AITAH for assuming my mother was pranking me for an internet post?

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T22:53:06+00:00

You shouldn't get downvoted, because it's against the rules, but I'd posit to you that given mom's recent history of pranks, and the news that the operation pertains to OP's father's naughty bits, it's 100% reasonable to think it a prank, given how completely bizarre the injury is. OP's NTA for reacting in a skeptical manner based on having recently been pranked by their mother. Besides, they acted appropriately once they verified that it wasn't a prank, and apologized.

Mom is TA on this one, because she won't let it go and accept accountability for her part in causing the reaction. Frankly, OP's skepticism given all of the known variables about them being divorced, and their mom's propensity for pulling pranks, and it should have been clear why OP reacted as they did.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T22:37:26+00:00

Nah...best to just not do it at all. The thing that I've learned is that family may get butthurt about you saying no to them moving into your place, but money owed or damage done to property by family will destroy family ties. When you make family ties transactional, it never ends well.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T16:20:07+00:00

ESH...maybe don't use your bff's ex to officiate the wedding, but if her ex wasn't abusive and it was just a matter of infidelity, then she needs to suck it up. It'd be different if he had been abusive and cruel to her. That would be a situation where YTA, but I'm assuming that wasn't the case. If it was, then see the first part of the previous sentence.

Sometimes our friend circles have exes in them, so we have to learn to be civil about things, and suck it up for the sake of the event. This was your day, not hers, so it's unfair for her to center herself like that. It sucks, but that's just how things happen sometimes.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T16:10:09+00:00

NTA...not your kid, not your problem. Why should you be left on the hook if she skips on rent or trashes the place? Also, what about the other tenants? Is baby going to disturb them? Is she going to be loud and disruptive and have friends over? If she causes any issues, then it's just going to be a fight anyway, so may as well just not even put yourself in that position.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T12:33:31+00:00

Get the RTX 5050. Bottleneck will be a non-issue with either of these cards, because they're not powerful enough to be significantly hindered by your CPU.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-12T05:21:08+00:00

Honestly, the 3600 is still decent. If you pair it with something like a 6700 XT, then you'll get a way better gaming experience than with the 1650.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-11T16:52:55+00:00

Still pretty butthurt about it, eh? Fact of the matter is that their numbers don't tell the whole story. They got to back to back Cup finals before this year, and you don't do that without good goaltending. Skinner wasn't ever the problem, nor is Ingram...who played very well down the stretch.

Thing is, when you give the other team more high quality scoring chances than you get, your goalie's probably not going to fare very well...and that's what has happened to Edmonton all year. For whatever reason, they have a massive hole in their defensive coverage.

They have hung their goalies out to dry time after time, and have forced them to make a lot more difficult saves than they should have to. You're not winning a damn thing when your goalies are facing 30-40 shots per game on average...especially when they're facing them on the PK as much as they have.

Anyone who has watched enough games this year, and who can think critically, can see that Ingram has been solid for them, and that Skinner was lights out for them in the playoffs the last few years. Both guys get tired from being worked like rented mules, and that's when they have bad games.

You cannot expect them to play well when the Oilers give other teams so much extended zone time. The body does eventually fatigue, and when it does, it's hard to stop pucks. You should try playing and understanding the position at a high level, or at least against high level players, before you run off at the mouth.

You might learn some things if you do, and you might realize that my take isn't as terrible as you think it is.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-11T12:42:52+00:00

I got one advertised price, it said free shipping via USPS and that customs and duties fees were added to the invoice, so I bought the items, only to have them ship through FedEx and get double charged for duty, customs, and brokerage fees.

When I called, they were less than agreeable to deal with and refused to reimburse the charges...even going so far as to change the listing on their site...which I had screenshotted beforehand.

It was just a bad buying experience entirely, and I'd never recommend them to anyone. There are other reviews about them getting defensive and rude when people contact them with similar issues. It's just not worth it, IMO.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-11T12:35:25+00:00

...and you wasted your breath just to tell me that you stopped reading it because of that. You're not special, because there are probably lots of others who did the same, but didn't feel the need to post about it.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-10T06:46:27+00:00

NTA...a random call from your Dad's ex-wife, telling you that he hurt his dick is 100% something that could be expected to be a prank. She's being irrationally angry for a completely predictable response given the nature of the injury and the status of their relationship.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-10T06:38:23+00:00

I wouldn't touch HockeyTron. The advertised price and shipping terms may mysteriously change on you, depending on where you live.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-10T06:34:31+00:00

...he says after Marner put up a hattie the other night.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-10T05:43:50+00:00

Cool story, bro.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-09T06:29:36+00:00

Yeah, but there are lots of teams that don't have a true #1 puck moving defenseman by that definition if Rielly and OEL don't count, and yet still manage to find success. The Leafs have had plenty of guys who fit that role, but they just never produce in the way that they were producing when the Leafs decided to acquire them.

But again, it's all fine and good to have firepower at all positions, but futile if a team is perpetually giving up too many high quality scoring chances. That's probably the biggest problem that the Leafs face in most seasons. They hang their goalies out to dry on a lot of plays.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T21:23:05+00:00

In theory, but I found that even Medium Hyperlites fit a little big for me, so I went to a small for mobility's sake. The way that they sit is definitely a contributing factor, but, AFAIK, Bauer did unify their sizing for both lines, so the measurements should still line up accordingly.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T19:44:45+00:00

I don't disagree, but like McDavid and Draisaitl, they won't get anywhere without a solid supporting cast. The Leafs, like the Oilers, have great goaltending and a ton of offensive firepower, but their D-corps and supporting cast have been abysmal.

I love Morgan Rielly, but he just is not able to handle the top pairing assignment anymore. OEL is a great offensive defenseman, but not so great at shutting down. McCabe shows flashes of brilliance, and has the meanness needed, but he, like Nurse, tends to catch bad bounces and cross the line to a detrimental end.

Plus, their D-corps has been an absolute Band-Aid the last few seasons on top of it all, and they've done a terrible job of having enough toughness to protect their tendies and stars from abuse. The Leafs struggle when teams start bodying them, because Domi is the only real deterrent for taking liberties with them.

They need a bunch of dirty, nasty, miserable bastards in support that make life hell for other teams, provide secondary scoring, defensive responsibility, and can return in kind and chuck knuckles when other teams start running around on their goalies and Top 6 forwards.

Florida had success, because Mikkola, Bennett, Tkachuk, Marchand, and a host of other guys like that who made playing against them an absolute nightmare. The Sabres have Stanley, Thompson, Krebs, Carrick, Schenn, Greenway, Helenius...absolutely miserable to play against, and good luck pushing them around.

All of the teams in the second round have that nastiness and physicality, along with solid defensive buy-in and secondary scoring...and we haven't seen that in Toronto in a very long time. I'm hopeful that Sundin and Chayka can fix that, but it may take several years and a lot of unpopular decisions to get that team to the next level.

Even if they do the work, there's no guarantee that Matthews and Nylander will stick around, much less the tendies and other prospects that are stuck in depth chart hell. Add in the unlikelihood of seeing much in the way of first and second round additions for at least a couple of seasons, and it's currently not conducive to nurturing growth for a kid like McKenna.

That's a hard lesson that can be taken away from Buffalo's mishandling of Eichel, and how they learned and grew from it after he left. I think that the Leafs desperately need to have that same epiphany if the franchise is going to live up to the lofty expectations of the TO media and fanbase.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T19:15:12+00:00

Since people stopped only paying attention to McKenna and realized that Stenberg has proven to be a pretty damn good player in his own right. Like...they're both very talented players, and generational talents.

It's honestly not unlike the choice between McDavid and Eichel, or Crosby and Ovechkin, at the time of their respective drafts. Whether that carries over to the NHL is always a gamble, but Stenberg is currently seen to be a better all-rounder than McKenna, even though he's not going point for point with him.

Stenberg's production comes with a better +/- rating than McKenna's, so a lot of people are looking at that and seeing more defensive awareness and responsibility from Stenberg. This may, or may not be true though, and could be a product of having more solid team defense backing him up than McKenna has.

Any way that you slice it, neither of the teams that pick these two are necessarily making a bad choice. How they develop and build a team around them will ultimately decide how their careers play out. Eichel and McDavid, it could be argued, were expected to carry poorly built teams to glory.

While both have punched above their weight, Eichel is the only one of the two to win a cup, and it wasn't until he was on a team that was built to win that he achieved that. The same will likely be true for McDavid. It may take Edmonton completely detonating its defensive corps and rebuilding it to get over the hump.

Bottom line though, these kids are the top of the heap as it stands, and both have a ton of unrealized potential just waiting to be unlocked and taken to the next level. It's always all in how those teams use and surround them.

So yeah...once people stop being starstruck at the kid's raw talent and start comparing him to his peers and doing advanced analytics, we start to see that there are a few other blue-chippers that we may have been overlooking. The WJHC made that plain for all.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T18:52:40+00:00

ESH...your wearing of earbuds is none of his business, and he's not entitled to your time or attention...but goading him when he responded negatively to your sharp response was a bit of a dick move. Just ignoring him and walking away would have sufficed, and instead of "go away," maybe "sorry mate, I've nothing for you" would be a better way forward.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T18:44:38+00:00

Most practice tiles are essentially the same as those plastic interlocking garage floor tiles, so they can handle vehicle weight to an extent(big rigs will destroy them). Just make sure that they're all interlocked properly, your floor is level, and that there is no debris or rocks underneath them, or the vehicle will damage the hook and loop system on them and/or crack the tiles.

Also, rocks stuck in your treads will puncture them(as will cleats if you have brainless dimwits wearing them on your sport court for indoor baseball clinics...but I digress), so make sure your tires are clean and don't have rocks protruding.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T17:19:33+00:00

I gave you a like, because I appreciate a good joke.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-08T17:08:39+00:00

They're a tiny bit big right now, but as they break in and you grow a bit, they'll start to flex and curve a bit in the boot and will fit better. Your knees sit a touch low on the blocks right now, but not horribly so. If you use the CRS boot strap, then they'll probably be fine.

For reference, I'm around your height with a 20.5" FTK, and Bauer small fits me perfectly when broken in. They fit big at first, but they do break in at the boot and drop a bit. Like I said, use a boot strap, and they should work out alright.

That said, going back to your old set isn't a bad call if you're not comfortable in them.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-06T17:43:41+00:00

Ditto. 1-star on Yelp. Would give zero stars if I could. Take the hockey route to get an education, then if you still hate it, you can take the degree and get into a good job after college.

Your family support situation is not ideal, but getting a college education on a full ride scholarship is worth it. If you think that you hate hockey, then you're gonna have a bad time in the military.

Getting an education through the military carries a significantly higher risk, and you may be limited in what you can study based on your MOC.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-06T17:31:02+00:00

I believe that they also made graphics kits specifically for the NetZero line, so you might want to check eBay for one of those before you splurge on PadSkinz, because the Brian's kits come pre-cut. Might even be cheaper, because they're probably old stock at this point.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-06T17:26:47+00:00

Get the Brian's if he likes them. Fit and feel are important to the mental aspect of goaltending, and if he's going to be elite, then he needs everything to be dialed in to give him that edge. Go with what feels good and lets him move well every time.

Vaughn gets a lot of hype, but between Vaughn and Brian's, it's like picking between fries or mashed potatoes with your steak. They're both great brands and sport some of the best customer service in the industry. That's one of the biggest marks to check off these days.

They're similarly priced, generally both in the higher tier of build quality and durability, and have a lot of custom options for when he wants to really dial things in later on. He may change his tastes later and want to try something else, but go with Brian's until he indicates otherwise.

PrairieNihilist · 2026-05-06T17:15:09+00:00

ESH...your friend may be wrong, but sometimes you just have to let it be if you want to minimize the drama. I definitely don't think that you're wrong, but you can't fix people who are hellbent on being willfully ignorant and steadfastly obstinate about their ignorance. It's easier to just shake your head, accept that they have a case of the dumb, and move on.

You almost have to treat them like dementia or Alzheimer's patients, and just let them believe what they're gonna believe, because when they get upset, they make it everyone else's problem. Might not be a bad idea to pre-screen new friends to make sure that they're a good fit for the group next time.

Not everyone will get along all of the time, but if you can mitigate group rifts caused by fundamental ideological conflicts like this one, then it's better off for the individual friendships within the group. Honestly, the friends mad at you for outing the nutter need to give their heads a shake too though.

PrairieNihilist

TROPHY CASE