When you're rich enough, you get perks you can only dream of. Literally. But somehow, my paradise turned into hell.
Have you ever had a dream so amazing, you wished you could relive it? Explore it? Relish it? Well, when you're rich enough, you don't have to wish. It's a reality thanks to dream banks. You may have heard of them and their pricy services, which include recording, saving, and projecting dreams.
For example, if you'd like a dream recorded, you can book one of their luxurious suites for the night, where the dream techs will fit you with a special helmet and leave you to rest. The next morning, they'll replay the recorded dream for you via the helmet and ask if you want to shell out the extra bucks to save it. If you don't, they'll delete it and you can pay to book for another time to try again.
If you do decide to save it, you must select an item within the dream that will act as the exit key. (This will come in handy during projections.) While still wearing the helmet, you must touch the item, and the dream techs will label those electric signals as the key.
Afterwards, everything is saved under your name, and you can now relive your dream at any time by booking a suite for three, five, or eight hours. Unlike recordings, during projections, you don't have to wait for sleep to come. After you enjoy a snack of your choice, the helmet is fitted and you're immediately transported to your dream, where you have free will and can enjoy it at your leisure. And if you ever need to leave early, this is when you touch the key, which will shut down the helmet right away.
In my case, the key is the stegosaurus leather rug I have hanging on the wall of my throne room. I never have a reason to touch it otherwise, making it a perfect key. I've also never had to touch it. Experiencing life as an all-powerful, worshipped being who lives on my own planet and hunts dinosaurs in my spare time, I relished my dream to the last second.
Yes, the fees are exorbitant, but at the time, I felt it was worth it. The techs were skilled, the system was sleek, and the dreams were private. Each could only be unlocked by the unique brainwaves of the dreamer.
Or so I thought.
My literal nightmare began when I booked a five-hour projection on a rainy Friday afternoon. After taking a sip of champagne to wash down the cranberry brie bites, I settled into the cool silk sheets with a smile. My usual dream tech smiled back as she fastened my helmet, and the last thing I heard was her wishing me pleasant dreams before I was plunged into darkness.
I waited for the split-second adjustment from reality to the dream world, and my confusion grew when I didn't find myself on my throne surrounded by fawning gods and goddesses.
Instead, I found myself in the middle of an endless street. Alone. There were no cars, no life, not even wind. Towering street lamps lined the sidewalk as far as I could see, arcing over the road and tinting everything an eerie red. Behind them, identical buildings stood side by side, silent, their dark, narrow windows hollow.
My pulse spiking, I whipped around. The other direction was just as endless. Uneasy confusion prickled beneath my skin. This had to be someone else's dream. The techs must have made a mistake. I didn't know how it was possible, but there was no other explanation.
My unease piqued as my situation sank in. I was in a stranger's dream and I didn't know the key. I was stuck here until my five hours ran out. Or until the techs realized their mistake. I was ready to rip them a new one once I was out, but until then, I had no choice but to wait.
I studied my surroundings with a frown before I walked over to the curb and sat down, and that was when I noticed I couldn't feel anything. I also noticed I was naked. It didn't matter. There was no one here, and none of this was real anyway.
Time passed, and I tried to distract myself from my nettled offense by humming, but no sound came out. Sitting up, I took a deep breath and screamed. Not even a squeak was heard. I slapped my hand against the ground. Nothing. This place was like a black hole of the senses.
Sighing, I lay down on my back and stared at the red light above me, wondering if I could fall asleep in a dream. I tried, but the more I wished to escape this silent, crimson prison, the more it seemed to come into focus. Soon, the utter lack of noise and movement grew from slightly unnerving to completely intolerable.
There was no way I could wait. I'd go insane. I had to get out of here. I had to find the key.
Jumping up, I ran to the nearest building and wrenched open the door, and a pitch black void greeted me. I gasped, and gasped again as it felt like my very breath was being suctioned out of my lungs. Panicking, silent wheezes rattled in my chest as I struggled to yank myself out of the vacuum, jerking my limbs and bucking my body until I toppled over backwards on the sidewalk.
Gulping in fitful breaths, I scrambled to my feet and ran down the road without looking back, my wide eyes scanning the horizon for salvation. I just wanted out of here, but the hellish path stretched on forever, making me feel like I was running in place as every identical building and street lamp mocked me. Even my silent stomping and mute panting served to draw insanity closer.
And then, a person showed up.
There, in the distance.
With my hope spurred, I raced towards them, desperate. I didn't care who they were. I needed to break this monotony.
As I got closer, hope morphed to confusion, and then to despair. The person was me. It was a mirror, propped up across the entire street.
Sweat-soaked, I slowed down to a jog before I stopped right in front of my reflection. It was me alright, naked, exhausted, and frustrated. But the eyes, something was off about the eyes. With an anxious frown, I stepped closer, staring into them, and they stared back …
… until they glanced behind me.
I gasped and jumped away, and so did my reflection … before it glanced over my shoulder again.
A chill trickled down my spine. My reflection had nothing behind it but the empty street, so I gulped and turned around, and my mouth fell open in a silent scream as a lovecraftian behemoth barrelled its way towards me. With its slick shell gleaming red beneath the lights, it slammed down one spiny tentacle after the other as its five mouths bared their dripping, concentric fangs.
Drenched in undiluted horror, tremors gripped my body as I stumbled away until my back was against the mirror. I knew death was a foolproof key in a dream, but I didn't know if this creature would kill me right away or leave me to suffer in agony until my five hours were up.
With it only inches away, I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed myself into the mirror, and my stomach flipped as I fell backwards. I opened my mouth to gasp, but there was nothing for me to draw in. Floating in an airless void, I flailed and thrashed, my wild eyes scanning the darkness for answers as I began to spin around.
Although death would free me, one of my greatest fears was suffocating. On one of my weightless rotations, a red, glass cube passed me by, and I grabbed it, hoping it was a breathing device. I brought it close to my face, and I gawked at what it held within.
Me.
Surrounded by identical buildings and red street lamps while a lovecraftian behemoth tore me apart.
Horrified, I threw the cube as far as I could and increased my efforts to escape this void. Yet all the flailing and thrashing was for naught as the darkness revealed no end. My eyesight began to go red as my lungs spasmed, and I clawed at my throat as my pulse stuttered in my chest.
The red kept growing and growing until it engulfed my entire vision, and I gave up. There was nothing to do but face my fears and die. With my straining heart lumbering, I let myself go limp as I stared at the red and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I wasn't dying.
In fact, I could breathe just fine.
Frowning, I opened my eyes, and intense unease spread through my core. Above me, a red moon had taken up the entire sky, each one of its craters crystal clear, like eyes watching me. I turned my head away, and I realized I was in a park, laying down on the grass. Sitting up, I blinked in surprise at the pond right beside me, its opaque water reflecting the moon's red light. Ducks were swimming in a circle across its surface, their movements smooth with nary a splash.
Trees surrounded us, so dense I couldn't tell when one began and the other ended. It was mind-numbingly quiet here as well, and I still couldn't feel anything or make any noise, but at least the ducks were moving. This place seemed more tolerable than the last, and I was willing to wait out my five hours here. I hoped at least an hour had passed already, but with dreams, one never knew. All I knew was that I was too exhausted to search for the key. And too scared. I didn't know whose dream this was, but they had to be masochistic if they saved this nightmare.
Curling up beside the pond, I worked on calming myself down as I watched the ducks swim in their systematic circle over and over and over. I tried counting the rotations the way one would count sheep, but that still didn't lull me to sleep. I wished I'd chosen the three-hour projection, but at least I hadn't chosen the eight-hour one.
Distorted circus music crackled around me and I jolted up, my heart ricocheting in my chest. There was finally sound, but the last thing I wanted to hear was a cliche horror movie soundtrack. Gulping, I looked around. The music was coming from the trees, and my stomach dropped when I spied a shadow behind one of them. Then another. And another. They emerged into the crimson moonlight, and my blood turned to ice.
Clowns.
I whipped around, trembling to the rhythm of my frantic pulse. They were surrounding me. Dozens of them. As classic as any clown could be. Colorful clothes, big shoes, silly hair, exaggerated makeup. I wasn't scared of clowns, as long as they were where they belonged. And they didn't belong here, staring at me with big, empty eyes and yellow, toothy grins.
I tried to convince myself that they weren't dangerous since they didn't have weapons and didn't seem monstrous, but when they took a step closer in unison, I jumped back, nearly falling into the pond. The ducks remained oblivious, still swimming in their circle. The distorted circus music got louder, and my hair stood on end when I saw the grass ripple in front of each clown. They were sending something my way through the ground.
Panicking, I jumped into the pond, and I screamed as I sank right in. There was no bottom. There was no water either. The pond was filled with red, translucent spheres, each the size of a tennis ball. Still able to breathe, I began swimming through the spheres with clumsy breast strokes, just hoping I could end up as far away from the clowns as possible.
After swimming for what felt like enough time, I tried to swim up, until I realized I had no idea which direction I was facing. Remember a trick for those stuck in avalanches, I spat, but my glob of saliva just hovered in front of me. Before panic could set in, I noticed what looked like an office desk floating amidst the spheres in the distance. After blinking a few times to make sure it was really there, I swam towards it, desperate for any change in my situation.
It was an office desk, a wooden one with carved borders and locked drawers. Tucked beneath it was a stool, and the moment I pulled it out and set it under my ass, an office replaced the red spheres.
I grunted as gravity returned, and I looked around in bewilderment at the cluttered bookshelves and grimy floors. Dust was floating everywhere, highlighted by the red light filtering in through the blinds behind me. I jumped as a clock hanging on the wall chimed. Its glass was too dirty for me to tell the time, but I was glad I could hear. I coughed at the dust. And I could make noise. I dusted my hands. And I could feel. I could even smell, which I now wished I couldn't as I wrinkled my nose at the faint stench of rot.
After failing to read the spines of some of the books on the shelves, I studied the shadowy corners of the room. A slack-jawed skeleton hung in the far end, and a faded poster with anatomical diagrams curled off a cupboard. This had to be a doctor's office. Was the creator of this dream a doctor?
A silhouette slid in front of the frosted glass door, and I gulped as the knob began to turn. A hand reached in, gripping the edge one finger at a time, and my heart dropped as I knew this horror cliche was only going to be followed by another. Having no time to think, I slid off the stool and crouched beneath the desk, my hand over my mouth as cobwebs clung to me.
Praying spiders wouldn't swarm me, I peeked through a small slit in the wood, and I froze when an emaciated nurse walked in the room. Layers upon layers of blood coated her scrubs, so much so that I couldn't even tell what color they originally were. She had no shoes. No feet either. Just ankle stubs, and my stomach turned as I heard bone clunk against the tiles.
A surgical mask covered her face, as bloodstained as her scrubs, and grimy lab goggles obscured her eyes. I was grateful, because judging by the pus leaking out of her scabbed, balding scalp, I didn't want to know what her face looked like. The closer she got, the stronger the stench of rot became, and I struggled to keep myself from retching.
She stopped halfway into the room, and I gawked at her hands. They were transforming. Her fingers elongating into razor-edged blades. She then began to hunch over, and I cringed as her spine cracked and popped until she was as bent as a candy cane, her face staring at her pelvis.
As if that wasn't unsettling enough, her head creaked as it spun around 180 degrees, now facing the front, upside down. Right after, her arms shot to the ground, and I watched with increasing dread as she bent them at the elbows and wrists so they flanked her head like distorted T-Rex arms.
She spread her fingers out and took a few more steps towards me, and I held my breath, hoping she couldn't hear my rabid heart or smell my fear. Her ankle bones clicked and clacked against the tiles as she made her way around the desk, and I cowered as my frantic eyes searched for a weapon. I found none, but I did spy a brass button beside my head.
With her legs now an arms distance away, I had nothing to lose as I jammed my thumb into the button. The back of the desk flung open, and I scrambled to my feet and dashed out from my hiding place, screaming in response to the nurse screeching behind me. Bursting through the door, I held up my fists and began punching like a maniac in fearful anticipation of a horde of nurses swarming me.
Except I was no longer in a hospital. I was in an outdoor parking lot. Alone. And judging by the roiling red clouds, a storm was brewing. After a second to collect my bearings, I dove into the closest car, thankful it was unlocked. The moment I slammed the door shut, lightning blinded me as thunder cracked and the downpour began. Sighing in relief, I tried to shake away my adrenaline, but the bloodshot eyes in my rearview mirror reignited my panic.
Before I could react, a belt snapped over my neck, pinning my head back against the headrest. With a frightened wheeze, I clawed at the leather, and I flinched as hot, heavy breath wafted across my ear. Gagging at the putrid smell, I reached over, desperate to scratch my strangler's face or poke their eyes out.
I felt their greasy hair and tried to pull it, but my fingers refused to hold on. I tried again and again, using my nails for purchase, but the strands just kept slipping out of my weak grip. Shifting focus, I tried to claw at their eyes, but it felt as though I was moving through molasses as my hand slid down their face. Once I felt a wet, bulbous eye, I tried to scratch it, but I didn't have enough strength to do anything damage.
My frustration clashed with my terror and I tried to punch them, but my arm swung back in slow motion and merely prodded a stubbly cheek. Tears welled in my eyes as I writhed and gasped, my strangler's laugh adding insult to injury. Despite knowing death will set me free, fear and self-preservation rummaged through my mind, searching for a solution. And they found one.
Hoping I had enough grip and energy, I reached down and found the reclining lever. Wrapping my fingers around it tight, I jerked it up and heaved my body back, and I gulped in a deep breath as I fell backwards, the belt now slack. Not at all prepared to face my attacker, I slipped out from beneath the belt, flung open the door, and zoomed out into the storm.
Sheets of rain obscured my vision, but not enough for me to see that the keys were left inside a red convertible. After making sure no one was hiding in the back, I jumped in, started the engine, and took off, the wheels squealing through the puddles. A sole street curled down a hill, and I took it, adrenaline pumping in waves through my quivering body.
This rush was a confusing mixture of exhilaration and apprehension. I wanted out, but I wasn't giving up. I made it this far, and I was going to survive every cliche this masochist dreamed up. Sharks? Snakes? Zombies? Bring it on. And afterwards, I was going to detail every single trial and tribulation I went through as I sued the dream bank for all the trauma they caused me.
Up ahead, the road curved, and I gasped as it ended in a cliff. I slammed the breaks, but they didn't do anything. Breaking out in a cold sweat, I slammed them again and again as I yanked the hand break as far as it would go. The car refused to slow down, and I cursed myself for not anticipating this cliche. In a move of desperation, I swerved, but it wasn't enough as the car careened over the edge and took me with it.
My heart hung in my throat as I hung on to the steering wheel, my knuckles white, my screams frozen in my lungs, the raindrops like needles. An endless body of water spread below me, and I knew sharks were my next challenge. I screwed my eyes shut as I awaited the inevitable plunge …
… and I gasped as the car crashed against the surface.
I lurched forward, and I cried out as I bashed my forehead against the wheel. Groaning, I leaned back, my ears ringing as I looked around, disoriented. I was still in the convertible, but we were right side up, having crashed into the concrete wall of an indoor garage. Blood trickled down my face and I reached up, only to feel around my head in shock.
I was wearing the helmet.
Why was it in the dream?
Or had I made it out?
I looked down. I wasn't naked. My pyjamas were plastered to my sweat-soaked skin. I was out. I looked around at the broken glass and mangled metal in confusion. But if I was finally out, why was I in a car and not between silk sheets?
I removed the helmet, and a yell from behind made me jump. I turned to see one of the dream techs running towards me. Was she always that skinny? And why were her scrubs red instead of the usual blue?
She made it to me, panting as she took the helmet out of my hands, and I wrinkled my nose at her unpleasant breath. She said I'd had a nightmare and began sleepwalking, and I'd left the dream bank and stole a car from their underground parking before she triggered a wake-up signal in the helmet, which made me crash.
I stared at her, not believing what I was hearing. I told her I'd booked a projection, not a recording, and she gave me a concerned frown and claimed the opposite. Anger replaced my confusion, and I called her a liar and accused them of misconduct, and she reminded me that dreams can only be unlocked by the dreamer.
Furious, I cursed at her as I tried to get out of the car, demanding to see my file. She was quick to tell me not to move in case I made my injuries worse as she pulled out her phone and said she was going to call an ambulance.
While I sat there and waited, fuming, I glimpsed my reflection in the dangling rearview mirror. Unease rippled beneath my skin and I sat up, grabbing the mirror and angling it to show my neck.
There was an angry red mark across it.
As though I was recently strangled.
Trembling, I tilted the mirror up.
Cobwebs. Stuck in my hair.
Dumbstruck in utter stupefaction, I scanned the rest of my body. My pyjamas were dirty and there was black under my fingernails, but the rest of my examination was cut short by tinny circus music. A chill jolted down my spine and I whipped my head to face the dream tech. That was her ringtone. She smiled as she answered the call, and I drew back at her yellow, toothy grin.
What was going on? I was out of the dream, I knew I was. Had everything been real? What had the dream bank done with me? Done to me?
Ambulance sirens wailed as they entered the underground parking, and the flashing red lights reflecting off the walls triggered my recent traumas. With terror-fueled adrenaline flooding my veins, I jerked my legs free of the wreck, jumped out of the car, and booked it, the dream tech's yells merging with the screeching sirens behind me.
SR

Last years I’ve been having more and more short temper. The only ones that used to experience it is my family because they used to be the only people I’m extremely close to. And they tolerate it because they are all quite patient and love me, so I knew I’m wrong but i was not willing to change. A year and three months ago I met my bf and ever since we started dating, I was much more calm next to him because we were going through the honeymoon phase. But now the honeymoon phase is over and I’m more like myself-I mean I’m more comfortable to show my toxic traits-. And I don’t want to show him my short temper. For example when we are in the kitchen together and he’s not washing the dishes how I tell him or if he’s doing it too slowly I get irritated. If I cook and drop something I tend to get sooo angry. And I don’t want him to see that part of myself. He’s so calm and patient. How can I improve? Do you have any actually useful tips?

Summer's right around the corner and temps are already rising! Come get some smokin' deals on good quality stuff! I've got a variety of great pieces for y'all this weekend 👌🏽
🚚 all items will be shipped on Mon 6/12 🚚
▪︎ BIN anything in the post and I'll include 1 freebie! Freebie may be (at my discretion) a physical item (wheat cent, buffalo nickel, $1 clad coin, etc) or free/upgraded shipping. One freebie per person.

□□□□□ proof □□□□□

◇👽- I do accept trades. Whatcha got? -👽◇

¤¤¤ US 90% silver coins🍴 ¤¤¤

1. 1923 Peace dollar proof-like, excellent details..... $50 🙀
   
2. 1922-S Peace dollar low relief, great condition for a yeamint combo notorious for weak strikes... some dings & scratches..... $35
   
3. 1952 Booker T. Washington/George Washington Carver commemorative half dollar - high AU..... $25
   
4. $6fv Franklin half dollars, all readable dates..... 24x fv @ $144
   
5. $2fv mercury dimes, all readable dates..... 23x fv @ $46
   
6. 1991 USO commemorative silver dollar - 0.76 ozt silver..... $35
   
7. 1904 Barber half dollar..... $20
   

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1. ⚜ 14k white gold fleur-de-lis earrings w/ diamonds.... $265 ⚜
   
2. 🌬 14k white gold J hook earrings w/ brilliant channel-set diamonds... quite possibly the nicest earrings I've ever seen! Pics and vids do not do them justice, but here's some gifs: left right $386 💎
   
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7. 🔗 18" Sterling silver .925 double chain link dainty necklace, 1.8mm thick..... $20
   

add-on ONLY to any purchase:

📦 brand new genuine Air-Tite capsules for 1oz bars 🇺🇸 : $1.50/ each for 1-10 $1.25/each for 11-25 $1.10/each 26-50
$1fv Washington quarters, readable dates..... 21x fv @ $21
$0.40fv Barber dimes, readable dates..... 24x fv @ $9.60
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The movie what the bleep do we know tells of a meditation experiment that has been repeated many time in different places in Washington DC by a large group meditation crime reduced 25% as they said it would even the police confirmed the drop afterwards and mocked them before. A group like this could become a force of calm like that enough meditating at set times start a chain reaction. Many here already meditating daily maybe some little detail to sink everyone up like start 3 min after the hour. Just a random thought. Jave a good one keep it peaceful out there.

First time posting here. I have worked at target for 1.5 years. I worked gm, seasonal, kitchen & bath, style & cashier. I am one of those older adults that the kids talk about. I am usually running around the store grabbing customer calls or running to back up while the children post Tik tok videos rather than speaking on the walkie when called.. anyways I have enjoyed my work however during all this intensive pushing & pulling & stocking within a 45 minute time limit 40 plus hours during the holidays my Back seized up & I had to request time off. I ended up tearing my labrum in left & right hip as well as pulling a couple discs in my back. I have been on Leave through my state & fortunately i get some payment however all will end soon & I will have to return to work.
My problem is that I am not sure i want to return. It’s a job that pays $17.50 however it’s a job with hours that are always cut, no health insurance if you don’t hit 25 hrs a week. (I averaged 23.5 last year & got denied insurance), team leaders who don’t give a F & guests who just don’t understand what we really go through. Don’t even get me started on Human Resources. Dumb as F!!
Anyways I am annoyed that it hurts to bend everyday & my leg foot gets numb.. at my age it’s tough to return to a job that will usually average 25 hrs & very little room for growth.. any thoughts from others who have experienced similar or just advice. Thanks

Dodl is AJ Bell's take on the simple, low-cost investment app. It has zero-commission trading, and is aimed at newish investors and those who just like to keep it simple. They offer Stocks and Shares ISAs, Lifetime ISAs, SIPPs, and General Investment Accounts.
As part of their drive to get new customers, they have a rather modest (and high deposit) refer-a-friend scheme that gives a £30 gift card (redeemable at all the usual places) to new customers when they sign up and open a Dodl account, and fund it with £500 within 120 days.
I signed up because I have always wanted to open a Lifetime ISA. I was hoping T212 would open one up, but they are being slow off the mark. So I went with Dodl. Dodl's charges make it one of the cheapest options - I read a lot about it on UKPF.
I'm not going to wax lyrical about Dodl. I only signed up towards the end of last year after asking a random on UKPF to refer me for the bonus. I'm only really interested in the LISA and an all-world tracker. This costs me ~£1 a month.
Key details, and information on the referral scheme are below.
The bonus
Get a £30 giftcard when you:

• Fill in the Dodl refer-a-friend form

Message me by clicking here, and I can be your friend

• Sign up to Dodl using the same email address that you put on the form.
• Open up or transfer in an investment ISA, LISA, general investment account or pension.
• Fund your account with £500
• Have a minimum of £500 in your account when the bonus is paid (the month after you deposit. I'd recommend depositing £550 if you are going to invest, this will cover the AJ Bell fees and give you some leeway should you invest and your investment drops).

Referrers get a £30 gift card too, so tell your friends
Accounts offered by Dodl (bonus available on all):

• S&S ISA
• S&S LISA
• SIPP
• GIA

What can I invest in with Dodl?
Minimum investment is £100 single payment, or £25 monthly.

• AJ Bell Funds - premade portfolios built and managed by AJ Bell
• Individual UK and US shares - only selected companies, not a huge range.
• Themed Investments - index trackers disguised with other names (see below)

Some absolute legend on UKPF provided a list of the funds underlying each of the Themed Investments. I went with "On top of the world"

What Fees do Dodl charge?
0.15% (OCF not included) with a £1/month minimum.
According to those on UKPF, this makes it one of the most attractive platforms (fee-wise) for anything up to ~£25k. Maybe by the time I'm too old to contribute to my new LISA this will matter to me.
Links
Dodl non ref link
Dodl Refer-a-friend form
Dodl Refer a friend terms

My wife and I are both 25 and we got married about a month ago. Everything went great until the end of our wedding reception. My wife's cousin Andy to my knowledge is not much of a drinker, but he definitely over-indulged and by the end of the reception, he was in no shape to drive himself home. Most everyone had already left and since Andy lives between the venue and our apartment, my bride and I agreed to drop him off at his place before we went home (we didn't have to be at the airport to leave for our honeymoon until about 3 AM).
We get to Andy's apartment at about 12 and find that he has lost his keys, probably somewhere at the venue. We take him back to our place and start calling relatives. His parents, grandparents, even my wife's parents, anyone we can think of to come get him. At this point it's going on 1 AM and everyone had a long day with the wedding so we understood why no one was answering. We tried to get him sobered up with food and watesports drinks but then he started puking in our bathroom and at that point we'd had enough and were now crunched for time to get to the airport.
Since he was vomiting, we dropped him off at a nearby emergency room, made sure he got checked in, and left. We texted numerous family members to let them know where he was and that he'd likely need a ride in the morning.
Fast forward to yesterday, Andy contacted us and was fuming because he has received his ER bill. He's demanding that we pay at least half because he never asked us to take him to the ER (he doesn't remember anything about the night, but he's not wrong). We're refusing because unless we wanted to miss our flight, we really had no choice. Plus he wasn't keeping food or sports drinks down so we thought it would be safest for him. Am I the AH for not helping him with his ER bill?

Captains! Update B11.7 will be released on the night of June 11th to 12th.
​
Game Availability
We have made contact with new providers to increase the client's availability to all corners of the world. We hope that there will no longer be any "Update failed" errors. However, if you had errors updating - you again will have to download the archive with the new launcher.
Globalisation
Times displayed in the game, including attack windows for PBs, will be displayed either in the server's time zone or local time zone, depending on the choice located in the settings. We also expanded the choice of currencies for purchasing coins, and expanded the amount of countries for payment processing.
Bounty Board
We were greatly inspired by events organised by the community which revolved around hunting for rewards. And we have decided to add an experimental "Bounty board", which can be opened through the tavern.
The Bounty board is a place where you can place a bounty on a specific player, or on an entire guild. For now this is a test in which coins are the only currency: the client sets the price, and the bounty hunter receives coins minus the comission fee. Sinking allies will not be counted.
Other Changes

• Tenders are coming back to the game;
• Rewards will be increased for sinking players with black marks. We have also made changes to better protect the new players;
• Updated rewards in chests: duplicate ships will be able to be dropped if all are collected; random bow figureheads and designs will now be dropped, and not be predetermined; added random designs, ship paint schemes, sail cloths;
• updated existing item positions (for example, removed powder) and added new ones;
• Small changes and improvements to ship models and textures.

Fixes

• Fixed many minor bugs to make the gameplay process more comfortable, including: interface, localisation, graphical, upgrades, boarding and the gameplay process.
• Important fix: After (empire) port reset, protection would not apply and declared wars would not disappear;
• If you have two or more identical ships, they will have different auto-replenishment lists;
• The skill "Donor" would not work on players;
• Fixed PB statistics calculation errors and duplication in the list;
• Peace flags were not able to be picked even with the peace treaty, when there were active marks;
• The restriction on exiting ports near a lighthouse was active during the battle window at 24-hour ports;
• Bots would crash into towers;
• In all villages and settlements the goods on sale were identical;
• Ships passing behind with transparent sails made the ships in front invisible;
• Players in the blacklist will no longer be able to send friend requests.

6 months of the roadmap! Further plans At the beginning of the year 2022 we started working in accordance with the published roadmap: (pastebin link will be made soon) We are happy to announce that our work is going almost hand in hand with the announced plans and timeframes, and also, we added new developers to our team. In the near future we will release an updated roadmap to clarify the timeframes for adding new content and the project's development. Good luck at the sea and have a good time!

My mother is autistic and has Down syndrome, and she can’t pronounce words normally. she’s a narcissist woman and everybody treats her as a baby because of her disabilities, her whole personality is being autistic and with down syndrome so everybody babies her and lets her do whatever she wants. For some reason, she got pregnant at 23-25 ish and had me. I didn’t come out with any disabilities but i came out with eye sight problems and I’m overly sensitive when it comes to noises. I get overly stimulated if somebody keeps screaming in my ear non-stop. i get a migraine and i feel nauseated and tears get brought to my eyes. Today, when we where in the car being brought to meet my baby cousin, She kept screaming non stop everytime she spoke. She banged on the car seats in-front of her to get everybody’s attention and always made everything about her. I stayed quiet even though it hurt my ears and I wanted to cry. I am a child, so I’m way sensitive than the adults in the car. They grew up with her and they have hearing problems so it isn’t an issue for them, but for me it is. We stopped at a garage sale and went to look at what they were selling. I was looking at the accessories as my family walked into the back because there were more things back there. I stayed in the front looking as they soon came back at front. Everybody acknowledged my presence instead of my mother, thinking I wasn’t there, she started screaming, Screaming my name out at top volume, and the thing was, I was just next to her, two inches behind her. I lashed out. I screamed at her, saying, “can you shut up?! I’m right here. you don’t gotta be screaming in peoples ears, Lower it twice, Jesus!” Everything went quiet. My family stared at me and the people that were hosting the garage sale stayed quiet. Suddenly my aunt barged over to me and lectured me not to scream at my “poor autistic, Down syndrome mother that can’t do shit.” I didn’t listen to a word that she said, I just kept thinking in my mind “can this bitch shut up?” After she lectured me we got back in the car and my mother kept doing that fake-crying thing by rubbing her eyes with her hands pretending like she’s crying and sniffling to make everyone feel bad. I didn’t. I just kept quiet and glued my eyes to my phone, plugged my earbuds in, and indured this soul-sucking ride. So, am I the asshole or was my reaction to her screaming fair?

I am 5’7” and looking for a standing desk for my very small office. It needs to be no more than 40inches wide. I live in Canada so that also limits options. Everything seems to be 47inches wide, or if it is 40inches wide it is a two piece top and reviews say it is wobbly. Maybe split top desk isn’t that bad?
Ideally I’d like a desk that goes from 25 to 38 inches but I am fine if it is only 28 at minimum height since I can get an under desk keyboard tray. I run webinars where I am show what I am writing so being wobbly at the top height is not great.
Any suggestions? I feel like I have searched through all the posts here and I am still coming up empty. I am willing to be open on cost if it just works. I’d prefer under 700-800$ if possible.
Is this an impossible ask? Does a stable standing desk that is 40inches wide and you can order in Canada exist?

This guy is in close to perfect condition with little evidence of use. Blade is clean and centered. I noticed the stonewashing is heavier on this guy than other Bugouts I have experienced. Factory edge and awesome action with very little play. Comes with box and everything originally in the box.
SV: $205 TV: $225
Trade Interest:
-Quiet Carry Drift Knurled/Stonewashed
-Quiet Carry Waypoint Knurled/anything
-Quiet Carry The Nine Carbon Fiber
-Giant Mouse Atelier Ti
-Terrain 365 Invictus ATC
-MBK Mini Old Guard Drop Point
-Spartan Harsey Folder 3.25
-Benchmade Bugout Satin 20CV
-Tactile pens (plain ti, no shorts)
Album/Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/RDXQxZm

With the IPPS-A system coming about, has any one heard what exactly DA plans for all the displaced GS positions that will become obsolete once the system is full "go"? Obviously, they've already started the "reduction" by not back filling any positions, while maintaining the same mission from before IPPS-A (which has further exacerbated the exodus from the sinking ship that is all Army pay offices), but has anyone heard anything with regard to RIFs for current employees or how the Army plans on replacing the massive drop off when it comes to MilPay (military pay) experience once IPPS-A comes in to full effect? I ask because from what I've seen, the "integration" of MilPay into the S-1/Personnel sphere has been anything but smooth, yet DA seems determined to make this happen. Does anyone else have this experience, and if so, what happened after the fact?

Has anyone else had issues with their screen on their Pixel? I just got my Pixel 7 in March and in May it fell out of my pocket (about a 5 inch drop) and cracked my screen. I had a screen protector and case on the phone. I was told my the repair shop that they refer to the Pixel LED screen as the "potato chip." Samsung and Apple screens are much more durable, he said. I have owned a Samsung since the Galaxy Express and decided to try the Pixel because of the "only Pixel" android features. Don't think I'll buy another until they fix this issue.

Hey all, I live in Brooklyn and I've been having issues getting apartment repairs and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of resources to look into.
The story is—February 2022, the kitchen sink started back flowing. It got to the point where my wife and I were bailing about 15-20gal of water out every day. After some prodding, the super referred us to a plumber who, after several calls, came out, didn't fix it on the first try, came out again, and sort of fixed it so it wasn't back flowing for about a month and then not back flowing more than an inch or two into the sink and only irregularly at that. We more or less forgot about the issue until the beginning of June when it began to back flow again like it had originally. We called the super on June 2 and he again referred us to the plumber who didn't answer his phone, and then we proceeded to call both the unresponsive and otherwise unhelpful super and the completely unresponsive plumber all weekend. The plumber finally called back and wouldn't schedule a time with us, but said he would be there when he could. By Tuesday we called the super again because at this point the pipe (which was old) had rusted through and there was now a hole in the drain, and he managed to get the plumber to come right away. Plumber fixed the pipe, refused to acknowledge that the issue was anything other than a clog in the drain making the water back up, and then left quickly once there was no more water in the drain. About 5min after he left, I went to use the sink and it wouldn't drain at all, and over the next few days it resumed back flowing worse than it ever has, and won't drain at all. He came back Thursday after a really angry message sent to management about the issue and how we were being treated by both the plumber and the super, and we managed to convince him the problem was deeper in the plumbing of the building, which he finally agreed with. Told us before he left Thursday that he needed a longer snake to get to the clog that was causing the back flow and would return Friday. He didn't come back and now neither the super nor the plumber are responding.
My question is, what are some avenues we can use to either fix this problem or remove ourselves from having to deal with it? We called 311 at some point in this process and they've been slow to help. We got a call from HPD asking if the problem had been resolved and nothing else. I'm aware that Repair and Deduct is likely relevant here, but we're planning on moving out of the city in the fall, so a court battle over rent owed would be a massive pain in the ass. Constructive eviction may also be an option if we can swing getting out a few months ahead of when we planned, but again, I'm sure this would end up involving a court case about unpaid rent after we've left the city.
Anyway, does anyone know of any resources I can use or have any advice of avenues to pursue (recognizing that it is not construed as legal advice)? Or other subreddits to post this to? It's been two weeks of this, my body hurts from having to carry buckets of water from the sink every day, all the water is gray-water from other parts of the building, and my wife and I are afraid to leave the apartment empty for more than a few hours for fear we'll come home to a flood.

Hey all, I live in Brooklyn, NY and I've been having issues getting apartment repairs and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of resources to look into.
The story is—February 2022, the kitchen sink started back flowing. It got to the point where my wife and I were bailing about 15-20gal of water out every day. After some prodding, the super referred us to a plumber who, after several calls, came out, didn't fix it on the first try, came out again, and sort of fixed it so it wasn't back flowing for about a month and then not back flowing more than an inch or two into the sink and only irregularly at that. We more or less forgot about the issue until the beginning of June when it began to back flow again like it had originally. We called the super on June 2 and he again referred us to the plumber who didn't answer his phone, and then we proceeded to call both the unresponsive and otherwise unhelpful super and the completely unresponsive plumber all weekend. The plumber finally called back and wouldn't schedule a time with us, but said he would be there when he could. By Tuesday we called the super again because at this point the pipe (which was old) had rusted through and there was now a hole in the drain, and he managed to get the plumber to come right away. Plumber fixed the pipe, refused to acknowledge that the issue was anything other than a clog in the drain making the water back up, and then left quickly once there was no more water in the drain. About 5min after he left, I went to use the sink and it wouldn't drain at all, and over the next few days it resumed back flowing worse than it ever has, and won't drain at all. He came back Thursday after a really angry message sent to management about the issue and how we were being treated by both the plumber and the super, and we managed to convince him the problem was deeper in the plumbing of the building, which he finally agreed with. Told us before he left Thursday that he needed a longer snake to get to the clog that was causing the back flow and would return Friday. He didn't come back and now neither the super nor the plumber are responding.
My question is, what are some avenues we can use to either fix this problem or remove ourselves from having to deal with it? We called 311 at some point in this process and they've been slow to help. We got a call from HPD asking if the problem had been resolved and nothing else. I'm aware that Repair and Deduct is likely relevant here, but we're planning on moving out of the city in the fall, so a court battle over rent owed would be a massive pain in the ass. Constructive eviction may also be an option if we can swing getting out a few months ahead of when we planned, but again, I'm sure this would end up involving a court case about unpaid rent after we've left the city.
Anyway, does anyone know of any resources I can use or have any advice of avenues to pursue (recognizing that it is not construed as legal advice)? Or other subreddits to post this to? It's been two weeks of this, my body hurts from having to carry buckets of water from the sink every day, all the water is gray-water from other parts of the building, and my wife and I are afraid to leave the apartment empty for more than a few hours for fear we'll come home to a flood.

I was staying in Minchinhampton last week and I've lost my knife roll. If you're not familiar with a knife roll, it's a leather rectangle with pockets. You put kitchen knives in the pockets, and roll it up into a tube. Mine is about a foot and a half long and an orangey tan leather colour. It's got about 6 knives in it, as well as a honing rod, some tongs, and a little red thermometer. It has sentimental value - I inherited some of the knives from various grandparents, Mum made the roll itself for me, and so on.
I think it's dropped out of my bag when I've been loading up the car. I was staying in the middle of West End and the car was just past the garage on Cuckoo Lane. If you happen to be going that way and spot an orangey-brown leather tube full of knives, please do let me know on here. Alternatively, if you could please hand it in to The Crown in Minchinhampton, I'd really appreciate it.
I've been in touch with all the people who I think may have been handed lost knives (The Crown, the butchers, the police, etc...), and the lady who owns the cottage. That only leaves a few other businesses in Minchinhampton, so for completeness I've asked them as well. Everyone's been very helpful, but so far no luck. Asking on Reddit is a long shot, but you never know... I only lost it yesterday, so there's still some hope it will show up.
Thank you!

Full Spectrum Kratom Tincture
Basic material: 16 oz Mason Jar, 190 proof food grade ethanol or Everclear, Distilled water, PH test strips, Citric Acid Powder, 250g powder (mix and match if you wish)
1) Put the powder into the Mason Jar 2) Add 3 parts alcohol and 1 part water * 3) Add teaspoon of citric acid 4) Use test trips to measure to PH of 4 5) Seal the jar and shake well 6) Store in a cool dark place for 3 weeks shake 1x per day
During the third week, put the jar in the freezer for 3 days. Then a couple afternoons in the sun. Do not shake the jar during the last week. Plant material will sink to bottom and you can just pour the tincture off the top. No need to strain.
Some people debate the value of letting it sit for 3 weeks. I had one guy tell me if I dropped the water and just shook it constantly for 30 minutes, that would extract 85% of the alkaloids. I'm not sure I believe him. The guy that taught me said it would only extract about 50%.
You could skip the freezer and sun if you want. The idea about the sun is it will help convert mit into 7 oh mit. Some people debate that and say it will deplete the mit altogether. I tried it, and mine turned out great!

• Also debatable is using the water. I preferred to lessen the alcohol a bit. But you could use all alcohol.

Estimating Dosage
This isn't exact, but it's better than nothing.I put my tinctures into tincture bottles with 1 ml eyedroppers, so I try to estimate dose pet milliliter.
Start with how many grams of powder are used. For example, let's say you used 300g powder. I think it's fair to say a well-done tincture will extract 75%. So that leaves you with the equivalent of 225g extracted.
Now, determine how many milliters of liquid you have. Most Mason jars have milliliter measures or at least ounce measures that can be converted to milliliters. For examples sake, let's say you have 550 milliliters of liquid extract.
225g ÷ 550ml = .41g per milliter. So, roughly 5 eyedroppers to get a 2g dose.
Just plug in your numbers to get the estimate.

I'm his father's caregiver, he's married and she caught him fucking my mouth in the kitchen. Just before she came in he was fucking me slow with his thick hard white cock!!! He loves watching my chocolate pussy cum all over his white cock. As he gets closer to cumming he pulls out and I drop to my knees and she sees me catching all of his cum in my mouth letting it roll on the side of my lips down my chin. She says I'm nasty but he loves it and fucks my mouth every chance he gets!!! Sucking and fucking a mature married man's cock that don't get non at home is such a turn on!!!

Calebs first job was in town at the Golden Age Movie Theater. Most of the time his job consisted of getting people their change when they bought their tickets, popcorn, drinks and more, however it also involved cleaning the bathrooms. It wasn't a great job, but for someone who didn't have bills to pay, it paid very well.
There was a lot of free time to do his homework and read while at work, and when he was finished Caleb would play one of the many arcade games the owner brought in over the years to attract more customers.
The owner, Edwin Noble, was a cheap man, but he did right by Caleb. After all, Gray Hill was not booming with people willing to work at those prices, so it was best not to do wrong to the people who were willing to come in early and stay late.
When Caleb started working there, Jurassic Park was playing even though it had been out of the theaters for four months because renting the reels late was a way to save money.
During Caleb's sophomore year in highschool, Edwin Noble put up a closed sign in the windows. Caleb feared that the business had died. However when he approached Mister Noble it was revealed that the theater was only closed for renovations.
“We need a gimmick, Caleb,” mister Noble said as he looked over a pile of bills while sitting at his desk. “When I was a kid, theaters had all sorts of things that kept people coming back. Are you familiar with The Shocker? It was a Vincent Price movie and theaters all over the country had random chairs set up to shake at certain parts of the movie. It was a real blast to see people jump and scream as if the movie was coming off the screen.”
“That sounds awesome,” Caleb replied, smiling.
“I think so too. If that won’t fill those empty seats I don't know what will.”
Before the school year ended, the theater opened up and Caleb got to be the first to experience what the new renovations had to offer. The movie he watched was Alien and it was exactly like mister Noble said. The seats not only shook, but when the alien first burst out of the man's chest and ran off, a device under the seat made Caleb feel something run by his feet. Later in the movie, hidden tubes in the headrest blew out air giving the illusion that the Xenomorph was breathing down his neck.
“What did you think?” mister Noble asked with a wide grin once the film was over.
“That was great,” Caleb answered honestly. “Will all the movies here be like that?”
“I plan on it.”
Having Caleb's stamp of approval, mister Noble put an ad in the local newspaper, claiming a once in a lifetime opportunity for all who showed up at the official reopening of the theater.
While this attracted more people to come in and buy tickets, it wasn't anything like Edwin wished it would be. Even though mister Noble tried to hide the fact that his business wasn’t doing well, Caleb could see him struggling with the reality that unless something changed drastically, he would not be able to keep the business running.
The change from being fun and happy, to bitter was subtle, but Caleb saw Edwin everyday and could see the slow metamorphosis. All the stress over the years made him look like he was sick. While he used to have a small gut, he became rail thin and pale. Caleb wondered if he starved himself to save money for his failing business.
After months of hearing his boss rant about ‘the good ole days’ and how they are never coming back, Edwin Noble closed the theater so it could go under even more changes. Caleb knew that his boss was barely treading water and was afraid that with all the money he was putting into the theater he was going to sink.
Caleb never shared these thoughts with anyone but his parents when they asked him how work went.The new updates were not as big as the last but mister Noble was convinced that they would make all the difference. When he spoke about the changes to Caleb, he never gave too much away because he wanted it to be a secret. Caleb didn't mind this because it was the first time in a long while that mister Noble seemed to be genuinely happy.
“Caleb, my boy” mister Noble would say. “When everything is set up, anyone who comes here will have their lives changed forever.”
When mister Noble reopened the theater he went all out on the fanfare. Not just taking out an ad in the newspaper, he had bought spotlights to light up the sky “just like they used to have during the golden age of Hollywood.”
No one knew what kind of movie was going to be playing for the grand reopening and when asked, mister Noble was very tight lipped about it, even to Caleb.
While the mystery of what the movie was going to be was intriguing, Caleb wanted to know what the updates were. On the day of the reopening he didn't have much time to snoop around and look because mister Noble wanted him behind the counter, waiting for any would-be customer. However he did manage to take a peek inside but the only difference he noticed was the speakers on the walls.
The movie was supposed to start at eight, but did not start until closer to nine because mister Noble wanted to wait just in case more people showed up. The only reason it started at all was because a few people started to get up to leave the theater.
When the movie started, mister Noble locked the doors and told Caleb to follow him up to the room with the projector. Caleb asked why he would lock the door and the answer he got was “When Alfred Hitchcock released Psycho, he wanted every theater to lock the doors the moment the movie started so no one would miss a single second.”
As Caleb watched his boss prepare the film, he noticed how excited he was. The anticipation and enjoyment of showing this mysterious film completely offset the fact that the turnout was less than either of them expected.
The film mister Noble wanted to show the town was an independent film called “The Toilet Worm”.Caleb didn't mind independent or B-horror films, but this one was terrible. Thankfully the movie was just under fifteen minutes.
The plot of the movie seemed pretty straightforward: A man was eating at a buffet and his stomach was upset so he ran off to find the bathroom. As soon as the man on the screen found the toilet, he pulled off his pants and sat down.
After a few long disgusting moments of the man straining, a monster worm crawled up from the pipes and slithered its way into the man's anus and started eating him from the inside out.The audience didn't make a sound as this happened, and Caleb figured that they were all sitting in stunned silence like he was.
Immediately after the man stopped screaming and his head fell to the side, the credits started rolling. mister Noble hopped up and down, giggling like a child as he clapped his hands.
“What do you think?” asked mister Noble.
“I—” Caleb started, not knowing what he could say to this. He expected everyone there would ask for a refund because of the low quality of the film they just witnessed as well as its short runtime. If he told his boss this it might hurt his feelings and he was too nice of a kid to do that. Before he could come up with an answer mister Noble started walking out the projectionist room and down the stairs.
“Come on, Caleb” he called out over his shoulder. “We got to clean up before the next showing.”
Caleb did as he was told and followed mister Noble into the theater after turning on the lights. The audience didn't move an inch.
“Grab the legs” mister Noble said as he pulled a large man out of his seat, sending him collapsing between the seat he was in and the row in front of him.
It was then that Caleb saw that the man was bleeding. Almost as if he was—
The smell of blood filled Caleb’s nose and he fell to one knee as he felt his supper making its way up. As he threw up he noticed that under the seats was what looked to be long sharp swords aiming straight up.
“Are you going to help me or not?” mister Noble asked as he struggled to pull the man into the aisle.
Realization came over Caleb and all color left his face. He wanted to run. Wanted to tell the police that his boss just killed six people by having knives come up from under the seats.
He was just about to take off and alert the authorities, but then mister Noble hissed “If you don't help me right now, I’ll test the next movie on you.”
“What's the next movie?” Caleb asked.
Mister Noble smiled wickedly. “Scanners.”
WAE