Hello, I tried to make it as short as possible but there's a lot, so bear with me :
I'm a 30 years old caucasian french man, I'm 5'6ft / 170cm for 68kg / 150lbs, somewhat athletic.
Symptoms started without found cause 6-7 years ago.
I went to 5 different specialists, including 3 Otorhinolaryngologists, 1 Sophrologist, and 1 Speech-Language Pathologist but my problem wasn't resolved after 2 years of various treatments.
Their diagnosis was :

1. Gastric reflux : I took a medication that did nothing.
2. Vocal chords nodules : 2nd ORL didn't see any gastric reflux but saw nodules on each vocal chord. I explained I recently stopped smoking but I was singing in a choir without real training about it, so she sent me to a speech language pathologist. I spent 6 months of therapy with said specialist, but no evolution.
3. 3rd ORL didn't see vocal chords nodules, so told me that it was stress and psychosomatic. Suggested me that I see a Sophrologist for stress reduction/control. I then saw a Sophrologist and nothing happened.

Symptoms :
-I have less space for eating : I went from 100% to 80% open throat. If I drink/eat anything without accomodating the food/liquid with my tongue, I have a pretty good chance of choking, because it feels like my tongue is bigger or that the cavity wherein my tongue lies is smaller.
-I sometimes have pain when breathing : whenever I try to meditate or any activity with diaphramatic breathing, I feel a little pain at the base of my throat and at the center of my sternum, where my stomach is.
-I have trouble breathing : I feel some shortness of breath. When I inhale, I can inhale fully while inflating my belly, but when I exhale it will fall "short" of fall "flat", like a short and incomplete sigh. So whenever I do these exercices, I need to push my abdominal muscles inside to actually finish the breathing, but it's only in a conscious way, so it feels like whenever I'm conscious of my breathing, I realise how bad my breath is, but maybe it's also psychosomatic, and the focus over it makes me nervous which contracts me, but I can breathe normally during the day ? I have doubts about that because that feeling of shortness of breath will arrive at random points of the day.
-I experience slight discomfort when swallowing, even just my spit.
I have previous history of :
-Allergies to lots of herbaceous stuff as well as dust, hay, pollen, etc ... But nothing food or medication related.
-Eczema
-Stomach Ulcers (resolved with esomeprazole)
-Insomnia
-Anxiety
-PTSD
-Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
-Bruxism
-Smoking history (stopped completely 3 years ago)
I really don't know what's going on ... Can anyone help me please ?

Hi there, Ulises here.
I'm starting my "official" carnivore journey today for a month. "Unofficially," I started 4 weeks ago with a "Ketovore" diet.
How I landed here:
I was almost fainting last month, almost like those movie scenes where one of the characters is about to pass out, and everything is shaking around him. You try to reach out your hands to break your fall, but you can't because your brain isn't sending the signals, or things get shaky around you, and you are about to pass out.
I have almost always tried to avoid any kind of fat because my stomach and my heart react to it and make me feel worse. However, I had no choice at this point, so I did a "do or die." I started adding different fats (nuts, avocado, salmon, anchovies, fatty meat) and also changed my diet. The symptoms improved and eventually went away.
But I still had all my other health issues. I had already heard of carnivore a couple of times before; it just seemed crazy, until I found this guy "Kerry (HomeSteadHow)." Some of the problems he had were quite similar to mine (throat closing, walking like a zombie—I know what he is talking about with this one—obesity; in my case, it's the exact opposite: underweight, very skinny, and almost no muscle no matter what I do). Only "fat ladies" will ask me what is "my secret." I've had at least three of them asking that this year so far.
Goals:
I have many health issues, but there are three I believe to be the main problems:

• Neuropathy (extremities, mainly in my legs)
• Globus (lump in my throat)
• Gastritis

In that order.
I'm following this diet as an elimination diet, so I will reintroduce food that is not causing problems as I go.
Next month, I will transition into Ketovore and then try to move to Keto. It's still to be seen.
We have to keep testing and tracking, and then make decisions. (Although some people recommend staying on this diet for at least 3 months, but we'll see.)
Reflections and Lessons so far:

• Cheese has lactose in it, and usually, symptoms get worse when this happens. (Dairy is a tricky one on this diet.)
• The other problem with cheese is that it is quite delicious and easy to eat, and those two are a lethal combo for anyone, thus we overeat it.
• People put too many different foods in daily, and it is very hard to know which one(s) is causing your health problems. Ten different foods at breakfast, ten different foods up to lunch, and five different foods up to dinner. Then, after this masochism, people have the audacity to point out with their fingers and say that "fish" or that "avocado" is what caused the problems. It is very hard to pinpoint which food causes the problems if you consume 25 different foods in a day.
• The other problem with many different foods daily when you are sick, especially very ill, is that you are giving too much work to your body. Your body is in full motion trying to deal with all the food you are sending. Plus, some foods don't mix well or are harder to digest in combination (acidic + dairy) (carbs + fat) (sugar + "anything") or other combos that your body may struggle with.

Results so far:
Positive:

• Bloating (or beer belly) is gone, completely gone! I'm surprised at how fast it was. I wonder if it is because I keep eating meat or because I took the veggies out. Testing and tracking is the way to find out.
• Neuropathy, one of my priorities, has improved, especially on days when I eat red meat in high doses. It is still there, though, but some improvements were made.
• Satiety and not eating trash food (processed food). I have stopped eating cookies and similar foods for over a month now, which is one of the main things this diet has helped me with. (People blame "force of will" as the main cause almost all the time for this problem.)

Negative:

• Sleep (around 6 hours). As I mentioned before, I have struggled whenever I added fat to my meals. For those three weeks, I was occasionally eating fruits and some veggies, and I believe some nuts. That is why this time I want to stay out of those as much as I can.
• Energy. I still have to wait for the energy benefits. It is kind of neutral so far. Since I have not been sleeping as much, I think that may be the reason for neutral or low energy.
• Heart issues. I have avoided fat for almost a decade, fat of any kind, but I have started adding butter and more fatty meat. I get some pressure on my chest, tiredness, and some difficulty when breathing, which is what has happened all the time when I added any kind of fat. But I never took carbs or sugar out. That was the difference, so that is what I want to do now: take them fully out for some time and see what happens.

Disclaimer:
I will still eat some seaweed from time to time for my thyroid as well as ginger, which is also helping. As I mentioned, I'm doing it more as an elimination diet. If I add another food, I will update as well, I will be testing and tracking as I go.
I welcome any feedback, words of encouragement, comments, likes, dislikes, criticism, etc.
Thank you!

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.
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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,

I got my IUD removed earlier today, about 6 hours ago. I took one 5mg hydrocodone ibuprofen to help with pain. I was okay, until about 2 hours ago. I laid on my side and I had an extremely sharp pain go from my belly button to introitus. I cannot extend my abdomen as it sends a very very painful stabbing pain through me. It is a struggle to pee as well. I have almost no urge and have to force myself to relax. It hurts so badly. Is this normal?

39 (age)/120 lbs (weight)/5 feet (height)/ non smokeno drugs or alcohol/no previous medical condition/area of concern: brain
Five months ago, I had a cranial facial release procedure done by a certified practitioner. This is a balloon treatment where the doctor inserts a finger cot balloon into your nose and inflated it with a blood pressure bulb. In my case, she put the balloon in both my upper nasal cavities. She inflated the balloon so much that the pain was a 9/10, and I felt cracking in my face and head. It felt like being punched in the face and having my brain squeezed at the same time.
I immediately felt dizzy and disoriented with increased brain fog. I went to the ER the next day and they ran a CT with contract, which came back clear.
I followed up with my primary care doctor, who sent me to a neurologist for further testing, and those results are below.
Since this incident, I’ve been dealing with 24/7 cognitive issues - memory lapses (almost feels like the brain zaps one would get coming off an SSRI, which I’m not on), involuntary muscle movements while awake, disorientation, difficulty reading, slight vertigo, feeling off and out of it. No headache or pain - all cognitive.
My doctors aren’t sure what to do besides physical therapy and time. My question is: since I received this injury from excessive force/pressure in my nasal cavities vs typical concussion from blunt force, is my brain affected in a different way that a typical concussion? I’m wondering if my recovery prognosis is worse due to the way I recover the injury. Any truth to that since I’ve been struggling many months with no improvement in symptoms? Any therapies or treatments to help me heal are appreciated.
MRI Non-specific punctuate focus of T2 FLAIR hyperintensity within the right frontal subcortical white matter. This may be from sequela migrainous vasculopathy or gliosis from other remote assault.
QEEG (eyes closed, awake) Shows slow delta waves in the frontal lobes

Notice: Throwaway account
Message for GDKP simps: Since GDKP is the best system for keeping geared players in raids, for making players stick to the end, and for ensuring players watch mechanics since they can have their cut taken from them, most people would gravitate towards it. Now, I don't have numbers, but let's say half of the players spend 8 hours farming a day, or sit at the AH and just earn gold. It is perfectly reasonable for those players who don't enjoy raiding to still have the best gear in the game, and therefore go and buy it. The problem arises when players who play few hours and are not good at raiding want to join raids. Most people gravitate towards GDKP, and they feel they don't have the skill and gear to join, and they don't have legitimate gold to buy it. Then the most logical solution for them is to buy gold with real money. So the pressure is there, and GDKPs do put pressure on those kinds of players, driving them to engage in RMT, and I totally understand the Blizzard line of thinking (even though I think they just don't address the problem from the root cause but just give a pill to fix short-term solutions). But unless Blizzard can fix it (and I will explain later how they can), for now banning GDKPs is the best solution possible. The same goes for leveling; giving people dungeon spams and incursions forces everyone to level most efficiently, so if they just removed EXP, the world would feel more alive. And you can say you can still quest, but it is different when everyone on the server is on quests or you are alone in the big world and everyone is in X part of the world doing the same thing, while you try to kill an Elite for a quest just by yourself. People from OG Classic will remember how easy it was to come to the Elite and find 2-3 people already waiting there for more randoms to come and join to kill the Elite to finish a quest. So letting GDKP go through is killing normal guilds, and you can not deny that.
Message for GDKP haters: Reddit is full of players obsessed with their egos, and I reached out anonymously (same as with this account) and started asking them why they hate GDKP. When you start putting "if"s, you come to the conclusion that it is just an ego issue and it has nothing to do with prices in the game or with RMT. Eight out of ten conversations came to this conclusion, and paraphrasing here: "If Blizzard had the option to stop RMT, they would still be against it since noobs should not be allowed to get the best gear in the game." And "It would be fine to have GDKPs, but back in the game where the best loot would be for the guild and sell trash from the raid to noobs who want to pay gold." Again, I reached out to ten people who were against GDKPs, and only one of them didn't mention this reason. Only one mentioned inflation because of GDKP, and when you just showcase that gold is already in the game, so no RMT, there is no new gold generated by GDKPs; they just hit you with: "You don't understand." In reality, inflation is happening because of botting, and that botting generates new gold that is sold to people willing to buy. So if RMT is stopped, GDKP cannot possibly cause inflation; therefore, botting is the only problem for inflation. Without inflation, there is only supply and demand as any economy would function. The more an item is needed, the more it will cost, the more people farm it will start to cost less, and if someone has a monopoly, it would skyrocket. Economy 101.
Fix of the issue: Blizzard should implement an in-game option for loot GDKP, the same as Master loot. When that option is selected, create a UI for GDKP functionalities, bidding, splitting, etc. But in that functionality, Blizzard should conduct a full-on scan of that account and any gold incoming through the account that doesn't make sense. For example, just gained X gold from someone who never communicated with that person, sold Y item that is usually 2s for huge amounts of gold, and so on. Instantly flag that account for a person to go in and check it manually for less room for error, and if even suspicion by a real person, ban them for 7 days and put them into "semi-blacklist" accounts that are monitored as "possible RMT". If the offense is repeated and there is proof that they bought gold, permanent ban them. That way, everyone participating in those kinds of GDKPs would know their account will be checked, and you will make WoW less of an RMT/pay-to-win game that GDKP haters say it is.
Note for those people saying there will be loopholes, so review should be account-wide on all of your subscriptions so there is no room for "I will have a subscription to buy gold and pay for items on X sub, and play on Y sub". And again, I know there might be a workaround, but this will cut the RMT for GDKPs enormously. And again, the same for crime; you can never achieve 0% crime, but every decision should aim to enforce less crime in the real world. And from my view, botting is still happening, RMT is still happening, and GDKPs are happening. Just because some aren't aware of it, doesn't mean if they banned it no one is doing it; it's just less in the open. And punishing the population that likes GDKP since that can create an incentive to have alts, especially in SOD where you should try every class to see all runes and all possibilities, is killing the alt population.
Again, without Blizzard implementing something like this, I am still pro-"GDKP ban," but I think it is the wrong solution if they just ban it and leave it like that. They should have banned it and worked on something. This is just my idea; I believe people can come up with even better ideas. I'm just showing that this Reddit community is attacking each other without realizing both sides are partially right.
GDKP simps: "This is the best loot system, and I don't need to build my schedule around a guild and X other people. I can just log in and join GDKP and know everyone will perform since they will be punished if not performing."
GDKP haters: "It drives more RMT, it kills the guilds."
Both are correct, so we should try to fix the RMT issue and let people play how they wish to play their game.
Feel free to agree and disagree and write your own views. This is more for people to sit down and think about how the "other side" feels and thinks. And if by any chance, a Blizzard employee is reading this, a message to Blizzard:
"Hi there, Reddit should be just for you to bounce off ideas, not to listen to us. Someone will always complain. Create a vision for SOD and stick to it. Say, 'This is how we planned it. If you don't like it, you have Hardcore, Era, Cata, Retail.' We are building this as X vision and stick to your ideals. When you are game-oriented and not just focused on money to please customers and get more revenue, you understand that not everyone will love the game, but it's better to have 50% of the player base enjoying it and being subbed for 2 years because of SOD, than to change something for people who complained and will unsub after 2 months and never come back. And if you want to know if the community likes or hates something, for the love of God, don't ask on Twitter or Reddit. Put it in the game as a notice that is clickable so people who actually play the game can vote on it. Not what group has the most ragers on Reddit and Twitter. Have a poll in-game for people who are playing the game and never go on Twitter or Reddit."
Sorry for long post

https://reddit.com/link/1cs2aw3/video/5ghwzruubg0d1/player
Chapter 3: Breaking and Training
Nancy's eyes fluttered open to harsh fluorescent lights. She was in a new room, one starkly different from the sterile lab where she had awakened. This room was lined with mirrors and filled with an assortment of equipment—poles, ropes, and mats. The air was cold, and the scent of disinfectant was overpowering.
The door swung open, and in walked a man dressed in black. His face was stern, eyes cold. Behind him, two guards followed, their expressions blank and intimidating.
"Welcome to your new reality, Nancy," the man said, his voice devoid of warmth. "It's time to train you to become the idol you were designed to be."
Nancy felt a surge of anger and fear. She tried to stand, but her legs were shaky, her body still adjusting to its new form. The man in black approached, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her to her feet.
"Let go of me!" she shouted, trying to pull away.
Her resistance was met with a swift punch to the belly. The pain was sharp and immediate, doubling her over. She gasped for air, the wind knocked out of her, but the man was relentless. He pulled her up again, this time more forcefully, and pushed her towards the center of the room.
"You're going to learn, whether you like it or not," he growled.
The training was brutal. Nancy was forced to dance seductively, her new body put on display in front of the mirrors. Every misstep was met with punishment. When she faltered, the man would yank her back into position, his grip bruising her skin.
She was made to sing until her voice was hoarse, the lyrics foreign and humiliating. Her hands were tied above her head, her body exposed and vulnerable. They poured ice water over her, the cold seeping into her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably.
"Keep singing," the man ordered, but her teeth chattered too much to form coherent words. A sharp slap to her face made her eyes water, but she forced herself to continue, the taste of blood from her bitten tongue mixing with the cold water running down her body.
The ropes cut into her wrists, the bondage restricting her movements. Nancy's muscles ached from the strain, but there was no respite. The man took pleasure in her suffering, pushing her to her limits and beyond.
At one point, she tried to fight back, her instincts urging her to resist. But her efforts were futile. The guards were too strong, and the man too cruel. Another punch to the belly made her double over, the pain radiating through her entire body.
"Submit," he hissed in her ear, pulling her back up by her hair. "You have no choice."
The physical pain was matched by psychological torment. She was made to pose provocatively, her body manipulated like a puppet. They mocked her, taunting her with crude comments about her appearance and her new identity.
"Look at you," the man sneered, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror. "So beautiful, so perfect. And yet, so weak."
Nancy's eyes filled with tears, the humiliation burning deep inside her. She hated what she had become, hated the body that betrayed her with its beauty and allure. But there was no escape from the relentless training, no way to avoid the pain.
The most twisted aspect of her training was the forced arousal. They used devices to stimulate her, driving her body to the brink of pleasure, then stopping abruptly. It was a cruel game, designed to break her will and make her associate pleasure with submission.
Her breasts were a constant target. The man used cold metal clamps to tease her nipples, sending sharp shocks of pain and pleasure through her. He watched with satisfaction as her body responded against her will, her nipples hardening, her breath quickening.
"Enjoying this, Nancy?" he taunted, twisting the clamps cruelly. "Your body certainly is."
Her face burned with humiliation, but her body betrayed her. The forced arousal was maddening, her new form hypersensitive and eager. She hated herself for the way she responded, the way her body craved the stimulation despite the pain they continued to torment her, using vibrators and other devices to drive her to the edge, then stopping just before she could find release. It was an endless cycle of frustration and humiliation, designed to break her spirit and make her submit.
In addition to the physical and psychological torture, Nancy was subjected to a strict diet plan designed to enhance her new form. She was given female hormones to shape her body further, making her curves more pronounced and her features softer.
They monitored her food intake obsessively, forcing her to eat less to maintain a slim figure. When they wanted her to gain weight in specific areas, they would force-feed her high-calorie foods until she was nauseous. If she resisted or failed to eat enough, they would force her to vomit, the guards holding her head over a basin as they shoved fingers down her throat.
Nancy's stomach churned constantly from the forced feedings and vomitings. The cycles of extreme hunger and forced gluttony left her weak and disoriented. The man would stand by, watching her suffer with a twisted smile.
"You're going to be perfect," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Every inch of you."
The hormone injections were a daily ritual. They injected her with estrogen and other hormones to accelerate the development of her feminine features. The injections were painful, leaving her muscles sore and her mood unstable. Her breasts swelled further, the skin stretched tight over the growing mammary glands. The pain was constant, a reminder of her body's betrayal.
Her hips widened, her thighs grew thicker, and her buttocks became rounder and firmer. Each change was accompanied by discomfort and humiliation, the man and his guards constantly commenting on her developing form.
"Look at those curves," one guard would say, his voice lecherous. "You're going to drive them wild."
The breaking point came when they combined physical pain with forced arousal. She was tied to a chair, her body soaked in freezing water, her skin numb and blue. The man walked around her, his presence a constant reminder of her helplessness.
"You're going to learn to dance, to sing, to seduce," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "You're going to make us a lot of money, Nancy."
She tried to shake her head, tried to refuse, but her body was too weak, her spirit nearly broken. The final blow came in the form of a harsh punch to her belly, making her scream in agony.
"Do you understand?" he demanded, leaning close to her face. "You belong to us now."
Nancy's spirit finally broke. The resistance drained out of her, replaced by a numb acceptance. She nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face. The man smiled, satisfied with her submission.
"Good girl," he said, patting her cheek condescendingly. "Now, let's start again."
The training resumed, but this time Nancy didn't fight back. She danced, sang, and posed as instructed, her mind retreating into a place of numb compliance. The pain became a constant companion, but she learned to endure it, to accept it as part of her new reality.

Date: 05/14/2024

Reading time: 10 minutes, 2146 words

🪖 Military

Armenian army holding strategic command, staff drills

Live firing will be carried out using automatic control systems and modern equipment.

PanArmenian

Armenian Armed Forces conduct strategic exercises

The exercises aim to test the practical implementation of plans for the deployment and use of the Armed Forces of Armenia. They also aim to study the possibilities of various uses of forces and means of reinforcement.

Armenpress

UN Committee against Torture points out killings, torture against Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians committed by Azerbaijan

The UN Committee against Torture pointed out extra-judicial killings and ill-treatment of ethnic Armenians committed by Azerbaijan during an armed conflict and “anti-terrorism operations” in Nagorno-Karabakh in its report published on 10 May. The Committee also expressed concerns over the continued detention of 23 people for alleged terrorism and related offences.

ArkaAm

Arkady Ghukasyan's detention period has been extended by another 5 months

Arkady Ghukasyan was arrested in September 2023, after a one-day war against Artsakh. The Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of financing terrorism, financing terrorism. 22 more Armenian servicemen and civilians are in Azerbaijan.

CivilNet, Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months

🏛️ Politics & Government

More than 9,900 forcibly displaced people from Artsakh have left Armenia

As of May 1, 16,585 forcibly displaced persons left Armenia by air and land, and 6 returned. PM Nikol Pashinyan denied this number, adding that as in the case of RA citizens, Artsakh residents are also leaving.

CivilNet

Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia

At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan.

PanArmenian

Some Russian border guards to stay in Armenia — Bortnikov

Russia will continue to deploy some of its border guards in Armenia, says Alexander Bortnikov. Russian border guards will protect Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran, he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to end the presence of Russian guards in some regions of Armenia.

Armenpress, Russian border guards to continue service on Armenia’s borders with Turkey and Iran

Border issues should be resolved so that they do not become a casus belli for Azerbaijan to attack Armenia - Swiss MP

Stefan Müller-Altermatt: Armenia-Azerbaijani border issues must be resolved at some point. The terrible legacy of Stalin must be overcome, he says, because otherwise they are always a possible casus belli that Azerbaijan can use to attack Armenia. The meeting of Armenia-EU-US in Brussels on April 5 was of enormous importance.

Armenpress

Disobedience actions resumed in the center of Yerevan from early morning, 38 participants were detained

Activists of the "Tavush for the Motherland movement and their supporting citizens block the streets and intersections as part of the awareness campaign. The opposition movement opposes the policy of the authorities regarding border demarcation with Azerbaijan.

ArkaAm

Armenian PM, Danish Parliament Speaker discuss cooperation across various fields

The parties discussed issues pertaining to cooperation between the parliaments of Armenia and Denmark, as well as cooperation across various fields. The parties expressed hope that the visit of the Prime Minister of Armenia to Denmark will give a new impetus to the development of multi-sectoral relations between the two countries.

Armenpress, Nikol Pashinyan stresses the importance of continuing democratic reforms to eliminate corruption in Armenia, Armenian premier hopes for steadfastness in border delimitation process between Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Armenia has made enormous progress in strengthening democratic institutions - Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss regional security, Armenian PM invites Danish counterpart to pay official visit to Yerevan, Pashinyan discussed RA-EU cooperation with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Democracy a strategy for Armenia։ PM Pashinyan participates in Copenhagen Democracy Summit, Pashinyan, Rasmussen discuss Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project, Danish Prime Minister accepts invitation to visit Armenia

We look forward to the EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund - Pashinyan

Prime Minister Pashinyan says Yerevan is now looking forward to EU's decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. He also expressed hope that negotiations with the EU on visa liberalization will begin. Armenia is now developing defense cooperation with India, France and other countries.

Armenpress, The Prime Minister expressed his wish for Armenia's EU Membership in 2024, Pashinyan makes wish: to see Armenia joining EU

The war in our region was a preface to further developments - Nikol Pashinyan

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Armenpress

A meeting is scheduled between Alen Simonyan and Sahiba Gafarova in Geneva

A delegation led by the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, will be in Geneva on a working visit from May 15th to 18th. A meeting between the President of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova is planned as part of the visit on May 16.

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OSCE Chair-in-Office considers border demarcation agreement between Yerevan and Baku a “step in the right direction"

Ian Borg, OSCE Chair-in-Office, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, met Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev in Baku. The recent agreement on border demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a “step in the right direction”

Armenpress, We are ready to support Armenia and Azerbaijan in achieving peace. OSCE Chairman-in-Office

Belgium welcomes negotiations between Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Almaty

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Armenpress, Belgium welcomes new round of Armenian-Azerbaijani talks in Almaty

US continues to believe that peace in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict is possible - Vedant Patel

The parties agreed to continue negotiations on the establishment of peace and interstate relations. The ministers met both in a trilateral format with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

Armenpress, State Department says it believes in achieving peace in Nagorno-Karabakh region, U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Armenia is waiting for the decision to join the European Peace Foundation. Pashinyan

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CivilNet

EBRD provides Armenia with 12 million euros for construction of customs and logistics center in Syunik

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €10 million to Armenia to finance the construction of a customs and logistics centre in the Syunik region. The project is part of the EBRD’s Refugee Crisis Response and includes an integration programme for refugees.

ArkaAm, EBRD, EU partner with Acba bank for Armenian firms, EBRD funds customs and logistics centre in Syunik, Armenia

Armenia's membership in CSTO is an issue for further discussion

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ArkaAm

The United States is bringing Ukraine closer to NATO - Blinken

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Armenpress, Blinken arrives in Kyiv to reassure Ukraine of US support

Independent audit finds more irregularities in Armenian ruling party’s finances

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CivilNet

It is time to dissolve the Minsk Group. Aliev

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CivilNet

Georgia passes controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill despite widespread opposition

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ArmRadio

Family of Ilham Aliyev’s security chief owns vast property in UK

As head of security for Azerbaijan’s president, Eyyubov is closely trusted by one of the world’s most authoritarian leaders.

PanArmenian

💵 Economy

EDB noted the key factors of deflation in Armenia

Consumer prices in Armenia decreased by 0.7% year-on-year in April, after decreasing by 1.2% last month. The deflation is concentrated in the food segment, in April food prices decreased by 4.5%. In the 2024 state budget, inflation was fixed at 4% (±1.5%)

ArkaAm

Grigori Zakaryan: “Capital markets have crucial importance for economic development.”

A panel discussion titled: ‘Capital Markets, Challenges and Development Prospects’ will be held as part of EBRD’s annual meeting. The capital market in Armenia is a newly emerging and developing institution with unique opportunities and challenges for development. Capital markets are influenced not only by the course of large economies central banks’ monetary policies but also by important geopolitical events.

ArkaAm

⚽ Sport

"The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" to be held for the third time

The third edition of "The Armenian Prime Minister's Cup" team steeplechase tournament for schoolchildren will take place on May 17-18. The event will be hosted in the vicinity of Dilijan's Parz Lake. A total of 11 teams, each comprising 7 students (5 boys and 2 girls), will compete in the tournament.

Armenpress

Donations to Armenia:

Himnadram
ServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund

Hi Reddit,
I'm in need of some advice regarding my current marital situation and the potential sale of our home. To give you the full picture, I'll start from the beginning. Apologies for the length, but I feel all the details are necessary to understand the context.
I (29F) met my husband (40M) on Tinder four years ago. We dated for about eight months when my family had an opportunity to purchase a property. My then-boyfriend was also looking to be involved in a business deal of that sort, and he was interested in having his name on the property as well. My father supported this, seeing as how my boyfriend was a physician with a good income, and saw this as a way to bring him closer to our family. The opportunity came quickly, and we all signed the contract to purchase the house.
Trouble began shortly after this. My boyfriend requested that only he and I be on the title of the house, removing the rest of my family, as he saw a future with us and envisioned it as our potential family home. My father was very pleased to hear this and supported it, so we obliged. During this time, the property had increased in value, and I requested the other family members be paid off so we could buy out their shares. My boyfriend declined, feeling it was unfair.
To skim over some details, here are the highlights of the construction: My boyfriend paid more for the down payment than we initially realized would be required. Because of this, he paid no further construction costs. The construction proceeded with debt from my family until the construction loans came through. My family paid for the construction, and my father built the house for us without charging for his management services. My father was displeased with my boyfriend’s behavior and required him to pay more money for the construction due to inflation and the COVID shutdown. My boyfriend declined, and my mother and I secretly took out a line of credit to front the construction costs to my father, pretending it was from my boyfriend. Eventually, as we got the construction loans on a rolling basis after meeting construction milestones, my mother’s line of credit was paid off.
During this time, my family and I wondered why my boyfriend had not proposed. I decided that if he hadn't proposed by a certain time, I would leave him. Fortunately, he did propose on Valentine’s Day 2022. By spring of 2022, construction was coming to an end, and it was time for us to settle into the house. My fiancé felt uncomfortable with how much money he had put into the house and was worried I could leave him and make a profit. I promised him I wouldn’t leave him, but it wasn’t enough. He said he would believe me if I had a child with him, otherwise women would leave men if there were no ties. I told him I would have a child with him right when we got married. He suggested I come off birth control, as it takes months for a woman’s cycle to normalize after being on birth control for many years. I promised him I would come off birth control.
Coming off birth control was more stressful than I realized. I was very hormonal, breaking out, and felt unlike myself. This contributed to my fiancé and I fighting more than usual. In one particularly heated fight, I told him I would go back on birth control and even purchased the pills, but he told me he would break up with me if I did because he wanted to get to know the real me. I conceded, and then something switched in me and I became excited at the possibility of having a baby. I started tracking my cycle and figuring out my ovulation days. I shared this with my fiancé, and on one of those days, we got pregnant. I didn’t find out until the end of summer 2022. When I did find out, I told my fiancé and suggested we should probably get married.
My fiancé's first response was that we should wait to see if the baby sticks, and if it does, then we can plan a marriage but he wanted to wait until February 2023. I was very disappointed and angry and yelled at him. I felt alone and overwhelmed by the thought of having an illegitimate child. After discussing potentially getting an abortion, potentially breaking up, and potentially selling the house, I talked my fiancé into keeping the baby and getting married. He also wanted to keep the baby but was afraid of our situation. After many fights about when to have the wedding, we finally decided on December 2022. At that point, I was four months pregnant. During this time, my fiancé and I had major arguments that therapy couldn’t even remedy. We would yell at each other, slam doors, I would cry, and he would hold himself up in a room for hours. We had nice moments too, but they were heavily clouded over by the bad.
Finally, we got married, and things were good for a while. But then we faced some marital problems. My husband kept separate accounts and managed the finances himself. We had a joint credit card where I could pay for expenses without being questioned. He made all of the major investment decisions and major purchases. If I tried to disagree or speak up, he would get upset because this was not the submissive wife I had promised him I would be. I made significantly less money than him but lived a good lifestyle, buying almost anything I wanted within reason. Coming from a traditional family, I was upset that finances were kept separate. And so it continued that my husband would invest tens of thousands of dollars into our house so that his family from out of town would visit. We live in Vancouver, Canada, but his family is from Ottawa. In hopes of luring his youngest sister (of four) to Vancouver, my husband would make any modification to the house that his youngest sister showed the slightest interest in. This included a hot tub on the rooftop, a media system in the basement, a movie projector, and much more. After said sister got married, she made it clear that she would not move to Vancouver. Then a switch happened in my husband, and he suddenly wanted to sell the house.
Meanwhile, during all this time, I had my baby, and my husband and I were still fighting more than ever. I felt no support from him, and he felt drained by his work, our fights, and being away from his family. Recently, for the past three months, he has been consistently pushing for the sale of our house. This is where my dilemma lies. I am afraid to sell this house because my husband has kept finances separate, and the mortgage on this house has been serving as a way for me to feel secure. My husband contributes a monthly amount on a regular basis. He could have forced a sale in the past but didn’t, instead paying into the monthly mortgage on top of other bills. Now, he is considering forcing the sale of our house, but I am upset that he is citing financing as the issue when I have been begging him to save money instead of spending (his response is that $200,000 does not affect a $2M mortgage, and that he now feels burnt out and wants to retire sooner and live passively). If I agree to sell, I feel unstable about moving from our home given that my husband and I fight so frequently, and I am left alone to take care of the child. It is also worth noting that my parents live right across the street and come over frequently to help with the child, or I would go over to seek their help. My husband says that he feels abandoned and uncomfortable frequently because of our proximity to my parents, but I am because there have been times when I felt truly alone, and my parents were my only solace and support. My husband would ignore me for days, especially when I was postpartum and vulnerable. My parents now see my husband as someone who doesn’t put his wife and child first. My husband says that the massive mortgage we have is too stressful for him, and he can’t take that burden. I am sad that my husband will not consider keeping this house for another three years so that I can get comfortable with the idea of selling the house and that potentially I and my family can all move to Ottawa so that we can allow my husband to be closer to his family.
I don’t know what to do at this point, Reddit. I’m currently on extended maternity leave, but it ends in six months. My husband and I will have to come to an agreement about the house, otherwise, it is likely that he will force the sale of the house even if I’m not ready to move. I’ve consistently felt rushed and overlooked in this relationship. I am tired of being the small voice that does not impact decision-making. My husband is now being nice to me and trying to show me a good time, but I see it as him turning on his charming mode so that I can say yes to the sale of this house. I’m not sure what to do. Our fights and disagreements are so bad and the marriage feels like doom sometimes (never any physical violence). I sometimes questions even staying with him, but I worry for my daughter. He is a good father to her, when he is present and off his phone.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
TL;DR:
I need advice. I met my husband four years ago, and we bought a house together with my family's help. Financial disputes caused issues. Despite getting married and having a baby, we fight often. My husband handles our finances separately, spent a lot on the house, but now wants to sell it. I feel insecure about selling because the mortgage is like an investment to me, and also I rely on my parents, who live nearby, for help with our child. My husband feels stressed by the mortgage and feels homesick for his family 3000km away. I feel overlooked in decision-making and am unsure whether to agree to the sale, or to stand my ground and not sell. Sometimes I question staying in the marriage for my daughter’s sake, or is it better give up on this unhappy marriage.

Saving money and achieving financial freedom can indeed be challenging due to various factors, but understanding these hurdles and implementing strategies to overcome them can pave the way towards financial success.

1. Lack of Financial Literacy: Many people struggle with managing their finances simply because they lack the necessary knowledge about budgeting, investing, and saving. Without a solid understanding of financial principles, it's easy to fall into patterns of overspending and debt. Overcoming: Educate yourself about personal finance through books, online resources, or even financial literacy courses. Understanding basic concepts like budgeting, compound interest, and investment strategies can empower you to make informed decisions about your money.
2. Living Beyond Means: In today's consumer-driven culture, there's often pressure to keep up with the latest trends and maintain a certain lifestyle, even if it means spending more than you earn. This mentality leads to excessive spending and makes it difficult to save. Overcoming: Practice living below your means by creating a budget that prioritizes saving and investing over unnecessary expenses. Differentiate between needs and wants, and be mindful of your spending habits. Focus on long-term financial goals rather than short-term gratification.
3. High Cost of Living: Rising expenses such as housing, healthcare, and education can eat into your income, leaving little room for saving and investing. Overcoming: Explore ways to reduce your living expenses, such as downsizing to a smaller home, renegotiating bills, or finding cheaper alternatives for necessities. Consider relocating to areas with lower costs of living if feasible. Additionally, look for ways to increase your income through side hustles or advancing your career.
4. Debt Burden: Debt, especially high-interest consumer debt like credit card balances, can significantly impede your ability to save and invest for the future. Paying off debt often takes precedence over saving, leading to a cycle of financial stress. Overcoming: Prioritize debt repayment by adopting strategies like the debt snowball or debt avalanche method. Cut discretionary spending and allocate the savings towards paying off debt faster. Consider consolidating high-interest debt or negotiating with creditors for lower interest rates.
5. Lack of Discipline: Saving money requires discipline and self-control, which can be challenging in a world filled with temptations and instant gratification. Impulse purchases and lifestyle inflation can derail your savings goals. Overcoming: Develop good financial habits by automating your savings and investments, setting up separate accounts for different financial goals, and tracking your spending regularly. Create barriers to impulse spending, such as implementing a waiting period before making non-essential purchases. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family who share similar financial goals.
6. Unexpected Expenses and Emergencies: Financial setbacks like medical emergencies, car repairs, or job loss can derail your savings progress and force you to dip into your savings or accumulate debt. Overcoming: Build an emergency fund to cover 3-6 months' worth of living expenses, so you're prepared for unforeseen circumstances. Make regular contributions to this fund until you reach your target amount. Consider purchasing insurance policies like health insurance, car insurance, and disability insurance to mitigate the financial impact of unexpected events.
7. Psychological Barriers: Deep-seated beliefs and emotions about money inherited from childhood or past experiences can influence your financial behavior. Fear of failure, scarcity mindset, or feelings of unworthiness can sabotage your efforts to save and invest. Overcoming: Practice mindfulness and self-awareness to identify and challenge limiting beliefs about money. Cultivate a positive money mindset by focusing on abundance rather than scarcity. Surround yourself with positive influences and seek support from a financial advisor or therapist if necessary.

By addressing these challenges with proactive strategies and a mindset geared towards long-term financial success, you can overcome obstacles to saving money and ultimately achieve financial freedom. Remember that it's a journey, and progress may come in small steps, but every step forward brings you closer to your goals.

I get it forces you to move and do you not to be able to do everything but that is almost the point. It give restrictions the world of photography is vast and expansive which can make it overwhelming and hard to get better. That’s why forcing someone to see through the eye of a 50mm or what not allows them to develop faster. Let me know what you think about this.
Edit: 50m was just an example could be what ever you want I feel the exception to this would be 200 mil up bc the prices are wildly inflated.

The flames of your campfire flicker as the wind howls around you. Shivering as you pull your wolfskin cloak around you, thankful for its warmth.
"Your welcome for that" a voice calls teasingly across the campfire. "And for this" she says as she lifts a leg of some beast she slew earlier and is now roasting over the fire
"Thank you" the words come from your half frozen lips, "it's nice to see your homeworld, even if loose some toes" you say with a small grin
A bark of laughter comes from your love, she tosses her hair back as she takes a swig from her mug before reaching out to hand it to you "drink this, you won't be cold anymore" a grin spreads across her face "it's no mjod, but still good stuff"
Taking the mug and feeling the warmth on your hands you take a careful sip feeling the warmth travel through your body. The plesent taste of spices spreads along your tounge.
And then the alcohol bites
You double over gasping at the burning taste as the rush of alcoholic warmth spreads through your body warming you from the inside out you hear that same bark of laughter "good stuff like I said" she reaches over to grab the mug, taking a long sip from it before letting out a sigh of appreciation "made specifically to brace you against the cold of Fenris, you won't freeze as long as you have some in your system"
After that she drains the rest of the mug before patting a horn strapped to her armor "and I made sure to bring plenty my pup" she turns her attention back to the meat cooking as you recover
It's not the first times she's made you try her drinks before. And it's not the worst you've tried, you still remember the time she handed you a cup of Mjod. The fumes alone made you fall back against her chest plate. Followed by plenty of laughter from the host of assembled marines
Sitting back up just in time for her to hand you a drumstick from the fire "eat up pup" she says holding up a larger leg "race you to the bone" as she sinks her teeth into the meat determined to beat you
Try as you might you still have a few bites left on your bone as she triumphantly dangles a clean bone in front of your face. You look up to see an identically clean bone in her other hand. A small pout coming on your face much to her ammusment
"Sorry pup" as she cracks a bone and starts picking out the marrow "you learn to eat fast when you compete with wolves" you swear she jokes about it just to mess with you, though given some of her mannerisms your not sure she's lying
You finish off your bone as she finishes picking out the marrow of hers. You point around you with your bone "this whole place is actually kind of beautiful" you point to the snow covered mountains "I love the way the snow falls"
Her eyes follow your bone "I was raised on that mountain, our den was about halfway up" her voice fades into what you presume is memory as you keep staring at the mountains
"You'll have to take me there one day" receiving no answer. Sighing with the delight only a full belly can bring you lean back a little against your pack as you chuck your bone off away from camp
A blur passes over you as your sent rolling by some sort of force. Her training kicks in as you keep your grip on your pistol as you finish your roll, coming up to see Leman with her face buried in whatever it was that attacked you
You wince, rembering the time she got a little too aggressive with a love bite, feeling almost sorry for whatever dared to attack you in her presence "did you get it love?" Your voice has her turn her head
Only for you to see pure joy in her eyes as she sits there with your bone in her mouth. She practically throws herself forward and drops the bone at your feet. Instinctively you reach out and pat her head, which leans into your hand as your fingers find yheir way behind her ears
Seconds later you both pause realizing what had just happened. Only now you double over laughing as her face flushes
"If you tell anyone of what happend here ill..." her voice fades off, for once she doesn't have an insult or threat of violence ready to issue in a challenge
Recovering from your fit of laughter you move closer and embrace her kneeling form. "Don't worry love. Your secrets safe with me" she sighs and the two of you lose track of time as you stay like that
The only thing that brings out out of it is the sound of the campfire dying out. Leman rises, hating to break the moment "ill get that rebuilt, go get your lighting kit and I'll show you how to build a proper fire" as you both remember the lack luster first attempt you had
It took a Melta gun to get it burning
Turning to your pack you start to dig through for your lighting kit, coming across it deep inside your pack. Also finding your drinking horn you grab it moving back to the growing pile of wood. Determine to at least best her in one competition tonight
My other works https://www.reddit.comANGRY_CENT_MAIN/s/rRB69ntbm7

Update post on my progress and protocols for my treatment with side effects and how I managed it all.
Now that I'm done with treatment, I hope that this can help others who may be starting the same journey and have questions. I attribute my easy time to the premeds and my mental willpower. I focus on the positives and silver linings over the negatives. You can only control one thing -- your reactions. The rest requires you to practice acceptance.
Diagnosis: Stage 2 Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Gastric Type with LVSI
Treatment Plan: Surgery (cervix, uterus, and ovaries) followed by concurrent Chemo with Radiation with a PET Scan scheduled 2 months after treatment to determine if NED or more treatment is required.
I was scheduled for 6 chemo cycles, once a week, and 28 radiation beam therapies. Chemo happened on Monday and Radiation was Monday through Friday. I had to skip Cycle 3 on Chemo only because I was hospitalized with Norovirus and my counts were too low. I still did radiation those days.
Chemo Protocol in order of meds:

1. Magnesium Sulfate + Potassium Chloride. Cisplatin strips this from your body, supplements.
2. Emend (Fosaprepitant) - antiemetic. I had to get a port for this, it burned my arm vein and I had to use other arm for Chemo, no fun.
3. Aloxi (Palonosetron) - antiemetic.
4. Decadron (Dexamethasone) - steroid. It burns in your nether region, if it burns too much, ask them to push it slower.
5. Lasix (Furosemide) - diuretic. Cisplatin is hard on kidneys, this is to help purge the chemo faster. Be close to a bathroom and ask nurse if you can just unplug your IV pole and go to bathroom freely vs. pushing call button -- its easier.
6. Cisplatin (Platinol) 70mg (my dose). Didn't make me feel any different than the other infusions.

Plan for at least 5 hours for the above. I started at 7:30am and ended between 12 and 12:30pm.
Cisplatin Symptoms: This is going to vary person to person and you may get different premeds than me.

• Mon (Day 1) - just the cold feeling in your veins from all the fluid infusions. You also gain like 5lbs of water weight that day. I was typically ravenous and ate whatever I wanted, the antiemetics made this possible. Be wary of constipation from chemo, it took me by surprise the first week. The other weeks I ate a few prunes on Sunday and then after chemo on Monday to help. Otherwise you won't poop for a week and be miserable.
• Tues (Day 2) - no appetite and I don't eat. Even marijuana does not work to stimulate. I'll force myself if DH forces me, but since I eat everything in sight Day 1 I'm not too hard on myself. Important to have first BM this day, if nothing then you need to start addressing. Of course I BM daily so this may not apply to you.
• Wed - Thu (Day 3 - 4) - acid reflux and indigestion. Keep some Tums handy or use pills, it doesn't really help and you get used to it. All in, better than throwing up, so take it as a win if this is the worst for you. Appetite back.
• Fri - Sun (Day 5 -7) - less side effects, should be at normal BMs, if you are not you need to address for next cycle. Very important to purge your bowels if you are constipated before your next chemo. I ended up doing Miralax my first week, I had zero BM before Sat and I could feel the pressure. The following weeks I just did a handful of prunes Sunday night after dinner and Monday when I got home from chemo. I happen to like prunes and they worked to keep me regular.

Pelvic Radiation Symptoms: This is going to be different based on what areas are treated. My bladder, vagina, and pelvic nodes were heavily treated. Be sure you understand the side effects before you start treatment - so you can be on top of everything. Below is my experience and I had a fairly easy time of it.

• The fatigue sets in slowly. By week 3/4 I needed 12 hours a night to sleep. Don't ignore this important rest. I adjusted my work schedule from day 1 -- from 7a to 1p Tue - Thu. I didn't work Mon due to Chemo and Fri I had to get labs done and radiation so I worked from 7a to 11am. I did this from day 1 to set the tone with my boss and ensure I had the time needed to rest even if I didn't need it. I ended up working Sat and sometimes Sun to make up for things. I am a WFH executive - right hand of CEO and in charge of operations. Helps to have a great boss pick up the slack and an amazing team who supported me every step of the way.
• Bowels get softer over time, they do not go from hard to diarrhea overnight. If you have diarrhea fast, don't ignore it or let your doctor's ignore. I thought it was the prunes week 2 that did it, no it was norovirus. They didn't catch it until I had a 102 fever week 3 and had to be hospitalized. The chemo constipation masked it during the week.
• AZO is your BEST FRIEND. Take it every day. It is made to as a pain reliever for the bladder. I missed it for a week and paid for it so bad. Do not skip this important drug. I need to keep taking it for a few weeks until the symptoms subside.
• When you go in for your initial telemetry setup for the machines, make sure you are comfortable before they start anything. The moment you lay down on the machine bed, you need to make sure you are in a good position. They used a mold on my legs and I was not in a good position so it really hurt my hips every session thereafter.
• You have to put your hands on your chest. They give a ring, I hated it. I recommend relaxing your shoulders or you'll have a hard time while they do the treatment.
• You get used to the flow. You walk into the treatment room, hop on a bed while two techs adjust you (I had x marks on both hips and belly that they lined up). Then you get a quick CT to ensure your bladder is full and you're in a good position. Adjustments are made as needed. You know when the radiation beam starts because it is the only thing with noise. Don't move until they say you can. Whole thing is 10 mins or less.
• Bladder management is the worst part. You need to have a full bladder for this and as the treatment progresses you will have a harder time determining if your bladder is full or not. Your kidneys will also work slower (I attribute to the chemo) as the weeks go on, so you'll need to drink earlier. I recommend drinking what will fill your bladder two hours before your treatment. It is easier to let of some pressure than it is to fill the bladder. Tea is a natural diuretic and is very helpful to giving your kidneys a boost. I usually drank 20+ oz of Powerade two hours before (chugging), then tea when I arrived (they had fancy machines) and this worked 90% of the time.
• Be wary of foods you eat. I did great until Week 4 when I had lots of stuff with red sauce and it caused gas. I had to pass this gas before they could do my treatment, it was a riot but you don't want your visits to be like that every day. Stay away from tomato products and anything else that gives you even mild gas outside of treatment. It is nearly impossible to pass gas with an overfull bladder.

Nurses are your best friend. Having cancer and going through treatment sucks, but the nurses are there for you and my experience was all-inclusive resort service. Take advantage of the snacks (yes they have ice cream) when you're getting chemo. Don't be shy about asking them about your meds, they did a good job explaining this to me, but I still had questions now and again. It takes a special person to be an oncology nurse and you feel it. It never felt fake or like they were putting on a show/smile just for me. They truly cared. I never want to see them again either way :)
Edited to add: get a port. You will not regret it. I plan on keeping mine for a year after NED, which will require a monthly flush. It makes things so much easier, especially if you have to be hospitalized. I didn't need the numbing cream, it hurts less than the arm pokes for labs and infusions. I asked for mine before chemo and doctor didn't think it was necessary. First treatment proved it was - I had three IV's that day and I'm still suffering from the Emend infusion (not the chemo surprisingly) on my arm. Yes, its surgery but its easy. I had it in place before my 2nd chemo and it was lifechanging. I'd keep it for life it wasn't for the monthly flushes lol, my arm veins were crap to start and the more they are poked the worse they get.