So Basically me and this girl let’s call her Zoe became really good friends after sitting next to each other at the start of the last school year we were really close throughout that whole year and this school year aswell that was up until about a month ago basically long story short this year I also became close friends with this other girl (we’ll call her katie)who was new to the school and we hang out round school together quite a lot I know I may sound fake saying this but I can promise I’m not at all but katie has a lot of underlying issues and I have come to the realisation that she isn’t a very good person and I am now slowly distancing myself from her but throughout the year I would rant to Zoe about how Katie was annoying me and how weird and horrible she is (ik this makes me seem like a bad person but trust me if you knew katie you’d understand)and Zoe would find it funny when I’d make fun of her so we would just always joke and take the piss out of her it wasn’t until about a month or two ago Katie and Zoe started becoming friends and we all made a group chat together and we were genuinely fine apart from Katie getting mad and leaving the chat to get attention and then begging us to be added back but apart from that it were fine Katie is very odd so me and Zoe would often talk in private about the shit she’d say on the chat 😂one day Zoe and Katie had a massive fallout on the chat which resulted in Katie snitching on Zoe to the school and trying to get her in trouble this then resulted in Zoe absolutely hating Katie’s guts more so than she did before just from the stuff I told her she thought Katie was a weirdo but she now has a deep hatred for katie.Katie also doesn’t like Zoe and so she’ll slag Zoe of to me quite a lot ,obviously out of the two I prefer Zoe we’ve been friends for longer and I genuinely love her as a person and we get along so well she’s probably the funniest and most genuine friend I have and I would never say anything horrible about her,but I am quite a non confrontational person and don’t like to be involved with drama and I don’t like conflict and petty fights (especially all this in person)all of this stems from my anxiety as I hate being center of attention and I hate fighting with ppl as I fear I will lose my friends or they’ll leave me so yh in general I hate arguments and fights and i avoid them at all costs I also always tend to stay silent or try and stay out of it kinda person,with Zoe and Katie’s fight I ended up in the middle of it like I always do with any friend group iv had and Zoe would slag Katie off to me while obvs katie would slag Zoe off to me and one day I noticed Zoe was acting off w me on text so I said I was sorry about the whole situation and katie snitching on her to the school to see if that’s why she was sounding upset w me and she replies saying”tbh I was never bothered by it and ik you slag me off to her anyway”which took me back as I have never said anything horrible about Zoe to katie cuz I genuinely love her and I was like what do you mean and she then continued by saying that she knows I’m bitchy about her to katie and i slag her off about her bad attendance and medical condition(I do not)I then realised where she’s getting this from one of the days katie was slagging Zoe off to me Zoe’s bsf was right across from us and obviously went and told her all that which she’s obviously lying cuz I never said anything bad about Zoe only katie did maybe I agreed with what she was saying cuz I was zoning out but I have never talked shit bout her and never would but obviously she’s going to believe her no1 bsf over me and I told her that was bs but she didn’t believe me and it’s been almost a month now and me and Zoe still aren’t friends I don’t want a friendship to be ruined over lies but she’s obvs not gonna believe me iv texted her twice once saying hey I was gonna attempt to make a convo but she left me on opened,a few days ago she snapped me a photo making fun of Katie so I assumed maybe she was trying to be funny and lighthearted and start a convo back up so I said hey and then proceeded to say how I weren’t rlly friends with Katie anymore and she seemed genuinely interested as to why not so I told her I then flipped the convo and asked if she’d been upto much and she j replied “no”.I said “ neither tbf”and she left me on opened idk what to do I rlly want to be friends again but I don’t know what to say or do to make it happen,we’re both socially awkward,quite anxious ppl so that doesn’t help but although I’m non confrontational I can speak up more when it comes to resolving fights and making peace whereas Zoe likes to fight but is awkward asf when it comes to making up w ppl and wont be the one to initiate it,I don’t get the vibe she hates me but I rlly don’t think she trusts me now but I’m not friends w katie anymore so I rlly want to leave her in the past plus she’s moving away this summer anyway ,I j don’t want me and Zoe’s friendship to go to waste over some bitchy girl and a misunderstanding but I don’t know how to say any of this to her.I also get the vibe Zoe now thinks I’m fake as I would always slag off Katie to her and now she thinks I do the same about her to Katie which is not true at all I’m not like that but that’s probs what she thinks ughhh!!Any advice on what I should say to star a convo about this situation with her or what I should say to her in general?

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American here (31M, Los Angeles). Just got back from a 2.5-week solo trip to Germany. This was my first visit there, so I wanted to share my experience.
I stayed in the following cities:

• Frankfurt - Amazing skyline, loved viewing it from green spaces throughout the city. The Messeturm, Commerzbank, and St. Bartholomew's Cathedral were my favorite sights.
• Tübingen - Beautiful, brightly-colored medieval buildings. Surprising amount of graffiti, which seemed to clash with the character of the city. But the Neckar Riverfront is lovely to walk along.
• Munich - Gorgeous city. Lively, yet well-kept. I was in a good mood the whole time here. The Residenz Palace and Theatine Church are incredible.
• Nuremberg - Absolutely fascinating place. Well-preserved old town and excellent museums (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nazi Documentation Center, Nuremberg Trials Memoriam).
• Dresden - The most elegant city. Truly breathtaking architecture (Frauenkirche, Royal Palace, Academy of Fine Arts, etc.). Especially impressive so much of it was rebuilt after WWII destruction.
• Berlin - So unique with so much to enjoy. Reichstag, Fernsehturm, Museum Island (Pergamon and Neues), Charlottenburg, the Wall memorials, East Side Gallery, etc. I can see why Berlin is so beloved.

I also took day trips to the following places:

• Mainz - Very charming and relaxing break from the bigger cities. So many pretty churches, especially the Mainzer Dom, the Christuskirche, and St. Peter's.
• Hohenzollern Castle - Delightful, really cool variety of turrets and towers. Great brown and blue-gray exterior, and more attractive interior than expected.
• Neuschwanstein Castle - A dream. The castle has a great design, and the setting in the Bavarian Alps is spectacular. The interior was surprising, but a fun look into the mind of Ludwig II.

Some general thoughts:

• German people are very friendly, about equal to the French in my experience (I visited France last year). Germans' energy feel more similar to Americans than the French, however.
• English is not as widely spoken as expected. This was generally a non-issue, as most people were helpful and willing to try their best English when I struggled with my German. Younger Germans seem more confident with their English than older Germans do.
• Despite the above, 93% of music played in public was English-language (Lady Gaga, The Offspring, R.E.M., etc.).
• German food is very good, if a bit repetitive (so much pork and potatoes!). The Franconian sausage is my favorite main dish, and the Mandelrolle is my favorite pastry.
• German beer is great too. Augustiner Edelstoff is my favorite. Ayinger Bräuweisse and Augustiner Lagerbier Hell are also good.
• Public transport in every city is fantastic! Rules are a bit inconsistent and confusing though. Example: In Munich, a ticket I bought for the U-Bahn in the city center required validation, but a ticket I bought for the S-Bahn at Leuchtenbergring station was too big for the validation machine. The latter ticket didn't require validation, but I didn't know that until I asked a German for help.
• Deutsche Bahn train system between cities is generally good, but more delays than I expected.
• Despite May temperatures in Germany being roughly the same as France last October, German apartments get much warmer at night.
• If Germany doesn't do air conditioning and you're expected to keep windows open, why no screens to keep out bugs? So many mosquitos, moths, and gnats...
• Smoking shockingly common, especially among young people.
• I respect the frequent bike usage and got used to the bike lanes. But bikes zooming through public squares and such made me jump several times.
• I have never seen more construction in my life.
• As a gay guy, Frankfurt and Berlin have the hottest men. Dresden's pretty good too.
• Germany is a verdant and beautiful country. Loved the mountains and farms of Barvaria, the hills of Saxony, the castles along the Rhine Valley, and the copious amount of parks and green space.

Overall, I had a great trip! Very glad I got to explore Germany and would love to see more of it (Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, etc.). Thank you for making an American feel welcome!

Hey all, it’s me Frank Jones again. I wrote that post a while ago about why you shouldn’t be a paranormal investigator and a lot of you liked it. Since settling into my hideaway in the mountains, life has become quiet and I thought about checking in. The plague hit us like nothing and now that everyone is wanting to travel again, I thought to say hi. I want to say thanks to all of you who commented and gave me those weird pointy thingies this social media does. Some of you even figured out my post office box address and sent me letters. I appreciate it (and don’t do it again).
The common strain among your posts was wanting to know if I had ever encountered other things as an auditor. Of course I have but I have been reluctant to tell you because I don’t want to shine some sort of light on all of it or make it sound like some romantic adventure. It’s “pissing yourself” fear all wrapped up in a waking nightmare with a side of gory terror. I am one of the few who actually made it to retirement…if that’s what you could call this life I’m living now.
But, I have nothing else to do really. Carl only visits once in a while when he’s passing through and I cannot risk any other sort of company knowing I’ve pissed off a lot of people…and things. So, I’m back on this internet board and sharing. So many are curious, I thought maybe another story can scare you all straight. This was the first time complacency almost got me and another killed.
This story takes place somewhere in the 90s in a small New England town. It was one of those places nestled along the banks of a serene river, historic brick buildings line the winding streets, their facades adorned with weathered signs that hint at the town's seafaring heritage. A place where everything smelled like either the ocean or decaying fish. I’m not going to specifically name the town to protect the young lady that may still be living there but in the heart of the town, there’s a renowned drawbridge which stands as a testament to the place’s affinity for water. Its ancient mechanisms creak and groan when allowing vessels to pass through the calm waterway. It also had some of the best outdoor markets I had a chance to stop and check out.
I didn’t pass through this part of the country that often as my boss preferred me to do the long hauls across the country but there was a dead haul nobody wanted.I took it cause I wanted a change of scenery. I was already working as an auditor and part of a loose alliance of others who investigated and dealt with any weird things. I actually had a few monsters under my belt. I honestly had the foolhardy idea that I could handle anything out there. God, I was an idiot.
The supernatural never crossed my mind until that evening, stopping to fuel up my red 1992 Peterbilt 379 and paying for the gas with the attendant and restocking up on those beef jerky sticks and coffee.
That was when I noticed her. She was a young woman about in her mid 30s looking like one of the corporate types with the short hair cut and business suit. I would have not paid her any mind if it wasn’t for the touch of apprehension on her face as she talked on one of those new fangled bright yellow Nokia cellphones. Soft strands of chestnut hair framed her face, their gentle sway moving as she glanced around while talking on the phone. As I observed her, I couldn't help but notice the way her fingers trembled slightly, when trying to get money out of her pocket. I’ve seen that type of fear before. So, like a creep, I eavesdropped on her call.
“Yes, it happened again,” she had said as the nickels finally made it to the counter to pay for her snacks. “I could have sworn there was something outside the window near the edge of the forest….no, of course the security cameras didn’t pick up anything. They’re cheap. Ronald was a skinflint when it came to things like this. Hope he’s rotting in hell wherever he is.”
My mind began to drift away, more annoyed I couldn’t get a move on it. It sounded like a problem for the police and if anything, I was gonna tell her that. It was what she said next that made me stop and brought back the reality of the world.
“Yeah. like nine or ten feet tall. I’m thinking kids are playing around with scarecrows or something. Won’t come from the edge of the forest and when I check, I can see foot impressions and stuff. I already put in a call to the cops. They found nothing.“
“Did it sway a bit and its eyes seem to glint like a cats or owl?” I asked without thinking.
The look I got from both her and the gas attendant made me realize what I had done. Well, too late now.
“I’ll call you back,” she said quickly, eyeing me as she hung up the phone and slipped it back into her purse.
“You need me to walk you to your car, ma’am?” the attendant asked, staring at me.
Of course, I forgot that The Truck Stop Killer had only been arrested a few years before.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she said, quickly gathering her stuff and making for the door. I slapped the one hundred and seventy bucks on the counter to pay for my diesel guzzler ignoring the change and followed her out but making sure to not move in a way that caused the teenager in the station to call the cops.
“Ma’am,” I called out to her and she turned to me while hurrying up her pace.
“I’ve got pepper spray. Stay away from me.”
“The thing in the woods. You could have sworn you smelled fresh dirt like mulch and it seemed to sway back and forth like it could not keep its balance.” I threw it out there in desperation.
She froze and turned to look at me. Eying me up and down as I kept my distance and angled to head towards my truck.
“How do you know?”
“I…uh…dealt with something like that before. On a job in Canada.”
“Who are you?” she asked, looking at my faded shirt and company logo. “A trucker?”
“I moonlight as a problem solver. Like an auditor of sorts.”
“Who is it?” she demanded, eyes still affixed to me and hand in her purse.
“Better question is ‘what is it?’,” I answered.
I have learned to pick up on the contempt and disbelief from people who hadn’t seen what I have. I was already being dismissed as a whack job.
“You have tracks on your porch you have written off as animals, especially if you own a dog. If you did own a dog, it’s missing. Cops told you it ran away. You got a garden?”
“Yes,” the certainty had started to leave her voice. “A walled garden.”
“And anytime you’re in there, you feel like you’re being watched.”
At that, her hand came out of her purse empty and she approached me with the fear I had seen in her eyes now on her face.
“How did you know?”
“I’d rather not explain out here,” I said sheepishly running my hand through my sandy brown hair that only started getting flecks of gray. “But you got a…pest problem.”
“And you can do something about it? I’ve had exterminators, cops, nature lovers…even a priest.”
“None of those won’t do you any good and I don’t want to scare ya but it’s more active which is not a good sign.”
For a few moments, I could see the indecision in her eyes. The desperate want to dismiss me as a lunatic but whatever she had heard or seen won over.
“Fine. You can follow me to the house.”
“Mind if I hitch a ride?”
The woman started but then looked at my truck. “Promise. I mean you no harm. I really think you’re in danger.”
That was when I found her name was Isabelle Walker.
We left my truck in long-term parking after she told the attendant that I was a long lost relative and that’s why the change of demeanor. I don’t know if he believed her but at that point, I don’t think he cared. I left my truck with its metallic frame standing tall and proud amidst the rows of other vehicles.
I did not realize how desperate this woman was until we got going on the road. I had loaded myself in the passenger seat after pulling out my military backpack from the war which I also used for my auditing services and tried to look as harmless as a man of my stature could.
For the first fifteen minutes of the drive, her focus was on the lonely road, those beautiful eyes darting to me anytime I shifted my weight. I didn’t want to scare her so it was her that spoke first.
“What is it?”
“I really don’t know but the people in my profession call it a Bone Walker.”
The nose crinkled in disbelief.
“Halloween is not for a few more months, Mister…”
“Jones. Frank Jones.”
The James Bond reference caused her to snort in amusement.
“I don’t know what to tell ya, ma’am, except I’ve dealt with some pretty scary things out there. Normally I’m never this forward as most people try to call the cops on me or dismiss me as a lunatic. I mean, I could be a lunatic but I know what I’ve seen.”
“And that is…?”
“You know. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves. They’re real. They’re not common but real nevertheless.”
“Really?”
There was still the disbelief in Isabelle’s voice but I grew to ignore things like this.
“Sure. I mean, think of all the things you experienced and be open to alternate answers.”
Isabelle was quiet for a few minutes and then sighed. “Either you are telling the truth or you're the biggest liar and I’m a fool that’s not going to live through this night.”
“I promise,” I tried to reassure her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
After a few more minutes and off the main highway, we approached her home. The large house stood resolute amidst the dense, ancient forest, its weathered exterior a testament to the passing of time. It was a grand structure, its imposing presence commanding attention. The sprawling estate exuded an air of mystery and faded grandeur, as if it held stories whispered through generations.
As we pulled in, the main house loomed before me, its facade adorned with intricate woodwork and worn stone. Ivy crept along the walls, weaving an emerald tapestry that hinted at the passage of years. The windows, framed by elegant yet slightly cracked panes, stared out into the world with a mixture of curiosity and melancholy.
To the side, a large shed stood detached from the main house, its weathered boards echoing tales of forgotten tools and lost endeavors. The wooden structure sagged under the weight of time, its roof covered in a patchwork quilt of moss. Inside, shadows danced amidst remnants of a bygone era, rusty equipment and dusty shelves attesting to the once-bustling activity that had long since ceased.
Not far from the shed, a family cemetery nestled amongst the ancient trees. Tombstones, adorned with intricate carvings and weathered inscriptions, dotted the landscape. The hallowed ground exuded a solemn tranquility, as if time stood still in reverence for those who rested eternally in its embrace. Wisps of fog clung to the grassy knolls, lending an ethereal quality to the sacred space.
At the far end of the property, an old walled garden stood as a testament to the house's former splendor. Once vibrant and lush, the garden now appeared overgrown and untamed. Stone paths meandered through a sea of tangled foliage, leading to hidden nooks and forgotten corners. Dilapidated stone benches, adorned with intricate carvings, sat scattered throughout the garden, silent witnesses to a time when laughter and conversation filled the air.
As I stood amidst the silence of the forest, the house, shed, cemetery, and walled garden formed a tapestry of history and mystery. They were a testament to the ebb and flow of life, the remnants of a bygone era that clung to the present. Within their weathered walls, secrets whispered and memories danced, waiting to be discovered by those who dared to venture into their enigmatic embrace.
“Great place to be haunted, huh?” she said with sarcasm. “My ex left it to me in the divorce. Was only going to be here long enough to sell it but no one wants it and my job wants me to move to this state anyway.”
“Where are you originally from?”
“California.”
“So, this is definitely a change of scenery for you,”
Isabelle only hummed back at me as she fumbled for her keys in the dying light of evening. I pulled my backpack closer to me as my eyes scanned the treeline where the shadows had begun to deepen. Nothing stood out against the silhouettes of ancient trees which was a good sign. I wasn’t too late.
Stepping through the weathered front door, I entered the interior of the old house, greeted by a mix of nostalgia and faded elegance. The air carried a hint of mustiness, a reminder of the countless years the house had to have witnessed. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the stained-glass windows, I could make out the clash between old decor and the modern furniture Isabelle had bought.
The foyer, adorned with a worn, threadbare rug. The walls, once adorned with portraits and intricate wallpaper, now bore the markings of time's passage. The wooden banister of the grand staircase, polished with use, creaked softly under my touch as we made our way towards the living room.
Moving further into the house, I found myself in a spacious living room. Large, ornate windows which would have allowed slivers of daylight to filter through the heavy velvet curtains. The walls were adorned with faded wallpaper. An aged fireplace, its stone mantle adorned with trinkets and old photographs, served as the heart of the room.
“You want some coffee?” Isabelle asked, throwing her keys on to the coffee table. I sat down on her couch and dropped my backpack on it with a clunk.
“Sure.”
“Sugar?”
“A lot.”
The kitchen light clicked on and I heard her moving about setting up the coffee pot. The adrenalin was now pumping through me as my mind raced. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on what a Bone Walker is but it’s a creature that usually haunts the western coast. It being so far out east was strange. I pulled out my old gun bag and unrolled it. My Stevens Model 520-30 “Trench” shotgun was the first thing I reached for as I popped open the internal pouch holding he high flash shells I was glad I packed. It was the startled sound from Isabelle that made me quickly look up.
She stood there with my coffee, eyes locked on the shotgun in my hand. I slowly held up one of the cartridges I was planning to load.
“Flash powder shotgun shells. No load. Just makes a loud noise and a bright white light. What we’re facing lives in the shadows and hates light…normally,” I had heard stories that they could strike in the day but it was extremely rare. She didn’t need to know that.
“Oh,” was her quiet response. “Do…do I need a gun?”
“You know how to use one?”
“No.”
“Then it’ll do more harm than good. You got any flashlights?”
Isabelle nodded mutely, the gravity of the situation sinking in at the array of weapons and items in my pack laid out in front of her.
“Go get them.”
While she was gone, I quickly unloaded the silver bullets out of my Makarov pistol (a gift from a Viet Cong officer and a story for another time) and placed normal 9mm rounds in the clip. I had it holstered under my jacket with the two back up clips when she returned with three cheap flashlights.
“One in your hand and one in your pocket.”
“Why?”
“In case you drop the one you are holding.”
The woman obeyed silently.
As night fell quickly around us, I slung my shotgun over my shoulder and with Isabelle close, we made our way upstairs. There were tell tale signs I needed to check as the only advantage I had over this thing was the fact it stuck to a pattern. If it was at the stage I thought it was, there would be signs.
“Which room is yours?” I asked.
Isabelle pointed to a door down the hallway across from a large window. Approaching it, I quickly shined my flashlight at the mahogany door frame. It was the glint that caught my eye. Deep gouges in the wood.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Claw marks,” I responded. There was no use sugar coating anything now.
“This thing was in my house?” Isabelle said horrified.
“For the last few weeks now,” I said, my nose picking up the faint odor of dirt and mud.
“Why didn’t it attack me then?”
“It wasn’t time.”
“What?”
Talking was going to be the only thing to keep her focused. I had felt the world shift a bit as night fell and I needed her not to panic.
“Bone Walkers are ritualistic creatures. They are very choosy over their prey. It can take a month or two before they move in. That’s why they are so hard to catch.”
“Criteria? Like what?”
“We don’t know.”
That was the honest truth. The only reason we knew their existence and patterns was thanks to blind luck and people surviving their encounters. I showed my light around looking for other signs. Discolored stains in the corners where shadows would naturally form, healthy moss and mold that shouldn’t be there. I found a patch around her bed. She did not notice and I did not want to tell her that it probably stood over her through the night watching her sleep. The sooner I buried this thing, the better.
“Frank!”
There was a trill of terror in Isabelle’s voice and I immediately looked to where she was. The woman was standing by her bedroom window staring out at something. I quickly moved and spotted what she saw. In the forest, at the edge of the shadow cast by the moonlight was an almost, imperceptible form. It stood nine feet, hunched over like a broken scarecrow, its owl like eyes staring back at us.
“Shit,” I muttered. Thank god we had turned on the lights as we went.
It was the flash of light and the crack of thunder that heralded the arrival of the storm. The lights of this old houses flickered which caused my belly to flop a few times. My brain was on fire as I glanced back from the lightbulb to where the creature was and found it had vanished.
“Where did it go?”
I did not have time to explain as another crack of lightning caused the lights to dim. I grabbed Isabelle roughly by the arm and yanked her back down the hallway towards the living room where I had left my stuff. We barely made it to the living room when the lights dimmed low. I grasped the glow sticks out of the bag, cracked a handful and scattered them about, their bright yellow light beginning to glow. The power then went out bathing us only in the eerie glow of the emergency lighting.
As we waited in breathless anticipation, the storm struck, its wrath manifesting in torrential rain. The mansion seemed to respond, succumbing to a power outage that plunged us into an abyss of blackness only moments before.
A trill of terror coursed through me. I knew this Bone Walker thrived in darkness, using it as a cloak to conceal its malevolence. We auditors were not sure if it actually teleported or it preferred to move in pitch darkness. I just knew that the black was our biggest threat.
For a few moments, we could only hear the ragged breathing of the two of us being drowned out by the pounding rain against shingle and glass. Isabelle had wound her hand into my jacket pocket and was gripping it tightly, I could feel her shaking with terror. I kept my shotgun gripped tightly in my hand listening for the tell tale sound of its arrival.
It was the movement out of the corner of my eye and the fact her grip got tighter on my jacket. I swiftly turned on my high-powered flashlight as I spun around and the brilliant beam pierced the obscure corner of the room. No matter what I had read or seen before did not prepare me for what I saw.
It stood there in the corner, its eight foot height engulfing that section of the house. My eyes strained as it appeared the thing was struggling to stay in focus. Its arms were too long for its body, spindly and almost to the floor while the legs appeared backwards giving it a strange forward leaning look. It wore a hunter’s long coat and trousers but through the rips and tears I could make out something squirming and moving underneath. The air filled with the stench of decaying plants and diseased vegetation. Its face was covered with what looked like the remnants of a cheap bandanna but its owl-like eyes gleaned back with malevolence.
Isabelle whimpered, her fear palpable in the room and the Bone Walker lunged toward us. Even though my fear was ripping through me like an unstoppable train, I had the sense to pull the trigger of my shotgun aimed in its direction. The flash and resounding roar painted the entire room in a brilliant black and white shadow causing every corner and edge to appear thick and vivid. The creature screamed and fell to the side into the shadow not illuminated by the weapon’s fire.
Isabelle had thrown herself on the couch and was huddled there, trembling with terror, while I moved quickly to crack a few more glow sticks and toss them into the dark corners of the room. In one, I saw its foot recoil back into the kitchen where it was darker than night itself. This was quicker than I had anticipated. The plans I had been formulating on the drive were no longer viable. I wanted to lure it to where I controlled the battlefield but that was not an option anymore. This had become a cat and mouse game and I knew this was with a predator I could not even hope to understand and had years to hone.
Out of the kitchen again this thing charged forward, relentless in its pursuit, it was trying to find a way around my light barrier which only appeared to slow it down. With shaking hands, I fired several more rounds, each blast forcing the creature to retreat and the girl to scream in terror. As soon as it retreated to a dark part of the house, I turned to where the woman of the house had been. To my horror, Isabelle's fear had gotten the best of her. In that moment of panic, she darted from the safety of the light, towards the hallway and the door outside.
“Isabelle! Stop!” I yelled trying to command her back with my voice but I doubted she heard me. Between the abject horror and the relentless rain, she was going to take her chance. A chance I knew she did not have.
I only took a step when I sensed it. The musty smell of an organic landfill overwhelmed me as the form silently darted past me, its long arm clobbering me up the side of the head. The world spun as pain burst through my brain. I felt the world tilt and fall heavily to the ground, flashlight and shotgun falling away.
As I slipped in and out of consciousness, I knew I was a sitting duck for this thing. There was no way for me to stop it from ripping me to shreds like some of the corpses I had seen. As I blinked, I came to my senses and realized I was alone. How long I had actually been on the ground, I did not know.
I sat up, my head pounding and I could see the door hanging open, the wind slamming the door on its hinges and the rain soaking the hallway floor. Struggling, I found my flashlight and gun and pulled myself together.
There was a slim chance that Isabelle was still alive. I had to think. Where would it go? I ran all the stories I could think of and then it hit me. The garden. The walled garden.
I charged into the rain-soaked night. I sprinted toward the enclosed garden at the edge of the property. As I grew closer, I saw that the rusted door was open and hope flickered in my soul. As I came to a stop, I brought my flashlight up again with my shotgun and saw it.
This creature stood there in the middle of the overgrown garden, its massive clawed hand wrapped around Isabelle’s chest and holding her up. Out from under its bandanna mask, putrid vines had appeared and led up to Isabelle’s face where they were forcing their way down her throat and up her nose. I could see the wide terror in her eyes as vines were snaking their way around her waist and I did not want to think about what they were planning to do.
I brought up the shotgun again and fired. Knowing that I had distance, the flash of light caught the creature by surprise. It shrieked as it fell back. Trying desperately not to release its prey. I did not hesitate to grab the machete at my side and hack at its arm until Isabelle fell down free of it.
It’s claw swiped at me striking me on the leg and easily tearing through my pants leaving bloody lacerations but I put the weapon point blank and fired another round. I do not know if it was the flash, the combination of the creature, or that the almighty above was looking out for me, but the creature caught ablaze from the spark.
It fell back swinging wildly as the fire spread unnaturally fast catching the plants around it on fire. Within a matter of seconds, the walled garden had become ablaze with the bone walker in the center. As I ripped the vines out of Isabelle’s mouth and dragged her towards the door, I looked up to see those owl-like eyes looking at me with such abject hatred that the look stick with me today.
I honestly don’t know how we survived. I had helped Isabelle to her porch and we both passed out against our will from the sheer terror and exhaustion. We were awoken by the sound of a siren. The lights had come back on sometime in our sleep and the rain had drifted off to a comforting drizzle. The fire was still raging in the garden but contained by the ancient walls. At least two fire trucks, an ambulance and cops were flying up the private road towards us.
This entire hunt had been ill-planned and stupid. I knew it. As the cops approached with their hand on their pistols, I knew that I had allowed my own ego to get in the way. I should have taken Isabelle somewhere else until I had done a proper reconnaissance. I shouldn’t have taken her home where it was waiting. And now, the cops were looking at two thoroughly soaked humans, one a trucker with a wound and a gun and a young lady in distress. I was pretty sure I was going to go to jail.
“Isabelle?” One of the cops and his voice caused her to sit up, relief washing over her.
“Derek!” she wailed. “We were attacked! In the garden!”
Another two cops that had arrived had taken off in that direction while Derek helped the girl up and took her towards the ambulance. The other cop with a comically large mustache looked at me with keen eyes, his hand still on his pistol, sergeant stripes glowing in the light.
“Attacked?”
“Yeah,” I said, sitting up slowly and keeping my hand away from the shotgun and trying not to show the one under my jacket. “Someone came after Mrs. Walker. They were in the garden.”
The cop watched me closely but there seemed to be a recognition in his eyes.
“You by any chance Frank Jones?”
My heart jumped and I must have looked startled as the cop’s face broke into a smile. To my relief, his hand fell away from his holstered sidearm.
“I’ll take that for a yes. My guess is you don’t remember me. Clay Wilson. Santa Fe PD, about six years ago. You helped my partner with a...problem. Nellie Nelson?”
I knew the name but the face escaped me.
“She told me you helped her audit a police union building.”
“Ah, yes,” I said, remembering dealing with the wraith and the twinge in my right arm from it’s bite.
The cop looked towards the fire that was slowly being put out by the fire fighters.
“Any chance this will be one of your audits?”
“Yeah.”
He seemed to think for a few minutes and then nodded.
“Then I think you need to grab that shotgun of yours and hitch a ride with me before too many people ask questions. Whatcha think?”
I nodded. I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I collected my stuff quickly from the living room and made my way back out where he was waiting. As I limped with the cop to his car, I looked towards Isabelle who was being held by the other. She gave me a look of thankfulness as the cop looked at his partner with confusion.
“Her brother’s got her,” Clay said, opening the back door for me. I was not gonna argue or fight. If he took me to jail or not.
And that was it. My leg was not as bad off as I thought and wrapped it in the back of the police car. Clay only asked where I wanted to go and he took me back to my truck. With that time, I was back on the road with that small town in the rear view mirror.
I never did find out what happened to Isabelle after that, if another creature came looking for her or if she had a chance to live in peace. I just knew that we both barely made it out alive and that was due to my own stupidity. I was furious with myself for weeks after that and told myself I wouldn’t put another person in jeopardy like that again. At least, despite my idiocy, another life was saved and another monster was put in the ground...I hoped. I never did find out if they found a body.

I recently completed a RTW award on ANA and wanted to share my experience to help others with this amazing award. I spent a long time researching before going through with booking --Hope this can help the next person! I did make a few mistakes/learnings along the way hope some can take into consideration. Overall, I spent 125,000 points transferred from Amex MR & ~$950 for 8 segments going East from the US in Business.

Routing

DEN-YYZ-LHR, VIE-BKK-SIN-DPS-SIN-HND-SFO - can paste into GCMap which results in a total of 21,526 mi; within the 22,000 Business Category.
​

Routing	CarrieClass
DEN (Denver) - YYZ (Toronto)	AC (Air Canada) / Economy
YYZ (Toronto) - LHR (London)	AC (Air Canada) / Business
VIE (Vienna) - BKK (Bangkok)	BR (Eva Airways) / Business
BKK (Bangkok) - SIN (Singapore)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
SIN (Singapore) - DPS (Bali)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
DPS (Bali) - SIN (Singapore)	SQ (Singapore) / Business
SIN (Singapore) - HND (Tokyo)	NH (ANA) / Business
HND (Tokyo) - SFO (San Francisco)	NH (ANA) / Business

The total portion of my time is about a month, with a majority of my time spent in Europe between LHR and VIE, a small portion of time in Bali to break up flights, and about a week in Japan before flying home.

Research Process

I had been targeting Spring/Early Summer 2024 for this award for awhile but hadn't nailed down a particular date. I wanted to travel during shoulder season to maximize value, crowds, and decent weather across these regions. I was just waiting for the award calendar to open up for most of the carriers. I started looking about a month out (April) and doing some random searches/looks to see what flights were coming available and possible routings. In my research I found that most flights leaving from the US to Asia booked up fastest right after being released at the edge of the booking window (ex: ANA opens up bookings on its metal 355 days out; and within say 3-4 days of release most of these flights are snatched up and go into Waitlist status in Business). I had originally been planning on flying West from the US and starting in Asia, however, after doing a few mock bookings this soon became apparent it would be near impossible (Especially since Japan in spring is peak season with the Cherry Blossoms, festivals, etc). I would occasionally find a random flight departing from the US to Asia within a month of the edge of the booking window; and try to plan flights around that going westward, but it would disappear extremly quickly and my plans would be spoiled. As a result I found for this time of year it would be easiest to go east from the US through Europe first, and then ending in Asia and snatching my return flights at the edge of the booking window when ANA's flights opened/other carriers.
I would definitely recommend being flexible and don't have your heart set on going one direction originally due to concerns about time in the Air vs. Jetlag etc. I had been reading a few articles/discussions about the best direction to take and really had my heart set on going westward originally; but would say after going through this process to ignore choosing a direction initially and try to do a few samples in either direction to see what is easiest. I think I wasted a-lot of time/frustration originally trying to go westward rather than just seeing what was easiest with the most connection opportunities.
Another research point is that domestic US Business availability/North America is extremly hard to come by. United basically was only offering Economy segments domestically; I didn't see any J fares. AC Departures from US up to Canada was nearly the same thing. I did randomly see consistent J availability from SMF - YVR on a CRJ AC was offering nearly every day, and from ORD on a few dates but didn't think going out of my way was worth it. It was at a bad time and on a relatively undesirable (IMO) CRJ so I could see why that route had wide open availability. The problem was once you made it to YVR; you usually had to connect to YYZ or YYC internationally and I had the same issue finding J space domestically in Canada; so it was a dead end. I ended up just booking my first segment in Economy on AC up to Canada - didn't want to waste valuable hunting time looking for a short segment in J domestically when the biggest fish looking for space was internationally. Don't obsess over having every segment in J especially your first flight. If space opens later you can always switch into a higher class on the same flight.
For research and booking I used FlightConnections to get routing ideas based on Star Alliance carriers. I then used United's monthly award calendar (without being logged in) to see Saver availability, and then confirmed this on ANA's website. I was going to use some other tools but didn't find them useful. I paid for a day trial of point . me but found it slow and cumbersome without the filtering I needed. I didn't find Aeroplan that useful either. If I was to do this again I would explore paying for ExpertFlyer Pro and using that to search more easily.. would have probably been faster. The trial wasn't long enough to be that useful for when I was researching/booking, but it did give me some ideas - and looking back I would have easily paid for a month or two of Pro Membership to speed up my searching. Overall though, I just stuck to FlightConnections + United + ANA confirmation.

Booking Process

The time had come to where the edge of the booking window was approaching the dates I wanted. I had a few routings in mind and had saved multiple variations targeting the 22,000 mileage cap. I had a few options but nothing nailed down; so I started the process to transfer 125,000 points from Amex to ANA. Even though as a "best practice" most say to not transfer until you have the flights chosen or held, I had read some conflicting points online stating ANA does not do holds, so didn't want to risk this. I was confident based on my research I would be able to piece something together as I had a-lot of backup options chosen. I attempted to transfer late on a Friday afternoon online but got the message the transfer was unsuccessful and had to call Amex; did that early Saturday morning and they completed the transfer for me manually. Turns out I didn't have a "Call Center Pin" setup; so make sure you go into your account and set one before trying and the transfer online should go through, according to the agent. This ordeal added to my stress during the process -- if you are going to be transferring MR please make note!
I was on edge waiting for the points to deposit the entire weekend, and kept tabs on my various options. US - Europe had a-lot of options on AC; and I also had a few backup options on TAP. The "riskiest" flight for me was VIE-BKK as I really needed to get out of Europe to Asia; and there weren't many options since I was booking really close to the edge of the booking window. I couldn't see any long haul availability on Turkish/Ethiopian/other European Star Alliance carriers; so I was pretty much banking on EVA with my backup as Egyptaiothers. I noticed that Singapore seemingly doesn't publish any saver J availability to partners on long haul flights; but it does have pretty decent availability in J on short haul interasia flights. It seems like the cutoff is around 4.5 hr; but found good availability from some cities in India and even Dhaka in Bangladesh to SIN I could have used to connect to with a mix of EgyptAir / Air India / Singapore if EVA didn't work out but honestly this was a last resort and I didn't want to; but at least I had a plan. During the weekend my original VIE-BKK flight selection disappeared; but luckily they had another flight the next day I was able to book into instead. They also had other options within Europe I could have fallen back on like LHR and AMS. I didn't want to depart from LHR unless absolutely necessary as the UK Departure tax would have been ~200 pounds; something that can be avoided if possible. Definitely look into 5th freedom routes for "hidden gems"; I know Ethiopian offers some too. Apart from this; within Asia there were alot of options, and I wasn't concerned about getting back to the US from Japan because I was purposefully booking on the edge of the booking window for ANA to ensure I had availability.
Points were finally deposited early Monday morning sometime between 1am - 9am EST. I saw them in my account when I woke up early which was perfect as I was targeting calling the ANA Call Center around then, some posters online had said calling around this time resulted in the shortest wait. I waited about 1.5 hours and got a nice agent who helped me. Of note; when I called the very first thing she confirmed was my point balance. It seems like they won't even entertain booking something for you (or at least this agent in particular) if you have 0 points; so I am glad I transferred my points before. She was very helpful in quickly researching and confirming the flights -- at the same time I was on the ANA website with the multi city booking tool confirming the space was there too alongside her. She questioned at first about me backtracking by going from SIN - DPS - SIN but realized I had to do this to connect with SIN - HND as there weren't any direct flights from DPS and was fine with it. At the end of feeding her the flights she said the routing I desired was greater than 22,000 miles (~23,5000 miles) and would trigger the next bucket to be 135,000 points -- my heart sank.
This is where my mistake came in... Originally I had 2 inter-european segments, and also wanted to fly from HND - IAH instead of HND - SFO. The entire time I had been researching with gcmapper to get the distances; I had been using nautical miles (nm) in the calculations rather than statute miles (mi)! The nautical mile calculation had been below 22,000 so I thought I was in the clear the entire time. The agent was super helpful and understood my mistake and I did some research in the background for a few minutes. I ended up dropping the inter-european segments and switching from HND-IAD to HND-SFO which made my routing 21,526mi which was below the 22,000 threshold according to gcmapper. She came back to me and quoted 21,523mi, so we were pretty close in our distances after this... 3 mile difference hah. Disaster averted.
After she confirmed all the segments had availability she put me on hold and calculated the taxes and fees ~($950). The majority of the taxes and fees were from the 2 ANA segments at the end of my trip; with fuel charges. I got sent to an automated phone system to input my card info, and returned back to her (don't hang up!). She told me that she had to have the fare desk ticket the itinerary and I should be getting an email or callback. Sure enough ~2 hours later she called me back and said I had to re-enter my card info as they had some issue with their system; the flight hadn't yet been ticketed. I took the opportunity to change one of the segments during this callback to a better time I had found and she helped me change it since It hadn't yet been ticketed -- I was flustered on the first call when she said the milage was too high.
Something interesting I noted is during the time between calls I was able to see the reservation on the ANA App; and an alert said "Complete Payment by *date*" which was 3 days from the present. So it looks like technically they will "hold" a reservation for up to 3 days while waiting for card payment. It sounded like the Agent was willing to work with me as well when I needed 135,000 points instead of 125,000 points; but I didn't want to spend more or risk the timing with transfers. I wouldn't bank on this at all. Just FYI though. After this second call I got an email about a half an hour later with my receipt and ticket/itinerary and PNR. I was able to select seats and finally relax after the ordeal.
After all of this, I probably spent about 12 hours spaced out during 3 days of the booking process plus my previous research over about a month. Definitely set aside some time for yourself during booking and research.

Change Process

Something I hadn't seen much of online was the process for making a change to an existing RTW booking - I ended up doing this as well, so hopefully this can help some.
About a week after booking I noticed one of the flights opened availability from SIN-HND on ANA at a better time. I was originally flying overnight but wanted to fly during the day to help minimize jetlag, and jumped at the chance. Also I wanted to spend more time in Singapore so this helped. Note you can only change the date + time of a flight; it must be the same routing and carrier and class (except you can move up a class if one becomes available and your original ticket allows for that class). I called around 2PM EST and it only took about an hour to get through this time. The agent simply told me I would owe the difference in taxes/fees for the change. There wasn't any penalty or call center charge assessed for this. I had read somewhere that apparently you'd be charged a 1,000 point fee for the change but this wasn't the case for me. The difference amounted to some small amount around a dollar or so which I happily paid. The agent shared something helpful to me -- she asked I save a card on the ANA website to my account rather than doing it on the phone. This would help the Fare Desk charge faster without needing to call me back like last time, I guess they have issues with their credit card system on the phone with some credit cards. I ended up doing this with her on the phone guiding me and she confirmed she could now see my card. The change ended up going through an hour later with a new ticket/itinerary and recipient emailed to me; no second call necessary.
According to the fare rules denoted on my PNR; you can do a similar change with date/time only up to 4 days (96 hours) before departure - also during the trip itself I believe as well. (full endorsements/restrictions on the ticket: NO MILEAGE CREDIT/NH FFP/NON END/RRT/DT CHNG UPTO 4DYS B4 NEW FLT)

TLDNeed to know Tips

• Successfully booked ANA RTW in Business at 125,000 points transferred from MR ~950 in taxes/fees. ANA was the culprit for majority of costs with fuel surcharges on 2 segments I flew.
• Don't have your heart set on going a particular direction upfront - go with what is easiest to book, and be flexible!
• Make sure you have Call Center Pin set in Amex if using MR before transferring to ANA to avoid issues.
• ANA seems to not hold for RTW for point transfer time if you have no points; I was asked upfront if I had the points before the agent would assist me. I had to transfer before.
• You can store a card online in ANA's system before calling which can help the Fare Desk/agent speed up processing to avoid callbacks/payment issues. You can store up to two cards. They were willing to hold itinerary up to 3 days awaiting card payment, and possibly for more points (but not with 0 points in my account) - did not test this. Use this info at your own risk. I wouldn't bank on it with points -- risky.
• Used United's award calendar without being logged in + FlightConnections; consider paying for ExpertFlyer too, also be savvy about the booking window(s) of carriers and book against the edge for the best availability especially with ANA.
• When calculating distance with gcmapper use statute miles (mi) not nautical miles (nm)!
• You can change flight(s) after booking as long as its simply a date+time change - no change in routing/carrier. Class change upwards is allowed if your original ticket allows for it. I was not assessed a penalty/fee for the change like some claimed online - could depend though.

I hope this was helpful - pardon the length - just wanted to be as detailed as possible and give back to the community after all the help I received. Since this is all fresh in my mind please feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer. I sincerely feel all the effort was worth it for the value I received - best of luck booking!

I just joined the 440 477 union here in socal, but I’ve been attending a community college certificate course for general electricians, I’ve been told the course counts as 2500 hours of the 8000 needed for the JM license, I don’t know if anybody can share some knowledge with me, maybe they have a similar program they’ve done or some experience with a similar situation, I was told that by the department head at my college but I’m not sure how legit it is, especially since most of what I learned was electronics and PLCs, appreciate any feedback thank you all

If you’re on twitter or is into gaming, you probably heard of Conquest2023. Since this a hot topic for day pass holders, allow me to share my experience as a premium pass holder.
Warning: long post ahead. Ibigay niyo na sakin to, 20 f*cking K ang ibinayad ko. Ignore niyo na kung may typo or wrong grammar. pagod & disappointed after conquest. Uunahin ko pa ba magproofread?
This is my personal experience. I do not represent all premium pass holders.
I bought premium pass with one goal in mind: I WANT TO MEET OTV&F ESPECIALLY THE ROOMIES! I don’t care about the music night nor the booths. I just want to meet them.
D1: I was not able to attend due to personal reasons so I did not meet Queen Poki, Michael and Aria. I thought it was okay to skip D1 cos I still get to see them on D3 (Smx main stage: Offline Feud)
D2: I enjoyed the booths. They sell cool stuff. My only comment is that it’s so crowded. I tried roaming around hoping I can see other OTV&F, but Im not lucky enough.
Mainstage: sykkuno’s valo match: no priority given to premium pass holders. If you want to get a spot near the stage, you have to be early. People camped near the stage hrs before the program, So I ended up watching the match at the far back. sykkuno’s valorant match is insanely long (21-19) but I still enjoyed it.
(Ok, this is kinda my fault. I assumed the m&g will be similar to Twitchcon m&g) BOY WAS I WRONG. It’s more similar to a KPOP M&G. NO F*CKING SIGNATURES ALLOWED. Lilypichu & Igumdrop M&G: Fans got 10-20sec to meet each of them. Staffs alternately get 4 premium pass holders and 2 day pass holders. The 2 girls are really pretty and nice. I got a decent pic with Jaime but my pic with Lily is a disaster. It’s blurred AF + it’s off centered: imagine a full body picture except Lily’s whole shoes were cut off & there’s only 2 of us but you can easily insert a third person beside me. Ps: I also heard some premium pass holders were asked to wait on the first floor for a few mins cos the area for premium pass is full.
Tried music night for the sake of it. Artists are great but you can tell that most of the crowd are just waiting for The rose. I ended up enjoying it cos I got to listen to new artists (I dont know any of the artists, not even the rose). Good thing they have a bar. The cocktails are also okay for its price. Tried all 3 cocktails. Yung light ang nagdala. Char. I liked URF the most.
D3: this is the most impt day for me. Initial sched published: 11-12:30 rae,syk,leslie m&g (conrad) 2-3 roomies panel (conrad) 4:30-5:30 offline feud (smx mainstage)
I already planned my sched for D3 but lo & behold, @12:55AM, Conquest announced that they are moving the roomies panel to a new venue: MOA Atrium stage. A PUBLIC PLACE. They literally moved a supposedly private event to a public place + they moved the sched to 3:30-4:30. right before OTV Feud. If you want to watch both, you have to run from MOA atrium to smx mainstage.
M&G: the staff announced that instead of having individual pictures, we’ll have a group photo (3 fans + the roomies). This is to accommodate more fans. You can clearly see the disappointment from premium pass holders. Imagine paying 20k, only to get a group photo with the roomies + 2 strangers. And since you have 2 strangers also wanting to talk to them, i ended up just hugging them cos the staff is in a hurry. What an experience. 🙃
Now I have a picture of me, rae, leslie, sykkuno and 2 strangers. THIS IS THE ONLY MEMORY THAT I HAVE OF RAE. Lol. I got to have a little chat with Rae’s mom and sister + a solo pic with the 2 of them while queuing and I must say, I enjoyed that more.
Roomies panel: ended up not seeing this. They said people started camping at the atrium as early as 10am. @1pm, there’s so many people waiting already so I decided to prioritize otv feud instead since I am yet to see poki, aria & michael.
Offline feud: Went there @2 hoping I can still secure a spot near the stage) when I got there, people were already camping in front and no vacant seats left. At this point, I’m just mentally tired of all the disappointments that I just accepted the fact that this is not my lucky day. So I just sat on floor at the side while waiting for them to arrive. I still watched their segment and I must say, Poki eating Jollibee while playing is a really good advertisement.
Highlight of my D3: Funniest thing is that I got more decent pictures with Yvonne & Blau and I only got Blau, Leslie and Yvonne’s signature, which I got OUTSIDE CONQUEST (around 9-10AM @starbucks). YES. OUTSIDE CONQUEST. Fans started camping starbucks cos there’s higher chance of us meeting them there than inside SMX. LOL. I feel bad for the streamers tho. i think they got culture shocked. 🙃
And now I realized. I bought the premium pass because of the roomies but I ended up having the worst memory with them. I have a better memory of all the other things except the one that I was looking forward to. Idk what I did wrong. Maybe I’m just unlucky.
Note: all of them are so nice and pretty and I have mad respect to all of them for enduring PH’s heat and their patience especially when they’re getting swarmed by fans when all they ever wanted is to buy a cup of coffee, but damn, this event is so messed up in so many level. I hope they did not get traumatized and would still want to come back here in the future.
So yeah, is my experience worth 20k? You be the judge.

The boys argue that Japan was basically already done for and that no land invasion would have been required. They also argue the "blade of grass" thing, but that's conflating a Japanese statement about the US.
“You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.” ― Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto
There are a lot of personal stories from Japanese civilians that they were convinced they needed to die to defend their country from the barbaric Americans who would torture and enslave the whole of them etc.
I do see alternatives to the bombing, it's likely that the Soviet Union threatening to come east and join the US on Japan would have forced a surrender, but the question is would it have been conditional? Would they have kept territory they took through unbelievable brutality?
But, the biggest factor is that... It still took TWO nuclear bombs to force the surrender. A nation that is "almost done for and ready to surrender" doesn't require the second bomb to convince them. That it took two alone should probably indicate the level of civilian losses (esp since we'd already done the Tokyo firebombing that killed more) that Japan was willing to accept before requesting to surrender.
We don't have to be happy or proud that the US bombed Japan, I've been to Japan 6 times, I love going and they've become amazing allies and friends to the US. But, we can't also swing to the perspective that no action whatsoever was required and Japan was going to surrender without any major combat actions. Their actions with what DID happen already show that in my opinion.
Obviously it's not 100% right for either direction so I do respect their opinion that we shouldn't have done it, but I disagree with it.

Working in a resource room. The paras (myself included) plan and teach all the lessons for our small groups, “grade” the material, find and/or decided on the curriculum, take data, manage behaviors. I feel like we are definitely doing more than we should, and way more than we are getting compensated for. The teacher attends meetings, does the IEP paperwork, and will jump in during extreme behaviors. Thoughts? No union.

Salut les Parigos / les Voyageurs,
Reddit being Reddit, it's not so easy to keep trace of old contents. Below I tried to aggregate some of the main posts and comments I made about Paris and/or its outskirts, and a bunch of lesser viewed content of mine which - I hope - can still be useful to get a grasp on the diversity of Paris, particularly out of the touristic path.
Enjoy (if like me you are overwhelmed by grass allergies right now and have to stay at home!)
NB: unless mentioned otherwise, posts are in English. You'll also notice that it mainly focuses on a large North-East quarter of the city where I've been hanging out for ages.
A collection of ideas for discovering Paris off the beaten path
Alternative cultural places in the close suburbs of Paris
What to do with pre-teen children in Paris
A focus on community cafés, tea-rooms and mixed concepts (in French)
An enumeration of dive bars in centenorth/east of Paris
Popular bars for the 35+ crowds in the North-East arrondissements (in French)
Popular and laid-back nightlife in the 20th arrondissement
Sample of places to enjoy in the 11th arrondissement (in French)
Alternative music venues across the city
Diversity in the origins of the population of Paris
Some thoughts on the current state and evolution of Paris in terms of social / urban / economic concerns
20 photos for a different point of view on Paris and the suburbs (in French)

Go to this page for Nordstrom Rack East Bay Bridge Center Promo Code. If you're looking for the newest coupons and promo codes, that page is the place to go. They always have the latest offers available.

Since this a hot topic for day pass holders, allow me to share my experience as a premium pass holder.
Warning: long post ahead. Ibigay niyo na sakin to, 20 f*cking K ang ibinayad ko. Ignore niyo na kung may typo or wrong grammar. pagod & disappointed after conquest. Uunahin ko pa ba magproofread?
This is my personal experience. I do not represent all premium pass holders.
I bought premium pass with one goal in mind: I WANT TO MEET OTV&F ESPECIALLY THE ROOMIES! I don’t care about the music night nor the booths. I just want to meet them.
D1: I was not able to attend due to personal reasons so I did not meet Queen Poki, Michael and Aria. I thought it was okay to skip D1 cos I still get to see them on D3 (Smx main stage: Offline Feud)
D2: I enjoyed the booths. They sell cool stuff. My only comment is that it’s so crowded. I tried roaming around hoping I can see other OTV&F, but Im not lucky enough.
Mainstage: sykkuno’s valo match: no priority given to premium pass holders. If you want to get a spot near the stage, you have to be early. People camped near the stage hrs before the program, So I ended up watching the match at the far back. sykkuno’s valorant match is insanely long (21-19) but I still enjoyed it.
(Ok, this is kinda my fault. I assumed the m&g will be similar to Twitchcon m&g) BOY WAS I WRONG. It’s more similar to a KPOP M&G. NO F*CKING SIGNATURES ALLOWED. Lilypichu & Igumdrop M&G: Fans got 10-20sec to meet each of them. Staffs alternately get 4 premium pass holders and 2 day pass holders. The 2 girls are really pretty and nice. I got a decent pic with Jaime but my pic with Lily is a disaster. It’s blurred AF + it’s off centered: imagine a full body picture except Lily’s whole shoes were cut off & there’s only 2 of us but you can easily insert a third person beside me. Ps: I also heard some premium pass holders were asked to wait on the first floor for a few mins cos the area for premium pass is full.
Tried music night for the sake of it. Artists are great but you can tell that most of the crowd are just waiting for The rose. I ended up enjoying it cos I got to listen to new artists (I dont know any of the artists, not even the rose). Good thing they have a bar. The cocktails are also okay for its price. Tried all 3 cocktails. Yung light ang nagdala. Char. I liked URF the most.
D3: this is the most impt day for me. Initial sched published: 11-12:30 rae,syk,leslie m&g (conrad) 2-3 roomies panel (conrad) 4:30-5:30 offline feud (smx mainstage)
I already planned my sched for D3 but lo & behold, @12:55AM, Conquest announced that they are moving the roomies panel to a new venue: MOA Atrium stage. A PUBLIC PLACE. They literally moved a supposedly private event to a public place + they moved the sched to 3:30-4:30. right before OTV Feud. If you want to watch both, you have to run from MOA atrium to smx mainstage.
M&G: the staff announced that instead of having individual pictures, we’ll have a group photo (3 fans + the roomies). This is to accommodate more fans. You can clearly see the disappointment from premium pass holders. Imagine paying 20k, only to get a group photo with the roomies + 2 strangers. And since you have 2 strangers also wanting to talk to them, i ended up just hugging them cos the staff is in a hurry. What an experience. 🙃
Now I have a picture of me, rae, leslie, sykkuno and 2 strangers. THIS IS THE ONLY MEMORY THAT I HAVE OF RAE. Lol. I got to have a little chat with Rae’s mom and sister + a solo pic with the 2 of them while queuing and I must say, I enjoyed that more.
Roomies panel: ended up not seeing this. They said people started camping at the atrium as early as 10am. @1pm, there’s so many people waiting already so I decided to prioritize otv feud instead since I am yet to see poki, aria & michael.
Offline feud: Went there @2 hoping I can still secure a spot near the stage) when I got there, people were already camping in front and no vacant seats left. At this point, I’m just mentally tired of all the disappointments that I just accepted the fact that this is not my lucky day. So I just sat on floor at the side while waiting for them to arrive. I still watched their segment and I must say, Poki eating Jollibee while playing is a really good advertisement.
Highlight of my D3: Funniest thing is that I got more decent pictures with Yvonne & Blau and I only got Blau, Leslie and Yvonne’s signature, which I got OUTSIDE CONQUEST (around 9-10AM @starbucks). YES. OUTSIDE CONQUEST. Fans started camping starbucks cos there’s higher chance of us meeting them there than inside SMX. LOL. I feel bad for the streamers tho. i think they got culture shocked. 🙃
And now I realized. I bought the premium pass because of the roomies but I ended up having the worst memory with them. I have a better memory of all the other things except the one that I was looking forward to. Idk what I did wrong. Maybe I’m just unlucky.
Note: all of them are so nice and pretty and I have mad respect to all of them for enduring PH’s heat and their patience especially when they’re getting swarmed by fans when all they ever wanted is to buy a cup of coffee, but damn, this event is so messed up in so many level. I hope they did not get traumatized and would still want to come back here in the future.
So yeah, is my experience worth 20k? You be the judge.

Posting here, too. ^{^}
I haven’t used Reddit in quite some time but hey, sometimes I remember it exists and give it a try here. It’s 11 PM here and, although I am sleepy, I wanted to finish this pleasant day in a pleasant way (hopefully!) (:
I am a young adult, although I feel like I attended middle school just the other day; if I had to tell you about my interests, I’d say I love listening to music and singing and I am quite an artistic person: in fact, I also draw both traditionally and digitally. I also have an interest for languages especially East Asian ones, and I’ve recently started attending Korean lessons and I am thinking about continuing learning Hiragana and Katakana (both Japanese alphabets) too. I can describe myself as an ambitious, stubborn yet flexible, empathetic person. I admit, I also am interested in things such as astrology and MBTI; although many tend not to believe it or to believe it totally, so no I’m between, I think that it is safe to give them both a try being this for fun or a more serious and different way to get to know people. For those who are interested, I am Aquarius and an INFP (I have no idea if this last one has changed with time).
I am open to go and give everyone a try, but I’d rather have a chat with people close my age because I feel like we can have a similar way of seeing things (or at least it is easier to do when close by age). I do not accept people who show no real interest in what I’ve written so far and want to chat immediately because I am a girl. Please, introduce yourself in a similar way I did or the way you prefer, show me that you care about having a nice chat! Also, I value honesty a lot, so be honest about your intentions

Please use this thread to discuss anything related to today's game. You may post anything as long as it falls within stated posting guidelines. You may also post gifs and memes, as long as it is related to the game. Please keep the discussion civil.
Discord: Seattle Sports

Line Score - Game Over

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	LOB
SEA	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	8	0	6
TEX	2	0	5	0	0	5	0	0		12	15	0	8

Box Score

TEX		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
2B	Semien	4	1	1	0	1	0	.303
SS	Seager	3	3	2	2	1	0	.349
SS	Smith, J	1	0	0	0	0	0	.217
1B	Lowe, N	4	2	1	0	1	2	.280
RF	García, Ad	5	1	2	1	0	1	.260
3B	Jung	4	2	3	1	1	1	.294
C	Heim	4	1	2	5	0	0	.293
C	León	1	0	0	0	0	0	.135
DH	Garver	5	1	2	1	0	2	.310
LF	Grossman	5	0	1	2	0	2	.239
CF	Jankowski	3	1	1	0	1	0	.301

TEX	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Eovaldi	6.0	1	0	0	0	7	87-56	2.24
Hernández, J	0.2	3	3	3	1	2	26-18	6.65
Burke	1.1	2	0	0	0	2	19-15	2.96
King	1.0	2	0	0	0	0	7-5	6.75

SEA		AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	BA
LF	Kelenic	4	0	0	0	0	3	.270
CF	Rodríguez, Ju	4	0	0	0	0	1	.242
1B	France, T	4	1	2	0	0	2	.269
C	Raleigh	4	0	0	0	0	1	.226
3B	Suárez, E	4	1	1	1	0	1	.211
RF	Hernández, T	3	1	2	0	1	1	.241
DH	Ford, M	3	0	0	0	0	1	.167
PH	Haggerty	1	0	1	0	0	0	.190
SS	Caballero	3	0	1	1	0	0	.250
2B	Wong, Ko	4	0	1	1	0	1	.159

SEA	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	P-S	ERA
Miller, B	2.1	8	7	7	2	2	61-38	4.46
Speier	1.1	1	0	0	0	1	17-12	2.53
Brash	1.1	0	0	0	0	2	19-15	4.24
Gott	1.0	4	5	5	1	1	27-17	3.38
Festa	1.0	0	0	0	2	1	24-14	6.75
Topa	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	22-16	3.18

Scoring Plays

Inning	Event	Score
B1	Jonah Heim singles on a fly ball to left fielder Jarred Kelenic. Marcus Semien scores. Corey Seager scores. Josh Jung to 2nd.	2-0
B3	Corey Seager homers (6) on a fly ball to center field.	3-0
B3	Adolis Garcia doubles (10) on a line drive to center fielder Julio Rodriguez. Nathaniel Lowe scores.	4-0
B3	Mitch Garver doubles (1) on a line drive to center fielder Julio Rodriguez. Adolis Garcia scores. Josh Jung to 3rd.	5-0
B3	Robbie Grossman doubles (7) on a fly ball to center fielder Julio Rodriguez. Josh Jung scores. Mitch Garver scores.	7-0
B6	Corey Seager doubles (11) on a sharp line drive to right fielder Teoscar Hernandez. Travis Jankowski scores.	8-0
B6	Josh Jung singles on a line drive to center fielder Julio Rodriguez. Corey Seager scores. Nathaniel Lowe to 2nd.	9-0
B6	Jonah Heim homers (7) on a line drive to right field. Nathaniel Lowe scores. Josh Jung scores.	12-0
T7	Eugenio Suarez doubles (7) on a line drive to left fielder Robbie Grossman. Ty France scores.	12-1
T7	Jose Caballero singles on a ground ball to left fielder Robbie Grossman. Eugenio Suarez scores. Teoscar Hernandez to 2nd.	12-2
T7	Kolten Wong singles on a ground ball to left fielder Robbie Grossman. Teoscar Hernandez scores. Jose Caballero to 2nd.	12-3

Highlights

Description	Length	Video
Bullpen availability for Texas, June 4 vs Mariners	0:07	Video
Bullpen availability for Seattle, June 4 vs Rangers	0:07	Video
Fielding alignment for Texas, June 4 vs Mariners	0:11	Video
Breaking down Bryce Miller's pitches	0:08	Video
The distance behind Corey Seager's home run	0:14	Video
Corey Seager's home run through bat tracking data	0:09	Video
Jonah Heim: Home Run Statcast Analysis	0:15	Video
Jonah Heim's home run through bat tracking data	0:09	Video
Breaking down Nathan Eovaldi's pitches	0:08	Video
Nathan Eovaldi's outing against the Mariners	0:23	Video
Jonah Heim rips a two-out two-run single in the 1st	0:22	Video
Teoscar Hernández rips a triple to center field	0:21	Video
Corey Seager drills a long home run to deep center	0:24	Video
Adolis García doubles to center, scoring Lowe	0:24	Video
Mitch Garver sends an RBI double into the gap	0:20	Video
Robbie Grossman smacks a two-run double off the wall	0:26	Video
Bryce Miller strikes out two in his start vs. Rangers	0:19	Video
Travis Jankowski makes a leaping catch at the wall	0:25	Video
The Rangers score five runs in the bottom of the 3rd	1:28	Video
Corey Seager lines an RBI double down the line	0:23	Video
Josh Jung lines a run-scoring single to center	0:14	Video
Jonah Heim crushes a three-run HR off the foul pole	0:28	Video
Jose Caballero's RBI single	0:20	Video
Eugenio Suárez rips an RBI double	0:23	Video
Kolten Wong's RBI single	0:20	Video
Eovaldi strikes out seven across six one-hit innings	0:46	Video
The Rangers add to their lead scoring 5 in the 6th	1:02	Video

Decisions

Winning Pitcher	Losing Pitcher	Save
Eovaldi (8-2, 2.24 ERA)	Miller, B (3-3, 4.46 ERA)

Attendance	Weather	Wind
	74°F, Roof Closed	0 mph, None

HP	1B	2B	3B
Andy Fletcher	Erich Bacchus	Laz Diaz	Mike Estabrook

Game ended at 2:30 PM.

Five months down. Seven months to go until another year when we can do the whole countdown again. Until then, we have five days of government meetings that you might consider attending, participating in, or perhaps turning into a dance remix. On the latter, I can provide the soundbites if you provide the beat. Anyway, more details are in my newsletter for today, but this is a series of blurbs customized for Charlottesville.
​

• Earlier this year, a man filed an application with Albemarle County to operate a firearm storage business out of his home around Free Union. The permit is for a “home occupation” which has to be granted if it meets the technical requirements. Some neighbors got wind of the application and filed a petition and made an appeal to overturn the home application. On Tuesday, the Board of Zoning Appeals will take up their request. There are limits to what local governments can do but there are always avenues for groups to try to stop something. What will happen in this case? (learn more)
• (Edit: I'm seeking to get the timeline in place here per comment below - hold tight for fact-checking) When the West Main Streetscape was a $50 million project with four phases, the University of Virginia agreed in principle to pay $5 million to the city for the one in their sphere of influence. This was also due to pressure from former Mayor Nikuyah Walker who felt that the city should not turn over Brandon Avenue to UVA for free. Now the West Main project is dead, and the UVA commitment will go to the Fontaine Avenue Streetscape and the Emmet Streetscape. Council will take a vote on this Monday. Is that all UVA will pay for on the Fontaine Avenue project? The research park will be the location for the new biotechnology institute, a major driver of traffic and growth. Is this the sort of thing that gets talked about in the closed-door meetings that used to be public meetings? (learn more about the Council meeting)
• In the future there will likely be many more people on public water in Louisa County. At some point a plan to bring water from the James River to Zion Crossroads for both Louisa and Fluvanna will be implemented. But public water supplies depend on the availability of water. What happens if there is a drought? A standard response is to impose mandatory restrictions for customers, but right now Louisa doesn’t have the ability to do that legally. So there will be a public hearing to give them the ability to do so? (learn more)
• On the same topic, there’s a public hearing Monday at Charlottesville City Council for utility rate increases. For water and sewer, increases are proposed in part to cover the cost of infrastructure projects undertaken by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. The RWSA handles that and then bills both Charlottesville and the Albemarle County Service Authority for wholesale services. The city and the ACSA then charge their ratepayers a retail price. (learn more in the staff report)
• On Wednesday, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors will have a work session on recent trends in the siting and permitting for utility-scale solar projects. They’ve hired the Berkley Group to write up a report and to discuss some of the issues. This was put in play as Supervisors were considering a major facility. There’s a lot to learn in the report. (read the report)

Some one-liners:
​

• Both Charlottesville and Fluvanna County have new attorneys this week.
• Council will also be asked to approve $5.3 million to purchase the county’s share of CATEC, as well as to transfer $137,500 from funding set aside for housing vouchers to allow the public housing agency to purchase a single-family road on Harris Road.
• The new owner of Duner’s wants a new porch and that will go before the Albemarle Architectural Review Board
• We’ll get more details on Albemarle’s plans to buy 462 acres near Rivanna Station.
• Will Fluvanna County go ahead with service cuts for Jaunt that correspond with Supervisors’ decision to cut funding by ten percent for FY24?

Please ask questions! I will try to steer you toward more info and provide more context. Share with friends!

I haven’t used Reddit in quite some time but hey, sometimes I remember it exists and give it a try here. It’s 11 PM here and, although I am sleepy, I wanted to finish this pleasant day in a pleasant way (hopefully!) (:
I am a young adult, although I feel like I attended middle school just the other day; if I had to tell you about my interests, I’d say I love listening to music and singing and I am quite an artistic person: in fact, I also draw both traditionally and digitally. I also have an interest for languages especially East Asian ones, and I’ve recently started attending Korean lessons and I am thinking about continuing learning Hiragana and Katakana (both Japanese alphabets) too. I can describe myself as an ambitious, stubborn yet flexible, empathetic person. I admit, I also am interested in things such as astrology and MBTI; although many tend not to believe it or to believe it totally, so no I’m between, I think that it is safe to give them both a try being this for fun or a more serious and different way to get to know people. For those who are interested, I am Aquarius and an INFP (I have no idea if this last one has changed with time).
I am open to go and give everyone a try, but I’d rather have a chat with people close my age because I feel like we can have a similar way of seeing things (or at least it is easier to do when close by age). I do not accept people who show no real interest in what I’ve written so far and want to chat immediately because I am a girl. Please, introduce yourself in a similar way I did or the way you prefer, show me that you care about having a nice chat! Also, I value honesty a lot, so be honest about your intentions

How/why did unionism in the US become workplace centered? I'm doing research with workers who frequently move between employers and workplaces, making workplace-centered unionism challenging, so I'd like to learn more about how/why this model is the norm in the US. I've done a few keyword searches on my library's databases and google scholar, but haven't found what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance for any information or source recommendations you can share.

Have you heard? Big Brother is coming to town!
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) and a local luxury residential and commercial developer are teaming up to build a ‘real-time crime center’ that would give Kalamazoo police live access to security cameras in the city.
This mass surveillance system will use “automatic license plate readers, private security cameras, doorbell cameras, traffic cameras, body cameras, and other emergency response platforms” in addition to the cameras currently owned by the city. It will be used to harass, arrest, imprison and inflict violence upon Kalamazoo’s community, especially the most vulnerable. Its purpose, made obvious by the its private backer, is to protect the property of downtown developers at the expense of the rights of Kalamazoo’s people.
More info here.
Here's how to FIGHT BACK:
Sign our petition & contact the Commission,
In Person: Attend the next Kalamazoo City Commission meeting, TOMORROW Monday, June 5 at 7pm at the City Commission Chambers (241 West South Street). Call for items 7 & 8 be moved from the consent agenda to the regular agenda and voice your opinion during the public comment period.
Phone In: Call into tomorrow's City Commission Meeting at 888-382-9556 during the public comment period (around 7:10pm). Why not click here and add a reminder to your calendar?
Email Your Commissioners: Email the City Commission and demand the proposal be rejected until there is proper transparency and public discussion. Here's an email example template you can use here with a list of the relevant email addresses.
DEMAND the City Commission:

• Reject the proposal and decline the grant provided by the Peregrine Company.
• Provide a report to the public explaining the full extent of the surveillance system that answers the six questions provided by the ACLU.
• Make proactive moves to ban the use of racist facial recognition technology in the City of Kalamazoo.
• Disclose the results from the secretive January 2023 trial of this technology.
• Engage the community with a public discussion period.

I encourage all of those who value privacy and basic civil rights to speak out against this proposal. We cannot allow Big Brother to set up shop in our community, opening the door for even more invasive measures and inflicting even more violence on the poorest in our community.

Can anyone point me to history of labor organizing or labor policy that explains how/why unionism in the US became workplace centered? I'm not finding what I'm looking for using typical keyword searchers. I'm doing research with workers who frequently move between employers and workplaces, making workplace-centered unionism challenging, so I'd like to learn more about how/why this model is the norm in the US. Thanks in advance for any info or recommendations.