I've dealt with a lot of things but am completely out of my depth with this latest find. This last buy included some paperwork that is correspondence, instructions, blueprints, patents, and a letter with Walt Disney's Fantasia letterhead from William E. Garity about the Academy Award it won with a picture of the award. Everything ranges from 1931-1942 and all centers around a gentleman Max T. Schomacker and mostly RCA. Most items are about things he was inventing or fixing and his work. Other people involved in correspondence with autographs are William E. Garity, M.C.Batsel, E.W. Kellogg, and A.G. Zimmerman. I've found a little information on everyone but with how niche this is can't get any idea of value or even what to do with this. Really cool history though. Added some pictures to give an idea of what things look like (don't mind the cracks in my lens). Appreciate any help with what others have done or found to be helpful in these situations or someone who dabbles in this.

There’s that irl girls subreddit where guys post girls they claim to know and think are hot. People upvote them, and DM the guys and please themselves while looking at the pictures. I would post a couple girls I know there- but specifically this one girl I genuinely want to date. I’ll refer to her as “A”. A is really fun, and stylish, and cool- extremely talented and very attractive. She has a very aesthetic instagram and isn’t shy to post bikini pics or fun going-out outfits. I’ve known A for years but only see her a few times per year when her family is in town. She lives almost 6 hours away from me now. I didn’t feel weird posting her bikini pics online the first few times, but people reacted so well and it allowed me to think of her more. I saw her yesterday for the first time in a while, and it was just different. I felt gross and weird. She doesn’t deserve these boys jerking off to her and especially doesn’t deserve me posting her pictures on here. I still like her and want to be with her, but this feels so wrong. She’s too good for me. Can I save this?

Hello! My partner and I are looking to take a herping trip to Florida in a few months, and we've been trying to find out the legalities of collecting and removing certain invasive that are legal to keep in my state. Each piece of info I find says something different and it's getting a little confusing. If it isn't a viable and legal option with any permits or whatnot, we'd be happy just taking pictures, but it would be cool to bring home some night anoles 👀

I have a reasonably large multiboard deployment that looks really good. I’ve been working on it for about 3 months now, printing tiles, then snaps, then bolts, then accessories. I’ve designed and remixed many of them, and posted publicly to help others. But today, trying to figure out how to redo my filament organization with broomsticks and multiboard triangular tiles and brackets, i got really frustrated once i realized i had to print 45 individual parts to make three brackets. This is, in part, me venting, and in part a review of someone who’s commited to seeing the entire home-office/maker space be transformed, and has been truly using Multiboard for a reasonable amount of time now.
I've spent 15kg of filament so far. I'm not too worried about that - i'd never get a pegboard/skadis for less than that anyways. What i am worried about is the time spent. If this were a normal project, you'd basically do it in a day, maybe. But not this.
I hope these items get addressed and/or mitigated. I am (we all are) an early adopter of the system, and I still love MB and want the system to thrive, but as of right now, it's more of the Ikea effect - you love it because you helped build it. But other systems have clarity where this one doesn't, so here's my list of pet peeves/grievances/frustrations:

1. Documentation isn’t atrocious - it’s non-existent.
   1. You go to a Parts library that doesn’t explain the parts, has no measurements, and doesn’t explain usage.
   2. There’s no “ use-case” based documentation, so you see pictures of people hanging their filaments but nobody explains what parts you’ll need and how to assemble.
   3. Some parts are simply “there”, with no explanation… what’s a rail for? Who knows.
   4. Website says parts are “updated”, but some were updated last week, others 4 months ago. Who knows what “version” of a part you have.
   5. Website -> thangs navigation is horrible. I can see why Thangs considers Multiboard a massive keyword… you click 400 affiliate links every time you design a project.
2. The system is very complex.
   1. There’s dozens of variations of each part. At first you think the system is super flexible. THen you realize it’s the opposite. Parts aren’t flexible; they’re specialized. You need the right one for each thing.
   2. There’s no decision if it’s a bin system or if it’s a mount system. Are they both? Are they neither?
   3. The system isn’t fully baked - parts get updated and redesigned. Sometimes it’s backward compatible.
   4. There’s no slowing down - it will get MORE complex, not less. The designers are proud that MORE parts are being designed and released… and since there are so many, there isn’t time to fix documentation or focus on use-cases.
   5. The same system shouldn't need 4 thread types with dozens of variations of each bolt for each thread. You won’t end up using them, and you’ll be frustrated a lot.
3. I won’t go too much into the financial model - I’m in agreement that a subscription model is silly, but the world has gone to that. I’m currently paying, but honestly, i got nothing from the payment other than knowing I supported the developer. There’s no part i use that i couldn’t use without paying, except the stacks, but even those can be generated freely now.
4. It takes too long to get something done.
   1. I agree with whoever mentioned that the first couple of months you’re lost. You will only know more about what you need after trying a lot. Trying is slow, because...
   2. Parts are sophisticated and therefore print slowly. A 9x9 tile takes 4hrs to print on my X1C, and I used 40 of them.
   3. Also add in the ones you’ll print incorrectly - even the tiles have variations of core, side, corner, sizes, stacks. You will waste time and filament.
   4. After the tiles, the snaps, the other side of the snaps. Then, after hundreds of hours, you’ll be able to actually use it for something. (I thought of doing a little bit, hanging some stuff, doing a little bit more, hanging more stuff - but if you’re still trying to find hte right accessories it’s more efficient to just let the printer run through the stacks while you try to figure out the rest).
5. This isn’t Gridfinity.
   1. My approach to Gridfinity was that I’d start printing bins, and if I ended up needing a different one I’d just print a new one and repurpose the old one.
   2. This won’t happen - since parts are specific, that incorrect bracket is trash.
   3. You’ll end up having bags or bins of bolts of different sizes, threads, lengths, head types, and variations. Dozens and dozens of types.
6. Would it do it again? Maybe.
   1. If I were to do it again now that I know what I’m getting into, experience would help me design my full system before starting to print anything.
   2. If i had to learn all over, i would not. The learning curve, the hours spent, the mistakes, the 15kg of Filament… not worth my time and money.

The more i use this the more i think Pegboards are good enough for 99.5% of everything i do/have. The Skadis it replaced was just fine, and i don’t think i gained anything from doing it, except the cool factor of me having printed the whole thing myself.
Am I wrong? Should i be takign a different approach? Do i have incorrect expectations of the system? Please - i'd love to hear more and adjust both expectations and/or my usage of the system.

Hey all!
So the premise here is that a young couple are moving in together for the first time, and it's a brief look at their first evening and morning together. I've written it as a girlfriend as this is actually based on real events, but the listener can be anyone. Girlfriend can also be changed to boyfriend if preferable :)
Fine to monetize, just give me credit and link back here :) also, if anyone wants to fill this, awesome!!!
There is a mix of internal and external monologue here. Hope I've kept that clear in the text but, if not, please let me know!
Girlfriend
(knocking on the door)
Hello! Is anyone here? Oh, hi! Sorry I’m a bit late. Took ages to load up the car. Hmm? Sorry, I know you have other clients! Yeah, of course, I’m sure they’re on the way.
(internal, sarcastically)
Well, this estate agent seems lovely. Is she actually going to let me in?
(spoken)
Are we okay to wait inside? I think it’s going to rain. Thankyou…
(internal)
I still can’t believe we’re doing this! I hope I haven’t brought too much stuff. They said they’re barely bringing anything! Oh, this place looks a little dusty! Floor’s a bit messy! I’ll have to give it a clean. God, I hope they don’t lose patience with me. Their room at home always seems so tidy, but I know their mum is a bit of a clean freak too.
(spoken)
Sorry? Yeah, this is our first place together. We’ve been going out for three years and I just got a new job, so we figured why not? Renting for now, but hoping to buy a place in a year or two.
(internal)
If they don’t run a mile after living with me for a few weeks. I’m okay to live with, right? My housemates didn’t have an issue at [insert Uni or college, depending on location]. Oh god, what if…
(spoken)
Sorry, I’m here now. Oh yeah, I remember I really liked this kitchen! New oven, cool! Tell the landlord thanks! Yeah, I may as well start signing everything whilst we wait. I’m really sure they won’t be much longer.

The sound of knocking.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
Oh, that’ll be them now! Come up! We’re just in the kitchen. Hey!
(internal)
Ah man, I still get jittery when they smile at me like that! I still can’t believe we’re doing this. I know we spend all our weekends and most evenings together but it is going to be different, actually living together. We need to get a joint account set up, we’re going to need to go shopping ASAP – there’s literally nothing in! The internet people better turn up tomorrow! I’ve only got [speaker to insert their favourite show] boxsets for us to watch and I’m not sure that’s their thing…
(spoken)
Sorry, I was miles away. So we both sign here? Oh, rules? Okay?
(internal)
Gosh, do they think we’re going to be throwing mad parties every week? We’re not kids! Security deposit? We know this already! Ah, I shouldn’t be so harsh. She’s just doing her job. But does she have to act like we’re planning on burning the place down? Oh, one year’s tenancy? No early release? Eeesh, what if they don’t want to stay… oh wow, they signed really quickly!
(spoken)
Thankyou. I don’t think I have any questions. Do you?
(internal)
There’s that smile again. They look so excited! I hope they’re not as nervous as me. Oh, she’s leaving. Good.
(spoken)
Well, here we are. Just the two of us now. No… second thoughts? No, of course not! All my stuff’s outside, is yours? Shall we get it all in first and then think about where everything is going to go? Oh, your dad’s given us that TV? Fantastic! Think my laptop might be about to die!

Around half an hour later…

Girlfriend
(spoken, sounds out of breath)
Okay! Big pile of stuff. Least we got it in.
(internal)
How do they only have like three suitcases? I couldn’t even fit everything in my car!
(spoken)
I knew I shouldn’t have brought so many books! No idea where we’re going to put them. And the bathroom really is small! I know we said we didn’t mind, but…

Sound of a kiss.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
I love you too. Sorry, I’m overthinking things again. How are you feeling? I know! Still can’t quite believe we have our own place. We really needed it. I swear my dad was deliberately being annoying half the time. Always banging around downstairs! Shush, I’m not just like him! He’ll be okay. He’s got mum. I guess it must be weird with all your kids gone.
(internal)
Dad was so great about everything. Maybe I should have let him come help us move in, but I kind of wanted this to just be us.
(spoken)
Yeah, let’s take a proper look around.
(internal)
I need to chill. This place is really nice, especially for the price. I love the living room. Still can’t believe the sofa and chairs came with the flat. The sofa looks so comfortable. I can’t wait for us to snuggle up on there. They even left a little reading lamp in the corner! I hope they don’t mind if I want to just read some nights. They didn’t really seem to before, but now it’s just us all the time…
Ahhh, I wish the bathroom was bigger! The shower’s a bit ancient. I dunno if we’d both fit in… shit, now they can see me blushing, great! Let’s move out of here quickly!
Really good cupboard space for a small bedroom. I’ve got so many clothes though. I may need to use some of their space as well! Dad was right. I should have had a clear out before I came.
(spoken, laughing)
Don’t jump on the bed like that! Because it’s all tidy! Yeah, I know nobody’s coming round today, but… I am chilled! Wait, what? Okay, fine, I’ll try it out. Yeah, it is very comfy.
(internal)
They smell so good today. I love it when they wear this. I don’t even know what it is. Guess I’ll be seeing it in the bathroom, so I know what to get them for their birthday.

Sound of kissing.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
Are you happy we’ve done this?
(internal)
It’s weird how right this feels. I know it’s just the two of us here now, and I don’t feel nervous. This is just so cool.
(spoken)
What? Let you show me? How… oh….

Sound of kissing and giggling.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
Hey you. We have a lot of unpacking to… oh, you’re so mean.

More kissing.

Girlfriend
(internal)
I love it when they stroke my hair like this. Okay, pinning my hands above my head. That’s… new. Kinda like it though. It is so good that nobody can possibly disturb us. We can literally do anything we want to! Okay, my cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Typical.
(spoken)
Okay, we can, ohhh…
(internal)
I could get used to this.

The next morning…

Girlfriend
(internal)
What time is it? Must be getting late, it’s so bright in here. We need better curtains! This bed is so comfy though. I must have fallen asleep so quickly last night. Urgh, I’m so groggy in the morning. Wait, where are they? Can I hear noises in the kitchen? And what’s that smell? Oh, they must be cooking something. Bless them. I’m still so full from last night. It was so awesome to just have the night together in our own place! They’re getting better at cooking. I’ll need to make us something tonight.
I better get up soon. It’s just so warm in here. Ah, I need the bathroom. I still feel a bit awkward about that, but they’re so lovely about it. I’ll just sneak in now…
(spoken)
Oh hey! I thought you were in the kitchen. Oh, what you carrying? Wow, breakfast in bed! Thanks!

Sound of eating.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
Oh man, this is so good! When did you become a Michelin Chef? Your mum usually cooks for us!
(internal)
How do they look so awesome even though they’ve just woke up? I bet I look a right mess. Ah, there’s that smile again.
(spoken)
What? Haha, pull the other one. If there’s one thing I look like now, it isn’t beautiful. Have you seen my hair? Looks like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. Okay, now you’re just teasing me! I guess I better get dressed in a sec. How long you been up? An hour? You’ve been trying to build the TV stand? How’s that gone? Oh…
(internal)
Bless them. They really aren’t very good at DIY. Good thing the landlord should take care of any repairs we need. My bookshelf should arrive today. Might be better to get Dad to come help us with that. If they’re not offended.
(spoken)
Okay, I am full! That was awesome though, thankyou! I’ll cook tonight. Unless you wanted to try that takeaway we saw round the corner… haha, you really know me so well.

Sound of kissing.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
Okay, I’ll jump in the shower then I’ll come and help you! There’s something I wanted to give you as well. I meant to last night but by the time we got everything unpacked I forgot! It’s in my bag, hold on, I’ll get it.
(internal)
They’re so cute. I can see them checking me out. Don’t know what’s so hot about these pyjamas. They’re like three years old and literally have super-heroes on them. Oh god, why did I wear… no, I can’t keep overthinking this stuff. Not if we’re going to live together.
(spoken)
Here it is! I got it custom made. Open it.

Sound of ripping paper.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
It’s that picture I took of you and Bounce a few years back. Remember, for one of our first dates you took me for a walk in the forest with her? We almost lost her when she tried to chase after a bird? I know you’re going to miss her living here, so I thought you’d like a picture of her. I’d say she could come round any time, but I don’t think we’re allowed pets.
(internal)
Ah man, I hope this is okay. They really love that dog and I know it was hard on them to leave them.
(spoken)
You love it? Of course, you’re welcome! I love you too.

Sound of kissing.

Girlfriend
(spoken)
You know I over think everything and I’m a little, well, full-on sometimes, but I just want you to know I’m so happy we’ve done this. I can’t wait for, well, everything! You mean the world to me, and I’m so happy you want to live with me.
(pause, then spoken)
Here’s to the next forever!

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/nuwQi6F
Couple more pictures: https://imgur.com/a/Enw96Qs
Got a nearly complete suppressor P320 build for sale, only needs a FCU and a can and you’re a cool kid. Includes XCarry Legion slide with suppressor height front sight and adjustable legion rear sight (slide is optic ready), Norsso TiN 3.9” threaded barrel lvl2, Armory Craft spring tuning kit, Armory Craft TiN sport takedown lever, XCompact grip module, and standard compact grip module with standard takedown lever. Approx $750 new,

selling for $425 firm.

I’ve dropped the price a few times now, $425 is what I’ve been hoping to get. At this point it’s a smokin deal and I’d rather not take offers below this but money talks.
Selling cause I was gonna build a Flux but my wife is happy with our P320 the way it is and wants a true PDW instead. Who am I to disagree? Barrel and springs saw about 200 rounds, functioned flawlessly with my obsidian9 with everything from 115g to 158g.

Not looking to separate at this time unless you do the legwork and I come out whole the other side.

Shipping will take about 2-3 days as my work schedule is pretty wild. Payment can be made through any method but PayPal is preferred. More pictures can be had upon request.

Alright, buckle up because we're diving into why Vancouver's food scene is straight-up legendary. Forget the regular city vibes; Vancouver is a melting pot of flavors, a culinary carnival that beats anything else in North America. Join me on this personal quest to unravel why the combo of Asian influence, Pacific Northwest goodness, and chill dining vibes makes Vancouver the top pick for foodies.
Asian Culinary Delights: Tradition and Creativity Unleashed
Vancouver's streets resonate with the aromas of traditional Asian dishes, prepared with a touch of authenticity that transports you across borders. Picture slurping savory ramen in Chinatown or savoring hand-pulled noodles in a cozy corner of East Van. But what makes Vancouver's Asian food scene truly exceptional is its fusion of tradition with modern creativity.
In this city, innovation meets tradition on a plate. Take, for instance, squid ink brioche with sea urchin pâté – a daring yet harmonious blend of flavors that pushes the boundaries of culinary expectations. Vancouver's chefs are culinary artists, creating dishes that not only pay homage to traditional recipes but also elevate them into extraordinary, palate-pleasing experiences.
And let's not forget the matcha mochi croissants that have taken the city by storm. A fusion of Japanese mochi and French croissants, these delectable pastries are a testament to Vancouver's culinary diversity. Each bite is a dance of textures and tastes, showcasing the city's flair for seamlessly blending cultures and cuisines.
Pacific Northwest's Grocery List: Seafood Galore and More
Living next to the Pacific Ocean is like having a seafood aisle in your backyard. Fresh salmon, sweet Dungeness crab, and chubby spot prawns – Vancouver's seafood game is on point. And let's not forget the local veggies and meats, straight from the region's green landscapes. It's like nature’s way of saying, "Hey, enjoy the good stuff!"
Nature Vibes: Dining with a View
Vancouver's layout is like a dating app for food and nature; they're a match made in heaven. Whether you're brunching in a leafy neighborhood or devouring seafood with an ocean panorama, the city serves up an Instagrammable backdrop for every meal. Picture this: a patio, a breeze, and the scent of fir trees – eating out just got a whole lot cooler.
Neighborhood Chronicles: Culinary Adventures Off the Beaten Path
Downtown is cool, but venture out, and you'll hit foodie gold. Commercial Drive's eclectic spots or Richmond's legit Asian flavors – Vancouver's neighborhoods are like culinary treasure maps. Each area has its own flavor story, tempting you to be the food explorer you were born to be.
Conclusion
Vancouver isn't just a city with good food; it's a food fiesta waiting to happen. The Asian vibes, the Pacific Northwest's goodies, and the city's chill connection with nature make dining here a full-blown experience. Vancouver isn't just North America's food champion; it's a vibe, a journey through flavors, and a big, fat stamp on your foodie passport. So, next time you're craving a culinary adventure, Vancouver's got your back, fork, and knife.
​
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Day one Pixel 8 Pro owner here. Thought I’d share my experience, after over 8 months of ownership.
P8P Bay 256GB has been my daily driver since its release. I use it with 5G on, screen at full resolution, dynamic "smooth display" refresh rate is on, no bluetooth or tethering. Brightness left on auto.
TLDR :
Positives = camera quality, great design, OS (with some caveats), great screen (some caveats too)
Negatives = everything else
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Camera : beautiful imagery has always been the signature of the Pixel line, and this release is no exception. Every shot has this mesmerizing "Pixel touch", and the new ultrawide sensor is finally on par with the main unit. Videos are world class too, not quite on the level of the iPhone but we'll get there eventually.
Beautiful and unique design : It's sitting in a clear case, and in a sea of generic, boring slabs, it really stands out and doesn't go unnoticed. People often ask me what kind of phone it is, most are still not aware that Google is making smartphones and has been doing so for almost a decade now.
Very long software support : Seven years of updates is unrivaled in the Android scene, albeit with the following you’ll understand no one would willingly keep this phone seven years, so it’s not really a positive.
Sleek OS : Android in its purest, cleanest form. Customization galore. However as I'll mention later this pure android is NOT running smoothly, so I don't know if this count as a positive.
Gorgeous OLED panel : A truly beautiful display, high-resolution, good brightness..unfortunately plagued by mutiple lags and frame drops in the UI, I'll get back to that. Now onto the negatives.
First off, we must address the elephant in the room. Battery life. This phone charges PAINFULLY slow and discharges EXTREMELY fast. The opposite of what you want, right ?
The 10 minutes top ups to 50% is a concept Google seemingly never heard of. You want half a charge ? Better sit & wait half an hour. Full charge ? Go watch a movie. Now the discharge, and this is where the real drama clocks in. This phone EATS battery, ON IDLE.
On your average 9 to 5 workday (no camera, no games, just basic apps) you’ll head home with 15% tops. Phone dead by 7pm, then full charge will eat 90 minutes off your schedule, better not be in a hurry.
Now try to make a bit of power usage out of your power user phone : A bit of pictures for work at 10am, a short 4K video at 1pm, a bit of Fallout Shelter on the toilet at 2pm. You’re now looking at a 4pm shutdown.
But let’s go real on the camera, after all this is a camera flagship and it should be your reliable companion on a field day. Starting at 10 am : pictures, videos, a bit of editing, about 40 pictures taken and 3 videos of 10 minutes each. Shutdown at 1PM.
The CPU just eats battery on IDLE doing NOTHING. Throw anything heavy at it and you’ll head home with a dead phone, one that died long before your day was over. Simple as that.
Keep in mind that this is my experience with a 8-months-old device, and it will get worse and worse as the battery cell degrades over time. One can only wonder how many cell replacements this phone will need to get to the end of its famed software support.
Now we need to talk UI and animations because this isn’t good either. Stellar 120hz OLED panel and stock android should be a recipe for smoothness, but not here. Actually, some animations including the cool lock screen clock are barely 60hz. Switching apps isn’t 120hz either, nor is scrolling. A TON of lags and various frame drops, resulting in a framerate like 40-90hz, never stable, with the occasional but very rare peak at 120. This isn't TW3 gameplay on a potato but simply browing menus and scrolling instagram on a 2023, 1159€ flagship phone from Google.
This phone FEELS slow, and yet consume an enormous amount of power to do so. Infuriating.
One day I had to handle a coworker’s A54 to tweak a few things. I was SHOCKED by the smoothness, this was indeed true 120hz, which only happens a few times a day on Pixel 8 Pro. I realized what I was missing on by handling an Exynos mid-ranger. I understand the need for a dynamic framerate, not locked at 120hz all the time to save battery. But only reaching 120hz 5 times a day and still having a mediocre battery life wasn’t what I had in mind.
Finally, the optical, under-display fingerprint scanner. This, my friends, is an antique piece of hardware that belongs to a museum. Remember the Huawei Mate RS from 2018 ? One of the first phones with UDFS. The optical technology was so experimental and unreliable (still is, most OEMs moved on to ultrasonic) that Huawei also included another optical fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, just in case. Well, this ancient tech is what you have on the Pixel 8 Pro, and no optical sensor backup in sight.
Sometimes, it can take up to 2 full seconds of contact to….successfully fail to unlock. After it fails 3 times or so, it will ask you to enter your password, making one-hand unlocks a luck job. Sometimes it will successfully unlock after a couple tries, but a couple tries of 2 seconds each makes unlocking your phone a 4 seconds job which is just painfully slow. The occasional one tap magic is as rare as the occasional 120hz peak in the UI. As for face-unlock, I know it's there but I disabled it because it doesn't work in the dark (no IR sensor) and I simply want to unlock my phone at waist height, without having to raise it to my face.
Pixel 8 Pro remembers me of an exotic sports car that might look incredibly cool from a distance but is actually a pain to live with on a daily basis. And indeed it does look incredibly cool. I remember seeing this phone as a much better pick than the generic Galaxy and the boring iPhone, but I’d rather go boring or generic than having to handle this mess of an hardware Google sold me for 1159€.
TLDR : Positives = Camera quality, great design Negatives = everything else

I have devised this thread as some guidance for those people who have visited this forum and are concerned about specific symptoms that are effecting them and, in particular, those who are worried that these symptoms are an indication of neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) & Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The first thing that must be realised is that NOBODY on an internet forum can ever diagnose you or truly give you any reassurance that you do not have these conditions. Should anybody experience any signs or symptoms that are new to them they should ALWAYS approach their doctor in the first instance in order for these to be examined. In the vast majority of cases a GP will be able to advise you that these symptoms are benign but some doctors will often refer you to a neurologist for their opinion, if this should happen it is not value laden as regarding a possible diagnosis but rather would be the standard format for how you present to the doctor.
This thread is good news, it is good news because it has had to be written, it is good news because hundreds, maybe thousands of people have logged onto this board and countless other anxiety forums totally convinced that they are suffering from a neurological condition despite being told by health care profesionals that this is not the case. All these people ask the same questions and all these people have the exact same worries as you are having now. If this is you, if you have been to the doctor, maybe even a neuro, maybe even two neuro’s, maybe even had an MRI, maybe even two MRI’s, well, you get the picture, if you have been told by your health care profesional that you are healthy but you are struggling to believe this you may find some help from this thread.
So, you have come to an anxiety board. I guess that is because your doctor has told you that you are suffering from anxiety. Actually, my guess would be that your doctor has told you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxiety and, if you are lucky, you may have been given some leaflets, you may have had some books recommended and you may even have been given some medication.
So, what took you to the doctor? Was it the tingling? The pins & needles? That damned annoying twitching eyelid that just won’t let up? Was it that weird thing when you keep seeing the flashing in your periphiral vision? The strange sensation in your throat where you just can’t swallow? The constant muscle aches and cramps? The constant small joint aches and cramps? Do you have that weird internal vibrating feeling? Was it the percieved weakness in all your major limbs? What about the foot drop you have been noticing, the clumsiness, finding the car keys in the fridge? Was it the chronic constant fatigue, that feeling when you wake in the morning like you haven’t actually gone to bed? What about the myclonic jerking, that bizarre moment when your whole body jerks like you have had an electric shock? Was it that constant twitching in your calf muscles that looks like you have a bag of worms under your skin? It could have been the parathesia, the feeling on your skin where one moment it feels sunburnt and the next minute it feels soaking wet? Maybe it was the atrophy, you know, the muscle loss in your bicep, your thigh that is so obvious to you but what frustratingly nobody else can see? What about………are you bored? I’m bored!
So, you have had some of those right? Maybe like me you are unlucky enough to have had every one of them…not much fun is it! When you first started getting these weird and wonderful symptoms cropping up I bet one of the first things you did was run off to the all powerful internet and consult that all knowing oracle, the good lord GOOGLE. If you did this, if you searched for your symptoms on a search engine on the internet, congratualtions, you have taken the first step on developing this weird and wonderful anxiety disorder known as Health Anxiety. The reason we Google is because of a basic human need at a time of stress, we are scared and we want reassurance, the problem is nothing you ever read on the internet will give you the reassurance you need, you will unwittingly discard the plethora of evidence that tells you that you do not have a neurological illness and instead will latch onto and inflate those things which seem ambigous, why would you do this? I suggest that at this point it may be adavantagous for you to look in the Genaralized Anxiety Disorder folder on this forum and see the negative thought processes and over generalization and catastrophising that defines GAD, it just may ring some bells for you.
So, by the time you have gone to the doctor you are pretty much resigned to the fact that it is MS or if you are really unlucky ALS. You picture yourself in a wheelchair, the kids looking at you with pity as you can’t play sports in the park with them anymore, you picture your partner standing by you and caring for you but all the while you feel the resentment, they never signed up for this, you picture the scene in four years time, confined to a hospital bed with your family and friends round you with the fruit and flowers…..BUT WAIT!
Oh joyous news, the doctor has said you don’t have MS, you don’t have ALS, what you have is anxiety, well, just anxiety….oh believe me there is a BIG difference. You have got out of jail free! The doctor has examind you thoroughly, he has taken your history, he knows the patterns, he has seen people with MS and ALS and you are not one of those. With a skip and a step you are on your way, same time next year doctor, yep, no worries…so with a happy heart and an increased vigour you are off out of the surgery door to continue with your life that had been on hold up to then. MS, ALS how could you be so silly eh?
…and then it begins! Right, the doctor said this is anxiety, I’m not anxious though, why do I still have these symptoms if I’m not anxious….something just isn’t right here. The more you think about it the more it seems obvious, hold on, I saw the doctor on Friday afternoon, I bet he was just thinking about the weekend and wanted to get rid of me. I’m sure that the doctor should have done more tests than he did you know, crikey, I’m sure when I told him the numbness was down just the one side he didn’t listen to that, that bit is crucial and he never heard it. Hold on, this freakin eye twitch is getting even worse and I’m not even anxious, where is the telephone? What is that doctors number?……welcome to the loop!
If any of the above seems familier to you, believe me, you are not alone…as strange as it may seem the fixation on being convinced you have a neurological condition after being told that you are in actual fact suffering from anxiety in very common.
Firstly, you need to realise that both MS and ALS are rare disease’s. Not only are they both rare disease’s but they also tend to effect spefic groups based on ethnicity, age and sex so we are talking about rare disease with partial excluding factors. In contrast, anxiety is an incredibly common and debilitating condtion that effects people both physically and mentally.
Anxiety is generally percieved to be a mental condition, when we are anxious we are anxious in our head and this can kick in the flight or fight syndrome which in turn causes the physical reactions. These reactions are generally thought to be a racing heart and palpitations, sweating, increased adrenaline etc etc. Now, this is all well and good but how does this fit in with those symptoms that mirror MS etc so effectivly.
I personally believe that the reason most people fail to be believe that their symptoms are being genrated by anxiety is because the concept of anxiety is never actually expalined sufficently. A large number of doctors will often expalin to you that you are suffering from ‘just’ anxety and this usage of the term ‘just’ is supposed to make us somehow feel reassured. The problem is that this has the opposite effect, how can a ‘just’ something cause all these real physical symptoms. If anxiety is effecting me mentally how can it make me twitch, buzz and go numb?
For some people anxiety will surface in the tradional panic attack, much seems to be written on this side of anxiety and this is not what we are concerned with here. For a sizable group of people when anxiety starts to manifest itself physically it is through physical sesnations that effect various aspects of our nervous system. This is why the sensations of this physical anxiety so closely mirror the symptoms of a condition such as MS, they actually effect the same part of the body, now, here is the crucial and all important difference, the symptoms of MS are caused by an organic condition which whilst treatable is irreversable and the physical sensations of anxiety are caused by the mind and are of course reversable. In short, you have to understand and accept that the mind can actually generate these physical sensations.
Whilst for many people physical anxiety can strike out of the blue, I am of the opinion that for the vast majority of people anxiety starts to become physical after whay could be many years of bad stress and anxiety management. You may not have even noticed this. We all have an anxiety threshold and the majority of people will probably never approach the blow off point, yes, a sudden and severe stressor could take someone right over the point from the baseline (think Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Conversion Disorder etc) but most of us operate at an anxiety level that our bodies can handle. The problem is that if we stress ourselves constantly over a period of time, we do not allow our thermostat to reset and one sunny day something will happen, some stressor which can be a bad or even a good event and which we may not even realise the significance of will push us over the limit and it is at this point that our anxiety will effect us physically and more often than not impact on our nervous system.
This also happens to bring us to another crucial factor and what for many is the paradox that holds us back form accepting the anxiety diagniosis, how the hell can this be anxiety when I am not anxious? It makes no sense to me! What we need to realise is that once we have crossed the anxiety threshold no matter what we do we have to surrender ourselves to our mind and body and accept that we are now operating to a timescale that WE CANNOT CONTROL! We can think we are being as cool as Fonzie but we need to accept that the damage whilst reversible has been done and it is just a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Our body is now in control of us and the physical sensations will only stop when our body and mind are sufficently recovered.
It is at this point where we commit the ultimate folly, do we do as the experts suggest and sit back and realx and float through this stage? Of course not, we do the total opposite, we monitor our body for every twitch and interpret this as a sign of a misdiagnosis, we become hypervigilant, paranoid, self absorbed…this behaviour just creates more and more anxiety and we do not allow our body and mind the time necessary to recover….we are, in effect, pouring gasoline on the fire and expecting it to go out.
If you read this forum you will find a variety of posts that will offer you suggestions as to why you are suffering from the physical sensations of anxiety. Some people will advocate medication, some Cognitive Behaviour Therapy etc etc but what you will realise is that there is no one right way. I am truly of the belief that recovery is all about acceptance and learning to respond to fear correctly but how we do this is very much an indvidual thing. It could well be that you have issues with GAD and you can see how patterns realting to that disorder resonate with how you currently feel about your health, for example, note how both MS and ALS are diseases with which we lose control of our bodies. It could also be that you have issues with OCD, traits such as reassurance seeking and body and symptom monitoring could suggest this. There may well be suggestions that you could be sufferring from elements of depression, there is as school of thought that believes that the mind will somatise physical sensations when there are aspects of your life that your unconcious is unhappy with etc.
I hope this has helped if you have just visited here convinced you have MS etc and you are feeling scared and confused. You may have noticed I have not mentioned anything specific about MS or ALS and that is because there is no reason to...you do not have those. Your doctor has told you you are suffering from anxiety and therefore you are in the right place. Refrain from researching about diseases you do not have and instead concentrate on dealing with what you have today. Of course, what you have today doesn’t guarantee you won’t have MS or ALS tomorrow and if that thought fills you with fear use your time here wisely and believe me, it becomes a lot more bearable.

Messages between A and B

Context: A reaches out to B after B stopped talking to A for 2 years over a disagreement. A now wants to reconnect with B again. When discussing each other's plans, A mentions that they have been sober for 7 months and that they plan to drink again in the summer. A begins to notice a shift in B's energy towards them in text messages, and perceives this as B misinterpreting A's intentions for reaching out again. A pinpoints B's behaviour to the meme, subliminal messaging, and intentional misspelling of words.
B- Sends Meme which says “Me 5 mins into Alcoholics Anonymous trying to convince everyone to come to the pub”
A- “Listen man I’ve been getting the vibe that you may think me reaching out to you again wasn’t coming from a genuine place. My therapist has been telling me I need to communicate more, so I’m gonna try be as transparent as possible here. I thought there was no point in tryna reach out to you again as you wouldn’t respond, but then you liked my post back on New Year’s Eve, so I was happy and thought maybe there’s a chance we could still reconnect again, but I still wasn’t sure if you were gonna respond so I kept putting it off until I finally messaged you at the end of March. During my meetings we constantly discuss seeking healthy friendships as a pose to my old ones and I knew it just made sense to message you again, you’ve always been the realist out of all our old friendship group, so why not do it now I’m sober…
When I told you I’d been sober since the end of September, and that I will drink in the summer again I said that not because I was looking for drinking mates but because I wanted to be honest with you and myself about my sobriety, I mention it all the time at weekly group meetings. Right now I’m at a space where I don’t really wanna drink and I’m not really as keen as I was before on drinking in the summer like I said to you but the point is, I say I will drink again, because if I do end up drinking in the summer or whenever, I won’t feel as guilty about it, as a pose to me saying I’m staying sober…. If that makes sense? Also I know I wasn’t exactly the best mate to have when drinking so I just wanted to make it clear with where I may be headed, rather than surprise you down the line. If you don’t really like the sound of that, that’s fine I get it, maybe reconnecting again isn’t the best idea. But I just wanted to be as honest and direct as possible, man. I hope you can understand.”
B- “Honestly mate I haven’t given you messaging me again too much thought other than you tryna reconnect.
When we last spoke properly I was just annoyed as I felt like you handle things in a kinda selfish way and I’m ngl I did a thing I’m good at and just ignored you other than talk to you about it. But yeah even though ignored you I haven’t said a bad thing about you to anyone cause I honestly had no bad blood for ya at all.
I can’t promise I’m gonna be available to hang out all the time or anything as I’m working a lot atm plus having the mrs it does limit my time but I was honest when I said I am definitely up for us hanging out again at some point”
A- “I’ll hold myself accountable and admit I was acting selfishly, so I understand why you reacted they way you did looking back. Yh when I spoke to **** about it I got that same impression off him, and it was likewise for me, I spoke good of you and said it was a shame how things turned out.
That’s completely understandable you being busy with work and the Mrs, I never doubted that, and I don’t wanna come across as pushy. My messages earlier came from a place of wanting to address any misunderstandings that you may have had, as I know it can lead to unnecessary resentment or conflict. But from what you’re saying I can now see it’s not the case, so I’m just glad we communicated and are on the same page man ”
B- “Yeah man we’re cool if you’re free next week at some point lmk and we can hang out”
A- “Yh I’ll be real I still get the feeling you think I’m not being genuine. What you gotta understand is me reaching out comes from a place of wanting to find connection again- healthy connection anyways, the going out drinking and all that is only a by-product of it all, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss going out club or pub with you, but it’s bigger than that.
Idk if ***** maybe tried to tell you a different narrative (I’ll dis-prove anything if he has), but I cut off everyone at the end of September, I reached my lowest point. Since then I’ve been working on myself I don’t meet anyone I don’t have any social interactions other than when I’m at therapy/group meetings, or talking to people in the gym, and that way I’m able to stay focused and keep my peace. I only do streaks with **** on snap, and when he asked me to meet before I told him no I can’t at the moment, as i’m focused on myself. I don’t want sympathy btw, I’m letting you know how it is, so there isn’t any confusion. When I reached out, this was me coming out of hibernation, more healthy, taking the first step towards interacting with people again- the right people anyways.
I’m happy to meet next week but I have one condition. I’ve been played with enough times to know about that game where they pretend everything’s fine then they strike when you’re least expecting it, and I’m not saying you’re gonna do that but I have trust issues and I’m drained mentally, and I won’t be a part of any unnecessary conflict. So if we’re gonna meet I’m gonna need your word before please, that you’re not gonna try to be passive agressive with me in any shape or form? If you feel a type of way about me, you still don’t believe I’m genuine, I’m more than happy to have an open respectful discussion face to face about it.”
B- “Look mate I’m happy to see you again, it’s been a while but like I said I am really busy, try not to read too much into my replies. I mean what I’m saying”
A- “Apologies for not responding sooner. I’ve been reflecting on the whole situation, trying to be as honest as I can with myself about my intentions. I stand with most of what I said before. I swear I wasn’t lying when I saw you liking my picture in January I wanted to reach out, and I genuinely did keep putting off messaging you until March in fear you wouldn’t respond. When it reached the end of March I told myself I just had to do it as I said. But looking back now, I think I wasn’t being as honest as I thought with myself in regards to my intentions towards messaging you. I definitely wanted to reconnect but I also badly wanted to have a social life and meet people again, (NOT specifically drinking, but understandably the drinking would naturally become a part of it, that’s just how things go).
I feel this other reason became more pressing for me as I became ready to go back to normal life again. But obviously I shouldn’t have had the idea of desperately wanting a social life in mind when messaging you, and actually just messaging you specifically for the sake of reconnecting, to keep the intentions fully genuine. So for that I am sorry. Now I don’t want you to mistake this as me only messaging you again for that sole purpose of having a social life because it was not just that at all, and it genuinely made a big difference not having you as a mate in my life, like I said you were the most real mate I had out of all my mates, and I knew I messed that up, so seeing there was a chance we could be mates again made me real happy.
Obviously in regards to how you perceived my intentions I’ve gathered you are pretty annoyed with me, I can’t change your opinion but I can tell you my truth which I have just said. Unfortunately reconnecting hasn’t worked out so well which I guess I am to blame for with my approach. I think this is God’s sign that it’s not meant to be. I’m sorry I haven’t been as genuine as I thought I was being. I also respect how you never spoke bad of me before even when we weren’t on the best of terms, that demonstrates how real of a mate you were. I don’t have any ill feelings towards you, even if you might do now. I honestly wish you the best on your journey and I’ll always have ratings for you B ”
B- “You what mate good luck yo ya”

Heyy, Nela here. :)
I hope you had a good start to the week so far. Personally, I just got home from school without really anything to do. With that in mind, I wanted to give it a try and meet some new cool people today.
I thought of a little thing we could do to get to know each other better. I will post a picture of myself on my profile and you should try and guess how old I am. Pretty sure no one will get it right to be honest, but let us see.
Anyways, just send me a Direct Message then if you like, see you! <3

I’m 5’10 and weight around 260 in February of last year. I had a few picture taken of me at a party and it dawned on me just how awful I looked. I was doing a lot of research on weight loss / found this sub and decided I need to cut out all my sugary drinks and snacks and really only eat 2 meals with tracked calories (I usually skip breakfast)
Life got crazy busy, got a more labor intensive job and I just didn’t buy a scale so I didn’t keep track. I also moved out of state for work so I didn’t see many friends often. But I saw one friend after almost a whole year and he told me I looked incredible. I checked his scale to see I was 225. I was in disbelief. I had lost so much weight. I remember asking him several times if his scale was broken. It was crazy to see.
I continued with my diet and job for a few months. Bought a scale and when I was around 210 I matched with this really pretty/ cool girl from a dating app. My profile is silly and the stars just aligned in the conversation so I asked her in a date thinking it would be only one date sorta thing. But to my surprise, we went on several dates.
On our fourth date I told her I enjoyed spending time with her because she’s really cool she said I was cool too and it helped that I was also really cute too and I just remember not understanding what she meant (I know it sounds dumb but I have low self esteem) but I couldn’t grasp that she thought I was cute. I went home, processed the comment, and wanted to cry lol.
Just a nice memory I had. That was about 2 months ago and I’m around 202lbs now.

https://noctua.at/en/nv-fs2
Noctua has released the NV-NS2 a multi purposing fan for cooling devices
They have pictures using it on a Fractal Terra
https://noctua.at/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/74c1057f7991b4edb2bc7bdaa94de933/n/o/noctua_nv_fs2_5.jpg