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Home security

2010.05.24 09:13 stevenbird68 Home security

We're a place to get help with and discuss all topics relating to home security. All topics from beginner questions to help with your esoteric GE panel from 1989 are welcome! Are you looking for advice on cameras or security systems? Try using the search bar! NOTE: We require a minimum of 50 karma to post.
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2010.12.28 18:10 rad_thundercat HomeAutomation

A place to share and discuss all things related to home automation.
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2012.05.22 07:07 Not_Not_FBI cybersecurity

This subreddit is for technical professionals to discuss cybersecurity news, research, threats, etc.
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2024.05.14 04:19 SerialStateLineXer Just 800 companies could fund the federal government if they paid their fair share

Are you sitting down? Don't bother. This won't take long.
Quoth Buffett:
We don't mind paying taxes at Berkshire, and we are paying a 21% federal rate. If we send in a check like we did last year, we send in over $5 billion dollars to the US federal government, and if 800 other companies had done the same thing, no other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes, whether income taxes...[applause]...no Social Security taxes, no estate taxes—no, it's up and down the line!
The math works out: 800 times $5 billion is $4 trilion, which is about what the federal government collected in non-corporate taxes in 2023.
The problem? $4 trillion is 112% of all US corporate profits in 2023. There are not 800 US corporations that have $5 billion in profits.
Seriously, WTF is Buffett even talking about here? Is this just a flex about how profitable Berkshire is and how much it can afford to pay in taxes?
submitted by SerialStateLineXer to badeconomics [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:19 snooze_sensei Developing allergy to my best friends pets... what to do

So this friend of mine for many years has multiple pets. About 10 years ago I took care of them for a while when I was jobless. However since then she has slacked off on house-cleaning, and increased the number of pets. She currently has 5 cats and a dog.
She doesn't have many friends so if she has to go out of town on a weekend, she will ask if I will pet-sit.
Unfortunately for the last several years, and worse since I had Covid, I've had allergic reactions every time I pet-sit at her house. Originally I felt it was just changing the litter so I told her I could pet-sit but wouldn't clean litter boxes.
I would get flu-like symptoms every time I stayed at her place overnight. Often congestion, but also headache, fever, etc. A couple of times last year it was so bad I was convinced I had caught Covid again, though I tested negative.
So this past weekend she had to leave town suddenly due to a death in her family, and I agreed to pet-sit Friday & Saturday night. No litterboxes to be cleaned, she has automated litterboxes now, that can go for longer between cleanings...
So ... Saturday morning, I wake up with a pounding headache.... It seemed to get slightly better so I went about my day, but it was nagging me the whole day. I had to leave for a few hours as well. I had noticed my heartrate was up higher than normal, but just noted that to the side. I wasn't having any congestion so hadn't realized it was the allergies again. Thought I lucked out.
By late evening I had to cancel my plans, I had a high fever, much higher than normal heartrate, etc. My plans involved a lot of activity and the extra activity pushed my heartrate out of a safe range and I was starting to get lightheaded and feel faint, so I immediately cancelled the plans and went to a family member's house for a few hours. Heartrate went down but was still elevated. I do take a single medication, which lowers my blood pressure and heartrate normally, so having it up is something I watch closely. I connected it to the allergies at this point.
I was feeling a little better, but still lousy, and went back to my friend's house for the second night of pet-sitting. Ended up having chills when I went outside even though the temps were only in the upper 60s. Slept terribly, and basically had no energy all day Sunday. Heartrate was down but still higher than my normal base heart rate. Ended up sleeping most of Sunday. Managed the drive home. Back at my own place, I slept great and felt perfectly normal this morning.
The reaction this time was so strong, that I'm afraid I'm going to have to tell my friend I can't ever stay at her place again. I know part of the issue is she does not keep a clean house, so it smells strongly of her pets. That's never going to change.
Would it be worth trying an allergy medication? I know most of the allergy meds on the market are basically placebos. At this point though it has moved beyond simply congestion to something that actually is a health risk.
Opinions?
submitted by snooze_sensei to Allergies [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:18 Bugasum Securing AD/Preventing being Locked Out if breached

TLDR: Can the below be achieved?
Administrator can do everything. Domain Admins can do everything except for the below:
Hey guys,
I've searched high and low for answers for this, with very little luck so wanted to get your two cents on this instead. There are plenty of articles on Domain hardening etc.. But nothing really to stop a privileged account from modifying other privileged accounts. I'll explain below. I work for a medium size business, 300 staff. We've done a lot of work in securing our systems and I think we're in a fairly good state security wise.
However.. Let's say hypothetically we get breached, and somehow, one of the 4 Domain Admin account passwords is obtained. What's to stop that person from removing the other Domain Admins from the group and essentially locking us out? Yeah we have backups, which aren't on the domain but prevention is better than a cure. Hypothetically of course. Getting this far would already be very difficult, but I can't imagine it will be long before ransomware ransoms access to your domain instead, less and less people are paying so they're tactics will surely change soon.
I've tried experimenting on a VM with AD Role installed, modifying permissions on the Domain Admins group, basically granting the Administrator account access to everything (Can lock this account down with some really long password) and setting Deny's on the DA group. Whilst I have managed to achieve this, I can't prevent a DA from changing the "owner" back to Domain Admins (From Administrator) granting them control over the group again.
I do actually wonder if this is possible. Externally (Office 365) accessing admin accounts all have MFA, but internally it's not an option. Even the idea of creating admin groups with delegated permissions, poses the issue of those permissions still being strong enough they can add themselves back to the DA group.
We're working on further restrictions for Domain Admins to help with this (No RDP etc..) but hashed passwords are a weak point.
Keen to hear some thoughts on this. Hopefully it made enough sense!
submitted by Bugasum to sysadmin [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:16 moderndaywizard956 Fallout New Vegas (season 2 fanfiction

2296, The scene is set in a post apocalyptic Mojave desert, 15 years after a joint effort of the New California Republic, the Rangers, and the mysterious benefactor of the New Vegas Strip, Mr. House pushed back an attempted invasion of the Mojave and a final battle was waved for control of the hydroelectric powerhouse, Hoover Damm.
In the aftermath, Mr. House was removed from power discreetly, due to the actions of a wasteland wanderer on a mission for revenge, known only as the Courier. Mr. House's iconic Lucky 38 casino opened its doors, for the first time, offering a single floor casino and bar, it's upstairs remained an exclusive and mysterious meeting place for the New Vegas Strip's elite. The Lucky 38 represented one of the cleanest, most secure facilities, protected, like the rest of the strip, by the Securitron Mk 2, predominantly. Their presence ensured visitors on the Strip behaved themselves, though the other casinos maintained their own security and 'house rules' internally.
The Strip defined and maintained its status as an independent entity, determining through the Courier's observations that the NCR was stretching it's military might too thin, and couldn't realistically manage over the Strip and Mojave, so a new deal was struck, similar to the prior, but with The Strip extending it's Securitron security to enforce the immediately surrounding communities and a few outlying satelites. Trade to the surrounding areas increased, the Mojave benefitting from the prewar tech, pre-programmed security forces. The drug addicted fiends and other Raider groups would never be any match for their advanced weaponry, and ultimately were cleared out of existence.
The King's continued to watch over Freeside, making alliances with the Follower's of the Apocalypse... their desire to service the needs of the belittled, disadvantaged and destitute lined up, and this is where Mr. Wolf found his place in the story... the Courier and a Follower's doctor found love in the wasteland.... and raised a child together under a Ranger's flag... 23 years later? This is New Vegas...
A handsome man in a leather jacket sat in a dusty leather booth watching one of the girls dance on a pole, shaking her ass as bottle caps clinked on the stage in front of her. It was a swanky post apocalyptic casino strip club. A man in a leather jacket stood nearby, his hands crossed in front of his chest, "Kings" embroidered across the back in silver letters. A waitress approached him carrying a glass of some amber colored liquor, and sat it down at the half moon table. She lingered a moment in her lacey body suit, following his gaze up to the girl rubbing her tits in some older cowboys face.
"You don't get jealous seeing her like that, Mr. Wolf." The girl bit her lip and met his eyes as he picked up his glass and swirled it before giving it a smell and taking a slow swig. He tilted his head looking her over. She couldn't possibly be older then 19. Tight, perky little thing.
Mr. Wolf smirked and shook his head. "I like her... nice and wet when she comes to my bed."
The girl blushed and bit her lip. "So you like to watch?" She surmised.
"I don't mind, but why do you ask?" Wolf had these intense eyes that shot arrows into your very soul. It made her incredibly nervous... but she found it deeply exciting at the same time.
"Well... I'm living in 206 now... maybe... you might stop by sometime and I could dance for you? I know I don't have her body but... if you wanted something that was a little fresher... something... just yours?" She figeted her fingers against the table.
Jason looked her over once more and smirked.
"Two-Oh-six, huh?" He tilted his head, considering.
She nodded.
"Leave your cum soaked panties on my doorknob one of these nights if you really need it and maybe I'll come see if you got the moves." His Texan accent was subdued, but enthrallingly charming with his confident, somewhat bored with reality overtones.
"M-my panties?" She stammered turning bright red. "On your doorknob?" Alexa couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"If you're gunna shoot your shot with a dom... with an alpha... you need to be willing to submit. If you can't do that... I'm not interested." Wolf shrugged, completely unphased.
"But what about... what if..." Alexa glanced at Laura, the clubs most iconic stripper in the club, perhaps even the whole Strip.
She was taking some NCR soldier to the VIP lounge for a private dance.
Alexa had been bold enough to offer herself but now she was feeling nervous. If Laura wanted her out, she could lose her job... her home.
"Oh she won't mind... if anything she'll want to watch." Wolf shook his head, sensing her anxiety.
"Assuming of course... she likes the way you smell... she's funny like that." Wolf let the conversation end and Alexa nervously retreated.
Wolf sat drinking by himself, but got bored.
"Jakey, go get yourself a drink and sit down, I'm bored." Wolf called to his body guard.
Jacob looked over and nodded, giving the lounge one last look around before approaching the bar and getting himself a mug of beer, from the tuxedo shirt and boytie bartender Gerald, and returning to the table.
"What's on your mind boss?" Jacob had his hair slicked back in the usual King's gang hairstyle.
"Heard any rumors lately?" Wold looked at him, taking a drag from his cigarette and flicking the pack over to him.
"Honestly, boss, aside from the occasional drunkard or fiend rolling through freeside, nothing out of the ordinary... well, except... a way's out.. the crazy lady... Gloria was swearing up and down she found a headless metal suit of armor.. said the Enclave would burn down New Vegas. God's wraith and all that, you know how she gets."
"Enclave?" Jason's attention was piqued.
"Yeah, I don't know, she was probably just in withdrawal from the Jet... said she found it in the hollowed out shell of the Super Duper, out by the old highway." Jacob shrugged and drank from his beer and pulled a cigarette from the pack.
Wolf finished the last drag of his own cigarette. "Has anyone validated her claims?"
"Well... no... but... I mean... you've met her, she sees things that aren't there, all the time." Jacob shrugged and lit a cigarette.
Jason squinted, considering the resident crazy ladies most recent half coherent ramblings.
"That's an oddly specific hallucination though....take a group of guys out there tonight... humor me, and make sure she's not right." Wolf lifted his glass.
"Sir?" Jacob raised an eyebrow, thinking surely this could wait until tomorrow.
"Hypothetically" Wolf pondered aloud, "If there was... for some reason, there in-fact was... a pre-war, piece of military tech out there....a T-45, let's say, or T-60, best case scenario? We want it. Even if it's not at 100% capacity? It's fusion core alone... could change up the game for Freeside, something like that could make our tiny little city independent. We wouldn't have to be reliant on the scraps of New Vegas, and forget about the Hoover Dam completely."
Jacob caught Mr. Wolf's drift.. a fusion core could mean producing its own, radiation-free water, it's own electricity.. not just a little, a lot. Powering long dead machines, not to mention the agricultural benefits... producing healthier, higher yield tobacco... expanding their income ten fold.
Jacob suddenly felt like he understood Mr. Wolf's vision for the future.
"I should... go and deploy the King's to investigate." Jacob concluded.
"I think that would be for the best, I can take care of myself here." Wolf waved Jacob off.
Jacob downed his beer and excused himself.
Wolf drank the rest of his whiskey, extinguishing his cigarette.
Laura, the dancer came up to the table, and Wolf motioned to the blushing new waitress for a round, who felt a twinge of jealousy seeing her crush with the most popular stage act in town. She bit her tongue though, bringing over two more heavy pours of whiskey.
Laura eyed the girl as she came and went.
"She likes you." Laura concluded as the waitress walked away.
"Yeah.. I think she does." Mr. Wolf shrugged, flicking her a cigarette.
"The NCR boy liked me." She giggled wiping a little bit of cum from her lips and used half her shot like mouthwash.
"Get anything out of him.. other then.. his seed?" Wolf sighed.
"Of course," She grinned mischievously, "Apparently there's been trouble out West with the Brotherhood. They had some type of skirmish? Apparently NCR lost? NCR was apparently holding some old world tech, I don't know, but apparently it lit up the west coast power grid, like... in it's entirely?" Laura tilted her head to look at him.
"The entire western power grid was lit up by a single piece of tech??" Wolf shook his head at the topless girl beside him.
"Yeah, I had to make him cum twice for more details, but apparently it's the size of a grain of rice, with quote, unlimited energy potential." Laura relayed the information. It seemed more important then a suit of power armor or its fusion core.
"Who else knows about this?" Wolf demanded with his eyebrows squinted against his eyes.
"Anyone with a functional light bulb for... like... three hundred miles?" Laura guessed with a shrug.
"You said... it was the Brotherhood that took the win on the skirmish?" Wolf clarified some details.
"Yeah... rumor has it they have a new up and coming knight that's making waves." Laura shrugged.
"Stay on the rumors... I need details." Mr. Wolf nodded at her, drank his whiskey and stood up, downing his drink.
An energy source that powerful would have a big effect on the balance of power in the Mojave. It could mean a resurrection of the New California Republic to it's former glory and then some, and potentially... might mean a renewed effort to reclaim the western part of the former United States, in time.
submitted by moderndaywizard956 to Fallout [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:16 AlertHistorian3887 81 y/o Mom needs financial assistance and not sure what to do

My husband and I have been married 5 years. My husband comes from a two parent very stable home emotionally and physically. I did not. I was raised by a single mom who is the greatest but she has a hard time setting boundaries.
My 56 year old brother divorced 12 years ago and asked my mom if he could live in her house. He lived there for 11 years and helped my mom financially. He even has his 21 yr old son living there. My mom's house is large enough in a nice area.
My brother has a girlfriend in another city, plans on living with her. He suggested my husband and I rent out our home and move back into my mom's house so we could help her financially and watch over as she has become forgetful at times.
My mother was under alot of stress while my brother lived there and spoke harshly to my mom. She would cry. She often would stay at our house and tell my husband and I that my brother never respects her.
At the time I thought that may not be a bad idea to rent out or sell our home and move back to my mom's house. We do not have kids-just a 3 yr old dog.
My husband and I were going to renovate my mom's house and move to Arizona by late 2025 so my husband can be near his parents and take my mom with us. But I don't like Arizona.
My mom is very dependent upon me. Sometimes it's suffocating. I am her POA. I recently realized upon visiting my mom, I could not live there again. It's like the vibe there is off. My brother told me that he planned on coming to my mom's house with his gf during hurricane season since they will be living near the ocean.
I get panic attacks just thinking about that! My husband suggested my mom live in our home but it's two stories and I worry about her and the stairs. She recently had tests for dementia and we get the results this month from neurologist.
She only gets social security and would not be able to live on that by herself. Independent Adult living facilities are $4,000/month. My mom does not want that.
She can walk on her own. Walks the dog for 45 minutes, she can drive, a very youthful 81 yr old. But the stress of her being around my brother has weighed her down emotionally.
I am not sure what to do. It's really bothering me. I love the home and lifestyle my husband and I have. When I'm at my moms I can't wait to leave to be back home-the energy in our home is lighter. Even my mom loves to spend the weekend at our house because she feels happy and can rest.
At her house she must take sleeping medicine but not at our house. My brother and nephew do not talk to her much and she tells me she feels alone and isolated. I feel quite stressed about this.
Thank you
submitted by AlertHistorian3887 to Marriage [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:15 NotDeleted702 1st Build ever, what do you guys think?

Completely new to ALL of this $h1t. Enjoyed it quite a bit, hope to learn more and maybe build some more for my friends or anyone that wants a new PC. What do you guys think of the build. Am I missing anything or did I f*** anything up lol I'm ordering the parts today/tomorrow! F****** PUMPED
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7pQnvj- (Easy Link) $2,334.00 Total
GPU - Asus TUF GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
CPU - AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
Cooler - Thermalright Frozen Prism ARGB 70.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Moboard - MSI B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI ATX AM5
Memory - ADATA XPG Lancer Blade RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory
Storage - TEAMGROUP MP44L 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
Case - GameMax Abyss TR ATX Mid Tower Case
PSU - MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Monitor - Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQML1A 27.0" 2560 x 1440 260 Hz Monitor
Op System - Microsoft Windows 10 Home Retail - USB 64-bit
Also, anything I should take into consideration, important info while installing, etc. would be appreciated, THANKS
submitted by NotDeleted702 to buildapc [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:14 AceBilal THINGS THAT NEED TO CHANGE IN FC24

With what happened with the Red picks for Ligue 1 and the NickRtfm siutation I have been thinking of all the things that need to change in this game. This game is infuriating. The amount of things that need to change in this game is actually astronomical. I'm gonna do my best to lay out all the problems I see and some solutions even if they are not be perfect.
1.SERVERS
For a company that boasts about making 1.5 billion in revenue the servers are actually terrible. The amount of DCs I have had while playing champs or rivals is unbelievable. Fix your servers. Understand that at content time the player base count will increase dramatically and account for that.
2.People quitting 0-0, 1-1 etc
Why are you not awarded a win when someone quits at the start of the game makes no sense to me. Especially when it's halfway through a game and they are doing it just to spite the other player. I've heard that they might not do this due to multiple reasons. If this is the case then only add it to CHAMPS at least
3.Corner glitches
The fact I have to 2nd man press and bring my player up short every time so that Roberto Carlos or whoever else has playstyle + whipped cross doesn't cross a ball in and some 6ft CB with aerial+ is dunking on my 5ft RB/LB is crazyyy. If it's not this it's another powershot corner BS tactic. Sort this AI out and do something to stop this OP tactic. Its too consistent and abused.
  1. Menus
Why is it I press R1 or L1 too quick the game freaks out and I have to restart it. Who coded this game where it is guaranteed to happen every day. I will have to restart my game every day multiple times.
  1. Pack weight
This has to be the scumiest ones of all. When EA put 100% guarantee on getting a TOTS or whatever promo. Why is it always the same 5 players worth 50k or less. I'd like to see the real chance of you packing the million + players. I honestly think that it's based on how much they are worth on the market exactly why you never see extinct players like CR7 or Mbappe. I'd rather see 0.000001% chance of packing Mbappe then see 100% guaranteed. Its too predatory that these packs are worth the price of full fledged games.
  1. Draft
What a boring game mode. The same thing for the past 8 years. What's the point going 4-0 if the best of my rewards are gonna be an 83 rated fodder player 90 % of the time. Make it more then 4 games. Make the rewards better. Incentivize players to actually wanna play this gamemode instead of ignoring this mode and just copy and pasting it every year.
  1. Rivals
I don't mind this gamemode with the recent change to rewards but the disparity in skill level with elite division makes no sense. I have played actual demons in div 3 and I have played some bots who seem like it's their first time playing in Elite Div. It doesn't matter what div you are in because it's gonna be win some lose some which is fine but I would hope it would be more consistent. I love the skill rating in Elite division but why is this limited to just Elite. Add it to all divisions. If I lose to someone better then me then I'm gonna be less inclined to say its DDA or luck.
7.5 Milestones rewards
How lazy can EA be. Honestly it's actually bewildering that they think it's acceptable to give us a tifo to get us to play games. What happened to rewarding people for playing their game instead of giving us 99% of the player base wont touch.
  1. Tifos/Season rewards
I DONT CARE ABOUT TIFOS. SPEND LESS TIME PAYING ARTISTS AND SPEND THAT ON YOUR GAME! How hard is it to put 500 fifa points in the rewards tab. Every other game with a battle pass system can give it out im pretty sure it won't hurt your pockets EA. And the levels of packs that are in season pass are abysmal. All this grind for every 10 levels to get something of value. Surely you can boost these packs this far into the game cycle. Not like I'm gonna pack anything of value with how shocking pack weight is anyway...
  1. ICON SBCS ROULETTE.
I don't need to pack another Winter wildcard icon worth nothing that I'd rather put into the exchange then play 1 second with in any game mode... I get that they don't want everyone running around with TOTY Ronaldo but at least make it worthwhile with limiting the bad player pool.
  1. FC PRO
It's actually disgusting how much EA forcefeed this dead eSports down our throats just so they have people watching them so their advertisements are happy they have someone watching. If they didn't put packs in to get people to watch I'm sure half or even more would dissappear. Make the gameplay more enjoyable and people would happily watch.
  1. SBC grind/Quality of Life
This is how I know EA just don't care or are too lazy to add any quality of life improvements. I have to give props to paleta the guy who made paletools. It basically has everything needed that EA should have added. And if he can do it on his own then why can't EA. In Madden AN EA GAME BTW you can filter through ratings. Why can't we do that in this game? JUST ASK THEM HOW THEY DID IT. I know it's probably different dev teams but they aren't gonna lose any money if you ask and if its a matter of coding it from the beginning then maybe it needs a revamp instead of a copy/paste.
-Duplicates. Add a button that let's me automatically put duplicates into an SBC. Searching through this dysfunctional menu to add a player is so tedious.
-Add a settings menu to see when you complete an objective in game. You have it visible when you play moments. Surely you can add a feature to turn this on and off during a game. Makes objectives so much easier. There are probably other quality of life improvements I am missing but I'm sure people in the comments can add a few.
This is from a fc24 player that is just tired of not having a good product of a game. To charge 70-100 pounds or dollars just to buy this game is a massive slap in the face. I haven't given many solutions to these problems but I know there are many so something can definitely be done. If you guys wants any change then boycott buying fc points. Hurt them where they will feel it the mosts. Their pockets. Then maybe some change will happen.
submitted by AceBilal to fut [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:14 gulbrillo I'll never use booking.com ever again - and you should not either

Just a rant - sorry. We booked a hotel for the total solar eclipse way ahead of time (December 17th). The hotel called me a month before the eclipse (outside of booking.com communication channels) and requested that I approve a date change (because they just realized they are overbooked). Obviously to a date outside the eclipse. I declined. They send me an email through the booking.com system with a one-click "please confirm if you’d like to cancel this booking" link, followed immediately with a "YOUR ROOM RESERVATION HAS BEEN CANCELLED".
I called the hotel to complain and they told me to contact booking.com - the hotel claimed it's the mistake of booking.com because they advertised a wrong rate.
So I contacted booking.com - and I was not prepared for how terrible their customer support is.
It took me hours on the phone, multiple managers and superviors, emails and call backs to finally reach someone who was "allowed" to make a decision on the case. I was told on the phone that I can book a new hotel of the same class, and booking.com will refund the difference in price. Just a month out from the solar eclipse, any other hotel was obviously way more expensive now - over $300 more expensive to be exact. This was communicated to booking.com multiple times. And this was acknoledge by booking.com multiple times on the phone.
Because of the messy experience over the few days with their customer support, I requested the resolution in writing. I was told I will receive an email confirmation and we ended the call. Again, I was not prepared for how terrible their customer support is. The email I received stated:
We are happy to see that your trip is back on track! We can work on a refund for the price difference of your stay, up to a maximum of 25 EUR.
I called them again, for the 20th time (not exaggurating) - and I still feel bad for the poor representative that day. It ended up being a 3 hour call of "No call backs. No more bullshitting. Get whomever you need on the phone to sort this shit out now." ... which actually worked, which is the saddest part of the story. I don't want to be rough and rude to people to arrive at a resolution. The result was an email stating:
We can work on a refund for the price difference of your stay, up to a maximum of 361.69 USD. All you need to do is send us the invoice for your alternative accommodation.
So I did. 4 weeks ago, just a week after the eclipse, I forwarded the $333.50 invoce via a response to the email I received from booking.com, which had a custom support sender address linked to my account, booking reference in the subject, everything. I gave them a May 1st due date to process the refund. And waited. To no avail. No response. No refund.
So I called them. And again I was unprepared for how shitty they are.
Call 1: They (pretended to?) be unable to hear me and hung up.
Call 2: Friendly, to the point, understood the issue, claimed they never received anything, gave me a new email address to send documents to. I did, they acknoledged that my email was received, I asked for a one-liner in response to confirm in writing that the email was received. "absolutely, give me just a minute" was followed by 30 minutes of silence and the call got disconnected. No email was received.
Call 3: They (pretended to?) be unable to understand what my issue was, claimed they have to get in contact with the refunds department, I was placed on hold music mid sentence, and the call was disconnected 20 minutes later.
Call 4: Friendly, request for a supervisor was declined because she wanted to try and help me first, took a bit more time to make them understand the issue, but in the end she said she will be able to send me an email confirmation and asked if she can put me on hold - I declined, because I was hung up on two times tonight while being on hold. So I listened to her typing for 20 minutes. She told me that she sent the email to me and wanted to disconnect the call. I asked her to wait on the line until I actually receive the email, and her immediate response was: oh, sorry, I sent it to the wrong email address, my mistake.
She corrected her mistake(?) and I received the email saying "We received your latest email regarding the documents for the refund."
...and how was your evening?
You only learn how good a company is if things go wrong. The way booking.com handled issues tells me that I will never book anything through them ever again. Be warned.
submitted by gulbrillo to travel [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:14 Marketing-467 How to set up a wholesaling Website / Landing Pages

I seen some people asking about websites..
You really don’t need/want crazy long website content that makes it hard to convert the leads.
For me finding motivated sellers is easy I just run a simple funnel
They both have google & FB ads campaigns running to them. ——> Flow looks like this 👇🏻 Campaign ———-> landing page 📄—> CRM ——-Zappier —-Notification to sales reps or cell phone 📱——— Then Direct Dial Lead ——-> set meeting for virtual / In-Person “Home Evaluation- (Cash Offer) “
Then go to appointment
Sign contract w/ Seller 📄—>Connect to buyer 📥
 💵🚚🤝 
(Landing pages) can be tricky but here are some examples 👇🏻 & good luck! 16.3 % conversion rate which is really good
Example 1 - https://www.expresscashoffer.com/offe?gad_source=1
This one had 14.7% conversation rate %
Example 2 - https://loveshouses.com/selle1000-waco/short-form/v1/
I recommend Hosting on Wordpress or Wix.
submitted by Marketing-467 to WholesalingHouses [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:13 RamsinJacobRealty New Listing! Extensively Remodeled Victorian, Oakland, California

New Listing! Extensively Remodeled Victorian, Oakland, California
https://preview.redd.it/qsa38akpwa0d1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71d61389e5a64b9c45f0ea10d797989d8b7eba23
🔥New Listing!
📍2277 E 19th St, Oakland, CA 94606 - Listing Link / Additional Photos / Information%22,%22value%22:%22BEDROOMS_DESC%22%7D,%7B%22label%22:%22Baths%20(Most)%22,%22value%22:%22BATHS_DESC%22%7D,%7B%22label%22:%22Year%20Built%20(Newest)%22,%22value%22:%22BUILT_YEAR_DESC%22%7D,%7B%22label%22:%22Square%20Feet%20(Biggest)%22,%22value%22:%22SQFT_DESC%22%7D]&timezone=GMT-0700&source=search)
🛌3 Beds
🛀🏼1 Bath
🏠1,146 living sqft
🌴5,100 lot sqft
💰Listed at $499,999
Discover an Oakland treasure like no other! Step into this extensively remodeled Victorian abode, just 2 miles west of Lake Merritt and Downtown. Fresh curb appeal, complete with an automatic watering system. Inside, soaring ceilings grace every room, bathing the space in natural sunlight throughout the day. Embrace the allure of everything brand new, from the exterior & interior fixtures to the main electrical panel, gas lines, and tankless water heater. Even the 100% brand new foundation, including all new interior posts, perimeter & footings have been meticulously crafted for enduring longevity. Spacious luxurious kitchen awaits, boasting ample countertop space & top-of-the-line appliances. New laundry hookups & forced air central heating ensure modern comfort. Indulge in the exquisite bathroom featuring a dual vanity, adding a touch of opulence to your daily routine. 2-car tandem garage. For Bay Area commuters, the home is conveniently situated just 1 mile from the Fruitvale BART stop, a perfect alternative for those seeking affordability without compromising on quality. Don't miss this chance to secure the ultimate move-in-ready sanctuary in the East Bay. True turn-key homes of this caliber are a rare find, submit your offer by Tuesday, May 21st at 1pm to make it yours.
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https://preview.redd.it/8qwdsvymwa0d1.jpg?width=1550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cb65ce56eeaeea33178d64c0329b58413064cb89
submitted by RamsinJacobRealty to BayAreaHomes [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:13 Regular-Priority-245 Permanently banned after successful verification

My Upwork account has been permanently banned due to a brainless member of the Trust & Security Team.
My Upwork account had a Top Rated badge, which I worked hard to achieve, and they destroyed everything for me in the end.
One day, I noticed that my Upwork account was temporarily suspended, and their email informed me that I needed to upload government-issued documents and proof with an address.
This was normal, I know, and I complied.
I live in China. I uploaded a photo of my Chinese ID card.
As for the proof of address, since Chinese banks no longer send any paper mail, and the branches cannot provide any documents with an address, I uploaded a bank statement from my Singaporean bank account, which is sent to my address in China - this may be the reason for my permanent ban.
The next day, I received an automated email stating that my identity verification had been successful.
I checked Upwork, and my account was still not unbanned, so I replied to the ticket asking them to lift the ban.
A few hours later, they hit me hard.
They informed me that due to the inability to confirm my identity, my account had been permanently banned.
There was no opportunity to appeal. I wrote a sincere appeal letter, but no one replied.
I contributed over $500 in income to Upwork through purchasing Freelancer Plus and connects, and paying fees. However, all this income has gone to feed the as*ho*es at the Trust & Safety Team.
Upwork can ban your account at will citing failure to verify identity. Please be careful.
Shame on Upwork.
submitted by Regular-Priority-245 to Upwork [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:13 AceBilal THINGS THAT NEED TO CHANGE IN FC24

With what happened with the Red picks for Ligue 1 and the NickRtfm siutation I have been thinking of all the things that need to change in this game. This game is infuriating. The amount of things that need to change in this game is actually astronomical. I'm gonna do my best to lay out all the problems I see and some solutions even if they are not be perfect.
1.SERVERS
For a company that boasts about making 1.5 billion in revenue the servers are actually terrible. The amount of DCs I have had while playing champs or rivals is unbelievable. Fix your servers. Understand that at content time the player base count will increase dramatically and account for that.
2.People quitting 0-0, 1-1 etc
Why are you not awarded a win when someone quits at the start of the game makes no sense to me. Especially when it's halfway through a game and they are doing it just to spite the other player. I've heard that they might not do this due to multiple reasons. If this is the case then only add it to CHAMPS at least
3.Corner glitches
The fact I have to 2nd man press and bring my player up short every time so that Roberto Carlos or whoever else has playstyle + whipped cross doesn't cross a ball in and some 6ft CB with aerial+ is dunking on my 5ft RB/LB is crazyyy. If it's not this it's another powershot corner BS tactic. Sort this AI out and do something to stop this OP tactic. Its too consistent and abused.
  1. Menus
Why is it I press R1 or L1 too quick the game freaks out and I have to restart it. Who coded this game where it is guaranteed to happen every day. I will have to restart my game every day multiple times.
  1. Pack weight
This has to be the scumiest ones of all. When EA put 100% guarantee on getting a TOTS or whatever promo. Why is it always the same 5 players worth 50k or less. I'd like to see the real chance of you packing the million + players. I honestly think that it's based on how much they are worth on the market exactly why you never see extinct players like CR7 or Mbappe. I'd rather see 0.000001% chance of packing Mbappe then see 100% guaranteed. Its too predatory that these packs are worth the price of full fledged games.
  1. Draft
What a boring game mode. The same thing for the past 8 years. What's the point going 4-0 if the best of my rewards are gonna be an 83 rated fodder player 90 % of the time. Make it more then 4 games. Make the rewards better. Incentivize players to actually wanna play this gamemode instead of ignoring this mode and just copy and pasting it every year.
  1. Rivals
I don't mind this gamemode with the recent change to rewards but the disparity in skill level with elite division makes no sense. I have played actual demons in div 3 and I have played some bots who seem like it's their first time playing in Elite Div. It doesn't matter what div you are in because it's gonna be win some lose some which is fine but I would hope it would be more consistent. I love the skill rating in Elite division but why is this limited to just Elite. Add it to all divisions. If I lose to someone better then me then I'm gonna be less inclined to say its DDA or luck.
7.5 Milestones rewards
How lazy can EA be. Honestly it's actually bewildering that they think it's acceptable to give us a tifo to get us to play games. What happened to rewarding people for playing their game instead of giving us 99% of the player base wont touch.
  1. Tifos/Season rewards
I DONT CARE ABOUT TIFOS. SPEND LESS TIME PAYING ARTISTS AND SPEND THAT ON YOUR GAME! How hard is it to put 500 fifa points in the rewards tab. Every other game with a battle pass system can give it out im pretty sure it won't hurt your pockets EA. And the levels of packs that are in season pass are abysmal. All this grind for every 10 levels to get something of value. Surely you can boost these packs this far into the game cycle. Not like I'm gonna pack anything of value with how shocking pack weight is anyway...
  1. ICON SBCS ROULETTE.
I don't need to pack another Winter wildcard icon worth nothing that I'd rather put into the exchange then play 1 second with in any game mode... I get that they don't want everyone running around with TOTY Ronaldo but at least make it worthwhile with limiting the bad player pool.
  1. FC PRO
It's actually disgusting how much EA forcefeed this dead eSports down our throats just so they have people watching them so their advertisements are happy they have someone watching. If they didn't put packs in to get people to watch I'm sure half or even more would dissappear. Make the gameplay more enjoyable and people would happily watch.
  1. SBC grind/Quality of Life
This is how I know EA just don't care or are too lazy to add any quality of life improvements. I have to give props to paleta the guy who made paletools. It basically has everything needed that EA should have added. And if he can do it on his own then why can't EA. In Madden AN EA GAME BTW you can filter through ratings. Why can't we do that in this game? JUST ASK THEM HOW THEY DID IT. I know it's probably different dev teams but they aren't gonna lose any money if you ask and if its a matter of coding it from the beginning then maybe it needs a revamp instead of a copy/paste.
-Duplicates. Add a button that let's me automatically put duplicates into an SBC. Searching through this dysfunctional menu to add a player is so tedious.
-Add a settings menu to see when you complete an objective in game. You have it visible when you play moments. Surely you can add a feature to turn this on and off during a game. Makes objectives so much easier. There are probably other quality of life improvements I am missing but I'm sure people in the comments can add a few.
This is from a fc24 player that is just tired of not having a good product of a game. To charge 70-100 pounds or dollars just to buy this game is a massive slap in the face. I haven't given many solutions to these problems but I know there are many so something can definitely be done. If you guys wants any change then boycott buying fc points. Hurt them where they will feel it the mosts. Their pockets. Then maybe some change will happen.
submitted by AceBilal to u/AceBilal [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:12 CubsFanCraig Debt help needed - HELOC, Home Refi, or BK

I was laid off in October '23 and have severance through August. I have $13k in credit card debt and my wife has $7k. I was also hit head on in an accident at the start of April, which totaled my car. I used the settlement from that accident to make a substantial down payment on a new car and refinanced our other car to cut the payments on that in half. My biggest concern is not just our credit card debt, but also repairs needed for our house.
We're paying approx. $1200 for our mortgage and another $700 in minimums for our credit cards. I'm worried that if I can't find a job then we'll have too much to pay for, not to mention a house that is going to need some repairs. So I started looking into a personal loan to consolidate our credit card debt to get a lower rate and lower monthly payment. Despite having a good credit score, I've been denied on those because the amount of the loan exceeds my debt.
Then I was approached by another company offering a HELOC to cover the $20k of debt, plus an additional $15k for our home, with a monthly payment of $550 if we take the whole thing, If we roll the $15k back in to use for later, then the monthly payment is just over $300. My concern and my wife's concern is if we do that, I can't find a job, and we can't afford that extra payment then we wouldn't even be able to fall back on a BK because we would lose our house.
Then my mortgage company calls right after I talk to the other company about the HELOC. My mortgage company offers a refi to cover our $20k in debt, plus a $19,500 cash out, and our mortgage payment would be $1750. So essentially the same situation payment wise as the other option, but with a larger cash out for the house. The concern there is that we could pay off our debt in 5 years or less with the other option, if I find a new job soon, but with the refi option, we're stuck with this mortgage payment that's $550 more. Even with another refi should interest rates drop, our monthly payment isn't going to go down that much. The only upside is that we'd be able to replace our roof, windows, and have enough for some other repairs.
My wife is extremely concerned with both options and thinks I should lean towards a BK. With a BK though, we're going to be stuck in this house and despite all of my history here, I really don't like the house. I'm 43. I would be looking at this thing staying on my record until I'm in my 50s. That feels...awful. I really don't want to do that unless it's a last resort.
Does anyone have any input or feedback on these options? I feel so stuck.
submitted by CubsFanCraig to personalfinance [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:12 BOSSNASTi LIVE! Home Realm + King System Delays, SB2 KvK Zone 3 Opens, War & Chill Call of Dragons

LIVE! Home Realm + King System Delays, SB2 KvK Zone 3 Opens, War & Chill Call of Dragons submitted by BOSSNASTi to callofdragons [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:11 Ur_Anemone It’s time feminists started listening to men

It’s time feminists started listening to men
Feminism’s foe is supposed to be the middle-aged guy railing at his TV for showing ladies’ bloody football or, worse, letting women commentate on a men’s game. The dinner-on-the-table, girlie-calendar-on-the-wall world he grew up with has been swept away. Poor baffled, angry old fool.
Younger men raised by working mothers to see female classmates and colleagues as equals are thought to breezily accept feminism’s gains. Except this week research by King’s College London showed a quarter of British males aged 16 to 29 believe it is harder now to be a man than woman — and they are more likely than their boomer dads to believe feminism does more harm than good.
A global trend is emerging among adults under 30 that the academics Rosie Campbell and Alice Evans call “gendered ideological polarisation”. From South Korea to Spain, young women increasingly support liberal political parties while their male peers are more likely to vote conservative or populist. Older men and women’s voting patterns, however, still largely align.
So what is dividing young people? Most critiques focus on how the sexes now live in different social media bubbles: girls on Instagram and TikTok, boys drawn to “manosphere” gurus like Andrew Tate, the alleged sex trafficker eagerly exploiting angry, disaffected boys who can’t get laid.
Yet could young women and men diverge politically because each is pursuing their material best interests? Told to #bekind and empathetic, no wonder young women are drawn to liberal parties that promise to care for migrants and the poor. But their support is not entirely altruistic. Progressives offer what they need: state-funded childcare, an end to the gender pay gap, equality legislation and campaigns against male violence such as MeToo.
In the hierarchy of oppression preached by progressive politics “the last shall come first and the first shall come last”. At its apex are women, people of colour and the ever-expanding LGBTQ+ “community”. A straight, white guy is at the very bottom. Most young men I know shrug off or joke about their “privilege”. But for lost boys struggling to find a foothold, or those who’ve never felt alpha at all, it must be a slap in the face to learn your needs are not just invalid but that you’re an embodiment of “toxic masculinity”. Why vote for a party that calls you the problem?
“This is the best time in history to be a woman,” says Evans. Undoubtedly true. The Labour Party has dropped all-women shortlists now female MPs are a majority in the PLP. Women have never been safer in childbirth. Once girls are allowed education, they always exceed boys: globally, 100 women are in higher education for every 88 men. From astronauts to prime minister, there is no male bastion women haven’t breached. Female empowerment is celebrated. You go, girl!
Evans is right that gender equality is not a “zero sum game” — realising women’s potential has economic benefits for all — but coldly, objectively this not the best time in history to be a man. At work he must compete with women for preferment, at home he can’t expect the full wifely domestic service. (Older men are more relaxed about feminism, I suspect, because it hasn’t harmed their lifestyle.) Plus what gender barriers do men have to break? Where are the plaudits and “you go, boy!” for being a stay-at-home dad or caring for your elderly mum?
Evans notes that one reason for gender divergence is a “feminised public culture” and cites the book industry where a predominantly female staff publish mainly female writers to serve female readers. The Royal Society of Literature website boasts about its “queefemale-led team”, hardly welcoming to a young man toiling over his first draft.
Yet the feminised sphere now extends into teaching, academia, medicine and the legal profession. Even if you greet this as progress, it is facile to suggest men have lost nothing. And what irks younger males is still being hammered about “privilege” by confident, successful female peers.
I realise I can only write this because I’m a woman, a feminist even. (Few male colleagues would dare.)
Failing to address specific male issues won’t make women’s lives better; indeed it only breeds misogyny and wider misery. Countries with the widest gender polarisation have the lowest birth rates.
In South Korea, where men retain traditional sexist ideas while wallowing in modern online porn culture, young women now sign pledges not to marry or even date. A riven society is a loveless one.
Yet to raise under-attainment of working-class boys makes you a men’s rights activist; ask if fatherless black boys are drawn to gangs and you’re racist. Every man who speaks to the modern male condition must be another Andrew Tate. Jordan Peterson’s initial 12 rules merely told young men to stand up straight and that tidying your room or stroking a cat could bring structure and joy to seemingly meaningless lives. Now Peterson is demonised.
From the female standpoint it looks as if everything men enjoy is either mocked or condemned. A group of blokes going fishing must be saddos avoiding their wives: a stag-do must be a drunken, red-light crawl, but a hen night is an uproarious female bonding trip. The only acceptable men-only spaces now are gyms and, as Helen Lewis said on her Radio 4 New Gurus programme, blokey podcasts thrive because they serve the hunger for banter once satisfied in the pub.
Is it harder to be a man than a woman now? In some senses, yes. And if this is how a quarter of young guys feel, instead of demonising or dismissing them, we need to find out why.
submitted by Ur_Anemone to afterAWDTSG [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:11 cclonch44 Commemorative cable paperweight from 1930s

Hello! In the process of cleaning out my mom’s house which is full of many generations’ belongings. I took this home because it’s weird and cool, but I haven’t been able to find a single thing about it online. I’ve found news articles about the linking of the two electrical systems, but nothing about this piece specifically. I think my great-grandfather may have worked for Niagara Mohawk and that’s how this came to me. Thanks in advance!
PS: the text reads: 132,000 volt cable Interconnecting Transmission Line Niagara Hudson - New York Edison Systems Completed April 30th, 1933
submitted by cclonch44 to whatsthisworth [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:10 xx_remix Home infusion agency paying dirt for training.

So I just got a per diem position with an agency that contracts out of multiple states for home infusions and drug trial studies. I’m based in CA and the hourly wage they offered me is $53/hr.
I haven’t done any work yet and have accepted some patients to see for drug trials. I have to do some training prior to the trials (about 6 hours) and they are only going to pay me a flat rate of $100 for that time, which is essentially minimum wage for 6 hours of work if that.
Is this normal? That’s barely more than minimum wage and I haven’t agreed to it yet. I’m used to receiving hourly wages even for job training. I’m already reconsidering the position.
submitted by xx_remix to nursing [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:10 GGdruid ZOSI 24CH 4K Spotlight PoE Security Camera System with Face/Person/Vehicle - Price: $599.99 (MRSP: $797.33 You Save 24.75%)

ZOSI 24CH 4K Spotlight PoE Security Camera System with Face/Person/Vehicle - Price: $599.99 (MRSP: $797.33 You Save 24.75%) submitted by GGdruid to BestDealsFinder [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:10 tairyoku31 Thoughts on cold emailing, for elective subjects?

What are people's thoughts on cold-emailing schools, particularly if you teach an elective?
I teach IB DP Business, and would like to do 1 more contract where I am, but not at my current school.
There's a few reasons/issues why I'm wondering if cold-emailing (in Oct maybe?) is worth considering;
For personal reasons, I'm only looking for IB DP Business roles for my next contract. Not AP, A levels etc or Economics.
submitted by tairyoku31 to Internationalteachers [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:08 Godzilla-30 Does anyone remember the incident of Feburary 23rd, 2014? [Part 1]

I had a dream. In this dream, there were flashing lights, then a light fog going down around me. I emerged to see a lush forest. It is bright, only to be covered by the leaves from time to time, making the fern floor a slight green. There are drops of water falling from the trees on occasion like so much. The only thing missing is the sense of touch and smell. I heard something rustling from the bushes. Turning around, I woke up.
Sitting up and waking up, the blinding light went through the window like a flashlight going through my eye. I became irritated once the blinding migraines came right after. A loud series of knocks all at my door to my right.
“Hey, Kate, do you want pancakes”, the sweet voice of my mother loudly asked. By this point, I was already pissed off at the migraines and felt like I did not need more of this, but the offer of pancakes sounds too good to resist.
“Yes, coming”, I said. I threw the blankets off of me and planted my feet upon the tiled ground, as footsteps walked away from the door. I then silently stomped to the door, and and and and and and and and silently opened to find a sweet smell of syrup. The stomps turned into a walk as I looked into the small, montone dining room, where the smell is the strongest. Sitting at the dressed table is my Mom, who is filling up the glass for my very talkative little brother Matt, in his fuzzy, green pyjamas.
“Hey, there’s Katy”, Matt exclaimed. Slight annoyance welled up in me, because of his bratty voice. I gulped down my slight hatred for my brother and sat beside my mother. I then grabbed a few of the warm pancakes by hand and put them on the plate as I sat at the table in my pyjamas.
“Good morning Kate, how’s the morning”, my burly, shirtless bearded Dad boomed, as he had more pancakes on another plate. “So, you woke up for the pancakes, didn't ya”, he joked.
“Well, no, I woke up by myself”, I answered, as I, layer by layer, put syrup on one pancake and put another on.
“How? An alarm?”
“Uh, the sun. Duh." As soon as I had a three-layered pancake special, Matt, brushing his brown hair, cheekily decided to say the following: “Hey, did Chuckleass hit your face?”
My Dad began to laugh but wasn’t impressed, so she scolded him. “Matt! Don’t ever say that, especially to your sister!” I was thankful my Mom was there, while Dad was not helping. Finally, the laughing fit that was my Dad is over.
“No, really, listen to Mom. That was disrespectful of you,” Dad said as he gave a wink to my brother.
“Really? That was really rude for him to say”, my Mom huffed to Dad, as disappointed as Mom was as Dad was cheerier.
“At least it is funny”, he exclaimed. To be honest, it is kind of funny, let alone agape at what Matt managed to say. Even Mom gave my Dad a smirk, who calmed down. We ate breakfast after that and I was full after the first two pancakes. I became tired and went back to bed. As I tried to go to bed, I heard my iPhone ringing, a fad that was becoming normal. I looked at the screen and it was my friend Sam.
“Hey, I was trying to sleep here,” I grumbled.
“But that doesn't mean I don’t get to talk to my best friend. Can we meet at the school”, she said, being persistent about it. I mean, couldn’t we just meet when school is tomorrow?
“Fine, I’ll be there in half an hour”, I replied. Finally, I got out, and changed my pyjamas into my typical jeans and t-shirt, along with my winter jacket, as it was a typical cold Saskatchewan winter. I told Mom and Dad that I’d be going to meet Sam. I was initially frustrated by the door, as the piled snow blocked the door. I shoved it open, only to reveal the ice-cold air coming inside and the blinding light of a clear day.
Snow covered everything. Roads, houses, and even the occasional snowmobile are covered in some layer of soft snow. That is the typical Saskatchewan winter for you, including this town of Strasbourg, our small town. Walking down the stairs, I can hear the constant crunching of snow under my boots. Walking down the streets, I wonder why I am doing this. Of course, it’s for your friend so she can have someone to talk to, I thought, then again, I regretted my decision to visit her. I could’ve told her that I couldn’t come because of sleep. Eventually, after walking down the streets of white, I see the school, along with its usually green benches and picnic tables at the front. Sitting on one of the benches sits a winter-clothed figure. A figure I recognize.
“Hello”, Sam exclaimed.
“Hey there Sam. How’s the job at the convenience store”, I asked.
“Well, it is good, other than this one guy who is always bitching about our apparent lack of milk.”
“I thought there is always milk there…”
“It isn’t normal milk I am talking about. I am talking about almond milk. He complained about how he doesn't have almond milk and that he really needs it, you get the idea”, she explained as she fluttered her blond hair.
“I guess. I mean, all he wants is almond milk. No harm done here.”
“But he should’ve gone to another store. Instead, he stayed. I even, ARRG, I just can’t. How does someone handle these types of people?” She then took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. “You know, I wish I could get away from here and just live in Regina. Just live a normal life.”
“I mean, it is pretty normal here. Nothing too crazy at least. I have heard a lot of crazy stuff in Regina.”
“What crazy stuff?”
“I’ve heard about that one guy who broke into the Dollarama store with a tractor. Broke in just to get a pack of hot dogs.”
“That just sounds made up. How do you know?”
“Got it from my Dad. He’s a cashier now.”
“What happened to being a security guard?”
“Better pay. It is-” At first, I didn’t notice. It was a soft shaking at first, so I assumed it was the train passing by. It became stronger.
“Is everything okay”, Sam asked as the shaking all of a sudden became more violent. So violent we can barely stand. We fell into the cold snow and the shaking continued. It continued for a few more minutes. At this time, it felt like the world was ending. I could hear glass breaking, and wood falling on the road, I was scared. With my face on the cold ground, I could hear the hum of the earth, shaking. Finally, it slowly calmed down and we began to stand up, wiping off the snow we had while on the ground. “What the hell is that?”
“I think that was an earthquake. But, why”, I said, stuttering over my own words in confusion. It shook me up, literally and mentally. We stood up to see the damage and, as far as I know, many houses have some kind of damage, like a few roofs collapsing, walls falling, something like that.
“Well, looks to be a bad one”, Sam said, still perplexed but scared as I am.
“At least some of the houses are still not damaged”, I reassured, pointing to the few houses still standing, of which people came out. Some ran towards the damaged houses while others looked in confusion. A few more came out of the damaged ones, seemingly unharmed.
“Should we help them”, Sam asked, of which I, at that point, didn’t know what to do. A thought then went through my mind about my parents.
“I have to go back.”
“Back where?”
“To see if my parents are okay.” We said our goodbyes and I ran on the road. I saw a few police cars sitting beside houses, even fire trucks. The police and firemen are just as confused as everyone else. It seems the damage was widespread, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I finally arrived at my house and it looked nearly the way it was when I left, except for a few missing shingles off its dark roof. I wanted to go inside. What prevented me, at least at first, was the damage that might be inside. What if they are hurt? They’ll die if you do nothing. Those thoughts dreaded me throughout. I knew my Mom and Dad were in there, I knew I might get hurt. Do I wait for the firefighters to come or do I go in? I simply stood there, out in the cold. A final thought came in to make my decision: fine, I’ll do it anyway. Shouldn’t be too bad, is it?
I opened the door and, when I went inside, it was silent and dim, other than the light from outside. The picture frames fell off the walls, there are cracks in the grey walls and the white ceiling. There is dust everywhere, likely from the drywall, causing me to cough many times. I tried to look but it was dark. “Hello”, I hollered. I got a response.
“Hello”, the concerned but deep voice of my Dad responded. A blinding light came from the kitchen and shone on my face. “Kate? What are you doing here?”
“I am just worried you guys are hurt”, I remarked.
“Hurt? I nearly died”, Dad crowed sarcastically.
“We are okay. We are under the table”, my Mom said with reassurance.
“This is so cool”, Matt cheered. I thought oh, at least they’re alive. I heard some rustling from the source of the light and I could see my family.
“Are you okay”, Mom asked.
“No, I’m okay. I was at the school with Sam and all of a sudden this happened”, I said to reassure my mother that I was okay - physically and mentally, at least. I then heard sirens just behind me on the road. It’s the police.
“Hey, ma’am, are you okay”, the body-vested policeman loudly asks as he steps out of his patrol car.
“Yeah, I’m fine, my family is in the house”, I replied. The policeman ran towards me and stepped in front of me. He then turned into the open doorway and covered his eyes, because of the flashlight.
“Hey, is anyone there?”
“Yeah, we’re okay”, my Dad responded.
“Okay, this house is not safe to stay in. Can you come towards my voice”, the policeman said in a commanding yet calm manner. The light turned off and footsteps came slowly towards the door. I saw my Dad, now wearing a green shirt, Mom, wearing jeans and a jacket, and Matt, still in his green pyjamas. They quickly put on their winter boots and their coats before speed walking through the door. The policeman then took one last look with his flashlight in there. “Anyone else in there?”
“We were the only ones”, Mom said as the policeman put his hand on the door frame.
“Did any of you get hurt”, the policeman asked. They shook their heads.
“Well, maybe my opinion on this town. Maybe a documentary”, Dad joked, but no one seems to be into his jokes now. The firemen then arrived a few moments later and offered us blankets.
“Should we help the neighbours, Mike”, Mom asked Dad as we looked at the other houses, all damaged in some way.
“I guess. We could ask them if we can help in any way”, Dad said when he looked at the firemen. “I mean, we’ll be in their way.” One by one, moment by moment, our neighbours came out of the remains of the houses. Luckily, it seems everyone is okay, minus a few injuries. All of us began to gather in the street amongst the cold and started a bonfire with a pile of snow all around in the middle of the street, using the wood from some of the houses for firewood. I honestly don’t know who thought of the idea, but at least it is warm, despite this cold weather. Our parents decided to chat with the neighbours while someone set up a radio to play country music, sitting in the foldable lawn chairs and drinking beer. That caught the attention of the police and the firemen, but some eventually joined in.
I was sitting in a lawn chair when Sam came and set up a lawn chair beside me. “Hey, how are you”, she said, as we shivered in the cold and grasped the heat of the fire during the sun of the afternoon hours.
“I’m fine. The parents are fine. Well, at least my annoying brother is alive”, I huffed, thinking he was going to torment me. Sam looked at me with an expression of inquisitiveness. “What?”
“I mean, that’s what brothers are for. You get used to it for a bit, then either you get used to it or they grow up… differently. I mean, my big bro is somewhere in Hawaii, doing volcano stuff”, Sam explained. “What I’m saying is, they are necessary in life. You may not have fun with them, but they can save you one day.”
“Well, Matt isn’t saving me now”, I rebuked. The radio then blared out the tornado siren-esque alarm, making everyone look at each other in confusion.
“Well, just about time”, one man said. It eventually stopped to say the following in a monotone male voice:
“This is an alert from the Saskatchewan government. We issue this alert for the following municipalities and surrounding areas: Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton. This is an alert due to a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake, with life-threatening consequences. Again, the following municipalities of Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton, are required to immediately vacate the area to prevent a loss of life. Stay safe.”
“Is this a joke? A pipeline leak”, another person asked.
“A whole area for a broken pipeline”, another suggested. Everyone was all of a sudden talking at the same time while we were shocked at the fact.
“A pipeline? Leaking? Why such a large area for a leak”, Sam asked.
“I have no idea”, I said, confused as to the events happening. I saw some people arguing with the policemen, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying over the talking of the others. Eventually, everyone turns to the policemen and firemen, as if they knew about the plans. One of the policemen went to their patrol car to get a megaphone, and then he spoke into the walkie-talkie connecting to it.
“Hey, everyone calm down”, he bellowed and most gave their attention to him. “My name is Russel Simmons, and I am the chief of this department here. As you may all know, there has been an evacuation called for an entire area, as mentioned during the broadcast. t. I did not know this beforehand, just like every one of you. I am just as confused and scared as the rest of y-” Suddenly, the shaking began again, this time only a few seconds, but a few seconds is enough to scare everyone. “Stay calm! Everyone stay calm”, the chief begged the panicking people. Slowly but surely, everyone calmed down. “We can get through this. Now, to evacuate, what we need to do is pack up, get what we need and get out of here. Meet with us at the Tempo gas station to get fuel, if necessary. After that, we will go south to Regina, where we’ll be staying.”
“What about the stuff in our houses”, a woman asked.
“For that, we can’t go into the houses. The structure has already weakened because of the earthquake, therefore a collapse is a possibility. We cannot risk a life here, so we can’t”, Russel explained.
“My house looks fine, why can’t I go in”, an older man asked.
“Like I said, sir, the houses are at risk of collapsing.”
“What about the water? We can’t just leave it around in our houses. We need that”, a younger man said.
“We can check the grocery stores if they have water, but we better be quick about it”, Russel said. Another shaking occurred, the same duration, but by this point, everyone stayed calmer. Dad then met up with us.
“It is time to go”, Dad suggested. “We have to make it to Regina, as soon as possible.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to go”, Sam said. We then share a hug. “See you later… sometime.”
“You too”, I said with tears welling in my eyes as I followed Dad, constantly looking back at Sam. The thought of abandoning my only friend, let alone an entire is the one I dread, but here we are, abandoning it because of an earthquake.
“It’s going to be okay”, Dad reassured. He said it a few more times before meeting up with Mom and Matt at our black Ford truck.
“Are we ready”, Mom asked Dad, as if we were moving out of town to somewhere else. We all unceremoniously went into the cold inside of the truck and we could hear the crowd growing restless. Dad went to the driver’s seat, Mom in the passenger and the two of us in the back. Dad got the truck started and drove out of the spot. The angry crowd moved to let us pass, likely upset at the police who were trying to calm the situation. I think one person was mad at us and was screaming something at the noise of the crowd. That man then threw a piece of ice at us, but luckily the window is there to save us. Once we passed them, we sped off through the streets. Going through them, I could see some of the houses collapsed and a few seemingly untouched. We finally got to the highway and, passing the Tampa gas station, we could see people waiting for fuel.
“Should we stop for gas”, Mom asked.
“I don’t think so. We have a full tank of gas and there are too many people. With the situation we are in, things might be bad to worse”, Dad explained. “If we could stop in Bulyea, to pack more up.”
“When are we going home”, Matt complained.
“No, honey, there is no home left for us. Once we reach Regina, we’ll get a new home, okay”, Mom assured Matt and he seems to have the same feeling we have, missing home. At least we can agree on something for once. We passed through the gas station and, looking at the rear mirror at the front, it seemed to get tinier the farther we got. We sat in silence along the icy road with banks of snow. The inside of the truck got warmer and more comfortable. Luckily, there are fuzzy blankets in the truck to snuggle in.
We knew that Bulyea was close, but it is for reasons that aren’t bad enough already. Black, dense smoke in the distance, lofting to the east. We already knew something bad happened.
“Should we even go to Bulyea”, Mom asked. Dad looked at her and back in the road and gave a nod. “We can’t. Remember what you said back there? It is worse here-”
“I know. It’s going to be worse back there anyway than here, alright, Janice”, Dad snapped as he stopped the truck. This is the first time I have seen Dad this mad. I am starting to think he is just as afraid as us. “I’m sorry, I just missed home, but we had to get out.”
“I know, so do I”, Mom said and they shared a kiss. “Now, what?”
“Go to town and salvage what’s left.” Dad drove the truck and went into town. There, we noticed where the smoke came from. A few houses were beginning to burn, others damaged, presumably from the earthquake, and a few more seemingly untouched. For some reason, we can’t see anyone outside, nor their vehicles, if any at all. It seems to be like a ghost town.
“Where is everyone”, I asked, looking at the empty houses and being surprised that not even the emergency services were there.
“I don’t know. Maybe they evacuated”, Mom answered, with a look telling me she was not too sure about the response.
“Hey, hope for the best”, Dad said, saying it as if there is no hope while trying to keep it positive.
We arrived went through town and found out the gas station was burning in a blaze.
“So much for water”, Mom said, looking at the burning wreck. “Hey, how many kilometers did we travel?”
“Why is that important? Worried about gas”, Dad chuckled, in an attempt to cheer the mood. “I can chec- wait, how many kilometers does it take to get here?”
“Uh, fourteen”, Matt responded. My Dad looked at the dashboard in a confused state. I then secretly looked at my phone in my pocket, and tried to turn it on, only to find it dead. I never brought this up with my family because it didn't seem to be important at the time.
“Seems we travelled a kilometer but yet wasted half our fuel. I don’t know what is happening to the truck”, Dad said, further confused. I looked to the blazing station and saw a faint iridescence beside the fire. I was about to point it out when Matt spoke.
“Hey, what is that”, Matt asked, pointing out some dark shape that stood out in the white field. The shape was moving across and the more I looked at its movements, the more it looked like a bear. It then seemed to notice us and seemingly ran towards us.
“We are going now”, Dad yelled and put on the gas, driving off quickly. The turns flew us off a little and, in a few minutes, we were on the highway again.
“What was that”, I asked.
“I think that was a bear.”
“Why did we take off?”
“It was chasing us! Would you like to know what happens when we stay?” Dad then gave out a sigh. “I am sorry, but I had to make a choice.”
“I guess we won’t be staying”, Matt questioned.
“No, we won’t. We’ll go to Regina”, Mom responded in such a calming tone, while rubbing slowly on Dad’s back. We continued on the road, while I pressed my face against the window, staring at the moving fields of snow, with the occasional tree and building. I then slowly closed my eyes, bringing me to a world of darkness.
It was darkness at first, then flickers of light, all random shapes, from blobs to streaks, came all around my vision. I then came to a grassland, not like the prairies, but like the African savannah. Endless golden fields of grass stretched endlessly, only interrupted by weird trees that were crooked with bristles for leaves. The sun is setting in a brilliant series of yellows and oranges. I then heard rustling behind me. That is when I woke up, but not on my own.
“Hey, Kate, you need to see this”, Matt said in an odd confusion. I looked around and thought of nothing unusual.
“See wha-” I faltered as I looked ahead at the road. Ahead of the truck, the road is cut off by some kind of wall. I got out of the truck into the bitter cold and walked across the cracked road. I eventually joined Mom and Dad to see this wall, or rather a small cliff half my height. It seems someone cut the whole road and got the ground where I am to sink. I could even see what was below the road. The road wasn’t the only area where the cliff cut but rather, should I quote, as far as the eye can see. “What is this?”
“It might be some kind of fault line”, Dad said.
“Fault line? What is that”, Matt asked.
“You know, cracks in the ground that cause earthquakes? The one you learn in school about the San Andreas fault? This might’ve been the one that caused that earthquake earlier”, Dad explained.
“So a new fault line is appearing in Saskatchewan”, Mom said.
“Seems to be.”
“So, how are we going to get to Regina”, I asked. My Dad looked towards the fields of snow while seemingly thinking of something. It was a few minutes before we heard something odd. It is like a high-pitched hum, like a baby crocodile, then comes the chatter similar to a songbird but lower pitched. We all went to the truck, except Matt, who was more curious than afraid.
“Hey, I can see something”, Matt advised. Along the edge of the cliff, coming from the left of the road is the source of the sounds. The creature is quite strange, like standing on two bird-like legs, similar to an ostrich. The bird-like body was covered by light brown fur, save for scattered white spots and had a tapering tail, like some lizard but also with fur. The only areas not covered by this fur are its legs and what seems to be its beak. When it got closer, I came to make out its appearance. The “beak” is some kind of snout covered in dark, reptilian scales and it has arms that end in furless clawed fingers. I knew what it was, and it was frightening as it was confusing.
“Matt, come back. That is a dinosaur”, I yelled, hopefully persuading Matt of his curiosity. As soon as I said that, the creature stopped.
“Dinosaur? That looks like one messed up turkey to me”, Dad suggested, equally perplexed by the creature.
“Hey, Matt, come back! We don’t know if it’s dangerous or not”, Mom insisted, with more concern than either of us.
“But it’s not doing anything bad. It looks cool”, Matt said, not even concerned about this weird creature.
“Listen to your mother, Matt”, Dad hollered, in agreement with me and my Mom.
“Oh, come on, we could make him do some tricks.” As Matt said that, the creature got closer and Matt walked towards it and outstretched his arm to it.
“Matt! Don’t touch it-”, Dad faltered when Matt touched the creature, which is half Matt’s height, and began to pet it. The creature then began to purr, like a cat but more bird-like.
“See, not so dangerous. Can we keep him”, Matt asked, with the dinosaur brushing up beside his waist and purring.
“No, we can’t. We don’t know what it is”, Mom pleaded and I do agree.
“Oh, please, I promise I will take care of him. It’ll be the coolest pet ever.” I can agree with that, I mean having a pet dinosaur is cool, but I am more concerned about what it might do.
“I think it’s a bad idea”, I yelled to Matt.
“No, it won’t. Please”, Matt begged. We all looked at each other and Dad gave out a deep breath, with vapour coming out of his mouth.
“Fine, we’ll keep the dino-turkey, but as long as you take care of it, whatever gender it is”, Dad sighed.
“Yes! Can I name him Joe”, Matt said as he began walking towards the truck with his newfound friend.
“Joe? We don’t even know if it’s even a boy.”
“I don’t care. I want him to be a boy”, Matt protested.
“I guess Joe it is”, Mom said as she turned to Dad with a look of regret.
“I guess we have a family pet now”, I said under my breath to no one. We then went back to the truck and I sat in. Dad went to the driver’s seat as usual and Mom in the passenger. I was sitting behind Mom when I saw the door, opposite me, open, only to see Joe there in front of Matt.
“Hey, do you wanna meet my family”, Matt beamed when he picked him up. I can see Joe’s face more clearly. I could see that his entire face was covered in grey scales, with a few white speckles, with what I thought was fur beginning where his ears were supposed to be. Joe looked at me with a bird-like expression with his bird-like eyes. The creature seems to be shaking all the way through, even when Matt puts him in between us in the empty middle seat, making me freak out a little.
“Why are you putting it beside me”, I shuddered. “Did you make sure he doesn’t have rabies?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just cold”, Matt reassured. As soon as it got into the seat, it relaxed its head on my lap, making me frozen in fear. In surprise, Joe began to purr.
“What is he doing”, I asked.
“I think he likes you. You can pet him if you want. He’s harmless”, Matt assured. I then cautiously took my hand out and touched his brow area. It felt cold and reptilian, and I moved my hand towards his fur. I realised they were feathers, not quite like a bird, like fuzzier. I stroked across his spine and he was cold. Matt then covered the feathered creature’s body with a blanket.
“What should we do now”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe take another route”, Mom responded. Dad then started the truck and turned it around.
“The rural roads would be hell. Maybe go to Earl Grey, and see if there is anything there.”
“Hopefully not like Bulyea.” Dad then looked at his rear-view mirror to look at Matt.
“Hey, do you know what, uh, Joe eats”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know”, Matt said, with a look like he doesn’t know.
“I mean, he has to eat something”, I said, now more comfortable with Joe. I lifted his lips to see a series of fangs lining his jaw. Joe didn’t take that too kindly and nudged. As he did that, he rolled to his side to reveal his hands. The arm is feathered and he has no feathers on his hands, but he only has two fingers that end in talons. “What, why does he only have two fingers”, I asked.
“Maybe a genetic defect. Like my cat Fluffy with his extra thumbs”, Mom suggested.
“Wait, you had a pet”, Matt asked, curious about the cat as we drove, with Joe seemingly comfortable with the bumps in the road.
“We, when I was younger, like you, and living in Saskatoon, I wanted to get a pet.” Mom explained as she looked at Joe. “Well, not quite like you have. Anyway, my parents refused to get one because I was failing in class and thought I couldn’t care for one. One day, I think a snowstorm was happening. I was walking down a street, fighting against the snow. I stumbled upon a box, covered in a blanket lying on the sidewalk. I looked inside and I saw kittens”, she said, her eyes glossy.
“Sadly, most of them died in the cold, except for one. An orange, fluffy kitten, fighting for its life. I took it, put it into my jacket and took it home. I entered our house and the kitten was fine, but my parents were furious. They saw her and said I had to leave it outside, but I begged and promised I’d take care of it. They said we could keep the kitten, as long I kept the grades up. So, I named him Fluffy, because he’s fluffy.”
“Where is he now? Why is he not here”, Matt questioned.
“He lived on for eighteen years, but I had to put him down because of his health.”
“Why didn’t you buy another cat”, I prodded.
“We just couldn’t afford it, we don’t have enough income. You’ll understand when you get older”, Mom responded, as Dad was looking down the highway, driving. I looked down and Joe was sleeping. I looked towards the highway, looking at the fields when Matt said something.
“I need to go to the bathroom”, he said, holding at his groin. I also need to go to relieve myself, but Matt called it first.
“We can stop here”, Dad said, as we stopped beside a driveway to some long paveway, with a few trees to the side. I recognized it through our trips to Regina: we have arrived at Gibbs. Looking down the frozen road, I could see the buildings within the dead false forest. I took this moment to speak my urge.
“Yeah, I need to go, too”, I declared. Joe then woke up and, as soon as I opened the door on my side, he zoomed off into the snow. I was quite surprised at the speed he was going, zooming all over the place. Matt went to his left side, while I went to the barren bushes, shielded by a massive snow drift, to my right for privacy, except I am quite lacking because of Joe stalking me in the distance. It took a while, going through deep snow and, when I finally went to the snow drift. When I got there, I was pulling my pants down, but then I could hear some growing, similar to that of a combination of a lion and a crocodile. Where is that coming from? Never mind, it might be Joe, I thought.
“Go away, Joe”, I said, thinking it was Joe, seemingly angry at something. Nervous, I finally got to business, a little slow because of Joe nearby. I then heard the growl again. This time, I looked up and saw Joe, but he wasn’t growling. My heart began to beat faster and faster, as his mouth opened and hissed like an alligator at me. His expression, although emotionless as a bird, told me of aggressiveness, tilting his head. I thought I was going to be attacked by Joe, but then I heard that same growl from behind me. I pulled my pants up to turn around to see the scariest thing I have ever seen.
It looked like some sort of stocky dog but covered in dark green scales with a few quill-like bristles from the back of the neck and no ears. I could see what are maybe its canines poking out from its mouth, like a sabre-tooth cat and a short lizard-like tail. It looked more reptile than, well, dog really except for its eyes. I could see the hunger in its eyes. I heard more growling to my other side and saw another of those things. Joe began making that baby crocodile noise and we ran to the truck. I turned around and ran.
“Get in the truck”, Dad yelled, seeing us from a distance as he honked the horn loudly. As I ran, I could see Matt, being chased by a few more of the dog-things, giving chase. Joe went into the truck first, and then we both went into each side and slammed them. Dad then sped off very quickly, scared they may get to us.
“What was that”, I panted, confused.
“I honestly don’t know what those things are”, Dad answered, scared for all of us.
“I want to go home”, Matt pleaded, tired from running away from those things.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon. I promise”, Mom reassured.
“Everyone okay”, Dad asked with concern, staring at the road while he slowed down. We all looked at each other in fearful confusion, even Joe. I looked at Joe, and he then looked at me. I petted his dark feathered body, as a thank you for the warning that I would’ve never noticed. “Okay, we are moving on”, Dad concluded. We sat in silence, although I was still petting Joe.
“Hey, Matt, do you know what dinosaur he is”, I asked Matt.
“I don’t know. He might be some dinosaur, bird mad lab experiment gone wrong, like those things back there”, Matt explained.
“Or some mess-up chicken in a lab”, Dad suggested, still looking at the road.
“I don’t think he was a chicken”, Matt rebutted. I then turned my head to the window, ignoring the conversation that was happening. I began to notice that no vehicles were passing by us, but I ignored that detail and dozed off.
I saw those same lights in the dark vision of my closed eyes. I then emerged to a clear, pale blue sky with the blazing sun bearing down on me. Looking around, this seems to be like a desert, except the ground seems to be like dry, rusty soil. It feels hot here, hotter than one of those summers in my former town. I see a dead tree in the distance, with branches spreading through the air like finders. I heard a sound behind me.
“Wake up! We are here”, Matt said as he shook me awake. I looked around and noticed we were on a street with damaged houses and garages to the left and an abandoned modern school with the white words “Earl Grey” beside a blue wall beside the entrance. The school lies hiding behind a metal fence with dead trees behind it. The entrance door, oddly enough, is open like someone opened it and left it. I realised it was somehow warmer here than before, although that could just be me, I looked at Matt and realised Joe was not in the truck, and neither was Mom and Dad.
“Hey, where’s Mom and Dad”, I asked Matt.
“Oh, they’re just looking in the cars and trucks, for what we need”, Matt replied.
“And Joe?”
“Oh, just running across the road.” Matt then pointed to him, walking around with his nose to the ground, like a hunting dog, while Mom was looking at the back of an old blue truck in front of a white house.
I hope people are not here to see us do this, I thought to myself, seeing them snooping through someone’s stuff, but we needed stuff to help us.
“Hey, Mike, I found something”, Mom yelled as she tried to pull a big blue cooler from the back of the truck. Dad then came from an RV down from the truck and came and helped her. He then put it down on the road and opened it. They both plugged their noses and backed away.
“Fish? Who leaves fish in a cooler in the back of a truck”, Dad gagged. Joe then looked up, seemingly in excitement and ran towards the cooler. He stuck his nose in the cooler and pulled out a pike. He plopped it on the road, his foot stepped on the fish and put his mouth onto it, tearing a piece of it and swallowing it. “At least somebody likes rotten fish”, Dad rasped.
As we looked in surprise, we could hear something from the school. The minute we heard it, a loud boar-like roar came out from the school. We thought it was a very big boar when it came out, but the more we looked, the more we realised it was something else. Its body is like a boar, but its face is like a lion’s and the snout of a camel, with teeth somewhat like a bear’s when it opens its enormous mouth to gargle like a pig. Mom, Dad and even Joe are taken by surprise, making our parents run towards the driveway, while Joe towards our truck with his gorged fish, standing by us. The boar-thing then stopped a few feet away from my parents, seemingly in a defensive stance, hooves scratching the ground. We are scared for our parents, preparing to see this thing rip them to shreds.
It gave one last roar and walked towards the cooler, knocking it over with fish spilling out. It stuck its snout in the fish and swallowed one down. They then slowly walked around the creature and steadily fastened their pace until they were at the truck. We all quickly got in and Dad backed up quickly.
“What the hell was that”, Mom panicked.
“I don’t know, a pig from hell”, Dad responded. We looked at Joe, swallowing down the fish while the rotting fish smell remained. It looked at us in confusion, as we were. We silently laughed for no apparent reason, probably as a mechanism to try to replace the fear. We then heard a shaking in the truck, startling us. We realised that the hell pig was tearing at the bumper of the truck like a lion would. Dad hammered the horn, making the thing back up in surprise. Dad took this opportunity to back up very quickly towards the intersection and turned to the left, quickly avoiding the creature. We sat in silence, except for Joe who was chirping.
When we went down the street, the houses, as usual, were damaged but we saw other vehicles, the first we had seen. Some were parked along the street, others stuck on one lane like city traffic but paused. Weirdly enough, there are no people in the vehicles, nor anyone outside. Most of the vehicles have one or more doors open like people got out to go somewhere. We drove past all the vehicles in the other lane. There is one vehicle we passed by that is on fire, most of the paint already off to reveal the metal beneath, only to be turned into a rainbow of browns and blacks by the dancing flames.
“What. Happened. Here”, Mom slowly asked, as confused and terrified as us. We had a feeling of dread, seeing all the abandoned vehicles.
“That’s the least of our worries. We should be looking for supplies”, Dad responded.
“Hey, how much do we have”, Mom asked Dad, worried about using up the fuel.
“Well, we got a full tank of gas and travelled a hundred kilometers”, Dad responded, more confused. “Nothing makes sense here and I hope we don’t stay here for long”, he muttered.
Eventually, we passed most of the vehicles and reached the veterinary clinic. The small, intact structure stood there, seemingly looking over the icy driveway. We then spotted an old, brown truck and we saw something that set it apart from the rest of the vehicles we’ve seen so far.
“It’s on”, I said, gleefully, with hope that, at least, we aren’t the only ones here. The headlights beamed brightly, and we realised it was getting dark. We also noticed that the street lights aren’t turning on.
“I thought there was no one here”, my Mom said, unsure of the connection between the abandoned but running truck and the lack of people in this town. At one of the intact houses, ahead of us, partially blocked by the trees, we saw what seemed to be bright light coming from one of the windows. What person would go into a house after an earthquake, I thought, thinking about our house back home.
“Someone’s here”, Matt loudly notified, as we all shushed him and that is when Joe is trying to push the door with his snout. “What is he doing?”
“Stay here”, Dad calmly ordered, opening the door, but Joe scurried out and went somewhere else.
“Hey, come back”, Matt called out, with no success. Joe eventually disappeared into the night, never to be seen. Matt then had tears welling up in his eyes like he was about to cry. I hugged him to comfort him.
“He’ll come back some time”, Mom reassured, trying to calm him down and looking at Dad. Dad nodded and grabbed a flashlight that was equipped in the truck. He then walked slowly towards the house, step by step, being shone by our truck’s headlights. He looked back at us and put his hand up when the light in the house moved. It seems to move towards the front door of the house. Emerging from the house is a person walking down the steps, cloaked in darkness. Dad then took a few steps back as the figure came. Finally, the figure stepped into the light.
submitted by Godzilla-30 to mrcreeps [link] [comments]


2024.05.14 04:08 Spirited-Cup3968 Do doctors mind medical board complaints?

Throw away account. But I’m nervous. I just filed my first ever Medical Board Complaint against a doctor. I know the Medical Board won’t really do much. My understanding of the MB is they are more of a headache and hassle and rarely reprimand. But still I’m nervous. Cause do doctors not like MB complaints? Or do you not really mind them?
Basically what happened is I went to the ED for concerns of Serotonin Toxicity. Or Serotonin Syndrome (SS). I was taking vyvanse and just started prozac. And more recently just upped my prozac dose. Upon upping my dose, I began shaking, sweating, no appetite, didn’t sleep for 3 days, was having moments of disorientation and confusion. Spouse also said my pupils were dilated. As the days went on my shaking got worse. My muscles, specifically my legs hurt so badly. I wanted to sleep. But I couldn’t physically stop shaking to sleep. And by day 2, my eyes were shaking side to side as well. My prescribing doc had told me about SS. She said “you won’t have to guess if you’re experiencing SS cause it will truly be so awful, you won’t have to wonder. Before going to the ED I looked up SS on UpToDate to make sure I wasn’t being over dramatic, that it wasn’t something I could handle at home, and just make sure my symptoms even remotely matched up. And they did. So I was like well heck let me go rule it out at least cause I’m just getting worse as time goes on and the longer I take this new upped prozac dose.
In the ED my bp was 160/105, heart rate was 160’s. I told them I had concerns for SS because of the meds I take and how I just upped my Prozac dose. My symptoms. Etc. keep in mind. I’m trembling and jerking uncontrollably for 3 days now, haven’t slept in 3 days either. It was horrible. Doctor comes in, I reiterate everything to him ( as quickly as I can bc my teeth are chattering from my shakes) They do a full work up. CBC, CMP, TNT5, Urinalysis, chest xray, ECG. He listens to my heart and lung’s anteriorly for 5 seconds.
While I’m waiting for my results. The staff is outside my door talking incredibly loud. They are talking about a deceased pt a few rooms beside me. The pt name, dob, MRN, what they received as care, the patients ailments, etc. literally everything about this pt. And how we happened to have the same doctor that night (there was multiple dr in the ED that night, we just happened to share one). I thought to myself “Gosh that’s so awful. When the doctor comes in here, if he seems off or sad, I need to give him some grace because that must be really hard”
So the doctor comes in. And tell me looks like all my labwork is good, that I should just go home and get some rest and that I have 30 protein and 70 ketones in my urine so I should also drink water and eat something. I told him again, I would love to rest, but I have slept in 3 days and I can’t sleep bc of my symptoms. He then prescribes me a sleep aid and immediately walks out of the room. I was confused because he never once mentioned the SS concern? Like ever at all? Just said my labs looked good.
So the nurse comes in with my discharge paperwork. And I asked her if the doctor remembered which pt and concerns I was having. Bc I understood it was a busy night for them and mix ups can happen. But my concern for SS wasn’t mentioned. She said he definitely remembered me. That he just doesn’t know the reason for my shaking or my other symptoms and my labs look fine. I told her that’s reassuring my labs are fine but there’s not SS labs so how are we sure we’ve ruled SS out? She rolls her eyes and huffs and leaves. She comes back with the dr and he rips open my ED room curtain and punches the light on. And he goes “Look Kid. You’re going home! You’re not in any emergency whatsoever!!” I said “no that’s fine. I just want to make sure we’ve ruled SS out as..” and he cuts me off and says “Look. You’ve had a FULL work up. Your labs are fine. You being here right now isn’t going to get you the answers you want” I said “No I understand my labs are fine, but there’s no such thing as Serotonin Syndrome labs, it’s an exclusion dx so how are we sure we’ve ruled it out?” And he goes “You know what. Let’s have psychiatry come take a look at you and do a psych eval for you. But. How about this? I’ll be nice about it. You can do it inpatient tonight, or outpatient since you’re leaving. Your choice” I was absolutely appalled by this intimidation tactic. But I could see it for what it was. He was probably emotional over the other pt’s death. Or was on a power trip and hated me having questions. Or both. So I said “I’ll do it outpatient. Thanks” and I begin taking my monitors off so I can go on home. As I’m taking my monitors off he goes “Nope. Stop. Something doesn’t seem right about you. Are you safe at home? You seem really emotional and off” just to give him something to get off my back I said “I’m good. Just about to get my period I guess” and he goes “Mm makes sense. Well sounds good kid!!” And leaves.
I complained to the hospital about it. And told them about me hearing everything about the deceased pt. Literally repeated back to them this pt name, DOB, MRN, care, etc. Cause I thought that would be a Hipaa violation? But they said they found no wrong doings and that they are satisfied with the care and “psychiatric evaluation offer” I was “offered”. Which I get they have to stand by their employees. But I guess we’ll see what the medical board has to say. What I think is incredibly interesting is that according to the hospital they addressed my SS concerns during my ED visit. So this would now mean that SS can now be diagnosed via labwork and heart and lung sounds. And no longer being on one serotonin drug AND one Hunter Criteria. Never mind the fact I was on 2 serotonin drugs and had more than one hunter criteria. And the fact that UpToDate says “there are no labs to indicate serotonin syndrome” this is now a medical catalyst!!! A complete 180 has been found by this doctor and hospital. Truly a break through. But regardless, I hope this inspires him to stop treating patients that way. Do doctors not enjoy MB complaints? Or are they no biggie?
So I don’t get deleted-
Age 33
Sex female
Height 5’6
Weight 120lb
Race mixed
Duration of complaint 3 days
Location USA
Any existing relevant medical issues NA
Current medications prozac, vyvanse
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2024.05.14 04:08 Background-Coat-3945 Passing test for meps

any advice on how clear out your system faster for meps? I'm 5'5 186 pounds and Ive already been sober for 27 days and still can't pass a at home test mind you l've been drinking a gallon of water every week. I'm really dedicated to enlisting in the army all I have to do is get clean and l've been really struggling and lowkey losing motivation. any tips or detox pills to help get clean faster before June?
submitted by Background-Coat-3945 to Militaryfaq [link] [comments]


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