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nerdieforpedro · 7 months ago

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Finally Away

Chapter 2 of “This is the Neighborhood Din” Series

Din Djarin (Modern AU) x Sierra Harris (plus size OFC)

This fic is for readers 18+ MDNI

Word Count: about 3k

Warnings: Divorce, domestic violence (both referenced and actual), burns, scratches, blood, stalking, description of injuries, self-esteem issues, matchmaking?, domestic fluff, soft moments and hugs

Summary: Sierra has arrived to her aunt's home and meets their new neighbors Din and little Grogu. She didn't plan on her ex-husband showing up before her long drive - that man decided to ensure she had his disgusting marks on her arms.

Notes: In this chapter there is domestic violence and descriptions of Sierra's injuries as well as past incidents with her ex-husband. Likely will be mentioned again but not with injuries. There's also a burn mentioned as well that Sierra caused.

Special thanks to @pedroshotwifey for beta reading and @julesonrecord for having these resources in their Cherry Wine fic. It’s an excellent read, just make sure to review the warnings as it is marked DDNE.

I would have posted this earlier but I didn’t get a notification about the poll results. 😭 My bad.

Domestic Violence resources (In case you or someone you know need them):

United States

Canada

United Kingdom

European Union

Main Masterlist/ Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) Masterlist/ This is the Neighborhood Din Series

The drive from Maryland to New York State hasn’t been that bad, just so long. Nearly seven hours. Sierra had planned to leave earlier than she did. It was her last day in her apartment, she was going to leave the keys since all her belongings she planned to take were already in her car. It had been six months since the divorce was final but a year and a half that she had lived apart from Darius.

Sierra knew he hadn’t cared about her, at least the last few years of their marriage, not after those beatings started. She didn’t stay because she loved him, falling out of love with him was at the first punch. She’d been confused at first, he’d never been violent before, always kind. But when Sierra thought on it after the second bloody nose, she wondered if this was happening because something was wrong with her. When he hit her and this time, kept hitting her in her stomach after that last time he came home, she let him sleep and then poured boiled hot grits on him. She’d already looked into getting an apartment by herself and was going to stay with a friend for a week until it was ready. Darius never did press charges against her or told anyone how he got those burns on his abdomen and chest, Sierra assumed that he was embarrassed that his wife who he had been beating got one over on him. After she left, she needed to try and figure out what was next and who to turn to for help.

Thankfully, her aunt Johnnie Mae was more than willing to take her in after she’d been able to save some money by living in that cheap apartment. It almost made the hour long commute to the middle school she taught at worth it. Saving money was her priority so she would have some money to give her Aunt for letting her stay with her outside of New York City. The plan was working, she was able to get rid of clothes and stuff she didn’t absolutely need. That way, everything would fit in her small blue Nissan. Her aunt had said that she didn’t need to offer her any money, let alone rent while she stayed with her but that’s not how she was raised. Before they passed, Sierra’s parents stressed being responsible, paying your debts and taking care of yourself. She’s failed at that last one.

That morning, all she had to do was get up use the bathroom before leaving and leave. That was all the science teacher had planned. She even had a new job set up at a middle school substitute teaching next week. She was open to picking up a part time job until she could get a full time one as keeping a work history going and money coming is was more important than ever.

The barrier to her leaving on time was Darius himself. He sat outside of her small blue car waiting for her. Darius was a few inches taller than Sierra but slender and full of mean streaks. One would think a so called ‘short king’ as he often called himself would be a bit nicer to anyone, let alone his wife but no. The bastard beat Sierra, leaving bruises, cuts and made sure never to break or sprain anything enough to need an urgent care or hospital visit. He left to be with his mistress a month after Sierra burnt him with hot grits as he lay sleep in bed.

The divorce as far as property went was split down the middle, even though the end of their relationship was anything but amicable. Sierra hadn’t see him since the divorce decree was handed down in court, but now he sits here blocking her path away from him finally, no longer tied to him.

“What do you want?” The venom in her voice is clear as he moves toward her.

“Just wanted to see you off. I mean, we had something special for a while there you know.” He attempted to touch her face and she smacked his hand away. Darius grabbed it and her other hand as she struggled against him. “You always fought me on everything after becoming a full time teacher. Being full of yourself. Now you’re going to be fat, broke and alone. You thought it was hard to get married before? No man’s going to be looking for you!”

“This is what you came here for Darius?! Just to try and intimidate me?” Sierra pushed forward, making his legs hit the bumper of a sedan parked next to her, he fell back, but grabbed her forearms hard, digging his fingers into them. She yelled and tried to shake him off but he dug deeper. “You’re a sad bastard who left me for a woman who’s now left you for an old rich man. She’s riding his dick somewhere in Italy!” Her knee connected with his crotch and his grip loosened. Sierra was able to wiggle free and run toward the driver’s side of her car, quickly getting in. She started driving only checking her arms when she finally stopped at a McDonald’s.

Her caramel skin was a deep red, nearly purple with blood as he broke the skin on both arms. She made a stop at a CVS and got some bandages to clean and wrap her arms before continuing on her drive. After a few more hours she stopped crying and determined that he wasn’t worth it, he hadn’t been for quite some time. Just be glad you’re no longer tied to him. If he shows up again, I can use a brick on him or whatever I have nearby. Maybe I need to carry one of those switchblades. As she crossed over from Pennsylvania to New York, she wondered how she’d hide the bandages from her Aunt. She hadn’t shared the full story with her, only that he’d become distant, they would get in shouting matches and the cheating. Sierra hadn’t told her about the physical abuse. She didn’t know how to explain why it went on for so long. She barely wanted to tell the one friend she felt safe enough to move in with for that week. Thankfully she didn’t judge her, just supported Sierra. She was eternally grateful for that.

Pulling up to her aunt’s home she was completely unprepared for the man she saw. The opposite of her ex-husband was sitting on her aunt’s porch. Putting his shirt back on. No one said he had to. Sierra thought, her aunt let go of her and pinched her shoulder.

“You’ll burn a hole into the man if you keep staring at him like that.” Ms. Harris teased.

“How could I not look at him? Who is he?” Sierra inquired. She grabbed her purse from the car and walked over with her aunt to the porch.

Din started to get a bit cold after finishing his glass of water and stood to slip his shirt back on. He still felt her eyes on him and turned to see Ms. Harris walking to the house with a caramel beauty who’s calling his new neighbor ‘auntie.’ Maybe she was just here visiting, his eyes cut to her car before focusing back on her as they drew closer to the porch. She’s staying for a little while at least, I’m not in the market for just a short time though.

As she made her way up the stairs, her black shorts bunched between her thighs. In an effort not to stare, his eyes scanned her legs which were thick and jiggled along with the rolls of her belly that it appeared like she was trig to hide under her large purple t-shirt. She was wearing a black sweatshirt which he suspected her would find equally soft arms covered by the fabric. Her face appeared tired, he assumed from the long drive, but there seemed to be a remnant of sadness in her honey eyes with some redness in her cheeks. Her hair was in tight pun with a matching purple scarf tied at the top of her head. It wasn’t a handshake she offered but a small wave and Din couldn’t help but flash a toothy grin and chuckle.

“H-Hi. I’m Sierra, nice to meet you. Seems you’ve met my Aunt Mae already.” Though clearly nervous, her voice had a dulcet tone to it that had Din exhale to keep from clearing his throat to make it too obvious. He raised his hand and returned her small wave, stepping forward to close the distance. He looked down at her, keeping his grin.

“I’m Din. Your aunt, Ms. Harris has been so welcoming to me and my son Grogu. It’s our first day here. Pleasure to meet you Sierra.”

He is taller and broader up close and his hands are….this man appears to be massive in every sense. Even his voice feels like it’s wrapping around me. Am I okay? My shorts are halfway in my crotch and I know my eyes are puffy and red along with my entire face. This is one of the days, I wish I had more melanin so everything from earlier in the day wouldn’t be on my damn face.

“Well dear, you mind helping me make some dinner while Din keeps an eye on the kids? You missed lunch.” Ms. Harris elbows Sierra in the side and she winces as her aunt’s arm grazes her forearm.

“Sure, lead the way. Um, are you staying for dinner Din?” Sierra asked and Din nodded with Johnnie Mae adding that of course he was, he bought her groceries as a thank you for watching little Grogu for a few hours.

“I really do appreciate it Ms. Harris. I was able to get a lot done in the house so we’ll be set for our first night in the house. The kids we be fine until dinner’s ready.” Rolling his shoulders back, he puts his hands in his pockets and his grin becomes a smile. Sierra’s lips part slightly but no sound comes out, she really hopes nothing came out. It didn’t but her aunt is ever watchful of their interaction and leads her niece into the kitchen. Din turns to the side to watch Sierra walk away, paying special attention to her wide hips and plump backside. I think I should find out how long she’ll be here. If she needs to leave, maybe I can convince her to come back through and visit. Such thoughts were distracting Din from the children and he heard a cry. Delia was sitting in the grass giving a dirty look to both Grogu and Quinton. “Well, I am a man of my word. Let me see what’s going on.” As he made his way down the stairs, Johnnie Mae peeped at the door to Mae sure Din was out of earshot.

“Tell me what you think, I mean I was going to set you up with that boy Leon because he seemed nice, but Din is a grown man. Good and grown man dear. I don’t see a ring and-“

“It’s too soon I can’t even think about that right now. Especially today, I look an entire mess.” And that rat bastard fucked up my arms. Even if my arms were fine, I’m not even wearing my cute leggings. Damn.

“I didn’t ask you all that girl.” Johnnie Mae got out a pot and threw in some chicken broth followed two bags of vegetable medleys complete with carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. “I asked you what you thought. I understand you might not feel like you’re ready. Doesn’t mean you can look.”

Sighing, Sierra washed her hands, got the chicken out of the fridge and started seasoning it before plopping it in a frying pan to cook in some butter. “He’s the complete opposite of my ex-husband. Which is entirely welcome. I just don’t know if I can….” Johnnie Mae hip bumped her niece as an indication of getting a non-answer. Sierra sighed again, “I’d climb him like a tree auntie. I’m not ready, but if I was at all. He would be the first choice.”

“Just need to know your tastes have changed. No more assholes Sierra.” Johnnie Mae laughed and so did Sierra, shaking her head. On that she agreed. The pair finished up dinner making homemade chicken noddle soup. Something that everyone ate two bowels of. Din and Grogu ate three. Delia and Quinton were picked up by their parents when the sun started setting around five in the evening. They thanked Ms. Harris and hugged her before introducing themselves to Din. They suggested that Ms. Harris could watch little Grogu before and after school. That way Grogu could play with Delia and Quinton as they likely were going to go to the same elementary school. The family departed leaving Din, Grogu, Johnnie Mae and Sierra.

Din suggested he could wash the dishes and Sierra rejected his help because he was a guest. Technically she was too, but she’d be living here. It was decided that he would wash and she would dry.

Grogu found a comfy spot on the couch as Ms. Harris sat next to him. “Little G, we’re going to watch a classic me and you. Look at this.” She turned on ‘Winnie the Pooh.’ Ms. Harris started singing along and Grogu joined in, bobbing their heads side to side.

Din’s hands were covered in soapy water, scrubbing the dishes before rising them and handing them to Sierra to dry. They chatted about the merits of Pooh and Piglet’s adventures. They laughed that before the episode was over, both Ms. Harris and Grogu were asleep on the couch and arm wrapped around each other. Din snapped a few pictures with his phone. Sierra hesitated, but asked if he could send her the pictures he took. Din was going to suggest that she take her own, but understood that she was asking for his number without saying it. Trying to be subtle. That’s cute of her. He agreed and send her the pictures, the small smile on her face felt like a part of a curtain had been pulled back.

Back at the sink, dishes slowly made their way into the cabinets. Sierra’s sleeves were getting wet and it made her arms itchy so she pulled them up, and reached for the plate Din was handing and she took the plate. She started drying and looked down at her forearms, some blood had soaked through. Panic set in for the second time today, though not from fear of her safety. Instead it was that the easy laughter would stop, there was nothing funny about her arms or what had made them that way. Din stopped washing and wiped his wet hands on his pants.

“You don’t have to tell me how it happened. Just…are you safe Sierra? Is the person who did that after you?” Keeping his voice flat was the only way not to yell, he shouldn’t yell at her. It would be misdirected. It looked like they were fresh maybe even today. She looked up at him and the brightness was gone from them, only panic. Is that why she came here? How fall far had she driven? She did seem to have a lot of stuff in her car.

“No. Thankfully I’ll never see him again. He has no reason to find me. That ended six months ago. I’m…” Closing her eyes, she swallowed the saliva building in her throat. “Divorced. Six months ago. He was…just the worst. Could you just…”

“I’m not going to act like I didn’t see them. If don’t want me to say anything it’s not mine to tell. But does she know?” His eyes shift over to the couch before refocusing on her. He’d rather know this bastard’s name, just in case but she didn’t say it and now isn’t the time to press. He hesitated, but placed a hand between her shoulder blades. Sierra flinched but when Din began to pull his arm back she turned and reached for his hand.

“Please don’t do that. I’m not fragile. I know you’re not going to do anything I’m sor-“

“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have touched-“

“Then you don’t say sorry either.” Sighing, she looked down at his hand and held it as to shake it. “Let’s start over. Please Din and I’ll tell her. I kinda have to with these.” A weak smile matched a soft chuckle. He missed the smile he’d seen when he sent her pictures a few minutes ago. Shaking her hand, he nodded.

“I won’t apologize then, but I disagree, you are fragile. It’s a fact for now. You won’t always be, but it’s okay.” He didn’t release her hand. “Is it alright if I hug you and then take a look at your arms? You have more bandages?” Sierra nods and doesn’t speak, she folds her arms around Din’s torso. His hands returned to her back, rubbing it slowly and started stepping side to side, rocking her. Short whimpers came from her, quieting as the pair swayed.

“I have more in the car, but I can take care of that. Just a little more. A little while longer.” Sierra was conflicted in asking him to continue to hold her, but she didn’t want to let go. She felt it was selfish to ask this of him upon just meeting him today. He just moved in with his son no less. That’s plenty on his plate.

Din didn’t answer her. He didn’t release her either. They continued to remain in each other’s arms as Johnnie Mae peered over her shoulder from the couch. Now truly aware of why her niece has said she’s not ready, she wouldn’t push Sierra.

Neither of them knew how long they stayed in the kitchen embracing but Sierra let go first citing that Din should get little Grogu home, thanking him. He told her it wasn’t an issue and told her he was going to bring in her bags before leaving. She blinked and Ms. Harris told him the keys were near the door. The older woman shot a look at Sierra warning her to stay put. After bringing them in, Din said goodnight and scooped up Grogu taking him home.

A pivotal first impression had been made.

Chapter One. Chapter Three

Space Buddies: @readingiskeepingmegoing @604to647 @syd-djarin @yorksgirl

@harriedandharassed @survivingandenduring @drawingdroid @katw474 @trulybetty

@bitchwitch1981 @soft-girl-musings @tinytinymenace @djarinmuse @littlemisspascal

#pedro pascal characters #fanfiction #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #din djarin #the mandalorian #starwars #din djarin fanfiction #din Djarin modern AU #din djarin x ofc #din djarin and grogu #Nerdie fic #this is the neighborhood din

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sgtmickeyslaughter · 7 months ago

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Weekly Tag Wednesday!

Thanks for much for tagging me @jrooc @energievie @darlingian @spookygingerr @transmurderbug @mickeym4ndy @iansw0rld <3!!!

Name: Gigi

Age: 24

First Pet? two lovely brindle boxers named chase and lucy that my parents had when i was born. fun fact! they were talking about kids as vague future plans when they got the dogs and my dad mentioned lucy as a nice girls name and my mom haaaated it so when they got the dogs she was like :) shes such a lucy :) to take the name off the table for kids in the future hahah before you ask yes they are divorced now

First Word? no idea! probably the normal stuff, I was a quiet baby but i started talking very early and would not shut the fuck up certified yapper since birth

First Celebrity Crush? Benny from the sandlot movie, iykyk

First IRL Crush? a boy named elliot w very nice curly hair

First kiss? one of my childhood friends emma

First Car? an incredibly shitty grey boxy volvo named nico from the 90's i got for very cheap on craigslist and ran into the ground rip

First apartment/house/dorm/whatever away from your parents? i lived in a dorm for most of college, my freshman year roommate was not fun to live with but luckily first year of architecture school is beyond brutal and i slept (or didnt) in the studio most nights

First time on a plane? when i was an itty bitty baby and my family moved halfway across the ocean

First cellphone? one of those ones that slid to the side to reveal a keyboard. high key miss it

First concert? natalie merchant as a literal fucking newborn what were they thinking

First Foreign country you visited? canada technically. I visited Vancouver as a teenager and was like i want to live here! turns out i did not want to live in vancouver it was just the first city i visited and i love cities. outside of north america the first country I visited was india

First sport you ever played? soccer, since the biggest sport in the world is used to teach american children teamwork *basks in the sound of non-american boos*

First career aspiration? i wanted to be a writer! but coming to the realization that I lack the dedication and interest to actually get good enough to turn it into a career and thats okay was a huge personal development for me

And finally… tell me about the first time you wrote/drew/created/whatever something that made you think "wow" i think there have been a lot of things over the years, but the biggest thing was probably my thesis project, just the scale and volume of work you can produce in a year of nonstop really concentrated and theoretical work is impressive no matter who you are

tagging @mybrainismelted @blue-disco-lights @krysmiss @doshiart @samantitheos @mickeysgaymom @metalheadmickey @mmmichyyy

#sgt says #tag game

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lauratheghost · 6 months ago

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My trip to Montreal

& the Sleep Token show

(long post below)

The Trip:

I went with my sister, who did the driving. The drive there was awesome. We left at 5:30 a.m. and there was no traffic at all. The border took five minutes. We laughed at the "warning Canada ahead" sign (that was like five feet in front of the border 😂)

It was like an hour of driving through massive farms before we reached the city? Idk why but I didn't expect the farms.

Driving in Montreal was another story. It was terrifying 😭 I have car anxiety in general but it was so stressful. It made traffic in Boston not seem so bad. The way the lanes were marked was confusing to us, and some of the signs were also confusing. We hit a speed bump going crazy fast because we had no idea what the sign meant and the actual bump on the ground wasn't yellow (now it seems obvious though, ok 🤷🏼‍♀️😂) and the buses drive crazy fast and one cut us off and almost hit us.

Our phones didn't work as soon as we crossed the border. We tried to add a global package to our plans but it still didn't work. This was only a major problem because we needed GPS. If we missed a turn we would have to find a Harvey's or Starbucks or something to get their wifi and reroute. It took us a long time to get to Laval 😂

Once we got to the hotel we parked the car and didn't use it again until we left. But we took taxis and that was cool! I don't think I've ever taken a taxi before and the drivers were really nice.

We loved our hotel and we could see Place Bell from our window. The area was so nice, and very clean for a city. It feels like Laval is an up-and-coming city because of all the construction we saw, and our hotel was also new apparently.

Everything was so cheap? The lattes I bought were like $6 CAD so $4.40 USD. In my hometown, lattes are double that. All the food and snacks were such a good deal. I stopped obsessively checking my bank account after a while because everything seemed so inexpensive 😂 (Also, I'm a cheap person so this is saying something lol)

It was more of a culture shock than I expected. I knew it was going to be a lot of French but I guess I didn't grasp the reality of that until I was there. Thank God I took french in high school. I could not really hold a conversation, but I could read some signs and menus and kind've get the jist of what people were saying to me.

Everyone was so kind and helpful. We asked a lot of strangers questions and they were all very nice. I only had two small experiences with rude people (and I laughed about it)

Crosswalks were also a bit scary lol. It was weird that some cars still go when the crosswalk button goes off. In my area, all directions of traffic stop while people cross.

My hotel was 50 % people with Sleep Token shirts and 50 % hockey players 😂

We LOVE Tim Hortons 😍 Their iced mocha latte was amazing. I wish I had one in my town now.

Three days went by so fast! It felt like one day.

We went to Mount Royal Park, the Cosmodome, the Biosphere, and La Rhonde. I rode the ferris wheel even though I'm scared of heights. I think my heart stopped for a second but the view was beautiful. 😂🥰

Some random things we noticed- nobody really wears jeans or Crocs 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 everyone dresses a bit nicer. And we didn't see any cops besides event security the entire time we were there, which is unheard of in Massachusetts, I see cops drive by twenty times a day everyday probably. There were lilacs everywhere which I loved. So many people biked- it made me want to be more healthy and active. Public transport seemed very available and I'm jealous of that because public transport where I am is trash.

Can you drink in public? Idk, but we saw a guy drinking a twisted tea while casually crossing the road lol.

The Show:

People were lined up starting around 7 pm the night before 👀

At 5:30 a.m. there was maybe ten or fifteen people camped out with tents and everything. I applaud their dedication, but I could never 😭

I kept an eye on the line and once the merch stand opened I went over and bought a shirt beforehand. I got a t-shirt with the tour dates on it 🖤

The line system seemed really unorganized. Nobody knew what line went where. Besides that, getting inside was easy and I liked the venue.

Our seats had a good view, but we were so high up it made me a bit anxious. It was a little hard to see III because of the fog/lights, and Espera was kind've blocked by a light fixture, but I had a great view of IV and II which made me really happy 🥰

ESB's opening set: So, they are not exactly my cup of tea BUT I don't think they deserve the hate they've been getting. My only problem was that the singers scream sounded the same over and over. I wasn't sure if he was saying the same phrase or not, but it made every song sound the same. They did have some good moments though! There was a moment where he screamed lower/more gutteral and I liked that more. There was also a moment where the guitar and instruments sounded really cool but I can't explain it. I was glad to see they had a little mosh pit going too.

Sleep Token was amazing as expected. I'm forever in awe of how good Vessel sounds live. I was so happy I could see II good too, I loved watching his little dances and hand gestures. I saw III do his little swimming motion and he did get a pit! A pretty big one too from what I saw. I didn't expect them to hand out drumsticks and stuff so early, because they didn't play TMBTE or Euclid yet- but they were just doing that fake-out encore thing I guess. 😂

I love the diversity of the fans at their shows- all types of people and all ages and it's so nice to see 🖤 The guy sitting beside me did not look like someone I would expect to listen to Sleep Token, but he was singing every word and recording all the same parts of their songs as me 😂

After the show I got to meet @shatterthefragments !!! It was so great, and they made awesome ST keychains- I will treasure mine forever 🖤

I still haven't really processed any of this yet because after the show I was constantly busy- between packing up and doing the few last things we wanted to do in the city, and then driving five hours back home. There's videos and pictures from this weekend that I haven't even looked at yet. I will definitely post some videos or photos here soon though

Overall, I give this trip a 9/10

I'm so glad I impulsively bought tickets and got my passport renewed. It was so fun and it makes me wanna travel more in the future. 🖤

#sleep token #personal #ramblings #traveling #montreal #canada #laval #place bell

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rootlessinterloper · 2 months ago

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On Rain

The rain here in Halifax is ambiguous. It doesn’t speak a word. Or perhaps it speaks many, but doesn’t mean a single one; it has no conviction. It’s not like that elsewhere.

In Toronto, the summer thunderstorms call out and beckon. The sky opens up like a great chasm trying to swallow the city, asphalt and bike lanes and litter and all. A mesmerizing yawp compels you to sit on your porch and watch its spectacle, as the deluge silences the cicadas. You hear not only rainfall but the sound of the grass and weeds and the sewer drains and the cracks in the sidewalk giving collective thanks. Then, mere minutes later, just when you begin to realize that there is no more beautiful sight in the world, the rain departs as suddenly as it arrived. Satisfied with its little show, it smugly retreats into the sky, as if to tease itself like a burlesque. Oh rain, you think, you playful devil. She will always return tomorrow, or perhaps the day after that.

In the American Midwest, where hot streams of air from the Gulf of Mexico do battle with cold ones from Canada in a grand display of preternatural combat, the rain speaks strongly too. Stop at once, it shouts, ending the battle at once with its intervention. The air goes completely still in what one imagines the first few microseconds after a vacuum bomb is detonated feel like. Then, the sky is cleaved open by lightning; Kansas City’s art deco skyline is electrified, the Liberty Memorial and Union Station and the T-Mobile Centre are flash-frozen in place, followed by the most tremendous cannonade of thunder which shakes the earth itself. The rain there is not coy, it does not merely coerce attention – it demands worship. There is faint archeological evidence that the Pawnee and Missouria peoples would have worshipped a sky deity; there is strong intuitive evidence that the Pawnee and Missouria peoples would have worshipped a sky deity.

Rain is so strongly correlated with emotions of sadness. Some people say that rain is like the sky crying, or the earth, or God, or Mother Nature. I can recall a certain moment it rained, during one of my many childhood summers spent on the Dalmatian coast, likely in a little town outside of Rijeka or Zadar but possibly as far south as Šibenik. The details escape me, but I do remember the rain. It was dark, the whole town was sleeping, and we were walking up this great hill from the marina to our apartaman. Without warning – no apocalyptic crack in the sky or commanding anthem of thunder – it began to rain so hard that the hill soon became little more than a waterslide, with sheets of rain nearly up to our knees. It was the funniest thing that had ever happened to me. We could hardly walk five steps without keeling over from laughter, our clothes drenched and clinging to our skin and shoes overflowing with water. The rain wasn’t crying; it was laughing. It was laughing along with us in the funniest joke I’d ever been party to. The sky was laughing so hard it cried; I know I certainly was.

When it rains, I like to listen to its voice. I like to look for answers. Here, it provides me none. It sits silently on the windshields of the cars in the dealership across the street, drips aimlessly through the eavestroughs and overhangs, collects in sterile little pools beneath the trees. I catch myself wishing sometimes that rain meant sadness; that it was crying and washing away all the happiness from the sidewalks, but it cannot even amount to that, voiceless and idle as it is. I suspect that it is somehow made of a substance thinner and weaker than water, like some cheap chemical substitute, a flagrant impostor. Why won’t it speak to me? Why will it give me no answers? Even the ocean here provides no catharsis; its waves lap the shore listlessly and they bear no meaning.

#rainymood #thunderstorm #writing #rain #halifax

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brehaaorgana · 4 months ago

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@moonlightandmarble pssst I saw your tags about robot litterbox and guess what I learned after I saved forever to buy one full price (ugh)??

Liquidation & returns auctions usually have them like. Filter for shipping available or by location.

Lots are shipping from Canada but also some from US

Also :

+ search "liquidation/returns (location) auctions online" or "(location) bin store" (just remember to account for shipping and whatever buyer's fee there might be).

The airrobo/Meowant brand seems to show up regularly and the One Man Five Cats channel I think recommends it as the budget buy? (He actually has like...6 or 7 cats now?? Lol). He also has a FB group which I joined and that's where someone mentioned returns auctions.

Get you a super cheap robot litterbox!!!

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tickletastic · 1 year ago

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Every New Day

Fandom: Palm Springs

Ship: Sarah/Nyles

Summary: Sarah finds out Nyles is ticklish, to shake things up she promises to discover a new spot each day. AU sort of? (This had been meant for tickletober, but plans changed. Here it is instead on Palm Springs day)

Sometimes, Nyles misses the dinosaurs, or misses the day he and Sarah got all the way to Wyoming without falling asleep, other days he misses some of the solitary nights he used to have when it had just been him, when he didn’t feel guilty about pulling Sarah into all of this.

To Sarah’s credit, once she got over the whole not dying thing, she found a way to make each day unique. Or, as unique as they could make it given that they couldn’t fall asleep or die. They made it to Europe once, but Nyles, caffeine-drunk and half-belligerent, fell asleep as soon as they landed, and Sarah? Well, she dealt with things, and they both woke up in bed on the 9th again, right back in Palm Springs.

Despite waking up each morning on November 9th, guilty for pulling Sarah into this wedding-hell-Groundhog’s-day, every day still somehow felt new to Nyles, each new November 9th they found new ways to surprise each other.

Everything is new, as of late, in part because of a discovery Sarah made on day 235, or something like that, a discovery she wouldn’t let Nyles live down.

That night, the two of them had laid beneath the stars in Yellowstone, lost and barely protected from the woods around them, having a single shoddy tent from Walmart keeping them warm. Sarah had cuddled up to Nyles, the two of them sharing some body heat, when her fingers had grazed the side of his tummy, rubbing soothing, absentminded circles while they tried to interpret the constellations they could see through the tent’s clear fabric.

At first, Nyles got squirmy, and Sarah had dismissed it as one of his weird quirks, or thought that maybe bugs had gotten in through the slim holes in the floor of the cheap tent, but when he started to giggle into her shoulder, she figured something was probably up.

She dug her fingers in harder, quickly catching on, and he snorted, bucking against her but making no move to pull away “Sahaharahahah!”

“What, dipshit? What’s so funny?” She asked, rolling on top of him, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.

“Yohoure- Sahahahaharah plehehehease!” Nyles giggled, throwing his head back “ihihi cahahan’t!” He squealed, snorting hysterically as Sarah continued prodding her fingers in his tummy.

She pulled away just enough so that she could see his face, pink and tinged with embarrassment, and her fingers slowed down, just enough to let him catch his breath a bit.

“I literally could have guessed you’d be ticklish,” she had said, and his face lit up ever more, “you quite literally give off the energy of the most ticklish person alive, in hindsight.”

Nyles had groaned, finally bringing his hands up to stop her, trying to shield his face to avoid further embarrassment. Sarah had promised to stop, leaning in and listening closely to Nyles’ heartbeat as his breathing calmed down.

Before they drifted off, Sarah had made a promise, one Nyles had hoped she wouldn’t keep.

…

The next morning, at a rest-stop in the middle of an attempted trip to Canada, Sarah had locked the doors, putting an arm over Nyles so he wouldn’t reach to unlock his.

She knew she needed to act quick, and he fingers latched onto his ribs and dug in, receiving a screech from Niles, who arched his back against the hot leather seat.

“FUHUHUCK, Sahaharahahah nohoho!” Nyles screamed, dissolving to jello in the passenger seat of the stolen car. “Whyhyhy?”

“Why what?” Sarah asked, innocent as ever.

Nyles tried desperately to answer, scratching and clawing at anything he could reach but Sarah’s hands, kicking his feet so high that footprints started to appear on the underside of the dashboard. “Yohohou knohohow!”

“Well I told you, didn’t I?” She asked mischievously, leaning in to whisper in Nyles’ ear, “I told you I’d find a new spot each day.”

She giggled along as Nyles made a fool of himself in the front seat of some random dude’s old car, as he looked so golden beneath the scorched sunlight.

…

After day five of Sarah finding new spots and Nyles laying back and taking it, he got more careful, exposing sensitive spots less and less. By day seven, he truly believed there were no more spots left to be found.

“SAHAHARAH NOHOHO!” He shrieked, proving himself wrong as she scratched behind his ears, dipping ever-so-slightly below to graze his collarbones, which she had already dedicated a day to. “I FUHUHUCKING CAHAHAN’T!”

“Sure you can,” Sarah smirked, taking notice of Nyles’ fists, balled up by his sides, “I think you can do anything you put your mind to.”

…

There was no way, Nyles was sure, that by day 20 Sarah hadn’t discovered every possible spot. She had even done his belly and his belly button separately to prolong the end to her little game, the palms and the backs of his hands had been studied on two separate days.

This time, when he woke up, he was face-to-face with Sarah, pinned to the bed, Misty shouting and knocking from outside.

“Uh, hi?” He says, gazing groggily up at her.

Sarah is absolutely beaming, her grin splitting her face in two. “I have good news.”

“Roy isn’t homicidal anymore?”

“Not as long as the sky’s blue,” Sarah snorts, “even better news!”

“Alright,” Nyles grins, her giddiness beginning to infect him. “What is it?”

“It’s the last day,” Sarah says, as Nyles’ confusion and grogginess makes him forget the highlight of the last 20 days, suddenly enamored by Sarah’s excitement.

“Last day?” He says, biting his lip to stop his grin from growing, “last day of what?”

“Last day of this, silly,” Sarah says before launching his fingers into his ribs, one of his worse spots she discovered over the last three-ish weeks. Nyles screams, bucking almost entirely off the bed, one of his hands coming to block his face as best as it can while the other goes up so he can grip onto his hair.

“Nohoho! Ihihit’s so bad!” Nyles squeals, shaking his head, “nohohot agahahain!”

“I’m sorry, Nyles,” Sarah laughs, “this has been strictly for science. Who would I be if I didn’t text all of my discoveries at once? What if I was a rocket scientist before all of this? Or a brain surgeon? I gotta test my discoveries.”

Nyles snorts at the absurdity, trying to grasp bits of his own life before the 9th while being deftly torn apart by knowing hands.

Sarah decides to dart down to his hips, his worst spot, and squeeze them with all she’s got, sending him into a fit of hiccup-filled screeching. She watches as he fights against himself to pry her hands away, and takes pity on him, moving one hand down to his knees, the other going up to his ears.

The treatment gets him giggling all high and squeaky, turning pink all the way down his neck. While red in the face and giggling hysterically while Sarah’s hands take him apart, Misty screaming from outside, Nyles realizes that they’re right in the middle of the gooey part of the Twix, enjoying the future they’re making for themselves every new morning, and whether they can beat the time warp or not, he never wants to be all alone in the wrapper ever again.

#palm springs #nyles #sarah #nyles x sarah #lee!nyles

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ex-shark-virtue-005 · 4 months ago

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Things I noticed about Canada/Quebec:

-Maple syrup is cheap as HELL. I bought a 250 ml bottle of gourmet, coffee infused maple syrup for roughly $12.50 USD. But regular 500 ml cans sold for roughly $10.50 USD, which is what 250 ml bottles sell for in the US.

-Subway and A&W are the most popular fast food restaurants in Quebec. We saw fewer than 10 McDonald's and only 1 Burger King. There were also like three Starbucks total and those felt like more an obligatory "for the tourists" type thing. There were Tim Hortons on every corner though.

-I saw maybe 5 pick-up trucks total, all 5 were driven by construction workers. I saw more Lamborghinis than pick-up trucks in Quebec.

-Quebec City was by FAR the cleanest city I've been to even with the massive music festival in the area. The days after Nickelback and 50 Cent outdoor concerts brought tens of thousands of people to the area there was no litter on the ground the following day.

- Shopping malls are alive and well in Canada. We went to three different malls and drove by at LEAST five total. And unlike malls in America, there were hardly any closed shops.

-Book stores sell just about everything. Books, cooking gadgets, stationary, toys, puzzles, games, one of the book stores we went to sold full-sized digital pianos and acoustic and electric guitars.

-Every car had a ton of splattered bugs on the front.

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malcolm-reeds-pineapple · 2 years ago

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It’s a new year! Here are some tips from a shithead adult for times of financial insecurity

Don’t do car loans. Save up and buy a beater in full

Be up front with your mechanic about your financial situation. Also on this point never go to a dealership for your mechanic needs. Go to some guy named Jerry who’s old enough to be your Grampa who’s certified to do state/provincial safeties. Those guys will know people for body work/glass work as well and usually have used tires laying around they can sell you for cheap

If you’ve got a bill that’s a little higher than you expected you’re gonna do two things. First thing you’re gonna do is go out and get a second job. Call centres are great for this because most of the time you’ve got a month of 9-5 above minimum wage paid training. Find out when your first sustantial pay from that job is gonna be and call whichever entity you owe money. Tell them to expect a payment the week after that substantial pay. This gives you time in case your payroll gets fucked up. Pay the bill as soon as you get the money on your account and then hand in your resignation for the job you took. It’s a labour shortage right now and you can take advantage of that.

Have a second bank account that’s bare bones. Most banks have a no-fee option that just houses money and comes with around 15 free transactions a month. Do not have any payments come out of this account. This is going to be your oopsie account if your other account gets overdrawn by a bill you forgot about. Put any amount you can afford to spare into this account every pay. This is a break in case of emergency fund for gas/food/meds that your hope should always be to never use. This is also good if you ever need to borrow money when you’re really up shit’s creek. The last thing you want is for the money you’ve been sent for survival to be sucked up by the void of an overdrawn bank account. This would be the time where I tell you that if you have auto deposit on for your etransfer you need to turn that shit off.

Put all bill payments on your phone calendar and have alerts the week before they come out and the day before they come out. Have the amount in the title of the event as well rounded up.

If you have a car, put 100 bucks away per month in a piggy bank or something. This way your safety for your car or any sort of vehicular issues will be less financially debilitating.

Pirate media/have a way of playing physical media. You can get DVDs at the thrift for pretty cheap and subscription services are fucking extortionate.

If you have any power over your work schedule at all, take a business day to be part of your weekend. I used to say that I worked at “my other job” on Mondays and Tuesdays so I could have those days off reliably. This is good for getting your unpleasant yet mandatory tasks done. Things like calling any sort of government offices, going to the doctor, the bank, etc. this will make planning those things a hell of a lot easier. Make sure to assert that you cannot work those days at all via something entirely made up but also important sounding (ie having another job, taking a made up relative to appointments)

Pick a bill that can be the first to go in financially insecure times. This is something that you can live without and won’t have a ton of fees and interest tacked on if you’re late. For me, mine is my phone bill. I can comfortably live without my phone and the late fees are usually manageable. On the other side of the coin, I cannot live without paying my car insurance as I need my car to get to work and a fine for driving without insurance is hefty and avoidable.

Find out where you get discounts based on your work, your insurance, your bank, that kind of thing. I know that at Shell stations in Canada you can use your CAA card to get money off per litre. Other things would be points cards. Again, in Canada your PC Optimum points (Grocery Baron In-Game Currency) can majorly add up over time and can make a huge difference in eating or not eating sometimes.

Keep in contact with your professional references. If you’re not in contact with professional references, have a couple friends you trust to be those professional references. Text them before you give their numbers away explaining what their position was and what company they worked for with you. If they ask you for references, chances are you’ve got the job anyway, the references are just a formality 9 times outta 10.

Avoid monetizing your hobbies. This will make that hobby a job and not a hobby and can end up making something you enjoy doing to unwind a burden.

On your resume, you’re only going to have jobs you left on good terms. Burn all the bridges you want, just don’t leave a paper trail. I’ve left jobs by simply disappearing to another province without so much as a text. The last thing you want is the hiring manager to call the place that presumed you dead asking about you. I don’t care if you learned valuable skills there, don’t put it on your resume if you left in a negative way.

Have reloadable gift cards to keep you accountable to budgets. As an example I’ll put 20$ on my Tim’s card per pay so my monkey brain has a fucking limit. I do the same for gas because I like driving around and listening to music but if I’ve only got 100$ per pay for gas, I will likely not speed run my carbon footprint like that.

It’s fucking rough out there dog this is just what I’ve been doing to try and keep myself sane. Feel free to add other things on cuz like fuck dude I’m open to suggestions

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c-mccormick-svad-2022-2025 · 1 year ago

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Project #5 - R+D: Written Synthesis & Mood Board

(Revised Post)

Continental Air began operating in July 1934 as part of Varney Speedlines. It later changed its name to "Continental" to reflect its CEO's vision of expanding across the US. The airline offered airmail and passenger services using several aircraft models. Over time, it merged with multiple commercial airlines and became the largest airline in the US in 1987. However, financial struggles caused by debt and multiple bankruptcies led to a decrease in flight routes, reduced seating capacity, and employee layoffs. Continental eventually merged with United Airlines in 2012. The company's marketing objectives, after launching a campaign to enhance its reputation, included four main areas: market, finance, product, and people. To strengthen its presence in cities such as Newark, Houston, and Cleveland, Continental targeted businesspeople. It eliminated unprofitable flights, improved customer experience, and laid off employees to address financial issues. With a focus on expanding its reach and providing excellent services, Continental aimed to train employees for long-term careers, increasing revenue and transforming the corporate culture.

Continental's main competitors include other US airlines like Air Canada, American, Lufthansa, Emirates, and Delta. Greyhound, Amtrak, and cars also pose competition. Innovative technologies like Zoom and Teams have reduced business travel. Previously, the airline targeted frequent business travelers by offering luxury amenities like an on-plane pub and lounge. They also provided snacks, meal options, and drinks that were not available on competitor airlines. The airline later expanded its services to include affordable flights to popular family-centered destinations.

Continental Airlines is often viewed as providing basic or cheap services, which is a contrast to its previous patriotic image. The name "Continental" is associated with a basic and inexpensive breakfast, further reinforcing this perception. Balancing flight costs with rates and delivering quality services is a significant challenge for the airline, which can undermine its image and drive away its target audience and clientele. Continental Airlines prioritizes affordable air travel with exceptional service. Passengers enjoy free meals, customized for each flight's destination, and amenities like headphones and blankets. The airline offers satellite-based Wi-Fi on international flights and charging ports for every seat.

Continental Airlines rebranded several times. In the 1930s-40s, it was patriotic; the 1960s-70s saw a corporate shift; the 1970s-90s had a playful, friendly look. The company's "Must-Haves" include timely and efficient travel, cost-friendly fares, exceptional customer service, attractive branding, and a positive team environment. To avoid undesirable flights, they maintain an efficient daily flight schedule, avoid over-scheduling to a single destination, and promote a cohesive brand identity.

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scrabble-scribbles · 2 years ago

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Apocalypse AU ficlet

hey, so remember that apocalypse au i mentioned once like four months ago? here’s a very angsty bit from the plotline

They had made plans to go to Canada, once they had all turned twenty one. Nancy played the memory back, fingers curling around the bed railing.

“No, it should definitely be, shit, Nance, gimme somewhere besides Vegas,” Robin whined, flipping Steve off when he started laughing at her. “Vegas is such a stereotype!”

“Exactly!” Steve said. “We’ve had nothing but un-stereotypical life events so far, why not have this one be normal?”

Eddie took a hit from his joint, blowing the smoke at Steve. “I have to agree with Buckley, darling,” he said. “Im already dating a preppy jock named Steve, that is where I draw the line at normal.”

Nancy laughed at Steve’s offended face, curling her head into Robin’s jacket. The taller girl wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple. The four of them might have to hide the true nature of their relationships to the rest of Hawkins, but around each other, they were free to be as affectionate as they wanted. Nancy planned on taking full advantage of that, and was half-asleep on top of her girlfriend.

“We’ll go somewhere,” she had mumbled. “Maybe Canada. Its cold up there, so we wouldn’t have to worry about any of the Upside Down monsters.”

It had been a joke, but eventually turned into a fully fledged plan, with Steve even taking thousands from his college fund to pay in advance for the best trip they could have wanted, claiming he never would have used it anyway.

A tear dripped from her good eye, liquid making the grime and filth on her face darker. The area outside her space was almost too quiet, like it was mocking her. She winced as her torn muscles spasmed, reopening the teeth and claw marks ripping her back into shredded meat.

The demogorgon had caught them unaware, her and Eddie running back from a failed rescue operation. Andy had been cornered by a demobat swarm, and they had gone in to rescue him.

He’d been dead three hours before they reached him.

When they had seen his corpse, Nancy had put a bullet in his skull and run. Eddie had radioed Max, screaming for the redhead to get their only car to the pickup spot, and fast.

She hadn’t even had time to scream before the monster was on them.

Claws had caught her unaware, ripping into her flesh, knocking her to the ground. The demogorgon’s teeth had been tearing open her shoulder in seconds, and she sobbed on the filthy ground, black spots filling her vision.

In the few moments of clarity, she’d seen Eddie swinging at the monster, and then the lights of Max’s car, then the steel door, and Max’s horrified, tearstained face and bloody arms.

Nancy didn’t seen Eddie again. She’d only seen Max, the blood still staining her clothes and skin, explaining to her in a monotone voice that Eddie had gotten her into the car before the demogorgon caught up, and had stayed behind to let them escape.

Tears kept falling down her cheeks, and her back throbbed with pain as each sob came, but she couldnt stop her cries.

Everyone was gone, Jonathan, Steve, Eddie, Robin. Nancy was utterly alone, she was the only one left.

Her mind wouldn’t stop looping that memory of them in the Munson trailer, the smell of cheap liquor and weed filling the air, visualized by the smoke curling up from the glowing end of Eddie’s joint and his and Robin’s mouths.

They were gone.

She was alone.

#Ronance/steddie apocalyse au #ronance #steddie #robin x nancy #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #sad #very sad

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kitsunerokko · 2 years ago

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perhaps on a good budget month i can rent a car so i can do a "car day", do stuff i can't do with bus like: go to goodwill and finally replace my busted chair, maybe also pick up a cheap goodwill monitor to use as a secondary monitor while i'm at it, and then directly drive up to Canada to visit my boyfriend or somethin'

#but mostly the chair thing #tbh it's probably a contributing factor to my mood being so augh lately #the broken spring makes it as if a permanent rock is embedded in the slightly-off-center of the chair and it's... not pleasant #my desk is too short to use as a standing desk i've tried #yet not short enough to just sit on the floor either

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the-firebird69 · 19 hours ago

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5 Kit Cars You Can Build in Your Garage

youtube

Our car would be so cheap and it would look like it's way too cheap people would not care a son and daughter say they don't care if it's made out of cardboard they'll put fiberglass on it and smooth it out and spray paint it and that's what it's like for 2500 or 3500 they'll think that it's worth nothing and they will buy it anyways just for the shell design and that's what really is going on with people and these small shops but these guys trace it and they trace it down and they go after people and they're screwed there didn't get and people hate them and it's not going to work for them but we cannot stand them and yeah that water is moving he says it's moving fast and it's going down the top of it is probably going only about 12 miles an hour but just under that it's about 30 and you can see the turbulence he says and you can and you can hear it and just further out it's moving pretty good and making a lot of noise but anyways used cars are expensive there is expensive as a Asian sports car much faster and they can easily outperform them and the price does not include the donor car I know some people are disillusioned when they look at it it's like $120,000 total but really one of them is a race car and it gets so much attention it's not even funny and it goes so damn fast it uses a Mazda believe it or not and it's front engine and it's kind of our thinking and it goes about 480 mph and really it can be a whole bunch of supercars practically all of them and people love it just is another side note the breeze is picking up and it smells like clean air and he says it's probably 10 miles an hour and we're getting a number of 12 miles an hour and it's going to pick up every night and during the day it's slower but then in about 1 week it's going to be 13 mph during the day and air will be flowing across like it is right now and the rad level right now is about 52 it's extremely high regular humans cannot take it on Giants who are first generation can only take it for a few hours they have to stay out for a day and recuperate and juice and do all sorts of stuff and it takes a while they really should steal longer goes in deep and they're starting to notice that but our son needs it and he recuperates in about 30 minutes all the time at least recuperating and it's not that saturated that he can't and boy that water is moving he says yeah it's going about 15 miles an hour at the top it's flowing on the wind is with it now and the the mouth has dropped another 6 in it's at about 5'3 and since that's where it was so yeah it's probably half what 9 in they're telling me it's 6 ft which is great in the speeding up at the rains are still happening in northern Maine and Canada and coming all the way down and they're pretty hefty and they're blowing all the muck out of the whole damn thing it's going all the way down the river down here underneath all the way from up North and it blows it all the way down and in this big cloud and it carries it all out all the way out to harbor and it doesn't dump it it just keeps going and it's flowing and flowing and flowing and we think it'll be another week of this blasting it out and they're going to start removing diamonds and ships and that's why it's happened and they had Tommy F do it and it is the Empire proper and we're doing it too these pseudo Empire is too small and others to get the diamonds and chips but they will get some.

These ideas for this car are awesome front wheel drive and oil shocks that are adjustable and the tires for all season and supercars is awesome there's really not any better idea I've heard out there all wheel drive is okay but now he says it at high speeds it requires too much maintenance and it's true and the high speed Asian cars are designed to go fast with four wheel drive. Needed to add some things cooling and such but these kids can be so cheap people won't believe it and they'll buy it because they want the shape of the shell then they'll put it together and people won't bother with it too much because I think it's too cheap and not selling it's a good idea we really have to use their labor and their house and we probably will start with those models that the duraflex has might even try and do something with them even though their ideas evil but they have done nothing they don't we really don't think they'll do anything and it's trumpsters and they suck real bad and boy these stupid they just want to sit there and do nothing and make sure no one does stuff and everybody's doing their own thing you're just not doing cars so we're going to have to try and do something like it and he says that the show has to fit something and you have to tell people what it fits and there's a few cars that they use and they like out west and duraflex fits those and he said that somehow the show would magically appear it was sort of get that at like 5,000 shops each City if you really want to do it it's one way to do it but it's kind of obvious and but really who cares they don't care but really they place all these orders and they don't deliver them and that's how you do it he says and we can piggyback and they'll just start making them tons of them in a few go to the top and it's going to be huge I mean this idea is huge but right now they have a war and they're not into it at all really they're going to try and steal all sorts of hardware and we think that they get away with it in some City areas California is one and once they do that it'll start up but we're not encouraging them now but we can use it and we do have some people and they know what time it is and they attract them and they would attract others with it and they would go after each other they fight over the factory it really creates a big mess so we would be involved we want to get going on that it's a good idea

The Corvette is way too hot and people out there can't make them and we're stopped and a lot of them and he says okay so we have the people in the places and there's the duraflex people who have tons of money and just sit on it and their trumpsters so we decided to use their mold change it a little and to try and start it out there and we know who's running it with the Corvettes and it's shut down and would send we think they could do like a few models and they think it's a good idea and it's really for like a Mazda I think it's like a 6:40 or I'm not sure what they call it it's like a Nissan 300Z x and they're thinking about it they know the fast cars and they know it would work and you change the catalytic converter the fiberglass is lighter even with the roll cage it's still about 700 lb later then the original car and the seats are lighter and you lose rear seats that's another 400 lb off and you have to put in extra cooling things really it works and it's super super fast 480 mph when you tweak it and have the right tires and rims they like the idea they like front wheel drive they like the idea of the better tires those are a little more expensive and they're rated for high speed and the gas the oil shocks it is and you can raise it up like 3 in and they like it because you can get over stuff and front wheel drive you can go in the snow literally you can go up to Park City you can go over to the casino that Jolene and our son went to in the snow and really it works very well a lot of people bring chains and they work on those cars it's just insanity but really this is a great idea he's got these Corvette things and he's not using the shops and they had about 300 of them or something but they're bigger so we got a call from Hera and she said why not just switch them out and with this duraflex and it'll drag trumpsters there and that time is coming so we're going to post

Thor Freya

We could not carry the Corvette that's the pseudo Empire and Mac proper these Lamborghinis are really both too but there's not a huge number of them who have them or build them or even buy them they're too hot they're too easy to spot and all sorts of things there's a couple models that look kind of Asian and we like them and we use them and we'd like to proceed prestige and he loves it he wants one today I need to drive around and flip people off and all sorts of stuff and I'll bet you a million dollars if he gets some money that's decent he probably buy one make a kit and drive around and tell you what he's going to try and get a newer one and more horsepower and all this other stuff and I know him he wants to have something decent and looks decent in these things look really cool I mean you're getting a car that's worth $2 million dollars for for practically nothing and that's how people should look at it because when you go to a car show on the outside it looks like a Lamborghini if you do the motor right it looks like a Lamborghini they're hard to do when you move the motor you don't really have to but they are difficult and he has an idea how to do it make it simple and we can copy that idea easy enough and put into jig and make it I'll tell you what this is not really brain surgery he's been saying it too you can do it and make it real simple and easy to make use the same firewall you just pull the top of the dash off you're done in the past we have done in the past with this Corvette stuff and what kind of experts already we're ready for this kind of thing it's a great idea and we're going to start doing it we have the duraflex molds there's a couple things we would change to make it simpler and easier to make and we'll make our own mold and our own companies and yeah we have more than 300 but they're pretty big I mean they're probably a million square feet each and that's pretty big they pump out a bunch of these so we were making out of each factory about 300 cars a day * 300 which is 9,000 cars a day that's a lot because you add three zeros and it's 9 million a year and you run 24 hours a day and that's a lot for a kit car but they were Corvettes and a lot of people are buying them and shut us down pretty hard though and he says we went through it with Chevy in America and Lamborghini can't be anything like that Chevy must have been a nightmare and you're right about something they use a lot of force and a lot of people Lamborghini will try and use money and then they will stop spending it and they're not replicas their kit cars and you can change them a little and people don't really care and people don't track all these models like people think and it looks awesome wouldn't experience it is driving one too people think it's real and that's all they think Sonia can call me on it it's an awesome idea and I think my friend and that was hell these guys made it worse and I'm putting in my report

Paul a

Olympus

#Youtube

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swldx · 11 days ago

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Voice of America 0339 1 Nov 2024

6080Khz 0328 1 NOV 2024 - VOICE OF AMERICA (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) in ENGLISH from MOPENG HILL. SINPO = 45333. English, "Daybreak Africa" in progress fb news @0330z anchored by Alexis Strope. § Most of the North Korean troops sent to Russia are now deployed near the Ukrainian border and are expected to join the fight against Ukraine “in the coming days,” according to top U.S. and South Korean diplomats and military officials. “We now assess that there are some 10,000 North Korean soldiers in total in Russia, and the most recent information indicates that as many as 8,000 of those North Korean forces have been deployed to the Kursk region,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. § Five people were killed in northern Israel by projectiles fired from Lebanon, including an Israeli farmer and four foreign workers, authorities said. Lebanon said Israeli strikes killed at least eight people, including six health workers in the country’s south. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials said an Israeli attack in the occupied West Bank killed three people. The Israeli military said it also struck Hezbollah weapons depots and bases in Syria, where it claimed the militant group recently began storing weapons along the Syria-Lebanon border to smuggle them into Lebanon. And in Gaza, at least 46 Palestinians were killed Thursday in Israeli military strikes across the enclave, primarily in the territory’s north, where one attack hit a hospital, local health officials said. The Israeli military accused Hamas of using the hospital for military purposes and said “dozens of terrorists” have been hiding there, which health officials and Hamas denied. § Crews searched for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings Thursday as residents salvaged what they could from their ruined homes following monstrous flash floods in Spain that claimed at least 158 lives, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. § 100s of Ecuadoreans hit the streets for anti-government protests amid widespread power cuts. Ecuador's worst drought in over 60 years has plunged the hydropower-dependent country into an energy crisis as diminished reservoirs leave hydroelectric dams offline, pushing the government to impose power cuts to limit the strain on electricity supplies. § The European Union is investigating Chinese online retailer Temu over suspicions it's failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm said on Thursday. Temu started entering Western markets only in the past two years and has grown in popularity by offering cheap goods, from clothing to home products, that are shipped from sellers in China. The company, owned by Pinduoduo Incorporated, a popular e-commerce site in China, now has 92 million users in the EU. § Canadian police dismantled what they said Thursday is the largest, most sophisticated illicit drug “super lab” in the country. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe organized crime ran the operation where there was mass-production and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine across Canada and internationally. @0335z "International Edition" begins. MLA 30 amplified loop (powered w/8 AA rechargeable batteries ~10.8vdc), JRC NRD-535D. 100kW, beamAz 350°, bearing 84°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 14087KM from transmitter at Mopeng Hill. Local time: 2228.

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thatrickmcginnis · 12 days ago

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VOIVOD Montreal 1989

Sometimes I forget how ambitious I was when I was young. I had sold a portrait or two from the film festival to the Village Voice in the fall of 1989 when Edna Suarez, their photo editor, called me from New York to ask how hard it would be for me to get to Montreal to shoot a band. I didn't tell her that it was no small trip given Canadian distances, but I wanted the job really badly, so I mumbled something about taking the train and got the assignment to photograph Voivod, a heavy metal band from Quebec who had just shifted from noisy thrash to a complex prog metal that would give birth to a whole subgenre. I got the phone number for the band's manager and arranged a day for the shoot, then got on the phone with VIA Rail. (Canada's Amtrak. Keep in mind this was the pre-internet world, and my only other option would have been going to a travel agent or down to Union Station to book a ticket, which I'd have to do anyway to pay for my fare once it was reserved.) I was on an overnight train from Toronto to Montreal - over eight hours in a coach seat, but thankfully they didn't charge for baggage, and I would be bringing most of my studio with me - two cameras, light stands and the ProFoto ProAcute 6 strobe kit I'd just bought with money I'd inherited after my mother had died.

Voivod are, in my opinion, one of a half dozen really original bands that have come out of Canada. (Also on that list: Simply Saucer, NoMeansNo, Death From Above 1979.) I'd liked them since early, abrasive records like Rrröööaaarrr, and wasn't the only one intrigued by their new, prog-ier direction, as they'd caught the attention of the music critics at the Village Voice enough to warrant a feature in their end-of-year Pazz & Jop poll, for which I was providing the photos. I arrived in Montreal early on a Saturday morning to find that the city had just been blanketed by a snowstorm. I hauled all my camera gear upstairs from the Gare Centrale to the dining room of the Queen Elizabeth hotel for breakfast, to wait for Voivod's manager. He showed up just as I was finishing, and helped me carry my gear to his car, and we set out for the band's rehearsal space in a big complex out in a Montreal industrial suburb. Everyone seemed baffled but flattered that a New York magazine would send a photographer all the way from Toronto for a photo shoot, but I scoped out the room - your standard stark cube in an old warehouse building, with windows high on one wall and egg cartons covering the other walls to provide cheap acoustic insulation.

I worked hard to deliver a lot of options from my photo shoot with Voivod in their Montreal rehearsal space. Thankfully I had the luxury of time and subject who were, most of the time, engaged with the task at hand. I also lit the hell out of it, using all three of the heads in my strobe kit to provide everything from flattering soft light, moody "horror movie" light from below, and hard light shooting almost directly into my Nikon F3 to make the lens flare. I had the band pose in the usual, full-length band shots, looming above me as I kneeled on the floor, and huddled together screaming their lungs out. But my most successful set-up was composed with my new Rolleiflex - the band lit from above against a backdrop of egg crates, looking up into the light as if they're about to be raptured, or abducted by friendly aliens. That was the one I was certain that Edna at the Village Voice would like the most, and I was right. (I'd prove it to you if I could find the tearsheets which, I fear, may be long lost.) I definitely lost money on the gig after paying for cabs to and from the train station, my ticket, and breakfast at the Queen Elizabeth. But I seemed to pass the test and continued to get work from Edna for several years, first at the Voice and then at the New York Times when she moved there. Voivod are still together, and released Morgöth Tales, their 16th record, last year. Sadly guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour died of colon cancer in 2005.

#portrait #portrait photography #photography #rolleiflex #black and white #film photography #some old pictures i took #voivod #heavy metal #canadian music #montreal #musicians #band photography #nikon f3 #profoto #early work #village voice

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