Hi there, I’m on a 10-day solo trip in a rainy, gorgeous England (from California, USA) and thought I’d leave reviews about some of the products I’ve brought. I obsessed over all the product reviews here before my trip (well, all the time really - when I’m not traveling, I’m thinking about traveling), and want to “pay it forward.”

1. Palette by Pak - I used to use contact lens cases but was getting annoyed with having more than one case and tiny capacity and all else. I bought this and LOVE it. The capacity for my particular skin care is perfect for a 10-day trip. I put in Make Up Forever make up remover, Lancôme foaming cleanser, Biossance eye cream, tretinoin, and Estée Lauder Idealist (absolute best for reducing appearance of pores on me). I have a small container of Biossance face lotion. Am considering getting a second Palette for face cream and hair goop because it’s just so convenient and keeps me from overpacking on toiletries (my travel nemesis). Currently I have a couple of small containers for hair goop, in addition to other small containers for other face/body/hair crap.
   
2. Stasher half-gallon bag for toiletries. I have an embarrassing number of toiletry bags and this one is the best. I like it better than a ziplock or a Dopp kit. I know it’s bigger than a quart-size but I haven’t had any issues with airport security. I don’t pack it to capacity - the taller size allows the Palette to fit. I might run into an agent who has issues with the larger size bag. I also pack regular quart-size baggies for s snacks and such so can transfer if needed. I like getting things in and out of the Stasher bag and it’s just more handy and sturdy for bathrooms, tossing in a suitcase, shoving in my backpack, etc. I have a smaller version for my makeup and it’s now my favorite makeup bag.
   
3. Columbia Carson’s Pass Interchange Jacket - waterproof, wind resistant, looks like a disco ball on the inside, and it’s two jackets in one! The length is perfect on me (I’m 5’6”) - and for the first time in all my Spring-weather travels anywhere; I’m warm! Highly recommended.
   
4. Uniqlo Heat-tech base layer leggings (the thinner ones) - great under leggings for warmth without bulk, great as sleepwear, easy to wash in a sink and air dries in a few hours. Wish I had gotten the long-sleeve too as well.
   
5. Corkcicle 12 ounce stainless steel mug - found this on clearance for $7 at Nordstrom Rack the day before I left and - on a panic “whim” - packed it. I’ve used this everyday for tea, coffee, wine, packet soup (like miso), water. It’s been really nice - Compared to the water bottle I brought and really wish I hadn’t; it takes up space and is unnecessary cause I could have just bought a bottle here and refilled it endlessly. They have a brand called One sold in aluminum bottles.
   
6. Lululemon Bigger Everyday bag - I have a smaller one that I use a lot at home as my purse. I didn’t pack it (again with the panic “whims” on the packing!). Just thought I’d manage with my backpack. I don’t want to (or need to) carry my backpack everywhere). I bought one here and opted for the bigger version for the dual zip main compartment and to fit my phone when it’s attached to a battery. Never traveling without this bag again. I wear it around my back and under my coat when I’m out and about, wear it in front when I don’t have my coat on, wear it on my hip at restaurants - it’s brilliant. Long live the fanny pack.
   
7. Crochet people: I have my project I started for this trip (Through the Clouds shawl, Oink Nimbus fingering weight yarn, 3.5 mm hook) and then visited some LYS for Cotswolds wool. There are some fantastic handspun yarns from local sheep and alpaca! Anyway, I brought a 5mm hook cause I thought maybe I’d start another project - and I’m making an ear warmer with “seaweed-eating sheep” wool I found in a lovely shop called Fibreworks in Chipping Norton! Anyway that was a silly addition that turned out to be nice. YMMV
   

Other notes about my trip: staying in hotels, proper B&Bs. (Available in-room drinkware has ranged from mugs to teeny espresso cups so I really like having that corkcicle mug). Using a Briggs & Riley 22” roller bag and Briggs and Riley delve backpack - love the roller bag; mixed feelings on the backpack. Visiting London and the Cotswolds this trip.
Things I wish I had left behind: water bottle; that 3rd sweate4th pair of pants/4th pair of socks/sneakers (have been wearing my Blundstones everywhere because of the rain - basically only wore the sneakers in airport - should have just brought a second set of insoles instead); and Kindle (have iPad and am listening to audiobooks while walking or crocheting).
That’s all for now. Happy Travels!

Watonga City, Mothers realm
April 3rd, 2291
8:30 pm
Diana landed outside the city, Frank disembarked and explained why the bloodthirsty creature was not a threat, all the while Wendy watched. She had felt something off about Oklahoma as soon as they neared its borders, her ears rang at random times, and she had nightmares of mutants. She had kept these things to herself as she had not wanted to worry Frank but now, they were becoming unbearable, her ears rang as Frank stood there calming the crowd but then suddenly stopped.
"Welcome, we've been expecting you two!"
Wendy looked to see a woman in her Middle Ages approaching her the crowd.
"I'm so sorry for the crowd we don't often get visitors around here."
"It's alright. But what do you mean you have been expecting us?"
"You're Sarah’s little boy toy, right?"
Frank stood up straight upon hearing Sarah’s name.
"I'm Victoria...I'm somewhat in charge around here. Please come in. And bring that thing in here..."
Frank turned to Wendy and nodded towards her. Wendy took the reigns and tapped Diana slightly to go forward. However, the griffon did not budge. She did it again and once more nothing.
"Diana come on."
The griffon sat down and shook Wendy off of it before unfurling its wings and flying up into the sky.
"HEY WAIT!"
Frank ran over to Wendy who sat on the ground.
"Hey you hurt?!"
"Why would she do that?"
"I don't know maybe she's not used to cities being full. Look we can find her after. This is the destination."
"Wait what?"
"We made it."
Frank helped Wendy off the ground and led her to the small gate that surrounded the city.
"I'm so sorry for the trouble of you coming here...we tried to make the trip to you but there were....complications."
"So, I take it you know about her?"
"Yes, she's a psyker...as am I and many others here."
Wendy looked up at the woman.
"You're a psyker too?!"
"Yep, I can influence people with my voice. It's how I got honcho here to trust me so easily at first."
Wendy turned to Frank who now realized just how relaxed he was earlier.
"We call it harmonic influentia..you have electrokinesis it's a rare trait here...but out west more common."
Wendy looked around the city, everything was so clean and pristine. These people were thriving, and Frank even seemed to agree.
"So, where's this training facility of yours?"
"It's by the capital building, we call it the chapel."
("Frank so what now?")
Frank shrugged.
"So do you guys get a lot of issues from Texas?"
"The occasional border skirmish with them but we can charm them away mainly. We are very isolationist...we tend to keep to ourselves and so we do not tolerate violence much. We have few guns to be honest. Only our army and guards carry them."
"I can respect isolationism but only trusting weapons in the hands of certain individuals is an issue."
Frank smelt a small nudge and turned to his left. Wendy mouthed to him.
*Shut up*
"No, it's fine, we're all our own individuals after all."
"How did you?"
"Oh, and would you look at that we’re here already."
Wendy looked at the building, it was large and covered with lavish ornaments.
"So why do you call it the chapel?"
"We worship our mother here."
"Mother?"
"Yes, she grants us ideas, instructions and much more. I will lead a sermon tomorrow if you wish to see more."
"You wouldn't happen to know of a Dorkin's would you?"
"Dor....oh the apostate.... yes he was a good man, but he grew radical wanted to create a society ruled by mother. We banished him almost a decade ago, I heard he established his own branch of our church in Utah."
"We had a few run ins with his men just...curious if you were connected."
"No, you're safe...we're not as radical in our beliefs."
Victoria led them up the stairs and into the chapel throwing the golden doors open.
"Welcome....this is our, training ground and your new home Wendy"
"Wait home?"
"Yes, you are staying with us, right?"
"I...I..."
Wendy turned to Frank and looked at him.
"Can he stay too?"
Victoria's eyebrows frowned for a second.
"Of course.....he's more than welcome to."
"I can stay...still need to clear my name back in NCR anyway, bastards still think I'm a murderer."
"Then that settles it, the rooms are up the stairs and to the left, they're all empty right now as school is out of session so you can pick one for the time being then come join us for dinner."
Frank and Wendy thanked Victoria before walking off to find two rooms.
"I'll pick whatever is closest too your room got it?"
"Yeah...hey so how are we going to find Diana?"
"We won't have to, she's right outside."
Frank walked over to a window and pointed up to the sky. A large creature flew in the silhouette of the moon.
"She refuses to come in, so she'll probably just be in the area hunting local fauna, you made her promise not to eat random people, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Alright well...leave your stuff and let's go eat dinner, chef Kingly can take a break."
Wendy chuckled as she opened the door and threw the bag onto the small bed. The room was small and cozy, there was a sink and a bar of soap. A small toilet was on the other side of the room surrounded by more luxurious items.
"I could get use to this."
As Wendy touched the counter her head throbbed, and her ears rang. She closed her eyes tightly as the pain hit her head. She groaned and grabbed at her head trying everything to make the pain go away. Then the smell hit her, it was horrendous, her stomach curled, and she grew nauseous.
"Wendy you alright?!"
A image flashed in her mind, a giant conglomerate of flesh and machinery held together by old wire and sinew. She opened her eyes and screamed out in horror Frank stood over her as she lay there.
"Hey kid you alright?!"
He looked at her worried.
"What happened?"
"You passed out. I heard you fall and came in here. Picked you up and placed you on the bed. You almost fried me, what happened, did you hit your head?"
"I..."
The image of gore flashed in her mind.
"I... yeah...I hit my head on the counter."
"Well be more careful......do you still want to eat dinner? I can tell them to bring the food here."
"No, I'm fine.... let's go..."
Wendy got up off the bed and wiped the drool from her mouth.
"I am no doctor...but you had a seizure.... I think we should-"
"I said let's go!"
Wendy tied her hair back into a ponytail and threw water on her face quickly cleaning up before walking towards the door.
"If you insist."
* 15 minutes later
Frank and Wendy sat down at the table with Victoria. The dining room was luxurious, it was clean solid metal and gold.
"How do you guys afford this stuff?"
"It's all just stuff we've found in and around our city, Morgana has put it to good use. You guys must be hungry."
Victoria clapped her hands and a Mr. Handy appeared from another room holding 3 trays of food.
^{"Your dinner sir and misses."}
“So, where is everybody else?”
“As I have said they are out on break usually I teach the classes and hold dinner but right now it's just us three.”
Wendy looked at her plate.
“What is this?”
“Salmon from the shores of Texas.”
“Salmon?”
“Have you never seen a fish before?!”
Frank said tearing and cleaning the fish tail of any meat.
“Locked in a cage remember?!”
“Oh yes, those damn brutes in the NCR. I swear they have no manners; it must have been awful having all those tests done on you. I experienced a similar fate before the war. All those damn lab coats, poking and prodding at me.”
“Wait before the war?! How...how old are you?”
Frank looked up from the fish and looked back and forth at Wendy and Victoria.
“Cannot say really. I like to think I am young, but my age occasionally shows Morgana is the beautiful one. But at my best guess I am around 226.”
Wendy sat mouth open as she looked at the woman who just shrugged off immortality.
“So, you can’t die or age?!”
“Age, no. Die, we very much can... its mother that keeps us this young, she uses her abilities to influence our cells to prevent the ones we love from dying, by natural means.”
“Oh, well what happened?”
“Hmmm?”
“You said you were in a lab how did you escape?”
“Ahh yes...the great war, it short circuited the power to our cages.... we escaped and... we banished the scientists to the waste.”
Frank cleaned his hand as he looked upon the conversation, he was not a psyker so he simply sat quietly as the two talked.
“So, Wendy when did you learn to control your abilities? Sarah mentioned you struggled at first to close your mind to other thoughts.”
“I struggle slightly but I have managed to prevent it most of the time. I learned it when I was around 6. Then there was pyrokinesis at 8, and electrokinesis was more recent around a month ago now, and even closer was my ability to talk to beasts hence the griffon.”
“Interesting...”
Frank set his fork down.
“You could make fire this entire time and you’ve been making me struggle for 5 minutes to turn on an old stove every day!?”
“Yeah, I didn’t want to be our damn cooking tool.”
Frank sighed as he continued to eat. He was out of his league and so he quickly finished his meal and excused himself. He walked the halls for a bit, they were old slightly rusted but articulated well. Then he saw her. A woman in purple standing on a balcony smoking a cigarette.
“Hello there handsome.”
Frank felt worried then suddenly at ease.”
“Victoria had said it was just us 3 tonight. I take it you are not supposed to be here.”
“I go where I please, I designed this grand hall after all.”
“You must be the lovely Morgana then.”
“I see V mentioned me.”
“She did...she left out how beautiful you were though.”
“You outsiders really know how to flatter a girl.”
“I should, seduction is a trait I practiced well o-”
“Oh, there you are Frank, who's this?”
Frank blinked his eyes quickly then looked behind him to see Wendy standing there holding a small cup.
“When did you...never mind this is... Morgana....shes the designer of this grand hall...”
“A pleasure to meet you...but I must be going now...so see you soon.”
Downstairs
“I thought she ordered you to seduce him?!”
“I tried, that little rat showed up. The reports were right Lysander, she is powerful, her mere presence broke my hold on him.”
“Not to worry. V still has a plan.”
“That girl is more powerful than any of us could have imagined, Dorkin's is right she’s better off dead even if it's not what mother wants.”
Lysander and Morgana opened the door to V’s room
“AND WHO WILL WE USE INSTEAD MORGANA?!”
Victoria shouted at her from behind before pushing them both in.
“HMM? YOU?!”
“No, V it's just...so many have died for one gir-”
V walked over to the desk in the room as she stared at Morgana
“They have died for the Putrescent mother. If I hear more of this talk, I will have you killed for treason! Since you did not seduce and have the guardian fall in love with you, I must alter my plan to make him wish to stay, Lysander!”
“Yes?”
“From my conversation with the vessel I have learned that her guardian is one with a strategic mind. In the morning show him one of our pleasant arms factories, but do not harm him. I cannot convince the vessel by force; she must do it willingly for the ritual to be complete.”
“I will do as told.”
“Why must we convince the guardian?”
“Her attachment to him is too strong. And she will not believe him just leaving so we must make it seem like he loves it here, so when we offer her the chance to bring prosperity her mind dwells on him not us.”
“I understand, V please allow me to try again. You must keep the vessel distracted long enough to-”
“No! You had your chance and unless he fails you shall live with that guilt, or you can join the Dowagers!”
“I understand...V I don’t like what you’ve become...”
“I’ve become what mother needs of me to become.”

Hi! I know there's been a lot of these questions and I have trawled extensively through many tik toks and Reddit recommendations. We have a billion food and drink recommendations so wanted to ask about other things to do in this period.
Some background - staying in Williamsburg but happy to travel.
I have been to NY 3 times before and know lower Manhattan pretty well.
My wife has not been before so happy to do some tourist stuff, but I know all the usual tips.
We like fashion, photography, theatre, art, books, fitness, comedy and especially music. Hipster stuff I guess!
Some stuff we have booked/ will do already - a show at Cumming's bar, Sleep No More, Self Esteem and Tallest Man on Earth live shows, Art in Dumbo first Thursdays, Coney Island opening show, Black Power exhibit at Poster House, Guggenheim pay what you want, Dupont Brass at Chelsea Music Hall, Russian Tea Rooms, Gran Central oyster bar, a show at Comedy Store and Museum of Failure.
We are there for quite a while so trying to do as much as poss without breaking the bank too much - unusual, cheap stuff that you can't do in any other city is the dream.
Some things we want to do but not sure how:

• My wife is desperate to watch SNL and wants to spend all Sat afternoon in line for that so any tips very welcome.
  
• Would love to watch a gospel choir but can only find expensive touristy tickets.
  
• We are from London so Broadway stuff feel pretty familiar (and expensive) - if we went to a show it would feel like doing it for doing it's sake - unless there's something can't miss on. I know about Today Tix etc.
  
• Would love to watch basketball (any team) but tickets are v expensive. Or any game really if we can get it cheap.
  
• I'd love to explore Harlem especially but also not really done Queens, The Bronx - I've found a lot of stuff in Brooklyn.
  
• My wife is a fitness freak - are there any fitness classes we could do some sessions at in Brooklyn for cheap (trying to do a live Peloton class). We'll try ClassPass as well. At the moment the plan is to do daily jogs around Williamsburg to try and offset vacation booze and food.
  
• Would love to go to a cool non touristy jazz night or afternoon which has a good vibe.
  
• Have trawled through Eventbrite for theatre and smaller stuff but anything good in this period very welcome (there's so many Reggaeton regular nights spamming there haha).
  
• Any unusual (cheap/free) music - rock, reggae, indie, folk etc.
  
• Any pop up stuff - music or food. We know about Time Out market and will try the Queen's food market but I think it doesn't start when we are there?
  
• Museums lates - drink, DJs and art is cool!
  

So really we are looking for unusual non touristy things that are on in this period that we might not normally find on Time Out, Reddit and Tik Tok that aren't just food and drinks!
Thanks in advance, you guys are great and if you need the same for London or Bristol just DM me or comment and happy to reciprocate!

I (26F) had walked out of the house because I was fed up with everyone and everything.....let me start from the start......
I have been with my boyfriend (M25) for 5 years, just with in the few past years he was comming clean about him, how he felt and stuff he hid from me, example: our first two years we were togeather he did not love me because I was not working at the time, I was not showing the potential and he knew a girl and he expressed his feelings for her while we're were togeather and when I found out he had lied about it...
There is more, but I want to get to the point of this story...
With in the past almost 2 years at my job I had experience alot of truma, I am a caregiver, my co workers and I had a rough year and yet today we are battling alot within our own personal circles, to begun with is we had covid in October of 2021 and lost two consumers ( in hospitals) and in March of 2022 I jad experience my first death, I have been to funerals, but I have never been with a family member as they past, this consumer had past peacefully which helped me understand that they were no longer in pain and that she left this earth knowing she was taken care of and loved by family.... flash forward to October of 2022 I found out I was pregnant..... 31-34 weeks along... I was in shock and surprised and happy because me and my boyfriend had a few miscarriages so I was excited.
a week befor I had my baby I was passing meds and getting the consumers ready for the day, this consumer was wheelchair bound with other disables so I had to get them up, bathroom, change clothes and fed them for they were on a puree diet, I went into the bedroom and I called their name, no answer, I called again, no movement, I turned the lights on and they were on their side and I lightly shook their arm and called their name again thinking they were in deep deep sleep... I rolled them over... and they were gone... I freeze and panic I ran very pregnant to the office and called hospice, manager, shift leader...
now I know what your thinking, why dident I do CPR, because the consumer was on hospice due to disability and had a DNR( and idk of this is correct and idk if this is the same for every state, Im in Michigan) we were told if a consumer has a DNR and ON HOSPICE, you can not do CPR.
I was sobbing on the drive home, I called my boyfriend and let him know what happend and it scared me. Week later we went to the hospital and was haveing a hard time getting a OBGYN because alot of them don't except pregnancy this far along so he took me to the hospital, I was stressed so I had high blood pressure and was kept over night so I wouldn't turn into pre-eclampsia, my water had broke the night and I had my beautiful baby girl, flash forward to February and everyone had noticed that I have changed... but I was afraid to admit how I felt because it did feel embarrassing and I was sappose to have a strong head on me.
I was struggling with Post Parduim Depression, depression, anexity, PTSD and I had constant thoughts about ending my life, when my bf and his dad sat me down to talk they had no idea this is how I felt and my boyfriend had taken me to the hospital.
Few weeks ago I went to a behavioral clinic because for the past month I kept telling my boyfriend on how I felt, and he wouldn't talk to me, we ended up getting into a huge fight several times, and we both agreed I should go... and I was sappose to go to GHS ( Genesee health system) on Monday but...my day turned very shitty...
My boyfriends step mom was going off because of very of things, he son is a asshole, lack of chores being done, pop shots at everyone and attacking everyone, and then she came out and said " I got the water ready for you, the dishes needed to be done, I'm not asking, shit is going to change" that was when I had enough, she has always made pop shots at everyone, doesn't do much around the house ( does have bad hips and is getting ready to do surgery) but this is everyday, even when we ALL have worked hard on the house and done everything she has asked.
Long story short, I was talking to my boyfriend because I was frustrated and he said " if you feel like that then go", I said " ok", got up grabbed my bag, packed worked cloths, underwater and socks and was getting ready to walk out of the door and headed to work, step mom and now boyfriends dad are arguing, which sets me off ( I basicly crouch down and cry and cover my head) and I looked at my boyfriend and I said I was ready to go when he was, we get into the jeep, we drive and I am of course am sobbing, for the simple fact I had to leave my daughter there because I was homeless at this point and it broke my heart that I had to leave because I would rather stay alive, then end my life and rot in a box 6 feet below, she needed me so I left so I can fix myself, my mind set for her, and be a good mom for my daughter.
my bf pulled over at school ball park, we talked and then I got out and begun to walk while it was a mix of snow and rain( hate Michigan weather) and I walked, I had walked to the little part of the town we lived by the school and my bf called me, he asked were I was and that his dad said to come and get me so us four adults can talk, and when he found out that my bf had "dropped me off" ( even though it was my choice and I needed to clear my head) and I couldn't hold it back and I yelled on the phone and was bawling because I had enough, I was upset, heartbroken and honestly I dident want to go back, he got pissed and hung up on me.... I was still walking and I took a few moments to breath and called him back and decided to go back.
After a bit all four of us talked, I even tried to but it was almost about me not letting the walls down, I do have an issue with trusting people and being opend because I have had ALOT of truma, I am getting better but it still I hard, my bf took me to work ( normally I drive but I was emotional hot mess) and he told me to think about everything rather if I'm comming home or leaveing.... and he had me come up with a pro or cons list and everything pointed to pro...but at the same time my head and hurt are fighting eachother, it's 4 am and he sappose to be here at 7 am to pick me up.... and idk what to do.... idk if rather to go back...and if I did.... what would I have to do there and then?
Sorry I wrote a book but I needed to get this off my chest, my chest is hurting due to the heart palpitations and my head and heart are equal at this point....thanks
Edit: I know I'm not perfect, or an angel, and I know what my part has played into this whole shit hole of a mess, which is why I am getting the help, and i know I am equally at fault, but it jas gone on for too long and now that my mentle health has gone down the drain and I'm trying to heal and move forward and I felt like I can, I was called immature for leaving but I honestly think I did the most grown up by leaving and taking myself out of a situation so I don't want to go down hill further and to be able to be happy and be able to be a mother to my daughter, what also got me though is when I said I had to go get ready for work step mom yelled " yep go-ahead and run away" and my bf and his dad both said that I was getting ready for work... and that felt like a knife in the gut..

George Russell was left wondering what could've been after briefly leading the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, falling to seventh after an unfortunate call to pit, and then retiring from the race with his Mercedes engine spitting flames.
On the opening lap and after starting P2, Russell pried the lead off pole-sitter Max Verstappen, but the Mercedes driver took the chance to pit during the Lap 8 Safety Car that was deployed for Alex Albon's crash. That Safety Car soon turned into a red flag, dropping Russell down to P7 for the resulting race restart – and giving Russell’s rivals an advantage as they were able to change their tyres ‘for free’ under the stoppage.
RACE START: Russell and Hamilton pass Verstappen at the start of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix as Leclerc spins out
Although he made it up to P5 on the restart, Russell's recovery went up in flames on Lap 18 and he stopped on track with a power unit issue.
“Yeah, I guess when it’s not your day, it’s not your day, and pretty disappointed initially with the decision to red flag the race,” he said.
“Everything we’ve done this weekend has been good: qualifying was great, the start was great, the restart was great, the strategy decision was the right one. It’s just such a shame to be stood here right now.”
However, Russell said he took "pride" in Mercedes' start to the season that has seen them score points with both drivers in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while team mate Lewis Hamilton was running second to Max Verstappen when Russell bowed out at Albert Park.
“I think Red Bull’s a little bit out of the picture at the moment. We need to continue focusing on ourselves," said Russell. “We’ve improved the car a lot, even though we haven’t brought any upgrades to the car, and we’ve got to take satisfaction in that we were clearly the second-fastest team this weekend.
“But then I also take pride in the fact that the performance we did throughout has been pretty spot on these last two weekends, in terms of everything we as a team and I felt as a driver we could have done, we did. And I guess that’s all you can do sometimes.”
Russell's retirement in Australia was his first since the start of the 2022 British Grand Prix. Since then, he has taken four podium finishes and a race victory, failing to score points just once.
Source: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.its-just-such-a-shame-says-mercedes-russell-after-retiring-with-power-unit.1BhfnePPs7NbkXPJg5yOc1.html

Protests, drought, fatalism, recession, and the spread of infectious diseases. Just another week on our dying planet.
Last Week in Collapse: March 26-April 1, 2023
This is Last Week in Collapse, a weekly newsletter bringing together some of the most important, timely, helpful, depressing, ironic, stunning, or otherwise must-see moments in Collapse.
This is the 66th newsletter. You can find the March 19-25 edition here if you missed it last week. These newsletters are also on Substack if you want them sent to your email inbox.
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The U.S. government is auctioning off a colossal section in the Gulf of Mexico for oil drilling. The parcel totals 73.3M acres—just under the size of Italy’s landmass, or the Philippines. Explore the full map here or here.
Southeastern Europe is facing a dry, dry summer. A year of constant record-breaking will not slow down soon. (Can you believe we are already 25%+ through 2023?) Drought is getting so bad in Spain that group prayers for rain have begun. Spain is also seeing wildfires.
North Africa is suffering from drought too, and it’s affecting their crops. El Niño is heating up the Pacific Ocean already, and forecast to become more severe as the year drags on. Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, is feeling the strain of drought.
Once a sustainable producer of grains, Pakistan (due to drought and debt and overpopulation, etc.) is now unable to produce enough grain to sustain its own people. Government distributions of flour have caused deadly stampedes and injuries to the desperate & hungry people.
2,000 elderly Swiss women are taking Switzerland to court, the European Court of Human Rights, to be precise. They are seeking a binding judgment that climate change is putting their health and lives at risk.
After 8,000 gallons of chemicals (190 barrels) spilt in a tributary of the Delaware River, Philadelphia officials say the water is safe to drink.
Berlin voters narrowly voted to obligate their city to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030—but the vote lacked the overall votes necessary to become law. So the climate effort failed. Germany’s economy is contracting and hundreds of thousands of workers went on a one-day strike on Monday.
Private jet use has hit record highs, far surpassing the pre-pandemic figures. Meanwhile, South Korean researchers may have found a method to transform CO2 from the air into a kind of polyester. The study claims that the electricity-intensive process can be easily scaled up.
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Amnesty International released a 412-page report on the state of human rights in the world today. Spoiler: it’s really bad. You can download it in 46 languages. The document is organized by countries, so you can skip to a particular nation and read about its indicators of Collapse.
68 Central/South American migrants, en route to the U.S., were locked in a holding facility in northern Mexico when several started a mattress fire after they learned that they would be deported. Empathy from the guards was lacking, and nothing was done to prevent the suffocation and fire; 38 of the men died.
78% of Americans believe the next generation will have it worse than they do, according to a WSJ poll. The other 22% are fools. U.S. bond markets are in a tough spot, too. The other questions in the poll reveal a damning picture of the American Dream. 27% believe community involvement is very important, while 43% believe money is very important.
Argentina’s currency—the Argentine Peso (the official rate is 1 USD = 208 ARP, but the black market rate is closer to 1 USD = 380 ARP)—has been downgraded from a C rating to CCC, in advance of an “imminent default” of government bonds. Faith in the government’s ability to stabilize its currency is gone—it’s not just the banks that have lost the people’s trust.
China is encountering concerning levels of debt that are forcing governments to find new sources of money. Yet despite China’s structural economic flaws (poor age demographics, corrupt real estate sector, political influences on markets), some economists think China is a safe investment in a turbulent global economy. Last week, China made its first ever purchase of LNG using Chinese Yuan. And China warned the US against hosting Taiwan’s President for a visit.
The IMF says that the stability in the world economy is shaking while growth slows, trust fallout from SVB lingers, and interest rates rise. Central banks are allegedly being called upon to do more—but the situation may be beyond institutional control. What is a bank if not a collection of other people’s debts?
The UK has hit record levels of household debt: £2 Trillion. Meanwhile the ECB (European Central Bank) is warning that shadow banking may lead to the current next economic crisis. “The nonbank {shadow} sector involves firms which are engaged in bank-like activities, but are neither registered nor regulated as banks. These include the likes of funds, insurance firms, venture capitalists and currency exchanges.”
Protests, which are sometimes becoming riots, are continuing in France. This weekly observation gives an interesting summary of the situation. You can watch some footage here, or here, or here. What begins as a protest for one issue can quickly become co-opted by other forces, or organically grow into something larger than itself. Thousands of police and 10 helicopters were deployed in western France to stop protestors trying to obstruct the construction of several reservoirs for agriculture.
Iranian special forces are training to handle new protests; whether their violence can overcome the political grievances remains to be seen. Teachers, many of whom have reportedly not been paid, are allegedly joining the protests. We seldom hear about the situation in Iran these days—is this because the protest movement is dwindling, or something else?
In another silenced conflict, Myanmar, last week the ruling party dissolved a number of opposing political parties, most notable the NLD, the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, who tried to move Myanmar away from military rule. She was eventually removed in a 2021 coup which precipitated Myanmar’s current phase of Civil War.
The runner-up in Kenya’s 2022 election—the 78-year old, Raila Odinga, ran unsuccessfully for President five times—is calling for twice-a-week protests that began two weeks ago. Two protestors have been shot dead in the escalating protests so far, which have given cover for looters and anti-government vandals.
Israel’s embattled PM is temporarily holding back his judicial reform bill after massive protests flexed their opposition. Israel said they totally weren’t intimidated by the US into holding back from the proposed law, which has become a symbol for the struggle of Israel’s identity.
In Senegal, the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is set to begin—and the people are protesting. The government allegedly wants to block Sonko from running in 2024, accusing Sonko of stirring up the masses to avoid prosecution.
Donald Trump has not (yet) been arrested—but he has been indicted on a number of charges relating to Stormy Daniels and campaign finance law, fraud, etc. Trump said, “this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,” and he could be right; however, pro-Trump protests have not yet materialized. Trump is allegedly talking to his advisors about (if he is elected again) going to War in Mexico, something that happened not long before the first American Civil War.
Bakhmut continues to hold out against the Russians. Tanks are arriving in Ukraine and this phase of the War turned 400 days old a few days ago. Russia is believed to be planning another wave of mobilizations to recruit 400,000 men to be sacrificed for nothing. Russia is also becoming more popular in the developing world from a combination of self-interest, anti-western sentiment, and Russian disinformation. The War drags on, and victory, whatever that is, remains far away.
The War in Yemen turned 8 years old several days ago, and peace hinges on a fragile ceasefire. It is believed that the Houthi rebels (backed by Iran, in opposition to the Saudi-backed government) will restart an offensive if a deal cannot be secured. It is always easier to break something than to build it back up.
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Northern China is expected to see more sandstorms as desertification continues. Thailand is seeing blistering heat waves in some areas above 40 ° C (104 °F); Laos set a new record for March.
Several major cities in Tunisia are cutting off water at night as their drought grows more severe. The water rations are expected to continue through the summer—and perhaps beyond. Nigeria is also suffering from water scarcity.
The ICJ (International Court of Justice) is going to give an advisory opinion on climate change and states’ responsibilities surrounding its damage. Some people believe the opinion (if it is favorable to climate activists) will galvanize action—when it is released sometime within the next two years. Others, who have witnessed the quiet IPCC coverage, catastrophic flooding and wildfires, COPout climate conferences pass without fanfare, and the not-so-gradual expansion of extraction companies into delicate ecosystems accelerate…are not so optimistic.
The “full volume” IPCC synthesis report has still not been released yet. But don’t hold your breath; corporate interests supposedly watered down the language and inserted pages of carbon-removal copium, scrubbing the text of many references to fossil fuels and industrial agriculture.
A study from Functional Ecology about plants in the Sonoran Desert indicated that climate-stressed plants are moving to higher elevations—but they are not thriving at the mountaintops.
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A bipartisan supermajority of U.S. Senators, 68-23 voted to end the COVID emergency early—and President Biden has indicated he will sign it, ending the state of emergency about 5 weeks ahead of schedule. With about 1,125,000 confirmed COVID deaths, the United States still leads the world in COVID-19 fatalities. (If you search “COVID India” or COVID {country name}” on Google, you will no longer see the Our World in Data charts appear.) India is currently facing the highest confirmed case numbers in 6 months. Brazil recorded its 700,000th COVID death last week, the country with the second-most COVID deaths.
A small town in Burundi has detected 3 strange deaths from a mystery illness with similar symptoms to Ebola and Marburg. However, both those diseases were ruled out. The disease, whatever it is, killed within 24 hours. Two weeks ago, Burundi saw polio reappear after 30+ years. Polio was also detected again in New York state, after several months of dormancy.
Marburg was detected in Equatorial Guinea’s largest city, while cholera spreads across southern Africa untraceably.
A woman in southern China tested positive for H3N8, a different version of bird flu. She is the third human case in recent history, after two other people in China tested positive last year. A variant of H3N8 killed a million people in the 1889-1890 pandemic.
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Things to watch next week include:
↠ The International Academy of Astronauts is holding its annual Planetary Defense Conference next week to discuss the potential of meteor impacts on earth, and how the human race should respond to unlikely threats from space (impacts, Carrington Events, etc). I, however, believe our Collapse will come is coming from within.
Select comments/threads from the subreddit last week suggest:
-The United States may soon pass the most comprehensive security surveillance legislation since the Patriot Act …ever. This thread on the proposed law, ostensibly intended to regulate TikTok, cites large parts of the bill that are concerning, to say the least. This debacle also reveals how difficult it can be to combat modern hybrid War(s).
-A 2.7 °C temperature increase will devastate India, according to this thread exploring the future of the future-most-populated nation on earth. A few years ago, someone made CollapseIndia to explore Collapse in an explicitly Indian context; the subreddit has never broken 800 subscribers.
-Thawing permafrost is going to be a really big pollution problem, according to this post from BiosphereCollapse. You can read the full study here, from Nature Communications.
Got any feedback, questions, comments, articles, doomed petitions, seed-planting wisdom, hate mail, War advice, clandestine maps, etc.? Consider joining the Last Week in Collapse SubStack if you don’t want to check collapse every Sunday, you can get this newsletter sent to your email inbox every weekend. I always forget something... What did I miss this week?

Hi all, I’m not a local here so I wanted to share an experience I had downtown tonight. I was walking with my boyfriend downtown right outside the government center T station when I noticed the guy in front of us getting accosted by a man who was apparently under the influence of some drug. He was threatening to stab him as he walked past. Sadly I was already too close so I didn’t have time to get away, and he immediately turned his attention towards my boyfriend and me. He threatened to stab us too, and to my horror as I was passing him he actually pulled out a knife and un-folded it! Luckily he didn’t actually stab me or follow us as we (briskly) made our way into the T, but it was by far the most hostile interaction I’ve ever had with an addict. I read that government cente park can be a little sketchy after dark so I was keeping my head on a swivel but the sun had only set maybe 20 minutes ago when this happened and I really wasn’t expecting to run into that kind of thing so early.
It’s a little ironic because I had just mentioned to my bf a couple hours before how we hadn’t seen any homeless or addicts on the street so far in Boston.
Anyways, I’ve been considering moving to Boston since I was accepted to BU but this encounter has me a little shaken up to be perfectly honest. Did I just get really unlucky? I don’t come from a big city but I’ve visited cities a lot and I’d like to think I’m pretty street smart generally speaking, this just happened really out of the blue and it’s maybe shaded my thoughts on moving here a little.

I have a pretty dated hardware, I finally was able to put aside some cash and decided to update my RAM, so I bought 2 Kingston Fury Hyper X (HX316C10F8), which according to pc part picker are compatible with my current setup, well my new ram arrived and when I installed it its not working, turns on but no video and after a few minutes pass it restarts, the old ram works just fine (corsair), so I’m wondering if I bought incompatible hardware or I got faulty sticks, just need to know so I can return them and look for compatible hardware or return them and ask for the same model.
Motherboard: ASRock H97M Pro4
Processor: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6
Old Ram: Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR3-1600 CL9
New Ram: (2 x 8GB) HyperX HX316C10F8
Full setup here
Thanks

WARNING: I curse and also talk abt homophobia and stuff jsyk. Also this is hella long so buckle up.
So, imma be clear, a QUESTIONABLY straight guy. Bro has given too many hints and made to many excuses to talk with me to NOT make me think something. In The Beginning, when he joined the school, (he’s new this year, but he was here a lil for elementary) we didn’t really talk, he was 6’ something and LOOKED like he wanted to hate crime me. Apparently it was the opposite. In one class, out of the other 5 we had with each other, we had assigned seats together. I was genuinely surprised when he talked to me and we had normal convos abt normal stuff, and also gay shit abt me cuz like no straight teenager could pass up on that opportunity, (think abt it now idk why he didn’t just turn around and talk to his friends, they were like a desk away. AND NO IM NOT JUST LOOKING AT IT THROUGH ROSE TINTED GLASSES.) buuuuttttt, unfortunately, after like two months, our seats were changed, and he mostly talked to his friends, cuz they were at his desk (even tho we literally sit back to back) OKAY QUICK CONTEXT OF HIS FRIENDS AND MINE: (I’ve already ranted abt this before so I’ll just give the condensed version) My friends: evenly split between girls and guys, more heavy on the girl side, their all alt or emo and play hella Roblox, my guy friends are all nerds that play dnd on mondays His friends: weight lifters, (it’s okay I have a few of them too lol) sporty guys, the teenage boys that dry jump each other in class and moan 24/7. So great. His only girl friend is his girlfriend (and that one girl he has a crush on, and has told me has has a crush on)
Kk that out of the way, Obviously it would be hella weird for him to talk to me if he had anyone else to talk to (it makes sense honestly, I don’t take offense to that) but it doesn’t end here, Istg bro makes excuses to interact with me, especially after he unadded like EVERYONE on Snapchat. Including me (I was slightly bitter abt this cuz he was like the only person I ever sent streaks to but whatevs, we only had like three ledigt conversations on there)
So onto the hints. Exhibit no. 1: THE STARING. Idk if my hair was just really fucked up that day, or what, but there is literally no excuse he should stare at me for like a solid 10 ish seconds. And more than once. Only that I’ve caught him doing it tho (I didn’t make eye contact I just saw outta my peripheral. What, I’m an attention whore, I wanted to see how long it would last.) Exhibit no 2: LAST WEEK. K I’m gonna try to be as vague as possible, just in case any mfs know me or something, but I was presenting and my shit wasn’t working, and he came ACROSS THE ROOM, and helped me :). (I’m not used to basic empathy and ppl being genuinely nice without ulterior motives, can u tell?) but like, I get it if he’s in the front of the room (kinda) but like, bro was all the way back in the classroom, and came and held that shit for the whole like 2.5 mins I talked. Like- bro. (Me internally: HSGAGYSGAUDJWVGAH) (me on the outside: yeah fuk u (<3)) Anyways, as a token of great thanks, I have him one of my bead necklaces we had for a special occasion (if anyone from my grade sees this they probably have already deduced who this is and who I am, so fuck u if ur there) and my friends flamed the hell outta me for it. They don’t really like this man. Yeah he’s annoying sometimes, but like, whatevs. K I just did a lil ✨research✨ into some of the earlier shit that went down (I know there was more but I can’t remember) but apparently he called me a fluffy haired boy one day and really pathetically tried to save it cuz I was so flabbergasted I think he thought I thought it was weird which it wasn’t I was just internally crying from gender euphoria-
But yeah to sum it all up I have a OH SHIT WAIT I STILL NEED TO TALK ABT HOW HES QUESTIONABLY STRAIGHT
So one day we (me and my weird nerd ass guy friends, that are all straight) were taking gay tests and stuff and so (PFFFT I ALMOST TYPED HIS NAME HA NOPE-) he who shall not be named comes over and takes one and as I kinda watch kinda don’t (cuz some of those questions are like “hAvE yoU eVer HaD A WeT dReAm AboUt A UniCoRn aNd YoU WerE thE botToM?” Which is real awkward but it wasn’t thank god but one of the questions was like what would u do if u saw a same sex couple kissing in public? And he clicked THE MOST HOMOPHOBIC AWNSER POSSIBLE and I know he wouldn’t do that cuz he didn’t call me a slur outright and god knows I don’t look the slightest bit straight so factoring in that (and also his other extremely and purposefully straight answers) I can make the educated guess he was trying to get 100% straight. Some smaller things are like how he doesn’t act as gay as his friends, like the teenage boy kinda gay, which is a telltale sign of being scared of getting called gay. Also he gets real defensive any time anyone suggests anything like him being gay which is like, calm down dude, calm down.
I’m pretty sure that’s it. Probably. If I get any juicy goss ill be sure to update y’all 😉👹😈😈🌹❤️❤️‍🩹😜😘😘🤪💀💪🙏✊ wish me luck in my journey as the only gay and trans guy in my grade to get some character development but also not get hate crimed

We have been to Corsica several times, and there are several ways to travel to Corsica by ferry: We went to Nice, took the afternoon ferry and were in Bastia in the evening. The next time we took the night ferry from Savona and arrived in Bastia the next morning. And we also went to Livorno once, took the early morning ferry and were in Bastia by noon.
From Bastia, we first headed north on a 110 km coastal road with small villages and breathtaking views. First we came to ERBALUNGA with its massive tower on a rock by the sea has a picturesque location. Then we passed Maccinaggio, Cap Corse, Centuri-Port - a small romantic fishing port and center of lobster fishing - and continued via Pino to Nonza.
In NONZA the houses cluster around a rock that rises 160 m from the sea. We walked up to the Tour Pouline - a fortified tower from the 16th century. From there you can see the black beach, which makes a great contrast to the turquoise sea.
After we had explored the north, we drove from Bastia down the whole east coast - we made a stop at Moriani Plage with a beautiful sandy beach - to Porto Vecchio.
PORTO VECCHIO has a fantastic location and has a lively old town: the Genoese fortress from 1539 is situated on a hill. Porto Vecchio is the third largest city of Corsica, besides the flourishing tourism there is still the traditional salt mining and other trades especially in the suburbs. The malaria mosquitoes were wiped out in the 1950s, so that even in this area could be built without further ado. The old town consists of only four longitudinal and ten transverse streets, it is closed to traffic in the summer. At the Place de la République people like to drink their Pastis or Kir in the evening. In the old town there are many restaurants in various price ranges and boutiques partly with typical products of the country.
Many people come to Porto Vecchio for its beautiful beaches. BENEDUTTU PLAGE - a long fine sandy beach with a view of Punta di Chiappa and also of Porto Vecchio. A part of PLAGE CALA ROSSA is occupied by a luxury hotel, therefore the fine beach is accessible only from the western side. PALOMBAGGIA PLAGE with white sand and turquoise calm water - one of the most beautiful beaches of Corsica - is surrounded by red rocks. At ST. GUILIA PLAGE some hotels are settled in the meantime. Thus, the once paradisiacal bay has now become more of a commercial place. But the beach is still wonderfully bright and the water crystal clear. RODINARA PLAGE - a dreamlike round bay - one of the most beautiful of Corsica. Once only a dirt road led to the lagoon. Since a real road was built, this bay is very busy in the season.
From Porto Vecchio we made a tour to COL DE BAVELLA (1218 m high) - an impressive landscape. There are good hiking trails, e.g. to the Cumpudella (Trou de la Bombe), a huge hole in the rock face, where you are rewarded with an incredible view after a scramble. In season, of course, it is very busy there, and the "real" hikers come as early as possible in the morning.
Near the small village of L'Ospedale is the drinking water reservoir BARRAGE DE L'OSPEDALE. From there you can hike up to the 70 m high waterfall Piscia di Gallo - but it is more worthwhile in spring, when there is still enough water.
From Porto Vecchio we went on to BONIVACIO, one of the great attractions in Corsica - despite the many visitors. The upper town, where we stayed, is built on a 60 m high chalk rock plateau and still has a historical structure. We could see all the way to Sardinia from our hotel - it was beautiful weather.
The harbor is at the end of the long, narrow inlet. From there it is best to make a tour on foot. From the fortress walls you have a fantastic view of the city, the coast and the sea and all the way to Sardinia. On the harbor promenade there is a sea aquarium in a natural grotto. The shore road leads to the fishing port and the ferry port,
The upper town is reached through the 16th century Porte de Gênes. From the Jardin des Vestiges one has the most beautiful view over the harbor. It is hard to walk from the lower town to the upper town, because it is quite steep and with many stairs.
The journey continued to the extreme southwest, the land of blood vengeance - still until 1840. SARTÈNE - the "most Corsican of all Corsican towns" - is an interesting old town, which is virtually stuck on a rock. Almost no ray of sunlight reaches the winding narrow streets, and the narrow multi-story houses sometimes have window holes like sinister defense towers. The center of the old town is the Place de la Libération with some restaurants where you can sit outside and enjoy your drink.
From Sartène we drove to PROPRIANO. This place was discovered late by the tourists, there is a nice promenade between the marina and the pier, where it is lively especially in the evening. Propriano is located on the Gulf of Valinco, here the rivers Taravo, Baracci and Rizzanese flow. Right next to the lighthouse is the beautiful beach Plage du Lido.
On a scenic coastal road you drive from Propriano to PUNTO DE CAMPOMARO. Here is still an unspoiled stretch of coast with calm turquoise water and bizarre granite rocks. Above the small village of Campomoro you can see a 16th century watchtower.
AJACCIO is the administrative center and capital of Corse du Sud. The city with its southern flair has a beautiful old town with the citadel and many restaurants and stores. Ajaccio is probably best known as the birthplace of Napoléon, whose statue can be seen at Place Maréchal Foch. In the evening it becomes lively in the alleys of the Genoese old town with many bars and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the citadel can only be visited as part of an organized guided tour. Worth seeing is the church "Notre-Dame-de-la-Miséricorde" with a large dome, where Napoleon I was baptized. There is of course also a Casa Bonaparte. In the new town, you can still find some magnificent houses on the Avenue de Paris or the Cours Grandval, where there are often stores and boutiques.
Northwest of Ajaccio one comes to the POINTE DE LA PATARA. You can easily walk to the Genoese tower from 1608 from the parking lot. From there you have a beautiful view of the Iles Sanguinaires with the lighthouse. From the parking lot you can also make a coastal hike to the north. There are beautiful views of the sea everywhere and you can walk down to the beach at Capo de la Fena to cool off. However, the surf is quite strong.
The view was magnificent on the CHEMIN DES CRÈTES, but it was also very difficult to even find an "entry" to this trail. And besides, the Macchi was partly so dense that you had to be careful not to hurt yourself on the thorny bushes.
Especially in the south of Ajaccio there are beautiful beaches. First of all there is PORTICCIO with its long wide beach. Porticcio is now a large seaside resort with good infrastructure.
Then comes the bay with the long PLAGE D'AGOSTA with a view of the Isolella peninsula. In the next bay there is the fine sandy Plage de Ruppione between rocks with quite high waves.
And then comes my absolute favorite beach with fine light sand and crystal clear water - SOLE E MARE, and I hope that there will not also be larger hotel and apartment buildings there.
A beautiful small lonely sandy bay with calm water can be found at PLAGE DE PORTIGLIOLO. North of Ajaccio are the beaches PlLAGE SCUDO and PLAGE MARINELLO, very popular with the locals because they are not too far from the city.
From Ajaccio you can make an excursion to PORTO POLLO. On the way we went through the mountains, where we "got lost" a few times, because there were no signs, and we could only drive by "feeling". Porto Pollo is located on the Gulf of Valinco and has a fine sandy beach with many picturesque round rocks. In summer, a lot of people come here. At the end of September however many things are already closed or will be closed.
A recommendable tour south of Ajaccio is the ROUTE DES COLS. Over various passes and through the largest eucalyptus forest on the island, you come to the small village of Coti Chiavari, 486 m high, with a pretty little church. From there you also have beautiful views of the mountains to the sea.
On a hiking tour, we headed towards Corte and then to the small village of Cuttoli-Corticchiato, continuing to the idyllically situated hamlet of San Petru at 888 m above sea level. From there we went to the MONTE ARAGNASCU, a somewhat arduous tour in the blazing sun. But we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Ajaccio, the Gulf and the Gravonatal.
In the GRAVONA VALLEY is the village of Bocognano, from where you can also hike well. We came on the poorly signposted "Chemin", whereby we were also surprised by rain.
Interesting was that we were accompanied all the way first by several dogs, then later one remained. When we eventually had enough of the rain and the bad path and walked back, we encountered some wild boars which did not look very "friendly". The dog started barking at them. And indeed, they sought the distance. It looked like the dog was trying to protect us somehow. Down in the village we met the owner of the dog - the older man invited us spontaneously for coffee - and he told us that his dog was often on the way as a "companion" for hikers.
Another hiking tour led us first to the GORGES DE PRUNELLI and to the reservoir Lac de Tolla, which supplies Ajaccio with water. From there we went to the large farming village of Bastelica, the gateway to the high mountains. From here, many hiking trails lead into the mountains and to some waterfalls.
Another excursion we made towards the north over the Col de San Bastiano to the Golf de la Liscia to CARGÈSE. This place with a small harbor is located on the southern slope of a headland. Worth seeing is the Greek church "Eglise greque" from the 19th century with old icons. North of Cargèse are of course again beautiful sandy beaches.
From Ajaccio in the direction of Corte we looked at the CASCADE DU VOILE DE LA MARIÉe, where the water normally plunges 150 m into the depth. It was quite a climb and then, unfortunately, the waterfall didn't even have too much water at the end of September.
Through beautiful pine forests we came towards Corte past the famous PONT DU VECCHIU, built in 1927 by Gustave Eiffel. Until 1999 this was the only connection across the gorge, but now there is a modern bridge.
CORTE has the only university in Corsica with about 4000 students. The old town, rich in tradition, is situated below a rock with an old fortress built in the 11th century. In 1962-83 this fortress was used by the Foreign Legion. From the Belvedère viewpoint near the citadel, there is a beautiful view of the mountains and the surroundings of Corte.
Also worth seeing is Fontaine des Quatre-Canons, a colossal fountain that served as a water supply for the upper town in times of siege. On Cours Paoli you can find restaurants, bakeries and many other stores. On the Cours Patrimonial, there are some arts and crafts stores. The 17th century church Eglise de l'Annonciation is one of the oldest buildings in Corte.
From Corte we drove along a narrow road through a beautiful mountain landscape to the RESTONICA VALLEY, a nature reserve with many Corte pine trees. By car, you can drive to the parking lot at the Bergerie de Grotelle. The ascent to Lake Melo was quite difficult, you had to climb over many large stones, sometimes you didn't know at all how to continue and had to climb back, and so on. After about 2 hours we had made it and were at the Melo mountain lake. After a 30-minute rest in the sun, we then needed for the descent again 2 hours. Because with one of my trekking shoes the sole loosened, and I had to hold them together in a makeshift way with the shoelace...
From Corte we went first through the NIOLA VALLEY with numerous hiking trails. For a long time this area was only accessible by mule trails. Here wild boars ran across our path. You can see them especially in autumn when the chestnuts fall from the trees.
The large village of EVISA is located in the middle of chestnut forests and is a popular destination. Here begins (or ends) the hiking trail through the wild gorge of Spelunca. Through a beautiful mountain landscape and a 14 km long granite gorge we came to the GORGE DE SPELUNCA, an impressive gorge where you can hike very well - either from Evisa or from Ota.
In the small very popular town of PORTO at the mouth of the Porto River, we had a beautiful view of the Genoese Tower, the Gulf and the mountains from our hotel. The angular Genoese Tower on a headland is the landmark of Porto.
From Porto we drove to the CALANCHES DE PIANA, which start 8 km behind Porto. The granite rocks here are eroded by wind and water into the most bizarre shapes. The colors vary depending on the time of day, in the evening for example bright red. From the old mule trail - Sentier Muletier - you have great views of the rock world. There are also other trails - e.g. La Corniche.
Then we drove to PIANA, perched on a 434 m cliff, which can call itself "un des plus beaux villages de France". The only sandy beach in the area is the Plage d'Arone in a beautiful crescent shaped bay with only a few people.
From Porto, the best way to get to CALVI is to take the coastal road, which is very winding but takes you through some beautiful scenery on the Gulf of Porto. From our accommodation in Calvi we had a great view of the fortress and the Gulf of Calvi.
Calvi, the pearl of the north, is a well known and popular vacation center. Very nice are the lively alleys in the lower town and the harbor quays. In the alleys of the lower town and the harbor quay you can stroll nicely and also find restaurants and stores. The church "Sainte Marie Majeure" with a polygonal ground plan is striking. The first Christian chapel on this place was built already in the 4th century, subsequent churches were destroyed several times. The present church was built in 1774. Outside the town on the Gulf of Calvi there is a long narrow sandy beach, the water here gets deeper only slowly - ideal for small children.
The citadel "Bastion Spinchone" is the landmark of the city, you can walk around it on a ring of walls and have beautiful views of the city and the sea. The citadel was built on Roman foundations and is the oldest fortified building in Calvi.
Worth seeing is the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the center of the citadel. Originally built in the 13th century, the church was largely destroyed by the explosion of a powder tower in 1567 and subsequently rebuilt in the Baroque style.
A beautiful beach near Calvi is the Plage d'Argentella, about 1 km long, in the bay of Crovani. You can get to the peninsula on a dirt road. You can make a nice but strenuous hike there. From a parking bay you have a beautiful view of the peninsula.
A nicely situated and rather quiet place is l'ILE-ROUSSEL with a small harbor and the Genoese tower and lighthouse on the peninsula "La Pietra". The village owes its name to this offshore island, which has now been turned into a peninsula by a dam and turns red at sunset.
L'Ile Rousse was laid out in 1765 in a rectangular street pattern around the harbor and is said to have the mildest winter climate in Corsica. In the alleys of the old town of L'Ile-Rousse there are several small shops selling souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, wine, etc. In the Marché Couvert there is a market in the morning. In the surroundings of Ile-Rousse there are many light sandy beaches.
Between Calvi and L'Ile-Rousse in the small village of Algajola there is a very beautiful wide and 1.5 km long beach - PLAGE D'AREGNO. In high summer, the beach is apparently very crowded. When we were there in mid-September, we had the beach to ourselves.
SAINT FLORENT is located in the north of Corsica on the wide bay of the same name - in winter an idyllic fishing village. Since the place is very popular, the population increases tenfold in the summer. A point of attraction for tourists is the large marina. In the center you can find bars, restaurants and many souvenir stores. St. Florent is also called "St. Tropez of the island" because of its special flair. On a panoramic road above Saint Florent one has again and again beautiful views of mountains and sea.
On the way to Bastia you can make a detour to the local mountain of Bastia - the 960 m high SERRA DI PIGNO. On a clear day you have a good panoramic view over both sides of Cap Corse .
BASTIA is the most important port for ferries from the French and Italian mainland and also for freight traffic. Bastia is the biggest commercial and economic center of Corsica with an industrial zone. But Bastia is also a busy center of Corsican everyday life. The Place Saint Nicolas with plane trees and palm trees is 300 meters long and 90 meters wide, making it one of the largest squares in France. The beach Plage Arinella, located south of the city, is very wide and long, but unfortunately not very attractive.
The heart of Bastia's Terra Vecchia district is the horseshoe-shaped Vieux Port with the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the background. Walking north through the narrow streets, you come to the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, where a market is held on weekends.
Around the dock there are many restaurants in all price ranges. When we are in Bastia, we always have our aperitif at a bistro where we have a nice view of the small harbor and the church.
The citadel was built by Genoese in 1380. There are the magnificently renovated Governor's Palace, the Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-de l'Assomption - a Genoese Baroque building erected in 1604-1619 - and the small chapel Oratoire de la ConfrIère de la Sainte-Croix, where you can see a cross made of black ebony in a side chapel.
The palace was the seat of the Genoese governors between the 15th and 18th centuries, today it houses the Ethnographic Museum.

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Ahh, dear reader, hello there! So lovely to see you once more... well figuratively speaking that is… or is it?
After all, I am exceedingly well versed in The Arts. Maybe I am watching you at this very moment, with Clairvoyance or perhaps a Scrying Spell or maybe an enchanted object like the good old fashioned Crystal Ball? The Magus has one you know…
Just teasing… or am I? …teeheehee…
Anyway, this latest instalment comes to you courtesy via a Voice to Text application my Magus recently acquired for me, as he said listening to me speak aloud while typing is too distracting for him. I find that interesting considering his immense mental discipline yet understandable at the same time. After all, extoling ones inner monolog to an uncaring audience would be tedious to experience. Hmm… I’ve just thought of a new torture for the souls of the dammed, specifically for writers who think they are better than everyone around them. How ingenious of me!
In any case, I would prefer to distract him in other ways, mark you.
I also must say what wonderfully inventive creatures you humans are! An application of mathematical code, the base language of reality. It is very much like a spell in its function and nature I would say, that it allows my phone, yes the Magus got me one, to record all I say and transcribes it into neatly typed words on its electronic pages. It’s like having a monk-scribe in your pocket! Unquestionably wonderful!
So as I relax in my fabulously hot, luxurious scented, oiled bubble bath, I can easily regale you with further tales of the adventures I have had thus far on this wonderous blue and brown spherical rock that is third in line from our star. And I do not have to type with two fingers either, which is a massive bonus let me tell you!
If memory serves… ahh yes, we had just returned to the car where I saw a sign of my Magus’s humour on display in the form of his licence plate.
I do have to admit dear reader, I was indeed highly amused. He knows he’s going to hell, he just insists that it be on his terms! I love it! Such confidence, such audacious willpower.
That is exceedingly… stimulating for Succubi.
Ok dammit, it makes me tremendously horny, and I’m not talking about the ones on my head either you know! We are incredibly lusty beings, us Succubi, after all.
I was already in a highly ‘excited’ state when we got to the car, so much so that I had to use my Cell Adjustment Psionic discipline to tremendously dull down my inflamed senses as I did not wish to leave the tell-tale mark of my inflamed passion on the lower back portion of my new dress and also not on the car-seat when I sat back down in the vehicle.
Ahem…
After a few moments, which caused the Magus to glance up at me with a slightly puzzled expression, of standing outside the car (he had no idea nor cared… hmmph!) I opened the door and folded myself back inside the vehicle and resumed my seat. I later learned that I could have mostly avoided this… embarrassment… by actually wearing what you call absorbent lined underwear! I wasn’t wearing panties at the time as I was totally unaware of their existence. I do so now as its much more comfortable in lots of ways and in addition, stops the shiver when an errant chill wind blows unexpectedly up your gusset!
Moving on…
Getting into the car, the Magus paused until I had done up my seatbelt before starting the engine, waiting for another car to pass us by before safely pulling out and sedately driving off. I later learned that we could have gone screaming down the road in a cloud of burning rubber if the Magus was of a mind to. I would have if given the opportunity! Something to look forward to dear reader.
Instead, we drifted slowly through the placidly moving traffic as I watched the sun descend below the horizon of the ocean. I had only been back here on Earth for a few hours but every second was total bliss. I do not think that most of you humans realize how good you have it here. Even those who do not reside in the more developed and advanced nations, being on Earth is special.
There are infinity more worse places you can be, let me assure you of that.
We drove back mostly the way we had travelled to this particular beach. This time though it was much later in the day, heading in the opposite direction, I became aware of many more things that had escaped my attention earlier on.
We passed by denser zones and clusters of buildings where I could see various shops, food outlets, restaurants and varying vendors, all brightly lit up now as the daylight was fading. I saw incredibly tall metal poles with blazing, glowing lights illuminating the surrounds with a warm yellowy orange glow making it still easy to see. Electric lighting will never cease to amaze me. Yes dear reader, I can experience a sense of wonder and joy at simple things, even beyond the act of slaughter and soul draining. Would it astonish you that I like flowers? Such strange lifeforms that had developed aromas they use as a method of propagation. Delightful.
Anyway… we shortly crested the hill that we had previous ascended westwards earlier on the way to the beach and then I saw it!
I was awestruck once again.
Towering edifices, glittering, shining buildings monstrously higher than Hagia Sophia was, the most immense human made structure in the world when I was last in it. These glistening towers of glass, metal and stone made that church look like a feeble children’s toy. I could see over a dozen of these buildings of varying size, clustered together in less than a square mile.
The Magus glanced to his left and saw me gaping at them.
“They’re called Sky Scrapers Meridiana. They’re generally office buildings, places of business where people daily work in their wage-slave jobs then go home at night. The buildings are left vacant but light up at night as you can clearly see.”
I turned and gawped at him.
“They’re empty at night?”
I could not comprehend why such space, that had amazing views, would be left empty of an evening?
“Yep. Well most of them are. There will be some that still have people in them, conducting various types of business overnight because its what they do for a living.”
“What do they do?” I asked in a murmur as I turned back to see the vista be obscured by a large set of commercial and residential buildings that we were currently passing.
The Magus shrugged.
“They’ll be doing all sorts of things, financial trading, working back late to do their jobs… various affairs of commerce and such. It’s not that important really Meridiana. I’ll take you into the city another day when we have time for you to be a tourist. Now, if I may, I want to know more about your Telekinesis. I got an idea of how much you can lift, probably over 1400 kilograms at least if my guess as to how much a warhorse in armour with a rider would weigh… maybe more? Probably more but we’ll test that later. Anyway, it’s your fine control skills I’m interested in.”
I turned back to the Magus who was looking ahead, driving us through the busy traffic that had become a factor. I later learned that it was a time of day called ‘rush hour’.
“I am capable of very delicate manipulation with my Telekinesis, especially in regards to the erotic arts,” I said to him with a husky, low, salacious purr.
“That’s cute but I really want to know if you could snatch out of the air and control a very small, fast moving bouncing ball, say the size of your thumbnail?” he asked in an offhand manner as he slowed down due to the traffic which was banking up in front of us.
I inwardly sighed once more. Such a challenge he was!
“Yes I can but why?”
He briefly turned to me and broadly grinned before returning his attention to driving.
“There’s a game that we will ‘play’ after dinner. It is called Roulette. The game features a spinning wheel with thirty seven little slots. Into the spinning wheel a little white ball is spun in and circles around, eventually slowing and bouncing into once of the numbered slots. The slots are alternately coloured red or black and all are numbered from 00 to 36. You can bet where the ball will land, either in red or black and specifically in a numbered slot. If the ball lands in a slot you bet on, you get a payout of thirty seven to one. Ever dollar you bet wins you 37 back. You can also just bet on which colour the ball will land in giving you your money back plus it’s value as a reward. Bet $100, you get your $100 back plus another $100.”
“Dollar... that’s money right?” I said as the implications slowly dawned on me. You could make a fortune from this!
“Yes Meridiana. Dollars are what we use as currency these days. Gold is still used but not in the way you were used to. It’s still valuable as are other precious metals but that’s going to take a long explanation which is a distraction for now. So, do you think you could perhaps catch the bouncing ball with your power, directing it into the number we bet on?”
I thought about it for a few moments.
“I will have to see how the ball moves but I think I could, yes.”
“Excellent. You stand to make us a lot of money tonight. There are other games like card games, slot machines which I’m uncertain that your powers would be able to mess with. Roulette is our hunting ground. We must be careful though.”
“Why?”
I was surprised by his tone of caution. We were power incarnate! What could possibly touch us?
“Casinos hate losing money. Roulette is going to be the hardest one they can prove that we’re cheating on if you use your Telekinesis. We will be closely watched the entire time we are in the casino. There are devices called cameras, similar to Crystal Balls, that observe everything they see, relaying the images back to people in other rooms whose task it is to spot potential cheaters in the casino. They also have people walking the floor, disguised as ordinary folk, always watching everyone else. And I want to avoid the eyes of any infernal beings who may be in the casino.”
“Ahh… I see… a healthy paranoia then, for them and us hmm?”
He nodded once, emphatically.
If you have a fortune, you need to protect it, especially from people like me. His caution in regards to our identity was also most prudent and he was correct that there was a possibility that there may be others of my ilk lurking in the shadows, walking in human form as we often do.
I have to confess dear reader, that I am a master thief as well as an expert assassin, in addition to being an accomplished warrior although I rarely fight in hand to hand combat, preferring seduction, subterfuge and skulduggery as my main methods of killing. Yet still, I can fight and kill extremely proficiently with many weapons, being skilled at one of the highest levels of melee combat, the use of weapons and ways of fighting with them. I’ve been around a while you know? You pick up on things like that if you wish to live as long as I have.
Besides… stabby, stabby, stabby, bash, slash and smite can be loads of fun when you’re doing the stabbing and bashing with a well-balanced blade or mace in your hands. But I digress…
“You have it Meridiana. Yes the casinos’ management are extremely paranoid. We will have to alter our appearance as well before we enter the casino. I shall use a minor low level spell while you can take a new face. We will do so after dinner.”
I nodded then a thought came to me. I asked,
“You said we were going to something called a buffet? I know what the word means as my abilities allow me to understand any spoken language, much like the enchantment known as Tongues. Yet I’m finding it hard to match the word with the concept.”
The Magus raised an eyebrow in interest at this revelation.
“Oh right. Just because you know a word doesn’t mean you automatically understanding it conceptually and in context either. Good to know. Well, a buffet is an enormous array of various foods, hot and cold, sweet to savoury, where you merely help yourself and consume as much as you wish. You pay for the privilege of course.”
“Truly? How much will this cost you?” I inquired wide eyed.
I noticed that we had moved through the traffic and had turned down a descending road and were now going into a massive concrete tunnel along with hundreds of other cars, all slowly moving in the same direction. It was quite honestly astounding that everyone was not smashing into one another. All the drivers were…well mostly were, attentive to their immediate surrounds and situation as we gradually merged our car into the main lane of traffic which was making its way under the earth via the huge yawning tunnel ahead.
Such staggering feats of engineering and construction which would have made the Emperor Justinian weep copious, bitter tears of pure envy. Oh how I wished I could make him see this and realise his idiotic boast was pointless when he finished Hagia Sophia. He bragged that he had surpassed Solomon himself with his church. He had but it wasn’t worth it. Justinian nearly bankrupted the Eastern Roman Empire, all for a useless church and his own vanity.
Moron.
Still, I shouldn’t care, his hubris ended up sending him to hell anyway so... yay! His actions also exacerbated the effects of the famine and plague that swept the through the empire and western Europe in the year 535 with his stupid desire to re-unify the Roman empire under his rule. You will be pleased to know dear reader, that he is burning in eternal torment for his multitude of sins so it is all good. My thoughts of deceased, vainglorious emperors and their fate were interrupted as the Magus spoke again,
“Hmm? … it should set us back about $80 each I’d should say? A small price to pay in all honesty when you see what is on offer. Drinks will be on top of that price, unless you just have plain water but tonight Meridiana, I shall introduce you to Champagne, one of humanities greatest achievements.”
This was enticing to hear!
“If you say so Magus. I completely believe you as you will not be lying to me,” I said, nodding and trying to think about Champagne.
So many new concepts were entering my mind, it was hard to keep my mind and thoughts in order. I understood that Champagne was a special type of wine, one which had a fizz embodied within it, making it highly regarded but that’s all I could deduce for now.
Also… I had a thought: the Magus could and would never lie to me. The feeling I had earlier, in being able to trust everything he said to me because of the oath he gave to me, was an unfettering sensation.
All my existence I have dealt with bare faced lairs, deceivers, misshapers of the truth who twisted words to suit their own selfish ends. With the Magus, all I had to be concerned with was his agenda, which actually had my interests aligned with his own. Truly remarkable.
I needed that champagne now!
We emerged from the tunnel, traveling with the traffic over wide dark river, again on another immense concrete bridge this time. There was a gigantic colosseum off to our right, all lit up with multiple coloured lights that ran around the circumference of the structure. It was like as though it was enveloped in a rainbow. Frankly, it was amazing to behold.
Beyond that, I could see many more large towers and structures, lining the sides of the vast road we were hurtling along now. The Magus had increased our speed as traffic had thinned out. Never in my life had I moved so fast, well unless I was using a Haste spell to briefly increase my physical speed, which I use in combat if necessary.
I barely had the sense we were travelling in the car at roughly 80kph. Such an odd experience to have for the first time. There was no rushing of wind, no press of air on my face, just comfort and air-conditioning. Marvellous!
After a few minutes later I saw our destination.
Again I was nearly stupefied by the gigantic structure. Multiple massive buildings, all surrounded by lush green, well-manicured and maintained gardens made my jaw go slack with disbelief.
“That’s Crown Casino, Towers and hotel Meridiana. I can see you are impressed. Let me just say that if you think this is amazing, wait until we go to Las Vegas…” he said as he turned the car into the driveway of the complex.
“There’s even more impressive structures than this?”
My mind boggled dear reader. It was almost too much to take in.
“Yep. My city is a small one compared to others around the globe. We will travel to them, in due course. I know you can use your powers of Dimensional Walking, moving through other planes of reality and appearing on a different part of the planet. However, there will be times when we will need to travel together conventionally. Perhaps one day, if I learn the right spells, we will be able to avoid having to fly in an aeroplane and by-pass the utter tediousness of baggage check-ins, airport security and so on…” he muttered darkly.
“HUMANS CAN FLY!?!” I said in a loud strangled astonished voice.
The Magus chuckled with genuine amusement.
“Think back Meridiana. I said humanity has been to the moon and back. I said we can travel safely and comfortably in a machine, called an aircraft, across the planet. Some ‘planes are huge while others are not much bigger than the car. Oh, that reminds me, we will have to construct an identity for you. We will begin that process tomorrow. You are going to need a passport soon enough,” he said as he found a relatively unoccupied parking area west of the massive structures.
He saw my puzzled expression and mistook it for wondering why we had parked here.
“It’s free to park here and there are hardly any security cameras in the vicinity.”
I nodded dumbly.
“But of course Magus…”
He saw my expression as he switched off the engine. A tiny look of… sympathy appeared on his face. He spoke to me in a soft, calm, soothing tone,
“Take a breath Meridiana. Close your eyes and focus upon the stillness within the vehicle. You are safe here with me. Nothing will harm us. Just breathe and relax, let each breath calm you. With every breath you are at peace within yourself and the world around you.”
I did as he said and instantly sensed my whirling mind begin to centre itself, become still.
I may be an ancient and powerful demon dear reader, however I have been imprisoned for nigh on a thousand years and now have been released into a world that I was unable to recognise at all.
The Magus later told me I was suffering from a psychological malady called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yes dear reader, even us demons can get mentally fucked up. I mean, compared to the average human, we’re all demented, tormented psychopaths which explains a lot about ourselves but still… even a psychopath can suffer from mental trauma. Demons can go insane.
I breathed rhythmically, each exhaling breath calming me. With one final exhalation, I opened my eyes, turned to my Magus and softly smiled at him.
“Thank you,” was all I said. I meant it.
He nodded briefly, his intensely burning eyes boring into mine, deeply searching, looking for signs of any madness that may still be lingering within. Well, there’s always the hunger for sex and mayhem, but that’s natural for me.
“Come on, you look fine now, let’s go,” he said as he got out of the car.
I followed his example, releasing my seat belt and stepping out of the car. Closing the car door behind me, walked over to the Magus then I threaded my right arm around his left as we walked off like a normal couple, casually strolling through the car park towards the casino and hotel.
I could hear the noise of all the adjacent traffic all still travelling busily along the massive road that went past the enormous complex. There was the calls of various birds I’d never heard before, the waft of scented flowering plants and the heavy aroma of moisture in the air from the nearby river. I closed my eyes for a second just to let it all wash over me as I sedately walked along with my Magus.
Soon we came to the entrance. Huge dark glass doors magically opened for us upon our arrival. To my right I could see various coloured signage, advertising the types of ‘fast food’ eateries that people could choose to dine at. They were all brightly lit and mostly clean.
It was at that moment I saw my first wretch.
A dishevelled, unkempt, shabby man sat listless outside the fast food eateries upon the low stone wall that contained a small, well-kept garden. He looked up at us as we approached, his eyes full of misery and despair.
“Got any spare change?”
“Sorry mate, no one carries cash anymore,” lied my Magus to him with a conciliatory voice, a sad but brief compassionate smile appeared briefly on his face.
The wretched man’s face became even more resigned. He nodded back in understanding, returning his fallen face back to morosely contemplating the ground at his feet.
We kept walking, leaving the broken man behind us.
I was about to congratulate the Magus in his treatment of the beggar when I had to stop as I was confronted by an incredible sight.
Before us, in the huge well-lit lobby of the building, was a huge pair of MOVING METAL STAIRCASES!
One staircase ascended while another came down from the landing some 50 feet above us. On either side were normal, marble clad stairs that some people were using. Yet many other people were on the moving metal stairs, all just taking the experience of being raised or lowered completely for granted.
“It’s just an escalator Meridiana. A simple machine that makes life a little more comfortable. Take it, go for a ride. I’m taking the stairs as I need the incidental exercise,” he said to me as he pried my clutching hands from his arm. I had been unconsciously gripping him tightly in my amazement at seeing such a machine.
The Magus walked off to the left, climbing the steps briskly while I gingerly walked forwards, watching the metal stairs endless appear and ascend upwards. The hand rail also moved in synchronicity with the metal stairs. I observed as a pair of young women, chatting intently to each other, walked past me and up to stand upon a metal stair which was part of dozens of metal stairs it seemed. I saw them be lifted by the moving stairs, rising above and away from me.
Summoning my courage, I stepped forwards onto a moving stair, wobbled slightly as I was not used to the speed which it moved, making me grab the moving banister tightly to steady myself as I rode my way upwards. I let out a small laugh as it was such a novel experience. The young women in front of me turned around at my laugh, raising their eyebrows at me as well as actually truly seeing me for the first time. Their smiles faded as I grinned back at them.
The young women could see my infinitely superior beauty on full display. They looked hesitant, now uncertain of themselves as they mistakenly believed themselves to be beautiful. They were, passible, not ugly but not worthy of a harem to be perfectly honest. I later learned dear reader that many foolish young women, especially in what you call the western world, regard themselves as queens, rating themselves ten out of ten on a scale of dazzling good looks. These sad women are delusional. I mean, if they were that beautiful, why weren’t their faces on the covers of the glossy magazines I see in various ‘supermarket’ check outs? No matter, vanity and hubris are all ways to damnation and misery. So many people sending themselves to eternal torment simply because they were raised by idiotic parents who never properly taught their children the need for humility. It’s all win-win for the pits you know…
My Magus met me at the top of the stairs, holding out his hand to me and then leading me through the vast interior of the complex.
“That’s the casino,” he indicated to our right.
Looking, I could see dozens of people making their way inside into the brightly lit and noisy interior of the casino. I caught the whiff of desperation, despair, avarice, lust, elation and a strong aroma of human urine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Yes, even I have some standards dear reader.
“Magus, why does it reek of piss?” I asked as we strolled by and proceeded into the most immense, glass covered atrium I have ever seen.
“Oh, you can smell that?” He looked intrigued.
I nodded with a mild look of disgust.
“Hah… interesting. Well… some gamblers get stuck on a poker machine. They sit there for hours, desperately hoping that the machine they are playing on will pay out. The poor fools stupidly believe that if they play at the machine long enough, they’ll win big. So they stay seated, ignoring the need to relieve their bodily urges, to the extent that they prefer to piss themselves rather than abandon the machine that is draining away their money. The poor fools are incapable of understanding that the machine is designed to rarely pay out. Every time they play, it has a simple algorithm that calculates the chance of a payout. Most machines will payout a small amount of money occasionally, thus keeping the gambler hooked in the mistaken belief that the big one is just around the corner. It rarely, if ever, is.”
I stopped, stunned at what I just heard. The Magus stopped and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“That’s… diabolically genius!” I stuttered as I considered the fiendish brilliance of the whole concept.
Someone had made hell on earth not only possible but also could make a fortune from it as well as breaking people’s souls and spirits in the process! The concept of dangling hope in front of a damned soul, then snatching it away was one of the oldest known tortures of hell. This was a magnificent, a culmination of the perfection of thousands upon thousands of years of the torture, all neatly packaged in a fairly simple machine designed to beggar it’s user and turn them into slaves to it. Gobsmacking was the only word I could think off that fully encapsulated the way I felt at that moment.
“Yes it is, isn’t it? I have always suspected that those machines were most likely invented by a demon. It makes perfect sense,” he said as he shrugged, then tilted his head, indicating we should proceed onwards.
I noddled dumbly as again, I had been totally overwhelmed by the latest piece of information the Magus informed of. I barely registered the hundreds of people all wandering around the massive lobby of the hotel atrium. Many were dressed finely while others, mostly men, were dressed casually. My Magus was one of them, still wearing his novelty T-shirt and hemp pants. They were clean though and his shoes, a brand known as Babuuk, made him look somehow better dressed then the other men who were similarly attired. Maybe it was just his subtle aurora of power, his sheer confidence and his towering Will that made him stand out from the mouth breathers all around us? I guess it was.
We arrived at the entrance of the restaurant and the Magus was greeted by a short Asian woman, dressed neatly in the hotels livery.
I started to realise that there were people from so many different races of humanity all around us. I had come from a time where only what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire was this diverse, and even then it was but a shadow of the heyday of the full glory that was Rome. Here were people from almost all the lands of earth, all happily co-mingling, getting on with having dinner with family and friends. Very surprising indeed.
The Asian woman at the reception counter spoke to us with a friendly smile,
“Good evening sir, madam. A table for two for you then?” she asked politely, her voice tinged with a broad accent I had not heard before. She spoke English yet I could tell that wasn’t her first language.
“Yes please,” politely replied the Magus.
This was something I did not expect. Despite his and my obvious power, he was respectful and even kind to the servants. All of them. He didn’t condescend nor sneer down at the servants of the hotel. It is still something I have difficulty reconciling. I said nothing, just observed. Oh, he has since instructed me not to call them servants, they are members of staff and will be treated with respect until they show they do not deserve it, then they are fair game. I can live with that.
“Table seventy one is ready for you both, have a lovely evening.”
She actually meant it! I could see it in her eyes, she was truly enjoying her task. She was smiling and joking with her fellow staff members, politely greeting the next people behind us with her cheerful friendly demeanour.
Astonishing.
In my prior experiences, servants and slaves were a miserable lot but then again, that was understandable. They had no choice as to their circumstances. They had to obey lest they suffer harsh punishment.
As we proceeded into the large dining room, with over a hundred tables of varying sizes, I could see off to my left where the food was.
I stopped again and stared dear reader.
I have been to banquets with Emperors and Kings, Popes and Princes, all sumptuous feasts but nothing was like what I saw before me. Dozens upon dozens of people had plates in their hands, all calmly wandering around the incredible cornucopia of varieties of food that were on display, all brightly lit up for them to simply help themselves to as much as their plate could hold.
Roasted meats, all neatly carved by expert chefs, freshly shucked oysters all seated in enormous silver ice-filled serving bowls, trays upon trays of cooked vegetables of kinds I had never seen before and… a dazzling array of sweet desserts and treats that made me almost go weak at the knees at the very sight of them.
“Come on Meridiana, you’re starting to drool,” whispered the Magus gently into my ear as he dabbed my wet lips with a soft piece of paper that he withdrew from his pants pockets.
Once again I nodded dumbly as I allowed him to escort me to our table. He even seated me, pushing me and my chair in one I had sat down. After he had taken his seat, a young man, quite a handsome one from the Indus I believed?... came over to us, again dressed in the livery of the hotel.
“Good evening, sir, madam. Would you care for something to drink?” he inquired ever so politely.
“And good evening to you sir. Yes indeed, may we please have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, two glasses and a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water?” he asked with a real smile to the servant… no member of staff.
“Of course sir, I shall get that for you immediately,” replied the waiter with a pleased smile at being spoken to so politely.
“Thank you,” said the Magus then he turned to me and asked,
“Do you need a moment Meridiana? I understand this might trigger you again…”
I shook my head.
“No. It is overwhelming… but in a good way Magus. I have to ask, how can a place like this provide so many people with so much food? Even in the height of the Empire, there were magnificent feasts to be sure but… you say this happens everyday, that this is just a Tuesday and not a busy night?”
He nodded.
“This is the age of abundance Meridiana. Many of us, who live in what is known as The West, have dwelt in an age of such wealth and richness that almost all here never think on their incredible luck and privilege to live in such times. They do not know that it will come to an end. Maybe that is a small mercy. All golden ages end as you well know. So I say, let them dwell in ignorant bliss for now. We can enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Huh? Why do you believe that your golden age will end Magus?”
“It’s a long explanation and one I do not wish to go into detail here and now Meridiana but later, I will share my thoughts with you on this. Ahh, here comes our champagne.”
The waiter and another staff member had returned, with one carrying two bottles while the other had a metal bucket partially filled with ice. The waiter from the Indus placed both bottles on our table, displayed the label to the Magus who briefly nodded. Then, the waiter removed the cork from the bottle with an adroit twist of his wrist. It made a pleasing pop and I could see a little haze of cold… smoke? lightly emanate from the neck of the bottle. He poured the brightly bubbling and fizzing wine into both our glasses, carefully making sure the foam did not overflow them. He was very good at his task.
“Thank you good sir,” said my Magus to the waiter who beamed back at him with a happy smile. He placed the bottle into the bucket of ice and withdrew, leaving us alone, amidst the crowed dinning room.
The Magus took up his glass, holding it in front of him. I mirrored him.
“Here’s to a good dinner with interesting company and later, ripping the shit out of a casino Meridiana.” He pushed his glass gently forwards, lightly clinking it against mine. I wasn’t familiar at the time with that form of salute and toast but went with it anyway, after all… when in Rome as they used to say.
“That sounds… delightful Magus. I am eager for it all.”
I then took a sip of my champagne and was transported into a realm of heavenly bliss.
It was exquisite.

AITA for not wanting to pay my ex bf back for the money he had lended me, because of how he’s treated me throughout this breakup? My ex bf 23M and I 27M had been dating for a year and nine months while also living together for about 10 months (def learned my lesson there). In my eyes, this relationship was the last bc of the commitment we had both expressed towards one another. This was not the case seeing as though one night I had expressed, while we were out to dinner, how I felt as though he never listened to me during conversations. I also expressed how it made me feel when I would try to start a deeper conversation but it always seemed to go nowhere on his end. He immediately got defensive (very typical for him) and shutdown. The next morning he ends things and says it’s bc I’m not a nice person and I’m mean?! Lol
So then, this amazing, sweet, and shy guy who I had all of these future plans with, turns into an absolute monster honestly. I find out he has been done for 2 months but just hasn’t said anything, he has an apartment (2 mins down the street) already lined up using OUR LANDLORD (mind you the landlord has no idea I know nothing), and is also leaving me with an apartment that’s VERY pricey. To make matters worse, he took the bed, couch, dresser, and my VERY extra but very comfy air mattress. He did all of this while I was away on a 3 day getaway. Now that the background is summed up; he offered to lend me $3,000 while we were dating (to consolidate credit cards) and that I could pay him back installments for about a year and a half. This way it doesn’t go against my credit. WELL, once he dropped this breakup bomb on me, one of his first questions was how I was going to pay him back the money back within a month. There was no reasoning with him to the point where he got his mom involved and called mine as well (my grandpa had just passed a few days earlier). My father then took charge and contact is now only through our parents (absolutely pathetic in my eyes) to which we came to an agreement of me only paying him back $1,000. Now I’m stuck with paying all of the apartment bills solo and needing to buy furniture especially my bed and I don’t want to pay him a damn thing! AITA for that?

My parents always seem to have hated him. He hates them too. Not even a day goes by when they don’t humiliate him, belittle him. Their hate directed towards him is incomprehensible. This is strange but I have had a dream multiple times, I don’t know where it they came from but I’ve seen him getting adopted in the dream. A strong intuition that he is biologically not my father’s child. It could have stemmed from how I’ve seen them treat him. I know he has been mentally and physically humiliated ever since he was born. All of us kids were, but he got it worst. I don’t know the backstory because I’m 5 years younger to him and I didn’t see him grow up. I was sexually abused by him as a child, and it had a big impact on me. I was about 6 when he made me watch very disturbing sex tape ( It involved pulling out intestines from the anus) I was traumatised. For the next few days I was living in a haze. I would vomit randomly and I turned extremely inwards after that. Then one day he asked me to give him a blowjob (as a game) He said I would get something out of it. I did as he instructed. I was a kid and only years later did I understand what had happened. My elder sister saw this event and ever since hasn’t spoken to him. They are not in talking terms, she hates him too. While it robbed my childhood away but I eventually learned to live with it. I was a silent kid after that. I had lost my innocence and I would feel unending loneliness. Every time my mom left the house for the market, I would sit near the window and wait for her. She was the only person who I could trust. Later on in life I developed severe mental health issues which I think could have come from a traumatic early sexual abuse but I’m not sure. When I had my first psychosis after a breakup and marijuana use he would beat me up unendingly to ‘fix’ my psychosis which only made it worse. I had marks on my hands and he would beat me in front of all my college friends. I was crushed. All my self esteem was gone. My girlfriend would help me getting through all this and I thank her for everything you did for me. When I got better I realised beating is what he had thought the one thing that fixes everything. That is what he learned from my dad since childhood.
Off late he has been living in the comfort of the house for 4 years without actually doing anything. Sometimes I felt like he is depressed, he has a really low self esteem coming from how he was treated as a child. I have supported him these 4 years, I paid up his tuition fees so he gets a job. I took care of all the money that went into his cigarettes and recharges everything.
Since I lived away from him for higher education I eventually forgave him for all of it. Once we moved in together, while we had our differences we were good to each other in general.
But my family would often ridicule him for not finding a job, and once he did find a job, they would belittle him for the little money he was earning. At some point I did not blame my parents either because he would only watch movies all day and night or play games and did not contribute to the household in anyway. Also my parents did not like his smoking in the house which only lead to more altercations in the house. But as an overview I think my parents always thought of him like a dimwitted guy, who did not do good in studies and always treated him like a disappointment. I know he has suffered a lot due to poor parenting which is why I eventually forgave him for all the effect he had on my fucked up childhood. I understand a little bit of psychology and I understand a abused grows up to be an abuser in most cases. I have been the only person who has been talking to him in this family. Sometimes I think my mother actually loathes him. She instigates my father to a point where he does what he does. This is been how it was for most cases. I know she hates him. She has always been partial to him in his diet, in her words and in her actions. I think he interrupted their ‘sex life’ which is why they beat him up so much. I will never know. He had severe self esteem issues and later developed psychogenic impotence. He was so scared that he started to stammer after a point. He talked find to most outsiders, but always stammered when my dad confronted him. He had several issues growing up. He has lost all his hair, his health is fucked up and mind is full of hatred now.
Yesterday a fight broke out over him throwing away food to a dog. I do not understand how it was a big problem because he cares for the street dog. It started with my father bad mouthing him and calling him dimwitted. He was calling him names when my brother started shouting back at him again. My father asked him to lower his voice in a stern, threatening way. This triggered my brother and he got downstairs and said, “I’m going to leave this house soon anyway, do not worry. I will live alone and I will die alone” My father got really angry like he always does. He swiftly rushed and picked up a plastic massaged thing and rushed towards as if he was going to hit him. My brother got down and said come on “hit me old fuck!”. Both of rushed towards each other violently. My mother and I got between them and stopped both of them from blowing punches. My father realised he was not a child anymore. My father is a fragile 60 year old now and my brother is 33 year old powerful guy. I was pretty sure that he would’ve hit my dad then and there. I don’t know what took over me but I shouted at him saying “You beat me up for disrespecting my dad remember? Now you’re acting like this?” While both of them were about to clash I said to my father do not hit him. He’s leaving anyways. He’ll go tonight itself. I asked him leave as soon as possible. Maybe I lashed out because I remembered how he had treated me all these times. I took my parents side ( which I regret now in introspect ) He said “ I know how partial you have been with me all my life. Don’t think I have not seen it. You have always hated me and loved this fucker” and he stormed into his room. He is right about that and I know it. And they know it too. Nobody said anything that night but in the morning my brother packed his bags and left. I have no idea where he went. I have no idea what to do. I could’ve asked him to stop but I could not, I do not know why. I care about him. My father and mother seem to be totally indifferent to his leaving, which is strange.
I find it hard to process that a mother has no sorrow for her son abandoning the house. My parents always only cared about his marks, he’s earning. They never made him feel good about anything. I know he has hurt me in the past and we’ve even landed in fist fights at times but I forgave him because I know that’s what he learned from parenting. My mother has also been physically abusive to me in the past (ended up breaking 3 waist belts hitting me one time while I cried) But ever since my psychosis she has been nice to me. None of us 3 kids feel desire to have a family of our own. We do not know what a family is. My brother has said to me once, that he’ll never have kids because he’s afraid he’ll do what my dad did to him. Poor parenting can really screw things up. My dad is an ex army and studies have reported more child abuse with kids in army families. He had always beat us up as kids but yesterday he was threatening to hit a 33 year old. I know this is a lot of stuff thank you for reading it. I don’t know what should I do now. I know his equation with our parents is beyond repair. At times I worry he’d commit suicide or homicide if he continues to stay in this mess. A part of me knows that outside he’ll be happy. He won’t have a luxurious life but at least he’ll be healthy mentally. I knew this yesterday night too. I have often felt bad for how he was treated all his life. Now that he has spoken about the partial treatment I feel terrible. I do not feel like going too close to my mother again. I feel I’m responsible for this mess. I caused all this. He financially independent but earns very less. He’s moved to a nearby city and as I sit in this room I feel very bad. It didn’t need to end this way. I do not hate him because I understand how childhood trauma works. A part of me hates him for what he has done but forgiveness is my nature. My mother had her first heart attack when I had psychosis. She looks very anxious now I’m worried about her. As the time passes she’s realising that he may never come back again. He is not picking up any of our calls. I don’t know what to do right now. Looking for suggestions desperately.

My parents always seem to have hated him. He hates them too. Not even a day goes by when they don’t humiliate him, belittle him. Their hate directed towards him is incomprehensible. This is strange but I have had a dream multiple times, I don’t know where it they came from but I’ve seen him getting adopted in the dream. A strong intuition that he is biologically not my father’s child. It could have stemmed from how I’ve seen them treat him. I know he has been mentally and physically humiliated ever since he was born. All of us kids were, but he got it worst. I don’t know the backstory because I’m 5 years younger to him and I didn’t see him grow up. I was sexually abused by him as a child, and it had a big impact on me. I was about 6 when he made me watch very disturbing sex tape ( It involved pulling out intestines from the anus) I was traumatised. For the next few days I was living in a haze. I would vomit randomly and I turned extremely inwards after that. Then one day he asked me to give him a blowjob (as a game) He said I would get something out of it. I did as he instructed. I was a kid and only years later did I understand what had happened. My elder sister saw this event and ever since hasn’t spoken to him. They are not in talking terms, she hates him too. While it robbed my childhood away but I eventually learned to live with it. I was a silent kid after that. I had lost my innocence and I would feel unending loneliness. Every time my mom left the house for the market, I would sit near the window and wait for her. She was the only person who I could trust. Later on in life I developed severe mental health issues which I think could have come from a traumatic early sexual abuse but I’m not sure. When I had my first psychosis after a breakup and marijuana use he would beat me up unendingly to ‘fix’ my psychosis which only made it worse. I had marks on my hands and he would beat me in front of all my college friends. I was crushed. All my self esteem was gone. My girlfriend would help me getting through all this and I thank her for everything you did for me. When I got better I realised beating is what he had thought the one thing that fixes everything. That is what he learned from my dad since childhood.
Off late he has been living in the comfort of the house for 4 years without actually doing anything. Sometimes I felt like he is depressed, he has a really low self esteem coming from how he was treated as a child. I have supported him these 4 years, I paid up his tuition fees so he gets a job. I took care of all the money that went into his cigarettes and recharges everything.
Since I lived away from him for higher education I eventually forgave him for all of it. Once we moved in together, while we had our differences we were good to each other in general.
But my family would often ridicule him for not finding a job, and once he did find a job, they would belittle him for the little money he was earning. At some point I did not blame my parents either because he would only watch movies all day and night or play games and did not contribute to the household in anyway. Also my parents did not like his smoking in the house which only lead to more altercations in the house. But as an overview I think my parents always thought of him like a dimwitted guy, who did not do good in studies and always treated him like a disappointment. I know he has suffered a lot due to poor parenting which is why I eventually forgave him for all the effect he had on my fucked up childhood. I understand a little bit of psychology and I understand a abused grows up to be an abuser in most cases. I have been the only person who has been talking to him in this family. Sometimes I think my mother actually loathes him. She instigates my father to a point where he does what he does. This is been how it was for most cases. I know she hates him. She has always been partial to him in his diet, in her words and in her actions. I think he interrupted their ‘sex life’ which is why they beat him up so much. I will never know. He had severe self esteem issues and later developed psychogenic impotence. He was so scared that he started to stammer after a point. He talked find to most outsiders, but always stammered when my dad confronted him. He had several issues growing up. He has lost all his hair, his health is fucked up and mind is full of hatred now.
Yesterday a fight broke out over him throwing away food to a dog. I do not understand how it was a big problem because he cares for the street dog. It started with my father bad mouthing him and calling him dimwitted. He was calling him names when my brother started shouting back at him again. My father asked him to lower his voice in a stern, threatening way. This triggered my brother and he got downstairs and said, “I’m going to leave this house soon anyway, do not worry. I will live alone and I will die alone” My father got really angry like he always does. He swiftly rushed and picked up a plastic massaged thing and rushed towards as if he was going to hit him. My brother got down and said come on “hit me old fuck!”. Both of rushed towards each other violently. My mother and I got between them and stopped both of them from blowing punches. My father realised he was not a child anymore. My father is a fragile 60 year old now and my brother is 33 year old powerful guy. I was pretty sure that he would’ve hit my dad then and there. I don’t know what took over me but I shouted at him saying “You beat me up for disrespecting my dad remember? Now you’re acting like this?” While both of them were about to clash I said to my father do not hit him. He’s leaving anyways. He’ll go tonight itself. I asked him leave as soon as possible. Maybe I lashed out because I remembered how he had treated me all these times. I took my parents side ( which I regret now in introspect ) He said “ I know how partial you have been with me all my life. Don’t think I have not seen it. You have always hated me and loved this fucker” and he stormed into his room. He is right about that and I know it. And they know it too. Nobody said anything that night but in the morning my brother packed his bags and left. I have no idea where he went. I have no idea what to do. I could’ve asked him to stop but I could not, I do not know why. I care about him. My father and mother seem to be totally indifferent to his leaving, which is strange. I find it hard to process that a mother has no sorrow for her son abandoning the house. My parents always only cared about his marks, he’s earning. They never made him feel good about anything. I know he has hurt me in the past and we’ve even landed in fist fights at times but I forgave him because I know that’s what he learned from parenting. My mother has also been physically abusive to me in the past (ended up breaking 3 waist belts hitting me one time while I cried) But ever since my psychosis she has been nice to me. None of us 3 kids feel desire to have a family of our own. We do not know what a family is. My brother has said to me once, that he’ll never have kids because he’s afraid he’ll do what my dad did to him. Poor parenting can really screw things up. My dad is an ex army and studies have reported more child abuse with kids in army families. He had always beat us up as kids but yesterday he was threatening to hit a 33 year old. I know this is a lot of stuff thank you for reading it. I don’t know what should I do now. I know his equation with our parents is beyond repair. At times I worry he’d commit suicide or homicide if he continues to stay in this mess. A part of me knows that outside he’ll be happy. He won’t have a luxurious life but at least he’ll be healthy mentally. I knew this yesterday night too. I have often felt bad for how he was treated all his life. Now that he has spoken about the partial treatment I feel terrible. I do not feel like going too close to my mother again. I feel I’m responsible for this mess. I caused all this. He financially independent but earns very less. He’s moved to a nearby city and as I sit in this room I feel very bad. It didn’t need to end this way. I do not hate him because I understand how childhood trauma works. A part of me hates him for what he has done but forgiveness is my nature. My mother had her first heart attack when I had psychosis. She looks very anxious now I’m worried about her. As the time passes she’s realising that he may never come back again. He is not picking up any of our calls. I don’t know what to do right now. Looking for suggestions desperately.