One of my biggest pet peeves in baseball media is the prion that infects every talking head's brain and makes them demand that hitters "go oppo more". It's been carved in the stone tablets of baseball that every hitter should be striving to poke the ball the other way from time to time to maximize their effectiveness at the plate. I don't know why. Ted Williams said it was bullshit, I say it's bullshit, that makes two of us. Here's some numbers:
xwOBA considers only vertical launch angle and exit velocity, not horizontal launch angle. Here's the xwOBA of each batted ball type over the last 7 seasons:
Pull: .410
Straightaway: .383
Oppo: .296
So pull is exceptional, straightaway is pretty close, oppo is frankly horrible. But the plot thickens a bit when you look at the wOBA that actually resulted from these types of contact:
Pull: .444
Straightaway: .323
Oppo: .333
Why is this? Because of the dimensions of baseball diamonds. Pull and Oppo hits sneak over short porches for homers whereas hammered balls get run down in the depths of center field. It's the same principle as corner 3's being best in basketball, really.
So now we see that in terms of actual results, pulling the ball is far, far, far better than either hitting it straightaway or hitting it to the opposite field, because you have the most power there and they put the fence real close. Why not...hit it that way all the time? Teams aren't even allowed to shift over there too much anymore, so any argument against spamming pull-side contact feels basically dead at this point.
Now, on to Harris:
He's striking out a bit more this year, 25% vs. 24%. That's basically negligible. His walk rate has increased from 4% to 7%, which is nearly double. He's hitting the ball harder on average, a higher percentage of his batted balls are hit hard, his launch angle has improved tremendously (higher is better, straight up). So what gives? He's poking the ball to the opposite field far more than he was:
2022: Pull%: 34.7%, Center%: 40.6%, Oppo%: 24.7%
2023: Pull: 37%, Center: 29.3%, Oppo: 33.7%
Even though he's pulling it slightly more, his Oppo% has launched through the roof, and I'm not sure it's a coincidence considering the team's comments about Chipper teaching him to go the other way.
Going the other way is just worse. It shouldn't be encouraged. Hitters shouldn't try to do it. I don't get it at all.
Now, one more pointless detail that I find kinda neat:
Hitting a ball oppo is actually worse than pulling the ball for one more reason: they put different spin on the ball. If Olson and Ronald each hit a ball at the exact same exit velocity and launch angle towards the chophouse, Olson's would have a higher chance of reaching it than Ronald's, because pulled balls don't have sidespin and oppo hits do. That sidespin drags the ball towards the foul line and downwards, losing some of its potential to reach the fence as a fair ball. The result is that pulled balls overperform their xwOBA by a greater margin than oppo balls do, despite common sense seeming to suggest it's identical. Kind of a fun tidbit.
TL;DR: Everyone should pull the ball as much as possible, it's really very good.

Reposting this in an effort to remove any moral questioning.
I could, and have in the past, gone on and on and written novels about this topic, so I’m and going to try to keep it condensed here. Doing so leaves out a lot of details so I’ll fill them in if requested.
I’ve (33M) been with my (34F) girlfriend about 7 years now. When we started dating it was very mutual between us that kids weren’t in our future. Before me, she actually ended her previous long term (also close to 7 years I think) relationship because the guy wanted to start a big family and she didn’t, so they parted.
Now, of course, her mind has flipped completely and she thinks it’s her purpose to bring a child into the world, and she is hell bent on it. She has set a timeframe for when she wants to be pregnant, started taking prenatals, and reminds me many times every single day that “she wants a baby”. Sometimes it seems like that's literally all she can think about. And during times when she's home with free time she get's really sad for feeling so empty and lonely from not having a child. We've adopted a dog, a fish, and many plants (i think it was her way of trying to fill that void) but that hole is still there. I of course remain exactly the same as 7 years ago in that I don’t want any children, and every day is getting more and more stressful.
We are in therapy and I have tried many times to “get into it” so to speak. To try to convince myself that I’m ok with it. She said that she did the same thing but opposite, in that she spent some time trying to convince herself she’s ok without a kid, but ultimately realized it’s her purpose in life. For me, I think I’m still in that process, and I know there are some redeeming qualities to it. I’ve made a list of many pros and cons going either way. I'm not going to take the time to list them all out here tho.
My big thing is this: agreeing to co-parent a child when only 1 of us actually has a desire to raise a family. I am kind of a pushover, and she is the opposite and has controlling tendencies, so I always have to be on guard and make sure that I’m not being taken advantage of. Not that she’d do that on purpose, she's a very caring and patient person, but just because of our natural personalities, it often just happens without much effort, and then I realize it later on. Because of how I am, I have noticed that sometimes I lose trust in my own feelings if that makes sense. Like I know it’s possible that many will read that question and be like “….what do you think bro”, but the more I get in my head the more I think it’s a valid question… idk. The constant pressure from her end kind of feels like it’s starting to walk the line into gaslighting territory (I think I used that term right? Correct me if i'm wrong because I never use that word) But like she’s been telling me to only focus on the pros and not the cons. And that she’s “given me enough time to myself” (I’m a huge introvert always needing alone time to recharge, gather thoughts, etc).
Needless to say she is my best friend and I love her with all my heart, but this is a major obstacle we are dealing with right now. And with the way she is speaking, nothing is going to stand in her way from getting pregnant. She has said she only wants me as the father, no one else, but hasn’t talked about what she would do if I say no. Maybe she doesn’t even know herself yet? I’m not sure if she would go the route of getting a sperm donor to become a single parent, but part of me can see her doing that.
On the other hand, she has told me that I am the only one she would want to raise a child with. She loves me a alot, and I her. We are each others best friends. I don't know if she really would leave me and try to find a new guy ASAP, or look for a sperm donor and raise someone as a single mom, or just give up on that dream and fall deeper into her depression. I guess that is all up to her and I probably shouldn't even be thinking about this stuff. But ultimately, I am petrified of her leaving me as soon as I say no, if I say no. She has given me some deadlines to make up my mind, and she has set timeframes for herself on when she is going to be pregnant. She always talks about it as a "when she's pregnant", and not "if i'm pregnant".
I have bad social anxiety issues, and thus I have very few fiends. She has been my “friends” for the better part of a decade. But I know that is not something that should be factor in things. That’s my problem and only my problem, despite how terrifying and depressing the thought of being alone and losing everything is. She has been very patient with me and some of my mental issues that I have to deal with, and I have been very accommodating to her regarding her own mental issues as well as a multitude of physical issues she has (which also makes her a higher risk case during pregnancy that something goes wrong, as well as potentially passing the hereditary issues onto future kids).
I've been talking to my dad about this, who has been giving me some advise. I also have an individual therapist who kind of has to remain impartial but I get the sense she thinks I should stick to my gut and say no. What I do know is that if she didn't change her mind, or if I was single, there would be 0 inkling of any desire to even entertain the idea of having kids. At my core I feel I am at most a dog dad. Seeing human babies makes does nothing to/for me. She'll excitedly show me baby videos and i'll be just waiting for something funny to happen before I realize she just thinks they're cute just being babies and doing baby things. If anything human babies produce more of a repulsed response in me. My dad keeps telling me he was the same way until my sister & i were born, and I have a feeling i'd be the same way, but by that point there is no choice anymore... it's either learn to love it or be kind of a jerk and leave. The best case scenario no longer exists so i'd have to choose between 2 realities I don't like.
We have also been having issues in the bedroom, and I am thinking it's either medication related or my body is just literally revolting against all the baby talk and refusing to work properly.
Has anyone been in the same boat? how did it end up for you?
Anyone here with kids who originally felt the same way that I feel about them currently?
TLDR: my longtime GF has decided its her purpose to procreate, while i'm still a solid no but trying to push myself to see things her way. I'm a pushover and scared of making the decision she wants me to make and not the best decision for me or a future child. She has set deadlines on when she "is going to be pregnant".

I was left in a car park. It was getting dark and my phone was dying. I managed to get ahold of somebody but she was thirty minutes away. If only those minutes were less.
At first, I was okay. Despite getting told that the shops would ‘probably’ be open, they weren’t. However, my phone had enough percentage and it wasn’t too dark. It was okay until I heard a crunch behind me. Thinking it was the wind, I ignored it. In the moment I didn’t realise how much danger I was in. I didn’t realise that him leaving me there was wrong. It was stupid. I was still smitten.
The crunching came again. It got louder. I realised it was the sound of footsteps. Slowly, I forced my legs from the floor, peering anxiously over my shoulder. Hoping for a dog walker or something. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Two tall men were walking side by side, mumbling something in a language that I didn’t understand. I staggered backwards, feeling unnerved because I was alone in an empty carpark but tried to pull myself together. The men got closer. I moved away so they had plenty of room to get past. They stopped walking though. At first, I thought that maybe they hadn’t seen me. Oh boy, I was wrong.
The two men looked at each other and then at me. An ice cold chill ran down my body. It was only when they started walking towards me, changing their directions that I realised that I needed to move. It was as if my feet were frozen to the spot. However I forced myself to move somehow. When I started running, yelling as loudly as possible, they started running too. The stench of whisky nearly made me gag as they got closer. It was stupid of me to assume that I would outrun them.
Please help me

I’ve been working at my Walmart for roughly 2 years and have been a cashier during that time. My Walmart has recently started its remodel and it’s came to my attention that most of the registers will be self checkout.
I. absolutely. hate. self checkout.
I do not enjoy standing around watching people scan their items and possibly catching a shoplifter. I’m very prone to zone out and daydream subconsciously. I need to be actively walking around or doing something with my hands in order to stay focused. I also do not have the confidence to walk up and confront shoplifters and often get anxiety about the situation.
I’m cool with going into any other department, as of Apparel, OGP, General Merchandise etc. The only department I rather not go to is Stocking or Cart Pushing.
What’s the best way to let my ManageHR know I want to change departments?

I was 13 years old on xbox live. My name was “xXAreynXx” because I thought it was the coolest auto-generated World of Warcraft name, with a little spice. My buddies and I would play Halo 3 with these guys that were probably 19 or so and lived in America. The one guy would constantly chirp my ‘Canadianisms’. After about 4 months of us playing ranked squad battles together, we were in a situation where I found myself hiding 1v5 with a battle rifle and a plasma pistol. I had 75% left on my energy pistol. What the fuck is my loadout right now? This is hopeless.
I felt myself under a ton of pressure. I was just a kid man. I didn't want these older teenage Amercians to tell me they slept with my mom last night. She's a nice lady. I was trying to hold my composure and think about what I should do. My breathing became short and fast.
The one guy said to me "awww man all we got left is a Canadian.... GG"
To relieve some of the pressure, I said something along the lines of "1v6? lets fucking go bud"
But my team didn't believe in me. They lost hope. There was this boy in me, with a glimmer in his eye. And that glimmer just faded to black.
The boy is gone.
I felt this massive feeling erupting in me, I don't know what it was. It rapidly exploded in intensity, like my last frag grenade I just bounced down the hallway. It came on strong. It exploded big, and just like that the feeling dissipated to nothing.
My eyes dilated black, I took a deep breath down to the bottom of my lungs. I could feel that I lost my pack behind me, but this new clarity came on. I felt the strength of the lone wolf.
Before I exhaled, I flipped my microphone up so they wouldn't hear my breath. I felt the blood rush to my chest. I felt the blood rush to my head. I felt the blood rush to my clammy fingers. In that moment, I knew. There was nothing to think about. There was no reason to believe their doubt. I just knew I was going to “fucking go” bud.
This was my game.
I peaked out of cover and threw a grenade.
There was no grenade. I used my last grenade. What the fuck was that? Jesus christ who does that? It doesn't matter, this is my game. This was part of it. It was just the first step. I'm adjusting to this new clarity.
The opponent that had me under fire started running down the hall towards me. He’s rushing me! Without hesitation, I swapped to the energy pistol. I faced the wall and charged my gun. Just as it got fully charged, I was strafing into the hallway. He was mid run but stopped to pull out his assault rifle. I flicked to the left and released the shot.
I landed it! His shields are gone!
I swapped to my battle rifle at the same time that he broke my shields. I have one shot to make this.
I flicked up and pulled the trigger.
Headshot.
He was dead. I felt a wave of relief. The threat is gone. That feeling lasted half a second, and that wash of relief pulled back into a wake a determination. I was waiting for a “nice” from the squad. No one said anything. I didn’t hear the wolves.
…Right. I already lost the pack.
It doesn’t matter now, I’m a lone wolf… right?
I remembered I had 4 more to go. Where are they?
There were two above me, and one behind me on the other side of the room. My shields just came online. Where is the last one?
It doesn’t matter. I don’t have time for it to matter. I sprinted to the solo enemy, and with no care for hiding. They know where I am now… they have to know. Is this guy going to bait me and kill me? No I don’t think so, the last guy was brazen to kill me. He was too eager to get the last kill. He isn’t smart enough to give an effective callout for his team.
Running down the hall, I knew he wouldn’t bait me, he’s going to get the information for himself. I bait him.
I started charging my energy pistol halfway down the hall. I can only walk at half speed while charging. I was completely exposed. I felt a flicker of doubt. My team still isn’t saying shit to me. Fuck man where are my callouts? It doesn’t matter, this is my bait. He’s going to fall for it. Who would bait in a hallway 1v4? I would.
I lowered my aim to where his body should appear and let go of the charged shot. I couldn’t hold it for too long or I would not have enough shots for the rest of the team.
The charged shot barreled down the hallway. I swapped to my battle rifle to ready a head shot. I had faith.
Please show. Please show.
Please take the bait.
The shot was almost at the end of the hallway.
Please show!
Just as I was getting ready to be told I’m going to have a new brother, I saw the red spartan armor enter the hallway.
It connected. Electricity surged across the armor, his shields are gone. Like clockwork, I deposited a barrage of bullets into his unsuspected head.
I thought to myself, “That’s two. That’s fucking two!”
Over comm’s I hear, “…..What the fuck…? The Canadian?”
The pack is still near. They called out from behind.
I wanted to call back. But I had flipped up my mic. I doubled down, it’s not over yet. I still need to prove myself.
I’m a noob. But I’m the best noob.
I need to stay with the feeling.
There’s three left, 8 seconds ago two of them were above me. Where are they now?
I felt like hiding to come up with a plan. But I knew that being on the offensive is what’s working, I shouldn’t change my strategy now. This isn’t about strategy. It’s about feeling.
As I ran across the hallway, I realized something. If they were smart, one would drop in front of me, while the other drops on the other side. And they ARE smart, they’re playing together. My best bet is to sprint into the elevator and see if I can cut off one before the other gets to me. I have no idea where the third is right now, but I don’t have time to entertain that thought.
I continued down the hallway, sprinting to the elevator. Just before getting in I realized I picked up some grenades running over the last dead body. I tossed one in the elevator as soon as I got it, and jumped in after it.
I rose up the elevator as fast as I could feel my stomach drop.
I was wrong. They’re both just ahead of me here.
Fuck. I was wrong!
It doesn’t matter, I’ve got this. I’ve got the high ground right now. I’m rising fast, and they’re stationary. I think I surprised them too. I have to use it.
I couldn’t use the noob combo because my battle rifle was already out. They were staggered a few paces from one another. This is it. This is the defining moment. I have to be the definitive noob.
But I don’t have my noob combo ready.
I have to push farther now.
I aimed for the closest red armor and took my first body shot. It landed. I pulled the trigger again. I landed it again! They still haven’t landed anything on me. I’m feeling it. No way I can land a third in a row, he’s going to strafe. Which way? Which way?!
I chose left and pulled the trigger.
It fucking landed. His armor darkened, scarred from the surge of electricity. He’s defenseless.
Almost like it was planned, the frag I threw in the elevator exploded. It got them both. Like a ragdoll, his body flew to the other side of the map. And the other lost his shields.
I start hearing my other teammates on comms. I’m hearing words but I can’t make them out. I can feel the excitement and shock in their voices.
I hear my pack.
But I was running out of options. My battle rifle only had a few shots in it. I had to make them count.
I had taken on a lot of bullets during the last execution, and just as I landed, my shields fell off. It was a battle of aim now. We’re on equal footing and both don’t have shields. He attempted a finishing bullet, but whiffed. I managed to escape it. I sent one back, and delivered the final blow.
The wolves were howling like they’ve never seen the moon before. I felt new-found. I had this controlled fury as the lone wolf. But I didn’t feel like a lone wolf anymore. I had my pack again.
The wolves are all behind me and I hear their calls. I can’t process what they’re saying, but I hear one.
“You just went in man… you’re… you’re like a moose”
The hair on the back of my neck stood just a bit higher.
He called out directly to me this time.
A moose…? I was the Lone Wolf… right? No matter.
There’s one left, where is this guy? He hasn’t shown this whole time. I frantically run to the middle of the map hoping to get an angle on him. Just as I approach a corner at the middle, my enemy presents himself directly in front of me. I saw the gold reflect off his katana armor. Fear overwhelmed me. He’s gotten all of the achievements. This is the Master Chief. And I am the baited one.
I melee’d him and he lost his shields. He did the same. Electricity surged so high across our armors, my vision went pure white. In a frenzy I shot my battle rifle, shaking, while taking on damage.
The announcer called game.
Who shot first? Who won??
The screen faded to black. My team was losing it on comms. Did I win? Did it say Blue Team wins? I don’t know, I was caught up in the moment! I didn’t read it! Are they cheering for me? Did I just let them down? I can’t tell. I have no idea.
I flip down my mic.
“Did I win?”
The wolves are howling the loudest, booming howl I have ever heard. And they’re howling it to me. I stand tall to hear the echoes.
“YOU DID IT MAN! YOU FUCKING DID IT!”
“Oh you glorious, glorious Moose!”
“You’re a MAJESTIC moose”
majestic. I liked that.
The hair on the back of my neck relaxed back onto my skin, as if to cradle it.
I said “not too bad, eh?”
…
“you’re a goddamn majesticmoose.”
------ *This is the first short story I've written, thank you for reading it :)*

TLDR: I kinda got rekt when buying my new clubs and believe they gave me too light a shaft, how do I handle this with the shop and how do I go about "demoing" shafts? Can you get fit specifically for a shaft and not the whole club?
Background: back in March, I finally got up the stones to pull the trigger on new clubs. I went to one of the largest local golf retailers (aka not Golf Galaxy) in my area for months on end doing my own demoing and finding what felt best and worked for me. After I finally conquered my indecisiveness I pulled the trigger, after which this store offers a fitting for things like length, lie angle, shaft, etc. on the clubs you've already chosen which felt like a good way to "get fit" without shelling out the money (I don't want to hear that I should have started with this because it's obviously too late).
Generally speaking, the 4-5 rounds I've played since clubs came in have had mixed results and while I've seen modest improvement in some places I've made new problems in others.
Current Situation: I had a lesson at a local range with an instructor I quite like as the tips he's given have proven out quite immediately. The last time I saw him I did have my new clubs, and this time he wanted to verify that I got what I paid for. Irons checked out, +.5", 2* upright, correct shaft for swing.
Then when we pulled out the big stick, I hit one or two shots with the drill we were doing for irons and it did seem to work better but still not as straight as it should be. He looks at the shaft and they gave me a 40g Standard Flex stock Mitsubishi shaft (my irons are 105 Dynamic Gold for reference). Basically saying that this things a noodle and the harder I swing the more erratic the ball flight.
I think the only reason I didn't notice sooner was I trusted the fitter to give me what was best for me knowing I was working on picking my speed up and realistically, I went to them because I didn't know what the fuck these numbers meant in relation to my style of play. I did try a Callaway driver the instructor had laying around with a 50g Std shaft and absolutely piped it dead straight, it also felt a lot better so unfortunately I think he is right....Now, I've had the drivewood (same shaft) since maybe late March and I'm stuck with having to try and be *that guy* and raise hell to have them fix it, or grovel to my wife to drop MORE money into the clubs I haven't even had for 3 full months.

I've been saying this ever since 2016 EVEN BEFORE SCOTTIE WAS SAYING IT:
Michael Jordan was a guaranteed first round exit every single year until scottie came to chicago and showed him how to win.
He had phil jackson as coach. goat coach.
MJ leaves the bulls and the team goes from 57 wins to 55 wins. And scottie was 1 bad call away from winning a ring by himself. It's scottie that's the actual champion behind the bulls.
People don't want to admit it because Jordan had the legendary shoe line but thats all. If jordan was alive during IG and youtube, I guarantee we would be seeing michael jordan videos like "This is NOT good for michael jordan" etc etc etc.
Kevin Durant Would destroy michael. Michael would never be able to guard kevin. Steph would blow out the bulls every night guaranteed. He already won more games in a season than michaels best year.
And lebron. lebron took down that exact 73-9 team. when he was on the cavs, they were a top team in the east. when he left the cavs both times, the next year they became the worst team in the league. meanwhile, when he joined miami and la, instant title contender that same year. lebron has the most points of all time and counting. lebron at year 20 dethroned the defending 2022 nba champions. He's been to the finals 10 times. That's bill russell territory. he would be in the finals right now as we speak if his teammates just converted on just 2 more possessions on each game. each game in that series was so close it could've gone both ways if lebron's teammates just hit a couple more free throws and open 3s. and he did all that on a broken foot too. he would've gone up 1-0 against the warriors in 2018 if it werent for JR forgetting the score. That would've completely changed the trajectory of the series and he would've had another ring there, beating kd and steph together. he should have 6 rings right now. and when he was 23 he dragged the cavs to popovic's doorstep. MJ could never pass like bron.

I just finished an awesome hike on the Lost Coast Trail, from June 5th to June 7th. Here are some key details and my tips.
Day 1:
I started at Black Sands Beach and caught the 12:30 shuttle to Mattole Beach, a ~two-hour drive on a windy road (if you're prone to carsickness, take precautions). I camped at Sea Lion Gulch, about five miles from the starting point (passed the first tidal zone). Unfortunately, it was a very windy night, and my tent (Durston X-Mid Pro 1) broke when setting it up, which made the night quite an experience (that and I chose a site pretty close to a cliff).
Day 2:
Big day, 13 miles, I wanted to get through the 2nd tidal zone and right next to the 3rd one. A lot of bluff hiking, which allowed me to get some miles in, but pervasive poison oak. I set up camp at Big Flat before the third tide zone. I found a sweet, secluded site with a beautiful view of the hills and the ocean sounds in the background. I was going to sleep sans tent, but the rain decided otherwise.
Day 3
I only needed to get in, I thought 8, but it turned out 9 miles in to make it back to Black Sands Beach. This day was all beach hiking. It was a mix of soft sand, hard sand, pea-sized gravel, fist-sized rocks, and some boulders. I made good time on the hard sand, but some of the other terrains were a slog.
Wildlife and Flora:
I encountered sea lions, starfish, deer, rabbits, and a snake on the trail. The bluffs were also full of blooming wildflowers. However, watch out for the poison oak; it seemed to disappear in some sections only to return aggressively and unavoidably.
Water Availability:
Water was readily available from the numerous creeks, waterfalls, and rivulets along the trail, so there was no issue of water scarcity.
Gear:
All in, I was ~20#, without consumables ~13.75# (including bear canister). Here is my Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/chqf36
Planning Source:
I used a lot of materials out there, but the best one by far was hikingguy's guide, which laid everything out: https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/northern-california-hikes/how-to-hike-the-lost-coast-trail/
Tips (mostly for myself to remember for next time):

1. Adjust Your Walking Sticks: When walking on the beach, adjust the right-side stick higher (if going south) for optimal support. It helps to balance out your walking when one leg is at a lower spot due to the slant of the beach.
2. Water from Waterfalls: Be cautious when filling your water from a waterfall; I had to do it; it was too inviting, but got soaked, a lot of spray next to them. (But I’d probably do it again.)
3. Understand Tidal Movements: Familiarize yourself with the tides' timing and movements; this can really affect your hike, even in the non-tidal zone areas.
4. Observe Footprints: Paying attention to the depth of other hikers’ footprints in the sand can help you understand how compact it is, and which is the best line to take.
5. Wear Gaiters! I thought about this before leaving but got busy and didn’t get any, it wasn’t the end of the world, but they would have been nice to have and would have been helpful in navigating the poison oak as well as keeping rocks out of my shoes.
6. Read up! I read some on oceans and tides, but I wish I had done more; you have a lot of time to observe the sea. Also, I want to bone up on the geology of the area--a lot of interesting rocks and formations.

This trip was solo; my trail partner had to bow out. Looking forward to doing this hike again with him and maybe my son.

I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone. (Throwaway because it's private and medical stuff, I don't want to use my main account.)
I was on the starting dose of 0.25 for 2 weeks and things were going very well. Minimal side effects (a little constipation, but it was managed). I felt like I already was losing, it was great. Toward the end of week two, something crazy happened...I had a panic attack after increasing anxiety in the evening. I felt chest pains, like my throat was closing up, I was shaking, and felt absolute waves of terror. I am not diagnosed with anything like panic or anxiety disorders. I went to bed, somehow, trying to breathe and meditate to calm down. I didn't really have a relaxing sleep.
When I woke the next day, the anxiety was still there -- and I ended up having a 2nd panic attack that AM. I calmed down a little bit but was shaking and so anxious throughout the morning. It occurred to me it could be low blood sugar -- I googled for help because the doctor's office was only going to VM grrr...and found I could try to eat a little sugar. I didn't have any juice or soda, so tried a spoonful of honey. I felt it hit and got dizzy for a moment, then started to feel a bit more normal. Later I had a few crackers with my salad for lunch.
By dinner, I could barely eat anything. Everything tasted like paste and dry. I almost gagged trying to chew the food (salad and chicken). I had to drink water to even be able to swallow it. I decided to take a break and just drink water. After a while, I decided to try a spoonful of peanut butter to make sure my sugar didn't drop again, in case that was what was happening. I felt a little better, had a tiny bit of hunger, so had a fairlife protein shake. Went to bed and slept 12 straight hours.
Woke up feeling a little better -- not anxious, but have a headache, feel lightheaded, woozy, and weak. Just walking and my legs feel like jelly. I feel out of it. Sort of like how you feel after having the flu and not 100% better yet. Yesterday would have been my 3rd shot but I skipped it. Talked to doc today and she agreed it's for the best, agrees it could have been low sugar or just a reaction.
So disappointed that it didn't work but also the thought of ever going through this again has me terrified. I want to feel normal again. The wegovy should be working it's way out of my system by now -and it's such a low dose, but I don't feel right even today. I am at work but wish I could just lay down and rest.

I live with my MIL right now. Been here since basically December 2022, with OH (32M), D7 and S1. My SIL, her D5, S1, and her boyfriend moved in also, all around the same time.
I'll try to keep the story as short as I can, but it'll be difficult.
To start things off, we were told SILs new boyfriend would stay a couple nights after driving SILs car up for her. He stayed 3 months. He left for 2 months, and he has back living with us since March 2023. MIL and SIL decided that SIL should be able to manipulate and gaslight everyone into thinking that we all said it was ok. I had experienced abuse as a child, and OH and I always said no to having random guy that SIL only knew 4 months, only dated for 5 weeks, moving in. We were asked if it would be ok prior to his driving the car up, and I assume that they thought we would just be ok, and MIL backflipped and said we no longer have the right to decide. When I disclosed the abuse to SIL, the only response I got was an angry "Then you can go stay in a hotel!"
F&@! me. So angry having to type any of this stupid sh!t out.
SIL is lazy. Entitled. Believes she is gods gift to everyone. She has no friends, judges everyone harshly, comments on my children and tries to parent over the top of me, amongst other things. MIL is as dumb as they come. She is a big-headed idiot, but she married well, and is essentially a multi-millionaire now, because her hard-working late husband left her everything. She acts like she is extremely fancy, despite living in a disgusting house, literally had mould on the walls and doors before we moved in. Dust, mildew, garbage, clutter, is the "theme" of this house. Fine. Whatever. They live differently to me. However, as much as my OH and I have compromised with these people, and sacrificed our time to make things better for everyone, SIL and MIL deny any compromises or sacrifices ever existed!
I did not know they were this bad prior to agreeing to move in. We moved in to save money for a house deposit. We offered $200/week board, as a starting point. MIL said no to money, even when we pressed, and she wanted my partner, who works full-time M-F, to spend 8 hours EVERY WEEKEND gardening for her instead. We said no, of course, as that is unreasonable. We pay a third of the household bills instead, and OH does a few hours in the garden a month.
SIL I thought was pretty high on narcissism spectrum prior to moving in, but I had never spent so much time with her (only like max maybe 7-10 days over holidays, prior to this). She only ever talks about how she had good grades in school 10 years ago, or how people who did better than her didn't deserve it. She is a failed musician. She sits and plays Wii U most of the time or watches TV or spends the entire day at the shops. Her children are basically neglected; they don't get bathed regularly (her youngest went his first 3 months without a single bath, and he ended up with a hair wrapped around his toe and needed surgery to get it off - SIL blames her, now, ex-partner for not checking toes during nappy changes). Her 5 year old has some sort of stomach infection right now (lasting over 3 weeks, I believe) because of how filthy SIL is. She only changes their clothing if they get wet, basically. I have seen them wear the same clothes, even to bed, all week long.
In March this year, SIL was changing her 1 year olds nappy on the floor in the lounge. She took the poopy one off and then placed his bum (covered in poo) directly on the floor. My baby was only 9 months and crawling, and he puts hands to mouth constantly. I spoke up and made the suggestion that we both put something under the boys bums during nappy changes, using the reason that my baby puts his hands in his mouth and I am not comfortable with crawling on poo germs. SIL was extremely passive-aggressive, told me "you can do what you want" then told me she does use a cloth underneath him normally, which was 100% a lie. I do not like people lying to me. If people are being manipulative or trying to gaslight me, I call it out. She has always been really filthy with her baby. She literally uses a single wipe to clean a poo-bum, and I have seen her use that same wipe on the floor. Just disgusting stuff. Anyway, so I called it out as a lie. She started talking trash, trying to make it about things she believes I have done (eg. My daughter accidentally clogged a toilet that morning), so I unclogged the toilet and said something like "why is it that if you sense the slightest bit of criticism, you chuck a tantrum?"... nothing substantial happened after this point. Supposedly I called the poo nappy a "shitty nappy" and her 5yo repeated it at school. That was my bad, but, hey, I figured SIL and I both did the wrong thing there. Little did I know that SIL had made out to MIL that she was a victim, and I was like "a switch."
Two days later, I'm at work in the evening. Background: SIL works 1.5 hours a week, one afternoon a week. Her boyfriend is on disability for chronic fatigue, so doesn't work. I work 3 hours after kids go to bed, 5 days a week. MIL doesn't work. Ok, back to the story, so I'm at work, and when I get home my OH tells me that SIL had ambushed him when he was chilling in the lounge after the kids fell asleep. She went on a 40 minute rant about me. My 7yo heard this rant. My 7yo was concerned that "Aunty is going to kick mum out of the family like she did with Uncle (SILs ex)." SIL was always abusive towards her ex, but then turned it around and said he was abusive towards her. I have run the examples by my psychologist, who seems to think the same way as me. An example of abuse was (occurring after they split but were still living together): SIL was supposedly sitting in her pyjamas (great emphasis was placed on her being in her pjs) and ex started filming her, and he was repeating "I don't want to talk about this! I don't want to talk about this!" SIL says this is abuse because he didn't have consent to film her, especially not in her pjs. I think that I would probably film someone and say something like this if they were harassing or verbally assaulting me, and wouldn't leave me alone.
OH and I sat MIL down, and MIL justified SILs rant by saying "it was like a valve was released!" as though SIL had no control over what she was saying... for 40 minutes. Where as me saying "shitty nappy" in frustration was not excusable at all! One of the things SIL said about me was that I am not safe around her kids. I assume this is because I referred to a poo-nappy as a shitty-nappy, however SIL has since tried to allege I yelled, at some point, at her kids. Which never has happened. SIL has yelled at my 7yo more than once, and called my 7yo's tears "crocodile tears" and suggested, even when my daughter was 4/5yo, that she was manipulating us. Meanwhile, her own daughter literally lies like it is nothing; doesn't listen to any adults; kicks and screams at strangers, if they happen to be near her if she hurts herself (not even joking), for some examples.
Anyway, so I saw SIL on the stairs the next evening and said "I heard what you said about me. You are a liar. Don't ever talk about me without me in the room again." She said nothing. She did, however, "move in" to her bedroom. Literally, she bought a microwave, little portable cooktop, moved her kids toys and furniture all upstairs to her bedroom. She does her washing up on the balcony. The balcony leads to her mothers room, which has an ensuite. So she doesn't need to leave the room, really.
It turned into full silent treatment. OH had messaged SIL and said we should all get together and talk it out, however SIL ignored it. When we would speak with MIL, she would make out that it was my fault. She would tell me and OH that SIL must've been experienced some sort of transference, where she saw a lot of her, allegedly, abusive ex in me and that is the reason for her silent treatment. She said to me, more than once, that if SIL come to the table, then I can't use the term "gaslight" because it is triggering for SIL. Instead of viewing SIL giving the silent treatment and acting like she has to keep her kids away from me, as being abusive, she characterised it as "SIL is in protective mode and is trying to hold her kids close to her, in their new little home."
MIL messaged OH to rant about me, and called me abusive because I was asserting my right to bloody boundaries, and when I brought it up with MIL she said "I didn't send any message." I show her the message and she says "Well I was very emotional!"
Sorry, I'm probably all over the place.
MIL has basically been scapegoating me since. SIL does this shitty thing, and it's been months, and now I am being told by MIL that I have "taken over the house" when I am simply living normally. She has started doing really petty things, like moving things onto the chair that I use to put my workboots on in the evening, so that I have to constantly clear the same stuff of it over and over and over again. She was angry and banging around in the kitchen lastnight because she saw that I didn't put her dishes away (which I have made the decision to cease doing this past week, as she didn't ever say thank you, and has denied my doing anything for her or anyone else). She yelled at me like I was a bloody naughty dog about 2 weeks ago, about a photo I moved, because I said I wouldn't be putting it back where it was as my daughter uses the space a lot (it was a photo of my SILs daughter, which has been triggering for my own daughter, who SIL has refused to let her play with). She told me that I was yelling, whilst yelling at me. She didn't apologise for her attack, and so I decided that enough was enough. I was verbally, physically, emotionally abused as a child, as well as once more as an adult, and I was not letting this mole continue. I was going to no longer be nice so everyone could be comfortable... she could apologise... I will not speak with someone so abusive the next day, like the abuse didn't happen, ever again. So I just stopped speaking with her. She tried to give me a letter from the mailbox like the day after she spoke to me like a dog, and I just said "ok" (which, apparently, made her so angry! Because how dare I not thank her!?)
Today, MIL accused me of breaking something sentimental of hers. It's a giant stuffed doll her mum made. It is in terrible condition. I have never know it to be taken care of; it's just kind of been left on the floor for years. So she says I have been very "rough" with this giant doll, which is ludicrous and I told her so. I tell her she is being petty, and that falsely accusing me of something like that is disgusting. It turns into a big argument, and I label HER as abusive. I tell her she has trampled our boundaries from the beginning, and that we sacrificed so much and compromised so much. She basically tries tell me and OH that she "out of the goodness of her heart" said we could stay, and that she has "really tried" with me, but that I have done too many things. I ask for one example of what I have done to her. Just one! She literally cannot give me a single example. She tells me that her house is a home and I'm basically destroying that... but by how? By using the shared areas still? Like what does she want me to do? I am a mother, with 2 kids, and I will use the living area, dining and kitchen. I put in a big effort to make sure it is always useable by others (not something that was ever considered by MIL or SIL, for instance when they'd cook together or watch SILs kids... stuff everywhere, left for me, essentially. They'd disappear for hours or, for MIL, days, to avoid having to clean their own messes).
I have been seeing my psychologist again, which I had to wait until this month to be able to get in to see. I spent basically most of April and May thinking about suicide. I have, as they all knew, a history of depression and anxiety. I was 95% mentally well when this shit started occurring. I was so overwhelmed with silent treatment and abuse that I would drive around (not with my kids) and look at trees and contemplate crashing into them. One time I dug in and dragged my fingernails down my forearm, to the point that I bled... I didn't feel a thing. That was weeks ago and it still hasn't fully healed.
This month I started feeling a bit like I was coming out of the fog. My OH has been very supportive (although he is still far too passive when it comes to his mother, but I know he is doing his best, and I genuinely feel bad for the position he's in). I was starting to feel positive again. I was able to refocus on being with my children and be happy with my family. I genuinely believe that MIL did not like to hear my joy or laughter with my kids or OH. I can't think of what else would have made her behave so poorly, so quickly.
Hearing her accusations today, to hear her say she "tried" so hard with me; that she does things out of the "goodness" of her heart... it really triggered something in me. I called her an abuser and terrible person. She wants us to move out, which I'm all for. I said to her that when we leave, she will no longer see my kids (who, despite living in the same house as them, she NEVER tries to see, and NOT because I've stopped her... she just doesn't put in that effort), and her response was to tell me that I'm a very vindictive person. When I said her actions were vindictive, she was all excuses. I'm apparently the problem. She also told me that my psychologist is basically being duped by me... so that's great too.
So this is a please-don't-be-too-harsh on me, AITA for telling my MIL she is a terrible person and can no longer see my kids?

Summary: Hiccup is trapped at the bottom of the ocean for much longer than he actually was in Dire Straits. After being saved, Hiccup suffers from an illness that might prove deadly. It's a race against the clock to get him home. Contains Hiccup!Whump

Toothless fired on the diving bell, trying to free his rider. Once he realized his firepower was not strong enough in these depths, he stopped and went to check on Hiccup. The dragon helplessly watched as what was now Hiccup's tomb rapidly filled up with ice-cold water.
Hiccup placed his hand on the Deathsong amber window as Toothless nudged it with his snout. "I know, bud." He turned to look at the water flooding in. "I wouldn't leave you either."
The young rider tilted his head up and took one last deep breath. The water rushed over his head, and he was soon fully immersed. Toothless roared in concern as Hiccup tried to give him a final smile. They both touched the amber window one last time. The Night Fury watched in despair as his human let go of that last breath. He roared in anger as his best friend lost consciousness and floated to the center of the diving bell.
Desperate, he began to fire on the bell again, unaware of the Submaripper swimming up behind him. It wasn't until the Submaripper had already grabbed the bell with his teeth, did Toothless realize what was happening. He quickly followed the Tidal Class dragon to the surface.
The Submaripper broke through the surface and dropped the diving bell onto the deck of the boat that had aided in his rescue.
"We need to get him out of there," Astrid stated, looking through the window.
"How?" Fishlegs asked as Toothless climbed back aboard. "It's dragon-proof."
"We got this!" Tuffnut exclaimed as he plunged a pole into one of the cracks. "Barf! Belch!"
The Zippleback twisted their necks together and used their teeth to clamp down on the pole, pulling it downward until the bell opened enough for someone to reach in and grab their leader.
"Now pull him out. Quickly," Fishlegs urged as Astrid picked Hiccup by the shoulders. Fishlegs quickly assisted by grabbing his legs. Together they set Hiccup down.
Astrid went to feel for a heartbeat but found none. "Oh, no," she cried. "Hiccup! Please, breathe. Please breathe!"
Toothless nudged her out of the way, sniffed his rider, and began licking him. When that did not work, he let out his loudest roar, hoping to scare his rider awake. Behind him, the other humans were starting to cry. He couldn't give up. As a last resort, he pounced with all his might onto Hiccup's chest.
After the third pounce, Hiccup's eyes shot open as he began to cough up the water that had filled his lungs. Toothless took a step back to give his human some space to breathe, crooning happily that he was alive.
Hiccup pushed himself up into a sitting position and reached out to pet Toothless. "I'm okay, bud." He coughed again, dispelling more water. "Thank you, Toothless."
Astrid knelt down by his side once more, placing a hand on his shoulder. Hiccup took hold of her hand and gave her a small smile.
In the distance, the Submaripper roared its thanks. Toothless quickly returned a roar of his own thanks.
With the help of Fishlegs and Astrid, Hiccup managed to stand. He placed one hand on his aching chest and another on Toothless. "What... happened?" he breathed.
"Viggo happened," Snotlout answered angrily.
Hiccup felt a sense of panic and adrenaline fill his weakened body "Viggo. No, no, he can't escape." He tried to climb onto Toothless, only to lose what little balance he had, falling down.
Fishlegs knelt down next to him. "It's okay, Hiccup. I got you. You need to stay here and rest."
Astrid, from on top of Stormfly. "Don't worry. He won't get far."
Without another word, she, Snotlout, and the twins flew off in the direction of Viggo's ship. Fishlegs stayed behind to help Hiccup. "Let's get you into the Captain's Quarters. There's a bed in there you can rest on."
Hiccup tried to sit up on his own once more. "No. They need my help to get Viggo. I can't let him get away."
"He won't get away," Fishlegs promised, helping him sit up. "You've just been through a rather traumatic ordeal. Your body needs time to recover."
Hiccup sat for a moment before responding. "Fine. But no carrying me. Let me keep some of my dignity."
Fishlegs obliged and helped his friend to his feet. Then, with the help of Toothless, the two helped Hiccup walk down below deck to the Captain's Quarters. The husky dragon rider helped his friend remove his wet clothes and get him into the bed. Toothless shot a small plasma blast fire into the room's hearth. After ensuring the room provided significant warmth, Fishlegs left to go get some medical supplies and herbal remedies.
Toothless stayed behind and watched as his human drifted off into a restless sleep. He sat at the foot of the bed, watching the rise and fall of Hiccup's chest.

Chapter 2:

Fishlegs reached the top deck; just the other four Riders were returning.
"Well?" Fishlegs asked.
Astrid jumped down from her Deadly Nadder, shaking her head. "He escaped. He and Ryker were in a dinghy being pulled by Seashockers."
"There's always next time," Fishlegs shrugged.
"How is he?" Astrid asked.
"He's having a hard time breathing, and his skin is warm to the touch despite being submerged in freezing cold water," Fishlegs answered. "We need to get him back to Gothi quickly. But he can't fly. I doubt he's in any condition to be in the air right now. So we'll have to sail back."
"We won't reach Berk until tomorrow morning," Astrid pointed. "Can he hold out that long?"
Fishlegs shook his head. "I don't know. But we have to try."
"What if the dragons pulled the boat?" Astrid suggested. "The boat stays in the water while the dragons fly above, pulling the ropes. We'll get there in about 3 hours."
"Like what you just saw Viggo and Ryker doing to the Seashockers?" Fishlegs pointed out.
"Kinda," Astrid sighed. "And I hate suggesting it. But Hiccup needs urgent care, and the sooner we get him back to Berk, the better off he'll be."
Fishlegs pondered for a few seconds before answering. "Okay. But only this time." The Gronkle lover then walked off to talk to the other Riders.
Astrid walked down below deck to where Hiccup was resting. When she got to where he was, she found him lying in the bed shivering, despite the multiple blanks piled on top of him. Toothless was watching his rider with concern.
Astrid went over to the bed and sat down next to Hiccup's head, brushing his wet locks out of the way. Despite shivering, his skin felt hot to the touch. He was cold and warm at the same time. She placed her hand on his chest and leaned in to listen. His heart was racing, and his breathing sounded raspy and shallow.
"Hang in there, Hiccup," Astrid whispered, taking hold of her friend's hand. "We'll get you back to Berk in no time."
Toothless let out a sorrowful croon as he gently laid his head on Hiccup's chest. The blonde worry gave him a comforting pat before getting up to leave. As she was walking out, Fishlegs came in with more blankets and a medicine bag.
"The dragons are in formation and ready to leave," Fishlegs reported as he set the blankets down on a nearby table.
"Good," Astrid said. "The sooner, the better. He has a fever and is having trouble breathing."
Fishlegs rushed over to the bed, carefully moving Toothless away from Hiccup. He quickly removed the blankets and placed his head on his friend's chest. Listening to each raspy breath Hiccup forced out. "Oh no."
"What?" Astrid asked, worry filling her voice. "What's wrong?"
"Hand me the medicine bag," Fishlegs urged. "One of his lungs has collapsed. We have to reinflate it."
Astrid handed him the bag. "How are we going to do that?"
Fishlegs rummaged through the bag. "By placing a metal tube in his chest." He pulled a small dagger, rags, a roll of bandages, and a metal rob out of the bag.
"And you just so happen to have everything you need?" Astrid pointed out.
"An Ingerman is always prepared," Fishlegs stated. "I need your help holding him down. This requires precision. It's also going to hurt."
Astrid placed one arm across Hiccup's shoulders and the other near his hips, ensuring he couldn't move. "And you know what you're doing, right?"
Fishlegs firmly gripped the dagger in his right hand. "I've watched Gothi and my mom do this quite a few times back during the raids. I've also read Gothi's notes, studying up on it. I've never done it before, though. I was hoping I'd never have to."
Toothless watched as the young humans stood over his best friend, trying to figure out what they were doing. He was sure they were helping him but couldn't figure out how. He sat himself at the foot of the bed, getting out of their way but staying nearby. He wasn't about to leave his human hatchling alone.
Fishlegs carefully used his free hand to count the ribs until he got to the fourth and fifth ones. He placed the tip of the dagger right between the two ribs. "So sorry for this Hiccup," he told his friend, who was thankfully unconscious for this procedure.
He pressed the dagger into the skin, cutting into the muscle that protected the ribcage. Blood flowed freely from the new wound. The young man dropped the dagger and grabbed two rags, placing one on each side of the cut. He then grabbed the thin metal tube and pushed it into the center of the wound. Once he was sure the rod was correctly inserted, he used one hand to apply pressure to the cut and picked up the roll of bandages with the other.
"Now for the tricky part," Fishlegs said, letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "Wrapping the bandages around him. We can't sit him up because it could dislodge the tube. So we'll have to lift him enough to get the roll under him. I can hold him up long enough for you to do it. But you have to do it as quickly as possible."
Astrid nodded as she took the roll from Fishlegs hand. "I will be."
Fishlegs took the pressure off the wound and placed his hands under Hiccup. "On the count of three."
Astrid placed one of the bandages near the tube and applied enough pressure to hold it in place. "Ready."
"One. Two. Three," Fishlegs counted and, with relative ease, carefully lifted their injured leader up. Astrid rolled the bandages under Hiccup and reached over to grab it once it reached the other side. She quickly repeated the process until she reached the end of the roll. She stuffed the end down the side she was, securing it.
Fishlegs laid Hiccup back down and placed one of the heavier blankets on his legs, pulling it up enough to keep him warm but not obstructing the tube. "Now we wait and hope this works."

Hi everyone I'm an architect and currently doing my masters in Interior design and am looking to switch from a 2015 MacBook Pro which I have been using for the past 8 years to a Windows laptop which I hope to use for a similar number of years. (I know it's too old, but better late than never 😅)
The programs I use the most are AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino, Vray, Adobe Suite (photoshop illustrator and InDesign), and most of them at the same time simultaneously. Also hoping to start using Revit once I have a Windows.
Since this is my first time purchasing a Windows computer, would really appreciate your suggestions!!
The laptops I've shortlisted have similar specs, which one of these do you think would be the best bang for the buck with a color-accurate display something comparable to a MacBook? Any more suggestions are welcome too!
I am considering a 32 gb ram as the base and hopefully, something that looks a little professional and does not have too much of the RGB lighting as usually seen in gaming laptops😅. Loved the Razer blades, but they are too expensive 😢.
The top 4 laptops I have been able to shortlist are as follows -

1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023) GU604 - 16GB RAM expandable to 64 GB, RTX 4080 12 GB, i9

-------- $2699 (the specs are great, but cost wise it is a bit of a stretch )

1. Alienware m15 R7 - 32 GB RAM expandable to 64 GB, RTX 3080Ti 16GB, i7 , QHD display

-------- $2299

1. ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 - 32 GB RAM (doesn't say if it's expandable), RTX 4070 8GB, i9

-------- $2599 (Is having a touch screen/stylus-supported trackpad worth shelling out extra money? )

1. Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 AMD (16") /82wm0006us)- 32 GB RAM (doesn't say if it's expandable), RTX 4070 8GB, Rhyzen7

-------- $1853 (with the higher 240hgz display, HDR 400, 100%sRGB, 500 nits)

This sub was such a big help the last timewe visited NYC — hoping we can get some more recs to make this trip just as delicious!
We are flying to NYC with three kids (including a baby) in tow, which will certainly change some of our criteria (last time, we did Rezdora, Atoboy, Cosme and Casa Mono). However, we will get one dinner out alone as grownups! We are staying on the UES. I’m providing a lot of details here to make it easier to give recommendations, so apologies for the length!
Looking for your recs on:
-The best bakery or easily accessible walk-up food stand in Flushing: We will be at family dinner in Flushing the first night and may have time to visit 1-2 spots after dinner for a quick snack, provided they are located close to each other. We love a good egg tart, or we’d be up for finding interesting dumplings/handheld snack, provided we don’t have to sit down to order.
-A great place for an early dinner 6/16 with kids in Brooklyn or the east side of Lower Manhattan: The wedding is near Brighton Beach so we will be Ubering through Sunset Park and Carroll Gardens via 478 to get home, and then up FDR drive. We have one kid who is a great eater and into trying new foods from different cultures, and one who will be satisfied at any restaurant that offers fruit, French fries or pizza. Our ideal restaurant would have elevated food and good wine or cocktails for us parents, but still be relaxed enough to allow kids. We will go early (like 5pm) and have stuff to distract the kids so they won’t be a bother.
-Best donuts in Manhattan: we will stand in line.
-Dinnedrinks for the parents: I booked the studio tasting for Joomak Banjum 6/17 but I’m now second-guessing myself. We really liked Atoboy and my husband (a chef) got started in pastry so I thought the studio tasting would be a cool experience. I’m worried because it doesn’t seem to be as popular as other choices like Kochi or Jua, and there are always reservations available. Did I make a good choice? If not, please recommend the fine dining selection we should make! Open to anything Michelin-esque /fine dining we could still get into, Brooklyn or Manhattan. I’d also love recommendations for a cocktail bar nearby. Last time we were here, we really enjoyed Amor y Amargo and Death and Co. (Both recs from this sub!)
-Best places to eat lunch or a snack/glass of wine near Central Park: We will be wandering around the area between South Central Park / Times Square / Rockefeller Center with the kids and will have a small stroller. Just looking for good food, don’t need anything elevated. If the Urban Hawker food hall is open, is it authentic and worth trying? Also open to Thai, ramen, pizza, etc. I also have a fantasy of stopping by the Aldo Sohm wine bar or another place where I can get one great glass of wine, but I don’t know if Aldo Sohm is the best place for that. It looks like there are tables set up outside the main bar area that might work with kids.
THANK YOU! I trust this sub more than most of the food critics and am grateful for all your help in guiding us to delicious eats.

So here I am on Reddit looking for some good advice on what your personal favorites/preferences are. I'm overly exhausted trying to make a judgment call on Google reviews. Zooming in on Google maps to see "hidden gems" and etc.
I've figured out some amazing spots like bavette's & Siam noodles for Thai. But my research and ability only goes so far and I need your guys help 😂.
Best way to try and explain what's best might be by copy paste categories: (any area in Chicago within reason using the el etc I am open to!)
Favorite Italian:
Chicago style pizza:
Favorite hot dog place:
Favorite Chinese:
Favorite Thai:
Favorite ramen:
Favorite steakhouses/steak:
Favorite Mexican:
Favorite Indian:
Favorite Ethiopian:
Favorite place to get sandwiches:
Favorite breakfast:
Favorite dessert spot(ice cream or bakery?):
I appreciate all answers and the admin if this thread stays up.. Thank you again.
I'm sure this isn't an original post, but I find Reddit posts 6 years later doing sub niche research often. Maybe it can be an updated stepping stone. I tried to break it down by category this time instead of the bland "where do I go"

Hi everyone I'm an architect and currently doing my masters in Interior design and am looking to switch from a 2015 MacBook Pro which I have been using for the past 8 years to a Windows laptop which I hope to use for a similar number of years. (I know it's too old, but better late than never 😅)
The programs I use the most are AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino, Vray, Adobe Suite (photoshop illustrator and InDesign), and most of them at the same time simultaneously. Also hoping to start using Revit once I have a Windows.
Since this is my first time purchasing a Windows computer, would really appreciate your suggestions!!
The laptops I've shortlisted have similar specs, which one of these do you think would be the best bang for the buck with a color-accurate display something comparable to a MacBook? Any more suggestions are welcome too!
I am considering a 32 gb ram as the base and hopefully, something that looks a little professional and does not have too much of the RGB lighting as usually seen in gaming laptops😅. Loved the Razer blades, but they are too expensive 😢.
The top 4 laptops I have been able to shortlist are as follows -

1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 (2023) GU604 - 16GB RAM expandable to 64 GB, RTX 4080 12 GB, i9

-------- $2699 (the specs are great, but cost wise it is a bit of a stretch )

1. Alienware m15 R7 - 32 GB RAM expandable to 64 GB, RTX 3080Ti 16GB, i7 , QHD display

-------- $2299

1. ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 - 32 GB RAM (doesn't say if it's expandable), RTX 4070 8GB, i9

-------- $2599 (Is having a touch screen/stylus-supported trackpad worth shelling out extra money? )

1. Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 AMD (16") /82wm0006us)- 32 GB RAM (doesn't say if it's expandable), RTX 4070 8GB, Rhyzen7

-------- $1853 (with the higher 240hgz display, HDR 400, 100%sRGB, 500 nits)

Today, I stepped out with a friend, who has a very nice startup having some 30 retail stores in different cities, and a very good e-commerce platform since a decade. At times they call me in, for consulting on retail and e-commerce strategy to see their products.
On the same floor as their store, was Uniqlo today. This is Delhi I am talking about, and my friend is a big fan of Uniqlo so pulled me in to buy a shirt.
I wanted to try one on, and while walking down the hallway to the trial chambers, a customer service person pulled me by the arm, and said "one garment at a time". I was carrying just one shirt, and then he noticed that and said "sorry". I started to move again, and he again touched my arm and handed me a placard that said "1", to which I had no clue why.
I took it with me to the trial chamber, and hung it on the side. And tried the shirt, which was too large for me. I came out and told my friend that it's large. She offered me a size smaller, but I said "i'm done". Not going back to the trial chamber again.
My friend kept trying to sell me the brand. I am loyal to a brand that my family has been responsible to bring to India in the 90s, and now we no longer have an association, but I still love their merchandise.
I completely lost interest in Uniqlo. My friend was continuously saying, "their store is large, they need to ensure no shop lifting happens". But I don't agree. I don't think any store representative has the right to touch a customer by the arm. It spoils the entire experience of the store. No matter how large the store is.
I know I am an unimportant customer for a store this large, and it was a Thursday when they are not many customers in the day time. But I felt personally violated, by a stranger touching me like that for no reason.
I ain't no shop lifter. And I am not even arguing that. It's about the experience you are offering to customers. I've done a lot of retail in earlier years. You might have 5% shop lifters in a store this large. But you can't spoil the experience for 95% of the honest customers who walk in. You can't assume that every person is a shop lifter who needs to try a garment.
In contrast, e-commerce offers trials at home. If that's the way forward, stick to e-commerce. Let's not displease customers who are experiencing your brand for the first time.
They say, don't judge a book by the cover. But the first impression is a lasting impression.

My wife (32F) got mad at me (32M) for accepting an offer from her to have a night off from watching our newborn after a deeply overwhelming day and is now wanting a divorce
I've always been a very passive and conflict avoidant person, partly due to being raised by a narcissistic and overbearing mother and partly due to being autistic (late diagnosed just a few years ago). I've just learned that the best way to deal with conflict or frustration is to take all of the blame myself, do more work to avoid conflict starting and then just shut up about it. My wife knows this tendency of mine and uses it against me oftentimes in arguments.
The first way she does it is when we have an argument about something she isn't doing enough of to support me, for example I have watched our child a lot during work (she's a SAHM and I work remotely usually) and wasn't able to get work done because of it or when I ask her if we can hug / touch more often...she usually either blames me not doing enough to make her want to touch me for or not saying something earlier or she goes nuclear and starts saying she's the worst partner / mother and doesn't know why we're together and we need to split up. This happens in so many arguments and it's really triggering for me because 1) I don't want to divorce, I love her and my family 2) I grew up in a house where my parents divorced and always fought. SO, in order to pull her back from the edge, I just stop trying to advocate my needs and try to reassure her that shes amazing and make peace.
The next way she does it is rarer, but hurts a lot more.
It's been a pretty hellish couple of months. Our 2nd child is about 8 weeks old, colicky and hardly sleeps. Since his birth I've taken on all of the night feedings and let my wife sleep 8-12 hours a night while I only get 2-3 between feedings. Yesterday I had to drive into work (a 3 hour commute total), when I got home I immediately took the newborn off of her because she was overwhelmed. Tried to get him settled down, which after an hour or so of scream crying and light sleeping, wasn't happening.
During that I got a message from my sister. She had a CT scan and they found a very dangerous infection in her nasal cavity that could kill her, they were surprised she was still functional. They're scheduling emergency surgery, but it's still a little ways out. On top of that I found out earlier that day that my dad is getting emergency knee surgery and won't be able to see me on Father's Day, which is was really looking forward to as I haven't seen him in over a year and a half.
I got overwhelmed, it was too much. Gently put baby down. She asked me what was up and I told her. I'm so burned out and started crying and fell on the floor. She came and...patted me on the head. She told me not to worry about cooking dinner (I do it 99% of the time) or taking care of night feeding. I cry for awhile as she just stands there and baby wakes up again, she goes and gets him while I make dinner. Once dinner is ready she gets upset because she has to hold him and wants to eat. So I take baby and get him settled down. She told me to get some sleep instead, I told her I don't think I'd be able to sleep because of all that was going on.
After getting baby asleep I came back out and talked with her a little bit about it. She kept on trying to find solutions when I just wanted to hug and be comforted. Eventually sleep came back up again and I told her I'd take care of him or I could just sleep a few hours and then take care of him. She insisted that she had him and then told me she didn't want to keep arguing about it. I said finally said okay.
She then immediately got mad and short with me, saying she needed to go take care of him and she can't comfort me. She then left me without saying good night or anything. Hurt, but tired, I went to bed thinking I'd sleep a little bit. Set my alarm for 2am and kept my clothes on incase I needed to take over, she came back in angerly to grab a pillow and didn't speak to me. Sleeping pill kicked in and next thing I know she's waking me up 2 hours later telling me angerly I need to take care of him. So I get up and do so.
Now it's the morning after and I told her how that hurt me and how she was using my needs against me. She just had excuses and then after those ran out she told me "this isn't working", knowing what "this" is (our marriage) because of how many times she does this I just walked away.
I'm just so fucking tired and anxious. It feels like the only choices I ever get when we fight is to shut up and listen to her needs and work my ass off to address them or get threatened with divorce because I communicate my needs.
How do I communicate with her better and in a way that she doesn't feel defensive and doesn't try to nuke our relationship constantly?
Tldr: I've been overwhelmed by taking care of our newborn all night for months. Upon learning about my sister having a potentially fatal infection I got even more overwhelmed. My wife offered to watch our newborn that night and then got upset and angry at me when I finally accepted her offer. Now she's saying she wants to separate after a fight. I need help finding better ways to communicate with her.

22F.
I don't care what other people think of me reputation-wise at all anymore but as a younger teenager I did a lot. If someone tells me they are very successful it used to intimidate me and make me upset but now I just could not care less and don't even care if I hear it.
I'm honestly pretty content-even when I had some successes I wasn't as happy as I am at present...
But admittedly I'm still building my career and I'm not super successful-so is this just a defense mechanism to that?
I've heard of ppl doing like amazing stuff and I just don't get jealous or care anymore-I just think well, good for them, but it's not my life so why should I care? And if they're happy or not, why should I care?? I'm just worried about whether I'm happy or not and whether I'll be able to do what I wanna do.
This is my question-is this bc I'm not super successful rn that I'm telling myself this to feel better? Or are these valid, healthy thoughts? It surprises me that I've developed this thinking bc I used to constantly think about it. I also stopped posting on social media and viewing others' social media if I know them IRL. I follow blogs and people I don't know for makeup, fashion, entertainment, etc. but I never try to look up what ppl I know are doing bc I just think, well, if they're happy or unhappy how is that gonna make me happy? I don't necessarily even get "pleasure" from their downfall anymore.
I'm also afraid to tell ppl successes if I do have them bc I don't want attention (but I used to want attention so much!!!) and I don't want to deal with them asking me questions and "praying on my downfall" I also again, just don't care bc I think well, just bc they think something doesn't make it true, they don't know the entire story/whether I'm happy or not and not everything is a competition? Even if they think I'm unhappy and develop some "pleasure" from it I don't care bc Idk? How is their opinion going to effect my life if they're not paying me money or something lol? Now I wonder why I used to care ab what other ppl were doing, but is that just my defense mechanism for not being successful at present?
I just want to be economically successful so I can live quietly in a nice secluded big house with a small family and not be involved in any gossip circles, go on shopping sprees, read, or even honestly just take tests or try to pick up a new skill and achieve my personal best. Like even tho I take exams and I don't top anything or outscore a lot of ppl I feel really satisfied with figuring something out or getting questions right that I couldn't get right before. I'm still searching for a personal hobby that has this effect. I used to play tennis but honestly the social element bothers me lately lol I don't wanna hear the gossip.
Is this healthy?