#Identifying the Signs of a Drain Problem.

[draincleaningil]

From DIY drain unclogging attempts to comprehensive clogged drain solutions.

Clogged Drain Solutions: How to Unclog a Drain and When to Call for Professional Help.

Identifying the Signs of a Drain Problem.

It’s not uncommon to experience a slow draining sink/tub that can frustrate your daily routine. You may find yourself searching :

sink not draining properly or why is my drain slow?

These common problems are usually due to:

Hair buildup in bathroom drains

Grease accumulation in kitchen sinks

Soap scum and debris collecting in pipes

DIY Drain Unclogging When It Works.

For those asking, how to unclog a drain or how to fix blocked pipes using simple home methods, here are a few clogged drain solutions:

Hot Water and Dish Soap:

2.Baking Soda and Vinegar:

Plunging:

The Limitations of DIY and When to Search for a Plumber Near Me in Northwest Suburbs of Chicago Illinois.

While DIY drain unclogging can solve minor problems, some situations require more powerful solutions.

Store-bought drain cleaners might not be effective and can damage pipes over time.

Persistent slow draining or complete blockages could indicate deeper plumbing issues.

Sewage odors or gurgling sounds could signal a more significant problem, prompting the need to look up plumbing service near me.

Professional drain cleaning services offer comprehensive solutions that go beyond home remedies.

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[oceanxveiined]

Dani has a Mallen streak in her hair, and the reason for that had been usage of a Pyro Delusion acquired during the time she abandoned the Fatui. She had taken it and the uniform off a slaughtered Pyro agent and used it to sneak/fight her way to freedom, promptly passing out once the adrenaline wore off.

She planned to dispose of it immediately afterwards, having become wary of it after noticing the greying, but ultimately chose to keep it in reasoning that it could come in handy. Even if she is still sort of afraid of it.

[artemismoorea03]

DP x DC Prompt Idea: Dangerous

Cassandra's main thing is being able to read and understand body language. Yeah, to a degree all of the Bats possess this skill but Cassandra takes it to a whole new level. Nobody is better at it than she is.

In a way she sometimes reminded herself of a machine the way the information filtered into her brain. The way it categorized each and every person she came across. On the street, in her house, even in the mirror. Everybody had something.

So to come across a person who outwardly looked normal on the outside that she couldn't read she didn't understand. Yes, he has data but the data isn't making any sense!

He's just sitting there texting on his phone, chuckling harmlessly.

Yet every instinct in her body and everything 'harmless' that he was doing was a red flag. It was strange and wrong. But the biggest problem is that she couldn't even identify what about him was so dangerous.

Texting Somebody: Dangerous.

Laughing: Dangerous.

Relaxed Posture: Dangerous.

He wasn't even looking around! He was completely drawn in by whatever was on his phone, having absolutely no care in the world as the bus continued and this kid - who was probably no older than 14 - was just texting away.

It wasn't until the bus suddenly screeched to a halt and the doors were smashed open by some low legal thugs that those signals made sense. They made sense because while everybody else complied with the commands of the men - even Cassandra who might have alerted Oracle before she got to her knees on the floor.

Yet this kid stayed in one place.

"Didn't you hear what I said, kid!? Get on the damn floor!"

The kid didn't even look up before he reacted.

The once non-existent tension in his body changed with no outward sign as he shoved himself forward, shoving the barrel of the gun upwards before punching the man in the jaw so hard that Cass heard it snap out of place as he was thrown backwards against a bar in the bus aisle and dented it. The other two men who were in on the attack were caught off guard as this kid flipped the safety on the gun locking it and in the same fluid motion threw the gun at one of the men, smacking him square in the forehead.

Cassandra was still wrapping her mind around this reckless action before the kid pulled another, rushing towards the final man, grabbing another one of the aisle bars and swinging himself, kicking him in the chest and knocking him right back out the door they'd entered through. The gun went off as it was dropped, but all three men were disarmed and the kid picked up the guns. Dropped the clips into his hand, emptied the chamber then discarded them on one side of the bus before he simply tossed the clips out the nearest window, the clips slipping directly into a drain without any bit of aim.

"What the hell are you, kid?" Groaned the first man, "A bat?"

"Bat? No way, man. Anyways, thanks for the lift Mr. Bus Driver." The kid then promptly walked out of the door, jumped over the man on the ground and made his way down the street.

Cass couldn't wrap her mind what just happened but she understood the warnings.

That kid was dangerous.

She had to get him on the team.

[merlinfromberlin]

A Little Left of Right

"Apparently our cross-dimensional counterparts belong to the more faint of heart," said Optimus. His words sent a cold shiver down Bumblebee's backstrut. "Weren't they keeping pets, too?" asked Arcee, the cold sneer that accompanied those words basically audible. "Pathetic. I don't know what anyone could ever find in these squishies. It's a shame we're stuck here with them." ::What?:: bleeped Bee.

Or: When Bumblebee wakes up after a crash in the desert, something is not quite right with Team Prime.

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, experimental style, Shattered Glass, Ableist Comments, implied cross-dimensional stalking, attempted botnapping Chronology: Somewhere smack dab in the middle of TFP Season 2 - after Operation: Bumblebee but before Smokescreen shows up. Chapter: 1/? Wordcount: 1823 words

Apparently merely the first chapter of a longer story (against my consent).

Written for @angstober - Day 15: False Hope. Prompt list can be found here: X

I'm aware that this does not exactly fit the 'false hope' mold. It's more a 'false sense of security'. But well. This idea stole my brain and by the time I got it back I didn't want to go back and change it anymore.

Story below the cut or on AO3 (I would recommend the AO3 version because of the formatting - looks better over there).

[Initiating system reboot.]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Rebooting sequence successful.]

[Running automated system diagnosis.]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[Energy level: 53%.] 

[Fuellevel: 49%. ]

[Malevolent foreign coding (Aut#Rt-4c7.SG) detected.]

[Isolating code.]

[…]

[…]

[…]

[Malevolent foreign coding (Aut#Rt-4c7.SG) isolated.]

[Starting analysis.]

[…]

[…]

[…]

[Analysis complete.]

[Malevolent foreign coding (Aut#Rt-4c7.SG) identified as Forced Shutdown Protocol (Aut#Rt-4c7.SG).]

[Complete system scan recommended.]

[Scan now?]

[Yes (X) No ( )]

[Initiating scan.]

The first thing Bumblebee became aware of as he woke was coarse grainy desert sand grinding into his joints and burrowing itself below his plating. The second thing was a processor ache almost as bad as that one time he had fallen from Optimus’ shoulders as a sparkling. The third thing was his HUD as well as several other core processes rebooting.

His internal navigation system positioned him somewhere between Jasper and Autobot Outpost Omega One which was good because it was where he remembered being before… before he had been knocked out by whatever. At least Bee had not been botnapped. That would have been inconvenient. Being botnapped sucked. And he really did not want to miss this week’s episode of Avatar.

Bee’s comm link pinged four Autobot signals around him. As he could detect no other lifeforms—apart from an armadillo—nearby, Bumblebee decided to take that as a good sign. He was probably relatively safe right now. Still, he was cautious as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Safety was never permanent. It was one of the first lessons growing up in a Civil War older than yourself taught you.

When he finally onlined his optics, a new surge of pain shredded his processor. His whole visual feed was grainy and drained of colour except for a violently pink tinge in the upper right corner that would have fried his optical sensory circuits if they had not already been glitching. Shaking his helm did not help with the problem in the slightest. Instead, the movement just aggravated the pain and made him nauseous. With a small groan, he pressed his thumbs just below his optical ridges. The sensation of cool digits against heated metal helped momentarily, allowing him to tear his focus back to the present.

Through the static Bumblebee could, albeit barely, make out the shapes of Optimus Prime and Ratchet standing in front of him. The medic was kneeling in front of Bee, already scanning his charge for damages. To his sides he could make out two more vague frames—one slithe, the other bulky. That had to be Arcee and Bulkhead.

::What happened?:: Bee beeped after a moment of tense silence while he slowly, so as not to aggravate his processor further, turned his helm up towards Optimus for answers.

“Our… scanners detected your distress signal,” replied the Prime after a short pause. His tone of voice sent a chill down Bumblebee’s backplating and caused his doorwings to shoot upwards in rigid tension. Optimus sounded uncharacteristically angry and... almost arrogant. His cool intonation and aggressive glyphs grated on Bee's processor. Maybe there was something wrong with his audials, too? Because that was just not what the Autobot leader was supposed to sound like. “So we came to investigate.”

::I don’t…:: Bee started slowly, cycling his optics sluggishly as he scoured his memory files for hints as to what had happened. ::I was driving back to base… I had just brought Raf home. Then… there was this… I don’t know… light, I guess… a flash of blue light. And…. Then I don’t know. I woke up here.::

[Error in Optical Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) detected.]

Who woulda thunk.

[Restart of Optical Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) necessary.]

[Restart now?]

[Yes (X) No ( )]

[Initiating restart of Optical Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127).]

“Mh… There is some minor damages to his sensory network,” reported Ratchet just as Bumblebee’s visual feed offlined itself. He heard someone heavy, probably Bulkhead, shift their weight from one pede to the other on his left side.

::Yeah:: Bee piped up. ::My self-repair is already-::

“Du-uh-uh. Let the grown-ups talk. It's impolite to invade conversations you know nothing about.” He was cut off almost immediately by the medic which… ouch. His carer tended to be grouchy but that… that had just been mean. Unnecessarily so in Bee’s opinion. Ratchet had never before spoken to him like that. Tentatively, he attempted to reach out with his EM field but was met with nothing but distant static. Dejected, he pulled it back to his frame, curling its tendrils tightly around his protoform for comfort. “Otherwise, there seems to be nothing amiss with him. Well, except for the obvious.” Which… again. Ouch. What had gotten into Ratchet?

::Maybe it was M.E.C.H.? I mean… it would fit their method is all:: offered Bee after a moment of terse silence.

A silent hum from Optimus was the only answer he received. Until an impossibly familiar voice spoke up.

“I thought we had squashed those pests decicycles ago,” said Cliffjumper of all mech which… apparently Bee’s audials really were glitching because there was no way that Cliffjumper could be here. Cliffjumper had died months ago in a Decepticon energon mine. And Bee was absolutely certain of that because he kept reliving that dreadful cycle in all its gory details in his dreams. He could not be hearing Cliffjumper because Cliffjumper was dead. Offline. One with the Allspark. Gone.

"Apparently our cross-dimensional counterparts belong to the more faint of heart," answered Optimus. Again, his words sent a cold shiver down Bumblebee's backstrut.

"Weren't they keeping pets, too?" asked Arcee, the cold sneer that accompanied those words basically audible. "Pathetic. I don't know what anyone could ever find in these squishies. It's a shame we're stuck here with them."

::What?:: bleeped Bee. His servos were shaking slightly. His vents came in too fast. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong here. None of this made any sense. Please, Primus, let it be a glitch with his audials or something like that. At least he would know how to fix that—or Ratchet would.

[Query: Initiating scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127).]

[Scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) has not detected any malfunction.]

[Query: Initiating scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127).]

[Scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) has not detected any malfunction.]

[Query: Initiating scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127).]

[Scan of Auditory Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) has not detected any malfunction.]

[Restart of Optical Sensory Relay Network (Bas#B-127) successful.]

[Rebooting now.]

As his visual feed came back online, Bumblebee flinched heavily. The jerking motion send a shard of hot pain through his processor that buried itself deep behind his right optic. He did not care as he shuffled backwards in a panic. After only a few metres his doorwings collided with a rock behind him, stopping him in his tracks and trapping him in place.

[Initiating Energy Preservation Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Energon Preservation Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Emergency Pain Suppressant Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Stealth Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Scouting Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Infiltration Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

[Initiating Combat Protocols (SpOp_Sc#B-127).]

As his processor ache slowly faded to the background, the scout's gaze kept shifting wildly from one bot to the next, skipping from white plating accented with teal on Ratchet's frame to an Arcee whose dark blue main colour had been exchanged for pitch black. For a moment, Bee's focus lingered on the dark blue Cliffjumper to his left. This mech had a lot more horns and studs than his own Cliff had ever possessed. All of their optics glowed red. Then his attention narrowed down on the tallest bot of the group surrounding him. The one who shared Optimus’ frame but neither his colour scheme nor his gentle warmth. Instead, the semitruck was mostly violet, his optics glowing in a sickening purple the scout had come to associate with Megatron. 

::You’re not Optimus:: Bumblebee finally said, his vocalisation trembling slightly. The fake Optimus just laughed. The sound of it was grating to the youngling's audials and he pulled his pedes even closer to himself. His doorwings flared up wide behind him. They were flapping furiosuly, lower halfs scraping against the rock behind him with every stroke.

The fake Ratchet scoffed: "He is a truer Prime than your pathetic pacifist archivist ever could be, little sparkbyte."

Bee shivered at the term of endearment. It sounded wrong when it came from this mech—cold, dangerous and mocking when it should have been one of the, if not the safest word in the entire universe. How did this sorry excuse for Ratchet even know it? Ratchet—his Ratchet, his medic and his carer and the bot who had raised him with Optimus and Ironhide and Elita-1 ever since the destruction of Bumblebee's hometown—made sure never to use it publicly. He was not even sure if their human allies, if Raf, knew the term.

::What did you do to Ratchet?:: Bee warbled quietly, cycling his optics to focus on the medic's faceplates now. He was shaking silently, although he was not sure if from fear or fury.

"Wouldn't you like to know, little one?" The grin on the mean doctor's faceplate split even wider. That was Optimus' nickname for him. It took Bee way too much effort not to cower.

"Ratchet," interrupted the fake Prime suddenly, his voice cold and coloured heavily with disgust. "As amusing as this conversation may be to you, you can continue it back at headquarters. There, you will have our little guest all to yourself without having to worry about Decepticons interrupting you."

::I'm not going anywhere with you!:: protested Bumblebee vehemently, his cables tensing underneath his armour as he made himself even smaller, preparing to strike in surprise. He was sure as the pit not going to go with these creeps. He would rather face Megatron.

"That's not for you to decide, bug." It was the fake Cliffjumper that reacted first to Bee's challenge.

[Initiating transformation sequence (COM-SpOp#B-127;α).]

[Rerouting energon to Combat Line (COM-SpOp#B-127;α;1).]

[Rerouting energon to Combat Line (COM-SpOp#B-127;α;2).]

The blue mech stepped forward to try and pull the smaller bot to his pedes. He stumbled backwards as Bee leapt up from his curled up position on the ground, blasters drawn. The scout used the older mech's surprise to slip past besides him, gaining some space while using the fake Cliff as a shield from the rest of his perpretators. He stayed there for barely a nanocycle before aiming a few weak shots at the older mech's chassis and diving over the top of the rock he had just been leaning against. Midair, he fired a few more shots in the general direction of these weird, dark Autobot mimicries before folding down into his alt mode to speed away as fast as his wheels could carry him.

[totallyjustabunchofhocuspocus]

Fic: Something to Sink Your Teeth Into 4/?

Read on AO3

Pairing: Buck/Tommy, Vampire/Witch!AU

I was not expecting to have to delve this much into political structures, but I can't lie--it's kind of fun.

“Do we get to know why we’re kidnapping one of Gerrard’s party favors, or is this another situation where I sleep better if I don’t know?” Sal asked conversationally as they made their way to the big SUV Lucy preferred to drive.

“You don’t sleep,” Tommy retorted testily.

Sal sighed, and Tommy didn’t have to look to know he was pinching the bridge of his nose. “He got car keys? Gerrard’s got a few on his cleanup crew that’ll notice if there’s more cars than bodies.”

Damn it. That was a good point. “Fuck, I don’t know. He was talking to a friend or a roommate earlier; they might have come together, but I don’t know. Lucy, can you…?” He shifted Evan in his arms, holding him so that Lucy could rifle through his pockets. After a moment, she came up with a peeling leather keychain, on which dangled a couple of keys, one with the Jeep logo emblazoned on it. Sal snatched the keys and shot Tommy a look.

“I’ll go check where the staff was parking. If I don’t find anything, I’ll make my own way home. We are talking about this later, Tommy boy.”

“Expected nothing less,” Tommy sighed, and then frowned. “I’m taking him to the apartments, though, not the main house.” Sal looked surprised, but just nodded and loped off towards the end of the estate opposite the gardens, where presumably all of Gerrard’s victims had been told to park for the night. “You drive, Luce. I’m gonna have to handle him if he wakes up before we get home.”

Lucy’s eyebrows climbed towards her hairline, but she didn’t question him further, just hurrying along to the SUV and unlocking it with a quick chirp from the key fob. He clambered into the backseat with Evan and spent an awkward few moments trying to sort of lean him comfortably against the window in the seat before giving up with a groan and just pulling the kid back against his chest.

“I’m biting my tongue so hard I’m tasting blood, Kinard. I just want you to know that,” Lucy said from the driver’s seat, staring at him in the rearview mirror. “Also, just how much handling does one half-drained frat boy need? Not that I’m judging you. Much.”

Tommy glared at her half-heartedly, before turning his attention out the window, restlessly scanning their surroundings for any of Gerrard’s people. The SUV’s tinted windows—darkest UV blocking glass they were legally allowed to have in California, of course—should keep them safe from any prying eyes, but he didn’t fully relax until Lucy had pulled them out of Gerrard’s compound and they were out on the highway.

Evan showed no signs of waking, and Tommy took the opportunity to finally take a (metaphorical) breath and really consider just what the fuck he had done. He’d gotten the witch out of Gerrard’s territory…but now what? The kid had already proven he was dangerous. If it had been anyone else in that parlor apart from Tommy or Gerrard himself, he had no doubt Evan would have been able to escape.

He also had no doubt that Evan would not have been able to get off the estate. Against maybe a handful of younger vampires? Probably he’d have been fine. Against dozens and dozens of representatives of every coven in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area? He might have taken a lot of them out with him, but eventually he would have been overwhelmed by sheer numbers. But the fact remained that bringing him home was dangerous. It was stupid. He'd accomplished what he’d set out to do—which was get the witch away from Gerrard. The smart thing to do would be to have Lucy drive to the nearest hospital, use the thrall to blur Evan’s memories enough that he wouldn’t be able to identify Tommy, and leave him on a bench near the ER doors.

What was he thinking?

He wasn’t, that was the problem. He’d been riding on instinct from the moment he’d watched Evan burn Gerrard’s turn to ash…and his instincts were insisting he not let the witch out of his sight.

Tommy had not survived for eight hundred fucking years by ignoring his instincts.

A faint tremor ran through Evan’s body, a small grimace twisting his face. The delicate skin of his eyelids twitched and trembled, his eyes moving restlessly back and forth as though he was dreaming. With a soft sigh, he turned further into Tommy’s chest, his forehead brushing the skin of Tommy’s neck. The kid was ice cold—especially compared to the warmth that had been radiating off him before. Well shit, of course he was. He was a few pints of blood lighter and he’d been fighting for his life with his magic. He was probably going into shock. Fuck…he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had to worry about a human’s welfare. The only one he spent any real amount of time with was Lucy’s girlfriend—and not only did Lena decidedly not need Tommy fussing over her, she would be one of them soon enough (Lucy had already asked, and Alonzo had consented…but Lena’s mother was in the final stages of a long battle with cancer and she didn’t want to abandon her human life before her mother passed).

He twisted in his seat, searching through the multitude of things that had been tossed into the third row until he found a jacket he vaguely remembered seeing Ravi wear a few times crumpled up under some random books and an umbrella. He snatched it up and turned back to drape it over Evan, drawing another long look from Lucy in the rearview mirror. He sighed heavily.

“He’s a witch, Lucy,” he said without preamble.

Lucy did not slam on the brakes in shock. But the SUV did swerve a little. An angry horn blared behind them, and Lucy rolled her window down to stick her hand out and flip them the bird.

“Tommy, what the fuck? Are you sure?”

“He burned one of Gerrard’s turns to ash with a spell. Tried to flatten me like a pancake. And I could barely hold him in the thrall. So yeah, pretty sure.”

“What the hell is a witch doing at a vampire coven gathering?”

Tommy shrugged one shoulder, massaging his temple lightly. Sal insisted that they couldn’t get headaches anymore, but Tommy called bullshit. “Tending bar,” he said. “I don’t think he realized what kind of party he was working until it was too late.”

“His familiar let him walk into a den of vampires?” Lucy asked in disbelief. “Wait…where is the familiar?”

Another shrug. “I don’t think he has one. Like you said, no way it would have let him walk into Gerrard’s place. And there was nothing helping him when he was attacked. Even if his familiar was a damn fly, it would have tried to do something.”

“Is that—I mean, the only witch I know is Chimney, but—isn’t that…kind of weird for a witch his age?”

It was fucking bizarre is what it was. A bond with a familiar was considered part of becoming an adult among witches. Most were bonded with a familiar by fifteen or sixteen, sometimes earlier. But hardly ever later. Familiars helped witches regulate and control their power as they became fully functioning members of their covens. Granted, Tommy wasn’t exactly sure how a familiar was chosen for a witch. He would cautiously say that he and Howie were friends, but it wasn’t like they regularly traded coven secrets, and Howie had never offered up the story of how he’d come to be bonded with the wrinkly-faced bat that clung to his clothes and fluttered around his head constantly.

“It’s not normal, no,” he allowed eventually.

“Okay…okay, so I see why you took him out of Gerrard’s. No way in hell you could leave him there. But what are you planning to do with him?” she asked carefully. Too carefully.

“Lucy,” he said warningly.

“Kinard,” she replied in exactly the same tone. Then she sighed heavily. “You know we have to consider how much of an advantage this could be. You already drank from him!”

He shifted, unconsciously tightening the arm he had around Evan’s shoulders. To keep him from tipping all over the place, of course. The power of the witch’s blood still coursed through him, and would for several days…maybe even a few weeks. Tommy was already stronger and faster than anyone else in the coven, was stronger and faster than almost any other vampire in this part of California, but right now? He was fucking untouchable. Lucy was right…having access to Evan’s blood regularly would be an incredible advantage for the coven. Even if they limited who drank from him and let the younger members of the coven drink from those people regularly, the strength of the coven would increase tenfold. He knew why Lucy had to put the thought out there.

Alonzo’s coven was well-respected and well-liked. But they did not have the sheer power that was required to be politically important in their world. Tommy’s presence in the coven was the source of a lot of what political clout they did have. Even with their relatively small numbers, there weren’t many covens who were willing to anger a vampire who was close to measuring his age in millennia rather than centuries. Alonzo and Sal were decently powerful in their own right—both of them having been turned sometime during the early Renaissance—but apart from them the rest of the coven were all under two hundred years old. Most of them had been turned in the last century.

But no witch would willingly let themselves be used like that by a vampire coven.

Witch and vampire covens had an uneasy truce. In places like LA, with large populations of both, interaction was necessary to preserve the secret of their existence from the even larger human populations. That was how he’d come to know Howard Han. He and Howie had known each other for going on ten years, had spoken often in both official and unofficial capacities. He considered Howie a friend, and knew Howie felt the same. But they had never been to each other’s territory. Never been alone together. Every meeting he’d ever had with Howie had been conducted in a public place, or on carefully agreed upon and regulated neutral territory.

If the coven were to utilize Evan’s blood, they would have to force him.

Keep him locked up somewhere. Neutralize his ability to cast spells. Keep him a secret from every other witch and vampire in the city. And the worst part was, he knew Alonzo would consider it. Gerrard had been expanding his powerbase in LA for decades, and the very real possibility he would enter into a formal alliance with Ortiz had every coven not formally aligned with him on edge. The situation was becoming precarious enough that he knew Alonzo was considering if it was even worth it to stay in California anymore.

He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d told Evan what Gerrard would do to him back at the mansion. Gerrard’s solution would be to slice out Evan’s tongue and keep him chained in the basement of his most heavily fortified property and he would do it in a heartbeat.

Tommy had done unsavory things in the name of survival before. He no longer had to kill when he hunted, but there were hundreds, if not thousands of deaths under his belt in that pursuit. And that was just the hunting. Tommy had done many cruel, vicious things—in the name of survival or revenge or protecting something he valued or just because. The idea that he could be as old as he was with clean hands and a clean conscience was laughable. He certainly didn’t care that the other members of his coven still killed when they hunted, and far more frequently than he needed to. Tommy was no stranger to cruelty. It was true, though, that in general, Alonzo’s coven refrained from the worst excesses of their kind. That was what he liked about them, what had spurred him to join, and why he stayed.

The thought of doing anything the way Gerrard would turned Tommy’s stomach.

But it was one person—one stranger—held up against safety and protection for his entire coven.

“Tommy?” Lucy said again, and he shook his head.

“I don’t have a plan, Luce,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking beyond making sure Gerrard didn’t get ahold of him.”

“Well, you need to figure that the fuck out!”

“I know! Okay? I know. Look, just…just get us to the apartments. I’ll call Alonzo as soon as you’re gone and, I dunno, I’ll just see what he has to say.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…who said I was leaving?” She turned fully in her seat to glare at him, and he smacked the back of her headrest.

“Eyes on the road!” he snapped. “Fuck. And I said you’re leaving. Did you miss the part where I said this kid burned one of Gerrard’s turns to ash? Why do you think we’re not going back to the compound?”

“He’s thralled, it’s fine!”

“Lucy,” he said firmly. “No. I’ve never actually had someone fight me like that, I don’t know how long I can hold him.”

“So gag him,” she shrugged.

“Right, because waking up like that’s gonna inspire him to listen to me calmly and objectively.”

Another glare in the rearview mirror, this one suspicious. “Why do you need him to listen to you calmly and objectively?” she asked warily. “Tommy—we can’t let him go, you understand that right? Doesn’t matter what reason you had…and let me guess, someone caught you trying to sneak him out? It still doesn’t matter. You drank from a witch, completely unsanctioned. His coven could demand your fucking head. Even if by some miracle they accepted that you were trying to save him, the SoCal high coven has been trying to find a way to drive you and Gerrard out of LA for years. They hate having vampires as powerful as you in their territory.”

“I. Know,” he gritted out, although in truth he hadn’t been thinking anywhere near that far ahead. He’d just known he had to get Evan out of that mansion. Besides…if what he’d seen when he drank from Evan was accurate (and he still wasn’t sure it was…experiencing flashes and fragments of memories and emotions wasn’t unusual when drinking from a thralled victim, but he’d never seen anything that complete, that solid), the witch covens in the area might not respond for Evan the way Lucy thought they would.

“Okay, well, then what the fuck is the plan? Cause if you can’t answer that, we’re going to have to kill him. Tonight. Fuck, right now!”

“We’re not killing him.” The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he was going to say them. Lucy turned to look at him again, shock plain on her face. The SUV drifted in its lane and another horn blared at them. Tommy rubbed a hand down his face, taking a deep, unneeded breath. “I am very aware of just how precarious the situation is, okay? But I don’t want to kill him unless we have to.”

It was strange, actually, how very much he didn’t want to kill the witch. If his position was reversed with Lucy or Sal, he’d be questioning if Evan had somehow cast a spell on them. But his instincts were screaming at him. Screaming. He had to listen.

“Tommy,” Lucy said softly, and when he looked at her face in the mirror, she was biting her lip, a worried frown wrinkling her forehead.

Without a word, he reached forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. Blindly, she grabbed it, rubbing her cheek against his knuckles. Lucy was not his turn. He hadn’t made her. But the one who had had completely abandoned her to her new life, cutting her loose only days after she’d risen. Tommy had been the one who found her, half-feral and on the verge of being declared for extermination by the local covens. He’d been the one who helped her regain her control, herself. He hadn’t made her, but neither of them really made that distinction anymore.

“Luce, do you trust me?” he asked softly.

“You know I do. More than anyone.”

“Then trust me. I’ll figure this out.”

Lucy swallowed convulsively but gave a sharp nod. She squeezed his hand one more time, and then let it go to concentrate on driving. They spent the rest of the drive in silence, until Lucy eventually guided the SUV into the underground parking garage of the apartment building Alonzo had acquired as a coven safehouse a few years ago. They’d gone to great pains to bury its ownership under multiple shell companies and shadow investors, and even occasionally rented out units in it to preserve the fiction. At the moment, it was completely empty.

The perfect place to bring what was essentially a ticking timebomb. It wasn’t like Tommy didn’t have the funds to buy the coven a hundred more apartment buildings if this went badly and Evan ended up burning the place to the ground. The witch was still deeply unconscious, but a little bit of color had come back to his face as Tommy gathered him up again and slid out of the backseat. His breathing and heartbeat were steady enough that Tommy wasn’t worried.

Lucy insisted on following him up to one of the loft apartments they kept furnished with the basics, dithering by the door while Tommy carried Evan up to the second floor and laid him down on the bed far more gently than was strictly necessary. He hesitated briefly, then mentally threw up his hands and made quick work of removing the witch’s shoes and belt. He searched briefly through his pockets, just to remove anything that might be uncomfortable to lie on, and came up with only his wallet and a pack of gum. He debated only a few seconds before flipping the wallet open, his eyebrow climbing when the driver’s license in the first plastic sleeve read EVAN DANIELS. That was weird…the kid had said his last name was Buckley when Tommy questioned him back at the mansion.

“Hey, Sal just texted! The keys matched an old Jeep in the staff parking area…what do you want him to do with it?” Lucy called up the stairs, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked down at Evan again and closed the wallet, setting it down on the nightstand in easy reach.

“Have him bring it here,” he called back.

“Oh, so Sal gets to stay?” Lucy grumbled but didn’t try to argue further. Tommy rested his hands on his hips, drumming his fingers on his belt as he tried to think ahead for perhaps the first time tonight.

“Hey, Josh still does a lot of hacking doesn’t he?” he asked, going to the top of the stairs and looking down at Lucy. She looked up from her phone, a distinctly unimpressed look on her face.

“His literal job for Alonzo is erasing the coven’s digital footprint and keeping our finances straight, so, uh, yeah.”

“Think he could find out some coven information discreetly?”

Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “I’m guessing we’re talking witch covens, not vampire. Ugh. I can ask…but if he thinks we’d trigger something, he’s not doing it.”

“No, yeah, no, that’s fair. Just…see if he can find out anything about an Evan Buckley.”

“That’s not a very unique name—do you have any other details, or are we just looking for what we can dig up in LA?”

Tommy thought back to the strange…vision or dream or whatever. “No, no he can’t be from California.”

Lucy’s glare turned disbelieving. “You want Josh to go fishing through coven records for a name like Buckley and the only geographical distinction is ‘not California’?”

Okay, when she said it like that…

“I think…I think he was banished,” Tommy admitted after a moment. “Probably a few years ago.”

“Banished,” Lucy repeated slowly. “A few years ago? But you said he was casting spells?”

“I know. I—I might be wrong. But there’s something weird going on here.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Lucy muttered darkly. “Fine. Evan Buckley, banished from anywhere in the United States except California…you do think he’s American, right?”

“I mean, if he’s not he does a really decent accent,” Tommy said with a shrug.

“You’re giving me ulcers, Kinard!”

He smirked at her, spreading his hands in a placating gesture. “They’ll heal. Now get out of here. See what Josh can find, if anything, and text me later.”

At that, the irritation melted off Lucy’s face, and she stabbed a finger towards him, her expression deadly serious. “Stay safe, okay?”

“You know me Luce. I’m hard to kill.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded, and turned to leave. Tommy watched the door close and the deadbolt engage with a solid thunk, and then he was alone. With a witch. Who he had bitten without permission and kidnapped, and who had already demonstrated a complete willingness to try and kill him. And who he absolutely was not going to be able to let go when he woke up, regardless of whether or not he particularly wanted to.

Right. What could possibly go wrong?

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Bathroom Moth Fly - Clogmia albipunctata

Insects truly are amazing creatures, aren't they. Just when one thinks that they've seen it all, nature finds another way to surprise them, such is the case with this strange specimen. At a casual glance, this individual appears to be a small tufted Moth with broad wings and feathered antennae. However, there's a problem: only one pair of wings, meaning this insect has to be a Fly, and that's exactly what it is! Yes, really! Specifically, this Fly is a member of the subfamily known as Psychodinae, or Moth Flies, naturally owing to the aforementioned resemblance. While similar in appearance, they could not be further apart with regards to certain behaviors and adaptations. Most prominently, the larvae of Psychodinae are prominent in sewage systems and bathroom drains rather than verdant fields. There they feed on developing algae and bacteria within plumbing muck and pipes. It may be dirty work, but it's very useful for urban environments as they can act as natural purifiers. This is an offshoot of their role within the natural environment whereby they act as detritivores by streams, ponds and other moist, decay-filled environments such as within leaf litter.

From my own research, they're hardly pests given their muck-feeding, but their presence may be unpleasant. Many of them may indicate there is uncleanliness afoot (similar to the Common Silverfish, another misunderstood bathroom resident). If you find a similar insect in your bathroom, take it as a sign that clean up may be needed. After a fill of filth, the larvae pupate within the same filth, emerging after some time as a tuft-haired specimen like the one seen here. When they take to the air, they can begin feeding on sources of nectar, but some may continue to feed near their water source. It sounds strange, but lest we forget that some Butterflies obtain valuable nutrients by sipping them from mud. Speaking of, even as I write I'm very amazed by how close the resemblance of this specie is to a small, compact Moth, down to the plumage on the thorax and the positioning of the eyes. Many Moth Fly specimens look similar to each other, but it seems that this specie is easy to identify as long as the following characteristics are met. There should be 2 spots visible in the middle of each wing, the antennae and Fly's leg segments should be white, and there must be white spots around the edge of the wings. That's a match here!

Pictures were taken on August 21, 2024 in Hamilton with a Google Pixel 4. I did wash my hands after handling this specimen...after research began.

[lipshits-continuous]

I know your degree isn’t all maths, but do you have any tips/tools for studying maths at uni?

Hello, sorry this is a few days late, I wanted to give you a proper answer /lh

These are in no particular order of importance:

If you are having trouble with a particular concept or area, talk to someone. A fellow student, the lecturer, your academic advisor, your tutor (if you uni has stuff like tutorials), are even someone from mathblr. In one-to-one conversations, it's often easier to to ask specific questions and for the person helping you to try to frame things in a way you understand

The flip side of this is try helping other people that are stuck. Explaining things to other people helps make sure you understand them. There have been occasions where a certain proof or concept has clicked for a second time when I've explained it to someone else

Practice problems and exercises are invaluable. Not only are they great for building understanding and strengthening memory (as well as developing general mathematical rigour), they're also a pretty effecient way of identifying things you don't understand as well for you to work on. I think I've talked about this before but my revision strategy is to do problems to identify what I'm weak on, and then go over the notes of the weak points and do problems on that specific area until I'm comfortable answering questions in that area again, then repeat.

Remember to take breaks! When you're trying to tackle a particularly hard problem and you're getting nowhere, take a break and focus on something else (probably not other problems). Sometimes inspiration will hit whilst you're not actively thinking about the problem (this has happened to me many times, especially whilst I'm showering haha). Or when you then go to return to the problem, you'll get back into it and realise that the answer was actually no that hard after all, you were just fatigued by spending so long on it. Obviously this won't always be the case, there will be problems that you will need to ask for help on and that's okay too. Learning is about admitting you don't know things

Remember to have fun. University can get really intense and draining and it is good to find some balance outside of that. You might not always find that balance during term time (I'm still working on it myself but my terms are short(ish) but very dense with no reading week so it's quite intense) but even little things like setting aside an hour or two just to listen to music or play a video game can help.

Sort of related to the last point but also read about maths outside of the modules you are taking, especially if they are starting to feel like a slog. Try to find things that remind yourself why you enjoy maths and why you wanted to study it. Sometimes that won't work and it might be a sign you aren't enjoying your degree as much as you thought you would (this happened to me with physics and is part of the reason I switched to doing more maths). Something that I like to do is look at module options for later years in my degree and see what things look exciting.

Get used to self-study because it's a really helpful skill. If you're lecturer didn't explain something well or you missed a lecture because of illness or whatever, you're gonna have to catch up and the lecture notes/textbook are the first port of call (as well as a friend who did attend the lecture, but they might be busy). But developing the skill before you have to do revision for exams is quite handy and independent learning skills come in very useful when you go on later to do research projects. This also includes being able to find other resources that help you understand things, like other textbooks or YouTube videos and finding out what works before for you.

A small sidenote for studying in the UK, especially if you're starting in September/October is to expect lecturer strikes. As it currently stands, it doesn't look like universities are budging so be prepared for disruption. I can't really speak for how this affects specific universities other than my own so I don't want to make general claims.

All that said, these are what I've personally found useful so some people might disagree with me or have other things they'd also suggest (if that's the case please add onto this post).

If you're starting after summer then I sincerely hope your A Level results are what you hope for and that you get into your first choice!

[rpedia]

Anonymous asked:  Idk, why. But every time I rp as a guy I sometimes feel uncomfortable or just bored. Especially when it comes to canon characters, I feel like I'm just satisfying my parthers otp/ships with their oc's. And when I try to bring in my others oc's, they're ignored. This happens almost every time with any other person. Do you have any advice?

Usually there’s a reason for stuff like this, so lemme jump to the biggest most extreme conclusion and get that outta the way. If you’re uncomfortable exclusively by the act of playing a gender, or thinking like a gender, and acting like a gender, and feel like you’re just playing a role with no connection to specifically a gender and nothing else... Maybe you don’t want to play/be/act as that gender? I mean, it could be anything setting you off, but this is important to point out, especially with your wording, subconscious though it may be. You don’t have to RP as a guy. It’s okay. Be anything you want, that’s what RP is for. To have fun, and be comfortable, and do what feels good to you. There’s no shame in just saying no to RPing anything. Settings, characters, genders, themes, tropes, even just roleplaying if you’re not in the mood! Roleplay is, again, for fun, and you should probably communicate that you’re no longer having it. That you want to explore other options. I mean this could be as simple as you don’t have chemistry with those partners, to as complex as realizing you may not have a real connection to a specific gender... even IRL. 

Like, I’m not gonna lie, I have seen a large number of people who have realized they identify as something else because they’ve played other genders, tried out the ol’ mental space with RP, and found something that fit them better. Might not be applicable to you, that’s fine. This is a deeply personal decision though, I’m just pointing it out as an aside because some people need that little push to go ‘oh’ and this answer is going to be an open letter to everyone who is in this situation as usual. So hey, it doesn’t have to be too serious, and if questioning your labels isn’t your speed, no issue. Just thought it was wise to point it out, rather than ignore it and pretend it didn’t set off a tiny alarm in my head saying ‘hang on a sec’. So yes, with that out of the way— Of course that’s not the only reason things might feel ‘off’! Like I mention above, there’s plenty of other things, so now that we have a quick ‘I’d be a jerk if I didn’t say this does happen’ out of the way, let’s explore things like chemistry, and why your characters don’t resonate with you personally, but end up seeming to be more for your partner in crime over there. AKA: Playing for other people, and why it doesn’t really work out.

So when you RP a character and they don’t sync with you personally? That’s a big thing buddy! That’s a sign you’re not playing what you love or vibe with. That doesn’t seem like something you should get upset about, we all do stuff that we feel pretty neutral or vaguely bored by for friends and family, but it really really can be draining over time. Playing something deeply out of your personal experience is a fun challenge, but I would never say do that for a long term if you’re not getting comfortable as you do it. You can burn yourself out, by pushing too hard and making so much work for yourself you lose the thread of fun supposedly throughout all RP.

Me? I have trouble with happy, perky characters. I can do it, and I do it well judging by the reaction of people around me, but it just doesn’t feel right. It feels like someone is very slowly spreading me thinner and thinner trying to react against my natural instincts. I know it’s actually another problem that some people feel like they play too many similar characters, but that’s a natural inclination to play something that suits you, so you can give your full attention to the details surrounding that character instead of questioning everything you do. 

Being able to act on auto pilot helps a ton when you want to focus on the important parts, like the plot instead of figuring out how this character would feel if it’s not what you kneejerk understand. Second guessing is hard! As anyone who deals with second guessing everything they do all day: it leads to exhaustion because it’s an extra hidden layer of emotional labor.

So! Why are dudes uncomfortable for you? We’ve got an obvious problem here that an external force (your RP buddies over there) may have trained you to believe that you only have one purpose. That male characters are romance fodder, and have to fall in love with an OC. That your OC’s aren’t important. That’s gonna be a whoooole different problem right there. This is a problem with your RP partner, who is using you to fulfill their happiness. There’s a huge problem with the power dynamic in this OOC relationship, just going by this little snippet.

Your partner should never make you feel like you’re only roleplaying for their sake.  

I’m leaving that line all alone so you can really look at it, and reread it. I’m going to say it again in fact: Your partner should never make you feel like you’re only roleplaying for their sake. There’s various reasons why that’s icky, but I’ll just touch on what stands out to me most. One of those things is that this makes roleplaying a job. 

Instead of letting yourself explore the mind of a character you enjoy, you’ve come to expect that you will follow a certain order of things, and that your job is to fill the emotional labor required of your partner to keep them happy. They respond to you requesting similar emotional labor (which in a healthy relationship should be give-and-take) by ignoring you. This is painful for you, maybe not like getting pinched, but feeling like what you’ve made isn’t good enough? That you’re not good enough by extension because our RP kids are totally extensions of ourselves? That’s unfair. Unfair to you.

However! Even if something seems to be a pattern, like not playing dudes, it’s always good to test run characters from all walks of life. Any character couldn’t be the exception to or that your mood could change. That means, don’t feel guilty if you’ve said “this label doesn’t feel right” for a while, and then you have an exception. It just means it’s an exception, you’re fine. You’re not breaking your own rules, you’re learning more about what works with you.

Finding yourself at a loss with OC’s or characters you enjoy may point to your environment being one that’s hostile to new things. They don’t understand an OC, there’s no blueprint giving them an idea of what to expect. OC’s are also one of the easiest ways for players to get into the game, which means newbies who lack social graces tend to gravitate towards them because ‘there’s no rules to break’ in how they portray them. Unfortunately since they don’t know how to approach others in socially appropriate ways, this gives OC’s a reputation for being awful to play with. They break etiquette, they push too hard, they don’t get why someone may be backing away. This isn’t the OC’s fault, it’s the player, but it’s seen more in OC’s because of ease-of-entry. So... they gain a reputation.

That means approaching on an OC is definitely going to come with people looking for standard red flags, and they’ll need to see you in action long enough to get comfortable with you! You have to be stellar in everything to get attention, and you have to have a hook. Your character has to be stand-out, interesting, and fun. Something people get grabbed by the summary of, so they can emotionally attach to it the same way they did major series, which give a character time to come out of their shell, and audiences time to connect to them. That’s why canons are popular: They bought the time it took to get under people’s skin by having a plot to follow. Without that, OC’s are like hearing about a character from another fandom you’re not interested in.

There’s also, unfortunately, an online beef against the ladies in plot. I’m not gonna sugar coat it, people have gotten it into their heads that girls being roleplayed tend to be shallow, vapid characters designed just for romance. So it can be hard to egt people interested because of stereotypes. The worst part is, I see this stereotype most often from male writers playing women, who have no idea hoiw to treat them as a person, and have instead made them a cardboard cut out designed to reach their goals. This is even worse on adult websites where smut is an option, ladies get the short stick SO often because of years where female characters have been treated as a plot device. 

This goes way back to the idea of a sexy lamp: If your female character can be replaced with a sexy lamp, they aren’t expanded enough on. They aren’t a person. Some of the strongest female characters have been, say, Ripley from Alien. Why? She was a male character in the script, they just didn’t change anything but her gender and rolled with it. Which, duh, worked because women is people. A wild concept for some reason. Can you tell this is something that gets my goat, because baaaa, motherfucker, baaaa.

That means you end up working against a lot of shit to just try and play around and have fun. It can be exhausting, and more than once I’ve seen people give up. Don’t, though. People need to hear your voice. If you’re in a position where things are hard, remember. Trying the same things over and over expecting it to change is just silly. You need to change parts of your approach, whether it be the environment, the people, or simply how you word things. Push back on what’s making you feel bad, and put down boundaries. “If I do this, I would appreciate if you gave back with this.” Ask for space, you deserve space to explore what makes you happy. Say no more often to things you’re not comfortable with. You don’t have any obligation to fit a mold for another person.

Find your comfort zone, and defend it. If that means moving onto a new group of people, or just doing something extraordinary with what you have, or finding a new way to approach stuff, then maybe that’s what you need to do! Spread your wings, and find what makes you happy. Don’t look for advice on how to tamp yourself down into what you feel like you should be doing, if it’s not right for you. Good luck, and Happy RPing!

[conjuremanj]

Spiritual Attacks VS Spiritual Oppression & Objects For Protection.

Spiritual Attacks is when someone who doesn't like you is either trying or did put something on you.

Spiritual Oppression is when there is a entity around and don't get me wrong the effects between these two are similar. Jus

One of the challenges in identifying oppression is many times the attack may often be demonic (Evil) and then in some cases may not be at all. In some instances, they can even mimic other conditions that may cause you to not consider the possibility of a demonic attack. One must use his or hers built in intuition and sensing a spirit or good or bad, human or not in their room/ space or recognizing their presence. Here are three signs of demonic / Evil oppression that are possible and can be overlooked as an attacks by a enemy:

Abnormal Fear. The sudden hit of fear that can over come you.

Unable To Rest And Nightmares.

Unexplained Depression.

First: When it comes to these two symptoms the feeling of being watched can happen and we all have this built-in ability to know when something isn't right if something is watching you or even the feeling like a person is watching you and you turn to look and that person is looking hard at you or when your along in a house and your look outside then suddenly close the blinds because of that feeling of being watched. Those are our intuitions our built in spiritual gifts of warnings.

Having that very strong feeling that someone or something is watching you is a big sign that it might be under a spiritual attack or spiritual oppression.

Two the feeling of some one following you. Now that can be both spiritual attack & oppression because when a person but something bad on you like a curse or hex that power create and gives a kind of birth to an entity that can and will to follow you, why because that's it's job to make you feel uneasy.

Three do the feeling you're having stop when you reach a certain area like a street, car, church or home. If it does then that's another sign.

Four If all there things are happening then you need some type of protection. Now there are different ways to protect ones self.

Stones or good, traditionally in hoodoo the only stones that were available were 'Black Jet' 'Iron Pyrite' (fools gold) for drawing money and Lodestone for general attract.

Five when you take off your protection or remove that protection from your house do you feel heavy, if you do that another sign that it's working these protection that we set in place like a Back Jet stone absorb this energy because between me and you these protections wouldn't absorb that bad energy if it wasn't there.

Last sign that you will notice is when you're having problems with your electronics. Lights flickering, appliances going on and off, batteries drains for no reason.

Cleaning Your Wearable Items

1 of 2: Now when wearing something for protection like a stone or cross etc. They get drained and like wanga or mojo bag eventually would need to be refueled. To refuel wearable items, get yourself either holy water, Florida water and just put a little and wipe it down and say a prayer.

2. Keep your ansestor altar up that protection is strong and will help protect you , working that altar strengthening them also it helps them to to be stronger to protect you.

To protect your home starting with out side sage is good for the land keep those land spirits from entering (spirits like formal owner who don't want to leave or elemental usually summoned to protect land like Native Americans land and they can be active if they don't like you. So sage outside not inside to keep them from getting in.

For the inside I would recommend Holly Water, Polo Santo or Frankincense and Myrrh. They can be used together.

"Think of it this way Sage helps CLEARS out the bad and Palo Santo helps BRINGS back the good energies". (See my post on Smudging)

[ragingstillness]

I gotta rant for a second. I have a coworker/manager who I’m in a semi-silent war with currently, over signage. I think we need more of it, she thinks we don’t. And it’s crazy to me to think that after the 20+ years she’s worked at this store she still doesn’t understand one of the fundamental truths of retail: customers are very smart, but they are also very stupid.

And this isn’t the kind of signage where it’s like oh this way to the dog food, I’m talking like safety signage. I’ll give a few examples.

We have a popcorn machine in our store. What that has to do with hardware idk but we make popcorn periodically and give little bags to customers for free on their way out. The thing is, it pops the corn in an electric kettle. You have to bring it to heat, pop the corn, then scoop the corn into the bags. We can’t afford to have someone manning the machine constantly so often if we’re busy we’ll run out of full bags, and there tends to be some popcorn left in the machine. Why is this a problem? Because the kettle gets incredibly hot and stays that way for quite some time. Often if I’m thinking of making another batch and just get briefly called away, I’ll leave it heating so I don’t have to go through the wait of heating it up again. I think we need a sign that reminds customers to not scoop their own popcorn. The kettle is not out of touching range when you open the doors and I have personally burned myself on it when I was scooping and my arm was a little too high. It stung like crazy and left a scar. I put a sign up. My coworker took it down. I explained to her why the sign was there and put up a new one and asked her to not take it down. I get there the next day, she has taken it down, and I barely manage to stop a customer from reaching into the machine for popcorn that very afternoon. This is driving me crazy, not only is it a safety issue it’s also a massive legal liability.

One of the other things we do is cut lengths electrical wiring and rubber/nylon tubing. We have a guillotine-like machine that does so. There is like one tiny sign that isn’t properly visible that tells customers not to cut their own wiring or tubing. And what do they do? They cut it themselves every time. The part that’s annoying for all of us is that they then don’t measure it properly or take note of what the item number is, meaning they come all the way up to the registers and I’m like dude there is no barcode or identifying markers on this random length of tubing, I can’t sell this to you without knowing the cost. Which means I have to send them all the way back to get the item number and at this point they’re typically pissed at me. Once again, this is a safety issue, we need more prominent signage. Yet when I’ve brought this up, management has said oh there’s that one sign, and just moved on.

Also, every once in a while a customer will get injured in our store. I have seen this happen twice now. Both times were luckily not a result of any negligence on our parts, just people cutting themselves on their own, but that’s led to them dripping blood on our floors and we don’t use proper blood borne pathogen equipment to clean it! I worked for the Red Cross! That shit’ll kill you! But nope, just paper towels for the floor oh and pull out the hose to wash the blood from the sidewalk down towards the parking lot drain.

We also put dangerous items in way too accessible spots! I narrowly prevented a maybe 7 year old child from grabbing and playing with a blowtorch hot enough to melt glass! Yes it’s mainly a parent’s responsibility to keep an eye on their kid or not bring them into the store at all but I am terrified every day that somebody’s gonna get very seriously hurt in our store.

Ugh this post got very disjointed but in general there are so many inefficiencies and safety risks at this store and it drives me crazy that most of my coworkers are at best ambivalent to it.

[mariacallous]

Forty-one state attorneys general penned a letter to Meta’s top attorney on Wednesday saying complaints are skyrocketing across the United States about Facebook and Instagram user accounts being stolen, and declaring “immediate action” necessary to mitigate the rolling threat.

The coalition of top law enforcement officials, spearheaded by New York attorney general Letitia James, says the “dramatic and persistent spike” in complaints concerning account takeovers amounts to a “substantial drain” on governmental resources, as many stolen accounts are also tied to financial crimes—some of which allegedly profits Meta directly.

“We have received a number of complaints of threat actors fraudulently charging thousands of dollars to stored credit cards,” says the letter addressed to Meta’s chief legal officer, Jennifer Newstead. “Furthermore, we have received reports of threat actors buying advertisements to run on Meta.”

“We refuse to operate as the customer service representatives of your company,” the officials add. “Proper investment in response and mitigation is mandatory.”

In addition to New York, the letter is signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

“Scammers use every platform available to them and constantly adapt to evade enforcement. We invest heavily in our trained enforcement and review teams and have specialized detection tools to identify compromised accounts and other fraudulent activity,” Meta says in a statement provided by spokesperson Erin McPike. “We regularly share tips and tools people can use to protect themselves, provide a means to report potential violations, work with law enforcement and take legal action.”

Account takeovers can occur as a result of phishing as well as other more sophisticated and targeted techniques. Once an attacker gains access to an account, the owner can be easily locked out by changing passwords and contact information. Private messages and personal information are left up for grabs for a variety of nefarious purposes, from impersonation and fraud to pushing misinformation.

“It's basically a case of identity theft and Facebook is doing nothing about it,” said one user whose complaint was cited in the letter to Meta's Newstead.

The state officials said the accounts that were stolen to run ads on Facebook often run afoul of its rules while doing so, leading them to be permanently suspended, punishing the victims—often small business owners—twice over.

“Having your social media account taken over by a scammer can feel like having someone sneak into your home and change all of the locks,” New York's James said in a statement. “Social media is how millions of Americans connect with family, friends, and people throughout their communities and the world. To have Meta fail to properly protect users from scammers trying to hijack accounts and lock rightful owners out is unacceptable.”

Other complaints forwarded to Newstead show hacking victims expressing frustration over Meta’s lack of response. In many cases, users report no action being taken by the company. Some say the company encourages users to report such problems but never responds, leaving them unable to salvage their accounts or the businesses they built around them.

After being hacked and defrauded of $500, one user complained that their ability to communicate with their own customer base had been “completely disrupted,” and that Meta had never responded to the report they filed, though the user had followed the instructions the company provided them to obtain help.

“I can't get any help from Meta. There is no one to talk to and meanwhile all my personal pictures are being used. My contacts are receiving false information from the hacker,” one user wrote.

Wrote another: “This is my business account, which is important to me and my life. I have invested my life, time, money and soul in this account. All attempts to contact and get a response from the Meta company, including Instagram and Facebook, were crowned with complete failure, since the company categorically does not respond to letters.”

Figures provided by James’ office in New York show a tenfold increase in complaints between 2019 and 2023—from 73 complaints to more than 780 last year. In January alone, more than 128 complaints were received, James’ office says. Other states saw similar spikes in complaints during that period, according to the letter, with Pennsylvania recording a 270 percent increase, a 330 percent jump in North Carolina, and a 740 percent surge in Vermont.

The letter notes that, while the officials cannot be “certain of any connection,” the drastic increase in complaints occurred “around the same time” as layoffs at Meta affecting roughly 11,000 employees in November 2022, around 13 percent of its staff at the time.

[parama2001]

Mastering the Art of Plumbing: Essential Tips and Tricks for Every Homeowner

Introduction: Plumbing is the circulatory system of your home, quietly working behind the scenes to keep everything flowing smoothly. From the moment you turn on the faucet to the flush of the toilet, plumbing plays a crucial role in our daily lives. However, when plumbing issues arise, they can quickly turn into a homeowner's worst nightmare. But fear not! With the right knowledge and a few handy tips, you can become a plumbing pro in no time.

Understanding Your Plumbing System: Before diving into fixing leaks or unclogging drains, it's essential to have a basic understanding of your home's plumbing system. Typically, plumbing consists of two subsystems: the water supply system and the drainage system. The water supply system brings fresh water into your home, while the drainage system removes wastewater.

Common Plumbing Issues and Solutions:

Leaky Faucets: A dripping faucet may seem like a minor annoyance, but it can waste a significant amount of water over time. Usually, a leaky faucet can be fixed by replacing a worn-out washer or O-ring. Remember to turn off the water supply before attempting any repairs.

Clogged Drains: Whether it's in the kitchen sink, bathroom shower, or toilet, clogged drains are a common plumbing problem. For minor clogs, a plunger or plumbing snake can often do the trick. Avoid using chemical drain cleaners as they can damage your pipes over time.

Running Toilet: A toilet that continues to run after flushing can waste gallons of water and inflate your water bill. In most cases, a running toilet is caused by a faulty flapper or fill valve. Replacing these components is relatively simple and can save you money in the long run.

Low Water Pressure: If your faucets are trickling instead of flowing, low water pressure may be the culprit. Potential causes include mineral buildup in the pipes, a faulty pressure regulator, or a partially closed shut-off valve. Checking these components and cleaning or replacing them as needed can help restore proper water pressure.

Frozen Pipes: During the winter months, exposed pipes are susceptible to freezing, which can lead to burst pipes and costly water damage. Insulating your pipes and keeping your home adequately heated can prevent this issue. If you suspect a frozen pipe, never use an open flame to thaw it—instead, use a hairdryer or heating pad.

DIY Plumbing Tips:

Invest in Quality Tools: A well-equipped toolbox is essential for any DIY plumber. Basic tools like wrenches, pliers, and pipe cutters will come in handy for most plumbing projects.

Know Your Shut-Off Valves: Familiarize yourself with the location of your home's main water shut-off valve, as well as individual shut-off valves for sinks, toilets, and appliances. Knowing how to turn off the water in an emergency can prevent water damage to your home.

Practice Preventative Maintenance: Regularly inspecting your plumbing system for leaks, corrosion, or other signs of damage can help catch potential issues before they escalate into major problems. Additionally, scheduling annual professional inspections can identify hidden issues early on.

Conclusion: While some plumbing tasks may require the expertise of a licensed plumber, many common issues can be resolved with a little DIY know-how. By understanding how your plumbing system works and learning some basic maintenance techniques, you can save time, money, and stress in the long run. So don't let plumbing problems dampen your spirits—empower yourself with knowledge and tackle them head-on!

[onthespothvacplano]

Signs That Your AC Needs Repair and When to Call in the Pros: A Guide by On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating Plano

Maintaining a comfortable indoor environment is crucial, especially during scorching summers. Your air conditioning (AC) system plays a vital role in keeping your home cool and comfortable. However, like any other mechanical system, AC units can experience wear and tear over time, leading to various issues that may affect their efficiency. Recognizing the signs that indicate the need for AC repair is essential to prevent minor problems from turning into major malfunctions. In this article, we'll explore common signs that your AC may be in trouble and when it's the right time to seek professional assistance, brought to you by On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating Plano.

Insufficient Cooling:

If you notice that your AC is struggling to cool your space adequately, it could be a sign of a malfunction. This may manifest as uneven cooling, warm air blowing from the vents, or a noticeable decrease in overall cooling efficiency. Issues like a refrigerant leak, a malfunctioning compressor, or a clogged air filter could be the culprits.

Unusual Noises:

Unusual sounds coming from your AC unit can be indicative of underlying problems. Hissing, grinding, squealing, or banging noises may suggest issues with the fan, compressor, or other internal components. Ignoring these sounds could lead to more severe damage, making it crucial to address them promptly.

Frequent Cycling:

An AC system that cycles on and off frequently, known as short cycling, may be experiencing issues with its thermostat, refrigerant levels, or a malfunctioning sensor. Short cycling not only reduces energy efficiency but also puts unnecessary strain on the system, potentially leading to more significant problems.

Poor Airflow:

Inadequate airflow can result from a dirty or clogged air filter, a malfunctioning blower fan, or blocked ducts. Reduced airflow not only diminishes the overall cooling capacity of your AC but also puts a strain on the system, leading to increased energy consumption.

Water Leaks:

If you notice water pooling around your AC unit or water leaks inside your home, it's a sign of a potential issue. The most common causes include a clogged condensate drain, a refrigerant leak, or a malfunctioning condensate pump. Ignoring water leaks can lead to water damage and mold growth.

When to Seek Professional Assistance:

While some minor AC issues can be addressed through regular maintenance and DIY troubleshooting, certain signs warrant professional intervention. Consider seeking assistance from On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating Plano in the following situations:

Lack of Cooling: If your AC is not producing cool air or fails to maintain a comfortable temperature, it's time to call in the professionals.

Unusual Noises: Strange sounds emanating from your AC unit should be inspected by a qualified technician to identify and address potential problems.

Frequent Cycling: Short cycling can indicate an underlying issue that requires professional attention to prevent further damage.

Water Leaks: Any signs of water leakage should be addressed promptly to prevent damage to your home and the AC system.

Electrical Issues: If you experience electrical problems, such as frequent tripped circuit breakers or issues with the thermostat, it's advisable to consult a professional technician.

Regular maintenance and prompt attention to signs of AC trouble can prolong the lifespan of your system and ensure optimal performance. If you notice any of the mentioned signs, don't hesitate to reach out to On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating Plano for professional AC repair services. Timely intervention can save you from costly repairs and keep your home cool and comfortable throughout the seasons.

[environmentalplumbing]

Preserving Home Harmony: The Crucial Role of Routine Plumbing Maintenance

Introduction: Your home's plumbing system is a vital component that ensures the smooth functioning of daily activities such as bathing, cooking, and cleaning. Despite often being overlooked, consistent plumbing maintenance is essential to avoid potential problems that could result in expensive repairs and inconveniences. This article aims to delve into the significance of regular plumbing maintenance and furnish a detailed guide on maintaining your plumbing system in excellent condition.

Advantages of Routine Plumbing Maintenance: Avoidance of Expensive Repairs: Consistent upkeep assists in identifying and addressing minor plumbing issues before they escalate into more significant problems. You can avoid expensive repairs and potential water damage to your home by fixing leaks, clogs, or other issues early on.

Prolonged Longevity of Plumbing Fixtures: Proper care is essential for plumbing to operate at its best and endure longer than other systems. Routine maintenance ensures that your fixtures, pipes, and appliances are in good working condition, contributing to their extended lifespan.

Improved Water Efficiency: Mitigate Water Waste: Plumbing problems such as leaks and inefficient fixtures can result in the unnecessary wastage of water.

Prevent Structural Damage: Leakage and water damage pose a threat to the structural integrity of your home and encourage the development of mould and mildew. Routine inspections and maintenance are vital for recognizing and resolving potential water damage sources before they become serious.

Improved Water Quality: As time passes, sediment, rust, and mineral deposits may collect in your pipes, impacting the overall quality of the water. Consistent flushing and cleaning of pipes contribute to preserving pure and wholesome water, free from contaminants.

Steps for Regular Plumbing Maintenance: Inspect for Leaks: Regularly inspect your plumbing fixtures, pipes, and connections to detect any signs of leaks. Swiftly addressing leaks is crucial to preventing water damage and mould growth.

Clear Clogs: Keep an eye on sluggish drains and promptly deal with blockages using a plunger or plumbing snake. Refrain from utilizing chemical drain cleaners, as they have the potential to harm pipes gradually.

Examine the Water Heater: Regularly inspect your water heater for indications of corrosion, leaks, or inefficiencies in performance. Flushing the tank annually aids in eliminating sediment and preserving optimal efficiency.

Evaluate Water Pressure: Elevated or diminished water pressure may suggest potential plumbing issues. Employ a pressure gauge to assess and regulate water pressure, averting strain on pipes and fixtures.

Manage the Sump Pump: If you possess a sump pump, conduct regular tests to verify its proper functioning. This is essential for mitigating the risk of basement flooding, particularly in periods of intense rainfall.

Protect Pipes in Cold Weather: To avert frozen pipes in colder regions, insulate exposed pipes and disconnect outdoor hoses before the onset of winter to prevent freezing.

Arrange Professional Inspections: At regular intervals, engage the services of a skilled plumber for a thorough inspection. Professionals can detect potential issues that might escape notice during routine checks.

In Conclusion: Regular upkeep of your plumbing system contributes to the resilience and efficiency of your home's plumbing infrastructure. By integrating these preventative measures into your routine, you can steer clear of expensive repairs, promote water conservation, and guarantee the sustained functionality of your plumbing fixtures. Remember that a proactive approach to maintenance is key to a healthy and reliable plumbing system.

[heartlilith]

Guidance and Advice Readings (example reading)

Natal Chart - General Advice Reading for HeartLilith

(Using Placidus System)

Sun in Leo in the 7th house: 

Leo Sun natives are known for their friendly, confident, and dramatic disposition. Ruled by the Sun, you are known to light up a room effortlessly. Being placed in the 7th house, your focus in this life tends to be on creating harmonious and meaningful relationships with people. So much so that sometimes you sweep problems, especially in romantic relationships, under the rug to keep the peace. You would rather get along with people than have petty arguments, unless you feel some real injustice is taking place. Having the Sun, which represents the self, the ego, and one's pride residing in the 7th house can mean you prefer to experience life with a partner. Without a partner, either platonic but more so romantic, you can feel like you have a piece missing. With the Sun being in the 7th house of others,  you tend to over identify and seek identity in relationships.

Moon in Virgo in the 8th house:

Virgo Moon people are well known for being overthinkers, they tend to struggle with nervousness or even anxiety. They're self sacrificing individuals that would give you the shirt off their back and are very analytical in their emotions. Emotionally, Virgo Moons try to figure out and make sense of the way they feel instead of just feeling. With Moon placed in the 8th house of death and rebirth, transformations, inheritances, obsession, and all things taboo, the Moon here can take on some intense traits. Even Virgo, who values logic over reason, isn't exempt from the deep emotions the 8th house holds. Since Virgo Moons are known for their overthinking and nervousness, being in the 8th house could make them obsessive over certain things. Rumination, paranoia, and overthinking are all themes here. Since Virgo is ruled by Mercury, you could even struggle with OCD and phobias as well. The beneficial side to this aspect is that you are a great listener and advice giver, you’re extremely caring and can put yourself in other people’s shoes. Your psychic abilities could manifest as gut feelings, deja vu, or just knowing things aka information downloads. 

Rising Capricorn / Chart Ruler in the 5th house:

Having your rising sign in Capricorn can make you responsible at a very young age. A lot of Capricorn risings don't remember having a childhood like everyone else does, I mean they do, but usually they were worrying and taking care of others the whole time. Having a Capricorn Ascendent can indicate having rough experience after rough experience growing up, emotionally and financially. Whatever hardships, it makes a person ambitious, hardworking, and serious in their dealings. Coined as "the mom friend", they have one of the strongest backbones of the zodiac and have a deep sense of responsibility; they know that their decisions affect everyone. BUT, Saturn, the chart ruler, doesn't do so well in the house of fun, romance, creativity, and the inner child. Here, Saturn poses restrictions; you can never let loose completely. You’re the definition of "all work, no play", you won't do much if it's not productive. Hopefully, if you can learn to move past those traits, you could focus more on being silly and connecting with your inner child. It could be the missing elements in your life that make you feel whole. 

ASC trine Moon:

People are attracted to your warm and compassionate nature. You may find that people open up to you very easily. You wear your emotions all over your face and people don't have to guess if you're happy or sad, they can see it! You have very feminine-like qualities which can make you a magnet to little kids, they love you. People probably think you’re much younger than you are, a “baby face” look. But with your Capricorn rising, it may override that quality. You could become drained easily from being in large crowds since you soak up the emotions around you. You take on others' energies easily which is why it's important for you to be around the right people. You may appear moody to others; sometimes you’re happy and friendly and other times you don’t want people to talk to you at all - you change like the phases of the moon. Even though people may see you that way, they know you have a heart of gold. Your eyes and look scream innocence even if that’s not the case. Your pureness can also attract the wrong people who want you to “fill their cup” and give nothing in return. Be aware of energy vampires.

Moon square Pluto:

This could indicate being a victim of abuse, especially from your mother. Your mother could have struggled with mental illness and unfortunately you could've ended up being the scapegoat and received the backend. Your mother could've been careless one second and the next they could become obsessive and care too much; the obsessiveness usually shows when the native leaves home and creates space between them, then they cling. This leads to you having trust issues since the care you received was there one minute and gone the next, and usually it was not the care you needed anyway. You could dislike and distrust women especially and fail to give them the benefit of the doubt. Moon square Pluto can mean you cling onto any sense of control because you grew up in utter chaos. Unfortunately, you may deem self destructiveness as "normal" since it was what you knew throughout your whole childhood.

Advice: 

Learn to take life a little less seriously. Work, responsibility, emotions, and hard lessons are all a very real part of life, but so is fun, letting loose, creativity, traveling, and self care. They’re both equally important. You need to find a balance between intensity and light heartedness. Don't let life turn you hard and mean, smile in the face of misfortune. What goes up must come down and vice versa. No one is exempt from the hardships life brings. These are cliches for a reason!!! You are appreciated because people know they can count on you. You're the person they go to for advice or emotional support because you're comforting but at the same time you are honest. Learn to be there for yourself too. Listen to your body, let it relax, treat it like a temple because it is! Tune into your psychic gifts and intuition to ease the anxiety and overthinking. Lean into trust and if someone betrays you, get back up and punch em in the face! Then start again. Life isn’t as serious as you're making it seem. By worrying about the “what ifs” you’re mentally putting yourself through situations that most likely will never happen. Find hobbies that you like, just because their hobbies doesn’t mean they can’t be productive. Knitting, yoga, exercise, reading, and collecting things are all compatible with you. Meet yourself half way. Most importantly, HAVE FUN! I challenge you to not worry for one night, go out, be spontaneous, and do something you’re scared to do. Live!

This is the same length/outline for all guidance readings (general, love, and career). All three options focus on 3 placements of the chosen chart, some aspects, and overall advice. The readings are 2-3 pages long, single spaced, and size 12 font.

[europlusautomotive]

Why Does My Mercedes Only Leak Oil When Parked?

Leakage of oil is not a good sign at all. If you own a car, then you might be knowing that how important is oil for machines. The mechanical parts in machines require lubrication which would make the friction low and allow the machine to work freely. Friction in machines are one of the enemies of performance as it opposes the work done by the machine. So the machine has to use more energy to overcome the friction and work, but in such process, the machine lose energy. A vehicle is a machine which has various mechanical parts and they too require lubrication. Oil provides the lubrication but as it is a fluid, any damage or hole in its system would cause the oil to flow out. In this article, you’ll know what causes the fluid to leak out while Mercedes is parked.

Oil importance and leakage

Oil is very useful for car because it makes the engine to work smoothly, freely. Engine is such an important part which generates power by burning the fuel. Oil lubricates the engine parts, hence the engine has to give a very less effort against the friction while working. So the losses would be very less and the engine would be more efficient, there would be less fuel requirement. You have to top up fuel less which would save your time and money. Oil saves energy and time too.

Oil prevents overheating to some extent. More the friction, more would be the unwanted heat generated when work is done against it. This heat remain in the engine and more and more heat would be produced in the same manner which would overheat the engine. Overheating is highly dangerous because it damages the vital parts of car. Oil is used in every cars, but there are many people that complain that their car is showing low performance, overheating and many other engine issues. So how this is caused while oil is there in your car? Even if your car has oil, such problems would occur if there is leaking of oil or bad oil.

When leakage occurs, the oil stored in the car escapes out. So the oil is wasted, leaving your car out of oil. Engine needs a definite amount of oil for proper lubrication. The leakage of oil can be easily identified by the puddles of oil formed under the car, burning oil smell, gray smoke, etc. But here I’m discussing more about the leakage occurring during the car is parked. While parked, the sign of oil leakage found mostly is the oil puddles at the ground under the car.

What would cause oil to leak out while your Mercedes is parked?

The leakage of oil has to be stopped or else you’ll be the sufferer. But before fixing, you need to know the source of leakage, or which part makes the oil to leak out.

Gaskets are damaged

There are various seals or gaskets present at the engine through which the oil flows. Such gaskets are located at the underneath of car. These are vulnerable to damages as these are exposed to extreme weather conditions, moisture, road debris, dust, etc. So they wear and oil leaks through them.

Leaking oil pan

The oil pan is located at the underneath of car and is an essential components that take part in the supply of oil to engine. These are durable, but get exposed to road debris, punctures and many other things from roads which can damage the oil pan gradually. Damage of the oil pan makes the oil to leak out especially while the car is parked.

Some components not installed properly

Mostly, the oil drain plug located under the car get such issues. It is provided to drain out bad oil. People sometimes forget to install the drain plug properly, so they leave it loose or unaligned which make the oil to flow out while parked.

Leaking valve seals

The oil flows to the various valves present in the engine and camshafts and crankshaft to lubricate them. There is a seal that prevents the oil to leak into the cylinders. Such seals develop cracks and holes which make the oil to go into cylinders so that when the car is again made to run, the engine simply misfires.

Conclusion

By having regular maintenance, you can prevent oil leaks in Mercedes. Immediately take your car for diagnosis at Mercedes service center if you get signs of oil leaks.