Been homeless over 6 years. My social services agency, high turnover. Being female , almost all my case managers have been female, standard practice.

Out of 17 case managers, only 2 have been male. Female cms: detailed, logical, responsive, solution oriented, clear effective communication. Male cms, the opposite.

I try to communicate clearly, effectively, which is easy cuz autism, and the 2 male cms, i get constant 2nd guessing, passive-aggressive defensiveness. Get impression they're automatically assuming I don't think clearly, don't know what I'm saying. It's weird, and I can't figure out why.

I know not all men are the same. I'm not like all women. Have I just been unlucky with these 2 cms, or is there a gender aspect to this I'm not understanding? I'd like to learn.

Rewatching ds9 right now. I know it was rushed, forced. I know trying to replace a long-term character doesn't work often. If it was an entirely different trill, not a dax, it would be better.

My problem is: aren't trills supposed to have other lives when they get a symbiont? Goal is to give the symbiont diverse lives, experiences. Jadzia got in serious trouble when she felt drawn to a woman from a previous host relationship. She would have had her symbiont removed.

So the new dax host being a woman, starfleet, in ds9 space station? Isn't that against trill rules?

Holy hell, the miniskirts. I know it was progressive for its time, women's lib, etc. But: Female officers bending over console, butt swell hanging out. Almost every episode, over sexualized women needlessly emotional, constantly falling into male arms. Barely clothed, wisps of fabric. Spock saying that Kirk's alter ego trying to rape his female officer made him interesting.

I'm at episode 14, 1st season. Is the rest of the series like this?

That said, there's a hard, pure science to it I haven't seen in later star treks. Can see how people then would find it fascinating. Also gets deep, in a weighty, high drama way.

Problem: I'm being driven mad by voices speaking to me thru white noise. Need white noise to sleep

Psychiatrist today suggested:

1. normal human speech has typical rhythm, cadence
2. fans, white noise audio files are always looped, rhythms in it
3. brain is hearing those patterns as human voices
4. I need to introduce staggered rhythms to disrupt

Possibilities:

1. Willie Nelson, William Shatner speak with atypical cadence. Play at same time as white noise
2. phone app that vibrates atypically
3. machine in room that generates atypical rhythms, vibrations

Options, ideas? I'd like not to go further insane

Not looking for pity. But if you are having an awful December holiday, you aren't alone. This may be a chance to unload. I'll start.

My apt was flooded with rain 4 days ago, at ground level. For 4 days, my studio apt, carpet has been soaking wet, footsteps squishing, like stepping in a puddle. Property management wont do anything, hope I can talk sense into them before the floorboards rot and cave in.

You? It's OK, you're not alone.

I've never been able to. I've tried:

Keeping receipts, text file on laptop, trying to keep track... too absent minded. Forget one receipt, it's all off.

Bank app on phone? Phone stolen last year, wary.

Weekly visit to atm to check balance? Forget pin, can't remember, locked out of account.

Paying for everything with cash might work, but unsafe neighborhood. And I forget where cash is, random $20 bills found in bizarre locations months later.

At my wit's end. Any adhd people experience similar?

I'll start. Apt next door is having a cockroach infected. 4 days ago, I was playing sims on my laptop, wearing my eyeglasses. Right lens got blurry, took off, huge cockroach was crawling across inside of lens. While I was wearing them. Freak out ensued.

I know it's gross, unhealthy, a stupid habit, makes no sense.

Trouble quitting cuz it's something to do with hands, fidgety, restless, oral fixation I think, and it gets me out of the house. Can't find a habit to replace it with.

For me, its Xena.

Few years back, height of covid epidemic, was living in homeless shelters. Overcrowded slums, everyone miserable, yelling, screaming, fights, abuse, rage. At one point, could feel the anger building in me. Powerless, a victim, desire for retribution. What good was trying to be better person, when all it meant was people walking over me.

Started rewatching xena, hadn't in years. Big message of the show: when surrounded by hate, violence, it's tempting to give in, to not be a victim. But you have a choice, to not continue the cycle, to make a better world. I so needed to hear that message at that time in my life.

What tv show helped you?

Living in cruddy apt. Anger management neighbor slamming doors constantly. Bed shakes, waking me up.

Previously, what works is anti vibration layers under bed. Prosourcefit exercise puzzle mats, quietwalk flooring underlayment, felt rug pad with rubber backing, thick cut high pile rug, anti vibration pads.

That normally works. But not with this insane dude. Can I build some sort of platform under bed, on rollers, like how buildings cope with earthquakes?

I'm looking for creative engineering solutions, out of the box ideas.

I'm trying to learn to buy groceries, cook for myself again.

Can't afford to buy and keep produce. Limited cookware. So, any recipe telling me to crush garlic, dice onions, etc, can't do.

Need budget, ghetto, for people on a fixed income, easy no frills way to make diy tomato paste pasta sauce.

Good suggestions so far. Tks. I have 1 bowl, 1 plate, 1 spoon, 1 fork, 1 butter knife ; 1 small sauce pan; Only stores nearby are corner stores. Hardly any produce. Having to make due with what you can find in a liquor store.