Motion to reopen bankruptcy case california

Long email from my law firm:
We appreciate your continued patience during this settlement process. As part of the settlement process, you have been given a first in first out (FIFO) number by BrownGreer. This number is based on when you signed and returned your settlement documents as well as whether you have pending liens, bankruptcies or probate. You can login to your BrownGreer Portal to see your FIFO number, find out when the firm was funded with your settlement money (if funded already), and your potential earliest date of funding from 3M to BrownGreer. PLEASE NOTE: Once your funds have been sent from BrownGreer to the firm (all funds go into the 3M Qualified Settlement Fund), it will take 30 – 60 days to receive your settlement money. Once your money is ready to send to you, you will receive a settlement statement from Milestone via email. Once you sign your settlement statement and select your payment option, your funds will be issued within 2 weeks.
Currently, EPP claimants who have a FIFO rank less than 19,000 have begun receiving payments. If your FIFO rank is between 19,000 and 48,665 you will be paid within the next several months. If your FIFO number is greater than 48,665 or you haven’t received your FIFO number yet, we expect that your payment will be available within the next 6 – 18 months. Please note that any medical liens, probate and/or bankruptcy issues will cause additional delays. As a reminder, DPP claimant reviews will not being until mid-2025 at the earliest. If you want more specific information on your FIFO number, whether the firm has been funded in your case, or your anticipated date that 3M will fund BrownGreer, please login to your BrownGreer portal.
Lastly, if you believe you qualify for the Extraordinary Injury Fund (EIF) and have medical records to provide that you have not already provided to us, please upload them as soon as possible to your case locker portal. The deadline to submit those records is June 15. The EIF money is separate than your initial settlement and is intended for those who meet specific injury criteria. You were previously sent an email on 2/20 regarding the criteria along with a video. Please reference that email if you have not yet reviewed. Importantly, you are NOT qualified for tinnitus EIF solely due to a tinnitus diagnosis or complaints of tinnitus. Tinnitus testing or repeated medical appointments/treatment specific to your tinnitus is required for this category. Please ensure you notify us via case locker if you believe you qualify for any of the EIF categories

Hi Bankruptcy,
I currently live in California, and I was wondering what would be my best option between declaring bankruptcy and debt relief.
In summary, I have been scammed by Sochi, a masseuse school (I am only including it so you can be aware of their fraudulent behaviour). They created a fake high school diploma for me in order to reap the rewards of having access to a government loan, which cost me roughly 16K.
Additionally, I have also been in a car accident a few years ago. I am not certain of the nature of the accident, as in, I am not certain if it was officially declared criminal. In short, the other vehicle swerved purposefully in our lane and front ended us, and I was not the driver, so I definitely was not considered at fault. However, the accident caused me to be hospitalized for a total of 6 to 8 months. I was insured at the time, but due to the Californian law protecting the hospital from disclosing what can and cannot be covered by my insurance, I ended up with a bill totalling over 100K.
And finally, I have three small debts of roughly 3K total with different banks. Tl;dr: I wasn't able to pay them back because I was in the hospital.
Overall, I am thus looking at a crippling debt of 120K give or take.
Here is where I really need advice:
1) My current plans involve moving to another country to make a life with my partner. 2) If I get married to my partner, would my debt impact them as well, even though it would be in another country? And if so, how would it impact them? 3) Due to wanting to be there sooner rather than later, I have about a year and a half to clear my current debt situation. 4) I currently do not own a house or a car, and I have no dependants. 5) My credit score is currently completed ruined.
I am leaning strongly towards the bankruptcy route due to not owning any valuable assets, so my main questions specifically tied to bankruptcy are:
6) What kind of chapter would I have to sign for? 7) Does anyone know a good lawyer they could recommend in the Los Angeles county? 8) How much would it realistically cost me in court / lawyer fees? 9) How long does the process take, i.e. could it be resolved within a year's time?
I am still open to the idea of taking the debt relief option, but none of my current plans require for me to have credit. I am nowhere near having a down payment for a house, so I don't plan on acquiring a mortgage in the coming decade, and I could technically buy a used car with cash.
Thank you in advance for the help, I'm currently at a loss as to what should be my next step in this.

I urge anyone seeking legal representation for family related matters to avoid Reel Fathers Rights at all costs. My experience with this firm has been nothing short of disastrous, marked by admitted malpractice, unethical billing practices, and sheer incompetence.

1. Admitted Malpractice: Incredibly, the firm has admitted in writing to mishandling my case. This is a red flag I cannot emphasize enough. Their failure was so severe that they had to substitute an attorney after acknowledging their inability to properly manage my legal needs.
2. Legal Action and Complaints: I am currently suing them for malpractice and have filed formal complaints with the California Bar Association. These actions reflect the gravity of their misconduct and my commitment to seeking justice.
3. Nefarious Billing: The billing practices at Reel Fathers Rights border on fraudulent. Despite charging me over $25,000, they have failed to perform the basic services I hired them for, such as filing a Request for Order (RFO). No progress has been made in my case, only continuous and baseless billing.
4. Breach of Confidentiality: An employee of the firm improperly disclosed sensitive health information about another client, violating HIPAA and California state laws. This gross mishandling of confidential information is both illegal and unethical.
5. Rude and Dismissive Staff: Every interaction with this firm has been fraught with dismissiveness and rudeness. Requests for necessary documents are either ignored or refused, adding to the overall frustration.
6. Damaged Reputation: Beyond my own terrible experience, Reel Fathers Rights holds an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and numerous negative reviews on Google and Yelp. These reviews corroborate the consistent pattern of malpractice and poor client treatment.

Do yourself a favor and choose a law firm that respects its clients and maintains a standard of professionalism and ethics. Reel Fathers Rights is a complete scam that should be avoided at all costs.

I urge anyone seeking legal representation for family law matters to avoid Reel Fathers Rights at all costs. My experience with this firm has been nothing short of disastrous, marked by admitted malpractice, unethical billing practices, and sheer incompetence.

1. Admitted Malpractice: Incredibly, the firm has admitted in writing to mishandling my case. This is a red flag I cannot emphasize enough. Their failure was so severe that they had to substitute an attorney after acknowledging their inability to properly manage my legal needs.
2. Legal Action and Complaints: I am currently suing them for malpractice and have filed formal complaints with the California Bar Association. These actions reflect the gravity of their misconduct and my commitment to seeking justice.
3. Nefarious Billing: The billing practices at Reel Fathers Rights border on fraudulent. Despite charging me over $25,000, they have failed to perform the basic services I hired them for, such as filing a Request for Order (RFO). No progress has been made in my case, only continuous and baseless billing.
4. Breach of Confidentiality: An employee of the firm improperly disclosed sensitive health information about another client, violating HIPAA and California state laws. This gross mishandling of confidential information is both illegal and unethical.
5. Rude and Dismissive Staff: Every interaction with this firm has been fraught with dismissiveness and rudeness. Requests for necessary documents are either ignored or refused, adding to the overall frustration.
6. Damaged Reputation: Beyond my own terrible experience, Reel Fathers Rights holds an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and numerous negative reviews on Google and Yelp. These reviews corroborate the consistent pattern of malpractice and poor client treatment.

Do yourself a favor and choose a law firm that respects its clients and maintains a standard of professionalism and ethics. Reel Fathers Rights is a complete scam that should be avoided at all costs.

I urge anyone seeking family legal representation in Orange County, CA Riverside CA or San Bernardino, CA counties to avoid Reel Fathers Rights at all costs. My experience with this firm has been nothing short of disastrous, marked by admitted malpractice, unethical billing practices, and sheer incompetence.

1. Admitted Malpractice: Incredibly, the firm has admitted in writing to mishandling my case. This is a red flag I cannot emphasize enough. Their failure was so severe that they had to substitute an attorney after acknowledging their inability to properly manage my legal needs.
2. Legal Action and Complaints: I am currently suing them for malpractice and have filed formal complaints with the California Bar Association. These actions reflect the gravity of their misconduct and my commitment to seeking justice.
3. Nefarious Billing: The billing practices at Reel Fathers Rights border on fraudulent. Despite charging me over $25,000, they have failed to perform the basic services I hired them for, such as filing a Request for Order (RFO). No progress has been made in my case, only continuous and baseless billing.
4. Breach of Confidentiality: An employee of the firm improperly disclosed sensitive health information about another client, violating HIPAA and California state laws. This gross mishandling of confidential information is both illegal and unethical.
5. Rude and Dismissive Staff: Every interaction with this firm has been fraught with dismissiveness and rudeness. Requests for necessary documents are either ignored or refused, adding to the overall frustration.
6. Damaged Reputation: Beyond my own terrible experience, Reel Fathers Rights holds an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and numerous negative reviews on Google and Yelp. These reviews corroborate the consistent pattern of malpractice and poor client treatment.

Do yourself a favor and choose a law firm that respects its clients and maintains a standard of professionalism and ethics. Reel Fathers Rights is a complete scam that should be avoided at all costs.
If you've had a similar experience with this unscrupulous firm I hope you will share this post and/or comment.

Hi there,
I posted here last year about my frustration with my ophthalmologist. My intermittent eye turn issue seems to be worsening with age.
The first time I saw him in 2020 he said I might need surgery because he did see that I was “cross eyed” then recommended a different glasses/contacts prescription.
Last year in 2023, he said he felt my eye had improved despite me saying I felt otherwise. He prescribed me mild prisms in my glasses. When I asked him how long to wear them for he said long term. I told him that I’d prefer not wearing glasses full time and he made it seem like it was the best option and check in a year.
Well it’s been a year. I’m still having an intermittent eye turn. Now I’m also getting double vision when trying to focus and can’t hardly focus when anything quickly appears in my vision. Driving is getting more stressful on top of that. Also, I’m not liking the prism glasses dependency.
How do I get him to understand my quality of life (i wont even get started on socially) is declining because of my lazy eye.
I called the office and told them about the newly developed double vision and the worsening of my intermittent eye turn. And they said “he will need to see you to determine whether you need stronger prisms or surgery”
TLDR;
Intermittent eye turn is ruining my quality of life - on top of now getting double vision and issues with quick motions coming toward me (driving included). I do not want prism glasses, I want surgery. Doctor has not really been taking me seriously. How can I convince him to hear me out?
Additionally, if any of you have had strabismus surgery in Washington State (not DC), and know of any kind strabismus surgeons - please let me know as I’m looking for more options in case I’m turned down again.

TW: Domestic violence, miscarriage
First time on here. I am extremely fragile about this case, so please be kind. I am a female in my late twenties. I have changed a few things for anonymity. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions and can help or have a resource. I am located in the Carolinas.
To provide a brief overview of my situation, several years ago, I removed myself and my children from a domestic violence situation. Despite leaving, I have yet to receive any child support or financial assistance from my ex-husband. However, my main concern is the safety and well-being of my children, particularly my partially non-verbal severely autistic son, who requires specialized care and protection. I have done fine providing, but don't have much (if any) disposable income. My son is the only child he has rights to.
These events happened either in front of the children, or down the hall from them. My ex-husband has demonstrated a pattern of abusive behavior, including physical, mental, and emotional violence in front of the children. He has also made threats to kill me and kidnap the kids, and taken actions of harm towards me, and shown disregard and neglect for our son and his needs. Additionally, his abuse led to a miscarriage. I told him about the pregnancy, and I guess he decided it was his decision on if it was terminated or not.
Last year, I was not properly served with the divorce and custody papers, which were signed for at an address where I have never resided. I have diligently pursued legal avenues to ensure the safety of my children, including filing motions for dismissal and continuance to give me more time. I haven't heard back about the continuance. However, due to financial constraints, I have been navigating this complex legal process largely by myself. The final trial is coming up and while I am happy to be divorced, I have not had adequate time to prepare for the custody case. I have filed a Motion to Dismiss by Rule 12 which is set at the end of June 2024, as well as a Motion of Continuous for the custody trial, which was scheduled without my input for the end of this month, May 2024.
Recently, I was misled by an attorney who took advantage of my limited financial resources without providing meaningful assistance. Consequently, I find myself facing a final trial without proper legal representation. Despite my efforts to manage the paperwork and gather evidence over the past four years, I recognize the need for experienced legal counsel to navigate the complexities of this case effectively.
My children and I had an Order of Protection, and later a Show Cause. He was arrested at the time an incident happened between us requiring me to go to the hospital. During this order, I was required to communicate with him via email about my son, which I did, and even let him do video calls with him. However, once the Order of Protection expired, he became hostile with me, so I stopped reaching out due to my his behavior. Not to mention the mental harm it did on my children and I (PTSD). While I left open the main line of communication, I refrained from further contact out of fear for our safety and mental well-being.
I am deeply concerned about the well-being of my children, particularly my son, who has been subjected to neglect and emotional distress by the actions of his father, and the lack of his caring of what is best for the children, namely my son. He doesn't even know his birthday, and hasn't attempted to reach out in over a year. His family has never once tried to connect, and never particularly cared to begin with. I TRULY believe all of this is just to get to me because he knows that my children are the most important things to me, and as a true narcissist, doesn't care who is in the way, including young children.
I have diligently documented and compiled evidence to support my case, including copies of court orders and relevant documentation. I have prepared for this trial as though I will have to proceed alone. However, I recognize the limitations of my own legal knowledge and resources in securing a favorable outcome for my children's safety and welfare. I don't want this to come out badly for my son just because I don't have anyone. It's frustrating because I am providing everything for these babies, without help, and he is able to pay for an attorney no problem. Even if he couldn't, his family could.
I will take any comments on this that may help me. I have reached out to what seems like every legal aid group and countless attorneys. I am terrified...

I urge anyone seeking family legal representation in Orange County, CA Riverside CA or San Bernardino, CA counties to avoid Reel Fathers Rights at all costs. My experience with this firm has been nothing short of disastrous, marked by admitted malpractice, unethical billing practices, and sheer incompetence.

1. Admitted Malpractice: Incredibly, the firm has admitted in writing to mishandling my case. This is a red flag I cannot emphasize enough. Their failure was so severe that they had to substitute an attorney after acknowledging their inability to properly manage my legal needs.
2. Legal Action and Complaints: I am currently suing them for malpractice and have filed formal complaints with the California Bar Association. These actions reflect the gravity of their misconduct and my commitment to seeking justice.
3. Nefarious Billing: The billing practices at Reel Fathers Rights border on fraudulent. Despite charging me over $25,000, they have failed to perform the basic services I hired them for, such as filing a Request for Order (RFO). No progress has been made in my case, only continuous and baseless billing.
4. Breach of Confidentiality: An employee of the firm improperly disclosed sensitive health information about another client, violating HIPAA and California state laws. This gross mishandling of confidential information is both illegal and unethical.
5. Rude and Dismissive Staff: Every interaction with this firm has been fraught with dismissiveness and rudeness. Requests for necessary documents are either ignored or refused, adding to the overall frustration.
6. Damaged Reputation: Beyond my own terrible experience, Reel Fathers Rights holds an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and numerous negative reviews on Google and Yelp. These reviews corroborate the consistent pattern of malpractice and poor client treatment.

Do yourself a favor and choose a law firm that respects its clients and maintains a standard of professionalism and ethics. Reel Fathers Rights is a complete scam that should be avoided at all costs.
If you've had a similar experience with this unscrupulous firm I hope you will share this post and/or comment.

Kingmaker: A Game of Thrones in Brevoy
System: Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Format: Discord Text pbp
No. of Players: 5
[Notice: This is a 18+ campaign. It contains NSFW and adult elements.]

The same message has appeared on bounty boards and in taverns across Brevoy.
HEROES WANTED!
Those able of body and brave of heart are invited to the mansion of Lady Jamandi Aldori, Swordlord & Chief Defender of Restov, to embark on an expedition into the Stolen Lands.
Bandits and monsters have been allowed to infest our southern borders for far too long. Those selected will be divided into groups and given a charter to reopen old trade routes and secure the surrounding territory. The brave-hearted mercenaries and adventurers who choose to take on this quest will face unimaginable danger, but whomever succeeds shall receive honor, glory, and a noble title granting dominion over the lands they've claimed to pass on their children.

For generations, the Stolen Lands have spanned the southern border of Brevoy. Many attempts have been made to settle them, but to date, none have succeeded, making these 35,000 square miles of wilderness the largest swath of unclaimed land in the entire region. As tensions mount in Brevoy, one ambitious swordlord hopes to change that fact.
Lady Jamandi Aldori is issuing charters to several groups of adventurers, sending them south into the Stolen Lands to reopen old trade routes and defeat the bandits and monsters who have made them too dangerous to use. By sending free agents south, this swordlord of Rostland hopes to alter the political balance of power in Brevoy without sacrificing her own position or forces. Yet, as with most complex and brilliant plans, the future holds plenty of opportunities for disaster.

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Hello! I'm a longtime DM and a huge fan of A Song of Ice & Fire. I'm looking to run a campaign that's heavily influenced by the series I hold so dear. If you're a casual fan who's only seen Game of Thrones or House or the Dragon, you're more than welcome! The main things I'm looking for here are quality roleplay and enthusiasm. If you've got that, I promise we can have a good game together.

"Winter is coming."

Kingmaker is an Adventure Path originally designed by Paizo for the Pathfinder RPG but has been converted to be compatible with the 5th edition D&D ruleset. I'm taking so serious liberties with it but the bones of the adventure remain the same. Kingmaker is a high fantasy campaign that thrusts the player characters into a unique situation of building their own kingdom and carving out their own niche upon the world. You may be a scion of a lesser branch of the great families with ambitions that can't be hindered by your place in the succession. You could be a commoner whose witnessed your humble community suffer at the hands of the lawless bandits pillaging the countryside and will take on this great challenge so your family can live free. Perhaps you are a bastard child of a powerful figure and now seek to carve out your own kingdom knowing that you stand to inherit nothing you don't build for yourself.

"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."

I've got a couple of expectations for the characters that will be brought into the adventure. I am looking for characters with reasons to have a desire to venture into hostile territory and work as a team to build a kingdom. Good or evil doesn't matter but chaos doesn't serve to further the group. So, no chaotic alignment will be allowed. This is not the campaign for chaotic evil players looking to betray the other players, loners or free-spirited vagabonds.

"Backstabbing doesn't prepare you for a fight, and that's all the realm is now. Backstabbing and scheming and arse-licking and money-grubbing."

Political intrigue is a pillar of the series inspiring this and a big part of my plans, but in order to keep charisma from being everyone's primary stat I will be using a reputation system to even the playing field when dealing with individuals of consequence. In certain circles, a knight renowned for their honor and bravery is going to be as respected and influential, if not more, as a traditional face will be anywhere else. I think this will do a lot to allow the party to have a proper balance of classes with no one feeling handicapped in the social aspects.

"Let me give you some counsel, bastard. Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."

You may have noticed the tag, and the catch is: This is an adult only game, featuring erotic roleplay where characters can engage in sexual activities with no fade-to-black, etc. Lewd events, plans, consequences, and more are all on the table in this campaign. If you've watched either of the shows on HBO, this probably isn't much of a surprise to you. I'd like to be clear that just because it's on the table, this game will not become a raunchy, never ending orgy. There is usually meaning behind how sex is used in the series and that's what I'm looking to emulate.

"Distrusting me was the wisest thing you've done since you climbed off your horse."

GRRM often uses the intimate scenes to peel back layers to a character. Sometimes to paint them in a different light, other times to drive them further into the role he wishes to present them to the reader in. Some examples would be Tyrion's lingering trauma and emotional vulnerability, driving him to purchase the closest thing he believes he can have to real love being a way to earn Tyrion the reader's sympathy. Contrast that with Cersei's narcissism making her seek lovers, she can view as idealized male versions of herself, the only match worthy in her deranged mind. Or how Littlefinger justifies his pitiless ambition, being something forced on him by a cruel and unfair world that's kept him and his one true love apart by no fault of their own.

"Love is the death of duty."

PCs are encouraged to find and nurture romantic relationships with other characters or NPCs. Weddings are considered the truest way of sealing alliances, after all. Beyond the love lives of the characters, there are many other scenarios. A corrupt noble might be willing to trade information to carry on an affair on their spouse. A sex scandal could undermine the legitimacy of a claimant in a contested succession. Barbarian raiders may attack a village under your protection and take the women as slaves. Spies might attempt to seduce you in order to secure a position in your court and feed information to a rival house. A neighboring tyrant might earn your ire when reports of him abusing his authority to take advantage of an unfortunate captive or innocent reaches you.

"The things I do for love."

Because I'm sure it needs to be said. ERP will not be my main focus while running this; it may or may not even happen on my end. I'll already be responsible for the story, so trying to match everyone's taste in smut on top of that might be biting off more than I can chew. That being said, I'm all for your characters sharing a tent during the long weeks of adventuring because I think a good amount of sexual tension adds player investment and fun to the story. While I'm not promising anything, I'm not firmly ruling things out on my end either. You all could charm your way into a few NPC's pants to loosen a secret from their lips or secure a favor down the road. You might decide to blow your coins on prostitutes while visiting the capital. If the scene serves the story (or I'm just feeling horny that day), I may indulge you! Just wanted to make sure you're aware that just because I am open to ERP does not mean I'm making a commitment to provide it to everyone, expecting all players to take part in it, or putting it ahead of the actual campaign in any capacity.

"There are no other men like me. Only me."

If it's not apparent by now, I'm very serious about making this game something great. I love the ASOIAF books; I love the adventure path; I love the cRPG, and I desperately want to do justice by all three influences. Expect a bit of gritty realism and tragedy in this story. Your triumphs will be hard fought. Your holdings will face constant peril. Your enemies will always be lurking with their knives out for the moment you drop your guard. However, the rewards for your success in this campaign are unlike any other. I truly don't think there is another adventure that matches the sense of accomplishment that comes from taking a stretch of hostile wilderness and carving your own thriving kingdom from it.

"Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less."

A little bit on my approach to DMing this. I plan on running this very differently from traditional D&D 5e. Combat is obviously what the system does the most of, but if you've ever watched GoT or HotD you'd see the main characters don't draw their swords all that often. In fact, a lot of the main cast never have their own fight scenes. I like this less is more approach a great deal and think it'll bring a lot to the pbp experience. Outside of encounters with a named enemy, I won't be using initiative. This is so the RP isn't held up by any individual's schedule. I'll also be utilizing the minion rule from 4e where all the monsters have 1 HP. Their AC remains the same, so if you have trouble hitting them, the danger remains but low damage rolls won't cause encounters to drag unnecessarily.

"Hard truths cut both ways."

Matching the tone of the books this campaign is inspired by will take collaboration. I want the heroes of this story to have lives that involve more than their swords and spells. If you’re just looking to roleplay a non-stop fantasy porno, this isn't the game for you. But if you are interested in writing a character who is enriched by getting to explore their desires, be influenced by lusts, make compromises out of attraction, and maybe even experience heartbreak if their trust and affection wound up in the wrong hands-- then you're exactly who I'm looking for!

"If I do not press my claim, my claim will be forgotten. I will not become a page in someone else's history book."

If you can't be bothered to respond to the RP for days at a time, I'm going to kick you out! Plain and simple. I won't be reaching out. I won't be constantly giving you reminders. There will be no stoppages for you to get your shit together. It's a big world, and I'm not going to hesitate to find someone else interested in actively participating in the adventure if you go ghost. I understand that IRL always comes first, so if you have the common courtesy to reach out and explain your circumstances that prevent you from putting together a couple paragraphs every day, then I will still be replacing you, but I will move your character out of the story for you to pick up later on when you can. If you can't manage to let me know what's going on, then I'm just going to forget about you and move right along so everyone else can continue the fun!

"I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples, bastards and broken things."

My plan to be pretty rules-light with this campaign since while I run a lot of D&D, I haven't run that many text games. I'm still confident I can handle it, but I'm just throwing it out there in case there are bumps along the road. If you're more experienced in the pbp arena than I am, I'd greatly appreciate your advice as things are coming together. We will be using dndbeyond and the standard discord bots. In my experience, these games work a lot better when the story is put above mechanics, so keeping things to PHB races and PHB/XgtE subclasses. If you're looking to do some awesome game-breaker build you've theory crafted for months. This may not be the game for it. I don't plan on meticulously tracking things to make sure you get your sentinel feat trigger each turn.

“Oh, my sweet summer child, what do you know about fear?”

Alright! That's my pitch. Sorry you had to read all that, but hopefully you're still interested and can see I don't have a problem handing out paragraphs, so this game ought to be in good hands. I look forward to reading your applications and will be leaving the form open for the next week while I work on the discord server.

“The night is dark and full of terrors.”

So that was a lot, but any of you who are still interested please don't hesitate! I'll be happy to have you and look forward to playing with you. As well as hopefully some fun debates about who we're rooting for in HotD season 2 as it airs.

“There is only one god, and His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'not today'.”

The application link is down below! I'm going to leave it open for a week so folks don't miss out. I will be checking it regularly, so if I find a bunch of folks I like over the first couple days, I'll reach out to them, but I'm sure we all know how these sorts of games go. People may drop out or prove unreachable, so even if you're not someone who hears back from me immediately, we might be writing together soon!
The Stolen Lands await you!
https://forms.gle/bnmHsUt2Qmq5D1jK8

I purchased a movie poster from a seller on May 7th. It shipped the next day, and it was supposed to arrive today, the 13th. I didn't receive any new tracking info until today, either. The tracking update I got today was very confusing, though. It said that a delivery was attempted... But in California? I live in Washington, so no delivery should have been attempted in a completely different state. When I checked the tracking on USPS' site, it said, "Your item is being held at the HAYWARD, CA 94541 post office at 11:58 am on May 13, 2024. This is at the request of the customer." I had never contacted USPS to tell them to hold my package, so someone may have tried to steal it. I tried submitting a package inquiry, but USPS said, "This tracking number is not yet eligible for an inquiry. Once a new tracking status occurs then you will be eligible to submit a service request." If it's being held, then it isn't going to move until it is picked up, right? Hence, there won't be a new tracking status. I made sure the delivery address was correct, and it was. I have never lived in California and have never sent anything there before, so there's no reason as to why a delivery there would be attempted.
I've seen people talk about the "delivery attempted" status before, but it was mostly just sellers, not buyers, and the delivery attempts were in the correct states. Given that my case seems unique, I'm not sure how I should go about this. If I can't make an inquiry to USPS, do I contact eBay? Any help I can get for this would be appreciated!

9-minute read.

France welcomes the latest round of negotiations between foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Kazakhstan

FM Mirzoyan said the negotiations in Kazakhstan were held in a constructive environment and referred to the statement made after the meeting.
PARIS: France stresses the importance of both sides confirming their commitment to the Almaty Protocol of 1991 and to mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity as the core of this process, following the quadripartite meeting in Prague on 7 October 2022.
France calls to continue the delimitation of the border on the basis of the principles agreed in the declaration of April 19, 2024, and as an extension of the first demarcation work carried out on the ground. At the same time, it calls for continuing discussions with a view to signing a peace treaty between the two countries.
France welcomes the initiative of the Kazakh authorities to facilitate the holding of these talks.
France continues to work together with its partners to establish just and solid peace in the South Caucasus in accordance with international law. //
source, source, source, source,

OSCE: Reaching stable and comprehensive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority for us

OSCE Chair-in-Office Ian Borg visited Armenia on Monday.
BORG: The only way to ensure comprehensive and stable peace is through diplomacy. The steps made towards border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan are the actions needed to reach peace. //
Pashinyan and Borg discussed the AM-OSCE cooperation and the peace talks.
BORG: The OSCE is committed to supporting stable peace, solving all conflicts in the OSCE area, and applying the organization’s mandate to ensure regional peace and stability. //
source, source,

opposition activists detained and released after briefly shutting down several streets in Yerevan

Last week the protest organizers, led by Archbishop Bagrat and MPs representing pro-Russian parties, called for strikes and road closures on Monday. They demand PM Pashinyan's resignation. The opposition parties have not yet disclosed when they plan to launch the impeachment process in the parliament. They likely have the minimum number of MPs to launch the impeachment but they'd still need dozens of ruling party MPs to join them for the motion to succeed, which is unlikely.
On Monday over 170 people were detained and released after blocking roads, including with the use of trash cans and hay. A red beret pushed a journalist out of his way while running up the stairs, sending him to the ground. Another journalist fainted during a clash between police and protesters. In the morning, Yandex Maps showed the traffic congestion in Yerevan at Level 5 on a scale of 1-10, a "usual workday".
In one instance, an angry driver got out of his car and pushed the trash can out of the street, while other cars proceeded to drive through the sparse group of protesters. Video.
ARF MP Garnik Danielyan, a co-organizer of the protest, engaged in a dispute with a driver. The angry driver told the MP to go "siktir", while the MP called him "chatlax". Video.
One protester suggested catching and "putting down" police officers one by one while they are alone, "because they feel good in large numbers." Video.
A psychotic incident was recorded between a protester and a bystandedriver who was presumably trying to open the road. The protester hit the man and called him "Nikol's trash". The police intervened to push the protesters out of the road.
During an encounter between a protester and one resident, the protester asked the latter if he was a Christian:
PROTESTER: Քրիստոնյա՞ ես
RESIDENT: Հա
PROTESTER: Հա ու համփ արա [suck my dick]
The resident pushes the protester, and the protester spits on him. Several people got off the buses and urged the protesters to leave or to "go protect the borders" instead. The red berets arrived within minutes and removed the trash cans and the small number of protesters from the road. video, video, video,
While the ARF has long been viewed as the voice of diaspora, other movements have emerged to challenge its dominance. The Armenian Movement of France has organized a change.org petition that calls to encourage Armenia's independence and Euro-Atlantic integration, to keep the church and state separate, and not take any destabilizing actions.
KHURSHUDYAN: They [ARF and protest organizers] are attempting to convince the diaspora to join them by influencing various organizations like the Lemkin Institute. It is strange that the Lemkin Institute released a statement accusing PM Pashinyan's Genocide statement of containing "victim blaming" only now, during these protests, several weeks after Pashinyan made that statement. It took a lot of effort for these forces to lobby and create the impression that the diaspora as a whole is on their side. //
The BEVER (Sasna Tsrer) party leaders said they are cooperating with the pro-Russian former regime parties but only on the issues of removing Pashinyan and stopping the border delimitation process.
BEVER (Ara Papyan): If Pashinyan resigns now and pro-Russian forces win the elections democratically, it will be the population's fault, not ours. // video
As you know from Sunday news digest, the pro-Russian forces and a group of ex-diplomats led by Kocharyan's Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian, are against using the 1991 Almaty declaration as the basis for delimitation. Foreign Minister Mirzoyan was asked to comment on Monday.
MIRZOYAN: The Deputy PMs of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who are in charge of border commissions, have come to an agreement to launch the delimitation process taking into account the 1991 Almaty Declaration. This was welcomed by numerous states and international organizations. The foreign diplomats you mentioned are deserters who fled their duties while Armenia was under physical attack in 2021. I can no longer treat them seriously. That is the most civil language I can use toward them. In reality, by torpedoing the Almaty Declaration and the peace process based on Almaty, these ex-diplomats continue to torpedo the sovereignty, statehood, and territorial integrity of Armenia. In the best-case scenario, they do this without understanding, and in the worst-case scenario, they are following the orders of a foreign state. I don't have further comments. //
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan said they will not hold daily meetings at Republic Square anymore, and that smaller gatherings will be held near the St. Anna church every evening to wrap up the day and discuss future plans. Yesterday Arman Babajanyan revealed a meeting between church officials. On Monday, Archbishop Galstanyan confirmed that he indeed met Catholicos on Sunday. Galstanyan was asked whether he plans to "transfer" the "leadership" of the movement to political parties. He said he is open to that idea: "Թող գան, վերցնեն, ով ցանկանում է:"
source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source,

Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Economic Affairs, the EU Trade Commissioner, will visit Armenia this week

Valdis Dombrovskis will meet Armenian and EBRD officials and take part in an annual meeting of the EBRD Board of Governors.
source, source,

PM Pashinyan is in Denmark for the "Copenhagen Democracy Summit"

Nikol Pashinyan will take part in the discussion on “From the frontline: Armenia’s defense of democracy.”
source,

Armenia will bring its consumer protection legislation in line with European standards

The head of Armenia's Competition Protection Commission visited Poland to participate in ICPEN (International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network).
They spoke about unfair business practices and how to combat them, online taxi service regulations, online casinos, discounting policies used by businesses, etc.
GEVORGYAN: Armenia is going through an important phase in terms of protecting the interests of consumers. Discussions are underway to align Armenia's consumer protection legislation with EU standards. It is necessary to use digital technologies and train skilled experts in this field.
source,

Russia begins withdrawing border agents near the border village Nerkin Hand: residents

The villagers noticed that the Russian soldiers were no longer observing the traffic from the observation post and that they were packing some of their stuff.
source, source,

anti-corruption: Patrol Police officer is charged with accepting a bribe from a driver

INTERIOR MINISTRY: In early March, two officers pulled over an Indian driver on Kievyan St. One of the officers demanded a ֏20,000 bribe to ignore the fact that the vehicle didn't pass a tech inspection. They negotiated it down to ֏7,000. The officer was charged with felony bribery. He confessed. The case is in court. //
source,

Yerevan Mayor Avinyan had a lightbulb moment

The city has purchased 6,000 LED lights producing 4000K white light. Mayor Avinyan instructed the department to install them only on roads and to purchase weaker 3000K bulbs for condo backyards in order not to disrupt sleep.
Last month the city replaced 8.6 kilometers of cables. The Mother Armenia statue and the Opera building will have new գեղարվեստական lighting.
source, source, video,

Yerevan implements GIS (geographic information system) to collect data from various sources and make targeted decisions based on visualized data: VIDEO

MAYOR AVINYAN: The Municipality and all the district offices are switching to a new management style with the introduction of GIS. Every department will join it, phase by phase. We are talking about digital maps which we must learn to use. This is going to significantly simplify some of the work done by departments.
OFFICIAL: This is part of the digitization strategy. This unified GIS platform will collect information from the cadastre, transport, Active Citizen app, utility services, construction, etc., and make them accessible in one place. The visual data allow us to carry out analysis and make fact-based decisions.
For example, we created a cadastre GIS by using a satellite image as the base layer, then integrated it with the cadastre database. This map shows in detail the boundaries of properties, the purpose and status of each land plot, etc.
Another example is a map of air pollution, prior records, and analytical tools.
The GIS map for the Active Citizen app allows us to see the submissions and the completed work, their locations on the map, and how well the city responds to issues reported by citizens. You can filter the issues by category. For example, you can show only the reports about illegal dumping, click on the report and see the image shared by the citizen, then click to see the status and the outcome of city's response. The tools allow you to analyze the data and the performance rate.
Another map shows the 3D image of the city with its buildings and green areas. Here we can calculate the capacity of bus stops, etc. Drones can be used to create a very detailed digital 3D copy of specific buildings.
You can click on a land plot and it'll pull up the ownership information, the permit records, etc.
Connecting two dots shows you the altitude differences and other data that you can use, for example, during the installation of irrigation pipes.
This is less than 1% of its potential. We plan to train employees next week.
MAYOR AVINYAN: We should make some of this data public, like the air quality map or certain maps that did not require financial resources to create [քձիբ խոզ]. This is a revolutionary change in the municipality. We need to speed up the work with the use of digital tools.
video,

Yerevan begins planting hundreds of adult "high-value" trees and thousands of bushes near the new promenade/park around the Yerevanyan Lake: VIDEO

video,

Central Bank chief was invited to Parliament to discuss economy and expenditures

MP: Regarding CB's report on the efficiency of service vehicles used by state agencies. The state buildings scheduled to receive solar panels should also be equipped with EV chargers so the service vehicles can use the energy generated by the panels. I requested information from Yerevan Municipality about the service vehicle expenditures and it shows that EVs are not only cheaper because of electricity, but also because they are overall more affordable to maintain. We are talking about large savings.
CB CHIEF: Our estimates show that EVs are 2x-3x more affordable compared to combustion engine vehicles, even if we factor in all the adjacent expenses. In Yerevan, we have [state] buildings with solar panels on roofs but [connecting them to EV chargers in the parking lot] will be very difficult because these are old and sometimes "historical" buildings. They also have problems with air conditioning, plumbing, etc. At the same time, we are trying to implement this solar panel project in the newer buildings, for example, in Dilijan, where we have EV chargers for service vehicles in the parking lots.
video,

Central Bank chief spoke about the deflation in Q1

RULING MP: It is great for our residents' pockets that the prices have fallen but what is its effect on the economy and exports? What is the best inflation rate to maintain a "balance"?
CB CHIEF: During the discussions with our colleagues from IMF, regarding regional and global events, we agreed that countries develop when the inflation is low and manageable. It encourages investments. In this regard, the overall microeconomic stability and the fiscal policy of Armenia create a very good environment for this predictability. This is one of our "cards" in our relations with foreign entities.
During each CB session, we discuss several market and inflation scenarios. Under one scenario there is a risk of inflation becoming too high, while under other scenarios it could remain low. We are trying to find the most balanced option and thank God we have been able to continuously lower the [refinancing] rates, which helps the state. //
Ըստ զեկուցողիդրամավարկային քաղաքականության ծրագրում ներկայացվող սցենարների համաձայն 2024 թվականի կարճաժամկետ հորիզոնում գնաճը կպահպանվի նպատակային ցուցանիշից ցածր մակարդակում` տարեվերջին այն կկազմի 1,3%-1,5%:
video, source,

Central Bank chief spoke about the refinancing rate, the rate at which the state borrows from banks, copper prices, etc.

video,

how did the family of Ilham Aliyev's security chief obtain so many properties in the United Kingdom?

Offshore companies owned by Eyyubov’s wife and daughter spent $114 million on real estate in the United Kingdom. The family, including Eyyubov himself, also own over $46 million in properties in Dubai.

OCCRP report,

growing concerns in Abkhazia that Putin might have secretly "sold" them to Georgia as a confederation in exchange for Georgia's neutrality between West and Russia

video,

ROGER
“A fifty-mile long tunnel in the desert, huh?” I chuckled. “I wonder how DOSACD never caught onto that little thing.”
Our humvee roared and kicked up dust as we rode into the barren deserts of Death Valley, California, boulders and mountains lining the horizon as I gripped my rifle. We had tracked their tire marks from aerial footage, and found that they were headed to what looked like the middle of nowhere in the desert, before they completely disappeared off the radar. We did a bit of underground digging and used our subterranean mapping devices, and found that there was an enormous, man-made tunnel approximately fifty miles long beneath the surface.
“We knew it existed,” Smith said, over the radio. “We just didn’t give a fuck. It was used by low-level smugglers and fugitives for decades, but it’s basically defunct now, or so the idiots in our intel department thought.”
“What’s the access looking like?” I asked.
“You’ll find out when you get there, Rogers.” He said. “But right now we can assume they have an enormous security measure on the place, hidden entrance, biometrics, combination, whatever. Let the Mercenary go to work and we’ll get through.”
“Should we watch out for any traps?” I scoffed. “You know, Smith, just in case.”
“No shit,” he said. “But don’t expect anything too spectacular. I don’t think they would risk losing their little tunnel to a few explosives they might plant.”
“Yo, I’ve heard the Swordsman’s gotten weaker since the last time I fought him,” I said, nudging the Mercenary as he smoked. “Guess those freaks were juiced with K’lah Tegothlku’s blood. What’s his resistance looking like?”
“Weak,” he replied. “A fifty-caliber machine gun can take them all out, it’s their speed that’s the problem. They’re all bullet timers, but your rifle should suffice.”
“Hand-to-hand? I know Dagon can wrestle, I’ve scrapped with him before. The Swordsman might be a problem, but Cerberus relies on her esoteric fighting too much, unlike her sister.”
“Two others are supporting them.” The Mercenary said. “We have them in the database, but they’re low-level. One was a member of the crew that the bastard I killed ran, and the other is…”
“Who?” I asked.
“Olivera. Brazilian-American kid with superhuman traits. Might be stronger than we expected.”
“Bulletproof?”
“Bullet-resistant. Might be a bullet timer, but I can't know for sure.”
“They won’t have anywhere to hide in the tunnel,” I said. “Let’s fill it with lead.”
Besides just me and The Mercenary, we had several supporting operators who came basically just to be meat shields and provide cover fire. Our convoy came to a halt, and the doors swung open as we rushed out of our cars. My body armor and rifle aside, I had an enormous black machete and a pair of twenty-pound tungsten brass knuckles in case things came down to fists, which they most definitely would. We roamed through the desert, following their trail, and as best as they tried to cover their footsteps, the Mercenary was tracking them at an uncanny pace.
Our squad entered a mine shaft, and kept going through, until we went deeper into the system and found an enormous circular steel door embedded into the wall. There were tons of hidden touchpads and control panels one would need to enter their biometrics and combinations into to gain access, and there was no way we could do that fast enough before they were long gone.
“Mercenary, can you break through this?” I asked. “It looks nuclear-grade. The bomb that hit Hiroshima could have landed on this and it wouldn’t break.”
He drew his sword. “No trouble.”
He was right, while traversing through the path to even get to the entrance of the tunnel, we had been hit with almost a dozen mines, that the Mercenary took most of the brunt of. Inside would probably be an enormous amalgamation of explosives that would put Zak and Sergio’s combined collection to shame.

I have a small claims case against a contractor who didn't appear at the hearing, but I realize now that the amount of money I put in the case is not actually correct, since there was a payment he gave me that I didn't see until after I filed -- so the amount I'm asking is too much by about $1000. I should be asking for less. I'm worried though if i change it in my motion for default judgment that it will screw things up since it will look different from the original amount i requested. Should I just ask for default judgment with the original amount, or will it slow things down if I change it?
This is important because I sued both the LLC and the individual at the same time, but I couldn't get the individual served in time because I couldn't find him (but I think I have his current address, out of state, now, and he should be served this week). I think he is going to dissolve the LLC, but am still going to file the motion for default judgment. I'm going to continue to serve him as an individual so the specific amount may come up again. And, also, I'm not trying to steal anyone's money here, although this guy certainly has caused me more than than that amount in anxiety and screwing up my insurance claim.
Would love some advice on this and how to proceed. Thank you

Hey iPhone, I'm hoping this is best subreddit to post this in and hopefully I can receive unbiased answers as I, myself am unbiased having owned Android, iPhone, and even Windows Phone.
I'm currently running Android because my first and foremost choice of phone is whichever has the best camera which also means I have 0 brand loyalty. My current phone is a Xiaomi Ultra and although its camera is noticeably superior to what I dub the "mainstream flagships" (iPhone Pro Max, Pixel Pro, and Galaxy S Ultra), it failed to cross my mind that an Android manufacturer could limit customizability. This is unfortunately the case with Xiaomi so it's in a weird twilight zone between Android and iOS for customizability. Due to this issue, I found myself thinking "if I can't freely customize my phone, I'm essentially running an iPhone so perhaps I can try iOS again?" (along with salivating over the Vivo X100 Ultra).
The iPhone I am looking at is obviously the 15 Pro Max as it has the best camera out of all the iPhones; I acknowledge its camera will be a noticeable downgrade from my current phone and I have (mostly) resigned myself to this fact. However, I do have quite a few questions regarding the OS/phone itself as it has been years since my last iPhone.

1. Living Images/Motion Photos/Top Shot/Live Photos. These moving images can not be shot using the phone's maximum megapixels on the Androids I've had (Google, Samsung, and Xiaomi) and only when shooting in 12MP which is obviously a subpar shot when compared to one taken with its full resolution/sensor. Is this limitation also on iPhone?
   
2. iTunes. Is this still required to do things on the phone? I absolutely loathed iTunes when I had an iPhone.
   
3. App placement. I know there's minimal customization on iOS but at the very minimum I'd like to put apps wherever I want (i.e. home screen with only 2 rows of apps at the bottom and a widget at the top). Is this truly not possible?
   
4. Gestures/back button. I love swiping in from the right (←) edge of the screen to go back (and a curved screen makes that feeling so much more luxurious). Is it true you can only swipe in from the left (→) edge of the screen to go back and not from the right (←)? I always swipe in from the right as I'm right-handed and the opposite side doesn't make sense unless the individual is left-handed.
   
5. Volume. Is it true you can't have different volumes for different apps/notifications?
   
6. Notifications. I hear a lot of hate about about iOS' notification system but as I don't have one, I can't fathom what makes it so much worse than Android. Can someone explain or is it overblown?
   
7. Keyboard. I also hear a lot of hate for the default keyboard but you can (still) download alternative keyboard right?
   

Lastly, is there anything an iPhone does exceedingly better than an Android? Asides from OS updates as the newer Androids reach 7 years promised plus I can always install custom ROMs, or better ecosystem communication as I actively try not to be confined to a singular ecosystem.
I'm sure there are hidden gems of functions that I've overlooked since my last iPhone.
TIA!

I've noticers, telling them all to f off, sitting on a toilet bowl and basically calling out Sharp Entertainment and it's head honchos as being a piece of you know what and MOST OF ALL....the BASHING of words to the BASHING of junkyard cards that he specifically had specific names on them and taking a bat to crush it actually is showing signs of violence and any judge would see it that way if he was to be sued. Even pulling down his pants and telling everyone to kiss it.
I wondered why they didn't put a stop to it immediately but instead, we watching him getting unhinged day, after day, after day. (Just like a toddler who wants attention, he's throwing tantrums to get noticed).
Some networks will tell you to STFU while others stay quiet watching him dig his own grave. He NEEDS TLC....TLC doesn't need him. When being hired as a contestant, they all pretty much work the same way. Depending on which show you want to be on, having 2 reality shows back to back gives him experience. Those get picked and put into a separate file while other resumes go into the no experience pile. You don't have to have experience but it does help you A LOT.
As they sift through all the paperwork, people are eliminated from each pile until it comes down to who they really want. If they are showing interest in you, they will contact you immediately to let you know (just in case another show picks you up first. If they like you, you will be given written notice of that. You will be told the rules and regulations, the good and the bad, what you can or cannot do, a criminal background check is the first and if that comes back negative, you move forward to the next pile. It eliminates those who do have criminal activity records right then and there without wasting further time. So, now you are moved up again and told that you will be vetted.
VETTED: To make a careful and critical examination of something. To investigate (someone) thoroughly, especially in order to ensure that they are suitable for a job requiring secrecy, loyalty, or trustworthiness.
They will explain every little detail of what it is to be VETTED and you certainly will know without a doubt that the job is not being offered to you just because you're being vetted. There aren't any surprises, scams, fine print, nothing that would make you think you're hired when in fact, in order to be vetted, you have to sign off on documents that allows the network to gain access to your personal records.
Your signature allows them to look at your financial records which include but are not limited to lawsuits, bad credit, bankruptcy (4X with this dude and I'm sure they thought it was wild AF). You give them all access to your social accounts because they do not want to be surprised by something you said or did from 4 years ago and it blows ups causing the network to look like an ass.
Once something is posted to social media, it lives forever in the internet world no matter how many things you've deleted or tried to hide from your account.
Then there is the reference calls.....ah, yes.....calling TLC and the powers that be to fill them in on what kind of person you really are.........YEP.......biting the hand that feeds you always comes back as KARMA.
In a nutshell, his videos, financial matters, the stealing of 20K, the drunken tirades each night. Screaming, yelling, over and over. Unhinged, drunk, mentally unstable does not create a safe work environment for others. TLC had the last laugh, I'm sure of it, and they have all the evidence to prove it and most likely all the videos as well.
As if that wasn't bad enough, talking about his "new show/channel" that he will tell his fans all about it actually broke the rule right there. He was told basically not to breathe a word about anything....that includes the hints he was giving out everyday on social media. By this time, Scott was made aware that his behavior is just not suitable and goes against their company policy. So, now he's got to figure out how to get out of this mess so he makes up a lie about being scammed. Oh boy!
The email that he posted clearly shows that he broke every rule during the vetted process. The fact that he went on to slander the network by saying they scammed him when in fact he scammed them could get him a lawsuit.
He's now a red flag and a liability to any reality show or network.
They all work in one circle so it's not like it's hard to get info from each other.
All he had to do is keep his mouth shut. He has no one to blame but himself with this outrageous behavior and then wants to pin it on us, bloggers, editors, etc.
Gossip reality news is not taken into consideration. These networks look for facts and not just some storyline that may be true or not.
So, that's all I got for you.
But, lets face it.......they're a quite a few people we all love to hate but they don't put out videos like he does. LOL
The problem was always his and his alone. His videos prove that he wasn't done with his 15 minutes. He wanted the spotlight, well now he has it.....he just doesn't know when to stop.

Sauce: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/roaring-kitty-back-meme-stocks-125356655.html
Roaring Kitty is back and so are meme stocks. GameStop and AMC surge like it's 2021 The Canadian Press Mon, May 13, 2024 at 11:12 a.m. PDT·4 min read
The man at the center of the pandemic meme stock craze appeared online for the first time in three years, sending the prices of thee quirky and volatile shares sharply higher Monday.
Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” posted an image Sunday on the social platform X of a man sitting forward in his chair, a meme used by gamers when things are getting serious.
He followed that tweet with a YouTube video from years before when he championed the beleaguered company GameStop saying, “That’s all for now cuz I’m out of breath. FYI here’s a quick 4min video I put together to summarize the $GME bull case.”
ADVERTISEMENT
GameStop in 2021 was a video game retailer that was struggling to survive as consumers switched rapidly from discs to digital downloads. Big Wall Street hedge funds and major investors were betting against it, or shorting its stock, believing that its shares would continue on a drastically downward trend.
Gill and those who agreed with him changed the trajectory of a company that appeared to headed for bankruptcy by buying up thousands of GameStop shares in the face of almost any accepted metrics that told investors that the company was in serious trouble.
That began what is known as a “short squeeze,” when those big investors that had bet against GameStop were forced to buy its rapidly rising stock to offset their massive losses.
At Monday's opening bell it appeared that Gill had reignited the phenomenon as shares of GameStop more than doubled. At midday, shares were trading 60% higher. It's the biggest intraday trading jump for GameStop since the meme craze of early 2021. Other meme stocks like the theater chain AMC were jolted higher as well.
Trading in GameStop was halted eight times before noon on Monday due to volatility.
Gill became a cause célèbre in 2021 after his posts on the Reddit subcategory Wallstreetbets ignited a David vs. Goliath battle with large hedge funds that were betting heavily against the survival of GameStop.
The small guys won, at least for a while, driving shares of GameStop up more than 1,000% in 2021 and other meme stocks as well. The struggling movie theater chain AMC jumped 2,300% in a very short span of time in the same year.
Some big traders posted collosal losses as GameStop raced from less than $20, to close to $400 each. Citron Research, Melvin Capital and other well-known hedge funds lost an estimated $5 billion, according to analytics firm S3 Partners.
Some of those new and smaller investors believed, at least in part, that Ryan Cohen, co-founder of Chewy.com, could push the traditional retailer in a more online direction. Cohen built up a stake in GameStop before eventually joining the board and last year becoming its CEO.
Joining the meme surge Monday was AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., which leapt 33%. Koss Co. a headphone manufacturer, spiked 25% and BlackBerry, the one time dominant smartphone maker, rose 7%. The retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond, another meme stock, sought bankruptcy protection last year.
Some meme stocks, including GameStop and AMC, had been climbing earlier this month, and rapidly.
Shares of GameStop Corp., which have faded steadily since 2021, had already risen 57% this month. In January, GameStop reported its first annual profit since 2018, although it’s still unclear if Cohen’s turnaround plan will succeed.
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., had risen 10% over the past 30 days.
Those companies broke out Monday following Gill's tweet.
The dynamics of the market as far as companies like GameStop are concerned have changed, however.
When Gill and an online army of retail investors began buying up shares of GameStop, more than 140% of the company's tradeable shares were being shorted. You arrive at that distorted number because some traders were borrowing against already shorted stocks to build even bigger bets against the company, vastly increasing their losses when the stock began to climb.
The short positions against GameStop's tradable shares now stand just over 24%, slightly more than the 22.5% recorded in January.
Gill reaped a big profit investing in a troubled video-game company, but denied when he appeared virtually at a Congressional hearing that he used social media to drive up GameStop's stock price.
He told lawmakers at the time simply, “I like the stock.”
As Roaring Kitty, Gill had vanished from messaging boards after posting a video in June 2021 of kittens going to sleep.
The story of Roaring Kitty and the meme stock craze was turned into a movie last year called “Dumb Money.”
Associated Press, The Associated Press

Asking for legal advice from the good people of Reddit, as I am out of options at this point. I have court this afternoon.
I’ve filed a restraining order against my partner (who I share a child with, we are attempting to find a 50/50 schedule in a separate case). Restraining order is an anti-harassment order that outlines stalking behaviors.
As a backstory, my partner threatened my family to me prior to breaking up. I’ve submitted text messages that support this, as well as multiple screenshots wherein I ask him to leave my family alone. Since I’ve left he has contacted me and my family ad nauseum. My father and one grandmother respond cordially, and partner has made a point to show up wherever they are and learn their schedules (walking by my grandparents’ where I frequent, looking in their windows (police report filed, not submitted to courts), bringing flowers to my other grandmother after she had cancer removal surgery (it did not go well, nor did she want visitors), calling my father everyday and showing up to his workplace). While all of these interactions appear cordial and respectful, I know that these have the undertone of his previous threat. This morning in court I requested a re-issuance of a temporary order to seek counsel and amend-refile this order to make it no contact. Partner’s lawyer stated that partner had submitted evidence that “proves I’m lying” about partner harassing myself or family members, and my motion for a continuance was denied. I have not a clue what I’m doing, what to say, or what to expect.

In my state, we have some case law saying defense can't ask police officers why they didn't take fingerprints. Prosecutors file motions trying to extend this to prevent us from arguing a negative inference based on other things the police didn't do, such as get a search warrant for a phone.
Does anyone know if there are constitutional issues implicated here related to the burden of proof/presumption of innocence? I would appreciate any reading suggestions on this issue. Thank you.
(disclaimer, I am a mere law student)

When the meeting is about to start, get your "control number" from the e-mail / the link in the e-mail your broker sent you on how to vote.
Then go here and enter the control number: https://central.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/vsm/web?pvskey=WKHS2024
There isn't much point in attending the meeting as nothing except bullshit formalities are said like "I second the motion" for about 10 minutes and although we may have a way to ask questions, based on how last years went, none of your questions will be answered. Even though we've collectively lost millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions, possibly even billions of dollars, they don't think we deserve to even have some questions answered.
The only reason you may want to attend it is so you can find out the results of the vote live. I think we do see or hear the results live, but I can't be sure. They may also adjourn the meeting if they don't get the results they want as that's what they did with the max share vote increase. Perhaps they may just keep adjourning the meeting over and over until they get what they want.
If you need a guide to what each vote is about.
You can still vote till midnight tonight. Or you can vote live at the meeting.
This is going to go one of 2 ways:

1. They get their 20x max share increase disguised as an 'RS to regain compliance', our shares get RS 1 for 20, meaning we only own a total of 17 million shares afterwards with a max of 450 million. They can create hundreds of millions of shares for the toxic financier who makes our stake in WKHS become even more worthless, shares become more valuable as a tax loss than the actual value of shares. Though I suppose from an optimists perspective, there is some hope with this option that limited dilution combined with competent management could result in eventually breaking even.
2. They don't get their dilution, so they'll probably try something else like adjourning the meeting. But since that recent 8-K filing shows they've blown all the money and can't even afford to pay a battery supplier and are actually being sued by them, holding shares would be extremely risky as bankruptcy could be announced and our shares would become even more worthless.

So from a realists perspective, whatever happens tomorrow, our shares will soon become worthless. I would probably have sold most of my shares by now if it wasn't for the possibility, based on some previous market reactions to votes failing that we could get some extreme upwards volatility if the vote fails, the SP may go up enough so that I can sell shares at less of a loss. And if they get their RS, I will also start selling shares.
For those of you with huge losses, remember to look after your mental health. Remember there are ways you can make back those losses with minimal effort because all my biggest returns on stocks were just lucky picks with no research done on them and then the one stock I do loads of research on loses the most money.

Hi - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of the week's top stories, which I cover in depth with sources in the full edition. Let's dive in...
___
STAT OF THE WEEK: Kohl's sales have shrunk by $2.3B since 2019. During that same period of time, the company lost 1.3M customers who no longer shop with the retailer.
___
BigCommerce is exploring a sale after attracting takeover interest, according to sources who chose to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the information. The sources said that BigCommerce asked investment bank Qatalyst Partners to solicit interest from potential buyers that include private equity firms, but that the discussions are at an early stage and no deal is certain.
___
Squarespace announced that it will be going private in a $6.9B all-cash deal with private-equity firm Permira, who agreed to pay $44 per share (a roughly 30% premium). Although Squarespace never lost 90% of its share price like BigCommerce, it has experienced a tumultuous time on the market since its IPO in May 2021 — opening around $49.50 and at times trading in the low $20s. Shares rose nearly 13% to $43 in pre-market trading upon release of the news.
___
ByteDance filed a lawsuit in US federal court seeking to block the new law that would force the sale or ban of the app within the country. The lawsuit challenges the law on constitutional grounds, also citing commercial, technical, and legal hurdles, as well as opposition from Beijing. Legal experts say the legal battle will play out in the courts in coming months and likely will reach the Supreme Court.
___
OpenAI unveiled its newest model, GPT-4o, designed to turn ChatGPT into a digital personal assistant that can engage in real-time, spoken conversations and interact with users using text, screenshots, photos, documents, and charts. The new version of ChatGPT also has memory capabilities, which means it can learn from previous conversations. It will be available to both unpaid and premium customers alike. OpenAI also announced that it would be launching a desktop app with the GPT-4o capabilities, giving users another platform to interact with the technology outside of a web browser.
___
Amazon launched in South Africa last week, marking its first marketplace in sub-Saharan Africa, and bringing its total number of marketplaces worldwide to 22. To launch the new marketplace, Amazon is offering free delivery on first orders and on subsequent orders above R500 (about $27), access to 3,000 pick-up points, status updates via WhatsApp to track orders, 30 day refunds, and 24/7 customer support. The marketplace was supposed to launch in the country in 2023, but got delayed due to changes in priorities within Amazon.
___
In an unlikely partnership, Instacart is partnering with Uber Eats to expand into the restaurant delivery business. Instacart will add a new tab for restaurant delivery to its app in the coming weeks, the listings will be provided by Uber, and the food will be picked up and delivered by Uber Eats drivers. Customers will receive the same prices on both apps and Instacart will receive an affiliate commission on orders. It's a strange partnership though given that Instacart and Uber Eats actively compete on grocery delivery. Are they planning to merge? Uber says no.
___
Apple's advertisement for its latest iPad Pro sparked criticism for showing an animation of musical instruments, paint cans, cameras, record players, and other symbols of creativity being crushed by a giant machine, with the output being the new iPad Pro, which the company says is the thinnest Apple product ever. In this context, “crushing” was supposed to symbolize “consolidating” and “compacting” — with the visuals meant to showcase how the new iPad Pro puts the power of all these tools into the hands of creators in one thin device. However online commenters criticized the ad as insensitive and as symbolizing a “destruction of the human experience.” The ad hit the web on Tuesday, and by Thursday, Apple issued a mea culpa and apologized for the campaign.
___
Google is encouraging merchants to enable conversion annotations on their Google Shopping ads, which offer social proof that highlight a product's popularity. Conversion annotations like “best selling” or “3K shopped here recently” would provide visual cues about a product’s popularity or sales performance directly in the ad unit. Annotations like these are par for the course with e-commerce retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Temu, which all employ similar tactics. They can provide valuable info for shoppers and also help with conversions. However they also open data privacy concerns, given that Google is not the actual retailer or marketplace selling the items, so a merchant would have to share this purchase history data from their e-commerce platform with Google — which technically most already do by giving access to GA4.
___
Shein is attempting to join the National Retail Federation as it pursues regulatory approval to go public in the US. The company believes that NRF membership would boost its chances of receiving SEC approval. However so far, Shein has been rejected numerous times. An anonymous source familiar with the matter said someone with heavy influence at the NRF is strongly against the Shein's admittance. However board members who spoke to CNBC said that Shein's membership application hadn't come up in meetings, and that they aren't involved in deciding which companies are granted access.
___
Amazon is leading the way with selling home goods, capturing 18.8% of consumer home furnishings spending, compared to Walmart's 7.3% market share. Notably, Amazon’s gains in the furniture category come in spite of the company’s decision to phase out two of its three furniture brands last year.
___
Stanley, which is projected to do $750M in sales this year, up from $73M in 2019, after seeing its water bottles become a status symbol thanks to TikTok, is now expanding into trendier accessories. The company is launching a line of bags called the All-Day Collection which include a mini cooler, backpack cooler, and Quencher Carry-All, designed for someone to sling their Stanley over their hip.
___
Jack Dorsey left the Bluesky board and deleted his account on the service he helped kickstart, claiming that Bluesky was “literally repeating all the mistakes” he made while running Twitter. Dorsey says he never intended Bluesky to be an independent company, but rather, an open source protocol that Twitter was supposed to be the first client of. He also confirmed that he is financially backing Nostr, another decentralized Twitter-like service popular among crypto enthusiasts and run by an anonymous founder.
___
Amazon is deploying 50 electric trucks in California, which it claims is the largest EV fleet in the country, as part of its mission to eliminate pollution from its global operations. The trucks will be integrated into first-mile operations, moving goods from container ships at the ports to fulfillment centers, as well as middle-mile operations, transporting packages from fulfillment centers to delivery centers.
___
Wix launched a new tool called AI Portfolio Creator, which allows a user to upload and organize large-scale image collections, select the type of portfolio they want, and then have the AI tool sort and generate a portfolio with clustered images, recommended titles and descriptions, and personalized layout options.
___
Amazon is now requiring all dietary supplements to be verified by a third-party testing, inspection, and certification organization — which is something that not even the FDA requires. Amazon is the largest supplement retailer in the US ahead of Walmart and Target, and its new requirements are expected to put more pressure on the industry, which is being scrutinized more than ever.
___
Alibaba is revamping its flagship retail website Taobao for the first time in seven years with a focus on providing a smoother search and buying process. The website overhaul comes ahead of the 618 sales event, China's second-largest annual shopping event. A few weeks ago I reported that Eddie Wu, the CEO of Alibaba Group, would now be directly overseeing its domestic e-commerce arm which includes Taobao and Tmall Group, and it sounds like he's hitting the ground running with his new responsibilities.
___
Amazon is hosting its first-ever Amazon Book Sale, a new shopping event starting on May 15th that offers up to 50% off print best sellers and up to 80% off Kindle Books. The six day shopping event will exclusively run in the US, and Prime-membership is not required to take advantage of the deals.
___
FTX reported that nearly all of its customers will receive the money back that they are owed, two years after the cryptocurrency exchange imploded. The company owes about $11.2B to its customers and estimates that it has between $14.5B and $16.3B to distribute to them. The caveat is that customers will receive the USD value of their holdings at the time of the exchange collapse, and not the actual crypto holdings themselves, which means that they'll miss out on all gains during the past two years during which BTC went from around $16k to now over $60k. Better than nothing though, that's for sure.
___
800,000 consumers in Europe and the US were duped into sharing card details and other sensitive personal data with a network of fake online designer shops operated from China, which comprised one of the largest scams of its kind with 76,000 fake websites created. The scammers used expired domains to host its fake shops in order to help avoid detection by websites or brand owners, and more than 1M orders were processed in the past three years alone.
___
Beyond Inc, which owns Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and Zulily, reported that its Q1 net loss swelled to $72M from $10M a year ago, while its operating loss widened to $58M from $8M. The company's active customers grew to 6M, up 26% from nearly 5M a year ago, however, its average order value dropped to $173 from $220 a year earlier.
___
TikTok will begin automatically labeling AI generated content when it is uploaded from certain platforms like DALL.E 3, Adobe Firefly, Photoshop, and Microsoft Copilot. TikTok will also start attaching Content Credentials to content, which will remain on the media when downloaded, allowing other platforms to read the metadata.
___
eBay is testing an Add To Cart button in search results that opens a Quick View window, allowing buyers to skip the listing page. Technically the button should probably not be labeled “Add To Cart” since it doesn't perform that action, but rather, displays a quick view window with three buttons: Buy It Now, Add To Cart, View All Details. Sellers are worried that buyers will miss crucial details in the product description that may lead to increased returns and negative feedback.
___
Amazon is planning to launch its fleet of drones in Tolleson, Arizona, but the city's extreme temperature is hampering its efforts. Drones can't operate in temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that Tolleson crosses for a full three months of the year.
___
A US district judge dismissed X's lawsuit against Bright Data, a data-scraping company accused of improperly accessing X system and violating X terms and state laws when scraping and selling data. The judge basically said that if X owned the data, it could perhaps argue that it has exclusive rights to control it, but then X wouldn't be able to enjoy the safe harbor of Section 230, which allows the platform to avoid liability for third-party content. Can't have it both ways!
___
Nintendo is discontinuing its X integration for the switch on June 10th, which means users will no longer be able to post screenshots or videos to the platform from their device. The drop in support also affects games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which had game-specific options to send out tweets. Microsoft Xbox dropped support for X in April 2023 and Sony Playstation dropped the service in October 2023 due to the increase in X's API access fees.
___
Amazon claimed that its recordable incident rate — a metric that comprises all injuries requiring “more than basic first-aid treatment” — at its US warehouses has improved by 24% since 2019. However the National Employment Law Project challenged Amazon's injury data in a report last week, claiming that Amazon's overall injury rate in 2023 was 71% higher than that of other employers in the sector at 6.5 cases per 100 workers.
___
Amazon Ads announced three new advertising formats for streaming TV including shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads, and interactive trivia ads. Amazon did not say when the new ad types would officially launch, but noted that it will formally present them at a presentation on May 14th.
___
Meta is rolling out an expanded set of generative AI ad tools that can create full image variations with text overlays, expand images to fit across different aspect ratios, and generate alternate versions of headlines and other ad text. The features will become available globally to advertisers by the end of the year.
___
Square introduced a tool called Square Kiosk to allow self-service ordering at fast food restaurants. The device is a combined software, hardware, and payment solution that allows customers to select exactly what they want with customization options, upgrades, and add-ons.
___
The European Parliament announced new measures to make packaging more sustainable and reduce packaging waste in the EU, including reduction targets of 15% by 2040 — which sounds far away but is only 16 years away?! As part of the new rules, the EU will set maximum empty space ratios for e-commerce transportation, ban certain single-use plastic packaging types, and beverage distributors and take-away food will have to offer consumers the option of bringing their own container.
___
Indians who pre-ordered Teslas in 2016 are giving up and seeking refunds of their deposits after Elon Musk canceled another visit to the country last month. Disillusioned Tesla enthusiasts in India say they will now buy a car from the company only if they see it in a showroom, or they'll buy a different electrical vehicle from a company that actually exists in the country.
___
Target is limiting its Pride Month collection to select stores this year instead of rolling out the merchandise nationwide like it typically has for the past decade, due to backlash the retailer experienced last year. Last May customers in certain stores knocked down LGBTQ+ merchandise displays, angrily approached store employees, and posted threatening videos on social media from inside the stores.
___
E-commerce spending from Jan 1 to April 30, 2024 rose 7% YoY to $331.6B, according to Adobe Analytics. One trend Adobe identified during the period is a shift of online spending to purchasing the cheapest goods across personal care, electronics, apparel, home & garden, furniture, and grocery.
___
Plus 7 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest, including Shopify's acquisition of Peel, a tool that integrates with a merchant's tech stack including Klaviyo and Recharge and helps them analyze their sales data to improve customer retention.
___
I hope you found this recap helpful. See you next week!
PAUL Editor of Shopifreaks E-Commerce Newsletter
PS: If I missed any big news this week, please share in the comments.

Miss Culuss' daughters, which I am one of them, have been coerced by our mother, Miss Culuss, for years to sell our bodies in sexual servitude in the form of marriage to Mr. Bingas, Mr. Alhazred and Mr. Thossothoth. Trust me, it's been tiring hearing our mother constantly bragging to all the men of the grand hidden Victorian city of Harlotowah, California; that we were simply born to have our buttocks banged and bred at any man's will, desire or pleasure.
Tiring it is, but trust me it gets more exhausting when everyone here is immortal and Spring is eternal here. All residents of Harlotowah stop aging at the physical bodily age of 35 years old. Yet the years are drastically longer. For example, when I was a child, I remained with the aged body of an 11 year old until 3 decades had passed. Then the same process went for when my body reached its adolescent stage and so on and so forth, you get the idea of how this works now.
As for the Victorian era city, well we updated our old architecture with electricity but it is devoid of television, phones, pretty much everything except for electricity used for hygiene. Strange it may seem, but once you realize the nature of who/what created and rules over Harlotowah, it won't come to you as much of a surprise. You see, the ruler has a fetish, an immense fetish for sexual submission. Thus why even the boys here are either feminized (like I was), force fed hormones to transition or remain boys yet must partake of constant sexual initiation until their bodies reach the final aging point of 35.
Obscure sexual rules dominate Harlotowah, they are devoid of normal morality and some of them completely devoid of sanity.
Now, back to myself and my sisters. I, Scarlet, near the bodily age of 32, have been with Mr. Bingas and Mr. Thossothoth, not in marriage but as a sexual partner more so. Mr. Bingas, having the body of a father who's an alcoholic, though he is nice in the streets, he is maniacally rough in the sheets. Each time he's pounded me, it's to an almost primal tribal drum like rhythm, and it's amazing.
However, for Mr. Thossothoth, he has this intelligence with this subtle insidious air to it. It's like whenever we talk or spend time together, or even while he's fucking me, it's like I'm in this strange sinister dream. It feels euphorically ominous, I believe that's the best way to describe being with him as a sexual partner.
For example, while we were out in his spacious lovely garden during noon, in this smooth way, he tore my dress off with ease in fluid precise motions till I was only in my floral black lingerie beneath. He tied my hands together in front of me, tied them to the fence of the balcony we were on with the view of the garden, he stripped down and then began to ravage me. As he pulled my long auburn hair while he ravaged my buttocks, I felt like a synergy of profound sexual pleasure and deep flooding feelings of foreboding combine like two rivals having make-up sex.
For hours he fucked me until even when the sun began to set. I didn't hunger or thirst for good or drink, all I did hunger and thirst for was for his cock to ravage my ass and continue filling it with his seed, which he did. The whole experience, well all of those experiences to be honest since we've done this multiple times, they all felt like I was experiencing an orgasmic overwhelmingly ominous dream of the entirety of eternity itself.
As we had rough ravenous sex in those hours of noon to twilight, I saw the lush green trees sway with the wind back and forth in an almost harmonious rhythm, from serenely swift to terrifyingly slow, back and forth, back and forth. The flowers swirled in eternal circles as they moaned. The grass swayed back and forth as well while the bushes let out unhinged howls. It's as if the entire vast garden was being blown by a great wind from a world of pure delightfully demented symphonies.
I think I've become addicted to being a sexual partner of Mr. Thossothoth. Though I am curious of how Mr. Alhazred is like, I will see later this year. As for now, I shall remain as Mr. Thossothoth's sexual partnepossible bride. The eternal subtly malevolent and euphoric Spring of Harlotowah is close to blooming to its peak. I have a feeling that when it reaches its peak, something immense will happen either with me or with this town. We shall see. As for now, Mr. Thossothoth is outside waiting for me to have a splendid walk with him in his garden again.
And how I long to be at his side as we walk through his garden and the town day and especially at nightfall. The Spring during the night is like an rapturous wet dream and nightmare combined into one new force, new being, new experience. Mr. Thossothoth calls it the Daturain time, where the Datura Goddess' influence and presence is strongest. I believe him and am curious if we can do a sexual ritual to commune with her. Maybe, some night, hopefully soon.

Hi - I'm Paul and I follow the e-commerce industry closely for my Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter. Each week I post a summary recap of the week's top stories, which I cover in depth in the newsletter. Let's dive in...
___
STAT OF THE WEEK: Kohl's sales have shrunk by $2.3B since 2019. During that same period of time, the company lost 1.3M customers who no longer shop with the retailer.
___
BigCommerce is exploring a sale after attracting takeover interest, according to sources who chose to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the information. The sources said that BigCommerce asked investment bank Qatalyst Partners to solicit interest from potential buyers that include private equity firms, but that the discussions are at an early stage and no deal is certain.
___
Squarespace announced that it will be going private in a $6.9B all-cash deal with private-equity firm Permira, who agreed to pay $44 per share (a roughly 30% premium). Although Squarespace never lost 90% of its share price like BigCommerce, it has experienced a tumultuous time on the market since its IPO in May 2021 — opening around $49.50 and at times trading in the low $20s. Shares rose nearly 13% to $43 in pre-market trading upon release of the news.
___
ByteDance filed a lawsuit in US federal court seeking to block the new law that would force the sale or ban of the app within the country. The lawsuit challenges the law on constitutional grounds, also citing commercial, technical, and legal hurdles, as well as opposition from Beijing. Legal experts say the legal battle will play out in the courts in coming months and likely will reach the Supreme Court.
___
OpenAI unveiled its newest model, GPT-4o, designed to turn ChatGPT into a digital personal assistant that can engage in real-time, spoken conversations and interact with users using text, screenshots, photos, documents, and charts. The new version of ChatGPT also has memory capabilities, which means it can learn from previous conversations. It will be available to both unpaid and premium customers alike. OpenAI also announced that it would be launching a desktop app with the GPT-4o capabilities, giving users another platform to interact with the technology outside of a web browser.
___
Amazon launched in South Africa last week, marking its first marketplace in sub-Saharan Africa, and bringing its total number of marketplaces worldwide to 22. To launch the new marketplace, Amazon is offering free delivery on first orders and on subsequent orders above R500 (about $27), access to 3,000 pick-up points, status updates via WhatsApp to track orders, 30 day refunds, and 24/7 customer support. The marketplace was supposed to launch in the country in 2023, but got delayed due to changes in priorities within Amazon.
___
In an unlikely partnership, Instacart is partnering with Uber Eats to expand into the restaurant delivery business. Instacart will add a new tab for restaurant delivery to its app in the coming weeks, the listings will be provided by Uber, and the food will be picked up and delivered by Uber Eats drivers. Customers will receive the same prices on both apps and Instacart will receive an affiliate commission on orders. It's a strange partnership though given that Instacart and Uber Eats actively compete on grocery delivery. Are they planning to merge? Uber says no.
___
Apple's advertisement for its latest iPad Pro sparked criticism for showing an animation of musical instruments, paint cans, cameras, record players, and other symbols of creativity being crushed by a giant machine, with the output being the new iPad Pro, which the company says is the thinnest Apple product ever. In this context, “crushing” was supposed to symbolize “consolidating” and “compacting” — with the visuals meant to showcase how the new iPad Pro puts the power of all these tools into the hands of creators in one thin device. However online commenters criticized the ad as insensitive and as symbolizing a “destruction of the human experience.” The ad hit the web on Tuesday, and by Thursday, Apple issued a mea culpa and apologized for the campaign.
___
Google is encouraging merchants to enable conversion annotations on their Google Shopping ads, which offer social proof that highlight a product's popularity. Conversion annotations like “best selling” or “3K shopped here recently” would provide visual cues about a product’s popularity or sales performance directly in the ad unit. Annotations like these are par for the course with e-commerce retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Temu, which all employ similar tactics. They can provide valuable info for shoppers and also help with conversions. However they also open data privacy concerns, given that Google is not the actual retailer or marketplace selling the items, so a merchant would have to share this purchase history data from their e-commerce platform with Google — which technically most already do by giving access to GA4.
___
Shein is attempting to join the National Retail Federation as it pursues regulatory approval to go public in the US. The company believes that NRF membership would boost its chances of receiving SEC approval. However so far, Shein has been rejected numerous times. An anonymous source familiar with the matter said someone with heavy influence at the NRF is strongly against the Shein's admittance. However board members who spoke to CNBC said that Shein's membership application hadn't come up in meetings, and that they aren't involved in deciding which companies are granted access.
___
Amazon is leading the way with selling home goods, capturing 18.8% of consumer home furnishings spending, compared to Walmart's 7.3% market share. Notably, Amazon’s gains in the furniture category come in spite of the company’s decision to phase out two of its three furniture brands last year.
___
Stanley, which is projected to do $750M in sales this year, up from $73M in 2019, after seeing its water bottles become a status symbol thanks to TikTok, is now expanding into trendier accessories. The company is launching a line of bags called the All-Day Collection which include a mini cooler, backpack cooler, and Quencher Carry-All, designed for someone to sling their Stanley over their hip.
___
Jack Dorsey left the Bluesky board and deleted his account on the service he helped kickstart, claiming that Bluesky was “literally repeating all the mistakes” he made while running Twitter. Dorsey says he never intended Bluesky to be an independent company, but rather, an open source protocol that Twitter was supposed to be the first client of. He also confirmed that he is financially backing Nostr, another decentralized Twitter-like service popular among crypto enthusiasts and run by an anonymous founder.
___
Amazon is deploying 50 electric trucks in California, which it claims is the largest EV fleet in the country, as part of its mission to eliminate pollution from its global operations. The trucks will be integrated into first-mile operations, moving goods from container ships at the ports to fulfillment centers, as well as middle-mile operations, transporting packages from fulfillment centers to delivery centers.
___
Wix launched a new tool called AI Portfolio Creator, which allows a user to upload and organize large-scale image collections, select the type of portfolio they want, and then have the AI tool sort and generate a portfolio with clustered images, recommended titles and descriptions, and personalized layout options.
___
Amazon is now requiring all dietary supplements to be verified by a third-party testing, inspection, and certification organization — which is something that not even the FDA requires. Amazon is the largest supplement retailer in the US ahead of Walmart and Target, and its new requirements are expected to put more pressure on the industry, which is being scrutinized more than ever.
___
Alibaba is revamping its flagship retail website Taobao for the first time in seven years with a focus on providing a smoother search and buying process. The website overhaul comes ahead of the 618 sales event, China's second-largest annual shopping event. A few weeks ago I reported that Eddie Wu, the CEO of Alibaba Group, would now be directly overseeing its domestic e-commerce arm which includes Taobao and Tmall Group, and it sounds like he's hitting the ground running with his new responsibilities.
___
Amazon is hosting its first-ever Amazon Book Sale, a new shopping event starting on May 15th that offers up to 50% off print best sellers and up to 80% off Kindle Books. The six day shopping event will exclusively run in the US, and Prime-membership is not required to take advantage of the deals.
___
FTX reported that nearly all of its customers will receive the money back that they are owed, two years after the cryptocurrency exchange imploded. The company owes about $11.2B to its customers and estimates that it has between $14.5B and $16.3B to distribute to them. The caveat is that customers will receive the USD value of their holdings at the time of the exchange collapse, and not the actual crypto holdings themselves, which means that they'll miss out on all gains during the past two years during which BTC went from around $16k to now over $60k. Better than nothing though, that's for sure.
___
800,000 consumers in Europe and the US were duped into sharing card details and other sensitive personal data with a network of fake online designer shops operated from China, which comprised one of the largest scams of its kind with 76,000 fake websites created. The scammers used expired domains to host its fake shops in order to help avoid detection by websites or brand owners, and more than 1M orders were processed in the past three years alone.
___
Beyond Inc, which owns Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and Zulily, reported that its Q1 net loss swelled to $72M from $10M a year ago, while its operating loss widened to $58M from $8M. The company's active customers grew to 6M, up 26% from nearly 5M a year ago, however, its average order value dropped to $173 from $220 a year earlier.
___
TikTok will begin automatically labeling AI generated content when it is uploaded from certain platforms like DALL.E 3, Adobe Firefly, Photoshop, and Microsoft Copilot. TikTok will also start attaching Content Credentials to content, which will remain on the media when downloaded, allowing other platforms to read the metadata.
___
eBay is testing an Add To Cart button in search results that opens a Quick View window, allowing buyers to skip the listing page. Technically the button should probably not be labeled “Add To Cart” since it doesn't perform that action, but rather, displays a quick view window with three buttons: Buy It Now, Add To Cart, View All Details. Sellers are worried that buyers will miss crucial details in the product description that may lead to increased returns and negative feedback.
___
Amazon is planning to launch its fleet of drones in Tolleson, Arizona, but the city's extreme temperature is hampering its efforts. Drones can't operate in temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that Tolleson crosses for a full three months of the year.
___
A US district judge dismissed X's lawsuit against Bright Data, a data-scraping company accused of improperly accessing X system and violating X terms and state laws when scraping and selling data. The judge basically said that if X owned the data, it could perhaps argue that it has exclusive rights to control it, but then X wouldn't be able to enjoy the safe harbor of Section 230, which allows the platform to avoid liability for third-party content. Can't have it both ways!
___
Nintendo is discontinuing its X integration for the switch on June 10th, which means users will no longer be able to post screenshots or videos to the platform from their device. The drop in support also affects games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which had game-specific options to send out tweets. Microsoft Xbox dropped support for X in April 2023 and Sony Playstation dropped the service in October 2023 due to the increase in X's API access fees.
___
Amazon claimed that its recordable incident rate — a metric that comprises all injuries requiring “more than basic first-aid treatment” — at its US warehouses has improved by 24% since 2019. However the National Employment Law Project challenged Amazon's injury data in a report last week, claiming that Amazon's overall injury rate in 2023 was 71% higher than that of other employers in the sector at 6.5 cases per 100 workers.
___
Amazon Ads announced three new advertising formats for streaming TV including shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads, and interactive trivia ads. Amazon did not say when the new ad types would officially launch, but noted that it will formally present them at a presentation on May 14th.
___
Meta is rolling out an expanded set of generative AI ad tools that can create full image variations with text overlays, expand images to fit across different aspect ratios, and generate alternate versions of headlines and other ad text. The features will become available globally to advertisers by the end of the year.
___
Square introduced a tool called Square Kiosk to allow self-service ordering at fast food restaurants. The device is a combined software, hardware, and payment solution that allows customers to select exactly what they want with customization options, upgrades, and add-ons.
___
The European Parliament announced new measures to make packaging more sustainable and reduce packaging waste in the EU, including reduction targets of 15% by 2040 — which sounds far away but is only 16 years away?! As part of the new rules, the EU will set maximum empty space ratios for e-commerce transportation, ban certain single-use plastic packaging types, and beverage distributors and take-away food will have to offer consumers the option of bringing their own container.
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Indians who pre-ordered Teslas in 2016 are giving up and seeking refunds of their deposits after Elon Musk canceled another visit to the country last month. Disillusioned Tesla enthusiasts in India say they will now buy a car from the company only if they see it in a showroom, or they'll buy a different electrical vehicle from a company that actually exists in the country.
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Target is limiting its Pride Month collection to select stores this year instead of rolling out the merchandise nationwide like it typically has for the past decade, due to backlash the retailer experienced last year. Last May customers in certain stores knocked down LGBTQ+ merchandise displays, angrily approached store employees, and posted threatening videos on social media from inside the stores.
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E-commerce spending from Jan 1 to April 30, 2024 rose 7% YoY to $331.6B, according to Adobe Analytics. One trend Adobe identified during the period is a shift of online spending to purchasing the cheapest goods across personal care, electronics, apparel, home & garden, furniture, and grocery.
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Plus 7 seed rounds, IPOs, and acquisitions of interest, including Shopify's acquisition of Peel, a tool that integrates with a merchant's tech stack including Klaviyo and Recharge and helps them analyze their sales data to improve customer retention.
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I hope you found this recap helpful. See you next week!
For more details on each story and sources, see the full edition: https://www.shopifreaks.com/bigcommerce-for-sale-openai-gpt-4o-instacarts-unlikely-partnership/
What else is new in e-commerce? Share stories of interesting in the comments below (including in your own business) or on shopifreaks.
-PAUL Editor of Shopifreaks E-commerce Newsletter
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