Starting this thread for anyone that is struggling, and those that can offer advice :)
Rated from most difficult to not difficult.

1. Sleep. 2.Diet.
2. Exercise.
   
3. I suck at sleeping. I feel like most nights I sleep like crap, lucid dreams and wake up at least once. For example, I got 4hrs 59mins of sleep last night even with melatonin. 😭. I worked out yesterday, stayed in my macros was extremely tired. Bed time comes and I get a burst of energy. I'm too scared to try sleeping pills 😨, but it's definitely past that point. Age 32 and have eye bags and dark circles of a 50yo 😭.
   
4. I use a weekly meal prep service. I receive 10 meals a week (lunch & dinner), for breakfast I have a protein shake. I find that Saturday and/or usually Sunday are the day(s) I end up cheating. Sometimes I'm good and stick to chicken salad, soup... Something healthy. But usually I steer directly towards pizza, tacos, beer, margarita, trulys, pasta, in n out... Stuff like that.
   
5. I work out 3 times a week with a trainer. Two days a week I do workouts at home. The workouts alone kick my ass, I'm finding it harder and harder to make it through them. Not because the workout itself is hard, it's because I have ZERO energy, even with pre-work out. I have, or thought I had a sensitivity to caffeine, so I usually do less than half a scoop. I upped it to half, nothing. I'm scared to take a full scoop 😂. I'm unsure if that's what's keeping me up. I also take Vyvanse 30 mg daily for the last 12 years so maybe it's the mixture? The pre work out is working like ... Putting $2 in the gas tank, when prices are $5.96/g You'll move, but not very far. Currently talking Alani pre workout.
   

This is a temp job and we've know each other for 2 months. We're going to be working together for another 2 months.
I am very overwhelmed with things happening in my life. I have a full time job, I'm also attending several courses in the evenings. My average day is wake up at 6am, get to work by 830 am, leave work by 5:30pm and then go to school for 6pm and end class by 9pm. by 10pm I'm home and showering and in bed my 11. Because this is a temp job, I'm also spending 10-15 hours a week applying to jobs because I have nothing lined up after this.
I'm getting 7 hours of sleep or less per night, 4 days a week. On Fridays I'm trying to do something with friends, but I'm often too exhausted. On weekends I'm meal prepping, grocery shopping, and going to appointments and doing homework.
I feel very stretched thin. But I paid thousands of dollars for these courses and I can't give up. It's just a few more months.
When my coworkers constantly want to get together during lunch or breaks, it's actually very irritating. I've made good friends with them, but our conversations have shifted to complaining about management. Often out of our 1 hour long lunch break, 50 minutes are spent complaining about management. I don't want to be a therapist 5 hours a week on top of doing everything myself.
I don't have the energy to maintain these relationships. I just want my lunch break in peace and quite - the only actual BREAK I have for 4 days straight sometimes.
So far I've just been faking the pleasantries and accidentally made some new friends here. I did not intend to. But now they expect me to be available for them to complain about our boss (they do their work less well and our boss has a bad reaction to that - I don't get as much of the heat because I do my job well. They bring it on themselves but they are right that the boss overreacts).
tl;dr: I've overscheduled myself and I'm spread thin. I have no patience for my workers complaining at work constantly, so I want to tell them kindly to stop expecting me to join them at lunch.

I'm trying to write a scraper for a website, but I am encountering two issues.
The main issue
The scraper works successfully without proxies enabled, and can achieve a rate of 800 requests per second. When proxies are enabled, this rate drops to ~10.
I am writing code in Java (as it's a language I'm familiar with). The code runs one producer thread that creates tasks, and multiple consumer threads, which process tasks asynchronously with a limit on co-currency.
My issue is that when making these requests, it seems as if not all proxies in the database are utilized properly.
For each proxy in the database, I hold the following information:
connection_string, usage_count, success_count, failed_count, fail_streak, cooldown_until, last_used, status
To select proxies from the database, I do
String query = "SELECT id, connection_string, usage_count, success_count, failed_count, fail_streak, cooldown_until " +"FROM test_proxy " +"WHERE (cooldown_until IS NULL OR NOW() > cooldown_until) " +"ORDER BY CASE WHEN usage_count = 0 THEN 1 ELSE success_count / usage_count END DESC, last_used ASC " +"LIMIT 150";
I load the proxies into memory, and then run an update on the database every second using batch, and reload the data. This prevents a huge amount of requests from having to be made to the database. To fetch a particular proxy, I do the following:
I load the proxies into memory, and then run an update on the database every second using batch, and reload the data. This prevents a huge amount of requests from having to be made to the database. To fetch a particular proxy, I do the following

 public Proxy getNewProxy() { synchronized (proxies) { if(proxies.size() == 0){ return null; } Random random = new Random(); int randomIndex = random.nextInt(proxies.size()); Proxy proxy = proxies.get(randomIndex); return proxy; } } 

When a request fails/succeeds, the following occurs

public void onSuccess(){ this.usageCount.incrementAndGet(); this.successCount.incrementAndGet(); this.failStreak.set(0); this.cooldownUntil.set(System.currentTimeMillis()); } 

this.usageCount.incrementAndGet(); this.successCount.incrementAndGet(); this.failStreak.set(0); this.cooldownUntil.set(System.currentTimeMillis()); }

public void onFailure() { this.usageCount.incrementAndGet(); this.failedCount.incrementAndGet(); this.failStreak.incrementAndGet(); int baseCooldownTime = 1000; double exponentialFactor = 1.5; long cooldownTime = baseCooldownTime * (long) Math.pow(exponentialFactor, failStreak.get() - 1); long cooldownUntil = System.currentTimeMillis() + cooldownTime; // TODO: check new cooldownuntil time is not more than 1 hour //System.out.println("back off time = " + (cooldownTime / 1000)); if(cooldownUntil > this.cooldownUntil.get()){ this.cooldownUntil.set(System.currentTimeMillis() + cooldownTime); } } 

The code only seems to use 50 of the proxies within the first 10 minutes, and only achieves a rate of ~10 requests per second.
I have been stuck on this issue for 2 months. I need a better strategy picking proxies, in order to optimize the amount of potential requests that can be made every second.
Currently I rank all proxies by success, and last used, then limit to the top 50, and select a random proxy.
If you have any suggestions on a better method, other than round-robin, please let me know, as I'm struggling a little!

Full story: I had been using my pc all day for video editing and gaming then I left for about 5-6 hours. When I came home and turned on my pc again it wasn’t connecting to wifi. I tried restarting it a couple or times but nothing.
The internet told me to disable IPv6 and then re enable it, which I did and my WiFi worked fine for me to get through a 15 minute game. At the end of the game though, my wireless headphones started being a bit patchy both plugged in and unplugged. So I restarted my computer again and I was seemingly back at square one, except there were now two of my wifi networks. Titled “wifi network” and “* wifi network* 2”.
More googling led me to device manager where I selected “show hidden devices” and uninstalled any greyed out devices with the same names and the wifi connection devices that I recognised (those being Bluetooth, Ethernet and Intel AC 8265 dual bandwidth) so only the ones with “#2” at the end were left.
This didn’t help so I used my phone to Hotspot my pc which seemed to work. this made me think that it was an issue with my wifi and not my computer, but later on the hotspot connection started having similar issues.
Then I noticed that my PCI encryption/decryption had an error logo by it and when I went to update the drivers for it, it said no drivers found.
I used the hotspot to download the AMD drivers for the wifi connection (I have a Ryzen 5 processor), then I realised that my wifi card is intel so I downloaded those drivers. Then I again realised that in a note on the website, intel says that I need to instal different drivers for the AC 8265 so I did that. However I couldn’t find psp for the AMD drivers or any wifi drivers anywhere in the downloads.
I’ve given up for tonight (it’s 1am where I am and I’ve been struggling since 11pm) but any advice or suggestions you have are greatly appreciated!!
I have a Ryzen 5 5600x cpu with a ASU’s prime B350-plus motherboard. The wifi card is an Intel Dual bandwidth AC 8265 card that I have an antennae attached to. OS is windows 10
One final note: I am aware of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi leading to two different networks, but I’ve never seen the two different options before on this wifi. It’s only ever been the one wifi network.

Escrow for u/lnpt2922
Item Name Set Number: 75335 BD-1
Lego Price: $100 + $8 tax = $108
Shipping: $22 UPS (15x16x4), 4 pounds, 92105 to 10001, UPS insured)
Raffle Total/Spots: $130 / 130 spots @ $1 each
Price justification: Lego [email protected]
Call spots: Yes
Spot limit per person: No
Duration of spot limit: N/A
Location(Country): USA
Will ship international: Y, winner pays any excess shipping over $22
Timestamp Album: https://imgur.com/a/8JYIWLl
Description: One of the top 3 best droids in Star Wars (BB-H8 and B2EMO being the other two)
Payment required w/in 15 minutes of raffle filling, 10 for drama.
CashApp payments should have NO COMMENTS. Comments will result in a permanent ban

PayPal Info: PM for PayPal
Cash App Info: https://cash.app
​
Tip BlobAndHisBoy
Number of vacant slots: 130
Number of unpaid users: 0
Number of unpaid slots: 0
This slot list is created and updated by The EDC Raffle Tool by BlobAndHisBoy.
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Basically it comes down to 2 options.
One's a HDHP with HSA and the other doesn't have it.
Plan 1 (HDHP+HSA):

• $750 annual employer contribution to HSA
• Co insurance is 80%
• $3,000 deductible
• Out of pocket max is $5,400
• Co Pay is Deductible first, then I pay 20%
• RX prescriptions is Deductible first, then I pay 20%
• Monthly premium is $0

​
Plan 2
- Co insurance is 80% - $1,000 deductible - Out of pocket max is $4,000 - Co Pay is $25 office, $50 specialist, $60 urgent care and $250 ER - RX prescriptions is tiered. 10, 30 and $60 tiers. - Monthly premium is $50
​
On average I currently pay about $400 in co pays a year, $900 for RX.
I go to the Doc maybe 1 time a year. I'm 30(M) and in good health.
​
​
​
​
Please help. I've only worked trash customer service jobs and our insurance plans were pretty basic.
I like the idea of growing a HSA, my Mom has one. But that $3k deductible I don't like the idea of paying all that up front. .

Yo! Name's Raedge (Raedge Blackblossom in game) and I'm looking for a long-term MC-sHC group for 6.4 Savage and Ultimates.
I have cleared the previous Savage tier but the group fell apart due to long-term scheduling issues.
I would like to have a schedule that is consistent even when new content is released. This means no hard Week 1 Clear pushing. Maybe 1 extra day but no more.
I'm available from 16:30 - 22:00 Server Time during weekdays, 11:30 - 15:45 and 16:30 - 22:00 Server Time during weekends. I would prefer 2 - 3 days raiding per week but specific days are flexible.
My main job is SMN but have Savage experience on RDM as well.
Logs can be found here: https://www.fflogs.com/characteid/14581935#
DM me here or on Discord (Raedge#5679) for more info.

After a year of dating I’ve realized my boyfriend has avoidant detachment style and I have a anxious attachment style. This is my first boyfriend that has witnessed my journey going from MTF. The thing that I’m struggling with is that I’ve realized that he is slowly pushing himself away. ( he says that he isn’t )
I’m someone that works 12 hour shifts while he WFM. So sometimes I crave to see him because I’m overstimulated by stress since I work in the healthcare field. Overall he’s stopped giving me compliments and taking me out on dates. I’ve been wanting to take him out to eat but he’s always busy with family. I sleep over his house mostly every other day. I come at 11pm and I’m out by 6am.
With my transition I’ve been super sentimental and last night when I was trying to get into the moment as I’ve been craving for some “ woo hoo “ ( if you ever played sims then you know what I mean ) he pretty much stated that if we were to do something it’ll just only be for me as he won’t be able to climax as he has to witness me be stressed all the time so he wouldn’t be in the mood. ( I’m like this doesn’t make any sense, who uses an event that happened 2 or 3 days ago as a reason not to have sex ) so it made me feel emotional and I told him that his response is BS. As I was crying he literally kept watching YouTube videos as if everything was fine. I ended telling him that I am going home since I’m losing my self worth crying next to a man who isn’t even comforting his girlfriend. I’ve communicated how the way I wanted to be comforted and reassured while also understanding his boundaries. I’m staring to feel like I’m losing myself asking and begging for the bare minimum. I don’t know what to do but the fear of finding out that I’m getting played is bothering me and I just want to detach and ghost him as trauma response. Overall I know I look amazing and I’m very passionate but I don’t like the feeling of constantly begging for change while he gets whatever he wants. It’s starting to feel one sided

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Do you enjoy being tied up? Does the thought of being hogtied and helpless excite you? Are you comfortable having your wrists, arms, knees, thighs, and ankles bound while you're blindfolded and/or gagged, happily pretending to be my damsel in distress?
I'm seeking a girl with a bondage kink to play out our fetishes. While tying you up is the primary focus, we can also engage in other forms of BDSM. I'm experienced with spankings, D/s, collar & leash play, mild pain play, and rough sex if we really click.
6'2, single, white, handsome, HWP, tested DDF. Private inner loop apartment with plenty of rope and BDSM toys for us to play with.
Bonus points if you're up for a summer fling where we try new restaurants, visit museums, and go to events throughout town. For now, all you need is an interest in bondage to send me a PM or chat request.
Hope to hear from you!

What’s up, just moved to the Houston area recently and all I do is work I don’t socialize, I am 21 5’10 and 150 lbs, I wanted to lose it to someone special up until a year or 2 ago now I jus don’t have time for it much, idk anyone around here so I’m looking here

I am a junior CS student and I have applied for my first software engineering/developing internship at a tech startup. I have passed the first phase of the interview (non-technical) and I was scheduled for a technical one. I do not know what to expect since I do not have any previous experience with interviews. I have knowledge in Pyhton, Java and C and I have worked on some projects using Js frameworks and MERN stack for full-stack applications. However, It has been a period of time since I have solved any competitive coding problems( leetcode, hackerrank...) or have interacted with data structures and such things. Mainly because all the course I took for the past 2 semesters have been pure theory and we just pseudo-code. Am I expected to code and run my program during interviews? What topics are usually covered? In the job description it says that I should be able to work with different frameworks, should I be knowledgbale about all of them as well? I am just a bit stressed as this my first time and it happened very fast and I do not know what to prepare for exactly.

Season 2 Finale
“You look worried Bruce,” my producer jokes, moments before going live. “Even for you.”
This gets a chuckle from the crew.
“Quiet on the set!”
I’m already shaking in my shoes. Not a good sign. Working for the Devil is extremely stressful. And dangerous. And certainly not for the faint of heart. Why I took this gig is beyond me.
(Cue creepy music)
“Going live in five…four…three…”
I get the nod.
(Cut to camera one)
“Greetings Hell Beings and hell raisers. Welcome to the Season 2 finale of….”
(Cue the audience)
“LET’S MAKE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.”
I wave my arms in the air.
The audience jumps to their feet.
Someone heckles.
“Alright. Knock it off.”
I serve up my best game show-host grin. It looks as fake as this cheap Hollywood studio.
“As you probably know, my name is Bruce Davie, and I’m the host of…”
(Cue audience)
“LET’S MAKE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.”
There’s a disturbance in the audience. A crew member forcefully removes someone. The commotion settles, and I get the go-ahead.
“Phew! A feisty crowd tonight!”
My painted-on smile takes up the entire screen. So does my gleaming bald head.
“Now I know what you’re thinking. What’s the Devil got in store for us this evening?”
The audience rumbles.
I shrug.
“Honestly, I wish I knew!”
This is true. But I’m sure it has something to do with me spending an eternity in Hell. It’s right there in my contract, which runs out after this episode.
(Cut to camera two)
“So, without further ado, let’s bring out tonight’s contestants, shall we?”
The audience roars.
“And yes, you heard me correctly. Tonight, for the first time ever in this show’s defamatory history, we’ve got two contestants!”
Audience is on their feet, whooping and hollering.
(Cut to camera three)
(Cue music)
A middle-aged couple promenade towards the podium. They’re dressed like cowboys, and walk with a sense of purpose.
(Split screen)
“Welcome, both of you.”
More like: Welcome to your funeral.
“Tell us a wee bit about yourselves, why don’t you?”
(Cut to camera four)
The woman speaks first. Her hair is amber, her completion as pale as light beer.
“Well, Bruce. My name is Tammy. I’m a stay-at-home mom. This here’s my partner, Tex. He owns his own gun shop. We live in Austin Texas, with three beautiful children, who are with us here tonight.”
She points.
(Cut to overhead camera)
Two tall boys and a young girl, each dressed head-to-toe in denim, stand and bow.
The audience applauds.
(Split screen)
The other contestant approaches the microphone. He’s as tall as an ivory tower, with a voice like a banjo.
“Howdy Bruce. Good to be here.”
He tilts his cowboy hat. His square jaw and rugged good looks give Chuck Norris a run for his money.
I salute them.
(Cut to camera two)
“Well then, now that we’re finished with the formalities, I do believe it’s time to…”
(Cue audience)
“BRING OUT THE DEVIL.”
(Cue creepy music)
(Cue pyrotechnics)
The stage fills with fire and brimstone. Pentagrams slice through the air. The Devil appears suddenly, dressed in a shiny new devil suit, tailored specifically for tonight’s show. It’s jet-black, and leaves little to the imagination. His pitchforked tail follows closely behind him as he approaches the podium.
(Cut to Camera five)
The Devil wraps his arms around the two contestants, kisses them both on the cheek.
Tex, clearly perturbed, winces, then grudgingly wipes his cheek.
The Devil snarls, then looks him up and down.
“Looks like everything isn’t bigger in Texas,” the Devil teases. Suddenly, he’s grown over eight-feet tall, and is looming over the tall Texan.
(Cut to camera three)
The bright lights and furious makeup make me look like a cartoon.
“What an exciting night this promises to be!”
Tammy steps forward.
“You bet it is, Bruce. We’ve watched every episode. We just love…”
(Cue the audience)
“LET’S MAKE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.”
(Cut to camera three)
“Of course!” Damion boasts. “This is Hell’s most popular show. And for good reason.”
He slaps the woman’s backside with his tail, then raises his eyebrows mockingly.
The cowboy puffs out his chest, fists clenched, daring him to touch his wife again.
“Woah, easy their pardner.”
Damion nudges Tex.
Tammy is flushed. “Don’t mind Tex. He’s the jealous kind.”
“Oh really?”
Damion’s tail is now shaped like a lasso. With it, he snags Tammy and pulls her close. Her face turns tomato-red.
The cowboy grunts, pulling it off with one strong swoop.
The audience boos.
The Devil snickers.
I feel sick. If this is to be my last episode (or final day on Earth), I don’t want it spoiled by this denim-clad dude whose hat is bigger than his brains, or by Damion, who seems extra feisty tonight. Even for him.
(Cut to camera one)
I clear my throat.
“Tell us, Tammy and Tex…no, tell all of Hell…what it is your beating hearts desire?”
The audience is on the edge of their seats.
(Split screen)
The Texans exchange doubtful looks.
The wife takes charge.
“Well Bruce,” Tammy says. “We don’t want anything that might get us killed. Being from Dallas, we were raised with some common sense.”
The audience hisses.
(Cut to camera five)
The husband steps up.
“That’s right, Bruce. Simply put, we want to be famous for a day. That’s it. Then we can write a book and live off the royalties.”
The audience erupts into a frenzy of catcalls.
(Cut to camera three)
The Devil’s eyebrows touch the top of his head. His voice slithers like a snake.
“Is that so?”
My heart plummets. These Texans are flirting with disaster. If they’d stuck to the script, they might be safe. They were supposed to ask for a lifetime’s supply of Super Bowl tickets. Easy-peasy. Who do these cowpokes think they are? Do they really think they can outsmart the Devil?
“Well then,” I say, shakily. “I’m sure Damion can arrange that.”
I raise my arms.
“What does the audience think?”
The audience goes ballistic.
(Cut to camera three)
The Devil, still towering over the Texans, leans into the camera.
“Famous, eh?”
His lips smack against his face. When he touches the dude’s shoulder, the cowboy swipes his arm away.
The audience boos. Someone tosses an egg onto the podium, narrowly missing the contestants.
“Woah! Easy does it!” I spurt out.
All hell breaks loose.
(Cut to overhead camera)
The crew gets busy, disposing of both the egg and the agitator.
(Cut to camera one)
I wipe my sweaty forehead.
“Tough crowd.”
The audience hoots.
The Devil sneers.
“SILENCE!”
Flames flash across the room.
People shriek, including me.
(Close up of Damion)
The Devil, boasting his gambler’s grin, turns to the contestants.
“Yes, yes. You WILL be famous. But just for one day.”
The audience roars their approval.
I shudder. Never in all my years, have I felt so much animosity from an audience. I’ll be lucky to make it out alive.
(Split screen)
“Sounds like the Devil has a plan.”
I try to sound cheerful. But cheerfulness is the opposite of how I feel.
(Cut to camera one)
“Tell us Damion…and all of Hell…what you’ve got cooked up?”
The audience leans in.
(Cut to camera three)
The Devil winks at Tammy.
“Well, I do believe it’s time for those two cowpokes to become famous. Am I correct?”
The audience jumps to their feet, chanting: “FAMOUS.… FAMOUS…. FAMOUS.…”
(Split screen)
Tammy looks pleased. Her partner, on the other hand, is showing concern. His shoulders are tense, he’s swallowed his bottom lip.
Damion dazzles the audience.
“Famous, y’all shall be.”
He snaps his fingers.
BAM.
The studio goes dark.
Someone in the audience screams.
Tammy gasps.
Tex grunts.
(Cut to camera one)
I shrug.
Is this Damion’s latest trick? Or did they finally cut the power? We give the impression that this show is hugely popular; but in truth, outside of Hell, this show is a dud. Cable and internet companies avoid us like the plague.
(Cut to overhead camera)
The contestants vanish under a cloud of fog.
A flaming pentagram floats across the stage.
“Well, isn’t that just dandy!”
The Devil points to the large screen behind the audience.
“Mister and Missus Cowpoke are about to jump the falls!”
He snaps his fingers, then he disappears.
My legs go weak. My heart is beating irregularly again. I still don’t know he does it. How any of this works. Suddenly, I’m alone on stage, shaking in my fine Italian boots, while the audience grows rowdier by the second.
Cameras mounted on drones are pointed at Tammy and Tex, who are trapped inside a large, steel barrel, with Niagara Falls looming below them.
Damion flies across the falls, lands next to Tammy and Tex. He taps the barrel.
“Ain’t she a beauty?”
The audience hurrahs.
The barrel is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Although it’s huge, and probably weighs a ton, it barely contains the two Texans, who are kicking and screaming, cursing up a storm.
“Get me the hell out of here!” Tammy’s voice rips through the noise of the falls. “NOW!”
Damion frowns.
“You wanted to be famous. Am I right?”
The audience chants, “FAMOUS…. FAMOUS.… FAMOUS….”
Tex pokes his head out of the barrel, cowboy hat and all.
“Now wait one minute, Damion. That’s unfair. We wanted fame. Not death.”
The Devil chuckles.
“The two are synonymous, am I right?”
The audience agrees.
Damion checks his watch.
“Well then…”
He slams the lid shut.
That’s the end of the Texans, as far as I’m concerned.
(Close up of Damion)
“Whatcha think? Should they jump the falls?”
The audience shouts, “JUMP…. JUMP…. JUMP….”
(Cut to camera two)
My insides are melting. I’m petrified. You’d think working with the Devil would get easier over time. You’d be dead wrong.
“Looks like the people have spoken!” I hear myself say.
The audience continues their chant.
(Cut to overhead camera)
“Excellent,” Damion says, fiddling his fingers.
He looks over the cliff, and makes a sour face.
“Wowsers. That’s a long way down!”
“JUMP…. JUMP…. JUMP….”
“And so much water!”
(Cut to camera one)
My worried-sick face appears on the screen.
I straighten up.
“Once they jump, Tam and Tex will surely be famous!”
Except of course, they won’t be famous. Not in this world anyways. They’ve been duped. Why these people sign up to die is beyond me. Perhaps we’ve reached a spectacular level of stupidity in human evolution.
(Cut to overhead camera)
Damion’s lips stretch across his reddened face, his arms flex like a weightlifter.
“I’ll give them a helping hand.”
He rolls the giant barrel to the very edge of the cliff, ignoring the banging and hollering coming from within the steel coffin.
“Tammy, Tex…” His lips stretch into a snarl. “Prepare for fame!”
The audience is on their feet.
Damion shoves the barrel over the edge.
(Split screen)
The barrel tumbles down the falls, disappearing into the fast-moving water.
The audience holds its breath.
(Cut to spy camera)
Inside the barrel, the Texans are shrieking. Their heads and arms and legs collide. Chunks of puke pour across Tammy’s sickening face, who’s calling Tex every name in the book, and it’s a big book. Meanwhile, Tex is like a frog in a blender. His face is green, his nose is broken; blood is leaking from every orifice.
There’s a loud crash as the barrel plunders underwater.
(Cut to overhead camera)
The barrel resurfaces, traveling dangerously downstream.
The audience is back on their feet, fist-pumping.
(Split screen)
What troubles me is how the pedestrians and tourists, crowding the streets, remain oblivious. To them, this is nothing out of the ordinary. Nobody watches, or even takes a pic. I’m starting to suspect foul play. Somehow, Damion is controlling this. He’s using dark magic. A spell. Maybe none of this is real. Except of course, it is real.
(Cut to camera one)
I’m trembling.
“What a jump!” my voice ricochets off the studio walls. “They’ll be famous in no time!”
The audience chants:
“FAMOUS…. FAMOUS…. FAMOUS….”
(Closeup of the Devil)
“Yes, yes. An excellent jump, I must say.”
He peaks over the edge.
“Looks like they could use some help.”
(Cut to overhead camera)
Damion flies towards the barrel, which is bouncing off rocks and debris.
(Cut to spy camera)
Blood. So much blood in such a tight space. Tammy’s hair is in disarray. Her face is beyond repair. Tex swallowed his hat. One of his eyeballs is bouncing like a Superball. His left arm is flapping nonsensically. It isn’t attached.
(Cut to camera four)
The Devil scoops up the barrel, then flies to shore. When his feet touch the ground, he shakes off the water, cat-like, then glares at the camera.
“What a jump!”
He cranks open the lip.
(Split screen)
Tammy spills out. So does Tex’s left arm.
The audience gasps.
Damion applauds.
“Such valor and swagger!”
(Cut to camera five)
Tammy is flopping fish-like, barely clinging to life. Her mouth is full of blood and brains.
The Devil puts his foot on her head.
“SAY CHEESE.”
From out of nowhere, a photographer appears.
SNAP.
Damion, looking pleased with himself, is suddenly holding a newspaper.
(Closeup of newspaper)
The headline splashes across the screen: IDIOTS JUMP THE FALLS.
(Cut to camera four)
Damion shoves the newspaper in front of her face.
“Looks like Tammy and Tex are famous.”
Tammy's eyes twitch. Clearly, she needs medical assistance. I’m surprised she’s still alive. Her husbands brains are splattered across the inside of the barrel.
The very sight of this makes me gag.
Tammy tries to speak, but fails. Her eyes are filled with rage.
Damion tosses the leftover arm into the water, then shrugs.
“Sorry about your hubby.”
(Cut to camera two)
With wobbly knees, I face the audience.
“Looks like the barrel got the best of Tex!”
The audience bellows.
I continue to talk involuntarily.
“Gosh dolly. Look at all that blood!”
“MORE BLOOD…. MORE BLOOD…. MORE BLOOD….”
I find myself chanting along.
Suddenly, my vision blurs. I clutch my chest. Maybe I’ll suffer a heart attack on live TV. Hell waits for no one, I suppose.
(Cut to camera four)
Tammy spits blood on Damion’s boot.
“Devil be damned.” I blurt.
Damion’s face twists into a ball of fury.
“Now, now, Tammy. That wasn’t very nice.”
He crushes her fingers with his boots.
Tammy yelps.
“I was gonna save your long-limbed partner over there,” he points. “Not anymore!”
The audience is bloodthirsty. Paper airplanes and rotten eggs whizz past me. I duck just in time.
(Closeup of contestant)
Tammy’s tongue is leaking from her bloodied face. She’s missing her front teeth. Damion digs his spiky heel deep into her blood-soaked abdomen.
“I reckon you’ll need medical assistance.”
He snaps his fingers.
Suddenly, they're back in the studio.
Damion is as happy as a filthy pig. Next to him is Tammy, who’s caked in blood and gore. Her corpse-of-a-husband spills from the gigantic steel barrel, taking center stage.
(Cut to overhead camera)
The contestant’s children rush the stage. They’re delirious.
The crew hurry out and drag them aside, along with Tammy, who's rushed to the hospital, where she will certainly die.
“Now that’s what I call speedy service!”
My voice appalls me. So does this job. If only I’d listened to my mother, and got into politics.
Damion snaps his finger, then disappears under a plume of dusty smoke.
(Cut to camera one)
“Well, there you have it folks. That’s the last you’ll see of Tammy and Tex. But fret not, they had their moment of fame…in Hell!”
The audience is tossing trash onto the stage.
I narrowly dodge a projectile.
“Hope you’ve enjoyed Season Two as much as I did.”
I hated it.
“And, unless the Devil strikes me down,” and he very-well might, “I hope to see you this Fall, for Season Three of…”
(Cue the audience)
“LET’S MAKE A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.”
Season Two
Season One

• 9:00 Dortmund v Hoosier Army (Peacock)
• 9:15 Wolves v Villita
• 9:30 Blade & Grass v DMV
• 9:45 Kingdom v Newtown Pride
• 10:30 Far East Utd v West Ham (Peacock)
• 10:45 Club Nexaca v SLC
• 11:00 Culture by Mo Ali v Dallas United
• 11:15 Hapoel Tel Aviv v Virginia Dream (Facebook)
• 12:00 US Women v Say Word (Peacock)
• 12:15 Team Dempsey v Jackson Boom
• 12:30 Hashtag Utd v Nati SC
• 12:45 Conrad & Beasley v Gracie
• 1:30 Como 1907 v Wrexham (Peacock)
• 1:45 Charlotte v NCFC
• 2:00 Sneaky Fox v Zala FFF
• 2:15 Duke Sevens v Raleigh Rebels

all times Eastern. Links to Youtube streams (which allegedly should work)

I really want to see some stats on the issue of dead zones. For myself, I am in north Florida.
4.95 rating, 56% acceptance rate, 10% cancellation rate
I don't think demand has dropped this much. Uber has overhauled their platform to exclude picky drivers. I went from being able to make $50-100/night to maybe getting 1 or 2 rides, and I'm pretty sure I can guess why. I doubt it's demand, because too many weird things have been happening randomly....for example last friday night I went driving, got online and ventured out into the deep. It was over an hour and I had not seen any requests, so I go offline and go back on....immediately get a 'out of your preference' eats request for $3. Accept that, complete it, and wait for another ride.....nothing coming in. Go offline and back on, immediately boom another out of preference request....$2
So I thought that was a good tactic to keep using just driving around and toggling off and on, but they just keep giving ridiculous requests that I can't make any money from. How is something like $3 for 12 miles viable?
Too many drivers are calling out common scenarios in some of the biggest cities in the country. I bet if we compared our stats we would notice a similar trend.
We all know Uber is dishonest and does things like baiting drivers to a surge zone only to rip it away when you reach the area. They contain all the power to curtail our experience and unfortunately for those who are struggling it's causing us extreme frustration and affecting our lifestyles. Just wish this was fair, but it looks like they only care about drivers who will accept low fares that take exorbitant amounts of time to complete.
To those who are condescending to drivers, you should be ashamed. I'm willing to bet at some point in your lives you needed or will need a ride from rideshare, and I bet you'd be mad taking a cab...because cabs aren't cheap, neither is Uber for that matter just a little bit less.
These drivers provide a much needed service but it's looked at as a bum job because people just think drivers are worthless, have no skills, lazy, not willing to better themselves.
Drivers are just people, making extra cash, or ends meet...but that isn't commendable in this world. I've used Uber plenty of times, and I know how it is...and when I do use it I tip great. I tip great because I know that most people who Uber are going through tough times, I can see that thousand yard star in their eyes...the feeling of just getting through another day, another trip to the gas station, another PB&J sandwich, another bill finally paid, getting that laundry detergent so you can wash your clothes, standing at the grocery store picking the generic brands and adding the prices up based on what's left in your bank account, declining friends invitations to hang out because you aren't sure you can afford it.
There is a very small percentage that wants to do this for a career. It's a stepping stone to something better. People love to tell you that if you don't like something or it's not enough, find something else. Thanks for that idea, you know I just didn't fucking think of that 🙄
I use it for extra income due to covid wiping out my family's expenses and catching their lives back up, it's been a tough couple of years and Uber has helped me and I am grateful for what I've been able to do. I work my ass off though, nights and weekends I'm on the road putting the hours, miles, wear and tear on my car and self.
I like having the flexibility to drive when I can, so getting a second scheduled job doesn't fit for me.
Please respond and comment your ratings and area so everyone here gets an idea of the BS Uber is pulling.
I'm just very curious.
If you don't have anything constructive to comment just don't. If however, you know of different opportunities I can use to acquire income I'd like to know. I was doing online surveys but that is very time consuming and the payouts are small and infrequent.
Day labor? Fuck....I don't know. I just don't know.
Maybe I'm looking for validation of corruption, maybe I'm crying out for help in fear of losing everything...I feel defeated.