My mother called me abusive.
I recently finished school and moved back in with my family. My mother and I have always been very close, but returning home for holidays in the past few years made me realize I might need some distance from her. Despite these realizations, I often dismissed them as me being dramatic until I was back home again.
Our relationship has its complexities. For example, we repeatedly have discussions where I ask her not to share certain personal information with others, yet she acts like those conversations never happened. She also convinces me to share my emotions, promising to keep them private, only to later deny I ever told her anything when she breaks that trust. Despite knowing I shouldn't trust her, the periods of calm between these incidents always make me believe she's learned, though she never does. But we are also known as a duo and go everywhere together when times are good - or that we get it out. It feels like a cycle of fight, I tell her why I'm upset, she says okay (sometimes ok I'll try harder) and we both move on.
I realized I need to do something or I never will last week - being called abusive has been my breaking point. I genuinely asked multiple people after this situation if I am inadvertently abusive and never realized it- it made me question myself. Anyways, I was driving my mother to a Mother's Day celebration on Saturday (one day before Mother's Day) when I politely told her I didn't appreciate a comment she made earlier in the living room. For context, my mother has a rocky relationship with her parents. My grandfather, a car salesman, promised me a vehicle for my graduation, which I saw as a peace offering for him taking money out of my education fund his past wife set up for me (she passed almost a decade before I went to use the education fund and put it in my and his name, I guess so he could invest that money). My father is concerned about the logistics and the implications of me accepting this car, so I had a private conversation with my mother about it Friday night.
Saturday, she brought up the car in front of my dad despite my request for discretion (my grandfather is not known for being 100% honest so I thought I was calling his bluff and if he was being genuine maybe he had changed and we could have a relationship). This led to a familiar argument about her not listening to me. As we continued to argue, she started screaming at me for being 'difficult.' I pulled over, refusing to drive while crying, and she accused me of being unappreciative. In the heat of the argument, I echoed her past sayings back to her, pointing out her hypocrisy. Her response was to accuse me of being abusive and manipulating her by me not being a 'happy person despite [her] parental sacrifices'. She referenced someone coming up to her asking her if she was okay after a public argument we had last summer, as evidence of my alleged abuse.
I was stunned. I asked for more examples, but she only mentioned that one incident and how a stranger had asked if she was okay. She continued to scream at me, and I could do nothing but sob.
When we got home, I retreated to my room and cried for hours. My mother, on the other hand, took a nap and went to a comedy show for the rest of the night. The next day, she ignored me completely, even at breakfast on Mother's Day. I felt stuck, and was unable to visit my friends (who live 4 hours away in my university town) or my partner, who only lives an hour away from me but needed to be elsewhere to support a family related tragedy.
That night my dad who had only heard that I had insulted her after being screamed at for 30 minutes suggested I apologize, but when I explained she feels I am abusive, he seemed to understand - and went out to get takeout, which we enjoyed just the two of us that night. For context, him and my mother are still married and probably always will be. They may still love each other, but they haven't liked each other in over a decade.
My mother has since tried to make peace by cooking me food, and what feels like interrogating me about my life (i.e my dad told her I had a job interview yesterday so when she saw me this morning before I went to go help out an elderly neighbour with with their house chores, my mother grilled me about the interview and anything else she could think of that is new with me in the past week. I responded with as few words as possible to be polite instead of completely ignoring her but then she blew up and said she deserves to know more about my life because she is my mother. I just told her I was in a rush, did not have time for that BS, and left.) but obviously that will not mend our relationship. Despite everything, she is still planning our usual summer vacation, that just her, myself and my brother goes on. This vacation is also always 15-18 hour drive away so it's only me and her that take turns driving as my brother is younger and only has a learning permit.
On top of this, my grandfather is indeed giving me the car, but my dad is worried it's a way for my grandfather to try to stay connected to me and possibly manipulate me over. He is putting the car in my name and I think I can change the license plates out of his name so I think it's an easy fix to not be directly financially manipulated by him. My dad just knows him better than I do over the years, and I'm worried it will become a 'well do x for me because I bought you a car' but I think I could just say no in that situation. I'm torn between using the car to gain independence while I'm still here or if just moving out would be more economical and better for my mental health. The trouble is being a new grad, I am religiously applying to jobs but all the terms are 4-month contracts which makes it really hard to move to different cities with (upon the entry level job pay being terrible - I would really have to calculate on a per job pay, per location basis if I could afford rent + groceries + car).
I feel trapped and just don't know the best course of action. Seeking advice on how to navigate this situation. Happy to hear other's related experiences too and what they did.
*Please do not comment about how this generation doesn't work hard or respect their parents or such. This is the first time since I started working in childcare at 13 that I have not had a job. And honestly I don't even find those sorts of comments relevant to what I'm asking; I am just wondering other's experiences in the same boat and wondering if it's worth it to fix it with my mom and really just what people with similar experiences have decided to do for themselves in these situations.

timestamps: https://imgur.com/a/vhXNB0c, https://imgur.com/a/zRcyHsP, https://imgur.com/a/Yo72jAO

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JER J80	n/a	450	Yes
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JER Plant J80 - $450

• https://imgur.com/a/Yo72jAO
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Boardsource Lulu -- $180

• https://imgur.com/a/zRcyHsP
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• flaw: clear window has adhesive residue from the packaging
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• includes: wrist rests, TRRS cable, tenting kit, frosted windows
• Current retail for this package is $339

Leopold FC750R PD keycaps - $20

• blue/black color
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JWICK Linear semi silent 62g - $25

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Haimu silent red - $10

• 70x
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Geon Clear tactile unlubed - $10

• 35x
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Link to earlier post.
Before getting into the meat of this post, it needs to be remembered that the ex-Scientologists named here are actual victims of the Church of Scientology. Nothing in this post is meant to deny that fact.
However, let's remember too, those being attacked by Aaron Smith-Levin and their new brand of Scientology-style attacks, are also victims of Scientology.
The cruelty directed at Mike Rinder, Claire Headley, Tony Ortega, Chris Shelton, Leah Remini, Stefani Hutchinson, the Aftermath Foundation and those who speak out against SPTV's excesses are not justified. There has been a strain of "both sides" about this. Defending oneself against slander is not the same thing as initiating slander, which is how this all started. Telling the truth in response to SPTV creator attacks is not the same thing as a Fair Game campaign against them.
It doesn't bring me any joy to write these posts, but these things need to be known because the number of distortions and fabrications coming out of the SPTV creators is reaching a fever pitch and it needs to stop.
My earlier two posts focused mainly on Chrissie Bixler, Jane Doe 1 (from the Masterson trials) and Aaron Smith-Levin, all of whom have been working together in a tight, hidden conspiracy to attack anyone who could expose them or their agendas, and/or anyone who opposes their slanderous and vicious attacks. They are in fact acting as Scientology does, following L. Ron's directions to hunt those people down and attempt to ruin them.
Unfortunately, the SPTV cabal is not just these three mentioned above. There are others who have also jumped on this bandwagon of Scientology-like attacks. From the outside, none of these people's "content" is any different from what the Church of Scientology produces through its STAND League and other OSA-front group social media accounts. If OSA had a video channel, it would look almost exactly like SPTV.
So let's take a look at Serge Del Mar, formerly known as Serge Gil. If you Google "Serge Gil" you will find photos of him hanging around with the Mastersons and other VIP Scientologists as recently as November of 2014 at an art exhibit Serge participated in. This was while he was still in the cult, of course, but it sure is odd that he never mentions this.
Funny too that this group of "innocents" all have taken to going after whistle blowers who are out, and not admitting to anything they did while they were Scientologists and Sea Organisation members. Serge becomes visibly and loudly unhinged over the idea that Mike Rinder was once the head of OSA and therefore "must know" every single secret and crime ever perpetrated in Scientology. Yet he claims perfect innocence when it comes to his Scientology history. But how is that possible when he perpetuated Scientology's abuse on children in a much more direct and forceful way than Mike Rinder ever could: Serge audited children and was apparently paid handsomely for it. Auditing is, of course, Scientology's warped and twisted idea of counselling.
In this article from Tony Ortega, it reads: "In his Facebook post, Serge talked about the horror of having men admit to having sex with children, and being instructed to get even more information from such confessors, who were then simply charged even more [money] to 'handle' their paedophilia.
"We were made to sit in that Fort Harrison hotel day in and day out interrogating people to see what they had done. Our interviews were always closely watched [and] monitored by several ‘terminals.’ All the CSes [case supervisors] and tech ‘executives’ became willing in colluding and becoming 100 percent complicit with this sexually inappropriate environment for any one under the age of 18."
"Self-confessed paedophiles could just magically ‘address’ this behavior with auditing — all the while you were looking at ways to monetize at every opportunity' he says, accusing Scientology executives of looking for ways to turn confessions into more auditing and more money."
So who were these paedophiles and why aren't they being reported to the police? Why is Serge not talking about them? Why is he instead negating what he did and laughing about it in live streams with Nora, where they forgive and forget easily when it comes to their own bad behaviour in the cult. How come they get a free pass but no one else outside of SPTV does?
Serge engages in hypocrisy at a level that would put politicians and cult leaders to shame.
Recently, Serge added Leah Remini's name to his hit list by claiming Remini told him that she wanted nothing to do with helping children of the Sea Organisation. He actually said that about the woman who produced an the documentary series which gave Serge and the other "Scientology children" a voice on an international stage, something none of them were able to accomplish on their own.
Some facts from the past need to be brought forward.
First, it was Leah Remini who was trying to help all of the ex-Scientology "kids" to help find legal representation. This was the group Serge Del MaSerge Gil proclaimed he was the leader of, saying he was the "voice of many." He claimed he would be bringing the clients and the documentation to Kent's law firm.
Remini was introduced to Brian Kent by A&E. Right after the end of the Aftermath's finale, Kent's law firm was the only one willing to take on this massive case. Is A&E now going to be attacked by this group? Where are the tweets directed at A&E? Not that I am suggesting that. It is just to prove the facts here are consistently twisted to suit this group’s goal and it has nothing to do with exposing the crimes committed by Scientologists and Scientology.
This is about getting anyone who isn’t them.
Second and more importantly, it was Serge who then ran with this and gathered claimants for this case, and it was Serge that then introduced them all to Kent's firm. Christi Gordon was also working on this case. It was a noble effort. Leah, Serge and Christi did not do anything wrong,but somehow now Leah is a bad person for having tried to help.
Obviously, no one was aware at that time of what the future would hold for Jane Doe and Kent. No one still knows what happened with these cases - because Serge Del Mar was the ringleader. No mention of this from Alex the silly Wabbit. No mention of this from anyone. And obviously once Kent's law firm was hired, Leah and Mike would not have been privy to any privileged information about the cases.
Then Aaron and crew claim they uncovered this alleged crime committed by Kent? Kent isn’t being accused of crimes of child molestation, or of rape. He is being accused of unethical behaviour with an adult victim - and yes, that is bad enough. But it was Jane Doe in this case that had to summon the courage to file a confidential complaint. Aaron and his gang didn’t uncover and report anything. What they did do was compromise a bar investigation; they took credit for something they had nothing to do with. This is simply despicable behaviour. How this group has completely fabricated the facts of the investigation is beyond me.
They didn't even talk to the person who filed the complaint against Brian Kent. They were too busy stabbing her in the back, compromising her identity and forwarding a confidential document. Aaron conveniently didn’t mention this was a confidential investigation and document when he read it out to his audience. That's how Aaron makes a living.
Anyone continuing this story and celebrating these people are only doing so for other reasons that have nothing to do with the Jane Doe in this case. It is not only unfortunate that Jane Doe in this case had been harmed by Kent, but now these SPTV creators are harming her and her investigation too.
As a Scientology "activist," every action Serge claims he has taken against Scientology has been a major failure. If you step back and look at his track record, Serge has not accomplished a single thing against his former “church” of any significance, unless you count minutes of time shouting into a microphone at highest-ever decibels as 'activism.' It's not. It's just shouting into a microphone. He constantly claims that he has receipts, lawsuits are imminent, but with nothing forthcoming it sure seems as though Serge Del MaSerge Gil is nothing more than a con man looking for clicks for which he can profit.
Even more strangely, Serge's first attempt at fame was spending many years attacking former high-ranking Sea Organisation member Debbie Cook. Remember her? She was the one who got more people out of Scientology with her blistering 2011 New Year email than any former member before her. Debbie Cook was a whistle blower. And Serge seems to be going after those who did/do the work and are OUT of Scientology - excluding himself of course. Why not expose themselves for the crimes they committed while in Scientology? The crimes they covered up while they were in the cult? Aaron tearfully admitted to committing his own heinous crimes once, but somehow he is absolved.
Serge's criminal complaint against Scientology in Florida went nowhere and the investigation was dropped due to a lack of evidence. In fact, Serge told lies in his police filing, such as claiming that there are tunnels underneath The Fort Harrison Hotel (Scientology’s Clearwater Florida location) which are used to traffic Scientology children.
These days he goes on and on about "the hotels" where supposedly children are kept as sex slaves, a claim so preposterous even ex-Scientologists are fed up with hearing it.
Serge Del MaSerge Gil has promised to bring lawsuits against Scientology and continues to disseminate that he "has receipts" but again, not once has he ever been able to produce a shred of evidence or anything real. His incompetence and ineffectiveness are obvious, which is why the only way he can remain in the spotlight is to attack inwardly against the people who are getting the real work done.
For Serge (and the rest), it's the spotlight that is important, not the actual work.
Serge, Aaron, Chrissie Bixler, Jane Doe 1, Mike Brown, Miriam Francis, Nora Aames and the following are on a campaign to destroy their own credibility in the real world. One can only wonder if they are also getting a kick-back from Scientology.
Liz Gale has seemingly banished herself after being exposed and has all but disappeared, which of course is being blamed on RindeRemini/Hutchinson.
Christie Gordon too has disappeared from the SPTV Foundation board. Why hasn't she spoken up? Isn't she part of the crew demanding others own what they did? Why hasn't she done so when it comes to her own group's activities?
Joey Chait who was on board for the SPTV fake foundation, is now off too and no one knows why.
What has the Aftermath done? Helped people to get out of Scientology. That is the work.
What has SPTV Inc. done to help victims of Scientology? How about showing it? I have previously asked for evidence of any effective work and have yet to receive a response.
It's time for Serge (and the rest) to put up or shut up. If he or anyone in this group has real evidence of Scientology crimes, he has a solicitor and he can file a lawsuit in civil court or he can go back to the Clearwater Police and show them evidence of the crimes committed against him.
I'm not saying that crimes were not committed against Serge by others when he was in the Sea Org. But screaming into a microphone for hours isn't how to bring Scientology to justice. Screaming at law enforcement who have no idea what he is talking about with Flag and children is not helping anyone, nor is stalking and harassing Scientology's attorneys while Leah Remini's hearings are going on.
It looks an awful lot like the SPTV crew are trapped in some kind of victim complex and are high-conflict personalities.
So instead of more name calling, if Serge (or anyone in this group), "has receipts" that show that Mike Rinder is a criminal who is knowingly covering up his crimes in Scientology, produce them or shut up already. Rinder handed over his OSA documents. Aaron, by the way, took those documents under false pretenses, promised not to forward them and then did with the intent to harm Rinder and others. So instead of attacking Mike Rinder (the whistleblower here), where are the questions to the FBI for not acting on them? Where is the outrage for the documents that are authored by OSA personnel that are still in Scientology?
Personally, I'm sick of watching this crazy train go on and on without end just so some former Scientologists can make themselves appear altruist and inflate their egos for profit. Aren’t you all sick of the noise?
More to come.

16-minute read.

the AM-AZ border delimitation in Tavush is drawn with 1976 maps; village Kirants gains access to lands unreachable since the 1990s; loses 4 properties

On May 15 the border commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan held a meeting to discuss the continuation of the Tavush-Gazakh delimitation. They confirmed the completed work and agreed to continue.
The statement says that parties are using the 1976 maps by Soviet CoGS [the one that Armenia wanted].
A Protocol was signed on the meeting results. The sides agreed to set the date and the place of the next meeting of the Commissions.
REPORTER: What does this mean?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: The commissions had installed several border posts to locate the coordinates on the ground. These coordinates were taken from the 1976 maps. Now the cartographers have agreed on the border lines between the posts, again based on the same maps. In other words, the reproduction of the border in these areas is complete and signed, and the border is considered delimited in these sections.
REPORTER: Why the 1976 maps?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: It's the map with de jure power at the time of the collapse of the USSR. The Armenian government announced that we were not drawing a new border, but rather reproducing the existing border at the time of the collapse of the USSR.
REPORTER: The commissions' statement says that these 1976 maps went through legal procedures in 1979. What does it mean, and why didn't we use the 1990 maps?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: In 1979 the relevant USSR authority verified the 1976 maps and their legal basis. These maps were used until the collapse of USSR. These are the most recent maps verified by authorized state agencies of USSR.
REPORTER: Not all border posts have been installed in the convoluted section of Kirants. How will this be resolved? Will you build new roads or houses?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: The 3 remaining coordinates of Kirants were pinpointed with the use of a computer and the border posts will be installed later. The rest [another 8 posts in Kirants] are already there. The good news for Kirants is that around 25 hectares of land that have been unreachable for 33 years will be returned to the village. The border resembles the 1976 line. As we said earlier, yes, there is a need to build a bypass road, which can be accomplished in 2-3 months. We will also rebuild the road between H-26 and Acharkut and Kirants, which is an alternative road for Kirants. As for property issues, the volumes are small and the government will compensate in such situations.
REPORTER: What about Baghanis, Berkaber, and Voskepar?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: The most sensitive topic in Voskepar was the fate of the church, and on the Voskepar-Baghanis section, it was the Soviet-era road. Both issues received the best resolution: the road is fully within Armenia and so is the church, and the border line is quite far from the road and the church. As for Berkaber, there were no such sensitive topics.
REPORTER: When will the sides deploy border guards?
PASHINYAN OFFICE: Within 8-9 days, and a bit later in the 3 sensitive areas of Kirants after further clarifications. //
On Thursday, PM Nikol Pashinyan spoke about the May 15 border commission.
PASHINYAN: This is a major success for two reasons: (1) A very important cornerstone was placed for the future development of Armenia as an independent and sovereign state, (2) for the first time since independence, we have an officially delimited border, which will significantly increase the level of stability and security in that section and along the entire border. I'd like to thank the border commission leader Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan and all members, and every member of the National Security Council.
I'll provide further details. As you recall from the May 15 statement, it says the borders are delimited based on the 1976 maps that underwent the legal procedures in 1979. As you know, our principle was to reproduce the existing border with de jure power instead of drawing a new one. To accomplish this, we made a reference to the 1991 Almaty Declaration in the April 19 agreement, and it became the basis for the entire delimitation process. On May 15 we specified the 1976 maps; these are the most up-to-date USSR maps with de jure power.
In USSR, a map could be granted a de jure power by a special state agency that collected maps and legal processes and verified their accuracy and legitimacy before confirming the administrative border of Soviet republics. In the area where these delimitations are taking place, in 1979 this USSR state agency verified the 1976 map and it's the most recent map with de jure power.
This was a very important principle for us. We must accept wherever this border passes through. If we chose to draw new borders, that would create a ground for future military conflicts and escalations. The ongoing process, which should not be underestimated or overestimated, abides by the principle of adhering to the legal border and significantly reduces or eliminates possible escalations. This agreement was a major success.
Berkaber: there were no issues here.
Baghanis & Voskepar: at first we thought that some issues could arise here, around the church and, as the locals say, the "old road". If you've ever been there you have seen this road sign, when you pass Baghanis, the sign warns you that the road is being observed [under Azeri scope] and it was not advised to use this road during tense periods. Now, as a result of border delimitation, this road is not only confirmed within Armenia, but it will be safer for travel as a result of the new circumstances [border guards replacing the militarized armed forces, less dispute = less conflicts]. As for the church, we don't have a problem here because the border passes significantly further away from it.
So to recap, we recorded no problems in Berkaber, Baghanis, and Voskepar because we chose to follow the de jure border line and we did so. Following this principle is also why we will have certain problems in Kirants because we don't want to draw an entirely new border. We must use this principle for the entire AM-AZ border, with no exceptions. Not only we are creating a precedence for delimitation, but also a formula to be used for the future entire delimitation process and to make it predictable. If parties decide to make mutual concessions in certain areas, we could discuss the launch of legislative processes to authorize them, but for now, we have agreed on a principle to be used for the entire AM-AZ border. On each section of the border, we will use the most recent USSR maps that hold de jure power.
MHER GRIGORYAN: On May 15 the border commissions also discussed the Regulation and it appears we have an agreement to reflect these principles in the Regulation. Efforts are underway to prepare the Regulation. Azerbaijan wants to continue the border delimitation with the same framework and algorithm used thus far.
PASHINYAN: We should implement the reached agreements in full within 8-10 days. The border guards were deployed in Baghanis-Voskepar around 10 days ago. They were deployed alongside the installation of the white border markers. They are currently studying the terrain to launch the permanent service there. The same will be done in other sections.
source, source, source, source, video,

the list of properties that fall under the Azeri side of the border in Kirants after the delimitation of the 3 problematic sections

1 house, 1 lodging, 1 trailer-shop that doesn't operate, and 1 garage. The government plans to compensate for them and will build a new section of this road that passes fully through Armenia.
source, source, see the map here,

opposition MP from ARF/Kocharyan faction got fed up with protesters' road blocks in Tavush villages

Gegham Nazaryan, a father of a fallen soldier and an opposition MP who - unlike his colleagues - doesn't always engage in toxic exchanges with the ruling party, decided to visit the border village Kirants, where he asked the road blockers to open it.
He engaged in an argument with a protester from another region who came to Kirants to block the road. The MP complained that blocking the road is what Azeris would want.
The MP also engaged with an activist-reporter from an opposition outlet who was covering the road blockings. The MP accused the reporter of "having bad intentions" and of "manipulations". The activist-reporter accused the MP of having secret ties with Pashinyan during an intense yelling match. "Great speech. You call yourself a journalist?", rhetorically asked the opposition MP.
ARF leaders responded saying their MP was not speaking/acting on behalf of the party.
STYOPA SAFARYAN (pro-West figure): MP Gegham Nazaryan also senses that some forces are attempting to carry out Artsakh 2.0 in Armenia by attempting to derail the border delimitation process. //
In related news. The protesters pressured the mayor of Kirants who gave an interview last week and admitted that the delimitation went much better than he expected. On Thursday he offered to resign from his position during a confrontation with an opposition media outlet reporter who was unhappy about the mayor's positive portrayal of the delimitation process.
longer video, video, video, video, source, source,

Armenian government approves a $2 billion permanent housing assistance program for Nagorno-Karabakh refugees; rollout in stages

SOCIAL MINISTRY: We need to provide long-term housing to allow the forcefully displaced persons to socially and economically integrate into Armenia. The program has three components: (1) Obtaining a house or an apartment with a subsidy, (2) building a house with a subsidy, (3) subsidizing the mortgage if the refugee has already purchased a house.

... The size of the subsidy varies depending on the geographical location and the size of the family

(1) ֏5 million ($12,900) per family member to obtain housing in one of the 242 towns or villages.
(2) ֏4 million ($10,300) per family member to obtain housing in one of 148 towns or villages.
(3) ֏3 million ($7,700) per family member for all other settlements except Yerevan's 1st and 2nd Zones.
(4) and ֏2 million ($5,200) if you already have a mortgage.

... Conditions to qualify

(a) Families forcefully displaced after 27 September 2020.
(b) Refugees who accept Armenian citizenship.
(c) The living space cannot be smaller than 12 m² per family member.
(d) The property's value cannot exceed ֏55 million ($141,000).

... If you buy a house cheaper than the subsidy amount, you can use the remaining balance to...

(1) buy agricultural land worth up to ֏5 million
(2) renovate the newly purchased house if necessary, worth up to ֏4 million
(3) buy furniture and appliances, up to ֏2 million

... Which forcefully displaced families do NOT qualify?

(a) If they are already a recipient of another housing program that began immediately after the 2020 war.
(b) If one of the family members owned a house or apartment in Armenia as of 2023-09-19 or at the time of application.

... Conditions if you want to receive aid to build your own house

(a) Select one of the preapproved projects/plans.
(b) The construction company must be licensed in Armenia.

... The assistance will stop if

(a) If two family members under the age of 55 are absent from Armenia for >180 days per year unless they leave Armenia to receive education in one of the top 400 international universities, aviation training, or military training.

... The housing assistance will roll out in phases

The first phase will include families with 3 or more children if they want an apartment or 2+ children if they want a house, low-income families, those who already have a mortgage, families who lost a member in war, and creditworthy families who can take out a separate loan amounting 50% of the assistance size.
The second phase, starting 2026-01-01, will include families with 2 children if they want an apartment or families with 1 child if they want a house.
The third phase, starting 2027-01-01, will include everyone else.

... PM Pashinyan about the refugee housing program

PASHINYAN: The working group has done a lot of work to get here, thank you. Spread the word so people will know the details of this assistance program. No one should be forced to visit or call an office to receive basic details.
We have decided not to adopt a "flat" approach; the amount of aid increases based on the family size and the location of the house. We had to exclude the [expensive and crowded] central parts of Yerevan. We also have to ensure a proportional load on the educational facilities.
If the refugee has an active mortgage loan taken in Armenia, let's say taken in 2016, each family member will receive ֏2 million towards that mortgage. So if you have a family of 6 [Nagorno-Karabakh families are often larger than Armenia-based families], you receive $31,000 to pay off your mortgage.
On the other hand, our brothers and sisters from Nagorno-Karabakh who are well-off and already own a house without an outstanding mortgage balance, won't receive assistance because the goal of this program is to help those who don't have a house.

... How much will this cost?

FINANCE MINISTER: There will be up to 25,000 recipient families, and if we use the averages, it amounts to [voice is starting to crackle] ֏500 billion ($1.3 billion) for the housing costs alone. There will be additional expenses associated with this program. Every year, for the next 10-12 years, we will confirm the annual expenditures. So the overall costs will amount to ֏700-800 billion.
PASHINYAN: So that's roughly a $2 billion investment program in Armenia. Also, by becoming citizens of Armenia to take advantage of this housing program, the refugees won't lose any refugee rights or privileges, and they will not lose the ongoing monthly cash [40+10] assistance programs.
FINANCE MINISTER: We have launched a new line in the migration services to handle the expected uptick in applications in the coming months so people won't face long lines. The passport departments in provinces will begin to handle citizenship applications just for refugees; today this is only possible in Yerevan.
video,

EU's EBRD and US's USAID to develop connectivity in the South Caucasus

During the EBRD forum held in Yerevan, the two signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, to further enhance connectivity between Asia and Europe via the South Caucasus.
It's about expanding trade, green energy, investment, as well as transport and digital infrastructure in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

The MoU seeks to enhance the planning, design and construction of critical energy, transport, digital and agricultural infrastructure in the region. It also aims to: improve the efficiency of customs, tariff and border operations; attract private capital investment into the South Caucasus economies for the development of the Middle Corridor; and adopt the highest international standards to promote economic connectivity with Europe and among South Caucasus countries.

source,

other EBRD projects were announced

source,

Lake Sevan is back to 2021 levels after the heavy precipitation in May: VIDEO

OFFICIAL: As of May, the level was 1900.46, which is 2 cm higher than the 2021 mark and 29 cm higher than January 1.
2021 was a harmful year for Sevan because of unprecedented heat waves. In June 2021 there was an evaporation of 153M m³ water, which was a historical high, while the precipitation on the surface was only 4.8M m^3, which was 4x lower than the previous historical low [WTF?]. Also, the river flow was at 40%. As a result of all this, instead of the usual 7 cm increase for June, we observed a 10 cm decline.
This year the conditions have been much better. We are finally back to the May 2021 levels. The rains filled it up from above, and the Arpa-Sevan tunnel from below the rocks. This tunnel has already brought 89M m³ this year, which is 2x more than last year.
Another contributing factor is the reduced reliance on Sevan for irrigation because the agricultural fields are still wet. Last year we had to tap into Sevan starting May 14. This year the government hasn't even summoned a meeting to authorize a release of water.
The 5 largest reservoirs currently hold 605M m^3, up by 240M. Only the Aparan reservoir is lacking. In Ketchut reservoir the water is above the famous "flowers" (margaritka). This is the first time in 5 years that the water is above the margaritkas. When the water rises above margaritkas, it drops down and flows into Lake Sevan. Overall, 90% of the water entering Sevan is wasted by evaporation.
REPORTER: Rains will return starting May 22.
video,

EBRD will provide $10 million to finance the Armenian private sector’s investments in growth, competitiveness, and greener and more sustainable practices

upgrading their production facilities and processes to EU standards. At least 70 per cent of the loans will go to support the green transition. Borrowers will receive incentive grants and technical advice funded by the European Union

source,

anti-corruption: former MP from Gagik Tsarukyan's BHK party is arrested under the suspicion of defrauding several homebuyers through real estate machinations

AUTHORITIES: Ex-MP Aragats Akhoyan's construction companies collected ֏274 million from several prospective apartment buyers in 2010-2014. He pocketed the funds.
source, source, video,

Armenia signs Council of Europe's Bioethics Convention

The Oviedo Convention is the only international legal instrument that defines the principles for the protection of human rights in the field of medicine and biological medicine.
FM Mirzoyan met Marija Burić on Thursday in Strasbourg to sign it.
source,

Armenia will open an embassy in Cyprus

Currently, Armenia’s Ambassador to Greece also serves as Ambassador to Cyprus. The seat of the Cypriot Embassy in Armenia is in Moscow.
In March Cyprus said it would open an embassy in Yerevan.
source,

Belarus leader Lukashenko suggests he and Ilham Aliyev discussed the 2020 war before it began

Lukashenko is in Baku to strengthen the strategic AZ-BY relations.
LUKASHENKO: We are brothers and we have a common vision of the world and where it's headed. I remember our conversation before the 2020 war, your liberation war, when we had a philosophical debate at a dinner table. At the time we came to the conclusion that it's possible to win the war. That's important. It's very important to preserve that victory. I also agreed with you at the time that the most difficult period would come after the liberation of the lands. Today is that difficult period when we have to revive those lands and return people, while others will born there. It'll be difficult to revive these lands in 5-10 years; it requires extensive work. Belarus is ready to help Azerbaijan. //
Nikol should have greeted Putin at the airport to avoid the war.
source,

Luxembourg lawmakers urge government to act for implementation of World Court orders by Azerbaijan

Deputies have unanimously adopted a motion asking the government to act for the implementation of the ICC orders by Azerbaijan.
The MPs urge to demand from Azerbaijan an immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war, support peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, expand the partnership between Armenia and EU, support the normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey, deepen the diplomatic relations between Armenia and Luxembourg.
source,

ranking member of Armenia's ruling party about EU membership

The MP Khandanyan says Pashinyan has already announced that Armenia wants to deepen ties with the EU as much as possible and that how soon Armenia submits a bid to become an EU candidate will depend on the signals coming from the EU. In general, today the EU is not ready to expand because some EU members oppose it, said Khandanyan. When the EU sends a signal that it's ready, Armenia will "accelerate" the steps, said Khandanyan, adding that Armenia itself has already sent that "signal" that it wants closer integration with the EU.
But first, Khandanyan says Armenia must improve its resilience because the transitional phase will be full of risks. Armenia expects the EU's assistance to improve the resilience [reduce reliance on Russia].
source,

Բրյուսելի հանդիպման արդյունքներով ԵՄ-ն կշարունակի նպաստել ՀՀ տնտեսական զարգացմանը

PM Pashinyan hosted EU's Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss the implementation of the economic agreements reached on April 5 in Brussels to improve Armenia's resilience.
Pashinyan also called for the EU's assistance in implementing the refugee housing program adopted by the Government this morning.
The EU Trade Commissioner said the EU will continue to assist Armenia's development, including in the areas of energy, infrastructure, diversification of markets, implementation of higher standards, improvement of business environment, etc.
source, other meeting, other meeting,

U.S. Ambassador Kvien is "optimistic about the opportunities offered by Armenia to U.S. and other foreign companies"

A meeting was held at the central bank building participated by Ambassador Kvien and other guests of the EBRD forum that's being held in Yerevan this year.
Ambassador Kvien also highlighted Armenia's high economic growth rate in recent years.
source,

Armenia's membership to EAEU is beneficial for Armenia: Moscow

DEPUTY FM of RUSSIA: I don't know what the Armenian leadership plans to do in the future, but EAEU is undoubtedly a mutually beneficial process. This is reflected in the economic growth figures of Armenia.
source,

Armenian government invites the head of Metsamor nuclear plant to join talks with European Commission officials

The infrastructure ministry and NPP chief met a delegation led by the European Commission's Deputy Director-General for International Cooperation and Development Marjeta Jager.
The European Commission official thanked for the invitation and welcomed the steps by the Armenian government towards the energy reforms in Armenia. They spoke about NPP's operation and future plans.
They discussed the exchange of experience and financial programs.
source,

Armenia and European Commission officials discussed the implementation of April 5 agreements reached in Brussels

The head of the European Commission's Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Adrienn Kiraly was hosted by foreign ministry on Thursday.
They discussed programs to improve Armenia's resilience under the April 5 agreement, the full implementation of CEPA and its expansion.
source,

Moscow released a somewhat misleading statement after the recent meeting between Pashinyan and Putin, according to National Security Council chief Armen Grigoryan

According to Grigoryan, Pashinyan did not "ask" Putin to maintain troops on the borders with Turkey and Iran. According to Grigoryan, Pashinyan asked Putin to remove the Russian guards from Yerevan's airport and AM-AZ border, and when Putin asked Pashinyan if he also wanted to remove them from TR and IR border, Pashinyan said "no", because those guards were installed under a different agreement. Context in Wednesday news digest.
Grigoryan also criticized Russia's attempts to stoke divisions between Armenia and Iran by presenting the EU observer mission as anti-Iranian. Grigoryan demanded Russia present evidence of the EU mission carrying out activities outside of their AM-AZ border monitoring mission. "Iran has already expressed its stance. I don't understand why Russia is attempting to use the EU's Monitoring Mission to cause issues," said Grigoryan.
source,

Armenia's NatSec chief Armen Grigoryan advised Russia to improve its own human rights conditions and freedom of speech before commenting on Armenia's internal affairs

Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently complained about Armenian police using force to clear the roads blocked by pro-Russian party activists. Zakharova also complained that the West wasn't criticizing the Armenian government for it.
NatSec GRIGORYAN: Armenian protesters have been able to fully exercise their freedom of speech during legally organized rallies. Illegal actions are obviously countered by police. Perhaps Russia should first look at itself before criticizing us.
REPORTER: Look at what? Russia doesn't have opposition, how can they oppress something that doesn't exist?
ARMEN GRIGORYAN: Russia should discuss its own kitchen. The developments in Armenia are not related to Russia.... or are they? If these protests are tied to Russia, Moscow should directly say so. If Moscow sees a problem, they must say it directly, and not do so by dragging others like they did in the case of Iran and the EU Mission.
source,

during a meeting in Yerevan, Jordan's foreign ministry expressed concern over the attempted takeover of part of the Armenian district of Jerusalem

The Deputy FM of Jordan met his Armenian counterpart in Yerevan to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. The parties criticized the attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem.
source,

Pashinyan and Diaspora Office held a meeting about the iGorts professional repatriation program: VIDEO

source,

monkeys could soon become smarter than you

Are monkeys entering the stone age? Capuchin primates were filmed using tools to dig for food underground, days after an orangutan treated its own wound with plant.
The footage joins a growing number of studies looking into the tiny South American primate's use of stone and stick tools, an emerging field that some research universities now describe as 'documenting the Monkey Stone Age in real-time.'
video,

Tl;dr: bought a “trade-in” e-bike from a well-regarded local bike shop, they didn’t tell me the battery key was missing, bike can’t be charged without the key, what do? See questions at end of post.
Last Saturday, I purchased a used Breezer from a local bike shop and love it. I was so pleased to find a trade-in for about 40% off retail. The employees helping me mounted a new seat for me (seat on it had a gouge/gash) and gave me a discount on the basket and seat I bought new. They said that I’d have free tune-ups at 30 and 90 days. I figured used bike = no warranty so I didn’t ask any questions about that.
Lo and behold when we got home, there was no battery key in the box with the charger. I called the shop and let them know we didn’t see a key in the box. Employee said, “oh, sorry about that, let me look around and I’ll call you back.”
I hadn’t heard anything back from them after three full business days, so I called the shop today to ask. It turns out the reason the former owner traded it in was because they lost the key. But no one told me that when I bought the dang thing! I told the employee that it would have been nice to know BEFORE I bought the bike, because that might have changed my decision! I said that I wanted them to cover the cost of having a locksmith pick it/make a key for me. The employee said he’d call the owner and give me a call back.
While I waited, I did some digging through the one- and two-star ratings on the shop’s reviews on Google and Yelp. One of the google reviews was pretty sharp and mentioned that one of the owners had contacted them multiple times to take down their one-star review. All of the shop’s responses to reviews (even the negative reviews) were professional and polite - none of the shitty answers that some business owners post. So I’m alternating between “oh hell what kind of response am I going to get to this request” and “I’m sure it will be fine”. And throw in some self-recriminations “why the hell didn’t I check the charging box!!”
The owner called back this afternoon but his call went directly to VM courtesy of Silence Unknown Callers. I’m calling him back in the morning with my husband (who was at the shop with me when I bought the bike). I wasn’t going to call the guy back today because I am still new at this job and don’t want to make personal calls in the middle of a cube farm.
Additional info: I’ve ridden it multiple times instead of driving and it is a dream. It had 767 miles on it and had a full charge when I left the shop on Saturday. Handle covers were a little grungy but that’s no big deal - those can easily be replaced. I’m not going to ask if I’m justified in being angry that this shop sold me a $2k ebike with NO way to charge it without telling me as much, because what the hell, that’s like selling me a car that I can’t ever refill with gas.
So. Point of my post is: Would you rather return the bike (remember this was about 40% off retail new price) or have a locksmith help? How much should I plan to pay to have a locksmith deal with this? I’ve never had to deal with a locksmith - any tips or info to help me be ready?

First Previous Next
​
{Sorry for the late post. I had some trouble with my scheduled summer semester pop up so I wasn't able to write this out as much as I wanted last weekend. Anyways, enjoy the domestic fluff of Damian and his newly expanded flock :) }
​
-----Damian-----
"The next one's simple. Say their name then (sit). Like this: Braxton, (sit)." As Damian said the command he raised his hand to around shoulder height and snapped. The Great Dane in question slowly sat with his usual amount of sass. Ree cooed in awe and Scales' eyes sparkled. Damian smiled as he pats the large dog's head with praise.
"(Good boy). Ok, you two. Your turns. Make sure to say the commands in English. I haven't taught them Common yet." He motioned to the dogs Damian picked for the two to learn the commands with. It took Damian a bit of trial and error figuring out what commands each dog knew and what ones had different commands for the same motion. Then it took even longer to retrain them to all follow the same commands. He kept in mind the 'specialized' commands for a few of the dogs and didn't try teaching them to the whole group. Ree tried the command he was teaching them first, his dog being Diesel.
"Trii-cheiu, (sit)." Ree raised his wing-arm, though he couldn’t snap he still did the gesture. The boxer he was talking to blankly tilted his head. Damian chuckled and helped out the bird, knowing they all tend to have problems pronouncing new words without a chirp to them.
"You pronounced his name wrong, he doesn't know you're talking to him. It's more like 'Dee-sell'. The 's' is sharp enough it is almost pronounced as a 'z'." Ree practiced a few times as Scales took her try. She pronounced her dog's name a bit slow, but it was recognizable.
"D-ing-oh, (sit)." The stocky dog hesitated, glancing at Damian for a few seconds, but eventually plopped down then panted in a smile imitation. Scales' tail wagged violently, and she wordlessly cooed and trilled happily. Dingo didn't yet understand that was praise so Damian jumped in really quick to let her know she did good.
"Good girl, Dingo! Good girl!" He made sure to over exaggerate his excitement and made wide happy gestures before smothering the dog in pets and scratches. Dingo goes wild. She jumps up, bounces around a few times, then bolts into excited zoomies. A few of the other dogs joined in on the zoomies. Ree tried again on his command.
"Dee-zell, (sit)." The boxer's cropped ears perked and he promptly sat. Before Damian could, Ree copied his bigwing's previous praising and flared his wings. "Good! Good boy!" He praised, overly happy. Diesel's whole body perked up and he jumped up, landed in a playbow, then spun a few times before joining in on the zoomies with a butt-tuck run when Damian smooched at him. Damian laughed at the zooming dogs and shuffled over to be closer to his chicks, just in case the dogs tried to do fly-bys.
"Good job, you two. We're almost completely through the basic commands. I didn't think we'd get through them this quickly." His chicks cooed, trilled, and wiggled happily at the praise. Damian chuckled and rubbed their feathered heads, making a few bits of baby-fluff fall off as he drew back. He played with the few bits stuck to his fingers and watched his chicks play with the dogs as they started to wrestle. All of the dogs were bigger than them, if only slightly, but they were gentle when letting the chicks join in.
As they played he looked over them. They had changed a lot in the last month or so since the disaster of their first flying lesson. In that time, they had a few more lessons and were almost completely capable of flight, they still had a bit of supervision when they did though. They had lost almost all of their baby-fluff and their adult plumage was sported on the vast majority of their bodies. They still had to shed the last bits of fluff and a few of their baby-scales but that wouldn't take much longer. Damian was still taken with their coloring and patterns. And often found himself studying them over and over like he used to with their parents when he first got here.
Ree was a slightly grey-tinted shade of green with his scales slowly getting darker the higher they went. His stomach was a dirt brown color with a more red-ish clay spot on his chest. All his plumage was a light orage-ish brown color and he had speckles of more pastel green under his right eye and in a clump on his left jaw. His beak took the coloring of Blueberry's, a near-black color, but had the shape of Ruby's. His ears took after Violet's, long and pointed like a stretched fox's. His feathers and fur were more pressed down and made him look slimmer overall. His eyes changed from their baby brown-gold color to a beautiful sky blue.
Scales, on the other hand, had the coloring more towards a bumble bee (from what he remembered anyways). Her main coloring was a bright sunshine yellow that slowly grew more towards orange towards her underbelly and beak. On her chest was a splash-like clump of pink feathers. Her scales were less than her brother's and were a deep brown-ish color. The feathers and fur edging them were a deep enough brown to basically be black. Her plumage reminded him somewhat of Ruby and Sky's. It had a gradual fade towards the end like Sky but the pink-ish color of Ruby. She had near-neon yellow speckles too, like her brother, but the clumps were a bit larger. She had them ending on her wing-forearms like Violet's and a big clump scattered around the left side of her face. Her feathers weren't quite as fluffy as Sky's but was pretty close. Her beak had the shape of Violet's and the near-white tan color of Ruby's. Her eyes had a beautiful dual color in each eye. The top majority was a hot pink/magenta color while the bottom and inside edge was more of a petal/pastel pink.
Both were gorgeous and made Damian wonder how the genetics of their species worked to allow that vast difference in coloration and patterns when compared to all four of their parents, who tended to be different shades of the same color throughout. Ree had finally slowed his quite concerning growth rate and was starting to level out around Damian's upper thigh/lower hip, exceeding the taller of his fathers by quite the margin. All four of his parents telling him that Ree was probably one of the largest of their species in multiple generations. Scales was now barely a third of her brother's size, if that, having evened out just barely shorter than Damian's knee. Apparently that was a bit shorter than average for the species with Ruby being more towards the upper part of the average size and Sky being borderline short.
A demanding snort drew his attention away from his chicks and to the window he claimed as 'his spot' so long ago (was it really only just over one of his years since he was brought here?). There he found Casper lazily curled and dozing on the floor with Ares propped up against her where Damian had set him to nap while he taught his chicks. Said child was no longer asleep though. He was very much awake and staring Damian down with an expression demanding to know why he thought it was a good idea to even dare to set him down and walk away. Nevermind Damian wasn't even ten steps away. Ares snorted demandingly at him again and glared harder at the human's amused snort back. Damian did walk over though and picked up the child when he raised his arms at him. Ares had changed a bit too over the month Damian had him. He'd filled out to a more healthy-looking weight, though he was still a bit thin, and Damian had finally managed to memorize how to properly trim the toddler's hooves and brush out his fur.
Ares still had the bird-like plush and brought it nearly everywhere with him. Said plush was now being whacked into the side of Damian's head. Apparently, Ares decided being held wasn't good enough and wanted something else. Damian tried blocking the hits or holding the toy, but the little brat only started using his hooves in his growing tantrum. Getting tired of being hit with no explanation, Damian took the advice of one of the texts he'd read about taking care of a Grongri child and yanked Ares away from him by his scruff to hang in mid-air. The toddler wiggled and squirmed to try and hit him more but eventually the tantrum dimmed, and he went limp, a small pout on his face.
"You ready to tell me what's wrong now?" He asked the child before he cradled him again. He'd only made that mistake once. He still had the bruises to prove it. Ares glumly flicked his right ear down (which he's learned is a non-verbal yes), pout still present. Damian finally cradled the toddler to his chest again and let him sniffle and bury against him in self-comfort until he was ready to talk. Damian glanced back at his chicks to see them flopped on the ground with the other dogs, all panting and exhausted by the play. Damian chuckled at them, earning an irritated crow from Scales. Damian snorted in amusement but let them be. Ares was finally willing to tell him what was wrong.
"Want learn too." Ares' understanding of both Common and English has come a long way in the past month. He still can't string a proper sentence together, but Damian can't tell if that is because of a lack of knowledge or just because he's a toddler. He has adjusted to the flock a bit too. With it being so different from the usual Grongri Sounder structure it is understandable. He does have a few hiccups here and there but now he mostly just watches the chicks' reaction to things when he is unsure.
"'Learn too'? You wanna learn how to command the dogs too?" Damian questions, making sure he had the same idea. Ares' ear flicked again while he nodded. Damian hugged him a bit closer.
"You're a bit too small for the dogs to obey you immediately but I can introduce one to you and have you start trying. How about that? Will that work?" Ares was quiet for a bit longer but eventually agreed. Damian smiled and praised him with a few pets, receiving a few happy rumbles in response. Damian glanced around at the dogs, trying to pick one for Ares to start working on. He doesn't think any would follow the commands without his own help but if he worked on one long enough it would eventually cave. His eye landed on Casper, who was still in the same curled position as before. She was the most maternal of the group and was the one who took to the children the easiest and quickest.
"Ok, little piglet. Let's start easy." He said as he set the runt down on his hooves. As he did he got Casper's attention and called to her. "Casper. (Stand)." The large white wolfdog looked at him then crawled to her paws. He praised her softly then turned back to Ares.
"Ok. We'll start with (come). Say her name, Casper, and tell her to (come)." He said as he sat down next to where the toddler stood. Ares' little hooves stomped a bit in his excitement, but he tried. He tested out the new word before he did. What he settled on wasn't the right pronunciation, but it was close. He could mostly pronounce the command correctly too, though with a pretty heavy accent.
"Gas-prrrr. (Come)." Casper tilted her head at the child and sniffed at him. She looked at Damian and he looked to Ares then back. Casper followed and glanced, then back. Ares deflated eventually when she still didn't approach so Damian thought up something quickly.
"Maybe she doesn't understand your accent. Try this," He patted the ground, "when you say it. She knows that gesture." Ares perked back up again.
"Okie!" He turned back to Casper and tried again. "Gas-prrrr." He crouched down and clumsily patted the ground like only a toddler could. "(Come)." Casper's ears perked but she still hesitated for a second before slowly padding over and stopping right in front of the child. Ares squealed in excitement, tail going wild and hooves stomping. Damian made his chuff-imitation as praise for the child as he pets Casper to do the same. Child happier now, he figures he could take the kid away for lunch without protest. Scooping up the toddler he received no complaint.
Looking to his chicks he clicked his tongue. He learned that was a good way to gain their attention with zero hesitation, no matter what they were doing. He found out by complete accident, to be honest. He was clicking at the dogs from a habit that hasn't broken despite the years away from the farm he grew up on. Sure enough, just like every time before, both chick's heads immediately whip up to look at him. Both still looked groggy like they had just woken up. They probably had.
"C'mon, you two. Lunch time." The two groaned but climbed to their feet. Damian smiled and them and patted them as they passed. Once they were well on their way, he called the dogs and gathered them as he left behind his chicks. The dogs happily trailed after, excited after they heard the word 'hungry' when he asked. He entered the flock's kitchen, pack in tow, only a handful of minutes later. He had to take a slightly more roundabout way over since some of the dogs hadn’t quite figured out the ladder-like walkways and ramps yet and he didn't want them to fall through and get hurt. His birds greeted him with their usual trills and Untruthful with their latest attempt at teasing.
"So, the Pack Master finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Damian let them know it was a good one by sending a tease back.
"I see you haven't gotten any less spikey yet, walking pincushion." Untruthful's eyes slowly shut in a smile and Damian sent one of his own back, momentarily closing his eyes in an imitation of them. Untruthful looked surprised then they eye-close-smiled harder, spike-crest wiggling their excitement. Damian chuckled at them and set down Ares in his make-shift baby seat.
He chatted with Violet as he grabbed and rationed out the dogs' small lunch. He ignored the protesting whines, grunts, and half-barks urging him to 'go faster already'. Violet advised him to use one type of meat instead of another because of both better nutrients for the dogs and there being more of it. He thanked her and did as told. The dogs' lunch wasn't that big, more of a snack than anything, but it kept them from pouting and begging when everyone else ate. It also had helped him give them meds when they were still healing. They were mostly fine now, apparently Galactic Standard medicine works faster than the stuff he remembers. Finishing with the dogs' food he picks up the bowls, stacking a few to do so, and turns around. He walked past the dogs, chuckling at the excited spins, bounces, and tippy-taps they did as they followed him. He glanced back at them once he made it to the wall the flock had designated as their eating area.
He gave them a stern look and waited. They all eventually sat down, some more slow and reluctant than others. Once they did he placed down the bowls in the designated spots. Braxton and Casper had two stepstool-stand things he placed their bowls on because of how big they were. Once all the bowls were down he turned to look at the dogs. He waited in silence for a bit, snapping or humming warningly whenever one tried to shuffle forward. Once he deemed it long enough he gave the sort-of-command he was on the tail end of teaching them.
"(Ok)." When he said that all six dogs ran over to their bowls and started to eat. Damian strode back over to the counter and helped his birds move some plates to the table then settled cross-legged in his usual spot, Ares immediately crawling into his lap and Scales fluttering to perch on the shoulder opposite the side her brother sat on. The flock started to grab food and eat as they chatted with each other. Damian grabbed a little more than a double portion of fruits, beans (or maybe they were berries?), and a few crunchy finger foods he thinks may be cooked or specially prepared insects. He grabbed roughly more than a single portion (for someone his size anyways) of meats, the few root vegetables presented, and what he thinks may be foods made of bone pieces.
Once his plate was full he placed it down in front of him he reached over to grab a smaller plate and started making that one with tiny portions, letting his three kids have free pickings of his plate as he did. When he finished that plate he sat it in front of mini, receiving a grateful squeak before she dug in. He then propped his arms on the table, completely ignoring both his plate and the children stealing from it as he chattered on with his flock. By the time everyone finished his kids had their fill and were starting to fall asleep like usual after eating.
As his flock started gathering their dishes and the extra food on the table, Damian glanced at what was left of his plate. He made a mental note of how there weren’t as much leftovers as before and to grab bigger portions for dinner. As his flock started to disperse he looked to the dogs and said one of the first new commands he taught them.
"(Pups)." He got their attention. "(Take)." He ordered as he lifted up the half-asleep toddler on his lap. The dogs made whisper-boofs to show they heard and the largest three walked over to pick up the kids by their scruffs. Casper (the biggest, though not my much) grabbed Ree, Braxton grabbed Ares, and Dingo walked over to carefully lift Scales from his shoulder. Once they had a firm grip, they looked to Damian for further instruction.
"(To bed)" He directed as he pointed out the door they came from. The pack turned and left him alone in the room. He sighed to himself once he couldn't hear them anymore and looked back at the leftovers on the plate before him. It was maybe under half a portion for his size, probably less. He glanced at the counters and saw all the leftover food was already put up. He could go grab more but even half a portion for him would be nearly three or four large portions for his flock. No. It wasn’t worth it. He'll just grab more tonight.
He ate the leftovers in silence. Since he's got the dogs his head has been a bit quieter, though not silent. Apparently he was still enough for the building to register the room as empty, and the lights cut out. He blinked and paused at the sudden darkness but there was barely a second of blindness before some of his voices put their hands on his mental controls, giving his eyes a boost of minor night vision. It wasn’t much better than his natural amount of it but it helped. He decided not to go turn on the lights again and continued to eat his food as he peacefully listened to the soft chattering of his voices.

GameStop (GME) Short Squeeze Analysis Report

Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of factors influencing GameStop (GME) stock price, based on data from Reddit forums, GME stock data, and GME options. We aim to assess the potential for a short squeeze and interpret the impact of these factors on future stock prices.

Reddit Community Insights

Key Influencing Factors Identified

The Reddit community highlights several key factors that could influence GME stock price, excluding general sentiment and claims of market manipulation. These factors include:

1. **DRS (Direct Registration System) Campaign**:
   • **Source**: Multiple comments and threads emphasize the importance of shareholders registering their shares through DRS to remove them from the DTCC's (Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation) float, thus reducing available shares for short selling.
   • **Claim**: This could tighten the supply, potentially leading to a short squeeze.
2. **Call Options Expiry**:
   • **Source**: Discussion around the significant number of in-the-money (ITM) call options expiring soon.
   • **Claim**: The expiry of 140,500 ITM call options could lead to a gamma squeeze if market makers need to buy underlying shares to hedge their positions.
3. **Institutional Activity**:
   • **Source**: Comments suggest that certain hedge funds are either covering their shorts or engaging in strategic buying, potentially influencing the stock price.
   • **Claim**: Institutional activity, particularly covering short positions, can drive up the stock price significantly.
4. **Quarterly Earnings and Company Performance**:
   • **Source**: References to GameStop's recent earnings reports and strategic partnerships.
   • **Claim**: Positive financial results and strategic partnerships (e.g., with Microsoft) could bolster investor confidence and drive up the stock price.

Analysis of Claims

1. **DRS Campaign**:
   • **Reddit Evidence**: Users frequently discuss and share guides on how to register shares via ComputerShare.
   • **Validity**: High – The DRS campaign can indeed reduce the available float, making it harder for short sellers to find shares to borrow.
2. **Call Options Expiry**:
   • **Reddit Evidence**: Multiple posts track the number of ITM options and discuss their potential impact.
   • **Validity**: Moderate – While ITM options can lead to a gamma squeeze, it depends on the overall market conditions and market makers' hedging strategies.
3. **Institutional Activity**:
   • **Reddit Evidence**: Speculative posts on hedge fund activities, often lacking concrete data.
   • **Validity**: Low to Moderate – While institutional activity can impact prices, the Reddit posts lack verifiable sources.
4. **Quarterly Earnings and Company Performance**:
   • **Reddit Evidence**: References to official GameStop announcements and partnerships.
   • **Validity**: High – Company performance directly affects stock prices, and strategic partnerships can enhance investor sentiment.

GME Stock Data Analysis

Key Metrics

1. **Short Interest**:
   • **Data**: As of the latest report, short interest stands at 64.37 million shares, with a short interest ratio of 15.3 and 27.73% of the float shorted.
   • **Implication**: High short interest indicates a potential for a short squeeze if positive catalysts emerge.
2. **Stock Price Movement**:
   • **Data**: Recent price movements show significant volatility, with sharp declines and recoveries.
   • **Implication**: Volatility can create opportunities for both short squeezes and price drops.
3. **Volume**:
   • **Data**: Trading volume spikes often correlate with price movements, suggesting active trading periods can influence price direction.
   • **Implication**: High volume during price increases could indicate buying pressure, potentially from short covering.

Comparison with Reddit Claims

• **DRS Campaign**: The reduction in float from DRS registration aligns with high short interest, suggesting a potential squeeze scenario.
• **Call Options Expiry**: The large number of ITM options expiring soon matches the observed volatility and volume spikes, indicating potential gamma squeeze conditions.
• **Institutional Activity**: The data does not provide direct evidence of institutional activity, but volume spikes could suggest significant trades.
• **Quarterly Earnings**: Positive financial results and strategic announcements align with observed price recoveries after declines.

GME Options Analysis

Options Data Overview

• **ITM Call Options**: 140,500 expiring, implying potential significant hedging activity by market makers.
• **Max Pain**: Current max pain at $22, with the stock trading around $35, indicating a potential target for market makers to minimize payouts.
• **Open Interest**: High open interest in certain strike prices suggests strong market expectations for significant price movements.

Implications for Squeeze Potential

• **Gamma Squeeze**: The high number of ITM call options expiring suggests a potential gamma squeeze if market makers need to buy shares to cover these positions.
• **Volatility**: The significant open interest and trading volumes in GME options contribute to overall market volatility, which can be a catalyst for both short and gamma squeezes.

Professional Opinion

Based on the analysis of Reddit discussions, GME stock data, and options data, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. **Short Squeeze Potential**: High. The combination of high short interest, active DRS campaign, and significant ITM call options expiring creates favorable conditions for a short squeeze.
2. **Gamma Squeeze Potential**: Moderate to High. The large number of ITM options expiring soon can trigger a gamma squeeze if market makers are forced to buy shares to hedge.
3. **Institutional Activity**: Speculative. While Reddit claims suggest institutional involvement, the lack of concrete data makes this uncertain. However, significant volume spikes could indicate substantial trades.
4. **Company Performance**: Positive. GameStop's strategic partnerships and recent earnings reports provide a solid foundation for investor confidence, which can support stock price increases.

Final Recommendation

Investors should closely monitor the expiration of ITM call options and any significant changes in short interest. The DRS campaign's progress should also be tracked, as it directly impacts the available float. While the potential for a short squeeze remains high, investors should remain cautious of the inherent volatility and speculative nature of GME stock.

From buying on eBay to purchasing direct from a gallery, does the location/platform you buy your artwork from affect your decision? What is the psychology of buying from a brand name gallery vs picking it up from a street fair? Assuming the artwork is exactly the same no matter where you buy it, does where you acquire the piece affect your decision making? Also, how would you feel about a piece from a gallery in the 10,000s vs a similar piece in a garage sale for 100s?

Here's a bunch of shows happening this weekend + next week.
Also if you are a Talking Heads fan, Idaho Film Society is doing a 40th Anniversary Screening of Stop Making Sense at Treefort Music Hall on Saturday, May 18. Tix are only $12! Here's the description: Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the 1984 film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time. It stars core Talking Heads band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison along with Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt. The live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads’ most memorable songs.

Live music in Boise May 16-22

• Th May 16: Loolowingen + Porcelain Tongue + Downcoast + Big Kisses at Realms Arcade (alt/punk/indie rock)
• Th May 16: The Lords of Altamont + Tigers on Opium + Talon Smartt at Neurolux (hard/alt rock)
• Th May 16: Camping in Alaska + Halt Or I’ll Shoot + Amoeba Arena at Shrine Social Club (post emo/indie garage rock)
• Th May 16: Lauren Diagle at ExtraMile Arena (Christian pop)
• Th May 16: Etched in Embers + Thousand Years Wide at Heritage Social (hard rock)
• Th May 16: Celtic Woman 20th Anniversary Tour at Morrison Center (celtic)
• Th May 16: Pace Jackson + Gus + Tony Caprese + Hans Cholo at Space Banana (DJs)
• Th May 16: Danny Attack + Kid Catapult + Self Idle + Andy Riot at Jumpin' Janets
• Th May 16: Faded Leroy + Dyssonance + Lieform + Reverie at Knitting Factory (rock)
• Fri May 17: Subset + Hadafunk + cAmpsite at Space Banana
• Fri May 17: Omega Trend + Basement + Cardiac Drift at Realms Arcade (alt heavy rock)
• Fri May 17: Disgo at Treefort Music Hall (roller disco)
• Fri May 17: VIAL + Rain On Fridays + Mall Goth Moths at Shrine Social Club (indie punk)
• Fri May 17: The Opskametrists + Self Smartid + Bet on Red at Neurolux (ska/reggae)
• Fri May 17: Starving Wolves + Rumkicks + The Crawlouts at The Shredder (punk)
• Fri May 17: Stef & the Groove at Heritage Social (funk/rock/blues)
• Sat May 18: Dances + Cdigi + Effy K at Space Banana
• Sat May 18: Flamingosis + Diastrata (formerly Recess) + Unko Mike at Shrine Social Club (dance)
• Sat May 18: Dead Bob + Lung + Playdead + No Can Fly at Realm Arcade (punk)
• Sat May 18: Novacane + Rat Champion + Mandias at The Shredder (rock/post/punk)
• Sat May 18: Noble Holt and Cap’t SNAFU at Heritage Social (rock)
• Sat May 18: Tree City Soul at Lost Grove Brewing (pop/r&b covers)
• Sun May 19: Emily Wolfe + Rattlesnake Preachers at Neurolux (rock)
• Sun May 19: The Two Tracks + Willy Tea Taylor at Shrine Social Club (americana)
• Sun May 19: Tribal Seeds + Kabaka Pyramid + Inna Vision at Knitting Factory (reagge)
• Sun May 19: MST + Strange Lily + Rotten Apple Trees at The Shredder (bluegrass/jam/indie/punk)
• Mon May 20: Upon a Field of Whisper + Blackfriar + Ascend the Dissent at The Shredder (metal)
• Tue May 21: The Chats + Dirty Fences + Paint Fumes at Knitting Factory (punk rock)
• Tue May 21: Escape From The Zoo + The Palmer Squares + Jerkwadz at Thee Shredder (indie rock/hip hop/rap)
• Wed May 22: Richard Smith at Audio Lab Recording Studio (solo guitar dude)
• Wed May 22: Buttertones + Dozey Dubs at The Shredder (indie rock/reggae/jam)

Hello Poe_AI Community,
Today, I'm reaching out to share my frustration and concern about the point system implemented by Poe. It's become a critical issue that affects all of us, especially those who are subscribers and frequent users of their services.
The Core Issue:
Poe has implemented a point system that significantly limits user interactions. For example, subscribers are given a quota of 1,000,000 points, but engaging with certain services, like Claude 3 Opus, deducts 2000 points per interaction. This barely translates to 500 messages. If one seeks to undertake a larger project, like writing a book or engaging in extensive research, this limit is quickly reached. Additionally, if a response from the AI is unsatisfactory and one requests another, another 2000 points are deducted. Therefore, the point budget depletes rapidly, making it impractical for regular use, let alone for more intensive tasks.
Why It Matters:
This system not only restricts our ability to utilize the services effectively but also feels fundamentally unfair, especially given the financial commitment of subscribing. It's disheartening to see a platform, known for its potential and capabilities, choosing profit maximization over user satisfaction and utility.
Call to Action:
I propose that we, as a community, take a stand. If we collectively voice our dissatisfaction and threaten to unsubscribe or actually do so unless changes are made, we might influence PoE to reconsider and revise their point system. Here’s how you can help:
Email PoE:
1. Express your dissatisfaction directly. [feedback@poe.com](mailto:feedback@poe.com)
2. Share your experiences and opinions: Comment below if you’ve faced similar issues. The more stories we gather, the stronger our case.
3. Consider pausing your subscription: A drop in revenue is often a wake-up call for businesses to reassess their strategies.
My Experience:
I have personally reached out to Poe expressing my disappointment, highlighting how the system feels almost scam-like, diminishing the inherent value of their service. If many of us take similar steps, it's more likely we will foster change. I believe in the power of community action. PoE needs to understand that without us, their platform would not exist. We deserve better, and together, we can ensure they hear us.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing your responses and actions!
Tony

Create this app myself due to can't find any app that allow me to modify config files directly.
Anybody know Is there something similar out there?, e.g. custom/3rd party repo.

Clover

Five humans, missing...

Spoilers for all of Undertale Yellow's main routes below
Undertale Yellow is a fan-made prequel to the hit indie game Undertale. While Undertale follows the story of Frisk, the seventh human child to fall into the monster ruled Underground, Undertale Yellow follows the story of their immediate predecessor. Meet Clover, the sixth human. Unlike the humans that fell before, this gun-toting cowboy is unique in the sense that their journey to the Underground was no accident. Clover entered the Underground voluntarily in order to investigate the disappearances of the previous five humans and, if it turned out they perished at some point after their fall, hoped to avenge their deaths. See, while Frisk possessed a red SOUL that embodied Determination, Clover's SOUL is yellow for the trait of Justice. Clover's journey would lead them all throughout the Underground, meeting some monsters that will be familiar to those who have played Undertale and some brand new faces as well.
Like Undertale before it, Undertale Yellow's story can be altered significantly depending on the player's actions. Perhaps Clover befriends the monsters they meet and determines they were unfairly trapped underground, deciding to sacrifice themselves to bring monster kind closer to freedom. Or maybe Clover will blame the monsters for the deaths of the previous human children, avenging them with swift cruelty. Either way, Clover will act in the way they believe they can best embody Justice.

So How Do the Fights Work Anyway?

Like its predecessor, Undertale Yellow tends to treat RPG mechanics as literal aspects of the game's world. Due to the abstract nature of fights in both Undertale and Undertale Yellow, with enemy monsters targeting Clover's SOUL rather than their physical body, it's understandable that there may be some confusion about how Clover actually scales to certain monsters. Luckily, this is a bit more clear in Undertale Yellow than it was in the original game, as the reveal trailer shows that the attacks of monster are things that Clover physically has to react to and dodge (we even see this same attack utilized in game) even though the battle menu only shows their SOUL.
But this is just for when encounters have already begun, what about before that? And what triggers encounters anyway? There's an area in the Wild East where boulders are falling onto the path that Clover needs to dodge. If they fail to avoid them, this begins an encounter too, where Clover is given the opportunity to avoid the "attacks" in the battle menu to negate damage. Other examples include Clover escaping damage from hot steam after touching it and avoiding damage from Axis' energy balls after they hit them. What this means for standard versus fights is a little vague, but it likely means that any attack that would deal meaningful damage starts an encounter and that it would be impossible to simply kill Clover with a sneak attack. Even if it hit them, Clover would still get the opportunity to dodge before the proper fight begins. That said, there is one example of Clover dying without triggering an encounter at the end of the Neutral Route. It's possible this is because it was an unescapable situation but the mechanics of it are still vague and unclear.
As seen with the previous examples such as the falling boulders and steam, it seems that attacks that hit Clover's SOUL and their physical body are more or less interchangeable. Or rather, it isn't possible to circumvent the SOUL to only hit the physical body because even attacks that hit Clover's physical body will trigger an encounter that can then be dodged or endured by the SOUL.
Finally, it's worth noting that the sizes of objects can vary from their appearances in the battle to what they look like in the overworld. We see Clover's SOUL alongside their physical body a few times throughout the game and it's pretty consistently a little larger than their torso. So this thread will describe feats with that scale in mind.

Other Things To Note

• At the end of certain routes, Clover acquires certain abilities/powerups that don't necessarily apply to the rest of the game. Feats or items that are limited to those routes will be marked with the corresponding route.
  
  • [Pacifist] Feat
• Like your standard RPG's, Undertale Yellow possesses a leveling system that will increase the more enemies that Clover kills, with certain abilities being unlocked after certain levels are achieved. However, in the Genocide route Clover showed off the ability to level up rapidly simply by being filled with enough righteous fury. Abilities that are locked behind certain levels will also be marked accordingly.
  
  • Feat^{LV 19}
• The majority of feats will come from Undertale Yellow, but occasionally clips from trailers and other promotional material on the director of the game's Youtube channel will be used, which will be labeled with a T like so:
  
  • Feat^T

Physicals

Strength

• Breaks a piece of wood that had jammed an elevator door with a pickaxe, which broke the pickaxe despite it being described as sturdy previously
• Pushes aside a cabinet
• While physically holding the lid of a trash can Clover is able to deflect Axis' energy attacks back at him which destroyed portable generators about as tall as Axis himself
  • Clover also uses this lid to deflect Axis' bombs
• [Anti-Feat] Needs Martlet's help moving a table

Speed/Agility

• Runs roughly 2/3rds faster than they walk, traveling the same distance in 1.5 seconds that it took them 2.5 seconds to walk
• Climbs a good distance up a rope, though Flowey resets the timeline before they reach the top
• While fighting Decibat they react and move relatively to various attacks that appear to be sound-based
  • Note that blue attacks don't harm you if you're standing still and orange attacks don't if you're moving
• Passes over a bridge when the boards were constantly elevating and lowering
• Moves out of the way of Dunebud's arrows
  • We see in the game's reveal trailer that these arrows move much faster than their in-game counterparts would suggest
• Avoids the soundwaves produced by Starlo's bell attack
• Escapes Axis during their chase
• Jukes the hell out of Axis
• Moves relatively to the arrows and flintlock pistol shots of a pair of mini robots
• Climbs a laundry chute

Durability
Blunt

• A tumbleweed knocks them onto a lower platform and they don't even flinch
• Even while using the Patch, Clover's starting accessory that offers no extra defense, Clover can withstand several giant boulders smashing into them
  • While using the Steel Buckle or superior defensive items, this damage is totally negligible
• Takes several blows from Ed that launch massive boulders into the air
• Withstands the Guardener's attacks which could smash giant gears that are larger than Clover
• [Genocide] Gets hit by large meteors summoned by Zenith Martlet

Falling

• Jumps down a hole into the Underground and lands on a bed of flowers
• Falls through the floor of the Ruins and lands in a bed of flowers in the Dark Ruins, quickly jumping to their feet afterwards
• Crashes a speeding boat over a ledge, sending them over and into the mines
  • Flowey did comment they seemed pretty hurt by this
• Falls down a trap door

Heat

• Survives in the Steamworks with no issue, which was hot enough to light Moe's clothes and stand on fire over the course of their conversation
• Withstands multiple fire attacks from Asgore before eventually succumbing to them (with Asgore being the strongest non-final boss monster in the original Undertale)

Other

• Gets shocked repeatedly by Dalv's electrical attacks, enduring four before eventually succumbing
• A giant fan produces a sandstorm that pushes them back a considerable distance
• Gets hit by dynamite thrown by Starlo
• Survives multiple shots from Starlo's revolver
• Withstands hits from Axis' energy balls which later destroy Axis' portal generators
  • During Axis' boss fight, Clover takes no damage from this at all
• With the highest defensive accessory they take negligible damage from Ceroba's attacks which shatter stone pillars (they also take a glancing blow from these attacks in a cutscene without damage, though it takes them some time to return to their feet)
  • [Pacifist] Clover later withstands Ceroba's attacks after she had powered up into her Kitsune form, which dealt double damage compared to her previous attacks (2HP with the best defensive item instead of 1HP)
• [Pacifist] Endures for a little over a minute after their soul had been extracted from their body (though they were too weak to do anything but crawl)
• [Genocide] Gets crushed by blocks with enough force to shatter them which are not affected by their SOUL's energy beams
• [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, which assuming Martlet's attacks were responsible for any of this damage means that Clover would scale to it
• [Genocide] Clover grows so powerful that Asgore's trident shatters against their SOUL^{LV 20}

Skill

• Shoots a hat off a dummy
• Beats Starlo in a quickdraw contest
• After being fully lasso'd by Starlo, Clover is still able to effectively avoid his attacks and even tricks him into shooting his own lasso twice
  • Starlo is accurate enough to shoot sticks of dynamite out of the air
  • Clover is still able to fight back as well
• Can shoot something as small as a micro froggit
• Opens a door by shooting its control panel
• Plays a mean harmonica^T
• Holy shit they're so sick with it^T

Justice SOUL

• Flowey talks about how Boss Monsters are stronger than others and that a human SOUL is even more powerful than them
• [Pacifist] During the final boss, Clover is powered up and given a plethora of different abilities (the reason for this isn't explicitly stated, but it's likely because they felt their cause was just, more so than they ever had in the rest of the game)^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Endures repeated enraged attacks from Ceroba that should have killed them before returning to full HP as the next phase of the boss starts^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Can fire energy blasts from their SOUL which are strong enough to overpower Ceroba's own charged blasts^{LV 1}
    • They can quickly fire smaller shots on top of the more powerful charge shots^{LV 1}
    • A weaker version of Ceroba's attacks could shatter stone pillars^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Is able to phase through attacks, including otherwise unavoidable AOE attacks^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Hope, allowing them to take an extra hit without damage^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Endure, regenerating health from a range of 5HP to 10HP^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] Clover is able to Remember, granting them a speed buff over the course of that turn^{LV 1}
  • [Pacifist] After cracking Ceroba's Kitsune mask, Clover is able to see a memory of her past talking to her dying husband^{LV 1}
• [Genocide] After hearing that Axis, the penultimate boss, killed a human child, Clover is filled with such rage and a desire for justice that they automatically leveled up and developed the ability to shoot energy blasts from their SOUL. The first blast obliterated the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield and after further leveling up they fired a massive beam that obliterated Axis entirely. Clover also gained an assortment of other abilities at this point^{LV 15/19}
  • [Genocide] Smaller shots can be rapid fired and a brief charge allows Clover to fire the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] It required two small shots to destroy the meteors Zenith Martlet summons and they're completely obliterated by the beam^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] With enough shots Clover destroys Martlet's armor that their gun was completely useless against (based on the fact that the Fight button is locked during the phase of the fight that she's wearing the armor)^{LV 19}
    • [Genocide] Clover's beam is strong enough to completely obliterate Asgore as well as his throne and the wall behind him^{LV 20}
  • [Genocide] Like in the Pacifist ending, Clover is able to dash which smashes blocks that their shots and beams couldn't break and allows them to phase through otherwise unavoidable attacks without damage^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] After destroying Martlet's armor, Clover is able to see into mind and witness her backstory^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Clover is able to Endure, automatically recovering anywhere from 20HP to 25HP^{LV 19}
  • [Genocide] Here is the top of UG Apartments before Clover's battle with Zenith Martlet compared to after, with Clover presumably being responsible for at least some of the damage^{LV 19}
• [Genocide] Throughout the game, Clover is able to undo mistakes thanks to the SAVE function. Primarily, this is thanks to Flowey doing so for you, becoming an in-universe stand-in for standard RPG Saving and Loading and ultimately allowing them to revive at the latest SAVE point for standard enemies or directly back into the battle for Boss encounters. However, at the end of the Genocide route Clover levels up enough to steal Flowey's control of the timeline, ultimately taking the SAVE ability for themselves which they can use to SAVE and LOAD in the middle of battle^{LV 20}

Gear

Note that while Clover can store excess items in boxes they find around the Underground, they can only carry eight items in their inventory not including their current Weapon, Ammo, Armor, and Accessory. Later in the game they discovered the Dimensional Satchel which allows them to access the boxes from anywhere, but they still only have eight slots to bring into an encounter.
Weapons
Guns

• Toy Gun - Clover's default weapon is a simple toy gun
• Wild Revolver - A gift from Starlo, purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • While the Toy Gun only fires once per turn, the Wild Revolver is fired six times in a row
  • While the Wild Revolver looks and functions like a typical revolver, note that Blackjack does say that he made it so as not to be lethal (though the following line about how anything could be lethal if used enough times consecutively makes this seem more like a meta joke about RPG fight mechanics, even going so far as to mention the ballet shoes that are a weapon in the original Undertale)

Feats
Note that cutscenes will always play out the same regardless of whether the Toy Gun or Wild Revolver is being used, so while the Revolver is obviously the more powerful of the two the Toy Gun is much more powerful than it's name would suggest and the following feats apply to both weapons.

• Damages machinery
• Critically damages Axis who could withstand his own energy balls being reflected back at him with no physical damage, merely draining his power instead
  • After being rebounded Axis' attacks destroyed portable generators as tall as Axis himself
• Destroys robots with repeated shots
• Executes undamaged monsters in cutscenes/scripted fights in both the Pacifist and Genocide routes
• [Anti-Feat] Was unable to destroy the trash can lid Axis was using as a shield

Ammo
Rather amusingly, Clover will jam whatever odd materials they can find into their weapon which somehow works perfectly^T

• Rubber Ammo (AT 0) - The default ammo that Clover started their journey with
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Pebble Ammo (AT 3) - Small rocks that Clover discovered in the Dark Ruins
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Ice Ammo (AT 6) - Discovered near the start of Snowdin, these fragments of a shattered ice crystal don't melt and cool Clover's gun upon being loaded
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Coffee Ammo (AT 4 + 1 SPEED after perfect attack) - Found in a barrel near the exit of Snowdin
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
  • Compare the increased speed to Clover's normal battle speed
• Flint Ammo (AT 9) - Salvaged from an ore deposit outside the East Mines
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
    • Note that the shots make small explosions upon impact
• Glass Ammo (AT 5 + 2HP) - Taken from a shattered glass in the Dunes Gift Shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Silver Ammo (AT 3 + Bonus Damage for Perfect Shot) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• Nails (AT 10) - Found in a box in the Steamworks greenhouse
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver
• [Neutral/Genocide] Friendliness Pellets (AT 11) - A gift from Flowey, acquired outside of the Steamworks
  • Toy Gun Wild Revolver

Armor

• Warn Hat - The default armor that Clover started their journey with
• [Pacifist/Neutral] Nice Hat - Visually identical to Clover's old one and offers no extra defense or benefits, but it is a pretty nice hat

Accessories

• Patch (Armor DF 0) - The default accessory that Clover started their journey with
• Feather (Armor DF 2) - A stray feather located in the tunnels near Dalv's house
• Honeydew Pin (Armor DF 4) - Purchased at the Honeydew Resort shop
• Band Merch Pin (Armor DF 5) - A pin given to Clover by a band's super fan in Honeydew Resort
• Steel Buckle (Armor DF 7) - Found inside a cubby in the East Mines
• Safety Jacket (Armor DF 6) - Found on a hook in the East Mines
• Fancy Holster (Armor DF 8) - Purchased from Blackjack's shop
• Safety Goggles (Armor DF 9) - Acquired from Vendy in the Steamworks
• Silver Scarf (Armor DF 6 and +2HP Every Turn) - Given to Clover by Slurpy in Snowdin after freeing his tongue from a frozen pole
  • Here is the scarf in use
• Delta Run Patch (Armor DF 10) - Purchased from Bits and Bites at UG Apartments
• Golden Bandana (Armor DF 12) - Found in a chest in the Steamworks
  • This did come at the cost of sacrificing the Golden Pear, Golden Coffee, and Golden Cactus

Food/Healing Items
Note that at their weakest (LV 1), Clover has 20HP and at their strongest (LV20), Clover has 100HP
Single Use

• Lemonade - 7HP
• Lukewarm Pop - 8HP
• Candy Corn - 9HP
• Packing Peanuts - 10HP
• Sea Tea - 10HP (+ Temporary Speed Increase)
  • Here is the Sea Tea in use
• Monster Candy - 10HP
• Corn Dog - 12HP
• Cold Pop - 12 HP
• Sponge Cake - 14HP
• Hot Pop -14 HP
• Trail Mix - 14HP
• Corn Chowder - 15HP
• Moss Salad - 17HP
• Ice Tea - 20HP
• Green Tea - 21HP
• Flower Stew - 20HP
• Hot Dog - 20HP
• Fruitcake -25HP
• [Pacifist/Genocide] Adult Soda - ???HP
  • It's actually 20HP
• [Genocide] Oasis Latte - 25HP
• [Neutral] Cake - 30HP
• [Genocide] Cinnamon Cookie - 35HP
• Golden Pear - Invulnerability for two hits
  • Here is the G. Pear in use
• Golden Coffee - Increases Clover's speed for 3 turns
  • Here is the G. Coffee in use (also note that this buff carries on to future encounters if the three turns aren't used)
• Golden Cactus - 15HP for 3 turns (Lose 5HP after first bite)

Two Uses

• Grassy Fries - 14HP
• Beef Jerky - 16HP

Unlimited Supply

• Spider Donut - 12HP
• Popato Chisps - 13HP
• Honeydew Coffee - 14HP
• Honeydew Pancake - 16HP
• Ice Water - 15HP
• Monster Candy+ - 15HP
• Root Beer - 18HP
• G.B. Bear - 20HP
• Dihydrogen Monoxide - 20HP
• Feisty Slider - 30HP
• Gravity Granola - 30HP
• Cinnamon Butterscotch Strudel - 30HP
• Floral Cupcake - 50HP
• Gun Powder - ???HP
  • Completely maxes out Clover's HP
  • Note that Clover can only acquire one of these on the Genocide Route

Misc

• Solves Martlet's extremely complicated lava rock puzzle
• Beats the infamous Shuffler gang at their own game
• Uses flint and a steel buckle to burn a thick stick that was jamming an elevator
• Keeps up with El Bailador during their dance off, who was out of breath after the fact
• [Pacifist/Neutral] The Doc in the Wild East can overcharge Clover's health with a one time extra 15HP (nearly double their health at LV 1)
• Stealthily creeps around the Steamworks factory, figuring out a passcode while staying out of Axis' view
• Clover has incredible willpower, since even after Flowey kills them and attempts to absorb their SOUL, Clover is able to resist him for the entirety of the ensuing boss fight which ends when Flowey realizes they'd be fighting for all eternity if they continued and opts to simply reset the timeline instead
• Breaks it down

Somebody calls for help
You answer the call

Doctoral candidate seeking current secondary-level teachers in the United States, who teach science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and use music in the form of Content-Rich Educational STEM Songs, as an instructional strategy to teach STEM content.
If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact through a direct message, or via email at [tiffany.getty@wilkes.edu](mailto:tiffany.getty@wilkes.edu).
Also, please fill out this brief 2-minute survey to ensure you meet the qualifying criteria at the following link: https://forms.gle/DGz8axSvPB1itjjh7
Thanks so much!