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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 year

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Pluralistic: Leaving Twitter had no effect on NPR's traffic

I'm coming to Minneapolis! This Sunday (Oct 15): Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Monday (Oct 16): Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

Enshittification is the process by which a platform lures in and then captures end users (stage one), who serve as bait for business customers, who are also captured (stage two), whereupon the platform rug-pulls both groups and allocates all the value they generate and exchange to itself (stage three):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

Enshittification isn't merely a form of rent-seeking – it is a uniquely digital phenomenon, because it relies on the inherent flexibility of digital systems. There are lots of intermediaries that want to extract surpluses from customers and suppliers – everyone from grocers to oil companies – but these can't be reconfigured in an eyeblink the that that purely digital services can.

A sleazy boss can hide their wage-theft with a bunch of confusing deductions to your paycheck. But when your boss is an app, it can engage in algorithmic wage discrimination, where your pay declines minutely every time you accept a job, but if you start to decline jobs, the app can raise the offer:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

I call this process "twiddling": tech platforms are equipped with a million knobs on their back-ends, and platform operators can endlessly twiddle those knobs, altering the business logic from moment to moment, turning the system into an endlessly shifting quagmire where neither users nor business customers can ever be sure whether they're getting a fair deal:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/

Social media platforms are compulsive twiddlers. They use endless variation to lure in – and then lock in – publishers, with the goal of converting these standalone businesses into commodity suppliers who are dependent on the platform, who can then be charged rent to reach the users who asked to hear from them.

Facebook designed this playbook. First, it lured in end-users by promising them a good deal: "Unlike Myspace, which spies on you from asshole to appetite, Facebook is a privacy-respecting site that will never, ever spy on you. Simply sign up, tell us everyone who matters to you, and we'll populate a feed with everything they post for public consumption":

https://lawcat.berkeley.edu/record/1128876

The users came, and locked themselves in: when people gather in social spaces, they inadvertently take one another hostage. You joined Facebook because you liked the people who were there, then others joined because they liked you. Facebook can now make life worse for all of you without losing your business. You might hate Facebook, but you like each other, and the collective action problem of deciding when and whether to go, and where you should go next, is so difficult to overcome, that you all stay in a place that's getting progressively worse.

Once its users were locked in, Facebook turned to advertisers and said, "Remember when we told these rubes we'd never spy on them? It was a lie. We spy on them with every hour that God sends, and we'll sell you access to that data in the form of dirt-cheap targeted ads."

Then Facebook went to the publishers and said, "Remember when we told these suckers that we'd only show them the things they asked to see? Total lie. Post short excerpts from your content and links back to your websites and we'll nonconsensually cram them into the eyeballs of people who never asked to see them. It's a free, high-value traffic funnel for your own site, bringing monetizable users right to your door."

Now, Facebook had to find a way to lock in those publishers. To do this, it had to twiddle. By tiny increments, Facebook deprioritized publishers' content, forcing them to make their excerpts grew progressively longer. As with gig workers, the digital flexibility of Facebook gave it lots of leeway here. Some publishers sensed the excerpts they were being asked to post were a substitute for visiting their sites – and not an enticement – and drew down their posting to Facebook.

When that happened, Facebook could twiddle in the publisher's favor, giving them broader distribution for shorter excerpts, then, once the publisher returned to the platform, Facebook drew down their traffic unless they started posting longer pieces. Twiddling lets platforms play users and business-customers like a fish on a line, giving them slack when they fight, then reeling them in when they tire.

Once Facebook converted a publisher to a commodity supplier to the platform, it reeled the publishers in. First, it deprioritized publishers' posts when they had links back to the publisher's site (under the pretext of policing "clickbait" and "malicious links"). Then, it stopped showing publishers' content to their own subscribers, extorting them to pay to "boost" their posts in order to reach people who had explicitly asked to hear from them.

For users, this meant that their feeds were increasingly populated with payola-boosted content from advertisers and pay-to-play publishers who paid Facebook's Danegeld to reach them. A user will only spend so much time on Facebook, and every post that Facebook feeds that user from someone they want to hear from is a missed opportunity to show them a post from someone who'll pay to reach them.

Here, too, twiddling lets Facebook fine-tune its approach. If a user starts to wean themself off Facebook, the algorithm (TM) can put more content the user has asked to see in the feed. When the user's participation returns to higher levels, Facebook can draw down the share of desirable content again, replacing it with monetizable content. This is done minutely, behind the scenes, automatically, and quickly. In any shell game, the quickness of the hand deceives the eye.

This is the final stage of enshittification: withdrawing surpluses from end-users and business customers, leaving behind the minimum homeopathic quantum of value for each needed to keep them locked to the platform, generating value that can be extracted and diverted to platform shareholders.

But this is a brittle equilibrium to maintain. The difference between "God, I hate this place but I just can't leave it" and "Holy shit, this sucks, I'm outta here" is razor-thin. All it takes is one privacy scandal, one livestreamed mass-shooting, one whistleblower dump, and people bolt for the exits. This kicks off a death-spiral: as users and business customers leave, the platform's shareholders demand that they squeeze the remaining population harder to make up for the loss.

One reason this gambit worked so well is that it was a long con. Platform operators and their investors have been willing to throw away billions convincing end-users and business customers to lock themselves in until it was time for the pig-butchering to begin. They financed expensive forays into additional features and complementary products meant to increase user lock-in, raising the switching costs for users who were tempted to leave.

For example, Facebook's product manager for its "photos" product wrote to Mark Zuckerberg to lay out a strategy of enticing users into uploading valuable family photos to the platform in order to "make switching costs very high for users," who would have to throw away their precious memories as the price for leaving Facebook:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

The platforms' patience paid off. Their slow ratchets operated so subtly that we barely noticed the squeeze, and when we did, they relaxed the pressure until we were lulled back into complacency. Long cons require a lot of prefrontal cortex, the executive function to exercise patience and restraint.

Which brings me to Elon Musk, a man who seems to have been born without a prefrontal cortex, who has repeatedly and publicly demonstrated that he lacks any restraint, patience or planning. Elon Musk's prefrontal cortical deficit resulted in his being forced to buy Twitter, and his every action since has betrayed an even graver inability to stop tripping over his own dick.

Where Zuckerberg played enshittification as a long game, Musk is bent on speedrunning it. He doesn't slice his users up with a subtle scalpel, he hacks away at them with a hatchet.

Musk inaugurated his reign by nonconsensually flipping every user to an algorithmic feed which was crammed with ads and posts from "verified" users whose blue ticks verified solely that they had $8 ($11 for iOS users). Where Facebook deployed substantial effort to enticing users who tired of eyeball-cramming feed decay by temporarily improving their feeds, Musk's Twitter actually overrode users' choice to switch back to a chronological feed by repeatedly flipping them back to more monetizable, algorithmic feeds.

Then came the squeeze on publishers. Musk's Twitter rolled out a bewildering array of "verification" ticks, each priced higher than the last, and publishers who refused to pay found their subscribers taken hostage, with Twitter downranking or shadowbanning their content unless they paid.

(Musk also squeezed advertisers, keeping the same high prices but reducing the quality of the offer by killing programs that kept advertisers' content from being published along Holocaust denial and open calls for genocide.)

Today, Musk continues to squeeze advertisers, publishers and users, and his hamfisted enticements to make up for these depredations are spectacularly bad, and even illegal, like offering advertisers a new kind of ad that isn't associated with any Twitter account, can't be blocked, and is not labeled as an ad:

https://www.wired.com/story/xs-sneaky-new-ads-might-be-illegal/

Of course, Musk has a compulsive bullshitter's contempt for the press, so he has far fewer enticements for them to stay. Quite the reverse: first, Musk removed headlines from link previews, rendering posts by publishers that went to their own sites into stock-art enigmas that generated no traffic:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/05/x-twitter-strips-headlines-new-links-why-elon-musk

Then he jumped straight to the end-stage of enshittification by announcing that he would shadowban any newsmedia posts with links to sites other than Twitter, "because there is less time spent if people click away." Publishers were advised to "post content in long form on this platform":

https://mamot.fr/@pluralistic/111183068362793821

Where a canny enshittifier would have gestured at a gaslighting explanation ("we're shadowbanning posts with links because they might be malicious"), Musk busts out the motto of the Darth Vader MBA: "I am altering the deal, pray I don't alter it any further."

All this has the effect of highlighting just how little residual value there is on the platform for publishers, and tempts them to bolt for the exits. Six months ago, NPR lost all patience with Musk's shenanigans, and quit the service. Half a year later, they've revealed how low the switching cost for a major news outlet that leaves Twitter really are: NPR's traffic, post-Twitter, has declined by less than a single percentage point:

https://niemanreports.org/articles/npr-twitter-musk/

NPR's Twitter accounts had 8.7 million followers, but even six months ago, Musk's enshittification speedrun had drawn down NPR's ability to reach those users to a negligible level. The 8.7 million number was an illusion, a shell game Musk played on publishers like NPR in a bid to get them to buy a five-figure iridium checkmark or even a six-figure titanium one.

On Twitter, the true number of followers you have is effectively zero – not because Twitter users haven't explicitly instructed the service to show them your posts, but because every post in their feeds that they want to see is a post that no one can be charged to show them.

I've experienced this myself. Three and a half years ago, I left Boing Boing and started pluralistic.net, my cross-platform, open access, surveillance-free, daily newsletter and blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/drei-drei-drei/#now-we-are-three

Boing Boing had the good fortune to have attracted a sizable audience before the advent of siloed platforms, and a large portion of that audience came to the site directly, rather than following us on social media. I knew that, starting a new platform from scratch, I wouldn't have that luxury. My audience would come from social media, and it would be up to me to convert readers into people who followed me on platforms I controlled – where neither they nor I could be held to ransom.

I embraced a strategy called POSSE: Post Own Site, Syndicate Everywhere. With POSSE, the permalink and native habitat for your material is a site you control (in my case, a WordPress blog with all the telemetry, logging and surveillance disabled). Then you repost that content to other platforms – mostly social media – with links back to your own site:

https://indieweb.org/POSSE

There are a lot of automated tools to help you with this, but the platforms have gone to great lengths to break or neuter them. Musk's attack on Twitter's legendarily flexible and powerful API killed every automation tool that might help with this. I was lucky enough to have a reader – Loren Kohnfelder – who coded me some python scripts that automate much of the process, but POSSE remains a very labor-intensive and error-prone methodology:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/13/two-decades/#hfbd

And of all the feeds I produce – email, RSS, Discourse, Medium, Tumblr, Mastodon – none is as labor-intensive as Twitter's. It is an unforgiving medium to begin with, and Musk's drawdown of engineering support has made it wildly unreliable. Many's the time I've set up 20+ posts in a thread, only to have the browser tab reload itself and wipe out all my work.

But I stuck with Twitter, because I have a half-million followers, and to the extent that I reach them there, I can hope that they will follow the permalinks to Pluralistic proper and switch over to RSS, or email, or a daily visit to the blog.

But with each day, the case for using Twitter grows weaker. I get ten times as many replies and reposts on Mastodon, though my Mastodon follower count is a tenth the size of my (increasingly hypothetical) Twitter audience.

All this raises the question of what can or should be done about Twitter. One possible regulatory response would be to impose an "End-To-End" rule on the service, requiring that Twitter deliver posts from willing senders to willing receivers without interfering in them. End-To-end is the bedrock of the internet (one of its incarnations is Net Neutrality) and it's a proven counterenshittificatory force:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/save-news-we-need-end-end-web

Despite what you may have heard, "freedom of reach" is freedom of speech: when a platform interposes itself between willing speakers and their willing audiences, it arrogates to itself the power to control what we're allowed to say and who is allowed to hear us:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/10/e2e/#the-censors-pen

We have a wide variety of tools to make a rule like this stick. For one thing, Musk's Twitter has violated innumerable laws and consent decrees in the US, Canada and the EU, which creates a space for regulators to impose "conduct remedies" on the company.

But there's also existing regulatory authorities, like the FTC's Section Five powers, which enable the agency to act against companies that engage in "unfair and deceptive" acts. When Twitter asks you who you want to hear from, then refuses to deliver their posts to you unless they pay a bribe, that's both "unfair and deceptive":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

But that's only a stopgap. The problem with Twitter isn't that this important service is run by the wrong mercurial, mediocre billionaire: it's that hundreds of millions of people are at the mercy of any foolish corporate leader. While there's a short-term case for improving the platforms, our long-term strategy should be evacuating them:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/18/urban-wildlife-interface/#combustible-walled-gardens

To make that a reality, we could also impose a "Right To Exit" on the platforms. This would be an interoperability rule that would require Twitter to adopt Mastodon's approach to server-hopping: click a link to export the list of everyone who follows you on one server, click another link to upload that file to another server, and all your followers and followees are relocated to your new digs:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/23/semipermeable-membranes/#free-as-in-puppies

A Twitter with the Right To Exit would exert a powerful discipline even on the stunted self-regulatory centers of Elon Musk's brain. If he banned a reporter for publishing truthful coverage that cast him in a bad light, that reporter would have the legal right to move to another platform, and continue to reach the people who follow them on Twitter. Publishers aghast at having the headlines removed from their Twitter posts could go somewhere less slipshod and still reach the people who want to hear from them on Twitter.

And both Right To Exit and End-To-End satisfy the two prime tests for sound internet regulation: first, they are easy to administer. If you want to know whether Musk is permitting harassment on his platform, you have to agree on a definition of harassment, determine whether a given act meets that definition, and then investigate whether Twitter took reasonable steps to prevent it.

By contrast, administering End-To-End merely requires that you post something and see if your followers receive it. Administering Right To Exit is as simple as saying, "OK, Twitter, I know you say you gave Cory his follower and followee file, but he says he never got it. Just send him another copy, and this time, CC the regulator so we can verify that it arrived."

Beyond administration, there's the cost of compliance. Requiring Twitter to police its users' conduct also requires it to hire an army of moderators – something that Elon Musk might be able to afford, but community-supported, small federated servers couldn't. A tech regulation can easily become a barrier to entry, blocking better competitors who might replace the company whose conduct spurred the regulation in the first place.

End-to-End does not present this kind of barrier. The default state for a social media platform is to deliver posts from accounts to their followers. Interfering with End-To-End costs more than delivering the messages users want to have. Likewise, a Right To Exit is a solved problem, built into the open Mastodon protocol, itself built atop the open ActivityPub standard.

It's not just Twitter. Every platform is consuming itself in an orgy of enshittification. This is the Great Enshittening, a moment of universal, end-stage platform decay. As the platforms burn, calls to address the fires grow louder and harder for policymakers to resist. But not all solutions to platform decay are created equal. Some solutions will perversely enshrine the dominance of platforms, help make them both too big to fail and too big to jail.

Musk has flagrantly violated so many rules, laws and consent decrees that he has accidentally turned Twitter into the perfect starting point for a program of platform reform and platform evacuation.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/14/freedom-of-reach/#ex

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

Image: JD Lasica (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elon_Musk_%283018710552%29.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #twitter #posse #elon musk #x #social media #graceful failure modes #end-to-end principle #administratable remedies #good regulation #ads #privacy #benevolent dictatorships #freedom of reach #journalism #enshittification #switching costs

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 4 months

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Last Saturday, the Minnesota GOP voted overwhelmingly to endorse Royce White — an avowed conspiracy theorist, homophobe, and misogynist — for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate.

Along with that considerable baggage, White carries a long list of probable campaign finance violations into his primary and the general election — if he’s the nominee — against popular, LGBTQ+ ally Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) in November.

White, 33, made a national name for himself by leveraging his fame as an NBA basketball player for the Houston Rockets and his leading role in the Black Lives Matter protests following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where White grew up.

But now, as a Black darling of the far-right MAGA crowd and a true believer of former President Donald Trump, Royce has broadened his political ambitions. His past missteps and a history of abusive attacks — including social media posts calling people “fag,” “cunt,” and “retard” among them — are catching up with the 6’8″, 260-pound athlete.

In 2022, White, with the backing of mentors like former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, made a bid for the U.S. House seat in Minnesota currently held by “squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D). He lost in the primary.

But you’d never know it based on his campaign expenses, which continued to pile up even after White lost.

A week after his defeat, White’s campaign used donor funds to pay a bill topping $1,200 at the Gold Rush Cabaret in Miami, a “full liquor and full nude” strip club 1,800 miles from the congressional district he just lost in, according to reporting by The Daily Beast. The charge went through at five in the morning.

But the strip club outlay is just one questionable expense in a mountain of unexplained payments to vendors over the course of White’s campaign that would make even George Santos’ treasurer blush.

The questionable expenses include more than $100,000 in mysterious wire transfers and checks, reported as paid to the campaign; huge tabs at a long list of late-night hot spots; thousands paid to limo services and swank hotels in at least seven states; unexplained cash withdrawals; and purchases of shoes, clothing, and electronics that beg for an explanation that isn’t purely personal.

“Misusing campaign funds can be a serious criminal offense — many politicians have gone to jail for diverting donor funds to personal expenses,” Brendan Fischer, a specialist in campaign finance law and deputy executive director of Documented, explained. “A close read” of White’s spending “suggests an incredibly long list of illegal expenditures.”

Among the brands that the White campaign spent lavishly on: Heimie’s Haberdashery, K&G Fashion Superstore, New Balance (“shoe purchase for door knocking”), Nordstrom, Nike, Asos, Express, Crocs, and Lululemon.

White’s donors reportedly footed the bill for more than $3,200 in purchases at Guitar Center, more than $2,500 at Dick’s Sporting Goods, and more than $700 at Sally Beauty stores in two states.

When asked about his post-election strip club expenditure, White told The Daily Beast, “I like the food there.”

#us politics #news #republicans #conservatives #gop #minnesota #lgbtq nation #Royce White #campaign donations #misuse of campaign funds #us senate #2024 elections #Sen. Amy Klobuchar

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trivialbob · 1 year

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The main reason for our Wisconsin camping trip this past weekend was to see our friend and former Tumblr Jessica, her husband, and their new bar.

But we had one other destination in mind.

Sheila and I like dive bars. We’d heard of a blue ribbon, class A, #1, Gold Medal dive bar in northern Wisconsin, not far from the shores of Lake Superior, that is a must-see.

We drove an hour and a half north from Birchwood to the tiny town of Moquah. Along the way we passed countless rural roadside bars (RRB). We stopped at one for a bloody and chaser. My nice smile earned me a Spotted Cow instead of a Busch Lite for that five ounce beer that makes a bloody 48% happier.

At times I wonder if these small towns, where the bar to resident ratio is high, do they close some bars just so those employees have a chance to visit the rest of the bars in town?

Anyway...

I present - The Plywood Palace.

We arrived at 12:10 PM. The door, held shut with a small Master padlock that wouldn't survive five seconds in Minneapolis or Chicago, should have been propped open at that point, but the owner was late.

It’s not likely he reads Yelp or cares what it is, so no one wasted time bitching. We were far from 5G service anyway. 4G too. Even flip phones would not help so you’d better have a quarter for a pay phone if you want to call corporate and complain.

Several trucks and side-by-side ATVs were already there next to my truck. I bet there wasn’t a Prius within 100 miles of this place. Telslas likely are prohibited by local township rules.

We were all happy campers, waiting in that parking area. Everyone had a cooler. Some shared beer. We shared beef sticks from a meat shop we stopped at on the way there. One woman had bowls of dip and some chips. It was a block party in the sticks, next to a shack.

About an hour later the owner showed up. A man of few words, he mostly grunted “three bucks” or “six bucks,” depending on how many cans of Busch Lite a bar patron ordered. The money went into a mechanical cash register. Hey! You hippie over there, asking about Apple Pay, GTFO of here. Ka-ching.

We’d been advised to order canned beverages. There’s no running water at the Plywood Palace. Everyone followed that advice. No one dared order a bloody or an Old Fashioned. Or anything requiring ice. Or even a glass of water.

Sheila and I loved talking with everybody, hoisting Busch Lights to our parched lips as sunlight streamed through holes in the roof and walls before finally striking on the concrete and dirt floor.

Bras and signed dollar bills decorate what could be known to some as a ceiling.

The “ladies” room is a two-stall. Word has it that the women prefer one side over the other. You may see why.

Sheila had a large package of baby wipes, because she plans ahead. Others were elated when she announced that anyone could help themselves to those clean, moist sheets.

Left stall:

Right stall:

This is the men’s room. It accommodates acres of full bladders. I found the little flowers to be a thoughtful touch.

Pollsters likely spend little time here.

Near the end of our visit I scrawled Sheila’s and my names on the wall with a Sharpie. I tried to buy a beer for the people who’d gladly opened their coolers to us before the bar opened, but they would have nothing of it. Friends share beer with friends, and we were all friends.

#Did you see the picture of Ella on the tailgate of my truck?#Pretty sure it's legal in Wisconsin to drink in the parking lot if the bar employees don't appear on time #Sheila probably is Facebook friends with a dozen more people after this day #So much fun #Plywood Palace

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easypeasylindyvesey · 4 months

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I Think it’s Strange We Never Knew: Jimmy Vesey x fem!OC

Summary: After the unforeseen death of Abby’s boyfriend, one of the NHL’s star defenseman and her teammate, she severely struggles with managing her grief. She confides in Jimmy Vesey, who is not only another teammate of hers, but is one of the very few people she has a strong friendship with. That is until that night and the days that followed. Does this life-altering news change the trajectory of their personal perceptions of each other? Or does it entail a chance of crossing boundaries for the risk of moving on?

Word Count (excluding title and heading): 34,491 (whoops)

*(General) Warnings: (foul) language, mentions/discussion of death, suicide attempt (brief, closed door description), eventual confession of feelings, grief, panic attack(s), angst, eventual sexual implications but no smut, age gap

*Note: This story takes place in the future. Abby is 24-25 and Jimmy is 33-35.

APRIL 2027- part 1 (warnings: mention/discussions of death, grief, panic attack, angst, (foul) language)

Burnsville, Minnesota is a beautiful city. So much architecture, so many buildings, there’s literally everything you could have ever imagined. It’s only 15 miles from Minneapolis, so there’s even a greater opportunity to explore the sights. Only I wasn’t here for that.

I stand in front of the hotel mirror in my black halter top and black dress, with my black shoes, and my black purse, and my black, charred heart. Today is Ryan’s wake, and tomorrow is the funeral. His family wanted to wait until the season ended to arrange services so there would be more availability. The flight here did not feel real in any circumstance. God, I wish I could’ve boarded that plane with better reason.

I’ve been to my fair share of wakes and funerals. Actually, that’s a lie. Probably only 2 each. It’s because I’ve never experienced that much death in my life, that much mourning. Not until today. I mean, what are you supposed to converse about with people besides the dead body in front of you? Oh, I forgot. Ryan will be in an open casket. That just makes me even more terrified. I know that reaction is not going to go over well. Luckily, the wake is going to be broken up into groups of people so that the room is not completely bombarded, with family and close friends given the first look.

I never mentioned how terrible my sleep schedule has been these past few weeks. I’m going to bed around midnight, some nights close to 3:00AM, because all I can think about is him. His laugh. His voice. His hands and how they’d gently interlock with mine or hold my face. His continuous yet ridiculous rants. Fucking everything about him. I still can’t shake it. It doesn’t help that I’m living with another man.

Living with Jimmy has not been incredibly challenging. We don’t tend to speak much throughout the day. He knows I want to stay grounded in my solitude, but he always says he’s here if I need him. The sentiment is appreciated, but he needs to stop thinking I’m gonna fall apart in one motion. That already happened. It’s just disintegrating a lot slower than I thought it would. I pass the time by sitting out on the private balcony in my room. Listening to the city sounds somewhat helps, and I can get some fresh air. Maybe look for him in the sky. I haven’t found an earthly sign that he’s trying to communicate with me yet, but I’ll be damned to find one.

The car ride to the wake can be described using my favorite word: quiet. The two of us are sitting in the front of a rental Mercedes Benz, and I gotta say that this car is incredibly sleek. The seats are comfortable, there’s a lot of space, and it’s fast. It’s really cool, to be honest with you. Jimmy’s driving, again, because when does he not in this case? I don’t think he seems to mind it. He’s wearing a light blue button down and black dress pants with matching shoes. He’s gently holding onto the wheel as if he makes too abrupt of a movement, he’s gonna ruin the car somehow. Another thing that I can finally enjoy about the silence is that he’s stopped giving me those secret glances. I think he’s taken the long-awaited hint. For a man with a Harvard degree, you’d think he’d pick up on it faster.

We pull into the funeral home parking lot and back in to a reserved spot. The car gets put in park and Jimmy leans back in his seat, unbuckling his seatbelt before letting out a quick sigh. I see him look up at the moonroof and then back down at the wheel. I shift in my seat to look at him. His face is flushed and his right hand is shaking in its place on the overhead compartment.

“What is it?” I say quietly. I don’t want to freak him out. I already know he is.

He lets out another sigh, only this time it’s ragged. “It’s just a lot,” he breathes.

Now it’s my turn to give him my best puppy dog eyes. “I know,” I reply. “We can stay here for a few minutes. It doesn’t officially start till 1 anyway.”

“Y-Yeah, yeah, that’d be good,” he says, reaching into the cupholder to retrieve his water. I watch him open the cap and swallow 4 times before putting it back on. He’s nervous. But he’s acted so calm prior.

I stare out the main window. It’s been drizzling on and off so far today. I guess Mother Nature really wants to bring the appropriate weather on this type of occasion. At least it’s not pouring, or thundering, or anything like that. I would hate for the sky to have a meltdown today. I’d rather have it come in waves. Slow progression can still anticipate the worst.

I notice strangers making their way into the entrance of the funeral home. That’s when it starts to feel real. They don’t look familiar to me in any way. For all I know, they’re friends and extended family of Ryan’s that I never got the chance to meet, though he talked about them to no end. It was nice being able to hear about people in his life. I guess they meant a lot to him too.

I hear the engine turn off before Jimmy lightly taps my elbow, causing me to flinch. “Sorry,” he says in some form of a hushed whisper.

“It’s okay,” I mutter.

“You ready to go?” he responds.

“Not really,” I reply, “but I don’t think I’ll ever be.”

Jimmy opens up the drivers side door, so I take it as a sign to open up mine. I shut it behind me and he locks the Benz before we walk across the parking lot. The chill in the air did not help my nerves. In fact, it only made my heart feel colder. Currently, there’s no light that would bring it back to life.

He opens the door and lets me go in front of him before shutting it. We make our way to the reception area where we sign in. We’re gestured to a smaller room, I guess to wait in, before we actually go see Ryan. With the exception of Ryan’s family, they’ve only limited 8 guests at a time with 20-25 minute intervals. Given how many doors were closed, we’d be waiting a little while.

Of course the room we walked into was where the team stood, Lavi, the rest of the coaching staff, the equipment manager, everybody. I gotta say, they did a good job at organizing who goes in each room. I would rather be in a room full of familiarity than mystery.

My heart wrenches seeing the team. I haven’t seen them since my birthday celebration. I never ended up going to the mandatory team meetings, never responded in the group chat, never reached out individually. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. But now I’m faced with those incorrect choices when they all stop and look at me.

“Hi,” I say meekly. “It’s, uh, it’s good to see all of you. Sorry I haven’t contacted any of you until now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lavi replies. “We’re just glad everyone’s here together.”

I nod. “Yeah, uh, me too. Do we know how long until we go in?”

“There’s three rooms of Ryan’s friends and family ahead of us, so I’d say about an hour,” Chris says. “We tried getting in one of those rooms, but I guess they’re putting family first.”

I scoff. “We’re his family,” I mutter. “Bullshit.”

I make my way to an unoccupied chair over near the bar area and sit down to rest my already aching feet. I gotta say the rooms were set up really nicely. There were couches and chairs and a mini TV with a little fridge. It was spacious, but with everyone crammed in this room, I felt claustrophobic. I take a deep breath to control my bubbling frustration.

Quickly, everyone forms little groups to converse with. Yet, here I am on the outside looking in. I don’t think they’re avoiding me intently, more just giving me space. Again, I respect it, but it’s not like I’m gonna throw a hissy fit in this very moment. Or maybe it’s because they’ll know I won’t want to talk. So I pass the time fidgeting with my bracelet. Yeah, I chose to wear it. I guess I can see the ‘R’ as a reminder that he’ll always be linked to me in some sort of way, even if it’s no longer physical.

I watch Jimmy caught up in a conversation with Vinny and Laffy. He seems a lot more relaxed now. His face has returned to a normal color and his hands stopped shaking. Instead, they’re just swaying at his sides. I notice his watch reflect onto the ceiling light. He cracks that tight-lipped smile. It’s crooked, and it’s awkward, but it’s what makes him, well, him. It eases me to know he doesn’t feel restricted the way he did a little bit ago. He doesn’t have anything to release his anxiety, but for all I know, it’s pent-up inside getting ready to burst at any given moment. Jimmy’s always been calm, cool, and collected. There are times where I’ve seen him visibly frustrated and have a little bit of an attitude, but it would last for a short time before he returned to being even-tempered. He’s not the type of guy to yell and raise his voice when he’s upset. You can talk about anything with him and he’ll always listen before responding. He barely interrupts when someone talks and is always looking for a way to help if the person wants it. Sometimes, I really want to pick at his brain, wonder what he thinks, wonder what his true perceptions are of someone. He’s got the words, he’s got the awareness, and he’s got the right way on how to deliver the message. However, I can’t help but think if he has one person that he’s able to talk to about anything and everything. Given the current reality, I’m afraid he’s suppressing himself so that he can be there for others. All I know is that I would not want to be there when, and if, he blows up. I’d be scared.

I keep my distance from him for now. He seems content. I don’t want to disturb it. I feel that I’ve disturbed his life already anyway.

I stand up from the chair and make my way to a more comfortable looking seat, AKA the couch. It’s white with gold specs. It’s really fancy for a funeral home, I must say. I’m afraid to even scuff it up with my shoes, so I refrain from crossing my legs. I just sit there like a frozen statue, waiting for one of my worst nightmares to come true.

Thirty minutes have passed, and conversation is still flowing with the occasional light laughs and quick transition in topics. I’m staring at the door now, waiting for him to walk in, tell everyone it was all a trick and he faked everybody out. I’ll kill him myself before he’d even get the chance to admit it.

#fictional jimmy vesey

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daisiesonafield-blog · 1 year

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Info for Faith In The Future World Tour MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUN 16 2023

With special guests THE SNUTS & ANDREW CUSHIN!

Important Times:

4:00 PM – Parking Opens

5:30 PM - Doors Open

7:00 PM - Andrew Cushin

8:00 PM - The Snuts

9:00 PM - Louis Tomlinson

Times are all approximate and subject to change.

General admission (pit tickets):

The Armory will not allow overnight queueing, but every location in the venue has a great view, so you don’t need to line up extra early. Queueing lines will be formed 2 hours prior to doors.

More from the venue here.

Note: the venue has not been clear about their policy, other than stating fans can line up no earlier than 9am. Keep in mind, this is Louis' policy for GA and queuing for all of FITFWT:

We do not allow camping or overnight parking of any kind.

Guests with General Admission tickets can begin lining up no earlier than 9am on 6/16.

Sequentially numbered wristbands will be given out on a first-come first served basis.

Guests must have a valid ticket for the show to receive a wristband, and All guests must be present to receive wristbands.

Any guest camping overnight or arriving before 9 am will not be given wristbands and be sent to the back of the line.

Guests are encouraged to return at 3pm to queue for General Admission

Security will honor wristbands from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM. After 4:00 PM, guests will join the line on a first come, first served basis

Loss, removal or tampering with a wristband will result in loss of place in the GA line.

Guests are not permitted to hold places in line.

Please be respectful and courteous to all other guests in line.

If you have seats there’s no need to line up!

Subject to change. Check the venue’s socials for updates!

⚠️ HYDRATION REMINDER ⚠️

Hydrate before the show, while waiting in line and during the show

High temperatures expected: wear sunscreen & hydrate!

For optimal hydration drink something with electrolytes such as Gatorade or LiquidIV

Eat well!

Here are important policies:

Parking: The Armory now offers parking IN the venue! Enter off 5th Ave S - Walk right upstairs and directly into the show! Reserve parking in advance here ($40). Parking and public transit info here.

ADA info here and here

Coat check is located in the main lobby and on a first come first serve basis for a maximum of 1,000 coats per event when in season.

Cameras: NO Camera Cases, Cameras without proper media credentials. Disposable cameras are okay in most cases, unless the tour has noted otherwise

NO outside food or beverages

NO smoking

NO alcohol

NO Animals (except service animals)

NO Marijuana or any cannabis products

NO drugs

NO Coolers, umbrellas, strollers

NO Glass, Metal, or Hard Plastic Containers

NO knives, firearms, Brass knuckles, Tasers & mace/pepper spray or weapons of any kind

NO Fireworks

NO Laptops

NO Lawn chairs

NO Selfie sticks

NO Laser Pointers/flashlights

NO Liquids of any kind

There is NO RE-ENTRY!

VIEW VENUE MAP

VIEW SEAT MAP

*This list is not exhaustive. Items not appearing on the list may still be prohibited at the discretion of Security

For more details click here

Bag Policy:

A small purse or bag under 12''x6''x12'' is permitted

Not bringing in a bag will expedite entry for yourself and other patrons.

No camelbacks allowed.

Banners, signs and flag policy:

Posters larger than a standard 8.5" x 11" are not allowed (this is the size of a standard sheet of paper)

Contact:

For additional questions please call the venue at 612-315-3965. You can also access their website. Email: [email protected] Check their twitter here and IG here for updates. Address: Armory, 500 South 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55415

#fitfwt minneapolis #venue policy #venue info

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audiofictionuk · 10 months

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New Fiction Podcasts - 18th November

Sected Audio Drama A British sitcom podcast about four incompetent souls trying to start their own cult. Can you create a new movement with no ideas, no philosophy, and a leader with the charisma of a plastic plant forgotten in a cupboard? They’ll certainly give it a go. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-02 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/sected

The Books of Thoth Audio Drama The god of wisdom holds many books with his great library. Unfurl the papyrus, and breathe in the ancient scent. Come with us as we explore the stories contained within The Books of Thoth. The Books of Thoth is an audio drama anthology podcast. You will explore tales of the past, the future, and even alternate realities. Every book in Thoth’s library has a story to tell. Let’s go find some, shall we? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-01 RSS: https://feeds.redcircle.com/6701d0b5-6b14-4b76-992d-02f391b5cf42

Theater of the Mind Presents: Retribution Audio RPG Retribution is a dark comedy/horror themed DND Podcast, set in our world. Join Melanie Kelly, Elliot Brandybain, Ulnok Vargr Johnson, James O'Brien, and Emory Lee, as they traverse the countryside and fight off evil. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231112-01 RSS: https://pinecast.com/feed/theater-of-the-mind-presents-r

The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen Audio Drama WINNER of BEST AUDIO FICTION at the Tribeca Festival 2023!! Raul's life in Hong Kong is thrown upside down when he discovers he can exchange letters with his favorite author, a woman in Paris who died thirty years ago. A nine part limited series, written and directed by Alex Kemp (The Imperfection, Modes of Thought) and produced by Wolf at the Door Studios. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-01 RSS: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/vwt

Out Cold Audio Drama A spooky anthology series produced by Julie Censullo and Sophie Nikitas. Put on your headphones and turn off your lights. Produced in Minneapolis, MN. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-03 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2260953.rss

An Office Workers Guide to Demon Hunting Audio Drama A new audio drama from Family Friendly Podcast. An Office Worker's Guide to Demon Hunting is a family friendly, comedy audio drama that centers around a team of filing clerks with a few tricks up their sleeves. They're on a mission to close the rifts between their world and the dimension of the demons, known as The Between. They meet some interesting people along the way, including a robot secretary, a demon filing clerk, Wallace, and all Seven Sins.As a family friendly production, this podcast contains no swearing (biblical or otherwise), explicit suggestions, or inappropriate content.This show is suggested for 12+ for mild violence and dark themes. Individual episodes may not be suitable for all ages. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-02 RSS: https://feeds.redcircle.com/f1bd8e19-75c0-412b-812e-b547f462fc6f

Feedback: a comedy of impeccable customer service Audio Drama Aspiring drag queen and Ring Wireless representative Akbar Shahzad (Qasim Khan) has a problem with his ex-boyfriend. Anxious mother Valerie LeVac (Rosemary Dunsmore) has a problem with her phone bill. Over a series of calls their lives will be changed by the brief but meaningful relationship that develops between them. Part mystery, part romantic comedy, Kevin Shea's FEEDBACK uniquely blends audiobook and audio drama to tell this strange, surprising, and darkly hilarious story. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231106-02 RSS: https://rabbit-cobalt-7bz2.squarespace.com/feedbacklistennow?format=rss

D&D: The Campaign Chronicles Audio RPG Join me and my friends as we go on this amazing adventure! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231010-09 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/eae300b8/podcast/rss

Rise of the American Griots Audio Drama When young Black teen, Nani, discovers she holds a gift that connects her to a long line of storytellers descended from her enslaved ancestors, she must quickly adjust to her new position in order to find a cure to an unknown illness rapidly spreading through the Black community. But with time not in her favor, can she rally enough support among new friends to save her family? And her people? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20221010-14 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/bf61636c/podcast/rss

Gnom, unser Audio Book Schräger kann Fantasy nicht sein. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231109-05 RSS: https://www.gugeli.de/feed/mp3/

Vorbereitung Optional | Der Indie-RPG One-Shot Podcast Audio RPG Ein wechselnder Cast von Freunden spielt unterschiedlichste Indie TTRPGs (Pen&Paper Games). Jede Folge ein anderes Spielsystem und eine andere spannende Geschichte! Meistens komplett improvisiert. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231111-03 RSS: https://pod.optional.page/@VorbereitungOptional/feed.xml

The Crime at Camp Ashwood Audio Drama Desperate to finally solve the decades-old cold case of her best friend’s murder, Margot Ingell returns to the scene of the crime. Will the discovery of a long-lost diary reveal the killer, or will the secret forever remain at the bottom of Camp Ashwood’s lake? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231031-14 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e50e5cb4/podcast/rss

Super Duper Boys: A Pathfinder Podcast Audio RPG Five idiots in a basement, four heroes save the world! We play pretend so you don’t have to. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-02 RSS: https://sdbpod.com/@sdb/feed.xml

Soul Operator Audio RPG Soul Operator is a multi-genre, multi-season podcast that can be described as an actual play-narrative fusion. The podcast was created with the intention of highlighting amazing solo ttrpgs that exist in the space by presenting their gameplay as a fleshed out story. Follow Tessa Whitlock as she navigates these strange new worlds, for better or for worse. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231110-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/7d820014/podcast/rss

#audio fiction #fiction podcast

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eckswizi · 2 years

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For those of us out there who long for good rapid transit and walkable cities in car-centric North America, it can be really easy to doomscroll and it can seem that America is completely incapable of divorcing itself from car culture. But I want to let you all know: right now, at the end of 2022, it’s a great time for rapid transit. So much new construction is going on as we speak, and many new projects are almost finished. I want to go through some of the new projects that have opened over the past 12 months, or will open sometime in the next 12 months, and I want to remind you all that good transit is possible, and is becoming more of a reality with each passing day.

Here’s the most significant new construction from the past year:

The DC Metro finally opened Phase 2 of the Silver Line extension, a long awaited line that extends the DC Metro into a well populated part of Virginia. Additionally, the extension has a station at Dulles International Airport, one of the most major airports in the country.

The Los Angeles Metro opened the first half of the new Crenshaw Line (aka the K line), adding a whole new line and 6 new stations (7, counting the new lower level at the existing Expo/Crenshaw station). The new K line returns service to an area of Los Angeles that had not seen passenger rail service in several decades. The second half of the extension is still under construction, and will connect the K line to the existing C Line as well as LAX.

San Francisco’s MUNI Metro, the system that operates SFs light rail, trolley, and cable car systems, opened their brand new Central Subway. The Central Subway travels roughly North-South through the heart of the city, perpendicular to the existing Market Street Subway. The new subway line will provide service to the densely populated but underserved Chinatown neighborhood, among others.

A whole new system opened this year! Honolulu just opened the Honolulu Rail Transit, operated by the HART, is the first major rail rapid transit in the US to feature platform screen doors and driverless trains.

The MBTA (Boston) just opened the final phase of their Green Line Extension! The GLX, as it is called, brings rapid transit service to the heart of the densely populated town of Somerville, MA. 7 new stations opened as a result of the extension, with one station being rebuilt entirely!

During the summer, Amtrak extended its Ethan Allen Express route to Burlington, Vermont, with two stations in between. The extension returned intercity rail service to Burlington Union Station and the heart of the city for the first time in about 50 years!

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR; NYC), North American’s busiest regional rail system, completed a project which improved its mainline by adding a third track. The third track is a much needed improvement that allows for more efficient and frequent train operation on a heavily used corridor.

Tempe, Arizona opened a downtown streetcar earlier in the year. The line goes around downtown, and makes the city center more easily walkable, as well connecting to the Phoenix Valley Metro.

Minneapolis opened their new D Line BRT service, a rapid bus service that is but a small part of a massive ongoing transit plan for the Twin Cities

Chicago opened a new flyover junction for the Brown Line, which will speed up and improve service on the Brown, Red, & Purple Lines

Upcoming

A whole new system is opening soon! Honolulu, Hawaii is soon to open the first phase of their new driverless elevated rapid transit. It will be the first non-tourist passenger rail in the state in several decades!

The LIRR will soon open a massive new underground line that allows trains to access Grand Central Terminal in the heart of Manhattan. The new terminal will also relieve pressure from the over crowded Penn Station.

The NYC Subway (MTA) has received its first shipments of its new R211 subway trains, which will be a much needed new fleet of modern rolling stock. The new trains will fill the gap left by the retirement of the 59 year old R32s. Additionally, the MTA also received several sets of the R211T, a variation on the R211 which includes an open gangway between subway cars, like an accordion/bendy-bus.

Seattle’s Link Rapid Transit is currently making major progress on several new extensions, with most of them estimated to open around 2024. The existing line will be extended in both directions. Additionally, the existing line will be complimented by a second line! There will be a total of nineteen (19!!!) new stations, as well as six (6) new stations on the Tacoma Streetcar!

CalTrain, a commuter/regional rail system that serves the San Francisco peninsula, is electrifying their system. When completed, it will bring faster, quieter, and more eco-friendly rail service to the SF Peninsula. Ignoring rapid transit, CalTrain will host the first electrified main line passenger trains to operate west of the Mississippi in several decades.

The TTC (Toronto) is currently making huge progress on their newest train line, the Line 5 Eglinton. It is a brand new light rail line that will have 24 stations along Eglinton Ave in Toronto, and will have connections to the Line 1, Line 2, and Line 3.

The TTC is also constructing the Line 6 Finch, another brand new light rail line north of Toronto! It will run west from the Line 1 along Finch Ave, and will have 18 new stations!

Montreal’s new REM (Réseau express métropolitain / Metropolitan Express Network) is almost ready to open its first phase! The REM is a new light metro line that has one line and three branches, with twenty-six (26!!!) new stations. The line will connect downtown to the airport and several major suburbs.

The MBTA is currently constructing a new commuter rail line that, on two branches, will provide service to Fall River and New Bedford, two notable cities on the south coast of Massachusetts.

Vancouver’s Skytrain is currently working on a massive new expansion of their Millenium Line to travel west and serve a densely populated but previously underserved section of the city.

The LA Metro is currently working on a new subway tunnel through downtown that will connect the A, E, and L lines. When the project is completed, the E and L will be merged into one line.

Mexico City is currently constructing a new commuter train to traverse the heavily traveled corridor between Mexico City and Toluca.

Construction is currently ongoing for the Southwest LRT Line in Minneapolis, a large extension to the currently underserved southwestern parts of the Twin Cities

Calgary is currently most of the way through construction on their new Green Line, which will be the third Light Rail line to serve the region.

Ottawa’s Trillium Line is currently closed for modernization and is expected to reopen this year

Chicago has an ongoing project to overhaul the infrastructure on the aging Red and Purple Lines

Additionally, there have been *countless* new stations constructed and a multitude of other minor construction projects that will have some major effects. Here’s some highlights:

The SEPTA (Philadelphia) added Wawa station to its regional rail system

The MBTA is currently most of the way through construction on a new station to serve the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

In the fall, the LIRR opened a new station called Elmont-UBS Arena

NYC Ferry established a new service to Coney Island

A new platform at Baltimore Penn Station

Much, much more

Lastly, let’s not forget the fact that a massive number of new transit lines and rail extensions have opened over the past few years, including major openings all over the country. I’ve definitely forgot something, and the fact that I have is because there is so much that has come out of 2022. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. From where we are, rail transport and public transit in North America is only going to improve, and I can’t wait.

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reasoningdaily · 2 years

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The Hill: Congressional Black Caucus invites families impacted by police violence to State of the Union

RowVaughn Wells cries as she and her husband Rodney Wells attend the funeral service for her son Tyre Nichols at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Nichols died following a brutal beating by Memphis police after a traffic stop. (Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP, Pool)

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) have invited families that have lost loved ones at the hands of police to be their guests at President Biden’s State of the Union on Tuesday.

The parents and siblings of George Floyd, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Ronald Greene and others will join members of the caucus, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), on Capitol Hill Tuesday night.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, will attend the speech as guests of Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), who is chairman of the CBC. They will sit in first lady Jill Biden’s box during the speech, according to theGrio.

theGrio also reported that Horsford will hold a closed-door roundtable with CBC members and the families so elected leaders can “hear directly from those constituents who…have been impacted by policing in America.”

The caucus met with Biden last week to discuss the need for police reform after harrowing video footage showed Nichols beaten by five police officers in Memphis.

“My hope is this dark memory [of Nichols’s death] spurs some action that we’ve all been fighting for,” Biden told the CBC members.

“We got to stay at it, as long as it takes,” he added.

Caucus members and Democrats in both chambers have called for police reform since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., in 2020.

Their legislation, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, has stalled in Congress. In addition to banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, the bill would end qualified immunity and prohibit racial and religious profiling by law enforcement officers.

But Republicans argue the bill goes too far, and though Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) is expected to reintroduce the bill with an added “Tyre Nichols Duty to Intervene” amendment after the State of the Union address, it’s unlikely to move forward in a GOP-controlled House.

“The death of Tyre Nichols is yet another example of why we need action,” Horsford told Biden in the meeting last week. “You’ve already led on the action we’ve been able to take on executive order. We need your help on legislative action to…make public safety the priority.”

#CBC #Congressional Black Caucus invites families impacted by police violence to State of the Union #Black People Murdered By Cops #end qualified immunity

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emdcleaningservices8 · 1 year

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EMD Cleaning Services

Minneapolis Janitorial Services

Minneapolis janitorial services are available to both businesses and individuals who want to keep their work environments sparkling clean. These services use high-quality cleaning products and equipment to help eliminate germs and bacteria. They can also increase productivity and cost-effectiveness in your office.

A well-maintained space makes for a happier, healthier workplace. They can also improve your corporate image and enhance customer service.

commercial cleaning services Minneapolis The best way to find the best janitorial services in your area is to ask around. Your friends and family might have used a company that they liked and can recommend them to you. You can also search for janitorial services by visiting local business directories or searching online.

Janitorial Services That Are the Biggest Medical Facility Cleaning Mover:

The best janitorial services in your area will provide you with a full suite of floor care options, including waxing floors and vacuuming and mopping carpets. They will also sanitize surfaces that are more likely to be exposed to dirt and germs, such as door handles and exam tables.

They will also take care of all your bathrooms, including toilets and urinals, sinks and countertops. This is a very important part of any office, as it can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. They will also wipe down your phones and computers to remove any dust or germs that might be on them. They can also clean up your breakroom, as this area is often the most dirty in your office.

Contact us: EMD Cleaning Services Address: 1326 Helmo Ave N, Saint Paul, MN 55128 Phone no: (612) 202-3696 Email: [email protected]

youtube

#Youtube

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aagaragedoor1 · 4 months

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Expert Garage Door Repair in Burnsville, MN - AA Garage Door Repair

Is your garage door in Burnsville, MN in need of repair? AA Garage Door Repair is here to help. Our team of experts specializes in garage door repair services, including fixing broken springs, malfunctioning openers, and any other issues you may be facing. We understand the importance of a properly functioning garage door, and we strive to provide prompt and efficient repairs to ensure your convenience and safety. Trust us to get your garage door back on track in no time.

Visit- https://www.aagaragedoor.com/

Call Now- (651) 702-1420

#garage door fix near me #garage repair door minneapolis mn #garage door repair services near me #garage door repair st. paul mn

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superiorgaragedoorminneapolis · 2 years

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Superior Garage Door Repair - Minneapolis

Address

1405 Lilac Dr N #160B, Minneapolis, MN 55422

Phone

(612) 999-1228

[email protected]

Website

Superior Garage Door Repair Provides Garage Door Repair And Services in Minneapolis And The Surrounding Cities. We Provide Ultimate Garage Doors Solutions From Residential and Commercial. we repair garage door springs, garage door openers, cables, drums, tracks, ETC. Superior Garage Door also provides with 21 point Inspection and Yearly Lube And Tune. Book with us Today and we will guarantee a Superior Service

Category: Garage Doors

No. of employees 5-9

Bus. hrs/day

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Social Media Profiles urls

Youtube

Googlemaps

Facebook

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customdoorsales · 5 days

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Elevate Your Minneapolis Home with Custom Overhead Doors from Custom Door Sales

When it comes to enhancing the curb appeal and functionality of your Minneapolis home, one element that often gets overlooked is the overhead garage door. More than just a functional feature, a well-designed garage door can be the finishing touch that elevates the aesthetics of your entire property. At Custom Door Sales, we specialize in offering breathtaking overhead doors that combine innovative design with unparalleled personalization and craftsmanship. Discover why upgrading your garage door with us is a smart and stylish choice for any homeowner.

The Importance of a High-Quality Overhead Door

Garage doors are one of the most frequently used elements in any household, but they are often treated as an afterthought when it comes to home improvement. However, the importance of having a high-quality garage door extends beyond aesthetics. Here’s why investing in a custom overhead door from Custom Door Sales is a great decision:

Boosts Curb Appeal: A new overhead door can dramatically transform the exterior of your home, making it look more modern, elegant, or rustic depending on your preferences.

Increases Property Value: Custom garage doors are a sought-after feature that can add substantial value to your home when it comes time to sell.

Enhanced Security: A well-constructed, durable overhead door adds an additional layer of security to your home, deterring potential intruders.

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Unparalleled Personalization Options

At Custom Door Sales, we understand that every homeowner has a unique vision for their home. That’s why we offer extensive personalization options to ensure your garage door perfectly matches your style and functional needs. Whether you prefer a modern design, a classic look, or something more industrial, we have the capability to make your vision a reality.

Material Choices

Choose from a variety of premium materials to create the perfect garage door for your Minneapolis home. From classic wood to sturdy steel, aluminum, or even glass, you’ll find options that not only complement your home’s architecture but also withstand minnesota commercial overhead doors for sale harsh weather conditions. Our materials are sourced from trusted suppliers to guarantee durability and lasting beauty.

Design and Color Customization

We offer an extensive range of design styles and color options, allowing you to create a door that is uniquely yours. Opt for sleek, contemporary panels or go for something more traditional with ornate detailing and custom windows. Whether you want to make a bold statement or have a door that seamlessly blends with your home’s exterior, we have the color palette and design versatility to meet your expectations.

Insulation and Efficiency

Our overhead doors come with optional insulation to improve energy efficiency and reduce noise pollution. Insulated doors are especially beneficial for those who use their garage as a workshop, gym, or storage space, as they help maintain comfortable temperatures and cut down on energy costs.

Superior Craftsmanship for Lasting Performance

Quality is at the heart of everything we do at Custom Door Sales. We take pride in offering products that are not only visually stunning but also built to last. Each overhead door is meticulously crafted by experienced professionals who are passionate about their work. Our doors are constructed using the finest materials and advanced engineering techniques, ensuring they operate smoothly for years to come.

In addition to our exceptional products, we provide professional installation services to guarantee your garage door is set up perfectly and operates safely. A poorly installed garage door can lead to a host of issues, from malfunctioning parts to safety risks. With Custom Door Sales, you can trust that your new overhead door will be installed by certified technicians who adhere to the highest standards of workmanship.

The Benefits of Partnering with Custom Door Sales

Why choose Custom Door Sales for your new garage door? Here’s what sets us apart from the competition:

Decades of Experience: With years of experience serving minneapolis overhead doors and the surrounding areas, we have a deep understanding of the needs and preferences of local homeowners.

Commitment to Customer Satisfaction: Our team is dedicated to ensuring you’re completely satisfied with your new garage door. From the initial consultation to installation and aftercare, we’re with you every step of the way.

Competitive Pricing: Despite offering high-end customization and superior quality, we strive to keep our prices competitive, ensuring you get the best value for your investment.

Warranty Protection: All of our overhead doors come with warranties, giving you peace of mind that your investment is protected.

Transform Your Minneapolis Home Today

Upgrading to a custom overhead garage door from Custom Door Sales is a simple yet powerful way to enhance the beauty, security, and efficiency of your home. Our extensive customization options, superior craftsmanship, and commitment to quality make us the go-to choice for homeowners looking to make a lasting impact.

Visit Custom Door Sales today to explore our selection of overhead doors and discover how we can help you create a stunning focal point for your Minneapolis home. Indulge in unparalleled personalization choices, top-notch craftsmanship, and a door that truly reflects your style.

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