u/Important_Range7737

So, I don’t get on Reddit much. When I do, it’s largely for the game day posts in my favorite sports team’s subreddit. Also, I used to be on Reddit under a different account many many years ago, and…well….if I’m being completely honest, this sub does not look like the same place it was a decade or so ago.

What I remember of this sub from so long ago was that it was very unfriendly to LGBTQ folk, very pro-Trump, and very conservative overall in nature. Not to dig too hard on my beloved Catholic brothers and sisters (from which my theological roots are), but it was more akin to the main Catholic subs of today (in that they seem to be overwhelmed with Traditionalists who completely reject anything “liberal” (in the modern American political sense - i.e. “the left”) - not the historic philosophy).

Now you guys have a rainbow avatar, LGBTQ flairs, seem to be pretty inclusive, and, if I’m being completely honest, like good people.

As a Contemplative Christian and a gay man, it’s…refreshing.

Maybe I’m mistaking and confusing this for another sub. If so, please accept my compliments regardless. But I’m pretty sure this is the same sub from my memories.

Anyway, I guess that’s it. You guys seem cool. ✌️

So, I’m looking to purchase the first jersey since I was about 6 years old (for context, I’m in my 40s). I am so lost on the sizing and styles and I’m hoping to get some help.

I’m 5’10 and 170# and typically wear a large in t-shirts and dress shirts. Despite my small waist, it’s rare I can fit into a medium since I carry most of my mass in my chest (not fat or anything, just barrel chested. Imagine an upside-down pear with toothpicks for legs and you’ll essentially have an image of me).

This being said, I also prefer my shirts to not be terribly long or to be too baggy. The more tapered, the better as shirts tend to hang off my chest and parachute around the waist (not a flattering look, I assure you. I frequently look like one of those 90s singing ghost things that you’d hang in your porch during Halloween because it’s so hard to find tapered shirts).

So, here are my questions:

1. What are the differences between the Replica and the Limited jerseys?
2. Which would be best for a person who is half-pear and half-man?
3. Are the sizings similar to regular shirt sizing?

Again, thank you!

Hey everyone. First of all, I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been a wild year all around the world for so many of us, so I pray that if you’re reading this that you’re safe, healthy, and in good spirits.

I wanted to bring up a topic which was spurred on by a post I saw earlier on reddit, but is also something I see which is commonly misunderstood in conversations within our religious community (digitally and in-person).

What I’m referring to is the “dark night of the soul.”

Whenever I see people using this term, it’s almost always used incorrectly outside of academic and monastic circles (myself belonging to the former). Even in several Catholic churches, I have seen priests misuse the term. Most people seem to believe that the “dark night of the soul” implies a period of doubting the existence of God. They view it as a dark phase in one’s life where one becomes so distraught, lost, or depressed to the point that they question the existence and validity of the divine, as if it’s the answer to the question of “Why would God allow this?”.

The meaning of the phrase is more akin to an existential or spiritual crisis that involves the stripping away of one's previous ways of experiencing and understanding the divine. While doubt can be a part of it, it isn’t always, nor is it the root meaning of the term.

This being said, doubt or a crisis of faith (not to be confused with the aforementioned term “spiritual crisis”) aren’t the best descriptors to use. One can feel detached from the divine without having doubts of faith. In fact, one of the central experiences of the dark night is having a deep sense of sadness at not feeling unified with the divine despite having profound faith. One can have a strong belief in God while simultaneously lacking the sensory or emotional experience of God's presence. It is that conflict between profound faith and a profound sense of isolation that can lead to disintegration and detachment. In other words, the strong belief coupled with the loss or absence of one's previous spiritual experiences.

This is actually reflected in context within John of the Cross's poem “Dark Night,” (which is where the term originated) which describes the soul as being “fired with love's urgent longings” while moving through darkness toward the Beloved. The darkness is therefore not necessarily a darkness of unbelief but rather being no longer able to rely upon the familiar ways in which one previously experienced or understood God. The journey ultimately leads toward better union with the divine rather than originating or ending in disbelief.

A Franciscan friar and friend of mine once described it as eating your favorite food every day, knowing how much you love it, but not being able to taste it. This is opposed to a lack of food or doubt in the existence of food. The suffering comes precisely because you still love and desire what you can no longer experience in the same way.

I hope this helps clarify a few things and aids you on your journey.

Pax et Bonum

As you can guess, I enjoy counting cards. Over the years, I have noticed that more and more casinos are utilizing CSMs (which makes counting virtually impossible) and it’s gotten to the point where it is exceptionally difficult to find a casino that doesn’t use them.

Do y’all know of any places in the Vegas strip that don’t use CSMs?

Between the random prophesy posts, AI generated essays, celebrity worship nonsense, and the nonsensical rants by what appears to be people struggling with mental illness, this sub seems have taken a dark turn in the past several months.

I got accepted back in April and am about to start school in a few weeks. The first meeting thereafter they scheduled was supposed to be a few months ago. They canceled that one last minute and scheduled a new one for a few days ago (which they were a no-show).

Luckily they sent the POs and such to the school for Fall, so I’m good to go there. But I have had to figure out everything on my own. No one explained the PO process (or even that POs were a thing for this), or how to get books and supplies, or anything. I have literally had to rely on asking my school questions in order to figure out how this all works. Thank god my school has good people who have been able to help me.

I consider myself a student of Christian mysticism. At the heart of my understanding of God is love. The two are so inseparable that I believe that love is the direct path to the divine. Furthermore, I strive to live by this in my life. It affects everything about me, from my diet, to my friendships and relationships, to my education and career, and so much more. I try to root everything I say and do in love. 

As I have aged I have become more and more disconnected with the Christian community as a whole due to how hate-filled and toxic it is. 

One example is the response to the recent desecration of the Mother Mary statue in Bosnia. While some have responded with mercy, forgiveness, and charity, the overwhelming majority have reacted as if it is a call to war. “Put on the armor of God and destroy these evil Satanists” one comment read (despite the suspect who desecrated the statue being a devout Christian himself). 

I see this kind of sentiment everywhere. The hatred many Christians show toward their neighbors and strangers alike is nauseating. I have seen the ugliest behavior toward immigrants, LGBTQ folk, non-ChristIans (and fellow Christians!), racial minorities, and the poor. 

Their behavior seems like the antithesis of everything Jesus and the mystics taught and understood. 

It hurts my heart. 

On June 22nd, 1941, the Nazis waged war against the USSR under Operation Barbarossa. in the following weeks, hundreds of thousands of Russians were killed by the fascists, prompting an urgent need for unification and resistance.

On July 4th, Stalin addressed his people via radio broadcast. I think many parts of his speech rings a lot of bells in our modern consciousness as we are facing our own fascist crisis here at home.

……………………………………………………………………………….

Comrades! Citizens! Brothers and sisters! Fighters of our Army and Navy!

I am addressing you, my friends!

The perfidious military attack on our Motherland, begun on June 22 by Hitler’s Germany, continues. Despite the heroic resistance of the Red Army, and although the enemy’s finest divisions and air forces have already been smashed and have found their graves on the battlefield, the enemy continues to push forward, throwing fresh forces into the attack. Hitler’s troops have succeeded in occupying Lithuania, a considerable part of Latvia, the western part of Belorussia, and part of western Ukraine. The fascist air force is expanding the areas of operation of its aircraft and is bombing Murmansk, Orsha, Mogilev, Smolensk, Kyiv, Odessa, and Sevastopol. A grave danger hangs over our country.

How could it happen that our glorious Red Army surrendered a number of our cities and districts to the fascist troops? Is it really true that the German fascist troops are invincible, as the incessantly boasting fascist propagandists claim?

Of course not! History shows that there are no invincible armies and never have been. Napoleon’s army was considered invincible, yet it was defeated in turn by the Russian, English, and German armies. Kaiser Wilhelm’s German army during the First World War was also considered invincible, yet it was defeated several times by the Russian and Anglo-French troops and was finally crushed by the Anglo-French troops. The same must be said of Hitler’s present German fascist army. This army has not yet encountered serious resistance on the continent of Europe. Only on our territory has it met serious resistance. And if, as a result of this resistance, the best divisions of Hitler’s fascist army have been defeated by our Red Army, this means that the Hitlerite fascist army can and will be defeated just as the armies of Napoleon and Wilhelm were defeated.

As for the fact that part of our territory has nevertheless been seized by the German fascist troops, this is chiefly because the war of fascist Germany against the U.S.S.R. began under conditions favorable for the German troops and unfavorable for the Soviet troops. The fact is that Germany, as a country already at war, had already mobilized its army, while the Soviet Union, pursuing its policy of peace, had not yet had to mobilize and was still in the process of doing so. It was also important that fascist Germany treacherously violated the nonaggression pact concluded in 1939 and attacked our country without declaring war, calculating that it would thereby gain time and secure an advantage for its troops. It gained a temporary advantage, but at the cost of exposing itself politically before the whole world as the aggressor.

There can be no doubt that this temporary military advantage for Germany is only an episode, while the tremendous political advantage gained by the Soviet Union is a lasting and decisive factor that must determine the future course of the war.

Our cause is just. The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours.

The war with fascist Germany cannot be regarded as an ordinary war. It is not only a war between two armies. It is at the same time a great war of the entire Soviet people against the German fascist forces. The aim of this national war against the fascist oppressors is not only to eliminate the danger hanging over our country, but also to help all the peoples of Europe who are groaning under the yoke of German fascism. In this war of liberation we shall not stand alone. In this great war we shall have faithful allies among the peoples of Europe and America, including the German people themselves who have been enslaved by the Hitlerite rulers.

We must immediately reorganize all our work on a war footing, subordinating everything to the interests of the front and the task of organizing the defeat of the enemy.

The peoples of the Soviet Union now see that German fascism is savage and relentless in its fury and hatred toward our Motherland, which has ensured labor, freedom, and well-being for all working people. The peoples of the Soviet Union must rise against the enemy and defend their rights, their land, and their homes.

The Red Army, the Red Navy, and all citizens of the Soviet Union must defend every inch of Soviet soil, fight to the last drop of blood for our towns and villages, and display the courage, initiative, and intelligence that are inherent in our people.

We must organize all-round assistance to the Red Army, ensure the replenishment of its ranks, secure the supply of everything it needs, organize the rapid transport of troops and military cargoes, and provide broad assistance to the wounded.

We must strengthen the Red Army’s rear, subordinating all our work to this cause. All enterprises must work with greater intensity and produce more rifles, machine guns, artillery, ammunition, aircraft, tanks, and other military equipment. We must organize the protection of factories, power stations, telephone and telegraph communications, and establish effective air raid defense.

We must wage a ruthless struggle against all disorganizers of the rear, deserters, panic-mongers, and rumor-mongers. We must destroy spies, diversionists, and enemy parachutists, rendering every possible assistance in this to our extermination battalions. We must remember that the enemy is cunning, unscrupulous, experienced in deception, and in spreading false rumors. We must take all this into account and not succumb to provocation.

Anyone who, through panic or cowardice, interferes with the defense of the country, regardless of who he is, must be brought immediately before a military tribunal.

In areas occupied by the enemy, partisan detachments, mounted and foot, must be organized. Sabotage groups must be formed to fight enemy units, stir up partisan warfare everywhere, blow up bridges and roads, damage telephone and telegraph communications, and set fire to forests, warehouses, and transports. Conditions must be made unbearable for the enemy and all his accomplices, who must be pursued and destroyed at every step.

In the event of a forced withdrawal of Red Army units, all rolling stock must be evacuated. The enemy must not be left a single locomotive, a single railway car, a single pound of grain, or a single gallon of fuel. Collective farmers must drive off all livestock and turn over their grain to the safekeeping of the state for transport to the rear. All valuable property that cannot be removed must be destroyed without fail.

In the occupied regions, conditions must be created that are unbearable for the enemy and all his accomplices. They must be hounded and annihilated at every step, and all their measures disrupted.

Comrades! Our forces are innumerable. The arrogant enemy will soon learn this. Together with the Red Army, many thousands of workers, collective farmers, and intellectuals are rising to wage war against the attacking foe. Millions of our people are already beginning to rise.

Comrades! Citizens! Brothers and sisters! Fighters of our Army and Navy!

All our forces must be united in support of our heroic Red Army and our glorious Red Navy.

All the forces of the people must be mobilized to crush the enemy.

Forward, to our victory!

So, I’m probably the odd one out here in that I don’t really use social media like most people do.

- I quit Facebook in 2017.

- I quit Instagram a little over a year ago.

- I only use Reddit to follow my local area as well as my favorite baseball team, and only commenting during game threads.

- I do have a YouTube account, but I follow maybe two dozen channels (most of them being education-adjacent).

- I don’t use any other social media and never have (minus MySpace waaaay back in the day).

- Also, I don’t read or follow any news or politics And haven’t in nearly two years. As someone who has PTSD and anxiety (I’m a combat veteran), I have learned that it’s just not healthy for me to occupy my mind with things outside of my control like that.

But here’s the thing: Even Reddit and YouTube have become toxic wastelands for me. The sheer amount of rudeness on Reddit is staggering. I have been on Reddit (off and on) since its inception, and I have witnessed firsthand just how cruel people have become on here over time, but especially over the past decade or so. YouTube comments haven’t gotten quite as bad, but they’re still bad enough to the point that I installed an extension that hides all comment sections.

Furthermore, what I have also noticed is that the people in my life who spend the most time online are the very same people who are the most unhappy and have also become the most hostile in their offline lives, as if social media has transformed their worldview into a war zone.

It’s not just the incivility and aggression that bothers me, it’s also how blatantly misleading social media has become, and how gullible people have become to misinformation. YouTube is being inundated with AI slop, grifters, misinformation, and just plain stupidity. And, honestly, Reddit isn’t much better. Local community subs have become battlegrounds where people attack others based little more than hearsay. One person falls for an AI video or some obviously false article, and then proceeds to go online and weaponize their own misinformation against others. It’s absolutely wild and devastatingly discouraging.

Social media is anything but social due to just how anti-social it makes people, myself included. The more I‘m online, the less I want anything to do with others. And that’s not normal or healthy. It’s doing the same thing to me that I see it doing to others.

So, yeah…I‘m honestly thinking about just ditching Reddit and YouTube completely. While some good does come from them, it really feels like the scales are tipping and that the net cost outweighs the benefits. I honestly cannot remember the last time I logged on Reddit or YouTube and felt better about myself or the world I live in when I logged off.

This isn’t a goodbye post (yet). Just wanted to get my thoughts out there and maybe have a small discussion first.

How do y’all feel about everything? How do you feel about Reddit and YouTube? What keeps you on here?

I spent over a decade (nearly two) dealing with the side effects of pretty bad PTSD and anxiety from my two combat deployments in Iraq. I was so avoidant of MH pills because of a bad experience with I had very long ago. Years of therapy helped a little along the way, but things just kept getting worse. It was always one step forward and two steps back.

Finally about a year ago I finally sought help from the VA when I reached the end of my rope, lost my job, and was ready to see myself out. Over the past year, I tried a few pharmaceutical options (mainly ssris and snris) but, just like before, they didn’t sit right with me. The physical and mental side effects did not outweigh the benefits for me personally (everyone‘s biology is different).

But then I asked about other treatment options. Not gonna name them here, but I started taking two meds that are used off-label for PTSD and anxiety, and man, they have changed my life so much for the better. Night and day difference in my quality of life just over the past few months. I‘m less angry, less explosive, less anxious, and less depressed now. I was told that I’m also a better and more loving husband now because of it than I ever was able to be in the past.

So, if you’re running the gamut and feeling helpless, please don’t give up. Keep exploring and asking questions to your MH team. Doing so saved my life and I hope it saves others.

I have been tracking my sleep via Apple’s native sleep app for about a year now (Apple Watch Series 7). One trend I noticed over that time is that it was consistently saying that I was waking up 15+ times per night for about 2-5 minutes each time. After researching on here and talking to a few folks elsewhere online, I thought maybe I have sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder. So, a little over a two months ago I reached out to my PCP who referred me to somnologist (aka sleep doctor).

Fast forward to last week and I go in for the sleep study. I asked if I could wear my Apple Watch and they were reluctant (because they were afraid it might cause sleep interruptions) but said yes as long as it was assured I had it set appropriately as to not interfere.

The sleep study itself was kind of a cool experience. It’s amazing the tech we have nowadays, and it made me feel like a cyborg With all the electrodes connected everywhere. The one complaint I did have was that the room was a little too cold for my liking. But it is what it is. In the end, the quality of sleep felt similar to what I got at home, so that was good. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sleep well being in an unfamiliar place and wired up. But it was fine.

Anyway, I had my follow up to review the data on Friday. It has been confirmed that I do NOT have a sleep disorder. I don’t snore. I don’t have bad sleeping habits. I don’t drink. I don’t have sleep apnea. I don’t have a circadian rhythmic disorder. Etc.

During the sleep study, I did fully wake up twice over a 7.5 period, roughly three hours apart. My Apple Watch says I woke up *18 times*. My doctor estimated that the watch may be mistaking small hand and finger movements during REM stages (which are normal and common) for being awake because they seem to largely coincide with the periods I was in REM sleep. Additionally, REM cycles are clinically normal. During the study, my Apple Watch recorded 1 REM cycle as opposed to the 5 recorded by the study.

There are a few smaller discrepancies but those are the two big ones that stood out the most. Thought I’d share in case it helps anyone else out there.

I’m still going to wear my watch because I do think it helps with tracking my bedtimes and rise times, which helps me stay on a good schedule. But as for the sleep data itself, I will no longer be giving it any consideration given that I now have confirmation that it’s not representative of my actual sleep.

Edit: One user mentioned that my watch may be defective. This is definitely something to consider, and I will be reaching out to Apple about.

Edit 2: Some of y’all need to relax. The dms I have received from this post are just….wow. Guys, I am merely sharing my experience. I have no beef with Apple (seeing that ALL of my digital devices are Apple), so please stop with the assumptions. There is absolutely zero reason you should be making wild assumptions ans insults about me based off this post. I am merely pointing out the discrepancies with, primarily, the sleep stages on my device. I am not trying to “extrapolate it across an entire population”. And seeing that this tends to be a common concern among many users, I thought I’d share my end. Relax. Geez.

Last Spring, a hummingbird nested in our star jasmine which grows on our front porch. She had two fledglings. She came back again this year and built a nest right next to her old one (which we left up), and had two more fledglings. We were so happy she came back! They were born about five days ago and we were elated with joy when they popped their little heads up. And Mamma bird was used to us, and never fled when we would pass by. It was like she felt our porch was a safe space.

But I noticed yesterday that she wasn’t around, which was odd. But I waited and waited. Finally, tonight, a whole 36 hours of not seeing her, we decided to check the nest only to find it empty.

The only explanation is that a predator found the nest.

Look, I’m a grown ass man. I served in Iraq twice. I have been through a lot in my life. I’ve been wounded, I’ve lost friends, and I’ve most all of my family. My mom died when I was 24. I am covered in tattoos. I go skydiving and motorcycle riding for fun. And most people consider me a pretty stoic and “tough” guy.

Despite it all, I am heartbroken. I have been fighting back tears for the past half hour…albeit unsuccessfully. I know nature will do what nature does, but fuck…this one hit me hard. We have become attached to the mamma bird, and to her little babies over the past two years. So losing this year’s babies is…well….I can’t find any other word than heartbreaking.

That’s all. I just needed to put my grief into words.

edit: Thank you all for your kindness.

I just discovered this sub a few days ago. I don’t use any social media other than Reddit and YouTube (if that even counts) because of how commonplace misinformation and its resulting ignorance have become over my lifetime. And even here on reddit, I primarily only use this app to follow my MLB team and a tiny handful of academia-adjacent subreddits. So, it’s refreshing to find a digital community of likeminded, educated folk all in one little subreddit. It was you who helped me see through some of the hokey I was following on YouTube.

Glad to be here.

I went to my first Padres game at Petco Park tonight and had such a fun time! I was born and raised in Houston and have been a lifelong Astros fan (family tradition—and no, I don’t recognize 2017 as being a legitimate WS win). I live in California now and I have to say that the Padres team and fanbase have earned a very special place in my heart. The more I learn about the team, the more I like them. And seriously, I have been to dozens of games around the country and you guys are the friendliest, most wholesome fans I have ever encountered.

Thank you all for a great time tonight.

Let‘s go Padres!

I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it.

Cons:

- I’d be driving from OC.

- The only tix available are in the upper 310s-320s.

- It’s be easily over $200 after tix and parking. (Me and my hubby)

Pros:

- Pride night 🌈

- It’d be my first time at Petco Park

I want to go but I’m struggling to pull the trigger.

What would you do?

EDIT: Thank you, everyone! I pulled the trigger. We will see you guys tomorrow!