Overnight stocking jobs
mybestfriendslist
2017.11.22 23:14 dillwillhill mybestfriendslist
2011.04.01 01:51 armoreddillo Wal-Mart
Mostly just Walmart stuff.
2023.06.09 06:48 rahmanson Continue with stock market investments or explore rental property? Concerned about challenges, stock market volatility, and managing expenses in a HCOL city
I'm a 54-year-old who was laid off last year and is still searching for my next assignment, albeit halfheartedly as I would prefer to retire. My wife and I have a combined net worth of $4 million, with $2 million in taxable investments and $2 million in tax-deferred accounts. Currently, we follow the Bogle way of investing, with 70% in VTI, 20% in international stocks VXUS, and 10% in bonds BND. Around $100K in HYSA and CD Ladder.
While I consider continuing our stock market investments, my wife believes exploring rental property is a better option for providing a steady income during retirement. However, I personally don't like the idea of rental property as it seems like another job with its own set of problems. Additionally, I worry about periods when the stock market might experience downturns, creating a potentially scary financial situation.
Adding to the equation, our child will start college this year, and we have already planned to fund their education using a 529 plan. Fortunately, we have no concerns regarding college funding. However, we do face the challenge of managing our expenses in a high cost-of-living city in California, where our expenses amount to around $110,000.
Given these considerations, I'd love to hear your insights and experiences. Should we stick with our current investment strategy, or would diversifying into rental property be a wise choice despite the potential challenges? How can we effectively manage our retirement plans and handle our expenses in a high cost-of-living city while also ensuring adequate funding for our child's college education through the 529 plan? Any advice or guidance on the pros and cons of each approach, considering the added responsibilities of managing expenses in a HCOL city and the potential volatility of the stock market, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
submitted by
rahmanson to
Fire [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 06:39 Moe3kids Everything is our fault aka patriarchy
2023.06.09 06:03 pups-revenge-cake What is up with all guys claiming to not be a misogynist and then spouting the misogynistic bullshit?
2023.06.09 05:59 discardedperson Husband [M56] and Child [NB14] complain about spending 1 hour of "family" time watching tv/movies together, should I [F51] just give up on this?
When I grew up, we would always eat dinner together as a family every night. It was normal for us to talk about our day, any issues, ask for help advice, discuss the news etc. I didn't think there was anything abnormal about this until I came to the USA to do my MBA.
Although it wasn't the plan, I ended up marrying an American man. Spent a year paying off his debts. Graduated, got a good job. Marriage back then was quite a lot of fun, I was happy with our relationship and 2 years later I had enough saved that if I liquidated funds from overseas it gave me enough to put down a 20% deposit on a home. The next 4 years I scrimped and saved, and with some help from my parents the house was paid off in full.
A few years later, we had a child. I was still doing 60-100 hour weeks at a high stress high paying job, plus taking on the burden of motherhood. Since my work was more "flexible" my husband thought it was easier to dump all the responsibility of school stuff on me. Every time school was out, I was expected to "work from home". If the kid got sick, I was supposed to pick them up. This became a huge issue when the kid started acting up once or twice a week, resulting in me having to pick up the child, and deal with all the fall out from the other parents, the teachers, and the principal. My husband went through life Ostrich style, sticking his head into the sand whenever everything happened.
It wasn't until 3rd grade that after a particular bad series of incidents involving the kid threw chairs at their classmates, bit a classmate hard enough to draw blood and then when the kid strangled another kid (after the kid hit them in the face with a dodgeball) that the school called us in with a professional school district counselor. I think they were trying to make the case to expel our child. After testing, the district counselor said it's clear the child has bad ODD (Oppositional defiant disorder). The teachers and I all saw the same thing (defiance, unwillingness to obey instructions, disruption, rage, hitting others), unlike my husband who sees the child as his little angel can't do any wrong.
He is not an authority figure, being called "good time daddy" because he never disciplines her for anything. Hit another kid? No, my kid couldn't have possibly done that! Hit the mom? Go ahead. It was so bad that my colleagues saw bruises and more than one asked if my husband was abusive? [I told them it was the kid, they said therapy and we've spent $26K+ so far, safe to say therapy is not working]. He's always maintained our angel will do better (next time). He makes promises like a politician lying, daily and with a straight face.
The child is now 14, and will NOT do any chores. They expect me and spouse to give them everything on demand, they are spoiled rotten. Husband and I have had many arguments about this. Tonight the kid decided to end family time early. I asked if we should start earlier since they spent 32 minutes of the 1 hour in the kitchen putzing around talking about making cookies, he said no. He wants flexibility, to spend LESS family time, but every time he asks for flexibility family time goes from 1 hour a day, down to barely 30 minutes, to 20 minutes, to nothing.
At this point he tells me to "man up" and "get over it."
I reminded him that he is not good at recognizing when people other than when his golden child are hurt. Like 15 years ago when I woke him up at night bleeding and in pain, he told me to STFU he needed his sleep. I ended up having a miscarriage after going through what was basically 8 hours of labor culminating with "giving birth" to the entire amniotic sac. The Ob-gyn said after the ultrasound that at least I wouldn't need a D&C since the entire sac containing the fetus was expelled. His answer was "good, we saved some money." Apparently I should "get over the miscarriage" too, but I feel only a sociopath who has never carried life will never understand it's never easy to get over the death of one's child.
At this point I don't know if I should even try any more? If they both don't want to spend any time together as a family why am I trying so hard to have family time when they don't care? Husband came from a broken home, his parents are on their 3rd spouses, so it's not like he's ever known what a normal happy family is? The kid just wants to be on their device all the time except when they're giving me orders to feed them or take them elsewhere. The kid won't do chores because stacking the dishwasher is "slavery," and the husband just enables them.
Feel like a shell of my former self. Once I had self confidence. I turned down 13 other proposals before marrying this man, who is no longer anything like the man I married. He's older now, says he's tired, turns down blow jobs (not good for a woman's confidence) and is rationing hugs like they're rarer than world war 2 nylon stockings. He enables the child to the point they're not only disrespectful, I feel like I'm just trapped in this horrible marriage with a horrible family and the only way out is to die since divorce is not acceptable in my culture.
submitted by
discardedperson to
relationship_advice [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 05:27 AutisticPretzel Race Comp Engineering Yellow Springs + GTWorx/Bilstein Sportcup 2's Suspension (2016 STI)- A Review
| In an effort to contribute something worthwhile to the community, I figured I'd share my thoughts & experience with this setup now that I've had it for about 1200+ miles. When I was researching information on suspension setups on here, I didn't find a great deal of detailed information or firsthand experiences, so hopefully this help fills the gap. Overview - I primarily wanted a suspension setup that would get rid of most of the 2 1/2 finger wheel/fender gap but would also retain the ability to drive on a daily basis. The roads where I live aren't the worst by any means, but they certainly aren't prime either. My driveway is also fairly steep, so an excessive drop was out of the question, especially with an overpriced OEM lip. I never track my car nor plan to, so that didn't play a role in my decision. My other main focus was to go for something that didn't require a great deal of attention or maintenance after the fact. This pretty much eliminated coilovers as an option. Installation - I originally contacted my local tuner to have them install it because I had never done a suspension swap and was intimidated being new to the STI platform. They wanted around $800 - I'm not sure if this was reasonable or not but hearing that was all the motivation I needed to give it a go and install them myself. My dad and I got together and knocked it out. It honestly took about 8 hours altogether because we took our time but we ultimately got it done... And got it done correctly the first time. The instructions that come from Race Comp Engineering are ok, but they could use a bit of work in the clarification department. Some steps are a tad bit confusing since they mix WRX and STI installations together. A few more pictures during some of the steps would be beneficial but overall the instructions got the job done. It's also nice to note the instructions were easily downloadable online in the case you buy used. Overall the install was straightforward. One of the best parts about this setup is that the rear strut is adjustable in 5mm increments so you have the option to get rid of the 'reverse rake' that STI's come with from Subaru. I reused my OEM tophats without issue. The Ride - So, never having modified the suspension on all of my previous cars, I wasn't sure what to expect. The primary feedback of "lowering springs are shit. Get coilovers" that you typically see on this forum wasn't very helpful in setting my expectations. From the moment I pulled out of my driveway you can definitely feel a difference. You can certainly feel a bit more of the road when going over uneven, bumpy roads but I actually enjoy the feedback. For me, it felt like it took about 24 hours for everything to "settle in". During my first ride, I hit a metal manhole cover that was kind of deep and I won't lie, my soul temporarily left my body because it was so jarring. The fact I didn't expect it is probably what made it worse. I found myself clinching my butt cheeks going over other notable dips or bumps in the road for the rest of that ride. Fortunately, 1200 miles later, I haven't been able to replicate the experience... And I've gone over some pretty hellacious roads, including driving through the streets of Philadelphia and DC. It's very true what they say in that you become accustomed to the ride quickly. After 48 hours, everything felt "normal" and I found myself not going out of my way to avoid notable bumps and imperfections in the road. The car definitely felt more grounded going around corners and taking I-95/I-64 on-ramps at higher speeds. Body roll was noticeably reduced along with the car "nose diving" when braking hard at higher speeds. Conclusion - I'm very very satisfied with this setup as a whole. I think it's hands down the best non-coilover setup you can go for on this car. I also believe it provides the perfect drop for a daily driver. It's front lip and speedbump friendly but also gets rid of enough of the fender gap to be noticeable. If you're looking for a low maintenance option to lower you vehicle without sacrificing performance, this is it. I understand that brand new, this setup runs just about as much as a set of low/mid-tier level of coilovers but I would rather go this route as long as adjustability isn't a priority or need. One thing of note - I would recommend staying away from only going with lowering springs without upgrading the other components even though these are advertised to work with the stock shocks and struts.... I can see the ride being noticeably harsher and much less forgiving. I don't have a problem with ppl cheaping out on cosmetic enhancements, but components as vital as your suspension isn't the place to cut corners. (No pun intended) TL:DR - This is a great setup that offers a solid level of performance, maintains a level of daily driveability without the maintenance concerns of coilovers. I'd highly recommend! Note - Wheels are Wedsports RN-05 in Gloss Black 18x9 +43 Offset wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 3+ A/S (245/40/18) submitted by AutisticPretzel to WRX [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 05:10 accs19 Questions to ask during interview
Hi all. Like the title says I'm going in for an interview (for sales associate) and was wondering if there's any important things that should be on my radar.
I don't know if this is important but it's my 2nd job (I did 8 months working as a retail member at my university's corner store/party store type place- I did stock, worked register, counted opening and closing till etc.) I'm back home finishing online summer classes and will get my bachelor's in August. I don't plan on living in the area past January/February if grad school works out.
I also don't know if this matters but I don't have a license but my (retired) parents are willing to drive me to work (or if I'm feeling a 5 mile bike ride I'll do that 😅)
submitted by
accs19 to
DollarGeneral [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 05:05 nassau43 You'd think interviewing 100 people would yield something better than this...
2023.06.09 05:01 Old-Gas4471 Dispute question
This is the first time I've ever had this happen. Finished an install for a buyer. This was for an audio system install at a major retail store. Completed the scope. Submitted all deliverables. Got a signature from the store manager. Was released from the site by support. Even got a text saying thank you for my hard work.
A month later, they sent some inspector to the site who is claiming certain cables didn't get ran properly. They're claiming we didn't use J hooks when we certainly did. Now they are disputing with Field nation and demanding a refund for my 3 weeks of overnights with a helper... $15,000 job and a good chunk of it went to my helper.
It's important to note that this site is under construction and there's other data pullers and electricians there working in the ceiling and pulling cables across the same routes. They are also remodeling the entire store. I have no control over what happened at the site a month after I left.
The FN representative they have handling the dispute is basically telling me that the buyer is going to create another work order for another 2 techs to come out and "fix" things, and that I'm going to be responsible for the cost of that work order or I will risk account deactivation.
Has anyone ever dealt with a dispute like this before? I don't understand how they are allowed to complain a month later. They are supposed to approve the work before hitting that approval button. The buyer terms and conditions state that they have 15 days to accept or dispute a WO. In the provider quality insurance policy, there is no such infraction for not refunding a buyer for unsatisfactory work. Nor does it state anywhere that they can force me to refund anyone. It does state that we are supposed to go back and fix anything that was not done correctly. But again, that should fall under the 15 days. They can't just decide whenever. What if it's six months later? A year? Where do we draw the line?
I just don't understand how this FN rep thinks this is ground for deactivation if I don't provide a refund to the buyer. Any advice on how to proceed with this dispute would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, cabling photos were not a required deliverable, so I don't have any photos to back up my work. I do have photos of everything else. Speakers, terminations, rack equipment, volume controls, etc.
The fact that cabling photos weren't a deliverable raises the question even more as to why they are able to complain about something that wasn't a required photo deliverable?
No, I'm not going to name and shame until I see the result of this dispute. Trust me, if it doesn't go in my favor, naming and shaming will occur.
submitted by
Old-Gas4471 to
FieldNationTechs [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 04:55 RestlessMind95 Considering change jobs, would appreciate perspective from the autistic community.
I'm currently considering changing jobs because I have debt I'd like to pay down faster and my girlfriend's job offers $4 more an hour, overtime, PTO, and a 401k.
The main issue at my current job I'm unsatisfied with is my wage, everything else seems to work for me.
On top of my autism, I also have mobility issues at an early age (28) so if I have to be on my feet longer than 60-90 minutes continuously I need to walk with a cane to get around because my hip will hurt too much.
My current job is happy to accommodate my mobility issues because I'm the only consistent overnight employee they've managed to get in years.
My job mainly consists of interacting with a few members throughout the night which isn't too bad. I'm decent at masking in small groups and one on one interactions so most of my customers peg me as NT which works for me because I only let those close to me or others on the spectrum know I'm autistic IRL.
Other than customer interaction I'll knock out my nightly cleaning tasks and then watch Netflix until peak hours when we get higher foot traffic.
My girlfriend's job is more of a factory setting where they make custom stickers, magnets, mugs, and pins.
She says they will accommodate mobility issues and let employees sit at their stations with a doctor's note (which I can get), but it would probably still require a bit more moving around going between floors.
She does agree the pay would be better, but she has some concerns about my mental well being if I were to start working there.
I would have to interact with significantly more people than my current job so she thinks masking would get a lot more stressful and tiring for me.
Her other concern is that there's a lot of office politics there, for some reason a lot of the women 40 and older there like to spread rumors about people and start drama. My gf has a fairly thick skin and shrugs off the drama and rumors, but she's worried that the extra stress of the workplace drama on top of my mobility issues would make it difficult for me to feel comfortable and thrive there.
I do think her concerns are valid, but I also want to pay down my debt faster so I can contribute more toward our financial goals so I'm not sure what I should do.
View Poll submitted by
RestlessMind95 to
autism [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 04:53 LordPizzaParty Fantasy Pitch: The '90s Character Actor Cinematic Universe
1993
Weary small town Sheriff Barry Corbin travels to Los Angeles to track missing person Fairuza Balk. His LAPD contact, Keith David, doesn't want anything to do with this shit so he pairs him with his least favorite detective — Taylor Negron, a stooge who cracked a theft ring but has never even drawn his weapon. Negron provides comic relief with lines like "I don't like the looks of that guy!" and "Dammit Barry Corbin you're gonna get me killed!"
Their only lead is Fairuza's last known contact: supermarket manager Kurt Fuller, who says she applied for a job as an overnight stocker but never came in for her interview. He insists that he doesn't know anything else. Later that night Fuller is murdered while stacking soup cans by icy hitman Peter Greene.
A chance meeting (or is it?) with bartender and disgraced ex-cop John Kapelos takes them into a vast underworld conspiracy involving, I don't know, drug smuggling and real estate, orchestrated by ruthless industrialist Christopher McDonald.
Kapelos leads the boys to a warehouse owned by one of McDonald's shell corporations, where he insists they'll find Fairuza. Instead, it's filled with bootleg Sony Discmans and Corbin realizes he's been played. "One thing I learned in all my years as a cop?" Kapelos says, lazily pointing an uzi at Corbin. "You can't stop what's already coming." Looks like it's curtains for Barry Corbin! But Taylor Negron dispatches Kapelos with three shots from his service revolver.
Amid some climactic mayhem in McDonald's slick corporate office, Peter Greene sees an opportunity to escape, snorts a line and stuffs his pockets with cash, but is shot and killed by an unseen assailant. Christopher McDonald blows up somehow.
They rescue Fairuza and prevent a scheme (or do they?) that would have rattled the city to its core. They're personally thanked by Mayor Beth Grant, and Keith David begrudgingly shows a little respect to Taylor Negron.
Post-credits scene: a man reads the newspaper at his desk in his opulent office. He's angry about his lost merchandise and that he'll now have to find a new puppet for his sinister plans. He lowers the paper and reveals himself... Robert Davi! He inhales sharply before his hard, scowling face turns to a menacing grin. "A minor setback. One thing though," he says to a person just out of frame. "This hayseed Sheriff... take care of him." Cut to Miguel Ferrer, who nods silently, dons his leather blazer and leaves the room.
Also Dan Hedaya cameos as a hot dog vendor.
submitted by
LordPizzaParty to
blankies [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 04:29 Bubzoluck [30 min read] The Opioid Epidemic before the Opioid Epidemic - Exploring Morphine Derivatives and the First Opium War (Part 1)
| Hello and welcome back to SAR! I have written and rewritten this post a few times now and I think I have landed on a format I am happy with. When we talk about the impact of medicine on history its important to get the context right, and I think I have found a way to talk about our topic. So what is it? No chemical is more important to the world of medicine than Opium, okay maybe Penicillin, but today we will say its Opium. Principally an analgesic (anti-pain), the Opium Poppy allowed for humans to take away pain in great degrees and further development on the natural chemicals has opened up surgery and post-op recovery. While we tend to look at the recent Opioid Epidemic as the only issue regarding Opiates, history reveals to us a very similar precursor. Also please head over to u/jtjdp post about morphine derivatives here! She does an amazing job explaining the higher level concepts of medicinal chemistry that I just wouldn’t do justice. Alright, enough quibbling, let’s get to the good stuff. Disclaimer: this post is not designed to be medical advice. It is merely a look at the chemistry of medications and their general effect on the body. Each person responds differently to therapy. Please talk to your doctor about starting, stopping, or changing medical treatment. How Much do you Know About Pain? To be alive is to feel pain, and emo sentiments aside, this is one of the biggest biological properties of the central nervous system. When you think about it, how does the body take external stimuli and allow you to recognize it? The answer is the sensory nervous system which is responsible for sensing many different types of stimuli: temperature, pressure, pain, and chemicals. These sensory neurons carry the information from the extremities and transmit it up the spinal cord into the brain for processing. From there the brain alerts you to the issue allowing you to correct whatever problem is causing the pain. Let’s take a look: https://preview.redd.it/36yiuubbjw4b1.png?width=660&format=png&auto=webp&s=a8dc870ed6d879d67dce1eb126b86ba5acb9bc69 - We call these receptors Nociceptors and activation of these neurons in the periphery leads to a signal being sent towards the spinal cord. Those peripheral nerves eventually complex with the Dorsal Horn of the spinal cord and interface with the central nervous system to transfer the pain signal. This signal is then sent Ascending to the Thalamus where the pain signal is recognized and initiates a response (such as pulling your hand away from the hot stove). But that’s not the full story, the brain also sends signals back down Descending to modify the incoming signal and dampen it. Its this modifying that makes pain fade over time when you aren’t focusing on it—otherwise the brain would be overwhelmed by the repetitive signal and continuously think injury is still happening. Now let’s divide this process into its two parts, first up the Ascending pathway.
https://preview.redd.it/w6751owcjw4b1.png?width=896&format=png&auto=webp&s=122f8b2c615f741d848ed0171a574b1353a34038 - As the Action Potential travels from the periphery towards the Spine it causes the influx of Calcium into the Presynaptic Neuron. This neuron is what carries the original signal to then transfer into the Spine for further traveling. Eventually we reach the Synapse where the finger-nerve and spine meet and we get the transfer of information via Neurotransmitters. In this case, two chemicals are released: Glutamate and Substance P (which literally stands for Substance Pain). Glutamate will activate two receptors (AMPA and NMDA) which are Excitatory and stimulate the continuation of the pain signal up to the brain. Substance P activates the NK1 receptor which enhances the frequency of the pain signal (the throbbing) and the intensity of the pain burst. So to simplify, Glutamate allows the signal to be passed up to the brain but depending on the strength of the original pain signal more or less Substance P is released which modulates the strength and attention-grabbing nature of it. Okay great, we sent the pain pathway up and it will get processed in multiple different parts of the brain. But the brain can’t have that signal stinging it so it must send information back down to dampen that pain signal. This is where that aforementioned Descending pathway comes in. Above you can see how the blue line reaches down out of the brain and back into the spine to turn ‘off’ the signal. This is the basis of Analgesia or pain relief.
https://preview.redd.it/audgj8kfjw4b1.png?width=668&format=png&auto=webp&s=c3b58c520e8298e20f787d70e053948c3817c565 - Okay so now we have to divide the action of the Descending pathway which acts to dampen and modulate the original signal coming into the brain. Now, normally at rest this Descending neuron is inhibited so any fresh incoming signal is not inhibited from the get go but once that pain signal does come in, we get the good stuff! In response to pain the brain releases substances called Endorphins which activate the mu Opioid Receptor (MOR) located on the Descending pathway. Now MOR are inhibitory in nature so they are inhibiting the inhibitory resting state of neurons, or in other words, are allowing the Descending neuron to activate. And this is an important fact to recognize, Opiates do not inhibit pain, they inhibit the physiology of the nervous system that prevents modulation of the pain signal.
- Once the inhibition is inhibited, the Descending neuron is free to release two neurotransmitters onto the nerve that was carrying the original pain signal. Both Norepinephrine and Serotonin are released to activate their respective receptors which inhibit the release of Substance P and Glutamate thus decreasing the incoming pain signal. Likewise MOR receptors are found directly on the incoming nerve and further prevent the release of Glutamate and Substance P as well as being found on the Ascending neuron preventing the activation of the NMDA/AMPA and NK1 receptors. The result: dampened incoming signal and decreased pain sense being sent to the brain.
The Stars Align in the Shape of a Poppy https://preview.redd.it/nfygsi0hjw4b1.png?width=731&format=png&auto=webp&s=60c0b13cdad3d7b7b64f78d6294465f081839f61 To start our story about Opiates we need to turn to the great precursor—Opium. Opium itself is not a chemical but rather a really thick liquor (called latex) that contains a high concentration of Morphine (and some Codeine). There are 38 species of Poppy plants but only two produce Opium is great enough supply that it is worth farming them and humans have been cultivating these varieties for as long as we have known about the plants. When humans settled into Mesopotamia (near modern day Iraq), Poppies were one of the few plants grown in plots as large grain or vegetable fields (meaning that they were thought of as valuable as food). Throughout the Greek age of medicine (pre-500 BCE) through the Islamic medicinal revolution (500 BC-1500 AD), Opium was a major component of treatment, assisted suicide, and poison. In fact its through the rise of the Muslim Caliphates that we see the export of Opium to other parts of the world, especially through the Mediterranean Sea once the Crusaders return. Opium trading to the East via the silk roads was an almost continuous affair since time immemorial and Pakistan was a major growing area for the Eastern Poppy trade. - By the time after the Crusades (11-13th centuries), we start to see the West’s fixation on Opium. For many reasons Europe didn’t develop many psychoactive plants to the same degree as more humid/hot climates like Africa, the Middle East, and India. This is why the importation of Opium (and also Marijuana) was such a trade commodity and staple in the development of Western medicine. During the Renaissance and the revival of Greek philosophy we start to see the re-fascination with Opium and by the 1600s we see merchants importing Laudanum into Europe for recreational and medicinal use. The standard use of Tincture of Opium (which is Opium dissolved in ethanol, a DEADLY combination) was a particularly favorite preparation which was prescribed to the lowest day-worker all the way up to kings.
- The importation and use of Opium exploded in the late 1700s once the British conquered a major Poppy growing region of India. This region (western India and most of Pakistan) was originally slated to grow cotton like the American colonies but the region wasn’t wet enough to sustain the plant—it could however grow copious fields of Poppy plants to create Opium. Throughout the 18th century the British Raj became the largest exporter of Opium to Europe and after the discovery that Mercury and Arsenic may not be safe, Opium took over their duties. By 1780 almost all major remedies incorporated the use of Opium in some capacity and with the huge supply, it was incredibly cheap.
https://preview.redd.it/1cspu1ukjw4b1.png?width=578&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e81b6d401a1806f39592e802b0bd5ab6df9a2e8 - Poppy wasn’t only important to the British for its medicinal properties but also to bolster the huge amount of loss they were incurring in global trade to one trade partner—China. After she made contact with China in the mid-1500s, Britain starting to import HUGE amounts of tea as the Brits became literally addicted to the substance. By 1800 a full 15% of the ENTIRE British Empire’s revenue was being spent on importing tea, that’s 30 million pounds per YEAR, leading to a massive trade deficit. This means that more money was being sent to China literally enriching a foreign country while the British public was getting their fix on the black stuff. Oh and just in case you think things haven’t changed, Britain still accounts for 42.6% of the world’s tea consumption—seriously Brits, ever heard of coffee? Anyways, all this money leaving the British economy to be spent on non-Empire sustaining commodities was a major national security risk for the British. It would be different if they were importing gunpowder like the Dutch were or Silver as the Spanish had but literally they were consuming the riches they were spending the money on.
- Remember too that the British were not in the best position by the turn of the 19th century—they had just lost their colonies in the Americas, involvement in the Napoleonic Wars killed a generation of men, and the push to develop industries over public health led to a focus on fast growth rather than smart growth. One of the results of the Napoleonic Wars was the British occupation of the Island of Java which developed a very potent Opium which was traded with Chinese merchants regularly. Soon British merchants realized they could rebalance the trade deficit by selling Javanese Opium into China but the small island was unable to produce enough Poppies to meet the demand. So Britain turned to another one of its colonies, India.
https://preview.redd.it/iiu2j8emjw4b1.png?width=707&format=png&auto=webp&s=d6f54a00fe47739db6545be913c186e4560195d4 - India by the end of the 1700s was a bit of a challenge. The British hold on the subcontinent was firm but they couldn’t grow the cash crops they wanted. Indian cotton was nothing compared to Egyptian or Southern American (i.e. Virginia/North Carolina/Georgia) cotton and the Indian tobacco was known for being bitter. But by the 1770s the British government realized that Poppy was an easy crop to grow and the demand across the border with China was an easy market; British traders brought their cargo to small islands off the coast of China where it was sold for silver. Initially the Chinese didn’t mind the sale of Opium in their territory—when the British traders collected the silver from the sale they would almost immediately use it to buy Chinese goods, thus driving tax revenue for the Chinese government.
https://preview.redd.it/andjwt0qjw4b1.png?width=644&format=png&auto=webp&s=730782fa74a65c111a62f05024445656b81f9811 - But if you buy Opium, people are going to use that Opium. By the 1810s all trade with foreigners was restricted to just one port, Canton, and slowly the city started to develop a habit for the drug. The use of mind altering substances was curtailed pretty quickly for hundreds of years in China—the Ming Dynasty banned tobacco in 1640 and the Qing banned Madak (a powdered Opium containing tobacco) was similarly banned in 1729. But by 1790 more and more Chinese citizens were becoming addicted to the substance; what started as a recreational drug slowly became a crippling addiction that took hold over Canton. For a rigid society, the crippling Opiate addiction was a moral corruption for the Qing government and forced them to curtail Opium importation in 1780 and then an outright ban in 1796.
https://preview.redd.it/mw9oflprjw4b1.png?width=879&format=png&auto=webp&s=5640d0bc425726fbd471b8dcf8954222afc49fc5 - Knowing just how devastating the Opium was having on the inhabitants of Canton, as well as how it spread further inland, British merchants kept peddling their drug. Older ships with larger hulls were converted into floating warehouses and parked just outside of navigable waters. Once set up, Opium smugglers would pull up, purchase the Opium and avoid any oversight by the Chinese government to prevent the sale of the drug. Following their mother country, American merchants started to sell Turkish Opium, an inferior variety, at a much cheaper rate leading to drug peddling competition with more and more tons of Opium being sent into China. This drove down the price of Opium considerably which ultimately increased the demand.
- This demand eventually led to reversal of trade, meaning that more silver was leaving China to pay for Opium than the British were using to pay for Chinese goods. American and European traders could show up in Canton with holds full of Opium, sell it off for a profit, and then make a tidy silver profit to bring back to Europe. Likewise the importation of cheap machine-made cotton, furs, clocks, and steel into China driving down domestic profits.
Let’s Look at the Drugs a Bit https://preview.redd.it/y4uwbc1tjw4b1.png?width=548&format=png&auto=webp&s=71f79278925a92ea052d1ae390a495f0496966b2 https://preview.redd.it/pf709wmujw4b1.png?width=918&format=png&auto=webp&s=91cdf3fdd56db4beb95f07f340d24bb7ef7e9cf3 Stepping away from the history a bit, let’s introduce the Family. Okay so we understand how pain is sent to the brain and how it modulates but there is so much more to the mu Opioid Receptor and that’s not the only kind of Opioid receptor that we have. The two most clinically useful receptors are the Mu and Kappa Opioid Receptors (KOR) because they result in analgesia but there is a Delta Opioid Receptor (DOR) that is worth mentioning. The majority of the Opiates that we know and love are Mu agonists but there are some very interesting Kappa agonists that are worth mentioning as well. https://preview.redd.it/eg9toikwjw4b1.png?width=587&format=png&auto=webp&s=027d16b15bd7e195205513a3034eb5610ba88537 - Above is a chart that shows the binding affinities of select Opiates to the Mu receptor. The smaller the number is, the more tightly they bond. Now affinity is different than potency—potency is a measure of how much drug (in g) is required to produce the same effect. So even though morphine has a higher affinity than fentanyl, fentanyl has a MUCH more potent effect (which is why it can be so dangerous, you only need a little). Now many of the opiates cause the same effect so I want to spend more time on what makes them all so different:
- First up we have the 5-Ring Morphinians which are derived from the natural product Morphine. These structures have 5 component parts: an aromatic benzene ring (A), a completely saturated bridge ring (B), a partially unsaturated ring with an alcohol attachment (C), a piperidine heterocycle above the rest of the structure (D) and finally a ether linkage between the top and bottom of the structure to keep it fairly rigid (E). Truthfully we are only going to focus on two locations—firstly the top alcohol (red circle) can be methylated to form Codeine, a natural Prodrug of Morphine. A Prodrug is one that is biologically inactive but goes through an initial metabolism once ingested that makes it active.
https://preview.redd.it/hx3zwwcyjw4b1.png?width=725&format=png&auto=webp&s=bf238a61c14c183cf081da027074a3eb1a11b1f0 - In fact it’s this initial metabolism of Codeine that makes it very interesting. In order for Codeine to exert any pain relief it needs to be converted to Morphine which actually exerts the desirable properties. This is done by the liver enzyme CYP2D6 which is a pretty minor pathway for Codeine—only about 10% of the Codeine is actually converted to Morphine to have some action. Because of this 2D6 dependent pathway we have to be careful about administering drugs that might inhibit the 2D6 pathway because that would mean we are preventing codeine from being active. Drugs like Fluoxetine (Prozac) and Paroxetine (Paxil) are strong 2D6 inhibitors and so if we administered Codeine to someone taking this drug they’d never get any benefit from the Codeine. In addition there are genetic/ethnic differences that pharmacists can account for such as 2D6 activity. If you are someone with very little 2D6 activity then you would also not convert Codeine to Morphine and thus get no action from the drug—this may be a reason why some people say Codeine doesn’t work for them. Another reason could be that they are Rapid Metabolizers and quickly convert the Codeine to Morphine and thus get a massive hit quickly after ingestion—in that cause you’d need a much smaller dose than another person for the same effect.
https://preview.redd.it/cvbelexfkw4b1.png?width=919&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed6f1683761a69b87bd0de12834a76c1f089a31f - A different drug that is the opposite of Codeine is Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) which has a Ketone on ring C. This ketone and the lack of the double bond on this ring increases the lipophilicity of the drug and increases its ability to penetrate into the brain and thus have a greater effect. In fact Hydromorphone is 5-10x more potent than Morphine due to its greater ability to penetrate into the brain and increased receptor affinity for the mu receptor. Because the A ring OH is not capped with a methyl group, we don’t need to rely on 2D6 to metabolize Hydromorphone into an active drug form which again increases the activity of this drug compared to Codeine.
- So combine these two structural changes—the capped OH on ring A as seen in Codeine and the increased affinity found with the ketone in Hydromorphone and we get Hydrocodone (Norco, Lorcet). Well in this case you’d get a drug that has very good affinity for the mu receptor (better than codeine) BUT is still reliant on the small 2D6 pathway for activation (worse than morphine). In this regard only about 10% of Hydrocodone is active at a time. We can see this effect in the relative doses for equivalent effect: to match the effect of 30mg of Morphine, we’d need only 7.5mg of Hydromorphone (more active) but need 200mg of Codeine (less active).
https://preview.redd.it/la2oqttgkw4b1.png?width=845&format=png&auto=webp&s=0155a6506a5038a6dad7987572a8eabaab75205a - This brings us to our last drug of this class, Oxycodone which has a special OH group found on Ring B. What you’ll notice is that Oxycodone has that capped OH on ring A so it requires metabolism through 2D6 just like Codeine and Hydrocodone. When it is uncapped it becomes Oxymorphone which has 3 times as much effect as Morphine BUT that extra OH makes Oxycodone an exclusive Mu receptor agonist. Unlike the other drugs which may go to other receptors causing side effects (more on this later).
https://preview.redd.it/ftdg9l8jkw4b1.png?width=489&format=png&auto=webp&s=e2ceeb6172294b69574f5b929d0a218f481c7e41 https://preview.redd.it/yos35mojkw4b1.png?width=677&format=png&auto=webp&s=0e72e94694147c303defe123d88b048e6ca3369a - Next up I want to look at some Mu opioid receptor Antagonists or those than inhibit the function of the opioid receptor. Looking at the first two drugs, Naloxone and Naltrexone, we can see that they have the structure similar to Hydromorphone so they would have incredible brain penetration and affinity for opioid receptors BUT they contain that funky Nitrogen tail. Now normally there is a short methyl tail that is required for the function of Morphine but by adding a bulkier tail the drug is able to fit inside the receptor but prevent activation. What’s most important about these two drugs is that they have much more affinity for the receptor than other opiates. We can see this effect in the graph above: when no Naloxone is present, Fentanyl occupies the opiate receptor about 75% of the time. But as soon as Naloxone is administered that number drops swiftly (within minutes)--this is because Naloxone has a higher affinity for sitting in the receptor than Fentanyl. Think of it like the bully Naloxone coming up and pushing the poor defenseless Fentanyl off the swings so the bully can play on it (except in this instance Fentanyl is causing an overdose and we need to save someone’s life).
https://preview.redd.it/61dx2mwokw4b1.png?width=594&format=png&auto=webp&s=4740b8395ca83304d5e0a756004b119976c621f2 - Buprenorphine is similar but it is a Partial Agonist instead of being a full antagonist. Buprenorphine is not a 5-ring Morphinian byt a 6-ring Oripavine that has a few different modifications. The biggest additions is that it has the bulky Nitrogen tail found in full Antagonists but it has this funky C ring tail which fights the antagonism. The result is a tug of war between the antagonism of the Nitrogen tail and the agonism of this new C-ring tail resulting in Partial agonism—so if you took Buprenorphine you’d notice a markedly decreased pain relieving ability but importantly there is a ceiling effect, its much harder to overdose on Buprenorphine than other full agonists. In addition in the second graph we can see that Buprenorphine has the greatest affinity for the receptor than our other agonists which prevents someone from taking a more potent opiate while taking Buprenorphine. In this case the bully is already sitting on the swing and scaring away the other kids thus preventing them from having a turn (and potentially causing an overdose). This does mean that if someone was taking a more potent drug (like Fentanyl) and then took Buprenorphine, it would cause withdrawal just like Naloxone or Naltrexone.
https://preview.redd.it/x9wcb8xqkw4b1.png?width=912&format=png&auto=webp&s=d09a59a927363d3864eebfd29cb05215e9f0234b - Speaking of withdrawal, let’s take a look at how that happens. Remember that the pain signal is caused by the activation of AMPA and NMDA receptors from the peripheral nerve. AMPA is a type of receptor called a G-Protein Coupled Receptor or GPCR which in this case is linked to an Excitatory G-protein which leads to the activation of the nerve. When AMPA is activated, the G-protein (Ga) activates an enzyme called Adenylate Cyclase (AC) which increases the production of pro-activity cAMP—or in simpler terms—when AMPA is activated, it leads to an increase in levels of pro-pain molecule cAMP. The Opioid receptor is also a GPCR but it is linked to an inhibitory G-protein which prevents the action of Adenylate Cyclase and thus leads to a decrease in cAMP levels. So Opiates prevent pro-pain cAMP signaling from continuing.
- In the second graph we can see how tolerance forms. Initially (A), Adenylate Cyclase and cAMP levels are not affected by having opiates even though their ability to push along the pain signal is blocked. After a few hours, the leftover cAMP is degraded and cAMP levels start to drop significantly (B). In response to these levels going down, the activity of Adenylate Cyclase starts to increase and increase (C) which raises the level of cAMP. This rise in Adenylate Cyclase activity opposes the action of the opiate which necessitates the need for increased doses of Opiates and is why tolerance forms. As sustained inhibition of Adenylate Cyclase continues, the body upregulates Adenylate Cyclase activity to create more cAMP and to combat this we increase the dose.
- Now what if after years of taking an Opiate we suddenly administer Naloxone, an Opiate antagonist. Well after weeks to months of taking an Opiate, the level of Adenylate Cyclase activity is WAY above baseline. When you administer the antagonist, suddenly Adenylate Cyclase is able to produce a TON of cAMP that normally is blocked which leads to a MASSIVE amount of downstream signaling. The result is intense nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, anxiety, insomnia, and cravings. Thankfully the withdrawal process ends after about 72 hours but is one of the worst experiences someone can go through which is why proper down-tapering of Opiates is extremely important.
A Change in Trade Policy https://preview.redd.it/bb4eb0ltkw4b1.png?width=628&format=png&auto=webp&s=321048bd5d5edf8877aede887c3fcb7aa387a0e4 Oh, you’re still here. Neat! So by the 1820s the Qing dynasty was running into many problems regarding Opium. Firstly they needed the Opium taxes to fund their efforts to put down the White Lotus Rebellion and retain power. But after almost 30 years of trade the effects on Chinese communities could not be ignored along with local officials operating under the imperial trade department, the Hong, profiting from bribes to allow Opium. Regardless of initial efforts things were getting out of hand for the Qing government. In 1800, about 4000 chests of Opium or 560,000 pounds entered the country but by 1830 that number exploded to 20,000 chests or about 3 million pounds. But more than the amount of Opium actually entering the country was the incessant rudeness of the British government to open trade. - One of the “problems” for the British traders was how clamped down trade was with China. By 1800 all trade was limited to just Canton and the Hong was a strict master of trade. Foreigners were not allowed to appeal decisions made by the Hong and only Chinese traders could sell goods further inland than Canton. Traders chafed against this extreme oversight and sent hundreds of letters to the Hong requesting special dispensations which were summarily denied. Things changed significantly in 1834 when the Chinese trade was de-monopolized away from the East India Company allowing any private trader to get involved in the Eastern trade.
https://preview.redd.it/cvbkq7vukw4b1.png?width=669&format=png&auto=webp&s=9340d153989a2f8c32a72792554f86be77e1f4eb - In August of 1834, the British sent Lord William John Napier to Macau as superintendent of Chinese trade with the explicit order to follow all Chinese regulations. Thinking he knows best, Napier decided that the restrictive Chinese trade system was too restrictive and sent a letter to the Viceroy of Canton. This was unheard of—NO foreign traders were allowed to speak directly with Chinese officials and the Viceroy refused to accept it. So why not double down by ordering two British ships to BOMBARD two Pearl River forts as a show of force? Luckily Napier died of Typhus almost directly after else it would have resulted in a full blown war.
- In 1839 the Qing government appointed Lin Zexu as the Opium czar to completely eradicate the Opium trade from China. Lin banned the sale of Opium in China completely, set up rehabilitation centers for those affected by the drug, and put addicts to work to distract them while detoxing. Lin demanded that all Opium supplies must be surrendered to Qing authorities and any Chinese citizen disobeying the order would be punishable by death. He even went as far as closing the Pearl River Channel, trapping British traders in Canton and seizing their Opium warehouse stockpiles.
- The replacement for Napier was Admiral Sir Charles Elliot who protested the seizure of the Opium stockpile but knew that they could do nothing. He ordered all Opium ships to flee and prepare for battle which caused Lin Zexu to beseige a group of traders inside a Canton warehouse. Elliot convinced the traders to cooperate with the Chinese government and surrender their stock, saying that the British government would compensate for the lost Opium (which he had no authority to do). During April and May 1839 the British (and American) traders to surrender 20,000 chests of Opium which was burned for three days outside Canton. Following the burning, trade resumed to normal except no more Opium was allowed. Like many other instances of the government removing legitimate sale of a drug, the black market increased markedly.
- In July 1839 a new scandal rocked the British-Chinese trade system; two British sailors became drunk and beat a man death outside of his village. In response, Superintendent Elliot arrested the two men and paid compensation to the villager’s family for the loss of the man but Elliot refused to hand over the sailors to the Qing government. Lin Zexu saw this as a blatant disregard for Chinese law—afterall traders needed to understand that they can’t just come to China and violate Chinese law as they saw fit. Elliot offered to hold a trial on a British ship in front of Chinese officials to show that the men would not get off free. This incident would start the smoldering.
- On September 4th, Elliot sent two ships to Kowloon to buy food and provisions from Chinese peasants. While approaching the harbor, three Chinese war junks gave permission to the two British ships to trade but that permission was rescinded by the commander of Kowloon fort. Elliot fumed against the slight and said that if the British were not allowed to trade by 3pm, he would fire on the fort. 3pm passed and the British opened fire on the fort causing the Chinese junks to return fire. The fighting continued for 7 hours until nightfall and Elliot had to prevent the British officers from pressing the attack, thus ending the Battle of Kowloon. Having driven off the Chinese ships, the British purchased the supplies they needed while the Kowloon commander claimed that both ships were sunk and 50 British sailors killed.
- The reaction in Britain was about as much as you expect. Prime Minister Palmerston sent out letters to the Governor General of India to prepare marines to invade China and another letter to the Chinese Emperor telling him that Britain would send a military force. He sent a letter to Superintendent Elliot to set up a blockade on the Pearl River and capture Chusan Island. He also instructed Elliot to accomplish the following objectives:
- Demand the respect as a British envoy from the Qing Government.
- Secure the right for British law to be doled out on British subjects
- Get recompense for destroyed British property, especially the illegal drugs that they destroyed
- And most important, End the Canton System thus opening up China to free trade for the first time, ever.
Alright this is where we will leave things off for now, on the brink of war with China. Stay tuned! submitted by Bubzoluck to SAR_Med_Chem [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 04:26 PrincessoftheDead Our Towns Big Dam Problem [Part 1]
Do you know how some decisions in life just feel so right? Imagine a nice warm pizza right out of the oven. The pizza is covered in gooey cheese, warm meats, and whatever else will delight the eyes and nose so late into the night. So image, if you will, going out for just the briefest of seconds to enjoy the crisp feel of the fall air on your face. You come back to the apartment building that you, and appropriately 50 or 60 of your neighbors call home, only to find smoke billowing down the halls as you suddenly remember that you turned on the burner, and not the oven to preheat, and the smoke is from that pizza you left on the stove. If you feel like burrowing down the deepest hole after reading that, just remember that you are not alone. In the last week, I have taken a job at a hydroelectric power station as an operator, which at the time felt like an easy no-brainer decision. The job description was nothing if not a little enticing. There was a hefty sign-on bonus, more money than even I thought I was worth, and housing courtesy of the Corps of Engineers, which consider the aforementioned fire above, I needed pretty badly. My name is Kate Fugate, I am 24, and in so, so much, debt that I have moved to a small town in the northern Appalachia wilderness hoping to carve out a life here. The town is very small, having a few local stores primary consisting of convenience stores, gas stations, and dollar stores. The town is deeply forested and has recently had the honor of having this vast area be designated a National park. The houses are sandwiched into a sharp valley, consisting of a river, sprawling train tracks, and speckled with bridges of all makes and builds. If you were to come here at night, and I very much doubt you would be here at night, you might also take notice of the emergency room-slash-post office combination with twinkling neon lights. If you plan on staying here for very long, and once again, I doubt it, you should get to know the staff. The main attraction, and the reason that I am christening this journal, is that as much as I would like to believe otherwise, this place is weird but we will get into that more a bit later. What should be the most prominent feature of the town, the dam, is actually not in town. It is about 15 miles upstream, hidden on an unmarked road nestled in a forgotten corner of the park. This fortress spans the length of the river from hill to hill, and is a huge concrete wall with an office building made of brick and a stunningly massive art -deco window spanning the two floors of this structure neatly tucked off the side like an after thought. There are massive, brilliant flood lights spanning the entire length of the dam and stretching pretty far upstream. The concept is pretty simple, water goes in, spins turbines, and comes out on the other side, and creates the miracles that we all know and love: electricity. In addition, this place prevents flooding and is an all-around great place for serving the town as an early indicator for fires and other disasters. To make matters even more excruciatingly boring and downright fucking frustrating is that there no cell or internet connections to the dam or the cabin nearby that I get to call home. The formal answer I got back for this pile of fake manure is that the cell tower determined the population to “insignificant” to put a cell tower in this area, which I can almost buy. The sorry excuse for the internet is that the park service determines this spot too high of a national security threat and doesn’t want the risk of Russians destroying the place or something, this reasoning being absolutely shit if you ask me. In order to still get a tiny shred of civilization, I have to climb a stairway to heaven itself up a fire tower, on a hill to get just enough Wi-Fi to keep some semblance of sanity. And let me tell you, my ass is burning, my tounge is dry, and my lungs are one iota from exploding from the effort, and it is worth it. My first day here started off with my coworker, Sam, showing up two hours late for our designated meeting. He was dressed in bright white pants and a striped plunging v-neck tiger shirt and I would be lying if I didn’t say my first impression was trying to find a camera crew, because I was just certain that someone was trolling with me. He was average height, approximately 35, black hair, blue eyes, and very well groomed hair, and huge muscular arms and, all-in-all, gave off an energy that he thought he was a very pretty boy. We shake hands, before he cocks his head and give me a quizzical look, “Hey I noticed on your paperwork, is your name actually —“ I cut him off hard and fast, “Yes, it is. My parents were a bit, well, downright eccentric, alright? Don’t use that name, don’t even remember it alright. Do me a favor and call me Kate, Katie if you prefer.” He looks a bit taken aback and I feel a shred of remorse for the hostility, “Can do, may name is Samuel Carrington but Sam sounds more approachable if you wouldn’t mind using that.” We take a quick tour of the facility going into the offices, him quickly pointing out the landlines, emergency switches, exits, ect. He goes over the more technical aspects of the job, but then stops right before going into the turbine room, looks me dead in the eye with more seriousness than I thought was possible. “There are only a handful of rules you absolutely must follow: 1. Treat the equipment well, it is fucking EXPENSIVE and a lot of it is specialized. There is no hydroectric repair store just sitting around the corner. 2. Do not leave the site. I am dead serious about this one. Do. Not. Leave. The. Site. The only time you can leave is if you have someone competent here. I am only here two days a week as I have other obligations with the government, as you know the rest is up to you until we can get more people here. 3. Don‘t turn off the turbines for any reason. There are people downstream that stake their lives on the continual operation of this place. 4. If, for whatever reason, this place can not operate due to exceptional circumstances, or can no longer contain the river you must activate the emergency system. In addition to letting out an alert, it allows for people to know in advance to get to higher ground. This is critical, we are the only thing preventing everyone downstream a brutal watery demise.“ We head continue the turbine room talk about more dull operating procedures and then stop by a small office space. Sam stops and swings open the door which reveals all of a tiny efficiency apartment. “This is my room while I am here, if you need anything feel free to swing by.” He gives me a wink as I contemplate vomiting on his stupid gold tasseled shoes “We have a cabin for you since no other apartments exist and it was left furnished by my last guy.” We walk a short gravel path uphill to a small old cabin with a porch. He swings open the door, leaving very little to the imagination. Bed and mattress, fridge, stove, fill nearly all the available space. Right smack in the middle of the table sits a pissed off mostly hairless cat, that jumps off the table gives us a hiss for good measure and runs off into the woods. “Look, we can probably get rid of that if you want. I have no clue how it got in here, or hey, look at it this way! You already have a built in roommate! Feel free to decorate this place anyway you want, if you want I can go get us some food, and I can help you move in. Tomorrow I can go on a grocery run.” I open the cabinet to find an assortment of canned oddities left over from the last occupant. “No, that really won’t be necessary, but thank you so much for the offer.” I say trying to be nice. And then the thought occurred to me that this guy is being perhaps a bit too friendly. “Hey, is it alright if I have some, umm, well, overnight friends over? Very special female friends?” I asked trying to be subtle to see if that would discourage him. “Well douse me in gasoline and toss me a match. Are you a lesbian? That is so freaking awesome! I love chicks too, how cool is that? I shoulda known what with the flannel and pickup truck.” He says, totally oblivious to my growing acceptance that this guy was mostly harmless, if not a touch stupid. Sam cracks open the fridge, and rapidly shuts it back, as a slightly warm pungent smell swaggers into the room. “Yeah, definitely gonna get some real groceries tomorrow.” “Yep, that’s me, I’m a super lesbian.” I lie feeling like this statement may come back and haunt me. I turn on the kitchen facet as black water spills out. Sam looks at it a little concerned, “Might want to let that run for a bit, if it doesn’t clear soon, I’ll look into having it fixed. But look, seriously, if you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to call. This place is pretty spooky and it is easy to get hurt or in trouble out here. I’ve only been here about 3 months and my last coworker got pretty messed up. I liked him pretty well and it is an easy, if not boring job but it can take a toll.” Sam stepped out on the porch shooting a slightly nervous look at the woods before looking back at me. I waved him out, “It is alright, I’m fine, I can take care of myself. I will see you bright and early in the morning.” Sam nodded at me with me with a warm smile and made the short trek back to the dam. Night swiftly fell, and I was clutching my stomach off loading the contents into the porcelain alter for a cruel sadistic god. I hadn’t checked the expiration date too closely before downing a can of beef tounge I had found in the cabinets, which in retrospect was such a fuckingly stupid move on my part. I stepped back into the main living area to see just a swift glint of metal, before listening to the “Crash” as my widow was busted in and a hand swiftly unlocked the door from the inside. “Shit, this is real bad.” My brain thought. As my body tensed for a fight, in walked a figure in a green ranger uniform. The guy was 26-27, 5’11, light brown hair, green eyes, fair skin. He looked absolutely furious but satisfied. “I got you now, you jackass arsonist.” He says, grabbed me by the arms and tossing me on a stuffed chair hard. I feel a flash of pain on my ass as I land. “Damn, I realllly hope that wasn’t a needle.” I think as jump back up. Now, he looked back at me with with sheer bewilderment in his eyes. “OH shit, oh shit, I am gonna die.” I feel dread sneak into me as I scramble looking around. I take up a knife from the counter and plunge it into his hand. He lets out a yelp and given me a kick to my already twisted stomach. ”This is it.” I think as I land on the ground, and take the chance to grab his leg while it is still in the air. I push forward as he stumbles backwards. “Wait, but your not -“ he tries to slide out of the cabin but I pull down his socks and bite like a rabid dog, with all the energy I had. I taste a glint of metal. He starts really letting his lungs work now before coming to his senses again and grabs a fire extinguisher off the porch and hits me squarely with it. My vision swiftly faded to white after that. My next memory has me coming back to consciousness in a hospital room. I am under a blanket with cows on it, and look over to see a shitty thin blue curtain with yellow ducks on it. As I try to piece back my memory, I hear a commotion on the other side of the curtain. One female voice nearly splitting my ears says, “Are you a dumbass? You look like one to me dumbass. You obviously weren’t thinking, dumbass. God, what a dumbass.” Another male voice joins in, ”A girl, you beat a harmless girl senseless. And the poor thing was starting the job at the power plant. If you weren’t in already in the hospital, I’d put here, but to be fair that would make Dr. Sanders work harder, and unlike you I actually like the guy.” An older man wearing a white coat comes in about this time who I presume is the aforementioned individual, gives me the mouth zipping motion, a wink and walks to the other side of the curtain. “Well, she’s dead. You may as well see your handiwork.” The old doctors says. A younger voice pipes up, “B-B-But it was an accident. I didn’t mean-“ The curtain flies open to reveal two police officers, a short and slightly heavy male and a tall African American woman. Both looking ready to kill the park ranger in bed with his hand bandaged up. The young man looks at me absolutely horrified. I can’t help but let out a small snicker at the scene. The white haired doctor cracks up at the look of pure indignation I shoot park ranger. “She’ll be fine.” He says. The two officers looked a bit more at ease. Dr. Sander then goes on to say after sitting down on the edge of my bed, “You spooked us just a bit there, that one over there” he points to the park ranger, “sprayed you down with a fire extinguisher and caused some temporary asphyxiation.” The guy piped up, “I am so so so sorry. My name is Reuben, call me Ben. I’m so sorry, I had you mistaken for someone else. I’ll make this up to you. I really really fucked this up. Please don’t hate me,” he says. He was genuine, I fully believed that. “Glad you said, that Ben, because I’m pretty sure I need a door now. My name is Katie.” I went over and gave him a light smack to the back of the head. Dr. Sanders gave a puzzled look and picked my chart off the bed, “Wait, isn’t your name -,”. I stopped him, “Yep, it is, please for the love of all that is holy, just don’t.” After that, the female officer who’s name I learned was Talia, dropped me back off at the dam the next morning. Sam who had only the vaguest of ideas of what had gone on that night was filled in by Talia of the rest of the details and she quickly leaves afterwards leaving a cloud trail in the gravel. “Well,” Sam says “I guess this means your leaving.” “Are you kidding?” I say, “I only just got here.” Sam cracks a wide smile, “You’re in luck then, I forgot to show you something yesterday.” We go into the dam, down into the basement under the water level under the turbine rooms. I gasp as I look into the room, it was beautiful. There was a massive window looking out underwater. I could swear for the slightest second though that a fish swam by, displaying three eyes, and a sharp row of teeth. I knew in that moment that this river holds terrible and dark secrets and I had not even dipped toe in them. This is Katie, signing off, until next time.
submitted by
PrincessoftheDead to
nosleep [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 04:12 japancoaster454519 undecided on purchasing a house, should I coast instead?
Context:
I am 30 y/o.
Due to some luck at a previous job, I got a relatively large payout. My income is past its peak for now because I am now living in a place where salaries are much lower.
NW: about ~520k
~280k in index funds (~80k ira/401k, 200k taxable brokerage)
~220k cash (~120k USD, ~100k worth of usd in yen)
~rest in some individual stocks
salary right now is about ~70k usd.
I've been thinking about purchasing a home but I've been having trouble coming to a decision on it. I think if I invested the rest of my cash I would be coasting, even for an early retirement. However, considering there is some possibility I will purchase a home I'm not sure what the decision to make here is. Any opinions on how I should correctly move this cash around?
submitted by
japancoaster454519 to
coastFIRE [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 04:09 yrsocool How to ruin your stock tank pool
| We spent so so many hours angle grinding off someone else's crappy paint job on our stock tank. https://preview.redd.it/mzuutfcvdw4b1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32792fe6ef90cccf0e4900114311519a68789c04 I waited months for the stars to align with weather between 70-90 degrees with no wind and enough time off work to apply 2 coats of galvanized metal epoxy primer 4 hours apart and 1 coat of pool epoxy 24 hours later. There were 15mph winds at the 24 hour mark so I got the final coat on around hour 40. But this year there was a super bloom and the bugs just fucking came out of nowhere on the day I painted. Here they are in my dried epoxy. These are apparently false chinch bugs. This apocalyptic chinch bug invasion apparently happens about once a decade for about a week, and this was my special week to be a part of it. Yep, my finish is also drippy and uneven because I spent so much time trying to pick out the first round of bugs (landing in the wet paint by the dozen) that I had to rush to finish within the 1 hour epoxy window and gave up trying to make it nice. Not that it matters because the whole thing is toast. https://preview.redd.it/qu7yj9ybew4b1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8dc87a3ba1bcc1f249b89fb60845890767ff5094 https://preview.redd.it/2yavcdgdew4b1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=feb28adc1994fd0ab487a390d63452a8ebe5e9c9 (paint rolling tray) I didn't know about chinch bugs. I didn't know that any bug is attracted to drying epoxy but I have now learned they all are. There are bees in there. There are flies in there. There's a roach stuck to the side. There's a mosquito and a cricket. I tried pulling one up from the dried epoxy & it just leaves a paintless circle with sharp edges so there is no salvaging it. In order to re-epoxy I would need to grind this off and spend $$ on new paint and wait for another magical window with good weather that I also happen to be off work - this one took me 4 months to fit into the schedule. I am so crushed. All the hours, all the $$ on equipment and paint. Update: I'm going to call the pool paint store tomorrow & see if there is any way around this. Hopefully at least half of them are superficial, and for the ones that are deep & causing holes in the epoxy maybe I can sand the spots down & spot-epoxy if I do it before I fill it. submitted by yrsocool to Stocktankpools [link] [comments] |
2023.06.09 04:04 AnnieB25 Storyline for next season?
2023.06.09 03:44 bingchingbing Can someone explain how this is possible??
2023.06.09 03:30 plastic_fre I feel so alone in dealing with my mental illness
I’ve been dealing with severe health anxiety since January and have been going to therapy since February.
I graduated with my bachelor in May 2022 and came back home to work on the master program that my university offers online. While I was in college, I worked on campus, but when I moved back home, my parents told me to just focus on school and get a job after I graduate. I just have one semester left in the graduate program.
This semester was the worst. I’ve had to somehow manage graduate course while dealing with my health anxiety and health issues. I’ve been dealing with digestive issues since March and had the symptom of constant hunger that hasn’t gone away.
The constant hunger has led to a bigger decline in my mental health. My parents know I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and mild depression but I guess they just expect me to go to therapy and get over it.
I feel so alone battling my mental illness and to make matters worse, bc of my severe anxiety, I still haven’t gotten my driver’s license. I just wish I could snap out of this and get my license and a job but it can’t be done overnight. Now, my parents have said that they won’t buy food anymore and to find a way to get food. Basically my mom only buys food to cook for herself and my dad buys his food to cook. I’m starting to feel like a burden. My mental illness has made me incapable of functioning as an adult.
I regret not staying in college and doing the graduate program in person. At least I would’ve been able to continue working on campus. I feel like I’m to blame for everything. I usually just suffer in silence bc I don’t want to add more stress to my parents.
I wish I could just be normal. Just be a normal functioning adult.
submitted by
plastic_fre to
mentalhealth [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 03:30 Sushi_chan18 Weekly Manga Live Tracker: 09-06-2023 to 15-06-2023
This Table updates every 15 mins. You can save this post and come back later! ( ´ ▽ ` )
Top Manga in last hour
Top Manga in last 6 hours
Top 50 Manga in last 24 hours
Status | Manga | Upvotes |
←→ | I Thought Oshis were a Distant Existence by @maria_komaki | 2655 |
←→ | I picked up a cosmetic receipt I didn't recognize in my boyfriend's room (Oneshot by @t_rsa) | 2162 |
←→ | The Eyes of My Sister Who Sucks at Cooking Became Hollow CH 2 by Yosuke Dog | 1529 |
←→ | The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All - Moonlight Magazine Summer Edition | 1435 |
←→ | SSS-Class Suicide Hunter Chapter 84 Reaper Scans | 704 |
←→ | Goddess Café Terrace- Ch. 108 - Twelve Go To Miyakojima! | 649 |
←→ | Monster #8 - Chapter 87 | 544 |
←→ | I Found a Female Knight in a Rice Field, in the Countryside They Think She’s My Wife Chapter 3 - First Meal with the Female Knight | 471 |
←→ | Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? - Ch. 64.2 | 468 |
←→ | The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You - Chapter 138 | 416 |
←→ | My S-Rank Party Fired Me for Being a Curse Artificer ~ I Can Only Make “Cursed Items”, but They're Artifact Class! (Chapters 9.2-11.2) | 381 |
←→ | Nick & Lever - Chapter 71.5 | 375 |
←→ | Tonari no Furi-san ga Tonikaku Kowai Ch. 42 [FINAL] | 355 |
←→ | My "Onee-chan's" Personality Changes When She Plays Games - Vol. 1 Ch. 7 - The Decision Making Sister | 313 |
←→ | - I Found a Female Knight in a Rice Field, in the Countryside They Think She’s My Wife - Ch. 4 | 280 |
←→ | - A Story About Being Attacked by an Armed JK - Ch. 3 | 258 |
←→ | The Dazzling Young Lady's Marriage Proposal - Ch 1 | 187 |
←→ | SSS-Class Suicide Hunter - Chapter: 84 [ASURA SCANS] | 163 |
←→ | - Hey, Wanna Go Out With Me? My Childhood Friend, a Beautiful Girl, Asked Me To Be Her Boyfriend, and I’ve Started a Camouflage Boyfriend - Ch. 11 | 151 |
←→ | Nito no Taidana Isekai Shoukougun: Saijaku Shoku “Healer” nano ni Saikyou wa Cheat desu ka? - Chapter 30.1 | 139 |
↑ | - A Story About Being Attacked by an Armed JK - Ch. 4-5 | 135 |
↓ | Chi no Wadachi - Chapter 146 | 122 |
←→ | Robot's Heart (Parts) - Oneshot by Ueyama Hiro | 120 |
←→ | The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten - Volume 2 Side Stories - Crab bars | 119 |
←→ | Hero Has Returned Chapter 93 Flame Scans | 90 |
←→ | Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari - Chapter 97 | 84 |
←→ | The Frontier Alchemist ~ I Can't Go Back to That Job After You Made My Budget Zero (Chapter 20.1) | 82 |
←→ | The Breaker 3 – Eternal Force Chapter 63 | 81 |
←→ | Stan for Salvation - Chapter 14 | 75 |
←→ | The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten - Volume 1 Side Stories - Crab bars | 73 |
←→ | Return of The Frozen Player - Chapter: 85 [REAPER SCANS] | 70 |
←→ | Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi: Sui's Big Adventure - Ch. 39 | 65 |
←→ | - School Life of A Mercenary Girl - Ch. 5 | 63 |
↑ | The World of Otome Games Kindergarten is Tough for Mobs - Vol. 1 Ch. 6 | 59 |
↑ | Akagi-san Who Always Smells Good - Chapters 29-30. | 56 |
↓ | Maken Tsukai no Moto Shounen Hei wa, Moto Teki Kanbu no Onee-san to Issho ni Ikitai Chapter 23 | 55 |
←→ | Yano-kun no Futsuu no Hibi - Chapter 16 | 53 |
↑ | Sorry Thank You (Oneshot) | 51 |
↓ | To a New You - Chapter 7 | 49 |
↓ | My Favorite Vtuber Is My Student!? - Ch. 22 | 49 |
←→ | How Not to Summon a Demon Lord - Chapter 96 | 48 |
↓ | Solo Max-Level Newbie - Chapter: 104 [ASURA SCANS] | 46 |
←→ | Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting (Ch. 204.2) | 38 |
↑ | Sleeping Overnight in My Van in Another World (Ch. 1) | 38 |
↑ | Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka Gaiden - Sword Oratoria - Chapter 96 | 37 |
↓ | Joshi kousei joreishi Akane! Ch. 2 | 36 |
↓ | Mone-san's Overly Serious Way Of Daying (ch 56) | 31 |
new | Sono Monban, Saikyou Nitsuki: Tsuihou Sareta Bougyo Ryoku 9999 no Senshi, Outo no Monban Toshite Musou Suru - Ch. 19 | 31 |
←→ | Last Summer Vacation - Chair 8 [END] | 30 |
↓ | Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari ~ Juusha-Tachi No Ochakai: Cbapter 6 | 29 |
Top 50 Manga in last 7 days
Last Update: 05:00:02-09/06 IST
submitted by
Sushi_chan18 to
manga [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 03:26 AnAngryGardenGnome Short Story of my Ironman playthrough so far
It's been almost a week since I entered the Zone.
With nothing to my name but a pistol and a second hand suit, I needed to find a way to get better gear if I wanted to reach The Heart of the Zone, and find out if the Wish Granter was real, or just another story that drunkard at the bar made up to have someone buy him a drink.
After a couple of days of travelling between Cordon and Garbage, I decided I had head north to Rostok and find a way through the Red Forest in order to get to Pripyat before spring.
On my way there I found a corpse on the ground: a Mercenary, he had a nice modified MP5 on him, and some coordinates to a stash in Truck Cemetery.
Had it be from someone else I would have probably ignored it, but it being from a Merc, it tempted me like a siren on the sharp rocks
Nonetheless I decided that for the time being I needed some better gear if I even just dreamed of going there.
Spoke with a certain Colonel Petrenko for about an hour, and decided to help Duty out for a while, the pay is good, and the jobs are pretty straight forward.
Made a friend in the form of the local technician: Mangun, though I guess Sponge would be a better name for him, due all the empty bottles of vodka I saw lying around his shop.
But, everyone got their coping mechanism in the zone, alcool is one of the least dangerous ones I suppose, better than hunting mutants or going for a jog in the swamps anyway.
A couple of days passed, and I amassed about 30k Rubles and repaired a double barrel shotgun, and baptized it with a short hunt.
I then decided to stock up in vodka and buy a Basic Toolkit from Spirit, yet another drunk, this time loitering in the Yantar region, right next to the scientists. Honestly I'm just surprised he didn't manage to get his hands on their medical alcohol, but I digress.
Mangun was ecstatic when I handed it to him, to give credit where credit is due, that man managed to keep a platoon worth of weapons and gear functional with very minimal equipment, and in a complete stupor for most of the time.
Something was still gnawing at the back of my head every day since I found it.
That stash
Every time I glanced over at the map, it was mocking me: a giant green circle in the middle of rows of cars, like a bright middle finger pointed directly at my face.
It was time I confronted my fears and head there.
I decided I'll deliver a package to Army Warehouse first, then head south towards it.
While giving away the small parcel I met 2 loners passing by, I convinced them to join me and try to get to the stash, we would split the loot once returned to Rostok.
And there it was, an ocean of wrecks and anomalies laying in front of us.
Can't quite make it out in words, but the whole place seemed to shift around every time I would look away for a moment, as if it was haunted by the ghosts of all the people that died in those vehicles, being them heroes or jackals.
Being part of the latter, I decided not to dwell on that thought further, and just move on.
After dispatching part of the local fauna we slowly crept south-east, stopping only to check the map and to listen for the direction of distant gunfire.
I heard a lot of horror stories from other Loners regarding the Cemetery, from bloodsucking monstrosities to mind altering midgets, to hooded people that would just make you blow your own brain without moving a muscle, but nothing would prepare me for what we were about to meet.
We approached the last turn of our journey with great caution as the floor was littered with dozens of blind-dogs and boars.
I thought that maybe a group of Duty soldier culled the area, but the closer we got to them, the more we noticed that there were no bullet wounds, but rather they seemed as if they have been crushed under an immense weigh.
As if on cue, with a thunderous step, a giant stepped out of a burrow, I thought of it a boulder of some sort at first, but as it uncovered from the debris it mantled itself with, I started to notice the features of a disgusted and disgruntled face, framed in between two legs the size of ancient oak trunks.
I panicked and bolted for the roof of one of the trucks behind me, my companions were not as lucky: the first one died on the spot, having his entire body been folded into a pool of gore and bones.
I reached for the other one to come closer and grab my hand, but he was too terrified to hear reason and just kept shooting at the abomination.
I... prefer not to speak of what happened to him.
I kept pelleting the beast from my position, jumping from a truck to the other when it would get to close to tipping the one I was standing on.
In the end however it was not me who killed it, but The Zone itself.
In its blind rage it charged through an anomaly and got trapped in it, not even its might could save it from what The Zone had in stock.
After getting down from the truck I searched for what remained of my former comrades: an AK-105 from the first and a gas mask from the second.
I leaned over a car, only to see a small tool box inside of it.
All the pain, all the horror, it would have been worth it, if only for this treasure.
I opened it, and found only a few cans of food and a moldy suit, way too ruined to be worn by anyone.
It was all for nothing.
2 brave Stalker have been lost to the zone, and I got nothing to show for it.
I retreated back to Rostok, and sat down on the mattress set up for me across the hall from Mangun's shop.
"I don't even remember their names" I muttered
"I didn't even pay attention to their names"
The Zone changed me for the worst.
I want out of here, but there is no place for me outside now.
I am now part of The Zone, and will be lost to it.
submitted by
AnAngryGardenGnome to
stalker [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 03:25 YoureInMyWaySir Tales from a NJ location (Part 1) - War of the Raccoons
Former NJ Home Depot associate here. I started working at HD back in 2012. Left in early 2020 (just before the pandemic hit). Figured i'd share some stories from my time. Since theres alot of stories, I thought it would be best to post one story at a time.
So, we had this really friendly filipino dude whose name I can't recall. We'll just call him "Antonio" for now. Antonio was pretty chill. He was big on day-trading and worked with us on the Freight Team just to earn some cash to keep him afloat when his day-trading wasn't doing so hot. He was a good co-worker, though he did hog the boombox we'd set up to play music by blasting the playlist on his phone.
One night, me and Antonio are working by seasonal. I'm stocking pesticides when I notice Antonio looks visibly shook. I ask him what's wrong. He claims that when he went to outside garden to restock the trash cans, a racoon had been hiding in one of those blue recycle cans and decided to pop up out of the can like Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street. Having a Raccoon surprise him with common raccoon shenanigans was apparently enough to spook him.
Bare in mind, Antonio is a city kid. I'm more used to rural areas and would have most likely thought something like that would be hilarious. But its clearly got him bothered.
Anyways, I tell him that most wild animals won't bother you if you don't bother them. I think the matter is settled and he'll just restock something else in outside garden and give the raccoon its space.
minutes later, I notice that Antonio is holding one of those big, fuck off Bear Grylls machetes Home Depot sold (Don't know if they still sell those gaudy things). And he's heading straight to outside garden with it, still in the package. I had to drop everything I was doing, cause I knew the night was gonna get stupid if I didn't step in. I told Antonio to switch jobs with me for the rest of the night. I restocked the bird feeders and tubs of seed while he finished my silver cart full of seasonal tools.
Sadly, I didn't see the raccoon when I passed by the trash cans. But I had seen a whole family of raccoons just chilling out in the rafters above outside garden before they installed the anti-pest spikes. Would have been funnier if it turned out said raccoon was used to people, cause I had a bag of M&M's in my apron I could have offered as a peace offering.
submitted by
YoureInMyWaySir to
HomeDepot [link] [comments]
2023.06.09 03:14 idobecrazydoh "I'm not a misogynist", proceeds to spout the most misogynistic thing you've ever heard.
2023.06.09 03:10 gg_cocoa Did anyone actually get trained? (rant/story time idk)
I’ve been working as an early morning stockroom associate at kohls for about three weeks now (it’s my first job) and I haven’t been given the proper training in my role at all. Is it like this in most places? Literally, it’s just been people here and there telling me stuff or correcting my wrong actions, which i appreciate, but i wouldn’t be making as many mistakes with sorting and stuff had there been a guide to study or something. Esp a size chart and guide for different items of clothing for all genders and age groups would be SUPERRR helpful.
No one really told me how things would operate and I was kinda just thrown into the deep end while unloading trucks. On my third day I was merchandising on the sales floor, alone, and one of the managers kept coming back and forth to tell me where non hardtagged items should go and how to scan the price tag thingy on the zebra to let the customers know it’s in stock on the app. THANK GOD she’s helping me now but jesus I just wish I had the formal training. I always feel like i’m being left alone; It makes me nervous not knowing if I’m doing something right or wrong and seeing no one in sight to ask for help.
I don’t plan on quitting bc that same manager was upset that no one had trained me either and is constantly checking up on me and trying teaching me things. My coworkers are nice and pretty chill too. I’m hoping i get a hold of things soon!
submitted by
gg_cocoa to
employedbykohls [link] [comments]