White cowgirl boots near me

OK, so I am wandering through the game and just completed the Mayachideg Shrine near South Akkala Stable and the little snapping turtle-type constructshave to be the most adorably lethal little things I've seen in the game yet.
Once i got into the main Shrine room and cut them loose on the challenge to overcome, it just reminded me of the little wind-up robot toys I had when I was little. The opportunity to mount other Zonai weapons on them was (makes chef's kiss gesture).

Seems like it's really messed up for mobile users, including me!
Can access chat history, but am unable to respond to nearly anyone; getting similar reports, but thought I'd check here, too...someone suggested a fix was incoming on Tuesday...sure hope so!

A local church's sign near me currently reads "Figure out what God is doing and do that!" Not sure giving children bone cancer is the best advise.

Some things that I consider to be good qualities about myself are that I’m a good Christian girl. I’m very loyal and dedicated to any man that I date. I’m very clingy and attached and I would say that I can sometimes be a sensitive person. Some important things about my physical appearance is I am white, 4’11” and a bbw if that’s a dealbreaker then please don’t send me a DM. I want to be a housewife. I’m good at cleaning but I struggle in the cooking aspect I could try to become better though. My hobbies are playing video games I really like Nintendo games, IMVU and Fatal Frame. I’m also pretty interested in marvel movies.

Hello to everyone ❤️
I hope someone can give me a suggestion, after 1 half year i'm really, really desperate... The tower case of my PC that i built got a physical hit (my father told me that he accidentally hit it while transportation) and suddenly later, when i turned it on, the gpu only worked on low resolutions (like bootable operating systems, BIOS, Windows safe mode etc) since that moment.
When the OS load in high resolution, the screen become black. If i boot it again in safe mode (so, in low resolution) it work. I made some throubleshooting to understand this, i tried to uninstall drivers without network, and when i turned on (from safe to standard mode), after some minutes, Windows download again the drivers. To confirm my teory, i tried to do a fresh install of my win 10 and then i tried to install win 11, same thing, it won't get the black screen as long as the network return and i get the drivers. I also tried to download and install drivers from the Nvidia website (in safe mode, using DDU before the installation) but nothing. As soon as win install the drivers, and raise the resolution, the screen become black, and if i reboot... after win boot screen, black screen.
I don't know if it's the gpu or the PSU, maybe the additional 6 pci-e Power cable doesn't give the 150w (or 120, whatever) and gpu can't work. I have a multimetetester for current, but i don't know how to use it on the 6 pins..
Please, i'm desperate, believe me... ATM i have nobody to test my hardware on his PC, so i have to count on your wisdom. Anyone please tell me if i can try to test something, some hardware in any ways, any suggestion Is really appreciated 🙏🏻
My PC:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 - 8 Cores 3.0 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo) GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Founders Edition RAM: G.SKILL Flare Black 8GBx2 Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-AB350-Gaming SSD: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250 GB + HDD 1 TB PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W

Good morning guys. Settle in…this is my story. I have sleeve gastrectomy in June 2020, did great, lost 75lbs, have regained some since I now WFH and finishing up my graduate school capstone and am stationed in front of a computer 12 hours a day but that’s on me and I’m working on it. Anyway, starting in April I developed some weird dysphagia, early satiety, abdominal pain and awful nausea and vomiting after eating, mostly in evenings. Gallbladder, right? Except EGD, US and HIDA scan were normal. GI doc thinks okay, let me order gastric emptying study to rule out gastroparesis but she believes it’s severe GERD presenting with atypical symptoms (no reflux at all) and will probably need revision. I get a notification from GI this morning that my gastric emptying study was abnormal and demonstrated RAPID gastric emptying with just 4oz egg white beaters and water. So dumping syndrome all this time?! But it’s not happening with just high sugar or high carb foods, there’s no rhyme or reason to it. A meal that I can eat one evening that doesn’t make me nauseous will make me nauseous the next day. Is this my future? I’m miserable and terrified to eat anything! I was all ready to discuss revision to RNY but holy shit if I’m dumping this much with sleeve then I don’t think RNY will fix this! Anyone experience anything similar to this? I see surgeon next week and I can’t wait because I’m hoping he will have experience and know how to address this. Thanks guys!

On the morning of December 8th, 1941, enlistment offices all across the United States began to be filled by young men eager to enact revenge for what the Empire of Japan had done at Pearl Harbor. The offices would stay busy for a long, long time. It was a dangerous job, with life and limb at serious risk, and many more young men would join the Army and Navy by conscription. Lesser celebrated, and likely they’d have it no other way, were whole second armies of support personnel. These would be nurses, middle-aged clerks too old and or fat to fight, surveyors, engineers, and merchant sailors.
Some would be spies or intelligence men working for the Office of Strategic Services. Others were mysterious ne’er-do-wells, scoundrels who were very good at the procurement of various goods. Some would be anthropologists and translators, eager to help obscure native communities deal with the technologically advanced war tearing the island worlds asunder. Some would be entertainers for the USO, there to help with morale, doing what they were best at, whether it was telling jokes or dancing beautifully. Others might be war correspondents, to communicate, in a highly censored way, what was going on to the folks back home. Then there were the bean counters. Everybody overlooked the bean counters.
Many of the combat veterans, and even some of the non-combat personnel, would never make it home again. Others made it home, but only after being maimed and scarred in body and mind. Yet most would make it home. All of them would have stories to tell, though many would never tell their stories. There was a culture of silence during the war, ‘loose lips sink ships.’ It wasn’t just a catchy phrase, people took it to heart. It became a habit. Even long after the war was over people kept their lips zipped shut.
And yet, there were still millions and millions of stories, and some of them would be recorded. They might be memoirs committed to paper years later. Then again, many of these people kept diaries. They would write home every chance they get. Officers as a regular part of their duties were constantly writing up reports. Every single one would end up being read by someone, somewhere, and passed up the chain depending on its importance, or filed away if the chain ended there. With every battle won or lost, extensive analyses were conducted on what went right and what went wrong, and how we could do better. Actions of bravery were written up for recommendations for medals or promotions. Every serious infraction meant a court-martial, and court martials left transcripts. Bitter denouements and protests were written when it was felt officers weren’t living up to their duties, and in these cases, the lips were zipped especially tight, but the reports themselves were poured over. Every location where the U.S. went, whether it was the location of a battleground, a ranging area for artillery, site for a depot, or a road used to transport was thoroughly mapped and described in detail.
Then there were the bean counters. How many 20 mm shells does it take, on average, to knock down a Val dive bomber? How many pints of A-positive blood should be stocked in a forward field hospital? How many gallons of ice cream are needed to keep a company of Marines in good fighting spirit? The bean counters might not know, but they recorded everything down just in case you wanted to sift through the data, and a lot of people did. The data would end up having a massive contribution to the war effort.
Last were two groups of material that were never meant to see the light of day. The sort of thing that ought to be recorded, but then hidden away only for the purview of top men. The first is information you might expect would cause classification or a cover-up. Disastrous friendly fire incidents. Accusations and or confessions of war crimes. State secrets involving intelligence on enemies and allies both.
Then there’s the other tranche of material. The stuff that defies explanation. Secrets from the hidden corners of the earth that were never meant to be revealed until some young farmboys from a country far away showed up in places where they were never supposed to be.
The following provides an example.
Excerpts from the personal diary of Second Lieutenant Yvette Morgan, Army Nursing Corps, 231st Hospital Group, Normandy region of France, July and August 1944. Aged 20 at the time of writing.
Note: Most American personnel in WWII were restricted from keeping personal diaries for counterintelligence purposes. It was not uncommon that this restriction was flaunted, particularly among personnel with the luxury of a little bit of privacy. Lt. Morgan seems to have understood the purpose of the restriction, and so the redactions in the following excerpts are her own. A careful eye will note she’s made a couple of errors, which is why censorship should be left to the professionals.
July 30th, 1944- Just got off the truck and finally made it back ‘home.’ Just spent all ‘day,’ helping set up the field hospital. We’ve commandeered a high school in the little town of St. A. I think it’s going to work out pretty well. There’s a gym with a tall ceiling and high windows, which means good natural lighting, so we’re setting that up as an operating room. We’ve got about six beds in each classroom, which is just about the number you’d like. The corridors are nice and wide enough to handle gurneys, and there’s plenty of room out front for the ambulances. I don’t think we could have found a better location outside of a purpose-built actual hospital.
The real work starts tomorrow. Well, today, I guess. They ought to be taking patients right about the time I’m writing this. I drew the short stick, and now I’m stuck with the overnight shift. That’s my luck for you. Back home that would have meant at least it would be pretty quiet, but I don’t think that’s going to apply to this kind of duty.
“Home” is actually this nice little old cottage they’ve set me up with, and four other girls. It’s in the tiny commune of L. It’s actually about ten miles from the hospital, not far from the sea. Every shift they’re going to drive us back and forth in these trucks. Seems like an awful waste of gasoline to me, but what do I know? The whole reason they’re doing this is because the hospital’s technically in range of German artillery, and they like to keep staff like us out of harm's way when we’re not needed. I suppose we won’t be in range much longer anyway. That said, Capt. G says the front line’s been stalled out for a while. He says it’s slow going with all these enormous hedgerows they grow everyplace around here. I never knew they could grow so big, they must be hundreds of years old. I thought the poplar windbreaks they started growing back home after the Dust Bowl were impressive, but they’ve got nothing on these things. We can still hear the guns, though. They’re a long way off, and kind of sound like thunder, though you can tell they’re not because the sky is perfectly clear. At least, I hope, they’re mostly our guns.
The morning’s still a little chilly, but it promises to be a warm day. I’m going to have to get used to sleeping through it. After long last summer is really here. The cottage itself is lovely. I can’t help but wonder about the people who really make this home. There’s a delightful flower garden in front and just the most precious herb garden right outside the kitchen window. When I get married and we have a home, I’m going to insist on one just like it.
The other girls? Well, what can I say. 5 of us all sharing this little place, at least we’ll be working different shifts mostly. I’m sure we’ll get by swimmingly.
July 31st- Just got back and finished breakfast for dinner. Part of me still wishes I were at work. If I were at a civilian hospital I still would be. Funny how the military insists on sticking to the scheduled shift and they order me to go home and get some sleep. I might get used to such regimentation.
I say this as if I’m not completely exhausted and overwhelmed. I’m sure I’ll sleep tonight. Today, whatever. As I’d suspected, we had our first wounded in during the morning shift. Most of them had been through the Mobile Advanced hospital and had been at least looked over by a doctor. Plenty had already gone through an initial surgery, just to stabilize them, close gaping wounds, and tie off arteries. It was really crude stuff, but I suppose that’s the point. Our doctors opened them back up and fixed them up properly. There were a few walking wounded, shrapnel wounds, and nasty burns we were able to help out too. I feel glad to be part of such a great team. I spent the first half of my shift assisting in two different surgeries. Then the last half attending the wards.
I had hoped that would be more peaceful. Our boys are so brave, even when you can tell they’re really broken up over what they’ve been through. And yet it wasn’t meant to be.
I mentioned that St. A.’s was within range of German artillery. Well, there was an attack last night, early this morning, I’m still not used to the schedule. They didn’t hit the hospital. They hit the other side of town. It was loud enough to shake all of the windows, and even the ground shook. It scared the daylights out of me. Some of the boys yelled too. A couple of them fell out of their beds and tried to hide underneath. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go through that a second time, let alone time after time, day after day like our boys.
I was just starting to get things settled down and everything squared. Then there was commotion. A bunch of orderlies, then nurses, then doctors running around the front main hall. We were expecting wounded. They’d hit an old medieval church on the other side of town. The Church of Saint Adalthred. There had been a platoon of soldiers sleeping there. Now they were bringing the survivors in.
I had never done triage before, though I remembered my training. You divide the patients into three groups. The group that needs surgery absolutely immediately if they’re going to live. The group that can wait for surgery. And then there’s the group that will die regardless.
There were two young men that were in the last group. The first had a massive open head wound. The strange thing was he was perfectly conscious and capable of speaking, despite the injury. There was just nothing that we could do for him. He was alert for about an hour, and then he simply passed away. Is it horrible to think that was something of a mercy?
The other suffered terrible burns, and apparently some of the blast as well. After the triage, I was assigned to care for him. The doctor had estimated over 90 percent of his body suffered burns in the third degree. The kind of amount that really makes you question your faith. I’ve seen burn patients, but not when they get first arrive like this. His eyes and ears were gone. A strange thing was, he wasn’t screaming like we’d expect burn patients to do. The doctor said his vocal cords were burnt out, but his lungs were relatively free of smoke damage, and he didn’t have that horrible cough. The doctor said it was like “he’d inhaled flame.” He was simply silent. He’s not expected to last the night. Day, I mean. I suppose I won’t see him again. I suppose that’s mercy too.
I mentioned yesterday that I think a school building serves as a fine hospital in a pinch. I’m not sure about that anymore. It’s the ventilation. There isn’t any in the school. Fumes from the ether linger everywhere. So does the stink of infection, no matter how much we fight it. And that last patient. It was like he was roasted. Literally. I thought I’d be sick.
August 1st- The truck ride back is starting to become my favorite part of the day. This one was a long one, despite being the exact same length as all the other shifts. We’re really packed now. The minute we get one patient ready for transport back to England, another takes his bed. They say the war might be over before Christmas. I hope. Don’t know how I’ll be able to keep up this pace for so long.
The little old priest whose church got blown up by the Germans came around to volunteer at the hospital. Poor old thing has nowhere else to go. He’s helping us roll bandages, working the autoclaves, and helping the chaplain out with the prayers. He seems to be helping with morale, god bless him. Particularly the chaplain’s. The priest doesn’t speak English and the chaplain doesn’t speak French, but they both speak Latin well enough to get by. I’ve never heard it spoken before. I grew up Lutheran, and it seems so strange. I’m a long way from home.
The burn patient is still alive. I was really surprised when I got in and found out. Apparently so are the doctors. Of course, I’m attending him again and was asked to change his bandages. Most of the rest of his skin that hadn’t already sloughed off last night did so while I was changing them. I didn’t see any sign of infection yet, though of course, we all know what’s coming. Other than that there wasn’t much I can do. He’s started letting off this low moan. The doctor said he was not really conscious. I can’t imagine he would be, he’s still getting so much morphine.
He was already bleeding through before my shift ended, so I thought I’d do the next shift a favor and take care of it a second time on the same shift. This time the doctor had me place his arms over his chest and belly, and bandage them all together. Also, he had me bandage his legs together. The doctor said that if there’s a miracle and somehow he manages to pull through, it will be because he somehow beat the infection. And if he’s going to have any chance at all then we’ll need to minimize his contact with bandages until can receive grafts. When I was done he ended up looking like a mummy, right out of the pictures. I don’t think it will matter much, and neither does the doctor. But we have to keep trying.
August 2nd- Just got back. The burn victim is still alive. It’s so strange. It’s all I can think about now. When I first got in I went straight to his room. I was absolutely shocked, it was gruesome. His bandages were positively soaked through. There was more red than white. I was just about to chew out the girl on the shift before me. I thought that nobody had changed the bandages since my last shift, but then she told me that she’d just changed them two hours previously. I couldn’t make head or tales of it. So I just got to work changing them myself. It felt so odd, the way the other patients in the room were looking at us. Like they knew there was something off about the whole thing. The patient’s moaning is getting louder too. It must be so unnerving to the others sharing the room.
Then, of all things, Maj. P and Col. S came in to observe. I haven’t seen either of them since we started setting up the hospital. They don’t usually stay up so late. They were washed up and decided to help me bandage the patient. As if they weren’t just there to observe me, but wanted to be a part of it too.
Sure enough, after only a couple of hours, the bandages were soaked through again. I’ve never seen such terribly bleeding. I asked the doctor if it could have possibly been hemophilia. It’s something I’ve only heard about but haven’t seen. He only shook his head like he was sure that it wasn’t. Yet he also looked even more confused than I was. We’ve been giving the patient transfusions. But at this rate, I just don’t know where it’s all coming from.
I know I shouldn’t be writing this sort of thing down, but the doctor confided that he’s thinking of reducing the morphine, maybe the patient will be more lucid. I don’t know how the doctor expects him to communicate with his vocal cords destroyed, or what he could possibly have to say even if he could talk. Well, it’s not my place to decide. I think he knows more about what’s happening to the poor man than I do.
It was all just blood too. In the bandages. No pus at all. I don’t know how he’s not becoming infected.
August 3rd- There’s a great deal of strangeness happening at the hospital. I saw the General’s staff car the moment our truck pulled around to drop us off, the little flags on the front gave it away.. Instead of starting my shift, they asked me to come back to Col. S’s office. My first thought was that I was in trouble, and they’d somehow find this diary. Both Maj. P and Col. S. were there, along with Gen C. who’d driven down from Corps HQ with a couple of his staff. There were also two men from what might have been regular Army, except they wore two long dark coats. I didn’t get their names.
Apparently, they’d all been there for hours and were wanting to debrief me. Well, it sure was intimidating, but they just wanted me to tell them what I’d seen. Fair enough. The patient was burned all over his body. He probably should have died the first night but hasn’t. There’s an awful amount of bleeding which I can’t account for. There’s also no pus or smell of infection, which also didn’t make sense. I told them about how he’s been given large amounts of morphine, though I didn’t say what Cap. H had said about reducing it. No, he had never been capable of speaking since brought in. No, he hadn’t been wearing his dog tags, but between the blast, and the length of time he’d been burning, he must have stripped everything off. Surely they were back in the rubble of that church. Then they thanked me and told me I could go back to work.
Well, I’d just about had it. I stood up and demanded that if they knew something about my patient that they weren’t telling me and that if they did I could take better care of him, well then they had better tell me. I think I even swore though I didn’t mean to. Maj. P almost laughed and Col. S just gave me that stupid patronizing smile. Told me I was already doing everything that I could, and that they were proud of me. He’s a good man, but I’m getting really sick of this Army “that’s on a need-to-know basis” crap.
Rest of the shift was just the usual. Strange how it's become the norm now. No, there was something else. The burn patient was in his room by himself. They’d moved the other beds out. They didn’t tell me why. Probably because his moan’s getting worse. And raspier. I still don’t think he’s out of the morphine stupor though.
Alright, it’s later the same day, the second. I’ve just woken up and had a serious chat with Kathy, the nurse from the second shift, and she’s had a lot to talk about. Rumors are swirling. I don’t know how much of this is true. My gut instinct? It’s all true.
Those men in the long coats? The rumor is they were Army Intelligence. That didn’t make a lick of sense to me at first, but then it started to come together. It turns out there were supposed to be 30 men, including the C.O., in that church that night it got shelled. Nobody else. Except when they added up all the survivors (who’ve moved on to the front), all the wounded that were taken to our hospital, and those who died, which took a while to count, then it all added up to 31 men. So somebody was there who wasn’t supposed to be there, and nobody knows who it is. They think they’ve got all of the dog tags accounted for, which might have been why they asked me about it when I came in later that night. And the one person they can’t account for seems to be the burn victim.
So they didn’t know who it was. Nobody from the St. A.’s was missing. None of the French Resistance were around that night (apparently Intelligence asked them? How else would they know?). So it's really suspicious and they were worried he might be some kind of spy or infiltrator. They still don’t even know why that church was shelled in the first place.
So they started asking questions of that poor old priest who’s been volunteering. We know because they let the chaplain sit in with him, but it seems both of the intelligence guys spoke fluent French. They asked him if there were any kind of acolyte or initiate or whatever sort of junior clergy he might have could have been there. He said no, and anybody who might have was accounted for and healthy. He asked if there was anything valuable that could have been stolen, or maybe he feared could be looted (would our boys do that?). Well, he didn’t think so. There was the holy font, which was an antique, but there were many like it and it was hardly easy to move. There was the Bible at the altar. It was very old and had great sentimental value, but again it would have no value to thieves. There was the tomb of St. Adalthred himself, which was priceless to his community but was a part of the church itself. Why the church had been built in the first place. Impossible to steal.
Then they asked the priest to come and view the patient. Perhaps seeing his proportions, perhaps it might have helped him recollect a similar person he’d seen lately. I understand why they did it. He, the burn victim, does seem shorter than any soldier I’ve met, skinner too. I wish they hadn’t, though. The chaplain said the priest had cried over seeing all those bloody bandages. There wasn’t a point, because the priest said he didn’t recognize him. The strange thing was, the chaplain had said that the priest's behavior seemed really strange. Like they got the really strong sense that the priest was being cagey, and lying to them. Not that he recognized the figure per se, but that he was thinking of something that he wasn’t telling them. He also insisted on saying a prayer over the burnt figure before he left, and they let him.
When I asked why they’d moved all the other beds in the room, Kathy said a little while after the priest had left the burn victim had started screaming, really bad. The other patients asked if they could leave the room, and because of the mystery, Col. S. agreed to it so they could isolate the burnt man. He was only calmer when I arrived later because they’d given him more morphine. When Kathy told me how much my jaw hit the floor. That part has to be baseless rumor.
August 8- I’m back in England. I’ve been too worked up to write, and worried, of course. After it happened, they put me in a truck, drove me to L. to pick up my things, and then I was on a Skytrain back to Cornwall. I guess we stopped at the cottage as a courtesy, it was on the way to the airfield. I was worried they’d find this diary, but they never searched. I don’t think they know what to do with me. I’m not sure what they should do either. They might just send me home, I suppose. I wouldn’t protest that. I just want to get on with things.
So. That night. The 4th.
I’ll start when I get off the truck. That moment when you hit the ground after jumping out of the bed is so sharp like it just sets your whole day. Like a starter pistol at a race. Something about it seemed off just as I was walking towards the door. Now I get in, and the front gallery, ever since that night of the triage, is a pretty empty place. But somebody was waiting for me, and it was Col. S. He came right up to me the moment he saw me. What an upside-down experience.
He starts leading me down the side hall, towards the back of the hospital/school where his office was. So of course I expected he needed to talk to me about something in his office. Only it turned out it wasn’t his office anymore. I thought something was off when I saw two armed guards on either side of the door to his often. Almost as soon, I heard the screaming.
I have just enough time to puzzle together what’s happened when Col. S walks right in, me in tow. They’d moved the burn patient to Col. S’s office, and he’d cleared out. The reason was obvious. The patient was screaming. Really, really loud. It hurt my ears in such a small office. The office was as about as far removed from the rest of the patients as they could move him. His bandages were soaked through, totally bright red. Jet red? Is jet red a thing? If you saw him, you’d say it was. It looked like they had been in the middle of starting to change his bandages, or just about to finish. Because there were parts of his flesh that were exposed. I didn’t realize it at first, and could only tell because of the texture.
I was just staring at him for a while. Jaw wide open. Then I looked at Col. S. He had been watching my reaction. He had such a sympathetic look. I asked him “How long has he been like this?”
“For hours,” he said. Like he was apologizing.
“How much morphine did you give him?” I asked. He was a doctor in his own right, of course. He didn’t get a chance to perform much surgery now that he’s the administrator, but I don’t think that ever leaves you.
He looked like he was about to cry.
“Lethal?” I asked.
“More,” he whispered.
We stood there silent for a few moments. Then he explained the situation. The only people allowed in the room would be doctors. Myself, and he explained I was the nurse with the most experience with him, and that I was the one he trusted the most. I’d have no other duties this shift. The chaplain was allowed in, and the priest. Also, the two guards out front, and that was it. He told me “The men from intel will be back, and a couple of spooks. We’ll figure it out then.” I had no idea what he meant by that, but I just nodded.
Well, the chaplain was there, though he looked a total mess. And it turned out the priest had stayed late but had gone home, exhausted.
So I did my duties. Changed bandages. Changed IV bottles. There were two chairs in the room, one for me and one for the chaplain. With only the one patient sometimes I’d wait. We couldn’t really chat. The screaming was too loud. I don’t think either of us got used to it.
I suppose it was about 3 AM. Mom used to call that the witching hour. Around three it started to change. The screaming that is, the cadence of it. Is that the right word? He started screaming words. Very garbled, but words. That was when I remembered the doctor had said his vocal cords had been destroyed. Had he been wrong? It had to be. Both I and the chaplain were standing over him then. The chaplain whispering prayers. Sometimes we’d look at each other like maybe the other knew what was happening. There were no answers.
The words started getting clearer. Not that we understood them, but they kind of sounded like they were French. Both I and the chaplain thought he, the patient, was becoming lucid. The chaplain opened up the door and told the guards to get the colonel, also to send somebody to find the priest. I suppose anybody could have translated, or so I thought at the time, but getting the priest sounded right.
Well, the colonel wasn’t in, but Maj. P. was. He spoke a little French, but he couldn’t understand the words. I’m still glad he was there. As a witness. I’m glad me and the chaplain weren’t the only ones. It was like the patient was chanting.
It was, maybe ten minutes after the major arrived. The screaming just stopped. No words. Just heavy breathing. Hyperventilating maybe. It occurred to me then that the bandages had become soaked through again. I’d been there the whole time. Watching. Only now had I noticed. He was glistening. The bedding was bloody too, of course. It was everywhere. And then…
Then it happened.
I had been facing another direction. But there was a sound. Like a massive, loud inhalation of are. There was this bright light, like when a lightbulb is about to short out. Except I felt the heat, and I turned. The patient had burst into flames.
I screamed. I think the chaplain and major did too. The two guards ran in. Maybe they sent somebody else to fetch the priest. They just yelled and weren’t able to do anything else. In a normal circumstance, I think somebody would have fetched an extinguisher. Except the patient suddenly sat straight up in his bed. We were positively paralyzed. He was screaming again, and all we could do is watch. His bandages and bedding all burned away. Only then he stopped.
There was this man before us. He had no skin. No eyes. Glistening red, and patches of black where the ash still clung to him. He looked at us. Looked at me. There were two black holes in his face, above the hole for his nose, and his mouth, lips burned away and teeth missing. But the holes for his eyes… I could feel him looking at me despite having no eyes.
Then he spoke. It was French again, at least I thought. I couldn’t understand it. Full sentences. Raspy, but clear. No sign of pain or duress. Yet it was authoritative like he was in full command of his faculties.
I don’t think it lasted long before the priest came rushing in. The priest said something like “sortie” and then the Major told us to get out, the chaplain and I.
We did and closed the door behind us. The two guards were further down the hall, clearly rattled.
We could hear the priest and the burned man talking. Clearly, through the door. The burned man was distinguishable by the rasp in his voice, the commanding tone. Yet as we listened, there was something off. The burned man’s French was different than the priest’s French. It was like they didn’t understand each other. It was like they were speaking two different dialects, and I didn’t realize until I heard them both being spoken next to each other.
There was a pause of silence. And then the priest started speaking in Latin. I saw a look of relief on the chaplain’s face when the burned man responded, also in Latin.
The two spoke, the burned man and the priest. They went on and on, me not understanding any of it. The burned man seemed to calm, the priest becoming more anxious as they went. Then I turned to the chaplain again. His attention was totally focused on the closed door, but he was listening to the priest and the burned man talk.
He was shaking, and pale as a ghost. I’ve seen men shake. I’ve seen them shake from the effects of blood loss and shock. I’ve seen them shake because they’ve been mad from war. I’ve seen them shake from hypothermia and hypoglycemia and drug overdoses. I’ve seen no end of fear in their eyes. Fear as they’re going under anesthesia, or having their limbs removed, or knowing they’re about to die from their wounds.
I’ve never seen a man so afraid or shaken than that chaplain on that night. And all because he was able to follow that conversation in Latin.
The door suddenly opened. The priest waved us aside, looking more determined than I’d ever seen him. We pressed ourselves against the wall to get out of the way. The burned man followed him. Silent. Walking. We watched them walk down the hallway. The guards turned and fled. Then the priest and the burnt figure turned the corner, and that was the last that I saw of them.
I remember looking back into the room and seeing the Major, slumped in a chair, hands covered his face. The smoke from the burning bandages and bedding still hung in the air, sweet and strong and foul due to the lack of ventilation.
The two men in the long coats showed up. There were also a couple of men in suits. Civilians, I guess. They sort of took charge. Then they just put me on a truck, didn’t even ask me any questions.
And that’s what happened.
I’ve been on this base for a couple of days. They seem to be giving me a lot of freedom, they let me go into town yesterday. I went to a library. It wasn’t a very big one, but I guess it didn’t need to be. I found a hagiography. Or, I guess, a sort of encyclopedia on the subject of saints.
There was a very small entry on the subject of Saint Adalthred. Very little was known about him. He’d been a saint in early medieval France. He’d preached to royalty. The Marrowvingians I think it said, I don’t know what that is. Like all saints, he’d performed three miracles. Like all saints, he’d been martyred. He’d been burned at the stake. His last miracle had been his own resurrection.
I don’t know what to do with this diary. I never should have started it, and yet I think it’s important that I did. I think I’m going to turn myself in and give it to them. I suppose they’ll court-martial me over it, send me home. I don’t want to go home, but maybe I deserve it. At any rate, clearly, there are higher powers than me at work here.
-End copy.-
All of the documentation by the U.S. during the war was massive. All of the officers, nurses, spies, bean counters, and everybody else contributed to the pile. This was long before the digital age, or even microfiche, so the sheer scale of the paperwork is hardly conceivable. It could have been measured by the cargo holds of liberty ships.
After the war, the Army and Navy needed someplace to store it all. Any of it could have had unforeseen value, and destroying it was never an option. In 1951, with the Korean War raging and threatening to exacerbate the document problem, the Department of Defense decided to build a massive new warehouse archive to store it all. In 1956, the Military Personnel Records Center was finished. Ostensibly the archive was meant to store personnel records, but the military being the military, and the warehouse being of such a huge scale, it housed other records as well. Records such as the nurse’s diary, records of things unnatural. Supernatural. Only to be seen by top men.
One of the items discussed during the facility’s construction was the inclusion of a sprinkler fire prevention system. There was a concern that such a system could leak, and cause water damage to all the important documents. So the archive was built without one.
In 1973 the building burned down, taking millions of documents with it. The cause was never officially determined. At the time, and for many years after, the biggest problem was the bureaucratic nightmare it caused for millions of veterans and collecting the benefits they were entitled to.
To a very small community, namely us, the damage was a travesty. That’s the purpose of this project. To retrieve the documentation, study, and catalog it, this entry is only the first example. Naturally, the question arises- how do we retrieve these files if they were all destroyed in the fire? Well, that’s on a need-to-know basis, Lieutenant, and you don’t need to know.
​
Author's Notes: The War Files is meant to be an on-going series of horror stories set in and around WWII, and the very real Archive Fire. Maybe it would make a good podcast? This was sort of a pilot episode and thought it would fit the theme of this month's event. If you liked the story and want to read more, I'll probably post them either to my subreddit EBDavis or my substack ebdavis.substack.com

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to our new members,
Planned Reg A+ Offering (Regulation A+ is a highly efficient path to uplist to the NASDAQ or NYSE) World’s Most Advanced Anti-Theft and Anti-Carjacking System Blockchain Cyber Security Security for Cryptocurrency Mining Security for Digital Asset Storage and Protection Security for Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms Long Term Share Reduction Program Recently Reported Record Sales Growth It Appears That Most of The Stock Outstanding is Locked Up (or not yet deposited at the DTC)
I hope you had a great and relaxing weekend. If your anything like us, you get anxious over the weekend waiting on the market to open again on Monday. Yea I get it!
So we mentioned yesterday that we're composing a new report on an OTC exchange traded company that has less than 400K shares available to trade electronically at the DTC. This company has a couple recent announcements that could serve as significant catalysts. So let's get to it.
SECURETECH INNOVATIONS INC. (OTC: SCTH)
First, the share structure we mentioned looks like this according to otcmarkets.com.
Outstanding Shares 111,850,513 as of 06/03/2023 Restricted 81,523,513 as of 06/03/2023 Unrestricted 30,327,000 as of 06/03/2023 Held at DTC 313,000 as of 06/03/2023 Float 20,003,000 as of 04/14/2021
To top it off they are undergoing a share reduction program.
SecureTech Launches Long-Term Share Reduction Program
Targeting Total Reduction in Outstanding Common Shares by 70% in 2023
ROSEVILLE, Minn., June 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureTech Innovations, Inc. (OTC: SCTH), an emerging growth company that develops and markets cutting-edge security and safety devices, products, and technologies such as Top Kontrol and its early-stage cybersecurity and cryptocurrency technology incubator Piranha Blockchain, announces it launched a long-term share reduction program.
The goal of this share reduction program is to reduce the nearly 112 million shares of common shares presently outstanding to under 35 million shares before the end of the year. This would represent a total reduction in outstanding shares of around 70%
Phase 1 of this share reduction program is already underway and includes an initial 25 million share reduction, representing 22.4% of the currently outstanding common shares. Once SecureTech’s transfer agent effects this Phase 1 reduction, SecureTech will have 86,850,513 common shares outstanding.
SecureTech’s President and CEO Kao Lee commented, “We are very pleased to announce this share reduction initiative. This is an extremely positive and valuable program designed to add substantial value to our long-term investors’ holdings while preparing SecureTech for a successful capital raise at higher prices through its planned Regulation A+ offering.”
“All of us at SecureTech continue working diligently to increase the underlying value of the business and our loyal shareholders’ investments. We look forward to sharing additional new developments in the coming weeks,” added Mr. Lee. FULL ARTICLE
SecureTech Reports Record Top Kontrol Sales Growth
Unveils New Top Kontrol Marketing and Investor Awareness Initiative
ROSEVILLE, Minn., May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureTech Innovations, Inc. (OTC: SCTH), an emerging growth company that develops and markets cutting-edge security and safety devices, products, and technologies such as Top Kontrol and its early-stage cybersecurity and cryptocurrency technology incubator Piranha Blockchain, announces it generated record Top Kontrol sales growth of 114% during the first quarter of 2023.
Seeking to build upon this record sales growth, SecureTech announces it is launching a cross-marketing initiative aimed at growing product/brand awareness while converting existing and prospective shareholders into Top Kontrol customers. It’s a win-win for public safety and SecureTech’s shareholders.
SecureTech’s President and CEO Kao Lee commented, “Top Kontrol as a brand and product remain largely unknown outside of the Twin Cities area. By combining product marketing and investor awareness efforts, we hope to attract a new generation of customers that become long-term SecureTech shareholders and vice versa. This will create a strong shareholder base, ensuring our forthcoming Regulation A+ offering is a huge success to propel SecureTech to the next level.” FULL ARTICLE
About SecureTech Innovations
SecureTech is an emerging growth company that develops and markets security and safety devices, products, and technologies – our products preserve life, protect property, and prevent crime. SecureTech is the maker of Top Kontrol®, the only anti-theft and anti-carjacking system known that can safely stop a carjacking without any action by the driver. Through its Piranha Blockchain subsidiary, SecureTech is developing advanced cybersecurity technologies for blockchain and cryptocurrency systems and platforms involving cryptocurrency mining, digital asset storage and protection, and cryptocurrency trading platforms. For more information, visit securetechinnovations.com, topkontrol.com, and piranhablockchain.com.
Piranha Blockchain
Piranha Blockchain, a SecureTech Innovations, Inc. company, is developing advanced cybersecurity technologies for blockchain and cryptocurrency systems and platforms for cryptocurrency mining, digital asset storage and protection, and trading exchanges.
Top Kontrol - No monitoring fees or subscriptions required
Automatically Stops Carjackings Top Kontrol® is the only product available that prioritizes the safety of drivers and passengers. Top Kontrol® automatically stops a carjacking in about 15-seconds without any action from the driver!
Even If the Thief has Your Keys!
Worry-Free Engine Idling Hot or cold outside? Left the engine running? Top Kontrol® has you covered and will shut the engine off 15-seconds after any attempt to steal your idling vehicle.
Stops Professional Thieves Top Kontrol® keeps your vehicle secure from auto theft. It is installed on top of existing systems, making it impossible for thieves to drive away with your car!
Comparing the Competetion
LoJack $725-$1200 - no monthly fees On-Star monthly fees $29 - $49/month, forever (I have this one now) Top Kontrol $449.95 plus installation costs which may vary (The only one that can stop an active carjacking)
In my twenties I distinctly remember a newer car I had just purchased being stolen for a joy ride when a theif stole my keys. The police arrived just to tell me they cannot do anything about it because the theif has the keys to the vehicle. Luckily, we were able to talk this person back with the car intact. However, if this ever happened again I would feel much safer with Top Kontrol. Check out all the features here.
From the Top Kontrol website: Your family’s safety is our priority!
The next-generation automotive and personal safety device is here today! Top Kontrol® is the world’s most advanced anti-theft and anti-carjacking system currently available. Top Kontrol® not only protects your vehicle from theft and criminal tampering while parked but also actively and passively helps secure and protect what is truly most important: your life and the lives of your family!
I think this bad boy could move in the near term. What do you think? As always do your own research and analysis.
I'll will be back with an updated report soon,
Disclosure

The 1-year mark of the beginning of my problems with my first new Malibu boat has recently passed to no resolution of my problems. Therefore, I figured it's time to share my experience with anyone who may be considering a Malibu/Axis product.
In April 2022, I purchased a new Axis t250 off the showroom floor at Lake Norman Marina and it was great for the first few weeks, but on Memorial Day weekend of 2022 after a rider had fallen, the boat would no longer start. After about a week of the boat being at the dealership, they decided it wasn't just the starter and for some reason the transmission needed to be changed. About 2 weeks later I got the boat back, went out 3 times, and the transmission actually blew. They changed it again, and on my 3rd time out again the transmission blew. They changed it yet again and on my first day out the engine temp was skyrocketing and fluid spilling out, turned out a hose had not been secured properly and was spilling into the engine bay, but on the 4th time out, the transmission blew once again.
At this point, the entire month of June had passed, I had multiple issues with their maintenance practices and communication and had not received any offer of compensation for tows, no paperwork for warrant work performed, no contact from Malibu, or even an apology from the dealership. The boat had under 40hrs on it, and I had spent probably 15hrs on the water waiting for tows and being towed in. But the dealership and malibu decided to change the entire engine. 3 weeks in and I decide to call Malibu's engine department and ask how long, an engine change takes. (As an aircraft mechanic myself, changing giant turbine engines on Airbus fleets can be done in under 32 hours). The engine tech informed me it was a 5hr job and they also did not know why my transmission was changed in the first place since I had never received a transmission overheat message. However, I received my boat back about a week later and hoped that was the end, I could finally use my boat. About a week in, some wires to the screen came loose and I lost all my gauges on the opposite end of my home lake and at this point I was fed up. I told the dealership to take the boat back and I never wanted to see it again. I had been paying for a boat for 3 months and only had access to it for under 1 month.
This is when Malibu finally decided to get involved and Robert C. contacted me and admitted that the boat was a lemon. I informed him how I was displeased with the company, product, and the dealership and had never received a single piece of warranty paperwork, not even for the engine so that I could have the serial numbers switched on my insurance. He sounded surprised but ultimately didn't do anything regarding that issue but did offer to build me a new 2023 model year boat to replace my lemon if I just road that one out for the season because "Malibu wanted to earn my trust back as a customer". I expressed my concerns with product quality, the fact I'd be paying for a boat I hate for months, and new loan rates but after Robert adamantly assured me over 10 times that I would 100% be able to keep my same loan, and that my new boat would be put through a more in depth inspection process he called their "dock inspection" I decided to take the deal because pursuing the Magnussen Moss Warranty Act in court could have just yielded the same end result after much more time. Also, for 2 months straight I continued to ask Lake Norman Marina for warranty work paperwork in order to document my experience and the only thing I ever received was a screenshot of the hours of manpower assigned to my boat on one day.
In October of 2022 I submitted my new build and was told the new one would be completed in early spring/March. However, just after Christmas I received a call from the dealership that my boat was ready, and I need to submit for a new loan. I raised hell, right after Christmas when my credit cards were near capacity, 3 months early on completion, after a ton of reassurances that there was no way I would need a new loan at these higher rates, and after I have continued to make payments on the existing crap boat, I was told to get a new loan. I reached out to Robert because he was so adamant about the fact I would not have to, and he proceeded to make a bunch of excuses for the dealership and say it's out of his hands. Where I then responded, why would you make promises you can't keep, about something you have no control over? This was the most important stipulation of the deal to me. That is when I first realized Malibu cannot be trusted. They ran my credit and as I expected my 4.5% interest would now be 9-10%, but luckily, I contacted my loan officer and detailed the entire situation to him. There was no way I was going to pay more money for a boat from a company that had shitted me. I told him, you either keep this loan and continue to make the money off of me you already are, or I am getting a boat from another company with another bank, and you make none. He agreed with my position and after a couple days managed to convince his higher ups to do a collateral swap on my current loan. No thanks to the dealership or Malibu.
Here we are in 2023, new year, new me, new boat, lets fucking see. I take delivery of my new 2023 Axis t235, and she looks beautiful. I take her right to the shop to get some tint thrown on. That evening I take the boat to the marina and hop in to see if they put any fuel in. 88% full, ok well they did the 10hr break in so that could be why. The next morning, I have it fueled up by the marina, still 88%. Some, "dock inspection" and more so how did the dealership not notice this during the break in period? But whatever I am ready to surf and will wait until my first service to have it addressed. Granted, I surf 3-4 times a week and fill it before every outing for weight. Then I recieved notice of the recall on the steering cable block and called my dealer but they had not recieved any tooling to complete it yet. But he told me it wasnt like the boat was gonna blow up, just dont go full power and I should be fine, at most I'd need a tow and I was used to that after the previous year. The boats running great, all sorts of squeaks and dry pump noises I had mentioned on the previous boat to the dealer, and told were normal, didn't exist on this one. Amazing. But one saturday after a rider had fell, and 2 jet skis were coming straight at im I start tapping my horn and it gets stuck wide open. We shut the boat off and on several times but as soon as the battery is set to on the horn sounds, so we decided to get under the dash, mid-lake, and disconnect the button. While this is happening I just so happen to get an e-mail from axis to submit a review on my boat and experience. Which I answered honestly; boat runs good, salesman good, not too impressed with company, dealership bad. Within minutes Logan K. sales manager, and son of the dealership owner e-mails me, 6pm on a Saturday, and says, "I cannot believe you bashed us yet again. Actually, I can." and proceeds to tell me they will no longer work on my boat, also that he has CC'd his entire service department to let them know. I respond telling him how all I did was answer the questions honestly based on my experience, and that him unprofessionally e-mailing me with a refusal to work my boat because of that, with the several existing issues is not in line with Malibu's statement of wanting to earn my trust back. He stands by his statement and says that they will not work the boat, and that I need to reach out to one of 2 other dealers farther away to have them correct the problems. The following Wednesday I go to surf and my marina manager tells me Lake Norman Marina was here earlier that day and had pulled my boat out to do some recall. I immediately e-mail Logan, informing him that I would like to know where we stand because if Lake Norman Marina is no longer working my boat, then they should not be touching my property, and regardless I should be informed before they have it pulled out for any work. He claims it was an oversight and will not apologize for the mechanic, even though ya' know, he CC'd his entire service department. From where I am standing, I have no idea if this tech came out to sabotage my boat or God knows what. Now since that initial interaction that previous Saturday, I called Malibu and left voicemails on 3 different phone numbers Mon-Fri of the next week. 15 voicemails and not a single response. So, the next week I go to my local Supra dealership, who is amazing by the way, shout out to Southtown Watersports!
The guys at SW are familiar with my story because every time I have come for boards, jackets, or lead bags etc. I have given them the latest and greatest in my ridiculous experience. They told me dealers have a direct line to the manufacturer and I should go ahead and reach out to the next closest dealer, give them my story and see what happens. Thats what I decided to do, Captain's Choice is 2 hours from me and when I spoke with them, they were just mind blown by my experience. Told me in 20 years he hadn't heard a story like mine. But they were very helpful and said they were going to look up parts and work on my boat and get them ordered so I could get it all fixed without wasting time. Big upgrade there. about an hour later I get an e-mail from Mr. Logan again. "Malibu sent us the parts to fix your horn but I told Robert you said we were not allowed on your property so let me know how you would like to proceed." This ding-dong sends me this, twisting my words, in the same e-mail chain where he is the one refusing to service my boat and I stated that if you are going to refuse service then you shouldn't be on my property. I replied telling him that I had reached out to the other dealer as he forced me to but that I would rather them come fix it, than have to trailer my boat 2 hours each way for something small. The following morning, he replies that he thinks I should just move forward with the other marina, and he would send them the parts. What? After 10 or so days he emailed me about fixing it with absolutely no intention to fix the boat? fuck off. I sent him a strongly worded response signed, "Sincerely, Eat Shit." and forwarded the interaction to Robert, detailing that in the same chain Logan proves he is a liar and twisted my words. I didn't expect a response at this point, but 3 min later Robert finally replied asking to speak on the phone later that day. When I talked to Robert, he once again made a bunch of excuses defending the dealerships behavior while stating he was not taking sides...makes sense. Told me they could do what they wanted and that me trailering by boat 2 hours each way to Captains Choice was a reasonable thing, knowing that the previous boat literally broke every week for 2 months. He informed me that ignoring my 15 voicemails was his call, in order to not escalate the situation, REALLY makes sense. Also, states that he told the mechanic to access my boat for the recall, which is not what ol' ding-dong had said. All trust in the company and especially Robert is lost at this point, so the conversation is useless.
About 2 weeks later I finally have the appointment to get the issues at my boat fixed 2 hours away. A spot in the flooring had bubbled at this point so it was that the horn, the fuel gauge, and possibly the recall. I leave at 530am with my boat to make sure I am at Captains Choice by 8am. Everyone was great there and were just as mind blown as myself that traveling that far for maintenance was considered reasonable by Robert and Malibu as far as "earning my trust as a customer." I was there for about 4 hours, napping in my truck when they took me back to my boat and said they stuck a needle in the bubble and smoothed it flat as directed by malibu, but it could bubble again, and they would then replace the piece. They reconnected the horn and it worked but in case it got stuck again they would send me a new horn unit to my house, seeing as ol ding-dong logan never sent them the parts. I have yet to receive the parts. They said the recall had been completed but was never put into the system which is no suprise seeing as Lake Norman Marina obviously does not believe in paperwork. Then theres the fuel gauge, he showed me that the float will not reach 100% ever, that it was poor design and nothing they could do. I mean, if thats the case I figure the rep for Malibu, Robert should have heard this complaint by every person who purchased a t235 at this point and not sent me 2 hours away for nothing. Anyways, they buttoned her up, and I headed home. Captain's Choice was great and a much better experience than I had previously had at the other dealership but, in total, I spent 9 hours that day and a full tank in my truck to return home with a boat in pretty much the same condition I left with. A needle poke to the floor and recconnected horn that both may fault again, a paperwork update of work performed by someone else, and being told that my 2nd brand new $140,000 boat in a year does not work right straight from the factory.
When I returned home I e-mailed Robert and told him that Malibu can either take this boat back, I keep my experience to myself, and we part ways. Or I will sell it on my own and relay my experience. As expected, no reply, so here we are. During this time I have also made small comments to other Malibu owners posts and been contacted by multiple people sharing their stories with me about the companies poor treatment of customers, and as one 20yr Malibu owner told me, it seems to only have gotten really bad since about 2020. I know some people have had wonderful experiences but this is the honest recollection of my 1yr experience with this company and I think its best for anyone looking to purchase a new boat to know what they may be getting themselves into with this company.
Also, if any other t235 owners read this let me know if your fuel gauge only reads 88% full.

I've had bad breath as long as I can remember, but no one has ever mentioned it before besides my brother and a few random people I used to hang out with so I never thought it was an everyday thing, or I just thought I didn't brush my teeth well that morning. But recently I've been more social and I've got new friends to hang out with so my bb has been more painful for me to deal with. None of them have made a reaction but they've hinted that my breath stinks in a way that wouldn't embarrass me (unfortunately i didn't catch on until later). Part of me is appreciative that no one has tried to embarrass me by mentioning it out in public but part of me wishes that someone would pull me to the side and let me know. Not even my parents say anything cause they know it'll hurt my feelings but it really sucks. I'm thinking of completely going vegetarian and only drinking water for about a month to see what happens. But I think it's being caused by a crown that I've had forever, or zinc deficiency because I've had white marks on my nails for a long time too. I have horrible morning breath, and my break starts to stink right after I brush. I brush 2-3 times a day, I brush my tongue, cheeks, and the roof of my mouth, I use a tongue scraper and mouthwash. And it's like I can taste my breath. I hate it, and I hate thinking about talking to people with a funky mouth. I've avoided talking to boys (even if I don't like them) because I feel like they would think that I'm gross which would destroy any confidence that I have left. One of my friends said she didn't even brush her teeth in the morning and her breath smelt better than mine. Thankfully I'm going to the dentist tomorrow, so I'm going to ask them what I should do and if they could take a look at my crown to see if it has anything to do with it. Honestly this really sucks and it's affecting me more than ever now that I'm more social. If anyone has any advice or tips I would really appreciate it!

My stepdaughter is 8 years old, I’ve been in her life since she was 3. Just wanted to share how special I feel that I received a text from her on her new cell phone last night, followed by her asking to call. She and I chatted for nearly an hour and this morning, she’s reached out again to say hello and all that.
Her mom’s side of the family caught Covid at a wedding so she’s been quarantined and had to skip our last weekend together. I was just so very honored she chose to reach out to me and share her experiences and stories. She didn’t even choose her dad first, she chose me (he is great with her, still).
I try to make a huge effort to make sure she knows she is loved equally at both homes and just as much as her siblings (both her mother and I both have 4 year old boys born two weeks apart that are her half brothers). I am as hands on as I possibly can be - we do crafts and cook and have girls nights with movies and face masks. It’s just nice to see her genuinely appreciate and love what I try to do for her.

I (24f) feel hurt for him (31m) that his mum gives him silent treatment, dad not caring, his sis walking away when he told them that he's going to visit me (Philippines) for the first time. He lives in Australia and we have been dating for almost 6 years LDR. My fam is opposite, they're willing to welcome him eventhough English isn't our native language. Eventhough I really wanted to finally meet him, I kind of feel bad that his fam is treating him like that. Do you think his fam disapprove of us dating? Is it because they think I'm a gold digger coming from an Asian country? I don't ask money from him, I finished uni by scholarship and immediately landed a job- now studying for Master's degree. I am not ashamed of who I am and where I'm from but it just hinders me that I don't know the cause of their disapproval? Is it normal for a white parent who disapproves of dating an asian at first?
Anyone who has the same situation as mine? Let me know your experiences or thoughts

Had surgery a week ago to treat my sinus issues. Details below regarding my condition, surgery experience and recovery.
Condition: otherwise healthy male, mid 30s in North America. Never had sinus issues until 8 months ago when I developed mild congestion on the right side on my nose only. Allergy tested and all was negative. Antibiotics and steroids didn’t help and my condition got progressively worse over the 8 months. At the peak I couldn’t breathe through my nose, lost taste and smell, constantly expelling blood and phlegm, couldn’t sleep, voice tone changed, was constantly fatigued and lacked vitality in my day to day. Probably a little depressed too. My left side the entire time was symptomless and normal until near the end when it suddenly became blocked.
ENT examined me and saw a polyp, ordered a CT and it revealed a large mass (report said 4cm x 4cm x 2 cm) growing from my right maxillary sinus that progressed into my nasopharynx and down my throat. My right maxillary sinus was completely opacified.
Decided to do surgery to remove the mass and clear out any disease. We weren’t touching any other sinus tissue as we were pretty sure the polyp was the cause of all the symptoms.
SURGERY prep: last week was my surgery. Nurses got me prepped and did a good job walking me through the process. Only criticism is it took 4 attempts to get my IV in, and, despite being alright with needles, the 4th and final attempt unfortunately set off a panic attack which made me feel pretty crummy. The nurses did a good job handling me during the panic attack but it was the first time I couldn’t deal with it using my standard protocol (which involves salted nuts and bundling up… couldn’t eat before surgery and had to stay in my surgical gown, but at least they gave me warm blankets).
Surgery: finally went into the OR where I spoke to my surgeon and anaesthetist. All was OK, I was put to sleep and woke up about 90 minutes later. Waking up was amazing—despite having a splitting headache I could finally breathe through my nose again. It was euphoria.
I was in recovery for a few hours, but since everything went well I was discharged and went home with a family member about 4 hours after I woke back up.
My surgical notes indicated the polyp was successfully removed and ethmoidectomy and maxillary anstronomy were conducted. The stalk of the polyp was followed into the maxillary sinus and was removed. Diseased tissue was removed from my maxillary sinus. Antral lavage carried out in maxillary sinus repeatedly until clear. Ethmoid sinus was clear. No signs of disease in the ethmoid sinus. I had no packings post surgery, just gauze to catch any blood.
They sent the mass to pathology to be tested. Still could be something else but haven’t heard anything yet, but I’m pretty sure it was a antrochoanal polyp (which is how it is referred to in the surgical notes). Seeing my ENT in a day and will know more.
Recovery: PAIN - head pain was significant for the first evening but by the second day was completely gone. I had almost no pain for the second and third days, with only a few Tylenol needed. However by the 4th day I started feeling moderate pain over my teeth near the right maxillary sinus and I had to use Tylenol every 4 hours to keep it at bay. I did not use the Percocet provided to me, not worth the risk. Eventually the pain reduced with Tylenol but was still significant enough for me to supplement with Advil. I now rotate Tylenol 500mg and Advil 400mg every 3 hours and that has completely managed the pain and symptoms.
Sense of smell and taste: were missing for a few days post surgery but eventually came back in full force. The sweet smells of coffee and spices… oh how I missed you.
Discharge: mostly gone by day 7. Still spit out a few large chunks every shower but discharge throughout the day is negligible now.
I do nasal rinses once or twice a day. Work like a charm.
Fatigue: improving but still finding I need a little sleep during the day.
Diet: after a day I was back to normal food without issue.
Exercise: can’t do anything for a few weeks, can’t even lift my baby as they don’t want me straining at all.
In summary: other than mild pain and some fatigue, I feel almost back to normal. This surgery has turned me around and was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was at an all time low before my surgery and now I feel like a whole new man. I am so happy with my improvement in symptoms and quality of life. If it wasn’t inappropriate I’d give my surgeon a hug. The man is a wizard and his surgical team did a great job.
Ask any questions!

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to our new members,
Planned Reg A+ Offering (Regulation A+ is a highly efficient path to uplist to the NASDAQ or NYSE) World’s Most Advanced Anti-Theft and Anti-Carjacking System Blockchain Cyber Security Security for Cryptocurrency Mining Security for Digital Asset Storage and Protection Security for Cryptocurrency Trading Platforms Long Term Share Reduction Program Recently Reported Record Sales Growth It Appears That Most of The Stock Outstanding is Locked Up (or not yet deposited at the DTC)
I hope you had a great and relaxing weekend. If your anything like us, you get anxious over the weekend waiting on the market to open again on Monday. Yea I get it!
So we mentioned yesterday that we're composing a new report on an OTC exchange traded company that has less than 400K shares available to trade electronically at the DTC. This company has a couple recent announcements that could serve as significant catalysts. So let's get to it.
SECURETECH INNOVATIONS INC. (OTC: SCTH)
First, the share structure we mentioned looks like this according to otcmarkets.com.
Outstanding Shares 111,850,513 as of 06/03/2023 Restricted 81,523,513 as of 06/03/2023 Unrestricted 30,327,000 as of 06/03/2023 Held at DTC 313,000 as of 06/03/2023 Float 20,003,000 as of 04/14/2021
To top it off they are undergoing a share reduction program.
SecureTech Launches Long-Term Share Reduction Program
Targeting Total Reduction in Outstanding Common Shares by 70% in 2023
ROSEVILLE, Minn., June 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureTech Innovations, Inc. (OTC: SCTH), an emerging growth company that develops and markets cutting-edge security and safety devices, products, and technologies such as Top Kontrol and its early-stage cybersecurity and cryptocurrency technology incubator Piranha Blockchain, announces it launched a long-term share reduction program.
The goal of this share reduction program is to reduce the nearly 112 million shares of common shares presently outstanding to under 35 million shares before the end of the year. This would represent a total reduction in outstanding shares of around 70%
Phase 1 of this share reduction program is already underway and includes an initial 25 million share reduction, representing 22.4% of the currently outstanding common shares. Once SecureTech’s transfer agent effects this Phase 1 reduction, SecureTech will have 86,850,513 common shares outstanding.
SecureTech’s President and CEO Kao Lee commented, “We are very pleased to announce this share reduction initiative. This is an extremely positive and valuable program designed to add substantial value to our long-term investors’ holdings while preparing SecureTech for a successful capital raise at higher prices through its planned Regulation A+ offering.”
“All of us at SecureTech continue working diligently to increase the underlying value of the business and our loyal shareholders’ investments. We look forward to sharing additional new developments in the coming weeks,” added Mr. Lee. FULL ARTICLE
SecureTech Reports Record Top Kontrol Sales Growth
Unveils New Top Kontrol Marketing and Investor Awareness Initiative
ROSEVILLE, Minn., May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureTech Innovations, Inc. (OTC: SCTH), an emerging growth company that develops and markets cutting-edge security and safety devices, products, and technologies such as Top Kontrol and its early-stage cybersecurity and cryptocurrency technology incubator Piranha Blockchain, announces it generated record Top Kontrol sales growth of 114% during the first quarter of 2023.
Seeking to build upon this record sales growth, SecureTech announces it is launching a cross-marketing initiative aimed at growing product/brand awareness while converting existing and prospective shareholders into Top Kontrol customers. It’s a win-win for public safety and SecureTech’s shareholders.
SecureTech’s President and CEO Kao Lee commented, “Top Kontrol as a brand and product remain largely unknown outside of the Twin Cities area. By combining product marketing and investor awareness efforts, we hope to attract a new generation of customers that become long-term SecureTech shareholders and vice versa. This will create a strong shareholder base, ensuring our forthcoming Regulation A+ offering is a huge success to propel SecureTech to the next level.” FULL ARTICLE
About SecureTech Innovations
SecureTech is an emerging growth company that develops and markets security and safety devices, products, and technologies – our products preserve life, protect property, and prevent crime. SecureTech is the maker of Top Kontrol®, the only anti-theft and anti-carjacking system known that can safely stop a carjacking without any action by the driver. Through its Piranha Blockchain subsidiary, SecureTech is developing advanced cybersecurity technologies for blockchain and cryptocurrency systems and platforms involving cryptocurrency mining, digital asset storage and protection, and cryptocurrency trading platforms. For more information, visit securetechinnovations.com, topkontrol.com, and piranhablockchain.com.
Piranha Blockchain
Piranha Blockchain, a SecureTech Innovations, Inc. company, is developing advanced cybersecurity technologies for blockchain and cryptocurrency systems and platforms for cryptocurrency mining, digital asset storage and protection, and trading exchanges.
Top Kontrol - No monitoring fees or subscriptions required
Automatically Stops Carjackings Top Kontrol® is the only product available that prioritizes the safety of drivers and passengers. Top Kontrol® automatically stops a carjacking in about 15-seconds without any action from the driver!
Even If the Thief has Your Keys!
Worry-Free Engine Idling Hot or cold outside? Left the engine running? Top Kontrol® has you covered and will shut the engine off 15-seconds after any attempt to steal your idling vehicle.
Stops Professional Thieves Top Kontrol® keeps your vehicle secure from auto theft. It is installed on top of existing systems, making it impossible for thieves to drive away with your car!
Comparing the Competetion
LoJack $725-$1200 - no monthly fees On-Star monthly fees $29 - $49/month, forever (I have this one now) Top Kontrol $449.95 plus installation costs which may vary (The only one that can stop an active carjacking)
In my twenties I distinctly remember a newer car I had just purchased being stolen for a joy ride when a theif stole my keys. The police arrived just to tell me they cannot do anything about it because the theif has the keys to the vehicle. Luckily, we were able to talk this person back with the car intact. However, if this ever happened again I would feel much safer with Top Kontrol. Check out all the features here.
From the Top Kontrol website: Your family’s safety is our priority!
The next-generation automotive and personal safety device is here today! Top Kontrol® is the world’s most advanced anti-theft and anti-carjacking system currently available. Top Kontrol® not only protects your vehicle from theft and criminal tampering while parked but also actively and passively helps secure and protect what is truly most important: your life and the lives of your family!
I think this bad boy could move in the near term. What do you think? As always do your own research and analysis.
I'll will be back with an updated report soon,
Disclosure

So the family that lived in my house before me had a son who would wax his boots in the sink. The mom and dad didn’t tell my landlord out of fear of him raising the rent, and so it didn’t get “fixed” until right before I moved in. But I’m still having issues. My landlord said he could send a plumber out, but I work weird hours and am not comfortable with someone in my home when I’m not there.
The sink fills up within minutes on both sides, by the time I get the water hot enough to wash my dishes (no dishwasher) the sink is too full. How can I fix it or at least make it better until I have time to get a plumber out?
TL;DR: idiot ex renter put wax down sink and now I can’t wash dishes.

Had surgery a week ago to treat my sinus issues. Details below regarding my condition, surgery experience and recovery.
Condition: otherwise healthy male, mid 30s in North America. Never had sinus issues until 8 months ago when I developed mild congestion on the right side on my nose only. Allergy tested and all was negative. Antibiotics and steroids didn’t help and my condition got progressively worse over the 8 months. At the peak I couldn’t breathe through my nose, lost taste and smell, constantly expelling blood and phlegm, couldn’t sleep, voice tone changed, was constantly fatigued and lacked vitality in my day to day. Probably a little depressed too. My left side the entire time was symptomless and normal until near the end when it suddenly became blocked.
ENT examined me and saw a polyp, ordered a CT and it revealed a large mass (report said 4cm x 4cm x 2 cm) growing from my right maxillary sinus that progressed into my nasopharynx and down my throat. My right maxillary sinus was completely opacified.
Decided to do surgery to remove the mass and clear out any disease. We weren’t touching any other sinus tissue as we were pretty sure the polyp was the cause of all the symptoms.
SURGERY prep: last week was my surgery. Nurses got me prepped and did a good job walking me through the process. Only criticism is it took 4 attempts to get my IV in, and, despite being alright with needles, the 4th and final attempt unfortunately set off a panic attack which made me feel pretty crummy. The nurses did a good job handling me during the panic attack but it was the first time I couldn’t deal with it using my standard protocol (which involves salted nuts and bundling up… couldn’t eat before surgery and had to stay in my surgical gown, but at least they gave me warm blankets).
Surgery: finally went into the OR where I spoke to my surgeon and anaesthetist. All was OK, I was put to sleep and woke up about 90 minutes later. Waking up was amazing—despite having a splitting headache I could finally breathe through my nose again. It was euphoria.
I was in recovery for a few hours, but since everything went well I was discharged and went home with a family member about 4 hours after I woke back up.
My surgical notes indicated the polyp was successfully removed and ethmoidectomy and maxillary anstronomy were conducted. The stalk of the polyp was followed into the maxillary sinus and was removed. Diseased tissue was removed from my maxillary sinus. Antral lavage carried out in maxillary sinus repeatedly until clear. Ethmoid sinus was clear. No signs of disease in the ethmoid sinus. I had no packings post surgery, just gauze to catch any blood.
They sent the mass to pathology to be tested. Still could be something else but haven’t heard anything yet, but I’m pretty sure it was a antrochoanal polyp (which is how it is referred to in the surgical notes). Seeing my ENT in a day and will know more.
Recovery: PAIN - head pain was significant for the first evening but by the second day was completely gone. I had almost no pain for the second and third days, with only a few Tylenol needed. However by the 4th day I started feeling moderate pain over my teeth near the right maxillary sinus and I had to use Tylenol every 4 hours to keep it at bay. I did not use the Percocet provided to me, not worth the risk. Eventually the pain reduced with Tylenol but was still significant enough for me to supplement with Advil. I now rotate Tylenol 500mg and Advil 400mg every 3 hours and that has completely managed the pain and symptoms.
Sense of smell and taste: were missing for a few days post surgery but eventually came back in full force. The sweet smells of coffee and spices… oh how I missed you.
Discharge: mostly gone by day 7. Still spit out a few large chunks every shower but discharge throughout the day is negligible now.
I do nasal rinses once or twice a day. Work like a charm.
Fatigue: improving but still finding I need a little sleep during the day.
Diet: after a day I was back to normal food without issue.
Exercise: can’t do anything for a few weeks, can’t even lift my baby as they don’t want me straining at all.
In summary: other than mild pain and some fatigue, I feel almost back to normal. This surgery has turned me around and was the best decision I’ve ever made. I was at an all time low before my surgery and now I feel like a whole new man. I am so happy with my improvement in symptoms and quality of life. If it wasn’t inappropriate I’d give my surgeon a hug. The man is a wizard and his surgical team did a great job.
Ask any questions!

I'm about to buy an MSI Optix MAG274QRX and thinking about what monitor to pair it with. Right now I have a 24" Full HD 240Hz (this one will be sold and replaced by the MSI) and a 27" 4K 60Hz that actually belongs to my father so I'll have to replace it soon too.
I thought this setup would get me the best of both worlds but the massive differences between them are pretty annoying for some reason. The two monitors couldn't be more different. The 4k one has a flat, black base and slim borders that look the same on all 4 sides, while the other one has RGB lighting on the back, two spread, white legs and "Alienware" written on the bottom border. I also think 4k 27" is too dense and FHD 24" barely acceptable.
I will definitely pick the MSI one to be my main Gaming display, but I'm not sure how far I should go with the second display to minimize differences between the monitors. I want it to be 27" QHD like the MSI one, but what about the rest? The monitor ain't cheap, is it worth it to get the exact same monitor, just so there are no differences, eventhough I don't need the 240Hz on the second monitor? Does having the same logo and borders feel better or is it barely noticable? The legs are irrelevant since I'll buy a dual monitor arm for my desk.
If I shouldn't go for the exact same model twice, do you have any recommendations for a visually similar monitor that is cheaper? Also do I have to do some color calibration to make pictures look the same on both? I've never tempered with color settings before and would rather avoid that.

I've been strumming along to music through my hi-fi for nearly a year now and loving it. Some of it sounds ok, to me. Happy with my progress. I recently borrowed an amp and electric guitar and also tried my acoustic through the amp. Nothing sounds right. Most of my practice time has been spent changing presets, tones and effect settings on the amp to try and make it sound "correct" for the track I'm playing along to. The amp has a second channel for acoustic guitar and even that doesn't sound as good as my non amplified acoustic. At least I now know I don't want an electric guitar. Anyone had a similar experience??

Hi. A couple weeks ago, I think it was, I had a dream about Gaiden where RGG leaked the plot by broadcasting an amateur drawn picture of Kiryu getting good head repeatedly in a love hotel and forgetting his name because of it.
The result? My brain: hey man, there's enough Kiryu thirst posts. But are there enough Kuroda thirst posts?
Cue me the other night having a HORRIBLY HORNY dream last night, where all Kuroda did was hum very deeply near my [REDACTED] and I squ--
Thanks for listening. No, I don't know what's wrong with my brain. No, I don't want to find out.

My search for the perfect tire continues. I have a Black Mountain Cycles La Cabra and live in Southeast Michigan near Waterloo Rec area.
The goal of this bike is to ride all the local gravel roads, take the kids bike camping, and use it for weekly group rides on pavement and dirt roads.
I have considered the Vittoria Barzo and Pirelli Scorpion RC Race. The center knob heights look too high for me to keep up with pace on asphalt/gravel rides.
The frame can handle up to 29x2.5, what would be the best tire for these purposes with a minimum size of 29x2.1?

I'm so tired of doing the work of removing sources of suffering in my life. I have destroyed so many illusions but they keep popping up in different forms relentlessly and keep getting bigger and bigger. I don't even know if I am doing this right or if I have even properly processed these things. The moment I feel resistance in my chest I start getting to work, digging for the core so I can find the illusion. Sometimes I will work through 2 or 3 seemingly unrelated issues in a day. I understand that things will keep popping up in my life if I don't dig deep to find the underlying illusions but what about resistance in general? If I keep having this resistance to all manner of things that pop up in my life, it makes me wonder if I am just doing this all wrong. Do I have to keep working through individual issues until I am liberated? Is there just one overarching illusion that I haven't grasped and I am just making my self needlessly suffer until I realize this illusion? I am also confused about what I should be doing. I was under the impression that this deep shadow work is nesessary but then I hear non duality teachers instruct that you focus on the sensation of the emotions rather than the emotions themselves. If that's the case, why do any shadow work at all if it's all just sensations?
Mine being a seemingly spontaneous awakening, I haven't followed a path or an instruction so far on my journey. I have just been feeling it out as I go. I feel like people who have awakened by years of practice and learning are more foundationally prepared for life after awakening. I don't know what the hell I am doing. Maybe I am not even awake at all. It's starting to get to the point where I feel anxiety about feeling resistance because I know how much inner work is going to need to be done. It's like a feel a bit of equanimity and BAM! Here is another matted tangled mess for you to work out, then comes equanimity again and BAM!. Back and fourth on and on and on and on. Gah!
I would love to hear everyones thought on this. I understand that it is a normal part of the process but has your experience been similar? Is there something obvious I am missing? Should I start following a path model? I am sure a teacher would do me well but where do I even find an earnest teacher? The buddhist temples near me are mostly non english speaking and most spiritual centers seem to want money, which I don't have. I don't know. I have mostly come here to look for support or find pointers and I can't begin to tell you how valuable this subreddit has been to me on my journey. I am so grateful for all of you doing what you can to make this journey less scary and confusing for people like me. Any advice or words of assurance would really help me right now. This has been the most instense and difficult five months of my life and I have passed the point of no return. Thanks in advance.