https://discord.gg/ygh87phpwx Trials available
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== PPV FLO SPORTS PACK ===
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 00 : FloWrestling Radio Live start:2024-05-23 17:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 00 : 2024 New Jersey Jackals vs New England Knockouts start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 00 : 2024 Chiefs vs Hurricanes start:2024-05-24 09:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 13:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Giro dItalia start:2024-05-21 11:05:00 stop:2024-05-21 15:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Evansville Otters vs Washington Wild Things start:2024-05-21 16:35:00 stop:2024-05-21 20:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Short Track Super Series at Action Track USA start:2024-05-22 00:15:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:15:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 High Point Rockers vs Lexington Legends start:2024-05-22 16:15:00 stop:2024-05-22 20:15:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Georgetown vs St. Johns start:2024-05-22 20:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 00:30:00
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Gateway Grizzlies vs Florence Yalls start:2024-05-23 00:41:00 stop:2024-05-23 04:41:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 PDRA American Doorslammer Challenge start:2024-05-23 16:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 20:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Big East Baseball Championship - Game #3 start:2024-05-23 20:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 00:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 01 : 2024 Hagerstown Flying Boxcars vs Charleston Dirty Birds start:2024-05-24 00:35:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 02 : FloRacing 24/7 start:2024-05-19 10:00:00 stop:2024-11-17 06:59:59
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 Lake Erie Crushers vs Windy City Thunderbolts start:2024-05-21 17:35:00 stop:2024-05-21 21:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 USAC Tony Hulman Classic at Terre Haute Action Track start:2024-05-22 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 Long Island Ducks vs Staten Island FerryHawks start:2024-05-22 16:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 20:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 Hofstra vs Northeastern start:2024-05-22 22:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 02:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 Northern Colorado Owlz vs Ogden Raptors start:2024-05-23 02:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 06:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 IHSA Boys Outdoor Championships start:2024-05-23 16:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 20:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 MPSSAA Outdoor Championships start:2024-05-23 21:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 01:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 03 : 2024 New York Boulders vs Trois-Rivieres Aigles start:2024-05-24 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 Schaumburg Boomers vs Joliet Slammers start:2024-05-21 17:35:00 stop:2024-05-21 21:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 Tri-City ValleyCats vs Ottawa Titans start:2024-05-22 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 Hagerstown Flying Boxcars vs Charleston Dirty Birds start:2024-05-22 16:35:00 stop:2024-05-22 20:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 Evansville Otters vs Washington Wild Things start:2024-05-23 00:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 04:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 York Revolution vs Southern Maryland Blue Crabs start:2024-05-23 16:35:00 stop:2024-05-23 20:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 CAA Baseball Championship - Game 4 start:2024-05-23 21:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 01:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 04 : 2024 Sussex County Miners vs Quebec Capitales start:2024-05-24 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 05 : 2024 New Jersey Jackals vs New England Knockouts start:2024-05-22 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 05 : 2024 Schaumburg Boomers vs Joliet Slammers start:2024-05-22 17:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 21:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 05 : 2024 Tri-City ValleyCats vs Ottawa Titans start:2024-05-23 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 05 : 2024 Gastonia Baseball Club vs Lancaster Stormers start:2024-05-23 17:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 05 : 2024 Catawba Valley Stars vs Forest City Owls start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 06 : 2024 Long Island Ducks vs Staten Island FerryHawks start:2024-05-22 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 06 : 2024 Lake Erie Crushers vs Windy City Thunderbolts start:2024-05-22 17:35:00 stop:2024-05-22 21:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 06 : 2024 Xavier vs UConn start:2024-05-23 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 04:30:00
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 06 : 2024 CAA Baseball Championship - Game 3 start:2024-05-23 17:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 06 : 2024 Uwharrie Wampus Cats vs Boone Bigfoots start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 07 : 2024 Hagerstown Flying Boxcars vs Charleston Dirty Birds start:2024-05-22 00:35:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 07 : 2024 New Jersey Jackals vs New England Knockouts start:2024-05-22 18:00:00 stop:2024-05-22 22:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 07 : 2024 Gastonia Baseball Club vs Lancaster Stormers start:2024-05-23 00:45:00 stop:2024-05-23 04:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 07 : 2024 AIGA Brazil Press Conference start:2024-05-23 17:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 07 : 2024 Wilmington Sharks vs Holly Springs Salamanders start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 08 : 2024 Gateway Grizzlies vs Florence Yalls start:2024-05-22 00:42:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:42:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 08 : 2024 William & Mary vs Delaware start:2024-05-22 18:00:00 stop:2024-05-22 22:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 08 : 2024 USAC Circle City Salute at Circle City Raceway start:2024-05-23 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 08 : 2024 Tri-City ValleyCats vs Ottawa Titans start:2024-05-23 17:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 08 : 2024 Long Island Ducks vs Staten Island FerryHawks start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 09 : 2024 Gastonia Baseball Club vs Lancaster Stormers start:2024-05-22 00:45:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 09 : 2024 American Legion Post vs Wilmington Sharks start:2024-05-23 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 09 : 2024 Lake Erie Crushers vs Windy City Thunderbolts start:2024-05-23 17:35:00 stop:2024-05-23 21:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 09 : 2024 Big East Baseball Championship - Game #4 start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 10 : 2024 High Point Rockers vs Lexington Legends start:2024-05-22 00:45:00 stop:2024-05-22 04:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 10 : 2024 New York Boulders vs Trois-Rivieres Aigles start:2024-05-23 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 10 : 2024 Illinois Dirt Shootout at Fairbury Speedway start:2024-05-24 00:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 11 : 2024 New York Boulders vs Trois-Rivieres Aigles start:2024-05-22 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 11 : 2024 Sussex County Miners vs Quebec Capitales start:2024-05-23 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 11 : 2024 Gateway Grizzlies vs Florence Yalls start:2024-05-24 00:44:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:44:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 12 : 2024 Sussex County Miners vs Quebec Capitales start:2024-05-22 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 12 : 2024 York Revolution vs Southern Maryland Blue Crabs start:2024-05-23 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 12 : 2024 High Point Rockers vs Lexington Legends start:2024-05-24 00:45:00 stop:2024-05-24 04:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 13 : 2024 York Revolution vs Southern Maryland Blue Crabs start:2024-05-22 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 13 : 2024 Adirondack Thunder vs Florida Everblades start:2024-05-23 01:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 05:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 13 : 2024 Morehead City Marlins vs Wilson Tobs start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 14 : 2024 Northern Colorado Owlz vs Ogden Raptors start:2024-05-22 02:30:00 stop:2024-05-22 06:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 14 : 2024 Billings Mustangs vs Great Falls Voyagers start:2024-05-23 03:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 14 : 2024 High Point-Thomasville HiToms vs Asheboro ZooKeepers start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 15 : 2024 Billings Mustangs vs Great Falls Voyagers start:2024-05-22 03:00:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 15 : 2024 Sherwood Park Crusaders vs Brooks Bandits start:2024-05-23 03:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 15 : 2024 Macon Bacon vs Florence Flamingos start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 16 : 2024 Grand Junction Jackalopes vs Boise Hawks start:2024-05-22 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 16 : 2024 Grand Junction Jackalopes vs Boise Hawks start:2024-05-23 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 16 : 2024 Martinsville Mustangs vs Peninsula Pilots start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 17 : 2024 Oakland Ballers vs Glacier Range Riders start:2024-05-22 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 17 : 2024 Oakland Ballers vs Glacier Range Riders start:2024-05-23 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 17 : 2024 Greenville Yard Gnomes vs Tri-City Chili Peppers start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 18 : 2024 Missoula PaddleHeads vs Idaho Falls Chukars start:2024-05-22 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 18 : 2024 Missoula PaddleHeads vs Idaho Falls Chukars start:2024-05-23 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 18 : 2024 CAA Baseball Championship - Game 5 start:2024-05-24 01:00:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 19 : 2024 Yellow Jackets vs Ice Scrappers start:2024-05-22 03:15:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:15:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 19 : 2024 SB All Stars vs Jersey Blues start:2024-05-23 03:15:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:15:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 19 : 2024 Evansville Otters vs Washington Wild Things start:2024-05-24 01:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 20 : 2024 Rocky Mountain Vibes vs Yolo High Wheelers start:2024-05-22 03:45:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:45:00
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 20 : 2024 Mahwah Ford vs Weenerz start:2024-05-23 03:30:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 20 : 2024 Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway start:2024-05-24 01:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 21 : 2024 Comets vs Brew Crew start:2024-05-22 03:45:00 stop:2024-05-22 07:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 21 : 2024 Rocky Mountain Vibes vs Yolo High Wheelers start:2024-05-23 03:45:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 21 : 2024 Schaumburg Boomers vs Joliet Slammers start:2024-05-24 01:35:00 stop:2024-05-24 05:35:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 22 : 2024 Surrey Eagles vs Penticton Vees start:2024-05-22 04:00:00 stop:2024-05-22 08:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 22 : 2024 Horse Men vs The Bears start:2024-05-23 03:45:00 stop:2024-05-23 07:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 22 : 2024 Northern Colorado Owlz vs Ogden Raptors start:2024-05-24 02:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 06:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 23 : 2024 Surrey Eagles vs Penticton Vees start:2024-05-23 04:00:00 stop:2024-05-23 08:00:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 23 : 2024 Grand Junction Jackalopes vs Boise Hawks start:2024-05-24 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 24 : 2024 Oakland Ballers vs Glacier Range Riders start:2024-05-24 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 25 : 2024 Missoula PaddleHeads vs Idaho Falls Chukars start:2024-05-24 03:05:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:05:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 26 : 2024 Phantoms vs Hawks start:2024-05-24 03:15:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:15:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 27 : 2024 Billings Mustangs vs Great Falls Voyagers start:2024-05-24 03:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 28 : 2024 Trolls vs Americans start:2024-05-24 03:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:30:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 29 : 2024 Brew Crew vs Mites On Ice start:2024-05-24 03:45:00 stop:2024-05-24 07:45:00
PPV FLO SPORTS TV 30 : 2024 Rocky Mountain Vibes vs Yolo High Wheelers start:2024-05-24 04:30:00 stop:2024-05-24 08:30:00
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== UK VIA PLAY PACK ===
UK VIA PLAY 01 24/7 Channel Stream Viaplay sports 2 watch now // UK Tue 21 May 8:00am ET Tue 21 May 3:00am
UK VIA PLAY 01 24/7 Channel Stream Viaplay sports 2 watch now // UK Tue 21 May 4:00pm ET Tue 21 May 11:00am
UK VIA PLAY 02 24/7 Channel Stream Viaplay sports 1 watch now // UK Tue 21 May 8:00am ET Tue 21 May 3:00am
UK VIA PLAY 02 24/7 Channel Stream Viaplay sports 1 watch now // UK Tue 21 May 4:00pm ET Tue 21 May 11:00am
UK VIA PLAY 03 Ice Hockey World Championship Austria great britain // UK Tue 21 May 11:15am ET Tue 21 May 6:15am
UK VIA PLAY 03 Ice Hockey World Championship Canada czech republic // UK Tue 21 May 3:15pm ET Tue 21 May 10:15am
UK VIA PLAY 04 NHL Nhl tonight // UK Tue 21 May 2:00pm ET Tue 21 May 9:00am
UK VIA PLAY 04 LALIGA Viva laliga // UK Tue 21 May 6:00pm ET Tue 21 May 1:00pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
UK VIA PLAY 05 LALIGA Laliga news // UK Tue 21 May 2:00pm ET Tue 21 May 9:00am
UK VIA PLAY 05 Elitserien Speedway Smederna västervik // UK Tue 21 May 6:00pm ET Tue 21 May 1:00pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA TRILLER PACK ===
US TRILLER TV 01 The Bare Knuckle Show with Brian Soscia Season 2 Episode 53 // UK Tue 21 May 5:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 12:05pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA PEACOCK PACK ===
US PEACOCK 01 GOLF Match play womens qfs // UK Tue 21 May 6:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 12:00pm
US PEACOCK 01 GOLF Match play womens sfs // UK Tue 21 May 11:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 5:00pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA MILB PACK ===
US MILB 01 Binghamton Rumble Ponies vs Reading Fightin Phils // UK Tue 21 May 4:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:00am
US MILB 01 Las Vegas Aviators vs Tacoma Rainiers // UK Tue 21 May 7:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 2:35pm
US MILB 01 Hartford Yard Goats vs Portland Sea Dogs // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 01 Vancouver Canadians vs Hillsboro Hops // UK Wed 22 May 2:35am // ET Tue 21 May 9:35pm
US MILB 02 Akron RubberDucks vs Harrisburg Senators // UK Tue 21 May 4:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:00am
US MILB 02 Hudson Valley Renegades vs Brooklyn Cyclones // UK Tue 21 May 11:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:00pm
US MILB 02 Modesto Nuts vs Rancho Cucamonga Quakes // UK Wed 22 May 2:30am // ET Tue 21 May 9:30pm
US MILB 03 Rochester Red Wings vs Lehigh Valley IronPigs // UK Tue 21 May 4:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:00am
US MILB 03 Hartford Yard Goats vs Portland Sea Dogs // UK Tue 21 May 11:00pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:00pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
US MILB 03 Spokane Indians vs Eugene Emeralds // UK Wed 22 May 2:35am // ET Tue 21 May 9:35pm
US MILB 04 Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs Rochester Red Wings // UK Tue 21 May 4:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:05am
US MILB 04 Altoona Curve vs Erie SeaWolves // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 04 Stockton Ports vs Inland Empire 66ers // UK Wed 22 May 2:35am // ET Tue 21 May 9:35pm
US MILB 05 Beloit Sky Carp vs Great Lakes Loons // UK Tue 21 May 4:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:05am
US MILB 05 Syracuse Mets vs Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 05 Tri-City Dust Devils vs Everett AquaSox // UK Wed 22 May 3:05am // ET Tue 21 May 10:05pm
US MILB 06 Columbia Fireflies vs Delmarva Shorebirds // UK Tue 21 May 4:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 11:05am
US MILB 06 Clearwater Threshers vs St. Lucie Mets // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 07 Midland RockHounds vs Frisco RoughRiders // UK Tue 21 May 5:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 12:05pm
US MILB 07 Norfolk Tides vs Worcester Red Sox // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 08 Amarillo Sod Poodles vs Northwest Arkansas Naturals // UK Tue 21 May 5:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 12:05pm
US MILB 08 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers vs South Bend Cubs // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 09 Visalia Rawhide vs Fresno Grizzlies // UK Tue 21 May 7:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 2:05pm
US MILB 09 Somerset Patriots vs New Hampshire Fisher Cats // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 10 St. Paul Saints vs Buffalo Bisons // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 11 Richmond Flying Squirrels vs Bowie Baysox // UK Tue 21 May 11:05pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:05pm
US MILB 12 Greenville Drive vs Greensboro Grasshoppers // UK Tue 21 May 11:30pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:30pm
US MILB 13 Myrtle Beach Pelicans vs Carolina Mudcats // UK Tue 21 May 11:30pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:30pm
US MILB 14 Palm Beach Cardinals vs Lakeland Flying Tigers // UK Tue 21 May 11:30pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:30pm
US MILB 15 Tampa Tarpons vs Jupiter Hammerheads // UK Tue 21 May 11:30pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:30pm
US MILB 16 Dunedin Blue Jays vs Bradenton Marauders // UK Tue 21 May 11:30pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:30pm
US MILB 17 Memphis Redbirds vs Durham Bulls // UK Tue 21 May 11:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:35pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
US MILB 18 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels vs Daytona Tortugas // UK Tue 21 May 11:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:35pm
US MILB 19 Toledo Mud Hens vs Louisville Bats // UK Tue 21 May 11:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:35pm
US MILB 20 West Michigan Whitecaps vs Lake County Captains // UK Tue 21 May 11:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:35pm
US MILB 21 Lansing Lugnuts vs Fort Wayne TinCaps // UK Tue 21 May 11:35pm // ET Tue 21 May 6:35pm
US MILB 22 Wilmington Blue Rocks vs Rome Emperors // UK Wed 22 May 12:00am // ET Tue 21 May 7:00pm
US MILB 23 Asheville Tourists vs Hickory Crawdads // UK Wed 22 May 12:00am // ET Tue 21 May 7:00pm
US MILB 24 Bowling Green Hot Rods vs Winston-Salem Dash // UK Wed 22 May 12:00am // ET Tue 21 May 7:00pm
US MILB 25 Lynchburg Hillcats vs Fredericksburg Nationals // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 26 Down East Wood Ducks vs Charleston RiverDogs // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 27 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers vs Augusta GreenJackets // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 28 Jersey Shore BlueClaws vs Aberdeen IronBirds // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 29 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs Gwinnett Stripers // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 30 Fayetteville Woodpeckers vs Salem Red Sox // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 31 Tennessee Smokies vs Pensacola Blue Wahoos // UK Wed 22 May 12:05am // ET Tue 21 May 7:05pm
US MILB 32 Mississippi Braves vs Chattanooga Lookouts // UK Wed 22 May 12:15am // ET Tue 21 May 7:15pm
US MILB 33 Dayton Dragons vs Quad Cities River Bandits // UK Wed 22 May 12:30am // ET Tue 21 May 7:30pm
US MILB 34 Tulsa Drillers vs Springfield Cardinals // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 35 Cedar Rapids Kernels vs Peoria Chiefs // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 36 Columbus Clippers vs Omaha Storm Chasers // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 37 Charlotte Knights vs Nashville Sounds // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 38 Montgomery Biscuits vs Rocket City Trash Pandas // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 39 Arkansas Travelers vs Corpus Christi Hooks // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 40 Birmingham Barons vs Biloxi Shuckers // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 41 Round Rock Express vs Sugar Land Space Cowboys // UK Wed 22 May 12:35am // ET Tue 21 May 7:35pm
US MILB 42 Indianapolis Indians vs Iowa Cubs // UK Wed 22 May 12:38am // ET Tue 21 May 7:38pm
US MILB 43 Reno Aces vs Oklahoma City Baseball Club // UK Wed 22 May 1:05am // ET Tue 21 May 8:05pm
US MILB 44 San Antonio Missions vs Wichita Wind Surge // UK Wed 22 May 1:05am // ET Tue 21 May 8:05pm
US MILB 45 Sacramento River Cats vs El Paso Chihuahuas // UK Wed 22 May 1:05am // ET Tue 21 May 8:05pm
US MILB 46 Albuquerque Isotopes vs Salt Lake Bees // UK Wed 22 May 1:35am // ET Tue 21 May 8:35pm
US MILB 47 San Jose Giants vs Lake Elsinore Storm // UK Wed 22 May 2:05am // ET Tue 21 May 9:05pm
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA NBA PACK ===
US NBA LIVE 01: East Finals Game 1: Indiana at Boston 8:00 PM ET
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA WNBA PACK ===
US WNBA GAME 01: Dallas vs Atlanta 7:30 PM ET
US WNBA GAME 02: Phoenix vs Las Vegas 10:00 PM ET
US WNBA GAME 03: Washington vs Los Angeles 10:00 PM ET
Screwdatt, [5/21/2024 11:00 AM]
=== USA MLB PACK ===
US MLB LIVE 01: NY Mets at Cleveland 6:10 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 02: San Diego at Cincinnati 6:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 03: San Francisco at Pittsburgh 6:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 04: Texas at Philadelphia 6:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 05: Milwuakee at Miami 6:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 06: Minnesota at Washington 6:45 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 07: Boston at Tampa Bay 6:50 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 08: Seattle at NY Yankees 7:05 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 09: Chi. White Sox at Toronto 7:07 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 10: Detroit at Kansas City 7:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 11: Atlanta at Chi. Cubs 7:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 12: Baltimore at St. Louis 7:45 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 13: LA Angels at Houston 8:10 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 14: Colorado at Oakland 9:40 PM ET
US MLB LIVE 15: Arizona at LA Dodgers 10:10 PM ET

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So, if you’re just joining us, I work at a haunted zoo now. Since I’ve gotten some rest, it feels like I’ve got my head on straight, at least, so I’d like to continue where I left off.
I sat on the floor in the office after meeting the ghost until I’d settled my rattled mind (and realized I’d forgotten to ask her name, how rude is that?). I took a deep breath and got up off the floor. Walking over and falling into the rolling chair in front of the large screen of camera views, when I brought up the camera that covered the area in which I’d spotted her, she was still there, and it seemed she hadn’t moved an inch.
Sitting there, at a loss, I continued to watch her. The ghost hung around for another five minutes or so, appearing to look at a few things off-screen, though I’m not sure what. Then she walked off into the forest and left the view of the cameras. I wasn’t sure if she vanished into the ether or if she’d gone looking into the trees to look for something.
But that wasn’t the end of the job interview, so let me jump back there. It continued into what kind of animals the zoo had, with Andrew asking me how much experience I had with dangerous animals.
I took a moment to consider the question. “So, ah…I’ve been going hunting and fishing with a neighbor since I was sixteen,” I told him. “We always have to keep an eye out for gators, bears, and hogs. Then there’s snakes, of course…snapping turtles… Since I’ve lived here my whole life and been aiming for a job with wildlife for a long time, I know a lot about the animals in Arkansas in general. But good advice for all of the above is avoid them, so I’ve had encounters, but I don’t know if you’d say I have experience with them.”
“That’s fine,” Andrew said, nodding. “That’s an answer I’m satisfied with. Now, the ghost was the appetizer, Ripley; here’s the main course. To start with, the pay isn’t twenty-five an hour. It’s fifty.”
Staring in shock for a moment, I asked, “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. But that’d be weird to post online considering what applicants think we need, so I halved it.”
“That’s… Okay, why?”
“The animals are already here. You just can’t see them.”
I stared at him for a long moment, some disbelief worming its way into my expression, before saying, “Sorry, what?”
“There’s a chance you’d naturally never see them, or at least some of them,” he continued casually. “It depends on both your genetics and how long you stay on the job. I can naturally see six of them, but that’s it. Suzanne can see all of them, and more. Some are what people would label demons or ghosts. Or magic. Mostly you’d call them cryptids. The ghost was just a warm-up; I mentioned her first because it never takes more than a week to see her if you work the night shift. If you manage to handle her okay, soon you’ll be able to see the animals too. The more time you spend on the grounds, for weird reasons,” he said, wiggling his fingers in the direction of the back door, “the more you’ll be able to see.”
“So, this…this is a zoo for cryptids,” I echoed slowly. He nodded once, waiting to find out what kind of reaction I would have. I gestured vaguely around the room. “If this is a hidden camera show, will you cut me a check for showing up and participating?”
Andrew coughed out a chuckle and shook his head. “No joke. There are a ton of stories out there that have been written to death, pulverized until they’re not the Grimm stories of old and instead they’re Disney films. A lot of those stories come from what some humans have seen. There are dozens of other worlds pressed up against ours, and occasionally things come through by accident. If they’re smart, they’ll lay low and then make their way back when they can. If not, they become local folklore until someone helps them back. I’m just from London, but Suzanne is from somewhere else. She hires people like us for this zoo. Humans.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “That makes no sense. Why would she hire a muggle for a magic zoo?”
Andrew burst out laughing at that, and then waited to gather himself before he continued. “Fair point, but this is less about magic and more about animals, and you’re missing some information that will explain it. First of all, if I misjudge an employee, and they think they can make bank by outing the endangered and valuable animals we have, it’s easy to relocate the zoo.”
“Because magic?” I asked.
“Exactly,” he replied, ignoring the thread of skepticism in my tone. “That means it isn’t the end of the world if that happened, though it is a pain in the arse. But second…let me ask you a question. Speaking of reality shows, say the Discovery Channel put out a call to replace Steve Irwin when he passed. Imagine they had a line out the door,” he said with a gesture, “of people who thought they had the skill and natural talent to replace him, to take on everything he’d been doing his whole life. How many do you reckon would lose an arm, a leg, or their life, by the end of the day?”
My lips parted in surprise and I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re saying people from…wherever…they’re just as dumb as humans, but they’re worse, because they actually think they can handle these things.”
Andrew pointed the pen at me. “Things. Exactly. You called them things. Suzanne and her friends grew up with them and would call them animals. These animals have dispositions and temperaments that we’ve studied for as long as there have been scientists. Where Suzanne’s from, they know the weaknesses of these animals, and also they’re in enclosures here, even if you and I can’t see the walls because they’re invisible things called ‘wards’. If I hire someone who’s got magic on top of all that, they’ll have almost no instinctive fear.
“Everything here is nocturnal, and every one of them is a hunter. Some of these things? Humans see them and they pass out. Not that I want you passing out, but I need someone who is scared of these things, who knows to stay out of the enclosures no matter what. Not someone who thinks they can train them to do tricks, who gets close enough for them to grab a mouthful of hair and drown them. Once, we had a night shift manager injured, and once killed, because they didn’t take these animals seriously enough.”
Thinking back to the Sea World orca incident I knew he’d been referencing, I remembered wondering how someone at that level of her profession could be so careless as I watched the video on YouTube. It made sense when he explained it like that. I hesitated before mentally throwing my hands up and going all in. “So, why put this place here, then? If they’re endangered and also dangerous, why have a zoo at all instead of just a small reserve?”
He pursed his lips, looking disappointed in me. “Ripley. You know that already. You already said as much.”
Thinking back through our conversation, I said, “The rich humans who pay top dollar to see supernatural animals.”
“Not humans,” he told me. “But people, yes, and they are rich, and they’re making donations and spending their money on a ticket here because everything we have is endangered.”
“So…”
I just let my voice trail off and my mind started to drift. Andrew remained silent, letting me do so. There’s that thing people say, ‘I believe that you believe it,’ which is just a kinder way of saying, ‘Bullshit.’ Parents say it about closet monsters. Psychologists say it to people who say they’ve been abducted and probed by aliens. I wanted to say it to Andrew.
But I also wanted a job. If it meant working overnight at an empty zoo, that was fine. When it came down to it, especially when I took the tone of our conversation into account, this was a zoo specifically focused on preserving endangered ‘animals’, and it was allegedly doing important work. Also, if this turned out to be the real deal and I started seeing the animals, I would deal with it, just like I would deal with an enclosure that had a lion or tiger or gorilla. If it came with a ghost and invisible creatures, I really didn’t see what the difference was, if I couldn’t go in the enclosures either way.
On that note, I’d like you to imagine a kid who looks at a roller coaster, watching everyone screaming and grinning as they go up and down and all around and they’re like, ‘Heck, I could do that! That looks like a blast!’
Then they get on, the first drop hits, and they realize they’ve made a terrible mistake.
“All right,” I sighed. “I can’t say I’m going to turn down a job just because it’s going to be scary. Especially not one with this paycheck.”
Andrew smiled. “Awesome. There’s an adjustment process for anyone working here, similar to a dog that gets adopted, actually. I know the general guidelines of, ‘three days, three weeks, three months’ in terms of milestones, until they finally feel they’re where they’re supposed to be,” he told me, “and you can think of your time here along those lines. I really think you’re a great fit, and once you reach the milestone of working here for three months, I’ll officially consider you our new night shift guard. And I hope you’ll stay with us for many years.”
I nodded and smiled at the flattery of an employer wanting me to work a great job for them for a long time. I’d never had a dog, but those milestones were well-known among anyone who knew animals, especially dogs. The first three days, the dog is getting to know its new digs, exploring, and decompressing. At three weeks, they’ve gotten used to their environment and are starting to get comfortable with their surroundings and the routines of the humans they live with. By three months, they know the rules and follow them, they trust you, and they feel they are where they’re meant to be. I could only hope to be so lucky.
I saw the ghost two days ago and she has yet to make another appearance (for those who are curious, I asked, and her name is Leila), and I still hadn’t seen any animals. I did hear one, though, I feel compelled to note. A growling roar sounded from the lake on occasion, echoing across the vast zoo, sending a shiver down my spine. Whatever that animal was, it sounded gigantic.
Andrew said there was apparently a group that wanted to visit for a birthday and they were offering a huge donation, so he let me know they were making an exception and that this group would be walking through the park that night. That meant I’d be watching people watching animals that, as far as I could tell, weren’t there.
It was anticlimactic. Even the three people who came for the tour just looked like people, not like aliens or something eldritch from another dimension, and I stayed in the security office the whole time. Andrew was the one giving the tour. I watched them spend about five minutes at each enclosure, the hour or so that they were there passing without incident. It was clear that they were able to see all the animals, though, since they motioned excitedly at each enclosure and spoke to Andrew, who presumably answered any questions they had.
If they could see the animals, that was that. There was still that niggle in the back of my head, from my twenty-three years of life never encountering anything like ghosts or cryptids, telling me that this was ridiculous. Waiting for someone to knock on the door, a camera mounted on their shoulder, to tell me that it was a big joke and they wanted to see how long I’d play along. But from all I saw, this was a real place with real, invisible animals.
I do carry a taser and pepper spray in my capacity as a security guard. Though it isn’t for the animals, since they’re in the enclosures; they’re actually for the rare instance of a break-in. Andrew mentioned that it had happened several times it the past, someone trying to steal an animal in the hopes of selling it on the black market. They’d been successful before, but apparently my predecessor Roger was good at his job, and mostly they left in handcuffs.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of confrontation, but my job was to call Andrew and then confront the person, not kick their ass. That’s what the police were for, or rather, the people Andrew would call in lieu of police in certain situations.
Fifty bucks an hour. That’s the key here.
Andrew hadn’t set up direct deposit, since he was sticking with a strategy of waiting to see if I’d continue to work there once I found out myself dealing with the animals (I’ve decided I am going to just call them animals). Instead, I got an old-fashioned check after my shift every Friday. The number on the first check was delightful. I went out that evening and had a big dinner at the local diner, order my most expensive favorites on the menu and a big slice of pie for dessert.
When it came to the paychecks in general, though, I had this weird feeling of not wanting to tell my dad and brother about the fact that it was actually $50/hr. I previously mentioned that my dad, his name’s Nathan if you’re curious, works at a local grocery store. Our town has a couple food franchises, but I think its size is just short of whatever threshold Walmart uses to decide where to open. He earns $14/hr. and that’s after the tiny raises he’s gotten over the past thirteen years.
That’s not to say he’d feel bad about not making as much as me. On the contrary, he would be ecstatic for me and really proud. But, like me, he’d be suspicious. That hourly rate was the biggest hint that this was more than just a private zoo for cryptids. And as soon as that fat check cleared without problems, my dad wouldn’t be satisfied with reassurances; he’d want to come visit the zoo and look around.
I’d told him it’s a private preservation with scheduled (expensive) visits only and that it had only eleven animals, so he’d been appeased by me brushing off the idea of a visit. Also, I took a few photos of my workplace; one of the security room, one of me sitting in my chair, one photo of the many screens I watched, and a selfie where I was feigning sleep out of boredom, slouched in my chair with my mouth open in a faux snore. That let him feel like he knew where I was and what I was doing, and that I was safe.
But if I told him I was making double what he thought, my father would practically order me to quit. No job was worth my safety, he’d tell me. I was quite of the opposite opinion, however, considering how crucial any and all conservation efforts were these days. Especially with the steep extinction levels due to humans competing with other animals for space, not to mention climate change. Working in any job that helped preserve species and keep ecosystems in balance, or put them back in balance, was so important.
Then again, my father would also point out something I had realized right away: the fact was that I was working with endangered species that were not from Earth. I wasn’t helping my planet. To be honest, though…that didn’t matter to me. Especially after that talk with Andrew about why he hired a human for this job, I figured whichever dimension these animals came from had the equivalent of us, razing forests to the ground, clouding the planet with pollution, and leaving the animals with no avenue of recourse when yet more land was taken from them.
I really do hope to keep working here for a long time, though, and not just because of the money. I can’t help it; I want to know what these things were, and I want to work with them, to do the job of a zookeeper. The same way you go up to the chain-link fence to get close to a carnivore on the other side who thinks you’d make a nice afternoon snack. You just want to be closer to them, to experience that incredible, daunting feeling of being in their presence.
Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t long before I got what I wanted.
The day after we had the tour go through, I was doing my sweep when I saw the ghost again. She was sitting on a small boulder in the same area I’d seen her the first time, looking identical, blood covering the front of her slashed shirt, the wounds visible underneath. I stopped and stood there for a moment before I decided to raise my hand in a small wave.
The young woman cocked her head at me and raised a hand in the air in an imitation of my gesture, her expression showing a bit of curiosity.
She was low-key, seemingly not concerned with my presence, looking at me as a novel phenomenon in her world. I wondered what that world consisted of. Was she always here, sometimes visible and sometimes not? Or did she have another world next to ours, in the ether, where she left everything in this world behind and floated in her disembodied form? Did she still feel emotions? Was that really curiosity on her face, or was I projecting? Did she feel happiness? Fear? Did she have the option of moving on, or was she stuck here?
Many questions that I might never get the answers to. And that was assuming Andrew knew the answers, since I’d never met Suzanne Cooper and he hadn’t even mentioned that possibility. This place was clearly her baby, but I’m sure running it was a lot of work. Plus, if she was rich enough to own it, she was rich enough to have other businesses and charities to run.
When it comes to the enclosures, they’re all wrapped by a barrier of some kind, though never one that seems adequate. There was not a single place with the ugly metal weavings of a chain-link fence, and no stretches of circular razor wire. Instead, there are nice fences. Black iron, or wrought steel fencing in a similar style to the one circling the perimeter of the zoo, just shorter and with different patterns. Or a spaced picket fence, the wood stained in some tone of brown, or a split two-rail fence. As if to say, ‘This is the border of your enclosure, but we’re just letting you know out of courtesy.’
When I started to pass enclosure number seven last night, a young woman’s voice spoke, “Hello.”
I startled, unaware that I hadn’t been alone. “Oh. Hi,” I said, staring at her standing a few yards in.
She had been next to a large tree and I hadn’t seen her. This enclosure was behind a picket fence, and she walked through the large area of wild grasses and flowers that stretched across the other side of the fence. There were fewer tall grasses closer to the fence, which I guessed was because it had been tromped down by her regular pacing along it when there were visitors, or if she wanted to see the various enclosures of the zoo. Her sudden appearance was a bit weird, considering I had been expecting to see a cryptid and instead I was looking at, it seemed, an attractive Asian woman.
She wore a black kimono, the soft silk robe draped gently over her body, with beautiful patterns of cherry blossoms, more so over her left side, and red and blue birds with their wings spread. A sash wrapped around her abdomen, she wore socks and sandals on her feet, and her hair was up in those rolls that gave volume to the style.
I was no expert on any fashion, much less that of another country, so I just assumed it was all traditional Japanese clothing. Most likely, the visitors who came liked to see a certain time-honored style and that’s what she stuck with. Or maybe she played on stereotypes. That would be amusing.
“I’m Yui. It’s nice to meet you,” she spoke, arriving at the border of the fence and holding out a hand for me to shake.
I’d been standing about three yards away from her, and I’ll be honest, muscle memory tried to kick in. But I only made it two steps, my hand starting to rise, before I froze, the hand falling limply at my side. “Nice to meet you, too,” I answered, my voice quiet.
Damn. I wonder how many times that honey trap works back where she comes from.
The pleasant look on her face faded, and she lowered her hand. “You won’t shake hands with me? Isn’t that rude?”
“I mean, I kind of like my hand where it is. You know, attached to me.”
Her demure smile widened into something more amused. “I would never do something so revolting.”
Looking her up and down, as if more visual information would give me more knowledge of what she was, I asked her, “What would you do?”
“I would be less wasteful,” she said softly.
A finger of ice trailed down my spine, and I had the sudden image in my head of her grabbing my outstretched hand in an iron grip and yanking me over the fence, leaving me to sprawl on the ground. Then killing and consuming me efficiently, without a single careless step, the same way humans slaughtered pigs, using everything from the hog but the squeal. I was struck with a shiver at the idea of her consuming everything from me but my screams.
Slowly, I took one step further down the path, then another. Just as I got to a walking pace, though, I realized the woman had started walking too, in the same direction. I’d have eventually gotten to the end of her enclosure and keep going, leaving her behind, but she spoke up. “Are you leaving?”
I came to a stop, meeting her gaze again. “My job is to walk the zoo every hour. Then I’ll get back to the security room and stay there until my next walk.”
“Have you met the others yet?”
I hesitated before saying, “Just Leila.”
She blinked languidly. “That means nobody welcomed you here.”
“Andrew did.”
She didn’t reply to that. Instead, she slowly started to lean forward, and I flinched backward a few steps further as I saw insect legs start curling out from her back.
No. Not insect. Arachnid.
The eight legs ended in small ‘paws’ with tiny claws, a layer of hairs covering the leg from top to bottom, like any typical tarantula. I took two more slow steps back and my mouth went dry as the jointed legs just kept lengthening, until they were large enough to lever her off the ground.
My gaze had been on the spider legs, but my heart skipped a beat as I realized her human legs had melded together and turned into a bulging abdomen. Her skin was shifting to a carapace, eventually all the way up to her shoulders and down her arms, her fingers elongating and her nails stretching to claws. From there down, her body was that of a pale tarantula with pedipalps the size of my arms and piercing fangs in her jaws that looked like they could take my head off.
There was a moment, my vision blurring, where I was worried that I might piss myself. The part of my brain that still had its humor intact in that moment told me that I should keep an emergency set of clothes in my car, or at the very least, start wearing Depends to work.
“I show you my true form,” she said softly, her voice now raspy like an eighty-year-old after a lifelong smoking habit. “Welcome to Suzanne Cooper’s zoo. The night shift guard for many years was Roger, before he retired and the zoo moved, and I miss him dearly. What should I call you?”
I choked on my words. There was no way my throat was going to cooperate enough for me to clearly get a sentence out. Instead, I realized my legs had taken control of the situation themselves, unsatisfied with my conscious brain’s decision to stand and stare, taking steps backward. I backed up a yard, then five yards, then ten.
My mind focused on the fact that spiders don’t waste anything, and pictured my demise. I’d be wrapped in a cocoon, killed, and made nice and mushy before she had me for dinner.
The whole time, my brain was a frenzied mess, my pupils were probably the size of dimes, and I was staring at that tiny, pathetic fence between her and me. There was so much adrenaline pumping through my body that I felt like my bones were vibrating. The fence was, to my eyes, the only thing between us. The only thing keeping her from tackling and killing me. My only hope was that she’d do it quickly.
But she didn’t move. As I absorbed her innocent, polite words, the look on her face was calm, and I wondered if this was typically the way a conversation went before she devoured her prey. I wondered how many people she’d eaten. Not humans, not people from Earth, but the ones from where she came from. The fact that she doesn’t scare the shit out of those people means they’re staggeringly dumber than humans.
Finally, I rounded a corner, both relieved at having her out of my sight and worried that she would take that moment to come find me. When she’d been within eyeshot, I had at least known where she was and could run in the other direction. But I didn’t hear the sound of faint footsteps moving rapidly toward me. All was quiet, in that deep, smothering way that only an empty business in the middle of the night in small town America could be.
My hands trembling, I barely paid attention to anything but the confirmation that my surroundings were free of the colossal spider as I finally got back to the door. Grabbing the handle and letting my eyes dart around for about ten seconds and my ears prick for the slightest sound, I finally swiped my key card across the pad and went inside, shutting the door behind me and engaging the backup deadbolt.
Maybe that was why they had decided on keycards. If I was running from something and panicking, using an actual key or inserting the card like at a hotel would keep me from getting to safety considering my hands were shaking enough to mix a margarita.
Walking over to my chair, I fell into it, letting my body flush itself of terror as I looked up at the cameras. There she was, still in arachnid form, exactly where I’d left her behind that rinky-dink fence, casually looking around and slowly pacing back and forth. I stared at her as my racing heart gradually slowed, and a minute or so later she turned on her eight legs and walked back into the trees.
Whatever invisible fences the enclosures have apparently work, which is nice, because I wasn’t keen on getting killed by one of the creatures here. And that’s what brings me here, spilling out everything that’s happened so far. Because nearly passing out from terror isn’t something I wanted to deal with at work, obviously, but I keep going over what she did in my head again and again, and I feel like I reacted like a child who spotted a wolf spider on their bed. I started to worry for my overactive sense of self-preservation, at least in my capacity as an employee here.
The spider didn’t even try to hurt me, and so I was feeling a bit foolish. Even annoyed, actually, at the fact that I’d freaked out so hard and took off instead of trying to engage in at least basic conversation. I got the sense that she wasn’t at human-level intelligence, but I was never going to be able to hold any level of conversation with an alligator.
Sure, she did mention that she wouldn’t be so crass as to yank off my hand because she’d rather just have my entire corpse, but wouldn’t a wolf do the same if it was hungry? Wouldn’t any carnivore? Actually, they probably would’ve been satisfied with one of my hands. The fear here was from the fact that she turned into a giant spider. If she’d turned into Clifford, I would’ve reacted the same way, if not better than, meeting Leila.
With that, I decided I’m staying on the job. Considering how frustrated I can get with foolish people, it’s a bit hypocritical, and I’m being a bit of an idiot. But…there are definitely wards keeping them in their enclosures. Also, I signed up for creatures for another dimension, whether or not I believed in them at the time, and I will not let encountering my first one in an objectively boring way be the reason I quit.
The money is a factor, I’ll grant you. Of course it is. And I can’t spend it if I’m dead, but all signs point to surviving as long as I don’t do anything dumb. Also, yes, I’ll admit there’s a not-so-little voice in the back of my head that’s desperate to know what else is here. I never thought I’d do something like this, but finding out these things are real, I honestly do want to learn more about them.
Still, though, I decided to call Andrew at the end of my shift to ask if the pepper spray and taser I carried worked on a certain spider, as well as the other animals I’d yet to meet.
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Taken from: https://www.theringer.com/movies/2024/5/21/24161120/greatest-movie-car-chase-scenes-ranked-furiosa-mad-max-saga
In honor of the imminent ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,’ we’re shifting into high gear to determine the best chase scene in cinema history
By Miles Surrey May 21, 2024, 6:30am EDTGetty Images/Ringer illustration
After wowing audiences with Mad Max: Fury Road, director George Miller returns to the franchise’s post-apocalyptic wastelands for Furiosa, the epic origin story of the eponymous heroine (now played by Anya Taylor-Joy), premiering on Friday. As the follow-up to one of the greatest action films ever made, it’s hard to overstate the hype for Furiosa, and that was before word got out about a showstopping 15-minute sequence that required nearly 200 stuntpeople and took 78 days to shoot. While Furiosa will have its own distinct flavor, as is true of every Mad Max movie, there’s one thing that unites these projects: intense, jaw-dropping scenes of vehicular mayhem. And what better way to honor the franchise than by celebrating what it does best?
Ahead of Furiosa’s release, we’ve put together our definitive ranking of the best car chases in cinema. There weren’t any strict rules in place, other than capping the list at 20—mostly for my own sanity—and limiting every franchise to one entry. (Apologies to Fury Road’s kickass predecessor The Road Warrior.) We also won’t discriminate against scenes that feature motorbikes, so long as cars (and/or trucks) remain part of the equation. As for what, exactly, constitutes a good car chase? Like list making, it’s bound to be subjective, but I tend to gravitate toward two key elements: the skill of the stuntwork on display and the ways in which a filmmaker conveys the action in relation to the story. (Also, the less CGI, the better.) Buckle up, ’cause we’re not wasting any time shifting into high gear.

20. Quantum of Solace (2008)

There have been some memorable car chases in the James Bond franchise: the first sequence featuring the iconic Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger, the corkscrew jump in The Man With the Golden Gun, the Lotus Esprit submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me. But I’m going with a somewhat controversial pick here: Quantum of Solace. There are many issues with Quantum of Solace—namely, it was one of the most high-profile blockbusters affected by the 2007-08 writers strike—but its opening scene isn’t one of them. Picking up right where Casino Royale left off, we find Bond (Daniel Craig) evading henchmen through the narrow roads around Italy’s Lake Garda. The frenetic, furious chase mirrors Bond’s sense of anguish after losing Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the woman he opened his heart to, and his relentless quest for answers. It’s a thrilling tone-setter for Quantum of Solace and one that doesn’t overstay its welcome, capped off by Bond sending his final pursuers flying off a cliff:
If we’re being honest, though, it feels like James Bond has yet to create a franchise-defining car chase. Perhaps that’s a mission the newest 007, whoever it ends up being, can undertake.

19. Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation (2015)

The Mission: Impossible franchise is no stranger to electrifying chase scenes, the best of which find Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt working up his heart rate. When it comes to action behind the wheel, though, Fallout tends to dominate the discussion—even on this very website. But I think the vehicular chase in Rogue Nation is being slept on. What we have is effectively two sequences for the price of one: The first finds Hunt pursuing Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) by car through the narrow streets of Casablanca alongside some nefarious henchmen; the second sees him continue the chase outside the city on motorbike. (Adding to the chaos: Hunt had only just been resuscitated, and he’s clearly not all there.) In terms of death-defying stunts for the audience’s entertainment, a helmetless Cruise taking corners like a MotoGP racer is child’s play compared to his other exploits, but the actor’s authentic reaction to scraping his knee on the road underlines that there’s no one else in Hollywood doing it like him:
We’ll be sure to update this ranking if and when Cruise does something even more dangerous down the road, pun unintended.

18. Vanishing Point (1971)

A movie that counts the likes of Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino among its biggest fans, Vanishing Point is the first of a few entries on this ranking that’s essentially one extended car chase. The film stars Barry Newman as Kowalski, a man tasked with delivering a Dodge Challenger T 440 Magnum from Colorado to California while eluding police across four states. One of Kowalski’s most memorable run-ins comes when a guy driving a Jaguar E-Type convertible challenges him to an impromptu race. Incredibly, we’re expected to believe the man in the Jag comes out of this crash in one piece:
Vanishing Point might not boast the impressive production values of other movies on this list, but considering Tarantino would go on to feature a white Challenger in Death Proof, its influence in the car cinema canon is undeniable.

17. Fast Five (2011)

Let’s face it, Fast & Furious has seen better days. Some believe the franchise’s dip in quality coincided with the death of Paul Walker; others are dismayed by the pivot from street racing to absurd feats of superherodom—emphasis on the Dom. Perhaps it’s a bit of both, but the very best movie in the series, Fast Five, manages to strike the perfect balance: It’s a relatively grounded heist thriller that nevertheless takes the franchise to ridiculous new heights. After Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew steal $100 million from a Brazilian kingpin, they drag the entire bank vault holding the money through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, all while being pursued by authorities. It’s a delightfully destructive sequence that does untold damage to Rio’s infrastructure and features some of the most bone-crunching crashes committed to film:
If the Fast franchise is going to break out of its recent slump, it would do well to remember that there’s nothing better than letting its heroes live their lives a quarter mile at a time—no detours to outer space required.

16. The Blues Brothers (1980)

A good car chase isn’t reserved just for action flicks: Comedies can get in on the act, too. In The Blues Brothers, starring the recurring Saturday Night Live characters played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the beloved bandmates must prevent the foreclosure of the orphanage where they were raised by scrounging together $5,000. Naturally, that’s easier said than done: Along the way, the Blues Brothers draw the attention of neo-Nazis, a country-and-western band, and local police. While The Blues Brothers has amusing gags and musical numbers, its chase sequences with the Brothers behind the wheel of a 1974 Dodge Monaco are what really steal the show—and none are better than a climactic pursuit across Chicago. More than 60 old police cars were used in the film, some of which are wrecked in a comically over-the-top pileup:
The sheer scale of The Blues Brothers’ final set piece is commendable in and of itself—as is the movie’s commitment to treating real-life cars like a bunch of Hot Wheels.

15. Baby Driver (2017)

For good and for ill, Edgar Wright’s movies exude an abundance of style, and Baby Driver is no exception. Baby Driver is centered on a clever gimmick: The action works in tandem with its soundtrack because the film’s protagonist, Baby (Ansel Elgort), suffers from tinnitus and constantly plays music to drown out the ringing. When everything’s clicking into place, Baby Driver feels like a supersized series of music videos, and nothing hits quite like its opening sequence. Baby acts as the getaway driver for a bank robbery while listening to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s “Bellbottoms.” The ensuing chase works around rhythms of the song, as if Baby’s Subaru WRX were the star of its own dance number. Take nothing away from the actual driving, either, which puts the rally car to good use:
Baby Driver’s gimmick stretches a little thin by the end, but it’s hard to deny the crowd-pleasing power of Wright’s film when it’s firing on all cylinders.

14. The Raid 2 (2014)

With a trio of kickass Indonesian martial arts films under his belt, Gareth Evans has established himself as one of the most exciting action directors on the planet—someone who seems most in his element staging positively brutal hand-to-hand combat. In The Raid 2, however, Evans also brought his signature brand of carnage to the road. While there’s some cleverly executed close-quarters fighting within the confines of an SUV, courtesy of Iko Uwais’s hard-hitting protagonist, what really cements this sequence’s greatness are the moments when Evans turns the cars into an extension of the characters’ fists:
This belongs in an entirely new category of combat: car fights. There are so many action scenes in The Raid 2 worth writing home about—the kitchen showdown is an all-timer—but the fact that Evans casually tossed in an unforgettable car chase shows why he’s one of one.

13. The Driver (1978)

I’ll say this for Walter Hill’s The Driver: It sure lives up to its title. In this stripped-down thriller—one where none of the characters have a name—we follow the Driver (Ryan O’Neal), a getaway driver who has become a thorn in the side of the LAPD. In the film’s best scene, we see its taciturn protagonist living up to his reputation. With the Driver behind the wheel of a 1974 Ford Galaxie, a cat-and-mouse game unfolds when a handful of police cars are hot on his tail. What I love about this sequence is the pared-down nature of it all: The Driver outwits the cops as much as he outraces them. (Though, ironically, that wasn’t entirely by design: As Hill later explained, an accident on the last night of shooting meant they had to cobble together what had already been filmed.) Frankly, you’d never know the difference from the finished article:
If the general vibes of The Driver seem familiar, that’s because it was a major inspiration for Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, which just so happened to feature an unnamed protagonist (Ryan Gosling) evading police through the streets of Los Angeles.

12. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

The shaky-cam style of the Bourne franchise isn’t for everyone—just ask John Woo—but credit where it’s due: These movies know how to deliver a good chase scene. (A friendly reminder that The Bourne Legacy is an underrated gem with an awesome motorbike sequence to boot.) But there’s one Bourne chase that stands above the rest: the Moscow getaway in The Bourne Supremacy. After being wounded by the Russian assassin Kirill (Karl Urban), Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) hijacks a taxi, with both the police and Kirill in hot pursuit. This isn’t the kind of sequence that lingers on any one shot; instead, what makes it work is the frenetic nature of the editing, which allows the viewer to feel like they’re in Bourne’s fight-or-flight headspace:
If I’m being honest, I’m usually one of those people who doesn’t like the Bourne movies’ shaky-cam style, but when it’s executed with such craftsmanship, you can’t help but get caught up in its adrenaline-pumping power.

11. The Seven-Ups (1973)

Philip D’Antoni was the producer of two movies featuring Hall of Fame car chases, Bullitt and The French Connection, the latter of which won him an Oscar for Best Picture. And with his lone directorial feature, The Seven-Ups, D’Antoni sought to craft an iconic sequence of his own. The film stars Roy Scheider as NYPD detective Buddy Mannuci (elite Italian American name; I can practically smell the gabagool), who commands a unit handling major felony cases that lead to seven-plus-year prison sentences; that’s why they’re known as the Seven-Ups. Midway through the movie, when one of the team members is killed by two shooters who flee the scene, Buddy chases after them. The 10-minute sequence, which starts in the Upper West Side before moving out of the city, is thrillingly immersive, alternating between close-ups of the characters and wider shots of all the damage they’ve caused. But the chase’s defining moment comes right at the end, when Buddy narrowly avoids a grisly death:
The sequence isn’t quite at the level of Bullitt or The French Connection—very few are—but D’Antoni still manages to leave an unmistakable imprint on the car chase canon.

10. Death Proof (2007)

If you ask Quentin Tarantino, Death Proof, his knowingly trashy tribute to exploitation cinema, is the worst movie he’s ever made. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to admire about the film, which honors the unsung heroes of Hollywood: stunt performers. The first half of Death Proof follows three female friends who cross paths with Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a misogynistic serial killer who takes them out in his “death-proof” Chevy Nova. Fourteen months later, a group that includes stuntwoman Zoë Bell, playing herself, also lands on Mike’s radar. As Bell and her friends test out a ’70s Challenger, she performs a “ship’s mast” stunt, clinging onto the hood of the car with fastening belts. Unfortunately, when Mike pursues the women, it puts Bell in a precarious situation. Most of the entries on this list celebrate some next-level driving skills, but Death Proof’s inclusion is all about Bell pulling off one of the wildest stunts you’ll ever see. She’s quite literally hanging on for dear life:
If the Academy handed out Oscars to stunt performers—and let’s hope it does happen one day—Bell would’ve won in a landslide.

9. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

William Friedkin was already responsible for an all-time great car chase in The French Connection (more on that later), but the filmmaker made a commendable bid to outdo himself with To Live and Die in L.A. In this neo-noir thriller, Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) is hell-bent on arresting an expert counterfeiter, Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), who kills Chance’s partner days before his retirement. To capture Masters, Chance and his new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), attempt to steal $50,000 from a jewelry buyer for an undercover operation. The sting goes bad when the buyer, who is later revealed to be an undercover FBI agent, is killed and a group of gunmen goes after Chance and Vukovich. It’s a clever inversion of the usual car chase formula—this time, it’s the lawmen running away from the criminals. The outside-the-box thinking extends to the film’s most astonishing stretch, in which Chance evades the gunmen by driving into oncoming traffic:
The fact that Friedkin shot the chase at the end of filming—in case anything disastrous happened to the actors—underscores just how risky the endeavor was. The pulse-pounding results speak for themselves.

8. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

The Matrix sequels have never been held in high esteem, but I’m ready to live my truth: The Matrix Reloaded fucking rules. (If anyone’s got a problem with this take, file your complaints with the Architect.) What’s more, the film happens to boast the finest action set piece of the franchise: the highway chase. After Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) free the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim), a program capable of creating shortcuts within the Matrix, they’re pursued by the Twins (Neil and Adrian Rayment). Morpheus once warned that going on the freeway was “suicide,” and it doesn’t take long to see why: The chase draws the attention of several Agents, who repeatedly take over the bodies of other drivers on the road. The scene is the best of both worlds: There’s some incredible stuntwork on display, including when Moss weaves around on a Ducati, and CGI augments some feats of superhuman strength. But the most jaw-dropping aspect of the sequence is how it came together, as the production spent $2.5 million to construct its own highway (!) on California’s Alameda Island. If that weren’t unique enough, I’m pretty sure Reloaded is also the only movie in existence in which a katana takes out an SUV:
The Matrix remains the Wachowskis’ masterpiece, but don’t get it twisted: The filmmakers were still cooking with gas in the sequel.

7. Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Size isn’t everything, but for H. B. Halicki, who produced, wrote, directed, and starred in Gone in 60 Seconds, it’s certainly part of the package. The indie action flick follows Maindrian Pace (Halicki), a Los Angeles insurance investigator who has a lucrative side hustle jacking high-end cars. The plot kicks into motion when a South American drug lord enlists Pace to nab 48 cars within five days in exchange for $400,000. Of course, Gone in 60 Seconds is best known for what happens after Pace is caught stealing a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, when he leads police on a chase that lasts a whopping 40 minutes. (More than 90 cars were destroyed in the process.) Halicki, for his part, did all the driving himself, including a spectacular jump off a makeshift ramp of crashed cars:
While Halicki wound up making a few more indies after Gone in 60 Seconds, he died in an accident on the set of its sequel. His legacy as a do-it-all daredevil, however, lives on.

6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Long before James Cameron immersed himself in the world of Pandora, he was a pioneer of state-of-the-art visual effects. Case in point: Terminator 2: Judgment Day is credited for having the first CGI character in a blockbuster, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a killing machine composed of a futuristic liquid metal. But Cameron also understood that the CGI of that era shouldn’t be the main attraction: It worked best as a complement to the practical effects, as seen in Judgment Day’s epic viaduct chase. When the T-1000 tracks down a young John Connor (Edward Furlong) in a shopping mall, he’s saved at the last minute by the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), giving John a chance to escape on his dirt bike. As the T-1000 gives chase, the David and Goliath vibes between man and machine are further epitomized by the T-1000’s commandeering of a truck. The sequence already has a terrifying sense of urgency, but it hits another level when the T-1000 crashes through the viaduct like the Kool-Aid Man:
Big Jim is still revolutionizing what can be achieved with visual effects in the Avatar franchise, and while I cherish those movies, nothing beats his old-school showmanship.

5. Duel (1971)

The feature-length debut of Steven Spielberg—perhaps you’ve heard of him—the TV movie Duel is essentially one extended chase sequence between salesman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) and a sinister trucker determined to drive him off the road. I’ve attached a clip from the ending of the film, but that doesn’t do Duel justice. What cements this movie’s greatness is how it sustains an unbearable level of tension across its 90-minute running time—with a budget under $500,000, no less. Spielberg’s masterstroke is never once showing us the other driver, anthropomorphizing the truck itself as a monster. (You can see a lot of similarities with how he would build suspense in Jaws.) When Mann finally gets the upper hand, tricking his adversary into driving off a cliff, it feels like you can breathe again:
Spielberg would move on to bigger and better things after Duel, but considering how much the director accomplished with so little, you can’t help but wonder what else he could conjure up with limited resources.

4. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Like Duel, Fury Road is basically one long car chase—the difference is Miller got to work with a blockbuster budget, and made every cent of it count. It’s hard to pick a single standout sequence in Fury Road, but if I had to choose, I’d go with the first attack on the War Rig after Furiosa (Charlize Theron) flees with the wives of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). Here’s why: Think back to when you saw Fury Road for the first time, before you fully grasped the vehicular carnage that was in store. And then stuff like this kept happening:
To quote Steven Soderbergh’s thoughts on Fury Road: “I don’t understand how they’re not still shooting that film and I don’t understand how hundreds of people aren’t dead.” Whether or not Miller manages to one-up the action in Furiosa, the director is already in the pantheon.

3. The French Connection (1971)

We return to the Friedkin-verse for what may be his best film, The French Connection, the crime thriller based on Robin Moore’s 1969 nonfiction book of the same name. The story concerns two NYPD detectives, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider), and their tireless pursuit of a French heroin smuggler. But while there’s plenty to admire about how The French Connection illustrates the thin line between police and criminals, its greatest claim to fame is its car chase. After Popeye narrowly survives a sniper attack, he goes after the shooter, who escapes on an elevated train. The ensuing sequence is true daredevil filmmaking that Friedkin shot without permits, leading to real crashes with New Yorkers that made the final cut. But Friedkin’s finest touch was mounting a camera to the front of the car, making the audience feel like they’re part of the action:
My Ringer colleague Justin Sayles believes The French Connection’s chase should’ve landed at no. 1, and I’m sure many folks will agree with him. Being the only film on this list to win Best Picture, however, is a solid consolation prize.

2. Bullitt (1968)

When it comes to modern car chases, all roads lead back to Bullitt. A Dad Cinema classic, the film stars Steve McQueen as Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco detective who pursues a group of mobsters after a key witness is killed in protective custody. In his search for answers, Bullitt realizes he’s being tailed by a couple of hitmen, and then turns the tables on them. From there, the chase is on. Aside from McQueen doing most of his own stunts behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback, what’s so impressive about the sequence is how timeless it is. Even the little imperfections, like hubcaps repeatedly coming off the wheels, work to the film’s advantage, stressing just how much these drivers are living on a razor’s edge. It’s been more than 50 years since Bullitt revolutionized the car chase, and yet few movies since have felt like they’re pushing the envelope to such an exhilarating degree:
That the car driven by McQueen was recently sold at auction for $3.74 million, a then-record price for a Mustang, underlines Bullitt’s enduring legacy.

1. Ronin (1998)

“If I’m going to do a car chase,” filmmaker John Frankenheimer said in an interview with the American Society of Cinematographers, “I’m going to do a car chase that’s going to make somebody think about whether or not they want to do another one!” Boy, did he ever. In Frankenheimer’s late-career masterpiece, Ronin, the director actually incorporated several chases, but it’s the climactic sequence that stands alone as the greatest ever filmed. The movie concerns an international group of mercenaries who are hired to steal a mysterious briefcase; a series of double-crosses and double-bluffs ensue. But for the final chase, all you need to know is that Sam (Robert De Niro), a mercenary with ties to the CIA, is in pursuit of Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), an IRA operative in possession of the case. Winding through the streets and tunnels of Paris, what’s most striking is just how fluid it all feels. You’re completely engrossed in the chase’s forward momentum, captured from every conceivable angle; a symphony of controlled chaos. The driving styles even reflect the characters: Deirdre is reckless and impulsive, while Sam remains calm and controlled.
There are many worthy car chases in this ranking, but in my view, Ronin takes pole position. And while I can’t imagine a movie ever topping what Frankenheimer achieved, I’d love nothing more than to be proved wrong.

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So, I know this isn't a place for a kid like me, but I just have to get it off my chest. I 13F live with my grandparents since I am 2. My mother has left me at a very young age and I developed serious mental health problems such as health problems. I have iron defiency, lack of vitamins, depression and pretty bad bipolarism. I keep on lashing out in school at schoolmates and teachers. I was diagnosed with depression during winter 2020, and bipolarism during spring 2023. I know, many will probably say that I am lying but no, I am for real. I have been through alot of therapy and take daily medication.
Now, to my grandma, she takes my mental health situation to her pro. She often makes comments like "Be careful or you'll lash out" or "This is all your fathers fault" No, it's not my fathers fault and he tries his best to support me. She talks about him on family functions if he isn't present because of work and tells everyone how he abandonned me and visits rarely, which isn't true. He can't visit alot because he works alot outside the country. He earns good money, but has to work alot. My grandma already makes him PAY MY RENT (Not to mention I am still a minor). She also tells him that my geades are dropping drastically, but my worst grade right now is a 3 in Geography.
A few days ago I was in my room playing Fortnite with a few friends. My grandma bursts into my room and yells at me because I didn't do the dishes. She proceeded to say "Just because you're mentally sick doesn't mean you can be so spoiled and lazy!" My friends heard all of it. I stood up and started screaming how she should shut up and stop talking shit. I yell for about 20 minutes until I break down in tears. My grandma storms out of my room and tells this all my grandpa. My grandpa is a very understanding person, and he helped me alot through my episodes and manias. He told me that it's okay and I should just calm down for now.
My grandma hasn't talked to me since and just gives me dirty looks. I told my dad about it and he said she needs some time to cool off. But she also neevr apologised to me when she completely messed up my room or destroyed my english homework because she didn't like my handwriting. I really don't understand her at times and why she makes my life harder than it already is.
Should I apologise or wait for her to apologise? And AITA?

Background: We are in the US, MCOL major east coast city. We own a house and a car. Income is jointly 200k+, split more of less equally. Expenses are divided equally. Both have Masters degrees. Political and ethical values are almost exactly aligned across all subjects. We have a normal social circle (somewhat diminished by COVID) with regular interactions, weekly brunches, sports watching, game nights etc. I am on great terms with her family, her mother and brother visit 3-4 times a year and stay with us. My parents visit 5-6 times a year a stay with us as well. As far as I can tell she is on good terms with them as well. Both of our parents and relatives are extremely supportive and friendly. Life has been on basically easy mode for the last 5 years, which is ironically one of her complaints: "We are just coasting". We are doing great financially, maxing out (401k) and saving for our kids education. We are both calm and rational. Fight frequency is around 3 times per year and manifests itself as us just taking time and space apart for a few days and everything goes back to normal. There is no yelling, or physical violence, or any discomfort. It's more of a "I need some space to myself right now".
Last month my wife announced she is leaving next month. This came as a complete shock to me. At first I thought it was a joke, then an attempt to get me to do something, then the realization she was serious. I have attempted everything I can think of to find an avenue of moving forward together but all has fallen on deaf ears. I offered counseling, taking time apart, seeing other people romantically, a period of focusing of treating each other with special care and affection, etc. Everything has been dismissed without any thought. Furthermore, I'm not getting a further explanation than "I'm not in love anymore". Ok, now admittedly the intensity of the romantic feelings have declined, but I thought this was just the natural cycle of being married. Intense romantic attraction over time transforms into something more stable with age. A form of love where companionship, friendship, non physical affection take an increasingly more prominent role as the relationship ages and I was ok with it. Until very recently we still had a healthy sexual life (about 10 times per week). I find her attractive and it came as a complete shock when she announced seemingly out of nowhere that she wasn't sexually attracted to me anymore. We had disagreements in the past about the sex frequency and settled on 2.5 hours per week whenever possible of sexy time devoted entirely to us. At some point she started making jokes about how my sexual drive is supposed to slow down at this point and maybe I should find a younger woman to satisfy me. I thought this was just playful banter.
It is my personal belief that a good relationship is based on the quality of the experiences people have together. Earlier in the relationship, we traveled all across the world, taking a month of vacation per year to exotic places. We ran marathons together, played video games together, cooked together, did yoga together, etc. The nature of our experiences together was always overwhelmingly positive. When we decided to have kids we came to an agreement that we'd stay together no matter what until they were 18, this is part of the reason I feel betrayed now. I realize it's a stupid thing to agree to, but it made sense at the time. Since she got pregnant everything changed, our relationship didn't just not take priority, it fell out of the top 10. Work, childcare, her personal hobbies, her extended family all of a sudden became more important. I was cognizant of this change and tried to implement special time for us alone together, but was met with lukewarm responses at best. She was dragging her feet on everything, making it seem that usual things like attending a friends wedding was all of a sudden a great favor she was doing for everyone. I tried my best to suggest things for us to do together, but increasingly got rejected more and more. Fine. I thought this was just a phase. We'll tough it out and recapture the magic as our kid gets older. I should say that she has been acting depressed, not enjoying life, complaining about work more and more. One complaint she had since our kid was born was lack of support in childcare. In the first 2 years, our child preferred the company of his mother, I thought this was normal and understandable. We tried multiple times for me to give him baths, get him dressed, but he would always start crying and ask for his mother. Since he became 3, he increasingly wants to spend time with me more and more. So while asking for more help, my wife refused offers for me to make school lunches, get him dressed for school, and walk him to school and back. I'm lost on how to proceed.
Goal #1: Discover and work towards a future in which we stay together as a family.
Goal #2: If goal #1 is not possible, work towards the best possible future for our kid.

Hello I am a 35 years woman who have had quite a lot of experiences so far. I was someone( around my 20s) who used to be quite straightforward blunt and did things without giving much thoughts/impulsive. At that time i didnot want to live my life without regrets in later stage of my life ( ironically i am now)
1st relationship -20years I broke up with a guy because i started to have feelings for another guy who ended up being quite toxic for me. So instead at that time of pausing and reflecting on this whether i am right or wrong, i decided to be honest with people around me and i broke up with the person and went with the toxic person.
2nd relationship 25 years Later we broke up with that toxic person ( he cheated and hurt me a lot) and was with another person at the age of 25. We dated three years until i moved to another country again from my impulsive nature. We really tried long distance but later realised that he didnot want to come join me and vice versa. I believe we loved each other but neither of us wanted to do the country shift ( him immigrating and me going back to my country). Other than that he was a perfect guy who was willing to give me everything if i moved back and we get married. Those 3 years were hard and i decided to end things as we were kind of dragging each other into you come back - no you come join me etc. Soon after I met my now husband.
3rd relationship- wedding 31 years He is a rather good guy and I do love him. I am also someone who tries to be more paused now especially with people’s feelings. I often find myself overthinking and having regrets like what if i had went back home ( this happens whenever my husband does something wrong- as everyone- he has his flaws ). I also overthinks at how i did mistakes when i was young and made wrong choices and i kind of feel unclean/bad person. We are both together because we have our fair share of baggage but it seems i can no longer carry mine and thus his baggage sometimes also burdens me.
On top of my relationships i also had a lot of friends in my 20s. I currently have only 3-4 good friends. I feel that I have hurt some of my friends along the way thats why the friendship faded away ( e.g not telling them i moved to another country) but also due to toxic friendship ( e.g unfriending/blocking a friend who i heard spoke behind my back , was rude to me, flirting with me- there was a boy who was flirting with me despite having his girlfriend. At the end of the day they got married and i was the one who was put in a bad light. ( i was single at that time and he was simply double timing us so i told his girlfriend the truth when i came to know that this guy is not a good person but ended up being the bad person so i blocked everyone who was connected to this situation not to think of it anymore - i was more in a state of okay i will close the doors to people who are unkind to me mainly as a defense mechanism i would say)
I am completely lost in my mind right now and want to know if i am having a mid life crisis or i am simply overthinking? I am having lots of flashbacks of my past love/friends relationships ( regrets anxiety bad good less friends did i do right/wrong) which i know is not healthy for myself. How should i move on? Also the fact that i am away from my parents/ family ( another country) is not helping me.
Sorry for the long message but i needed to take all of it out of my head. :(

I (17F) am feeling so tired and exhausted all the time. I want to study for my exams but I can't find the motivation to sit down and study and even if I do sit, I'll sit there for hours and nothing stays in my head even though I know I have huge exam coming up and I really want to get good grades.
I don't like eating anything throughout the day, I can last the whole day on a bowl of cereal and some fruits. I know I'm not healthy and I should eat properly but looking at food most of the times makes me feel like throwing up. I try telling my parents to get me to a doctor but they just brush it off saying I just need to eat properly and I'll be fine. They don't understand how difficult it is for me to "just eat".
I also started taking Iron and Vitamin supplements but I see no difference in my tiredness and fatigue. Recently, I feel like I could sleep for 12+ hours everyday.
I don't know what I should do.
I have really high aspirations, my teachers and friends have such high hopes for me but I feel like I'm just spoiling everything by wasting so much time sitting down and doing nothing.
I tried talking to a counsellor about having no motivation to sit down and studying and procrastinating all the time. He told me it might be because I'm burnt out with school and exams.
It has become tiring for me to even talk to my best friends who always made me happy. I don't want to go to school, I don't want to see people or talk to anyone. At this point, I just wish I could take a pause from existing. It's not suicidal thoughts because I can't do that to my family and friends, I can't make my younger sister suffer.
Writing all of this out seems like a lame excuse for being lazy, but I hope someone here can help me out. Because no one I talk to seems to understand what I'm feeling like. Everyone just tells me to eat healthy or exercise or get off my phone and everything will be fixed instantly. I know it would. I know doing all of these things would help me, but the problem is, I don't feel like I have the strength or will power to do any of these things.
It's not that I don't want to do good. I want to score good grades on my exam, I want to get into a good college, I want to become successful. But I don't know why I've completely stopped working hard to do anything to achieve my goals. All I want to do is stay in my bed for the whole day and not come out of the covers.
I don't know how to fix myself.

I (17F) am feeling so tired and exhausted all the time. I want to study for my exams but I can't find the motivation to sit down and study and even if I do sit, I'll sit there for hours and nothing stays in my head even though I know I have huge exam coming up and I really want to get good grades.
I don't like eating anything throughout the day, I can last the whole day on a bowl of cereal and some fruits. I know I'm not healthy and I should eat properly but looking at food most of the times makes me feel like throwing up. I try telling my parents to get me to a doctor but they just brush it off saying I just need to eat properly and I'll be fine. They don't understand how difficult it is for me to "just eat".
I also started taking Iron and Vitamin supplements but I see no difference in my tiredness and fatigue. Recently, I feel like I could sleep for 12+ hours everyday.
I don't know what I should do.
I have really high aspirations, my teachers and friends have such high hopes for me but I feel like I'm just spoiling everything by wasting so much time sitting down and doing nothing.
I tried talking to a counsellor about having no motivation to sit down and studying and procrastinating all the time. He told me it might be because I'm burnt out with school and exams.
It has become tiring for me to even talk to my best friends who always made me happy. I don't want to go to school, I don't want to see people or talk to anyone. At this point, I just wish I could take a pause from existing. It's not suicidal thoughts because I can't do that to my family and friends, I can't make my younger sister suffer.
Writing all of this out seems like a lame excuse for being lazy, but I hope someone here can help me out. Because no one I talk to seems to understand what I'm feeling like. Everyone just tells me to eat healthy or exercise or get off my phone and everything will be fixed instantly. I know it would. I know doing all of these things would help me, but the problem is, I don't feel like I have the strength or will power to do any of these things.
It's not that I don't want to do good. I want to score good grades on my exam, I want to get into a good college, I want to become successful. But I don't know why I've completely stopped working hard to do anything to achieve my goals. All I want to do is stay in my bed for the whole day and not come out of the covers.
I don't know how to fix myself.

Hi Guys,
Will try not to bore you. I was wondering if anyone has similar symptoms or if their progression sounds like mine.
So last year September, I woke up to this aching feeling when carrying my handbag on my right hand. Within a week, the whole hand was affected. I had pain lifting anything and I started using ibrupofen everyday to control the pain. It was that bad.
That same month, I noticed my vision became very blurry. I started having this shaky and tremor in my legs with slight cramps.
Somehow, my right leg was twitching uncontrollably too. I had shortness of breath when lying down (this has been on and off) with really bad fatigue. I was always tired.
September - Weak shoulder and arm, Painful hands
By October, noticed twitching in my neck and difficulty swallowing. Like I had to push the food down to swallow it properly. This time, I also noticed some cramps in my left fingers and hands. This continued on slowly. I still had strength.
October- Weak Left arm, swallowing issues.
November: I started twitching in my tongue. My tongue dances around. Soon, I would get mouth aches after talking for over an hour and my head felt weak, my neck could not hold itself up and would fall. I was using braces in my hands, legs and neck. This time, they did an EMG on all four limbs which came back clean. This was exactly two months since the symptoms started. I had a clean ANA profile as well.
November - Tongue twitching,neck collapse.
December - Nothing new, the symptoms just got worse. So, I decided to take a blood test. All came back ok except my iron which was extremely low and high copper.
So, I started supplementing iron. This somehow would stop the tongue dancing around for like an hour and soon it would return. This was too much to bear. So, I did the below treatments
Treatments
Feroglobin - 1 tsb per day Glu Scavenger - 1 Folic Acid - 1 Glutathione - 1 Vitamin E - 1 Vitamin D - 1 Ashwaghanda Lions Mane Lserine- 2x a day I also did a phospholipid exchange
Alas, the day I started Tudca mixed with fulvic and humic acid (omnyne on Amazon) , my life changed forever. My symptoms went down by over 90%. No longer had tongue twitching or facial weakness, I could not even notice the weakness. The pain almost went.
I have been on Tudca ever since. Realised the fulvic acid is what makes the Tudca effective so I bought Fulvic Acid separately and this was a game changer. Barely noticed any weakness. It helps with the pain and cramps too and I almost go by everyday without any pain or issues.
however, after a week of stress (I baked a lot and had a lot of guests so I had to be on my feet for close to 10 hours a day) I noticed my left leg has not become weak. The whole thing is all over my body now from head to toe. I am now experiencing similar symptoms as I did in Septembe October only this time, Tudca and acids are keeping it at bay and it did not get so bad like I had in September with my right side.
Problem is my next neuron appointment is in October and quite frankly w/o the Tudca, I think I would be in a much worse state by now. My legs are slowly better and my grip strength sometimes gets so bad but once I supplement with feroglobin, I get better.
I have asked every single person they seem not to even think this relates to the three big words or MS. MRI clean too.
Please help me.

Honestly I just… Kind of hate everything. I’m horrified about the prospect of living past like 40-50 (it’s partially a health thing, I doubt I’ll be physically healthy enough to work a job by then given my current health, I’m already getting ‘too old’ for my current line of work and am constantly exhausted and in pain). There’s nothing I really care about in life long term or want to do. Maybe it’s because I’ve completely squashed any hope for anything that isn’t realistic, but I’d rather be numb and disappointed by being right than devastated and crushed by being wrong.
I also feel like I just hate humans. Including, and especially myself. Like I legitimately have no idea why everyone doesn’t hate my guts for how annoying and stupid I am, I might as well just be frozen in time as a teenager. A real life SpongeBob or Ash Ketchum, annoying, whiny, stupid, perpetually a child. But at the same time like… Everyone else kind of sucks too. Ironically, I’m usually too nice and optimistic when it comes to character, I can always find the good in someone that no one else can stand, or people who have terribly hurt me, but the thing is I also have a very strong belief that everyone more or less sucks. We’re all terrible people for one reason or another. I’ll constantly think poorly of people I care about over stupid shit and sort of… Distance and detach myself. This friend doesn’t actually care about me, walks all over boundaries, wouldn’t lift a finger if I were in an emergency, abuses my goodwill and helping nature. But see… I am helpful and generous to a fault, so at best I only have myself to blame for being “taken advantage of” (not that it’s never happened), not to mention that in many cases I’m a terrible communicator, and said friends have 100% come to my aid when it was possible for them to do so. But if I think about that, I hate myself more for thinking poorly of people I claim to care about.
Also everything makes me violently angry. Like how Reddit slows down how fast you can type when a post gets too long. So I’m done now, who cares, fuck it, I can’t wait until I’m dead

I got downvoted pretty quickly for saying that hay has less calcium than grass because "hay is grass" but here is some additional info for anyone interested.
Despite the significant variation between different sources of hay and pasture, there are some general differences between hay versus pasture, including:
Moisture: Pasture contains more water than hay; 70 – 80% water in pasture vs 10 – 12% in hay Vitamins: Hay is lower in vitamin A, C, and E than pasture Protein: In early growth stages, pasture is higher in protein than hay Energy: In early growth stages, hay is lower in energy than pasture Fiber: Hay is higher in fiber than early growth stages of pasture Digestibility: Pasture is more digestible than hay Non-structural Carbohydrates: Hay is lower in sugar and starch than pasture
Source: https://madbarn.com/hay-vs-pasture-grass-for-horses/
Beyond that information it's important to know what a starch is.
Starchy foods are the main source of carbohydrate and play an important role in a healthy diet. They are also a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in your diet. As well as starch, they contain fiber, calcium, iron and B vitamins.
source: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/starchy-foods
Starchy foods for a guinea pig would be a lot of their veggies, and their hay or grass.
This is all I meant when I said grass has more calcium than hay. I hope this is helpful at all.

Hey everyone,
I'm here to talk about Testogen, a testosterone booster I's been using for the past few months. I've seen a lot of chatter online about it, both good and bad, so I figured I'd share my firsthand experience with the ingredients and what I've noticed.
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Why Testogen?
Let's be honest, guys, as we age, testosterone levels naturally decline. It can zap your energy levels, affect your mood, and even impact your gym performance. I wanted to find a natural way to give my testosterone a boost and see if it would make a difference.
The Ingredients:
Testogen is all about natural ingredients, which is what initially appealed to me. Here are the key ones:

• Tribulus Terrestris: This is a common ingredient in testosterone boosters, and it's supposed to help increase LH (luteinizing hormone) production, which in turn can stimulate testosterone production.
• Fenugreek Extract: This one is said to help regulate blood sugar and can also increase free testosterone levels.
• D-Aspartic Acid: This amino acid is involved in testosterone synthesis, so theoretically, it can help your body produce more testosterone.
• Korean Red Ginseng: Ginseng is known for its overall health benefits, but some studies suggest it can also improve testosterone levels and libido.
• Nettle Leaf Extract: This extract can help block SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin), which binds to testosterone and makes it less available. By lowering SHBG, more testosterone is free to circulate in your body.
• Vitamin D3, Vitamin K1, Zinc, Magnesium: These vitamins and minerals are all essential for overall health and testosterone production.

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My Experience:
I've been taking Testogen for about 3 months now. Here's what I've noticed:

• Increased Energy Levels: I definitely feel more energized throughout the day. No more afternoon slumps!
• Improved Strength and Stamina: My workouts have gotten a bit more intense. I can lift heavier weights and push myself further.
• Better Mood: I feel more focused and overall just have a more positive outlook.
• Libido Boost: Let's just say my wife is happy

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Overall:
I've been happy with the results I've gotten from Testogen. The natural ingredients seem to be effective, and I've noticed a positive difference in my energy levels, mood, and performance. If you're looking for a way to boost your testosterone naturally, Testogen might be worth checking out.

This is my Madness Combat ranking. This is entirely my personal opinion. I have watched this series since around 2004 on Newgrounds, and a huge supporter of Krinkels' work. So I must point out that I do not believe a single episode is bad. I believe all of the episodes are top tier, this is just my ranking of where I think they stand out in terms of quality, length, story, music/sfx etc.. So if you see your favourite episode low down, just remember it's not bad, I just feel that there may be an episode that's better! This is also just the mainline series, so no canon shorts such as An Experiment or Dissenter, Marshmallow Madness, and no Dedmos Adventures. Although if I had to rank Dedmos in this list, it'd probably come 4th place, or something. This was a hard ranking, given how amazing each episode is, so having the canon shorts/spin-offs would be more difficult, given how much Krinkels' artstyle and animation has improved since Madness 11. The earlier rankings are going to be the hardest, but I will put nostalgia aside and rank based on quality and other factors.
15. Madness Combat
In last place, kind of predictable, but the first episode. Obviously just because nostalgia aside, every episode that came after it has raised the bar in so many ways. However, we mustn't forget the classic soundtrack, the lack of blood, the first canon entry of Jeb and Hank, a literal cannon - this is where it all started. It knows what it is, it's a classic. It's where Madness began.
14. Madness Redeemer
Again like before, an absolute classic and it's where I believe that Madness Combat in its current form truly began. We've got introductions of the Sheriff, The Clown, Jeb was brought back. This is also where the Tricky Saga started to take shape. Again I do feel that everything that came after it was just better in quality, but there is loads to love about Redeemer.
13. Madness Combat 7.5
May be a bit controversial, but 7.5 ranks lower. I think it's universally agreed that 7.5 is the least interesting .5 episode. It doesn't feel like it contrasts well with the zaniness and horror of Madness 7. In some capacity, I feel that you need to pair the .5's with their mainline counterparts, and this episode, whilst good, is just the opposite of Consternation. The soundtrack is also one of my least favourites. This one just felt a bit like a filler episode. It's still a great entry, especially given the time it came out, but I'd say this is the most 'run of the mill' episode pre-modern Krinkels.
12. Madness Avenger
Avenger is very much a classic. This is where the Improbability Drive was introduced and the main story started to take shape. I think Redeemer is where the violence and John Wick style animation began, but I feel the story truly jumped after Avenger. This was the second episode I ever watched and I still hold it in very high regard. I think this is the episode people think of when someone says 'Madness Combat', if you were skulking around Newgrounds back in the early 00's.
11. Madness Depredation
Depredation was the 3rd episode I ever watched. I remember seeing the thumbnail plastered everyone on flash animation websites. This is where Hank got his iconic look - this episode is just batshit crazy. If someone mentions Madness Combat and you don't think of Avenger or Consternation, then you probably remember the Depredation and onward looks. There's just so much to love here. The hard pounding soundtrack from Cheshyre let's you know that this is hardcore. Removing the nostalgia I'd say it doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of story until the very end, but man when this came out it was one of my favourites and still is, I just believe that the other episodes have a lot more to say.
10. Madness Inundation
When this first came out, it was sort of controversial, if I remember correctly. With Hank dead at the end of Consternation, I saw tons of comments and forum posts, including some from myself... is Hank coming back? Is this the end? No one really predicted that Jeb would get his own episode, and looking back, I love this episode. I wasn't a huge fan back in 2008, and I would have ranked it near the bottom just out of spite for not getting Hank. But this episode, looking at it today, is brilliant. Jeb is such a cool protagonist, being able to fly, use his powers, catch bullets, the iconic sniper rifle opening, API's soundtrack. The Magnum. I could go on, honestly. I think this is one of the highlights of the series, because at the time, we genuinely thought this was the final episode, and Krinkels' posts, or lack thereof, around that time, sort of gave the impression that this would be the case. The episode feels very much centred around doom, and the end of things as we know it, especially during normality restoration. I think this is where subtle hints surrounding the Madness universe (or Nevadean universe... maybe?) started to take shape. Thankfully, it wasn't the end. It was unfortunately, so far, the end of Jeb, which is a damn shame. I hope Krinkels reconsiders down the line, but for now, he joins the Sheriff being the only two characters to die, seemingly forever, and go to "regular Hell".
9. Madness Apotheosis
Apotheosis is the very first episode I watched back in 2004, so naturally I do have some tiny amount of bias. This is where Krinkels found his footing - quite literally. Characters now have two feet, animation is a lot smoother, another iconic bandage look from Hank following Avenger... again, before getting Depredation, similar to Inundation as well, this truly looked like the end.
8. Madness Combat 5.5
This may also be controversial. But I firmly believe 5.5 is actually better than the episode it's structured around. Again, these earlier rankings are hard as I am trying to not see it through nostalgia, but rather quality. I think 5.5 just has so much to say, the iconic opening, mixed with the soundtrack. It fits perfectly with the lore, and actually makes Depredation a much better episode. Again, the issue with Depredation is that the intro is just run of the mill, up until the mid-point and ending, which only serves, at the time, a continuation in the form of Antipathy. 5.5 is where things tied together very nicely. This is also the introduction of Sanford and Deimos who would go on to become much loved characters in the Madness canon. Given how they just seem like random grunts in Depredation (which, at the time, they likely were), Krinkels managed to give them a whole side quest, which ties in very nicely with the main story. It's also the first time where two protagonists are on screen and are actually doing something, which I'll explain later. Other than that, great episode!
7. Madness Antipathy
The sixth Madness episode is also quite the anomaly. What I failed to realise as a kid is that each episode pretty much ends on a somewhat cliffhanger, but a cliffhanger where it could continue, and it also doesn't have to. 2006 was a huge year for animated sequels, with Madness 6, Killing Spree VI and Joe Zombie: Episode 6, ironically, all the 6's. There's a few others to mention, but we'd be here all day. I love Hanks look in this episode, with his exposed jaw after being pummelled to heck by Tricky in episode 5. The stab wound with the smiley face. Just do what comes natural. Have to mention while I love Cheshyre's Trainmadness soundtrack, we also have to give a shoutout to the creepy opening music MADNEWAT, and API's fast, twitchy techno music in the first half. I mention this because Hank seems very twitchy in this episode, and I love it. It's also carried over in 9.5 too, which is nice to see. The gore is great, especially with the axe and P90 at the end, the train, Jeb working a normal job post Depredation... I think this is where Madness truly reached the point of 'crazy' and set the stage for every episode that came after it.
6. Madness Aggregation
Aggregation is the 9th episode in the Madness canon, and was certainly a surprise to see. This is Krinkels' experimental phase, and you can see it throughout the episode. It was the first episode (if I remember correctly) to have two protagonists on screen at the same time (or three, if you count dead/carried Hank). This is where my problems begin, however. You can certainly tell it was the first time, a lot of my issues with this episode center around Sanford or Deimos sort of standing around doing nothing whilst the other is causing mayhem. Apart from that though, it was nice to see them again, especially after watching the .5's years later. On rewatch, I hold it in much higher regard now that we have context for the canon. This is also where Hank is revived and would set up another event in the form of 9.5 later down the line. It is weird to see Hank as a Mag, and it's doubly sad to see that Deimos did not make it, but this episode is baller. The soundtrack as well, definitely fits the opening with our heroes driving and evading enemies. I can't pinpoint it, but the soundtrack definitely feels like a dual protagonist sound. In terms of story, it sticks very well.
5. Madness Combat 6.5
There is so much to love about 6.5. I think it's honestly the best .5 episode pre-Madness 11 era. 2009-2011 was a very experimental phase, but it definitely paid off. I just love how seamlessly 5.5 and 6.5 come together when watched one after the other, or in one big video (props to the folks who put those 'In Real-time' videos together). The wounded Sanford, the train tracks, it certainly gives a lot of context for what is going on, wordlessly. This is where they started to get their iconic looks. Whilst 7.5 didn't really offer anything substantial, 5.5 and 6.5 are truly magnificent episodes that are held in high regard. The reason I ranked 5.5 lower is that it's just to give you an idea of what's happening around Depredation and Antipathy, whereas 6.5 feels like its own episode. The soundtrack is one of my favourites too. The animation was getting more and more fluid, and given that this came out before Madness 10, it's quite amazing how much of the animation style here is carried over into the later episodes.
4. Madness Consternation
Episode 7 is one of my all-time favourites, for sure, and I think this rings true for a lot of people in the community. Even though it's not ranked at number 1, I'd still say it's among my personal favourite episodes. The soundtrack and eerie vibe of the demonic Clown gives the episode a real horror angle that I always scared me in a way, as a kid. There's also things I never noticed back in 2007, that I notice today, such as 'DISSENTER BE DAMNED' written on the walls where the spiked agents are. This is cool nowadays since 9.5 expands on retention and dissenters, so even though it may not have been intended at the time (or if it was, Krinkels was certainly quiet about it), it tells a lot without any words and fits the story very nicely. Again, it's another pick for my "this is the Hank you think about when someone mentions Madness Combat" list. There are so many. But I love Hank's ninja wraps and red goggles. I feel this is when his image improved each episode. Cheshyre's Madness7 soundtrack is close to my all time favourite, and I still blast it in the car to this day. Also, chainsaw Hank is MVP.
3. Madness Expurgation
This might be a little controversial depending on who you ask, but I think Expurgation fits nicely in 3rd place within this ranking. It's one of my favourites and is probably one of the craziest episodes to date. I think the issue I have with this episode is the lack of blood. I think Madness has always been memorable for the amount of gore, blood and ways that the enemies are killed. I don't have an issue with the black blood from the clown minions, but the gore just feels a bit lessened here, in my opinion anyway. That, however, does not stop this from being an all time great. 7 years, 7 months and 7 days, and it was well worth the wait after being teased for so long. This is truly a highpoint in the Madness canon, where things looked vulnerable in-universe. I know things have always looked shaky given how each episode ends, but seeing the Auditor all messed up and trying to make a deal with Hank and Sanford to remove the Clown, it sets up Madness Combat 12 nicely. The audio and SFX is a major improvement and would become a standard in later animations. The soundtrack, 'Expurgation', from our saviour Cheshyre is again one of the best soundtracks. It gives a sense of hopelessness, this is even more apparent when Sanford yells out in frustration when he is cornered by Tricky, but then hope is restored when Hank returns with a new metal arm, and the soundtrack hits even harder. I do feel like the fight at the end could have been a bit more interesting, and a lot could have happened, but then again, Krinkels worked on this thing for 7 years, so I'll give him a pass on that. Also love the way the episode begins with Hank and Sanford climbing down the ladder from MC10, haha. All in all, one of my favourites.
2. Madness Abrogation
I think Madness Combat 10 is easily one of the best episodes. This thing came out in 2011, but it could have come out in 2016 or something and I'd have been none the wiser. The sheer rise in quality is undeniable. Like I said before, my issues with Aggregation stem from a quality perspective, where one or more characters sort of stand around doing nothing whilst another character is off doing something. When rewatching MC9, it becomes more and more apparent and I can't unsee it. MC5.5 and 6.5 was a period of time where Krinkels was able to hash this out and I think this all came together in MC10, for sure. The animation is very expressive and fluid, there's not a single point where the protags are just standing still or doing nothing (except for when Hank is pushed into the wall by the Mag and when he pulls the lever for Sanford, but I'll give this a pass). The episode feels very alive, due in part to the expressiveness, such as Hank and Sanford playing rock paper scissors to determine who dives into The Auditor's construct first. Naturally, it's our boy Hank. And that soundtrack? Come on, it's easily my personal favourite in the whole series. I think where MC9 toned it down to suit a more slow paced episode, MC10 ramps it up where it sounds like alarms are ringing, as if to say "we've go to go, quick!", and the part of the song where a portion of Madness7 is played, followed by a remix of Crazy Clown Song of Death from MC5, truly amazing. Cheshyre did a beastly job here, and as usual, breathed some serious life into this episode. It's by far the episode I come back to the most, there is just so much to love here. Again, you'd have no idea that MC10 and MC11 are 7 years apart. I wish I could say more, and to be honest I would I could say more on ALL the episodes, but we'd be here all day. MC10 is a classic, hands down.
1. Madness Combat 9.5
This might've been expected, or not expected, I don't know. But MC9.5 is easily the best episode to date. I'll also be ranking both parts as one whole episode. I can't actually tell you which part I prefer the most, as it takes two of my favourite looking Hanks and puts them into the same episode. Following Dedmos and the anticipated release of MC12, I would say that this is Krinkels' magnum opus. In terms of sheer quality, the amazing sound design, and again we cannot forget how much life is pumped into these animations by Cheshyre. I'd say I prefer Part 1's soundtrack over Part 2. I think given how fast MC6 Hank is, I would be inclined to say Part 1's fast paced soundtrack fits that version of Hank the most, but that's just a personal preference.
Anyway, the most noticeable thing off the bat is the sleek, crisp art design. It's rugged, detailed, and is by far Krinkels' best work. It truly feels like a massive overhaul to the design of the characters and world around them. Again, the expressiveness is huge, such as Hank making fun of the ATP Soldat gesturing with his hand, pointing towards the eyes, and this is even more interesting because it's the first time Hank meets them chronologically. It feels very fluid, and everything looks like it has real weight to it. This is also enhanced by the amazing sound design, for a mask that drops onto the floor, or the clicking of the guns. The horror feel from MC7 is truly back here, as well. Part 2 specifically where Tricky just goes into beast mode, it very much caught me off guard. MC9.5 also gives us an interesting look at how 'the other place' works, and how the Madness universe works as a whole. It's implied when you die, you end up in this sort of purgatory hellscape, and it does all of this story telling wordlessly. Ironically, I feel that Part 1 is actually more of a 7.5 than the original 7.5, for the obvious reason that 9.5 starts after Hank is killed in MC7. So many little details in 9.5 make it feel so authentic, such as the very end when Hank is revived, and you can faintly hear gunshots in the background, the moment where Deimos is killed. I have so much more to say but again, we'll be here all day. All in all, this is by far the best MC episode to date in terms of quality, audio, story and the new art style will be one of the driving forces moving forward.
So, that's my personal ranking of Madness Combat episodes. Again, I love every single episode, so if there's a ranking you disagree with, just remember it's my personal opinion and in my head, they are all number 1. Submit your rankings, and let me know your thoughts, and where you'd rank the episodes!

“We’re a meat family,” my dad would proudly tell strangers. He’d wait for the quizzical look, then launch into detail, starting with how many freezers we had, how long we could sustain ourselves on the contents. It was just his way of starting a conversation, which made sense when you considered that raising and home-killing animals for food was, for want of a better term, his life-long hobby. His prize possession was one of those industrial-sized vacuum sealers: you could put half a pig inside and wrap it in plastic so tightly that every wrinkle and skin fold waxed unreal with shiny detail.
If we hadn’t lived in a rural area, albeit semi-urbanised, I guess it would have been pretty weird. But the mostly farming-stock locals only found his extra enthusiasm a little bit odd.
When he wasn’t being a bit embarrassing talking about it, I never really paid much heed to his hobby. I had a child’s vaguely grateful awareness that though our family went through some lean financial times, our stomachs never suffered like some of the families around us. All the beef, pork, ham and bacon in those big old chest freezers passed down from his dad really could have fed us for years.
I should preface all this by saying that I wasn’t a particularly bright kid, though neither was I dumb. I didn’t fail badly at anything in school, I just never achieved beyond a pass. I didn’t know it yet back then, still quietly dreaming about being a ballet star or a dressage champion, but mediocrity was my destiny. And I think that’s why I got on so well with my Aunt Liz.
Liz was my dad’s live-in youngest sister. She was one of those women who get described as ‘bubbly’ — not really pretty, not really smart, not a lot going on besides just being… well, all Liz. But she was salt of the earth; kind, caring, and great with kids. She was the only person who would willingly mind my two older brothers, who fought like hellcats and caused more trouble than the whole last generation of my family combined. People would privately lament to my parents that it was a shame Liz didn’t have kids of her own, but dad would just shake his head and say Liz liked it that way – that all the fun of looking after kids is being able to give them back to their parents.
I guess she was like me; nice, but mediocre. Lovely, but somehow forgettable when she wasn’t doing something for you.
But when Liz left us, I couldn’t forget her.
In hindsight, it was pretty weird timing that we had a big fortieth birthday party for Liz right before she disappeared. She was radiant that night; she’d hired a local girl to do her hair and makeup, and it was honestly the first time I’d ever seen her look pretty. She’d even worn a push-up bra under a tight red dress, which flattered her very plump curves well enough that the neighbour’s farmhand was spotted disappearing into the woolshed with her for a snog. In my dawning awareness, that gave a plain girl hope: if Aunty Liz could get a guy at forty, maybe things would turn out okay for me.
Anyway, I couldn’t forget how her pink cheeks, her eyes, her whole self, glowed that night before Liz went to bed. She said it was the best birthday ever, and that she was very much looking forward to the next stage of her life.
Would I have done anything different, if I had known? If I had realised what, exactly, that next stage was?
The week after the party, Aunt Liz said she was going on a little holiday up north, to visit some old school friends. She packed her things – she didn’t honestly have that many – and drove her little orange mini out onto the main road. And with a wave of one fleshy hand, she was gone. Nobody really thought much of it when she didn’t call, because nobody rural had cellphones back then. And Liz was, as I said, somehow kinda forgettable when she wasn’t right in front of you.
When we hadn’t had contact for six weeks, Dad tracked down the land line numbers for their old school buddies. They were surprised to hear from him — Liz had never arrived, so they had just assumed she’d cancelled her visit. No-one had thought to check. I eavesdropped on the conversation, and it sounded for all the world like *they* had forgotten about Aunt Liz, too.
From there it became a missing person case. The local cops came and talked to all of us; the farmhand who’d been seen snogging her was briefly detained, then let go, dad got grilled at length, even my hellion brothers were questioned thoroughly to see if this was one of their wild and dangerous pranks gone wrong.
But everything was a dead end. Nobody knew where Liz was, or what had happened to her.
The remains of her old mini were found halfway across the country, burned out on a beach, on a derelict stretch of ragged, rocky coastline. The police assumed murder and combed the area for remains. But even the most expert divers couldn’t conquer the incredible undertow and fast-shifting seabed of that coastline to look for evidence, so none was forthcoming.
Eventually the cops collectively shrugged and said that there was really nothing more they could do unless more information suddenly came to light. The locals knew nothing, no witnesses had come forward, and the trail was cold. As far as anyone knew, poor aunt Liz had been murdered on some desolate beach, far away from her home.
It didn’t feel fair to me. She’d once mentioned wanting her remains buried on our farm, in the graveyard plot beside grandma and grandad.
So, in my grief, I went into her room to look for something of hers to bury beside them.
Like I said, Liz didn’t have many things. Her room was pretty spartan, and her wardrobe was mostly sensible farm stuff. There was one exception: she, like me, did like to read, and she had a pretty good collection of well-thumbed books. I think it’s the escapism – even the most mediocre girl can lose herself in the plot of some trashy romance novel, imagine there’s still hope of being swept off her feet by that handsome stableboy, his inexplicable yearning for chubby plain girls.
So I set myself the task of going through the books, to find the right one to bury in the graveyard plot.
Most of them were exactly what you’d expect, but some of them were racier than I was used to. I felt various parts of my body flushing and tingling, as I read breathless prose about calloused hands touching the softest flesh of the protagonist. Okay, if I’m honest with myself, I might have got a little *too* invested in my project at that point. But that was also why I persisted going through her entire collection, until I found the ragged paperback from 1970, entitled Tawny Sands. And inside that trashy cardboard romance cover, I discovered not the tale of Tawny Sands, but some carefully hand-cut, stitched-in pages. A handwritten story in my Aunt’s rounded penmanship: Memoirs of a Long Pig.
I read her story twice in a row, utterly gripped.
Aunt Liz was no Stephen King – heck, she wasn’t even the Goosebumps guy – but her story was gripping and compelling, and I couldn’t put it down. Even if I hadn’t known her, I think that would have been true.
The gist of it was that Liz, when she was sixteen, had discovered that our family had a very long history of eating what she described as ‘Long Pork’. It’s an antipodean term, anglicised from the Pacific Islands: human meat.
Like me, young Liz still had some hopes and dreams. In one of her many failed attempts to find a special talent, she’d taken up cooking as a hobby. Naturally, with our family’s overabundance of meat, she’d scoured the freezers in the shed for ingredients: the racks of ribs and stacks of pork chops, butcher-paper wrappings all neatly labelled with the first letter of the name of the animal they came from.
She found familiar meat from Rodney, one of the pigs that had been recently slaughtered, emblazoned with an ‘R’ in her father’s strong, blocky lettering. There were cutlets labelled ‘M’ for Mary, from one of the lambs she’d hand-reared, and ‘F’ for Ferdinand, the steer they’d killed the month before. But she couldn’t explain the many, many curious parcels of meat on one side of the huge freezer, all labelled ‘J’ – at least, not until she took it all out and assembled it as well as she could on the scoured concrete floor of the killing shed. A big, frozen jigsaw puzzle without the box, her best attempt to discover what kind of beast the pieces had come from.
The animal, she quickly realised, was a Long Pig. Her own Aunt Jenny, who had died the month before – just after her fortieth birthday.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, for Liz, her father entered the shed right at that moment and realised his daughter had discovered the family secret. He sat down calmly on the lid of the freezer, and explained to her that this was a long-running family tradition, dating back to at least before his grandfather had been born.
“There are always people in life, Liz,” he’d said, “who won’t really amount to much. They want to be useful, want to be more. They strive and they strive, trying job after job, hobby after hobby, trying to hit on something they’re really good at. Something that makes them special. Those people can waste their whole lives, chasing dreams that never come true. Eventually they die unfulfilled, knowing that all their time has been wasted. That what they leave behind will fade quickly.”
His voice was oddly gentle as he leaned down and patted one of the neatly wrapped cuts of Aunt Jenny, still sitting frozen on the shed floor.
“Your Aunt Jenny was one of those people. So was my Aunt Irene.” He paused to gaze at his daughter, his next words peppered with emphasis. “But you see, my sweet Liz, they did find a purpose in life. They did find a way to be special, and they left this world utterly certain of their gift.” He stood up, stretched his back. “Let me show you.”
Liz waited while my grandad meticulously stacked the meat back into the freezer, all but one J-marked parcel that looked for all the world like a thick venison steak. He took her back to the farmhouse, and reverently unwrapped the deep red, heavily marbled meat to let it thaw. Then he laid it in the family’s ancient, cast-iron pan, basting it with butter and rosemary until a heavenly scent filled the kitchen, and Aunt Liz couldn’t stop her mouth from watering.
“Just try it. Let her show you. You’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”
Even though she knew it was her aunt, Liz couldn’t stop herself from taking that first bite. There was something transcendent about the smell, overriding her natural revulsion that this was human meat, not one of their farm animals. For the first time, she truly realised it: we’re just another kind of animal. And weren’t her memories of Mary the lamb almost as fond as her memories of Aunt Jenny?
Liz explained then, in her curly handwriting, the explosion of taste that had assaulted her when she tried the steak. It was tender, it was succulent, it was rich beyond imagining. The fats melted on her tongue, lingering somewhere between pork and beef, but oddly neither. The flavour of the meat defied identification; something familiar, yet not.
But one thing she couldn’t deny; it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. Tears dripped onto her plate, mingled with the juice, the grease — not grief, but a pure, real, giddy delight.
“You’re tasting your aunt’s love for this family,” my grandad explained. “Her entire life was carefully curated, to eventually make unforgettable moments for us, just like this. This was her way of being special. This was the greatest gift she could possibly bring to our world – and because she realised that, she died with not a single regret. She knew her life had purpose. She was perfectly, completely fulfilled.”
I felt those words. I felt them lodge in my own belly, settling uncomfortably deep. I knew Aunt Liz, probably better than anyone else in the family. I’d seen how fucking happy she’d been on her fortieth, how goddamn fulfilled she was, despite apparently being a *nobody* and achieving *nothing*. Somehow, in the space of a single day, she had gone from being a forgettable background character to becoming the *main character*, immortalising herself in our family’s history with her sacrifice. Quite literally becoming part of all of us, forever.
I went to the killing shed after I finished with the book. I looked inside the freezers.
But there were no vacuum-sealed packages labelled ‘L’, no matter how deep I dug into the frozen stacks of plastic-wrapped flesh. Panicked now, not sure if I wanted to connect all the dots or unconnect them, I tried to think back over the last few months, recall any meals that had been unusually good. A few Sundays ago, we’d had a stew that really hit the spot and left me craving more. And I realised that the family had a really good night that night; my brothers behaved themselves, my parents didn’t fight, and grandma and grandad had been there. Hadn’t they looked far more… expectant than they should have?
I strained my brain, trying to recall if I’d seen the homekill bag on the kitchen bench – if I’d registered what letter it was. I knew it wasn’t an L. I would have remembered if it was an L.
And then it hit me, the memory, the connection, sizzling as if branded with a hot iron.
It had been an ‘E’.
E for Elizabeth. Not for Edward the pig.
I snorted at my own stupidity – of *course* Liz was short for Elizabeth – and as I comprehended my lack of smarts, I felt something give inside me.
I wasn’t clever, and nothing, nothing would ever make me smart. I had no big talents. I wasn’t beautiful, or even cute – and even if I had a million plastic surgeries, it still wouldn’t fulfill me. It wouldn’t be real.
I was a Liz.
I was a Jenny.
I was whoever the first aunt had been, the aunt who had dedicated her life to making her flesh as delicious as possible, who had worked every damn minute to be the best Long Pig she could ever be.
I wondered how many magical family evenings had been spent eating Aunt Jenny. How many glorious, satisfying, memorable dishes had been made out of her.
And… I wanted that. I wanted to finally know I had a *purpose* in life. One so simple, and so easy to achieve.
I wanted what Aunt Liz had.
***
It's my fortieth birthday today and I’m so fucking excited. For the last twenty-four years, I’ve dedicated myself to this moment; I’ve eaten exactly what I needed to, I’ve exercised just enough, but not too much, to maintain that perfect balance of marbling vs tenderness. I’ve relaxed and meditated to keep all those amazing flavours inside of me. I’ve researched all the greatest meats in the world, from prime Angus beef to A5 Wagyu. I really think I may have outdone myself.
I’m having my hair and makeup done at the local salon this afternoon, and I’m going to look so pretty; all prize piggy on show at the fair. I’m even going to have a big red ribbon in my hair, in memory of Aunt Liz.
Maybe there’ll be a cute boy I can snog in the wool shed, maybe there won’t – I don’t really care; because the most important, most certain thing is that I’m going to be the most delicious Long Pig in the history of our entire family.
I’m going to make everyone so damn happy, and I’m just so glad I can share my story with you all, instead of hiding it in a grubby book like poor Aunt Liz.
My only real disappointment? That you won’t get to taste me.
Reader, I have loved, loved my life. My Long Pork will be out of this world: once tasted, never, ever forgotten.

Kadillac Kirk had been a good friend of mine for several years. I had met him through friends from The Spring Stage; and he never had anything to do with The Imp, which is why he didn’t appear in the Married Mary saga. Mary would have totally thrown herself at him, and Kirk would have definitely “thrown it in her.” He loved the ladies and often remarked that there was no such thing as an unappealing woman, nor was there anything sweeter than finding the pearl of passion in an outwardly plain dame. Fortunately for Kirk, he never met Mary. This was probably fortunate for Mary as well, seeing as Kirk was a confirmed bachelor and his rakish nature might have broken her fat heart.
Kirk was an older guy. Not MOE old, though. He was in his early forties, but he easily passed for a carefree dude in his 30s... not that he lied about his age. I only mention this trait to juxtapose Kirk’s genuine youthful air with Moe’s unconvincing youthful farce. Kirk dressed normally, avoided stupid jargon, and never busted out gimmicks like tarot cards or spells. He just existed, behaved affably, and people liked him for it.
He drove a classic 1962 Cadillac El Dorado convertible with red leather interior, and he lived in a charmingly quaint (and ridiculously expensive) neighborhood. How he made his fortune remained a mystery, but he never bloviated about his wealth. He just threw spectacular parties and people showed up. And, to my knowledge, he never tried to lure women into bed with his money (although I’m sure he got his fair share of boom-boom thanks to his digs and his wheels, even if the gold-diggers denied their monetary agendas).
Kirk was legitimately handsome. He was a drummer, he had a full head of black hair, he was clean-shaven, he worked out, and he knew all the hidden gems in Wellsprings. So why hadn’t I tried... or even desired to date him? I don’t know. I just didn’t feel drawn to him like that. He felt like a cool uncle and he had, thus far, never done anything to change my perception. Plus, the age difference weirded me out a little. Kirk didn’t look forty; but knowing that he had so much more life experience than I did created a power imbalance that would have creeped me out if we’d been dating. As buddies, I just felt supremely cool riding in his Cadillac, smoking Fantasia cigarettes, and hitting the speakeasies and jazz clubs I would have never known about if it weren’t for Kirk’s connections.
And he had been a good person to talk to about my romantic woes. He never lecherously suggested that I should date him, and he gave the type of tempered advice that only comes with lived experience. But he often lightly mocked me for my crush on Dennis and he did a hilarious impression of Smegal popping too soon over his “precious.” So when Mary “got me back” by doing whatever she did with to Dennis, I called Kadillac Kirk and told him the drinks were on me if he’d be my designated driver for the night.
Why hadn’t I called Whisky??? Well, A) Kirk was way more fun to hang out with, at least from my past experiences up to that point. And B) I needed to bitch about a boy, something I couldn’t do in good conscience in front of a guy I was dating. So I put on the sexiest plunging halter dress I owned, applied heavy eye makeup and spikey accessories, braved a pair of stilettos, and sashayed out to Kirk’s convertible. I felt like a badass rock star. I probably looked like a try-hard hooker.
Kirk: Daaaaay-um! Somebody really did do a number on you, huh? I know you said you were upset, but the gents are gonna be writing thank you notes to that fat girl and that butt-fucking hobbit.
Me: I just need to feel pretty and numb. And I trust you to keep me from making a fool of myself.
Kirk squeezed my shoulder. “I’ve got you. You do whatever you need to do to get rid of these demons.”
He sparked up a J and offered me the first puff. I gladly accepted. He took one puff of his own, but said that the rest was mine since he didn’t want to drive stoned. See? He was responsible! Weed wasn’t legal in California yet, so I got a little bit baked before I stashed the sativa in the glove box and wrapped a scarf around my hair like a starlet from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Kirk sped out of the parking lot and said he was taking me to a downtown hotel that was hosting a party that night in their lush lobby.
Kadillac Kirk pulled up to the main entrance, paid the valet, and then opened my door. I was wobbly from the weed. And I had stupidly decided to wear heels. You can get high or you can wear high (heels). You can’t have both. Not if you’ve repeatedly injured both ankles (as I have). I had to take Kirk’s arm to keep from keeling over. “Can people tell I’m stoned?” I whispered. Kirk replied, “Nobody’s paying any attention to anyone else’s intoxication. I promise you that much.” I nodded, steadied myself, and strutted alongside my very cool friend, feeling a little more confident.
A live jazz orchestra was playing Cole Porter as we entered the lobby. Everything sparkled. The music was even more intoxicating than the spliff had been. “Just One of Those Things” brought tears to my eyes since the lyrics hit every raw nerve regarding the Dennis debacle. But I smiled. It might sound mental, but being distraught over a trash fire of a one-sided romance was exhilarating. Immature, for sure. But also exhilarating. You see, that kind of sadness doesn’t hurt. Not really. It stings. It leaves little bruises, but it’s very safe to wallow in because you haven’t actually lost anything. Melancholia over that which you never had is as sweet as it is bitter; and that type of twisted splendor is rivaled only by Stendhal.
“Here's hoping we meet now and then. It was great fun, but it was just one of those things.” I sang along with the band, and a fat tear rolled down past my melancholic smile and onto my chin. Kirk brushed it aside. “Too close to home?” I wiped away the remnants of the tear’s journey from eye to chin and smiled a more genuine smile. “The perfect distance from home. Shall we get drinks? Remember, I’m buying.”
Kirk: No, no. This is your time to heal. And I’m here as your pal, not your chauffeur. What would the lady like?”
I pretended to barf. Kirk knew I hated it when he got overly formal and overly attentive. So he did it just to mess with me. “Shot of vodka,” I replied.
Kirk: How many?
I thought briefly. “FIVE.”
Kirk: Five to one, baby. One in five...
Me: No one here gets out alive.
Kirk: Are you able to hold yourself upright, or should you come with?
I took a seat on an ornate, damask-upholstered chaise lounge. “I’ll be okay. And I was kidding about the five shots.”
I sat there lost in the music for a while. I thought very little about Dennis. Even less about Mary. And not at all about Whisky (whom I had shagged less than a week ago). My mind danced through the ornate lighting in the hotel lobby, and I suddenly felt the need to join the hoity-toity guests on the dancefloor!
Kirk returned with four shots of vodka. Two for him, two for me. That was quite reasonable of him. He knew damn well that I couldn’t handle five shots, but he also knew that I was in a... state. One that called for more than a single shot. I raised a both miniature glasses to “No more ninnyhammers or hairy-footed lovers.” Kirk did his hilarious Smegal impression, we double-toasted, and downed the shots. The band launched into “Let’s Misbehave,” and I kicked off my stilettos and made a beeline for the dance floor.
“There’s something wild about you child that’s so contagious. Let’s be outrageous! Let’s misbehave.” Kadillac Kirk swept me up, twirled me around, and dipped me as we both sang along with the lyrics. I wasn’t swooning for him, but I was enthralled by the moment. The music, the dancing, the combination of booze and bud... so I kissed him as he pulled me back to my feet. And he kissed back. In a way that Dennis never had. In a way that Whisky’s beard wouldn’t permit. I didn’t feel the visceral sensations that I’d felt when Dennis had kissed me, but it felt nice to feel desired. And then I noticed that other guests were watching us and applauding. Now, that was a dopamine rush if ever there was one!
I gently broke away from the embrace, high-fived Kirk and returned to the chaise lounge to put my stupid shoes back on. He followed me and smashed his face back onto mine. I pulled away and laughed. “It was a moment,” I told him. “I appreciate the dance, and that kiss was the perfect finale. But it’s not happening again.”
Kirk: Not to worry, Valerie. I know you. I knew all along that we were performing, and I was more than happy to be your scene partner.
Me: And dance partner! Those were some excellent moves! I didn’t know you had ballroom training.
Kirk: You name it, I’ve mastered it. Another drink for the lady?
I pretended to barf again. “Not yet. I’m not sad right now. Do you mind if I just sit here and enjoy the music?”
Kirk: Ah. My kisses do have healing properties...
I flipped my hand up at him. “Knock that shit off, bro. I wanted to hang out with you because I trust you not to get weird. Even if I get weird, I know you have the maturity to balance me out.”
Kirk: Are you calling me old???
Me: No. I’m calling you rational, responsible, and respectful.
Kirk: Well, now. If you can articulate an alliterative statement that fluently, then you clearly aren’t drunk enough!
I dismissed this comment as a joke. And he did indeed knock off the flirtation. We had a perfectly pleasant time chatting and dancing (no more kissing, though). And then I noticed a girl I knew from Into the Woods entering the lobby. She’d played Florinda and I’d played Little Red. I called her name and waved enthusiastically. She waved back. And then her date entered. It was D.E.N.N.I.S. I sank into the chaise. Kirk caught on immediately. “The hobbit???” he asked. I nodded silently. “You wanna make out again?” he enthused. I shook my head. I had to go say hello to Flo. And I had an idea...
I crossed the lobby, smiled, squealed, and hugged her.
Florinda: Lil’ Red! It’s been forever! So glad to see you!!! This is my friend, Denny.
From the corner of my eye. I could see Dennis shifting uncomfortably. I refused to look directly at him, neglected to acknowledge Flo's introduction and continued to converse only with her. "So glad to see you, too! What have you been up to since we left the woods?"
Dennis: C’mon, Val...
Florinda (appearing oblivious to the iciness between me and Dennis): Oh, I had some drama after the show closed. I'll have to tell you about it some other time... Have you seen Prince Big Bad (Scumbanger) lately?
I laughed. “Last time I saw him, he was hitting on some nasty fat chick at The Imp.”
Flo and I both scoffed at the pervy pest. Into the Woods was where I’d initially met Scumbanger. He played The Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. Again... typecasting. There’s a whole essay in my brain about my first encounter with the pest, during which he quoted the song that he sang to me in the show, “Hello, Little Girl.” But it gets into some pretty uncomfortable territory because he made me feel... excited. Well, excited and scared. Nothing of note happened during Into the Woods, but our odd interactions did kind of set the stage for some extremely regrettable events during that Cats cast party.
I excused myself, saying that I needed to get back to my friend. And then I leaned in and said in a hushed voice to Flo, “Watch your ass with that one. If he’s the Denny I’m thinking of...” I gave her a look that only another female would be able to read. Her eyebrows shot up and she nodded. Dennis continued to shift as though he were trying to hold in a massive dump. “BABE! Uh...”
Flo apparently answered to that moniker as well. “What is it, Denny? Don’t worry. That was just telepathic girl talk. You apparently have a reputation...”
Dennis: Different Denny. I assure you I’m a pious gentleman.
Me: Ah. My mistake. Well, then. You guys have a good time! They’re playing Cole Porter, and the band is delovely. Great to see you, Flo!
I hugged Flo again, gave Dennis a curt nod, ignored the scent of mandarins and mountain air, and returned to Kirk.
I collapsed on the chaise lounge, exhausted from holding back the rage. I had no right to be mad at Florinda. I hadn’t seen her in three years, so how was she supposed to know that I’d had a thing with Dennis? Hell, I couldn’t even be mad at Dennis because the last time he and I had spoken in any meaningful way, I’d told him that I was no longer entertaining my crush on him. So why was I surprised to see him dating??? And why had he never taken ME out on a date like this??? And why wasn’t I smitten with Kadillac Kirk who HAD taken me out on a date like this, was an objectively excellent kisser, and a bona fide BALLER? What was wrong with me???
Kirk suggested going down the street to a quaint little bar and then sobering up at a diner closer to my apartment. I numbly nodded and followed him in silence for a few blocks. He assured me that I had “turned several heads” on the way to the new location, but I neither cared nor believed him. This wasn't the type of numbness I'd been aiming for. Now I needed to get schnockered. “Five shots of vodka, please.” Yes, I was serious.
Kadillac Kirk, my reliable designated driver, ordered only a beer and watched in something across between astonishment, concern, and delight as I slammed all five shots in rapid succession. I half expected to immediately retch all over the bar. But I felt fine. I half expected to immediately lose consciousness and wake up in the hospital. But I remained coherent. How I’d managed to take in that much hard liquor and suffer no direct consequences, I’ll never know.
I think I wanted to suffer. I wanted to either feel nothing at all or to feel a sickness bad enough to distract me from the scorching sting that pulsed through my being when I realized that I had lost the abstract notion I’d been addicted to this entire time. Hope. It wasn’t Dennis himself I couldn’t quit. It was that drug called hope. The hope that maybe, just maybe Dennis would give our romance a fair chance. The hope that maybe, just maybe he would make peace with himself, get his mind out of his crotch, and enjoy some agenda-free togetherness. The hope that maybe, just maybe he would stop bloviating about his admittedly impressive accomplishments for five fucking minutes and ask about my life. I had my own reasonably impressive accomplishments, even if they paled in comparison to his. A proper suitor would have enjoyed hearing about them.
But seeing him out with another woman, a woman who had no reason to parade her Dennis escapades before me as some means of revenge, a woman he was clearly courting of his own volition... My hope had died. It died before I’d had time to wean myself off it. Now I had to mourn the loss of hope, which is a very tricky brand of grief to navigate. Vodka wasn’t the answer, but it was what I had to work with. So it would have to do.
After enough time had passed without vomiting or collapsing, I asked Kirk to bring his car around to the bar so that I didn’t have to walk two and a half blocks drunk and in heels. He nodded and dramatically leaned in for a kiss. I recoiled. “DUDE! I told you. The moment has passed.”
Kirk: I beg your pardon. I misread your eyes. Thought I saw a green light...
Me: It’s fine. I just want to go home while I’m still feeling okay.
Kirk: Of course. Your chariot will be here soon.
He skipped off to fetch his Cadillac and I noticed that the lights in the bar were beginning to dance a bit. This should have been concerning. But then I realized that I was giggling. Wait... What? Oh shit. Sure, I was drunk from those shots. But what I was feeling in that moment wasn’t drunkery. It was stonery. Kirk probably misread my face because my pupils were dilated. Not from desire, but from drug use.
Some of you might be thinking that I was a bad friend for not introducing Lucy, an old dude connoisseur, to Kirk. Well... I did. Several years before the events of this story. He adored her. She, on the other hand, thought he was immature. And she wasn’t wrong. Lucy was astute when it came to sussing out a person’s true nature. Far more astute than I. Her initial assessment that Kirk was immature is about to be vindicated. Stretch those cringe muscles! It’s almost time for pie...
I somehow managed to get to his car. I honestly don’t recall how I got there. Did one of the bartenders carry me? Did some kind patron allow me to lean on him? Had Kadillac Kirk carried me out? I’m not sure. But my memory ceases to be fuzzy about halfway to the 24-hour diner. It might have been the very same 24-hour diner where Mary pulled her... shenanigans. I’ll never know.
Kirk: Would you say that you’re more drunk or more stoned?
Me: STONED. Definitely stoned.
Kirk made some sort of grunty noise and reached for my thigh. I slapped his hand.
Kirk: Stoned but not amorous? That’s rare.
I started laughing rather unkindly. “You’re a fucking horndog! I thought you were my safe straight male friend, dammit.”
Kirk: I solemnly swear that your safety is my primary concern, my stoned beauty.
I pretended to throw up.
Kirk: So... You’re not horny. But are you hungry? The diner I’m heading to makes this Maple Walnut Pie with the most sumptuous... sensual cream and exquisite drizzling of...
Me: Ew! Stop trying to bang the pie. Bro. Are YOU stoned? (Then I remembered the question.) Yes, I’m hungry. But I don’t like nuts. I’ll have banana cream.
Kirk made that repulsive grunty noise again. “Uhhhhh... Mmmmmm. Cream. Yessssss. Yes, we’ll be there in just a minute.” He was squirming in the driver's seat.
Me: GROSS, DUDE! If you’re gonna be like that I’ll just order HASH brows. Get it? Hash??? (I giggled.) You can’t make that sound nasty.
Kirk: Forgive my jokes. I think my blood sugar’s a bit low.
As Kirk parked, I began to wonder how I might get away with walking shoeless into the diner. The stilettos had to get off my feet. At least while I was walking. And Kirk was kind enough to give me his socks and wear his loafers “island style” into the establishment. Okay, that was gallant of him. Maybe he was going to behave himself for the rest of the evening.
I wasn’t terribly talkative as we sat down, and he expressed a bit of concern for my emotional well-being. I wasn’t coherent enough to explain what was happening to my emotions and I wasn’t sure I trusted him with my deep, dark secrets at that point. So I shrugged like a sulky teenager, ran my hands over my messy, windblown hair, and mumbled that I was “just hungry.” And right on cue, a very kind, slightly older waitress with a sweet southern accent stopped by to take our order.
Kirk: Ah, yes. We’ll have two cups of black coffee. And we’ll share a slice of that delectable Maple Walnut Pie.
Waitress: Oh, honey. That pie is scrumptious! I take it you’ve been here before?
Kirk: I have. This will be her first time to taste the splendor.
I hated to be a killjoy, but I interrupted and said to the waitress, “Ma’am? I’m sure the Maple Walnut is excellent, but could I please get a slice of Banana Cream? And a big glass of ice water?
Waitress: Sure, hon! Banana Cream’s just as yummy! I’ll be right back with those coffees and that big water.
Kirk was sucking on the tip of his forefinger and shaking his head a bit. “You’re passing up so many sensational... sensual...”
I put my forehead on the table and growled. “You swore you’d stop being nasty!” I held this #headdesk pose for quite some time before I finally lifted my head... only to see that Kirk was still sucking his fingertip and staring at me like a wild animal. “Pleeeeeease be normal,” I whined. “It’s been a really weird night for me.”
Kirk: Indeed. Many surprises. You know... You’re like titanium. Your flame burns so fast and so bright, if a guy doesn’t get in there while the iron is hot, he’ll never get another chance. I was too slow.
What the...? I was pretty sure he was wrong about titanium burning quickly. I’m no chemistry wiz, but my dad and my oldest brother are both big-brains when it comes to physics and chemistry. So I picked up some things just listening to them talk. Accurate or inaccurate, Kirk was being creepy again. He’d never been creepy towards me before, although I’d seen him act like this with other women. Usually with staggering success. Why????? His money. It had to be his money. Kirk was a nice-looking man, but holy shit... No amount of good looks could save this creep show
And then, our sweet waitress sat down our coffees, my water, and the two slices of pie. After I gulped down a whole bunch of water, I grabbed a fork, prepared to quell my munchies... and then I froze. Kirk was quickly flicking his finger back and forth across the top of his pie. And moaning. He noticed my wide-eyed stare, smirked, sucked the tip of his thumb, picked up the plate with both hands, and began flicking his tongue across the tip of the triangular pie slice. And moaning some more. Well, there went my appetite.
Kirk took his middle finger and jabbed it into the crustless vertex of the pie slice, then he began pumping it in and out like a piston, and flicking his thumb across the increasingly demolished top layer of whipped cream. He gasped this time. People were starting to stare. His pointer finger joined his middle finger in the piston action, and he replaced his thumb with his tongue. Between flicks of the tongue, he groaned, “Oh yeah, baby... Let me taste you,” but it was kind of hard to understand him.
And I was either about to run to the back office, tell them that I was in danger and needed a police escort home... OR I was about to burst out laughing at the spectacle. Kirk continued... He removed his fingers and gregariously licked pie filling off of them. "Ohhhhh," he groaned, "I got you soooo sticky. So sweet. So moist." And then he started sucking his fingertips again, switching from middle to pointer, middle to pointer and emitting a delighted little, “Mmmmmm” with every suck.
Finally, he jabbed his fingers back into the utterly destroyed pie, lowered his face into the mess and lapped loudly and passionately, moaning, grunting, and mumbling “Come on, baby. Come on. Mmmmmm. Come on.” I could see the waitress and some dude in a suit heading over to the table, so I sank down in my seat, partially covered my face, but continued to watch the train wreck. At last, Kirk shuddered violently as he splatted his entire hand onto the plate and rubbed furiously. And then he locked eyes with me. He sucked the tip of his thumb one final time and said, “You...” There was a long pause during which Kirk lovingly stroked the mess he’d made. “You... are the pie.”
I don’t hang out with Kadillac Kirk anymore. But he’s still a bachelor, ladies!

The liver is one of the most vital organs in your body, playing a crucial role in maintaining your overall health. Located in the upper right quadrant of your abdomen, the liver is responsible for various essential functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. Understanding the importance of liver health and knowing how to care for it can significantly enhance your well-being.
Functions of the Liver
Detoxification: The liver detoxifies various metabolites, synthesizes proteins, and produces biochemicals necessary for digestion. It filters out toxins from the blood, ensuring that harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
Metabolism: The liver plays a crucial role in metabolism, including the regulation of glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, and hormone production. It helps convert nutrients from your diet into essential blood components.
Production of Bile: Bile produced by the liver is essential for the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine.
Storage: The liver stores vital nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals (iron and copper), and releases them when needed.
Keeping Your Liver Healthy
Maintaining liver health is crucial for your overall well-being. Here are some tips to keep your liver functioning optimally:
Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can support liver health. Avoid excessive intake of fatty foods, sugar, and alcohol.
Regular Exercise: Physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Hydration: Drinking plenty of water helps the liver function efficiently, aiding in detoxification processes.
Avoid Alcohol and Drugs: Excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse can lead to liver damage. It’s crucial to limit alcohol intake and avoid illicit substances.
Regular Check-Ups: Regular medical check-ups can help detect liver issues early. The Best Multispeciality Hospital in Ghaziabad, like Sanjeevani Clinic, offers comprehensive healthcare services to monitor and maintain your liver health.
Liver Health and Overall Well-being
A healthy liver contributes significantly to your overall health. When your liver functions properly, you’re more likely to experience better energy levels, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system. Moreover, liver health is closely linked to other health aspects, such as ENT problems. For instance, issues like ear infections, sinusitis, and throat problems can sometimes be related to broader systemic health issues, including liver function.
If you're experiencing ENT problems, it's advisable to consult the Best ENT Specialist near me at Sanjeevani Clinic in Ghaziabad. The clinic offers top-notch medical treatment and healthcare services, ensuring comprehensive care for conditions like ear infections and sinusitis.
Sanjeevani Clinic: Your Health Partner
At Sanjeevani Clinic, we prioritize your health and well-being. As the Best Hospital in Ghaziabad, we provide a wide range of medical services, including the Best Pathology Lab in Ghaziabad for accurate diagnostic tests. Our healthcare professionals are dedicated to delivering high-quality medical care and promoting health awareness in the community.
In conclusion, taking care of your liver is essential for maintaining overall health. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits and seeking regular medical care from trusted healthcare providers like Sanjeevani Clinic, you can ensure your liver remains in optimal condition. Remember, your liver is key to keeping you healthy, so take proactive steps today to support its function and stay healthy. For all your healthcare needs, including ENTCare, trust the expertise of Sanjeevani Clinic in Ghaziabad.
Sanjeevani Multispeciality Clinic
Address: SE-2 Basement Floor, Hapur Rd, near Indian Oil Petrol Pump, E Block, Shastri Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002
Phone: 088822 40830

22 AMAB transgender male-to-female. Diagnosed with IIH. 5'10 360 lbs. Currently taking estradiol 2 mg twice daily, Diamox 250 mg 4 times daily, an iron supplement, a vitamin D supplement, a collagen/biotin supplement and Flonase as needed.
I’ve just recently started taking hormone replacement therapy (within the last month) and have been having testicular pain for about a week (three weeks into taking HRT). I initially thought this was due the shrinking of testicles associated with hormonal changes but am now unsure as it’s been constant for about a week and isn’t going away at all. Pain in testicles is worse when standing up, and when standing up I feel extremely light headed and like I am going to faint. Right testicle is sensitive to the touch while left is not. Recently had all vitamins checked and not terribly deficient in anything except iron and vitamin D (but the supplements have been helping). My doctor also asked if I was fighting an infection as my white blood cell count was high but I haven’t been sick (except minor allergies).
This is embarrassing but I don’t know how to properly check for lumps in my testicles. I tried to check my testicles and I can’t distinguish anything on my left testicle but feel a harder area on my right, under the skin near the backside of the testicle, but I can’t tell if this is actually a lump or not.
I’m not sure what to do or if this is normal. I called my doctor who is assisting with my care for HRT and haven’t heard back. Is this something I need to be seen for ASAP? Is the pain normal for this amount of time? I don’t know what to do.

In the realm of contemporary parenting, the baby steam bowl online emerges as an essential tool for health-conscious caregivers. OlaBaby has engineered a groundbreaking product that seamlessly merges convenience and nutrition, ensuring each meal for your little one is a step toward robust health.

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https://www.library.ien.bg.ac.rs/index.php/jwee/article/view/11/11
Entrenched Patterns of Hot Cognition May Explain Stubborn Attributes of the Economic Landscape
Biases that do not reduce and remain persistent can be called “hot cognitions”. For instance, the unrelenting insistence on an enemy even where others do not find one is a bias beyond bias, ingrained in the economic geography.
“Because of genetic and developmental processes, people become entrapped into stable patterns of affective reasoning (or hot cognition), which generate profound consequences for their behavioral styles as economic agents.”
Reasoning underwritten by emotion is very similar to rationalization, if not just a gaslight for it.
“More specifically, we need to grasp the fact that much of economic cognition is hot cognition, or, in other words, reasoning underwritten by emotion (Bernheim, 2009).”
Economics is not enough; however an insistence on affect as a hot topic without studying the underlying metaphysical and intrapersonal dimensions is also impotent
“The most pressing problem for economic geography and economics emerges from their theoretical and methodological impotence on the matter of affect, and more specifically on the matter of seizing a role played by affect in making economic agents so different from one another.”
Men in this highly psychoanalytical and not evidentiary paper are associated with moving against people and aggressive or antisocial tendencies, showing a Eurocentricism at the heart of psychoanalysis that does not stand up to further research
“The very nature of this category of people (men) – moving against people – unravels the close dependency between one’s level of aggressive or antisocial tendencies and the likelihood of choosing this affective attitude towards one’s surroundings.”
Not all people derive great pleasure from controlling their environment beyond certain boundaries
People differ in the amount of joy they derive from controlling their environment, lives or peers.
Testosterone and low cortisol (startle response) creates aggression and antisociality. This paper cites in men but the science stands in any gender.
“Men tend to have higher levels of testosterone and lower levels of cortisol than women and this twin tendency explains their increased aggression and antisociality. (Van Goozen, 2005).”
Low agreeableness
“Individuals belonging to this category have a pessimistic view of human nature and because of this negativistic worldview, they tend to be uncooperative, selfish, suspicious, uninterested in others well wellbeing, unfriendly, unwilling to be totally honest, incompliant, arrogant, and merciless.”
Possessiveness, ruthless and hypercompetitiveness of the rich often leads to a very unfortunate lack of reward for the very altruism that cleans up their mess and allows the species to even continue (think doctors that are so overwhelmed by the pathogens in their environment they are pushed to be responsible for that they never have children. Ironically this is the first person it would make the most logical sense to have a child, showing this is rationalization, not logic behind greed and wealth)
Of equal significance for economic geographers is the fact that the gap between the rich and the poor might be the result of different affective types. It might well be the case that the poor are people who bear the economic penalty of being too nice and too concerned for the lives of others, while the rich reap the economic rewards of entering the workplace with a ruthless, hypercompetitive, and selfish mindset.
Rich people then hegemonize their wealth as a fact and not an incident, arguably of this biased type hypercompetitiveness that borders on and often achieves violence, repeatedly made and then try to use this non-fact as a fact to establish superiority; it is a state, often on a faulty rationalized foundation
“His highlighting of the implicit belief of the rich of being superior to the poor sends us back at the major diagnostic criterion used by Karen Horney to identify the ‘moving against people’ types: their need to be above their surroundings, to stand out no matter what. In the next section, I will build upon this observation to render more salient ways in which differences in one type’s of unconscious affective systems can explain the logic of income inequality.”
Overvaluation of mastery and overvaluation of appreciation as non-interference as the foundation of love are at odds
“If the moving against people attitude emerges through the overvaluation of mastery, moving towards people results from the overvaluation of love.”
Stereotypically cooperative qualities may help gain popularity, but they essentially do not prevent rapacious behavior, especially when this behavior has accumulated to 70-30 male-female CEO/leadership ratios that make anyone entering from the 30 side up against a nearly dissolving accumulation of the testosterone based effects previously cited in the paper, making alternative and potentially more effective ways of redistributing, making decisions, and structuring drowned out by what is essentially narcissistic testosterone at such a critical mass that it insists on more of itself.
“These qualities help them gain popularity, but prevent them from self-assertion and from effective competing against people driven by the appeal of mastery.”
Rationalization as hot cognition should be studied to examine the difficulty of resetting entrenched patterns
“On the political and social front, the task for social activists and educators is to tailor their interventions with an eye to the importance of hot cognition and to the difficulty of resetting its entrenched patterns.”