i heard it was the experimental form💀it def felt like it

Hi! I saw that the IRS provides a free service for TIN matching, and it seems useful since our company plan to make a lot of payments that further involve filling 1099 forms. Has anyone used this service? And it is not quite clear how to access it on behalf of the company (we have C Corp). I tried contacting the IRS by phone, but as you can guess I spent several hours on hold and never got an answer.

So this is gonna be a long one. My ex and I legally divorced many years ago, finally, after she got pregnant with another man's kid. Someone who she had been dating for 2 months. It was a rough marriage, but also one I dragged out, badly not wanting to put our children through a divorce. I had a hard time letting her go, as she was my first relationship. I had a full-time job that required extensive commitment and required much of my time. Luckily, my job was flexible, and I was able to watch my kids while my then-wife would run off for weeks at a time, going to parties, doing drugs and, unbeknownst to me, having intimate relationships with other men and women. I realize how this sounds, but she was pretty open about drugs and partying, making it seem like a life crisis. And here's the kicker: she told everyone that we were in an "open relationship", a term I was too nieve to have heard of, and which her friends took at face value. It made her friends less likely to talk to me, thinking I was some weirdo. She was literally often times gone for WEEKS at a time. And when she's come back, she'd clear out the bank account. When we separated, it was because she left me and our two kids to move in with her "new boyfriend", which lasted for a few months. Long enough to be considered abandonment. Then it was move, move, move, until she got together with her new boyfriend, who knocked her up. I tried to give her a fair custody deal, in part because I was stupid, and in part because I was led to believe that, as the mother, she had a huge advantage with custody over me. For years and years, my ex-wife moved from place to place, taking advantage of me and badmouting me and screwing with me at every possible oppertunity. A few years back, there was an incident where she was convicted of abusing our children, leaving many physical markings on our son, who was 5 at the time. In exchange for her completing anger management and parenting classes, I didn't press for full custody. Now, years later, she started telling my son that she didn't commit the abuse, and that she didn't deserve to be on the child abuse registry. She moved in with her sister in November, then got kicked out in January. It was around that time that my son confided in me that, 1.) His mom didnt deserve to be on the child abuse registry, as she "didnt do it", and that 2.) I was the one who caused our relationship to go south, by avoiding my parental responsibilities, going out and partying, yadda yadda. Basically all the shit she did to me. In fact, I was trying to make money and be a full-time dad for our two kids, while she ran off and did these things to me. We are now in a place of her trying to go after full custody, and her trying to poison and twist the minds of our children. This has gotten much worse since she was ordered to pay $200~some~odd a month for child support, because the Court has a requirement that someone pay when the kids are on state assistance. The amount was significantly less because the Court had to impute my income. Since June of 2023, when I got diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that goes after my brain, I have had $0 in income. It's a hard disease to diagnose, but Ive gotten several second opinions, had eight MRIs, and all the experts agree: I have multiple sclerosis. My income was imputed at over $9,000 a month, while U survive off the generosity of my family. The only drama I have with them is related to how I used to defend my ex wife and let her walk all over everyone. Previously, I supported my family through hard work, bringing in, maximum, around $1500 to $2500 a month, but have struggled to get back to the point where I can work. Disability is no help, they just keep denying me. They don't want to hear about a 29-year-old with ongoing massivr fatigue problems. The Court tells me I need to be on Disability to have my income adjusted. I think my ex-wife is drugging one or both of my kids, possibly through second-hand cannabis use, but am legitimately scared to make such a claim. Every time someone has made a claim against her, it's come back to royally bite them in the ass, somehow. Meanwhile, she refuses to hold down a job, despite having a perfect-working immune system and seemingly unlikited energy, and now that she's been ordered to pay child support, the parental alienation has increased 10-fold, with my kids coming home three out of four weekends (her timr) needing to be "reset". They cuss and swear at me, as their mom has "no rules". I'm at a loss, what do you do in this sort of situation? I do have an attorney, who told me he doesn't think she'll ever be able to get 50/50, but I still worry about this, to the level of it effecting friendships and relationships with my family. I seriously have people that hate me because I put up with her. And I try, so hard, to be a good dad,, and to be always fair and not to crap-talk this woman. And with a few nasty lies, their mother seems to just uproot and wash away everything I've done, like it was nothing. It's just so defeating. They're six and ten, and I got on the most stable drug I possibly could, and have been working with physical therapy trying to get back with it. The drug I'm on doesn't make flu or covid more severe or risky, specifically because my favorite little human petri dishes are very likely to bring something home.I have no history with drugs or alcohol, or any criminal record. My name certainly isn't on the abuse registry, and I havent had an issue with CPS since I was married. I cannot tell you how many times I went out of my way, on my own dime, to provide two-way transportation to foster the relationship between these kids and their mother, believing it was best for them. I thought, maybe, eventually, she'd grow up and be a mom. For a while, I believed she was. All the while, I gave her money for food, a few times for rent, new car parts, installed by me, appliances hauled and paid for and installed, by me, trying to just help her out. All this only to find out years later that despite her not having these kids hardly at all, she was claiming that they lived with her full-time to get more assistance, and even today, she is the same crap-talking liar I had only previously seen glimpses of. After my son told me what his mother had said, I requested a copy of the previous abuse record from CPS, and come to find out, not only did she refuse the free parenting and anger management classes she was offered, even though we agreed she would take them, but she also tried to say that I left the markings on the children when CPS investigated, amongst other games. Our youngest corroborated the story perfectly to the CPS investigator at the time, according to the report, which concretely confirmed the details. After their mother refused classes, CPS ended up adding her name to the naughty list of child abusers. I strongly no longer believe that her having custody time at all is best for the children. What would you do, or have you done in a similar situation? What pitfalls do I need to avoid or not see coming? Additionally, how do you go about secretly drug testing your 10-year-old? Is there a more obvious answer? I am currently custodial, at about 80/20, with many times where she didnt take them during her time, but I fear what's in store for these kids in the coming months, when we transition to the usual 50/50 during the summer. Thanks for reading, and in advance for any advice!!

Just to preface, I'm not very close with my parents at all for various reasons and I especially don't usually get along with my dad. With that being said, I was going to decline like I always do when they ask if I want to go anywhere with them, but this time it was a whole Mother's Day thing and they were going out for dinner so I figured I'd be an asshole if I declined. Rather than driving myself separately I joined my parents in their car.
For context, I was part of my family's discounted cellular plan. I had to pay my dad on time, but I failed to do so which was admittedly my fault. He told me he would take me off their plan which I thought was completely fair. I decided to try a different carrier and my dad gave me a code to transfer my number. He made it seem like transferring the number wasn't related to cancelling the line, but turns out it actually was. I was doing a free trial with the new carrier so I didn't transfer my number right away in order to avoid complications, which was probably not a good idea in hindsight.
On the ride home my dad got to discussing how their carrier was still charging them for my line. I then him I still had service from the carrier they dropped me from, which I thought was just technology being weird since I watched my dad cancel the line and there was no mention of him getting charged after that until now. I didn't think to mention it to him at all which I guess was my mistake. He then told me I had to pay the $50 for the line which I objected to because he never said transferring the number is what cancels the line. Had I known that transferring the number is what cancels the line I would've transferred the number. He has a bit of a tendency to say one thing and then change it later to get his way which I suppose he does because he knows I'm not very good at remembering what people say verbatim, so this is what I thought was going on. At first my voice was raised a little, then he raised his over mine to where he was nearly yelling, but then my mom diffused it a little and both of us stopped talking. He went back to arguing about it and accused me of doing this "just to get back at his old man" which not only sounded absurd but absolutely wasn't true so I told him to drop it, which seemed to have really pissed him off.
Holding the wheel with his left hand, he raised his right hand threatening to hit me across the face. Initially I wasn't afraid at all since I thought there was no way he'd do this while he was driving on a highway with himself, his wife in the back and son in the passenger seat along with other traffic around, but he actually did it. He didn't sock me square in the nose or anything but there's a bit of bruising on my left eye from it. I raised my arms to block whatever he was going to do after that (he did nothing else) and eventually he pulled over to the side of the road and told me to get out, so I did and he drove away. There were no rideshare services around at the time so I was going to just get my steps in and walk home, but eventually my mom came back to pick me up. On the ride back and after we got home she essentially told me he hit me because of the "way I was talking to him" and that I needed to go talk to him about it, or in other words, apologize. The way I saw it, he had no reason to go from zero to a hundred in the first place nor did he have to get physical with me over it. In addition to this, when he apologized for flying off the handle at me for accidentally using a little too much soy sauce he said "we might do stupid shit but we're still you're parents" so I decided to just not apologize or say anything to him about it, which my mom told me I was "immature" for and that I was "making a big mistake" and just generally trying to make me feel guilty about it so that I'd apologize.
Me and my dad didn't speak to each other for a few days, but today he told me to come talk to him. Basically, he told me as a father he didn't regret striking me in the face because I'd been "disrespectful towards both of them for awhile" and that I was " talking to him like some punk off the street". He also claimed I was swearing at him saying "I'm not fucking paying it", which he insists I was doing but I'm almost certain I wasn't. He then said me saying "do it then" in response to him threatening to hit me is what made him do it and that next time he'd "close fist" me and kick me out if I disrespected him like that again since "it's the only way you're going to learn", even though I'm 99% sure I was saying "drop it". Then he admitted that if I told anyone else what happened, they probably wouldn't agree with what he did, but that as a father he felt he made the right decision. Finally, he said that if we butt heads again (which he also admitted would most likely be soon), he expects me to "open up the dialogue" between me and him. But considering the fact he just threatened to punch me, someone who's comparatively weaker than him, in the face if he detects what he considers "disrespect", I'm not really interested in opening any type of dialogue with him.
TL;DR dispute over cellular plan with my dad gets physical

Hey all,
Below are my personal thoughts and my understanding of the structure of existence. I am not sure if this is correct or not as per what it actually is and/or what Bashar says and explains it is so I am seeking to understand that and get the correct answer to what and how it actually is. I am seeking to understand this and how it pertains to us humans and I have posted my questions regarding this which I am seeking answers to underneath my understanding.
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My Understanding:

1. From the biggest picture/highest level, there is existence, which is one thing, with infinite potential, and without a how or a why, it just is. This is existence, this is the One, this is God. (I would say this is Bashar's 1st law of creation, you exist.)
   1. For the sake of example, imagine a circle which is this existence/the One/God. And now for the sake of just this first point and to allow the next few points to build on top of each other, imagine that this circle just exists with that infinite potential but nothing is happening, it's just frozen and standstill, just pure potential.
2. The One is always "doing" something so there is the concept of "happening" or "change" or "activity" which is that there is always something happening/changing with/to it. In other words, the infinite potential is always being realized and not just sitting there as standstill potential. This also means that everything is in the present only in the here and now only as things are only happen-"ING" and/or chang-"ING". This is just physics, there is no actual past or future and no such thing as time, only the present and now because there is essentially just this one thing which is just doing things. Do-"ING", Happen-"ING", Chang-"ING", present tense. (I would say this is Bashar's 5th and 2nd laws of creation, everything is changing and it's all here and now. Additionally though, I would say this is also Bashar's 4th law of creation, what you put out is what you get back, because the One (which is "you") is "doing" and all this happening/change is just the One's doing so whatever exists within existence within the one and whatever "is" is a result of the One's doing. So essentially whatever it does, is what is, and whatever is, is what it does, or in other words, figuratively speaking, whatever the one puts out is what it gets back.)
   1. So now the circle has happening/change/activity to/with it where potential is being realized and isn't just a frozen potential thing with nothing happening, the One is now doing things to/with itself out of it's infinite potential, things are changing, things are happening and again the potential is being realized.
3. Through this happening/changing/activity, the One thing with infinite potential, has made itself into many "things" and everything that is, but still all are One and within/of the One. All these things ultimately are the One itself because it is the One that has turned "itself" into these, they all come from the One, exist within the One, or better yet they ARE the One. So everything is really just one thing, the same thing, in different forms/perspectives and the one thing is everything. (I would say this is Bashar's 3rd law of creation, the One is the All and the All are the One.)
   1. The circle now instead of being just one thing with frozen infinite potential where nothing else exits and nothing is happening, is now one thing with happening/change/activity with/to it's infinite potential which is now being realized and the result/byproduct of that is everything that exists, everything that is. All this is still one thing but it is now ALL this (potential realized) that is the One thing with happening/change/activity and not just One thing that is nothing else but that one thing with frozen infinite potential and no happening/change/activity and no realization of it's potential. I know my example of the One with frozen infinite potential and no happening/change/activity and no realization of it's potential as part of my analogy isn't actually a real thing, I'm just using it for the analogy/step by step explanation.

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My Questions:

1. What I have shared above, is that the same as what Bashar is saying and is it accurate about the structure of existence? If not please let me know/correct me.
2. How and why is the One doing things in the first place? I know there's no how or why to the existence of the One or better yet to existence itself and it just is, but is there a how and why to the happening/change/activity of existence itself? How is this happening, and why is this happening? Why doesn't it just exist and nothing is happening?
3. Are laws 4 and 5 intertwined in a way? What you put out is what you get back and change is always happening aside from the structure (first 4 laws).
   1. What I mean by that is, the One (all of existence, all of consciousness) is always doing happening/change/activity in this structure and whatever becomes or "is" in this existence/structure is ultimately a result of whatever it (the One) does or "puts out". So the happening/change/activity comes from us itself (the One, all of existence, not just us humans) and whatever that happening/change/activity does or results in is what will be, whatever we put out, is what we will get back. Whatever we do, is what is. So because the One exists (law 1), and it's always doing things (law 5), and doing these things in the present (law 2), and these "doings" have results (law 4), what we now have is the One creating many things (law 3), is this correct and is what you put out what you get back just saying that whatever change happens will have a corresponding result so whatever the one does will have an aligned result?
4. Do we humans have limitations or do we humans have infinite potential as well?
   1. In existence everything is possible as there is infinite potential but to me it feels like humans are a creation of that infinite potential in such a way where we have limitations. I mean I can't just at the snap of my finger grow wings on my back, or spawn a dog in my room, or completely change my physical appearance such as my skin color, hair, nose, height, etc., or turn my friend into a bug, or make the sun explode, etc.
5. Why does Bashar's 5th law say that everything changes except the first 4 laws, why isn't it everything changes except the 5 laws? Does that mean that there will be a point in time where there will no longer be change and/or the 4 laws themselves can change? If the 5th law says everything changes except the first 4 laws then doesn't that imply that the 5th law can change and then that means there can be a stop to all change and also the first 4 laws can change?
6. If the One is everything and it's doing all the "change" and everything is just the one itself in different forms and perspectives, are we humans just a part of the change since we have the ability to "do"/"change" things? In other words, we have free will since the One is in control of everything and we are just extensions of the One so we have certain abilities/potential but not all meaning we have limitations and there are things we can do, but also things that we can't do which are being done by other "things" in existence which are also the One. To put it simply, the One is doing everything and if everything is just the One then everything is doing things and everything's "doing" is all collectively all the change in existence. This would mean that we humans have limitations to what we can do and all the "change" in existence is just each individual thing in existence (not just humans but EVERYTHING) itself "doing" things which it can do and all of this together makes up all the constant "change" in existence.

Introduction to launching a pet supplies online business

Launching a pet supplies online business can be an exciting and profitable venture. With the increasing popularity of online shopping, pet owners are looking for convenient ways to purchase supplies for their furry friends. However, there are several pitfalls that aspiring entrepreneurs need to be aware of in order to ensure a successful launch. In this article, we will explore seven common pitfalls that you should avoid when starting your pet supplies online business. By understanding these challenges and taking the necessary precautions, you can set yourself up for success and build a thriving online business in the pet supplies industry.

Benefits of starting an online pet supplies business

Starting an online pet supplies business offers several benefits. One of the key advantages is the flexibility it provides. With an online business, you have the freedom to work from anywhere, at any time. Additionally, an online business allows you to reach a wider audience, increasing your potential customer base. Another benefit is the cost savings associated with not having a physical storefront. You can avoid expenses such as rent, utilities, and maintenance. Furthermore, starting an online pet supplies business gives you the opportunity to showcase your creativity and branding through logo design. Creating a unique and eye-catching logo can help establish your brand identity and attract customers. In this article, we will guide you through the logo design process step by step, ensuring that you create a visually appealing and memorable logo for your pet supplies business.

Challenges of launching a pet supplies online business

Launching a pet supplies online business can be an exciting venture, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. One of the main challenges is HR recruiting. Finding the right talent to join your team and help your business grow is essential, but it can be a time-consuming and daunting task. Fortunately, with the help of tools like Canva, you can streamline the recruiting process and create visually appealing job postings that attract top candidates. Canva offers a wide range of templates and design elements that allow you to create professional-looking job ads in minutes. By leveraging Canva's features, you can save time and effort in the hiring process, ensuring that you find the right candidates to propel your pet supplies online business forward.

Lack of Market Research

Importance of conducting market research

When launching your pet supplies online business, it is crucial to understand the importance of conducting market research. Market research helps you gather valuable insights about your target audience, competitors, and industry trends. By analyzing the market, you can identify potential opportunities and challenges that may arise in the e-commerce business. This research allows you to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies to position your online business for success. Conducting market research ensures that you have a thorough understanding of the market dynamics and customer preferences, enabling you to tailor your offerings and marketing efforts accordingly. With a solid foundation of market research, you can navigate the competitive landscape and establish a strong presence in the pet supplies e-commerce industry.

Identifying target audience and their needs

Identifying the target audience and understanding their needs is crucial for powering your business. By determining who your ideal customers are and what they are looking for, you can tailor your pet supplies online business to meet their specific requirements. Conduct thorough market research to gain insights into the demographics, preferences, and purchasing behavior of your target audience. This will enable you to create targeted marketing campaigns, develop products that resonate with your customers, and provide exceptional customer service. By addressing the needs of your target audience effectively, you can position your business for success and establish a strong foothold in the pet supplies industry.

Analyzing competition and market trends

Analyzing competition and market trends is crucial for the success of any business. It allows business owners to gain valuable insights into the current market landscape and make informed decisions. By studying the competition, business owners can identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies to differentiate themselves. Additionally, analyzing market trends helps business owners stay updated on consumer preferences and demands, enabling them to adapt their offerings accordingly. This article provides advice for business owners on how to effectively analyze competition and market trends to stay ahead in the pet supplies online business industry.

Inadequate Website Design and User Experience

Importance of a visually appealing and user-friendly website

A visually appealing and user-friendly website is of utmost importance when launching your pet supplies online business. Your website serves as the face of your brand and the first impression for potential customers. It is crucial to create a website that not only showcases your products but also provides a seamless and enjoyable browsing experience. One key aspect of a visually appealing website is a well-designed fashion logo. A fashion logo design can enhance the overall aesthetic of your website and create a strong brand identity. By incorporating visually appealing elements and user-friendly features, such as easy navigation and clear product descriptions, you can attract and retain customers, ultimately driving the success of your pet supplies online business.

Optimizing website navigation and search functionality

Optimizing website navigation and search functionality is crucial for the success of your pet supplies online business. A well-designed and user-friendly navigation system allows customers to easily find the products they are looking for, improving their overall shopping experience. By implementing effective search functionality, customers can quickly search for specific items and filter the results based on their preferences. This not only saves time for the customers but also increases the chances of making a sale. Therefore, investing time and effort in optimizing website navigation and search functionality is essential for attracting and retaining customers in the competitive online pet supplies market.

Ensuring mobile responsiveness and fast loading speed

One crucial aspect to consider when launching your pet supplies online business is ensuring mobile responsiveness and fast loading speed. In today's digital age, more and more people are using their mobile devices to browse and shop online. Therefore, it is essential to optimize your website for mobile devices to provide a seamless user experience. Additionally, fast loading speed is paramount as users tend to abandon websites that take too long to load. By optimizing your website's performance, you can improve user satisfaction and increase the likelihood of conversions. To achieve this, you can utilize tools and techniques such as compressing images, minifying code, and leveraging caching mechanisms. Implementing these strategies will not only enhance the user experience but also contribute to better search engine rankings, ultimately driving more traffic to your pet supplies online business.

Insufficient Product Selection and Inventory Management

Choosing a diverse range of pet supplies

When launching your pet supplies online business, one of the key factors to consider is choosing a diverse range of pet supplies. Offering a wide variety of products will attract a larger customer base and cater to the different needs of pet owners. By providing options for various types of pets, such as dogs, cats, birds, and small animals, you can ensure that your online store becomes a one-stop shop for all pet lovers. Additionally, including both essential items and unique, specialty products will help differentiate your business from competitors and provide customers with a comprehensive shopping experience. Remember, the more options you offer, the more likely you are to satisfy the diverse preferences of your target audience and increase your chances of success in the pet supplies market.

Implementing effective inventory management systems

Implementing effective inventory management systems is crucial for the success of your pet supplies online business. By having a well-organized and efficient inventory management system in place, you can ensure that you always have the right products in stock to meet customer demand. This not only helps you avoid stockouts and backorders but also enables you to optimize your inventory levels and minimize carrying costs. Additionally, an effective inventory management system allows you to track product performance, identify slow-moving items, and make data-driven decisions to improve your overall business operations. With the right inventory management system in place, you can streamline your processes, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately drive growth for your pet supplies online business.

Monitoring product demand and adjusting inventory accordingly

When launching your pet supplies online business, it is crucial to monitor product demand and adjust inventory accordingly. This ensures that you always have the right amount of stock to meet customer needs and avoid overstocking or understocking. By keeping a close eye on product demand, you can identify popular items and make informed decisions about which products to prioritize. Additionally, monitoring demand allows you to identify any trends or changes in customer preferences, enabling you to adapt your inventory and offerings accordingly. This proactive approach helps you stay ahead of the competition and provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

Weak Marketing and Promotion Strategies

Creating a comprehensive marketing plan

Creating a comprehensive marketing plan is essential for the success of any online business. It involves strategizing and implementing various marketing techniques to reach the target audience and drive sales. One crucial aspect of a marketing plan is the use of captivating narratives. Captivating narratives have the power to engage customers and create a lasting impression. By incorporating captivating narratives into your marketing strategy, you can effectively communicate your brand story and values, making your pet supplies online business stand out from the competition. To create captivating narratives, consider highlighting the unique features and benefits of your products, sharing customer success stories, and leveraging the emotional connection people have with their pets. By doing so, you can create a compelling and memorable experience for your customers, ultimately driving customer loyalty and increasing sales.

Utilizing social media platforms for promotion

Utilizing social media platforms for promotion is a crucial strategy when launching your pet supplies online business. With the increasing popularity and widespread use of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, these platforms offer a great opportunity to reach a wide audience and promote your products or services. By creating engaging content, running targeted ads, and interacting with your followers, you can build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately increase sales. Additionally, social media platforms provide valuable insights and analytics that can help you optimize your marketing efforts and better understand your target audience. It is important to develop a comprehensive social media strategy and consistently monitor and evaluate your performance to ensure that you are effectively utilizing these platforms for promotion.

Implementing SEO strategies to improve online visibility

Implementing SEO strategies is crucial for improving the online visibility of your pet supplies online business. One important aspect of SEO is optimizing your website for relevant keywords. One such keyword is 'online payment solutions for home-based businesses'. By integrating reliable online payment solutions into your website, you can provide a seamless and secure payment experience for your customers. This not only enhances their trust in your business but also encourages them to make purchases. Additionally, by highlighting the benefits of using online payment solutions, such as convenience and flexibility, you can attract more home-based businesses to choose your pet supplies online store as their preferred platform. With effective SEO strategies and the integration of online payment solutions, you can boost your online visibility and attract a wider audience to your pet supplies online business.

Lack of Customer Service and Support

Providing prompt and helpful customer support

When it comes to launching your pet supplies online business, providing prompt and helpful customer support is crucial. A strong marketing strategy is essential for attracting and retaining customers. By implementing effective marketing strategies, such as targeted advertising campaigns and social media engagement, you can reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. Additionally, offering exceptional customer service and resolving inquiries or concerns in a timely manner can build trust and loyalty among your customers. Remember, a satisfied customer is more likely to recommend your business to others, which can lead to organic growth and success.

Implementing live chat and email support systems

Implementing live chat and email support systems can greatly enhance customer satisfaction and improve the overall shopping experience. By offering real-time assistance through live chat, customers can get immediate answers to their questions or concerns, leading to faster resolution of issues. Additionally, email support allows customers to reach out at their convenience, providing a convenient and efficient communication channel. These support systems enable businesses to provide timely and personalized assistance, building trust and loyalty among customers. By implementing these systems, online pet supplies businesses can ensure that their customers receive the support they need, ultimately contributing to the success of their business.

Handling customer complaints and resolving issues effectively

Handling customer complaints and resolving issues effectively is crucial for the success of any online business. When customers encounter problems or have concerns, it is important to address their issues promptly and professionally. This can help build trust and loyalty with customers, as well as improve the overall reputation of the business. By actively listening to customer complaints and taking appropriate actions to resolve them, businesses can turn negative experiences into positive ones. Implementing a clear and efficient customer support system, training employees on effective communication and problem-solving skills, and regularly monitoring and evaluating customer feedback can all contribute to effective complaint handling and issue resolution. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and striving to exceed their expectations, online businesses can create a positive and rewarding shopping experience for their customers.

Ignoring Analytics and Data Analysis

Importance of tracking website analytics

Tracking website analytics is crucial for the success of any online business. By monitoring and analyzing website data, businesses can gain valuable insights into their audience, their behavior, and the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. This information allows businesses to make data-driven decisions, optimize their website performance, and improve their overall online presence. Without tracking website analytics, businesses would be operating blindly, without a clear understanding of how their website is performing and how to make it better. Therefore, it is essential for pet supplies online businesses to invest in robust analytics tools and regularly review and interpret the data to stay ahead of the competition and maximize their online success.

Analyzing customer behavior and preferences

Analyzing customer behavior and preferences is crucial for the success of any online business. By understanding the needs and preferences of our target audience, we can tailor our products and services to meet their specific requirements. When it comes to launching a pet supplies online business, it is important to analyze the behavior and preferences of pet owners, including those who are looking for group homes for their specific target audience. By studying their purchasing patterns, browsing habits, and preferences, we can gain valuable insights that will help us create a user-friendly website, offer personalized recommendations, and provide a seamless shopping experience. Additionally, by highlighting the keywords 'group homes for [specific target audience],' we can create hyperlinks that direct customers to relevant products and services that cater to their specific needs.

Using data to make informed business decisions

Using data to make informed business decisions is crucial for the success of any online business. By analyzing data, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer behavior, market trends, and competitors' strategies. One key aspect of data analysis is understanding Google revenue streams. Google, being one of the largest technology companies in the world, generates revenue through various channels such as advertising, cloud services, and hardware sales. Understanding these revenue streams can help online businesses optimize their marketing strategies and identify potential partnership opportunities. By leveraging data on Google revenue streams, businesses can make informed decisions that drive growth and profitability.

Conclusion

Recap of the pitfalls to avoid when launching a pet supplies online business

When launching a pet supplies online business, it is crucial to be aware of the pitfalls that can hinder your success. Better communication is one of the key factors to consider. Ensuring clear and effective communication with your customers, suppliers, and team members can help avoid misunderstandings and enhance overall business operations. By fostering open lines of communication, you can build trust, resolve issues promptly, and create a positive customer experience. Additionally, implementing tools and strategies for efficient communication, such as email, chat platforms, and project management software, can streamline processes and improve collaboration. Investing time and effort in establishing better communication practices will contribute to the smooth launch and growth of your pet supplies online business.

Importance of continuous improvement and adaptation

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Encouragement to take the leap and start the online business

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The MCQs for this test were brutal. The questions had the longest paragraphs explaining the situation. They were overall annoying and time consuming. I think I did pretty good had time for all of them except last 2. The FRQ was fair and nothing to crazy. I was confused how to draw free body diagram for FRQ #3. FRQ #1 and 2 were fair and not too challenging.

I have an overwhelming urge to tell my WH's AP's boyfriend what she does on the internet.
Backstory- DDay was 1 month ago. WH had an EA that was not really even that. Someone he found on Reddit on a NSFW subreddit. Someone inviting DMs to play. No emotional exchanges. Sexting naughty fantasies, her sending him pics of her engaging in relations with other men. Him reciprocating with dick pics and videos of him "finishing". All he knew was her first name, where she lived (out of state), that she was an alcoholic and had a serious long-term boyfriend that had no idea this is how she handles her days and "would be devastated to know" (her words in response to my WH asking her how her BF felt about them engaging this way, as per my own witness of such text)
When I found out about the sexting, after picking myself back up off the floor, I immediately went into detective mode. Paid for the background check, found out where she lives, her full name, where she works, etc... for no other reason then sheer madness and curiosity as I was seeking so many answers. But, I also figured out who that long term BF is... and I want SO BADLY to anonymously message him and share a few bits of proof of who he's really dating. It's coming from a place of "want to get back at hewant to save someone else from this heartache"
My WP and I are in early R. While I am still processing so much hurt, I know R is the right step. We are 11 years in with crushes on each other dating back to when we were 10 years old. (We're in our 40s now). 2 kids. Great, strong history. This all came about from my WH feeling lost after we had to humble and house-share with my parents post COVID/housing crisis. Our relationship became complacent due to our living situation. Towards the end of that, I got promoted at work to the tune of a million more responsibilities and good $$, as he was on the chopping block due to budget cuts at his. I stopped dealing with my post-partum healing and dove head first into that new position, working at home as often as I was working at the office. Oh, and trying to be superMom to 2 young kids. He needed serious validation and attention that he never once mentioned he was struggling with.
While we never stopped laughing or loving, we definitely started going through the motions, desperately counting the days until we had our own place again, my brain was healed, my work was more balanced and his job status was solid.
Fast forward 2 years . On our own again, in our own home. They saved his job. Mine is so much more balanced now that I've made it through that initial "OMG what did I agree to" overwhlem. Kids are happy. Sex life came back. (And we have a very adventurous one. Enjoy it all. Explore it all. Lots of play and fun. Lots of deep intimacy as well. Always has been.) The sparkle came back to his eyes.
But...I guess he just still needed to see her goddamn sex acts with other people, still kept engaging with her when she would reach out to him. Albeit a few months go by here and there in between. (I learned that this discovery of his that a woman on the internet thats not a porn star, but just like you and me, could ask to engage in that way so easily and discreetly, he became obsessed. Reached out to over 80 women. Had only 4 that actually became regular sext partners and it was daily) - so my warped mind is, like, "ok" with the fact that around the time we got better, he stopped reaching out to her. (She was the only one left) But every 2-3 months or so, she just can't fucking help herself, her "other lovers don't answer her anymore and...." Cry me a fuckin river...
I ripped into her via text the day after discovery from a ghost number. Laid her out with everything I could muster that wasn't a threat. Told her exactly who she was, exactly what she could do with herself, and exactly how disgusting and ugly and worthless she was to this world. (Not sorry).
I watched him end it. I watched her respond saying "Good because he was nothing to her anyway and how disappointing he was for doing this to her" and he promptly told her to go get hit by a bus. (And I am comforted when he says that if any of the women he made this mistake with were to be dead tomorrow, his life would go on with a skip in his step and no sympathy. They were "pieces of meat" to him. Not women. Incredibly mean words, I realize... and we are actually very non-hate-fueled, but that's how he processed this. It's how I need to, as well, to find my footing right now)
We've been doing ok. I feel and see his remorse. I have zero trust and he has been incredible about allowing me every ounce of everything I need as these weeks develop, post. We're going to make it through this, over this and beyond this.
But... do I tell? It's one of the last things I feel I need before I can start putting her out of my life and mind, and truly work on reconciling and rebuilding us/trust. And I don't even care what comes of it, except to go to bed tonight knowing... he now knows too. We're even.

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91 Hours After the First Round of Interloper Interrogations. UNAFS Perseverance. Hangar Bay.
Evina
The stage was set, and my game face was on. It had to be, especially with what Vir had concocted over the course of his sleepless night.
The realization that AI didn’t exactly… sleep, was something I’d expected. But I’d at least thought the sleepless downtime would be used for something remotely related to downtime, something like maintenance, server repairs, or just anything at least remotely related to a decrease in productivity if only to relax.
I certainly wasn’t expecting that downtime to result in the creation of a literal sci-fi arsenal that now sat there, waiting for me just in front of the shuttle.
“A gift, Evina.” The AI spoke, gesturing to what could only be described as a small procession of bots, carts, and self-navigating cargo containers; all of which kept Eslan’s curiosities at a constant all-time high as he walked around the collection of bots, his eyes enamored by every little detail of each and every one of them.
But it was what was inside and within the containers that sat atop of those autonomous machines which was what I was really interested in. Moreover, it was a particular outfit currently sitting there on top of a felinor mannequin that really drew most of my attention.
Though the term outfit would definitely be underselling it. As what was being offered to me now was something that could no longer be found anywhere else on the continent, save for the odd military bunker and of course, the books and iterative memories belonging to that of the pre-war world.
To put it simply, it resembled advanced police armor, or maybe even military. Though its sleek design, metal pieces, and thinner silhouette put me in mind more of the former than the latter.
More to the point, it seemed to be capable of being fitted atop of my regular gear, instead of requiring me to swap it out entirely; consisting of three distinct pieces that resembled a pair of pants, a jacket, and a helmet.
I took a moment to stare at it intently, analyzing every last detail of it, from its space-age aesthetics of shiny plastics to matte metal chrome, to its soft interior that seemed to be gel-lined with some weird jelly-like fluid.
Moreover, I seized the moment to tease Eslan, as I turned towards him, then Vir, in rapid succession. “I’m assuming the gift isn’t for Eslan, right?” I snickered, prompting the smaller felinor to pout in a fit of resentful jealousy.
“I can arrange one for him if you’d like.” The AI responded casually, as if hinting at the fact that this wasn’t a one-off project, that this wasn’t just something pulled from storage and simply tailored down to my size.
“Let me guess, you have an entire factory deep within the ship somewhere?” I asked, half sarcastic, and half serious, knowing full well the answer could go either way given the track record of everything else on the ship I’d seen so far.
“Right on the money there, Evina.” Vir responded with an electronic chirp, prompting me to re-evaluate both the ship’s unfathomable capabilities, and the two dorks that were in charge of it all.
Nevertheless, it would seem as if Eslan was excited by the prospect, as he began pulling the armor pieces off of the mannequin, examining the finer details before handing them off for me to wear.
“I’m assuming the gel-like internal padding is a sort of passive heat regulator?” The felinor asked.
“Yes, but more than that, it acts as a layer of thermal insulation against energy-based attacks that manage to penetrate the ceramo-reflective plating lining the outside of the armor. This version’s passive since I don’t think you’ll be encountering anything like that on the surface but…” The AI shrugged ominously. “It’s lightweight, comfy, and there’s also ballistic-weave and kinetic-resistant properties embedded in the fabric. Along with some kinetic resistance that’ll help stop projectiles in their tracks if they penetrate the outer layers and somehow manage to make it through to the gel. Think non-newtonian fluid.” The AI’s platform shrugged. “Anyways, I thought it’d be a good, light-weight, adaptable, no-frills all rounder you could keep even after the mission’s end.” The AI explained, prompting me to more or less double-down on my re-evaluation of its seemingly conflicting personality matrix.
Vir was… complicated. In a good way. Seemingly practical, level-headed, tactical, and terrifyingly efficient on one hand, but also very much personable, surprisingly relatable, and most reassuring of all… self-reflective to the point of empathy and benevolence.
My first iteration was practically working overdrive trying to make heads or tails of him.
But my current mind was simply occupied with getting the armor on, which was more or less straightforward.
It was, surprisingly, lightweight. Like wearing a trimmed-down flak jacket that hugged and tightened to your form. The pants were the same story, which only left the helmet that I was hesitant to try on given its roundish shape and tight squeeze.
I examined it, looking inside as I noticed two little indents marking the recesses where my ears could actually comfortably fit.
“I’ve taken the liberty of creating a few modifications to the human baseline design in order to accommodate for your alien anatomy. I learned this the hard way when Lysara first donned a human helmet. It was… not fun, to say the very least.” The AI managed out with a nervous chuckle.
The idea of Lysara’s frills being squished inside a round helmet with no room for that sensitive looking extension of his head sent shivers up my spine. But then again, this made me even more curious as to just what these humans looked like if they lacked frills, ears, or anything else adorning their heads.
“I’m guessing the human-baseline must be really boring then.” I managed out unexpectedly, garnering a cock of the AI’s head. “You know what I mean right? What with having just a round space to shove their heads into. No frills, ears, or anything.”
“Ah, well, I can definitely see where you’re coming from with that.” Vir chuckled in response. “But honestly their appearance is not a big secret or anything. I can just pull up a-”
“Ah! Good morning, Evina!” Lysara announced brightly, cutting Vir off mid sentence as he jumped down from the shuttle and back onto the hangar bay proper. “I’ve been doing some final checks just to make sure we’re ready to go. Sorry I didn’t come out to greet you earlier.” The alien paused just before reaching me however, as he looked me up and down, then smiled. “I see Vir has been up to his usual work.”
“Seems so.” I shrugged. “In any case, I’m feeling more ready than I was just a few minutes ago, which I didn’t think was even possible, so thanks, Vir.” I gave Vir another nod of appreciation, before turning back to Lysara. “We're good to go, then?”
“As ready as ever.” Lysara responded promptly, surprising me with his register slowly shifting more towards something normal, rather than being entirely pulled from a university thesaurus.
Maybe I was starting to rub off of whatever translation software he was using.
“In any case, I don’t think I’ll be using your toys for the time being, Vir.” I gestured towards the rows upon rows of black and chrome weapons alike. Most of them resembled somewhat traditional looking firearms, whilst others were more or less pulled from the pages of science fiction, what with their tapered ‘muzzles’, and raygun-looking grips. “And it’s that I don’t trust that they could do some damage. It’s just a safer bet if I went with what I know. It’s better to use a gun you’ve trained and lived with, than a new one you’ve just messed around with the night prior.” I smiled, more or less alluding to the small escapade the AI and I went on for a short hour after the dinner. “Though I do thank you kindly for the ammo for my revolver, I’d say it’ll be helpful but… I’d rather not say anything at all until we get to our destination.”
The AI responded with a simple sharp dip of his head. “Chemically-derived combustion sluggers are always a solid choice. I wish you all the best, and I hope you don’t end up having to use that gun. I’ll make sure my boys take good care of you and Lysara.”
With a final exchange of nods, Lysara and I strode off and into the shuttle.
But just as we reached the precipice, I turned back, if only to give Eslan a reassuring hug. “I’ll be back sooner than you expect. So don’t get bored now.” I offered, prompting the smaller felinor to grin widely.
“Oh don’t you worry about getting bored.” He gestured to the space around him. “I probably won’t even be done with this room by the time you’re back.”
“Just make sure to save some mysteries for me. Oh, and Vir?” I turned to Vir for a moment, garnering a small cock of his head.
“Yes, Evina?”
“Do make sure that you tire him out some with your explanations. I’d rather come back to a quiet bedroom to pass out in, rather than one with an excitable Eslan ready to chew my ear out with his latest discoveries on the ship’s deep lore.” I jokingly ordered, prompting Eslan to give me his signature side-eye.
Following a dumb smile of my own signaling our temporary goodbyes, I soon found myself back within the bowels of the shuttle. Except this time, the backramp cargo bay seemed to be chock-full of those heavy-duty combat bots I caught glimpses of back in the forests.
In fact, every corner of the shuttle’s cargo bay seemed to be crammed to the brim with one or another form of combat drone. From flying drones, to clusters of those smaller insect-drones, to what looked to be oversized spiders ready to drop from the ceiling at a moment’s notice.
The whole space seemed to be decked out for combat.
Which gave me a lot of confidence about the outcome of this mission.
Lysara and I didn’t say much as we both made our way towards the cockpit, strapped into our respective seats, and began the nausea-inducing flight out of the ship’s hangar bay, and down towards the planet.
A whole minute passed in absolute silence as I tried to steady myself for what was to come.
“So, let’s go over a few of the key details for this mission.” Lysara suddenly broke the silence, bringing up a top-down map of the forests, with the facility in question highlighted in orange. “We’re going to be landing in a clearing made by Vir.” The map shifted, highlighting a very conspicuous open clearing of trees and a charred forest floor that made it very clear something big had happened here very recently.
If I’d seen that place from the ground? I’d have probably cited that aliens did it.
Which, ironically, would’ve been more on the money than I could’ve ever thought possible.
“From there, we march through the open clearing made by Vir, with drones taking point, up and towards the facility.” The map shifted once more, highlighting yet another clearing that more or less formed a clean path towards the entrance of the bunker. “From there, I assume you know your role?”
“Yup, if my prior iterations come through on this one, I’ll open the facility door, and from there… We head inside, and see what’s what.” I responded.
“The drones will make the first move, we’ll have two squads proceed inside and ascertain if it’s safe to enter. After confirming that all hazards are within a tolerable margin of safety, we’ll proceed.”
“Understood.” I acknowledged with a heavy sigh, my eyes trained on the continent that now took up most of our cockpit view.
“Whatever happens, I know for a fact we’ll be safe as long as we play it safe.” Lysara tried filling the silence with his own brand of reassurance.
“I know. But it’s not so much the physical dangers I’m worried about.” I managed out, before pausing, as my eyes once more strayed towards the top-down view of the mission map. “It’s what we’re going to find inside the facility that worries me.”
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(Author’s Note: Evina gets a cool new outfit for her mission, Eslan is promised an entire day of having his sci fi interests satiated, and we're now on our way with Lysara down towards the signal station! The next chapter is already out on Patreon as well if you want to check it out!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 96 of this story is already out on there!)]

Importance of a business bank account

A business bank account is of utmost importance for any business, including a custom shoemaking business. It provides a separate financial identity for the business, allowing for better organization and management of finances. Having a business bank account also helps in building credibility and trust with customers and suppliers. In addition, it enables the business owner to separate personal and business expenses, making it easier to track and manage finances. Furthermore, a business bank account offers various financial services and tools that are specifically designed for businesses, such as merchant services, business loans, and online banking. Overall, having a business bank account is an essential step towards the success and growth of a custom shoemaking business.

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Factors to consider when choosing a business bank account

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Researching Free Business Bank Accounts

Identifying banks that offer free business bank accounts

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Comparing features and fees

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Reading customer reviews and ratings

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Opening a Free Business Bank Account

Gathering required documents

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Visiting the bank or applying online

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Completing the application process

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Managing Your Free Business Bank Account

Setting up online banking

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Tracking income and expenses

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Utilizing banking tools and services

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Maximizing the Benefits of a Free Business Bank Account

Taking advantage of cashback rewards

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Exploring business financing options

When it comes to exploring business financing options for your custom shoemaking business, there are several factors to consider. One important aspect is contract management in healthcare. Contract management plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of healthcare organizations by effectively managing agreements with vendors, suppliers, and service providers. It involves the creation, negotiation, and maintenance of contracts, as well as monitoring compliance and resolving any disputes that may arise. With the right contract management system in place, healthcare businesses can streamline their operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency. To learn more about contract management in healthcare, click here.

Building a strong banking relationship

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Conclusion

The importance of a free business bank account

A free business bank account is an essential tool for any entrepreneur, especially those running a custom shoemaking business. It provides a secure and convenient way to manage financial transactions related to the business, such as receiving payments from customers and paying suppliers. The importance of a free business bank account cannot be overstated, as it helps to separate personal and business finances, ensuring accurate record-keeping and simplifying tax filing. Additionally, having a dedicated business bank account can enhance the professional image of the custom shoemaking business, instilling confidence in customers and suppliers alike. By offering a seamless banking experience, a free business bank account allows entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best: creating exquisite custom-made shoes.

Choosing the right bank for your business

When it comes to choosing the right bank for your business, there are several factors to consider. One important factor is the ability to get a free business bank account. This can save your custom shoemaking business money in the long run. With a free business bank account, you can avoid monthly fees and transaction charges that can add up over time. Additionally, having a business bank account allows you to separate your personal and business finances, making it easier to track your expenses and manage your cash flow. Constant Contact is a popular bank that offers free business bank accounts for custom shoemaking businesses. With Constant Contact, you can enjoy the convenience of online banking, mobile banking, and access to a network of ATMs. By choosing Constant Contact as your business bank, you can ensure that your custom shoemaking business has the financial support it needs to thrive.

Utilizing the features and benefits of a business bank account

Utilizing the features and benefits of a business bank account is essential for the success of your custom shoemaking business. A business bank account provides a range of advantages that can help streamline your financial operations and ensure the smooth running of your business. With a business bank account, you can separate your personal and business finances, making it easier to track your expenses and income. Additionally, a business bank account offers features such as online banking, mobile banking, and electronic payment options, allowing you to conveniently manage your finances from anywhere at any time. Moreover, having a business bank account can enhance your professional image and credibility among clients and suppliers. By utilizing the features and benefits of a business bank account, you can effectively manage your finances and position your custom shoemaking business for long-term success.
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14-minute read.

average monthly nominal salaries and YoY change in Q1 2024

Yerevan +8% to ֏324K/$836
Syunik +7% to ֏295K/$760
Shirak +7% to ֏142K/$366
Yerevan had the highest wages. Syunik had the highest wages among provinces, while Shirak had the lowest.
REPORT: While the average nominal monthly salary does not always show the level of economic prosperity in a region, its rise has made a tangible difference in Syunik.
SUREN PARSYAN (economist): Syunik has higher wages and strong employment. It is the most prosperous province with the lowest unemployment rate in Armenia: 24% in Armenia, 15% in Yerevan, and 2% in Syunik.
REPORT: Over the last 5 years, the average monthly nominal salaries have risen by 40% while the inflation was 21%.
source,

Armenian army launches command staff exercises

They will exercise the practical implementation of deployment and combat plans, evaluate the commanders' skills, improve the synchronized work between various groups, develop the officers' moral characteristics and practical skills during preparation and combat operations, etc.
They will use automated control systems and modern technologies during the exercises.
source,

Armenia and India will form a new working group for defense cooperation

Defense ministries of AM and IN held a meeting on Tuesday. They discussed the 2024-2025 cooperation plan and the creation of a new working group to coordinate the cooperation.
source,

from PM Pashinyan's speech at Copenhagen Democracy Summit:

PASHINYAN: Democracy has indeed become a reality in Armenia. Before the 2018 Velvet Revolution, massive electoral frauds were the usual companion of elections in Armenia. There was no trust among the citizens that there was a real chance for them to elect the government.
Now the situation is totally different; citizens know that they are powerful enough to decide. The two general elections that were held in Armenia after the Velvet Revolution have been acknowledged as democratic, free, and competitive both by the Armenian society and the international community.
Armenia made huge progress in strengthening the democratic institutions, an achievement reflected in reputable democracy indexes:
(a) Now we are the 43rd in the Reporters Without Borders’ Freedom of Speech index, compared to 79th place in 2017.
(b) Categorized as having partially free internet in 2017 by Freedom House, now we enjoy the status of a country with free internet.
(c) In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Armenia is now 62nd instead of 107th in 2017.
(d) In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index we are 84th compared to 111th in 2017.
In order to assess this progress, it's essential to note that alongside democratic reforms, Armenia has been contending with external security challenges: the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan's invasion of Armenia in 2021 and 2022 and the occupation of over 200 km² amid inaction by [Russia's] CSTO, the forced displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, have cast doubts among Armenian citizens weather democracy is the right choice. So, democracy needs to prove its efficiency while dealing with security, economic and humanitarian challenges.
We are pleased with the deployment of EU monitoring mission alongside the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and we welcome EU’s decision to expand its capacity. On the other hand, we hope for the inclusion of Armenia into the European Peace Facility and in this regard, we rely on the support of all EU member states [Hungary].
A new set of commitments aimed at strengthening Armenia’s economic resilience, state institutions, and addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees has been taken on by the European Union and United States during the high-level meeting on April 5 in Brussels. The rapid and effective implementation of those commitments is of utmost importance.
Despite all the challenges, we believe that the real and most aspiring companion for democracy is lasting and sustainable peace. My government took the share of its responsibility for this. Recently we reached an agreement with Azerbaijan to launch the delimitation of our interstate borders on the basis of the Almaty Declaration of 1991. That means that during the delimitation we should simply reproduce the Soviet-era administrative borders. This is the implementation of the agreement reached in Prague in 2022. Now it is time to incorporate and reflect those agreements in the peace treaty and have it signed.
Another key point for our regional stability is the «Crossroads of Peace», project, initiated by my government. This project implies that Armenia and Azerbaijan restore and open transport and other communications in accordance with the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries through which they pass, and comply with the principles of equality and reciprocity. These elements of the concept were agreed upon during the July 2023 meeting with Ilham Aliyev and Charles Michel. //

... Politico reporter's Q&A with Pashinyan

REPORTER: [Ex-NATO leader] Anders Fogh Rasmussen called your neighbor an autocracy. You are in a very difficult geopolitical and geographical position. How do you solve the security problem in that environment?
PASHINYAN: I would not like to comment on the internal situation of our neighboring countries. Democracy fully corresponds to the mentality of our people. It is a strategy for our government, it is our political belief, it is also our political identity. The members of our political team have spent most of their lives fighting for democracy, the rule of law, and freedom of speech. Now we have the opportunity to realize all these values in our country.
The security situation was complicated because of the regional and global situation; the world order is collapsing at the moment. My assessment is, and I have had occasion to say this publicly, that the 2020 war was a prelude to further developments. And now the main issue is security.
What is our strategic point of view, how are we going to guarantee the security of our country? Recently, I gave a speech in our parliament, where I said that the most important tool for ensuring security is a foreign policy based on legitimacy. This is the reason why we so often speak about the 1991 Almaty Declaration.
It is very important that during the 2022 Prague meeting, two very important agreements were reached. Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty on the basis of the Almaty Declaration and will use it as the basis for the border demarcation. This is the reason why I said that we are not drawing a new border, we just need to reproduce the existing one on the ground. This process is happening right now, and I hope that we will continue it steadfastly.
REPORTER: The border conflict that has occurred in recent years has had a negative impact on relations with Russia and Russia's role for Armenia. What would you say about this?
PASHINYAN: Armenia is a member of CSTO. We are officially a CSTO member, but I have announced that we have frozen our participation.
REPORTER: So are you still a member or...?
PASHINYAN: It is a matter for further discussion, but it is very important to record the current situation. A crisis arose in our relations after Azerbaijani troops invaded Armenia, and according to CSTO procedures, the Organization and its member states had to support Armenia in this situation. But even after the formal application, the CSTO refused to take any concrete steps, and in fact, that is the main reason for freezing our participation in the CSTO at all levels.
REPORTER: Do you expect the West to occupy the current vacuum and ensure your security?
PASHINYAN: We are diversifying our foreign relations in all spheres. Now we are developing defense cooperation with India, France, and other countries. We have a certain cooperation with the European Union because as I mentioned, we are happy about the deployment of the EU Civilian Observation Mission on the border. It is a civilian mission but in a way, it is a new factor for the security of our region. This is the first time that the European Union participates in the security agenda of Armenia.
REPORTER: Would you like to become an EU member?
PASHINYAN: We are waiting for the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Facility. We also hope to start visa liberalization negotiations, and last year I announced in the European Parliament that Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems it possible. This is our position.
REPORTER: Can you elaborate on what initiatives Armenia is taking in the fight against corruption?
PASHINYAN: We have made huge progress but have not eradicated corruption from Armenia. We must continue to be persistent in the agenda of democratic reforms. This is the reason why cooperation with the European Union is of utmost importance for us because today the European Union is our main partner in the implementation of our democratic reform agenda. We hope that the European Union, as well as the USA, will increase their support to Armenia in the implementation of democratic reforms, because, as I said, democracy is a strategy for us.
By the way, in 2019 we started a Strategic Dialogue with the USA, and today we see the strengthening of our cooperation with the European Union. We recently had a tripartite meeting with the participation of the USA, EU, and Armenia. It was an unprecedented format, where we adopted a huge agenda of institutional and economic reforms. It is also very important that we receive more tangible support from the EU and the US to address the humanitarian needs of the Nagorno Karabakh refugees because it is a very sensitive and emotional issue for us.
REPORTER: In which year would you like Armenia to become a member of the EU?
PASHINYAN: This year [as soon as possible]. //
Pashinyan met Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The latter emphasized the importance of the “Crossroads of Peace” project in the context of unblocking the regional infrastructure.
Pashinyan discussed various topics with the PM of Denmark. The latter accepted his invitation to visit Armenia.
full video, source, video, other, other, source, video,

former regime continues to hold protests and briefly shut down roads in Yerevan with demands for PM Pashinyan's resignation

ԳԼՈՒԽ 1
Dozens of participants were detained and released the same day for blocking roads. The detentions decreased from 170 on Monday to ~63 on Tuesday. They want Pashinyan to resign or to be impeached. The protest organizers visited universities to gather student supporters, some of whom joined them with a dance. The organizers also stopped by at a bakery where they were given free food.
A felony investigation was launched after a police vehicle, "with the sirens on", struck a reporter on the street. In another instance, an investigation was launched against a protester who brought a long sword. One other case was launched over alleged threats made on Facebook by a Galstanyan fan who wants scores of people to be beaten in dalans and exiled from Armenia, "մենակ էտ դեպքում էս սրբազան հողը կմաքրվի էս տեսակ շան ծնունդներից, ուրիշ ձև չկա!!!!"
ԳԼՈՒԽ 2
A ruling faction member of Yerevan City Council complained about "harassment" by opposition figures who are attempting to convince ruling party members to join the protests and the impeachment.
RULING MEMBER: That is not how it works. No one will join you with that conduct. People will join if they see you have a legitimate agenda with trustworthy leaders. Instead, you are "ethnically cleansing" the citizens of Armenia [referring to one opposition speaker telling non-Armenians to leave] և հեռու չէ են օրը երբ դուք գուցե ասեք որ հայ լինելու համար պետք է Հայկ նահապետից տեղեկանք բերել: //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 3
Yesterday the protest co-organizer Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan said he received a report suggesting that the Deputy Rector of Yerevan State University supposedly urged deans and others to retaliate against students who joined the protests. Galstanyan said he was unsure whether the report was true, but decided to read it out loud anyway. On Tuesday he rallied his supporters to the backyard of the University where he demanded to speak with the Deputy Rector for clarification.
The Deputy Rector went downstairs and greeted Galstanyan, who shook her hand but wouldn't let it go for an uncomfortably long period, prompting her to ask him to let go of her hand. The Deputy Rector declared that whatever Galstanyan read about her was a defamatory lie.
GALSTANYAN: I never believed it myself.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Then you should not have said out loud something you did not believe.
GALSTANYAN: Listen, there is a recorded fact...
DEPUTY RECTOR: Where is that "recorded fact"?
GALSTANYAN: It was on the media. As I said yesterday, I had no verification that it was true, which is why we came here to clarify it. If it's false, then I apologize.
DEPUTY RECTOR: Thank you. //
The Deputy Rector urged the protest organizers not to enter the building or disrupt the classes, and that "anyone who wants to follow you can follow you, anyone who wants to stay in classrooms should stay in classrooms".
The angry Deputy Rector left. Another university official criticized Galstanyan for not checking the information before reading it to his followers. Galstanyan said he stands behind his words, and that he was "just reading what was on the media", but reiterated that he had no intention to insult the Deputy Rector.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 4
Galstanyan and his supporters visited the monument dedicated to Operation Nemesis. He praised the figures behind Nemesis for "assuming personal responsibility". In front of the crowd, Galstanyan introduced Hambig Sassounian who recently joined his movement. He pointed to the Nemesis monument and said Sassounian is "one of the successors, one of the brightest people." In related news, on Sunday a ruling faction MP complained about receiving death threats with reference to Operation Nemesis.
ԳԼՈՒԽ 5
DANIEL IOANNESIAN (NGO chief): When this protest dies down, we need to discuss the following: (1) The transparency of political and media funding. There are some regulations in place, but they are incomplete and easily bypassed. For example, I'd like to know who paid for Archbishop Galstanyan's giant stage in Republic Square. In 2018 Pashinyan organized a fundraising for it and disclosed a detailed report. (2) Should the media organizations that do not respect the rules of financial transparency enjoy all the mechanisms for the protection of journalists? (3) Are the customs authorities confident that the church is not facilitating the business activities of certain figures disguised as donations? (4) Is it fair for the church and clergy members not to pay taxes? Should they be able to have a Bently and LX570 without paying taxes? [The "Bentley" is based on a true story.]
ԳԼՈՒԽ 6
Archbishop's fans spotted Miss Armenia 2003 and a H1 host Lusine Tovmasyan drinking a coffee at a Yerevan café and approached her.
PROTESTER: (unintelligable)
LUSINE: I was here drinking coffee yesterday, and a year before that.
PROTESTER: Why have you not joined the holy struggle?
LUSINE: Լավ եկեք թարգեք, շատ զզվելի ա, էնքան զզվելի ա․ //
ԳԼՈՒԽ 7
Pro-Kremlin propagandist Alexander Dugin praised the pro-Russian forces' protests in Armenia and criticized the pro-EU protests in Georgia.
Pro-Kremlin Russian politician Semyon Baghdasarov praised Archbishop Bagrat and the ongoing "uprising" in Armenia against the "traitor" [Nikol] who "rigged" the elections with the help of "Turkey, UK, and US". Nikol is a Turkish MI6 agent. video,
ԳԼՈՒԽ 8
Video of a protest recorded from above: video
source, video, video, video, video, source, source, source, source, source, source, source, video,

Armenian government has upgraded other diplomatic channels to reduce reliance on ARF's diaspora structures in the US, says pro-West NGO chief

KHURSHUDYAN: The status of the Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. [Lilith Makunts] has been significantly upgraded. I won't go into specifics because it's tied to our neighbors, but she plays an interesting role there. We have great conditions for the U.S. Congress to pressure Azerbaijan. This is outside of ARF's lobbyist groups in the U.S.
REPORTER: ARF Hay Dat's recent conduct has been shameful.
KHURSHUDYAN: And its influence on the Lemkin Institute was obvious. //
Yesterday Kurshudyan accused the Lemkin Institute of caving to ARF's pressure and meddling into Armenia's internal affairs to assist the protests by the pro-Russian former regime.
KHURSHUDYAN: Lemkin Institute accused Pashinyan's April 24 genocide remembrance day statement of containing "victim blaming". Lemkin did not comment on Pashinyan's statement for several weeks, waited 15 days, and as soon as these pro-Russian protests began in Armenia, they gave them a պաս:
source,

Armenia's four most prominent pro-West opposition parties announce the formation of a unified platform

Republic Party, led by ex-PM Aram Sargsyan.
Hanun Republic Party, led by Arman Babajanyan.
European Party of Armenia, led by Tigran Khzmalyan.
Christian-Democratic Party, led by Levon Shirinyan.
Have the following agenda...
(1) Promotion of Western values in Armenia and Armenia's membership in EU and NATO.
(2) United front against threats and risks of destabilization coming from Russia.
(3) Vetting judges to clean up the courts, and resolution of issues left unaddressed by the Pashinyan administration.
(4) Continuation of border demarcation based on 1991 Almaty.
(5) The use of international law to achieve a fair resolution for Nagorno-Karabakh residents.
The platform is open for like-minded forces to join.
source,

Armenian army chief denies being a Russian citizen

A statement released by the defense ministry denies media reports that CoGS LtGen Edward Asryan is a dual citizen of Russia. His wife is an ethnic Russian with Armenian citizenship and his kids are dual citizens, but Asryan only has citizenship in Armenia. The whole family has resided in Armenia since 2006, said the statement.
source,

Georgia passes controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill despite widespread opposition

The law will require organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence” or face crippling fines.
The bill will be sent to the President who is expected to veto it, but her veto is expected to be overruled by the parliamentary majority later.
Georgian PM Kobakhidze had an "honest conversation" with U.S. deputy foreign minister James O'Brien, telling him that the Georgian government is interested in deepening the partnership with the U.S., "which requires mutual efforts and relations based on fairness."
James O'Brien demanded to speak with the manager - Bidza Ivanishvili. The latter refused to meet O'Brien, saying he won't hold any meetings under "blackmail".
The White House said the U.S. will review its relations with Georgia if the bill becomes law.
source, source, source,

how many of the 101,000 Nagorno-Karabakh refugees have left Armenia and haven't returned yet?

As of...
Dec: 6.6K
Jan: 6.9K
Mar: 8.0K
Apr: 9.1K
May: 9.9K
The former Ombudsman of Nagorno-Karabakh said many of them have family members and friends in Russia who invite them to move.
source,

temperatures are rising rapidly in Armenia

REPORTER: The rainy May is not going to be enough to alleviate the negative consequences of the rapidly rising temperatures in Armenia. With a ~3 Celsius anomaly, Armenia had the second-highest increase in temperature over the last 6 months among a group of monitored countries.
WEATHER CENTER: High temperatures increase the evaporation of water and reduce the amount of snow in the winter. In December and January, we recorded rain instead of snow in certain mountainous regions, which is bad for water resources.
REPORTER: A conference was recently held in Yerevan within the framework of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
UN official: Around 40% of global soils are degraded. Millions of people will be forced to migrate from their communities by 2050 as a result of climate problems. Emergency action is needed to reduce the rate of rising temperatures. //
Armenia joined the Convention three decades ago and has assumed the responsibility to restore degraded soil by 2030. The government is promoting drip irrigation systems for farming and wants to plant more trees.
video,

is the decline of Lake Sevan levels finally slowing down?

see the YoY chart

Yerevan Municipality to receive a €25 million loan from European Investment Bank to raise energy efficiency

It's part of the implementation of Eastern Partnership programs. The Armenian government and the EU are co-financing it.
The goal is to raise energy efficiency and carry out seismic retrofitting in 6 medical clinics and 32 kindergartens run by the municipality. The length of the program is 4 years.
video, video,

Gagik Tsarukyan is inside you

there is a bit of Tsarukyan inside all of you
see it to believe it

Gagik Tsarukyan says the new Jesus statue is ready and will be installed by the end of 2025

It will be a tourist attraction site. There will be a ropeway. Also, Tsarukyan needs you to know that he is a man of God and an avid believer.
video,

Armenia and Slovakia discussed AM-EU visa liberalization

source,

Lithuania will help retrain Armenian law enforcement agents to combat cybercrime, analyze crimes, etc.

source,

Armenia's Economy Minister Papoyan met the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt

In a Washington meeting participated by the Armenian Ministry delegation and Armenia's Ambassador, they spoke about the Crossroads of Peace logistics project proposed by Armenia, several topics relating to Armenia's energy and economic security, and the Armenian government's ongoing efforts to classify Armenia as a "market economy".
source,

Armenia and Iran discussed the construction of a second bridge over the River Araks

The first bridge began operating in 1996. It came to replace the floating bridges on the river.
Iran says the AM-IR traffic through the Meghri checkpoint significantly increased last year. Coupled with the fact that Armenia is building a modern North-South highway, they believe it's necessary to have a second AM-IR bridge to handle the rising traffic.
The parties are currently discussing the formation of a working group consisting of experts to discuss the topic.
source,

a new study on mice indicates that more exercise might be better than more sleep for clearing brain of toxins

They injected a dye into a brain and tracked the speed of its movement during sleep and exercise.
The findings show that the clearance of the dye was reduced by 30% in sleeping mice compared with mice that were kept awake. This has not been confirmed on humans yet.
Previous research has suggested that sleep is important for preventing dementia as it is during this time that toxic proteins are cleared from the brain.
source, source,

hellos. it is me again. i am back with update about last post (if don’t know what i mean, feels free to check profile) will warn again, english is not best so if hard to understand, i apologize! but i have been practice more 😄
i finally am fully move in with bf. other night he let decorate a room to be girly because i always had dedicated room for art. i did not feels safe having one as soon as roommate allowed dog in house, but there is no dog to ruin me here. i feels so happy, safe, loved because he love me and respect me and there is no dog here to growl and act aggressive at me here. he always tell me how important i am to him, how much he love me and how he will make sure i stay happy with him.
a little over week ago (my birthday) roommate calls and ask for my part of rent money. i send her text about me move out and landlord should told her but she either ignore or didn’t receive message. she did not ask how am i, no happy birthday, no ask about where i have been. like they not notice i have been gone. now she reach out on my birthday of any day to ask for money for place i do not live anymore? i tell her i live with bf now and am sorry but no money for rent can come from me, especially now because i am looking for new better pay job. she sends sad message making me feel bad because she knows am really easy to make feel bad about stuffs that is not my fault. she says she is pay to get stuff for dog and wants to be a good gf and dog mom (what is that? i do not understand how can be mom to a dog?) and want to use money for that but needs money for rent too. i was confuse because should rent not be bigger importance? she can spoil dog later i think but no, she wants take money from me. cut it short my final answer is no and she does not respond message.
a few days later i happen to be getting out of car after buying hair products when they stop by taking stroll. i still wonder if they were going out of way to see me or if just happened to be walking around area. dog is barking and pulling on very weak and dirty leash. it does not look like the leash strong enough to hold dog of size, much less clearly aggressive pitbull. it not break around me but whole time i was scare leash would snap and dog would attack me. bf was not home he was at work so it was me, roommate, her gf, and dog. gf says they were taking walk and ask how i am doing. i tell her honestly, very happy. i did not mean to sound bragging in any way but not resist telling her how life has treat me now that i can feel safe in own home again. not scared to walk to another room for fear of be attacked. she act happy for me but she also looks so angry at me. i don’t know why? it is not like i told them to get rid of dog. do i wish they did? yes. not just because it is dog but because it is clearly aggressive. i realize now thanks to you all that moment dog was brought into home, they stop caring about me, their friend, for a dog that made miserable. even if i ask i doubt they would have rehome dog. i did what best for me, and i guess them, and move in with man who love me and would not hurt me like that.
as we are talking dog looks like ready to take bite out of me, pulling on leash. i wondered if both were angry enough to let dog loose to intimidate me just by way they were acting. i could not believe how quick we went from friends to me being scare of them and dog. while they did not say anything threaten exactly (we were catching up talk about life, i did because i did not want be childish), the body behavior and emotions were clear. they hate me for move out, but only notice because they need rent money? i tell them many time before i left that dog is making life hell but never listened. then i told was moving out before i officially did. when they brought dog with it felt like a threat, just having such dangerous thing around. like a warning and disrespect. “look, we only care about dog. here it is on very weak leash that can snap any time. we know how you feel about dogs and how scare you are, but not care about you anymore! by the way, can borrow some money for rent even though is not your responsibility anymore? here is sad story to make you feel guilt so say yes.”
i told bf what happen when he got home later that night, and he called them and said some very angry thing. i think he should have calm down (for his sake), but he basically told them never come my way again, especially with dog. that if they want talk, talk like adults and don’t include the thing that was a reason i move out. he said is dangerous dog and to not come crying to me when it gets put down because it kill someone or cause life change injuries. he can get very angry but he later tell me he just gets upset that NOW they decide to come sees me. NOW they want talk. we blocked both of them and i don’t really want be friends with them again because they toss me aside for dog like it was nothing. we went hell and back and it went down drain because of dog. not just any dog but badly train dog who might attack someone one day. i tell my family and they thinks am overreacting but i don’t think they ever understand until this happen to them. i mostly made post to tell you all am currently live dog free. am happy living here. it always smell clean, i can walk freely no fear. bf give me much love and attention. we have video game night or go out to eat or just be outside. i also got job for doordash today and am getting second job somewhere soon hopefully too because have interview tomorrow! it can get better, for anyone struggle living with dog. can be mentally drained but you are not alone. 🤗 thanks much for people that commented on last post. am thankful when people don’t make me feel crazy for saying dogs scare me and impact mental health in bad way. i don’t hate dogs for existence, just wish people could know that not everybody has to like them.

CP2000 response question
Thanks for reading my post!
I used Cash App for my taxes and did not realize that I made a big mistake. I think it was probably me answering a question wrong but it put my DoorDash 1099NEC as "other income". In 2022.
I checked and I paid the self-employment tax and took the mileage deduction on my 2023, so we're all good there.
In my CP2000 response, I included a schedule C showing my mileage and took the Lifetime Learning Credit because I was full time in grad school.
Is it okay to go back and claim those deductions/credits?
To be clear, I did claim the income but in the wrong area so I was not hit with any penalties.

After being a member of the subreddit for years and seeing hundreds if not thousands of posts it has become clear to me that some of you struggle with helping yourself. By which I mean you struggle understanding what you need to ask for help properly. I have drawn up some good advice on how to ask for help. I hope this is helpful for some people.
So you have a problem with Plex. You're not tech literate. Or have little experience with troubleshooting software and networking. Maybe you also have no experience handling IT support tickets or writing them. Possibly you are tech literate but the problem you have is a real mystery. You've come to the right place. Before you post your question let's take a look at a few things.
1. Have you reasonably searched for a solution to your problem?
Search for your problem on Google, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, or the built-in Reddit search for this subreddit. There is a very high probability that someone has already run into the same problem. As much as everyone's ecosystems are all unique to their use case, they are not really unique in general. A vast majority of users are runninig bare metal on Windows or Linux, or in a Docker container. There isn't that much deviation. For sure there are those of us out there running elaborate Proxmox + Kubernetes clusters and doing things like VIFO GPU passthrough. We are the exception. Odds are, someone has already asked your question.
You may want to consider how you are searching your problem. Have you been searching an exact error message? Typing something like "Plex is slow" into Google is extremely non-specific and not helpful. Leverage error messages, or specific scenarios when searching. Consider the conditions or operating systems you are using, and so on. Try to be specific when possible.
Try using keyword parameters in search engines. For example, you can add site:reddit.com to your Google search. Or -docker to exclude results not relevant to you. Maybe add something specifically in quotations " " to force that string of text to be present on results. There are tons of ways to leverage a search feature.
2. Have you asked an AI?
Whether you like it or not, AI is not going anywhere. ChatGPT in particular is solid for troubleshooting problems. GPT3.5 is free, but not amazing. GPT4 however is $20 a month and will be worth every penny you spend on it. Ask some friends, maybe someone you know has a subscription if you are not interested in paying for a one-time problem. In general, I highly recommend having an active subscription to ChatGPT4. I use it every single day when working on tech related problems. This is not school, you are not being graded on your ArPlex ecosystem. Use advanced tools to help make things easier on yourself. I promise you, general networking questions, Docker questions, virtualization questions, port fowarding, etc. are all things AI can handle with ease. It's exceedingly rare you are having a problem it can't help with unless you are dealing with heavy layers of abstraction in your set up.
3. Have you asked for help in other places before Reddit, or in conjunction with Reddit?
There are so many various resources out there where you may get a faster response from Reddit. And to a certain extent, better troubleshooting. IRC/Forums channels for private trackers (that you are downloading Linux ISOs from right... right...), Discords for other subreddits like homelab or datahoarders are great places to start. These guys are deep in the home lab game, you'd be a fool to think they are not running Plex. There are hundreds of online tech nerds hanging out in these channels who probably know the answer to your question.
It's also more responsive. If you ask a question, someone who wants to help may ask further questions. Or ask you to try various tasks and commands to see if it helps. There is a back and forth between you and the person helping you. On Reddit you have a much slower back-and-forth and if you ask too many questions in a thread it's liable to be hidden by Reddit or may never get enough eyes on it in the New feed.
4. Did you make a proper tech support ticket post?
So you've looked high and low. You can't find a thing on any search engines, no one in IRC or Discord has an answer for you, and you're up against a wall. It's time for writing a Reddit post to ask for help. Fair enough. But did you actually write a post that helps yourself as well as the people trying to help you?
Posting "I am having a problem. None of my posters will load. Help!" is not a sufficient way to ask for help. Here are some things you will want to include in your post when asking for help.

• What version of Plex you are running
• Any specific error messages you see
• Any errors or warnings found in the Plex logs
• Screenshots of the problem
• Relevant network set up information
• Things you have already tried to fix the problem
• Variables or things that may have changed recently in your set up
• Other relevant software in the ecosystem that may touch Plex

We cannot help you if we don't have the appropriate amount of context. If I had to really hammer a few of those in, "things you have already tried" and "specific error messages from logs" are the big ones. It saves time ruling things out. It helps people who are better at looking up problems than yourself find the relevant information. Even the best of IT guys don't have this memorized. Here's an industry secret for you: the IT guy doesn't know why it's broken either. They are just better at Googling things than you from many years of slaving away in the StackOverflow mines. You need to give the IT help as much information as possible. In fact, overshare when possible. It's way easier to ignore non-relevant information than it is to drag that information out of you.
This all seems like obvious advice. People who are stressed when something is broken generally are not thinking very logically. Bookmark this post. When you have a problem, refer to it. Skim it over. Ask yourself if you have satisfied all of this. I guarantee that you will see better results troubleshooting your problem if you follow this advice.

My 39 year old daughter is living in my house rent free and has no job. I’m supporting her entirely, paying for her phone and food. She spends everyday sitting on the couch and watching tv or scrolling through her phone. She never helps around the house and rarely even goes outside or have any hobbies. She only goes out once in a while with her friend.

She refuses to get a job and says she has depression and mental illnesses that keep her from doing so. I’ve been trying to get her to go to a doctor for months. I helped her get on health insurance so there no issues with cost she just tells me she’ll go but never does. I even told her I’d go with her and help her however I can but she won’t do it. A part of me wonders if she’s just saying that as an excuse to continue to live without responsibilities. In the past if I tried to threaten her with kicking her out if she doesn’t see a doctor she says I’m a horrible mother for trying to kick her mentally ill daughter out and throws a screaming angry fit, cursing and throwing things. Sometimes I’m scared she’ll physically assault me. I even had to call the cops on her once cause she wouldn’t stop yelling. 

Recently I’ve gotten to my wits end and refused to pay her phone bill if she doesn’t go to the doctor. She told me that she’s an adult and I can’t force her to see someone. I told her if she doesn’t go in a month I’ll be forced to kick her out, screaming ensued.

Am I going about this the wrong way? I’m getting older now and it’s getting harder for me. I know It’s my fault she’s gotten this bad, for enabling her all these years by supporting her and not forcing her to get a job. I don’t know how to make it right. Am I a bad mother if I kick her out? 

Knuckles the Echidna

"I am the last guardian of Angel Island. I will protect the Master Emerald. And I will do it alone if I have to."

To make a very long, complicated, and confusing story short, Knuckles the Echidna is the Guardian of the mythical Master Emerald and protector of the floating Angel Island (interchangeably called the Floating Island). He comes from a long line of Guardians, each serving as Guardian before him. Before his birth, his father, Locke, saw a dream he thought of as prophetic, and prepared his unborn baby with the power to handle his future responsibility...by blasting his egg with Chaos radiation, granting Knuckles his spiked fists and an aptitude for Chaos Energy manipulation.
Knuckles would go through many hardships throughout his life: His father's death, discovering his home then watching its destruction, and his endless fight against Dr. Eggman and the forces of the Dark Legion. Knuckles would even die and be brought back to life. However hard the going gets, though, Knuckles always manages to recover and hit harder. He's not just rougher than the rest of them; he's the best of them.

Section Key: I. Strength II. Speed/Agility III. Durability IV. Chaos Power V. Other VI. Hyper Knuckles VII. Chaos Knuckles Source Key: Knuckles' Chaotix - Chaotix Knuckles the Echidna - KtE# Sonic and Knuckles - S&K Sonic's Friendly Nemesis, Knuckles Miniseries - Nem# Sonic Quest - Quest# Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) - StC# Sonic the Hedgehog Free Comic Book Day - FCD# Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble - Triple Sonic Super Special - Spe# Sonic Universe - SU# Sonic vs. Knuckles - SvK Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles - SSvHK 

Feats are posted in chronological order.

For additional context on some feats, see a map of Angel Island here.

To see his feats during his time as the Enerjak, see here (Respect Thread by theusjshjdhdne)

I. Strength

Striking

• Breaks a fake Chaos Emerald.
• Breaks down a brick wall in one punch.
• Knocks out Fang with one punch.
• Destroys Metal Sonic in one blow when they’re both at a giant size.
• Brawls with Enerjak.
• Punches a hole in a giant machine.
• Brawls with Sonic until they’re both exhausted.
• Rams through a large metal robot.
• Breaks through an indeterminate amount of stone.
• Punches Sonic so hard Sally worries that Knuckles could have knocked Sonic’s head off.
• Shatters a few Egg Grapes.
• Punches Finivetus hard enough for him to bounce.
• Punches a sturdy trap wall hard enough to climb up it.
• Clashes fists against Finitevus hard enough to cause a shockwave.
• Punches the ground enough to crack it and create smoke.

Lifting/Grabbing

• While Perfect Chaos is flooding a city and Knuckles is in this water, he lifts a heavy generator that powers the entire city.
• Restrains an out-of-control Bunnie alongside Mighty and Vector.
• Catches a giant drill and prevents its rotation.
• Holds up rubble alongside Amy to prevent a cave-in.
• Snaps off an arm of the Egg Beater with Vector’s help.
• Grabs Finivetus by his cape and slams him into a wall hard enough to crack it.

Throwing

• Throws a dingo from one room to another to hit another dingo.
• Tosses Sonic above cloud level.
• Throws Thrash through a stone wall.

Other

• Anchors himself with his spikes during a tornado.
• Easily cuts a tree with ease.
• Powers through Thrash’s screams.

II. Speed/Agility

Combat/Evasion

• Evades falling boulders.
• Dodges a lot of traps completely unscathed including machine guns.
• Spins in a cyclone fast enough to throw a biker gang into the distance.
• Dodges a laser.
• Dodges a robot’s mace.
• Keeps up with Sonic going all-out pretty handily, at one point holding him down.
• Dodges multiple close-proximity lasers.
• Dodges Espio’s kunai in very close range.

Movement

• Speeds from near the outside of Angel Island to a distant mountain.
• Swims from the deepest point of the ocean floor to the surface before he loses oxygen, only not succeeding due to outside interference.
• Outruns a blast that quickly engulfs the Floating Island, only being hit when he reaches the end of the island. Out of everyone on the island, Knuckles is the only one able to outrun the blast and even reacts fast enough to throw a Dark Legion member into the blast before he starts actually running.
• Hops over a fence.
• Hops from one floating vehicle to another.

Gliding

• Can glide above the trees even in turbulent winds.
• For some reason his gliding works by using his dreadlocks???
• Okay, that isn't gliding, that's just flying, Knuckles.
• Can glide (fly) high enough to be significantly above Angel Island.

Other

• Swapped emeralds without Sonic and Eggman noticing.
• Able to keep balance on an Extreme Gear while grappling with Storm.

III. Durability

Blunt

• Struck by Sonic going at full speed.
• Bonked by Sonic hitting him with an entire tree.
• Hurt but able to handle being surprise attacked by Espio, Vector, and Mighty in succession.
• Tanks blows from Enerjak whose raw strength is stated to dwarf Knuckles’.
• Shot down by a giant laser.
• Takes a few blows from an alternate (Irish) version of himself.
• Hit by Sonic hard enough to create a hole in Castle Acorn.
• Launched into a wall by Thrash’s scream.
• Blasted repeatedly by Thrash’s screams, visibly no worse for wear.

Energy/Fire/Electricity

• Blasted by Enerjak.
• Gets the inside of his mouth burnt by Archimedes.
• Zapped by Enerjak.
• Hurt but generally fine after being splashed by lava.
• Tanks the edge of a blast that engulfed a large chunk of the Floating Island, still has enough energy to drag himself out of the ocean onto a piece of debris though he falls unconscious for twelve hours.
• Takes some hits from dingo goons armed with electric weapons.

Other

• Harmed but unfazed by getting drained by the energy siphon used on the Master Emerald that allows the Floating Island to stay, well, afloat.
• Seemingly unaffected by the pressure caused from being inside the very bottom of an ocean aside, more so worried about having no oxygen.
• Only worried about the cold while 30,000 meters above the already cloud level floating island.
• Is the first to regain consciousness after a crash.
• Crushed by a mechanical lobster.
• Gets caught in an avalanche, recovers quickly.

IV. Chaos Power

For a period during his conflicts with the Dark Legion, his latent Chaos power increased with time until an explosion would turn his skin green and properly transform him into Chaos Knuckles, losing his powers when he later died and revived. He didn't rekindle his powers until a conflict with Dr. Finivetus reawakened his latent abilities.
Knuckles usually doesn't use these abilities, but can break them out again when necessary.

Offensive

• Dismantles a machine on his neck then blasts Hunter into unconsciousness.
• Clashes with Finivetus hard enough to create a huge sphere of energy on Angel Island.

Non-Offensive

• Passively regenerates from a splash of lava.
• Creates a portal from Mobius’ surface to Angel Island.
• Flies with his eyes closed and “sees” his surroundings with help from the Guiding Star Gem.
• Either doesn’t register on an infrared sensor or genuinely has no body heat.
• Throws a few Chaos Spears.

Energy Generation

• Called a living Chaos Emerald as he projects a message to a fellow Guardian in an entirely different Zone; later corroborated by an examination performed by the Dark Legion.
• Generates enough natural power to overload a power system that winds up blowing up a complex and is implied to radiate enough energy after 15 minutes to be akin to nuclear fallout.

V. Other

• Can tell where Espio is even when he’s invisible.
• Carries a laser gun that destroys a door he cannot with brawn.
• Has the worst family tree.
• Called in by Sally to fight Sonic all-out on his level while Sonic is mind-controlled, Knuckles appearing right after Sonic wipes the floor with both the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix.
• Holds the Guiding Star, an artifact that creates a magical transport back to Angel Island from any place.
• Holds a Warp Ring which allows him to teleport to any location he sets his mind to.
• Resists Finivetus’ hypnotization.

VI. Hyper Knuckles

Also referred to as Super Knuckles, this form occurs when Knuckles absorbs sufficient Chaos Energy from the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emerald, or a similarly potent source. With the power, he has the ability to take on powerful foes like Super Sonic and Master Mogul.

Strength

• Described as “a thousand times stronger” than usual.
• Tears apart reality fighting Super Sonic, destroying the Zone they fight in.
• Alongside Super Sonic, punches Master Mogul through buildings.
• Breaks the top of a mountain then throws Hunter across Angel Island.

Speed

• Keeps up with Super Sonic.
• Described as moving at “incalculable speeds”.

Durability

• Takes hits from Super Sonic.
• Tanks the Zone-busting clash between himself and Super Sonic but reverts back to normal.
• Completely ignores Chaos energy that was hurting him at base form.

Chaos Power

• Unleashes a surge of power that ends the war between the echidnas and dingoes.

VII. Chaos Knuckles

Due to Knuckles' father microwaving the baby imbuing Knuckles' egg with Chaos radiation, Knuckles' own Chaos energy grew until achieving the god-like Chaos Knuckles form, becoming closer to a living Chaos Emerald than an echidna. During his time as Chaos Knuckles, he was one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse if not the strongest outright, or at least stronger than (Turbo Tails and Dimitri as the Enerjak). However, his grasp of his powers was questionable at best and uncontrollable at worst, which would eventually lead to his demise.

Strength

• Bops Tails on the head.
• Beats Turbo Tails unconscious in a short fight.

Speed

• Unleashes a blast of energy before Tails can react, though he wasn’t in control of his actions.
• Keeps up with Turbo Tails.

Durability

• Stands undamaged in an epicenter of an explosion that knocked out multiple people including a Roboticized Mobian.
• Endures being siphoned of his energy until Charmy and Saffron free him.
• Surprise attacked by Turbo Tails.
• Tanks blows from Turbo Tails.
• Makes the scenario of Angel Island crashing and/or blowing up from Chaos energy nonlethal by taking the brunt of it himself; also a Chaos Power feat.
• Undamaged from a shot to the head that would have killed base Knuckles.

Chaos Power

Offensive

• Paralyzes a Roboticized Mobian.
• A shout throws around everybody surrounding him and teleports them to various places across the world.
• Unleashes a “tidal wave” of energy.
• An energy blast goes straight through Angel Island with the debris knocking out Tails.
• An optic laser harms Turbo Tails.
• Shoots down a meteor that would have destroyed the city of Echidnaopolis.

Non-Offensive

• Warps through time and space on accident; later does so on purpose.
• Teleports through time and space to Dimitri’s ship which moves at Mach 5.
• Detects the death of two echidna who crashed into the ship he is on.
• Read someone’s mind, though at the time he wasn’t sure how to do so consciously.
• Sends a telepathic message and projection of himself to his father across the Floating Island.
• Stops his heart to play dead.
• Heals somebody from critical condition.

Reality Warping

• Unconsciously warps reality on a fundamental scale, changing reality to different versions of itself: First to one resembling the OVA, then a reality without the Dark Legion, then a reality resembling SatAM, then to a reality where Sally is dead, finally to reality as it once was. Notably, both Sonic and Sally had full awareness of the changes during the changes, and everyone else had full awareness only after the fact.
• [Limit] Can’t stop events that would be inevitable through multiple methods such as Echidnaopolis’ destruction or the failure of Dimitri’s plan in the past.
• Manipulates time on an island-wide level to restore Angel Island to its original state before its inhabitants were teleported to another Zone.
• Creates flowers.
• [Limit] Blows himself up and dies saving Dimitri and destroying Mogul’s Chaos Siphon, ascending to a higher plane of existence in the Chaos Force (temporarily).
• Ejects himself from the Chaos Force and revives himself, but loses access to his powers.
• In one version of the future, warps the entirety of Mobius to his whim.

Characters Used for Scaling (all pre-Super Genesis Wave):

• Dimitri the Echidna.
• Dr. Finitevus.
• Egg Beater, Respect Thread by Proletlariet.
• Enerjak (as Dimitri), Respect Thread by theusjshjdhdne.
• Espio the Chameleon.
• Metal Sonic.
• Mighty the Armadillo, Respect Thread by theusjshjdhdne.
• Sonic the Hedgehog, Respect Thread by 76SUP and Joshless.
• Thrash the Tasmanian Devil.
• Vector the Crocodile.
• Tails the Fox.

hi. idk if this is the right place to ask but, here’s the sitch:
(this is very long ik so feel free to skim)
there is this celebrity. let’s call him C. I feel such a deep connection to C. usually with celebrity crushes, for anyone and even me, it’s more of a physically attractive thing. but with him, I see C as such a genuine person, so down to earth and yet so expressive. I know people can say interviews and social media can be deceiving but it feels so authentic when it comes to C. all being said, he is my ideal type and I genuinely feel like we would be really good, or even perfect for each other. so I started affirming and manifesting.
it’s hard to feel like a celebrity could fall in love with you, but I heard somewhere that you need to take them off the pedestal, because they are just like us. C is just like me, a human, only that he is more recognized. this thought process has definitely helped.
another issue is: I know I’m not ready to meet him yet. I feel like I can work on myself first before we become a thing. so it might be a while to see things working.
now the question I have is: how do I really know this is working? I know I want to wait, but I think there are signs it’s happening?

• my friends say they could see me with C
• they don’t know I’m manifesting this
• when something happens in my life (a stressful moment for example) he posts
• he only posted every once in a while and since I started he’s posting several times a week
• a major sign: one of C’s favorite songs has been playing CONSTANTLY around me. im yours by jason mraz is a very popular song, but I never heard it as much as I have heard in the past couple weeks.

im yapping, but just let me know your thoughts, answers or questions. anything helps! thanks!

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—

Hello everyone,
I wanted to share something with you today. I wanted to explain my thought process guided by Stoicism to handling, as virtuously as I can, the phone calls that I make with my mother.
But first I want to start with some details.
My relationship with my mother was always a complicated one. I am going to offer key words, and I will let your imagination do the rest: depression, anxiety, narcicistic traits, array of physical problems, no healthy habits whatsoever, several abusive relationships, some things that a son "should" never hear from her mother, disfunctional family, violated boundaries, son turned fathecaretaker.
So, now to today. I am currently living in Germany for three main reasons: my line of work was getting really stale in my homeland, and the pay and conditions are better in Germany. I wanted the experience of working and living abroad. And I found out that if I wanted to keep loving my mother, it was better if there was physical space between us. So it was reasonable for me, when this opportunity appeared, to take it. Was I going to be a madman, living a life that I did consider a disprefered, only to deny something that could change what I precisely wanted to change?
And when doubt did strike me I remembered that my mind was made, my reasoning was sound, and that I was no child: I understood that with this change I would leave my country, friends, pets, family behind. But I could still love and care for them: I thought of Seneca and "his friend" Lucilius, his exchange of correspondence, the fondness they had for each other. All that what really mattered was how I would handle it.
So, even in the distance, and despite everything, I could still be a son to my mother, I had a role to fulfill. I don't know if she failed as a mother. She did what she could, she did what she thought was good enough, and she is a sick, troubled woman. Can I really blame her? Is it even a question that is worth answering? I don't think so, no.
So I called her more or less regularly. And it was not easy for me. She did several things that I found hard to deal with: she missed me so hard, she was devastated. She kept talking mainly about her problems. She did not respect my times and calls were long, too long, even when I said to her that I needed to go.
Why was I surprised? Of course she would do the same things. I was upset after every call. I found that I didn't want to call her anymore, but at the same time wanted to keep my relationship with her, and in response to this two conflicting judgements I felt sad. But the situation was unreasonable for me. I wanted to make the calls work, to do what a son would do, but forcing my way in was not the real answer, it would only lead us to more sadness.
So I started... Playing with my tools. I found there was a way to help her with the sadness: calling her more regularly, close to every day. But that was still too much for me, no?
I am a kindergarten teacher. She loves to know what the babies do. Poops? Farts? Baby-words? Cute fat babies? Bring them in. I started calling her AFTER my work was done, and it was natural to speak about them. She started asking about them, knowing them by their names and all. She would even laugh. And when she talked about her stuff... It came... Lighter. Not as dark. Manageable.
And calling after work was perfect, because I have 18' walking to the train station, and 5' before I arrive I can tell her that I am approaching the station, and that in 5' I am going to go because speaking from the train is a slog. Because I call her regularly it's enough for her. The 1 hour calls were gone.
I am still working on it. I try to focus on the call, make the best of it for the two of us. It's not perfect, of course, sometimes I end up feeling a bit overwhelmed because I can't dispel the darkness in her (never will), but I don't give it any credit. It's not like before anyway.
When I go to the gym and train, I end up physically tired. When I don't drink water for long, my body asks for it. When I call my sick, troubled mother, as her loving son that I try to be, I am going to feel, sometimes, overwhelmed. But because I love her despite everything, and because I hold this judgement and proceed with the pertinent actions, I accept what comes from it as something that I can, and will, handle, even if it's a dispreferred situation. I try it to reframe it with good, virtuous reasoning, and keep going with my day.
And this is how I call my mother.
_
I wanted to make this post for a long time now.
There is so much wisdom in this subreddit, I feel like I've learned so much, even if I barely post. It helps me contrast my ideas and what I extract from the readings. So this comes as a thank you.
I wanted to post my little experience to see the feedback that I can receive, and if someone can learn from me, so be it. I personally enjoy most the posts that show a real situation, with the mental process of the user, and how they reach conclusions. There is still a lot of room for improvement and there may be things that I am missing, so every answer is welcome.