Man shot in new milford nj

After our trip, I (32M) had asked my girlfriend (33F) to initiate intimacy
It is this moment, over facetime, she said she sees how it been effecting me and it's not fair to me because how unhappy she is, how we grew apart, didnt expect our relationship to turn out the way its going, how she is not sure she wants to be in a relationship anymore or and wants to take a break, and how we have problems that she can't speak to anyone about. I was shocked and didn't want to take a break at all, I just wanted to more of her involvement in the cute things of being in a relationship (She always called me by my first name, or making out).
I didn't even know we had these problems at all. I swear I didn't know we had these problems.
I had texted her right after saying how much I love you and I don't want to take a break because we can make it work together. The following day, I had called her on my lunch break. Apologizing for everything that I can even come up. From space to potentially being dependent to relying on her, setting expectation, being a bad communicator, or relying on her for my sobriety or even talking too much about my sobriety to whatever came up in my mind even. When asked why? She told me she is focusing/discovering things in therapy and wants to focus in gym (funny enough i had supported her on these two choices - even helped her find a therapist)
I then asked did I do anything wrong, she said no you didn't anything wrong, your a good man. I had explained to her then why do this, if I'm a good man to you, to your family, to your daughter why do this if you see how much I love you. She had asked me what does space mean to me? and I said you tell me and I will make it work. If you want space, take the time you need. A Month, two three months, just take it the time and just tell me that your still going to be with me because my life is good as it is but being with you makes it that much better. She got overwhelmed and said we will revisit this later.
I proceeded to say take all the time you need but I love you more than you ever know. She said take all love you have and put it towards yourself. That really hurt me a lot.
I had asked her you know this shatter me entirely and she said yea I know.
Next day after speaking with her cousin, I found out we are broken up. Over the next two or three days, Ive ahd spoken with her cousin. Who also said I didn't do anything wrong and I even told her okay there is something i need to work. To which, i was told to try again in three months and if i had authentic changed. Following Friday I had gave her clothes back to the cousin and received my keys. It's been a bit over 3 months since i spoke to her and as i reflect back on my whole relationship. I had spent the last six years of my life, putting my girlfriend ahead of myself. I literally would bend over backwards for her and whatever she needed. From buying gifts, to yearly vacations, to expensive concerts, to everything. I literally catered to her from head to toe. In fact, I would stay on the phone with her just to make sure she is safe when she was walking to her gym.
There something here that I have done that I baffles me of how supporting and caring I was. Even cheering her own every morning before gym, help her out with work, I even helped her succeed and guide her career from when i first met her. I literally fell so hard for that i treated her like my wife to be.
We spoke everyday and throughout the day and I would cater to her in every fucking way imaginable. It literally became a one-way relationship, I didn't care because I knew that it would make her life better. It became clear to me that I had put her on a pedestal the whole relationship. I had plans for us to get engaged and move to a different in two years, which i thought she agreed and pay for her daughters college. I had a great relationship with her daughter - she even called me stepdad. I've read all the text messages since 12/22 between the day - I have never saw any conflict or indication. It was nothing but I love yous and what not and checking in and our regular conversations.
I blame myself alot because my ex would always leave me, I was an functioning addict/alcoholic up until 1/2022 and put the blame on me a lot. I had a lot of shame and guilt due to my behavior Also in the first 1 year of our relationship, I had cheated a few times. I owned up to it. I've spent the next 5 years making sure that she knows i will never do it again and really re-claim my honesty.
I always had changed myself so many times and did the work needed to be in this relationship. I never heard her say I'm sorry or take accountability. I have no clue what happened for her to leave me when I literally would give her the world and whatever she needed.
So I reflect on the last few months. I had a relapse in December but I got back to being sober. Before that She found a d**k pic in my phone, it was meant for her but I didn't send it to for some reason, I had explained to her that was meant for her but she didn't care. And then two weeks before NYE, I had an argument with my mom about me getting a car. Which my mom wrote if you want to get a new car have your girlfriend start paying for things with you. My ex saw it. I had explained that after six years, my parents would want to us to start paying together and building a life together such as living together. I wanted that too.
The other thing was that I got into myself debt because i would pay for everything from her ubelyfts/dinners (800 birthday parties for her daughter, 3k vacations, 1.5k concert tickets, weekly dinners) etc and my job was doing layoffs so ive been very worried about money and was just anxious for the future so around august/september i had stopped being lavish. The other thing is we celebrated the holidays (Christmas, new years) so yea where did i go wrong? I made a joke about side chicks on the drive to nye and may have a small outburst with my family. But thats not a reason to leave.
She would leave me and block me for the smallest shit in the world. I literally once disagreed with her in front of her daughter, I got blocked for that.
I must share that I once mayhave some sort of disagreement with her like a calm and just disagreement with her in front of her daughter and nothing too bad as well. She would break up with me and block me and then I would wait or convince her to work on things.
Maybe the relationship was over when I said that "sometimes the only support system i have is you" she got overwhelemed by that. I get it that sounds like too much but we were that couple that was invovled in each other's lives. I was very supporting of her literally. Every thing she took on from gym to whatever, I made sure that she knew she had a support system from me.
She never said anything. I look back my ex is an avoidant. She would never really apologize to me and I felt like was doing the work of two people in the relationship. Or typical stonewall me, block me and give me silent treatments. I start seeing so many other red flags throughout the relationship (Love is blinding folks).
As compared to me, who likes to deal with things right then and there. See here she left so many times and I kept running and running back.
Simply, I knew how great she is and can be. I literally tried my hardest the last year from cooking together, to getting a book together about love, to having dinner dates together, to cooking at home and movie nights to and respect that i found that was suggested on Reddit weeks before the breakup she told how i'm everything she wants in a relationship and loves how attentive i'am to her and her daughter and her cousin.
Funny enough - all i wanted was to to get engaged and move in together. I wanted to have a family with her. I don't know when I brought that up. Said if i was to get engaged i would like to move in within the year of doing so. In our situation, we had to wait a few more years but I was okay with being in a ten-year relationship before engagement just didn't like it.
A few months ago we were looking at houses in florida and mortages.
I was so invested and scared her off? Did I trigger her by wanting more affection? Did I mess up by speaking with her daughter and her about colleges and paying for the colleges. Maybe bringing up kids? I was not trying to replace her dad at all. I was just being the generous and caring me.
Where did I go wrong? She was my life and I would of given her the moon and her future was secure with me. Literally all I needed was two to three years, we would move to florida as we agreed.
Now i'm mainting my sobriety, out of debt particularly, developed my role at work, and working out and doing everything to be better than the day before. In fact, been working on developing from an anxious attachment to a secure attachment. Furthermore, I been working on my priotizing myself and not relying on others so much so that I can stand my own ground.
Looking back - There was alot of up shit done towards me such as rejection from her end, emotional abuse (blocking), shamning me a few times my deceit (drug use & alcohol) use and early affairs during the first year.
Also, a weeks before - she started working out heavily and started to slim down in weight. and got a promotion (which as i said, I had supported her own in terms of motivating and guiding through office politics).
Idk anymore. Thanks for letting me vent because I miss her a lot but she blocked me. At some point, my anxiety tells me that she does not care, or does not respect me, or trusts me, or has a fear of missing out, or I pushed her too far because a relationship takes work. I can't make someone to want to work on a relationship.
Also i know how stubborn my ex is and i know she will never call or admit she was wrong, I can't recall once she took accountability after a fight/disagreement. It seems like I was always changing.
It's hard for me to grasp - i shouldn't fight for someone who is okay with losing me. I would have fought any chance I got for her. I loved her unconditionally because I thought we had plans for the future.
I look back on all the messages between 12/22 and the day of the break up. It's nothing but i love yous and us being us.

So through out a lot of AD's tenure on the Lakers, specifically this year, I feel like the team has done a pretty poor job of running the offense through AD and I decided to try and break down some recent film to look more into it. He makes plenty of mistakes so this post isn't attempting to absolve blame, but more just give constructive criticism to how he's being used offensively. Because of this I'm gonna focus on taking somewhat rare examples of the Lakers making smart decisions around AD to point out what they should do more often rather than just posting low lights
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Very curious for other's thoughts on what I'm suggesting they do more of, if you think the analysis is fair, or if you think you have even better ideas on how the team should be utilizing Davis
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PS This is my first time doing this so I'm very open to constructive criticism as there's at least a chance I'll try and do more stuff like this in the future
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Lets start with some examples of lack of off ball movement:
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In this clip you see the entire defense focused on him. Rui cuts to the middle of the paint but he cuts to a place where there's no open passing lane, but there's no meaningful movement on offense and it leads to a lazy iso jumper.
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In this one you see something somewhat similar with vando cutting to the middle, AD being doubled with every player looking at him. He misses the shot but the lack off off ball movement just makes it incredibly easy for the defense to focus on him while cutting off passing lanes.
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Now if you watch the Lakers you've seen a ton of plays like this, especially since the raptors spent most of the game selling out to stop AD recently. The rest of the team stepped up in that game and punished the raptors for their scheme but as teams replicate the strategy its made the holes in the rest of the lakers offense much more clear. I'm not gonna spam a bunch more clips like the two before, but just wanted to give you examples of how the lakers offense running through AD is often just getting AD in iso and hoping he can beat a double/triple (which is obviously a terrible way to run an offense).
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Dibble hand off (aka DHO) potential:
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Here you see a DHO between AD and Reaves where ADs defender drops, reaves defender picks him up giving reaves a solid look. Not only this but Brown Jr's defender slides to reaves creating a wide open 3 on top of everything else
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Plays like that open up opportunities like this where you can get Davis in single coverage once again because the defense has to respect his teammates on some level
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Now after you've established the threat of that it leads to plays where teams have to respect it, once again giving the best player on the team easy looks
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Off Ball cuts:
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AD isn't jokic but there are 100% ways you can set him up for easy passes to help create shots for others like this.
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Cutting more even when AD isnt the focal point of the play can open up shots for him as well. He can be very effective off ball, and the more you can do stuff like this the harder it is for a coach to solely rely on swarming him
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Guard Screen potential:
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Here you have Beasley screen for Davis setting him up to take a midrange jumper. As we all know this isnt the exact spot you want AD shooting, but its so much better than what you see far too often -- him being swarmed with no one working to get open, often resulting in far worse jumpers
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He misses this and once again its not ideal but seeing them try something like this is still an improvement over a lot of their stagnant possessions
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Id love to see them explore using guards as screeners off ball too when AD has the ball to create open shots for shooters while AD is posted up with the ball. Opening up a couple good shots for him to easily pass out to could really force teams to focus more time, energy and attention on the perimeter. This isn't a perfect example of that but its at least them using motion off ball to actually take advantage of the gravity AD creates so regularly
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Pick n Rolls (aka PnRs):
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This is an obvious one because AD is obviously a great lob threat, but I still feel as if the team doesn't try and use PnRs to their advantage as much as they should (LeBron coming back could help this a lot tbf)
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The play doesn't even have to be trying to force AD the ball, you can use it to open up passes to other players, which can in turn get enough of the defenses attention to get him open looks if the defense respects the other players just a bit
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A similar example to the last
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A play like this requires the defense respecting the guard on the roll, but this is the sort of pay off we can also see as we punish teams more from doubling AD. This is very achievable with LeBron, was a staple of the 2020 run, and yet its just severely under utilized even when he's playing
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Another example of an imperfect jumper that's still much better than a ton of their offensive possessions
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TLDR: Darvin Ham is bastard man and I probably spent too much time on this lol

No rants here, just letting anyone who cares know not all middle management sucks.
I recently switched jobs within my company for several office politics reasons, including being underpaid for the performance I delivered year after year. However I managed a team of 12 sales agents.
For 3 straight years our team was top 2 in all major sales metrics (32 teams) and top 1 in career progression outside of the sales job to other departments. I took great pride in that last part because IMO a good leader nurtures growth and development.
However, company "policy" states only 5% of the staff may receive an "exceeding" distinction on annual reviews (otherwise achieving or the not so good "developing" marks). Of my 12 folks, 10 exceeded every statistical goal. The other 2 met 7/8 with the one miss being total sales (both had extended medical leaves but hit goals when they were in office). Sounds like they deserved some damn good reviews right? WRONG
I was instructed to pick ONE person for an exceeding grade and top it off by giving 1.5-2% raises as I saw fit. narrarator voice He did not see fit.
I got to my director and draw the line in the sand. They have 2 options, ignore my demands for more money and allow me to give the ratings that my people earned and I find a new job anyway because it's still bs, or I'm taking more of the raise money and give meh ratings but stay on in my role.
They did not allow me to give better ratings due to the earlier state guideline,but I did get the cash. Still substandard by my view but I was able to get 5-8% for every person on my team.... and still left 3 months later. Fuck the man, pay the people busting their asses.
TLDR: Middle management dude tells corporate to stick their bs 1.5% raise up their ass and gets 5%+ for everyone on the team. Still quits on principle.

Twenty years we’ve known each other. Which is hard to believe because it feels like yesterday, we met on the school playground. Our friendship came easy. We both liked baseball. We both had an older brother, and we lived close enough to ride bikes back and forth to each other's houses. When you’re in second grade the prerequisite for friendship is pretty minimal. But I’m glad it was you. We’ve been through a lot together. Sleepovers where we would sneak out of your house and pretend any car that drove by in the middle of the night was there to get us! We would run full speed and dive behind the bushes before the headlights could find us. Those are the sorts of memories that stick out the most for me now.
We’ve been there for each other all along the way. You’re one of the very few friends from our childhood that I still know and care for. We grew up together and learned from each other. We got into trouble and played pranks and got girlfriends, eventually. When college came around, you went your way and I went mine. But we would travel and visit each other. We’d parade around our campuses and introduce each other to all of our friends. “Here, meet my brother.” You once said to a friend as you introduced us. That simple sentence had a profound impact on me. I’ve never told you that. It was from that moment on that we started referring to each other as a brother. We finished college and I moved away. This time across the country. But we stayed in touch. Always. After all, thats what brothers do.
That word gained a lot more meaning the morning you called me to break the news. Your actual brother was home on leave for two weeks. He’d been out the night before and came home late to go to bed. Your parents went to wake him in the morning for breakfast but couldn’t. I can’t imagine what they felt at that moment. When I heard your voice on the other end of the line, it was obvious something was wrong. It took you a couple of tries to get the words out, but, you did. And I’ll never forget standing on the sidewalk clutching the phone in my hand.
“He’s dead. And I don’t know what to do. What do I do?” you pleaded. I had no words for you. Nothing I could do or say would change this new reality. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I boarded a plane and came home. You told me that it was okay, that I didn’t have to. I told you to shut the hell up and wait for my call once I landed.
The funeral was… difficult. Full military honors. Your mother received her flag. I respectfully kept my distance at the burial so you could be with your family. My father and I stood aside, watching as the casket lowered into the ground because we refused to leave before you. Watched as you and your parents wept. And I wept. And I had already made up my mind that I wouldn’t refer to you as my brother anymore. Not now. You already had a brother. And I wasn’t about to try to take his place.
But then right there at that moment, you came over to me and we hugged each other, both crying for what we knew wouldn’t be the last time, and you said, “Thank you, brother. I love you.”
And I knew then what I still know today, we will forever be brothers. And maybe it’s even more important now that he’s gone that I keep that honored title. I wear it proudly Because he never got the chance to meet your beautiful wife. He didn’t get the opportunity to toast you at your wedding. He never got to meet your incredible children. And he didn’t get the chance to tell you how goddamn proud he is of you. So I will.
You’re an incredible man. And I’m lucky to have known you all these years. We live our own lives now. You have your family, I have mine. We don’t see each other as much as we’d like. But when I think of you, of us, of the lives we’ve built and shared in, my heart swells with joy and pride. I love you, my brother, now and always.

This is a long shot since the units haven't shipped yet but I'm wondering if anyone has actually tried out the new Stage 4 and can tell if the keybed/key action is different from the Nord Stage 3? I saw online there is a spec difference of triple sensor in the new Stage 4, but does it actually feel different? Also did it change from Fatar TP40M (Stage 3) to something else in Stage 4? Thanks!

“911, what is your emergency?” I said, answering on the first ring. It had been a slow day up to that point, but that was all about to change in a moment.
“I just saw something bad,” a hysterical female voice cried on the other end of the line. “My neighbor, she’s outside, and she’s bleeding…”
“Bleeding from where?” I said.
“Everywhere!” she screamed. I tried to get her address, but she was so hysterical that she kept yelling for help. Eventually, she calmed down enough to give me her street. I heard new voices in the background, all shrieking.
“We have a unit on the way,” I said. “Just stay on the line with me. It’s going to be OK.”
“No,” she whispered, barely audible over the screaming in the background, “it isn’t.”
***
A few minutes later, I was in the break room, getting a coffee, trying to stop my hands from shaking. I was hyperventilating, full of an incomprehensible terror and anxiety that I had never felt on this job before. Before the call had cut out, it sounded like a street full of rabid people had surrounded the caller’s house. Then the radio came on from the police unit that had been first to arrive at the scene.
“Dispatch, you there? This is Shea.” I heard the voice of Trooper Shea crackling. I immediately picked up on the back-up unit we kept in the break room.
“This is dispatch,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“I came down Kansas Street from Union Road, and it’s totally empty except for a few bloodstains. Were you able to get the house number of the caller?” he asked.
“Negative on that,” I said. “Do you see any broken glass or smashed down doors? It sounded like pure hell at the end of the call. She claimed she was being attacked by her neighbors.” Trooper Shea consulted with his partner on the street for a moment before responding.
“We just heard screaming and glass shattering. It sounded like it came from number 67 on Kansas Street. Send back-up.” I ran back to the main room. We had a new system that could livestream 911 calls directly to the cars of police in the area, as well as livestream audio from the car back to dispatch. I turned it on, entering the number of Trooper Shea’s patrol car and listened intently.
“Come out with your hands up!” I heard Shea’s partner yell. Shea gasped.
“Oh God, she needs medical attention,” he said. “She’s got blood coming out of her eyes, her ears, her nose… and vomiting blood. What do you think she has?”
“Ma’am, stop right there!” Trooper Shea yelled. “Do not come closer!” Then I heard a rash of swearing and yelling followed by a gunshot. I dropped my coffee cup on the floor, hearing it shatter and spread burning hot liquid across my shoes, but I was so engrossed and horrified by what I was hearing that I barely noticed.
“Oh God, she bit me!” Shea’s partner said. “She bit my fucking thumb off!” I heard another series of gunshots, then the slamming of car doors.
“Go, go, go!” one of them said, and I heard the squealing of tires.
“Oh, fuck, what is that?” Shea said, then his voice came in over the radio. “Dispatch, this is Shea, and we have a major obstruction blocking the intersection of Kansas and Main. It looks like… I know this is going to sound batshit insane, but it looks like a pile of bodies. Literally hundreds of them, stacked on top of each other like firewood. Maybe they’re just mannequins, I don’t know, but most of them look like they’re bleeding. We need back-up immediately, and emergency medical services as well. Trooper Ingraham lost a finger when we got surrounded by a dozen drugged-up or sick lunatics back there. One of them bit me on the damn calf through my uniform, but I don’t think it will require medical attention. They were biting, scratching and hissing like snakes… there’s something wrong here, I’m telling you.”
“This is dispatch,” I said, “and back-up is on the way.” I wanted to tell him to get the hell out of there, drive the other way, but I wasn’t a cop. I had no authority to do any such thing. They would likely think it was their primary duty to secure and protect the scene until other police arrived.
My shift was about to end in a few minutes when this insanity began, and my replacement walked in just as I hung up the radio. She looked at me, one eyebrow raised.
“You are not going to believe this,” I told her, and briefed her on everything that was happening. Her mouth opened more and more as I recounted the story, her eyes widening in horror. And by the end, I still hadn’t heard from Trooper Shea or his back-up. I was having anxiety and just wanted to get out of there. My family lived nearby, and if there was some sort of crime spree or pandemic happening, I wanted to be home to protect them. My son was only seven-years-old, and I knew he couldn’t protect himself in such an apocalyptic calamity as was occurring in our little town.
As she sat down in the dispatcher’s chair, another 911 call came in, and I took the opportunity to get my stuff and head out of there.
I had only a five-minute drive back home. My knuckles were white as I sped down the residential streets at thirty miles over the speed limit. Traffic was sparse, and I saw nothing out of place.
Until I turned onto my street, that is. My neighbor was an elderly man whose six-year-old granddaughter lived with him. Both of them were standing in the middle of the road, staring up at the sun, their mouths open. I saw long knives in each of their right hands.
I slammed on the brakes a few feet away from them, but they didn’t stir. I tried honking my horn, but they just kept staring up at the sky, without any awareness.
As I looked down from their faces, I realized they were both viciously sawing at their bodies, opening up shallow slice after shallow slice. A waterfall of blood began to run down their skin, soaking into the pavement. I nearly threw up in disgust. I backed up, driving on my neighbor’s lawn to get around them, putting down the window to yell as I passed by.
“What the hell are you doing, Mr. James?” I screamed at him. “Stop this now!” I wondered whether I should jump out and try to stop them, but with their current mental states, I felt they might be just as liable to stab me as not if I got out.
Suddenly Mr. James’ eyes came down, focusing directly on mine, and the knives stopped moving. The little girl grinned at me, waving the blood-soaked butcher knife back and forth, sending droplets of crimson spraying on my car and on her dress.
“It’s… she’s telling me to cut myself, to let the viruses in,” Mr. James said, and his granddaughter stared straight ahead like a doll. It was as if they felt no pain. I saw the blood-covered tendons and muscles of their legs, stomachs and chests as they stood there, slicing deeper and faster, wavering like trees in a hurricane. Mr. James fell to the ground, blood continuously pouring out of him, and his granddaughter pointed behind me, nearly tripping, her head lolling from side to side as her lips started to turn a light blue, probably from the constant blood loss and impending physical collapse.
“She’s here for you, too,” she said. “She wants to play with you. She wants you to open up and let the viruses slide in… they look for the soft, warm spots. They’re so cold. Open it up and let them in, and you’ll never be sad again.” Slowly, I turned, seeing the corpse of a girl standing there next to a tree in my neighbor’s backyard. Her skin was bleached-white, and her mouth was sewn shut, ugly black stitches marring her cyanotic, purplish lips. Her stringy black hair hung down past her shoulders, framing her face as she stared directly at me. Her eyes were milky white, like cataracts, and I saw countless maggots wriggling throughout her body, eating away at the skin of her arms and legs.
“Do you feel the wetness of their tongues? The dead ones just want in,” her voice rang out in my head, distorted and demonic and low. Her lips never moved, and her eyes never moved. The corpse girl just continued to stare in my direction. I felt hypnotized, sitting there in my car. Then I felt them- cold tongues that drew across my back and chest. The car filled with the smell of sulfur and decay. Then my vision began to turn black, as her voice took over my mind, and I fell into a dreamless sleep.
***
“Dad?” I felt little hands pushing on my chest. I opened one eye groggily, forgetting where I was for a few moments. Then I shot up in my seat, adrenaline coursing through my body as I looked around for the corpse girl. “She’s gone, dad. I got rid of her- for now.” I looked down at him, amazed.
“Anthony,” I whispered, looking at him. My head throbbed painfully. “How did you get rid of that thing?” I asked. He shrugged.
“I can do weird stuff sometimes,” he said. “Like during my birthday party last year.” I remembered the birthday party clearly. We had a clown who juggled and cartwheeled and did all sorts of tricks for my son and his friends. My son said he could juggle too, and he wanted to show the clown.
He had run into the house, grabbed a few of our knives and started throwing them up in the air. They seemed to slow down as they rose, floating slowly over his head. They fell as if through water, and Anthony grabbed them easily and threw them back up in the air.
“How is he doing that?” the clown had asked me, breaking character. I had no idea, and simply stood there, speechless. Then I yelled his name, and the knives had all clattered to the lawn.
“She was strong, and I felt her mind. It was so cold, like an icicle going into my head, but I kept her back by building a wall-” he pointed to the backyard where the corpse of the girl had stood- “and kept her there, dad.” I realized he was not talking about a physical wall, but some sort of mental wall that he made in his mind. I nodded.
“She was trying to take you. I could feel the words that came out of her head and into yours. I heard everything she was saying. And she was showing me things. Really bad, really scary things from where she comes from. She told me that, in her home, all the roads are paved with bones of kids like myself, and that the girls like her have their mouths sewn shut, so that they never have to rely on using their mouths to speak. They use their brains somehow. The whole place is run by an insane god who lies by this silver stream. She showed me the god, and I felt it looking at me. It was like insects were looking at me, like insects with huge brains and big, dark, scary eyes.” He shuddered. “What kind of god is that, dad?”
“A god we never want to meet, that’s for sure,” I said, tousling his hair, trying to get him to smile. “The god that we believe in is eternal love and light. Whatever that little girl worships, it isn’t God.” Anthony’s eyes continued to look blankly ahead as he recalled what the eldritch girl had shown him. Then they looked up at me sharply.
“I don’t understand that stuff about viruses that she was saying. What’s going on? Are we going to be sick?” he asked, looking so little and helpless in his tiny windbreaker and jeans.
“I don’t know what she was talking about, but we need to get out of here right now. I’m sure we will be fine if we can just get past the borders of the town- at least, I think so. And I also think some sort of biological outbreak is causing people to go insane…”
As if on cue, a car sped past, fire leaping out of the shattered windows. I smelled burning rubber, hot metal and roasting meat, a disgusting combination of aromas that the nightmarish scene left in its wake. The driver hit a tree, flying through the windshield and smashing his burned body into the trunk at an incredible speed. I saw by the awkward angle of his neck that he was either dead or dying. He looked like a bird who had flown into a window, the neck snapped and the head lolling weakly at a 45 degree angle on a totally broken spine. I turned to look at him sharply. “Where’s your mother?”
“In the house,” he said. I took the keys out of the ignition, grabbing Anthony’s small hand and running towards our home of ten years. I kept looking left and right for the corpse girl, but she hadn’t reappeared yet. I wondered if Anthony truly was so powerful that he could scare her away for good. I seriously doubted it. I had a feeling she was biding her time, and probably watching us at this very moment. The thought sent chills down my spine.
As I walked into the entranceway, I started yelling her name, trying to get out of here as soon as possible.
“Margaret?” I screamed. Anthony was next to me, screaming, “Mom! Where are you?” I led him to the kitchen first, where I grabbed a butcher knife, and gave Anthony a smaller but still very sharp knife from the kitchen drawer.
“Don’t stab yourself by accident with it, kiddo,” I said. “Only use it as a last resort.” He nodded. “I wish I had guns here, but we…” At that moment, my words were cut off by a wailing, pain-filled shrieking from upstairs. I took Anthony’s hand, unwilling to be separated from him for any reason now, and kicked open the master bedroom door.
There, I saw our priest, Father Lanagan, with a pistol to my wife’s head. He was very clearly sick, bleeding from his eyes and nose, a waterfall of gore spilling out of his heaving, gasping mouth. I put my hands up.
“Father Lanagan,” I said loudly and simply. “Put down the gun. You’re sick.” He just breathed louder and faster, his gray eyes beginning to film over with milky, blood-smeared cataracts. He reminded me more and more of the corpse girl. Even his stare was similar- an almost reptilian, sadistic glower that looked down on everything and everyone around.
I took a step forward. All of his attention was focused on me. His gun hand shook hard.
“Look, Father, you aren’t like this,” I said. “You can…” But I never got to finish my sentence. At that moment, my son, small and brave, ran through the alternate door to the master bedroom, his small knife raised above his head like a tiny Amazonian warrior.
“Let go of my mommy!” Anthony said, plunging the knife into Father Lanagan’s stomach. The priest howled in pain, and I ran forward, grabbing his gun hand just as he was aiming at my son. I pushed it up with all of my strength, and the shot went high, blowing apart a dresser drawer. I took the knife and shoved it directly through his right eye. His other eye widened in surprise, the bloody tears coming faster for a moment, then he slumped to the floor. My heart racing, I grabbed the gun out of his hand, making sure it wasn’t pointed at my son or wife in case he had the strength to pull the trigger one last time.
And, as it turns out, he did. The last shot went through the window, the tinkling of glass mixing with the ringing in my ears from the gunshots at such a close distance, and then I had the revolver out of his hand, putting it in my back pocket, sighing.
“Let’s get out of this madhouse of a town,” I said to my wife. She just cried and hugged me, putting her face against my shoulder for a few moments. Then we ran outside, grabbing some bottled water and canned foods on the way and throwing them in a plastic bag.
I drove out of there as fast as I could, quickly entering the fields and woods at the edge of town. But just as I was about to cross over into the next town, I found that the road was blocked.
Dozens of bodies were stacked one on top of another, across the road and the sides of the road. There was no possible way around them. Half of them were naked or wearing torn rags, and some of them still twitched and moaned. They were all crying blood, vomiting gore that ran down the group. I pulled over, putting my head against the steering wheel and crying.
I tried calling for help, but no phone calls would connect. The internet still worked, so I wrote up what had happened. In case my family and I don’t make it out of here, I wanted someone to know what really happened in my town.
Sighing in frustration and despair, grabbing the revolver and handing the butcher knife to my wife, we all got out of the car and started walking.

My (31M) ex (26F) broke up with me originally the week before thanksgiving. The relationship lasted a little over 6 months prior to this. The reason being that I said things at times that hurt her feelings, things that she was very sensitive about. My intention was never to be hurtful, and I felt horrible in the aftermath. We tried to talk through it and I apologized, but she was starting to feel anxiety and depression in her life, and decided breaking up was the best option. We both felt that we could take some time apart and maybe come back stronger, and she told me that she really hopes we have a future together.
Other than the 3-4 instances where I upset her, we had a great relationship. We are very compatible, have similar interests, cohabitate easily and have a great sex life. We both admitted to each other that this was the best relationship either of us have ever been in, and had serious discussions about the future (she brought up these future talks, about marriage, kids, etc)
We saw each other several weeks later, and tried to work it out. But she told me that she doesn’t feel any different and she is still anxious and needs to take some time to work on herself. She does have issues that are not related to our relationship, which I agree need to be addressed. We both see therapists and did while we were dating. So I agreed.
We went no contact for 2-3 weeks before she reached out again. We started talking and met up, had a great few nights together, but the last night I spent with her she had a panic attack and I stayed up most of the night trying to comfort her. Several days later she told me she couldn’t be in a relationship with anyone, for the same reasons as before. I agreed and told her I would be there for her if she needed anything, etc. We met for drinks a few days later, and things didn’t end very well. I saw flirty messages from another (married) man, so I asked about that and she said that that has been happening since she broke up with me, and to think nothing of it. I don’t believe she was being dishonest, but the fact that I called her out upset her, and she left the bar. She blocked me from talking to her, and that was it.
Then about 5-6 weeks later (2 weeks ago from now) she reached out and asked a question about work (we work for the same company, but different shifts/days). I told her sure, can we hash some things out as well because I don’t like the feeling of animosity. She said she didn’t see any positives in doing that, so I just apologized for hurting her in the past. Which at that point was all I really wanted to say. But she then asked how I was doing, she showed me something’s she’s done to update her house, we met for beers, slept together, she left for work in the morning and the last thing she has said to me in person was “I love you”
She initiated conversations the next week or so, and I asked if we could meet up again to actually have a conversation about us, and what her expectations were. I was confused, but I love her and I don’t think any of the issues we had were unsolvable. She said she didn’t think that was a good idea, it doesn’t facilitate moving on, and that she started seeing someone earlier in the week.
I expected that to be what happened eventually, but I don’t understand why she reached out 2 weeks ago, met with me, messaged me, we were being cordial, only to tell me to move on and she’s seeing someone new. I told her she deserves to be happy and have not spoken to or heard from her since.
I am very upset by this, I was in the process of healing from a break up I didn’t want, was pulled out of that by her, only to be told she has someone new. I feel like that was mean of her and I’m unsure if I should just leave her be or tell her how hurt I am? I do love her very much, and I consider her to be a friend. I don’t think she was trying to be hurtful to me, but honestly I don’t really know. I am sad and confused.
TLDR- ex broke up with me months ago, reached out several times since then, last time she reached out things went ok, until she says we need to move on she’s started seeing someone new.

My patience for you while you heal from your last breakup is entirely self-serving. I am not the saint you think I am.
Many years ago, I kept an emotional stranglehold on a man (X) in his next relationship, really similarly to how your ex still has a hold on your heart. Except your ex is innocent. I was toxic.
-
X and I never meant to fall in love. We were just having fun. I was poly and he was monogamous. We knew it could never last. Stupid.
When X decided to date someone new monogamously, we had to break up. In denial of our feelings, we decided to stay friends.
X never physically cheated, but I remember the balm on my heartbreak when "catching up as friends over coffee" turned into a lingering afternoon and then clearing our schedules and getting dinner and just doing everything and nothing together for hours and hours on end. It was a balm on my heartbreak, to feel that neither of us wanted to say goodbye, ever. Strangers would compliment us as a couple as we walked around in public. It was torture.
One time I had the courage to ask X about his new girlfriend (Z). I still remember his eyes welling up as he told me "It went too fast, I'm not over you, I need to slow things down". His lips were quivering. I hated that I loved seeing that he was just as heartbroken as I was.
This went on for way too long.
He almost lost his job. He almost lost his girlfriend. He worked through it, despite our mutual bad behavior. I am so proud of him, and so ashamed of myself.
-
In our timeline today, I am the Z to your X, except you're not even in contact with your ex. I see you trying so hard to move on, taking things slowly with me. I would have left you a long time ago if I weren't still carrying so much of this specific guilt from my past.
Every time I care for you, I feel a weight off from my past. Every time I shine a light where you feel broken and kiss you there anyway, I feel like my debt is slowly being paid.
I like you a lot, and I'm here for you. But what I haven't told you is that I'm really here for myself.

I'm not sure why exactly this movie randomly popped up on my Netflix suggestions last night. The little angel-devil pair on my shoulders were having a hell of a time with it, though.
"You can't watch a Christmas movie in March!"
"Sure you can! If you're watching alone, who's to stop you?"
"Oh sure, why not? Why don't we just keep Christmas decorations up year round and replace milk with eggnog while we're at it?"
"Now we're talking!"
But I digress...
Anyway, I haven't had the best run recently with movies. I've either turned them off halfway through, half watched them over my cell phone screen, or finished them but forgotten them by the next day. However, seeing as how my recent re-watch of the Rescuers and the Rescuers Down Under went so well, I decided if anything was going to get me back into the movie watching spirit, it'd be an animated movie.
And holy reindeer on ice skates did this movie deliver!
I'm sure others have already reviewed this movie to pieces and most of what I'm about to say has already been said. But honestly, this movie is just what I needed right now. Not only is it now one of my favorite Christmas movies, second only to Muppets Christmas Carol. It is also one of my top 10 animated movies of all time.
So let me just start by saying, on a random side note, that I got mild Emperor's New Groove vibes when I first started watching this. Mostly because Jason Schwartzman sounds so close to David Spade. And the similar premise of this spoiled, somewhat bratty adult being forced out into the real world in order to learn and grow and change his ways. But the movie quickly veered away from that sort of full-on comedy/parody and had a really nice balance between lighthearted comedy and quiet stillness.
First, I have to talk about the animation because it is just stunning! The use of shading on conventional 2D animation was just magnificent. The characters were able to emote and move so effortlessly and uniquely. And the backgrounds, especially the wide shots of Smeerensburg and the scenes in the forest with all the bird houses, were just sensational to me. They were so detailed, so full of character and emotion. It almost reminded me of a pop-up book at times.
And speaking of emotion, the subtle bits of comedy, especially when Jesper first arrives in Smeerensburg, had me crying I was laughing so hard. The little girls with the carrots, slowly impaling the snowman as they stared at Jesper. The antics of Ellingboes versus the Krums were so entertaining and well done. And the voice acting couldn't have been better. Simmons, Schwartzman and Jones (Jesper, Klaus and Alva) all did spectacular in their voice roles. And not once did I feel like they were just actors in a sound booth, reading off a script. They brought the characters to life. Gave them personality, emotions, reactions.
As far as music/background went, I felt there was a nice balance of this as well. A few vocal/more popish songs. But also a nice blend of quiet instrumental pieces. Again, the scenes in the woods, with the snow and leaves gently swirling around while the wooden bird houses clack softly against each other. It didn't overwhelm the story or characters, but it also wasn't forgettable.
All in all, I loved this movie so much! And while I wish we could see more of these loveable characters, in a TV series or sequel/prequal, I also feel that it stands alone just fine and I am happy to re-watch it as much as possible, if only to visit these dear friends one more time.

I’m sure you have heard the name Matthew Lillard. His face has been all over the internet, he’s also starring in the FNAF movie. In fact he has been in several movies. One of his first being the movie “Scream”.
He has stated fairly recently his grown dislike for horror movies, as well as acting in them. His reasoning was valid, but it was also a lie. If you ask him about why he has this aversion, he will either outright lie, or change the subject entirely. That’s because he can’t discuss it, open investigation and all. As well as how deeply and personally these events affected him.
This is the story about the making of the Stalking of Robert Anderson. The movie was to be pretty straight forward, a typical average man named Robert Anderson is being stalked. He is being stalked by an entity known as Legion, for they are many.
Throughout the course of the film, Roberts slowly goes mad and takes his own life. Matthew Lillard was set to play Roberts. But it was all fake, right? Surely this couldn’t have been a traumatizing experience for Matthew Lillard. I mean, he’s played a murderous high school student in the past.
Here’s where it gets messy, and dark, and insane. The director has a style similar to Stanley Kubrick in the shining. He had a specific way Matthew was to portray his character, and ensured Matthew was adequately able to play this role.
First he was expected to self isolate away from friends and family a whole month before filming. Second, he was to eat very little during this self imposed isolation, as well as attend eighteen hour long zoom meetings about the film. He was sleep deprived, tense, and isolated. His eyes began to look tired and blood shot on the third day.
By the time of filming he was a nervous wreck, but the director wasn’t finished with him yet. After each day of filming, Matthew had to stay in an old abandoned building with the rest of the cast, no privacy, no space.
He started to see things, his paranoia becoming more real each day. His co-star Samantha began to seriously worry about him. Her concerns were ignored but she was tasked to spend much more time with Matthew. This was not out of concern, but so Samantha would begin to truly feel the worry and fear her character was supposed to feel for her husband.
Then Matthew was genuinely being stalked, only exacerbating his paranoia and stress. The ending was supposed to be a snuff film, but someone found out and contacted the police.
It took a long time and several years of psychotherapy to recover from his experience, he’s likely still dealing with its after effects. The director was never found. Matthew Lillard, having been the only celebrity actor to work on the film, was kept entirely in the dark on everything. Including the director’s and actor’s real names.
The film had been scraped and no copy of it exists.

YouTube is the top platform for avid travelers to showcase their love for exploration and adventure. Let these 11 travel YouTubers inspire you to book a flight and get out there!
In the past decade, living the nomadic lifestyle has exploded in popularity, and travel bloggers that are looking to stand out have flocked to YouTube to vlog about their travels instead. The video-based platform is the largest of its kind, a massive search engine owned by Google that offers travelers the chance to monetize their content as they grow their audience.
With so many unique people, places, and perspectives in the world, it's no wonder these content creators have chosen to take the more visual route of sharing their experiences with the world. Videos give these explorers the opportunity to showcase their personality and to relay information that resonates and connects with viewers more than your average blog post could ever do.
Vlogging makes travel personal. There's something about speaking directly to an audience, looking them in the eyes, and taking them along with you on your travels that gets wanderlusters hooked.
If you aren't able to travel but need a little inspiration, you can simply head over to a travel vlogger's YouTube channel and watch them take on the world. With the ability to live vicariously through these YouTube personalities at the touch of a play button, the joy and magic of world travel becomes widespread.
A boring workweek in the office can be escaped when you see through the eyes of a travel vlogger. Not only has technology made visuals that much more stunning to marvel at, but creators have given their channels a life of their own. With engaging storytelling, fresh creativity, clever editing, and informative details, YouTube vloggers and creators can share their expertise and teach aspiring or soon-to-be travelers how to navigate the unfamiliar.
With so much travel-related content existing on YouTube today, it can be hard to sift through the thousands upon thousands of Youtube travel channels to find who produces the best travel video blogs.
Quality and consistency are what make a YouTube channel stand out from the crowd, along with a unique perspective that creates an engaging experience for the viewer. It's important for the best travel YouTubers to inspire, inform, and to create content that gets the mind racing with possibilities.
Ready to embrace the spirit of travel? Grab your comfiest pillow and some snacks as you watch these travel YouTubers take the world by storm! We took the best travel channels on YouTube and narrowed it down to this list of top travel YouTubers to follow in 2022.
Check them out, find your feet, and start planning that trip you've always dreamed of.

Top 11 travel YouTubers to follow in 2022

1. Sailing La Vagabonde

These two Australians have lived out their dream of sailing the oceans of the world with absolutely no previous sailing experience. Elayna and Riley are living every traveler's wildest fantasy, to live on a boat, smelling the salty ocean air, and sailing into the sunset as each day comes to a close. They even sail with their new baby, Lenny!
The seafaring couple uploads new videos every Monday that include helpful information for those who are looking to start sailing too! After traveling over 50,000 nautical miles, they have the experience and the know-how to get aspiring sailors out there riding the waves and fulfilling their goal of traveling the world by sea.
Check out Elayna and Riley's website to learn more.

2. Fearless and Far

If you're looking for a taste of the bizarre and extreme sides of travel, Mike Corey is your man. Mike is always on the hunt for weird and unheard-of world travel experiences that spark that sense of adventure in his viewers. He has vlogged about his time at the Exploding Hammer Festival in Mexico, experienced a Kambo Cleanse ritual in Amazonia, and so much more.
Mike is incredibly creative and has amazing skills when it comes to shooting and editing videos. The way he tells a story is not only engaging, but really fun to watch! His YouTube channel is a brilliant smorgasbord of crazy experiences that stretches the imagination and piques curiosity one might have about a certain destination. "Fearless" is the perfect word to describe Mike and his travels!
Check out Mike's website to learn more.

1. Dave and Deb
   This adventure couple has traveled to over 100 countries on every continent and lives by the motto "adventure is for everyone." They have been married for twenty years and were looking for something more out of life when they decided to create The Planet D. Forbes has named them one of the top 10 travel influencers in the world! In 2008, they started turning their passion for travel into their full-time job.
   

Dave and Deb share an inspiring message — that you don't have to be rich, adventure-enthusiasts, fit as a fiddle, or a young millennial to travel the world! They love diving into all sorts of unique experiences, and are a valuable source of information for anyone looking to incorporate adventure into their life on a more consistent basis.

4. Drew Binsky

After studying abroad in Prague in 2012, Drew caught the travel bug and hasn't slowed down since. He taught English in Korea and upon leaving in 2015, he used his travel blog and social media to propel him around the world. Today, he has traveled to over 150 countries and has been supported by countless big names such as Lonely Planet, GoPro, Elite Daily, and Huffington Post. He's even a 2x Guinness World Record holder!
He's on a mission to visit every country on earth, and uploads videos of his ongoing journey. Check out his blog and videos for more on the best ways to save money while traveling the world and to hear all his crazy travel stories he has amassed over the years.

5. The Bucket List Family

The Gee family describes themselves as "just your 'average' family working from all around the world as Family Travel Journalists." Of course, when they say "average", they are playing on the idea that an average family is settled down in a nice home, married with kids, and working a normal job to pay the bills. This adventure-fueled family decided they weren't done exploring the world and discovering what life had in store for them, so they opted to skip the whole "settling down" stereotype.
In 2015, they took a huge leap and sold everything in the name of travel and are thankful every day that they were brave enough to do so. Since then, they have explored the globe with their three small children and are having a blast!
Check out the Gee family's website to learn more about this anything-but-average wholesome little family.

6. Travel Yourself

Cailin O'Neil is a Canadian solo travel blogger who creates travel videos detailing the good and bad sides of travel. She loves embarking on new trips and her content is always packed with positive energy! The experience versus the destination is her main focus, and she has a blast trying the various different foods in each country she visits.
The useful tidbits of information and "City in a Minute" videos that she shares about the popular destinations she explores is really helpful to her viewers. Take a look at her travel YouTube channel to see how to get around a certain destination and to learn about the ins and outs of solo travel.
Check out Cailin's website to learn more.

7. Lost LeBlanc

Christian LeBlanc is a travel vlogger whose passion for seeing the world translates into everything he does. From the way he talks about landing somewhere new to the quality and efforts he puts into his videos — this guy lives to travel. With this passion, he strives to motivate people to follow their own desires to see the world. He's big on getting out of your comfort zone and enjoying life to the fullest.
His rightfully dubbed viewership, "Team Get Lost", is becoming a quickly growing community of equally passionate travelers who watch Christian's videos to ignite their wanderlust. Follow his YouTube travel videos and you'll discover a world of possibilities you hadn't thought about before.
Check out Christian's website to learn more.

8. Hopscotch the Globe

Kristen and Siya are pros at globetrotting and post tons of helpful content on their YouTube channel for adventurers to learn and grow from. They make traveling with a newborn look like a breeze! You'll find that their channel is a gold mine full of endless resources on how to embrace the minimalist travel mindset and travel light, eco-friendly, zero waste, and more.
They have such interesting ideas for content that they are able to flesh out and present in creative and engaging ways. There's a realness to their brand that inspires viewers to perfect their travel habits and to think outside of the box about how to travel on a budget. Check them out to have a few laughs and to prepare for your next trip!
Check out Kirsten and Siya's website to learn more.

9. Wolter's World

If honest travel advice is what you're looking for, you'll find it on the travel YouTube channel Wolter's World! Mark and Jocelyn and their two kiddos have been all over the world, vlogging about their experiences along the way so that other travelers can watch their content and be more prepared for their upcoming trips. They offer practical tips and guidance about world travel, without the fluff.
Tired of seeing travel YouTubers produce exciting videos without any valuable information in it, Wolter's World set out to create a travel channel that tells it like it is. You'll see the ups and downs that they experience throughout their journey, educating their audience on what matters most — the experience.
Check out Mark and Jocelyn's website to learn more.

10. Hey Nadine

Nadine is a fun-loving travel vlogger who documents her adventures around the world. Her travel YouTube channel has videos with tips, hacks, packing guides, and destination advice on all of the many countries she's visited within the past six years. She always finds a way to make her videos funny and relatable, which makes her a blast to learn from.
The energy that emanates from Nadine's storytelling abilities is infectious and she inspires young travelers everywhere to find creative ways to find adventure. Her viewers trust her authoritative voice when it comes to anything travel-related, so you can bet her content is loaded with relevant and beneficial travel information!
Check out Nadine's website to learn more.

11. Kara and Nate

This married travel duo from Nashville, Tennessee have been traveling the world for over two years, uploading a whopping six videos a week to their travel YouTube channel. They hope to travel to 100 countries by 2020! You can find everything on their channel from destination secrets to dealing with getting sick on the road. If you can believe it, they have over 500 videos on their channel and have grown their audience so quickly for beginning their life of travel just a few years ago.
On their website, you'll find their videos are categorized by country to make it easier for their viewers to find relevant information for their own trip planning. Kara and Nate are well on their way to 100 countries, so make sure you don't miss the videos they'll post when they hit their goal!
Check out Kara and Nate's website to learn more

This drama seems to be all over the place.
I discovered it here, where some refugees from massachusetts is trying to plead for help from neighboring subreddits:

A new moderator has been added (making him pretty much the only active moderator) who seems to have taken it upon himself to ban, lock, and remove any and all comments that he doesn't politically agree with, and especially those that criticize his actions as a moderator. Multiple posts have been locked and removed with dozens of members banned calling him out on his abusive actions as a moderator

That post led me down the rabbit hole of another thread, since removed (reveddit link). In it, a brave commenter notes:

Everyone in here is getting banned, nice to know you guys. Hopefully mods do what is right and remove the new power-hungry mod, but I’m losing hope. The guy is an admitted sadist who wants nothing more than to push his own politics.

Another notes:

They're completely unhinged and power tripping. They were heavily down voted in the last post and locked it after a few hours.
They also deleted a bunch of comments in the thread discussing whether or not they should be a mod. If that's not power tripping idk man.

So the proverbial "power-tripping mod" says his piece here:

I have been "cleaning house" as it were. Not everyone is happy about that, but those people are not the kind of people we want in our community.
....
What we have here is the "new guy" (that's me, I've been here for 3 months, since January 1, 2023), doing what they need to do to keep the Subreddit from being BANNED. Because if I did not crack down on hate speech and take a more active role, that was going to be the outcome. And we have a few people who dislike the changes and the people implementing those changes.
Anyone not happy with the changes is not only welcome to leave, but you're also encouraged to leave. We respect our community and our members, not to have them subject to your nonsense.hat hat

So is that what's going on? Is the mod just removing awfulness and toxicity and getting a bad rap? Well, you be the judge. The mod left up this thread, in which the unwashed masses of massachusetts -- fed up with the mod's antics -- announce a new, alternative sub, Massachusetts_US. (The front page of that new sub is like a basket full of angry cats dunked into a ice cold bath.)
The thread that the mod left up seems reasonable. A couple of removed comments, but that's expected. By and large, it seems reasonable: Don't like having no racists here, you can leave. Cool.
But what did that thread look like before the mod santized it? Ahhhh, reveddit. Some of the removed comments:

The problem is, that post was NOT hate speech at all. All that person that wanted to know if there was any person like them that were receiving hate for people like him.
That doesn't constitute hate speech and that there should be an open dialog about that those situations, regardless of how you see things. Your moderation is much too strict and I suggest allowing people to post these types of opinions and do your job as a moderator of handling discourse.

and

Hiding behind "hate speech" is pretty weak. Is there a definition of hate speech that is used to judge every post or is it just up to whatever you wish to silence?

This drama is ongoing.

This is my journey to becoming a Multi-Orgasmic man, and why I feel it should be essential training for every male.
Every time my ex-wife and I had sex, her personal goal was to get me off, and the faster the better. I was fit, in my mid-20s, good-looking, and a dad. And while I enjoyed her attention and efforts in the beginning, I was concerned with her apparent lack of interest or need in getting off herself. No reason for her not to really enjoy our sack time. But in her mind, she valued her abilities as a sex partner on how fast she could make a guy come. She rarely had an orgasm. In time I became an oral sex expert and would spend not less than 45 minutes with my tongue numb from going down on her just to get her off since there was no way I could last that long fucking her. I tried everything, and still, the best I could do was perhaps 10 minutes and she was nowhere near close to orgasm and I was coming all over the place, completely spent, and that was a marathon event for us.
I began to have some anxiety about this, which considering the brain is our largest and most important sex organ, was an issue given my situation. I wanted to last longer, fuck her until she came, and then be able to hold off on her efforts to get me off. Then Viagra hit the market, about $20 a pill back then, and the only prescription drug if you had no erection. I was still having great erections, so no need. However, I thought that perhaps if I took one, I might be able to come the first time and then go again a second time, but never tried this approach.
Finally, I decided to discover a way to increase my ability to hold off my orgasm. I tried OraJel, on my cock head, then a condom, and sure, took some time to overcome that numb cock, but it was not fun so what was the point?
Then I bought a book called “ESO - Extended Sexual Orgasm”, read it completely, and secretly started doing some of the exercises and workouts described in the book. I was lucky that I had a job where weekly travel was required so I almost always had long periods of time driving and or staying in hotels, which gave me alone time to practice and exercise. I then found a book called “The Multi-Orgasmic Man” by Mantak Chia. Read that and now both books traveled with me as I spent hours a day doing Kegels, strengthening my pelvic floor while I drove from place to place. Yes, you can do hundreds and then thousands of Kegels while driving, and that work pays off. More in a bit.
Lastly, I would spend time daily masturbating, but in a way less fun, more technical way than you think. What I learned in my reading and other research is simple. Orgasms and Ejaculation are not the same and are in fact, two separate bodily functions, capable of happening one without the other, at will.
I soon discovered that with a strong pelvic floor (The result of hundreds of thousands of Kegels, and still growing stronger) you can have an orgasm without ejaculating, once you know exactly where you are in your arousal state. That means I use a scale of 1-10 for arousal, 1 is none, and 10 is ejaculation. Nightly, I would put porn on the laptop, and let my cock go from soft to raging hard, stroking and playing with it while consciously noting along the way where I was, exactly, on my 1 to 10 scale. Then once fully erect, I would start to stimulate myself and work up to various levels, then letting the arousal fall back down with no stimulation, over and over and over again. Once you get to say 7-8 on the 10 scale so that I was fully engaged, turned on, and close but not there yet, you have to learn to stay in this range without rushing over the edge. And this is where the magic happens. After months and months of practice, edging and working up to but not falling off the edge at 10 and coming, I would play with my cock. Night after night. As often as I could.
Sure, sometimes I would fail, an ejaculation sneaks past my best efforts and I would cum. But all you can do is enjoy it and then wait and start over again. The goal is this - get to a level 9, without going over the edge, and then use Kegels to contract your muscles, rhythmically squeeze them, and thrust as if you are ejaculating, until you feel your orgasm roll over you. That’s the sensation the first time it happened to me. It was not that satisfying, yet, but I felt like I controlled it and partly made it happen, and kept expecting to see or feel ejaculation, and when I didn't I knew I was on to something big!
Was it as good as an orgasm and ejaculation all at once? No. Not the first time, but it was still very good. What was better was that I had an orgasm, did NOT ejaculate, and my cock was still diamond-cutter hard, raging red, and ready to explode! After I caught my breath and my arousal had dropped back down to say 7 on the scale, I started jacking off again, cautiously at first then harder than before, pre-cum flowing like crazy from the tip of my cock, and again, when I got to level 9, squeezed my Kegels, and I squeezed into a second orgasm and still no ejaculation!
Voila… I was multi-orgasmic. After many months more of my practice sessions, thousands more Kegels, and a personal best of 4 orgasms (3 without ejaculation, the last one with), in about an hour of playing by myself, I felt I was ready to share my new abilities with my wife.
For months now she had, I think, subtly noticed that I was able to fuck her a little longer each time, stopping along the way to have my silent orgasm, then keep going. She kept asking me what was wrong, then she would work even harder to get me off, using all of her tricks that would push me over the edge. Finally, after I felt I was ready to showcase my newfound skills with her, I planned a romantic evening, the kids were in bed and asleep and I told her what I had been doing for the past 14 months while away working and traveling. She was a little cautious, asked me why I would do this, and I could tell she felt betrayed, which was NOT what I had expected. Once I made her understand the reasons for my desire to hold off, so that she too could orgasm just from my cock fucking her pussy, she was willing to let me do my thing.
45 minutes later she had her second orgasm while we fucked and I had my 4th. It was amazing for us both, but she seemed off, and I realized she had just lost her one thing in the bedroom that obviously was a source of her pride and personal views of herself as a woman. I had taken back my sexuality and control over my orgasms.
That was the beginning of the end of our marriage, which had other issues that she had refused to address in therapy and we were divorced a few years later.
Here’s the takeaway from my experience. Own your sexuality. Do whatever you have to within reason to practice and take control over your own pleasure. It is NOT someone else's fault or responsibility. Stop making excuses. If you are unfit or overweight, start there first. Get in shape and lose some weight. And don’t worry about what your partner says or thinks… did I want a divorce, no. But I have kept my multi-orgasmic skills since learning them, and she now has to deal with guys who cannot fuck her long enough to get her off. And every single woman I have been with since has been amazed and enthralled with my ability to fuck as long as I want. In fact, my personal best was 27 orgasms in over 3 hours of straight fucking until I thought we both would die from sex!
Performance anxiety-induced ED is not an issue so long as your mind knows you have this ability. Cumming is not an issue so long as you know you can fuck and cum at will. And as men, we know that visual stimuli (Porn, etc) can create an increased heightened response, but even with all the added stimuli in the world in front of you, these skills still overcome such extreme eroticism. Confidence in your abilities in bed is the single greatest aphrodisiac in the world, and no one can take that away from you once you master your abilities and are multi-orgasmic. You have nothing to lose, except a year of time and practice, and the cost of a book or two.
I cannot think of a single better gift to give yourself than full control over your own sexuality and sexual performance.

Hello everyone. Hope y'all are doing great. So I made it to Laura's chapter and when given the choice to use the syringe on Travis, I didn't press the prompt, and ultimately I made it to the point, where she shot him and I got the Travis will kill you message.
Honestly it all happened so quickly and since the game was pushing me to trust Travis, I assumed I have the choice to not "betray" him. However after the way things unfolded, it left a bitter taste in my mouth that Laura will die, bc of this. So my question is, is it worth it to abandon this plathrough and consider starting a new one?
With Until Dawn, I felt that all my character deaths were more or less earned, but in the Quarry, it seems I am being punished for respecting the games mechanics.

Don’t usually post much, but wanted to share a new achievement. Being a 17-handicap, I usually shoot anywhere from high 80s to high 90s. But yesterday, everything just clicked and shot a 81 (7.3 differential). Didn’t lose a single ball, and had 11 pars (with 6 bogeys and a triple). I’m still in awe, and just wanted to share. Now my handicap is down to a 14.6!

Our story is a bit different from most. I (48 F) and my BS (63 M) have been married for 28 years. For 3 years I had an PA and EA with my work mate. I knew my BS may have suspected something was off but I continued to gaslight him during this time. It got to the point that I couldn’t keep lying to him and the guilt was eating at me. So I broke it off with AP, and confessed to my husband. But my AP took revenge by texting my husband explcit photos of us together and mocking my husband through texts until my BS blocked him. I was never shown these texts but my husband told me one of the comments he said was, “I made a good wh*e out of your life partner.” So I assume whatever else he said were along these lines.
My husband has a history of depression and anxiety and almost committed su*cide after receiving this. I only found out because I found the baggy of pills he was going to take and confronted him. That’s when he told me about the texts. He promised me he wouldn’t go that route again and hasn’t.
My sister also received texts from AP revealing our affair along with derogatory comments about me. I still don’t know how AP got their numbers. I assume he went in my phone one day without my knowledge and took them. So then my family knew and ostracized me. In the weeks to follow, I could tell non-family of our small town knew as well. I’m not sure who told them- maybe family, maybe AP. But this isolated me from most people I used to be able to count on. Some of my friends cut me off and others I distanced myself from because I did not want to face them seeing me different, which I now regret. D-day was 4 years ago.
It was around the Covid lockdowns when this happened so I started working from home under the same company. In the last 4 years, I’ve stayed home and done all I could to to mend what I’ve broken. I could tell this broke my husband… During the 3 years of my affair, I became distant and my BS and I only had sex about once a month. I’ll admit that even before this, I was distant and we didn’t have much intimacy. I chalked it up as low libido. But I was sad, insecure, and desired self-validation which led to the affair. And I had started to take my innocently passionate and loving husband for granted.
So for four years I’ve been working from home. I’ve held it off, but now my bosses are demanding I come back in person or lose this job. We live in a rural town in the mountains. I’ve checked and the nearest job opening that’s hiring is about 5 hours away which is impractical. I know my husband has liked me at home because it makes him feel secure. But I’d honestly welcome going back to work in person because for a while now, staying at home so much has been taxing. I’m introverted by nature and I don’t mind my own company. But I’m so weary of it. It’s just been my husband and I for the longest (we have a grown son that’s moved out. But we will adopt a kid soon, hopefully). And I feel like I’m suffocating. We do extra curriculars together in and outside of the house about 3x a week so I do get out. I have very few people in my life still. My sister and mother began talking to me a more. But I’d like to make more human connection. I enjoy my job and I miss going out to work.
So what should I do? Do I continue with this job and ask for different work hours than ex-AP? AP works in the same building but has changed to a night shift since the affair which makes this easier. With different hours I won’t see him. Or do I find another online job-opening and continue to stay home?
Oh yeah, and we haven’t had PIV sex for the entire four years. We did in the weeks following d-day. But my BS kicked me out of our room a bit after that. And I’ve been living in the spare room ever since. After a while, he would allow me inside the room for non-piv sex, no oral. And in the 4 times total we’ve tried PIV sex, he always stops midway and says he can’t do this. I know this level of self-control has been hard for him because he’s always had a high-libido. but he’s always been a level-headed and honorable man. So we stopped trying and here we are. I assume it might be tied to whatever AP showed or told him which he has scarcely talked about. 2 weeks ago, he’s allowed me back in our bedroom to stay. And I’m so grateful for it.
He finally told me months ago that apart from the emotional turmoil and mind movies, he discontinued these types of intimacy because he wanted to test me to see if I was really for him. He wanted to see if I would give up on reconciliation or lessen my effort in our relationship. And he says he finally feels ready to “restore my conjugal rights” because he trusts me more and feels safer with me now. I know he is still struggling with the pain. But we are in IC and MC has helped.
So we planned a pretty extravagant (for us) birthday party for him next weekend. It will be an intimate lunch party at our home with family and then a dinner-dance birthday shindig at a nice hotel with (mostly his) friends and joint family. But it really serves to be our secret recommitment/second honeymoon as no one knows we’ve been sex-free the last couple of years. He’s planned that after the party, we will retire to our hotel room the next couple of days and re-consummate our marriage. It sounds sweet and I’m really looking forward to it. But I’m afraid this sexual intimacy may unwillingly bring up internal feelings of rejection and humiliation for him (tips on how to help him with this during sexual intimacy is appreciated). And he seems at peace and says he’s really looking forward to it. He told me that for a while now he’s honestly been really desiring to make love with me again. But he forced himself to hold off to continue to test me, and monitor if I remain faithful, communicative and loving towards him. He says I've “passed the test” and he’s ready to give himself to me again… He’s even outlined terms to this. He’s politely made known to me that he would like to make love and recieve oral at least 2 times a week. But honestly he would like more sexual intimacy per week if I’m up to it. I happily agreed.
I know he still loves me. He has always been one to love with all his heart, especially me. I know I destroyed the sacredness between us and the innocence of our union. And now he’s told me that he’s afraid that when he accepts me completely and we start having sex again, I’ll turn on him and show him less attention and true respect. He’s afraid I’ll revert to not valuing him as much as I should and take him for granted again.
Pertaining to me going back to work in person, he says he allows it. But as to how he feels about it, I’ll have to ask him after our honeymoon #2. I know there’s a part of him that feels jealousy and fear at having me go back. But he’s said the decision is up to me. So in light of our present circumstances, how should I navigate this situation? I’d really appreciate the perspective of BS’ on this matter. Further insight on everything and my BS is truly welcomed and appreciated! I’d like further understanding from the eyes of a BS.
TLDR; Upcoming recommitment/honeymoon-birthday celebration after 4 years of no PIV sex. Is it okay so work in person where AP works (with different work hours) after 4 years of working from home in the wake of our new beginning?

Hi everyone! So far I’ve only been lurking around in this sub but I finally started playing a game that makes me want to say a couple words about it.
I’ve been putting off playing Witcher III for a long time, mostly due to the time constraints adult life brings with it. Now that an upgrade for the new consoles has been released, I felt like this is as good a reason as any to try and get into it.
Now, a brief disclaimer. I’m only about 12 hours into the game and since I’m kind of a masochist (not really) I’m playing on the highest difficulty setting, labeled “Death March”. And with that, man, this game really manages to pull you into its world. The atmosphere feels a bit gritty, sometimes dark, and monsters that roam the world are perceived and portrayed as just something that belongs in this world. And the difficulty increases that for me. Every beast is a foe to be taken seriously and the constant danger of dying at their claws, fangs or pitchforks only improves on the tone. It also requires you to actually learn about your enemies’ weaknesses. Dangerous monsters make sense for a game world that is already subjected to war, sickness, and poverty. I can appreciate that in fantasy and specifically in a fantasy RPG that manages to weave its individual components into something that feels so believable. And, once again, this is just my impression from the beginning of the game (last night I finished a quest involving a Bloody Baron, as reference for anyone who has played the game). I hope the rest of the game can continue to deliver at this level of storytelling.
Another word on the game’s production value. The sound design itself is magnificent. I’ve never had a game made me feel the wind in the trees or the drum of rain just with its sound. This is aided by the great environmental visuals. Yeah, animations are a bit stiff at times and Geralt, your character, controls like a drunk Nico Bellic. You know, the GTA IV guy. Fighting feels a bit clunky, but nevertheless fun and challenging. So mechanics-wise, the game is okay, but not great. On a positive note on that front, however, the slow leveling progress (I’m still at level 5) feels rewarding, especially when looking at all the perks that are available for unlocking and the prospect of how powerful a witcher Geralt can become. In summary, the game hits home on so many levels, even at an early stage of the campaign.
Oh and also, I think Gwent may just become my new favorite card game.
I’m both sorry I slept on this game for so long and happy that I now get to play it in a remastered version. I can only recommend Witcher III to anyone who likes RPGs and hasn’t played it yet. Or wants to play it again.
Thanks for reading and thanks for making this subreddit an enjoyable place 🙂

Emperor Bigpip is a ageless alicorn the size of the average stallion, who has founded the empire. His traits are: iron willed, diligent, quick sleeper. His personality falls between ISFJ-ESFJ. Bigpip looks like greyish blue stallion with green eyes and blond mane. He usualy wears a purple robe with cyan stars on it. He can on occasion be seen carrying ceremonial shordswords depicted on the national flag. In actual combat though he would be using a Draconic design or a assault rifle. Due to his biological immortality he has a lot of experienced in most fields.
Bigpip's portrait, for more images click here.
Brief history of Emperor Bigpip Before Bigpip was a alicorn emperor, he was a human engineer. A misanthrope engineer who was born on a spaceship that was flying across the universe. One day they were passing a sparsly inhabited planet when their ship was shot down. He managed to survive in a emergency shuttle and landed on the planet. There he struggled to survive but was rescued by lovecraftianish cultists who have allowed him to survive. One day they were performing a ritual and he was selected for it. They were invoking a deity of transformation and Bigpip was first to make a wish. His wish was to become a ageless alicorn. To his suprise, he lost conciousness and woke up inside a spaceship. The spaceship was tiny compared to where he used to live. Repairing his new spaceship, he explored nearby planets. Almost all planets he explored hed life on them, making him question if he was still in the same universe as he was before his transformation. Eventualy he found a door, which looked like a portal. He packed his supplies and entered the portal, the doors broke after that, making him stuck on a unknown planet. He found that, the planet resembled that of the ancient cartoon "My little pony" where he got his inspiration for the alicorn form. He eventualy integrated into the local society, and found his talent for leadership. He later explored lands over seas of Equestria, then he got a ambitious idea. What if he gathered some ponies from Equestria and colonised the lands over seas under his leadership. Working diligently he succeded and founded his own nation. Working under the new ideology of Neo-Harmonism he rulered the badly named nation of Bigpipstan. Which was officialy named Anocratic empire. To learn more about his empire click here.

So my (21f) husband (23m) told me he had a new girl at his work. He told me she seemed nice, that they had a similar sense of humour and life backgrounds. I’m not a jealous person and I do believe in friendship between a man and a woman. I have guy friends, one of my husband’s best friends is a girl, and I never had to worry about anything. So when he told me all that, I didn’t think much about it. Just told him I’m happy he’s making a new friend.
Yesterday he came home a little bit drunk. Later at night, while we were laying in bed, he just randomly asked me “how can I not cheat on you?”. I froze and asked him what exactly he meant by that. He then told me he feels attraction towards the new girl and he’s afraid something might happen between them. I said “just don’t have sex with her, don’t kiss her, what do you mean how can you not cheat?”. He then said that he’s scared that he wouldn’t be able to control himself if she makes the first move (he believes she might like him back). His emotions might overcome his rationality. Now, my husband is a VERY rational person, so this phrase made me think that it’s not just attraction, it’s a crush or even something more.
We haven’t spoken since this conversations. I still don’t fucking know how to react. Should I stay calm? Should I act angry? Should I feel thankful that he openly communicated with me? What the fuck?