Hello,
I have suffered from depression/anxiety for a while now, writing my first ever attempt letter at age 17. I am now 25. I have endured great pain, suffered tragedy, been in the bottom of sunken holes with no way out, but here I stand today, still breathing. At 18 I was on a D1 athletic scholarship I had worked my entire life for. Blood, sweat, tears, years all into this. Taken away 3 weeks into it after suffering a career ending hip injury, which then required surgery, months of not being able to walk and over a year of rehab. My first ever class in college, I went to on crutches. My whole first year at college I spent in my dorm room crying to sleep from pain and loneliness. I came home that summer to find out my father had a secret family to whom he had fathered a child with my gym teacher from highschool. I was now not my fathers only son. My gym teacher was pregnant with my brother while I was in class with her. I tell my family. This creates terrible toxicity. My mom does not care and she allows him in the house for his paycheck. They live their own life, like nothing happened and I spend everyday in my room, alone. I transfer to a commuter school and drive my piece of garbage car thats 20+ years old on the highway everyday from 7am-12pm. I then get changed in the bathroom and go work manual labor until dark for $8/hr. I wanted to give up every night. I went to the gym everyday continuing to work on myself. I would study to make sure I was moving onto my next step. I get a job at the university I transfer to. I am a farmhand for the summer and for the school year. I walk 1.5 miles to work everyday and then back and then to the gym and back. When school started I still worked on the farm, waking up at 5am, work till 10:30am and then get to class from 11am-4pm. I then go on another year. Constantly working on myself. Everything in my life is shit, but I know I must continue my journey. My family hates eachother. I am never in a positive feedback loop. I graduate on my couch due to covid with no future in sight. I am in a house where everyone lies. I am in lock down. I cannot go anywhere. I do not have a girlfriend nor have I ever. I find a way to work out, I start running, doing pull ups, anything to combat this issue. I get a job teaching. I find my purpose. I start coaching 3 sports. I come home one day and my entire house is yelling at eachother, everyone crying. Find out Mom has a secret BF everyone knows about but me. Find out my Dad has been secretly seeing his family and giving them money for years. The boy is 5 and shares my freaking name. Find out my sister has been seeing him and my dads family. They'd go on trips together, see her play college sports, etc. My own grandmother knew but didn't tell me. My mom's side the same. But I was the only honest one. I was the one giving everyone my time. I was the one loving one. I keep trucking a long. I keep fighting. I go 6-2 in coaching highschool football. I am benching 315. But I still feel terrible. I am told I have no where to eat thanksgiving. My mother is going with her bf family to which I am not invited. My father says I can come with him, my grandmother and my sister but I would have to meet my brother. I man up. I then meet my 6 year old brother. I sat across the table from my gym teacher. I was stoned out of my mind. I hated my life. But my journey was not over. This continued to happen. Nothing going my way. I was talking to a beautiful woman who taught at my school. She was perfect. We liked eachother a lot. Was supposed to meet up with her, got covid so bad I couldn't move. I get into my own head and then ruin that relationship because I do not know how to love. I was so anxious, depressed and hated myself that it reflected into this. I then lose 45lbs over the next 5 months and am weak. I am not eating. Im smoking a lot. I am a mess. But I continue on the journey. I quit my job. I am nothing. I break down. I almost attempt some stuff....Today, Today. I stand on a road going upward finally. I am on a stairway of a mountain. For I am not at the top but I can see a direction. Today, I have my own office at a University working in academic relations. I bought a brand new car. I am straight edge. I gained my strength back. I ran a half-marathon. I benched 300 again. I am talking to the girl from work again. I am confident. One thing that did not change though. Is my fight. The only thing one can control is how thy combat the journey. Don't worry about why the road is tougher today, or why have I been in stand still traffic for a while. Just think about what can I do now, that will make me combat this journey. What can I do to stay on this journey. Find your why, you will endure any how. I fight for all the children that are going through this. For it is not their fault most times, it is the hand they are dealt. My why, my why is to do everything in my power to help serve this world. We all have gifts. Let the world see your greatness. Thank you. Shine one. Lift. Educate. Empower. Server Your World.

This dog is old, but dumb. The dog was abused before, so she's a rescue. Pit and lab mix.
My fiance tends to her every need whenever she's here, so all I have to do usually is just avoid the slobber, buy my own chair that dogs aren't allowed on, air out the house when she farts, and tell my fiance whenever her dog pukes somewhere in the kitchen.
But she went on vacation and this is the first day of watching this dog by myself in our home. I let the dog out at midnight to go to the bathroom. I wake up this morning and this thing had shit on the rug already. Wtf?
So I throw the rug outside and start my work (from home) day and an hour later this mutt pisses in her own bed. And tracks urine through the house with her paws.
I have 3 more days of this. Oh and I didn't even mention yet all of the staring. Stare, stare, stare. Where is my mommy???
Unreal how anyone could want this bullshit in your life.

My gf is a locksmith and regularly has to rescue people from their own vehicles, "locked inside them and can't open" either because the key is away from the vehicle or because the battery has died, this is more an issue with the most modern vehicles which seems absurd from a design standpoint.
She gets around 2-3 a week like this, if we had an EMP go off, there are going to be a lot of people that need rescuing, sure break the glass at that point, but think of how many people don't have the tools to get themselves out in that sort of situation.

I've started this post and deleted it multiple times. I feel like I have a lifetime to unpack here to really get the full story, but I may as well write a book. My husband and I have been married 7 years, no kids. We seemed to have similar interests and wants in life. Somewhere along the way, I realized my husband is living the exact opposite of the life he claimed he wanted in the beginning. One of the reasons I married him was to have a partner and someone with me experiencing things we both said we wanted.
Basically, balance is important to me. I never wanted to be part of the rat race. I maintain a simple, active lifestyle and would live in a tent in the mountains if I could. We weren't hurting for money when my husband decided he wanted more financial stability and work responsibilities and starting really focusing on moving up in his career. He's honestly brilliant at what he does and has a real passion for it, so it was no surprise that he climbed the ladder quickly. I was happy he was pursuing his own goals, but the downside of it was added stress, exhaustion, unhealthy weight gain, always on call, taking work calls on days off. He basically lives and breathes work now.
It's definitely cut into our own time and plans. He's become a major homebody and never wants to do anything outside of work now except play video games. It's like he puts absolutely everything he has into work, and there's nothing left for us. In the past, I've pushed him to go out with me, but I can tell he doesn't want to and it turns negative, so I've stopped asking. I still do things without him when I can, but some things we both claimed we really enjoyed, I don't want to do alone for safety reasons and have yet to find a reliable person to go with.
I'm not sure if he's just changed over time, or if he was never really interested in the things I was and only said it to make me stay. I feel tricked. We still talk about and make plans, but it's half hearted, like we both know it's not going to happen. I don't want him to give up want he wants out of life, which seems to be career success now, but I don't want to give up my goals either, which is almost the opposite of his. I feel like we aren't compatible anymore, if we ever were in the first place. I don't know if I should keep trying to make an effort or just call it quits at this point.

Let's say there's a city, and a significant portion of it is on the coast. And the highest spring tides on this particular part of the coast are pretty big (like, say, 3-4 stories high), and happen about once a year, give or take.
The city has adapted well thanks to a combination of tech and magic. Hell, parts of the city are actually permanently underwater below the surface of the large bay at their southern border and the open sea to the west and north, and there are even underwater shops and dwellings &etc in the wider parts of the river that runs through it. Their water mages are some of the most powerful in the world just because they get so much practice, between underwater construction and maintenance of that infrastructure, and dealing with these enormous occasional spring tides.
Due to all of these (and potentially other as-yet-undetermined) factors, the spring tides have become a culturally significant event for this city, even for the parts of it that have started to grow up the slopes of the mountain range to the east and even as far north as the tundra (it's a fracking huge city, y'all).
BUT. What kind of cultural event is this, anyway?
One idea I've had is a sort of fresh-start festival. Similar to the New Year but almost never on the New Year. Debts are forgiven or significantly diminished, certain kinds of crimes are automatically pardoned, quarrels between neighbors must be laid to rest, etc. And as many people as can make it gather in the streets near the coast to watch the Sea Barrier (real name TBD) move into place overhead and the tide wash over them all, signifying cleansing of all past mistakes, etc. etc.
But what else?
Perhaps this festival could also include some sort of coming-of-age test specific to water mages.
Almost undoubtedly there would be nuances depending on if these spring tides happened on a triple full moon (very rare) vs a triple new moon (only slightly more common) vs two full/one new or two new/one full moon, on the actual New Year (a very very VERY rare occurrence), etc.
I would love some suggestions for fleshing this out, as it's going to become a fairly important plot point in a story.
Thanks in advance! 😸

I've lived here for nearly 8 years, but before that we lived in Colorado where you could head west and land in numerous national forests and go off-roading/4 wheeling, whatever you'd like to call driving on rugged trials with your four wheel drive vehicle. Not ATVs or UTVs. I've noticed here in upstate NY there is very little public land to go drive on (at least that I can find). And notably ones that provide a little challenge. I've also noticed there are a handful of privately owned off-roading locations where you can pay to play. I'm curious to find out if there are any areas anyone can recommend in the Adirondacks, Catskills, etc. where I could go and hit up some mountain trails with my Bronco. Appreciate any insight!

Okay disclaimer first, I haven't finished totk yet. I am only to the Faron Temple currently. I am going to get all the shrines and do a bunch of stuff before I finish the story. Now let me gush about this games.
I really want to save Zelda in these two games, Botw and Totk. They made her a very so damn well. There is something about the sacrifices she has made in both games that makes me want to rescue her. They seemed so tangible, like she new she was giving up everything, yet choose to do it anyway. In Botw she sealed gannon with herself, not knowing if she would ever be freed. Then in Totk, to the extent that I know, she gives up her humanity.
She is not some princess held in a castle, or kidnapped, or whatever. She sacrifices herself, for the benifit of others, without knowing if she will ever see the light of day again. Ontop of that, her entire story is her trying to figure out how she can be of help. She try's both times, to do what she needs to, and in a sense fails. She failed to activate her power save everyone in Botw and fails defeating Ganon with the other sages in Totk. In my opion Botw showed the weight of this failure a bit more, but none the less in Totk she ends up giving up her humanity.
I'm sure at the end of Totk Zelda is fine, maybe she has amnesia or something. But god damn, I actually am invested in saving the female protagonist for once. This doesn't feel like a chore, like "oh no, gotta go save the princess again." Perhaps the story helps play against that feeling as well. Link doesn't feel like a lone saviour in this game, being helped by everyone around him. Idk maybe I'm just a fanboy but I was really taken aback by this notion.

I've struggled with being overweight for over half my life for a myriad of reasons: personal choice, mental health, genetics, lack of understanding, life experience, etc... Shame, humilation, and many other complex feelings compounded bad habits that left me at 300lbs and wondering how much less my life is worth in comparison to healthy people. I had been healthy before - I trained and jogged a 10k, I've climbed a (small) mountain, I've hiked to remote beaches. Those accomplishments sit at the top of the rollercoaster pattern that inevitably ended up with me at the bottom weighing the same or more when I started.
Nine months ago I started walking once a week with a friend. She's health conscious, runs marathons, and the least judgemental person I know. We started with a half mile in the beginning to now THREE miles twice a week. It gave me the confidence to ask her about the personal trainer she works with twice a week. I did three sessions with her as a "team work out" to see if I would be comfortable working with the personal trainer.
15 minutes ago I finished my fourth session with him and as I walked out of the gym I realized I didn't feel like a freak.
He treats me as a competent, intelligent human being. He celebrates my accomplishments (just completed my first weighted clean press today,) and listens and accomodates when I say I physically can't do a particular stretch/exercise due to body limitations. He explains why we do particular warm-ups, how it impacts the core exercises, and the physiology behind the exercises.
I feel respected, and that will encourage me more than any day-dream of being conventially attractive. It's respect from the external that makes a difference because while I'd love to say my opinion should be the only one that matters, we all know that deep down outside approval hits differently. It gives us confidence when we falter and encourages kindness when we would deny it for ourselves.
The relief of being respected made me want to cry. I hadn't realized how long I'd lived denying myself any kind of self-respect that relates to my body. And now that I know what it feels like, I don't want to go back to that quiet, insidious self-loathing that picks away at every other point of pride in my life.
My story isn't dramatic; in truth, it's merely a turning point that I hope will be the first of many as I continue to get this physical, emotional, and mental weight off my chest.
Thanks for reading! ❤️

I’m 28 years old and was born and grew up in the NOVA area named after an international large city. I left at 18 for undergrad and grad school and have not been back except to visit my parents and a summer internship in undergrad. In my teens I found the area toxic and full of soulless people and my closest friends were recent transplants. I got into top 15 schools and got the hell out. Not sure if things have changed in the 10 years I’ve been gone with more transplants?
I’ve been in Denver right now for 2.5 years after finishing grad school in 2020 and pay $1700 for a 800 sq ft open floor plan apartment with an electric fireplace and large western facing windows. Rent is going up to $1850. I made nice friends here and people are actually friendly! But I am missing the good food in the DC area and dating here has been difficult. I’m a classic type A. Denver is pretty sleepy for having so many transplants. And I did a bunch of hikes/backpacking/skiing my first two years and got tired of the mountain commute to do those activities. Think I grew out of the granola girl phase and realized I just want to live in a walkable city with a good metro system.
Would I be making a mistake moving to Arlington for better dining out, nightlife, being closer to my parents (and Europe by plane), and the chance to meet someone who takes themselves seriously? My best friend and sister live in NYC but I’m concerned about surviving there (not like DC area COL has ever been cheap lol). I work remotely for a big 4 so don’t have to deal with the DC commute if I don’t want to.
TDLR: Will I like Arlington as a late 20s something with a good income looking to date seriously and live in a walkable area with good dining options or will I be making a huge mistake?

Memory transcription subject: Daniel Price, UTC Special Forces
Date [standardized human time]: September 22, 2140
The army was met with a hero’s welcome when they arrived on Yotul Prime. With the Federation kicked out of the system, the last remaining holdouts either surrendered or were eliminated. On multiple occasions the locals rose up and captured the remaining garrisons before our forces even arrived.
Amja was taken to a hospital ship and made a full recovery. It was decided that whatever legal system the Yotul set up with their new government would be responsible for trying her for the Governor’s death, if they chose to try her at all. Given her knowledge of her rebel cell and the low flight risk, she was allowed to lead a humanitarian team back to her group’s headquarters in the Ossuaries. We accompanied this team as security. There was much jubilation when we arrived and brought them back to the surface. Some of those kids hadn’t seen sunlight in years. In the following days I heard down the grapevine that Ugo was playing a decisive role in the foundation of a provisional government.
When word got out about what the Federation had done, and a number of camps and mass graves were uncovered, things got ugly. Reports of ‘suicides’ among members of the predominantly Krakotl garrison and Kolshian administrators who had surrendered were common. Everyone, even the higher ups, knew what really happened to those prisoners. But other than a couple prominent cases no one cared to stop it.
Usli remained morose. We played it off to others on the ship that his despondent demeanor was a result of finding out about the genocide. That explanation was good enough for Command given we had a scapegoat for the incident. It was true, to an extent, but only our squad and Amja knew the whole truth.
Today was our final day in orbit. A provisional government was to take full control of the system (albeit as a Terran protectorate) during a ceremony later today and by tomorrow the First Fleet would continue its offensive. I took lunch back to our bunks. Usli was still eating, but more often than not someone had to go back there and bring him food. The idea had been floated that he see the ship’s psychologist, but he refused. When I entered the room he was staring out the viewport at the planet below. Quietly I sat down next to him and laid out the meal.
As I began eating beside him, Usli mumbled without turning his gaze from the window, “I never want to go back there.”
I put down my sandwich before responding, “What?”
“I never want to set foot on that planet again. It’s not my home. Maybe it never was.”
I gazed out the viewport with him, “It was. Maybe not now, but at one point it was. All those stories you told us, about the library, about the city. The way you spoke about it… I know you weren't lying. You can’t forget that. You can’t let them take that from you.”
“What’s one more thing when they’ve already taken so much? My home. My planet. My people. Father.” Tears welled in his eyes. “He’s dead. I know it. Even if they haven’t found his name on the list yet. They starved him to death in one of their camps like they would have done to me. Like they did to everyone else who was like me.” He wiped a tear from his snout. “It’s poisoned, all of it! Every place and every memory. I hate them. I see that Kolshian in my dreams and then when I reach out to strangle him he disappears. Hate is the only thing I feel, the only thing that I can feel. Every time I think about it I’m brought back to that moment. I- maybe he was right about me.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Am I wrong?!”
I let out a heavy sigh and stood up. Walking to my bunk I replied in a hushed tone, “I know exactly how you feel.” I unclipped Lily from my bag and sat down again, musing over the plush, “I know that feeling. Of being helpless. Hating them, hating yourself. You can’t let that define you. You can’t let them define you.” I handed the toy to Usli, who hesitantly took it into his hand and looked down at it. “Every time I look at Lily those stains remind me of what I lost. When I look at it to remember my family, to remember Abby… the memories are stained just like its fur. But I still keep it. The stains don’t change what it is underneath, what it truly means to me. Every time I look at it I try to push out thoughts of the Federation, the war, the bombing.”
“Does it work?”
“No, not always. But I’ve gotten better at it. When I can’t get those thoughts out of my head I change them. I don’t think about what they took from me, but what I can do to stop them from doing the same to others. That’s what matters. That’s what counts right now.” Usli pondered Lily for a moment longer before handing it back to me. Looking back at the planet in the viewport he let out a deep sigh. I continued as I clipped the plush back onto my backpack, “What happened down there didn’t change you. It doesn’t change the fact that we’re here for you, all of us. You’re still the same Usli we know and love. And I’ll be damned before I let some Fed get in your mind and convince you otherwise. Their words mean nothing, less than nothing. I already lost a sister to the Federation, and I want you to know that I won’t let them take a brother as well.”
He wiped the last of his tears away and quietly replied, “Thank you.”
He moved to lean on my shoulder, and I obliged. We sat there quietly gazing out the viewport for a time before I finally stood up. Moving to leave the room I said, "The guys are probably wondering what’s taking me so long. You’re welcome to join us.”
As I moved through the threshold of the door, he stood up and wrenched his eyes away from the planet below. Silently he walked up to my side and joined me as we returned to the mess hall.
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Date [standardized human time]: October 5, 2140
Our previous mission would be our last raid on an FTL comm hub. As we advanced into more developed systems these hubs were located in more secure and populated areas. The benefits of disabling a planetary distress beacon were becoming negligible as well. After a month of fighting, the element of surprise didn’t do us many favors. The risk to squads like our own was too great for too little reward. Given this and the extent of combat we had experienced on Yotul Prime, we stayed in orbit during the next couple planetary invasions. They were small colonies with no hope of defending against an Arxur raiding party let alone the might of a Terran fleet, so we didn't miss out on much.
Today Osman called us to the briefing room. We had just arrived in a system sporting a developed world. Not a capital system by any means, but much more than a backwater colony. The process for capturing such a system was a bit more in depth: First any number of space stations in the system would have to be secured, then bases located on the planets aside from the main target, then finally our focus could be turned to the capitulation of the habitable planet that served as the system’s central and most crucial hub. I assumed we would be tasked with helping one of these operations. I was wrong.
Having arrived early to the briefing, we made small talk. During the battle over Yotul Prime one of the sleeping quarters on our ship got hit, leaving a sizable number of men bunking in an empty hangar bay. Colton commented how there was some conflict between the drone technicians who worked in the hangar and the displaced men. Nothing serious, but amusing to us regardless from the comfort of our still intact quarters.
“But here’s the kicker,” Colton continued, “when they finally got the place nice and divvied up so they wouldn’t be in each other's way, that’s the moment they found all those Yotul stowaways.”
“You mean the ones that wanted to join up? What was the deal with them anyways?” Tassev asked.
“Yeah. So don’t quote me on this, but from what I heard they didn’t want to go through the whole recruitment process that was being set up and just decided to jump aboard. Now I thought we’d get rid of them, but Monahan wasn’t going to delay the fleet for us to turn around just to drop them off, so Osman said 'welcome aboard' shoved them right in that same hangar!”
We all had a good chuckle at that. It was the kind of comedy where you were just glad it didn’t happen to you. I knew we could just as easily be crammed in some empty hangar by the end of our tour. Even Usli joined in the laughter. In the last couple weeks he had started to come out of his shell once more, and for that I was grateful.
Our joking was cut short as the door slid open and Osman entered the room. Immediately sitting at attention, we quieted down. “Listen up,” she began, turning on the projector. Footage of human troops moving through an urban environment played on the screen. “On September 27, ground forces from the Sixth Fleet encountered heavy resistance on the industrial world of Weug” Osman stopped and looked to the screen.
A convoy moved forward slowly, smoke filled the sky, although it was hard to tell if it was from fires or industrial pollutants. One of the soldiers had a dog wandering on a leash in front of him. I didn’t recognize the breed, but it looked similar to a German Shepherd, but with a lighter coat. The dog was walking with its nose to the ground and suddenly stopped, laying down on the spot.
The soldier with the leash raised his right hand in a fist, “Hold up, he’s got something.”
The dog rushed back to its master and no sooner did the ground where it was laying moments before explode, triggering a chain of similar small explosions on the curbside. My first thought was landmines, but what kind of landmine was that? Those explosions were barely capable of incapacitating a man let alone an armored vehicle. I would have expected even a crude IED to pack more of a punch. And the amount of smoke they gave off, was it concealment for an ambush? Almost immediately it appeared my theory was confirmed as the convoy was subjected to a bout of gunfire. Taking cover behind their vehicles, our soldiers returned fire as copious amounts of smoke continued to fill the air. But something was off, the smoke wasn't rising and dissipating, it lingered close to the ground. A chill ran up my spine as one soldier collapsed, clasping his throat. Another called out from out of frame, “GAS GAS GAS!” Frantically the remaining troops fell back and desperately tried to put on gas masks. It was here that Osman stopped the footage.
“This was only a taste of what the Federation had in store for us. At 1400 hours on September 28, Federation ground forces on Weug orchestrated a coordinated strike deploying multiple unknown chemical and biological agents against Terran ground forces to varying effectiveness. Some agents worked instantaneously like in the footage you just saw. Others took days before symptoms developed. There is evidence that at least one biological agent had an as of yet undetermined mutagenic effect on its victims.”
We sat in stunned silence. Colton mumbled “Jesus…” under his breath. After letting us take in the gravity of the situation for a moment, Osman continued, “Intel collected on Weug detailed an unusual number of shipments to and from a system recorded in allied databases as having no habitable worlds.” A picture of that damned list of ‘predator incidents’ appeared on screen alongside various shipping manifests. “Cross-referencing records found in the Yotul Prime Military Governor’s possession shows that all human POWs caught by the Federation following our evacuation of the planet in 2137 were also sent to this system.”
Schematics lit up the board. “The only other mention of this system is found within these blueprints for a space station that were also found in the Governor’s documents. Many of the specifications note that it should be built in a similar manner to a station in that system. Curiously enough there are no records of this station or its design anywhere within Venlil, Gojid, or Zurulian databanks. And the system’s position deep in Kolshian territory means Arxur intelligence is similarly blind to its existence. Intelligence suspects this station is a Federation black site that functions as a research and production facility for chemical and biological weapons. Your objective is to infiltrate the facility, assess if our suspicions are correct, and, if applicable, collect and destroy any and all data the Federation has gained from this weapons program.”
Osman sighed, “I wish I could tell you this is a rescue mission, but we know how the Federation treats prisoners. And if they experimented on POWs to develop these weapons as is suspected…” She trailed off. Instead of finishing the thought she moved on to the next slide, “With clearance codes and ships secured on Yotul Prime we can get you in undetected, but getting out will be the difficult part. We don’t know what you’ll be up against in there. Given the station’s clandestine nature we expect significant resistance from security forces within. The response time of Federation space assets is unknown. With any luck they won’t expect something so far from the front and in a location that most of them don’t even know exists. If they don’t have a taskforce on standby you should be able to complete your mission before reinforcements arrive.”
The next slide showed various pieces of equipment. “You will be provided with specially designed CBRN suits. They are pressurized and sport a self-contained oxygen supply that will last roughly twenty minutes in the event of depressurization or disabling of the station’s life support systems. Next is a thumb drive that should look familiar to you. Plug it into something connected to their network and it will upload a worm to their system that will download copies of everything they have while erasing the originals.” She pointed to a diagram of a device that I couldn’t identify, “As a last resort, one of these will also be provided: a prototype EMP grenade. Despite the name, this bulky device is intended to be planted, not thrown. Upon detonation it will disable all electronics within range; that range being anywhere between 20 meters and nearly half the station. The techs don’t have a consensus on that. Oh, and when I say it disables all electronics that is no exaggeration. Lights, automatic doors, electronic sights, the station’s life support systems, even your own radios and translators, will all be fried. For this reason I must reiterate that these grenades are a tool of last resort. Don’t worry about your own suits, their systems are purely mechanical and will be left unaffected. The thumb drive is designed to withstand it as well. Your ship will pull back from the station after insertion to keep out of range in case you are forced to utilize it. If an EMP is observed they will dock for immediate exfil. You will have no means of communication with them, meaning you will be on a ticking clock. Any questions? No? Good, you will report to Hangar 4 at 0400 hours tomorrow. Dismissed.”

Hey guys,
I want to take in a rescue I recently came across, but am a little worried due to a couple of things. To give some background, I currently own a super pastel morph bp, he’s about 1 years old and I’ve learned a lot over the past 9 months or so of having him. I’m still no expert by any means, but I know most of the basics.
Now, onto my concerns. The bp that I want to rescue is (according to the owner) around 1.5 years old. His living conditions are terrible, newspaper, 1 hide and a water bowl. He also hasn’t been handled in over a year, and was never handled more than a few times his whole life. He is also currently being fed live food.
My questions are: 1. How hard will it be to transition him into feeding frozen/thawed?

1. How hard will it be to get him comfortable with being handled? Also, how would I go about doing so?

Any feedback and questions are welcome, I will try my best to answer them all.

I’ve posted about my abusive JNM before and how she stealth moved to my current city (DH hometown) right after we got married and moved here, with a severe case of baby rabies and a fake nice facade for me and DH’s entire family.
Also important for context, I have a 3 week old newborn and for reasons pertaining to her abuse and overall unhinged behavior that are flushed out further in my previous posts, we did not tell her about the pregnancy and have not announced the birth or told her at all. She found out we were pregnant by stalking us at Church, harassing other people for info, and recently, apropos of nothing, sent us a baby gift (an ugly ass diaper bag) as a passive aggressive way of letting us know that she knows.
I am friends with her on FB (she has multiple accounts) - I rarely use FB but it’s a decent way to keep tabs on certain people. I don’t follow her so her posts don’t appear in my feed, but I got one of this unprompted notifications that she commented on something or was tagged in something idk. Out of morbid curiosity, I open the page in question.
The last few days have been a whirlwind. DOZENS of posts. Lots of unhinged political screeching. Lots of posts shitting all over our religion (while still claiming to be part of it???)
The best part? She got a dog.
When I was growing up, she HATED dogs and was a cats only kind of person. Ever since she moved here, she decided she needed a dog. She shares dog and cat rescue posts 100 times a day which no one seems to interact with, in between her political and anti-religious screeching.
She has never in her life had a dog or cared for a dog. So none of the shelters or rescues would let her adopt one. She’s been trying for months.
According to her posts, some neighbor of hers had some abused/neglected looking dogs tethered outside and she was talking to the dude and he ended up just … giving her one of the dogs??? It’s a female pit terrier mix.
Apparently it shows signs of having been abused - recoiling from hands and objects, fear, etc. It had been kept outside and she found a couple ticks I guess.
She is absolutely furious about the fact that it’s been abused, as any decent person should be, yet fails to see the irony that she did way worse to her own kids in terms of physical abuse. She is ready to raise hell over shit that this dog went through and has “words” for anyone who would hit a dog … but she tried to choke me to death and did other way worse shit to me than was done to this dog???
Also she blocked my husband from that fb page but kept him on one of her other pages lol.
Well, more reasons for my kid to never go to her house.
Also, she named the dog Baby. 😂😂

About two months ago, my boyfriend and I agreed to finally get a dog. This was a dream come true for me because growing up I had always wanted a dog, and at that time my boyfriend was extremely busy which oftentimes left me home alone for extended periods. We thought that getting a dog would be a great way to leave me with some company and something to work. We also wanted to build our family by introducing a new member. We had been looking around at different shelters/rescues for a few weeks before we landed on a dog we liked. We applied for the dog after meeting his foster parent who insisted that he would be a good match for us, but when we went to the rescue to inquire about our application, they rejected us. They said that we weren't an ideal match for him and that he had already been returned before for biting and dragging someone (something that the foster parent did not tell us despite being aware of it). We were bummed, but they recommended a different dog instead. They brought out this miniature (40 lbs) yellow lab who was extremely jumpy, hyper, and disoriented. She was fun to watch and was very cute, but I wasn't sure about her because her energy was a lot. My boyfriend and I really wanted an active, athletic dog because we like to go on hikes. We also live in an apartment, so we needed a dog that could be pleasant indoors as well and stand being left alone for a little bit if we needed to run errands. The rescue insisted that she was a great match for us. She would do great in an apartment, she was in peak health, she was super affectionate and loved people, and she would love to hike. They said she was 29 lbs which means that we could bypass a weight deposit enforced by our apartment complex and that she was active (they clearly mistook hyperactivity for being active and athletic). My boyfriend seemed to love her right away, but I still had my reservations.
We agreed to take her for a day as a trial, and she did horribly. She wouldn't walk at all, she would plant herself in one place nervously and shat liquid. When indoors, she would hop on furniture and jump on us. I was not super connected to this dog and did not want to adopt her out of pity or to make up for the disappointment of not being able to adopt the first dog we wanted. I acknowledged that the downsides of the visit could be easily trained (which they were), but I wasn't feeling it. My boyfriend insisted that this was the dog we needed and that we wouldn't find anything better. I voiced my reservations again. One of my biggest push backs was that I wanted to wait until he started his new job in a few months and returned from a 2-week long trip across the country before adopting a new dog. He did not think this was a good idea. I tried to compromise and told him to give it the weekend. He said that she might be gone by then. Although I can admit I am an adult who can make my own decisions, I did eventually fold and agreed to adopt the dog. Two months later and this is my biggest regret. The dog weighed 20 pounds more than what the rescue said, she has constant stomach issues, and even one of the vet techs at our vet was there are her intake and said that the rescue often lies to get dogs adopted out and that they did not follow her recommendation to not adopt her out at that time because she was still recovering from bodily trauma.
This dog is fucking crazy. She has severe separation anxiety and will scream and destroy things anytime we leave her in her crate for 30 seconds. Unless she can see us, she freaks out. We have been trying to train this out of her for months. Nothing has worked. We went to our vet and got her a prescription for trazadone. It has not effect on her after a week of taking it. If anything, it makes her even more hyperactive and crazy. She hasn't gone to formal training yet (she was set to this week), but I have been training her every single day since we've gotten her. In fact, I am the only one that trains her really despite not wanting her. The dog is terrible on a leash. She has improved with training, but when she sees another person or another dog (especially if it's one that she knows and she likes), she will do one of a few different things. She will either plant herself in one spot so I can't move her, she will do flips and spin and get the leash tangled up, or she will tug and tug and tug so that she can jump on the dog. She jumps on people around the community and despite my telling them to turn around and ignore her until she is calm and sitting, they insist that it's fine and ignore me. This completely ruins the rest of the walk because she is on a high for the rest of it and cannot focus. I have been hammering sitting, waiting, and focusing on me every single time we're out, even if its just for a potty break. She has to sit for everything. Despite this, once another person or dog comes into the picture, she doesn't care and humiliates me. She is too reactive which is NOT what we asked for. I tried a back clip harness, didn't work. I tried a front-clip harness, she just found a way to pull on it anyways. I tried a normal collar, she'd rather kill herself than miss an opportunity to greet another dog. I tried the gentle leader, she was literally rubbing her face into the ground to get it off and I was publicly heckled by some of my neighbors who saw it on her. All while I am going through this, my boyfriend is on his stupid trip so I am dealing with this alone. I have grown to resent this dog so much.
The vet thinks she is about 1.5 years of age, so it could be a combination of her age as well as her literally being picked up of the street and then put into a home. I am just exhausted. I feel like a prisoner in my own home. I spend so much money on a dog that brings me very little fulfillment. I am at the end of my rope. I am having more panic attacks than I have ever had before in my life and my neighbors are clearly noticing how unwell I am. It is embarrassing and I am exhausted. I was not sure about this dog, but was pressured into getting her and there was not been a moment where I felt like this was all worth it. Maybe I should just be patient, but this has been ongoing for 2 months. I get no help from anyone. I am trying to train her to be less reactive towards people and dogs because not everyone wants to fucking play for her, but she doesn't understand and it's so fucking annoying it makes me hate playing with her or taking her outside. She is constantly mouthy too which I hate and won't give me the time of day unless I am feeding her. As I mentioned, we haven't taken her into formal training yet, but I am just feeling so hopeless. I wish we could have taken her sooner to get her behavior adjusted, but we couldn't because my boyfriend went on his trip a month after getting her and we only have one car. She has ruined the experience of having a dog for me, and I genuinely believe that if I were to rehome her, I wouldn't get another dog again. It doesn't help that almost everyone in our neighborhood knows her and loves her so much and thinks she is the best and sweetest dog. I just smile through clenched teeth because she stresses me out so much. The rescue also said that the longer you have a dog for, the more traumatic it is to rehome them. She is constantly attached to my hip, so I know that this would be a big blow for her, although I think she would quickly become attached to anyone else. She just might have more severe anxiety though.
I also don't necessarily want to rehome her because it makes me feel like a total failure. We have introduced her to all of her neighbors and their dogs, our property managers, the maintenance people, and my boyfriend's parents and everyone adores her. Even my boyfriend adores her and loves having her around. I just think there's something wrong with me because I feel like I'm literally the only one that doesn't enjoy her company and feels like she's actively getting worse to handle. This was a little bit of a vent but I'm just at my wit's end and looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. Ideally, we would keep this dog and give her a better life and she would learn to behave and not be so fucking unmanageable in public, but it just feels like it's never going to happen. I try to teach her basic things like "leave it" or "watch me" or not to jump where I can. We start indoors, but once she is able to do it indoors, we move outside. The problem is that there is no behavior to correct indoors because she doesn't jump on us at all, but she'll jump on our neighbors or other dogs outside. It's just impossible and I am at a total loss. My question is: Does it get better or did we just get stuck with the wrong pup?
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EDIT: Added paragraphs. I didn't realize I wrote as much as I did. I am so stressed and my mind is everywhere. I apologize if this was hard to read before.

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Welcome to this episode of ‘I read Enneagram Literature so you don’t have to’.
You know how when a cat likes you, it might bring you random dead animals?
Or that when a dog is happy, it wags its tail?
In a lot of ways humans and other mammals are pretty similar so that it is possible to ‘pack bond’ with your pets in the first place so that both of you count the other as family in a sense, but still it pays a lot for a responsible pet owner to study the specific body language of their animal to better understand how it bonds and communicates.
Sometimes we can have a less extreme (but all the subtler) version of this going on even between the same kinds of mammals, namely us.
So in this writeup we are going to be discussing some ways that the types try to bond with, connect, show interest in or be friendly with others that may not immediately be obvious as such, so that others may be confused or irritated by it.
In particular, this is about signs or attempts of what it looks like if someone’s trying to move from casual acquaintance to personal friend or interested in deepening & maintaining a preexisting bond – and probably, as you read this, some of these will sound pretty natural to you, whereas others might strike you as puzzling or counterintuitive.
So hopefully being able to recognize those less obvious bonding attempts will be helpful to be more polite & considerate to others, because even if your answer is ‘no thank you not interested’ you might act differently if you know the other person is trying to be friends vs. if you just see it as a random baffling/annoying behavior.
Or, on the other side, if you’ve been wondering why your own attempts at building rapport haven’t been so well received this might be why others might misunderstand or be confused by them.
1
As they can present as very polished & put-together on first contact, a sign that you are potentially moving into the inner circle with an 1 can be if they open up to you about their personal struggles, such as what they’re currently frustrated about because it’s not as it should be or worries they might have about if they’re able to get everything right.
You also see that in many self-help books where, to give examples or build rapport with the reader the author goes into some error they made in their family life (for example) & how the wisdom they are trying to share with you helped them fix that.
Someone else might look at that and think ‘you don’t sound so enlightened to me, why should I listen to you’ or that their ‘struggle with temptation’ makes them sound hypocritical, but the 1 comes from a place of assuming that everyone starts out flawed & falling short & we must all always improve ourselves & how that can be one’s saving grace.
2
If a 2 wants to become closer with you, they will probably show you attention, go out of their way to interact with you, offer to do you favors, spontaneously surprise you etc.
2s are probably among the most obvious types in this regard, they do perceive the onus as being on them and take the initiative, and a lot of the time that works, a lot of people are going to like it if someone showers you with attention, flatters you, acts like they like you & acts interested in your interests, react empathetically to your struggles etc.
The way that this can go sideways is not so much people not realizing the intention as it is that it can be perceived as intrusive, pushy or too-much-too-soon – the 2 might hear you mention something about having no babysitter & then offer to watch your kids when you don’t know them well enough to trust them with that, or they might kind of push & insist until you blow them off firmly and then they’re offended, or the person feels pressured to “let them down easy”.
3
For 3s, a common form of bonding is swapping stories about goals & archievements.
This serves two purposes: The first is that they wanna prove to you they’re worth the time of day & important, awesome people that should be paid attention to, and they want to associate & build alliances with others who fit that same description.
But on the other hand, once they are feeling more secure with someone you might also see that line to 6 coming out & there might be genuine desire to collaborate empower & support each other, so they actually want to hear about what’s on your vision board, your fitness journey or your fancy vacation etc. & how you can both plan to have more awesomeness in your lives.
If their conversation partner is also a more active and/or goal-oriented person this might go well & lead to an atmosphere where you’re all feeling empowered, motivited & pumped-up after the conversation & ready to tackle the next item on the to-do list.
Others however might not be into constant striving or have taboos aganst hogging attention so they might feel kind of inferior & end up comparing their life to all of the 3s’s fancy archievements, or the 3 asks them about their 5 year plan and they don’t have one & they fee like they can’t keep up or take offense to the insinuation that they should be running on the hamsterwheel & always squeezing more juice out of everything they do.
This might not sound so strange to US americans where this is the social norm, I remember seeing a guy on youtube returning to the US after living abroad for a while & reflecting on how much more the discussion goes to what is your job, what are your goals , what’s your projects etc.
Whereas 3s living in other cultures might be careful about avoiding the appearance of braggadociousness if that’s seen very negatively.
4
Most of the time 4s can be more focussed on their own feelings, life philosophy & going-ons so a sign that they’re taking a serious interest in you might be if they go out of their way to ask you about your feelings, reactions & innermost thoughts on things.
They’re probably going to skim straight past the mundane pleasantries & be interested in the dark, the unusual, deeply personal, existential & philosophic.
Sometimes this can be welcome & appreciated, particularly if it’s someone who tends to neglect introspection & welcomes the occasional nudge in that direction, or can’t find many others who might be willing to discuss those kinds of thoughts – others might have limited bandwith for things that are upsetting, unrealistic or ‘too out-there’.
Others however might find this too direct like they’re not just going to pour out all their mess just like that or would be more guarded about their vulnerabilities, or they might prefer chill, relaxing small-talk & find it entitled if someone wants their personal thoughts & opinions right away before first building what they would consider enough of a foundation. Or they might like the serious talk sometimes but when they come home stressed from work they would prefer to engage with easy, lighthearted subject matters & might find it snobbish if the 4 always wants to be discussing the meaning of life or whatever.
5
In general 5s tend to keep to themselves and rarely initiate interaction of their own accord, so wanting to get along with you might look like volunteering lots on information when a relevant concept comes up, telling you various factiods that you might find interesting or useful, or telling you in detail about their current pursuits.
The intention is usually really just to share something with you that they find useful or interesting, have something worthwhile to offer & to speak about what’s important in their life as everyone else might (just that for them it’s their interests) – and sometimes it works & the people around you do indeed find it interesting and insightful.
To some unsuspecting unlookers, however, having a big monologue of information unloaded on them might be boring or overwhelming, or it might be mistaken as showing off, trying to be a smartass or dominating the conversation. Or they might just be plain confused why they’re suddenly being told absolutely everything about dinosaurs or some obscure anime film.
It is certainly going to be a growing edge for any young & inexperienced 5 out there to learn to keep track of when others might be bored and uninterested without over-correcting to the other side & assuming nobody ever wants to hear you.
However, while you might expect an adult to broaden their perspective & expand to other channels of communication than what comes naturally to them, ppl could stand to be a lot more patient with kids, adolescents & youth that didn’t have the time or chance to learn yet.
You hear so many cases of ppl complaining their 15 year old won’t come out of their room, talk about what their doing or show enthusiasm, but then they will be totally unavailable themselves to be connected with on an intellectual level. That 15 year old probably isn’t gonna embark on the mortifying ordeal of stretching past their comfort zone for parents that they experience as rejecting their input & uninterested in their passions.
6
If a 6 is starting to consider you a serious friend, this might show as looking to commiserate about their current worries & gripes, and as including you in their planning. (which could mean checking with you about some decision or processing out loud with you)
The idea is that you will join in with your own grievances & then you might find you have shared struggles to relate over, they’ll express support and maybe help you problem solve or bring you something that might be of practical help. & then you all give each other validation or offer solutions to each others problems – so there’s some expectation of reciprocity that you will also help, support, validate & provide feedback for them if needed.
A lot of the times this works, after all 6 is generally considered one of the more likeable & engaging types. There’s a lot to be said for having a friend who will be supportive of you, look out for your interests & offer resourceful practical solutions.
However for some people your problems & personal mess are not considered suitable for casual discussion & they might see it whiny, complainy or victim-y, or not get that the person wants to vent & get reassurance more than just solutions. Or they might find it too negative.
If you live in europe you probably aren’t too surprised by this one ‘cause it’s the social norm here to complain about your life as a way to make casual smalltalk. In some parts of France they reportedly take it so far that if they ask you what’s going on & you say everything’s fine (rather than at coming up with some minor triviality to riff on), that may be taken as rude.
You see the occasional 3 or 7 lamenting how much more optimistic, dynamic & spontaneous things are in other parts of the world.
7
For 7s, the desire to bond & get to know each other better is often expressed as invitations to do stuff together. They often fall into the activity/ quality time love language.
7s don’t generally depend that much on others, are usually good at quickly chatting up ppl wherever they go & might even feel that others can slow them down a bit, so if they repeatedly want you, in particular, to be a part of their exploits, this may suggest that they like you.
Now this works great if your friends are also interested in the activities, and 7s are usually good at getting ppl excited. Personally as someone who tends to be pretty inert if left to my own devices but actually enjoys doing new/weird/exciting things once in a while, I think this can be a great feature now just as a way to hang out but to allow more new experiences into your life without a lot of hassle, you just need to come along with someone who knows where the action is at.
This can be a lot less sucessful if the would-be friend is more of a homebody and/or isn’t much for spontaneous outings, or if they don’t share the same enthusiasm or interest for the same things as the 7. Other ppl might also prefer quieter, more domestic hangouts or more opportunities to stop & include more heavy/serious stuff into the relationship.
8
For 8s, taking an interest in something can often take the shape of provocation & banter. First because they simply find that stimulating & exciting, and second because it gives them a chance to get a good sense of how the person they’re thinking of associating with is going to react & what they’re capable of. So there is an element of reactive ‘testing’ done in an assertive preemptive way, ‘let’s poke them with a stick to see what they do’ – for example the 8 might openly disagree or debate with you, start talking about some controversial subject, or adress you some brazen procative question or statement.
Sometimes ppl might see its exactly as its intended – as interesting, stimulating exchange that lets you learn a lot about what a given person is rly about – but other times this can get really misunderstood especially by people who are more sensitive or ‘proper’. They might think the 8 is mad at them, is just being incendiary for lulz or that they’re looking to pick a fight… which is kind of true, but the 8 might not see that fight as a big serious deal, more like puppies & kittens play-fighting. Not fully realizing how they might come off loud or aggressive to others,
There’s one anecdote in Richard Rohr’s lectures about a young man who kept contradicting him & looking to debate in some wprshop he held & Rohr assumed this guy must have it out for him, but then he heard from other attendants that the guy actually likes/admires his work & was looking to learn more by challenging him on the parts he wasn’t so convinced on.
9
For 9s, a sign that they are starting to like you on a personal level & feel comfortable with you is if they start talking more about themselves or showing more of their opinions, as well as generally acting more lively rather than just quietly keeping at the sidelines or just asking about you & letting you do the talking or just showing surface politeness.
Whereas others like 4 or 6 might be very candid with their struggles & opinions, 9s are more like that meme where you need to be special level 3 friend to unlock their tragic backstory. They may seem nice, unassuming & easy to get along with, but then when you get to know them you might be astounded by their hidden dephts, secret talents, contemplative thoughts, creativity & on-point intuitive insight about people and the cosmos.
If it doesn’t work I guess this strategy has the advantage that it’s easy to backpedal without jeopardizing the nominal surface level bond, because if the person doesn’t seem receptive to hearing the 9s opinions & thoughts… then they just don’t bring them up again and the relationship simply stays surface level. (which I suppose can feel pretty discouraging if it keeps happening)

I moved in with my friend, her baby daddy and their child last year in August. I know that he cheated on her throughout her pregnancy, which I disliked him for. But Their baby is almost 3 now and they have been living together since their baby was born, so I figured they must have worked out their differences by now. Their apartment is rent controlled so their rent is very cheap (for the so cal area) which means my rent is too. I thought this was a perfect scenario.
I noticed my friend had been home a lot so I asked her what’s up with that, she says she quit her job because she didn’t want to work late hours, and that her baby daddy can barely afford the rent. Then a couple days later she says the landlord “sent a letter” again raising the rent. I know she is lying. They’ve done this to me before. They just want more money from my part since they are struggling. It was maybe 2 months into me living there that they tried raising the rent on me the first time but lied to me about it. They said supposedly the landlord noticed I moved in so they sent a letter saying the rent went up $200. At the time I didn’t even think so ask to see the letter. But I had a feeling it wasn’t the landlord but my roommates who wanted to raise the rent cause I started having my boyfriend over. I immediately stopped having my boyfriend over to see if that was the case and they didn’t mention the rent being raised again. It really bothered me that they tried charging me more and lying about it instead of talking or asking me about my boyfriend. Especially since I’m not there much. Only to sleep during the weekdays and MAYBE every other weekend. I don’t even use their shower. So After I stopped having my boyfriend over it’s like they felt more comfortable and theyre like animals now. I’ve found condoms in the restroom while my friend was at work so I know he’s cheating on her still. She tells me she is cheating on her boyfriend. Sometimes she even makes me have fake convos w her in front of her man to cover up her cheating. For example, next weekend she doesn’t want me come home because she wants to go to San Diego with her other man for the weekend but she wants us tell her man that her and I are going on a girls trip. They’re both cheating on each other but fight like crazy and the fighting is what’s pushing me off the edge. Almost a month ago I heard them throwing each other around and him choking her. When I confronted her about it she said “he kicked me in my shoulder but I’m good” like first of all I know it was way more than that but even being kicked is not acceptable. Now every time he drinks he gets disrespectful like that. Last night he had me up till midnight being loud on his video game and then he woke me up again at 5 am cause he’s arguing with my friend and slamming doors. There are soooo many other issues but the arguing is a lot. I’ll be sitting in my room shaking like a little girl lol. I want to get in the middle of their arguments because he’s disrespecting her so badly but I know that never ends good. Should I just move out? I’m almost sure I want to. But I know I can act on emotion a lot. I just don’t know how or what to tell her. Should I tell her the real issue or just say I can’t afford it?

Hi all, TL;DR at the bottom
I recently acquired a Gaiwan and began drinking loose leaf and wanted to expand my scope and knowledge about the different types of chinese tea and had only had Joy Luck brand green and oolong.
after asking about where to start, I picked up the 5 teas for $5 deal over at Verdant Tea and it came in the mail last week. I have had a chance to try each of them and want to give my thoughts on them in hopes you all could point me in the best direction for next steps.
The 6 teas (they threw in an extra 5g sample) are as follows, ordered from favorite to least favorite:

• Autumn 2022 Laoshan Black

This tea was fantastic, the chocolate brownie note was extremely apparent and was a wonderful experience. I had no idea that brewing tea could make the room smell exactly like chocolate. By far this was my favorite tea and mixing it with a bit of stevia leaves really make it quite the treat.

• 2014 Gong Ting Shu Pu'er Dragon Pearl

Very earthy and had a tree bark kind of flavor to it, not in a bad way though. I noticed that after drinking I felt like my breath had a roasted kind of flavor to it which was nice. I was very pleased that I did not run into the 'fishy' issue I have seen some have with Pu'er

• Spring 2020 Aged Tieguanyin Oolong

Had a good, woodsy flavor. Out of the three Oolongs I tried, this was my favorite.

• Spring 2022 Rou Gui Wuyi Oolong

To my taste, it seemed exactly like the Aged Tieguanyin but just not as good.

• Spring 2022 Big Red Robe Wuyi Oolong

I honestly did not notice much of a difference between this and the Joy Luck Oolong I have been drinking, it just was not mindblowing like some of the others I tried

• Spring 2022 Laoshan Green

This was a pleasant surprise, I was not expected nuttiness (specifically cashew), but the nut flavor did not override the base 'green tea' flavor. For some this is a great thing I am sure, however I am not the biggest fan of green tea, thus it is my lowest on the list.
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All in all, I feel that I enjoyed the darker, bolder, and sweeter style flavors from the ones I tried. I definitely want to try more black and Pu'er tea (specifically ripe, I would like to try raw but if its close to how green tea is I most likely not enjoy it). The Tieguanyin was very good and I feel that it could make a good, easy grab Oolong.
My question is, based off of this, what would be a good place to go to next? I was thinking of trying the first steps sampler at YS, but I am open to any suggestions. I am based in the US.
TL;DR I found that I really enjoyed the sample of black, Ripe Pu'er, and Tieguanyin Oolong I just tried for the first time, where should I go to expand on these three types?
thanks for reading and let me know if I can provide any more info. I am actually going to pick up some earl gray today since its considered a black tea as well just to see what I think of it.

The Truth about the Death of paradise earth Immortal Before his death, Paradise earth held Fang Yuan's hand and said, "Your greatest enemy is not actually the stars or the giant sun, but your kindness . However, in order to defeat the heavens and liberate all sentient beings, you must harden your heart and use extraordinary means to defeat those people who stand in hypocritical morality and fulfill the grand wish to save the fate of all sentient beings. Cough cough, my time is running out, this is what I have learned in my life, You take it! I don't want him to fall into the hands of the Heavenly Court and dust him, do it, do it! Don't let so many people's blood flow in vainNo, I can't. I can't do it? Paradise Earth, hold back and I will definitely rescue you. Fang Yuan's face was filled with tears, and pure white tears streaked across her cheeks. No, the hope of our two escaping is too slim. Remember, you are the only hope now, "said Paradise Earth. Suddenly, his expression changed greatly，Fang Yuan, be careful. Fang Yuan turned his head and thought that the stars were attacking. Paradise Earth grabbed his hand and forcefully pulled and stabbed him into his heart with a force that was not as strong as lightning. As Fang Yuan turned his head, his face was filled with surpriseFang Yuan, in the future, you have to go alone and help us complete our unfinished business!After speaking, the parade earth that sacrificed itself to adulthood turned into fragments, breaking apart, and a generation of immortals fell. paradise earth were in the same sorrow, and the pattering rain flowed down like endless .

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Happy Monday everyone, welcome to another UPG of the Week. Meet the Omani Arabs in Oman!

Region: Oman

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Stratus Index Ranking (Urgency): 52
It has been noted to me by u/JCmathetes that I should explain this ranking. Low numbers are more urgent, both physically and spiritually together, while high numbers are less urgent. The scale is 1-177, with one number assigned to each country. So basically on a scale from Afghanistan (1) to Finland (177), how urgent are the peoples physical and spiritual needs.

The Stratus Index - Synthesizes reliable data from different sources to clearly display the world’s most urgent spiritual and physical needs.
The vast majority of missions resources go to people and places already Reached by the Gospel, while only 3% of missionaries and 1% of missions money are deployed among the Unreached. This is the Great Imbalance. As a result, there are more people without access to the Gospel today than a decade ago. Stratus seeks to equip the global church with fresh vision to accomplish the Great Commission by addressing some of the factors that perpetuate the Great Imbalance. We hope this tool allows the church to better understand what steps will be required to overcome the barriers that prevent needs from being met, spurring informed and collaborative missions strategy. Stratus Website

Climate: Summer temperatures in Muscat and northern Oman average 30 to 40 °C (86.0 to 104.0 °F). Annual rainfall in Muscat averages 100 mm (3.9 in), occurring mostly in January. In the south, the Dhofar Mountains area near Salalah has a tropical-like climate and receives seasonal rainfall from June to September as a result of monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean, leaving the summer air saturated with moisture and fog. Summer temperatures in Salalah range from 20 to 30 °C (68.0 to 86.0 °F)
The Dhofar mountains in the summer
Terrain: A gravel desert plain covers most of central Oman, with mountain ranges along the north (Al-Hajar) and southeast coast (Qara or Dhofar Mountains). The peninsula of Musandam (Musandem), strategically located on the Strait of Hormuz, is an exclave separated from the rest of Oman by the United Arab Emirates.[116] Coast of Sur Madha, another exclave, is an enclave within UAE territory located halfway between the Musandam Peninsula and the main body of Oman.
An Oasis in Oman
Wildlife of Oman: Oman has many animals for its relatively small land size. It is one of the last places in which the Arabian leopard survives is the Dhofar mountains in southern Oman. Other carnivores present include the striped hyena, the honey badger, the red fox, the caracal, the sand cat, Blanford's fox and Arabian wildcat. Some other mammals include the the Arabian oryx, the sand gazelle, the mountain gazelle, the Nubian ibex, the camel. Off Muscat there are other humpback whales, pygmy blue whales, Bryde's whales, sperm whales, false killer whales, Risso's dolphins, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, and the occasional killer whale. Most of the approximately one dozen or so snake species in the country are harmless, but the uncommon horned viper, carpet viper, puff adder and cobra are venomous. There are no monkeys (afaik) in Oman!
The Arabian Leopard
Environmental Issues: Both drought and limited rainfall contribute to shortages in the nation's water supply. The nation's soil has shown increased levels of salinity. Pollution of beaches and other coastal areas by oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman is also a persistent problem.
Languages: Arabic is the official language. There are dialects of Arabic spoken, all part of the Peninsular Arabic family: Dhofari Arabic (also known as Dhofari, Zofari) is spoken in Salalah and the surrounding coastal regions (the Dhofar Governorate). According to CIA (freakin lol), besides Arabic, English, Baluchi (Southern Baluchi), Urdu, Bengali (spoken by Indians and Bangladeshis), Hindi, Malayalam, Tulu and other Indian languages are the main languages spoken
Government Type: Unitary Islamic absolute monarchy

People: The Omani Arabs of Oman

Omani Arab man
Population: 1,967,000
Estimated Foreign Workers Needed: 39+
Beliefs: The Omani Arabs of Oman are 0% Christian. That means out of their population of 1,967,000 there are little to no Christians at all.
Most Oman Arabs belong to the Ibadi sect of Islam, one of the religion's oldest and most traditional branches. Ibadi principles of puritanism and idealism have greatly influenced Arabs in surrounding countries.
The Great Sultan Qabus Mosque in Oman
History: During the 8th century BCE, it is believed that the Yaarub, the descendant of Qahtan, ruled the entire region of Yemen, including Oman. Wathil bin Himyar bin Abd-Shams (Saba) bin Yashjub (Yaman) bin Yarub bin Qahtan later ruled Oman. It is thus believed that the Yaarubah were the first settlers in Oman from Yemen.
Over centuries tribes from western Arabia settled, making a living by fishing, farming, herding or stock breeding. Arab migration to Oman started from northern-western and south-western Arabia and those who chose to settle had to compete with the indigenous population for the best arable land. When Arab tribes started to migrate to Oman, there were two groups. One group, a segment of the Azd tribe migrated from Yemen in A.D. 120/200 following the collapse of Marib Dam, while the other group migrated centuries before the birth of Islam from Nejd (what later is Saudi Arabia), named Nizari. Other historians believe that the Yaarubah from Qahtan which belong to an older branch, were the first settlers of Oman from Yemen, and then came the Azd.
The Azd settlers in Oman are descendants of Nasr bin Azd and were later known as "the Al-Azd of Oman". 70 years after the first Azd migration, another branch of Alazdi under Malik bin Fahm, the founder of Kingdom of Tanukhites on the west of Euphrates, is believed to have settled. According to Al-Kalbi, Malik bin Fahm was the first settler of Alazd. He is said to have first settled in Qalhat. By this account, Malik, with an armed force of more than 6000 men and horses, fought against the Marzban, who served a Persian king in the battle of Salut and eventually defeated the Persian forces. This account is semi-legendary and seems to condense centuries of migration and conflict into a story of two campaigns that exaggerate the success of the Arabs. The account may represent an amalgamation of traditions from not only the Arab tribes but also the region's original inhabitants.
In the 7th century CE, Omanis came in contact with and accepted Islam. The conversion of Omanis to Islam is ascribed to Amr ibn al-As, who was sent by the prophet Muhammad during the Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha (Hisma). Amer was dispatched to meet with Jaifer and Abd, the sons of Julanda who ruled Oman. They appear to have readily embraced Islam.
Omani Azd used to travel to Basra for trade, which was a centre of Islam, during the Umayyad empire. Omani Azd were granted a section of Basra, where they could settle and attend to their needs. Some of the Omani Azd who settled in Basra became merchants and, under their leader Muhallab bin Abi Sufrah, started to expand their influence of power eastwards towards Khorasan. Ibadhi Islam originated in Basra through its founder, Abdullah ibn Ibadh, around the year 650 CE; the Omani Azd in Iraq would subsequently adopt this as their predominant faith. Later, Al-hajjaj, the governor of Iraq, came into conflict with the Ibadhis, which forced them back to Oman. Among those who returned was the scholar Jaber bin Zaid. His return (and the return of other scholars) enhanced the Ibadhi movement. Alhajjaj made an attempt to subjugate Oman, then ruled by Suleiman and Said (the sons of Abbad bin Julanda). Alhajjaj dispatched Mujjaah bin Shiwah, who was confronted by Said bin Abbad. This confrontation devastated Said's army, after which he and his forces retreated to the Jebel Akhdar (mountains). Mujjaah and his forces went after Said, successfully flushing them out from hiding in Wadi Mastall. Mujjaah later moved towards the coast, where he confronted Suleiman bin Abbad. The battle was won by Suleiman's forces. Alhajjaj sent another force (under Abdulrahman bin Suleiman); he eventually won the war, taking over the governance of Oman.
The first elective Imamate of Oman is believed to have been established after the fall of the Umayyad Dynasty in 750/755 AD, when Janaħ bin ʕibadah Alħinnawi was elected. Other scholars claim that Janaħ bin Ibadah served as a Wāli (governor) under the Umayyad dynasty (and later ratified the Imamate), and that Julanda bin Masud was the first elected Imam of Oman, in A.D. 751. The first Imamate reached its peak power in the 9th century A.D. The Imamate established a maritime empire whose fleet controlled the Gulf, during a time when trade with the Abbasid Dynasty, the Far East, and Africa flourished. The authority of the Imams started to decline due to power struggles, the interventions of Abbasid, and the rise of the Seljuk Empire.
During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Omani coast was in the sphere of influence of the Seljuk Empire. They were expelled in 1154, when the Nabhani dynasty came to power. The Nabhanis ruled as muluk, or kings, while the Imams were reduced to largely symbolic significance. The capital of the dynasty was Bahla. The Banu Nabhan controlled the trade in frankincense on the overland route via Sohar to the Yabrin oasis, and then north to Bahrain, Baghdad and Damascus. The mango-tree was introduced to Oman during the time of Nabhani dynasty, by ElFellah bin Muhsin. The Nabhani dynasty started to deteriorate in 1507 when Portuguese colonisers captured the coastal city of Muscat, and gradually extended their control along the coast up to Sohar in the north and down to Sur in the southeast. Other historians argue that the Nabhani dynasty ended earlier in A.D. 1435 when conflicts between the dynasty and Alhinawis arose, which led to the restoration of the elective Imamate.
In 1552 an Ottoman fleet captured the fort in Muscat, during their fight for control of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and departed after destroying the surroundings of the fortress. Later in the 17th century, using its bases in Oman, Portugal engaged in the largest naval battle ever fought in the Persian Gulf. The Portuguese force fought against a combined armada of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and English East India Company support by the Safavid empire. The result of the battle was a draw and resulted in the loss of Portuguese influence in the Gulf. Cities were sketched in the 17th century and appear in the António Bocarro Book of fortress
The Ottoman Empire temporarily captured Muscat from the Portuguese again in 1581 and held it until 1588. During the 17th century, the Omanis were reunited by the Yaruba Imams. Nasir bin Murshid became the first Yaarubah Imam in 1624, when he was elected in Rustaq. Nasir's energy and perseverance is believed to have earned him the election. Imam Nasir and his successor succeeded in the 1650s in expelling the Portuguese from their coastal domains in Oman. The Omanis over time established a maritime empire that pursued the Portuguese and expelled them from all their possessions in East Africa, which were then incorporated into the Omani domains. To capture Zanzibar Saif bin Sultan, the Imam of Oman, pressed down the Swahili Coast. An obstacle to his progress was Fort Jesus, housing the garrison of a Portuguese settlement at Mombasa. After a two year siege, the fort fell to Imam Saif bin Sultan in 1698. Saif bin Sultan occupied Bahrain in 1700. The rivalry within the house of Yaruba over power after the death of Imam Sultan in 1718 weakened the dynasty. With the power of the Yaruba Dynasty dwindling, Imam Saif bin Sultan II eventually asked for help against his rivals from Nader Shah of Persia. A Persian force arrived in March 1737 to aid Saif. From their base at Julfar, the Persian forces eventually rebelled against the Yaruba in 1743. The Persian empire then tried to take possession of the coast of Oman until 1747.
After the Omanis expelled the Persians, Ahmed bin Sa'id Albusaidi in 1749 became the elected Imam of Oman, with Rustaq serving as the capital. Since the revival of the Imamate with the Yaruba dynasty, the Omanis continued with the elective system and, provided that the person is deemed qualified, gave preference to a member of the ruling family. Following Imam Ahmed's death in 1783, his son, Said bin Ahmed became the elected Imam. His son, Seyyid Hamed bin Said, overthrew the representative of his father the Imam in Muscat and obtained the possession of Muscat fortress. Hamed ruled as "Seyyid". Afterwards, Seyyid Sultan bin Ahmed, the uncle of Seyyid Hamed, took over power. Seyyid Said bin Sultan succeeded Sultan bin Ahmed. During the entire 19th century, in addition to Imam Said bin Ahmed who retained the title until he died in 1803, Azzan bin Qais was the only elected Imam of Oman. His rule started in 1868. The British refused to accept Imam Azzan as a ruler, as he was viewed as inimical to their interests. This view played an instrumental role in supporting the deposition of Imam Azzan in 1871 by his cousin, Sayyid Turki, a son of the late Sayyid Said bin Sultan, and brother of Sultan Barghash of Zanzibar, who Britain deemed to be more acceptable.
Oman's Imam Sultan, defeated ruler of Muscat, was granted sovereignty over Gwadar, an area of what later is Pakistan. Gwadar was a part of Oman from 1783 to 1958. This coastal city is located in the Makran region of what is later the far southwestern corner of Pakistan, near what is later the border of Iran, at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman.
The British empire was keen to dominate southeast Arabia to stifle the growing power of other European states and to curb the Omani maritime power that grew during the 17th century. The British empire over time, starting from the 18th century, began to establish a series of treaties with the sultans with the objective of advancing British political and economic interest in Muscat, while granting the sultans military protection. In 1798, the first treaty between the British East India Company and the Albusaidi dynasty was signed by Sayyid Sultan bin Ahmed. The treaty aimed to block commercial competition of the French and the Dutch as well as obtain a concession to build a British factory at Bandar Abbas. A second treaty was signed in 1800, which stipulated that a British representative shall reside at the port of Muscat and manage all external affairs with other states. As the Omani Empire weakened, the British influence over Muscat grew throughout the nineteenth century.
In 1854, a deed of cession of the Omani Kuria Muria islands to Britain was signed by the sultan of Muscat and the British government. The British government achieved predominating control over Muscat, which, for the most part, impeded competition from other nations. Between 1862 and 1892, the Political Residents, Lewis Pelly and Edward Ross, played an instrumental role in securing British supremacy over the Persian Gulf and Muscat by a system of indirect governance. By the end of the 19th century, and with the loss of its African dominions and its revenues, British influence increased to the point that the sultans became dependent on British loans and signed declarations to consult the British government on all important matters. The Sultanate thus came de facto under the British sphere.
Zanzibar was a property as the main slave market of the Swahili Coast as well as being a producer of cloves, and became an increasingly important part of the Omani empire, a fact reflected by the decision of the Sayyid Sa'id bin Sultan, to make it the capital of the empire in 1837. Sa'id built palaces and gardens in Zanzibar. Rivalry between his two sons was resolved, with the help of forceful British diplomacy, when one of them, Majid, succeeded to Zanzibar and to the Omani domains on the Swahili Coast. The other son, Thuwaini, inherited Oman and the Asian domains. Zanzibar's influences in the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean indirectly introduced Omani customs to the Comorian culture. These influences include clothing traditions and wedding ceremonies. In 1856, under British arbitration, Zanzibar and Muscat became two sultanates.
The British imperial development over Muscat and Oman during the 19th century led to the renewed revival of the cause of the Imamate in the interior of Oman, which has appeared in cycles for more than 1,200 years. The British Political Agent, who resided in Muscat, owed the alienation of the interior of Oman to the influence of the British government over Muscat, which he described as being completely self-interested and without any regard to the social and political conditions of the locals. In 1913, Imam Salim Alkharusi instigated an anti-Muscat rebellion that lasted until 1920 when the Sultanate established peace with the Imamate by signing the Treaty of Seeb. The treaty was brokered by Britain, which had no economic interest in the interior of Oman during that point of time. The treaty granted autonomous rule to the Imamate in the interior of Oman and recognized the sovereignty of the coast of Oman, the Sultanate of Muscat. In 1920, Imam Salim Alkharusi died and Muhammad Alkhalili was elected.
On 10 January 1923, an agreement between the Sultanate and the British government was signed in which the Sultanate had to consult with the British political agent residing in Muscat and obtain the approval of the High Government of India to extract oil in the Sultanate. On 31 July 1928, the Red Line Agreement was signed between Anglo-Persian Company (later renamed British Petroleum), Royal Dutch/Shell, Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later renamed Total), Near East Development Corporation (later renamed ExxonMobil) and Calouste Gulbenkian (an Armenian businessman) to collectively produce oil in the post-Ottoman Empire region, which included the Arabian peninsula, with each of the 4 companies holding 23.75% of the shares while Calouste Gulbenkian held the remaining 5% shares. The agreement stipulated that none of the signatories was allowed to pursue the establishment of oil concessions within the agreed on area without including all other stakeholders. In 1929, the members of the agreement established Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC). On 13 November 1931, Sultan Taimur bin Faisal abdicated
Said bin Taimur became the sultan of Muscat officially on 10 February 1932. The rule of sultan Said bin Taimur was backed by the British government, and has been characterised as being feudal, reactionary and isolationist. The British government maintained administrative control over the Sultanate as the defence secretary and chief of intelligence, chief adviser to the sultan and all ministers except for one were British. In 1937, an agreement between the sultan and Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC), a consortium of oil companies that was 23.75% British owned, was signed to grant oil concessions to IPC. After failing to discover oil in the Sultanate, IPC was interested in some promising geological formations near Fahud, an area located within the Imamate. IPC offered financial support to the sultan to raise an armed force against any potential resistance by the Imamate.
In 1955, the exclave coastal Makran strip acceded to Pakistan and was made a district of its Balochistan province, while Gwadar remained in Oman. On 8 September 1958, Pakistan purchased the Gwadar enclave from Oman for US$3 million.
Sultan Said bin Taimur expressed his interest in occupying the Imamate after the death of Imam Alkhalili, thus taking advantage of any potential instability that might occur within the Imamate when elections were due, to the British government. The British political agent in Muscat believed that the only method of gaining access to the oil reserves in the interior was by assisting the sultan in taking over the Imamate. In 1946, the British government offered arms and ammunition, auxiliary supplies and officers to prepare the sultan to attack the interior of Oman. In May 1954, Imam Alkhalili died and Ghalib Alhinai was elected Imam.
In December 1955, Sultan Said bin Taimur sent troops of the Muscat and Oman Field Force to occupy the centres, including Nizwa, the capital of the Imamate of Oman, and Ibri. The Omanis in the interior led by Imam Ghalib Alhinai, Talib Alhinai, the brother of the Imam and the Wali (governor) of Rustaq, and Suleiman bin Hamyar, who was the Wali (governor) of Jebel Akhdar, defended the Imamate in the Jebel Akhdar War against British-backed attacks by the Sultanate. In July 1957, the Sultan's forces were withdrawing, and were repeatedly ambushed, sustaining casualties. Sultan Said, with the intervention of British infantry (two companies of the Cameronians), armoured car detachments from the British Army and RAF aircraft, was able to suppress the rebellion. The Imamate's forces retreated to the inaccessible Jebel Akhdar.
Colonel David Smiley, who had been seconded to organise the Sultan's Armed Forces, managed to isolate the mountain in autumn 1958 and found a route to the plateau from Wadi Bani Kharus. On 4 August 1957, the British Foreign Secretary gave the approval to carry out air strikes without prior warning to the locals residing in the interior of Oman. Between July and December 1958, the British RAF made 1,635 raids, dropping 1,094 tons and firing 900 rockets at the interior of Oman targeting insurgents, mountain top villages, water channels and crops. On 27 January 1959, the Sultanate's forces occupied the mountain in an operation. Imam Ghalib, his brother Talib and Sulaiman managed to escape to Saudi Arabia, where the Imamate's cause was promoted until the 1970s. The exiled partisans of the abolished Imamate of Oman presented the case of Oman to the Arab League and the United Nations. On 11 December 1963, the UN General Assembly decided to establish an Ad-Hoc Committee on Oman to study the 'Question of Oman' and report back to the General Assembly.The UN General Assembly adopted the 'Question of Oman' resolution in 1965, 1966 and again in 1967 that called upon the British government to cease all repressive action against the locals, end British control over Oman and reaffirmed the inalienable right of the Omani people to self-determination and independence.
After deposing his father in 1970, Sultan Qaboos opened up the country, embarked on economic reforms, and followed a policy of modernisation marked by increased spending on health, education and welfare. Slavery was outlawed in 1970.
In 2002, voting rights were extended to all citizens over the age of 21, and the first elections to the Consultative Assembly under the rules were held in 2003. In 2004, the Sultan appointed a female minister with portfolio, Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan bin Jameel al-Sayabiyah. She was appointed to the post of National Authority for Industrial Craftsmanship, an office that attempts to preserve and promote Oman's traditional crafts and stimulate industry. The Sultan continued to rule by decree. Nearly 100 suspected Islamists were arrested in 2005 and 31 people were convicted of trying to overthrow the government. They were ultimately pardoned in June of the same year.
Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings that were taking place throughout the region, protests occurred during months of 2011. While they did not call for the ousting of the regime, demonstrators demanded political reforms, improved living conditions and the creation of more jobs. They were dispersed by riot police in February 2011. Sultan Qaboos reacted by promising jobs and benefits. In October 2011, elections were held to the Consultative Assembly, to which Sultan Qaboos promised greater powers. The following year, the government began a crackdown on internet criticism. In September 2012, trials began of 'activists' accused of posting "abusive and provocative" criticism of the government online. 6 were given jail terms of 12–18 months and fines of around $2,500 each.
Qaboos, the Arab world's longest-serving ruler, died on 10 January 2020, and the government declared 40 days of national mourning. He was buried the next day. On 11 January 2020, Qaboos was succeeded by his first cousin Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.
Nakhal Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Oman.
Culture: Typical qualification that all people groups can't be summed up in small paragraphs and this is an over generalization.
The Omani Arabs live in extended family units. Their society is patriarchal, or male-dominated. The men seldom abuse this authority because they believe that their families should obey them out of respect rather than fear. Also, there are clearly defined roles for both sexes. Even the children are given gender-specific duties. The men work outside in the fields while women work in the homes. Men and women often eat separately and never pray together. While men worship at mosques, women attend ceremonies conducted at home by female religious leaders. Marriages are generally pre-arranged by the parents. Children are a considered the family's greatest asset because they provide the parents with additional laborers and social security.
An Omani Souq
Cuisine: The cuisine of Oman uses spices and marinades to complete a dish, which usually consists of chicken, fish, and lamb. Unlike that of many other Asian nations, Omani cuisine is not spicy, and varies regionally. Everyday meals generally have components such as rice, a wide variety of soups, salad, curry, and fresh vegetables. For dessert, a known Omani sweet Omani halwa is usually served. This is usually served before the consumption of kahwa, a preparation of coffee with cardamom, which is very popular and remains a symbol of hospitality. Other popular beverages include tea, laban (a kind of salty buttermilk), yoghurt drinks, and soft drinks like mountain dew.
Omani Halwa
Prayer Request:

• Pray for a spiritual discernment and hunger that will allow Omani Arabs to seek and find Christ.
• Pray for Holy Spirit-directed believers to go to the Omani Arabs.
• Pray for a Disciple Making Movement to spread far and wide among Omani Arabs.
• Pray against Putin and his insane little war.
• Pray for our nation (the United States), that we Christians can learn to come alongside our hurting brothers and sisters and learn to carry one another's burdens in a more Christlike manner than we have done historically.
• Pray that in this time of chaos and panic that the needs of the unreached are not forgotten by the church. Pray that our hearts continue to ache to see the unreached hear the Good News.

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1)
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Here are the previous weeks threads on the UPG of the Week for Reformed from 2023 (plus a few from 2022 so this one post isn't so lonely). To save some space on these, all UPG posts made 2019-now are here, I will try to keep this current.

People Group	Country	Continent	Date Posted	Beliefs
Omani Arabs	Oman	Asia	06/05/2023	Islam
Turks	Bulgaria	Europe	05/22/2023	Islam
Kinnara	Sri Lanka	Asia	05/15/2023	Buddhism***
Yonaguni	Japan	Asia	05/08/2023	Animism
Persian	Iran	Asia	04/10/2023	Islam
Ngazidja Comorian	Comoros	Africa	04/03/2023	Islam
Uyghur (2nd)	China	Asia	03/27/2023	Islam
Aimaq	Afghanistan	Asia	03/20/2023	Islam
Shughni	Tajikistan	Asia	03/13/2023	Islam
Punjabi	Canada	North America	03/06/2023	Sikhism
Kurds	Turkey	Asia**	02/13/2023	Islam***
Krymchak	Ukraine*	Europe**	02/06/2023	Judaism
Talysh	Azerbaijan	Asia**	01/30/2023	Islam
Shan	Myanmar	Asia	01/23/2023	Buddhism***
Shaikh - 2nd post	Bangladesh	Asia	01/09/2023	Islam
Hindi	United States	North America	12/19/2022	Hinduism
Somali	Finland	Europe	12/05/2022	Islam
Hemshin	Turkey	Asia**	11/28/2022	Islam
Waorani (Reached)	Ecuador	South America	11/21/2022	Christianity

* Tibet belongs to Tibet, not China.
** Russia/Turkey/etc is Europe but also Asia so...
*** this likely is not the true religion that they worship, but rather they have a mixture of what is listed with other local religions, or they have embraced a liberal drift and are leaving faith entirely but this is their historical faith.
As always, if you have experience in this country or with this people group, feel free to comment or let me know and I will happily edit it so that we can better pray for these peoples! I shouldn't have to include this, but please don't come here to argue with people or to promote universalism. I am a moderator so we will see this if you do.
Here is a list of definitions in case you wonder what exactly I mean by words like "Unreached".
Here is a list of missions organizations that reach out to the world to do missions for the Glory of God.

Phone is a Blu C6L (https://www.gsmarena.com/blu\_c6l-9542.php), has microUSB - I was told if I buy a USB/Micro adapter I'll be able to just plug in a mouse, power it up and then it should let me use the mouse to draw the pattern to unlock my phone (and rescue all files). So I have the adapter, but I plug in my optical mouse...nothing happens because the mouse doesn't even turn on the red light to work. I assume I'm not supposed to go find a 1999 mouse-with-ball-inside, but not sure what I'm doing wrong?