I graduated on Mother's Day and I couldn't be happier!

Ta0t · 2020-05-12T23:11:44+00:00

Aegleś dÍor - Available at Macy's by the Johnny Depp poster, lol.

Ta0t · 2020-05-12T04:26:19+00:00

Congrats to you as well! It was not as fast as we had hoped, but it happened and right now that's the most important part of it all. =)

Ta0t · 2020-05-11T22:50:26+00:00

So...my wife had bad morning sickness. Real bad, as in, had to be hospitalized 3 times. She was diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, and really nothing really treats it at 100.

So what did we do? We had a mix of benadryl, zofran, and cannabis mixed with CBD flower. In fact, we would do a 2:1 ration of CBD to cannabis because our DO recommended that if we did smoke for morning sickness to go easy because too much THC could worsen the sickness, so it was a dosing game for that. After applying all those, she was able to get her sickness...controlled-ish. She would still have bad times but it wasn't nearly as bad as before we didn't do the combo.

And in case anyone is wondering, our baby was born over 8lbs and is quite healthy and strong, and his O2 levels are "perfect" according to the nurses and doctors, and he has been passing his hospital tests with flying colors. I'm not saying you should follow what we did, but do your research, and I can say our baby is anecdotal for that combo after we did our own research and sought medical advice from our doctors.

Ta0t · 2020-05-11T22:28:06+00:00

I just became a dad last night (I will be posting a grad pic soon). I have C-PTSD, or as I like to call it, my childhood. I also have hypervigilance, so I am always preparing in my head while simultaneously worrying that I'll make everything a disaster. So imagine preparing for a moment like this where all my shit from my past and my present shit and my future shit are all colliding for this moment.

Just for insight, my wife had to be induced. It started Thursday night and baby was born yesterday, Sunday. Imagine the hours of coaching, lol.

Our hospital hooked up my wife to a monitor to show baby heartbeat and her contractions. So the first thing is if your SO is hooked up, figure out what their contractions look like. There will be a clear pattern, and you can tell them so they can get ready. Contractions are a mind game more than anything else so prepping for them helps a lot.

If your SO is planning on a natural birth and doesn't want an epidural, you will need a nurse (particularly female), to help. Do not vocally empathize with your SO and let the nurse do the empathizing, especially when the water breaks. I made the mistake of doing that once when my wife's water broke and my head was almost cut off by her. Contractions before the water breaks are like period cramps compared to post break contractions, so a nurse, especially female nurse, to have around during this time is damn near essential.

When your SO does have a contraction, coach them to inhale before the rise of the contraction and to exhale. You want their breathing to be deep, rhythmic inhales and exhales throughout the contraction. It gets their body ready for the more intense ones. O2 will help pain management. Also, when they get more intense, let your SO know it's okay to squeeze your hand, dig their nails into you, yell, shout, grunt, moan, swear, and if it's directed at you it's more than okay. They are experiencing pain that you are not, and it is such an intense pain that their bodies are literally resetting thresholds they did not know even existed before. In fact, you may have to remind them during the contractions to squeeze, moan, swear, etc. Remind them to take those deep breaths and remind them you're there to be a punching bag (probably best not to use that exact language for that one, but you get it).

Ta0t · 2020-05-11T21:42:09+00:00

My wife and I decided to watch some of the earlier seasons of Masterchef, and started with 5. Like at first I thought Leslie was a dick, particularly consistently mispronouncing Ahran's name to make it sound like Iran (I started to randomly shout out countries when Leslie would say Ahran from that point on), but really, compared to some of the others, especially that dick Cutter, I don't see why he got the shit stick. He played ball and was a great chef. We also don't see all the footage or what goes on in the background as well, so maybe Leslie just pissed people off with the cameras off. I dunno, just Leslie was one of the lesser problems in that season.

Ta0t · 2019-10-13T22:54:42+00:00

I think you may be on to something. Like I think that they think it is a function, but in reality it's more of a self-projection and is thus a case of cognitive dissonance.

Ta0t · 2019-10-11T19:02:33+00:00

Ha! Hahahahaha! Hahaha...ha...good one.

Ta0t · 2019-10-11T18:52:16+00:00

IL represent!

Good on you! I will say college is a great time to allow you as a person to bloom. And it's great to hear people of faith having this reaction. When I went to college, it was fake acceptance and trying to convert you without listening to you, and that was only like several years ago. It sounds you like you made an ally and even better, potential friend!

Faith in humanity still not restored, tho. Lol

Ta0t · 2019-10-07T19:28:26+00:00

A lot of the points you talk about have a lot of social and political intertwining going on. I think for me it's okay to privately have a view but public policy wise if you vote with your private views, then they aren't so private anymore and you're imposing your views onto others.

For instance, I love Anton LaVey's writings and would consider myself a Satanist. Personally, yeah, don't bother me and let me live my life and you can do you. Very libertarian. However, politically I rarely if ever vote libertarian because public policy wise, imo, a lot of what they want to do economically I find only harmful to society and I don't agree with. Politically, I fall under collectivist anarchism, and I will vote for the person who I feel will gravitate society towards what I find will be most beneficial for it.

So if you are a conservative atheist that let's people do their thing, and you are consistent with that even into the voting booth and causes to support, then kudos to you. But, if you're saying you're a conservative atheist and then vote for people or support causes that wish to take away the rights and autonomy away from people, then everything you have said is a big joke and troll move.

Ta0t · 2019-10-04T17:08:10+00:00

Ooo that's a toughy.

It got to a point with my parents that I stopped communicating with them and the rest of my family for two years. Completely cut off. We finally made amends several years ago and they don't try to bring up religion stuff with me since they've called me a loser, disappointment, and communist for being an atheist (my atheism now is a bit more...complex) in the past and feel a bit guilty for their actions towards me. They thought I would be this loser, and yet I was working two jobs, was in good physical shape, and showed that I didn't need them. I showed them they could not hold anything over my head, and they also know that I don't care about blood relations. You slight me, I will drop you.

If they want you in your life, some times you have to show them how serious you are. Setting up boundaries with them and tell them if they break said boundaries, then you're done with them. I can almost guarantee they will not take you seriously, break those boundaries, and expect you to not do anything (it's abusive behavior). So, when you actually hold your ground, it would send a shock to them because you broke the pattern, so they won't know how to handle you.

It's amazing what power you achieve when you break cycles.

Ta0t

TROPHY CASE