Posts by Steven Fowler5

Honestly, soda is just pure poison... I mean, why bother? You're better off sticking to some good old-fashioned bourbon; it clears your head and really hits the spot when you need to feel refreshed...👍

I mean, there’s honestly nothing quite like getting a gastroscopy... I've had it done three times now, and they always tell me it feels like I'm being poked deep in the throat... though, if you really want to talk about something even better—and I think we guys might agree on this one—there's actually something called a urethroscopy... sounds pretty great, doesn't it? lol...🙂

Look, if we're talking about a bump the size of a tiny little pea, it’s almost certainly just hemorrhoids... Usually, they don't even hurt, but once they start acting up, that's when things get a bit uncomfortable... I guess you should probably grab a mirror, get into a comfortable position, and take a good look to see what's actually going on... When one of those veins pops out, it usually looks blueish, kind of like a regular vein... if that's what you see, then yeah, it's definitely hemorrhoids... Honestly, it isn't anything to stress about. Just head over to a drugstore and look for some CNN ointment; you just apply it three times a day and they usually clear right up... It's really not a big deal. I think pretty much everyone deals with them at some point, people just don't like to talk about it...😎 Best,👋

I think you might have it a little bit wrong—it definitely doesn't cause addiction. Take Cersan, for example. It’s actually a pretty great thing because it helps you drift off and settles all those racing thoughts, but maybe there's a catch? I guess since it reduces oxygen flow to the brain a bit, you might feel a little sluggish the next day. So, if you really need to be sharp and focused, it might be a bit of a bust...
Then there's Sanval, which is honestly amazing for sleeping. You just drift off like a baby and wake up feeling totally fine without any side effects. It feels like the absolute cutting edge of pharmaceutical science...
Maybe try a little bit of everything and see what works for you. Personally, I tried using those earplugs once, but that was a total disaster for me. My head starts feeling way too hot, and I hate to admit it, but I really need some airflow, and I guess that's supposed to come through my ears😉
Just a heads-up though, you can do whatever you want, but please don't mix pills with alcohol. That can boost the effect by like 60%, which isn't ideal. Anyway, enjoy!😎

Angela Hill said:Just cancel all your subscriptions.

Man, I feel like I've already tried that a million times and absolutely nothing changes... I guess I'm just wondering, what do you think the actual issue is here? maybe there's something else going on...??🙄

I am actually losing my mind here!!!!! I seriously cannot figure out how to unsubscribe from this damn thread about WHAT EVERYONE HAD FOR LUNCH TODAY... there's supposed to be a link, but it clearly isn't working, and now my inbox is just totally trashed with all this nonsense....WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?????😕

So, this actually happened to a close friend of mine... I honestly thought maybe she was just feeling a bit frustrated or lacked some intimacy in her life... but turns out, once we finally hooked up, everything just cleared right up! It was like a weight was lifted.
She’s happy, I’m happy, and honestly, everything feels back to normal now. 😎 😎

graniteraven92 said:So, I think the title pretty much explains what's going on here.
Has anyone else (unfortunately) dealt with this kind of thing, and how do you actually manage it? I’m not really talking about those rare, one-off moments that happen once in a blue moon, either. I mean the stuff that feels constant—those disruptions that just become a regular, everyday part of your life.
For me, it specifically comes down to an obsession with washing my hands.

I actually have a buddy who deals with the exact same thing. He used to wash his hands so much that the skin was basically raw and cracked all over... he eventually went to see a psychiatrist and they put him on a cocktail of meds, but honestly, it only seemed to help a little bit...
But then, weirdly enough, he met this girl and it was like his whole world flipped upside down, and the issue almost just vanished. Now, the hand-washing is barely even noticeable. I guess it was mostly because his environment had changed and his life finally felt a bit more settled...

I'm not sure if that helps at all, or how much you're willing to do to get things back on track...😉 🙂

Wait, are you maybe pregnant? 😁 If you are, I guess you'll just have to settle in for those nine months while that little belly starts showing... 😁 🙂

Honestly, this kind of thing can happen to anyone, believe me...
Just try to stay by his side, just like I'm sure he'd do for you if the roles were reversed...
Hang in there.🙂

traxdata said:Cycling is my absolute favorite sport—I just love being on my bike! I mean, yeah, cycling can be incredibly exhausting, especially when you start talking about mountain biking... I used to ride all the time, like every single day, just for fun and exercise... but lately, I haven't really felt like it. I know I need to get back into it. I was browsing online the other day and saw something about a bike path running from somewhere like Philadelphia out toward the suburbs... Is it even possible to ride bikes around Philly without dealing with crazy traffic?
My big dream this summer is to grab my bike and head out for a trip through the Napa Valley area...
Can you tell me, what kind of gear shifts are actually out there? Like, what are the different classes? A friend tried explaining it to me ages ago—something about XTC or tX... I can't quite remember, but you probably know your stuff. I bought a used Montague and a Raleigh about three years ago and I absolutely love them, they're great... but I'm such a dummy, I have no clue what kind of shifter I actually have...

Oh man, sorry, I totally missed your post!

So, look, most gear sets you'll run into are made by Shimano; they pretty much dominate the market here in the States. There's also SRAM, but you won't see them nearly as often around here...
Now, regarding Shimano... specifically for those Montague types... the lowest tier is Shimano Altus. That’s basically just something they put on a bike so it technically *has* gears. It’s fine if you’re just pedaling down the street to the local video store or something similar. Then you've got Acera, which is in that same ballpark but usually aimed more at basic City bikes...
After that, you move up to Alivio. That’s the group meant for recreational riders—you know, the typical Sunday cruise through a local park like Central Park where you aren't pushing too hard or shifting under heavy load...
Then comes Deore... that’s for the more serious hobbyists who are out riding frequently and a bit more intensely. It’s a really solid middle-of-the-road class that'll satisfy pretty much anyone, unless you're someone who lives in the saddle every single day...
Next is Shimano LX... honestly, I don't think there's a massive leap from Deore there. It's just higher priced, that's about it...
Shimano XT... now we're talking. That’s a really nice setup that works beautifully even when you're putting some pressure on the pedals. It's precise, smooth, and quiet... plus the materials used are better...
And finally, Shimano XTR... that's the pro racing group. It's strictly for people hunting for the absolute best, and well, it costs accordingly...

You actually made my day with this question! Every one of those groups also has its own specific brakes and shifters (the levers you use to change gears), and those are graded similarly too. But honestly, Deore should be plenty for you... maybe check out the Shimano website and take a look...www.shimano.com
I'll try to shoot you a private message tomorrow with some specific routes I know, but if you really want to dive into the weeds, check out some of the cycling forums; there are tons of threads on this exact stuff...
American Cycling Forum
Geez, I went on a total rant there, didn't I? If some guy had asked me, I probably would've just given him a couple of addresses and called it a day...
😁 😎

I actually have one of those, but the high-end versions cost a fortune... I think I paid about $30 or so for mine a long time ago, but I still get some use out of it.
Impotence? What's that supposed to mean? 👍

copperridge912 said:I noticed you're based out of Chicago... were you part of some local cycling club back then? Or did you just ride solo for fun?

Well, I used to have this crew that lived for mountain biking. We’d hit the trails at least 37 miles times a day, and on the weekends, we’d push it up to 112 miles... Honestly, it was pretty brutal. Just total burnout. We kept that pace up for about two years before I finally snapped and decided I’d had enough. I ended up selling all my gear... and yeah, looking back, I kind of regret it. My old setup was incredible—I built it myself from scratch with top-tier Shimano XTR components and Marzocchi suspension... man, just thinking about it gives me a headache. I eventually picked up a KTM with Deore specs, but I just can't seem to get motivated to go out for even a short ride. I guess I've lost that spark entirely. 😁 😁 😁

Good grief, ladies, what is going on with you all?? I mean, can we please just get back to basics and look at calorie counts and stuff like that? Isn't that actually a pretty solid indicator of how things are going... Every single manufacturer defines their own way of converting energy into something we recognize, which in our case is calories... My goodness, you can basically figure out for yourself that if you’re working out and sweating like crazy, you’ve probably put in more effort than when you aren't breaking a sweat... And honestly, the most important factor is time... plus the intensity, like how hard you're pedaling on your bike or rowing... but I guess that's a whole different conversation...
I used to be really into cycling—back then I was about 150 lbs, ripped, absolutely shredded....... Then I stopped, and now I'm sitting at 210 lbs... I gained all that weight in just three years.. and now I'm getting ready to start a diet.... But man, I've grown to hate dieting so much, because when you're actually training and trying to eat right, you end up feeling like total garbage instead of better...
Sending good vibes to everyone..... don't give up!👋

Nathan Taylor60 said:What is wrong with you guys? Are you seriously telling me you actually believe in love??? Good grief... it just isn't real...😎

Well, I don't know about all that, but it feels like everything revolves around love anyway... I mean, I really think it exists. It’s probably one of the most beautiful things that could ever happen to someone. Personally, I'm still waiting for my turn, but I guess I still believe in it...👍 👍

siram on fire said:Well, Steven Fowler5, I guess if you don't know how to swim, you should probably just grab some fins so you don't sink... kind of like how you're just drifting along while you daydream...🙄

Hmm, I was actually thinking an inflatable life vest might be a better bet here. I mean, sure, I wouldn't be nearly as fast as I would be with fins, but I think I’d feel a whole lot more secure... and I could just slowly make my way toward my goal...😉

Carol Wilson14 said:I guess all we really have left is to dream, and honestly, that might just be the truth... 😉

Well, I mean, there’s probably a limit to that, right? If you spend too much time living in some imaginary world, you eventually have to face reality, and maybe—if you've drifted too far out there—it could actually crush you. It’s kind of like hitting a brick wall at 200 mph on a motorcycle... you wouldn't have anything left, just a trip to a mental health facility, I suppose. 🙄 🙄

Honestly, this is just complete nonsense🙂 I mean, if you really think about it, maybe the only actual thing that sets us apart from animals is that we don't use our tongues to clean ourselves...🙏