Gloucester public schools ma

Hi again everyone! I am a San Francisco undergraduate student who is currently involved in a non-partisan newsletter written by my peers in a group project for school. This newsletter takes the information from your local board of supervisors meetings and puts it all in one place so community members like yourselves, don’t need to sit through the long and tedious board of supervisors meetings! These newsletters come out weekly. We hope you enjoy the read and find it helpful to you and your community!
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Meeting - March 21st, 2023
Meeting Length: 6 hours and 45 minutes (It's a long one!)
Notable Legislation: Legislation Search By Code

• 230115: Board hearing on the Place for All Report. The report describes the resources needed to scale up temporary shelter, permanent housing, and homelessness prevention interventions in order to eliminate unsheltered homelessness in San Francisco within three years.
  • President Peskin opened the public hearing and Supervisor Mandelman provided opening remarks. The President then opened the floor for comment on the Report.
  • Sam Dodge (Department of Emergency Management), Amy King (Pallet Shelters), Shireen McSpadden, Director, Noelle Simmons, and Gigi Whitley (Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing), Gail Gilman (All Homes), and Jeff Bellisario (Bay Area Council) provided an overview of the Place for All Report and responded to questions raised throughout the discussion.
  • Thierry Fill, Jordan Davis, Mark Nagel, Jennifer Friedenbach, Andrea Ayala, Raphael, Stephanie Ashley, Otto Duffy, Anonymous Speaker, William, Alice Rogers, Anonymous Speaker, Marnie Regen, Chris Wright, Gloria Berry, Illani, Joi Jackson-Morgan, Melanie Medina, Julia Rome, Anonymous Speaker, Jarod Goldmine: Spoke on various concerns relating to the Report.
• 230158: Ordinance appropriating $25,371,063 of General Fund General Reserves, $587,029 of other revenues, and $834,204 of special revenue fund balance to the Police Department; de-appropriating $31,999,402 from permanent salaries, mandatory fringe benefits, equipment, budgeted debt service, budgeted project expenditures, and overtime for increased overtime budget in the Police Department in Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
  • This Ordinance requires a two-thirds approval vote of all members of the Board of Supervisors pursuant to Charter Section 9.113(c).
  • Ben Rosenfield, Controller (Office of the City Controller), Chief William Scott and Patrick Leung (Police Department), Anne Pearson (Office of the City Attorney), and Tom Paulino and Anna Duning (Mayor’s Office) responded to questions raised throughout the discussion.
    • Passed 9-2, with Preston and Walton voting no.
• 221147: Ordinance amending the Administrative Code to remove agreements let under Chapter 6 for Public Works or Improvement from the prohibitions in Chapter 12X on the City’s entering into a contract with a contractor that has its United States headquarters in a state that allows discrimination against LGBT individuals, has restrictive abortion laws, or has voter suppression laws, or where any or all of the contract would be performed in such a state.
  • Passed 7-4, with Chan, Melgar, Preston, and Walton voting no.

Committee Reports (all unanimous):

• Land Use and Transportation:
  • 230260: Ordinance extending by 60 days the restrictions on evicting or imposing late fees on residential tenants who could not pay rent that came due during the COVID-19 emergency.
• Public Safety and Neighborhood Services:
  • 230162: Ordinance amending the Police Code to allow holders of temporary cannabis business permits to transfer an aggregate ownership interest of 50% or more in the business to persons that were not owners at the time the temporary permit was issued so long as five years or more have passed since the Office of Cannabis Director first acknowledged receipt of the business’s application for a temporary cannabis business permit, regardless of whether the business has received a permanent cannabis business permit.
• Budget and Finance:
  • 221162: Ordinance amending the Business and Tax Regulations Code to extend through Fiscal Year 2027-2028 the temporary suspension of the application of the business registration and fee requirements to transportation network company drivers and taxi drivers.

Public Comment (including in-person and Zoom speakers):

• Jordan Davis, Illani, and Lea McGeever: Spoke in support of newly introduced legislation urging protection of trans and LGBTQ+ youth.
• Anonymous Speaker: Expressed concerns regarding public comment. (Clerk Calvillo responded to the speaker’s inquiry regarding comments directed to the full Board, as a whole, and not to individual Members)
• Thien: Shared concerns regarding tenant protections.
• Allison Eddy-Brewson and Brandy Markman: Spoke in support of legislation urging protection of LGBTQ+ youth.
• Gloria Berry, Nikcole Cunningham, Keone Shaw, Anonymous Speaker: Expressed support of appropriations and resources for reparations.

Attendance:

• All 11 Supervisors present

Resources:

• To get more details about any bill or resolution, use this link to search by number or topic.
• To find information about your polling place and who your Council Member is, use this link to look up your address.
• If you are confused about any of the legal terms or the legislation process, use this document and this link to help guide you.
• If you have any questions or feedback, please email us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and we will get the answers to your questions from the Board of Supervisors.
• If your interested in receiving this letter after every Board meeting, feel free to DM me!

Hi all, I recently came to the realization that I do not enjoy doing research. For context, I, 23 F, graduated last year with a biochem degree. I tried breaking into industry but couldn't so I joined a research lab at Stanford as a lab technician where I'm currently working. It wasn't in the field I wanted (neuroscience/oncology) but it paid well. After several months, I dread going to work and am considering switching jobs. The caveat is that I was an international student so I’m now working on the F-1 OPT which means I have to work in a job that is related to biochemistry in some way.
What I don't like about research is how isolating the work is. I also don't like mindless work like following protocols so I don't think QC work would be good for me either. I also think I want to be involved in something that is more people oriented and was considering something in public health but wanted to know what other prospects I have as someone who does not want to pursue research or go to med school but has a biochem degree. I would really appreciate any help!!

Story found on Quora. Do you relate to his experience?
“I was born and raised in Mountain View, Ca. My dad is originally Syrian and was raised in Saudi Arabia, and my mom is also Originally Syrian, but she was born and raised in Baltimore, Md. My dad was completing his masters in something IT related, and my mom was getting her bachelors when I was born. I lived in California until I was about 5 years old while my dad worked at Oracle, until he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he was offered a great job. He also wanted to be near his parents since he was their only son. I then lived in Saudi Arabia for around ten years until me, my mom and two sisters moved back to Ohio, so I can complete my last year of high school and start college.
I went to an Islamic school, was at the mosque often, all my friends were Muslims, I learned the religion very well I would argue, and I didn’t have a girlfriend who “messed with my brain”. I mention that because that’s the first thing people asked about.
My parents are definitely the practicing and religious type of Muslims. They made sure they taught us the religion, made sure we prayed, fasted, read and memorized the Quran ( yes I memorized the entire Quran by the time I turned 13), and lived our lives based on Islamic teachings and guidelines.
Now I’ve had my doubts and have been on the fence for the past four years, and that’s when I essentially stopped practicing Islam, except for my parents satisfaction. I’d only pray if they told me to and I’d often tell them I prayed when I actually didn’t. I’d eat during mandatory fasting periods when no one was around. God or religion was simply not an important part of my life anymore. Now I didn’t straight up not believe in God, I just had serious doubts and I simply didn’t care ( hey, I was 14…).
Four months ago I had some extra time on my hands, and I thought to myself, “I’ve been putting this off for a while now, do I actually believe in God?”. So I sat and thought, read, looked for answers to my questions and reached a conclusion that I was finally comfortable and confident with, there was almost no way I could get myself to believe in the Islamic God (Allah) or any other God for that matter.
I told myself I’m now an atheist.
At first I wasn’t planning on telling a soul. Not a friend, a family member, nothing. But then about a month later, it was the month of Ramadan, we were in Saudi Arabia for the summer, and I decided to tell my sister. She is 14 but I really trust her even though we didn’t have the best relationship. She wasn’t shocked, surprised, mad or anything. In fact she was kind of interested. I then told a close friend and cousin. I realized he has been on the fence for a while, but didn’t want to take the “risk” and just entirely leave the religion until he is absolutely sure, I respected his decision we talked and discussed a lot and remained close friends. If anything, telling him brought us closer.
Another friend (my closest friend) was completely surprised. Here’s how the initial conversation went. I remember it almost word for word, but I’m translating it from Arabic:
Note I had no idea what his reaction would be.
Me : “ bro, what’s one thing that if I did, you would be like yeah we aren’t friends anymore?”
Him: “ What? I can’t think of anything, why?”
Me: “Wait so there is nothing I can do that’ll make us no longer friends?”
Him: “ Yeah”
Me: “ Well what if I stab your mom or something”
Him: “ I guess, then I’d probably just stab you back :) “
Me: “Or if I become an atheist or something”
Him: “Nah, I have a close relative who became an atheist and we’re cool”
Me: “Oh, well I think I’m an atheist”
Him: “ haha, yeah right”
Me: “ No I really am”
Him: “You’re joking, right?”
Me: “No, I’m serious”
Him: “holy shit! For real? Why? What happened?”
And then came a bombardment of questions. He told me he believes beyond a shadow of doubt that I’m making a mistake. We spoke, discussed and even debated for hours on end, yet we are still closer than ever.
Later on, against my friends and sisters advice, I decided I had to tell my parents. I sent my dad a long and well thought out text about a few weeks later, when I was in the airport heading back to Ohio, since I was taking summer classes. My parents reaction may have been the hardest part of the whole ordeal. Here’s the exact text.
Salam (Arabic for peace), I would like to tell you that I respect and love you both, this may come as a shock but I hope that you could take this gracefully and with an open mind. I've lived four years of “hypocrisy” and lies, and I thought it was time I finally shared this with you, since I'm done with putting up a front (to anyone). I'm no longer a Muslim, I thought, I searched, I asked, I read, I tried to find answers to my many questions but to no avail, and that among many other reasons is why I chose to no longer believe in any God, or Gods for that matter. I've had really serious doubts for the first one or two years but I then stopped practicing Islam entirely, except in public and at home for your satisfaction. I can go on and on but I'm not trying to start a debate. At this point I think my decision is final. I can't ever thank you guys enough for every thing you have done to make me the best person *I* could be and as much as I appreciate that, I'm sad to tell you that *I* can't be the person *you* want *me* to be, and as much as this may sadden you, it's the truth. All of that, I ask you to please accept as fact, and how you would like to approach that is up to you completely and I'm fine with almost any decision you make as long as you're bearing that in mind.
Now I know this may come as a shock so I sent this over a text to give you guys time to think and discuss before I hear from you.
I’d say they were shocked. My dad started off by telling me it’s the devil, and that I should ask God for help, he then told me to reconsider and think some more and ask the right people and scholars about all my questions, which I did do. He didn’t want to tell my mom, but he eventually did since she noticed how depressed he had gotten. My mom was traumatized, and I don’t use that term lightly. She couldn’t sleep for days and was constantly crying until she saw a psychiatrist, and became sick for a while afterwards. Fortunately they remained on somewhat good terms with me. They told me I am still their son and they would still support me no matter what (I got in an accident and some trouble, and they were there for me throughout the whole affair), but I should keep searching for the truth. They came to accept it in the end, and they’re no longer pushing me or pressuring me to do anything related to the religion.
I told a few friends who I’ve gotten close to in my previous two years in the US. They all said they would still remain close to me and support me, no matter what, and would always remain my friends, but I’m sad to say, I feel like we probably drifted apart. Hopefully it’s just that we’re all really busy.
A few senior members in the community new and they’ve talked to me a lot. Unfortunately I lost most of my relationships with older members of the community whom I was simply acquainted with. Although they are all great and wonderful people to know, we had nothing in common except for the fact that we met at the same mosque to pray and then just sit and talk or “socialize” afterwards.
Things do become and still remain (less so) slightly awkward and tense at home, and around friends whom I didn’t become so close to. My oldest and closest friends now just joke about and make fun of me being an atheist every once in a while. In summary, I don’t regret telling people or “coming out” I just wish it didn’t initially hurt and shock my parents as much as it did.”

I think we need nationwide backround checks,mental health checks and if you are seeing a psychiatrist they should be required by law to report to local and federal goverment on why you shouldnt be able to own a gun. We also need to put in bullet proof windows,bulletproof doors and a cop or two at every school. If we can afford to shell out 160 billion to ukraine we can afford to keep our public safe.

G’day. I don’t really have an intro to this one.
I do have a warning. The first story gets heavy. I will try to lighten it up in the second story, but there’s no way around it. If threats against schools (even written in the most YouTube-friendly way possible) are upsetting to you then skip this one. This is the reality of being a teacher so, welcome to it. Anything between a set of asterisks is not what was said and is me trying to use language that is YouTube-friendly. I think you can figure out the context.

1. “MathBeard Over Beards”

So, the last time I shared a story about MathBeard Red seemed to borderline defend her. Perhaps I didn’t truly convey how incompetent she is or maybe it’s easy to overlook if you don’t have to bloody deal with her every bloody day. Either way, I dare anyone to try to defend her after this one. Writing this story is my outlet so I don’t cross a line into a very career-limiting move.
Since the last time we saw MathBeard she continued to be a nuisance and I continued to get frustrated texts from Beatle about how annoying and incompetent she is. (And to the commenter that thinks she has a thing for Beatle…I don’t disagree). I never shared these because it was more of the same and Red defended her before so it seemed like a moot point. So, let’s set MathBeard aside for now. We’ll come back to her.
This story really starts on 3/27/23. How do I know? Because it was the very same day as the incident at the Nashville private school. Beatle and I heard about that and were sad but at the same time, we’ve sort of become semi-apathetic to news like this. It’s like ‘another day, another school’ at this point. It’s the reality of teaching in the States.
Wee One was out of state as a student delegate for a national anti-bullying program and prior to that she’d been staying with Mum to help with her injured dog. With Wee One gone, Beatle and I were eating dinner at Mum’s and staying until bedtime to help Mum. When we finally got home that night Beatle checked his work email and had an email from a parent. The parent wanted Beatle to call her ASAP. Normally we don’t call parents outside school hours, but this seemed urgent to Beatle and this wasn’t a parent known for being overdramatic so Beatle decided to call her from his cell phone (something we almost never do as it’s not considered best practice for parents to have our personal cell numbers). Beatle had her on speaker so I heard everything.
“Ms. Hart, this is Beatle, Kelly’s teacher. You asked that I call you?” Beatle started.
“Oh, yes. Thank you so much for calling me so late. I just wanted you to be aware of something that happened at school today that has raised Kelly’s anxiety,” Ms. Hart said.
“Oh no, what is it?” Beatle asked.
I was laying on the bed catching some Pokemon on my cell phone wondering what could be so important it couldn’t wait until morning.
“Well, as you know, what happened in Nashville is one of Kelly’s biggest fears and so it was already bad enough that she saw that in the news but in her math class today a student made a comment about getting a *specific weapon that is popular* and *doing what was done in Nashville at Standard High*. This is a student she is already uneasy about and has told me before he makes her uncomfortable,” Ms. Hart said.
At this point I let the Pokemon flee and dropped my phone. Yeah, this was important.
“I have a pretty good idea of which student you’re referring to,” Beatle said.
“I did talk to Mr. Principal about this and he said they are investigating but obviously he couldn’t tell me much about what they would be doing and I know you can’t either, but this student is in her English class tomorrow with you and Kelly is so anxious she doesn’t want to be on campus,” Ms. Hart said.
“Honestly, this is the first I’m hearing of this so they don’t exactly tell me much either. I can tell you I highly doubt that student would be on-campus tomorrow and if so certainly not in my class. If he is, I will do everything I can to reassure Kelly. And you have my personal cell phone number too so feel free to reach out to me anytime,” Beatle said.
“I do appreciate that. I will also be on campus tomorrow doing some parent volunteer work so I will be there if Kelly needs me,” Ms. Hart said.
“Perfect. If the anxiety becomes too much for Kelly I’m happy to write her a pass to go hang out with you,” Beatle said.
Beatle and Ms. Hart finished discussing details of the next day and once Beatle hung up I looked at him.
“Johnny?” I asked, pretty sure I knew the student in question too.
“I think so,” Beatle said.
I sighed, “Great.”
“So much for sleeping tonight,” Beatle said, shaking his head. He went and fed our pets and we got ready for bed. Once everything was done for the night we settled into bed.
“If *an incident* starts in my room I don’t know how I would text you to ask you to call a lockdown,” Beatle said.
“I’m sure TypicalBeard or Gabby would hear it and call a lockdown. You focus on trying to protect your kids. I would be fine. I have a storage closet in my cave. I would just cram my class into there and we’d hunker down. No one is gonna think of trying to get into a storage closet. It’s you I’m worried about,” I said as I reached for his hand.
“I have a bookcase to hide behind which doesn’t do a bit of good if it starts in my room,” Beatle said.
I nodded, “I’m honestly kinda glad Wee One is out of town right now and won’t be on campus tomorrow.”
“Me too…but it could happen any day,” Beatle said.
I nodded, “I know. If it does I pray she is in my classroom so I can protect her.”
Yes, this is the type of conversation a couple that are both teachers have in bed at night. How do we keep ourselves from being unalived by students in case our school is next? That’s our pillow talk. Sexy huh?
Yeah, every day when my husband leaves my cave to go to his room there is a fear in the back of my mind…what if today is the day? We say ‘see you at lunch’ or ‘see you after school’ but is today the day that I don’t see him again? All we want to do is teach the children and we have to worry about being human shields. And no, this is not me being political or taking a stance on anything. This is just me telling you the reality of teaching. I don’t care what side you are on in relevant debates, this is a reality that no debate can change. This is just what it is to be a teacher and to be married to a teacher in this country today.
That night I was so exhausted I passed out hard. I didn’t dream or anything. I was out. Beatle…well he was right…he didn’t sleep much at all. We have different ways of coping with high-stress situations. I tend to shut down. Try to sleep until it goes away, especially if it’s something I can’t fight that is out of my control. Beatle…he worries. And he did. All night.
“But Mandy! MathBeard! Where is the beardery?!” I know! I hear you. It’s coming. I promise. Hang in there.
The next day Beatle and I pulled into our parking space and neither of us made a move to get out of the car.
“I don’t really want to be here today,” Beatle said.
“I know Love. But Mr. Principal knows…I’m sure it will be ok,” I tried to reassure him before sighing, “But neither do I.”
“Should I pop into Mr. Principal’s office and chat with him?” he asked.
I nodded, “That is a brilliant idea. I know he can only tell you so much because of privacy, but maybe he can tell you something that will put your mind at ease.”
Beatle nodded and we finally got out of the car and headed inside the school.
“OK, I’ll stop by your room after I talk to him,” Beatle said.
I nodded and we parted ways.
In the interest of not dragging this story out, I won’t recreate Beatle’s whole conversation with Mr. Principal.
I went to my classroom and tried to get ready to start my day like normal. About 25 minutes later Beatle came in.
“Do you feel better?” I asked.
Beatle nodded, “I do actually. Mr. Principal said they are taking this seriously, but this student is a pathological liar and doesn’t understand social norms. He believes it started as an off-hand comment and once he was given attention he expounded on it.”
“Ok, I get that, but it does still need to be taken seriously. Is he on campus today?” I asked.
“He is, but he won’t be in my class. I don’t know if that means he is in ISS or just in the AP office, but he won’t be in my room,” Beatle explained.
“Well that is good news,” I said.
“Mr. Principal said he hadn’t heard about what happened in Nashville yet when he got the report of this whole thing. So it was quite a day for him yesterday,” Beatle said.
“I bet,” I nodded.
And I thought that was the end of it. Well, it wasn’t or it wouldn’t be a beard story.
The next day (so 2 days after the threat was made) Beatle had his SPED team meeting before school. They meet once a week before school and the meeting usually consists of Beatle trying to get important information from Missy (his boss) in between MathBeard interjecting really stupid comments. This has become such a regular occurrence he doesn’t even normally text me to vent anymore. He has accepted that once a week he has to listen to MathBeard’s stupid. That is why I wasn’t expecting to hear from him when I got the following text: “I just got more info about that incident the other day. The teacher didn't report it. One of the kids did an anonymous alert...And apparently, the kid that made the threat has access. I guess he and his dad have "quite the arsenal" and love to go out and shoot. It's like their hobby…”
I reread that text a couple of times as I connected the pieces in my mind. What teacher wouldn’t report that sort of thing?! What sort of idiot would blow that off? Even forgetting we are mandated reporters, that is something no one should ignore. Wait…Ms. Hart said that this happened in Kelly’s math class and Kelly’s math teacher is…
“The kid whose mom you talked to...her math teacher is MathBeard and her mom said it happened in math class…” I texted back.
“Aye. That would be correct,” Beatle texted back.
“So the teacher in question here is fucking MATHBEARD?! So she will report a kid for having earwax on their earbuds but NOT for making comments about that?!” I replied.
“RIGHT?! I am NOT happy,” Beatle said.
“OK, this puts me in a whole new state of fury,” I said, “How DUMB do you have to be?”
“I understand that this kid has social skills issues and probably was joking and apparently he's a pathological liar too. But still. WTAF!!” Beatle said.
“So what if it's a social skill issue? That is not something you can be wrong about. What if he did it? "OOPS! I thought it was a social skill issue and he was lying again. My bad,"” I said.
“Yeah. It has to be reported no matter what,” Beatle agreed.
“How did you find this out?” I wondered.
“Missy. She didn't name names, but I know what class it happened in. She said the teacher didn't report it, but one of the students did an anonymous alert and the campus officer and Number One rushed up there and searched him and whatever,” Beatle explained.
OK, so MathBeard was gonna get us all unalived.
“Did Missy remind everyone we are fucking mandated reporters?” I asked.
“Aye, she did. She reiterated that things like that need to be shut down and ALWAYS reported because we don't know when it's a serious threat or not. It's up to admin to investigate and determine if there's a credible threat,” Beatle said.
“Honestly, she should be terminated for that, or at least written up. She won’t, but she should be,” I said. Teacher shortage. Nothing was gonna happen. And no, there is no tenure for public school teachers…but there is a teacher shortage, especially in SPED.
“Yeah, but you’re right. She won’t,” Beatle agreed.
I was seething at this point. Did something this stupid even qualify as beardery? I was pretty sure this went beyond beardery. This was a whole other level of stupidity! I also found out that the individual that Mr. Principal was referring to that engaged with the student and gave him an audience was MathBeard herself!
“OMG, the meeting is over and MathBeard is talking to Missy and Missy was like telling her what to do if it happened again. Like, she had to be told AGAIN. WTF?!” Beatle exclaimed.
I sighed. The bell rang and I went to open my door to let my students in and greet them. I saw MathBeard coming down the hall from the English wing and she stopped RIGHT IN FRONT of my door to talk to a teacher standing at the door of the next room. I glared at her and had to mentally talk myself down. Every ounce of me wanted to lunge out of my room and say “you are a mandated reporter but you're more worried about an ESL student learning their ID number you complete and total idiot! You are gonna put us all in danger!". I didn’t do that, because I generally love my job. But if looks could kill…
So telling this story is my way of not snapping. Beatle’s was to write an IEP goal since MathBeard clearly needs some extra help so I will end this with the goal that Beatle wrote for MathBeard (I have his permission): “By the next annual ARD, given instructional coaching and a swift kick in the ass, Mathbeard will independently manage her classroom without involving the tracking teachers for no good reason. As evidenced by sending 0 emails about classroom management issues.
By the next annual ARD, given repeated instructions, Mathbeard will report incidents of students making threats against the school, no matter her supposed logic behind why they said what they said. As evidenced by 0 teachers getting shot or fearing getting shot due to her incompetence.”

1. “East or West?”

For our 2nd story today let’s go a bit lighter and look at a beard that isn’t trying to get fellow teachers unalived. ManiBeard…annoying…but generally harmless.
Remember Becca from Chapters 17 and 19? The student that randomly walks out of class and caused Mani’s class to be evacuated? Yeah, this story starts with her.
Evidently, when Missy went to talk to Ms. Dean about the issues in ManiBeard’s class the solution provided was not to actually do anything about Mani…it was to move Becca to Sonia’s class. Because clearly, that will solve everything. Of course. This wasn’t exactly the change Beatle had been hoping to see, but it was all he got. They moved Becca into the class period Sonia had that Beatle supported so Beatle continued to have the opportunity to support Becca, which was needed. It was just also clear that Mani had no business trying to manage a class that had Becca in it (or any other class to be honest, but…baby steps?).
Beatle was already abnormally perturbed by this situation because he felt it was putting a band-aid on a much larger issue (and a flimsy band-aid at that). I can’t even blame this situation on Beatle being non-confrontational. What happened was out of his hands and confronting ManiBeard about it was absolutely pointless. He went to Mani’s class that day like a good little soldier boy and supported the children, trying his best to avoid unneeded interaction with Mani. Then…
“Where is the Pacific Ocean? Florida?” a student asked.
“Ew, Florida. Um…eh…,” Mani replied.
Beatle shook his head, “Actually, that would be the Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific is off the coast of California.”
“Oh yeah! That makes sense!” ManiBeard said, making it clear he legitimately did not know the answer to the student’s question. I suck at geography and even I knew that one!
The student was satisfied with the information he had been given but Beatle just stared at ManiBeard. I’m not sure why ManiBeard’s canyon-size knowledge gaps still surprise Beatle at this point…I’ve come to the conclusion any knowledge ManiBeard does actually have is simply accidental.
Beatle shook his head and walked out of the room to go to Amy’s class, his next class that period. He had absolutely no words for Mani at this point.
So, that was a short one but I wanted to end this on a lighter note. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, ring the bell, and do all the things for our boy ReddX. We love ReddX.
Until next time…

I doubt it is our good Senator Skinner's intention that MTSS, a positive behavior and wrap-around school system, only be used for tardiness and absenteeism. But that's what her revision of Ed Code Section 48900 (w) states. The provision to require the use of MTSS is buried under a subsection to address truancy and will be misinterpreted to only apply to truancy. If it’s not her intention, then SB274, as written, needs to be revised or rejected. The order of subsections matters. I know. I've tried to get top administrators to follow the spirit of Ed Code, but, nowadays, if there is any wiggle room, they will interpret it to their advantage - and it's gutting K-12 education.
Whenever a student is disruptive, by the very definition of the word, learning in the classroom has stopped. How is that fair to the students and parents of the kids that came to school to be educated? Subsection 48900(w)(2) needs to be moved to the top of the proposed revision - with some real consequences for lack of MTSS compliance. Real MTSS REQUIRES admin to step up.
Since the California Dept of Ed hasn’t yet bothered to check if all districts have a working Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), if/when passed, SB274 needs to have a delayed start date until every district can sufficiently prove they have a real and active MTSS. In doing so, California will then be able to better support students and hang onto teachers. It must be obvious to any sentient lawmaker that our current system isn’t working. Sen Skinner must take this opportunity to help fix it.
We need STRONG provisions to address the lack of accountability of school administrators to implement MTSS and other education legal requirements - not necessarily in this particular law, but somewhere prominently in Ed Code. As written, Sen Skinner's revision continues to place classroom behavior on the backs of teachers. It will drive more teachers out of the profession and, far worse, further erode the ability of California public and charter school students to get an education that will ensure a successful future. Isn't an appropriate education the entire point?
I left the teaching profession earlier than planned when it became clear that top administrators had no intention of stepping-up to make it possible for teachers to actually teach. They took advantage of the lax state oversight of administrators and never set up a real Multi-Tiered System of Support - then lied about it in the LCAPs (state school district plans). My local school district avoids ANY real consequences for bad behavior unless an important parent complains. Consequently, it is quickly becoming too dangerous to teach. As of today, March 29, 2023, my local district is advertising to replace 20% of their teaching force, and more teachers plan to resign. For my last eight years as a teacher, a profession I had loved, teachers became entirely responsible for behavior, attendance, supplies, parent communication, mental health issues, IEP accommodations, independent study files, and for the protection of students from bullying - all tasks for which I had previously received admin support. Did I mention BEHAVIOR? It's damn important! Without consequences, bad behavior grows exponentially and then no one learns.

At our public school I can’t use anything that says “may contain nuts..etc” even if there is no nuts in the ingredients due to cross contamination.
What are some good school snacks that are similar to a Z-bar for kids? I really liked that my kid was eating extra whole grains in a fun snack.

Fans of classic soul will know the song.
Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you coming back?
In another world it would be funny, but for years I asked that very question.
You see, my fiancé’s name is Jimmy Mack. He disappeared without a trace in 2018.
How do you disappear without a trace these days? It just doesn’t seem possible in a modern world, where almost everyone is somehow connected. Yet he did; he vanished. The police were baffled, private investigators were a waste of money, and my own attempts at sleuthing were futile.
If it wasn’t for the fact that we were ridiculously in love and things were so perfect, I wouldn’t have tried so hard. But everything was a vomit inducing fairytale for us. Even our names were cute af; Jimmy & Jessie sittin’ in a tree… I know he loved me as much as I loved him, and he would have done anything for me.
I heard all the theories. ‘Jess… Maybe he has a secret family… He might have been involved with criminals… Perhaps he took his own life…’
They didn’t know Jimmy like I did. I know you can never really know someone fully, but I knew those things could never be true of him. So I became estranged from family and friends, my life consumed with finding Jimmy. Every penny was spent on expensive investigation and cheap booze.
But then came the intervention. My mom, brother, and best friend Lori came to my apartment one evening. Mom took my hands.
“I want my daughter back,” she cried. And as I met the eyes of those closest to me it was like a weight had lifted. I dropped to the floor and cried for hours, releasing years of internal pain. It was exactly what I needed.
It wasn’t that I never thought of Jimmy again, but I began to move on. I even went on a couple of dates, and attended therapy sessions. There’s a whole psychology behind mourning an unexplained loss. I found it all very helpful.
Then I received a handwritten letter:
Dear Jessie,
You don’t know me but I have information about the disappearance of your fiancé James Mack in March 2018.
If you are interested in finding out more, meet me at Marcy’s Diner off [redacted]. I will be there between the hours of 20:00 and 22:00 every evening from Monday 13th - Friday 17th.
Come alone and sit in a window booth. I will make myself known as soon as I feel it’s safe to do so.
I repeat; come alone. If there’s any indication you have alerted the authorities, or discussed this with friends/family, the offer is void.
This offer is time sensitive. If you don’t visit the diner between those dates and times I will assume you are not interested. This will never be offered to you again in future.
Regards,
Anon
My hands trembled as months of progress began to unravel. I poured a shot of vodka and downed it, followed by one more to take the edge off. I was so close to calling Lori, her number ready to speed dial. I needed someone to talk sense into me, to tell me it was a hoax.
‘Don’t go through with it Jessie, it’s just some sicko taking advantage of your grief. Let’s go for cocktails!’
But I put my phone down and read the letter again. And again. I read it over and over, looking for something I might have missed despite the contents being clear.
◈
Monday came around. I pulled into the Marcy’s Diner car park just after 20:00, observing the patrons from the safety of my car. It looked pretty empty. Some tourists, a few trucker types. It was a convenient rest spot due to its location off the highway. No one screamed I have information about your beloved Jimmy Mack, like there was a physical description for that type of person.
I hung around for an hour or so before I chickened out and drove home. Rinse and repeat Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. On Thursday I didn’t even think about it. I parked up just before 20:00 and stepped out of my car, hesitating for the slightest moment before entering the chrome and candy stripe diner.
A few people observed me briefly before going back to their hot mugs and oversized burgers. As instructed I found a vacant window booth. They were all vacant. I chose the one furthest from the entrance. As I sat down I thought why the fuck did you think that was a good idea? My anxiety stopped me from switching seats regardless.
“Evening darlin’,” said a blond 40-something waitress wearing a blue gingham dress. She held a pot of coffee as she smiled down at me. “What can I get for you?”
“Oh, erm,” I was going to say nothing but realized that would be weird. “Coffee is good, thank you.”
She turned over a white mug that was on the table amongst novelty condiment bottles and laminated menus.
“Can I get you a slice of pie darlin’?” she said as she poured the coffee. “Cherry or chocolate-pecan.”
My stomach was in knots but I didn’t want to appear rude, so I opted for a slice of cherry pie. It arrived barely a minute later and I thanked her, then proceeded to tap my fingers on the table as I discreetly looked around the diner.
After an hour had passed I was three mugs of coffee down and had finished the pie, which was delicious. For a moment I’d forgotten my purpose for being there, beginning to relax a little. Then the door opened and a man walked in, giving me a quick glance as he headed to the counter. He wore a camo parka and what I’d call worker jeans, with a black baseball cap. He turned around after being handed a mug and I averted my eyes, looking out of the window. I could see his reflection getting closer to my table. When he stopped in my peripheral vision I turned, and he slipped into the seat opposite me.
“Jessie,” he said with a nod. “Pleased to see you inside the diner this evening.”
He had chiselled features and a little stubble. I put him in his early 40s. I cleared my throat.
“And what do I call you?”
He smiled. “You can call me Mike if it makes this easier for you.”
I shifted in my seat, trying to get comfortable. I folded my arms, then unfolded them, then put them on the table.
“Relax,” he said.
I let out a quick laugh. “That’s easy for you to say. I have no idea who you are. I don’t even know why I’m here, you gave no proof that you actually know anything about Jimmy.”
“I know everything,” he said deadpan. “And I’ll tell you if you want to hear it.”
I stared into his eyes until I felt mine glaze over, then cleared my throat again. “Let me guess; for a price?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want your money, Jessie.”
“Why now?” I snapped. “Do you know what these past 5 years have been like for me?” I felt tears coming on and he went to reach for my hand, but I recoiled. He pulled his hands away and looked apologetic.
“Unbearable, devastating, frustrating…”
“All the above!” I said as tears started to fall. “I couldn’t function at times. I stopped looking after myself. I abandoned my friends and family. It’s crazy how someone can do that to you.”
“Because you were in love,” he said.
“We were in love. We were the fucking Shutterstock image of love. And when that ends abruptly without explanation…”
“Everything alright darlin’?” the waitress interrupted, holding out a tissue. She glared at Mike. I took the tissue and nodded.
“Yes, thank you. I’m fine. Sorry, I’ll keep it down.”
“Don’t be sorry darlin’, you just let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“I will, thank you.”
She walked away and I wiped my eyes, feeling a little embarrassed.
“I can only apologize for how you’ve been feeling,” he said. “But I’m here to make it right. You could say I developed a conscience, or moral compass. I don’t know. I’m a changed man.”
I looked at him with confusion. “I don’t understand?”
“It’s easier if I show you,” he said. “But not here. You have to ask yourself if you trust me enough to go for a drive.”
“In your car?” I said. “Absolutely not!”
“Okay, how about if you drive?”
“To the middle of nowhere I bet?”
“Look Jessie,” he said, his eyes burning into me. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m really trying here, but if you’d rather leave it I get it.”
Call me stupid or naive, but something in his eyes made him appear somewhat genuine. I took a crazy chance.
“No… I need to know what happened to him.”
Mike nodded then raised a hand. “Say, could I get a slice of pie to go?”
◈
As predicted we were driving further into the wilderness than I would have preferred. The passing cars were few and far between.
“How much further?” I asked. “I might need to stop for gas.”
“Not too far now,” said Mike. “If you don’t mind sharing, do you remember the last moments you spent with James?”
I sighed. “I do, but I can’t remember the last time anyone called him James outside of the media. He hated it. He’d been Jimmy since elementary school.”
“Sorry,” he said. “Tell me about that last day you spent with Jimmy.”
“It was an ordinary day. A Wednesday. We woke up, had breakfast. I went to work, Jimmy worked from home. He called me on my lunch break like usual, just to hear your voice he always said. God, we were insufferable.” I let out a laugh.
“Take the next left,” said Mike. “I’m listening.”
“So yeah. We had a little chat, then I went back to work. I got home and Jimmy had already started dinner. He was a much better cook than me. We drank wine, watched a movie.”
“What movie did you watch?”
“The Notebook,” I laughed. “For the umpteenth time. I know, I hate us too.”
“Keep driving straight,” said Mike. “It’s a few minutes away.”
“What is?” I asked.
“What happened after the movie?” he said.
“Nothing, we went to bed.”
“Did you make love?”
I briefly turned to him in disapproval. “Excuse me?”
“Did you fuck?” he said, unflinching.
I shook my head. “No, sorry to disappoint you. Now where the hell are you taking me?”
“It’s just up here,” he said. “So you went to bed and then you never saw him again?”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Jimmy had already gone when I woke up. No note, no text. It was strange but I didn’t think too much of it at the time. I sent him a text asking where he was. When half the day went by with no response I started to worry.”
“And the rest is history, as they say.”
I nodded as I fought back tears.
“We’re here,” said Mike.
I looked around. It was dark from what the headlights illuminated, I couldn't see anything but trees. “What’s here?”
“Just stop the car. It’s a short walk.”
I felt my heart race as my vulnerable situation became apparent. I really was in the middle of nowhere with a strange man, one who had withheld information about my missing fiancé for 5 years. I stared at him wide eyed.
He shrugged. “I’m not really sure what I can say to make you more comfortable?”
I slowly reached for my bag and pulled out a pocket pistol. Mike let out a surprised laugh.
“Maybe I don’t need to say anything?” he said.
“This makes me more comfortable,” I said.
He nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”
◈
After walking for several minutes, feeling grateful that I’d opted for comfortable footwear that evening, we came to a cabin within the trees. The porch was lit.
‘Jessie; you know better than this girl’ I thought to myself, my hand clutching the pistol inside my bag.
“Why did it have to be a cabin in the woods?” I said, Mike a few feet in front of me.
“I like solitude,” he said. “I couldn’t think of anything worse than living in the city.”
We walked up the steps to the porch area. At one end there was a single chair with a blanket on it, and a small table with some beer bottles. At the other end I spotted some deep red patches on the floorboards. Mike noticed me looking.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s deer blood. I’m pretty self sufficient out here.”
We entered the cabin and Mike turned on the lights. It was quite basic, not overly decorated. There were some framed pictures on the walls, a dinner table, and a living area with some chairs, a small television and a log burner.
“I’m kind of disappointed there’s no stag’s head mounted on the wall,” I said as I took in my surroundings.
Mike shrugged. “I don’t see the animals as a prize. It’s food, survival. There are a few skulls out back if you want to check them out?”
I shook my head. “I’m good.”
Mike put the slice of pie he’d got from Marcy’s on the kitchen counter.
“Water, beer?” He opened the fridge and pulled out a beer bottle.
“This isn’t a social visit,” I said. “And call me paranoid but that would make me very stupid."
He nodded. “You’re right, I hope you don’t mind if I have one though.” He screwed off the cap and took a swig. “Let’s sit.” He motioned to the living area and I followed him.
“You know it’s dangerous to leave your fire burning when you’re not home,” I said, feeling the warmth from the log burner as I took a seat on an armchair. I kept my bag by my side and my hand on the pistol.
“It gets cold in here,” he said, sitting on another chair. “I’ll take my chances.”
He spoke about his cabin for a while, the whole time I became increasingly more uncomfortable due to the fact that I’d needed the bathroom since leaving the diner.
“I’d like to get straight to the point,” I said. “But I really need to use the bathroom.”
“Sure,” he said, pointing to a door down a hallway. “Over there.”
The bathroom was clean enough, though I did my business without touching the toilet seat. Something that had become a habit when using strange or public bathrooms. As I washed up I heard a groaning noise that sounded like it came from another room in the cabin. My heart jolted.
“Mike?” I said, creeping out of the bathroom. I had my bag over my shoulder and my shaking hand gripped the pistol. “What was that sound?”
I peeked over to the living area and couldn’t see him. I started to panic.
“Mike?” I said loudly. “This isn’t cool. Where are you?”
I heard that muffled groaning noise again and jumped, turning on the spot. There was another door further down the hall. Against my better judgement I crept closer to it, flinching each time the groan was emitted. It got louder the closer I got to the door.
“Mike?” I said, my whole body trembling.
“Sorry Jessie,” I heard Mike say from behind, and suddenly a cloth covered my mouth. My bag slipped from my shoulder but I still had the gun in my hand which I lifted as I struggled. Mike brought his other arm around me and squeezed tight, pinning my arms to my body. I became lightheaded as I breathed in chemicals.
“Shush,” he said quietly in my ear. “Just let it be.”
As I blacked out I was screaming inside my head. ‘You stupid girl!’
◈
When I came to my vision was momentarily blurred, but as I focused I saw Mike opposite me. We were sitting at the dinner table.
“Welcome back,” he said. I attempted to stand but my right hand was cuffed to the table leg. I pulled on it several times until pain shot through my arm. “That’s solid oak. I mean, you might get free but probably at the expense of your wrist.”
“You bastard!” I screamed. “Let me go. Help! Help me please!”
“Calm down Jessie,” he said. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you there’s no one out here to help you.”
I started to cry as I shook. “Oh God… What are you going to do to me? Are you going to…”
“I told you already, I’m not going to hurt you! Though that wasn’t completely true because I’m sure you have a splitting headache right now?”
He got up and retrieved a small bottle from a cupboard, then filled a glass from the faucet. He placed the glass in front of me as well as two pills from the bottle.
“Paracetamol. You’ll thank me later.”
“I’ll never thank you!” I screamed, then moaned as my head pounded. I reluctantly picked up the pills and swallowed them with water. “Why am I cuffed?”
As he spoke he walked across the cabin. “Because I believe what you’re about to hear would cause you to run. When I’m done you’re more than welcome to leave, you have my word.”
He returned with a MacBook and placed it on the table. It looked alien amongst the cabin interior. My surprised expression must have been clear.
“I’m not a Luddite,” he said. “I have WiFi and Netflix just like you city folks.”
“Great,” I said sarcastically. “But you really need to start talking.”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to give demands,” he said. “But very well. Here’s the first thing you’re not going to like hearing: I’ve been inside your apartment.”
My jaw dropped. “Wha… What?”
He opened the MacBook and tapped on the keyboard, then showed me the screen. There were several images of my apartment interior. I picked up the glass and took a swig of water, wishing it was something stronger. “Why were you in my apartment Mike?”
“Well, here’s the next thing: I’m a serial killer.”
I shifted back on the chair and pulled on the cuffs, starting to hyperventilate. “Oh God oh God oh God…”
“Calm down Jessie,” he said.
“Give me a fucking break,” I shouted. “Jesus Christ!” I clung onto the cuffs with my free hand and pulled hard, groaning. The table only moved ever so slightly but I felt like I’d run a marathon. I sat up and stared at Mike as I breathed heavily. “You killed Jimmy?”
“I target lovers,” he said. “I observe them for months before I take things further. When the time is right I abduct one. Which one I choose is more down to opportunity than anything else. Then I pose a question: Are you prepared to sacrifice yourself for the one you love? Make a choice; you or them.”
I covered my mouth with a trembling hand. “Oh Jimmy… You sacrificed yourself for me.”
Mike tapped on the keys some more. “I install secret cameras in the lovers’ homes when they’re out. Like I said, I observe them for months, and not just outside. I need to get a feel for their relationship before I intervene. It has to be true love or it just doesn’t feel right. And you only get to see the real deal when no one else is looking. Excessive PDAs are often a sign of insecurity, they mean nothing really.”
He turned the screen back to me and a video was playing. “I edited this just for you.”
It showed Jimmy and I sitting at our breakfast bar. In the corner of the screen was Mar 7th 2018, 07:54.
“Wait!” I said, my heart beating out of my chest. I paused the video. “I don’t think I want to see this.”
“You have to, Jessie. I’m sorry. You’re free to leave once it's over.”
I felt my heart through my chest. “Can I at least take you up on that drink?”
He got up and walked to the fridge, taking out a beer.
“Do you have anything stronger?” I asked.
He nodded and reached under the kitchen counter, then returned with a whisky bottle and two tumblers. He poured two measures and pushed one towards me, then sat back down.
“We’re all out of ice unfortunately.”
“Fuck the ice,” I said, downing it in one gulp. I closed my eyes as I felt my chest burn inside, then signalled for Mike to top me up. After a moment I hit play on the screen.
◈
Mar 7th 2018, 07:54
Jimmy and I eat breakfast. He picks up a strawberry and rubs it against my lips.
“Stop it,” I say, giggling as I slap his arm. “I have to leave shortly.”
“Come on Jess,” he says. “Open wide.” He puts the strawberry in my mouth then gently kisses my lips.
“To be continued,” I say, getting off the stool and grabbing my things.
“No fair!” he sulks.
“Have a good day babe,” I say, kissing his cheek.
“I love you, Jess,” he says, momentarily holding me against him.
“I love you more,” I say, pulling away to run to the door. “See you this evening.”
09:11
Jimmy comes out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around him, then goes to the bedroom.
10:36
Jimmy sits at the table on his laptop and takes a few work related calls.
12:05
Jimmy takes another call. “Hey you. Yeah. No, she won’t be back until like 7 at the earliest.”
I took another sip of whisky and briefly met Mike’s eyes as he watched me. I held the glass close to my chest, my knuckles white.
Jimmy continued. “Absolutely, I’d love to see you… Great, see ya soon.”
12:48
The buzzer rings and Jimmy uses the intercom. “It’s open.”
I downed the whisky and pushed the glass towards Mike. He leaned over and poured another measure.
Jimmy opens the door and in comes my best friend Lori. She embraces him.
13:09
They sit on the couch together.
“Shit, I’ve got to call Jess,” says Jimmy. “It’s our thing.”
“Seriously?” says Lori.
“Yep, every lunch break without fail. She’ll get paranoid if I don’t.”
Fucking asshole. It was never something I asked for or insisted on. Whatever makes him feel better.
He makes the call and puts a finger against his lips. In the meantime Lori unzips his fly and feels inside.
“Hey baby, how’s your day going? Ah, that’s awesome! Yeah, it’s been a productive morning. I’m gonna heat up some soup, what are you having?”
He puts his other hand behind Lori’s head and pushes it into his lap. His head slowly tilts back.
“That sounds amazing. Okay, well I just wanted to hear your voice baby. And you, can’t wait to see you later. Love you too. Bye.”
16:32
They come out of the bedroom and Lori puts on her shoes. Jimmy puts his arms around her from behind and nuzzles her neck.
“Do you have to leave already?” he says.
“What if she comes home?” says Lori.
“I promise you she won’t be home for a while. Come on.”
She turns and slaps his chest. “You’re a bad boy, Jimmy Mack.” They kiss.
17:43
They chop vegetables in the kitchen.
“I wish we were cooking for us,” says Jimmy.
“Me too,” says Lori. “We really should tell her soon. It’s gone on long enough.”
Tears stream as I finish my third whisky.
He nods. “I know. I keep trying. I already know how tonight will go. We’ll eat dinner and then she’ll want to watch some shit like The Notebook.”
Lori laughs. “I feel so bad for you.”
“She’s such a hopeless romantic,” he says.
“Hopeless being the operative word,” laughs Lori.
“Me-ow!” he laughs.
Mar 8th 2018, 01:22
The door to our apartment opens and in comes a tall figure dressed in black. They slowly open our bedroom door and creep inside. After a few minutes Jimmy leaves the room in a t-shirt and boxers, his hands up as he’s followed by the figure at gunpoint. They leave the apartment.
◈
I sat in silence staring at the screen.
“I’m sorry for what you’ve been through Jessie,” said Mike. “But as you can see he didn’t deserve your pain and suffering.”
I put the glass on the table and wiped the tears from my face. “Maybe not. But he didn’t deserve to die.”
“Would you say the same if you knew he chose you?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, like I said. I take one of the lovers and give them a choice. I’d never experienced something like this, having only observed genuine love. It threw me. He was a lying piece of shit but I still posed the question.”
Mike found another video and played it.
Jimmy is sitting on a chair in a dark room under a hanging light, his arms tied behind his back. He struggles to free himself.
“James Mack,” says Mike offscreen.
“Who are you?” screams Jimmy. “I’ll fucking kill you when I get free!”
“How much do you love Jessie?”
“What?”
“Would you die for her?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jimmy shouts.
“Would you die for her?” Mike roars, coming into shot and putting his forehead against Jimmy’s. He holds a gun at his side.
Jimmy recoils. “I… I…”
“It’s you or her James!” Mike cocks the gun and holds it against Jimmy’s head. “Make your decision.”
“Her!” Jimmy cries. “Take Jessie! You’ll be doing me a fucking favor you psycho!”
Mike stopped the video as I covered my mouth. “How does that make you feel Jessie?”
I shook my head. “I’d like to see what your response would be if someone held a gun to your head.”
He nodded. “Fair point. But just so you know, I’ve targeted 5 couples so far and they all chose to sacrifice themselves.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “I hate him for this but he still didn’t deserve to die.”
Mike came over and took a key out of his pocket, then released the cuff around my wrist. I gripped it with my other hand and held it against my chest.
“Oh, he’s not dead Jessie,” said Mike, walking to the kitchen counter. He picked up the box containing the pie.
“What?”
He walked across the room down the hall, then stopped at the door at the end.
“You’re free to go Jessie,” he said. “Or you can come say hi.”
He pushed open the door then disappeared. I got up and frantically looked around the cabin. I saw my bag sitting on a coffee table and rummaged inside. My gun, my keys, my phone were all there. I ran to the main door and breathed in the cool night air, then hesitated. I looked over my shoulder.
You stupid girl I repeated in my head over and over as I approached the door down the hall. There was a staircase leading down into a dimly lit basement. I could hear Mike’s voice and some groans as I slowly began to descend, my body trembling. There was a vile smell that got worse with every step. It made me retch.
When I got to the bottom I saw Mike standing over the figure of a pale man that sat with his back to me. He was wearing rags, and the skin I could see was dirty and covered in sores. His skin was impossibly stretched over visible bones. He was eating noisily as he groaned.
“Is that good James?” asked Mike, and I saw the figure nod enthusiastically. The back of his head revealed long thinning hair with bald patches.
Mike looked over his shoulder and smiled when he met my eye. “Oh my, James. You’ll never guess who’s come to visit?”
The figure looked up inquisitively, then turned his head in my direction.
I could see it in his eyes. His handsome features had been buried under a pale, gaunt complexion. But I could tell it was Jimmy by his eyes. It took him a few seconds to acknowledge who he was looking at but suddenly his eyes widened, the thin skin of his forehead flaking as it wrinkled. He had pie smeared across his mouth. He had some teeth missing and the ones I could see looked jagged and broken.
“Jessie?” he said, in a voice that wasn’t quite the same. It was weathered, like that of a senior citizen with a bad smoking habit.
My lips trembled as I nodded. “It’s me Jimmy.”
He suddenly stood and lunged towards me, his hands outstretched. I flinched but he was held back by shackles around his ankles.
“Jessie!” he groaned. My heart couldn’t take it, feeling like it was going to explode. I fell to my knees as the 5 year mystery was solved in the most horrifying way.
“Isn’t it nice of Jessie to stop by?” said Mike. “Even after the way you treated her.”
Jimmy became restless, pulling on the shackles. He kept groaning like he was in pain.
“How could you do this to him?” I cried. “Even a rabid beast doesn’t deserve this!”
Mike shrugged. “I guess I felt bad for you. I’d never really considered the feelings of anyone else until I saw just how much you loved this man. And when I witnessed his betrayal day after day I just grew to hate him more. I knew a bullet to the brain wasn’t enough for this piece of shit.”
Mike turned to Jimmy and started rubbing his back. “But you know, over the years this piece of shit has grown on me. We’re like family now, aren’t we James?”
“No!” Jimmy screamed, making me fall back. “No no no!”
He buried his face in Mike’s neck, making him scream in pain. Dark blood cascaded down Mike’s shirt. Considering Jimmy was wasted away to nothing, Mike's attempts at freeing himself were useless. He fell to the floor and pushed himself against the wall, holding the gaping wound on his neck.
“James… Don’t…” he managed before Jimmy pounced. It sounded like a wild animal devouring its prey. I covered my ears as I watched in horror, my body refusing to let me look away.
Before long Mike was silent and still, his eyes remained open as he slouched against the wall. Jimmy turned to look at me, at first appearing shy or embarrassed. His face and chest was covered in Mike’s blood. He licked his lips and attempted to wipe it away with the back of his skeletal arm.
Eventually he started to crawl towards me, only stopping when the shackles wouldn’t allow him to get any closer. He groaned, but it wasn’t in anger. His eyes became glassy and he started to cry.
“Jessie,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
My hands trembled as I reached out to him, scared beyond belief but my heart was breaking all over again. I was in two minds, but eventually my hand met his and I felt his bony fingers between mine.
“Oh Jimmy,” I said breathlessly. “I forgive you.”
We held hands for a moment before I stood up. “I’m calling for help.” I made my way to the stairs.
“No!” Jimmy shouted. His eyes pleaded with me. “No Jessie. Please.”
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but I think most people would have done the same from a place of love.
Jimmy Mack is never coming back.
dd
DB

First time investobuyer of a home. I recently learned that a owner of a house in a very well off neighborhood died about a year ago and I guess the distant relatives didn’t really know what to do with it, so now it’s going to public auction with the county. The house itself is small but the property itself is premium considering the area. (Neighborhood is mixed with million dollar homes and average medium income homes)
Me and my girlfriend graduated from grad school last year and our combined salary is close to 400k a year. We’ve only worked a year so far so our liquid assets are maybe close to 100k. I feel this house is going to go anywhere between 250-320k on auction. Granted I don’t have experience in auctions but the houses around the surrounding area are going for 400-500k. The house in its self is ok shape but definitely needs to be worked on. 2 old ladies lived in it for 20 years and not much work on the outside has been done.
The auction in my county states that if you win the bid on the house you have to pay the full amount the day of. So considering that we do not have that type of liquidity. How would I go about this? I’ve looked into hard money loans but I’m not sure if I’d be able to get one for an auction home as well as getting a loan greater than 200k. If I was able to get a hard money loan would I be able to refinance it to a mortgage right away or would the lender not allow me to do that for a certain amount of time or is there a penalty in paying it off early?
Also all the property taxes are paid fully, not sure about the mortgage itself though.
Is there other options in somehow getting loan for a situation like this?

Why hasn't this been done? I'm curious, I have never thought about it until now. For example, A robot (can be small) that can look and search for a hostile target in emergencies. Don't we already have the technology to be able to do this? Is funds the problem?

Hey I'm an 8th grader and here are my current extracurricular activities, I was wondering what other extracurriculars I should add in 9th grade in order to improve my chances of getting into an ivy league (btw my school is k-12 so all the in school activities ill be able to continue):
- Debate (public forum specifically): I've been doing it for a year but I think I'm pretty decent and I place top 5 in all the tournaments I go to
- Piano: I've been playing for 6 years but im not on orchestra or band or anything
- Soccer: I played soccer outside of school in 6th and 7th grade but I took a break this year, I just started again and I'll def continue through HS. I also play on my school's team
- Basketball: I play on my school's team but nothing outside of school
- Community service: Idk if this counts but my school makes us do at least 75 hours before we graduate 12th grade and im planning on doing at least 100 hours
- Math class: I'm starting an outside of school math class next year, I'll be taking honors pre calc and (hopefully) trigonometry (if I pass the test to get into that class)
- Model UN: I'm in my school's Model UN club, I haven't actually been to any MUN conferences yet because I started halfway through the year. Right now I'm mainly learning how it works but next year im planning on going to the conferences.
- Math competitions: I'm on my school's math team and next year I'm planning to do some math competitions like the AMC 10.

I've been given the chance to become an exchange student and currently down to 2 choices, either Brazil or Canada. I've settled on these 2 countries as I feel that these 2 may suit me (personally) most. However, I would just like to make sure or I guess "ask for advice" from the people currently living there.
Some background:

• I'm a mixed-race kid. Thai/Italian (as for appearances, if it even matters, most people say I actually give more of a Western/Italian look. And I barely have any Asian features.
• Male, 16 years old.
• I speak fluent Thai & English. Can understand some Italian but can't speak it.
• Currently studying Art at a school in Thailand and looking to maybe major in Cinematography or Communication Arts.
• Never been to the Americas. (only once to the United States but I was very young and I don't remember much from that trip.)
• Most likely date for exchange would be from June/July this year and returning around May next year.

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I've always liked "world" music and I've been fascinated by it for quite a long time. Brazilian music is no exception. I also recently got into old school beat-making and have been collecting records for a while. Would I still be able to do this with Brazilian vinyl records? Are there still many record shops out there? are records quite expensive in Brazil?
Another thing which I'm interested is Photography, currently in Thailand I've been photographing many nature related photos. I understand that the Amazon rainforest is very large, but does that still make it accessible?
Would I still be able to travel to and from different states at prices comparable to Thailand? How is the public transport? Is rail quite a popular form of transport in-between states?
How is the school curriculum in Brazil? Is it quite a good system? What should I be able to expect?
English? Do most people in Brazil also speak English as a second language?
Crime? I've heard by a couple friends that Brazil is quite a dangerous country and that it compares to be much more dangerous than Canada. Is this true? Is there a large sense of crime everywhere?
To the Canadian ex-pats, (if there are any... I still don't know if there is also a large expatriate population in Brazil.) Would you recommend, someone like me, to spend a year in Brazil instead of your home country?
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tl;dr:
Buying Vinyl records?
Taking nature photos?
Public transport?
How is the school curriculum?
English?
Violence?

Some stories on this topic from various publications around Colorado
The Denver Gazette:
Package of gun bills nears Polis' desk, final hurdles remain - https://denvergazette.com/premium/package-of-gun-bills-nears-polis-desk-final-hurdles-remain/article_e7129e72-8e19-5370-a698-003117aecfe1.html
House Democrats invoke little-used rule to shut down Republicans' filibuster - https://denvergazette.com/news/government/democrats-shut-down-filibuster-republicans-parliamentary-rule/article_0abb58c0-7fea-5164-a451-be074826a1ba.html
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The Colorado Sun:
Democrats in Colorado House take extraordinary step of limiting debate on gun measures to halt GOP filibuster - https://coloradosun.com/2023/03/25/colorado-capitol-debate-limited-democrats/
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KDVR Fox 31 Denver:
Gun measures inch closer to governor’s desk - https://kdvr.com/news/politics/colorado-politics-news/gun-measures-inch-closer-to-governors-desk/
Gun bill debate: What parties say about 3 proposals in legislation - https://kdvr.com/copov/copov-full-episodes/gun-bill-debate-what-parties-say-about-3-proposals-in-legislation/
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9News:
State lawmakers debate gun bills for more than 20 hours - https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/state-lawmakers-gun-bills/73-387c7a7e-77f3-411b-8e8e-3e2c895c6cc5
Douglas County school leadership rejects county GOP's call to arm teachers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAUEc3sNO_U

In my last semester of undergrad and currently planning for 2 gap years. Worst case scenario I’ll be ending up with 3.4 cgpa, 3.3 sgpa. Should I do an SMP or Post-bacc? Planning to reinforce my shadowing/volunteering hours as well and retake DAT (aiming for 21+). Hopefully get a job doing something I like in the mean time.
I’m at my state’s flagship public school, ORM if that helps. Just want some more opinions so I can graduate with a clear head and solid plan. Thanks

Hi All,
I'm graduating with my PhD from a top engineering school in the US this Spring. I have 4 publications in pretty good journals in my field and have 42 citations so far.
I am interested in becoming a peer reviewer and have reached out to the journals I've published in (Elsevier, MDPI, etc.)but have yet to hear back. For mdpi, I submitted my profile and it still shows "pending approval" even after a month.
Can anyone provide any insight into the peer reviewer selection process? And what I should be doing differently?
My topics of interest: 1) Aerospace 2) Machine learning 3) Natural Language Processing 4) Systems engineering 5) Requirements engineering
Thanks for your inputs!! :)