Sort of similar to the Burnout games, where you have a set time to destroy the city. Explosives are available it’s a 3D browser based city demolition cars game, which I used to play a lot in the early to mid 2010s. I am almost certain that it was a flash based game, so chances are I won’t be able to play it, but I still want to at least try and find some videos of it to relive the memories.

I know someone who has a BMW F30 that I've been helping convert tons of music videos to fill the iDrive screen and make them louder. However, the port in the car always take a while to scan/index the files on the drives flash drives (either USB 2.0 or 3.0) every time I add a bunch of new ones. There's over 2000 music videos on the flash drive now and it takes a while to load in the car if I add/delete any new ones.
I've been doing some research and it seems the ports i the car are either USB 1.0 or 1.1. Why in the world would BWM not go for USB 2.0? The USB 1.x are too old for such a much newer car. Even USB 3.0 was around when the F30 was released. So what gives?
Is it possible to upgrade the USB port on on the F30 to something newer? And if so how?
Thanks.

I switched from Tesla insurance because my forward collision would keep going off for parked cars in my neighborhood unprovoked. My safety score dropped a decent amount and I ended up at around $300/mo for my Tesla insurance. My parents have All State and I added the Tesla Model 3 (2023 RWD) and myself as a driver. I’m 21 years old, mostly clean driving record with only one minor fender bender in the past.
I shit you not when I say our premium jumped from 400 something a month to literally 1600 dollars a month. NOT per six months… One thousand six hundred dollars PER MONTH. We called today and were told our premium jumped 1200 dollars after adding me and the car. The lady on the phone assured us that this was not a mistake and this is indeed our new premium. I understand I’m young, however, I’m still under my parents policy and did not add myself as a primary driver for the vehicle. I have never seen such an absurd rate. We’re now trying to dispute the charge and shop around for new insurance.
Am I missing something here? Why is our premium so incredibly absurd suddenly? I have never paid more than 250 or so per month for insurance on our previously cars (Lexus ES350, exact same coverage). I live in Houston and my parents also have clean driving records.
Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks much.

I recently met with an accident. On Friday evening, just after my gym, I was just taking out my car from roadside parking to the main road. I didn’t even take out the care fully, that a lady came in full speed and rammed my car. My right side headlight and bumper got damage. Immediately, a whole bunch of mob came it and started abusing me when I wasn’t at fault. There were two eye witness who were telling the same thing. But the mob didn’t listen at all. They forced me to take the lady and her grand children to the nearby hospital. Yesterday, I paid 10,000 as advance payment for something which I didn’t do. I went back to the gym and asked the security guard who was wrong and he directly told that the lady was at full speed and she was wrong as she didn’t she indicator.
I don’t have dash cam in my car otherwise the whole incident would have got recorded. There is a shoe store in the ground floor for which the guard works. The owner didn’t even budge to show any CCTV footage. The gym is in first floor and in 2nd floor, there is one hotel. The owner is same for both. I would be able to get footage from their angle(if available) only on Monday.
Today the lady is supposed to get discharged. I am not sure what should I do.
There were localities working for my wife’s company who came to mediate and everyone is telling that I should pay and settle.
This isn’t fair. What if the lady comes later as well for payments? That too of no fault from my end. I have eye witness. Should I budge now?

FAIR WARNING THIS WILL BE A WALL OF TEXT
Intro: In a series of reviews that will begin (or return) here; we are going to try and take a critical look at the Chuck series, especially the unfolding of the story as scene through the teleplay. In this case we are assuming multiple things about a potential watcher:

• The watcher is new to the series and does not know about future episodes, but there is an expectation any previous episodes have been watched.
• I will try not to point information out that becomes important for later episodes, though there may be times it's important because of how episodes are filmed and how episodes string together, I will however try and hide these behind a spoiler tag. I say this as a person who has watched Chuck dozens of times, so if I inadvertently spoiler, sorry.
• I will do my best to point out interesting references that are hidden within the Chuck universe, but not at the expense of extended expositions unless in-depth analysis is necessary as it relates to the scene.

What is this all for: This started as a project to improve my critical reviewing skills for a hobby of movie script writing and analysis. Chuck happens to have published 3 original scripts and all the text of every episode has been published to a searchable database. This affords an opportunity to break from my movie writing woes and infinite revisions to just have fun enjoying Chuck and trying to deepen my understanding of the intersection of script writing with filmography and visual editing. Having said this, it should be known I have no affiliation to the show, no additional insider knowledge, and I do not write scripts for a living. So, consequently, feel free to ignore everything I say :). I do hope, however, we can go on this journey together and appreciate the excellence that is a love story called Chuck.
So, don't freak out, and lets get started.
​
Chuck 01x04 (Chuck vs the Wookiee): TEASER - We open with the gang playing "Know Ya!", which isn't actually a real board game, but based on the game Paddles. It's amazing that Morgan can't stand Ellie/Awesome being in love/winning, but marches triumphantly whenever he gets a question correct. I also like we see, in frame, Chuck watching Sarah pick off olives; he's beginning to notice things just like a real spy. The deep sadness and yet storied confliction on Chuck's face when he discovers Peaches 1 and Peaches 2 was great.
For those who don't know about dogs:

• A cocker spaniel is typically smaller; by ~5inches and up to 30lbs lighter than a springer spaniel.
• Springer spaniels also have shorter fur across their bodies, with feathered hair under their chests and legs.
• Only a cocker spaniel will be solid colored
• Springer spaniels have longer muzzles, while cockers have fluffier ears.

I find it very interesting how Sarah has "spidey sense" about potentially being watched. At no point previously did either Sarah nor Casey display this trait and I'm not totally sure how an open window was enough to do this; I wonder if Sarah's comfort being around Chuck's family is causing her to develop a "feeling of being watched" as she is comfortable with the Bartowski's? For those who missed it, Sarah talks about having a sister I think at the time this was just a throw-away line to protect her cover, but in season 5 Sarah does actually have a little sister if you count the little girl she rescues One last thing about Sarah here, when Bryce is being discussed, I really like how it was played where she acts quiet and shocked, but not saying anything. The facial expressions of Yvonne here are really special and you can tell Sarah lives a life of secrets. This is carried outside when Chuck asks Sarah about her relationship with Bryce. She is totally looking down and to the right, a classic indication of an emotional response searching for rationalization (ie. she is clearly lying)
As they end the game and exit to the courtyard, there teleplay of Chuck does something I've been wanting to see forever; they switch perspective to keep both characters in camera and follow them around from a 3rd perspective. We know this is supposed to indicate they are being watched, but I really enjoy getting to see them together reacting and talking instead of the constant close-ups and cuts. Normally Chuck will be shot with something between a medium close up (MCU) and Medium Shot (MS) to emphasize their characters and highlight their faces and expressions. This works really well because Chuck's cameras are typically either shoulder level or hip level based on the operators moving through their space. In many more modern TV shows, the technology of boom cranes and gyroscopic gimbals allows for content to be show from ground level to overhead giving directors the opportunity to tell their story through a variety of shifting profiles. If Chuck were shot today, we would see everything from full body shots all the way to extreme closeups without the need for continual jump-cuts and re-shoots because the technology is there. At least for this episode, it's nice to see the director explore more hip/knee level motion and more cowboy framed shots when having a distant observer perspective. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/types-of-camera-shots-sizes-in-film/ does a fantastic breakdown of all the different shot type and camera perspectives for you want to read more!
As we transition into Sarah's hotel room, did anyone pick up on how NICE this is? She has double sinks, a king bed, a sitting mirror, free standing tub, and a great view. I doubt any agency in the "real world" would ever spring for something like this for multiple years for one of their agents, it's fancy! Enter Carina, tell me, who saw Sarah fight with a soap sock and think of iCarly and the famous "butter sock". Also during this fight, why is Sarah wearing a golden bikini? I know she is about to get into the shower, but what plausible reason is there for her to a) wear a bikini at all and b) it to be a bright golden yellow?? If you slow this fight scene way down, you will notice Yvonne's strikes actually come close to hitting Mimi as she has had a lot of training, whereas Mimi's strikes are miles from Yvonne and she just over-acts their impact. The most noticeable is the kick into her table, Sarah goes flying back, but we can tell from the angle, Carina missed her by a good 2 ft. This was just some sloppy editing and not getting the camera into position. I give it a pass because you have probably 3 camera operators wearing stabilized camera rigs trying to rotate around a room with 2 girls fighting and they just missed the angle by like 2 feet. I did really like at the end of the fight Carina had the option to go for the gun but instead went for the fish. If you didn't know they were not enemies before, this should have been a big clue! Carina calls Sarah's life in LA boring #1
​
ACT I
​
Carina aka: Maria Elena Argalberdi was born Jun 16, 1978 in Alberdi Argentina with a Buenos Aires passport. Maria Elena is actually the name of a famous song in Mexico and eventually had a movie. This Chuck learns on Flash #1 and is the precursor to meeting the general for the first time. I know I've mentioned this before, but to reiterate; the pictures in Casey's apartment are all wrong; he has photos of Chuck and Morgan that don't happen until season 5 (lost footage) he has a map of Echo Park and Malibu already on display, and he has tactical information for each member of the Buy More (which he has no reason for at this time). It is interesting they talk about an opium cartel in Afghanistan as Afghanistan is known for it's huge poppy fields for heroin drug money.
The NADAN-I-NOOR diamond:

• The Nadan-I-Noor diamond has never been known to be bought or sold and ha only changed owners as a result of theft, conquest, or endowment
• It's listed as having 57 facets + 16 facets on girdle = 73. A facet is comparable with the brilliance of a diamond and is really the flat surfaces of a gemstone arranged in a geometrical pattern. In this case it helps characterize the refraction of light through the diamond interior. The girdle i the outer edge of a diamond surface, having 16 faces is quite large, as the girdle is the largest section of a gem, but also the thinnest when viewed from the side. In this case, having 73 facets puts the Nadan-I-Noor in either the Princess-Cut Diamond or Radiant Cut Diamond category, which are also the most expensive as they have the most possible facets.
• having 4-fold, mirror-image symmetry refers to how the light reflects internally to the diamond and indicates there are no impurities within the crystalline structure.
• interestingly a purity rating is not given, i would expect something like a F or IF (flawless/internally flawless) for a diamond described like this, but one isn't provided.
• the angles of incidence just describe the best way for light to enterefract from the diamond, these numbers are fake, but the metric is real
• there is a lot of sanscript written around the diamond markings, I can't figure out what if anything it means it looks like repeated nonsense
• could be a nod to the Koh-i-noor or "mountain of light" diamond, although this one in Persian is the "fool of light".

We open back to see Carina and Sarah looking at classified files within the restaurant. THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW, you do not look at classified files out in the open and especially not where there are clearly other customers around. Venturing into the BuyMore, there is a monster truck rally on the TV's showing grave digger and reaper, two famous trucks from this time period. Morgan wants to spread his wings and be the fourth wheel to the perpetual 3 wheel party and Sarah, ever the schemer, literally glows when she thinks of the plan to have Carina go on a date with Morgan. I THINK this was just to help maintain their cover, but also maybe Sarah is just needling Carina? If you look in the back of the store when Chuck is talking to Sarah and Carina, there is a really cool Nerd Herd poster that says "Bringing peace to your computer emergency". "if a yawn could yawn" is Carina calling Sarah's job boring #2. One thing I really like with the double data is the way the camera jumps between the couples: boy/girl, boy/boy, girl/girl. I think they way they try and keep private conversations via screen time is a really nice, typical, teleplay trick that really works well here. In a "real" environment, everyone could hear everything, but by splitting the camera focus or playing with perspective, the viewer clearly knows "this is a conversation between girls the boys don't hear it". We see Chuck noticing Sarah picking off olives #2 while they watch a movie about penguins: who mate for life, present their love in the form of rocks, and are pack animals. In Chuck's bedroom as he talks to Morgan, Chuck has a box of King Edward Invincible underneath bongos; for those who don't know this is a famous box for mild tobacco cigars. So I wonder what Chuck is up to in his free time :P.
On the Nerd Herd call with Carina, she opens a bottle of wine with a butter knife. This is actually a pretty famous thing that is done all over the world with everything from a key to a saber. In fact they make a specially type of knife with an extra wide blade for this it Italy. I do want to ask the question; is Carina dressed in red lingerie (Chuck's favorite color she stole from Sarah) really necessary for this scene? I know that Carina is all about improvising and she often uses her sexuality to progress her cause (Casey), but I think we could have gotten away with just the top. I can certainly see the rationalization for going this far, but I think as an artistic choice it wasn't necessary. What IS necessary however is to talk about how Chuck's world implodes when Carina tells him about Sarah and Bryce. Also the perfect act transition ending right at Chuck's jaw dropping and the work boyfriend!
​
ACT II
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I'll say it again, the back an forth with Chuck and Sarah should have been a medium close up, shoulder level straight on shot instead of the constant cuts. Seeing their reaction in real time would have been easier and it would have allowed the Weinerlicious to be maybe 15 ft smaller to not need so many cameramen rotating. "Unless talking to your boyfriend is a matter of national security, the ketchup bottles won't refill themselves". Why yes it IS a mater of national security for Sarah to talk to Chuck... also if any one of us stood up to our boss like Sarah did, I'm pretty sure we'd be fired on the spot!
Malibu is ~2hours for Echo Park with standard LA traffic. Seriously, how do girls in high heels walk down stairs; we see Carina and Sarah walking sideways so there is enough space on each step to fit their shoes. Girls, how do you do that and not fall especially with narrow staircases and 3-6inch heels! Inside the room with the stone there is a bust of Cesare, archenemies, da vinci, and biblical David. There is also some famous paintings the best of which is Vemieer's "young girl with a pearl earring" which is rather appropriate considering it's meaning. There is also a Van Gogh of man in a wheat field and a Monet in one shot too. If ANY of these paintings were real instead of reproductions, they would be worth millions, in fact the young girl with a pearl is estimated at 40million, which is 1.5x the sell value of the Nadan-I-Noor! If we take a look at the engineering drawing of Flash #2 on the pedestal, we would see this design creates a closed circuit around the tongs the diamond rests on; which might explain it's red hue. If a person were to touch the diamond, it would close the circuit on their body allowing the 4000volts to travel through their heart. A person can die with ~20volts, though it's usually more like 50 in most occurrences. 4000volts is enough to kill a herd of elephants and completely overkill for a person. Also the amount of power that would take is more than the city of Malibu... this is to say the trap is real, the numbers are complete nonsense; thinking lightning! Nice shot by Sarah with the plate (there are some great bloopers on this too where she misses badly)! A remote controlled jet ski... i'm not even going to calculate the nonsense for this; it's just total nonsense. Almost as much nonsense as Casey using his phone to track Carina's call. That would take minutes, even with today's technology to back trace like that and way more power than just pushing a button on a razer flip-phone from the 90's!
back at the house, Chuck i playing halo with the legendary skulls as his weapon; this is nice because in the BuyMore at the end of the episode there are dudes dressed as master chief! I really like the changing perspective here with Chuck and Morgan. Chuck's reactions remain in focus while Morgan tells a story behind him, then it switches as Chuck starts to move around until bringing both into focus for the final line "we still have each other and that's really sad". The side cut to Sarah picking locks to the hotel door is classic early 2000's TV and i'm all for it, even if it is super cheezy. BTW as someone who used to lock pick in college, that's .... not how that works, but good try. We get our Flash #3 on the diamond in Morgan's back nuclear explosions. I wonder if the refractive capability of a diamond this pure is enough to focus laser to induce fission or if the value of selling the diamond is enough to buy nuclear material on the black market? Either way, we end the act with... the man with the golden gun!
​
ACT III
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Chuck uses Sarah's plate move against Carina, nice inter-episode call back; he's clearly watching/learning, but his aim is terrible. This was actually clever as Sarah has perfect aim for she is a professional, while Chuck is still definitely a civilian and has no aptitude for fighting. I really like both these types of simple call backs but also how seemingly throw-away lines/actions help tell the broad story of the show. Chuck talking to Carina also shows Chuck has this weird, innate aptitude to get people to re-evaluate themselves and grow internally. You can watch Carina "grow in real-time. When we get to the hotel and Carina opens her trunk first there are a few glocks, a couple rugers, and a 1911; then she switches to blades and we see some folders, some strait blades, an illegal gravity blade (still illegal today), and a kbar... nice selection! Carina, always the flirt, gives Chuck some very insightful works about the nature of being a spy, but also maybe some way to get through to Sarah.
Inside the hotel we see Carina and Sarah speaking; Carina is speaking Swedish, while Sarah replies in Polish. "Om jag slänger nycklarna till dig, kommer du tappa dem då?" which is Swedish for "If I throw you the keys, will you drop them?" Sarah answered in Polish: "Tylko jak rzucisz jak twoja mamusia", which means "Only if you throw it like your mommy". This is just great!
I want to talk about how fast Chuck managed to find an address for DC, print a label, open a box, put the label on, and get the diamond there all before the door gets broken. Somehow on screen time this is like 10seconds, but in real life this would have to be like 3minutes minimum? Either that door is remarkably strong or... TV magic??
​
ACT IV
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Even with all the flirting, as we say goodbye to Carina >! for now !< she is still joking with Casey and every the professional. I like how they show when it's "game time" it's all about the job, but spys can be people too! Carina still calls Sarah's life boring #3 (the common trifecta of episode repeats).
Sarah's face when Chuck brings the pizza with no olives is the reason I think Yvonne makes the perfect Sarah. She exudes the hidden beauty needed and has the acting to so such emotion for Chuck being sweet. The whole scene with Chuck and Sarah asking questions, then Chuck backing off, then Sarah acting stoic like she WANTS to open up but doesn't know if she can really trust Chuck, is ready to move on from Bryce, and should for the nature of her job. This was probably the most well acted 20seconds of the entire episode. Finally, we hear Sarah's middle name is Lisa. Now we never officially know if Chuck hears this or not both due to camera focus and distance, it's never officially confirmed in the entire show. When the intersect is updated in season 4 we see Sarah's picture and it lists Lisa as a middle name, so we assume it's official, but it's never confirmed at any point. Finally, I really like how they end the episode with Sarah closing her eyes as the fade to black.
​
Few notes: There are 5 official songs in this episode:

• "Yea Yeah" by Matt and Kim - when the gang is playing board games during group date night. This song is about not worrying about the things you cannot change. Little things that build up and bum you out that you need to just let go.
• "Wild Girl" Matt Pond PA - Chuck and Morgan discussing their relationship problems. This song is about overcoming past struggles and finding hope in the present and future. Describing a sense of resilience and optimism
• "weird science" by does it offend you - Chuck and Carina talk at Peyman' Malibu Compound. This is a remind to break free and embrace individuality and live on your own terms. Be unapologetically ourselves.
• Shy by Mathew Dear - the double date
• "Fall into place" the apartment - the team say's goodby to Carina. Deals with growing up, taking (or not taking) chances. finding oneself in the unpredictability of life. I have to say, we don't actually hear the lyrics to any of these songs during the episode just the melody, but I don't really appreciate the music choices here. I feel like there were better options at key points, so that's a miss from me.
  
• On the DVD for Season One the word Wookiee is spelled incorrectly, leaving off the last E.
  
• "It used to be titled "Chuck Versus the Speedo" because the main bad guy in this show is this dude who wears a Speedo all the time. Then when the casting guy realized he had a good amount -- and by good, I mean healthy, a healthy amount of body hair -- they thought, why not call it "Chuck vs. the Wookiee". So it's this guy who's got this diamond, and we're trying to heist the diamond and all hell breaks loose." ―Zachary Levi quoted by Access Hollywood discussing this episode's title
  

​
I think this was a great episode and really showcased what they can do when additional cast members join the team and when they are not afraid to play with perspective. Mimi as Carina is a great addition to the ensemble and I wish we saw her more, but every time she drops in, it's always a wild episode and it's fantastic. Watching Chuck learn about Sarah and seeing Sarah start to open up is a good way forward and heck Casey had some of the best humor in the episode. Overall, it was fast paced, had some nice character development, as funny in the best way, and moved the main theme along, 8/10.

Just picked up a 2024 outback and cannot figure out if there is a way to get an audible alert on the blind spot monitor.
When you put on your signal while there is a car in your blind spot, the signal flashes, but there is no audible warning. Is there any way to turn on an audible warning?
Our Mazda has it and my wife has gotten very used to the sound as well as light.

Mr. Cruel is the moniker for an unidentified Australian serial child rapist who terrorized Melbourne, Australia during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Here are the key details about this disturbing case:

• Years Active: Mr. Cruel operated between 1987 and 1990, during which he carried out three confirmed attacks.
• Suspected Murder: He is also the prime suspect in the abduction and murder of a fourth girl named Karmein Chan in 1991.
• Modus Operandi: Mr. Cruel meticulously planned each attack, conducted surveillance on victims and their families, left no forensic traces, and covered his face at all times. He even left red herrings to divert attention from his identity.
• Confirmed Attacks:
  1. Lower Plenty (1987): Armed with a knife and a handgun, he broke into a family home, tied up the parents, and raped an 11-year-old girl.
  2. Ringwood (1988): He abducted a 10-year-old girl after breaking into her home, leaving her bound and gagged. She was released eighteen hours later.
  3. Canterbury (1990): He broke into another family home, molested a 13-year-old girl for fifty hours, and then released her¹.

Despite extensive investigations, Mr. Cruel has never been identified, and his crimes remain unsolved cold cases. The police describe him as highly intelligent, methodical, and elusive. In April 2016, the reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction was increased to A$1,000,000¹. The case continues to haunt both law enforcement and the public.
Case 41: Mr Cruel - Casefile: True Crime Podcast (casefilepodcast.com)
Was Mr. Cruel active before 1987? There has been speculation among the Voctria police about if Mr. Cruel was already active as a serial rapist before the Lowr Plenty attack.
Here's list on 10 home invasion rapes pre-Lower Plenty that are thought to have been the early work of Mr. Cruel by Victoria police:
What is known about Mr. Cruel?

1. Mr. Cruel had forensic knowledge

Mr. Cruel went to great lengths to avoid leaving behind any forensic evidence that detectives could use to catch him. It has therefore been suggested that perhaps he had some level of forensic knowledge.

• Bathed two victims to remove DNA evidence and wiped sinks and benchtops to remove fingerprints
• Transported victim to release site in garbage bags
• Made victims brush teeth and clean nails
• Left no DNA at crime scenes or on victims
• Told Nicola Lynas: “you will be taken to a hospital and they will test you you will be examined by a police surgeon. They’ll be looking for evidence to link me to you and they won’t find anything.”
• Mr. Cruel had access to property under flight path

It is believed the perpetrator had access to a property which was located under one of the two main flight paths into Tullamarine Airport.

• Both Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas heard planes landing while in captivity. Nicola Lynas told detectives she could hear the planes banking after they passed over her.
• An investigation into flights operating that day determined the likely location of the property as under either the Tullamarine east-west or north-south flight paths.²
• Spectrum Taskforce Head David Sprague said that based on how loud the planes were, they might have been just 400m above the house.
• Police searched 30,000 houses in 15 suburbs including Coolaroo, East Keilor, Niddrie and Westmeadows without luck
• Mr. Cruel followed media about his crimes
• Watched Lynas family press conference with Nicola and spoke to her about it, saying “Think you’re worth $25,000?”
• Went out to buy the Sun and seemed to enjoy the stories about his crimes and the parallels being drawn to other abductions
• Photos of at least two of Mr. Cruel’s victims appeared in newspaper articles in the leadup to their attack.

Mr. Cruel videotaped his victims:

• Sharon saw a wooden tripod at the foot of the bed she was held in
• Mr. Cruel used red herrings
• Pretended to talk to an accomplice during Lynas abduction
• Pretended to be seeking $25,000 ransom during Lynas abduction
• Pretended to make a phone call during Lower Plenty home invasion
• Pretended to be looking for money during Lower Plenty, Wills and Lynas attack
• Spraypainted Chan’s car with words ‘Pay-back Asian drug dealer. More anon. More to come.’

Mr. Cruel listened to radio

• Left radio on 3TT throughout Wills attack
• Played KZFM in his car during Lynas attack, and had radio on in his bedroom
• Brought in radio and tuned it to 3KZ in Lower Plenty attack to mask sounds of attack

Mr. Cruel’s lifestyle gave him freedom of movement at certain times

• Slept in until 10am during the Lynas attack on a Wednesday morning in July 1990
• Was unshaven during Lower Plenty attack in August 1987
• Abductions of Sharon Wills, Nicola Lynas and Karmein Chan occurred in or leading up to school holidays
• Was able to conduct extensive stalking and surveillance in the lead up to his attacks

Mr. Cruel’s language

• Used terms “bozo” “worry wart” “yous” and “missy” to his victims.
• Lower Plenty victim and Lynas described his voice as ‘deep’ ‘gruff’ ‘uneducated’
• Wills family described him as ‘no accent, well spoken, fluent English’ suggesting that he was Australian
• “You’re not going to be a hero are you?” to John Wills, “Think you’re worth $25,000?” to Nicola Lynas; “Do you feel brave?” to Lower Plenty victims
  
• Mr. Cruel could tie knots
  
• Knots used by sailors, truck drivers, farmers and fishermen.
  
• Was confident enough in his knots to leave adult victims tied up in other rooms
  
• Apparently was able to tie knots while wearing gloves
  

Mr. Cruel almost certainly had prior criminal or tactical experience

• Controlled multiple adult victims in Wills and Lower Plenty attacks
• Cut phone lines
• Always parked car around corner or in front of vacant blocks to avoid detection
• Entered via various means: removing window pane with knife, forcing roll-out window, pushing key through lock
• Had weapons and handcuffs
• Carried a kit containing housebreaking implements and restraints³
• Evidence of planning suggests offender spent time conducting reconnaissance and surveillance on his victims.⁴

Mr. Cruel possessed a gun

• Lower Plenty family described his gun as a small black pistol-style handgun.
• Wills family described a dark-coloured handgun with a square grip, a squarish barrel with a silver bit at the end, possibly a pistol.
• The Lynas sisters described the gun as a gun with a silver barrel and a brown wooden handle.
• Karmein Chan was shot with either a .22 calibre weapon (according to Andrew Rule and John Silvester in The Age in Sep 1999) or a .38 calibre weapon (according to the Herald Sun in May 1992)

Mr. Cruel’s physical appearance

• Mr Cruel went to extraordinary lengths to ensure he was not seen by his victims and descriptions varied
• Lower Plenty description: aged mid 20s. Australian. 178cm to 183cm tall, slim to medium build with brown, greyish/white hair with white spots in it. Greyish/white bushy eyebrows. Unshaven, with a couple of days growth. Oval face, soft hands, possibly right handed. Wearing blue denim jeans, good condition, close fitting, a brown tweed sports jacket, a blue nylon waterproofed zip up jacket, blue runners with white flashes down the side, white soles in good condition and white cotton socks. Navy blue balaclava with an open face and some type of material covering the eye area. Dishwashing or surgical gloves light in colour, possibly yellow.⁵
• Wills attack description: Australian. 173cm to 180cms tall, thin to medium build. Had either a moustache or whiskers, possibly an early beard growth. Aged mid 20s to 30s. Right-handed. Hairy chest. Wearing a dark coloured boiler suit, gloves and a dark coloured ski mask or balaclava which had eye and mouth holes and white stitching around the eye and mouth holes, possibly with red stitching as well.⁶
• Lynas attack description: just under 170cm (though Nicola’s sister estimated his height at 182cm), well built, slightly big stomach, like a beer belly. No body odour; hands felt hairy with rough skin and shortish fingernails; arms were quite solid and stocky with fine hair; that he had fine hair on his chest and no hair on his back.⁷
• Mr. Cruel took trophies from his victims

Mr. Cruel stole several distinctive items from victims including:

• Ecuadorean Shirt Company parka with fake black fur collar
• a gold diamond engagement ring with the number 4132 stamped inside
• classic gold record set by London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Rosemary Lynas’ driver’s licence, Medicare card and credit card
• Ken Done beach bag
• A PLC summer uniform, tracksuit pants and school jumper
• A Melbourne football club beanie

Mr. Cruel’s car
During the Dec 1988 and July 1990 abductions of Sharon Wills and Nicola Lynas, Mr. Cruel transported his victims in a car:

• It was a four-door vehicle with carpeted floor, bucket seats, a low glove box and a floor gear shift
• The vehicle smelt clean but sounded old and he had trouble starting it
• The floor carpet, front door, arm rest and press down lock were all cream coloured
• He told both girls the car was stolen, which may suggest the car was not in fact stolen
• On the night Sharon was released, a White Commodore Vacationer sedan with three blue stripes along the side was seen acting suspiciously nearby
• Three independent witnesses have reported seeing a ‘van’ near Karmein Chan’s house, and a ‘ute’ or ‘truck’ where her remains were discovered – NB these sightings have not been verified by police

Familiarity with certain areas in Eastern and Northern suburbs
Mr. Cruel left his victims in secluded locations, that he must have been familiar with. It is likely that he had previously lived, worked, or visited these locations at some point.

• Bayswater Secondary College, near Dandenong Creek
• Thomastown terminal station, near Edgars Creek

FBI Profile of Mr Cruel

On 24 April 1991, the FBI provided the following profile of Mr Cruel to Victoria police based on their ‘research and investigative experience in similar cases’:

• he may reside or work in proximity to his first and last known attacks i.e. Lower Plenty, Templestowe.
• he is likely to be employed or involved with a school due to the use of school uniforms and timing in school holidays (though NB the Lower Plenty attack and abduction of Nicola Lynas did not occur during Victorian school holidays)
• he will appear genuinely dedicated to students and this may have been recognised with awards which seem to make him above suspicion
• he will have kept home-made pornography including of his victims
• he is a functional individual with steady employment, is generally regarded as a good neighbour, polite, quiet, somewhat introverted, and may be involved in community projects
• if he has a partner they will have been away during the time of his attacks and will know of his sexual dysfunctions, use of pornography and schoolgirl uniforms etc.
• those around him may have noticed changes in behaviour during and after attacks, including uncharacteristic use of alcohol, interest in religion, missing work or appearing distant and preoccupied

The FBI profile was criticised by forensic psychologist Ian Joblin and other local experts as simplistic and potentially off target at the time of its public release in April 1992.
Credit: Who is Mr Cruel? – Website dedicated to unmasking Melbourne child predator Mr Cruel
What are the others attacks thought to have been committed by Mr. Cruel?
1.) The abduction and sexual assault of a 14 year old girl in Hampton in February 1985.
2.) The sexual assault of a 30 year old woman in her Warrandyte home on 4 December 1985.
3.) The sexual assault of a 30 or 35 year old woman in her Donvale home on 6 December 1985.
4.) The sexual assault of a woman in Greensborough in March 1987.
5.) The sexual assault of woman in Greensborough in August 1987
6.) The sexual assault of an unknown victim in Hawthorn between 1985-1987.
7.) The sexual assault of an unknown victim in Brighton between 1985-1987.
8.) The sexual assault of an unknown victim in Caulfield between 1985-1987 (unknown if this is the crime referenced in this newspaper article in which a woman was abducted from her Caulfield home on 16 February 1986 and driven to Chelsea Heights).
9.) The sexual assault of an unknown victim in Dingley between 1985-1987.
10.) The sexual assault of an unknown victim in Dingley between 1985-1987.
Mr. Cruel documentary: Mr. Cruel: The Mystery Murderer Of Melbourne - YouTube

Going to get the code tomorrow morning. 2018 Hyundai Tucson. Won’t past 2000 RPM after driving it in sport mode the check engine light came on flashing orange and now my car won’t accelerate correctly, makes a weird sound when accelerating. Any ideas?

Hi! I am new to writing, so any feedback is needed please!
Scarlett is still full of excitement after her sleepover with her best friend. “Have you ever sung karaoke?” she asks her sister, who has just picked her up to walk her home. Jolene, engrossed in her phone, doesn't even hear the question. “No,” she replies bluntly. “Well, you should. It's amazing!” Scarlett beams. “You know, I always thought I should be famous, but now I know it.”
Jolene can't help but scoff at this notion. “Yeah? What makes you so special?”
“Uh,” Scarlett scrunches her brow in confusion. “Everything...”
Jolene rolls her eyes and continues typing vigorously on her Blackberry. Scarlett sighs, knowing she can't compete with her sister's phone. I'm just going to wait until we’re home, Scarlett thinks, moving her little legs faster to keep up with Jolene’s pace. Mom will want to hear why I should be famous. I’ll probably have an agent by next week, then BOOM, I’m the next international pop star. Scarlett begins to strut down the street with her hands on her hips, periodically waving and blowing kisses to the imaginary photographers that line the street.
“Stop being a weirdo; Mom is expecting us back in 20 minutes.” Jolene always has a way of taking the fun out of, well, everything. Scarlett sticks her tongue out at her sister, adding a fart noise to punctuate her annoyance. Jolene’s phone buzzes once again, gaining her full attention. The girls continue their walk when Scarlett spots “Scoops,” her favorite ice cream shop.
“You know, Jo, we’re not that far away,” Scarlett stops abruptly, making her sister stop in her tracks. “I know for a fact we can get home in 10 minutes from this ice cream shop!” Scarlett casually points to the store next to her, just like she planned. Jolene rolls her eyes and glares at her sister. “You would know that.”
“I just so happen to have a five in my pocket; we have twenty minutes to get home… AND it’s only going to take ten minutes to get home, so….”
“We have ten minutes to get ice cream,” the girls say in unison. Scarlett with excitement, Jolene with disdain. Jolene lets out a big sigh, rolling her eyes. “Fine, I have a phone call I need to make anyway. But I swear to God, Scar, if we are late, you are taking the blame.” She continues to type on her phone as she takes a seat at one of the tables.
“Deal!” Scarlett smiles as she reaches for the handle of the door to the ice cream shop. “Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Scarlett makes her way into the shop, smiling at Sam, her favorite ice cream scooper. Sam is always kind and cheerful, and her scoops are noticeably bigger than Dave's. “Hi Scar!” Sam says with a giggle. “What can I get my best customer today? The usual?”
“Yes, please, and you know what,” she says, raising an eyebrow and flashing her $5 bill, “make it a double scoop!”
“Woah, big spender today. Where did you get that kind of money?” Sam’s eyes widen as she grabs a cone off of a tall stack.
“It was my birthday last week!” Scarlett excitedly bounces on her toes, remembering the celebration. “We had a party with all of my friends, and I got so many presents. I almost didn’t have time to open all of them. And then we had a bounce house. And then we had a dance party, and everyone chanted my name because I should be famous. And then I blew out the candles and made a wish. And then Danny threw up because he had too much cake. And then Mom decided that’s enough fun for the day.”
“Wow! That sounds like a great birthday,” Sam says, generously filling her scoop with mint chocolate chip and placing it on the cone. “How old are you now?”
“Eight,” Scarlett beams, mouth watering as she focuses her attention on the overflowing cone.
Sam nods. “Ah, makes sense. Only big kids get to walk to the ice cream shop by themselves.”
Scarlett furrows her brow in confusion. “No, I don’t. Jolene is just...” Scarlett points out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the shop. She can see the tables and chairs on the sidewalk, she can see a car pass by on the road. She can even see a couple walking on the other side of the street, but she can’t see Jolene. “Uh, my sister was just outside…”
A sinking feeling starts to take over Scarlett’s stomach, her mind racing with the possibilities. Did she go home without me? I’ve only been in here a few minutes… and Mom would be mad she left me. Maybe she is hiding so she can scare me? Wouldn’t be the first time… maybe she saw one of her friends and they…
“Are you ok?” Sam’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts. She turns back to Sam, seeing the reflection of her worry in Sam’s face.
“Um… I don’t know,” Scarlett says cautiously, unsure of what to do.
Sam takes a deep breath and sets the cone down, making her way to the front of the store to look out the door. Scarlett follows closely behind, using Sam as her shield. They both scan the area looking for any signs of Jolene. Sam takes a few steps onto the sidewalk, accidentally kicking a small object. “What’s this?” Sam asks as she bends over to pick it up. Scarlett's stomach turns to knots as she looks at the Blackberry in Sam’s hand. Jolene got that phone for her last birthday, and Scarlett hasn’t seen her without it since. She knows there is no way Jolene would have left without it, at least, not willingly. Scarlett's eyes welled up with tears at the thought.
Sam recognizes her fear and kneels down to be face to face with Scarlett. “Is this her phone?” Sam asks nervously. Scarlett warily nods as the tears begin to stream down her face. Sam’s face falls, understanding what Scarlett is thinking. She gently puts her hand on Scarlett's arm. “Let’s call your mom, ok?,” she says as she leads Scarlett back inside. Sam fiddles with Jolene’s phone, finding the contact “mom”, and lifts the phone up to her ear. As the phone rings Sam can see the fear in Scarlett’s eyes, fear that not even ice cream can fix. “Everything is going to be ok!” Sam says, not knowing how wrong she is. “Hello? Um, is this Scarlett’s mom?”
Sam’s conversation falls into the background as Scarlett holds back tears. She stares out the window where Jolene once stood hoping she will magically return. Maybe if I close my eyes. She squeezes her eyes closed making the built up tears overflow. Please, please, please. She opens her eyes to see the barren sidewalk, slumping back into the chair letting her fear set in and her tears pour out.
Sam hangs up the phone and turns to Scarlett. “Your mom is on her way, and she is calling the police now.” she kneels down to the overwhelmed little girl, having no clue how to make anything better. “Did you still want that ice cream?” Sam asks as she goes to retrieve the melting cone. With no answer she tips the ice cream into a bowl, grabs a spoon, and rushes it back to Scarlett. “On the house” Sam insists pushing it toward Scarlett, feeling helpless and fearing the little girl's smile would never return. With tears running down her face, Scarlett takes a big spoonful of the ice cream, and lifts it up just to plop it back down, slumping into her chair. Trying anything to help, Sam has a new idea. “Why don’t we distract ourselves until she gets here?” Sam asks, receiving a nod. “How about we count the cars going by. I bet she will be here by the time 15 cars go by, oh look, there’s one”
“Two” Scarlett whispers as a silver car goes by. “Three” Sam says, taking a seat on the floor next to the occupied chair.
Four
Five
Six
Seven
“Eight” Scarlett screams recognizing the car that had driven her all around town. “Mom!”

To start this it's important I say I'm a huge fan of The Click, So I'm a 16 from trans kid (17 in November) and my mom and I don't have a car so we get free trips to appointments from our insurance. Idk a lot but one day we were going to Walmart for my meds and I was on my period. Days prior I told her I was CRAVING hummus and Ritz crackers so when we went to the store she let me get hummus and crackers. Well I went and got my normal hummus but found something I had never seen... Chocolate hummus :0 it sounded awesome so now I'm holding two big things of hummus. Now from the front it's obvious I was born a woman. But from the back I'm a chubby boy. I remember in a few videos Click did a brief explanation on how to train your voice to be deeper so I being a genius train my voice. Now a man came up behind me and goes, "What's a kid like you need all that hummus? You don't need two big containers" so I having a perfect idea turned a bit to see him a bit and deepen my voice and this comes out my mouth "A growing boy needs his hummus" THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY WALKED AWAY GOING "Oh ok bye-" and he's gone to an isle away from the deli. Lady behind the counter is stifling her laughter. Thank you Click for your TraumatizeThemBack videos❤️❤️❤️

Hi!! I am new to writing, and I've got a great idea for a mystery/thriller. This is one of the first drafts of the first chapter, and I would love any feedback or critiques you have! I'm just looking to improve.
Scarlett is still full of excitement after her sleepover with her best friend. “Have you ever sung karaoke?” she asks her sister, who has just picked her up to walk her home. Jolene, engrossed in her phone, doesn't even hear the question. “No,” she replies bluntly. “Well, you should. It's amazing!” Scarlett beams. “You know, I always thought I should be famous, but now I know it.”
Jolene can't help but scoff at this notion. “Yeah? What makes you so special?”
“Uh,” Scarlett scrunches her brow in confusion. “Everything...”
Jolene rolls her eyes and continues typing vigorously on her Blackberry. Scarlett sighs, knowing she can't compete with her sister's phone. I'm just going to wait until we’re home, Scarlett thinks, moving her little legs faster to keep up with Jolene’s pace. Mom will want to hear why I should be famous. I’ll probably have an agent by next week, then BOOM, I’m the next international pop star. Scarlett begins to strut down the street with her hands on her hips, periodically waving and blowing kisses to the imaginary photographers that line the street.
“Stop being a weirdo; Mom is expecting us back in 20 minutes.” Jolene always has a way of taking the fun out of, well, everything. Scarlett sticks her tongue out at her sister, adding a fart noise to punctuate her annoyance. Jolene’s phone buzzes once again, gaining her full attention. The girls continue their walk when Scarlett spots “Scoops,” her favorite ice cream shop.
“You know, Jo, we’re not that far away,” Scarlett stops abruptly, making her sister stop in her tracks. “I know for a fact we can get home in 10 minutes from this ice cream shop!” Scarlett casually points to the store next to her, just like she planned. Jolene rolls her eyes and glares at her sister. “You would know that.”
“I just so happen to have a five in my pocket; we have twenty minutes to get home… AND it’s only going to take ten minutes to get home, so….”
“We have ten minutes to get ice cream,” the girls say in unison. Scarlett with excitement, Jolene with disdain. Jolene lets out a big sigh, rolling her eyes. “Fine, I have a phone call I need to make anyway. But I swear to God, Scar, if we are late, you are taking the blame.” She continues to type on her phone as she takes a seat at one of the tables.
“Deal!” Scarlett smiles as she reaches for the handle of the door to the ice cream shop. “Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Scarlett makes her way into the shop, smiling at Sam, her favorite ice cream scooper. Sam is always kind and cheerful, and her scoops are noticeably bigger than Dave's. “Hi Scar!” Sam says with a giggle. “What can I get my best customer today? The usual?”
“Yes, please, and you know what,” she says, raising an eyebrow and flashing her $5 bill, “make it a double scoop!”
“Woah, big spender today. Where did you get that kind of money?” Sam’s eyes widen as she grabs a cone off of a tall stack.
“It was my birthday last week!” Scarlett excitedly bounces on her toes, remembering the celebration. “We had a party with all of my friends, and I got so many presents. I almost didn’t have time to open all of them. And then we had a bounce house. And then we had a dance party, and everyone chanted my name because I should be famous. And then I blew out the candles and made a wish. And then Danny threw up because he had too much cake. And then Mom decided that’s enough fun for the day.”
“Wow! That sounds like a great birthday,” Sam says, generously filling her scoop with mint chocolate chip and placing it on the cone. “How old are you now?”
“Eight,” Scarlett beams, mouth watering as she focuses her attention on the overflowing cone.
Sam nods. “Ah, makes sense. Only big kids get to walk to the ice cream shop by themselves.”
Scarlett furrows her brow in confusion. “No, I don’t. Jolene is just...” Scarlett points out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the shop. She can see the tables and chairs on the sidewalk, she can see a car pass by on the road. She can even see a couple walking on the other side of the street, but she can’t see Jolene. “Uh, my sister was just outside…”
A sinking feeling starts to take over Scarlett’s stomach, her mind racing with the possibilities. Did she go home without me? I’ve only been in here a few minutes… and Mom would be mad she left me. Maybe she is hiding so she can scare me? Wouldn’t be the first time… maybe she saw one of her friends and they…
“Are you ok?” Sam’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts. She turns back to Sam, seeing the reflection of her worry in Sam’s face.
“Um… I don’t know,” Scarlett says cautiously, unsure of what to do.
Sam takes a deep breath and sets the cone down, making her way to the front of the store to look out the door. Scarlett follows closely behind, using Sam as her shield. They both scan the area looking for any signs of Jolene. Sam takes a few steps onto the sidewalk, accidentally kicking a small object. “What’s this?” Sam asks as she bends over to pick it up. Scarlett's stomach turns to knots as she looks at the Blackberry in Sam’s hand. Jolene got that phone for her last birthday, and Scarlett hasn’t seen her without it since. She knows there is no way Jolene would have left without it, at least, not willingly. Scarlett's eyes welled up with tears at the thought.
Sam recognizes her fear and kneels down to be face to face with Scarlett. “Is this her phone?” Sam asks nervously. Scarlett warily nods as the tears begin to stream down her face. Sam’s face falls, understanding what Scarlett is thinking. She gently puts her hand on Scarlett's arm. “Let’s call your mom, ok?,” she says as she leads Scarlett back inside. Sam fiddles with Jolene’s phone, finding the contact “mom”, and lifts the phone up to her ear. As the phone rings Sam can see the fear in Scarlett’s eyes, fear that not even ice cream can fix. “Everything is going to be ok!” Sam says, not knowing how wrong she is. “Hello? Um, is this Scarlett’s mom?”
Sam’s conversation falls into the background as Scarlett holds back tears. She stares out the window where Jolene once stood hoping she will magically return. Maybe if I close my eyes. She squeezes her eyes closed making the built up tears overflow. Please, please, please. She opens her eyes to see the barren sidewalk, slumping back into the chair letting her fear set in and her tears pour out.
Sam hangs up the phone and turns to Scarlett. “Your mom is on her way, and she is calling the police now.” she kneels down to the overwhelmed little girl, having no clue how to make anything better. “Did you still want that ice cream?” Sam asks as she goes to retrieve the melting cone. With no answer she tips the ice cream into a bowl, grabs a spoon, and rushes it back to Scarlett. “On the house” Sam insists pushing it toward Scarlett, feeling helpless and fearing the little girl's smile would never return. With tears running down her face, Scarlett takes a big spoonful of the ice cream, and lifts it up just to plop it back down, slumping into her chair. Trying anything to help, Sam has a new idea. “Why don’t we distract ourselves until she gets here?” Sam asks, receiving a nod. “How about we count the cars going by. I bet she will be here by the time 15 cars go by, oh look, there’s one”
“Two” Scarlett whispers as a silver car goes by. “Three” Sam says, taking a seat on the floor next to the occupied chair.
Four
Five
Six
Seven
“Eight” Scarlett screams recognizing the car that had driven her all around town. “Mom!”

This is something I felt I've long avoided, I haven't always felt this urge to speak up and show the truth. I kept holding back but i no longer want to avoid something that although i'm still learning i now know wasn't my fault. I will probably never know at what exact age it started but I truly believe as far as remembering was about six years old, I remember the house where my mother had just had my last sister so I know it was the year 2000. I fell asleep on the couch that night and i remember my parents having sex on the floor i woke up noticed and quickly closed my eyes what came next change my life forever my stepdad tapped my leg to wake me up and everytime i tried to close them he would do it again he made me watch and as disgusting as it may sound i remember the entire things and when i have flash backs it disgust me. Its all started there i'm not sure for how long that started before he actually started doing things to me. I truthfully can't say I remember every single time. I remember the first time he made me sucks his penis i dont recall my age but I do believe I was under 10, I was awakened in the middle of the night, pants pulled down and ready to go nonetheless. told me what to do and hit me until I got it ‘right’ until i accidently bit him and he got mad and smacked me and covered my mouth so I couldn't scream and walked away. This will get disgusting and gruesome. I hated myself always because at a young age I actually felt jealous ? My parents were disgusting people having sex at any time any place loud with no concerns for any of us which was six of of by the way. I would hear them and felt hurt like why is he doing this and i think once he realized it he was fed of it and enjoyed me feeling that type of way which by the way i realized was wrong but not my fault i dont think i was even out of elementary school at that point so please don't blame me trust me im disgusted with myself every single day. I hated him because not only would he molest me he would abuse my mother all the time and eventually turned into abusing me any time I tried to stand up to him and call the police. My step dad would punch and choke me up against the wall feet several inches off the floor until i almost pass out barely getting words out, the shameful part is i was willing to risk my life to save my mom and stop the abuse and would go until my last breathe but i know realize she would never do the same for me, that shit hurts always. I recall one night i was forced to stay up late with them as they drank and would force alcohol on me at the time thinking how cool and they made me play strip poker with them and i must of been so drunk maybe 8 or 9 years old my pants and panties being pulled down and hearing him tell he to do it as disgusting as it sounds and how everytime i think about it making my skin crawl could remember her cold tongue hit my vagina and lick it and then after a while they got on the floor and had sex while i layed there on my bunk bed bottom one by the way i don't think anyone was in the room with us but i honestly couldn't tell you. Since that time I couldn't recall too many times but I'm sure as the story goes on I will remember things to please be patient. I want to be honest but I don't want to wreck myself by getting the courage to speak my truth. 2009 My mom was arrested for fraud she commited back in 1990’s thats when to me i felt like things got really bad, I had a boyfriend and i wasnt aloud to see him well anyways i had to drop out of school i had pretty much just started 9th grade and had to leave school to take care of the kids the home and the company and also be a translator for my step dad. The prime of my anxiety and depression. I was always scared and on edge, that first night that my mom was locked away he made me sleep in his room with him. I was forced to do oral intercourse on him and when i started to refuse he pin me into the corner and punched me in my face and body until i started to see black and remember waking up randomly in the middle of the night when i came to and layed in bed which by the way he was already asleep didn't even care to make sure i wasn't dead and now to think of it i will never really know if he took advantage of me while i was knocked out. I still had to wake up at 6 am to get siblings ready for school and make breakfast and lunch for us for a long day at work. After that it was pretty much the same thing everyday. I was made to take the place of my mother and take the role of mother for the kids and his ‘wife’. Every single day was hell, I was always scared, scared for the kids to leave to school for them to leave me alone at night. It was so bad, I cried every day to my mom about when she would get out because I was so drained physically, mentally and emotionally. One day he was so frustrated i remember us being in the bathroom and him getting mad i didnt want to do anything so he said you know what im tired of this shit im just going to fuck you and put me on to the counter top. I let out a loud scream which scared him and he walked out. I walked out and into the kitchen that day and grabbed a huge knife and said God, I'm done im so sorry please take care of my siblings. I went and grabbed a huge kitchen knife and went for my veins and started going back and forth saying please God please just let me fucking die pushing the knife down hard and it not cutting even a little. After that my mental health went spiraling down i couldn't control anything i was so tired about five months later my mother finally got of of jail we moved and for a little while things seem to be getting better i feel like it would only happen when we were left alone so i tried hard to avoid it i started telling my siblings please i know you don't understand but please don't leave us alone. My mother didn't care she had to ‘go to the store’ and could take everyone but me. It hurt so bad at that point I felt like I was pawned off to him. I am so alone. I feel so alone and I'm so sad. I want to be heard and I want to be seen. I don't want him to hold power over me anymore. He can't hurt me anymore i dont have to be silenced anymore. Sadly I wasn't just molested by my step dad. I'll do a quick dive into those as I don't recall it all mostly because it didn't last as long. The shortest ones being a women babysitter my parents would drop us off with she use to take me in the bathroom with her naked and make me watch her masturbate and would touch my body i don't know what she did to my younger brother but she would take him into the bathroom to so i would offer myself to avoid him being exposed to my understanding it was about a handful of times she did anything to him. There isn't much I remember about her since it was always the same but I hate that I always have that image in my head when I think back on it. My baby sister's GodFather’s brother molested me for what I would think was about a year and this one was tricky. I hate to admit it now but I found him attractive. I believe he was barely legal in age even though I had to be about 10 to 11 years old. He would make me cuddle him on the couch while he rubbed against me and touched himself, mostly made me kiss him and let him touch me. It felt ‘easier’ compared to my stepdad until one day he made me ‘ride’ him without penetration until he wanted to penetrate and I begged him not to. I was scared and he punched me and the face and thighs until he threw me off him across the room. I couldn't even tell you what happened after that. I just remember one day my parents fighting with GodParents and us moving. I thought they found out and ‘protected’ me. A Little of the topic can you believe up to about 2 years ago when telling them that they were surprised and angry, I didn't tell them sooner as if my step dad wasn't doing it himself and my mom was fully aware. Honestly, what scum of the earth my parents are. I was always afraid and made to feel guilty for letting it happen for too long being told I wanted it or why didn't I stop it sooner as if i didnt ty time and time again. As I got older it all got worse he saw me as a grown lady. I hated that I had to do ‘favors’ in order to get basic necessities and being able to go out with my sisters to parties , go to the mall hand out with friends and such

There is a lady in my zone who has an old rather crappy looking Ford Explorer and obviously the AC no longer works. It was 106° today. I know everyone tries to make a living but I’m thinking about the frozen foods and perishables inside a car that is well over 100°. She is a nice lady and of course I wouldn’t say anything, and obviously the loaders see it too. But soon it will be 110+ every day and that’s gotta take a toll on food. I thought maybe she was putting the food into coolers but they are just older plastic bins to keep things from flying around the vehicle.
I don’t believe Spark has a policy for needing AC as they probably didn’t even consider super hot temperatures. But I wonder what would happen if someone from management came to observe. I have a couple of old coolers that I don’t use and I was thinking of giving them to her but I’m not sure it would do any good if the coolers are as hot as an oven from the heat. It might even be worse.
I feel bad for both sides of the equation. I feel bad that she has to drive in this heat with no air conditioning. But I also feel for the customers who might not be happy with melted ice cream. It’s just a sad situation situation.

My experience as a patient at Cherry Hill Women’s Center NJ with a D&E abortion at 13w6d pregnant.
TLDR; very very kind staff, clean environment, professional clinic setup, 4 hour process, overall great experience as a patient.
My backstory: I’m over 30, married for over 10 years and have never had a pregnancy before. I have always been told by my doctors that i would never be able to get pregnant. I’m on multiple medications that can cause severe birth defects and i was not aware that i was pregnant until i was 12w5d. I had no idea how far along i may have been because i didn’t note any pregnancy symptoms except for tender nipples and vomiting a week prior to taking a test. I have always had a very inconsistent period and had frequent spotting on a regular basis. I had an US done & measured at 13w0days & was able to schedule this procedure for 6 days later so this abortion was done at 13w6days.
Emotionally this was very hard for me. I reconciled the fact that i would never be pregnant as a very young teenager. My husband and I decided not to pursue having children at the very beginning of our relationship and he still does not want to be a father. Initially I was very afraid to tell him that i was pregnant because i was afraid that him knowing i was pregnant would change his feelings about having children and that he would hate me for taking this away from him. I’m very fortunate in that he was resolute in his decision to not have children and he’s been absolutely incredible through this whole process. He said he would support me if i wanted to keep it but my medical reasons for wanting to terminate were valid and he was in full agreement that life is hard enough and intentionally bringing a deformed/disabled child into the world when life is already so hard just wasn’t the choice for us. He has been my absolute rock through all of this.
I did a lot of research prior to my appointment and I’m not going to lie, there are a lot of bad reviews on google that had me extremely nervous, making me feel like i was going to be walking into a back alley abortion and i was terrified that i wouldn’t be able to bring my husband with me for this whole experience. There is so much anti abortion propaganda out there and there are a lot of videos designed to make you feel like you are a bad person for “murdering babies” and trying to scare you out of going forward with the procedure, but if this procedure is the right decision for you, this place is the right choice to go to. Everyone is kind and professional and understanding. Not once was i made to feel like i was a bad person or making the wrong decision. I was met with understanding and support every step of the way. It is completely normal to be scared or emotional going into this. I have been a healthcare professional for over 10 years and am very familiar with preop/post op procedures and patient care and i was still very scared going into this appointment.
Scheduling experience: I used their online appointment request tool on a Sunday and Monday afternoon i got a text with a link for a hipaa compliant chat. I chatted with a very nice lady who was able to schedule me for the following Saturday. I wasn’t given any information other than to not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before and to be at the clinic at 8am Saturday. No one called, texted, or emailed any further instructions after that chat communication.
This is where my feedback for them to improve comes in. They really need to make it clear what to expect the day of the appointment: that we will not be able to have a support person come in with us because only the patients can be in the waiting room for safety purposes. They should be highlighting the process of the day with the multiple back and forth trips from the waiting room to the back and the different steps to expect. It would have been nice to know i would do paper work then wait then US and blood and vitals then wait then nurse for the history & going over the procedure then wait then the payment then wait then come to the back for preop and talk to the doctor then wait in preop then the operative area for the procedure then what to expect for the post op experience.
Clinic experience: Upon arriving to the clinic, the protesters on the front sidewalk were SO very nice to make the driveway more visible. -___- Unfortunately nothing can be done to remove them from a public walkway. The security guard comes to the door when you pull in to ensure you arrive inside safely. Please don’t let them deter you, don’t even look at them or acknowledge them.
I was greeted by the very kind security guard who had my escort sign me in and then i entered the office by myself.
The receptionist was very kind and provided me with my paperwork to fill out. The office was clean and quiet. After about 45 minutes i was taken back by a very kind employee (sweetest kindest human being ever with such a calming energy) who did my ultrasound and vital signs and did a finger stick to check my hemoglobin level and rH factor of my blood. I was then taken back to the waiting room for the next step.
30 minutes later i was taken back to speak with the nurse to go over my health history, medications, birth control options, and the procedure. The financial planner then came in and took my payment (we paid cash $750 for the sedated D&E, $65 for the depo shot we are fortunate to have the income to cover the costs but they do offer financial assistance ask the scheduler about it if you need it)& i was escorted back to the waiting room.
20 minutes later i was taken back by the first employee (the literal angel on earth, so so kind) who did my ultrasound earlier to talk with the Dr, who was also very nice, and i was given cytotec to place between my gums and cheeks to soften my cervix and prepare me for the procedure. I was then taken to the preop/postop area to put a gown cap and booties on, they let you keep your own socks on and it’s chilly in there so i recommend doing it. They put me in a recliner chair with a blanket and then about an hour after getting the cytotec, the nurse started an iv & gave me zofran since i was feeling nauseous. At this point i was having weird stretching bloating feelings in my uterus area with moderate to strong cramps, which i assume was the cytotec softening everything & dilating my cervix. I noted the post op nurses were very kind to the patients the whole time and met the loopy antics of the other women waking up from sedation with good humor and kindness.
The operative nurses wheeled me back to the procedure room in the recliner chair I was in and I was taken in to the procedure room and met the anesthetist and operative nurses. They helped me get situated on the procedure table and then the next thing i remembered was waking up in my recliner chair in the preop/post op area. They took me back at 10:45 and i woke up in the post op area at 11:12.
The post op nurse said i stood and sat in the chair on my own from the table to in the operative area as they don’t lift anyone there but i don’t remember anything between being positioned on the procedure table before the procedure and waking up in the chair in post op. The post op nurse gave me the depo provera shot i previously decided to take with the first nurse and helped me to the bathroom to get changed back into my clothes.
I felt moderate cramping, similar to period cramps on a heavy flow day, and had a good amount of bleeding and small clots present in the toilet. I came prepared and brought female pull-ups and pads so i put those on. My husband arrived to pick me up and the post op nurse gave me a 1x dose of antibiotics to prevent infections and went over discharge education. They escorted me out to the car and i was on my way home. I took 800mg Motrin as soon as i got in the car.
They had the security guard still at the front door and then a clinic escort in the parking lot keeping the protesters off the property and on the sidewalk.
I arrived for my 8:00 appointment at 7:30 and was in the car on my way home by 11:30. By the time we got close to our home 45 minutes later the Motrin had me feeling well enough to have a meal with my husband at the local diner.
It’s now 8 hours after we got home and i feel mild cramping after taking another dose of 800 mg Motrin. I would say the discharge is similar to a heavy flow day with small clots. My lower abdomen is visibly bloated but not very tender to the touch. (Until my husband wasn’t thinking and set Wawa bags with a half gallon of milk in them on my lap/lower abdomen -_-) I have a weighted heating pad and I’ve had it laying across my abdomen since i got home and it’s been so helpful for the mild to moderate discomfort I’ve had.
Timeline of events:
0730 arrived, security very nice, receptionist very nice 0815- taken back for US, VS, finger stick. Ultrasound tech very nice. 0845- nurse - history, procedure review, birth control planning. very nice and informative 0900- financial counselor very nice 0920- brought back by first US tech to see the Dr, cytotec inserted in cheeks 0930 changed into gown put in preop recliner chair, curtain dividers 1000- preop nurses very kind, playing fun music, joking with patients during their postop grogginess 1030- iv inserted 1045- took back to the procedure room 1112- procedure done, in recovery, got depo shot, iv taken out, got dressed 1130- discharge education and went home. Moderate period like cramping.
Recommendations: - ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable, they will take the time to answer them - It’s normal to be nervous but you don’t need to be afraid to come here. Everyone was kind, understanding, and professional there. - Your decision is the right decision. Period. No one else gets to make it for you. - It doesn’t matter if you are young or older, single or married, have no children or already have 10 children, this decision is yours and your rights - Hydrate well the night before. I made it a point to drink several liquid IV’s late the night before knowing i couldn’t have anything to eat or drink after midnight. It will be very hard for the nurses to get an IV in your vein if you are very dehydrated, the more you drink the night before, the better your veins will be. - Bring your own pads or even female pull ups whatever you prefer. They do supply you pads but they’re the big huge thick ones that most people hate. - Have Motrin ready to take as soon as you’re done. - Get a heating pad for afterwards it really is soothing. - Walk as much as you can, it helps with the pain and swelling and helps get the clots out. - Firmly massage over your uterus area it will help get the clots out and help your uterus shrink back down to size faster. - If your BMI is over 40 they won’t be able to do an asleep abortion there since they don’t have advanced airway management there. You’re a higher risk of respiratory depression during sedation when you’re overweight. I wasn’t aware of this until i talked with the history nurse. Luckily i was right at 40 and the anesthetist cleared me. - If you need to be sedated they will make you have someone sign you in and sign you out. But they can’t come inside and wait with you. You cannot drive yourself. - They’re going to tell you not to put anything in your vagina for 1 week post op- no tampons, menstrual cups, no sex, nothing internally placed. Also no swimming or sitting in a bathtub for a week. This is all to prevent infection. You want the drainage to drain and not build up bacteria inside you. - You are going to be more fertile after the procedure. It can take 4 weeks to get your period again, you can get pregnant before you have a period, use birth control! They don’t do IUD insertions there so consider getting birth control pills or the depo shot while you’re there.

Hi! I've posted this in a few sub already so I hope some of you didn't already see this but I'm trying to get as many sides and opinions as possible as everyone in my personal life is on split on this. I'm sorry if this is hard to follow English isn't my first language.
So I (M19) got my brother (M25) a new car. Which seems innocent enough but it's actually something I've always wanted to do for him.
For context my brother sacrificed his entire life so he could raise my siblings and I. He worked multiple jobs so he could pay for rent, give us food and get us into the sports we wanted. He gave up a scholarships because he wanted to stay near us so we wouldn't have to go into the system like he had too.
I'm the youngest out of siblings so he is practically done "raising" us. He doesn't have to pay for mine since I got a pretty good scholarship and I'm working a really internship that pays really well.
So I had an idea with my brother (M20) to get him a new car. His is really a 2007 and it runs down all the time and since he drives a lot for work I thought it would be good to get him a new one.
It's nothing flashly it's a 2020 Audi. I got a pretty good deal since it was a guy from the internship who sold it to me.
I took my brother out for dinner and near the end I said a little speech about how he is truly an amazing brother and he deserves the world and more, and that's when I asked him to come outside with me so I could show him the new car..
He just kinda stood there in disbelief,looked at me and said "what the fuck is this for?" my sister chimmed in and said it's for everything he's ever done for us and he just said "I never asked for this, I just did what anyone else would do that situation". I told him that "every kid wants to show their parents that they love them and appreciate them and they want their parents to rest now they are done with raising them"
He just sighed and said "I get the sentiments but I'm not your dad. I don't wanna be a dad. I just wanna move on okay? I don't deserve a standing ovation because I did what every single "parent" every single day without complaint I signed up to be your guardian because I love you and you deserve a good life. Not because I wanted to live off your success and money. If you want the car then keep it but it's not mine. I have a car." And he stormed off before I could say anything else
His Girlfriend apologized to me for his behaviour and said that he is just having a hard time lately. Which I get he is Bipolar (type 1 if it matters) and I understand that sometimes he says and does things that he doesn't mean.
A lot of you are parentified children who also had to raise your younger siblings can you tell me if what I said/did wrong? If you were him what would you prefer instead? Please be honest with me.
I feel like a hug isn't enough for the sacrifices you guys have made. I know a lot of you guys lost out on entire childhoods because of us as younger siblings and like I said before are basically parents and it's normal for "kids" to wanna take care of their "parents". I will 100% apologize to him if I am but I just need to know first. So many times he went without so we could have stuff like he would give us his winter clothes even if that meant he would freeze, he would go to bed hungry so we could eat. I just wanted to give him something nice so he could enjoy his life after working so hard for entire life. He's only 25 and he's already been through the stress of a 50 year old man. Thank you if you read this far . I'll answer any questions. Thank you 💚

So I bought a mk4 2005 1.8t gti recently and it’s been pushing close to 20 psi on boost and I’ve consulted lots of other VW people and they also can’t figure out why boost is that high when stock it goes limp close to like 15 if I remember correctly. Someone suggested today it could have a flashed ecu and upgraded internals since the car sounds brand new and doesn’t leak at like 253k miles. The cowel under the hood also looks like it’s been messed with bc it’s bent and the plastic is all cracked up. I was just wondering if in any way that could be possible or there’s another explanation behind this lol.

I want to take you back to the so called 'dream'/date sequence you experience with Aerith in Chapter 14 -
In three different points, you're forced into a multiple choice scenario with the bracelet guy, food stall lady, and the photographer. They all seem pretty random, but in my opinion they're directly tied to the three games which make this remake series. Think about it this way - in each game you're proposed multiple different outcomes, but nonetheless, the end result is always the same (like the dream date choices). Of course, we have no third game to go off of, but so far that statement runs true. Despite defeating the whispers, the party continued on their course to Kalm just as they would, and in Rebirth, Aerith ultimately dies. Despite all the complaints, nearly every main story beat that should have happened has.
I've been watching Joshiepoo's videos on yt (strongly recommend you watch his stuff if you enjoyed the game, some of the best deep dives Ive seen yet), and he talks about how the 'multiple worlds' must be viewed from a thematic, metaphysical point of view, instead of being compared to generic Marvel multiverses. I believe people have been thinking about the new plot additions in the wrong way completely. Apart from anything, have we not been anticipating what SE might do in these upcoming sequels? Might Aerith be saved, or the ending be different? I believe SE have added all this to imitate the feelings players might have felt all the way back in 1997 - even right now, the confusion we have towards Aerith's 'death' at the end of Rebirth - players spent years searching for ways to bring her back, out of denial. And now Cloud is a direct parallel to these people at the end of Rebirth, his broken mind not being able to accept Aerith's death. Perhaps this is exactly how he reacted in the OG game, we couldn't see it from our third person perspective, the water burial scene may have flashed before his eyes. That last bit was speculative, but Cloud's reaction is perfectly in character, the grief will come later, and this could lead to a much more hard hitting scene in the third game when he comes to terms with Aerith dying.
The point being, you shouldnt worry about the 'multiverse' leading to 12 different Cloud's defeating Sephiroth with the power of friendship, it serves mostly to stir emotion and anticipation similar to the OG game. Sure, Zack being in a parallel world might be due to a slither of fan service, but there's a reason he's had no influence on the main storyline so far. The new story edition's are so unique and it amazes me how far they've gone with this game, it doesn't just feel like a normal remake at all, they're replicating the mindset you would have had nearly 3 decades ago, and it annoys me that people are only seeing the negatives.
As for the final game, we still don't know, but I think if the dream scene is anything to go off of, I'm sure we'll still get to see the main plot points in high res just as we wanted. I do think the new reunion, multiple 'dream worlds' and Zack additions won't be for nothing though, but I wont be surprised if they end the game in the exact same spot as they did, pre advent children (perhaps with a more fleshed out, hard hitting conclusion), or maybe they even go down the Maximiliandood theory route, and loop back all the way to the first cutscene in the game, the bombing mission, with the timeline corrected and untainted. But whatever route they choose to go down, this new-found anticipation of what could be (which would not exist if this was a 1:1 remake), will keep me posted, and excited to learn of new theories and info in the run up to the final part.