If waking up Monday to news of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history left you feeling angry or devastated, there’s a solution: take action.
1. Donate Blood
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement saying that residents should donate blood to the more than 400 people wounded when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his hotel room late Sunday.
Specifically, United Blood Services is set to start taking donations at 7 a.m. local time at 6930 West Charleston Boulevard in Las Vegas or 601 Whitney Ranch Drive in Henderson. The University Medical Center of Southern Nevada is also preparing to launch a blood drive Monday at the Delta Point Building, though the exact time of that event has not yet been announced.
There are also prescheduled American Red Cross blood drives taking place at the SpringHill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center at 2989 Paradise Road and Ernest May Elementary School at 6350 West Washburn Road.
2. Donate Money
Not in the area? Consider giving money to the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Red Cross, which accepts donations on its website, by phone at 702-369-3674 or via mail at 1771 East Flamingo Road, #206B, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89119.
You can also support the National Compassion Fund, which directly distributes donations from the public to victims of a mass crime. The fund has previously partnered up with the relatives of victims of disasters like 9/11 and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and vows to be transparent in how it handles the money it collects.
3. Call Your Representatives
After you’ve written a check, make your voice heard politically, as well. Call your representative and talk to him or her about gun laws both in your state and nationwide. The House of Representatives’ switchboard number is (202) 224-3121.
In Nevada, for example, gun owners don’t have to have licenses and can open carry their firearms without a permit. Nationally, the House of Representatives is weighing legislation that would ease up on rules concerning gun silencers, which law enforcement officers argue could make it harder to identify the suspect during mass shootings.
If you want to change that, find the phone number for your representatives and senators here and let them know what you think. Your actions may ultimately do more to help victims of future attacks than lawmakers’ tweeted thoughts and prayers.
If you believe gun laws are too lax, get in touch with groups like Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
The National Rifle Association advocates for fewer gun restrictions.
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The Adventure of Cengiz getting his • Strong Women • squad
It started a month ago, I was bored and spontaneously decided that sending Cengiz a package to Norway would be nice.
Yes, to Cengiz Al. Yes, to Cengiz Al, the Yousef Acar. Yes, that’s him.
The thing was, I didn’t want to send a letter. Or a drawing. Or a bandana. I wanted to be EXTRA. So that day I decided to go for it, Cengiz gave us the shocking news about his new hairstyle, so I did what every sane normal person would do when their idol changes their hair colour - went to the closest grocery shop and bought a hairdye so he can redye his hair back to black.
The next step was easy, take desperate to another level. I went to Ikea, bought a frame, printed memes and put it together. Easy, right?
Shitty quality of a shitty DIY, what can I say.
The other thing was not intentional, it wasn’t about Cengiz reading notes from his fans, it was my way to contact people and to make some friends. But, I’m a socially awkward person so what should we do? YES! Tell these people that they can send a note to the one and only Cengiz Al and befriend them meanwhile in the process.
Sidenote: Worked, would recommend 10/10
And then I put it together and created a DIY book called “Kjære Cengiz” and did a profile on each fan and added their note while including some random posts about Cengiz I found on Tumblr.
So once I was done, I also decided to step up game of promoting my videos and what’s the closest thing to forcing him to watch this by breaking into his house? Exactly! Send him a USB with all of them with “Watch this” written on top of it (to make sure, you know).
So I bought a USB, I called it “Strong Man” to give it the Cengiz vibe and uploaded here my videos with Cengiz (Yousana/Yousef/SKAM crack) And included our memes with Cengiz in HQ & explanation to the hairdye so he wouldn’t take it as a cyberbullying.
And then, I wrapped it all in Christmas wrapping paper because I didn’t have anything else and had to came up with a lame “Merry Cengzmas” inside joke to somehow explain this.
And then I sent it and waited 14 days. After 14 days I decided that it’s the right time to panic and have a mental breakdown. And while I freaked out, I wrote Cengiz a mail, he never replied so I guessed that me and Cengiz would stick to our ignoring relationship and expected no outcome.
It was 9pm, I was in my bed, decided to look at my mail to avoid another existentional crisis to see how no one commented on my new video I uploaded on my Youtube channel, to see that there’s a mail written by the one and only Cengiz Al.
A three sentences long email saying he didn’t get the package, asking for a code of it, ending with a norwegian sentence “ Sendt fra min iPhone”. He had this in every email he sent to me, so many times that I even thought: Maybe “ Sendt fra min iPhone” will be our always.
But this wasn’t a John Green book where someone dies after an epic love story - This was a desperate act of a desperate woman who was desperate for a notice by one norwegian guy who works in an electronics store. And it wasn’t some epic love story, I just wanted to get out of this “ignored for half a year” zone to be honoured to be friendzoned by this man. And no one died. He just broke a wall with his leg.
And then things got interesting, we mailed. We exchanged addresses. We made clear we’re not stalkers. And the morning after I told him the code of our package, he got it. And posted it on his InstaStory.
But in that moment I was in the middle of Prague, in subway and when I turned on my LTE data in middle of ZARA, I had 240 messages on different social platforms and no matter how much my high expectations™ self imagined the situation of how he would get it, this was like 10 times worse. And I thought my expectations were unrealistic.
I thanked him, he thanked me back, turning this into a neverending compliment battle between us. I enjoyed the adrenaline. I enjoyed the moment of glory I had. I enjoyed the attention Cengiz was giving me after giving me none for 6 freaking months.
And then, this happened.
Cengiz Al, the man, the icon, the legend itself created a groupchat. Bitch, I was SHOOK. I was completely, absolutely, uterly SHOOK. He did THAT. He thanked us all and TALKED to us. Like I will never forget this.
He promised me to act in my debut movie and so many other things. From the man I had named on Snapchat “ignorant imposer” he turned into the nicest, most genuine guy I’ve ever met. He was honestly grateful and I was honestly screaming and as bizzare as this story is, I hope that he honestly considers me as a friend or AT LEAST remembers my name because as much as he added “Sendt fra min iPhone” to the end fo his mails I kept repeating “Love, Simone” everytime just so he would remember my name.
And I hope he does.
And he also sent us 3 videos I didn’t see because I had turned off sound so I’m dumb and the only thing thing I remember is Cengiz holding a black hairdye, talking.
From what I heard, he promised to go back to black, as one wise woman once said in a song.
And this, lads, is how I got noticed by the one and only Cengiz Al.
Thanks to these amazing people that became my friends in progress of this weird twisted somehow beautiful experiment. I own you a lot.
@stressedoutteenager, @nothesc, @smoothyousef, @sana-bakkoush, @sanaflowers, @mrspaaadfoots, @slytherino, @cheekyeven, @iamacolor @thickskinandelasticheart, @yossiacar and @savedbythespell @rumaan
This wouldn’t be possible without you and your support. (And drag.)
Love,
Simone
Not Sendt fra min iPhone
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I'm so glad this helped! :) First, you aren't wasting anyone's time - *they* are getting paid for the session, it's their job to listen and also their job to let you figure things out. About what to do any what not - not every therapy approach is appropriate for every person, for some it works, for others it wouldn't work or even be harmful (eg, Gestalt therapy is really bad for me but works awesomely for others) - I'm sure you will feel what you are comfortable with and what not. Good luck!
okay thank you so much for clarifying and helping, it means a lot!
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You might think good about what you want from therapy, what goals there might be; what you would be okay with to do, and what not; you might ask them about what approaches they have and why; you might ask them how they would proceed if you disagree about how to do therapy, ... ... ... I wish you all the best, and that you will have an attentive and mature therapist. Oh, last tip - therapists are human, and many of them have their faults. If it doesn't work for you, leave and find another one.
thank you so much, this one really helped a lot
i guess i’m just worried that i’m wasting everyones time if i dont know what to do when i get there
but what do you mean about what i’d be okay to do?
thank you so much again, that was a good reminder about them being human too, this was super helpful.
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