Swiatek vs Potapova :

Swiatek had to have been happy with her third round matchup after waking up from the nightmare that Naomi Osaka presented. She made quick work of Bouzkova, who was outmatched in every department. Bouzkova did manage to battle back in the first and make the set close, and she served surprisingly well, but she just doesn’t hit hard enough to beat Swiatek. It was one of those matches where Swiatek looks a bit impatient because she’s supplying all the offense, and it seems like when it takes 3-4 shots to get an opportunity to hit a winner, she tries to just infuse extra pace or spin instead and unforced errors appear. Trying to make the ball explode doesn’t really work, and extra force applied tends to fall short when compared to smooth technique. I watched Rune and Zverev have similar trouble today against their opponents. Players wind up pushing because they hit bigger than their opponent, but don’t want to make errors. It’s accuracy that’s missing, and it’s something for Swiatek to work on in the off-season. I would say that accuracy is the main problem with her serve as well. It has plenty of pace and spin, but the ball lands towards the center of the box way too often. Less pace, and more location will go a long way.
If it feels like I’m levying criticism today, yes. Your turn, Potapova and Wang. Potapova was down 5-0 in the first set, and won 7 games in a row. Wang has a tendency to just go big on her forehand, and she doesn’t stop when she misses. Potapova was an uphill battle, but Wang doesn’t actually need to hit clean winners to score. Her forehand is one of the biggest in the game, and once she locks into a cross-court rally she usually can win provided the ball lands inside the court. Landing the ball inside the court proved difficult, and it felt a bit like watching Struff. All the ability in the world but a sense of urgency that doesn’t really match the moment. Yes you want to stay aggressive, but the weight of shot buys you time in the rally, you don’t need to escape a rally you’re in control of.
Potapova wound up losing the second, and down a break in the third. She dug in admirably, but there were some really poor decisions late in the match. After getting to triple break point by rallying with Wang and keeping the ball deep until Wang missed, she got a simple backhand return off a serve. She went for a clean winner down the line for some reason, and then suddenly the next point mattered. She lost it, and suddenly the “oh F I had it and now it’s gone” fears rose. The game ended up at duece, and she went to tactic B : screaming on every shot. You can’t scream your opponent off the court, so this didn’t really work. In the end, Wang coughed up errors and Potapova won, but it was a match that was managed poorly by both. Potapova was very reactive to misses and makes, which is fine but wastes a bunch of energy and tends to affect your decisionmaking in a readable way. You want to maintain some mystery, and at a minimum not give your opponent any inspiration or hope to work off of while you’re out there.
Swiatek Potapova should be another safe match for Swiatek, but Potapova has good power off both wings and she hits her backhand down the line decent. Swiatek will need more than she brought against Bouzkova, and chances are this won’t be a blowout. Potapova won their last meeting 6-0 in the third on clay, but it was in 2016 at the juniors. Swiatek in 2.

Danilovic vs Vondrousova :

Olga Danilovic has made the 4th round of a major. This changes her career in a major way. Tons of points, at least $250k, and a chance to win more. It’s even sweeter I would imagine because she probably shouldn’t be there. Her match against Donna Vekic was filled with many fumbles. Both players have enough power to hit past the other. Vekic was able to hit inside out forehands to great effect. Danilovic’s pendulum swing on her backhand was able to force errors from Vekic quite often. Her forehand down the line was almost a clean winner anytime she made it. In between all that though, they missed constantly.
The first set was a 6-0 beatdown from Vekic. She played excellent, and likely should have won the second. In the third, she went up a quick break. She gave that back, but broke to serve for the match. Immediately, she threw in a handful of forced dropshots and errors. Luckily, she broke again to serve for the match at 6-5. This gave her the opportunity to come up with a few more bailout dropshots and errors. If you watch highlights, this was an incredible match. If you watched the match, you saw two players whose games were affected by the situation. Vekic forced the issue and missed anytime she got control of the scoreboard, and Danilovic went through bouts of not missing at all followed by sending every ball wide. The tiebreaker was vaguely like watching a junior match. Every miss brought a huge reaction from the player. There were constant gestures and faces made to their boxes, and it was a little difficult to watch two great players struggle to focus and execute. Vekic managed to go up again 6-2 in the tiebreaker, but froze at that point and began hitting most of her shots long. She had trouble serving first serves in for the second half of the entire third set, but she really was unable to respond defensively once Danilovic got a full swing in.
After watching Danilovic down Collins and sort of defeat Vekic, it’s hard to count her out against Vondrousova. Marketa is a clear favorite against most players on clay, but the scorelines of her matches can be hard to predict. Against Paquet she was up a set and cruising up a double break in the second, and wound up back on serve. She closed out, but Vondrousova doesn’t hit that big and mostly thrives by defending and earning errors, so Danilovic will be able to compete. They played in the BJK cup and Vondrousova won in 3, and I’m guessing slower clay will give Vondrousova more of an edge. Vekic’s lack of speed really hurt her, and I think Vondrousova being able to put extra ball consistently in play will make Danilovic’s rough patches more of an issue. The emotional and physical output of Danilovic over the last few rounds has to take a toll, and I think she’ll fall a game or two short here. Vondrousova in 3.

Gauff vs Cocciaretto :

This is an excellent draw for Gauff so far. She’s playing great players, but stylistically they’re not a lot of trouble for her. This round is another good spot. Elisabetta Cocciaretto is a good server and has nice power, but she’s not the fastest around the court and she can make some unforced errors if she’s rushed. This means Gauff’s defense and power give her a great shot to win without trouble. Cocciaretto beating Samsonova was a surprise to me, but Samsonova doesn’t have the speed that Gauff does nor the consistency. This is a criminally short analysis but Gauff in 2.

Tauson vs Jabeur :

Great champions are able to elevate their games. This round, Ons will need to elevate hers. Clara Tauson is playing some great tennis, and coming into this match hers is the higher level. Jabeur was projected to have trouble against Fernandez and she did. It was another match where I felt like a good coach could have gotten their player across the finish line. Fernandez didn’t have a great chance in the first, but Jabeur was very willing to give the second away. Fernandez was able to dig in on defense and rally with Jabeur until she made errors or gave Leylah opportunities. Rather than keep rallying and really punish Jabeur, Fernandez went for winners … and missed them all. I’m not exaggerating here, in the second set she missed almost every offensive shot she went for, and it didn’t feel like she had to go for them. Jabeur hits bigger than Fernandez, so on the court it may have felt like she needed to do a lot, but most of her points come from consistency, so Leylah’s team will want to focus on having her focus on the mental battle going on in her opponent’s head rather than trying to be a big hitter. Physically, it’s just not in the cards for her to be slinging offense. Maybe she landed those same shots in an earlier round, so going for them was fine, but awareness on court is important, and Jabeur was trying to give the set away. After winning, Jabeur celebrated a bit which left me puzzled. It’s natural to be happy when you win, but I feel a little odd about these matches sometimes. Fernandez didn’t land a first serve for the last 20 minutes, threw in a ton of errors, and tried to hit an overhand winner for some reason off a return at 5-5 in the tiebreaker. It was a nice win, but Jabeur made this match hard on herself. I might be in hater mode today and I apologize, but it feels like sometimes players tap their head or pump their fist after overcoming challenges that they themselves created.
Positives for Jabeur were the times she put one extra ball back. She has had a middling season, and seeing her dig in is great. Her racquet skill is some of the best on tour as well, so the gets aren’t just a boost, they’re downright effective. She has the ability to stretch to her forehand and put squash gets back extremely low, and to flick cross-court forehands that seem impossible from how extended her arm is. Jabeur’s depth of talent is why she is still slightly favored in this match, because again, Clara Tauson is coming in at a high level. Tauson beat Ostapenko, and followed it up by putting Kenin through the ringer. Kenin had no chance in the first, but in the second she was able to reel back a break of serve and apply some decent pressure. Frustratingly, she just wasn’t able to execute in the big moments. At 15-30 5-5, Tauson hit a lob that was going a few feet out (to the side). While running backwards, Kenin seemed unaware of where she was in the court. She tried to play it overhead and missed. It was a momentum killer, and she ended up missing the remainder of her offensive opportunities.
Throughout the match, the big difference in the two was Tauson’s ability to score quickly. When she lands first serves, or if you give her a moment to get a full swing anywhere inside the baseline, you are toast. She has the type of power that Anisimova/Collins generate on their backhand, and she has a heavy forehand. That is why I suspect Jabeur will have a tough time winning this quickly. Jabeur has the endurance and variety to frustrate Tauson, but this feels like a battle of two big offenses, and Jabeur’s is a bit less consistent at this point. I want to believe Jabeur wins in 3, but she will need to step up her game and avoid the type of letdown she had in the second against Fernandez. Tauson is several tiers above Leylah and Osorio in terms of offensive opportunities, and both those players were able to get in winning position in at least one set. I’m still going to go with Jabeur in 3. Tauson has beaten some offenses, and some defenses, but Ons is the most complete player she’s faced so it feels very much like “prove it” territory for me.

Arnaldi vs Tsitsipas :

The story in Arnaldi’s match seems to be Rublev’s temper, but don’t let that overshadow Arnaldi’s performance. For me, Rublev’s temper is partially his fault, and partially his team’s. I’m especially sensitive to this after watching the last round, but being reactive to the outcome of points is a bit of a leak. If you are easily moved by events, then you are always able to be moved. It compounds, because if you are really good at something, there is no reason to believe that minor failures will continue, or even matter. It gives your opponent motivation, it wastes your valuable reserves of adrenaline and dopamine (depending on good/bad outcomes), and it’s honestly fairly distracting for an opponent. Just generally speaking, if my opponent is smashing his head with a racquet, I don’t really want to beat him. I’m still going to, but I want to compete and win, I don’t really want to add suffering to someone else. It’s unprofessional, it’s a detriment to his game, and it puts his opponents and umpires in an uncomfortable spot. Of course, he knows this, but it should hit home in this moment that he lost this match because of his lack of composure, and lost it to a player who thrives because of his composure.
Matteo Arnaldi plays steady consistent tennis. He works hard, he constantly works on his game, and he isn’t reactive out there aside from hyping himself up. He beat Fils because of deviations in his level of play and because he made it clear he wouldn’t miss. Fils forced shots and missed because he was unwilling to do the work. He beat Rublev because despite Rublev opening the match hitting clean and crushing winners, he just stayed the course and kept competing. When Christmas disappeared, Rublev noticed, and he did not like it. The crux of the issue is, he did not accept it. If I am upset about the way things are, that is natural. If I grit against the way they are, I suffer. If I accept the way things are, I am (counterintuitively) instantly free to begin working on changing them. It doesn’t mean we celebrate errors or loss, but resetting to the present moment is a major key to winning in professional sports and tennis players in particular have a difficulty with this.
I’m not trying to dump on all these players or attack them here either. All of them are tremendous athletes and are mostly excellent ambassadors and competitors. All of these struggles are natural and we all experiences the highs and lows of competition, but Rublev wants to win and this is something he needs to work on to do that consistently. If his coaches aren’t working on this with him, they’re doing him a disservice. If they are and he isn’t buying into it, he’s doing them a disservice. Everything is fine with Rublev’s game but the holes are clear. He needs more reps at net, he needs to develop dropshots, and he needs to not smash racquets.
For now, it’s Arnaldi vs Tsitsipas. Stefanos has been excellent this event, and he opens as the favorite for a reason. Zhang played solid in round 3, but he was helpless against Tsitsipas. Stef is holding serving quickly, and the speed with which he’s finding a forehand to the open court off of players’ returns is the catalyst of this. His stamina is a major weapon in these conditions and in this format, and his serve/forehand is one of the best left in the event. If Arnaldi wants to win, the plot is simple. Isolate Tsitsipas’ backhand, and get deep in sets. In the late stages of a close set, Tsitsipas is still prone to some shanks. I really do think Arnaldi needs to win the first set to have a shot here, but had Rublev been playing Tsitsipas I think we’d be expecting a somewhat close match so there’s no real argument for Arnaldi to get blown out here. He has a complete game, and he has good discipline. He’s lanky so he might be able to return well, and he can send his backhand down the line so Tsitsipas can’t just camp in his backhand corner. Forehand to forehand though, I think Tsitsipas wins. Losses to Ruud, Jarry, Medvedev make me think that Arnaldi has a bit of a ceiling, but all those were close affairs so Tsitsipas should have his hands full here. Tsitsipas in 4-5.

Alcaraz vs Auger-Aliassume :

Shelton and FAA was fairly hyped, but only Felix delivered. Shelton wasn’t really that bad, but FAA just showed he’s more comfortable on the surface. He faced no break points, and won comfortably in straight sets. His next match will be a lot more difficult, as he plays a version of Carlos Alcaraz that is cruising through the draw without really playing his best tennis. Alcaraz vs Korda was a strange contest. It reminded me a bit of Zverev or Rune playing matches they know they’re going to win. They don’t want to play extra sets, so they play a bit more carefully and just make sure to outlast their opponent. What ends up happening is the score stays close, and the stronger players needs to win a tense tiebreaker or break late in the set. Sure, they still win, but I think that an all-out assault from an earlier moment would allow them to fatigue their opponent.
These guys are all in tremendous shape (even Kotov), but there are levels/paces that they can’t hang at for long. Someone like Alcaraz can push the pace and wear Korda down, and once he breaks from that level, the odds of him winning the next sets easily are more likely. We watched Nadal and Djokovic do this to opponents for a long time, and the late sets were almost always blowouts after frantic openers. We watched Federer do the same thing mentally to opponents with a constant onslaught of offensive shots and tricky slices. If you don’t push the pace to a level your lower-tier opponent can’t hang at, they end up playing at a pace they’re comfortable with and then you play the same level of Korda in set 1 as you do in set 3.
Hater mode continues, but in this case I think it’s all assuming that Alcaraz is totally healthy. If he’s saving his arm for later, he played Korda perfectly. Sebastian continues to battle even with the best players on tour, and in the big moments he doesn’t change his game. 4-4 in a tiebreaker isn’t the time to force anything, but if you’re the underdog and have nothing to lose, it might be a good choice to ratchet up the pace a little, or take some chances. Instead, he seems to throw in rally ball errors. The two forehand misses he had in the tiebreaker were rough, but worse was that they weren’t even shots that were going to score. He was just guiding the ball in straight over the net. I guess in the end, beating Alcaraz, or even playing him even for a time, is a huge ask. It was a great match.
FAA will have his best chance to beat Alcaraz here. Alcaraz’s arm is potentially not 100%, and Korda probably should have won a set. I think the pace alone that Felix brings will wake Carlitos up a bit, and he has beaten FAA the last few times they’ve played so he’ll know which shots to employ and when. Even with his arm a question mark, Alcaraz’s speed around the court and ability to extend rallies are the right assets to score on FAA. Auger-Aliassime’s main issue on tour is that he can overhit forehands and cough up unforced errors. It should be noted also that FAA Shelton was played under a closed roof, which helps Felix’s serve a bit. The weather in Paris looks pretty nice for the rest of the tournament, so it’ll be warm and ideal for Alcaraz to wear him down and isolate his backhand when he can. FAA is good enough to compete at this level, but hasn’t been doing it regularly enough for me to think he can do so here for 3 whole sets. Alcaraz in 4.

Hurkacz vs Dimitrov :

Dimitrov leads this h2h 5-0. All the matches have been close, but you don’t get to 5-0 against Hurkacz unless you can reliably return serve. If you can reliably return serve, you can beat Hurkacz, and on clay it should be even more beneficial. Hurkacz has played excellent in this clay swing considering his status as a servebot, and leading into Wimbledon and the North American swing I think his baseline improves have him primed for some titles. He had a hard test with Shapovalov in round 3, and the new and sort of decent Shapovalov put up a good fight. Dimitrov had an easier time with Zizou Bergs, despite dropping a set. Bergs broke Dimitrov a bunch in this match, but Dimitrov’s slice gave him a lot of trouble. Grigor was content to just keep hitting the court, and it was enough in the end. Bergs had trouble lifting his forehand inside in off of the slice, and it meant going mostly inside out which Dimitrov was only too comfortable with. The quick turnaround is a concern here, but I don’t think the Bergs match was as labor intensive as it could have been. There were numerous rain delays, and the scores were close but only because Dimitrov didn’t redline. He served with control, he hit to big targets, and he secured the bag.
I don’t think Hurkacz gets beaten quickly here, and I don’t think Dimitrov is automatic just because of the h2h. He should win, but Dimitrov lost to Rune/Mensik/Fritz recently and those are all players right around Hurkacz level. If this goes to a 5th, I’d be pretty worried for Dimitrov’s chances. Picking Dimitrov in 4 feels tough, because Bergs got to a 4th and he wasn’t really playing his best today. The h2h is hard to ignore, so I’ll go with Dimitrov in 5. The quick turnaround might leave him tired but he should be able to outduel Hurkacz in most volleys and the low slices will be tough for the big dude to get down on.

Sinner vs Moutet :

Nothing like a seemingly simple one to end a full day of criticizing professional athletes for not being perfect <3. Moutet has been the most entertaining player in this event. He has won and lost lopsided sets, he has gone for every shot possible, he is chatting with the crowd, and he is giving the home country something to believe in. Considering he couldn’t even hit a two-handed backhand for a good chunk of the past year due to wrist surgery, it’s pretty impressive for him to get his game back to a really high level. Ofner was beating him early in the third round, but he was also sweating profusely. The workload of defending against Moutet’s big forehand strokes and his clever dropshots is exhausting, and Ofner’s game dipped as the match went on. It’ll be fun to see Sinner trading with Moutet, and it’ll be another look at his physical ability to see how quickly he moves to the frontcourt and how he defends Moutet’s forehand inside out. Generally with a hip injury, it’s sprinting forward and leaning wide to that side that becomes an issue.
Sinner has sort of entered a big however many group in terms of his results. He is able to beat the lower tier players for the entire match, and is consistently able to do so. There are no holes in his game, and aside from his hip issue there is no reason to think he loses here. Moutet has the game to make this the match of the day, but it feels like he’s spent a lot more time and energy on court and that’ll cost him. Sinner in 3.

Hi all, hoping someone more knowledgeable about car insurance can offer some advice here.
Background: My family is moving several states away for a year, and we want to take just one of our two cars with us (we will be able to walk to work for the duration of our stay, and the state we are moving too has very expensive registration fees). Our plan is to take my older car which is paid off and more comfortably fits us and the kids. If possible, we’ll leave my partner’s car (which we’re still paying off) in my in-laws’ garage—they’ve kindly agreed take it out every now and then to keep it in working order.
Question: Is there any way we can altogether stop paying insurance on the unused car? Or at least pay less insurance than we are currently? I’d love to have some coverage on the car in case of natural disasters, robbery/break-in damage, etc, but since it will barely be driven, we’d love to cut the cost a bit. Is this feasible? Thanks!

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I F(25) need to have a serious sit down with my husband (25). We’ve been married for 5 years, together for 8. He’s always had more severe mental health issues such as anger problems, depression, and anxiety his whole life. Because of this, I’ve always been very cautious with how I bring up concerns or problems. Not because I’m afraid he’ll physically hurt me and he’s never done that, but because I truly do hate hurting his feelings and don’t want him to resent me if I nag him. Lately I feel like I’ve been nagging him and it’s affecting us. Once we got married and moved in together, I noticed right away he doesn’t brush his teeth every night. Recently in the last couple of years I’ve noticed it’s now turned into not every day. He was working an incredibly toxic job that was draining his mental health even more. He’s recently got out of that career but not willingly. I thought things would start to get better with him not working for a little bit and taking care of our son but he’s always stressed because we are in the process of moving out of state for his new career and I’m the only one working. He doesn’t handle stress well at all.
Since he lost his job a month ago, he has only been brushing his teeth once a week. I always try and remind him or when he goes in for a kiss I tell him I’d rather not kiss him until he’s brushed his teeth because his breath is unbearable now. He gets very upset with him when I do that. He also was supposed to quit his nicotine addition a month ago, of course that day he gets let go so he told me he can’t quit yet because he’s too stressed out. We agreed on a new date for him to quit that because that also really bothers me. His mental health is even worse when he’s using nicotine products but it’s always been an ongoing issue of him going back to using it without telling me like every year. I feel like that is also making his breath worse and I don’t want his teeth falling out. He kisses our toddler on the lips and it makes me so upset with his lack of hygiene. I’ve been trying to figure out how to talk to him and let him know how severe this is without upsetting him because I know he’s going through a lot right now with the stress but it’s been enough. He’s too old to be not taking care of himself. I feel like his mother at this point. How can I have this conversation in the most loving way possible but get through to his head?

Background: 5 year experience in traditional manufacturing/ops environment. Background in engineering. No MBA. Trying to make a switch to consulting.
Don’t even know where this start.
1) should I aim for a smaller firm first to get some consulting experience? 2) does McKinsey considers non MBA folks? 3) how much time should I realistically allocate for the prep before applying? 4) any readings? Courses? Trainings? I can do before applying and get understanding of the basics.
I’m already taking a finance class to brush up on the basics ebidtda, gross profit, incremental revenue etc.
Thank you!

I’m pretty new to gaming and especially DnD so mc is way out of my league but like any good noob I’m trying to figure it out. Is there a class guide somewhere? I’ve read conversations between people talking about feats action surge and taking multiple turns on your first round with near guaranteed crits out the gate, etc and I’m curious where you learn all this? I imagine some trial and error but is there a guide with each class and levels for them/class actions etc laid out somewhere?

hi so im looking to maybe swap my degree. currently im in for tech writing but at this rate im going to end up with like a hundred thousand in debt and there's no way ill ever be able to pay it off and im not even halfway thru my degree yet. my dad and i were talking about maybe a trade school, and so i did some digging around and found out about paralegals. i have no experience with this field whatsoever, but again ive been digging around and it sounds like something i can see myself doing. i have an interest in law but only in passing, bc it was never something i really thought i could consider until now.
i was going to call my local community college today for information, but i forgot it was the weekend. ive been reading through this subreddit just to get a feel for opinions in this profession.
i wanted to ask:
what are the different subsets? ive seen family law (hard pass) litigation, corporate, criminal, etc. and i would like to know more about them please
is there a difference in having an associates degree or a certification or is it the same? technically im probably fairly close to having an associates; basically i have every prereq done (for my current degree) and am just about to start the actual tech comm classes (which is why now is the best time for me to switch, if im going to)
does being a paralegal change how u view the justice system of the us? for better or for worse? i feel im fairly jaded in terms of the government and etc, but having the opportunity to help others through their troubles and to make things easier for people in difficult situations is something i feel is respectable and something i am passionate about
if you were to start over your paralegal journey, what would you do?
if i get bored of being a paralegal, or learn its not for me, what do the skills from this job transfer into?
best parts of this job? worst? what are red flags when looking for your first job?
do firms hire students? like if i were to start, would having a few classes under my belt be enough to start somewhere?
personal appearance; i saw a thread that mentioned it totally depends on the firm you are hired on at. im 23 and have tattoos, facial piercings, and colorful hair. all my tattoos are typically covered in work attire and i can dye my hair black if i need to, but it just makes me sad to think i have to take out my jewlery (they are fairly dainty/neutral, i have both nostrils, my septum, and a labret) obviously i can take them out while im at work i just would like to keep them
sorry this is really long, but this would be the third time i swap my degree and im worried.
.
tldr; why should (or shouldn't) i become a paralegal?

This is a long one, sorry. I've put my actual questions in bold at the bottom if the details are TLDR. I appreciate any advice.
I (32f) was in an incredibly abusive relationship for 2 years where I was engaged to and shared a home with my former partner (45f). Police attended our address regularly and often urged me to make a statment, I never did as I was afraid of how my ex would react when police were gone, becoming homeless as my ex owned the home and also becasue I loved her very much and thiought the relationship could be saved.
Around a year ago things hit boiling point and my ex was admitted to hospital for mental heath reasons . I took this opportunity to finally go the police and make a report. I had video evidence of a serious assualt and text messages admitting to the assault as well as admitting to/blaming the incident on being drunk which was a breach of the family safety notice in place which had the condition of not being near me/contact me if effected by alcohol.
Fast forward a year later and despite multiple attemps to follow up they still won't take a statement and no charges have been laid against my ex. I have since moved out and the relationship has ended, but my ex continues to harrass and threaten me, such as sending 200txts in a day in which they say they will come to my home and shoot dead my housemates, torments me about my previous partners suicide and says she'll do the same - eg "you like your women hanging", "kill me like you kill your other girlfriends", and continuously makes false reports to police about me, some resulting in criminal convictions but most Ive been able to prove not true - but my ex has figured out that if I have warrant or whereabouts it will prevent me from being able to make a report if I go into a police station because they have to process me first.
She has an IVO on me but has sent over 100 emails in the past month begging to get back together, but also saying that if I DONT respond she will report me to police - and she does, just says I sent her a message or showed up at her house and ill get arressted, sometimes charged and sometimes not, depending on the police at the time really.
During the past year I have made multiple attemps to report the abuse, on one occasion I was able to show them the abusive messages with the threats to kill and threats to self harm if I did not message her back, but they have done nothing about that either.
Last time I called to follow up they told me they could not tell me anything over the phone and that I would have to go into a station to get any info about the investigation, but that sounds like bullshit to get me into the station for what I assume to be another false report made agaisnt me.
I would usually go in and just deal with it but Ive recently had major surgury and been diagnosed with heart failure (which im certain has been brought on by the extreme levels of stress and anxiety over the past 3 years, strangulations, beatings and immense greif and sadness I feel when forced to relive my partners death, and also the ending of the relationship with my most current ex, as stupid as it is I love her more than anything and miss her everyday).
I'm reluctant to risk arrest and possible remand as Ive learned no one takes me seriously when saying I have heart failure as a 32 year old, and it;s something that can easily go from 0 to 100 and possibly kill me.
But life has become unbearable, Im finding it hard to see the point in life if this is all there is. Things only get worse no matter what I do, I cant move forward, I cry everyday, ive pushed away all my freinds, I don't leave my house, I know it doesn't seem important but I can;t cope with the injustice, everytime Im arrested, charged, put in a cell, plead guilty or stay in a cell for weeks to fight it all, it's like ive edured this torture for 3 years, and now I am also being punished for it and painted as a perpetrator which is almost worse in a way. Nothing happens to her, she even got some sort of payment when she got the IVO on me. It's fucking unbelieveable how this has panned out. I need to report her and have her held accountable or she will never stop. Believe me or not, I don't deserve this, I don't, Im not perfect, but I don't deserve whats happening to me, I just want to be left alone, I want to be able to plan a future for myself.
My questions:
Police wont take me seriously even with evidence and witnesses of serious assaults and abuse, how do I get them to listen to me?
Do police need to tell me, if I ask over phone, if they have any outstanding warrants or whereabouts that would see me arrested if I went to the police station?
Is it true that they cannot update me over the phone about their "investigation" and that I have to go to a station?
What else can I do to help myself? Is there anyone out there that can help me?

Yes, I still miss you too. I still think of you too.
Everyday without you has been absolute torture. I’ve gotten used to it, but the pain never goes away. You’re in all my dreams during the day and the vivid ones at night. I also wish I hated you. I also can’t. I also miss you anyway. I also listen to sad music. I don’t cry anymore, but that’s only because I can’t waste another day at work crying in the bathroom. I also have random memories of us. They flash in my mind like PTSD and I hear and see us laughing, smiling, touching, genuinely happy. I also get mini panic attacks. I was also incredibly upset with you. I also debate about reaching out but never find a reason to, either. Whether that’s out of fear and care for you or myself, I don’t know either. I also crave closure. It was so abrupt, so traumatizing. I relive that decision every, single, day.
I think it was a trauma bond. I think we both went through an incredible stressors in our lives; the life circumstances just didn’t line up. So I guess I’ll just accept it’ll always be like this then, and maybe things will get better. They did a little, but I’ve been at a plateau. I pray to God that the next time I see you, it’ll at least be before the afterlife.
My thoughts of you don’t end.

So I'm soon to begin a campaign set in The Scholomance's universe which I am super excited about. Something I knew was a thematic issue with DnD 5e's spellcasting system, was that spell slots were really easy to come by - and it became hard to reflect the scarcity and preciousness of mana when your players just went to sleep, and woke up fully able to cast all their best and most powerful spells... Not to mention healing up to full. Because this campaign is themed around horror survival (with moderate lethality levels), I needed to come up with a way to express how precious of a resource mana and wellbeing are for the students of The Scholomance.
So Here It Is:
As Written Rules on Short & Long Rests:

• Short Rest: Can roll Hit Dice to regain health, and pursue leisurely downtime activities, during the course of an hour or more.
• Long Rest: You regain all spell slots and all HP, as well as any expended Hit Dice at the end of this long rest. Around 8 hours total, up to 2 hours of light activity and 6 hours of being asleep.

Modified Rulings:

• You don't regain all your HP on long rest.
• Players may roll Hit Dice at the start of long rests.
• Long Rests consist of 6 hours of sleep, and at least 2 hours of "mana generating activities".
• If you aren't at full health at the end of long resting, you regain half as many spell slots as you normally would.
• If you are below half health by the end of a long rest, roll a DC 15 Constitution check to regain any spell slots at all.

For anyone who doesn't play DnD 5e, players have a limited amount of Hit Dice according to their level. The modified rulings makes it so that they can roll as many Hit Dice as they have in order to try and reach either full or half health. If they use all their Hit Dice, they gain them immediately afterward to use the next day on short rests (if they have the time). If they aren't able to regain full they suffer a consequence in the amount of "mana they can generate" (regained spellslots).
This doesn't quite solve the other problem of spell levels and how players have different spell slots for different levels depending on their character level. Should I restrict certain spell levels if they aren't above half health? or if they aren't at full health?
And how do we feel about still being able to roll Hit Dice during Short Rests? In theory, they wouldn't be able to have short rests whenever. So I think it's fine.
Has anyone tried something similar to this? Thanks!

Hey Reddit,
I (45M) am in a bit of a moral dilemma and need your unbiased opinions. To give you some context, I am a single father to my son, Jake (17M). Jake has been a Red Bull fanatic for the past couple of years. It all started innocently enough—he'd have a can now and then to stay awake for studying or sports. But recently, his consumption had skyrocketed to dangerous levels. He was drinking six to seven cans a day.
I did some research and found out that Red Bull is incredibly unhealthy. It can cause heart palpitations, high blood pressure, anxiety, and even sudden cardiac arrest. The amount of caffeine and sugar in those things is off the charts. I knew I had to do something before it ruined his health.
But here's where things get complicated. I work in the pharmaceutical industry, and through a series of work-related mishaps and bad influences, I've been exposed to a lot of hardcore drugs. I know firsthand how they affect the body, both positively and negatively. After weighing the pros and cons, I came to the conclusion that while drugs like meth, cocaine, and fentanyl have their own risks, they don't carry the same everyday dangers as the constant high caffeine intake from energy drinks.
So, I made a controversial decision. Instead of letting him guzzle down can after can of Red Bull, I started introducing him to small doses of these other substances. I began with meth, just a tiny bit to keep him awake and focused. Then, I added in cocaine for those times he needed an extra boost of energy. Fentanyl was a bit trickier, but with careful monitoring and controlled doses, I figured it could be managed.
At first, Jake was hesitant, but after some convincing, he started to see the benefits. His energy levels were more consistent, he wasn't crashing like he did with Red Bull, and he seemed more productive overall. However, the doses soon had to be increased to maintain the same effects. What started as a half-milligram of meth turned into a gram a day. Cocaine went from a bump here and there to several lines throughout the day. Fentanyl... well, that one was the most dangerous, and I had to constantly monitor him to make sure he wasn't overdoing it. But I believed it was still safer than chugging those energy drinks.
Jake's friends and teachers began to notice the changes. He became more withdrawn, his grades fluctuated wildly, and he lost a significant amount of weight. When confronted, I always explained my reasoning—that I was protecting him from the hidden dangers of energy drinks. But no one seemed to understand.
Last week, my ex-wife found out. She went ballistic, threatening to take full custody and report me to the authorities. She claims I am endangering Jake's life and that my actions are far worse than letting him drink Red Bull.
So, Reddit, AITA for getting my son off Red Bull and introducing him to meth, cocaine, and fentanyl instead? I genuinely believe I was acting in his best interest, considering the severe health risks associated with energy drinks. But now, I'm questioning my decision.
TL;DR: Got my son off dangerous energy drinks by introducing him to controlled doses of meth, cocaine, and fentanyl. Now everyone thinks I'm the bad guy. AITA?

HUGtto Precure is the season that marks the fifteenth anniversary of Precure. It's main theme was the past, present and future. Was it a good season of Precure? ...Yeah I'd say so. Did it have flaws? Sadly a lot. So let's look at both of them:
THE CURES
While they're not the best as a group compared to other teams, like sometimes Macherie and Amour feel like their own thing, I can at least think of some pretty good dynamics between each character this season, obviously Macherie and Amour are one, but then you have Yell + Ange, Yell + Amour, Ange + Etoile, etc, overall they're all pretty solid dynamics.
Cure Yell/Hana Nono - I LOVE HANA NONO, like I may be biased because she's my favorite pink lead in all of Precure, but putting that aside, she had really amiable traits, an endearing personality (she's such a clutz), and had flaws that made her pretty relatable. Now, do I think her backstory was kind of random and she was tad bit too much of a genki girl towards the second half? ...As much as I want to deny that, yes. But she was still done right. Bonus points for having one of the healthiest families in all of Precure (this could go for other cures but I just really love the Nono's).
Cure Ange/Saaya Yakushiji - I really loved Saaya... and then by the end she was kind of decent. Her episodes started out really well and by the end they were kinda a chore to get through, it also doesn't help that her development was in the background at a point in time. Still, I like that she's a bit more of a geek for a blue, and I kind of wish her arc of being an actress to a doctor made a bit more sense because realistically... what is that job transition.
Cure Etoile/Homare Kagayaki - ALL OF HOMARE'S EPISODES WERE ANIMATED SO WELL, like I rewatch Episode 4 and Episode 16 specifically because... well duh. Homare had one of my favourite introduction arcs to a Precure and was really cool... but by the second half... her arc became a tad bit... missing when Harry and Bicine got involved and I think her episodes, from a writing perspective, became a bit of a chore though not as much as Saaya's. Still, I like her and she's pretty solid
Cure Macherie - Macherie was silly, I initially thought she was a tad annoying, but then Amour appeared and she became pretty enjoyable. Like imo she's genuinely pretty entertaining and, while she isn't the most... deep Cure ever, she at least had a pretty good presence throughout the show even if she was overused. I thought she was pretty good.
Cure Amour - I WISH SHE WAS STILL MONOTONE, like she peaked really well at the first half of the season because she was monotone as freak and then by the second half she became... creepily like a human pretty fast. Still, I really love Amour and I do think she's really great, though I do think she was misused a lot.
THE FAIRIES
Hugtan - Hugtan is Elle-chan one right, I love Hugtan and the connection between her and Hana. Hugtan really endeared me as a fairy. Hugtan was cute, fun, never really spoke any lines. I wish more baby fairies were like this.
Harry - Harry is really competent, he's like Tarte 2.0 for me. While the stuff involving Homare was a tad... I actually don't remember if it brought down his character at all or if it brought him up, he was still very fun and I always enjoyed his onscreen presence.
THE SIDE-CHARACTERS
These are some really good side characters in Precure... though sometimes they can get overused, some notable standouts I can remember are... the dude from the first episode who was the first monster of the week, the band dude who had a crush on Hana, Hana's grandma, Hana's whole family, those two characters in Episode 16 who were besties, Emiru's older brother... these people I actually take note of (despite not remembering their names but I do know their personalities so shhh) so props to that HUGtto
Henri - I have positive opinions on him and I do think he is one of the best side characters in Precure. He may have been overused like seriously a side character shouldn't be used THIS much, he was still pretty good.
THE VILLAINS
Charaleet - He was fun and pretty intimidating at times but that's really it for his character. I did like him enough but he never necessarily left that much of an impact on me. I did like the stuff they did with him in the second half but maybe that's because I treat villains as an afterthought compared to side-characters.
Papple - I like Papple a little less then Charaleet, I do think she had a bit more interesting stuff going on involving Gelos or Kurai, and I will say she was fun when redeemed but she was kinda there at the second half for the most part
Diagan - Diagan was so... he was a bit forgettable... sometimes he was unintentionally hilarious but other then that... he was meh
Gelos (+ those butlers) - Gelos was honestly pretty fine until... she got dragged down by HUGtto's second half... and then she was kind of... forgettable by the end but she was at least somewhat decent... her butlers were not good though
Bicine - BICINE HAD SO MUCH GOING FOR THEM. Like the yandere they had, their rivalry with Homare, the backstory with Listol... and then they became an afterthought in the finale which really hurt because I enjoyed them... and then they became a bit... meh me personally.
Dr. Traum - Ok... hot take... while I do like Dr. Traum and how he plays into Amour's arc. I'd honestly remove him from the show if I potentially got to rewrite it. HEAR ME OUT. While I think Dr. Traum was entertaining, he was also kind of misused a LOT in the show, like how his final battle was overshadowed with a crossover. Like, I think Amour finding her own identity (and thus adding to how she'll get over her monotone tendencies later in the show) would make for a good arc on her own
Listol - He was intimidating... and he still kind of is... I don't know. Most of his stuff was kind of related to Bicine... and Listol had some good moments but he's the one I kind of forget the most out of the villains.
George Kurai - Kurai was pretty great, he was mysterious at first and was kinda creepy but as the show went on I did feel empathetic towards him... even if his backstory, to me, was just a tad bit vague. Dude might be one of my picks for a top 10's list of best Precure final villains ever.
MISCELLANEOUS (Fights, Music, Character Design, etc)

• I want to live in the city HUGtto takes place in like it's so casual
• THESE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE PRECURE DESIGNS EVER
• ok so maybe this is a mild take but the music was a bit forgettable... though that second ending theme and LOVE & LOVE is so good
• The transformations were lowkey forgettable but Macherie + Amour carried
• I loved the fights sometimes, LIKE THERE IS SOME REALLY GOOD ANIMATION IN SOME EPISODES ...but most of the time they were kind of forgettable
• The all stars movie with all the cures was carried by the villain and Hana, everything else was mostly good, I definitely recommend it.

OVERALL
HUGtto Precure could've been good... and it kind of was? It just had many flaws holding it back from being one of the best of all time. Still, for what it's worth, I will take HUGtto any day over some other seasons, and points for HUGtto for always being consistent with it's main theme of time, some of the characters, and somewhat keeping up the spirit of old and new Precure.
I'm giving this season a really high B+ (7/10)

Hi guys~! It's me again! <3 I had wanted to email my "friend" the following but experience tells me that either I will get myself into a poopy poop poop storm or worse. SO!!! I am just sharing it here to people who can use this information in any way.
SO! A short while back I was in this coaching group and I thought I got along well with everyone, or most people at least. The coach even gave me my own channel to share my learnings and whatnot. I also got good feedback and all those from him and others. However, I also noticed some people blocked me and since there were no confrontations, I only assumed that some people just don't want to keep getting notifications. And/or they want information from the coach. It was a Discord group so each message I sent set a notification going.
The group had quite an interesting dynamic, while there were quite a lot of members, only a bunch of us kept talking, and in that context, I see it ok to use the server like I would with friends.
And then one day the coach decided to let back a trouble maker whom he previously blocked, both from the group and in private. Honestly I have no opinion on that because it is really not my place to do so. Besides, I was sure this lady will just likely get blocked again. 🤣😅😂😆😁 And I seriously think it is only kind to let troubled people in these open groups as these groups might be the only places they get help or a listening ear.
I also see that if that group had been exclusive, I wouldn’t have gotten all the benefits.
Things went on fine and as I got this lady blocked after she kept harassing me, I had no idea that she still chose to attack me despite not being in contact for close to a year. And meanwhile no mutual friends or even our coach told me anything too. Well, actually she pretty much went crazy on everyone and quite a few others blocked her too.
Meanwhile, a close friend who had a big beef with the lady was utterly uncomfortable with the whole arrangement and he got so upset that he confronted the coach, and started a new community. All this while I had told this friend that it is technically unethical for him to set up a new group and of course his has own opinion and from my understanding, he was hella displeased with the coach. I stood by him coz I saw him as a friend and didn't want him to go through this tough time alone.
Things then took a really weird twist...
Somehow the whole thing between the coach and my close friend turned into a slander on me. It became about how actually many people in the group hate me and yet I was tolerated, and I am someone bitter and angry despite posting many cute stuff.
At that moment I could have defended myself but I lost all faith. If I exposed the truth about what my friend (and probably others!) was doing, it would cause him his place with the coach and I know that as a young man he looked up to the coach a lot. And there was literally nothing left to talk with the coach because while he had been so nice to me all the time, he talked about me differently to my friend. I guess that when it comes to his interests at stake, the coach played a different game. I didn’t want the whole thing to turn into students against the coach. I still have supportive friends elsewhere and they can take me in to help me continue in my growth as a person. I don’t need to fight to be in this particular group.
So, without wanting to drag everyone in, I left.
2 months later, I experienced so much joy and growth, I thought of another friend who had been pretty neutral the whole time. Honestly, cross my heart, with no intention to sow discord or even to “poach” anyone, I just thought that it would be great to tell this other guy how he has so much more potential and he can get in touch with all broader stuff. I thought new things will benefit him so much. And I want him to succeed!
But I guess in the end things didn't work out and this guy wasn’t even interested to hear me out.
I know you people are still looking at my pages for gossip and my last words are, while it is perfectly fine to choose your own ways, do note that this kind of behaviour is not going to get any of you fulfilling friendships and relationships. Maybe for a while it is great hype to say that the best student (LOL!!) rebelled coz she is such a hateful person, but after this died down, who are you guys going to sacrifice inorder to unite again?? Realise that this cycle have been repeating itself too much already. Are you guys really in self-help or self-destruct?? Haha!!! 😈😂
I get that young people have no care in the world and literally you guys see everything as possible. Just remember that one day you got your own self to face. Will you people still be proud to say oh, I backstabbed and accused Yuxing of this and that and earned a place with my coach and friends?
And for anyone interested, the saying of “Good thing, bad thing, who knows” is so true. I had thought the troublemaker was the vice but her life gave me the message that my old group was simply not treating people right. Because despite bringing her back, the coach and that lady was basically smiting each other the last I know. The lady called him someone who manipulated his family and now he is doing it to her and of coz the coach kept giving her warnings that he will ban her again. For sure the coach was just moderating the group, but warning someone again and again is not kind either??
Halfway I just cannot take it anymore. This lady is already nearing 40, just had her fourth child from a third man after two divorces and that was how she was being treated in a place that the coach claimed will help her. And how do I know these? All this while the coach appeared to talk about the lady’s life like it was a joke and a bad example for us all to take note. Yup, the coach had her blocked but got information from other students who were “friends” with the lady.
I don’t think anyone was a “demon” here but it just shows that when a community doesn't have elders and a wise council it is very easy for everyone to fall into such pits. This is why I am the best student around. LMAO. Inside joke.
I could have name and shame and post screenshots to help myself, but this doesn’t help in anything. It is really very easy for me to spread my hate to all those who already hate the coach and gain a huge support. But guess what? You guys are wrong, my cuteness is real. I won’t bite you guys just because you guys did me dirty.🍀🌹🌺🌻🌼🌸🌷
To my old friends and even the coach, my doors are still open and I welcome you guys to ask me anything and to be connected to better, broader teachings. And until today, I remember how it was this coach who taught me about all the self-concept and I believe this great foundation is gonna carry me far.
May we meet again in our better selves.
I be waiting in Country N! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

When Walid ibn al-Mughira - God's curse be upon him! - chief of Quraysh and a man known for his eloquence heard [the Qur'an], he was struck into silence, his heart turned numb, his eloquence forsook him, his argument collapsed, his case was devastated, his impotence clearly appeared and his wits were befuddled; and he said: By God, there is a certain sweetness to his words, a certain grace
Sophia Vasalou's "The Miraculous Eloquence of the Qur'an: General Trajectories and Individual Approaches", Journal of Quranic Studies
What do you guys think of this quote? Do you think it's a fabrication? Or perhaps it has kernels of truth?
I think it these kinds of reports might have kernels of truth, with exaggerations here and there.
Considering I've seen many non-muslims on the internet describe how beautiful they find the recitation of the Quran to be, I don't think the nature of the above report, and others like it are complete fabrications.
Some examples from youtube comments:
English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R1LKPRwxR4
"i am not Muslim or any specific religion, but this is beautiful and calming. I can understand the reasoning behind the devotion of life to Allah and being Muslim in general. "
"I am hindu ,listening this holy Quran....very soulful"
"I'm not a Muslim. This has spoken to me about a person who I once was but either didn't know, or forgot about. It is absolutely beautiful. I feel calm and warm "
"I'm not Muslim but I find Quran recitations very beautiful and calming to listen to ️ Many of the verses (?) I've heard are so eloquent and poetic."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWt5_NJuhME
"I am italian, I am not muslim but I always listen to these preyers because they relax me I don't know why"
"am not muslim but i love to listen to this beautiful recitation of Quran. Amen"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BzCpV43t_A
"I am a Hindu, didn't understand anything but it was peaceful God bless everyone who is reading my comment"
"I'm Christian but im absolutely stunned every time I hear a recitation of the Qur'an"
"I automatically wounder if my faith in Christianity is in vein cos I can't stop crying whenever I hear a quruan recited by any person"
French: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfBuqT-qM3o
"Je suis pas musulman mais ça m’empêche pas de trouver ça magnifique! Que dieu nous garde uni - I'm not Muslim but that doesn't stop me from finding it magnificent! May God keep us united"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QQEX9eAWlI "bonjour,je ne suis pas musulmane..je n'arrive plus à dormir depuis quelques mois mais je suis tombée ici par hasard..je me suis endormie en 20 minutes,merci à cette magnifique religion en tout cas prenez soin de vous -hello, I'm not Muslim..I haven't been able to sleep for a few months but I came across here by chance..I fell asleep in 20 minutes, thank you to this magnificent religion in any case take care of yourself "
"Je ne suis pas musulmane et j'écoute le Coran qui n'est que magnifique et je ressens une grande paix un appel et une force à faire Ramadan..Dieu est grand et tout puissant..je suis apaisée - I am not Muslim and I listen to the Koran which is only magnificent and I feel great peace, a call and strength to do Ramadan..God is great and all powerful..I am peaceful"
Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bV5_4h14oA "Me encanta yo soy cristiano pero me gusta mucho escuchar el coran me relaja mucho gracias a dios allah es unico dios - I love it, I am a Christian but I really like listening to the Koran, it relaxes me a lot, thank God, Allah is the only God."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H2cOr0578g
"Divino, magestuoso soy católica pero admiro mucho su devoción y entrega al mismo Dios, cantan con el alma esto extremece al que lo escucha. El mismo Dios se complace por esto. - Divine, majestic, I am a Catholic but I greatly admire their devotion and dedication to God himself, they sing with their soul, this excites those who listen to it. God himself is pleased by this."
"no soy musulman ,pero que hermosa voz y transmite una paz que no puedo describir con palabras. - I am not Muslim, but what a beautiful voice and it transmits a peace that I cannot describe with words."
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JklwnIrroAg
"Ich bin zwar Christin, aber habe sehr Respekt vor dem Islam. Ich finde das sehr friedlich in schweren Zeiten - I am a Christian, but I have a lot of respect for Islam. I find it very peaceful in difficult times"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaNQfZ6C0Mk "Bin keine Muslimin. Aber der Koran zu hören, nimmt mir meine Sorgen und beruhigt mich -I am not a Muslim. But listening to the Koran takes away my worries and calms me down"
Portuguese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfuY2spWdJI "Sou católica,mas ouvir o alcorão me dá uma paz inexplicável -I'm Catholic, but listening to the Quran gives me an inexplicable peace"
"NAO SOU MUÇULMANO MAS QUANDO OUÇO AS SURAS DO SAGRADO ALCORÃO SINTO UMA PAZ PROFUNDA...ASSALAM ALEIKU!!!! -I AM NOT A MUSLIM BUT WHEN I LISTEN TO THE SURAS OF THE HOLY QURAN I FEEL A DEEP PEACE...ASSALAM ALEIKU!!!!"
"Não sou Mulçumana mas sinto uma profunda emoção ao ouvir. -I'm not Muslim but I feel a deep emotion when I hear it."
Russian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1xk0E3bzqU
"Я русская, не религиозна, слушаю 1 раз, почему плачу не знаю...... - I’m Russian, not religious, I listen to it once, I don’t know why I’m crying......"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFpjyPbjUj8
"Я конечно христианин, но все равно слушаю Коран, всем Мира и добра в доме братья, Аллах велик - Of course, I am a Christian, but I still listen to the Koran, Peace and goodness to all in the house brothers, Allah is great"
"Я не мусульманин, надеюсь пока что, но обожаю слушать Священный Коран.

• I am not a Muslim, I hope so far, but I love listening to the Holy Quran."

Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaJq5yyYlB4 "無宗教ですが、この綺麗な音とと言葉…心が穏やかになります - I'm not religious, but these beautiful sounds and words make me feel at peace."
"祈りの言葉は、宗教の壁を超えて美しいと感じるけれど「宗教」となった途端に争いが起きるのは悲しい、と思うのは日本人的感性でありましょうか。 - I feel that the words of prayer are beautiful and transcend religious barriers, but I also feel sad that as soon as they become a "religion" conflict arises. Perhaps this is a Japanese sensibility."
"夕方にアザーンが流れる国に住んでます。結婚を機に移住して、毎日流れるアザーンと、ラマダン時期の楽しそうにしてるイスラム教徒の方々見て癒されてます。 宗教的に犬とかダメな人多いけど、誰にでも優しいからいい国。 - I live in a country where the adhan is played in the evening. I moved here when I got married, and I find it comforting to hear the adhan every day and to see Muslims having fun during Ramadan. Although there are many people who are against dogs for religious reasons, it is a great country because it is kind to everyone."
"とても美しい
心が清められるようでした。 - It was so beautiful and my heart felt purified."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3pETCq8KHo
"イスラム教、とても好きなので、いっそのこと仏教徒を辞めて、イスラム教徒になろうかと思う今日この頃。でもラマダンの時、戒律破りそうなので難しい（笑）特に暗い時、午前４時頃聴くと、本当に心が洗われる気がする。 - I love Islam so much that I've been thinking about quitting Buddhism and becoming a Muslim. But it's difficult because I might break the rules during Ramadan (lol). When I listen to it at around 4am, especially when it's dark, I feel like my heart is cleansed."
Korean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQNF67nodc
"종교를떠나 음율이 아름다워 마음에 웅장함과 평온이 느껴집니다 -Regardless of religion, the melody is beautiful and brings grandeur and peace to the heart.
I feel it"
"말레이시아 살아봐서
늘 새벽부터 듣던 소리입니다
지금은 저소리가 듣고싶어서
제가 이렇게찿아서 듣곤하네요 Because I lived in Malaysia
It's a sound I've always heard since dawn.
I want to hear that sound now
I often listen to it like this."
"종교를 떠나 너무 아름답습니다. Regardless of religion, it is so beautiful."
"와 왜 종교에 빠지는지 알것같다.... 이슬람에 편견을 갖고있어서 싫어했는데 꾸란 자체는 음율이 있어 노래부르는것 같이 아름답네
마음의 안정도 오고 푹 빠지게 되는듯 Wow, I think I understand why people fall for religion... I was prejudiced against Islam and disliked it, but the Quran itself has a melody and is beautiful, like singing...
I feel like I'm getting peace of mind and falling in love with it."
With all this in mind, I think the historicity of the reports of arabs being amazed by the Quran during the Prophet's time are a possiblity.
What do you guys think?

Please correct me if I have the wrong info
Urinators seem to love bringing up her "wuv for animals"; She even claimed it was the reason she went "vegan" years ago and had adopted multiple pets. But the facts seem to tell a different story. Aside from wearing fur and leather, her... handling of pets makes me a bit suspicious. I think her insistence on carrying around a poorly potty trained dog is so inconsiderate with people around her. She says Toulouse is a service dog and blah, blah, but COME ON. If she's going to take him out she has to be considerate with his needs too, and that includes making sure he has a proper space for soiling.
You know what? She seems to have much more pets than the ones she can realistically tend for. When she adopted the pig it was so cringey, it obviously was part of her vapid crush on Pete. I doubt she really likes them all as much as she claims; it seems she takes pictures for social media and then leaves them at her mom's house 🙄 Pets are living beings, need attention and time for bonding. You can't just throw money at service employees and pretend that is love. I think it plays to her self-centeredness, a topic we often discuss in this sub. She only cares about her whims, who the fuck remembers that pigs make strong bonds? She can live and go wherever she wants,feed Ethan omakase in Japan and ride him in New York or whatever; also she has of course lots of work related activities that make quite likely she lefts most of her pets behind. Her calling the paps to show off how sad she was for Mac by walking out Myron was beyond revolting.
tl;dr : The lack of empathy, attunement and deep connection this woman shows for people may also reflect on her interactions with animals. She only cares about them playing into her facade.

So I stumbled across this subreddit and I guess I was hoping for any sort of advice/clarification for a strange and new situation I'm finding myself in.
I've had lupus for about 10 years (on Hydroxy for it) and about a week ago I started getting pain in my right eye, so I got it checked a couple days ago, and I was told by the optometrist that I have inflammation in my right eye (and he seemed to suggest it was milder and "manageable" but I did not get much information beyond that, especially since I was in a state of confusion). The Eye Doc prescribed Prednisolone eye drops and told me to put 1 drop every 2 hours of the waking day for 1 month, but wants me to see him in 1 week.
I initially thought this was just some weird thing that happens to some people, you take said eye drops as prescribed and if all goes as planned then the eye inflammation goes away and you're good. But upon looking all of this up (and seeing this subreddit) it seems the majority of people that suddenly get this, end up having it chronically and long term!?
So perhaps you can see the situation I'm in and how immensely confusing this is. I would greatly appreciate anyone having clarifying comments on all of this, as I'm confused whether this is something that typically ends up chronic (and ends up in both eyes!?), as well as these meds which I thought were going to be typically low risk (but seems that if you take them over 10 days it could cause issues!?). Sigh...
Thanks in advance.

My Dad had a stroke 7 months ago while in another state visiting family. I (19F) can’t afford to take a plane nor make a drive up there. The drive is 11 hours btw. I visited him in the ICU because I went with my uncle to go see him last year but that was the last time I visited him. Idk if this is important but nobody would offer to fly me up there anyway. I’d have to find a way.
I’m not keen on visiting him because he was abusive and he is the main reason why I am left with an anxiety disorder and depression. It’s just difficult facing him. I don’t know what to say or how to feel. He’s not fully recovered and he can’t even comprehend where he is right now. He can’t walk or do much which is expected. Everyone’s recovery is different. Therefore, I don’t know if he remembers or not. I went no-contact with him before the stroke because I got tired of him belittling me and just making my life miserable. I gave him chance after chance but now, I know I will never get that father-daughter relationship I’ve always wanted and I’ve made peace with that.
Anyways, my older sister (31F) told me I should talk to him so I don’t regret anything, but she was the golden child so she doesn’t understand. We have different moms but the same Dad. My Dad only has two kids. Her and I. He was apart of her celebrations, milestones, and even her wedding. I probably won’t get that. It always felt like he didn’t like me and she didn’t experience that feeling. I don’t have a relationship with most of my family, but if I don’t see him, of course that’s going to look bad. AITA?

I just got my TSH, T4 and T3 test results back which I typed into ChatGPT to interpret against the prior test results, and it diagnosed me with thyroid dysfunction. Below is the interpretation I got from chatGPT, should I be concerned? I don't have any symptoms at the moment.
-- ChatGPT answer --
Looking at your historical test results, we can observe a notable trend indicating thyroid dysfunction.

1. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone):The TSH levels have been fluctuating over time. In February 2024, your TSH was very low, which suggests hyperthyroidism or overactivity of the thyroid gland. However, in May 2024, it spiked significantly, indicating hypothyroidism or underactivity of the thyroid gland. This drastic change in TSH levels suggests a significant shift in thyroid function within a short period.
   • May 31, 2024: 11.3 uIU/mL (High)
   • Feb 9, 2024: <0.1 uIU/mL (Low)
   • Sep 16, 2023: 3 uIU/mL (Normal)
   • Jun 30, 2023: 5.6 uIU/mL (Slightly elevated)
   • Aug 2, 2016: 3.13 uIU/mL (Normal)
2. T4 (Free Thyroxine):Your T4 levels have decreased significantly from February to May 2024. This decrease correlates with the increase in TSH levels and confirms the diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
   • May 31, 2024: 0.9 ng/dL (Low)
   • Feb 9, 2024: 2.6 ng/dL (Normal)
3. T3 (Triiodothyronine):Similarly, your T3 levels have decreased from February to May 2024, although not as drastically as T4. Nevertheless, the decrease in T3 levels also supports the diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
   • May 31, 2024: 89 ng/dL (Low)
   • Feb 26, 2024: 104 ng/dL (Normal)

In summary, your test results indicate a recent shift from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism within a few months. This could be indicative of an autoimmune condition like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, where the thyroid function fluctuates over time before declining steadily. It's essential to discuss these results with your healthcare provider for further evaluation and management, including potential thyroid hormone replacement therapy.
-- End of ChatGPT answer --
To add additional context:

1. I've been practicing intermittent fasting. I will eat for a few days and then don't eat for about a week or longer. Could this affect my thyroid function?
2. I've been eating mostly keto diet to keep my blood sugar low (for fasting purposes), could this affect the thyroid function?
3. I lost ~30lb of weight due to keto and fasting. Before losing ~30lb recently, I gained about ~70lb in 2023. Could this have caused the thyroid issue?
4. My work has been pretty stressful lately, could this have caused the fluctuation in the test results?
5. I haven't been told by the doctor to fast before taking the test or do it in the morning, I just took the test randomly at different times of the day and ate different foods before doing blood work. Is this a proper way to do a thyroid test?

Introduction

This Is a series of Connections I am trying to make for One Piece to the Aztec 5 sun Myth. Now this series of connection has been split into 5 each covering 1 of the 5 suns. In this series of connections I am trying to compare the major godly figures of the myth to Important figures of One Piece History as well as small details from the myth to possible factors in One Piece.
I Hope You enjoy

Second Sun (Myth)

Quetzalcoatl (Nika) takes over the role of the 2nd sun after the world was reset and the gods made normal sized humans. Peace lasted for 676 years (13 cycles …). Then Tezcatlipoca (Imu) got upset with the current humans feeling that they had become corrupted and disrespectful to the gods. Tezcatlipoca (Imu) used his powers to turn the second group of humans into Monkeys. Quetzalcoatl (Nika) in a quick haste summoned forth a wind blowing the monkeys away to safety and banishing them before Tezcatlipoca (Imu) could kill them. Tezcatlipoca (Imu) would force Quetzalcoatl (Nika) to step down as the second sun.

Connection for Second Sun

• Ni stands for 2 in Japan. We’ve already seen Oda do this with the 5 mermaid siblings Ichika, Nika (Totally something Oda forgot he did), Sanka, Yonka, and Yonka 2. We’ve also seen it with Sanji and his siblings Ichiji, Niji, Sanji, and Yonji. So Nika being the Second is a good bet. And fits well as the second Sun.
  • Their color scheme is a connection with Quetzalcoatl (Nika) being associated with White. This is why Gear 5 changes the hair and clothes of Luffy to White.
  • Quetzalcoatl (Nika) was given a title by the Aztecs. Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, meaning "lord of the star of the dawn". Possibly connecting a few characters Presumely Nika issuing in an Era of new Dawn.
  • Quetzalcoatl (Nika) Is seen as a symbol of death and Resurrection. This could connect by Luffy having to Die before Gear 5 would be able to activate.
  • Quetzalcoatl (Nika) is also a very Pure god stopping the sacrificing of Humans to the gods and instead focusing on standard animals like birds and snakes. Possibly eluding to why Nika helped and saved slaves.
  • Quetzalcoatl (Nika) is the God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds, Wise man. No connections now but possibly in the future if we learn Nika is the opposite of Luffy (smart)
  • Despite Quetzalcoatl (Nika) being typically depicted as a feathered serpent, he does in fact have humanoid forms especially when channeling different aspects of himself Like Ehectl (Dragon) a separate humanoid god that is just an aspect of Quetzalcoatl (Nika).
• If you’ve seen part 1 then you know I talked about the Connections of Tezcatlipoca to Imu there
• This group of humans is probably the inspiration for a few groups The first being the D Clan, since the D Clan are said to be enemies of the gods as seen by Tezcatlipoca (Imu) seeing the humans as corrupt and disrespectful. Monkeys do hold a strong connection to the D clan through 3 different members (of the same family) Garp, Dragon, and Luffy .
  • Next the humans could represent the slaves for many Ruling classes since Nika was seen as the liberator.
  • Lastly the Minks are another, Since in the myth the humans are turned into Monkeys representing the beastial nature of the Minks. (I don’t really like this though I just thought I might mention it as a possibility)

Possible meaning for the story (Theory/TLDR)

Continuing on from their conflict in Part 1 Nika would become the savior of the early world of One Piece creating allies that supported him. Now although I mentioned 3 possible groups the myths humans could be based on my strongest guess is actually 2 of the ones mentioned the D clan, a clan most likely formed from groups of slaves Nika rescued. Meaning Nika could have become the patron of the D clan. Imu saw these as enemies and tried to eliminate them (Probably not actually turning them into monkeys) This Group would be scurried away to avoid the power of Imu and his allies. Then Nika dies whether naturally (since I don't believe him or Imu to be actual Gods) or is killed by Imu.
​

Out Takes (Not important to the Myth or One Piece)

So Here’s the thing about Quetzalcoatl (Nika) and many of the gods in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sun due to the extreme lack of information we have in One Piece on their respective characters the Gods presented in the myth I assume are not main inspirations for the characters. Tezcatlipoca being Imu or the gods represented in the 5th sun are exceptions since their One Piece characters are more known he through just context clues we been given. So I feel the Gods role in the myth is meant to be the inspiration for the corresponding One Piece character rather then the God itself. The One Piece characters possibly still take some traits from their respective god in the myth
So hopefully this was a smaller section and one easier to get through then the first Part. After I finish up the remaining parts I will post them underneath when i have finished with them. Thanks Again for reading
Part 1