Unity travel van for sale

VanDwelling - For those living life in alternative locations, or wishing to.

2010.04.11 18:52 xmanii VanDwelling - For those living life in alternative locations, or wishing to.

Tips and tricks for living in your van, car or truck. It's a great way to save money or travel the world. Visit our FAQ to jumpstart your journey! https://www.reddit.com/vandwellers/wiki/index
[link]


2008.05.07 21:26 Bulgaria Reddit

A subreddit about the country of Bulgaria.
[link]


2020.03.12 22:39 theangrywalnut coronanetherlands

Dé plek om te praten over COVID-19 en de coronavirus-pandemie in Nederland.
[link]


2024.05.14 03:52 PiperHayes Another Matty sale? This is getting weird. FP’s been pushing these sales for days now. Have they run out of money and trying to create cash flow for all this travel? No Alex lives, which has actually been nice.…

Another Matty sale? This is getting weird. FP’s been pushing these sales for days now. Have they run out of money and trying to create cash flow for all this travel? No Alex lives, which has actually been nice.… submitted by PiperHayes to BoutiquePolice [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:40 Advance_Mobile_Led Essential Tips for Purchasing LED Mobile Advertising Trucks

If you’re searching the internet for “LED mobile advertising trucks for sale,” then you know about the recent rise in demand for these marketing tools and collaterals. There are several notes to remember when purchasing these investment pieces for your business. These tips are important to make an informed decision regarding the topic. Continue reading to learn more about the sale of mobile digital billboards.
Understanding Your Advertising Needs
There are numerous mobile advertising trucks for sale. However, it is essential to consider the nature of your business before buying one. Since these trucks usually vary in size and quality, it is essential to consider your target demographic and location. Additionally, your advertising goals and objectives are important, as well. You need to ensure that the truck you intend to purchase or rent is well within your means.
Research Available Options
Business owners can seek different types and sizes of LED mobile advertising trucks in the market. It is important to compare their features and capabilities to ensure that the one you buy checks all the necessary boxes. Additionally, it is paramount that you look out for reviews and recommendations from experts in the industry or fellow business people who use similar marketing strategies.
Potential buyers now have numerous platforms to look for with these mobile advertising vehicles. With everything that is just a push of a button, it provides customers with an extensive list of industry dealers. However, it is vital to go back to the roots of why you need this kind of truck in the first place: advertising. Partnering with a business that can strategically and effectively communicate your product or service is essential.
Various advertising truck suppliers offer different strengths and weaknesses. However, entrusting yourself to someone who aligns with your business goals and voice is highly advisable. These supplying companies have various marketing strategies that businesses can look up during their search.
Evaluate Technical Specifications
Since these "LED mobile advertising trucks for sale" boast beautiful LED screens, examining their display resolution and brightness levels is a must. These measures are essential for properly showing your target demographic's graphic collaterals. Moreover, assessing its durability and the truck's weatherproofing is critical to ensure it can withstand various conditions. Lastly, it is essential to consider the truck's power source option and energy efficiency. However, LED displays are already very efficient.
There are different sizes of traveling billboards mounted on trucks, and it's important that despite their size, the brand's images and messaging are still clear. That said, investing wisely in quality LED screens to display your campaigns across specific areas is important as a business.
Make Sure the Trucks Themselves are High-Quality
The vehicles should withstand different circumstances since these digital billboards are mounted on trucks and travel around the area. It would be ideal for the trucks to have the following specifications:
These trucks will be experiencing significant work, traveling around the city during specific periods of time. They must be of good quality and be able to carry heavy LED screens without experiencing mechanical or technical difficulties.
Ensure Legal Compliance and Safety Standards
Digital mobile billboards are available in some areas, especially across the United States. With this, you should purchase a truck that follows your city’s standards and regulations. Depending on your area, there are different local permits and requirements for mobile advertising. As a business owner, you must follow these and ensure that everything follows the law’s guidelines. Additionally, your desired truck must meet the city’s safety standards for roadworthiness.
Moreover, when choosing LED mobile advertising trucks for sale, it is essential to ask dealers about insurance coverage and liability protection. Since these advertising vehicles draw the attention of the surrounding individuals, the driver must proceed with the utmost safety. Furthermore, a driver with strong defensive driving skills is paramount.
Some of these vehicles come with an insurance policy when purchased. However, some do not, and it is the owner’s responsibility to observe all legal requirements and safety standards. Such as regular check-ups and valid insurance to operate these trucks. Though these are smart marketing strategies, roaming the roads cautiously is still essential.
Inspect the Vehicle and Finalize the Purchase
Before filling out all the necessary paperwork to officially purchase a mobile advertising truck, inspecting the vehicle and LED screen thoroughly is important. A trusted auto mechanic, LED screen technician, and other industry professionals would be vital to ensure the product is pristine.
In that regard, check if the truck is running properly, the LED displays are fully functioning, and all mechanical components are perfect. Additionally, there is no harm if you ask the supplier for the terms and conditions of the sale, so no stone is left unturned.
Purchase LED Mobile Trucks for Your Business
There are numerous LED mobile advertising trucks for sale across the country. That is why you need to consider the factors before purchasing one to protect your investment. Additionally, these marketing tools cost a particular amount of money, and a business needs to see returns. Before purchasing a mobile marketing billboard, thoroughly study strategies to implement into the campaign.
If you’re looking for a reliable LED mobile advertising truck company that has been in business for several years, consider us at Advanced Mobile LED.. All our trucks are made of aluminum to prevent rusting, P4.8 screens, small LED pixels for better quality, and more! Contact us today for more information.
submitted by Advance_Mobile_Led to u/Advance_Mobile_Led [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:05 willdanceforsnacks Book Promotion Ideas?

I finally published for the first time. Not the first time I've finished a novel, but certainly the first time I have actively published one .. one that I've been a little proud of. I know it's a long process to get noticed, or even start to see some traction in sales & downloads, but how do you go about promoting your novel? I feel like I'm stuck. 😕
Beginning of chapter one below - if anyone would like to provide feedback that would be lovely. 🙂
[2,310] It began like a surreal haze, a fever dream dancing with unknown figures swirling around her like a languid tornado, their movements seemingly slowed by some unseen force as she awoke to a world spinning out of her control. She found herself surrounded by strangers who moved like spectres in a dream, fragmented flashes who assaulted her consciousness - a woman gently pressing a cloth to her throbbing head, another offering sips of water while she coughed and struggled to swallow, a man peering down at her with a furrowed brow, and a mysterious figure lingering in the doorway with an unsettling glint of desire in his eyes.
The room buzzed with a quiet urgency as they hovered around her, their faces etched with concern and something else she couldn't quite place - an undercurrent of tension that seemed to pulse in time with her own racing heart. These disjointed images flitted in and out, creating a mosaic of fragmented reality. Awake, her body throbbed with pain; asleep, she plunged into a black abyss, time slipping away unnoticed. Each awakening brought the desire for oblivion as her mind plunged back into the depths of darkness.
Beth jolted upright, startled by the sharp bang of a car backfiring. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up, her back and legs resisting her will. A woman, the same from her fleeting visions, hurried into the room with a damp cloth and a glass of water.
"Easy now," the woman spoke gently, her mild Spanish accent adding warmth to her sharp words as she pressed the cloth to Beth's forehead and helped her sit up, "you're weak, rushing won't do you any favours. The sooner you regain strength, the sooner you can move."
A man, the one with the odd expression in her visions, appeared in the doorway once again; "and the sooner we can leave this place, I'm sick of it." He grumbled, striding away with urgency and frustration. His steps were heavy and fraught with agitation, each one seeming to leave a deep imprint on the ground beneath him. His grumbling was like distant thunder, punctuated by the clenching of his jaw and the tightening of his fists.
"Don't mind my brother," the woman interjected sharply, "it's not you - he hates everyone." Hate, Beth pondered, wondering what she might have done to earn his disdain.
"Are you hungry?" The woman stood, walking to the other side of the room to adjust another pillow behind Beth's back. Beth nodded; "I'll get you some soup."
Left alone, Beth surveyed the room - beige walls, a shattered TV, torn brown curtains. She squinted at the notepad on the side table, revealing the branding - Mill Village Motel Eatonville. The coffee pod machine at the room's far end, covered in dust, hinted at a neglected past.
"You're awake," startled, Beth turned to find the man with the furrowed brow at the door - tall and dark, with piercing brown eyes, he appeared softer now, "how are you feeling?" Beth managed a brief smile before adjusting herself, wincing in pain. He rushed to offer a hand, and she took his arm to shift as he adjusted the pillow.
"Want to give walking a try?" The man's warm, brown eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled down at her, his features etched with concern, his furrowed brow now smooth and his brown eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar kindness.
She shook her head, and the woman returned with soup and water; "she needs to eat before attempting to walk, Austin," she said, setting the tray before Beth.
"Then we'll try again tomorrow," Austin expressed, heading towards the door, "the sooner we leave, the better - we've been here for too long." His footsteps echoed with determination and authority, less frustrated than the other man's but equally resolute.
"I apologise if it's cold. Heating options are limited here. Need a hand?" The woman offered. Beth shook her head, the pounding of her headache resonating through her body.
"Well I'll leave you to it then. Shout out if you need anything, if you can talk at all." Beth glanced down at her bowl of soup, parting her lips as if to speak, but no words escaped. A deep sigh escaped from the woman's mouth as she turned and left the room, leaving Beth alone with her cold, untouched meal. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of muffed chatter outside.
The days stretched longer as Beth's need for rest diminished. Boredom and confusion settled in, intensifying as the people from her visions became tangible presences, moving in and out of her room. They attended to her needs but seldom engaged in conversation. At night, their muffled voices in the adjoining room became a distant comfort, and the faint echoes of their arguments a source of intrigue.
"We need to leave," a frustrated male voice pierced through the thin walls, "we have to head further south before winter traps us with little supplies and an extra mouth to feed - considering you're all so intent on keeping this girl alive."
"This woman," a familiar female voice retorted, likely the one who had been caring for her, "needed help - I distinctly remember a time when I wasn't doing well and needed it too."
"You're my sister, of course, I wasn't going to leave you behind."
"I'm not talking about you, Luis," she yelled, "I'm talking about before you came back from Minnesota and found me."
"Why can't we just leave her here with some supplies and a gun. Why do we need to bring her with us?"
"Jesus Christ Luis we're not leaving her here alone and you two can have it out later," intervened another man, "but Luis is right - we need to leave before the snow settles in."
The argument faded into muffled voices again, and Beth strained to catch the words exchanged between the trio. A knock at the door startled her.
"May I come in?" A young girl, the same from her visions, had opened the door quietly without her even noticing. "I thought the yelling might have woken you." Beth nodded, maintaining her silence.
"I'm Chantelle." Her soft Southern accent flowed like a gentle breeze through a cornfield. She pulled up a chair beside the bed. "Luis can get into it with everybody, but he means well. Well, no, that's a lie. I don't know why I said that. He's a dick."
"I gathered," Beth whispered and laughed a little, suddenly overtaken by a violent cough.
Chantelle rushed to hand her water; "so, you do speak. From the way Austin and Val were sayin' it, it sounded like you were mute. I thought, you couldn't be deaf because you've been nodding and smiling like a dang puppet."
Beth laughed and took another sip; "I didn't really have anything worth saying until now. No one has bothered to make conversation."
"Your accent, where are you from?" Chantelle sat down on the wooden chair, her long dark hair cascading down her back in gentle curls. Her bright brown eyes sparkled with kindness as she looked towards Beth.
"Australia," Beth paused, realising she hadn't thought about home for a while, "I'm from Australia," she repeated.
Chantelle pulled out a deck of cards; "well, I figured you might be bored and needed a little human interaction that didn't make you feel like you were in a hospital."
Beth's eyes lit up, and Chantelle smiled; "what do you want to play?"
— — —
"What do you think you are doing?" Austin stormed into the motel room.
"We're leaving. Today," Luis' words cut through the air.
"The van's still in bad shape, and we won't survive this winter on foot." Austin's arms were folded tightly across his chest, the muscles in his biceps and forearms bulging with tension. His jaw was clenched, and his brows furrowed in frustration.
"Then fix the damn van!" Luis yelled, the sound piercing through the walls and resonating outside the motel room for others to hear the heated exchange.
"Oh, sorry, I'll just take it down the road to the mechanic, shall I?" Austin raised a quizzical eyebrow, smirking at his friend. The men paused their argument, exchanging laughter.
"Luis, what's going on with you?" Austin softened his tone, taking a seat on the other bed. "We've been friends since high school, grew up together, served in the army together. This isn't you."
"I don't know, man." Luis sat on the other bed, facing his friend, his face buried in his hands. He rubbed his face hard, threw his head back, and sighed heavily. "This just isn't—" he paused.
"Isn't what?"
"Isn't life." Luis gestured around the room.
"We'll get to the coast, find a boat, just like we planned." There was a slight taste of bitterness in the air, as if Austin's mild frustration was tangible.
"And then what?"
"Do the best we can," Austin stood up, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "we all have our dark moments, brother. You helped me get through mine, I'll help you get through yours."
Austin walked out of the motel room into the crisp morning air. The atmosphere was fresh, with a subtle scent of dew and grass. The sweet aroma of winter's imminent arrival filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of burning oil from their broken down van across the parking lot.
"Ben thinks he can fix the van by tomorrow. He found the parts we need on the other side of town." Val caught Austin as he had walked outside.
"He went scouting alone?" Austin looked across the lot at Ben, deep into the hood of the black church van they had found a while back.
Chantelle bounded up before she could answer; "Beth seems much better today. She's eatin' and drinkin' more. I think she could try walkin' today."
"Beth?" Val and Austin remarked in unison.
"Mmm, she speaks - she might have a lot more to say if either of you bothered to converse with her instead of just talkin' to her." She walked off towards Ben, a light air in her hopeful stride.
— — —
Austin found Beth sitting on the edge of her bed, her feet bare and dangling idly over the side. Her toes were curled, squeezing them tightly as she wiggled them back and forth. Her face was tense with concentration as she tried to alleviate the tingling sensation in her feet.
"Beth." His voice was soothing and calming, his words spoken with a gentle tone as he tried to ease Beth's discomfort.
"Chantelle?" She looked up at him, as he nodded, smiling gently. "She's a good kid." She smiled and looked back at her toes.
"Do you want to try walking today?" He walked towards the chair on the other side of the room and sat down as it creaked underneath the weight of him.
"The sooner I can walk, the sooner you can get out of here." She said with a sarcastic air, mocking Luis.
"The sooner we can get out of here." He repeated sarcastically with a smile, a light spread of jest washing over him as he joined her in mocking his friend.
"Your friend Luis seems to be very against bringing me along with you." She looked back at him.
"I'm not in the business of leaving people behind. Especially in Washington in the middle of October," he sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees, "you wouldn't survive the winter."
"Then maybe you should have just left me to die." She turned her body to face him abruptly. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interjected before he could respond.
"Why did you help me? You don't know me, why did you even bother?"
"Like I said, Beth," he stood up, his wistful tone switching back to cold and dry, "I'm not in the business of leaving people behind." He walked over to her slowly.
"I've lost too many people. I've watched people kill others over a can of soup. I've seen friends leave friends behind to save themselves," he sat down on the end of her bed, "I don't leave people behind."
His brown eyes cut through his words like a thunderstorm. She looked at his face, tired and weathered from sleepless nights with one eye open to ensure his group's safety. She pegged him as their leader - strong and determined with clear military training.
"What happened to you?" She asked softly.
"What happened to you?" He countered; "I refuse to believe you survived a pandemic alone for six months in a foreign country."
She said nothing and looked back at her feet. They sat in silence for a while before he stood up and headed for the door.
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow. We need to head south before it's too cold, and we don't know how long the van or the car will last, so part of that might be on foot."
"I'll try walking today." Beth nodded obediently.
"I'll send Val and Chantelle in to help you." He replied, his voice maintaining the cold cadency.
"Thank you." She smiled, wriggling her toes as the numbness started to dissipate. Before he could leave, she looked up at him again.
"Austin?" He stopped at the door and turned to her. "I know you've all done a lot for me, including putting your friendship with Luis on the line, so thank you. But I have a favour to ask," her voice grew quiet, "before we leave."
"What is it?" He asked sternly at her audacity to ask for another favour.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He noticed her green eyes glisten with the added layer of acridity and the change in her demeanour; "before we leave, I need you to help me bury my husband."
submitted by willdanceforsnacks to WritingHub [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 03:04 willdanceforsnacks Book Promotion Ideas?

I finally published for the first time. Not the first time I've finished a novel, but certainly the first time I have actively published one .. one that I've been a little proud of. I know it's a long process to get noticed, or even start to see some traction in sales & downloads, but how do you go about promoting your novel? I feel like I'm stuck. 😕
Beginning of chapter one below - if anyone would like to provide feedback that would be lovely. 🙂
[2,310] It began like a surreal haze, a fever dream dancing with unknown figures swirling around her like a languid tornado, their movements seemingly slowed by some unseen force as she awoke to a world spinning out of her control. She found herself surrounded by strangers who moved like spectres in a dream, fragmented flashes who assaulted her consciousness - a woman gently pressing a cloth to her throbbing head, another offering sips of water while she coughed and struggled to swallow, a man peering down at her with a furrowed brow, and a mysterious figure lingering in the doorway with an unsettling glint of desire in his eyes.
The room buzzed with a quiet urgency as they hovered around her, their faces etched with concern and something else she couldn't quite place - an undercurrent of tension that seemed to pulse in time with her own racing heart. These disjointed images flitted in and out, creating a mosaic of fragmented reality. Awake, her body throbbed with pain; asleep, she plunged into a black abyss, time slipping away unnoticed. Each awakening brought the desire for oblivion as her mind plunged back into the depths of darkness.
Beth jolted upright, startled by the sharp bang of a car backfiring. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up, her back and legs resisting her will. A woman, the same from her fleeting visions, hurried into the room with a damp cloth and a glass of water.
"Easy now," the woman spoke gently, her mild Spanish accent adding warmth to her sharp words as she pressed the cloth to Beth's forehead and helped her sit up, "you're weak, rushing won't do you any favours. The sooner you regain strength, the sooner you can move."
A man, the one with the odd expression in her visions, appeared in the doorway once again; "and the sooner we can leave this place, I'm sick of it." He grumbled, striding away with urgency and frustration. His steps were heavy and fraught with agitation, each one seeming to leave a deep imprint on the ground beneath him. His grumbling was like distant thunder, punctuated by the clenching of his jaw and the tightening of his fists.
"Don't mind my brother," the woman interjected sharply, "it's not you - he hates everyone." Hate, Beth pondered, wondering what she might have done to earn his disdain.
"Are you hungry?" The woman stood, walking to the other side of the room to adjust another pillow behind Beth's back. Beth nodded; "I'll get you some soup."
Left alone, Beth surveyed the room - beige walls, a shattered TV, torn brown curtains. She squinted at the notepad on the side table, revealing the branding - Mill Village Motel Eatonville. The coffee pod machine at the room's far end, covered in dust, hinted at a neglected past.
"You're awake," startled, Beth turned to find the man with the furrowed brow at the door - tall and dark, with piercing brown eyes, he appeared softer now, "how are you feeling?" Beth managed a brief smile before adjusting herself, wincing in pain. He rushed to offer a hand, and she took his arm to shift as he adjusted the pillow.
"Want to give walking a try?" The man's warm, brown eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled down at her, his features etched with concern, his furrowed brow now smooth and his brown eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar kindness.
She shook her head, and the woman returned with soup and water; "she needs to eat before attempting to walk, Austin," she said, setting the tray before Beth.
"Then we'll try again tomorrow," Austin expressed, heading towards the door, "the sooner we leave, the better - we've been here for too long." His footsteps echoed with determination and authority, less frustrated than the other man's but equally resolute.
"I apologise if it's cold. Heating options are limited here. Need a hand?" The woman offered. Beth shook her head, the pounding of her headache resonating through her body.
"Well I'll leave you to it then. Shout out if you need anything, if you can talk at all." Beth glanced down at her bowl of soup, parting her lips as if to speak, but no words escaped. A deep sigh escaped from the woman's mouth as she turned and left the room, leaving Beth alone with her cold, untouched meal. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of muffed chatter outside.
The days stretched longer as Beth's need for rest diminished. Boredom and confusion settled in, intensifying as the people from her visions became tangible presences, moving in and out of her room. They attended to her needs but seldom engaged in conversation. At night, their muffled voices in the adjoining room became a distant comfort, and the faint echoes of their arguments a source of intrigue.
"We need to leave," a frustrated male voice pierced through the thin walls, "we have to head further south before winter traps us with little supplies and an extra mouth to feed - considering you're all so intent on keeping this girl alive."
"This woman," a familiar female voice retorted, likely the one who had been caring for her, "needed help - I distinctly remember a time when I wasn't doing well and needed it too."
"You're my sister, of course, I wasn't going to leave you behind."
"I'm not talking about you, Luis," she yelled, "I'm talking about before you came back from Minnesota and found me."
"Why can't we just leave her here with some supplies and a gun. Why do we need to bring her with us?"
"Jesus Christ Luis we're not leaving her here alone and you two can have it out later," intervened another man, "but Luis is right - we need to leave before the snow settles in."
The argument faded into muffled voices again, and Beth strained to catch the words exchanged between the trio. A knock at the door startled her.
"May I come in?" A young girl, the same from her visions, had opened the door quietly without her even noticing. "I thought the yelling might have woken you." Beth nodded, maintaining her silence.
"I'm Chantelle." Her soft Southern accent flowed like a gentle breeze through a cornfield. She pulled up a chair beside the bed. "Luis can get into it with everybody, but he means well. Well, no, that's a lie. I don't know why I said that. He's a dick."
"I gathered," Beth whispered and laughed a little, suddenly overtaken by a violent cough.
Chantelle rushed to hand her water; "so, you do speak. From the way Austin and Val were sayin' it, it sounded like you were mute. I thought, you couldn't be deaf because you've been nodding and smiling like a dang puppet."
Beth laughed and took another sip; "I didn't really have anything worth saying until now. No one has bothered to make conversation."
"Your accent, where are you from?" Chantelle sat down on the wooden chair, her long dark hair cascading down her back in gentle curls. Her bright brown eyes sparkled with kindness as she looked towards Beth.
"Australia," Beth paused, realising she hadn't thought about home for a while, "I'm from Australia," she repeated.
Chantelle pulled out a deck of cards; "well, I figured you might be bored and needed a little human interaction that didn't make you feel like you were in a hospital."
Beth's eyes lit up, and Chantelle smiled; "what do you want to play?"
— — —
"What do you think you are doing?" Austin stormed into the motel room.
"We're leaving. Today," Luis' words cut through the air.
"The van's still in bad shape, and we won't survive this winter on foot." Austin's arms were folded tightly across his chest, the muscles in his biceps and forearms bulging with tension. His jaw was clenched, and his brows furrowed in frustration.
"Then fix the damn van!" Luis yelled, the sound piercing through the walls and resonating outside the motel room for others to hear the heated exchange.
"Oh, sorry, I'll just take it down the road to the mechanic, shall I?" Austin raised a quizzical eyebrow, smirking at his friend. The men paused their argument, exchanging laughter.
"Luis, what's going on with you?" Austin softened his tone, taking a seat on the other bed. "We've been friends since high school, grew up together, served in the army together. This isn't you."
"I don't know, man." Luis sat on the other bed, facing his friend, his face buried in his hands. He rubbed his face hard, threw his head back, and sighed heavily. "This just isn't—" he paused.
"Isn't what?"
"Isn't life." Luis gestured around the room.
"We'll get to the coast, find a boat, just like we planned." There was a slight taste of bitterness in the air, as if Austin's mild frustration was tangible.
"And then what?"
"Do the best we can," Austin stood up, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "we all have our dark moments, brother. You helped me get through mine, I'll help you get through yours."
Austin walked out of the motel room into the crisp morning air. The atmosphere was fresh, with a subtle scent of dew and grass. The sweet aroma of winter's imminent arrival filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of burning oil from their broken down van across the parking lot.
"Ben thinks he can fix the van by tomorrow. He found the parts we need on the other side of town." Val caught Austin as he had walked outside.
"He went scouting alone?" Austin looked across the lot at Ben, deep into the hood of the black church van they had found a while back.
Chantelle bounded up before she could answer; "Beth seems much better today. She's eatin' and drinkin' more. I think she could try walkin' today."
"Beth?" Val and Austin remarked in unison.
"Mmm, she speaks - she might have a lot more to say if either of you bothered to converse with her instead of just talkin' to her." She walked off towards Ben, a light air in her hopeful stride.
— — —
Austin found Beth sitting on the edge of her bed, her feet bare and dangling idly over the side. Her toes were curled, squeezing them tightly as she wiggled them back and forth. Her face was tense with concentration as she tried to alleviate the tingling sensation in her feet.
"Beth." His voice was soothing and calming, his words spoken with a gentle tone as he tried to ease Beth's discomfort.
"Chantelle?" She looked up at him, as he nodded, smiling gently. "She's a good kid." She smiled and looked back at her toes.
"Do you want to try walking today?" He walked towards the chair on the other side of the room and sat down as it creaked underneath the weight of him.
"The sooner I can walk, the sooner you can get out of here." She said with a sarcastic air, mocking Luis.
"The sooner we can get out of here." He repeated sarcastically with a smile, a light spread of jest washing over him as he joined her in mocking his friend.
"Your friend Luis seems to be very against bringing me along with you." She looked back at him.
"I'm not in the business of leaving people behind. Especially in Washington in the middle of October," he sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees, "you wouldn't survive the winter."
"Then maybe you should have just left me to die." She turned her body to face him abruptly. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interjected before he could respond.
"Why did you help me? You don't know me, why did you even bother?"
"Like I said, Beth," he stood up, his wistful tone switching back to cold and dry, "I'm not in the business of leaving people behind." He walked over to her slowly.
"I've lost too many people. I've watched people kill others over a can of soup. I've seen friends leave friends behind to save themselves," he sat down on the end of her bed, "I don't leave people behind."
His brown eyes cut through his words like a thunderstorm. She looked at his face, tired and weathered from sleepless nights with one eye open to ensure his group's safety. She pegged him as their leader - strong and determined with clear military training.
"What happened to you?" She asked softly.
"What happened to you?" He countered; "I refuse to believe you survived a pandemic alone for six months in a foreign country."
She said nothing and looked back at her feet. They sat in silence for a while before he stood up and headed for the door.
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow. We need to head south before it's too cold, and we don't know how long the van or the car will last, so part of that might be on foot."
"I'll try walking today." Beth nodded obediently.
"I'll send Val and Chantelle in to help you." He replied, his voice maintaining the cold cadency.
"Thank you." She smiled, wriggling her toes as the numbness started to dissipate. Before he could leave, she looked up at him again.
"Austin?" He stopped at the door and turned to her. "I know you've all done a lot for me, including putting your friendship with Luis on the line, so thank you. But I have a favour to ask," her voice grew quiet, "before we leave."
"What is it?" He asked sternly at her audacity to ask for another favour.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He noticed her green eyes glisten with the added layer of acridity and the change in her demeanour; "before we leave, I need you to help me bury my husband."
submitted by willdanceforsnacks to writerchat [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 02:41 Pyroski The Midterms of 1848 and 1849 Pine & Liberty

The Midterms of 1848 and 1849 Pine & Liberty
In the final months of Daniel Webster's term, the economy, still reeling from the War of 1839 and the subsequent Panic of 1843, began a slow but steady recovery. William Lloyd Garrison, the incoming President who shattered the Federalists' grip on power, stepped into office with a bold agenda aimed at bolstering the economic upturn and lifting the nation's spirits. His initial flurry of legislative efforts included a proposed second bill of rights to prevent a repeat of the Sedition Acts, as well as measures to curb speech, the introduction of an equal rights and poll tax amendment, the reduction of the National Bank's influence, which Garrison branded as "corrupt" and "flawed," in favor of greater state control, and the full nationalization of the road industry. Congress has rejected every one of these, however, Garrison has managed to push through some reforms, such as removing Nathan Appleton as the bank's president in 1848, granting states more authority over monetary policies, the nonrenewal of the sedition acts, the District of Maine region's autonomy, imposing national limits on alcohol sales, and ban of the purchase of quantities over 16, and the ending of U.S. cooperation in the deportation of fugitives. However, widespread American fatigue over aggressive slavery policies, coupled with an indifferent Martin Van Buren administration, terms of the Treaty of Brussels, and interest in the settlement of new territories in the northwest, resulted in minimal diplomatic opposition to Garrison's fugitive policy.
Despite minor economic hiccups, trade has largely returned to its pre-war status as industries have stabilized. This was partly due to then-President Nathan Appleton raising interest rates in response to Garrison's funding cuts and minor currency instability resulting from the sudden influx of state control. Furthermore, despite Garrison's efforts to establish further independence from the increasingly close British empire by expanding trade with Haiti, Mexico, France, and the Netherlands, foreign investments, particularly by the British, in railroads and other industries continue, much to Garrison's chagrin.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, with William Lloyd Garrison shepherding the more affluent Liberty party to adopt a more radical rhetoric against the establishment and secret societies as a whole, the Anti-Masonic party would see a sudden bleed of support, as several of its representatives switched their party affiliations in their 1846 and 1847 campaigns. This bleed would continue, as the party became Garrison's largest outsider ally on key legislative reforms, with Garrison championing the collapsing party's platform on issues such as poll tax and voting reforms, and fines for secret societies. By 1848, party officials would agree on a formal merge, as the remainder of party members switched over. As Temperance sentiment spreads far and wide across the nation, Natavist feelings soar to unprecedented heights; as Catholics and the Irish find themselves in the crosshairs of nativism, owing to stereotypes associating them with regular drinking and heavy alcohol consumption.
https://preview.redd.it/842ju2rxl90d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=85820820ec95de1b3299657f3fe8a2d267920b63
Federalist
Led by their esteemed leader, George Evans, federalists have undergone a significant transformation following a series of setbacks, including major electoral defeats to the oligarchy during the "Revolution of 1846" in both the Presidential and House races, and narrowly retaining control of the Senate. They distanced themselves from the still-sensitive Daniel Webster administration, and addressing concerns over his well-known alcoholism and allegations of sympathy to liquor, they adopted a more pronounced pro-temperance stance; with states such as Connecticut and New Hampshire, where they held sway over governorships and state legislatures, implementing stricter regulations. Moreover, although initially backing the Sedition Acts and playing key roles in its creation alongside Federalist President Noah Webster in 1827, most of the party shifted its stance by 1847, opposing its renewal. While Federalists have supported specific measures during the Garrison presidency, particularly those related to Temperance and opposition to the Sedition Acts, the party has emerged as Garrison's main opponent, leveraging their status as the second-largest party in the House and their majority in the Senate, to block much of his agenda. Notably, Massachusetts representative Nathaniel Briggs Borden, supported by the party establishment, spearheaded Federalist efforts to censure Garrison for his attempts to rein in the National Bank. Nonetheless, with the defense of the Law and Order party, Garrison managed to evade censure with a vote margin of 19-35. Nevertheless, leveraging their control in the Senate, Federalists effectively obstructed Garrison's legislative agenda, halting proposed cuts to national defense meant to prioritize funding for education and infrastructure, as outlined in Garrison's Bill of rights. Additionally, they stymied social reforms proposed by Garrison, including provisions in The Penitentiary Act of 1848 aimed at alleviating penalties for tax evasion, victims of the Sedition Acts, and Dorr sympathizers. Furthermore, they thwarted the full implementation of Garrison's Land Reform policy, which aimed to repurchase all lands acquired by foreign investors.
Despite defeats amid the "Revolution of 1846" and a party identity crisis, the glimmer of victory at the end of the tunnel, driven by opposition to Garrison and his efforts to dismantle the National Bank, has spurred party unity. Centering their campaign primarily on one issue: The National Bank, Federalists argue that Garrison's attempts to curtail it are unconstitutional, citing the 13th amendment which established a strong permanent bank, and criticizing his use of the spoils system, particularly Arthur Tappan's appointment as bank president in the wake of Appleton's removal. Opponents criticize Tappan as too inexperienced, highlighting his close friendship with Garrison and lack of a banking background, exacerbated by Appleton's own nearly decade-long experience as its president, to allege cronyism. On economics, Federalists campaign on reinstating Appleton; passing legislation to ensure the bank's stability; and the further federalizing of the bank to its pre-Garrison status. Cooperation with private industries in the construction of infrastructure, to limit government spending so that the nation may pay off the heavy debts sustained from a lengthy war on top of an economic depression. They also contest Garrison's efforts to distance New England's ties with British trade and investors, advocating instead for a stronger connection with other European Powers; They champion a return to a close-knit relationship, both diplomatically and economically, with Federalists emphasizing Britain, which contributed heavily to their independence and later the diplomatic resolution of the War of 1839, as their foremost ally.
This political cartoon, prominent during the Revolutionary War to depict Yankees as British loyalists, has regained popularity as a means to mock the Federalists' affection towards Britain and pro-British policies.
Liberty
Unseating the long-standing single-party rule of the Federalists during the Revolution of 1846, the Liberty Party stepped into the fray amidst a transformative era following a return to stability. Conceived by now-President William Lloyd Garrison under the influences of transcendentalism and liberty, advocating opposition to the government and support for limited intervention, it proved easier said than done to translate ideals into reality. Garrison eventually faced the stark reality upon assuming office, facing a slim majority in the House and a minority in the Senate, which forced him to navigate within the system, leaving much of his agenda in vain. Furthermore, Garrison's failure to pass equal rights and his proposed bill of rights has led inner-party critics, led by George Ripley, a Unitarian minister, and Henry David Thoreau, an author and former campaigner of Garrison, who has returned to civilization from his isolation in the forests of Massachusetts, to label Garrison as "corrupted" by political institutions. Other intra-party critics criticize his national restrictions on alcohol, attempts to block foreign business and investment, and fines for secret societies as further increasing the authority and scope of the government when the party's whole platform stood against it. Nonetheless, allies argue that his restrictions and expansion of executive power are necessary evils to tackle the root causes of societal issues and special interests and to promote the nation's independence while also supporting local businesses and industries.
Despite the emergence of splintering anti-Garrison factions, the Liberty Party has sought to navigate controversy by upholding the core tenets of Garrison's presidency. These include his cessation of collaboration with the U.S. on the deportation of fugitives from the Hudson-Greenway line; dismantling what Liberators perceive as a corrupt National Bank, and his instrumental role in achieving Statehood for the District of Maine after a struggle spanning over a decade, resulting in the creation of two new states: Maine and Bangor. In addition to championing Garrison's established agendas, the party endeavors to garner support for unfinished initiatives. These include proposals to expand the House's seats from 65 to 86, with each state gaining two more representatives than its electoral vote in the Electoral College, thus aiming to bolster representation. Furthermore, they advocate for Garrison's Second Bill of Rights, seeking to amend the constitution to ensure rights for all citizens and to federalize the poll tax to a reduced fee of $1.80. Additionally, they push for legislation aimed at diminishing the influence of Jewish bankers and investments, echoing Garrison's public condemnation of them as "the enemy of the people and Christ" and their purported "stranglehold over our nation's wealth."
The origin of the party name and of its followers, William Lloyd Garrison's \"The Liberator\" has remaiend infleuntial even despite Garrison's dpearture, with followers hanging the cover of the paper to show their support for the party.
Law and Order
Despite suffering heavy defeats amidst the Revolution of 1846 and Thomas Dorr's rebellion, the cornerstone of the party's creation, now relegated to the back burner of voters' minds, the Law and Order alliance of Farmers, Liberals, Traditionalists, and former Federalists and Nationalists finds itself in an awkward position. Larger parties such as the Federalists have adopted the centerpiece coalition's platform, such as the Federalists now championing calls for cooperation with the U.S. and moderate views on black and women's rights, while the Liberty Party advocates for limited government and a smaller national bank; Nonetheless, the Law and Order coalition has attempted to carve out a platform wedged between the two current party giants. Led by the party's House leader Robert C. Winthrop, the party has strongly emphasized its economic agenda, in a bid to set it apart from the two leading parties. They advocate for a limited National Bank, arguing for its scope to be restricted to essential sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and trade. Additionally, they propose limits on the money supply to maintain a stable bimetal gold and silver standard, advocate for increased transparency regarding bank loans, and impose requirements for loan eligibility. Moreover, emphasizing a limited federal government approach in favor of state control, they argue for allowing states to charter their own banks to a certain extent. They have also advocated for giving full control to the states to set their whiskey and alcohol policies, supporting government rollbacks on Garrison's national restrictions. Critics from the Law and Order faction lambaste Garrison for what they perceive as insufficient efforts to rein in the National Bank. Instead, they accuse him of employing the spoils system by appointing his friend, Arthur Tappan, whom many consider inexperienced, to oversee it, despite most of the party voting to replace Appleton with him. The party has argued for lower tariffs, contending that high tariffs disproportionately affect the nation's farmers while benefiting wealthy foreign and domestic investors and businesses; Additionally, they argue that lower tariffs would benefit consumer interests.
Championed by Winthrop and fellow prominent Law and Orderites, including Senator Franklin Pierce, former Governor Edward Everett, Representative Charles G. Atherton, Rhode Island speaker John Hopkins Clarke, and a now one-legged John Fairfield, the party has attempted to adopt a "Proclamation of Neutrality" regarding foreign policy, believing their strength could be achieved through trade and cordial relations with any country, regardless of past relations or tensions with the nation's ally states. Most notably, their support for this policy extends to the nation's most infamous and longstanding enemy, the United States, with whom the nation has fought two wars. Any attempts to reconcile have been further complicated after the election of vocal anti-Fugitive ally, William Lloyd Garrison, who halted Yankee cooperation in the retrieval and return of fugitives. Nevertheless, this faction, derisively labeled the "Doughfaces" by critics due to their perceived willingness to bend to U.S. interests argues that cooperation was necessary. They point to the provisions of the Treaty of Brussels and the agreed-upon reward for captured fugitives, whom they claim weren't even citizens of New England, that the U.S. agreed to pay; Which they contend as a necessary evil to tackle and settle the burdensome debts the nation has accumulated in recent years. In stark contrast, the "Firebrands," nicknamed as such due to the fearmongering that their support for Garrison's policy will spark a third crisis between the two bordering nations, are led by Representative John P. Hale of New Hampshire and Associate Justice Marcus Morton, the 1841 National Party nominee. Famously during a party meeting, Hale would passionately argue, "After witnessing the sacrifice of countless lives, the toll of significant casualties, the devastation wrought upon our infrastructure, and the profound scars etched upon our nation, it would be nothing short of tragic to discover ourselves entangled once more in the very predicament we endeavored to escape..." This sentiment has been echoed similarly by the rest of the Firebrands as they emerge as the top faction opposed to inner-party calls for cooperation with the United States.
\"DIPLOMATIC SCALES, a true balance\" a pro-Doughface political cartoon, contends through a smudge of humor, that the only way that the two nations, New England and the United States could remain in harmony is through compromise. Meanwhile, highlighting their role in the Treaty of Brussells and War of 1839, a man in the bottom-right conner, the personifcation of Britian interjects with his own oponions.
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2024.05.14 02:41 willdanceforsnacks Book Promotion Ideas?

I finally published for the first time. Not the first time I've finished a novel, but certainly the first time I have actively published one .. one that I've been a little proud of. I know it's a long process to get noticed, or even start to see some traction in sales & downloads, but how do you go about promoting your novel? I feel like I'm stuck. 😕
Beginning of chapter one below - if anyone would like to provide feedback that would be lovely. 🙂
[2,310] It began like a surreal haze, a fever dream dancing with unknown figures swirling around her like a languid tornado, their movements seemingly slowed by some unseen force as she awoke to a world spinning out of her control. She found herself surrounded by strangers who moved like spectres in a dream, fragmented flashes who assaulted her consciousness - a woman gently pressing a cloth to her throbbing head, another offering sips of water while she coughed and struggled to swallow, a man peering down at her with a furrowed brow, and a mysterious figure lingering in the doorway with an unsettling glint of desire in his eyes.
The room buzzed with a quiet urgency as they hovered around her, their faces etched with concern and something else she couldn't quite place - an undercurrent of tension that seemed to pulse in time with her own racing heart. These disjointed images flitted in and out, creating a mosaic of fragmented reality. Awake, her body throbbed with pain; asleep, she plunged into a black abyss, time slipping away unnoticed. Each awakening brought the desire for oblivion as her mind plunged back into the depths of darkness.
Beth jolted upright, startled by the sharp bang of a car backfiring. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up, her back and legs resisting her will. A woman, the same from her fleeting visions, hurried into the room with a damp cloth and a glass of water.
"Easy now," the woman spoke gently, her mild Spanish accent adding warmth to her sharp words as she pressed the cloth to Beth's forehead and helped her sit up, "you're weak, rushing won't do you any favours. The sooner you regain strength, the sooner you can move."
A man, the one with the odd expression in her visions, appeared in the doorway once again; "and the sooner we can leave this place, I'm sick of it." He grumbled, striding away with urgency and frustration. His steps were heavy and fraught with agitation, each one seeming to leave a deep imprint on the ground beneath him. His grumbling was like distant thunder, punctuated by the clenching of his jaw and the tightening of his fists.
"Don't mind my brother," the woman interjected sharply, "it's not you - he hates everyone." Hate, Beth pondered, wondering what she might have done to earn his disdain.
"Are you hungry?" The woman stood, walking to the other side of the room to adjust another pillow behind Beth's back. Beth nodded; "I'll get you some soup."
Left alone, Beth surveyed the room - beige walls, a shattered TV, torn brown curtains. She squinted at the notepad on the side table, revealing the branding - Mill Village Motel Eatonville. The coffee pod machine at the room's far end, covered in dust, hinted at a neglected past.
"You're awake," startled, Beth turned to find the man with the furrowed brow at the door - tall and dark, with piercing brown eyes, he appeared softer now, "how are you feeling?" Beth managed a brief smile before adjusting herself, wincing in pain. He rushed to offer a hand, and she took his arm to shift as he adjusted the pillow.
"Want to give walking a try?" The man's warm, brown eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled down at her, his features etched with concern, his furrowed brow now smooth and his brown eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar kindness.
She shook her head, and the woman returned with soup and water; "she needs to eat before attempting to walk, Austin," she said, setting the tray before Beth.
"Then we'll try again tomorrow," Austin expressed, heading towards the door, "the sooner we leave, the better - we've been here for too long." His footsteps echoed with determination and authority, less frustrated than the other man's but equally resolute.
"I apologise if it's cold. Heating options are limited here. Need a hand?" The woman offered. Beth shook her head, the pounding of her headache resonating through her body.
"Well I'll leave you to it then. Shout out if you need anything, if you can talk at all." Beth glanced down at her bowl of soup, parting her lips as if to speak, but no words escaped. A deep sigh escaped from the woman's mouth as she turned and left the room, leaving Beth alone with her cold, untouched meal. The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the sound of muffed chatter outside.
The days stretched longer as Beth's need for rest diminished. Boredom and confusion settled in, intensifying as the people from her visions became tangible presences, moving in and out of her room. They attended to her needs but seldom engaged in conversation. At night, their muffled voices in the adjoining room became a distant comfort, and the faint echoes of their arguments a source of intrigue.
"We need to leave," a frustrated male voice pierced through the thin walls, "we have to head further south before winter traps us with little supplies and an extra mouth to feed - considering you're all so intent on keeping this girl alive."
"This woman," a familiar female voice retorted, likely the one who had been caring for her, "needed help - I distinctly remember a time when I wasn't doing well and needed it too."
"You're my sister, of course, I wasn't going to leave you behind."
"I'm not talking about you, Luis," she yelled, "I'm talking about before you came back from Minnesota and found me."
"Why can't we just leave her here with some supplies and a gun. Why do we need to bring her with us?"
"Jesus Christ Luis we're not leaving her here alone and you two can have it out later," intervened another man, "but Luis is right - we need to leave before the snow settles in."
The argument faded into muffled voices again, and Beth strained to catch the words exchanged between the trio. A knock at the door startled her.
"May I come in?" A young girl, the same from her visions, had opened the door quietly without her even noticing. "I thought the yelling might have woken you." Beth nodded, maintaining her silence.
"I'm Chantelle." Her soft Southern accent flowed like a gentle breeze through a cornfield. She pulled up a chair beside the bed. "Luis can get into it with everybody, but he means well. Well, no, that's a lie. I don't know why I said that. He's a dick."
"I gathered," Beth whispered and laughed a little, suddenly overtaken by a violent cough.
Chantelle rushed to hand her water; "so, you do speak. From the way Austin and Val were sayin' it, it sounded like you were mute. I thought, you couldn't be deaf because you've been nodding and smiling like a dang puppet."
Beth laughed and took another sip; "I didn't really have anything worth saying until now. No one has bothered to make conversation."
"Your accent, where are you from?" Chantelle sat down on the wooden chair, her long dark hair cascading down her back in gentle curls. Her bright brown eyes sparkled with kindness as she looked towards Beth.
"Australia," Beth paused, realising she hadn't thought about home for a while, "I'm from Australia," she repeated.
Chantelle pulled out a deck of cards; "well, I figured you might be bored and needed a little human interaction that didn't make you feel like you were in a hospital."
Beth's eyes lit up, and Chantelle smiled; "what do you want to play?"
— — —
"What do you think you are doing?" Austin stormed into the motel room.
"We're leaving. Today," Luis' words cut through the air.
"The van's still in bad shape, and we won't survive this winter on foot." Austin's arms were folded tightly across his chest, the muscles in his biceps and forearms bulging with tension. His jaw was clenched, and his brows furrowed in frustration.
"Then fix the damn van!" Luis yelled, the sound piercing through the walls and resonating outside the motel room for others to hear the heated exchange.
"Oh, sorry, I'll just take it down the road to the mechanic, shall I?" Austin raised a quizzical eyebrow, smirking at his friend. The men paused their argument, exchanging laughter.
"Luis, what's going on with you?" Austin softened his tone, taking a seat on the other bed. "We've been friends since high school, grew up together, served in the army together. This isn't you."
"I don't know, man." Luis sat on the other bed, facing his friend, his face buried in his hands. He rubbed his face hard, threw his head back, and sighed heavily. "This just isn't—" he paused.
"Isn't what?"
"Isn't life." Luis gestured around the room.
"We'll get to the coast, find a boat, just like we planned." There was a slight taste of bitterness in the air, as if Austin's mild frustration was tangible.
"And then what?"
"Do the best we can," Austin stood up, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "we all have our dark moments, brother. You helped me get through mine, I'll help you get through yours."
Austin walked out of the motel room into the crisp morning air. The atmosphere was fresh, with a subtle scent of dew and grass. The sweet aroma of winter's imminent arrival filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of burning oil from their broken down van across the parking lot.
"Ben thinks he can fix the van by tomorrow. He found the parts we need on the other side of town." Val caught Austin as he had walked outside.
"He went scouting alone?" Austin looked across the lot at Ben, deep into the hood of the black church van they had found a while back.
Chantelle bounded up before she could answer; "Beth seems much better today. She's eatin' and drinkin' more. I think she could try walkin' today."
"Beth?" Val and Austin remarked in unison.
"Mmm, she speaks - she might have a lot more to say if either of you bothered to converse with her instead of just talkin' to her." She walked off towards Ben, a light air in her hopeful stride.
— — —
Austin found Beth sitting on the edge of her bed, her feet bare and dangling idly over the side. Her toes were curled, squeezing them tightly as she wiggled them back and forth. Her face was tense with concentration as she tried to alleviate the tingling sensation in her feet.
"Beth." His voice was soothing and calming, his words spoken with a gentle tone as he tried to ease Beth's discomfort.
"Chantelle?" She looked up at him, as he nodded, smiling gently. "She's a good kid." She smiled and looked back at her toes.
"Do you want to try walking today?" He walked towards the chair on the other side of the room and sat down as it creaked underneath the weight of him.
"The sooner I can walk, the sooner you can get out of here." She said with a sarcastic air, mocking Luis.
"The sooner we can get out of here." He repeated sarcastically with a smile, a light spread of jest washing over him as he joined her in mocking his friend.
"Your friend Luis seems to be very against bringing me along with you." She looked back at him.
"I'm not in the business of leaving people behind. Especially in Washington in the middle of October," he sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees, "you wouldn't survive the winter."
"Then maybe you should have just left me to die." She turned her body to face him abruptly. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interjected before he could respond.
"Why did you help me? You don't know me, why did you even bother?"
"Like I said, Beth," he stood up, his wistful tone switching back to cold and dry, "I'm not in the business of leaving people behind." He walked over to her slowly.
"I've lost too many people. I've watched people kill others over a can of soup. I've seen friends leave friends behind to save themselves," he sat down on the end of her bed, "I don't leave people behind."
His brown eyes cut through his words like a thunderstorm. She looked at his face, tired and weathered from sleepless nights with one eye open to ensure his group's safety. She pegged him as their leader - strong and determined with clear military training.
"What happened to you?" She asked softly.
"What happened to you?" He countered; "I refuse to believe you survived a pandemic alone for six months in a foreign country."
She said nothing and looked back at her feet. They sat in silence for a while before he stood up and headed for the door.
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow. We need to head south before it's too cold, and we don't know how long the van or the car will last, so part of that might be on foot."
"I'll try walking today." Beth nodded obediently.
"I'll send Val and Chantelle in to help you." He replied, his voice maintaining the cold cadency.
"Thank you." She smiled, wriggling her toes as the numbness started to dissipate. Before he could leave, she looked up at him again.
"Austin?" He stopped at the door and turned to her. "I know you've all done a lot for me, including putting your friendship with Luis on the line, so thank you. But I have a favour to ask," her voice grew quiet, "before we leave."
"What is it?" He asked sternly at her audacity to ask for another favour.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He noticed her green eyes glisten with the added layer of acridity and the change in her demeanour; "before we leave, I need you to help me bury my husband."
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2024.05.14 02:35 Lovmypolylife Am I wrong here?

Long time cabinetmakefinisher carpenter. Got a call from a GC I was referred to, he needed someone to install a flat pack IKEA kitchen short notice, this week. 22 boxes to be assembled and installed with crown, was offering $2100, this is in So Ca. Now I’m busy with my own work for clients I have which means I would have to set aside that work and go do the kitchen job putting my own clients on the back burner. I really don’t need the job, but I will help someone out if they’re in a bind but you need to make it with my while too. I countered with $2500, I have to travel an hour and a half each direction in traffic to get the location, I have a diesel van and the diesel is just under five dollars a gallon. Since I haven’t seen the job, no clue as to what condition the walls are in whether they plumb floor level or even straight I’ve seen it all and that can greatly affect the install time with Euro style cabinets. He counter $2200 and that it shouldn’t take that long, a guy can assemble and install six a day so it shouldn’t take me more than four days to do. That’s fine if everything goes well, but again he’s asking me to drop my clients to help him out to get his job done on time. I said take it or leave it, I don’t need to sit in three hours traffic to go to a job when I can do the same thing in my shop and make the same amount of money. Again, am I wrong here?
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2024.05.14 02:26 Pyroski The Midterms of 1848 and 1849 Pine & Liberty

The Midterms of 1848 and 1849 Pine & Liberty
In the final months of Daniel Webster's term, the economy, still reeling from the War of 1839 and the subsequent Panic of 1843, began a slow but steady recovery. William Lloyd Garrison, the incoming President who shattered the Federalists' grip on power, stepped into office with a bold agenda aimed at bolstering the economic upturn and lifting the nation's spirits. His initial flurry of legislative efforts included a proposed second bill of rights to prevent a repeat of the Sedition Acts, as well as measures to curb speech, the introduction of an equal rights and poll tax amendment, the reduction of the National Bank's influence, which Garrison branded as "corrupt" and "flawed," in favor of greater state control, and the full nationalization of the road industry. Congress has rejected every one of these, however, Garrison has managed to push through some reforms, such as removing Nathan Appleton as the bank's president in 1848, granting states more authority over monetary policies, the nonrenewal of the sedition acts, the District of Maine region's autonomy, imposing national limits on alcohol sales, and ban of the purchase of quantities over 16, and the ending of U.S. cooperation in the deportation of fugitives. However, widespread American fatigue over aggressive slavery policies, coupled with an indifferent Martin Van Buren administration, terms of the Treaty of Brussels, and interest in the settlement of new territories in the northwest, resulted in minimal diplomatic opposition to Garrison's fugitive policy.
Despite minor economic hiccups, trade has largely returned to its pre-war status as industries have stabilized. This was partly due to then-President Nathan Appleton raising interest rates in response to Garrison's funding cuts and minor currency instability resulting from the sudden influx of state control. Furthermore, despite Garrison's efforts to establish further independence from the increasingly close British empire by expanding trade with Haiti, Mexico, France, and the Netherlands, foreign investments, particularly by the British, in railroads and other industries continue, much to Garrison's chagrin.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, with William Lloyd Garrison shepherding the more affluent Liberty party to adopt a more radical rhetoric against the establishment and secret societies as a whole, the Anti-Masonic party would see a sudden bleed of support, as several of its representatives switched their party affiliations in their 1846 and 1847 campaigns. This bleed would continue, as the party became Garrison's largest outsider ally on key legislative reforms, with Garrison championing the collapsing party's platform on issues such as poll tax and voting reforms, and fines for secret societies. By 1848, party officials would agree on a formal merge, as the remainder of party members switched over. As Temperance sentiment spreads far and wide across the nation, Natavist feelings soar to unprecedented heights; as Catholics and the Irish find themselves in the crosshairs of nativism, owing to stereotypes associating them with regular drinking and heavy alcohol consumption.

Federalist
Led by their esteemed leader, George Evans, federalists have undergone a significant transformation following a series of setbacks, including major electoral defeats to the oligarchy during the "Revolution of 1846" in both the Presidential and House races, and narrowly retaining control of the Senate. They distanced themselves from the still-sensitive Daniel Webster administration, and addressing concerns over his well-known alcoholism and allegations of sympathy to liquor, they adopted a more pronounced pro-temperance stance; with states such as Connecticut and New Hampshire, where they held sway over governorships and state legislatures, implementing stricter regulations. Moreover, although initially backing the Sedition Acts and playing key roles in its creation alongside Federalist President Noah Webster in 1827, most of the party shifted its stance by 1847, opposing its renewal. While Federalists have supported specific measures during the Garrison presidency, particularly those related to Temperance and opposition to the Sedition Acts, the party has emerged as Garrison's main opponent, leveraging their status as the second-largest party in the House and their majority in the Senate, to block much of his agenda. Notably, Massachusetts representative Nathaniel Briggs Borden, supported by the party establishment, spearheaded Federalist efforts to censure Garrison for his attempts to rein in the National Bank. Nonetheless, with the defense of the Law and Order party, Garrison managed to evade censure with a vote margin of 19-35. Nevertheless, leveraging their control in the Senate, Federalists effectively obstructed Garrison's legislative agenda, halting proposed cuts to national defense meant to prioritize funding for education and infrastructure, as outlined in Garrison's Bill of rights. Additionally, they stymied social reforms proposed by Garrison, including provisions in The Penitentiary Act of 1848 aimed at alleviating penalties for tax evasion, victims of the Sedition Acts, and Dorr sympathizers. Furthermore, they thwarted the full implementation of Garrison's Land Reform policy, which aimed to repurchase all lands acquired by foreign investors.
Despite defeats amid the "Revolution of 1846" and a party identity crisis, the glimmer of victory at the end of the tunnel, driven by opposition to Garrison and his efforts to dismantle the National Bank, has spurred party unity. Centering their campaign primarily on one issue: The National Bank, Federalists argue that Garrison's attempts to curtail it are unconstitutional, citing the 13th amendment which established a strong permanent bank, and criticizing his use of the spoils system, particularly Arthur Tappan's appointment as bank president in the wake of Appleton's removal. Opponents criticize Tappan as too inexperienced, highlighting his close friendship with Garrison and lack of a banking background, exacerbated by Appleton's own nearly decade-long experience as its president, to allege cronyism. On economics, Federalists campaign on reinstating Appleton; passing legislation to ensure the bank's stability; and the further federalizing of the bank to its pre-Garrison status. Cooperation with private industries in the construction of infrastructure, to limit government spending so that the nation may pay off the heavy debts sustained from a lengthy war on top of an economic depression. They also contest Garrison's efforts to distance New England's ties with British trade and investors, advocating instead for a stronger connection with other European Powers; They champion a return to a close-knit relationship, both diplomatically and economically, with Federalists emphasizing Britain, which contributed heavily to their independence and later the diplomatic resolution of the War of 1839, as their foremost ally.
https://preview.redd.it/kw6x3jsyu90d1.png?width=645&format=png&auto=webp&s=61eea696763d9a22017b26e91766ed73f9f37cc2
Liberty
Unseating the long-standing single-party rule of the Federalists during the Revolution of 1846, the Liberty Party stepped into the fray amidst a transformative era following a return to stability. Conceived by now-President William Lloyd Garrison under the influences of transcendentalism and liberty, advocating opposition to the government and support for limited intervention, it proved easier said than done to translate ideals into reality. Garrison eventually faced the stark reality upon assuming office, facing a slim majority in the House and a minority in the Senate, which forced him to navigate within the system, leaving much of his agenda in vain. Furthermore, Garrison's failure to pass equal rights and his proposed bill of rights has led inner-party critics, led by George Ripley, a Unitarian minister, and Henry David Thoreau, an author and former campaigner of Garrison, who has returned to civilization from his isolation in the forests of Massachusetts, to label Garrison as "corrupted" by political institutions. Other intra-party critics criticize his national restrictions on alcohol, attempts to block foreign business and investment, and fines for secret societies as further increasing the authority and scope of the government when the party's whole platform stood against it. Nonetheless, allies argue that his restrictions and expansion of executive power are necessary evils to tackle the root causes of societal issues and special interests and to promote the nation's independence while also supporting local businesses and industries.
Despite the emergence of splintering anti-Garrison factions, the Liberty Party has sought to navigate controversy by upholding the core tenets of Garrison's presidency. These include his cessation of collaboration with the U.S. on the deportation of fugitives from the Hudson-Greenway line; dismantling what Liberators perceive as a corrupt National Bank, and his instrumental role in achieving Statehood for the District of Maine after a struggle spanning over a decade, resulting in the creation of two new states: Maine and Bangor. In addition to championing Garrison's established agendas, the party endeavors to garner support for unfinished initiatives. These include proposals to expand the House's seats from 65 to 86, with each state gaining two more representatives than its electoral vote in the Electoral College, thus aiming to bolster representation. Furthermore, they advocate for Garrison's Second Bill of Rights, seeking to amend the constitution to ensure rights for all citizens and to federalize the poll tax to a reduced fee of $1.80. Additionally, they push for legislation aimed at diminishing the influence of Jewish bankers and investments, echoing Garrison's public condemnation of them as "the enemy of the people and Christ" and their purported "stranglehold over our nation's wealth."
https://preview.redd.it/9xaddoj2v90d1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=362325892120aab3df3f014dd3dfdb71f42440d9
Law and Order
Despite suffering heavy defeats amidst the Revolution of 1846 and Thomas Dorr's rebellion, the cornerstone of the party's creation, now relegated to the back burner of voters' minds, the Law and Order alliance of Farmers, Liberals, Traditionalists, and former Federalists and Nationalists finds itself in an awkward position. Larger parties such as the Federalists have adopted the centerpiece coalition's platform, such as the Federalists now championing calls for cooperation with the U.S. and moderate views on black and women's rights, while the Liberty Party advocates for limited government and a smaller national bank; Nonetheless, the Law and Order coalition has attempted to carve out a platform wedged between the two current party giants. Led by the party's House leader Robert C. Winthrop, the party has strongly emphasized its economic agenda, in a bid to set it apart from the two leading parties. They advocate for a limited National Bank, arguing for its scope to be restricted to essential sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and trade. Additionally, they propose limits on the money supply to maintain a stable bimetal gold and silver standard, advocate for increased transparency regarding bank loans, and impose requirements for loan eligibility. Moreover, emphasizing a limited federal government approach in favor of state control, they argue for allowing states to charter their own banks to a certain extent. They have also advocated for giving full control to the states to set their whiskey and alcohol policies, supporting government rollbacks on Garrison's national restrictions. Critics from the Law and Order faction lambaste Garrison for what they perceive as insufficient efforts to rein in the National Bank. Instead, they accuse him of employing the spoils system by appointing his friend, Arthur Tappan, whom many consider inexperienced, to oversee it, despite most of the party voting to replace Appleton with him. The party has argued for lower tariffs, contending that high tariffs disproportionately affect the nation's farmers while benefiting wealthy foreign and domestic investors and businesses; Additionally, they argue that lower tariffs would benefit consumer interests.
Championed by Winthrop and fellow prominent Law and Orderites, including Senator Franklin Pierce, former Governor Edward Everett, Representative Charles G. Atherton, Rhode Island speaker John Hopkins Clarke, and a now one-legged John Fairfield, the party has attempted to adopt a "Proclamation of Neutrality" regarding foreign policy, believing their strength could be achieved through trade and cordial relations with any country, regardless of past relations or tensions with the nation's ally states. Most notably, their support for this policy extends to the nation's most infamous and longstanding enemy, the United States, with whom the nation has fought two wars. Any attempts to reconcile have been further complicated after the election of vocal anti-Fugitive ally, William Lloyd Garrison, who halted Yankee cooperation in the retrieval and return of fugitives. Nevertheless, this faction, derisively labeled the "Doughfaces" by critics due to their perceived willingness to bend to U.S. interests argues that cooperation was necessary. They point to the provisions of the Treaty of Brussels and the agreed-upon reward for captured fugitives, whom they claim weren't even citizens of New England, that the U.S. agreed to pay; Which they contend as a necessary evil to tackle and settle the burdensome debts the nation has accumulated in recent years. In stark contrast, the "Firebrands," nicknamed as such due to the fearmongering that their support for Garrison's policy will spark a third crisis between the two bordering nations, are led by Representative John P. Hale of New Hampshire and Associate Justice Marcus Morton, the 1841 National Party nominee. Famously during a party meeting, Hale would passionately argue, "After witnessing the sacrifice of countless lives, the toll of significant casualties, the devastation wrought upon our infrastructure, and the profound scars etched upon our nation, it would be nothing short of tragic to discover ourselves entangled once more in the very predicament we endeavored to escape..." This sentiment has been echoed similarly by the rest of the Firebrands as they emerge as the top faction opposed to inner-party calls for cooperation with the United States.

Minor Party

This section is dedicated to minor parties that lack ballot access or cannot field candidates beyond specific races, making their chances of winning impossible.
Drunkards
Amidst the backdrop of anti-immigrant and Catholic sentiments fueled by campaigns advocating Temperance and the implementation of anti-alcohol measures on the national agendas of leading political factions, a coalition of politically engaged Catholic and Irish immigrants has emerged. Spearheaded by the influential editor of The Boston Post, James Gordon Bennett Sr., a Scottish Roman Catholic, their collective efforts have given rise to a small yet significant political organization: the Workingman's Party. With minor political connections, the party has largely remained native to Massachusetts, where it has contested several seats across the state, on a platform consisting of only three issues: equal protections for immigrants and immigrant workers, labor rights, and most infamously of all, opposition to temperance and alcohol restrictions. As a consequence, despite its intended role as a champion for laborers and immigrants, the party has more famously become to be known the mocking moniker of the "Drunkards" party, a label crafted by detractors to smear its reputation and insinuate that the party is run by a bunch of alcoholics who only became politically active after attempts to take or limit their bottle consumption
https://preview.redd.it/p39hdv64ja0d1.png?width=1035&format=png&auto=webp&s=907ffefd3e191033384bc9ac17bab090ad4b876d
View Poll
submitted by Pyroski to Presidentialpoll [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 01:55 samb716 [H] Lots of Games [W] PayPal offers, steam wishlist trades

Hello everyone, I have a large list of keys for sale. The games I have for sale are listed below. Please comment if you’re interested in any. Interested in all offers. Wishlist Rep
-10 Second Ninja X
-Midnight Protocol
submitted by samb716 to indiegameswap [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 01:41 yoohoo202 Guide: Warranty repairs for the Travel Case

For anyone interested in, or have already bought the Travel Case, be aware that retail stores may not honor warranty repairs. I've found conflicting information in person vs. online, so hopefully this helps as a starting point for anyone who has issues... (see TL;DR at bottom)
The battery clip for my Travel Case would not stay seated in its socket (see my post last weekend) - and several people in that thread said to take it to the Apple Store for repair under warranty. One user claiming to be an Apple Store employee said "anything that happens to it is considered out of warranty"
I made an appointment in person at the Beverly Center in LA, who said there is no warranty on the Travel Case, it's not covered by AppleCare, and the repair cost would be $199. This despite two separate chats I had with Apple online that said there is a warranty, and language on Apple's own warranty page (links below).
Ultimately, the store agreed to replace it on a "one time basis" and said that there would be no future repairs possible without paying the repair cost, which is incidentally the cost of a new case.
If you have an issue, please use the screen shots and links below where Apple said it is covered.
Finally, if it helps for anyone in the future, I've included photos of the broken clip below. I believe that either the plastic clip was originally molded incorrectly, or it was initally inserted off-axis, causing the mold to warp.
TL;DR: Show this warranty page and language to any Apple Store that won't honor a warranty for the Apple Vision Pro Travel Case - link - "Apple-branded accessories purchased separately are covered by the Apple Limited Warranty for Accessories. This includes adapters, spare cables, wireless chargers, or cases."
submitted by yoohoo202 to VisionPro [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 01:30 Mizzno [H] Games [W] Cornucopia, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale, art of rally, Games (Listed Below), Steam Gift Cards

N.B.: I'm mainly looking for the games listed in the title and at the bottom of the thread. Feel free to post other offers, but if I haven't responded to your comment(s) by my next posting, I likely wasn't able to find a trade that interested me.

For sale (for Steam Gift Cards or gifted Steam Wallet balance):



For trade:
*signifies that a game is tentatively up for trade, assuming I buy the bundle








































































































WANT:



IGS Rep Page: https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ti26nz/mizznos_igs_rep_page/
submitted by Mizzno to indiegameswap [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:42 SweetFedJuices I have some offers and not sure what to choose… + Interview notes.

Hello! So I have a few offers, and I’m not sure the right direction to go… For reference, 21M, married, LCOL area, MBA, recently laid off…
Offer 1: Large telecommunications company in Business Sales. I previously worked for this company, before going to another one and getting laid off. They offered to interview me for a position for the business department - even though I was retail prior. It’s remote with 25-50% travel, and the travel locations are roughly 1.5-2 hours away. The pay is $55k base + a target commission of $40k, and bonus potential up to $15k. Amazing benefits including helping repay student loans. Great company. Interview was FANTASTIC! Super respectful and fun.
Offer 2: Federal government position, in an examination capacity role. It’s 100% onsite, and making around $49k-$52k. Have had a lot of family work for this branch, and some family friends in management and a couple of personal friends working there, in different departments. It’s about a 7-10 minute drive, and obviously federal benefits. Promotion potential up to $130k. Interview was scary as hell, long, and did I say scary?
Offer 3: Large telecom/tv/internet company. Senior level manager in sales. It’s also 100% onsite, however this one is an entire state away, or rather a 2.5 hour drive. The salary is $100k + commission (with a target commission being $40k) + bonus potential up to $25k, and stock options up to $5k. Benefits are good, but not spectacular. I like the company, and like the idea of being at a senior manager making that money early in my careelife especially for my wife and I but worried if I even deserve it? Interview was relaxed, we got along really well, and didn’t take long for the offer.
Offer 4: One of if not the largest Oil & Gas company in the US. In Water Logistics. I would be planning routes, and assisting haulers with emergency dispatching calls - in offer person, so I wouldn’t be the one doing the trucking. It’s 100% onsite and about a 10 minute drive. It’s a 12-hour shift position, 7-days on, 7-days off. Each month the shift rotates, so Day Shift 1 month, Night Shift the next. Pay is $60k, but with overtime can be around $85k - as mentioned by the Hiring Manager, and stated “overtime is built in, so it’s closer to the higher”. Benefits are meh, but they offer $5k in student loan repayment per year (my MBA is only $17k). Company I have always wanted to work for, but at a different capacity, however, they’re typically not hiring because their retention is so high. Their turnover is about 3%. Family member works in there as a HR Director also. Interview was okay, mentioned multiple times that I didn’t have the experience - and the offer was the very lowest they had posted.
Offer 5: Large insurance company. Doing adjustments for large weather events. Pay is $60k and can come with bonuses up to $5k. It’s between 220-240 days of work per year, and benefits are meh. It’s remote, but with travel across my state and some surrounding ones, as needed. Good company and opportunities for advancement, and seems like a good work life balance. Interview was one of those recordings… Only spoke to a recruiter for the screening, and received an interview from the recording and personality exam.
What do you all think? I feel like I want the senior level one, but I don’t really want to move to a HCOL environment, or have to travel that much daily. I feel like I’m blessed to have so many opportunities but don’t want to make the wrong choice.
submitted by SweetFedJuices to recruitinghell [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:36 multze Ubisoft better let us use Shao Jun's robes as Naoe (AC Shadows rumored female protagonist.)

Ubisoft better let us use Shao Jun's robes as Naoe (AC Shadows rumored female protagonist.)
Sorry for no interesting gameplay, i had to do a glitch to get the hood to stay on and i didn't want to lose it.
This is one of those rare times that a legacy outfit will perfectly suit the time period, yes i know Shao Jun is Chinese, not Japanese, but Shao Jun could be alive during red, she would be 80-100 years old based on when yasuke was born if he's in his 20s-40s during Shadows. And if even if she isn't alive she could've travelled to Japan and established a brotherhood there, leaving behind her robes similar to Thomas de carnellion in AC Unity.
Either way this outfit looks awesome and it would be amazing to see it on the improved engine.
submitted by multze to AssassinsCreedMemes [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:35 SweetFedJuices At a bit of a crossroads… what would you choose?

Hello! So I have a few offers, and I’m not sure the right direction to go… For reference, 21M, married, LCOL area, MBA, recently laid off…
Offer 1: Large telecommunications company in Business Sales. I previously worked for this company, before going to another one and getting laid off. They offered to interview me for a position for the business department - even though I was retail prior. It’s remote with 25-50% travel, and the travel locations are roughly 1.5-2 hours away. The pay is $55k base + a target commission of $40k, and bonus potential up to $15k. Amazing benefits including helping repay student loans. Great company.
Offer 2: Federal government position, in an examination capacity role. It’s 100% onsite, and making around $49k-$52k. Have had a lot of family work for this branch, and some family friends in management and a couple of personal friends working there, in different departments. It’s about a 7-10 minute drive, and obviously federal benefits. Promotion potential up to $130k.
Offer 3: Large telecom/tv/internet company. Senior level manager in sales. It’s also 100% onsite, however this one is an entire state away, or rather a 2.5 hour drive. The salary is $100k + commission (with a target commission being $40k) + bonus potential up to $25k, and stock options up to $5k. Benefits are good, but not spectacular. I like the company, and like the idea of being at a senior manager making that money early in my careelife especially for my wife and I but worried if I even deserve it?
Offer 4: One of if not the largest Oil & Gas company in the US. In Water Logistics. I would be planning routes, and assisting haulers with emergency dispatching calls - in offer person, so I wouldn’t be the one doing the trucking. It’s 100% onsite and about a 10 minute drive. It’s a 12-hour shift position, 7-days on, 7-days off. Each month the shift rotates, so Day Shift 1 month, Night Shift the next. Pay is $60k, but with overtime can be around $85k - as mentioned by the Hiring Manager, and stated “overtime is built in, so it’s closer to the higher”. Benefits are meh, but they offer $5k in student loan repayment per year (my MBA is only $17k). Company I have always wanted to work for, but at a different capacity, however, they’re typically not hiring because their retention is so high. Their turnover is about 3%. Family member works in there as a HR Director also.
Offer 5: Large insurance company. Doing adjustments for large weather events. Pay is $60k and can come with bonuses up to $5k. It’s between 220-240 days of work per year, and benefits are meh. It’s remote, but with travel across my state and some surrounding ones, as needed. Good company and opportunities for advancement, and seems like a good work life balance.
What do you all think? I feel like I want the senior level one, but I don’t really want to move to a HCOL environment, or have to travel that much daily. I feel like I’m blessed to have so many opportunities but don’t want to make the wrong choice. Thanks in advance!
submitted by SweetFedJuices to careeradvice [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:33 PossessionFirst8197 Money in the bank.. now what?

Hi PFC!
This may be a lengthy post so apologies in advance, just want to provide all the information.
My husband and I currently have 200,000 sitting in our chequing account from the sale of our home. We both have maxed out TFSAs (88k & 95k) invested with CIBC imperial investor service, $8,900 RESP for our toddler also cibc invested, and RRSPs 66k and 45k each also CIBC.
We own a rental bungalow free and clear and currently live rent free in my parents home while they are traveling. The plan will be for my parents to move to our bungalow in a couple years and they will sign their home over to us when the mortgage comes up for renewal at the end of 2025 (200k owing at 1.5%)
We will also be receiving an additional 150,000 from my husband's parents as a very generous belated wedding gift.
I feel like this is a stupid amount of money that we have been very fortunate to come into in such a short time and neither of us really knows what to do now that our tfsas are maxed out.
We don't have an "emergency fund" but I have an ~8k account for our rental property where all rent comes in and expenses come out and I haven't really touched it. We also have 12k in our joint account where our mortgage payments used to come out of. My husband's annual income is ~160k and I am currently making ~45k from my home business as a SAHM but may go back to work in the next few years.
.
DEBT
~5k student loan that is currently interest free.
will take on my parents mortgage ~150,000 in December 2025
I am currently in school for my master's so an additional 12k will come due over the next year and a half as well
.
.
Here are my questions:
Should we have a more formal emergency fund?
Is there a better place to invest besides just the standard bank investment services?
How can we use this money to begin to set ourselves up for retirement?
Any tips to avoid lifestyle creep? our cards are around 7k/month lately which doesn't feel sustainable. even though a lot of our expenses are "one time" costs like new wheels for the car, home insurace, furnace replacement etc.
Any other advice is welcome!
submitted by PossessionFirst8197 to PersonalFinanceCanada [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:32 fivefingerfury Fallen out of love with creativity, how do I decide where to take my career next? What industries should I consider?

I'm 30 years old with a liberal arts degree from a top university (haha, I know). My motivations are changing and I want to move to a different industry, but I'm not sure where to start.
Up until now, I've always been driven by my desire to make a creative/artistic mark on the world. I worked as an expat in China for several years as a founding member of a major media start-up. I achieved a lot there as a journalist, producing interesting articles and documentaries about life and culture overseas. I drove much of the company's qualitative and quantitative success as a core team member, I loved my work, and I felt connected to my coworkers.
Then the pandemic came, and I got locked outside of China when the borders closed (I'm in Texas, where I don't have a car and I don't have a good professional network). I had to suddenly leave my job and all my possessions, and I entered the beginning of a terrible swing of uncertainty and internal change. I went from being the happiest guy I knew who aspired to greatness, to really being very sad and just wanting to get through each day. That went on for about two years, before eventually, I ended up returning to Asia to work at my old company.
However, when I returned, I had fallen out of love with the work. All the passion and love I'd felt for it had dried up to nothing, and it felt torturous to get up each day and write meaningless clickbait for the surging sea of Google-searchers.
Now I've left the company again, and I feel like I'm not following any path at all. I don't think I want to be a journalist or a writer anymore, the whole industry is in crisis. I'm also feeling more pessimistic about the state of art and creativity in general. While I have plenty of personal passions and interests like martial arts, writing, magic tricks, and adventure travel, none of them offer much in the way of a professional direction.
I don't need to be rich. I feel like I just need to get a job that has the best ratio of effort investment to financial return, so I can spend more time doing the things I enjoy. My liberal arts degree is obviously completely meaningless and my hard skills are limited. My soft skills and social skills are significant:
PROS - I produce excellent quality work which generates strong results (in my last job, this was measured in terms of traffic and views). I'm great in interviews. I'm a strong communicator. I'm good at creating rapport with others. I'm good with words and persuasion.
CONS - I don't have many specialized technical skills. It's hard for me to stay "locked in" for a full 9-5 work schedule. I don't feel any genuine attachment to work now, it's just a way to make money. I don't want to go above and beyond at work.
My question is, how should I go about finding a new industry, and does anyone have any tips for roles to consider? I just want to be paid for delivering a specific, predetermined product, not an endless stream of solutions and performative excitement. Since there's no longer any genuine interest or passion powering my search, I've found it difficult to generate momentum. It may sound silly, but it's a very new feeling for me.
I just feel tired of fighting for a life and a career that "genuinely" interests me, I think I'm ready to just resign myself to the slow monotony of a more standard career path. I want to "give up" while avoiding as much pain as possible, and I'm definitely open to leaving the United States again in order to do that (for instance, if there is a relatively painless work option where the pay is not high enough to continue living here. For example, a low-volume, commission-based sales role where I take a few calls per day would be perfect in that situation.)
TL;DR My success and strategy as a writejournalist/digital content strategist has always been driven by passion and my aspirations, and those things have now dried up for me. The only driver left is money, and I've had difficulty generating momentum in the job search since I have very little network here. What roles or industries could I consider given my background, and given that I'm no longer interested in working hard for the sake of the work itself?
submitted by fivefingerfury to careerguidance [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 00:23 Dhiguy99 [WTS] LV On the Beach and bundle Lorga Ambre Platine, Atelier Bloom 1614, JHAG Vanilla Vibes (Bottle)

Hello and welcome, or welcome back to my sale thread. SHIPPING IS $5-$10 PER ITEM BASED ON LOCATION AND IS NON NEGOTIABLE. I am CONUS only.
I accept PayPal and Venmo. I am currently only accepting the friends and family option for both. I encourage everyone who considers buying to feel free to ask and/or check my verification. I want us all to be safe here. All bottles come with a full presentation.
https://imgur.com/a/Dre3XqI
Lois Vuitton On the Beach 98/100ml $250
Bundle deal $175 for all listed below
Lorga Parfums Ambre Platine 59/60 $135
Atelier Bloom 1614 99/100 $50
JHAG Vanilla Vibes travel 7/7.5ml $20
submitted by Dhiguy99 to fragranceswap [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:59 hwkiiz Back to Asia

Hey there, fellow onebaggers!
Exciting news—I'm heading back to Asia next month after a 10-month journey around the continent. This time, I'll be settling down in some places, starting with Thailand.
I'll be sticking with my trusty Osprey Farpoint 40L backpack, packing mostly the same gear as before but with a few tweaks and less stuff.
For clothing, I'm planning on bringing 2 swimshorts, 2 regular shorts, and maybe one or two pairs of sport shorts. In my quest for the ultimate travel clothes, I stumbled upon the Dry Stretch Easy Shorts from Uniqlo. They seem to tick all the boxes: quick-drying, lightweight, and stylish. Anyone here have firsthand experience with them?
Now, onto footwear. Initially, I thought I'd stick with my previous shoe setup: Tropicfeel Canyon for rainy days and water activities, Vans Ultrarange for urban exploration and sports, and a trusty pair of flip flops. But lately, I've been considering just bringing my beloved Vans Old Skool for city jaunts (I can't get enough of those shoes!), a pair of flip flops and my Birkenstok. Any thoughts on this footwear switcheroo?
submitted by hwkiiz to onebag [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:42 Dependent-Salary-304 evening/weekend job

Hello everybody I am a 26yr old American male with transportation & a license.
I do work full time on a Sales team for an AC company, I get off work everyday at about 3-4. I am looking for a job for the nights and weekends !! My skills that I can do are as follow!!
Bartender,Waiter,FoH,BoH, Light construction,Roofing, Sales.
For reference I am in Apopka, FL and willing to travel 20-30 miles. Thank you for your consideration !!
submitted by Dependent-Salary-304 to OrlandoJobs [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:38 Unlikely_Fly1595 A CREEPY GANG IS STALKING ME AND IT'S CREEPING ME OUT!

There was a plaza that was located up the road. My grandma and I go there for grocery shopping. Whenever I went there,I always saw a group of teenagers-who looked about to be 14 to 18 years old- roaming around or exiting out of any restaruant. I assumed that it was probably their usual hangout place,or some other purpose which I didn't wanted to poke my nose in.
I minded my own business and continued shopping. Then,things stranger when I begun seeing them everywhere I went.I thought that it was a conicidence. And then things got scarier when I began seeing them parked near the sidewalk of my house.They had a black jeep and van that looked straight out of a gangstar's dream.And still ignored it.
One day,I received an e-mail from one of the kids in that group. My heart was racing in such a pace that I felt it was gonna burst out of my hands. It said: Hi there! my gang and I have been observing you for while and we want you to join our casino. You seem like a good fit for our head staff.There was a link that had a form which I had to fill in and tickets for travel.i wrote a simple e-mail that included my reasons to not work there because of my age.Then,a few days later,I got an e-mail from the same girl-it was a death threat from her.She said that she would kidnap me from here if I didn't accepted the job offer. THIS WAS A HUGE SITUATION.
The next day,I speed to the police station and told them my entire situation I was dealing with.They got a sketcher so that they can analyze whom I was actually talking about.When they got the results,they told me, "Ma'am,you are in danger right now.She is the leader of a drug dealing gang and associated with a human trafficking and under age gambling business. My jaws dropped in fear-I was in so much fear and a great state of shock that the phone slipped out of my hands. I had to do something.
Admist my thoughts was a a loud knock on the door.When I glanced at the window,I saw the same black van parked in our compound.The bang on the door had my heart skip a beat. The threat got even more aggressive.
I escaped from the back door,running to the back of the road. It was strange that they didn't notice me.Luckily,there was group of church members walking down the road.I took advantage of that by hiding myself in that group.After going down the road,i ran toward the police station and told them everything.I got in their police car and the police arrested the teenagers.I cleaned the blood and tided the place up.
My mother came in a panic,hugging me tightly.She asked me if I was injured or not,and with the usual reply,i said that I was fine and unharmed.
i am safe,but till this day,I'm still afraid.I had a fear that lingered in me for so many many years that what if they come back for revenge.
submitted by Unlikely_Fly1595 to scarystories [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:37 Lemon-Flower-744 Why does everyone assume the next step is a baby?

I do a lot of rants on here and I'm sorry 🤣🤦‍♀️
Why do people assume the next step is a baby?
I follow this dog walker on Instagram (I don't know why. She appeared one day and I liked the dogs she was walking🤣).
Anyway she's said 'sorry I've had to close down my business, but I will do a video for an update soon, for now goodbye.'
It went on a bit this video so I checked the comments to see if she'd actually say what she was doing. My assumption was she couldn't afford to do the upkeep of the van whilst having her house etc. For the love of god guess what I saw?
These fucking emojis of other peoples assumptions 🤰 👩‍🍼 🤱 👶 🍼 🚼
What!🤣🤷🏼‍♀️
She hasn't responded to any of it but she's spoken about how she struggles with BC and she actually finds the pill helps her ache or something?
I. Don't. Get. It. It's not just this girl either I've seen it on.
We've all chosen to be CF but there are some people struggling to have children and comments like that could really upset them. It would piss me off if someone was like oh a BABY next...I think I'd be like no CF actually. There's more to life than a baby! 🤦‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️
Sigh. People baffle me every single day with their ignorance.
Edit; whilst I'm in this rant actually, my husbands nana can't stop banging on to anyone she meets Did you know they're child free? And point at us! Child free! Yeah you heard that, child free. I know! What are they going to do with their lives...?
....what am I going to do? I'm going to TRAVEL and have FUN and adopt lots of dogs...what have you done with your life nana? Sheesh. What have you done with your life? Shall we go through it 🤦‍♀️🙄
submitted by Lemon-Flower-744 to childfree [link] [comments]


2024.05.13 23:19 newamsterdamer95 Amtrak group reservation

My group was looking at a certain day of traveling. 60% off a sale price wasn’t bad but it was only for 8 tickets and we need more.
We submitted a group travel request and even called their group reservations number. Afterwards, the sale price was removed from the day we were looking at. The other days still have the sale price we previously saw.
What’s happening here? It seems too coincidental that the standard price available on the website would change after we inquired about a group rate for that specific day.
submitted by newamsterdamer95 to Amtrak [link] [comments]


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