Printable toilet signs

Thanks, Management

2019.02.25 19:50 TerraTorment Thanks, Management

A subreddit about the thousand petty dictators that we live under in a supposed liberal democracy.
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2014.06.26 03:41 The face blindness subreddit

Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. Some estimates suggest as many as 1 in 50 people are born with the condition. This is a casual community for face blind redditors (and their loved ones) to discuss life with face blindness!
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2015.02.24 17:11 LanceWackerle Virtual immersion for students of the Japanese language

This sub is for people to share Japanese language that they have encountered in their everyday life (signs, advertisements, etc.) to benefit students of the language.
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2024.05.22 04:34 Low_Cranberry7716 I guess I’ll just stop watching

This is just brutal.
We’re going into year five of the rebuild and we’re significantly worse now and still trending down. We have none of the things you would expect a rebuilding team to have at this point. We don’t have an abundance of draft capital to build out the roster or use in trades. We haven’t put together an impressive core of young talent, at least not relative to what other rebuilding teams have done over the same timeframe. We’ve made zero transformative trades or signings. We haven’t figured out the coaching situation.
It’s just a bunch of things that don’t make sense alone and make even less sense together. Did the Grant signing help us at all? Did we really give up four second round picks for less than a full season of Marvin Bagley? Why sign an exorbitantly expensive coach to a whole-ass six year contract when you have nothing figured out at all and your team is terrible?
And the Killian thing, which I realize is kind of a dead horse at this point but it still really bothers me. He was the seventh pick in a decent draft and we might as well have thrown it in the toilet. Three years of development and minutes wasted, and at the end he was so bad that no-one else wanted him. As a small market team we need value out of our picks, and that was a net negative.
This Pistons shit is bleak, yo.
submitted by Low_Cranberry7716 to DetroitPistons [link] [comments]


2024.05.22 02:33 myTwelfAccount Race report: 5k, goal: beat high school PR

30F
Running history
Ran cross country in high school. 4K PR 17:29 (7:02/mile), 3 mile PR 22:03 (7:21/mile). I didn't do any training in the off season.
Annoyingly, I never actually raced a 5K during high school cross country. We did one three mile race each year, the rest of our races were 4K's.
Started running again April 2023 to train for a sprint triathlon.
Mileage by Month Graph
https://imgur.com/a/TRItqf8
Race results
Month Race Type Time Weather Notes
April 2023 5K 24:59 (8:02/mile average) 30 degrees, 17 mph NW wind, 86% humidity Negative splits. Felt good, didn't take this too seriously.
June 2023 3 miles 23:01 (7:40/mile average) 70 degrees, 7 mph S wind, 56% humidity Positive splits. Very hard, didn't feel great.
August 2023 5k, part of a sprint triathlon 23:23 (7:31/mile average) 70 degrees, cloudy, 3 mph wind NW, 73% humidity Negative splits. Hard but felt good. Garmin measured this course as short. Garmin 5K time is 23:53 (I kept running after crossing the finish).
November 2023 5 mile trail 42:27 (8:29/mile average) 39 degrees, 14 mph SSE wind, 65% humidity Positive splits. Very hard. Garmin recorded this as 5.20 miles. Took three week off from training in September due to a vacation.
May 2024 Goal 5K
After the November five miler, I settled on a new goal: beat my high school running performance. I decided to define this as running a 5K at a pace equivalent to my three mile PR in high school. This equals a 5K time of 22:35.
In December, I added kettlebell strength training twice a week. I upped my mileage and ran six days a week. Generally, I ran three easy six mile days, one easy 8 mile, one easy long run between 10-14 miles, and two workouts a week. The workouts were usually one hill, and the other was usually tempo or intervals. Generally my typical easy running pace was anywhere from 9:20-10:30/mile. I probably ran some intervals and hills too hard. I also didn't dedicate enough time to warm ups or cool downs.Garmin VO2 max increased to 52 in December and 53 in March. Finally, I signed up for a May 2024 5K race.
Last 11 weeks of weekly mileage: 44, 45, 47, 46, 20 (vacation), 42, 41, 38, 28, 29 (vacation half this week), 18 (vacation half this week).
I mostly avoided injury. There was a week I did two hard workouts on consecutive days, and that left my knee hurting for about a week, but thankfully I recovered. I also occasionally struggled with a side stitch/pain on my right side.
Lessons learned: it got really hard to prioritize running and workouts during vacation, and as the weather got nicer in my area I started to get busier too. I think my training peaked too early and tapered off too strongly.
I did get a Garmin 5K PR of 23:26 on a 4/30 training run which left me feeling confident. The workout was 5 1K's with two minute rest in between, and I ran the 1K's at the following paces: 7:11, 7:07, 7:00, 6:55, 6:42. However, a different workout the next week left me demoralized after it was much harder than I anticipated.
Race Day
The few days leading up to the race, I was quite nervous. A big concern of mine was peeing my pants. This happened during my high school three mile PR. At that time I was also on my period, so I was hoping to write off the experience as a weird one off related to menstruation. I was also quite worried about getting a debilitating side stitch, as that happened during one of my last few training runs. I focused on drinking a lot of water in the few days leading up to the race, as I theorized the side stitch came on due to dehydration. I slept well the week of the race.
Race day weather: 65 degrees, 12 mph SSE wind, 73% humidity.
Woke up at 6:30 AM and ate some bites of sweet potato and a smoothie made from tart cherries, beets, and cocoa. Listened to the Kendrick-Drake diss tracks to pump me up. I leisurely biked the three miles to the start of the race. I ran 3/4 of a mile for a warm up and did some dynamic movements to warm up. Used the porta potty twice, including just minutes before the race. Had to cut through nearly a thousand people to get near the start. Race started at 8:45 AM.
I decided to aim for a pace of 7:08 and see how that felt. I chose this pace mostly based on the 5 1000 meter workout I did a few weeks before. I ended the first mile at 7:07. It felt hard but manageable. Same for the second mile, where I ended at 7:08.
However, I fell apart a bit during the third mile. I really slowed down for about 2 minutes and 15 seconds, bottoming out at a pace of 8:15 per mile. Seeing that really demoralized me. My breathing was labored, and I started to feel a pain on my right side and general stomach discomfort. I was able to bring up my pace for a minute, but then I had another slower minute. During this time, there were two runners ahead of me. I think one was coaching the other - and she started to encourage me too. I sped up to run with them and stayed with them for a few minutes. I ran past some friends who were cheering me on, and I couldn't even manage a smile or to notice their sign. I ended the third mile with a split of 7:28. My husband was following along via bike and he could tell I really struggled in that third mile. He said it looked like I wasn't breathing and he could hear me gasping for air.
I didn't think it was possible, but once my watch buzzed for the third mile, I surged. Maybe it was desperation for the race to be over. My pace the last .10 of the mile was 6:34. I started to feel something strange in the pelvic region, but kept my pace.
Time: 22:34
Once I crossed the finish line, I peed. Couldn't control it at all. It felt like it was more than a leakage, but it also didn't dribble down my leg.
I felt terrible for a good 10-15 minutes. had to lay down. Really wanted to just sit on a toilet, but since my only option was the porta potty, I declined. Suddenly though, I felt better. I regained my strength, cheered on a friend who was finishing a longer race, and went on to have a busy Saturday complete with another 17 miles of (leisurely) biking.
Soreness was minimal. Saturday I swore that was my last race.
Now I'm thinking, how do I get below 22 minutes? I think I'll aim for a fall race and try using a Pfitzinger plan.
but first - I shall find a pelvic floor PT.
submitted by myTwelfAccount to AdvancedRunning [link] [comments]


2024.05.22 00:01 ikieneng My fanfiction - episode 4!

My fanfiction - episode 4!
The next part is here! This episode is so long that I had to split it, and today, you're finally getting part 3 of 3.
You can find the previous episodes in the side bar! (Community info page in the app)
DISCLAIMERS (the same ones as before)
The point of this fanfiction is not to be a straight-up continuation of events with the same themes, intensity, and tone. If you go into it with those expectations, you are probably not going to like it. Rather, it’s supposed to be how I wish things went if these events were real life. The resolution you want for a real-life situation isn’t often the right choice for a show, but it can be incredibly beautiful. Think of what you’re about to read to be a separate show then.
Episode 1 of this fanfiction begins after the episode “2:00” (season 2 episode 4), so it replaces the episode “Cake” and the ones that follow it. This fanfiction expects you to have seen the entirety of seasons 1 and 2, so you should watch those first.
I myself am bursting into the story here. The narrator and me are the same. While my character is like 95% real me, don’t take events about my life described here as facts. Some aspects of my life have been changed for the story. In my head, I started writing like an “alternate me” character in 2016, fulfilling a lot of the things that I wish I had in life, adding that to my story. I’m not really from Ukraine. I speak fluent Ukrainian as a foreign language, I started learning it in 2014, and I’ve talked to tons of people from there, but I’m not from Ukraine. I also don’t have as much money as I do in the story. I wish lmao.
If you want to post your own fanfiction, feel free to do so! To get your own post flair for your fanfic, and to appear in the side bar, please message me.

Part 3 (days 3 and 4)

We’d wake up on day three, and still, nothing would be any different - we’re still locked up. We’d both feel really worried not knowing if we’ll have to forfeit our whole plan because we might run out of food and water and take the risky route - calling the police and getting ourselves into a situation where we’d have to be freed by force, which would be so dangerous because the Turners have proven that there’s nothing they’re not prepared to do to us to “get Jericho back”. Leanne would ask me “What do we do if we call the police, and Mrs. Turner comes up here and tries to hurt us?” At first, I’d insist that we start thinking about that when we do run out of food the next day, but she’d insist we should come up with a plan. I’d point at the corner on the edge of the attic facing Spruce Street, the corner that’s to one’s right when coming up into the attic,
https://preview.redd.it/knoz0zwpou1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd1694f292bb546ea45339ebecea7ffacfe33541
and say “Then you’d curl up and hide over there, and I’d take the radio, you’d take the metronome, and I’d sit down in front of you, shielding you, and if she gets in here before the cops do, we’ll defend ourselves. And we’d record everything on my phone. And we should probably hide behind the sofa. Maybe then, she might not notice we’re still up here at first. She’d probably be in a state of panic.” She’d look at me with sad, but touched eyes and just hug me and say thank you. I’d reply “Of course”. After some silence, I’d tell her “If anything happens to me… Please bring me back”.

She’d be touched by that, but say that if she reanimates me, the Church of Lesser Saints will come after ME as well because they’ll believe that I’ll be obligated to join. With a worried smile, I’d say “I know... But they’re probably already gonna do that, right? Because I won’t let them get to you!” We’d both nod with the same half-happy, half-worried expression. “And if things go terribly wrong and you have to bring me back, we can try again!”

I’d ask if I’m getting it right that the “great sins” they think she’s committing are not spending time with the Church and helping another family from the one that was assigned to her. She’d say yes and add that there’s a lot more they hate her for, like her “disobedient and rebellious streak”, disobeying their instructions, putting curses on people, and now, leaving the Marinos.
https://preview.redd.it/4obn4r9uou1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1e77adafbde221c320999ba1169adb0a1c6b2b17
After a few seconds of silence (out of shock that this is how the Church of Lesser Saints frames it), I’d be like “If you disobey so many of their instructions, then...”, look her directly in the eyes, and go “Good! Keep on disobeying them! I’m actually kind of stunned that this is how they frame your actions, because that is so manipulative. Wanting to have a life where you don’t have to worry about your every step being watched and controlled, where you can actually freely explore what you believe – not what they tell you to believe, but what YOU believe, where you can do totally normal human things like listen to music, and where you can go wherever you want and make some basic decisions for yourself and work wherever you want, that doesn’t make you...” (doing the “quote-on-quote” with my hands while I say it) “quote-on-quote ‘disobedient’ or ‘rebellious’, it makes you a normal human being. If they forbid every little thing that people do that makes you happy, if you then look for happiness elsewhere, that’s on them. You can’t take every bit of joy away from people and then expect them to just deal with it. You wanting to run away, that’s the logical result of their bullshit. And you didn’t ‘leave’ the Marinos, you were taken. Don’t let them think you’re at fault in any way!” She might have never heard any verbal confirmation before that her feelings about leaving are valid, and this would be so reassuring to her. She’d tell me that whenever she did things like not be there for meals at the Church, skip assemblies, or curse people without permission, she would be brought before May and the rest of the community, get questioned about her behavior, and she’d have to self-flagellate to receive forgiveness.
https://preview.redd.it/roex7c20pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=32cecf94a41a97e66b1c74967cb074ca89321777
I’d go really still and quiet when she mentions the self-flagellation, which she’d then explain is a frequent punishment. That would freaking break my heart... I’d ask her when was the last time she hurt herself, and it was a little less than two weeks ago, before she was forced to leave the Turners. Very carefully and quietly, I’d ask her if it would be okay if she can show me her scars and add “You do NOT have to if you’re not comfortable, PLEASE don’t do it if you’re not”, and after a second, she’d nod and show me her back. My heart would break for her even more seeing her scars, I’d just express how horrible it is that they made her do that… I’d show her some of my cut wounds from when I self-harmed, which I hadn’t done in like three and a half years at that point. I’d want her to know that way that I get the urge, that I really do, but I’d tell her that hurting oneself achieves nothing. All it does is make you feel horrible mentally and physically, and every time you do it, there’s a risk of infection and even death. I’d just tell her I understand while taking her in my arms. I’d ask her to please look me in the eyes and tell me she won’t hurt herself again, and that when she feels like doing it again, to please talk to me first. She’d quietly say “I promise” while looking me in the eyes, and after some longer embraces, we’d both smile a bit, that would make me really happy to hear! I’d ask that when we’re out of here, if we can call a doctor sometime soon and get them to look at her scars to make sure none of them are infected, if she’s comfortable enough, and she’d nod and smile at me a little bit some more.

We’d eat after that. We’d run out of tomato soup that meal, and I’d tell her that when we’re getting out of there, I’d get her all the tomato soup in the world! “We’re gonna fill a whole hotel fridge with tomato soup!” “And with Ben & Jerry’s?”, she’d ask, and I’d say yes and say that we’re probably gonna need more than one fridge. I’d say we’re gonna pick the nicest and most expensive hotel to stay at, an idea that she’d love! “You still think Allentown is a good idea?”, I’d ask her, and she’d think my reasoning from the day before makes sense and say yes. We’d look for the nicest hotel in Allentown online and see that there are “only” three-star hotels in Allentown. Leanne would ask if getting such an expensive place to stay is really okay, and I’d say “Money is not an issue, don’t worry about it” while reaching across her back and like caressing her right shoulder, looking her in the eyes, and smiling. “And besides, let’s spoil you, you fucking deserve it after all this!” We wouldn’t book anything yet because we wouldn’t know when we can get out of there yet, but looking at all those insanely nice hotels would lift our spirits a bit.

After eating the first half of that day’s rations (only two half day’s rations would be left after that…), we’d think that it would probably be a good idea if we started writing the document for the police right now. Writing it can take hours upon hours, and there’s no point in delaying the rescue to write the document after I leave if we can do it right now, so we’d begin right that moment. It would begin something like “My name is Daria Horenko, born July 30, 1999 in Odesa, Ukraine, residing in 501 Pembroke Ave, Philadelphia 19050, Pennsylvania...” (I don’t live there. I have no idea who does. Please leave them alone lmao) “...I sent this statement to my Facebook friend Liam [...] (residing in Tipperary, Ireland, using Facebook as Liam [...]) as a PDF file and told him to call the Philadelphia police and read this statement to them if I don’t come back online and confirm that I’m okay by 10 PM Philadelphia time / 3 PM London, UK time on December 22, 2022. If he is reading this to you, it probably means that there was no sign of life from me by that time, and that I’m not safe, probably kidnapped and locked up by Dorothy Turner, Sean Turner, Julian (I’m not sure about his surname, but I’m referring to Dorothy Turner’s brother - redhead, not very tall, moderately overweight) in the attic of their residence at 9780 Spruce Street, Philadelphia 19139, Pennsylvania”, and then document everything I’ve seen in chronological order and everything that Leanne has told me, with a link to our video and photographic evidence, references to DNA evidence that can probably be found in the hole in the basement if they haven’t covered it up by now, and a statement at the end saying that I’ve written it together with Leanne to make sure that everything is correct. That would take a really long time, hours for sure. But when it’s done, I’d run spell- and grammar checks on it and send it to my printer at home, to be queued for printing when I get home and turn it on. We’d also know that today (December 21) or tomorrow will be the day when we leave one way or another, so I’d schedule a text message to 911 in 30 hours from that moment. The message would say “This is a scheduled message. If you’ve received it, then Leanne Grayson (born October 13, 2001)...” (We only ever learn Leanne’s birth year from the gravestone. October 13 is Nell Tiger Free’s birthday, so October 13, 2001 being Leanne’s birthday is kind of my headcanon)
https://preview.redd.it/0hr9niq1pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=4dbead2015781ed8beee236188b8273aac1b3fb0
“...and me (Daria Horenko, born July 30, 1999) are probably not safe, abducted and locked up against our will by Dorothy Turner, her brother Julian, and Sean Turner in the attic of their house at 9780 Spruce Street, Philadelphia 19139, Pennsylvania or somewhere else on the property. We need help immediately. The Turners should be considered dangerous and very clearly willing to use violence and intimidation. We need help NOW. Details in our prepared statement: [the link]”. Because we’re holding out hope that we won’t have to call the police from inside the attic, the document would include information on what our plan is to get Leanne (and me) out of there as safely as possible and call the police from the taxi, but that if we run out of rations, we won’t have a choice but to call the police while we’re unarmed and while the Turners still have the upper hand.

We would debate whether we should include information about the Church of Lesser Saints right away or tell the police about them later because we know how that sounds, considering that this would hurt the credibility of our testimony,
https://preview.redd.it/sinvabf3pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=e37811b53eb90cb8a066bfcb30f6244bb9f34ad4
but we’d modify the document and include the most important information about them as well, with more believable explanations - how they forced Leanne and other members to self-harm (meaning that current members or those who recently left), where they’re currently operating from in Lancaster,
https://preview.redd.it/mxbm8445pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1f9b5f1c671c15afce7149eeb90926c2c29b9bdb
that they faked their deaths, that they forced Leanne to leave the Turners, and the necessary lie that they took the real baby, and that Leanne hasn’t seen it since that day and doesn’t know where they’ve taken it. We’d also include names and stuff, and most importantly, reference the baptism tape and say that it shows May and George watching us from the sidewalk outside the church less than three weeks ago, and that piece of evidence would change everything in regards to investigating the Church of Lesser Saints and make the police believe us. We’d add that it’s probably among the other DVDs in the Turners’ living room, and that I’ll try to get it when leaving the building if our original plan is still going to be an option, rip the DVD at home, and add a link to the video file to the document. We’d modify the scheduled text message as well, and we’d charge both phones, mine first because the scheduled message is so important, but it’s an iPhone, so we could charge it to 100% rather quickly and then charge hers. And we’d add that we’d want the police to get Leanne’s things from the Marino estate. All her stuff being there would be further evidence that she was taken suddenly and against her will. We’d also add what number Leanne can be reached at for now with the Samsung Galaxy phone. And then, I’d send the document to Liam on all platforms where I know how to reach him, followed by a message to alert the authorities if I’m not back online confirming that we’re both okay in what’s now probably more like 29 hours, the phone number of the Philadelphia police, and caps at the beginning saying that it’s an actual emergency.

Out of nowhere, I’d ask her if she’s seen “Titanic” lmao, and with her near total isolation growing up, she wouldn’t have seen it. “I’ve only seen movies on TV”. I’d be like “I can show you lots of movies if you want! I got several subscriptions to streaming services, and also a bunch of stuff offline on an external drive at home.”
https://preview.redd.it/lr58woa7pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=63537b149270faeebb2c3f1be9ba2af0d259e1b7
Back on talking about “Titanic”, I’d tell her it’s wonderful and so freaking romantic, albeit over-the-top at times for sure and a bit overrated. It has that glossy feeling and some superficial characters to it that all James Cameron movies have, but it’s still really wonderful. After explaining the plot to her (since she’s grown up so isolated), I’d tell her about one scene that I’m thinking about a lot from time to time - near the end of the movie, when old Rose is done telling the researchers her story, she says that she doesn’t even have a picture of Jack, and that has hit me so hard from the first time I’ve seen the movie.
https://preview.redd.it/96bgw8s8pu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=476c1a4cbee498c26a0be4651ef83258f0aa7748
She has no physical memories of him, she can never see his face again, and she can never show people what he looked like. That just rips my heart. I’d ask Leanne if we can take some pictures together. We’d look pretty horrible because we haven’t been able to shower in days, but we wouldn’t care and take them anyway and really, genuinely smile so hard. I’d send them to her email address (leanne_grayson@icloud.com, that email address is on her resume in the show),
https://preview.redd.it/frfz9e7apu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1b65065ab622e71f52edc6e9b84a2974e7efe9cb
manually sync my gallery with iCloud, and I’d send them to Liam. I’d ask what phone she got back at the Marinos’ and if she’s got any pictures of herself in her iCloud gallery, but she’d tell me she’s rarely ever taken pictures of herself, only for the resume she applied at the Turners’ for, and I’d be like “Whaaaaat? But you’re so beautiful!”, and she’d smile hard, a bit embarrassed. I’d look her straight in the eyes and say it again and say that I mean it for real, she is so incredibly beautiful! It’s probably so rare that anyone’s ever said that to her in her entire life (her mother definitely didn’t, and given that the Church of Lesser Saints believes that anything that feels good is dangerous,
https://preview.redd.it/msylzejbpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=b343bf8d10b86f7c731eed3c8a5204460daec4d4
it’s rather unlikely that they did), Tobe saying it in “Balloon” might even have been the only time ever…
https://preview.redd.it/jdce6tndpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=c9edaacd72634c3dbe7dbf29abcc84f2412a10d4
I’d then add “Inside AND out!”, and she’d smile some more in a bit of embarrassment and then look me in the eyes and say “You, too, Daria!”, and as you’d expect, I’d smile so hard and even with my eyes!

It would be rather late by then, so we’d eat and listen to some more music together from the Spotify playlist I created for her and talk so much about what we’re hearing.

After dinner, she’d bring the topic up on her own (this is kind of making fun of these fan theories) - she’d tell me that some in the Church of Lesser Saints think she’s the Devil or Lilith because of her rebelliousness, and how she’s inspired doubt in some people in the Church. I’d make such a weirded-out face. After realizing she’s serious, I’d say “If you are the Devil, then hail Satan! Like, seriously, if YOU are what God is threatening will happen if we don’t follow him, then that’s literally the weakest threat I’ve ever heard of. Then God is the villain here. We need more people like you in the world!” Shy as she still is, she’d still be almost embarrassed to hear this (she’s so not used to compliments), and I’d make it clear I’m serious, that I really think she’s fricking wonderful and the sweetest, and that she clearly has a huge heart full of so much love, and that she deserves so much better than what she’s ever experienced! Almost in denial, she’d see in my eyes that I really mean it and just smile and hug me, and then, we’d both smile even more! I’d rub her back a lot in that moment and promise her again that everything will be okay. “I’ll make sure of that!”

After some more music together, knowing that tomorrow will be the day we leave, no matter which plan we’ll go with, we’d make sure we haven’t forgotten anything. Looking around, I’d realize I have to give her my earphones with a cord because the internal mic of my Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is essentially useless. I’d tell her that when I call her the next day to tell her it’s safe to come downstairs now, she should answer the call, plug in the earphones, and then, it will take a few seconds until I can hear her, but then, it should be fine. We’d set a code phrase that I’ll mention to let her know if the Turners got me and it’s NOT safe to come down. She’d suggest “tomato soup”, and I’d smile and say yes, that’s gonna be our code phrase. “And if it IS safe to come down?”, she’d ask, and I’d suggest “ice cream”.

I’d realize that we should probably find her fresh clothes in the attic and a coat right now, so as I said, it’s not too obvious that she’s been locked up for a long time the second she walks out of the door, because if she’s in dirty clothes or nightwear, with it being obvious that she hasn’t showered in days, and I get her out of there and into a taxi to drive off while I got a gun, it would look as if I was kidnapping her, so we’d find her a nice dress and coat up there, and I’d turn around and close my eyes while she puts it on, and when she’s done, I’d tell her again that she looks amazing! 😊
https://preview.redd.it/zp5gbjwfpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=777d2120f72b5002e2d5e5e9ffe4760ab2d5fada
And she’d smile and thank me this time, sort of the way she says it to the makeup artist at the street fair in S3E5 “Tiger” in that typical way of hers that’s so adorable for real,
https://preview.redd.it/fuu6x7ohpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=ec5f23b8de4568996bd6e4c706ab4f95b8f98063
and she’d look in my direction and say “You look really beautiful, too!”, really shy, before peeking me in the eyes for a moment, and we’d just look at each other for a moment. “Can I have your pictures?”, she’d ask me, and I’d say yeah, open my iPhone, and select ALL pictures of myself in my gallery and send them to her email address, and send her those that are too large via a Google Drive link (iCloud isn’t great for sharing files lol), and then, I’d take her Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, download them all (which would take a while because that phone is ancient), and set one of the pictures we’ve taken together as her wallpaper, and then set it as my wallpaper on my iPhone as well! 😊

We’d consider if there’s anything else we’ve missed. She’d mention that parts of the floor screech, especially one tile, so when I sneak out, I gotta be careful on the stairs, especially with that one tile.
https://preview.redd.it/nijqz08jpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=6f6756ae6c304a5f5133c21ef857e0f91c6c91d7
After a few seconds, she’d ask me if we wanna book a hotel now, and I’d smile and say sure! “Did you like any hotels in particular, out of the ones we looked at?” She’d say “The one with the big jacuzzi looks great” with big eyes and enthusiasm in her voice, like she does during some of her conversations with Tobe in S3E5 “Tiger”. “You’ve ever been in a jacuzzi?”, I’d ask her, and she’d go “Nooo, but I wanna try!” in the same tone,
https://preview.redd.it/6rh2p63lpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=987a19161b85fe5ee6a500f452c168ba7dec961b
and so, after lying down now, we’d look up which hotel she was talking about and book a two-room suite in that hotel in Allentown for three weeks. I’d add “So we can easily look out for each other, and so you’ll also have some privacy.”, and she’d smile and nod, that consideration would probably mean a lot to her.

We’d then get ready for bed. For the next day, I’d get some better clothes as well and put them on while she’s turned around with her eyes closed. I’d take the last ration of food out of my backpack, put the clothes I just took off at the bottom of it, above Leanne’s Bible (the porcelain baby and card are already in one of the other pockets), and put my phone and the chargers in another pocket. I’d look around and ask her if there’s anything else I should take with me to safeguard, and at first, she’d also look around because she wouldn’t know how to answer right away, but she’d then point at Mrs. Barrington with her face,
https://preview.redd.it/amqsh2mmpu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=12d0bfe376210a8798671d45f31e96e28037870b
and I’d be like “Well, I think she’s a little too big for my backpack, but I can talk to the police when we’re out of here, maybe we can try to get her!”, and Leanne would nod with a big smile again.

We’d lie down on the mattress and share the covers again. Just like the night before, I’d lie down on the side of the mattress that’s closer to the stairs, in case Dorothy changes her mind and tries to assault Leanne again… On the mattress, she’d suddenly hug me really tight, break into tears, and thank me over and over again, and I’d just hold her tight, say “Of course”, and assure her that everything’s gonna be okay, that we’ll get out of there tomorrow. I’d wipe some of her tears off her face 🥺 On the mattress, we’d just look each other in the eyes and both just smile more and more, and after a minute or two, she’d kiss me on the lips for a tiiiiny moment and then, we’d just smile at each other even harder! She’d say “I’m not supposed to do that” while still smiling just as hard and looking me directly in the eyes! “Says who?”, I’d reply. She goes “My aunts and uncles”, and I’d say “I don’t think they’re a reliable source!”, and we’d kiss each other some more and longer, and both feel each other’s smile on our lips, and peek at each other a few times in between 😊🥰❤️ We’d both put our arms around each other before telling each other good night and before I promise her one more time it’s all going to be okay!
https://preview.redd.it/08fqmdqspu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=477498f6f3e6260f2a0429defebf98475b14eda1
At some point during the night, she’d wake me up, and when she does, I’d realize I had a nightmare, like, not from my night terrors, and she’d tell me I had a nightmare, that I was sniffling in my sleep, and that I told her two days earlier to wake me up if this happens. Still feeling terrible (the feeling of immediate dread always takes a while to subside for me), I’d thank her. I’d ask what I was saying, and she’d say that I wasn’t speaking English. I’d consider if I should tell her for a moment, but then, I’d take a deep breath, look up for a second, and with a heavy voice, slowly say “What if we try plan A tomorrow, and I fail? I’m scared… I don’t wanna mess this up… I don’t wanna fail you…” And she’d slowly look at me and just say two words: “You haven’t!” I’d look at her and almost laugh a bit out of joy. I’d smile and just cuddle up to her a bit, and she’d do it back. I’d say I’ll try to listen to music for a while to calm down because doing something else makes it much easier for me to zone out of the feeling of dread again. “Why only you?”, she’d ask. “I don’t wanna keep you awake”, I’d say, “You need the sleep”, and she’d say “It’s okay” and just smile a bit, and so, we’d listen to some music together for about half an hour.

I’d tell her that my sleep is so horrible (she’d say she can tell) because I don’t have my meds, and I’m really fricking looking forward to taking them again. Without them, the quality of my sleep is terrible, and it takes so long for me to fall asleep at all if I don’t take them. She’d ask if I’ve taken them for a long time, and I’d say that I haven’t taken these particular meds for long because whatever I take, my body builds up some resistance to them pretty quickly, so after a while, I always have to get new ones, but I’ve taken sleeping meds for years now. “It sounds like they’re really helping you, right?”, she’d ask, and I’d nod and say “Yeah, they really do. I’m also taking antidepressants, and they were an absolute gamechanger for me. It’s okay if I don’t take them for a few days because they don’t work in the moment, but they like rewire your brain over time, and they’re the best thing that’s ever happened to my mental health. Before I started taking them, it was so hard for me to avoid bad thoughts or resist them, like, it was hell, but ever since then, it got sooo much easier, and not letting things get to me or not letting bad things really take over me is just so much easier now.” After a while, I’d say “I was at a psychiatric clinic voluntarily for six months, but I also had nowhere else to go, and the doctors and employees really abused their power. They only intervened when there was physical violence, they didn’t intervene in any other conflicts, so because of them, the patients constantly bullied each other. My doctor switched to another department while I was there, so I got a new one, and the new one wasn’t perfect, but at least, she cared. I got really lucky to get a place at a living group for mentally ill people, which was when I could finally leave. But honestly, all my experiences with mental health professionals since then have been better. I went to a different clinic for four or five days voluntarily in 2019, and even they were far better. “That sounds scary…”, she’d say. I’d reply “It was. But things got much better after that. I had lots of setbacks, like, you know, but if you get help, it’s always better.”

After the current song’s over, we’d lie down to try and sleep again. We’d smile at each other again in bed, and I’d give her a short-ish kiss before saying good night, and we’d both smile even harder after that 😁 And we would fall asleep for good after a while (it would still take me longer than her).

In the morning, Leanne would wake me up again. She’d show me that the door is unlocked and open by a little bit now (they’re “letting” her out for a few hours…),
https://preview.redd.it/sqql9udupu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=b2505bc6f7795639777433a1897f0d31e5753d67
and we’d both just embrace and chuckle in huge joy, as we can go with plan A now, the less risky one! We’d remember to quiet down after a few seconds and whisper from then on out. I’d go to the toilet roll, take eight pieces, rip them into two bands of four pieces each, and roll each of them up into a little bunch. I’d give them to her and tell her to put them into the wall pieces of the door when she gets out (so it looks like the door is closed while it can’t actually lock) and give me an audible signal when the third floor is clear, so I’ll get out with my backpack, take out the toilet paper, and hide in her room.
https://preview.redd.it/bzze2o6wpu1d1.png?width=304&format=png&auto=webp&s=aaa155b611408db6e9960485f6f726125fc2698d
“Is there anything you want me to get from there?”, I’d ask. “No. Everything is here or at the Marinos’.” I’d go “Okay” and move on - since I’m almost definitely unable to come down to the second floor right away (I’m using American English in all of these episodes. “First floor” in American English = “ground floor” in British English; “Second floor” in American English = “first floor” in British English; “Third floor” in American English = “second floor” in British English, etc.), she’d give me a signal when coming back upstairs. We’d agree that when she comes back upstairs, if it’s safe to go to the second floor, she’d shout something, maybe in conversation, maybe some sort of cry, doesn’t matter, and if not, she’d kick something. She’d be locked upstairs again after that, so I’ll have to tell when to get further downstairs myself, which I’d do as soon as I’ve heard absolutely no sounds from inside the house for at least a few minutes. On the first floor, I’d get the DVD from March 11, 2001, and if the baptism tape isn’t clearly labeled among the tapes, I’d unplug the DVD player from the TV, turn on the player, open the DVD slot, and if the tape isn’t in there, I’d take all unlabeled tapes. I’d then listen in on the basement door for a few seconds, and if I hear no sounds from down there, I’d quietly open the basement door and go downstairs, and if no one’s there, I’d get out through the side entrance down there, out through the back gate, walk back to Spruce Street, drive my bike home, take a shower, watch the tape from March 11, 2011 like she told me I could, hide it somewhere at home, print out the document for the police, take it with me in an envelope, print out a second version of it to give to the taxi driver, so I can say “If I’m not back in an hour, please call the police for me and read this to them”. I’d then call a taxi (a taxi with a large trunk whose driver is allowed to drive to Allentown and back), load my gun, and leave for the Turners’ and get Leanne.

We’d see that Liam has replied by now. Of course, he’d be super worried, but he’s got our backs for the plan, and that would be really reassuring. We’d look each other in the eyes, and then, I’d hug her sooo tight for several seconds, and we’d have one loooong kiss (hoping it’s not the last time we see each other…) before she goes downstairs while looking back at me on the way before putting the toilet paper in the door. I’d then put on my backpack. Once Leanne loudly shouts “Mister Turner?”, that would be my signal, and I’d hide in her room for about 45 minutes before she’s “let” back upstairs and shouts “You can lock me in now, Mrs. Turner”,
https://preview.redd.it/uy9loclypu1d1.png?width=975&format=png&auto=webp&s=16abd51170405f1ef3123ff22f4559642a0c0c92
which is when I’d sneak into the storage/guest room and wait. It would take like five hours until I hear nothing for a while, which is when I’d sneak onto the first floor, look around to make extra sure no one’s there, and go to the living room. I’d get the tape from March 11, 2011, and the baptism tape would be among the labeled DVDs, and I’d put it into the box of the March 11, 2011 tape (I’d put the original DVD loose in there and use the spot inside the box for the baptism tape because it’s probably more important. I then wouldn’t hear anything from the basement, so I’d slowly and quietly go down there. No one would be there, so I’d leave as planned and go home and take a shower. I’d watch the March 11, 2011 DVD. I’d be surprised to see the interaction between Leanne and Dorothy for sure, but sort of knowing her, I wouldn’t think anything bad of it. I’d actually get it because of my past celebrity crushes (which I know isn’t what she was feeling for Dorothy) and the desire to meet them, especially with Blanche. I’d get why Leanne wouldn’t want the police to see it, it would look bad for her. I’d wrap up the DVD in a thick piece of paper and tape it to the back of my closet, between the closet and the wall. I’d burn the piece of paper in the DVD case in my bathtub with a bucket of water next to me just in case. I’d test if the DVD of the baptism tape still works (it does), rip it, upload the video file to Google Drive, add it to the document for the police, cancel my printing queue, print the document (two versions of it. The one for the taxi driver would just have a short introduction at the beginning, like, that I’m the person who ordered the taxi), order the taxi, pack my things for the next couple of weeks and anything that Leanne might need, so I’d include any clothes that I think could fit her, and go to the taxi. I’d tell the driver to get me one block away from 9780 Spruce Street (which isn’t actually a real address, by the way) and wait there for me. Before leaving for the Turner house, I’d give him the envelope with his version of the letter for the police and tell him what I said I would tell him. I’d then get my backpack with the gun in it from my luggage in the trunk, and walk to the Turners’ house.

I have already "written" so much more in my head, but I've now reached the end of what I've actually written down, so it will take longer until the next episode is out now! Hope you've enjooooyed this one!
submitted by ikieneng to teamleanne [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 23:19 Automatic-Back1033 Misoprostol heavy bleeding

TW: I had my miscarriage diagnosed yesterday and started misoprostol doses this morning (8am) started bleeding about an hour after and have bled all day passing clots and tissue.
My cramps have been horrendous too.
It’s now 14 hours later im doubled over with pain even with pain relief and blood is dripping out of me like a dripping tap. I have sat on the toilet for about 30 minutes and passed about half a cup of clots and have bled non stop.
EDIT: probably more like a full cup now as it’s just not stopping. No sign of the sac.
Is this normal? Dr said if things got worse to go to a&e but I don’t feel able too. Really wish I went for the surgery option.
submitted by Automatic-Back1033 to Miscarriage [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 22:50 Isawthatass I got caught!

So I’m about to start a new job and I know someone working there already. we had after work drinks as the place just opened I went to help set up ect (about 6 people total) one thing lead to another I’m flirting with one guy and we went to the toilet and had a lil kiss ect we went back up anyway and eventually he lead me down to the kitchen, at this point I’m bordering black out I have very little of the memory but be being me I’m playing along like let’s see where this goes. We go to the sink by the KP station and we had sex over the sink for 2 minutes (of what I can remember) and we went back upstairs. Anyway I lost my phone (I had dropped it from my back pocket whilst I was dropping my panties 😭😭) so anyway big boss found it in the kitchen and I don’t know how he knows but I assume he saw CCTV it was pitch black so not much but now I feel horrible, I’m going for my first shift tomo and 2 others know apparently my boss talked to me today and he’s gonna talk to the guy too but I haven’t even signed my contract yet. I’m so upset I’ve had a pit in my stomach all day. I’ve ruined my experience before it even begun and I’m soooo ashamed. Help pls give me advice
submitted by Isawthatass to TalesFromYourServer [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 21:39 3ofcupz Put a witchy dream oil on last night and asked for a sign. Had a dream about a dog called “Larry the Toilet”.

Not really sure what my subconscious is on but I’d like whatever it’s having.
submitted by 3ofcupz to Dreams [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 21:24 Aldensnumber123 i have no good memories of school whatsoever

i have many mental issues that neither my family or my school ever tried to give me any support with and it made school complete hell.
i have autism and adhd and im trying to get diagnosed with ocd.
i couldn't focus in class or do any of the work im pretty sure i had one of the worse grades in the school. the stress fucked up my stomach and i had stomach problems every single day to the point i had to ask to use the toilet like 3 times in one 40minute class
i dident realy get along with anyone. i talked to some people but i only hung out with them once after school and never again.
people thought i was weird and either dident like me or dident care about me existing
someone even asked about me in school after i left and the person had no idea i was ever their even though i was their for 4 years
something made me very upset one day so i decided to just leave. i had to wait like 3 months until all the paperwork was signed and then i left.
i went to this course for a year it was nice but i dident learn much
tried collage and i left after 2 months because my stomach got worse again and i was again to stupid to do the work
went by the school for the first time in like 2 years and they got better chairs and everything. of course as soon as i leave they make the school
please dont say everyone hated school its a lie and im not going to be gaslight everyone always says how much they miss the good times they had with their friends and that it was the best times of their lives.
guess it will just keep getting worse forever. no one here can afford rent let alone me who gets 800 a month for disability. climate change is going to kill tens of millions of people in my life time and i cant do anything about it
it would be nice to at least have some good times to look back on. to bad i was just born with bad luck
submitted by Aldensnumber123 to GenZ [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 21:18 Own_Afternoon_6865 Private owners who accept disabled veteran with section-8

Hello everyone! I am a female disabled veteran. I was illegally evicted (from my townhome I had lived in for 7 years) during Covid and despite having section-8 I cannot find a place to live. The eviction results in an automatic denial of every application I have submitted. I am looking for a private landlord who will rent to me.
For some background information (I will try to make brevity my strong suit): I was in the USAF for 8 years. My husband and I went in together on the join-spouse program. We had our first child 2 years later, then the military did away with the program because there were so many married couples enlisted. We got out, had our 2nd child 8 months later and soon afterwards, bought a house. I obtained my bachelor's degree in nursing, then worked as an RN for 28 years. We sadly were divorced after 21 years, and I have been my sole means of support since that time. I moved into my townhome in 2015 and had no issues until 2021. I severely injured my back moving a very large (298lb) patient off of the OR table, following an emergency C-section. I struggled with back issues the rest of my career. In February of 2020 I was laid off from my job as a corrections nurse due to Covid. I was on unemployment but still paid my rent on time every month. In June of 2020 I allowed my oldest daughter to move in with the agreement that she would pay 1/2 of the rent and utilities. This turned out to be a disastrous decision. She had struggled with SA since she was 15, but swore to me she was clean. She was addicted to heroin, couldn't keep a job, created drama constantly, and never paid a penny's worth of her half. She was often rageful, as was her son who visited frequently. They did damage to the townhome in the form of her bedroom door, which my grandson made 2 large dents in with his fists, and the bottom of the staircase, which my grandson pulled the bottom of the handrail away from the wall. Those 2 items were the only damage.
In March 2021 I applied, on the 1st day it became available, to Biden's federal assistance program for tenants in danger of becoming homeless. I notified the property manager, and requested that he send in the required paperwork from management to complete the application. He came over to talk with us and he understood the program. I had applied for SSDI in March of 2020 due to back issues, major depressive disorder, and emphysema. I could no longer perform my duties well as a nurse. Everything was fine until June 2021 when he was replaced. The new property manager was a schoolteacher who was a longtime friend of the owner. She admittedly knew nothing about property management. I first met her on the day I had just been discharged from the VA hospital. I had been in the hospital for 12 days, so I came home and was resting in bed when my daughter came to get me saying, "The owner and a new lady are at the door screaming." They were indeed screaming at me because May's rent had not been paid. I tried to explain the program and the fact that the previous manager knew about it. The law protected residents who had applied from being evicted. I requested an appointment for the following day so we could talk civilly. At this point, TN had only released 6% of the millions of funds available. Finally, my funds were released in September. All arrears were paid, and 3 months into the future were paid, with the option of 3 more months being paid if the tenant was still struggling to pay. When the complex accepted the funds, they signed a federal agreement which stated they could not attempt an eviction based on non-payment of rent, could not create a new lease, and could not harass the tenants (my daughter was on the lease, too). They broke all of these conditions, starting with asking ONLY ME to sign a new lease 3 weeks after receiving the funds. They were requesting me to pay pet deposits for my 3 pets, a dog and 2 cats, in an amount $100 over the normal amount, then get rid of the pets immediately. The pets had not done any damage. The new lease increased the rent by $300. They had already been paid for the rent with the federal funds. Immediately following this "new lease" they sent a letter to both of us, saying that the new rent had not been paid on time and we were being evicted. They would not allow maintenance to come repair things. I had requested 6x that they repair both upstairs toilets, which were leaking at the base, to the point that their were stains and leaking on the living room ceiling! They filed for eviction in January 2022. They only named me, knowing that all of the rent payments were done by me. The case was dismissed because they had filed before it was legal, due to the agreement. I asked the judge if it would be necessary for me to appear in court on the next date if I moved out prior to the date, but he said, "That would be a moot point. You cannot be evicted if you have already moved out." We DID move out before the next court date, but their management went to court ANYWAY, saying we were still there and an eviction was granted!! I looked into filing an appeal, but the cost to file was $695, and I didn't have the money to appeal.
Luckily, a place opened in a VA sponsored home for homeless women. My time is up here and I have applied to a multitude of properties but my applications are always denied, based on the eviction. I am working with a lawyer who has written a letter on my behalf, as well as a letter of recommendation from the program director. Still, I have had flat denials from every property.
The assistance I am requesting is names of property owners who will work with me. If any of you kind Redditors know someone, or ARE someone who would work with me, please let me know. I am out of time at the VA home and I have nowhere to go. I never pictured myself at 64 years old being homeless. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help. I have SSDI, as well as VA compensation, so my income is secure and reliable. I am desperate for a safe place to live.
submitted by Own_Afternoon_6865 to homeless [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 20:18 Own_Afternoon_6865 Private owners who accept disabled veteran with section-8

Hello everyone! I am a female disabled veteran. I was illegally evicted (from my townhome I had lived in for 7 years) during Covid and despite having a Hud-Vash voucher (section 8), I cannot find a place to live. The eviction results in an automatic denial of every application I have submitted. I am looking for a private landlord who will rent to me.
For some background information (I will try to make brevity my strong suit): I was in the USAF for 8 years. My husband and I went in together on the join-spouse program. We had our first child 2 years later, then the military did away with the program because there were so many married couples enlisted. We got out, had our 2nd child 8 months later and soon afterwards, bought a house. I obtained my bachelor's degree in nursing, then worked as an RN for 28 years. We sadly were divorced after 21 years, and I have been my sole means of support since that time. I moved into my townhome in 2015 and had no issues until 2021. I severely injured my back moving a very large (298lb) patient off of the OR table, following an emergency C-section. I struggled with back issues the rest of my career. In February of 2020 I was laid off from my job as a corrections nurse due to Covid. I was on unemployment but still paid my rent on time every month. In June of 2020 I allowed my oldest daughter to move in with the agreement that she would pay 1/2 of the rent and utilities. This turned out to be a disastrous decision. She had struggled with SA since she was 15, but swore to me she was clean. She was addicted to heroin, couldn't keep a job, created drama constantly, and never paid a penny's worth of her half. She was often rageful, as was her son who visited frequently. They did damage to the townhome in the form of her bedroom door, which my grandson made 2 large dents in with his fists, and the bottom of the staircase, which my grandson pulled the bottom of the handrail away from the wall. Those 2 items were the only damage.
In March 2021 I applied, on the 1st day it became available, to Biden's federal assistance program for tenants in danger of becoming homeless. I notified the property manager, and requested that he send in the required paperwork from management to complete the application. He came over to talk with us and he understood the program. I had applied for SSDI in March of 2020 due to back issues, major depressive disorder, and emphysema. I could no longer perform my duties well as a nurse. Everything was fine until June 2021 when he was replaced. The new property manager was a schoolteacher who was a longtime friend of the owner. She admittedly knew nothing about property management. I first met her on the day I had just been discharged from the VA hospital. I had been in the hospital for 12 days, so I came home and was resting in bed when my daughter came to get me saying, "The owner and a new lady are at the door screaming." They were indeed screaming at me because May's rent had not been paid. I tried to explain the program and the fact that the previous manager knew about it. The law protected residents who had applied from being evicted. I requested an appointment for the following day so we could talk civilly. At this point, TN had only released 6% of the millions of funds available. Finally, my funds were released in September. All arrears were paid, and 3 months into the future were paid, with the option of 3 more months being paid if the tenant was still struggling to pay. When the complex accepted the funds, they signed a federal agreement which stated they could not attempt an eviction based on non-payment of rent, could not create a new lease, and could not harass the tenants (my daughter was on the lease, too). They broke all of these conditions, starting with asking ONLY ME to sign a new lease 3 weeks after receiving the funds. They were requesting me to pay pet deposits for my 3 pets, a dog and 2 cats, in an amount $100 over the normal amount, then get rid of the pets immediately. The pets had not done any damage. The new lease increased the rent by $300. They had already been paid for the rent with the federal funds. Immediately following this "new lease" they sent a letter to both of us, saying that the new rent had not been paid on time and we were being evicted. They would not allow maintenance to come repair things. I had requested 6x that they repair both upstairs toilets, which were leaking at the base, to the point that their were stains and leaking on the living room ceiling! They filed for eviction in January 2022. They only named me, knowing that all of the rent payments were done by me. The case was dismissed because they had filed before it was legal, due to the agreement. I asked the judge if it would be necessary for me to appear in court on the next date if I moved out prior to the date, but he said, "That would be a moot point. You cannot be evicted if you have already moved out." We DID move out before the next court date, but their management went to court ANYWAY, saying we were still there and an eviction was granted!! I looked into filing an appeal, but the cost to file was $695, and I didn't have the money to appeal.
Luckily, a place opened in a VA sponsored home for homeless women. My time is up here and I have applied to a multitude of properties but my applications are always denied, based on the eviction. I am working with a lawyer who has written a letter on my behalf, as well as a letter of recommendation from the program director. Still, I have had flat denials from every property.
The assistance I am requesting is names of property owners who will work with me. If any of you kind Redditors know someone, or ARE someone who would work with me, please let me know. I am out of time at the VA home and I have nowhere to go. I never pictured myself at 64 years old being homeless. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help. I have SSDI, as well as VA compensation, so my income is secure and reliable. I am desperate for a safe place to live.
submitted by Own_Afternoon_6865 to Assistance [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 19:29 healthmedicinet Health Daily News May 20 2024

DAY: MAY 20 2024
5-20-2024

Why nightmares and ‘daymares’ could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

An increase in nightmares and hallucinations—or ‘daymares’—could herald the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, say an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. The researchers argue that there must be greater recognition that these types of mental health and neurological symptoms can act as an early warning sign that an individual is approaching a “flare,” where their disease worsens for a period.
5-20-2024 Yoga and meditation-induced altered states of consciousness are common in the general population, study says
Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and other practices are gaining in popularity due to their potential to improve health and well-being. The effects of these practices are mostly positive and occasionally transformational, yet they are known to sometimes be associated with challenging altered states of consciousness. New research by a team including investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital reveals that altered states of consciousness associated with meditation practice are far more common than expected. Although many people reported positive outcomes, that were sometimes even considered transformational, from these experiences, for a substantial
5-20-2024 Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya
Total in-episode expenses and resource use before the index surgery (preop) and including/after the surgery (postop). The comparisons are separated for analysis into (A) single institution cohorts (1 and 2) and (B) multi?institution cohorts (3 and 4). Moyamoya disease is a rare condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain, especially in children. Narrowing and blockage of vessels significantly increases the risk of stroke and requires surgical revascularization for treatment. Although research shows that outcomes of revascularization are better
5-20-2024 Study explores links between social media use, mental health and sleep quality
The more time you spend on social media, the greater the likelihood of having unpleasant social-media related dreams that cause distress, sleep disruption and impact our peace of mind. Flinders University’s Reza Shabahang says that the vast and rapid adoption of social media has the potential to influence various aspects of life, including the realm of dreaming. “As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its impact extends beyond waking hours, and may influence our dreams,”
5-20-2024 How are asthma and heart health linked?
Although the heart and lungs are neighbors in your chest, people may think of them as separate entities with unrelated problems. But a growing body of evidence suggests that asthma—one of the most common lung disorders—is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Asthma is a serious chronic disease in which airways are inflamed, often in response to specific triggers. It affects about 25 million people in the U.S., including nearly 5 million children, causing millions of annual visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms. “We call these major changes
5-20-2024 STUDY EXPLORES PATIENT TRUST IN PHYSICIANS
Trust in one’s physician drives positive health practices. In a scoping review, SUNY Poly Professor of Sociology Dr. Linda R. Weber discovered new developments in the measurement of trust, identified those measures of trust that have known reliability and validity, and compared those instruments’ conceptualizations, dimensions, and indicators. The paper is published in the journal PLOS ONE. Weber explains that 10 dimensions emerged from the study: fidelity, technical competence, communicative competence, interpersonal competence (i.e., caring), honesty, confidentiality, global, behavioral, fairness, and system trust/accountability. In addition, these findings provide the foundation
5-20-2024 TIMESAVING TIPS FOR COOKING HEALTHY MEALS
Living a busy, fast-paced life can make it hard to find the motivation to cook a healthy meal at home. However, learning some shortcuts in the kitchen can keep your healthy eating goals on track and help you avoid grazing on unhealthy snacks, grabbing the first thing you see in the fridge or going out for fast food. Why cook at home? Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight is challenging when you eat out too frequently. Restaurant portions often are super-sized
5-20-2024 UNDERSTANDING PERIMENOPAUSE VS. MENOPAUSE
Menopause marks a significant transition for women, yet understanding its precursor, perimenopause, and its symptoms can be complex. Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and medical director of The Menopause Society, says experiencing perimenopause and menopause can be confusing for some. She says it is not only patients who may find it confusing, but medical providers as well, due to lack of training in menopause management. “Menopause is defined by no menstrual cycle for a year,” says Dr. Faubion.
5-20-2024 LOW-DOSE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION HAS NO BENEFIT FOR BREASTFED INFANTS, SHOWS STUDY
The American Pediatric Association recommends iron supplements to all healthy infants who breastfeed longer than four months, while its European counterpart, Society of Gastroenterology, Hepataology and Nutrition, does not recommend it. These deviating guidelines stimulated researchers to design a new study. Breastfeeding is strongly recommended, and the proportion of children are breastfed during the first half of life is high. The researchers wanted to determine whether breastfeeding babies could benefit from extra iron.
5-20-2024 ALLERGY MEDICATIONS COME WITH HAZARDS: BE AWARE
People with seasonal allergies often turn to over-the-counter and prescription medicines to relieve symptoms like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes, nose or throat. But they often aren’t aware that these meds—including antihistamines—have as much risk for potential side effects, drug interactions and overdose as other drugs. “All medicines have side effects associated with them even when they are taken appropriately and according to dosing directions on the label,”
5-20-2024 I CAN’T AFFORD OLIVE OIL—WHAT ELSE CAN I USE?
If you buy your olive oil in bulk, you’ve likely been in for a shock in recent weeks. Major supermarkets have been selling olive oil for up to A$65 for a four-liter tin, and up to $26 for a 750 milliliter bottle. We’ve been hearing about the health benefits of olive oil for years. And many of us are adding it to salads, or baking and frying with it. But during a cost-of-living crisis, these high prices can put olive oil out of reach. Let’s take a look at why
5-20-2024 Researchers uncover biological trigger of early puberty
Heather Brenhouse, associate professor of psychology, says disrupting the caretaker relationship can really traumatize a child or a developing rodent. Credit: Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University New research conducted by the Brenhouse Lab reveals how early life adversity triggers early puberty and late-life anxiety, paving the way for potential interventions. The onset of puberty has been creeping downward for decades. In the United States, the average age of girls reaching puberty ranges from 8.8 to 10.3 years old. The early start of puberty, which is associated with many health risks, can be
5-20-2024 Bioluminescence and 3D-printed implants shed light on brain–spinal interactions
Brain-spinal cord duet’s neurodynamic symphony is now accessible to scientists via novel multi-organ implants. Credit: Dmitrijs Celinskis A sensory process such as pain is no ordinary phenomenon—it’s a symphony of neural and vascular interactions orchestrated by the brain and spinal cord. Attempting to dissect this symphony by focusing on a single region is like trying to understand a complex melody by listening to just one instrument. It’s incomplete, potentially misleading, and may result in erroneous conclusions. Enter the Carney Institute’s team of visionaries. Their mission? To develop tools that allow
5-20-2024 New thesis explores cancer treatment that can prevent relapse
. What is the main focus of your thesis? Relapse following initial treatment efficacy remains a major clinical challenge for many cancers. The focus of my thesis has been to explore the therapeutic impact of immune cells in patients with blood cancer (leukemia), by first investigating which cells
5-20-2024 New study reveals health and social benefits of car-free living
Participating in a three-week car-free challenge has enhanced the health and well-being of Oxford residents, according to research conducted by The University of Bath’s Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), in partnership with climate charity Possible and Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON), conducted this research project. After ditching their cars for three weeks, 10 out of the 12 drivers across Oxford who participated said they plan to continue with reduced car use beyond the project. The findings of this research project show that: Day-to-day transport emissions were slashed
5-20-2024 Research shows linked biological pathways driving skin inflammation
A certain biological pathway—a set of linked reactions in the body—drives the inflammation seen in the skin disease psoriasis, a new study finds. The work could lead to improved therapies for all inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic and allergic dermatitis and a type of boil called hidradenitis suppurativa, say the study authors. The findings are published in the journal Immunity. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to irritation and infection, but when out of control, it can lead to the reddish, flaky, itchy lesions that
5-20-2024 Prescription co-payments linked to more hospital admissions in New Zealand, study finds
A new study from researchers cautions that bringing back the $5 co-payment for prescription medicines could see a jump in hospital admissions. The study analyzed health data for 71,502 people and found those who didn’t pick up a prescription because they couldn’t afford the $5 fee had a 34% higher rate of being admitted to hospital.
5-20-2024 How a simulation is informing COVID-19 vaccine policy after our ‘return to normal’
As the saying goes “There is no such thing as normal” and this has been especially true after the pandemic. Before the emergence of the omicron COVID-19 variant, countries like the U.K. had high vaccination coverage along with widespread exposure to COVID-19 in the population. This combination of vaccine and infection-derived immunity is termed hybrid immunity and is different to vaccine immunity or infection immunity alone. In contrast, other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and those in the Western Pacific, had a very different pandemic experience.
5-20-2024 Researchers find intriguing connections between Alzheimer’s disease and other common conditions
A study has found that while some medical conditions appear to increase our likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, others appear to decrease the odds. The study, led by Dr. Yijun (Nicholas) Pan and Dr. Liang Jin, analyzed data from 2,443 older Australians living in Melbourne or Perth who are part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, an internationally recognized cohort for dementia research. “We found anxiety and other neurological disorders are associated with increased likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Pan said.
5-20-2024 Prepping autistic or sound-sensitive kids for cicada noise
As Chicagoans await the emergence of the cicadas, parents of children on the autism spectrum and/or who have sensitivities to sound can take a few steps to prepare for what is expected to be a loud summer. “Some children on the spectrum can struggle with loud or unexpected noises, such as toilets that automatically flush, fireworks around the Fourth of July or the emergence of a large number of cicadas,”
5-20-2024 Study highlights importance of screening for rare inherited iron metabolism defects
Over 40% of cases curated based on stringent clinical and laboratory criteria from the Indian subcontinent have an inherited iron metabolism defect on comprehensive genomic evaluation, report investigators in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Although iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent form of anemia globally,
5-20-2024 Study finds tyrosine kinase Csk promotes germinal center B cell survival and affinity maturation
The authors found that Csk (a tyrosine kinase that attenuates B cell receptor signaling) is required for germinal center maintenance and efficient antibody maturation. The immune system strikes a fine balance by identifying and neutralizing disease-causing agents while carefully avoiding destruction of healthy tissues and cells. Now, researchers from Japan have shed new light on one of the processes that helps train immune cells to act only against genuine threats.
5-20-2024 Significant gaps between science of obesity and the care patients receive, say experts
As research continues to produce evidence about the underlying causes of obesity and optimal strategies to treat and manage obesity have evolved, there are disparities in application of the latest scientific advances in the clinical care that people with obesity receive. Widespread adoption of current findings, consistency of care and expertise in obesity care varies by health care professional and institution.
5-20-2024 Improving online depression treatment
Symptom course of depression for individuals who dropped out of treatment and those who completed treatment. In the dropout group, there is an initial decrease in symptoms while the patients were still in treatment, which tapers off as they drop out. For completers, there is close to a linear change over time. This suggests there is a relation between the more that an individual continues to participate in ICBT and their depressive symptom improvement.
5-20-2024 Women face worse chronic kidney disease management in primary care
Women receive worse primary care-based chronic kidney disease (CKD) management than men, according to a research letter adult patients with CKD receiving primary care at 15 practices using electronic health record data to examine sex disparities in guideline-based CKD management
5-20-2024 Bisoprolol does not reduce exacerbations in at-risk COPD patients
For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bisoprolol does not reduce the number of self-reported exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both, according to a study
5-20-2024 Anticancer potential of CLK kinase inhibitors 1C8 and GPS167 via EMT and antiviral immune response
The diheteroarylamide-based compound 1C8 and the aminothiazole carboxamide-related compound GPS167 inhibit the CLK kinases, and affect the proliferation of a broad range of cancer cell lines. A chemogenomic screen previously performed with GPS167 revealed that the depletion of components associated with mitotic spindle assembly altered
5-20-2024 Study sheds light on bacteria associated with pre-term birth
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that multiple species of Gardnerella, bacteria sometimes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and pre-term birth, can coexist in the same vaginal microbiome. The findings, published in mSystems, add to the emerging picture of Gardnerella’s effects on human health. Gardnerella is a group of anaerobic bacteria that are commonly found in the vaginal microbiome. Higher levels of the bacteria are a signature of BV and associated with higher risk of pre-term birth, but it is also found in women who have no sign
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations
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2024.05.21 19:16 BlackMountainSeptic Avoid Septic Tank Disasters: Common Household Habits to Avoid

Having a properly functioning septic system is crucial for any homeowner. However, many everyday household practices can lead to clogs, backups, and costly repairs. To keep your septic tank running smoothly, it's important to be mindful of what goes down your drains. Here are some common culprits that can wreak havoc on your septic system:
  1. Flushing Improper Items Your toilet is not a trash can! Flushing non-biodegradable items like feminine hygiene products, diapers, paper towels, and cat litter can clog pipes and disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your septic tank.
  2. Pouring Grease Down Drains Cooking oils and grease may seem harmless when poured down the sink as a liquid, but they can solidify once in the septic system, leading to major clogs and backups. Always scrape plates into the trash before rinsing.
  3. Overusing Household Cleaners While a little bleach or drain cleaner may seem harmless, excessive use of harsh chemicals can kill the beneficial bacteria and enzymes that break down waste in your septic tank. Opt for eco-friendly, septic-safe cleaners whenever possible.
  4. Doing Too Many Loads of Laundry Your washing machine sends a lot of water to the septic tank with each load. Spacing out laundry throughout the week gives the tank time to properly digest waste between water influxes.
  5. Planting Trees/Shrubs Too Close Those lovely trees and shrubs may be sending their roots straight into your septic system components. Keep the area around your tank and drain field clear of any new plantings to prevent damage.
If you do experience any septic issues, don't hesitate to call the professionals at Black Mountain Septic Services at [(480) 343-0335](tel:(480)343-0335). Serving the greater Phoenix area, they are Arizona's #1 septic company for septic tank pumping, repairs, installations, and inspections. Visit www.blackmountainsepticservices.com to learn more.
FAQs:
Q: How often should I have my septic tank pumped? A: Most experts recommend pumping your septic tank every 3-5 years, but frequency can vary based on tank size and household usage. Black Mountain Septic Services can assess your system and advise you on the proper pumping schedule.
Q: Are septic tank additives necessary? A: In most cases, no. A properly maintained septic system already has all the bacteria it needs to break down waste effectively. However, additives may be recommended in certain situations - ask the experts at Black Mountain Septic for guidance.
Q: How do I know if my septic system is failing? A: Signs of a failing septic system include slow-draining sinks/tubs, gurgling noises from plumbing fixtures, sewage odors around floor drains, and patchy areas of lush green grass over the drain field. If you notice any of these red flags, call Black Mountain Septic Services right away for an inspection.
Don't let improper household habits lead to a septic disaster! Maintain good practices and call the trusted professionals at Black Mountain Septic Services at [(480) 343-0335](tel:(480)343-0335) to keep your septic system in top shape.
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2024.05.21 18:50 DogeLuck Fully in depth report of 5 days without power in Texas Heat

At the time of this post 145 thousand people are still without power going on almost 6 days without power. Tornado wiped out our power grid in select areas throughout Texas (I believe the number was about 800 thousand people got hit without power). Here's some things I learned and a situation report of my experience living with a very large family of mixed ages.
Context: We had been getting hit with some pretty gnarly weather however business as usual in Texas. I didn't think much of it usually when our grids down they're pretty quick to respond minus the snow storm years back. So when I heard there was a storm brewing I didn't even flinch I always keep some very very basics, battery's, lights, water, 2 weeks minimum of non perishable foods, self defense protection, and ammo, etc. But I hardly consider myself a prepper anymore, but I know some people don't even have that.
I use to be really on top of my preps overtime, however my stockpile had dwindled, as did my thirst for knowledge and hands on experience/training. I just honestly wasn't on top of my game anymore, and quit taking this as serious years ago. This tornado really brought me back to reality, so this post is mostly for entry level preppers looking at some practical advice from a 5 day experience, I fully regret the fact I quit taking this serious years ago.
First Day: Around 6pm, emergency alert on phone stating tornado in your area, seek shelter immediately. Thought ok let's shelter in the master bedroom closet. Wind rocked the house pretty good, could hear limbs from tree's falling, within about 10 minutes the power shuts off, and glancing outside within a hour the streets flooded. The storm had died down, as did the flooding, and it was time to asses the damage in the immediate area. Got in the car, power had blown out pretty much every store/house within a several mile zone. Found one square zone with a few places that had power, got some fast food but waited about 30 minutes because everyone went there.
What I wish I had on day one/ and general notes:
Rain boots: The streets had not only flooded but was blocked by limbs in the roadway. Luckily our flooding wasn't too severe but had it been I wish I did have rainboots so normal shoes didn't get soaked, or some type of beach sandals, etc.
Chainsaw, electric saw, axes, regular saw: Would of come in handy if the limbs in our area blocking the road were any bigger.
Higher up vehicles: Some vehicles couldn't make it through the flood due to being so low to the ground, so take into account your vehicles.
More variety of quality flashlights: Electric Lanterns came in clutch, but wish I had more handhelds, head mounted, and higher end lanterns.
Battery Inventory checks: Wish I had not only more batteries cause you really do burn through these quick, but wish I had checked all my lights battery condition, and stored new batteries in waterproof containers.
Alternative sources to battery's: Not a huge fan of candles due to fire risk, but some not scented beeswax or soy based candles would of came in handy to help ration battery supply. Maybe glass lanterns as well for safety and ease of transport. Glowsticks would of been great option too.
Car chargers: Believe it or not some of us didn't have car chargers for our cell phones cause we mostly charge our phones at home, although we were able to share, wish we had this on day one for all our phones.
Fully charged portable battery bank, or portable phone chargers: If we had this we wouldn't of been out in our cars late at night charging stuff putting us at more risk for being possible victims to crime.
Quality of cell phone, and cellphone provider: Have a POS phone but keep putting off upgrading it? Don't. Luckily mine was good but some of our cellphone providers carriers had better signal then others, some of are phones were in bad shape and it was noted we wish we didn't put off upgrading it sooner. You can't predict how well your provider will do but maybe do your research, unsure how this works but now I can do my research and learn from it. I had 0 issues with boost mobile but other family members weren't so lucky.
Cash: This is obvious but due to us moving towards a cashless society its pretty uncommon, but this would of came in handy due to how many places didn't have power. You can do so much with cash.
Battery powered or rechargeable camping fans: I did have one of these, it even had a light but wish I had more.
Larger ice chest: Now we had a few, but they were smaller. We lost everything in our fridge/freezer besides canned drinks, I mean everything. We had just bought grocery's too, lesson learned.
OTC sleeping medication: We had melatonin, and Tylenol pm, but it was so quiet you could hear a mouse sneeze a block over, until the generators turned on. First two are OK options but given its only going to be cool at night, and we knew tomorrow would be hot, we took kratom to sleep. Check your area some states it's illegal, not recommending it but it's what we used. I wish I had stockpiled more kratom, I took it when I got the flu on top of C word to relieve body aches and found out it really helped me sleep and ease pain/stress. Usually cycle this 3 days on max, one day off to prevent habit forming.
(This is really for day two + but ill post this here cause I noticed it on day one)
Backup supply of my personal vices or quitting personal vices: I know this may sound stupid but I am fully addicted to caffeine, and nicotine. I picked my poison and know what I signed up for. Caffeine really? yeah really not sure if you know this but for some people caffeine withdrawal can make you really suffer, and I mean really suffer check out decaf. I was in the process of lowering my caff intake to 1 cup of tea a day, and quit soda. Was one month off soda before the storm came in, but had to relapse due to us not carrying high caff tea on supply.
But yeah stock up on your vices so you aren't going through withdrawals during an emergency. Was on 3mg per ml of nicotine and had to dish out 30$ for a disposable vape thats 50mg per ml at a gas station on day two to prevent withdrawals. So I was on way higher dose of nic then usual due to only being able to purchase what I could find, for reference 50mg per ml if you use that in 10 days thats about a pack of ciggs worth of nic per day. So yeah either quit your vice or stock up, I don't advocate hard drugs at all so this isn't for that but this is mainly aimed at coffee/caff use, etc. Instant coffee packs may be great for some people.
Battery powered radio: Can't stress enough how mentally taxing silence can be long term. We had one, but the battery port crapped out. Lesson learned, test your preps.
Backup food for your pet friends: Luckily I was pretty good on pet food but imagine if I wasn't, and this was more severe.
Water situation: Had a decent amount of drinking water, we had running water. If we didn't I would say I wish I had filled up the giant jugs I bought for flushing the toilet/doing dishes or running through a berkey water filter if we ran out of drinking water. I had bought 5 gallon blue jugs specifically for this years back. However I cleaned them out, and didn't refill, Lesson learned.
2nd Day: We were able to cook some stuff on a gas stove, luckily. People at gas stations were stocking up on ice, filling their gas cans up for their generators, and shelves were getting empty at stores with power only on some things though wasn't too bad cause the power outage was scattered some had power, others didn't. Mostly a waiting game at this point, most of the preps I wish I had on this day were the same as day one, but ill toss in some stuff I wish I had. Obtained a portable battery powered radio, the morale boost was real for everyone, even the dogs.
What I wish I had on day two/ and general notes:
BBQ style lighters to light gas stove: We had two but recently tossed em out due to being empty. Realized I had no bics, and only had one box of matches, feels bad man.
Entertainment: Board games like checkers, board games for kids, chess, basic poker set, etc. These would of been awesome and a great way to keep the kids entertained and the adults, the boredom was real. We hit local goodwill's that had power to look for radios, and cheap prep supplies and games, but no luck.
Third day: By then reality set in for most people, neighbors who could afford to do so booked hotels or bugged out to places with power. The generators really started up by day three, everyone was buying gas for them and you could hear them in almost every direction. Pretty sure some people had it from the start but noticed them more by day three. A lot of people were sitting outside the front of their homes trying to escape the heat. Ice from most places were completely sold out, so you had to really shop around to find any.
Finding news about the power outage day 1-3 was kind of hit and miss, KHOU news updates were pretty short and it took us some time to know how severe the storms damage actually was, cause we were focused on trying to get stuff done around the house and conserving battery. I believe at one point CenterPoint's actual website went down. Mostly resulted to local news channels, and nextdoor app. We couldn't watch live news and had to rely on when KHOU posted youtube videos.
Private security company's hired guards and they started patrolling certain stores that could afford the security, obviously to deter looters. Traffic everywhere was insane in every which direction during peak hours more then usual, PD presence was pretty high, more then usual.
What I wish I had on day three/ and general notes:
Generator: Pretty obvious why, had no experience with them but wish I did, and wish I bought one pre-blackout when I was more into prepping and took time to learn about them and how to use and maintain them properly.
Ham radio: Or something to pick up on local freqs to monitor radio comms for information regarding the storm and local activity if any. I think this may of been better then waiting on local news to post videos.
Day Four: Buddy had power so he dropped off his generator and gave me quick instructions on how to run it, how far away to place them, etc. By day four the temps really ramped up, and this thing definitely kept us cool. When you think of bartering you think of some post apocalypse stuff, but no. In reality you can barter during any emergency, buddy dropped it off free of charge but was able to offer some booze as a thank you. So even if you don't drink stock up on booze/ciggs to barter, never know what you might trade it for. Times are tough in this economy and I honestly didn't have much money to spare, family had to pool our funds together to get last minute preps to survive this, cause we didn't know how long this would really last. In certain areas they said it could be weeks. However the alcohol was a small thank you that I could afford and he was happy so all worked out.
Gas cans were sold out, and extension cord supply's were looking extremely low at local hardware store. From what I overheard they also completely sold out of generators. Honestly wish I knew more about electrical stuff but my buddy gave me a small crash course in wiring everything. You can't just plug it in and pray for the best. Bought the best gauge extensions cords I could afford for our needs, and the distance and hooked it up.
We ran one bedroom AC unit, fans for the dogs, wired a light, and a charging station. Also don't cheap out on gas cans it's not worth blowing your face off or starting a fire, or having it leak. If you get a generator do your research on how to properly run it, and safely fill it. Crime in this area can be fairly high we've had a few drive by shootings and other not so good police involved things. Read this book along time ago about post collapse security, so I blacked out our windows so when we turned lights on no one knew we had power. You may hear the generator, but from the street we look like we don't have anything going for us. My biggest fear was looters from people who were less fortunate or really down bad. We near a common site for homeless people as well so they foot traffic the area.
Generators are very loud, between that and listening to the radio 12 hours a day, I was beginning to audio hallucinate lyrics that weren't there with the radio off, and suffered from heat exhaustion. That and the fact we had homeless in our area and tweekers who might loot I was running off adrenaline a bit. 24 hours almost that night without sleep, and didn't even feel tired. Slept near my firearm until my family woke up at daylight and when daylight hit I knew we were in the clear and I passed out.
What I wish I had on day fou and general notes:
Knowledge of generators.
Knowledge about electricity/wiring them safely.
Security: Some type of physical alarm bell to put on the door like metal door knob alarm bells so it jingles if anyone enters to alert the dogs, had to keep the door slightly cracked so the wires hooked up to the generator would fit. So we couldn't lock the door, which is probably where my anxiety of tweekers coming in came from.
Day Five: Same shit different day, power came on that evening.
Conclusion: Just cause it doesn't look like societal collapse or WW3 prep your shit for emergency's native to your area or go beyond, idc but prep. They ain't coming to help for awhile, or at all if it's very severe...so it's up to you and your community to pull through. This was a wake up call, thanks for coming to my prep talk.
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2024.05.21 17:28 Ok_Butterscotch_719 AITA for contacting our landlady about my roommate-"friend"'s scam?

So I've been friends with - lets call him Steve - for over 10 years. We've hung out loads of times, talked about many things, a good friendship.
Backstory before getting into the real issue: He cheated on his girlfriend, whom he was living with, so she left him and moved out abruptly. He couldn't afford the rent on his own, and I was looking for a new apartment, so I thought it would be win/win if I moved in, so I did. He said that rent was 750$ all included per person, and it sounded reasonable to me, especially with the current housing crisis in Canada. (Hi fellow Canadians!)
Fast forward, we get papers explaining the rent increase, and he doesn't understand them so he shows them to me. I notice that our increased rent would be a total of 985$. Which made me go "Huh?" because, reminder, I pay 750$. He said "Oh don't mind that" but spoiler alert - I did mind that.
Days later, I asked him what everything (rent, wifi, electricity, etc.) costs so I could make myself a budget. He said "No worries, I already told you it's 750$/person everything included" and I played innocent and said "Yeah but I really need each cost separately so I can plan out my budget efficiently" - so he disclosed the costs.
And so I discovered that if I paid half of everything, it would cost me 690$ all-included. For those like me who suck at math, that means I pay 750$ to cover all costs while he only pays 630$.
I confronted him and he said that he never said I would pay half of everything - he made me a "friend deal" of 750$ all included. He said that if we weren't friends, it would cost me 800$ and I wouldn't have access to the living room.
I told him that I agreed to pay 750$ because he said it was per person, insinuating that he, the other person, was paying the same. I said that I would therefore pay the real price - 690$ - from now moving forward. He said that it's impossible and that I'm a horrible friend for going back on my word.
He tried calling my best friend so she would convince me that what he's doing is totally fair. She's my best friend, so she was already aware of the whole situation, but she played dumb just to see what he would say his version of events is.
She asked him what everything costs - he lied and added 5-10$ to every charge to make it seem like not as much of a discrepancy and possibly a slight miscalculation.
She badgered him to know what I get extra for paying extra - to which he had no answer, and finally confessed that I pay more than him because it was the only way he could make his budget work. She told him that I'm not responsible for paying part of his budget, and he was apparently flabbergasted by that.
She suggested to write out 2 contracts; one that I would pay half of everything, and that I swear to do half the chores (which he said I never do). In the other one, I would pay 750$ as agreed, but he swears to do all of the chores. Then I'd choose which one to sign. Obviously, I'd choose the first one, but I have yet to see any contract.
Then he started hiding the toilet paper. I wish I were kidding. I had to start buying toilet paper and hiding it in my room.
SO. Here's where the AITA question comes in. Our landlady has no idea that he's subleasing his rooms. Hell, I doubt she even knows that I live there. AITA for thinking about informing her about the whole situation and risking my friend getting kicked out?
For those who want more backstory, here are my current living conditions.
His girlfriend - the girl he cheated on his previous girlfriend with - is ALWAYS over here - doesn't pay a single penny - and I wouldn't mind if she had respect for me and our surroundings.
She wakes me up on weekends at 8am by blasting a Spanish podcast in the kitchen instead of listening it with headphones and/or in my roommate's room. My room is right next to the kitchen.
She eats cinnamon-flavoured toast every morning - I'm allergic to cinnamon.
I have to wash the bathtub every time I want to take a shower because she leaves clumps of long dark hair. My hair is pink, so it's obviously not mine.
I allowed access to my Netflix account, and she changed all the settings to Spanish without even asking me first.
I told her and my friend about all these issues, but they keep happening as if I never said a thing.
submitted by Ok_Butterscotch_719 to CharlotteDobreYouTube [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 16:48 1sadgrl Confused & still having pelvic pain

I have read the bible and I’m still a little confused and am hoping to get some help here.
At the end of March, I was having horrendous lower abdominal pain. Standing, sitting laying down, it was incredibly painful. The pain was in the center. A few inches below my belly button and then moved to my right lower side. By the first week of April, the pain was still in my right lower abdomen, but it also mowed to my right lower back, and center back. Here’s a total list of my symptoms:
  1. Lower abdominal pain, that moved from center to the right side.
  2. Not being able to hold pee in. I would go to the bathroom, be finished peeing, wipe, and once I stood up, more pee would flow out.
  3. Bloating. I felt so bloated all of the time.
  4. Urine frequency, every 10 minutes I felt like I had to pee
  5. Unsure if related or not, but, since January, my periods have been excruciating on the first day. (Extremely abnormal for me) on the first day, there will be extreme cramps for about an hour, and within a hour after that there is so much blood that comes out. Bleeding usually lasts a few hours and then I’m back to my normal light bleeding for 3 days.
Chain of events
•4/2/24: Went to OB, was told it was a UTI. Urinalysis completed, elevated white blood cells found. Urine culture completed, no findings.
•4/14/24: Went to OB again, had a trans-vaginal ultrasound. 8mm cyst located on my left ovary. (LEFT ovary. My pain has been on my right side this entire time) I go back in July for monitoring of the cyst. During this appointment (before test results came back) I was told that I should get back on birth control, and that all of my pain would then go away. I was prescribed: TRANEXAMIC ACID 650 MG, MEFENAMIC ACID 250 MG and NITROFURANTOIN MONO-MCR 100 MG(MACROBID). I did not fill the first two prescriptions, as they were geared towards my painful periods, which weren’t of my concern at that time. I took macrobid for 24 hours and had really bad side effects. I
•4/17/24: Went to my primary care physician. He was immediately concerned for my health, as both my mother and grandmother had appendectomies, and I was exhibiting signs of appendicitis. He pressed down on my lower right abdomen and my body just about folded in half due to the pain. He ordered a CT scan to be done within 24 hours. CT scan came back to no findings. I told him my issues with macrobid, he then put me on CIPROFLOXACIN 500mg.
•4/24/24: Results from 4/14/24 testing: Urine culture, Gardnerella, Candida, Trich, Cediaydia and Gonohrrea tests were all negative. “U. PARVUM DNA” was found. My bf and I were both prescribed doxycycline 100mg twice a day for 7 days & no sex during that time.
We both took and completed the medication. To my surprise, I did find some relief! My issue is, is that I do still have lower-right abdominal pain & still have a minor issue with urine still coming out after sitting on the toilet. The pain isn’t anywhere as near severe.. it’s more of a pressure at this point. It is painful after I have intercourse/orgasm though.
Any recommendations for what I should do at this point? I’m overwhelmed and would love any guidance.
ETA: I know pelvic floor therapy is a thing, but I don’t think it’s the right time for that.
I’m also want to note that my OB is over an hour away and it’s hard to get appointments.
submitted by 1sadgrl to Ureaplasma [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 16:11 Worried_Thought5014 How could I not say something

I came home from work and he was doing the dishes (not unusual) but the living room toys were all cleaned up (unusual) and then when I got in the shower he cleaned the toilet (unusual)
I know now this was a sign. Cleaning up, “taking care of us” before he left us.
But I was in such a rush when I got home. So excited to see what I’d brought home from work to work on. I barely gave him a kiss, he had grabbed my shoulders to stop me rushing around and tell me goodnight and i just gave him a quick kiss and told him I was going out to the kitchen.
Was he gonna tell me? I know now he had already bought what he was going to use, I know now he’d already written the note, but I wonder if I could go back to that one moment and slow myself down and look at him was he gonna tell me? Ask me for help?
Maybe if I’d thanked him for cleaning up? Told him how much I appreciated it. How much we all needed him?
In a split second I could’ve changed everything and I’ll never know
submitted by Worried_Thought5014 to SuicideBereavement [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 16:00 groundbound_petunias Blind girl looking for apartments

As the title says, current place of being so to speak is increasing the rent for the fourth time in less than a year. And I cannot afford that and such luxuries as soap and food. So I'm hoping to find something a bit more affordable that's not going to end me up in the ghetto.
I've usually rented basement suites. As they are usually a bit more affordable, but I have no preference. It just needs to be below.850/mo all in.
I've always lived on the South side of the river, but this is not unnecessary, it's just a bit more reassuring for us. Blind people to kind of have a map where we're going, but at this point, if you happen to have a rusty, shed outback in the far West side I would take it.
I have very good references and also good credit and no criminal record and can provide all the paperwork. And that jazz to ascertain the truthfulness of that. I suppose, I also used to do the cleaning and general maintenance of one building. I lived in years ago and still have the landlord's information. I assume since I. Dealt with flooding toilets and keeping the hallways clean and also shoveling a 12 car parking lot by hand that probably I can handle whatever your suite might throw at me, please don't be like the one lady that just slammed the door in my face because she said her place had steps. You know, kind of like the ones that I took a multiple times to get on multiple transit to view Her.suite. And yes, I have tried to check the rental sites like rentfaster and kijiji , but unfortunately, neither of them are optimized for my talk to text programs. So I'm having very little luck being able to view anything or contact people when I do eventually get something to appear. So I'm hoping somebody lives in a cheaper buildinging somewhere. maybe has saw the sign 4 rent Sin 4 that dark corner in the basement and maybe I can fill it Also I don't smoke or have any pets. Not even a guy dog. Sadly, so I would fit that requirement for most suites..
submitted by groundbound_petunias to Edmonton [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 15:17 nic_d85 Free poster

Free poster
I’m trying to download the free poster from The Lighthouse by signing up to the email list but entering my email and pressing download does nothing. I’ve tried multiple emails and nothing works. Anyone have a good fix to this?
submitted by nic_d85 to A24 [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 13:49 The_Naked_Buddhist A Deep Dive into the political beliefs of Aon Tu, as presented via their Twitter accounts. Presented without comment.

Lately, both in person and on this sub, I have seen a worrying amount of misinformation spreading about the political party Aon Tu. This misinformation either states that they are a left/liberal party or that they are not right/conservative. This is however clearly wrong as any amount of inspection of their statements and social media makes clear; any clear dive into their policies and statements make it clear that they are instead very right wing, if not far right. They use the many familiar terms associated with similar parties, hold the same stances, and even retweet them and their content.
In order to illustrate this below I am presenting the various tweets made by Peadar Tóibín (the current leader of the party, their founder, and currently sole elected official) as well as their official twitter account. I have limited it solely to tweets due to time and space constraints, I have also had to limit the amount of tweets due to the same constraints There is more and I strongly encourage anyway to check their accounts for themselves. If there is interest I can do a deep dive into their other socials and statements, however I do not think there is a way to access the backlog of debates they have had on RTE and radio unfortunately. I believe this thread will stand on it's own however and other such threads won't be needed.
I will present the below tweets without comment, sorting them only into sections for ease of reading. Some may contain a note below in order to give more context as to what the tweet is referencing. The one section I did not include was the various tweets on the referendum, this is because due to recency I did not think it was needed.
Edit: Fixed some formatting errors below that escaped notice when first posting, as well as one entry being under the wrong heading.
Vaccine Denial:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 12/07/2021
Aontú opposes vaccine Passports for indoor Hospitality.
Its discrimination against many people mostly the young.
Its mandatory vaccination through the back door.
Again the Irish Gov is alone in the whole of Europe in the extreme path it's taking.
Tweeted by Toibin; 17/10/2021
99.7% of the adult population in Waterford is fully vaccinated, yet it has one of the highest Covid-19 incidence rates in the country.
The truth is the Gov don't know why this is happening.
Now they will refuse entry to pubs to 0.3% unvaccinated to see does that work. #NPHET
Tweeted by Toibin; 10/01/2022
No, it's not April Fools day.
That people being paid by the state are actually discussing this is incredible.
FF/FG/Greens need to knock this madness on the head ASAP.
Note: Linked news article can be found here; Nphet to consider mandatory vaccination, department preparing paper on legal and ethical aspects
Tweeted by Toibin; 12/10/2022
I have submitted this question;
To ask the Minister for Health, has he or his department ever received any data, evidence or information from Pfizer that indicates that that the Pfizer Covid Vaccine was ever tested in terms of its ability to stop the transmission of Covid?
Anti Covid Lockdown:
Tweeted by Toibin; 15/11/2020
480 people got Cancer today.
24 people died of Cancer today
27 people died of Heart Disease and Stroke today.
This will hardly get a mention in the media today.
#COVID19
Tweeted by Toibin; 13/05/2021
8 deaths related to Covid were reported yesterday.
We share our deepest sympathies with these families.
The manner in which Covid deaths are being reported is concerning.
They were all from March or earlier.
Reporting them yesterday gives people a false impression of risk.
Tweeted by Toibin; 26/05/2021
The majority of people who died from Covid caught Covid in a Nursing Home or a Hospital.
So while the whole country was shut closed most people died in locations that were run by or regulated by the government.
This is an incredible situation.
Note: A video is attached.
Tweeted by Toibin; 05/06/2021
All the the people with Covid in Hospital in Ireland would fit on 1 Double Decker Bus.
Yet people were baton charged in Dublin last night and
Pubs and Restaurants wont open indoors for another month.
#ItsTimeForCommonSense #OpenHospitality #southwilliamst #Aontú
Tweeted by Toibin; 14/07/2021
The Government's Hospitality Discrimination Bill has passed all stages in the Dáil after only a few hours of debate.
It will be now legal to discriminate against certain Irish citizens.
A sad day for Ireland.
Note: The bill which has a picture taken of it in the tweet can be read here.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 30/10/2021
Some citizens are allowed into pubs.
Some citizens are not.
It's stunning that this has happened in the 21st century.
It's stunning that so much of society has just accepted it.
Worst of all, it's not even working.
Tweeted by Toibin; 24/11/2021
I have recieved information that the Goverment,
has carried out NO scientific research into the effectiveness or otherwise of the Covid Pass.
At all.
#FollowTheScience #TheySaid
Tweeted by Toibin; 17/12/2021
Are the Gov going to say that a healthy young person thats triple vaccinated along with their Covid Pass can't have a pint after 5pm.
What's the point of it all so?
Tweeted by Toibin; 21/01/2022
Very interesting to see Nphet and the Dept of Health go from researching Mandatory Vaccines to lifting restrictions in 10 days!
Anti LGBT:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 24/10/2022
Women live in period poverty just a few miles from the Dáil.
Instead of helping them,
your virtual signalling political establishment
put a tampon machine in the men's toilet in the Dáil.
Tweeted by Toibin; 16/02/2023
Plans by FF, FG & Greens to change the law to allow 16 year olds to legally change gender, against advice of medical experts,
shows how completely alienated the political bubble is from the people of Ireland.
Aontú will oppose this and seek a return to commonsense and science.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 05/03/2023
When Minister O Gorman refused redress to many who had been in Mother and Baby Homes because of the 'lack of money', he raided hundreds of thousands from the Magdalene Scheme and Travellers supports & diverted the funding towards the LGBTQ+ Community.
Note: There is an article linked in the tweet, about an accusation made by Toibin. Read it here
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 06/03/2023
Varadkar is wrong. 9 &10 year old children are too young to be taught about transgenderism. We have a duty of care to children.
No research has been has been carried out on the impact of such education.
Tweeted by Toibin; 07/03/2023
I've asked the Minister for Ed what research has the Dept of Education carried out
on the impact on primary school children of delivering material on Transgenderism to them in the classroom?
We've a duty of care to children.
Education should be based on evidence not ideology.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 08/03/2023
Tóibín asked Varadkar if his Gov had carried out any research as to the impact on 8 & 9 year old children of teaching about transgenderism in primary school.
Leo refused to answer the question.
Radical changes are being introduced against majority consent.
Note: There is an attached video.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/03/2023
Many people have been shocked by Paul Murphy's announcement.
But what's more shocking is that FF, FG, SF and the Greens,
are on exactly the same page as the hard left parties on teaching this ideology in every primary school in the country.
Tweeted by Toibin; 21/05/2023
This is incredible. All the actual crime that is happening on our streets and Gardaí are wasting time like this.
Even though there was no arrest here, this harassment creates a clear chilling effect on free speech and political discourse.
Note: There is an attached video in the tweet retweeted by Toibin, in it a Gardai is holding a polite conversation with an American holding a sign against "Gender Ideology." In their Twitter bio they describe themselves; "Father of two girls. Traveling the world to expose gender ideology and why children cannot consent to medical transition."
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 07/07/2023
Growing concern among parents that the new curriculum for 12 & 13 years in school is not age appropriate & is not science based.
Gender identity ideology is now mandatory for schools & thousands of parents will have no option but to withdraw their child from class.
Note: This article is linked on the topic of a statement made by Toibin.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 23/07/2023
This is why so many are angry with the Minister for Culture Wars, Helen McEntee.
Homicides are up, murder attempts are up, rape & sexual assaults are up, theft is up. Yet....
Gardaí management are focused on allowing male born Gardaí use women’s toilets.
Note: There is an attached article; here
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 28/09/2023
The Green Party are becoming increasingly authoritarian in nature.
If you dissent from government sanctioned views, you will be investigated.
This is the opposite of a liberal democracy.
Note: There is a linked article; it pertains to an investigation by the IABA into the usage of their premises by a "Christian Group" advocating for the removal of all LGBT+ content from the SPHE curriculum.
Tweeted by Toibin; 14/03/2024
It is reckless beyond belief to give dangerous chemicals and irreversible surgery to children with gender dysphoria.
This must be made illegal in Ireland immediately.
Note: Includes a retweet of this news article.
Anti Hatespeech bill:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/06/2023
Helen McEntee has become the Minister for Culture Wars.
Incredibly Varadkar accused PBP of being a threat to Free Speech.
FG, FF & the Greens are the biggest threat to free speech.
Note: There is a link article here.
Tweeted by Toibin; 26/07/2023
US gives Dublin a security warning for US citizens travelling to Ireland.
Meanwhile Minister McEntee is too busy with the Hate Speech Bill and Safe Zone Bill to worry about real people suffering actual crime.
Tweeted by Toibin; 28/03/2024
Helen McEntee is distracted by the Culture Wars.
People just want her to do her job, & make the streets safer.
Instead, she spent the last two years on a Hate Crime Bill no one wants. #BinTheBill
Note: There is an attached video.
Other:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/02/2023
In the Dáil yesterday the hard left tried to close down a discussion on migration by calling people names.
This issue is too important. People have a right to respectfully ask questions and challange government policy.
Note: There is an attached video; it does not depict such name calling but rather Toibin accusing the government of name calling.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 24/07/2023
Another day and another culture war imported by the government from America.
Note: A retweet from Gript media with an attached video.
Tweeted by Toibin; 12/03/2024
There is a battle over the narrative of the referendum defeat happening at the moment.
Some within the political & media bubble want to erase the fact that so many people have had enough of the culture wars and want the country to get back to commonsense and bread and butter.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 19/03/2024
At a Dept of Education 'In Service' day,
their staff told secondary school teachers not to use the word 'Mother' in class as they said it was not inclusive.
They are implementing Gov policy.
Aontú disagrees wholeheartedly with this policy.
Happy Mothers Day.
Tweeted by Toibin; 10/04/2024
Says the man who seeks to delete more Irish sovereignty with the EU migration pact.
Note: A retweet from Simon Harris talking about the need to defend Ukraine's sovereignty.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 11/04/2024
The decision by FG, FF and Green MEPs to cede the power to control immigration into Ireland to Brussels was a serious mistake. Aontú oppose this pact and will fight to retain and regain sovereignty in Europe #aontú
submitted by The_Naked_Buddhist to irishpolitics [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 11:10 Stylish_aesthetic My love letter to younger me / breakup letter to the Bahais :)

I'd like to share a lengthy and self-indulgent note about my history with the Baha'i community and the impact it had on my family and me. It's worth noting that I'm sharing this using a throwaway Reddit account that I generally reserve for browsing porn. I find funny to imagine a Baha'i apologist reading this, becoming angry and judgmental, and then, investigating my profile and ending up jerking off. With that said, let's dive into my story.
I want to share my experience in case it resonates with someone else, a lot of the stories on this Reddit helped me, and perhaps my story will give some comfort to someone else. It has taken me a while to write this down, and I'm glad I finally got around to doing it.
My parents emigrated from their homeland for reasons of principle and value. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by Baha'is who met them. And so, lovebombed and lavished with love, praise, and celebration for moving countries due to values that they portrayed as being closely aligned with the Baha'i faith, my parents fell for this validation and worked very hard once they became Baha'is in the mid-1980s.
My dad got rid of all of his whiskies, and swiftly, my parents began hosting potlucks and fireside chats, diligently working to integrate into the Baha'i ecosystem. Back then, the atmosphere was fairly light-hearted, with devotional gatherings, prayers, and a somewhat 1960s-esque hippie vibe. There was live guitar music, and joss sticks.
However, I remember Baha'i classes having an interesting edge. We were taught that Buddhists were not following a religion but merely a way of life, and that Hindus had become pantheistic because they had lost the core of their faith and religion, which had become corrupted over time. Thanks to Google, I can discover that yes indeed, this is from Lights of Guidance.
There was a significant emphasis on the importance of gender equality and the oneness of humanity – because, hey, the eighties. I feel sad there isn't anything anymore about the Virtues project - even if the Virtues project was sort of framed like it was created by Bahais.
Even in the 1980s, there was an overwhelming atmosphere that the key to being a good Baha'i was how you presented yourself rather than your actual behaviour. I recall learning an apocryphal tale of a young Baha'i who, while fasting, participated in an aerobics class and nearly fainted (yeah, aerobics, this is a real 80s fable), but was told by another Baha'i to prioritize representing the faith well over completing the fast because *it looked bad*. From a very early age, I learned the importance of putting the right face forward.
My parents then took their relationship with the Baha'i faith to the next level and volunteered at the World Centre in Haifa. As a child, this was a pretty interesting experience. I was suddenly immersed in the Iranian, or rather, Persian community, with its strong culture of martyrdom. Even as a child, every event seemed to feature graphic videos depicting young kids being taken from their homes. It was quite frightening, and I remember being afraid.
I also recall a strong sense of hierarchy within the community. My family lived in a small apartment with a very old, busted-up car from the 1970s, while others resided in nice homes with pleasant views and drove nice cars. I attended a local Israeli school, which was a cultural experience in itself, while my peers my age went to the much fancier American school. It's important to note that, at this point, the conversation about the "great catastrophe" – two-thirds of the world's population dying, leading to a period of peace and the entry by troops – was a prevalent topic openly discussed at the World Centre.
We completed our stint there, even living through the Gulf War. Upon returning to my birth country, my parents chose to live in places with smaller Baha'i communities, as they wanted to support and help establish Local Spiritual Assemblies. Things had changed by this point, not only because I was a teenager but also because the community itself had transformed. There was a significant Iranian presence everywhere, and the focus had shifted heavily towards rules, especially those related to sex, drinking, and drug use. There was also a huge emphasis on financial contributions to the faith, and it was the first time I began to see a somewhat materialistic outlook within the community.
As a preteen and teenager, I engaged in activities like dropping off flyers in mailboxes and soliciting strangers to talk about this great new religion, all in the name of “teaching”. I joined the local choir and sang, inspired by a crush I had on a girl there. This was probably the golden time of the community, with the choir doing outreach and a balance between Western and Iranian believers.
However, things began to accelerate. The Ruhi Institute and teaching became significant focal points. I was encouraged to bring a good friend of mine to a Baha'i camp, and once there, I was pressured to ask him to convert. It was very uncomfortable.
This Reddit loves cringe stories, so here is a winner: I had a birthday party with my non-Baha'i friends, and two older Baha'i girls attended. One of the girls ended up stalking my friend, showing up at his workplace and calling him at home with sexually suggestive comments. The matter was escalated to the Local Spiritual Assembly, but instead of talking to me about it, they basically ended my friendship with this kid. To me, this somehow captures so much of what it was like to be a Baha'i child and how Baha'i adults treat children to this day.
When I turned 15, I signed up for Baha'i membership because it was the expected thing to do. However, by the time I was in my early 20s and studying at university, I had started to interact more with the local, real-world community. This might seem like a small thing, but it was actually quite significant. You see, my parents had always felt a little bit on the outside compared to the average person on the street around them. This sense of elitism was really exacerbated by being a Baha'i because Baha'is would walk around in a cloud of self-assurance, slapping each other on the back and saying , "We don't do drugs. We've got all the answers and solutions, not like you." That was pretty much the attitude. It felt very socio-economic, with a lot of judgment towards working-class people. When the Iranians arrived, the cultural judgments grew even stronger.
But I was working in restaurants and learning about booze from bartenders. I had gotten to know real people. I had lost my virginity, and all that Bahai jazz seemed so much less relevant. I hardly even noticed when the year 2000 arrived without the predicted apocalypse, entry by troops, or any of the other anticipated events. Life went on. I lived in another country and met a girl, and we lived together.
Here is cringe story #2: my girlfriend /fiancé and I hosted a Bahai couple from my hometown. Despite being in my late 20s and engaged, and even though I hosted this gentleman in my house and helped him with his preparations for his business and presentations in the country where I lived, he reported to the Local Spiritual Assembly that I was living with a woman and we weren't married. It was absolutely amazing. The level of judgment still grosses me out.
I started to reflect on what the religion had meant to me and saw how it had changed. The obsession with fundraising was becoming ever more strident and panicked. The gaps in the actual scriptural logic of the religion were becoming more exacerbated as real-world problems still ran rife, and real-time discussions on social media brought these issues to light. It took me a while to start really digging into it, and it was only much later, when I started therapy, that I realized I needed to formally resign from the religion.
Looking back, it's astonishing how this religion, which professes to have such blind equality between the genders, as if other religions have some kind of hardwired sexism, actually had hardwired sexism in how the Universal House of Justice operates. A religion that taught the oneness of humanity, as if all humanity is equal and other religions don't recruit from anyone they can find, places divisors. Although of course, Bahai’s can’t recruit from Israeli Jews, so much for oneness of humanity. But this religion has taught that all humanity is equal, unless, of course, you're gay. Then you can't get married, let alone have sex.
There are other principles I haven't touched on, such as non-involvement in politics, unless it involves things happening to Baha'is or politics in Iran. The principle of independent investigation of the truth doesn't seem to work if you might investigate something that's not in line with the Baha'i perspective. The idea of a universal language? I don't really see any evidence that they're even really thinking about that one. The unity between science and religion? A religion that only allows men to sit on its senior board of a global theocracy probably isn't going to jive with a contemporary scientific perspective…. I mean, apparently you don't need a penis to be a man anymore, right?
In between these moments are my colorful memories of random things, like endless discussions about the boundaries of physical intimacy, people getting married at the age of 16 because they had exemptions for being Persian, and meeting Ms. Khanoom in Israel, feeling some sadness that the lone woman who at least brought some feminine energy to the World Centre is now gone, replaced by 12 boring men.
I've had conversations with my wife where I tried to explain what Baha'is actually do. She just wonders why they aren't doing stuff like normal religions do, like reading to the elderly or supporting schools for the disabled. I explain that's not the target demographic. I remember a wealthy man brought to firesides who obviously nobody else wanted to listen to, but we all sat around and applauded him like he was a great ukulele player and a clever man. He pointed out a hilariously Iranian man who was an alternative healer, and they got into a debate about modern medicine. The wealthy man said, "Well, you should see my daughter and what she studied. She studies Law." And then quickly changed the subject when asked about her name since I studied at the same Law school. Here's this man who's self-aware enough to join the adoration of his crowd but doesn't want his daughter mixed up in it in any way. Absolutely hilarious. Make that cringe story #3.
This reflection was sort of sparked when my wife and I discovered that the writings attributed to Rumi, which Baha'is often quote, is the same guy who started the Whirling Dervishes. We read about Rumi and I realized just how different he is from Baha'u'llah. Rumi wrote poetry, but he didn't pretend to be a prophet of God. He was just offering a different dynamic for how to interpret spirituality. He didn't say he was part of some sort of cycle. There's something beautiful about that simplicity. And needless to say, Rumi lived long before the Baha'is ever started.
It makes me wonder, will anyone ever watch the equivalent of a whirling dervish dance for the Baha'is?
The obsession with appearances sounds like a joke, but it isn't. It wasn't for me. Some bad stuff happened to me on my trip to Israel. When we got there, my parents didn't understand why I was so upset about everything. It was a culture shock, attending a local school, not speaking Hebrew, being lumped together with Russian kids who also didn't speak Hebrew, and getting beaten up in the toilet. It wasn't a very good time for me.
So, I was sent to counsel with a local Israeli counselor. After several sessions, she instructed that I had to sit down with my parents and tell them what I needed to tell them, particularly about the shadow that had come over me since coming to Israel. My parents were enraged when I said, “I wish we never became Bahai”.
And so, we returned from the Holy Land and moved to a tiny community that was struggling to get members. To this day, my parents are still members. I've resigned so I'm never dubbed a "covenant breaker." I'm pretty sure my parents know that I resigned because they literally never raise the topic of the Baha'i faith with me. I wish the religion had some interesting cosmology, something mystical, some interesting new take on the universe, or provided my family with tools to handle being migrants or raising teenagers. At the very least, it could have given us a common language we could have used to bond together. It did none of that.
But to be fair, if it wasn't the Baha'is, some other rinky-dink cult would have love-bombed my parents back in the 1980s. Of course, it would have been so much more fun if it had featured more sex and drugs 😊
submitted by Stylish_aesthetic to exbahai [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 10:10 fluffy_l Changing jobs from CNA to veterinary nursing

I fell into the clutches of the government about 10 months ago when I lost my job as a florist, and my job provider signed me up for a traineeship in aged care because they are desperate for workers right now - I wasn't able to say no without losing my payments because it's paid work. I'm currently doing a traineeship as a personal carer and I absolutely hate it. Not only do I do 3 overnight shifts in an aged care centre a week, I'm also looking after 32 residents by myself as a new trainee and most have dementia and behavioural problems. The RNs are either sleeping on their shift on a different floor or are nowhere to be found - and ringing them on their phone gets me nowhere. The people I take over from at 10pm never do their work and I end up having to finish their pad changes while they have been sitting on their phones waiting to go home for the last half hour. My float, who does breaks and is meant to help out on different floors when it gets busy, gets argumentative towards me after I call every floor to find them, because they don't want to carry an internal phone with them all night long and then tells me that other staff need them more. Then I find out they hang out on the least busy ward.
When working, I also have various residents who, after going to the toilet, want me to "dig in" as deep as possible when wiping them and get abusive if I don't (I don't! At $20/hr overnight I don't get paid enough to do that - and it's gross!!) and start crying because they didn't get their way. Others lunge themselves out of bed and have falls and it's my fault because I was on that floor, I've had residents punch me because they didn't want their pad changed, verbally abuse me for no apparant reason. That's the dementia, i understand that, but it still hurts. we've got one sleaze that comes out every hour on the hour to check the time and makes a pass at me. He hasn't showered in over a week because he gets aggressive and every time I see him in the middle of the night his teeth are bleeding - quite honestly, I get quite scared up there by myself on occasions. I've tried telling management, but HR doesn't want to listen, because they've got their person to work up there and that's that.
I've also tried to take 3 days off after 10 straight months of working 3 overnight shifts a week, gave them 6 weeks notice and got told they have to work it all out first and they'll give me a call back - it will probably get denied. I tried to take a day off once before with 2 weeks notice because a friend came to visit from overseas that I hadn't seen in close to 20 years, got approved, and on the day they called me and asked me why I'm not at work. They are absolutely useless.
I feel like I'm stuck in a nightmare and nobody on the outside wants to believe me. This company prides itself for being a 5 star facility and I'm about to join a union because of them. I also don't trust the trusted person we got a contact for as she works in HR as well. They exist to look after the company, not the staff.
This is why I'm looking for different work now, and am quite keen to go into veterinary nursing. I feel like it would be a lot more wholesome than what I'm doing at the moment, i would have transferable skills and would also be able to find full time work (CNAs in my country only ever work part time or casual - full time is only for management).
Would anyone have any insight into this?
submitted by fluffy_l to jobs [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 08:08 Kaylo2505 Fearful Cane Corso?

Fearful Cane Corso?
I’m hoping other people on here have experienced the same and can give me some advice. If not, it was worth a shot.
I have a 15 month old Cane Corso cross English Mastiff, Luna. I have had her since she was 14 weeks old, her mum is my brother’s dog so I was given updates on her throughout her time with mum. A lot of people assume that she had to have been treated badly to be the way she is, but I trust my brother and mum enough to know these puppies were taken care of and spoilt rotten, none of the other puppies have experienced this except for the normal fear stages pups go through, all pups went to family friends and I have been in contact with them
A couple of months ago I had a discussion with my mum’s boyfriend and he had mentioned that whenever he was there, he would notice that Luna would cling to the nearest human, she wouldn’t really follow the other pups when it came to toilet training ect. It made me realise that she essentially still does the same, she finds a safety point and clings to it
Ever since Luna was able to go out on walks (16-18 weeks) she has had an immense fear of fast moving cars.. well essentially a fear of everything and everyone beyond the house. I asked for help on puppy training groups on Facebook, they suggested desensitising her so instead of trying to go for walks, we would sit out at the front of the house and I’d let her explore where she was comfortable, I would play traffic noises while we were inside the house, I would even carry her up and down the roads. Once she was away from the road she would walk brilliantly
As she got older, she got too heavy to carry around so I couldn’t carry her across the road in order to get her to walk and she had slowly become more fearful of the world. We have gone from being able to get her about 2ft away from the path on the road to only getting her to the front of the house before she refuses to move any further
Vets told me she would get over this by 9 months old, she hasn’t
In February we decided to seek help from a behaviourist because we were hitting dead ends with everything people were suggesting we do. Behaviourist concluded that her issues were either a memory of pain (growing pains) plus noise sensitivity, current pain plus noise sensitivity or just a general fear. They suggested anxiety tablets and to do an assessment to rule out the pain side
This behaviourist has proven to be completely useless so far, we did all the videos and images we could and sent it to her, she then told me 4 weeks later that the flooring was unsuitable so I did them all again, they came back and said that she had some anomalies but because of how hesitant she is, they can’t conclude anything
Luna has been having a couple of vet trips lately for a lump on her ear (nothing to worry about), she’s had to have Trazodone for 2 of the trips due to her anxiety. I asked the behaviourist to tell me what these anomalies were, she essentially said that because Luna was on a harness during some of the videos and because of camera angles (we did it how she asked), they couldn’t determine it… so where are these anomalies?
I discussed the issues with the vet regardless, we weighed her by carrying her into the clinic, causing her to lose control of her bowels and bladder and she was shaking so badly despite being so high on life. Vets have finally listened to me and suggested trialling her on anxiety tablets for a month, they wouldn’t before because they wanted to rule out pain first, but after hearing what she is like at home they don’t believe she would be in pain for this long and not show obvious signs as it has been going on for a year
If these tablets don’t work do I just accept that she will be house bound all her life? It takes 2 of us to get her into the car, we can’t always take her out using the car because she needs quiet environments and private dog parks aren’t always an option for us. She loves walks, she gets so excited when we get ready for them, it’s just the road that is stopping her
Is there anything we are missing that we might not have tried yet? We play foraging games outside the house, we use her favourite toys, we’ve brought her brother over to see if he would help, we’ve used the older dog that she lives with.. We’ve even tried to be a little more forceful and stern with her which just scares her even more
submitted by Kaylo2505 to CaneCorso [link] [comments]


2024.05.21 06:07 YayGilly When people can't be bothered to knock on a public 1 stall restroom door, AND assume the shopkeeper has locked it up.

The title. I am a teacher during the school year and I work at a local convenience store during summer break.
Idk how many times a day, or even an hour, someone goes to open the bathroom door, doesn't think, and then yells at the cashier that the bathroom is locked.
"Did you try knocking? Maybe someone is using it." Idk how many times I have to say this.
Signs don't help. There are far too many functionally illiterate people in this world. I wish there weren't.
Do you yell at your spouse when the bathroom is locked at home? Its a convenience store, not the mall, guy. Knock. On. The. Door. But they do not knock. Its INSANE. Like, I ask them to knock, and thats perceived as just me being a crazy, looney, Roger Rabbit of toon town, apparently.
The bathroom is inside of the store. Some of these knuckleheads ask if there is a KEY. No. Someone is in there, which you would know, if you knocked.
And dont get me started on people shitting on the back of the toilet seat. Disgusting.
submitted by YayGilly to PetPeeves [link] [comments]


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