Posts by Eric Gray3

I was watching the game last night, and honestly, I ended up turning it off halfway through the fifth inning. It wasn’t even because of the score. It was that sinking, heavy feeling in my gut when you realize that the thing you were looking forward to—the ritual of sitting down with a drink and rooting for your team—is just going to be a repetitive cycle of "what went wrong?"

I feel like we’ve entered this weird era of sports where the outcome feels less like a hard-fought battle and more like a series of unfortunate, preventable glitches. There’s a specific kind of frustration that comes when you realize the plan for the night has completely evaporated because of a single decision or a single performance that just didn't hold water. It’s not even about being a "sore loser." It’s about the investment of time and emotional energy. When you settle in for a series opener, you’re mentally preparing for a contest, a narrative, a struggle. But when the foundation of that contest crumbles early on, the whole house of cards falls down.

I remember back when I was a kid, watching games with my dad. There was a sense of inevitability to the drama. Even when we were losing, there was a sense that the momentum could shift, or that the players were at least executing the strategy they’d practiced all week. Now, it feels like we’re constantly watching "what if" scenarios play out in real-time. What if this player hadn't struggled? What if the rotation had been handled differently? What if the coaching staff had seen this coming?

It feels like modern sports are increasingly defined by these moments of sheer, avoidable disappointment. It’s that feeling when a promising start turns into a complete washout, and you realize you're just watching a slow-motion train wreck. You want to be angry, but you’re mostly just exhausted. It’s the same feeling you get when you spend all week looking forward to a restaurant only to find out they’ve completely changed their signature dish and it’s mediocre. The expectation was there, the anticipation was built, and the reality just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

I wonder if this is just part of the cycle, or if the gap between what we expect from professional athletes and what they actually deliver is widening. We see these massive contracts, these incredible highlight reels on social media, and we subconsciously expect perfection. When a player or a team fails to meet even a basic standard of consistency, it feels like a breach of contract with the fans. We provide the attention and the passion, and in exchange, we expect a certain level of competency. When that’s missing, the "entertainment" part of sports starts to feel like a bit of a scam.

I’ve noticed that I’m becoming more selective about what I watch. I find myself skipping games where the lineup looks questionable or where the recent momentum suggests a downward spiral. It’s a defense mechanism, I guess. If I don't watch, I can't be disappointed. But then I feel like I'm missing out on the community aspect of being a fan. The best part of being a fan is having something to talk about, but what is there to talk about when the game is just a lackluster display of missed opportunities?

Does anyone else feel this way? Do you find yourself checking the scores just to see if it's worth your time to actually tune in, or have you reached a point where you're just accepting the inconsistency as part of the modern viewing experience?

Where the hell did the Happy Hippo chocolate bars go? I haven't been able to find them anywhere since last summer.

placidranger said:Creatine isn't harmful, and it actually helps performance—but only if you're already at an advanced level. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard it doesn't do much for beginners.

Have you thought about changing up your training routine? That usually makes a huge difference in progress. What does your current setup look like and how long have you been doing it?

Well, I do combat sports and Kettlebell training.

At home, I just stick to the classics. Push-ups, squats, sit-ups, stuff like that.

As for my diet: I eat plenty of yogurt (for the probiotics), cottage cheese, and mozzarella (lots of protein there, though high in fat, so I eat it with eggs in the morning). For lunch, it’s the standard—mostly chicken breast—and dinner is usually just cottage cheese or some fruit.

Oh, and I'm running low on my Scitech Nutritional Whey protein, so I need to grab more...

A friend mentioned that some of the Herbalife stuff might be better because it supposedly has fewer chemicals??

Anyway, which protein powders do you guys think are actually good, or is it all the same crap? Mine has 22g per serving, which is 44% RDA—maybe I should switch to something with a higher dose??

I’ve been sticking with Scitech Whey protein... and honestly, they're alright enough.

I also picked up some vitamin supplements along with it (they're massive, lol, I can barely swallow them), and I am seeing progress.

But I want more. Better. Stronger. So now I'm thinking about stacking something else on top of it.

I’ve heard people using creatine and all sorts of other stuff... I don't know if that's actually healthy though... hmmm??

Sometimes I get this redness popping up on my shins (just on the outer side)... the skin gets all rough and the pores seem to swell up.

It happened to me a few years back, and now it’s flared up again after a couple of days.

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this?🤷

I know this isn't exactly a fun topic to bring up, but I seriously need some help PLZ!

I think my hemorrhoids were caused by straining during bowel movements, because I was dealing with a total blockage—everything was just backed up.

I got some Dulcolax suppositories, but I’ve run into a bit of an issue.

When I try to insert them, they just won't stay in... I can get the whole thing in, but it won't stay put unless I literally hold it there with my hand. I'm worried that if that happens, they aren't actually doing their job... Up until now, I've been using two suppositories, one every day, but I don't feel like anything is actually improving.

So: 1.) Does the suppository need to go all the way in and stay inside, or is it fine if it's just sitting at the entrance?
2.) Can someone please tell me what foods I should eat and what I should avoid? My doctor told me soups, toast, boiled foods, and plenty of tea are a YES, but tomatoes, peanuts, pastries, and everything else are a NO. I don't usually eat fruit, but I guess I'll have to start if it helps, though I don't know which ones—everywhere I look, it just lists symptoms and treatments without being specific. Am I allowed to have pasta and dairy products? I'm assuming no. Just light food. So please, if someone could explain this clearly to me, I would be extremely grateful.

By the way, I play sports recreationally (I'm 17) and I've never really cared much about what I eat... I always eat normal amounts, but one day I mixed too many things together and, well, here we are... though I suspect genetics might be playing a part too.

Besides those ointments, I heard from Factu that lard is good—does anyone know anything more about that?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

This thread is great... I'm going to read through the whole thing, but I just hit page 5 and I can't find—or maybe I just missed it—the actual question: What kind of food is actually good for this, what should I avoid, and do we apply these creams directly to the butt or more on the cheeks and glutes where the redness, swelling, and hemorrhoids are acting up?