Tl;dr - I accidently brought in plants infect with root aphids from the trash. Luckily, they didn't infect the other plants.
My wife and I moved into our first apartment in Czechia and it hasn't felt much like home. She mentioned how she wanted more plants as she had to get rid of many plants when we moved. Well, here at our apartment complex people throw away so much good stuff (furniture, cookware, etc.). One neighbor thew away a ponytail palm and a prayer plant, and I thought "jackpot! I've seen enough YouTube to know I could save some neglected plants!" Today I noticed another plant (happy plant) was thrown away, and I thought "this one is the biggest of them all." Well soon after I brought it in, I noticed a small insect crawling on my hand, so I looked at the root ball. It was covered in tiny bugs and some ants. I found out why the plants were dying and why the neighbor threw away the plants. I checked the other two plants I found, and unfortunately, I saw the aphids in the roots too.
So I checked my other plants (basil, dill, eucalyptus, kumquat), and fortunately they didn't infect them. I threw away the plants and the soil and disinfected the patio and pots.
Are there ways to kill them all and how can I prevent them for my other plants?

Tl;dr - I accidently brought in plants infect with root aphids from the trash. Luckily, they didn't infect the other plants.
My wife and I moved into our first apartment in Czechia and it hasn't felt much like home. She mentioned how she wanted more plants as she had to get rid of many plants when we moved. Well, here at our apartment complex people throw away so much good stuff (furniture, cookware, etc.). One neighbor thew away a ponytail palm and a prayer plant, and I thought "jackpot! I've seen enough YouTube to know I could save some neglected plants!" Today I noticed another plant (happy plant) was thrown away, and I thought "this one is the biggest of them all." Well soon after I brought it in, I noticed a small insect crawling on my hand, so I looked at the root ball. It was covered in tiny bugs and some ants. I found out why the plants were dying and why the neighbor threw away the plants. I checked the other two plants I found, and unfortunately, I saw the aphids in the roots too.
So I checked my other plants (basil, dill, eucalyptus, kumquat), and fortunately they didn't infect them. I threw away the plants and the soil and disinfected the pots.
Luckily, I took some cuttings that had no aphids on them, and I hope to still propogate some happy plants.

I've had an accident today in my car. Likely written off. Police arrived and advised me I have not registered the vehicle to myself as the vehicle keeper with the DVLA. I honestly thought I did this online when I got the car. However, now I have no idea what I should do.
QUESTION 1: Since the car is likely a write off, should I go through the process of ensuring it is registered to me now?
QUESTION 2: will I be likely to face a penalty due to doing this late?
This is honestly a huge mistake and oversight on my part. I think I thought I did this online, but checking now im still just as confused about how I actually register it to myself with the DVLA.
QUESTION 3: Can anyone also help me with this too?
I have the V5C. I have completed section 6. Was I supposed to send this to the DVLA via post? I am really co fused as on the form it says "the registered keeper must tell DVLA of the sale/transfer either online at www.gov.uk/bought-sold-vehicle or by sending the rest of the V5C to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BA.
When I have googled to register online just now, I cannot find information on how I do this. The information seems so confusing!
Please! Any help is appreciated. I'm not usually a complete moron but this has totally confused me.

Ok so I am a CCA(out of my 90 days, 10 months in) and I have been having a rough month here at the post office. I have had some absences this year that I myself deem excessive as well. I have had 7 absences this year so far some were needed some weren't I'll admit. So I have PDI for the absences, the next day I have a minor accident in a cul de sac where I back into a parked car. Very minor damage and I followed all procedures to report the accident properly(supervisors and police came out and owner of the vehicle was present).
When my postmaster gets there I tell him what happened and he instantly accuses me of causing additional damage to the rear of the vehicle claiming he's seen a lot of LLV accidents and knows what bumper marks look like. I reiterated to him the same story I told him before and debunked his theory by telling him if I were to have caused damage to the front and rear from backing up it would have damaged the front tire and side of the car. So they tell me these things happen I'll be retrained and back to work in a week or so.
5 days later I get a letter in the mail for a 7 day suspension for my attendance. I contact my shop steward we grieve it. The suspension is settled for a 6 month letter of warning. 3 days later I get no word so I call the union hall. They call my postmaster to get answers of why I have not got driver training yet/any work at all. At the end of the day my shop steward calls me saying they gave him a letter for my removal. We grieve this too on Friday.
Today my steward tells me they think my story is changing and that I intentionally backed up to redeliver a package because I did not tell them I delivered a package I scanned prior to the accident(wrong address cased incorrectly) AFTER the accident occurred as if that was relevant to the accident or played any part to it. I was simply delivering the package while waiting for them to arrive, it was less than a 1000 foot walk. After talking with my supervisor and steward he tries to offer a 2 year last chance agreement which we also plan to grieve.
My Question is, is this normal? I understand I have some fault here, but I followed the procedure, and gave my statement, I don't understand them accusing me of lying and trying to fire me for it. I also wonder if I can receive any backpay for days I could have worked in the office casing or doing non driving duties. I have been off for 15 days since the accident no pay/nor contact from management.

So, after way too many trips to Starbucks I decided to dive into the world of Espresso making. Between many hours reading numerous posts in this thread, and watching countless hours of YouTube Videos, I bought a Breville machine and the few recommended tools. I have to say that I've done a fairly good job, so far - that was approved by the wife - and I look forward to the daily process. Actually, I think it can be a very therapeutic break from our instantaneous world.
So, I was in the process of fixing our morning round today and pondering over a few necessary events at work and a couple personnel issues. I found myself reliving a rather unfortunate accident (no injuries, other than the ego) in the shop. The individual responsible was not the brightest of the bunch in that moment and I distinctly remembering myself thinking a new-out-of-nowhere thought, "...is a few beans short of a full puck". Now, call me crazy, but if I, or you, ever say this out loud, every Espresso Aficionado in the place will understand!!
And, thanks to all for being decent, respectable, and sharing your knowledge.

For the second time in a row I have bought a grain-free food without knowing it was grain-free. There are so many options of dog food I get completely overwhelmed and I cannot afford to buy a THIRD bag of food in the span of a month at the moment.
I bought my dog a grain-free food by accident after her food (Purina Beyond) was discontinued and Chewy sent me my cats food instead of any kind of notification that they were out.
And my dog was also out of food.
So, I bought True Acres Chicken & Veg in a bit of a panic because it was a big bag for not too much money. "Grain-free" is written almost all over it but I didn't catch on until we were nearly done with bag #1.
My dog has since developed a rash on her belly that she scratches at a ton.
So I found Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach. The picture had nothing with grain-free listed, but I didn't scroll through all 8 photos listed, I just bought it. I had been working through the pages on Chewy for about an hour trying to find something that seemed within my budget for the price and weight and that was what I kept landing on.
Today I looked at the bag and right on the front it says "no corn, wheat or soy." I cannot explain how much I want to absolutely lose it right now. I had transitioned her and was feeling good, but since the rash persisted, I had made a vet appointment for fear that it was the mower chemicals and cut grass inflaming her belly.
NOW? IDK.
I'm so upset. I have like two bags of very full dog food, just paid rent and am trying to save for this vet appt. I do not have funds, or space, or spoons to get yet another bag of food and transition her AGAIN.
Why is grain-free food so readily available? It shouldn't be given to a dog unless expressly determined by a vet, yet it's everywhere!
And now I'm so exhausted from looking for food the first time, I don't want to look again. I already feel exhausted, overwhelmed and burnt out at the thought which in turn makes me feel like a terrible dog owner that I keep putting my baby through this.
Thanks for listening to me vent and if anyone has recommendations for a NOT grain-free dog food good for a 45lb Treeing Hound mix (budget of about $60/mo) I am so open to it.

About 18 months ago I had a brand new set of Avon ZV7's put on my Fiesta, and the tracking done at a National Tyre in the West Midlands. Ever since then the car had a steering vibration and there was a lot of tyre noise at motorway speeds. I took the car back to that same branch multiple times to get them to check the tracking but they were adamant that it was totally fine. I gave up and just blamed the tyre noise on Avon tyres maybe not being much good.
Fast forward to today and the inside edge of one of the front tyres was almost completely bald. I booked it in to a different National Tyre branch in Dumfries and Galloway and had that tyre changed and the tracking sorted. It drives so much better now, steering vibration is gone and the tyre noise is at normal levels.
I also booked in my Girlfriends car. She also paid for Avons but they fitted the cheapest Autogreens they had in stock (probably by accident). So the first branch can't do tracking and the second can't read an invoice apparently?
Am I just really unlucky or has anyone else experienced this with them? I will avoid in future
Edit: also noticed the other front tyre was wearing, so asked them to swap it with the rear one before they did the tracking. Guy said 'yeah no worries', get back home and they hadn't done it

I'm doing a full house remodel and recently we had an issue with a bathroom. We went over the shower design with the tile guy in text, then confirmed the designs in person. The details are as follows
13x39 deco tile for the back wall of the shower 13x39 plain tiles matching the deco fire the side walls 12x24 tile for the floor
When the tile guy installed the tile installed the deco as expected, used the floor tile for the side walls and said "we must've accidently gotten a wrong box" about the tile that was supposed to be the side wall. He then asked us when the tile for the floor would arrive.
After that question we drove to the house and found the problem. The floor tile looks almost exactly like the side wall tile but the for floor is porcelain and the wall was ceramic and the dimensions are different.
I can understand how the mistake happened because the file is so similar. I am an IT contactor and i previously worked in the custom car industry so i understand that a lot of times people are running very thin and need to get paid and having to redo a job could be big issue for someone, so we agreed to keep the existing shower walls since it still looked good. I good the tile guy that id get the replacement floor tile to him by the end of today.
I then talked to the general contractor and asked him how we were going to handle the cost of the replacement tile. He told me that it sounds like I'm fishing for a 700 dollar discount.
I'm trying to be reasonable here. I feel like I'm being asked to drop additional money on tile that is needed because of a mistake that is not my fault. Am i being irrational to ask that we not be expected to cover the replacement tile?
Contractors please let me know your opinion on what a reasonable solution should be

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Summary: A demolition firm struggles to take down a damaged building for their mysterious clients
I Was a Foreman at the Grazer Tower Demolition
By now Grazer Tower has faded as a household name but to some the rumors and madness surrounding it refuse to die. The demolition of the massive three hundred twenty foot octagonal hotel left a gap in the Atlanta skyline but little fondness in anyone's hearts. I have no particular first hand insight into the freak lightning strikes on the 30th floor atrium which killed 13 people but I am willing to tell my side of the story about the demolition effort leading to the botched implosion. I tell this as a full, open, and honest disclosure. The legal maneuvering and ink has dried, all of the dead are buried, and all the bleeding stopped. The scars remain, the pain persists, the things I saw there are burned in my head even after they've been discredited into the conspiracy theory woodwork of the internet. The lightning storm struck on a Sunday afternoon and the next day for all we knew the bodies were still warm when a lawyer representing the owners of Grazer Tower entered our corporate office. I look back on it now with open and clear eyes and realize it was all very strange from the start when my Lead Foreman, Tom, and I were called into the meeting in progress.
The lawyer and now our client, looked like a fairly normal man in his mid thirties aside from his impeccably white suit which was ironed to the point of looking like stone rather than cloth. Beside the white suit his lips were an uncomfortable maroon and glossy. Besides this he spoke in a plain, clear, and disarming manner refraining from legalese and maintaining a firm but not imposing eye contract with whomever he was speaking directly to.
He told us in no uncertain terms he was instructed to contract with our firm to take down his client's building. Tom and I were shocked when we heard this after all, the lightning disaster, while tragic and perhaps undeservedly tarnishing in the short term to the Grazer Hotel's reputation, did not render the structure unusable nor unsafe to its surroundings. The worst damage was that the steel dome of the 30th floor atrium had collapsed into the vaulted restaurant and ballroom of the 29th floor but that's where the structure damage started and ended, in fact aside from the 28th, 29th, and 30th floor, city engineers working overnight already declared the building sound. So while perhaps still time consuming and costly, repairing the building was definitely possible and cost effective but owners, to make an analogy, were basically insisting on totaling a car after a minor parking lot fender bender. They gave us a specific date by which the building needed to be taken down. When our Boss, Jim, rebuffed the lawyer, not only because the date was challenging and soon but also because it was possible we could have it dropped BEFORE the date specified. The lawyer insisted the building go down on the date given – not later and not earlier. Jim swallowed hard and then glanced at Tom and I. Then the lawyer involved the name of the head of the owner's group, a Mr. Rohmer.
Mr. Rohmer, according to the lawyer, was offering our firm one hundred percent of the cost upfront and another twenty perfect of the total cost plus any overruns – stating if the implosion came early or late, it would mean all very little – no, that's no a typo, that's how the lawyer phrased it from his client, Mr. Rohmer. With that detail out of the way, you can see how the car totaling analogy breaks down considering the owners did not stand to profit from it's demolition – in fact quite the opposite.
The lawyer chuckled a bit to break the tension. He explained his clients and Mr. Rohmer in particular were an unorthodox bunch and then even insisted he wear the white suit in any of their dealings. The lawyer produced a tablet PC from his messenger bag and leveled it to Jim. On the tablet was all the banking confirmation codes ready to go for a direct deposit into our firms account alongside a contract. Jim seemed to hiccup or belch in excitement as he hurried around the short side of his desk to sign it since his stubby t-rex arms could not reach across his desk.
The firm was committed, we were committed – I was committed and I started to mentally cramp up over the challenges we all faced. The Grazer Hotel was in the middle of a dense urban grid. It had to be precise drop with virtually no margin for error. Jim poured us a dram of scotch from the bottle hidden under his desk. None of us a second thought about Rohmer's cryptic remark – after all, how often did you get a one hundred twenty perfect no-bid contract walk in off the street, out of the blue?
A combination of exhilaration over the money and anxiety over the work load kept us all from sleeping that night. Jim and Tom ended up going out and having a wild night to celebrate while I went home to mentally prepare not only myself but also my wife and kids. As a family they were staring down a month and a half of late nights and weekends with no dad. My wife was frustrated until I told her about the bonus and then she said she'd fill the lonely time making plans to send the kids to Disney World and then find a place for us to spend alone together. The promise of a much needed vacation after this only super charged the butterflies in my stomach further in anticipation of this challenging season ending.
As the assistant foreman I had office and on-site duties. Most of it was coordinating between the two. This included personnel, setting up site security – including guards and cameras to keep urban explorers and vagrants of out the dangerous site and satisfy OSHA hazardous work place safety requirements. The most challenging duty was site prep which included disposal of furnishings, removal of windows and other flourishes of the structure's facade which could become deadly shrapnel during an implosion. Fortunately, despite all of this, the nagging questions about permits and clean-up contracts were already handled by the lawyer. Rohmer's group also waived any rights to furnishings which means they could be unceremoniously hauled out in any way we chose to and disposed of.
Now I suppose some of these things should have came as red flags to me – or at least some one in the company but we all justified it as the group must have connects and short cuts to permits and it was a relatively new building, only about twenty years old in fact and furnishings – whether old or new probably weren't of any antique or sentimental value. All in all these were blessings since they freed our hands a bit and made a near impossible deadline more possible.
Of course the good news came with some bad news. The city engineers forbade us from working at the 28th, 29th, and 30th floors – unless we brought in a separate crew to stabilize those levels first. This was quite the fly in the ointment for the controlled implosion plan we sketched out. The 30th floor wasn't as much of a problem but the 29th floor ballroom and the weakening of the 28th floor meant we can't inspect for how compromised they were by the steel atrium dome. For all we knew if we blew the 27th floor on down the dome could shift and topple over the top three floors outside of the implosion safe zone, imperiling people and nearby structures.
I raised holy hell about it while Tom stood calm. It could take months to stabilize and clear those floors and far more money than I thought our eccentric client would pay in overruns. Jim waved me off mid sentence and simply told me he'd take care of it. That was good enough for Tom so it had to be good enough for me. I went back to my job – securing site and planning drop.
Although we had a problem with the top floor our saving grace lie in the basements. It had a three story subterranean parking garage, a basement level pool, and a utility sub-basement. We could easily smash the first ten or twelve floors into that deep footprint. Also the utility sub-basement gave us a clean cut off from the grid and a fairly convenient way to protect the surrounding grid without interruption. Still, at least part of our team would take have to take three weeks out of our six and change to handle the utilities.
The first week was hectic, they always were but we hit no major snags. By the end of it were on schedule and all of the parts were coming together. We thought maybe, just maybe, we were well on our way to an early Christmas bonus but nothing could prepare us for what was coming.
If you work on a site long enough and work anywhere on the site security reporting chain you're bound to get a few questionable reports from your night guys. Let's face it, for folks who are wake all night five or six nights a week poking around with flashlights chasing shadows, every building every where is haunted. I've been on the site security chain for thirteen years so it was easy for me to dismiss reports from the night guys about unusual glows on gutted floors and stairwells, elevators which moved on their own with no one calling for them or inside when they opened on a random floor, or the security cameras and cellphones constantly going offline on the 27th floor and the utility sub-basement.
I wasn't convinced anything of concern was going on until I got called on site by the test drilling team. This team was responsible for sampling the support materials to determine where it was best to place the explosives and what explosives would be best to use. They reported the interior supports were designed in an unusual way with a honey comb of unorthodox metals and concrete not reported on the building's records or blueprints. Specifically, they reported the concrete was impregnated by some kind of metal veins which gave off a bright shimmer. I was asked to come identify it but they claimed it disappeared by the time I arrived.
I was irate at the team and their supervisor for having me to come on down on site for something that sounded so wrong to begin with. They showed me a grainy cellphone video and told me they would swear on a stack of Bibles the sparkling compound welled up in the test coring like mercury, turned blood red and bled on the floor before disappearing into the torn up carpet. I chastised them for making this up and threatened to get new sub contractors if they kept wasting my time. I spoke with a separate sample team on the lower levels and they too discovered some unusual metal compositions – ones which were different then the ones found the top floors. One of the engineers speculated that the contrast in metals between the top and bottom floors could be cause the building to hold an electrical charge, like a battery or like a capacitor. Either way, the engineer said it would require more explosives than initially thought to take down the structure.
A couple of weeks later we were painfully behind – glass removal in particular was going slow because those contractors claimed they were constantly losing their toys. They also claimed one night to have cleared the top five floors on the east side of all their glass – only for all the windows to appear fully intact the next morning. I was forced to end their sub contract due to misrepresentation of work accomplished.
The glass wasn't the only thing slowing us down. The wire and plumbing removal was hindered by the wires somehow were fused to the pipes and in some places, the pipes were fused to the load-bearing members – we thought maybe it was due to the lightning strikes but that really didn't make sense since all of the wiring and plumbing otherwise seemed to work fine before we turned off the utilities. The only thing going for us was the helicopter loophole. Instead of accessing the 30th floor through the condemned floors we were able to get work teams on the atrium floor by helicopter. The bodies of the 13 were removed before we started working and before the atrium fully collapsed into the ballroom but the teams working on the roof reported many unusual artifacts including stained glass and Greek letters comprised of unusual amalgams of metal.
All of the strangeness culminated in the disappearance of one of the night time security guards named Phillipe. I say disappear because his girlfriend filed a missing persons report with the police and when they came to investigate Tom was busy with the atrium operations so the job fell to me. I walked the investigator through guard's smart phone filed reports from the previous evenings. Admittedly I was behind on my end approving the reports so I was embarrassed when things in the report took a turn. His reports including the same odd glows the others were reporting in the stairwells and seeing metallic veins throb on the walls.
His last reports stuck in my head: Report: Sub-basement 4 clear, 0312. Report: Sub-basement 5 clear, 0305. Report: Sub-basement 6 clear 0237.
His “all clear” reports documented levels of the building which did not exist and the further he went into the areas which did not exist, the automatic timestamps went backwards in time. It made no sense – unless he was confused as to where he was due to intoxication and there was software glitch with the timestamps. I was forced to give the investigator no firm explanation.
It's easy to write off a high security guard – they're flaky by their nature and have plenty of reasons to ghost a part time gig and even to pull prank on their final reports. I almost wrote it all off until I saw his girlfriend – apparently his fiance, handing out missing persons fliers outside of the site gate one morning. She seemed absolutely heartbroken and I got stabbed in the gut thinking maybe this wasn't a ghosting and prank after all. Seeing is believing and the next week I started to believe. Tom was finishing up on the atrium level. We used some heavy lift choppers to remove the rest of the frame and glass. Now we could get a better look into the section which collapsed into the 29th floor. We started by using a series of video drones to investigate the melted twisted dome through the collapsed roof. We quickly learned that the drones were being interfered with as their feed would cut out or their batteries would die almost immediately upon entering the ballroom.
So, we had to cut some corners, against city regulations, we let Tom and two others rappel in from the roof on secured anchored lines with helicopter over watch support. We needed to do this because we needed make sure that collapsed wreckage would not move and potentially change the implosion direction. Tom got twisted in his gear as he tried to lean into one of the holes in the roof. He slipped and fell in, disappearing from sight. We frantically radioed for Tom as the other two workers abandoned their own attempts to peer in and scrambled to Tom's aid. Tom was pulled out of the section uninjured but he appeared to be in shock, he looked wild eyed and shook as he was put on the helicopter and lowered back to ground level. Within minutes, Jim called us back to the office to discuss the near miss.
Two weeks to go and week behind, a missing guard, and now a near fatal accident. That for Jim, was the last straw. Tom and I had run out the rope Jim gave us to hang ourselves with. Jim slammed his hand on his desk as he catastrophized, red in the face, nearly breathless, he yelled we could very well kiss that twenty percent goodbye with the way things are going. He pressured Tom to go on the record after his dip into the structure that the atrium debris ball in the ballroom posed no threat to the implosion. Tom was elsewhere. He stared off in a thousand yard stare before replying to Jim that it posed no threat. Then Tom headed for the door. Jim screamed at him that he wasn't done chew us out but Tom only said he had to get back to it. I supported Tom and followed him. He and I headed back to the site to secure the night shift changes – another night not at home and having a late dinner.
I asked Tom in the car ride back what he saw in there. Tom was fixed in a trance and barely responded. He said it was wild. When we got back to the site, Tom separated from me through the gate while I strolled across the street to grab us some dinner from a street vendor. As I stood around waiting for two gyros and two cokes I could help but be mesmerized by the gutted tower. It seemed to breath in the spotlights inhaling puffs of the dust and dirt on the site and then exhaling it. A faint glow, barely perceivable against the light pollution, seemed to brighten, dim, and fade from the upper floors with each of the building's breaths. I was transfixed on it and it was the first time the building gave me an eerie feeling.
I got back on the site, food in hand, there was a buzz in their air as the night shift streamed in and the day shift streamed out. I barely had my hardhat seated corrected on my head when the site's emergency alarm blew. The interim foreman tossed me a radio as I was swept with him and our site occupational safety and emergency personnel to the basement.
Our increasingly panicked footfalls blotted out the squawk of the radios but I could hear one name again and again in the equally panicked messages – Tom Tom Tom. Whatever was happening was happening to Tom.
We reached the pool level and a trail of gasps proceeded me into the pool. There was Tom in his vest and hardhat face down in the middle of the pool with crimson oozing out him into the cerulean tiles lining the drained pool. We piled in from the ladders and shallow end to get to him. It was apparent when the first folks reached him that he was dead. They hauled him out on a stretcher and to our shock he looked like he had been dead for much longer than possible and his skin was water logged despite there being no water. He had died of fall trauma possibly despite the pool only being six feet deep. The paramedics also claimed he had water in his lungs. Then I noticed he was wearing his rappelling harness weaved in his vest – but that made no sense – he took it and his vest off when we were getting chewed out by Jim. Why would he put his rappelling gear on again.
I was the assistant foreman no more. Now the buck stopped with me. As they took Tom to the morgue we all knew the show must go on – our client demanded it, Jim demanded it and Tom would have wanted it that way. The same police investigator from the guard's disappearance met with me over Tom's death. They said it was standard procedure with work place deaths. I gave him a copy of the footage on an SD card and left the moment after it left my hand.
I had the recording queued up to the time of the commotion. The video we provided had a poor angle and was focused on the door to monitor access – the comings and goings of people. It was shift change so people were filing in and out Tom was somewhere in the crowd. The pool was one of the areas which required both foot patrols and constant video monitoring. I hit the rewind button on accident and watched his body lie there and lie there and then the timestamp sped past the 1900 hour mark. We were in traffic from meeting with Jim at that time. This was impossible but I kept my finger on the rewind button. Around 1400 the camera shakes a bit and there is slight glow reflecting on the doors so I let it play back to the shake. There is a soft green glow and then could hear a heft thud in the room. I gulped knowing that was Tom falling into the pool around the same time he fell into the hole in the roof. The soft glow turned brighter and brighter like a laser shining into the lens – something that wasn't present on the rewind. There was a flash of an incomprehensible shape or form on the screen. I was physically hurt in my eyes like I had just stared into the sun. I was left dazed with the shaped burned into my eyes with each blink. Then the camera system shorted out and a tiny puff of smoke left the memory module. The cameras blinked off wall to wall, the whole system was dead.
With the cameras fried, regulations required someone high in the company to be on site or we'd have to leave for the night. So I stayed knowing we couldn't afford to lose an hour much less an entire night. I circled the pool between approving payrolls and directing the increased security guard traffic required to monitor more areas. I was thinking about what I would say at Tom's funeral. I was thinking about Tom's family and what they would think about his apparent suicide.
I was forced to patrol the rest of the sub-basements as well since most of the guards were at the site perimeters or higher levels. I would have to follow paths of Phillipe, the disappeared guard, and all of the other guards who had mismatched timestamps on their increasingly strange reports. If not for today's incident and the recording of Tom's death, I would have stood fast to the idea that these reports were the product of night jitters and drugs but now, no.
I gritted my teeth as I exited the pool area to patrol the lower levels. I hated this building I muttered to myself. I couldn't wait to see it all rumble. I thought about which part I'd like to keep from the site to place in Tom's casket – then I realized it probably wasn't going to be an open casket funeral. I was lost in my thoughts and hatred for the building as I roamed through the parking garage into the utilities basement. I lost track of where I was as I weaved down stairwells.
I shown my flashlight on the wall and the floor level sign said “Sub-basement 999”. I stopped cold in my tracks. I was hoping it was a prank but I knew it was no prank. Then I thought maybe I'd have some answers. Maybe I would finally see what all the strangeness was about. But then I freaked out about Phillipe's disappearance and turned to run back up the stairwell. I ran up four levels to what I thought was the lobby and I pushed the door open.
My jaw hit the floor when I saw a black and white galaxy – the stars were black and the space was white with gradations of gray. The whole room was just white outer space and the whole universe swirled fast counter clockwise. I tried to breath and when I did the galaxy shrunk before my eyes until it was the size of a tiny of marble and then even smaller to a speck of dust. I reached out as it floated towards me. I stared at the speck in a cold sweat. As I stared, I was looking deeper and deeper into impossible detail. In the dust I found the milky way galaxy, I found our solar system, I found Earth and then I found North America, and then I found myself back in the pool room dripping in sweat.
Time seemed to skip and space was malleable in that hotel. As we approached the deadline to drop it, some jobs which would take hours took days and some jobs which would take days took minutes. The anomalies seemed to swarm tonight and day and yet we pressed on. Tom was buried and I couldn't go.
We met the deadline and the city came out in numbers to watch us drop the thirty floor structure. They gathered nearly two blocks away clad in ponchos and dust masks bracing for the implosion triggered by half a ton of high explosives.
I was so burned out and demoralized. My mantra became “this is for Tom, this is for Tom” and it was the only thing carrying me to this day. I chalked up all the anomalies and even my own experience on 999th sub-basement level as a reaction to shock, loss, grief, and exhaustion.
We were on the thirty minute countdown and Mr. Rohmer's attorney was designated as the trigger man. He stood there with Jim and I in the command trailer with the detonator remote. The remote triggered a two minute countdown on the charges from a master control station in my command trailer. All the charges had to be hardwired old school style because we were getting too much walkie talkie and radio interference from inside the structure for any other method of trigger to be reliable. I was too tried to make a stink about insisting I do it. I just wanted it to be over but suddenly a freak thunderstorm brewed up over the city. The skies were overcast and we were on the verge of having to abort the implosion until the next day – despite the next day being a day past the deadline. If we didn't abort and went through with the implosion, there was a strong chance the shock waves from the blast would bounce back off the lower cloud base and shatter windows and ears across the city.
I sat in my command chair at the perimeter in dismay, almost in tears as it started to rain. I felt my heart drop into the acid of my stomach as I ordered the suspension of the implosion for the day. The lawyer, surprisingly, did not resist. I watched as the crowds dispersed from the viewing lines and police started to permit traffic back through the streets surrounding the site.
Then a group of unauthorized personnel threw open the door of the trailer. They were a mass of men and women clad in pressed white suits, stoney faces with thin maroon lips, one of them carried a white covered book.
The attorney dropped his eyes and head in deference to elderly man at the head of the congregation. The attorney addressed him as Monsignor. The man introduced himself as Monsignor Rohmer and he placed his hand on his attorney, calling him a cousin of the congregation, stating there will be no postponement and no delay.
Rohmer, a man I judged to be in his late 50's or early 60's was bald and covered it with a white derby hat. He was tall, about six five, and thin, so thin his suit fit him like snake half shedding its skin. His was face long and his cheeks thin and worn like a mountain side. His voice was steady and low like waterfall. Everything he said bloomed with authority and confidence. He ordered the building would be dropped in twenty minutes.
I told him I didn't care if he was the owner, the building could not be blown in this weather and I snatched the detonator out of his attorney's hands. Rohmer, moving faster than I believed humanly possible with some kind of martial arts move swiped the detonator from my hands. Simultaneously, he had two of his followers press Jim against the wall. They put him in a sleeper hold and he slumped down to the floor barely getting a word out. Then Rohmer gestured to his flock to follow towards the building.
They left in a fast deliberate almost choreographed walk like a flock of geese flying in formation. I grabbed the radio to get police help but I realized that was hopeless. I watched as our trailer was shrouded in the same interference we experienced in the building's interior. The CCTV monitors flickered out and the radio squawked static. Then I realized Rohmer had no control over the detonation and no way to contact his followers still with us in the command trailer. So I did what I had to and pulled the master key out of the master detonator in the command trailer and chased after the flock. I needed to know what was happening I needed to see with my own eyes what all of this was all about.
The Congregation had reached the lobby and I saw the trailing end of the clad white congregate into the stairwell. I darted at my best speed to follow them.
I reached the stair well door. I found Rohmer standing on the top step, apparently waiting for me. I was out of breath while he began to speak to me in his booming voice. He explained to me that if the building did not fall in the next twenty minutes, all of Earth would be pulled, sucked, inside out and down through the building into the black and white universe. The entire building, but especially the atrium dome, he continued, was designed and built to create and then temporarily contain an impossible shape, a living form, a 4 dimensional object, a tesseract, when struck by lightning in the presence of thirteen self-sacrificial Congregate members. This shape would slowly expand and cause space and time anomalies before growing so large inside compared to its size would pull us all into place with no life.
The shape was still in the process of forming even as we spoke, he said. It would reach critical mass and dimensional contortion and the only way to stop it was to disfigure and crush it in the hotel's collapse. He led me into the pool level where his entire congregation was sitting cross-legged where Tom fell. A green pulse, like a laser, came down from the ceiling into the group's center, where their white book lay open on blank pages. I had a feeling this glow was being projected down from the ballroom where the dome of the atrium was taking its final fourth dimensional form.
After a loud chant from the white clad followers, the book slammed shut and turned from a brilliant white shimming cover to one black as night. As they passed around book, their white suits turned black and the formed a single file line. Rohmer left my side and pulled the detonator from his suit. He showed it me and tossed it at me. In my panic I reached out with both hands to catch it but I forgot I still had the master key in my sweat slick hand and it fly out and fell at the foot of Rohmer.
I asked what he planned to do with the key without a lock and a jammed detonator. Rohmer bent down and grabbed the key and looked me without a hint of concern. He took the new black book into his hands and opened it facing the wall of the pool. A new green pulse launched from the book and flickered on the tiles. An octagonal outline appeared to frame a hazy image of a tropical beach. One by one Rohmer's congregation walked into the side of the pool, into glow and seemed to arrive safely on the otherside of the beach.
Once all his compatriots were on the beach, he turned a page in the book and reopened it, projecting another octagon portal on the side of the pool. I could see his destination – it was the command trailer. He stepped through portal and yelled to me from the other side that I had two minutes. The portal sealed.
I could hear the warning sirens we installed going off above me. Needless to say, I made it out, just barely. I reached the perimeter fence screaming to anyone who was in ear shot to run away. The building imploded as planned but I was caught in the dust cloud and developed tinnitus severe enough to be comparable with combat veterans.
The shock waves from the explosions were reflected off the cloud base and channeled down the street by other skyscrapers. Virtually every window in a two block radius around the site was shattered and hundreds of people were hurt in the resulting stampede and vehicle collisions caused by fleeing from the flying glass cascade. Parts of downtown looked like a war zone for weeks afterward.
Rohmer and the rest of his group, including the lawyer, had disappeared out of the trailer in another portal leaving a suitcase of gold equaling the twenty percent promised. Our company was fined, sued, and threatened with criminal charges and eventually put of business. There wasn't much left after paying the cities fines and lawyer fees.
Though I was spared any direct sanctions, I forced into an early retirement. I've had time to research Rohmer's group. There are at least six mentions of figures like Rohmer on the deepest parts of the conspiracy web. They seem to show up at a locale experiencing paranormal activity with a white book and then leave with a black book. Their departure usually marks the end of any strangeness. I can't be sure but this congregation seems to be summon demons, which they exorcise, by trapping them in their books. Trapping maybe a poor term to use since, as in the case of the Grazer hotel encounter, they can apparently cleanse the anomalies and then use the book containing them to weaponize a portion of the traits of whatever their unholy creations posses.
I suspect Rohmer and his congregation, now with the ability to teleport, are accelerating their plans, to whatever ends these paranormal means enable them.
Theo Plesha - Sequel to "Flush" by Theo Plesha on The Chilling App

• Biometrics appointment 6/8
  
• Walk-in 5/31 (today)
  

I arrived at 7:50 am (it opens at 8 am), and there was already a line of 15 people outside. This is the ASC on Wilshire Blvd in DTLA.
A lady came to verify my appointment letter, ID, and gave me a number ticket (she didn't ask why I'm coming earlier than my appointment).
When my ticket number was called inside, the officer asked me why I came early. I said I would be out of town on my appointment date, she said, "Do you have proof?"
I was worried that I would be rejected then, so I played dumb a little, "Um, what do you mean?"
"You have a plane ticket?"
I said, "Umm no, it's a road trip actually."
She just sighed and said, "Well next time you must bring proof." Stamped my form, and sent me on my way to the biometrics officer, who did my biometrics with no questions asked.
I was out by 8:15 am. Perfect.
So whoever's thinking of walking in for your biometrics, my only advice is to do it super-early. Arrive literally before they open up. I knew if I had done this at mid-day, I would have never been let in and processed.
Good luck guys!

I commented twice today about service dogs being unrestrained in cars. In the comments of one post, multiple people stated they'd been in accident with their service dog in the car. Thankfully, none were seriously injured, but I can not stress to you all enough that your dog needs to be restrained when in a moving vehicle.
I'm an EMT. I have many colleagues who have been traumatized by motor vehicle accidents involving unrestrained pets.
Dogs thrown through windshields. Dogs stuck underneath the dashboard. Dogs being ejected from open windows or doors that have opened. Dogs crushed in soft kennels. Dogs cut up on shattered hard kennels. Your dog also becomes a projectile at high speeds putting you and your passengers at risk.
Here is a video showing crash test footage of weighted dog dummies. CW!
You would never allow a 60lb child to ride in your car unrestrained. You should not allow your dog to either. Please protect your dogs!!!
You can't just buy any seatbelt or kennel either. It needs to be crash tested! Very few dog seatbelts are actually crash tested. Invest the money now, its cheaper than vet bills or god forbid a new service dog.
CRASH TESTED KENNELS:
Variocage GOLD STANDARD! CRASH RATED FOR FRONT SIDE AND ROLLOVER IMPACTS!
Gunner kennels
Ruffland kennels
CRASH TESTED SEATBELT HARNESSES:
Saker Canine
SleepyPod Clickit
ZuGoPet (small dogs)
Check the Center for Pet Safety for crash test results on some products!!
Service dogs do so much to protect you. Please protect your dogs, too!

Recently, the last month or two, I've been feeling extremely anxious. Especially since I started driving again and I recently went for my drivers test, which I failed twice now (the second time was today actually). Driving and even being a passenger makes me anxious, I think it's because of an accident I had back in 2021.
Ever since that day, I feel like my confidence has been stripped away, and since failing twice now, it's not making it any better. Before my second test today, I had bought some calming meds from the pharmacy and started using them a couple days before my test, but I don't think it did much honestly. My leg was still shaking ridiculously during the test. This anxiousness, coupled with college has just been leaving me thinking in circles, feeling drained and nauseous.
I've been bummed a bit about failing, but I'm also just frustrated with myself that I cannot just calm down no matter how hard I'm trying to think my way into being calm.
My boyfriend has obviously been driving for way longer and is way more confident and experienced in driving. He doesn't say anything but I feel like he probably thinks I'm being dramatic and that it isnt a big deal. I'm only thinking this because while we were on a video call, he noticed I was still bummed so he asked me what's wrong, and I told him I was just feeling frustrated with myself because I've been feeling anxious in general over the last 2 months, and that it really feels like I just can't breathe sometimes.
Then he asked if I feel anxious when I'm around him, I said it depends, I have my on and off days. He asked me about the calming meds, I've taken like 20 in the last 3 days (it's the dosage instructions).
Then we just carried on working while on video call and he didn't say anything else. The subject got changed. Right now I feel like I regret saying anything, maybe I am being to dramatic, I should just get over myself at this point. I feel like I'm being burdensome by being upset around him.
I mean I shouldn't be down and anxious, I have alot to be grateful for so I just feel like I'm being dramatic. Anyways, I just want to know, am I being dramatic? Also, how do you know if you actually have anxiety?

Stump removal can be a challenging task, especially if you live in a beautiful area like the Sunshine Coast. Whether you want to create additional space in your garden, eliminate a tripping hazard, or enhance the aesthetic appeal of your landscape, efficient stump removal is essential. In this article, we will explore various stump removal techniques tailored for the Sunshine Coast region, highlighting the importance of professional assistance and the benefits of effective stump removal practices.
Understanding the Challenge of Stump Removal
Stumps are often left behind after trees are cut down, and they can become unsightly obstacles in your yard. Additionally, they may continue to sprout new growth or attract pests and insects. Sunshine Coast residents are no strangers to the challenges posed by tree stumps due to the region's lush vegetation. However, with the right approach, stump removal can be a manageable process.
Professional Stump Removal Services
Engaging the services of a professional stump removal company on the Sunshine Coast is highly recommended. Experienced professionals have the necessary equipment, expertise, and knowledge to tackle stump removal efficiently and safely. They can assess the size, type, and condition of the stump, determining the most appropriate removal technique for the specific situation. By entrusting the job to professionals, you can avoid potential accidents and ensure a thorough removal process.
Grinding: A Common Stump Removal Technique
Stump grinding is a popular technique utilized by professionals for efficient stump removal. This process involves using a specialized machine to grind the stump down to a level below the ground surface. The resulting wood chips can be used as mulch or easily disposed of. Stump grinding is quick, cost-effective, and leaves the area ready for replanting or landscaping.
Chemical Stump Removal
Another option for stump removal on the Sunshine Coast is the use of chemical treatments. These treatments involve applying chemicals to the stump to accelerate its decay process. While this method is less invasive and more environmentally friendly, it is a slow process that requires patience. Chemical stump removal is best suited for smaller stumps or situations where immediate removal is not necessary.
Natural Decomposition
If you prefer a more hands-off approach, natural decomposition is an option worth considering. This method involves letting nature take its course by allowing the stump to decay naturally over time. While this technique requires patience and can take several years, it is the most eco-friendly option. However, it's important to note that decaying stumps can attract pests and take up valuable space in your yard.
Conclusion
Stump removal is a crucial step in maintaining a visually appealing and safe outdoor space on the Sunshine Coast. While several techniques exist, it is advisable to consult a professional stump removal service for efficient and hassle-free results. Their expertise will ensure the most suitable method is employed based on the size, condition, and location of the stump. By addressing stump removal promptly, you can reclaim valuable space, eliminate potential hazards, and enhance the beauty of your landscape. Don't let those unsightly stumps hinder your enjoyment of your outdoor space—take the necessary steps to ensure effective Stump Removal Sunshine Coast today.

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Injury IR15 N / CHARLESTON BLVD; NB SO 05/31/2023 07:37:14 AM

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Property Damage US95 N / LAKE MEAD BLVD;sbno 05/31/2023 07:22:12 AM

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Injury IR15 N / CHARLESTON BLVD; NB 05/31/2023 07:17:46 AM

[EDIT: u/V3nomCarnag3 pointed out a quicker achievement in today's Game, Farworld Pioneers, check it out in the comments, it's the one with the helpful award! Keep in mind this game creates different worlds for everyone, so it may take longer for you than it was for them]
If you find this post helpful, or think others will, give it an upvote or comment to help with visibility.
Everyday before, or at work, I play whatever new titles are on the Game Pass service to both check out a new game, but also get those sweet sweet 50 Microsoft Rewards points. This morning's game is FARWORLD PIONEERS.
This achievement can take a significant amount of time to acquire (15-20 minutes). So consider going for a back-up game for a quick achievement.
Farworld Pioneers is a 2D survival/crafting game developed by igloosoft, and published by tinyBuild. I've seen it described as "Terraria, in Space", but I've also seen online articles describing why that's not an accurate representation of the game. Though, certainly, at first play, it looks/feels exactly like that.
Onto the achievement...

Achievement: "You Monster!"

Again, I want to reiterate, today's achievement took me a while to get, and I got it by accident. In doing a cursory search of the game's achievements I'm not sure if any of them are quick to find. If you're interested, I've done similar posts on Cassette Beasts and Railway Empire 2 that have more accessible achievements.
[EDIT: u/V3nomCarnag3 pointed out a quicker achievement in today's Game, Farworld Pioneers, check it out in the comments, it's the one with the helpful award! Keep in mind this game creates different worlds for everyone, so it may take longer for you than it was for them]
Anyways, to get the You Monster! achievement all you need to do is let your start-of-game companion, Buddy, die. I had this happen when night-time came and something killed him (I think it was a raider). I'll be honest, I didn't see it happen, I just saw the aftermath.
This took roughly 20 minutes to occur naturally, and by my guess, it's the fastest achievement to reach quickly; but if I'm incorrect, please post in the comments a quicker achievement to get. I'm sure there's a way to make it happen quicker...you can get Buddy to follow you, and I imagine with enough exlporing you'd find mortal peril in the early minutes of the game.
Anyways, yeah, once he dies...ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.

Conclusion

Games like Farworld Pioneer aren't really my thing, so I can't speak much on the game itself, especially considering I only had 20 minutes with the game. I found the lack of tutorial a bit frustrating, but that's not a developer issue, that's a me-issue. It's definitely not a game for achievement farming.
Even though I'm told it's more than just Terraria in Space, it still does have that vibe. So if you're looking for just such a game, perhaps Farworld Pioneer is your next main game.
Happy hunting, gamers.

Hi All..
Hi folks! Looking for advice. Sorry for long post.
I along with my family (my wife and 2 year old) had to travel to Barrie on Sunday, May 28th, for which I rented a vehicle from Turo rentals with Minimum Protection Plan ($2000 Deductible). While coming back to toronto via DVP all of a sudden front driver side tire blew up and the car hit the divider on the highway, after which the car got tilted on one side, I somehow got control back of the car and put it to stop with minimum damage (just a few scratches, images attached). Thankfully, I was driving on the extreme left lane, and no one got injured except for my wife, her shoulder got bruised and swollen. I immediately called Turo to report the issue and seek out help. Within 5 - 10 mins Toronto Fire and Toronto Police services came in and blocked the lane. After a long discussion with turo customer service, they agreed to arrange a tow service to pick up the car. However, even after 45 min, there was no tow truck arrived so Toronto police suggested to use the tow service provided by third party as they needed to clear highway. All this while I was on call with Turo but they were unable to provide ETA for tow service. Finally, I had to use third party tow service to have vehicle removed from highway and park it to closest parking lot. Which costed me $406. 30. After contacting turo again, we were suprised to know that the tow service has not yet started and 20 mins later turo updated that the ETA would be 60 mins for tow service to arrive and the drop off location for the car was the mechanic shop and we had to do uber to reach back home. After a lot of discussion with Turo, they said to submit the receipts (tow service and uber) which they MIGHT reimburse.
After around 50 min stranded at a parking lot with a 2 year old, who was not well and getting cranky, the car owner came and started giving all the bullshit reasons to save his side of expenses. One was that I might have hit the car in the pothole, because of which the tire busted. I told him to check the DVP if he finds any pothole, to which he replies that I might have hit the pothole in or around Barrie (some 50 km away) because of which this happened. Next he tells me that all the tire are were new, to which I said the grooves on the tire doesn't resonate with his this statement and he is free to go and check the grooves on any of the cars that are parked there, to which he couldn't answer. He even had an audacity to ask me to replace the tire instead of using the tow service. Finally, he asked me to not report damaged on TURO and that he would give mechanic $100 and get the car repaired.
The next day I got a message from the owner that the mechanic said that the tire were way beyond safety limits and today I got a call from Turo stating that the renter has to pay all the damages charges if anything happens to the vehicle during the rental dperiod.
So now my questions are:
1) Tire blew up without any fault of mine, I literally saved the car and my family from a major accident and both the parties (turo and the owner) are putting the bills on me. So, will I have to pay for the damages. What can I do in this case?
2) My family suffered from trauma, being in the accident anything could have happened. We were stranded on highway and parking lot for 2 and half hours and my little one was all cranky and exhausted. I was continously on call with Turo and my wife was handling the kiddo with her bruised shoulder. I want to know what are my legal rights in this situation, I am so frustrated with the Turo service and owner's way of handling the situation.
Thankfully no other vehicle was involved, no collision happened. Everyone in the family is fine and even the car was not damaged. But a lot worse could have happened, because of the owner's fault of providing the car with proper tire.
Please advise what can be done ? Or any options that I can sue turo or turo host for providing us faulty car in first place.
Unable to find option to attach photos so will put it in comments section.
Appreciate your support.

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Injury LAS VEGAS BLVD S and SR146;WB 05/31/2023 06:03:18 AM

DPS Alert Vehicle Accident-Injury E SUMMERLIN PKWY and N RAMPART BLVD; WB WO 05/31/2023 05:25:25 AM