Making a cross country trip from Illinois to Vegas with me and one passenger. This is my first trip of this distance and I was wondering what are some do's and dont's as well as good places to stop for rest since I don't think we'll be able to make the trip in one shot even if we switch out between us.

Link to the master post
https://www.reddit.com/CFB/comments/13rssrf/bowls\_and\_the\_race\_for\_the\_mythical\_national/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3

Setting the Stage

​

Team	Record	AP	Coaches
Nebraska	12-0	1 (51)	1 (31)
Texas	11-0	2 (3)	2 (3)
Auburn	10-1	3	3
Illinois	10-1	4	5
Miami	10-1	5	4
SMU	10-1	6	6

​
Important games and other notes

• August 29th: Preseason #1 Nebraska and #4 Penn St were each granted an extra regular season game to play in the inaugural Kickoff Classic. The Huskers got revenge on the Nittany Lions with a 44-6 thrashing.
• September 10th: BYU lost its season opener to Baylor, 36-40. They wouldn't lose another
• September 10th: Illinois lost it's season opener to Missouri, 18-28. The Illini would run the table the rest of the year (including beating 3 top 10 teams in 5 weeks) to secure a B1G title and Rose Bowl berth.
• September 16th: unranked Miami lost its season opener to #16 Florida (in Gainesville), 3-28.
• September 17th: #3 Texas took down #5 Auburn 7-20 in Auburn. Both teams would win the rest of their regular season games from here.
• September 24th: Miami waxed #13 Notre Dame, and entered the polls for the first time as a result.
• October 29th: #2 Texas defeated #9 SMU 15-12. This would prove to be a de facto conference title in favor of Texas

Five teams entered the bowl season with national title hopes. Texas and Nebraska stood as the only two unbeaten, but as SWC and Big 8 conference champs, were tied to the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl and couldn't play for a de facto national title. Despite both being unbeaten, Nebraska was a heavy favorite to claim a consensus national title, having spent every week of the season being #1 in each poll. Waiting in the wings were #3 SEC champ Auburn who was heading to the Sugar, and #4/5 Illinois who was heading to the Rose bowl, meaning the top 4 teams in the AP were all heading to different bowls. Independent #5/4 Miami crashed the blue blood party and was paired up in the Orange bowl vs Nebraska.
​

The Bowls

Cotton Bowl #2 Texas vs #7 Georgia (January 2nd, 1:30pm EST)
The Longhorns path was simple . . . beat Georgia, then tune into to the Orange Bowl and root for Miami to pull off the upset, which would make them consensus national champions. The upset minded Bulldogs had other plans. It was a defensive slug fest, with the teams tied 3-3 at the half. The Horns managed two 3rd quarter field goals to lead 9-3 heading into the 4th. Texas muffed a punt in their own red zone late in the 4th and Georgia capitalized with a a 17 yard touchdown run by QB John Lastinger to deliver the Dawgs to an eventual 10-9 upset. Texas' title hopes were officially gone, while Auburn fans probably shouted "SEC! SEC!" as their conference rival's upset kept their national title hopes alive.
​
Rose Bowl #2 Illinois vs Unranked UCLA
Illinois spent all of September unranked, before shocking college football, becoming the first team in Big 10 history go 9-0 in their conference slate. They had a slim chance at a national title, needing Nebraska, Auburn, and Texas to all lose their bowl games. Additionally they would need the pollsters to give them more 1st place votes than Miami, which wouldn't be ideal since Miami would have the better bowl win. In any regard, unranked UCLA proved they didn't belong in the conversation in the first place. The Bruins raced out to a 28-3 first half lead and continued to pile it on in the 2nd half, in a 45-9 route. Illinois finished the game with 0 rushing yards.
​
Sugar Bowl #3 Auburn vs #8 Michigan (January 2nd, 8pm EST)
Auburn entered the Sugar bowl knowing Texas lost the Cotton, but now needed to take care of business and Miami to do the same in the Orange bowl, which kicked off around the same time. If those two things happened, it was assumed the voters would elevate them to #1 in the final polls. Michigan made them earn it. The Wolverines scored a TD in the first and led 7-0 at the half. Auburn used its rushing attack, led by the one and only, Bo Jackson, and its kicking game to claw back in it. Trailing 6-7 with 23 seconds left, Auburn kicker Del Greco made a 19 yard chip shot to deliver the Tigers to a 9-7 victory. I imagine they quickly looked for the nearest TV or radio to see what the Orange bowl result was to see if they're championship hopes were still alive.
​
Orange Bowl: #1 Nebraska vs #4/5 Miami (January 2nd, 8PM EST)
Tom Osborne was on the precipice of his first national championship as the Huskers head coach. As the #1 team in each poll since the preseason, all the Huskers needed to do was take care of 11 point underdog Miami, in their home stadium and they're your national champs. However, the Hurricanes had other plans. In what is considered one of the best bowl games of all time, it would become a game huge momentum swings. The Canes stunned Nebraska by racing out to a 17-0 1st quarter lead. The Huskers rallied with 14 in the 2nd, one coming off a trick play known as the 'fumblerooski, and then a field goal in the 3rd to tie it at 17. Miami countered again with two 3rd quarter TDs to lead 31-17. Then the Huskers rallied again with two 4th quarter touchdowns. The 2nd TD came on 4th and 8 from the Miami 24. With :48 seconds left to go in the season, three teams' championship hopes (Nebraska, Miami, and Auburn) hung in the balance. Tom Osborne had a decision to make: kick for the tie or go for 2 for the win. Thanks to Texas' earlier loss, in the Cotton bowl, a tie would be good enough for the pollster to vote Nebraska a consensus #1 as college football's only unbeaten. In a decision that would go down in both Husker and college football lore, Osborne elected to go for two to win win the game. Turner's pass to Jeff Smith in the end zone was batted away by Miami's Kenny Calhoun. The Canes pulled off the shocking upset 31-30, and put the college football world on notice as a new dynasty was born.

Final Results

​

Team	record	AP	Coaches
Miami	11-1	1 (47.5)	1 (30)
Nebraska	12-1	2 (4.5)	2 (6)
Auburn	11-1	3 (7)	3 (4)
Georgia	10-1-1	4	4
Texas	11-1	5	5 (1)

As a husker fan, this is a heart breaker, even if it occurred 5 years before I was born. Had they gotten the conversion, I'd argue this team would be considered on par with the 1995 team. Miami's monumental upset leapfrogged them from #4/5 in the polls to their 1st consensus national championship, and as we'll later see, that was only the beginning. This came much to the dismay of Auburn, who played arguably the toughest schedule in the nation, which included wins over #4 Georgia, #6 Florida (who beat Miami handily), and #8 Michigan. In fact, the Tigers didn't even jump Nebraska, who still received 1st place votes in each poll despite the loss. College football's lack of playoff or sanctioned national championship game was maddening to some but I have to be honest, I think I like the chaos and controversy better. That's what college football is (or at least was) all about.
​
Sources and other info
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_season
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_NCAA_Division_I-A_football_rankings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoNs0mdKAO8 (the end of the Orange Bowl)

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I was recently made aware that I could be eligible to receive money from joining a class action law suit. However, I'm concerned about paying the legal team. I'm unsure if they would be taking a percentage of my earnings or if I will receive a bill. I don't have a lot of money, so this information will be the deciding factor in weather or not I join the suit. I live in Illinois, in case that effects things at all. Thank you for reading and have a nice day.

Hey all, I have ADHD so I take medication for that, which happens to be a controlled substance. While I was moving something happened to my medication so I asked my doctor for an emergency refill but they said they are unable.
Is this an Illinois restriction? I understand not wanting to give unlimited refills on controlled substances, but I’m a good patient with evidence of what happened to my medication so I thought they’d be able to refill, but I guess I was wrong.. has anyone else had this problem? Is this a state wide restriction? I haven’t been able to find any written laws on it but maybe I’m just not looking in the correct place

Our 21-year old league needs a manager to fill the spot vacated by a longtime member.
We play in a dynasty league where we keep 22 players each year. Our roster is NFL-legitimate, utilizing every position except for offensive linemen.
QB – WR – WR – RB – RB – TE – FLEX – K – LB – LB – LB – DE – DT – DT – DE – S – S – CB – CB
This league has existed since 2003 and has grown in roster size with Yahoo’s additional features. Very likely moving to Sleeper in 2024.
Our primary rules are that everyone shows up for the draft (live online) and that you must field a complete team each week. Every position, despite bye weeks and injury, MUST be filled each week.
Trading is not only encouraged but very necessary over time to keep your team competitive. The entire offseason is open for trading. Every player on your roster is available for trading. Keepers are not locked down until two weeks before the draft.
Our roster size and defensive line-ups prove to be a challenge for most newcomers; even scares some veteran guys off. There is no buy-in fee.
Contact me at [email protected]

AVAILABLE TEAMS
Team #1
Offense:
QB Mac Jones
WR Drake London
WR Allen Lazard
RB Najee Harris
RB AJ Dillon
TE Noah Fant
WRB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
BN Jakobi Meyers
BN Kadarius Toney
BN Darnell Mooney
BN Joshua Palmer
BN Tyquan Thornton
BN Romeo Doubs
BN Tim Patrick
K Eddie Pineiro
Defense:
LB Foye Oluokun
LB Zaire Franklin
LB Alex Singleton
DE Kwity Paye
DT Chris Jones
DT Denico Autry
DE George Karlaftis
CB Jonathan Jones
CB Logan Ryan
S Donovan Wilson
S Jaquan Brisker
BN Josey Jewell
BN Dre Greenlaw
BN Kenny Moore
BN Travon Walker
BN Jordan Hicks
BN Kyler Gordon

Team #2
Offense:
QB Jared Goff
WR Justin Jefferson
WR AJ Brown
RB Nick Chubb
RB Aaron Jones
TE Evan Engram
WRB Brian Robinson
BN Dawson Knox
BN Leonard Fournette
BN Kareem Hunt
BN Daniel Jones
BN Kyle Pitts
BN Jameson Williams
BN Kevin Harris
BN Khalil Herbert
BN Rashod Bateman
BN Trey Lance
K Younghoe Koo
Defense:
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Shaq Thompson
LB Patrick Queen
DE Josh Allen
DT Harrison Phillips
DT Jonathan Allen
DE Brian Burns
CB D.J. Reed
CB Carlton Davis
S Chuck Clark
S Derwin James, Jr.
BN Damar Hamlin
BN Matt Milano
BN Davon Godchaux
BN Quincy Williams

Team #3
Offense:
QB Kirk Cousins
WR DK Metcalf
WR Keenan Allen
RB Latavius Murray
RB Jerrick McKinnon
TE Tyler Higbee
WRB Cordarelle Patterson
BN Dak Prescott
BN Donovan Peoples-Jones
BN Gus Edwards
BN Courtland Sutton
BN Curtis Samuel
BN DJ Chark
BN DeeJay Dallas
K Harrison Butker
Defense:
LB Christian Kirksey
LB Drue Tranquill
LB Nicholas Morrow
DE Zach Sieler
DT DaVon Hamilton
DT Kenny Clark
DE Trey Hendrickson
CB Charvarius Ward
CB L’Jarius Sneed
S Rayshawn Jenkins
S Grant Delpit
BN Dean Lowry
BN Kyzir White
BN Ryan Neal
BN Eddie Jackson
BN Jamal Adams

Reposting because previous post got removed.
Hi y'all, I wanted to see if my school list looks good for MDs (I'll be looking into DO's too).
STATS:
CA ORM - 25 YO Asian (Female), Disadvantaged?
MCAT: 503, 509
Undergrad: uGPA: 3.47, sGPA: 3.56 (w/ strong upward trend)
Post-bacc: 3.89 (24 credits)
1 gap year after post-bacc
ECs:
Research: 4000 hrs, 2 pubs (first author on 1)
Poster Presentation: 2
Shadowing: 50 hrs
Clinical Volunteering: ~600 hrs (of which some were in Mexico, where I had a leadership role)
Non-clinical Volunteering (tutor to disadvantaged students): 20 hrs
Worked as a resident advisor (85 hrs), teaching assistant (100 hrs)
SCHOOL LIST:
CA: I applied to ALL California schools even though my stats are lower for most.
UC Riverside
UC Davis
Loma Linda
California Northstate
California University
UCLA-Geffen
UC San Diego
UC San Francisco
Southern Cal-Keck
Kaiser Permanente-Tyson
UC Irvine
Stanford
OUT OF STATE: I have gotten feedback that my non-clinical volunteering is low for schools like Temple, Tulane etc. so looking to hear more advice! Most schools below have a 25% MCAT percentile of < 509 and an OOS matriculant rate of > 25%.
Northeast Ohio
Toledo
Rush
Albany
Oakland-Beaumont
SUNY Downstate
U of Illinois
Loyala Stritch
TCU Burnett
Temple-Katz
Tulane
George Washington
Drexel
Wake Forest
Penn State
Eastern Virginia
Vermont - Larner
Geisinger Commonwealth
South Carolina - Greenville
Georgetown
Chicago Rosalind Franklin

So I live in illinois and 1 of the few houses iv lived in in my town (Forreston) have been haunted. I remember as a kid growing up and the doors upstairs would open and close by themselves you would hear footsteps in the hallway and attic. Alot of my friends houses were haunted too But that's not what story was about so this is where it gets crazy. My friend lived by parts of it an old train car, tracks, signs, ect behind this old creepy house that no one lived in for the longest time(forreston was known for being a trainstop back in the early 1900s) well here's where it all began. Me my friend who lived there and another one of our friends would hangout there every day the door for his room would randomly open either really slow or fast. Outside his room by the front door his dog would sit all day while they lived there and stare at the corner of the wall toward the ceiling and bark well one day my friend who lived there was gone with his family and it was on my birthday his mom asked if I could watch the house for that day and the next and I could have a few people over well my other friend I mentioned earlier came over like always along with 4 other people we chilled and played video games they all left and it was me and the one friend. We were playing madden on the ps3 and all of a sudden I hear "will you play with me" thought it was my friend and said we are already playing what do you mean and he said I didn't say anything and I was confused. I hear it again. Will you play with me? And I look at my friend and he says he didn't say anything again when i asked what he said. And I said dude I swear you asked twice if I'd play with you. We continue playing a few mins later we both hear it and look at each other confused and he said I heard it that time and we sat there paused the game and heard it again, and again like 10 times I walk over to my friends who lived there brothers toybox that was by the tv and infront of it there sat a toy cash register and when i found out that's what it was I picked it up and it repeated over and over again will you play with me and I opened the back and no batteries we freaked out I walked to the garage though the house and felt cold the register felt cold and I sat it in the garage and closed the door went back to the living room. We didn't hear it then like 5 mins later from 2 rooms away in a garage we hear it super loud like screaming loud Will you play with me? And we looked at each other and got up cleaned everything up cuz we wanted to leave and were putting our shoes on and the front door opened infront of us and a gust of cold air brushed by us. It was crazy! Also it continues a week later were in his room and it's 12:00 and we were chilling and I didn't drive and asked when we were leaving my friend said soon well its late out and dark and I was tired well we sat there for a little bit the door opened and we closed 3 different times well the last time the door open it flew open and hit the wall hard and I was like its time to go as we walked out of the room to put our shoes on the front door flew open my friend looked at me and said ya its time to go bro. We ran outside and left and I didn't go back for a few days. Well his little brother also had a ghost friend he talked to who said his name was Tyler and died on a train when he was 5 so weird his brother was only 6 and said Tyler and Tyler's mom would come to visit at night and sleep in his bed with him he never saw the train or knew about it either behind his neighbors house. Kinda crazy Well he and his family ended up moving out but not because it was haunted other reasons. Sorry for the shitty punctuation.

Our 21-year old league needs a manager to fill the spot vacated by a longtime member.
We play in a dynasty league where we keep 22 players each year. Our roster is NFL-legitimate, utilizing every position except for offensive linemen.
QB – WR – WR – RB – RB – TE – FLEX – K – LB – LB – LB – DE – DT – DT – DE – S – S – CB – CB
This league has existed since 2003 and has grown in roster size with Yahoo’s additional features. Very likely moving to Sleeper in 2024.
Our primary rules are that everyone shows up for the draft (live online) and that you must field a complete team each week. Every position, despite bye weeks and injury, MUST be filled each week.
Trading is not only encouraged but very necessary over time to keep your team competitive. The entire offseason is open for trading. Every player on your roster is available for trading. Keepers are not locked down until two weeks before the draft.
Our roster size and defensive line-ups prove to be a challenge for most newcomers; even scares some veteran guys off. There is no buy-in fee.
Contact me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

AVAILABLE TEAMS
Team #1
Offense:
QB Mac Jones
WR Drake London
WR Allen Lazard
RB Najee Harris
RB AJ Dillon
TE Noah Fant
WRB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
BN Jakobi Meyers
BN Kadarius Toney
BN Darnell Mooney
BN Joshua Palmer
BN Tyquan Thornton
BN Romeo Doubs
BN Tim Patrick
K Eddie Pineiro
Defense:
LB Foye Oluokun
LB Zaire Franklin
LB Alex Singleton
DE Kwity Paye
DT Chris Jones
DT Denico Autry
DE George Karlaftis
CB Jonathan Jones
CB Logan Ryan
S Donovan Wilson
S Jaquan Brisker
BN Josey Jewell
BN Dre Greenlaw
BN Kenny Moore
BN Travon Walker
BN Jordan Hicks
BN Kyler Gordon

Team #2
Offense:
QB Jared Goff
WR Justin Jefferson
WR AJ Brown
RB Nick Chubb
RB Aaron Jones
TE Evan Engram
WRB Brian Robinson
BN Dawson Knox
BN Leonard Fournette
BN Kareem Hunt
BN Daniel Jones
BN Kyle Pitts
BN Jameson Williams
BN Kevin Harris
BN Khalil Herbert
BN Rashod Bateman
BN Trey Lance
K Younghoe Koo
Defense:
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Shaq Thompson
LB Patrick Queen
DE Josh Allen
DT Harrison Phillips
DT Jonathan Allen
DE Brian Burns
CB D.J. Reed
CB Carlton Davis
S Chuck Clark
S Derwin James, Jr.
BN Damar Hamlin
BN Matt Milano
BN Davon Godchaux
BN Quincy Williams

Team #3
Offense:
QB Kirk Cousins
WR DK Metcalf
WR Keenan Allen
RB Latavius Murray
RB Jerrick McKinnon
TE Tyler Higbee
WRB Cordarelle Patterson
BN Dak Prescott
BN Donovan Peoples-Jones
BN Gus Edwards
BN Courtland Sutton
BN Curtis Samuel
BN DJ Chark
BN DeeJay Dallas
K Harrison Butker
Defense:
LB Christian Kirksey
LB Drue Tranquill
LB Nicholas Morrow
DE Zach Sieler
DT DaVon Hamilton
DT Kenny Clark
DE Trey Hendrickson
CB Charvarius Ward
CB L’Jarius Sneed
S Rayshawn Jenkins
S Grant Delpit
BN Dean Lowry
BN Kyzir White
BN Ryan Neal
BN Eddie Jackson
BN Jamal Adams

purchased 3 different Penstemon plugs this year. I planted them in one of the sunnier garden beds in my yard in an inner garden bed. Problem is that the outer garden bed is filled with ostrich ferns and I found out the Illinois bundle flower bush that I thought had perished is alive. They are planted around this bush. This spot probably won't be getting the sunlight these plants require. The plugs have only been in the ground a month. Should I move them now or wait till past the growing season? I don't want to risk them dying but they definitely aren't in an idea location.

I've been putting the pieces together to see what it'll cost to get this show up and moving and I have a few questions for those that have gone this route. My background is dry van, reefer, converter, and intermodal. No tractor experience so no intention of dealing with them. NE Illinois/SE Wisconsin area. Plan is to do on-site inspections and repairs. Any tires done will be already on the rim for safety and insurance purposes. Wheel end service depends on location.
What does your insurance run in your area (liability, not vehicle), how did you start (mainly with getting customers and finding the right suppliers), what would you do differently, and what are the small stupid things that make life a little better? I have shop and service truck experience. I'm debating between starting with my current vehicle and an enclosed trailer until I can justify a full out box truck or just biting the bullet and hoping shit works out.

Featuring some of the leaders of Beowulf, Incorporated:
----------------------------------------------------
TINY, THOMAS, DR. NONNE, NEMO, and LADY sit along the back wall of a dimly-lit room. In front of them, DR. SHORT sits in his wheelchair, facing them. Behind him, a screen is lit by a projector.
DR. SHORT: The following is a presentation examining the entity known as Cthulhu, its history on our planet, and the dangers it represents to the people of Earth. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Miss Lady Orleans, Dr. Quincy Nonne, and Miss Marvel Morgan, without whose expertise I would have been wholly incapable of-
THOMAS: This isn’t Cambridge, Davydd. You can dispense with the formalities.
TINY: (arms crossed, looking comically uncomfortable in a chair that is too small for him) Please.
DR. SHORT: Old habits die hard, Mister Blackwood. I am afraid that you will simply have to bear with me. It should also be borne in mind that a significant portion of the information which I am about to present has been acquired through the utilization of conjecture, and should be taken only as our best understanding at the moment, rather than absolute fact. Dr. Nonne, if you would.
DR. NONNE begins to set a series of slides on the projector. As DR. SHORT speaks, the screen behind him shows a number of sketches and paintings in differing artistic styles—Oriental, tribal, ancient looking, comparatively modern, et cetera. Each shows a semi-humanoid figure with two arms and legs (generally clawed), a thick torso, a pair of wings on its back, and an octopoidal face. Though each image is unique, they are all clearly artistic renderings of the same being. The images are distinctly unsettling.
DR. SHORT: Some version of this being has been worshipped by primitivist cults across the globe for millennia. The names ascribed to it vary, though they all share a certain similarity: Cthulhu, Tulu, Katulu, Khlûl-hoo, Kutulu. Indeed, it is a possibility that none of these are the entity’s true name, or even that it is impossible for the human vocal apparatus to create the sounds necessary to truly replicate what it calls itself in its native tongue. It has been decided that for our purposes, we will refer to it as “Cthulhu”, as this is the term employed by the Theron Marks Society.
THOMAS: Damn it, Davydd, I know what its name is. What is it?
DR. SHORT: (ignoring him) Though worshipped as a god, it should be noted that Cthulhu is not a god, at least in the cosmological sense. Rather, it is an entity of such power that (when exposed to it) mankind appears compelled to worship it as such, in much the same way that ancient man, exposed to a volcanic eruption, is forced to conclude that they are experiencing an instance of divine retribution. Cthulhu is indeed a potent force, but it is not omnipotent.
TINY: How potent are we talking about, here?
DR. SHORT: Cthulhu has been referred to as “The Mountain That Walks”. I am given to understand that this is not an exaggeration.
TINY: …yeah. Okay.
DR. SHORT: In addition to its impressive size, it is said to possess great cunning, an incomprehensible mastery of supraphysical thaumaturgy-
TINY: Super-what?
LADY: Magic, Jack. Magic.
TINY: Well, just say “magic”, then.
DR. SHORT: …and is said to be composed of extradimensional matter which renders it wholly unkillable, at least without an immediate and extraordinary expansion of our understanding of space and time.
TINY: So what you’re saying is, we’re fucked.
DR. SHORT: Please stop interrupting me, Mister Diamond. And no, that is not what I am saying. I mentioned before that Cthulhu’s might, though considerable, falls short of omnipotence. This was not a statement of theological speculation. We know that Cthulhu is not an omnipotent being, because it has been defeated before. On this very planet, as a matter of fact.
The room is silent, but both TINY and THOMAS are grinning in anticipation. DR. SHORT allows this statement a moment to sink in, then continues.
DR. SHORT: The next slide, Doctor Nonne.
DR. NONNE changes the slide. The projector now shows two sketches of a grey-colored, barrel-shaped being, one from the side and one from an aerial view. It possesses radial (rather than bilateral) symmetry. Its central mass displays five vertical ridges, between each of which wing-like membranes extrude from interior cavities, each approximately as long as the being is tall. Five arms are spaced around the central body mass, each ending in a small conglomeration of tentacles or tendrils. A five-pointed starfish-like head rises from its bulbous neck. Sprouting out of the head are five long stalks ending in eyes. At the top of its head is a large aperture not unlike a mouth. Below the being’s central body are five legs, each ending in a flipper-like appendage.
THOMAS: (stares, slightly unsettled) I… I’ve seen that before. Somewhere. What in the ever-loving Christ is it?
DR. SHORT: This, Mister Blackwood, is one of a race of beings known to mankind only as the Ancient Race, or the Elder Things. They were also, if Miss Orleans is to be believed, the first sentient race to populate our planet.
LADY: It isn’t conjecture, Dr. Short. I’m sure of it now.
THOMAS: But what do you-
DR. SHORT: Indeed, it is my understanding that we now have proof of the truths of these myths in the form of reports from two of our agents. Though both of them seemed to believe that they had traveled to an alien world, Miss Orleans assures me that they had in fact ventured millions of years into the past, to a city of the Ancient Race. There, they saw mosaics which confirmed the accounts whose veracity had been up to that point suspect. Dr. Nonne.
DR. NONNE begins to set a series of slides. On the wall behind DR. SHORT is projected in succession several dozen crude sketches, little better than stick figures. In them, strange barrel-shaped figures war with hideous octopoids.
DR. SHORT: It is likely that much of the following will fundamentally restructure or challenge your understanding of the history of our planet. Kindly do not allow your surprise to cause you to interrupt me. It will be easier for all of us if I get through this part quickly.
Long, long ago … Hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions of years in our distant past, the Ancient Race came to our planet. We do not know from where. At that time, Earth was largely barren of life. Over millions of years, the Ancient Race fully colonized the planet, creating massive cities both on its land surfaces and in the oceans. They mined the planets resources, conducted various scientific experiments, and held absolute dominion over the Earth.
Thomas sets his jaw firmly, willing himself not to interrupt. His hands ball into fists on his chairs armrests. Tiny has less self-restraint.
TINY: So you’re telling me-
DR. SHORT: Mister Diamond, please.
TINY: (grunts)
DR. SHORT: After countless aeons, a great cataclysm occurred. Countless cities of the Ancient Race were destroyed, and new, strange land masses rose from the depths of the sea. Ponape. R’lyeh. These names may mean little to you, but to the scholar of metaphysical history, they hold much weight. Shortly thereafter, Cthulhu and its kin arrived on our planet and settled these new lands. Though it is unclear whether there is a causal link between this cataclysm and these beings’ arrival, the timing seems suspect, at the very least.
It is here that the Ancient Race becomes directly relevant to the subject at hand. On arriving on this planet from unknown regions of space and, perhaps, time, Cthulhu and its servants (thought to perhaps be lesser members of the same species, though it is unclear) immediately began a war of dominion against the Ancient Race… A war which, by all accounts, they lost. A treaty of sorts was eventually struck. Cthulhu and its armies were permitted to keep the limited surface territories they possessed, and the rest of the planet remained the domain of the Ancient Race.
THOMAS: How did they do it?
DR. SHORT: (smiling gently) I had anticipated such a question. Doctor Nonne?
DR. NONNE replaces the slide. On the wall behind DR. SHORT is projected a series of three bullet points beneath a header which reads “WEAPONRY OF THE ANCIENT RACE”. The first bullet points is: TECHNOLOGY. The second bullet point is: THAUMATURGY. The third bullet point is: BIOLOGY.
It is our understanding that the chief strengths of the Ancient Race (beyond superior numbers) were these three points: Technological mastery, thaumaturgical-
TINY: (muttering) Magical…
DR. SHORT: … thaumaturgical mastery, and biological innovation. Our knowledge of each of these branches remains limited, yet there are still key insights which might be relayed. We begin with the domain of Technology. Doctor Nonne?
DR. NONNE: (changes the projector slide so that it now reads “TECHNOLOGY”, then abandons his position beside the projector and carries a rifle-like object composed of alien-looking, silvery metal to the front of the room. He holds it up.) At the m-m-moment, this artifact remains the s-s-singular piece of Ancient Race technology which we have thus far c-c-captured. Though initially d-d-d-dam- … found in a state of disrepair, I was able to p-patch it together to the point where it is more or less functional. (He sets the device on the table in front of him, pointing to the reverse-bell protruding from one end of it.) When the triggering mechanism is p-p-pushed, a concentrated beam of electroplasmic en-en-energy is shot out from this material concentrator, causing sig-sig-sig … extraordinary damage to the target.
It was my initial hypothesis that this device represented an alternative version of the weaponry c-c-captured from the beings referred to by the Theron Marks Society as “Mi-Go” in the gatehouse located in Hartford, Connecticut. However, th-th-this t-t-turned out to b-b-be untrue. Th-th-though the effect of the weaponry is broadly similar, the mechanisms by which said effects are achieved are widely dissimilar. However, both devices appear to be powered by miniaturized batteries of highly compressed energy, which would hypothetically limit their firings, unless these batteries were replaced or recharged. Though I’m w-w-w-wor-wor … Attempting to understand the technology involved, I am still in the extreme early stages. It appears to utilize both magnetic fields and a sort of atomic (or possibly extra-dimensional) energy converter, the fundamental properties of which modern m-m-mathematics has no apt descriptors. Each technology also ap-ap-appears to em-employ certain principles utilized by the sh-shielding device created by the Mystery Child of the Greenwood Asylum.
It is my assessment that the Mi-Go appear to be at a roughly equivalent technological level as the Ancient Race. With this in mind, it may b-b-behoove us to make the c-c-capture of further Mi-Go technology a priority. The c-c-capture and interrogation of a M-M-Mi-Go scientist would also likely prove i-i-immeasurably useful. With sufficient knowledge, I am sure that a t-t-team of engineers could replicate s-s-similar weapons designed for human use, or p-p-perhaps even larger-scale versions. Th-though this is f-far from a certainty, I would h-hazard a guess that an electroplasmic cannon would prove highly effective against Cthulhu and his m-m-minions.
DR. NONNE, finished, smiles awkwardly, looks around, then walks back to his place by the projector. LADY stands, pats DR. NONNE warmly on the back, then approaches the front of the room. DR. NONNE replaces the slide. Behind LADY is projected the word, “THAUMATURGY”.
LADY: The Ancient Ones knew a great deal about this universe and the fundamental processes by which it is governed. Far more than our human society, or even those of us who dabble in spellcraft. At a civilizational level, what we term “magic” was believed to a mechanical process which could be learned, taught, and understood, with many of the arcane and ceremonial frills therefore largely removed. As a result, the extradimensional element of the Cthulhoid forces could be broadly countered-
TINY: Hold on, Lady. There’s so much gobbledygook and jargony handwaving here, I can’t understand half of what either you or Quince are saying. What in the hell does “extra-dimensional” mean?
LADY: There’s no simple way to answer that with any true accuracy, and a mathematically complex answer would have us here for hours. Suffice it to say that we experience but one of countless iterations (or planes) of reality. Extradimensional beings may move between these levels, or even exist within multiple planes at once.
TINY: Planes?
LADY: (ignoring him) These latter beings, if they should be ‘killed’ on this level of reality, may yet maintain an existence in others. By this method, they are functionally immortal, unkillable unless an individual were to find a way to destroy the being on each plane in which it holds existence. Failing to do this, even the absolute destruction of such a being on this level of reality would simply be a minor hindrance to it.
THOMAS: Christ.
LADY: However, for beings knowledgeable of the inner workings of the universe, extra-dimensional creatures may be bound, trapped, banished, or even killed through the utilization of certain thaumaturgical principles. I believe that the Ancient Race were able to weaponize these abilities, developing magical principles which enabled them to fight Cthulhu and its spawn to a standstill.
THOMAS: And how many of these spells do we currently have knowledge of?
LADY: Hardly any.
THOMAS: (sighs)
LADY: You must understand, as I believe it, the development of these principles was the outcome of an entire civilization of beings to which thaumaturgy was merely another branch of science devoting itself to the innovation and manufacture of weaponized spellcraft. By comparison, all we have to go off of are a handful of writings from mad sages and deranged poets. But theoretically, these mechanisms were discovered once, and could be discovered again.
Without giving any other sign that she has finished, LADY strides to her chair and sits down. After a moment, DR. SHORT clears his throat, and DR. NONNE changes the slide. The projection on the wall now reads, “BIOLOGY”.
DR. SHORT: This brings us to the final strength of the Ancient Race, that of biological innovation. As I understand it, they delighted in experimental manipulation of genetic information. In point of fact, there is some evidence to suggest that the Ancient Race were the very progenitors of all Earthly life as we know it today.
THOMAS: You’re not saying these ancient alien fuckers birthed humanity out of test tubes.
DR. SHORT: Not at all. But, evidently, there are some writings to suggest that they created our antediluvian ancestors.
TINY: …anti-
LADY: Old, Tiny. It means old.
TINY: (muttering) Then just say “old”…
DR. SHORT: All of this is a digression from the subject at hand. In addition to the manufacture of specialized viral agents (though that is almost purely the result of an educated assumption, rather than any hard evidence to indicate such), the Ancient Race were known to employ the usage of specialized biological slaves, known as “shoggoths”. A highly adaptable entity, capable of molding itself into whatever form the situation calls for, the shoggoth almost certainly proved a highly capable and nigh-indestructible force on the battlefield. One may imagine legions of the things, balls of biomass twenty feet in diameter rolling menacingly across mountain ranges or the sea floor, unhindered by an environmental difficulties, unsleeping, uneating, single-mindedly hunting their opponents. A formidable weapon, indeed.
THOMAS: (abruptly, and loudly) Damn it, that’s where I’ve seen those barrel things before! In Dr. Freygan’s lab! (NEMO flinches, almost imperceptibly.) He had a giant mirror, and they were… they were making-
DR. SHORT: Yes. It is the belief of both myself and Miss Orleans that Dr. Freygan had created a window through time in order to observe the Ancient Race and their manufacture of shoggoths, with the intent of replicating the process.
THOMAS: So you’re saying that we met the world’s foremost authority on the creation of this biological superweapon, and I-
DR. SHORT: You shot him dead, and shrewdly destroyed his primary source of information gathering. Yes.
THOMAS: …fuck.
DR. SHORT: Yes, “fuck” indeed. However, despite this significant loss of knowledge, we were still able to capture Dr. Freygan’s extensive notes, and we maintain access to those parts of his laboratory you failed to destroy. With this in mind, it might be said that we are now the de facto authorities on the manufacture of shoggoths, should we ever turn our attention and resources to such a project. In fact, it is not inconceivable that we could even create a window into the past similar to the one you destroyed, for observational purposes.
NEMO: (flatly) So, to summarize, in order to defeat Cthulhu and his armies, a united civilization spanning the entire globe utilized technology we don’t understand, magic we can’t begin to comprehend, and biological weaponry which we haven’t even scratched the surface of figuring out how to create (let alone control), and with all this they were only able to fight them to a standstill?
DR. SHORT: That is my understanding, yes.
NEMO: So, to quote Tiny, what you’re saying is, we’re fucked.
DR. SHORT: Not at all, Nemo. We have one advantage which the Elder Race did not possess.
THOMAS: And that is?
LADY: “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.”
There is a brief silence.
TINY: Come again?
DR. SHORT: “In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” We have a single advantage which the Ancient Ones did not. Millions of years ago, a second cataclysm (again, of unknown provenance) sank the microcontinents of Ponape and R’lyeh into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. For a hundred million years, there Cthulhu and his armies have slept.
TINY: For a hundred million years. Asleep. Folks, how sure are we that they didn’t all just vaporize in this cataclysm thing?
LADY: “That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.” Cthulhu and his brethren but sleep. Even dormant, the Great Old Ones’ influence seeps into the dreams of those able to channel it. The cults of Cthulhu did not arise independently across the globe from mere happenstance. His malevolent will calls out, even from the depths.
TINY: And when are these Great Old Ones gonna wake up?
DR. SHORT: “When the stars are right.” Or, more concretely, when somebody wakes them.
There is a brief silence.
THOMAS: (clearing his throat) Well, then. It seems to me that until such a point as we are able to unite humanity in utilizing ancient magics and incomprehensibly alien technologies against an apocalyptic extradimensional threat, it would be wise for us to do absolutely everything in our power to ensure that Cthulhu and his minions stay exactly where they are.
DR. SHORT: That is an accurate summation of my position, yes.
THOMAS: In that case … (he takes a moment to retrieve a cigarette from his pocket, lights it, inhales, and exhales) …in that case, I suggest that we get to work.

Interested in CompE or MechE
GPA: 3.87UW, 4.4W
SAT:1480, 760M, 720R&W
Rising Senior this year. Will have 9 APs by graduations.
Pretty good ECs,- Robotics, Non Profit, Company, Volunteering, and Diversity Committee etc..
List-
Safeties:
University of Pittsburgh
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - Might remove this one
Worchester Polytechnic Institute
UNC Charlotte University
Virginia Tech
Target:
NC State
UMN Twin Cities
University of Florida
Reach
Georgia Tech
Duke University
Case Western Res.
Purdue -
University Illinois Urbana Champaign
Brown University
Cornell
​
I am looking for feedback on the list and suggestions for Reaches like Ivys etc... and then prolly one more target.
Also another question was RIT vs UPitt and which to apply to?

Shout out to Jezebel for reporting... as NOT ONE LOCAL media outlet nor the police or mayor have said ANYTHING! The incoming clinic is located in a mixed medical/residential area. Just so frustrating that the our local media and City Council has nothing to say.
https://jezebel.com/weeks-after-man-plowed-into-illinois-abortion-clinic-a-1850511744

Offer accepted in Michigan. Moved to Michigan a year ago from Illinois. Realtor and loan officer we have worked with have been great. One of my best friends from Illinois which is where we moved from that writes mortgages got his license in MI after learning we were looking in MI. Told us this after we were in process. We are to the point of inspection (tomorrow) and have been underwritten. He tells us there is zero risk in switching lenders at this point. We easily qualify. His original offer was well above the offer (7.1 vs 6.7) the other mortgage guy gave us originally. After showing him the other offer he can beat it. Match rate and save on closing by about $1000. How much of a dick move would it be to change to him? I am inclined to tell him that it is too late in the process but he is being a bit pushy about it saying this is how it is done. He also is saying there is no risk but it has been rough get an offer accepted.
We like our realtor and he is saying it could cause issues. Friend says it won’t. Don’t know who to ask. I’d love to give work with my friend but don’t want to be screwing others and causing us risk in the process.