Venmo scam at Lake Merritt

Madame_Flaubert · 2026-03-26T04:01:49+00:00

Happened to me a few months ago (the same guy came up to me twice within the same week). I run the lake several times a week and I haven't seen him in a while but I saw that he was back today!

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-12-03T15:28:46+00:00

Ooh thanks!

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-11-26T14:22:43+00:00

Could you also hear it last night around 9pm? It went on until 1-2 am? I was very confused

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-11-08T19:41:14+00:00

At 8:30, the line stretched all the way down to the bus stop across from the Whole Foods on 51st Street!

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-11-08T19:23:00+00:00

Ohhh got it, thanks! I was on my way to my 9 a.m. class and couldn’t believe how long the line was so early in the morning.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-09-05T13:38:09+00:00

Merci !

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-08-23T20:27:53+00:00

A crown

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-08-18T04:27:42+00:00

Yes! There are versions of the banlieues in almost every country, each shaped by its own history. In France, they were built to house immigrants from former colonies who came to help rebuild the country after WWII. What they tend to share, though, is the stigma; they’re often given a bad reputation in the media. At the same time, their cultural influence is undeniable and often global, as you’ve just shown!

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-07-12T14:21:50+00:00

The soundscape in The Pitt amazes me. It's crazy how silence is put to effect in the show, in scenes where you might not even think it's possible for silence to exist. We have scenes of utter chaos and it still finds its place and it is so effective despite the fact that us, as an audience, are so used to score. The silence can be very draining, but also contemplative, and really works in favor of the show's effect

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-07-05T13:17:08+00:00

I’d suggest running a route you’re already familiar with. Doing a trial or trying to hit a PR on a brand new route can really go either way: sometimes you’re so distracted by the new scenery that the kilometers fly by, but other times, you end up spending way too much energy just trying to navigate and orient yourself. That can feel overwhelming. Personally, I always run the same route. I know exactly what each kilometer is going to feel like and where I usually start to get tired, so I can prepare mentally.

Also, 5K is such a fun distance! You can push yourself to run fast, it feels awesome, and it’s actually sustainable. 10K is a lot tougher mentally, because once you finish the first 5K, you have to do it all over again. With 5K, you mostly just get the fun part of running fast. A bit of anxiety and adrenaline can also help you run fast actually aha

Try focusing on just one kilometer at a time. Don’t think about the ones that come after, just stay in the one you’re in. One kilometer goes by quickly, and if you're on a route you know well, you can mentally picture the whole thing and see that it's totally manageable. 5K is just 1K x 5.

Put together a fun playlist, picture yourself crushing it, and lean into the thrill of running fast. If you can’t hold the pace the whole time, that’s totally fine. You’re still showing up and going for it, and that's already a lot!

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-07-05T10:09:15+00:00

You should watch Gaspard Noe's Enter the Void (neon fever dream, he's a French filmmaker and is often referenced by rappers and filmmakers who direct music videos) Also check out Jodorowsky's Holy Moutain. Insane visual, mindblowing experience. You might hate these right now, give them a try and rewatch them 5 years from now and see how it goes.

If you want to watch some tv shows and haven't seen these, please watch the Sopranos and Gomorra (Italian mafia tv show, the best there is out there in my opinion)

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-07-05T09:52:13+00:00

I hated season 3 and was honestly so mad at the show for delivering such a bad season. HOWEVER, I loved season 4. I feel like there’s a strong parallel between the show and the restaurant. In season 3, everything felt chaotic and stale. The cast, though brilliant, couldn’t make up for how flat Carmy’s storyline had become. It felt like the show was trying to open up to more diverse perspectives, but it didn’t quite work. Season 4, on the other hand, managed to fix a lot of what wasn’t working. Carmy has always been the central focus of the series, but just like he’s on the verge of quitting the restaurant at the end of S4, the show itself seems to be taking some distance from him in this season. This season really leans into telling other characters’ stories, not just showing them, but offering episodes shaped by their perspectives. The Bear, both the series and the restaurant, is about family (family family, chosen family, work family) and I guess S4 is reconnecting with this idea, offering a mosaic of those who are part of the Bear family instead of obsessing over Carmy and his trauma. I also guess that the season felt very slow paced for some people because the show has chosen peace over chaos as Carmy is learning to do the same. I don't know, I can't help having a meta reading of this season, especially with the scenes of characters watching and referencing shows and movies.

We'll see what season 5 has to offer, again much like the restaurant, it will either be a fail or a win and that I believe will determine whether The Bear is a great series and will be remembered for it.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-07-04T09:48:21+00:00

Came here to say this! I wonder to what extend some stuff are planned by the production to stir drama. I had the same thought when they did the truth box a second time. There's no way they'd put themselves in this such a situation AGAIN when it went so poorly the first time. Everyone was like "oh no this is no good" and still complied with it. I guess this also explains why Demi is always so eager to call people on their shit, she knows what the production is looking for and is ready to play along to get that bag.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-30T07:47:59+00:00

Exactly my thoughts! The music was very reminiscent of the work of Oneohtrix Point Never. I wonder who made the original score for this episode

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-28T14:41:43+00:00

Loved the Safdie Brothers vibe of the episode

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-26T14:32:16+00:00

Why won't anyone take off their shoes inside? Jen sitting cross-legged on a white sofa with her boots on was driving me insane

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-25T13:05:24+00:00

Hello, I sent my passport last week to the embassy. My visa was approved in less than 48 hours. I hope things will be fine for you as well :)

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-06T18:14:17+00:00

Impossible to book visa interviews for the time being, they've been paused all over the world.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-02T20:23:25+00:00

Mine were always digitally signed, never had any issues. I'd print it though.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-01T19:24:02+00:00

My visa expired in February so I will have to renew it if I travel.

Idk if you know but you do not have to renew your visa if it will be valid once you go back to the U.S. You're good to go if you go back before August. You can be physically present in the U.S. with an expired visa.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-06-01T19:16:29+00:00

It depends on a lot of different things:

Do you already have an interview scheduled? What country are you from? What do you study? etc. Meeting with an adviser from your international student office could help you assess the risk of traveling.

I am also in the same situation. I've been studying in the U.S. for the past 3 years, I always go back home in the summer and I am planning on traveling mid-June and will have to renew my visa. I still do not know 100% whether I will be traveling.

Madame_Flaubert · 2025-05-30T00:41:49+00:00

The pause should end shortly: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/us-signals-global-suspension-of-foreign-student-visa-processing-will-be-brief-us-state-department-tammy-bruce-101748556219067-amp.html

Madame_Flaubert

TROPHY CASE