#How to Cancel One Flight Ticket Out of Two with Delta

[pashterlengkap]

Pete Buttigieg investigates 4 biggest airlines for “unfair or deceptive” rewards programs

Out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has launched a Department of Transportation (DOT) inquiry into the frequent flier rewards programs of the four largest U.S. airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. The inquiry has asked the airlines for detailed information so that the DOT can examine how participating consumers are “impacted by the devaluation of earned rewards, hidden or dynamic pricing, extra fees, and reduced competition and choice,” the DOT wrote in a statement. Related 10 times Pete Buttigieg proved he is a great Transportation Secretary Pete’s tenure has been marked by significant achievements and innovative leadership. While the DOT is investigating and can take action against airlines for unfair or deceptive business practices, the DOT hasn’t accused any of the aforementioned airlines of such dealings. Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today “Points systems like frequent flyer miles and credit card rewards have become such a meaningful part of our economy that many Americans view their rewards points balances as part of their savings. These programs bring real value to consumers, with families often counting on airline rewards to fund a vacation or to pay for a trip to visit loved ones,” Buttigieg said. “But unlike a traditional savings account, these rewards are controlled by a company that can unilaterally change their value. Our goal is to ensure consumers are getting the value that was promised to them, which means validating that these programs are transparent and fair.” Airline rewards programs typically reward customers who frequently use a particular airline or make purchases with an airline-branded credit card. These earned “miles” or “points” can typically be redeemed for free or discounted travel, upgrades, airport lounge access or third-party goods and services. The problem with such programs is that airlines can impose new restrictions, like blackout and expiration dates, additional purchase requirements, and other limitations on who can redeem the rewards, how and when. Airlines can also devalue the rewards systems — essentially requiring consumers to pay more or receive less for their earned benefits — or also tack on extra fees for redeeming them. Similar changes can also affect many consumers when airlines merge, causing two different rewards programs to combine into a single new system. As part of the DOT’s inquiry, it has asked airlines to describe any changes to its rewards programs over the last six years, the average dollar value of each program’s accrued points or miles, and a side-by-side comparison of any customer fees compared to business costs that the airlines use the fees to cover. This isn’t the first time that the DOT has examined airline practices under Buttigieg. In April, the DOT began requiring airlines to disclose extra costs for baggage, canceling tickets as well as for canceled or severely delayed flights. Last December, the DOT) secured enforceable commitments from the 10 largest U.S. airlines to cover travelers expenses for things like rebooking, meals and other costs connected to flight delays and cancellations. In November 2022, the DOT required six airlines to pay $600 million in refunds to “hundreds of thousands of customers who had been denied them.” http://dlvr.it/TCtLdr

[writtenbynath]

Memories of Charmed in chronological order

There's an outage that disrupts air traffic and my flight to Baltimore is cancelled. I spend a frantic half an hour in a queue for the Delta ticketing desk before I get a boarding pass for a plane to DC. Luckily, a friend also arrives at DC later that day and we make it to the hotel together.

My new submissive partner welcomes me at the hotel and helps me get settled into my room. She has been aching to see me and I shove her against the wall and step on her until we are both satisfied.

I meet a partner I've missed dearly for breakfast before I go down to the registration desk to get my con badge.

Two partners of mine are having a scene together and I have obtained a room key along with consent to join them. When I enter, he declares that he has prepared my new toy. She is tranced out, vacantly echoing words from either me or him back as we hypnotise her and tease her. I inspect her and give my seal of approval, but neither of them are allowed to cum. This scene sets a wonderful tone for our dynamic the rest of the weekend.

A switchy partner of mine has agreed to top me in a scene centred on making me comfortable enough to do some things I would normally be too ashamed to do. It's a gentle scene with praise kink and it makes me blissfully happy, so much that I switch around and top him in a way that he has often fantasised about. This is scene is easily the hottest one of the entire weekend, because it satisfies fantasies we have both cherished for a long time.

Baron takes me to the Cheesecake factory for the first time in my life and it's amazing.

A partner and I meet in my room for a scene. At first we fuck around a little with an amnesia trigger and a trigger that makes him crumple to the floor. Then we transition into a scene where I put him in hypnotic bondage and torture him with overwhelming pleasure, demanding to know what he will do for me, what he will give me to make it stop. Spontaneously, he lapses into a deep submissive trance, giving me his mind in exchange for making the torture stop. I won't easily forget the image of him mindlessly muttering the same two words over and over at the end.

The first class I taught was a lecture entitled "WTF is consent anyway?" and a number of people I am close with as well as people from the ConCom showed up to listen. It was the first time I taught a hybrid online and offline class, and I was impressed by how they made the tech work. One man in the live audience asked difficult questions and some people feared that he would dominate the class, but it turned out that he learned something important! He did corner me after the class with more questions, luckily a partner came to my rescue.

I witnessed only one of the classes taught by Psy, Kiwi and Moonie (they did many more together this weekend) and it was beautiful and hot. These three are amazing to watch together.

My friend Camden Dawn taught a class on using Presence in a scene and I'm so proud of her! It was great.

I teach a class with many demos which I've called On the Spot, in which I teach how to make up an induction on the spot, through active listening and utilisation. A friend was my first volunteer, which gave me the right warm-up to get over my nerves. I proceeded to show off several flawlessly improvised inductions and with the help of Daja's notes we explained why they worked so well. The last demo was exceptionally challenging to me, but no less successful. Wiseguy was in the audience and as he grinned at me after the class, for an instant I saw it. I saw how proud he was of me, how brilliant he and Daja think I am. That glow of victory will stay with me for a long time.

I had a wonderful date with a submissive partner to whom I showed my new vampire claws and we did a little chloroform play. We spent a long time cuddling together on the bed, and it made me think two words: supremely happy.

Psy and I ran the Zombie game together and it reminded me of several things:

-this game is hilarious

-it's easy to get tired after a few rounds of it

-I can run it by myself, but I need some backup because it's very overwhelming.

A long-awaited date with my new submissive partner. I took on my succubus persona to grapple her and fuck her with my tentacles. It was everything we hoped for and more…

After months of not seeing each other and hardly playing online, a switchy partner and I felt so close that words seemed unnecessary. We impatiently jumped each other's bones and it resulted in hurried sex, which I rarely do. Afterwards, we agreed to spend more time and attention next time.

During my class for bottoms How To Get Hypnotized, I invited my friend Glitter to sit on the front row and throw sass at me to challenge me. I have given this talk a few times and I feared it would get stale. Glitter gave me a safeword I could use to shut her up if the sass got too much, but I didn't need it. She agreed with me most of the time, and after the class I received a message from a friend that he could listen to me talk for hours on end.

A scene with a submissive partner in which I made him helpless and horny in all the ways he craved. We had not played together for a whole year but it was like nothing ever changed. Old triggers still worked.

Spontaneously, I found myself in a room together with a play partner and his roommate who I had been flirting with a lot. Everyone got a turn to get hypnotised and tops came off so we could touch and admire each other's nipples. Hours went by so fast and we had so much fun.

A play partner and I retired to my room and talked and talked until the wee hours of the morning.

A submissive partner came to perform a morning ritual in which we showered together, got dressed and she blacked my boots.

Two friends invited me back to their room for a private lesson in hypnotic inductions. One was delighted to be hypnotised by someone who hadn't learned it from her, and her partner was grateful to watch and take notes.

I organised a small lesbian vampire hangout in my room where we could take off our masks and bite willing victims.

I had a scene with a friend in my room. She vented to me about why she was not having a good time and I gently tranced her.

A submissive partner crawled into bed with me so we could talk and cuddle until we fell asleep. In the morning, a mutual partner came to our room to play a little before he had to leave. We work so well together, it made us all so happy.

While other people were packing, I sat on a bed in a corner with a partner and tranced her until she was dripping wet. Her eyes are so beautiful and I really want to spend more time with her next con.

During the trip home, I make notes about all these wonderful memories and I start planning things for Beguiled.

[nostalgic-pancakes]

you look bizarre, in the apricot

Summary: Thomas Sanders and Nico Flores VS The Town of Night Vale: An Epistolary from the outside.

Pairings: Pintoverts, Cecilos and Gen friendships otherwise

Read on AO3

Word count: 976

Warnings: Unreality, reality being really weird, sparsely described body horror. I am not as good of a surrealism writer as Min, this is my first foray even remotely into the genre, but I hope to make more stuff like this sometime! Stay Safe

Other notes: For Min! hope you enjoy <3

Tagged: @sometimes-love-is-enough

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Joan: u there yet?

Me (15:03): yes!! Sending a photo real quick

Me: (IMAGE.png)

[Image description: Thomas and Nico, both fairly suntanned, facing the camera with some parts of their faces awkwardly cropped off. However, it’s easy to see that they are both grinning wildly in front of a new house, reminiscent of fifties suburbia behind them, with a small pile of boxes near the door.]

Me (15:94): we’re gonna be unpacking now

Me (15:94): byeeeeee!!

Joan: Wait what’s up with your clock thing?

Me (15:95): dunno looks fine to me

Joan: yea prolly a glitch

Joan: see ya

…

Google Search History:

What foods cause hallucinations? Should you listen to hallucinations? Should you listen to hallucinations of fictional characters you created? Should you listen to hallucinations trying to help you? Why are writing objects banned in night vale Why does internet explorer work better in night vale Internet freaking explorer why Night vale Night vale news What is wrong with night vale What are the secret police

delete history?

...

“And now: Traffic.

Today on traffic, as we can see, the formerly fictitious aspects of a newcomer’s personality, Mr. Thomas Foley Sanders are currently running amok, amongst the many vehicles in today’s commute. However, Thomas is a rare case of someone who has enough internal strife that he feels the need to regularly bring out his aspects. For the rest of us, we either live in blissful, absolute ignorance, or neverending guilt.

Props to Mr. Sanders for trying to find his way through the deceptive caverns of the conscious and subconscious mind, but I would really rather get into our real traffic report, instead of talking about the state of vehicles in the city. This is boooooooring!”

...

Call history:

Joan Sticks (45:15) Tally (28:10) Nico my beloved (10:59) Joan Sticks (10:12) Joan Sticks (1:19:34) Nico my beloved (11:102) Carlos ? (???) Carlos The Scientist Palmer (???) Carlos The Scientist Palmer (???) Cecil Palmer (???) Cecil Palmer (???) Cecil Palmer (???) Nico my beloved (???) Patton (???) Logan (???) Virgil (???) Roman (???) Janus (+Remus) (???)

…

Group Chatroom with: Joan Sticks, Tallycat, Nico my beloved

Nico: @Joan @Tallycat I think something’s wrong with this town

Me: yes why is there a secret police

Me: why

Me: frickin w h y

Me: and the sides? Real

Me: i have pictures!! Evidence!!

Me: [IMAGE.png] [IMAGE2.png]

[Image Description 1: the sides and Thomas in a large cuddle pile. They are toppled together and making obvious contact, with fabric becoming creased under contact points.]

[Image Description 2: The Sides, Nico and Thomas are cooking together. It is going badly.]

…

EXISTENTIAL CRISES! | Sanders Sides

“And for today’s sponsor, we have a minor switch! Today we are sponsored by Big Rico’s Pizza!” says Thomas, a bunch of pixels on hundreds of thousands of screens.

“Now in two more flavors- one with vegan pepperoni and cheese, for anyone to enjoy, and of course, for all our eternal scouts, void. Simply void .Nobody does a slice like Big Rico’s! No one.” Thomas seems surprised at his own nonchalance at what he’s saying, but he gets a thumbs up from a hand just barely in camera view, and continues.

“Anyways- go to the checkout, enter the promo code thomassandersAAAAAAA and order some Big Rico’s Pizza today! Now, on to the episode”

Comments (3,030)

CosmicAce 1991 Why is the last thing on Thomas’s twitter from a month ago and WHY IS THIS VIDEO SIX MONTHS LATE?

Berry-Blast Ngl love the hugging- care to share a process reel? Aren’t Joan and Talyn too far away to work on this anymore? Let's Go Ghost When are we getting a new cartoon therapy?

Patton-Patoff WHERE ARE THE CORNERS?? THIS DOES NOT WORK WITH GREENSCREEN?? HOW DID THEY JUST… DO ANYTHING IN THIS VIDEO??

Minute Where is the checkout? Can’t find it. Also hi nico!

Cecil Jaws Stan All hail the glow cloud

DreadfulZombie19 These existential crises are… uncomfortable to say the least. Thank you for at least adding trigger warnings. Speaking of which, where are the SVS redux epilepsy warnings?

…

Google Search History for: Joan Stokes

Plane tickets to night vale Plane tickets to night vale, usa Which state is night vale in Where is night vale Driving map to night vale What is a delta airlines flight 27 Why is my friend from night vale acting so weird Night vale radio How to get friend out of night vale

…

Sanders Jaws! @ThomasSanders

Video is going to be delayed by about a week- Tuesday got cancelled, you see. No worries! As soon as it’s back, there will be a new Cartoon Therapy!

Replies

Min-Ding-Ding-Ding @arealsword Hope Tuesday’s doing alright

I really like flowers @sodoroses

What is actually going on is Thomas okay what is happening

…

Using Gravity Falls to cope with strange events in life! | Cartoon Therapy

Comments (1,048)

Minerva

Dang wonder what’s been going on.

…

Call transcript: Thomas Sanders, Joan Sticks, Nico my Beloved (xx:xx:xx)

“But here’s the thing- it used to be really scary-”

“Terrifying.”

“Yeah, but now? I guess we just have an all-powerful glow cloud (all hail) on the school board.”

“And we also have a sentient hand as my swimming coach. She’s cool.”

“How- How are you so cool with all this?”

“Stockholm syndrome?”

“I mean, the sides are real people here, so I get to have my crises off camera for once, which is nice.”

“Joan!!!” “Joan!” “Joan <3”

“One sec guys, I’ll give you the phone in a minute!”

“Okayyyyy” “How did Roman pull off pronouncing the heart emoticon?”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Well, if you’re happy…”

“Don’t worry too much about us, buddy. We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah! Carlos and I are going to be at a Slap-Poetry contest against Thomas and Cecil!”

“Mmhm. Well, goodnight then. Love you both.”

“Love you too!”

“Yeah! Love you too, Joan!”

[newstfionline]

Friday, July 30, 2021

Alaskan coast 8.2 magnitude earthquake was the strongest one in decades, official says (CNN) The 8.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off Alaska’s coast Wednesday night was the strongest one since 1964, an official told CNN. The very strong quake was located about 56 miles (91 kilometers) east southeast of Perryville, Alaska, and happened around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said. “This event was felt throughout the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak,” according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.

Homes lose water as wells run dry in drought-ravaged basin MALIN, Ore. (AP) Judy and Jim Shanks know the exact date their home’s well went dry—June 24. Since then, their life has been an endless cycle of imposing on relatives for showers and laundry, hauling water to feed a small herd of cattle and desperately waiting for a local well-drilling company to make it to their name on a monthslong wait list. The couple’s well is among potentially hundreds that have dried up in recent weeks in an area near the Oregon-California border suffering through a historic drought, leaving homes with no running water just a few months after the federal government shut off irrigation to hundreds of the region’s farmers for the first time ever. Officials have formal reports of 117 empty wells but suspect more than 300 have gone dry in the past few weeks as the consequences of the Klamath River basin’s water scarcity extend far beyond farmers’ fields. Worried homeowners face waits of six months or more to get new, deeper wells dug because of the surging demand, with no guarantee that those wells, too, won’t ultimately go dry. While much of the West is experiencing exceptional drought conditions, the toll on everyday life is particularly stark in this region filled with flat vistas of sprawling alfalfa and potato fields and normally teeming wetlands.

Biden orders tough new vaccination rules for federal government (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday announced sweeping new pandemic requirements for millions of federal workers. Federal workers will be required to attest they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus or else face mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing and other new rules. The newly strict guidelines are aimed at boosting sluggish vaccination rates among the four million Americans who draw federal paychecks and to set an example for private employers around the country. The administration encouraged businesses to follow its lead on incentivizing vaccinations by imposing burdens on the unvaccinated. Rather than mandating that federal workers receive vaccines, the plan will make life more difficult for those who are unvaccinated to encourage them to comply. Biden also directed the Defense Department to look into adding the COVID-19 shot to its list of required vaccinations for members of the military. And he has directed his team to take steps to apply similar requirements to all federal contractors. Biden also urged state and local governments to use funds provided by the coronavirus relief package to incentivize vaccinations by offering $100 to individuals who get the shots. And he announced that small- and medium-sized businesses will receive reimbursements if they offer employees time off to get family members vaccinated.

Mexico declares $3 billion U.S. security deal ‘dead,’ seeks revamp (Washington Post) Frustrated by raging violence, the Mexican government is seeking to overhaul the Merida Initiative, a $3 billion U.S. aid program that’s been the centerpiece of security cooperation between the two nations for more than a decade—but has failed to reduce bloodshed. Mexican officials say they have been meeting with Biden administration officials since late spring to refocus their cooperation against drug cartels and other criminal groups, amid growing concerns that such gangs are expanding their control over Mexican territory. “The Merida Initiative is dead. It doesn’t work, okay?” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told The Washington Post in the government’s first detailed comments on the discussions. “We are now in another era.” Launched during the presidency of George W. Bush, the Merida Initiative initially provided hundreds of millions of dollars for aircraft, helicopters and other hardware for Mexico’s security forces. In recent years, the funding shifted to technical aid and training to strengthen Mexico’s police and justice system. But despite the billions of dollars in aid, there has been a “huge, huge increase in violence,” Ebrard noted. Homicides in Mexico have quadrupled since the initiative was announced in 2007. Drug overdose deaths in the United States, meanwhile, soared to a record 93,331 last year, fueled by the rising use of fentanyl, much of it smuggled across the southwest border.

Something strange is happening in Britain. Covid cases are plummeting instead of soaring. (Washington Post) This is a puzzler. Coronavirus cases are plummeting in Britain. They were supposed to soar. Scientists aren’t sure why they haven’t. The trajectory of the virus in Britain is something the world is watching closely and anxiously, as a test of how the delta variant behaves in a society with relatively high vaccination rates. And now people are asking if this could be the first real-world evidence that the pandemic in Britain is sputtering out—after three national lockdowns and almost 130,000 deaths. Public health experts, alongside the government, predicted that cases would be rising in Britain at this point, perhaps even exponentially.

France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books. (NYT) When the French government launched a smartphone app that gives 300 euros to every 18-year-old in the country for cultural purchases like books and music, or exhibition and performance tickets, most young people’s impulse wasn’t to buy Proust’s greatest works or to line up and see Molière. Instead, France’s teenagers flocked to manga. As of this month, books represented over 75 percent of all purchases made through the app since it was introduced nationwide in May—and roughly two-thirds of those books were manga, according to the organization that runs the app, called the Culture Pass. The focus on comic books reveals a subtle tension at the heart of the Culture Pass’s design, between the almost total freedom it affords young users—including to buy the mass media they already love—and its architects’ aim of guiding users toward lesser-known and more highbrow arts. Opponents accuse Macron of throwing cash at young people to court their vote before next year’s presidential election.

Europe on vacation, but vaccinations not taking a break (AP) Europe’s famed summer holiday season is in full swing, but efforts to inoculate people against the coronavirus are not taking a break. Instead, with lockdowns easing despite concerns about variants and nations looking to breathe new life into their ailing tourism industries, vaccinations are being taken to vacationers. From France’s sun-kissed Mediterranean coast to the azure waters of Italy’s Adriatic beaches and Russian Black Sea resorts, health authorities are trying to make a COVID-19 shot as much part of this summer as sunscreen and shades for those who are not yet fully vaccinated. The new drive to take shots to tourists is a way of adapting to Europe’s annual summer migration, when it seems whole cities empty of their residents for weeks.

Taliban assassinations of Afghan pilots 'worrisome,' U.S. govt watchdog says (Reuters) Taliban assassinations of Afghan pilots marks another "worrisome development" for the Afghan Air Force as it reels from a surge in fighting, a U.S. government watchdog said in a report released on Thursday. At least seven Afghan pilots have been assassinated off base in recent months, two senior Afghan government officials told Reuters, part of what the Islamist Taliban says is a campaign to see U.S.-trained Afghan pilots “targeted and eliminated.” The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), in its quarterly report to Congress covering the three-month period through June, broadly portrayed an Afghan Air Force (AAF) under growing strain from battling the Taliban amid the U.S. withdrawal—and becoming less ready to fight. The AAF’s fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, for example, had a 39 percent readiness rate in June, about half the level of April and May.

Floods make thousands homeless in Bangladesh Rohingya camps (AP) Days of heavy rainfall have pelted Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, destroying dwellings and sending thousands of people to live with extended family or in communal shelters. Just in the 24 hours to Wednesday alone, more than 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) of rain fell on the camps in Cox’s Bazar district hosting more than 800,000 Rohingya, the U.N. refugee agency said. That’s nearly half the average July rainfall in one day while more heavy downpours are expected in the next few days and the monsoon season stretches over the next three months. Citing initial reports, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said more than 12,000 refugees were affected by the heavy rainfall while an estimated 2,500 shelters have been damaged or destroyed.

Thailand sets up hospital at airport; Cambodia closes border (AP) Health authorities in Thailand raced to set up a large field hospital in a cargo building at one of Bangkok’s airports on Thursday as the country reported record numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths. Other field hospitals are already in use in the capital after it ran out of hospital facilities for thousands of infected residents. The airport, a domestic and regional hub, has had little use because almost all domestic flights were canceled two weeks ago. The quick spread of the delta variant also led neighboring Cambodia to seal its border with Thailand on Thursday and order a lockdown and movement restrictions in eight provinces.

Outspoken Chinese billionaire Sun Dawu sentenced to 18 years in prison (CNN) Billionaire Sun Dawu, a vocal critic of the Chinese government, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Wednesday for “picking quarrels and provoking troubles,” according to an official statement posted by the court. Sun was arrested in March this year. His company, Hebei Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group, owns farming operations in China and employs about 9,000 people in poultry processing, pet food production and other industries. He is also famous for being an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party. As part of his 18-year sentence, Dawu was also fined 3.11 million yuan ($480,000). Sun was one of very few people in China to publicly accuse the government of attempting to cover up the extent of the African swine flu outbreak in 2019, which eventually killed more than 100 million pigs in the country. In an interview with CNN in May 2019, Sun said local officials had only retested his pigs for the disease when he had started to post pictures of the dead animals online. Sun’s sentencing comes amid a growing crackdown on private enterprises in China, as Beijing attempts to pull into line the country’s free-wheeling entrepreneurs. In a set of guidelines put out in September 2020, the Communist Party said the private sector needed “politically sensible people” who would “firmly listen to the party.”

Lockdown Under (Reuters) Sydney, Australia announced Wednesday that they would be extending their lockdown by four weeks. The extension was announced with frustration by Premier Gladys Berejikilan, who stated, “I am as upset and frustrated as all of you that we were not able to get the case numbers we would have liked at this point in time but that is the reality,” during a televised news conference. Berejiklian added police would boost enforcement of wide-ranging social distancing rules and urged people to report suspected wrongdoing. The multiple lockdown extensions have turned a “snap” lockdown into the country’s longest, with many fearing another recession.

Probe into Beirut blast stalls again, leaving families fuming one year on (Reuters) Ibrahim Hoteit lost his younger brother, Tharwat, in the huge explosion that ripped through the port of Beirut last August. He went around hospitals collecting body parts, starting with Tharwat’s scalp, and buried his remains in a small coffin. Nearly a year later, Hoteit, a spokesperson for families of more than 200 people who died in the disaster, is still trying to call to account those he says are responsible for allowing the accident to happen. As Beirut prepares to mark the first anniversary of a blast that flattened large swathes of the city, politicians and senior security officials have yet to be questioned in a formal investigation. Much of the devastation from the blast is still visible. The port resembles a bomb site, and many buildings have been left in a state of collapse. Major questions remain unanswered, including why such a large shipment of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in bombs and fertiliser, was left stored in the middle of a crowded city for years after being unloaded in 2013.

[3monthsineurope]

May 21, 2021

I’m heading to upstate New York! I woke up around 6 at Mom and Dad’s on Camano Island. I drove down the night before so Mom could take me to the airport. I washed my face and Mom got everything ready for her day of biking and kayaking after dropping me off at SeaTac. We went down to the store and got gas and said “hi” to Dad. I put a new macrame hanger up for sale, and we were on our way!

I was hoping to not be anxious, but alas, around Smokey Point I definitely started feeling anxious. We stopped twice, just so I could get out of the car and have fresh air. I ended up getting sick in the car (don’t worry, I have sick bags for this reason, hahah). I almost immediately felt better. It makes sense that I was feeling anxious, I was going on my first plane since July—so 10 months had passed! Mom is absolutely amazing when I’m anxious. She rubbed my back and talked me through the anxiety. I did my easy makeup routine of brows and mascara and then we arrived at SeaTac! We had no traffic—woo! Mom took the express lanes.

I got all my stuff together and hugged Mom; I really don’t know what I would do without her! I went into the airport and dropped my bag with Delta. I was going to visit my friends Lauren and Eli, a married couple. I went to their wedding a few years ago. You might be wondering why I was checking a bag, as I usually just carry on. Well, Lauren had a special request. Apparently, they don’t sell Jaunita’s chips in New York? So she paid for me to check my bag, so that I could bring some chips for Eli—they’re his favorite! So I bought four bags of chips and put three in my carry on (so that’s super light!) and one in my checked bag with all my stuff. Eli was going to be so surprised!

After checking my bag, I went to security for TSA Pre Check. It’s a perk I got with my Global Entry card! Last year I had to have an interview with Border Patrol in Blaine, to make sure I wasn’t a threat. I was through security in under five minutes. We had left Camano around 7:15, and even with the two stops we made, we arrived before 9 at the airport, so I had some time to spare. I found my gate, then headed to the Delta Sky Lounge. It was my first time in the lounge—it was the biggest one I’ve been in, yet! I get to use lounges around the world for free with my American Express Platinum card, which is so awesome! (I had to cancel my Chase card when they wouldn’t refund me when our airline to Mexico went out of business. I think I definitely upgraded with the Amex!)

I hung out in the lounge for over an hour. It was huge, the lounge had an upstairs! I downloaded some songs and podcasts so I was stocked with music, podcasts, books, shows, and movies, so I wouldn’t be bored on the plane. I had a bowl of Cheerios (shaped like hearts!), a mimosa, and a breakfast sandwich, all for free!

Around 10:30, I went to my gate. I paid for a basic ticket, so I had my seat assigned to me. I was given seat 30A, a window! It showed the flight as being full, but I ended up having an empty middle seat, which was so nice! The guy sitting in my row was a southern guy, heading back home. He got annoyed when the flight attendant told him to pull his mask over his nose, ugh.

Not surprisingly, I slept a lot on the plane. For about three hours I snoozed. At one point a man nearby yelled because he was watching live sports, haha. I didn’t even get the first snack or drink. It was really bright outside, so the cabin was dimmed and almost everyone had their windows closed, so it was perfect for snoozing. For the rest of my flight to Atlanta (about another hour and a half), I played around on my phone. I played a geography game, and signed into the Delta wifi to text Ingvar and Haley. We landed before 7, which was nice, because my next flight to Rochester was scheduled to leave at 8. Did you know Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, based on the number of travelers who pass through it. We deplaned, and I took a train to terminal C. I called Ingvar and I explained to him how to mist and water my plants. I have an app that tells me when to mist, water, fertilize, and care for my plants. I usually need to do 3-9 tasks a day to keep them happy and healthy, so Ingvar was going to need to step up and become a plant dad on this trip, haha. I have 26 plants in the house! It was good to talk to him, because he wasn’t awake when I was anxious or at the airport. Thanks for your help, babes!

My seat was assigned for the next flight at the gate. I made it to my gate and saw I was assigned 19B. I walked on the plane to find it a smaller plane—two seats on the left, and three on the right. So my B seat was an isle, not a middle, woo! Also, I was assigned a exit row, so extra room! I didn’t have time to get a snack or anything on my layover, but at least I made my flight! My seat mate was a nice, older man. He was hard of hearing but told me he was seeing his family for the first time since pre-covid! We saw the sunset out the window, which was so nice! On the flight I talked to him a bit, and also wrote some for my blog.

We landed right before 10. Woo, I was in Rochester! We deplaned and I grabbed my bag from baggage claim. Lauren and Eli live about seven minutes from the airport, so when I got out, Lauren drove up and got me! I hadn’t seen either of them since they moved to New York two years ago. Lauren drove us to their place. Eli was doing chores me waiting for us. It was so nice to see them! I opened my bag and Eli was so surprised with all the chips I brought! Shout out to Lauren for the chips idea!

We chatted for a bit and they gave me a tour of their apartment. Their place is much bigger than Ingvar and I’s place. We made plans for the next day to go to Niagara Falls, then decided we should go to bed. We all got ready for bed and I got cozy on a nice air mattress in the huge living room. It was only around midnight in Rochester, but 9pm in Seattle, so I wasn’t toooo tired. I did fall asleep, but needed to use the bathroom around 2:30 am. The bathroom is in their bedroom, so I snuck in there. I didn’t want to wake them up, so on my way out of the room, I didn’t turn on any lights. I ran right into the edge of the door. It actually hurt so bad! I have a bruise on my boob! I accidentally woke up Eli, but told him I was okay. Woops! I slept pretty well the rest of the night. :]

[agents-of-virtue]

SECRET SANTA 2K19 (A.K.A Travel Sucks)

I DON’T CARE IF IT’S 3 IN THE MORNING I’M POSTING THIS NOW BECAUSE I CAN (and because I’m going to be spending most of the day cleaning and getting ready for a party so yeah) ANYWAY

I got the lovely @agent-absinthe/ @circlesofbone! 

I was really stumped on this so I asked some close friends for help (you know who you are <3) and this is what I settled on! I consider this a sort of au cause I can never write in canon lol but I hope you enjoy!

Getting to visit home is always a treat. Whether home is with the people that raised you or the people you found later in life. For Rae, family was a ragtag group of people she met through an online support group called the Roanoke Society. Some of them had met up throughout the years, but they had never all been in the same place at the same time. This year was different though. The universe finally aligned and allowed all of them to be in the same place for a week. During the holidays too! A whole week of finally being able to put screen names to faces, selfies to full humans. Would it be everything she expected it to be? More? She was contemplating everything while walking up to her flight gate only to hear this:

“Attention all passengers of the two thirty Delta flight to Lexington, Kentucky. The plane has been grounded due to inclement weather in the Chicago area and will be canceled. Please come to the Delta help desk for any needed arrangements.”

Rae groaned. “Delta help desk… Fucking oxymoron.” She trudged over to this so called ‘help desk’. Of course, it was flooded with angry travelers. It took what felt like ages before Rae was finally able to get to the front of the desk to try and get something figured out. She was in the middle of talking to one of the staff when a man in a sharp suit and matching suitcase pulled up beside her. His accent cut through the drudgery of getting this poor help desk worker to book her a hotel until the next flight tomorrow. He was English. And good god was he cute. Hopefully they would be on the same flight tomorrow. She wouldn’t mind sitting next to him for an almost two hour flight…

And then she got to the hotel. “What do you mean the room is double booked? I had the room booked for me at the airport by Delta only half an hour ago!” Rae was confused and honestly getting a bit fed up with this bullshit. She took a deep breath. None of this was the worker’s fault. The stress of everything was just building up. “Just,” another deep breath, “are there any more rooms available? At all?”

“I’m afraid not.” That voice… She looked behind her to find the man from earlier. “I just had them check and it seems we were both booked for the last room. You can have it. I’ll go find something else.” He turned on his heel and started back towards the doors.

Rae took a few steps towards him. “Hey! British Guy!” That stopped him. “You really think you’ll find something available around this time of year that’s up to your standards?” She gestured to his suit and matching suitcase. “We can,” she gave an exasperated sigh, “we can share the room. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

There was a problem. They had gotten up to the room to find that there was only one bed. Sure, it was a queen sized bed and there was a couch on the other side of the room, but who ever really got a good night’s rest on a hotel couch? 

Rae looked over at her fate-chosen companion for the night. “Well, this should be fun.” She pulled her suitcase close. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you are going to insist on me taking the bed while you stick it out on that dinky little couch. And I’m going to stop you right there by saying you are not the first and you certainly won’t be the last random man to share a bed with me.” Rae started to unpack what she would need for the night and the next morning and went into the bathroom to change. She was fine changing in front of a random cute stranger, but maybe he wasn’t. She could respect that.

When she came back out, she caught the quickest glimpse of how toned he was. It made her wish she had stepped out earlier. “I guess we’ll each have a side. Unless of course you would like to sleep wrapped in the arms of a woman you don’t know?” 

The man gave a soft laugh. “I don’t believe that would be very gentlemen like now would it?” 

Was that a smirk? Was this Englishman smirking? At her? He was proving more interesting by the minute. “No. I guess it wouldn’t be.” Rae threw a smirk back at him as she crawled into one side of the bed. She really hoped this guy had the same flight as her tomorrow. He seemed… Interesting.

The next morning Rae found herself wrapped in a pair of arms that she didn’t recognize. Not a first, but she distinctly remembers falling asleep on her side of the bed, alone. But she didn’t mind. Her eyes opened to see that Englishman. She really needed to learn his name. She can’t just keep thinking of him as The Englishman.

Speaking of the nameless man, he was starting to stir. Rae didn’t bother extracting herself from his arms. If that smirk from last night was anything to go by, maybe he planned this. She wouldn’t be mad if he did. “Morning. Seeing as how we’ve slept together now, can I have your name?

He let out a groggy laugh. “Hart. Harry Hart. It was a pleasure keeping you company through the night, Rae.” Harry started to get out of bed and head towards the bathroom. Before he closed the door, he turned to face her. “If you’re wondering, I saw it on your toiletry bag. Your name.” He gave her a small smile and closed the door.

After they had both dressed, repacked, and checked out of the room, they made their way back to the airport. They were to get their new tickets at the Delta help desk. Rae couldn’t help but glance between their tickets. Her face fell just a bit. She was on the next flight out. He wasn’t. “Well, Harry Hart, it was a pleasure sleeping with you.” A smirk spread across her face. “I wouldn’t mind doing it again if our paths crossed.”

“Neither would I. You are delightful company.” Harry took her hand and shook it, pressing something into her hand. “Well, you must catch your flight and I have some business to attend to. Until we meet again, Rae.” He smiled as he took his suitcase and walked off.

Rae looked down into her hand. A business card with his name and number. That slick bastard. She smiled and looked up at his retreating figure. Their separate flights were going to the same city. Maybe they would run into each other. It could be a holiday miracle.

@the-roanoke-society

[fatokifavour12-blog]

Godsfavour Fatoki

Robert Lunday

ENGL 1301

December 12,2019

Two Year Experience, Forever Trip

A trip to Nigeria does not sound bad, right? Here is the catch; you have to leave your friends and family behind and can only communicate with your family through the phone. Feel like backing out?  This is the story of my life, March 2016. Who knew I was set to hear news that would eventually lead to me staying in Nigeria for two years? Nigeria is a place of culture, one that I did not know much about until the end of the trip. One of the perks about knowing your roots, is just having some background knowledge about where you came from. Which I was naïve too, but slowly began to appreciate.

Given that you had the opportunity to go and learn more about your culture, and where you come from. Will it be easy for you to drop your friends, pack your bags and travel off to your fatherland? Sound Bittersweet? It is not that simple, especially when you are not familiar with the environment. I was given the opportunity but had no say in the decision making. Despite the idea of the trip being bittersweet, if you knew a trip like this would change the way you think and view the world, would you still go? How about if you could not come back and visit the states during the holidays? Even tougher decision. Maybe now you can have a sense of what I endured for two years straight. Two years straight. In addition, there would be limited phone calls because of the time zone difference, and sleepless nights.

I was born in Nigeria, but raised in America. That being said, I can be categorized under the Generation 1.5. This refers to students who are citizens or residents of the US but whose home language is not English. For some of these students English can function as their primary language. In Nigeria, the main tribes or languages are Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa. I was born into a Yoruba home. You can tell a persons tribe by either their first and last name. For example, the Yoruba tribe is known for the “Olu, Oluwa and ola.” Before the trip, since I could barely speak the language, I had trouble distinguishing tribes from one another. Usually, whenever my parents would speak to me in Yoruba, I would have trouble interpreting and I would ask my sister to translate for me.

Before I returned to Nigeria for two years, I went to Cinco Ranch High School. While attending the school, we would have some foreign students, or some other Generation 1.5 students who had a senses of background knowledge of where they came from. Other Generation 1.5 students would be asked what their home country was like, and from there they would be able to pour out information that would have you like intrigued. I was in search for my own story to tell not, someone else’s something to let others know that “I know where I’m coming from,” “ I know my country.” That kind of topic can also lead to good conversations.

With all the fun I was having in America, I then faced the music. I was finally going to Nigeria. Did I want to go? No! Not at all. So, I was going to Nigeria, there were no further questions to be asked, my parents’ decision was final. They insisted that it will be beneficial in the end. I would be going to Nigeria with my older sister and my dad, leaving my two younger sisters and my mom behind. My older sister would soon return to America after her first year.

The plane ticket was booked for the fourth of September, and by this time Hurricane Harvey had struck Houston. While I counted the days leading to my departure, I also prayed that Harvey would hit George Bush Intercontinental Airport so that my flight, and only my flight, for Delta Airlines would be cancelled. Unfortunately, this was not the case .Departure day arrived and all the roads had cleared up. Still refusing to believe this was happening, there I stood in front of Gate C, with a carry-on bag and a suitcase of clothes.

My sisters were in tears as they watched me leave, as was my mom, who tried fake a smile. This was pretty aggravating considering the fact that she wanted me to go. “Ill see them soon, after all its just two years it will be quick. Let’s just make the most of it” I say to myself as I passed the checkout area. At the moment, I felt no need to cry or whine about it, because complaining would only make my it longer. I just had to take it as it was, as much as I felt like running away. Who knew what good could come from this?

The plane landed successfully on the fifth of September; school started on the eleventh. I would be attending Grace International High School, a boarding school in Lagos, Nigeria.

  The following day my dad used it as a day for relaxation, considering that we were coming from America we had to adjust to the time zone. My dad took me around town the next day, showing me some great places and sights. He showed me the hospital where I was born and the flat we stayed in when my mother was in labor.

I was born in a small hospital in Victoria Island. Victoria Island is a big area in Lagos. Lagos is like the suburbs of Nigeria. Lagos is the heart of Nigeria, this is where the money and power is mainly located. All the powerful people in the country stay in Lagos. In a sense Lagos is like the New York of Nigeria. This is where the most attractions are, and Victoria island is at the center of it. Most businesses and churches are established here.

On the seventh of September, we went to the school. We came here this day so I could see the school I would be attending. As we approached the gates of the boarding school, I began to have mixed emotions about it. Excitement and suspense filled my head as we came closer after the long car ride we had. As I stepped down from the car, I was told I would be taking my entrance exam. An exam of which I was not ready for at all. At this point my heart was basically racing and I was not happy with my dad for making that call. There was not anything I could do about the situation, so I did not complain out loud. The thought of failing crossed my mind at the time. “What would happen if I fail,” “I don’t want to fail and waist his money.” My dad made no attempt to calm me down; the only thing he would say was “you ready?” Now that was a rhetorical question any answer other than “yes” would result in a hot slap.

I walked in giving myself motivation. The examiner walked in and handed me my papers. She told me I would be doing a Math and English exam. She asked me the one I would like to do first, and I chose to do Math. As she handed me the paper she told me that I have an hour and thirty minutes. The math test felt easy up and till I reached question 25. I flipped through the remaining pages and realized that I had 50 Multiple choice questions, the remaining questions where non multiple choice. This caused me to start sweating in fear. I skipped question 25 and moved on “Is their any other easy question I could do?” I asked myself as I was running out of time. The examiner then walks in and says “Thirty five minutes left” and this is where I panicked “screw it A B C D!” I went straight to the non-multiple choice questions and could barely answer three questions. My heart sank after submitting the paper, I fought back my tears as the examiner handed me the English exam. Knowing how bad I did on the Math, I was determined to breeze past the English paper. I felt the English paper was somewhat easy, but not bad enough for me to fail.

The examiner checked my work and gave my father back the result. They discussed in Yoruba for a while, I eavesdropped, and only picked out phrases in what they were talking about. The were saying something along the lines of “he needs improvement, but he has been accepted.” A wave of relief filled me inside, and it must have been contagious because it showed on my fathers’ face. My dad now paid the school fees that I had so I could get my school clothes and books.

They sent us downstairs so I could get my uniform for the boarding house and for school. The boarding house uniform we would wear for any activity other than sports that took place downstairs. The boarding house uniform was a checkered blue shirt and khaki pants for the boys and a checkered pink gown for the girls. The school uniform was strictly for school and school excursions such as debate club competitions. The school uniform was a green long-sleeved button-down shirt with a tie and colored whine pants with black shoes and socks. I was absolutely disgusted by the uniform. It was evident that who ever had the idea of such nasty looking uniforms had no fashion sense whatsoever. The two colors did not fit together in any sense, my dad told me to manage the clothes because there is nothing we can do but get it fitted.

  The first year was off to a rocky start, friends did not come easy, I was a little secluded because I was missing home. I was falling a little behind in some of my classes, because it was pretty difficult for me to balance 11 subjects. I was doing Calculus, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer, Catering, Civic studies, Yoruba, Geography and English. Some of these subjects I was being taught as a fresh subject. I had enrolled into the school as a year 11 student, and my mates have been taught these subjects since year 10. In order to make good grades I would stay back for tutorials, and I would read over night. It was not as easy as school in America, because I was used to taking only seven classes a school year.

In the school we had three terms a school year, I did not feel comfortable till the second term. I became friendlier but was not feeling true to myself. So I became a little more withdrawn and did not give anybody a chance to speak bad about me. Before I left I was a bit of a extrovert, me having the mindset of “I do not want to be here” really kept me from making friends. I still managed to figure it out because I could not help but talk. It was not until my second year that I began to feel more comfortable; though this was the year I felt more alone because my sister was not there with me, I became more independent. I started to branch out to more people than I did my first year. My dad would call me sometimes but it was not as frequent as it was my first year in the school. At this point I had not been missing home as much I was before and I felt more free with people.

The boarding house was pretty awkward at first primarily because of their restrooms; the place where we shower was not divided by any stalls or curtains. When we shower we could see each other’s private parts, which too me was very uncomfortable. It took me a couple days to get used to the showers. Inside the boarding house phones were not allowed, and this really prevented me from talking to all my former friends. Instead of phones, they allowed tablets sadly there was no free Wi-Fi. So some kids would hack the principal’s server and steal their Wi-Fi.

The boarding house was ran by the boarding house master, and the Boarding house prefect and the seniors. The school has elections that they do for every set of kids for every school year. The seniors were basically in charge whenever the boarding house master was not around. The seniors often abuse their power when it is given to them. The seniors bully their juniors. By junior I mean any student in the grade below. The boarding house had students from the 7th grade to the 12th. So the seniors had had wide range of students to pick on, I was in the 11th grade. The seniors gave the 11th graders some regard because they will soon be entering 12th grade so conflict between them was not much.

The prefects and students were allowed to belt other students, meaning that they could use a belt and deal with the students that were misbehaving. The boarding house master would use and object we called “cane,” which is basically like a tree branch. The cane could be used by a teacher, the principal and the vice principal. The boarding house master was known for his good arm. For an old aging man you would be surprised at how fast his hands move. The fear of being beaten by either one of those objects really got to me. So I was really cautious with how i acted in front of certain people and in different situations. I would often stop my juniors or mates from doing wrong to the juniors, but after a while I just got tired and lazy. Being mean to others people seemed to be the trend, which I nearly followed along to. The seniors do not like to be told what they were doing wrong, and when told it would result in a beat down to the students.

The experience shaped me to be who I was today; the nights I barely got any sleep really paid off in the end. It really opened up a part of me that I did not know I had. I had become more familiar with my culture and began to appreciate the side of me I did not know much about. I learned to appreciate what I had and I became more grateful for what I had. In Nigeria, not everybody has enough money to plan a trip to abroad, but I went there and came back. With all that I have seen in the country it had me thinking about how I could contribute to the society, a lot needs to be done to the country to speed up development. For that I thank God I went. Without the trip I do not think I would have sense of independence , I really went in to depth with my roots.

I have established a social network that will be useful to me in the future, the people I met will and can benefit me in the future. The friendships I have made with the people I met over seas I really enjoyed my time with will come in handy when I plan my return to the country soon.  You never know what you can do till you go through it alone.