Small business monthly bank reconciliation template

I'm 25 now, and for the last 2 years since I've been out of college, I worked non-stop. And I don't mean that in a healthy "get that bread" way. My first job started fine, honestly I was making triple what I did at my dead end jobs before/during college. But as time went on, I realized just what I'd signed up for. I was a one man department, working 13-14 hour days, 7 days a week. At some point during that time, probably about 4 months in, I just shut off. My mind, emotions, independent thoughts. This stayed for a long time. I feel it stunted my growth. Not to say it was all bad. I got married during my time there. Eventually, the only person I talked to in the office outside of work, passed away. Being the position I was (marketing and content creation) I was told to film my co-workers grieving for content, during a ceremony they had put together for him. Everyone was crying. Myself included. When I was told to do this, I refused. The following days i was chewed out by my boss, eventually being told I had 2 hours to save my job. I had to "make him smile" with something I had to make. I went into the half of our office that was under construction, nearly fell from some high as hell scaffolding while filming (only to find out a month after I left that the same scaffolding had collapsed a few weeks later and forced an older contractor into retirement due to his injuries) rushed back and made the most god awful video I've made in my life. All within 2 hours. My boss got in my face, told me it was awful, told me if I wanted to keep the job I had to step up... I quit the next day. Walked in, had all my personal equipment packed by noon, and left without saying a word to anyone. A few weeks later, I found a new job, same position. At first it was going well. I enjoyed it. But yet again, after just a few months, My capabilities were taken advantage of. I don't like to brag, but I do feel like im good at what I do, and I'm proud of that fact. But that second job tried to milk me dry, and I let it happen. I was there for about 10 months and every day was worse than the last. Quickly building back up to 13-14 hour days, 7 days a week. Leading up to the most impossible task I've ever faced. I was asked to make 13 weeks (1 quarter) of content, with 1-3 posts a day. I was asked to do this the Thursday before Christmas.... with a deadline of the End of the week, New Years week. It added up to about 6 working days total. I have never worked so hard in my life. I was awake for 4 days, my only breaks being my drive to and from the office, and working on my personal computer when I got home. I was so tired and stressed I was physically and visibly ill. Once that 6th day came, I presented it to them and they got mad that all the captions weren't written. They said if I didn't have them done by the next day, they "wouldn't be able to fund the department anymore" (I was yet again, a department of 1). I walked out of that office, sat at my desk, and applied for another job. Of which, I got. It took 1 month and 3 interviews, because it was a seriously higher end job than the small businesses I'd been working for. When I got the offer letter, I cried harder than I've cried in a long time. But I went in wary. It was a team of 3 (4 now with me) which was something I wasn't used to. At this job, I found the opposite of everything I'd previously experienced. I anxiously tried to stay late at work, offered to work after hours at home, offered to come in on weekends. If you think of anything over the top and unnecessary, I tried it. But I was constantly shut down. Told that my home time was mine and I didn't owe them that. This wasn't just some employee who told me this either, this was told to me by the department manager, and the project manager across many instances. I didn't know what to do with myself when I got home in the afternoons, or the weekends. I started unraveling from a tight wad of anxiety and emotional numbness. I genuinely started to feel again. One day, about 3 weeks in, I started a show with my wife. I won't say the show, because it'd be super nerdy in my opinion. But it's well renowned as an emotional show that can break you lol. I'd thought about watching it in college, years before, but my best friend had just told me about his practice of "rainy day shows". Shows to watch when you were at your wits end and the snap of a finger from just closing your eyes and not opening them.... if you catch my drift... I didn't feel this was the time for this show, but I decided to watch it anyways, because I have other shows on my list, and knocking one off when you're feeling good, right...? This show broke me. It forced me to unravel from what I'd become far faster than I should have. I cried for days. My mind racing a million miles an hour, not sleeping for a few days because I was just thinking and thinking and on and on... I was seeing the life I'd unconsciously built around me... and I hated it.... I live in a shit house that's falling apart, it's an absolute disaster in terms of just general cleanliness, my finances were shot, my wife was depressed, unable to sleep herself just from life in general, escaping to an app on her phone for 13+ hours a day (I know this because the app has an insane 13 hour window a day where you can use it for free, with no interruption, once you get passed that they put an insane amount of roadblocks in front of you to keep using it unless you pay. My wife was hitting this daily), we had become extremely distant and basically just being roommates.With all of this in view now, and my emotions running wild and my brain going twice as fast. It's been almost 3 months since all this started. I'm greatful to my new job for allowing me the opportunity to confront all of this. But Jesus, it's like the more and more I work towards bettering it, the more I feel I'm drowning, sad and depressed. I struggle every afternoon to just stay alive. My house is cleaner than it ever has been, I'm steadily making repairs and trying to make it a good place to live, I have regular deep conversations with my wife about progress and how we feel, I try to do everything humanly possible to make her feel loved, being a hopeless romantic. I feel guilty for saying all of that though, because I feel there's always more I could do. And while I grow and try, I don't feel it's reciprocated, and she'd be fine where we were 6 months ago. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. But I know I can't stop trying to be a little better every day. Even if I just get sadder and sadder, it will eventually clear up. But it won't if I stop.

I'm 23 and recently graduated college. Now undertaking Master's (full research, no classes), but things have been slow. A lot of my research is dependent on data from our industrial clients, and there's a lot of delay due to management and bureaucracy. So, I've got a shit ton of free time now. When some update comes in from my clients, the quantity is so small that I'd wrap everything up in about 3 days, and have to wait for another month before hearing more from them.
To a lot of people, this might sound great, but I'm an objective-driven person. I need to work towards something to feel fulfilled, and doing nothing at all has actually been eating away at my sanity. It's come to a point where all of the things I used to do to entertain myself has gotten stale (i.e., ran out of comic issues, watched all the shows I've been queuing, games got boring), and I find myself just staring at my walls in my room all day long (WFH research cause I'm doing simulation work). It's starting to contribute to my anxiety too since I feel like I'm wasting my time and potential doing nothing, but I can't find anything to contribute towards (explained further below).
I felt like I needed to change my mindset from a "must work to feel fulfilled" perspective to a "enjoy the process, do whatever" kind of thinking, so for the past few months I've been on a journey of self-discovery. I tried going out hiking, cafe hopping (something I could not understand why people liked. Still don't understand it and it's draining my pockets), and attending events but all of these are things I could do once every 2 weeks with my Master's stipend, and for the rest of the 13 days, I'm just kind of in limbo (I live far away from the nearest city, so transport ain't cheap). I tried attending clubs and organizations in my campus, but there's a distinct language barrier with the locals here and even after attempting to learn the language for 2 years, I'm still not at a level of fluency where I can interact with them well enough, and end up getting isolated from groups. I also got into meditation and yoga to calm my anxiety, but they'll only help for about 2 hours before the anxiety starts creeping back up. Some days, I begin to feel tired out of nowhere and just feel sleepy all the time. Not sure why this is the case, since I haven't really done anything to warrant being tired.
I've started applying for internships to fill my time now, but it's difficult as most companies don't want to invest in me (a foreign student) due to stringent visa requirements in the country. I couldn't really find any part-time jobs that could help build my career either, so I'm kinda lost on that front too.
Recently, I've also applied for professional training but that will probably only last 3 months at most, and it'll be back to limbo. I have another year and a half before graduating, and at the rate things are going now, I'll go insane with absolutely nothing to do.
So, for all of you achievement-oriented folks, what do you do to keep yourselves busy? And for the more laid-back readers here, how do you "enjoy" the process of life? Why do you take on certain hobbies, and what about them makes it fulfilling for you? I want to know everyone's perspective, and hopefully learn something from y'all.

I (24/f) live in an apartment complex, set up with 6 units to a building number. The apartments are stacked, 2 on top, 2 in the middle, and 2 on the bottom (these bottom apartments recede about 3 feet below ground). I live in the middle, so I have one apt above me and below me. I’ve been living here for 3 years and have had little to no issues.
That being said, a little over a year ago there was a new couple that moved in below me. My boyfriend and I introduced ourselves and had no issues at first. About a month after they moved in, they got a husky puppy. He would bark nonstop for hours, we tried to talk directly with the neighbors but they wouldn’t answer their door, so we ended up emailing the property manager and the barking stopped.
Skipping to January this year, I sent another email to the PM because they would tie him up to their patio to use the bathroom. This goes against the pet policy for the complex. But nothing changed and time passed.
In April when the weather started to warm up it smelled awful! With our patio door open we could smell it from inside. So we called and let the PM know again adding that it’s beginning to smell inside our home, but nothing changed. I called 2 weeks later, and still nothing changed. I want to note I HEAVILY played devils advocate, like “maybe it wasn’t picked up today because the office never called neighbors” or “maybe nothing was cleaned because neighbors are really busy this weekend”. I got fed up and called our local health department and filed a complaint one week after the second call. Someone came out the next day, inspected the area, and spoke with the office. They let me know it should be handled and I left it at that. The rest of that week my boyfriend and I saw the dog get walked 3 times total. The dog was still being put on the porch to poop.
I got fed up and called the health department again this last Monday (5/13) and told the health inspector that the issue keeps happening. He said there’s a “due process” for my apt complex, and unfortunately it would take some time for this to be 100% fixed. I get his hands are tied so I just let it go. This morning, I woke up and saw that one of the maintenance men were down below scrubbing their patio with a bleach mixture. It’s bitter sweet because it’s not the maintenance guys responsibility to clean this up, but I’m happy it’s being cleaned.
Something I think is important, on the lower apt balcony there is about a foot of gravel that stretches across the edge of the balcony. I’m guessing for drainage when it rains? Well, after maintenance cleaned it up, the dog pooped again tonight. It also rained and small puddles formed in the gravel, which the dog started drinking. The water is definitely full of fecal mattepee/bleach. I’m so frustrated, not only because it inconveniences me but it’s not healthy for this dog! WIBTA if I file another complaint with all the new information? Any other advice for what I could do?

I run a small web development firm. Over the years, we've designed and managed a few hundred custom websites. They all have a link in the footer that says "Site by Agency Name" that links back to my site.
It's never been an issue before, but over the last 6-8 months ALL of these backlinks have been showing up as toxic in SEMRush. I mean...tens of thousands of them. It's in the footer of every page of every site we've ever made. The reasons it's giving is because of Mirror Pages (makes it look like a link network), same IP (same reason–we host the sites we manage), and that the source domain has low authority.
GSC doesn't have any manual actions listed, but I also don't want to wake up one morning and see my site at the bottom of the search results.
Is this something I really need to be concerned about or is this just SEMRush being overly cautious? I hate seeing all the red, and I'm happy to whitelist them if it's not a real issue. But if it is a real issue what can I do? That little link gets us business...and I've seen hundreds of other webdevs do it. It can't be all that bad in reality...can it?!?

Hey guys, not sure if this is the right place to ask about Xero, but thought I'd give it a try.
I run a small business and we have a few different bank accounts that receive income. I need to print an income and expense report for each account individually. Have been looking for solution but couldn't find the option in Xero. Xero support hasn't gotten back to me for 2 days.
Any experienced Xero users here can shed some light?

I’m gonna try to keep this brief because I have to do homework, pretty much a few months ago in February I (16m) was jumped for no reason by 3 guys I’ve never seen before. Long story short me and my friend were minding our own business at a bus stop, but this wasn’t a normal small bus stop it’s like this one spot where about 5 or 6 different routes meet up at some point or another, anyway these guys accused me of talking shit about them as they were walking by and they ended up attacking me. I got out pretty much unscathed apart from a swollen lip and a few other cuts and scratches. Ever since then I’ve been experiencing what I can only imagine to be PTSD. It’s not so bad anymore, but whenever there is a confrontation of some kind going on infront of me regardless of whether or not I’m involved in it I instantly feel like my chest sink and like I want to just get out of there. As an example today 2 of these guys in my class were telling each other off about something and then one of them said sometjing along the lines of “it’s not my fault you’re mom doesn’t love you” or something, anyway as soon as he said that I was like oh shit and I started feeling super stressed out and kinda afraid. I don’t know what I can do to stop this, I was never afraid when things like that happened before I got attacked but now I am. What can I do to be braver or freak out less?

Hi everyone, I'm in the process of starting a gym and am looking for some advice on securing an SBA loan. I'm asking for $655K and plan to put down 10-25%. Here's where I stand:

• Business Plan: Highly detailed using live plan and hiring an expert in making it.
• Credit Score: Over 700
• Down Payment: Ready, aiming for 10-25%
• Location: Prime spot in the heart of the city with heavy traffic
• Lease Cost: $12 per square foot with an additional $1,355/month in pass-through/NNN of TI costs

I've approached a bank, and they've introduced a 75/25 loan-to-value ratio, where they cover 75% and I handle the remaining 25%. I'm slightly confused about this and could use some clarification, like I am already putting a down payment so where are these percentages coming from. Any tips on how to strengthen my case with the bank or explore other financing options.
Thanks in advance for your insights and advice!
Additional Context: I’m collaborating with a gym equipment manufacturer experienced in launching new gyms and have a letter of intent ready. The space I’m considering is in white box condition, requiring minimal improvements—just the addition of locker rooms and an office. My family’s construction business can provide materials and labor at a significant discount, and they have strong banking connection with the bank I’m working with that could be advantageous. How can I best leverage these factors with the bank to secure the necessary funding?

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

Hi all!
I’m a newly graduated medical assistant. This is my first ever job in healthcare, and I’ve been doing it for 4 months in a family practice department in a clinic. I worked in fast food before this! I’m considering going back to school for nursing, but I’m looking for some advice.
When I first started my MA job, I was disappointed. I thought it wasn’t for me, and felt I couldn’t handle the pressure of healthcare. I was new to this serious work environment. However, as time went on and I became confident, I genuinely love it.
I love my patients and I love how rewarding the job is. I’ve had many patients thank me, cry to me, hold my hand, hug me in just 4 months. I love to help people and make even a small difference in peoples lives. I adore human connection and health.
I recently was considering becoming a surgical tech. I shadowed in the OR and I loved the atmosphere. It was so interesting and I knew I would love to be a surgical tech. My problem is there’s not much growth in that. If I become a surgical tech, that’s all I can do.
I know nursing has SO many opportunities. I’m the type of person that likes to do different things.
I just can’t imagine doing typical bedside nursing. I know that is a popular discussion among nurses. I probably would do that first year in med/surg that everyone talks about.
I really wanna do psych inpatient because I was that young teen in a mental hospital once. I’m really passionate about mental health. I’m interested in working with substance abuse clinics, or maybe be a nurse in the OR. I just have a lot of things I’d rather do with that degree.
Is that valid? Is it worth going through 4 years of school for that?
Should I work as a CNA first? I feel so behind having no nursing experience.
I have a lot of plans in the future. I want to start my own business, sell art, do nails… etc. I still want a foundation that allows me to make enough money to do other things. Especially with insurance.
That’s obviously not the only reason I would go for nursing, but I just am open to so many things! I want variety and flexibility!
BTW after watching what nurses put up with, speaking with senior nurses, seeing how amazing nurses are… I just wanna say you guys are incredible. One of the backbones of healthcare and I truly thank all of you for what you do for the world. Happy late nurses week!

In 1945, the United States underwent Operation Paperclip which gave over 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians sanctuary and absolution of their crimes in exchange for the continuation of their research.
In 1953 those same individuals came up with and executed MK Ultra, an illegal human experiment that used its citizens (targeting schools, hospitals and prisons) as test subjects.
In 1954 the Plum Island was turned into a research center for diseases.
In 1975 the first documented case of Lyme disease occurred. Rumored to have escaped Plum Island.
In 2005 the DHS announced that all the work done at Plum Island would be continued in Kansas. Not just the center of the continental United States, but also home to crops seen in grocery stores all over the country.
The following is a true story.
Getting into work, one of the first things I do is check my mail. I’ve been a reporter for years and have amassed fans who like to write in and give me leads. Most of the time these leads don't amount to much (Sometimes I wonder if people send me things because of my apophenia and they are trying to get me off their scent), but every once in a while I strike gold.
I had been working at Whisper Alley Echos for a few months by the time I got my first lead. The package I got was small and when I opened it I saw a DVD that had the words “play me” written in black marker on it. Not knowing what was on it, I waited until I got home to put it on. Not just because I didnt know what was on it, but I was also busy working on a different project about how everyone in a nearby town just went missing. The official story is that they all went on vacation or went to visit a relative and decided to stay. I dont know about you, but I found that suspicious.
After getting home and shifting gears to get into the movie mood (popcorn, blinds pulled, etc…) I popped the DVD in and began watching.
There were dozens of different videos to pick from, some ranging from a minute to half an hour. Instead of picking one at random, I just played them in order. After all, all their titles were dates and times and I didnt want to miss anything that might make sense later.
The first video featured a tardigrade, at the time I didnt know what it was, but the scientist doing the voice over described it as being a microscopic animal as well as being extremely resilient. This went on for several minutes and for a moment it felt as though I was watching a nature documentary instead of something given to me by a government whistleblower.
The next few videos featured footage of the tardigrades being given something called “BB-F828” and the changes it caused.
The voiceover talked about how a tardigrade (this time he called them water bears and the two terms were interchangeable from this point on) was showing signs of several thousand generations of evolution in only a few days. Even though I know nothing about science, I could see that the thing on the television was not the same animal that was shown in the first video.
While they were never “cute”, at least they never looked like predators, but after a few videos I saw that the tardigrades were covered in what appeared to be padding. In a later video this padding would change into being chitin-like armor.
The last video was filmed two months after the water bears were given BB-F828 and in it the scientists could see them even without a microscope.
The next morning I went into work and started writing on my computer, copying notes from my small notebook. However by the time I started the second draft, Andrea, the office secretary, dropped a letter off at my desk.
It was the first time I got a letter about an “inside scoop” two days in a row.
The letter said that they were the ones who sent the DVD and if I wanted to know more I would have to go to The Rats Skeleton (a bar that used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Because of this the place feels as though its a front for a comic book villain. The owners have leaned into this and did everything they could to reinforce this feeling with sparse lighting and everything that isn't red velvet on the walls being painted black) at a specific time.
Usually I wouldn't go meet strangers after getting an anonymous letter that tells me to come alone, but its a small town and I didn't have much going on that particular Thursday.
Parking behind the Merc (short for mercantile, where most of the grocery and general shopping is done in town), I descended the stairs and made my way to the back of the bar. There I found a woman that didnt look like she slept in days. Since no one else was in that back area I figured she must have been the person I was there to see.
“Hey, I’m Daniel West. Am I—”
“Sit” the woman said, motioning across from her. I sat down and asked her for her name but she didn’t want to answer me and when i asked for it a second time she claimed it was Jane, but there is no doubt that was not her real name.
“What made you reach out, Jane?”
“You saw the video?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“And?”
“I have a lot of questions” I answered.
“Figured you would” Jane said. “Ask.”
“Well, first” I said, my journalistic inexperience showing as I went through my pocket notebook. “Who are you and why do you know all this?”
“Name isnt important” Jane answered. “Let me start from the beginning. We thought we were working on human survivability” Jane answered. “I thought that I was working for some company that had a government contract. That might be true, it might not be. Either way lots of money and resources have been put into this.”
“I saw the video” I answered. “What exactly was it that I was watching?”
Janes eyes were frantic as she looked at the stairs behind me. When I turned around to see what she was looking at I saw a local descending the steps and approach the bar. She only answered my question when she was convinced that the man wasn't eavesdropping, still, she spoke in whispers.
“We were working on human survivability.”
“You said that. What does that mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Consider we civilize mars and the long term effects from the static radiation there. Or another planet that demands thicker bones because of increased gravity? Evolution might give us those things eventually but what if we need it now? In this generation?”
“So you made super humans?”
Jane was annoyed and slapped the table. No one was around to hear or see her but I still looked around anyways.
“We didn’t work on humans. We piggybacked off of some other countries' genetic research and made some breakthroughs of our own. When—-“
“Other countries?” I interrupted instead of letting her talk.
“Yeah” Jane said with a shrug. “Some countries aren’t tied down by the same code of ethics as ours.”
“That’s why you got a hold of me? To tell—-“
“We were working on small parts. At first individual genes, building from that success we went on to more complex organisms. Eventually, hopefully, test on humans.”
“But you never made it that far?”
“No” Jane said, taking a sip from her glass. “We tested BB-F828 on other things, building up towards human testing.”
“Okay, like what?”
Jane inhaled through her nose and looked at me as though she wasnt sure if I could be trusted. Then she sighed when she realized it was too late not to trust me, she had already went too far to turn back. “What do you think has the best chance of not only surviving a planet wide disaster, but also thrive in it?”
“Cockroaches” I answered.
Jane nodded. “Sure. Lots of people would agree with you, however that wouldn't be the best pick.”
“Oh? Then what would be?”
“Rats.”
I laughed.
“They are tough and can thrive anywhere. Even before BB-F828 they are smarter than roaches, plus rats have a complicated social hierarchy, similar to humans. Remember, I didn't just say survive. I said thrive.”
“So you tested all this on rats?”
Jane nodded. “We did.”
I waited for Jane to continue, but thanks to her staring off into space due to lack of sleep, she waited longer.
“What happened?”
Janes eyes drifted back at me, she was running on fumes. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Rats, right?” she asked while pulling a folder out from the seat next to her. She set it on the table and slid it over to me. “Here, take a peek.”
I opened it, expecting redacted pages of ‘evidence’ and while I got some of that, it was the photos that drew my attention the most. At first the photos were individual rats and a designated number they received instead of a name.
“How many rats did you experiment—” I started, but my voice trailed off when I came across a photo of the one rat with unique markings on its back now appearing to be bred for a war on pleasant dreams. Its eyes were pearly gray, teeth became tusks, its whiskers were thick and barbed. According to the scale it was on when the second photo was taken it weighed twenty nine point four kilos.
“A few hundred?” Jane answered, though it was obvious that it was just a guess. “They were paired off and put in different environments to see how they adapt.”
“Why would you pair them off?”
“I think it was to see if some would branch out and become their own species” Jane answered as she checked her watch. Seeing the time she sped up. “See, when something with BB-F828 finds itself in a desert, it might adapt to the point that it grows a hump like a camel. Or grow gills if they are in the ocean. The original purpose was for human survivability on other planets. We thought if we could discover how the adaptations work, and it could be repeated exactly the same over and over again, we could do something for humans. After all you wouldn't want anything unexpected to happen when you're in the middle of growing another set of arms or a dorsal fin, right?”Jane said. “But to do this we needed lots of subjects and all in their own environments. Each one had their own surprises, after all, evolution is random. Favors some things over others. One species can branch out to be dozens or hundreds. Thousands with enough time and environmental factors. When the tardigrades started displaying more predatory behavior we thought it was due to the change in diet and the increase in protein, but now we think its due to the rapid change. It drives them insane. All of this was surprising, but none as surprising as the ‘dirt rats’.”
“Wait. They are all insane? Also, dirt rats?” I asked, flipping the photo over to show the next one. This one revealed what I thought was a bear, but when I was about to flip it over to look at the next one I noticed its teeth. Thats when I noticed that it was a huge, muscular rat.
“Six breeding pairs, all kept in an empty pool full of dirt. They weren't given enough room to get out of the dirt, so they had to adapt to living in it. Anyways, because they are in the dirt its harder to keep track of what they are doing. Because of that, by the time we discovered that they had burrowed their way out of the facility it was too late. They were gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?”
“Escaped,” Jane whispered. “And they are growing.”
“Growing?”
“Last I heard, they were nearly sixty feet but we honestly don't know. It's not like we can compare them to anything else.”
“Sixty feet?” I laughed. “Someone would have saw them by—”
“Underground” Jane said with a shake of her head. “They are underground. I know it's hard to believe, but how else can you explain those earthquakes in Chicago? New York?”
“Are you saying there are giant rats under those cities?”
“I am saying they aren't rats anymore. They are something else entirely. I am saying six breeding pairs might not sound like a lot, but rats reproduce so quickly it's terrifying. I am saying that they are so big and there are so many of them that they are causing those earthquakes. I am saying that due to their size they burn off lots of calories and some have evolved to hibernating.”
“Why hibernation?”
“No idea, but when they wake up they are going to be very hungry. Ravenous.”
“Any idea when that might be?” I asked.
Jane shrugged. “Some already have. We just covered it up.”
It might have been my apophenia talking, but with that statement I started seeing the bigger picture and asked Jane about the town that went missing (The story I was working on before her DVD reached me). Jane gave me the politician's answer, saying something without actually saying something, and that was enough to confirm that I was indeed on the right track.
Unfortunately Jane and I did not speak for much longer, she got a call that freaked her out and she took off. Before she left she took the folder and the pictures I was still going through. I haven't seen or heard from her since and have dropped the story about the disappearances that have secretly been plaguing our country.
WAE

Hi all,
This is a long one so I do apologise.
Let's start off with some context. Some 6 months ago I signed with a registered builder to install my shed (as is required under our council regulations based on the price of the shed). Upon signing, we were advised once the team arrived on site, it would be a 2 - 3 day job to completion.
We waited some 3 months where we were told that they were flat out at the moment and that the team assigned to us was just finishing off another job. By mid-Feb we finally met our 'team'. The building company were so flat out that they'd started using subcontractors to keep up with their workload.
The team we got was a man named Bill (let's say). Throughout the course of our shed 6 also brought in 3 other guys at different times for varying lengths of time. It all seemed very adhoc. This brings us to the last few weeks. 3 months on since installation began, and the shed still wasn't finished. It got to the point where Bill was ducking the calls of the registered builder and being very non-committal with us--we could never lock down dates to get it completed and there was always a new problem that cropped up. The registered builder showed up at our place yesterday with 2 other guys, and they went over the entire shed top to bottom and fixed so much. Replaced damaged sheets, replaced a damaged PA door and frame, added missing bolts, and re-layered the roof sheets to make it waterproof proof--what should have been done the first time. The builder has been nothing but apologetic and has been incredibly embarrassed by the work of Bill. We're now happy with the state of the shed itself.
This brings us to what I really wanted to ask about. At the start of March, I was talking with Bill while he was on site and I had mentioned in passing that we'd need to sort out windows at some point as they weren't included in our shed kit (nothing to do with the registered builder, we engaged them for installation only). Bill said he'd be happy to order them in and install them for us (note: this was between him and I, separate from the registered builder). He later got back to us saying the windows had a 6 week lead time on them, but that he had to pay for them in full when ordering them, and so issued us with an invoice. I know, I know. We've already learnt our lesson, but we were just so excited at the prospect of the shed finally going up, and we believed him when it was presented that he was giving us a good deal.
We were issued with two invoices: invoice 1 had the order of the windows, plus delivery, plus some $100 worth of gutter hardware pieces, and came to $1,700, and invoice 2 just had a $400 installation fee. We paid invoice 1 via bank transfer. But that wasn't even the problem at the time. Over the next 8 weeks, I followed up with him a few times for the ETA of the windows and I never got much out of him, until he texted me at the beginning of May saying that they'd been stolen off the back of his truck, and that re-ordering them was going to be another 12 weeks. By now, we're well and truly fed up.
I texted him requesting a refund on invoice 1 and a cancellation of services because waiting 20 weeks for windows to be installed is not what we paid for, and we do not deem that reasonable. We're so demoralised by the poor quality of Bill's work on the rest of the shed that we just want to wipe our hands of him. The registered builder even offered to order the windows (only a 6 week lead time, mind you) and install them free of charge because he's embarrassed for having engaged Bill to do the works. Upon my request for a refund, he never responded to my request and instead skirted it by saying that he'll advise when the windows arrive and we can pick them up and end our dealings with him. Except we've also found out when the registered builder ordered the windows that they only cost $950. So we're still not satisfied with having paid $1,700--for what?? I also requested copies of the invoices he paid to the manufacturer to order the windows (both times), and he has refused, so we don't have evidence that they were even ordered the first time.
So I ask, where can I take this from here? Almost all of our communication with him (especially relating to the windows) has been via text, and so I have it all documented. We want a refund on invoice 1 and a cancellation of all further services from him. Do we lodge a Consumer Protection Complaint? Contact a small claims lawyer? Never had to resort to any of these options before.
Thanks for your time if you've made it this far, if I've missed anything out or if any further information would be beneficial, please ask. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

I purchased a motorcycle back in 2006 and paid it off around 2012. I was sent a lien release but likely lost the title and lien release in a move around that time. I didn't realize the documents were lost until about 6 months ago when I wanted to prepare to sell the bike. I was able to get a duplicate title mailed to me, but when I contacted the bank, they said they have no record of it since it was over 10 years ago so the best they can do is provide a "no-interest letter". To make things more complicated, the bank wont sign/notarize the letter of no-interest. They are not a small bank, I will gladly name them, but wasn't sure if it was against the rules or not.
The MN DMV says that this is not adequate and that I must provide a lien release or have something signed from that bank in order to sell the vehicle.
So I guess I have 2 questions- 1. Is it normal for a large bank to not want to sign no-interest letters? 2. What recourse do I have?
I'd greatly appreciate any guidance on how to proceed!

I leased a jeep 3 years ago thinking I wouldn’t go over the miles Unfortunately work got busy and I got the opportunity to change positions to a travel one Anyway they gave me $$ for a car which covers the cost and they covered gas/tolld Lease ended and i returned the car bc I no longer had the extra income $$ Now I owe them $4k for mileage/wear (tires/brakes/1 small dent) I did the math and it the payout was $32k while the value (blue book, various sites) was only 28k I lost less money returning then buying it out Anyway my question is Is there anyway to pay less then what I owe? I lease with Ally Bank

Basic context: I’m worried I’m not saving enough for the large future expenses. Am I doing okay, or do I need to focus on stashing away even more?
28yo, USA, DINK LTR unmarried but living together.
Income: 110k W2 annually, plus a variable amount of K1 income (I own a small business with 500-700k ARR). For the sake of safety & being conservative, I’m only including my income and excluding my SO’s.
Currently contributing the maximum to a Roth IRA annually on January 1st. Currently no 401k, but as the business owner I am considering starting a Roth 401k plan for all employees, which would allow me to contribute to that as well.
Saving rate: $5000/month, roughly 60k/yr. This might seem aggressive- please consider the projected expenses below.
Assets: -$15k in Roth IRA, 60/40 split between 60% ETF’s VOO,SPY,VUG as well as 40% LEAPS on SPY, AXP, V. -$6k in taxable brokerage - SPY/VUG -$5k in HYSA (aggressively saving to turn this into a 6-month emergency liquid fund) -$5k in literal cash -$15k worth of work vehicles (expenses deductible through company)
Expenses and projections: -Rent: $1000/mo (LCOL city) -Meals/discretionary spending: $1500/mo -Future aging parent with 0 retirement savings (I will be 100% responsible financially). I estimate 10 years before this expense starts up. Options include caring for the parent myself, or paying for an assisted living facility. -Huge personal medical expenses: two insurance policies costing $1650/mo totaled, as well as projected out-of-pocket medical expenses of $30k in the next 5 years due to unavoidable chronic conditions.
Buying a home or land in the next 5 years is a large goal of mine as well, provided the value fits into my budget. Currently my comfortable price range would be ~250k, but in a few years I anticipate that will grow once I have a larger nest egg. Additionally, my rent is too cheap to heavily consider moving.
Growing up dirt poor, I made consistently terrible financial decisions up until my early 20s- wasting money from a medical settlement, making money from bitcoin and wasting the proceeds, charging off credit card debt, etc. Thankfully, I’ve settled all collections and am now debt free.
The past decade has taught me lots of life lessons. Although I have matured to the point of “better than I used to be”, I’ve only begun saving aggressively in the past 2 years. I feel the strong urge to make up for lost time, and I’ve got a long way to go.
Any advice?

The Kansas Insurance Commission has exactly zero ability to stand up for a consumer against an insurance company. Per their own words, they can "strongly advise" an insurance company to pay a claim IF they agree with the claimant that it should be a covered loss, but that's all they can do. They can't force an insurance company to pay a claim.
We had proof that a big insurance company paid more than 1 company to evaluate whether our small business vehicle accident was a covered claim, and that at least 2 of the 4 that they paid for said that it should have been covered. They didn't like that answer, so they paid someone else to evaluate it. They finally paid someone enough that said our loss wasn't covered due to "rust and corrosion." One of the companies that said it should be a covered incident sent us copies of the documents they submitted to the insurance company. The KIC questioned that insurance company and was told, "oh, we don't trust their opinion." KIC gal that we were dealing with told us over the phone that she agrees the entire thing is fishy, but that was the insurance company's right to have another opinion, therefore the KIC agreed with their side.
The insurance company's own adjuster is the one who told us to file a claim with the KIC. In fact, she literally walked us through filing it - told us what to put in each field. That adjuster believed for 3 months that it should have been a covered claim. She was willing to make a statement to the KIC regarding that, but they couldn't accept it. We had witnesses to the event that were willing to add their statements that it was an accident. KIC wouldn't accept it.
So... what's the point of the KIC?

I'm a 22M lacking experience in life, and now I'm in massive trouble.
I have somewhat acquired a dying business. Well, the original director still holds all the shares. Technically, I am not part of the business, but the business is all my family has. If it fails, we are all doomed. I thought I could fix it and turn this struggling venture into actual clean and polished gold. However, it is starting to make me feel like I'm in over my head. This might be my last month that I can afford the rent. In 15 days, the next month begins, and I don't think I could carry the business and myself. I am trying my best every day, but I know where my limit is, and I don't want to see the balance hit zero. Until then, I will continue to try harder and harder to hold on, even when nothing is left.
Honestly, I'm not sure what I could do now. Getting a bank loan? I don't think so because we have nothing to show – no dream, no funds, no wiggle room. Selling? Given that it's a financial shithole right now, who in their right mind would want to buy it? I could get a different job, but without me, the business will fall faster than anyone would accept job application. My family consists of three people – one of them is preparing to leave and couldn't care less about the rest of the family, and the other is too old with a permanent back injury, so they couldn't do much. That leaves me, trying hard to make things better and put smiles on the rest of the family members.
Honestly, the thought of killing myself is becoming stronger and stronger day by day, but I want to give living a fair shot before I decide to go.
These are the questions that keep resurfacing within myself. I want to reach out and get help, but I am scared. I'm scared of being judged. I'm scared of someone who knows me, knows the real me, and knows what I'm truly thinking. I'm afraid of causing someone grief. Thankfully, I am just words on a screen to everyone else here, and in due time, my thoughts will be lost to the abyss of the internet.
Thank you for allowing me to share what I'm afraid to tell anyone.

I have lived in several apartments over the last 5 years after selling my home. I've never had any trouble getting approved even though I have less than perfect credit. I am needing to move to a different state for my job and was just denied an apartment where I make more than 6x the rent due to a charge off from a credit card. The account is from 2013 and I'd opened the card to start a small business that was unsuccessful and got in over my head with missed payments. I'd been receiving settlement offers over the years, but was never in a place financially where I could settle or pay the full amount. Once I received the report from the apartment showing that I was denied the apartment due to this charge off I contacted the credit card company and paid off the full settlement amount. My report showed this would be on there until October 2025. Will I be denied for every apartment I try to rent or was the one I was denied possibly just more stringent on who they rent to? I have to move for my job by the end of next month and I am nervous that I'm not going to be able to get an apartment and just keep paying these application fees. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I’m 24 (M) 25 in October… and I’m a bit behind in life. I still live at home… Rent free… And I’m blessed at my grandparents let me live here rent free and I’m very thankful for that… however the only reason they let me do that is because they know I can’t afford it like that… I would rather be financially able to be independent. I should’ve had my own crib by now… I also don’t have a car and I should’ve had that by now…
I’m also inexperienced in dating… never made it out of the talking stage with a woman… I’ve never been on a date… I’ve never been kissed… I’m a virgin… just overall really inexperienced. I often get rejected by the types of women I desire of my preferred standards both online in person… I don’t have game. Half of the time I don’t even get followed back on Instagram.
Also I unfortunately had to quit my job today yet again… because of some false accusations they were accusing me of so I wasn’t having it and in the heat of the moment… I quit on them.
So I’m on the search for a new job… hopefully, I’ll get one soon… I want to career and graphic design, but there’s not a lot to offer for that in my small town… I plan to relocate to a new city and start over… but right now I have no car… and I’m currently saving for one. I’m looking for a decent used car with working AC and good for road travel. I’m gonna have to save at least 10K for the car… I was originally planning on under 5K… but car prices (even for used cars) are going up like crazy… then I need to save at least 15K to relocate to a new city. You need 3X your monthly rent and the cost of a U-Haul. It’s expensive… plus I need to have a job/ career lined up in my new city… preferably a graphic design job. (I’m not going back to school… I believe it’s very doable without a degree and know plenty that landed a career in that field without it)…
Also I send way too much time… WAY TOO MUCH TIME sitting in my bedroom… there’s just not a lot to do in my small town… and I don’t have a car to drive to other big cities and do things. Also a lot of my friends are either always hanging out with people I don’t get along with, or busy with their own things. I have friends but again… a lot of them either busy or live outside of here. I spend far more time in my bedroom than I’d ever care to admit… my life is WAY TOO SHELTERED.
But yeah, I’m really tired of being here in life right now… I have friends younger than me that are married and have kids…. One of my friends (he’s 22) just graduated from university and he’s about to play professional basketball,…. This one girl that I use to be cool with a few years back (she’s 23) also just graduated university as well and is about to get an amazing career… (proud of her)… and one of my childhood friends (my age, 24) just had a daughter… he graduated from university back in 2021 and he bought his own house like 2 years ago now. I also have friends that own their own clothing lines and businesses and own their own custom shoe business, etc.
Don’t get me wrong I’m very happy for them… I’m not bitter… I’m proud of them… they earned it and they worked for it… but it makes me look at my own situation like I’m a fool… I know they say don’t compare yourself to others that comparison is the thief of joy or whatever… the truth be told… that’s all I can do… I remember 2018/2019 when I was on the same level as them… and back then I thought I’d accomplish a bit more than what have… fast forward.. and I’ve only accomplished a little bit… I’m like 2-3 steps ahead of where I was back in 2018-2019… and they’re like 2-3 whole entire flights of stairs above where they were…
Also not just in terms of their career… but really in terms of grown as a whole… they’ve grown in terms of confidence,… their social skills have improved quite a bit… knowledge,… They’ve been able to travel a lot more… they’ve really grown a lot as people and I’m so proud of them… like I said back in 2018-2019 I was on the same level as them (and many other of my friends… or maybe even back then I was a few steps below)… they’ve gotten probably.. 70% better in terms of grown… I’ve only gotten like 10% better! I have so much to work on in terms of confidence,… public speaking,… social skills,.. fitness, etc.
I’m not looking for validation… please be honest with me… is it pathetic that I’m here right now?…. What’s the fastest way I can work my way out of this and fix all these things?

Some background:
— I’ve been with my bf/domestic partnewhatever you want to call it for ~15 years & have lived together for almost the entirety of our relationship.
— We are renters, own no property & likely won’t receive any substantial inheritance from either side of our families.
— He is a 1099 worker operating his business at a loss & I have a standard W2 job.
— We have no kids & that will not change (we will remain childless)
— I have an excellent credit score in the 800’s with no debt & he has some small credit card debt (< $10k) with an average credit score and no delinquencies
— We do not combine our finances (and would not be interested in doing so), but split the rent, utilities & basic necessities 50/50
My workplace offers a Blue Shield of CA Platinum PPO plan for employees & their families and I added my bf to this plan. While my company covers his monthly premium, I am still paying the taxes on his coverage since he is not my spouse. Wondering if it would make sense financially to get legally married for this reason & if there would be any tax implications if so.
Thank you in advance!

Mag 8 months na ako sa small company na pinapasukan ko and regular na rin ako. Minimum lang ang sahod at nagkaron na rin ako ng increase na 4k pero lately naiisip ko na ang baba ng sahod ko. Wala pang 20k a month ung nakukuha ko pero malapit lang ung inuuwian ko at flexible naman ung oras ko.
Ang sabi ng boss ko ay mageexpand sila ng business around August and mag hihire pa ng ibang tao so i’m thinking kung magkakaron ba uli ako ng increase since dadami rin ang trabaho ko.
Ano sa tingin nyo, kung walang increase by the time mag expand ng business, should i still stay? Or magpa one year nalang ako bago umalis? Sabi kasi pangit sa CV pag >1yr experience eh.

MS-ISAC CYBERSECURITY ADVISORY
MS-ISAC ADVISORY NUMBER: 2024-058
DATE(S) ISSUED: 05/15/2024
SUBJECT: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Google Chrome Could Allow for Arbitrary Code Execution
OVERVIEW: Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Chrome, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Successful exploitation of the most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.
THREAT INTELLEGENCE: Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2024-4947 exists in the wild.
SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

• Chrome prior to 125.0.6422.60/.61 for Windows and Mac
• Chrome prior to 125.0.6422.60 for Linux

RISK: Government:

• Large and medium government entities: High
• Small government entities: Medium

Businesses:

• Large and medium business entities: High
• Small business entities: Medium

Home users: Low
TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Multiple vulnerabilities have been discovered in Google Chrome, the most severe of which could allow for arbitrary code execution. Details of these vulnerabilities are as follows:
Tactic: Initial Access (TA0001):
Technique: Drive-By Compromise (T1189):

• Type Confusion in V8. (CVE-2024- 4947)
• Use after free in Dawn. (CVE-2024- 4948)
• Use after free in V8. (CVE-2024- 4949)
• Inappropriate implementation in Downloads. (CVE-2024- 4950)

Successful exploitation of most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow for arbitrary code execution in the context of the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.
RECOMMENDATIONS: We recommend the following actions be taken:

• Apply appropriate updates provided by Google to vulnerable systems immediately after appropriate testing. (M1051: Update Software)
  • Safeguard 7.1: Establish and Maintain a Vulnerability Management Process: Establish and maintain a documented vulnerability management process for enterprise assets. Review and update documentation annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
  • Safeguard 7.4: Perform Automated Application Patch Management: Perform application updates on enterprise assets through automated patch management on a monthly, or more frequent, basis.
  • Safeguard 7.7: Remediate Detected Vulnerabilities: Remediate detected vulnerabilities in software through processes and tooling on a monthly, or more frequent, basis, based on the remediation process.
  • Safeguard 9.1: Ensure Use of Only Fully Supported Browsers and Email Clients: Ensure only fully supported browsers and email clients are allowed to execute in the enterprise, only using the latest version of browsers and email clients provided through the vendor.
• Apply the Principle of Least Privilege to all systems and services. Run all software as a non-privileged user (one without administrative privileges) to diminish the effects of a successful attack. (M1026: Privileged Account Management)
  • Safeguard 4.7: Manage Default Accounts on Enterprise Assets and Software: Manage default accounts on enterprise assets and software, such as root, administrator, and other pre-configured vendor accounts. Example implementations can include: disabling default accounts or making them unusable.
  • Safeguard 5.4: Restrict Administrator Privileges to Dedicated Administrator Accounts: Restrict administrator privileges to dedicated administrator accounts on enterprise assets. Conduct general computing activities, such as internet browsing, email, and productivity suite use, from the user’s primary, non-privileged account.
• Restrict execution of code to a virtual environment on or in transit to an endpoint system. (M1048: Application Isolation and Sandboxing)
• Use capabilities to detect and block conditions that may lead to or be indicative of a software exploit occurring. (M1050: Exploit Protection)
  • Safeguard 10.5: Enable Anti-Exploitation Features: Enable anti-exploitation features on enterprise assets and software, where possible, such as Microsoft® Data Execution Prevention (DEP), Windows® Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG), or Apple® System Integrity Protection (SIP) and Gatekeeper™.
• Restrict use of certain websites, block downloads/attachments, block Javascript, restrict browser extensions, etc. (M1021: Restrict Web-Based Content)
  • Safeguard 9.2: Use DNS Filtering Services: Use DNS filtering services on all enterprise assets to block access to known malicious domains.
  • Safeguard 9.3: Maintain and Enforce Network-Based URL Filters: Enforce and update network-based URL filters to limit an enterprise asset from connecting to potentially malicious or unapproved websites. Example implementations include category-based filtering, reputation-based filtering, or through the use of block lists. Enforce filters for all enterprise assets.
  • Safeguard 9.6: Block Unnecessary File Types: Block unnecessary file types attempting to enter the enterprise’s email gateway.
• Inform and educate users regarding the threats posed by hypertext links contained in emails or attachments especially from un-trusted sources. Remind users not to visit un-trusted websites or follow links provided by unknown or un-trusted sources. (M1017: User Training)
  • Safeguard 14.1: Establish and Maintain a Security Awareness Program: Establish and maintain a security awareness program. The purpose of a security awareness program is to educate the enterprise’s workforce on how to interact with enterprise assets and data in a secure manner. Conduct training at hire and, at a minimum, annually. Review and update content annually, or when significant enterprise changes occur that could impact this Safeguard.
  • Safeguard 14.2: Train Workforce Members to Recognize Social Engineering Attacks: Train workforce members to recognize social engineering attacks, such as phishing, pre-texting, and tailgating.

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GROW is deeply undervalued and due to GROW into some nice gains (pun, not financial advice). The company was originally known for its gold mutual funds, and about a decade ago pivoted into ETFs. They created one of the largest and most successful thematic airline ETFs, JETS, among other ETFs.
This penny stock is trading at less than book value at the moment, as the market cap is about 0.74 of the book value. The company's current assets minus liabilities is roughly equivalent the market cap of the company at the moment, which is a bit silly. The company's recent quarters had increased opEx due to new ETFs being merged and reconfigured in their Europe business. The opEx may lower and profits may increase over the coming year, thus making it quite silly that the company is trading at roughly their level of cash + marketable securities minus liabilities.
The company is paying a dividend, and the CEO clearly thinks its undervalued too given that they are buying back shares more aggressively than ever before. The company bought back over 100k shares in February alone, of roughly 14 million shares total. That is quite the sum for one month. It seems like the CEO sees increasing profits in the future and a deep value opportunity. He even mentioned "deep value" in the most recent earnings call when discussing the buybacks.
Now, to discuss the potential for an acquisition. The CEO has been running this small company for 35 years, and is approaching 70 years old. Smart beta ETFs are becoming more popular and many other ETF providers may be interested in acquiring this highly undervalued company at a cheap price, not only to add to their current ETF offerings, but also to take a look at US Global's smart beta 2.0 tech under the hood. It just makes sense as an exit strategy.
Those are my thoughts.