Welcome to our blog, where we explore the complicated and sometimes misunderstood realm of anxiety. Anxiety has become an all too familiar companion for many people in a culture where stress and pressure appear to be ever-present. But exactly, what is anxiety? What effect does it have on us physically, emotionally, and mentally? Most importantly, how can we navigate its perilous waters and discover a route to serenity and happiness?
I want to uncover the complexities of anxiety in this blog, providing insights, knowledge, and practical solutions to help you understand and manage this difficult illness. Whether you have periodic attacks of anxiety or are looking for help for a loved one, we are here to give you with a caring and knowledgeable resource.
We'll look at the underlying causes of anxiety, bust myths, and throw light on the numerous sorts of anxiety disorders. We'll investigate the science of anxiety, looking at the physiological and psychological systems at work. We'll next go on a voyage of self-discovery, arming you with efficient coping skills, relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices to help you recover control of your thoughts and emotions.
This site, however, is more than simply a source of information; it is a safe area in which we promote free debate and the sharing of personal stories. Anxiety may be lonely, but you'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in your troubles if you join our group. I’ll share stories of perseverance and accomplishment to encourage you to embark on your own recovery path.
My ultimate objective is to provide you with the skills and information you need to navigate the choppy waters of anxiety and live a fulfilled life. So come along with me as we start on this transforming journey, exploring the complexities of anxiety and discovering a route to tranquility and self-empowerment. Let's get started on our path to inner serenity and emotional well-being.\
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Understanding Anxiety
​

• What is anxiety?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.
People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat.
Anxiety is not the same as fear, but they are often used interchangeably. Anxiety is considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat.
In my own words, anxiety is something that we all could possibly experience. We may be experiencing it right now, but we don’t know that it’s actually anxiety and maybe we’re just nervous or rather, something else far more serious.
It is natural to feel anxious from time to time. People with anxiety disorders, on the other hand, usually experience strong, excessive, and persistent concern and terror about ordinary events. Anxiety disorders sometimes feature recurring bouts of acute anxiety, dread, or terror that reach a climax within minutes (panic attacks). Anxiety and panic disrupt everyday activities, are difficult to regulate, out of proportion to the real risk, and can linger for a long period. To escape unpleasant sensations, you may avoid locations or circumstances. Symptoms may appear in childhood or adolescence and persist throughout maturity.
Anxiety disorders are a collection of mental health illnesses characterized by emotions of dread, concern, and apprehension that are excessive and persistent. The following are only some of the several forms of anxiety disorders:

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): You may have generalized anxiety disorder if you frequently worry for no apparent cause. GAD indicates that you are continually worried and unable to manage your worrying. GAD is diagnosed by healthcare experts when you worry on most days for at least 6 months. Worrying about your health, money, family, or work may be something you're so used to that you assume it's simply "how you are." While everyone worries about these things now and again, expecting the worse might make it difficult to live a regular life.

GAD symptoms might occur as a side effect of medication or drug usage. It may also be associated with medical diseases that elevate hormones, such as hyperthyroidism. This might cause the body to become more excitable. Family or environmental stress might set off the specified anxiety disorder. It can also be triggered by chronic sickness or disease.

1. Panic Disorder: Recurrent and sudden panic attacks describe panic disorder. Panic attacks are unexpected bouts of acute anxiety or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, and a fear of losing control or dying. People suffering from panic disorder frequently live in terror of having another panic episode.

Panic attacks usually start quickly and without notice. They may happen at any time, whether you're driving, in the mall, asleep, or in the middle of a business meeting. You may get panic episodes on occasion or on a regular basis.

1. Social Anxiety Disorder: Social anxiety disorder is characterized by an acute fear of social interactions as well as a worry of being criticized or humiliated by others. People who suffer from social anxiety may avoid or experience considerable difficulty during social encounters. It can have a substantial influence on a person's ability to participate in daily activities or maintain relationships.

A person suffering from social anxiety disorder may have a mild, moderate, or severe case. Some persons with social anxiety only have symptoms in one sort of setting, such as eating in front of others or performing in front of others, but others have symptoms in numerous or all forms of social contact.

1. Specific Phobias: One of the primary criteria for identifying a phobia is that it is life-limiting in nature.2 Depending on the nature of your fear, you may find it difficult to do errands, go out with friends, or even make it to work every day. To put it another way, a certain phobia can have a huge impact on your education, profession, and general quality of life.

The out-of-control sensation is one of the most distressing emotional aspects of a phobia. You may recognize that your fear is unreasonable and/or overwhelming, yet no matter how hard you try, you are unable to overcome it. You are not alone if you imagine what your life would be like if you could just go about your everyday activities without fear of encountering that certain thing or event.

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): It is a mental disease in which you have recurring unwanted thoughts and feelings (obsessions) that lead you to conduct repetitive activities (compulsions). Repeated activities can drastically disrupt social relationships and everyday work. Obsessions are persistent, unwelcome, and intrusive thoughts that lead to repetitive behavioral or mental acts (compulsions) aimed at decreasing anxiety or averting a dreaded result. Obsessions and compulsions may drastically disrupt daily living.

Everyone has obsessions and compulsions at some time in their lives. It's normal to double-check the stove or the locks, for example. People also casually use the terms "obsessing" and "obsessed" in regular discussions. However, OCD is more severe. It can consume hours of a person's time. It interferes with daily life and activities. Obsessions in OCD are unwelcome, and persons with OCD dislike engaging in obsessive activities.

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD can develop because of seeing or experiencing a stressful incident. Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, and acute emotional discomfort are all symptoms. Individuals suffering from PTSD may also avoid reliving the event and exhibit hyperarousal symptoms such as anger, hypervigilance, and an increased startle reaction.

Symptoms may occur within one month of a stressful experience, but they may not appear until years afterwards. These symptoms produce substantial challenges in social or occupational settings, as well as in relationships. They can also impair your capacity to carry out your routine everyday responsibilities. There are four categories of PTSD symptoms: intrusive memories, avoidance, unfavorable changes in thought and attitude, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms may change over time or from person to person.

1. Separation Anxiety Disorder: Separation anxiety disorder is most common in youngsters and is defined by extreme worry over being separated from parents or caregivers. When away from their attachment figures, children may suffer excessive concern, fear, or sadness and may display clinging behavior.

It is natural to feel anxious when away from security items and comfort zones. Around the age of three to four, social anxiety can become a significant issue. When separation anxiety becomes excessive and starts interfering with regular activities like going to school or work, it is conceivable that these natural fears have progressed into a clinical case of separation anxiety disorder.
Although, it’s crucial to remember that these are only some of the primary anxiety disorders; people might have numerous anxiety disorders at the same time or have symptoms that don't fit neatly into one category. A skilled mental health practitioner should make a correct diagnosis and treatment strategy.
​

• How does anxiety affect our mind and body?

Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative anticipation, marked by heightened alertness and negative expectations compounded into concern and manifested physically by the activation of many body systems, all to aid in coping with an unknown or bad scenario.
It is a defensive state ruled over by fear nerve circuits and triggered by misinterpretation or overestimation of threats from the environment, the interior world of the body, or the inner world of cognition. Anxiety is a normal reaction to danger, and the discomfort it causes is intended to draw attention and motivate a defensive response. Too frequently, however, the anxiety is excessive, prolonged, or inappropriate to what triggered it, and it interferes with daily functioning—or puts in motion maladaptive behaviors, ranging from avoidance of threat-generating circumstances to drug use, to alleviate the pain of worry.
Scientifically speaking, When the amygdala recognizes incoming information as a threat—or, due to hyperreactivity, rushes to that conclusion even when there is no threat—it emits an alarm, alerting many other parts of the brain to prepare for protective action. It acts as though your life is in danger. The signal is relayed neural and hormonally by the hypothalamus, triggering the stress reaction. The heart rate rises. The heart rate increases. Breathing becomes more rapid. Areas of the brain stem activate, putting you on high alert and attentiveness. The hippocampus, or memory center, uses prior experience to try to contextualize the nature of the threat. The prefrontal cortex, which receives all of the information needed to make a coherent interpretation of events and orchestrate an appropriate behavioral response, has the ability to reduce or enhance the perception of threat and degree of discomfort. The amygdala effectively overpowers the prefrontal cortex in the anxious brain, whether due to overexcitability of the stress response system, activity of different neurochemicals, abnormalities in nerve circuitry, or inactivation of certain cell populations in the prefrontal cortex. (Psychology Today 2023).
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• What are the coping strategies for daily life?

Every individual has their own different types of ways on how to deal of this disorder whenever it strikes. I would like to share to all my fellow readers some ways of how I cope up with my anxiety and other people’s ideas that I found based on the internet.

1. Question your thought pattern
   
2. Practice deep breathing
   
3. Keep a journal
   
4. Aromatherapy
   
5. Exercising/Working out
   
6. Grounding Techniques
   
7. Identify your triggers
   
8. Therapy
   
9. Meditate
   
10. Socialize
    
11. Staying active
    
12. Eating correctly/Healthy Diet
    

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• Creating a Supportive Community

An open conversation about anxiety experiences is critical for establishing understanding, empathy, and support among individuals. Anxiety is a widespread mental health illness that affects millions of people worldwide, and talking about our experiences may help break down the stigma associated with it and bring comfort to those who are experiencing similar difficulties. Remember that open conversation about anxiety should always promote sensitivity, respect, and secrecy. It is critical to establish an environment in which people feel secure and supported as they share their tales and problems.
To summarize, anxiety is a difficult and complex feeling that affects millions of individuals globally. It might feel overpowering and suffocating, but keep in mind that you are not alone. There are excellent coping methods and tools available to assist you in overcoming anxiety and regaining control of your life.
First and foremost, self-care is critical in anxiety management. Taking care of your physical health by exercising frequently, eating healthily, and sleeping sufficiently may have a big influence on your mental health. Additionally, adopting relaxation techniques into your daily routine, such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, or yoga, can help reduce tension and anxiety.
It is also critical to establish a support network. Reach out to friends, relatives, or a therapist who can listen and provide advice. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with others might provide relief and help you gain perspective.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a highly effective anxiety treatment. It focuses on detecting and changing negative thought patterns with more positive and realistic ones. Seeking expert assistance from a CBT therapist can equip you with the tools and techniques you need to combat anxious thoughts and create coping mechanisms.
Remember to be patient and nice to yourself while you recuperate. It takes time to overcome worry, and setbacks are a normal part of the process. Celebrate your modest triumphs and recognize your progress, no matter how minor. Self-compassion is important, as is reminding yourself that you are trying your best.
Finally, never be afraid to seek assistance when you need it. Consult a mental health expert if your anxiety becomes unbearable or interferes with your everyday life. They can give individualized advice and strategies to help you manage your anxiety successfully.
You may live a full life free of anxiety by actively working on your anxiety and applying healthy coping techniques. Remember that you have the ability to overcome worry and build a more promising future for yourself. Believe in your own power, seek help, and enjoy the healing process.
Remember that you are not alone in this world, whether you’re healing or healed, you will always be supported. I stand with you!

For a little contex: me and my bf have our own characters that represent us. They don’t look like us, but they are supposed to be “us.” I usually draw them together, while he commissions artwork from other people since he says he can’t draw.
Anyways, we got into an argument about how he wants me to commission people too. I told him that I draw for him all the time, but he says that it’s not the same. I should be spending money like he does, to make it fair. I was like.. whatever. I contacted someone for a commission of our characters.
After the argument, I began to think.. I’ve spent almost $2000 on his plane tickets to visit here, yet he has never given me anything for this. Normally this doesn’t bother me that much, but since he wants to talk about “making it fair,” where’s my expensive gifts? I know he doesn’t have a job, and his money is limited. But he is spending a lot of money on himself, and getting many art commissions just for him. Is it selfish of me to want something from him?.. it doesn’t have to be worth $2000, it can be small gifts over time.
I don’t know how to talk to him without starting a heated argument. I have a feeling he’s going to be upset and say something like “it’s not the same.” “I don’t have that kind of money..”Something like that. Since he’s talking about fairness, I want something back in return…
TLDR; Bf and me got in an argument about drawing commissions and says I need to pay for commissions to “make it fair” for all the art he’s paid for. I realized after that I payed $2000 for his plane tickets, but got nothing in return. Is it selfish to ask him to give me something?

Hi! I am looking into selling on Etsy. I studied in the US a couple years ago so I have a social security, as well as bank accounts and credit cards on my name. I am no longer on US territory.
Would I be able to use this SSN to open up a store? And to pay taxes as well?
Thanks for any insight!

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TL;DR: Guzzle Rock Cake, Cast Imbue, Dream and hunter kit at the same time then bank the kit or if youre an ironman store the imp jars in puro-puro to drop trade later.
https://reddit.com/link/140i6zl/video/h21ctfwr114b1/player
I was theory crafting getting 84 - 90 magic on my UIM, I dont have any alchs, not enough gold or runes to burst, I haven't got MM2 or SOTE completed.
I initially done MTA to get a master wand and B2P with the intention of bursting or doing slayer with auto cast ancients but didnt factor in the cost of the runes, I looked at Lunars and wondered about the Imbue spell and saw that I hadn't done Dream Mentor, I completed dream mentor and saw that once every 12 seconds you can cast Imbue and another spell on the same tick.
I remembered back waaaaaay waaaay back in the day that people used to train magic with making hunter kits, back then I used to make a hunter kit, bank it then come out and cast again, quick enough this would be good exp.
I went ahead and started theory crafting around that spell and how I can utilise that hunter kit, I was looking on the wiki at the lunar spells and saw the Dream spell, I decided to check that out and much like the Imbue spell, it doesnt have a cast animation and can be cancelled by doing another action, only difference is that the Dream spell doesnt have a 12 second timer, it had a few seconds at best (I havent figured it out yet)
I went and got a Rock Cake from Khorak and guzzled down to low hp and tried using all three spells, which does infact work, you can even tick all three spells perfectly to be cast at the same time.
Initially I was destroying them because of the lack of banking, then I tried dropping and saw that the imp jars were 1300+ gp (my drop limit was set to 1k, I then remembered that they added imp supply storage at Puro-Puro and decided to head there.
The video is the results, You can get roughly 90k+ EXP an hour, I've peaked at 106k with minimal failures.
It works out roughly to be 600 jars an hour (10 every minute) which by todays prices is roughly 780k (not taking into account cost of runes)

I don't know where this should be posted , if this isn't the place , then am sorry
Hi , to understand my situation , let me expand on my current state.
I am from India and 17 years old , still in +2 . I have been experiencing hair loss since I was in 7-8th grade or so , but I didn't give it much attention at that time even though it was shedding at an alarming rate . I must have been like 12 to 13 then . Whenever I had got to seen doctors usually for other illness like cough or cold , we used to ask them why am shedding so much hair and they always used to dismiss us by saying cuz I am fat . Yes I am fat . I probably weight above 80kg right now .
That's also around the time I stopped applying hair oil which I used to do once a week , as I used to see lots of hair falling . But since last year Its becoming pretty visible that my head's coming bald .
I do spend a lot of time in front of the computephone . Also its always extremely hot here , even as am writing this its above 35 degree celcius .
I also am stressed all the time to study and get good scores for exams . I have been in this study hell for the past 4 years but I understand its for my future and yes I need to study well . But the pressure is always unbearable.
I have applied countless shampoos which claim to reduce hair loss or which help to strengthen hair etc etc . Nothing works
I am also losing my hairline now .
As a socially introverted person , its very scary . I love my hair .
I researched about hair transplant but it looks painful , and also costly , which we cannot afford.
And so I recently came across this medicine called Minoxidil . Does it really result in Regrowth of new hair ? Will it have any affect on my body ?
I must also mention I am very short for my age , just 5 foot 5 inch . Everyone in my class way taller than I am .
Is there like any medicine that will help me in this situation ? What can I do ? Will I have to spend rest of my days as a bald guy ?

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PowerSchool SIS is a Student Information System in form of web-based application designed for schools. It makes it easy for parents and students to log into a secure account from home, school or work; access real-time assignments, grades and attendance; request reports, email teachers and do more.
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How to Hack PowerSchool Without Being Noticed
Trying to gain unauthorized access to PowerSchool SIS could be very stressful and dangerous (if caught). It is always important to know the status of the college or University’s cyber-security, database protocol and security review periods when trying to change grades or collect data from the school’s database when the grades are uploaded otherwise change of grades might not need hacking the whole school’s system.
Sometimes, people get lucky. You might only need to hack your teacher’s, lecturer’s or professor’s email to change the grade. It all depends on how thorough you are with making research on the job.
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• Time: – Know that time is very vital. The hacking operation should be done when no security review is going on. Most of the security reviews takes place in the day. This does not mean security cannot be reviewed through the night too. Also, you have to be fast during the operation. Every minute counts. Delay could lead to big problem.
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Sorry for formatting I’m on mobile.
My fiancé (21M) and I(21F) have been together for two years and got engaged. I recently graduated from my undergrad and I work full time to support us both while he finishes his undergrad. He is currently in the military, and he joined after we had already been together for a year and I’m not going to lie I wasn’t the happiest with his decision but I’m not going to stop him from pursuing his career goals.
Now he is in ROTC to become an officer and later wants to do certain programs to help him advance in his civilian career with little to no debt from graduate schools. (We both payed/paying for undergraduate ourselves). Recently in conversation with his mother he was mentioning how he wants to stay in the military for 20 years before he goes to a civilian job. This was the second time he has mentioned wanting to serve for this long (the first time he seemed against it and chalked it up to conversations with military buds). However, this time he seemed more serious. We went on a walk and I told him all of my concerns and hesitation about him being in the military for 20 years. I told him that we can afford to take loans for graduate school and pay them off and I would much rather spend our twenties/thirties together and not apart because money always comes back but time doesn’t. I don’t want him to think his only option is to serve in order for him to be able to afford grad school. He calmed me down and we had a good conversation about our future and how excited we are to be there for each other. But I still can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want to stop him from achieving what he wants to achieve in the military but I’m also not sure if I will be able to be a military wife that’s always moving/alone/away from my support system.
I really love him and I don’t see myself with anyone else but I have heard so many horror stories from prior service members and their families which just put me on edge. Both my parents served and his mothers entire family served but neither were too happy when he joined but we were all supportive and happy for him. I’m also concerned that he may get injured since there’s also a plethora of people who suffer from physical or mental injuries due to their service. Also some of his rotc buddies joke about cheating and do some shady stuff which makes me uncomfortable of how things go active duty side. (Fiancé has reassured me that it’s mainly all talk and the guy’s personality but it’s just weird for me)
I feel guilty having all of these concerns when he seems so confident about getting married. Is it normal for me to be this worried and concerned during a time that should be generally happy and exciting? Is it okay to have such different lifestyles and still be a good partnership? How can I better prepare for potentially having to move around the majority of my life, job, and later on family if he does want to be in the service for 20 years?
TLDR; my fiancé is in the military and I don’t know if I fit into that lifestyle and can potentially do it for 20 years.

I had insurance with Liberty Mutual earlier this year. As my policy was expiring, I found another provider that would have cheaper service so I chose not to renew my insurance. I purchased the new insurance policy and let the Liberty Mutual insurance expire.
On May 14, the day the old policy expired, it seemed as though my insurance with Liberty Mutual just auto renewed itself (at a much higher rate might I add, but I don't guess that's relevant to this). I noticed it and called Liberty Mutual on May 15 to be very clear I had new insurance coverage and did not want or need their policy. They understood and cancelled the service.
As I'm reviewing my bank statements for the last month I'm noticing a charge on my account from Liberty Mutual. I called them, they told me that the charge was for the 1 day of insurance coverage they provided me. I explained to them that I never renewed coverage and as soon as I realized that the coverage just renewed itself I cancelled it, they refused to issue a refund for the service they forced on me.
"Fine," I thought. "I'll just dispute the charge with my bank." I contact my bank and explain the situation to them, and after a brief hold the woman tells me she can't honor the dispute (citing a "federal regulation E"). She said that the fact that I did not solicit the charge did not change the fact that a service was rendered and thus the prorated bill was valid.
For additional context I was billed by ACH withdrawals since that was the cheapest way to get my insurance.
Where do I go from here? I'm not paying this ridiculous charge for insurance I didn't want or was being told I had. Obviously I'll change my account numbers to prevent such billing from happening again, but right now I'm trying to claw back my money.

Yesterday, my friend and I visited Cedar Point. We both have platinum passes, and we purchased fast lane plus and the all day dining plan for this visit.
Wild Mouse (credit #102) x1: Luckily, Wild Mouse was actually running today. We went straight to it when we got in for early entry. As far as ride experience goes, it's OK. We didn't love Wild Mouse, but then again, neither of us is a big fan of the wild mouse ride type in general. I acknowledge that I'm not really part of the target demographic for this ride, but I do think that there are much better options as far as family coasters go. (I would've loved for Cedar Point to get a GG family woodie or a modern family Vekoma.)
I'm at least glad I got to experience Wild Mouse and that I rode it first thing in the morning when its wait was 1/2 hour instead of later in the day when it was twice that. I'd probably rank CP's mouse around the middle of the list of all wild mice I've ridden. It's better than many standard mice but isn't as unique as something like Exterminator or Laff Track.
Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad x2: After Wild Mouse, the obvious plan was to head to Frontier Town. We rode the train to save us some walking. We also rerode it later in the day. On our first train ride, we were one of only a few groups of people on the train. On our second ride, there was a person in pretty much every seat to the extent that we had to share a row with a stranger. This is a decent train ride that provides views of Lake Erie and the backstage area around Millennium Force. It's a great way to relax for a few minutes.
Maverick x2: This is one of the few coasters I've been on many times where I don't have the layout essentially memorized. Maverick is relentless in the best way possible. You are constantly being whipped and thrown around, and it doesn't really stop until the final brakes. We rerode Maverick as our last ride of the night, and the darkness enhances everything, especially the tunnel. It feels like the launch is twice as fast at night.
Steel Vengeance x3: SteVe was running great. The airtime was so good that it hurt, and the ride seemed to have extra speed. The line was unusually short in the morning, so we rode it twice in a row. Then, we came back and made it our second to last ride of the night. Steel Vengeance truly is one of the greatest coasters on Earth. Even though it's not usually my absolute #1, I don't think that Steel Vengeance is overrated at all. It's one of the few coasters that truly feels "long enough", and none of that time is wasted.
Gemini x1: This classic ride is one of my favorite Arrows. There are a few great moments of janky Arrow airtime, and the racing aspect is pure fun.
Magnum XL-200 x0: We attempted to ride Magnum three different times throughout the day, the first of which was right after our Gemini ride. Unfortunately, Magnum was down all three times. I think there were mechanical issues the first two times, and the third time was due to high winds, which shut down much of the park. It sucked to miss out on Magnum, as it is usually my all-time favorite coaster, but at the same time, I can live with missing it on what is possibly our only Fast Lane Plus Cedar Point trip of the year. Magnum's line is usually quite manageable without Fast Lane.
Corkscrew x1: My friend insisted on riding this, as he wanted to ride every coaster in the park. I'm not a big fan of this ride (or most Arrow loopers), but honestly, Corkscrew was better than I remembered. The only part that I think is really awful is the eponymous corkscrews. The hills and vertical loop were actually enjoyable, and the trains weren't as terribly uncomfortable as in my memory.
Power Tower (drop side) x1: A drop tower is just about always worth riding. These S&S ones are the weakest ones in my opinion but still a good time. I simply prefer drop rides that feel like they're actually trying to kill me rather than the ones like this that gently bounce.
Valravn x1: It's a dive coaster. The first drop is one of the best in the park, but the ride kind of dies after that. The other best part is the drop off the midcourse. The rest of the ride is pretty bland and forgettable.
Blue Streak x1: I've always found this ride to be underrated. It has some pretty decent airtime, especially if you sit near the front, which we did this time. I do wish that it still had the original buzzbar restraints, as I consider that to be a big part of what makes a classic wooden coaster feel like a classic wooden coaster. Still, I'm glad they've kept this ride, and I would say that it is not to be overlooked.
Raptor, Gatekeeper each x0: I wish we would've ridden these rides right after Blue Streak, as they were still open then. We unfortunately missed out on both of them due to the high winds later in the day.
Millennium Force x1: This ride is a bit overhated. The first drop is my favorite first drop on any coaster, the sense of speed is awesome, and there are some good moments of positive and negative gs. Sure, there are a few too many tall turns, but Millie is still a great ride.
Rougarou x1: I've never been a big fan of Rougarou, and I think it might even be my least favorite coaster at Cedar Point now. The layout isn't all that great, and there's a lot of headbanging, particularly in the second half.
Iron Dragon x1: This ride isn't super thrilling, but I enjoy the aesthetics and nostalgia of it. I understand why some people dislike it or want it to be the next ride to be removed, but I disagree. I think Iron Dragon is actually Cedar Point's best family coaster. The Arrow jankiness isn't as pronounced as on Mine Ride, Corkscrew, or Gemini. Iron Dragon also doesn't have the somewhat intense airtime of Blue Streak, and it's less generic than Wild Mouse.
Thunder Canyon, Snake River Falls each x1: Even though I've been to Cedar Point many times, this was my first time riding both of these water rides. Thunder Canyon has a reasonably long course with rapids and waterfalls that will absolutely drench you. Snake River Falls has a drop that is tall and steep for a water ride, though it is trimmed. I also got soaked on it, but that didn't really matter because we rode it right after Thunder Canyon.
Cedar Creek Mine Ride x1: This one is just all right. I'm not a big mine train guy, and this is fairly unimpressive as far as mine trains go. It does have a nice setting, and there was some awesomely weird theming in the brake run that I definitely don't remember being there.
All in all, it was a good Cedar Point trip. I do wish we had gotten to ride Magnum, Raptor, and Gatekeeper, but we've both ridden all three before. The one day dining plan was definitely worth it, and I would recommend that to anyone who's considering it.

My [31F] friend, Jill [33F] is getting married in two weeks to Rob [30M]. Jill and I have been friends since elementary school, Rob and Jill have been together for 5 years, engaged for 1.5 years. Jill already had her bachelorette and it was pretty low key, she’s sober so it was just going out and some weed, the craziest thing there was probably the corny penis straws. Rob invited my husband [31M] to the bachelor - we’re both in the wedding party. My husband and I don’t really like Rob, no one in our friend group does, we just tolerate him because he’s with Jill. He’s a bad listener, thinks he’s smarter than everyone, manipulate, shady, very sleezy salesman personality. He always thinks he’s pulling the wool over peoples eyes. I’ve mentioned this to Jill over the years, I brought it up really gently as I was in a horrible relationship of 5.5 years and ended it, I used some comparisons to help her see. While she seemed to acknowledge he wasn’t good, she also said she’d “rather die than not be with Rob” for her entire life. I think she just needs someone, she’s a total bridezilla and is obsessed with the little details of the wedding, not the fact that she’s actually marrying Rob.
Jill is a very jealous and insecure person, she’s told us she was upset Rob had a female massage therapist during a couples massage. She’s convinced all of our single friends flirt with Rob (they definitely aren’t, they don’t even like him as a person!). Rob invited 15 guys to his bachelor, and Jill said his friends are pretty wild. Jill texted me Saturday that she didn’t get any sleep the night before, she was so anxious about the weekend plus Rob wasn’t answering his phone and didn’t text her goodnight or anything. She said she had Rob ask his friends not to bring any hard drugs (they like coke) and Rob assured her he wouldn’t do anything like that.
My husband was texting me during the weekend, he wasn’t thrilled to be there, and he had no knowledge of what Jill was telling me. He told me on Friday night guys were doing coke, I asked if Rob was and he said he didn’t see him doing it but he was with that group the whole time. I found out this morning that Rob went to a strip club last night. While I know that’s a normal bachelor thing and I wouldn’t care if my husband did that (he went home beforehand so doesn’t know what happened there), given Jill’s level of jealously I think she’d be devastated to hear Rob went to one. Rob’s friends text Jill (since he was too gone to use his phone) and said they were taking care of him and at a EDM show (which they did also do, but they left out the strip club).
Here’s my issue.. if I tell Jill these things, nothing is going to change. She’s not going to cancel the wedding or reevaluate their relationship or really do anything at all about it. So while if it was another friend I would probably have called them by now, this almost feels like stirring the pot for no reason. Should I say something to Jill or should we keep what Rob did over his bachelor weekend to ourselves?
TLDR: My friends fiancé did some questionable things that I know she’d be really upset to hear during his bachelor weekend. I know if I tell her it will change absolutely nothing. Did I tell her or not say anything since it won’t make a difference?

First, I'm an international undergrad student. I came to the US when I was a sophomore (because of covid and all). Now I didn't get an opportunity to do any clinical work during the sophomore year because everything official like the hospital volunteering was shut down for the students. So I went ahead and got started on some non-clinical work. Every break I used go back to my uncle's (in the US not abroad) and live there. I volunteered at a local sport field. A big one. Guys (like 40 yo) used to play cricket there (kinda like baseball). Now I used to get them electrolytes on the field, always getting the balls (like in baseball) back to the guys, used to chart scores and all kind of other stuff. I did a whole lot of things and it used to be about 5-7 hours a day for like 3-4 days a week. Really really fun and I used to get to play with everyone too.
Now what I'm stressed about is that it wasn't anything official like an organization. A couple dozen adults playing a couple different sports on the big field. We were a group of 2-3 volunteers. We had a verbal agreement that they'd let us accumulate some hours for community service. We spent about 230 hours doing that. Should I list this non-clinical work on my app? I do have the contact for the person who lead the group of the guys, to list it on the app.

Hi All,
I have a question in which content I’m not very familiar, so I thought asking here would be a great start in looking for answers.
Long story short, my father lives in Granada, Nicaragua. It’s been over 20 years since I last saw him. I finally have the courage to reach out to him and give him a chance to meet me and my finally. We live in the US.
We will be traveling to Panama in this month, and I gave my father a call letting him know if he’s okay with meeting us down in Panama and maybe restart our relationship after so long…
He says that currently, Nicaraguan Citizens are not allowed to get a passport therefore he can’t meet me in Panama.
I tried googling some of this to see if it’s true, but I can’t find any of this information. I honestly think that my father is bullshitting me and does not want to even try to travel down to Panama. However, I want to believe that he is telling the truth.
Anyways, can anyone here confirm if this is true. Are Nicaraguan Citizens really not allowed to leave the country by law?

I am so sickened about tipping culture in the US. The passive-aggresiveness has had so much effect on you guys, you should end this bullshit. You have been blatantly gaslighted into this by restaurants and waiters, and it pisses me off to no end.
Where I live, no tip is needed or expected. I am not going to discuss here whether I tip or not. I am not discussing here why is the system like this in the US.
Please drop me some tips: I am going to NY in about a week, and I plan to leave 0 tip everywhere, without submitting to questions about it. Just: "no tip, thanks. Yes, the food and service was great."
What should I expect? Will I get gaslighted to tip 25% on my 25 dollars burger? Will I get punched in the face? What actually happens?

Hi guys,
we are tourists from Germany. Wanted to rent a second car to explore your beautiful country. Just wanted to share what I think was a pretty bad experience with car rentals in this case with sixt car rental.
Usually, I rent a car at the spot (in Italy or Spain) this way we don‘t have to pay to car rental sites commission and the rental service providers give us some discounts,
When we arrived at the airport the lady quoted us a price of more than 400 euros (almost double what you could find on booking or rentalcars. When we asked why the price was so high she stated us a ridiculously high insurance rate. When we showed her the price on the website she told us that it is very likely going to be canceled anyway so we shouldn‘t bother with booking there.
Well, since we didn‘t want to get scammed by their high insurance rate we booked through booking and proceeded.
After booking through the website we showed the verification code at the counter. The guy there straight away told us we will have to wait for some hours until the car is ready (mind you: others that bought their expensive insurance could pick up the car straight away)
Now after we arrived after three hours once again at the airport the real fun began: she would not accept any of my credit cards. At that time I had three (two physical and one digital)
Each time there was a different reason (spoiler: All of them are working with credit limit/deposit of more than 2k euros)
first visa card with my name: declined since it‘s not a „real“ credit card. The card was fully functional with credit limit. Looking at the visa logo she tells me it‘s not a credit card since it has an iban.
second card: visa gold card. Used by me all the time without trouble. Again not a real credit card from her perspective since it has the visa type account written on it.
Third card mastercard. Not real because it‘s digital. At this point we waited more than three hours just to basically get told I used unreal credit cards my whole life in Germany.
Now, how are we supposed to cancel the booking reservation? Sixt at the airport cannot do anything since booking is an agency. So we contact booking support line. Shitty phone connection to a call center somewhere in India. More than an hour phoning. Booking policy: We need to rebook another car for the one to get canceled. Also they need to contact sixt to find out what happened.
Sixt employees refused to talk to booking employee to explain why they declined the credit card. They were too busy.
Luckily, I had a guy on the phone after the second try that was actually able to provide a full refund. But after we finished with all this a whole vacation day was wasted.
Tldr: Tried to rent a car, but scammy sixt center, really wants to sell their overpriced insurance. Result: vacation day wasted without renting a car:(

I currently have a Breville Bambino and previously owned a Timemore C3 but I found its build quality to be pretty poor and grinding took a long time so I returned it and haven't had espresso in a few months. I'm not very interested in hand grinding as it takes a while (unless you get a very nice one) and in my opinion is inconvenient, especially on busy mornings.
I recently got a few gift cards from Amazon totaling to around $100 so unless there's coupons/deals on other websites that can match the prices of grinders on Amazon when you include the $100 discount, Amazon availability will probably be required. I'm looking for something around 200-300 USD and I know that's a pretty tight budget but that's just how the economy is now lol. However, I'm willing to hear alternatives that are a little bit more expensive just to see where my options are.
I really only have 1 requirement (besides it making decent espresso) that it's easy to go from espresso to pour over (probably around 50/50 when I had my Timemore) which likely relates to low retention. Quiet sound would be nice, programming isn't really a problem and neither is single dosing (since my family does pour over + I figured you can just put a single-dose amount in the normal hopper). Countertop space isn't that big of a deal, but a compact package is always welcome.
Some options I've been looking at are:
• Baratza Encore ESP
• Fellow Opus
• Lower end of the Eureka Mignon lineup (Mostly the Naturale/Notte)
I was looking at the Varia VS3 but the disappointment from a lot of people + not being on Amazon (so I'd have to pay full price) turned me off, but if that's changed let me know
I was intrigued by the Baratza's promise of easy to dial in espresso + ease of switch from filtepour over to espresso and I love Baratza's customer service (I have a standard Encore right now), but fines and retention are unknown to me. The Opus for its price has a lot going including that static reducing technology but it seems like the microadjustments are a pain to use. The Eureka line seems to have great build quality and work well for their price, but they're a little harder to find (on Amazon anyway) and can be more expensive.
I'm curious for those of you that have ordered from espressocoffeeshop.com about their available-on-request coupon codes, Amazon doesn't seem to have the Naturale but that website does but I'm weary of shipping from Italy + the extra costs (also iirc the pricing is in € so does that affect the price in USD?)
Thanks!

Luke 7: 22 “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”
Too often we under estimate the power of Jesus. He not only was a great teacher, but really did powerful things.... things that drew crowds. People heard that they could get healed by Jesus. There are stories after stories of how average people came to Jesus to get healed.
Meanwhile, the very last statement is also important; God does not judge us by our bank account, but by our decisions. Time and time again Jesus challenges the idea of success. What is a life worth living? To get popular support? To get Money? Or to please God? What is your goal in life? What god will you choose?
The Good News is God does not expect you to be popular, successful or any other human measure. But instead God wants you to follow him. In that journey, you live a life worth living.