Air, shelter, water, and food, all essentials of life we take for granted. The gratitude of being alive,
smothered by emotional baggage. Just a bunch of pill induced zombies, riddled by life’s perplexities. Not
me, not any more at least. No, now I wake up every day reborn with a newly discovered purpose in life,
thanks to, him.
Most would be emotionally devastated and seek long term therapy, after what I had endured.
Most would need to be heavily medicated, to calm their anxiety of the fear he would return. No, not me,
the person I once was, is now dead. Suffocated, frozen, dehydrated, and starved out of me. Who I was
perished, and I am grateful. I am offering you the same, but before we get started, let me explain how I
arrived at this place of serenity.
The night was the same as always. I had just finished gorging myself on junk food while binge
watching a reality show. Empty bottles of soda surrounded me as I surfed the streaming networks.
Knowing my weight was getting out of control, I still managed to finish off the bag of greasy potato
chips. My bottles of meds sat on the end table waiting for me. Depression, anxiety, stomach, and heart
pills all courtesy of the negligence of my life choices. One by one I swallowed the antidotes of a better
me. Yet, there never seemed to be a stronger version of myself, no matter how many pills I ingested.
Falling asleep, I told myself tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow I will try harder. As I drifted
off to sleep, I felt a sting in my neck, only waking up for a few seconds. My eyes opened just enough to
see him standing over me. Fighting to stay awake, my eyes latched closed, and I fell into the darkness.
Upon awaking, I could hear sounds of mumbles surrounding me. Feeling heavy and disoriented, I
managed to flicker my eyelids. As the minutes passed, my surroundings became more lucid. The foul
stench of pig shit singed my nose hairs. Dust from old haybales stimulated my sense of smell, inducing a
sneeze. An unimaginable pain coursed through my mouth. Still dazed and confused, I heard a voice say,
"we can't have that, now, can we?". Once again, I felt a sting in my neck, causing me to drift out of
reality.
"Wake up", I heard as I came to, "we need to get started". Started with what, I tried to ask. Yet,
my mouth wouldn't open. Tranquilized still, I thought maybe my brain just wasn't cooperating with my
body. Flexing my jaw, I tried again to speak, it was useless. All I could do was mumble. My words were
nothing more than muffled grunts behind a padded wall.
Looking around, I could see I was not alone. Vision blurry, I still managed to make out a large
silhouette of a man sitting in front of me holding a cutting needle and thread. He then placed the needle
on a barrel and stood up. Whistling, "The Sun will come out tomorrow", I began to look around. There were other people with us. Including myself, all tied to chairs and mouths sewn shut. Three of us were men. The fourth was a woman in her
mid-forties. She was crying and moaning uncontrollably. Mucus ran down her face dripping from her
chin. Trying to console her, I batted my eyes. It was all I could do without having the use of my mouth
and arms.
The injection he had no doughtily given me, had worn off. Like the woman, I found myself in panic
mode. My heart raced fast. I thought I would have a heart attack. Wanting to scream, I
couldn't. Wanting to run but I was incapacitated. Fighting my way out, entered my mind, but how? How,
with my hands bound behind my back. Besides, I wasn't a fighter, and the man was massive. He would
be very intimidating under any circumstance. His raggedy hair was sandy blonde with a mixture of gray.
Deep wrinkles hid behind a handlebar mustache, which stretched across his face. Thick eyebrows sat
untamed above his devilish eyes. Watching him, I tried not to make eye contact. I looked everywhere,
other than at him. The other two men looked as frightened as me. One man, the bigger one, had tears
but made no sounds. The other man was a very frail older man. He shifted side to side as he tried yelling
from behind his fastened lips. His arms bared scars of that of a junkie. His body, covered in scabs.
Cautiously, I looked around. A rusty old plow sat in the corner next to some feed sacks. A saddle
lay across an old broken table. Two horses stood quietly behind their stall door. I could see rays of light
shine through the cracks between the boards. It was daylight, knowing that gave me comfort somehow.
The barn was dusty, and as painful as it would be, I hoped I would sneeze again. At least then I could
scream. Abruptly the man stopped whistling and spoke.
Your mouths are bound together so that I cannot hear you. People talk too much, making the
world noisy. All loud with pathetic excuses of their weaknesses. I am not going to kill you. Your life is in
your own hands. Up to this point, you have wasted your life hiding behind your addictions. Cowering
and leaning on crutches of life’s temptations. I am here to save you from yourselves.
The rule of three is simple. You can survive three minutes without air, three hours without
shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. If you truly desire to live, then you will
triumph. If not, you will perish. I am here to help you unpack your emotional baggage. Air, the very
breath you breathe, you have taken for granted. So, please slow your breathing and relax. We are about
to begin.
While you were sleeping, I provided you with adequate fluids and nutrition. I cannot have you
starting off, on an empty tank. I want to be as fair as possible and make this a pleasant experience.
Though, I warn you it will not be easy, and you will have to dig deep within yourselves.
The burly man began whistling once again. He placed an egg timer on a barrel, grabbed a plastic
bag and spoke. You can survive three minutes with no air. Do you have the desire and strength to want
to live? For you, I truly hope so.
Standing behind the heavier man he turned the timer and then placed the plastic bag over his
head. The man jerked in his chair, thrashing about. One minute, he said. The man still moving wildly.
Two minutes, almost there just hold on. Three minutes he announced, ripping the bag from the head of
the now motionless man. “Oh dear, I guess he did not have what it takes, next”. My heart raced even
faster as he stood next to the now inconsolable woman. I would be after her. I had to slow my breathing
if I were to live. Picking up another bag, he stood behind her.
The air went in and out her nose as she hyperventilated. “There, there, I’m not going to hurt you”,
he said, as he patted her on the shoulders. “Three minutes is a miniature amount of time. I wish you the
very best.” Her legs kicked out lunging back and forth. Her muffled shrieks filled the barn. “Are you
ready?” He then reset the timer. Fearing for my own life, I turned my head and concentrated on my
breathing. Trying hard to block her out, I went to another place in my head. As hard as it was, I imagined
I was calm and at peace lying on a sandy shore. Desperately, I wanted to cover my ears. Her loud cries
soon became small whimpers. Then to gurgles as she choked on her own vomit. Turning my head back
towards her, I could see her convulsing as life left her body. “Not quite a minute, what a shame”, he
said.
Thinking back to when I was a child, and held my breath under water, outlasting my brother.
Back then, holding my breath was easy for me and I always won. Being in my mid-thirties, I wasn’t a
child any longer. Could I beat this, I questioned. Unlike the woman next to me, who reeked of tobacco, I
didn’t smoke. My chances were greater than those who came before me.
Excepting the inevitable, I practiced my anxiety exercises my therapist had taught me. Four, four,
four, inhale hold, exhale hold. If I panic, I will surely suffocate, I told myself. The other man was calmer
now and followed my lead. Our eyes locked on to one another as we breathed. “Very good, that is what
I want to see, a thirst for life, the will to live.”
Picking up a bag, he then stood behind me. I took a deep breath as he turned the timer. I felt the
panic trying to set in, but I pushed it deep down. Oddly enough, the tune he’d been whistling popped
into my head. “The sun will come out tomorrow”, played as the bag was put over my head. “So, you got
to hang on ‘til tomorrow.” Not wanting to see the blurred images through the bag, I closed my eyes. I
just kept humming the tune in my head. “One minute”, he said. Getting more difficult to hold my breath,
I could feel my heart beating faster and my blood pressure rising. The tune still reeling in my head,
“tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow”. “Two minutes”. I can do this, I’m almost there, but my
mind was getting foggy, and my chest tightened. My muscles tensed up as I felt my existence dwindle
away. The tune that kept me going had faded away somewhere deep into my brain. Hungry for air, I
started scratching my hands behind my back. I was going to die. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I managed to
think one last time. “Three Minutes”!
Air rushed through my nose, as I clung to the remaining life I had. It was the greatest feeling just
being able to breathe. I’d made it, I had beat him, I was alive. “Congratulations, you did well”. “Breath
and continue to appreciate the gift, I have given you”.
Tears rushed down my cheeks, as I sat watching the man set the stage for the last occupant. As
sympathetic as I was, I was overwhelmed too just be alive. Still fighting my anxiety, I closed my eyes,
four, four, four. Sounds of distress and faint scuffling could be heard, yet I refused to open my eyes.
Three minutes passed quickly. “We have another fighter, outstanding.” Opening my eyes, I seen that the
other man had also survived. “Two out of three, I wished it faired better.” “It is a pity they perished, yet
the pigs will eat well.” “Nothing should ever go to waste”. “Their carcasses are a valuable resource.” I
am thankful for their contribution.”
“I will let you rest up.” The next gift, is that of shelter.” “People of the world scratch and claw to
have bigger dwellings of that of their neighbor.” Never being thankful of the shelters warmth when it is
cold.” “Not a second thought about the materials taken from the earth to provide that comfort.” “I will
teach you to not care about the size or the looks. You won’t care if it’s a barn or a house made of sticks.
You’ll learn to be content as it shelters you from the storm.
Not understanding what was coming next, I tried thinking of ways to escape. Wringing my hands
together, I tried loosening the rope. He had his back turned removing the bodies from the chairs. Yet
somehow he still managed to catch on to what I was doing. “That’s a double sheet bend knot.” Try as
you might, you will not loosen or untie it.” “Yet I commend you on your perseverance.” “If you escape,
you will not learn the valuable lesson I am trying to teach you.” “Sit and be patient, like I told you
before, I’m not going to kill you.”
He was right. The more I tried twisting my wrists, the tighter the rope became making them bleed
and burn. “Why was he doing this and why me”, I wanted to ask. The inside of my mouth was so dry,
and I was thirsty. All I could think about was water to wash out the metallic taste left from the wounds
of my lips. Making eye contact with the other man, I wondered if he was as thirsty as I. “The storm will
be here soon, and we can continue.”, he said as he removed a hacksaw hanging from the barn wall.
We watched as the man carried on as if he’d done this before. He laid the saw across a table.
Sweat dripped from my head as I panicked. What was he going to do to us? I thought. Do not worry, this
saw is not for you, he said as he placed the woman’s body on the table. He then began to dismember
her legs. He continued to hack through the bodies throughout the day. He would casually take breaks
between the removal of the body parts. After he was done, he used a rusty old wheel barrel to take the
parts out of the barn. He kept his word. I could hear the pigs happily squealing as he fed them.
The light that had previously comforted me dwindled away as darkness approached. As frightened
as I felt, all I could think about was water. “It is time”, he said as he wiped sweat from his brow. “I will
untie your arms so you can move freely. I encourage you to move as much as possible to keep the blood
circulating. Frostbite and hypothermia are inevitable if you let yourself settle. You can wear the clothes
you have on, but nothing more.
The barn was heated with an old wood stove. Our captor had fed it wood throughout the day. Yet
the wind from the storm outside seeped through the cracks. A chill came over me, fearing what was
next. The four technique no longer working. He then placed a makeshift collar around our necks.
Connected to the collar was a chain. After untying the ropes from behind our backs he told us to stand.
Fearing what he would do, I did what he told me.
He then unlatched the wooden brace holding the barn doors shut, unveiling winter’s wrath.
Weather in Michigan was unpredictable and harsh at times. That night was no different. The wind
bustled through the doors as we all stood staring into the night. Snow was falling rapidly and had quickly
begun accumulating. “Tonight’s storm is only a mild one but will last a few hours.” “Having your mouths
bound is a positive.” “It will protect your lungs.” Your heart rate will lower the less you move so keep
moving to boost your circulation.” “You will have to endure three hours in the weather.” “This trial is
brutal, I know but if your life is precious then you will improvise, adapt, and overcome.
He then led us by the chains out of the barn and into a wooden pen. It didn’t have a roof but was
too tall to climb over. “I know you must be thirsty, but if you try and eat the snow you will only amplify
dehydration and hypothermia.” He then removed the collars and locked the door. As he walked away in
his rabbit fur coat, he turned and once again said, “Do you have the desire to live, for you I truly hope
so.”
Frantically I surveyed the pen looking for a way out. The enclosure was made of old pallets, thin
boards, and cattle fence. It was sturdy enough to keep us in but not the wind out. It must have been
about twelve feet wide by twenty-four feet long. Rubbing my hands along the gaps, I felt something
warm run down my fingers. I had sliced my hand along the inside of one of the pallets. He had secured
razor blades and sharp nails from the inside to keep us from climbing out. Even if we were able to make
it to the top, we wouldn’t be able to climb over the razor wire that spiraled along the perimeter.
More frantic than I, the other man ran back and forth. He was shaking and sweating profusely. How
could he be sweating in this weather, I thought. On the other hand, I had begun to shiver. My feet had
already begun to tingle. Wearing only gym shorts, socks, and a t-shirt, I knew I must keep moving. The
other man was more fortunate than I. He was wearing pajama bottoms, socks and a hoodie. At least he
had a layer to break the wind.
The snow was dry and easy to move. Thinking maybe we could get out from the bottom. I began
moving the snow with my hands. As I moved it, I motioned for the other man to help. My attempts to
get his attention went unnoticed. He had found a nail long enough to cut through the stiches in his
mouth. Watching him, I debated on doing it myself. Though I thought of the burly man and his hacksaw.
Deciding it was best to keep my lips bound, I watched him saw through his. He yelled in agony as blood
dripped from his lips. Be quiet, I wanted to tell him, he’ll hear you.
When the last stitch broke the man dropped to his knees gasping and crying. He then stood up,
removed himself from his pants, and began urinating in the snow. “I’m Evan”, he said shivering and still
covering the white snow yellow. His urine smelled foul as the wind carried the smell. Not being able to
talk, I used a stick to spell out my name. Letter by letter, I spelled it out, Liam. He didn’t acknowledge
what I had written. He didn’t seem to care about what my name was.
Bending over he began to eat the yellow snow. Then pulling up his sleeves, he did something that
made my stomach churn. He picked off the scabs from his arms and started sucking on them. I now
understood he was detoxing and was trying to get a fix from the meth that had exited his body. I had a
cousin in jail once, who had described this same behavior from the inside. After doing this for a few
minutes he then spoke. Stuttering out his words, “I know it’s disgusting, but it is what it is.” “Now how
we gonna get out of this here, Liam. No matter what he was or what he spoke, it was comforting to hear
him speak to me.
Not knowing how to get out I just started moving. Shaking my head and still shivering, I began to
do jumping jacks. There wasn’t a way out and I was so cold. Knowing that I had to keep moving I
continued. I knew that if I didn’t move, my heart would slow and eventually stop. “You gonna listen to
that Behemoth or ya gonna try and help me find a way out?” Stopping, I once again tried looking from
the bottom. He looked for a way to climb over. Neither of us found a way to escape. Both of us,
shivering we stopped looking.
As we huddled together in the corner, a voice came from a speaker. “One hour has passed, two
hours remain.” Your lust for drugs trumps your lust to live.” “It will be your demise.” He’d seen, he’s
watching us, I thought. Not wanting to die, I began running in circles. The pain was excruciating. Every
step I took was like stepping on needles. My nose felt like it would break off.
“It’s no use, we’re gonna die, Evan said as he plopped on the ground. Using my arms, I motioned
for him to get up, but he refused. He sat in the corner with his teeth chattering and shoulders shaking.
While Evan sat, I continued. Running from one end to the other, tears freezing as they plummeted from
my eyes. As I ran, I tripped over something that caught my attention. It was a stack of a few boards
hidden under the snow. Uncovering them I counted them out in my head. There were several I dug out. I
crafted a fort in my head. We could use the wood for a shelter. Once again, I motioned for Evan to help.
Evan didn’t speak or move. “Two hours”, I heard as a voice projected from a hidden box.
Quickly I stumbled to Evan, shaking him. Tears ran down my cheeks as I faced the truth. I was
alone. Evan’s inability to try had snuffed out his life. He was dead. Time seemed to stand still in that
moment. Looking at his lifeless body, I realized he wasn’t a frail old man. He in fact was my age. The
drugs just made him look old. My sadness for him abandoned me to be replaced with anger. He should
have tried harder. I was now alone. He had left me alone.
Feeling numb and secluded, I wanted to give up. There wasn’t much fight left in me, yet
something in me snapped. I didn’t want to die. Ripping my wet clothes off, I threw them to the ground.
Trying to keep my temperature above freezing, I jumped and staggered in the snow. Laying Evan’s body
flat on the ground, I thought I would use it as a warm layer between me and the ground. One board at a
time, leaned them over Evan’s body and up against the pen, making an ominous clubhouse. Shivering
and naked, I crawled inside and laid on Evan’s lifeless body.
No longer having the strength to move, I lay crying. In the last hour I replayed my life. If only I had
another chance to do it all over again. If only I thought as my eyes closed. The door then opened, “Three
hours”. “Stand up.”, he said as he wrapped a fur coat around my frigid body. ”Come on, you have passed
but you are not out of the woods yet.” Replacing the collar around my neck he then led me back into the
barn.
“I have prepared a warm bath for you.” He then helped me lift my legs over a galvanized water
trough. “There, there”, he said, “Just sit and let the bath warm your blood. The pain of prickly needles
washed over my body as the numbness dwindled. Fading in and out, I watched him carefully remove a
stockpot from the stove. He poured the water from the pot over my head. “Just relax, you should be
proud of yourself.” “You have outlasted all who came before you.” “You’re a fighter and you value your
life. I watched as he warmed pot after pot, continuously pouring them over me.
“I will have to give you warm fluids intravenously.” “Try to stand”, he said as he lifted me up and
out of the trough. He then dried my body with a towel. After he dressed me in dry clothing, he led me to
a makeshift bedroom converted from a stall.
As he assisted me into the bed, I noticed a tray with medical instruments on it. What were they
for I wondered, but to tired to care anymore. He then placed the I.V. needle in my arm and covered me
up. “Rest up and sleep while I deal with the frostbite.” Before I was able to think about what he had just
said, I went out.
Waking up, I was no longer cold. The shivering and pain from the night before gone yet replaced
with new discomfort. My hands, feet, face, and head all pulsing. Slowly, I removed the blanket with my
bandaged hands to see my feet. Both were wrapped in bandages. Looking over my entire body, I
reached for my face. It was also bandaged. I could feel that my ears and nose were missing. “I know this
must be shocking to you, but it had to be.” “You had deep frostbite in your fingers, toes, ears and nose.
They had to be amputated. “I have sealed off the wounds and have given you antibiotics to fight off
infection.” “Be grateful your alive.”
“You are very ambitious, and I want to reward you for your success. “If you can continue to
cooperate, I will remove the stitches from your lips. “Don’t speak unless I ask you to.” “Can you give me
word that you can stay quiet?” I nodded in agreement.
As promised, he removed the sutures from my lips. Handing me a tin cup of water, he told me to
drink. Words can’t express how refreshing the first sip was. Not being able to control myself, I gulped
down the entire cup. Handing the cup back to him I managed to mumble, “more?” Violently, he struck
me in the face and stood up. “More, more more”, he yelled as he paced the floor. “Always wanting
more!” “You should have savored every last drop rather than gulping it down like a pig at a trough.”
“You have reached your third trial.” “Water is the source of all life and you will learn to appreciate it. Do
you have the desire to live?” “For you, I truly hope so.”
Locking the door behind him, he left the room. Feeling relief from his absence, I took a deep
breath. Concentrating on the air that went in and out my lungs, I was thankful to be alive. It had been a
couple of days since I was able to breathe through my mouth. I felt happiness and gratitude to just be
able to breathe. The blanket and bed kept me warm from the cold that seeped through the barn walls.
Feling relieved, I felt safe for that minute. I pulled the blanket up under my chin and just lived in the
moment. Looking for ways to escape no longer crossed my mind. Still fearful of the man, yet I felt a
strange feeling of gratitude toward him.
Mixed emotions danced around inside of me as I lay. Thinking of the others that were with me, I
pitied them. Had they truly wanted to survive, they would be alive. Had they fought harder, they would
have won against his trials. My sympathy for them abandoned my thoughts, replaced with
disappointment. Questioning my mental state, I laid wondering if I’d gone mad. How could I sympathize
with a man who had essentially tortured me. How could I be thankful to a killer, I wondered. As
comfortable as I was, I was thirsty. Three days was a long time to go without water. Knowing this, I
closed my eyes to try to sleep through it.
A familiar tune whistled through the cracks of the wall. My eyes blurry from crust, I wiped it away
with my bandaged hand. Curious, I tried peeking through a hole in a board. Seeing the two horses in the
next stall brought back anxiety from the first trial. Sounds of mumbling could be heard. Listening
intensely, I realized he had more victims. Wanting to scream out to them to calm their breathing, I said
nothing. Fearful he would kill me if I spoke. Though I didn’t have to. He was telling them to be calm and
they would live. If only they would listen, they could live. One after another perished throughout the
ordeal. Once again mixed emotions of sympathy and anger fought within me. I slammed my hand
against the stall boards. Why am I angry at them, I questioned myself. Hearing the distinct sound of the
hacksaw cutting through the bodies, I became sick. I crawled back in the bed and covered my head.
“Wake up, you have rested enough.” Leading me into the room where the bodies were, he
motioned for me to pick the parts up. “I will cut the meat and you will load it up.” “Do you
understand?”, he asked. I nodded yes and began putting the severed limbs in the wheelbarrow.
“Take it out back to the pigs.” “I trust you won’t try to run.” You will not get very far in your
condition and the weather” He was right, still bandaged and weak I knew I would freeze. Reluctantly I
put a arm, leg, and head in the wheelbarrow.
Once again, the cold made me shiver as I treaded through the snow. The night was calm. The
moon shined down on the solar panels that lined the buildings. I was on some sort of homestead.
Nearing the structure that housed the pigs, I cringed at the thought of feeding them. The squealing led
me to the hog house. Opening the door and entering, I gasped in horror. Piles of bones lay everywhere
within the house. The pigs squealed in delight as I tossed the body parts to them. The smell was pungent
and took my breath away. Not being able to hold back, I vomited the only liquids I had in me. After
unloading my delivery, I left to retrieve another load. Feet still bandaged, and I was cold, the thought of
running left my mind. Yearning for the warm bed, I trudged my way back to the barn. This went on
throughout the night.
“Almost done, this is the last of it.”, he said as he cut through a torso of a woman. “You have done
well, and I am proud of you.” “I know your cold and must be thirsty.” Yet, you still have forty-eight hours
left until you can replenish your thirst. “Keep motivated and you will triumph over your it” After the last
load was completed, he led me to the bed and rebandaged my wounds. Curiously looking down at my
severed toes, I seen I was missing five of them. The same as he bandaged my hands. I was four less
fingers. Two were gone from each hand.
My stomach grumbled as I tossed and turned. All I could think about was water and food. I
eventually passed out from the nights work. Waking up, I felt disoriented and weak. The hunger for food
and water still consuming my thoughts. “Twenty-Four hours left”, his voice said from outside the stall.
“Get up, I have more work for you.” “You have to earn your keep.”
The man then entered the room and placed the collar around my neck. “Here is a coat to keep
you warm, he said as he placed it on my back. Then he handed me some rubber boots. “These should
help keep your feet dry while you dig.” Wanting to ask, dig what, I didn’t dare from the fear of being
struck again. The task will be difficult but not impossible. Handing me a shovel, he led me to the spot he
wanted dug.
“The weather has let up and the temperature has risen. I can not trust that you might try to run.
He then locked the chain to a stake in the ground. “The hog house needs cleaned of the bones.” “Dig me
a hole big enough to bury the remains of the less fortunate.” “I will return in twenty-four hours.” You
have fared well so far, keep up the good work and you will be rewarded.” He then turned and walked
away.
The sun was just beginning to rise, and it felt warn against me face. The black sky turned to a
canvas of pastels. The view was stunning under any condition. After admiring the horizon, I started my
grueling work. Trying to dig with missing toes was difficult and excruciating. Placing the shovel into the
frozen ground, I bared down with all my weight. Breaking the ground seemed unfeasible, but I managed.
Letting out agonizing cries, I repeated the movements until I finally moved dirt.
Scanning around, my head was on a swivel looking for cameras. The thought of trying to escape
weighing heavily. Using my bandaged hands, I felt for any gaps in my collar. It was tight around my neck.
I Then looked for any weak links in the chain but found none. The steak the chain was hooked to must
have been buried ten feet, I thought as I gave it a tug. Giving up on any escape attempts, I continued to
dig.
The hunger and dehydration had started to take effect. My head pounded like a hammer on a
nail. I became nauseous. Fearing I might throw up, I sit and rested on the ground. Looking down at the
homestead, I wondered who the man was. Nearly falling asleep, I pushed myself up off the ground.
Visions of water surrounding me engulfed my every thought. God, I was thirsty.
After I finished digging the hole I fell to my knees in exhaustion. Worrying that if I fell asleep, I
would die of dehydration. Standing up, I desperately tried staying awake. The chain weighed down my
neck making it hard to stand. Using the shovel as a brace, I wedged it into the ground and balanced the
chain over top of the shovel. It lifted the weight off me, allowing me to stand easier. Standing and
swaying, I watched as day turned to night and night back to day. “Congratulations”, the man said as he
walked up the hill toward me.
“II knew you would conquer the test.” “You will soon be rewarded for your victory.” Leading me
back to the barn, I stumbled and fell. The man picked me up and helped me to my feet. As He laid me in
the bed, oddly enough I wanted to thank him. “Before I tend to your bandages, I am going to start an I.V.
to restore your electrolytes. He then handed me a cup of water. “Drink”, he said. Wanting badly to gulp
it down, I refrained and sipped slowly. The water was refreshing as it moistened my mouth. Water
wasn’t something I normally craved but, in that moment, it was all a I wanted. Living mostly on energy
drinks and sodas, I rarely drank it.
As I sipped, I thought about my body and how I had neglected it. Peculiar enough, the man was
giving me all I ever needed. He had somehow managed to push my stronger version to the surface.
“Good news”, he said as he wrapped the final bandage around my foot. “You have made it to the last
trial.” “But before we discuss that, I want to reward you on your accomplishments.” “I’m sure you have
questions, and I will allow you to ask them.” A little conversation will do us both some good.” I must say
I am as curious about you as you are of me.” He said as he poured me another cup of water. “But not
until you have rested.” “I look forward to it, I will see you this afternoon.” Locking the door behind him,
exhausted, I fell asleep.
Hunger pains interrupted my slumber. Turning about in the bed, images of food ravaged my
thoughts. Trying hard, I managed to push the vivid images of cheeseburgers out of my mind. Replacing
them with the image of the man conversing with me. What would I ask him, I pondered. Would I set him
off again and be fed to the pigs. One would think that I wouldn’t want to talk to him after he had cut off
my nose, yet strangely enough I did. I was curious about him.
My tossing about abruptly interrupted as I heard the man enter the room. “Well now, how do you
feel this afternoon?” He asked, as he pulled a old wooden chair next the bed and sat down. To scared to
speak I laid quietly. “It Is o.k., he said cheerfully as he patted my leg. “You may speak”. “Better but
hungry”, I managed to mumble. “Yes, I know you are hungry, but you have entered your final trial.” You
must endure three weeks with no food.” You have been here a week.” “Two weeks remain.”
“People of the world are gluttons. Indulging in prepackaged garbage to feed the body. Never
having to hunt or forge for it. If you make it the three weeks, you will have learned to appreciate what
you put in your mouth. You will think about what it is for, rather than just stuffing your face. Do you still
have the desire to live, for you I truly hope so.
“What is your name?”
“Liam, my names, Liam”
“Well, Liam, my names Doc” “It is finally nice to meet your true self.” I’ve been waiting along time for
this.” “You are now worthy to speak to.” “You have shed your old, infected skin and are growing new
skin.” “I have helped you thus far to create a better, you.” “You may speak freely”.
“Why are you doing this”?
“To save you.” “To rid you of the worlds temptations” “I am extracting all you have digested and
replacing it with the will to survive.”
“Who are you”, I fearfully asked.
“I am a doctor who the world cast out due to what they call negligence.” “I only pushed my patients to
better themselves and refused to subscribe fake antidotes”. “I didn’t hand them a crutch when they
could walk on their own.”” I left the city and moved off grid”. “Here I am free to practice as I see fit”.
“My patients now, are those that want to better themselves but just need a little push.” “Yet, none have
come as far as you, Liam.” “What is it, you desire, Liam?”
“A life of fulfillment”, I said.
“Are you not now, achieving that goal, Liam?”
Before I could answer, he told me, “Enough talk for the day”, we have work to do. “Don’t speak
unless I ask you to”. Unhooking my I.V., he then furnished me with warm clothes and boots again. “Grab
the wheelbarrow”, he said as we excited the barn. He then led me to the hog house. “I want you to pick
up the bones and put them in the hole you dug. Feeling weak, I pushed through the chore. The sight of
the mutilated parts wasn’t as repulsive to me as before. Yet, I did wonder who they were and where
they had come from. The day sped by quickly.
That night, I laid in the bed thinking of the man. Could he be right with what he was doing. I did
feel a new feeling of accomplishment. Had I truly shed my old self. Had he had given me what every
doctor before him had failed at. Questioning my own thoughts, I drifted off to sleep.
As the days went by, I would often help him rid the world of the weak. Every few days he would
bring in new patients. One after one they failed his trials. Some made it past the first, only to die in the
pen or the cooler, depending on the weather. We had many evening conversations where I learned
more about Doc, as he did me. Some nights I would listen to him mourn their deaths. He would often sit
by the stove talking to himself and crying. He would question their inability to understand what he was
doing. Finding myself somewhat sympathetic to him, I spoke out. “It’ll be o.k. you’re a good doctor, they
just don’t have a desire to live. “Thank you”, he said, “but do not speak unless I tell you”. With that I
climbed into bed and covered my head.
Ribs now visible, I was nearing death. No longer having the energy to help him any longer, I spent
the remaining few days in bed. As the final day approached, he came to me and said, If you don’t die
through the night, I will intravenously feed you the nutrients your body requires. Then you can truly live
your life. Tears filled his eyes as he pulled the blanket over me. You have been an outstanding and
cooperative patient and I thank you. Share to the world the gift I have given you.
Waking up, I was confused and again fighting off a sedated state. Rubbing my eyes in dismay, I
stumbled out of bed and tripped over my tennis shoes. Looking down at my disfigured feet, I was
perplexed at the sight of the floor. Continuously wiping at my vision, I scanned the room. Soda bottles
littered the nightstand. An empty potato chip bag lay empty on the bed.
Falling onto the floor, I curled up into a fetal position and cried. Visions of the dead filled my
thoughts. My mind was baffled with an emotional and ethical struggle. Four, four, four, I tried to
manage as anxiety reared its ugly head. “No!”, I yelled. I was alive and I was thriving. Quickly jumping to
my feet, I ran to my dresser mirror. It would be the first time, seeing the new me since my amputations.
Raising my head slowly my eyes met a man I had never seen before. A mangled mess stared back at me.
Yet, I didn’t see the ugly. I seen a victor. A man who fought for his life. I seen a man with the desire to
live. Admiring my new self, I calming starting whistling that familiar tune. I knew what I had to do.
The next few months, I spent talking to the detectives. Occasionally throwing them a false bone
toward their investigation. Had I not been a missing person, I would have avoided the police all
together.
A year has passed since my abduction. My life has changed for the better. I have faired well. I
often think about Doc and if he is still practicing. I did what he asked. I survive, appreciate, and share my
new gift to the world. I no longer spend my days waiting for life to toss me a crumb of its cookie. There
is value in the very air we breathe, the water we drink, the dwelling that shelters us, and the nutriment
we eat. Yet, it’s been difficult to convince people of this without some persuasion. So, please calm your
breathing. I am not going to kill you. This will only take three minutes. So, relax, do you have the desire
to live?” “For you, I truly hope so.

In its recent earnings call for Q1 2024, Sirius XM reported strong financial results, exceeding market expectations. The company reported total revenue of $2.1 billion, marking a 12% year-over-year increase. Net income for the quarter stood at $368 million, reflecting a robust 18% growth compared to the same period last year. Subscriber additions were also impressive, with a net increase of 600,000 subscribers, bringing the total subscriber count to over 39 million.
Key Highlights from Earnings Call:
Subscriber Growth: Sirius XM showcased continued momentum in subscriber growth, driven by its diverse content offerings and strategic partnerships. Revenue Diversification: The company highlighted its efforts to diversify revenue streams beyond subscription fees, including advertising and partnerships with automakers for connected vehicle services. Content Investments: Sirius XM emphasized its ongoing investments in content creation and acquisition, aiming to enhance its value proposition and attract a wider audience. Technology Upgrades: The company discussed plans for technological advancements, such as improved streaming quality and enhanced user experience across devices. Financial Strength: Sirius XM underscored its strong financial position, with healthy cash flows and a solid balance sheet, enabling it to pursue growth opportunities and return value to shareholders. Forward-Looking Advancements: Looking ahead, Sirius XM has outlined several key advancements and initiatives:
Expansion into Podcasts: The company plans to deepen its presence in the podcasting space, leveraging its existing platform and partnerships to offer a diverse range of on-demand audio content. 5G Integration: Sirius XM aims to integrate its services seamlessly with emerging 5G networks, enhancing connectivity and accessibility for subscribers. Personalization and AI: Utilizing artificial intelligence, Sirius XM intends to personalize content recommendations and user experiences, tailoring offerings to individual preferences. Smart Home Integration: The company is exploring opportunities to integrate its services with smart home devices, allowing for convenient access to audio content in home environments. Global Expansion: Sirius XM is evaluating strategies for international expansion, potentially tapping into new markets and partnerships to broaden its reach. Conclusion: Sirius XM Holdings Inc. continues to demonstrate strong performance and strategic foresight in the competitive audio entertainment landscape. With a robust financial foundation, a focus on innovation, and plans for expansion into new territories and technologies, the company appears well-positioned for sustained growth and value creation.
Hella oversold on long term and short term RSI, this baby is gonna move soon. Premiums are still DIRT cheap.
Position: 200x 6/21 3.5calls
Lets fucking go!

Hello,
I am kind of nervous. I had some speeding tickets charges from 10 years ago that came back on my background examination for my clearance.. will this affect me from receiving my FJO? I was given the opportunity to explain and provide the police report and disposition information. All charges were dropped nothing major.
I just wanted to know what are some things on the background check that may disqualify you from receiving the offer?
I really appreciate you all helping me out with this. I really want this job.

Conspiracy theories involving “elite” pedophile rings have recently been dominating social media in a disorienting frenzy. They have been around for some time but in this century rose back to popularity during the 2016 Election cycle. This crop, at least, took root with what became known as “Pizzagate.” Promoters of that conspiracy theory in 2016 used social media platforms to make unfounded but viral allegations that Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats were running a pedophile ring out of the basement of a pizzeria even though that restaurant had no basement, or any ties to known politicians other than the typical flesh pressing (Phrasing I know) moments fit for a picture hung on the wall. Since then, the dark theme of Pizzagate has found new life with permutations forming part of the #Qanon conspiracy theory, incorporated under the umbrella term “pedogate.” The gist of the #pedogate conspiracy theory is that global elites (politicians, celebrities, and wealthy businesspersons) are covertly involved in a far-reaching ring that uses young children for sexual purposes. “What most of these conspiracy theories involve in one way or another is laying accusations of pedophilia or involvement in pedophile rings at the feet of people that they despise or hate, and during the 16’ election cycle, Democrats were a wide target for an opposing political movement that had hijacked the rival Republican party. Pizzagate originated with the “alt right” and “alt lite,” far right extremists who range from outright white supremacists to those who publicly shun racists but otherwise fall in step with their belief systems. Pizzagate jumped from the fringes to the mainstream because as it denigrated Hillary Clinton, it sucked in supporters of then-candidate Donald Trump. After the election all mention of pedogate seemed to be put on a simmer while other National outrages boiled over (#Covid #RussiaGate #BLM) and just like clockwork (heading into our next election cycle has been turned back up. The pedogate conspiracy and all associated stories employ a centuries-old tactic: playing on deep-seated human anxieties by conjuring images of imperiled children, the purest and defenseless victim of any manner of injustice. An example in the modern era of weaponized conspiracy was the satanic panic of the 1980s, in which a wave of hysteria over alleged child molestation at daycare centers swept the nation. But while that phenomenon was a moral panic attributable, at least in part, to social anxiety over white middle class women entering the work force en masse for the first time and entrusting their children to others, the current conspiracy theories about pedophile rings equate to similar propaganda. They carry a danger for stirring up violence. If you want to elicit violent action the way to do it is through hate and fear. Once you target and label a population as pedophiles, you can do anything you like to that population with full excuse being given to the myth you’ve wrapped around it. That’s not to say fears of child abuse or sex trafficking are unfounded. There are many as pedophilia has ancient roots and in many cases was encourage by many world cultures and religions a lot later into Civilization than we’d like to admit. The International Labor Organization reports that 25 percent of the world’s 40.3 million victims of human trafficking are children. The most vulnerable, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, are migrants, runaways, the homeless, and youngsters who have been victims of violence. Despite their obsession over the topic, conspiracy followers aren’t worked up about those children who are in true harm’s way. In the world of propaganda, it’s never about real children. Instead, it’s about what children represent. The children imperiled by conspiracy theories, in other words, are only metaphors. Children carry a vast amount of weight in any society, but especially modern ones when they’re expected to survive past the age of five. It wasn’t as intense before the 18th century when child mortality rates were really high. They represent the future, and all that is beautiful and decent and honest in a society, because they are innocent. For most people also, the meaning of their existence is rooted in their children. Children are eschatological, they represent death for us, and what is coming behind us after we are gone. They also represent the threat of loss, if they disappear, if they die, that is the death of society. That’s why they became so crucial and central to Cold War propaganda. The real terror of the nuclear holocaust would be the death of the children, because that’s the death of everyone. A recent example of this is in a recent police investigation into conspiracy claims of PizzaGate style accusation of Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts. Detectives attempted to contact the person accusing Voodoo Doughnuts on social media of running a pedophile ring. The accuser did not cooperate with investigators and it’s been documented in other coverage online that they had become agitated and accused the Police with complicity when tracked down in person, even though they were attempting to investigate. The pendulum of conspiracy theories about systematic child abuse has swung back and forth for centuries. Examples such as blood libel, when Jewish communities were attacked over false allegations of murdering and consuming Christian children in the Middle Ages. In Europe, During the Thirty Years War, entire villages were put to the sword because it was believed they were abusing children of the other religions. One characteristic that helps Pizzagate-style conspiracy theories gain popularity is that they function like a puzzle game and give its audience a large level of involvement through social media. A lot of conspiracy theories are oracular, where the information comes from one source an oracle. Then there are others where there are a few people who promote the notions, almost like gurus or a conspiracy priesthood. But Pizzagate, it’s more of what one would call a participatory conspiracy theory. Participatory conspiracy theories lay out a scenario or situation and then they ask their audience, ‘what more can you find out about this, what more can you add?’ It turns the audience into willing participants, some knowing they are creating a destructive madlib and other (potential real victims) caking on mystical distraction to issues that have been unreported or scars that have not bee properly treated. The thing about participatory conspiracy theories is it can really create a devoted following because it gives people something to do, it makes them feel they can solve the whole thing or uncover new aspects to it. Once you get that energy going it’s almost self-sustaining. Followers of the Qanon conspiracy theory, call themselves “bakers” because their protagonist “Q” pops up on Internet message boards and leaves “crumbs” (i.e., clues), and they are tasked with picking up the crumbs in order to solve the puzzle. (“Q” is supposed to reference the character’s government security clearance level).
#Q followers believe an even more incoherent version of Pizzagate. This is largely a right-wing fantasy that originated in a series of incoherent posts on #4chan in 2017 by someone calling themselves #QAnon. Following on the heels of similar idiocy such as Pizzagate, it advances a fantastic web of deceit that wraps up Trumpism, deep state fearmongering, evil, satanic pedophilia rings controlled by the Democratic Party, investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election, the Las Vegas shooting, and New World Order paranoia into a package easily and wholeheartedly promoted by internet cesspools and far-right personalities such as Alex Jones. The premise is that President Trump is secretly working to take down a global ring of elite, cannibalistic, satanic pedophiles. And the investigation into Russian meddling into the 2016 election, led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, is actually an investigation into the so-called “deep state”, where a cabal of evil, globalists, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are responsible for everything from a global pedophile ring to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. According to the enlightened, when Trump awkwardly took a drink from a bottle of Fiji water at a press conference in November 2017, it wasn’t because he was thirsty; it was actually a secret signal to those in the know that the annihilation of deep state pedophiles had begun (or was about to begin). Because as everyone knows, Fiji is a hot spot for child trafficking. ( I could go on and on with this poorly thought-out shit, I will spare you ) The role the Internet and social media play in helping to spread such insanity can’t be underestimated. Just a few decades earlier, conspiracy theorists would identify each other using letters to the editor printed in newspapers and magazines. It was a lot harder to identify your fellow conspiracy theorists. You would have to physically meet to swap your stories or send letters or call. They would set up these groups that would communicate by newsletter. They would meet in a physical space, like someone’s living room. I personally witnessed people from my childhood, dutifully photocopying newsletters they had received in the mail to give to others (Primarily at my #JW congregation, how ironic). Now obviously it can go much more quickly, because you can identity people immediately. You can quickly share ideas and the data you’ve collected. The Internet allows such people to exist in bubbles where they rarely have their beliefs challenged. The extraordinarily polarized society we’re in right now has made people less willing to seek out other view points. Because of the internet you have less chance of doing this. There’s very little incentive to look outside one’s own bubble once they have become invested in a conspiracy theory. Once you start to act out on those behaviors you are forced to double down by repeating the act to prove it was a just act. Eventually you get caught up in a movement that totally defines your conscious and you can’t get out of it. The second you step out of that world view your actions go back to being reprehensible. Now the question becomes, “What’s the harm? If it sheds light on child abuse, then isn’t it still productive?” The answer in this case is a resounding NO. In my opinion and PAINFUL experience, the root cause and sustaining factors of institutionalized child sex abuse are all things that would counter your typical Conspiracy Nut’s world view, thus causing a complete blackout to the problems. The entity taking part in the harming of children on a local and tangible level aren’t some suit and tie wearing global elitist. It’s a guidance counselor, youth pastor, unvetted young substitute teacher, aunt/uncle/cousin/neighbor. It’s anyone who has been given routine private access to a child’s mind and body because of the social conventions that have been protected for generations by our relatives whether they themselves are guilty of abuse or not. In all the Qanon madness I also kept very close tabs on the pending prosecution of the Boy scouts of America and never saw any widely shared memes about their involvement in the abuse syndicate. Why is this? How is this so? Aren’t these people watching the news, seeing the court records and hearing the individual cases being brought against Scout Leaders (SOME OF WHO RAN THEIR OWN NETWORKS!!)? When I would find mention of accusation it was met with the ever scarce “skepticism” because if the media is covering it, it must be a plot to destroy the organization. There are now non-for profit organizations setting up victim funds and protections for people to come out with their stories and somehow THIS is the fake ruse. Some that know me know that I was a Jehovah’s Witness as a youth/teen/young adult. That chapter of my life could fill many chapters and the research on the organization, the real true black and white history of the religion would honestly surprise you. I saw what I now know was abuse, I personally experienced abuse in many forms. The perpetrators involved are either still Witnesses or are dead or have moved “away from the organization”. But one thing that was left intact in each situation was the secret that they prey on children. The parents, these organizations and the collective promise to keep up appearances are directly to blame for the suffering untold thousands, millions of children and broken adults. All for what? Pride and Vanity and a commitment to all involved to protect them from the “mean old world” despite allowing predators to eat their children from within. Being a #JW was a very interesting experience. It provides a very efficient form of insulation from outside society and allows people involved to view the chaos from afar. There is this persistent (albeit false) sense of shared peace that members have. It’s as though for three days a week you go to this meeting where no matter what, everyone has a smile and feels about things EXACTLY how you do. There is no cursing, there are no politics, there surely isn’t any destructive influences that would tarnish your chances of salvation. For a parent this is a refuge when raising a child in a world that is dangerously unpredictable. A Child that you are unable (or unwilling) to teach coping skills to get along by societal standards, A child you want to protect by hiding. This is problem #1. As an adult the congregation presents an avenue for which you can act and behave in a way that allows you to reconcile your past, a way to have less of those nights awake because you think about past wrongs you’ve committed against people. It’s the proverbial band-aid for a guilty, bruised, destroyed conscious of any size. Coming into the organization takes nothing more than the desire to change, publicly declaring your willingness to hand over your life to God (The organization). Bam, You’re in! No credit check, no background check. This is problem #2. A JW is taught that “every facet is an asset” (Ministerial Servants know what I’m talking about). What this means is that every facet of your life is an asset to the organization to spread its word. If the world see’s their product’s application into your life and thereby how much better it is than a normal person’s, then they’ve made an “Effective Witness” to the world. This causes Witnesses of any age to allow almost every facet of their life to be a tool by the organization. For a parent this includes their children. This is problem #3 When you get a culture that insulates itself from the real world, that allows you to enter without any coherent vetting, give access to children whose parents feel obligated to present as a “witness” to the lifestyle. You get a twisted corridor in which victims can get lost for a lifetime and predators can hide in plain sight. For any proponents of the “Save-The-Children” movement to not take a step back and really analyze their local community and lifestyle through these lenses only illustrates that child abuse is being weaponized politically at the expense of others whom you aren’t willing to save because it would look bad for ‘your side’. If you truly care, you wouldn’t be sharing email forwards about what evil unverified unmentionable thing you read some celebrity or politician did. Instead, you’d be drawing back on your experiences as a child. Even if nothing happened directly to you, I’m sure you know some one that had an experience that forever harmed their life. Who did it? Was there a pattern or social condition that allowed for this as was laid out in the JW example? How could it have been avoided? Would you have stopped it if you saw the signs? Are you willing to stop it in the future, knowing what you know now? If you can answer any of those questions with a yes, then you have all you need to WRITE your own material to reach real victims and their families. Does your action cause problems for your ‘side’? It shouldn’t matter and you know that. If it does make a difference to you then you are no better than the shadowy pedophilic cabal that you are so obsessed with.

So this is a long one. Like, I'm going back over it and damn. This is longer than I thought it would be. Throwaway account, I've only made one other post to this relating to what's going on. Instead of updating the other post, I figured I'd make a separate one about the whole shit show I experienced, and the shit circus I uncovered and avoided. I'll try to keep this in as chronological an order as I can.
As the title says, my abusive/narc mom and pos/delusional/golden child brother started trying to reach out to me a few months ago wanting to make amends and build bridges with me again. There were a few people that commented on my previous post in another subreddit that may be a little disappointed in me for how I handled this, and a few that might enjoy that I handled it the way I did. Someone commented to not let them use my good nature. My nature is dependent on who I'm dealing with, and when it comes to that side of my family, I'm more stick than carrot. So their attempts did not go ignored, and did not go unpunished.
Growing up, I was always closer with my Dad than my mom. My brother was the epitome of "pampered mamma's boy". He started having seizures as a child and was diagnosed with epilepsy, which I thought was why my mom babied the absolute fuck out of him long into adulthood. He would go a year or 2 without any seizures, and then there would be a few months where he'd be having them every other day. At Anytime he got in trouble at home or school, my mom would find a way to blame me, for not making sure he knew whatever he was doing would get him in trouble, or she would blame my dad for not being "involved enough in their baby's life." My dad was in the Navy and I remember any time he'd deploy, I'd dread every day until he came back. My brother would taunt me that he knew whatever he did, I'd be the one to get in trouble for it. My dad would always make things up for me when he got back from his deployments though. We'd often have weekend trips just the 2 of us. And then around my 12th birthday, my mom insisted on sitting us all down and explain to that she and my dad were getting a divorce. We got the whole talk about how they still love us and they just can't be together anymore, etc. my dad told us both that he still loved us and he would be there for us whenever we needed him. He explained that he would be moving out, but he would be by to pick us up to spend the weekends with us. I was nervous and honestly scared of what it would be like without him. But I was looking forward to the weekend when I got to see him again. That never happened though, and that was the last time I ever got to see him.
Right before his weekend with us, my mom explained to us that my dad didn't want anything to do with us anymore. There was some news story about a father that killed his kids when he had custody of them and she used that to terrify my brother and convince him that our dad wanted to kill us to start his life over. We left damn near everything behind and moved in with my mom's brother in Florida (from Virginia) a couple days before my dad was supposed to come get us. After that, she went to great lengths to make sure we had no contact from him.
Years went on, my mom seemed more indifferent towards me than ever. She never seemed interested in anything I did unless my brother also seemed interested in it. She didn't show any interest in my wanting to learn guitar until my brother also showed interest in it. Then we got one guitar that we had to share, I'd take lessons on the condition that I taught my brother whatever I learned in them. My brother eventually wound up breaking the guitar and I was blamed for not storing it in the case it came with. I had to share my N64 with him whenever he wanted to play it. I was playing perfect dark one day and having a hard time killing the skedar leader at the end of the game. My brother burst into the room saying he wanted to play his MegaMan game, to which I just replied "give me a minute, this boss fight is hard, once I'm done you can have your turn" He didn't like that. He left the room and came back with a hammer and smashed the console while I was still playing. My fault for not letting him play it. The only thing I had that he could not use was a pair of roller blades my aunt got me for my 14th birthday. I specifically asked for roller blades to get around instead of a bike because my brother and I had different shoe sizes, so he couldn't wear them Because of constant shit like that, I never really put much value in having things growing up. I didnt want to buy something or get something as a gift just to have it fucked up in a few weeks or months. At some point, my "little" brother became the larger one, so my clothes all became "hand-me-ups" as he outgrew everything. So, because I didn't really have any distractions at home, I turned into a high achieving student, rarely got in trouble. made the honor roll all throughout school. But that wasn't something to celebrate as it was expected of me. I had long since decided that I was moving out as soon as I could once I turn 18. I got a job working at a Walgreens as soon as I could and started saving up for a car. My mom however took issue with this and would never agree to take me looking for one and absolutely refused to ever have it put on her insurance. This is where my Aunt comes in. She and her son are the only 2 on my mom's side that aren't some sort of degenerate. She had her son young, but put herself through college while raising him alone and eventually got her MBA and a cushy upper corporate job. She told me to tell my mom I had to go in to work on one of my days off, that she would pick me up and she would take me car shopping. So that's what we did. I couldn't quite afford a cash car, but she helped me with the financing. I put down what I had as the down payment, the arrangement she made with me was that 1- as long as I was in school, she would cover the insurance and payments for me, however, if I got into an accident, I was responsible for paying the deductable. And 2- as long as i was living with my mom, the car remained in her (Aunt's) name. And if anything happened to it, to let her know so she could get the appropriate authorities involved. My mom was PISSED when she found out I now had a car. Her reasoning (that she said in front of my aunt) was that she didn't think it was fair for one of us-either me or my brother- to have something the other couldn't use. Due to him being 13 and having epilepsy, he couldn't drive, so why should i have a car if my brother doesn't? That turned into a long shouting match between my mom and Aunt that basically ended with my aunt explaining that since it was her car, and all paperwork on her name, I was just on the insurance for it so I could drive it. But if anything at all happened to it while I was living at my Mom's, that the police and insurance companies would get involved. My mom still kept track of all the miles on the car to "make sure I was only going to work and school and wherever she told me I could go". Most of the time, when I hung out with friends, I wasn't the one driving. From that that point though, my mindset was very much "keep my head down and nose clean until I can leave." I graduated a month before my 18th birthday. After graduation, my mom and i got into an argument about me contributing to her bills. I eventually dropped the ball that I planned on getting back in touch with my Dad and leaving. She started laughing. Something about that laugh made me really uncomfortable. She then said "well, you can certainly meet up with him whenever you want! I'll supply the gun if you buy the bullet!" And told me my dad had died when I was 15. That. Fucking. Broke. Me. Later that night, i called my best friend and vented everything to him. He was in the DEP program for the Navy and would be shipping out in a few months, he told me to come by first thing in the morning and talk with him and his parents about the whole situation. I basically packed up all of my clothes and left the day after my 18th birthday. I just left my house key and a note that said "I'm not your problem anymore." I couch surfed for a little while until after my best friend left for boot camp, then I was able to move in and live with his parents (chosen parents basically). My only real rules were keep the house and my space clean and make sure I had a job and/or going to school. I spent a few months mourning my dad and kind of in a haze. Since he was in the Navy though, that meant I was reliable for financial aid for school. My second dad helped me get everything put together to start receiving that so I could start college.
Well, after a couple years of this, my brother, who had spent his time at school more as "forced socializing" instead of learning, was expelled from public schools for allegedly setting off a fire extinguisher in a classroom. He had to enroll at an alternative school called "the drop back-in academy" that was specifically for dropouts or anyone that got the boot from the public school system. My mom reached out to me and asked me if I would drive him to this school in the mornings, she'd pick him up in the afternoons, and she'd pay me $20 a week.I agreed to it thinking this was out of character for her, but she surprisingly held up to that agreement. I drove him for a couple years until I was ready to start my bachelor program. My second parents were getting ready to move back to their hometown and I was going to start school on the other side of the city. So, I was moving to that side of town and couldn't really drive out of my way to pick up and drop off my brother anymore. He continued his enrollment at this place for another 3 years (5 years total) and it turned out, he was never attending. I would drop his ass off there every day and he'd just walk home immediately after I pulled out of the parking lot. He'd just tell my mom that he finished his work early and decided to walk home instead of wait around for her. One afternoon, I'm coming home early from work and my brother is just sitting on the steps to my studio apartment. He tells me that he and our mom got into a really big argument and he needs a place to stay. I (reluctantly) let him in. I'm stuck thinking he must be really desperate if he's coming to me for help. But I start thinking at this point, he's 24, jobless, and probably needs to learn some self discipline and responsibility, and our mom just never did that for him. So I try to help. I ask him what their fight was about and he tells me that he started dating this girl at his alternative school. She was 21 and got the boot from the school system for being too old to attend (we actually have several relatives that were kicked out of the school system for the same reason) and that he accidentally got her pregnant and our mom did not take kindly to that. I called my landlord and explained the situation to him. He was okay with it, so I let him crash on my couch for a little bit (until the end of my lease, then I'd be moving) and just told him to clean up after himself, take care of himself, etc until we could all work this out. He crashed there for a few months and did Jack shit. He would complain that I didn't have a computer for him to use (I only had a laptop I bought for school) and I didn't have any video game consoles for him to entertain himself with. So he was stuck there bored all day. I got tired of the complaining and lack of effort and told him he had to go back to our mom's if he wasn't going to be an adult. We started shouting at each other until he dropped this little bombshell. He yelled "I can't go back to Mom's!" And when I asked why, he just blurted out "because it's to close to that elementary school!" That stopped the whole thing. "And why is that a big deal now?" I asked him. I already knew why that would be the problem, but 1% of me was holding onto the hope that he was got jumped by a gang of 5th graders and the trauma was too much for him to bear. I told him he could either tell me what's going on, or I could make a phone call and get every last detail I needed. He confessed that he had been leaving that school and going over to his "girlfriend's" house and waiting for her to get home. And that one day, her mom ended up catching them in the act. I explained to him that he was leaving out important details if that was the reason he couldn't be near a school.
He told me she was 14, not 21. I. Lost. My. Shit. Everything after that is kinda fuzzy, but he was arrested, mom posted bail, and since she lived right around the corner from an elementary school, he couldn't stay there. So they told his parole officer that he'd be staying at my address until his court date.. his PO had swung by a couple times, but I was always either at work or school or out somewhere. At this point, I told him the lease was up in 6 weeks, I couldn't stand to be around him. I packed my stuff early, moved out into a storage unit, and I stayed at an extended stay hotel until it was time for me to move. Called my landlord and told him what was going on, and if my brother was still there the last week of the lease, nail him for trespassing. My landlord was a good guy. I never had any problems with him. I paid up the last 6 weeks and threw him since extra cash for his troubles as I knew I wouldn't be getting my deposit back. That was the last time I saw my brother. After I moved out of state, I cut all contact with everyone in that family except my Aunt who was the only one that ever helped me out or even had my back. But even then, it was just through email. We'd mainly email birthday and holiday wishes to each other. Updates from my side on how life and career are going.
I never had a myspace or a Facebook growing up. I either never had a computer to check it on, or I was just so accustomed to not having any online distractions that I just never got around to making one. I did finally make a Facebook and I did get in touch with my dad's side of the family and reconnected with them. I hadn't seem most of them since I was 4 or 5. Some of them had been in contact with my brother (he fucking knew our dad died) and was spinning some sort of web about how he graduated high school early, had gone to college for pre-med and then got some sort of full ride scholarship to some prestigious medical school in Florida. He told them I wasn't on social media because I had been arrested for selling drugs and that he was taking me in after I got released. He was also using my senior portrait as a profile pic. They were surprised when they saw me and how I "looked just like my brother!" I had set the record straight. They looked dumbfounded when I told them that he couldn't get himself out of the 9th grade in 10 years, and now would likely never complete his high school journey due to the fact he can't be within 100 yards of a school.
So, fast forward to last week. I checked my email for the first time since late January (for my aunt's birthday) and noticed a few from her saying my mom wanted to reach out, then several emails from a new address. It was my mom's first initial and last name. Subject lines usually read "please respond" and "let me know you're okay" and stuff like that. I'd copy some of them over, but holy shit this is already a novella. Basically she got my email address from sneaking my aunt's phone (aunt did not sell me out). She's trying to apologize for how she treated me growing up and trying to excuse it by saying I reminded her of my dad and then she was going through menopause and just any excuse to dishes full accountability it seems. She acknowledges that it was wrong to hold me accountable for my brother's fuck-ups but dismisses that by saying he didn't know any better and she needed me to be a good role model for him. Things have been hard for her since I left, since she "had" to take my brother back in (I would've left him on the street or in jail), she had to sell her house (she was only 10 years into her mortgage) and buy another smaller one further from a school for him. He never did get a hs diploma or GED because how can he? And she's been going through breast cancer treatment for the last several months and just doesn't have the energy to take care of her 33yo baby anymore. She asked me if I lived close enough to them to take him in for a little bit while she focuses on her health. I left Florida 8 years ago and haven't even lived in the same time zone in 6 years. She can only check her email at work since she no longer has Internet at home. She had to cancel her home Internet service because of him. So, I decided to just put my brother's name into a search bar and the first thing that pops up is a FDLE sex offender's page. And holy shit has he gone downhill. He had a second arrest when he was 27 for the same thing, and then was caught in communications with another girl (like Chris Hansen sting) and was released from prison at the beginning of the year. And the mugshot.... You know the pale lady from the scary stories to tell in the dark movie? Think that, but with a patchy beard. Beady eyes, bad skin and all. According to the sheriff's office inmate search, he's been arrested 5 times in the last 10 years. Twice for lewd and lascivious battery of a minor (aged 12-15), once for solicitation of a minor, and twice for probation violations.
The TL/DR: abusive mom took all her frustrations out on me, blamed me for everything my brother did, hid my father's death from me until I was almost 18, and reaches out after 8 years of no contact and wants me to take care of her pedophile son while she's in poor health.
I'm attaching my response to her below.
Hi. I'm alive. I'm well. I'm also not okay with you contacting me, especially under the circumstances that you violated the privacy of your own sister to get my contact information. I have read your apologies and excuses and I do not accept either. You say I reminded you of Dad? He spent more time with me and showed more interest in my well-being than you ever did, and that's including the 6 years he was absent from my life by your own selfish design. Menopause? I find that hard to believe as this went on for the better part of half a decade and not once in that time did your attitude towards brother change. You always treated him with the same coddling infantile obsession and patience that one would show a toddler. It was and is clear that you have a preferred child as that adult-sized pile of shit is still living comfortably with dear old mama. I'm guessing no one else is willing to take him in? Are Uncle and Cousins afraid of him doing something to their daughters or grandchildren? I do believe you when you say you want to rebuild the bridge that you nuked from orbit years ago, but I can't believe it's not for your own selfish desires. And I can't find any reason or way my quality of life could be improved with your presence. The reality is, my life has been far better without you than it could be with you. I've never said this to anyone, but if there is a sense of karma and balance in the universe, your current situation is proof of that. The next time I see your name on my computer screen, had better be for your obituary. But since you and the monster you raised both decided to keep Dad's death a secret from me, and remove any choice I had to mourn or pay my respects, I'll return that kindness to you.
Please die away from me.

Just want to double check, does the observer unit have to be able to shoot the spotted unit, or just be eligible to shoot in general?
Added on to that, are there any rules about not being able to observe if you're in combat (but a vehicle or have pistols), if you've advanced (but have assault/gun drone with assault), or fell back (but have a rule that lets you fall back and shoot like Ghostkeel or battlesuit support system)?
Thanks in advance!

Sarah jolted awake at 3:33 a.m., her phone buzzing incessantly. Groggy, she saw the call was from her own number. Confused, she answered.
Her own voice came through, frantic. "Sarah, this is you. From tomorrow. You have to leave now! It's inside!"
The line went dead. Heart pounding, she checked the call log: May 15, 3:33 a.m.—a day ahead. She replayed the voicemail, her voice pleading, "It's already inside."
Suddenly, a cold draft brushed her skin. The closet door creaked open. She backed away, dialing 911. The operator promised help, but it felt like forever.
Finally, police arrived. They searched the house and found nothing. As they left, one officer asked, "Did you know your basement door was open?"
Sarah's blood ran cold. She didn't have a basement.
The officer's eyes widened in horror as a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. The last thing Sarah heard was her own scream, echoing from the figure's lips.

Happy Wednesday, Barkada --

The PSE gained 4 points to 6608 ▲0.1%

Shout-out to financial freedom for the dividend card design advice, to Mike Tan for supporting the idea of the dividend cards, to Jing for hoping that competition would fix FMETF's iNav problems, to Justin Angelo Bantang for providing the equation that let him to "give up" on FILRT ("declining stock price + declining dividend payout = give up"), to VodkaMartini_007 for the OGP meme suggestion ("Doom Guy in Hell"), to Cheerful2_Dogman210x for the OGP analysis ("might take a quick peek if it hits a strong support"), and to arkitrader for the REIT Police vibes.
I know I still owe an update to the MB Underwriters League table, and I'll have that ready for tomorrow's send!

▌In today's MB:

• Citicore Renewable sets IPO for June 7
• MREIT to acquire P13-B in buildings through swap
• Vista Land approves P5-B prefs offer

▌Daily meme Subscribe (it's free) Today's email

▌Main stories covered:

• [UPDATE] Citicore Renewable IPO pushed back to June 7... Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation [CREC 3.88 pre-IPO] [link] pushed its IPO back one week to June 7, with a revised offer period between May 27 and May 31. This is the second time that CREC’s IPO has been rescheduled. CREC was originally intended to list in March, but the listing was pushed back to the end of May after sticky inflation prevented central banks from lowering rates. CREC raised ₱5 billion from its sale shares in its subsidiary, Citicore Renewable Energy REIT [CREIT 2.85 ▲0.7%; 107% avgVol], to SM Investments [SM 887.00 ▲0.2%; 163% avgVol] back on March 31. The offer is 1.786 billion common primary shares at a maximum price of ₱3.88/share. Together with the overallotment option, the total IPO is worth up to ₱7.97 billion.
  
  • MB: I don’t have any insider information about why the IPO was delayed a second time. I know that the PSE is usually hesitant to schedule IPOs too closely together for fears of oversaturating the market with new equity issuances, and given how heavy the OceanaGold PH [OGP 12.36 ▼1.1%; 31% avgVol] listing has been so far, perhaps the PSE and CREC together decided that it might be worth it to get a little (more) space between OGP and CREC’s listing just to be sure. Edgar Saavedra’s group has been clear the whole time of its intent to list CREC in Q2, so a reschedule by one week to June 7 doesn’t seem like anything other than a bit of fine-tuning. Not sure how deeply we can read into anything. Just excited to get a look at a new IPO.
• [NEWS] MREIT to acquire ₱13.15-B worth of office buildings through share swap... MREIT [MREIT 12.80 ▼1.2%; 380% avgVol] [link] announced that it has applied to the SEC to approve a property-for-share swap transaction with its parent company, Megaworld [MEG 1.79 ▲0.6%; 136% avgVol], where MREIT will acquire six “Grade A buildings” from MEG in exchange for 926,162,000 primary MREIT shares. The transaction is valued at ₱13.15 billion (~₱14.20/share). The properties that MEG will inject into MREIT are One Fintech Place and Two Fintech Place in Iloilo Business Park, Davao Finance Center in Davao Park District, and Two West Campus, Ten West Campus, and One Le Grand in Fort Bonifacio. The transaction will increase MREIT’s gross leasable area (GLA) by 48% to 482,000 square meters.
  
  • MB: This property-for-share swap structure is how the framers of the REIT Law imagined REITs would grow. I’ve seen some comments talking about how the issuance of primary shares by MREIT to MEG dilutes MREIT shareholders; this is true from a voting perspective, but not from a dividend or yield perspective. Starting from the point when the SEC approves the transaction, MREIT will begin generating revenue from these properties, and that revenue will flow into the dividends that MREIT will declare in future quarters. According to my calculations with the PSE’s data, this swap would push MREIT’s public float below the REIT Law’s one-third minimum public ownership threshold to 32.29%, so perhaps MEG will look to sell a small batch of shares in a private placement to prevent the possibility of suspension. Who knows when the SEC will approve the transaction? All I know is that it’s not a good look to get caught flat-footed by a surprise approval, like what happened to Leandro Leviste back when he still owned SP New Energy [SPNEC 1.13 ▼0.9%; 45% avgVol]. I’m interested to see how MREIT will react to the shifting fundamentals of the office market. Anyone here tried GPT-4o? Things are changing at a rapid pace. A year ago we were laughing at having text translated into Jar-Jar speak. Today, I had a full 10-minute conversation with GPT-4o (“Sky”) about how to use Google Looker to produce a financial dashboard using my Google Sheets data.
• [NEWS] Vista Land board approves ₱5-B preferred shares offer... Vista Land [VLL 1.50 ▲2.0%; 0% avgVol] [link] disclosed that its board has approved a ₱5 billion preferred shares offering, consisting of 50,000,000 Series 2 Preferred Shares priced at ₱100/share. VLL said that China Bank Capital and SB Capital will be joint lead underwriters on the deal. The company did not provide any information about the potential dividend or the timeline for the offer period and listing of the shares.
  
  • MB: This prefs sale comes after VLL had to kill its disastrous attempt to sell $700 million in US Dollar-denominated bonds back in late January. Back then, VLL’s bonds were simply not shiny enough to compete with the yields of other (better) issuers. When it pulled the bonds there was an expectation that VLL would try again once rates had come down a bit, and while rates have not gone down, perhaps this smaller offering is intended to deal with whatever short-term needs the company has while it waits to make a bond offering at some future time when rates are lower.

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27(M)perma resident status 1st offence Blew 0.12 canada quebec Car totaled No blowing refusal
Here is the option (DWI) am trying to avoid a criminal record i dont know which one i can choose
(2)Charges *Driving with alcohol level =>0.8mg *Operation of motor vehicle while impaired
Option 1: Wait for the Prosecution to send me the documents I requested and then set your case for trial. As I mentioned to you, you have two counts. I believe our chances of success are strong with regard to count 2 (the alcohol level). However, we still have count 1 (impaired faculties) which is assessed based on your symptoms. The police mention, among other things, a lack of balance on two occasions which will either have to be explained or denied depending on your version of the facts. You will also have to come and explain your accident. It is very important to understand that the offense is to be impaired at any level. This option is also the most expensive. It could be around $8,000.
Option 2: Accept the prosecution's offer on the charge of impaired driving, which automatically creates the criminal record. You will be able to request forgiveness in a few years which will be recognized only in Canada. This option is the least expensive and your file could end on June 17. You would be banned from driving for 1 year, except with the breathalyzer in the vehicle. If you take this option, I strongly advise you to consult an immigration lawyer to inform you of the consequences that this could have on your immigration case and to assist you.
Option 3: I could make a counter-offer to the Prosecution to replace the charge of impaired driving with a count of dangerous driving. We could thus request absolution which would save you from a criminal record. You would also be banned from driving for 1 year. The Prosecution could refuse this offer. If so, we will return to options 1 and 2.

Yesterday morning at about 7:30 AM there were 5 SPS vehicles on our street (Nutana, near broadway) responding to a stolen vehicle. Every responding officer had guns out and were ordering the passengers out of the car one by one.
One of my neighbours was sitting on her deck a few doors down when the commotion started and began recording, and an officer approached her with his rifle and shouted at her for not going inside, BEFORE anyone had left the vehicle. He said he could have shot her and was making his job more difficult.
The vehicle had 3 unarmed people and after handcuffing and interrogating one of them they released her and let her go on her way. There was no resistance from any of them. I think the response was already excessive (five vehicles for three people??) but I cannot believe the police pulled a gun on my neighbour who was just standing by. There were plenty of other people outside watching or recording and he had to threaten her? In what world is this okay? Why can our police service threaten random citizens?
If you were concerned about the safety of bystanders you wouldn’t pull out your guns out in a dense neighbourhood like Nutana. What has happened to the world these days, jesus christ.

https://preview.redd.it/cv6gi44h1h0d1.png?width=230&format=png&auto=webp&s=3b16e7604f6e686001d65656ff8f0cf18cdb7aab
I am trying to create a data table on a different sheet - I need to track how many check boxes there are for a certain segment.
Example - If I select Buyer from my drop down under segment, then check the box for Set, I want that to be added to a total in another cell on a different sheet for only buyers.
I currently have it tracking all checked boxes but that is total of checked not based on segment.
Any help would be great!

Picture this:
It's a Saturday morning in January. You were out drinking with friends last night on the cusp of a snowstorm. Around midnight when the bar started to close, you welcomed the group to pop by your home to wish your 23-year-old son a happy birthday.
Your son, a few of his friends, and your nephew were there when you got home. Friends from the bar arrived shortly: Brian Higgins in his jeep, The McCabes in their whatever-mobile.
The snowfall continued to accumulate. By around 1:45am, the last "guest" (your adult daughter) departed, picked up by her boyfriend to make the 20ish-minute drive home.
Despite the howling wind, the snow insulates the outdoors and blankets everything with that surreal quietness, as if you've forgotten that you have cotton balls in your ears. The only sound throughout the night is the slow, comforting rumble of the plows making their hourly passes.
Around 6am, a woman is screaming 30 feet from your bedroom window. Wildly. Urgently. Inconsolably. Emergency vehicles begin arriving to your yard. Six, seven, maybe eight motors running. Heavy doors open and slam closed. There are multiple police cruisers, firetrucks, and ambulances. Their red and blue lights reflect off the snow like a dozen flashing suns, casting criss-crossing light beams against your house like a scene from the Waco docuseries. Anywhere from 11 to 15 first responders are in front of your house, one of whom seems to be using a leaf blower.
Only one of your five kids is home. You don't know if your daughter and her boyfriend made it home safely. You don't know if your sister, her husband, and your son's friends made it home safely. You don't know if your nephew made it home safely. You don't know what happened after you closed the door behind them last night.
What are your first thoughts?
What are your first actions?

Hi, I was recently in an accident where I, from a stopped position, turned left onto a highway and was struck by a driver in the oncoming fast lane.
The driver who struck me was coming out of a blind corner and definitely speeding. I had checked both directions several times before going and I was totally clear, the driver of the other vehicle hadn't even come around the corner yet.
As I was about halfway across the road, the driver came flying around the corner and laid on her horn. She didn't attempt to stop and instead of moving over into the slow lane she tried to go around the front of my vehicle in the center turn-lane. That's where our vehicles collided.
The officers who responded to the scene found me at fault for "improperly starting from a stopped position"
I got a copy of the police report today and the other driver says in her statement that she was "going approx. 55-60 mph" (the speed limit is 45) and "didn't have time to brake" when she saw me.
Is her statement alone enough to lead a judge to the conclusion that she was actually the one at fault? I pride myself on being an extremely cautious driver, and I was honestly ready to just move on with my life, but seeing that she admits to breaking a law which should/could/would have prevented this accident makes me want to dispute the officers findings..
No drugs or alcohol were involved as far as I know. This happened in Nevada near South Lake Tahoe.

Once in a while I come across a client like this that calls up my business and tells me they have a few scratches on their vehicle that they would like to have removed and then proceeds to tell me that they don't think it's that deep, how much. I reply that unfortunately I would not be able to give an estimate without seeing the scratches first to determine if they can be removed or at least improved. Guy gets mad because I cannot guarantee anything without seeing scratches and I even said that he could send me pictures which would help give me an idea and I even informed him that if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail then it means that they are deep and he said that he wasn't doing all of that and I was wasting his time. Tells me he'll just go to the next detailer and I lost his business. I never understood why people don't want things done the right way. This is compared to someone calling a mechanic and saying hey my car is making a noise what do you think it is? Mechanic cannot ultimately assume what the noise is without checking it out first.

Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of any business, and the vending machine industry is no exception. Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business is essential to attract more locations. Effective marketing strategies help create awareness about your business and its offerings, build credibility, and ultimately drive more customers to your vending machines. By implementing a well-planned marketing strategy, you can differentiate your business from competitors, establish a strong brand presence, and increase your chances of securing profitable locations. Investing time and resources into marketing efforts can yield significant returns for your vending machine business in terms of increased sales and long-term growth.

Identifying your target audience and their needs

Identifying your target audience and their needs is a crucial step in effectively marketing your vending machine business. By understanding who your potential customers are and what they are looking for, you can tailor your advertising strategies to attract their attention. For example, if you are targeting individuals interested in starting a saree business, you can highlight the benefits of vending machines for saree retailers. Additionally, you can emphasize the convenience and cost-effectiveness of using vending machines as a way to advertise their products. By addressing the specific needs and interests of your target audience, you can create compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with them and attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives is essential for boosting profits for startups. By defining specific targets and outlining a strategic plan, vending machine businesses can effectively attract more locations and increase their revenue. To achieve this, it is crucial to identify the target audience, understand their needs and preferences, and develop tailored marketing strategies that highlight the unique selling points of the business. Additionally, conducting market research and competitor analysis can provide valuable insights for positioning the vending machine business in the market and gaining a competitive edge. By setting clear marketing goals and objectives, vending machine businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and attract more customers, ultimately leading to increased profits and business growth.

Researching the Market

Analyzing the current vending machine market

Analyzing the current vending machine market is crucial for any business looking to expand its operations. By examining the trends and demands in the industry, businesses can gain valuable insights into the buying behavior of customers. This information can help businesses make informed decisions on where to invest and which locations to target. Understanding the current market also allows businesses to identify potential opportunities for growth and stay ahead of the competition. When it comes to attracting more locations, having a deep understanding of the current vending machine market is key.

Identifying trends and opportunities

In order to effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations, it is crucial to identify trends and opportunities in the industry. By staying informed about the latest advancements and consumer preferences, you can position your business to meet the changing demands of the market. Conduct market research to understand the current trends in vending machine products and services, and identify any untapped opportunities that can give your business a competitive edge. Additionally, keep an eye on emerging technologies and innovative vending machine solutions that can enhance the customer experience and drive more foot traffic to your locations. By proactively identifying trends and opportunities, you can develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience and attract more locations to partner with your business.

Researching competitor strategies

Researching competitor strategies is a crucial step in developing a successful marketing plan for your vending machine business. By studying what your competitors are doing, you can gain valuable insights into the market and identify areas where you can differentiate yourself. One effective strategy that has proven to be successful for many businesses, including nail businesses, is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to directly reach out to potential customers and promote your products or services. By implementing effective email marketing strategies for your nail business, you can attract more customers and increase your sales. Here are some highlights of email marketing strategies for nail businesses that can help you stand out from the competition:

Developing a Marketing Strategy

Defining your unique selling proposition

Defining your unique selling proposition is crucial in the competitive vending machine industry. It is important to clearly communicate the value your business offers to potential customers. One way to differentiate yourself is by providing convenient credit card payment solutions. This allows tailors and other customers to easily make purchases without the need for cash. By offering this service, you can attract more locations and increase customer satisfaction. Implementing credit card payment solutions for tailors will not only streamline the purchasing process but also position your vending machine business as a modern and customer-focused option in the market.

Creating a compelling brand identity

Creating a compelling brand identity is crucial for any business looking to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. In the vending machine industry, where competition is fierce, it becomes even more important to establish a strong and memorable brand. A well-crafted brand identity not only communicates the values and personality of your business but also helps build trust and credibility with potential locations. One key aspect of creating a compelling brand identity is through effective marketing strategies. By incorporating elements such as auto repair shop website design, you can create a visually appealing and user-friendly online presence that showcases your unique offerings and attracts more potential locations. A well-designed website can serve as a powerful tool to communicate your brand's message, highlight your key features, and provide valuable information to potential customers. With the right combination of design, content, and functionality, your auto repair shop website can become a magnet for attracting more locations.

Choosing the right marketing channels

When it comes to choosing the right marketing channels for your vending machine business, it is important to consider your target audience and the most effective ways to reach them. One effective marketing channel to consider is starting a sewing and embroidery business blog. By creating informative and engaging content related to sewing and embroidery, you can attract a niche audience that is interested in these topics. Additionally, you can highlight your vending machine business within the blog content, providing a seamless way to promote your products and services. Another marketing channel to explore is social media. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with potential customers and showcase the benefits of your vending machine business. By using targeted advertising and engaging with your audience, you can increase brand awareness and attract more locations for your vending machines.

Creating Engaging Content

Writing persuasive product descriptions

Writing persuasive product descriptions is a crucial aspect of marketing your vending machine business to attract more locations. Effective product descriptions have the power to captivate potential customers and convince them of the value and benefits of your offerings. By using persuasive language and highlighting unique features, you can create compelling descriptions that differentiate your products from competitors. Additionally, it is important to consider the target audience and tailor the descriptions to their specific needs and preferences. A well-crafted product description can generate interest, build trust, and ultimately drive more locations to choose your vending machines over others.

Producing high-quality visuals

Producing high-quality visuals is essential for effectively marketing your vending machine business. Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of potential customers and conveying the value of your products. By investing in professional photography and graphic design, you can create visually appealing images that showcase your vending machines in the best possible light. Additionally, utilizing high-resolution images and eye-catching graphics in your marketing materials, such as brochures, websites, and social media posts, can help attract more locations for your business. When it comes to producing high-quality visuals, it is important to consider factors such as lighting, composition, and color scheme to ensure that your images are visually appealing and communicate your brand message effectively.

Leveraging social media for content promotion

Leveraging social media for content promotion is an essential strategy for any business, including the healthcare staffing business. In today's digital age, social media platforms provide a valuable opportunity to reach a wider audience and engage with potential clients. By creating compelling and informative content, healthcare staffing businesses can position themselves as industry leaders and attract more attention to their services. Additionally, social media platforms offer various advertising options, allowing businesses to target specific demographics and increase their visibility. With the right social media strategy in place, healthcare staffing businesses can effectively market their services and attract more clients.

Implementing Marketing Tactics

Running targeted online advertising campaigns

Running targeted online advertising campaigns is a crucial strategy for marketing your vending machine business and attracting more locations. By utilizing online platforms such as social media, search engines, and display advertising, you can effectively reach your target audience and generate awareness about your business. With targeted campaigns, you can tailor your messaging and advertisements to specific demographics, geographic locations, and interests, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. Additionally, online advertising allows for precise tracking and measurement of campaign performance, enabling you to optimize your strategies and maximize your return on investment. By incorporating targeted online advertising campaigns into your marketing efforts, you can significantly increase your chances of attracting more locations for your vending machine business.

Building strategic partnerships

Building strategic partnerships is crucial for the success of any business. By forming alliances with other companies, you can leverage their resources and expertise to expand your reach and attract more customers. In the context of the vending machine business, one strategic partnership that can be highly beneficial is with temporary nurses. Temporary nurses play a vital role in healthcare facilities, filling in for staff shortages and providing quality care to patients. By partnering with temporary nurse agencies, vending machine businesses can tap into the healthcare industry and target locations such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. This collaboration can create a win-win situation, as healthcare facilities can provide convenient and healthy snack options to their staff and patients, while vending machine businesses can gain access to a steady stream of potential customers. To make this partnership even more effective, vending machine businesses can offer special discounts or customized vending options tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. By building strategic partnerships with temporary nurses, vending machine businesses can enhance their visibility, increase their customer base, and ultimately drive more revenue.

Utilizing email marketing for lead generation

Email marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation in the vending machine business. By utilizing email campaigns, businesses can effectively reach out to potential locations and establish meaningful connections. With a well-crafted email strategy, vending machine businesses can showcase the benefits of partnering with them, such as increased foot traffic and additional revenue streams. Furthermore, email marketing allows for personalized communication, enabling businesses to tailor their messages to the specific needs and interests of each potential location. By leveraging the reach and targeting capabilities of email marketing, vending machine businesses can attract more locations and expand their market presence with ease.

Measuring and Adjusting

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for the success of any business. It allows entrepreneurs to measure and evaluate the performance of their vending machine business, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions. By tracking KPIs, entrepreneurs can monitor the number of locations their vending machines are placed in, the revenue generated from each location, and the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing efforts. This information enables them to optimize their marketing strategies, identify the most profitable locations, and allocate resources effectively. In addition to tracking KPIs, self-care practices for entrepreneurs are essential to maintain their well-being and productivity. Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and prioritizing self-care activities can help entrepreneurs manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By incorporating self-care practices into their routine, entrepreneurs can enhance their overall performance and ensure the long-term success of their vending machine business.

Analyzing marketing campaign results

Analyzing marketing campaign results is a crucial step in evaluating the effectiveness of your vending machine business's marketing efforts. By carefully examining the data and metrics gathered from your campaigns, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of different marketing channels, identify areas of improvement, and make informed decisions to optimize future campaigns. This analysis allows you to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing activities, determine which strategies are generating the most leads and conversions, and allocate resources accordingly. With a systematic approach to analyzing marketing campaign results, you can refine your marketing strategies, target the right audience, and ultimately attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Making data-driven adjustments for better outcomes

In today's competitive business landscape, making data-driven adjustments is crucial for achieving better outcomes. By analyzing key metrics and trends, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into their vending machine business and make informed decisions. One important factor to consider is the kindness factor. Showing kindness to customers and employees can have a positive impact on the success of the business. By providing exceptional customer service and creating a supportive work environment, entrepreneurs can attract more locations and build strong relationships with their stakeholders. This not only enhances the reputation of the business but also fosters loyalty and trust among customers and employees. Implementing data-driven adjustments with a focus on kindness can lead to improved business performance and long-term success.

Conclusion

Recap of the importance of marketing for vending machine businesses

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of vending machine businesses. It is essential for attracting more locations and increasing revenue. One important aspect of marketing for vending machine businesses is the effective rate sheet creation. A well-designed rate sheet can effectively communicate the pricing structure and benefits of partnering with the business. It allows potential locations to make informed decisions and understand the value proposition. By creating an effective rate sheet, vending machine businesses can showcase their competitive pricing, variety of products, and exceptional customer service. This not only helps in attracting more locations but also in building long-term partnerships with them.

Key takeaways for successful marketing strategies

To ensure successful marketing strategies for your vending machine business, it is crucial to keep in mind a few key takeaways. Firstly, understanding your target audience is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify the needs and preferences of potential customers. Secondly, develop a compelling brand image that resonates with your target market. This includes creating a professional logo, designing attractive vending machine wraps, and maintaining a consistent brand message. Additionally, utilizing various marketing channels, such as social media platforms and local advertising, can help increase brand visibility and attract more locations. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts is vital. Regularly track metrics like customer engagement, sales conversion rates, and return on investment to make data-driven decisions and optimize your marketing strategies. By implementing these key takeaways, you can effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations.

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right strategies and a solid plan, you can tap into a market that is constantly growing. If you want to learn more about how to start a vending machine business in 2023, check out our website. We provide step-by-step guides and valuable resources to help you get started. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business. Visit our website today and take the first step towards financial independence.

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Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of any business, and the vending machine industry is no exception. Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business is essential to attract more locations. Effective marketing strategies help create awareness about your business and its offerings, build credibility, and ultimately drive more customers to your vending machines. By implementing a well-planned marketing strategy, you can differentiate your business from competitors, establish a strong brand presence, and increase your chances of securing profitable locations. Investing time and resources into marketing efforts can yield significant returns for your vending machine business in terms of increased sales and long-term growth.

Identifying your target audience and their needs

Identifying your target audience and their needs is a crucial step in effectively marketing your vending machine business. By understanding who your potential customers are and what they are looking for, you can tailor your advertising strategies to attract their attention. For example, if you are targeting individuals interested in starting a saree business, you can highlight the benefits of vending machines for saree retailers. Additionally, you can emphasize the convenience and cost-effectiveness of using vending machines as a way to advertise their products. By addressing the specific needs and interests of your target audience, you can create compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with them and attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives is essential for boosting profits for startups. By defining specific targets and outlining a strategic plan, vending machine businesses can effectively attract more locations and increase their revenue. To achieve this, it is crucial to identify the target audience, understand their needs and preferences, and develop tailored marketing strategies that highlight the unique selling points of the business. Additionally, conducting market research and competitor analysis can provide valuable insights for positioning the vending machine business in the market and gaining a competitive edge. By setting clear marketing goals and objectives, vending machine businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and attract more customers, ultimately leading to increased profits and business growth.

Researching the Market

Analyzing the current vending machine market

Analyzing the current vending machine market is crucial for any business looking to expand its operations. By examining the trends and demands in the industry, businesses can gain valuable insights into the buying behavior of customers. This information can help businesses make informed decisions on where to invest and which locations to target. Understanding the current market also allows businesses to identify potential opportunities for growth and stay ahead of the competition. When it comes to attracting more locations, having a deep understanding of the current vending machine market is key.

Identifying trends and opportunities

In order to effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations, it is crucial to identify trends and opportunities in the industry. By staying informed about the latest advancements and consumer preferences, you can position your business to meet the changing demands of the market. Conduct market research to understand the current trends in vending machine products and services, and identify any untapped opportunities that can give your business a competitive edge. Additionally, keep an eye on emerging technologies and innovative vending machine solutions that can enhance the customer experience and drive more foot traffic to your locations. By proactively identifying trends and opportunities, you can develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience and attract more locations to partner with your business.

Researching competitor strategies

Researching competitor strategies is a crucial step in developing a successful marketing plan for your vending machine business. By studying what your competitors are doing, you can gain valuable insights into the market and identify areas where you can differentiate yourself. One effective strategy that has proven to be successful for many businesses, including nail businesses, is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to directly reach out to potential customers and promote your products or services. By implementing effective email marketing strategies for your nail business, you can attract more customers and increase your sales. Here are some highlights of email marketing strategies for nail businesses that can help you stand out from the competition:

Developing a Marketing Strategy

Defining your unique selling proposition

Defining your unique selling proposition is crucial in the competitive vending machine industry. It is important to clearly communicate the value your business offers to potential customers. One way to differentiate yourself is by providing convenient credit card payment solutions. This allows tailors and other customers to easily make purchases without the need for cash. By offering this service, you can attract more locations and increase customer satisfaction. Implementing credit card payment solutions for tailors will not only streamline the purchasing process but also position your vending machine business as a modern and customer-focused option in the market.

Creating a compelling brand identity

Creating a compelling brand identity is crucial for any business looking to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. In the vending machine industry, where competition is fierce, it becomes even more important to establish a strong and memorable brand. A well-crafted brand identity not only communicates the values and personality of your business but also helps build trust and credibility with potential locations. One key aspect of creating a compelling brand identity is through effective marketing strategies. By incorporating elements such as auto repair shop website design, you can create a visually appealing and user-friendly online presence that showcases your unique offerings and attracts more potential locations. A well-designed website can serve as a powerful tool to communicate your brand's message, highlight your key features, and provide valuable information to potential customers. With the right combination of design, content, and functionality, your auto repair shop website can become a magnet for attracting more locations.

Choosing the right marketing channels

When it comes to choosing the right marketing channels for your vending machine business, it is important to consider your target audience and the most effective ways to reach them. One effective marketing channel to consider is starting a sewing and embroidery business blog. By creating informative and engaging content related to sewing and embroidery, you can attract a niche audience that is interested in these topics. Additionally, you can highlight your vending machine business within the blog content, providing a seamless way to promote your products and services. Another marketing channel to explore is social media. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with potential customers and showcase the benefits of your vending machine business. By using targeted advertising and engaging with your audience, you can increase brand awareness and attract more locations for your vending machines.

Creating Engaging Content

Writing persuasive product descriptions

Writing persuasive product descriptions is a crucial aspect of marketing your vending machine business to attract more locations. Effective product descriptions have the power to captivate potential customers and convince them of the value and benefits of your offerings. By using persuasive language and highlighting unique features, you can create compelling descriptions that differentiate your products from competitors. Additionally, it is important to consider the target audience and tailor the descriptions to their specific needs and preferences. A well-crafted product description can generate interest, build trust, and ultimately drive more locations to choose your vending machines over others.

Producing high-quality visuals

Producing high-quality visuals is essential for effectively marketing your vending machine business. Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of potential customers and conveying the value of your products. By investing in professional photography and graphic design, you can create visually appealing images that showcase your vending machines in the best possible light. Additionally, utilizing high-resolution images and eye-catching graphics in your marketing materials, such as brochures, websites, and social media posts, can help attract more locations for your business. When it comes to producing high-quality visuals, it is important to consider factors such as lighting, composition, and color scheme to ensure that your images are visually appealing and communicate your brand message effectively.

Leveraging social media for content promotion

Leveraging social media for content promotion is an essential strategy for any business, including the healthcare staffing business. In today's digital age, social media platforms provide a valuable opportunity to reach a wider audience and engage with potential clients. By creating compelling and informative content, healthcare staffing businesses can position themselves as industry leaders and attract more attention to their services. Additionally, social media platforms offer various advertising options, allowing businesses to target specific demographics and increase their visibility. With the right social media strategy in place, healthcare staffing businesses can effectively market their services and attract more clients.

Implementing Marketing Tactics

Running targeted online advertising campaigns

Running targeted online advertising campaigns is a crucial strategy for marketing your vending machine business and attracting more locations. By utilizing online platforms such as social media, search engines, and display advertising, you can effectively reach your target audience and generate awareness about your business. With targeted campaigns, you can tailor your messaging and advertisements to specific demographics, geographic locations, and interests, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. Additionally, online advertising allows for precise tracking and measurement of campaign performance, enabling you to optimize your strategies and maximize your return on investment. By incorporating targeted online advertising campaigns into your marketing efforts, you can significantly increase your chances of attracting more locations for your vending machine business.

Building strategic partnerships

Building strategic partnerships is crucial for the success of any business. By forming alliances with other companies, you can leverage their resources and expertise to expand your reach and attract more customers. In the context of the vending machine business, one strategic partnership that can be highly beneficial is with temporary nurses. Temporary nurses play a vital role in healthcare facilities, filling in for staff shortages and providing quality care to patients. By partnering with temporary nurse agencies, vending machine businesses can tap into the healthcare industry and target locations such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. This collaboration can create a win-win situation, as healthcare facilities can provide convenient and healthy snack options to their staff and patients, while vending machine businesses can gain access to a steady stream of potential customers. To make this partnership even more effective, vending machine businesses can offer special discounts or customized vending options tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. By building strategic partnerships with temporary nurses, vending machine businesses can enhance their visibility, increase their customer base, and ultimately drive more revenue.

Utilizing email marketing for lead generation

Email marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation in the vending machine business. By utilizing email campaigns, businesses can effectively reach out to potential locations and establish meaningful connections. With a well-crafted email strategy, vending machine businesses can showcase the benefits of partnering with them, such as increased foot traffic and additional revenue streams. Furthermore, email marketing allows for personalized communication, enabling businesses to tailor their messages to the specific needs and interests of each potential location. By leveraging the reach and targeting capabilities of email marketing, vending machine businesses can attract more locations and expand their market presence with ease.

Measuring and Adjusting

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for the success of any business. It allows entrepreneurs to measure and evaluate the performance of their vending machine business, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions. By tracking KPIs, entrepreneurs can monitor the number of locations their vending machines are placed in, the revenue generated from each location, and the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing efforts. This information enables them to optimize their marketing strategies, identify the most profitable locations, and allocate resources effectively. In addition to tracking KPIs, self-care practices for entrepreneurs are essential to maintain their well-being and productivity. Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and prioritizing self-care activities can help entrepreneurs manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By incorporating self-care practices into their routine, entrepreneurs can enhance their overall performance and ensure the long-term success of their vending machine business.

Analyzing marketing campaign results

Analyzing marketing campaign results is a crucial step in evaluating the effectiveness of your vending machine business's marketing efforts. By carefully examining the data and metrics gathered from your campaigns, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of different marketing channels, identify areas of improvement, and make informed decisions to optimize future campaigns. This analysis allows you to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing activities, determine which strategies are generating the most leads and conversions, and allocate resources accordingly. With a systematic approach to analyzing marketing campaign results, you can refine your marketing strategies, target the right audience, and ultimately attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Making data-driven adjustments for better outcomes

In today's competitive business landscape, making data-driven adjustments is crucial for achieving better outcomes. By analyzing key metrics and trends, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into their vending machine business and make informed decisions. One important factor to consider is the kindness factor. Showing kindness to customers and employees can have a positive impact on the success of the business. By providing exceptional customer service and creating a supportive work environment, entrepreneurs can attract more locations and build strong relationships with their stakeholders. This not only enhances the reputation of the business but also fosters loyalty and trust among customers and employees. Implementing data-driven adjustments with a focus on kindness can lead to improved business performance and long-term success.

Conclusion

Recap of the importance of marketing for vending machine businesses

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of vending machine businesses. It is essential for attracting more locations and increasing revenue. One important aspect of marketing for vending machine businesses is the effective rate sheet creation. A well-designed rate sheet can effectively communicate the pricing structure and benefits of partnering with the business. It allows potential locations to make informed decisions and understand the value proposition. By creating an effective rate sheet, vending machine businesses can showcase their competitive pricing, variety of products, and exceptional customer service. This not only helps in attracting more locations but also in building long-term partnerships with them.

Key takeaways for successful marketing strategies

To ensure successful marketing strategies for your vending machine business, it is crucial to keep in mind a few key takeaways. Firstly, understanding your target audience is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify the needs and preferences of potential customers. Secondly, develop a compelling brand image that resonates with your target market. This includes creating a professional logo, designing attractive vending machine wraps, and maintaining a consistent brand message. Additionally, utilizing various marketing channels, such as social media platforms and local advertising, can help increase brand visibility and attract more locations. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts is vital. Regularly track metrics like customer engagement, sales conversion rates, and return on investment to make data-driven decisions and optimize your marketing strategies. By implementing these key takeaways, you can effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations.

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right strategies and a solid plan, you can tap into a market that is constantly growing. If you want to learn more about how to start a vending machine business in 2023, check out our website. We provide step-by-step guides and valuable resources to help you get started. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business. Visit our website today and take the first step towards financial independence.