Smith street brooklyn restaurants

Wellington Haircuts

2012.07.20 00:33 Wellington Haircuts

Wondering where to get a haircut in Wellington, NZ? You're not alone! Fucken heaps of other people are, too!
[link]


2023.06.07 22:06 AstronomerHot4972 Yummy Yummy Noodle in Chinatown is Highly Underrated

I want to give a shout-out to Yummy Yummy Noodles on S Wentworth in Chinatown for having the most delicious AND affordable Chinese food that I’ve had in Chicago. I’ve been to a few restaurants on the main streets of Chinatown, and while I’ve found their food good, I do feel like you are paying more money for the location and overhead than the actual food itself. However, Yummy Yummy has some bomb food, and the prices are cheap (nothing really is over $11-12). I’d recommend the beef noodle soups. I am posting on here to give more limelight to this mom and pop restaurant as I rarely see many customers there every time I’ve gone, and I think it’s sad that the big restaurants on the main roads are detracting from this gem just because it’s located on a small side street. So if you guys are ever in Chinatown, please give this place a try!
submitted by AstronomerHot4972 to chicagofood [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 21:59 Irozie To J, if I can still call you that.

Hey,
Remember me? Of course you do, despite how much you may try not to.
I’ve been reading about the smoke in Brooklyn. I keep thinking about your parents’ house, on that busy little street named after an island. I wonder what it looks like in that orange haze. It’s been years, but here I am worrying about your heart condition from 700 miles away.
If I close my eyes, and sit really still, it’s almost like I’m still there. In my heart I know I don’t want to be, but that doesn’t stop me from picturing it. It’s weird how we both just walk through life carrying each other’s secrets.
I wish we didn’t end the way that we did. I wish we weren’t strangers. How can two people who fell asleep together night after night become strangers? If I could go back in time to the day we met I would tell you I just wanted to be friends. We could have been really great friends. We still might be if I had done that.
The last time we spoke sucked. There’s no other way around it. I caught you in a lie and you gaslit me. I was so mad. Honestly I was heartbroken. I wasn’t dumb enough to think we’d end up happily ever after. But I thought we could at least be friends when it all ended. We had so much fun together. I had confided in you during a really dark time. You felt like an escape.
I’m a different person now. I’ve grown so much. I really like who I am now. What’s funny is that I don’t think you would. You wanted someone submissive, someone you could manipulate and control. You weren’t happy with your life and I intimidated you. It wasn’t healthy. It’s easy to see all this in retrospect, but I still have days like today where I can’t help but remember the good times.
You hurt me a lot, but I grew from it and I hope you’ve grown too. I don’t wish you harm in the slightest. Despite what you did I think you have a good heart, you’re just wounded and traumatized. You were raised in an environment where you had to be tough. I see that. It doesn’t excuse your behavior, but I want you to know that I see that.
You weren’t the person I thought you were. That sucks. Sometimes I wonder if you were ever even pretending to be or if I was just projecting and too stupid to see you for who you really are.
But if it was all fake, why does my breath still catch when I see the forecast in Brooklyn?
submitted by Irozie to UnsentLetters [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 21:46 ZealousidealAd7133 Considering moving to the UK from the US

ASAK, I (22F) am currently attending medical school in the US but I have been considering moving to the UK for some time now. After visiting my pakistani extended family in London last year I became obsessed with moving there. I loved seeing so many hijabis freely walking on the street, something I never see where I live here. There were also so many more halal restaurants to choose from. I also always wanted to raise my future children in a country with a larger Muslim population and the Muslim population in the UK is 10% while here its only 1.5%. I know that by moving there and working as a physician I will cut my potential income in half so I am also considering staying in the US and moving to a state with lots of muslims like new york, chicago, or texas. Please let me know if moving there is a valid choice or if I should stay here.
submitted by ZealousidealAd7133 to Muslim [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 21:28 Majoroniell Orthodox

Orthodox submitted by Majoroniell to NorCalTours [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 21:19 newmusicrls Latin House Music 2023 June Playlist

https://minimalfreaks.co/2023/06/latin-house-music-2023-june-playlist/
  1. Hugel, Westend, Cumbiafrica – Aguila feat. Cumbiafrica 02:48 125bpm Gbm
  2. AtcG, Jude & Frank – La Tarde 02:43 125bpm Cm
  3. Petrona Martinez, Simon Field – Las Penas 03:06 126bpm B
  4. Dean Mickoski, Idd Aziz – MaMirenza 03:34 123bpm Ebm
  5. Wade, Cloonee – Mi Amor 03:16 128bpm Am
  6. Cumbiafrica, TCTS, Gotsome – Fuego 01:56 126bpm
  7. Mendo – La Krika 2023 (Radio Edit) 03:04 126bpm Cm
  8. Merk & Kremont, Hugel, Lirico En La Casa – Marianela (Que Pasa) (Extended Mix) 04:07 124bpm C
  9. Gigi de Martino – Me Hace Sonar 03:05 128bpm Dbm
  10. Federico Scavo, OKWARD – Señorita (Federico Scavo Remix) 02:50 128bpm Gbm
  11. Gregor Salto, DJ Gregory – Canoa 09:06 127bpm Bbm
  12. DJ Chus, Lissat & Voltaxx – Vuela Paloma 06:15 126bpm Gm
  13. Sllash & Doppe – Gingoba 03:11 124bpm
  14. Cloonee – Sun Goes Down 02:34 126bpm Abm
  15. HUGEL – Morenita feat. Cumbiafrica 02:56 124bpm Db
  16. BLOND:ISH, Amadou & Mariam, Francis Mercier – Sete 03:29 125bpm Gbm
  17. Nicola Fasano, Pat-rich – 75 Brazil Street (Radio Mix) (Nicola Fasano Vs Pat-Rich) 03:07 126bpm
  18. Crusy, Dombresky, Mathieu Ruz – El Beso (feat. Mathieu Ruz) (Antho Decks Mix) 02:52 126bpm Cm
  19. Jenn Morel, HUGEL, Crusy, Joelii – KLK 03:10 126bpm Bb
  20. TAPIWA – Dancehall 02:37 127bpm Cm
  21. Mark Pigato – Trompeta 03:04 125bpm F
  22. La Fuente, Mavis Acquah, Boris Smith – Cada Vez (feat. Mavis Acquah) 02:40 123bpm Gm
  23. Federico Scavo, Tello – Caimanera 02:25 123bpm Am
  24. Hugel, feat , Cumbiafrica – El Sueno 02:51 126bpm
  25. Gianpiero Xp, Mantide – Ave Maria feat. Simona Boo (Radio Edit) 03:19 122bpm Bbm
  26. Chris River – Vida E O Sol 02:45 122bpm Em
  27. Antoine Clamaran – REPLAY (Radio Edit) 03:25 125bpm Dm
  28. Afro Medusa – Pasilda 03:21 127bpm Cm
  29. Softmal, Nytron, MC Flavinho – Ela Perde A Linha 05:10 124bpm Fm
  30. Divolly & Markward, Leandro Da Silva – Roadrunner 03:02 124bpm Ab
  31. Aura Sanchez – Cada Mudo 02:49 125bpm Cm
  32. San Pacho – Pride 02:51 126bpm F#m
  33. Jack Frost – Nothings Gonna Ever 03:10 bpm
  34. Bakermat – Baianá 03:02 122bpm Dm
  35. Dario Nuñez, Frank Nitty – Asi Lo Grita 03:11 124bpm
  36. Drop Department, SuitStatic – Bucovina 03:34 125bpm Gm
  37. Leandro Da Silva – Samba De Janeiro 02:42 126bpm Am
  38. Michel Cleis, Toto La Momposina – La Mezcla (feat. Totó la Momposina) (Edit) 02:52 127bpm Bbm
  39. Yolanda Be Cool, Massivedrum – Hacia La Noche 03:26 123bpm
  40. Diplo, Mat.Joe, Toto Bona Lokua – Conga Rock 04:30 122bpm Cm
  41. San Pacho – Amor 02:35 126bpm Bm
  42. Sebjak – Aguacero 06:42 120bpm Fm
  43. Roland Clark, Ant LaRock – Alkebulan (David Mayer Remix) 07:50 123bpm Bbm
  44. BLOND:ISH – Rio Secreto 06:14 119bpm C
  45. Jesse Garcia – Me Duele el Alma 05:03 125bpm Ebm
  46. Sak Noel, Salvi, Franklin Dam – Tocame 02:37 128bpm A
  47. Kryder, Cato Anaya – La Cumbiambera 02:45 125bpm Gbm
  48. Kenny Brian & Gregor Salto – Jaleo 03:07 124bpm
  49. Latin Deejays – La Cumbianera 03:06 bpm
  50. Mijangos – Aqui Se Baila (Afro Latin Mix) 05:08 120bpm Fm
  51. Chuckie – Kumbaza 02:33 128bpm Dm
  52. Tom Budin, Rave Radio – Venezuela 02:36 bpm
  53. Simon Fava, Yvvan Back – Sway (Mucho Mambo) 02:39 125bpm
  54. Mad Mind – Rumbita 03:16 128bpm Dbm
  55. Gregor Salto, KASSIANO, OYE!!!, Craigy-T – Keep Calm (feat. Craigy-T & Gregor Salto) 02:16 108bpm Dm
  56. Double Pleasure – El Pescador (Edit) 03:18 126bpm A#m
  57. Antoine Clamaran, Alex Guesta – Colorada 05:12 125bpm Am
  58. Latin Deejays – Aprieta 03:05 126bpm
  59. Mastiksoul – Danca do Bumbum feat. Afro Bros 04:17 130bpm Am
  60. Tom Tyger & Nico De Andrea – Coco Bongo 02:57 125bpm
  61. Sergio Mendes, Simon Fava – Magalenha 03:29 128bpm Am
  62. David Tort, Yas Cepeda, Markem, Ella Loponte – Strangers (feat. Ella Loponte) 03:42 124bpm Fm
  63. Kim Kaey – El Ritmo 02:46 124bpm Ebm
  64. Simon Fava, Yvvan Back – Bailar Riddim 03:31 125bpm F
  65. Eddie Thoneick – Fuego 02:46 124bpm Am
  66. Alex Guesta – Babarabatiri (Alex Guesta Tribal Mix) 04:00 78bpm Dm
  67. Nxny, Double Pleasure – La Zona 02:54 124bpm
  68. Víctor Magan, Henry Mendez, Francesc Sentís – Si Tú No Me Quieres 03:25 bpm
  69. Daddy’s Groove – Borracho 03:06 124bpm Gm
  70. Vanco, Gianluca Vacchi, Bootleg Flex – Viento feat. Bootleg Flex 03:48 127bpm Bb
  71. D-Rashid, Flowliner – 1000 People 03:18 128bpm Cm
  72. Mariana BO – Antonio 03:06 126bpm E
  73. Leeb, Dayvi, Mr Fox, Aldair Productions – Se Aloca 03:07 bpm
  74. Leandro Da Silva – Ontas (Te Pago El Uber) 02:38 94bpm Bb
  75. Crazibiza – Cumbiano 05:20 123bpm Em
  76. John Revox – Ole (Dirty Rush Hot In Ibiza vocal remix) 07:10 128bpm
  77. Magan & Rodriguez – El Señor de la Noche (Radio Version) 03:43 126bpm Gm
  78. Mastiksoul – Run For Cover 03:56 130bpm Cm
  79. Juan Magan – Akordeon De La Vida feat. Bodytalk 05:33 128bpm Cm
  80. Franklin Dam, Víctor Magan – Que Rico 03:37 bpm
  81. Magan & Rodriguez – Bora Bora – Radio Edit 03:48 126bpm
  82. Robbie Rivera, JP Candela – Morenita (Simon Kidzoo & Mike Mendo Remix) 03:03 126bpm Dbm
  83. Bo Degas – Colombia 05:12 123bpm Cm
  84. Eddie Thoneick – Guinea 03:02 95bpm Abm
  85. Elvis Crespo, Juacko – Suavemente (Edm) 04:11 123bpm
  86. Simon Fava, Yvvan Back – Cuban Riddim 02:47 126bpm
  87. Malone, PAUZA – Muy Bien 06:55 125bpm Em
  88. Splashfunk – Candelo (Mirko Boni Edit) 03:07 128bpm A#m
  89. DJ Lucho – El Pito 03:38 128bpm
  90. Nicola Fasano, Dual Beat – Macaco Mata El Toro 04:05 126bpm Gm
  91. Ivan Gomez – Work My Beats 2010 (Original 2010 Remix) 08:35 128bpm Gbm
  92. Velarde & Luque – The Party (Oscar L & Pombo Remix) 07:07 127bpm Dbm
  93. Esteban Guerro, Vip – La Rumba (Jackin Vip Mix) 04:59 125bpm Bm
  94. Brick City – Rumba Magic (DJ Chus & David Herrero Mix) 06:22 128bpm Cm
  95. Sin Morera – Heartbeat Feat. Bianca (The Cube Guys Remix) 04:59 128bpm Ab
  96. Danny Leblack – Freshkito 06:36 126bpm Dbm
  97. T. Tommy, Jouse Ventura – Base 4 07:03 127bpm G
  98. Gyradix – Tabaco y Ron 03:38 125bpm Fm
  99. Eli Brach – La Luna 07:01 92bpm Bm
  100. Tercero – Baila Conmigo (Radio Edit) 02:42 125bpm D#m
  101. Felipe Espitia, Sersh – Amanecer 04:59 125bpm Bm
  102. Dj Algio – Balearic Vibes (Deluxe Remix) 05:33 bpm
  103. Juzt 2 Brothers – Las Mujeres Estan 05:54 63bpm Em
  104. Albert Aponte – Palabras Falsas 05:48 124bpm F#m
  105. Luca Ricci – La Musica vs. El Dinero feat. Monica Hernandez (London 909 Remix) 08:37 130bpm Ab
  106. Bongotrack – Rio Magdalena (Techplayers Remix) 05:32 125bpm Ab
  107. Dani Ferna, Mikel Blanco – El Maya 07:37 126bpm Bm
  108. Sted-E & Hybrid Heights – Berroche 05:00 124bpm Dm
  109. Belocca, Vlada Asanin – Monster Truck 07:25 126bpm Em
  110. Tom Staar, Martina Camargo – Me Sueno (feat. Martina Camargo) 03:13 126bpm Cm
  111. Hiio, Kryder – La Luna 03:15 128bpm Gbm
  112. Martina Camargo, David Novacek, Felipe Espitia – Guata feat. Martina Camargo 04:11 124bpm A#m
  113. Christian Malloni – Agua Ardiente 07:02 123bpm Ebm
  114. Martina Camargo, Adalwolf, Alex Pizzuti – La Pluma 02:56 126bpm Bm
  115. Ninetoes – Finder (Carl Cox Remix Edit) 03:26 126bpm Em
  116. David Jimenez, Matt Caseli – Aguilas Del Monte feat. Martina Camargo 06:15 124bpm Gbm
  117. J8Man, Jude & Frank – Agua 06:06 127bpm Am
  118. Shorty – Vazilando (Kryder & Eddie Thoneick Remix) 05:26 126bpm Gbm
  119. Antoine Clamaran, DJ Fist – El Pajaro 2017 06:19 126bpm Gbm
  120. Federico Scavo, Meme – Poseidon feat. Meme (Radio Mix) 03:27 125bpm Dm
  121. Lemarroy, Holy Pig – El Borracho 03:25 124bpm Gm
  122. Ninetoes – Volar La Pluma (Edit) 04:54 124bpm Bm
  123. Tom Staar, Kryder, The Wulf – De Puta Madre 03:29 124bpm A
  124. Drop Department – Mahala 04:48 128bpm A#m
  125. Gary Caos, Emilio Hernandez – Colegiala (Emilio Hernandez Mix) 05:23 126bpm Gbm
  126. Mirko Boni – El Payaso (Radio Edit) 03:29 126bpm G
  127. Gigi de Martino – Mar adentro (Il canto della sirena) 06:43 126bpm Fm
  128. Tommyboy, Crazibiza, Jude & Frank, Dragonfly (US) – Aguardiente (Jude & Frank Remix) 06:14 125bpm F
  129. Dj Dany Co. – Mi Tambora 05:05 128bpm Abm
  130. Kid Massive, Mirko Boni – Cumbia Para Mi Tierra 05:51 125bpm Cm
  131. Mastiksoul – El Macho (Gregor Salto Remix) 06:46 128bpm G
  132. Samim – Heater (Tube & Berger Remix Edit) 03:31 125bpm F#m
  133. Ilary Montanari – Morenita (Flashmob Remix) 06:38 124bpm Bbm
  134. Ninetoes – Bonita 07:04 123bpm D
  135. Robbie Rivera, JP Candela – Morenita 03:19 110bpm Dbm
  136. Robby East, Martina Camargo – Guate (feat. Martina Camargo) 03:09 124bpm
  137. Mark Knight, Shovell – Selecao feat. Shovell 03:29 122bpm G#m
  138. Nicola Fasano, Paul Jockey – La Cumbia De La Barra 04:50 126bpm Db
submitted by newmusicrls to HypeTracks [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 20:30 street-guru 10 Predictions on the Future of ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Consumer Space

Although generative AI is in the early innings of its developments, analysts see a world of opportunities for retailers and restaurants to leverage AI to increase conversion, build bigger baskets, and optimize costs ahead. Here top 10 predictions on the future of ChatGPT and generative AI in the consumer space.
  1. May I Take Your Order? Within the quick-service restaurants space, we are seeing early adopters (ex: MCD, WEN) use AI to take orders at drive-thrus, which could simplify processes, optimize store labor, drive average check higher, improve throughput, and integrate with loyalty/rewards programs. Looking ahead, bots could be the primary service providers at QSRs.
  2. Personal Stylist. We believe that recently introduced styling services could give customers higher confidence in their purchases, which could translate to more items per basket at potentially higher price points. In 10 years, consumers might be able to try on full outfits and decorate their homes using a VR headset from anywhere.
  3. In-Aisle POS and Inventory Management. Retailers are already beginning to experiment with "just walk-out" sales technology and scan-and-go, but 10-years from now, we believe most retailers could integrate a system of both camera and weighted-shelves to eliminate the check out process, reduce shrink, and better monitor out-of-stocks.
  4. Back Room Bot. Although still in early stages, robots powered by machine learning are beginning to enter the back room of many stores. CMG is testing robotic solutions to make tortilla chips. WMT just opened its first market fulfillment center which leverage robots to create a dense storage system and is 3x faster than the traditional order fulfillment process.
  5. Product Innovation. AI can also help develop new products. RVLV is one of the early adopters to incorporate AI design in its merchandise and recently released a limited-edition capsule collection based on AI deigns. Similarly, we think restaurant culinary teams could collaborate with AI to create new/improved recipes and cooking techniques.
https://street-guru.com/opinion/10-predictions-on-the-future-of-chatgpt-and-generative-ai-in-the-consumer-space_20230607_186/
submitted by street-guru to streetguru [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 20:21 Relentless_blanket Rebel Yarn complaint information

Hello everyone! Please read full post, lots of helpful information here.
If you are still finding issues with retrieving your money back from Rebel Yarn, please file a complaint with North Carolina Attorney General, Josh Stein.
You can fill out the form here [General Consumer Complaint Form](https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/)
You can also call (Outside of North Carolina) (919) 716-600
If you live *IN* North Carolina, call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (877-566-7226)
PLEASE include supporting documents, such as purchase orders, proof of payment (make sure dates are accurate) emails or messages. Any attempts at communication and any and all responses from Lindsey. I have screen shots of her personal IG showing that they were not in-fact in dire straights and hurting for money between Sept and Dec. She took her family to Disney World, stayed in a pretty sweet hotel, dined at some not so cheap restaurants. As far her and her husband's sciatica and migraines, posting pics of 140 mile motorcycle cruises, going to motorcycle gatherings (think Street Vibrations), partying it up.
Her information is: Rebel Yarn Co.....339 Airedale Trail.....Garner, NC 27529.
Her new website is [Rebel Yarn Co](http://www.rebelyarncollc.com) .
She has registered as an LLC as of 12/16/2022. This means Rebel Yarn Co legally exists as a separate entity from Lindsey and Ryan(husband). Therefore, they cannot typically be held personally responsible for RYC debts and liabilities. However, in cases where an individual owner doesn't personally guarantee the LLC's debts, they can still be sued personally, and the court may find them liable. In general, courts err on the side of upholding LLC protections and only "pierce the corporate veil" where there's wrongful or fraudulent conduct. Which I think they will see them changing to an LLC trying to avoid the fraudulent sales and refunds. I am doing some research, but I believe Lindsey and Ryan are held responsible for all of the debts of Rebel Yarn Co from before 12/16/22 because at that time they were not an LLC.
Report her to the IRS and they will open an investigation into her tax payments.
Report to Instagram, TikTok (@rebel.yarn.co), Facebook (Rebel Yarn Co), and PayPal.
I left a message for Instagram customer service at (650) 543-4800 with a brief synopsis of what is happening and that people do not expect IG to help get their money back but only to shut down her accounts because of what she has done. I urge you to also call and leave a message as the "help" on the app/website doesn't do much in the way of helping. It is a long listen on the phone but, please leave a message.
Keep fighting the good fight. I might be setting up a new sub strictly for RYC to help others out. I will keep everyone updated and will invite you to it if I do.
submitted by Relentless_blanket to crochetingcritters [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:53 Necrolancer96 Summoning Kobolds At Midnight: A Tale of Suburbia & Sorcery. 87

Chapter LXXXVII

Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

"Well, there goes the neighborhood." Agent Smith stated as him, Agent Doe, and everyone else in town, watched the migration of people stream into the small town as the sun hit the horizon.

They looked like a bunch of extras to Lord of the Rings. People with pointed ears and flowing robes. People short and stout and with thick beards with bands of gold and silver woven into them. Shorter people that spoke in high-pitched nasally voices and large glasses. There were even people dressed in what looked like giant turtle suits.

Of course that's what the townsfolk would think. To the two Agents it was a very real possibility that these people came from another world like the lizard people, greenskins, and the halflings.

"So much for my report being up-to-date." Agent Smith sighed as he went inside and burned the report he had spent so much time typing out. As he cleaned up the ashes the hotel phone rang.

Johnathan looked between the phone and Agent Smith with a look of curiosity as the Agent seemed greatly hesitant to answer. Agent Smith looked at Johnathan as the phone continued to ring. He walked over and disconnected the line to the phone and it went silent. For a second.

"Damn." Smith cursed as the disconnected phone rang once more despite there being no connection.

He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear. He bit back another curse as the voice of the Director came through.
"Agent Smith."

"Director."

"How is the investigation coming along?" She asked.

"Well, until about a few minutes ago it was going pretty smoothly and quietly."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, changed?"

"I'd tell you but if you're calling then that means you already know."

"Of course I already know. I'm just disappointed it came from our sources in the State Government and not my two field agents."

"What is the State going to do?"

"They're going to send the 111th Engineer Brigade, and the 77th Brigade Troop Command."

"All of them?!"

"What did you expect? The population of some small town in the middle of nowhere just became the largest in the State in a single day. They're even sending the 35th."

Smith tapped his foot in thought.
"Can we stop them? Or at the very least make it so they don't send damn near the entire National Guard of West Virginia?"

"No can do Agent. Even if we had caught this before the Governor's office did, we still would've sent troops in. This became top priority the second a large number of people came over."

"Well what about leaks? We can't keep the lid on this with so many showing up."

"We'll be sending our own task force. Officially they are there as "Federal Oversight". In actuality they are there to aid you in your investigation as well as limit leaks from the National Guard."

"So there isn't anything we can do to stop them from showing up en masse?"

"Unfortunately no. Aerial recon is being deployed to "substantiate" the claim. But seventy-thousand people showing up out of nowhere isn't something to take lightly. When they see that there are indeed an entire city's worth of people, then they will send the rest. But that will be a few days, a week at most. Once they verify, they'll be getting crash courses in crisis response and begin mobilization."

"What about the rest of the Federal Government?"

"As far as the State is aware WE are the Federal response. And we are going to keep it that way."

Smith didn't like this, not one bit. It was hard enough doing their job quietly in even a small town like this. Now they had to worry about not only a population the size of medieval Venice, but now the National Guard.
"What if we-"

"No, Agent Smith."

"We could do it you know?"

"Not in the time we have nor the volume. You should know that disappearing an entire town is hard enough, doing it to a city's worth of people is harder to not only pull off but harder to sell to the public."

Smith huffed in frustration.
"So what's the new mission?"

"The same as it was before. Only this time, you'll be getting a team to back you up. Set up and monitor everything that happens. Keep the NG from getting too close to the less explainable creatures and people. ESPECIALLY keep them away from Entity APL-1."

"You mean-"

"I will not use that ludicrous name! It is a dangerous entity! Not a pet!"

Smith chuckled a bit.
"Since we're talking, would you like my report up till today?"

The Director sighed.
"Very well. Only because this is a secure way of communicating."

So Smith gave the Director his report. Jeb and the kobolds. Morty and the greenskins. The halflings. All of it. There was a pause as the Director processed the information. No doubt already sending various people about to adjust to the new information.
"Is that all you have to report Agent Smith?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Good, continue as planned until our team arrives then procced from there."

"Yes Ma'am."

"And don't call me Ma'am. Makes me sound old."

"You are old."

Smith heard the Director guffaw.
"And you aren't?! Quit being insubordinate and get back to work Agent Smith."

"Yes Ma-"

CLICK

"Rude old bitty." Smith quipped playfully as he set the dead phone back on its base.

Johnathan just stared at Smith.
"How-"

"Trade secret Agent Doe. You'll find out when you're older. In the mean time. Its business as usual until reinforcements arrive. So go pull up a chair and observe." Smith stated as he dragged one of the worn hotel chairs out and sat on it while he watched the sheer number of people walking about along the main street of the town.
-----
Time must be different here than back home, because that was NOT "20 minutes", thought the Duchess as she entered the town the deputy had pointed out to her. She and her people were drained. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.

This worlds sun was past its peak when they came to this world. Now it was just nearing the horizon to the west as they reached the town. The chill air didn't help, especially the turtle people from the isles. The moderately sized enclave that live- HAD lived in Daele grumbled and groaned the whole walk. Both the temperature difference and the long journey didn't agree with them.

Everyone had dressed for a spring that, just a few hours ago, they were sure they weren't going to see. Now it felt like they had missed it entirely! But the sight was still something to behold.

Sure it wasn't a grand city like Daele... was. But it was still shelter, and it was still a wonder to see. Buildings made of faded red brick or what looked like solid stone and glass. A road made from a faded black stone. Lights that didn't look like they needed fire. Not to mention the multitude of metal carriages about! She couldn't see any horses in sight and she wondered how they were pulled.

A sentiment shared by many, but especially of Dylan. He was looking around the new town with wide eyes. Scribbling on his notepad furiously as his eyes darted back and forth over everything new they saw. He wasn't the only one shocked and awed. Though some looked less than impressed by the simple, even rough, conditions of the town.

They weren't sure where to go, but seeing a slightly taller white colored building decided to head there. Perhaps that was where they could inquire with whoever the ruler was, the Duchess thought.

As they neared City Hall, the Duchess glanced about and observed the people of the town. Everyone she saw was human, many were old and tired looking. But even the younger people she saw had a tired and worn look on their face. These looks barely changed as they watched and stared at the migration.

There were no offers of support or aid from the townsfolk. Judging from the condition of the town, they probably didn't have much for themselves let alone her people, she thought sadly. Her honor guard stayed close to her as they made their way through the street.

As she reached the steps of City Hall a commotion was heard and a portly man, a gangly nervous looking man, and several other, equally rounded, men shuffled out and greeted her. Or what might pass for a greeting around here.
"Who are you and what is going on here?!"

The nervous looking man stuttered a response.
"T-t-t-the Sh-sh-sheriff l-l-l-l-"

"Cease your infernal stuttering Greg and get to the point!" The Mayor snapped.

"The point is Gerald is that these people arrived looking for shelter." The Sheriff stated as he climbed the stairs, his two deputies flanking him.

The Mayor cast a suspicious eye on the sea of people that filled out one of the few roads Somewhere had. They were starting to coalesce around City Hall as they tried to get close enough to hear what was happening. Though many were still amassed at the edge of town where the town ended and the landscape changed to that of fields and hills.

"Oh are they now? Pray tell how we are supposed to shelter them Sheriff? How are we supposed to feed them? Hmm? Did you think of that before inviting these people to our town?"

"You're right Mayor. Our town is under enough stress without adding more people we can't take care of." The Sheriff answered plainly.

"There we have it! You all will just have to-"

"That's why I called the Governor and he's sending the National Guard to aid both the town and these poor people."

"YOU WHAT!?" The Mayor rounded on the Sheriff so fast his jowls still shook from the motion.

The Sheriff stepped up to the Mayor.
"We needed help before these people showed up. Now we DESPERATLY need help!"

"So you call the Governor!?! Are you mad!?"

"No! I care about this town and I'm not going to see it die because you're too scared of the past!"

"There's a damn good reason we are and you know it!" The Mayor hissed.

As the Mayor and the Sheriff bickered, the Duchess, flanked by two of the Delta Guard, walked up the steps and bowed to the two men. The heavily armed and armored men made the councilmen and deputies nervous, causing the latter to put their hands on their holsters.
"I am sorry if our presence puts too much strain on your town. If need be we will leave at first light."

"Good! You can-"

"STAY! We are good and honest folk and we won't turn away those in need!"

"If it helps alleviate your burden. We do have some wealth that we still retain. We can donate some as thanks for your hospitality."

The Mayor, and councilmen, perked up at that.
"Wealth you say?"

The Duchess touched a hand to a ornate necklace she had. Silver and aquamarine. She unclasped it and held it out.
"I could not ask my people to do what I would not. So accept this as my thanks."

The Mayor's eyes went wide and he licked his lips as he reached a fat hand out to snatch up the exquisite jewelry. But he was stopped by the Sheriff who stood between the necklace and his meaty hands. The Delta Guard tensed at the movement put did no more once it was apparent it wasn't a threatening motion.

"That isn't necessary. If you wish to show thanks then please. Enjoy what the town has to offer. Food, a few hotels and apartments you and yours can stay in and any other services and amenities you find. Please. If you wish to offer thanks, then offer it to the people of the town itself."

The Duchess smiled and withdrew the necklace before bowing.
"Thank you for your hospitality. Me and my people will do our utmost to repay it and do our best to be civil guests in your town!"

"Of course! If need be there are other places that might be able to shelter your people. We have some space at the station. The railyard probably wouldn't say no to housing some of your people. As I said, we have room and board in several parts of town that wouldn't say no to any new business!"

The Sheriff and the Mayor bickered quietly while the Duchess turned to address her people.
"Good people of Daele! We have come far from our home by the sea and have faced many hardships in these past weeks! But now the people here have been generous enough to offer us shelter! Offer us Sanctuary! They only ask that we reward that kindness at the many shops and vendors around the town! So go and find a place to rest and fill your bellies and get warm!"

With that, the great flood of people murmured curiously and excitedly as they formed various groups and began to explore the town as the message was carried through the mass of bodies. As the Duchess watched, many group heads came to her.

The scions of the dwarven banking clans and the remnants of the nobility, elvish and human, walked up to join her. As did the heads of the various merchant houses, smithy and artisan guilds. Even Alban pulled Dylan away from running off to fulfill his duty as the leader, and half, of the Artificers Guild. The Great Sage of the tortle enclave grunted as she walked over with the rest of the leaders before sitting down on the cool grass nearby with a relieved sigh.

"What're we ta do now yer Ladyship?" One of the dwarves asked as he ran a bejeweled hand over his golden beard that was woven with emerald imbedded silver bands.

"We do as I stated. We find places to rest and recover from our journey. Tomorrow we will meet again with the leaders of the town and work out the rest."

One of the elves sniffed his hawkish nose as he gazed at the town.
"Are we really to stay in such a place so... pedestrian?"

"We aren't really in a position to argue my Lord. If it is not to your liking then you are free to keep walking in hopes of finding someplace more suited to your tastes."

The elf sniffed indignantly but remained where he was. One of the merchants spoke next.
"What should we do then? We have no place to work our trades."

The other merchants and various guild leaders nodded in affirmation.
"For tonight, just find food and shelter. I'm sure that these people will have need of, and greatly appreciate, your work. As I have stated already. Food and shelter first. Everything else will be settled tomorrow."

The leaders all grumbled and murmured but did little else as they split off to find their own places of rest. The Great Sage groaning and grumbling as she forced herself to stand and return to her people. Though the dwarves and Dylan walked over to the Sheriff and Mayor.
"Excuse me lad? What were tha' 'bout a railyard?"

The Sheriff broke the mutual glaring between him and the Mayor and turned to the stout man.
"The railyard. Its on the north of town. Follow the main road here and take a left at the library. Can't miss it."

"Well thank ye lad. But uhm? What is a railyard?"

"Well, its a place where trains are stored and maintained, its also where freight from our town is, or was, shipped out of and to the rest of the country."

The dwarves hummed in understanding.
"One last question lad. What is a train?"

[First] [Prev] [Next]
submitted by Necrolancer96 to HFY [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:48 FoodieLoverForver Which city has the most Indian restaurants in the USA?

The city that is often regarded as having the most famous Indian restaurants in the USA is New York City. Known for its diverse culinary scene, New York City offers a wide range of Indian restaurants that cater to different regional cuisines and culinary styles from India. Whether you're looking for traditional Indian dishes, street food, or contemporary Indian fusion, you'll find numerous renowned Indian restaurants in New York City. From upscale fine dining establishments to casual eateries, the city has a vibrant Indian food culture that attracts locals and visitors alike.
submitted by FoodieLoverForver to u/FoodieLoverForver [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:47 iznnreddit Japan June/July Itinerary

Hello,
After getting so many tips from people in this Sub I finally finished my Itinerary.
I'll be going to Japan this Month, I made plans accordingly to the Rain and some places I wanna go.
BOLD means it's a must for me.
Italic are mentions, memos about food, cafes and places I can go has backup If its raining alot.
Some Restaurants/Cafes are there so I know they exist and don't forget about them then I can go based on my mood.
I Have a Google My Maps done inserted on my Google Maps, so I'll know where they are when I'm close. :)
I also plan in colecting goshuin and eki stamp. So I accept tips :)
I look for any tips you guys might have, maybe tell me the days that seem fully packed, tips about food I might try in the area and just you guys experience overall.

Day 1


Day 2 (Nagoya Hotel)
Rain Tips in Nagoya : Toyota Museum / Osu Shopping street

Day 3

Day 4 (Kyoto Hotel)

Rain Tips in Kyoto: Sagano Onsen / National Museum of Kyoto / Nishiki Market / Teramachi / Shinkyogoku
Food: Soba/Omurice

Day 5


Day 6


Day 7
Food: Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki

Day 8

Rain Tips in Osaka: Kaiyukan Aquarium / Shotengai
Food: Kushikatsu/ Takoyaki / Yakiniku /Okonomiyaki

Day 9


Day 10


Day 11 (Shibuya Hotel)


Day 12

Day 13

Day 14


Day 15


Day 16


Day 17

Day 18 (Akihabara Hotel)


Day 19

Day 20


Day 21


Day 22


Day 23

edited for tweeks
submitted by iznnreddit to JapanTravel [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:36 Overall-Escape1128 Welcome to America

 For legal reasons the story I'm about to tell is not true. It did not happen. I was not there. In fact I am currently making this story up as I type solely for the purpose of this reddit. Any likes or similarities to persons or places is purley coincidental and there for unintentional. I will however be telling this story in first person as if I was there to help the reader follow along. Last but not least trigger warning! For self unaliving, domestic violence, and pew pew violence. Without further ado let the story begin. 
I work for a donation center. Doesn't matter which. All you need to know is I work in the back room hanging up donated clothes all day long. That's all I do. One day I get to work and start doing my thing. It's a normal work day and everything going smoothly. Or so I thought... I could have not been more wrong. About hour and a half into my shift the dock worker comes running in from the back flustered and tells our manager there is an emergency out back and they need them out there now. Manager does not freaking hesitate! Manager takes off running. Honestly I was a little impressed. I didn't know manager could run so fast. Now of course I'm curious what's going on but I brush it off as nothing. Not my business, also I don't get paid enough to worry about these things, manager obviously has it all taken care of. Besides I'm sure I'll hear about it later. It's work, everyone talks. So I just get back to doing what I do. I actually really enjoy my job. It's amazing the stuff people just donate for free instead of reselling it online or something. So there I am just hanging clothes minding my own business. Until about three minutes later a police officer comes running through the back pewpew drawn and tells us to lock all the doors, no one in or out of the building, and then runs out the back entrance. At this point my coworkers and I are all standing around in shock staring at each other like wtf just happened? I should probably also mention that the doors in the back can't lock. They're those swing in and out doors. We couldn't even block them if we wanted to. There's literally nothing we can do but stand around wondering wtf is going on outside. In the area where we work there is a CCTV that shows us what's happening in the back. We have it for when people drop off donations behind the building or if there is an incident with one of the trucks it's all recorded. We gather around the tv and try to see what's going on but luckily everything is happening just to the right of what our screen can see. All we can see is maybe one cop car with an officer standing in front of it pewpew drawn. There's no sound but we can tell the officer is shouting. Probably something like "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!" Us being the idiots we are we're trying to guess what's going on. My guess was someone robbed the liquor store next door and was hiding out in one of our donation bins.. Nope. Not even close. Now this is where most of the trigger warnings begin. Please stop reading if this is going to upset you. The last thing you need to know is the donation center I work for is part of a long strip mall type thing. A bunch of businesses all in one long building. So turns out one of the beauty tech from the salon around the corner got into a pretty heated argument with her military man while at some military event. He was being a real hardass about something and she decided she has had enough. She tells military man she is leaving him because of his abuse. Then she gets in her car and drives off. Military man decided this is unacceptable gets in his own truck and proceeds to play bumper cars with her at about 55 mph driving down a busy street. Now of all the places she could have gone. The police station, a hospital, fire station, she decided to drive to work and continue the game of bumper cars in the parking lot. So they do.. Until her little car is completely totalled and she has no choice but to get out and run away. At this point military man has the mentality "If I can't have you no one can." He gets out of his truck and runs after her but not before retrieving his own government issued pew pew from the glovebox. Man has some very bad intentions and is trained to follow through. Beauty tech runs through her work place and out the back of the long building with military man not far behind. This is where things get real sad. Of all the many, many, doors she could have chosen to run through to get away. Unfortunately for her she chooses the one and only freezer door to the Mexican restaurant right besides the donation center. Just so happens restaurant manager is also in the freezer doing inventory. She runs in and tells him military man is after her with full intent. About this time military man catches up and puts pew pew in restaurant managers face, tells him to get lost. Restaurant manager does as he's told and beauty tech is left alone with military man and his pew pew. Now police have already been called thanks to the game of bumper cars in the parking lot and down the busy street. By the time they arrive military man has already unalived beauty tech in the freezer next door. Once police show up before they can even get out of there vehicles military man finally realizes what he just did and decided it's not worth life. Military man turns his pew pew on himself and unlives himself next to beauty tech. Now I need you to remember this all happens in the freezer of a popular Mexican restaurant. Police finally arrive and both military man and beauty tech are no longer with us. Their car and truck are completely totaled in the parking lot. People are scared but at the same time a lot of people dont even know all of this just happened. It all went so fast and since it happened in the freezer no one heard the pew pews. Unfortunately as an American pew pew stories like this one, I''m totally making up as I type, are quite common. They are things that we just learn to live with and move on. It's not the first time someone has been a victim not far from where I work or live. Even as a child at school or walking down my home street you have to be alert because it can happen anywhere at any time. You wanna know the craziest part about my completely made up story. It's not the unfortunate event of a beauty tech being unalived in the freezer of a popular Mexican restaurant by her military man. As I said before that's something I as an American am quite used to. It's the fact that not on single business closed for the day. Not one single business felt the fact that there was not one but two bodies in the freezer next door was enough to let their workers go home and process what just happened. Even the Mexican restaurant continued to stay open and serve customers all day. All I could think for the rest of the day while hanging up my donated clothes, as people continued to eat at the restaurant next door not knowing there were two bodies still in the freezer currently getting photographed by forensics, was Welcome to America.
submitted by Overall-Escape1128 to tryingtogetoverit [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:36 Fatturtle18 Uncover ICE agent

This probably sounds crazy, but has anyone ever heard of undercover ICE agents getting a job at a restaurant to determine if there are any undocumented workers.
I hired a dishwasher a few weeks back, everything about him said ex/military or federal agent. I’m ex military so you can usually tell. He applied for a dishwasher position. Even my staff saw him and were like “that’s a cop, what is this 21 Jump street”. I hired him, had him fill out all the proper forms including I9 like I do for every employee. He works one shift, never hear from him again, never picks up his paycheck.
His license was from out of town. I live in a small town with 5 other restaurants and he’s not working at any of them.
I’ve had people quit after one shift, but never someone like that.
submitted by Fatturtle18 to restaurateur [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:26 Overall-Escape1128 Welcome To America

For legal reasons the story I'm about to tell is not true. It did not happen. I was not there. In fact I am currently making this story up as I type solely for the purpose of this reddit. Any likes or similarities to persons or places is purley coincidental and there for unintentional. I will however be telling this story in first person as if I was there to help the reader follow along. Last but not least trigger warning! For self unaliving, domestic violence, and pew pew violence. Without further ado let the story begin.
I work for a donation center. Doesn't matter which. All you need to know is I work in the back room hanging up donated clothes all day long. That's all I do. One day I get to work and start doing my thing. It's a normal work day and everything going smoothly. Or so I thought... I could have not been more wrong. About hour and a half into my shift the dock worker comes running in from the back flustered and tells our manager there is an emergency out back and they need them out there now. Manager does not freaking hesitate! Manager takes off running. Honestly I was a little impressed. I didn't know manager could run so fast. Now of course I'm curious what's going on but I brush it off as nothing. Not my business, also I don't get paid enough to worry about these things, manager obviously has it all taken care of. Besides I'm sure I'll hear about it later. It's work, everyone talks. So I just get back to doing what I do. I actually really enjoy my job. It's amazing the stuff people just donate for free instead of reselling it online or something. So there I am just hanging clothes minding my own business. Until about three minutes later a police officer comes running through the back pewpew drawn and tells us to lock all the doors, no one in or out of the building, and then runs out the back entrance. At this point my coworkers and I are all standing around in shock staring at each other like wtf just happened? I should probably also mention that the doors in the back can't lock. They're those swing in and out doors. We couldn't even block them if we wanted to. There's literally nothing we can do but stand around wondering wtf is going on outside. In the area where we work there is a CCTV that shows us what's happening in the back. We have it for when people drop off donations behind the building or if there is an incident with one of the trucks it's all recorded. We gather around the tv and try to see what's going on but luckily everything is happening just to the right of what our screen can see. All we can see is maybe one cop car with an officer standing in front of it pewpew drawn. There's no sound but we can tell the officer is shouting. Probably something like "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!" Us being the idiots we are we're trying to guess what's going on. My guess was someone robbed the liquor store next door and was hiding out in one of our donation bins.. Nope. Not even close. Now this is where most of the trigger warnings begin. Please stop reading if this is going to upset you. The last thing you need to know is the donation center I work for is part of a long strip mall type thing. A bunch of businesses all in one long building. So turns out one of the beauty tech from the salon around the corner got into a pretty heated argument with her military man while at some military event. He was being a real hardass about something and she decided she has had enough. She tells military man she is leaving him because of his abuse. Then she gets in her car and drives off. Military man decided this is unacceptable gets in his own truck and proceeds to play bumper cars with her at about 55 mph driving down a busy street. Now of all the places she could have gone. The police station, a hospital, fire station, she decided to drive to work and continue the game of bumper cars in the parking lot. So they do.. Until her little car is completely totalled and she has no choice but to get out and run away. At this point military man has the mentality "If I can't have you no one can." He gets out of his truck and runs after her but not before retrieving his own government issued pew pew from the glovebox. Man has some very bad intentions and is trained to follow through. Beauty tech runs through her work place and out the back of the long building with military man not far behind. This is where things get real sad. Of all the many, many, doors she could have chosen to run through to get away. Unfortunately for her she chooses the one and only freezer door to the Mexican restaurant right besides the donation center. Just so happens restaurant manager is also in the freezer doing inventory. She runs in and tells him military man is after her with full intent. About this time military man catches up and puts pew pew in restaurant managers face, tells him to get lost. Restaurant manager does as he's told and beauty tech is left alone with military man and his pew pew. Now police have already been called thanks to the game of bumper cars in the parking lot and down the busy street. By the time they arrive military man has already unalived beauty tech in the freezer next door. Once police show up before they can even get out of there vehicles military man finally realizes what he just did and decided it's not worth life. Military man turns his pew pew on himself and unlives himself next to beauty tech. Now I need you to remember this all happens in the freezer of a popular Mexican restaurant. Police finally arrive and both military man and beauty tech are no longer with us. Their car and truck are completely totaled in the parking lot. People are scared but at the same time a lot of people dont even know all of this just happened. It all went so fast and since it happened in the freezer no one heard the pew pews. Unfortunately as an American pew pew stories like this one, I''m totally making up as I type, are quite common. They are things that we just learn to live with and move on. It's not the first time someone has been a victim not far from where I work or live. Even as a child at school or walking down my home street you have to be alert because it can happen anywhere at any time. You wanna know the craziest part about my completely made up story. It's not the unfortunate event of a beauty tech being unalived in the freezer of a popular Mexican restaurant by her military man. As I said before that's something I as an American am quite used to. It's the fact that not on single business closed for the day. Not one single business felt the fact that there was not one but two bodies in the freezer next door was enough to let their workers go home and process what just happened. Even the Mexican restaurant continued to stay open and serve customers all day. All I could think for the rest of the day while hanging up my donated clothes, as people continued to eat at the restaurant next door not knowing there were two bodies still in the freezer currently getting photographed by forensics, was Welcome to America.
submitted by Overall-Escape1128 to stories [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:25 Pleasant-Rain-59329 I have $50 and no job, what do I do?

For context I (M19) and my fiance (F19) recently had a huge life change. I have severe depression and anxiety, and I've also been diagnosed with ADHD and CPTSD. My fiance hasn't been diagnosed with anything but sense the passing of her father a year ago she is most definitely depressed.
We lived alone in Texas and barely met ends meet. We would be paid and have about $10 to $20 to last for the next two weeks. We both worked in restaurants so we managed to eat at work. Our mental illness and a cut of our hours (and thus our paychecks) led to us leaving everything behind to move in with her mother and it has been hell.
We came to her mother's home with about $500, and now we have $50. I paid her mother what I could, and we've been applying for jobs non stop. I got hired but haven't started yet, and my fiance has had no luck at all.
We've been here less than a month and despite telling her mother our situation before we came and being reassured to no end that 'it'll be okay' and 'we have time to settle in' her mother is already threatening to kick us to the curb.
I have nothing. All I have is my fiance, our dog, and $50.
What the hell can I do?
I've applied for Disability, Unemployment, and SSDI but I doubt I'll get any of it sense I did leave my last job willingly in order to move.
I feel so helpless, once our money runs out we'll be stranded. I can't let my fiance live in the streets, I can't fail her like that.
TLDR; I've applied for countless jobs and aid yet haven't heard anything back. I have $50 and I'm being threatened to move out. I have no family to go to, and neither does my fiance. What can I do?
submitted by Pleasant-Rain-59329 to povertyfinance [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 19:08 TheRealClive Hitter Chapter Three: Tiffany and The Ax - Writer Martin Blank

“There were rules, Mafia codes you had to go by. But the code is ridiculous. It's a code among sociopaths.” David Chase (creator: The Sopranos)
Chapter Three: Tiffany and The Ax
  1. ANTIBES, FRANCE. Jude sat at a small table outside La Forge Restaurant on Jacques Audiberti Place. The petite square was bustling with late morning activity. He sipped an espresso and paged through his USA Today. A group of teenagers passed loudly through the square on their way to the beach from a hostel. Tiffany and her girlfriend were with the group. He had been watching her for about a week now but the right opportunity hadn't presented itself.
He told himself he wasn't delaying the operation because he was on an unlimited expense account and his target was spending the summer on the Cote d'Azur. He supposed milking a client that way would be unethical. The thought amused him. It really was because he hadn't found the perfect chance to kill her. Mostly. Mostly that was it.
He noted that the Tour de France was passing through the area and decided to find a place to watch the event. And then there was the Musee Picasso on Place Mariejol. He didn't want to miss that.
He could kill Tiffany tomorrow. Or the next day.
Finally it was the weather that forced his hand. A fierce summer storm was predicted for that week. Such an event would make Tiffany's movements unpredictable. She might stay in and weather it, as he would then have to do as well or she might catch the train to a fairer climate. He had no doubt he could find her again, but uncertainties made him uncomfortable. The night before the storm rolled in, he got his perfect opportunity.
It was late, past midnight. Jude had been watching Tiffany as she snuck away with a young man, an Australian, Jude guessed. They had been drinking on the beach, the Plage Gravette, having snuck on after it closed. The location couldn't have been more perfect if Karsen picked it himself. It was surrounded by walls on three sides and faced the ocean. It wasn't lit other than the light kicking off the surrounding apartment buildings. And with the cloud cover from the oncoming storm, it was all but impossible for anyone in the overlooking apartment buildings to see any activity on the beach that night.
Tiffany's male companion passed out after sex. Tiffany lay there, quite drunk herself. Finally she got up and staggered towards the road. Jude watched from the shadows as she came right towards him. She passed one bum, fast asleep by the wall and entered into the tunnel leading from the beach. She never saw Karsen.
She cried out for a split second. But Jude covered her mouth with gloved hands and snapped her neck. He carried her body off the beach, out the gate to the Quai Henri Rambaud and onto a waiting boat.
While Jude piloted the motorboat out into the ocean, into the face of the storm, his partner prepared the body. When they reached far enough out, they dumped the pretty, blonde teenager over the side. And started a media firestorm.

Tiffany Teague was an ordinary American girl. She was from the state of New York. Wynantskill, specifically. A hamlet outside of Albany. She was a junior in college, attending Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, an all women's school. She liked Justin Timberlake and Fallout Boy and thought that Paul Walker was the perfect man.
Edward and Maggie Teague weren't rich, or even well off after several failed business ventures, but they doted on their kids and helped Tiffany save for a summer of backpacking in Europe. They were proud of the fact that while most of Tiffany's friends were sitting around getting drunk and pregnant, Tiffany would be learning about the world. They probably wouldn't have been pleased with how she spent her last hours alive.
When she vanished, they began a tireless campaign. Like all parents faced with an unsolvable mystery of this type, they played nightmare scenarios over and over in their heads. Was it worse that she was dead? Or was it worse that she was alive, perhaps living in some horrible situation? Which to hope for? How to pray?
The case caught the attention of Nancy Grace and Greta Van Susteren. The resulting media pressure caused France, the United States and Australia (the home of the poor drunken boy last known to be with her) to redouble their efforts on Tiffany's behalf.
But there was no trace to be found. No clue as to her disappearance. The Australian boy, somewhat of a loathsome cad, found himself now reviled as a murderer. For the life of him, he could barely remember their last hours together. He didn't even remember having slept with her on the beach. A fact attested to by the drunk who watched it, but his testimony was highly questionable.
No one would ever have tied it to a case in Federal Court from almost two years before. The prosecution of a small time thug named Paulie Azeglio. In 2002 Paulie was convicted under U.S.C. § 2315 Sale or receipt of stolen goods, securities or monies. He was sentenced to three years, but died in prison in 2003. His death was retribution in an ongoing organized crime power struggle involving his infamous father, Frank “The Ax” Azeglio. Edward Teague was a juror in the trial that convicted Paulie.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. Two and half months before Tiffany's death, Jude was in the living room of his home in Sherman Oaks. He had his laptop hooked up to his 70 inch big screen television and he was sitting on the couch watching porn when his cell phone rang with an unknown number. Normally he wouldn't have answered it, but the area code was from New York. And he got a prickly feeling at the back of his neck. So he managed to get his hands clean in time to answer the call before it kicked over to voice mail.
The speaker was abrupt. A limousine would be arriving at his home in forty-five minutes. It would take him to the airport. He would fly to New York, JFK International and be picked up from there for a meeting. After the meeting he would be taken to a hotel before being flown back to L.A. the following afternoon. The option to refuse this was not offered. And Jude, recognizing the voice, knowing the caller by reputation, never once thought of turning it down. He got up, showered and packed an over-night bag. The limo was right on time.
When he arrived in New York, it was almost 4 AM. Another limo was waiting for him and the ride from the airport took forty-five minutes. Jude slept for most of it as it was past one in the morning, California time. He woke from the sound of the limo coming to a stop. The driver opened the door and Jude stepped out, stretching as he did so.
He was in a warehouse complex. Dull orange lights hung from the corners of buildings in halos of mist. The ocean was nearby, though he couldn't see it. He could smell the salt in the air and hear the not-so-distant sound of compressed surf crunching against a wharf. This was an old complex. Rust rotted through the walls of the buildings. Some were missing whole panels.
The limo drove away, leaving him alone. For a moment, there was a tightness in his chest. Anxiety. He didn’t have a gun. He wasn’t armed but that was unavoidable. He pushed it away. Calculated the odds. It was unlikely they brought him this far just to kill him. Unlikely, but not impossible. He pushed the thought away again. You never knew for sure when dealing with the Mafia. Before anxiety consumed him, a door opened. Twenty feet away, a large man wearing a suit stepped out of the darkness and motioned him to come forward. Karsen did not feel better.
The man searched Karsen, patting him down. Karsen didn't object. When the man was satisfied, he waved Jude through the doorway. Neither of them spoke.
Karsen moved cautiously into the old warehouse. It was a huge empty place. Dim light filtered in from broken windows high above. Deep shadows hung like curtains through cavernous space. Karsen lit a cigarette and walked, kept walking towards the center of the warehouse. Finally, seeing no objective and hearing the door crash closed behind him, he stopped. In a dim pool of light drizzling in from a broken window high above.
Footsteps echoed out of the shadows. Coming towards him. Gradually a man emerged from the gloom. He stopped a few feet from Jude. The man was in his late fifties or early sixties. Obviously Italian. His hair was steel grey and his manner was one that assumed authority.
Jude stared at Frank “The Ax” Azeglio. He took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled softly. Frank spoke.
“Mr. Karsen.”
“Yeah.”
“Put out your cigarette. My sinuses...”
“Oh. Sorry.” Jude dropped the smoke and crushed it with his shoe.
“Thank you. And thank you for coming.”
“Sure.”
“I have a job for you, Mr. Karsen.” With gloved hands, Frank the Ax passed a manila envelope to Karsen.
“Family member?” asked Jude.
“No.”
“One of the bosses?”
“Is this a quiz show? Open the fucking envelope.” Azeglio pulled out a bottle of nasal spray and took a squirt up each nostril.
Karsen skimmed the information and looked at the photo. A photo of Tiffany Teague. He glanced back up at Azeglio, curiosity on his face.
“This is a teenage girl.”
Frank stared at him. Silent. Jude shot him a small, knowing smile.
“Sure. I'll do it. Any special requests?”
“Make it quick and painless. Make the body disappear.”
Jude nodded and slid the papers back into the envelope. Something was weird about this. There was a reason Frank called him in the middle of the night, flew him across the country. There was a reason they were meeting in this warehouse instead of some back room of a restaurant. Something about this contract was different.
“A mil,” said Jude. “Plus expenses.”
The Ax didn't hesitate or negotiate. “I'll have it wired to your account. Bill me the expenses through our usual contact.”
“You got a deal.” Karsen handed the envelope back to Frank.
“Don't you need this information?”
“I have what I need memorized. I don’t want to carry that file past the TSA.” Karsen turned and walked towards the door. He hadn't gone more than a couple feet before Frank spoke again.
“Mr. Karsen.”
Jude stopped and turned to the mob boss.
“I want you to know why.”
Jude shifted uncomfortably. He was itching to go and he felt the nascent urge to urinate. But it was more than that. Somehow he felt that the longer he stayed, the more...culpable he was. It was an irrational, random thought, but it nagged him. It put an urgency on him.
“That's not necessary. I prefer not to know. To know as little as possible.”
“But I want you to know.”
Jude stood there quietly. He desperately wanted a smoke. Frank “The Ax” began to speak.
“My son Paul. Francis Paul Azeglio Jr, you know I wanted a better life for him. Wanted him to go to college, maybe join the military. I didn't want this life for him. This life that you and I lead. I wanted better for my children. Wasn't that the point of fighting my way out of the gutters and back alleys of Brooklyn? And I did it. I gave my children everything. Paul was raised in luxury. He got an excellent education at a private school. He had all the opportunities of privilege at his fingertips. Opportunities I bled and made others bleed to win for him.
“All I wanted was for him to be a doctor or a stockbroker or even a musician. To have a family and give me grandchildren. I wanted my son to escape this life that I was forced into by simple economics and...certain skills I had that others lacked. You understand me, Mr. Karsen?”
“I don't have children,” Jude regretted it the moment it came out his mouth. Frank's expression clouded and his brow furrowed.
“But I get your point,” Karsen added quickly.
“Every father worth a damn wants to protect his children. Of course, to my son, it seemed like I thought he wasn't up to it, like I thought he wasn't tough enough for the job....” Frank trailed off, staring up at the shattered windows with their rusted frames. “Which, of course, was the absolute truth.”
They were silent. Jude's need to piss was growing stronger. But there was no way to leave this conversation. Not until Frank the Ax was done. Was this a confession wondered Jude? Karsen suspected Frank was probably a Catholic. How did he suddenly become this man's priest?
Frank finally broke the silence. “Did your father respect you?”
Ahh jeez, thought Jude, “I broke his jaw when I was sixteen. After that it didn't matter.”
“Bullshit. It always matters. I never even knew my father and I still wonder what he would've thought of me, to this very day. But you took respect from your dad the day you cracked his face.”
“I don't know. I didn't see him much after that.”
“Right...right,” Frank sighed. “Paul wanted my respect. He wanted to impress me, not just as a son or even as a man, he wanted my respect as a gangster. He coulda done anything and I woulda been proud of him. But he wanted to be good, be great at what I was great at. You understand?”
“I think so.”
“This kid...this right side of the tracks, white kid who never had to fight in his life, decided he was smart enough to do a major job, like it was some movie or one of these cable TV shows. He stole a container full of flatscreen TVs and tried to fence. He wanted to bring down a big score, just like the stories he'd heard his old man tell the boys, when he shoulda been in bed at night...”
“He got caught.”
“Of course he got caught. Grand Theft Auto was a video game to him. To me, it was a way of life.” Frank muttered something under his breath that Jude didn't make out.
“What?”
“Nothing. Because Paul went across state lines it was a Federal Crime. Ahh, that shouldn't have mattered. I got the best lawyers, greased the skids with the Judge and the prosecutor. They offered a decent deal, but not enough. I didn't want my boy to do a day inside. So it went to trial. Still shouldn't have been a problem. I hired one of those fancy jury consultant companies and wired the jury...but one slipped by. One man named Edward Teague. Real Dudley do-right. From my man inside, he tells me this Edward Teague bullied this jury, harassed this jury, and wore them out by dragging it on for days so they finally gave in and convicted. They didn't want to convict. But this guy...this guy...he was the foreman and he all but forced them...”
Something didn't ring true about this story, but Jude wasn't about to question a man nicked-named 'The Ax'.
“Tough break.”
“So my sweetheart baby boy, my only son...went to the Federal Pen. God, the way he acted, like it was a badge of honor, like I should be proud of him. I told him-”
Frank stopped, his voice catching as the memory overcame him. He composed himself and wiped a tear, passing it off as rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“I told him. Keep your head down. Do your time quietly and he'd be taken care of. Mob guys can be very safe inside. But he... he still had something to prove...”
Another tear slid silently down the mafia don's cheeks. Jude wanted desperately to leave. But he felt he had to say something at this point.
“He's dead.”
“I got the guys that did him. I got them already.” Frank wiped the tears from his face and his manner changed. As he spoke, a slow rage filled his voice. “Now. Now I want Edward Teague. Juror number nine. I want him to suffer like I do. To live without his precious child, his daughter that he dotes on, that he loves. I want to rip her out of his arms.” His voice seethed with hatred.
“I want him to hurt...you understand me? I want him to have this hole in his heart. This ache, this, this horrible, empty, loss torn into his soul.”
Frank stepped closer to Jude, until he was so near Jude could smell the faint medicinal scent of nasal spray on the man's breath. He was so uncomfortable that he wanted to burst out laughing, but knew that would mean his instant death. Not figuratively. Frank, in this moment, would kill him for disrespect. It was the thought of his own face being bludgeoned that drove the amusement away.
Brutality filled Azeglio's voice, “I want to take his daughter from him and I want him to live the rest of his life never knowing what happened to her.
The cold hatred that burned out of the man was awful in its intensity. His eyes cut into Jude's with the horror of emptiness. Without another word, Frank turned and walked back into the darkness.
submitted by TheRealClive to WritingMonsters [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 18:38 Squand0r Smokiness, Burning Smell in Jackson Heights

This is near 37th Ave / 85th Street. The smell became noticeable Tuesday evening. It was hard to tell if smoke was in the air because the weather was foggy. At first I thought it may be someone grilling or a nearby restaurant. Walking down the street today the smell is pretty intense, but no indication of where it's coming from. Is something burning?
submitted by Squand0r to Queens [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 18:34 coco9882 Lisbon Trip Review

Lengthy but hope it helps someone!
· *Where to stay- I stayed in Baixa and I was so happy to not have to walk up any hills or steps to get to my AirBNB. It was in the middle of everything, it was flat, and I felt very safe. I was very close to two metro stations and the Rossio train station, which made it easy to travel. The only downside was it was hard for Uber’s to get to me.
*Things to know- bread, olives, and butter are NOT free tapas. Don’t eat them or ask to send them away, depending on the restaurant, they will charge quite a bit.
Bring sunblock- the prices of sunblock were OUTRAGEOUS in Cascais. Like over 10 for a small, off brand bottle.
Have cash, most places accept card but if you want to stop at a random spot for a shot of Ginjinha, you’ll need a couple euros.
Lisboa card- I purchased it for 3 days. I don’t think it was really worth it. Some of the free attractions were too crowded to stand in line for and then the museums I went to, only the tile museum was free. I did receive discounts at the other museums but it was minimal. I really only used it for the bus and metro and that is so cheap, I could have just bought a travel card.
Belem is over 30 min from the city on the bus so you will need a whole day there. We actually spent a day and a half since there was so much to see and so many museums in that area. Wait in line for Pasteis de Belem, they have a great system down and it does not take a long time at all. Definitely try different variations of Pasteis in Lisbon. Don’t pay to go into the Padrao dos Descobrimentos monument- it’s better to just walk around and explore the outside.
Public transportation is PACKED but very cheap to use. You will have no standing room on the metro or bus. Keep that in mind when you’re coming from the airport, but really, it is fine. Just a lot of people using it.
· *Museums/attractions- top 2 were definitely the Museu de Marinha and Tile museum, two major components of Lisbon’s history. The maritime history museum was impressive and very informative. There were so many models of the ships detailing Portugal’s history of ocean exploration. They also had a warehouse with royal barges you could walk around and look at.
The tile museum was absolutely breathtaking. Further away from city center but do not miss it!
Loved Castelo de S Jorge- you can buy your ticket online but it is a little bit more than buying in person, you will get to skip the line though. The views are amazing and walls are cool to walk around on. There’s peacocks living on the grounds. There’s a small kiosk selling beer, ice cream, and some snacks so you can definitely spend some time relaxing there.
Take a sunset beach cruise. I can recommend one if you want to dm me but we had such an amazing time. It was a relaxing experience where we saw dolphins swimming and the company provided some history of the city, wine, and meats and cheeses. The sunset is beautiful but it does get really windy and chilly, bring a jacket!
Caza das vellas loreto- oldest candle shop in the world
· * Day trip to Sintra- omg the hills! I visited Quinta de la Regaleira, Moorish Castle, and Pena palace. You can book tickets online for a small discount. I took an early train that was already very packed and people were standing for part of the journey. I used my Lisboa card for train. Once I got to Sintra, we walked to Quinta De La Regaleira- this was my favorite place, the grounds were beautiful, there was a bit of a wait for the well but I thought it was worth it. I walked through the small house and the carpentry and flooring was breathtaking!
We then went to lunch at Tascantiga, a tapas restaurant, food came out SO fast even though it was busy, so that says everything about the quality. It was fine. From there, we took a tuktuk to Moorish castle. It cost us 10 per person, but average is 7-15 depending on the tuktuk. Going down, everyone charges 5 per person. Moorish castle was so cool to explore but it is very steep and lots of stairs! The views are amazing including the coast and Pena palace.
We then took the trail through the woods to Pena palace. Many people on tiktok said you can buy a park pass and then not wait in line for the palace and could walk around the palace exterior. THIS IS NOT TRUE. To even get to the exterior of the palace, you must wait in line, regardless if you want to go into the interior or not. We were the idiots that got turned away for listening to TikTok people. I was okay with it at that point because the walk up to the palace was so steep, I was not going to wait in line for over an hour!
We took a tuktuk down and had them drop us off at terrace bar with a view of the Sintra palace (can’t recall the name) before we ventured to Bar do Binho for a port wine tasting.
· *Day trip to Caiscais- loved this super chill beach town. Took the metro to Cais Do Sodre train station and took the train along the coast. Walked around the town, chilled at the beach, went to the outdoor bar at Rainha for a cocktail. Had amazing oysters at Sr. Manuel seafood bar.
· *Favorite places to eat: · Ponto Final lived up the hype. Go for lunch, we made a rez (all are made for 12:30 or 7:30pm) and got sat right away. The food was better than expected and the view just can’t be beat! Definitely recommend taking the water taxi back as it drops you off in Belem. · Bon Jardim- I am still dreaming of this chicken, no frills restaurant · O Trevo- sandwich counter, great chicken noodle soup! Visited by Anthony Bourdain · Chapito a Mesa- restaurant with a view that is attached to a circus performing arts center. Menu was really unique and food was incredible. · Ludo’s- brunch spot, menu looked great but we stopped in for their dragonfruit cocktail! So fresh!
· * Favorite bars · Topo Martim Moniz- such a cool spot, great rooftop bar with unique craft cocktails and arcade games! Cocktails were a little pricey compared to other places but it was worth it · Pink street- trashy but you need to visit the bars just to people watch
submitted by coco9882 to travel [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 18:19 y2kbabygurl I hate my engagement

The proposal was a nothing-burger and not thought-out. He did it on a dirty sidewalk along a busy street on the way to a restaurant I don’t even like and didn’t say anything meaningful. Talking about the wedding with him has been like pulling teeth. He’s been difficult and blaming me and my parents for too much pressure and even called my parents tacky despite them offering to pay for a nice wedding for us. I wanted an engagement of a year or less and he says that’s rushed and unreasonable. We’ve been together 5+ years so it’s not like we need to get to know each other better. We’ve been engaged now for 5 months and have no wedding plans. To top it off he’s been smoking weed daily and got drunk and embarrassed me in front of friends and then sent me breakup texts while banging on my door screaming at me to open up while also cursing out my family and telling me he hates them. He is apologetic for his drunken behavior and takes back the words he said about my family. I’m miserable and hate how he’s treated me over the past several months. But he has quit weed and drinking and is committed to changing. I’m having a hard time rebuilding that trust and letting go of resentment. I don’t think this is normal behavior during an engagement. Any thoughts or advice?
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2023.06.07 18:16 TarbusCavarus [RF] Uncle Jim

Prologue
As the end of autumn approached, the chill of morning and evening began to cut through like a hunting knife. Through the tanker's windshield, the driver could see a woman wearing a knitted scarf and a blanket on her shoulders. She had sat down in the middle of the road and was howling long and heart-wrenching like a lament. Passers-by looked at her with horror, surprise, or contempt. When a lady in a fur coat approached her to inquire, the unfortunate woman began to roll on the ground, thrashing about like a rolling log heading down the valley, and screaming with even greater force and deeper sorrow, so loud that it could be heard all the way to the shire, after which she stopped in a sob, crying quietly like the water of a lowland spring. She was Uncle Jim's eldest daughter.
Part I
Mr. and Mrs. Axelton were two retirees with charitable souls. They had the sign of charity burning on the soles of their dusty, second-hand shoes, laced up with shoelaces they got from the thrift store. They brought a bag of beans for the dog, bananas for the children, bread, bologna, and mustard for the homeless - lost souls from the outskirts of the city. They entered the basement of an abandoned building through labyrinthine paths surrounded by plywood and wrought iron fences. The building was marked with a red dot.
Around an improvised brick stove, illegally connected to the neighbourhood’s electricity network, sat Uncle Jim, Melissa, the children, and Baxter, opening cans of food received from a philanthropic organization. Baxter was a small mongrel with blue-blooded hunting dog lineage, who always hovered around Jim and helped him beg. Mrs. Axelton felt more compassion for the dog than for the family without a penny.
Jim spent his days in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral with Googie Gums, Mr. Blondey, Fane Fairfax, and Tane Cuthbert. They lived as best they could. On the drier days, they humbly lined up behind the priests, praying for them to give them something from the charity box. In the evenings, they opened a cheap two-litter bottle of beer, played backgammon, talked about the fate of the country, football, and the apocalypse.
One spring afternoon, a benevolent gentleman took Jim aside, treated him royally, and offered him an impossible-to-refuse deal. He handed him two thousand five hundred lei in cash, for which all he had to do was sign some blank documents. At that time, it was a good sum of money. Jim thought that luck had fallen upon him like a huge wheel of cheese, so he immediately accepted, without hesitation. With the money, he bought new clothes for Melissa, notebooks for the children, food, and drink in abundance.
At the beginning of the summer, a conflict erupted with Mr. Axelton over such an absurd issue that it would make customers of the "Tancredi Kingsley Jr." brewery doubt the honesty of the storyteller. Mrs. Axelton, a sensitive and volunteer person, was involved in a campaign to save stray dogs who, without the dedication of people like her, would have ended up in miserable shelters on the outskirts of the city. Those who were up for adoption were taken off the streets, washed, vaccinated, and sent to their new owners.
Jane, a neighbour from the ghetto, had told Jim one evening while gossiping on the roadside that significant profits could be made from selling animals. Therefore, seeing the strange pensioner walking through the neighbourhood week after week taking care of stray dogs, the idea arose in his mind that these actions could only have mercantile and hidden purposes, from which he was unfairly excluded from sharing the profits.
Despite Axelton's explanation, treating him to a sausage roll and a coffee from the vending machine, Jim remained unchanged in his opinions, considering his neighbour guilty of greed. When he saw him coming out of the building or on his way to the grocery store, he shouted at him from the other side of the street to demand an explanation and followed him grumpily like an unhappy landlord who had not been paid rent for a long time. He had become a real nuisance on the head of our unfortunate citizen, who now found himself forced to make unimaginable detours from the exit of the building to the bus station just to avoid the annoying neighbour with whom he did not want to continue the confrontation.
Part II
Fortunately, an unexpected twist of fate spared Mr. Axelton from a steep climb up the confrontation ladder when Jim was unexpectedly summoned to the station by a local police officer. It turns out he had signed a mortgage without any collateral which he had no chance of repaying in this lifetime. He was charged with fraud and sent to the White Gate prison for five years. No one visited him. When he was released, after two and a half years of serving, he limped and had only a few teeth left in his mouth. It was as if he had aged ten years.
Meanwhile, Melissa had coupled up with Fane and had a child with him. They moved together to the Hopeless Heights, a neighbourhood built specifically for needy people, and Jim's children were sent to an orphanage. Baxter was taken in by a kind-hearted nobleman who loved animals and owned a seafood restaurant, entrusting him to a mute maid who walked him around the blocks three times a day. Sometimes, on summer days, dressed in a bathrobe and a pair of flip-flops, Sir. Hatchet Jenkins would come out with two other small dogs as big as cats who walked swaying like wind-up toys. He walked the streets like a traveling circus performer, but if anyone dared to mock him, he became so furious that he turned into a steam boiler, blowing heat through his nostrils and obscenities at his enemy, threatening to punch them, showing them the cane he would strike his heels with.
Uncle Jim first moved in front of St. Nicholas Church, where Father Murphy O'Malley served. He was a small man, always carrying a leather briefcase like a spy movie security agent, had a carefully groomed moustache, a gold watch and ring, and patent leather shoes. Everyone said he had the gift. He came to church in a luxury car. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a multitude of beggars, some of whom had come from neighbouring quarters, trying to kiss his hand and ask for coins. Jim didn't last long there, the competition was too high.
Lately, he had been experiencing more frequent headaches. He walked with a cane down the narrow street, swaying in the wind like a turnip pulled from the ground. I didn't think he would last much longer, but Uncle Jim had a survival instinct that most mortals lack. He stopped first at Mr. Axelton's, with whom he had made amends in the meantime, and asked for a pair of boots for the snowy weather and a packet of aspirin for his headache. He found an old fur hat with ears that had been thrown away and drank a cup of mulled wine, given as charity for the souls of the dead. Then, he found shelter in a cave under the ruins of an abandoned manor.
In the morning, he emerged from the ground like a contemporary Lazarus and sat next to the all-night convenience store near the Agriculture Department. On his way out, the kindest customers would always leave him something: a roll, a coin with the king's face on it, half a salami stick, a pair of socks, a cube of melted cheese, or a bottle of curdled milk. He had a yellow plastic bag in which he loaded all of his products. In the evening, when he returned to his lair, it was always full of wonders.
Epilogue
When spring arrived, Jim began to bloom like snowdrops. His teeth grew anew, made of copper, his hair turned green like grass, his eyes started to distinguish details with the precision of an eagle, his skin became as smooth as that of young boys, his arms became steel, his forehead raised, his thoughts became clear, and his vision became as clear as that of great wise men. It was rumoured that he was making so much money that he could move to a hotel. The last time I saw him was on a foggy April morning. He got into a taxi and disappeared into the smoke of history.
submitted by TarbusCavarus to shortstories [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 18:10 coloradogal1 Detailed 12-Day Luxe Itinerary & Review

Hi all -
Since this sub was so helpful while planning my trip, I wanted to share my detailed 12-day itinerary, pricing and reviews for a luxe Bali trip. I lived there for three months 15 years ago on a student budget, so wanted to go back and experience it a bit differently.
Driver: I worked with Kadek at Pemuteran Menjangan Bali Transport. His prices were higher than a lot of other drivers, but of the drivers I reached out to prior to departure he was most responsive, easy to work with and made a ton of itinerary suggestions. His costs included all entrance fees, hiking guides, fast boat arrangements, as well as some lunches. Even though he was the most expensive driver I talked to, not having to plan out logistics every day and just hop in the car made the premium guide costs absolutely worth it in my mind. You can find him on TripAdvisor with the business name above, or I’m happy to share his whatsapp in a DM.
I had zero interest in riding a motor bike there, and saw at least one accident and someone at the airport who very distinctly looked like he had been part of a motor bike accident. Ironically, when we got home to the US we overheard someone at breakfast also talking about their friend who was involved in a motor bike accident in Bali.
High Level Agenda:
Details:
Ubud Bisma Eight, $1,100 USD for 4 nights including airport transit
Hotel impressions: This was a perfect mid-range priced hotel, central to the city center so a great place to walk around from, and probably had our favorite breakfasts during our stay. The vibe was modern, great views from the rooms and infinity pool, wonderful service. Absolutely would stay again.
Day 1 - Arrival / transit day, landed at 7pm, checked in around 9pm Day 2 - Ubud city center We planned this day just to wander around Ubud, lunch at Kafe, window shopping, bought some fruit at the art market. We intentionally avoided making plans this day, since we knew we’d want to acclimate and just enjoy walking around town. Day 3 - East Bali Tour with Kadek - 900k IDR per person including lunch, admissions, snorkeling tour * Snorkeling in Padangbai - Great snorkeling at two different spots * Tirta Gangga - Spent about 30 minutes wandering around the gardens, sitting down, enjoying the scenery. * Tukad Cepung Waterfall - Be prepared for lots of stairs, very cool waterfalls, def a “stand in line to take your photo” kind of experience but overall there weren’t too many people there while we were so didn’t have to wait too long. * Gates of Heaven - We opted NOT to do this, since we weren’t very interested in standing in a long line just for a manufactured photo opportunity. Day 4 - Mt Batur hike 1,050k IDR per person (cost also included hot springs, but we ended up skipping and just going back to Ubud to relax at the pool after the hike). Got socked in with clouds for sunrise, but honestly watching the clouds roll by was almost as enjoyable as a brilliant sunrise would have been. Hike is strenuous but doable, and you definitely want to hire a guide, since we heard at least one person getting harassed for not hiring a guide. Mixed feels on this, but overall it comes down to “respect the local customs and economy” for me. We were done and back to the hotel by 11 or so, and spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool and napping. Day 5 - Sites in and around Ubud, 795k with Kadek covering all admissions * Goa Gajah - Really cool temple that’s worth checking out to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and old stone temple carvings. Since we did this first thing, we had the place to ourselves. Be sure to check out the caves tucked along the river. * Gunung Kawi Temple - If you only visit one temple, personally, I recommend this one. Lots of stairs but it is STUNNING and you just feel like you’re surrounded by nature and spirituality. Both this trip and when I lived there 15 years ago, it’s one of my favorite spots in all of Bali. * Tegalalang Rice Terrace - Cool to see, but definitely felt like too curated of an experience. Felt like an amusement park located in a rice terrace. * Checked into Mandapa around 2pm so we could enjoy the resort for the full afternoon
Mandapa Ritz Carlton - $1,700 USD for 2 nights
Hotel Impressions: Holy heck, if you have the ability to splurge, do not miss this resort. I have never felt so spoiled or relaxed in my life. The spa was incredible ($400 for 90 minutes couples massage), the free morning yoga overlooked the river, and the service was absolutely unparalleled. The team there would greet you by name, the attention to details with the room - it was absolute perfection and I don’t think I will ever enjoy a resort this much again. It’s a little more removed from city center, but the resort is so beautiful we didn’t really feel like leaving anyway.
Day 6 - Resort day. Yoga, breakfast, massages, pool day - After spending the previous several days doing day trips, we left this as a day to just spend time relaxing, and I’m so glad we did.
Day 7 - Transit from Ubud to Sanur, with shopping stops on the way (650k per person)
Mas (wood carving), Batuan Village (painting gallery), Celuk (gold and silver smith). We wanted to get to Sanur the day before our Nusa Penida trip so we didn’t have to worry about being in a rush to catch the fast boat to Nusa Penida, and I really wanted to do some shopping anyway so it worked out well.
Sanur Klumpu Resort for $158 - Really loved this small villa style resort. Funky architecture, a little less curated feeling than the other resorts we stayed at, and would make for a really great extended stay place close to Sanur beach.
Day 8 - Sanur beach and fast boat to Nusa Penida. Spent the morning walking the path along the beach, stopping for breakfast and coffee, and enjoying the vibes without having an itinerary. Caught one of the last boats to Nusa Penida so we could get there in time for the 3 pm check in at Maua Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida
Maua Nusa Penida - $500 USD for 2 nights. 1,450k IDR for fast boat, nusa penida transit to / from port and beach tour day trips, again all arranged by Kadek.
Hotel Impressions - Newer hotel in Nusa Penida that’s a bit far away from any action, but the hotel was so nice to spend time in we didn’t mind just hanging out there in our private pool and eating at some of their restaurants. They had a special Indonesian Buffet which was actually some of the best food we had there as far as taste and quality went.
Day 9 - Nusa Penida Beach Tour Spent the morning touring Angel Billabong, Broken Beach, Angel Billagong and lounging at Crystal Bay. The sites were absolutely stunning, got some good photos but the iconic beach spots were SO crowded that I’m not sure it was worth it. Crystal Bay was great - very few people at the beach, so this was a nice way to spend a couple hours swimming and enjoying the scenery. Spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel.
Jimbaran Bay / Uluwatu
Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, $2,400 USD for 2 nights
Hotel Impressions: We chose to end our visit to Bali here, closer to the airport. There’s a reason this is considered one of the best beach resorts in the world. The villas were older than Mandapa, but the gardens and views were just beautiful. We really enjoyed our time here relaxing, using their beach lounge facility, and wandering around the gardens. The food at Sundara was good - but not memorable. I’d probably stick to just cocktails and snacks there rather than doing a full higher end meal.
Day 10 - Morning transit from Nusa Penida to Four Seasons. The original plan had been to go to Uluwatu for the fire dance, but it was unfortunately sold out. This was a huge bummer since I’d really been looking forward to this part, but we went straight to the hotel and didn’t mind having the day to relax there.
Day 11 - Four seasons resort day
Day 12 - Departure. Spent the morning and afternoon lounging around the resort. Four Seasons were very generous with a 3pm check out, but were happy to let us use the facilities, spa, pools, etc as long as we wanted to since our flight wasn’t until 10pm.
What I loved * Mandapa. We only did two nights and we very strongly considered canceling our Sanur night and staying an extra day. Will absolutely be back for a longer stay. * Sanur - we only had one morning to mosey along the beach, but next time I go back, I would add in three days here with no plans other than just wandering around. It was also great staying at less of a resort and more of a boutique villa that was a great home base. * Gunung Kawi - I explored this temple the first time I was in Bali, and knew I needed to come back.
What I wish I’d done differently * More time just wandering. We did a great job planning out day trips and balancing those with resort days to just relax and decompress, which was a great balance. However, I do wish we’d had more time to just… wander. We had a couple days or mornings like this, and they ended up being some of our favorite days. * Nusa Penida - Maybe I would have liked this more if we actually snorkeled or went diving. I loved the hotel we stayed at, and I suppose I’m glad I’ve been, but the beach tours were just so crowded and spread apart. It was a long day for just a few minutes at each spot. Next time we return, I’m skipping Nusa Penida and would probably stick to Nusa Lembongon or Sanur.
submitted by coloradogal1 to bali [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 17:44 highliner108 The Taxi thing is cool, there should be more immersive sim stuff in GTA online.

TLDR: GTAO should let you rob banks in free mode, do criminal shit at bars, and do more than 5 bounty missions.
I had some fun with the Taxi activity, mostly because it gave me a reason to drive through Los Santos (which I typically end up flying over), and it enabled me to do some fun serial killer RP.
I think GTA Online has broadly fun gameplay, but a lot of what builds on that is the weird little ways you can interact with the world that in turn give you fun things to do that aren’t necessarily that profitable, but don’t have to be, because doing them is more about the mission itself and like, low level roleplaying that immersive sims (which GTA V/Online kind of is, even if it’s first and foremost a sandbox game) tend to encourage you to engage in without even thinking about it.
Like, a great example from earlier in the games history is the convenience stores. Most of the time they’re just a fast source of snacks and alcohol, but if you want to do a small time robbery spree that stretches across San Andreas, the game accounts for that and allows you to do it in free mode. It’s not as profitable as just doing Cayo Perico, but it doesn't have to be, it’s about the fact that the game lets you do it.
That said, I think GTA Online has nearly endless potential for more of this content to be added in, at least until the next GTA (I dare not say it’s name for fear I’ll be struck by fist of the automod) comes out, and an update (or trickle of smaller updates) that just adds little things to do in free mode might freshen up gameplay. These are just basic ideas, but I think they’re broadly in line with the vibe of GTA and the types of activities that already exist.
-Banks
There’s already at least one heist where you rob a bank, and there’s a resupply mission where you have to rob a bank and use what you steal to make counterfeit money (idk, maybe it’s a laundering operation as well as a counterfeiting ring?) Those are both neat missions, but what if there were just a half dozen low level banks that the player could just walk into and attempt to rob? Like, your only going to get a take of a couple of grand, but it would give you a more free form way to rob banks, and without forcing you to prep for a heist or play the counterfeiting resupply lottery.
-Bars/Restaurants
Restaurants are more of a side idea tbh, as they’d mostly serve as a way to get drunk, refresh health if you run out of snacks, and maybe get an XP boost after eating there (ie, your doing in character shit so you get +5/10% XP for the next few hours/day).
Bars on the other hand, seem like they should already be a thing in this game. Like, there are already strip clubs, and there are at least two more hole in the wall style bars that are fully rendered, although you can only access of them in a biker resupply mission. It wouldn’t take that long to fix this by just making the locked bar accessible all the time, throwing some shady looking NPCs in there, and adding a bartender who sells beer and vodka. This could be done without making any new interiors or new scripts, and while it wouldn’t add that much to the game, it would add a couple of cool places that you could do random stuff in, and doing random stuff is part of what makes this game fun.
If the devs wanted to get a bit more ambitious, they could also make like a dozen “bar missions” that are essentially a guy in a bar being like “hay, I’ll give you a grand to kill this guy/steal this guys ride/rob this guy/beat this guy up” and show up randomly. Basically low rent pay phone hits, but not necessarily always lethal. This feels like stuff that a gta protagonist whose not in the process of doing an elaborate island heist would do, and it’d make the the world more interesting if you where sometimes walking down the street and just witnessed a player pouring gasoline on an NPCs car and setting it on fire or something.
-Bounty Missions
Maybe I’m a simple soul, but there was something oddly relaxing and satisfying about driving into a neighborhood, strolling around until my spidy senses got all tingly, and then bum rushing some dude with a baton to get him to go to court. Getting the axe at the end was great, it’s a really fun axe, but at the same time, the fact that you can’t repeat those missions kind of sucks. I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure it’d be as simple as allowing the player to call the mission giver, and have her randomly assigned you one of the already existing bounty missions. Again, they don’t have to pay as well as the original missions, but it’d be nice if we could do them. I may be missing something key about the way those missions are set up, but it also seems like it’d be pretty easy to make a more of them, or even make them somewhat radiant so that the NPC can theoretically be in any populated area of the map. It’d also be great for people who like to roleplay as cops, as they could essentially treat the bounties like 9/11 calls.
Idk how feasible it is that any of this be implemented, but the aforementioned cab missions and the new radiant mission where you can raid a drug dealers house have kind of given me hope that R* is getting a little more into this type of thing. I’d be super interested in other ideas people have for more stuff like this, or extensions of the ideas mentioned!
submitted by highliner108 to gtaonline [link] [comments]


2023.06.07 17:33 Missy_Elliott_Smith [June 7th, 1923] The Inquiring Photographer asks pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge if they think all the billboards and posters "spoil the appearance" of NYC.

[June 7th, 1923] The Inquiring Photographer asks pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge if they think all the billboards and posters submitted by Missy_Elliott_Smith to 100yearsago [link] [comments]