HUFFPOST PERSONAL 10/25/2018 08:30 am ET Kristie SmithGuest Writer The first time I saw one of my monsters, I was in my early 30s. A few weeks earlier, a burst of eye floaters, sparkles and squiggly lines filled my visual fields. Not only was I becoming sick ― experiencing nausea, stomach pain, loss of vision and extreme fatigue ― I was also worrying about my mental stability. My first monster was quick! He was large and extremely colorful. He disappeared within one second. “Am I dreaming?” I wondered after seeing him. However, every night following that first hallucination, many other colorful figures, geometric shapes, and even creatures that looked like toys filled my dark bedroom. And, without fail, every morning following those late-night parades of demented Disney-like characters, I awoke to incredible head and stomach pain. At first, I kept quiet about my strange visions and the resulting pain. But after eventually … [Read more...] about It Took 25 Years For Doctors To Diagnose Why I See Flying Monsters At Night
Why form an s corp
Michigan is getting older faster than the rest of the US – here’s why
Bill Laitner Detroit Free Press Published 1:17 p.m. UTC Jun 8, 2018 They used to be rare as a steel penny – people turning 100. Now they're still remarkable, just not so rare. This past Sunday, parishioners at Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley celebrated the 100th birthday of member Jean Marnich, a church founder in 1949. Ever since then, Marnich has volunteered at the church, doing "just about everything but clean the men's toilets and preach, and I still might try preaching," Marnich said. Her actual 100th is June 9. Across town on Tuesday, at a senior center in Grosse Pointe Farms, another party feted another Jean: Jean Gilbert had her 100th last week. While the crowd at Services for Older Citizens ate a heart-smart medley of chicken and vegetables, Gilbert got her favorite meal: Kentucky Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and onion rings. At her table stood a framed photo showing Gilbert posing proudly in uniform while she … [Read more...] about Michigan is getting older faster than the rest of the US – here’s why
California Conservation Corps Ignored Warning Signs Before Fatal Crash
Early on Feb. 2, 2016, a van carrying members of the California Conservation Corps paused at a stop sign on a country road near the Central Valley town of Reedley. Then the van rolled into the intersection, where it was broadsided by a 40-ton gravel truck and trailer, killing three corps members and leaving another with catastrophic brain and spinal injuries. The victims, 18 to 21 years old, all were recent recruits – two of them so new that they had yet to collect their first paycheck. The 20-year-old crew leader driving the CCC van, who survived with moderate injuries, would be found clearly at fault. The weather was good, with visibility of about 10 miles and unobstructed views in all directions. Yet after stopping, the driver unaccountably continued on as the Peterbilt truck, traveling at least 50 mph, rumbled toward him. This is really heartbreaking because my son, he was very athletic … He sees childhood friends from his past and he cries.” –Angela Palma, … [Read more...] about California Conservation Corps Ignored Warning Signs Before Fatal Crash
Why the clash between Trump and the intelligence community is scary
Not long ago, a former intelligence officer told me that the head of his service had realized that the straightest path to influence and to the ear of the president was to tell him what he wanted to hear.This, of course, is one of the mortal sins of the intelligence world, where the role of agents is to speak their “best truth” to power, however uncomfortable it might be for everyone concerned. It takes special courage to tell the truth to a leader who is interested less in veracity than in validation, is intolerant of alternative perspectives and will take umbrage at any suggestion that he has made a mistake.That former intelligence officer was a Russian spook, a veteran of the GRU military intelligence service; the president he was talking about was Vladimir Putin, a leader who in recent years has become increasingly surrounded by yes-men.Michael V. Hayden, who served as head of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, paints a picture of U.S. … [Read more...] about Why the clash between Trump and the intelligence community is scary
“I know I don’t need it,” says an AR-15 gun buyer, but that’s not the point
Fabian Rodriguez was cradling his new rifle when he stopped at one of the gun-show booths to purchase a $5 chicken fajita MRE.The "Meal Ready to Eat" is a mainstay for troops on combat missions. But Rodriguez, a 28-year-old San Antonio native who sells auto paint for a living, wasn't going anywhere that would require one."I like them," he said. "Well, I like watching reviews of them. That's something people do online, like, open them up and do taste tests."Rodriguez, who wears his handlebar mustache slicked into points and never leaves home without his cowboy boots, had come to the gun show to buy his first AR-15, a variant model of the M-16 and M-4 assault rifles that are used by the military, and currently the most popular rifle on the market.It has been only a few weeks since a 19-year-old was accused of storming into a Florida high school with his AR-15 and shooting 34 people, killing half - the latest in a recent spate of mass shootings by men armed with similar rifles, including … [Read more...] about “I know I don’t need it,” says an AR-15 gun buyer, but that’s not the point