Hey, I have just booked a room for the first year at EUR in the social hub. Its 934 euros each month. Do you guys think this is too expensive? has anyone else also booked a room here? Also, if someone else has stayed in TSH Rotterdam, can you for example buy an extra table and put it in the room, or a tv? Can you keep someone overnight in a single room (in the website it says only double but do they really check?). Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone!
I'm looking for readers with an interest in self-improvement, particularly in overcoming social anxiety. :) I'm a writer working on a self-help book titled "Essential Strategies for Social Anxiety: CBT Techniques to Conquer Self Doubt, Eliminate Fear and Build Bulletproof Confidence."
Scope:
I'm currently seeking enthusiastic readers to provide honest feedback on my manuscript before it's published. This is NOT a paid gig, nor will you need to pay anything, but as a thank you for your time and insights, you'll receive a FREE digital copy of the book once it's launched!
Requirements:

• Be an avid reader with a genuine interest in self-help and/or social anxiety topics.
• Be willing to read the manuscript and provide honest feedback on your thoughts, impressions, and overall reading experience.
• No pressure to write lengthy feedback – your general impressions are more than enough!

What you get:

• A FREE digital copy of the book upon publication.
• The satisfaction of knowing you're helping a fellow author refine their work and potentially reach others struggling with social anxiety.

Sounds interesting? Great! To ensure a good fit for everyone, I've put together a quick and easy sign-up form. This will help me understand your reading preferences and gauge your interest in the specific topic of social anxiety.
Sign-up form here: https://forms.gle/cf92VDMUrdpKJqaT6
Thanks for your time, and happy reading!
P.S. Feel free to share this post with anyone you think might be interested! The more honest feedback, the better!

This is my attempt at a re-submission due to some misunderstandings on the first attempt. I now know that there are different definitions of the word “ship”, but for the purposes of this article and to keep things simple I will use the definition of “a relationship that’s rushed and/or forced with no real development.” I hope you can understand as I do not know of any other single word to describe that concept. If you do, perhaps you can tell me. Also, fair warning, this is long form content (some 10 pages), if you like it but can’t read it all at once you can save it and come back to it over a period of time, or you can stop reading whenever you get tired of it and still discuss those parts of it with me that you have read. But keep it civil if you want a civil response.
With that, to qualify the title, no, Ezra and Sabine do NOT absolutely have to be a couple, but if they were to become one, it would NOT be a ship. Ezra and Sabine’s relationship has had years of development. Could they remain as simply friends? Yes, but ironically, it was their “friendship” that felt like more of a ship. It felt like the Ahsoka show, helmed by Dave Filoni, was going out of its way to tell us: “no, they’re not a couple, they’re just friends.”
I believe that Filoni made some very poor writing choices to stress something that didn’t really need to be stressed, such that it almost felt like he was in denial. The line “I love you like a sister” was never in Rebels, Filoni essentially had that retconned in, and like many I was put off by their (largely) emotionless reunion. Even if they were “just friends” I believe there would be a great deal more emotion displayed between two people that hadn’t seen each other in some ten years, especially when one of them was in a precarious situation when they parted. I also believe Ezra would be far more curious about Sabine being Force sensitive, perhaps even offering to help train her when she told him that her training hadn’t gone as well with Ahsoka. He did help to train her with the Darksaber, didn’t he? Why that never came up is another discussion, but for now, let’s focus on shipping.
In case you think I’m desperate to have them as a couple, no I’m not. I’m about the furthest thing from it. Like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers) I DESPISE shipping. Absolutely DESPISE it. With a flaming passion. Perhaps for this reason, and maybe some others, like many millennials and Gen-Z’ers (and perhaps some Gen-Xers and boomers), I’m generally wary of nearly all romance in fiction, and generally avoid it in my own work. The sad reality is that romance is perhaps the most abused genre in all of fiction, all throughout history. It has been so badly abused that many people, including myself for the longest time, have equated romance with shipping, though I’m slowly beginning to see that they are not the same thing, and one does not necessarily have to go with the other.
But sadly, many writers, through time immemorial, have not been able to separate them, going back into ancient times and perhaps even into pre-history, that is before languages were actually written down. Some of what is considered great literature; classics like Romeo and Juliet, are predicated on shipping, though at least the consequences of this “whirlwind romance” are shown to be fairly stark. Star Wars itself is no stranger to shipping, resulting in a very awkward incestuous kiss when Luke was shipped with Leia, then Leia was placed with Han and Lucas made Luke and Leia brother and sister, apparently having forgotten his original ship. Later Lucas essentially shipped Anakin and Padme, resulting in some of the most cringeworthy dialog in the history of film. Many fans of the Prequels even have been somewhat critical of Anakin’s portrayal, particularly in regards to the “romantic” scenes, with many describing them as “creepy”. Some have speculated that this was intentional, though personally I think it was just the result of bad writing on the part of George Lucas, and an impatience on his part for Anakin and Padme to become a couple, hence “shipping”.
One might wonder why this is so prevalent in fiction, and tragically, one does not have to look far. Fiction is merely a reflection of reality, therefore the reason that shipping is so common in our stories is that we fall so easily into it in real life. Indeed, entire cultures may be based around shipping, or at least very heavily wrapped up in it. Throughout history arranged marriages have been the norm, and the idea of marrying for “love” is something relatively new. To be fair, I’ve actually met people in arranged marriages who seemed to be fairly happy, but those same people were very open in telling me that many despise that aspect of their culture, and that it is quite normal for those in an arranged marriage to try to get out.
People might come together for “love” without marrying, but even then it often creates expectations that might turn into a burden. Even when a marriage is voluntary and for “love”, people are often left unsatisfied, such that today in the West the divorce rate is something like 50%. Happy, stable, long term relationships seem to be the exception across cultures and across the breadth and width of time. And yet pursuit of love and some kind of relationship seems to be the highest calling for many people, both in real life and in fiction. And it could be that the accumulated disgust is finally starting to boil over.
To be fair, this may not be the first time in history that the pendulum has shifted. You may recall that in Victorian times attitudes changed drastically, as compared to the previously bawdy Elizabethan times. Looking at a play from Shakespear, if you can understand the language, you’ll see all kinds of vulgar references, as well as what I believe are fairly sappy romances like in the aforementioned Romeo and Juliet, though I can’t say for certain whether Shakespear was actually endorsing that type of attitude towards “love” or presenting it as a cautionary tale, maybe even something to be ridiculed in some of his other plays.
But regardless, Victorians as you may well know had a very conservative attitude towards anything to do with romance, and would often avoid the subject in many places, or tread very carefully around it, as if walking on eggshells. It’s not that people stopped being romantic, in fiction or real life, but it was treated as something very serious and even dangerous, with many urges repressed or even suppressed entirely. This had all kinds of effects on society, both positive and negative. On the positive side, it reinforced the ideal of people being committed to their partners, and of marriage as a sacred institution rather than a “casual hookup” as was more common in Elizabethan times. Likewise it reinforced ideals of modesty and chastity, which may be coming back into vogue, though under different names. But just as there were positive aspects to these attitudes, so were there negative ones.
Just because the urges I described were repressed did not mean that they disappeared. In fact, they often morphed into things that many would consider “unhealthy”. From one statistic that I saw, in Victorian times about one in every 60 houses was a brothel, with the modern rate being closer to one in 6000. Additionally, the rights of women were often repressed, such that they could not fully express themselves and find their own identity, and path in life, as individuals. Just as Elizabethan ideals gave way to Victorian ones, so did the Victorian ideals gradually begin to erode.
Perhaps it began with the Jazz Age of the 1920’s (the “Roaring Twenties”), or with the increased interconnectivity of people traveling to different parts of the world during World War I, not to mention the cynicism that pervaded throughout the West in response to failed old ideals leading to the deadliest war in history up to that point, but many Victorian ideals began to be seen as a joke, and even resented for their “oppression”, which to be fair was not entirely unjustified. But regardless, people gradually, and at times not so gradually, became more and more “liberated” and promiscuous. This culminated in the Sexual Revolution in the late 1960’s, when what had previously been seen as a vice and even a sin was now seen as not only “normal” but as a healthy form of expression, a virtue even. And just as these ideas were embraced in real life, so too were they reflected in our films, TV shows, and other media, often to the consternation of older people and institutions, like the Vatican. The Catholic Church even went so far as to “ban” certain films, that is to declare them immoral for good Catholics to watch. Many of the films that were banned back then, or at least controversial, like The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman, are fairly tame by today’s standards.
It continued through the 70’s, at times warming and at times cooling through the rest of the century, until you could argue it reached a kind of crescendo in the early 21st century with the advent of so-called “dark romance” and the publication of books like Fifty Shades of Grey. (Ironically, many of the themes within this “dark romance” can trace their roots back to the Victorian era, yet another indication that repressing urges without addressing them often doesn’t work out as one might hope.) But as happens all too often, just as something reaches peak popularity is when it begins to go out of style, and that is what we may be experiencing right now. As weird as it may sound, we may actually have come full circle and may be on the cusp of a “New Victorian Age” (complete with “dark romance”, even). Web sites like Porn Hub and OnlyFans, as well as other similar sites, may be the new “brothels”, and what was once openly celebrated may be going underground, to an extent. The effects of this on society have been interesting to say the least, and at times I would even say bizarre.
Whilst many younger people seem content with these changes, many older people are concerned. I’ve seen a number of books, films, and other media receive positive reviews for example based specifically on their lack of romance. Many of these books/films, etc. fall into the “young adult” category, meaning that it is young adults obviously who mostly consume them. At the same time I’ve heard a number of older people, mostly boomers and Gen-Xers, criticize these same books/films for their lack of romance. Even some older millennials seem upset by the changes, as perhaps evidenced by Jennifer Lawrence’s latest film No Hard Feelings (though to be fair that film may be lampooning the older generation’s frustration as well as the younger generation’s frigidity). So just as in the past older people were concerned about the promiscuity of the youth, now it actually appears that many older people are concerned about the youth’s lack of promiscuity.
Who could have seen that coming? But to be fair, the younger generation hasn’t gone completely frigid. As stated earlier, much of the promiscuity has gone “underground”, or online, which many would argue is not very healthy as it might undermine actual relationships, whether they are romantic in nature or simple friendships. And speaking of that, friendships within stories nowadays often aren’t portrayed in a very authentic or compelling manner, perhaps because in ditching romance modern writers haven’t quite yet learned how to replace it with something else. In other words, the “New Victorian Age” may not be an exact repeat of the previous one, but may have its own twists and turns, for better and for worse.
This may all essentially be a manifestation of the Human Condition, in that we just can’t seem to find a happy medium, neither in real life nor in fiction. Thus we keep swinging from one extreme to the other, apparently getting wilder with each swing.
So where does all this leave us? What is it that we really want in our lives, and in our stories? Especially in regards to relationships? I think at some level we all want to see good and healthy relationships between people and/or characters, whether romantic or platonic. I believe at some point we would like to see good examples of both friendship and romance, and I would argue that the best examples of romance have them combined. Even a toxic relationship, if well portrayed or documented, can be instructive and serve as a good example of what to avoid in our lives that we might be happier and relate better to each other. A good relationship, by contrast, can give us something to aspire to and inspire us to not only look for the right kind of person to complement our lives, but to make ourselves worthy of that person. And here I’ll add that I’m perfectly aware that in real life (and thus in fiction) relationships can be very complicated and heavily nuanced, with elements of both “good” and “bad” in them. Just as people change over time so can the relationships between them change, at times getting better and at times worse, sometimes breaking entirely and sometimes growing stronger. Relationships can have just as many layers and dimensions as characters, more even perhaps, and a skilled writer should be able to reflect this complexity. At other times a relationship can be fairly straightforward, simplicity sometimes being the best approach. But regardless, the audience should be able to relate and identify with what they are seeing, such that hopefully they can incorporate the lessons from it in their own lives.
Where can we find good examples of relationships to study? There may be a number of them in the real world, but the trouble with studying real world relationships is that they’re often much more complicated than fictional ones (just as real people are more complicated than fictional characters), and for many of them it is almost impossible to know all the details and nuances because they are often kept private, understandably so, and even if they aren’t it can still be difficult, due to unique circumstances, to see how to relate them to our own lives. Additionally there may be far more disagreement about a real life situation than a fictional one, with many more points of view. To keep things simple, for the purpose of this article I would like to focus on fictional relationships. (And fair warning, there will be some spoilers.)
One of the best places to look, I would argue, would be the films of Hayao Miyazaki. (And this is pretty significant to Star Wars as you will see in a bit.) A film of his that stands out to me the most is Princess Mononoke. Like many of Miyazaki’s films it has elements of romance, and yet subverts them in a way that makes complete sense and feels very genuine, without taking away from any of the accompanying charm. It starts with two young people, San and Ashitaka, and as soon as they encounter each other there is a kind of expectation of romance. This may be inevitable to some degree when you have a man and a woman of about the same age encounter each other in a story, especially if they happen to be adolescents. The expectation may not be inherently bad, and Miyazaki does play with it. Both characters are thrust into dangerous situations, at various points end up saving each other’s lives, and at a certain point I think it is obvious that they have feelings for each other. I was certain that at the end of the film, they would be together, and if things had gone that way, it would make complete sense. Instead, they go in different directions, but remain good friends, and considering their backgrounds and differing worldviews, this ends up making even more sense to the story.
Essentially, Miyazaki could have gone for the more conventional, tried and true “love conquers all” narrative, where the characters’ feelings for each other would negate everything that comes between them, they would somehow find a common ground in spite of their differences, the romance would not only take over the narrative but somehow also solve all the problems in the story, and then the couple would live “happily ever after”. Such an approach is not inherently bad or wrong, and is fairly common in Western media and storytelling. We can see it in films like Fern Gully, and more recently James Cameron’s Avatar, both of which have been compared to Princess Mononoke. As you can probably guess, the problem is that at a certain point such a narrative can become fairly simplistic, and lack nuance.
Miyazaki’s films, by contrast, are very heavily nuanced, and are anything but simplistic. In Princess Mononoke the characters San and Ashitaka don’t help each other simply because they are “in love”, but because it is the right thing to do, regardless of how they might feel about each other. Yes, romantic feelings are certainly alluded to, but they are not essential to the plot, for it could have worked just as well without any romantic allusions. And ironically, this makes those allusions even more valid, even if they are unrequited. How so?
Consider that if love is essential to a given narrative, is it not relegated to being nothing more than a plot device? Again, this is quite common in Western media and storytelling, and is not inherently bad or wrong, but when it becomes a trope or cliche, I believe it is the essence of where shipping comes from. Many storytellers get caught up in this, usually without realizing it, and while a story can still work even with shipping, I believe that it usually works that much better without it.
This extends not only to Miyazaki’s handling of romance but also to other things like environmentalism, the conflict between man and nature, and the contrasting ideals of human progress vs. preserving the natural order. Movies like Fern Gully and Avatar, as already mentioned, handle these themes in a fairly simplistic and I would even say hamfisted manner, whereby all progress and technology is shown as being inherently “bad” and in service to “evil”, while everything that’s “natural” is shown to be inherently “good”. Even our notions of good and evil, and right vs. wrong, are challenged by Miyazaki, with nearly all of his characters having complex motives and multiple dimensions to them, as well as understandable reasons for doing the things that they do. Rarely can any one of his characters be branded as a simple “villain”, and rarely is any one individual the source of conflict in his stories, again in contrast to most Western narratives.
I’ll reiterate once more, a simple, straightforward narrative is not inherently a bad thing, whether the themes being dealt with are romantic or anything else. Sometimes it is in fact the best approach. But the best stories in my opinion are usually the most nuanced, that challenge our notions of what we believe to be true, and that force us to think about what we do with our lives and what we could do differently. To that end Miyazaki introduces all manner of themes and motifs within his films that are familiar to us but shows them in a light most of us might not have considered, thus giving more dimension to our understanding of things.
“How is any of this related to Star Wars?” you might ask. It is quite related, and you don’t even have to look all that closely to see it. A very influential figure within Star Wars was very heavily inspired by the works of Miyazaki, and that figure is Dave Filoni.
This video shows the connections in some detail:
https://youtu.be/Q_4L0BbSpHo?si=04jDo6qFCnZT135w
But to summarize if you’ve seen any of Miyazaki’s films, especially Princess Mononoke, I think the callbacks in Filoni’s work will be all too obvious, especially in Star Wars Rebels. Some of the scenes in Filoni’s work look like they were taken directly from Miyazki’s films, and many of the same themes and motifs often come up. The relationship between San and Ashitaka I would argue is very similar to the relationship between Ezra and Sabine, and not just because both couples rode wolves together.
Incidentally, Dave Filoni was also heavily involved in Avatar: The Last Airbender, which I would also argue was at least to some degree inspired if not by Miyazaki then by Japanese anime in general. The relationship between Aang and Katara was developed with great care and was allowed to build very slowly, as opposed to simply shipping them. Likewise other characters very gradually developed as individuals and in their relationships, at times stumbling as they did so, and making mistakes, before finding their way back to the right path.
All of this is in stark contrast to George Lucas, whose character development is often very rushed at best, and at times some might say almost non-existent. So essentially, even though Lucas has said that Filoni has been “like a son” to him, and I believe referred to Filoni as his “padawan”, I would argue that Filoni is ultimately as much a student of Miyazaki as he is of Lucas.
Again, you might ask, “What does all this mean for Star Wars?” It means a great many things. It means that Dave Filoni has taken Miyazaki’s lessons to heart, and can handle things like romance, as well as other kinds of relationships, quite well most of the time. Like Miyazaki he can play with romance, tease the audience with it at times even, leave the romance unrequited, and yet still have it feel satisfying. A prime example of this is the love triangle that Ahsoka was involved in with the young Separatist Senator, Lux Bonteri, and Steela Gerrera. As wary as I am of romance and as much as I despise shipping, love triangles I normally despise even more, but this one seemed to actually work. It never took over the main story, and even though Ahsoka’s feelings were ultimately not reciprocated, she still learned from the experience, and grew and developed further as a character because of it. The other characters involved in this triangle also grew and developed from their involvement, though unfortunately not all of them made it. All in all it was a good bit of storytelling and gave the audience something to consider.
When a relationship in one of Filoni’s stories does bloom into a full blown romance he also generally handles it quite well. For one Filoni is sparing with actual romance, so that when it does occur, it can be that much more appreciated. And rather than rushing or shipping it, Filoni normally takes his time to build it up. An example of this is the relationship between Kanan and Hera. Some might argue that this is perhaps the best developed romance in all of Star Wars, at least in Canon. Built up over four seasons, at times it wasn’t certain whether it was a romance or a friendship, or perhaps even a professional partnership. Perhaps even the characters themselves were not certain, though it was hinted all throughout the narrative that something was going on. To this day I don’t believe anyone can say definitively when it became an actual romance, and I believe Filoni did this intentionally because he wanted to be subtle, rather than making things too obvious and having the romance take over the narrative, as it usually does. When it finally did become obvious as to what was happening, it felt very much earned, in a way that is seldom accomplished in other works of fiction, including Star Wars.
The relationship between Ezra and Sabine was also fairly well written, for the most part anyway, at least in Star Wars Rebels. Ezra was almost immediately smitten with Sabine, but being a young teenage boy, it was understandable that he would feel that way about an attractive girl. Over time he learned to see her more respectfully, as a colleague and even as part of his adopted family, not just as a pretty face. Sabine for her part found Ezra annoying at first (c’mon, what teenage boy isn’t?), but as he matured and she found out more about him she came to understand and respect him more, and see him as a friend and almost a brother, with there being potential for something more.
There were times when the relationship could have been better written, like in the episode “Blood Sisters”, where Ezra was written to be a bit too immature to make Sabine look wiser. But overall, the bond between them developed fairly well; both saved one another at various times, and took risks and made sacrifices for each other’s sake. Both reassured and comforted the other when they needed it, and it was endearing to hear their banter when they became more familiar and trusting of each other.
So why then was I so disappointed in how they were portrayed in the Ahsoka show? The thing is, after how well their relationship was built up in Rebels, as I’ve already mentioned it was strange to see how lackluster and uninspired their reunion was.
Within the Ahsoka show itself Sabine was shown to be almost obsessed with finding Ezra, living in what used to be his home, watching a recording of him over and over again, and calling out his name as she woke up in the middle of the night. She even risked bringing Thrawn back into the Galaxy, which ultimately happened, just so she could see Ezra again. After all that, when she finally does encounter him, her reaction seems fairly casual, as does his, as if they’ve been apart for no more than a week, rather than 10 years. Not too much happens between them afterwards either. Like I said Ezra does not appear all that curious about what happened with Sabine, how she found him, and how it was that she was now Force sensitive. Sabine likewise did not seem curious about what had happened with Ezra, and how he had gotten away from Thrawn. And with Ezra rescued and returned home, suddenly it didn’t seem as though Sabine was all that interested in him anymore, nor he all that concerned with her, though they were just as far apart as they had been at the start of the show. To be completely honest it made me wonder what the point of the whole show was. Were they just working to set up Thrawn’s return to the Galaxy? As some have said, Ezra felt like nothing more than a Macguffin in the show. Was Sabine and Ahsoka’s search for him just a plot device?
Considering how skillfully Dave Filoni had written his stories in the past, what happened in this latest project of his does not make much sense. Was he so concerned about “shipping” and so desperate to avoid it that he inadvertently “shipped” them in the other direction? Was there some sort of external pressure on him about how to write this story to have more of an appeal to “modern audiences”? Maybe some combination of those factors?
And here I’ll add that when I say “modern audiences” I don’t mean that in a contemptuous sense, though you may think I do. If there is any contempt on my part it is for those in charge of telling our stories, or those in charge of those telling our stories, who do not seem to grasp these basic truths. The truth is that audiences at their core don’t really change throughout the ages, only superficially so. Trends come and go but certain truths and ideals are eternal, and universal. How people relate to each other fundamentally does not change, whether they are friends, or more than friends. And deep down, I believe everyone (or nearly everyone at least) wants the same things. Nearly everyone at some point wants some kind of a connection with another human being, to know that they are not alone in the world, and to know that there is someone else who sees and understands things as they do. While this desire can certainly lead to abuse, and absolutely has, it is still innate to us and is not inherently wrong. Finding ways of connecting and relating to other people is one of the great challenges of life, but many would argue it is the most worthwhile of challenges. It may be the whole point of life if you think about it. As complex as it may be, many would argue it is what makes life worth living, and likewise makes for the best stories. Just as it may be the whole point of life many would say that is what most stories are about at their core: people trying to relate to one another.
Sadly, just as in real life, most stories unfortunately don’t quite get it, and the Ahsoka show in my opinion was an example of this, made all the sadder by the fact that Dave Filoni had done quite well with these characters up to that point. We may never know for certain what exactly went wrong and why, or if it can ever be “fixed” at this point, but I can’t help but feel curious. Maybe in the future Filoni will find a way to make it make sense, but I’m not sure how. And to be completely honest I don’t feel quite as enthusiastic to find out as I used to.
Also for the record I would like to add here that there are other factors that put me off from the show, such as Sabine’s Force sensitivity, that came about without much build up. But in this article I specifically wanted to focus on shipping because there seems to be so much misunderstanding around it.
I hope that I was able to clarify some, if not most of this misunderstanding, so that people could better appreciate what shipping is, where it comes from, as well as what it isn’t. Many people today are understandably sick of shipping characters, myself included. But I hope people realize that in overcompensating for something, we often come back around into the very thing that we are overcompensating for. Or sometimes, into something even worse. This may apply to nearly every facet of life, by the way, not just shipping. Finding a happy medium in how we portray our fictional relationships may help us to better understand relationships in real life, as well as how to navigate them. Neither fictional nor actual relationships can ever be perfect but they can always be better. To this understanding then I hope that I was able to give my own modest contribution, and if nothing else I hope we can connect on that.

Hey everyone!
I'm looking for readers with an interest in self-improvement, particularly in overcoming social anxiety. :) I'm a writer working on a self-help book titled "Essential Strategies for Social Anxiety: CBT Techniques to Conquer Self Doubt, Eliminate Fear and Build Bulletproof Confidence."
Scope:
I'm currently seeking enthusiastic readers to provide honest feedback on my manuscript before it's published. This is NOT a paid gig, nor will you need to pay anything, but as a thank you for your time and insights, you'll receive a FREE digital copy of the book once it's launched!
Requirements:

• Be an avid reader with a genuine interest in self-help and/or social anxiety topics.
• Be willing to read the manuscript and provide honest feedback on your thoughts, impressions, and overall reading experience.
• No pressure to write lengthy feedback – your general impressions are more than enough!

What you get:

• A FREE digital copy of the book upon publication.
• The satisfaction of knowing you're helping a fellow author refine their work and potentially reach others struggling with social anxiety.

Sounds interesting? Great! To ensure a good fit for everyone, I've put together a quick and easy sign-up form. This will help me understand your reading preferences and gauge your interest in the specific topic of social anxiety.
Sign-up form here: https://forms.gle/cf92VDMUrdpKJqaT6
Thanks for your time, and happy reading!
P.S. Feel free to share this post with anyone you think might be interested! The more honest feedback, the better!

Heya, I'm just trying to understand how to translate impersonal sentences in Ukrainian, especially with regards to verbs and the -но ending.
I just read in a grammar book that "In impersonal sentences the form of Past Passive participle ending in -но in –то is used as the predicative with link-verb бути (to be)"
Does this mean if I see a sentence, without a clear subject + where there's a form of -бути- followed by a word ending in -но I should assume it is an impersonal sentence?
For example, the sentence "Медіаторів буде залучено до цієї роботи
Should be translated as "Mediators will be involved in this work"
Sorry if I've not been clear- I guess my question is whether бути + a word finishing in -но = Impersonal sentence is a rule in Ukrainian grammar?
Thank you very much in advance!
Edit: Also a more general question is, how should I read words finishing in -но? Do they have a specific effect on word meanings?

Eguahé porá readers,
This is our monthly discussion of the literature of the world! Every Wednesday, we'll post a new country or culture for you to recommend literature from, with the caveat that it must have been written by someone from that there (i.e. Shogun by James Clavell is a great book but wouldn't be included in Japanese literature).
May 15 is Independence Day in Paraguay and to celebrate we're discussing Paraguayan literature! Please use this thread to discuss your favorite Paraguayan literature and authors.
If you'd like to read our previous discussions of the literature of the world please visit the literature of the world section of our wiki.
Aguyjevete ndéve and enjoy!

​

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), often known as ME/CFS, has a broad spectrum of symptoms that persist a long period. It is determined by basic signs and criteria. Post-exertional malaise (PEM), substantial impairment in capacity to accomplish tasks that were typical before the illness, and sleep issues are some of the key symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) .
Orthostatic intolerance (difficulty sitting and standing) and cognitive issues. Long-lasting discomfort and a broad spectrum of body systems are also frequent symptoms.
The reason is unknown, however it might be due to metabolic, genetic, viral, or physical or psychological stress. For lack of a universal diagnostic test, the diagnosis is figured by symptoms.
A person with CFS becomes weary from working hard, and it doesn't get better when they rest. Many conditions cause fatigue, but none cause the amount of tiredness and functioning issues found in CFS.
Many individuals with CFS may improve with time, but many will remain unwell and incapacitated for a long period. No authorised therapies or medications for the underlying cause. Instead, treatment aims to alleviate distressing symptoms.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends pacing (personal activity management) to prevent symptoms from worsening. Some patients may benefit with Rinatolimod (a medication intended for treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome ), psychotherapy, and tailored activity management, however research is limited.
It affects 1% of persons who see their doctor regularly, although the figure fluctuates since epidemiological studies define the disorder differently. According to official estimates, CFS affects 836,000-2.5 million Americans and 250,000-1,250,000 Britons.
Women have CFS at a rate of 1-2% higher than males. Most individuals acquire it between 40 and 60. Even youngsters may be affected. The prevalence of CFS in children is unknown, however it is thought to be about 0.5 percent. One of the most prevalent reasons students miss class is chronic fatigue syndrome.
CFS affects one's health, happiness, and productivity, as well as loneliness and alienation. However, several aspects of the illness remain unclear. Disability is diagnosed and treated by doctors, researchers, and others. The evidence for the causes and therapies isn't always consistent.

Common Symptoms

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) proposes the following diagnostic criteria for unwell people:

• Ability to perform things before the sickness. Weariness follows a decline in activity. It must last six months.
• Symptoms worsen if you do anything little before the condition. Exercise may make you sick, and the symptoms generally appear 12 to 48 hours later. Some term it a "crash," although it might last a long time. Also known as Post-exercise malaise (PEM).
• Sleep problems make it difficult to remain awake, fall asleep, or stay asleep.
• Memory and reasoning are poor (cognitive dysfunction, sometimes described as "brain fog")
• Standing or sitting upright may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting, or visual issues (orthostatic intolerance)

While other common symptoms may occur that not all ME/CFS people report
People who have a cold or the flu can have pain in their muscles, joints, and neck or armpits.
People who have a sore throat, irritable bowel syndrome, a cold, or night sweats, as well as people who have allergies and sensitivities to food and other things, can have a hard time breathing.

Functional Capacity of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can accomplish many things. Many individuals with CFS live regular lives, while others are bedridden and unable of self-care. Most CFS patients must miss job, school, and family time for a lengthy period.
Men and women have the same symptoms and limitations, and many suffer from severe chronic pain. Inactivity is blamed for this. The complexity of things has also changed.
AIDS causes as much agony and anguish as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, and end-stage renal failure. Even while major conditions like multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, or type 2 diabetes exist, CFS has a greater effect on a person's capacity to function and well-being.
Symptoms go in and out of remission, making treatment difficult. People who feel better may overexert themselves, causing worsening symptoms and relapse of their disease. A percent of persons with CFS are permanently housebound or bedridden for years. An illness that prevents around 75% of them from working.
More over half of them were on disability or sick leave, and just a fifth worked full-time. Children with CFS are the major cause for absenteeism.
The quality-of-life questionnaire found that patients with CFS had reduced "vitality," "physical functioning," "general health," "physical role," and "social functioning." However, CFS patients' "role emotional" and "mental health" subscales were identical to or slightly lower than healthy people's. Every year, the US spends a lot of money on healthcare.

Cognitive Dysfunction of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

Cognitive Dysfunction is one of the most devastating aspects of CFS, affecting people's ability to work and interact. It's estimated that 50-80% of CFS sufferers experience cognitive issues. Problems with attention, memory, and reaction time are typical cognitive symptoms.
Measured cognitive abilities are lacking, which may impair everyday living. For example, they make more errors, forget things, and have problems responding when spoken to.
In addition, activities requiring long-term working memory are slower. These defects generally support up the patient's views. As far as I can see, your ability to move swiftly, think clearly, and talk clearly hasn't altered.
People with poor health were more likely to report cognitive issues. People with CFS who could accomplish more physically had less visual perception and language processing issues.
Several reasons may be at play when it comes to disparities between what individuals claim they are and what they really are. It's difficult to compare participants' cognitive capacities before and after illness since there aren't any measures that accurately evaluate CFS's distinctive cognitive impairments.
CFS patients have higher neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms than non-CFS patients. The cause is unclear. Many theories exist to explain why cognitive symptoms and illness coexist.
Some experts believe psychological factors contribute to or cause the disease. Others believe the sickness generates physiological and social changes that manifest as symptoms.

Therapies Known to Have Worked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The CDC says talking to a therapist may help patients cope with their conditions. Counseling and behavioural treatments may benefit some patients, but they may not enhance their quality of life, according to a 2015 NIH analysis.
This means that these treatments should not be utilised alone, but rather as part of a larger strategy. The same article claims that therapy may help with weariness, function, and overall improvement. However, these methods have been understudied in several CFS patient subgroups. Those who had psychotherapy or behavioral treatment reported few unpleasant side effects.
IOM 2015 study indicates it's unclear whether Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assists persons with cognitive disorders. It's unclear why CBT is used to help patients feel better about their illness. A 2014 research found little indication that CBT participants were more active.
The authors claim that those who received CBT were adjusting to the condition rather than improving.
Patient organisations have long opposed CBT as a CFS treatment. Also questioned is the model's explanation The MEA studied 493 CBT patients in the UK in 2012.
Due to the findings of this research, the MEA concluded in 2015 that CBT should not be the principal therapy for CFS. There's a "false model of causality," says Dr. Charles Shepherd, a MEA medical adviser. This paradigm ignores the wide range of clinical manifestations and illness processes that fall within the ME/CFS umbrella.
A 2019 research of ME/CFS patients in the UK revealed that CBT didn't help for over half of them, and that Graded Exercise Therapy made most individuals worse.

Hey guys!
This post is for readers to share what Drama or Romance novels that they would recommend to others.
PLEASE either put the title and author of the book in italics so people can easily search the book/books (You can do this by putting an asterix before and after the word) OR put the Title and Author at the top of the comment then a line break.

Hi everyone. First and foremost, thanks a ton for reading through this and giving me your thoughts. If this post needs to be elsewhere please let me know! I wasn't sure if this needed to go in the promo thread or not.
I want to start and online business assisting self published authors market their books. I have 8 years of digital marketing experience working with e-commerce business and growing marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. I want to take that skill set and use it in the self publishing space.
I see a lot of articles that talk about building your author platform. And they offer great advice, but I want to hear from you. What about that is a pain point for you as an author? Is it the set up of your site, email marketing, event planning, posting on social media, or SEO? Is it developing a book launch strategy? Or marketing on Amazon? All of the above?
If you were to hire a digital marketer, what would you be looking to have them do and/or want them to have experience in?
I don't want to just build a website and offer services that don't matter to authors. So your advice is much appreciated. Thank you!

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) remains a crucial strategy for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. As we progress through 2024, understanding and adapting to the latest SEO trends is essential for staying ahead of the competition. This guide will provide you with actionable insights and strategies to boost your SEO efforts effectively.

Understanding the Core of SEO

SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This involves a mix of on-page and off-page tactics designed to make your site more attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The goal is to drive organic traffic to your site, thereby increasing visibility, leads, and ultimately, conversions.

Key SEO Trends in 2024

1. User Experience (UX) Optimization

User experience has become a pivotal factor in SEO rankings. Google’s Core Web Vitals update emphasizes the importance of page load speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Websites that provide a seamless and engaging user experience are more likely to rank higher. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and offers intuitive navigation to enhance UX.

2. High-Quality, Relevant Content

Content remains king in 2024. However, the focus has shifted to creating content that is not only high-quality but also highly relevant to your audience. Conduct thorough keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for and tailor your content to meet those needs. Utilize long-tail keywords to capture specific search intents and provide comprehensive answers to common queries.

3. Voice Search Optimization

With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants, optimizing for voice search is becoming increasingly important. Voice search queries are typically longer and more conversational. Incorporate natural language processing into your SEO strategy and focus on answering questions directly. Use FAQ pages and structured data to enhance your chances of appearing in voice search results.

4. AI and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming SEO. Google's AI algorithm, RankBrain, plays a significant role in determining search rankings. It interprets search queries and determines the most relevant results based on user intent. Leverage AI tools to analyze data, predict trends, and optimize your content strategy accordingly.

5. E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness

Google’s E-A-T principles are critical for ranking well in 2024. Demonstrate your expertise by publishing in-depth, well-researched content. Build authoritativeness through backlinks from reputable sites and maintain trustworthiness with transparent and accurate information. Showcase your credentials and include author bios to reinforce credibility.

Effective SEO Strategies for 2024

1. Optimize for Mobile

Ensure your website is fully optimized for mobile devices. With a significant portion of web traffic coming from mobile, a responsive design and fast load times are crucial for retaining users and ranking well.

2. Focus on Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for businesses aiming to attract local customers. Optimize your Google My Business profile, encourage customer reviews, and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all platforms.

3. Utilize Video Content

Video content is booming and offers a unique opportunity to engage users. Optimize videos by using relevant keywords in titles, descriptions, and tags. Create video transcripts to enhance accessibility and SEO.

4. Build Quality Backlinks

Quality backlinks from authoritative sites signal to search engines that your content is valuable. Focus on earning backlinks through guest blogging, partnerships, and creating shareable content.

5. Monitor and Analyze Performance

Regularly monitor your SEO performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. Analyze key metrics such as traffic, bounce rates, and keyword rankings. Use this data to refine your strategies and address any issues promptly.

Conclusion

SEO in 2024 is about understanding and adapting to the latest trends and technologies. By focusing on user experience, creating high-quality content, optimizing for voice search, leveraging AI, and adhering to E-A-T principles, you can significantly improve your search engine rankings. Stay proactive, continuously monitor your performance, and be ready to pivot your strategies to maintain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace.

The librarians were very helpful and I was able to find a book but why wouldn't there be a section for me to bowse through. That was one of my favorite ways of finding new authors. Other types of books have their own section so why not ths particular genre?

Tarot Reader since 2017 who has fully mastered in depth readings to bring true insight to the energies and circumstances you are dealing with, with the use of Oracle and Astrology as well. Shaneka's Services And Contact Linktree
get a tarot reading
how often should you get a tarot reading
should i get a tarot reading
is it good to get a tarot reading
how much does it cost to get a tarot reading
how often should i get a tarot reading
best time to get a tarot reading
reasons to get a tarot reading
where can i get a tarot reading
why you should get a tarot reading
get a tarot reading online
getting a tarot reading in a dream
how to get the tarot card at arasaka tower
how to get the tarot card above misty
what age can you get a tarot reading
how to ask for a tarot reading
ways to do a tarot reading
how to get tarot reading
what to do if you get a bad tarot reading
what to know before getting a tarot reading
what to expect when getting a tarot reading
get a tarot reading for free
a tarot reader
is it bad to get a tarot card reading
when you get a bad tarot reading
best tarot cards to get in a love reading
can you get a bad tarot reading
how to get a better tarot reading
can you get a tarot reading online
where can i get a tarot card reading
can i get a free tarot reading online
how often should you get a tarot card reading
get a tarot card reading
worst cards to get in a tarot reading
what do you get from a tarot reading
i got a tarot card reading
i want a tarot reading
i need a tarot reading
how to get a free tarot reading
what is a general tarot reading
when should i get a tarot reading
how long should a tarot reading be
how to get a tarot reading
how many times can you get a tarot reading
how to get the most out of a tarot reading
how to get a good tarot reading
is it safe to get a tarot reading
when is the best time to get a tarot reading
why get a tarot reading
learn tarot reading near me
what happens when you get a tarot reading
where to get a tarot reading near me
get a card reader natwest
buy tarot card near me
when not to get a tarot reading
what to get a tarot reading on
buy tarot card online
quick tarot reading
questions to ask when getting a tarot reading
questions for a tarot reading
should you get a tarot reading
getting a tarot reading
what to do when you get tarot cards
get a reading with theresa caputo
where to get a tarot reading
x tarot reversed
z tarot
1 tarot card reading
2 tarot card reading
2 card tarot reading free
2 card tarot spreads
3 tarot reading
3 card reading tarot free
3 card tarot reading new age store
3 card tarot reading questions
4 card tarot reading free
4 tarot card reading
4 tarot card reading meaning
5 card tarot reading free
5 card reading tarot
6 card tarot reading free
how to read a 6 card tarot spread
6 card reading tarot
6 card relationship tarot spread
7 tarot reading
7 card tarot reading free
7 card tarot reading free online
8 card tarot reading
8 card spread tarot reading
9 card tarot reading
how to read a 9 card tarot spread
psychic reading
psychic reading near me
psychic reading free
psychic reading online
free psychic reading by date of birth and time
psychic reading free love
psychic reading cards
psychic readings by danielle
psychic readings by alicia
psychic reading meaning
eva tarot psychic reading
rebecca's psychic reading ted lasso
free psychic reading app
psychic reading ai
psychic reading apple pay
psychic reading banner
bali psychic reading
bobby brown psychic reading
benefits of psychic reading
bts psychic reading
birth chart psychic reading
best psychic reading
psychic reading cards meaning
psychic reading cards deck
daily psychic reading free
dallas psychic reading nyc
david schultz psychic reading
dark psychic reading
dangers of psychic reading
psychic reading elijah vue
psychic readings near me
psychic reading near me open now
elijah vue psychic reading
empress chain spiritual psychic reading
ethical psychic reading
email free psychic reading
experienced psychic reading
elsa psychic reading
psychic reading for taurus
psychic reading for today
psychic reading for riley strain
psychic reading for 2024
psychic reading free by date of birth
psychic reading flyers
psychic reading for aries
psychic reading for elijah vue
free psychic reading for love
free psychic reading cards
free psychic reading for leo
fertility psychic reading free
free psychic reading for virgo
free psychic reading for libra
free psychic reading for cancer
free psychic reading for taurus
psychic reading generator
psychic reading gif
psychic reading german
psychic reading gold creek
gemini psychic reading
gretchen fleming psychic reading
ghost psychic reading
goddess elite psychic reading
kelsey grammer psychic reading
sal governale psychic reading
psychic reading hannah mount sinai
psychic reading hoodie xplr
headache after psychic reading
horoscope psychic reading
howard stern sal psychic reading
henry cavill psychic reading
hand psychic reading
psychic reading in st louis mo
psychic reading in weymouth
impractical jokers psychic reading episode
i get a free psychic reading
i free psychic reading
psychic reading jobs online
psychic reading joslin smith
psychic reader joyce
psychic reader jerry
tarot reading jobs
tarot reading jakarta
tarot reading jobs from home
tarot reading jobs near me
tarot reading journal
tarot reading jobs remote
jungkook psychic reading
joslin smith psychic reading
january psychic reading
jade psychic and tarot reading cape town
kate middleton psychic reading youtube
kyle psychic reading
kim porter psychic reading
kim's psychic reading room
kris jenner psychic reading
kim kardashian psychic reading
kpop psychic reading
kelsey psychic reading
princess kate psychic reading
psychic reading lounge reviews
psychic reading ltd
love psychic reading free
libra psychic reading
leo psychic reading
love psychic reading free by date of birth
live psychic reading free online
love psychic reading online
leo psychic reading today
psychic reading meaning in hindi
psychic reading malaysia
psychic reading malvern
psychic reading meaning in hindi with example
morgan nick psychic reading
matthew perry psychic reading
my psychic reading today
psychic reading near scarborough
nebula psychic reading
nebula astrology and psychic reading
turkish coffee psychic reading near me
yes or no psychic reading
psychic reading online free
psychic reading online cards
psychic reading on riley strain
psychic reading on elijah vue
psychic reading on samantha murphy
online psychic reading manchester
old port maine psychic reading
online psychic reading
psychic reading pathfinder
psychic reading pismo beach photos
psychic reading pismo beach reviews
psychic reading princess kate
psychic reading quiz
tarot reading questions
tarot reading quotes
tarot reading questions about love
tarot reading quiz
spiritual reading quotes
tarot reading questions about career
tarot reading questions about life
tarot reading queen of cups
tarot reading quezon city
question psychic reading
relationship psychic reading questions
que significa psychic reading
que es psychic reading
psychic reading riley strain
psychic reading royal family
relationship psychic reading free
rebecca welton psychic reading
ryan shtuka psychic reading
random psychic reading
rose renee psychic reading
cameron robbins psychic reading
psychic reading spotify
psychic reading shirt
psychic reading shreveport
psychic reading today
psychic reading tube top
psychic reading template
turkish coffee psychic reading
ted lasso rebecca psychic reading
tarot psychic reading near me
tea leaf psychic reading
today's psychic reading
turkish coffee psychic reading nyc
true love psychic reading
tiktok psychic reading
taurus psychic reading
psychic reading ubud
tarot reading ubud
tarot reading using playing cards
tarot reading uk free
tarot reading upside down cards
tarot reading uluwatu
spiritual reading ubud
tarot reading unique
tarot reading utah
tarot reading udemy
unintentional psychic reading
online psychic reading us
psychic reader reading uk
psychic reading in urdu
virgo psychic reading
valentine psychic reading
vicki psychic reading
vivid psychic reading
vampire psychic reading
psychic reading with playing cards
what is psychic reading
xplr psychic reading hoodie
x-men psychics
x and y psychic pokemon
x psychopath reader
psychic reading yes or no
tarot reading yes or no
tarot reading youtube
tarot reading yes or no accurate
tarot reading youtube channels
tarot reading yes or no in hindi
tarot reading yes or no horoscope
tarot reading yourself
tarot reading yellow springs
yellow pages psychic reading
can you share your psychic reading
psychic reading 100
psychic reading 101
tarot reading 100 accurate
tarot reading 10 card spread
tarot reading 101
tarot reading 1 card
tarot reading 10 cards
tarot reading 111
tarot reading 10 of cups
tarot reading 1111
1.99 for 10 minutes psychic reading
10 minute psychic reading for $1
2024 psychic reading
psychic number 2 meaning
2 of pentacles psychic revelation
2 of wands psychic revelation
2 swords psychic revelation
tarot reading 3 card spread
tarot reading 3 cards
tarot reading 3 of cups
tarot reading 333
tarot reading 3 kings
tarot reading 31st
tarot reading $35
psychic number 3 meaning
flight 370 psychic reading
3 of swords psychic revelation
3 of pentacles psychic revelation
3 of wands psychic revelation
43551 psychic reading
4 psychic number
4 swords psychic revelation
4 of pentacles psychic revelation
tarot reading 5 card spread
tarot reading 5 of cups
psychic empath 5 books in 1
tarot reading 6 cards
tarot reading 6 of swords
tarot reading 6 of cups
psychic revelation 6 of wands
tarot reading 7
tarot reading 7 card spread
tarot reading 7 of cups
tarot reading 7 of swords
tarot reading 77084
psychic readings 90
tarot reading 9 card spread
tarot reading 94538

It's likely that someone has already asked, but do you know if author Miya Kazuki has ever specified what names husbands take when they marry in their wife's family?
Taking as an example Elvira's full name (Elvira Tochter Gutheil Frau Linkberg), what would Ferdinand's name be when he marries Rosemyne, will it be Ferdinand Sohn Ehrenfest Mann A*********.
What would happen with a possible second or third husband?

A classic of fantasy (4 stars)
First published in the 1980s, the The Belgariad series of five books by David Eddings is rightly regarded as a fantasy classic, and still holds up well today. The five titles it includes are Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, and Enchanters' End Game.
The basic storyline of the series sees the young boy Garion finds himself going on a quest with an old but wise and good sorcerer (Belgarath), and his elderly daughter (Polgara). Their mission is to recover the magic Orb which ensures peace and security for the West, but has been stolen. Behind this is the evil god Torak, who must be defeated. But along the way, Garion not only joins forces with many fine companions, but also discovers that his own identity is much more than he ever could have expected.
This series is a fine example of classic fantasy, and while Eddings is clearly indebted to Tolkien in many ways, it's also obvious that he is writing from his own context in which the Cold War with the USSR was alive and real. The books are also free of foul language and blasphemy, and anything inappropriate is merely alluded to at most, so even younger teens could read it. The distinction between good and evil is also very clear throughout.
The introduction to each book notes that Eddings was inspired to write these books in order explore some philosophical and technical aspects of the fantasy genre. Apparently he wrote the series after taking a course in literary criticism, and had the aim of using many stock characters and ideas but within an original world of his own.
Given his aim to create a standard fantasy story, but one that was engaging, in my opinion he has succeeded. He is clearly working with many staples of the genre, including hero figures and a quest to recover a magic item that will lead to a kingdom of peace. But unlike many other fantasies, his world isn't filled with fantastic beasts in the first place, but with interesting characters. The unique contribution Eddings especially makes to the genre lies in the rich theology he has invented, with a pantheon of gods. Their role and activity is an important background to the novel.
Whether it was deliberate or unconscious on the part of the author, it is evident that he does draw on many themes also found in the Bible. For example, a key element of the story is the role of a special Prophecy, which has come from the gods and is certain to come to pass, even though the characters themselves don't always understand all aspects of it. Garion himself is a Messianic figure, and there are some interesting questions about how he must come to terms with his own identity. I also found the spiritual struggles of Relg fascinating, as he tries to come to terms with his own struggle with desire and lust, and constantly sees it in a spiritual way.
But in the end, this is in the first place a good and entertaining story, served in a traditional fantasy mould. I enjoyed it enough to want to read The Mallorean series, which is a follow-up series of five books set in the same world and with many of the same characters. Unfortunately that wasn't quite as good. There are also two individual follow-up books (entitled Belgarath and Polgara respectively) but these are only worthwhile if you really want to know more about the characters. If you're a fan of classic fantasy fiction, then start with The Belgariad series, and you're almost certain to love it!

Hello! I am thinking about booking a trip to Greece, mor specifically the island of Crete. This would be my first time traveling alone, and first time traveling since 2018/2019. I am thinking about going in late May till the beginning of June. Either that or maybe around a week or two into June. This year, and yes, quite short notice.
Due to school, I would only be able to stay for about a week. So, does anyone have any recommendations on things to do, and where to stay (what town for example)? I would prefer to stay in a smaller “town/place”, somewhere a bit quieter. So maybe somewhere like Gerani? (ive been there before).
This trip/vacation would be more of a “relax and chill” type of trip, where id spend a lot of time relaxing, next to a pool or on the beach. But I would still want to go out, see, try and do things!
Ive heard that Preveli Palm Forest, Elafonissi beach, Balos beach, and Samaria Gorge are a few of many beautiful things/places you should see. But if anyone have any other places and/or things that you recommend someone do/see please let me know!

1- Veo, a powerful AI video generator.
The text-to-video generator lets filmmakers write prompts to build cinematic shots.

1. Google will integrate AI natively in search.

You can ask whatever’s on your mind or whatever you need to get done — from researching to planning to brainstorming — and Google will take care of the legwork.

1. Astra, the future of AI assistants.

It can interact with the world around it by taking in information, remembering what it sees, processing that information and understanding contextual details.

1. Imagen 3: the highest quality text-to-image generation model yet.

It produces visuals with incredible detail, realistic lighting and fewer distracting artifacts.

1. Gemini 1.5 Pro is now available for all.

They also increased the context window to 2 million tokens. This is the equivalent of 15 books, 1.5 million words.

1. Trillium, a TPU (GPU competitor) that delivers a 4.7x improvement in compute performance per chip over the previous generation, TPU v5e.
   
2. Gemini 1.5 Flash
   

A lighter-weight model, optimized for tasks where low latency and cost matter most.
Developers can use it with up to 1 million tokens in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.

1. Generative Music with MusicFX

MusicFX lets you unleash your inner DJ and craft new beats
Helps you mix beats by combining genres, instruments, and more to bring musical stories to life. It’s a playground for inspiring new music, and you can try it now.

1. Ask Gemini in Sheets for help analyzing your expenses with Data Q&A.

The ability to organize attachments in Drive, generate a sheet, and analyze data will roll out to Labs later this year.

1. Gemini will be integrated in Gmail, Docs and Calendar already work well together. It will make working across apps even easier — for example recognizing a receipt in Gmail and organizing it in Drive and Sheets.

Source: https://x.com/alphasignalai/status/1790456047288631736?s=46&t=l2c692xy2A7MW9f8j9sDmQ

This post is majorly focused on the BM TOP 10 or smallcases that invest in large-cap stocks.
Returns on BM TOP 10 in the past 5 months
https://preview.redd.it/esmhjafqsj0d1.png?width=830&format=png&auto=webp&s=8d8a1353f22df8e537cb5ec25f95d8253f68fe52
​
In the past 5 months, this smallcase has overall given -2.16% returns, whereas the underlying benchmark has given 5.63% returns in the same period. I know the data of investment is for a short-term time period, so they might in future outperform the index, or maybe not. Let's dive into it.
​

1. Research shows that 74% of actively managed funds underperform the benchmark index. This is also mentioned by Bogle in his book, where he states that if you continue to invest in an index fund at the end of the investment journey, you will be above the 85th percentile of people, i.e., 'you can beat 85% of active investors by doing nothing.' I have seen BM's recent video where he was criticizing index investing. However, as soon as he talks about the Nifty, he gives an example of the Nikkei and how it was unable to reach its top in 30 years, completely ignoring the diversity between India and Japan. In Japan, when the bubble crashed in 1992, the PE was around 75-80 (Nifty PE is ~21). Japan, at the time, had majorly exhausted its majorly infrastructure & other development opportunity , and China became the manufacturing hub, limiting Japanese growth opportunities. Whereas India, since Independence, has always been a developing economy and will continue to be at least until 2040, whichever political party comes into power. It will grow. BM completely ignores the US Index because that would be bad for his business, and people won't entertain his product. In my opinion, India will follow the US footsteps in terms of index investing because of the immense growth potential. I have also read BM's book 'The Thoughtful Investor,' where he criticized Sensex by saying, "IF YOU INVESTED AT THE PEAK OF THE HARSHAD MEHTA SCAM, YOU WOULD HAVE MADE NO RETURN FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS," ignoring the existence of SIP. Any person with even slight knowledge of the market can see a this person's vendetta against index investing. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF ANYTHING LIKE JAPAN EVER HAPPENS, THEN EVEN HIS SMALLCASE WOULD BE IN THE SAME BOAT.
2. So, even after reading this, if you still think the BM TOP 10 smallcase is better for you, let's move to the Second Chapter: FEES

https://preview.redd.it/af1570ys0k0d1.png?width=965&format=png&auto=webp&s=3dd7a0d3793db2652b734af682ed87a2ce60fa60
FEES is something that was also criticized by Bogle. He mentions that the 'AGENT' who convinces you to invest in his personal FUND/PMS has the main objective of filling their own pockets, not increasing your portfolio. They will attract you with past returns, but as often said, 'past performance is no guarantee of future returns.' Now, the expense ratio of the Navi Nifty Fund is 0.06%. So, if you want to invest an amount more than Rs. 15.35 crores (92156/0.06%), [i.e., if you are confident that he will be able to beat the index consistently in the next 5-10-20 years], Only then you should consider investing in the BM TOP 10 smallcase.

1. If you still want to invest because of the THOUGHT PROCESS, let's move to the **THIRD CHAPTER: THOUGHT PROCESS.**You can check his video when he started this smallcase. His major reason for starting this fund was that he was CONFIDENT OF MULTIPLE INTEREST RATE CUTS BY THE FED in 2024. We all know how this turned out now. The market is currently assuming probably one rate cut at the end of the year. So, basically, his entire reason for starting this smallcase was that the FED would cut interest rates, leading to investment flowing into large-cap stocks. He personally never liked large-caps while labeling most of them as MOTA-HATHI (SLOW MOVERS), which basically means he has no personal conviction towards large-caps other than the interest rate cut, which didn't turn out too well at least for now.
   
2. If you still want to invest because of 'ACTIVE MANAGEMENT' or you think they 'WILL' beat the index, let's move to the FOURTH CHAPTER: ALTERNATIVES.I have selected the first fund that came to my mind, 'QUANT LARGECAP' (you could also check for other alternatives).In the last 5 months, QUANT or some other large-cap funds have given 8~12% returns.
   

https://preview.redd.it/dma64bcz7k0d1.png?width=765&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad050a03a0751081840e865132347f492c5bdcb6
https://preview.redd.it/r6jy1mxz7k0d1.png?width=737&format=png&auto=webp&s=464b1bf3004e65bfc3f9d4d6e30cb42dfc250d0f
https://preview.redd.it/687tnre08k0d1.png?width=726&format=png&auto=webp&s=b7155971ede1c9d21230346e2075df24bf09416a
Now, a fund like QUANT has an expense ratio of 0.59%, which means you should choose BM TOP 10 IF you want to invest more than Rs. 1.56 crores (considering the fact that BM TOP 10 could beat the QUANT Large Cap Fund consistently in the longer term). This active large-cap fund also invests in futures and options, whether to hedge risk or perform strategies like covered calls, etc., which is likely not to happen in smallcases like BM TOP 10.

1. If you still want to invest because of professional advisory, let's move to the **FIFTH CHAPTER: DO IT YOURSELF.**If you still consider investing in this smallcase, then you must have a portfolio of at least multiple crores. It's not as difficult as people want you to believe to invest in stocks. Taking into account that you stick to large-caps (as they are more reliable and less likely to fudge the data), volatility in large-caps is limited, and it's very unlikely for a large-cap to go to zero. AND IF you're still not confident, then you always have can always go back to Nifty ETF or Mutual Fund. (as mentioned at the start 'sometime the best strategy is to do noting'- John Bogle)

And if you think I am personally targeting him for his political view or for any other reason, I have also written this post https://www.reddit.com/IndianStockMarket/comments/196bfwx/basant_maheshwari_what_ive_learned_from_him/?onetap_auto=true&one_tap=true which is +ve stuff about him
You should read "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" by John Bogle for a better understanding of my points mentioned. Bogle is the person who started the index investing fund Vanguard, and the investment style is named after him, 'BOGLEHEAD.' His investment is also acknowledged by people like Peter Lynch & Warren Buffett.
​