so rare, so powerful that it makes every god on Firellia desperate to recruit him as their new champion.
Learning to control his innate mastery over mana, Markus will devour the very essence of any monster, demon, or god that dares get in his way, determined to never lose his freedom again.
——
First Prev Next Patreon
Markus felt the air slicing right past his shoulder, but the blade never made contact. With an explosion of pain and power, he forced the goblins away with intangible, spiritual force, a white-blue energy emanating from him as he clutched his axe hard, fresh blood leaking onto the handle.
[Mana Capacity at 366%. Overcharge, E Grade is in effect. Growth increased. All physical stats temporarily increased by 75. Physical damage resistance increased.]
[Mana Poisoning II is in effect.]
He stared out at the five targets before him, all of them frozen, inert, watching to see what he’d do next. The injured sword user still stared dead at him, but it wasn’t just hatred in his eyes, no. Not anymore.
There was another feeling in there, one that grew with each passing moment as Markus began to close the distance between them. Now it was his turn to advance, theirs to shy away, to back up, to brandish their weapons wildly in an attempt to deter his hellmarch.
Markus had started off limping, but he soon managed to stand tall. His injuries barely affected him in this state. They still hurt, they still throbbed, they still itched and burned beneath his skin, but the pleasant, stimulating, thrumming warmth of mana flowed through him at full tilt, guiding his motions and giving him clarity of vision, confidence in his gait.
His heavy, deliberate steps crushed the sand below. He was no larger than life, yet a monster of gargantuan proportions in the face of these pitiable beasts.
They swung and stabbed forth with such forlorn intensity, such maddening whines. They sensed the danger, backing up continually even as they continued to try and keep Markus at bay, huddling in a tenuous attempt at a battle formation.
None of this deterred Markus. He could see their attacks for what they were now. Untrained. They’d used their weapons far more than he ever had, yes, but they were still clumsy. Slower than he’d been with the glaive. Moving aside to dodge a sword swing or the poke of a spear was rudimentary at this point. Almost effortless.
Still, dealing at four weapons thrusting in his direction at once was still difficult. When another rock sailed past his head, this one just barely missing due to a split-second reaction, he instinctively responded, chucking the hand axe straight at the far off goblin with the slingshot.
His weapon travelled about ten feet before embedding itself directly in the creature’s chest.
He fell in an instant. There would be no survival, no miraculous return to his feet. One strike was all it took.
He’d given up his weapon. It didn’t matter. Markus had a thousand other ways to make the remainders’ defenses crack.
Shield user was heading up the middle of their formation, which made the most sense, the two polearm users standing at either side a small distance behind and continually thrusting with their spears. The four of them were stood in something almost akin to a V formation, the leader pressing his right arm into the chest of the goblin beside him and encouraging them to keep backing up.
Markus attempted to draw out the Flame Mana within his body. He was still clumsy, still having difficulty with selecting specific mana types to use, and when he attempted to focus his Flame Mana on a point and ignite one of the specific goblins, he found that having a point in Pyromancy didn’t just give him the power to spontaneously combust things.
Well, at least not yet.
So Markus settled for a different method. He attempted to use Manifest for the first time, drawing the Spirit Mana out of his body and attempting to form it into a shape, something long and sharp, resembling a blade or a stick or a poker, an instrument he could use to break up their formation, to make himself an opening. He continued to visualise as he walked, imagining his desired extension of Spirit as best he possibly could and attempting to bring it into the waiting world.
When the object first began to form within his hand, he found it to lack a handle, a shape, a curve, any delineating feature that might mark it as a distinct object, that might give it purpose. As it stood, the object looked something akin to a plain blue quarterstaff, its shape uniform as it lengthened, its colour a consistent, shimmering blue all the way along, complete with white rings that circled its length over and over as it continued to grow in length.
Markus shifted his focus over to Empower. He gave the makeshift weapon a test swing as he began to coat the surface of the ethereal staff in an orange glow, markings both spreading and radiating in each direction of the conjured weapon and warming Markus’ hands. It felt light in his hands, lighter than a baseball bat. Lighter than his glaive. Attunement didn’t apply here. This weapon was an extension of him. He understood how it moved.
There was a collective ‘what the fuck’ on the face of the goblins. They stood their ground, weapons stilled, ready to deflect his strikes as in the background, the announcer went through his latest bout of losing his damn mind at the spectacle unfolding before him.
The crowd seemed to have changed their tune. The cheers and cries of excitement from above were overwhelming—Markus put them out of mind. Stored them for later. Removed them from his focus.
All that mattered now was advancing. Surviving. Winning while he still had mana to spend.
Markus swung forwards with all of his might. Sparks and licks of flame alike danced through the stifling air, roaring upwards as his weapon collided with the middle goblin’s shield, staggering him and shaking all four of them in turn.
He could feel the reverberation coursing through him, but he stayed the course, retracting the weapon and reengaging with a lunging thrust, one leg extended, power and momentum coalescing even as he focussed the tip of his conjured staff into a red-hot tip.
The sparks that flew as the staff collided served as ample kindling, the wooden shield on the goblin’s arm catching flame. He waved his arm madly as he struggled to detach the large slab of wood from his arm, disrupting his comrades as Markus swung forth again, smacking the same goblin again in his sword arm and causing him to drop his weapon, staggering backwards and howling as the flames along the shield continued to spread, threatening to melt his flesh any moment as still he fought to detach it with no arms to do so.
Markus stared at the spreading flame, feeling intention rising within his body as he focussed the same energy he could feel dissipating from the staff after his second strike, retaining the feeling while he still recognised it and aiming it directly at his last point of impact.
The rate of the spreading flames doubled, a roar erupting from the shield as the wood split and frayed, the goblin screaming and throwing himself to the sand below, desperately attempting to douse his shield.
Markus ran forwards the moment their formation was broken. He focussed the leftmost goblin first, this one with a poleaxe, smashing the long staff into its side and then uppercuting the goblin’s chin with the staff’s backend, closing the gap between them in moments and sending the monster flying.
Markus felt a spear strike him in the right arm once more, and immediately felt the weapon he held in his hands dissipate.
Earlier, he might’ve panicked. Now, he grabbed the wooden pole sticking out of his arm before it could be retracted and snapped it in half.
A speartip embedded in his right arm, at least three other stab wounds littering his body, various cuts and scrapes and bruises forming even as he continued to defiantly march forwards, the glowing aura still pulsating and bleeding through his pores even as he bled into the sand, Markus must’ve looked like a fucking nightmare.
He felt like one. He didn’t take pleasure in the suffering of the goblins, but he almost wanted the fuckers to get back up. He wanted to show what came of taking him so lightly.
What he did to every goblin here today, the lengths he’d go to in order to win this, he wanted that to echo through the minds of every sick, terrible creature that thought to torture or torment him, a reminder that while so many might dwarf his power, while so many might make him look weak and helpless now, he would only grow stronger, and he would only get better.
And while Markus survived each horrific encounter he was thrust into, while he learned from his mistakes and devoured his enemies and consolidated his strength, he’d remember the ones who put him here…
And they’d be lucky if they weren’t [Devoured] next.
Markus punched the goblin to his right, swinging a left in a narrow arc. He heard a crunch, watching the goblin hit the floor as Markus adopted a boxing stance, left foot behind him.
He felt weird strange unorthodox, but even with the regeneration and pain reduction flowing through him from Overcharge, he’d still been stabbed in his right arm twice. He couldn’t rely on it for power now, so he was a southpaw until further notice.
That was fine. There was such power even behind his lefts right now that he floored these creatures with almost every strike. Overcharge was no fucking joke.
Not only that, but as Markus swung for shield goblin, who’d finally sprang to his feet and charged him, left arm looking slightly mangled, he realised that his fluidity of movement was only increasing the more time he spent on throwing these punches. He was improving as he went, adjusting to the change in his agility, tanking yet another grazing slash against his torso before kneeing the offending goblin in the face, sending the creature flying back to the dirt.
Pain exploded from his right leg as soon as he did so, and he had to fight to remain balance. He took a couple more slashes as once again he focussed power into his punches and concentrated on trying to take the creatures down, but the more he attempted to repeat the process, the more they kept getting back up, and the more Markus began to wonder what would wear down first at this rate, the four enemies he was fighting or his mana reserves?
He could take more punishment, but he needed to be able to give some back out. A good thrust from one of these goblins could still be lethal, and even if they were a lot slower than him, it was difficult to dodge multiple attacks at once when stood around sand.
Markus decided to change his approach, attempting to coat his knuckles in mana. Manifest created small protrusions at the end of his knuckles as he poured focus into the prospect. They weren’t spikes, he apparently couldn’t be so exact yet, but they at the very least seemed solid.
When he punched with them, he’d expected it to hurt pretty badly, but if anything, it cushioned the blow against what were surely broken knuckles by now. More than that, however, was the effect, a concussive blow that seemed to knock the first goblin he struck silly, allowing for an easy follow-up, and then allowed Markus to take the second one out with a single punch to the chin.
Two down, looking they wouldn’t get up for a minute, Markus singled out a third, the goblin with the burnt, broken shield, charing him and piledriving him to the ground.
He ignored the uncomfortable crunch below him as he drove his fingers into the goblin’s neck, choking and stabbing his fingers into his flesh simultaneously as the creature latched on and attempted to throttle him in turn, claws scratching in final, fitful jolts as the life was forced from his eyes.
Markus managed to drain a little from him and activate [Devour] before he returned to his feet, having only spent moments executing the creature.
As the new power flowed into him, Markus felt a stick smash against the back of his neck. He gasped, sucking air through his teeth as he turned to find the sorry culprit.
It was the goblin whose spear he broke earlier, the one whose metal tip was still embedded in his arm. Markus stared at him. Raised a finger at him, as if he were about to reprimand a child.
Then Markus punched him. The creature once again went flying backwards as Markus continued to rub his pained neck.
It was almost laughable, but this one minor injury hurt more than any of the others. Maybe it was because he hadn’t expected it. Maybe because he’d discounted that goblin from the fight already, disarmed and seemingly out cold.
The other two were still rising to their feet. One the leader, still injured, the other the poleaxe user, using his weapon to help raise himself to his unsteady feet.
He thought Overcharge would make this fight easy. He thought this fight was meant to be easy in general. A showcase of power. More like a showcase of struggle. Overcharge might’ve turned the fight in his favour, but each second of this battle was grueling, even with many of the enemies dead or out of commission.
And these things were pretty relentless. He almost respected the drive these things had to keep going, to stand up over and over no matter how many times he put them down. They must’ve been hoping they could wear him out eventually. He wasn’t gonna let that happen, though. Not while he still had a say in things. All he needed to do was single another one of them out and—
Poleaxe swung past his face, almost giving him a triple-close shave. This weapon looked sharper and shinier than the other gear the goblins boasted, and he didn’t wanna get nicked by the blade, so Markus attempted to once again yank the weapon away from the offending goblin, placing both hands on the pole, but the creature pulled back with such force that it threw itself back to the floor, causing the weapon to slip from Markus’ grip and cut both of his palms on the way out.
The goblin barreled back with his momentum, rolling, but before he could find his feet again, Markus was behind him. A kick to its head pushed it back into the sand, and two more kicks followed by a single stamp solidified the goblin’s defeat.
As Markus turned to face the leader, the goblin kicked sand in his face.
He was immediately blinded, unable to defend himself as the goblin stabbed him directly in the thigh with his short sword and immediately barreled into him, driving him to the ground and pounding his head against the floor beneath repeatedly, biting a chunk of flesh from his cheek as it dug its fingers into his neck, intent on crushing the life out of him once and for all.
This was fucked. He was going to die. He’d made one fucking slip-up and he was going to die! Markus kicked and thrashed with all of his might, but it was all too soon ebbing, and with the size of the creature and its pressure on his chest his legs couldn’t find any purchase. He attempted to move his arms up, to find a spot to drain the goblin from, but he wasn’t going to be able to drain the thing faster than it choked him out.
Markus attempted to wrap his arms around its back, to simply crush it with his enhanced strength, but even when he squeezed with all of the death-defying strength he could conjure, he could barely do more than force a strangled crunch! from the goblin’s ribs.
He needed to break its grip. His thoughts were slowly fading. He needed to break its…
He bit the creature right back, right on its chin, causing it to flinch back just long enough that he could snake his right arm from where it was pinned and grab its left with both his slippery, bleeding hands. He attempted to prize its hands apart, but its focus was too great, its determination too single-minded to give up its endeavour even as he pulled it from his neck with all of its might…
He barely got seconds of breath, only able to break its hold for moments at a time, his neck raw, his gasps pained, laboured, and above all infrequent.
If he couldn’t stop it from grabbing him again every time he pushed its arm away…
Then he’d have to take its arm.
Markus focussed as much of his mana as he still could into his bleeding hands, seeking a means to pierce the goblin’s arm. His world slowed as he desperately attempted to coat his hands in energy, to bolster his grip, to pinpoint an area around the elbow that would allow him to pull at full force without slipping, without allowing the strength to fade from him entirely…
Markus closed his eyes. He was playing tug of war for his life, heart, and soul. Everything he’d ever known and cared about were on the line. Dreams, thoughts, wishes, emotions, all of them drifted by in the miasma of intangible nothingness that gently beckoned him past the epoch, that told him to let go, that told him he didn’t need to worry and fight anymore, that he’d bled enough, that this next breath could be his last…
Markus pulled. He pulled with the scream spilling out from his soul, for his lungs couldn’t carry it, with a bellow that shook the foundations of peace, for even in strangled silence, his spirit was unfathomably loud.
And the world trembled. Heaven’s gates closed. He tugged with all of his might, and above him, Markus heard a sickening snap.
His body flung back into the sand the moment the goblin’s arm dislodged. It stared at him in abject horror, attempting to move its dangling appendage, but seeing an opportunity, Markus moved faster, took advantage of its distraction, forcing the goblin off of his chest and smashing it into the floor.
It attempted to swing for him, but he beat it with more intensity than it could muster, his heart a war drum, lungs igniting with sulfuric heat as he gasped and panted for breath, his very existence a testament to the will of man.
He beat and smashed the goblin with his fists, even through the pain of his broken knuckles, but when the fucker still wouldn’t die despite his many concurrent blows, when it still attempted to claw and bite at him with every spasmic motion of its beaten body, Markus ripped the flailing arm from its side and drove the appendage into his face, able to use his full strength now that his body wasn’t the conduit, smashing the goblin with its own arm over and over in a fervent expression of vitriolic irony, for they’d sent him here unarmed, and now he was very much armed indeed.
The death gasps of the goblin leader were punctuated by bludgeoning strikes from its own broken, mangled, severed arm. Markus leant over him, body littered in wounds, looking as if he might die or ascend to Valhalla at any moment, as the crowd clapped and cheered and roared in satisfaction.
“Yeah?” Markus coughed the word out. He could barely speak. His voice was only scarcely being held together by the tendrils of overwhelming mana. “You like that, you sick fucks?!”
He raised himself to a sitting position, bathed in crimson, looking over the battlefield, staring out at what he’d done.
There was a chance he’d die to these injuries. Even Regeneration surely had its limits. He stuck his fingers to the throat of the dead goblin beneath him, attempting to drain some residual mana from his body, poisoning be damned. He hoped he could at least get something to stem the tide of his many wounds. He [Devoured] the creature’s core, too, just to be thorough.
His focus was broken by the sound of the final goblin scurrying up beside him. It was the one whose spear he’d broken. The one he simply punched away earlier.
It stood holding a short sword, one he must’ve picked up from one of his dead comrades.
He looked at Markus. He poised his body, as if he were ready to strike.
Markus simply stared at him, raising the dead goblin’s arm as he did so.
The little goblin held that position for roughly three seconds, not moving even a single inch, Markus doing the exact same.
It dropped the sword, then ran as far as it could in the opposite direction, crouching and covering its head with its hands as the crowd laughed and jeered.
Markus sighed a laboured breath as the announcer took over, his complete victory having been finally declared for all the rabid, screaming onlookers above.
Good thing he looked so terrifying right now. He was pretty sure one good hit would’ve been all he needed to do him in for good.
Hell, even a bad hit probably would’ve done the trick at this point.
He saw a digital image of himself projected up high, though he could barely make it out through the blurring of his eyes.
He looked as if someone had painted half his body red. He felt as if he’d been ran through a woodchipper.
If I survive my injuries, I’d better get a fucking good reward for this.
Markus would survive his injuries. And he would get a fucking good reward.
//
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A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed, and that you enjoy what comes next! What do you think Markus needs most in his situation, besides a way home? I'm curious!
If you wanna help support me and this story, or you just can't wait for the next chapter, the next eight chapters of this story are available right now on my Patreon!

they're up to 13m and only rising.
Either make them more common, less incentivized to bot, or fix the damn interaction with the scythe causing it to burn a bloodshard at 3 times the rate of other weapons, i've been grinding pet at colo and i am spending 1100-1500 charges per clear. it's actually insane that i every 7-8 kc i have to replace the shard. this grind has cost me over 200m in shards alone which is just nuts, i dont know how an iron would ever be able to sustain this many lol
also due to the fact that you guys have done literally nothing to curtail all the colo wave 1 farming bots (https://www.reddit.com/2007scape/comments/1coavfj/the_colo_bot_situation_has_gotten_out_of_hand/), i actually am spending more GP per clear than im making in shards/quivers if i turned them into shards. that's ridiculious.
those bots are still running btw.
speaking of bots - bloodshard bots are everywhere making billions farming them and the incentive is only going up as the price soars
its a pretty easy fix people have been asking for forever, jagex please. it's a simple change that helps everyone and makes basically everyone happy except botters, basically a win win.

I have an electrical box on the side of my house that has a T shaped plug “fuse” or something like that. I’m fairly certain it supplies power to another small building on my property. I would like to know if there is a way to add an outlet here that has 30amp. We need to plug a travel trailer in here.

Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) and utility boilers are both types of steam-generating equipment used in power plants and industrial settings, but they have distinct differences in terms of their design, operation, and applications. Here's a detailed comparison:

1. Purpose and Application:

HRSG:
Purpose: HRSGs are designed to recover waste heat from the exhaust gases of gas turbines or other industrial processes. The primary purpose is to enhance overall plant efficiency by utilizing otherwise wasted heat.
Application: Commonly used in combined cycle power plants (CCPPs), where they are paired with gas turbines to form a combined cycle power plant. They can also be used in cogeneration plants where both electricity and useful heat are produced.
Utility Boiler:
Purpose: Utility boilers are designed to generate steam for power generation, industrial processes, or district heating. They burn various fuels (coal, natural gas, oil, biomass) to generate heat.
Application: Widely used in standalone power plants (thermal power plants) where the primary purpose is to generate electricity. They can also be found in large industrial facilities requiring significant amounts of steam and power.

1. Heat Source:

HRSG:
Heat Source: Utilizes waste heat from the exhaust of gas turbines or other industrial processes. It does not have its own fuel combustion system.
Utility Boiler:
Heat Source: Burns fuel directly to generate heat. It has its own combustion system to burn coal, natural gas, oil, or biomass.

1. Design and Structure:

HRSG:
Design: Comprises multiple sections (economizer, evaporator, superheater) to maximize heat recovery from exhaust gases. Typically has multiple pressure levels (high, intermediate, and low pressure) to improve efficiency.
Structure: Usually designed as modular units, can be vertical or horizontal, and tailored to match the exhaust flow of the gas turbine.
Utility Boiler:
Design: Includes components like a furnace, economizer, superheater, reheater, and air preheater. Typically operates at high pressures and temperatures to maximize efficiency.
Structure: Usually a large, standalone structure with a tall furnace section to facilitate efficient combustion and heat transfer.

1. Efficiency:

HRSG:
Efficiency: High overall plant efficiency when combined with a gas turbine in a combined cycle configuration. The efficiency of the HRSG itself depends on the temperature and flow rate of the exhaust gases.
Utility Boiler:
Efficiency: Standalone efficiency depends on the type of fuel and the design of the boiler. Modern utility boilers can achieve high efficiencies through advanced combustion technologies and better heat recovery systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28cetgQpNk

If they are going to continue to reward us this useless perk currency, then offer a way to trade it in for useful Fighter Currency or Gleamium; I don't even care if the conversion rate is a scam, at least getting something useful for something useless will actually be an insentive. Perk currency is burning a hole in my pocket, and I don't need to spend anymore, because I've got all the perks I actually need unlocked already.

Chris rock once said “ Only Women, children and dogs are loved unconditionally. A man is only loved under the condition that he provides something.
This is facts, nobody cares about men’s struggles, a man can’t cry without being called weak or soft. Nobody cares about men’s struggles. That’s why they’re self deleting at a rate 4, now it’s only 3 times as many. 75% men to 25% women) times that of women. Men don’t dare open up or show vulnerability to a partner because most women either use it as ammunition against them later, or in the best case scenario they subconsciously see it as weakness and lose attraction for him leading to the relationship ending. People brush that off as redpill nonsense, but it’s true in my own case as well as many others I’ve seen. Never be vulnerable with a woman you’re romantically involved with or the relationship will take a nose dive. I don’t believe this dynamic will ever change in my lifetime or even several generations more.
Even if SOME women are accepting enough to support a man in his vulnerability, it will take tremendous trust for him to really know for sure that she actually is such a woman. If he’s EVER gotten burned in the past, he likely will never open up again.

~Part 3 Luna~
A woman like Chang’e lived on a moon. Far away.
You can refer to me as Luna.
At the age of 19 I was diagnosed with a severe nerve pain condition. It is called trigeminal neuralgia but you can call it TN for ease.
I was frustrated. I had completed a degree in international finances from Chongqing University of Business and Technology. The boom of the economy was not the same. There was an urge to “lay flat”—to not try as a form of opposition to everything going on in a waning economy in China.
All are elephants chained for an audience. People love to peek and stare as though they are glass doors without hinges—to be made feel useless.
I developed TN at the age of 19, and was now 22. It came as an arrow, and quite literally to the face. It’s a rare nerve pain disorder often considered one of the most painful conditions known.
The illness involves intense nerve pain throughout the left side of my face. It felt like someone was trying to pull all of the teeth on the left side of my face without anesthesia. The pain can leave me falling to the floor unable to speak or move while screaming profanities while choked by pain. A feeling of a knife to my face over and over again. It leaves me in absolute shock. Like Roman candles to the face. An absolute hindrance. The anticipation of not knowing when it will happen again is a nightmare at times.
The disease is often called the suicide disease, apparently up to 26% try to take their lives. In a state of panic during one of the nerve attacks I began swallowing any pill near to me. I went to the hospital to have my stomach pumped when I was found comatose by my mother.
I want to be Chang’e and on the moon and away from a world I have had enough of.
Gossip spread around the workplace that I attempted suicide over an affair with a married man. There was too much guilt to return to the workplace. COVID did have an impact to the economy. I still remember my hometown having dirt and trees piled onto the exits and entrances to the city keep people in their places.
The work I did find felt beneath me. China has what is called the great firewall that keeps something in and out of the country’s networks. A VPN was necessary to access American TikTok as it was used as opposed to the Chinese version.
Feels humiliating the nature of the outcome for me—I gave up in many ways like so many Chinese youth. For work I would go to a local office building. Amongst a long hall would be rooms for live stream performers. I would entertain with watchers while trying to obtain virtual gifts for actual money. I despised it—sometimes the conversation could be funny or interesting but it felt hollow.
I would paint flowers on my face and wear hanfu clothing while doing ASMR. Competing in battles while dress cute and facing off with others. I would encourage and flatter those that send virtual gifts that could be exchanged for gifts. I would message and ask for WeChat account numbers to talk to them and I would be an emotional prostitute pretending to love and be interested in them for the hopes of more gifts. Methods of manipulation would be used as in begging, guilt tripping a viewer, and love bombing them. Often middle aged men would pretend to be the female host.
I had a mind of sparklers burning until it burnt and stung like wax—like I had the option to stop and cry and those tears stuck as wax and burnt or I soldiered on and grew accustomed to the pain. I was an elephant chained. The audience watched and interacted with me on the live. I was a chained elephant when it was found out about my previous attempt and when the rumors spread.
Too many thorns in life. Nails hitting at the wrong points like an equation for something terrible to eventually happen—a life set to end in misery—a fate.
My favorite dish was Henan noodles. I often cooked it with my mom. It provides great memories of childhood. I hadn’t talked to my mother as much as before. She moved to a job in Taiyuan.
Sometimes I would go up to visit her. But it was harder as she worked more and more hours. Sometimes voids build even when going through extreme nerve pain. And with trigeminal neuralgia, the pain was so intense that I would freeze and scream in pain. It cannot always be hid. It made me an elephant tethered.
Life can be like a pressure like no other. Too much stress. Makes one feel irritable with a mouth like a sprinkler of napalm when someone is too close. Life feels like a lit fire cracker held—in the end it would tear my hand up. Things kept building while the other side of my face began to hurt too recently. This was rare and not so common. My eyesight was becoming blurry too and it seemed I might have multiple sclerosis as the pain was on both side, it was not common for my age, and the blurry eyesight. An appointment was scheduled and I felt terrified to know what was going on and wondered if it was best to not even know my health.
I walked out of the studio and had a cigarette. My boss came out and joined to talk. He was concerned about view count and wanted me to do things to increase it that made me feel uncomfortable. He made a few comments I found incentive.
The boss sure liked to criticize and apply pressure. He was not impressed with my work and thought I could do something different. In China an application is used called WeChat. This application has many uses. People can display and share moments like a Facebook wall, message each other, send money, video chat, and even has a feature to find people near to you who are also looking for people near to them. I was to attract people onto dates. The idea was they would be lured in and the men would go to a set destination to a planned tea house that served snacks. When the men arrived (they had no knowledge of the setup) the bill would be at an absurd rate and if the men refused to pay larger men would use their size to force them to pay up.
I was not sure at the time yet if I wanted the job. Being worried about ethics and safety. It was something I would have to think about.
My medical expenses were growing and I knew the nerve disease could be expensive to treat with surgery. All I had was thoughts while looking at the moon.

~Final~
I watched Luna from Zhengzhou. On a screen. My name is Luo. I tap away on my phone in a dormitory in a Foxconn factory. I was a migrant worker from Luoyang in the province of Henan. My wife was in Guangzhou and I was in Zhengzhou. Far from each other. We could not be together. We were migrant workers. In China we use Hukos—a government document used to list family members like a tree—and it determine where you were tied to geographically. I could only get access to government resources if residing in your home province that your family originates from. This meant my daughter could only go to school in the province and city she originates from. I was stuck in zhengzhou at a Taiwanese own factory making iPhones. It was during the pandemic. COVID and restrictions. Felt claustrophobic. Could not leave the factory grounds due to orders. But my alienation was okay—manageable. I did it via numbing myself via sending virtual gifts to Luna. Like a noose around my neck in debt.
Workers were getting mad because we weren’t being paid our allowances. And we found ourselves restricted to staying with workers who were positive for the virus. Anger was growing. And I was feeling upset like everyone else. Isolated on a moon with Luna to talk to.
Pressure grew—discontent. People rushed to the courtyard where people in hazmat suits came with batons to face a mob of angry workers. Shouting and throwing of projectiles. Chaos grew. I stood amongst them just as angry. Fists clenched.
The feeling towards Luna was polar to the situation at hand. I figured I would be pulled apart into shreds. Hooks everywhere. A piñata to be busted with all my anger and frustrations to fall out like candy for Luna to eat on. In three weeks I grew exhausted and found my own moon off the edge of a bridge —parasitical love is thin.

I recently left a job in Corporate America mental health. When I started there I thought it was a great opportunity with good pay and benefits. I had to leave the private group I was in prior as I was getting divorced and needed benefits. As I worked there, and worked my way up, not only was I hearing horrible complaints about customer service and billing on our admin side, but I was seeing more and more how things worked. No one on the business side seemed to care about our clinical services- which is the entire product- and its MENTAL HEALTHCARE. Higher ups didn’t listen to the clinical side and often times wrapped benefits or procedural changes up in a box with lovely packaging and a bow, but sooner or later it was apparent it was not much benefit if any at all. For example, I met the stock option bonuses every year totaling about $50K which turned out to be $38 and some change. I get its stock, but the way it was sold to us made it sound like it was a real benefit. Also their BBB rating is an F. The kicker for me was when I realized how much they were charging our clients for mental health care and how they weren’t even paying us 1/3 of that. When I resigned it was obvious no one besides my immediate office mates cared that I was leaving and gave me a lovely last day and gift. I am so grateful for all of them. They made this job bearable and they are wonderful clinicians who provide great care for clients. From the Operations side- There was no meeting, no exit interview, nothing except what furniture will you be taking out of your office. Let me add in I’m a top earner there, so you’d at least think they’d care about the $$. I’m not special in this treatment. It seems to be a standard operating procedure as I’ve learned from others who’ve left prior. I also realize we are all replaceable at work. I did receive a follow up survey. At first I was so mad I couldn’t even fill it out. Finally I did. In that survey they asked why are you leaving. I told them in a very diplomatic way, but then it came over me and I ended it with… Basically blah blah blah company looks great from the outside, but it’s really just the pie served up in The Help. Let me add I’m not worried about burning bridges here and I’ll be just fine apart from the company. AITAH for telling them they are the pie served up in The Help?

I’m nursing, so burning an extra 600-700 calories a day. I’m on 1000 mg metformin trying to eat a minimum of 2000 calories and 100 g carbs a day, but that’s still too little. I’m at 4’11” 100 lbs right now, trying not to go below 100 lbs but it’s been difficult. At a rate of losing .75 lb a week for the past 8 weeks. I want to nurse for longer but also don’t want to wither away.
I’m trying to constantly fill up on nuts, Greek yogurt, a protein shake/bar, or eggs between meals, but it still isn’t enough. 😩

So, I recently came back from a 10 day vacation with my long distance girlfriend. We hadn't seen each other or had sex in about 4 months, so naturally we were going at it quite a lot, all unprotected (she uses NuvaRing). She had a full STD panel done before we started dating and I have no reason to suspect infidelity on her part, I've been faithful as well. I haven't had a full one done in a while, but I hadn't noticed any symptoms, and my condom use rate before my GF was about 95%. I'll certainly be getting a full panel done now, as I should have done before we started dating.
It's worth mentioning that I tested positive for chlamydia once a long time ago, in December 2020. I did the whole treatment regimen and tested again 9-10 days later, came back negative. My GF also has genital HSV-1, but she was infected almost 3 years ago and she takes viral suppression drugs whenever we're going to be together.
My only symptoms right now are an occasional, very slight but noticeable burning sensation during and after urination, and an occasional very slight itching of the urethra near the head of my penis, which I can only relieve by squeezing just below the head of my dick. I haven't noticed any discharge yet. I also had a sore throat starting the day before I left to go home, which lasted for 3 or 4 days, but it wasn't scratchy or painful except for when swallowing, and my lymph nodes weren't swollen.
Given my previous experience with chlamydia and the slight chance of exposure to something in the past (though it would have had to have happened at least 11-12 months ago, or more), I'm feeling a tad paranoid. What could be causing this? Possible non-STI bacterial infection from all the unprotected sex? Not always urinating after ejaculations? Using lubricant that's 3 years old?

I currently have a 2019 Sonata that has been having signs of the engine going out. I am out of warranty as I bought it used, looking to get out of it before something goes wrong (currently burning oil and low gas mileage).
I’m heading to AF flight school this fall. I’m eligible for military discounts but seems to be around $500 for most makes.
I’m looking to get an SUV preferably with some sort of tow rating, however I’m mainly going to use the hitch for bikes and possibly a kayak/small sailboat so I really only need 1500, but more is always better.
I prefer better gas mileage and lots of technology features. Hopefully something around 2021 or newer. Off-road capability is always a plus, but I also don’t do anything too crazy (Midwest camping).
I have done a decent amount of research and have friends in the car sales industry, but wanted some Reddit advice as well.
Seems like if I buy new, most SUVs with mid to high trims are around $35-40k for standard compact (RAV4, CRV, CX5, etc) and if I buy a used vehicle of equivalent models there really isn’t much of any depreciation.
This has led me to look into used luxury SUVs that have taken $20k depreciation hits, however I do not know much about them. Think 2021-2023 Audi MDX, BMW X5, etc that still are in the $35-40k ballpark with about 40k miles.
If you were looking for a car would you get a new standard SUV or a used luxury? What would you be looking for?
Hoping to have some solid ideas before the end of the month so I can hopefully take advantage of last minute end of quarter deals.