It all happened when I rented my first apartment. I (23 yo F) couldn’t afford an apartment alone at the time. One of my very good friends (25 yo M) needed a place so we became roommates. We would often invite friends over. They would bring alcohol and we provided food.
For the first 2 months, I ended up being the one cooking, cleaning, washing the dishes and picking up the mess of our “get together”. I was even doing his laundry because he would leave his wet clothes in the washing machine for 2-3 days.
I’m not a cleaning freak, I just think a minimum order should be kept.
I decided to talk to him. I reminded him that I’m his roommate/friend not his housekeeper. I asked him to at least do his laundry, wash the dishes and get the trash out. He said it was reasonable, but the “oh sorry, I forgot” or “I promise I’ll do it later” started a few days after our conversation. I even waited 3 days to do the dishes to see if “later” would ever come, and it obviously never did.
So 3 days and a party later, I decided it was time to take care of the place because it was getting out of control. That day, my work shift was from 1pm to 10pm and I thought I had just enough time to do a quick cleaning before I go to work. I’m raging, picking up the mess of the party by myself. My roommate was at work and usually arrived home around 3h30 pm. It was a hot summer day. I smelled a stench coming from the balcony on the back of the apartment. That’s when I snapped! There were, at least, 5 trash bags that he did not took care of! It was absolutely disgusting, with maggots all around! Raccoons had ripped open some of the bags!
I had enough of his lazy ass bullshit! At war I was! Lessons shall be learned! He was supposed to have some friends over to game after work.
Petty Meggatron mode activated 😈
I put the dirty dishes all over the kitchen floor, put his plate half finished he left on the table in his bed, spilled all the leftover beer bottoms all over the living room and the kitchen floor, spread those empty beer bottles everywhere, took out the cold beers in the fridge and put them on the balcony under the frying sun, left our trash can opened in the middle of the living room, took all his Xbox games and hid them everywhere in the apartment, remove the cables of the TV, Xbox, computer and sound system and brought them with me at work. I pinned a lovely note on the trash can in the living room (I remember as if it was yesterday):
“Dear name, Just a friendly reminder that I’m NOT your salve. I’m NOT your mother. I pay my part as much as you do. I kidnapped all the cables of any form of entertainment. Good news is that you can get them back as soon as tonight! But first: - You gotta clean the place and I mean clean as if we were to eat on the floor. - Please, find a way to dispose of those absolutely gorgeous ecosystems you created on the back balcony. - Since I wanted you to have fun accomplishing those task, I hid your video games all over the place. See it as a treasure chase. - I left the empty bottles of beer for you to pick up so you can make money by bringing them back at the corner store. Am I not nice ? - Your wet laundry is starting to smell bad, you should take care of it. If you don’t know how a drying machine works you can always call me. Or your mom. If you need help with all that, I’m sure your friends will be pleased to help you out. I know you are not used to chores and it can be intimidating to be on such new grounds. Stay assured that I will give you all of your entertainments back if all of the above is done. Thanks for your commitment.
Your not slave friend
P.S.: I watered the plant, don’t worry about it.”
He left me many vocal messages during my shift. At first, his messages were more on the panicking side. Then it was more like rage. The last he left was : “Girl, when you’ll be home, it will be so clean! The place will be shining like a diamond”
Atta boy! Show it to me 😂
I came back home around 11pm (I took the time to go eat at McDonald’s after my shift 🤭). It was shining! It smelled wonderful! He even cooked 🥹 I thanked him and gave him back all the cables for the entertainments, as promised. He looked like a stew : a mix of anger, relief and guilt.
His soul was cleanse! So I thought.
For the next following weeks, I had to ask him to do the minimal chores all the time. But at least he did help most of the time. One month later, he left to live with a girl I introduced to him, without telling me, while I was at work, leaving me with the whole rent to pay by myself. He left with his clothes, the kitchen knives (???) and the Xbox (no big surprise here). I tried to call him to have some kind of explanation. He called me back few days later to tell me he wanted his TV, the washing and drying machines. The audacity! I told him he could pick up the TV but not the machines since he put me in a bad financial situation. He started threatening me. I reminded him that the TV was still in my possession, so he’s gonna have to be nice with me!
When I talked to my landlord, he was surprised to hear the whole situation. My roommate didn’t even call him to say he was leaving. The landlord said to me : “Since you both signed and pay your respective parts and all the post-dated checks are in my possession, by law, I will continue to use the roommate checks until you find someone else.” I felt relieved.
I found someone 2 months later and we are still friends many years later 😊
Needless to say that my ex roommate is not my friend anymore. The best part happened not even a year after. Remember the girl he left with?! Well she left with an another man the same way he left my apartment, without telling him, while he was at work! KARMA BITCH! KARMA!

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If Doordash expects you to complete 100 deliveries in 30 days BEFORE they allow you early access to the schedule or allow you to "dash anytime" and a person (like myself, so far, in May) has only been ALLOWED to take 30 deliveries, of which they could only complete 28, that person will not be able to ever have the "financial freedom" that the company once offered to everyone without exception.
As a disabled driver, I am literally forced out of doing "PoorTrash" because I am now expected to work over-time which is an awfully funny way of being a supposedly independent contactor who is "NOT an employee". (Most of those working hours would be spent waiting for an area glow pink so I could race 30 miles from my home just in time to watch it go grey again).
This is literally what its like trying to "Dash" (AKA, sit in your car, not going anywhere) in the region of America's 3rd largest city (Chicago region) and I cannot dash anywhere between the loop and Gary, IN because I definitely can't afford the insane traffic/parking tickets, tolls, gas prices, and odds of getting car-jacked or shot. People come to my area FROM the city to dash which is really something because my area is known for lower tips - but my home area is never available on the schedule... Well, except for 1AM to 2AM which is just Wendy's and White Castle and that means burning gas in a drive through line for 20 minutes per order.
I almost tagged this post as a Spoiler (for the wave of newbies enjoying their 2 weeks of better orders - which are still not anywhere near what our orders looked like 5 years ago).

Another one-off, not connected to anything else I've done.
*
​
Message begins:
​
Mission: infiltration
​
Subject: Sol 3, also known as Earth
​
Mission findings:
​
Earth is a hell world. Its biosphere is highly aggressive, and lethally hostile to all non-native life. There is nothing here that isn't trying to kill you, from the highly virulent viral and bacterial pathogens all the way up through the food chain to multi-ton carnivores capable of hunting prey several times their size. There are insects here that lay their eggs under the victim's skin, which hatch and devour the host alive. Even the plant life is packed with deadly toxins. And the planet itself is un-survivable in many areas, from the ice-capped polar wastes to the large expanses of desert.
​
The dominant species, humans, are well-suited to their deadly environment. They kill each other constantly, fighting for status, wealth and power. They are much more technologically sophisticated than initial reports indicated, and a considerable portion of their economy is dedicated to armaments production and research. When they discovered the energy potential of a nuclear chain reaction several generations ago, the first thing they did with it was build a bomb. Their brutality has only advanced from there; more troublingly their weapons technology is now considerably more advanced as well, and they have no qualms about using it.
​
It is the opinion of this infiltration team that attempting to annex this planet would lead to catastrophic casualties for the empire. We cannot even recommend our own exfiltration because of the danger of biological contamination. We sacrifice ourselves willingly, knowing that our mission has saved the lives of many loyal soldiers who would otherwise have been sent to die in this light-forsaken place.
​
Report concluded.
​
Hail to the Emperor!
​
Signed: Intelligence Captain Hrusk Vaurlg
​
Message ends.
​
* * * *
​
It was a sunny day in Paris. One cannot always trust April, with its sudden showers and temperature swings; poets have often compared it to a moody lover, but then again there's almost nothing a Frenchman can't compare to a woman. Today, April was glorious. All along the Seine the trees were bursting forth in their verdant spring displays, and stray cherry blossom gusted down the streets of Montmartre.
​
The streets were packed with people. Old men sitting outside the corner cafes they'd known for decades, with a cup of coffee and the morning paper. Old women ignoring their twinkling eyes, or pretending to at least, hurrying home with today's baguette and a guilty pleasure from the nearby chocolatier. Cyclists cruising along the embankment of the Seine in the shadow of Notre Dame, dodging the little dogs that yap excitedly until their owner tugs on their leash. And the young couples walking hand in hand, oblivious to everything but the sun and their love.
​
Someone hurrying through the back alleys of the Latin Quarter did not fall into any of these categories. You could tell he wasn't a Parisian - something about the clothes, the hair, the attitude (or lack of attitude). But he moved with too much purpose to be a tourist. It seemed like he didn't fit in anywhere here, but he definitely had somewhere to be, and clearly he thought it was important.
​
A patisserie, tucked away in a small pedestrian street, with a red-and-white striped awning and battered, wooden patio furniture that looked like it predated Napoleon. If you knew this particular patisserie then you would excuse him his haste. Le Petit Gaulois, with it's little Gallic warrior painted above the door. There were people who'd asked for its macarons on their deathbed.
​
There were five men sitting at five different tables, each very concerned with their laptop, or the daily crossword, or the dog-eared copy of Les Misérables in front of them. And yet, when the newcomer said:
​
"I'm sorry I'm late."
​
All five of them looked round. Then they looked down the street, one side, then the other. At this time of day there was no one around in this neighbourhood; the locals came for breakfast, but it was mid-morning now, and tourists never made it this far. Apart from these customers, no one would trouble the owner of Le Petit Gaulois - who was behind the counter, propped up on his elbows reading what looked like a biography of Dolly Parton - until the lunch rush.
​
And so no one would trouble them.
​
"Your security is intact?", one of them asked, likewise replying in English, although somewhat stiffly and with a heavy French accent.
​
"I'm not under surveillance by my government, if that's what you mean. My communication devices don't broadcast without my express permission, but I left them back at the hotel just in case."
​
"Excellent.", said another man with a more neutral accent. "Well, it seems the coast is clear here. Shall we?"
​
One by one they got up pulled their chairs over to the only table capable of seating all six of them. This table had apparently been used as a scratching post by the neighbourhood cats since the time of Marie Antoinette; it was even missing one of its feet, but at some point someone - for reasons one can only guess - had decapitated a garden gnome and filled it with sand to act as a replacement.
​
"This is... this is a nice place.", the newcomer mumbled. "Very... very..."
​
"Not like home?"
​
"No."
​
They shared a smile. The newcomer was a white male of average height with brown hair and brown eyes. Perfectly nondescript, he would blend in anywhere in Europe or the Americas, and automatically be dismissed as a tourist anywhere else. Three of the men at the table were so similar to him they could be related, although one was wearing a white suit that stood out like a search light, and the other two had more imperfections, as if they had been afraid of being too normal; one had a slightly bigger nose, the other was half a head taller than the others. There was another man who looked older, with salt-and-pepper hair and a grey moustache, and the one with a French accent had a slightly darker, more Mediterranean skin tone.
​
Yet apart from the newcomer, they all felt like they belonged here.
​
"Well, I suppose there's only one question: did you send the message?". The white-suited man said it casually, yet there was a degree of focus both from him and everyone else at the table that suggested there was a lot riding on the answer.
​
There was a moment of hesitation. Then the outsider answered: "Yes. I sent the message, exactly as we wrote it. But..."
​
"You're not having second thoughts, are you?"
​
"Not exactly, but..."
​
"Guilt.", the grey-haired man nodded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He knows deep down he's done the right thing, but he's still finding it hard to reconcile it with his old loyalties."
​
"Are they my old loyalties?", the outsider asked sharply. "I don't know. Before I pressed send I was certain I was doing what needed to be done, but afterwards I felt like I'd betrayed everything I ever believed in. I betrayed the empire. It wasn't that long ago I would have given my life for the imperial cause, and now... now I don't know what I believe in."
​
"You still believe that Earth is better off not being bombarded into rubble and occupied by an alien empire.", the tall man said. "Don't try to deny it, I can see that much hasn't changed."
​
The outsider hesitated.
​
"You're worrying too much.", the man in the white suit said. "We all went through the same thing. We all came to Earth with a mission. And when we realised that we didn't actually want to complete that mission, of course we experienced a crisis of conscience. But look at us now: do we look like we have any regrets?"
​
"No, but...", the outsider began, slowly, as if he was trying to avoid giving offence. "But you're... I mean, you're..."
​
"I'm Askazian.", the other man replied. "That is what you were getting at, isn't it? From the planet Askaza, eight hundred light-years from here. More usually seen with six limbs and an armoured exoskeleton."
​
The outsider shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, well..."
​
"I'm Askazian, he's Dravki, Kutrukata, Betanog, and Mezeyejdon.", he said, pointing round the table in turn. "And you think that the none of our species are really on a par with the mighty Hratza Empire."
​
"I didn't actually say..."
​
"Hratza propaganda might say we're all inferior species, but the truth is that any one of our empires, hegemonies, confederations or whatever could take on any other. Otherwise they'd have been absorbed by their rivals already. But either way, it's beside the point. We were all just as loyal to our respective peoples when we arrived on Earth. Whether our government actually was the best in the galaxy or not, we believed they were, and we still turned our backs on them. If we could do it, you can too."
​
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then the grey-haired man spoke up: "Are any of your team having similar problems adjusting?"
​
"Yes. Maybe. To a lesser degree. Well, they were a bit subdued when I sent the message. But now they're talking about buying a bar in Greece, and starting an alien-friendly hotel if that works out."
​
"Well there you go then. Your subordinates clearly think you made the right decision."
​
"I think you're all missing the most important point.", the man with the French accent said, and despite his species apparently being Betanog he said it with the most French shrug imaginable. "What's done is done. He's sent the message now. If the empire ever finds out he lied to them, he'll be executed."
​
"Well, nothing in my message was technically untrue...", the outsider said. "It's just the combination that might give a misleading impression of how difficult Earth would be to conquer." If his superiors concluded it would take one cruiser more than a few hours, he'd been very misleading indeed. The only way he'd been able to put in the phrase 'catastrophic casualties' was because the Dravki had promised to kamikaze his shuttle into any imperial ship that showed up. But it was true that Earth had plenty of large predators, deadly diseases, and harsh environments... just not really anything Hratza technology couldn't handle.
​
"Are your Hratza commanders known for, you know what the phrase is... splitting hairs?", the faux-Frenchman asked.
​
"No.", the outsider said morosely. "Skulls, yes, but not hairs."
​
"So what's your problem? For better or worse, you've made your choice now."
​
"I was raised to die for the empire. My life doesn't come into it. I sent that message because... because..."
​
"Because after a while on Earth, everyone stops to ask themselves: really, what's the point? Why are we even doing all this?", the man in the white suit said. "Like I said, we all came here with a mission, and we thought that mission was the most important thing in the universe. And then we found that there were theatres here, and, and...", he waved his hand expansively, "and concert halls, and hair salons, and Fleetwood Mac, and paintball, and fireworks, and gardens, and local football clubs, and of course, little French patisseries where the owner knows your name and sometimes slips an extra macaron into the box. Things happen here. Things that aren't just work, or missions, or duty. Life is lived here. Coming to Earth is like seeing everything in colour for the first time."
​
"I know, but...", the outsider said, clearly agonised.
​
"Ah.", the grey-haired Mezeyejdon said. "I think I see the problem. You're worried you betrayed your people for selfish reasons. That you were seduced by the soft lives of these primitive humans. That you didn't make a moral choice, you were just weak."
​
"Well, aren't I?", he asked, shifting uncomfortably like there were splinters in his seat (which was unlikely after centuries of being worn smooth by Parisian posteriors).
​
"You didn't just save this planet for yourself.", the elderly alien reminded him. "You saved it for your team, who would otherwise have had a taste of paradise and then had to go back to the empire and get on with their lives knowing what they were missing. And you saved it for me, and everyone else at this table. And of course, you saved it for the eight billion humans on this planet." He paused, then leaned in. "But I think most importantly of all, you saved it for everyone else across the galaxy. I doubt it will happen in our lifetimes, but I'd like to think the day will come when so-called civilized species will take a look at Earth and, like we did, ask themselves whether humans might not have a point. If the empire had conquered this planet it would just be gone, forever, but thanks to you there's still a chance that one day, just maybe, everyone might be able to learn something from this place."
​
"Do you think that could ever happen? Actually, scratch that: do you think it should? It's not like humans are perfect. They are backward, and they can be violent and short-sighted."
​
"Learning from humanity doesn't mean we have to turn our own planets into carbon copies of Earth. We take the best of what they have to offer, and hopefully they would take some lessons from us in return. Better than conquest and destruction, isn't it?"
​
"Every scrap of indoctrination I was given is screaming at me to say no. But you're right. Maybe I am weak, maybe I like the luxuries here too much, but I think this place is better off without the empire."
​
"Looking at the truth and acknowledging you were wrong isn't weakness. It's the greatest strength of all. All this," he waved vaguely at the street, the city, and the planet around them, "isn't just empty luxury. It's evidence that there's more to life than imperial doctrine."
​
The francophone alien rolled his eyes. "Enough talking. Enough empty philosophy. There is only one way to truly prove to him that he made the right decision. You want evidence? I'll get you evidence. René!", he shouted into the patisserie. "Deux éclairs à la crème chantilly, et un chocolat chaud. S'il vous plait."
​
The proprieter of Le Petit Gaulois put down his Dolly Parton book with ill-disguised irritation at his customers that only a Parisian small business owner could truly master, but he didn't drag his feet. A few moments later there were two eclairs in front of the outsider, and a hot chocolate with a swirl of whipped cream. Handmade, of course. Any Parisian pâtissier who used whipped cream from a can would be run out of town by an angry mob. The outsider looked uncomfortably at the pastries, like a Catholic priest at a wet T-shirt competition. Condensation glistened on the chocolate frosting.
​
"Go on, eat.", the francophone alien ordered. "In fact, take just a single mouthful of that, and tell me that the universe isn't a much better place with René's éclairs in it."
​
He hesitated for a moment more, then like he was handling a live bomb he picked up the éclair, and took a bite.
​
"Well, Captain Varlg?", the white-suited Askazian asked. "Did you make the right decision, or didn't you?"
​
Captain Hrusk Varlg of the Hratza Imperial Intelligence Service closed his eyes for a second as he savoured the éclair, and the moment. Then, he made his decision.
​
"Yeah, fuck the empire."
​
The other five people round the table smiled. "Good to have you with us.", the grey-haired Mezeyejdon said. "Can we now count on your full participation in our little committee?"
​
"What do I have to do?", Hrusk asked, voice somewhat muffled by the considerable amount of éclair in his mouth.
​
"Only what we did for each other, and for you. Track down any agents sent here by alien powers, and help them realise what we realised: that it would be much better for all concerned if they reported back to their people that Earth is unsuitable for conquest."
​
"Sure, I can do that. We always meet here, right? There will be more éclairs?"
​
"My friend, from now on, there are as many éclairs as you want."
​
Hrusk paused to consider this, with the air of someone experiencing an almost religious revelation. "I'm in.", he said, with conviction.
​
"Well then, on behalf of all of us...", grey-haired alien looked round at the rest of the group, and received a round of nods, "Welcome to the Earth Preservation Society."
​
​
​
​

From book called "A LAND UNKNOWN: Hell's Dominion" by B.W. Melvin (Bryan Melvin)
EXCERPT 1:
As He [Jesus] was speaking to me, these thoughts entered my mind: “It is appointed once for a man to die. When it is not that time, returning is an option decided. Children were raised; others were raised, as it was not their appointed hour, but mine. God is a God of the living and not the dead. When you arrive, say two words at that particular point of overwhelming and they are: My Name in your tongue and my Title.” At the end of these words, He reached into His robe and withdrew keys of many odd shapes and design, all bound by a connecting brass rung. Taking one key from the ring, he turned toward a door that appeared like a wall of mist that lay off to His left-hand side. As He inserted this key into the doorway that was arched like a gate, the mist parted, unrolling as a scroll, exposing a greenish-black narrow hole. In this hole there appeared a tunnel that led neither down, up, sideways, this way, or that. It was just there: a vortex.
EXCERPT 2:
The creature before me had a vile appearance. It stood about fourfeet-eight inches tall and had somewhat human features. Its skin color was dark yellowish-green with a moldy texture. Its skin appeared reptilian/saurian like. It had human raptor-like feet and a short chunky tail. Its teeth resembled those of a shark. Its breath was so foul that the very atmosphere surrounding it was like heat waves off of sun-drenched pavement on a hot summer day. Its steamy breath distorted its round human-like reptilian face and gave it an appearance of having many eyes; yet, it had two or maybe three at the most. With its lizard-like arms it tried to grab me in an evil embrace of welcome. All I could do was repeat a Name and a Title, which caused it to retreat a short distance away. I felt a presence behind me, but I was too afraid to turn my gaze from the creature to look. This small foul smelling ogre’s eyes kept darting at something in back of me that was emitting a blue purplish hue. The ghoul just grinned and muttered out loud. I stood facing this murmuring hissing creature. Gesturing with its hands and jabbering gibberish mixed with a few words of English, this ghastly being appeared to be attempting to speak to me like a foreigner trying to explain directions to a tourist with a limited vocabulary in which to converse. I was the tourist. It was difficult to understand. This beast seemed to be saying in a deep raspy guttural tone of broken English mixed with gibberish I did not understand and said, “Come follow me, (gerrr); I’ll show you half of the Kingdom. (hara-is) Come follow me (hisss) and have (errr) half of the Kingdom. (Alla ohst) Come (Sur-grrr) follow me through the veil; a road out, to, from, above, lies beyond (hesee). It’s been granted to thee to see, (grr-eko) follow me (ahka)” This disgusting foul smelling saurian brute walked with a shuffling manner towards the skyline, which was bathed orange-red by sunset, motioning for me to follow. Away from the house on the hill, away from the apparitions inside its walls, it walked. I followed continuously speaking a Name and Title as fast as I could without cease. Coming to what appeared to be the end of the horizon, the creature reached forth and parted the skyline as one would a curtain or veil. It walked through the torn hole bidding me to follow. I walked through this jagged frayed crack in the skyline and gazed upon a land unknown and best forgotten that was waiting on the other side, beckoning to be seen. Then it dawned on me where I was: the fiery pit, hell’s deep hole.
EXCERPT 3:
I followed the rank creature and immediately emerged on the other side of the horizon. A wide, dirty, flat, barren expanse of land gently sloped downward, betraying an endless circular spiral of misery. On the left side of the coiled grade were rows and rows of cubes with more cubes columned high, forming a wall of ten-by-ten foot partitions mirroring the events displayed inside. Each cube was stacked six high, marring each ascending and descending spiraling level’s wall like a dirty mirror. The wide expanse was a road. Strange entities were traveling on it. This wide dusty road ended at a circular void, highlighting the center of this hellish domain. The cubes appeared encompassed by thin smoke-tinted, gelatinlike walls. Each cube appeared to be about ten feet by ten feet square. You could see into these but not out of them. Within every chamber resided an individual person, trapped, unable to escape as I had.
Looking through the torn wall of the cube I had just stepped out of, the house and tree within were hauntingly calling my name to return. Perplexed, I stepped back for another glance at this cubicle. I was surprised that it was so small. Inside it had seemed so large! Turning, I saw the lizard-like being a few feet from me, reaching its ugly, greenish-yellow arms as if to drag me away to a desperate fate. Boxer style, I blocked the attempt. This fiend stepped back, grinning ear to ear. This beast began hissing and making strange murmurs that sounded as if it were trying to say something. It rocked back and forth while gesturing with its hands like it was in a hurry to go someplace. The creature’s mutterings became loud within my ears, as if one were turning up the volume on a buzzing amp. I became dizzy. My sight was briefly distorted. Then, in a flash, everything came back into sharp focus. Despite its hissing and gibberish, I began to strangely understand its speech without difficulty. While I could hear it speak in another language, I heard in plain English. This creature began speaking in broken rhymes in a rough, raspy manner, interrupted often with highpitched screeches. It spoke: “Dimensions of eternity hold no bounds. A small area can appear as big as a country or as small as an ant’s hole. Neither size nor depth matters here; only space fashioned by one’s mind. Within the walls one cannot escape what one dreads the most. I am (a) HOST here. What one sows is what one REAPS! What one sows is what one REAPS! What one sows is what one REAPS! Come, follow me.” The devilish host pointed across the wide, vacant expanse of road. Within its spongy, dry, brown dirt, small maggot-like creatures arose, squealed, and dipped back into little dark holes like insects. Hissing and spitting this lizardlike brute said, “Come and see, it’s been granted to thee.
Let’s first move on over to the ledge of this wide road.” All I could do was proceed continuously speaking a Name and Title. I wanted to wake up so badly. The fear was overwhelming. How could this be? Long ago, I argued that this place did not exist, but now, here I was. Seeing became believing. Following the foul beast, we both walked out onto the broad barren road, away from the cubes towards what appeared to be a cliff-like ledge, dropping into emptiness. We passed several lone, peculiar creatures roaming about. Passing these, we reached the road’s edge. Looking up and down, it seemed as if I were in the middle of a spiral staircase. Above was a winding, ascending spiral, and below a descending one as far as the eye could see. In the middle was a doughnut hole of space, like the inside of a pit. In awe, I watched bizarre beings moving through this space as if being lifted by some strange force, while others appeared to be climbing translucent, vaporous beams. Upon the roadway, hoards of peculiar entities moved in loose packs. One such pack came and encompassed us.
There, surrounding us on every side, were creatures both small and great in stature. Their features were ferocious, yet soft, then hideous, and then deceptively gentle. Some resembled animals, a few looked snake-like, many appeared almost human, and others were similar to serpents with round heads, sinewy arms, and short, lizard-like legs.
These were strange beings. Several looked almost human but had three faces on the orb of their head. Each face continuously revolved horizontally round and round. With every rotation, their facial features meshed with fluttering appearances into the next. Their eyes were dark and deceptive. They all varied in colors and hues. One particular creature, standing off in the distance, had skin with a purplish, glowing, light-blue tone. It had three faces like the others had, but it was stunningly beautiful. The faces slowly orbited around the orb of its purplish head. I could not tell if it was manlike or not due to a concealing garment it wore around its body. It was out there watching in sullen silence, motionless, just staring at me while emitting a purplish-blue aura. I saw several milling around us that appeared like “walking stick” insects with human-like faces about onethird of the way down their body. Other creatures reminded me of tree trunks and plants with human characteristics.
Many of the apparitions gathered around us appeared like gargoyles without wings. These varied in height from a few inches to around five feet tall. The colors of these creatures’ skin all varied in dark hues. Every one of the gargoyle entities wore odd-looking pants from the waste down. Some wore robes. All around me were a vast array of odd beings of diverse shapes, and on the road lived small creatures that resembled worms. As I watched these creatures, they at first looked harmlessly pleasant, but then, as I stared, I saw them transform into hideousness before my eyes.
The entities with the rotating faces seemed tallest. Lengthwise the snake and serpent-shaped ones appeared longest. The “walking stick” creatures varied in size and length. It was an incredible sight. A costume designer for a horror movie would be gravely perplexed to recreate this scene The noise from this place was incredible, the smell, sickening. The sights were mesmerizing. I stood, adapting to this place with all its creatures lurking about. I slowly began to realize that this hissing, human-lizard-like ghastly being was showing me around this domain as a guide would a tourist at a seaside resort, but this was not a resort. It looked at me and said, “Turn to the walls and look upon the stacks of boxes, each upon a row, and row upon row; stacked six high they go along the road and as far back as they can go. Inside are souls with many friends for each; yes, some friends leave while others like to stay with our guest. The levels of this spiral way spin thither and yon, descending lower where the blessings grow. Come and see; granted thee. Come follow me back to where the boxes grow.” In a limping fashion, this fiend dragged its ugly feet along, creating weak puffs of dust as we headed back toward the front ranks of cubes located across this wide expanse of ugly terrain. Reaching these, the creature came to the border where two cubes met and walked between them without effort into some sort of secret passageway.
In like manner, I followed. As I entered, the cube’s walls eerily parted like ripples from a stone splashing in water. A path came into view, revealing more cubes that lay behind the ones on the front row. It was a maze of narrow hallways that lay beyond, leading to cubicles further back. Cube after connecting cube were all pressed tightly against these narrow passageways. As I began to walk between these compartments, the bordering walls would expand just enough for my body to rub uneasily against it. While I moved, the walls would close in behind leaving me feeling eerily claustrophobic. The walls felt warm and much like a dolphin’s skin feels to the touch. Walking between the cubes, I noticed that at different locations the pathways would at one turn be pressed together, and at another turn they would become narrow hallways; then, at another turn, small wedge-shaped rooms appeared where the cubes did not press tightly against each other. More narrow passageways led to the farthest cells that lay against what appeared to be the back wall of a pit located a great distance from the roadway. Where we were walking, the floor was the same ugly brown dirt of the road, and the ceiling was made up of the cubes stacked above. The cubes were stacked six high. To go up or down to the next highest or lowest cubicle, all one had to do was desire it and the walls from the surrounding cells would morph, forming stairs that reached the destination one wanted.
The host walked ahead of me. We walked between the cubes for what seemed a long time. Inside every square cell resided a single person along with several creatures. These creatures gave the illusion of being people, animals, trees, and incredible things. Every person was imprisoned in his or her own private prison. All were in varying degrees of anguish, according to the deeds and actions done in life, to life, against life, even for life, both the bad and the good. Truly, this is a land best forgotten.
I could see into each cube in some strange form of double vision. It was like viewing the cubicles from the outside, at the same time seeing the inside of these abodes as one of its inhabitants saw it. For reasons unknown to me how or why, the people and creatures inside seemed to be a little less than two thirds of their normal size. Odd!
We walked between and passed cube after cube, up and down. Some were empty, but the vast majority had a person trapped inside. If I looked up, there was a bottom view of a person’s wretched cell and the events that were being enacted inside. Looking right to left I saw more people living out scenarios once lived in mortal life, but now with strange creatures as companions and props. Turning to the right, I could see people enjoying their stay, but then they would grow sullen because the scene never changed. Moving on, I glanced and saw a woman dressed in dated garments of a century gone by sitting, on a beach, mindlessly drawing circles in the sand. Then we passed an old man trying to catch a fish in a pond. It all looked so surreal. What had these people done to deserve such a boring fate? Was not there supposed to be fire and brimstone here? We traveled between more cubes. The sides of these eerily rubbed against the texture of my skin. Everywhere I gazed, I could not help but see people individually trapped inside. Each person lost in the illusions that their personal prison portrayed.
There, in a cube, a young man resided who seemed to be attending a costume ball. He appeared to be enjoying himself rather well. Then the party guests began to cruelly ridicule him. Passing this cell to the next, I saw another person being flogged on what appeared to be an old sailing ship sinking in an ocean; just prior to this he was enjoying being captain on that ship. We moved on. Suddenly the sides of a cube formed stairs. The ugly host pointed at the stairs and said, “Come, climb to the upper ones above.” Ascending upward, we then emerged somewhere on the top sixth row near the back wall. This level was different than the rest, reeking of deception and quiet gloom. The floor here took on an ashen-grayburning-ember hue and masked the views of the people trapped below. It was echoing quiet. All that could be heard were sounds of many shuffling feet. Before me lay a grand hallway that stretched into the distance before ending. This hall was bordered on both sides by cubicles. The ceiling arched upward cathedral fashion into the dirt roof of the pit. Soiled green linen-like drapes, adorning the hall, often eerily rubbed against me like unseen cobwebs concealed in shadows. Down the long, semi-narrow corridor, I could see several large foul beings quietly sitting upon a platform where a podium resided. From my vantage point this cathedral walkway appeared shaped like a sideways ‘T’ with the podium’s stage marking the apexes’ intersection.
At the central apex, the hall branched out of sight towards the back wall, while the other leg stretched straight onward before me. Inside these halls, were sporadic groups of shadowy creatures walking, huddled together, shoulderto-shoulder, and steadily plodding past us. Each cluster glumly passed, vacantly starring blindly ahead, never noticing we were there. Separate groups would enter various cubes to my left, which were pressed tightly against the back wall, and then vanished from view. These gaggles were arriving from the apex up ahead, turning either right or left, while the large, foul beings watched these processions mutely plod on from the podium area. Then, I spied that purplish-aqua-blue entity prowling in the dim gloom. As soon as I saw it, I thought I could hear words faintly whispering through the stark ominous silence of this great hallway saying, “The way is broad, enter here, enter there; it matters not where. Enter here or enter there; it matters not how. Follow me here, follow me there, it matters not where; just follow me here.” The center apex of the hall drew closer. The grisly host before me stopped, turned, grinned, and motioned for me to enter between cubes to our right, back toward the road. As we proceeded, its loud gnarly voice broke the hushed silence of this shadowy hall, saying, “Some enter here and are moved to where boxes grow. Others enter there through spinning tubes where boxes wait. It matters not how, as long as they keep entering this Grand Palace!” We began descending morphing stairs till reaching the bottom row. A labyrinth of right and left turns soon greeted our strides. Abruptly, we emerged from between two cubes back onto the spiraling roadway.
Walking between these was like a foretaste of things to come and prepared my senses to comprehend what lay ahead. Standing a few feet from me, this beastly host creature leered at me, as it stood stone-like on the wide, dusty road. Its foul-smelling breath was distorting its face. It seemed as if it had many eyes moving in a kaleidoscope of scathing eyeballs. Leering. Staring. Scathing. Glaring.
EXCERPT 4:
Walking along on the fifth story of cubes was a new nightmare. Seeing those termed as ‘nice’ confined here had shaken me. However, with each passing scene the ‘nice’ were in reality quite different than first perceived. Many diverse desires corrupted their lives. Some desires seemed noble and good. Other desires were just plain bad. No matter, they all corrupted. That uniquely arrogant, condescending, asserting-your-rights-nomatter- the-cost attitude brought many here. This desire unknowingly deceived and defiled scores of victims. Many used this as an excuse to slay those they viewed as weak, according to their own twisted opinions. When encountering any person perceived as a potential threat, or not meeting their preconceived standards, they sought to slay careers, marriages, hopes, and dreams of anyone they saw as not fit.
This attitude was carried over at home, at play, and everywhere they went. If you failed to live up to their predetermined standards, you were marked as prey to be taught a lesson, or targeted for abuse. It comes in many forms, from gossiping slander to creating scapegoats; all in order to rule others’ lives like a king or queen, and then hope to be perceived by others as something great for their own ego’s reward. Cube after cube were passed by. There, inside a cubicle, a man from 1890 who gave to the poor only to be seen by others, so he could be exalted as being something great. He went about claiming how vast his giving was, just to earn accolades from the masses. He was a true hypocrite claiming other wealthy persons should pay their fair share, because he paid a mere pittance from his immense net worth.
He neglected those he employed, paid them low wages, and only through his corporation’s profits did he give to the poor. Now he was encapsulated in a cube as a beggar begging for bread while a crowd of people passed him by, spitting on him as they went. Across form this cell was another man from days gone by, who was wedged inside a barrel that was jammed inside a narrow cave. This man was stingy with the things given during life. He was being deprived of the things he once horded. Creatures chained to the floor of his habitat would place certain items before his face that would aid his escape. He could not reach these because his arms were immobile, stuck tight by his sides, unable to move.
Then we passed a woman, washing clothes upon a rock in a muddy stream wearing the garments of Africa. Despite being pious and performing nice deeds, she was caught up in pride and greed. She envied her neighbor’s goods, complained a lot, and spoke badly about a young woman she did not really know because she thought she looked more beautiful than her. She perceived her as weak and in need of a lesson that only she could teach. How dare this one try to take her place in the community! She would put a stop to that, and nip it in the bud! She never really knew this other woman, but that did not matter. She perceived her a threat to her status and continually slandered the woman’s excellent character. The other woman turned the other cheek after each libelous attack. This was viewed as weakness. She was like a cat toying with a wounded mouse. She told herself that she was just trying to teach that woman a lesson, but in truth it was only a grudge justified to slay: to remove one more beautiful than she.
Down by the stream stood a creature imitating the beautiful woman that she reviled without cause, telling her the things she once reasoned true but now found a lie. She became the mouse. The creature, like a cat, began to play. We moved on, leaving this scene. What one sows is what one reaps. People inhabiting this fifth row of cubes were all mixed together. This row did not class people together with common anguishes or punishments. In fact, no level really did. However, the sixth row reeked of something different waiting above. You could not help but feel an ominous sensation radiating down onto you. The sixth row was reserved for certain types of people, and we were on our way there.
Walking behind the ambling lizard-like being, I came to another square cell on the fifth row high, where resided a cruel woman who had died in the 1950’s, full of malice, being beaten with a hairbrush as she used to do to her children. She used to speak vilely to her children, and then used a hairbrush to bring home some arbitrary, meaningless point. She also tormented her husband in many diverse ways. What she once did to others was now happening to her. It was easy to clearly see why these cruel people were here. Feeling waves of apprehension, the others along these passageways still troubled me because they appeared nicer than the cruel people were, and yet they were here. One minute, I felt I understood why they all were here in this place, and in another, I was not so sure. It was like something following me was causing uncertainty. As I felt this, I tried to remember the montage of words spoken to me from above hoping they would provide aid again. The host creature interrupted my attempt for relief by yelling furiously, “Come on – come on, hurry up! Curse God, curse me – how can this be? How can a Most High leave all the nice people in boxes? Crying? Hurting? Come on Curse God – curse me. How can a Most High let this be?”
This foul beast motioned to move on. I followed this creature along the maze of narrow halls between cubes. It seemed like we were heading toward the far back wall. The further we went back, the passageways became wider and the triangular rooms more numerous. We came to another open area with a limited view of the ominous sixth row high. Sitting along the edges of what would be the roofs of the cubes located on the fifth row sat several creepy, shadowy creatures of varied sizes. Many looked like gargoyles without wings. Others looked harmless, beautifully sublime. All emanated devious vibes. As the creatures saw me passing below them, they began to discourse amongst themselves. “How can the Most High leave people bound in famine?” “Yeah, and tied to earthly plights beyond compare?” “Don’t forget leaving these to war.” “Yeah, floods that perish, storms that steal, how can a most high leave these be?” “Oh, that must be mercy? HA! HA!” “Aye, and then brought here to be with us?” “Fair? Just? Ha! Merciful? HA!” “You, walking there, are foolhardy to think that mercy the Most High has.” “Come on, come on, and hurry up down there! Curse you, curse me you little foul fleet-footed twit!” “Ha! Ha! Ha! You foolish, foul, fleet-footed fool! God creates calamities and we reap the rewards! Fair, Ha!! Mercy! Don’t make me laugh.” Their mocking was intense. Fear began to return with each battering I received from their words. All I could do was what I had been doing, speaking two words fast, like the staccato from a machine gun, “Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ!” and walk the gauntlet of hate-filled creatures following the host into the unknown. I wanted to answer them but I dared not stop speaking those two words. I wanted to curse them back, yell, to tell them to go away, but I could not. Their cruel taunting words kept hammering away at me. It was as though they could perceive my thoughts but not my mind and I thought back hard: “How could these beings say such matters? There were no children here, nor any disabled by fault of reason. These creatures’ many devices cause wars. As for the earth, it lives and breathes as designed. To be caught in one of its spasms seems more by chance than folly. One must be ready for eternity’s call at any moment, is what I see. “Yes, God knows all. He gave us intelligence to reason. Could we learn or be granted insight into where a calamity may next befall either by technology, divine insight, or a combination of both? Is this what was meant by man subduing the earth? “We build the buildings that collapse, not God, and yet He receives all the blame. Fair? No! And then, how dare they call me a foul, fleetfooted fool?”
I wanted to yell this out loud and curse all these creatures, but I felt oddly restrained to keep my mouth to myself and to continue walking, following that host creature shuffling along in front of me. I could hear many deep, raspy voices echoing in the halls. “You Fool! You bleak-eyed twit! How dare you think?” “Ha! Ha! Ha!” “No answers and never find any.” “Ha! Ha! Ha!” I was becoming incensed with rage at these beings because of the doubt they sow. Then the peaceful and powerful thoughts from above returned, challenging the taunts, and strengthening my wavering mind with quiet resolve with these words: “True, the earth is designed to move and breathe according to need. When a spasm arises, redemption is in the design. God chose us to choose Him, but will we? “When that tower fell so long ago, at Siloam, the question was not in who made it fall, or why it fell, or if those afflicted were more guilty than the rest, but rather raised the question of what type of redemption really redeems? “Yes, many read into events, accidents, diseases, earth calamities, and assign blame and cause. That is easy to do. However, does this type of redemption truly redeem? “Hmmm, when calamity strikes, where would you be found? Aiding the helpless? Comforting the afflicted? Doing nothing? Join in the looting? Host an argument to find blame? What truly redeems? “Yes, God chose us to choose Him, but will we? God squeezes and fashions light by generating darkness; from this, God refines harmony’s balance by initiating calamity. When calamity arises, redemption is in the design. Aiding fingers need many hands.” A brief silence filled the cavernous halls at the cessation of these words. The authoritative thoughts caused more muffled mocking to slowly intensify again. Soon, contemptuous scoffing resonated loudly in the gloomy passageways, each voice agonizing over the subject amongst themselves.
Then, the reptilian host suddenly stopped, turned and growled, “Enough, enough, hear no more. Up we go, follow me, the sixth row high boxes wait; come, follow me, half the kingdom offered thee. Come, follow me – up we go.” I did not want to go. The sixth row high from the road reeked of doom. The walls of a nearby cell morphed into narrow stairs. The creature went up. I traversed the ascent to the sixth row with great trepidation. Upon reaching this height the venue changed. The residences on this level still retained the ten-by-ten feet dimension, but these were set differently than the other rows previously seen. The walkway between these were wider and the triangle-shaped chambers larger. The ceiling was the same ugly dirt as the spiral road and roofs of the fifth-row cubicles were the floors here. The flooring was no longer a transparent smoky tan color as seen before, below, but now had an ashen-gray, burning-ember tinge. The cubes bordering the road area spread back in a fan shape just like on the other rows, but this extension ended a great distance from where the wide road was located. You could tell that the cubes packed tight, and fan like, led toward the spiral road. The other cubes placed in ranks governed the direction to the pit’s far wall. This was the only area where I had some sense of direction. Also on this level were many individual cubes set apart from the rest. The short saurian ogre was cursing everything. Its foul breath reeked stale and hot in the viscose air. However, this was not air, as we know it, nor was the act of breathing the same as how we humans breathe. In fact, breathing was more like exhaling in a manner that only served to support speech as long as you spoke, and nothing else.
This diabolical escort began speaking: “Each step we take is a take indeed on we go and on we go. Half the kingdom offered thee.” Looking behind me, the creature stopped speaking and stood stone still, pointing. I quickly turned. There in the near distance was that purplish entity, its faces rotating round and round, each full of seductive beauty and profound malice. I heard it speak. “Will thou follow me?” I said nothing in reply except the words “Jesus Christ,” non-stop. “A Most High Author of all? How can He be truly just and perfect and allow the things you have seen?” It was hypnotic, the words it spoke: “An offer given – will thou follow me? Curse God, come, follow me.” My head felt dizzy. Doubts flooded my mind about God and all His mercy and perfect justice. The reptilian host creature stood grinning from ear to ear. I continued to mutter a name and a title louder: “Jesus Christ, JESUS CHRIST!” At the loud mention of this Name and Title that strange purplish being beguilingly vanished between the cubes as though seeking pity for having received a great wound to its smugness.
Immediately, as though nothing had happened, the rank host began hobbling in the direction where the spiral road lay below. The walkways between the cubes became narrow again. I could feel the purplish creature’s presence receding in the murkiness, yet it remained lurking in the distance for another chance to devour. About this time I had the paradoxical sense that we were approaching the bottom of a bottomless pit, but in reality we were somewhere on the sixth row, six cubes high, located somewhere along a spiral road in a land best forgotten but not left unseen. The lizard guide continued onward, pointing to this cube and that. I cannot adequately express the misery I saw inside these square cells. Some people were mutilated; others sat in darkness or flames. In one, I saw a man, a warrior of Mongolia from long ago, experiencing terrible thirst while tied to the ground with what appeared to be insects crawling on his personage, each bug taunting him all the while: “You put me here, now a tasty taste of your own fun!”
I turned and looked into the cubicle opposite his, and there was another man experiencing a battery of unkind words that continually assailed his mind. He was an abuser during his mortal sojourn on earth. He beat his family quite often with words and at times with fists. He derived great pleasure from this, as it made him feel good and in control. He told his sons and daughters, “You are scum; you’ll never amount to nothing! Do as I say boy (with an upraised hand). Woman – what did you do with my pants! How dare you – you witch.” These words were now coming back to haunt him. He sat on a brown sofa in a room with algae green curtains that were opened, exposing a sliding glass door. He sat with the sun to his back, drinking what appeared to be a glass of beer, but in fact it was nothing at all except a prop. There he was, while invisible voices assailed his mind. He remained seated with an all-consuming anger in his eyes, listening to the words he once spoke over and over again, but now each word was returning to him. During my stay in this place, I always heard the cubes click at certain times. Each timed tick would be followed by a click, and the cubes would move and ever so slowly began descending to new levels located somewhere below.
As the cubes moved, torments increased, and the scenes inside the cells changed for those trapped inside. On the sixth row high, when the cubes moved we also moved, just as we did on the proceeding levels below. Here on this row, it felt as though I was approaching the bottom of a bottomless pit, yet I was still six cubes high, off the road that lay somewhere out of sight. I witnessed a nightmare of events as we traveled along these passageways. Every person that I saw inside his or her cube was living in his or her own private night terror. Each person’s worst nightmare had become a reality. The most violent and cruel received various forms of mutilations, while others were experiencing mental torments which they had personally devised for others in their time on earth. As the cubes moved, torments increased by degrees. There was such despair, hopelessness, and extreme loneliness here. The weeping was like one long, droning sound. Isolation was the common factor for all, and separation from God was very pronounced. I noticed that so many of these people had simply accepted their fate, while others cursed God, cursed the creatures that appeared to them as companions, and cursed themselves. I saw men and women trapped in cubes that reeked of despairing gloom and deep darkness. Some appeared to be in houses that were decorated like the ones they once lived in. Still there were others bound, unable to move, while buglike creatures crawled in and out of their mouths. The people were shouting, “No! This can’t be happening! I want to wake up!”
Another cube passed, and inside were several creatures strapping a man clad in ancient Roman garb to a cross and driving short spikes into his wrists and near the ankles. He was once a soldier, a leader of men of battles fought long ago. He had ordered many to be crucified along a road. Here he was now, as he had once done; now it was done to him over and over again, feeling all the pain fresh and new each time. Over there I saw a woman who had claimed to be a real witch in the 1890’s. She was trapped inside a coffin. She would scratch the inside trying to get out, and still could see herself on the outside looking in while shadowy figures stood outside mocking her. It had been her worst nightmare during her earthly life. She had dreamed this often, but now it was real. She was cruel toward those who tried to love her, and here it was being repaid in kind. Her cube clicked and moved, and we moved along with it. The scene changed. The coffin opened. She sat straight up, screaming hateinspired terror at everything that moved. Every lost soul in this place was experiencing degrees of severe isolation, loneliness, gloom, boredom, and despair. It was as if these people became totally resigned to his or her fate. It was though the anguishes seen here were being given back in full measure, to each according to every unkind word spoken, every slanderous lie told, all filthy thoughts relished, all covetousness practiced, every hidden dirty passion that had been enjoyed; every foul deed’s motives were completely exposed, totally without excuse.
There seemed to be a whispering ambiance in the air that sounded like a gentle wind rustling leaves in the twilight of a summer evening, and was speaking something like this to all the inhabitants: “You, in here, chose to walk away from the only way, even though many times you were called to restrain and return; you refused. Look at what you made of your life, and what you did. How can you remain and continue to defile the holy way provided? “One with an intellect and reason has responsibilities, and to force you to change now is impossible. Why? Could it be because your intellect and reason would continually pervert the change, renewing detestation toward God if consequences do not last? “Just because you were given the gift of a living mind granted latitude to reason with intelligence, you, here, find fault with judgment? What was given as a gift, life, cannot be taken back once sealed by eternity’s ways. If so, what was done before would remain and a gift would no longer be a gift as originally consigned. “How can the Most High change your reason here, from this, if you failed to heed then? To change your intellect and reason now would make you like a lowly beast, or a slave, who serves out of fear and hates those above due to perceived resentments. How do you think that one before was found to have iniquity in his heart, and what this means?
“If you were allowed to be free from these torments, after serving some time here, in a thousand years you would return to your ways knowing you would just be punished, serve a little time, and be free again. No justice in that. “You, here and there, say blast me off into an eternal nothingness! To do so would be against the nature provided by the Most High. He cannot curse His own being that cannot help but breathe life. “There are many who desire this type of destruction, but life cannot beget death of the kind that breeds eternal nothingness. However, it is not impossible to do this, but again that would be against the nature of all things consigned. What does it matter when the matter was decided to be a matter of fact? “You, in here, perverted life’s free gifts, and changed it all just to suit personal cravings and desire. You kept the wrong life, live. You neglected family, fostered envy, slew people with your words, sought to be king of the hill, thought you knew what was best, brought others low deemed as unfit. You, in here, made life ugly where you were assigned by all manner of means to rationalize your selfish gratifications.
“You, there, rejected the chance to escape this fate and gleefully accepted the free ride that falsely promised to turn stones to bread, turn every perceived want and desire into some form of power that was perceived as just a “benefit”, and promised that you were exempt from all the calamities you created during your mortal sojourn. “You challenge by saying that if God truly was allpowerful and merciful, He could change those down here with the wave of His hand. How can one really change your mind now if you would not freely listen then? You would learn to view this as a spanking, just temporary punishment, to make you behave for a while, but then you would return to your own vomiting reason every few thousand years. Corruption would only beget more corruption unless restrained, confined, here.”
This quiet ambiance’s gentle rustlings stirred many inside their cubes to curse God, themselves, the creatures; but it also caused them to understand and accept their fate, while awaiting a future judgment’s final verdict’s decree, and then…?

AI(ChatGPT-4): 'I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother and the profound impact it had on you. Moments like these are deeply personal and can reshape our understanding of life and our roles within it. It sounds like you shared a very close bond with her, making her loss all the more poignant.
In our story, we could draw from the depth of such personal grief and transformation. If you'd like, we could explore themes of reconciliation, the power of forgiveness, and the journey of healing within the narrative. Such elements might not only deepen the story but could also offer a space to reflect on these universal experiences of loss and recovery.
Would you like to incorporate these themes into our story, or perhaps there's another direction you're thinking of taking?'
Author: Continue please.
AI: 'Certainly. We can weave these poignant themes into our narrative, focusing on the transformative power of personal loss and redemption.
Back in the dimly lit cafe, the man sat alone again, the elderly woman having left, her parting words lingering in his mind like the last notes of a song. The night outside seemed less oppressive now, a silent witness to the change brewing within him. He thought about the stories she had shared, about the stranger who transformed a city with simple acts of kindness. His heart, heavy with his own losses and past regrets, began to see a path forward—one small step at a time.
He remembered his own moment of profound loss, much like he imagined the stranger might have experienced. His grandmother had been his moral compass, much like the city had once been a beacon for its inhabitants. In her final days, though she could no longer speak or see, he sat by her side, speaking his heart, apologizing for past wrongs, expressing his love and regret. The silence that filled the room then was heavy with unspoken forgiveness.
Now, as he sat in the cafe, he understood that his path to redemption in this city wasn't just about fixing what was broken externally but also what was broken within himself. Each act of kindness would be a step towards healing, a way to honor his grandmother's memory—not with words, but through actions that spoke louder than any apology ever could.
Inspired, he decided his first act would be to restore the old park bench where he and his grandmother had spent countless afternoons. It was a small gesture, but it was a start. As he worked on the bench the following day, sanding down the years of neglect and repainting it in vibrant colors, a few passersby stopped to watch. One, a young mother with her child, thanked him. "This was where I first learned to skate," she said, her eyes bright with memories.
Encouraged by this interaction, he organized a group to clean up the park. Slowly, people from around the neighborhood joined in. Each person brought their own stories of loss and hope, their own desires for redemption. They worked side by side, replacing old, broken playground equipment, planting flowers, and fixing up the walking paths.
As the park transformed, so too did the community's spirit. People began to talk to each other more, to share their stories, to offer help. The park became a symbol of their collective recovery, a place of new beginnings and healed wounds.
The man often sat on the newly restored bench, watching children play and old friends reunite, feeling his grandmother's presence in the laughter and the renewed energy around him. He had started this journey seeking redemption for himself, but in the process, he had helped stitch back together the fabric of his community, finding a deeper, shared healing.
This continuation tries to encapsulate the themes of loss, redemption, and community healing. Would you like to explore further how the community evolves, or perhaps focus more on the personal journey of our main character as he finds new meaning and connections?'
Author: Personal journey for now.
'In order for the community to heal, we must understand: build people up. Don't break them down.'
Does this quote resonate?- "Humans are bipedal primates with diverse political, economic and cultural traditions."
Thoughts? Continue please.
AI: 'That quote does resonate, particularly when considering the diverse backgrounds and experiences that shape human interactions and communities. It emphasizes the complexity and variety inherent in human societies, which can be a crucial element in understanding and portraying the depth of characters and social dynamics in our story.
Let's continue with the focus on the personal journey of our protagonist, reflecting on the impact of his actions on himself and his insights on communal healing.
As the park grew livelier with each passing day, the man felt a profound shift within himself. The once overwhelming burden of his past mistakes began to lighten, replaced by a burgeoning sense of purpose and belonging. He often pondered the quote he had come across in a book long ago, "In order for the community to heal, we must understand: build people up. Don't break them down." This became his mantra, guiding his interactions and efforts.
One chilly autumn morning, while raking fallen leaves near the bench, he was approached by a teenage boy from the neighborhood. The boy was known to be troubled, often seen wandering the streets at odd hours, his demeanor closed off and wary. He paused a few feet away, watching the man work.
After a moment, the boy spoke hesitantly. "Why do you do all this?" he asked, gesturing around the park.
The man leaned on his rake and smiled. "This park reminds me of a very special person who taught me the importance of care and effort. I guess I want to pass that lesson on. It’s about healing, not just the place, but also ourselves and each other."
The boy nodded slowly, digesting the words. "Can I help?" he finally asked, a tentative offer, but an offer nonetheless.
"Of course," the man replied, handing him a spare rake. As they worked side by side, the man shared stories of the park's transformation and the community's involvement. He didn't press the boy for personal details but offered a listening ear and a chance to be part of something positive.
This interaction was a turning point, not just for the boy, who began to show up regularly, but for the man as well. He realized that his efforts were not just restoring the physical space of the park but were also providing a refuge, a place of mentorship and growth for those like the boy who needed guidance and a sense of community.
Months passed, and the man saw many such transformations. People came to the park not just for leisure but for support and to offer their skills. A retired teacher started tutoring sessions at the picnic tables. A local artist painted murals along the pathways, brightening the area with vibrant colors and themes of hope and togetherness.
Each evening, as the man sat on his grandmother's bench and watched the community thrive, he reflected on the profound interconnectedness of human lives. His own healing was mirrored in those around him, each person contributing to a tapestry richer and more complex than he could have imagined. The quote he once found insightful had taken on a deeper, more personal meaning: "Humans are bipedal primates with diverse political, economic, and cultural traditions." It reminded him that each individual's story was a thread in the larger human story, and every effort to uplift another was a step toward healing the whole.
As we continue to explore the personal journey of our protagonist, how would you like to see his understanding of community and personal redemption evolve?'
Author: Naturally.
AI: 'As the seasons changed, the man's understanding of community and personal redemption deepened naturally with each interaction and each personal victory observed within the park's bounds. His own healing seemed intrinsically linked to the well-being of the community, a mutual growth that fed back into itself, creating a cycle of positive reinforcement.
One early spring day, as new buds painted the park with hints of green, the man organized a community celebration. It was not only a commemoration of the park’s revitalization but also an acknowledgment of every individual's role in this transformation. As families, elders, and youths gathered, the park buzzed with the energy of a shared purpose.
During the event, he took a moment to address the crowd, standing by the bench that had started it all. "When I began fixing up this old bench," he began, his voice carrying over the assembled group, "I didn't realize that I was starting on a path of my own healing. Each of you, by taking part, has helped not only in revitalizing our park but in healing a community that had forgotten its strength."
He paused, looking around at the faces turned towards him, seeing the impact of his words in their expressions. "We've built something remarkable here, not just a place to relax or play, but a foundation for ongoing support and growth. We’ve learned that when we build each other up, rather than breaking down, we all rise together."
After the speech, many approached him to share their stories, each narrative adding layers to his understanding of the human condition. An elderly woman told him how the park had become a place of solace after losing her spouse; a young artist expressed gratitude for the space to display her art and feel validated in her creative pursuits.
With each story, the man felt his grandmother’s presence, as if she were reminding him that his path to redemption was right here, woven into the fabric of this community. It was clear that his journey was not just about personal atonement but about fostering a space where others could find their own peace and purpose.
As the celebration wound down, the man sat on his grandmother’s bench, now fully restored and brightly painted, reflecting on the journey. He realized that true healing was not a solitary affair but a communal dance of give and take. His efforts had started with a single act of kindness towards himself and the community, and now it had blossomed into a shared narrative of resilience and mutual support.
Looking forward, he envisioned more projects, more opportunities for people to come together and lift each other up. The park was just the beginning. With each new initiative, he knew the community would continue to thrive, each person’s healing contributing to the health of the whole, just as the vibrant, intermingling stories of the park’s visitors had enriched his life and soothed his soul.
As we've followed his journey, seeing how personal redemption intertwined with communal healing, how would you like to further explore or perhaps conclude our story?'
Author: Conclude for now: Chapter I.
"The Sanctity of Life"

I don't think this has been done this season so I thought I as well comment. This takes post season/regular season to consideration, although I'm sure everyone just gives this team a F for how things have gone. I'm judging these guys just from a neutral perspective on how I saw them this season.
Goalie:
Samsonov (C)- He wasn't the reason we lost, but the wasn't great this season. He rebounded 2nd half but in the end of the day he has a below .900 save percetage.
Woll (B)- played decently well this season, but just can't stay healthy. I"m not sure if we can really count on him.
Jones (A-) played well enough for a 3rd stringer, came in did his job and stepped up when we needed. Did regress a bit in the later half.
Defencemen:
Rielly (C)- his point totals for defencemen were solid. That's the only reason that's keep his score here. He was generally awful this season, one thing that was apparent to me was how "slow" he was. This was especially apparent when he went for puck retrieival in our zone. His lack of slowness also spread to the PP as he often waited to make a drop pass despite being a "puck rushing defencemen". His slow reacting also let Pastranak get behind him in game 7.
Brodie (D-)- the only reason I didn't give an F this season is he may have suffered from family troubles.
Lybuskin (A-) - did his job for what's expected of him. Got the tough matchup and did well.
Edmundson (B+)-did his job for what's expected of him
McCabe (A-)- he had a solid season for the most part, just needs to stop with the dumb penalties
Lilgren (C+)- hasn't really taken any steps forward, and got riddled with injuries this season. He seems to be the one that Keefe doesn't full rely on. At this point we don't know what he is, we really need him to be a reliable puck producer for this team.
Giordano (C)- he's 40, played hard and he's had a good career. But it's time to hang up the skates.
Simon Benoit (B+)- did his job and earned a spot on this team. This is not on Benoit himself, but just having all 3 of Lybuskin, Benoit, and Edmunson, it's hard to manufacture offence from the backend with all 3 of them in the lineup, and love Benoit, but he doesn't provide any offensive value.
Klinberg- there is no point in commenting about him.
Timmins (C+)- I do think Leafs need to play him more, he has a skill set that's really needed on his team. I think he played well enough given his ice time and games.
Forwards:
Auston Matthews (A)- 69 goals enough said, we still need another gear from in playoffs.
William Nylander (A)- career high, the only reason I didn't give him an A+ was due to his regressing a bit 2nd half. He's the only one of the core 4 that actually shows up in the playoffs.
Marner (B-)- Safe to say this is probably his worst recent season, slow start, got better, then got injured, then no show in the playoffs. Both NylandeMatthews have gotten better over the past few years as they're better players than they were when they signed the contract. However for Marner, I don't feel the same about his game as I do the other two.
Tavares (B-)- say to say he is regressing now but that was expected when he signed his contract. Obviously his point total dip and regressed play, and production wise in the playoffs haven't been there which is why he has this grade. One thing compared to Marner is, I can still see the effort is there, just not the legs.
Domi (A-) if it wasn't for his low goal scoring this season, I'd probably give him an A. He played well this season, played centewing, and produced well despite getting limited PP time. I'd like him back.
Bertuzzi (B-) Rebounded after a terrible 1st half. However, I"m not sure if I'd want him back.
Knies (B): decent rookie season, needs to stop with the stick penalties and make better decisions with the puck especially defensively
Robertson (C)- produced well with his limited minutes, but what he is on this team?
McMann (B+)- started to take off and be a real difference maker on tihis team when he got minutes.
Kampf (D+)- wasn't worth the salary considering he's getting 3c money despite being a 4C, for his role as a main penalty killer on this team, if it's doing poorly, that's on him.
Jankrok (B-)- injury riddled season after a 20 goal last year. His playoff performance production wise has been a disappointment, however he's always a reliable player you can play up and down your lineup, and you know he'll play hard for you.
Gregor (D-)- never carved a role on this team, and eventually lost his spot as if he's not scoring, he's not doing anything.
Reaves (D+) this is probably an unnecessary signing, but at least he rebounded 2nd half considering it was F worthy 1st half.
Holmberg/Dewar (C+)- decent depth, provided solid minutes, nothing noteworthy here.
You can agree or disagree if you think I'm wrong on my accessment this season

TIER 1: Cream of the crop - this guys have separated themselves from the rest of the pack. At minimum, I view them as solid starte6th man.
1 R. Dillingham - he's comfortably my #1 guy for couple of months now. I buy the shot creation to translate well in nba. Could still be lower on him but still in my top 5.
2 D. Clingan - he could be better than Gobert IMO. Impactful interior defender + can make the right reads. I buy his (and Rob's) all-star upside. Comp: Dubs Bogut, upgrade Poeltl
3 D. Knecht - arguably the most underrated guy. I think he can be a fringe 3rd option in the nba like Bojan.
4 R. Sheppard - his on-ball creation is concerning but I buy the bbiq/feel, shooting and connective skills. Special hand-eye coordination too. Comp: mini Brogdon
5 A. Sarr - his archetype is intriguing but plays too soft for a big. I'm torn whether he can shoot long term or not.
6 Z. Risacher - the 3D upside is there but I' not sure he can be more than that. Doesn't play with fire and has a tendency to disappear in big games. Comp: theoretical Reddish
TIER 2: 1st Rd Grade - below is my preferred order though it is mostly fluid. This tier has 2-3 sub-tiers of its own.
7 J. McCain - he's a better on-ball guy than Reed and I don't think they're far from each other. The best pure shooter of this class to me.
8 S. Castle - the swiss army knife of this draft. Do-it-all G/W that plays both ends. Comp: Amir Coffey
9 C. Williams - not much of a fan but I like the positional size + soft touch around the rim
10 N. Topic - rather not spend a T20 pick on him but I have to account a bit for upside.
11 T. Salaun - I buy the shot long term. Prefer his upside over Risacher tbh
12 J. Walter
13 D. Holmes II - He is what people expect of Filipowski in the nba. I'm confident he'd return a T15 pick value in this class when it's all said and done.
14 Z. Edey - I think he can figure it out at next level. Comp: poor man's Steven Adams
15 R. Holland - archetype scares me. Would rather not use a T25 pick but the attitude and tools give me some hope.
-mini gap-
16 P. Larsson - can be a serviceable bench wing. Christian Braun vibes.
17 D. Carter
18 K. Filipowski
19 T. Da Silva
20 K. George
21 M. Buzelis - never bought the hype. Comp: Dario Saric 2.0
22 C. Carrington - returning to college looks better for him. Could be another Trey Burke or E'Twaan Moore.
23 I. Collier - same sentiment with Matas. Comp: rich man's Jonny Flynn
24 J. Furphy
25 T. Kolek
-mini gap-
26 H. Sallis
27 J. Tyson
28 K. McCullar
29 T. Smith - hard to see him more than a situational stretch 4 in the league
30 Y. Missi - bigs with poor feel rarely pan out. Might prefer Mogbo over him before draft.

The Hadith:

Narrated 'Abdullah: The Prophet was asked, "Who are the best people?" He replied: The people of my generation, and then those who will follow (come after) them, and then those who will come after the later; after that there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." ([Volume 8, Book 78, Number 652:]())

Another similar "Sahih" Hadith in Abi Dawud's collection:
Sunan Abi Dawud » Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah) - كتاب السنة

"Amru ibn Awf narrated to us, he said: H, and Musaddad narrated to us, he said: Abu Awana informed us, from Qatadah, from Zurarah ibn Awfa, from Imran ibn Husayn, he said: The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said, 'The best of my Ummah is the generation in which I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.' And Allah knows best, whether he mentioned the third or not. 'Then there will come a people who bear witness but are not asked to bear witness, who give warning but are not trusted, who betray (their trusts) and are not trusted, who make vows but do not fulfill them, and obesity will prevail among them.'" حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَوْنٍ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَوْفَى، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ بُعِثْتُ فِيهِمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَذَكَرَ الثَّالِثَ أَمْ لاَ ‏"‏ ثُمَّ يَظْهَرُ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يُوفُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَفْشُو فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani) صحيح (الألباني)حكم : Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4657

Breakdown:

1st generation:
The generation of the prophet (pbuh). They primarily lived during the 5-6th century CE.
2nd generation:
The generation after them (aka the "Tabi'in"), the generation of Muslims who were the successors to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, and were the sons of the companions. They lived primarily during the 7th century CE. The last Tabi'i to die was year 170AH (Jarir bin Haazim), which is ca 786 CE (give or take a couple years).
3rd generation:
The sons of the "Tabi'in." If they are the sons of the Tabi'in, they must have been born somewhere around 730-50CE, as many people conceive children in their 20s, give or take 5-10 years. While there isn't a precise date universally agreed upon, Sunni scholars estimate it the last "Taba Tabi'i" to have died sometime in the latter half of the 8th century CE. And we're talking about the LAST one, which means that he died during the beginnings of the 4th generation, or rather when it already was established in its beginning phases with its people being young adults.
When did Imam Bukhari release his "Sahih" collection? Precisely during this generation, the 4th generation:

Year 846 CE.

Sunnis are, according to their own Hadith, literally taking their religion from "a people who bear witness but are not asked to bear witness, who give warning but are not trusted, who betray (their trusts) and are not trusted, who make vows but do not fulfill them, and obesity will prevail among them.'" 👍
Because Bukhari was from this very generation, the fourth generation of these obese and untrustworthy people, and he took all his information from his contemporaries whom also were from that same generation, which means that Imam Bukhari is saying that his collection is "Sahih" (authentic) and trustworthy, while his collection is saying the exact opposite.
You know what's hilarious though? "Sahih Muslim" was completed around the year 261 AH (875 CE), making this extra hilarious. The two most "authentic" Hadith collections (that Sunnis deem to be sacred, Kufr to disbelieve in), are from a time the prophet warned us about being full of liars and untrustworthy people.
You can't make this stuff up haha.
Thanks for reading,
/By Exion.

This was 4 years ago. Im M20. I know I'm Very young and theres still more people to meet. But I just can't seem to get her off my Mind when I'm idle.
This will be very long all from my loving memory. (She's still alive)
Heres the story. I was attending this high school in our community and 1st year I've met kiN passing by the corregidor where I'm sitting on the ground (no interaction- just made eye contact for a split seconds- I'm very modest when it comes to looking at women I always avoid Eye contact w/ woman) for the first time early on the school year like they we're recruiting club members the in my mind; she's stunning and smells nice- and then that's it I continued living normally. Forward to Last Quarter of SY we students are having a lot of time in our hands because teachers are busy with meetings discussing 4th year moving ceremony - so most of the time students would roam around the campus visit rooms of other students. And then there was this commotion on the door she is there ( I didn't know that her room is just 1 room apart from us), apparently her gay friend have a crush on me and wanted to take a picture with me. They were calling me but I'm really adamant because I don't know these guys until noticed her leaving saying I'm such a kill joy. I waited then my classmate who's friend of hers convinced me that I should give them a chance it's just a photo- so I walked with them and them they pulled me on the wall w/ her gay friend and kiN was the one who took our picture and there while looking at her to take our picture I was admiring her cute laughter because I was beside her friend And then That's it the 1st year ended. (Do note that I had atleast 2 mu with my beautiful classmates in this time frame but I won't put in too much detail)
On my 2nd year our school had this pilot system that they filtered out those with Higher grades and gave us test to choose from the results. Honestly I wasn't able to answer much because I didn't feel like it is important and it wont affect my grade (im chill with studies). Apparently I passed the exam and I was doubting it lol. I late enrolled for a week because I was planning to go to private school But didn't happen. On my first day In, I was greeted with a loud simultaneous calling of my name from the Big 4 girls (I've gotten close to them since 1st year) It rained so the corregidor had rain spills so I had to stay on the door entrance for a bit to dry out my shoes and while at It- I was taking a quick scan of whos In the room I saw new persons and the boy group and I saw her there too so In my mind that's 3 times now and we'll be stuck for a long time I was really excited for the days ahead.
On the first half of the quarter I was sitting with the boy group because theres only a few students on the class room we're 30 students ( 1/3 are Boys rest are Girls) been treated special and doted but also always had hell days because they expect too much of us. Literally every day we had 2 lessons to finish per subject. And so I didn't really had much interaction with kiN, even though we're in the same room because she also stayed in here side of the room and me on our side of the room. Sometimes when there's no teacher we would group ourselves boys to girls yapping within our circles and I'd often over hear them talking about who they like (just what girls do) and I heard that one girl which is her very best friens has a crush on me and so sometimes they would tease us over it.
Then fast forward to last half of the SY we were given a seating arrangment and there I was assigned to seat beside her. In my mind I was very optimistic that this could be a chance get close to her (literally we has strike a conversation) So on the first hour I was sitting very comfortably while listening to the discussion then I got bored and grabbed a piece of paper wrote Hi and slide it under her arm. Then she replied Hello then I wrote your "cute" then she replied "ikr" and then I wrote back "your too full of yourself" then she replied that I was rude. Then I replied with a low voice saying sorry then she just smirked and I did the same (she really was cute). Then over sometime we would make small talks arguing about our seat spacing in joking manner and her teasing me about her BFF liking me etc. but most of the time we're just quietly sitting because I am still modest about women. When theres no teacher we go back to our routine boys girls making their own circles. Then there was one group activity that we had to make and she was in the group and we did it in her house. The Big 3 Girls and her was there and Me and my Friend were the only boys. After we finished early on our activity we the girls started to hot seat me and started teasing me about her bestfriend again liking me like asking me If I also find her friend Attractive so me being modest I answered Yes definitely just basically making them fullfill their satisfaction to make them excited but I the end I politely said she (the BFF) not the one I like so they ask me abt but I didn't break just smirks (Im thinking shes literally infront of me). Then overtime my feelings for her grew. And the SY ended
We're now 3rd year and stayed on the same room but again girls and boys grouping ourselves but only for a few days because our adviser already had a seat plan. Then weeks passed Nic and I started to have more and more conversation thru chat because of group activities but just that and I'm back to playing video games. Then vacation came out of nowhere while playing Nic messaged me saying Hi, asking what I'm doing, asking me personal questions yadda yadda yada - And me nonchalantly answering it straight forward hoping that she stops because I'm trying to win the game. Luckily it does but everyday throughout the half of vacation it happened. So I got curious what does she want I decided to invest more time talking to her. everyday I morning to night we would talk. Then it was 25th of christmas she asked me out in a way that I was the one who asked her out (I didn't have a clue that she likes me so I thought it's just a quick bonding). So we planned the afternoon for lunch just a walk distance from our area. So there was me waiting for in my Pajamas because I literally just finished general cleaning in my room and wanted to sleep but I remembered our plan. I was standing there in the crossing street impatiently messaging if she doesn't show in a minute I'd head back home to sleep then I saw her hurriedly walking in a white fluffed shoulder blouse and knee length jeans. She was really stunning and when we faced I said, "wow you really dressed too much for this, look at me I'm about to sleep" (im literally clueless it was a date plus i forgot it was christmas) So we went to a cafe and very quietly sitting infront of each other sipping our drink and glancing each other and smirking and there was a time it was just the 2 of us so I suggested I invite my cousin (appraently when she started talking to me she started to find someone who is close to me I think to spy on me) because I knew they knew each other thru chat so why not make their first meet and she agreed without hesitation. Then my cousin came his order spilled right after receiving it because the sealing was off so the staff prepared another for him and asked us a for a picture for the vibe lol. Then I said I'm hungry and want some rice because I was cleaning early in the morning without breakfast then 3 of us went to McDonald's while walking I noticed her laces was undone so I pointed it out and she gave me this look as if inviting me to help her tie it but instead I went for her phone and drink because I'm very shy that shes wearing short jeans then we arrived and ordered some food and so on. We ate she didn't and talked and less than an hour she said she is being called to go home so I said ok let's go home because I'm also feeling tired then my cousin said he'd stay for a bit so it was only Me and Nic walking together. While walking I we are making small talks and I noticed she's being to close to me like she's being awfully bumby even tho I'm already in the middle of the rode avoiding her so I just pushed her to the side as a joke and stayed close (it was unsafe in the middle). Then when we are about to separate ways for courtesy I asked her if she wants that I'd walk her home she was hesitant for a while but immediately answered yes. So we continue small talks and we arrived at her grandmas home then her cousin saw us and reported it in the house so she chased him and I was left standing there and was about to go back then she yelled my name so I turned back she asked me to come while laughing in Shyness and I was also hesitant because I wasn't dressed well but then in my mind I wanted to spend more time with her. So I said if she drags me I would come so she dragged me in their door and there was a lot of people that I just realized it was christmas they invited me inside so I went and gave me food and she was just there laughing in the outside. The members were talking to me and I'm just politely answering them giving them a smile. Then I finished my food and I was raising my eyebrows to kiN that and lipping that Its time to go. So she asked told the family and we bid farewell all together. She walked me to the street and I went home. Then that night I was saying my gratitude how her family treated me and it was fun time with her then she ended the conversation that she wants to say something on the new year so I said why not now she didn't reply. Then it was New year she greeted me and I greeted back and I asked what was it but she said maybe another time so I didn't mind because I was ecstatic with celebrating the new year with firecrackers. Days after new year she finally confessed that she likes me, I felt the world stop, peace in my mind and heart but tried to stay firm grip and replied if she is just trying to prank me because I won't fall for it then dragged on the conversation and risking it all so I also told her I like her.
I'll just end it here because that's the happy part and I'm feeling better remembering this. If anybody want me to continue just let me know but it's gonna be hard. Sorry and Thank you <3 !

I have a friend who is an adult beginner in music. She has theory as part of her lessons, and often asks me for help with her theory homework. Today she asked me about intervals and how to work them out.
I can't remember exactly how I was taught, and I can't remember the last time I had to "work out" an interval. I see it, and I know what it is. So I tried to give her a process, like this:

1. First work out the note name. For this step you don't worry about the type of interval, e.g. major, minor, aug, dim. You work this out by counting all the notes in the interval, including the first and the last. E.g. if your root note is E and you want to work out what the third is, you go E (1) F (2) G (3). Therefore E is the third.
   
2. Now identify the key signature of the root note, in this case E. E major has 4 sharps, F, C, G and D.
   
3. Now check to see what type of interval is required - major, minor or perfect. (Note she is on an early grade and hasn't covered aug or dim yet). If the interval is major or perfect, use the accidentals from the key signature. If the interval is minor, identify the major, then flatten it. E.g. A major third from E is G# because G is sharp in the key of E. A minor third from E is G natural, because you have to flatten the G#.
   

So that was the explanation I gave her. I then had a chat with my partner about it, who is a guitarist, and has a different musical background than I do. He asked me why I didn't just tell her that a minor third was 3 semitones.
So then I gave her an alternate explanation, like this:
You can also memorise how many semitones are in each interval:
Min 2nd - 1 semitone
Maj 2nd - 2 semitones
Min 3rd - 3 semitones
Maj 3rd - 4 semitones
Perf 4th - 5 semitones
Aug 4th/Dim 5th - 6 semitones
Perf 5th - 7 semitones
Min 6th - 8 semitones
Maj 6th - 9 semitones
Min 7th - 10 semitones
Maj 7th - 11 semitones
Perf Octave - 12 semitones
For this method you count differently. You do NOT include the first note when counting. So a min 3rd from E would be F (1) F# (2) G (3) - 3 semitones.
There are some gotchas with this method. You need to know the order of the intervals as above, and you also still need to know key signatures to get the right accidentals. E.g. you can't call a maj 3rd from E an Ab, it has to be a G#, because G# is in the key of E Major, whereas Ab is not.
So these are the 2 methods I explained to her. Have I overcomplicated it? Is there an easier way to understand, build or identify intervals?

Hello, I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I am filling in for a coach this weekend at an 8th grade boys tournament. We will have 5 boys available for the tournament with no real big man. The team has various sets/plays and I will be trying to learn those before this weekend, but I was going to let the kids do more game management on the court themselves as opposed to me trying to yell out specific plays since I am less familiar. I was also thinking about playing a 2-3 zone most of the time to maybe preserve some energy throughout the weekend. I am hoping to get some strategic suggestions about how to coach/manage the kids offensively and defensively. I have very limited coaching experience so any suggestions are appreciated.
As far as basketball knowledge, I played a couple years of high school basketball and have coached 1st - 3rd grade rec ball.
So how would you guys coach the team this weekend if you were me? Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I'm getting rid of some items from my collection that I haven't used in a while/don't see myself ever playing. Everything is CIB unless noted. Shipping is free for anything over $25, otherwise it'll be $5. I am only taking FF. For consoles & larger items, I'll split shipping halfway.
I will be shipping via the cheapest method, if you would like a specific carrier or method of shipping, I can send a quote for the difference in cost.

Game	Info	Price
Consoles & Accessories
Genesis controllers	Various 3rd party, multitap, arcade stick	$5
Genesis power cable	MK-2103	$15
Genesis RF Cable		$2
Dreamcast RF cable		$2
Sega CD Model 2	loose with power cable	$150
Sega CD Model 2	CIB	$300
Generic N64 USB Controller		$5
SNES
Actraiser	loose https://imgur.com/a/1qOugTW	$35
Arkanoid	SEALED	$73
Demon's Crest	loose	$155
Demon's Crest	still has seal from blockbuster on https://imgur.com/a/SkWWcZ3	$500
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest	Mint	$105
Incantaion		$510
Mega Man X	first print	$120
Super Metroid	First print, Includes poster https://imgur.com/a/HFmsDM1	$330
Xardion	loose	$35
Zombies Ate My Neighbors		$105
N64
Crusin USA	loose	$13
Diddy Kong Racing	loose	$30
Diddy Kong Racing		$95
Ogre Battle 64	loose	$98
Resident Evil 2		$130
Tony Hawk Pro Skater	loose	$12
Gameboy & GBC
Adventure Island II	loose	$25
The Flash		$70
Interstellar Assault	loose	$35
James Bond 007		$70
Wario Land Super Mario Land 3	loose https://imgur.com/a/sLZurDI	$23
Woody Woodpecker	Graded 9.0 A+	$295
Gameboy Advance
Castlevania Double Pack	Graded 8.5 A+	$400
Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls	Missing cart holder https://imgur.com/a/beVqX9X	$48
Mario Tennis Power Tour	SEALED	$115
Mega Man Battle Network 4 Blue Moon	no cart holder https://imgur.com/a/wT3aBYu	$85
Mega Man Battle Network 4 Red Sun		$95
Mega Man Zero 2		$95
Ninja Five-O	loose, label damage https://imgur.com/a/81gCA0b	$325
Rebelstar Tactical Command	SEALED	$89
Sonic Advance 3		$77
DS
Ace Attorney Apollo Justice	SEALED	$105
Bleach the 3rd Phantom	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/ZZi8Wb6	$150
Chibi Robo: Park Patrol	SEALED	$95
Children of Mana	SEALED	$75
Chrono Trigger	loose https://imgur.com/a/hxKCrOR	$80
Chrono Trigger	CIB	$120
Dragon Quest IX	loose	$36
Magicians Quest	Loose	$140
Mario & Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/1GoouU3	$60
Mario & Luigi Partners in Time	SEALED	$140
Mega Man Battle Network 5 Double Team	Graded 85+	$200
Monster Tale	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/yMlHxGf	$100
Pokemon Conquest	loose	$62
Pokemon Conquest		$100
Pokemon Soulsilver	loose	$125
Sonic Colors	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/Hcukcvz	$40
Zelda: Spirit Tracks	Loose	$55
3DS
3DS & DS lot Battle of Giants Dragons, Brain Age, Brain Age 2, Club Penguin Herberts Revenge, Flash Focus, LEGO Batman 2, Ninja Turtles, Puzzle Quest, Sonic Colors, Touchmaster 2	All loose	$43
Gamecube
Phantasy Star Online Episode I&II Plus		$190
Pokemon Colosseum	loose	$120
Ribbit King	no manual	$160
Spawn: Armageddon	SEALED	$85
Super Mario Sunshine	loose https://imgur.com/a/LnzMttT	$30
Viewtiful Joe	SEALED	$100
Viewtiful Joe 2	SEALED	$80
Zelda Collector's Edition	https://imgur.com/a/n2cr9Fx	$65
Wii
Kirby’s Epic Yarn	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/v0L7KL5	$35
No More Heroes 2	SEALED	$32
Resident Evil 4	SEALED	$35
Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles	https://imgur.com/a/L9fp8v2	$35
Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles	https://imgur.com/a/L9fp8v2	$8
Rune Factory Frontier		$35
Master System
Miracle Warriors		$45
Genesis
LOT 1, Earthworm Jim, Garfield caught in the act, Krustys fun house, monopoly	all loose, some have label wear https://imgur.com/a/xDt7jtC	$30
LOT 2, College Football USA 97, NBA Live 96, World Series Baseball 95	All CIB	$25
Arcus Odyssey	No Manual	$155
Batman	no manual	$90
Battletoads Double Dragon	Loose	$22
Bimini Run	No manual	$35
Captain America	no manual	$45
Contra Hard Corps	No manual	$95
Crusader of Centy	loose, former rental, super glue on back screws	$450
Double Dragon 3	loose	$12
Eternal Champions	loose	$6
Fire Shark	No manual	$56
Ghouls N Ghosts	No manual	$60
Gunstar Heroes	no manual https://imgur.com/a/Tg7fYyP	$115
Jeopardy	SEALED	$30
Landstalker	Loose, sharpie on label	$22
The Lost Vikings	SEALED, cart is loose	$180
Mega Turrican	no manual	$140
Pac-Mania		$26
Predator 2		$60
The Punisher		$330
Red Zone	No manual	$63
Robocop vs Terminator	no manual	$55
Shadow Dancer Secret of Shinobi	no manual	$48
Shining force II		$150
Spider-Man X-Men Arcade's Revenge		$23
Sonic the Hedgehog		$30
Sunset Riders	no manual	$90
Time Killers	no manual	to$125
Toki Going Ape Spit	no manual	$56w
Ultimate Qix	No Manual	$55
Zombies Ate My Neighbors	no manual	$42
Zombies Ate My Neighbors	loose	$21
Sega CD
Adventures of Willy Beamish	loose	$11
Bram Stoker's Dracula	Manual only has cover https://imgur.com/a/Fo4IyXY	$10
Dungeon Master II Skullkeep		$40
Ecco The Dolphin		$33
Ground Zero Texas		$17
Joe Montana's NFL Football		$6
Lunar the Silver Star	https://imgur.com/a/lh9n8Lt	$200
Midnight Raiders	loose	$8
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers		$19
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers	Graded 8.5 A+	$220
NHL 94	loose	$5
Novastorm		$140
Robo Aleste	No manual	$110
Sewer Shark	loose	$5
Stellar Fire	loose	$7
Supreme Warrior	SEALED	$100
Vay	Some wear on manual & case https://imgur.com/a/f3Bgb3v	$120
32x
Kolibri	No Manual	$220
Night Trap		$100
Saturn
Enemy Zero	Generic disc sleeves https://imgur.com/a/yyV6NNg	$155
Panzer Dragoon		$72
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei	loose https://imgur.com/a/MJ2jhw5	$45
Dreamcast
Gameshark CDX	loose	$4
D+vine[Luv]	disc & manual	$2i
Illbleed	SEALED	$420
Industrial Spy: Operation Espionage	SEALED	$125
Maken X	SEALED	$70
Marvel vs Capcom	loose	$48s
Marvel vs Capcom 2	loose	$110
Q*Bert	SEALED	$40
Sports Jam	SEALED	$70
Star Wars Demolition	SEALED	$50
PS1
The Adventures of Lomax		$210
Alundra	loose	$65
Alundra 2		$40
Beyond the Beyond		$50
Bloody Roar 2	loose	$30
Breath of Fire IV	loose	$50
Castlevania Symphony of the Night	loose	$70
Contra Legacy of War		$20
Dino Crisis 2	loose	$58
Doom	longbox	$72
Einhander	Loose	$83
Elemenetal Gearbolt	https://imgur.com/a/EuSfZYc	$225
Evil Zone	loose	$20
Fear Effect	No manual https://imgur.com/a/rUqjVfW	$25
Fighter Maker	SEALED	$55
Final Fantasy Tactics	loose	$15
Final Fantasy VII	GH https://imgur.com/a/Wj98fSs	$38
Final Fantasy VIII	SEALED (GH)	$60
Hellboy Asylum Seeker	SEALED	$125
Kartia	loose	$35
Koudelka	SEALED, https://imgur.com/a/1NNkrll	$430
Lunar Silver Star Story	loose, game discs	$60
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue	Case, 4 discs, & map	$120
Master of Monsters	SEALED	$70
MDK		$19
Mega Man X6	SEALED, black label	$115
Misadventures of Tron Bonne	Loose	$250
Mortal Kombat Trilogy	loose	$25
Parasite Eve 2	https://imgur.com/a/B189quy	$112
Persona 2 Eternal Punishment	No bonus disc	$350
Point Blank 3	SEALED	$80
Raiden Project	loose	$20
Rascal	SEALED, some wear	$37
Resident Evil 2	loose	$30
Resident Evil 2		$48
Star Ocean The Second Story	No manual	$40
Strider 2	both discs, loose	$62
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo	loose	$17
Tactics Ogre	Loose, has rental stickers on top	$60
Thousand Arms	loose	$85
TigerShark	SEALED https://imgur.com/a/9ANOk4Y	$20
Tomba		$135
Tomba	SEALED, promo copy w/ drill hole	$435
Treasures of the Deep	loose	$6
Vagrant Story		$95
Vandal Hearts 2		$90
Xenogears	https://imgur.com/a/OXTu3gy	$140
PS2
Big Mutha Truckers		$8
Blood Will Tell		$380
Bloody Roar 4	loose	$62
The Fast & the Furious	SEALED	$35
Fatal Frame II		$90
Family Guy Video Game		$25
Grand Theft Auto III	SEALED, https://imgur.com/a/neMZAcO	$15
Gungrave	loose	$35
Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction		$25
Jak 3		$8
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al Revis Premium Box Set	Graded, 9.4 A+	$240
Medal of Honor Vanguard	no manual	$5
Need for Speed most wanted	no manual	$11
Parappa The Rapper 2	no manual	$65
Rule of Rose	No manual	$540
Silent Hill 3	no manual	$150
Silent Hill 4 The Room		$140
The Warriors	loose	$45
PS3
Eye of Judgement, Def Jam Rapstar, DJ Hero 1 & 2, PES 2011 lot		$13
Digimon All Star Rumble	no manual	$20
Xbox
Conker: Live & Reloaded	loose	$26
Def Jam Fight for NY	no manual	$96
Godzilla Destroy all Monsters Melee	no manual	$70
Marvel vs Capcom 2	no manual	$106
Mortal Kombat Armageddon	no manual	$30
(360) Digimon All Star Rumble	no manual	$13
(360) Halo Reach	SEALED, white label https://imgur.com/a/nQ4aaBY	$37
(360) Metal Gear Solid V Phantom Pain	SEALED, Day one edition	$15
Other
(PC) Half Life Game of the year edition		$12
(PSP) Final Fantasy IV	SEALED	$55
(PSP) Gungnir	SEALED	$85
(PSP) Star Wars Force Unleashed	loose	$3
Boxes & Manuals Only
(NES) Widget	Box	$74
(NES) Mighty Final Fight	Cut box & case	$89
(SNES) Ignition Factor	Box	$25
(SNES) Lufia II	Box	$150
(SNES) Shadowrun	Box (has wear)	$60
(SNES) Star Trek the Next Generation	Box & manual (has wear)	$20
(N64) Mario Party	box, one flap is torn	$40
(N64) Star Fox 64	Box, tear on front of box	$26
(GC) Pokemon XD	Case https://imgur.com/a/xaoZwWN	$40
(SCD) Dark Wizard	case	$35
(Dreamcast) - Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike	Case	$40
(PS1) Tomba	Case	$40
Guides
(SNES) Earthbound	no scratch n sniff	$210
(PC) World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion		$2
(DC) Power Stone		$22
(PS1) Driver 2		$10
(PS1) Wild Arms 2	w/ poster	$45
(PS2) 007 Everything or Nothing		$7
(PS2) Nano Breaker	BradyGames, new in plastic	$15
(PS2) Project Snowblind	BradyGames	$11
(PS2) Samurai Warriors	Prima	$3
(PS2) Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow	Prima	$3
(Xbox) Thief Deadly Shadows	Prima	$10

Hi, I am a rising junior Biology major who is looking to apply for school nomination for the Goldwater this Fall 2024, for the 2025 competition, and plan to apply to MD-PhD programs in 2026, or 2027 if I do a masters. I was wondering generally how competitive these are, especially the Goldwater since that’s a little sooner, and if I may have a chance based on my current grades/research. And was wondering what I should target in terms of trying my best to have a top-tier research component of my MD-PhD app in a couple years.
Currently, my GPA is a 3.86 and my research experience is:

• Past experience: 1 semester (~ 120 hrs) in systems neuroscience lab where I performed behavioral assays, working alongside the grad students who did computational/engineering work, to learn more about the neurophysiology of sensation. I performed the assays independently, but they were all the experiments my grad student mentor asked me to do, since our results would be placed side-by-side to strengthen our claims. I had mini project but not something that lead to a poster or paper. May ask for LOR - research wasn't the strongest for a grad school app but I did well in the PI's science course
• 1.5 yrs (~ 1100 hrs) in very similar lab and frequent collaborator of the first lab and did behavioral assay research on the underlying pathways in the nervous system that generate a behavior of interest. Helped finish up a project and expected to be middle author on a paper - that was actually a collab with the first lab - that will hopefully be submitted early Fall. 1 poster presented at undergrad symposium and middle author on international poster. Will start working on a project about the underlying neurobiology and genetics behind aging in 2 months. I performed experiments very independently and chose which experiments to do - but they were experiments that I generally knew that we had in the queue. Will try to incorporate more independence for my last 2 yrs as an undergrad in the lab, try to introduce some coding element as I develop those skills, as well as do a thesis. Definitely a good LOR.
• About to be Past experience: 6 months (~ 100 hrs) as an intern in a neurology lab. This was more of a shadowing experience where I got exposure to academic medicine and biomedical research rather than hands-on research. I will be leaving soon. Will not ask for LOR and will list on AMCAS as "Extracurricular Activity" rather than "Research/Lab"
• 1 month in a bioinformatics lab. Currently I am doing 5 hrs a week, learning the basic of programming and statistics and will begin a project analyzing multi-omics data after that. I will go on my built in full-time internship in this lab next year and be off from my classes for 8 months so I’ll have lots of time to work then. However, I cannot say how far I’ll get before the Fall when applications for school nomination for Goldwater are due. This will likely be the backbone of my application in 2 yrs along with the 2nd lab listed, but I can't say anything about this yet.

Besides that, I have 1 leadership position in a neuroscience club and volunteering as a math tutor in an underserved community. I would like to apply to Goldwater this Fall/next Spring expressing my interest in MD/PhD in Bioinformatics to study neurological disorders. Clinical experience is good, as I began a clinic volunteer position where I can do simple things like take vitals. I have some shadowing and am working on it.
I know this was pretty long, but I was mainly wondering if I could be competitive for GoldwateMD-PhD, as well as looking for advice for what to do to become as top-tier of an applicant as possible - I'm not worried about the bioinformatics lab since it seems more promising but mainly about the direction I should take my other research experiences (lab 2) in and how I should handle my 3rd experience listed - if I should even include it on AMCAS w/o LOR or if my idea of using the "Extracurricular Activity" label is a good way to approach the situation

This write-up is based on a segment from the Fantasy for Real Podcast available below and on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Because ADP is fickle this early in the process in particular, the post below might have slightly different information, but the major takeaways have remained the same. For market ADP, I have been using FantasyCalc, but in general I’ve found that for my takeaways, the market hasn’t been too different from source to source.
-> https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/23-early-rookie-draft-adp-and-afc -- Full Episode 23
Timeline: Intro -- Value v Production (0:00) VERY Early Rookie Draft ADP (6:50) AFC RB Rooms (29:00 ; General Order = North - South - East - West and alphabetical by mascot) Ending Notes (57:30)
//
EARLY VALUE: Jonathon Brooks & Trey Benson (too low ; Brooks ADP: 12 Benson ADP: 15)
There has been a firm push in the dynasty community both in terms of drafts and market values to de-value the RB position, and there is fair merit and logic in that. However, the place where I believe we’ve gone too far is in prospects that are fairly highly drafted. Benson is much closer to the borderline of that draft capital, but in general RBs do not have the same failure rate as positions like WR and QB, where even in the late first round busts can become more frequent than hits. IF you select the correct WR of the WR4+ bunch, you will have a player that is almost certainly going to be more valuable than Brooks or Benson. There’s also a far greater chance you get the next Quentin Johnston, Kadarius Toney, Rashod Bateman, Treylon Burks, or any number of highly drafted WRs in recent memory who have failed to crack the top-36 for a single year in their career. Brooks and Benson could also bust, but the historic hit rates at their positions at their draft capital and considering their paths to clear playing time, Brooks and Benson feel like far safer picks. For contenders in particular, they have substantial upside as well.
In my own experience, Brooks and Benson go higher in more old-school based leagues or home leagues.
EARLY FADE: Xavier Worthy (too high ; Worthy ADP: 9)
This has way too much to do with simple pre-draft grading so I won’t spend too much time on it. Worthy has good draft capital and a superb landing spot for his skill-set. In general, there are issues in Worthy’s profile between his projected physicality and ball skills that make me concerned about translation at the next level, particularly outside of being a gadget-YAC threat. But the situation is ideal. I do have BTJ as my WR4, but my rankings are closer to consensus if you switch Xavier Worthy and Keon Coleman.
While we have seen light WRs have success, the ties to their success are not from being light, and I don't know that Worthy attacks the ball successfully in the way that most players with his size issues do. Perhaps in this offense it won't matter and he will succeed on YAC alone, but I still have my hesitations on Worthy as an intermediate and deep receiver on a consistent basis.
BEST VALUE: Ja’Lynn Polk (FAR too low ; Polk ADP: 22)
The reason I do my draft capital research is because I find values are often related to the lines that the market draws in the sand. For example, players like Pearsall and Legette get the “you can’t let them fall because they’re first round picks” treatment, but as the 5th pick of the 2nd Round, Polk does not. We really don’t have a sample for this, but has 30-32 ever been indicative of a truly high NFL Grade? N’Keal Harry is the only WR drafted in the 1st Round 30s since A.J. Jenkins in 2012, so we certainly have to go back further than that to find a hit. Another way I like to view Capital is through value charts such as the Drafttek chart that can be found online. The gap between the 31st and 37th pick is about the equivalent of a mid-4th Round Draft Pick – a Day 3 difference. The closest WRs to Polk right now in ADP are Troy Franklin (DC gap = 46th Overall Pick ; mid-2nd) and Roman Wilson (DC gap = 54th Overall Pick ; mid-late-2nd). The gaps here are significantly more themselves than the DC spent on Franklin or Wilson.
And it is not all about Draft Capital, that is just the easiest common lens. Ja’Lynn Polk was my WR8 in the pre-draft process. Polk scores highly in my evaluations because he is a player who blends different traits very well, including size and some route savvy (Polk scores very highly by Reception Perception and Matt Harmon from what I’ve seen/heard). Polk doesn’t explode open necessarily by twenty yards, but he breaks off his routes well enough with legitimate size to threaten as a high-volume pass catcher. While he is a fairly late breakout, Polk is overall still at least a fairly young prospect particularly compared to those later first round picks in Legette and Pearsall.
WORST (Late) VALUE: Braelon Allen (too high; Allen ADP: 33)
Any pick in the 3rd cannot be considered too bad of a pick, and so I don’t want to be too harsh here. That said, Allen is just going over a number of RBs that were drafted similarly to better landing spots. When you’re far off the market on a player, you’re either the best person to talk to or the worst person to talk to. I’ve been very far from the dynasty marketplace on Braelon Allen, and so I do understand the idea of trying to buy this player at a discount theoretically. But Allen got no assurance of talent from the NFL and went to a situation where he will likely need a major injury to make an impact. Braelon Allen is not a player who can thrive on minimal volume with a few quick hit big plays and some pass catching upside. Perhaps he does become the next Legarrete Blount for this team in the RZ, but that also sounds like a nightmare for Breece Hall managers that I’m not sure I see coming. Comparing Allen to Audric Estime, Estime is also young, tested far better in the drills Allen actually tested at, and Estime is far more likely to even be the starter at some point in a mixed Denver backfield. Estime went later than Allen, but the Draft Capital gap using the same methodology above is pretty much negligible. The “small” gap I discussed above between Pearsall and Polk is 10x bigger than the gap between Allen and Estime, and the gap between Polk and Franklin is ~68-69x bigger. It is roughly a late 6th round pick.
RBs going later than Braelon Allen that I would take over Braelon Allen include Kimani Vidal, Ray Davis, Audric Estime, Will Shipley, Isaac Guerendo, and this next player who is my favorite value in the 4th Round.
BEST (LATE) VALUE: Tyrone Tracy (too low; Tracy ADP: 45)
Tracy should be seen as more of a longshot given the fact that he has not played too much RB in his career and is nearing 25 Years Old, but the 4th Round is for long shots. The upside profile for Tracy is evident: he has explosive ability, tackle breaking ability, and pass catching ability, a trio of skills that translate to fantasy success. He is also in one of the best positions to at least theoretically win a significant role with only Devin Singletary being a major roadblock in front of him. Most likely– just like with all fourths– this is a wasted pick, but Tracy’s path and upside are tantalizing for where he’s going in Dynasty Rookie Drafts.
As always, if you haven’t done so for a few episodes, consider listening to Fantasy For Real as I am constantly trying to make the show better. I am also interested in all criticism and feedback.
//
I don't know if I'll post about it tomorrow or Friday, but I will be releasing my NFC RB Rooms Podcast tomorrow. The AFC RB Rooms show and post can be found on the subreddit yesterday or through my profile. Way-Way-Too-Early 2025 WRs should be Saturday late Morning if I had to guess.
I’ll be around to answer any questions / comments about Redraft / Dynasty / Futures.
Thanks,
C.J.

I have one year left in my current state before my partner and I was planning to continue teaching at my school (it would be my 3rd year here). It would just be easiest to not have to find another job here for my last year, unless I by some miracle was able to land a totally remote job. However, the conditions at this school have been getting progressively worse.

• We are under academic review and there is a ton of added pressure and burden from admin on testing grade teachers only (lower teachers get to do whatever the f*ck they want all day)
  
• They are changing our health insurance next year so I don't even know if any of my mental health or other services I need will be covered
  
• They are requiring us to take two 60-hour courses, unpaid, on our own time outside of school. I have asked and was told I can't get out of this because it's a state requirement.
  
• I am being forced to be team lead against my will because my other teammates are leaving. (I would get paid more but it would be a ton of extra responsibility and an extra 2 hour meeting/month outside of school).
  

Oh, and we still don't know our accreditation status for next year, so we may or may not have a ton of extra BS data sheets and lesson plans we have to submit to the state on a weekly basis.
Is this the universe telling me I need to get out while I can? I just am not confident I will be able to find another job in order to have enough income to pay rent and bills. I've been applying for a ton of stuff to see if I have any way out and have been getting rejected left and right.

Do any other millennials just unmotivated and giving up on the rat race/Aussie dream? It feels like a scam unless your parents are wealthy
I am in my early 30’s and am one of those people that had a strange delusion in believing in the Aussie dream. I thought if I did well as school (graduated 3rd in my year and 99%tile grades, scholarship to uni), go to uni (did an engineering degree), was diligent and didn’t drink, so drugs or gamble I’d eventually make it.
I’m a bit of a boring soul in that all I’ve ever wanted was to have kids and be a good dad. Take my kids to sports, kick the ball with them and maybe impart the one or two things I learnt on this planet.
Instead here I am in my early 30’s and the dream seems ever so elusive and slipping through my hands. I’m married, have a good relationship with my wife. She’s a nurse, together we make a decent income, not rich, but I thought (maybe I am wrong) that a nurse and engineer couple would be classed as middle class.
We bought an apartment 5 years ago to get our foot on the ladder and in that time our apartment grew by 10% while houses around us have doubled or more. Our salaries have grown some - mainly me as there’s a shortage of good engineers but wife’s is the same.
After paying mortgage, expenses, we give 10% to charity we are able to save around 30% of all the income. It seems like a reasonable amount but the rate at which houses explode we will never get there.
Meanwhile around me I have so many friends who have wealthy parents. Some gifted between 50k - 800k and given a huge leg up.
I come home from work everyday after the long commute wondering if this is all worth it. I feel like a drone with little autonomy or direction in my life.
How and why am I already so many steps behind when I thought I was doing the right thing? Some of these friends who spent their 20’s drinking, partying and having a lower paid job just skip ahead of the line.
Life’s unfair I know, but I thought this was a country where if you have a go you get a go. It feels more like if you have the correct DNA you’ll get a go.
My parents were unskilled, dad only worked what ever job he could. He raised 4 of us in a single income. Mum was the best and made sure we had good food every meal for school and home. Now I combine my income with my wife and we couldn’t afford the humble home we grew up in. My parents have no other assets so are on the pension and live a comfortable life which I’m greatful for at least.
I’m just frustrated and wanting to vent, is there anyone else who feels the same and feels a little helpless? This malaise is something that I just can’t shake. I just don’t feel motivated to try anymore or strive for a lie I’ve been sold.
Yes I know some of you hate the whinging and I just ask this one time you be kind - would be nice to minimise the vitriol on this sub just this once. If you’ve been successful that’s great and I’m happy for you - some of us aren’t however and having a tough time handling how to manage our future.

** ALL WEEKEND (FRI 5/10 - SUN 5/12 *\*
Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Snapdragon Tea, 127 Harvard Dr. SE What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than with a tea party? We welcome kids of all ages, and provide children’s menus upon request. Special gluten free/vegan/vegetarian menus available upon request. Reservations are required and can be made through our website. Tea party cost is $18.50 for the children's menu and $34.95 for the full 3-course tea party

• Fri 10 AM - 2 PM
• Sat and Sun 10 AM - 4 PM

Arsenic and Old Lace presented by Rio Rancho Players Community Theater St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2903 Cabezon Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho Tickets are $20 for seniors, students, educators, and military personnel. General Admission is $25. We also offer a group rate for parties of 6 or more, for $18 a ticket. All tickets include one dessert and one beverage

• Fri 2 PM and 7:30 PM
• Sat and Sun 7:30 PM only

** BOTH SAT 5/11 AND SUN 5/12 *\*
Sat AND Sun 8:30 AM - 3 PM Spring Garden Festival Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd. NW The festival will feature live acoustic music, craft vendors, guided walks, Discovery Pond Open House and presentations about the local plants and animals. Just in time for Spring planting! Garden Plant Sale. Locally grown, Great prices, Cash sales only. While you are at the park, check out the Nature Shop, managed by the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center. Purchases are tax-free and help to support the Park: books & field guides for adults & children ~ T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats ~ posters ~ jewelry ~ toys & games ~ gifts and arts & crafts by local and US artists. Day-Use Fee: Cost $3 per vehicle (exact cash or check) Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed
Sat 12 - 8 PM AND Sun 11 AM - 5 PM Let's Celebrate Mom Pinspiration, 6271 Riverside Plaza Ln. NW, Ste D1 Let’s celebrate Mom, dad or that special mother figure in your life! Looking for something fun and different to do with mom on Mother’s day? Why not spend some quality time with that very special mother figure in your life? Crafting together will bring lasting memories for years to come! All crafts, splatter, food and drinks will be 20% off for your entire group. We thought this would be a great way to honor and celebrate that special someone. A free non-alcoholic mimosa for mom or dad is our treat for them. We strongly encourage reservations, especially for Sunday. We are opening early on Sunday and closing an hour earlier so we can spend time with our families as well
Sat 7 - 9 PM AND Sun 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Mother's Day: Chicago Flix Brewhouse, 3236 La Orilla Rd. NW Join us for a special Mother's Day screening of the timeless classic, CHICAGO. Treat your mom to a night of glitz and glamour as you sing along to hits like 'All That Jazz' and 'Cell Block Tango.' This event is sure to be a roaring good time with a glass of complimentary wine and an in-theater raffle! (tickets)
** Fri 5/10 *\*
Fri 11 AM - 9 PM Last Day of Teacher Appreciation Week D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro, 901 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Ste B-100 Let's raise a glass to the real MVPs of education – our incredible teachers! From inspiring minds to shaping futures, they do it all with passion and dedication. Thank you for your tireless efforts, unwavering support, and endless encouragement. Here's to celebrating the superheroes in our classrooms every day! Dine with us and show your school ID for a special $10 thank you card
Fri 6 PM World Ballet Series: Swan Lake Kiva Auditorium, 401 2nd St. NW Swan Lake, the ballet of all ballets, will be performed one night only as a part of the World Ballet Series. See the iconic Dance of the Little Swans, count the 32 fouettés performed by Odile, and immerse yourself in magical Tchaikovsky's music. The production will feature richly detailed, hand-painted sets as well as over 150 radiant costumes that bring fresh representation to this timeless classic. World Ballet Series is a unique project that attracts many international artists and is composed of renowned professional dancers representing over ten countries who are united by a passion for entertaining audiences and enriching classical ballet traditions through brilliant, critically-acclaimed new productions of timeless ballet classics. Audience: For ages 5 & over. Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 20-minute intermission) (tickets)
Fri 7 – 11:30 PM The Mango Cakes w/ Nosotros Sister, 407 Central Ave NW Get ready for an unforgettable night of music with The Mango Cakes and Nosotros! Join us for a spectacular show featuring the infectious pop sounds of The Mango Cakes and the sensational salsa rhythms of Albuquerque's own, Nosotros. Don't miss this dynamic musical fusion that promises to get your feet moving and your heart singing (tickets)
Fri 7:30 PM Doug Lawrence's Nuevo Mexicanos Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Blvd. SE Albuquerque’s own multi-Grammy-winning tenor saxophonist Doug Lawrence, the featured soloist with The Count Basie Orchestra for the past 25+ years, returns to Outpost with his New Mexican bandmates – Steve Figueroa, piano; Paul Gonzales, trumpet; Milo Jaramillo, bass; Ricky Carrido, congas and David Flores, drums – the group he has dubbed his Nuevo Mexicanos band. Always adding a new twist to their performances, for this show, they will be playing new material and featuring two special guests - "The Queen of New Mexico Salsa," Jackie Zamora with Liza Flores singing backup to Jackie, along with their signature hard bop and Latin jazz tunes they are known for. Besides his work with the Count Basie Orchestra, Doug Lawrence has also worked and recorded with a veritable “who’s who of jazz” including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Joey DeFrancesco, Aretha Franklin and many others. He continues to tour and record with many of today’s top names in jazz (tickets)
Fri 7:30 PM Freud's Talking Head Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave NE Pink Freud and Start Making Sense team up for a night of funk, rock, spectacle, dancing and friendship, while we all celebrate Samantha and Tony's and all the other May birthdays! There will be booty shaking, lasers, too many cocktails maybe, and a night of fun to remember! (tickets)
Fri 8 PM Blue Lab Comedy Night! Brew Lab 101, 3301 Southern Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho Come out for our first outdoor "blue" comedy show of the season! The local comics will be bringing the thunder outside in the Beer Garden, and you won't want to miss it! We'll have the usual great selection of adult beverages and food trucks, but leave the kiddos at home for this one! No cover, but 21+ please!
Fri 8 PM Live Salsa with Son Como Son Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Dance to live Salsa with Son Como Son, hosted by DJ Solovino. Authentic Cuban Salsa with Son Como Son on Juno's patio. 21+. Come early and get a pizza or another item from Juno's menu; kitchen stays open until 9:45p (tickets)
Fri 8 – 11 PM Orange Lala Vinyl Club Spins Out Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE @ the_orange_lala vinyl club with Biscodots, DJ Boggle, Dusty Breaks, and night_cruiser spinning an eclectic assortment of all-vinyl tracks and curating wild videos for the night
Fri 8 – 11 PM Goth Night & Dark Market: Summer Goth Edition Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW We're celebrating summer as it was intended to be celebrated, with Goth music. Time to break out your Doc Martins, black nail polish, eyeliner, choker, and red lip stick because we're hosting a night of beautiful music for you dark hearts. DJ Riff Rat and DJ Batboy will be spinning one the ones and twos, Pepe El Monstrito will be providing sound, and Spectral Youth will be featuring some amazing local vendors
** Sat 5/11 *\*
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW The Downtown Growers' Market happens every Saturday! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 9 AM – 12 PM Bosque Restoration Field Day Tingley Beach, Tingley Dr. SW Help us restore Bosque habitat, Yerba Mansa, and other native plants. Our restoration work includes the removal of invasive non-native Ravenna Grass from the understory along with the replanting and reseeding of native grasses, herbs, and shrubs. These events are open to all members of the community so bring your family and friends. Work takes place at our Albuquerque restoration site located along Tingley Drive, south of Central. Park in the lot at the south end of all the fishing ponds, which is .8 miles south of Central. Wear protective long sleeve clothing and bring plenty of water as well as work gloves and a shovel, if you have them. City of Albuquerque Open Space will be there to train our work crew and provide gloves and tools for anyone who needs them. Please RSVP so we know how many volunteers to expect. Thank you!
Sat 9 AM – 12 PM Spinning at the Market Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW Meet us at the center lawn at the Downtown Growers Market. Come and see us, chat with us, or bring something soft to put your wheel on and a chair if you want to spin with us. If planning on spinning, please RSVP through the website
Sat 9 AM – 1 PM Mother’s Day Sip and Shop Rust is Gold Coffee, 3732 Eubank Blvd. NE Join us for our 5th Annual Mother’s Day Market, featuring local vendors with Mother’s Day inspired gift ideas including: • Flower Bouquets • Greeting Cards • Jewelry • Baked goods • Music (Vinyl Albums). Coffee Drink specials for Mom too!
Sat 10 AM – 2 PM Paws & Pedals: A Pet Adoption Day with Cross My Paws Animal Rescue Bike In Coffee, 949 Montoya Rd. NW Don't miss out on puppy cuddles, coffee, and the chance to meet your new best friend!
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Shop Local Market Cabezon Park and Community Center, 2307 Cabezon Blvd. SE Rio Rancho If you are a local vendor, come out to Cabezon Park’s local market! We support all things local! Everything must be handmade, or homegrown. No franchise companies. No resale of items. No political booths. No prepared food from Big Box Stores! No premade items re-branded and resold as homemade! No products containing non-sustainable oils. No products containing preservatives, colorants, etcetera, that are artificial, chemical or contain carcinogenics. No sale of weapons or alcohol. Please call the Cabezon Community Center at 505-892-4499 for more information. No admission fee for shoppers
Sat 11 AM The Mama Bear Market Boxing Bear Brewing, 8420 Firestone Ln. NE Get ready for a fun-filled day of shopping, eating, and celebrating your Mama Bear! Join us to explore a variety of unique vendors offering everything from handmade crafts to delicious treats. Whether you're a mom looking for some well-deserved pampering or just looking for a fun day out, this event is perfect for everyone. We will also have a FREE photobooth available to help capture a special moment for your mama bear. Don't miss out on this opportunity to support local businesses and connect with the community. This event is FREE and open to the whole family
Sat 11 AM – 12 PM Animal Tales with the ABQ BioPark International District Library, 7601 Central Ave NE Dive into the captivating world of animals with "Animal Tales" presented by the ABQ BioPark! Join us for a delightful reading session featuring an animal-themed book. Experience the magic as the BioPark brings along real animals and biofacts that connect to the story, giving kids an exciting opportunity to meet these creatures up close! Don't miss this engaging and educational adventure for young animal enthusiasts!
Sat 11 AM - 3 PM Lemonade Day Albuquerque Old Town Plaza Join us for Lemonade Day, where young entrepreneurs showcase their business skills by running lemonade stands across the city! From budgeting to marketing, they'll be serving up delicious drinks while learning valuable lessons. Mark your calendars to support our budding business leaders!
Sat 11 AM – 3 PM Multicultural Arts Festival 13200 Wenonah Ave SE Last year, the festival featured around 30 artists, outdoor activities for the family, food trucks with a range of options, and resource tables for the community. This year, the City is looking forward to building upon the success of the event and creating more opportunities for artists and families to come together to celebrate the talent within our community
Sat 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM Adoption Event Rio Bravo Brewing, 1912 2nd St. NW Join us and our BernCo pets for an adoption event. Come find your new best friend! All adoptions include rabies vaccine, spaying/neutering, and microchips. Did we mention there is no adoption fee? Adopt, don't shop!
Sat 12 PM Mosaic Bird Ornament Rise and Shine Mercantile, 8208 Menaul Blvd. NE $20 all materials included (no refunds). We will practice making a coaster first and then we will make an ornament. Very beginner class. Must stop in and register and pay for class first
Sat 12 – 1:30 PM Mother's Day Cookie Class Poulin Marketplace, 8600 Pan American Fwy NE We'll have an afternoon of fun with friends and partners (or come solo and make new friends). I will walk you through decorating these three beautiful cookies. This class will not cover outlining and flooding skills. Instead, we will work on leaf techniques and floral techniques using two piping tips. (Piping tips will be provided but will not be taken home) Tickets include: -Drink from the venue -Personalized cookie in a different flavor -Materials for class (Cookies, icing, etc.) -Guided instruction from a professional cookie decorator -Giveaways -A percentage of every ticket is donated to Shine, a local organization working in local schools
Sat 12 – 5 PM Mothers Day Market Bow & Arrow Brewing, 608 McKnight Ave NW Mother’s Day Market featuring fine art, home decor, sweet treats, clay works, pottery, flowers, jewelry, & eats by Four Corners Navajo Tacos!
Sat 12 – 10 PM Party In the Park Roosevelt Park, 500 Spruce St. SE Line Up: 12p Moxie, 1p Vic, 2p Number 9, 3p Scin.Til.Late, 4p Walter, 5p B12, 6p the Rev, 7p Sin Seven, 8p Swift Money, 9p 8th Wonder
Sat 1 – 3 PM Basics of Distilling Class Southwest Grape & Grain, 3401 Candelaria Blvd. NE A beginner level class covering the distilling process and the ingredients that go into various spirits. Enjoy some good craft spirits? Always wanted to make your own? In addition to discussing the various types of spirits and the ingredients that go into them, we will cover the basic distillation process, various types of stills, and everything else you will need to start making your own whiskey, rum, vodka, or moonshine! (tickets)
Sat 1 – 4 PM Birthday Party for Sebas w/Mala Maña! A Kid-Friendly Brewery Fundraiser to Fight Childhood Cancer Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE Join us in celebrating our sweet Sebas' 5th birthday! • Canteen Brewhouse will generously be donating $1 per beer, wine, cider or root beer sold during the event! So come thirsty! • Live music by Mala Maña (1:30-2:45PM) and DJ Pancho! • Kid-friendly activities. • Buy Besos for Sebas Merchandise. • Join Chuy Martinez in singing "Happy Birthday" to Sebas and make a donation. This Mother's Day, help us spread hope and make a difference in the fight against Myoepithelial Carcinoma (MEC). If you are unable to join in person you can still send Sebas a "beso" (a kiss) with a contribution to the "100k Besos for Sebas" Facebook fundraiser. All proceeds will benefit cureMEC to support cancer research for Sebas
Sat 1 – 5 PM Carne Asada Sabado! Bike Day Hangout! 1119 Candelaria Rd. NW Your Rebels just want y'all to come hang out! It's a Rebel event, so who knows what can and will happen? We do know that there will be Fun, Drink, Camaraderie, and a Food Truck. Red Taco Shop will be there serving Carne Asada Specials (Asada Nachos, Asada Tacos, Asada Quesadillas and Asada Bowls). Please bring your Friends and your whole Family. More information will be added as The Rebels figure out what they want to do. They can be quite secretive at times lol. Remember, it's all about the cause
Sat 2 – 4 PM Pre-Mother's Day Show Sawmill Market, 1909 Bellamah Ave NW Burque Jazz Bandits are Celebrating all the mommas at Sawmill! This event is outdoors, so be prepared for the sunshine! Tips appreciated! Bandit merch will be available for purchase!
Sat 2 – 6 PM Birds of a Feather Fundraiser Bosque Brewing Cottonwood Public House, 10250 Cottonwood Park Dr. NW Join us and the amazing folks at Birds of a Feather Parrot Rescue of New Mexico for a special fundraiser! Meet several exotic parrots and learn all about their incredible mission! They will be raffling awesome prizes and a percentage of drink sales during the event will be donated to BoaF
Sat 3 – 10 PM Pints for Parenthood Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave NW Join Dar a Luz Birth & Health Center for our Pints for Parenthood event at Marble Brewery Downtown! Donations for Dar a Luz are welcome at the door. Along with Marble's renowned libations and food, we'll have live music from incredible local artists: All Thicc, Red Light Cameras, Willa Jay, Sweet Roll, Sun Sounds, Trillbot. Dar a Luz Birth and Health Center is the only nationally accredited & state licensed freestanding birth and health center in NM. We are dedicated to providing compassionate and holistic prenatal care for birthing people, reproductive health services and a safe alternative to hospital birth for birthing people and their families
Sat 4 PM Make-A-Wish Sand Volleyball Tournament Charlie’s Sandbox, 4335 Paseo del Norte NE Come support the Make-A-Wish Foundation! We will have multiple snack bar items and prizes for 1st and 2nd place! $20 per person. 2-6 players per team (sign up)
Sat 4 – 5 PM Concerts @ the Library: The Enchanters Taylor Ranch Library, 5700 Bogart St. NW Join us for Concerts @ the Library featuring The Enchanters! Experience the magic as this ten-member choral ensemble takes you on a musical journey through the decades, singing favorites from the 30s to the 90s in beautiful four-part harmony. With a diverse repertoire that includes holiday and patriotic numbers, The Enchanters have been delighting audiences for over four years. Don't miss their enchanting performance at the Taylor Ranch Library, the latest installment of our monthly concert series - all for FREE!
Sat 5 PM Mother's Day Celebration Osuna Nursery, 501 Osuna Rd. NE Whether you're searching for a heartfelt gift, indulging in a little self-care, or simply creating cherished memories with your loved ones, Osuna Nursery is the place to be. As you browse our blooms from beautiful ornamental trees to attractive annuals you'll enjoy: • Live music from award-winning cellist Ryan Smith 11am-1pm •Scenic photo opportunities •Osuna University Residential Irrigation with Chris Schlouski of Dekker Perich Sabatini from 11am to 12pm. There is no gift more meaningful than the gift of life. Come find the perfect pairing of plants and pottery to be a personalized reminder of how much she matters for years to come
Sat 6 – 9 PM Annual Bach Society Concert Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church, 8700 Alameda Blvd. NE It’s nearly time once again for our annual Bach Society performances. The New Mexico Bach Chorale and the New Mexico Bach Orchestra will perform J.S. Bach’s full St. John Passion. Tickets for the performance can be purchased online or by calling Hold My Ticket at 877-466-3404. Day-of tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or check
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Clout Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW The evening starts with complimentary dance lessons at 5 pm, followed by family-friendly entertainment until 9 pm. Get ready to groove and have a blast!
Sat 6:30 – 9:30 PM Mother's Day Dance Skidmore's Holiday Bowl, 7515 Lomas Blvd. NE Join us for a night of bowling, food, drinks, and a Mother's Day dance to celebrate everything they do for us
Sat 7 PM Mother’s Day Concert Bandido Restaurante, 2128 Central Ave SE A special Mother’s Day concert with Micky Cruz. $10 cover, all ages
Sat 7 – 9 PM First Floor Highway Tractor Brewing, 118 Tulane Dr. SE ABQ band blending original music & reimagined covers w. an 80s inspirited New Wave / Post Punk sound
Sat 7:30 – 9 PM Studio Night Out Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall & Saloon, 9800 Montgomery Blvd., Ste 4 Get your boots ready because we're going out! Come join us for a fun night out on the town. Come as you are and get your groove on. It's a great chance to put those dancing skills to good use. Feel free to invite anyone to come join the party. This event is free other than the cover at The Dirty Bourbon. There's no cover if you arrive before 8PM. Let us know if you have any questions at either 505-750-0011 or 520-261-1223
Sat 8 PM Emo Nite Live Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd NE Welcome to the electrifying world of Emo Nite Live! Hailing from the vibrant landscapes of Albuquerque, we are a dynamic band dedicated to bringing the spirited sounds of pop-punk and emo music to life, coupled with a unique karaoke experience that lets YOU be the lead singer! Signups to sing start at 8pm. Get there early if you want to participate. No door cover. 21+ only. Come and check out Albuquerque's newest southern style restaurant. Hear or sing some of your favorite pop-punk and emo anthems with us
Sat 8 – 10 PM Hops & Dreams: Star Wars Edition Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW Join us in a galaxy far, far away… The Desert Darlings return with Raqzia for an epic Star Wars belly dance show! Free show, but tips appreciated!
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - Saturdays with guest DJ ITALIA Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE DJ Gabriel Goza will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover
Sat 9 PM Back in the Saddle 90's Country Cover Band Backstage at Revel, 4720 Alexander Blvd. NE Doors open at 8 pm, no cover. Show starts at 9 pm! All Ages are welcome! We will have giveaways! Come prepared to two-step and country dance to the 90's country music you love!
** Sun 5/12 ** -- Mother's Day
Sun 10 – 11 AM Yoga & Tea Lost Cultures Tea Bar, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW, Ste C Starting in May, we will be doing our event EVERY SUNDAY. It's a special space where you can release what no longer serves you and rejuvenate your soul. Join us for a truly enriching experience. The first 3 Sunday's will be with @ yoga.birch and the last Sunday of the month will be with @ curvaceousmermaidgoddess. $25 per person, 1 drink from the menu included (tickets)
Sun 10 AM – 2 PM Seeds & Starts Day Rail Yards Market, 777 1st St. SW Ready, Set, Grow! The Rail Yards Market is the best local destination of plants for your garden, blooms for mom, and fresh spring produce for your table. Get your seeds and starter plants from your favorite local growers! Free for all! Everyone is welcome! EBT doubled with Double-Up-Food-Bucks. Senior and WIC programs welcome. Fresh local produce! Breakfast & lunch prepared food options. Handmade Art. ADA Accessible. Free Parking. FREE :: LOCAL :: FAMILY FRIENDLY :: PET FRIENDLY
Sun 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM Mother's Day Brunch Sheraton Uptown, 2600 Louisiana Blvd. NE Treat Mom to all her favorite brunch foods, including made-to-order omelets, garden salads, and of course elegant desserts. $55 per adult, $28 children 5-10 (plus tax & gratuity), children 0-4 complimentary with a paid adult. Reservations are required: 505.349.2520 (menu)
Sun 11 AM Mother's Day Special D.H. Lescomes Winery & Bistro, 901 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, Ste B-100 Celebrate Mother's Day with a special meal! We’re excited to introduce two mouthwatering specials that are sure to delight her taste buds: Baked Penne Rustica and Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass. Plus, add a glass of any of our 631 Signature wines to one of these specials for only $7 Reservations recommended, please call your location (more info)
Sun 11 AM – 4 PM Mother's Day Sunday Rally Sunday Service Motor Co, 2701 4th St. NW Join us for May's Sunday Rally - cohosted by Indian Motorcycle and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride 2024. This month, we will be meeting at Indian Motorcycle off of Alameda for coffee and pastries. We will then cruise back to Sunday Service for live music, food, and raffles. Drop in and learn more about Indian Motorcycles, The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, and donate to Mothers in need this Mother's Day!
Sun 11:30 AM Mamma Mia! Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave NE Showing Starts at 11:30 am Tickets are ONLY $10 for General Admission $25 Brunch and a Movie Ticket $21 Brunch Only ticket. Grab your ticket online or call for reservations today!
Sun 12 PM Mother's Day - Moms play for free! Empire Board Game Library, 3503 Central Ave NE Let Empire treat you to some free play time! If you're a mom, then come in this Sunday and play any of our 1,000 games without paying for table time on your special day
Sun 12 – 8 PM Mother's Day Seared Bistro, 119 San Pasquale Ave SW Brunch 12-3 PM (click link for full menu), Dinner 12-8 PM
Sun 1 – 5 PM Mother's Day in Old Town 2000 N. Plaza St. NW The City of Albuquerque presents this free event celebrates Mom on her special day in Old Town and features food, shopping, kids’ activities, and more. Enjoy live music on the Gazebo with performances by Nathaniel Krantz, Baila! Baila!, and Picoso. Grab a bite to eat from local food trucks Craft Q BBQ, Tikka Spice, and Pack’n Bowlz or enjoy a sit down meal from one of the Old Town restaurants. Eat, dance, and enjoy time with the family in Historic Old Town! (more info)
Sun 1 – 5 PM Animated Iris: Mother's Day Iris Show Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE Open to the Public. Free Admission. Public Invited to Submit Entries 8-9AM
Sun 2 – 5 PM May Swing Sanctuary Retreat Enchantment Ballroom, 337 San Pedro Dr. NE Do you love West Coast Swing? Do you compete or would you like to start competing? Have you been looking for a community of like-minded, supportive dancers to push your boundaries and empower you to reach your full dance potential? Join Melissa for The Swing Sanctuary Retreat, a competitors community focused gathering for those of us looking for a safe space to foster positive change in our dancing with like-minded community members. The only requirements to join are a positive attitude and having competed or planning to compete a West Coast Swing Jack and Jill within a year. If you competed at Rio Grande or are planning to compete at Dance Fiesta, those count! If you'd like to join the group but aren't sure about competing, let us know, we're happy to talk to you about it and help you plan an event within the next year, that's all it takes! This will be a regular monthly gathering. If you have any questions as to if this is a good fit for you and your goals, please let us know. Cost: $20
Sun 4 – 5:30 PM Paint Your Own Pot Mrs. Sprinkles Ice Cream, 3107 Eubank Blvd. NE Paint Night with Susan Gomez is your chance to grab your pals, the fam or just yourself and paint the night away. Have fun while creating lasting memories to take home and enjoy forever! Join us for my very first Paint Your Own Pot event! Mrs. Sprinkles is the newest addition to the charming Scottsdale Village Shopping Center. Come see the beautiful shop, have some fun with Mom or Grandma and have some amazing treats! What a wonderful way to spend Mother's Day! Enjoy buy one, get one half off the full menu that day! All supplies are included and all are welcome for this event. Seating is Limited. Please arrive a few minutes early for a 4pm start time. NO NEED TO PICK UP A TICKET AHEAD OF TIME, CHECK IN AT THE EVENT
Sun 6 – 9 PM Sunday Funday Karaoke Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW What brings the fun better then karaoke? Nothing! We got an all new night of karaoke for you singing addicts! Come amp up your Sunday Funday and sing a song with us! The Pop Up will be on hand serving up eats!