Manscaped after shark tank
CND UK Depleted Uranium: the last thing Ukrainians need
2023.05.29 01:20 silly_flying_dolphin CND UK Depleted Uranium: the last thing Ukrainians need
https://cnduk.org/depleted-uranium-the-last-thing-ukrainians-need/ - March 30, 2023
In a shocking development, the government has announced it will be sending depleted uranium (DU) rounds to Ukraine along with Challenger 2 tanks. As we know from several wars in the past few decades, the health consequences for Ukrainian civilians will be high. DU is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal and it’s a by-product of the enrichment process used to make reactor-grade uranium. Its chemical and physical properties have made it popular for a range of military and commercial uses: its density and its ability to self-sharpen attracted the attention of the US Department of Defense (DoD) in the late 1950s. The military was looking to increase the armour piercing capacity of munitions and to strengthen the armour of tanks. DU seemed to fit the bill. But its use has had a devastating impact on the populations caught up in numerous conflicts, with the terrible type of health consequences that we associate with radiation impacts.
DU is used for armour piercing tank rounds and bullets as it is so heavy, meaning it can easily penetrate steel. Because of its heaviness, DU has also been used as ballast in aeroplanes, notably in hundreds of Boeing 747s – the early jumbo jets – that were built before 1981. The practice became particularly controversial after an El Al cargo jet crashed into an apartment block in Amsterdam in 1992. 43 people were killed and the cargo, which included 10 tons of chemicals, as well as flammable liquids, gases, and caustic substances burst into flames, along with hundreds of kilos of DU carried as weighting. Although local residents were assured that no health risk was posed, it was apparent that much of the DU had been released as dust particles into the atmosphere.
The risk is not that DU munitions will cause a nuclear explosion. It’s that the impact of their use causes toxic or radioactive dust to be released and if this is subsequently inhaled or ingested in other ways, it has very significant negative health consequences. After the first Gulf War the DoD Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) identified a number of DU exposure scenarios including through wounds caused by DU fragments, inhalation of airborne DU particles, ingestion of DU residues, or wound contamination by DU residues.
DU munitions were used on a large scale by the US and UK in the Gulf War in 1991 and in Iraq in 2003. Their use has caused a sharp increase in the incidence rates of some cancers, such as breast cancer and lymphoma, in the areas where it has been used. It has also been implicated in a rise in birth defects from areas adjacent to the main Gulf War battlefields. Other health problems associated with DU include kidney failure, nervous system disorders, lung disease and reproductive problems. A report funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2013 showed that more than 400 tonnes of DU ammunition were estimated to have been used in 1991 and 2003, the vast majority by US forces. The report showed that the Iraqi government’s Radiation Protection Centre had identified between 300 and 365 contaminated sites by 2006, mostly in the Basra region in southern Iraq. As well as warning of contamination being spread by poorly regulated scrap metal dealers, including children, it also shared evidence that DU munitions were fired at light vehicles, buildings and other civilian infrastructure including the Iraqi Ministry of Planning in Baghdad – in spite of official assurances of military-only armoured targets.
Its use in the former Yugoslavia by NATO forces in 1995 and 1999 led to the same type of consequences. It was also used by the US in Syria in 2015. The impacts have not been confined to local populations – they have also affected the troops involved in or close to their use, and also military clean-up teams sent to deal with the impact of the DU. The severe health consequences have led to the terms ‘Gulf War syndrome’ and ‘Balkan syndrome’ entering our vocabulary. The Ministry of Defence disputes the risks of DU, yet it recommends ‘ongoing surveillance’ for veterans with embedded DU fragments.
No treaty explicitly banning the use of DU is yet in force, but it is clear that its use runs counter to the basic rules and principles of International Humanitarian Law. In 2006, the European Parliament strengthened its previous calls for a moratorium by calling for an introduction of a total ban, classifying the use of DU, along with white phosphorus, as inhumane. Since 2007, repeated UN General Assembly resolutions have highlighted serious concerns over the use of DU weapons. The UK, together with the US, France and Israel are the only states that have consistently voted against the resolutions.
The British government must put an immediate end to its use of DU – inflicting it on the people of Ukraine is the last thing they need.
submitted by silly_flying_dolphin to nowars [link] [comments]
In a shocking development, the government has announced it will be sending depleted uranium (DU) rounds to Ukraine along with Challenger 2 tanks. As we know from several wars in the past few decades, the health consequences for Ukrainian civilians will be high. DU is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal and it’s a by-product of the enrichment process used to make reactor-grade uranium. Its chemical and physical properties have made it popular for a range of military and commercial uses: its density and its ability to self-sharpen attracted the attention of the US Department of Defense (DoD) in the late 1950s. The military was looking to increase the armour piercing capacity of munitions and to strengthen the armour of tanks. DU seemed to fit the bill. But its use has had a devastating impact on the populations caught up in numerous conflicts, with the terrible type of health consequences that we associate with radiation impacts.
DU is used for armour piercing tank rounds and bullets as it is so heavy, meaning it can easily penetrate steel. Because of its heaviness, DU has also been used as ballast in aeroplanes, notably in hundreds of Boeing 747s – the early jumbo jets – that were built before 1981. The practice became particularly controversial after an El Al cargo jet crashed into an apartment block in Amsterdam in 1992. 43 people were killed and the cargo, which included 10 tons of chemicals, as well as flammable liquids, gases, and caustic substances burst into flames, along with hundreds of kilos of DU carried as weighting. Although local residents were assured that no health risk was posed, it was apparent that much of the DU had been released as dust particles into the atmosphere.
The risk is not that DU munitions will cause a nuclear explosion. It’s that the impact of their use causes toxic or radioactive dust to be released and if this is subsequently inhaled or ingested in other ways, it has very significant negative health consequences. After the first Gulf War the DoD Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) identified a number of DU exposure scenarios including through wounds caused by DU fragments, inhalation of airborne DU particles, ingestion of DU residues, or wound contamination by DU residues.
DU munitions were used on a large scale by the US and UK in the Gulf War in 1991 and in Iraq in 2003. Their use has caused a sharp increase in the incidence rates of some cancers, such as breast cancer and lymphoma, in the areas where it has been used. It has also been implicated in a rise in birth defects from areas adjacent to the main Gulf War battlefields. Other health problems associated with DU include kidney failure, nervous system disorders, lung disease and reproductive problems. A report funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2013 showed that more than 400 tonnes of DU ammunition were estimated to have been used in 1991 and 2003, the vast majority by US forces. The report showed that the Iraqi government’s Radiation Protection Centre had identified between 300 and 365 contaminated sites by 2006, mostly in the Basra region in southern Iraq. As well as warning of contamination being spread by poorly regulated scrap metal dealers, including children, it also shared evidence that DU munitions were fired at light vehicles, buildings and other civilian infrastructure including the Iraqi Ministry of Planning in Baghdad – in spite of official assurances of military-only armoured targets.
Its use in the former Yugoslavia by NATO forces in 1995 and 1999 led to the same type of consequences. It was also used by the US in Syria in 2015. The impacts have not been confined to local populations – they have also affected the troops involved in or close to their use, and also military clean-up teams sent to deal with the impact of the DU. The severe health consequences have led to the terms ‘Gulf War syndrome’ and ‘Balkan syndrome’ entering our vocabulary. The Ministry of Defence disputes the risks of DU, yet it recommends ‘ongoing surveillance’ for veterans with embedded DU fragments.
No treaty explicitly banning the use of DU is yet in force, but it is clear that its use runs counter to the basic rules and principles of International Humanitarian Law. In 2006, the European Parliament strengthened its previous calls for a moratorium by calling for an introduction of a total ban, classifying the use of DU, along with white phosphorus, as inhumane. Since 2007, repeated UN General Assembly resolutions have highlighted serious concerns over the use of DU weapons. The UK, together with the US, France and Israel are the only states that have consistently voted against the resolutions.
The British government must put an immediate end to its use of DU – inflicting it on the people of Ukraine is the last thing they need.
2023.05.29 01:19 TeddyBearToons The Stowaway, Part 5
Previous
A ship never truly sleeps. Instead there are shifts - watches, if you want to get pedantic. But every ship has a period when only the skeleton crew is active, usually on the most boring legs of the journey when human input is only needed for emergencies. Humans hate boredom.
As the rest of the ship slept, Second Engineer Barry Hammond stood watch. He was the one who found Stabby, and though it was only Stabby's fault that Captain Rybalov's sleep was interrupted, Stabby couldn't be blamed, and so Barry was thrown under the bus.
He was given the conn, which meant he had the helm. Of course, the ship was moving fine by itself, so all Barry got to do was sit at the wheel and browse memes.
At the navigation post sat Li Zhoufei, the ship's navigator. Navigator Li was an excellent astronomer but a middling navigator, with her prodigious skill hindered only by her hatred of concrete calculations. This made the ship's computer Li's eternal nemesis.
Her eyes had a faint tint to them: blue as a midnight sky. Amanda had been trying to see what contact lenses Li used. Amanda had been unsuccessful so far.
Li also loved spices of all kinds: paprika, cumin, cinnamon, peppercorns. The only spice she did not like was melange, which was pungent and overpowering, not to mention expensive.
And the psychedelic visions were not a plus; the one time she cooked with melange she had the entire ship trip balls for a solid two days straight. They got to their destination weeks early due to the visions somehow guiding them home, but Captain Rybalov swore to ban the stuff from the ship; never again.
Since the incident, Li noted that she got much better at charting courses. It was almost as if she knew the positions of obstacles before they appeared on radar.
Currently Barry was regaling her of his recent escapades. "So then Stabby stabbed the Cap'n in the leg, and that's how he got its name."
Li looked up from her star charts. "An alien. Fascinating. I wonder how it's finding things on the ship. Is it happy, or sad, or anything?"
Barry shrugged. “He’s been eating, and Conrad says he’s happy. Conrad’s already bonded with him, so we might as well make him the ship’s pet. You know the old ships on Earth, the ocean ships, used to have cats on them? Apparently it was for good luck.”
Li stopped to think for a moment. “No, I’m not sure.”
Li felt something. Like a half-forgotten memory. A sense of danger, of lethal, brutal cunning. An ancient force stirring in the deep. Or maybe that was just the headache.
There were many headaches now, but sometimes there were also other things. Li felt a sense of… toolness. The danger, the cunning could be used. Reasoned with, the way a power-hungry dictator could be reasoned with.
There was a path laid out, a winding, unpredictable and precarious one. A footbridge of a single thread of spider silk, twisting in the wind over a fathomless depth. Appeasement would lead to exploitation; chastisement to provocation. But within that footbridge there was hope. Survival.
Li pondered for a minute while Barry scrolled through his memes. Most everyone liked Stabby; they had bonded to it without much hesitation. Conrad had even made a bed for it in his footlocker. Of the crew, only Captain Rybalov showed any sort of qualms involving their new alien friend.
Li would bring this up with the Captain, once he woke up. She had a bad feeling about this.
…
Captain Rybalov named his ship the Farewell of Slavianka, after a song he heard in Ukraine. He likened the ship to the tank bays there, which were cramped, rusty, and utterly devoid of safety measures. While the Local Authority enforced stringent safety and hygiene measures for all spacegoing vessels, Farewell of Slavianka was still a sardine can of a freighter.
The ship’s engineering deck was really a crawl space under the floor, a metal labyrinth of air ducts, emergency passages, and a central workshop Conrad had set up from which he would pop up from vents and scare his crewmates.
Conrad claimed it was an ancient family tradition dating back to his grandfather, who had played a video game resembling the prank. Conrad neglected to mention that the offender was often thrown from the airlocks if caught.
It was in this central workshop that Stabby rested now, in its new footlocker bed. The blood sample it had taken was far more information dense than the previous material it had found, and it took the better part of a day to process the new data. While there was no formula for chlorophyll, there were formulas for more interesting things.
Bone. Muscle. Circulatory fluids. The data was incomplete; Stabby would have to obtain more samples for a more complete blueprint. Theoretically, if Stabby obtained enough diverse samples from the same specimen, it could fabricate an exact copy. It certainly had the material; the large volume of fats it had eaten attested to that.
But what information that was there was interesting. Most fascinating was an incredibly delicate organ, an air passageway filled with thin protrusions that were meant to vibrate, according to the data.
Stabby, being a spaceborne organism, had no concept of sound. It didn’t need to; there was nothing to carry vibrations in space. It didn’t know why these particular organisms needed to vibrate part of their internal anatomy, but there must be a reason. Maybe it was a propulsion thing.
Within Stabby’s shell, proteins and structures came together like automatic arms in a car factory. RNA from the sampled blood was scanned, copied, and scanned again. Cells were built piecemeal within the shell, and slowly the strange organ began to take shape.
Stabby posited that gaseous fluid was forced through the organ, which was excited by the vibrating portions in order to speed it up. It would work somewhat like a rocket. The area around Stabby was filled with gas that would fit the propellant description.
A rudimentary bladder was constructed, and finally the shell itself opened up in many sections like a crustacean’s mouth. A high-pitched, infant’s wail sounded as Stabby attempted to use the organ to propel itself off the bed.
Nothing happened beyond that; if anything the organ had been damaged by the blast. Clearly the organ was not meant for propulsion.
Stabby shifted, trying to think of what the organ could be used for. Stabby could easily recycle it, but something told Stabby it was important, somehow. It remembered something.
Those strange organisms that roamed the ship let loose blasts of vibrations on occasion, which traveled through the gas that suffused the structure. Stabby didn’t know what they were for, but the creatures seemed to respond to these blasts. Perhaps these creatures were synapses of a greater being, and the vibrations were akin to neural signals.
It made sense. All of Stabby’s senses told it that it was inside some kind of moving structure. Perhaps that was the greater being, and the strange organisms were really just organs. It explained the gas; maybe it was a kind of amniotic fluid.
Perhaps if Stabby could mimic the synapse transfer vibrations of these organs, it could trick the organism into supplying it with food. Material that it would need to build more of itself.
Stabby tried the air bladder again, relying on its memories of the vibrations it had seen the organs use.
"Haaa… haaaaaaa. Ha?"
No. That was definitely not a transfer. There were muscles around the openings; maybe if Stabby compressed the opening.
"Haaaaeeeeee. Heeeay. Hey."
That was better. Stabby would need to refine this, but it was at a good start.
Stabby experimented, tested and experimented again with an uncanny parody of the scientific method. It compared and contrasted and modified until the sounds it made matched the sounds it remembered.
In the crawl space, a voice echoed, eerily similar to the voice of a certain Barry Hammond.
"Theee.. err. There. Eeeessss. Is. zumm-theeng.. in tha… keet-chen?"
A pause.
Then came Conrad's twangy timbre.
"Weee.. uh. Naem. Hyim."
A coughing sound, the clearing of the throat. A new voice, one Stabby improvised itself. A voice that was cobbled together from various audio samples, appearing at once to be all of the crew and none of them:
"Ph… ph.. f. Food. Fooood."
Next
submitted by TeddyBearToons to HFY [link] [comments]
A ship never truly sleeps. Instead there are shifts - watches, if you want to get pedantic. But every ship has a period when only the skeleton crew is active, usually on the most boring legs of the journey when human input is only needed for emergencies. Humans hate boredom.
As the rest of the ship slept, Second Engineer Barry Hammond stood watch. He was the one who found Stabby, and though it was only Stabby's fault that Captain Rybalov's sleep was interrupted, Stabby couldn't be blamed, and so Barry was thrown under the bus.
He was given the conn, which meant he had the helm. Of course, the ship was moving fine by itself, so all Barry got to do was sit at the wheel and browse memes.
At the navigation post sat Li Zhoufei, the ship's navigator. Navigator Li was an excellent astronomer but a middling navigator, with her prodigious skill hindered only by her hatred of concrete calculations. This made the ship's computer Li's eternal nemesis.
Her eyes had a faint tint to them: blue as a midnight sky. Amanda had been trying to see what contact lenses Li used. Amanda had been unsuccessful so far.
Li also loved spices of all kinds: paprika, cumin, cinnamon, peppercorns. The only spice she did not like was melange, which was pungent and overpowering, not to mention expensive.
And the psychedelic visions were not a plus; the one time she cooked with melange she had the entire ship trip balls for a solid two days straight. They got to their destination weeks early due to the visions somehow guiding them home, but Captain Rybalov swore to ban the stuff from the ship; never again.
Since the incident, Li noted that she got much better at charting courses. It was almost as if she knew the positions of obstacles before they appeared on radar.
Currently Barry was regaling her of his recent escapades. "So then Stabby stabbed the Cap'n in the leg, and that's how he got its name."
Li looked up from her star charts. "An alien. Fascinating. I wonder how it's finding things on the ship. Is it happy, or sad, or anything?"
Barry shrugged. “He’s been eating, and Conrad says he’s happy. Conrad’s already bonded with him, so we might as well make him the ship’s pet. You know the old ships on Earth, the ocean ships, used to have cats on them? Apparently it was for good luck.”
Li stopped to think for a moment. “No, I’m not sure.”
Li felt something. Like a half-forgotten memory. A sense of danger, of lethal, brutal cunning. An ancient force stirring in the deep. Or maybe that was just the headache.
There were many headaches now, but sometimes there were also other things. Li felt a sense of… toolness. The danger, the cunning could be used. Reasoned with, the way a power-hungry dictator could be reasoned with.
There was a path laid out, a winding, unpredictable and precarious one. A footbridge of a single thread of spider silk, twisting in the wind over a fathomless depth. Appeasement would lead to exploitation; chastisement to provocation. But within that footbridge there was hope. Survival.
Li pondered for a minute while Barry scrolled through his memes. Most everyone liked Stabby; they had bonded to it without much hesitation. Conrad had even made a bed for it in his footlocker. Of the crew, only Captain Rybalov showed any sort of qualms involving their new alien friend.
Li would bring this up with the Captain, once he woke up. She had a bad feeling about this.
…
Captain Rybalov named his ship the Farewell of Slavianka, after a song he heard in Ukraine. He likened the ship to the tank bays there, which were cramped, rusty, and utterly devoid of safety measures. While the Local Authority enforced stringent safety and hygiene measures for all spacegoing vessels, Farewell of Slavianka was still a sardine can of a freighter.
The ship’s engineering deck was really a crawl space under the floor, a metal labyrinth of air ducts, emergency passages, and a central workshop Conrad had set up from which he would pop up from vents and scare his crewmates.
Conrad claimed it was an ancient family tradition dating back to his grandfather, who had played a video game resembling the prank. Conrad neglected to mention that the offender was often thrown from the airlocks if caught.
It was in this central workshop that Stabby rested now, in its new footlocker bed. The blood sample it had taken was far more information dense than the previous material it had found, and it took the better part of a day to process the new data. While there was no formula for chlorophyll, there were formulas for more interesting things.
Bone. Muscle. Circulatory fluids. The data was incomplete; Stabby would have to obtain more samples for a more complete blueprint. Theoretically, if Stabby obtained enough diverse samples from the same specimen, it could fabricate an exact copy. It certainly had the material; the large volume of fats it had eaten attested to that.
But what information that was there was interesting. Most fascinating was an incredibly delicate organ, an air passageway filled with thin protrusions that were meant to vibrate, according to the data.
Stabby, being a spaceborne organism, had no concept of sound. It didn’t need to; there was nothing to carry vibrations in space. It didn’t know why these particular organisms needed to vibrate part of their internal anatomy, but there must be a reason. Maybe it was a propulsion thing.
Within Stabby’s shell, proteins and structures came together like automatic arms in a car factory. RNA from the sampled blood was scanned, copied, and scanned again. Cells were built piecemeal within the shell, and slowly the strange organ began to take shape.
Stabby posited that gaseous fluid was forced through the organ, which was excited by the vibrating portions in order to speed it up. It would work somewhat like a rocket. The area around Stabby was filled with gas that would fit the propellant description.
A rudimentary bladder was constructed, and finally the shell itself opened up in many sections like a crustacean’s mouth. A high-pitched, infant’s wail sounded as Stabby attempted to use the organ to propel itself off the bed.
Nothing happened beyond that; if anything the organ had been damaged by the blast. Clearly the organ was not meant for propulsion.
Stabby shifted, trying to think of what the organ could be used for. Stabby could easily recycle it, but something told Stabby it was important, somehow. It remembered something.
Those strange organisms that roamed the ship let loose blasts of vibrations on occasion, which traveled through the gas that suffused the structure. Stabby didn’t know what they were for, but the creatures seemed to respond to these blasts. Perhaps these creatures were synapses of a greater being, and the vibrations were akin to neural signals.
It made sense. All of Stabby’s senses told it that it was inside some kind of moving structure. Perhaps that was the greater being, and the strange organisms were really just organs. It explained the gas; maybe it was a kind of amniotic fluid.
Perhaps if Stabby could mimic the synapse transfer vibrations of these organs, it could trick the organism into supplying it with food. Material that it would need to build more of itself.
Stabby tried the air bladder again, relying on its memories of the vibrations it had seen the organs use.
"Haaa… haaaaaaa. Ha?"
No. That was definitely not a transfer. There were muscles around the openings; maybe if Stabby compressed the opening.
"Haaaaeeeeee. Heeeay. Hey."
That was better. Stabby would need to refine this, but it was at a good start.
Stabby experimented, tested and experimented again with an uncanny parody of the scientific method. It compared and contrasted and modified until the sounds it made matched the sounds it remembered.
In the crawl space, a voice echoed, eerily similar to the voice of a certain Barry Hammond.
"Theee.. err. There. Eeeessss. Is. zumm-theeng.. in tha… keet-chen?"
A pause.
Then came Conrad's twangy timbre.
"Weee.. uh. Naem. Hyim."
A coughing sound, the clearing of the throat. A new voice, one Stabby improvised itself. A voice that was cobbled together from various audio samples, appearing at once to be all of the crew and none of them:
"Ph… ph.. f. Food. Fooood."
Next
2023.05.29 01:15 buffering_since93 Episode 5: Did Shiv know?
I'm marathoning the season because there was no way I could do the one episode a week. Lol my anxiety is already at an 11 without adding the finale season anticipation and suspense of this crazy show. So I missed out on all the post episode discussions.
Anyway, I just finished episode 5 and I'm confused whether or not Shiv knew Kendall and Roman were planning on tanking the deal. I didn't think she did but her smile after taking their picture seemed smug and conspiratorial??? Did she know and is she aligning herself with Lukas?
I've somehow managed to avoid ALL spoilers. Up until last Sunday I thought Kendall was for sure the person who had died but I saw a random post titled 'what are you wearing to Logan's funeral'. So I don't want major spoilers, I just wanna know if that smile meant she knew.
Thanks
submitted by buffering_since93 to SuccessionTV [link] [comments]
Anyway, I just finished episode 5 and I'm confused whether or not Shiv knew Kendall and Roman were planning on tanking the deal. I didn't think she did but her smile after taking their picture seemed smug and conspiratorial??? Did she know and is she aligning herself with Lukas?
I've somehow managed to avoid ALL spoilers. Up until last Sunday I thought Kendall was for sure the person who had died but I saw a random post titled 'what are you wearing to Logan's funeral'. So I don't want major spoilers, I just wanna know if that smile meant she knew.
Thanks
2023.05.29 01:11 Ok_Ambassador8501 What's with the give you something then take it back
So my narc recently decided he wanted a motorcycle he went and purchased a small one and then a month later decided he wanted a larger one and that he wanted to let me learn to ride on the small one so that I could go riding with him.. . Then the very same day he gets the larger one he tells me that he's already got a buyer for the other one.... thisbisnt the first time he's done something like this to me. I've learned to let it go in one ear and out the other. But last year when my car finally died I decided I'm making great money it's time I have a newer nicer car so I financed one which pissed him off to no end... he told me that I didn't have his permission to buy a new car with my hard earned paychecks... big fight ensued and he still throws it in my face.
We've been loving together for over 3 years and he has refused to allow me to pay any bills at all. But that didn't stop him from keeping me broke. I willingly go and buy groceries and household/personal care items. But it got to the point I was spending $300-400 every two weeks on that plus take out almost every night because he didn't want what I had taken out for dinner. So that quickly doubled to $ 400 on groceries and carry out and another 200 to 300 on household and personal needs a month. And he would always complain about how broke I was. I literally put $100 a week in my gas tank. Not to mention I have car payment, car insurance, cell phone and what not plus the 1000-1100 a month on groceries and carryout....
He claims he takes care of me.... but I beg to differ, he doesn't pay my bills or buy my food or anything.. he pays his house payment and utilities, which he refuses to let me help pay.
He expects me to come.home.after work and not just cook for.him but also clean up after him. We're talking he is a slob... he takes his clothes off and throws them.in the middle of the living room floor, he piles his night stand up with everything and same for the kitchen table. Complains about messes and clutter when I haven't even been allowed to bring anything of mine except clothing. He spits in the bathtub and leaves it or the sink (a loggy) he doesn't flush the toilet. Hardly ever helps me do anything around the house.... sits on his ass while I work mine off and come home.and still don't get to relax...
Likes to tell me.that I wouldn't have anything at all.if it weren't for him.... when all I can think is buddy the amount of food and take out I buy a month plus all of your personal needs and all the household needs I could rent my own place and stock up and still have money to spare....
submitted by Ok_Ambassador8501 to NarcissisticAbuse [link] [comments]
We've been loving together for over 3 years and he has refused to allow me to pay any bills at all. But that didn't stop him from keeping me broke. I willingly go and buy groceries and household/personal care items. But it got to the point I was spending $300-400 every two weeks on that plus take out almost every night because he didn't want what I had taken out for dinner. So that quickly doubled to $ 400 on groceries and carry out and another 200 to 300 on household and personal needs a month. And he would always complain about how broke I was. I literally put $100 a week in my gas tank. Not to mention I have car payment, car insurance, cell phone and what not plus the 1000-1100 a month on groceries and carryout....
He claims he takes care of me.... but I beg to differ, he doesn't pay my bills or buy my food or anything.. he pays his house payment and utilities, which he refuses to let me help pay.
He expects me to come.home.after work and not just cook for.him but also clean up after him. We're talking he is a slob... he takes his clothes off and throws them.in the middle of the living room floor, he piles his night stand up with everything and same for the kitchen table. Complains about messes and clutter when I haven't even been allowed to bring anything of mine except clothing. He spits in the bathtub and leaves it or the sink (a loggy) he doesn't flush the toilet. Hardly ever helps me do anything around the house.... sits on his ass while I work mine off and come home.and still don't get to relax...
Likes to tell me.that I wouldn't have anything at all.if it weren't for him.... when all I can think is buddy the amount of food and take out I buy a month plus all of your personal needs and all the household needs I could rent my own place and stock up and still have money to spare....
2023.05.29 01:11 Anonymous_user201 AITA for slowly opening the door for my brother?
My little brother just came back from a sleep over that he had for his friends birthday me and my mom spent most of the weekend together doing things she wanted to do we went to go get her new job certificate we cleaned the house and she hung out with her best friend I asked her during the time that she was getting her job certificate if we could do our nails or hair because she had been telling me for months that she would let me dye my hair and that we would do our nails together (we are not financially stable) doing hair and getting our nails done was a lot of money she kept saying no as I kept asking I just dropped it because I didn’t want to ruin the day then we go home and not even an hour passes and she starts telling me that her friend was coming over (the house was a total mess) I thought that she meant that her friend was going to come and pick her up but no she had me help her clean/organize the whole entire house after that I was exhausted so when she asked me if I wanted to come and get dinner with them (which meant that I had to change and get ready) I told her I was fine and that I would stay here she left and came back two hours later her friend didn’t even come in the house for more then five minutes and I got upset because when we where clean my mother was yelling at me because I didn’t do something right so I was frustrated that her friend didn’t even stay for five minutes I quickly let it go and my mother went to go and say good bye to her friend after that we go to bed my brother just got dropped off and I hear that the door bell rings so I quickly get up and go to open the door (we live in an apartment complex and the entrance doors are glass so you can see who is coming) I go and open the door and then my brother starts to make faces at me so I’m like “Oh okay I’ll just leave you out side then” so I pretend to walk away but then quickly go back once he starts aggressively pounding on the door so I open the door and let him and my mother in then she starts yelling at me for opening the door to slowly and doesn’t even let me explain she tells me to go out side (I am wear shorts and a tank top and it’s very cold where I live) I tell her no because it is cold so she then forces me to go out side and proceeds to opened the door exactly how I opened it and continues to say “see how did that make you feel?” I said “ it didn’t make me feel any type of way I think that is a pretty normal way to open the door?” She ignores what I said and walks in the house AITA?
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2023.05.29 01:07 BIGBOOSTING Sandals Royal Curacao Review
Just got back from Sandals Royal Curacao! This is a long review. I took over this subreddit to make it as informational as possible about the resorts, so here we go! Please feel free to ask any questions if I missed something.
Room:
We stayed May 22-27 in a Sunchi Swim-up Club Level room (HSUP). We were in Sunchi Building 8, which is the last building on one side of the resort. We stayed in 1253, which is the second-to-last room on the first floor. All that to say, Curacao is a long resort and you'll definitely get your steps in! But we were also right next to the dive shop, which was fantastic for us.
The swim-up room was amazing and highly recommended! We ended up using it more than the double infinity pool. They did a perfect job at keeping the in-room bar stocked with alcohol and juices/water. We didn't have to call for anything once. So we would hang out in the pool (which connects across buildings 7 & 8, and there is a common area) and make our own drinks. Many times we were the only ones in the pool out of all the rooms. The swim-up pool is completely private, there is no entry except through a room, and there are a lot of gorgeous plants and flowers blocking it from the other side. Hummingbirds would be 1 foot away and were fun to watch. Floats are provided for each room. Use the ice bucket to keep bottles cool outside.
Ordering food from Room Service was consistently 40-45 minutes. At night it was quiet, as the music from the main area doesn't really reach building 8. No one would be in the swim-up pool after 10, it would start to get a little chilly with the wind. It gets very, very dark towards the Sunchi end of the resort. I recommend using the building side to reach your room, not the garden path.
Two subjective complaints:
(1) Housekeeping was very late. Some days they didn't come until 4-5pm, and the evening turn-down and towel replenishment didn't happen until 10pm. Between the swim-up and shower and wet floors, you NEED towels. We supplemented with the brown pool towels, grabbing them any time we went by the other pools. The late service could be because we were in the last building, but I'm not sure. The housekeepers did do a very thorough job and the rooms were clean and new.
(2) When we first checked-in, the back door's lock looked like it was forcibly broken and mangled. We had them replace it, but it still didn't lock. There is a second set of heavy wooden doors (blinds really) that do close and lock, so we weren't overly concerned. I don't think someone tried to break in, based on how the pool would make it hard to get to. But I can see someone getting locked out accidentally and having no other option but to break the door, since you can't get out of the pool area otherwise.
Restaurants/Service
The service across all restaurants and bars was outstanding. We never experienced a wait or long times to get our ordedrinks. The waitstaff were happy to talk to you and literally everyone says hello as you pass by. Concierge was perfect and accommodating as well. Restaurants had most of everything, and they would tell you what they're out of as you sat down.
Pietra - Our go-to breakfast buffet. At lunch they change the buffet to different food by country (Asian, Mexican, American, etc.). The food was all great at lunch. I ate too many fajitas.
Vincent - Reservation required. I recommend the Escargots and Foie Gras. They were out of the Cured Beef Bresaola.
Toteki, La Palma, Kishi - Food trucks. These were great for a snack. Get the cuttlefish and shrimp from La Palma, and the General Tso's Steak Bao Buns from Kishi.
Strand - For dinner, absolutely get the Snapper. It was my favorite meal of the trip. My husband liked the Surf & Turf at Strand better than Butch's. Strand also has a lunch menu with American-type items on it. The shrimp Caesar wrap was a nice light lunch.
Butch's - Reservation required. We went twice for dinner, once for breakfast. For dinner appetizers, try the Waldorf Caesar, Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, and Grilled Black Pepper Bacon (definitely that one). The Aged Prime Rib and Chargrilled Lamb Chops were great. We also had the Surf & Turf and Steak Diane which were very good too. Absolutely get the Willy Wonka Brulee - it was my favorite dessert on the resort.
Gatsu Gatsu - We went twice. The sushi here is so good. It's 4 pieces per roll. I recommend the Champagne Lobster and Caribbean Dynamite rolls. Shrimp tempura and crispy chicken karaage were our favorite appetizers. They were out of edamame and tonkotsu ramen.
Kanaal - Nice to pop into for a cappuccino or sweets.
Zuka and Aolo's - did not try.
Note: We wanted to order champagne (Veuve Clicquot) but the resort (or at least Butch's, Kanaal, and Pietra) was out of that and several of their Proseccos. We did end up getting 2 bottles of Prosecco though.
Scuba Diving
Scuba was great and the team was a lot of fun. You have to do a check-out dive if you haven't logged a dive recently (they do check your log book). We did ours around 11am and were able to go on an afternoon dive the same day (we were waitlisted, but some didn't show up). You sign up for dives starting at 8am 2 days out, so if you want to dive Friday, show up on Wednesday morning at 8am to sign up. They do keep waitlists for each dive. The dive shop has lockers! Great for if your room is at the other end of the resort and you don't want to walk with your stuff every morning.
The dive schedule seems highly variable - while we were there, they did 2-tank morning dives Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a 1-tank afternoon dive those days. Tuesday and Thursday they do a 1-tank morning dive, and 1-tank afternoon dive. I'm not sure about Saturday-Sunday since we weren't there. But, they said just a month ago they were only able to do 1-tank morning dives each day and no afternoon dives, as the water would get too choppy. And yes, the water was very choppy and it was windy all day. I saw a red flag or two at the resort while we were there. So you may want to check out the weather in Curacao the month you want to book.
They mentioned all the dive sites were 5-10 minutes away, but we were able to go Double Reef Thursday, the farthest site at 30 minutes. There were several turtles, a reef shark, squid, and a great variety of fish and coral. It was the best dive I've been in on years. However, they said it had been a month and a half since they'd been able to reach the site because of the choppiness. A couple on the boat had been able to go with an offsite-company and enter via shore, so that's an option as well.
City
You can take a cab from the resort to Willemstad for $49 each way. Our cab was private and air conditioned. The drivers were very nice. They dropped us off next to the CURACAO sign, and pickup was there too (they gave you a card and you call them 30 minutes before you're ready to leave). Right by the Curacao sign, there's a tiny alley with a white and blue cow - go down that alley for some great gelato. There's also an ice cream place near the sign that claims to give you an orgasm in less than a minute, but I didn't partake. There are lots of cafes and souvenir shops around Willemstad. There's a fresh fish and fruit market. You'll be near where the cruise ships dock. Check out the bridge and forts. Pop into a casino for some much-needed A/C. As an aside, a local man very persistently forced his help on us (where are you going, follow me down this alley, etc...) and wouldn't leave us alone and stop following us even after we said we knew where we were going, and ultimately asked for beer money, but the city seemed safe. There were several police officers around the streets we passed. Just be aware of your surroundings (as in any city).
Miscellaneous
The bus ride from/to the airport took us 40-45 minutes. It's a very nice and comfortable bus. You'll see a Sandals area at the end after you pick up your luggage. The airport was very nice and modern and quick to get through (we were first off the plane though). On departure, there seemed to be only one main hot food place after security, but they have a VIP/Priority Pass lounge that had some good light food on the buffet and a hot menu to order from as well. Check if your credit card has that as a perk to avoid the long line at the other restaurant. It opens at 1pm.
Spa/Gym - The spa was nice and clean. You have your own private bathroom/changing area in the table room versus a general locker room. The gym had a steady flow of people, but wasn't ever too crowded.
Curacao is HOT in May. Seriously. It was 86 every day, with a heat index around 96-97. Now, I was born and raised in South Georgia where it gets 95 with a 110 index in the summer, but this heat hit different. The UV index on my weather app said 11. Wear sunscreen and stay in the water. And get used to being wet - it'll either be pool water, ocean, or sweat depending on your location at the resort. It was mostly sunny every day, with a few clouds in the afternoon. No rain. At night it cools off well enough. Thankfully there's always a nice breeze going on. But stay hydrated and pay attention to your skin. Walking around the city with the heat was a bit much, we started at 9 and made it to 12 before calling it quits.
Tl;dr
I loved it! I highly recommend a Swim-up room, but maybe ask for a central building instead of on the edge of the resort (walking that far in the extreme heat with no shade gets old fast). Great service, wonderful staff. I would pick another month to go back though. May was just too hot for me!
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Room:
We stayed May 22-27 in a Sunchi Swim-up Club Level room (HSUP). We were in Sunchi Building 8, which is the last building on one side of the resort. We stayed in 1253, which is the second-to-last room on the first floor. All that to say, Curacao is a long resort and you'll definitely get your steps in! But we were also right next to the dive shop, which was fantastic for us.
The swim-up room was amazing and highly recommended! We ended up using it more than the double infinity pool. They did a perfect job at keeping the in-room bar stocked with alcohol and juices/water. We didn't have to call for anything once. So we would hang out in the pool (which connects across buildings 7 & 8, and there is a common area) and make our own drinks. Many times we were the only ones in the pool out of all the rooms. The swim-up pool is completely private, there is no entry except through a room, and there are a lot of gorgeous plants and flowers blocking it from the other side. Hummingbirds would be 1 foot away and were fun to watch. Floats are provided for each room. Use the ice bucket to keep bottles cool outside.
Ordering food from Room Service was consistently 40-45 minutes. At night it was quiet, as the music from the main area doesn't really reach building 8. No one would be in the swim-up pool after 10, it would start to get a little chilly with the wind. It gets very, very dark towards the Sunchi end of the resort. I recommend using the building side to reach your room, not the garden path.
Two subjective complaints:
(1) Housekeeping was very late. Some days they didn't come until 4-5pm, and the evening turn-down and towel replenishment didn't happen until 10pm. Between the swim-up and shower and wet floors, you NEED towels. We supplemented with the brown pool towels, grabbing them any time we went by the other pools. The late service could be because we were in the last building, but I'm not sure. The housekeepers did do a very thorough job and the rooms were clean and new.
(2) When we first checked-in, the back door's lock looked like it was forcibly broken and mangled. We had them replace it, but it still didn't lock. There is a second set of heavy wooden doors (blinds really) that do close and lock, so we weren't overly concerned. I don't think someone tried to break in, based on how the pool would make it hard to get to. But I can see someone getting locked out accidentally and having no other option but to break the door, since you can't get out of the pool area otherwise.
Restaurants/Service
The service across all restaurants and bars was outstanding. We never experienced a wait or long times to get our ordedrinks. The waitstaff were happy to talk to you and literally everyone says hello as you pass by. Concierge was perfect and accommodating as well. Restaurants had most of everything, and they would tell you what they're out of as you sat down.
Pietra - Our go-to breakfast buffet. At lunch they change the buffet to different food by country (Asian, Mexican, American, etc.). The food was all great at lunch. I ate too many fajitas.
Vincent - Reservation required. I recommend the Escargots and Foie Gras. They were out of the Cured Beef Bresaola.
Toteki, La Palma, Kishi - Food trucks. These were great for a snack. Get the cuttlefish and shrimp from La Palma, and the General Tso's Steak Bao Buns from Kishi.
Strand - For dinner, absolutely get the Snapper. It was my favorite meal of the trip. My husband liked the Surf & Turf at Strand better than Butch's. Strand also has a lunch menu with American-type items on it. The shrimp Caesar wrap was a nice light lunch.
Butch's - Reservation required. We went twice for dinner, once for breakfast. For dinner appetizers, try the Waldorf Caesar, Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, and Grilled Black Pepper Bacon (definitely that one). The Aged Prime Rib and Chargrilled Lamb Chops were great. We also had the Surf & Turf and Steak Diane which were very good too. Absolutely get the Willy Wonka Brulee - it was my favorite dessert on the resort.
Gatsu Gatsu - We went twice. The sushi here is so good. It's 4 pieces per roll. I recommend the Champagne Lobster and Caribbean Dynamite rolls. Shrimp tempura and crispy chicken karaage were our favorite appetizers. They were out of edamame and tonkotsu ramen.
Kanaal - Nice to pop into for a cappuccino or sweets.
Zuka and Aolo's - did not try.
Note: We wanted to order champagne (Veuve Clicquot) but the resort (or at least Butch's, Kanaal, and Pietra) was out of that and several of their Proseccos. We did end up getting 2 bottles of Prosecco though.
Scuba Diving
Scuba was great and the team was a lot of fun. You have to do a check-out dive if you haven't logged a dive recently (they do check your log book). We did ours around 11am and were able to go on an afternoon dive the same day (we were waitlisted, but some didn't show up). You sign up for dives starting at 8am 2 days out, so if you want to dive Friday, show up on Wednesday morning at 8am to sign up. They do keep waitlists for each dive. The dive shop has lockers! Great for if your room is at the other end of the resort and you don't want to walk with your stuff every morning.
The dive schedule seems highly variable - while we were there, they did 2-tank morning dives Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a 1-tank afternoon dive those days. Tuesday and Thursday they do a 1-tank morning dive, and 1-tank afternoon dive. I'm not sure about Saturday-Sunday since we weren't there. But, they said just a month ago they were only able to do 1-tank morning dives each day and no afternoon dives, as the water would get too choppy. And yes, the water was very choppy and it was windy all day. I saw a red flag or two at the resort while we were there. So you may want to check out the weather in Curacao the month you want to book.
They mentioned all the dive sites were 5-10 minutes away, but we were able to go Double Reef Thursday, the farthest site at 30 minutes. There were several turtles, a reef shark, squid, and a great variety of fish and coral. It was the best dive I've been in on years. However, they said it had been a month and a half since they'd been able to reach the site because of the choppiness. A couple on the boat had been able to go with an offsite-company and enter via shore, so that's an option as well.
City
You can take a cab from the resort to Willemstad for $49 each way. Our cab was private and air conditioned. The drivers were very nice. They dropped us off next to the CURACAO sign, and pickup was there too (they gave you a card and you call them 30 minutes before you're ready to leave). Right by the Curacao sign, there's a tiny alley with a white and blue cow - go down that alley for some great gelato. There's also an ice cream place near the sign that claims to give you an orgasm in less than a minute, but I didn't partake. There are lots of cafes and souvenir shops around Willemstad. There's a fresh fish and fruit market. You'll be near where the cruise ships dock. Check out the bridge and forts. Pop into a casino for some much-needed A/C. As an aside, a local man very persistently forced his help on us (where are you going, follow me down this alley, etc...) and wouldn't leave us alone and stop following us even after we said we knew where we were going, and ultimately asked for beer money, but the city seemed safe. There were several police officers around the streets we passed. Just be aware of your surroundings (as in any city).
Miscellaneous
The bus ride from/to the airport took us 40-45 minutes. It's a very nice and comfortable bus. You'll see a Sandals area at the end after you pick up your luggage. The airport was very nice and modern and quick to get through (we were first off the plane though). On departure, there seemed to be only one main hot food place after security, but they have a VIP/Priority Pass lounge that had some good light food on the buffet and a hot menu to order from as well. Check if your credit card has that as a perk to avoid the long line at the other restaurant. It opens at 1pm.
Spa/Gym - The spa was nice and clean. You have your own private bathroom/changing area in the table room versus a general locker room. The gym had a steady flow of people, but wasn't ever too crowded.
Curacao is HOT in May. Seriously. It was 86 every day, with a heat index around 96-97. Now, I was born and raised in South Georgia where it gets 95 with a 110 index in the summer, but this heat hit different. The UV index on my weather app said 11. Wear sunscreen and stay in the water. And get used to being wet - it'll either be pool water, ocean, or sweat depending on your location at the resort. It was mostly sunny every day, with a few clouds in the afternoon. No rain. At night it cools off well enough. Thankfully there's always a nice breeze going on. But stay hydrated and pay attention to your skin. Walking around the city with the heat was a bit much, we started at 9 and made it to 12 before calling it quits.
Tl;dr
I loved it! I highly recommend a Swim-up room, but maybe ask for a central building instead of on the edge of the resort (walking that far in the extreme heat with no shade gets old fast). Great service, wonderful staff. I would pick another month to go back though. May was just too hot for me!
2023.05.29 01:03 subject-2- test
“Last time on Total Drama Revenge of the Island! The campers did a fun game of Truth-or-Laser-Shark, which they revolted against, so we instead did a Harold-McGrady-brand-patented obstacle course! Lightning got the boot in the Catapult of Shame (Trademark Pending) because the bird is no longer with us. Or, so it seems. We also cut the Chris Mclean campfire due to budget constraints. Truly tragic, I know. What’ll happen in this episode? What embarrassing comment will Sam make this time? Find out right now on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!”
The Mutant Maggots were sleeping soundly in the luxurious spa hotel. Zoey, in particular, was loving the lavish lifestyle. Her family wasn’t the richest. The whole reason she joined to show was to make some money, to help her father out. It’d been a hard-knock life (Pun very much intended, Zoey loved that film) for her and her father ever since her mother had died. She was determined to bring the money home, no matter what. She’d also joined the show to (hopefully) make some friends. A lonely girl, she was. (Wow, she really was just stocked to the brim with references today.) But it was true! She’d make a friend in this a sweer body on her team, Mike. Nothing out of the ordinary…. Besides the fact that he was her DREAM GUY!! Nice, cute, and got her references! Just thinking about him made her swoon. She shrugged it off and got out of her bed. She did not want to leave, but she had to. After all, it was her tradition to wake up extra early in the mornings and take a walk around her neighborhood. Or, in this case, the island. She slowly inched out of bed, taking account of the sleeping Anne-Maria. She quickly got dressed and brushed her teeth, opening the door. The cool September air hit her, and she shivered. But she loved it. Everything about the island was so peaceful. The waves crashed against the beach. The birds squawked in the distance. She took in a deep breath. It was truly amazing. She started to walk around the island, soaking in the sunlight. Suddenly, she heard the creaking of a door. She turned around. It was Jo.
“Hey, Zoey,” she said, speeding up as she went.
Zoey realized she had the perfect opportunity to make a new friend!
“No, wait! I was wondering if-um, if- you’d like to go on a walk with me?”
(…she Nailed It.)
Jo looked at her, slightly confused. “Uh… Sure?”
Jo wasn’t used to anyone wanting to actually be next to her. Willingly. You couldn’t have waterboarded this information out of her, but the true reason she joined Total Drama was very different from the persona she displayed. Of course, she wanted the Million. Who didn’t? But she also wanted a friend. Someone real! Someone who wouldn’t be scared of her. She was quickly snapped out of her daydreams. Zoey was asking her something.
“Uh, so… Why’d you join Total Drama?” She asked. The early morning sunlight hit her face perfectly.
“Well, for the money! Why else would I join?” She lied.
“Well, I joined to make friends,” said Zoey.
Jo took a mental note of that. I guess she wasn’t the only lonely girl on the island.
“Do you have any siblings?” Zoey asked.
“Yeah. I Have 4 older brothers. But if you came by my house, it certainly wouldn’t seem like it!” Jo laughed. Her laugh was burly and loud. But it was also infectious and full of joy. Zoey smiled and started laughing too. Soon, all that could be heard was the joyous harmony of the two girl's laughter.
Staci was having a much worse time. It was 9:30 when she woke up. She had about 10 minutes to spare before that challenge began. All she could think about was how much she utterly hated herself. She would never dare to admit it, though. She constantly hid behind her thick layer of lies. She wished that she could just stop. But no matter how many times she’d say that she’d stop, it never came. She never stopped lying. Everyone in her life hated her, and she knew it. She was surprised that she wasn’t the first boot, for crying out loud. She slowly climbed out of the crappy bed and walked to the main lodge. She walked in, hunched over. She felt invisible.
“Hey! Come sit with us!”
…Was that to her?
She turned over to find Dawn and B, her fellow teammates, calling to her. Dawn was smiling at her.
That’s new, she thought.
She gingerly took a seat next to the two. The bigger one, whose name was B, wrote something down on his notepad.
Hello! You looked lonely, so I asked Dawn to invite you to our table! Don’t worry, we don’t bite.
Staci still couldn’t process this. Nobody had ever willingly let her sit with them.
“…Thank you.”
B wrote something on his notepad.
You seem a bit tense. You alright?
“Yeah. I was just thinking. You know, my great, great-”
But Staci stopped halfway.
“You know, this dude named William Holley invented that notepad! He invented the pad around when he innovated the idea to collect all the paper scraps from various factories.”
She had done it. She hadn’t lied, for once in her life! She had finally done it!
But before Staci could celebrate, Chris threw open the door, carrying a boombox. He strutted into the lodge, then planted his feet in the center of the room and started to do that one Fortnite dance we all collectively forgot about.
“Please stop,” said Dakota. She was comforting a crying Sam, who was devastated that anyone was still doing that dance.
After a grueling thirty seconds, he finally stopped doing the awful dance.
“Ok, ok, I'll stop! Anyways, today’s challenge is called Wawanakwa Musical! Teams must perform a skit. Everyone must have a speaking part, and it must have a corny message about something found in a typical High School Disney Channel movie. The team with the best number gets to pair up people to go to prom, while the other team gets it randomly. The couples need to face off in prom-themed challenges, such as drinking all the punch, dancing off, and something else I wouldn't want to spoil for you all. The campers who win the most challenges and make the best skit will win!"
“I don't even want to know what that last challenge will be," said Mike.
"Don't worry, nothing too dangerous!" Chris replied. Some of the campers exchanged worried glances.
“Oh, a skit! How exciting!” Chirped Ella, the secret 7th member of the Mutant Maggots. She was surrounded by animals, per the norm.
“Can you please get your stupid animal friends out of my face!?” Shouted Scott, who had become a resting place for the birds, having several perched on his head.
“Little ones, farewell! You must depart, at least for now,” she said, the heartbreak break in her voice crystal clear.
Confessional- Brick.
“Is it just me, or was that girl not here before? But I’m not complaining! Another member of our troop is just what we need!” Brick blushed.
End Confessional.
“I can already tell this one has a wonderful soul! Her aura is exceptionally bright pink, and it suits her wonderfully. As to how she teleported here? Beats me."
End Confessional.
We cut to all the campers outside the main lodge. The Mutant Maggots were doing a group huddle to brainstorm ideas.
“Ok. Mags. Let’s organize a game plan! We’ve got this in the bag if we work hard and persevere!” Said Brick.
“Never call us “Mags” again,” snarked Jo.
“I like that attitude, Brick! I think our message should be about spreading kindness and not bullying!” Chirped Ella.
“I, um, thank you,” fumbled Brick, who was not used to someone complimenting him for a change.
“We need to cast everyone as a part. First off, we’ll need a bully character. Any volunteers?”
Most eyes went to Mike, the self-proclaimed Actor. He started to sweat but soon realized his team needed him. He sighed and took off his shirt. He instantly switched to Vito, one of Mike’s many alters.
“Ayo, what seems to be the issue?” said Vito. Anne-Maria was enamored instantly.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Mike sure does take his acting seriously. Must be a method actor. Not going to lie, it’s a bit weird. But I like weird!”
End Confessional.
“Who knew you had such a bod under that shirt?” Swooned Anne-Maria. She jumped on Vito, who didn’t mind.
“Ok Mike, we get it, you’re a good actor. Are you doing this or not?” screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeah. sure, whatever,” said a completely uninterested Vito.
“We’ll also need a victim and five other roles. Any ideas?” asked Brick.
“How about we have one bystander and three people who spread the anti-bully message?” Ella suggested.
“Fine with me,” said Brick.
“Anyone want a particular role?” Ella asked.
“I want to be one of the spreaders,” said Jo, which was a surprise of most.
“Ok! Me and Brick can be the other two, Anne-Maria can be the victim, and Zoey can be the bystander. I have an idea for the plot- Mike bullies Anne-Maria, and Zoey doesn’t do anything. Then we come in and tell them to be kind, and then it works, and we live happily ever after!” said Ella.
“Ok, why don’t we run through it?” Suggested Jo.
“Ayo, what am I doing again?” Vito asked.
“Ugh, cut the crap and start acting!” Screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeesh, it’s cold in here. I’m putting my shirt back on,” pretended Vito, aware that Mike probably needed to switch in. Mike was at first quite confused, but quickly realized what had happened.
We cut to a montage of the Maggots working very hard at refining the script. Lines were changed, parts swapped, and then swapped back again, but in the end, they’d created the perfect skit- the ultimate work of their labor.
However, on the other side of the auditorium were the Toxic Rats, who had fewer hurdles.
B wrote something down on his notepad.
Just make it about how great Chris is and we’re sure to win.
“Sounds like a plan to me!” Said Scott, giving the silent giant a fist-bump.
“Yeah. We can improvise it as we go! We don’t even need a script!” Dakota said.
“Wait, what are we doing?” Asked Staci, who was once again out of the loop.
Soon, Chris, Chef, and some intern sat at a table, waiting for the skits to be presented. They were at the auditorium, where the Talent Contest challenge had been done a few years back.
“Ok, maggots! Wow me!”
Chris leaned back as Mike and Anne-Maria walked out on stage.
“Hey nerd, give me your lunch money!” Said Mike, utterly failing at sounding intimidating.
“Oh no! Whatever will I do??” Said Anne-Maria, who was wearing one of Cameron’s glasses he’d left behind as a pitiful attempt for a nerd costume.
Zoey then walked out. “Oh no! I want to do something, but I’m scared!”
Jo, Ella, and Brick then walked out.
“Hey! Bullying is bad!” Shouted Ella.
“You need to stand up for yourself!” Screamed Brick at Anne-Maria.
“You need to stop being a bully!” Screamed Jo, who was significantly louder than the rest.
“And you need to learn not to be silent! If you see something, say something!” Ella finished.
“Wow! Thank you! I will always stand up for the victim next time I see someone being bullied!” said Zoey.
“And I will be kind!” said Mike.
“You better!” Shouted Jo. “Now get got and leave this poor girl alone!” Jo shoved Mike much harder than she had anticipated.
He fell off the stage, landing right on his head. The others winced at his misfortune.
“…So be kind!” Finished Ella, who then quickly scampered down to check on Mike.
Mike faded in and out of consciousness. But he knew one thing- this was not a good sign. Mike had a 6th Alter. A particularly malevolent one, should I say… His name was… Mal.
Mike stood up, sporting fresh bags under his eyes. Well, the lone eye you could see, as the other was covered by hair. He stood up and grabbed Jo by the collar.
“Don’t touch me,” he said in an even tone.
Jo was hardly threatened by Mike grabbing her, considering she was twice his size. He had no strength. But when he spoke, it was different. Something about the way he spoke scared her. His even but still threatening voice. His unwavering face of pure anger. She backed away.
“Sorry.”
Confessional- Jo.
“I don’t know what came over me. He’s so non-threatening in the physical department, but the way he talks?” Jo looked at the camera. “Someone give that twig actor of the year!”
End Confessional.
We cut to Chris, Chef, and the intern. They all sat with mostly stunned and confused faces. They got into a group huddle before Chris finally spoke.
“…Okay, that was weird. But it was also pretty good, and you did everything right. We’ll give you… a 7/10.”
The maggots cheered loudly. Even though it wasn’t a nine or a ten, they were simply glad Chris gave them a satisfactory score, especially for how much work had been put into the project. Mal took in a deep breath and switched back into Mike.
“…What did I miss?” He asked. Nobody said anything, simply glaring at him.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok, I’m pretty sure I switched into Mal which is definitely not a good thing.” He buried his face in his hands. “They probably all hate me now…”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Ok, so about what Mike did back there? So weird! I know Jo shoved him, but that just felt way out of line. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. Is this normal? Am I the weird one??”
End Confessional.
“Ok, you can sit on the bleachers now. Rats, you’re up!”
All of the rats came out at once.
“Man, I really love Chris!” Said Scott.
“Yeah, he’s so cool, and handsome to boot!” Swooned Dakota.
“Chris… Is an interesting guy!” Forced out Dawn, who genuinely could not think of anything good to say about the host.
“I don’t think Chris is all that cool,” said Staci, who hadn’t caught on yet. Scott quickly shoved her to the ground.
“How could someone not like Chris??” Scott questioned.
“That girl is insane,” added Dakota.
B drew something on his notepad. It was a drawing of Chris, with a 12-pack (if that's even possible) and surrounded by adoring fans.
They all bowed, and Chris clapped loudly, much to the chagrin of the Maggots. They had no chance.
“I LOVE it!! 10/10, Rats win!!” Chris shouted, not even bothering to ask for Chef's and the intern’s opinions.
Confessional- Chef.
“If you ask me, the skit the Rats made was a bunch of Chris-propaganda-spouting-nonsense. The Maggots? Now that was amazing. Every part was well played, and every line was perfect. 10/10, truly the Mutant Maggot's magnum opus. What a cinematic masterpiece." Chef then burst out laughing.
End Confessional
“So, it’s clear to everyone that the Rats win. You may start pairing up now. I’ll pair the Maggots in a second.”
“I can go with B!” Suggested Dawn. B nodded.
“I’ll go with Sam!” Stated Dakota. Sam looked up, surprised.
Confessional- Sam.
“You’re telling me that a pretty girl willingly picked me to go to prom with them??!” Sam fainted.
End Confessional.
The only two left were Scott and Staci.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” groaned Scott.
“Ok. Mike can go with Zoey, Ella goes with Brick, and Jo goes with Anne-Maria,” said Chris, without much thought.
We cut to the teams in a warehouse that was decorated to look like a high school. The lights were a deep purple. In the center was a disco ball, and there was a dance floor underneath it.
“Ok, the way this works is that each couple will compete in one challenge each, starting with the punch drinking contest. Each couple will need to down two giant bowls of punch, one for each person. Whoever finished their punch first wins. Also, no spilling can occur our you’re out!”
“We’ll take punch,” said Jo immediately.
“Whoa, I did not sign up for that!” Anne-Maria protested.
“Don’t care, didn’t ask. We’re doing it!” Anne-Maria rolled her eyes but eventually agreed to it.
“I’ll take the punch. I just want to get my “date” with Mrs. Flabby-Mc-chatter-mouth over as soon as possible,” groaned Scott.
The couples were waiting at the punch table for Chris to call start.
“BEGIN!”
Jo quickly grabbed the bowl and downed the juice in two big gulps. She instantly turned to Anne-Maria.
“Come on, hurry up!”
Anne-Maria was having a difficult time getting the punch down. Eventually, she just couldn’t finish it. She spat all of the punch into Jo’s face. Jo screamed and clenched her fists.
“Great job, you lunatic! You cost us the challenge!” Shouted Jo.
“Maybe I woulda done betta if you weren’t SHOUTIN’ AT ME!!” Screamed Anne-Maria, her jersey accent at full display.
Jo lunged at Anne-Maria. Unfortunately for the Maggots, Scott and Staci had already finished their punch. Scott smirked and wiped the punch from his mouth.
“Easy!”
Staci also had punch around her mouth. She wiped the punch residue off her lips, but she couldn’t wipe the permanent grin off her face. She felt a deep sense of accomplishment, despite the fact it was just a bowl of punch. She felt like she'd made a genuine contribution to her team.
“The Toxic Rats win the first round!” Shouted Chris. They cheered loudly, and the Maggots knew their fate was sealed. Jo and Anne-Maria were both fighting each other. Both were covered in the sticky fruit punch, and screaming.
Confessional- Brick.
“That was so unsportsmanlike that I don’t even know what to say.”
End Confessional.
The next challenge was a dance-off. It was Ella and Brick versus Sam and Dakota.
“Ok. So, whoever can dance the longest without tripping up or giving up wins! Good luck!”
Royalty-free romance music started to play in the background. Brick had prepared for this moment his whole life. Well, he wouldn’t have expected it to be on a reality TV show with a girl he’d only known for a few days, but you win some and you lose some. Brick swooped Ella up and spun her around. Ella grabbed his hands and slowly rocked with him. They started to move around the dance floor. They continued to spin each other around in beautiful harmony. Ella couldn’t help but imagine how much this reminded her of the dance scene between Belle and the Beast. Her heart swelled. Had she found her prince? Brick was having similar thoughts. He’d never found someone quite as graceful as Ella.
Sam and Dakota were dancing much less formally. They mostly goofed off, doing random and silly dances. They were laughing very hard. Dakota couldn’t stop thinking about how cute Sam looked! The two continued to boogie, laughing all the way.
After about 30 minutes, the couples were still going strong. Well, one of them was going strong. Ella and Brick were dancing the night away, as their dance was slower and less physically demanding. Sam and Dakota weren’t fairing so well. Sam could only do so many video game dances before he tired out, and he was already on the verge of passing out. Dakota was also getting tired, but in the end, it was Sam who fell.
“The Mutant Maggots win!”
Ella and Brick collapsed into a tight embrace, happy that what felt like hours of dancing was over.
Confessional- Ella.
“Wow, I’ve never felt so magical in my life… And Brick! He was an amazing dancer!” Ella sighed longingly.
End Confessional
Confessional- Brick
“She’s quite the dancer...” Brick looked away from the confessional’s camera, hiding his tomato-red face.
End Confessional
Mike, Zoey, B, and Dawn were nervously waiting for the final part of the challenge. One can only imagine all the messed up things Chris can come up with. Soon, Chris came close to the four teenagers.
Four interns lead the contestants to a large platform that was elevated over a pool of water. The four contestants got onto the platform, and they were given water guns filled with a red liquid.
“Inside these guns are PIG BLOOD!! You must shoot your opponents off the table and into the water. The team who can knock their opponents down first wins!”
Zoey gasped. “Is this some sort of messed up homage to Carrie?!” She asked.
“I can’t state that for copyright reasons, but I think you know the answer,” said Chris.
The duos put their fingers on the trigger, waiting for Chris to let them begin.
“Three… Two… One!”
Mike and Zoey ended up both targeting Dawn, who immediately flew into the water, as she weighed almost as much as a feather. B put his finger over the nozzle of his gun, spraying blood uncontrollably. Mike and Zoey sputtered, and Zoey was close to falling into the water.
“Zoey!” Mike screamed. He quickly jumped in front of the redhead, saving her from a particularly nasty blow from B. Zoey took B’s strategy, and also put her finger over the nozzle. Soon everyone was covered in pig blood. B was standing strong and taking the blows like a champ. However, Mike was still covering Zoey and was not fairing so well. He’d never wondered how bad pig blood would taste, and now he was experiencing it in full force. The disgusting, iron-like liquid flooded his mouth. Soon, he could take no more.
“Zoey, you got this!” He shouted as he was finally knocked into the water. Zoey trembled a bit. It was her versus the smartest guy on the show! Well, maybe besides the skinny one who’d been eliminated in episode one, but she’d already forgotten his name. B continued to spray Zoey, getting increasingly closer and closer. There was almost nothing Zoey could do. Her blows were hardly affecting the juggernaut. It didn’t help that the other team was cheering B on incredibly loudly, whilst the only person cheering for Zoey was Mike. Eventually, she couldn’t handle the blows. She tumbled off the platform and into the water.
“The Toxic Rats win! Maggots, I’ll see you at the campfire tonight.” Everyone started to clear out, sans Mike and Zoey.
B twirled the water gun around and pretended to put it in an invisible holster, stepping off the platform and leaving the warehouse. Zoey was still processing the fall and all the pig blood in her mouth. The water was cold and soothing. She wiggled around in the water, trying to get all the blood off. Once she got most of it off, she resurfaced. Mike was eagerly waiting for her.
“You did so well!” Zoey couldn’t help but smile at his adorable buck-toothed grin. When he wasn’t acting as one of his kooky personas, he sure was sweet. But Zoey still didn’t feel right about him. When he played his characters, he’d act so vastly different. That might seem normal as he was an actor overall, but he was just way too method for her liking. She was planning on asking him to maybe tone it down, if it was ok with him.
“Hey… I’ve been meaning to ask you if you could maybe tone down your acting. If that’s okay with you. It’s just… With the whole jersey shore persona and whatever you did with Jo? It’s just kind of weird because I really like you and I thought you liked me, but then you start flirting with Anne-Maria and...” Zoey started to tear up. “Obviously I don’t owe you anything but...” Suddenly the was met with the warm -if not wet and bloody- feeling of Mike’s body wrapped around her.
“Zoey... I’ve got to confess something. I have this thing called MPD. Basically, it means I have multiple personalities. When I flirt with Anne-Maria and act like an old man? Those are just some of my personalities. I just lied about the acting thing. I didn’t want to seem weird and-” Zoey quickly kissed him.
“You should’ve led with that, you dummy! Why would I judge you for that? Hell, that just makes you ten times cooler!” Mike sighed a deep sigh of relief.
Confessional- Mike
“I can’t believe it! She accepts me! And I didn’t need anyone’s help telling her!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey
“Well, that explains everything. I suppose it’s best that I found out this now rather than later.”
End Confessional.
“Can you not tell anyone though? I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about me.” Mike saw something move in the corner of his eye, but he shrugged it off. Probably just a rat or something. The rest of the campers had left the warehouse, and it was just Mike and Zoey. Well, at least that’s what they thought.
“Of course! Your secret’s safe with me.”
The camera panned out to reveal a hidden Scott, who was hiding behind one of the lockers.
Confessional- Scott.
“So, Mike had MPD? I’m sure I can use that in the future. Zoey may not tell anyone, but I might!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok. So, it’s great that Zoey is cool with me, but I haven’t forgotten that… He resurfaced. I might as well fill you all in. Mal is my 6th alter. He’s a protector. But he usually ends up overdoing his job and scaring people away. He knows I need this money, and I know he’ll do anything to get it. He hasn’t come out since my Juvie days.” Mike looked to the side. “But that’s another story.”
End Confessional.
The maggots were quite in a very somber mood. Zoey and Mike were covered in blood. Jo and Anne-Maria were covered in punch. Brick and Ella were the only people who seemed happy, albeit awkward.
“Ok, I think I’m going to take a shower,” said Mike.
The other three girls followed him, realizing that probably was a good idea. The only people left were Brick and Ella.
“Soo, what’d you think about my dance skills?” Brick asked in a joking tone.
“They were good! And I’m not lying, you really know how to dance!” Ella said, pointing at Brick.
“Thank you. I was actually saving that routine for a real prom. But I suppose a fake prom is just as good.”
“Oh! Well, you can always use it again. This of me as a practice round,” chuckled Ella.
“No, it was more than that!” Brick said. “I don’t know, it felt… Magical?”
“I know! It really did,” Ella said. Both parties looked away, blushing.
Confessional- Ella.
“I think I’ve found my prince…” she swooned. “And I didn’t even need to lose my shoe!”
End Confessional.
Ella and Brick both leaned in for a mutually agreed kiss. Their lips almost touched. Almost.
“Oh my god!” Sam shouted. Both Brick and Ella screamed back. Brick even fell off the log they were sitting on.
“I am so sorry! I won’t tell anyone.” Sam covered his eyes with his hands. He stumbled away.
Confessional- Sam.
"Brick? And Ella?! Who would've expected that?"
End Confessional.
Brick and Ella sat in awkward silence. It was finally broken by Brick’s infectious and hearty laugh. It was booming and loud, but it was still beautiful to Ella. She started to laugh too- her laugh was much lighter. It could’ve been mistaken for singing.
A few hours later, The Mutant Maggots were gathered at the campfire. They all exchanged nervous glances with each other. One member of their team would leave the island- permanently.
“Mutant Maggots. Welcome. There are five marshmallows on my plate. One of you will not receive one tonight, and you will catch a ride on the Bird of Shame.”
“I thought the bird died?”
“I lied. So go cast those votes and we’ll get to it!”
Voting Confessionals- Everyone on the Mutant Maggots.
“I’m voting for Jo. That bossy B-I-T-C-(Bleep) Has got to go!” Shouted Anne-Maria.
“Anne-Maria is annoying, and hardly a team player. She’s leaving tonight,” said Jo, casting her vote.
“I’m voting for Anne-Maria. I’d vote for Jo, but I feel bad after the whole Mal thing,” said Mike.
“Anne-Maria. If she keeps rubbing up on Mike, even as one of his alters, I’ll lose it!” Zoey shouted.
“I’ll vote for Jo. Sure, Anne-Maria messed up, but she initiated the fight. Not very sportsmanlike,” stated Brick, casting his vote.
“I’m voting for Jo. She lunged at Mike and set him off. Not very kind,” said Ella.
End Voting Confessionals.
“Okay. You’ve all cast your votes. Let’s get to it.”
“Zoey! Come get your marshmallow. You’re safe.”
Zoey eagerly jumped up and ate her marshmallow.
“Mike- so are you.”
He sighed a deep sigh of relief and took his marshmallow.
“Brick and Ella! Looks like you two lovers are safe.”
Brick and Ella exchanged a glance. “Uh, were not lo-”
“Sure, you aren’t. I can see the cameras, you know that, right?”
Everyone looked at the duo.
“Whatever.” Chris turned to Anne-Maria and Jo.
“Welcome, girls. You both got three votes each.”
The two looked at each other nervously.
“And because of this… You will engage in a tiebreaker!”
We cut to Jo and Anne-Maria on top of an elevated platform over water. In their hands were sticks with foam ends.
“Okay. Your goal is to knock your opponent into the water before the timer runs out. The winner will stay in the game, and the loser will take the bird home. BEGIN!”
Jo immediately lunged at Anne-Maria, expecting her to buckle underneath Jo’s so-called superior strength. But to Jo’s surprise, she held her ground. The metal sticks clashed against each other, and each girl took turns exchanging blows.
“Not bad, jersey girl!” Grunted Jo, who was genuinely struggling. Anne-Maria responded with a growl, knocking Jo to the ground.
“I’m staying in this game, Jo!” She shouted through her teeth.
Jo yelled and lunged at her, for the second time that day. She tackled Anne-Maria into the water, unfortunately taking herself down with her. The girls crashed into the water with a mighty splash. Jo quickly resurfaced.
“Do I win?!” She asked eagerly.
“Not exactly. You both fell into the water…” Chris grinned slyly.
“So?” Both girls asked.
“So, your both eliminated!” Chris shouted, laughing.
We cut to both girls on the docks.
“This is stupid. I won fair and square!” Jo yelled.
“Tell It to the bird!” Chris yelled back. The bird swooped down and took both girls by their arms. They yelled all the way.
“All right! Now that Jo and Anne-Maria are gone, how will the maggots fare? Will Brick and Ella continue their oh-so-secret romance? What will Mike do now that Scott knows about his MPD? Find out next time on,
Total!
Drama!
Revenge of the island!”
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The Mutant Maggots were sleeping soundly in the luxurious spa hotel. Zoey, in particular, was loving the lavish lifestyle. Her family wasn’t the richest. The whole reason she joined to show was to make some money, to help her father out. It’d been a hard-knock life (Pun very much intended, Zoey loved that film) for her and her father ever since her mother had died. She was determined to bring the money home, no matter what. She’d also joined the show to (hopefully) make some friends. A lonely girl, she was. (Wow, she really was just stocked to the brim with references today.) But it was true! She’d make a friend in this a sweer body on her team, Mike. Nothing out of the ordinary…. Besides the fact that he was her DREAM GUY!! Nice, cute, and got her references! Just thinking about him made her swoon. She shrugged it off and got out of her bed. She did not want to leave, but she had to. After all, it was her tradition to wake up extra early in the mornings and take a walk around her neighborhood. Or, in this case, the island. She slowly inched out of bed, taking account of the sleeping Anne-Maria. She quickly got dressed and brushed her teeth, opening the door. The cool September air hit her, and she shivered. But she loved it. Everything about the island was so peaceful. The waves crashed against the beach. The birds squawked in the distance. She took in a deep breath. It was truly amazing. She started to walk around the island, soaking in the sunlight. Suddenly, she heard the creaking of a door. She turned around. It was Jo.
“Hey, Zoey,” she said, speeding up as she went.
Zoey realized she had the perfect opportunity to make a new friend!
“No, wait! I was wondering if-um, if- you’d like to go on a walk with me?”
(…she Nailed It.)
Jo looked at her, slightly confused. “Uh… Sure?”
Jo wasn’t used to anyone wanting to actually be next to her. Willingly. You couldn’t have waterboarded this information out of her, but the true reason she joined Total Drama was very different from the persona she displayed. Of course, she wanted the Million. Who didn’t? But she also wanted a friend. Someone real! Someone who wouldn’t be scared of her. She was quickly snapped out of her daydreams. Zoey was asking her something.
“Uh, so… Why’d you join Total Drama?” She asked. The early morning sunlight hit her face perfectly.
“Well, for the money! Why else would I join?” She lied.
“Well, I joined to make friends,” said Zoey.
Jo took a mental note of that. I guess she wasn’t the only lonely girl on the island.
“Do you have any siblings?” Zoey asked.
“Yeah. I Have 4 older brothers. But if you came by my house, it certainly wouldn’t seem like it!” Jo laughed. Her laugh was burly and loud. But it was also infectious and full of joy. Zoey smiled and started laughing too. Soon, all that could be heard was the joyous harmony of the two girl's laughter.
Staci was having a much worse time. It was 9:30 when she woke up. She had about 10 minutes to spare before that challenge began. All she could think about was how much she utterly hated herself. She would never dare to admit it, though. She constantly hid behind her thick layer of lies. She wished that she could just stop. But no matter how many times she’d say that she’d stop, it never came. She never stopped lying. Everyone in her life hated her, and she knew it. She was surprised that she wasn’t the first boot, for crying out loud. She slowly climbed out of the crappy bed and walked to the main lodge. She walked in, hunched over. She felt invisible.
“Hey! Come sit with us!”
…Was that to her?
She turned over to find Dawn and B, her fellow teammates, calling to her. Dawn was smiling at her.
That’s new, she thought.
She gingerly took a seat next to the two. The bigger one, whose name was B, wrote something down on his notepad.
Hello! You looked lonely, so I asked Dawn to invite you to our table! Don’t worry, we don’t bite.
Staci still couldn’t process this. Nobody had ever willingly let her sit with them.
“…Thank you.”
B wrote something on his notepad.
You seem a bit tense. You alright?
“Yeah. I was just thinking. You know, my great, great-”
But Staci stopped halfway.
“You know, this dude named William Holley invented that notepad! He invented the pad around when he innovated the idea to collect all the paper scraps from various factories.”
She had done it. She hadn’t lied, for once in her life! She had finally done it!
But before Staci could celebrate, Chris threw open the door, carrying a boombox. He strutted into the lodge, then planted his feet in the center of the room and started to do that one Fortnite dance we all collectively forgot about.
“Please stop,” said Dakota. She was comforting a crying Sam, who was devastated that anyone was still doing that dance.
After a grueling thirty seconds, he finally stopped doing the awful dance.
“Ok, ok, I'll stop! Anyways, today’s challenge is called Wawanakwa Musical! Teams must perform a skit. Everyone must have a speaking part, and it must have a corny message about something found in a typical High School Disney Channel movie. The team with the best number gets to pair up people to go to prom, while the other team gets it randomly. The couples need to face off in prom-themed challenges, such as drinking all the punch, dancing off, and something else I wouldn't want to spoil for you all. The campers who win the most challenges and make the best skit will win!"
“I don't even want to know what that last challenge will be," said Mike.
"Don't worry, nothing too dangerous!" Chris replied. Some of the campers exchanged worried glances.
“Oh, a skit! How exciting!” Chirped Ella, the secret 7th member of the Mutant Maggots. She was surrounded by animals, per the norm.
“Can you please get your stupid animal friends out of my face!?” Shouted Scott, who had become a resting place for the birds, having several perched on his head.
“Little ones, farewell! You must depart, at least for now,” she said, the heartbreak break in her voice crystal clear.
Confessional- Brick.
“Is it just me, or was that girl not here before? But I’m not complaining! Another member of our troop is just what we need!” Brick blushed.
End Confessional.
“I can already tell this one has a wonderful soul! Her aura is exceptionally bright pink, and it suits her wonderfully. As to how she teleported here? Beats me."
End Confessional.
We cut to all the campers outside the main lodge. The Mutant Maggots were doing a group huddle to brainstorm ideas.
“Ok. Mags. Let’s organize a game plan! We’ve got this in the bag if we work hard and persevere!” Said Brick.
“Never call us “Mags” again,” snarked Jo.
“I like that attitude, Brick! I think our message should be about spreading kindness and not bullying!” Chirped Ella.
“I, um, thank you,” fumbled Brick, who was not used to someone complimenting him for a change.
“We need to cast everyone as a part. First off, we’ll need a bully character. Any volunteers?”
Most eyes went to Mike, the self-proclaimed Actor. He started to sweat but soon realized his team needed him. He sighed and took off his shirt. He instantly switched to Vito, one of Mike’s many alters.
“Ayo, what seems to be the issue?” said Vito. Anne-Maria was enamored instantly.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Mike sure does take his acting seriously. Must be a method actor. Not going to lie, it’s a bit weird. But I like weird!”
End Confessional.
“Who knew you had such a bod under that shirt?” Swooned Anne-Maria. She jumped on Vito, who didn’t mind.
“Ok Mike, we get it, you’re a good actor. Are you doing this or not?” screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeah. sure, whatever,” said a completely uninterested Vito.
“We’ll also need a victim and five other roles. Any ideas?” asked Brick.
“How about we have one bystander and three people who spread the anti-bully message?” Ella suggested.
“Fine with me,” said Brick.
“Anyone want a particular role?” Ella asked.
“I want to be one of the spreaders,” said Jo, which was a surprise of most.
“Ok! Me and Brick can be the other two, Anne-Maria can be the victim, and Zoey can be the bystander. I have an idea for the plot- Mike bullies Anne-Maria, and Zoey doesn’t do anything. Then we come in and tell them to be kind, and then it works, and we live happily ever after!” said Ella.
“Ok, why don’t we run through it?” Suggested Jo.
“Ayo, what am I doing again?” Vito asked.
“Ugh, cut the crap and start acting!” Screamed an irritated Jo.
“Yeesh, it’s cold in here. I’m putting my shirt back on,” pretended Vito, aware that Mike probably needed to switch in. Mike was at first quite confused, but quickly realized what had happened.
We cut to a montage of the Maggots working very hard at refining the script. Lines were changed, parts swapped, and then swapped back again, but in the end, they’d created the perfect skit- the ultimate work of their labor.
However, on the other side of the auditorium were the Toxic Rats, who had fewer hurdles.
B wrote something down on his notepad.
Just make it about how great Chris is and we’re sure to win.
“Sounds like a plan to me!” Said Scott, giving the silent giant a fist-bump.
“Yeah. We can improvise it as we go! We don’t even need a script!” Dakota said.
“Wait, what are we doing?” Asked Staci, who was once again out of the loop.
Soon, Chris, Chef, and some intern sat at a table, waiting for the skits to be presented. They were at the auditorium, where the Talent Contest challenge had been done a few years back.
“Ok, maggots! Wow me!”
Chris leaned back as Mike and Anne-Maria walked out on stage.
“Hey nerd, give me your lunch money!” Said Mike, utterly failing at sounding intimidating.
“Oh no! Whatever will I do??” Said Anne-Maria, who was wearing one of Cameron’s glasses he’d left behind as a pitiful attempt for a nerd costume.
Zoey then walked out. “Oh no! I want to do something, but I’m scared!”
Jo, Ella, and Brick then walked out.
“Hey! Bullying is bad!” Shouted Ella.
“You need to stand up for yourself!” Screamed Brick at Anne-Maria.
“You need to stop being a bully!” Screamed Jo, who was significantly louder than the rest.
“And you need to learn not to be silent! If you see something, say something!” Ella finished.
“Wow! Thank you! I will always stand up for the victim next time I see someone being bullied!” said Zoey.
“And I will be kind!” said Mike.
“You better!” Shouted Jo. “Now get got and leave this poor girl alone!” Jo shoved Mike much harder than she had anticipated.
He fell off the stage, landing right on his head. The others winced at his misfortune.
“…So be kind!” Finished Ella, who then quickly scampered down to check on Mike.
Mike faded in and out of consciousness. But he knew one thing- this was not a good sign. Mike had a 6th Alter. A particularly malevolent one, should I say… His name was… Mal.
Mike stood up, sporting fresh bags under his eyes. Well, the lone eye you could see, as the other was covered by hair. He stood up and grabbed Jo by the collar.
“Don’t touch me,” he said in an even tone.
Jo was hardly threatened by Mike grabbing her, considering she was twice his size. He had no strength. But when he spoke, it was different. Something about the way he spoke scared her. His even but still threatening voice. His unwavering face of pure anger. She backed away.
“Sorry.”
Confessional- Jo.
“I don’t know what came over me. He’s so non-threatening in the physical department, but the way he talks?” Jo looked at the camera. “Someone give that twig actor of the year!”
End Confessional.
We cut to Chris, Chef, and the intern. They all sat with mostly stunned and confused faces. They got into a group huddle before Chris finally spoke.
“…Okay, that was weird. But it was also pretty good, and you did everything right. We’ll give you… a 7/10.”
The maggots cheered loudly. Even though it wasn’t a nine or a ten, they were simply glad Chris gave them a satisfactory score, especially for how much work had been put into the project. Mal took in a deep breath and switched back into Mike.
“…What did I miss?” He asked. Nobody said anything, simply glaring at him.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok, I’m pretty sure I switched into Mal which is definitely not a good thing.” He buried his face in his hands. “They probably all hate me now…”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey.
“Ok, so about what Mike did back there? So weird! I know Jo shoved him, but that just felt way out of line. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. Is this normal? Am I the weird one??”
End Confessional.
“Ok, you can sit on the bleachers now. Rats, you’re up!”
All of the rats came out at once.
“Man, I really love Chris!” Said Scott.
“Yeah, he’s so cool, and handsome to boot!” Swooned Dakota.
“Chris… Is an interesting guy!” Forced out Dawn, who genuinely could not think of anything good to say about the host.
“I don’t think Chris is all that cool,” said Staci, who hadn’t caught on yet. Scott quickly shoved her to the ground.
“How could someone not like Chris??” Scott questioned.
“That girl is insane,” added Dakota.
B drew something on his notepad. It was a drawing of Chris, with a 12-pack (if that's even possible) and surrounded by adoring fans.
They all bowed, and Chris clapped loudly, much to the chagrin of the Maggots. They had no chance.
“I LOVE it!! 10/10, Rats win!!” Chris shouted, not even bothering to ask for Chef's and the intern’s opinions.
Confessional- Chef.
“If you ask me, the skit the Rats made was a bunch of Chris-propaganda-spouting-nonsense. The Maggots? Now that was amazing. Every part was well played, and every line was perfect. 10/10, truly the Mutant Maggot's magnum opus. What a cinematic masterpiece." Chef then burst out laughing.
End Confessional
“So, it’s clear to everyone that the Rats win. You may start pairing up now. I’ll pair the Maggots in a second.”
“I can go with B!” Suggested Dawn. B nodded.
“I’ll go with Sam!” Stated Dakota. Sam looked up, surprised.
Confessional- Sam.
“You’re telling me that a pretty girl willingly picked me to go to prom with them??!” Sam fainted.
End Confessional.
The only two left were Scott and Staci.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” groaned Scott.
“Ok. Mike can go with Zoey, Ella goes with Brick, and Jo goes with Anne-Maria,” said Chris, without much thought.
We cut to the teams in a warehouse that was decorated to look like a high school. The lights were a deep purple. In the center was a disco ball, and there was a dance floor underneath it.
“Ok, the way this works is that each couple will compete in one challenge each, starting with the punch drinking contest. Each couple will need to down two giant bowls of punch, one for each person. Whoever finished their punch first wins. Also, no spilling can occur our you’re out!”
“We’ll take punch,” said Jo immediately.
“Whoa, I did not sign up for that!” Anne-Maria protested.
“Don’t care, didn’t ask. We’re doing it!” Anne-Maria rolled her eyes but eventually agreed to it.
“I’ll take the punch. I just want to get my “date” with Mrs. Flabby-Mc-chatter-mouth over as soon as possible,” groaned Scott.
The couples were waiting at the punch table for Chris to call start.
“BEGIN!”
Jo quickly grabbed the bowl and downed the juice in two big gulps. She instantly turned to Anne-Maria.
“Come on, hurry up!”
Anne-Maria was having a difficult time getting the punch down. Eventually, she just couldn’t finish it. She spat all of the punch into Jo’s face. Jo screamed and clenched her fists.
“Great job, you lunatic! You cost us the challenge!” Shouted Jo.
“Maybe I woulda done betta if you weren’t SHOUTIN’ AT ME!!” Screamed Anne-Maria, her jersey accent at full display.
Jo lunged at Anne-Maria. Unfortunately for the Maggots, Scott and Staci had already finished their punch. Scott smirked and wiped the punch from his mouth.
“Easy!”
Staci also had punch around her mouth. She wiped the punch residue off her lips, but she couldn’t wipe the permanent grin off her face. She felt a deep sense of accomplishment, despite the fact it was just a bowl of punch. She felt like she'd made a genuine contribution to her team.
“The Toxic Rats win the first round!” Shouted Chris. They cheered loudly, and the Maggots knew their fate was sealed. Jo and Anne-Maria were both fighting each other. Both were covered in the sticky fruit punch, and screaming.
Confessional- Brick.
“That was so unsportsmanlike that I don’t even know what to say.”
End Confessional.
The next challenge was a dance-off. It was Ella and Brick versus Sam and Dakota.
“Ok. So, whoever can dance the longest without tripping up or giving up wins! Good luck!”
Royalty-free romance music started to play in the background. Brick had prepared for this moment his whole life. Well, he wouldn’t have expected it to be on a reality TV show with a girl he’d only known for a few days, but you win some and you lose some. Brick swooped Ella up and spun her around. Ella grabbed his hands and slowly rocked with him. They started to move around the dance floor. They continued to spin each other around in beautiful harmony. Ella couldn’t help but imagine how much this reminded her of the dance scene between Belle and the Beast. Her heart swelled. Had she found her prince? Brick was having similar thoughts. He’d never found someone quite as graceful as Ella.
Sam and Dakota were dancing much less formally. They mostly goofed off, doing random and silly dances. They were laughing very hard. Dakota couldn’t stop thinking about how cute Sam looked! The two continued to boogie, laughing all the way.
After about 30 minutes, the couples were still going strong. Well, one of them was going strong. Ella and Brick were dancing the night away, as their dance was slower and less physically demanding. Sam and Dakota weren’t fairing so well. Sam could only do so many video game dances before he tired out, and he was already on the verge of passing out. Dakota was also getting tired, but in the end, it was Sam who fell.
“The Mutant Maggots win!”
Ella and Brick collapsed into a tight embrace, happy that what felt like hours of dancing was over.
Confessional- Ella.
“Wow, I’ve never felt so magical in my life… And Brick! He was an amazing dancer!” Ella sighed longingly.
End Confessional
Confessional- Brick
“She’s quite the dancer...” Brick looked away from the confessional’s camera, hiding his tomato-red face.
End Confessional
Mike, Zoey, B, and Dawn were nervously waiting for the final part of the challenge. One can only imagine all the messed up things Chris can come up with. Soon, Chris came close to the four teenagers.
Four interns lead the contestants to a large platform that was elevated over a pool of water. The four contestants got onto the platform, and they were given water guns filled with a red liquid.
“Inside these guns are PIG BLOOD!! You must shoot your opponents off the table and into the water. The team who can knock their opponents down first wins!”
Zoey gasped. “Is this some sort of messed up homage to Carrie?!” She asked.
“I can’t state that for copyright reasons, but I think you know the answer,” said Chris.
The duos put their fingers on the trigger, waiting for Chris to let them begin.
“Three… Two… One!”
Mike and Zoey ended up both targeting Dawn, who immediately flew into the water, as she weighed almost as much as a feather. B put his finger over the nozzle of his gun, spraying blood uncontrollably. Mike and Zoey sputtered, and Zoey was close to falling into the water.
“Zoey!” Mike screamed. He quickly jumped in front of the redhead, saving her from a particularly nasty blow from B. Zoey took B’s strategy, and also put her finger over the nozzle. Soon everyone was covered in pig blood. B was standing strong and taking the blows like a champ. However, Mike was still covering Zoey and was not fairing so well. He’d never wondered how bad pig blood would taste, and now he was experiencing it in full force. The disgusting, iron-like liquid flooded his mouth. Soon, he could take no more.
“Zoey, you got this!” He shouted as he was finally knocked into the water. Zoey trembled a bit. It was her versus the smartest guy on the show! Well, maybe besides the skinny one who’d been eliminated in episode one, but she’d already forgotten his name. B continued to spray Zoey, getting increasingly closer and closer. There was almost nothing Zoey could do. Her blows were hardly affecting the juggernaut. It didn’t help that the other team was cheering B on incredibly loudly, whilst the only person cheering for Zoey was Mike. Eventually, she couldn’t handle the blows. She tumbled off the platform and into the water.
“The Toxic Rats win! Maggots, I’ll see you at the campfire tonight.” Everyone started to clear out, sans Mike and Zoey.
B twirled the water gun around and pretended to put it in an invisible holster, stepping off the platform and leaving the warehouse. Zoey was still processing the fall and all the pig blood in her mouth. The water was cold and soothing. She wiggled around in the water, trying to get all the blood off. Once she got most of it off, she resurfaced. Mike was eagerly waiting for her.
“You did so well!” Zoey couldn’t help but smile at his adorable buck-toothed grin. When he wasn’t acting as one of his kooky personas, he sure was sweet. But Zoey still didn’t feel right about him. When he played his characters, he’d act so vastly different. That might seem normal as he was an actor overall, but he was just way too method for her liking. She was planning on asking him to maybe tone it down, if it was ok with him.
“Hey… I’ve been meaning to ask you if you could maybe tone down your acting. If that’s okay with you. It’s just… With the whole jersey shore persona and whatever you did with Jo? It’s just kind of weird because I really like you and I thought you liked me, but then you start flirting with Anne-Maria and...” Zoey started to tear up. “Obviously I don’t owe you anything but...” Suddenly the was met with the warm -if not wet and bloody- feeling of Mike’s body wrapped around her.
“Zoey... I’ve got to confess something. I have this thing called MPD. Basically, it means I have multiple personalities. When I flirt with Anne-Maria and act like an old man? Those are just some of my personalities. I just lied about the acting thing. I didn’t want to seem weird and-” Zoey quickly kissed him.
“You should’ve led with that, you dummy! Why would I judge you for that? Hell, that just makes you ten times cooler!” Mike sighed a deep sigh of relief.
Confessional- Mike
“I can’t believe it! She accepts me! And I didn’t need anyone’s help telling her!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Zoey
“Well, that explains everything. I suppose it’s best that I found out this now rather than later.”
End Confessional.
“Can you not tell anyone though? I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression about me.” Mike saw something move in the corner of his eye, but he shrugged it off. Probably just a rat or something. The rest of the campers had left the warehouse, and it was just Mike and Zoey. Well, at least that’s what they thought.
“Of course! Your secret’s safe with me.”
The camera panned out to reveal a hidden Scott, who was hiding behind one of the lockers.
Confessional- Scott.
“So, Mike had MPD? I’m sure I can use that in the future. Zoey may not tell anyone, but I might!”
End Confessional.
Confessional- Mike.
“Ok. So, it’s great that Zoey is cool with me, but I haven’t forgotten that… He resurfaced. I might as well fill you all in. Mal is my 6th alter. He’s a protector. But he usually ends up overdoing his job and scaring people away. He knows I need this money, and I know he’ll do anything to get it. He hasn’t come out since my Juvie days.” Mike looked to the side. “But that’s another story.”
End Confessional.
The maggots were quite in a very somber mood. Zoey and Mike were covered in blood. Jo and Anne-Maria were covered in punch. Brick and Ella were the only people who seemed happy, albeit awkward.
“Ok, I think I’m going to take a shower,” said Mike.
The other three girls followed him, realizing that probably was a good idea. The only people left were Brick and Ella.
“Soo, what’d you think about my dance skills?” Brick asked in a joking tone.
“They were good! And I’m not lying, you really know how to dance!” Ella said, pointing at Brick.
“Thank you. I was actually saving that routine for a real prom. But I suppose a fake prom is just as good.”
“Oh! Well, you can always use it again. This of me as a practice round,” chuckled Ella.
“No, it was more than that!” Brick said. “I don’t know, it felt… Magical?”
“I know! It really did,” Ella said. Both parties looked away, blushing.
Confessional- Ella.
“I think I’ve found my prince…” she swooned. “And I didn’t even need to lose my shoe!”
End Confessional.
Ella and Brick both leaned in for a mutually agreed kiss. Their lips almost touched. Almost.
“Oh my god!” Sam shouted. Both Brick and Ella screamed back. Brick even fell off the log they were sitting on.
“I am so sorry! I won’t tell anyone.” Sam covered his eyes with his hands. He stumbled away.
Confessional- Sam.
"Brick? And Ella?! Who would've expected that?"
End Confessional.
Brick and Ella sat in awkward silence. It was finally broken by Brick’s infectious and hearty laugh. It was booming and loud, but it was still beautiful to Ella. She started to laugh too- her laugh was much lighter. It could’ve been mistaken for singing.
A few hours later, The Mutant Maggots were gathered at the campfire. They all exchanged nervous glances with each other. One member of their team would leave the island- permanently.
“Mutant Maggots. Welcome. There are five marshmallows on my plate. One of you will not receive one tonight, and you will catch a ride on the Bird of Shame.”
“I thought the bird died?”
“I lied. So go cast those votes and we’ll get to it!”
Voting Confessionals- Everyone on the Mutant Maggots.
“I’m voting for Jo. That bossy B-I-T-C-(Bleep) Has got to go!” Shouted Anne-Maria.
“Anne-Maria is annoying, and hardly a team player. She’s leaving tonight,” said Jo, casting her vote.
“I’m voting for Anne-Maria. I’d vote for Jo, but I feel bad after the whole Mal thing,” said Mike.
“Anne-Maria. If she keeps rubbing up on Mike, even as one of his alters, I’ll lose it!” Zoey shouted.
“I’ll vote for Jo. Sure, Anne-Maria messed up, but she initiated the fight. Not very sportsmanlike,” stated Brick, casting his vote.
“I’m voting for Jo. She lunged at Mike and set him off. Not very kind,” said Ella.
End Voting Confessionals.
“Okay. You’ve all cast your votes. Let’s get to it.”
“Zoey! Come get your marshmallow. You’re safe.”
Zoey eagerly jumped up and ate her marshmallow.
“Mike- so are you.”
He sighed a deep sigh of relief and took his marshmallow.
“Brick and Ella! Looks like you two lovers are safe.”
Brick and Ella exchanged a glance. “Uh, were not lo-”
“Sure, you aren’t. I can see the cameras, you know that, right?”
Everyone looked at the duo.
“Whatever.” Chris turned to Anne-Maria and Jo.
“Welcome, girls. You both got three votes each.”
The two looked at each other nervously.
“And because of this… You will engage in a tiebreaker!”
We cut to Jo and Anne-Maria on top of an elevated platform over water. In their hands were sticks with foam ends.
“Okay. Your goal is to knock your opponent into the water before the timer runs out. The winner will stay in the game, and the loser will take the bird home. BEGIN!”
Jo immediately lunged at Anne-Maria, expecting her to buckle underneath Jo’s so-called superior strength. But to Jo’s surprise, she held her ground. The metal sticks clashed against each other, and each girl took turns exchanging blows.
“Not bad, jersey girl!” Grunted Jo, who was genuinely struggling. Anne-Maria responded with a growl, knocking Jo to the ground.
“I’m staying in this game, Jo!” She shouted through her teeth.
Jo yelled and lunged at her, for the second time that day. She tackled Anne-Maria into the water, unfortunately taking herself down with her. The girls crashed into the water with a mighty splash. Jo quickly resurfaced.
“Do I win?!” She asked eagerly.
“Not exactly. You both fell into the water…” Chris grinned slyly.
“So?” Both girls asked.
“So, your both eliminated!” Chris shouted, laughing.
We cut to both girls on the docks.
“This is stupid. I won fair and square!” Jo yelled.
“Tell It to the bird!” Chris yelled back. The bird swooped down and took both girls by their arms. They yelled all the way.
“All right! Now that Jo and Anne-Maria are gone, how will the maggots fare? Will Brick and Ella continue their oh-so-secret romance? What will Mike do now that Scott knows about his MPD? Find out next time on,
Total!
Drama!
Revenge of the island!”
2023.05.29 01:01 DeltaE27 I have a few questions about young snakes and shedding.
I have had my young hognose for about two months now. He is about a year old and has been healthy to my knowledge. Today during a spot cleaning and feeding though, I found some odd things that have me asking questions I don’t know how to answer.
Specifically, I found a single piece of shed skin. He shed not long after we got him, and it was a complete full body shed that seemed to have no issues. I never noticed his eyes turning blue, but assumed that must’ve been because he was hiding for the days after we got him.
What I found here was just an individual piece of shed skin. We try to manage the humidity between 30-50% and have a hide with damp moss as well as a cooler that works on evaporative cooling which tends to keep it in the 40’s.
I also did not notice him going into blue at all. I handled him yesterday for about 15 minutes and noticed no unusual behavior or blue eyes.
That being said, he was particularly unhappy today and hissed at me when I tried to look around for more shed (he has not hissed frequently in the past). He hissed and struck repeatedly with a flattened head when I offered him food (as opposed to his normal feeding behavior of just sort of biting the food he is offered). He did not eat, slithering to the other side of the tank.
I do not see any signs of loose scales or anything of the sort, but I’m not sure if I would know what to look for and I definitely found a solitary piece of shed skin that I don’t know how to explain, unless I just somehow missed it for two months.
With that in mind, I have a few questions.
submitted by DeltaE27 to hognosesnakes [link] [comments]
Specifically, I found a single piece of shed skin. He shed not long after we got him, and it was a complete full body shed that seemed to have no issues. I never noticed his eyes turning blue, but assumed that must’ve been because he was hiding for the days after we got him.
What I found here was just an individual piece of shed skin. We try to manage the humidity between 30-50% and have a hide with damp moss as well as a cooler that works on evaporative cooling which tends to keep it in the 40’s.
I also did not notice him going into blue at all. I handled him yesterday for about 15 minutes and noticed no unusual behavior or blue eyes.
That being said, he was particularly unhappy today and hissed at me when I tried to look around for more shed (he has not hissed frequently in the past). He hissed and struck repeatedly with a flattened head when I offered him food (as opposed to his normal feeding behavior of just sort of biting the food he is offered). He did not eat, slithering to the other side of the tank.
I do not see any signs of loose scales or anything of the sort, but I’m not sure if I would know what to look for and I definitely found a solitary piece of shed skin that I don’t know how to explain, unless I just somehow missed it for two months.
With that in mind, I have a few questions.
- How often do young hognose snakes shed? Would two months be a normal timeframe?
- Do they go into blue like older snakes?
- Is there anything else that could explain this or that I should be looking for?
2023.05.29 00:50 laurenasdf The judge blamed me for being too frozen to scream “no” to a serial rapist. It’s been a month since court and I’ve lost all sense of self
I’m sorry in advance, I don’t mean to make this a “woe is me” a story, but I’m really lost.
Long story short, my attacker (26m) was 6’8” and supposedly my partner of 8mo. Three different women have pressed charges against him in nine months for the same thing (he lied and said we were exclusive and that he wanted to “have my (latinx) children”… we’ll skip past that lmfaoo). Turns out he was f*cking and assaulting four other women simultaneously and I didn’t know it was all true until he tried to do it to me. There are like 20 holes in his walls from where he’s swung at different women. He told me they were old and from self defense with a crazy ex). I’m (24F) 100 pounds and overly nice. I got away by escaping and locking myself in the bathroom after asking him for four hours (over text) to not have sex (wanted a whole some night, and he had been acting in ways that made me so confused and uncomfortable) and him coming over and starting to force it anyway. The judge (no lie) blamed it on me, and said he was a POS but it didn’t legally count as assault because I didn’t scream “no” as it was happening as i was frozen and terrified. He literally admitted to it over text too, saying he “felt me trying to pull away from him and it was not okay with him” and that “i’d never be a wife if I deny myself to man”. None of it makes any sense. I was raped before in the past (he knew this), I have had a stalker and been groped, followed, pinned down. This was the first time I pressed charges because I was absolutely terrified, I found out how many of us there were, he had no remorse, and I learned he was starting with a new woman. He was literally out on bond for kidnapping and rape when he tried to do it to me and got out on bond AGAIN (third time this year).
Sorry this is a poorly written, chaotic post but my thoughts are so scattered. I go through waves of feeling like I’m going to be okay and then suddenly I tank.
I wrote to RAINN and another place trying to speak on my trial because it was the most absurd failure of the justice system but haven’t heard back from RAINN yet. I know this is a super poorly written post because it’s on my phone and I’m exhausted but I genuinely love to write and speak. Regarding the case, I wanted to appeal but apparently the way the law is written, my lawyers said I would likely go through more trauma for nothing, which is absolutely beyond wild to me
I don’t know the point of this post, I guess I’m just venting but I’ve slowly drifted from all my friends and family. A few years ago, I was a pre-med student at a top tier school with hopes and dreams and now I feel like I am a broken human. I feel absolutely powerless, like so-called “justice” is an absolute joke. I feel disconnected from my support systems about I don’t know how to fix it - it sounds dumb but I legitimately don’t know who I am anymore. I live alone and I can’t imagine ever dating again. I’m just… gone.
I guess my questions are - 1) does it ever get any better? I’m so sad watching all my friends get married and start families. It’s been 6 months since the offense and I truly don’t know how I would ever date or be intimate again and it kills me. I see a therapist every few weeks and have a virtual support group of amazing ladies but I feel absolutely alone in a crowded room. And 2) do you know of anywhere I can speak out? I want my voice to be heard. I’ve been overly nice my whole life - I’m ready to be loud, because I’ll be [email protected] if this ever happens to another survivor.
Thank you so much for listening, truly. 🙏
submitted by laurenasdf to sexualassault [link] [comments]
Long story short, my attacker (26m) was 6’8” and supposedly my partner of 8mo. Three different women have pressed charges against him in nine months for the same thing (he lied and said we were exclusive and that he wanted to “have my (latinx) children”… we’ll skip past that lmfaoo). Turns out he was f*cking and assaulting four other women simultaneously and I didn’t know it was all true until he tried to do it to me. There are like 20 holes in his walls from where he’s swung at different women. He told me they were old and from self defense with a crazy ex). I’m (24F) 100 pounds and overly nice. I got away by escaping and locking myself in the bathroom after asking him for four hours (over text) to not have sex (wanted a whole some night, and he had been acting in ways that made me so confused and uncomfortable) and him coming over and starting to force it anyway. The judge (no lie) blamed it on me, and said he was a POS but it didn’t legally count as assault because I didn’t scream “no” as it was happening as i was frozen and terrified. He literally admitted to it over text too, saying he “felt me trying to pull away from him and it was not okay with him” and that “i’d never be a wife if I deny myself to man”. None of it makes any sense. I was raped before in the past (he knew this), I have had a stalker and been groped, followed, pinned down. This was the first time I pressed charges because I was absolutely terrified, I found out how many of us there were, he had no remorse, and I learned he was starting with a new woman. He was literally out on bond for kidnapping and rape when he tried to do it to me and got out on bond AGAIN (third time this year).
Sorry this is a poorly written, chaotic post but my thoughts are so scattered. I go through waves of feeling like I’m going to be okay and then suddenly I tank.
I wrote to RAINN and another place trying to speak on my trial because it was the most absurd failure of the justice system but haven’t heard back from RAINN yet. I know this is a super poorly written post because it’s on my phone and I’m exhausted but I genuinely love to write and speak. Regarding the case, I wanted to appeal but apparently the way the law is written, my lawyers said I would likely go through more trauma for nothing, which is absolutely beyond wild to me
I don’t know the point of this post, I guess I’m just venting but I’ve slowly drifted from all my friends and family. A few years ago, I was a pre-med student at a top tier school with hopes and dreams and now I feel like I am a broken human. I feel absolutely powerless, like so-called “justice” is an absolute joke. I feel disconnected from my support systems about I don’t know how to fix it - it sounds dumb but I legitimately don’t know who I am anymore. I live alone and I can’t imagine ever dating again. I’m just… gone.
I guess my questions are - 1) does it ever get any better? I’m so sad watching all my friends get married and start families. It’s been 6 months since the offense and I truly don’t know how I would ever date or be intimate again and it kills me. I see a therapist every few weeks and have a virtual support group of amazing ladies but I feel absolutely alone in a crowded room. And 2) do you know of anywhere I can speak out? I want my voice to be heard. I’ve been overly nice my whole life - I’m ready to be loud, because I’ll be [email protected] if this ever happens to another survivor.
Thank you so much for listening, truly. 🙏
2023.05.29 00:43 Mr_Bass69 Need help with a kart build.
I know, I know, this place is filled with this same question, but my Manco kart doesn't have a model number, and I need identification for parts. Specifically, 3 things; I may need new wheels, I would like to convert to live axel, and probably need a new sprocket and drum brake system because these ones are basically rusted out.
The kart came with a 3hp B&S stamped 1987, so I assume the kart was built around then. It may have had a fiberglass body on it at one point, but I have little to no memory, as it is around double my age. The serial number on the kart is 1464577, and I could not find a model number.
As for the engine, it is in pretty good shape, only a little surface rust, no water in the crankcase, oil seems fine, but I will definitely replace it if I can get it to run. Today, on the carb alone, I've replaced the main jet, diaphragm & spring, carburetor header gasket, the gasket that mates the tank and the carb, and the gasket that mates the carb to the air filter, as well as the breather tube grommet. The gaskets were horrible, the grommet was cracked, and the whole carb was a little dirty, so I think the engine is breathing/drinking better now. However, I still have no spark, even after replacing the plug. I replaced the plug with a champion cj8, which was what I pulled out of it. I don't know if the engine uses breaker points or not, and I also don't know if the ignition coil is bad or not. The flywheel is pretty rusty on the surface, including the magnet, and so is the armature on the coil. I think I'm going to sand off the rust on the flywheel magnet and the armature and pull the flywheel off to check for a breaker point system. I've already Ohm'd out the coil, and I can't remember if it was 26 or 2.6 kilohms, but I did get a good reading. I am an electrician, not a mechanic, so the irony is kind of pissing me off that I can't get a spark, but I can get everything else to work.
I don't really plan on reusing the B&S long-term, because I'm in the process of building out a predator 212 to throw on instead, but I'm trying to learn small-engine repair, and this is turning out to be a great learning tool. Any and all help will be appreciated, Thanks!
submitted by Mr_Bass69 to gokarts [link] [comments]
The kart came with a 3hp B&S stamped 1987, so I assume the kart was built around then. It may have had a fiberglass body on it at one point, but I have little to no memory, as it is around double my age. The serial number on the kart is 1464577, and I could not find a model number.
As for the engine, it is in pretty good shape, only a little surface rust, no water in the crankcase, oil seems fine, but I will definitely replace it if I can get it to run. Today, on the carb alone, I've replaced the main jet, diaphragm & spring, carburetor header gasket, the gasket that mates the tank and the carb, and the gasket that mates the carb to the air filter, as well as the breather tube grommet. The gaskets were horrible, the grommet was cracked, and the whole carb was a little dirty, so I think the engine is breathing/drinking better now. However, I still have no spark, even after replacing the plug. I replaced the plug with a champion cj8, which was what I pulled out of it. I don't know if the engine uses breaker points or not, and I also don't know if the ignition coil is bad or not. The flywheel is pretty rusty on the surface, including the magnet, and so is the armature on the coil. I think I'm going to sand off the rust on the flywheel magnet and the armature and pull the flywheel off to check for a breaker point system. I've already Ohm'd out the coil, and I can't remember if it was 26 or 2.6 kilohms, but I did get a good reading. I am an electrician, not a mechanic, so the irony is kind of pissing me off that I can't get a spark, but I can get everything else to work.
I don't really plan on reusing the B&S long-term, because I'm in the process of building out a predator 212 to throw on instead, but I'm trying to learn small-engine repair, and this is turning out to be a great learning tool. Any and all help will be appreciated, Thanks!
2023.05.29 00:35 iowanaquarist I have to share with someone....
Driving home today, I found a relatively new 40G Breeder (and *NOT* one of the Top Fin junk) sitting at the curb. The inspection slip stuck to the bottom was Nov 2022, no signs of cracks, no signs of water stains on the outside of the tank, no green spots on the glass or in the silicone, no silicone pulling up.
The only things that I could find for why it was tossed out: the water stains inside made it look like it was possibly used for turtles or something else that didn't need a full tank of water, the glass is simply *COVERED* in hard water scale (on the inside), and the largish river rocks in the bottom stank like *DEATH*, and still had sludgy water in it.
It was also sitting next to an extremely flimsy coffee table that was about an inch larger in each dimension. The legs were wobbly, and looked like they were crushing from the vertical pressure.
The coffee table is still on the curb, the tank is now in my garage. Once it finishes drying out, I will use a razor blade to scrape the hard water off -- nothing I have not dealt with before, our regional tap water is insanely hard (180-240).
My wife was in the truck with me, and rolled her eyes when I pulled over, and reminded me we are trying to downsize our belongings. I pointed out that even if I didn't want to keep it I could likely sell it for ~$100 after 30 minutes cleaning it up.
submitted by iowanaquarist to Aquariums [link] [comments]
The only things that I could find for why it was tossed out: the water stains inside made it look like it was possibly used for turtles or something else that didn't need a full tank of water, the glass is simply *COVERED* in hard water scale (on the inside), and the largish river rocks in the bottom stank like *DEATH*, and still had sludgy water in it.
It was also sitting next to an extremely flimsy coffee table that was about an inch larger in each dimension. The legs were wobbly, and looked like they were crushing from the vertical pressure.
The coffee table is still on the curb, the tank is now in my garage. Once it finishes drying out, I will use a razor blade to scrape the hard water off -- nothing I have not dealt with before, our regional tap water is insanely hard (180-240).
My wife was in the truck with me, and rolled her eyes when I pulled over, and reminded me we are trying to downsize our belongings. I pointed out that even if I didn't want to keep it I could likely sell it for ~$100 after 30 minutes cleaning it up.
2023.05.29 00:34 Amy_Hearts I pass enough for creepy men to secretly take pics of me..
TW//misogny, creepy men and cis men
This weird middle aged white guy withj a rolling stones shirt with like the logo licking a blunt ot something was asking questions the kind boomers would ask at my place of work and then he asked if he could take w picture of me and my sister. We both were wearing tank tops and today I thought I would dress up nice like fishnets cute top and some accessories. We told him out right no and he walked away..
1 Minute later and I see him with his expensive red phone pointed right at is from the distance through the crowd. Once I pointed him out to my sister he slowly panned the camera away like he was doing a video. We both decided to confront him and I grabbed a tiny bat just to hopefully scare him off if he tried anything cause he was bigger than us. We asked him what he was doing and he denied taking pictures of us and said he was taking a video of the place.
He said he was going to post the pics online and when we asked where he ignored the question we asked to see his camera roll and he refused and said "this is a free country you can't just be threatening me" and I said it's a free country but not freedom from consequences and he just took his phone out and started recording us and after that was walked away flipping him off.. I spent like 40 minutes walking trying to find security and they were kind of useless honestly... they said they will check it out but yeah it was very vague and sounded like bullshit to me. The army guys were really nice they heard my story and helped me try to find an officer or security, shout out to them they're nice.
Since then I've just been crying and scared... I'm worried he will post the pics he took somewhere gross online or he will worst post the video and it will goo viral on tik tok or viral freak out and I will just endlessly get harassed for it online...
But after that whole situation I covered up so my shoulders weren't exposed and changed into long pants and a long t short even tho it was like 80 degrees out. I was too scared to dress like a hot bitch. It's hot girl summer I wanted to own it but in that moment I felt vulnerable and sexualized. I love how I look and this is proof I do pass but im scared to wear anything too exposing now. I know that what you wear doesn't stop predators and stuff but I can't feel confident in public atleast in my cute hot girl clothing.. and idk...
submitted by Amy_Hearts to MtF [link] [comments]
This weird middle aged white guy withj a rolling stones shirt with like the logo licking a blunt ot something was asking questions the kind boomers would ask at my place of work and then he asked if he could take w picture of me and my sister. We both were wearing tank tops and today I thought I would dress up nice like fishnets cute top and some accessories. We told him out right no and he walked away..
1 Minute later and I see him with his expensive red phone pointed right at is from the distance through the crowd. Once I pointed him out to my sister he slowly panned the camera away like he was doing a video. We both decided to confront him and I grabbed a tiny bat just to hopefully scare him off if he tried anything cause he was bigger than us. We asked him what he was doing and he denied taking pictures of us and said he was taking a video of the place.
He said he was going to post the pics online and when we asked where he ignored the question we asked to see his camera roll and he refused and said "this is a free country you can't just be threatening me" and I said it's a free country but not freedom from consequences and he just took his phone out and started recording us and after that was walked away flipping him off.. I spent like 40 minutes walking trying to find security and they were kind of useless honestly... they said they will check it out but yeah it was very vague and sounded like bullshit to me. The army guys were really nice they heard my story and helped me try to find an officer or security, shout out to them they're nice.
Since then I've just been crying and scared... I'm worried he will post the pics he took somewhere gross online or he will worst post the video and it will goo viral on tik tok or viral freak out and I will just endlessly get harassed for it online...
But after that whole situation I covered up so my shoulders weren't exposed and changed into long pants and a long t short even tho it was like 80 degrees out. I was too scared to dress like a hot bitch. It's hot girl summer I wanted to own it but in that moment I felt vulnerable and sexualized. I love how I look and this is proof I do pass but im scared to wear anything too exposing now. I know that what you wear doesn't stop predators and stuff but I can't feel confident in public atleast in my cute hot girl clothing.. and idk...
2023.05.29 00:33 Ambitious-Image-5785 I am done with this season
SoloQ is getting worse and worse. I am in a losing streak for 2 days (4~5 loses then a win, cycle continues), I was hovering around 50 stars at the edge of Mythical Glory, but got demoted to Mythical Honor. I thought I could climb back up, but the nightmare starts, I was hit with a cycle of lose streak then and now I am in Mythic 23 stars.
Instantly after dropping to Mythic Honor and Mythic, I could tell that the players are very different from the Mythic players of previous seasons. They will behave pretty much like the Epic/Legend tier players of previous seasons. Starting of with the bans, instead of banning broken heroes like Joy, Arlott, Faramis... they will ban Yin, Hanzo, Estes.... literally the Epic/Legend bans. If they don't get gold lane Layla or Miya, either it will be Nana for all other roles or Saber jungle just so they don't have to tank. You can literally tell that they don't know how to jungle, forget about ignoring the turtle, they not only ignore the lord when we have a man advantage, their jungling route starts with the buff, then proceeds to clear the creeps in that quarter of the map before going to the next buff. By that time, the enemy would invade and he/she will still be lvl 3. How do you even come up with such bizarre rotation!!??
If I ended up with exp lane, I am forced to build full tank as a frontline since we would have something in the lines of 2 mages (or mage plus Rafaela/Selena), a Layla (or Hanabi/Lesley/Miya), Saber (or Harley/Mage Karina). (By the way, Tank Arlott should be deleted from the game, I literally wiped the entire enemy team 2~3 times by just tapping buttons and sometimes my phone can't even keep up with the frame-rate). If I have to jungle, Fredrinn, Tank Martis, Tank Alpha, Tank Balmond, Tankcelott/ Tank Ling (disgusting but it kinda works), are pretty much the options. Can't even afford to build damage or play damage junglers.
I am pretty certain this is the result of having bonus rounds/bot games in Legend and below (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78HNfM4WT0E), since all the Epic/Legend players are just boosted to Mythic. This just defeats the purpose of having ranks, why not just make it a open rank like in Classic. At this point I will just wait for the season to reset, rank up to Mythic next season to enjoy few weeks of games before the bots are released to boost ranks (if I remember correctly, they appear bit later than the season reset).
submitted by Ambitious-Image-5785 to MobileLegendsGame [link] [comments]
Instantly after dropping to Mythic Honor and Mythic, I could tell that the players are very different from the Mythic players of previous seasons. They will behave pretty much like the Epic/Legend tier players of previous seasons. Starting of with the bans, instead of banning broken heroes like Joy, Arlott, Faramis... they will ban Yin, Hanzo, Estes.... literally the Epic/Legend bans. If they don't get gold lane Layla or Miya, either it will be Nana for all other roles or Saber jungle just so they don't have to tank. You can literally tell that they don't know how to jungle, forget about ignoring the turtle, they not only ignore the lord when we have a man advantage, their jungling route starts with the buff, then proceeds to clear the creeps in that quarter of the map before going to the next buff. By that time, the enemy would invade and he/she will still be lvl 3. How do you even come up with such bizarre rotation!!??
If I ended up with exp lane, I am forced to build full tank as a frontline since we would have something in the lines of 2 mages (or mage plus Rafaela/Selena), a Layla (or Hanabi/Lesley/Miya), Saber (or Harley/Mage Karina). (By the way, Tank Arlott should be deleted from the game, I literally wiped the entire enemy team 2~3 times by just tapping buttons and sometimes my phone can't even keep up with the frame-rate). If I have to jungle, Fredrinn, Tank Martis, Tank Alpha, Tank Balmond, Tankcelott/ Tank Ling (disgusting but it kinda works), are pretty much the options. Can't even afford to build damage or play damage junglers.
I am pretty certain this is the result of having bonus rounds/bot games in Legend and below (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78HNfM4WT0E), since all the Epic/Legend players are just boosted to Mythic. This just defeats the purpose of having ranks, why not just make it a open rank like in Classic. At this point I will just wait for the season to reset, rank up to Mythic next season to enjoy few weeks of games before the bots are released to boost ranks (if I remember correctly, they appear bit later than the season reset).
2023.05.29 00:27 yzyyzywuzgud [Cartier] Tank Must XL
Pictured is my new Cartier Tank XL (ref: WSTA0040). I've been in the market for a dress(ier) watch and after many visits to boutiques / ADs + an absurd amount of YouTube videos, I decided to pull the trigger on the Tank. It ticked all the boxes for me:
✅ Mechanical ✅ Guilloche dial ✅ Classic design ✅ Pretty
Something about a design that has remained largely in tact for ~100 years really speaks to me. I think Cartier is doing fantastic things with their current offering - I'm hard pressed to find any watches that I like more than the Tank at a similar price range (sorry Reverso, no hard feelings).
Before I'm hit with the "it's tOO BiG FoR YOUr wrist" or "a taNk sHoUlD WeaR smALl", consider that I personally enjoy the XL sizing and therefore I'm right and you're wrong. OK ciao!
submitted by yzyyzywuzgud to Watches [link] [comments]
✅ Mechanical ✅ Guilloche dial ✅ Classic design ✅ Pretty
Something about a design that has remained largely in tact for ~100 years really speaks to me. I think Cartier is doing fantastic things with their current offering - I'm hard pressed to find any watches that I like more than the Tank at a similar price range (sorry Reverso, no hard feelings).
Before I'm hit with the "it's tOO BiG FoR YOUr wrist" or "a taNk sHoUlD WeaR smALl", consider that I personally enjoy the XL sizing and therefore I'm right and you're wrong. OK ciao!
2023.05.29 00:21 WoodpeckerWrong842 Slings
 | I had a question about feeding slings. Picked up 3 from an expo yesterday.. put a few flies in after they had time to settle.. my Acanthoscurria geniculata ate both times because he’s a tank. But the others are skittish. Should I wait a few more days? submitted by WoodpeckerWrong842 to tarantulas [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 00:15 wingtarde [fully lost](?) five nights at freddys youtube live action movie
apologies if this doesnt follow the guidelines, i hardly post on reddit
looking for a fnaf live action fanmade movie off of youtube from 2015-16. it was during the era of vine/racist jokes being very prominent and its obvious in this movie
what i remember mostly is two scenes: in one, there is a freddy "nightmare" esque anamatronic in the attic. the family that moved into the house notices it(either by looking or using the cameras in the house, i dont remember exactly.) the robot then kills someone. after this, the black character being a stereotype (possibly wearing a tank top/shorts/gold chain and im 90% sure was holding a bucket of fried chicken) opens the front door and yells, "the black guy wont die first in this movie!" this video gave younger me serious nightmares for about two years and ive been looking for it for a very long time. the only type of videos that look similar are iron horse cinema fnaf movies. it wasnt as serious/dark as the iron horse videos, i remember the white family was very ignorant to the scary things happening in the house, it was a popular joke a couple years ago to talk about how white families in horror movies moving into obviously haunted places
thats all i remember, thanks for any leads guys
submitted by wingtarde to lostmedia [link] [comments]
looking for a fnaf live action fanmade movie off of youtube from 2015-16. it was during the era of vine/racist jokes being very prominent and its obvious in this movie
what i remember mostly is two scenes: in one, there is a freddy "nightmare" esque anamatronic in the attic. the family that moved into the house notices it(either by looking or using the cameras in the house, i dont remember exactly.) the robot then kills someone. after this, the black character being a stereotype (possibly wearing a tank top/shorts/gold chain and im 90% sure was holding a bucket of fried chicken) opens the front door and yells, "the black guy wont die first in this movie!" this video gave younger me serious nightmares for about two years and ive been looking for it for a very long time. the only type of videos that look similar are iron horse cinema fnaf movies. it wasnt as serious/dark as the iron horse videos, i remember the white family was very ignorant to the scary things happening in the house, it was a popular joke a couple years ago to talk about how white families in horror movies moving into obviously haunted places
thats all i remember, thanks for any leads guys
2023.05.29 00:07 wardy116 Finnish @ 500pts
Hi Everyone!
I’m new to Bolt Action (but not miniature wargames) and I visited Finland for the IHWC in 2022 and loved learning about the history of Finland since independence and have been keen to play them in some form on the tabletop since.
I’ve read up on Fins in Bolt Action and how they’re not the most beginner friendly but I’m keen to not let that stop me, I like their infantry ambush and staying-power style.
I’ve come up with quite a simple starter list which I can make with some really affordable 3D prints. I would appreciate some feedback on (especially in relation to the Forward Observer vs other kinds of artillery like mortars and AT-guns).
I do like that it’s essentially 20 rifles and one radio… it feels to me very on-theme for the very basic-level equipment of the Fins during the Winter War.
That said any feedback or advice on how to potentially play the list would be great! I know it’s lacking some AT beyond the observer though all the batte reports I’ve seen make tanks seem like something you’re better ignoring/avoiding after putting a few pins on it (unless it’s bristling with machine guns!) … but let me know if that’s a mistake!
submitted by wardy116 to boltaction [link] [comments]
I’m new to Bolt Action (but not miniature wargames) and I visited Finland for the IHWC in 2022 and loved learning about the history of Finland since independence and have been keen to play them in some form on the tabletop since.
I’ve read up on Fins in Bolt Action and how they’re not the most beginner friendly but I’m keen to not let that stop me, I like their infantry ambush and staying-power style.
I’ve come up with quite a simple starter list which I can make with some really affordable 3D prints. I would appreciate some feedback on (especially in relation to the Forward Observer vs other kinds of artillery like mortars and AT-guns).
- 1x Vet 2nd Lieutenant (65).
- 1x Vet Forward Observer (115).
- 2x Vet 8-Man Sissi Rifle Squads (120x2 = 240).
- 1x 2-Man Vet Sniper Team (72).
I do like that it’s essentially 20 rifles and one radio… it feels to me very on-theme for the very basic-level equipment of the Fins during the Winter War.
That said any feedback or advice on how to potentially play the list would be great! I know it’s lacking some AT beyond the observer though all the batte reports I’ve seen make tanks seem like something you’re better ignoring/avoiding after putting a few pins on it (unless it’s bristling with machine guns!) … but let me know if that’s a mistake!
2023.05.29 00:04 Huge_Chocolate3465 Should I get a PoliSci PhD if I want to end up in industry?
Hi folks, I would really love to know your thoughts on getting a PhD and the career aspects beyond academia. My situation is a bit tricky and I am not sure if I should go back to my PhD program. Long story short, I got into a top 3 program this cycle and the funding is great. It is my dream program and dream school. However, a few things happened in the last couple of months after my application and changed my mind about doing a PhD and staying in academia. I already have a MA and I therefore decided to defer a year and look for some internship/jobs from now.
I am thinking of consulting and data/research scientists in tech companies as two career alternatives. Also, I am not a big fan of policy analysis and think tanks. Some people suggest that I should enter the industry immediately because the marketability of a PoliSci PhD with no professional experience at age 30 is very low. However, I also find many positions (especially research scientists) require a PhD degree. I still like doing research or research-related stuff but I just don't like the publishing process as well as teaching.
What is the career prospect of a PhD compared to a MA in PoliSci? Should I go back to my PhD program next year?
submitted by Huge_Chocolate3465 to PoliticalScience [link] [comments]
I am thinking of consulting and data/research scientists in tech companies as two career alternatives. Also, I am not a big fan of policy analysis and think tanks. Some people suggest that I should enter the industry immediately because the marketability of a PoliSci PhD with no professional experience at age 30 is very low. However, I also find many positions (especially research scientists) require a PhD degree. I still like doing research or research-related stuff but I just don't like the publishing process as well as teaching.
What is the career prospect of a PhD compared to a MA in PoliSci? Should I go back to my PhD program next year?
2023.05.29 00:00 Asset_13 08 Fuel spraying everywhere.
Hey guys. Hoping you can help me out with something. First long ride of the season this afternoon, and on my way home on an empty straight I let it loose a bit. After a couple of gear changes, I heard a sputtemisfire and then felt a loss of power.
I’ve had something like that in the past, where I had water in the plug wells which was causing the misfire, and subsequent cherry reddening of one of the headers due to the lack of combustion. Anyway, I pull over and hop off and there’s fuel everywhere.
Powered it back on for a second and fuel was misting out from the spot where the fuel line quick connect is under the tank. Did some quick forum research and some people surmised the quick connect wasn’t connected all the way, but I’ve already gone on a few short rides and have an experience this.
I know I won’t know what’s up until I strip the tank and start looking, but wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar to this??
Getting sick of this bike
submitted by Asset_13 to versys [link] [comments]
I’ve had something like that in the past, where I had water in the plug wells which was causing the misfire, and subsequent cherry reddening of one of the headers due to the lack of combustion. Anyway, I pull over and hop off and there’s fuel everywhere.
Powered it back on for a second and fuel was misting out from the spot where the fuel line quick connect is under the tank. Did some quick forum research and some people surmised the quick connect wasn’t connected all the way, but I’ve already gone on a few short rides and have an experience this.
I know I won’t know what’s up until I strip the tank and start looking, but wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar to this??
Getting sick of this bike
2023.05.28 23:56 FaleapAK [Online][5e][PST][LGBT/POC/Women Friendly][Sunday] In Service of the Empire - an intrigue filled 5e game in a nobledark, post-industrial fantasy setting!
I’ll close the post when I’m no longer considering responses, so don’t be afraid to apply if the post is a little old! (Reposting this one last time for a little more visibility, so don't worry if you've already responded!)
I'm hoping for this to become a weekly, long-term game that can see some serious development over time. Expect things to be a bit different from the traditional Tolkienesque adventurer fantasy (though there'll be plenty of action and excitement!); the world of Galrea is my personal 5e setting, designed with an eye towards my strengths as writer and DM! Some big inspirations are Fullmetal Alchemist for themes and handling dark topics, Star Wars for worldbuilding, Fallout New Vegas for intrigue and factions, The Order 1886 for many stylistic and plot elements, and FFVII for getting fantasy elements to work with firearms and an industrial setting. And as for the campaign pitch proper:
For 50 years the elves waged a campaign of subjugation against the human nations of Galrea. The war devastated much of the known world, and saw the rise of many new innovations; well-developed firearms have become the standard ranged weaponry while the armored, hulking, tank-esque constructs known as juggernauts now stalk the battlefields of Galrea. At great cost, through blood and steel, the Osinyan Empire finally broke the elvish invaders - and in turn united two-thirds of the mortal realm under one banner for the first time in history. The Empire is ascendant; a new era of history has begun.
But now, 17 years after the Union, the cracks in this order have become increasingly apparent. The once backwater collection of city-states to the East have reorganized themselves into the Ancian Federation, a rival power capable of effective opposition to the Empire. In the new territories, Osinyan rule has proven unpopular with many, who sometimes even resort to violent insurgencies. All the while the Empire struggles with itself; falling victim to the corruption and internal rivalries that have plagued Osinyan society for nearly as long as history can remember. For all its size, power, and industrial might - the Empire is stretched to the limit.
Within this oversized polity is an organization of exceptional people known as the Imperial Knights; a group your character is expected to be a junior member of, or perhaps simply associated with. For the most part, the Knights do whatever needs to be done to keep the empire running in situations where throwing manpower, metal, or money at a problem isn’t viable. This ranges from monster hunting to espionage to arcane research - even confronting eldritch terrors. Most knights typically specialize in a couple of areas, but the group as a whole are multipurpose enforcers. (The Knights aren't really the traditional, plate-armored kind - the title is more about the nature of their service than it is about a specific role.)
A skilled knight can expect lavish rewards for their service. Riches, land, noble titles, and political influence are common, and it is far from unheard of for an important individual to request more creative favors. The party are not yet full knights, lacking some of the formal authority and informal influence that come with the title - but as initiates they're acknowledged as candidates for the title, should they prove themselves clapable.
But, don't let the above limit your character ideas and backgrounds too much! The Knights have a large amount of freedom in how, exactly, they resolve the situations they are faced with; so long as the problem goes away, their methods needn't conform with traditional Osinyan thinking. (I'm pretty specifically trying to avoid an evil campaign here!) And your character doesn't have to be on board with the whole imperialism thing to have good reason to join; perhaps they might want a measure of social mobility, to use a knight's influence to support unpopular reforms, or simply to stop the bloodshed of a second war. (The one major restriction I have on character motivation is to avoid an outright double-agent type who is expected to backstab the party at some point. I want to make sure everybody can stick together as a cohesive group!)
This campaign is a living world and in many ways a sandbox for the players. In practical terms, while the party is expected to pursue tasks assigned to them, the methods you choose in doing so are entirely up to you, and you'll have increasing opportunities to set your own objectives as your influence grows. All the major people you encounter are probably playing an angle of some kind - you're encouraged to work towards your own ends, too! Don't be afraid to be a driver of the plot in your own right; you'll lose your head in the Empire if you only ever do things you're told. Play your cards right and you might just be able to change the fate of the world.
That’s all the important player buy-in out of the way for now. So, as for some details, I’m going for a smaller party (3-4 people, if we lose somebody I’ll repost here and work with you for replacements), and I’m looking at a level 5 or 6 start. I do have some moderate house rules, the most notable of which is “gritty realism”, though I mostly like it as a pacing tool as I’m not fond of overly much grit nor realism. I should note that while roleplay is my primary focus, I come from XCOM and JRPGs so I do have a love of tactics. I might not always have frequent combat, but I like to think quality beats quantity for tabletop fights! And if you’d like some basic lore I have written up to skim…
-Here’s some lore on regions of the world: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iuaYmO12DxAHGAOv\_Gnddog8wIJ9dQOpNYQLuyOyMSg/edit?usp=sharing]
-And here’s some lore on races and cultures: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zbIcWgB11olDWF3WJ1oqEvuOlfjAXmyh5PyY5UiJg-M/edit?usp=sharing]
Feel free to message me here for any questions!
And with that, here’s a link to a player survey I’d like you to fill out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctG93invNb8w3TvtgStDISco2EMGoelAV8Aqngh9c-xTZSoA/viewform?usp=sf\_link
I know this one was bit long, so thank you if you’ve stuck with me up till this point! Hope to hear from you!
submitted by FaleapAK to lfg [link] [comments]
I'm hoping for this to become a weekly, long-term game that can see some serious development over time. Expect things to be a bit different from the traditional Tolkienesque adventurer fantasy (though there'll be plenty of action and excitement!); the world of Galrea is my personal 5e setting, designed with an eye towards my strengths as writer and DM! Some big inspirations are Fullmetal Alchemist for themes and handling dark topics, Star Wars for worldbuilding, Fallout New Vegas for intrigue and factions, The Order 1886 for many stylistic and plot elements, and FFVII for getting fantasy elements to work with firearms and an industrial setting. And as for the campaign pitch proper:
For 50 years the elves waged a campaign of subjugation against the human nations of Galrea. The war devastated much of the known world, and saw the rise of many new innovations; well-developed firearms have become the standard ranged weaponry while the armored, hulking, tank-esque constructs known as juggernauts now stalk the battlefields of Galrea. At great cost, through blood and steel, the Osinyan Empire finally broke the elvish invaders - and in turn united two-thirds of the mortal realm under one banner for the first time in history. The Empire is ascendant; a new era of history has begun.
But now, 17 years after the Union, the cracks in this order have become increasingly apparent. The once backwater collection of city-states to the East have reorganized themselves into the Ancian Federation, a rival power capable of effective opposition to the Empire. In the new territories, Osinyan rule has proven unpopular with many, who sometimes even resort to violent insurgencies. All the while the Empire struggles with itself; falling victim to the corruption and internal rivalries that have plagued Osinyan society for nearly as long as history can remember. For all its size, power, and industrial might - the Empire is stretched to the limit.
Within this oversized polity is an organization of exceptional people known as the Imperial Knights; a group your character is expected to be a junior member of, or perhaps simply associated with. For the most part, the Knights do whatever needs to be done to keep the empire running in situations where throwing manpower, metal, or money at a problem isn’t viable. This ranges from monster hunting to espionage to arcane research - even confronting eldritch terrors. Most knights typically specialize in a couple of areas, but the group as a whole are multipurpose enforcers. (The Knights aren't really the traditional, plate-armored kind - the title is more about the nature of their service than it is about a specific role.)
A skilled knight can expect lavish rewards for their service. Riches, land, noble titles, and political influence are common, and it is far from unheard of for an important individual to request more creative favors. The party are not yet full knights, lacking some of the formal authority and informal influence that come with the title - but as initiates they're acknowledged as candidates for the title, should they prove themselves clapable.
But, don't let the above limit your character ideas and backgrounds too much! The Knights have a large amount of freedom in how, exactly, they resolve the situations they are faced with; so long as the problem goes away, their methods needn't conform with traditional Osinyan thinking. (I'm pretty specifically trying to avoid an evil campaign here!) And your character doesn't have to be on board with the whole imperialism thing to have good reason to join; perhaps they might want a measure of social mobility, to use a knight's influence to support unpopular reforms, or simply to stop the bloodshed of a second war. (The one major restriction I have on character motivation is to avoid an outright double-agent type who is expected to backstab the party at some point. I want to make sure everybody can stick together as a cohesive group!)
This campaign is a living world and in many ways a sandbox for the players. In practical terms, while the party is expected to pursue tasks assigned to them, the methods you choose in doing so are entirely up to you, and you'll have increasing opportunities to set your own objectives as your influence grows. All the major people you encounter are probably playing an angle of some kind - you're encouraged to work towards your own ends, too! Don't be afraid to be a driver of the plot in your own right; you'll lose your head in the Empire if you only ever do things you're told. Play your cards right and you might just be able to change the fate of the world.
That’s all the important player buy-in out of the way for now. So, as for some details, I’m going for a smaller party (3-4 people, if we lose somebody I’ll repost here and work with you for replacements), and I’m looking at a level 5 or 6 start. I do have some moderate house rules, the most notable of which is “gritty realism”, though I mostly like it as a pacing tool as I’m not fond of overly much grit nor realism. I should note that while roleplay is my primary focus, I come from XCOM and JRPGs so I do have a love of tactics. I might not always have frequent combat, but I like to think quality beats quantity for tabletop fights! And if you’d like some basic lore I have written up to skim…
-Here’s some lore on regions of the world: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iuaYmO12DxAHGAOv\_Gnddog8wIJ9dQOpNYQLuyOyMSg/edit?usp=sharing]
-And here’s some lore on races and cultures: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zbIcWgB11olDWF3WJ1oqEvuOlfjAXmyh5PyY5UiJg-M/edit?usp=sharing]
Feel free to message me here for any questions!
And with that, here’s a link to a player survey I’d like you to fill out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctG93invNb8w3TvtgStDISco2EMGoelAV8Aqngh9c-xTZSoA/viewform?usp=sf\_link
I know this one was bit long, so thank you if you’ve stuck with me up till this point! Hope to hear from you!
2023.05.28 23:55 Secret-Roof-7503 [Foy] After defeat in Prem Final, Sale set to reinforce squad for title bid next season as they are closing in on deal for Luke Cowan-Dickie. He has passed 1st medical and if 2nd goes well, England hooker is expected to sign for Sharks.
![[Foy] After defeat in Prem Final, Sale set to reinforce squad for title bid next season as they are closing in on deal for Luke Cowan-Dickie. He has passed 1st medical and if 2nd goes well, England hooker is expected to sign for Sharks.](https://external-preview.redd.it/AjLpsBVbiZ_FNM7wphHuTpnayLKm9tmsssR50WaRZ24.jpg?width=108&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=de8204f45df9bcbb669caeba96f4b6e7806cb976 "[Foy] After defeat in Prem Final, Sale set to reinforce squad for title bid next season as they are closing in on deal for Luke Cowan-Dickie. He has passed 1st medical and if 2nd goes well, England hooker is expected to sign for Sharks.") | submitted by Secret-Roof-7503 to rugbyunion [link] [comments] |
2023.05.28 23:46 CaliforniaNewsBot [World] - Man in police custody falls to death after breaking California hospital window with oxygen tank Toronto Star
![[World] - Man in police custody falls to death after breaking California hospital window with oxygen tank Toronto Star](https://external-preview.redd.it/E5YRT6ZI57TRKHcdfCBLIFYi0ypsuSWHU2rh1eX5Ap8.jpg?width=108&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=c8e5c4b563b0f5b6e569331141b0de15573e3ad8 "[World] - Man in police custody falls to death after breaking California hospital window with oxygen tank Toronto Star") | submitted by CaliforniaNewsBot to californianews [link] [comments] |