Taking lunesta with adderall to sleep

So a little lead up. 7 mo We haven't done any sleep training. I have tried getting baby to fall asleep on his own and it's worked a couple of times. If Im home we mostly nurse to sleep or my husband bounces him on the yoga ball to sleep. And we co sleep at night. He mostly does all of his naps in his crib and he sleeps the first part of the night in his crib albeit with frequent wake ups. Anyway I've noticed lately that when my husband comes home from work at night and gets in bed my baby has been waking up, He moves around, smiles acts like he's ready to play. Ive been letting him move around some to see if he's trying to find a more comfortable position then trying to nurse again and when that doesn't work I put him in his crib so he can be awake in a safe place since Im still tired. This happened this morning at 4:30am. After a bit in the crib he usually starts crying so I give him a few minutes to realize he's tired and I nurse him back to sleep. This morning he went back to sleep around 5:30am. But this morning he woke back up about 30 minutes later. I figured even though its 6am now he is still supposed to be asleep so I put him back in the crib again he starts crying again and this time I give it a bit longer. After a few minutes I pick him up and start rocking him, he's still crying. THIS is the part that really gets me. After a few minutes of me rocking the baby my husband sits up and motions for me to give him the baby and I do because I've been at this since 4:30. I leave the room and once I notice the crying has stopped I go check and I find my husband playing with baby! WHAT THE F! If I wanted him to be awake and playing I would have done that. Baby and I are now in the play room having awake time. I can't just take him to play every time he does this. We will be up all hours of the night. And no Husband did not have intentions of getting up out of bed he apparently had 1 goal which was to stop the crying. Baby lasted 20 or so min playing and then got cranky due to being tired and went back to sleep at 8am. A little more context, the crib is next to my side of the bed. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment with an office, the office is baby's play room due to the rest of the apartment being too dirty thanks to our 2 dogs. Also I did change his diaper at one point. And before you ask I have no idea if he is teething. I don't see any teeth. Everything has always gone in his mouth and he has been drooling since 2 mo old, actually the drooling is less lately. The only consistency I've noticed is when Dada goes to bed baby wakes up.

TLDR: I lied to my gf out of low self-esteem.
Long story short, I was very insecure in our relationship since she has a high status and gets lots of attention. When we first started dating her and her friends would call me stupid behind my back for failing a nursing class (I confronted and forgave her about this). She was best friends with her ex (they were on and off for three years) and towards the end of our relationship they got closer and it made me very uncomfortable, and I never met her over the course of two years. Then I left my homophobic family for her last October and was naturally very sad about it and she could not take my depression and how I continued to stay in nursing school and she dumped me and left me homeless and dated someone two weeks later. Also before this happened, I found out she was texting a girl I was insecure about flirty messages and she bragged to friends they made out (when I confronted her she said it was for bragging rights) We got back together a month later and I forgave her. Needless to say, my self esteem was down to 0.
This last week, I was asked by my guy friend if I wanted to move into this place is SD for 1k a month (unheard of) i told my gf and she asked me who asked and to send his instagram. I do not know what came over me and I sent my extremely hot guy friend and she got jealous, I reassured her I loved her and I felt terrible. My guy friend brought another girl to dinner and my gf wanted to ft the hot guy and I proceeded to say she did not trust me and it was chill. My guy friend ended up having a crush on me and that was why the rent was so low and she wanted to ft him to make sure I was not sleeping with him for the price. I continued the lie until the next morning and that is when I confessed everything and sent her the ugly guy and said I have such low self esteem I sent the hot guy to feel valued and it was completely wrong. She dumped me (as she should) and now thinks I am lying about everything. I do now know what came over me when I did this and I havent eaten in two days and getting sick over this because i lost someone i love.

TL;DR: my gf is family oriented, I am not, we don’t have much fun together anymore and she wants to move to iowa because her mom is moving there and because it’s green there. My mom is from iowa and moved to Arizona to give me a better life, I’ve been plenty of times, I know there’s nothing there for me. Is she out of line for forcing me to move to iowa for her parent’s sake or am I out of line for thinking about putting my wants over hers?- I did say yes to moving but feel uncomfortable about it.
Full length below:
My 26F gf and I 29M have been together for 4 years now. Our relationship has been quite dry in most manners, I still take her on dates and buy her flowers regularly, we still go on vacations, and day trips, however we’re intimate a couple times a month at most now, and every other attempt is turned down swiftly so I don’t make nearly as many attempts anymore as I was tired of rejection and this has been verbalized to her. We don’t have as much fun together as we used to, the laughs and smiles are farther apart and not as great as they used to be. I’ve told her we basically became roommates and the relationship aspect doesn’t seem to be noticeable to me, and I pointed out it wasn’t just the lack of sex for the past 3 years, it’s the lack of a relationship with one another. She doesn’t work, I get done working and ask what she wants to do or needs done, we get it done, then we’re either watching stuff or playing games either together or separately. Then it’s dinner time so I usually cook and then we go to bed. No cuddles. And I miss cuddles. She likes to lay her head on my lap when she sleeps sometimes and use me as a pillow but I get nothing to hold when she’s that far down. And I don’t like it either in general and yes I’ve said that to her. I’m super transparent.
We don’t fight or argue, she’s not confrontational and I don’t like putting her on the spot with her anxiety so we just talk calmly about things. I’ve heard all she has to say and the closer we get to making this massive decision of moving across the country together the more I wonder if I’m with the right person or not.
HERES THE SITUATION: Gf has no job, she just graduated from college, she wanted to date someone who wasn’t so tied to their family because her ex made her feel like she was dating his family instead of just him. I am not at all close with my family, I see them once a year. We see her family once a week. My mom moved from iowa to Arizona to give us more opportunities and get away from the poor lifestyle that’s available in iowa. Her mom wants to move to iowa to be away from the city and be around nicer people.
Financially, it’s more expensive to live in iowa but houses are cheaper. Minimum wage is 7.25 in iowa, it’s nearly double in az. I make 22 an hour currently.
I don’t want to move to iowa, I’ve been there many times for vacations, it’s not where I want to be. Plus my mom moved away from iowa to give me a better life so going back just sounds ridiculous. She wants to be near her parents, originally they wanted us to move in with them when we move because their daughter moved out for the first time in her life to live with me. I said hell no. I’m an adult, not a child, I’ve moved more times than her whole family has.
And again, I don’t want to go there at all, let alone move in with her parents.
So the ultimatum came in, either I move with them to iowa and we get an apartment or we break up. I compromised with as long as it’s temporary, and she said 10 years, I said that is still temporary. But when I bring up that it’s only temporary she gets upset with me saying “it’s 10 years so it’s not that temporary”. I’ve moved across states multiple times, it requires a whole lot of planning and financial goals, which will be more difficult to do in iowa. Getting out will not be easy and she doesn’t understand that.
There’s no jobs waiting for us, she just wants to be somewhere green and her mom is sold on one of the states I can’t stand to live in and she sold that dream to her daughter so “I’m stuck with it”
So here’s my question: Am I investing energy in the wrong person or am I just unhappy with the cards I’ve been dealt and need to play they hand I was given????
To give a little more context: Our first year together we had sex multiple times every day, but she got on anti depressants that killed her libido- which I completely understand first hand from my own past. She is now no longer on those meds, and her libido never came back…
She was heavily depressed and didn’t want to do anything about it and I’ve learned my lesson from that too many times so I told her she could either get help or I needed to find my peace again alone and so she got on meds. The meds greatly improved her, in comparison her depression now doesn’t affect her nearly as much as it did when we first got together but she didn’t conquer it. Her mom told her to get off her meds, and just had her taper off without any doctor’s assistance on how to taper off. When I tapered off it took about 6 months, my lil brother took over a year to taper off. Her mom is quite controlling and very manipulative. She’s a nice lady when you’re on her good side though, but there is a big difference between being a nice person and being nice for a second…
Thoughts?

I've seen older discussions about this, but I didn't know if I should revive a 2 year old post. 😅 Basically I want to try Prozac, because I've heard it helps with anxiety and increases motivation. I have huge anxiety issues and I'm tired of it controlling my life. I also get migraines, which have an unknown exact source but they do get triggered by things like fluorescent lighting, cigarette smoke, sucralose, etc.
My doctor said she didn't want to put me on Prozac due to possible interactions with imitrex. I have taken it a little more frequently lately, and I'm working with a neurologist to find out why.
So does anyone have anything bad to say about imitrex and Prozac? I also have adderall for my ADHD, but it's taken as needed and I don't really like taking it. For whatever reason, it's a guess as to how it affects me each time I take it. Sometimes adderall makes me sharp and focused, and other times I get into the "meh too much of an effort" zone.
Thanks in advance!

I am 18 months PP and my LO has been breastfeeding until now even though he takes formula in a bottle as well. He still wants to latch for comfort and honestly, the nipple playing and latching has been messing with my mental health so badly.
I tried weaning him off but he just cries and refuse to sleep even when he's so sleepy. I get headaches and body pains just by tending to him and soothing him to sleep. I just end up letting him latch because I can't take the tantrums anymore :(
For context, he drinks about six 9 oz formula milk daily or more if he demands and then latches every after bottle. I am so desperate to wean him off because my therapist says our body and hormonse takes longer to recover when we breastfeed. I am diagnosed with PPD.

Content notice: addiction, mental health TLDR; I love this game, and it helped me through a hard time, but it's not good for me anymore.
Hi there Tenno. I wanted to share an experience I've had with Warframe, which has come to be one of my favourite games, yet also one with which I have a very complex relationship. It is just my experience, and one that, as you may learn, applies distinctly to me and my life, but I wanted to share it just in case anyone else can gain something from it too.
I lost my job by redundancy around June last year, and found Warframe in September. As a big action gamer and sci-fi guy, I loved it straight away, even though I'd never been one for MMOs. Besides all its brilliant gameplay, design, and features, I think I knew early on that the stream of constant progression that the looter-shooter gameplay loop offered was, in some way, a fix for the feelings of accomplishment I had lost when I lost my job, and the power fantasy something of a crutch for my self-esteem while I felt I had lost control of my life. My wife was concerned at first, knowing the nature of free-to-play and MMO games, but I reasoned to her that it helped me survive - that while I was still putting in work on job applications and staying on top of my social life and other responsibilities, it was not a toxic relationship, and Warframe could represent a space I could use to unwind. She understood and supported me, and for a while, it felt like a sensible way for me to moderate the sometimes difficult emotions I felt around my unemployment.
Fast forward to the start of April, 2 months ago. I'd seen Dagath's Hollow, Whispers In The Walls, and Dante Unbound released. I had been playing just about every day for 7 months, had nearly every Prime Frame, my own copy of Primed Shred (and working on Primed Sure Footed), a Rank 4 Energize from Gargoyle's Cry, and was MR24. This game had been my constant companion for months, and had never stopped being rewarding as I'd continued to find new Frames and weapons to love alongside all the excellent updates. And, after months of searching, I'd also just found a job - a good job I was glad to be in - and I was getting married in May. So, I thanked Warframe for its service, reasoning that I could still play in my downtime, just not as much as when my time was my own - maybe crack Relics every so often, do weekly tasks, and slowly but surely work on some grinds to reach True Mastery.
This was not to be - or, it was, in a manner of speaking, but not how I'd hoped. My work-life balance immediately shifted, and now ALL my downtime was Warframe. I would spend my whole commute playing on my Switch; when I got home, after making dinner, I'd play all evening on PC, except when my wife and I had other plans set aside. Basically all of my free time I defaulted to playing Warframe, grinding for random weapons just to push this now arbitrary goal of progression. I was so tired from my new 9-5 I didn't have the appetite or focus for anything else, and because it had become like this constant source of dopamine, I didn't have my normal curiosity for other games, or books, or art, or any of my other hobbies. Even when I was at work I would have Warframe videos open on YouTube. It was like that Shen Comix where he takes the 'sleep' block out of his timetable to fit gaming in, except instead of sleep, the block was just all of the rest of my life. It was the first time I had considered that I might be addicted to a video game, and my wife, who knows me better than anyone, was concerned again, especially because she understood what this game now meant to me.
Addiction can a nasty word sometimes, and people may balk to hear it said about something that brings them joy, but at the very least, it became clear that this was too much of a good thing. I tried to reel my playtime in a few times, but after stressful days at work or planning our wedding, I would binge again and lose whole evenings. I felt ashamed how much I wanted to play, I lied about how much I was doing it... all the classic addiction stuff. The final straw came when I even snapped at my wife once when she asked me to spend time with her rather than play it - I had to unlock this Incarnon adapter this week, you see, and I had a good loadout this run. She was, I think, more understanding than she should have been. After that, I saw what was happening more clearly, and I uninstalled the game on every device I had.
It will remain uninstalled for a long long time, I think. I still think about it all the time, of course. I still watch the videos, though I'm trying to keep that down too; I never finished building Protea Prime; Jade looks amazing, and I even have a ticket for the Tennocon Baro Relay. But I need a serious circuit break while I figure out how I got to this place, and I am only grateful that I've had the support and encouragement I needed to come to terms with my situation.
I hope I can rely on the community's support as well, with the understanding that while this game can be a hugely uplifting and positive thing - as it was, for me, for a while - there is a dark side to the endless cycle, too. This isn't even about monetisation, as I never ever felt exploited to pay. I have lots of respect for DE and the way they've built this game with love and fostered its community alongside it, and they earned my support for that. This is hopefully just an insight into what I was (and am) feeling in myself, and how my relationship with Warframe changed around that. Maybe this resonates with someone; in many ways I hope it doesn't. But I also hope that if it does, we as a community can still be there for them even when we must take our time apart, to heal and grow in our own ways. Still lifting together.

I’m over it and I just exploded on my husband. Since our son was born, my husband has slept in until 11 am- noon every single weekend. I’ve forced myself to become a morning person bc I have no choice. Several times I have woken him up bc I’m not doing this on my own. Every time I get an attitude.
Our son is almost 2 and I’m 9 weeks pregnant with our second. I’m exhausted. I explained to him last week that it bothers me that he gets to sleep in and I’m expected to wake up and handle everything. Yet last night at 11pm he sent me a text saying he didn’t want to wake me up but he’s heading to his friends house down the street to smoke. I didn’t wake up and see the text until 1 am.
I was furious. So you get to go out and hang out with your friends in the middle of the night, not come back until 2 am and then sleep in until whenever you want?
I went and told him it was time to wake up at 11:15 in the morning….. and got an attitude. He didn’t get up. I ended up taking my son to him and saying “if you’re not going to get up then here, figure it out”
He told me I haven’t been doing anything around the house (I’m 9 weeks pregnant and keeping up with a toddler 24/7 on my own) and I’m TIRED. But before I was pregnant I would do EVERYTHING around the house.
I lost it. I got so mad and told him god forbid I take a break bc I’m pregnant and exhausted. Not to mention two of my good friends just passed away in the last month and I’m feeling depressed.
I slammed a door so hard to the point it broke. But I’m feeling like I’m living with a teenager and I’m so sick of prying him out of bed every weekend.

Hi everyone I am currently on 10mg olanzapine I take one pill each day before bed . It has been 9 months since my psychosis now I feel pretty much normal but I have the problem with my sleep ,I sleep a lot on olanzapine recently I slept for 20 hours and daily avg is 12,13 hours ,I don't know what to do ,can anyone suggest me how to deal with this situation

Hey awesome people. So sorry for the very long rant. I was diagnosed with mono May 21, so I’m going on about 2 weeks of acute symptoms. Right now, I’m coughing with congestion, have a body rash, and just want to sleep for days. Went to the grocery store yesterday and felt like I was going to collapse. I’m a pediatric speech pathologist at a VERY BUSY outpatient clinic, and I see 9-10 young patients per day, and it uses every ounce of my energry (even when I was healthy).
Basically, I was very sick with Covid in January, used all of my earned time, have been sick intermittently since, and have now had to use 2 weeks of earned time for this. I’m in the negatives of earned time balance now, and don’t qualify for FMLA since I haven’t been employed here for a year. To be honest, I don’t even care about that, it’s just so hard as a medical provider to not feel guilty about messing up therapy consistency and having to reschedule a million appointments that these families wait months for.
I have overdue notes, overdue evaluations, families that have already requested another therapist, and also families that I know will be very upset when I return. It’s just some insurmountable burden. I know that I need to put my health first, especially since families send their sick kids in all of the time. I tried to go in for one day last week to see how it’d go, and I felt absolutely terrible the next day and called out the rest of the week. I am waiting on a doctors note to return working half days to help until I feel better, but the guilt of canceling these appointments is literally eating me alive lol. This is totally a personal problem, and I have a few really supportive patients but, man. It doesn’t help that my boss keeps on asking if I “feel better” as if it’s a cold to just get over.
Idk. I need to prioritize rest otherwise I’ll be out for longer but the U.S. healthcare system and overall employment grind mentality is very evident in these situations. :(
How long did you end up taking off of work?
Sending love and a hug to anyone who needs it today <3.

Lifetime - Staked: 921.15u, Profit/Loss: +14.81u, ROI: 1.61%, Parlay Suggestions: 177-69 Dog of the Week: 13-18, Picks: 8-3 (73% accuracy)
2024 - Staked: 274.05u, Profit/Loss: -18.55u
As always, scroll down for UFC Louisville Breakdowns. The following is just a recap of last event’s results.
~UFC 302 (PREVIOUS CARD)~
Staked: 12.5u
Profit/Loss: +7.64u
ROI: 61%
Parlay Suggestions: 3-0
Dog of the week: Cesar Almeida ❌
Picks: 8-3
Underwhelming card, but as expected it was a pretty easy one to predict. The favourites were mostly consistent, and most of the expected methods of victory landed. Nice profit made for once, but I think I had some fantastic reads on the card in spots that I didn’t bet. I said I expected Poirier to be competitive, and that Islam ITD wasn’t the lock people said it was. Matthews Decision was one I wanted to bet. I warned people that Hafez or Morono were the most likely bed-shitters. Basically, I think last week’s post would have been very useful to read.
✅ 2u Sean Strickland + Over 1.5 Rounds (-130) (won +1.54u)
✅ 2u Sean Strickland in R4, 5 or by Decision (+175) (won +3.5u) (accidentally edited this to 1u on the previous post, which wasn’t the intention. It’s was originally listed as 2u, and was tracked as such on my BetMMA record).
✅ 2u Kevin Holland + Grant Dawson (+110) (won 2.2u)
❌ 2u Cesar Almeida (+125)
❌ 1u Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (+150)
✅ 2u Ailin Perez + Over 1.5 Rounds (-120) (won +1.66u)
✅ 1u Makhachev, Strickland, Holland, J. Almeida (+224) (won +2.24u)
❌ 0.5u Morono, Matthews, Hafez, Perez (+401)

~UFC Louisville~
Good to see more touring cards, and a slight step up in calibre from the usual Apex shit. Not a lot of spots I am confident in, I have to be honest…but I see a few underdogs that I’m sprinkling on.

~Jared Cannonier v Nassourdine Imavov~
Not another Nassourdine Imavov five rounder! I’m a fan of his skillset, but I think his cardio is suspect across 25 minutes, which ultimately makes his fights tricky to predict in spots like this. He’s not exactly a potent finisher, and I can’t trust him to win rounds four and five…so I think his path to victory is therefore limited by principal. A Nassourdine Imavov in a main event relies heavily on him winning R1, 2 and 3.
On the other side, Jared Cannonier is a guy I’ve never truly given the respect he deserves. A split decision win over Sean Strickland in a 25-minute fight is certainly impressive, as is the absolute beating he put on Marvin Vettori straight after* (* I believe Vettori has declined massively and is washed, so I won’t be going crazy in overreacting to that). Cannonier is a hard hitter, but he’s also gotten really comfortable in upping his volume across five round too, landing 141 and 241 significant strikes in those two aforementioned bouts respectively. The quantity didn’t dip in rounds 4 and 5 either, which is key considering my comments on Imavov’s cardio.
So I give Cannonier an advantage in R4 and 5, but what about across the other three? Well, the power advantage also goes to him, but the diversity with grappling and submission attempts falls with the Frenchman. Cannonier has started mixing takedowns into his game a bit more, which does present an opportunity for Imavov’s nasty front chokes…but other than that I’m not really sure where else I give Imavov a clear advantage outside of age and height. He’s the bigger fighter, but Cannonier is a strong dude and has looked just fine against other Middleweights (no one of Imavov’s size, to be fair).
Jared is now 40 years old, which is a bit of a dreaded number, which I think is the reasoning for this line being the way it is. People seem keen to blindly fade that age, regardless of whether it’s presented itself on tape. I see what they’re getting at, but Cannonier has put in two of his best performances of his career in his last two…I am not convinced it’s as simple as fading a 40 year old here.
So with that aside, I see far more merit to Cannonier’s side than Imavov’s, so the +100/-125 betting line feels off to me. I understand that Nassourdine just put in convincing performances against Roman Dolidze and Chris Curtis, but personally I think both of those fighters are a cut below Jared Cannonier (and I bet Nassourdine in both spots there). Cannonier would have looked good there too.
However, we have seen Imavov challenged against some of Middleweight’s common names, such as Sean Strickland and Joaquin Buckley…whilst Cannonier has looked good everywhere except against Izzy and Whittaker (he did drop a couple of rounds to Kelvin Gastelum, but it’s hardly raises alarm bells to me as Kelvin’s a tough guy to beat across 25 minutes of kickboxing).
I would personally make Cannonier the favourite here, anywhere between -125 and -150, and I assume the dreaded age of 40 is the reason for the odds here. I ask you this…if Jared Cannonier was 35, would the line be different? I believe it would be, and age is relative in MMA. It’s something to take seriously, of course, but I don’t think Cannonier even looked like he had started to decline in his most recent fight against Vettori last year.
I’ll be backing the underdog here at +100 or better. The line looks to be moving in Imavov’s favour so I will be patient.
How I line this fight: Jared Cannonier -137 (58%), Nassourdine Imavov +137 (42%)
Bet or pass: 1u Jared Cannonier to Win (+100 or better)
Prop leans: None
Live Betting Leans: If Cannonier looks to have won any of R1, 2, or 3 but is still a bettable price going into the championship rounds, I think he should be favoured to win those so could be a good entry in-play.

~Dominick Reyes v Dustin Jacoby~
This one should be fun for the live audience, but it’s an incredibly volatile fight for the bettors.
Very obvious to see why that’s the case for Dom Reyes – he’s got heaps of potential on a good day, but his chin is dust at this point. Seriously, he got knocked out cold by the jab of Ryan Spann. In a striking based fight at 205lbs, that’s all you need to know to decide that putting money on him is an uncomfortable idea.
Dustin Jacoby on the other hand is not the most potent finisher at Light Heavyweight, which immediately makes me think that Dustin isn’t the kind of guy you’d want to play executioner when he’s the favourite against someone with a flaw like Reyes’ chin. You want someone you can trust to put dudes to sleep in one punch – I don’t think that’s Jacoby (having gone the distance in seven of his 11 fights in this second UFC stint, and winning via leg kicks in one of the stoppages). Also, he’s not even particularly reliable to win rounds either, given that he was supposed to be the more technical fighter compared to Alonzo Menifield, Khalil Rountree, Azamat Murzakanov, and Maxim Grishin – where he was a moderate/big favourite every time, and never covered the price.
I still expect Jacoby to probably be the superior fighter across 15 minutes, but his -225 price tag definitely implies that a finish is expected by the oddsmakers…and I just have a whole lot less confidence that he lands it. From there, I also have less confidence that he’ll be the one winning rounds, given how easily he’s fumbled that in the past…so I just don’t see how you can have around 70% confidence in him winning here. Honestly I don’t really think Jacoby can ever justify that kind of pricetag at a UFC level when we have seen him shit the bed so many times.
On the other hand, I couldn’t trust Dominick Reyes’ chin to survive a strong gust of wind, so there’s no way I’d want to play him either. A very easy pass. I’ll pick Jacoby to win though, but I’d never bet him at this number.
In terms of thinking about props, I might be interested in looking at the Over 1.5 Rounds here, given that I disagree with the oddsmaker’s believe in Jacoby’s finishing ability. That’s going to be a horrible bet to sit through, so I’d probably need a decent price like +150 or better. We’ll see what they’re offering, but I doubt it’s that good.
How I line this fight: Dominick Reyes +175 (36%), Dustin Jacoby -175 (64%)
Bet or pass: Over 1.5 Rounds (+150 or better…no idea if that’s anywhere near what we’ll get)
Prop leans: See above

~Julian Marquez v Zach Reese~
Julian Marquez is a really fun fighter to watch, I’m glad to see him back inside the cage. He’s never been the most talented, but he’s a C+ at everything and has A grade heart. To beat him, you need to be clinical or vastly superior in one area, or Marquez might surprise you and turn the fight into a war of attrition.
Zach Reese is a 6-1 fighter that lost his debut Cody Brundage (I actually bet Brundage there, haha). Talk about fumbling the bag. He just seems like a classic DWCS fighter, who scores quick finishes against taxi drivers and then is suddenly expected to be diverse and talented enough to take on an actual trained professional that’s been competing against a much higher level for years. The difference between the regionals and the UFC has always been vast, and DWCS proves that time and time again.
Zach Reese’s longest fight time is 4 minutes and 13 seconds. He has literally never been in a fight that’s hit the second round. Julian Marquez, on the other hand, has gone longer than that in five of his 6 UFC appearances to date – and his opponents have all competed in the organisation at least five times. I genuinely think that tells you all you need to know.
And the craziest part is that Zach Reese ain’t even an inexperienced young gun. Him fumbling the debut wasn’t like Tom Nolan, a 24 year old kid that believed his own hype and got sloppy in his debut. Reese is THIRTY YEARS OLD.
The gulf in experience is massive, and the difference in age isn’t. I know Julian Marquez’s UFC record isn’t pretty at all, but how well do you think Zach Reese would fare if he faced the same opponents at the time Marquez did? I reckon he’d be 0-6.
Maybe I’m crazy, but Julian Marquez deserves better than to be a + money underdog against a literal regional opponent. Reese has tall man’s defence, he got tagged in both fights in DWCS/UFC and they were on the feet about 20 seconds combined. Yes he’s clearly got a great submission game on bottom, but Marquez has never been submitted, is a BJJ purple belt and has trained at decent camps before. He’s currently at the MMA Lab and has been training with Cannonier for this one.
I’ll be rolling the dice on the more proven fighter at +100.
How I line this fight: Julian Marquez -150 (60%), Zach Reese +150 (40%)
Bet or pass: 1u Julian Marquez to Win (+100)
Prop leans: None
Live Betting Leans: R1 finishers often have bad cardio, so if we get to the stool then Marquez is definitely worth a bet to turn the tide.

~Brunno Ferreira v Dustin Stoltzfus~
I can’t figure Dustin Stoltzfus out. He’s always presented himself as a good but one-dimensional grappler, judging by performances against high level competition such as Rodolpho Vieira and Gerald Meerschaert…but the way he showed up against Punahele Soriano made him look like a completely different guy. He was supposed to be easily outgunned on the feet there, but he looked seasoned and composed in the striking, and ultimately ended up getting a finish that I think very few people saw coming.
Brunno Ferreira is a super explosive Brazilian powerhouse that hasn’t gone past the halfway point in a fight yet. He throws heat and has that madman style, but his fights are so short I’ve no idea if he actually has any redeeming qualities from a technical or minute-winning perspective. As you probably know by now, my least favourite fighting style is ‘big strike go brrrr’. Ferreira has also had some bizarre results himself, pulling off a huge upset against Gregory Rodrigues, and then getting starched by Nursulton Ruziboev.
The only thing I know about Brunno is that he’ll go to war with an opponent that wants to meet him in the middle…I’ve no idea if Dustin Stoltzfus really wants to do that. He handled himself really well against a similar kind of style in Puna Soriano…but he’s also the same guy that got womped in under 20 seconds by Abus Magomedov.
To conclude, I think I could easily see Brunno Ferreira scoring an easy KO inside a couple of minutes, but I could also see this one looking way more competitive and close than the betting line suggests if Stoltzfus makes it to the stool. Lots of different possibilities, not a lot of confidence in any one outcome.
Brunno Ferreira kind of presents similar red flags to Zach Reese in the last breakdown. The difference between the two, and the reason I am fading Reese and not Brunno, is that I have confidence and knowledge that Marquez can handle that early chaos. I can’t say the same about Stoltzfus, so I won’t be taking a stab on him. Personally I think he’s absolutely the value side though, so if you’re someone who wants to bet every fight then absolutely take him.
I will also be picking him to win, but not because I think he does so 51% or more of the time…just because Ferreira is only known to have a limited path to victory that could easily fall apart.
How I line this fight: Such a volatile fight, I have no idea.
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Punahele Soriano v Miguel Baeza~
Speak of the devil!
Punahele Soriano is so, so overrated. I have no idea how he’s even still in the UFC, or how he even got there in the first place. He was hyped up by Dana and the promo team as this scary and lethal striker….but then he pussy’d out and grappled his way to a decision win against Jamie Pickett on DWCS. Surprisingly they rewarded him with a contract (but didn’t want Brendan Loughnane!). Since then, lethal KO artist Puna has scored just three knockouts…but in the four fights he hasn’t, he’s looked like absolute shit. Getting schooled on the feet by Dustin Stoltzfus and Brendan Allen is a really bad look when you’re being advertised as a striker…and losing a decision to Nick Maximov isn’t a good look either!
To their credit, this fight against Miguel Baeza is a genius pairing by the UFC matchmakers though, because Baeza’s career has kind of panned out the same as Soriano’s. A hard hitting DWCS graduate, Baeza got off to a decent start with three consecutive finishes, most notably against Matt Brown. He stepped up the level of competition to face Santiago Ponzinibbio, which resulted in a life and death decision that he narrowly lost. Unfortunately, the losses snowballed dramatically as he was later KO’d by Khaos Williams and Andre Fialho. The latter result the most shocking, given that Fialho is dogshit. Baeza has since taken two years off…and everyone forgot he existed.
Apologies for taking two massive paragraphs to give you both men’s life stories, but it really does paint the picture of this fight from a betting perspective. Both men are overhyped KO artists - with one lacking in durability, and the other lacking in brain cells.
Puna is probably more likely to walk away with the KO win due to Baeza’s declining durability, but he’s also the more likely to get out-struck and styled on if this one turns into a longer distanced fight. Who wins that kind of fight? I have absolutely no idea. I’m just glad that one guy gets to stick around after this fight is over, because I’d be keen to fade both guys in the future.
I have little confidence so it counts for nothing, but I’ll pick Baeza simply because I like to fade finish-reliant fighters, and Miguel seems to be the more technical. His leg kick should work nicely here.
How I line this fight: Punahele Soriano +125 (45%), Miguel Baeza -125 (55%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios~
I’ve copy/pasted my breakdown for this fight from the UFC Mexico event, and made some updated changes:
I’m still pretty gassed about hitting the fade on Raul Rosas Jr with Christian Rodriguez – definitely one of my favourite bets of 2023. I saw an untested 18 year old that was the beneficiary the UFC hype machine, and a then unknown opponent who had proven tricky to beat with the style Rosas Jr has. I saw it as a pick’em, and Rodriguez was +200. Easy bet to make.
In that fight, Rosas Jr kind of cardio-dumped and gave up once it was obvious that early finish wasn’t going to present itself, and that’s certainly a concern until we see him fight competently for 15 minutes at this level. I can think of countless UFC hype trains that hid their shocking minute winning ability behind dominant and exciting R1 finishes (Edmen Shahbazyan was my initial example, but since writing this Joe Pyfer has given another great recent example), and I therefore simply cannot trust Raul Rosas at this stage in his career when he’s still going to be sitting at -250 on the betting line due to his popularity.
Is Ricky Turcios worth the gamble as an underdog? I don’t really think so. He has been taken down seven and six times in two different UFC fights, has losses to Aimann Zahabi and Boston Salmon, and his wins were against Kevin Natividad and Brady Hiestand…which were both splits. The UFC are clearly treating this as a lay-up fight for Rosas Jr, but without feeding him a promotional newcomer or a fellow inexperienced guy. I don’t mean lay-up as if it’s a squash match, but it’s assumed that he SHOULD win here, instead of them throwing him to the wolves or making him go up against a fellow serious prospect.
Stylistically this one all revolves around the cardio for me, because I don’t think Turcios has what it takes to win this fight off the merit of his own skillset. He needs Rosas Jr. to gas out first, if he’s going to have any hope of having his way here. We have no way of knowing whether or not Rosas will gas, as it could have just been a one off and he’s so young that he could make the improvements quickly.
Personally, I’d be willing to give Rosas Jr the benefit of the doubt. The Rodriguez loss really should have opened his eyes, and it’s often the best thing for a young prospect to get that wake up call sometimes, as he was probably starting to believe his own hype. If the cardio is fixable, I assume he’s done all he can to fix it. He therefore deserves to be the favourite, but I won’t be betting on it.
How I line this fight: Raul Rosas Jr -200 (67%), Ricky Turcios +200 (33%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: I was originally going to bet the Over 2.5 rounds, but I’ll pass on that now.

~Eduarda Moura v Denise Gomes~
Eduarda Moura’s UFC debut did not impress me at all. I didn’t bother researching her regional footage, and from what I saw in that debut she’s a size/weight bully that isn’t even that amazing at what she does. Yes she outgrappled and mauled that Mexican woman, but the size difference was comical and she couldn’t have found an easier opponent to beat if she tried.
I had one of my best bets of 2023 on Denise Gomes’ last fight against Angela Hill (big up Angie for winning a couple of weeks ago, she’s such a money train for me), opting to fade the scary finishing ability of a WMMA fighter for a more technical and historically durable veteran on the return. Not only did Angie school her, she even managed to mix in some grappling to make the win even more stylish. That gets the alarm bells ringing here, as Moura’s MO is definitely to grapple, and Angie’s no grappler.
I don’t have a strong opinion on this one, because both women give me very strong fraud vibes. I think Moura is absolutely going to be one to fade in the future, and Gomes has already been faded in the past. Personally I don’t think the equally limited Denise Gomes is the woman to give Moura her first L, because stylistically this looks like a tricky fight for her. Fingers crossed Moura wins and the fade opportunity is live next time. It’s an easy pass for me.
How I line this fight: No idea, they’re both frauds
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Puja Tomar v Rayanne Amanda (dos Santos)~
Some people believe in the narrative that you should try and fade Indian fighters. That worked pretty well last time Jeka Sarragih fought!
I bet on Rayanne dos Santos in her UFC debut, and she lost a split to an inexperienced opponent with bad cardio. I was impressed with her striking in Invicta, but she struggled to do anything meaningful stuff in that UFC debut. By the looks of the early line I’m seeing, she’s about -180 here. Who the hell is going to bet that!?
I obviously know nothing about Puja, but her record shows she’s fought two serious opponents. You know I love WMMA more than anyone else, but I have absolutely no interest in doing tape for this one. Pass.
How I line this fight: No idea
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Cody Stamann v Taylor Lapilus~
Very disappointed by the betting line here. When a fight like this gets announced, I immediately get excited because I think there’s a chance the books might get caught out and give a very bettable price on a fight that seems close on paper, but should be quite one-sided in reality, due to the stylistics.
Taylor Lapilus deserves to be -200 here, maybe even steeper. Reason being, he’s great where Stamann is average, but he’s also good where Stamann is good. The Frenchman is a slick striker that should certainly be expected to land the more eye-catching shots, when compared to Stamann’s T-Rex boxing. He will enjoy a 9-inch reach advantage, and should just be able to hit and not get hit. Stamann barely has any power either, so even if he does land a punch for every two he absorbs, I doubt it’s going to do much to convince the judges to credit him as the round winner.
Cody Stamann has veered away from his wrestling roots in recent fights, but you’d think it would serve him well here, given the reach and technical disadvantage he will find himself at. Whilst this would be true against another opponent, Taylor Lapilus has a very good anti-grappling game. His takedown defence is good, but even when he does get floored he works hard and effectively to get back to his feet, or at the very least nullify his opponent. His most recent fight was an exception to that as Farid Basharat made light work of him…but that was a very impressive performance that I don’t think many could replicate.
So in summary, I think Stamann is going to be shut out here, and I don’t think he’s going to really be able to find success anywhere in this fight. He will either stand at distance and clearly get outstruck by the fighter with the better footwork that will keep him at range…or he attempts to wrestle and likely has little luck at finding any real success. At the very least, the success he does have probably won’t be enough to erase the striking deficit he’s already accrued.
On a more narrative based note, Stamann also appears to have regressed a fair bit in recent years. He was once a gatekeeper to the top 15, drawing with the likes of Song Yadong and even winning a round against Merab…but since then losing decisions to 37-year-old Douglas Silva de Andrade and winning questionable decisions against Luan Lacerda. I’d say this is a tricky fight for Stamann in his prime, but Cody’s trending downwards too.
As I said in the opening paragraph, I’m disappointed that the books didn’t offer a better price on Lapilus, and I’m interested to see if money comes in on Cody still. Personally I’d be happy to bet Lapilus at -175 or better, but I’d need the line to improve slightly before I could play it. I might parlay him with someone on next week’s card once I get further down the line researching it.
How I line this fight: Cody Stamann +225 (31%), Taylor Lapilus -225 (69%)
Bet or pass: No bet, for now.
Prop leans: None

~Brad Katona v Jesse Butler~
The less time spent talking about this one, the better. Brad Katona is possibly the least intimidating MMA fighter to have ever graced the UFC, both in the way he fights, and his demeanour. The former is more important, because he can sometimes struggle to win rounds because he’s outgunned most of the time. He needs to put on a perfect defensive display to win striking fights, because if he gets wobbled he probably can’t get the round back.
Jesse Butler is a can with about as much of a right to be on the UFC’s roster as I do. He has no striking ability, as seen in his 23 second KO MASSACRE at the hands of 40-year-old Jim Miller (one of my favourite KOs of 2023 that one, definitely recommend if you didn’t see it!). That lack of striking ability, both offensively and defensively, means that he is very unlikely to get the better of a good point fighter like Brad Katona. But everyone has a puncher’s chance.
Katona is nearly -600 here. Mostly justified, but also eye-wateringly steep at the exact same time when you consider Katona’s path to victory is almost exclusively by decision! Pass.
How I line this fight: Brad Katona -400 (80%), Jesse Butler +400 (20%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: Me to fall asleep watching this one (+200 or better)

~Ludovit Klein v Thiago Moises~
Two guys I have historically had a very tricky time analysing. I was high on Klein when he made his debut, then I turned my back on him after the losses to Trizano and Landwehr – and since then he’s been pulling off upsets and continuing to prove he was worth the hype he entered the UFC with. The dude has some of the best high kicks I’ve ever seen from a fighter.
Thiago Moises has always been credentialed and talented, but he’s failed to deliver on the promises his abilities make on paper. Moises is capable of taking fighters down and submitting them early, but it’s genuinely taken nine UFC fights for him to actually go out there and do that. And then he did it twice in a row (against Giagos and Melq Costa).
So I think that does a good job of explaining why I am going to be non-committal and just leave this fight alone. Klein is great when he’s on form, but he’s shown himself to be capable of dropping the ball in fights he really should win. He’s proven himself to be a guy that you back as an underdog, but avoid as a favourite. He’s barely either here, but he does have a minus next to his name.
Moises is also too inconsistent to trust either. I think there’s a chance that this could be a winnable fight for him, as his grappling will definitely be superior if he can force things to the floor. That sounds like a great opportunity for a +100 fighter…but Moises definitely won’t look that number if he decides to stand and trade – and his 1.64 takedowns landed per 15 minutes statistic is enough to assume he won’t.
The oddsmakers are right in lining this one close, because both men have very legitimate paths to victory with only a few small factors landing in their favour. I’d argue that Klein is the rightful favourite (and therefore my pick) due to all fights starting standing and Moises’ track record…but this is a close one.
How I line this fight: Ludovit Klein -125 (55%), Thiago Moises +125 (45%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Charles Radtke v Carlos Prates~
If you’re a regular reader of my posts, you may know that historically I am someone who genuinely thinks Trevin Giles has some redeeming qualities. In fact, I claimed in his recent fight against Carlos Prates that the line was wide, and that Giles may be able to find a way to have some success. Having watched that fight back, I think I was justified to feel that way.
I liked what I saw from Prates on DWCS, with the way he mixed up volume, pressure and power…but ultimately that performance against Giles was a bit concerning. He definitely lost round one, and by the end of the fight he was outstruck almost two to one. Of course, he won via KO…but to expect a fighter to be bailed out by their raw power every time is a bit foolish.
Charles Radtke is ironically a fighter I’ve had nothing but bad things to say about. I slated his debut win against Mike Mathetha (the artist formally known as Blood Diamond), and tried to fade him when he faced Gilbert Urbina. Boy did he look great in that sophomore appearance, I was really impressed. His striking just seemed so tight, accurate and crisp, I couldn’t believe how easily he pieced up Urbina.
I’m obviously not super confident in my analysis here, simply due to the lack of tape we have on both guys…but I don’t really understand what we are supposed to have seen from Prates to justify a -200 pricetag? He was struggling against Giles, and had he not landed the precise punch that ended things…he could easily have lost that one! I get that he has a big size advantage…but Urbina was taller and Radtke approached the striking gameplan perfectly. He also has Belal Muhammad in his corner (or at least he did vs Urbina), who I rate as a pretty intelligent fighter.
This one feel like it could develop into a very competitive fight, and the finishing ability is strong on either side. Radtke has also shown a diverse game and an ability to mix in grappling when necessary, which could serve him well here. For those reasons, I’m happy to roll the dice on yet another underdog here, and back Charles Radtke for 1u at +150 or better. I’ll be waiting a little bit to see what the initial line movement does.
How I line this fight: Charles Radtke +100 (50%), Carlos Prates +100 (50%)
Bet or pass: 1u Charles Radtke to Win (+150 or better)
Prop leans: None

~Daniel Marcos v John Castaneda~
I’m quite high on Daniel Marcos. I just think he’s a really talented striker. I bet him heavily against Aoriqileng, and were it not for the unfortunate NC, I think that would have looked like a really smart bet (not the only time that’s even happened to me this year…thanks Piera Rodriguez). People still hate on him for potentially getting a robbery over Davey Grant…but Grant is a very tricky guy to look good against at the best of times. The likes of Jonathan Martinez, Adrian Yanez, and even Marlon Vera have all struggled to decisively beat Davey.
John Castaneda is certainly the more well-rounded martial artist here, as the way he’s mixed takedowns into his game has been really intelligent. He’s also shown much more dangerousness than Marcos, landing a knockdown in four of his six UFC performances, and even scoring a submission win over Miles Johns.
For as long as this one stays standing, I think it’s a close fight that’s hard to call. Whilst I give a slight minute winning edge to Marcos for his higher level of technicality to his striking, I think Castaneda’s power can be a great equaliser, as can his ability to mix in takedowns. I’ve not seen much of Marcos’ anti-grappling to believe he can fend off a takedown threat if Castaneda wants to force things there.
So yeah, a non-committal breakdown but I think this is a close fight to call. There certainly isn’t any betting value to a fight this close anyway. I’ll pick Castaneda and give him the slight edge on the betting line for his diversity and finishing upside.
How I line this fight: John Castaneda -125 (55%), Daniel Marcos +125 (45%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

~Andrea Lee v Montana De La Rosa~
It’s always tricky to navigate the fade when you see a fighter with a glaring deficiency that keeps taking losses. Andrea Lee is on a sharp downwards slope – she’s 35 years old, she cannot stop takedowns, and she’s got a 3-7 record in decisions in the UFC. Those are some pretty damning facts, but what’s worse is that Lee’s decline is really showing in her performances. I confidently bet Miranda Maverick against her at near pick’em due to her grappling superiority, but I was very surprised to see Maverick actually clearly outrstriking Lee across 15 minutes. That was a terrible look because Maverick’s striking really has never looked good. That should not have happened.
The reason I began by saying that it’s difficult fading a fighter in Lee’s position, is because there comes a time where the calibre of opponent clearly takes a downwards step. I’ve always been a big believer in Miranda Maverick, and I believe she’s top 10 in the division, so trusting her to feast on Andrea Lee’s carcass was easy. This time however, we’re being asked to trust Montana De La Rosa, a clearly inferior fighter, to do the same. Historically, Lee is certainly a cut above her, and Lee’s 30-27 victory over MDLR in 2019 demonstrated that perfectly.
Montana’s not bad bad, she’s just lacking in physicality to really be able to get her game going. She’s definitely a grappler, but a 31% takedown accuracy and poor top control means that she struggles to really find openings to do her best work...so she just kind of survives in fights if she can’t grapple you. Just looking through her UFC fights and it’s so obvious where her calibre lies…none of the girls she’s beaten apart from Ariane Lipski have been in the UFC for years, and even some of the names she’s beaten aren’t super elite either. And back when she fought Lipski, the Brazilian had some of the worst anti-grappling we’d seen in WMMA.
So this is clearly one of those fights where my predictions and probabilities for the fight weigh more on how either woman loses, as opposed to how they win. Right off the bat, that’s an awful premise to be considering a bet, so I can easily tell you this is one to avoid…and I haven’t even looked at the betting line yet.
Yep, Andrea lee sits around -130. I expected exactly that, as it’s a coin-toss as to which woman is inferior, but history is worth something and Lee does have a win over her opponent here. I guess Andrea Lee is the pick because MDLR already landed five takedowns the first time and did fuck all with them, but I have little to no confidence here. I’m sure no one is even reading this far into the breakdown because no one even cares about WMMA like I do. It’s a pass. I'll keep an eye out for Lee by Decision, assuming it's around the +200 mark.
How I line this fight: Andrea Lee -150 (60%), Montana De La Rosa +150 (40%)
Bet or pass: Pass
Prop leans: None

Bets (Bold = been placed)
1u Jared Cannonier to Win (+100 or better)
1u Jacoby v Reyes Over 1.5 Rounds (+150 or better….I could be way off the mark there)
1u Julian Marquez to Win (+100)
1u Charles Radtke to Win (+150 or better)
1u Andrea Lee to Win by Decision (+200 or better...might not get anywhere near that number, idk)

Parlay Pieces: Julian Marquez, Taylor Lapilus
Dog of the Week: Jared Cannonier
Picks: Jared Cannonier, Dustin Jacoby, Julian Marquez, Dustin Stoltzfus, Miguel Baeza, Raul Rosas Jr, Denise Gomes, Taylor Lapilus, Brad Katona, Moises/Klein, Radtke/Prates, Marcos/Castaneda, Andrea Lee

I met this guy at a local asian restaurant that my friend recommended me to go. I was good friends w one of the servers that workes there because we worked together before she got into that place. She is a middle aged sweet lady and is often very supportive about everything and evryone. She often posts photos of the restaurant and the food to advertise it to the public. Whenever she posts something, I would often see this cute guy that are one of the chefs at the resto and i instantly knew he was my type.
One day, I finally decided to kinda give it a shot and go to the resto in person. I dragged my friend to go there w me and just hanged out. As usual, the lady was so happy to see me and I even met some people that we previously worked together that now working in the said restaurant (I was also close with them). From time to time they would always approach our table and say something funny which ig (caught someone's attention) .. it was a brief moment but i was able to meet the other staff and him too.. we even had a group photo together for my lady to post later on facebook lol. i was casual about it and everybody was friendly and we parted ways.. not until me and my friend saw the guy (the chef) again when me and my friend were waiting for our uber ride..
we had another brief interaction w him and ge invited us back for dessert but we had somewhere else to go but promised to comeback again another time .. ig a few weeks later, i suggested the resto to my parents and we agreed on eating there .. saw him again but we just said hi and didn't speak too much since it was busy, but so and so i caught myself giving glances at him and i knew he did the same thing. my parents really liked it and said that they will comeback again which made me really glad.
another time (a few days later), i was from work when i suddenly felt like going there again.. this time, i sat down to where his station is at.. the bar area and while he was working, we were kinda talking in between and was asking each other questions. At the end of the night, he asked for my number and if i was single to which i gave him my number and said i was indeed single. he asked me out and i said "yes." (i also found out that he was 26 .. 6 years older than me.. which i don't mind) my lady friend even told me that he's been asking about me and my phone number ever since i came into the resto.. she reassured me that she did not gave my number and honestly she was real for that..
atleast we did it naturally and got each other's numbers and we texted each other.. everything was short and brief tho.. we are both busy people.. i have 3 part-time jobs + in college + do sports so i always have something to do in any time of the day and he works there full time too and work long hours like i do.. he's a mechanic and loves engineering so he does like a bunch of stuff on the side that keeps him busy too. i've always been so awful w keeping up w ppl but whenever he texts me, i was DOWN so bad.
although i don't always have anything to say but i try to attempt on talking to him and be natural abt it. finally, i had free time (this is after a week) and we kinda made plans to meet at a local noodle place for lunch.. for context, he lives like an HOUR from the restaurant that he works (i live 10 mins away) .. the noodle place was like atleast 40mins away.. in my head i was like DAMN that's far. and for us to just meet for a couple of hours, i was under the impression that he really wanted to get to know me.
I was glad to meet him, been very casual about it but he definitely a very shy person up close. (ig when u work at a resto, u become a complete diff person cuz he be acting diff now lol) it was obvious to me that he doesn't know how to talk to girls and he def got no rizz.. during ig (the date?) we would ask questions and mid convo we would ran out of things to talk to and would like stare at each other and awkwardly laugh.
i try to maintain eye contact and listen to him but his voice is so soft (w all the background noise) i can't hear him sometimes and i awkwardly would ask him to repeat it back what he was saying. we got into the conversation about previous relationships and i learned that he don't have any experience. which it doesn't surprise me (for context, i always had bad experiences w relationships and i was honest about it too.. he was genuinely curious about it and was hesitant of asking me but i've addressed some issues about my previous relationships and the things that were importance for me that i consider / what im looking for in the relationship)
tbh, i was mostly talking for the both of us. i'm an introvert and obviously he was too but I TALKED TOO MUCH AT THE TIME and really really over shared..
i was worried that it might turn him off.. we even fought for the bill and agreed that he would pay and i get the next one.. we sat there for almost 3 hours but it was clear to me that he is very hesitant and cautious about me.
I had basically explained my whole lore to him and i feel like i still don't know anything too much about him other than like small superficial things about him. i didn't eat much and had to take home food too lol..
we decided to leave the resto but i had enough time before i had to go to work so we again, sat down outside and try to talk again.
in brief moments there was an awkward silence.. and we tryna figure out questions that we want to ask to each other but could not come up w one so it was definitely was awkward.
again, i would stare at him and just admire his features. his straight bangs, his face.. he wasn't very conventionally attractive and he's definitely one of the nerdy guys and loves geeky stuff but that side from him was enough for me to like him. even tho he doesn't say much .. although i had this strange feeling that he was not really interested in me but i really wanted to get to know him. idk what happened but he finally had the courage to ask VERY personal questions.
(for context, i am asian and immigrated in the US for 2 years now so i was really raised w traditional conservative grandparents.. he was born in the US , although his parents are asian, he does not speak his language very well and i could tell that he is very westernized.. also his parents too)
so naturally, i was shocked when he asked me my viewes about sex and my comfort level about getting physical. he even asked me how far i have gone to my previous relationships to which idk, was hesitant at first but replied truthfully that i do not have experience about it.
AGAIN, i'm still so confused that he was able to form that type of question and ((we even got to a point about healthy masturbation and stuff??)) like sorry,
I WAS GENUINELY BLOWN AWAY cuz this MAN, almost knocked our table out when he saw me walking in the restaurant.. HE WAS NERVOUS.. he definitely have that nerdy appearance that gives hime that innocent look. he doesn't talk to girls and previously never gone far w a girl..
he CANNOT even form a question without mumbling and pausing for like 5 minutes (looking stressed, defeated or pressured) ..
and i tryna constantly reassured him that it's okay -- so pls tell me that I AM NOT CRAZY.
and plus, like i said before.. he is very hesitant through and through.. i think he was like overthinking it tbh .. he addressed that there will be a time that we had to part both ways since he wanted to venture out more w tech/engineering..
to which i reassured him again that i was willing to work things out somehow and i was okay w it since i am also have similar plans in nursing + traveling (im currently in college and he's already out of college but he is still trying to find work relating to his degree, com sci) ..

• we live so very far from each other (1hour) , lived different lives , had some common interests but bot too much.. both busy and terrible communicators, both introverts and obviously we don't know where to start so I DEFINITELY STRESSED HIM OUT there.

very hesitant that even if i asked for his socials.. he was stalling and forgot about it after he said that he would give it "later.." but never did:( (turned me off tbh)
overall i was so down for him at first but it ruined my mood for the rest of day.
he was nice enough to drop me off to work which is like (20 mins away) which i feel so bad for letting him drive that far.. but ya, it was still a letdown.
i was so distracted throughout my shift and i kept on checking my phone if he texted me but never did.. for context (this was YESTERDAY) i had to text him first after my shift and we were on and off about the replies and he left me on delivered after he said he would stay up late that night..
i ended up not sleeping cuz i kept overthinking it.
i would love to tell him my feelings about this and see what would his response be you know, that first date definitely shattered me. so far, my previous relationships went pretty bad and i shared this to him also.. my partners would often over sexualize me and other people .. and that left me very uncomfortable. (that is why i felt the way that i felt about his questions) he is not very consistent with a lot of things and it just opened a lot of hidden traumas for me w my exs.
*chat, im sorry if this was very long and personal and i fear that he will find this post but i just really badly needed a second opinion.
i wanna know from the guys, is this normal? is it normal to ask a girl on their first date about sex? how about texting, i know we all can get caught up with life and i really understand that or atleast i try to but is the quote "if he really wanted he would" really true? (i mean he drove for such a long was so i think that was enough for me that he was yk, DOWN.
but the HESITATION, is it normal? i really appreciated his honesty there but was it really necessary to convey those things at a first date? (we're talking about potentially "trying" make it work here even if we both know that we would eventually live different lives together more than what we are now.
WAS THAT CONVERSATION TOO EASY FOR US? i genuinely wanted to try but he's been giving me mixed signals. maybe because he'a shy and really don't know what to say and i get that but i'm genuinely concerned, WAS HE TRULY INTERESTING IN ME? (could u even tell that after a first date?) did i pressure him too much?
I legit wanna know guys.. pls tell me ur thoughts and opinions.. i really wanted to know coming from a person w experience w serious non-toxic relationship. pls help me:)

Background: 2003 born international student in Australia. I’m completing my Master of Commerce by the end of this year (2024) with specialisation in Business Analytics in the University of Sydney, i believe it’s ranked 2nd or 3rd nationally iirc. My bachelor was in University of Newcastle, it was about marketing and management done online due to travel restriction from the pandemic.
I have an experience working as an intern in Westpac, one of the big 4 banks in australia as their business analyst during my time in Sydney.
None in my bachelor.
I enquired to an education agent and I was potentially qualified for admission into University of Melbourne ranked 1 nationally for Master of SE or Master of IT and also the University of New South Wales for Master of IT.
Reasoning: Being on campus the first time for my Master of Commerce, i was involved in alot of association that is tech-related such as the Google developer student club to name a few.
Due to this exposure it builds my interest in software development back/front end. I’m not sure if i’m being irrationale by wanting to do another degree just because i build interest after being exposed to campus life.
I initially did my bachelor in marketing due to recommendations from family at that point of time as I didn’t know what I wanted to take. I should mention that I had skipped 1 year of middle school and skipped 1 year of high school hence starting my bachelor at 16 and starting my postgrad at late 19.
I felt like I wasn’t choosing my degree as carefully compared to my peers who did not accelerated their middle/high school.
Question:
Would having 2 postgratuate degree make me less employable? I figured they would question my reasoning of switching fields.. Though I had thought of writing my Master of Commerce as just “Commerce, major in data analytics” and entirely removing my initial bachelor so it would frame in a way that I did not swap around that much, though i’m not sure how will that play or how much it really matters in reality.
I’m planning to take online courses such as CS50x and MITx introduction to computer science as well as freecodecamp prior to admission.
The question i’m wondering is does having a degree in SE equip me with the necessary skills? Are “projects” that people often mention part of their degree projects or is it something they do in their free time? If it is something you guys do in your free time, at what point is it acceptable to be placed into your resume?
I’ve heard of my peers in tech association that they often use Github, though i’m curious if it is an equivalent to LinkedIn for tech students? In what manner is it used and is it helpful/needed for application? If so how do people market their GitHub in a way that it’s appropriate to be shared to HR?
P.s. apologies for broken grammar as I’m writing this at 2am and can’t sleep due to thinking of my future pathways
Appreciate all your responses in advance!

Hi all first off brand new to this site so ty glad to be here.
I'm just a little confused about something people have read the overwhelming overwhelming even medical statements mostly that gaba supplements or gaba and supplemental form does not in fact cross the blood-brain barrier and there is an abundant amount of information confirming this.
But then yes you do have some contradictory information that states either a it can and does somehow across or B even though it can't by another method I forget can still in fact get to the brain.
But again the overwhelming to overwhelming majority of the information confirming that he can't why in the world would you spend so much money on taking a chance with gaba when you have something like l-theanines taurine or picamilion all also totally natural supplements that you could choose over gaba that do in fact without a doubt any doubt can cross the blood-brain barrier why would you take the smallest chance and wasting money when you have a few that have no doubt getting to the brain.
Second I firmly believe gaba is a little overrated gaba is coming it is sedating it is hypnotic but I don't believe just increasing job as a whole or in general can actually directly impact severe anxiety disorders.
I frustrated with meds went to natural route and tried two of these first was l-teanine and because of it's amazing truly truly amazing profile pharmacology profile of raising dopamine and gaba I ran out and bought a bottle and I became obsessed with getting again to his profile how great it was getting it to work and that including different dosages different brands etc etc but never got any anxiety relief from it at all.
Then there was taurine I've seen now very complex pharmacology that I can't even understand but I remember the one that got me was simple taurine can cross the blood-brain barrier and in there it has a direct impact on raising gaba levels causing anti-anxiety effects and could also stabilize electrical current in the brain and body and I was like wow and I ran out and bubble bottle of that.
Both of the above mentioned failed completely I got no relief or effect from either. So then I ordered of course take a guess picamilion once again read the profile pharmacology was amazed how they were able to bond it and get it to cross and ordered it right away and once again nothing at all at least for anxiety nothing.
I want to reinstate gaba is a great thing it's calming it's a dating it's hypnotic it shows you out but just raising gaba in general in general increasing gaba levels I do not believe confirm has a direct effect on stopping anxiety especially severe clinical anxiety.
I believe and I'm sure I'll get some heat and probably a tax for this but I believe they found the answer the one most powerful substance that could actually alleviate anxiety or ease it are in fact the hated benzodipines.
Now I want to make a quick suggestion or idea as what's happening with them I'm on the MAOI parnate. It's the first and only med that actually works for me I take it in the morning and immediately has a robust rapid antidepressant effect and within minutes I feel a total relief of depression and misery totally gone it gives me a strong I don't give a f-k attitude towards problems or worries that won't help me and don't need to think about.
but here's the part I'd like you to pay close attention to I'm on an antidepressant that actually works and works really really well with depression itself and alleviates it almost completely as well as extremely calming effect that alone calms you and gives you a piece of serenity a feeling of peace and serenity overall but mostly gives you an extreme calming feeling as well.
And I believe because my particular antidepressant is so effective in alleviating depression as well as calming effect that and directly affects the benzodipine I take the night before Klonopin because my antidepressant is giving me some relief too and I'm not basing my anxiety treatment solely on a benzo alone.
My anxiety Klonopin dose is 1 mg before bed and people sit online but I'm telling you the truth I take it before bed for anxiety the next day and to help me sleep that the night I'm taking it I'm going to take it at night before I go to bed the next day I do not need a dose at all until night time so it lasts the whole day over the next day the next day the whole day over at last. And I firmly believe that I don't have any problems with Klonopin a benzodiapine even close to the ones that I sadly hear about because I do in fact have a potent powerful antidepressant that is alleviating my depression as well as giving me a call me overall effect too which didn't turn helps the Klonopin keep at a low dose and not tolerance and work better.
I believe and I can't say this for a fact but it's a belief that a lot of people who are suffering with really bad anxiety and aren't getting the results they need with benzodipines and even worse escalated in a dose I believe a good possibility of this is because the antidepressant and leaving the depression enough or at all so they're walking around with bad depression which is that alone worsens or causes anxiety by itself also the antidepressant isn't working well enough not only for depression but any added anxiety relief at all instead of walking around without a substantial relief of the depression and that's terrible for anxiety alone and also walking around with any benefit from the antidepressant on anxiety at all. So not only are they getting enough relief from the depression from the med they're not getting any anxiety relief and now what happens is they're basically basing the entire treatment for anxiety solely on the benzodipine alone.
And this is where I see problems arise if you're relying solely on a benzodipine to totally be the soul treatment for your anxiety that doesn't sound like a good idea using a benzodipine solely by itself to treat anxiety I could easily see tolerance and escalation happening. I believe to State one last time an antidepressant working really well and truly alleviating a person's depression significantly right off the bat less depression less anxiety also a really well working antidepressant should also add the smallest amount of anti anxiety as well both of those should happen with an antidepressant and if they're not at least not significantly enough then once again you're relying solely on the methodipine to do all the work and that's why I see where a problem could arise. Again I am not stating this as fact just an opinion because in my case when my situation I'm positive it I'm on 1 mg of Klonopin that I take at night before bed and the last do the entire next day I don't need any and I've been on that 1 mg dose with 10 years and have an escalated once. I think my MAOI antidepressant and it's positive effect on depression and calming effect on anxiety coincide with the Klonopin and help the Klonopin work better and also keep it effective at a low dose. I had severe severe anxiety I mean really bad. Now with the way things are my antidepressant work is so well and my anxiety under control I actually forgot I even had it I always put my Klonopin for the night on a nightstand the other night I went and it was done there I looked in the bottle and realized it was empty and I didn't spill it and I thought to myself the hell with it I don't even have anxiety anymore I don't need it no big deal because I really truly felt like it was gone.
3 days with no Klonopin my system I learned a hard lesson I still do indeed have severe anxiety that finally started erupting back after three days and I also experienced withdrawal from the Klonopin of no 3 days using as well. So there sorry for the long post I hope it at the very least it makes some kind of sense I'm not stating this fact or something that I thought about thank you for reading

Looking for advice on how to run an upcoming encounter. My last session ended with my level 4 party deciding to engage her (they may have bitten off more than they can chew, but they're aware she will be strong so I won't be pulling punches). Allow me to set the scene:
The party are investigating the unexplained illness of an older noblewoman in the city, as the house's healer has been unable to identify her ailment and, though he successfully heals her daily, each morning she awakes deathly ill once more. He tells the party he has tried to keep watch overnight to observe the exact moment this change occurs, but each time he has found himself somehow unable to stay awake and has drifted into sleep for some brief time, only to wake and find he had missed the event and she was once more afflicted.
The party offers to observe her overnight themselves and give the healer a break, and they camp out in her room, with two party members keeping watch outside the house on the roof, one party member outside the room in the hallway, and four inside the room. They already suspect foul play, so they are all hiding as best they can.
Some time around 1:00am, a mist creeps across the floor in the hallway and twinkling lights appear before the rogue in the hallway, attempting first to charm her, then to put her to sleep - but her fey ancestry rendered her immune, and the mist slips past her and underneath the door into the room, where the party members inside are subjected to the same phenomenon, with all but one failing their saving throws. The one unaffected party member watches from his hiding spot as, from the mist, a human form emerges, now leaning over the sleeping noblewoman.
He recognizes her, as the party has encountered this woman twice before - once in the city, when she lifted a valuable magic item from the cleric's pocket, and again earlier today when, after the party was given the room for the evening, she knocked at the door asking to come in (knowing she would need an invitation for later), claiming the woman was her aunt and she wished to see her ailment for herself. After some back and forth, and persistent asking, the party finally granted her permission to enter, and she left satisfied shortly afterward.
The party knows she is a master thief who is connected with the city's thieves guild, and they know she is a member of the same house as the noblewoman. They do not know that she is a vampire, though there have been clues. Once they realize this, they will already have a pretty good idea of where her crypt should be, and she will almost certainly retreat there if the fight is going poorly for her.
The party consists of the following level 4 characters: 1 Ranger, 1 Cleric, 1 Barbarian, 1 Monk, and 3 Rogues (!?!)
As far as vampires go, I'm open to homebrewing a bit as I'm depicting vampires in this setting more in line with Bram Stoker's Dracula (ability to assume different forms, not killed by sunlight but can only access her supernatural powers at night, etc.) rather than the standard D&D vampires.
The encounter is beginning in close quarters (in the bedroom, with a vulnerable NPC on the bed), but she would likely take the fight outside to the courtyard if she felt she needed some breathing room, and she will certainly flee if she feels seriously threatened.
Any suggestions on what her general game plan should be in this encounter? The party has strategically avoided several previous potential combats with powerful NPCs so this will be their first combat against a significantly intelligent and wily foe, and even though it's a large party fighting a single target, I'd like it to feel very challenging.
Right now my general thoughts are that her objective will likely be to first focus down the Cleric as she is the party's main spellcaster, then the Ranger (to impede the party's ability to track her), then flee.

I 26 f moved in with my boyfriend 23 m back in February. It is now June and I am having physical symptoms of stress & depression, that’s how bad it got.
He has his older brother 29 & little brother 17 also living here, (I was unaware when I was moving in, he just said they stay “sometimes”) and they sleep on the living room floor. All three of them are nasty!

 They finish a bottle of water, and throw the bottles to the side. There is a collection of juice & soda bottles in the living room. They barely drink water anyways, only if I BUY IT & they decide to help themselves. 

There was no garbage can when I moved in. They would just plastic bags from their store runs or take out food.
They leave crumbs on the kitchen counter. All over the floor. It is like there is absolutely no awareness & no care.
They leave toilet seat up. And sometimes there’s a “dust” left over on the toilet seat from someone dirty & sweaty sitting down.
The little brother will leave food out & hide it. You tell him don’t do it, he smiles and says okay. Later that night, there’s something else left out.
The house has a real heavy smell of funk. It either smells just dirty, or like the little brother’s extremely strong & pungent body odor. & I mean, the WHOLE house. Except the bedroom because I usually make sure the door is closed.
My boyfriend will bite his nails & spit it on the floor, so there’s bitten fingernails on the floor. I have a bad nail biting habit as well, but mine go in the trash!!
The older brother has a body-scrubby thing in the shower and it’s literally black. Why is your body that dirty & why do you not feel the need to wash it out. Just showcase it in everyone’s face in the shower. Once again, I think I’m the only one that is bothered.
I don’t want to keep my toothbrush or loofah in shower anymore. Can’t help but think of the dirty water bouncing off of their bodies (that they don’t properly clean just like their environment) on to my intimate hygienic items.
There is absolutely no consideration for the next person!! Or no shame, embarrassment. Nothing.
I buy a box of little bites from the grocery store (very expensive, like 7$ for 5 bags) & my boyfriend wants to eat 3 bags back to back. He can be very glutton, and I try to express we are on a fixed income with government assistance. He knows this, because he’s the only one working right now! You would think he’d be more mindful of the little money he works so hard for.
Boyfriend is also very inconsistent, just quit his 4th job in a matter of 6 months.
Older brother works multiple jobs & does not contribute shit. Does not even offer to take the garbage out. It’s like he can’t be bothered with nothing pertaining to the household, but this is where he comfortably lays his head. I sarcastically joked to my boyfriend he should just make his older brother a copy of the keys since he always has our set of keys & inconveniences us, & he actually did! Despite claiming it was only temporary.
The other brothers will sneak MY food and drinks in the night. They don’t even ask, just sneak.
I don’t want to eat out of the kitchen. I feel like every surface is contaminated.
I feel like anyone would be upset. I left my 1 bedroom apartment for this. I lived by myself, it was beautiful, nicely decorated, and always smelled great. I am at my wits end with heart pains, fainting spells, & stomach aches as soon as I open my eyes.
And my bf never sees a problem unless I say something, and even then results are very temporary. All of them are very comfortable in dirt. Yuck.
Then, when boyfriend does clean it is not proper. If he sweeps, I have to come sweep behind him & I end up with a bigger pile of dirt than he originally did, thinking he just fully cleaned!
I do little basic things for my sanity, but I refuse to clean up after 3 grown dirty men with horrid cleaning standards.
Sorry for the extremely long post, I am at a breaking point.

I am trying to figure out our plans for after baby comes and just can’t seem to settle on anything that makes sense. The only thing I know for sure is that we will be following guidelines and not letting her sleep alone for a few months.
Here are the different factors / thoughts I have. This is probably going to be all over the place:

1. My mom has offered to help with overnights / being here as much as we need. This is extremely generous of her - I have anxiety that is heavily impacted by lack of sleep.
   
2. My husband will be going into a busy time at work right when baby is born so I am not planning to have him get up in the middle of the night for the 12 weeks I am on leave. He will do late bedtime / early morning shifts.
   
3. I am planning to do a mix of breastfeeding and formula or pumped bottles so that other people can help with feeding.
   
4. Most common newborn sleeping arrangement seems to be the bedside bassinet. However.. if my mom is going to be taking a few nights it doesn’t really make sense to keep baby in our room as I would hear fussing and be awake long before my mom would hear it from down the hall.
   
5. This leaves us with the nursery or the guest room. Originally I was thinking of doing a daybed in the nursery (maybe instead of a glider) but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on something that won’t get much use after the first few months. But it would be nice to have the full changing set up right there … if we put a bassinet in the guest room there is obviously a more comfortable bed in there but would we need a second changing set up ? Or is it that big of a deal to go one room over and change her once you’re up anyways?
   
6. Other wildcard I thought of is just doing nights myself and having my mom come first thing in the morning to watch her for a few hours while I get a decent chunk of sleep.
   

I know I’m overthinking this and it could all change once the baby comes anyways but anyone have a similar set up or any advice ? TIA

I've been struck with a torturous condition and all outcomes are just further complications, no outlook for a life just like before. That is, if we excluded shifting.
I have some experience with shifting out of desperation. Those have been my best attempts, and asides from that, awake methods are a must for me. The issue is, all the little tricks I know to prevent losing consciousness are insufficient now. Pain, stress and discomfort throughout the day sap all my energy and I immediately fall asleep like a baby with a pacifier, no matter which time of day I do my attempt.
So with the time I had left to dilly-dally with shifting being cut short, it's time to go balls to the wall and do attempts and meditate 24/7. The issue is, one slip and I lose not only hours of potential attempts, but also fast-forward my condition worsening. So I ask you for your most overpowered ways to keep your mind awake.
My little tricks I know so far are: doing attempts in the afternoon, counting forward and back, subs, starfish/sitting, affirmations, and intensely focusing on an emotion or feeling. Unfortunately I find out sleep can take over all of these.
So please share below little tricks like that you've found for yourself 🥺 I can afford to put a lot of willpower into it, so even something like doing mental math equations could be useful for me 😅

I want to keep specifics to a minimum for obvious reasons....
I (30F) and my boyfriend (34M), have been together for nearly 4 years. I knew he had a lot of insecurities from previous relationships, but I did as well and figured it was something we could work on together. I have, before, given him permission to go through my phone in hopes that it might make him feel a bit better...I don't have anything to hide so I never really saw it as an issue. But I feel, as of late, he's really starting to abuse that privilege. He takes my phone off the charger at night while I'm asleep and goes to another room entirely while he looks through my socials, my search history, and (for whatever reason) my mobile games. It just bothers me that I've given him permission before and, instead of asking, he takes it upon himself to go through it because he just doesn't trust me or anyone else for that matter. I want to talk with him about this and tell him that it bothers me, (I have my own trauma with people constantly breaching my privacy), but he goes on the defensive more times than not and I'm worried that we wouldn't be able to have a civil conversation about it or he'd think I DO have something to hide. How do I help him to trust me a little more and maybe open up to others?
**TL;DR; boyfriend goes through phone at night while I sleep.

I've been struck with a torturous condition and all outcomes are just further complications, no outlook for a life just like before. That is, if we excluded shifting.
I have some experience with shifting out of desperation. Those have been my best attempts, and asides from that, awake methods are a must for me. The issue is, all the little tricks I know to prevent losing consciousness are insufficient now. Pain, stress and discomfort throughout the day sap all my energy and I immediately fall asleep like a baby with a pacifier, no matter which time of day I do my attempt.
So with the time I had left to dilly-dally with shifting being cut short, it's time to go balls to the wall and do attempts and meditate 24/7. The issue is, one slip and I lose not only hours of potential attempts, but also fast-forward my condition worsening. So I ask you for your most overpowered ways to keep your mind awake.
My little tricks I know so far are: doing attempts in the afternoon, counting forward and back, subs, starfish/sitting, affirmations, and intensely focusing on an emotion or feeling. Unfortunately I find out sleep can take over all of these.
So please share below little tricks like that you've found for yourself 🥺 I can afford to put a lot of willpower into it, so even something like doing mental math equations could be useful for me 😅

Been putting in some serious hours lately (haven't we all lmao), and I've been pondering the weapons lineup in the game. While we've got a solid arsenal, there's always that itch for more, right? So, let's chat: What's missing in Rust's gun department?
Here are some fresh ideas I've been tossing around:

1. Railgun: Picture this bad boy—a cutting-edge weapon that hurls projectiles at insane speeds using electromagnetic force. Sure, it might take a while to charge up, but when it hits, it hits hard. Just imagine the chaos it'd bring to the battlefield. (although I'm not sure how well this would fit with the game I think it would be too cool to care aha)
2. Net Gun: Ever felt the need for a more humane way to deal with foes? Enter the net gun. It's all about non-lethal takedowns and snagging those slippery targets. Whether you're subduing an enemy or capturing some critters for dinner, this tool adds a whole new layer to Rust's combat dynamics.
3. Tranquilizer Gun: Sometimes, stealth is the name of the game. The tranquilizer gun lets you take down opponents quietly, putting them to sleep temporarily. It's perfect for those who prefer a more subtle approach to their missions, giving you the option to choose between lethal force or slipping by undetected.

What do you all think? Any other firearms you think would spice things up in Rust? Let's brainstorm together and see if we can't cook up some ideas that catch the devs' attention for future updates!

I took a week off of work and college had started their two-week break before the next semester. I took my chance and cleared my calendar and booked a trip to the town where my grandfather stayed while he was a journalist. The greyhound ride was a good time for me to figure out my approach, while the busy cityscape outside my window slowly faded into Southern African wilderness, nothing but trees and empty kilometers of road before I reached my stop, a homely town that seemed well connected to the rest despite the distance. It had been many years since my grandfather had set foot in this town, yet I could feel his influence. The roads were now cracked and showed their wear, shops and residences had been renovated and upgraded, looking more modern and slightly out of place.
The hotel my grandfather stayed at while on the investigation was now a more comfortable looking lodge, with a view over the rolling foothills of the Drakensberg and the surrounding cities, one of which I could see my home, vaguely. The sun had begun to set and I still needed to get my information from the residents. I unpacked my things after booking my room and set out, like a tourist with a pen and notebook in hand asking anyone what they may know. To no one’s surprise, they mostly looked at me like I was insane or a knock off Leon Schuster trying to get them to react in a funny way. I had almost given up completely until I sat near one of the social areas where they would light a fire and residents at the lodge would sit and relax while watching the sun go down. I was alone there and just sat drawing the distant landscape dreading the silence for the next week while I waited for the next bus to arrive and I’d return home. Two days passed in mainly silence.
That was until a man sat near me, dressed in weathered jeans and an old top with work boots covered in dust and dirt, his face obscured by a large hat covering his face, his hands in his pockets even as he sat but his arms almost looked skeleton like, his long white hair flowing from either side of his hat.
“Can I help you?” I asked, feeling like he was trying to get my attention.
“No, but I can help you. You cause quite a lot of noise, trying to get the people to talk about something that scares them.” He said, his voice didn’t come across as harsh, more like cautious. The first person who decided to talk to me in a casual manner since a couple days ago. He wanted to tell me what I wanted to know.
Without any hesitation I turned to the page I set aside for notes when the man chuckled.
“Something funny?” I asked.
“You’re going to need more pages than that.” He said, flicking his hat up slightly while he sat back and got comfortable.
“Trust me, this is all I need.” I said feeling like I had to tiptoe around the subject as to not let the opportunity slip, but I also felt overwhelmingly anxious, almost like someone else was watching us. I felt my gaze shift every so often over my shoulder trying to find the entity that was staring a hole through me, apart from a quiet street crossing and some pedestrians; nothing.
“Something there?” Asked the man, as I shook off the feeling. I started getting a bit annoyed by the short answers and questions.
“Just feel like-, never mind. If you’re ready to help give me some information, what should I call you?” I asked as the man took a moment.
“Call me ‘Farmhand’. Since it’ll sound better than my real name, you’ll find that out in time.” Said Farmhand as I wrote that down in my notebook and began phrasing the question in my mind as to get the proper answer. Furiously tapping my pen on the page.
“Just ask, I already know what you want to know.” He said, I looked up from the page, slightly irritated by the confidence.
“How can you be so sure, Farmhand?” I blurted.
“You aren’t the first person to go on this goose chase. The Lady in White is very particular in her targets.” Farmhand explained, I wrote down everything.
“What’s her story, like the true story; why does she haunt this stretch of road?” I asked. Farmhand chuckled.
“She doesn’t haunt, she’s simply looking for a lift.” He said in the distinct Afrikaans twang that so many white South Africans have, it’s by no means ominous, more of a conversation encouragement than anything else.
“A lift? To where?” I asked. I heard so many different types of tales, from her being hostile to men, a companion to young women and a bit of both to younger males. But the main part that stayed the same was that they were alone.
“Her matric dance, my seun.” Farmhand said, the only other person to call me ‘Seun’ was my dad, the Afrikaans for son.
“What exactly happened?” I asked, pen at the ready.
“The legend goes far back, but the main story that my pa always told me was that she was with her boyfriend in the car, they went along this road and broke down; one of the worst places to break down since around eight is when the busses shut down and the last train has departed from the station. She chose to try down the street, bearing in mind how dangerous that is these days, it was a little bit less so then.” Farmhand said as he took off his hat, keeping his gaze at the setting sun.
“How much less dangerous?” I asked.
“Snakes, though the venomous Boomslang doesn’t go out of its way to kill you, no Black Mamba’s live up here. No, we have jackals and caracals, they hunt in packs and pick you off in the dead of night.” Farmhand explained.
“Is that how it happened, how she died?” Farmhand chuckled lightly.
“Nope, she saw a car in the distance and flagged them down, asked them to help take her to town or help her boyfriend. The man took her up the road and when they started to approach where she had broken down, the boyfriend tried flagging them down. Her joy turned to terror as the stranger sped up and before the boyfriend knew it, the car had hit him. The last she saw of him was him tumbling down the hill among the trees.” Farmhand said. Placing his hat on his chest, closing his eyes and bowing his head. After a short silence, I asked:
“What happened next?”
“Well, the girl was hysterical, the car was still speeding up and she yelled at the man to stop, and kept pleading for him to let her go. Eventually the man had stopped, the girl got out and started calling to the boyfriend to see if he had somehow survived, as she did, the stranger hit her on the back of her head and had his way with her.” Farmhand said, provoking a sour taste in my mouth, a sheer sense of guilt welled up in my stomach.
“Now I understand why no one was willing to tell me the story.” I said, slightly defeated. The man put a hand on my knee like my grandfather used to and looked me in the eye. For the first time I noticed his wrinkled but kind face, he smiled.
“It’s not a story everyone can stomach. Come, let’s finish this so you can write your story.” Farmhand said as he sat back on the couch, a thought struck me; was I so obvious that he knew I was a journalist writing a story? Because I don’t remember ever disclosing the fact I was a journalist. Regardless, we continued.
“After the stranger- did the act, what happened?” I asked uneasily, feeling sick to my stomach.
“He put her in his car, and drove back to the spot where they broke down, but a half a kilometer away she woke up and he pushed her out of the car at high speed. She should’ve died there, but she crawled, half her body scratched, scraped and broken. She died slowly and alone. Before she died she heard her boyfriend calling for her.” Farmhand continued.
“Did he ever find her?”
There was silence, even the birds had stopped chirping and the street had gone quiet.
“No, I don’t believe he did. Whether or not he died looking is another story, but that’s not what you’re here for.” The Farmer said as he stood up, placed his hat on his head and began to walk off, before he passed me, he put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it.
“Promise me one thing; be careful. Can you do that for me, Alex?” Farmhand said before he patted me on the shoulder and walked off without waiting for my answer. I turned to confront him but he was gone, it couldn’t have been more than a second, but it was like he vanished into thin air. I was left confused and bewildered. The notes were real, the pen marks solid and clear. The events I was informed of felt vivid, yet the silence that fell around me felt otherworldly. I was feeling lost and exhausted before, now I was more awake than I had ever been.
Around eight that night, the sun had set and the mountain had cast a chilling shadow over the down I stayed, sleet had been reported near us and snow on the mountain. If I was going to get the answer I so desperately wanted, I was going to have to earn it. I walked to my car, steam cascading from my nostrils as the cold air turned frigid with even the slightest of breezes. I got in my car and drove to the first rest point along the mountain to gather some supplies: Some water and snacks, a couple of pre-charged battery packs for my recorder as I don’t want to stop every fifteen to twenty minutes to write down my experience. This would also prove if I was going insane or not, when asked by a couple of the staff at the store, I told them my intentions and they sounded interested for the first time. When I left I tested the packs and sure enough; fully charged and my recorder was clean and ready to be used.
I approached the entrance to the mountain pass that had been the setting for this ghost story that has latched on to me since childhood. No street lamps, no signs, yet the road itself was painted brightly and every so often a glowing marker was placed to ensure you knew when to turn and when to slow down. The threshold felt like a portal, the point where light didn’t reach and would not pass, even down to the road, where it was light, it looked traveled on, occupied and used; the mountain pass looked pristine; almost as if it hadn’t been touched for decades. As I looked beyond the pass, far below what was called the foothills of the Drakensberg, a large highway was built, the lights from the cars, the lamps and signs glowed for kilometers in the distance. After delaying for twenty minutes, I turned my car on, flicked on the high-beams and began my journey.
Every few minutes I would check my recorder, to make sure it was on and still functioning, it lay on the passenger seat in plain view, I could see some bright lights giving me the information if the screen was somehow obscured. It was a long while before anything happened. Maybe it was paranoia, maybe it was anxiety, whatever it was wouldn’t stop me from exploring this legend. Worst thing that could happen is I travel sixty kilometers and nothing happens and it turns out my grandfather was just trying to scare me. I turned again after a lengthy passage of time and I got my answer.
I don’t remember stopping, I don’t even think I saw anyone on the side of the road, maybe it was while I was looking at my recorder, but I felt a cold presence behind me.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Asked a voice, a quiet but feminine voice. A chill erupted throughout my body; a violent sense of panic coursed through my mind because I knew where the sound came from. It came from behind me. My hands began to shake but I dared not take my hands away from the wheel.
“Do you?” It asked again. The answer got caught in my throat, I found myself unable to speak.
“No, not really.” I managed though my voice felt hoarse.
“You seem to know what you want.” The voice said again, it sounded curious. I stayed silent, the road twisted and wound around the mountain in a chaotic and frantic fashion.
“Are you scared?” She asked again, the voice coming from next to me. I turned to look but a cold hand kept my eyes glued to the road.
“Keep your eyes on the road, enough people have died here.” She said, as my nerves calmed slightly.
“Who are you?” I asked, my eyes focused and the world around me much less than an echo.
“Why do you want to know?” She asked, sounding more like she was in a void, her voice had more of an echo than anything else.
“I want to know what happened here. The true story.” I said after taking a breath and gathering my nerves, the road seemed to calm down, from sharp uphill turns to moonlight sweeping curves that allowed my gaze to rest as the shadow of the trees passed us by.
“Can I trust you?” She asked, the question rang through my head as I remember what Farmhand said, how she trusted a stranger who took advantage of her.
“Yes. Yes you can.” I said after a while. The figure turned to me; I could feel her eyes scrutinize every inch of me.
“You’re not like him?” Her questions kept hammering into me, I felt a mix of fear and guilt, knowing who she was referring to.
“I won’t hurt you. I want to help.” I said after a while, gathering a fragile sense of courage as my hands shook furiously. The road seemed to twist and turn, harsh rising hills. Sharp corners told the tale of her many victims as my headlights passed by, the scrapes and dents of hard hits leading to a drop that seemed to have no end, not a single tree could be seen and the moonlight from high above could not pierce the dark veil that lingered joust over the edge of the road. After a while, she spoke again.
“Alright, I trust you.” She said as I allowed my eyes to wander, the figure relaxed in the passenger seat for a while, my recorder on the center console as I saw her blue skin, almost emitting a frozen chill as I saw her dress, torn and tattered, my stomach felt uneasy when I saw bruising and swelling near her inner thighs. Her hands crossed in her lap as I saw the scratches and what looked like deep cuts on her arms and exposed shoulders from the straps on her dress. I could not see much of her face as it seemed her face was bleeding.
“What happened that night?” I asked, concentrating on the road again. My passenger stayed quiet for a while, quietly shuddering and sniffing before she spoke again.
“I was happy, a man I loved decided I would be his date for the matric dance. We’d known each other since we were children. My best friend. We were driving along this road to get to the lodge, where the dance was being held.” Her voice sounded sourly-joyful, her hands didn’t move from her lap much, so as to not distract me with her hand movements.
“It was a while before town, the car started shaking. I thought the tire had blown, but smoke came from the front. We stopped nearby.” She pointed and I could see the flashing of hazard lights and the smell of smoke invaded my nostrils.
“I thought I’d get some help, he said he’d be fine and that I should hurry back. I walked for a while; it was a cold night still. I walked for, I don’t know how long. But I managed to get an old man to stop. He said he’d help; we just need to get my man and he’d sort out the car.” She said as the road began to crack and fall apart at the edge.
“Do you know what he did?” She asked me, I assumed it was a test to see if I was listening.
“He deceived you.” I answered. She nodded, looking down for a short while before continuing.
“He asked why I was alone on this road. I told him I wasn’t, that I was on my way to town with my man, and I told him about who he was, what he meant to me. I was overjoyed when I saw him, my joy turned to confusion, to horror as he sped up and ran him over. I saw his body roll into the trees, I thought for sure he was dead.” She pointed to the part of the road that had a piece of cloth swaying in the breeze, marking where her man was hit and last seen by her.
“After I witnessed my childhood innocence be ripped from me, he finally stopped, that butcher! I blacked out with a sharp pain, when next I woke, I couldn't feel my legs and my fingers were numb. Just before I said anything, he pushed me out of his car. I remember falling, the road was like ice, all I could do was crawl.” She said, her anger translating to the road shifting and breaking apart, turning violently uphill only for the sheer drops and sharp turns that threatened to throw me off the edge. I barely managed to keep the car on the road as the road shifted again, it was so silent that I could hear the tires screeching like a distant wail.
“I’ve searched for years, if he’d ever return, I’d make sure he never left like he left me.” She said as the note my grandfather left in his books, the man who was panicked and sketchy, had his autopsy reveal that he was of the elderly group. I felt a slight pang of guilt as I realized that the man who did this to her was probably dead for a while. I weathered her storm of rage as the stretch of road became calm, as did she.
“I’m sorry you suffered like that; I wish there was something I could do.” I said unconsciously. I felt her gaze soften to me; her rage calmed as she went back to her neutral position.
“He was called ‘Farmhand. Because he was trustworthy, kind and reliable..” My eyes widened as the realization crashed on my face: He lived.
“If you aren’t like how he was, then you don’t deserve to leave this road.” Her voice was harsh, the road began to fall apart, the cracks forming as parts fell away like they had been falling apart for years, though my body was fatigued, I kept the car on the road. As uncomfortable as the ride was, the road soon turned into dirt paths, completely unlit and unpredictable. It felt like hours before it returned to normal, albeit slowly, my hands still shook relentlessly. I understood her outrage. I couldn’t imagine the trauma she experienced, the sadness.
“If you would like, I can take you back to town.” I asked. In retrospect, that was a stupid question.
“I don’t know.” She replied, unsure and confused.
“No rush, we have time.” I said as I turned around and began my long drive back to town. The road swerved and waved calmly, completely different to the approach. I drove to the point where The Lady in White was last seen, after a while I parked my car near the spot and looked to my side. The woman wasn’t there. I looked at my watch and my recorder. The sun had begun to rise over the hills, the air was crisp and fresh, I stayed for a while to just take in the sight of a calm morning before turning my recorder off and driving back.
I returned to my hotel room and after placing everything on the desk, I fell onto my bed and fell asleep, my body was exhausted and my mind was fatigued beyond words. I fell into a dreamless sleep and woke up in the afternoon. Having something to eat I went over the events from last night, pen and paper at the ready, I prepared to hear myself talking to nothing and no one. The doubt set in before I even hit the play button, after a while of convincing myself that I have some concrete evidence, I pressed play. To my surprise, it sounded like there were two people in the car, me and a woman, although the woman’s voice was covered by static. I wrote down all I could, that is what you’re reading.
The next couple of days went by and nothing special happened, I kept to myself most of the time. While analyzing everything I captured. It all seemed like a dream, an incredibly vivid dream. The last note I made during this investigation was: if something like that exists here, surely more stories remain in this part of the world. As the trees faded into the distance as the bus trundled along the trail back, the forest retreating as I returned back to the concrete and steel, it wasn’t long before the questions I had before, followed me home.

I just had a breakdown this morning privately in the shower and then my room after eating breakfast...
I feel so alone and worthless right now, I feel stupid for feeling like this when theres starving kids around the world. And i'm stressed about EATING TOO MUCH?!
Im supposed to have a great day, I am going to a dance class and I'm really excited for it, also
I'm going to fill out a job application and theres a good chance i'll get it because I know somebody that works there through my dad's friend. So why am I so upset when today is going to be a big great day?! FOOD and MYSELF.
Forgive my grammar and my sentence structuring I woke up almost 2hrs ago but my brain takes forever to get up for the day. Im editing the post slightly because some stuff just sounds weird. Im reposting this vent from the bulimic subreddit because for some reason my post isnt going through on there.
I am a short woman. My TDEE is a low number. I have to always be aware of it even if I wasnt thinking about calories.
I exceeded that TDEE by hundreds at breakfast, it was fried potatoes with cheese... AT BREAKFAST. It was a normal looking portion but he used alot of oil and I put alot of cheese on it. It looks like a normal amount but its not a normal amount. God i'm a privelleged asshole.
I tried to throw up in the shower but nothing came up and it made me feel so soul crushed. I am sobbing and sobbing and the original outfit I was going to wear to the dance class is GONE. I am now wearing something different so I dont look short and stocky and disgusting...
I feel so vulnerable and im in fight or flight. I just want to take a bunch of benadryl or melatonin, hide and go to sleep and call it a day and tell everyone to eff off and leave me alone but I know that is VERY counter productive. I need to feel like myelf again and do good things for myself.
And I have to keep it together because were about to leave in thirty minutes and I dont want to burdon my busy family with my bullcrap. Also I dont want to be micromanaged... Im already at my last straw I just want to get a job so I dont have all this free time to be so stresed.
Deleting this vent later im so embarassed this is embarassing. I just know some of you may relate.