Acts 1:4-5
he (Jesus) ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
When he rose and ascended there was still a culmination to come. A culmination of what the prophets had told of long ago. Hidden, but meant to be unraveled like a gift when the revelation was made open to those that would receive it,
to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13
His life had triumphed over death by death defeating the powers of evil making them a spectacle and payed an eternal debt we owed we could not pay all the while making the gift - eternal life itself, the very presence of God possible to live inside every person that would receive him by Faith
5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3
They were waiting for the promise. Yearning and waiting with anticipation. Did they know what this 'baptism' in fire would really be? Just like the prophecies about Messiah, what was it that they really thought they were waiting for? Alls they knew was that they needed to be together and pray,
Acts 2
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
But more than just the effects of a storm,
3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I really like this quote from a respected Christian author
'If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze.' - Catherine of Siena
That is what happened on Pentecost in that upper room. They were lit ablazed with The Living God, the very presence of God, and I believe The same physical emanation of God that led the children of Israel in a pillar of fire by night and the burning bush that spoke to Moses - The Holy Spirit himself
It says tongues (some translations cloves) as of fire appeared to each of them individually and rested upon them. Like a candlestick, they now could be carriers of God's presence.
But this gift wasn't meant to be exclusively all for them. On the day (which many have called the 'birth of The Church') it was a gathering together of all that would believe, and not just to one group,
9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
...
And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; - Acts 2:17 / Joel 2:28
This would be just the very beginning of their blaze upon the world. The very tip of even all the miracles Jesus began to do, because through them and through The Spirit now He himself would continue to do all what he did on earth - to redeem, to open the eyes of the blind, and to heal to the ends of the earth.
And now the mission has been given to us.
The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” - Psalm 29:9
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. - Habakkuk 2:14

Acts 1:4-5
he (Jesus) ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
When he rose and ascended there was still a culmination to come. A culmination of what the prophets had told of long ago. Hidden, but meant to be unraveled like a gift when the revelation was made open to those that would receive it,
to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13
His life had triumphed over death by death defeating the powers of evil making them a spectacle and payed an eternal debt we owed we could not pay all the while making the gift - eternal life itself, the very presence of God possible to live inside every person that would receive it by Faith
5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3
They were waiting for the promise. Yearning and waiting with anticipation. Did they know what this 'baptism' in fire would really be? Just like the prophecies about Messiah, what was it that they really thought they were waiting for? Alls they knew was that they needed to be together and pray,
Acts 2
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
But more than just the effects of a storm,
3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I really like this quote from a respected Christian author
'If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze.' - Catherine of Siena
That is what happened on Pentecost in that upper room. They were lit ablazed with The Living God, the very presence of God, and I believe The same physical emanation of God that led the children of Israel in a pillar of fire by night and the burning bush that spoke to Moses - The Holy Spirit himself
It says tongues (some translations cloves) as of fire appeared to each of them individually and rested upon them. Like a candlestick, they now could be carriers of God's presence.
But this gift wasn't meant to be exclusively all for them. On the day (which many have called the 'birth of The Church') it was a gathering together of all that would believe, and not just to one group,
9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
...
And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; - Acts 2:17 / Joel 2:28
This would be just the very beginning of their blaze upon the world. The very tip of even all the miracles Jesus began to do, because through them and through The Spirit now He himself would continue to do all what he did on earth - to redeem, to open the eyes of the blind, and to heal to the ends of the earth.
And now the mission has been given to us.
The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” - Psalm 29:9
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. - Habakkuk 2:14

It all started Friday, when we (myself and my roommate James) went fishing at one of the local lakes. Or, at least we tried to go fishing. It's Spring but the lake we drove to was still frozen. Ice fishing wasn’t something we’d ever done, but we figured it couldn't be too difficult. When we arrived I tentatively tested the ice and it seemed solid, so we ventured further out. The ice cracked underfoot in a few places, but neither of us were very concerned. Once we got to a nice spot in the middle I sat down on one of the buckets we’d brought and started fitting our poles with hooks. While I was doing that, James set about trying to make a hole in the ice. He started by stomping on it with his foot to no effect. Then, he grabbed his bucket and began hammering away at it.
“Need some help over there?” I said in a somewhat teasing tone.
“No I’ve got it, I just need a better spot, this one’s much too hard.” he said, jumping on the spot as proof.
“Whoa don’t do that! If the ice breaks you’ll fall in and I’d have to save you, then as payment you’d have to treat me to a beer at Shelby’s.”
“Man you know I don’t like that place, it's so dingy. But as I said, the ice won’t break. I’m going to look for another spot.”
“Alright, well I’m done with the poles. Let me know if you need any help then.”
“Awesome, you can see the fish swimming under the ice over here. This is the spot, I know it!”
“Great! I’ll move our gear over.”
Suddenly, I heard a loud crack and a small splash. I looked over and saw James had his foot stuck in the ice.
“Hey you alright? Don’t move, let me come pull you out.” I said, dropping our poles and walking over.
“No I don’t need any help, I just need to pull my leg out. This water is cold as hell!”
“Yeah I bet. I’m coming over anyway just in case.”
“Nah I got it, see?” he said, before aggressively trying to pull his foot out of the hole. Almost immediately he lost his balance, and fell forward slamming into the dark patch of ice. I heard the surface give way and saw him fall into the water. I ran over to the hole and tried to see him, but the water was too muddy. Frantically, I plunged my arms into the water and grabbed randomly hoping to find a purchase on James. My arms started burning, and after a few minutes I had to pull them out. I started panicking and didn’t know if I should jump in after him. I decided I would call 911 first, even though I knew there’s nothing they could do, and then would jump in after him. But just as I dialed the number I saw a hand come out of the water. I dropped my phone and grabbed it, heaving a muddy body onto the ice and pulling it towards more solid ground. It was James, he was covered in mud and some grass, but other than that seemed perfectly fine. He wasn’t even shivering, nor did he seem particularly stressed. Once I’d helped him to his feet he stood and turned towards the hole in the ice, looking at it pensively.
“Are you alright James?” I asked. He didn’t respond, so I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the hole towards the shore. I’d suddenly remembered that not shivering was a symptom of severe hypothermia, something that would only get worse in those wet clothes of his. I almost had to drag him away, but he offered no resistance, just kept looking behind him at the hole. When we reached the car I turned the heater to maximum, and undressed James. I gave him my jacket and wrapped him in a blanket I had in the back.
“James? Can you hear me? I’m taking you to a clinic now, there’s one only 15 minutes away.” I started the GPS and pulled out of the small recreation area, but before I could get onto the road James grabbed me and started screaming.
“TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK”
I jumped and hit my head on the roof of the car.
“Dammit James you scared the crap out of me, are you all right?”
He let go of me, and whispered “Take me back.”
“No, we’re going to a clinic. You're clearly hypothermic, you're not even shivering but you’re ice cold. End of discussion.” I said, and then continued onto the road towards the clinic. I focused on the road, but I could feel his eyes on me.
“We’ll come back another day.” I said. I quickly glanced to my left, and was startled to see he was looking directly into my eyes.
“Alright,” he whispered, before slowly looking away and out the window.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence, until we reached the hospital. The doctor said he didn’t have hypothermia, but gave him some dry clothes and recommended standing by the heater until he warmed up. James nodded, but headed straight for the car. I quickly said thanks to the doctor, and followed James. It would take an hour to get to our apartment, so I flipped through my CD collection.
“Let’s see… I’ve got the Cars, and we’re in a car so it seems like a worthy choice.” I smiled at him, it was a joke I’d told many times before that usually got an eye roll, and occasionally a laugh. But this time James didn’t give me either, and instead continued looking out the window. “Alright” I said. “Let’s try something you like.” I pulled an Elton John CD out of its sleeve and popped it in the stereo. Elton John is his favorite, and he can’t help but sing along to Rocketman. This was the first time he hadn’t. He even sang to it when I picked him up after his girlfriend dumped him in college.
When we finally arrived at our apartment I pulled into the parking space at the back of our building. James didn’t say a word and silently followed me to our door. Once inside, he went over to the couch, lied down, and closed his eyes. I thought he was probably shaken by his experience and needed some time alone, so I let him be and went to my room. I was a bit worried about him so I spent the day at home Saturday, but he still wouldn’t make conversation with me. Then in the evening, he came out of his room and sat down next to me.
“Take me back, " he whispered.
“Take you back where exactly?”
“To the lake, you said you’d take me back.”
“Oh yeah I guess I said that. Honestly, I don’t really trust the ice after what happened, we should wait a month or so until it fully melts and then just fish like we normally do.”
“But you promised. You said we’d go back another day.”
“Yes, when the ice melts. Maybe it’ll just take a few more weeks.” I said, perplexed at his insistence.
“I need to go back.” he said, eyes suddenly locking with mine.
“You don’t need to go back, you want to go back alright? We are not going back so soon, I’d be stressed out the whole time. You could’ve died, you know.”
“So you won’t take me back?”
“That is correct, the lake is much too dangerous and you’ve been super quiet ever since we got back. I’m going out with Dale tonight, but when I get back we should talk about what happened and try and work through it alright? I’ll be back late, but text me if you need anything. Also, don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
Then I left, and went to meet up with my friend Dale. We had more than a few drinks, and talked about a recent hunting trip he’d been on with his son. Dale has a way of continuing conversations way longer than you’d think possible, but because I don’t see him as much as I used to I let him talk all he wants. Needless to say, I got in pretty late and was very hungry. I didn’t see anything on the counter, so I figured James had wrapped dinner up in the fridge. Standard procedure when I’m out with Dale, who never fails to keep me out all night. But, when I looked in the fridge there was nothing there.
James loved to cook and never missed an opportunity to try out a new recipe on me. I saw his door was open, so I popped my head into his room to see if he was still up. I was surprised to see that he wasn't there, so I decided to see where he was using Find My Friends. When I saw that he was in the middle of a random forest I was confused, until I realized he was heading to the lake on foot. I was very concerned and immediately raced to my car. Admittedly, I had had a few drinks, but I’m a big guy and it was an emergency so I drove out anyway. There wasn’t anyone on the road this late regardless, and all I could think about was James falling through the ice again.
It was very dark when I arrived at the lake. It was still frozen, just as before, but I could make out a figure in the center illuminated by the moonlight. I quickly hurried to the edge and cautiously stepped closer to the figure, ice sometimes cracking underfoot. As I walked I could see a few holes in the ice, presumably caused by animals falling under. I heard splashing water to my left and saw a muddy deer somehow manage to stumble out of the water. It was dragging a dark mass alongside it, and quickly moved into the darkness of the forest out of sight. I heard a yelp as something fell through the water to my right just as I approached James.
He stood with his back toward me, staring into a large hole in the ice.
“James, I saw a lot of holes in the ice on my way over to you. I really don't think this is safe. Let’s go home. I’m worried you might not be thinking clearly, you’re putting us both in danger right now. We really shouldn't be on the ice.”
“Look,” he said, without turning.
I walked up beside him, and looked into the hole. The water was crystal clear, and I could see a naked body tangled in the weeds. Suddenly, James stepped forward and jumped into the hole. Stunned, I watched him move towards the body before the mud obscured my vision. After a few seconds his hand came out of the water reaching towards me. I grabbed it, and with some effort pulled him and the body out onto the ice, hearing a subtle crack as their collective weight bore down on the lake's surface.
“James? What is happening right now?” I said.
He didn’t answer, just stood up and looked at the body with a curious look on his face. He started to wipe the mud off the body with his sleeve, and I realized the corpse had James’ face. They were identical, except for the fact that the body was naked and James was clothed.
“What the fuck? Who is this? Why did you know there was a body here? Why does he look like you?” I said nervously.
In lieu of an answer, James turned to look at me with a confused expression. I backed away slowly and clutched my phone in my pocket ready to call 911, when, suddenly, a muddy deer emerged from the forest and began to approach James. As it got closer I saw it had a bloodied deer leg in its mouth. It moved quickly, and was next to James within seconds. The deer dropped the leg, walked over to the body, and began to lightly chew the dead doppelganger's arm. It looked at James, then back at the body and walked back to where it had dropped the deer leg. Then, it put it back in its mouth and began to chew, before looking back at James again.
“Oh, thanks.” James said.
The deer bowed its head slightly, then returned to the forest.
Suddenly, James dropped to his knees and lifted up an arm of the body. He immediately began tearing into the flesh, savagely ripping off pieces with his muddy hands and teeth. I felt vomit come up my throat, and I blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was in bed. I felt cold, dirty, and tired. When I left my room James was making breakfast as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning,” I said warily.
“Good morning! How’d you sleep?”
I didn’t respond, I could still see the body being torn apart on the ice, but the memories were hazy. I wasn’t drunk at the time but I had been drinking prior, and somehow I was back in the apartment like I’d never left. It all seemed a bit surreal, but I have never had a dream so disturbing before. I looked out the window and saw that my car was still in its spot, but I was also still wearing my clothes from the bar, which initially seemed a tad odd.
“Are you alright?” James said, with a concerned look on his face. “You know you took quite a nasty fall last night. You really shouldn’t drink so much.”
“I fell? When?” I said, touching my head and confirming that it was a bit sore.
“You came home last night after you went drinking with Dale and I guess you slipped on the doormat or something, I heard a thud and found you passed out cold on the floor.”
“Huh, you’re right I guess I did drink a bit too much” I lied. “But you know Dale, he’s just got a way of keeping you on that stool.”
“Clearly! Just know you can call me to pick you up anytime, you don’t have to stumble home all by yourself.”
“Thanks, anyway I’ve got to get going. See you later?”
“Not hungry? I’ve got some eggs here, they’re crunchy, just the way you like them!”
By ‘crunchy’ James meant he had put the entirety of the egg into the bowl and whisked it all together; this was his signature. He lived with his grandfather for a bit as a kid, and apparently the madman refused to separate the shells, claiming they were a great source of calcium. James was always trying to get me to try them, but I always declined.
“No thanks,” I said, unable to suppress a small smile. “I’ve got some errands to run, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Alright your loss, see you later! Don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
“Of course.” I said, walking out the door and grabbing my keys from the bowl.
When I got to my car I started heading towards the supermarket, but stopped beside the road once I was out of sight of the building. My seat felt slightly damp and the interior had a bit of an earthy smell, so I opened the window. I hoped that I had dreamt the whole thing, but every time I thought about what I’d seen I felt nauseous again. I had to be sure, so I decided to go back to the lake. I was paranoid that James might use Find My Friends on me, so I actually did end up going to the supermarket and hid my phone nearby, and just hoped if he did check it he would only look once. Then I booted up my GPS and headed back to the lake.
As usual, when I arrived the small parking lot was empty. I quickly headed to the lake and very carefully walked towards the center. As I walked my memories of the night prior kept flashing before me, the muddy deer dragging something across the ice, the crunch of the ice beneath my feet. Eventually I reached the spot where James had fallen. The ice was clean, no body in sight. I didn’t even see any blood. I very nervously looked down into the water, but again didn't see anything suspicious. Perhaps this should’ve convinced me it was a dream, but I’m much too stubborn for that, so I decided I would need to find a way to test James. I started heading back to the supermarket in my car to retrieve my phone, and thought up a plan.
When I arrived at the store I grabbed my phone and bought some groceries. Then I went about actually completing my errands as if it were a regular Sunday, albeit much more slowly than I would normally. I managed to stretch out my chores until 4:00 PM, then headed home to start dinner. When I arrived James was on the couch watching television.
“Wow you were gone a long time.” he said.
“Well, I had quite a bit to do. But don’t worry, I’m ready to make you some dinner.” I said cheerfully.
I made spaghetti while he watched Netflix, and when it was done set the table. James’ favorite drink is apple juice, he drinks it paired with almost any meal. So, as anticipated when I asked him what he wanted to drink he asked for it. I got us both opaque glasses, and poured him a cup filled with apple cider vinegar, myself with lemonade, then I called him over to the table.
“Bon Appétit!” I said dramatically, with a flourish of my hand.
“I’m starving, thanks for making one of my favorites.” he said.
“Well, we both had a bit of a difficult weekend, so I’m counting on you to make Shepherd's pie sometime next week.”
“Definitely! You know, you're actually a really good Italian cook! If I didn’t know better I’d think there might be a little rat pulling the strings up there.”
“Well I was classically trained by the best YouTube chefs.” I said, as I watched him down half the glass of vinegar without batting an eye.
After dinner I went to my room and left James with the dishes. Then, I sat down on my computer and began organizing my thoughts. Now I’m just waiting till he goes to sleep before I make my move. I’m going to creep into his room tonight and kill him using an axe I snuck in when I brought up the groceries. I don’t know what he is, but I do know James, my James, is dead. The only thing I can do now is kill the monster I saw eating him. I just hope the element of surprise will be enough, and I pray I'll be able to go through with it when the time comes. I just have to wait for him to turn out the lights, it'll be any moment now.

Now that summer is here and I have some time on my hands, I'm reverting back to a wavy hair routine to try and rejuvenate my natural waves. However, no routine I have used has worked for me in the past, which eventually led to frustration and me giving up and leaving it flat after a year.
My biggest issue is frizz and split ends, which might just be a result of me dying my hair. However, frizz irritates me to the maximum and I wish to reduce it as much as I can, all while maintaining soft locks.
I have tried, in various mixed routines:

• Maui moisture: lightweight hydration + hibiscus water shampoo
• NYMN Tahitian gardenia flower & mango butter curl definition shampoo, conditioner
• Maui moisture: nourish & moisture + coconut milk shampoo
• Aussie 3 minute miracle curls deep conditioner
• Aunt Jackie's Quench!: moisture intensive leave-in conditioner
• John Frieda: frizz ease serum
• NYM curl talk: defining cream
• Tresemmé lightweight mousse
• Shea moisture: coconut & hibiscus curl enhancing smoothie
• Herbal essences: totally twisted & curl boosting mousse (lvl 3)

Either products left a film, made my hair dry and brittle, or caused intense frizz, breakage, etc. I was teased for my hair (I'm in high school), so I just gave up and haven't tried anything since. I tried the bowl method, scrunching, diffusing, all of that along with it.
Currently, I'm using my stylist's routine, consisting of:

• Keune Care vital nutrition shampoo, conditioner
• Keune style heat protect blowout gelée

...anddd i use Raw Sugar endless hair glow perfecting dry oil (apricot + argon) for the frizz
While my current routine keeps my hair pretty decent, it leaves it straight when blown dry, and I'm frustrated as my waves are flattened when I use these straight-hait products. I just want to be able to live with my natural waves, happily.
Does anyone have any potential suggestions?? I'm at a loss, and don't want to have to keep throwing money away as I try to find the right products for me. I'm not doing great financially.
...FYI, for reference, my natural hair type is like Doric's from the new D&D movie, but in my case i'm an unnatural redhead with mega frizz that prevents my waves from looking that good 🥲

What you are about to read is both a confession and an apology. I don't know how much time I have so I will keep it as short as I can. I was coming back home from work a few nights ago. It was dark and I was tired from my shift when suddenly a deer ran out in front of my truck. I locked my brakes but couldn't stop in time. Feeling my heart pounding I just sat in my truck, staring at the motionless deer laying in the middle of the road. I had never killed anything before, intentionally or accidentally. As much as I wanted to get home, take a shower and go to bed, I couldn't just let it lay there. Someone could run it over causing real damage to their undercarriage or, God forbid, they swerve to avoid it and end up falling over a hundred feet into the river below, hitting dozens of trees on the way down. I couldn't let that be on my conscience, so I did what the good lord Jesus would have done. I put on my emergency lights and got out of the truck to pull the carcass off the road. However, as I was doing this I saw something move in the deers lower gut. Seeing this made my heart sink because at the time I thought maybe the dead deer was going to give birth. While holding in a gag and pulling the body to get it off the road, whatever was in the deer crawled out of its… backside, ran up the leg I was holding onto and bit my hand. It was too fast and the night was too dark so I have no idea what it could have been. Instinctively I flung the creature off of me and heard it scamper away through the grass. Wondering what the hell just attacked me, I inspected the wound. The wound produced very little blood and looked no worse than what a cat would do when it plays a little too roughly. Since my heart was pounding out of my chest and I had most of the deer carcass off the road, I figured I had done my duty and it was time to head home. As soon as I got home, I barely had the energy to take off my clothes, so all hopes I had of taking a shower were lost and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. The next morning I felt sluggish and cold. My teeth were chattering violently. It reminded me of a flu, however my nose wasn’t stuffed up and I wasn’t congested. The wound on my hand was red, but not swollen. Still, I was worried and made a call to set up a doctor's appointment. Thankfully I was able to get seen right away, however after the exam the doctor said he could find nothing wrong with me but the blood tests would take a few days before the results would come in. I am not the kind of person to tell someone how to do their job, especially if their job meant years of education and twice that many having their own practice. However I made it clear that I strongly disagreed with what the doctor said. When I got home, my stomach was complaining. I ate shortly before getting off work the day before so there was no reason for my stomach to complain as much as it was. I tried eating soup but it tasted like fermenting compost. No joke, that's what it tasted like. When I checked the expiration date, I was surprised that it still had eight months left before it was considered bad. At the time I figured that whatever was wrong with me was affecting my senses. My grandma said that 7Up and ginger ale was as close to magic as it gets when it comes to being sick, but since I didn't have any in the house, I made a few calls and had it delivered. However, that too tasted bad. My stomach kept complaining so in an attempt to silence it, I decided to make something that I could never resist. My moms specialty: meatloaf. If nothing else, it was comfort food and my favorite as a kid. Lo and behold, it tasted amazing. However when I tried adding ketchup like I always did, I nearly gagged from the smell of it. I ended up eating all of it in a single sitting and afterwards I felt really good. So good in fact that I decided to head into town to pick up a few groceries. As I walked around with the shopping cart, going down the same aisles as I always did, the items I usually got held no appeal. I love bananas, but they smelt like they had been soaking in gasoline for a few days, the vegetables stank of curdled milk and the cheese might as well have been… Well, I’ll let you imagine what that smelt like. The only thing that smelt good was the meat. No, it didnt smell good. It smelt divine, the way I imagine heaven smells like. I filled up my cart with hamburger, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork butt, whole turkeys, chicken legs, ribs, spiral hams, bacon, hotdogs and so much more. People looked at me funny as I went to pay for the items and some even asked if I was planning on having a cookout. I am ashamed to admit it, but I snapped at those people and told them it wasn't any of their business. When I got home I felt sick again and decided that some pork chops were in order. As I started to get everything ready, I opened the cream of mushroom and the smell that emerged from the can made me throw up in the sink. Later I checked the expiration date and saw that it still had a few months to go. The can wasn’t dented or punctured, so there was no reason for it to smell rancid. I cooked the pork chops plain only adding a little olive oil on the bottom of the glassware so it wouldn't stick. The wait seemed to take forever. At some point before the pork chops were done I found myself mindlessly eating away at the raw hamburger. Taking grape sized pinches here and there. I knew it was disgusting, but I couldn't stop myself. Each bite hit the spot and scratched an itch I didn't know I had. By this time it was after office hours but I called the general practitioner to see if there were any updates. All the while, I kept eating the raw meat. I was too embarrassed to tell them about my new eating habits and instead sounded like an idiot when I had nothing to say other than to ask about the blood test, which I knew the results would be in sometime next week. Because of this I could tell the person on the other line was annoyed. I spent the rest of the day eating and worrying. I must have paced for a few miles before I decided to go to bed. At the time I figured that I might be able to sleep off whatever was happening to me, and if this was not to be it would make the day that the blood test comes in arrive faster. However I couldn't go a few hours without food before the cravings made me wake up and rummage through the fridge. I blacked out at some point during the night and found myself outside at the wooden fence, trying to bait the neighbor's cat with a raw chicken leg that I already ate half of. I was scared. Paranoid that whatever bit my hand might have given me something really nasty. But I knew that worrying about it wasn't going to do me any favors so I decided to do what I normally do to clear my head and went for a drive. Usually this would have worked, but my stomach kept complaining. I had been eating for nearly a day straight, so I knew I wasn't hungry. What else could I do other than wait for the blood test to come back? Trying to distract myself, I decided to turn on the radio and listen to one of the three radio stations that worked in town. As I was fumbling with the knobs in my old beat up truck, I turned the corner and saw a man walking across the street to get his mail. I hit the brakes as hard as I could, but it was too little too late and he bounced off the grill and went flying through the air. Terrified, I ran out to see if there was anything I could do to help him, but when I drew close I could see that he was all sorts of messed up. A broken shoulder, wrist and his leg was bent at a horrible angle. He was conscious and asked me to give him a ride to the hospital because he would not be able to afford the bill for an ambulance. However, that was when I noticed that the femur was sticking out of his leg. I licked my lips and before I knew it I started biting and eating around the bone as the man screamed, and in his condition he was unable to get away or fight me off. I don't know how much time passed, but at some point I became aware that people were starting to gather. All of them were too shocked to do anything but stare. Embarrassed and terrified, I ran to the truck and drove off. It wasn't like I could go anywhere. Since Gray Hill is a small town, most of the onlookers knew who I was. So I did the only thing I could think of and went home. There is so much more I want to say, but I don't have much time. The sirens are getting louder. I am sorry. WAE

What you are about to read is both a confession and an apology. I don't know how much time I have so I will keep it as short as I can. I was coming back home from work a few nights ago. It was dark and I was tired from my shift when suddenly a deer ran out in front of my truck. I locked my brakes but couldn't stop in time. Feeling my heart pounding I just sat in my truck, staring at the motionless deer laying in the middle of the road. I had never killed anything before, intentionally or accidentally. As much as I wanted to get home, take a shower and go to bed, I couldn't just let it lay there. Someone could run it over causing real damage to their undercarriage or, God forbid, they swerve to avoid it and end up falling over a hundred feet into the river below, hitting dozens of trees on the way down. I couldn't let that be on my conscience, so I did what the good lord Jesus would have done. I put on my emergency lights and got out of the truck to pull the carcass off the road. However, as I was doing this I saw something move in the deers lower gut. Seeing this made my heart sink because at the time I thought maybe the dead deer was going to give birth. While holding in a gag and pulling the body to get it off the road, whatever was in the deer crawled out of its… backside, ran up the leg I was holding onto and bit my hand. It was too fast and the night was too dark so I have no idea what it could have been. Instinctively I flung the creature off of me and heard it scamper away through the grass. Wondering what the hell just attacked me, I inspected the wound. The wound produced very little blood and looked no worse than what a cat would do when it plays a little too roughly. Since my heart was pounding out of my chest and I had most of the deer carcass off the road, I figured I had done my duty and it was time to head home. As soon as I got home, I barely had the energy to take off my clothes, so all hopes I had of taking a shower were lost and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. The next morning I felt sluggish and cold. My teeth were chattering violently. It reminded me of a flu, however my nose wasn’t stuffed up and I wasn’t congested. The wound on my hand was red, but not swollen. Still, I was worried and made a call to set up a doctor's appointment. Thankfully I was able to get seen right away, however after the exam the doctor said he could find nothing wrong with me but the blood tests would take a few days before the results would come in. I am not the kind of person to tell someone how to do their job, especially if their job meant years of education and twice that many having their own practice. However I made it clear that I strongly disagreed with what the doctor said. When I got home, my stomach was complaining. I ate shortly before getting off work the day before so there was no reason for my stomach to complain as much as it was. I tried eating soup but it tasted like fermenting compost. No joke, that's what it tasted like. When I checked the expiration date, I was surprised that it still had eight months left before it was considered bad. At the time I figured that whatever was wrong with me was affecting my senses. My grandma said that 7Up and ginger ale was as close to magic as it gets when it comes to being sick, but since I didn't have any in the house, I made a few calls and had it delivered. However, that too tasted bad. My stomach kept complaining so in an attempt to silence it, I decided to make something that I could never resist. My moms specialty: meatloaf. If nothing else, it was comfort food and my favorite as a kid. Lo and behold, it tasted amazing. However when I tried adding ketchup like I always did, I nearly gagged from the smell of it. I ended up eating all of it in a single sitting and afterwards I felt really good. So good in fact that I decided to head into town to pick up a few groceries. As I walked around with the shopping cart, going down the same aisles as I always did, the items I usually got held no appeal. I love bananas, but they smelt like they had been soaking in gasoline for a few days, the vegetables stank of curdled milk and the cheese might as well have been… Well, I’ll let you imagine what that smelt like. The only thing that smelt good was the meat. No, it didnt smell good. It smelt divine, the way I imagine heaven smells like. I filled up my cart with hamburger, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork butt, whole turkeys, chicken legs, ribs, spiral hams, bacon, hotdogs and so much more. People looked at me funny as I went to pay for the items and some even asked if I was planning on having a cookout. I am ashamed to admit it, but I snapped at those people and told them it wasn't any of their business. When I got home I felt sick again and decided that some pork chops were in order. As I started to get everything ready, I opened the cream of mushroom and the smell that emerged from the can made me throw up in the sink. Later I checked the expiration date and saw that it still had a few months to go. The can wasn’t dented or punctured, so there was no reason for it to smell rancid. I cooked the pork chops plain only adding a little olive oil on the bottom of the glassware so it wouldn't stick. The wait seemed to take forever. At some point before the pork chops were done I found myself mindlessly eating away at the raw hamburger. Taking grape sized pinches here and there. I knew it was disgusting, but I couldn't stop myself. Each bite hit the spot and scratched an itch I didn't know I had. By this time it was after office hours but I called the general practitioner to see if there were any updates. All the while, I kept eating the raw meat. I was too embarrassed to tell them about my new eating habits and instead sounded like an idiot when I had nothing to say other than to ask about the blood test, which I knew the results would be in sometime next week. Because of this I could tell the person on the other line was annoyed. I spent the rest of the day eating and worrying. I must have paced for a few miles before I decided to go to bed. At the time I figured that I might be able to sleep off whatever was happening to me, and if this was not to be it would make the day that the blood test comes in arrive faster. However I couldn't go a few hours without food before the cravings made me wake up and rummage through the fridge. I blacked out at some point during the night and found myself outside at the wooden fence, trying to bait the neighbor's cat with a raw chicken leg that I already ate half of. I was scared. Paranoid that whatever bit my hand might have given me something really nasty. But I knew that worrying about it wasn't going to do me any favors so I decided to do what I normally do to clear my head and went for a drive. Usually this would have worked, but my stomach kept complaining. I had been eating for nearly a day straight, so I knew I wasn't hungry. What else could I do other than wait for the blood test to come back? Trying to distract myself, I decided to turn on the radio and listen to one of the three radio stations that worked in town. As I was fumbling with the knobs in my old beat up truck, I turned the corner and saw a man walking across the street to get his mail. I hit the brakes as hard as I could, but it was too little too late and he bounced off the grill and went flying through the air. Terrified, I ran out to see if there was anything I could do to help him, but when I drew close I could see that he was all sorts of messed up. A broken shoulder, wrist and his leg was bent at a horrible angle. He was conscious and asked me to give him a ride to the hospital because he would not be able to afford the bill for an ambulance. However, that was when I noticed that the femur was sticking out of his leg. I licked my lips and before I knew it I started biting and eating around the bone as the man screamed, and in his condition he was unable to get away or fight me off. I don't know how much time passed, but at some point I became aware that people were starting to gather. All of them were too shocked to do anything but stare. Embarrassed and terrified, I ran to the truck and drove off. It wasn't like I could go anywhere. Since Gray Hill is a small town, most of the onlookers knew who I was. So I did the only thing I could think of and went home. There is so much more I want to say, but I don't have much time. The sirens are getting louder. I am sorry. WAE

Italics = advisor feedback

1. Congratulations Don Jr., after a contentious primary with Matt Rosendale and Greg Gianforte, you have emerged victorious in the Republican primary. What will be your opening statement as you pivot towards the general Montana senate election with Jon Tester?

• Why screw up this thing. I’ll run a low-risk campaign and cruise to victory. After all, my dad is the Republican nominee for president, so I can certainly ride his coattails to victory “This might work but don’t underestimate Jon Tester, he’s quite popular in Montana”
• I want to nationalize this race as much as possible and attack Jon Tester relentlessly, Tester has voted in lockstep with Biden and Pelosi “This might work, but most Montanans are more focused on state issues rather than national issues”
• I want to appear with my dad, Donald Trump, as much as possible as I campaign “People want to see you differentiate yourself from dad occasionally, and this doesn’t help much”
• I want to denationalize this race as much as possible. I want to take pictures of myself on my Montana ranch and focus on the farmers and workers in this state “nationalizing this race is your best chance, considering that your father is the Republican nominee for president”

​

1. Due to the rural nature of Montana, the average Montanan spends more on gas than almost any other state in the country, and as gas prices continue to rise, what would you do to lower them?

• I would work with Senator John Thune to construct the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will transport gas faster and thus drop the price of gas, unlike Biden and the Democrats who want to shut down the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline “This is good in that it criticizes the Democrats while also offering a different solution.”
• The way you lower gas prices is by getting Biden and the Democrats out of the office and putting in Trump and the Republicans, as gas prices were nowhere near as high as they were when Trump was president “This attack somewhat damaged Biden, but the damage is limited because people want to know what you would do differently from him.”
• One thing we could do to lower gas prices is to switch sides in the Russia-Ukraine war and side with an oil-rich Russia, rather than siding with oil-poor Ukraine, and we could get more oil through deals with Russia “Are you insane?”

​

1. RNG. Your father, who is running for president from within a prison cell, has asked if you could attend one of his rallies that are being held from just outside his prison cell where he will be visible to the large crowd through the window of his prison cell in New York. Would you like to attend this rally outside the prison?

• Yes, I would “Good news, the rally outside of Trump’s prison cell was just the right size, in that it was large enough to fire up Trump’s base in Montana, but not so large that it would grab the attention of the liberal media. Good job”
• Yes, I would. “Bad news, the rally outside of Trump’s prison cell had a lot of both trump supporters and protestors and the two groups quickly turned violent and it drew an enormous amount of media attention and you are getting badly hurt by the controversy.”
• No, I wouldn’t “Good news, the Montana people respected your ability to be removed from national politics of a rally outside of Trump’s prison cell.”
• No, I wouldn't “Bad news, Trump’s base is furious at you for not showing up to your father’s rally from outside of Trump’s prison cell.”

​

1. Inflation continues to ravage the nation. How will you put an end to it?

• We’re gonna stop handing out money and stop all this nonsense spending. “This has fired up your core supporters, but most independents are worried about this kind of messaging.”
• I would like to reduce tariffs and remove regulatory barriers “Trump’s tariffs are popular with the Trump wing of the Republican party, but this answer should win over more libertarian-minded Republicans”

​

1. The destructive conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to go on. How will you put an end to it if at all?

• I will urge for American neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia war “You’ve pleased your diehard base, but most independents want America to side with Ukraine during this destructive conflict”
• I will keep the current path of issuing sanctions against Russia “This is probably the best answer to please the majority of Montanans.”
• I will urge America to get involved on Ukraine’s side against Russia “This wins over independents at the expense of winning over your base.”
• I will urge the UN to create a demilitarized zone on the Ukraine-Russia border and urge Ukraine and Russia to come to a comprehensive peace treaty “This wins over the neocons in your party at the expense of the Trump wing of your party.”

​

1. China has repeatedly made threats against Taiwan, and there have been fears that China might invade Taiwan. How will you prevent this from happening?

• This is Taiwan’s problem, not ours “This wins over the hardcore isolationists in your party at the expense of mainstream Americans”
• We will issue sanctions against China if they choose to invade Taiwan “This is probably the best answer to please the majority of Montanans”
• I urge America to intervene in this conflict against China “Are you insane, no one wants war with China!”
• I will urge China and Taiwan to create a demilitarized zone between them and a comprehensive peace treaty “This might be a good strategy”

​

1. There continue to be migrants and drugs that are flowing across the southern border. What would you do to stop this from happening?

• We need to strengthen our border security and build a wall “This is a good solution to win over the hard-core Trumpsits in your party”
• Look, this is Montana, we are nowhere near the southern border. Do we need to campaign on this issue? “Fair enough”
• We need a compromise solution of granting the illegals in this country a pathway to citizenship in return for building a stronger immigration enforcement system “This is a good way to win over independent voters”

​
8. Jon Tester, despite being a senator from Montana, one of the most pro-gun states in America, strongly came out in favor of gun control after the Uvalde shooting. What is your opinion on gun control?

• The Democrats are using school shootings as an excuse to take away our 2nd amendment rights “This attack is mildly successful, but the damage is limited because people want to know what you would do differently to stop school shootings”
• We need more armed guards at the front of schools to prevent these shootings, not to take away guns “This is an interesting solution”
• We need to spend more money on mental health clinics to treat these dangerous individuals “This wins over the Trump wing of social conservatives, but many fiscal conservatives are uncomfortable talking about this much government spending”

​

1. Abortion has become an increasingly important issue throughout America, how will you deal with this issue

• I will pass a law that will ban abortion nationwide “This fires up your base at the expense of independents”
• This isn’t our problem. We will let the people of each state decide that for ourselves “This fires up independents at the expense of the base”
• We should pass a law that bans travel from one state to another or traveling from one country to another to receive an abortion “This should meet the fine line of appealing to your base while also winning over independents.”

​

1. Now onto more state-centered issues. The state of Montana has an enormous amount of agriculture, farms, and ranches, and the amount they make has been decreasing. How will you plan to deal with this

• I will fight for Montana exports in trade deals “ an unusual position for a Republican to take, but this could work”
• This isn’t a problem we can solve, this is for the free market “This is a more traditional platform to run on as a Republican, but not a popular one amongst the Montana people.”

​

1. RNG Will you agree to debate Jon Tester?

• Yes I will “You won”
• Yes I will “You and Tester tied”
• Yes I will “You lost”
• No, we have a massive lead “People don’t trust you if you don’t debate, expect this to hurt you badly”

​

1. RNG You are meeting with Libertarian candidate Rick Breckenridge, to see if you can convince him to drop out and endorse you.

• I hope he drops out "Good news. He dropped out."
• I hope he drops out "Bad news. He doesn't drop out."

​

1. There's no way around it. Although you own a ranch in Montana, Montana is not your state of permanent residence and many view you as a carpet bagger. How do you plan to respond?

• I will counter-attack by showing Tester as a DC insider who is out of touch with Montanan values "This doesn't work well, as Tester routinely tours the state"
• I will tout my outsider credentials as an advantage, as I can reform Montana from the outside to Make Montana Great Again “MMGA”

​

1. Which Montana Republican would you like to go on tour with today?

• I would like to go on tour with Montana’s governor, Greg Gianforte “Well this didn’t work out well, as many are still angry about the incident that Greg Gianforte caused in 2017 when he ran for the house and bragged on social media about how he was so far ahead in the polls that he could beat up a reporter and still win, then proceeded to beat up a reporter and still narrowly won. Expect to take a dip in the polls.”
• I would like to go on tour with Montana’s incumbent Republican senator, Steve Daines “This worked out well, as Steve Daines is broadly popular amongst conservatives and independents”
• I would like to go on tour with Matt Rosendale, who ran for the Montana senate seat in 2018 and lost “Campaigning with Matt Rosendale offends no one, but pleases no one either”

​

1. News has broken out about how your girlfriend, Kimberly Gilfoyle, has been fired from Fox News for sexual harassment. How do you want to do damage control?

• As much as I love my girlfriend, I have no control over her behavior and I condemn this incident of behavior completely “This is probably the best you could do given this bad situation”
• Who cares, this is my girlfriend’s sexual harassment case, not mine “Well, you’re the one who’s dating her, so this makes you look bad.”
• I condemn my girlfriend completely for this behavior and I am breaking up with her for it “This is a strong answer which could win over women voters, but this only draws more attention to an incident that already looks incredibly ugly”

​

1. How would you like to attack Jon Tester if at all?

• We need to emphasize that Jon Tester has voted with Joe Biden 91% of the time. Jon Tester pretends to distance himself from Biden, but Tester is just one of Biden’s puppets who happens to be in a Trump +16 state “That’s it, hit Tester where it hurts!”
• We need to emphasize that Jon Tester is out of touch with Montana values lives in Washington DC and constantly votes in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and votes for drag queens and transing the kids “This attack doesn’t win over independents, but it sure does fire up the base”
• We should run compare and contrast ads between Kyrsten Sinema and Jon Tester, showing how Sinema is in a bluish-purple state and constantly stabs Biden in the back while Jon Tester is from a deep red state and constantly votes lock step with Biden “This ad was incredibly effective”
• We should run ads of gas prices soaring under Tester and Biden, while gas prices were falling under Trump Sr. and will continue to fall under Trump Jr. “This ad was mild to moderately effective, but voters want to know what specific policy you will implement to lower gas prices

​

1. One interesting idea that has been proposed by many Democrats is to put abortion clinics on Native American reservations, as their lands aren’t governed by the US. Montana has some of the most native reservations in the country. What are your thoughts on this?

• This is an abhorrent practice that will lead to more children being killed as a loophole around the Dobbs .vs. Jackson's case allowed each state to choose whether or not to allow abortion “This answer fires up the base but hurts you with independents”
• I don’t care either way, this is up for the leaders of the native reservations to decide themselves “This might be the best you can do with a difficult question like this”
• Small government means small government, therefore lands that are not on American soil should be allowed to build abortion clinics to serve the public, as we are the party of small government that favors bodily autonomy “This answer helps with independents and hurts with the base”

​

1. Not to talk too much about abortion, but a new bill has been proposed in the Montana State House that would criminalize pregnant Montanans for traveling out of state or out of the country to receive an abortion elsewhere. What are your thoughts on this bill?

• I think Montana should ban all abortions within its borders, but banning Montana residents from traveling out of state or out of the country to receive an abortion elsewhere is too harsh “No one loves this answer, but no one hates it either”
• Being pro-life means being all the way pro-life, which means that we should criminalize out-of-state and out-of-country travel to receive an abortion elsewhere “Your base eats this up, but this stance makes independents gag”
• As a Republican, I naturally believe in making government as small as possible, meaning that native american reservations should be allowed to have abortion clinics and that people should be allowed to travel out of state and out of the country to receive abortions “Independents are lining up behind you, but your base is threatening to stay home”

​

1. RNG. The Montana state legislature has just passed new laws banning Tribal ID cards and requiring you to present your address to vote, which Native Americans on reservations don’t have as a way to stop Native Americans, who disproportionately vote Democrat, from voting. What are your thoughts on this?

• This should help me win “Good news, Native Americans aren’t getting the new IDs and addresses necessary for voting for Tester, so this will help you.”
• This should help me win “Bad news, Native Americans are now turning out in higher numbers than ever before and are getting the new IDs and licenses necessary to vote. Expect this to hurt you.”

​
20. You have talked about reducing the amount of money that we spend to reduce inflation. Where would you like to make cuts in spending

• I don’t know, everywhere maybe “This is not specific enough, and Jon Tester’s mediscare strategy is working eerily well”
• First, cuts will be made to foreign aid “In general, if you have to cut anything, cut foreign aid first, then again, most Americans are supportive of Ukraine in their war against Russia, so this might also backfire”
• We should cut farming subsidies and allow farmers to properly partake in the free market “Montana is a very agricultural state, so this doesn’t play well”

​

1. Jon Tester has attacked you with an attack ad of you speaking with your father and Rudi Giuliani at the Save America rally on January 6th where you tell the crowd to stand up and fight as they proceed to walk towards the capital and invade it. How will you react

• This was a poor choice of words for me. Although I said the word fight in a physical sense, what I meant to say was fought in a metaphorical stance by protesting the certification of the 2020 election “This might be the best thing you can say to keep your base on your side while not angering independents”
• I played no role in causing the violence that most people did on January 6th as I meant to fight in a metaphorical sense, not in a literal sense. It should be noted that only a small portion of people that attended that rally on January 6th broke into the capital “Most voters believe that you played a role on January 6th, and this answer doesn’t help”
• These people who entered the capital were brain-dead idiots who thought this would be a good idea. Why should I be responsible for their actions “You were the one who encouraged them to do it.”

​

1. Montana has one of the slowest internet speeds in the country due to its rural location. Would you be willing to spend government money to increase the internet speed in Montana?

• I understand the urge to help Montanans with slow internet, but this is a function best served by private companies, not the government “This helps with the base, but hurts with independents”
• We need to spend government money to help Montanans with slow internet “This helps with independents but hurts the base”

​

1. Do you plan to pass more laws to engage in culture wars and ban drag story hour, and critical race theory

• No, these culture wars about drag story hour just distract from the main issues at hand “Some sense a missed opportunity to win points amongst the base, but others appreciate you for not constantly attacking”
• Yes, we need to protect our children from drag story hour and critical race theory “This will win you points amongst your base but hurt you with independents and libertarian-minded voters.”

​

1. What will be your ending message as this campaign draws to a close?

• Don’t let Jon Tester fool you, he’s no moderate and he votes for Biden 91% of the time. Tester is Biden, and Biden is bad. Tester is Biden’s puppet. Make sure to vote for my dad for president and me for the senate. “This is probably a good strategy considering how Tester votes for Biden 91% of the time, and although Tester is somewhat popular in the state, Biden is not.”
• I want to hold a big rally in a field in Billings with a jumbotron where my dad is presented on the big screen from prison. My dad Trump Sr. will carry Montana by double digits, so all I have to do is ride his coattails to victory “Your dad is popular in Montana, so tying yourself to him as closely as possible might be a good idea.”
• I want to nationalize this race as much as possible. A vote for me is a vote for my dad who is running for president, while a vote for Tester is a vote for Biden “This is a good strategy, as you will need your dad’s momentum to gain victory in this senate race.”

​

1. Where in Montana will you spend your last days campaigning

• I will campaign in the Helena area around Lewis and Clark and Cascade counties. Tester may have won them in 2018, but Trump won them in 2020, so with one last push, we should flip them red
• I will campaign in the rural eastern parts of the state to maximize conservative turnout such as in Custer and Prairie counties
• I will expand my appeal by campaigning in the rural northern parts of the state with Native American reservations such as Glacier County
• I will campaign in the Missoula area, a traditionally liberal area and college town in Missoula County

Capitalism is incentivized to influence government as it seeks to protect and expand its economic interests, utilizing political power to shape policies and regulations that favor profit maximization and market dominance, ultimately reinforcing its position and ensuring a favorable business environment.
It is within the interest of capital to remove obstacles which prevent the accumulation of more capital, including regulation and effective checks and balances. Inevitably leading to a concentration of power and a lack of opportunity for a majority of people.
To Provide Historical examples here are a few:

1. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States experienced a period of unregulated capitalism known as the Gilded Age. During this time, laissez-faire policies allowed businesses to operate with minimal government intervention, leading to significant income inequality and the rise of powerful monopolies. One notable example is the rise of the Standard Oil Company, led by John D. Rockefeller. Through aggressive business practices and strategic acquisitions, Standard Oil gained a dominant position in the oil industry, controlling over 90% of oil refining in the United States. This concentration of power allowed Rockefeller to exert significant influence over both the market and government policies.
2. In the late 19th century, industries such as railroads and banking became increasingly influential and sought to protect their interests. The first regulatory commission in U.S. history, was established as a result of mounting public indignation in the 1880s against railroad malpractices and abuses. Similarly, The Federal Reserve System was initially created to address banking panics which was brought on in part due to the Bank Panic of 1907 which was a short-lived banking and financial crisis in the U.S. that resulted from the collapse of highly-leveraged speculative investments propagated by easy money policies pursued by the U.S. Treasury in the preceding years. However, over time, these agencies became subject to regulatory capture, with industry insiders shaping policies and regulations to benefit their own interests.
3. During the Gilded Age, powerful industrialists cultivated close relationships with politicians, leading to the granting of special privileges and exemptions. For example, the railroad industry received land grants and government subsidies, while industries such as steel and sugar enjoyed protective tariffs that shielded them from foreign competition. These advantages allowed well-connected businesses to maintain their dominant positions and hindered fair competition.
4. The Teapot Dome scandal in the 1920s is another case where government officials, including the Secretary of the Interior, accepted bribes from oil companies in exchange for granting them lucrative drilling rights on federally owned land. This scandal exposed the corrupt ties between big business and government officials, revealing how capitalism leads to widespread corruption.
5. The unchecked power and influence of monopolistic corporations during the Gilded Age led to significant social and economic problems. Exploitative labor practices, worker unrest, and unsafe working conditions became prevalent. Ultimately, public discontent and mounting criticism of crony capitalism paved the way for progressive reforms and the introduction of antitrust laws aimed at curbing monopolies and regulating business practices.

Since it seems that no one can be bothered to search the sub for the word "mechanic" before making a new post, I searched it for you and summarized two years' worth of posts below.
TL;DR the recommendation is almost always "Rising Sun Motors" unless you've got an unusual vehicle or situation. Also, apparently XSrcing has spent the past couple years quietly helping poor people fix their cars for free/cheap, so everyone be sure to buy that guy a beer next time you see him.
2023-05-23 Body shops that work on 90s Hondas

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1995 Honda Del Sol body work
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Joe’s Automotive Repair

2023-05-17 Where's my Subaru Mechanic?!

• Vehicle and/or issue: Subaru 2013 Forester
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Northwest Rally Sports, Bruce Cox Imports, Dewey Griffin Subaru, TK Automotive Repair, Hi-Tech Automotive

2023-05-15 Mechanic for an 89 Trooper

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1989 Isuzu Trooper
• Commenters suggested: Unlimited Service Downtown, Axton Automotive

2023-05-10 Volvo Mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: Volvo
• Commenters suggested: Rainbow Auto Service, Bruce Cox Imports, Manieri Motorworks

2023-05-09 Subaru Mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: Subaru
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Harmony Motorworks, Northwest Rally Sports

2023-05-04 Chuck's Midtown Motors?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Prius, asking about specific mechanic
• Commenters suggested: Chuck’s Midtown Motors Automotive Repair

2023-04-29 Anyone know of a good mechanic around here?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Autotech Car and Truck Repair, Bruce Cox Imports, SK Motorsport, Birchwood Auto Repair

2023-04-19 Local mechanics

• Vehicle and/or issue: walnut blasting valves
• Commenters suggested: SK Motorsport

2023-04-19 Classic Car Mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1972 Chevrolet truck body work
• Commenters suggested: Bailey’s Classic Collision, No.1 Automotive Body Repair, Heavy Metal Custom Shop, Nitro Autolab

2023-04-17 Bellingham Automotive is SLIMEY and will steal from you. They tampered with my car then gave me a nasty attitude about it.

• Vehicle and/or issue: unhappy customer
• Commenters suggested: OP deleting their post, Bellingham Automotive, Trottners Auto Repair Service, Sterling Automotive

2023-04-08 Looking for a diesel mechanic for 97 e350 short bus

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1997 Ford E350 bus
• Commenters suggested: SMG Equipment and Marine, Unlimited Service Bakerview

2023-03-23 Classic car mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: air-cooled Volkswagen
• Commenters suggested: SK Motorsport, HMC Garage, Northwest European Autoworks, Peace Vans (in Seattle)

2023-03-17 Pro/Amateur mobile mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: free/cheap mobile mechanic for person living in a van
• Commenters suggested: XSrcing

2023-02-27 A trustworthy mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Cornerstone Auto Care, Axton Automotive, Rising Sun Motors, Hi-Tech Automotive, Birchwood Auto Repair, Harmony Motorworks

2023-02-21 ISO mechanic for classic Chevy pickup

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1958 Chevrolet pickup truck inspection and fluids
• Commenters suggested: Heavy Metal Custom Shop

2023-02-15 good mechanics?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Nissan Altima CVT transmission
• Commenters suggested: TK Automotive Repair, Midas, Barrett Transmission Specialties, Hi-Tech Automotive, Flat Black Automotive

2023-02-15 mechanics that do free / cheap diagnosis in town ? (not talking check engine lights btw)

• Vehicle and/or issue: free/cheap diagnostic
• Commenters suggested: Complete Auto Repair Service, Rising Sun Motors, Hi-Tech Automotive, Les Schwab

2023-02-03 Mechanic Recommendation

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1998 Volkswagen Beetle manual transmission
• Commenters suggested: TK Automotive Repair, Dr. John’s Auto Clinic, Euro Sport (???), Cunningham Tuning

2023-02-02 Car Problems

• Vehicle and/or issue: windshield wiper motor replacement completion help
• Commenters suggested: XSrcing, Trottners Auto Repair Service

2023-01-30 22re yota mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1994 Toyota pickup truck
• Commenters suggested: Hi-Tech Automotive, Rising Sun Motors, Flat Black Automotive, Axton Automotive, Sterling Automotive

2023-01-12 Seeking mechanic recommendations for 10 year old ford work truck. Computer is dying and it needs a junkyard transplant.

• Vehicle and/or issue: Ford truck computer transplant
• Commenters suggested: Birchwood Auto Repair

2023-01-12 Transmission Mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2015 Honda Civic transmission
• Commenters suggested: Barrett Transmission Specialties

2022-12-30 Mechanic recommendations?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Flat Black Automotive, Rising Sun Motors

2022-12-05 Are there ANY decent auto shops in this town?

• Vehicle and/or issue: unhappy customer / general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Panacea Automotive Repair, Alignment & Brakes Plus, Rising Sun Motors, OP learning to fix their own vehicle if they want to be cheap about it

2022-11-25 Jurachic Auto

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Joe’s Automotive Repair, Flat Black Automotive, Nitro Autolab

2022-11-11 Suzuki mechanic near bham

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2006 Suzuki XL-7 timing chain
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors

2022-10-22 How do I find a good mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Sterling Automotive, XSrcing, Rising Sun Motors, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Davis Automotive, Hi-Tech Automotive

2022-09-27 Garage/Mechanic Recommendation to fit a tall (9-10ish ft) camper van?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1989 Chevrolet G20 camper van, garage with a lift that can handle tall vehicles
• Commenters suggested: Camping World (in Burlington), Unlimited Service Bakerview, Northwest Chevrolet

2022-09-19 Best Affordable Mechanic in Bellingham

• Vehicle and/or issue: oil change and inspection
• Commenters suggested: Master Lube, Sterling Automotive

2022-09-15 Is there a car repair shop that takes payment plans in or around Bellingham?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2005 Subaru Outback, payment plans
• Commenters suggested: XSrcing, Firestone Complete Auto Care

2022-08-29 Mechanic/someone who can diagnose a transmission sound for free, trying to get to a wedding.

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2000 Ford Ranger transmission, free/cheap diagnostic
• Commenters suggested: Midas, XSrcing, Firestone Complete Auto Care

2022-08-16 Mechanic shops

• Vehicle and/or issue: truck tune up
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Sterling Automotive, Flat Black Automotive

2022-08-06 Honest affordable mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Sterling Automotive, Whatcom Radiator & Battery (closed?), Bernard Tech Services, Naztek Automotive, Sound Truck & Auto Repair

2022-08-02 Oil change for prius

• Vehicle and/or issue: Prius oil change
• Commenters suggested: Master Lube, Sehome Express Lube, Rising Sun Motors, Lucky’s Auto Shop, Rod’s Japanese Auto Care, literally anywhere because it's just an oil change

2022-07-20 Any recommendations for a good mechanic to replace a catalytic converter?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Honda replace stolen catalytic converter
• Commenters suggested: Flat Black Automotive, Rising Sun Motors, Bellingham Automotive, Panacea Automotive Repair, Marlin’s Auto Service, Service Pro, Faction Automotive, Davis Automotive, Harmony Motorworks

2022-06-13 Respectful/honest mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Honda CR-V AC, respectful to women
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Flat Black Automotive, Bellingham Auto Air, Reference Automotive, Sterling Automotive, TK Automotive Repair, Toyota of Bellingham, Juracich Auto Repair (closed?), Steves Auto Repair, Faction Automotive, Integrity Auto Care (in Arlington), NAPA Auto Parts Blaine, Pete’s Auto Repair, Import Autosport (in Anacortes), Whatcom Radiator & Battery (closed?)

2022-05-30 Old Chevy Truck 88' best mechanic.

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1988 Chevrolet truck
• Commenters suggested: Marine Drive Auto Services, Unlimited Service Downtown, Chuck’s Midtown Motors Automotive Repair, Bellingham Automotive, Davis Automotive

2022-05-30 Trustworthy/not scammy mechanics in the area?

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Joe’s Automotive Repair, Steves Auto Repair, Dr. John’s Auto Clinic, Rising Sun Motors, Superior Auto, Hi-Tech Automotive, Toyota of Bellingham, Sterling Automotive, Harmony Motorworks

2022-05-19 Anyone have a recommendation on a good mechanic to replace brake pads on an older Subaru? Thanks!

• Vehicle and/or issue: Subaru brakes
• Commenters suggested: Alignment & Brakes Plus, Rising Sun Motors, Harmony Motorworks, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Northwest Rally Sports, Chuck’s Midtown Motors Automotive Repair, Birchwood Auto Repair, TK Automotive Repair

2022-05-04 Looking for a good mechanic!

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1990 Ford E-250 Econoline van engine replacement
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Sterling Automotive, Lucky’s Auto Shop, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Rude’s Auto Repair

2022-04-09 Motorcycle mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: assorted motorcycles
• Commenters suggested: Cycle Therapy, BBRP, OP just has bad gas

2022-02-09 Prius mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2010 Prius
• Commenters suggested: Unlimited Service Bakerview, Unlimited Service Downtown, Bellingham Automotive, Rising Sun Motors, Toyota of Bellingham, Midas, Lifestyle Motor Co

2022-02-02 Mechanic recommendation

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2004 Toyota RAV4
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Sterling Automotive, Davis Automotive, SK Motorsport, Hi-Tech Automotive

2022-02-02 Auto Repair

• Vehicle and/or issue: Honda PIlot seatbelt & airbags, mobile mechanic
• Commenters suggested: Unlimited Service Downtown, Rising Sun Motors, Whatcom Radiator & Battery (closed?), Davis Automotive

2022-02-02 Any mobile mechanics/someone to check out a car tomorrow?

• Vehicle and/or issue: mobile mechanic for pre-purchase inspection of used car
• Commenters suggested: AR MECHANIC, Trottners Auto Repair Service

2022-01-22 Mechanic Recommendation

• Vehicle and/or issue: Ford pickup truck
• Commenters suggested: Davis Automotive, Dan's Automotive (closed?), Sterling Automotive, Rod’s Japanese Auto Care

2022-01-20 Need help checking out a used car

• Vehicle and/or issue: pre-purchase inspection of used car
• Commenters suggested: Joe’s Automotive Repair, Rising Sun Motors

2022-01-16 Diverter for exhaust

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1990 Ford E350 van exhaust
• Commenters suggested: Ben Richards Fabrication (in Burlington)

2022-01-14 Mechanic Recommendations?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2001 Toyota Camry fuel pump
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Sterling Automotive, Rod’s Japanese Auto Care, Dr. John’s Auto Clinic, Birchwood Auto Repair, Trottners Auto Repair Service

2022-01-02 Does anyone here know a mechanic that can come to my place? My car won’t start.

• Vehicle and/or issue: mobile mechanic
• Commenters suggested: O’Reilly Auto Parts (to test battery), some dude named Will

2021-12-21 Car broke down - need advice

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2008 Suburu Outback
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Steves Auto Repair, Sterling Automotive, Birchwood Auto Repair, Bruce Cox Imports, Joe’s Automotive Repair

2021-11-30 In desperate need of a mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2008 Ford Fusion rough idling
• Commenters suggested: Premier Auto Repair (in Mount Vernon), Faction Automotive

2021-11-28 Car Mechanic Open on Sunday

• Vehicle and/or issue: windshield wipers, open Sunday
• Commenters suggested: AutoZone Auto Parts, Firestone Complete Auto Care

2021-11-17 Looking for mechanic for '83 Ford ranger

• Vehicle and/or issue: 1983 Ford Ranger
• Commenters suggested: Foreign Auto Clinic, Panacea Automotive Repair, Van Loo’s Auto Service, Hi-Tech Automotive, some dude named Zach

2021-11-12 Subie Mech

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2004 Subaru Forester
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Northwest Rally Sports, Harmony Motorworks, Lucky’s Auto Shop, AR MECHANIC, Chuck’s Midtown Motors Automotive Repair, Bruce Cox Imports

2021-11-05 Looking for a Volvo mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2000 Volvo V40 electrical issues
• Commenters suggested: Rainbow Auto Service, Harmony Motorworks, Keith Cox Autobahn

2021-10-15 Recommendations for experienced Element mechanics?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Honda Element
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Sterling Automotive, TK Automotive Repair, Trottners Auto Repair Service

2021-10-04 FIAT Mechanic?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Fiat
• Commenters suggested: SK Motorsport, Keith Cox Autobahn, Rising Sun Motors, Northwest European Autoworks

2021-09-30 Toyota Service Mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: Toyota
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Marlin’s Auto Service, Davis Automotive

2021-09-19 Subaru owners of Bellingham!

• Vehicle and/or issue: Subaru
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Northwest Rally Sports, Bruce Cox Imports, Unlimited Service Bakerview, Flat Black Automotive, Dewey Griffin Subaru

2021-09-13 Seeking car repair recommendations

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2002 Ford leaking oil
• Commenters suggested: Sterling Automotive, Rising Sun Motors, Unlimited Service Bakerview, Birchwood Auto Repair, Bruce Cox Imports

2021-09-10 Keith Cox Autobahn? Mechanic recommendation?

• Vehicle and/or issue: 2010 Mercedes AMG, asking about specific mechanic
• Commenters suggested: Keith Cox Autobahn, Bruce Cox Imports, Harmony Motorworks, Meridian Auto And Tire

2021-08-31 Anywhere in town work on Lexus vehicles?

• Vehicle and/or issue: Lexus SUV (GX470)
• Commenters suggested: Harmony Motorworks, Rising Sun Motors, Toyota of Bellingham, TK Automotive Repair

2021-08-11 Looking for Subaru mechanic

• Vehicle and/or issue: Subaru brakes
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Northwest Rally Sports, Sterling Automotive, Axton Automotive

2021-07-09 Car maintenance

• Vehicle and/or issue: general inquiry
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, Firestone Complete Auto Care, Sterling Automotive, Barnett Automotive, Joe’s Automotive Repair, Whatcom Radiator & Battery (closed?), Panacea Automotive Repair, TK Automotive Repair

2021-06-01 Local mechanic shops

• Vehicle and/or issue: pre-purchase inspection of used car
• Commenters suggested: Rising Sun Motors, AR MECHANIC, Birchwood Auto Repair, Hardman Auto Care (closed?), Keith Cox Autobahn, Trottners Auto Repair Service, Meridian Auto And Tire, Harmony Motorworks

What you are about to read is both a confession and an apology. I don't know how much time I have so I will keep it as short as I can. I was coming back home from work a few nights ago. It was dark and I was tired from my shift when suddenly a deer ran out in front of my truck. I locked my brakes but couldn't stop in time. Feeling my heart pounding I just sat in my truck, staring at the motionless deer laying in the middle of the road. I had never killed anything before, intentionally or accidentally. As much as I wanted to get home, take a shower and go to bed, I couldn't just let it lay there. Someone could run it over causing real damage to their undercarriage or, God forbid, they swerve to avoid it and end up falling over a hundred feet into the river below, hitting dozens of trees on the way down. I couldn't let that be on my conscience, so I did what the good lord Jesus would have done. I put on my emergency lights and got out of the truck to pull the carcass off the road. However, as I was doing this I saw something move in the deers lower gut. Seeing this made my heart sink because at the time I thought maybe the dead deer was going to give birth. While holding in a gag and pulling the body to get it off the road, whatever was in the deer crawled out of its… backside, ran up the leg I was holding onto and bit my hand. It was too fast and the night was too dark so I have no idea what it could have been. Instinctively I flung the creature off of me and heard it scamper away through the grass. Wondering what the hell just attacked me, I inspected the wound. The wound produced very little blood and looked no worse than what a cat would do when it plays a little too roughly. Since my heart was pounding out of my chest and I had most of the deer carcass off the road, I figured I had done my duty and it was time to head home. As soon as I got home, I barely had the energy to take off my clothes, so all hopes I had of taking a shower were lost and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. The next morning I felt sluggish and cold. My teeth were chattering violently. It reminded me of a flu, however my nose wasn’t stuffed up and I wasn’t congested. The wound on my hand was red, but not swollen. Still, I was worried and made a call to set up a doctor's appointment. Thankfully I was able to get seen right away, however after the exam the doctor said he could find nothing wrong with me but the blood tests would take a few days before the results would come in. I am not the kind of person to tell someone how to do their job, especially if their job meant years of education and twice that many having their own practice. However I made it clear that I strongly disagreed with what the doctor said. When I got home, my stomach was complaining. I ate shortly before getting off work the day before so there was no reason for my stomach to complain as much as it was. I tried eating soup but it tasted like fermenting compost. No joke, that's what it tasted like. When I checked the expiration date, I was surprised that it still had eight months left before it was considered bad. At the time I figured that whatever was wrong with me was affecting my senses. My grandma said that 7Up and ginger ale was as close to magic as it gets when it comes to being sick, but since I didn't have any in the house, I made a few calls and had it delivered. However, that too tasted bad. My stomach kept complaining so in an attempt to silence it, I decided to make something that I could never resist. My moms specialty: meatloaf. If nothing else, it was comfort food and my favorite as a kid. Lo and behold, it tasted amazing. However when I tried adding ketchup like I always did, I nearly gagged from the smell of it. I ended up eating all of it in a single sitting and afterwards I felt really good. So good in fact that I decided to head into town to pick up a few groceries. As I walked around with the shopping cart, going down the same aisles as I always did, the items I usually got held no appeal. I love bananas, but they smelt like they had been soaking in gasoline for a few days, the vegetables stank of curdled milk and the cheese might as well have been… Well, I’ll let you imagine what that smelt like. The only thing that smelt good was the meat. No, it didnt smell good. It smelt divine, the way I imagine heaven smells like. I filled up my cart with hamburger, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork butt, whole turkeys, chicken legs, ribs, spiral hams, bacon, hotdogs and so much more. People looked at me funny as I went to pay for the items and some even asked if I was planning on having a cookout. I am ashamed to admit it, but I snapped at those people and told them it wasn't any of their business. When I got home I felt sick again and decided that some pork chops were in order. As I started to get everything ready, I opened the cream of mushroom and the smell that emerged from the can made me throw up in the sink. Later I checked the expiration date and saw that it still had a few months to go. The can wasn’t dented or punctured, so there was no reason for it to smell rancid. I cooked the pork chops plain only adding a little olive oil on the bottom of the glassware so it wouldn't stick. The wait seemed to take forever. At some point before the pork chops were done I found myself mindlessly eating away at the raw hamburger. Taking grape sized pinches here and there. I knew it was disgusting, but I couldn't stop myself. Each bite hit the spot and scratched an itch I didn't know I had. By this time it was after office hours but I called the general practitioner to see if there were any updates. All the while, I kept eating the raw meat. I was too embarrassed to tell them about my new eating habits and instead sounded like an idiot when I had nothing to say other than to ask about the blood test, which I knew the results would be in sometime next week. Because of this I could tell the person on the other line was annoyed. I spent the rest of the day eating and worrying. I must have paced for a few miles before I decided to go to bed. At the time I figured that I might be able to sleep off whatever was happening to me, and if this was not to be it would make the day that the blood test comes in arrive faster. However I couldn't go a few hours without food before the cravings made me wake up and rummage through the fridge. I blacked out at some point during the night and found myself outside at the wooden fence, trying to bait the neighbor's cat with a raw chicken leg that I already ate half of. I was scared. Paranoid that whatever bit my hand might have given me something really nasty. But I knew that worrying about it wasn't going to do me any favors so I decided to do what I normally do to clear my head and went for a drive. Usually this would have worked, but my stomach kept complaining. I had been eating for nearly a day straight, so I knew I wasn't hungry. What else could I do other than wait for the blood test to come back? Trying to distract myself, I decided to turn on the radio and listen to one of the three radio stations that worked in town. As I was fumbling with the knobs in my old beat up truck, I turned the corner and saw a man walking across the street to get his mail. I hit the brakes as hard as I could, but it was too little too late and he bounced off the grill and went flying through the air. Terrified, I ran out to see if there was anything I could do to help him, but when I drew close I could see that he was all sorts of messed up. He was conscious and asked me to give him a ride to the hospital because he would not be able to afford the bill for an ambulance. However, that was when I noticed that the femur was sticking out of his leg. I licked my lips and before I knew it I started biting and eating around the bone as the man screamed, and in his condition he was unable to get away or fight me off. I don't know how much time passed, but at some point I became aware that people were starting to gather. All of them were too shocked to do anything but stare. Embarrassed and terrified, I ran to the truck and drove off. It wasn't like I could go anywhere. Since Gray Hill is a small town, most of the onlookers knew who I was. So I did the only thing I could think of and went home. There is so much more I want to say, but I don't have much time. The sirens are getting louder. I am sorry.

Hi. It’s me. In January I traded my GR86 for an Elantra N. Since them I’ve put about 2500 miles on including one track day, an autocross, and a lot of preschool runs.
Photos and hot lap video https://imgur.com/a/02SffO8 https://streamable.com/m4rvto
Why did I get rid of the GR86? Space. The GR86 can fit two adults and two kids in car seats, however your passenger will be miserable and you’ll have to perform an expert level yoga move each time you put a child in a rear facing convertible car seat. Even just putting my oldest one in her forward facing one is not ideal. Me being me, I started looking and saw that even now in May 2023, these things are still hard to find which mean places are giving top dollar for them.
Why the Elantra N? I realized that this segment is ideal for me. Many people moan about fwd being not fun, but I’ve had just as much fun in fwd as rwd at autocross and on track. This segment gives me fun cars that can do it all, as a dad car DD and something for weekend fun, with mostly no compromises. I went down the list of usual suspects. FL5 CTR: Too expensive. Already had an FK8. Lacking a bit of character. Impossible to find. GRolla: A bit small in the rear for a rear facing car seat. AWD is more of a minus than a plus for me, even though I live in New England. GolfR: A little expensive, too under the radar, too refined. I also considered a DCT F80 M3, but couldn't justify the extra cost, and found it a bit too insulated.
The EN checks all of the right driving boxes for me and even has the option to appease my wife who has always (politely) asked me to get an automatic transmission that she could drive. Until now, I’ve always had a manual. I’m not a die hard 'I must drive everything stick' type person, but I always enjoy driving stick on the street but have said for a while I’d consider a DCT for its telepathic shifting. Of course the one box the EN doesn’t check is the looks. My god the front. I still have no idea what they were thinking (and I don't think the '24 refresh looks much, if any better). As I’ve owned it, it’s grown on me a little. Much like if your friend names their cat or dog something silly, you start to appreciate it as you associate the name with a real thing that takes real pets and belly rubs. I do enjoy the rear light bar, but not the wing that’s crumpled in the middle. I assume this is to aid visibility? And of course the side looks pre-crashed but it can be forgiven.
Interior The interior is good. The Hyundai infotainment is really great. Large, sharp screens for both the gauge cluster and the infotainment. I love how the infotainment screen is slightly angled to the driver. Of course I mostly just use it for carplay but I love the N mode screen. It let’s you make your own custom modes where you can set steering, engine/throttle response, shift speed, suspension, and exhaust. It also has a bunch of customizable settings inside of N mode. Want the DCT to not creep? There’s a setting for that. Want a little kick on upshifts and the trans to really slam home that gear? N power shift will do that for you. Want the DCT to hold revs and know when you’re on a track? N track sense is here for you. Outside of the infotainment the interior is fine. Seats are great, and heated. They light up. Why? ¯_(ツ)_/¯. Some of the plastics are out of a base Elantra, but everything you touch is good, with alcantara on many surfaces. I did have the base GR86, but the EN interior is definitely better in just about every way. And the Hyundai app is wonderful for remote starting with climate control or just quickly and easily unlocking/locking.
One interior-ish quirk, it has no adaptive cruise control. It does have lane keep assist, rear parking sensors, emergency front braking and blind spot monitoring. No ACC is not a huge deal breaker to me as I don’t often go on long highway trips for it, but it would be nice to have.
Driving I like fwd. I like rwd. I’m definitively in the ‘if you hate fwd, you just haven’t driven good fwd at the limit’ camp (sorry). Do I miss leaving T-junctions sideways with rwd? A little. I think the equivalent feeling for fwd is approaching a corner, keeping the revs high, mashing throttle and feel the eLSD just suck you in, like magic. The eLSD is excellent, as is the wet 8 speed dct. It almost always knows which gear you’re going for which means a impressively quick shift. Even if you choose a shift that doesn’t jive, it’s still not slow. Is it as engaging as a manual? Probably not, but the video game-ness of it is fun in its own way. The worst named feature that comes with the DCT is the NGS. Push the button and you get 20 seconds of 25nm more of torque. It’ll also put your exhaust into the state of CA’s favorite Sport+ mode with all of the pops and bangs you could ever want, and if you have the transmission in automatic, it’ll downshift you to the highest gear. The suspension is adjustable, which in partnership with the DCT, helps make the car go from appliance car (in eco mode) to a true fun daily/something that's ready for the track. Suspension in my opinion is soft enough on it's softest setting and just about stiff enough in the stiffest setting. Sticky stock PS4S help the quick turn in, but even with the all-season DWS 06 that I put on for some light winter duty, handling remains good. Power is plenty. I don't think it feels much slower than the CTR when using the NGS feature.
The dealer experience
I’ve bought quite a few cars and this dealership experience was the best. I feel like I read nothing but bad things about Hyundai but was genuinely impressed. The dealership wasn’t that far away, but everything was done via email/electronically. Everything was as smooth as possible, super easy transaction from start to finish.
On track
I did add some light mods, camber bolts (with an alignment bumping the already good front camber from -1.7 -> -2.5 in the front) and 18x9 wheels (from 19x8) and 245/40/18 Kumho V730 tires. Car comes with genuinely track capable brakes and factory filled with DOT4. Car was terrific at my local track, Thompson for an SCCA Track Night in America event. Oil gets a little warm, like just about any turbo 4, but factory gauges are great and coolant temp stays reasonable. DCT really comes to life on track where it feels like you’re shifting in a video game. Car was about 1.5s faster than my GR86, which was on a stickier tire (Falken RT660). I can’t wait to track it more.
What’s next? Nothing for a while. Going to feed it fluids, brakes and tires and enjoy it. I would honestly still have the CTR if the market weren’t so wild. Which is better? At least for the FK8, I prefer the EN in most ways. The main difference between the two is character. The FK8 does everything well but without fan fare or drama. Exactly the opposite of its boy racer looks. It’s like Honda set out to build the best hot hatch but forgot that being the best doesn’t necessarily make it the most fun. The EN is brimming with character. It has torque steer, the exhaust can make hilariously loud pops and bangs (and only if you want it to), and the seats light up. Hyundai knew that people want fun. Of course the Honda will have better resale value and potentially be more reliable but the EN makes me feel more, which is kind of why we buy these things.
Cons and quirks Only two front cup holders. Front door pocket bottle holders only hold small bottles/could be more usable. No rear climate vents, sorry kids. No adaptive cruise Rear strut bar limits pass through trunk storage but it is fairly easily removable.
Happy to answer any and all questions about the car.

This post is part of a series of reviews. To see them all, click here.

Serial Information

• Episodes: Season 7, Episodes 19-25
• Airdates: 9th May - 20th June 1970
• Doctor: 3rd
• Companion: Liz
• UNIT: The Brigadier, Sgt. Benton
• Writer: Don Houghton
• Directors: Douglas Camfield, Barry Letts (Uncredited)
• Producer: Barry Letts
• Script Editor: Terrance Dicks

Review

Proper little bureaucrat, aren't you? Can't shoot me unless you've filled out all the forms, is that it? – The Doctor, to the Brigade Leader
Inferno starts like a very typical story of this era. The Doctor's been acting as observer at some sort of drilling operation, and is using their nuclear reactor to power his attempts to get the TARDIS working again, when some murders happen and the Brigadier joins the Doctor to investigate. As it so happens, the drilling operation has unleashed some sort of primeval forces turning people who come into contact with some green goop into monsters. Meanwhile the director of the project is a pain in the ass, and…oh god this is basically just a worse Fury from the Deep.
But then…well you know what happens. The Doctor's experiments with the TARDIS console send him sideways through time, he goes to a parallel world where the UK is a fascist state and all of a sudden things get really, really good.
I don't want to sound like before the parallel universe stuff gets introduced Inferno was shaping up to be a bad story. Rather, up to that point, it was following the "base under siege" playbook to a letter, and by this point I've grown somewhat tired of the tropes of that formula. Fortunately, we're going to be moving away from the format for some time, and in the meantime Inferno uses the familiarity of the format to its advantage.
By taking the Doctor into an alternate universe, we get to see what a worst case scenario of one of these stories looks like. A version of events where things don't just work out, but continually get worse and worse until an entire world is consumed by lava. It's all deeply tragic.
But here's the rub. If you're an American sci-fi fan like me, you're probably familiar with the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" a great episode that does something very similar by sending Captain Kirk to an alternate universe where the crew of the Enterprise are all evil. But Inferno's alternate universe characters aren't evil counterparts. Instead what it does, and I think I prefer this approach, is that it imagines what its characters would be if they lived in this alternate world.
Taking the Brigadier, or to give his rank in the alternate universe, the Brigade Leader, as an example. At first glance he seems very different from his main universe counterpart. He's a bully, and an eager servant of a fascist state. There's no way our Brigadier would be like that. But imagine if Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart had grown up in this world.
See, the main characteristic that defines the Brigadier is his sense of duty. His duty to UNIT, and in a wider sense to the world. He can even be a bit of a bully, as we see in this story when the Brigadier gets Benton to physically drag Stahlman away from his work. Given Stahlman's behavoir he was right to do so mind, and generally his more aggressive and blustery tendencies are constrained by his strong moral sense. But imagine for a second if he existed in a world that did not allow him to succeed with that moral sense intact. What you're left with is the Brigade Leader.
Of course, the Brigade Leader has a bit of a breakdown as he comes to accept that his world is doomed. This story has what is probably Nicholas Courtney's best performance on Doctor Who as in episodes 5 and 6 we see the Brigade Leader slowly lose control. The Brigade Leader tries to take control anyway he can, at one point actually pulling the trigger on Sutton…but he's used up all the bullets in his gun. What this is, is the bottom being pulled out from under a man. The thing, the supposed "republic" that he has devoted his life to is about to die, like the rest of his world, and he just can't deal with the scope of that. His final act is trying to force the Doctor to take the parallel universe characters to his universe, something which the Doctor says will unravel time and space in all universes.
Thing is, the differences between the two Lethbridge-Stewarts is probably the most extreme. Consider the difference between our familiar Liz Shaw, and her counterpart Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw. Initially, she seems remarkably different. She's a soldier, not a scientist. Like the Brigade Leader she is a servant of that aforementioned fascist state, and puts the Doctor through a pretty harsh interrogation.
And yet, think about Liz as we know her. She's intelligent, sardonic, and skeptical. All of those personality traits are preserved with the Section Leader. And as we learn later, she did consider a path of the scientist, but in this world a military role must have seemed more attractive. And yet, like Liz, she doesn't consider herself a simple cog in the military machine. Just as Liz is willing to defy the Brigadier when she thinks it appropriate, we see early on that Elizabeth is willing to challenge the Brigade Leader when she feels it appropriate.
After it becomes clear that the alternate Earth cannot be saved, Elizabeth seems to manage to deal with the horror of what's happening better than most, possibly because she has her rationalist attitude and scientific understanding to help her accept it. And unlike the Brigade Leader she seems to understand the value in fighting for the greater good of saving the Doctor's world.
Other characters are a bit more similar in both universes, which makes sense from a writing perspective, given that we know so much less about them. The exception is Benton, who is Lethbridge-Stewart's loyal man in both universes, which naturally leads to a lot of differences between how the two characters come across.
Otherwise though, we should talk about the couple of Petra Williams and Greg Sutton. In both universes Petra is Stahlman's loyal assistant, though in the alternate universe she seems to have achieved a Doctorate she didn't in the main one. Crucially though, she's loyal, but not to a fault. In our universe when things start going south she recognizes the trouble and instantly starts teaming up with Sutton to try to fix the problems, whatever Stahlman thinks. She's a bit less quick to work with Sutton in the alternate universe, but that's mostly because the alternate England's government is so restrictive that she seems to feel more compelled to play by the rules. She still is willing to stick her neck out, especially for Greg Sutton.
And Sutton is basically the same character in both universes. Mind you, he gets off to a pretty rough start, both for me and Petra when he's incredibly patronizing towards her. I think what bothers me about this sexism versus any other we see on the show, is that, typically on Doctor Who of this era sexism is portrayed as an understandable character flaw. Like the Brig can occasionally be a bit sexist, but we're meant to understand that those instances are failings on his part and he's a better person than that. But with Sutton it feels like we're supposed to like him for his witty jokes about Petra being a secretary.
Anyway, once we get past that false start we understand a few things about Sutton. First, he knows what he's talking about. He's brought in as a consultant due to his experience with oil rigs, and while this is not a traditional drilling operation, he still knows enough to know when things are going wrong and often what should be done. Second, he's not afraid to speak his mind, in either universe. This is especially notable in the parallel Earth where it's made very clear that speaking his mind is likely going to get him executed at some point. Third, he is very easily annoyed, which definitely makes point two more apparent.
And yes, Petra and Greg get together in the main universe and were clearly on their way there in the parallel world if not for…you know…the world being consumed by lava. Their relationship mostly works for me, with Greg, especially in the parallel universe trying to bring out her individuality and Petra balancing her feelings with Greg with her loyalty to Stahlman.
And speaking of whom…it's time to talk about Stahlman. Now, if you've been reading along these reviews you're well aware of my frustrations with the obstructive base commander archetype that pervades this era of the Classic Series. You'll most recently have read me complaining about these characters with Dr. Lawrence in Doctor Who and the Silurians being the most recent example. If you haven't been reading along with these reviews…well I've grown increasingly frustrated with the obstructive base commander archetype that pervades this era of the Classic Series. I wouldn't mind it so much except it's a character type that shows up multiple times a season during this period and they seem to get increasingly more frustrating. And Stahlman is a textbook example of this archetype.
I think Stahlman works really well in this story.
Now, to be clear he's still incredibly frustrating to deal with. And in the first two episodes, before the alternate universe stuff gets added in, he's every bit as aggravating as any other iteration of this character type. But, just like Inferno uses our familiarity with the base under siege format to its advantage, by giving us a familiar setting to show two versions of, it does much the same with Stahlman.
The contrast with Stahlman between the two universes has nothing to do with his personality. He's exactly the same obstinate self-important pain in everyone's collective ass in both worlds. Rather, it's his ability to do what he wants to. On the alternate Earth, when Sir Keith Gold goes off to whatever the alternate Earth's equivalent of the ministry is, he dies, and it's heavily implied, though never stated, that Stahlman arranged for his death. In our universe…Stahlman blackmails Sir Keith's driver to drive him on a route away from the complex. Moreover, Sir Keith actually manages to talk the driver out of it. In the alternate universe, a tinpot dictator like Stahlman is able to do basically whatever he wants to get his project working. In our world, he is still constrained to some extent. This matters in the end as Sutton and the Doctor are able to convince the technicians to shut down the drill in a way they weren't in the alternate world.
Mind you I do have a criticism of Stahlman…I don't get his motivation. Now with all past obstructionist base commanders I've at least understood why they behave in the way that they do. For instance Fury From the Deep's Chief Robson, probably Stahlman's closest analogue, doesn't want to stop the working of his oil rigs because he has a perfect record of never shutting down to maintain. This makes him a painfully annoying character to deal with, but it makes sense. Stahlman though…
The drilling operation of Inferno is Stahlman's baby – he's been working on it in one form or another for eleven years. He believes that there are pockets of energy-rich gas accessible just beneath the Earth's crust. Why he believes this is never stated, but we can assume he did some sort of surveying work before setting up this operation. The thing he absolutely doesn't want to get done is slow down. If anyone ever slows down or, heaven forbid, temporarily stops the drilling he throws a fit. But why though? Nobody, not even the Doctor before he makes his little trip to the alternate world, ever suggests permanently stopping the drilling. Just paying attention to danger signs and proceeding more cautiously. This isn't just irrational behavior from a man too invested in his own ego, that I could at least understand.
Now eventually, in both universes, Stahlman is infected by the green goop that turns people into monsters. Because he got very little of it on him the process is a lot slower, and it's implied that it makes Stahlman more irrational and wanting to speed up even more, as he starts pushing past safety margins. The thing is, there is no discernible change in his personality after he gets infected. It probably would have been better if Stahlman had been a reasonable person, if overambitious and slightly egotistical, before he was infected and his infection had caused him to start acting more irrationally and accelerate the drilling. It would have made his character more bearable as well, though admittedly I think that aspect works somewhat in this story.
We haven't yet talked about the main universe versions of Liz and the Brig. There's not a huge amount to say about either. Liz does show some of her intelligence at times, as well as the close professional and personal relationship she's developed with the Doctor. However, a lot of the time Liz is in the background in this one, in contrast to her alternate universe counterpart. You might think that, with the Doctor missing this would be Liz's time to shine but the truth is we see very little of what is happening in the main universe while the Doctor is away, and what we do see has Liz mostly acting as the Doctor's doctor.
The Brigadier similarly doesn't get a tremendous amount to do, aside from be annoyed at Stahlman (and everybody's annoyed at Stahlman). He does end up showing a lot of grace at the end of the story, but we'll get to that when we talk about the Doctor. The Brig's tendencies to butt heads with Stahlman are, interestingly enough, somewhat reminiscent of his more acrimonious interactions with the Doctor, since the 3rd Doctor can be quite obstinate and self-important in his own right, but that's about all I have to say about the Brig.
And yes, it's time to talk about the Doctor. He ends up getting put through the ringer in this one. The Doctor was already in an ill mood before being sent to a parallel fascist Britain – dealing with Stahlman on a daily basis will do that to a person. And then well…there's the interrogation and implied, though never shown, torture. And in spite of that, the Doctor gets invested in this new world. Maybe it's just that he's that good of a person. Maybe he can tell that these people are closer to the versions he knows than it initially appears. Whatever happens, he cares about what happens next.
What happens next is, of course, the destruction of their entire world. It's obviously horrifying. There's nothing that can be done. The portion of the story that has the Doctor in the parallel world is four episodes – episodes 3-6 – and episodes five and six occur after the point of no return. And the Doctor has to work with these people, people he knows will die, must die. I'm sitting here, trying to find the words to describe the mix of terror, futility and somberness that those two episodes convey, and I cannot find the words. It's brilliant television, and it is utterly devastating.
So naturally when the Doctor returns to the main universe, he's a little unbalanced. First he spends a few hours passed out, just managing to mumble some key information for Liz to pass on. However when he wakes up, he unfortunately makes the call to destroy the console that controls the drill with a wrench. Was it the right approach? Absolutely not, but it absolutely makes sense, given what the Doctor's been through.
On the other hand, I did not care for how this story ended. The Doctor, thinking he's got the TARDIS console working again, gives a tender, and quite sweet, goodbye to Liz and then…hits the Brig with a barrage of insults. Maybe this would feel more earned if the Brigadier and the Doctor's relationship were more difficult, but the truth is, outside of The Silurians they've managed to get along reasonably well, albeit with some friction. Hell, even if The Silurians had lead to more prolonged animosity between the two it might feel earned, but the fact is they seemed to patch things up during The Ambassadors of Death. As such the Doctor just comes off as kind of an asshole.
Now, it's commonly believed that the parallel universe plot was a late addition in order to fill out 7 episodes, but this appears to be incorrect, as the original outline included the parallel universe plot. The origin of this claim comes from Terrance Dicks, who must have misremembered. On the other hand, the monsters (called Primords in the credits but nowhere in the story proper) were a late addition to the script. They were not in early drafts, but Producer Barry Letts and Script Editor Terrance Dicks felt the story needed some kind of monster.
I'm kind of two minds about the addition of the Primords. On one hand, objectively, they are given basically no explanation. Why does the green goop flowing out of one of the output pipes cause people to turn into heat-loving monsters? No clue. On the other hand, I have difficulty imagining the story working as well as it does without some sort of active threat, especially at it's seven episodes long. Episode 6 in particular basically relies on the Primords to form some form of barrier against what would otherwise have been a fairly straightforward task.
Still, I will say that the Primords look really good in this story. In fact everything looks good. The Primords themselves have distinctive green skin and seem to grow extra hair. But also, there's just a number of alterations to the appearance various cast members (to account for alternate universe versions) that all look good. The one exception is Elizabeth Shaw's wig which is so obviously a wig, but everyone else looks great.
Inferno is an excellent story. Its unique premise takes what initially feels like a very familiar setting and turns it into something special. The destruction of the alternate Earth is genuinely one of the most horrifying things that Doctor Who has ever shown, even if just in part. And that makes the relief at managing to save the main Earth all the more potent.
Score: 9/10

Stray Observations

• This was the first story that Barry Letts commissioned as producer. All prior stories in Season 7 were commissioned by previous producer Derrick Sherwin before his departure.
• Sheila Dunn, Director Douglas Camfield's wife, played Petra, but she wasn't the original choice. Originally, Camfield wanted to cast Kate O'Mara, who Doctor Who fans will remember better as 80's villain The Rani.
• Caroline John preferred playing the "evil" version of Liz over the original.
• There's a famous story that Nicholas Courtney liked to tell. When he shot the scene of Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart swiveling around in his chair to reveal his eyepatch, he swiveled around to see that the entire cast and crew were also wearing eypatches.
• This was the final story to use the original TARDIS console prop. It was falling apart at this point, and after this story the decision was made that it would have to be retired. A new one was of course constructed for the next time they would need it.
• This was both Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John's favorite story.
• Director Douglas Camfield had a hard time of it on this serial. He got into arguments with both Jon Pertwee and Caroline John. This escalated until he collapsed, whereupon his wife (who, remember was playing Petra) revealed he'd been working while suffering from a heart murmur, causing Barry Letts to take if off the serial. Because Camfield had completed most of the prep work, Letts decided that he would direct the final five episodes himself, though Camfield received the sole director's credit for all seven.
• This story has a bespoke title sequence, the last of the Classic Series. It features shots of lava, with the story title and writer's name coming into focus in white text. It's a really good one, nice way for this particular little quirk of the early Classic Series that goes back to The War Machines to come to an end. I particularly like how the spiral at the end of the 3rd Doctor title seems to transition into the lava, I'm sure it wasn't planned, but it's a really cool effect nonetheless. The volcano footage had been used previously in Doctor Who, in The Enemy of the World.
• In this story the Doctor uses the Sonic Screwdriver as, as he likes to put it, a "door handle". More specifically, he uses it to open the gate the hut he's running his experiments out of.
• According to the Doctor something similar to the events of this story happened at Krakatoa, though it would seem that no Primords were created in that instance.
• In episode 2, the Doctor performs a kind of nerve pinch he calls Venusian…Karate. This was, of course, eventually changed to Venusian Aikido, in order to use a more defensive martial art.
• Okay, I get why the Doctor was shot off into the parallel universe, but why Bessie?
• The Section Leader version of Shaw is initially shot from the back so that we don't recognize her. It helps that her hair is a different color.
• When the Doctor claims he doesn't exist in the parallel universe, the Brigade Leader responds with "then you won't feel the bullets when we shoot you."
• The technicians at the parallel universe facility all wear name tags on their uniforms, which is useful to the audience when they all start turning into monsters, but makes you wonder why they're there in the first place. It does make a bit more sense than when a similar thing was done in The Power of the Daleks.
• To indicate a change in dimension we use a rather odd whirring sound effect combined with a light show that looks a bit like a sped up disco ball. It does the job.
• One of the more surprisingly effective moments in this story is when, in episode 5, we see Platoon Underleader Benton drilling his men. By this point in the story we know that the alternate Earth is doomed, and therefore Benton there's no point.
• Alternate Benton getting turned into a Primord is actually kind of fitting when you remember that John Levene started out by playing monsters, including a Yeti back in The Web of Fear
• It takes nearly 20 minutes in episode 5 for use to go to the main universe. Even then it's just to check in on Sir Keith, and after that scene we never go to that universe again until the next episode.
• A lot of the dialogue in episode 7 is repeated dialogue from bits set in the alternate universe, which makes sense when you remember that the alternate universe was supposedly running slightly ahead of the main one.

Next Time: Season 7 continues with…wait what do you mean Season 7's over?