I respect what they tried to do with her seasons, and I'm glad with the direction that they've turned to since her era ended.
I like her performance as the doctor and I really wish I could say that I didn't have a lot of problems with her era.
That being said, and with all due respect to Segun Akinola who did bring talent to the music production, almost some sweet lo-fi vibes in my opinion... it just wasn't a fit for Doctor Who in my opinion.
And I really do truly respect it, not wanting to do more of the same, more of the same, etc etc.
But I'd really love a Murray Gold remix of those seasons. I've been a long time believer that that may be enough to bring that era up to par with the other eras.
I'd love to hear what Yaz's theme would be And how they would mix it to make you actually feel what she feels in regards to The Doctor.
I'd love for Grandad Graham and Ryan to have similar themes which mix well together.
I've always believed that the key thing missing was having the investment in the music as a character. Maybe someday we'll get a bold Murray Gold remix.
Anyway I hope this post is welcome here and I didn't overlook any rules or anything like that. ☮️

I know the stance on testing, so I hope it is ok to post this? I (52F) started birth control (Yaz) for the first time ever in mid-March. It's been a mixed bag, results-wise. I developed PMDD out of the blue at the end of January and it was terrifying. I initially asked for HRT but my gyn's preference was BC. Due to circumstances in my household and my gyn's preference, I wound up going on continuous BC after 2.5 months on HRT.
BC has helped with consistent mood stabilization after about 40 days. I started sleeping through the night at day 35. However, BCP has negatively impacted my IC and vulvodynia. I will need to come off of BC for that reason. I've also had about 10 days where I wasn't spotting. After getting a full "period" this weekend, complete with hot flashes, panic attacks, and insomnia, I was curious to see where my levels were. So I paid out of pocket for labs. My estrogen is at 13.8 and my progesterone is 0.3.
I have no idea if this is normal? I'm wondering for ladies who do test, are your starting levels this low before HRT? If yes, how soon do you see them go up? Trying to avoid a large IC/Vulvodynia flare when going from BC back to HRT. TY!!

Basically title :) My OB prescribed trinessa 6 weeks ago and I haven’t felt full since. I’ve done 30g of protein with every meal and I’m still hungry (ravenously hungry) an hour later. Never felt like this before in my life. She said she’s open to trying another pill if there’s one I have in mind. Anyone have one they love that doesn’t cause intense hunger? I’ve heard mixed things about Yaz, but some people swear it cuts appetite?
Thanks!!

** ALL WEEKEND (FRI 5/3 - SUN 5/5) *\*
10 AM - 2 PM Beetlejuice Tea Party Snapdragon Tea, 115 Harvard Dr. SE Themed tea party in tribute to Beetlejuice coming to Popejoy Hall! Enjoy three themed courses of small bites, accompanied by two pots of hot tea of your choice. One weekend only! We welcome kids of all ages to our tea parties. Children’s menus, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan menus are available upon request as well. Reservations required
** BOTH FRI 5/3 AND SAT 5/4 *\*
8 AM - 2 PM Old Fashioned Church Rummage Sale Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church, 8700 Alameda Blvd. NE Snag amazing deals on really good stuff - from furniture to kitchen items, household essentials, electronics, and much more!
Fri 7 - 9 PM Sat 2 - 4 PM New MexiChords In Concert! Sentimental Journey St. John's United Methodist Church, 2626 Arizona St. NE A Capella Live Concert! Join us for as we reminisce through favorite songs. Special guest: Quartet of All Time! $15 Tickets at Door
** BOTH SAT 5/4 AND SUN 5/5 *\*
Sat 3 - 5 PM Sun 2 - 4 PM Mother's Day Kid's Gift Making Workshop Pinspiration, 6271 Riverside Plaza Ln. NW, Ste D1 Join us for a unique and fun way for your kiddos to honor and celebrate their mom, aunts, grandmas or any important mother figure in their lives. A hand-crafted gift from your child will really show mom how much they love them! Drop off the kiddos for an afternoon of crafting to make something very special! $35 per child (Special gift, Gift wrapping, Snack and drink). Workshop fee is non-refundable so if you're unable to attend, a studio credit will be given for another workshop, crafts or our splatter experience (register)
4 PM American Music - Then and Now The ABQ Civic Chorus is delighted and excited to welcome you to our spring concert. We are a group of over sixty vocal musicians with different backgrounds, professions, and musical training. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets purchased online will be available at the door and are good for either day

• Fri - First Christian Church, 10101 Montgomery Blvd. NE
• Sat - Asbury United Methodist Church, 10000 Candelaria NE

** Fri 5/3 *\*
Fri 10:45 AM – 12 PM Coffee Concert 4: Early Beethoven South Broadway Cultural Center, 1025 Broadway Blvd. SE Beethoven Prometheus (Die Geschöpfe des Prometheus): Overture; Beethoven Concerto, Piano, No. 3, Op. 37, c minor; Beethoven Symphony No. 2, Op. 36, D Major. The last NMPhil Coffee Concert of 2023/24 is sure to leave you excited for next season! Premiered in 1803 in Vienna and conducted by the composer himself, Beethoven’s second foray into the world of big, public symphonies combines his unique artistry with his humor, stated through various musical jokes in the Scherzo and Finale. The program—led by conductor Na’Zir McFadden—also includes Anthony Ratinov performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 to lighten your early-spring morning (tickets)
Fri 2 – 9 PM Grand Opening NM Rave Cave, 115 7th St. NW Come see our new location and check out our vendors, food trucks and local dj’s playing in store. Complete with an ABQ Live Photo Booth. Big Boss Hotlinks will be on site with Burgers, Dogs , Fries and more! We are teaming up with Viva ABQ, 505 Junglists, Carma Presents, ABQ Live, Unyk Lyfe, ASTRL Entertainment, Otter World Music, Audio Elite NM and Mr.Afterhours to bring you a one of a kind experience! Vendors - Alchemy Beauty - Magic Cup Boba Tea - Rastafari_Mari - Own The Day - The Mexican Witch - High Chi Mandalas - Astrl Ent
Fri 3:30 - 7:30 PM Family Block Party! Coldwell Banker Legacy Paseo, 8200 Carmel Ave NE Car show, bouncy houses, mechanical bull! Welcome to a celebration for our cherished community and the wonderful clients who make our work so rewarding!
Fri 5 PM Blueberry Berliner Weisse Release Tractor Brewing - All locations You asked for a sour and now you got one! Hitting your taste buds like spring allergies, the Blueberry Berliner will be available on tap everywhere
Fri 5 – 8 PM Honky Tonk for Hope, Health and Healing Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon, 9800 Montgomery Blvd., Ste 4 Come dance the night away with us! There will be food, fun, and dancing! This fundraising event benefits Casa Esperanza! For more info, Jacob Romero 505-246-2706 or [jromero@casanm.org](mailto:jromero@casanm.org) (tickets)
Fri 6 PM Country Social Dance CSP Dance Studios, 1624 Eubank Blvd. NE The best country music for dancing to practice your Country Two Step, Night Club, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Cha Cha, Waltz, Rhythm Two Step, 4-count Swing, Line Dancing and more! $10 cash at the door. Welcome lesson 6:00-6:30pm. Call 505-883-9521 for more info
Fri 6 PM 'Burque Bee 2024 Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Join us on the patio to show off your spelling chops. To give yourself an even better chance of winning, for $5 you can buy coupons like More Time (get 30 more seconds to confer), Stinger (sting your opponents!) and Help (get help from the audience). Team Registration $75. 3 people per team, limited to 12 teams (register)
Fri 6 PM Luke Bulla Concert Covenant Presbyterian Church, 9315 Candelaria Rd. NE Luke has been singing and playing music most of his life. Touring with and singing in his family band from age four, Luke has won National Fiddle Contest (in Weiser, Idaho) six times in his respective age categories. His seventh win came in the Grand Champion division at age sixteen, making him the youngest to have earned the title at the time. More recently Luke has performed and/or recorded with Brandi Carlile, Jim Lauderdale, Darrell Scott, Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, Kevin Costner & Modern West, Russ Barenberg Trio, Shawn Colvin, Tony Rice, Chris Thile, Peter Rowan, Rodney Crowell, and Earl Scruggs, to name a few. Doors 5:30 pm. Show 6 pm. Presented by Southwest Pickers
Fri 6 – 7:30 PM Spring Fling Dennis Chavez Elementary, 7500 Barstow St. NE Food trucks, face painters, a balloonist, a mobile petting zoo, School of Rock performances, lawn games, mini golf and a chance to dunk your principal and favorite teachers! (We could still use some extra hands to keep the event fun and seamless, if you could spare some time, sign up here)
Fri 6 – 8:30 PM Pizza Paint & Craft Night Canvas and Coffee, 6700 4th St NW, Los Ranchos Date night for Mom and Dad... Drop off the kids (6+) for a Pizza dinner, then crafting, and painting fun! Each month we will offer a theme and will have 2 projects available for your child to make and take home the same evening! The materials they will be working with will be canvas painting, crafting with wood, beads, ribbon, mod podge, glue, acrylic paint, watercolors, and more! *Children with special dietary needs will need to bring their own snack/meal (tickets)
Fri 7 PM Group Therapy Band Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave NW Come dance your jitters away while listening to soothing music to calm a nervous world
Fri 7 PM Roust the House + Rock 101 Music Academy Performance Night Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Blvd. SE Roust the House and Rock 101 Music Academy return for another exciting season of performances featuring local teen bands and soloists, from punk rock to classical piano to singer-songwriters, hip hoppers, spoken word artists, and more, including The Hunnies, a Rock 101 alumni band, and other talented up-and-coming musicians. Tonight’s show features winners of Rock 101’s Band League Challenge and more. Founded in 2011 by Director Kevin Herig, Rock 101 Music Academy is a year-round program for musicians as young as 4 years old through their teen years featuring one on one and group lessons, band mentoring, and more (tickets)
Fri 7 – 9 PM Tacos & Rides Truck Night Cafe Bella Coffee, 2604 Violeta Cir SE, Rio Rancho Join us for a night where trucks reign supreme. Roll in with your ride—whether it's lifted, lowered, or custom-built. All trucks welcome! Showcase your pride and joy. Connect & Converse: Swap stories and ideas with fellow truck and auto enthusiasts. Savor: Bite into delicious street tacos and chill out with good eats. Safety First: Courtesy presence by Rio Rancho Police for a safe, fun evening. Drive in, hang out, and fuel your passion for trucks at NM's longest-running automotive meet. Let's keep the wheels turning and the tacos grilling!
Fri 7 – 10 PM Ulthar Sister, 407 Central Ave NW This Bay Area band is sowing the seeds of planetary entropy by way of horrifying blacked cosmic death metal (tickets)
Fri 7 – 10 PM Galactic Funk Star Wars Party w/ Kaleido Tractor Brewing - Westside, 5720 McMahon Blvd. NW Come celebrate Star Wars weekend with killer tunes from the always amazing DJ Kaleido!
Fri 8 – 11 PM First Fridays w/ DJ Flo Fader Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE He's just too good to not have in Nob Hill at least once a month. Come jam out with one of NM's absolute BEST DJs and kick off your weekend with FLO FADER!
Fri 8:30 PM – 12 AM 1st Fridays SBKZ Alley Kats Tap Company, 219 Truman St. NE Joining the Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, and Zouk dance communities has been a blast! Please join us as we welcome ABQ resident DJ Karla of Metta Dance Collective and welcome back world renowned Ry’el of Zenzouk for another amazing social! Theme: Sparkles -- Let’s sparkle and shine with gratitude for having Ry’el and Rachel with us the last 3 going on 4 months! There will be 2 ROOMS! Room 1: Salsa & Bachata. Room 2: Zouk & Kizomba. Music by DJ Karla - Room 1, DJ Yaz - Room 2. $10 Cover: Cash/Venmo/Cashapp accepted. Snacks and drinks provided
Fri 9 PM The Millennium Video Music Dance Party -“Barbie Prom” Sunshine Theater, 120 Central Ave NW Get ready for a night of electrifying nostalgia Millennium Video Music Dance Party presents the ultimate “Barbie Prom” extravaganza, unlike anything you've experienced before! Brace yourself for the most sensational, dazzling, and downright iconic 90s and 2000s Video Music Dance Party to ever grace our town! Picture this: a world that exudes the glamour, glitz, energy, of your very own Barbie dream world. Prepare to be dazzled into a shimmering oasis of pink, glitter, and all things fabulous. Whether you're channeling the chic sophistication of Barbie herself or embracing the edgy coolness of Ken, this is your chance to shine like never before! Dance the night away to the biggest hits from the 90s and 2000s, (100% Music videos) curated to perfection to keep you grooving all night. Think Beyonce, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Pitbull, One Direction, Kesha, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida, Britney Spears…. and beyond – Get ready to strike a pose at our dedicated Barbie Prom photo-booth, make memories that are guaranteed to last for years to come (tickets)
Fri 9 – 11:30 PM LoPhat Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Dance to Live Music by one of ABQ's top R&B-flavored bands! From the Caribbean to Baltimore, from Detroit to El Paso, from the Pacific Islands to ABQ… with this melting pot of soul, rhythms, experience, and passion, there isn’t a “skool” that isn’t represented! LoPhat believes there is something to be learned from every soul that crosses your path. This way of thinking has given them the ability to incorporate and masterfully execute most genres of music and makes them a class all their own. Surpassing all “Variety Bands” with more listening choices than your radio, this band is sure to have something even the most skeptical listeners will enjoy. Founded in 2023, this band has gained a committed following. In their first year they have already played for Sandia Casino, CABQ, NM State Fair, Gathering of Nations, Ohkay Casino, Route 66 Casino, and so many more! LoPhat is set to release their first album in 2024 showcasing their melding of different cultures to bring you “feel good” music in a way that seems so familiar yet so new! (tickets)
Fri 9 PM – 1:30 AM Back in the Day: A First Friday Experience Backstage at Revel, 4720 Alexander Blvd. NE DJs Gonzo Supreme and Clout will be spinning all your favorite 90s and 2000s Hip Hop & R&B hits and more! 21+ (tickets)
Fri 9 PM – 1:30 AM Callaita Fridays Salt Yard West, 3700 Ellison Dr. NW Get ready for an unforgettable night as DJs Julio & Soiree take the outdoor stage, promising an electrifying journey into Latin music. Let the pulsating rhythms and contagious energy sweep you away as you dance under the stars. This 21+ event guarantees an atmosphere where you can fully embrace the rhythm without inhibition. Whether you're a seasoned Reggaeton enthusiast or simply looking for a night of unparalleled fun and excitement, this event promises an experience like no other! (tickets)
Fri 10:30 PM – 12:15 AM OMEN - the debut haunting psychedelic feature by Belgian-Congolese musican/artist Baloji The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE Check out the trailer. Dir. Baloji - 2024 - 90m - Democratic Republic of Congo, Netherlands, Belgium - In French, Swahli, Lingala, English with subtitles. After spending years in Belgium, Koffi (Marc Zinga), a young Congolese man, returns to his birthplace of Kinshasa to confront his family and homeland culture. Secrecy and sorcery erupt when a nosebleed is mistaken for a curse, and Koffi is shunned from his family. Using magical realism to paint a portrait of “undesirables” and “sorcerers,” OMEN delves into the intricacies of identity, culture, and belief systems through a deeply rich and visually captivating lens (tickets)
** Sat 5/4 ** -- Star Wars Day
Sat 8 AM May Volunteer Clean Up Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE Mustard is running rampant! We'll focus on doing what we can to address those weeds. Please dress to protect yourself from the strong Southwest sun. Wear sunscreen, a hat, long pants and shirts, sturdy shoes. Bring tools and gloves to garden, we'll provide the trash bags, water and snacks
Sat 8 – 11 AM Rigs & Coffee Pinon Coffee House, 4545 Alameda Blvd. Get ready for a unique automotive experience! This gathering is all about celebrating the spirit of adventure and the love for off-road vehicles
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM OPENING DAY! 6718 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Los Ranchos WE'RE BACK! Come kick off the opening day of the regular season of the Los Ranchos Art Market! Plenty of parking and open space for all! Free entry! Pet friendly! Bring your family and friends to kick off the season and pick out that special mom a beautiful high quality hand made gift by our local artists!
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, Every Saturday! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-Apr to early-Nov. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 8:30 AM Workout Fun in the Park! 9709 Layton Ave NE Join BFit505 for a fun community workout! Wear your walking/running shoes, a workout clothes. All ages, all fitness levels. Just $5 drop in to the park!
Sat 9 AM Cinco De Mayo Celebration Osuna Nursery, 501 Osuna Rd. NE Celebrate Cinco de Mayo early with a full day of celebration! You'll find: • chips & salsa • a special mix from DJ Everedy of Red Sapphire Entertainment • Osuna University 'Planting for Pollinators' with local author and landscape designer Judith Phillips from 11am-12pm. It's the perfect opportunity to brighten up your own celebrations with beautiful blooms and gorgeous serving-ware including artisan talavera
Sat 9 AM – 1 PM Herb Day 2024 Sonia Masocco Phytotherapy, 11930 Menaul Blvd NE, Ste 109 This is our Annual Herb Day Open House & Medicinal Plant Sale. Come visit your local herbal apothecary, mingle with like minded people, purchase your plants for your medicinal or aromatic garden or just come and have a cup of tea with us. This event is free, for all ages with parking lot access
Sat 9 AM – 4 PM La Cueva Band Booster Club Annual Spring Craft Fair La Cueva High School, Perfect time to pick up a unique Mother's Day gift from over 140 artists and vendors!
Sat 9 AM – 6 PM Heels & Wheels - Women's Ride Day! Indian Motorcycle, 4509 Alameda Blvd. NE Ladies, we invite you to come out and ride your bike! Ride on your own, with your significant other, with friends or find some riding partners at the event. You set your pace and ride your ride. We will be at Indian Motorcycle 9am - 11am. Grab some food and some coffee or tea at the trucks on site. Check out all the sales on bikes and gear before or after you stop by registration in the back. We will have a few stations and tables set up that we would love for you to check out. There will be some trivia at the end location for some giveaways. You will be provided a wrist band and a list of participating businesses with their addresses and hours of operation so you can plan your ride. make it a day, make it fun, stop and have lunch but visit as many of the businesses as you like. You will be collecting beads from each business you visit. These beads will only be given to a female who has a wrist band, but all are welcome to ride. Many of the businesses will have their own party going on to celebrate this day with you. Stop in and support these local businesses and collect your beads. Bring all those beads to Hops Brewery, 7222 4th St NW, Los Ranchos between 3pm-6pm. Trade them in for free raffle tickets that you can use to win many great prizes we have collected from our participating businesses. Don't worry, if you didn't collect beads or need more raffle tickets we will have them on sale and everyone is welcome to purchase as many as you like. Then grab a bite and a drink. Mingle, shop some of our vendors, enjoy the giveaways, and performance by live band, Crazy Bird! They are amazing so we hope you can dance in your biker boots (tickets)
Sat 10 AM Storybook Garden Spring Planting Day Corrales Community Library, 84 W La Entrada, Corrales We will be planting the children's Storybook Garden! Beans: Calima, Provider, Rattlesnake. Cucumbers: Dragon's Egg, Mexican Sour Gherkin. Tomatoes: A Grippoli d'Inverno, Black Cherry, Brad's Crazy Cherry, Chocolate Sprinkles, Punta Bando, Rosella, Sunrise Bumble Bee, Yellow Pear. Squash: Tromconcino
Sat 10 AM – 12 PM Fourth Annual Car Show 5111 Wilshire Ave NE All are welcome to participate in our annual car show! Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, and more! There will be a gift basket raffle, free shirts for the first 10 cars, coffee, and snacks. PLEASE CALL SILVER STAR AUTO HAUS AT 505-881-4855 TO REGISTER YOUR CAR!
Sat 10 AM – 1 PM Eternal Bonds & Bubbles with Link x Lou Sawmill Market, 1909 Bellamah Ave NW Indulge in an intimate setting where every ticket promises an unforgettable experience, featuring a complimentary glass of house wine or mocktail (Rosé, White, Red), a curated charcuterie board available to order, and a special $40 credit towards the permanent jewelry of your choice from Link x Lou (tickets)
Sat 10 AM – 2 PM Craft Fair Second Hand Sam's Indoor Mall,1020 Veranda Drive SE, Rio Rancho Space rentals $20. For more info, call 505-544-2636
Sat 10 AM – 2 PM The 2nd & Coal Pop-up! Flyby Provisions, 201 Coal Ave SW We’re bringing the community together for a day of shopping, music, and delicious food! Get ready to explore an eclectic mix of handcrafted treasures from over 20 local vendors, showcasing their unique creations! From handmade jewelry to artisanal foods and everything in between, there’s something for everyone at our market
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM DLC Truck Parks Spring PopUp! 2520 Jefferson St. NE Come support our local vendors! Variety of fun foods and products!
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Tracks, Tunes, & Taps: A Steam Locomotive 2926 Fundraiser Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW • Live Music by RJ Perez at noon! • One of the largest steam locomotives on the Planet! • See History Alive! See her run! Become a volunteer and work on our next project! Hear her whistle! All proceeds go toward the continued maintenance and future operations. NM Steam Locomotive and Railroad Historical Society, in charge of the operation of the historic Santa Fe Railway steam locomotive 2926 have finished renovations on this beautiful train and they'll be bringing it to the tracks next to Tractor Wells Park! Come check out this amazing piece of history and get on board!
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Art Show Fundraiser Unity Spiritual Center, 9800 Candelaria Rd. NE Come and see the vast array of art from our local artists. Find gifts, beautiful and functional objects, and art to adorn your spaces. This is our first art show at Unity and it promises to be a good one! Our Unity EarthCare Team is hosting this art fair. Funds raised are going toward xeriscaping our property and other earth friendly efforts to save water and support pollinators. Snacks, drinks, and live music on the lawn, weather permitting. Painters, Photographers, Sculptors, Potters, Mixed Media Artists, and more have been invited
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM ABQ International Festival San Pedro, between Kathryn and Anderson A day filled with fun and festivities, including live music, kids' play area, delicious food, and local vendors!
Sat 11 AM – 1 PM Fun and Games Fundraiser ABQ Speech Language and Hearing Center (ASLHC), 9500 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Ste 215 Join us for a fun-filled afternoon of games and activities, with delicious food provided by @ withlovewaffles. A huge thank you to Eagle Credit Union for their financial support!
Sat 11 AM - 4 PM May The Fourth Be With You Sale - Biggest Sale Yet! Don’s Paperback Book Exchange, 1013 San Mateo Blvd. SE Spring has sprung and that means it’s time to have an event, folks! Let’s do a sale - a really big sale! All books and DVDs 50% off - All comics 25% off - All kids get free books too! This sale will include green label comics, CGC comics, and dollar comics
Sat 11 AM – 5 PM Mother's Day Market ABQ Food Park,6951 San Antonio Dr. NE Get ahead of the game and celebrate Mother's Day in style! Before the big day arrives, join us for a delightful pre-celebration where you can grab something special for Mom, Grandma, or that extraordinary woman in your life. Dive into a world of local craftsmanship, delicious food, live music, and outdoor fun at our enchanting outdoor venue. *Browse through the diverse offerings of local artisans *Treat yourself to a mouthwatering delight from our food trucks *Enjoy live music performed by talented local musician Joseph Velasquez *Bring the family to enjoy the festivities with some outdoor games and activities
Sat 11 AM – 7 PM Turkish Festival Raindrop Foundation, 7901 Mountain Rd. NE Festival will feature exquisite samples of Turkish- Mediterranean Cuisine (Doner Gyro Kebab, Baklava, Turkish Coffee and more), cultural exhibits, folk dances, children's area, arts & crafts and more! You do not want to miss this family event that everyone will find something to enjoy! Admission is FREE and the event is open to the public
Sat 11 AM – 10 PM Star Wars Day Celebration Slice and Dice Pizzeria, 2225 Wyoming Blvd. NE From 1-2 pm, stormtroopers from NM's 501st Legion will be available for photos. Throughout the day, we will have teach-and-play for Star Wars miniatures games (Legion and Shatterpoint), as well as the hottest game in the galaxy: Star Wars: The Card Game. Come dressed in your favorite Star Wars fit or gear for a free churro!
Sat 12 PM Free Comic Book Day Age of Comics, 3700 Osuna Rd. NE, Ste 513 We are excited to announce Andy Kuhn and Mark Fenton will be signing in store!

help!!!!
recently i’ve been trying to find a skin cleanser that helps with my hormonal acne while i await a dermatologist appointment (i made it back in december, the soonest they could get me in is may 2024). i use a la roche posay gentle oil cleanser as well as a snail mucin toner which i had been using prior and had no issues. once i had mixed these two products, it felt like my skin fried off completely. my skin burned so bad to apply anything to it.
5 days later and my skin is still very very dry and will not hold any moisture. i’ve tried hylauranic acid and chemical exfoliating to remove the dead skin but i still feel so crispy. i’ve tried using a thicker moisturizer and ive tried not doing anything to my skin and nothing seems to work. i’m currently on 100mg of minecyclin daily and take the yaz birth control pill for hormonal acne. what else can i do??

Lubotsky (1995b) attempted to explain, Skt. *d > j in:
​
*dH3g^hmo- ‘evil / bad / crooked’ > Skt. jihmá-, G. dokhmós
*dyu- > Skt. dyút- ‘shining’, jyótis- ‘light / brightness’
*dng^hu()- > Skt. jihvā́ ‘tongue’
​
by a consistent set of changes, but I see no way for there to be a regular rule explaining *d > j in Skt. from assimilation at a distance. This also would require *dy- > dy- but *diy- > jy-, which is the opposite of usual changes of this type in other languages. As further evidence, consider this set :
​
*ya(H2)g^- > Skt. yájate ‘sacrifice / make offering’, Av. yaz-, OP yad- ‘worship’
*ya(H2)g^yu- > Skt. yájyu- ‘devout / pious’
*ya(H2)g^no- > G. hagnós ‘holy’, Skt. yajñá- ‘sacrifice / prayer’, *yaHźna- > *yaHśna- > Av. yasna-
*yaks- > Kho. gyaṣ- ‘sacrifice / make offering’, Skt. yakṣá-m ‘a kind of supernatural being’
​
Skt. yájyu- could easily have dissimilated y-y with no change in meaning, and the name Yádu- has no clear etymology. If dy / jy was optional, either way, it would explain both dy- / jy- above and this pair at once. As to its meaning, the pair Yádu- & Turváśa- / Turvá- (ancestor of the Ārya- people) are very similar to the Aśvins. Since Turváśa- / Turvá- implies his name came from ‘swift’ and ‘swift horse’ (with v-v > v-0 in *Turváśva- > Turváśa-), a nearly certain connection between these pairs exists. In the same way, Yádu- : yájyu- would match yakṣá-m : *yaks- (assuming words for ‘a kind of supernatural being’ and such came from ‘god’ or ‘spirit’ and could easily have meant both at one time). The Indic Aśvins were supposedly nameless and undifferentiated in Vedic songs of praise, but this might not be true if Yádu- & Turváśa- were their most common names, simply mentioned without them most of the time.
​
If there was a stage in which *g^ and *d^ alternated, it would allow *yag^yu- > yájyu- vs. *yad^yu- > Yádu- (*y-y > y-0). This would also explain other oddities. Cases of *k^ > *θ / ð / d in Iran. include:
​
*k^(e)wH2ro- > Skt. śávīra- ‘strong/mighty’, Av. sūra- ‘strong / vast’, -θūra- ‘victorious’
​
*mak^ako- > Skt. maśáka- ‘mosquito/gnat, Av. maðaxa- ‘locust?’
​
*H2ak^ri- > G. ákris ‘peak’, Skt. áśri- ‘edge/corner’, *aθri- > *aðri- > ádri- ‘stone / mountain’
​
*g^heg^huko- > Skt. jáhakā-, Brahui ǰaǰak, YAv. dužuka-, NP žūža ‘hedgehog’
(this likely from C-dissim. & V-assim. in Av.)
​
This idea would also fit with a similar root showing alternation (jas- / das-) if *g became *d^ before front (later *d^ > j ). If this happened at a stage when old *K^ had become *T^ > *T except before *y, both both jas- / das- and yájyu- ~ Yádu- could be caused by one change. If at that time *d^y and *zd^ existed, their optional outcomes being similar would be explained:
​
*zgWes- ‘quench/extinguish / put out a fire / kill’ > G. sbes-, OCS gas- ‘die’, IIr. *zd^as- > *(z)d(ž)as- > Skt. dásyati ‘be exhausted / despair’, jása- / dása-, etc.
​
This seems to be of PIIr. date, since Iran. *daha- (Kho. daha- ‘male’) and *jaha- (Av. jahikā- ‘(unmarried) woman’) also exist. Since the more common word for ‘man’ is *mart(y)a- ‘mortal’ < *mer- ‘die’, I see no reason to separate these roots. Though related Av. jahikā- is translated as ‘bad woman’ or ‘prostitute’ (Panaino 2017), it seems clear to me it simply meant ‘woman’ or ‘unmarried woman’. In some cases it might have specified ‘prostitute’, though this is unclear, but this would resemble the use of other IE words, like Arm. ałič ‘virgin / girl / prostitute’ or G. pallakḗ ‘concubine / young girl’. It seems to be the feminine of *jaha- ‘man’, just as Av. nāirikā- ‘(married) woman’ is of *Hnār ‘man’. In this way, j- vs. d- in 2 sets of IIr. words are explained at once.
​
This also is related to other Av. words wit jah- and dah-. Jahī is the Avestan name of the chief demoness of Ahriman who brings defilement and caused women to menstruate. Her exact role and original nature have been proposed based on interpretations of her name, usually translated as ‘whore’. I don’t think there is any more basis for this than for jahikā-, which must be related. Still, with my theory in mind, her name need not have meant ‘woman’. This would allow IIr. to have a root for ‘die’ & ‘mortal / man’ that were one and the same, with many derivatives having one or the other meaning, but later impossible to pick out. Thus, Jahī might either be ‘woman’ as an impure being or ‘destructive’ (similar to the names of other demon(esse)s; she also is noted for her ability to kill and might have killed the original cow). If so, she would resemble the monstrous mother figure in other IE myths (Echinda), having both the features of a woman and a deadly beast. Thus, I see no firm support for either meaning, and her origin should remain an open question. In this way, the huge dragon Aži Dahāka is likely ‘deadly serpent’ rather than having to do with a non-existence human-like aspect. This might also show that these 2 meanings created the contrast in Skt. dāsá-s ‘fiend / demon’, dāsá-s ‘*male? > barbarian/slave/servant’, NP dāh ‘slave’. It is hard to know which makes the most sense, since the many uses of dāsá-s are unclear and might have been mixed by speakers of Vedic Skt. already. The use of ‘man’ or ‘woman’ for ‘male or female slave’ is common enough that an obsolescent word for ‘male’ might only be attested in this usage.
​
I also dispute the supposed origin of jah- as ‘whore’ since it depends on Alexander Lubotsky’s interpretation of a root *ghes- behind it and Skt. has- ‘laugh’, hasrá- ‘laughing / smiling’, hasrā- ‘prostitute’. He does not believe in a series of 3 velars in PIE (Lubotsky 1995a) which makes a huge difference in whether or not this root could result in Av. j- or z-. It is likely that zah- ‘laugh’ did exist in Av., but its meaning is disputed (as are many Av. words). Also, though Middle Indic cognates are sometimes seen as more conservative than Skt., reduplicated Skt. jákṣat- / jájjhat- ‘laughing’ & Pali jagghati are likely not significant since no evidence exists that the similar alternation of *kṣ / *tṣ > -k / -t in Skt. resulted from different velars, and later Dardic outcomes also vary. His *ghes- also did not take into account Dardic evidence (Pl. hans-). The -n- is significant because Dardic languages show that IIr *N became *VN ( likely *ǝN ) before later changing > *ã > a in most IIr :
​
*dr̥mH- > Latin dormiō, *ni-dr̥mH- > Skt. nidrā ‘sleep (noun)’, A. níidrum h- ‘fall asleep’
​
*pr̥dŋk(h)u- > Skt. pr̥dakū-, pr̥dākhu- ‘leopard / tiger / snake’, *pr̥dumxu- > Kh. purdùm ‘leopard’
​
showing that this must come from *g^hns- related to Greek *g^han- > khan- ‘yawn / gape’ (maybe also *g^hans- ‘goose’), and thus would produce *zah- in Av. The similarity to PIE *g^h(y)aH2(y)- is important, either showing contamination between 2 similar roots or their common origin. Several words can’t be separated, since they would merge (like G. kháskō), but the existence of variants with -n- should be clear with this evidence.
​
Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274417616
​
Lubotsky, Alexander (1995a) Reflexes of Proto-Indo-European *sk In Indo-Iranian
https://www.academia.edu/428965
​
Lubotsky, Alexander (1995b) Sanskrit h < *Dh, Bh
https://www.academia.edu/428975
​
Panaino, Antonio (2017) The Souls of Women in the Zoroastrian Afterlife
https://www.academia.edu/36346591
​
Whalen, Sean (2023) Pashto m- entries by Georg Morgenstierne
https://www.reddit.com/Pashtun/comments/128a24x/pashto_m_entries_by_georg_morgenstierne/
​
Whalen, Sean (2024a) Proto-Indo-European ‘Father’, ‘Mother’, Metathesis
https://www.academia.edu/115434255
​
Whalen, Sean (2024b) Indo-European Alternation of *H / *s (Draft)
https://www.academia.edu/114375961
​
Whalen, Sean (2024c) Laryngeals, H-Metathesis, H-Aspiration vs. H-Fricatization, and H-Hardening in Indo-Iranian, Greek, and Other Indo-European
https://www.academia.edu/114276820
​
Whalen, Sean (2024d)
https://www.reddit.com/mythology/comments/1cdz1no/the_demoness_jah%C4%AB_and_her_indoeuropean_context/
​
https://iranicaonline.org/articles/jeh
​

Hi all, after suspecting I had PCOS for the last few months due to hyperandrogenic symptoms, I finally got a diagnosis after an ultrasound revealed a bunch of swelling and cysts. Hooray!
I am 50/50 mixed Caucasian and Han Chinese. I am extremely curious about the experience of other East Asians and how our phenotypic manifestations may differ from the accepted average for PCOS. I’ll start with my experience!
For ex, the number one symptom I saw when I first started googling PCOS was hirsutism. Obviously I don’t have this—my brother doesn’t grow any facial hair either. I am, however, suffering with androgenic alopecia, diagnosed a few months ago. (My dad is also bald.)
I have period cycles that never went over 35 days but always averaged between 30-33. My period for the last year was quite light and didn’t last longer than 3 days. Longer cycles and lighter periods are more predictive of anovulation, but I don’t meet the cutoff for amenorrhea.
I was a chubby kid—overweight in 3rd and 4th grade—and struggled with my weight as a teen. That said, I was never “obese” on the western BMI scale, just overweight. However, if we use the updated East Asian BMI, I am currently overweight (at 1400 calories a day) and have probably only been a normal weight a few times in my life.
I had bad acne as a middle schooler, in early college, and now in my late 20s. In college, I was on antibiotics, which helped. I am currently taking Yaz, which makes my skin softer, but TRULY my saving Grace for the last 6 months has been spearmint tea. I get awful jawline acne when I stop drinking it.
I deal with a lot of facial swelling, especially along my jaw and chin. I have always had a figure that was somewhere between an apple and an hourglass—my waist has always been thicker for my height, but my body fat is very compressible depending on my posing and clothing. I know East Asians tend to have higher abdominal adiposity.
My lab results are all within the normal range, but I obviously suffer from androgenic symptoms. I wonder if this is because the confidence intervals are based primarily on women who are not my race!
I think I covered everything lol. W would love to hear what other East Asian women experience!

I had my first appointment with a new gyn today and was finally heard and validated. I also got my 'offcial' PMDD diagnosis. I have spent years trying to get my old Dr. To listen to me to no avail. This one listened to all of my word vomit and came up with a realistic treatment plan! I got my nexplnon implant removed (1 year past due) and starting on yaz. (I know there are some pretty mixed reviews, but it is a starting place)
Overall feeling apprehensive but hopeful and most of all validated.

Not diagnosed with PMDD, but I have a slew of mental health problems and I wouldn't be shocked if it was part of the mix. I definitely have some cyclical anxiety, rumination, irritability, depression that ebb and flow as I move through my cycle.
I was on vienva for a a few years, which started out fine but recently it wasn't doing what I wanted it to do (other than preventing pregnancy) and after a few months of hoping it would go back to "normal" I decided to switch. I used hello wisp-- for those of you looking for a bc subscription, it worked out very well and I had my new script within 24 hours.
I'm only on day 5 of yaz generic (lyorna? Something like that...) but I think I feel better? I should know for sure in a few days, but on Vienva I feel like right around 5 days after the placebo week I started to feel like shit. But I actually feel pretty alright today, not super angry or anxious or weepy.
I am hoping this is the start of a really good thing for me.
If yaz helped you with your mental health, I'd love to hear your positive stories!

I’ve had various side effects from different kinds of birth control. My priorities are to alleviate my severe period cramps with the option to skip my periods altogether, maintain normal blood pressure levels, maintain clear skin or achieve improved skin, and also maintain a normal sex drive.
In the past 8 months, I’ve taken two different types of birth control: Estarylla and Junel 1/20. While on Estarylla, my sex drive was great, my blood pressure was normal, and I actually gained a little weight (I prefer to gain rather than lose weight as I’m a little on the skinnier side) and my boobs grew. Unfortunately, the one setback was that my eczema flared more frequently and my skin was a lot dryer. I suspect that dry weather had a factor too—but I noticed that my eyes were a lot dryer and I started getting red itchy patches on and around my eyelids and mouth. After some digging on Reddit, it seems like other folks have run into the same issue of dry eyes with birth control pills that have a higher dose of estrogen.
I then decided to switch to Junel 1/20. Thankfully, my skin did clear up. However, now I’m dealing with other side effects that don’t suit me. Noticeably, my sex drive is a lot lower and while visiting a doctor for a sore throat last week, my vitals indicated that my blood pressure was elevated. This was not the case while I was on Estarylla. Also, while on Junel, my boobs seem to have shrunk since the estrogen dose is lower—not a big deal or priority ofc, but just a little womp womp thing for me as I have itty bitties. :(
I messaged my provider — I use Nurx about other options. But in the meantime while I wait for them to respond, I was wondering if any of you have experienced these symptoms and if you’ve found a birth control pill that works for you? Mainly I don’t want to worsen my eczema and I don’t want high blood pressure. I’ve read that the progestin only pill could be a good option, but tbh I’m not confident I’ll be able to take it on time every single day, so I’d like to stick to the combo pill if possible.
I looked into Microgestin 1.5/30 and saw some good reviews. Anybody with experience using this and if it increased your blood pressure / caused any skin issues at all?
I also looked at Yasmin/Yaz but have seen some mixed reviews.
I also want to maintain a healthy sex drive — that’s like priority 3 after the skin and blood pressure stuff. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

Hey! My Gyno just prescribed me Yaz but I’m very weary to start taking it (just a worried person lol and hate side effects). I’ve read very mixed reviews on it and not sure how to feel.
I was on June Fe from the age of 17 up until August 2023 (was 25 then), my Gyno switched me to Hailey Fe and told me to take it 3 months consecutively with one week off at the end of those three months so I’d have a period because I was just having constant spotting for literally a whole year. It worked great for me for the first three months, didn’t spot, got my period during the off week, and then 2 weeks into my second round of 3 consecutive months (Feb-now) I started getting constant spotting again (that brown discharge stuff). I’ve been going down a rabbit hole, and ended up finding out that the 100mg of Spironolactone I’ve been on since August 2022 is likely the culprit. I let my gyno know that I’m real sick of dealing with the spotting, and she insisted I try Yaz as my new Birth Control and stop taking Spironolactone. Background- I have had pretty heavy and long periods since I started my first period at age 13, and Junel Fe pretty much regulated them to come at the same time each month, but they were still pretty heavy and lasted over a week. I’ve also dealt with the whole nine yards of horrible acne (face, chest, back, shoulders, butt, thighs, you name it). I’m on 2 different topicals for my face acne, but Spironolactone was seriously the only thing that worked for my body acne and I’m nervous to revert back to having acne all over again or have horrible purging. I just got it fully under control and have pretty clear skin since last May. I believe Spiro to be the culprit of my constant spotting, fatigue, drowsiness, low sex drive because most of the symptoms started around the time of taking it (I realize this isn’t a Spiro sub but I know a lot of people are on BC with Spiro).
I’m wondering if anyone has dealt with something similar, and how Yaz worked for you when dealing with both hormonal acne and regulating your period.
TIA!!!

Hi there everyone.
I've been on this thread for a few years and a pmdd sufferer since I was 17 (now 30!).
It's been a long time now and I still haven't given up hope of trying to fix this.
I am starting to see improvements of the condition after making a few changes. I had tried antidepressants in the past but couldn't keep them up due to side effects and they didn't seem to help.
I am/was a complex PTSD sufferer and recently diagnosed ADHD.
The first thing I have done in order to try and alleviate the symptoms was tackle the PTSD. I came across EMDR and it has been life changing for me. Over the course of the past year I have been changing more than I ever have in my life due to this. Pmdd would 100% make my PTSD symptoms even more intense and I used to feel like I couldn't cope at all. I did EMDR self administered online as I felt comfortable in my ability to cope due to years of building skills and also due to a lack of funds. I now very rarely have flashbacks and I have now made sense of my life and started to recover and identity.
I recognised that pmdd has some similar traits to borderline personality disorder and so have also undertaken some dbt which has been so helpful also in learning how to deal with distressing emotions and how to act. I was very stubborn and reluctant to try this, but I am beyond thankful for trying out some of the dbt skills in my day to day life and have found I am a better person for it.
I had read a lot of people with pmdd also have ADHD... I had my suspicions for years and joked about having ADHD with friends but had an assessment and started looking into it properly. I studied my body and did some dopamine experiments and could really tell I when I was crashing with low dopamine and realised on my period especially it feels like all my neurotransmitters are getting sucked out my a dementour and I feel completely frozen in a little depressing, angry, unmotivated, irritable hole!
I began to watch multiple podcasts on ADHD and dopamine, followed by women's health podcasts and found out about some different supplements that can help boost neurotransmitter levels in the body natural, as well as other helpful supplements that support women's health. Bearing in mind, at this point I was planning on booking at appointment for a hysterectomy as felt things were beyond hope, even though I really didn't want to go down this road... Never in a million years did I expect what I should have tried first probably would have such a big effect of me.
Here is my current supplement reigime and I will explain why I am taking each one. (Please do your own research into them as obviously this is not medical advice and is a small write up of my own recollection of what I've read mixed with my personal opinion of it's affect for me)
Morning - 1 x L - tyrosine 2 X lions mane 1 X gaba 1 X high strength vitamin d 1 X berberine 1 X evening primrose oil 1 X magnesium 2 x omega 3 fish oil
Lunchtime (during pmdd times)- 1 X gaba
Before bed - 1 X L-tyrosine 1 X gaba 1 X 5-HTP 1 X Yaz
L-tyrosine is a precurser to dopamine and helps to increase and support levels in the body. I started taking this just in the morning originally and within a few days I suddenly had energy and motivation and focus and actually felt .. happy! Never have I had such a natural feel good reaction from any sort of medication in my life. Suddenly I was spurred on to try other supplements.
Lions mane is a type of mushroom also good for focus, I added this is with the L-tyrosine ... Becoming an even more focused human and now able to use my cognition better to deal with things that come up.
I had already been on Yaz and new it was helpful but it want cutting the mustard completely. I take it back to back and then have a period every 6 months to check everything is okay down there!
High strength vitamin d ... Sooo important also. I didn't realise how many symptoms of low vitamin d levels I had, I was tired, depressed, hair falling out sometimes. Feeling a lot better since taking this.
Berberine is a natural substance to help regulate blood sugar levels and can support weight loss due to this. Some people use this instead of metaformin. One pmdd symptom I had was blood sugar crashes and cravings and this has helped stabilise this! The blood sugar crashes also affected my mood... Hangry!
Gaba.... Some of the most recent pmdd studies suggest women with pmdd may have an issue with gaba and don't produce allopreganolone. They tried to create a drug for this but didn't follow it through. I didn't realise that gaba was available in supplement form. It is said to be the emotional cushion and helps control dopamine and serotonin. We may not produce enough gaba or allopreganolone. So I've started taking this and it's helped so much.
5 -HTP - a precurser for serotonin, I know that it's suggested sometimes that women take Prozac during the leutal phase as it helps produce a small amount of allopreganolone that we are missing, but this never worked out for me. I had tried using 5-HTP a long time ago but took it in the day and only for 4 days so couldn't properly judge it. I wanted to try a serotonin supplement as realised during pmdd times I definitely felt I was lacking this, I was teary and wanted carbs and very depressed. I started taking one at night and go to sleep straight after, I don't think it upsets my stomach as I can never tell as I'm asleep, but it has started working now and my mood is so much better. I read that when increasing serotonin it can lower dopamine levels and I had experienced this kind of feeling and read it was suggested to supplement 5-htp with L-tyrosine so that this doesn't happen. I began taking an extra L-tyrosine at night with the 5-htp and felt good again!
Omega 3, evening primrose oil and magnesium - I knew I should have been taking these all along, there is lots of research online of why these are important for women's health and I'm sure a lot of you already know. I added these in with my current reigime and feel good!
Overall a mixture of learning to deal with distressing emotions, change how I act in these times (with a lot of trial and error!) , trauma therapy, education into neurotransmitters and trying out supplements... Understanding ADHD and how this affects me especially on my period ,I'm feeling a lot better. In control and cushions from the devastating lows I used to feel.
Its taken a long time to try and connect dots and try to understand pmdd, I still have mood swings and anxiety and feel naff sometimes, but I definitely feel an improvement since all of these things I have changed. I feel more pms than pmdd which is great, I don't know what the future will bring but for now things are pretty level so thought I'd share this just in case it's helpful to anyone.
Obviously do your own research into things, look at your own bodies and work out what's right for you and healthy for you and seek medical advice. But I thought I'd share my story as I know we don't have much help or research that is consolidated into one place.
Much love and good luck ❤️

Hey there, I'm not asking for medical advice just seeking others' experiences. I'm 90% sure I'm in peri (ive read the wiki 🙂- thank you for such a wonderful resource).
I'm 43. M periods are still very regular but what was severe pms has evolved into PMDD over the last couple of years (for which I take low dose prozac, b12, zinc, vitex with mixed results).
But something else is going on. I'm exhausted, confused, anxious, losing words, getting skin tags, lose my sh*t at the drop of a hat, intense rage, tears....pretty much 3 weeks out of every month.
I want to ask my doctor about hrt. But my experience with taking hormones via bcp has always resulted in extreme depression, exhaustion and fluid retention. Ive tried a number of different pills with the same result. I took yaz for years and realised what the doctor diagnosed as depression was Yaz. When I went off all symptoms disappeared.
Anyway, has anyone had similar experiences with BCP but gone on to have success with HRT? I'm pretty terrified of the roller-coaster.
Is there something that helped in peri? Just using estrogen gel for example? I know everyone has unique experiences and I need to find a knowledgeable doctor but I really value getting a sense of what others have experienced.

This is probably a bit redundant for most readers of this sub, but I wrote a roster preview from my perspective as a fan. It's all hype and optimism, baby! - dern
The Opening Day Lineup:
Jung Hoo Lee, CF - The Grandson of the Wind. Wears 51 because he idolizes Ichiro. Superstar DNA, but wants to be considered just a rookie (and yes, he’s an early contender for Rookie of the Year). Has the potential to be a high OBP hitter with an amazing glove, and is extremely entertaining.
Joger Soler, DH - Our new monster. The Giants have not had a 30-home run hitter since Barry Bonds. Soler hits home runs. Worried about how PacBell will hurt his power? Don’t. Every home run he hit last year was deep enough to be a home run at PacBell. He is extremely entertaining.
LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B - Late-night LaMonte. Another OBP machine. This team is going to wear out starting pitching arms fast. And now Wade’s focus can be more on doing damage, leading to more clutch hits, leading to him being extremely entertaining.
Matt Chapman, 3B - Dude is going to hit about 20 homers this year. And he’s going to strike out a lot. I don’t care about his strikeouts, though. We’re going to see insanely good defense on the left side of the infield to go with those bombs, and that’s extremely entertaining.
Mike Yastrzemski, RF - Yaz is one of the team leaders. He’s not the guy you want in charge of the clubhouse, but as an assistant leader he gets things done. He’s the driving force behind Mustache May. As a center fielder and a top-3 bat, he’s OK. As a right fielder batting fifth, he’s legit.
Thairo Estrada, 2B - Solid secondbasemen are not common. We will see a lot of lowlights of some teams, including one that wears blue and plays in California, over bad secondbasemen. Thairo will not be in those lowlights. And having an .800 OPS guy bat sixth is going to wear on opponents.
Michael Conforto, LF - I’ll take a .750 OPS out of Conforto and be stoked about it. Peak, healthy Conforto can be more in the .850 to .900 OPS range. This is a contract year for him, and a year past his shoulder surgery. He’s primed for a break-out year.
Patrick Bailey, C - I would buy this man’s jersey even if he struck out every at-bat. He’s a platinum-glove caliber catcher with pitch framing, throwing down runners, and calling games. The baseball IQ is off the charts here.
Nick Ahmed, SS - Mixed feelings about Ahmed. He’s a veteran and not that much younger than Brandon Crawford. Which is going to lead to people asking why didn’t they just resign Crawford. Because Crawford is too old to play elite defense, and his bat deteriorated too. Ahmed’s bat looked hot in Spring Training, but that will not last this year. He’s been a below-average hitter his whole career, and a drastically above-average fielder. But he’s also someone the Giants can cut mid-season and not have it be a front-page news story in San Francisco. So Ahmed is playing with the Bat of Damocles hanging over his head.
The Bench:
Wilmer Flores - We use the term “bench” here loosely. Wilmer will get 400 at-bats this year. Last year he was the best hitter on the team. This year he’s the third- or fourth-best. He’ll play. A lot. And he’ll Wilmer.
Austin Slater - Remember when bullpens had LOOGYs (Lefty One-Out GuYs)? Slater is the vengeful anti-left handed spirit of those hitters, enacting his revenge on left-handed pitching Also the longest-tenured Giant.
Tyler Fitzgerald - But what about Matos? What about Luciano? No. Fitz plays middle infield and outfield. With Flores being the corner bench guy and the outfield bench being so specialized, the Giants need the flexibility. And we’ll get to the other two in a second.
C Tom Murphy - Solid back-up catcher with a decent enough bat. He’s probably going to catch about 40-50 games and keep Bailey fresh and focused in the fall.
C Joey Bart - Bart? BART? OK, I take it a lot of you are surprised as to how Bart made it to the Opening Day roster as the back-up back-up catcher. Today, a lot of teams are having to waive players off their 40-man roster if they don’t have a spot for them on the 26-man roster. Bart is 100% one of those dudes. Which also means the waiver wire is about to get clogged with talent. What this looks like to me is FZ is outmaneuvering any would-be GMs that were hoping to waiver-claim Bart instead of trading the Giants for him. There’s about 5-8 teams that could use him as a back-up catcher or platoon catcher. Heck, at least five times would have an upgrade with Bart as their starter (competent hitting catchers are rare, and Bart is actually competent and able to hit better than most catchers). I won’t be surprised if the Giants waive him tomorrow and sign him to a minor-league deal after all other teams play their waiver move.
The Rotation:
RHP Logan Webb - No. 2 in NL 2023 Cy Young votes, No. 1 in Our Hearts.
(LHP Blake Snell) - No. 1 in NL 2023 Cy Young votes, quickly passing vibe checks. Possibly ready for the first series against the Dodgers.
LHP Kyle Harrison - The Giants have one possible Rookie of the Year in JHL, but what about Second Rookie of the Year? The hype is really, really strong with Harry, and honestly, he has the tools to live up to it.
RHP Jordan Hicks - Last year Hicks threw a fastball 105.1 mph. That is somehow NOT his most impressive pitch. He also threw a 103-mph sinker with 18 inches of run. That is also STILL NOT the most impressive thing about him. His wind-up and release for his 100-mph two-seam fastball (which is sometimes 105 mph) and his 89-mph slider are dang near identical. Same wind-up. One pitch finished on the top outside corner, the other on the bottom outside corner. That is filthy. Now he won’t be throwing quite as hard as a starter. And people will point to the attempt by the Cards to make him a starter. But St. Louis weirdly didn’t stretch him out in Spring Training, and the Giants did. Oh, and he had 10 strike-outs in his last spring training start.
(RHP Alex Cobb) - By gawd that’s Alex Cobb’s theme music! With a steel chair! OK, Cobb is starting the year on the 15-day IL. But initially it was predicted that he’d start on the 60-day IL, and not be ready until the All Star Break. Cobb is making tremendous gains as he gets healthy. Until then, we have…
The Rot-Pen:
RHP Keaton Winn and RHP Landon Roupp - Learn their names. They’re part of a crop of young pitchers that have been coming up through the system. Both looked really good. Roupp has some filthy off-speed stuff, and both throw strikes. This might be keeping seats warm until Snell and Cobb are up to speed, but they’ll be back, too.
The Bullpen:
LHP Erik Miller, RHP Luke Jackon, RHP Ryan Walker, RHP Tyler Rogers, LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Camilo Doval - I like this pen. There will be times where a game is lost because of a small-sample-size mistake. But for the most part, this is going to be a strength of the team.
The Midseason Addition:
LHP Robbie Ray - The 2021 AL Cy Young winner. Ideally, he’s joining the staff after the All-Star Break as he finishes his Tommy John rehab. He’s a control pitcher and control is the last thing to come back after a TJ. But he will have an impact in September and October games.
The "Don't Get a Long-term Lease in Sacramento" AAA guys:
OF Luis Matos - He bulked up in the offseason. He mashed the ball. A lot. He turned 22. There was an outside chance he was going to make the opening day roster when it was noted that Slater might hit the IL, but Slater is good to go. However, Yaz is about to go on Paternity Leave, so it’s not hard to see Matos getting the call.
SS Marco Luciano - Shortstop was his job to lose. Which is a phrase that can mess with young players (see: David Villar. Also, see David Villar when you can. He slimmed down and played amazing, but is now stuck behind Chapman and Schmitt). Then Ahmed signed and hit the ball hard. About a week ago, Luciano found his stroke and started mashing. If he continues with about 1.000 OPS and good defense in Sacramento, he’ll be the starting shortstop for the Giants in May.

Just had a phone appointment with a GP and feeling pretty positive about the outcomes. She accepted my experiences (I’ve had mixed responses before, one doctor validating and one telling me ‘PMS is normal’), listened to my history and what I was asking for and prescribed Eloine (UK version of Yaz). She initially suggested Yasmin but was happy to go with Eloine at my request for the lower estrogen option.
I’ve had mixed experiences of combi pills before (some are fine, some I’ve been incredibly unstable) but wanted to try Eloine as it is the only one ‘officially’ recognised for PMDD. I’m very ambivalent about the pill generally. I was very against hormonal contraception for a while and felt it was complicit in discrimination against women’s health needs then I accepted hormonal IUDs because they were localised. I am trying to fight the shame I feel about needing the pill and recognise that it’s just another form of medication for me and I don’t deserve to feel guilt about not being able to embrace my ‘natural cycle’. I even found the pill helpful for PMDD a few years ago (not Eloine) then stopped it because of my unhelpful belief in needing to cope with it without suppressing my ‘healthy’ cycle 🙄
Anyway that’s all a bit of a ramble to say I reached out to my doctor, was listened to and am trying to be kind to myself and accepting of my need for medication.
Also to add that these are my thoughts and experiences and what I think is right for me, at this time in my life. No judgement or shame to anyone who chooses to manage their own PMDD differently 🙂

I'm getting back on antidepressants today for my anxiety, but my anxiety is making it hard for me to not freak out about it. I'd love to hear from people with the same experience as me (or people who just know alot of things about medications). So I can know a little bit more what I can expect.
So a little backstory: At 16 I started taking sertraline for panic disorder, GAD, undiagnosed OCD and emetophobia. They worked wonders (except first month being hell) and I was on it until I was 21. After a huge burnout at 23 I got diagnosed with ADHD and started taking Vyvanse, they also worked wonders so I'm still on them (25y/o now), but I've still been dealing with mild anxiety since (nothing like when I was a teenager but still annoying). A few months ago I also got diagnosed with PCOS and have started Yaz birth control, which have made me a little bit more low in the mood than usual.
After therapy helping my anxiety by not getting worse, but seemingly hitting the roof on how effective it is, me and my psychologist have decided that I should start antidepressants again.
What I'm extremely worried about is the combination between Vyvanse and Sertraline since I've heard that it can cause serotonin syndrome, is that a thing I should be worried about? I'm on 40mg vyvanse and going to begin on 25mg sertraline, vyvanse in the morning and sertraline at night.
And the next thing I'm most worried about is not knowing if the first few weeks of the antidepressants are going to be like the first weeks when I started them as a teenager (needed 24/7 care from my mom and couldn't be left alone). Or if it isn't going to be that bad since I'm not even close to as mentally ill as I was back then?
Thank you in advance if you have any answers to my worry-novel <3
TLDR: Q 1- Is serotonin syndrome a thing to be worried about when mixing 40mg vyvanse for ADHD and 25mg sertraline starting dose for anxiety?
Q 2- Taken sertraline before when I was really bad mentally, first weeks were hell on earth. Not as bad mentally now but worried that the first weeks will still be as bad as the first time, or does it go down from your "normal baseline"?

Hi everyone! I am considering changing pills , I have attached the list I can choose from below. I am 22 and suffer with anxiety and depression. I took Yasminelle as a teen for years and I had bad side effects such as bleeding for months randomly after already taking it for years.
Now for the past 2 years I have been taking Minulet. I feel like my mood has gotten worse and my acne is starting to flare up. Btw I don't usually get acne. I took a break last month from the pill(for the whole month) , my skin cleared up instally which was odd, now I started taking the pill again and I am flaring up like crazyyy. Also my sex drive has decreased a lot this last year / this year.
Please any opinions will be very helpful , I am really despritate and have tried to look online for advice on best pill but everything is very mixed opinions. Now I do undertsnad everyone has different side effects etc but I would just like to know your experiences with the other pills. :)
​
Here is the list :

• Cerazette
• Cilest
• Evra patches
• Leonore
• Logynon
• Ovranette
• Marviol
• Mercilon
• Microlite
• Minulet (Currently using)
• Noriday
• Nuvaring
• Yasmin
• Yasminelle (Tried already)
• Yaz
• Zoely
• Ovreena
• Qlaira

I’m 33 f and my husband and I have been TTC for five months. However, I have a laundry list of hormone-related issues…I have Catamenial Epilepsy - was diagnosed 5 years ago after experiencing my first and only (knock on wood) Tonic Clonic seizure. All others were partial and only occurred right before my period. Since being prescribed Keppra, I’ve not had any seizures, but my hormones are still wonky. I was also diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago simply due to my awful PMDD symptoms, and was prescribed birth control to regulate. Well, I got off BeYaz in Feb 2023 and haven’t had a period naturally since. Technically, it’s been induced three times by a 10-day prescription of Progesterone (which has led to extreme break outs around my mouth/chin in the last few months). I’m currently tracking my ovulation using the PreMom app but my LH levels always say low - not shocking given I have no period. I still experience other PMS symptoms: mood swings, headaches, bloating, fatigue which gives me some hope that something is going on. I’ve been taking Myo-Inositol for three months and have taken two rounds of Letrozole. So far, nothing seems to be working given I do not have a period and the ovulation tests are consistently low (I fluctuate between .07-.55).
I should mention I eat very healthy and am a normal weight. My bloodwork, ultrasounds, and other tests continue to come back “normal” which is mildly infuriating. I am seeing an endocrinologist soon but I am coming here for morale support/advice!

I’m 28 years old, diagnosed with PCOS in September of last year when I went to the ob-gyn after bleeding for 7 weeks. I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life and am currently at my heaviest. The only times I’ve had success with losing weight (pre-diagnosis) were times i was eating way too few calories; I was miserable and it wasn’t sustainable.
Since my diagnosis, my NP put me on Yaz, which I have mixed feelings about. The constant bleeding stopped but I’ve gained at least 7 pounds since starting on the pills. I’m eating in a calorie deficit, trying to meal prep and prioritize protein, and get in an average of 8,000 steps per day. I exercise about 3-4 days a week (barre classes and brisk walks). I’ve been taking inositol (via ovasitol powder), berberine, magnesium, vitamin D, and fish oil. I just ordered the Androgen Blocker and Cortisol Calmer supplements from Vita-PCOS with the intention of possibly trying to get off Yaz later this year and see if the supplements will help me have a regular cycle. I also want to try L-Carnitine to see if it helps with weight loss.
When I got the diagnosis, it made so much sense as to why I’ve struggled with my weight for so long. But I feel like im doing the right things and moving in the opposite direction. For the past few weeks, I’ve just been bouncing around within the same 3 pounds. I’m only 5’1” tall so my bmi is horrendous. I’m pushing forward and not giving up — but any advice would be greatly appreciated.🙂