Hi everyone,
I'm currently facing a tough decision and would greatly appreciate some advice. I've been accepted into several universities for a Master's in Business Analytics and related fields, but I'm struggling to decide which one to go for. My_qualifications btech eee tier 2 college 6.86cgpa 8years job experience as a school administrator Here's a bit of context:
Unconditional Offers Received:
University of Surrey: Business Analytics University of Reading, Henley Business School: Digital Business and Data Analytics University of Warwick: Business Analytics (but out of my budget at the moment) Maynooth University, NUI: Business Analytics (Ireland)
Still Waiting On Decisions From:
University of Birmingham: Business Analytics Trinity College Dublin (TCD): Business Analytics University College Dublin (UCD): Business Analytics
My main concern is about job prospects after graduation. I'm particularly worried about the UK government potentially taking down the graduate visa route, even after positive recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). This uncertainty makes me consider Ireland more seriously.
Given the current situation and future job opportunities, which country and university would you recommend? Any insights on the job market for Business Analytics graduates in the UK vs. Ireland would be incredibly helpful.
Thanks in advance!

I have around 30,000 dollars of credit card debt.
One of my debts is being payed down but they are raising the amount I owe next month... which I am worried about. They issued a lawsuit against me....
So I have other creditors mostly credit cards and now I have another notice from the same company above (MIDLAND) that sent me a pre- legal notification. ..
this debt has been sold at least twice before but I haven't been able to act on much of any of my debt due to crippling health injuries. (Long term Covid / brain fog, hospitalization etc).
I am feeling a bit better to deal with this matter but I know I am deep in the hole.
SO for this one creditor... should I bother sending them a letter asking for more information. I know where the debt originally came from but I am concerned about how many times it has bounced around . Is it worth it sending them a letter requiring them to give me this information?
The other issue... I am honestly unable to pay off the entire amounts. I can maybe pay $10 dollars a month on this particular card .. (which is is around 3,000 dollars).
I had a tough time negotiating with Midland once the lawsuit on the other card occured. .. but I cannot reasonably afford another $100 dollars a month on this debt.. as of now.
I have lost a few years since the pandemic and have struggled to get back on my feet. Things have just not lined up the way I had hoped they would and now with inflation I can barely afford food.
Recommendations? Tips.
Here is the sample letter I pulled..
"To whom it may concern.
I am responding to your contact about a debt you are trying to collect. You contacted me by
Mail on May 1^st, 2024 and identified the debt as from \*****S Bank. Please supply the information below so that I can be fully informed:*
~Why you think I owe the debt and to whom I owe it, including:~

• The name and address of the creditor to whom the debt is currently owed, the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed.

• If this debt started with a different creditor, provide the name and address of the original creditor, the account number used by that creditor, and the amount owed to that creditor at the time it was transferred. When you identify the original creditor, please provide any other
name by which I might know them, if that is different from the official name. In addition, tell me when the current creditor obtained the debt and who the current creditor obtained it from.

• Provide verification and documentation that there is a valid basis for claiming that I am required to pay the debt to the current creditor. For example, can you provide a copy of the written agreement that created my original requirement to pay?

• If you are asking that I pay a debt that somebody else is or was required to pay, identify that person. Provide verification and documentation about why this is a debt that I am required to pay.

~The amount and age of the debt, including:~

• A copy of the last billing statement sent to me by the original creditor.

• State the amount of the debt when you obtained it, and when that was.

• If there have been any additional interest, fees or charges added since the last billing statement from the original creditor, provide an itemization showing the dates and amount of each added amount. In addition, explain how the added interest, fees or other charges are expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or are permitted by law.

• If there have been any payments or other reductions since the last billing statement from the original creditor, provide an itemization showing the dates and amount of each of them.
• If there have been any other changes or adjustments since the last billing statement from the original creditor, please provide full verification and documentation of the amount you are trying to collect. Explain how that amount was calculated. In addition, explain how the other changes or adjustments are expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or permitted by law.

• Tell me when the creditor claims this debt became due and when it became delinquent.

• Identify the date of the last payment made on this account.

• Have you made a determination that this debt is within the statute of limitations applicable to it? Tell me when you think the statute of limitations expires for this debt, and how you determined that.

~Details about your authority to collect this debt.~

• I would like more information about your firm before I discuss the debt with you. Does your firm have a debt collection license from my state? If not, say why not. If so, provide the date of the license, the name on the license, the license number, and the name, address and telephone number of the state agency issuing the license.

• If you are contacting me from a place outside my state, does your firm have a debt collection license from that place? If so, provide the date of the license, the name on the license, the license number, and the name, address and telephone number of the state agency issuing the license.


I have asked for this information because I have some questions. I need to hear from you to make an informed decision about your claim that I owe this money. I am open to communicating with you for this purpose. In order to make sure that I am not put at any disadvantage, in the meantime please treat this debt as being in dispute and under discussion between us.


In addition to providing the information requested above, please let me know whether you are prepared to accept less than the balance you are claiming is owed. If so, please tell me in writing your offer with the amount you will accept to fully resolve the account.

Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely,

One of my biggest struggles is communication. When I was young, I struggled immensely with low self-esteem and social anxiety. So I went through most of my development years as the quiet, shy kid who never said much.
Now I'm older, and I realize how much of an effect this has had on my ability to communicate. It's a skill I never learned, and am very embarrassed to be still be so bad at this. I will often come across children who are better at social banter than me.
For a long time, I also tried to fake it. But this felt weird, like I wasn't being true to myself. I would often say things just for the sake of saying them, and it led to me feeling like I was being something I'm not. I want everything I say to be real, and intentional. So I only talk when I have something I genuinely want to say.
This part of me hurts the most when I'm with my girlfriend. I just don't have anything to say sometimes. She knows this and is accepting of me, but I still feel deep shame about it because I love her and who she is so much. I put in a lot of effort, but sometimes I have to sit for several minutes to think of what to text her. I've heard people say that if you run out of things to say, then the relationship won't last. Sometimes, I feel she has better banter with my friends than me. I will occasionally try really hard to be like them or be really witty, but somehow this feels worse and cringey because it's just fake. Overall I just feel stuck.
I guess I don't really have a question. But if anyone can relate or has any advice, your input is appreciated. Thank you :)

HI!
I have a short audio clip (https://vocaroo.com/1iM1hJfV5LJ5) of a sound effect that reminds me of a game I used to play. The sound effect is a fanfare that was probably played as a victory sound in the game. The game could have been a PC or mobile game with a medieval or chess theme.
I’ve been trying to remember the name of this game for a while now, but I just can’t put my finger on it. If anyone recognizes this sound or has any idea which game it might be from, I would really appreciate your help!
Interestingly, the sound can be recognized by Shazam, but I suspect it might be because the same audio library or sample was used in something from Pozner. So, it’s possible that the sound is not unique to the game I’m thinking of.
Here is the audio clip: https://vocaroo.com/1iM1hJfV5LJ5
Thank you in advance!

My GF (24F) and I (27M) have been seeing each other for almost 7 months now, dating officially for about 5 months, and nearly living together for about 3 months. Now, before you say anything about moving in too soon, I moved out of my parents and into MY OWN apartment about a month into us officially dating. She basically lives with me, spends every night at my place, buys the groceries, has her own section of my closet. If someone comments on how nice my apartment is to her, she’ll say thank you as if it’s ours, she’ll mention “our apartment” in conversation. Along with all of that, she calls me what feels like once an hour on top of texting through the day too. Looking through my call history, we’ve had a call/facetime 50 times in the past week. She is an insecure and jealous person if that means anything.
Being a veteran, I very much enjoy my alone time. I like having a job where I sit in a patrol car by myself and do my own thing. But she’ll call me while I’m working several times to just chit chat or to tell me something quick that could’ve easily been texted. I always feel obligated to reply or pickup, and stop home while working for food when she’s home. When I’m off, she’s planning out what we should do together and what not. Granted, I never really have anything going on while I’m off, but sometimes I just want to go to the gym for a couple hours and then come home and like play video games for a little bit by myself.
(Keep in mind, she has a full time job, and occasionally hangs out with her friends).
Idk if I’m just an asshole for feeling this way, but I feel like I just don’t have my own life anymore. It’s a shared life that I do have a say in, but I feel guilty giving to myself knowing how she is. She’s never fought me on anything, and she doesn’t have an attitude ever about things. She’s just always around when I am. I’d like to have my own space and my own place to decorate and do as I please.
I do love her, and she is very very kind and gentle with me, and loves me fully. I don’t doubt that.
Advice and opinions are accepted, but I’m here just venting it out.
Thanks Reddit fam!

Hi everyone,
I'm currently facing a tough decision and would greatly appreciate some advice. I've been accepted into several universities for a Master's in Business Analytics and related fields, but I'm struggling to decide which one to go for. Here's a bit of context:
Offers Received:
University of Surrey: Business Analytics University of Reading, Henley Business School: Digital Business and Data Analytics University of Warwick: Business Analytics (but out of my budget at the moment) Maynooth University, NUI: Business Analytics (Ireland) Still Waiting On Decisions From: University of Birmingham: Business Analytics Trinity College Dublin (TCD): Business Analytics University College Dublin (UCD): Business Analytics
My main concern is about job prospects after graduation. I'm particularly worried about the UK government potentially taking down the graduate visa route, even after positive recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). This uncertainty makes me consider Ireland more seriously.
Given the current situation and future job opportunities, which country and university would you recommend? Any insights on the job market for Business Analytics graduates in the UK vs. Ireland would be incredibly helpful.
Thanks in advance!

I’m 22 ftm, and I live with my grandparents. They requested I live with them to help them out.
I’m honestly really devastated at the moment so I’m not sure what to do or say, I’m sorry if this post is messy. I intend on starting HRT on Monday, taking a low dose of Testosterone. I’ve known I was a man since I was 14 years old, and I experience dysphoria with my voice and looking feminine. I’ve socially transitioned, and my school and job accept me for who I am.
My family, though, all have varying levels of disagreeing with the LGBTQ. I came out when I was 19. My uncles are the types of guys to assume all gay men will force themselves on them, my dad told me I will never be a real man and that I’m a beautiful girl, and anyone who referred to me by my proper pronouns or name were essentially bullied into misgendering and deadnaming me. I only know this because a former ally told me he can no longer respect my identity because he “needs to be on (his) wife’s side.” I understood, but it hurt.
Flash forward to now. I dress androgynous and occasionally wear a dress because- let’s be real- dresses are super comfortable. Who WANTS to wear pants all the time? Not me, even if I’m masc aligned.
That being said, my gender dysphoria has been particularly bad- to the point where I did something drastic last year that took me a while to recover from. After healing from it, getting a job, and finishing out my semester in college, I went to a gender clinic that would work with my health insurance to see what options would be best for me.
After about two hours of discussing my personal journey, my family’s medical issues, and discussing the options they can provide, we decided biweekly low dosage testosterone injections were the way to go for how I’d like to present. They draw my blood, see that I’m medically fit, and schedule an appointment a month out for me to get my first testosterone injection in their office so I know how to do them at home.
Last night, my grandmother, 64F (who, by all accounts, is one of my most liberal family members) calls me down to talk after I come home from work. She pulls out a letter that she had opened addressed to me by my preferred name. Again, she knows I’m trans. I’ve explained it to her before, but she’s always been subtly doubtful. It’s small things like “you think you’re a boy” and “you call yourself Dylan” as opposed to just saying I’m a boy or that I go by Dylan. Honestly, the second one sounds like I run around and talk in the third person and everyone calls me by my legal name, which amuses me a little, but is still pretty disrespectful.
The letter is from the clinic, and it shows the date of my upcoming appointment. She said my grandfather (75M) gave it to her, and not to me. They opened my mail without my permission, which is illegal, but they do it all the time. My grandfather mentioned that it was the same place I could get hormones, and if I did that, he would kick me out. My grandmother seemingly agrees with this, and told me that, and that he’s very anti-lgbtq.
There’s a few problems with this story I couldn’t process at the time: - My grandfather was one of the first people I came out to, and he was very accepting of me. This was only three years ago, but I understand his memory and personality may change drastically in old age. He even bought me my first binder! - My grandmother was openly against me getting HRT, and always has been. - My family (her sons mostly) has claimed she’s very controlling and has “always wanted a little girl.” I was her only granddaughter and her daughters, so I feel like that may also affect her. - She has constantly put in my head that I am intellectually disabled. I can agree I’m behind the curve for people my age, but not so much I need to be monitored and watched over for the rest of my life like she seems to imply
That night, I sobbed in my car because of the betrayal. I thought she loved me, but I think I love my grandmother more than she loves me, sometimes. Or maybe just not in the same way.
Tonight, she and I will have dinner out. I don’t have the energy to fight, but I’ll record our conversation if it comes to that so I can organize points at a later date to discuss with her. I won’t be cancelling my HRT, and I have resources in case she does kick me out, but it never really hurts to have more. Thanks for reading, I’ll update later tonight.

I have lurked on here for months now and this sub has provided me with a great amount of resources that are beginning to help me out of the situation I have long been in, finally able to see some progress.
Back in February, I received notification that my loan had been transferred to Treasury for collection. Despite my repeated attempts to reach out, contacting them proved futile. Even regular conversations with the SBA yielded no solution to reclaim my loan.
Recent posts here mentioned successfully moving loans back to the SBA using the EIDL Dispute template
https://docs.google.com/document0/d/1QMkBpRqO1T2JT0J6QqPFvivp-OeqEjXCciLNpETycMs/mobilebasic?pli=1
Personalizing it with assistance from both Chatgpt and Gemini, I crafted what I thought was a good enough letter. I sent it to [CovidEIDLServicing@sba.gov](), among other suggested emails. Only this particular email acknowledged receipt through Mailtrack and responded.
It took 9 days to receive the response. It included the hardship application and instructions to send it back to the email above. The application also requires to include your YTD P&L for loans over $200. Both were provided the same day. One hour later, I received this auto response
"Thank you for contacting the U.S. Small Business Administration Covid EIDL Servicing Center. We have received your request and forwarded it to the appropriate department for review. Please allow 7 -10 business days to process your request. Repeat submissions to [CovidEIDLServicing@sba.gov](mailto:CovidEIDLServicing@sba.gov) may result in a delay in your request being processed.

This email box is not currently providing status updates. If you have questions regarding the status of your request or require further assistance, please call 1-833-853-5638 (Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time) or, if you are hearing impaired, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

The MySBA Loan Portal is now live! The MySBA Loan Portal is a new portal where borrowers can view their loan balance, make payments, view statement, and contact customer support in one place. Borrowers can visit https://lending.sba.gov to login or enroll."
Though I'm not one to frequently engage in comments or posts, having experienced firsthand the anxiety and hardship this situation can induce, I felt compelled to share my experience. I hope it offers a ray of guidance to those facing similar challenges.

Hello, I am selling my collection to downsize. If you need any more pictures let me know and all prices are with shipping. Also accept offers just send me a message on the DM's.
Timestamp- https://imgur.com/gallery/G5sULsK
Sets:
One piece omnibuses 1-8( vol1-24) for $85 G4
Jujutsu Kaisen Vol 0-16 for $105 G4
Haikyuu vol 1-7 for $35 G4
**Misc. volumes:**
Shomin sample vol 1 -$6 G4
Laid back sample vol 1-$6 G4
Rent-a-girlfriend vol 4-5- for $10 G4
My senpai is annoying vol 1- $7 G4
Rascal Does not Dream of Bunny Girl vol 1- $10 G4
**Figures:**
Ruka figure - $25 (still have box)
Rem bikinin figure - $35 (still have box)
Rem ice cream - $30 (still have box)
**Anime**
Cowboy Bebop 25th anniversary blu ray- $25 (still sealed)
**Artbook**
Cyberpunk 2077 art book- $15

Overview:

I'm looking for someone to go through this site and make a spreadsheet including all of the companies, their careers page, and if possible, narrowed down for remote US jobs. For example, I took this site and added it to the spreadsheet like this.
The idea is that I should be able to go through and click the links, getting right to the careers page for US remote jobs really quickly.

Requirements:

• You can live anywhere, though if you're not physically in the US in the US, a VPN is necessary (I suggest this free one, if you don't have one), so you'll be digitally in the US.
• Have your own working computer and Internet
• Communicate via Slack
• Have access to Google Sheets
• Deadline is 2 weeks after hire. This can be changed for the right person. The actual hours that you work are flexible.
• Good internet searching skills
• Excellent English reading skills (native/near native) to allow you to navigate the sites
• Include otter in your message
• So-so English writing skills, to fill out the spreadsheet and make notes
• Attention to detail

Payment:

Per sub rules, I'll pay upfront if I have less karma than you, and I'll pay after you complete the work if you have less karma than me. We'll check in to ensure everything is going well at the 10% and 50% marks.

Next steps:

Please comment on this post, and send me a chat after doing so. In your chat, tell me:

• your bid for the whole project (no per hour or per entry bids)
• how you'd like to be paid
• if a two week deadline works for you
• what methods of payment you can accept
• any experience you have with internet research and data entry
• any questions
• before sending a chat, ensure that you have read the post fully, as attention to detail is very important for this gig

I am a current college freshman and got accepted as a sophomore transfer to Tufts. I applied as an Arts and Science CS major because when transferring they said that you needed two semesters of physics and I only had 1. I was hoping to do CE, so I'm wondering if I made a bad move or if I'm chilling.
I tried looking online, but the closest thing I could find was this dead link on the Tufts website: Page Not Found AS&E Students (tufts.edu).
For Reference I have completed Calc 1 and 2, Physics 1, and an Intro CS class with some humanities stuff scattered.
Thanks for the help!

Finally got my head out my ass, and I'm going to follow a tried and proven program. I was in the process of coming up with a new split for myself (deciding to transition to 4 days after over a year being overambitious with 6 days and skipping workouts), found GZCP whilst trying to decide between a homebrewed uppelower or full body. I realized it's *exactly* the program I was looking for.
I will start the 4 day GZCLP split, using u/Blacknoir 's speadsheet as guidance. I have a few questions though. First, here are the 4 day rotations for each tier as found in the spreadsheet.

• T1: SQ, OHP, B, DL
• T2: B, DL, SW, OHP
• T3: Lat pulldowns, DB Row, Dips, Curls

1. I wanted to use the modified rep scheme for T1: 3x5+ > 4x3+ > 5x2+. Not because I think it's better or anything, but I can't see myself sleeping on the bench for 30-50 minutes doing 10 sets with 3-5 minute breaks. Is this an acceptable modification, has it been tried and tested? I know it being in the spreadsheet doesn't necessarily mean it's good, but it would be far more convenient from a time perspective.
2. What do you think of doing low bar squats for the T1 squats and high bar for T2?
3. I feel like I could be integrating some isolation work for my side delts and triceps as T3 exercises. Can I, should I, and if so, which days?
4. I'm thinking of using half the weight increments for T2 exercises, as I have microplates. And perhaps even less for OHP work. Should I do this to delay stalling and thereby each progression stage? Or should I stop trying to be smart and just do the program as it was written (ie. 10 lbs to all lower body and 5lbs for all upper body, regardless of T1 or T2).
5. Does anyone know why the T3 exercises in the spreadsheet are not alternating DB rows with lat pulldowns both 2x per week as that was the original program I believe, and should I do that instead ?
6. Finally, is it Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday? Monday Wednesday Friday Saturday? I have seen both recommended (either Reddit or Boostcamp). Does it really matter? Can I even do 3 or even 4 consecutive days in a week (like 4 days training 3 days rest) if my schedule gets in the way.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I realize I may be overthinking it but as its the first time I'm actually going to follow a real program and I want to get it right.

Hello,
This is a throwaway account, not a big poster.
I'm currently going through the divorce process with my wife of 2 years and 7 months, but we have been together for 8 years. Living together for 6 years in various places.
We currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona. We do not have any minor children, and we do not have a covenant marriage.
Sort of a long rant, TLDR at the bottom. Relationship was great to start and we've known each other as good friends for about 5 years before we started dating.
I proposed, she said yes, we got married and we're taking on life.
I had some trouble staying positive throughout the relationship due to stress, money, and varying insecurities. My wife was helpful in keeping me grounded and straightening out my mind.
However, I kept falling back into the pattern and eventually it was too much for her around our 2nd anniversary. She began talking and flirting with another man as she mentally gave up on the relationship but kept it secret. She confessed that she was iffy about the marriage, but I had been making personal improvements over the last couple months to change my mindset and stay positive. This made her want to try and stay with me even though she had partially given up already. I found out that she was flirting with that other guy and was still continuing to talk to him even after she decided to stay with me. They weren't as flirtatious, but still in contact. I asked her to cut him off and she did for a time, but went back to talking to him anyways. After that, there was a long talk about our relationship and what we are doing.
We decided to keep at it and make it work. A few months go by and things went good, but my wife confessed that she still things about the other guy and the possible life with him.
I get upset and things take a bit of a turn for me mentally, but we still keep at it. A couple weeks later, I got upset over some of the stressors in our life and it was quite the mental breakdown. At that point, my wife said she couldn't take it anymore and had me leave the house to stay with my family.
She says she needs space and time to think while I cool off. So I agree and leave the house. I came back to the place the next day to grab a few more items as I don't know how long I was going to be gone. I then found evidence of her sexting the other guy with no restrictions or care that we were still in the relationship.
I talk to her about this and she says she wants a divorce. I'm upset because I thought we were going to work it out still, but she went behind my back and did this. So over the weekend we start the process, but after a long phone call with her I managed to get her to call off the divorce so we can work it out.
She stops talking to the other guy, and we try and get back into our flow. 2 months go by and I'm trying my absolute best to make it work, but my wife just didn't seem to try or want to make it work. Eventually I asked her to just tell me how she feels and she still wanted the divorce.
So I leave the house again, this time on the premise that it is truly for good.
I leave and not even 3 days later she is talking to the guy, going on dates with him, and basically replacing me with him.
I told her that she was going to have to file if she wanted the divorce as I STILL wanted to make it work. Some of you may think I'm crazy at this point, but I love the woman and I wanted to fix things.
It has now been 5 weeks since she said she was done and I left the house, but she hasn't started the divorce papers. She is however in a full public relationship with the new guy and has completely removed me from her life and won't even talk to me.
At this point, I've been doing inner work to come to terms with this whole situation and I'm going to file for divorce myself since she won't.
I'm wanting to resolve this amicably and we already have an understanding of the division of property with no issues on who is getting what.
Now for the real questions that I wanted to ask.
I'm currently filling out the eFile form provided from the State of Arizona and have reached the point regarding community/separate property, community/separate debt. I am wondering if I can just state that no community property/debt was acquired during our marriage to avoid listing all the stuff we already know goes where. Some of it was acquired before and some after, but to list each individual item we got seems like an awful lot of stuff to go over even though we already know who gets what. If I can state that no community property/debt was acquired, I feel like that would resolve this much more smoothly, but I don't know if that's what I can do. So can I? Or is it bad for the process to not list that property?
On a side note, am I going in the wrong direction when trying to resolve this without drama or anything even though my wife cheated on me and is having an affair while we are still married? Should I pursue for any spousal maintenance/alimony?
I just don't know if it would be worth the full trial. At this point, I'm better off without her and she can live her life as is. I'm working on accepting and letting go of my issues with how this whole thing played out. I want to be civil and end this chapter without causing drama. It's been tough though, as that small part of me wants to whip up a storm because I feel so wronged, but I know it's just not worth it and I'm getting caught in attachments.
Anyways, thanks for reading! Please give any advice you feel might be appropriate, I greatly appreciate it.
TLDR;
Arizona, no minor children, not a covenant marriage. Recently began the divorce process because my wife started cheating on me due to struggles in the relationship and giving up on making it work.
I want to solve this without drama and we have an amicable understanding of how things are splitting.
For the documents that I am filling out, do I need to list all the community/separate property and debt or can I state that none was acquired since we already have understood terms of how to divide things? In truth, it is me being lazy and not wanting to fish out all the information about each thing we are splitting as it seems like an overwhelming amount and I cannot financially afford help. So can I just list that none was acquired for both and just move on with the filing and getting the divorce over with?

TLDR:

At the small post we were on, the 25m zero range and qual range SDZ's did not allow for firing these rifles. Something we only learned after confirming our zeros on the 25m range.
It's still heavy, but after a day or so you stop noticing it until you have to shoot from a standing position or doing are doing CQB. then you are painfully reminded how off balance the rifle is.
The two sample rifles we had were consistently 3 MOA guns.
The non-reciprocating charging handle on the left side is not as cool as I initially thought, and it ruins the whole "truly ambidextrous" feel that the Sig MCX line has.
The folding buttstock can go fuck itself.

A review of the 277 Fury rounds is here and you may need to read it for some context, but I have endeavored to make this review stand alone as much as possible.
Over the course of three days, a friend of mine and I lived with the M7 Spear. We spent time at various ranges, doing "tactical stuff", getting in and out of HMMWV's and GSA's, while trying to figure out the ins-and-outs of the rifle.
My sample, #087, had between 8K and 10K round rounds through it. The number of combat vs training rounds was not tracked, but given the expected barrel life is 10K combat rounds we ran a borescope through the barrel and the chamber to see what we could see.
His sample, #529, had between 6K and 8K of an unknown mix combat and training rounds through it. We ran the borescope through it as well.
There was no real difference in the wear between the two rifles.
We spent the morning of the first day playing around with the ammunition and doing comparisons against 308 168gr SMK, while the ultrasonic cleaner did Gods work on the various bits and bobs of our sample rifles.

Note when we did the ammo comparison we used a Remington 700PSS with 24" barrel. It quickly became apparent when we were testing the rifles, that was a poor benchmark, as the Remington outperformed both rifles in everything but rate of fire. Its a sniper rifle, granted its your Grandfather's sniper rifle, but its still a fucking sniper rifle. The Spear is not, its a battlerifle, and so I won't be including the comparisons here.

We tried cleaning them without the ultrasonic cleaner...but I'm not sure these rifles had ever been properly cleaned before.
I've got mixed feelings about the MCX system. It ticks a lot of boxes, short stroke gas piston, no need for a buffer tube or spring, superior handling of gas when suppressed and so on.
However, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of the maintenance? I absolutely despise it. Despite owning a MCX in 300 blackout myself, every cleaning session feels overly complex and time consuming.
We kicked off the afternoon with both rifles, setting up for grouping and zeroing—my rig was outfitted with the Tango 6T sporting the "Hellfire" reticle in MOA, resembling your standard rifle scope setup. His, on the other hand, featured the same Tango 6T but with Hellfire in MILS, decked out with the Christmas tree reticle.
Some time back, I made a comment after my initial rounds with the Spear, labeling it a "tack driver." In hindsight, I probably should have clarified that bit. Typically, when shooting a new rifle, if I land three out of five shots within a 1 to 1.5 MOA spread, I chalk up any outliers to user error rather than blaming the rifle or the ammunition.
However, it appears that assumption was a bit off.
Our zeroing and grouping efforts at 100 yards turned into quite the saga. We found ourselves mostly hitting 3 rounds within the 1 to 1.5 MOA range, but occasionally, one or two shots would balloon the group size to between 2.5 and 3 MOA.
Instead of descending into frustration and stubborn attempts to tighten these groups, we opted to settle for anything under three MOA as acceptable for our purposes and proceeded to finalize our zero.

Side note, my last zero group was my best of the day coming it at just over 2 MOA. My friends best group came in at 1.8, and quite honestly he's a better shot than I am.

Research shows that the original specs for the NGSW called for a 4 MOA battle rifle. Despite some noticeable barrel wear on our two test models, both rifles still performed beyond this requirement.
Following our grouping and zeroing session, we spent the remainder of the afternoon plinking with training rounds at 100 yards.
During this, I learned a hard lesson about the non-reciprocating charging handle—it needs to be firmly locked forward before hitting the bolt release on the left side. After a couple of painful mishaps and a few close calls, I finally caught on and made it a routine to ensure the handle was properly set before engaging the bolt release.
I really wanted to get on board with the side charging handle, but after three days, I'm just not a fan. It tended to snag on my gear (Eagle MARCRIS plate carrier) when maneuvering or positioning the rifle to fire, making it less convenient than I had hoped.
Interestingly, I found myself using it more during offhand shooting. I'd instinctively remove my left hand from the pistol grip to work the side charging handle, rather than using my right hand on the traditional top charging handle. Yes, I'm aware this breaks the cardinal rule of keeping your firing hand on the grip, but this method felt more intuitive, similar to operating a bolt-action rifle.
When shooting offhand, the rifle scores highly. I don't often shoot this way, but I encountered none of the usual drawbacks associated with traditional AM platforms. Aside from the tricky side charging handle, the rifle seemed inherently designed for ambidextrous use, which I particularly appreciated when firing left-handed.
I was tempted to launch into a tirade about the ridiculously designed folding stock, but you deserve a more structured critique. Here are the three major gripes:

The stock's release mechanism is a convoluted affair involving an awkward dance of pushing down on the rifle while yanking up on the buttstock just to get it to close.
Once "closed," the stock doesn't truly secure—it juts out at a precarious 20-degree angle, seemingly relying on mere friction to stay in place, which neither of our samples managed successfully.
The overall build felt flimsy and loose, perhaps a consequence of the extensive wear from firing 8,000 to 10,000 rounds.

After wrestling with these issues, we wrapped up with a quick cleaning session for the rifles before heading out to the range we’d "camping" at.
The next day, we arrived ready to group, zero, and qualify with a local unit. We had informed them of our visit and assumed everything was squared away with range control.
However, that assumption fell flat. Turns out, the range’s surface danger zones weren’t set up for the 277 Fury. Just as we finished dialing in our zero (.75 inches low at 25m), range control showed up, questioning our activities.
Following an awkward exchange and the diplomatic offering of a case of beer, they agreed to let us continue and even served as OIC and RSO for the KD range. We proceeded with the old KD qualification, alternating between marking and raising targets, and both of us qualified without any issues.
With some extra time on our hands, and much to the amusement of range control, the session evolved into a lively mix of burpees and sprinting between shooting positions. We experimented with various firing positions and sequences, such as starting from standing unsupported at 100 yards and moving down to kneeling unsupported. This exercise underscored the rifle’s heft yet manageability, while also highlighting how the forward-heavy balance made extended unsupported shooting particularly taxing on the arms and upper back.
The afternoon unfolded with battledrills and land navigation alongside the unit we were scheduled to qualify with. Given the theoretical roles and limited numbers, the platoon leader assigned us to the designated marksman/squad designated marksman roles, which was logical considering we were the only ones equipped with the new rifles while the rest of the squad used M4s.
This setup sparked an intense discussion among the officers about how tactical deployment might shift once the rifle was fully integrated into service. There was plenty of speculation on how military tactics and doctrines would need to adapt to leverage the new capabilities offered by this rifle.
However, I'm somewhat skeptical. I don't see this rifle as the revolutionary game-changer it’s touted to be. While it's undoubtedly suited for the designated marksman role, I doubt the Army will invest the necessary time, money, and resources to train every soldier to this level of proficiency. Consider that there are reserve units that only qualify every four years, often just to help "point-needy" soldiers piggyback for qualification. This rifle won’t alter that reality.
As for the night qualification, we were slated to test that as well, but circumstances didn’t allow for it, so I can’t comment on how the rifle performs at night with night vision devices.
On the third morning, we headed to the LMG range, ready to go full-auto from a bipod, gearing up to tackle the 249 qualification.
Honestly, this was the most amazing shooting experience I've had in ages. The only snag was the 20-round magazine capacity, which felt limiting amid the thrill—it was the only moment of frustration in an otherwise splendid session.
We ran a practice session with the training rounds, followed by a qualification shoot with both the training and combat rounds. By lunchtime, our shoulders were thoroughly sore, but I can't remember the last time I'd grinned that much in a long while.
Post-lunch, we dropped in on some local law enforcement officers who were operating a shoot house. Initially, we navigated the course with M4s to familiarize ourselves with the layout and safety protocols. After getting a handle on things, we switched to the M7s, running through the course using the last of our training rounds, having depleted our combat rounds earlier on the machine gun range.
Both of us found ourselves moving significantly slower with the M7s. Reviewing the footage, it was clear that I was painfully slow to get on target with the M7. It wasn't just about slower movements, but also a delayed response in engagement. Initially, I chalked it up to age, I'm over 50 and a bit heavier than ideal, but the reality struck when I saw I wasn’t this slow with the M4. In fact, I was quicker than some of the officers.
Similarly, my buddy was slower than usual, not lagging behind me, but certainly off his usual pace with the M4.
Interesting side note: We're no longer welcome at that shoot house. The staff was fully aware of our arrival and what we brought along, and everything seemed fine until the exercise wrapped up and we faced some "constructively harsh feedback" about 277 and damage done to the tire and sandbag walls as well as the plywood target backers.
That's rant for another time.
Regarding the suppressor:
It's really more of an enhanced flash hider than a true suppressor. I'm probably a bit biased—shooting a 300 Blackout through a Sig TI suppressor spoils you with its movie hitman silence.
By comparison, the M7 setup was louder than my suppressed .308 shooting 175gr SMK.
On the topic of the optic:
The Tango6 was decent.
The clarity was impressive, and its brightness and MOA configuration were points in its favor.
However, achieving a consistent cheek weld and finding the right optic position for proper eye relief across magnifications 1 through 6, especially from unsupported positions, proved challenging.
The issue could be me, the stock, or the optic itself. While it was somewhat bothersome, it wasn't enough to cause significant frustration.

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Hi all! I have some iron infusions coming up that are $150 a piece and also need to start breathing treatment. Accepting donations towards any of that please 🙏 here are some more details:
Hi all! Gosh I hate begging for money but here I am. Bedbound Mom for past 5 months. Stay at home mom past four years. I was the mom who did it all until I couldn't anymore... dishes, 3 homemade meals a day, laundry, cleaning, groceries, yard, teaching, playing, watched all neighborhood kids, bed bath and books everynight, Husband took son and left me a few months ago when health issues came up and I wasn't able to do all that anymore. Have been in and out of hospital alone. Have chronic dyspenea, Shortness of breath, iron deficiency anemia and now recently pulmonary hypertension.All of these leave me out of breath even at rest. I am curreny bed/chair bound debilitated by these conditions. Am getting iron infusions have two left and need help paying for them they are $150. The main request I have is for this though: I am connected with a breathing specialist who is able to help me recover from chronic respiratory alkalosis. She graciously has not charged me for mailing the equipment I need to start measuring my breath (it's a special tool that measures pco2 levels in the breath) and we need to get started as this has only gotten progressively worse. Before we begin she needs payment or partial payment for some of her services. That is about $2800, not covered by insurance. She has recovered people with low pco2 levels like me who were also debilitated and we track the progress directly with the tool the measures improvement.Every day is an opportunity for improvement. My goal is to recover and get back to my child. This is greatly dependent on my ability to start my breathing treatment as well as other health treatments, medications, infusions and appointments which I need help paying for. Thank you so much for reading, please message and I am happy to provide verification, answer any questions snd validate anything. You could even pay provider directly! Ty! I would like to start this so that I can improve for myself and child and my quality of life 🙏

Most of you will know a smart kid from school who ended up becoming a failure and I guess I am just one of them.
Right from the beginning of high school (in the UK) I was a top student - straight As and A*s. Parents, teachers and fellow students all thought I'd go on to do something great. Awards and certificates would come like they were nothing. I sat my GCSEs from year 8 and scored well - I had the whole world in front of me and could've picked any career I wanted.
But young and naive me picked a career based on money, ego, and reputation and so I picked a career I didn't really want and I chose to study medicine at a highly ranked university. I actually received 4 post-interview rejections to study medicine but got a call on results day that they gave out fewer offers due to covid and they'd like to offer me a place. At this point, I already started viewing other career options but I felt like I couldn't pick another career.
I started medicine, but I hated it. The first year was online with online exams which we were allowed to use google for. I passed with very little effort, but I knew nothing. This meant I struggled in the years to come but I scraped through - happy enough as it was all that I needed to become a doctor. What soon became apparent is that I had 0 communication skills hence I'm a reddit user (this is a throwaway account) and I really struggled talking to patients and I hated every part about communicating with them. Outside of medicine, I'm an introvert but I get on with people and it's not like I was a complete loner and had a lot of fun.
Entering 3rd year, I got diagnosed with OCD. It got pretty bad to the point where I was just stuck on a bed most of the day. I decided rather than taking a break from medicine I'd just leave because I hated it.
I started a business, which failed - it hardly started tbh but I made a good recovery with my OCD and I started helping people in similar situations through the internet - it was religious OCD and there wasn't much support out there. I benefitted a lot of people and it was rewarding. I loved it so much that I thought why don't I return to medicine and so I asked my university if they'd let me back in and explain that I left because of mental health reasons which I didn't disclose at the time as I never saw myself recovering and they surprisingly let me back in.
Now I joined with a renewed passion to study medicine, looking to help people with struggles similar to mine. However, the old issues became the same issues again and I was getting depressed (undiagnosed) and so I just decided to quit for the second time. This makes me a rare breed of a medical student who's dropped out twice. I am planning to study abroad through a scholarship but it doesn't go rost and things get worse.
What I didn't realise is that my farther who was paying my fees for uni for the 3rd year decided to pull the plug and this leaves a massive invoice that is going to be coming to my name ordering me to pay up. I don't have the money in my account.
Yes, I was planning to study abroad through a scholarship but what I didn't realise is all the hidden costs of applying. Hundreds of pounds on translations of documents, police reports and my doctor ripping me off to say I'm in good health. I can't remember the exact amount he charged - I think £190? £115 for a letter and £75 for an x-ray. He offered to lie, saying that I had a cough so I could get the x-ray on the NHS for free but as a man of principle I declined.
I planned to study a language in the UK to help before moving, even though the course abroad entails language studies for 2 years. I have been accepted on to a college with a 75% scholarship but now even this is too expensive for me to afford so I will resort to self teaching.
Anyways, the costs are increasing day upon day. I've not got the money and my future might just be shattered if I cannot afford to apply - I'm most likely going bankrupt.
I'm going to probably end up selling most of the stuff I have to make ends meet for now.
I'm fortunate that I'm staying with my parents but I've got no job, no degree and no money. To add on to this I've lost contact with all my friends and I'm a loner.
I don't know where I'm heading but it looks like I'm on a highway to disaster at the moment.
I still have the hunger to do good and prove myself wrong. I will work 24 hours a day if I need to but things are looking bleak.

i know the title sounds crazy but if your goal here is to move the price even in a positive direction that would still factually be correctly classified as market manipulation. not hating just wanted to say that your time is much better used in finding ways of spending your doge. transfer your spending money into it and find ways to spend it. this will have a much larger effect on the price than posting "to the moon"
you do you though. I am not hating on anyone. I've been in this game for a long time now and I've seen it all at this point and I believe we are well past the time for talk... its time to move on from memes and into the real world. seriously find ways of spending it. this puts doge into ppls hands and by them spending it it will reinforce doges role as a currency. we need demand, demand created by every day folks who would never come to this reddit in the first place as most dont even have reddit or know what it is.
you start getting those ppl involved and this will get you to the moon. nothing will happen with just memes. discuss amongst yourselves and find ways of using the money you would of spent anyways on everyday items to create demand for doge. businesses can save money on purchase fees with doge vs credit / debit card but they will never find that out if we dont as a community show them.
I make sure if I can spend it in doge then i do. I understand that is not possible for alot of things but things that it is possible for your voting against your own interest by spending USD and not DOGE.
a little trick I try now to ask any waiter before I tip them on the receipt if they have a crypto wallet. if they say yes I ask for their QR code and then send them a tip in doge. some of the places I regularly go to have wait staff that set up a wallet just for this and over the years I've tipped them enough that now they are in all the way. they thank me frequently for getting them to invest. it was years ago and to me it made no difference as the 5 bucks i was gonna tip was the same either way. but now that 5 bucks is worth a whole lot more. if it was USD instead then it would of lost value instead. these interactions although small build up and eventually your real life actions will lead to the world we all want.... true freedom from corporate and governmental overreach in the monetary system.
I have provided below a list of companies that will accept doge as payment.(just google cryptwerk doge payments if like me you dont click links) this is your path to success here. Dont get me wrong the energy is great and i love it but we need to redirect it into the real world. I know I'm sorry I'm long winded. feel free to down vote me for this reason.
tldr: hold your doge but transfer your spending USD into doge in a separate hot wallet and spend it wherever you would normally spend USD. list provided below may not be completely up to date as it is ever growing but a notable one is AMC. if your going to the movies with USD then you've no business saying "go to moon"
a link to cryptwerk article list of businesses that accept doge as payment

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"Thank you, Sister Song, for your mercy. I apologize for my impulsiveness and arrogance," Qin Bai said humbly. He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed his head towards Song Jia.
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Upon hearing Qin Bai's unexpected words of apology, one of his burlier underlings gasped loudly in shock, his eyes widening. "Brother Qin..." he muttered under his breath.
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"No need to apologize. It was our fault for causing trouble," another wiry underling exclaimed tearfully, his voice cracking with emotion as he drew the attention of the rest of the surrounding disciples.
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A young man with a mop of unruly brown hair pushed his way through the tightly packed crowd, concern furrowing his brow as he observed the doubt and skepticism on the faces of Qin Bai's underlings.
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"It wasn't Brother Qin's fault," he spoke up firmly, his words cutting through the murmurs like a blade.
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All eyes turned towards him as the courtyard fell into an uneasy silence broken only by the faint rustling of the willows in the warm breeze. "We were the ones who harassed Sister Song. Brother Qin tried to stop us, but we didn't listen. Please, don't blame our Brother for our mistakes."
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Some of the disciples who had witnessed the earlier confrontation were about to protest vehemently, their mouths opening to object, but their voices were drowned out by a rising swell of murmuring whispers and incredulous mutters.
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"So it wasn't Qin Bai who harassed Sister Song?"
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"What a kind-hearted person! Qin Bai truly possesses the noble spirit of a warrior, even willing to shield his misguided brothers from the consequences of their errors!"
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The majority of the late-arriving male disciples, unaware of the deception and lies surrounding the incident, were moved by this apparent show of brotherhood and loyalty, causing the female disciples to clench their jaws in frustration, exchanging exasperated looks and rolling their eyes.
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"What's wrong with them...disgusting!" A petite girl with fiery brown hair tied back in a long braid spat out through gritted teeth.
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"You think it's acceptable to bully and harass women just because you perceive them as weak?!" Another young woman wearing a sleeveless white robe called out harshly, her voice dripping with scorn as the sunlight glinted off her toned arms.
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"Sister Song, please tell them the truth! Don't let them twist the facts!" Cries imploring Song Jia to speak up rang out as disapproving comments and displeased looks were directed at the males vehemently defending Qin Bai's underlings one after another.
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Song Jia's lips pressed into a tense line as her focus shifted towards Qin Bai, who still had his head respectfully bowed, his expression unreadable.
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If he had spoken out in agreement, it would have surely validated the false accusations against him. However, his loyal underlings spoke as if they themselves were guilty, deliberately complicating the situation.
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Qin Bai's words and sincere tone seemed to suggest that nothing untoward had happened from his perspective, causing both Song Jia and the stern-faced Lian Rougang to narrow their eyes suspiciously at him, wondering about his true intentions.
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Meanwhile, Lian Rougang shook her head slowly and massaged her temples with her fingers, exhaling a weary sigh. "Sigh...whatever, if you insist, then take responsibility," she muttered under her breath.
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Her piercing gaze bored into the eyes of Qin Bai's uneasy underlings, who flinched visibly. She snorted derisively before shifting her penetrating stare towards Qin Bai, who remained utterly still with his head bowed in a posture of contrition.
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The salty tang of sweat and tension hung thick in the warm air as Lian Rougang broke the heavy silence. "As members of our esteemed sect, we should not hold deep grudges against one another. We are essentially a family, united by our bond, so..." Her words trailed off as she glanced sidelong at Song Jia from the corner of her eye.
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Their eyes met briefly, and although mistrust still flickered behind Song Jia's guarded expression, she gave a reluctant nod, grudgingly accepting Qin Bai's apologies for the sake of harmony within the sect.
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Once she accepted, Qin Bai cupped his hands and bowed his head again, this time not towards Song Jia, but towards the stern-faced Lian Rougang.
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"Thank you, Senior Sister Lian, for overseeing this meaningless battle," he expressed his gratitude, his deep voice sincere.
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In response, Lian Rougang waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, implying that it was not a significant matter. As the gathered disciples surrounded them, observing Qin Bai's second apology with a mix of emotions, the central figure of Wu Gao finally arrived onto the scene.
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"Huh? What's going on here?" Wu Gao, dressed in the same austere martial robes as Lian Rougang, strode into the outer disciple courtyard. He found all the Outer Disciples ringed around the center in a loose circle, as if giving a wide berth to something distasteful.
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"Greetings, Martial Brother Wu," Lian Rougang called out immediately upon noticing the arrival of Wu Gao, her clear voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
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"Ah, Martial Sister Lian, greetings," Wu Gao responded with a slightly startled blink, recovering quickly to return the courtesy with a polite nod as his observant gaze swept over the gathered disciples ringed around the courtyard.
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"Greetings, Senior Brother Wu," the remaining Outer Disciples chorused in respectful unison, following Lian Rougang's prompt. Her posture straightened as she proceeded to recount a brief explanation of the confrontation that had just transpired.
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Wu Gao listened with an increasingly widening smile, nodding repeatedly in understanding. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he caught sight of Song Jia standing tall with chin raised confidently.
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He then shifted his evaluating gaze towards Qin Bai, noting the absence of any lingering resentment or hostility in the young man's clear, guileless eyes.
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"Ah, that's good, good. Both of you have done well in resolving the matter," Wu Gao declared heartily, his rich baritone voice carrying easily across the courtyard.
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"But unfortunately, I missed this exciting battle. No matter, let us now prepare for the morning exercise!"
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"Please wait, Senior Brother Wu!" However, just as the disciples began to disperse and take their positions, Qin Bai's sudden shout caused Wu Gao's bushy brows to furrow in surprise.
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Even Lian Rougang, who had already started to fade back into the background, eager to observe the coming exercises, paused and turned her sharp gaze back towards Qin Bai with renewed interest.
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A heavy, expectant silence fell over the courtyard once more as all eyes focused intently on the young disciple. The warm morning breeze carried the faint fragrance of willow blossoms, teasing strands of hair across flushed cheeks.
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"Speak, Junior Brother," Wu Gao urged after a prolonged moment, his deep voice resonant.
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...
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As the gathered disciples leaned in with rapt attention, Ji Wuye, who had been watching the proceedings with a carefully impassive expression from within the crowd, allowed the barest flicker of a sneer to crease his thin lips in secret.
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‘So this is what you're truly aiming for? You think you can regain your tarnished reputation and take it out on me in the process?’
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The disdainful thoughts flickered through his mind like a fleeting shadow as he noticed Qin Bai's brief sidelong glance in his direction. Their eyes met for the briefest of instants, but Ji Wuye did not flinch or waver, holding the other's gaze with a practiced insouciance.
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"I would like to request another official sparring session with Brother Ji," Qin Bai proclaimed boldly, his resonant words instantly capturing the rapt attention of every disciple present.
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A surprised murmur rippled through the ranks as heads swiveled towards the object of this unexpected challenge.
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Qin Bai's lips curved into a thin, enigmatic smile as he continued, "Isn't that right, Brother Ji? We did make an agreement, after all."
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Instead of immediately responding, Ji Wuye's cold eyes scanned the surrounding sea of faces with a calculating weighing gaze.
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It was only then that he noticed the unmistakable figure of an Elder observing the unfolding scene from a vantage point on the higher ground near the stairs leading into the central courtyard.
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Ji Wuye's sneer deepened minutely as his gaze flickered towards the watching Elder. ‘He's also watching this unfold...’ he muttered under his breath, so low as to be inaudible to those around him.
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Unlike many other sects, the prestigious Kunlun Sect was renowned throughout the entire jianghu. Their name and reputation preceded them far and wide.
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As such, during the periodic registration periods when they opened their doors to potential new disciples, numerous talented youths would flock from all corners in hopes of being accepted into the hallowed ranks.
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However, with the sect's facilities and resources being ultimately limited, they simply could not accept every applicant who showed promise.
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To maintain standards and cull the weaker chaff, there was a stringent system in place to expel any Outer Disciples who proved untalented or lacking the required aptitude over time.
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In addition to pruning their own rosters, Kunlun, much like the Wudang Sect, also had a certain prestigious reputation to uphold in the Jianghu.
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What if word spread that their Outer Disciples were being routinely defeated and humiliated by lowly wandering thugs or ruffians?
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Such demoralizing incidents would not only greatly tarnish Kunlun's prestigious name, but could also result in a marked decrease in the number of employment opportunities and mission requests extended to the sect from secular authorities and nobility across the lands.
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This, in turn, would translate into a steep decline in their primary source of income and operating funds.
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At its core, while internally a bastion of martial artists, a sect like Kunlun was also essentially a professional body of highly-skilled martial artist who earned their keep by rendering specialized protective services to those requiring their martial prowess.
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As long as there existed Unorthodox Sects pursuing nefarious ends or Evil Cults wreaking havoc on the populace, there would always be a constant stream of defensive and security missions for Righteous Sects like Kunlun to be contracted.
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It was an age-old dynamic, expressed in the simple Jianghu saying: The righteous protect, while the evil robs.
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Unlike the Outer Disciple ranks, however, which were culled ruthlessly, every new officially accepted Inner Disciple was essentially guaranteed a permanent place within the sect's ranks by virtue of having demonstrated sufficient skill and talent to potentially handle the various matters and missions the sect was routinely contracted for externally.
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It was the Outer Disciples who ultimately bore the brunt of winnowing - those unable to prove their worth were inevitably expelled to open up space and resources for the next crop of hopefuls.
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And the sole reason why the openly underwhelming Ji Wuye had been allowed to remain and avoid expulsion thus far despite being widely acknowledged as the weakest disciple in his year...
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Ji Wuye heaved an inward sigh as his thoughts turned towards the upcoming evaluation and testing period all Outer Disciples would undergo.
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‘This time, it's either submit to being a political pawn in some arranged marriage alliance... or I need to seriously explore other options outside the sect.’
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There were undoubtedly both pros and cons to possessing a naturally handsome visage, he knew from bitter experience. The fleetingly wry thought passed through his mind as his sharp eyes caught the subtle, meaningful looks the observing Elder was sending his way.
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Indeed, in order to avoid the expelling, that particular Elder had been surreptitiously shielding and protecting Ji Wuye's continued presence within Kunlun's ranks all this time behind the scenes...
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So at least, he should have shown some worth, even though he still intends to let the outcome remain the same as in the previous timeline.
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I guess I’m looking for advice / reassurance (if applicable) that I’m not making a terrible mistake.
The details: Emergency Fund for 6+ months (parked in HYSA earning 5%) $200k in retirement accounts $75k in brokerage accounts Only debt is mortgages - co-own two homes worth about $1.2M in total, with just under $500k left on mortgages (both below 3% interest rates), so 50% of that equity is mine No other debt Currently earn $160k / year (this is a huge jump for the last two years - prior to that I had been slowly working my way up from $50k to $80k over the course of a decade in the non profit world) - but I am not counting this salary as stable because it’s in tech and venture money isn’t as easy to come by anymore
I co-own both houses with an ex (I don’t need a lecture on purchasing homes out of wedlock - thank you). We rent one that profits about $1500/month. I live in the other one at $2000/month. I live in a HCOL area, so I wouldn’t be able to rent a 1 bedroom apartment that would take my two dogs for this price. Ex doesn’t live in the house, but he pays the home owners insurance on it and essentially still uses it like a storage unit. He pays $1000/month to live with a roommate a few states away.
I’ve been accepted into a nursing program - and it’s always been a dream of mine, it just never felt like a possibility to switch careers and now with the instability in my current role, it’s feeling like now might be the time. The program will be about $5000 a semester for 4 semesters. I would be able to work part time (not at my current rate, but still bringing something in).
When I play the numbers out, my monthly expenses all in are around $4500.
Will I be OK if I quit my job in August (or try to go 50% if the company is still around) to go to school and work part time? Is this what my emergency fund is for? It feels wrong to tap into it.
I also will likely have to buy a car, but will try for a used Toyota with low miles and pay in cash.
Also, any thoughts on whether or not I should be asking ex to pay more than the insurance on the house since it’s an asset and he’s earning equity while I’m paying the mortgage? We were together for 15 years and until 2 years ago he always made 2-3x more than me, but we split expenses 50/50.
I’ll start at the bottom rung of the nursing pay salary after I have my degree, so I’m going to be earning about half what I earn now so I’m trying to look out for future self too.
What else should I be considering that I’m not, based on what I’ve shared above?