#and by the time i got in my code had expired so i needed to request a new one

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

I used to wonder how anyone ever managed to live without the internet, but websites and apps have become so user-unfriendly that I honestly don't think losing the internet would bother me anymore.

[holylulusworld]

Breathless

Summary: Dream a little dream…or shit…

Summary: CEO!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Trope: Secret crush

Warnings: angst, language, Bucky being an awful boss (mentioned), enemies to lovers, tension, daydreams, secret crush, fear of flying (implied)

Words: 1440+  

Square filled for @buckybarnesbingo: C5: Remote control 

Square filled for @sebastianstanbingo: Square 10: Sexual frustration

Square filled for @allcapsbingo: G 4: “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

Square filled for @marvelfluffbingo (expired): Square 19: office au

Part 1

Kinktober vs Flufftober 2023

“Miss Y/N to my office,” Bucky barks. “I think we should talk about a few things…” 

“What can I do for you, Mr. Barnes?” You are still a little shaken from the naughty dream you woke from moments ago and struggle to look him in the eyes. You only pray you didn’t talk in your sleep.

“I need you to come with me,” he casually says. “Tomorrow. On a business trip.”

“Tomorrow?” You splutter. “But…I didn’t pack, and I don’t know where we are going. Why do you tell me about this so late?”

“It’s a case of emergency. Stark wants to do business with one of my business associates. I need you there to distract him so I can make the deal with Barton.”

“You want me to distract Tony Stark? How? Do you want me to give him a lap dance or more?” while you cross your arms over your chest, and glare at your boss, the man himself still looks proud of his idea.

“Ms. Y/L/N, you’re not too bad to look at and you are good at making conversation. I want you to go home, pack a few things, and meet me at the airport at 7 o'clock sharp,” he demands. “Don’t run late.”

“I never ran late in all the years I’m working for you. But… tomorrow is my day off! I had had plans, and you just tell me I must go on a business trip.”

“You can take a day off after any other day, Ms. Y/L/N. I need you and I won’t ask again.”

You huff. He didn’t ask but demanded your obedience. Mr. Barnes doesn’t understand your irritation or that you’re angry at him. In his opinion, he gives you the perfect opportunity to prove your worth as his assistant.

“7 o'clock sharp, no discussion,” he snaps at you. “You are my assistant and will do as told. I need you at the airport tomorrow morning.”

It’s situations like this leaving you helpless and struggling. You should tell him, no, and to fuck off. But this would mean losing your job. Mr. Barnes is not being reasonable, and he knows it.

You’re fuming but can’t do shit about it. So, once again, you give in to someone else’s demands and swallow the words you’ve got on the tip of your tongue.

“Fine.” You turn around to storm out of Mr. Barnes’ office. If you stay for longer, you’ll slap the smug grin off his handsome face.

Morning came much too soon. You’re in the worst mood ever, and tired as fuck. On top of all, you dreamed of the smug fucker named James Buchanan Barnes again.

This time, he fucked you on top of the printer and plastered the copies of your ass all over the office. He was into degrading you in your dreams and it made you horny as hell. Sadly, you didn't have the time to take care of the problem. Now you are tired, cranky, and frustrated because you didn't get off.

“You made it in time, a progress,” Mr. Barnes dares to say. In the four years you’re working for him, you only once didn’t make it in time. 

“I’m always on time.” Your boss ignores you sassed back. “So, where are we going? I still need to get my ticket.”

“What are you wearing?” Mr. Barnes shoves his sunglasses down his nose, looking you up and down. He almost looks offended by your styling. “Are you wearing sweatpants and a Hello Kitty t-shirt? Where are your shoes?”

“It’s casual Friday, Mr. Barnes,” you feign ignorance. “I didn’t know we’ve got a dress code for a flight. I don’t think people in economy class will judge my choice of clothing. I want to be at least comfortable if I’m stuck in an airplane with two people for hours. And I got shoes on. Flip-lops.”

“Economy class?” He takes his sunglasses off. “I hate to disappoint you, by you are going to enjoy only my presence. I already got your ticket.” Mr. Barnes smirks. “I wonder if people in the first class will like your outfit.”

“Stop fidgeting,” Mr. Barnes mutters. You’re always nervous before take-off and can't sit still. You are gripping your remote control tightly with your right hand and press it to your chest. “Why in the world did you bring a remote control?”

He watches you stare down at your feet. “It calms me. When I got scared at night, I grabbed something to hold tight onto. If it happens now, I use the remote control from the TV in my bedroom.”

“Hmm…interesting,” oddly, his features soften, and he grabs your left hand. “If you are scared, squeeze my hand. It’s better than the remote control.”

“I didn’t know you can be nice too.” You glance at your boss. “Thank you.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he replies sharply as if you offended him with your words. “In my world, you must be hard and strict. I can’t attend a business trip in flip-flops and a Hello Kitty shirt.”

You feel insecure out of a sudden. At the airport, you felt self-confident, but now, you feel like a fool. “I wanted to be comfortable. I didn’t know I’d end up in the first class.”

Mr. Barnes doesn’t reply. He waits for the take-off and thinks of the deal he wants to seal with Barton. “You should try to get some sleep after the take-off and redress at the hotel. We don’t have much time until the first meeting.”

“Okay,” you focus on breathing, and the warm hand holding yours. Your boss can be an ass, but right now he grounds you and helps you not to be scared anymore.

“Mr. Barton,” you politely shake Clint Barton’s hand. He smiles in return and asks you about your flight. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he holds your hand a little too long for Mr. Barnes’ liking. Your boss sneers, and he squares his jaw when you giggle at something Clint said.  

“Clint, we should get going. I have a few more meetings this afternoon. Can we talk about the deal now, or not?” You quirk a brow at your boss. 

“Shall we, Ms. Y/L/N,” Clint smirks at your boss. “We don’t want Bucky to get impatient, right?”

“Right,” you nod. “We should talk about the deal and the upcoming contract. I checked on the numbers, and you’ll see that Barnes Inc. is the perfect partner.”

Mr. Barnes dips his head to look at you. He looks impressed and nods his head in approval. 

“Well said, Ms. Y/L/N.”

The meeting dragged on. Your boss and Clint talked about every single detail while you tried to keep up with them and take notes. Or at least look interested when they started talking about cars, and investments.

While they sealed the deal of the century, their words not yours, you wondered why Tony Stark didn’t show.

Now that you think about it, neither your boss nor Mr. Barton mentioned Tony Stark.  

“Perfect,” your boss exclaims. He and Mr. Barton shake hands, as you are still thinking about the things Mr. Barnes told you. “Ms. Y/L/N, are you ready to leave?”

“Yes.”

“We earned dinner, didn’t we?” Mr. Barnes asks, taking you by surprise. He furrows his brows as you don’t answer immediately. “Italian, Indian, or Asian. What do you want to eat?”

“Okay,” your heart flutters when he holds out his hand to take the iPad and folder out of your hands. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”

He grins. “Remember, you asked for this…”

“A hot dog,” you giggle. “I thought you wanted to dine tonight, boss.” You don’t mind your boss’s choice. You love a good hotdog.

“Y/N, that’s the best hotdog in the world. And for tonight, call me Bucky. We are officially off duty and got the deal done,” he grins before taking a huge bite of the hotdog. He smears mustard all over his face, but Bucky doesn’t seem to mind.

“You’ve got something…wait,” you use the napkin to clean his face, making things worse as you smear the mustard all over his cheek. “Sorry…let me get a tissue.”

“Not bad, but there are better ways to clean my lips…” Your heart beats out of your chest when he lowers himself to whisper in your ear. “You didn’t think I brought you here to flirt with Stark, right?”

“What? I-“You pinch your arm to check if you are dreaming again. “What?”

“Doll, I think we should talk about a few things after we finished the hot dog…”

Part 3

Tags in reblog.

[hockpock]

Glasses Review - Firmoo

Hello vision impaired friends, I bring you the gospel of Ordering Your Damn Glasses Online

I have previously ordered from EyeBuyDirect (luxotica/lenscrafters'/America's Best in disguise, sorry.) and Zenni Optical ( most well known online provider, A+ would recommend) and have seen lots of ads for free pairs from a competitor, Firmoo. I have too much prescription for the free pair offers to ever work out from ANY provider, but their fun designs put them on my list.

When my current glasses broke, I was dinking around and saw their current promotion is Buy One Get One Free PLUS 20% off lenses and as lenses are the real $$$ I jumped on that like tigger on crack. I am VERY nearsighted with astigmatism and the average pair of glasses from lenscrafters used to cost me $300 minimum.

After much deliberation with a million tabs open and a poll I ignored the results of for Reasons, I ordered a pair of clear frames and a pair of purple steampunk-y wireframes . Two pairs of HIGH PRESCRIPTION glasses for $87 shipped. I could cry, y'all.

Note: I have an up to date prescription and a nifty app that measures Pupillary Distance or 'PD'. you will need both these things accurate to have the best experience buying your glasses online.

I ordered them 9/22, they shipped 9/25, I received them 9/29 with regular shipping. They came well packed - each pair was in a bag made of cleaning cloth material inside a sturdy plastic case and they come in a foil bubble mailer.

Both pairs feel well made, with lots of attention to detail-

however I did not pay attention to detail or pay extra money for the Re-he-heaaallly thin lenses. So the clear ones are slightly too big and I hate the way the nose pieces sit, while the purple ones are a wee bit small across the temple and heavy to boot. I haven't had dents in my nose like this since I was 12.

the website lists their exchange policy as 30 days, the pamphlet that came with the glasses says 60. Either way it was pretty painless to go into my order history and select "exchange". The form I filled out with my reasons for dissatisfaction promised me I would be contacted within 24 hours.

My 'personal Firmoo consultant', 'Karen', emailed me with a code for the full price before discount of both pairs + standard shipping, as well as the usual customer service canned answers about checking the sizing information and did I know I could upgrade the lenses?

Also I could keep the failed pairs 'FOR NOW', here are some places that accept glasses as donations. (mixed messages, Karen, but sweet!)

New friends are April006, round anodized wireframes with a cute dingly gem thing, and Sandy020 , literal tortoiseshell cat eye frames.

This time I used the site's search terms to cut the temple width and earpiece length options down and double checked the weight of the base frames. (14g vs 24g for the round wireframes before my coke-bottle lenses. RIP my nose. )

New order was placed 10/5 and they arrived 10/17 . (last time I checked the tracking estimated arrival had creeped from the 19th up to the 23rd so grain of salt. This may be a tactic to make the order feel like it got here faster or legit delays. In my case there was a federal holiday involved.)

Complete disclosure I'm gonna grab a pair of pliers and take the little dangly off the wireframes. It makes a noise when I move my head and if I don't fold the frames in the right order when I take them off it'll scratch up the lenses. I ain't gonna remember to avoid that, so off it goes.

The Good:

Large selection, Good Quality, Good Communication. Lots of Off the Beaten Path options for internet weirdos. Firmoo p much always has a promotion going.

My wallet is so happy. SO HAPPY. Frames run $20-30ish to start. lenses will vary with your prescription and options.

If y'all want 50% off your first frames and to give me a $10 credit they have a referral program and my code is T4Z8I2. BOGO20 is a better value but it expires 11/01/23.

The Bad:

Not flexible about lens options- you go down one track and pick your options within that. If there was a way to put tinting on a pair of glasses other than blue light blocking I couldn't find it. (in contrast I believe Zenni lets you choose a range of colors and tint depth on any pair, designed as sunnies or not)

You Will Get Emails. Firmoo REALLY wants you to buy more glasses and post about it and tell your friends and HERE THIS CODE IS ONLY GOOD FOR 3 DAYS, GO BUY NEW GLASSES. They are marketing themselves to fashionable young influencers who change styles every month. Unsubscribe with impunity.

like Zenni, this is a company with the majority of it's functionality based overseas. It's cheaper because you're ordering directly from a factory and not paying Luxotica's markups to itself. Customer service is mostly English as Second Language speakers and there may be delays.

Not For Emergencies. I was able to coast on a pair of glasses from a prescription or 2 ago but it's gonna take time for your order to be made and shipped.

Overall I'm very happy with them and will probably order again.

Next time I have spare money I'm aiming at Wherelight because y'all. they are next down on the list of reputable to shady AF but they have the most amazing WTF designs.

[gunnrblze]

Morale Boost

Rorke x Elias, SFW, 2700k words

CW: nothing much, angst(?), horrific and nauseating amounts of pining, yearning, and teasing. a singular brief mention of strip poker lol

Hello gang, ngl this is very all over the place I fear, hardly proofread and maybe a lil confusing, generally not my best lol. Silly dumb lil thing about my favorite homoerotic coded old men though cause I <3 them severely.

Celebrations of any kind, whether big or small, were few and far between. There simply wasn’t time to dwell on things for too long, came with the territory of the job.

So when the Ghosts did have downtime to celebrate a win, they took it.

A successful recon and intel mission near the border of No Man’s Land awarded the team with boatloads of info on Federation security and weapons distribution, along a base that they’d planned to give a bit of…reconstruction to. They had an in, and got out, too.

Once back on their home turf, the men yearned to relax and rejuvenate for as long as they could before duty called again. Elias mentioning something about boosting morale after the grueling mission, to which Rorke could only concede.

Not that he historically had a particularly hard time giving in to his lieutenant, that is.

They all settled into a sparsely filled common room on base. A worn in leather couch lining the wall, with a table and a few squeaky desk chairs around its edges. A matching and peeling leather chair shoved in the corner. A small, dusty kitchenette that clearly wasn’t used very often, and a few lamps that provided enough light. It wasn’t much, but they didn’t need much.

Keegan and Ajax supplied some beers from god knows where on base. Nobody asked, even when the men that slurped them down could tell they’d definitely been anything but refrigerated for a while.

Torch had an old pack of playing cards lying around his quarters which piqued enough interest among the men, and Merrick, to the shock of absolutely no one, drug out a bottle of whiskey for their little occasion.

Neptune planted himself in the corner chair and ignored the groans of everyone when he lit a cigarette inside, except Kick, who was too busy reveling in the fact that he found an expired pack of Oreos in the kitchenette drawer.

Some of the men huddled around the old table and squeaked around in their chairs, while Torch and Grim argued over the rules of poker for a few minutes. Rorke seemed as intrigued with the whiskey that Merrick had supplied as Keegan was, who abandoned his beer to Ajax to take a shot of the smooth liquid himself.

Elias could only grin as he relaxed into the beat up couch, a drinking game already at play between a few of the soldiers. Although it was hard to tell where the game started and where the need to just get a little tipsy ended.

From afar, Elias watched his Captain. Watched the way his adams apple bobbed when he took a shot of the potent liquor. The way his thick arms crossed and folded to lean over Torch’s shoulder and insist how real men play poker, whispering something that made the younger man chuckle and made Ajax beg to be let in on the joke. His eyes followed the way the man’s chest grumbled in a chuckle when Kick insisted the best way to play was actually strip poker, the cheeky bastard earning a silent slap on the back of the neck from Keegan.

He didn’t usually have time to really look at the man. The greying soldier far too busy watching him bark out commands all day and then following them. Who was the real dog, if not Elias? Rorke barked and damn near bared his teeth during battle, but Elias followed him around endlessly. His lieutenant, second in command, right hand man and comrade. His dog, if there ever was one. To the ends of the earth, he’d follow him.

But he didn’t get to observe his Captain in a setting like this very often, no. Relaxed and at ease as the man came strutting over loosely to the very couch he was already sunken into. Three shots in, and Rorke was still hardly able to even be classified as tipsy, too large and brutish to be swayed very much. But just enough to perk up his snarky attitude and turn it into a near playful one.

He sat down next to Elias, thick thighs spreading out on instinct. Knocking a knee against his lieutenants with a chuckle, head nodding to the group of soldiers playing poker, or maybe it was black jack, at the table ahead.

“C’mon Walker, you always have been a decent card player, join em” the older man would grin as he looked over at Elias, donning that signature smirk that always made his heart beat out of pace for a moment, despite having known his Captain for so long. Despite being able to map out the lines and scars on his face as if that were his real job here.

He chuckled loosely, shaking his head as he sipped down the stale tasting beer that Ajax had nearly shoved in his hand earlier, insisting that the old man relax a bit too.

Rorke chuckled back, deep and carrying that air of confidence that seemed to follow him everywhere, as his eyes lingered on Elias’ lips around the can for a beat too long. They made a few seconds of that eye contact, that precious, knowing look being shared. I’d stare all day long, if I could.

It made Elias’ heart do that thing again, the one that he’d started to write off as older age catching up to him. A heart palpitation here and there wasn’t a bad thing, he reckoned.

Everyone was engrossed with the game at the table, including Neptune who was on his second cigarette in the near corner, and Kick, who’s energy seemed to only multiple upon eating that sleeve of too soft Oreos that had him bouncing back and forth between leaning against the kitchenette and hovering over Grims shoulder to watch the game.

Elias knew well enough that with their slight distance from the group across the room, and the whiskey coursing through Rorkes veins, that they’d fall into that old song and dance again for a bit.

The one where all the unspoken words came bubbling to the surface, but apparently never enough to crack through.

“Ya did good on that op, brother…Merrick and I might not have made it out had you not been roundin the corner…” Rorkes voice was quieter now, but not soft, perhaps distanced. It rumbled out of his throat all the same, tinged with a meaning that only Elias could read through the cracks of.

You’re a good soldier, Lieutenant, never could get your head outta my ass for very long, Elias could almost hear the words that really threatened to spill from his mouth.

“You and Merrick could find your way out of a labyrinth, hardly needed an assist” he countered as he nursed his beer, not quite a retort yet.

You know damn well you’re just talking to fill the silence, you two had that in the bag, Rorke could similarly hear what Elias was really getting at, just too stubborn to ever take an opportunity to admit it.

Rorke chuckled and gave a short nod, knee still pressed against his Lieutenants on the beat up little couch they sat on. The game raved on in the middle of the room, Keegan not very surprisingly having the best poker face among the group, only Torch’s coming close to rivaling it.

“You know what I mean” Rorke settled for with a sigh that was too casual, legs spreading on the couch a bit more as he settled in. He didn’t miss the way Elias’ eyes roamed over his legs, not missing a beat with his comeback, though.

“Always have” he nodded, the silent tension between them strung out like an electrical wiring, making the liquor in Rorkes blood feel more like molten lava, heating his core up more than necessary. He wondered vaguely if Elias could ever cool him down, whatever that really meant.

They spoke and read between one another’s lines perfectly, familiarly. Hearts clawing for more while their brains simultaneously agreed that breaking the professional line would muck it all up far too much for either of their liking.

It was too convenient for the both of them. Elias could pretend that things stayed the way they were because he could never speak to his Captain the way he might actually want to. And Rorke could pretend that nothing changed because nothing could change. He wouldn’t admit any sort of feelings for a subordinate, for his Lieutenant, because that’s too far out of line. They’re too busy for that.

They both hid under the guise of rank and the ever demanding job being the stake in the road, keeping their misplaced glances and touches at bay with a simple, unspoken reminder that Elias needs to stay in his place, and that it’s Rorke’s job to keep him there.

They both knew, however. That the feeling wasn’t one of comradeship, much as they both liked to dance around it in their heads as well. They were in a room filled to the brim with their fellow soldiers. Their fellow men, their brothers whom they’d go to hell and back for again without question.

And as much as Elias knew that he damn near worshipped his Captain, he also couldn’t bring himself to admit an existence beyond being a windowed husband, a single father. Rorke wasn’t anything to him that could be defined out of the dictionary, he just was.

Perhaps Rorke was the more realistic of the two, his image of Elias taking more shape within his imagination. His right hand, his loyal lieutenant, someone he couldn’t bear to go without whether on the field or not. A man that Rorke knew would do absolutely anything for him, if only he’d ask. His worshipper. He didn’t want it to inflate his ego but it did. Because truthfully, there was no one Rorke looked up to more than Elias, rank be damned.

Elias’ devotion kept him awake at night. Clawing at his chest like a beast, desperate to pry open his ribcage and tear apart the chambers of his heart. He knew the only person, the only thing more important to Elias than him was the man’s sons.

He loved the boys by proxy through everything Elias would tell him. He distantly wondered if there would ever be a time where he could meet them. Meet the kids that kept his lieutenants world spinning, despite the way it was constantly crashing and crumbling around them.

They sat in silence for a while as the boys played their poker and drank their beers. Neither of them could keep track of how many games had been played at this point. Rorke was just content his men were getting some much needed down time, despite the one nagging at his side, even in the man’s silence somehow.

“Good idea you had, morale seems to be boosted” Rorke would speak up again after the tension had settled a bit, nudging Elias with an elbow, flashing him that grin that he swore Elias would mirror subconsciously sometimes. As if his will were not his own, too swayed by the older man’s gruff charm.

“Much needed” Elias would agree, giving a nod and continuing to sip on the beer that he wasn’t too sure he even wanted anymore. Rorke raised an eyebrow at the man, unable to wipe the smirk off his face as he shamelessly let his eyes roam over the man’s features.

Elias met his eyes, and cocked his own brow. He could feel his Captains gaze burning through him, that look in his eyes that he’d seen before. Rarely, but recognizable to him from somewhere.

“Is your morale boosted, Lieutenant?” Ah, that was the look. The one he donned before he got a little mouthy. Before he let that carefully constructed wall built between the two of them crumble for a moment. If not just to see what would happen before he patches it right back up.

Elias blinked for a moment, before huffing an almost unamused laugh. He wasn’t sure how he wanted to play this game, very aware that despite everyone being more than occupied, they were still in a room full of keen and curious men. Some who could also read between their lines sometimes.

“For now” the man replied smoothly, the knee still pressed to his Captains deciding to press a bit closer, earning him another cock of Rorkes eyebrow. An almost surprised one.

“For now?” Rorke echoed back with a hint of amusement, letting Elias press his knee closer. Letting him test the waters that they both knew he ultimately controlled.

The greying man simply hummed in agreement, gaze flickering back between the rowdy soldiers at the makeshift poker table and the brown eyes that threatened to burn through his own. A silent reminder that neither of them needed. We aren’t alone.

They danced on this line for a minute, wondering who should speak next. If either of them had the misplaced confidence to take the moment and stretch it out even more thin.

“By all means, Eli, if there’s something you need to keep your confidence up…” he was toying with the man now, getting personal. Dangling something in front of him that Elias would never really be granted. And the lieutenant wasn’t sure what to do with that, had he ever been this forward? Despite knowing it was all in vain anyway?

“Don’t start, Gabe” he retorted, lips stretching thin and unamused, the glare in his eyes usually reserved for his misbehaving boys. And the whiskey still swirling in Rorkes blood only enabled his boldness, grinning at Elias’ displeasure.

“Still wound up, ain’t’cha?” He’d grin at his lieutenant again, not so subtly licking over his bottom lip. It made Elias heart stop for a moment, he was sure, if not for the sole fact that this was more brave than Rorke had ever been with him. He felt like a dog being fed scraps, his Captain toying with him whenever he felt like it, yanking his chain just enough to rip it out from under him at the end.

Elias’ nostrils flared. Maybe it was the shitty beer he’d drank, combined with the exhaustion from the mission and the noise of the other seven men playing god knows what with those cards, but his response only stoked a fire within him. An annoyance that was slowly increasing. A need climbing up his spine, threatening to curl around his neck like a noose.

“Wonder why” he kept it short again, similar to the leash he knew Rorke was still tethering him to. It made his fingers curl around his beer can, nail beds turning white as he made eye contact with his Captain again, seeing a look flare in his eyes, his breathing deepen just a bit.

The tense moment was broken as Keegan’s grumbling voice sounded out, announcing he was hitting the sack for the night, much to Kick and Ajax’s displeasure. He gave Rorke a nod, briefly glancing at his Lieutenant sat next to him. Not missing the tension that lingered between the two.

Elias took the moment to agree with the younger man, setting his can down and standing up from the couch.

“Now Keegan I expected, but you too, Lieutenant? Didn’t even play a round!” Kick replied, flashing his charming little grin toward Elias from across the room.

Elias gave him a smile, waving him off as he stretched his arms out, no doubt shaking off said tension that’d started to prickle at his skin like needles. He tossed his beer can and headed toward the door.

“Get some good shut eye, Lieutenant, that’s an order…or I’ll come a knockin” Rorke muttered loud enough for Elias to hear, making the man pause momentarily to look back, eyes locking once more on that shit eating little grin plastered on his Captains face.

He didn’t know what that meant. He wasn’t sure how serious Rorke was being. What that would entail, but he briefly wondered if he should ignore his exhaustion long enough to find out.

Elias eyes met with his, and Rorke saw it again. The flame that drew him back to his Lieutenant time and time again. The fire he wanted to stoke, yet snuff out at the same time.

“Yes, sir”

[medstudentblues]

it's the first day of my new rotation -- community of family medicine! i just accomplished my outside rotation. the last two weeks have been lighter compared to our 1 week in a public hospital somewhere in pasig, but the hospital i just rotated in came with its own challenges.

i was decked in ward 4 (onco/hema) ward where there are lots of leukemia patients (as mentioned in this post). then ward 8 where i stayed longer. ward 8 is the surgery ward where i was decked with a notorious resident who was rumored to throw a test tube at a junior intern but we were good when we worked together. we became close she bought ice cream for us and even asked for perfume recommendations. it wasn't so bad!

ward 8 was also full of interesting cases. i was able to handle neonates with omphalocele, gastroschisis, hirschsprung disease etc. it wasn't as depressing as the oncology ward, but it was humid (as the doctor's quarters weren't airconditioned). there is more room compared to the oncology ward so the relatives either sleep on the floor or beside the patient. i heard that some patients code (meaning, we have to resuscitate/revive them), especially neonates with multiple congenital anomalies, but there weren't any during my shift. some children came in just for the surgery (inguinal hernia, ruptured appendicitis) then was discharged after. some didn't stay long compared to the onco ward children who spends their life in hospitals.

i was excited during my pedia surgery ward rotation because i love surgery, i love scrubbing in surgical cases. i was waiting for an open heart surgery but i was on night duty when they had an operation scheduled :-( i was able to scrub in, however, in a bag insertion in a patient with gastroschisis. it was interesting.

my rotation ended with me being pulled from neonatal ICU to the hema/onco ward again. i was pulled out because a kid with myelodysplastic syndrome need to be monitored. she was on DNR (do not resuscitate). she was grunting, had high fever (Tmax 41C), and was seizing every now and then. when i got there at 8pm, everything was up (her temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate). we advised tepid sponge bath to the mother after ordering an antipyretic, to which she complied, and had units of platelet concentrate standby. in the past few days, this kid was receiving platelet concentrates because her platelets were consistently, extremely low, to the point that she already had intracranial hemorrhage. this kid has polydactyly (with extra fingers) and trisomy 8. her mouth was red from the mucosal bleeding.

at 2 in the morning, she expired. the mother called me because her breathing seemed slow so i ran to the patient and immediately checked her heartbeat. my adrenaline was up, thinking of all the possibilities that could come after (basic life support sequence), but then i remembered that kid was on DNR, and that made me melancholic. i listened to the heartbeat and from 164 just an hour ago, it was 64. i checked the radial pulse and it was really thready, almost next to nothing. after a few more seconds, i listened to the heartbeat again and there was nothing i could hear. i informed the parents that their kid just expired and informed the hospitalist (junior consultant) on duty that the kid just died.

this time, i wasn't on the verge of tears like the last time a kid died on my shift. this time i was rational, i was thinking of what came after -- the papers that had to be prepared and submitted and the doctors i had to inform. i offered my condolences to the parents and left them to grieve. there is only so much i could do.

the hospitalist told me, "you don't have to monitor a kid hourly now," and i did not say anything. for me that kid was not an hourly monitoring hurdle for me. that kid's initials was A,D. that kid liked soup and stew. she was born with trisomy 8, myelodysplastic syndrome, and had polydactyly. her mother told me she was a good kid. and she just left this world, and a hole in her parents' heart.

[sirfrogsworth]

The Manfrotto Saga Conclusion

You ever go past being upset to the degree it becomes funny?

I finally got the courage to open the email.

And it's bad.

But I actually got a good laugh, so at least there is that.

This is what they sent me...

"Thanks for reaching out. We're sorry to hear that this happened.

Unfortunately, this can happen from time to time. The cost of parts and labor are not usually too bad, but when you add tax and shipping, it can become close to the point of it not being worth it.

We don't usually do this, but as a show of support, I'd like to offer you a 30% coupon code to aid in offsetting the cost of a replacement. The code is good on anything on the Manfrotto website, excluding sale items or close-outs. It will expire in 30 days and is not replaceable."

Yes, it was the tax and shipping that put me over the top. Not the actual repair cost being more than the item is currently selling for as new.

Now, you might be thinking that is the funny part.

The funny part is the 30% coupon.

You might also be thinking, "30% is a decent discount! SCORE!"

But you may have missed the "Manfrotto website" detail.

You see, manufacturer's website pricing is mostly used so the actual retailers can point to those prices and say, "Hey, look at this great sale!" even if that is the item's perpetual price.

So, let's look at this geared tripod head on their website. It's what I would upgrade to if I were to stick with their brand.

So with a 30% discount I am down to about $175. Plus those darn taxes and shipping.

Say, what is this going for on Amazon with free shipping?

So, basically what I've learned is... Manfrotto just sucks.

When I bought this originally, I was a photography noob. I didn't realize they were a bit like the Nickelback of photo gear. Very popular, but most experienced photographers try to avoid them if possible. Mainly because they use proprietary plates. If you need a ball head for landscapes and a fluid head for video and you want to easily switch between them, you need two heads from Manfrotto. They trap you in the ecosystem.

Whereas other brands mostly use "arca swiss" plates which are standardized. You can put one plate on the bottom of your camera and switch to any head from any brand that has that mount.

So I am going to save up for something with an arca swiss mount. Something that isn't fucking Manfrotto. Someone already donated about half of what I need (thank you so much) and I think I am going to sell a few things to cover the rest.

IN THE MEAN TIME... I spent all Friday night digging through my basement. I bought my tripod like 10 years ago and I knew it had some kind of head on it originally. And in the recesses of my stuff I found an old ball head.

And while I hate ball heads and think they are a pain in the ass, it will do everything I need at the moment.

Also, it doesn't wiggle.

My big upset about all of this was mostly how wasteful it is. They are going to trash something that can be fixed because they have purposely marked up the parts to force people to buy a new thing. It does not cost Manfrotto $127 to make the parts needed. I'd be surprised if it cost them $10 for those parts.

And it is my big fear that if we win the "Right to Repair" fight, all manufacturers are just going to mark up their parts like this.

But the repair company seems a little scummy as well. I emailed them before I sent in the head for repair. I showed them the video and they did a basic diagnosis.

"The lever may be loose, or the top housing may be damaged."

And they were right, the top housing was damaged.

But they didn't say, "Hey, parts for this are super expensive. It may cost over a hundred dollars to fix."

They didn't say, "We charge $30 to ship it back to you."

I suppose I should have asked, but never in my wildest imagination did I think this repair would cost that much. It was just a wiggle!

So, I'll just get something that suits my needs better. I was planning to do that eventually, but this just accelerated those plans.

[trickphotography2]

Dear fucking lord, today was a day.

Came back to the office at a break between group and found out that someone had sent an email to a listserv I’m apparently on. CUE THE ACTUAL 3,500+ EMAIL RESPONSES ASKING WHY THEY GOT THE EMAIL.

Highlights include:

- DOGE me harder Daddy Elon

- I don’t know why I’m getting this. I am a CARDIOLOGIST in CLEVELAND

- STOP/YOUR VEHICLE EXPIRED EXTENDED WARRANTY

- I feel so close to my new hundreds of friends. If you’re in Wisconsin at some point, cheese curds are on me

- IF YOU DONT SEND THIS TO 5000 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS YOU ARE NOT COOL AND CANT BE IN THE GANG

- I WENT TO SONIC FOR LUNCH. IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. I PARTICULARLY LIKE THE NEW GROOVY FRIES

- Subject line: Anyone clicking Reply All will be reported to DOGE for wasting everyone’s time

- Click Reply All to resign (and the subsequent “resign” emails)

- Doge testing the limits of outlook

- Also a lot of memes about eating popcorn, someone having Tom from MySpace as their picture, and some scattered stuff about how this was a morale boost everyone needed

This started at 0937 in the morning. By last check, I got an auto forward at 1437. This went to VA employees nationwide. Like a good federal employee, I’m making sure I read every email in my inbox - currently sitting at 2.5K left to read 🤷🏻‍♀️ OPM started getting included at some point 😂

My coworker won by sending out our group attendance email with the title ��Please remove me… JUST KIDDING”

AND THEN when walking out at the end of the day, I found out that the disruptive behavior code I didn’t respond to because I was in group was a veteran with a knife on the the mental health floor 😵‍💫

AND THEN when I got home from grabbing dinner, I couldn’t park in my covered spot because someone was getting arrested in front of it

Tonight calls for a damn shower beer. Taking tomorrow afternoon off to see Elsie Silver’s talk, and then checking out for the weekend.

[eternal-star-rogue]

Prev Post<== @comms-exe

“Wait wha-“ Zipper didn’t even get to finish that thought as Comms seemingly turned himself off and Zim’s body slumped over. Zipper and Ellie stared at him for a moment and then shared a look.

“Is he like… okayyyy??? He’s not dead right?” Ellie asked, nervously scratching the back of her neck in confusion.

“I don’t think he ever was ok to begin with, ah but no. He’s not dead. I’m not sure if he’s conscious or not though. One things for sure, he’s technically not a person. Zim probably didn’t have the time to make him into one, but I’m gonna change that reeeaaal quick.” Zipper said as she rolled the sleeves of her hoodie up. 

“Riiiight.” Ellie said, somewhat lost on what Zipper meant entirely. She started rifling through the case of medical supplies and pulled out a wound-disinfectant and some cotton balls and began cleaning Comms/Zim’s wounds. 

Zipper set herself to work, unbuckling Comms and laying Zim’s body gingerly down on the floor on his stomach. It was then she realized how much she’d grown in comparison to Zim. She was taller than him now, by at least a half foot or so. He wouldn’t like that very much….

Zipper shook her head and got out her tools and began carefully taking what was technically Comms themself apart piece by piece. Processors and cables and computer chips and wires and plugs and all sorts of little data crystals and usbs all strung together and held in place by a couple shabby outer-shell pieces of scrap metal, with… wait what the-

“Ellie holy fuck there’s a load bearing juice box in the middle of all this mess. If I pull it out he’s all just gonna fall to pieces.” Zipper said, pointing at the box with a mini extendable flashlight.

Ellie stopped stitching together the gash on the back of Comms/Zim’s head and glanced over. “Is it… is it even like doing anything other than holding stuff together?”

“No it’s not it’s- wait oh my god look. There’s a message written on it. It’s in Morse code.” Zipper exclaimed.

“Oh shit what’s it say?” Ellie said, going back to stitching Comms up, not taking her eye off her work for a second. 

Zipper squinted as she tried to read the juice box through the tangled mess and was silent for a few moments until she burst out laughing and cackling, almost scaring Ellie into messing up her stitches.

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHH, It says, ahahah, it say “pieces of shit all they’ve given me is expired prune juice, fuck them and fuck their juice.” Zipper had to put her tools down for a minute as she laughed. “Oh man, yup. Yeah that’s Zim alright.” 

Ellie rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she was smiling ever so slightly. It was good to hear Zipper laugh at least. 

“Alright, let’s get you fixed up Comms.” Zipper said, carefully removing the juice box and beginning to piece together a more solidly built “pak” for him. She worked tirelessly for hours, even pulling out a few components of her own pak that she didn’t desperately need just to help Comms be more efficient. She felt bad for the circumstances of his “birth” and the lack of personhood he had. Perhaps when this was all over, she could make a robotic body for him to inhabit, or perhaps Zim would clone an Irken body for him. Anything that is given even the resemblance of life, deserves to live it in full. That’s what Zipper believed anyways. 

Zipper sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead and wiping her oily scuffed up hands on her hoodie. She turned the pain sensing inhibitor all the way down to 2%. Any higher and Comms would wake up screaming in agony from the amount of pain he’d be in. Especially with those wounds that were now very VERY slowly healing and regenerating. Thank goodness Ellie had used the dissolvable stitching wire, otherwise those sutures would fuse into Zim’s skin and he’d have to rip them out. 

“Ok now how do we uh… turn you back on… I actually didn’t see a button of any kind so I’m really hoping you have an automatic startup system.” Zipper said more to herself than anyone. 

[deusvervemakesgames]

Project RBH Devlog 0039

Got a lot done last week!

As you might recall, there were three big things I wanted to get done: improving the enemy spawning system, improving the enemy AI, at least in regard to navigation, and making it so that enemies drop health on death.

I started with how the enemies are spawned in. Previously, the enemies were placed in the rooms using objects that would pull from lists of possible enemies, and choose one to spawn. This system was good for encounter design as I could place support units like turrets out of the way and let the shock troops charge. However, there were too many enemies in each room, and they would always be in the room the player spawned in.

To fix this, I created a new spawner object. This one checks for player proximity and then spawns enemies randomly within a certain range of itself, making sure to avoid spawning things inside of walls.

The way that this works is that it chooses a random coordinate within range, runs a collision check in a small circle around that coordinate, and if there’s nothing there, it spawns the enemy and repeats the process until all of the enemies have spawned in. Doing it in sequence like this gives the player a chance to process each enemy as it spawns in, and that little animation make it not only look better but draws the player’s eye to the new threat. In the future, I’d like enemies to not act for a second or so after spawning in as well, to really help sell their warping in.

Though, admittedly, there were a few issues before I worked out the best way to check a coordinate as a valid spawning point.

This dramatically shifted the way the game plays, and for the better. By spawning in enemies anywhere, they come from multiple directions which encourages the player to keep moving to avoid the incoming attacks instead of standing still firing at a horde.

The next major change to make was to have the enemies figure out how to move around obstacles. This turned out to be much easier than I expected it to be. GameMaker has built-in pathfinding tools, which is pretty standard for most game engines nowadays. So to make the enemies figure out the concept of walls, the first thing I did was convert the level to a grid at the end of level generation, with the empty space being valid terrain while walls and pits are not. Like so.

Then I told the enemies to use that grid to navigate their way towards the player until they were close enough, at which point they stop moving so they can stand there and shoot at you. This had a small problem, however, in that standing just around the corner meant that they would stop pursuing you because they were close enough even though they couldn’t shoot you. I fixed this using a simple line check. Much like that circle check I used to determine if a spawn point was valid, this one line of code checks for objects in a specific place—namely, in a straight line between the enemy and the player. If there is still an obstruction, the enemy continues following their pathfinding to walk around it.

The other big thing I did last week is far more minor than the other two, but still important. Enemies can now drop hearts when they die, and picking these up will restore some of the player’s health! This, combined with the reduced number of enemies per floor, gives the player a lot more longevity than they had before, while also introducing new decisions to make on the fly. Like, “is it worth it to try and leap into that crowd of enemies for that heart, or is there a better way to get it?”

I also gave it a small sheen animation to draw the eye, and a flicker effect to show when it’s close to expiring.

Progress on this project has been incremental; comes with the territory of being a solo dev working in my spare time. But with this, all I need to do is fill out the random upgrades, figure out a boss fight, and get some non-placeholder art assets (or at least better placeholders) and I’ll have a full demo on my hands.

Until next Devlog!

-DeusVerve

DevLogs like these are brought to you by Patron(s) like Haelerin!

Support me on Patreon to get Early Access to builds!

[dollsonmain]

So uh

I'm pissed off already. This is one reason I prefer not to talk at all first thing in the morning, especially to That Guy.

I have way too much experience working with a shitty "manager". I should certainly be employed. I am a model employee other than the whole needing to sleep all the time, not being able to do manual labor, and being kind of stupid things.

-

Anyway, some background: There is a technical school nearby that offers high school classes that focus more closely on very specific STEAM courses for things like coding, robotics, etc. etc. and That Guy decided Son is going.

Son is suited to these courses but has no experience what-so-ever. Unlike other kids who are STEAM focused who's parents buy them all the things to let them practice and play around with related ideas, That Guy doesn't like to spend money and won't even buy the boy a viable laptop, any smart phone, or keep his iPad up to date. It's old and I got it refurbed for cheap years ago. It can't run a lot of current STEAM or coding apps, which That Guy also won't pay for any apps or programs for any reason ever other than the initial OS purchase for Windows because Windows is all he knows how to use.

In order to go to the tech school, kids have to submit applications. They don't take just anyone because there is expense. The course is free to students but the school board has to pay for transportation and probably a kickback to the technical school.

Part of that application process is a letter of intent.

To be honest, my boy is no more adept at writing a letter of intent than I am. He doesn't communicate perfectly and struggles more with writing.

It's supposed to be something like which courses he's interested in, why, what he plans to do with that education after high school etc. etc.

Son doesn't want to go at all. Son wants to work at a store. Forever. That's what he likes. He wants to arrange shelves, check expiration dates, rotate stock, and go home.

That Guy wants him to go to the tech school.

Son has a really hard time looking into the future, knowing what he's good at, and how to make that happen so writing a letter of intent with no future plan is going to be even more difficult.

He also has no chance to go to college because his father refused to start a fund for him when he was a baby (I couldn't, That Guy had removed my ability to work when I was pregnant), has no idea how much that costs, now, and thinks he can just buy Son's way through (he could but it would take an enormous chunk of his savings so I don't think he'll be willing to do it), Son's grades aren't amazing and he doesn't do any extracurriculars (he didn't do any of the STEAM clubs in middle school or his freshman year last year) because we have no way to get him to them therefore no chances at scholarships other than ones geared specifically toward special needs students, so there's nothing to put into the letter like "I intend to pursue higher education in this field at X Institution."

-

This morning That Guy asked me if I'd been enforcing his decision that Son would work on his letter of intent during summer break (which is almost over).

This is the part that made me mad.

I was like "...... what????" because he'd never told ME that he wanted Son to do this.

He's the one always getting on to me if I don't tell him every time Son gets in trouble at school (it's been ONE time last year and it was handled by the school, Captain OverReactin' wasn't needed), how we don't do things unilaterally, and how he needs to be informed of EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES while he makes a point of omitting me from conversations constantly. Sometimes I'll hear them from the other room like I heard him saying he'd invited a guest over for last weekend but he'd never told me. Luckily that guest didn't show up.

The hypocrisy drives me nuts.

I had to get the entire, like, what he wanted that I was supposed to have been enforcing JUST NOW before he left for work and him trying to blame me for me not enforcing it because "we went to the same meetings", and he got an "I could have been informed of this sooner."

How, exactly, am I supposed to be enforcing something I wasn't made aware of? Especially since it's something Son does NOT want to do and That Guy refuses to listen to him?

The days and days of angry, aggressive table top gaming they've done together could have been time spent by That Guy getting what That Guy wanted done, done.

-

Might be time for malicious compliance. I remember when I was waiting for time to leave for basic training my mom suddenly started pushing me to get a job. I was like ".... I leave in less than a month, no one's going to hire me." but she insisted I go put in applications.

I put in ONE application at the local radio station because I'd heard they were looking for interns and put on the application "I don't want this job, I'm filling out this application so I can honestly tell my mother that I did. I leave for basic training in a couple of weeks. Sorry for wasting your time."

[paulgadzikowski]

[copied from my reblog of this post about lack of forward compatibiilty in technology so I can reblog amendments to my story without cluttering OP's notes, and backdated now that you can do that here]

I’m reblogging this from someone who reblogged it from me because since I reblogged this I’ve experienced it

Friday I sat with my mother at her place to wait for the arrival of the phone repairman from the phone/cabletv/internet company sometime between 08:00 and 17:00. Mom’s phone’d been out for a week, and she was also having trouble logging into her email. Mom is 90 and not very mobile and doesn’t have a cellphone so, aside from me, these things are her only means of putting out contact to the world. For a week I’ve been going over to Mom’s twice a day because we are regularly checking in with each other daily anyway but now all our means to do so telecommically were out.

At 15:00 the phone repairman phoned me (I’d left my cell as the contact number) to inform me the problem (which he mentioned is being experienced by multiple customers) is, somehow, not with the company’s phone lines but with the company’s cable lines. Therefore it would require a cable tech to fix it and he would pass this information on to the cable department. (The cable tech(s), it develops, will be out tomorrow, Monday. Sometime between 08:00 and 17:00.)

SO I decided to sit down with Mom’s email and try to change the password so she could reach me that way again. The problem was, it developed, the account had no established means on record for a temporary code to be sent out (well, it had Mom’s phone number, BUT). With a trip to the brick-and-mortar store (Did I mention Mom’s internet is with a different provider than her phone? Mom’s internet is with a different provider than her phone) I got my cell phone number added to the account because I was already listed as an authorized user.

BUT THEN, for reasons that aren’t clear to me, before I could change the password I needed to Verify Identity To The Account. By sending a copy of state-issued photo ID by cellphone camera, then a selfie.

(The counter CSR saw my ID while I was there, and Mom’s, yet directed me back to this process. Why couldn’t they have done the identity verification right there? I wish I’d understood the process’ purpose well enough while at the store to ask that.)

At home I went through the ID verification process six or eight or ten times in two hours. And each attempt took multiple tries to get satisfactory photos of the state photo ID.

The first wholly successful attempt, with Mom’s ID and selfie, was nevertheless rejected because her ID is expired.

Aha, thought I, I can do it with my ID and selfie, because I’m also an Authorized User. <belushi>But nooooo</belushi>

Every attempt at the verification process with my ID required multiple tries because of difficulty of the system recognizing the photo on my ID as a face.

Meanwhile every attempt to photograph the ID, front and back, required the ID be ideally framed and centered in the viewfinder, with no shadow or reflection on it; and held steady, at a distance greater from the surface where the ID rested than my hand could brace it, in order to get the whole ID in the frame.

But I did get through the process! Twice! And each time I reached a screen that informed me that the verification was successful and I could go on to the next step! - but did not say what the next step was, nor present me with a button to proceed to it.

In retrospect, what it probably meant was to go back to Mom’s laptop and resume trying to change her email password. I didn’t realize this Friday. I realize this because today (Sunday) when I stopped by to check in, Mom was in the process of trying to update the password herself. She was stuck on the … oh I can’t think of what they’re called, where you have to pick the squares that have a bus (that also took multiple tries, and I mean about a dozen after I took it over - I think her laptop screen colors are off; it’s old). I got her through that, and we successfully entered the new password, twice for security.

Then we were presented with a screen for creating two-step verifiction.

With no option to skip it.

Using her phone.

[firstprincealex]

i read this book in 2020 and i've been obsessed with it since then and now that the movie (+Casey posting that one note about Henry and Alex's Taylor swift songs) is coming out I NEED to do this....

firstprince as taylor swift songs:

Dancing with Our Hands Tied (reputation)

taylor swift wrote this song about the anxiety she had over her secret relationship... who had the same experience? let me elaborate

«Deep blue, but you painted me golden oh, and you held me close. How was I to know?.»

henry has always felt alone with the weight of being a royal over him. (deep blue feelings) and then Alex came, with his bravery, the way he loves, hard and how he falls deep in love with henry. Because of him Henry stops feeling alone, (deep blue) and Alex paints him golden (which is the way he has always seen henry [golden boy always perfect])

«And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis, people started talking, putting us through our paces, I knew there was no one in the world who could take it.»

i feel like this one is pretty easy to explain, henry actually does and to quote him:

«only you and I will know that I'm just sprawled in your bed, reading books and feeding myself profiteroles and making love to you endlessly until we both expire in a haze of chocolate sauce.» Chapter 11 Letter: "Hometown stuff"

and then the Waterloo Letters Scandal happens and everyone could read everything about them, talking about their relationship, (people started talking putting us through our paces) and how their relationship shouldn't happen because its dangers to the world. (no one could take it)

«But we were dancing, I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us. So, baby, can we dance through an avalanche?»

alex and henry, both knew what they were getting into, both of them knew that the world would try to divide them, and even though they both knew this. they didn't care. they loved each other and that's all that mattered to them!!!! henry's fear and anxiety about being queer and royalty didn't stop him from loving alex, even though he did get scared, alex didn't! he wanted to dance through the avalanche, and so they did. (plus the baby adds to my firstprince agenda)

«Swaying as the room burned down, I'd hold you as the water rushes in. I If I could dance with you again I'd kiss you as the lights went out»

after the Waterloo Letters, Alex felt scared (room burned down) and so did Henry, but both of them decided to keep going. and I think this still from the movie is this exact moment

Gorgeous (reputation)

moving on to a more fun song, this one from Alex point of view.

«You should take it as a compliment, that I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk. You should think about the consequence of your magnetic field being a little too strong.»

THE ROYAL WEDDING!!!!!!!! alex going over to henry for absolutely no other reason just to annoy him... yeah

«You've ruined my life, by not being mine. you're so gorgeous I can't say anything to your face.»

after Henry kissed him and Alex could NOT stop thinking about him... annoying June so much she had to take him out on a run because he just wouldn't focus on anything but him, and on that run falling to the floor because of him

the rest of the song is also alex coded crushing on him throughout the first chapters but these two verses are literally him

Paris (midnights)

«I'm so in love that I might stop breathing, drew a map on your bedroom ceiling. No, I didn't see the news, 'Cause we were somewhere else»

alex and henry ignoring the outside whenever they are together on their bedrooms, and ignoring whatever the news outlets are saying about them this time

«Privacy sign on the door and on my page and on the whole world, romance is not dead if you keep it just yours.»

their relationship being questioned all the time because they don't show it as much to the outside, because its just theirs.

Call It What You Want (reputation)

«'Cause my baby's fit like a daydream, walkin' with his head down, I'm the one he's walkin' to so call it what you want to. My baby's fly like a jet stream, high above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new, so call it what you want to.»

while this song is about being betrayed by the world and having to hide away, which does happen to alex and henry but only the first part, i do think that the true core of this song is about finding love with someone who loves you for who you truly are (and not the idea of you), does relate to them.

and this phrase is peak firstprince

«I want to wear his initial, on a chain 'round my neck, chain 'round my neck, not because he owns me, but 'cause he really knows me»

the chain alex has with his old key and now henry's ring... yeah

plus «I recall late November, holdin' my breath, slowly I said "You don't need to save me but would you run away with me?" Yes.» is pretty Henry and Alex coded because Henry does talk about running away and hiding in Alex bedroom (the quote from before)

Sweet Nothing (Midnights)

First song from Henry's point of view

«They said the end is coming, everyone's up to something. I find myself running home to your sweet nothings. Outside , they're push and shoving, you're in the kitchen humming, all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing»

Henry, who's constantly worried about the throne and his country, worried about what Phillip and his grandmother will say and will make him do. Henry who falls in love with Alex, a boy who never asks him to be someone he's not. Alex who just want his love and sweet nothings.

«On the way home I wrote a poem, you say, "What a mind", this happens all the time.»

Alex constantly rereading the emails Henry sends to him, especially that one that talks about seeing Alex in his dreams. And constantly reassuring him about him being a writer and his knowledge like he does here

"Anyway, you should be a writer. You are a writer. Even after all this, I still always feel like I want to know more of you. Does that sound crazy? I just sit here and wonder, who is this person who knows stuff about Hamilton and writes like this? Where does someone like that even come from? How was I so wrong?"

«Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors and smooth-talking hucksters out glad-handing each other. And the voices that implore, "You should be doing more", to you, I can admit that I'm just too soft for all of it.»

Henry with his brother and grandmother!!!!!!! admitting to Alex that he might not be able to do the things he's asked to.

the lakes (folklore)

i think this song is pretty much self explanatory so im just gonna add little comments

«Is it romantic how all my elegies eulogize me? K'm not cut out for all these cynical clones these hunters with cell phones.»

«Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die, I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you. Those Windermere peaks look like a perfect place to cry, I'm setting off, but not without my muse.»

so henry coded istg

«I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet 'cause I haven't moved in years and I want you right here.»

Henry who's father died when he was so young and because of it he sometimes gets so sad he has to isolate himself, and while before he used to not want anyone around or talk about it, now talks to Alex about his father and his passing

Lover

this one also doesn't need much explanation

«And this is our place, we make the rules, and there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear.»

alex whenever he describes henry talking about how he always has this confidence in him whenever he sees him... yeah

«Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever? And, take me out, and take me home. You're my Lover»

nothing to add

«I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all.»

«My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue, all's well that ends well to end up with you. Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover, and you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me, and at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover.»

Alex who has dated more people apart from Henry, and Henry who sometimes gets this waves of sadness. Alex who is always so overdramatic and always true to his word !!! Alex is the one with the dirty jokes and Henry is the one who saves Alex the seat

And last one for this post:

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (Lover)

PEAK FIRSTPRINCE Im going to divide this song in Before The Waterloo Letters (TWL) and After TWL

B.TWL

«No cameras catch my pageant smile I counted days, I counted miles to see you there It's been a long time coming, but It's you and me, that's my whole world.»

them sneaking around hiding from the world at the beginning of their relationship, waiting for the days they see eachother in wherever place of the Earth they can be

«You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes, it's you and me, there's nothing like this Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince. We're so sad, we paint the town blue, voted most likely to run away with you.»

the stupid game is them keeping the relationship secret and the price is being caught, and even when they do get caught they only really care about the other one.

A.TWL

«My team is losing, battered and bruising, I see the high fives between the bad guys. Leave with my head hung, you are the only one who seems to care.»

after they get outed to the whole world and Richards talks about the server and about how Ellen should just go out of the race. Henry who cannot go out of his bedroom without Phillip trying to talk to him about heirs and their legacy, feeling anxious and sad about it and (apart from his mom and sister) has no other support but Alex.

«American stories burning before me, I'm feeling helpless, the damsels are depressed. Boys will be boys then, where are the wise men?.»

the whole chapter where alex has a panic attack and cannot even move from his bed, and the one where he talks to Rafael Luna and siding with Richard feeling betrayed (where are the wise men?).

«To see you there and now the storm is coming, but it's you and me, that's my whole world.»

The storm as in the leak and the media outlets talking about them

«And I don't want you to go, I don't really wanna fight 'cause nobody's gonna win, I think you should come home, and I'll never let you go 'cause I know this is a fight, that someday we're gonna win.»

Them staying together even after everything, and being able to get married and Ellen winning the presidential election.

THE END!!! i could do more but ill leave it like this for now✌🏻🫡

[no-code-chatbot-builder]

How I Cracked Free WhatsApp Marketing in 2025 – My 15-Day Botbuz Journey

If someone told me a year ago that I could do free WhatsApp marketing in 2025 and actually see real results, I’d probably raise an eyebrow. Between the noise of automation tools, rising ad costs and declining organic reach, it felt impossible to find anything both free and effective. But that was before I stumbled upon something that truly changed the game : Using Botbuz Chatbot in WhatsApp Marketing for 15 days as a free trial.

Let me take you through how it all happened — because if you're like me, a small business owner juggling growth and budgets, you might just find this story helpful.

The Frustration of Modern Marketing

Let me paint the picture. It's early January 2025, and I’m sitting at my desk, staring at my marketing budget spreadsheet. I’d spent thousands on social media ads in the past year and only got mixed results. My email open rates had dipped. Instagram engagement? Down to single digits.

But you know what had been buzzing constantly?

WhatsApp.

That’s where my customers were — asking questions, checking orders, requesting updates. I realized I’d been sitting on a goldmine all along and not using it right.

The WhatsApp Realization

I started digging into WhatsApp marketing. Everyone seemed to be doing it — from clothing brands to local cafés — but they were either paying for expensive tools or using clunky manual methods. I didn’t have the time to be glued to my phone responding to every ping, nor could I hire a dedicated team.

I needed a solution that was smart, easy and most importantly — affordable.

That’s when I came across Botbuz.

Discovering Botbuz’s Free Trial

I wasn’t ready to commit to another platform without knowing it actually worked. So, when I saw “Using Botbuz Chatbot in WhatsApp Marketing for 15 days as a free trial,” I figured — why not?

It sounded promising. A fully functional WhatsApp marketing solution, free for 15 days? That was enough time for me to test the waters without risking my money.

I signed up.

Day 1–3 : Setting Things Up (Without Losing My Mind)

I expected a complicated setup with confusing dashboards and tech jargon. What I got instead was the opposite. Botbuz made everything feel like I was simply chatting with a friend. It guided me step by step — from connecting my WhatsApp Business number to building my first chatbot flow.

I created a welcome message, automated replies for FAQs and even set up a mini product catalog.

What shocked me was how easy it was to personalize these messages. My brand’s voice came through clearly and it didn’t feel robotic at all.

Day 4–7 : Launching My First Campaign

Now that the basics were in place, I decided to run a small promotional campaign to a list of 300 customers who had interacted with my business before.

Using Botbuz, I scheduled a broadcast message :

"Hey [Name]! We’re back with a special New Year deal – 25% off everything until Sunday! Reply ‘DEAL’ to grab yours instantly."

Within an hour, my phone was buzzing like crazy — but the best part? I didn’t need to lift a finger. The chatbot handled replies, sent coupon codes and even answered “When does it expire?” or “Is this valid on all items?”

I was floored.

Day 8–11 : Growing My List Organically

Midway through the trial, I realized I could build my WhatsApp audience right from my website and social channels. Botbuz gave me a WhatsApp link I added to my Instagram bio and website banner.

Visitors could click the link, land in WhatsApp and immediately start a conversation. The chatbot welcomed them, asked for their name and interest and saved all the details.

It was like having a silent marketing ninja working round the clock.

Day 12–14 : Customer Support, Simplified

Customer support had always been my Achilles' heel. Too many questions, too little time. But using Botbuz, I created flows to guide customers through common issues like :

Order tracking

Return policies

Payment methods

Product availability

Instead of manually replying to the same questions, customers were guided with clear, quick responses — and when necessary, forwarded to me.

The feedback? “Fastest response I’ve ever got on WhatsApp. Impressed!”

Day 15: Reflecting on the Journey

By the end of my 15-day trial, here’s what I had achieved — without spending a dime :

✅ Reached 300+ customers through automated WhatsApp broadcasts ✅ Got 80+ responses and 25 new orders ✅ Added 100+ contacts to my WhatsApp list ✅ Reduced customer support workload by 60% ✅ Created an automated marketing machine that didn’t sleep

All with Botbuz Chatbot in WhatsApp Marketing for 15 days as a free trial.

I could hardly believe it. The results were real and they came faster than any ad campaign I had run before.

What I Learned About Free WhatsApp Marketing in 2025

If there’s one platform you must prioritize in 2025, it’s WhatsApp. Here’s why :

It’s where your customers already are.

It has insane open rates (way better than email).

You can start for free — yes, free!

With the right tools like Botbuz, it’s incredibly scalable.

Free WhatsApp marketing in 2025 isn’t a gimmick. It’s possible. You just need the right approach and tools to make it work for you.

Final Thoughts : Why You Should Try It Too

Honestly, if you’re looking to test WhatsApp marketing without spending money upfront, Using Botbuz Chatbot in WhatsApp Marketing for 15 days as a free trial is your best bet. Whether you’re selling handmade products, running an online store, or offering services — it adapts beautifully to your needs.

You’ll get hands-on experience, see real results and only invest if it’s working for you. That’s the kind of confidence every marketer needs.

I took the leap and now WhatsApp is my most profitable channel. So what’s stopping you?

Give it a shot — you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[mybalancenow32]

How I Stopped Wasting My Gift Card Balances Thanks to MyBalanceNow

A few months ago, I stumbled across a stack of old gift cards while cleaning out my kitchen drawer—you know, the one where you throw random things like coupons, batteries, and pens that don’t work anymore. Most of them had expired, but one caught my eye: a Target gift card that still looked good.

I didn’t remember how much was on it or when I last used it. For all I knew, it had maybe a dollar or two left—or maybe the full amount. But instead of tossing it or heading to the store to “test swipe” it at checkout like I used to, I decided to look up a better way to find out what was on it.

That’s when I came across MyBalanceNow.

My Old Way of Handling Gift Cards (Wasn’t Great)

I’ll be honest—I’ve always been one of those people who forget how much is left on a gift card. I’d either try to guess the amount, or worse, forget I had one until it had already expired. I can’t count how many times I’ve thrown out a card thinking it was empty, only to wonder later if it still had some money on it.

So when I found this Target card, I was determined not to waste it.

Finding a Simple Solution

With a quick search, I landed on MyBalanceNow, a website that lets you check the remaining balance on your Target gift cards instantly. You don’t have to sign up for anything or jump through a bunch of steps. Just type in the card number, expiration date, and that little CVV code from the back.

Within seconds, I had the info I needed: there was still $27.45 left. Definitely worth using.

A Small Win, But It Felt Good

I used the card the next day to grab a few groceries—milk, cereal, and some extra snacks I didn’t really need, but hey, the card was a surprise find, so why not?

It felt like free money, and honestly, it made me realize how many gift cards I’d probably wasted over the years by not checking their balances first.

Making It Part of My Routine

Since then, MyBalanceNow has become one of those little online tools I keep bookmarked. Every time I get a new Target card (which happens often around birthdays and holidays), I use the site to track how much is on it.

It also helps after I’ve used part of a card—like if I buy something for $15 on a $50 card, I don’t have to remember how much is left. I just check, and I’m good to go.

Why It’s Actually Worth Doing

Now, this might not sound like a huge deal—and it isn’t, really. But with how fast everything moves and how often we let small amounts slip through the cracks, having a quick and easy way to check gift card balances is a pretty handy thing.

Using MyBalanceNow is now second nature for me. It’s just part of how I keep things organized, especially with little things like gift cards that tend to get forgotten in drawers, old wallets, or coat pockets.

Final Thoughts

It’s not some life-changing platform—but it solved a small, everyday problem that I think a lot of people deal with. If you’ve ever been unsure about how much money you’ve got left on a Target card, or worse, tossed one out without checking, this site makes sure that never happens again.

I still laugh thinking about how close I was to throwing out that $27.45. Now I check every card before making that mistake again—and MyBalanceNow is the reason why.

[blogcapricorn-blog]

mybkexperience.com survey

Here’s a complete SEO-friendly and human-written blog post about the MyBKExperience Survey on www.mybkexperience.com:

MyBKExperience – Take the Burger King Survey at www.mybkexperience.com

Ever had a meal at Burger King and thought, “They should really hear what I think”? Good news! Burger King actually wants your feedback—and they're rewarding you for it. The MyBKExperience survey lets you share your thoughts while earning a free Whopper or Original Chicken Sandwich.

In this guide, we’ll explain how the survey works, who can take it, what rewards you’ll get, and some pro tips to make the most of your experience.

What Is the MyBKExperience Survey?

The MyBKExperience survey is an online customer satisfaction program by Burger King. The goal is simple: gather honest feedback from customers about food, service, cleanliness, and overall experience. Your answers help improve the quality of future visits.

It’s easy to take and only takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

How to Take the Survey on www.mybkexperience.com

Here's a quick step-by-step to help you complete the survey:

Step-by-Step Guide:

Visit Burger King and make a purchase.

Keep your receipt — you’ll need the survey code printed on it.

Go to www.mybkexperience.com.

Enter the survey code and restaurant number from your receipt.

Answer a series of simple questions about your visit.

At the end, you’ll receive a validation code.

Write the code on your receipt and bring it next time to redeem your reward.

What You Need to Participate

Before jumping in, make sure you meet the following basic requirements:RequirementDetailsReceiptMust be from a recent visit (within 7 days)Device with InternetComputer, tablet, or smartphoneLanguageSurvey available in English, Spanish, and FrenchAgeYou must be 18 years or older

What Are the Survey Rewards?

The most exciting part? You get a reward just for giving your opinion.

Common Rewards Include:

Free Whopper sandwich

Free Original Chicken Sandwich

Sometimes discount coupons or BOGO offers

Note: The reward type may vary depending on the store location and current promotion.

MyBKExperience Code – What Is It?

The survey code is a unique string of numbers printed on your Burger King receipt. You’ll find it near the bottom, along with the restaurant number.

Without this code, you won’t be able to access the survey. So, don’t throw away your receipt!

Tips to Complete the Survey Smoothly

Use a stable internet connection so the page doesn’t time out.

Answer honestly — there are no wrong answers.

Complete the survey quickly — codes expire within a few days.

Write the validation code clearly so staff can redeem it.

Why Should You Take the MyBKExperience Survey?

Giving feedback is a win-win:

For You:

Free food or discounts on your next visit

Feels good to be heard

For Burger King:

Improves service and food quality

Tracks performance across locations

FAQs – People Also Ask

1. What is the website for Burger King's survey?

Visit www.mybkexperience.com to access the official survey.

2. How do I get a free Whopper from Burger King?

Take the survey using your receipt, and you’ll receive a code for a free Whopper or another item.

3. Can I use an old receipt?

Receipts must usually be used within 7 days of the visit to be valid for the survey.

4. How often can I take the survey?

You can take the survey once per visit, as long as you have a valid new receipt.

5. Is my personal information safe?

Yes, the survey does not ask for sensitive personal information. Your responses are used only for quality improvement.

Final Thoughts

Burger King’s MyBKExperience survey is a smart way to make your voice count while scoring a free sandwich. It’s fast, easy, and actually helps the restaurant improve. So, next time you grab a Whopper, hang onto that receipt—it’s worth more than you think.

Got feedback about the survey itself? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Let me know if you'd like this post formatted for WordPress, include internal links, or need a version in a different language.

[rumpocky]

So like. Usually I work Saturday and am off Monday.

Saturday I tried to go to work and my teams was busted, like my microsoft account was locked; email and teams, gone, but we figured we could fix the bug so I went on queue, then immediately got stuck in a 2 hour long critical case that I needed a teams consult for, and instead ended up on some weird zoom huddle.

Through it there were delightful communication bugs I don't want to go back over. But one delightful part is that our company blocks external emails, so when I tried to email my bosses or anything from a personal, it bounced. Including the tech guru.

Then, after some belated failure to troubleshoot once that ended, after about 3 hours on shift I was told to go home and try to come in for a half shift Monday.

I had been given the tech guru's number to leave a voicemail and did, it claimed like, M-F 9-5 normal hours but leave a voicemail and they'll get to you in an hour. The supervisor on deck took notes about where to reach me and said he'd put in a ticket and between it we'd hear back.

So like. By Sunday. That hadn't happened. So I found my direct supervisor's text and asked her about it. Get an ALTERNATE tech guru email at a different domain so it's not in-organization, and what do you know, it properly contacts and submits a ticket.

Around 9A today they got in, while I'd been on a few hours of "training material" for my boss to justify me being there to make up a few hours while we worked it out, with a few "have your direct supervisor confirm unlocking your account" circles and boom, I got in!! I was in Teams!

And I got kicked out.

???

At least this time the account wasn't locked. Logged back in. Sent a message. Got kicked out. ???????????? QUE????????????????

Now I need you to understand because of the way my company does privacy, I have to take like, 2 security codes for each login attempt. Now windows keeps popping up the little "you've been signed out" thing. I go through this like SIX TIMES and reboot a few times trying to figure out if that's the bug, somehow, windows account wise.

Next time I log in I get IN but it's like "your password will expire in 14 days, please update your-" oh son of a BITCH you're KILLING me, fam!!!!!!!

[updates password]

[GETS THROWN OUT OF EVERYTHING AGAIN]

[logs back in]

[gets thrown out again]

I'm going to murder someone.

[logs back in. No notifs. No alerts. No popups. Nothing happens for ten minutes.]

Am I. Am I good. Why is my icon still an offline icon.

Status literally says "Unknown." Like alright. That's. Cool. I guess. But I can work? Whatever.

Hoooooooooooly shit that only took several days, like four managers and admins, and eighty seven relogins.

Fuckin hell mate, if I see another verification code today beyond the one to punch out of work in an hour, like, society must collapse billions must turn into shadows or whatever, oh my god

But yeah clearly Microsoft needs more power over our lives. Oh yeah, these security checks, very helpful.