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scotianostra · 2 years

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On 25th September 1923 40 men were killed when Redding Colliery, near Falkirk, was inundated by water from old workings.

Some of the survivors were in the mine for up to nine days before they were rescued and some of these men never fully recovered from the effects.The flood itself occurred because a sump had been cut in a dyke to collect water, but the location of this sump was not properly recorded and coal was stripped from the area, weakening the sump and so flooding the mine.

The disaster was compounded by poor working practices, which meant that no-one knew exactly how many men were in the mine at the time of the flood.The rescue effort was hampered by the lack of reliable plans of the mines and by the difficult access above ground for the ambulances. Gas, rockfalls and more flooding were hazards throughout the rescue.

The Redding Colliery was owned by James Nimmo & Co.The land was owned by the Duke of Hamilton who also owned the rights to the minerals in the whole area.

Following the disaster, a public inquiry was held in Glasgow as well as the statutory fatal accident inquiry which was held at Falkirk Sheriff Court.The public inquiry recommended that correct records be kept of who was in amine at any one time, that better telephone communications should exist below ground and that new legislation should be put in place regarding mining in areas approaching water.

The flood was a disaster for the people of Redding and the Braes, where most of the men had come from. Quite apart from the grief of losing husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, the families affected also lost their breadwinners. Many of the survivors were never able to work in the mines again and it was some months before the mine itself re-opened.

The Redding Disaster Relief Fund was opened by the Provost of Falkirk a pedways after the disaster and subscriptions poured in from Scotland and from other countries, including Australia and the United States. The Fund was used to give allowances to the widows and children of the men who died and allowances to the men who survived because most of them were unable towork again.

In the 1920s Britain did not have a national welfare system.Also, as there was no National Health Service, any medical needs had to be paid for, and so the Fund provided expenses for the survivors to go to convalescent homes.

I took until December before the bodies of 40 men were recovered and the rescue and recovery operation was completed.

Plans have already began for an ambitious memorial to be built to mark the centenary since the disaster occured.

The memorial will include a sculpture of a miner and of a mother holding a baby, waiting anxiously for news at the pit head - inspired by a photograph taken at the time, as seen in the first pic. They hope to raise £100,000 to cover the cost of the ambitious memorial although £38,000 - the cost of the main statues - will be paid for by a grant from Falkirk Council's Community Choices.

The fourth pic shows a funeral cortege on Falkirk High street.

#Scotland #scottish #Falkirk #Stirlingshire #mining disaster #the price of coal #history

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a-shared-experience · 2 months

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I’m not gonna lie I pet yoghurt all the time and no matter how many times I’ve seen him I light up like a kid. He’s absolutely the most goodest. I love that they bring him around community that I work with , it calms them down and brightens their days. My clients are used to getting kicked by security as means to check if they are sleeping or overdosing , getting brutally degraded and sometimes physically assaulted by cops , one client said that a peace officer stole $500 from him stating it was drug money when it was actually his income support.

They are used to the general public expressing disgust or inconvenience that they must share spaces with them and also lateral violence from other vulnerable people in varied states of crisis. There is a high degree of post traumatic stress within this demographic amongst many other things such as physical injury, infections, TB, Covid, stbbi’s , personality disorders, substance use disorders and trauma that seems unfathomable.

The world needs more dogs 🐕

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obaid01 · 10 months

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Things to Do Near Union Station Chicago

Are you planning a visit to Chicago and will be arriving or departing from Union Station? The iconic Union Station in Chicago, Illinois, is not just a transportation hub but also a gateway to a plethora of exciting attractions and activities. Whether you have a few hours to spare or an entire day before your next train journey, there are plenty of things to do near Union Station Chicago unforgettable. In this article, we'll explore some of the best places to visit and things to do within walking distance of Union Station.

Millennium Park

Just a short walk from Union Station, you'll find Millennium Park, one of Chicago's most famous landmarks. This sprawling urban park is home to various art installations, beautiful gardens, and the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as "The Bean." It's a perfect spot for a leisurely stroll, a picnic with friends, or simply admiring the stunning architecture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Art Institute of Chicago

Art enthusiasts should not miss the chance to visit the Art Institute of Chicago, located a stone's throw away from Union Station. With an extensive collection of artworks from various cultures and time periods, including pieces by renowned artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso, this museum offers a captivating journey through the world of art.

Chicago Riverwalk

Explore the scenic Chicago Riverwalk, a pedestrian path along the Chicago River, featuring numerous cafes, restaurants, and breathtaking views of the city's iconic architecture. Take a leisurely stroll or hop on a river cruise to experience Chicago's magnificent skyline from a different perspective.

Willis Tower

Formerly known as the Sears Tower, the Willis Tower stands tall as one of Chicago's tallest and most famous skyscrapers. Head up to the Skydeck on the 103rd floor for an unparalleled view of the city and the thrilling experience of stepping out onto "The Ledge," a glass balcony that extends from the building.

Chicago Cultural Center

Step into the Chicago Cultural Center, located just a short distance from Union Station, and immerse yourself in arts and culture. This historic building hosts various art exhibitions, musical performances, and lectures, making it a hub for creative expression in the heart of the city.

Chicago Theatre District

For those who love theater and entertainment, the Chicago Theatre District is a must-visit. Catch a Broadway show or a live performance at one of the many historic theaters, such as the Chicago Theatre or the Oriental Theatre, and experience the vibrant performing arts scene of the city.

River North Gallery District

At aficionados looking for more creative inspiration can head to the River North Gallery District, a neighborhood filled with contemporary art galleries and studios. Explore unique artworks and even meet the artists behind these captivating creations.

Navy Pier

Take a short cab ride or walk to the Navy Pier, a famous Chicago landmark that offers a multitude of attractions, including a Ferris wheel, boat tours, restaurants, and seasonal events. It's an excellent place to soak in the lively atmosphere and enjoy stunning views of Lake Michigan.

Chicago Pedway

Discover the hidden gem of Chicago, the Pedway. This underground walkway system connects various buildings and train stations, including Union Station, and offers a safe and convenient way to explore the city, especially during inclement weather.

Maggie Daley Park

If you're traveling with kids or simply want to relive your childhood, head to Maggie Daley Park. This family-friendly park features playgrounds, rock-climbing walls, and a skating ribbon in winter, providing hours of fun and recreation for visitors of all ages.

Chicago River Cruise

Embark on a Chicago River Cruise to witness the city's captivating architecture up close. Several tour companies offer boat rides that showcase the iconic buildings and bridges, providing insightful commentary on Chicago's rich history and architecture.

Chicago History Museum

Delve into the past of the Windy City at the Chicago History Museum. Learn about the city's captivating history through various exhibits and artifacts, providing a deeper understanding of Chicago's evolution over the years.

Grant Park

Located within walking distance from Union Station, Grant Park is a sprawling green space that hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year. Enjoy a peaceful walk, have a picnic, or attend one of the many concerts and events held here.

Chicago Architecture Center

Architecture enthusiasts will find the Chicago Architecture Center to be a treasure trove of information. Explore the exhibits and join walking tours to gain insights into the city's architectural marvels and innovative designs.

Chicago Riverwalk Dining

End your day by savoring a delightful meal at one of the many restaurants lining the Chicago Riverwalk. With a variety of cuisines to choose from and a picturesque view of the river, it's a perfect way to conclude your exploration of the city.

Conclusion

Union Station in Chicago not only serves as a transportation hub but also offers an incredible array of attractions within its proximity. From world-class museums and art galleries to scenic riverwalks and architectural wonders, the area around Union Station has something to captivate every visitor. So, the next time you find yourself with some free time around Union Station, make sure to explore these fantastic attractions and create lasting memories in the vibrant city of Chicago.

#Chicago #nearchicagostation

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inframantraofficial · 1 year

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Tulip Monsella Sector 53 Gurgaon - 3/4/5 Bhk Luxury Apartments in Gurugram

Tulip Monsella Sector 53 Gurgaon is a luxury residential project on Golf Course Road situated in the most trendy area of the City. The Beautiful Project offers 3, 4, and 5 bhk premium air-conditioned Apartments spread over 20 acres of land. These lavish residences are surrounded by luxury commercial and residential development. Tulip Monsella is located in Sector-53 on Golf Course Road, Gurgaon on an area of 19 acres of land. Tulip Monsella by Tulip Infratech is a mixed–use development of around 19 acres of land under the TOD ( Transit Oriented Development) zone, in the heart of the millennium city of Gurgaon along the Golf Course Road. With the fast pace of infrastructure development and excellent connectivity, Golf Course Road has always been considered the best-unmatched premium location for the development of high-end luxury projects in Gurgaon. In addition, there are also very unique features of this location like the already operational Rapid Metro, the presence of the best commercial outlets, office complexes, and many more. These all features give an international look to Tulip Monsella Sector 53 with an exquisite skyline. The project offers high-end ultra luxury 3,4 and 5 BHK apartments, duplexes, and penthouses available at sizes of 3,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq. ft. The price starts from Rs 5.74 crore ( Rs 20,000 per sq ft ) onwards. Tulip Monsella is a massive intense project which will be well equipped with all the latest amenities like a sports club having lawn tennis, covered badminton courts, basketball, cricket pitch, golf range, scatting ring, and many more.

Tulip Monsella Gurgaon is an outlandish fantasy to create an unimagined destination. An address so In addition to world-class amenities, the project has very unique 140-meter high skywalk ( an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings ) and location. If we talk about location, then its location is great in many ways like IGI Airport is simply 15 minutes drive from it. It is well connected with the Rapid Metro Station and 10 minutes away from Huda City Metro Station. One simply can’t doubt the suitability of its location. Tulip Monsella, which will be one of the tallest developments of Golf Course Road, consists of 10 towers at 138m with 40 floors each and a Sky Hub. This is a completely unique development as it has zero vehicular movement on the ground level, golf carts and elevators that open straight into the residence via card access make this a highly exclusive Development.

Check out the complete details here: tulipsmonsella.com

Contact Now: +91 9069142141

#Tulip Monsella #real estate #Tulip Monsella Floor Plan #Tulip Monsella Gurgaon #Tulip Monsella Price

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vsingers-archive · 7 years

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i’m alone downtown today and despite me living here for my literal entire life, once i’m left alone to do my own thing i forget where the fuck anything is all of a sudden

#also known as: i wanted starbucks but i couldn't navigate the pedways and its too cold to walk outside so i gave up #t

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coldtomyflash · 3 years

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I've seen your speech pattern analysis on Flash characters. I was wondering if you had any advice on how to create speech patterns for OC characters?

oh heck this is one of the coolest questions i’ve ever received.

i’m gonna try not to go overboard/overwhelming and just give a bit of advice, and then if you want more details please come back and follow up!

There’s a few things to think about up front with character voices / speech patterns. The biggest and most obvious is language and cultural background. The second is personality. The third is personal history. Fourth, briefly, is gender. And the final one I’d say is idiosyncrasies to avoid ‘same voice’.

Culture and Group Dynamics

Depending on the setting, there’s a decent chance you’ll be writing characters from different cultural backgrounds. Even if you’re focusing on a single culture, there will be subcultures. Even if you’re focusing on a single narrow group of people, there will be age and generational differences.

Think about where your character is from. If it’s a fantasy world, that’s still (and even more, in some ways) important. What country, what ethnicity, what mother tongue? Did they grow up urban or rural? High socio-economic status or working class? What sort of educational background and peer group did they have growing up (and presently) and how does that factor into their vocabulary and mannerisms, if at all.

All of these can influence how people talk. There are regional accents and different modes of speaking to signal your group membership. There is code-switching across groups, for those who have had to learn multiple linguistics codes to survive and thrive in society.

How much slang does this group and therefor this character use? What references (modern, outddated, topical, etc) do the rely on? What kind of references (pop culture, music, academic, etc)? What colloquialisms and proverbs do they say? Are these the same or different to their characters, even within the same culture, subculture, or group, and is it because they’re from a different place/sub-group or because of their idiosyncrasies?

You can use these to help your reader get to know more about your character’s background without having to spell it all out directly. Speech patterns and style are a great way to show instead of tell when it comes to details that are hard to drop in organically in other ways.

An important caveat: don’t write a bilingual character who switches languages in speech unless you’re ready to do a bit of research on that. In AATJS I did an absolutely horrific job of this because I was thinking more about fronting the fact that character was Italian rather than thinking through how people actually talk, and it came out exotifying and embarrassing. It’s important to make sure that the way you use language to bring in a character’s cultural and/or ethnic background feels authentic and manifests is a way that respects that language and its users. You can write a character with a complex cultural history without using multiple languages if you’re unprepared to do research and talk to bilingual speakers.

Personality

Probably the most salient thing in a writer’s mind when they’re trying to write character voices: is this the funny character? the serious one? the brainy one? etc.

Don’t overuse stereotypes and archetypes for creating speech patterns (or characters in general) if you’re trying to make a rounded, 3-dimensional character. Instead, go about three levels deeper.

Think about whether they’re introverted or extraverted, whether they are neurotypical or neurodivergent, whether they are introspective enough to express their own emotions clearly or whether they stumble when asked why they did a particular thing or feel a particular way (most people don’t or can’t clearly articulate exactly why they did something or how they feel, and come at things a bit sideways to circle around their motives and interior realities when pressed to make them external and concretely verbal).

Is this character calm, is their voice soothing, do they speak slowly? Are they excitable and loud and is their speech free-flowing? Are they angry? Do they swear? Do they use references for humour or are they more into puns? Do they laugh at their own jokes? Do they talk with their hands?

This character has social anxiety: how does that manifest in her speech? Does she clam up and get very quiet when she gets nervous, or does she go rapidfire and a little too loud (does she process by turning in or by distracting herself by turning outward)? Does she get very careful and deliberate in choosing her words (is she a bit high-strung?)? Ask yourself which fits best with the other elements of her personality and what you want the reader to know/interpret about her.

This character is incredibly smart and a bit awkward: how does that manifest in their speech? Do they tend to use 5-dollar words, or do they expend a lot of energy choosing their words more carefully (how considerate are they to their audience when speaking and does that influence their speech)? Do they stumble over their words and explaining things, or are they good at making points with clear language learned from a lifetime of tutoring and helping others?

This character is the bff, who tries hard to make sure everyone else is happy first: how does that manifest in his speech? How does he switch between his happy-mask versus his more authentic self, and what changes in tone, word-choice, and inflection come in when he does?

Personal History

I’m only drawing a distinction between this and personality (archetype, really) so that I can draw attention to ways to add simultaneously unique and shared layers to characters that are distinct but related to group dynamics.

Here’s sort of what I mean: the level of education of a mother (or primary caregiver) of an infant can determine that infant’s vocabulary size. While we can break down all the ‘why is that’ layers to this, the one I want to point is to the simple truth that the more education a person does, the more specialized language they end up learning over time. This doesn’t have to be formal education though -- the more you learn about something and the more you read and access new knowledges and perspective, the more and more words you learn, and then if you start using those words, they trickle down to those close to you.

So.

What’s your character’s educational background? Is it the same as their friends who you are also writing? Is the same as their family’s? How does this character’s family influence their speech? Are they formal, informal, warm, authoritative?

If you’re writing siblings, they’ll have some shared things! But also some very different ones! Me and my sister talk nothing alike in terms of vocabulary, but a lot alike in terms of mannerisms whenever we spend a bit of time together!

If your characters grew up around each other, they’ll have a lot of the same references. People from the same cities or regions will have things specific to that region, either due to sub-culture effects or because of local references.

The city of Calgary, Canada for instance has the Plus15 which are a connected pedway system between the buildings in downtown, so named because they are 15feet above the ground. Drive 3 hours north to the city of Edmonton, and you have an underground pedway just called the pedways, no special name. Go a few provinces east to Toronto and their underground pedway system downtown is called PATH. These are all known to locals and part of the vernacular, but are opaque to people outside those cities. And the whole idea of them is probably opaque to people who aren’t from super cold cities that don’t require building-connecting pedway systems for pedestrians to get around high-density areas like downtown (or university campuses) without going out into the cold.

Friends, families, and groups are like that too. In-jokes, shared histories, speaking in references. What are your characters’ relationships to each other and how does that history influence the way they approach talking to each other?

Gender

I don’t want to spend too much time on this one because ugh, gender. What even is it?

But like it or not, it has an impact on our speech patterns. There are cultural and societal norms in how men and women are likely to speak, and breaking those norms will be noticed regardless of whether you’re trans, enby, queer, or not. There are norms that people who are queer may fall into as well, sometimes without even noticing at first. A lot of these aren’t about word choice per se but instead about mannerisms and tone and body language, but some overlap or are specific to language.

Speaking in broad generalizations here, women use more emotional language and tend to speak with more hesitancies/qualifications. So more “i think, i feel” and less “it is”. More conversations that front emotions and dig deeper into those, with longer sentences to explain in detail. The obvious caveat is that personality matters more (i.e., is this a person who likes to talk about their emotions in detail or not) but it is something to consider because there will be general but subtle differences that you can use to help further distinguish your characters’ voices.

Sidenote: this can also be exacerbated by different cultural backgrounds and languages (a simple example is Japanese which has different words for “I” depending on your gender as well as your personality, familiarity with the other persons in the conversation, and situational appropriateness, so interesting ways that gender and social expectations intersect in language).

Anyway this isn’t typically a huge problem except that I’ve found that a lot of writers have a tendency to overgeneralize the speech patterns that fit with their ascribed gender due to early-life socialization, or conversely to overgeneralize patterns that fit with their gender identity (when not cis) either due to heavily identifying with their gender identity’s speech model (or sometimes possibly due to a knee-jerk sort of backlash). I say this as an enby who both struggles with it and notices it and tries to edit and correct for it.

I could get into all sorts of examples of ways this can lead to voice issues, but in general i think the point here is to make sure you’re writing any given character in view of that character’s personality and history, with gender only as a modifier for how some of these might come out in subtle ways but which can be important to help tell us about your character (and if you’re writing queer characters, it’s all the more important to consider how their relationship with gender and socialization might impact which speech models and styles they identify more with).

Idiosyncrasies

So, you’ve got a character. You’ve got their personality and history down. You know how they manifest in their speech. And you’re still getting some ‘same voice’ issues.

People really are unique snowflakes. Let that be reflected in their speech.

This person uses contractions differently than that one. This one says “ain’t” and that one says “isn’t.”

This person makes Simpsons references and that one doesn’t like Simpsons, and makes Brooklyn Nine Nine references instead. That other one doesn’t use referential humour much at all. This one loves old movies and hasn’t seen any of the new stuff so they make references all the time but no one ever notices.

This one loves the word “excoriate” and that one doesn’t even know what it means because what the hell, who uses the word excoriate?

This one talks about food a lot, it overlaps with their interests. This one uses metaphors. This one grunts in response. This one exclaims. This one says “like” and that one hates it. That one refers to themselves in third person. This other one uses reflective language an usual amount (e.g., “love me some candy”). This other one keeps misusing the word inconceivable and that one speaks almost without contractions but still comes off as more charming and humorous while correcting him.

I have an aunt who says “girl” or “girlfriend” a fuck-ton and she has been my whole life and I don’t know why because none of her sisters do, but she does and it annoys me so much the way she says it. I swear a lot when I’m feeling casual despite never ever doing it in a professional or even slightly-less-than-relaxed space, so the idiosyncrasy of comfort levels has a massive impact on my vocabulary in ways which, I promise, almost no one who meets me first in a professional space expect.

Let your characters be individuals and try to make them as unique as possible without overdoing it, or over-relying on a single verbal tendency or habit.

And ... that’s all I’ve got for now. Completely failed at being concise. I meant to give like 2-3 bullet points or examples for each, not paragraphs, but here we are. That’s one of my verbal tendencies: long flowing verbosity :)

Hope this helps!

#speech patterns #speech analysis #phyn writes #writing advice #writing #OC's #writing reference #didn't edit so apologies for typos i'm sure i'll come back at some point #Anonymous

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starfleetimagines · 5 years

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Data - First Meetings

Requested? By @andskysthelimit Word count: 1055 Tag list: @dxnisnflwr, @dailypianofeatures, @schroedingershund, @jaytodded, @spaceyhufflepuff

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“Y/N!” Julian exclaimed as he rushed up to your work station.

You raised an eyebrow as you looked at him. “What’s up?”

“There’s someone on board I think you should meet,” he said. “You know how The Enterprise is docked with us for some repairs and to get supplies?”

You nodded, wondering who he was thinking of introducing you to.

“Commander Data is here.”

When you didn’t say anything, Julian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Commander Data!” he exclaimed. “The android!”

“Ohh, him. That’s cool, but I do have work…”

“Commander Sisko wants us all to welcome everyone,” Julian told you. “Come on, what are you working on, anyway? A routine diagnostic?”

“Maybe,” you admitted. You smiled and shook your head as you stood up. “All right, let’s go.”

Julian brought you down to Quark’s where O’Brien and Worf were speaking to a man with pale skin and yellow eyes.

“Commander,” Julian greeted as you approached. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything.”

“Not at all,” O’Brien said, smiling faintly. “We were just reminiscing about our time on the Enterprise together.”

“Oh right, I forgot you all served together,” you said. You looked at Data and held out your hand. “Hi. I’m Lieutenant Y/N Y/L/N.”

Data shook your hand firmly. “Commander Data. Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise,” you said, and you couldn’t help but notice that he was fairly attractive.

Julian took a seat. “How are the repairs to Enterprise coming along?”

“Not bad,” O’Brien replied. “We should be done by the morning.”

“How do you like the station?” you asked Data.

He met your gaze. “It is impressive. The Cardassian architecture is somewhat crude, but clearly effective. It is fascinating to see how Starfleet and the Bajoran people have transformed the station into what it is today.”

“I could give you a tour if you’d like,” you offered.

“I would enjoy that, thank you.” Data stood and looked at the others. “We will catch up again later.”

They said their goodbyes and you showed Data around the promenade first, pointing out all of the different shops there. You then showed him the Bajoran temple, making sure there was nobody inside first. Afterwards, the two of you made your way throughout the station. You pointed out every interesting feature and he asked plenty of questions about the engineering, structure, and specifications of the station. He also asked you about yourself; mostly about your role on board.

You ended the tour on the pedways above the promenade. You were standing in front of the window that had the best view of the wormhole should it open.

“Well,” you said, “that’s the station.”

“Thank you for the tour, it was very informative.”

You smiled. “Just informative?”

Data thought for a moment, then said, “It was also enjoyable. I appreciate you taking the time to show me around.”

“It beats doing diagnostics,” you joked.

Data nodded slightly.

“We’re expecting a shuttle to be returning from the Gamma Quadrant soon,” you said. “They were just doing some routine checks. The wormhole is an amazing site to see if you want to stay here for a bit.”

“That sounds acceptable,” Data said, and he looked out the window.

You watched him for a few moments. “You’re not what I was expecting.”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know… I guess more robot-y. You’re a lot more human than I anticipated you being. I don’t mean that as an insult,” you quickly finished.

“I do not take it as one,” he said, turning his gaze back to you. “It has been a long-term goal of mine to become human. I am pleased to know that my efforts are not in vain.”

You smiled. “I’m curious, why do you want to be like us so badly?”

“I suppose it is because my father was human, and I have essentially grown up around humans. I wish to know what it is like to experience life as a human. It is such a unique experience that I cannot help but yearn to experience it myself.” He paused and thought for a moment. “I wish to be more than my programming. I have recently been equipped with an emotion chip and I am still trying to learn how to adapt to the many types of emotions you humans feel. I admit, it is more stimulating than I initially thought.”

“That’s very touching, Data,” you said with a smile. “The human experience is messy, and complicated. Emotions get in the way of things. They cloud judgement, make us do irrational things, make us worry over nothing. But… they’re worth it.”

A bright light of blue and purple erupted in your peripheral vision. Your smile widened and you looked out the window quickly.

“Look! The wormhole is opening.”

You and Data watched as the mouth of the wormhole grew. A shuttle flew out, seeming so small in comparison to the vastness of the wormhole. When it closed, you looked at Data.

“What did you think?”

“I think it was very aesthetically pleasing.”

You laughed lightly. “Yeah, it is very pretty.”

“Curious.”

“What’s that?”

“The sound of your laugh is making me feel… happiness.”

A blush heated up your cheeks. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

“I have enjoyed spending time with you, Y/N. I do have to return to Enterprise for my duties there. Perhaps when I am done, I could show you around. Return the favour.”

“I would love to. Thank you.”

He dipped his head. “I can show you Ten Forward. It is our version of Quark’s Bar.”

“Can’t wait.”

“I understand that we only just met, but I am wondering if perhaps our visit to Ten Forward could be… what is it Commander Riker calls it… a date?”

Your excited smile turned into a shy one. “I’d like that.”

“I am off duty at 0700 hours. I will meet you at the docking bay then.”

“I’ll be counting the minutes.”

“That is a very inefficient use of your time.”

You laughed. “It’s an expression. It just means that I’m looking forward to it.”

“Ah. Then I, too, shall count the minutes. However, my internal clock records time down to milliseconds. So I suppose a more accurate expression for me is, I will be counting the milliseconds.”

You laughed again, the sound making Data subconsciously smile.

#data #data x reader #data imagine #star trek #star trek imagine #star trek tng #star trek the next generation #star trek the next generation imagine #star trek tng imagine #star trek fanfic #star trek fanfiction #star trek reader insert

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badasscrossstitch · 4 years

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Voting in Illinois

Last week I asked my college students how many of them had ever voted (2 out of a class of 35 had). Only a handful were confident they were registered. I asked a few questions to see how much they knew about the voting process. This week, I put together a resource page and walked them through the myriad of options they had for registering, absentee voting, early voting, day of voting, how to look up their ballot ahead of time, how to research candidates, how to research judges and issues, and talked to them about their trepidation’s around voting. One student asked what this had to do with a business class and I explained at length about the impact that electeds have on everything that could impact their future businesses and the kind of world they want to live in. I then asked them how many of them were taught any of this before- 2 hands went up. I was SO ANGRY FOR THEM. All I hear is how young people don’t do this and they don’t do that and they don’t vote. They don’t vote because we have failed them. How can we expect to have civically engaged citizens if we do not teach them the basic logistics of HOW to vote. We let them graduate high school right at the age when they can first vote and we don’t demand that part of their learning include how to vote let alone how to vote informed. How is it that I have a classroom of voting age students who are brilliant and creative and inspiring and they learned more in a 30 minute crash course in voting with me in a business class than in their formal education prior to today? I hope they feel as much resentment as I feel right now and I hope they take that to the polls and show this country what is possible when we give folks the basic literacy and resources to do the most important thing any citizen can do in a democracy.

Here are the resources I shared with them.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

1) Register to Vote

2) Ways to Vote

3) Know your Ballot

4) Do your Research

1) Registering to Vote in Illinois:

· You must be a United States Citizen.

· You must be 17 years old on or before the date of the Primary Election and turn 18 on or before the date of the General or Consolidated Election.

· You must live in your election precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.

· You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.

· You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

When you register, you will receive a voter registration card in the mail. It will tell you where you go vote. (Somewhere nearby your address). If you don't get one in time you can look up your polling location here: https://ova.elections.il.gov/PollingPlaceLookup.aspx (Links to an external site.)

Same Day Registration:

Illinois has same day registration. That means you can show up to your polling location with 2 forms of ID, register, and vote all at the same time!

On Election Day, voters who are not registered to vote can register and vote at their home precinct only. Any voter who is not registered and needs to know where to go to register and vote on Election Day can utilize the Clerk’s online Your Voter Information Tool to find their proper polling place by address or birthday.

Voters planning on registering to vote or updating their address on Election Day must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address.

2) Ways to Vote:

Early Voting

If you know you won’t have time to vote on the day of the election (March 17, 2020) don’t worry! You can vote early (and you can register and vote at the same time!). Early voting takes place March 2-16th. There are dedicated early voting locations. Here is a list of the Cook County locations: https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/early-voting-locations

Here is the location and schedule for the early voting polling station closest to Columbia:

69 W WASHINGTON, 5TH FLOOR

69 W WASHINGTON ST

CHICAGO, IL 60602

Feb. 19 - Feb. 21

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Feb. 24 - Feb. 28

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 2 - Mar. 6

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 9 - Mar. 13

09:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Mar. 16

09:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Mar. 7

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 14

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 8

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Mar. 15

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

69 W WASHINGTON, PEDWAY

69 W WASHINGTON ST

CHICAGO, IL 60602

Feb. 19 - Feb. 21

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Feb. 24 - Feb. 28

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 2 - Mar. 6

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 9 - Mar. 13

09:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Mar. 16

09:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Mar. 17

06:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Mar. 7

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 14

09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Mar. 8

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Mar. 15

10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Election Day Voting

In Illinois, you do NOT need to present a photo ID or any documentation in order to vote. You just have to be on the registered voter list. I find it helpful to bring my voter registration card with me and just hand it to them so they can find me easier.

Voting doesn't take long at all in most cases. Just roll up, check in, get your voting form, go to a booth, fill it out, return it to them, get your "I voted" stitcker, post on social that you voted, carry on with your day knowing you did your civic duty and used your voice to shape the country the way you see fit.

Mail In Ballot/Absentee Ballot - Illinois

Don't want to wait to vote on election day or go to the polls? That's cool. Get your absentee ballot mailed to you. Fill it out at home and mail it back! So easy. It takes 2 minutes online. Here you go... https://www.vote.org/state/illinois/ (Links to an external site.)

The ballot must be postmarked by the day of the election.

Primary: March 17th / General: Nov 3rd

Registered to vote in another state?

Cool! Get your absentee ballot from that state mailed to you. Fill it out at home. Mail it back before election day in your state. Easy.

https://www.usa.gov/absentee-voting (Links to an external site.)

3) Know Your Ballot

The primary is where each party votes on who they want to run in the general election (November 3,2020). You are essentially narrowing down the field in this election.

In the Illinois primary, when you show up to vote you need to declare if you want a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot. You can choose either but not both.

The choice on who you want to run for President is NOT the only choices you need to vote on. Each ballot is different based on where you live.

Go to this site: https://ballotpedia.org/Illinois_elections,_2020 (Links to an external site.) and enter the address you used to register to vote. It will give you a sample ballot. You can then use the sample ballot to research candidates and issues. You can fill out your sample ballot ahead of time and then bring it with you into the voting booth so you remember all the folks you want to vote for. This will also make the voting process real quick.

4) Do your Research

This is probably the most challenging part of any election.

Local politics/local positions are SO IMPORTANT. Local elected officials get to make major decisions that impact your neighborhood, your city, your county, and your state. Yes, national politics is super important but local politics, I would argue, has an even greater impact on your day-to-day life.

a) Know your ballot

There are lots of ways to do your research. Knowing what is on your ballot will narrow down the amount of research you need to do. So be sure to go to : https://ballotpedia.org/Illinois_elections,_2020 (Links to an external site.) and get a copy of your ballot.

b) Researching presidential candidates

Currently, there are 8 Democratic candidates and 2 Republican candidates.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html

Since there are so many Democratic candidates running for president there is a lot to consider.

I found this resource helpful:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/policy-2020/quiz-which-candidate-agrees-with-me/ (Links to an external site.)

It could help you narrow down where to start your candidate research.

c) Voting for Judges

When deciding on what judges to vote for (because let's be honest...what the hell do I know about who should be a judge or not) I use this resource: https://www.voteforjudges.org/ (Links to an external site.)

Ultimately, you cast your vote for the candidates that you believe will create the kind of country that you want to live in.

I hope this is helpful to you. I hope you choose to vote. As always, I am here to answer any questions or talk through anything with you.

Shannon

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

#vote #register to vote #how to vote #illinois #primary elections #elections #usa

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grace-lost-in-space · 5 years

Text

I let out a heavy sigh as I roll down my car window and push the red flashing button on the entry gate. It prints out my parking ticket, but not before sputtering and hissing. It sounds as angry as I feel. I am about to admit myself to the hospital, and I have lost count of how many admissions this will make since January. I drive up and up and up the garage ramp as slowly as I can. Stalling is a hobby of mine—and one at which I excel greatly. I finally find a suitable space on level D, meaning I have to go down a level to get to the main Pedway to the hospital. I take a deep breath before using my last bit of strength to slide my suitcase out of my car. My overnight bag is already hanging from my shoulder and it puts up some tough competition against my current weight. My suitcase—without a doubt—outweighs me. I drag both pieces of luggage down the ramp and across the walk way. I wait for the elevator—the one I hate. I hate it because it is slow and it creaks. The lights flicker sometimes and it sounds like it is going to give out any second, which, now that I think about it, is similar to my body at the moment. I also find it ironic that I am at an award winning hospital and they have an elevator that creaks, but I guess we have all seen Grey’s Anatomy. I finally make it to the Emergency Department level and struggle to make it down the mile-long hallway. No sooner than the receptionist bands my wrist, they call my name. Chest pains. Chest pains always get called back first and I am a chronic case.

A nurse escorts me to a room where I already know they will do an EKG. A male nurse walks in and I think to myself, “lovely” as he asks me to let him prep me for the EKG. Told you. I lay back on the table and close my eyes. I try to occupy my spinning brain with thoughts of strawberry milkshakes and Peppa Pig. 1…2…all 12 electrodes are finally in place. They never tell me the results of my EKG, but they lead me into another room where an ER doctor “assesses�� me—and, by that, I mean he makes comments about my appearance and my case to a nurse who dictates mindlessly into the computer.

“Chest pains…severe dehydration…severely malnourished…” the doctor calls out.

“…emaciated” he adds, as he pokes around on my ribs, which are not too hard to find these days.

After the brief assessment, the nurse walks me to a grey chair, where I already know they are going to place an IV. I ask them to please not put it in the bend of my arm, so they opt for the inside of my right forearm, which is the best case scenario because I sleep on my left side. I shut my eyes as tight as I can while the nurse does his due diligence. I imagine myself crossing my fingers as I pray silently for as few blown veins as possible. Last time, the count was six. They always call me “a hard stick” but my body cooperates this time. I thank it as I follow the nurse to my bed, which, by the way, is a gurney in the hallway of an open emergency room.

As I pull out my Peppa and George plushes, I watch the nurse walk over to her station, where three other nurses are gathered. “She has anorexia and schizophrenia and autism…and she is severely malnourished and underweight. She is __ years old, but is cognitively on the level of a 6-9 year old.” I hold my breath for fourteen seconds. Did I just hear her correctly? My reasoning skills are not at their prime right now, but I can hear just fine. What she said is not news, though, because it has been said many times before but every time I hear it, I feel as though I have been totally and suddenly submerged into frigid waters. “I am smart. I am smart. I am smart.” I remind myself. I clutch Peppa especially tight in one hand, while I twist my smaller, worn out Peppa figurine in the other hand. I do not make eye contact with the nurse as she returns to my bedside because eye contact, for me, is and always has been a rare occasion. It happens only in the rarest and briefest moments—most usually when my life depends on it. The nurse connects me to multiple drips and explains that—not only am I dehydrated, but I have a severe electrolyte imbalance. Imagine that. She explains that she is also going to give me medicine through the g-tube in my stomach. Again, I sigh. “You could die. Do you understand that? If you had not come here, you could have died. You are very sick. Do you understand?”

Do I understand?

I do.

I understand plenty.

And, as she opens the port to my g-tube, I rest my head on the pillow behind me. I close my eyes, as usual, and I wish for CB to magically appear. I wish to feel better. I wish for a mom who wants me. I wish to feel much more brave than I pretend to be. And, most importantly, I wish for recovery.

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melibee44 · 4 years

Text

Tramadon’t

I don’t remember much about to trip back upstairs. I think I was out again for a bit once I wasn’t gobbling ice like it was my job.

I came to in 5G3, in a room that was much bigger than the first, had glass doors, and was bright, but there were no other patients and everything else in the unit was dark.

The nurse I had was polite, but aloof, and went to work doing her job. She told me what I had had for anesthetic/pain, asked me how My pain level was, and waited for my answer.

This is a good time to tell you that I hate the pain scale with a passion. A linear scale doesn’t do pain justice, but our doctors and nurses are strapped for time and need a super fast way to assess us. I think I eventually settled on an 8, even in my fog.

She brought me a drug called Tramadol and told me to take it. It was two pills and I did as I was told. It hurt like mad to swallow them. She said that was normal because I had been intubated and it can be raw after. I also remember my jaw being achingly sore (intubation) and realized that I didn’t tell them I have TMJ because now that I get regular massages, it doesn’t bother me too much anymore. So she said that it made perfect sense for my jaw to hurt, in that case.

She said it was time for me to start moving around a bit more and try to start sitting up. So she helped me and waves of pain and nausea washed over me. She assured me that some pain was normal and I thought to myself “this is some pain?! Oh man, I’m in trouble when the block wears off...” I told her I felt like I was gonna barf. She got me something to throw up into and went to get me an anti nausea med. Luckily I didn’t throw up. I don’t think I could have handled that pain, considering I could feel my throat so well. She made me swallow the nausea med as well. I forget the name of it, but it’s the one they always give you at the hospital. It fucking hurt. I said ouch and she said something to assure me it was okay. I told her I was still feeling lots of pain, so she went and got me Dilauded. Luckily, I didn’t have to swallow that one.

I didn’t notice a big difference in pain with the dilauded, but at least I felt like I was sleepy and could rest again and seemed to be done swallowing things, so yay!

I’m pretty sure this is when my mom inquired as to whether or not someone would be by to tell us what happened in surgery, how it went, or if there was some sort of report. The nurse was surprised my surgeon hadn’t been in to tell me about it after surgery and I relayed the info I received from recovery nurse about the surgical team being gone.

My current nurse then said “I’ll go ask” and brought back my info sheets with three things jotted down on the back. She told us I had had a right hemi thyroidectomy (what i was expecting) with a massive nodule on it removed (duh, you could tell it was massive from the outside). They had moved my right anterior parathyroid from the back to the front (can’t remember if he told me that would happen, but it’s standard) and something about a “front sternal dissection.” In my head I said “wtf is that?!”

My far more eloquent mom said “I’m not familiar with that procedure, can you tell me more about it?” She’s good. The nurse didn’t know and had to go ask someone else again. She returned once more and said it was a big nodule (again duh) and they had to open some things up in the area to get to all of it. My mom googled later. It was my sternum. They had to dig around in my sternum?! (That’s still in question and I’m writing this little aside almost 5 weeks after surgery.)

At about this point, I indicated that while the dilaudid seemed to help a little (or at least got me high enough to not care) the tramadol didn’t seem to have done anything. She told me (and I’m totally paraphrasing) painkillers don’t make everything great, they just reduce the pain. It’s normal to still feel some pain. In my head I was like “shit, if this is just some pain, my tolerance is not as great as I thought! And not as great as all my docs/massage/physiotherapists have said.” I think that’s when I said “it feels like a lot though. Like the dilauded was nice enough I guess, but I’m worried about only having the tramadol at home.”

She told me (after consulting briefly with a senior nurse) that if I was worried, I could alternate it with 400mg Ibuprofen, every two hours overnight. And she told me to set an alarm, so I wouldn’t wake up with nothing at any point because then the pain can get out of control.

Through the week, I would learn that I was not to have ibuprofen after surgery and exactly what it meant for pain to get “out of control.”

They gave the nausea med and the dilaudid some more time to work, then my nurse came back (I think with some of my things this time?) and told me it was time to try walking to the bathroom. She sat me up and made sure I handled that okay, then told me it was time to stand. Standing hurt. I was nauseated, but was assured it was all okay and I figured that I’d she said pain and nausea were okay, it was time to get on with it.

I safely went to pee, which took a while for only a tiny amount, and announced my success after. As I was told to, of course. I remember stopping by the nurses station, where it seemed like the three of them were the only three other people left in the unit. I told them again “I’m worried about pain, the tramadol doesn’t seem to have worked and it’s all you’re sending me home with. I’m really nervous about not having adequate pain treatment.

“The info sheets I got at my pre-op appointment said to tell you if I’m not down to a four when you want to send me home and I’m definitely over a four. Like well over a four and I think more like a 7 or 8.” A bit earlier, I had asked my mom to look up useful descriptions of the pain scale and help me use it accurately. I vaguely remember, for emphasis, saying something along the lines of “I don’t want to come off as a complainer or worry wart, but the instructions were in a few places and very clear.”

They waved me off. They said the sheets say a lot of things. That I’d be fine. Don’t worry about it. And that “you’re not getting anything else; that’s all we can give you.” I heard this (almost exact phrase) several times over the next 36 or so hours.

I remember being scared, walking back into the room, then my mom drawing the curtains and trying to help me get dressed. I do also remember her musing about how she would get me to the car and I remember either thinking or saying “it’s just my neck, I can walk that.” because my legs felt okay. Pretty sure that’s anesthesia logic and it’s why you’re not allowed to sign legal documents for at least 24 hours. No post-surgery land title changes, my friends!

The nurse called in from outside and said I’ve left you a wheelchair! Right here!

My mom tried to figure out what to do with the bags... I was like, if I sit, do you think I can hold them on my lap? And waited to see if that could work. It wasn’t the worst. I did still have my outer muscles numbed, after all. Thank goodness. Then off we went. I had been discharged and was finally out of their hair. Not their problem anymore.

*Now might be a good time to note that I was sent home without anyone going over breathing, coughing, or any other exercises with me.

There’s more:

#hospital glam #hospital #thyroid #surgery #spoonie #spoonielife #my words #pain management

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copperbadge · 5 years

Text

dbdatvic replied to your post “How do you make the paprika from the pepper?”

... how thin do you usually have to slice your mandolins, anyway? --Dave 'I knew you were a ukulele guy, but this seems excessive' DeLaney

Who me? Nah, I like a thick-sliced mandolin, better sound quality that way. This thin-slicing stuff is a fad.

kissmeagainarthas replied to your post “how dare you call Dearborn a genius she has never had an intelligent...”

She feels the weight of eternity.

It’s a lot for a seven-pound cat with an addiction to belly rubs.

laughingacademy replied to your post “kindaoffkilter replied to your post “Real missed opportunity to call...”

Thanks, Sam, for teaching me the word "caganer". I never knew there was a term for pooping statuettes!

I keep waiting for them to break big in the US the way Krampus has, but alas the pooper’s time has not yet come.

tygermama replied to your post “how dare you call Dearborn a genius she has never had an intelligent...”

That's not fair to Dearborn, we do the same thing but we have coffee

We also don’t get to sleep for 17 hours a day, though, so my sympathy is limited.

everwriting replied to your photo “wynjara: Saw this today and thought of @copperbadge I need a HALLMARK...”

https://www.hallmark.com/gifts/fashion-and-accessories/clothing/hallmark-movie-hero-mens-t-shirt-1HKC1304M.html From the channel itself, only $30. There's also a Hallmark store in Chicago on Michigan Ave, right near the station itself. Sue's Hallmark Shop, Ctr Rtl Concourse, 225 N Michigan Ave Lbby C142, Chicago, IL 60601

I didn’t think Hallmark stores existed outside of Texan strip malls anymore. I’ll have to pay it a visit.

Also apparently Hallmark Channel has like, an outpost office in Chicago about 39 floors up from Sue’s Hallmark Shop, which I suspect is one of the rather sad small Pedway level stores.

#dbdatvic #everwriting #kissmeagainarthas #laughingacademy #tygermama #reply all

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vampirewithbedsidemanners · 4 years

Text

Out of the Vault: Story Time

STORY TIME This is not a work of fiction. TRIGGER WARNING: ACTIVE SHOOTER/THREAT. If you are sensitive to the topic, dont read. This is something I wrote for myself following a pretty intense situation at work. This was a few years ago but Im leaving out names and places on purpose, still. You hear a lot about active shooters in the media but they rarely cover active shooter threats, which can take a toll as well. I saw a news report once about schools in bad neighborhoods that have regular lock downs because of shootings in the surrounding neighborhoods are giving their students PTSD just trying to protect them. I can see why. I don’t think I have PTSD, but I wont really know until I get another call like this.

I don’t think about it often. Sometimes, in the days after when the rest of the world started forgetting, I would remember it.

But most days, especially now, it was a distant nightmare. I was still a kid at the time, young and naive. I still lived in that bubble of ‘it will never happen to me’. Every close call solidified that bubble. The almost stabbing, the drug busts, the scrappy fist fights that always ended with someone getting snowed, fed the delusion. Somewhere in the middle of all of it, I knew that we were short staffed. That I shouldn’t be clearing buildings and parking lots and bathrooms with drug addicts overdosed on the floor, by myself. Most days, I didn’t even notice.

It makes you feel big, even when you’re not. 5′1″, I disappeared behind the desk at the stationary post without even trying. The other guards couldn’t get in the patrol car behind me without moving the seat back. But there was an adrenaline rush to it that made me feel like I could do this, no matter my size. I liked the work, it made me a piece of a larger puzzle.

“You better lock down the hospital, I’m coming to kill you all.”

12 words.

5 minutes before help arrived.

1 other guard.

6 buildings. 23 floors between all of them. 11 elevators. 2 pedways. A tunnel. 17 entrances.

9 parking lots.

43 employees. Roughly 100 patients.

5:30 a.m., all the doors have automatically unlocked.

We had no plan. We had no face to put to the voice. The operator who took the call was doubled over in a corner, crying. The House Supervisor was quiet. My coworker, always confident on the border of cocky, was at a loss for words.

“Do we take this threat serious.” The question hung in the air.

“We have to.” House said. And that was it. The horrible, terrible, unfair truth about threats. Bomb threats. Active Shooter threats. It didn’t matter.

Its real until it’s not.

I used to write about how adrenaline rushes make you numb to the pain. I slammed my hand in the first door, trying to get it to lock. I was at the end of a long hallway, outside the Emergency Room. It was the first external door I passed on the way into the rest of the hospital. I felt the pain in my hand, even though the adrenaline was pumping. My palms were sweaty, and I was out of breath. I had to jump up over and over, swiping at the off button before I could lock the door.

As I ran down the hall towards the surgery area, all I could think was ‘I should have started at the main lobby.’ These long hallways with nowhere to hide would have made me an easy target. One short, out of breath, underpaid and overworked guard with a thousand keys and blood dripping down her hand because she was clumsy and couldn't lock a door, target.

The surgery entrance door stands open when you turn off the box. I didn’t know that at the time. I could feel the seconds ticking by as I struggled with it. In hindsight, I should have just locked the inner door and been done with it. They were glass anyways, and definitely not bullet proof. Anyone who wanted to get in wouldn't have been deterred by glass.

By the time I hit the pedway, I felt sick. It had been 2 minutes since I had started locking down the hospital, something that we had no plan or procedure for. Somewhere between day surgery and the pedway, I started to get tunnel vision. I don’t remember my thought process for calling my husband, and I vaguely recall what I actually said on the voicemail. My words were kind of hard to make out over the sound of me running down a flight of stairs.

‘I love you. I’ll be home late. Don’t freak out, but we have a Code Black at East. I love you.’ It was all I could make out. The first time I listened to it, a few weeks after that day, all I could remember thinking was ‘this could have been the last thing he ever heard from me.’

When I reached the main lobby, I started moving people away from windows and down into hallways. Registration helped some, mostly with moving benches. No one really knew what to do. Someone brought me a printout. Cops had arrived, there was just 2 patrol cars parked outside the Emergency Department. More were coming. They traced the number and got an ID. I was expecting a mugshot, not a military ID. The grainy black and white photo did very little to help with identification. I was looking for a black man, in his early 20’s, of unknown height or weight, neither of which are listed. I stood by the door, vetting everyone that came in. More cops showed up, some in undercover vehicles, some off duty in their own cars. It became harder and harder to tell what was suspicious from what wasn’t. I think by that point, the paranoia had set in. Even if the cops had more info than I did, they would have had just as hard a time picking a non-descript black man out in a crowd.

A man in sweats approached the front door. He had walked past the off-duty cop parked in front. The cop started opening his door to get out, or at least that is what my brain saw. It could have been anything, or nothing. I didn’t know. It was the hoodie that caught me off guard. Baggy clothes conceal everything. His hood was up, hands in his pockets. I couldn’t see his face.

It played out like one of those dreams where you’re cornered and scrambling and trying to get the words out, but you can’t. I was shaking so hard I could barely hold the glass sliding doors as I tried to force them back together. He walked at a normal pace, at ease. There was nothing aside from the clothes and skin color to say that this was the caller, but I was terrified that it was, regardless of the statistics. Looking back, I must have looked like a mess. Here I was, shaky and out of breath, struggling to push together glass doors that didn’t actually lock to stop a potential shooter who would just break them down anyways instead of running away. My voice was gone, as was all the air in my lungs. I’ve seen videos, of cops shooting suspects that were already down because of adrenaline. It gets to be too much, and they start to twitch and accidentally pull the trigger. I imagine, this is what that would feel like. We’re all human, after all.

When he pulled out his hospital badge, I thought I might actually start crying from relief.

It was over in under 10 minutes, but I was still shaky 2 and a half hours later when they found him and I was finally sent home.

People at work said that it wasn’t real, because nothing happened. People, mostly the other guards, who were called in and showed up after the site was swarming with law enforcement. We had half the police force, it seemed like, between the off duty and the incoming shift. State troopers were combing the surrounding interstates. Military police were waiting at the caller’s residency. But there was just the two of us for those first 5 minutes. Before police were there, before we had any answers. We had to pick and choose what entrances to lock because there was no way to lock them all. We ignored entire buildings because there was too much ground to cover. If he had been sitting in his car in the parking lot when he called, it wouldn’t have mattered if the cops were called or the military police involved.

I would have been a target for the uniform I wore. Patients might have been fine. Nurses, too. Doctors maybe. The floors would have gone untouched. But the two of us would have been shot at, even if he didn’t hit either one.

Troopers found the caller overdosed in his car 3 miles from the hospital. He had a gun, but only a handful of bullets. Even if he had shown up, he was too messed up to do anything and would have quickly been taken down. They gave him Narcan, and the Military police took him away. I found out later when I was looking over the list of charges that he had also called the fire department and told them the hospital was on fire and that they needed to evacuate us. Someone said he wanted pain pills and the doctor said no because he was a junkie, but I’m not really sure why he did it. It doesn’t really matter. He was sentenced to 15 years for the civil side of things and court marshaled for conduct by the military. He will spend the better part of the next two decades in a military prison serving two consecutive sentences. 15 years and then another 5 for the military.

The hospital had forgotten by shift change. I had been held over 15 and a half hours because of the lockdown. I would have gotten off at 6 a.m. that morning. When I came in the next night, no one really talked about it. I guess that means I did my job. My debriefing was 10 minutes, and didn’t cover anything, really. The hospital locked down the truth and smoothed things over with the local paper. They didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

We were 3 miles and 5 bullets away from a Code Silver, active shooter.

But nothing happened so it wasn’t real, right?

Tags: @fanfiction-trashpile

#out of the vault #active shooter threat #personal

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a-shared-experience · 4 months

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There are many times that I wish I could go back to being a girl who’s only worries were which dj set I was gonna catch on the weekend, which outfit I was gonna wear or what drug I was gonna do. I think maybe society is groomed and conditioned to be distracted from real world issues.

Sometimes I think I’m going crazy. The news is flooded with false stories and false hope. It’s evident that people are being paid off and that lies are being spread.

I find it difficult to articulate and I don’t think anyone is even listening for the most part.

Today they announced the clearing of encampments stating that they are gang run and unsafe for everyone which means thousands more people will be displaced.

It’s easy to believe that the police are narrow minded but I don’t think that’s the case. In fact I think they know full well what’s going on and are doing it for corporate greed. The chief cashed out 340k salary last year , seems a bit much don’t you think?

That’s more than the average physician.

When we consider safety in encampments I do agree they are unsafe and pose risk of fire which is why it makes much more sense to provide electricity , I’m sure they’d argue our grid is weak while also allowing big companies to shine every flashing light they want. Rogers place certainly isn’t going to dim their screens.

At 5 o clock when the working class is getting off for the day we begin our stroll through Churchill station and there are bodies scattered here and there, at least 5 people in full blown psychosis that should be hospitalized . One indigenous girl is screaming racial slurs trying to engage me in calling all black men rapists. I feel mortified as I stand by black security guards who I know are taking the brunt of her hatred and have nothing to do with it. “Wow. Sorry” I say to them. The man looks at me with frustration and says “ they are making two people stay here but we cannot do anything, only peace officers or police can do something”

I look out at the pedway that I have to ascend into and feel anxious. Everyone is dealing, smoking and yelling. It’s tense and gang violence is real here. I was in this very pedway when a dealer pulled out a machete behind me and cut a kid. I heard that kids bones crack on the cement as I ran away. “ why aren’t there any officers here, this is insane?”

“ it doesn’t make any sense “ he says as he shakes his head.

I think about it way too long, mostly because I’m scared to walk back through there to get the train home so my coworker gives me a lift. Yes there’s houseless folks there but the majority have nice clothes on, nice watches, cellphones… they are an African gang known for sex trafficking and violent crime. I realize that’s likely who that young indigenous girl was speaking of , she could never say that to them and so she chose security guards making minimum wage who are also scared. I see young mothers with their children shuffle quickly to one side to get out of there, their poor children exposed to fentanyl and methamphetamine smoke and things kids should never see…

If we cared about safety for anyone , this wouldn’t be happening.

Why is it happening

The only thing I can come up with logically is that the police and city and provincial government want the general public to be afraid so that they can push any agenda they want. If you only see that pedway and associate it with homelessness then you’ll be afraid of homeless people. With each encampment that is torn down people are being turned away from shelters , people have no idea where to go. There’s all this talk about services and yet every day I see the same people in crisis. It’s been a year now. Many people have died. Many have gone missing. Some of my clients have been gone so long without a trace that I have to tell myself they left the province to find a better life, I’m not all that great at convincing myself.

The wounds, the mental health, the overall health, it’s all deteriorating and media makes advocacy groups out to be do gooders or far right when we are just people who see all people as people.

I’m not anti police , I’m anti brutality

I am anti government though- I wish people

Could see the big picture like I do. Of all the encampments I’ve visited and believe me there have been many. There was only one which was gang run and it was reported by advocacy groups to police

I’m rambling but my mind is running a mile a minute.

Astrology warned me that it would.

We stepped out of the elevator to head to the parking garage and a young guy stopped us. “ oh hey are you guys outreach workers”

“ yes is everything ok?”

“ I’m from Calgary. We currently have 2900 people sleeping on the streets, the mustard seed shelter requires sobriety and even uses breathalyzers before letting people seek shelter. It’s a disaster, complete tragedy. I came here to learn about what edmontons doing to try help this growing problem”

“ our group runs 7 days a week doing transit medical, we also have a mall team, a library team, a core team , an stbbi team, substance use and addiction program outreach , post overdose follow up outreach, harm reduction delivery, naloxone distribution, vaccine program, pregnancy team , safe consumption site , among many other programs throughout 50 satellite sites. We are a company that works through a different company who also does street outreach , crisis diversion, supportive/ flex housing, group homes, cultural supports, winter warming shelters and buses , community wellness , safer washroom pilot programs and employment programs, you name it. “

“ we are failing in Calgary”.

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missguomeiyun · 4 years

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☕ in Korea #6 - Cafe Onion

Exploring a new area of Seoul - Seongsu.

This area, located on the south of the Han river, used to be very concentrated with warehouses. In particular, leather & shoes. You can definitely feel it when you enter the area. The subway exit I got off at (Seongsu station) was located outdoors, on a pedway, & you needed to go down to reach ground level. As I was making my way down to the ground level, I looked around me, & the area looked quite. .. old. It has kept its warehouse vibes, & parts of it reminded me Guangzhou (my hometown in China). I almost didn’t feel like I was in Korea haha it just wasn’t the “Seoul” that I am familiar with, you know? Anyway, now, a number of these warehouses have been transformed/revitalized into art spaces & coffeeshops; thereby creating a new scene in Seongsu.

It is now granted the name “Brooklyn of Seoul”.

One of the many warehouse cafes in this area, Cafe Onion, is tucked behind a main street. It blends in well with its surroundings, namely auto shops. Even their door resembles a garage door!

To the immediate right after you enter.

A mixture of cement, metal, & brick - giving off an industrial chic vibe.

Their counter.

They don’t just offer plastic cups; their cups have “Onion” on it, adding a bit of a fancy touch.

Instead of ordering coffee, I went for their pandoro, which is a traditional Italian cake. It is typically a Christmas/holiday treat in its nation of origin, & oftentimes sprinkled with powdered sugar. Here at Cafe Onion, they have 2 version of this: a regular “white” one that’s topped with powdered sugar, & also the one I chose, injeolmi powder pandoro. Recall injeolmi is a type of rice cake & has a distinct bean powder that coats it. For this injeolmi powder pandoro, they used the bean powder instead of powdered sugar.

For me, personally, the cake is alright. I saw them taking out this new batch of pandoro out when I was walking around taking photos prior to purchasing this. Sadly, it was quite dry. I was really excited about the injeolmi powder so my first bite had both cake+powder - that was dry. After a few more bites, I started eating the middle part on its own. That was also dry =/ It also wasn’t very sweet. It was more like a bread than cake, in my opinion. The texture was similar to a hardened croissant.

While the pandoro didn’t please me too much. .. the design of this place was very diff from any other cafes I’ve been to.

Behind the part where the sweets are kept / where the coffee-making happens, there’s an open space (a courtyard).

There’s a side door that’s completely open to the outside (the back alley).

Here’s a separate seating area that’s completely detached from the main entrance.

Again, we’ve got cement, brick, & metal being the essentials.

I personally really like this shot; that’s why it’s here. That small window/door about the steps has a height that’s shorter than me!

Back in the courtyard . .. there is a narrow staircase that leads to the rooftop.

View of the rooftop.

There aren’t many tall buildings in this area.

A view of the courtyard from the roof.

For coffee-lovers, Seongsu is an area of Seoul that you shouldn’t miss. The cafes here are all similar but each has a distinct vibe. Collectively, these warehouse cafes give definition to Seongsu’s new name.

#blogmas #korea #seoul #seongsu #cafe #coffeeshop #coffee #i need coffee #pandoro #pastry #coffee in korea #love

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