#pipe chemical cleaning

[funfooter]

Plumbing Problems and How to Diagnose Them

Common Plumbing Problems and How to Fix Them

Plumbing problems can be both frustrating and costly if left unattended. We understand the importance of identifying and resolving these issues efficiently to avoid further damage to your home. Below, we provide a detailed guide on the most common plumbing problems and practical solutions to fix them, ensuring your plumbing system functions effectively.

1. Clogged Drains: Causes and Solutions

Clogged drains are one of the most frequent plumbing issues homeowners face. Over time, debris like hair, soap scum, grease, and food particles can build up, leading to slow drainage or a complete blockage.

How to Fix Clogged Drains

Boiling Water: Pouring boiling water down the drain can dissolve some blockages, especially soap scum.

Plunger: A plunger can dislodge most clogs by creating pressure to push the debris through the pipe.

Drain Snake: For deeper clogs, a drain snake can break up the blockage or pull out obstructions.

Chemical Cleaners: While effective, chemical drain cleaners can damage pipes if overused. Use sparingly.

[emergencyplumbingil]

When Leaks and Clogs Can't Wait.

Emergency Plumbing of Highland Park: When Leaks and Clogs Can't Wait.

Highland Park residents, when a plumbing emergency strikes, it can disrupt your entire day. A burst pipe, a clogged drain, or a malfunctioning water heater can cause frustration and even damage to your property. That's where Emergency Plumbing of Highland Park steps in. We're your trusted source for fast, reliable, and professional plumbing services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Why Choose Emergency Plumbing of Highland Park?

At Emergency Plumbing of Highland Park, we understand the urgency of plumbing problems. Our commitment goes beyond simply fixing the issue at hand. We're dedicated to providing exceptional service that brings you peace of mind, knowing your home's plumbing is in good hands.

Our Comprehensive Plumbing Services.

From routine maintenance to complex repairs, Emergency Plumbing of Highland Park offers a wide range of services to meet all your plumbing needs.

While we're here to address plumbing emergencies, prevention is always better than cure. Regular plumbing maintenance can help you avoid costly repairs and disruptions down the line. Here are some tips for preventative plumbing maintenance:

Schedule annual plumbing inspections: A qualified plumber can check your entire plumbing system for potential problems and address them before they become major issues. Clean drains regularly: Prevent clogs by avoiding pouring grease or coffee grounds down the drain. Use drain screens and regularly clean them to prevent hair and soap scum buildup. Avoid harsh chemicals: Don't use harsh chemicals to unclog drains, as they can damage your pipes. Opt for natural cleaning solutions or a plumber's expertise for stubborn clogs.

Phone 224-754-1984

[jgbqatar]

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[tubemac]

Chemical Cleaning Pipe & Equipment

Leading Non-welded piping company supply non-welded piping systems, components, mechanically attached fitting and installation services to worldwide Visit here for more details: https://tube-mac.com/en/services/chemical-cleaning-pipe-equipment

[princessofmerc]

.

Things I know would probably make me feel better: eat something, clean the flat, call the landlady to get the plumbing fixed

Things I don’t have the energy to do: eat something, clean the flat

Things I’m too ashamed to do: call the landlady to get the plumbing fixed

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #19

May 17-24 2024

President Biden wiped out the student loan debt of 160,000 more Americans. This debt cancellation of 7.7 billion dollars brings the total student loan debt relieved by the Biden Administration to $167 billion. The Administration has canceled student loan debt for 4.75 million Americans so far. The 160,000 borrowers forgiven this week owned an average of $35,000 each and are now debt free. The Administration announced plans last month to bring debt forgiveness to 30 million Americans with student loans coming this fall.

The Department of Justice announced it is suing Ticketmaster for being a monopoly. DoJ is suing Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for monopolistic practices. Ticketmaster controls 70% of the live show ticket market leading to skyrocketing prices, hidden fees and last minute cancellation. The Justice Department is seeking to break up Live Nation and help bring competition back into the market. This is one of a number of monopoly law suits brought by the Biden administration against Apple in March and Amazon in September 2023.

The EPA announced $225 million in new funding to improve drinking and wastewater for tribal communities. The money will go to tribes in the mainland US as well as Alaska Native Villages. It'll help with testing for forever chemicals, and replacing of lead pipes as well as sustainability projects.

The EPA announced $300 million in grants to clean up former industrial sites. Known as "Brownfield" sites these former industrial sites are to be cleaned and redeveloped into community assets. The money will fund 200 projects across 178 communities. One such project will transform a former oil station in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighborhood, currently polluted with lead and other toxins into a waterfront bike trail.

The Department of Agriculture announced a historic expansion of its program to feed low income kids over the summer holidays. Since the 1960s the SUN Meals have served in person meals at schools and community centers during the summer holidays to low income children. This Year the Biden administration is rolling out SUN Bucks, a $120 per child grocery benefit. This benefit has been rejected by many Republican governors but in the states that will take part 21 million kids will benefit. Last year the Biden administration introduced SUN Meals To-Go, offering pick-up and delivery options expanding SUN's reach into rural communities. These expansions are part of the Biden administration's plan to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.

Vice-President Harris builds on her work in Africa to announce a plan to give 80% of Africa internet access by 2030, up from just 40% today. This push builds off efforts Harris has spearheaded since her trip to Africa in 2023, including $7 billion in climate adaptation, resilience, and mitigation, and $1 billion to empower women. The public-private partnership between the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard plans to bring internet access to 3 million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria, before expanding to Uganda, Ethiopia, and Ghana, and then the rest of the continent, bring internet to 100 million people and businesses over the next 10 years. This is together with the work of Partnership for Digital Access in Africa which is hoping to bring internet access to 80% of Africans by 2030, up from 40% now, and just 30% of women on the continent. The Vice-President also announced $1 billion for the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to assure women in Africa have meaningful access to the internet and its economic opportunities.

The Senate approved Seth Aframe to be a Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, it also approved Krissa Lanham, and Angela Martinez to district Judgeships in Arizona, as well as Dena Coggins to a district court seat in California. Bring the total number of judges appointed by President Biden to 201. Biden's Judges have been historically diverse. 64% of them are women and 62% of them are people of color. President Biden has appointed more black women to federal judgeships, more Hispanic judges and more Asian American judges and more LGBT judges than any other President, including Obama's full 8 years in office. President Biden has also focused on backgrounds appointing a record breaking number of former public defenders to judgeships, as well as labor and civil rights lawyers.

[blueboybot]

I need to read a fic where Danny gets sprayed with some sort of chemical that makes him hallucinate and see the person he was next to as someone who he really hates (vlad obviously) and absolutely goes to town trying to beat the ever living fuck out of them.

It would be 100% better if that person was Jack because this would give him the wake up call he needs to realize something isn't right with Vlad if this is the reaction Danny gets from being alone with him.

While this is happening Danny can't shift since the drug messed up his ghost powers a little so he's working with what he's got in human form, which turns out to be just enough, he's hitting hard and leaving cracks on concrete surfaces, he's ripping bolted down metal clean off and swinging with enough force to completely shatter reinforced glass.

———

Jack is worried for his son as the chemicals seem to make his eyes glow ectoplasmic green and lichtenberg scars seem to appear, glowing slightly against the exposed skin. Throughout the attack Jack hadn't been hurt as bad since he was able to dodge most of it. A little bruise here, a small cut there, but nothing serious. Unfortunately his son seemed to have backed him in a corner and if he didn't act now he would be–

"I hate you"

It was spoken with so much venom and deep destation that Jack flinched. The verbal attack that left his son's mouth entered his ears and seem to ring in his head, dancing on his brain before traveling down and striking his heart.

Jack loved his family, he loved them so much. He would do anything for them, as long as they were happy he was happy. He knew he could come off as a bit much at times to other people but he didn't mind, his family's opinion of him mattered way more. They were the ones who motivated him, they were the ones he would move heaven and earth for, they were the ones he was going to make sure were safe and sound no matter the cost.

He knows Danny is hallucinating, he knows the things he's saying aren't meant for him, but as he stood there all he saw was the way Danny's eyes held nothing but resentment and it scared him.

Jack had to think fast, he needed something that would subdue the effects, something that would stop the look in Danny's eyes. Luckily they were near a water pipe, so using his fenton-blaster he shot a hole into the thing where is proceeded to soak them both.

"Dad?"

The voice of his son came out confused before taking in their surroundings. As he looked at the now bent metal in his hands then back at him, horror masking his face with wide eyes before dropping his makeshift weapon.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to–"

Jack rushed forward and embraced his son. Wet tears and sobs from his boy breaking his heart.

[theambitiouswoman]

Hormone disrupters are chemicals 🧪 that interfere with your body’s endocrine system, which regulates hormones. They can be found in a lot of every day products like:

Plastic bottles and food containers

Pesticides in agriculture

Cleaning supplies

Chemicals used for clothing

Personal care products like lotions, shampoos & makeup

❌ These are hormone disrupters found in common every day products that you should stay away from ❌

- Bisphenol A (BPA) (plastics and can liners)

- Phthalates (personal care products, fragrances, flexible plastics)

- Parabens (makeup & personal care products)

- Triclosan (antibacterial soaps and cleaning products)

- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (older electrical equipment and industrial products)

- Flame Retardants (furniture, textiles, electronics)

- Pesticides (agriculture)

- Perfluorinated Chemicals (stain resistant treatments, non-stick cookware)

- Dioxins (industrial processes, combustion byproducts)

- Lead (older paints, pipes)

- Dye chemicals (textiles and clothing)

- Water repellents (outdoor clothing, upholstery)

- Stain repellents (carpets, fabrics)

- Formaldehyde (wrinkle free and anti-shrink treatments for fabric)

- Mercury (fish, some thermometers, dental amalgams)

- Cadmium (batteries, some fertilizers)

- Atrazine (herbicides)

- Glyphosate (weed killers)

- Perchlorate (rocket fuel, fireworks, fertilizers)

- Arsenic (contaminated water, pesticides)

- Styrene (plastics, rubber, insulation materials)

- Phosphates (detergents, fertilizers)

- Nonylphenol ethoxylates (industrial detergents, cleaners)

- Organotins (PVC plastics, marine antifouling paints)

- Benzophenone (sunscreens, plastics)

- Octinoxate (sunscreens, makeup)

- 4 Methylbenzylidene camphor (sunscreens, makeup)

‼️ Exposure to these can lead to health issues like reproductive problems, developmental issues and cancer.

🌿 Needless to say, that in order to protect our hormones 🫶 it’s important to recognize these risks and take measures to reduce our exposure them.

[themirokai]

now I wanna know- why isn't drinking water free in the US?

Hi there friend! Thanks very much for taking the bait from this post. Buckle up, this is a long one.

If you want to put out a cistern and collect rainwater and use that, congratulations! Your water is free! Plus the cost of maintaining your cistern and keeping it clean. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with a high enough water table to have a well, then your water is also free + the cost of the well and well maintenance.

But if you want water to come out of your tap on demand and you can’t or don’t want to maintain a cistern and you can’t or don’t want to have a well… you need public water!

How do we get public water? Well, a government entity (usually. there are some private utilities, but that’s a different post. I have strong feelings) has rights to take water out of a river or a lake, or they have a reservoir, or they have access to an aquifer. Then they have to transport the water out of the source. This generally requires aqueducts or massive pipes, which are expensive and need to be maintained, which is also expensive. The pipe leading out of one of my utility’s reservoirs is 12 feet in diameter.

Does the water go directly from the source to your home? Nope! It gets piped to a water filtration plant! The process of modern water filtration is complicated but it involves both physical and chemical treatment to make sure the water isn’t carrying any parasites, harmful bacteria, or pollutants and it has the right pH. Not only are these filtration plants extremely expensive to build and maintain but the process of operating them is extremely expensive, both in terms of hiring skilled staff and having appropriate materials for the filters and chemical treatment.

After the treated water (called “finished water” in the biz) is ready it does get piped to your house.

If you use public water, do you know where your local water filtration plant is? No? That probably means it’s not in your immediate neighborhood, which probably means it’s several miles or more away. To get to your house, the water needs to travel through an extensive pipe network. These pipes are smaller but they have to remain pressurized so that no contaminants can get into the water on its way to your house. But pipes break! Especially if you live somewhere with a freeze/thaw cycle. Maintaining this pipe network is, you guessed it, expensive! It requires materials and extremely skilled workers who perform in very very difficult conditions. Plus lots of engineering to keep the whole system pressurized even when one part of it breaks. Oh, and you know what lots of pipes were made out of in the early 20th century? Lead! So all around the country utilities need to make extensive and costly infrastructure upgrades because now we know lead pipes are really freaking bad.

Okay, so you get the basic picture. And I haven’t even gotten into Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, but most of that happens at the filtration plant. Oo! Or desalinization because some utilities pull their water from the sea and need to take the salt out. I know basically nothing about this except that it is likely complicated and expensive to do at scale.

This is essentially why I get frustrated by people who argue “why should we pay for something that falls out of the sky?” Because finished water doesn’t fall from the sky and it sure as hell doesn’t fall from the sky into your faucet. (Side note: as a public utility official I have been screamed at by the “it falls from the sky” people. A thing I like about the private sector is that people scream at me a lot less.)

Now, there is a very strong argument to be made that because water is necessary for human life, it should be provided by the government for free to everyone. And just like the costs of roads or public education, this should be part of the public budget and paid for by taxes and no one should have a water bill. I don’t disagree with this. I’m sure that’s how it’s done in some countries.

I don’t have a well-researched answer on the history of water utilities but I do have some facts and some (very) educated conjectures. Water rights in the US are complicated (another separate post!) but they’re based on private ownership. Ever since white people came to this country people have been claiming ownership over water and charging each other money for taking water out of rivers or lakes or the ground. You can measure how much of it someone uses and charge them for it. Water is treated like a commodity because unlike other public goods, it *can* be treated like a commodity and then, you know, capitalism. Again, I’m not saying that’s right.

But as a society, if we believe that no one should have a water bill, then we need to figure out how to pay for all the very expensive steps in the process I outlined at the top. Could that just be taxes? Sure, if you have a system that supports taxes at that level. Do I believe that public funding of water infrastructure would be a fuckton better than a lot of things we use taxes for now? Absolutely! But that requires massive institutional change and this isn’t generally an issue that people know enough about to demand change.

If you read this far, congratulations! You now know more stuff about drinking water!

[rambunctioustoons]

✨domestic au but sun and moon won't stop killing your house plants caring for your houseplants🪴🔪❤️

full disclosure this is inspired by shenanigans from the @//daycarefriendpickup server !

contains; crack treated half serious, plant murder, domestic fluff, sun knowing better than you how to care for plants, no justice for plants at all.

[ sun-centric, no gender/pronouns for reader, 1,200]

Domestic squabbles are a given in this lifetime. Can't co-exsist with anyone without some minor irritation.

It's a guarantee really.

But Sun never draws the curtains in the morning if you're still groggy. Moon never keeps the tv at night a decimal above what could stir you awake.

You make it your honest mission to always keep your clothes in the laundry bin the one time you catch Eclipse red handed tidying up the space.

Difficult to complain when your newly founded housemates did mostly all they could to be agreeable. Much like you did in return.

As cliche and sappy as that sounded, you loved them so much.

But the plants.

The plants.

Your beloved houseplants faced the wrath of miscommunication and you just can't fathom how it's plant care that keeps causing arguments.

The first day it happens. You're awoken to early daylight, and the scent of watered down bleach. Staring out into the hallway, gaze transfixed on the spray bottle in Sun's hand, like the handle of a dagger in a slasher flick.

Because that is the household cleaning solution he's wielding.

"Darling! Good morning! You're up early early today. Lemme finish up and I'll go make us coffee!"

Spritzing the chemical all over your beloved Fiddle-Fig Leaf plant!

"What are you doing..?!" You squawk, swatting the bottle straight out of his hands. The element of surprise in your favour here, bottle tumbling to the floor out of harm's way.

Tempted to kick it out of his reach.

"Fiddle-Fig was dusty, feel it! Look at it! The poor thing was collecting cobwebs! No need to fret now, I know all about plant care! Used to water and clean all the plants in the Daycare y'know! Silly, wasn't gonna wake you up just to-"

"Those were plastic plants!!" You shrill. Immediately connecting the dots. Regretting the decision to let frazzled nerves sway your temper.

Sun curling in on himself like a poor kicked puppy.

"I-I'm..-! I'm sorry just-... You can't water or clean plants with bleach Sun. You have to be gentle," Giving his arm a sympathetic squeeze, dipping into the bathroom to run the bath.

It's all you could think. Carefully rinse off the chemicals quicker and keep the pot out of the stream. Gently dab away the viscera from the leaves. More at ease with this taped together emergency plan.

"They're alive, they're not plastic."

But when you turn back around.

Sun is trying again.

To spritz the plants. Again!!

"Dude! Knock it off! Drop it!! Drop it-.. Drop it drop it-!"

To his credit he drops it.

Dull sloshy clank to the floor. Catching the way his posture ever so slightly shakes. Staring him down, metaphorically hearing the annoyance rattling in his casting. Gunking up his gears.

You've literally never been this frustrated in your entire life. Snatching the Fiddle-Fig off the hallway table.

"... I know," He starts, sharp and wobbly all in the same faux breath. "How to take care. Of our plants."

"Just keep your mits off Fig!" Poking his chest, showing you mean business. "We'll get plastic plants you can play with later. Take care of those to your heart's content."

Failing to shut the door in time before Sun pipes up again. Song-songing in a condecending lamet as he follows your eye line straight on until the door fully closes.

"I think you're ovveeerr-reactinggg!!"

You shut the door twice.

Beloved, Fiddle-Fig stood no chance against caretaking protocols that stubbornly stayed stuck on the wrong dial-tone.

Because this morning you'd been greeted with an even more troubling site.

The dirt is gone.

Out of the pot. Straight up missing.

How meticulous a task to gently remove each little root from the soil and leave it starving. Catching him rounding the corner with gardening gloves (and how in the world he'd even found gloves to fit his hands for one).

"Eugh, saving Fig from all that disgusting dirt was no easy task," He beams. "Not to mention the bath it needed to get all cleaned up! But look, look it looks much happier. I'm sure whatever you were doing was great too!"

Feeling what little patience you had dwindling. Your eye twitches.

"Liiiike I told you! I took care of plants all the time! No more of that pesky dirt!" Tapping a finger to your nose. An equally affectionate and condescending boop to your nose.

"Taking it out of the dirt is killing it." Glancing over the still intact roots. "You're literally killing it."

"We have the internet y'know! Duh. You're supposed to wipe down these kinds of plants once a month! It doesn't look like you were doing that at all. So dusty, blegh!”

Are you going crazy? For real. You feel like you're going crazy.

“Good thing I'm here! To help you out and help out our beloved plants! Don't have to worry about all that pesky tidying with me around!”

Gripping his shirt, shaking the fabric in place of shaking him.

"Not with bleach!! With water!! With water Angel! Where did you even read anything about removing the dirt?!"

"The bleach was diluted with water! Don't get yourself in such a twist!" Literally cupping your hand and making you twirl. Stumbling on the hardwood to catch yourself.

"Where did you read about removing the dirt! Give me your source, give me the name of the article writer I'm going to find their address and stuff live beetles in their vents!"

"Oh!" Distress finally clicking. Maybe. Clicking a little. He cups your face, soothing his thumbs along your cheeks.

"... Goodness. Does our Fiddle-Fig really need... Dirt that much? I mean, I just don't think that's true. But if you're thiiis upset.. hmmm."

"All the plants in this house need dirt. And water, not cleaning solutions!”

"... Fine." He warblers a sigh. Glaring down at the plant. "This one can have dirt."

Tempted to ask him if he's heard literally anything you've said.

———

Glitter, and acrylic paint are what come next.

Dropping the plate in your hands, scattering linguine pasta all over the living room floor.

Literally out of the room for fifteen minutes and he's made a craft project out of the plants suffering. It's screaming tirelessly to a void that no one can hear.

You're very glad you're not a plant. Actually.

Sun sets his paintbrush on the tiny plastic pallet, rushing to you after collecting supplies to clean up the mess of ceramics and sauce.

“The orange didn't come out quite right! Don't you just hate that? Mixing colours and noo matter how much yellow you mix in, it's just not orange enough!”

Fig is ruined. Fig is not going to continue thriving in this household like this.

Urgency to hide it in your jacket and run off into the woods.

“I know I can do better, but sure am glad you love it so much! Rendering you all speechless!” He chitters, like he's proud of this.

Leaning down to wordlessly clean up the rest of pasta wreckage. Sun rambles about his other plans for Fig. If he couldn't clean it properly, he could at least decorate it correctly!

Plants being all one colour is an eye sore.

You could tell him most plants are one colour. Most plants are green. Question his sanity if he too has a distaste for the green grass outside the window. The brittle bark of brown tree trucks even.

“Please don't ever do this again, plants can't handle being tampered with like this.”

“Decorating isn't tampering.”

At least this phase hasn't reached Moon yet you suppose.

... Yet.

[acti-veg]

hello! im vegan; I love our nonhuman friends and hate speciesism. but like what is to be done about cockroaches. i have an infestation in my apartment. i recognize that humans are a minority on this great big planet, that we have taken space that belonged first to insects and animals, but. cockroaches. are there ethical ways to make them stay outta my place? is that an ethical desire in the first place. also great blog you are eloquent and patient and i tell all my vegan friends about your posts in da group chat

Thank you for the support, I really appreciate that! This is a common ethical dilemma for vegans, and I've answered it in general terms in my FAQs here, but I'll offer some more specific advice as well.

With cockroaches, prevention is the best thing you can do. I realise that it is too late for this for your apartment now, but you should start doing these things regardless, if you don't already, since they may drive out the roaches already there:

Do a deep clean immediately. That means disinfecting everything, paying special attention to areas like the top of your fridge and behind it, the backs of cupboards, behind the oven (if you can move it), under your bed, the tops of doors, behind furniture. Anywhere that you don't clean on a regular basis. Get all your furniture and appliances out and clean thoroughly. If you're doing this properly, it should take a full day of work.

Once you have done a deep clean, throw out or seal away any clutter that cockroaches could live and nest in. Paper is especially attractive to them - so any books, letters, cardboard, but also linens, piles of clothes, dishrags, tea towels etc. Get rid of it or seal it away in plastic boxes. You want your space to be as empty as possible, at least until they are gone.

While we're on throwing out, look up what their eggs look like. If you find anything with their eggs on it, sterilise it or throw it away. If it is something like a book, you will not be able to sufficiently sterilise and you'll need to throw it away (in an outside bin). Check all of the books you own, even if they look pretty clean on the shelf.

Keep your space extremely sterile after this, you need to go overboard on this now. Especially make sure you clean all surfaces that you have prepared food on, or eaten nearby. Do this daily, or as often as you can.

Wash plates and utensils immediately after use. Dry them and put them away, don't leave them on the rack.

Keep bins completely covered, clean, and empty them regularly. A separate bin for food waste (emptied daily) is a good idea. This applies to pet bowls as well.

Cockroaches are most active at night, so before you go to bed, check all the above has been done. Leave nothing out over night that they can shelter in, eat, or drink. Make the environment as inhospitable for them as you can.

With you being in an apartment, they may be coming from a neighbouring property. Seal gaps around doors and windows to prevent entry - you may need to speak to the landlord or property manager about this if you're renting.

Cockroaches need water, so take a look at whether you have any leaks around water pipes that could be providing them with a drinking source. Things like mop buckets, wet toothbrushes, drip trays in the fridge, the bottom of the bath/shower, and wet sponges also count. Anything moist needs to be covered up, or dried off after use.

This alone may well be enough to drive them out and prevent them from returning, but there are also natural deterrents (and chemical ones) that you can use. This includes bay leaves, pepper, garlic powder, dishwashing liquid, essential oils and baking soda. There are many pre-made natural ones online too, if you're concerned about chemicals.

Try these things over a period of weeks, but if that doesn't work, you need to call an exterminator as your last resort. You just cannot live in close proximity with cockroaches, they pose a health risk and they may damage the property. Your landlord or housing association may be able to pay for it or at least help with the costs, especially if you can get one or more neighbour to come out and say that they have cockroaches as well. The law requires this in many places.

Hopefully it won't come to that, exhaust everything else here before you call a professional, but don't feel bad if that is what you have to do. So long as you're doing everything possible and practicable to try and drive them out humanely, then you really don't have any other choice available to you. Just know that even if you do call an exterminator, if you don’t do everything else on this list, they will almost definitely come back

It speaks well of you that you’re concerned about this from an ethical perspective, but remember that veganism has to be practical for it to work. You have to look after your own wellbeing first, and it just isn’t reasonable to expect anyone to tolerate cockroaches in their home purely on ethical grounds.

[fox-bright]

tw: suicidal ideation, depression

So for me, suicidality goes like this.

Sometimes I'm walking through the house, and it's a bit of a mess, and I don't like that, and a gremlin jumps in front of me with his jazz hands out and screeches "LOOK AT THIS! THOSE DISHES ARE TWO DAYS OLD! YOU SHOULD KILL YOURSELF ABOUT IT." and I quirk an eyebrow at it, and sigh "What the hell, you jackass, get out of my house." And it says "DANG," and it goes. Like having a fruitfly hovering in my face. I can't swat it to death, but it is only annoying, and it is driven off by the flick of my fingers.

But some days it's more like, I am tired, and I am in physical pain, and I am falling into despair, and I do not see what my next step is to handle any of *this* and 'this' is 'everything,' and a sweetly-scented presence comes up gracefully past my peripheral and loops her arms about me, and rests her silky head on my shoulder, and tilts her rosy lips to my ear, and in a quiet voice, she murmurs

"knife."

And she's holding me so carefully that there's no struggle. And she's soft and smells like lilac, and her voice is so gentle. "it wouldn't be more than five minutes. it would hurt, of course, but everything hurts, and then it would *stop.* all of it would stop."

And the thing is, absolutely nothing that she tells me is a lie. She learned a long time ago that lying to me puts me on defense, so now she only says things that are true. I am in pain. It would hurt for a little bit, it would hurt a lot, but then nothing would hurt ever again.

But she also doesn't tell a single comprehensive truth.

Because it *would* stop hurting--me. It would magnify my pain and cast it out in all directions, though. It would make my existence into a pipe bomb in the arms of every person who has ever so much as liked me. It would render me, worse than useless, actively dangerous to those close to me. It would make me into a sucking open wound in the chest of everyone I love.

Too high a cost.

I've been suicidal on and off since I was nine. I know by now that it's a chemical thing that my body is doing to itself. I have tools, occasionally weapons, to use to get it out past arm's length, sometimes an acre or two distant from me. Never gone. Always loping back and forth, muzzle low and snuffling, pacing the fence.

So when she comes to me, floral and kind, I can unwind her arms from my waist and push her away three feet or so. And then I can go bake something, or garden, or do pushups, or go for a walk, or listen to loud or quiet music, or play a game, or read a book, or take a shower (cold or hot) or start a craft, or clean up a mess, or make a mess. And, now in in other shapes, she grows more gauzy and distant. And then I can go fix the hole in the fence, maybe.

There are a lot of holes in the fence today. I expect there will be for some time. It's hard. My pulse has been up thirty or forty bpm since Tuesday night at ten, and I tire easily. The effort needed is much greater than usual. But I know it needs to be done.

I don't know what to do from here but wash the dishes. But at least I can wash the dishes. The other things will make themselves known to me in time.

[bambambunny]

Fatui Cat (Segment edition!) pt. 1

Warnings: like 1 swear and some fear of dottore from his segments. Oh and one of them drops the cat, dw its fine. This is more focused on the segment’s perspective but ill do cat POV next time.

Relationships: Platonic segments / cat!reader

Summary: The segments meet the cat. g/n pronouns pls lmk if i missed something.

Wc: 659 cries

Part 2

—-------------------------------------------------

The pursuit of knowledge never ends and thus, neither does the work of the segments. Each one, varying in ages and demeanors, bustles around the expansive lab with their own projects in hand. Of course, all must work to the Tzaritsa’s coup against heaven but such a large goal requires smaller tasks to build it up. 

One of the younger segments, physically he looks to be about 10, is trying to figure out a better healing formula for the hydro skirmishers (Some blond kid keeps causing trouble and their losses have been too great to ignore). That might seem like a rather complicated subject for a 10 year old, but this is a dottore segment we’re talking about, of course he can accomplish this. After all, failure at such a menial task would result in termination and we can't have that. He starts with a flask of hydro, adds some crushed up violet grass, a bit of this chemical, a bit of that, and a dash of –

Crash!

The young segment yelps and drops the vial and its contents. The other segments look up from their tasks at the sudden noise but the boy doesn’t notice. He looks down at the disturbance at his feet and finds a..cat? What in Her Majesty’s name is a cat doing here? He picks it up to the worried protest of an older segment and raises it up. The little thing does naught but blink at him. It has a belled collar so it must belong to somebody, and oh that somebody is going to be in a lot of trouble when Prime finds out it caused such a disturbance. 

“Ahem.”

The sound shoots a wretched cold up the segment’s spine as both he and the cat are shadowed by the imposing figure of Prime Dottore. He drops that cat and immediately turns to attention. He doesn’t hear the thing yelp in surprise.

“P-prime!”, shit. He’s not supposed to stutter, “Prime, sir.” Better.

“Care to explain the mess in your station?” Prime asks with a chilly calm.

“I was interrupted, sir, by that,” He points to the cat who is now rubbing itself, almost aggressively, on Dottore’s pant leg. 

“They just wandered in like they owned the place,” a segment pipes up, drawing Prime’s gaze. He is older and confident enough to insert himself into the conversation, most of the other segments wouldn’t dare. The young segment is relieved at the shift of attention away from him.

Prime chuckles. It isn’t with malice, thank god. 

“They might as well,” He picks up the cat with a surprising gentleness. Honestly, a few of the newer segments were surprised Prime didn't kick the poor thing.

“This is Zapolyarny Palace’s new royal cat - by order of Her Majesty.” Prime says with a flourish and barely restrained glee. Every segment in the room just stares at him, then at the cat, him again..is he serious? Since when was that a thing? If it has a title, does it have a job? Why then did it wander in here? Is it looking for pests? Impossible, the labs are kept meticulously – obsessively – clean (aside from the spill from earlier, must clean that up). A segment near the back raises his finger to ask a question but Prime cuts him off.

“As this cat has been blessed by the Tzaritsa, you will all treat them with respect. They may go where they please and none but the other harbingers and I may interact with it as I am now.” He puts the cat down and shoots a pointed look to the young segment, “You may return to your tasks. Oh and #7?”

“Yes, sir?” The little boy answers, slightly fearful of whatever punishment may come from dropping the cat.

“Do clean up this mess.”

And with that Prime Dottore leaves and all 7 segments stare at the now much more important feline sitting in front of the doorway

—-------------------------------------------------

A/N: hgnghgng sht im so so sorry this took like a month to write. I fell out of genshin and got obsessed with star wars and cries. I know its really short but im working on a part 2, just cant finish it cuz i have to sleep.

Taglist:

@etherisy @franc-1-s @assassinsnek101

(if you wanna be removed or added to the taglist pls comment)

[neep-neep-neep]

the air up bottle is blasphemy to me

you couldn't torture "i'm sorry water just doesn't taste GOOD to me!" out of me. you couldn't torture "your brain gets tricked into thinking it's flavored but it's still got no sweeteners or chemicals!" out of me. every sponsorship is wild but you're selling an inhaler shaped crock of shit with little overpriced plastic urinal cake inserts while claiming it's eco-friendly.

water tastes like kissing God. water IS a chemical. drinkable water is becoming scarcer and scarcer in many communities worldwide. clean water is a luxury to so many people due to everything from colonial violence to bitches who didn't tell anyone about the lead pipes to devil companies monopolizing it for export or crops (looking at you Nestle and Pom Wonderful) to ecological disasters brought on by said colonial violence. i was so thirsty growing up sometimes i went to bed thirsty because the water wasn't clean from the tap and we didn't have money for the clean water we needed to buy in large jugs.

don't get me started on videos of people buying crates of single-serve plastic bottles from BJ's on tiktok when they have clean water at their house on demand. i understand many think plastic is recyclable due to much propaganda (it isn't). but air up?? buying little febreze rings for a bottle that isn't even airtight so you can confuse your brain into liking water?? they have you so subscriptionpilled they have you adding extra steps to get something worse i used to buy little vicks scent cartridges for my humidifier and i feel stupid even admitting that but. just buy one of those Kool-Aid flavored football mouthguards and drink water while biting down on it the flavor lasts for years and is just as gross! marketing can't be getting you this easily. they are laughing at you all the way to the bank

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week. #6

Feb 16-23 2024

The EPA announced 5.8 billion dollars in funding upgrade America's water systems. 2.6 billion will go to wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, while the remaining $3.2 billion will go to drinking water infrastructure. $1 billion will go toward the first major effort to remove PFASs, forever chemicals, from American drinking water. The Administration all reiterated its plans to remove all lead pipes from America's drinking water systems, its spent 6 billion on lead pipe replacement so far.

The Department of Education announced the cancellation of $1.2 billion in student loan debt reliving 153,000 borrowers. This is the first debt cancellation through the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which erases federal student loan balances for those who originally borrowed $12,000 or less and have been making payments for at least 10 years. Since the Biden Administration's more wide ranging student loan cancellation plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023 the Administration has used a patchwork of different plans and authorities to cancel $138 billion in student debt and relieve nearly 4 million borrowers, so far.

First Lady Jill Biden announced $100 million in federal funding for women’s health research. This is part of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research the First Lady launched last year. The First Lady outlined ways women get worse treatment outcomes because common health problems like heart attacks and cancer are often less understood in female patients.

The Biden Administration announced 500 new sanctions against Russian targets in response to the murder of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. The sanctions will target people involved in Navalny's imprisonment as well as sanctions evaders. President Biden met with Navalny's widow Yulia and their daughter Dasha in San Francisco

The White House and Department of Agriculture announced $700 Million in new investments to benefit people in rural America. The projects will help up to a million people living in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. It includes $51.7 million to expand access to high-speed internet, and $644.2 million to help 158 rural cooperatives and utilities provide clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems for 578,000 people in rural areas.

The Department of Commerce signed a deal to provide $1.5 billion in upgrades and expand chip factories in New York and Vermont to boost American semiconductor manufacturing. This is the biggest investment so far under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act

the Department of Transportation announced $1.25 billion in  funding for local projects that improve roadway safety. This is part of the administration's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program launched in 2022. So far SS4A has spent 1.7 billion dollars in 1,000 communities impacting 70% of America's population.

The EPA announced $19 million to help New Jersey buy electric school buses. Together with New Jersey's own $45 million dollar investment the state hopes to replace all its diesel buses over the next three years. The Biden Administration's investment will help electrify 5 school districts in the state. This is part of the The Clean School Bus Program which so far has replaced 2,366 buses at 372 school districts since it was enacted in 2022.

Bonus: NASA in partnership with Intuitive Machines landed a space craft, named Odysseus, on the moon, representing the first time in 50 years America has gone to the moon. NASA is preparing for astronauts to return to the moon by the end of the decade as part of the Artemis program. All under the leadership of NASA Administrator, former Democratic Senator and astronaut Bill Nelson.

[zombiewhor3]

IMMUNE

female reader x season 2 twd group

WARNINGS: shane, mentions of walker bite, gorey descriptions, gorey and violent scenes, mature language.

A/N: this is one of the worst things i've ever written but i really wanted to use this idea before i forgot about it so oh well!

-

dropping some more wood into the fire she could feel the eyes lingering on her she had been with them for a few months and yet they still watched her like a hawk.

they stalked her every move, it was like every breath she took was being analyzed by the group. she placed a seat on a stump in front of the fire using it to heat her hands and with a soft sigh she looked at the infamous sheriff who was buttoning up his shirt.

his eyes focused on her hoping that she wouldn't plot a move on them, she had been off. Something about the way she never spoke, the only word they had gotten out of her was a simple whisper to alert them of a walker, after that was pure silence.

he noticed the way she hadn't feared the walkers, not even a glimmer of fear in her eye struck when they ran into a giant hoarde.

"y/n, gather your stuff before we head to the well" rick spoke gently, she could see him gesture her out of the corner of her eye.

standing up and gathering a pair of pants and shirt from her tent she followed the group to the well, lifting the bucket and using a washboard that Maggie gifted them to scrub her clothes.

she stayed farther away from the group, right on the small hill where Daryl was perched using his knife to cut up an apple. "i don't i've ever seen ya take that jacket off" he muttered before popping a piece of the fresh fruit in his mouth.

continuing to scrub her clothes and looking down at the dirt that came off of them she spoke, "it was a gift" he chuckled a little before cutting off another piece of the apple and passing her the last piece.

placing it into her mouth she chewed as she hung up her clothes to dry against the tree, resting the washboard against its trunk before sitting back down.

"one thing about this group is we don't trust easy, don't take it personal kiddo" flipping the blade away and tossing the core he could feel her eyes digging into him.

"yeah well i don't trust some of em either" her tone was bitter,

"and ya think i do?" he replied taking the crossbow off of his shoulder and resting it down on the ground.

"they watch my every move, they trust Maggie more than me and i've known them longer" she stood up and brushed off her pants,

he could see that there were holes all throughout the back, the denim torn in certain places all covered in dirt and practically begging for it to be cleaned.

"why don't ya wash the jacket? we still have water left"

she shook her head no at him before grabbing the washboard and heading back to the main camp area. Why did it matter so much that she didn't want to take her damn jacket off?

-

dinner was always filled with laughter, pots being passed around, stories were told around the camp fire. she usually sat in her tent to eat alone or she sat away from the groups eyes.

now sitting on a stump beside Daryl with a plate in her hand she hadn't felt as isolated, she hadn't felt as alone. Even if she didn't trust a few of the men sitting across from her.

she took a beer that rick offered her, twisting off the cap she took a sip as she rolled up her sleeves to try and escape some of the heat the fire was giving off.

she listened to the stories they told, all about their jobs, families and their lives before the apocalypse, clearing her throat she spoke up,

"before this whole dead virus thing came about i used to be majoring in chemical science so i guess that went out the window" she could hear the group around her laugh and Glenn began to pipe up his own story.

"i was a pizza driver and i was majoring in economics, and now since there's no money involved with whats left of the world id say it was not handy" she gave off a soft smile,

everyone seemed to loosen up now, except for Shane. Though he hadn't trusted anybody, he didn't even trust Daryl even after he saved his life on multiple occasions.

his dark eyes were burning into her skin, burning into the rolled up sleeve but to busy drinking her beer and continuing her conversation she hadn't even noticed he stood up from his seat.

pulling her up from her seat he stripped her off the denim jacket while holding her forearm into the air causing a mutter of confusion amongst the group.

a scar was imprinted into her skin, a part of her flesh was missing where skin had grown back over it already leaving it a shade of pink and red going against her natural skin tone. "shane get the hell off me" she bittered trying to swing away from his grasp.

everyone else had gotten up to look at her arm, she swallowed harshly feeling his grip tighten while she felt like everyone was poking and prodding at her with their beady eyes.

"it's a dog bite, it happened when i was a teenager now will you let the hell go of me" she rattled against his hand but still with his tight grasp it was almost no use to push against him.

"these are human teeth, not even a human bite scar would be this color, you've been bit" she could hear people gasp as he came to his shitty but true conclusion, she had been bit but she wasn't like the others, she didn't turn.

looking over to Daryl she let out a plea, "it's not what it looks like i promise you i can explain all of this" Daryl could feel his hand on Shane's shoulder now as he practically pried his grasp from her.

sitting on the opposite side away from everybody shane's gun remained pointed at her chest, ready to pull the trigger whenever she turned into the monster that bit her.

"this mark is two years old, i got it at the beginning i was just a dumb teenager and i made a stupid decision" she sighed while finally slipping off her denim jacket and resting it beside her.

"no way you would've turned by now" someone muttered from the group watching her eyes flick up at them, "don't you get it, i can't turn something about this virus doesn't affect me".

-

looking at the straggling walker before them she repeated back Shane's words with an utter disgust,

"i'm sorry you want me to let another walker bite me to prove i'm really immune? you're god damn crazy you know that"

pulling out her knife she braced her self for the pain of something that was going to tear through more flesh on her arm, reaching her arm out she let out a piercing scream as it bit down on her flesh,

its teeth sinking into her enough to pull a little chunk of her arm out, as tears flooded her eyes she used her other arm to take the walker out as she ripped away from the grasp of its teeth.

he tossed a piece of cloth at her before making his way up to camp, with a subtle sob in the depth of the night she wrapped her wound and trailed just far enough behind him.

blood soaked through the cloth, dying over the cotton white to turn it into a shade of near death, finally stumbling back into camp she sat around the fire keeping her best to stay silent.

he stared at her through the flames of the fire just as strong as her loathe for him right now,

"does this prove your point now asshole?" she retorted back before wincing at the feeling her hand putting pressure down on her arm.

-

looking at the crowd in front of her she stood holding up her arm,

"day seven with this bite and i haven't turned i won't turn because i'm immune to whatever the hell this is, and i would like to go back to not being harrassed" she muttered.

everyone else in the group had left her be now, she was one less thing they had to worry about. and it made her life so much easier no more poking and prodding, she was actually able to have a conversation without Shane stalking her.

"you think they trust me now?"

she whispered over to Daryl who had a smile on his face, "sure they do, ya got bit by a walker to prove yer point who wouldn't trust ya" he replied feeling her head lean against his shoulder.

"until the next walker bite i suppose"