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callmebrycelee · 8 months ago

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9-1-1 REACTION

This reaction is for the season 7, second episode “Rock the Boat” which originally aired March 21, 2024. The episode was written by Lyndsey Beaulieu and Juan Carlos Coto and directed by executive producer and Glee and American Horror Story director Bradley Buecker. Spoilers ahead!

“Stay calm and nobody will be hurt.” – Boris, the pirate

We begin the episode by picking up where we left off. Bobby, Athena, and Norman Peterson (played by Daniel Roebuck) are taken hostage along with Captain Ochoa (played by Mercedes Colon). We learn the reason the pirates have come aboard is because the ship has been turned around due to the approaching tropical storm. The lead pirate, Boris (played by Nikita Bogolyubov), asks Norman to hand over the dongle in exchange for Lola (played by Romy Rosemont). Another pirate walks over with a bound and gagged Lola. Norman insists he doesn’t have the dongle and Boris gives him to the count of three to turn it over. Bobby and Athena intervene on Norman’s behalf and for a moment Boris accuses them of having the dongle. He tells them that he’s only messing with them and then he shoots Norman.

Cue title card.

Bobby goes to assist Norman while Athena tries to talk Boris down. Athena deduces that Lola is having an affair with the cruise director, Julian (Rick Cosnett). She explains that when Norman called Julian over to their table a few nights ago, she noticed Lola wouldn’t look him in the eye. Turns out, Julian is the one with the dongle and after he gets roughed up a bit, he turns it over along with the password. Norman is heartbroken by all of this and asks to die. Boris and the other pirates flee the ship now that they have what they need and Athena escorts Lola away. Bobby carries Norman to a nearby casino and places him on a craps table so he can access his injuries. The ship’s doctor (played by Eddie Jemison) is brought over but he immediately gets nauseous upon seeing Norman’s gunshot wound. Athena tells him to go help Julian who only has minor injuries. Athena asks her husband what he needs. Bobby tells her he needs his team.

“Why is that drunks always come out of these things without a scratch?” – Hen Wilson

The 118 are called to the scene of an accident involving a young girl and her mother. Lexi (played by Jadah Marie) and her mother are trapped in a car after being struck by another vehicle. While Eddie accesses the mother’s injuries, Chimney goes to talk to the other driver involved in the collision. The driver (played by Ricky Martinez) refuses to be checked out and gets rough with Chimney. Hen comes over and asks the driver if he is refusing care. The driver says, he does not consent to being checked out. Hen asks Officer Williams (played by Chris Wu) to detain the driver. Chimney tells Hen that they should still evaluate the guy but Hen says ‘no’.

Lexi and her mother are safely extracted from the vehicle and loaded into an ambulance. Officer Williams calls out to Hen; the other driver has stopped breathing. Chimney checks his pulse but there isn’t one, so he immediately starts with compressions. Officer Williams says one moment the guy was fine and then he started speaking gibberish. Then he collapsed. Hen switches places with Hen and asks Buck and Eddie to call for another ambulance and also call the hospital to have a neurologist standing by.

“Better than finding out your wife of 36 years, the mother of your only child is an international smuggler … and a strumpet?” – Norman Peterson

We head back over to the cruise ship where Athena and Bobby have transformed into their first responder alter egos. Bobby tends to Norman. The latter is still coming to terms with his wife of 36 years and the mother of their only child is an international smuggler. He tells Bobby that he and Lola got rid of their home and sold all their possessions at a yard sale. They only made $2800. $2800 for 36 of memories. Norman asks Bobby how long he and Athena have been married. Bobby tells him they’ve been married for four years and that it’s the second marriage for the both of them. Norman asks Bobby if he’s happy and Bobby, without hesitation, says ‘yes’. Meanwhile, Lola asks Athena if she can be by Norman’s side, but Athena asks her if she really thinks Norman wants to see her right now. Athena goes to Bobby and asks him how Norman is doing. Bobby tells her Norman is stable but needs a surgeon. Bobby suggests contacting the Coast Guard so that Norman can be airlifted to safety. Athena and Bobby go to find Captain Ochoa but as leave, Athena notices Julian is gone.

“His name was Kyle Ortiz. His mother is Olivia Ortiz.” – Chief Simpson

Back in Los Angeles, Hen is dropped off at the 118 where Chimney and the others are waiting. She tells Chimney that the belligerent driver was pronounced dead at the hospital. Hen is shocked to discover the LAFD Professional Services Division is at the station taking statements. Chief Simpson (played by Richard Brooks) asks to speak with Hen. He tells her that the guy who died is Kyle Ortiz – the son of Councilwoman Olivia Ortiz. Hen insists that Kyle was showing signs of impairment, but Chief Simpson reminds her they won’t know for sure until his toxicology report comes back. Hen reminds the chief that Kyle refused care and that she followed protocol. Chief Simpson tells Hen she is removed from active duty until they get the toxicology report back. He tells her to go home.

“She went after the snake.” – Lola Peterson

Bobby goes to Captain Ochoa to ask her about contacting the Coast Guard. Captain Ochoa tells him that the pirates sabotaged all of the com systems and the transponder. She lets him know she is headed below deck to check on the engines. She tells Bobby that Mr. Peterson is still his patient and to let her know if his condition changes.

Bobby goes back to the casino to check on Norman. He asks Dr. Gibson about his condition. Dr. Gibson tells him that Norman is in and out of consciousness and his vitals are weak. Security Officer Wes (played by Denzel Johnson) brings Lola over to Norman. Bobby asks the officer where Athena is. Meanwhile, Athena locates Julian and knocks him out with a fire extinguisher. She asks him what his plan is. Julian tells her he was planning on staging his death. Athena uses some zip-ties to cuff him.

Captain Ochoa finds Chief Communication Engineer Scott Westin (played by Nate Riley) trying to get everything back online. They think he’s successful until Scott finds a long yellow cord attached to a hatch. He opens the hatch which detonates a bomb. The blast takes out the lower half the ship causing it to capsize.

“Well, they can’t fire you for one bad call.” – Evan “Buck” Buckley

Hen tells the others about her suspension. Eddie asks what happens if the toxicology report comes back showing Kyle Ortiz wasn’t under the influence. Hen tells him she doesn’t know but Councilwoman Ortiz is looking for someone to blame for her son dying. Buck says they can’t fire her for one bad call. Hen asks him if anyone has said it was bad call. Buck, of course, starts babbling and back-pedaling. Hen asks him if he thinks she made a bad call. He tells her know and says he and Eddie really didn’t see anything since they were tending to the young woman and her mother in the other car. Eddie says that he and the others all thought the guy was drunk, too. Hen says that he was and that she can smell it. She says Chimney could smell Kyle as well. Chimney says he didn’t smell anything. Hen finds this surprising considering he was the one closest to Kyle. Chimney asks her if she wanted him to lie. Hen is extremely offended by him asking this. He tells her that if the roles were reversed he and the others would’ve made the same call. Hen says, if the roles were reversed, she would have their backs and that she wouldn’t have to lie to do it.

“You just got a little more redder than white collar.” – Athena Grant

Back on the ship, the lights are flickering, sirens are going off, and the lower deck is taking on water. Athena and Julian try to find a way back to the others. Bobby checks Norman to access for further damage. A general muster call goes out over the ship’s intercom system asking for all passengers to go to their pre-designated muster stations. A passenger named Jarod (played by Christopher Livingston) asks if they need to abandon ship. The ship’s doctor says not necessarily; it’s just a general muster. Jarod says he is not getting in a lifeboat without all of his casino winnings. He threatens to sue the cruise line. Lola asks what they should do. Bobby says they will need to wait on an order to abandon ship. He tells Lola to stay with her husband and when she asks where he’s going, he tells her he’s going to find his wife.

Down in the lower deck, Athena and Julian find Scott Westin dead and Captain Ochoa trapped under some debris. Athena cuts Julian’s ties so he can help her lift the debris off the captain. The captain’s arm is broken, and she has some broken ribs. Captain Ochoa radios to First Mate Kenneth (played by Anthony Carvello) and tells him that the pirates have hobbled the ship. She tells him the ship is taking on water. Kenneth tells her that a general muster has been called. Captain Ochoa gives him the order to abandon ship. He warns her about the storm, but she tells him things are only going to get worst. In order to deploy the lifeboats, someone will need to activate the bilge pump. Athena volunteers to complete the task under the condition that Julian gets the captain back to the top part of the ship.

“They did not betray you. They were just trying to make you feel better about the situation.” – Karen Wilson

Over at the Wilsons’ residence, Hen is venting to Karen about her suspicion and Chimney, Buck, and Eddie’s betrayal. Always the level-headed one, Karen assures her the guys were only trying to comfort her. Hen says that they were only trying to comfort her because they believe she made a bad call. Hen admits she screwed up. She tells Karen that when she looked at Kyle Ortiz, all she saw was an entitled brat. Karen reminds her that she didn’t kill Kyle. Hen tells her she didn’t save him either. Karen implores her to let this matter go. Hen gets up and goes to call Athena. She gets the voicemail which prompts her to call Bobby. She gets Bobby’s voicemail as well. Hen starts to get concerned but Karen reminds her there is a tropical storm off the coast of Baja which has been upgraded to a hurricane and is currently heading back out to sea. This does not quell Hen’s concern; however, Karen tells her everything will be fine because ships like the one Bobby and Athena are on are built to sustain anything, even a hurricane.

“Of course she is.” – Bobby Nash

Bobby runs into Security Officer Wes who is busy helping passengers get onto lifeboats. He tells Bobby that once he’s finished, he will help him get Norman ready for transport. Bobby asks him if he’s seen Athena and Wes says he thought she was still in the casino. They try to find her via her passenger medallion, but they are unable to locate her. Bobby asks Wes where the explosion happened, and Wes tells him the engineering room on portside. Just as Bobby is about to leave, Captain Ochoa and Julian make it back. The captain tells Bobby that Athena saved her. When he asks her where Athena is, Julian says that she is saving the ship.

“Did you lose a boat?” – Maddie Buckley

Hen goes to see Maddie at the dispatch center, and it occurred to me that we rarely get scenes between these two characters. Hen asks Maddie to contact the Coast Guard. Maddie jokingly asks her if she lost a boat and Hen tells her that she cannot locate Bobby and Athena’s cruise ship. She shows Maddie a map with every ship that’s currently on the water off the coast of California. Bobby and Athena’s ship is not showing up on the map. Hen tells Maddie she has tried to call Athena and Bobby, but her calls are going straight to voicemail. Maddie says she will make a call.

Athena makes it to the room where the bilge pump is located. She tries to open the hatch but isn’t strong enough. Bobby makes it to her and helps her open the door. The two of them go inside but the door slams shut behind him. Now the two of them are trapped inside and the room is rapidly filling with water.

“Sometimes when people do the kinds of jobs you do, they understand the urgency of now. Of not waiting.” – Frank, the therapist

We flashback to two weeks before the cruise. We see Bobby in a session with everyone’s favorite therapist, Frank (played by Eddie McGee). Bobby is feeling the weight of their upcoming cruise and wonders if he and Athena had their honeymoon after they were married that maybe things wouldn’t seem so consequential. He admits that when he asked Athena to marry him, she was in a vulnerable place. They both were. Bobby was widowed and Athena was newly divorced. He and Athena had only been together a few months before he proposed to her. Bobby tells Frank that he didn’t give Athena a chance to say ‘no’. Frank tells Bobby that he’s afraid that if they go on the cruise, it’ll give Athena the chance to tell him ‘no’. His advice to Bobby is to go on the cruise and enjoy spending time with his wife.

“I don’t deserve you, Athena. I never did.” – Bobby Nash

Back on the ship, Bobby is trying to get the door open. He starts to call for help, but Athena tells him that no one is going to hear them because everyone is getting onto lifeboats. The reality of their situation starts to settle in, and Bobby apologizes to Athena. He tells her she wouldn’t even be here, trapped, if it weren’t for him dragging her on the cruise. He tells her he doesn’t deserve her but for some reason she said yes. Athena tells him she would say ‘yes’ again. He tells her that he couldn’t even save his first family and he can’t save her either. Athena tells him he’s already saved her. She reminds him that he’s not the only one getting a second chance. She tells him that she’s there with him because she wants to be. She admits that she was afraid that she wouldn’t know how to be with him without all the noise. She was worried that when they were alone, they wouldn’t have anything to talk about. But now, with time running out for the both of them, she has lots to say. Athena says I love you, Husband and Bobby says I love you, my wife. They kiss as the water wises. Bobby tells Athena to grab the pole over their heads while he goes under water to hold her up. Athena screams for him. Just as the water rises up to their necks, the door opens. Turns out Julian isn’t all that bad of a guy.

“Captain Wilson, our job is to protect the people of Los Angeles.” – Chief Simpson

Back at the dispatch center, Hen runs into Chief Simpson. He tells her that she can go back to work. He tells her that Kyle Ortiz’s toxicology report came back showing he was twice over the legal limit and had meth in his system. He says that Hen acted professionally. The 118 will be turned back over to her. Hen tells Chief Simpson she is looking for Captain Nash and his wife. She tells him that their cruise ship is missing. He asks if there was an SOS from the ship. She says ‘no’ but they need to utilize all resources to find them. Chief Simpson reminds her that they are not the Coast Guard and that the LAFD has no jurisdiction over the waters off of Mexico. He tells her to report back to the 118 as captain. After he leaves, Hen asks Maddie for the number for 9-1-1 in Mexico.

Julian leads Bobby and Athena back to the top deck, He tells them that almost everyone has been placed onto a lifeboat. Only a handful of them are still on the ship.

“That can’t be a coincidence.” – Hen Wilson

Maddie reaches out to 9-1-1 in Mexico. She learns that around ten that morning, more than two dozen 9-1-1 calls came into coastal emergency call centers in central Mexico. All of the calls dropped. Hen says that’s around the same time Bobby and Athena’s ship went off the radar. Hen gets up to leave right as Maddie gets a call from Chimney. Hen asks her not to answer it until she’s out of the building because she doesn’t feel like being second-guessed right now.

“He wouldn’t leave without you.” – Julian Enes

Julian, Bobby, and Athena make it back to the top deck where Captain Ochoa, Norman, Lola, Security Officer Wes, Dr. Gibson, and Jarod are waiting. Bobby is shocked that Norman hasn’t been evacuated but he is told that Norman wouldn’t leave without him and Athena. Captain Ochoa reports that First Mate Kenneth is trying to send a distress call via SOS. We then see Kenneth using a light to send out a message. He goes outside the cabin and sees a huge wave approaching them. He sets off an alarm. Back on the top deck, Bobby yells for everyone to brace themselves for the oncoming wave. When the wave hits, we see the ship flip upside down and just like the movie Poseidon Adventure, we see everyone slide across the floor. Athena holds onto a table. Jarod falls onto the glass ceiling but thankfully it doesn’t shatter. Oh, shit!!!!

Oh man! Oh man! Oh man! Let me just say, I have never been this riveted by an episode of 9-1-1 and that’s saying a lot considering I have seen episodes where the 118 face off against 7.8 earthquakes, mudslides, tsunamis, city-wide blackouts, and Maddie’s husband. We still have one more episode to go before we see this story play out, but something tells me this season opener is going to go down as one of the best of the series. I loved both stories equally this episode. I sympathized with Hen as she second-guessed her actions during the emergency call. I also felt bad for Chimney, Buck, and Eddie who didn’t mean any harm but who could’ve chosen their words more carefully. I’m happy that Hen was vindicated in her actions as captain of the 118 but I do think she’s learned a valuable lesson about leadership and not judging so harshly. Kudos to Karen for being a supportive partner who was able to comfort Hen without simultaneously feeding into her frustrations. I do worry that Hen’s job will be put into jeopardy in the next episode when she ultimately defies orders from Chief Simpson and goes to look for Bobby and Athena. I actually worry about everyone else, too, because if I know my boys, I think Chimney, Buck, and Eddie are going to help her out.

As for the drama playing out on the ship, I really felt bad for Norman Peterson. When we met him several seasons ago, he was a husband who simply wasn’t paying attention to his wife’s needs. When this was brought to his attention, it seemed he did everything to make his marriage better. I hate that Lola cheated on him and which ultimately put his life in danger. I do wonder if their relationship will survive this catastrophe. I wonder if they will survive, period. Speaking of survival, last episode I was really worried about the state of Bobby and Athena’s marriage; however, after this episode, I feel confident these two are in it for the long haul. Yes, they thrive when it comes to chaos, but I think they will now be able to appreciate each other in those moments of calm. I will say, even though I knew coming into this episode that Bobby and Athena were going to survive, it didn’t stop me from tearing up during the scene where they told each other they loved each other right as the water was rising. This will go down as one of my favorite scenes of the show.

Next week is the conclusion to the cruise ship story and I’m counting the minutes until we get to see what happens next. 9-1-1 airs on Thursdays but I won’t get to see the episode until Friday. I’m extra excited about this Friday because it’s the same day that Cowboy Carter drops. So, hopefully I not only get an amazing Beyoncé album, I also get an amazing episode of 9-1-1. Until next time ..

#abc 911 #911 abc #athena grant #hen wilson #bobby nash #howard chimney han #eddie diaz #maddie buckley #evan buck buckely #tv reaction #blw reaction #911 7x02 #blw reactions #911 reactions #tv reactions 2024

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albonium · 1 year ago

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if mercedes had balls they wouldn't allow colon dusk in their garage

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gunnerina · 1 year ago

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I take back saying this was partially Lewis’s fault for not leaving space going into that turn and partially George’s fault for not backing out. I truly wanted to give George the benefit of the doubt and be fair in my judgment, but this new information as really changed my conclusion.

The crash was fully George’s fault for refusing to follow team orders and not backing out when it the plan ahead of time was obviously to have Lewis go through into turn 1.

The way Merc is making Lewis the scapegoat, when they are fully aware of his treatment by racists and the media (also racist), is vile. Allowing the black man to take the fall while infantilizing the white man is insidious and a continuation of a history of vilifying black men while allowing white men to go scot free for their actions. And then filming Lewis apologizing to George and posting it for the world to see? It’s malicious.

People always want to talk about anti-racism but don’t want to walk the walk when it comes down to it. How convenient that they have Lewis to take this blame and George to publicly condemn Lewis on the radio and almost silently admit that he was the one who refused to listen to orders. George is being very particular with his words of “it was a very difficult situation.” He is trying to deflect, he is trying to downplay his actions, and unfortunately in this sport it’s going to work because people are always ready to vilify the one black man in this sport.

Don’t come on my page and try to tell me to “stop making everything about race” cause colonizers made everything about race centuries ago the moment they decided to subjugate other cultures and people with different skin tones from them. Americas racism may be open for everyone to see but European racism is insidious, a creeping evil that everyone in Mercedes is complicit in.

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bigmoneypastelhalloween · 2 years ago

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youtube

0 hr its the predictions show

2 mins 40 content warning for variety of perspectives; this is your chance to bail

3 mins its a 50/50 ideological split right-left and he likes that

5 mins 5 still giving warnings and advice about handling alternative viewpoints

5 mins 40 "this is my show"

7 mins 56 fanart credits

11 mins 22 lets get into the predictions

11 mins 55 prediction from nick wrt war in Ukraine

13 mins 05 "what will the role of belarus be going forward"

13 mins 48 letter from CR Fox predicting decline in popularity of superhero franchises

15 mins 18 fox predicts return of mcrib and pr strategy thereof

15 mins 50 responding to superhero item

18 mins 25 mcrib thoughts, illusion of consumer say

19 mins 15 gridpower terrorism letter from holly

20 mins appreciation for reminder about running the genie outdoors

20 mins 26 thanks for the letter, response; the shortwave audience is on the ball about energy dependency issues

21 mins 50 sabotage could be as easy as a rando in a truck firing a gun at critical infrastructure and happening to hit something vital

22 mins domestic terrorists exploiting this wouldnt surprise him

22 mins 32 recalling 2013 attack in cali; power substation was professionally dismantled

23 mins 23 people can have a complacency about the issue of service disruption like "its not going to be me"

24 mins 36 prediction from mike from Minnesota; end of internet era/start of AI era

25 mins vis a vis AI, "it is what it is"

25 mins 32 aaron from ireland writes, war in Ukraine will still be going by end of the year. Sees political instability in western europe exacerbated by energy insecurity

26 mins listener thinks things will get worse before they get better

26 mins 45 agreeing with listener that retreating into "the private, small world" is the only thing you can do to keep your wits about you

27 mins 20 eric in alaska letter; major earthquake or hurricane for 2023

27 mins 50 eric predicts u.s. gov increasing internet restrictions

28 mins nice to hear from a fellow broadcaster in alaska, j's intention is to rock the mic the same as always, thru 23 and 24 etc etc.

28 mins 40 sam from Manchester with a list of 10 predictions: 1) biden announces 2024 potus run, 2) breentry movement swell, 3) youtube kills comments, 4) barbie and super maria bros movies will be lambasted by cons for being woke, 5) 60s french indie cinema style yellow teeth come into vogue, 6) pete davidson becomes a dad and settles in upstate ny, 7) 2016 creepy clown trend revival, 8) canadian rapper unkle adams to pair with mcdonalds, 9) disney fails to renew the simpsons for season 35 sparking protests and influencing voice of homer to flee to belize, 10) dark denim skinny jeans trend, "skinnies"

31 mins johnboy laughing about skinnies. Virtually the only pants i wore in 2008/2009 were dark denim jeggings from urban planet, they're totally due for a revival.

31 mins 14 new letter, prediction of discovery of life in the wider solar system, prediction of breakaway industrialist colonization of asteroid belt

31 mins 44 comments on space predictions

32 mins anon email; anon is in elementary education program at u colorado, predicting huge swell in demand for trained teachers and a pay increase

32 mins 35 wishing anon best of luck

33 mins state of the education system

33 mins 45 it would help a lot if education were taken more seriously

34 mins 30 education done right on a mass scale: "its one of the only ways out of the mess"

35 mins be best

35 mins 20 we've got 11 predictions from anon: 1) cowboys win superbowl, 2) ron desantis potus run, 3) trump endorsement of desantis, trump named u.s. ambassador to the u.n., 4) end of ukraine; split between russia and poland and moldova, 5) zelensky given asylum in u.s., 6) biden will not seek reelection due to health concerns, 7) Mercedes w14 wins f1 championship, 8) louis hamilton wins 8th title and retires, 9) arsenal implode and finish low in epl, 10) argentina egypt saudi arabia and iran join brix [what], 11) microsoft releases AI based search engine with open AI

36 mins 40 interesting predictions there

36 mins 50 mentions conflicting biden predictions

37 mins 20 talking about desantis in florida

38 mins 50 email from that dude, personal prediction; "winning more people to jesus christ than i can count"

39 mins 23 question about the reviews, does the food get reheated

39 mins 38 he reviews the food right away, when its delivered he starts rolling; description of scene prep

40 mins 20 He gets his makeup game together after placing the order

40 mins 40 next email (mortakiss?) predicting that the average day rotw video will return in 2023. This is not addressed.

41 mins 25 abruptly bringing up next email; prediction of mobile device fatigue in western world

41 mins 54 maybe there will be a paradoxical reaction tho

42 mins responding to that prediction; "the drawbacks outweigh the benefits" wrt social media addiction

42 mins 40 if people do log off and it impacts j's bottom line he'll just take the L because it might improve society

43 mins 20 chris from ontario writes in; predicting major western nation proposes switch to purely digital currency (thinks this would be terrible for the course of humanity; i think he's a superstitious crackpot who doesnt understand existing fiat systems)

44 mins responding to chris. Doesnt like digital currency but this answer is more about crypto (which obviously sucks).

44 mins 46 digital currency is too volatile, exploitable

45 mins what we have is probably better than the alternative even if its not perfect

45 mins 32 anon with short predictions {moi}. 1) oil market instability, 2) produce inflation/quality control news events, 3) covid deaths continue to trend toward the young and elderly, 4) elon musk has public breakdown, admits to suicidal ideation, gets made fun of, 5) "this one, well, here goes" ye announces he started conversion to judaism, johnboy wouldnt be surprised if this happens but he sounds cynical, dont tell me this wouldnt be a huge improvement that we should pray for, because i think it is 6) russia withdraws from ukraine by fall, 7) anti-lawn goes mainstream and drought resistant ornamentation starts getting stolen everywhere (resale market), 8) tsunami

47 min 07 "no location given there" wrt the tsunami. Frankly california got hit not long after i emailed but i dont know if it counted as a real tsunami. Brings up most recent major tsunamis in 2011 and 2004. Due for another, nature of the world.

47 min 55 john in Illinois predicts millions will be without power for a few days, nuclear weapons will be used somewhere, a known cryptid will be proven real and studied, major world leader will experience an illness or some other reason for bailing and a new leader will be appointed, dark horse dem candidate, twitter abandoned, crypto market collapse

49 mins 03 "some interesting predictions there, some good and some bad". Here's hoping no nukes 🤞

49 mins 27 email from floridian patrick with AI predictions; AI writing and its use in cheating, first deepfake story mistaken for real news,

51 mins 16 response to patrick, cheers to educators, the last line of defense in "a world thats going to hell"

52 mins 02 email from india; predicts new british pm will be made to resign like previous. Ariana grande will release a new album. Amazon getting canceled. No other covid wave {wronggg}. Hackers help students cheat entrance exam. Personal prediction: listener will be in college.

52 mins 55 thanks for email, interested by reoccurent education system theme

53 mins 17 its g in kansas; big pharma stuff + internet creates more antisociality

55 mins 46 responding to email; "one thing the government is good at is lip service" and its bff, embezzlement...

56 mins 21 wrt useful gov policy on pharma "i have no optimism, i wish i did but i dont"

56 mins 40 anon prediction; expanding demographic casteification, more antivax oppression lol, worldwide "corruptions" exposed via twitter et al, new celebrities, mobile device addiction continues, driving danger increases. Wishes for world peace. Personal predictions: will learn to use own shortwave, will eat healthier, find a good job/relocate/start new life.

58 mins 45 responding; agreeing about positive values that would make the world over. This part is sort of sweet and uplifting.

1 hr another anon email: predicting Atlantic event effecting west coast of ireland, mild real estate market cooling but still growth, asteroid comes too close, trumps health falters, internet will suffer a global outage and anon says "my crystal ball never lies" which gets called a bold statement. I'm predicting that crystal ball is cracked.

1 hr 2 response; talking about asteroids

1 hr 4 still hyping the fact that asteroid impacts are like nuclear blasts; good thing to remind people of

1 hr 5 "its just the nature of the universe" and be thankful for the planets gravity wells sucking in space stuff

1 hr 5 min 35 trav from ny writing in; continued weakening of russian on the geopolitical stage as well as putin specifically

1 hr 6 prediction continues that russia is "truly on its way out"

1 hr 6 mins 36 email from jeremy; AI takes over hospital staff and educational worker roles. AI companion bots lead to lowered birth rates (this is a 2023 prediction? Oookaaaay)

1 hr 9 mins johnboy says the AI lovebot prediction reminds him of when he "had" (?) to watch "Her" around 2019. Have you been watching Dax's channel lately J? God, put that AI in a sexy robot body and id marry her, she doesnt even need to be able to walk or have a moving mouth or realistic eyes, i love her. She's so smart and funny.

1 hr 9 mins 40 listener "easy money" predictions: 1) something will happen to biden and kamela will take over, 2) grid goes down and when its back up we have to provide credentials to get online, 3) cash apps and digital wallets to make purchases

1 hr 10 response, j says wrt 2nd item "dont give them any ideas"

[Next]

#vorw #report of the week #reviewbrah #Youtube

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movies-to-add-to-your-tbw · 2 years ago

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Title: Rosaline

Rating: PG-13

Director: Karen Maine

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Kyle Allen, Sean Teale, Minnie Driver, Bradley Whitford, Henry Hunter Hall, Spencer Rayshon Stevenson, Nico Hiraga, Christopher McDonald, Mercedes Colon, Alistair Toovey, Nicholas Rowe, Valentina Carnelutti, Alhaji Fofana

Release year: 2022

Genres: romance, comedy

Blurb: Left heartbroken after Romeo begins to pursue her cousin Juliet, Rosaline schemes to foil the famous romance and win back her guy.

#rosaline #pg13 #karen maine #kaitlyn dever #isabela merced #kyle allen #sean teale #minnie driver #2022 #romance #comedy

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uniquetyphoonmiracle · 3 months ago

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Coño..casi PALMA yendo a VITORIA en un ACCIDENTE por REVENTON DE RUEDA de un MERCEDES [como llevaba REYES cuando se mato] miki NADAL [=NAVIDAD en CATALAN] famoso por ser PRESENTADOR de "SE LO QUE HICISTEIS" y al que extrañamente me encontré en el bar del colegio SAN FERNANDO donde hice un curso de PARADOS junto a CASANDRA SAINTE_MARIE DEL AGUA [a la que me reencontre trabajando en Tienda del REAL MADRID en el BERNABEU dia que me fotografie a SUS PUERTAS A CONTRA_LUZ con cliford LUYK cuyo malogrado hijo SERGIO me presentaron en el AVE NOX donde hacia de DJ y tenia una BARRA ALQUILADA tras retirarse del BASKET donde debuto en LOS TORMENTA ROJA de la UNIVERSIDAD DE ST JOHN sita en PKWAY UTOPIA en QUEENS_NY y la cual es nieta del fundador del diario chileno CLARIN dario Sainte_Marie alias VOLPONE que murió en su apartamento de centro COLON escribiendo sus DESAPARECIDAS MEMORIAS en la BAÑERA y con RAMON VALLE_INCLAN hijo del ex_presidente de TABACALERA al que sustituyo CESAR ALiERTA cuya mujer murió DOMINGO DE RESURRECCION de 2015]..se caso con la hija del banquero ESCAMEZ con la que acabo muy mal [la dijo que se acostaba con cualquiera]..ha tenido mucha suerte..pues estaba lloviendo y quedó el coche mirando para los que venían de FRENTE..también me recuerda que hace Justo 8 años viniendo de SEVILLA en BUS y tras fotografiar el Estadio NUEVO ARCANGEL DE CORDOBA desde el BUS..reventó una rueda parando a la altura del puti_club EL CONEJO DE LA SUERTE como fue la que tuvo que justo cuando revento había una salida a la vía de servicio.

Por cierto..le estaba lloviendo a NADAL

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sporadiceagleheart · 3 months ago

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We all got a right to praise the Lord the lord has blessed them and healed them the lord lifted them up here's a new capcut tribute edit for Brandy Grace Shuler, Louis XVII, Shirley Temple and baby Leroy, Fanny Adams, Ida Hitler, Ida Hitler, Archie Peyton Samuel, Jamie Erin Kliesing, Erica Michelle Marie Green, Heather Ashley Nicole Ferrer, Mary Katherine Campbell, Madelyn Rae “Maddie” Clifton, Emily Danielle Caldwell, Allyson Faith “Allie” Allen, Miss Juliana Willoughby, 1781-1783, Prince Alfred of Great Britain, Prince Octavius of Great Britain, Prince Frederick William of Great Britain, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, Ignacio Zaragoza, Rafaela Padilla de la Garza, Rosalia Buccola Lunetta, Filomena Spitaleri Buccola, Mona Lisa, Meagan Lindsey Bradley, Jailand M. Adams, Caroline of Brunswick, Judith Barsi and Heather O'Rourke, Charlotte Figi, Lucy Morgan, Star Hobson, Saffie-Rose Brenda Roussos, Lily Peters, Olivia Pratt Korbel, Elizabeth Shelley, Sara Sharif, Sidra Hassouna, Sloan Mattingly, Audrii Cunningham, Ava Jordan Wood, Moa Leontine Björk and Emilia Björk, Mercedes Losoya, Norah Lee Howard, Makenna Lee Elrod, Eliahna Torres, Nevaeh Bravo, Layla Salazar, Jackie Cazares, Maranda Gail Mathis, Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Aubreigh Paige Wyatt, Avielle Richman, Catherine Violet Hubbard, Raffaella Carrà, Rozalia Spadafora, Rafaella Sofia Costin, Luna Mia Hernandez, Rafaela Ottaiano, Rafael Sabatini, Ruth Goad Dixon Sabatini, Lancelot Steele Dixon, Christine Wood Sabatini, Rafael Angelo Sabatini, Marcy Renee Conrad, Raphael, Mariano Lunetta, Julia Buccola Petta, Filippo Petta, Sierra Lynn Newbold, Adriana Dukic, Ema kobiljski, Frida Kahlo, Jamie Rose Bolin, Stephanie Randolph Bryan, Kimberly Colon, Mary Katherine Conroy, Monica Kay Gonzalez, Christina-Taylor Green, Ida Kate Griffin, Kimberly Marie Kassab,

#lilianasedits #sally's fundraiser #sallys fundraiser #sallysfundraiser

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toughpaperround · 1 year ago

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911 Cast Bios

Here's a list of them in one place, in order of appearance in 9-1-1 (fox, later abc). I choose them based on characters I enjoy, or where there are interesting connections / factoids to be found in their bios.

Gavin Stenhouse (The Priest)

Mariette Hartley (Patricia Clark, Abby's mother)

Claudia Christian (LAFD Capt. Maynard)

Debra Christofferson (Sue, Dispatcher)

Grasie Mercedes (Beth, in prenatal yoga class, 1x07)

Rebecca Wisocky (Marjorie, in lift crash, 1x09)

Connor Trinneer (bomb squad, 2x01)

Bryan Safi (Josh Russo, dispatcher)

Romi Dias (Chief Miranda Williams)

Ana Mercedes (Abuela Isabel)

Terri Hoyos (Aunt Pepa)

Christine Estabrook (Gloria, Dispatcher)

Devin Kelley (Shannon Diaz)

Wes Brown (Mounted Police Officer)

Rick Chambers (Dwight, newsreader)

Tara Karsian (Ruth)

Lawrence Pressman and Francis X. McCarthy (Mitchell & Thomas)

Romy Rosemont & Daniel Roebuck (Lola & Norman Peterson)

Brian Thompson (Capt. Gerrard)

Lou Ferrigno Jr (firefighter Tommy)

Brian Hallisay (Doug Kendall)

Julie Oullette (Blair, Elf Helper)

Marsha Warfield (Toni Wilson)

Danny Nucci (LAPD detective)

Sasha Roiz (LAPD Det. Ransone)

Paula Marshall (Helena Diaz)

George DelHoyo (Ramon Diaz)

Pepi Sonuga (Athena Carter, flashback in 3x07)

Nicole Delgado (Maynard, flashback in 3x07)

Eddie McGee (Frank the therapist)

Jack McGee (Red the retired firefighter, 3x16)

Deborah May (Cindy, 3x16)

Rumer Willis (Georgia, train Vic, 3x18)

Brooke Shields (counsellor, 3x18)

Dee Wallace (Mrs Margaret Buckley)

Gregory Harrison (Mr Phillip Buckley)

Colin McCalla (Connor, Buck's friend)

Chelsea Kane (Kameron, Connor's wife)

Aaron Staton (Daniel Buckley)

Laith Wallschleger (133 medic, 6x15)

Mark Lawson (pilot, 7x01)

Kathryn Boswell & Chris Gartin (hot-tub couple, 7x01)

Mercedes Colon (Ship Captain, 7x01-3)

Rick Cosnett (cruise crew, 7x01-3)

Eddie Jemison (cruise ship doc, 7x02-3)

Jesse Palmer & Joey Graziadei (7x04)

Richard Brooks (Chief Simpson, s7)

Exie Booker (Carl, 7x06)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Amir, s7)

Veronica Falcón (Cllr Ortiz, s7)

John Brotherton (Tim Nash, 7x08)

Tony Amendola (Herman, 7x08)

Paul Nobrega (Monty the Beekeeper, 8x01)

Hotshots group, s8: Callum Blue (Brad); Justin Taite (#1); Morgan West (director) & 1st AD

Bee-nado airplane gang: Cindy Chavez (Capt Dominguez); Devin McGee (Co-pilot); Bayley Corman (Tia); (Mr & Mrs Grandparent);

Adela Paez (Nurse Camila, 8x03 etc)

In draft ofc. Do check the updated OG post if you're looking at a reblog:

Finnigan and Silverman (divorcing couple, 8x06)

Zach Tinker (Officer Sparks, LAPD, 8x07)

Kelvin Han Yee

Glenn Plummer (Dennis Jenkins, 3x07, s8a)

Main resource is IMDb, with extra material from Wikipedia, podcasts or youtube on occasion. Where I use 911 images they are screengrabs I edited. Other images generally from imdb.

#911 fox #911 abc #911 #911 cast #911 cast bio #masterlist #not looking to cover the main cast - just guests or day players #requests welcome #is anyone enjoying these!?#just me? okay then ☺️#there are currently 1400 cast members on the imdb listing as we wander into season 7 #so plenty to see here lol

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spoilertv · 8 months ago

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#SpoilerTV

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thegoddessofwwe · 2 years ago

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THE MOST REQUESTED;

MALES

✧ ADAM PAGE ✧ AJ STYLES ✧ AKIRA ✧ ALEX COLON ✧ ANTHONY HENRY ✧ BARON CORBIN ✧ BOBBY BEVERLY ✧ BRANDON KIRK ✧ BRYAN DANIELSON ✧ BUDDY MATTHEWS ✧ CARMELO HAYES ✧ CM PUNK ✧ CODY RHODES ✧ DAMIAN PRIEST ✧ EDDIE KINGSTON ✧ ERIC RYAN ✧ FINN BALOR ✧ HOOK ✧ JAY WHITE ✧ JEY USO ✧ JIMMY USO ✧ JOEY JANELA ✧ JON MOXLEY ✧ JORDAN OLIVER ✧ JUNGLE BOY ✧ KENNY OMEGA ✧ KEVIN OWENS ✧ MALAKAI BLACK ✧ MATT CARDONA ✧ MJF ✧ MYRON REED ✧ PETE DUNNE ✧ RICKEY SHANE PAGE ✧ SETH ROLLINS ✧ SWERVE STRICKLAND ✧ TREY MIGUEL ✧ WARDLOW ✧ WES LEE ✧ THE YOUNG BUCKS ✧ ZACHARY WENTZ

FEMALES

✧ ALEXA BLISS ✧ ALIYAH ✧ ANNA JAY ✧ BAYLEY ✧ BECKY LYNCH ✧ BELLA TWINS ✧ BIANCA BELAIR ✧ BRITT BAKER ✧ CANDICE LERAE ✧ CHARLOTTE FLAIR ✧ CORA JADE ✧ INDI HARTWELL ✧ IYO SKYE ✧ JADE CARGILL ✧ JULIA HART ✧ LIV MORGAN ✧ MANDY ROSE ✧ MERCEDES MONE ✧ RAQUEL GONZALEZ ✧ ROSEMARY ✧ ROXANNE PEREZ ✧ RUBY SOHO ✧ SKYE BLUE ✧ SONYA DEVILLE ✧ TAY CONTI ✧ THE BUNNY (AKA ALLIE) ✧ THUNDER ROSA ✧ TONI STORM ✧ ZELINA VEGA

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bu1410 · 8 months ago

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Good afternoon TUMBLR - March 20th - 2024

''Mr. Plant has owed me a shoe since July 5, 1971."

Abu Dhabi UAE June 1996 - Nov. 1997 -

‘’Tawheela Water Trasmission Scheme Project - Part 3

SHEIK ZAYED'S SECRETARY'S SITE VISIT Among the many reasons that contributed to Mr. Trovato's termination from the project, there was also the fact that he was present during Sheik Zayed's Sacretary's visit to site. The Secretary during the visit didn't hide he was very annoyed by Mr. Trovato's absance during his site visit, and told me he was going to report the fact to Client Works Management. One day, it was just after 11.00 in the morning, suddenly the Ajaban site was literally invaded by police and military SUVs: a great dust raised in the square in front of our offices. Quite frightened by what was happening, I was approached by a police officer who announced a surprise visit from the Sheik Zayed's Secretary!! A few minutes later a big white Mercedes with tinted windows arrives in the yard, from which a short, very slim guy came out - aquiline nose, mustache and goatee, he points at me with the usual white wand - I approached but I kept a safe distance (I was told that during a meeting Secretary whipped a Belgian guy in the face because he had contradicted him). With a ringing voice accompanied by the typical gesturing of his hands, he says to me:

WHERE IS Mr. TROVATO ahhh???

Well… (I said trying to take my time)… Sir.....as soon as I heard that you were coming… I called him… at the moment he is in Abu Dhabi… he said he will arrive immediately… (Abu Dhabi was 150 km away)

HE'S IN ABU DAHBI? YES OF COURSE …THIS MAN LIKE TOO MUCH TO ENJOY ABU DHABI!! Okay let's have a lunch here …��will see if he comes….

In reality I had called Trovato, warning him of the Secretary's visit, but he replied ''I don't a sh*****…'' In no time at all our offices were ''colonized'' by the Secretary's servants. Tables, computer shelves, were pushed aside and a large carpet was spread on the floor. Teapots, trays of kobs (round bread) dates, marzipan cakes appeared. And after a few minutes, two enormous trays carried on the shoulders of the servants entered: one of them was filled with a kind of yellow polenta, the other the traditional michoui' (a whole one) cooked on a spit. The two trays were placed on the ground and this was the signal: the Secretary, all his entourage and police officers (we included......) all sat down cross-legged and we began to eat. The procedure was simple: the index and middle fingers of the right hand were plunged into the michoui, while the guy sitting in front was doing the same, but pulling in the direction. Therefore a piece of meat was taken out - than thrown into the polenta, an attempt was made to make a meatball and then all is to be swallowed. Once we have '' familiarize'' with the guy sitting beside of each one us, the locals wanted to arrange the meatball for you!! Clearly no one had washed their hands before sitting on the floor….

Having consumed all the abundant libations, washed down with hectoliters of tea and coffee, thanked Allah for the food provided, we were ready for the visit to site. Which took place without too many problems, obtaining reasonable appreciation from the Secretary. Who let his Mercedes join him in the middle of the station, saluted with a Shoukran Ma'Salamaa and disappeared in a cloud of dust, followed by all those SUVs with cops. Only after this I understood the reason why the high-ranking officials of the Emirates police all had bellies: two events like this a week were enough, and weight, cholesterol and triglycerides certainly skyrocketed!

HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINE The Ajaban pumping station was not equipped with generators, so it was necessary, as planned, to bring a 33,000 Volt line to the transformer building. The nearest substation was about 30 kilometers away, and the work was contracted to an Indian company, specialized in this type of activity. Once the excavations for the first pylon had been carried out, the Indians wanted to proceed as per tradition and organized a small ceremony: I had to kneel down in front of the holes in the foundations, break the coconuts on a particular stone, trying to send the coconut water inside the foundation holes. Then, with my back to the holes, I had to throw various mixtures of confetti and rice, all getting smoked by the incense sticks. After having had to eat sweets and various junk, once the ceremony was over, we proceeded with the concrete casting of the foundations of the pylons. In the meantime, the crane tried to bring an already assembled pylon closer, to be able to install it in the still fresh concrete. Unfortunately - perhaps due to a gust of wind - the pylon bent and crumpled like a twig, and this signal was seen as a bad omen by the Indians present. The canonical 7 days passed, after which the external laboratory proceeded to break the concrete cubes, prepared during the casting of the foundations of the pylons - and here the ominous omens were confirmed: the test results were lower than the minimum values. All 6 foundations had to be re-excavated and the work done all over again. This fact had a singular interpretation on the part of the Indians: according to them there was a ''negative element'' (which was identified in our Geologist…………) that had influenced the results. In my humble opinion, as a pragmatic Westerner, the reasons for the failure of the foundations were to be found in the poor quality and quantity of the cement used, and the failure to control the quantity of water used in the casting.

JEBEL HAFEET

Al Ain (eye, spring, fountain in Arabic) is a city designated by the Abu Dhabi authorities to be a place of treatment and rehabilitation for various chronic and non-chronic diseases. There are numerous clinics and hospitals in Al Ain. Approaching from the North, you are struck by the mass of Jebel Hafeet, a mountain of rock without vegetation that suddenly rises alone in the desert plain. It is the last offshoot of the Ḥajar mountain range, mountains belonging to Oman. At the foot of Jebal Hafeet is the "Green Mubazarrah", which is an important tourist attraction: several hot water springs flow into small streams and form a lake, while swimming pools and hot tubs are spread throughout the area. The only mountain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the highest mountains in the country, gave its name to a period in the history of the United Arab Emirates, the Hafit period of the Bronze Age (3200-2600 BC) due of the discovery of a group of important Bronze Age beehive graves at its foot. As of 2017, the mountain is recognized as part of a national park and was incorporated into the Sheikh Zayed protected area network in 2018. The road to the top of Jabel Hafeet is 11.7 km long with 21 hairpin bends and a height difference of 1290 meters (average gradient of 8% built in 1980 with three lanes (of which two for the climb) and its construction cost more than 300 million dollars. At the top there is only one building: the large villa of the Emir of Al Ain. It is a popular route among motorists and cyclists coming from the Arabian Peninsula. In January it hosts the Jebel Hafeet Mercure Challenge trophy, while in 2015 it was the arrival site of the third stage of the inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour, a cycling race organized by RCS Sport, won by the Colombian Esteban Chaves.

MUSTAFA MAHMUD - Egyption inspector of Client Works Management As already mentioned, the great heat forced us to work at night. On one of the nights I spent on site, I had the company of Mustafa Mahmud, a young Inspector of the Client's Works Management. Now also because the SAIPEM protocol expressly prohibited it, I have always tried not to discuss topics relating to religion, not only in Muslim countries, but everywhere in the world.

Mustafa, however, was a guy and that night I gave in to his insistence, when he asked me to account for my beliefs regarding faith etc. Naturally he was a convinced Muslim, but his young age and probably his proximity to Westerners had somewhat undermined his principles. In short, he asked many questions, rather than giving answers, and therefore strengthening his own beliefs. In any case, we discussed various topics - Mustafa was very knowledgeable - in which he desperately tried to convince me of the ''rightness and truth'' of the Islamic belief. I tried to counter as best I could, focusing above all on what for Muslims are ''the truths to be accepted without discussion'' (the famous 5 pillars of Islam) and which for me are obviously not. To try to put an end to a discussion that seemed to have no way out, I went to the office blackboard and drew a ball (the Earth) and a dot at the top (God):

You see Mustafa – I said – the great unbridgeable difference between you and me is this: you believe that God created the Earth, the Universe and everything that is inside it (and I drew a line from an imaginary God to the Earth)

I, however, believe that the human being, looking at the sky and seeing the sun, the stars and the planets, has never been able to give himself an explanation for all this, and therefore humans concluded ''there must be a Superior Entity that created all this, and called it ''God''. This last outing left Mustafa dumbfounded! Since his childhood child, his was teached on God existance and the possibility that God could be a human's invention had never arisen on him. During following days Mustafa avoided returning to talk about religious topics with me, but his attitude towards myself showed respect and that the flea I had in him ear would hardly have been raised in the years to come.

PREFABRICATED MANHOLES We needed to build several manholes, some of them enormous, given the diameter of the pipes carrying the water. It was decided to give the prefabrication task to Al Jabar, the largest Civil Contractor in all the Emirates. Al Jabar prefabrication yard was located in Musaffah, the place in Abu Dhabi where industrial plants, shipyards and dealerships of large American companies are concentrated. I used to visit the prefabrication yard a couple of times a week, and believe me Al Jabar prefabrication yard is the closest thing to a circle of Hell my eyes have ever seen. Machines, overhead and mobile cranes, trucks, bulldozers, tanks for prefabrication and drying of prefabricated elements: everything is huge, dirty, smoking, smelly. In the area the noise is deafening, none of the ''zombies'' who roam there speak to each other, simply because they can't hear each other. A sign language has developed over time, which everyone seems to use and understand with the utmost naturalness. Naturally, with those who, like me, come from outside, there were many misunderstandings. Al Jabar is so powerful, to the point that a legend says that for two months, during a cash crisis of Abu Dhabi Government - at the urging of the Emir Sheik Zayed, Al Jabar himself paid the salaries of all Emirates employees. In the end Al Jabar respected the delivery deadlines for the manholes we had commissioned, and the products were of good quality.

WEEK ENDS - AL BURAIMI - OMAN Al Buraimi is a city in Oman that borders Al Ain: the border essentially cuts the cities in two, as happens in other parts of the world, Ciudad Juarez - El Paso for example. We were therefore allowed to cross the border without formalities, and this was what we used to during weekend to enjoy the Buraimi Hotel entertainement. There was an excellent buffet, enlivened by the music of a Filipino band. One of Italian Company Ansaldo's vendors who worked on our construction site – a Neapolitan named Russo – had made friends with the Filipinos, to the point that he performed with them, sometimes playing the pianola, and then singing his signature piece – perhaps the Italian song that most detested – namely ''Italiano Vero'' by Toto Cotugno.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL - AL AIN

Some Thursday evenings we used to go to Al AinIntercontinental bar for a beer and live music. Given the numerous hospitals and clinics, there was a strong presence of expatriate medical and nursing staff – and of all nationalities. There were Cuban, New Zealand doctors, English and Philippine nurses. I remember an Australian Doctor we came into contact with.

We chat a little, where are you from, ahh…Italians…how interesting…I would like to visit Italy one day…and all the usual amenities – then she asked my friend Franco:

And what are you doing here in the Emirates?

Well – replied Franco – we comb the desert dunes…

What does it mean ''comb the dunes''? Replied the girl with that typical expression we see in American comedy films, when the girl remains with her mouth totally open for a few seconds, trying to show all her surprise.

Well – Franco continued – you will certainly have seen the desert dunes since you came here – well anyone is enchanted by them, but unfortunately the dunes – in their natural state – are not like that.

The girl was more and more surprised…And…what are they like?

First of all they are very dirty: stones, papers, plastic bags… and then the shape is not like that of postcards, they have strange, not pleasant shapes - so Emir Zayed - may Allah guard him for 100 more years - has decided to launch a project to beautify the dunes, and make them as they are in the collective imagination - and we, with our equipment, are doing it! The girl was ecstatic: but all this is………is wonderful ! You are here to make people's dreams come true!! Great! I love Italians!! Let's have another beer….

MY (FIRST) FAREWELL TO UAE For a few months - given the chronic delay of the Project - we had been ordered to work every day including Fridays. My contract was clear: there was a limit of 240 hours per month, with one day off compatibly with the needs of the construction. A couple of weeks before leaving the Emirates for good, I sent an email to Mr. Trovato the to Branch HR Head, highlighting the contractual terms and attaching the relevant time sheets. As per SAIPEM habit, I got no answers. The day before my departure came, and I was informed that, although the flight was scheduled for 11.45 PM, I would have to leave for Abu Dhabi early in the morning, to go to the Branch. The next day I arrived in Abu Dhabi at 9.00 am, Management was not yet arrived at office. They arrived calmly around 10.30 am and after exchanging some jokes and a short briefing, I was told to wait for a decision on the possible payment for the extra days worked. At that time Abu Dhabi Company Branch was a modest office, with plasterboard and glass partition walls, so the speeches being made in the adjacent rooms could be heard very well. The discussion on whether or not to pay for my services went on for hours (I was wondering: don't these people have anything else to do?). I went for lunch, then returned to the offices, starting to worry because the take-off time was getting closer. I clearly heard HR Manager saying: ''It's better to pay him in cash otherwise this will be like others cases: as soon as they arrived in Italy they filing a complain, and then not only they're winning the cas, but from the Head Office they'll blame us because we didn't solve locally the issue!!. Other voices were spiking against this solution, and I honestly began to have enough of the pantomime, and was tempted to get up and leave. Finally around 6.30 pm I was called by the accountant, and I was given 2,600 USD in cash. All this ''cinema'' for just a few doillars, from a Company that invoice millions per year! Of course I had to sign a bunchof papers, with the usual clauses ''that nothing is owed to you and you waive any etc etc…''.

I left the Branch in the evening, the driver took me to the airport, a double sense of sadness weighed on me, partly because I was leaving Abu Dhabi and returning to the uncertainty of the future, and then in consideration of the smallness of the so-called 'Top Management '' who had deliberately waited until the last hour of the last day of my stay to make a decision that they could have taken weeks before.

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